PRC1 and CTCF-Mediated Transition from Poised to Active Chromatin Loops Drives Bivalent Gene Activation.

Polycomb Repressive Complex 1 (PRC1) and CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) are critical regulators of 3D chromatin architecture that influence cellular transcriptional programs. Spatial chromatin structures comprise conserved compartments, topologically associating domains (TADs), and dynamic, cell-type-specific chromatin loops. Although the role of CTCF in chromatin organization is well-known, the involvement of PRC1 is less understood.

An exploratory cross-cultural study of community-based health literacy interventions to promote the mental well-being of disadvantaged and disabled young Africans: a multi-method approach.

Background: This study explores the impact of community-based health literacy interventions on the health and mental well-being of disadvantaged young Africans in Zambia, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and South Africa. The pandemic has exacerbated mental health problems amongst children and young people, underscoring the urgent need for equitable access to mental healthcare resources. Emphasizing the importance of equitable access to mental healthcare resources, the research addresses educational and income disparities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), particularly amongst young Africans with disabilities or vulnerabilities.

Antibiotic Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria: The Threat from the Pink Corner.

Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria is a formidable challenge in modern medicine [...

Prevalence of AmpC beta-lactamase and extended spectrum beta-lactamase co-producer in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella species in a teaching hospital.

Introduction: Beta-lactamase producing bacterial infection has been on surge due to selection pressure and injudicious antibiotics usage. Organisms that co-produced more than one beta lactamase enzyme posed diagnostic challenges which may result in inadequate treatment. To date, there is no standardised guideline offering phenotypic detection of AmpC β-lactamase.

Molecular investigation of antimicrobial peptides against proteins using a peptide-protein docking approach.

The impact of resistance on patient's treatment failure is a major concern. Therefore, the development of novel or alternative therapies for is urgently needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the molecular interactions of various antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) to proteins.

Lessons Learned From Telephone-Based Data Collection for Health and Demographic Surveillance Systems During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia.

The Sleman Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) is a longitudinal survey held routinely since 2014 to collect demographic, social, and health changes in Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia, we needed to adjust our method of conducting data collection from in-person to telephone interviews. We describe the Sleman HDSS data collection strategy used and the opportunities it presented.

Insights into the Microbiome and Antibiotic Resistance Genes from Hospital Environmental Surfaces: A Prime Source of Antimicrobial Resistance.

Hospital environmental surfaces are potential reservoirs for transmitting hospital-associated pathogens. This study aimed to profile microbiomes and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) from hospital environmental surfaces using 16S rRNA amplicon and metagenomic sequencing at a tertiary teaching hospital in Malaysia. Samples were collected from patient sinks and healthcare staff counters at surgery and orthopaedic wards.

The Effects of Tocotrienol on Gut Microbiota: A Scoping Review.

Gut dysbiosis has been associated with many chronic diseases, such as obesity, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer. Gut dysbiosis triggers these diseases through the activation of the immune system by the endotoxins produced by gut microbiota, which leads to systemic inflammation. In addition to pre-/pro-/postbiotics, many natural products can restore healthy gut microbiota composition.

Molecular Epidemiology and Characterization of Multidrug-Resistant MRSA ST398 and ST239 in Himachal Pradesh, India.

Aim: Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is a common cause of severe and difficult-to-treat infections in humans and animals. We aimed to identify the predominant lineages of methicillin-resistant in Himachal Pradesh, India, to understand the genomic epidemiology along with the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics.

Methods: We isolated 250 from two district hospitals in Himachal Pradesh, India.

The Potential of Alternative Therapies and Vaccine Candidates against .

Alternative therapies and vaccination are essential to combat the emergence of multidrug-resistant and to prevent the development of gastroduodenal diseases. This review aimed to systematically review recent studies on alternative therapies, i.e.

Analysis of costs and utilization of ambulance services in the ministry of health facilities, Malaysia.

Background: Despite emergency ambulance services playing a pivotal role in accessibility to life-saving treatments in Malaysia, there are still numerous gaps in knowledge in terms of their utilization and cost. This leads to current policies on procurement, maintenance, and allocation being predicated on historical evidence and expert opinions. This study thus aims to analyse the cost and utilization of ambulance services in selected public health facilities in Malaysia.

Multidrug-Resistant Strains: A Five-Year Surveillance Study and Its Genome Characteristics.

Background: The emergence of multidrug-resistant has undermined eradication strategies to prevent the development of gastric cancer. This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of secondary antibiotic resistance of in urban multicultural areas in Malaysia.

Methods: From January 2017 to December 2021, gastric biopsies from 218 patients with a history of eradication failure were sent to our laboratory for antibiotic susceptibility testing.

The Roles of Immune Cells in Gastric Cancer: Anti-Cancer or Pro-Cancer?

Despite the fact that the incidence of gastric cancer has declined over the last decade, it is still the world's leading cause of cancer-related death. The diagnosis of early gastric cancer is difficult, as symptoms of this cancer only manifest at a late stage of cancer progression. Thus, the prognosis of gastric cancer is poor, and the current treatment for improving patients' outcomes involves the application of surgery and chemotherapy.

Effectiveness of a complex, pre-conception intervention to reduce the risk of diabetes by reducing adiposity in young adults in Malaysia: The Jom Mama project - A randomised controlled trial.

Background: Pre-conception interventions have the potential to lower non-communicable disease risk in prospective parents and reduce transmission of risk factors such as obesity to the next generation. The Jom Mama project in Malaysia investigated the effectiveness of a combined behaviour change communication and e-health intervention in young married couples prior to first pregnancy. This paper reports the evaluation of the effectiveness of this trial.

Factors affecting the sustainability of community mental health assets: A systematic review.

Resources and activities offered by Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations could play a key role in supporting communities with their mental health. Whilst policy makers have become increasingly interested in using such asset-based approaches to improve mental health and well-being, the sustainability of these approaches remains underresearched. In this review, we explored the factors affecting the sustainability of community mental health assets.

New insight on the role of Helicobacter pylori cagA in the expression of cell surface antigens with important biological functions in gastric carcinogenesis.

Background: Expression of cluster of differentiation (CD) antigens changes according to disease status and inflammation. Profiles of CD antigens expression in gastric cancer patients are different based on the status of H. pylori infection.

The Role of Antimicrobial Peptides as Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Agents in Tackling the Silent Pandemic of Antimicrobial Resistance.

Just over a million people died globally in 2019 due to antibiotic resistance caused by ESKAPE pathogens (, , , , , and species). The World Health Organization (WHO) also lists antibiotic-resistant and as bacteria that pose the greatest threat to human health. As it is becoming increasingly difficult to discover new antibiotics, new alternatives are needed to solve the crisis of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Staphylococcal aureus bacteraemia: Clinical characteristic & evaluation of Prolex Staph Xtra latex agglutination test in the rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of community as well as healthcare-associated bacteraemia. This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics of S. aureus bacteraemia (SAB) and to evaluate the performance of the Prolex Staph Xtra Latex agglutination test in the identification of Staphylococcus aureus.

Development and Validation of Multiplex Quantitative PCR Assay for Detection of and Mutations Conferring Resistance to Clarithromycin and Levofloxacin in Gastric Biopsy.

Aims And Objectives: More than half of the world's population is infected with , which can cause chronic gastritis. WHO has regarded clarithromycin-resistant as a high priority pathogen. Hence, accurate diagnosis and detection of clarithromycin- and levofloxacin-resistant strains is essential for proper management of infection.

The Emergence of Multidrug-Resistant in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review on the Trends and Intervention Strategies Using Antimicrobial Peptides.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant poses a public healthcare threat, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Recently, the World Health Organization has classified clarithromycin-resistant as high priority in the research and discovery of novel antibiotics. This study was aimed to systematically review the prevalence of primary antibiotic resistance in in Southeast Asian countries (SEAC) and to review current studies of antimicrobial peptides against .

STEM Pride: Perspectives from transgender, nonbinary, and genderqueer scientists.

In celebration of Pride Month, we asked transgender, genderqueer, and nonbinary scientists to tell us about what fascinates them, their ambitions and achievements, and how their gender identities have shaped their experiences in STEM. We owe a special thanks to 500 Queer Scientists (https://500queerscientists.com/), whose network and efforts at increasing LGBTQ+ scientists' visibility made this article possible.

The Skeletal Effects of Short-Term Triple Therapy in a Rat Model of Gastric Ulcer Induced by Infection.

Purpose: Triple therapy is the standard therapy to eradicate infection. Chronic use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), a component of triple therapy, is associated with osteoporosis. However, the skeletal effects of short-term triple therapy containing PPI remain elusive.

The heterogeneic distribution of Helicobacter pylori cag pathogenicity island reflects different pathologies in multiracial Malaysian population.

Background: Helicobacter pylori harbouring cag-pathogenicity island (cagPAI) which encodes type IV secretion system (T4SS) and cagA virulence gene are involved in inflammation of the gastric mucosa. We examined all the 27 cagPAI genes in 88 H. pylori isolates from patients of different ethnicities and examined the association of the intactness of cagPAI region with histopathological scores of the gastric mucosa.

Advantages and Limitations of 16S rRNA Next-Generation Sequencing for Pathogen Identification in the Diagnostic Microbiology Laboratory: Perspectives from a Middle-Income Country.

Bacterial culture and biochemical testing (CBtest) have been the cornerstone of pathogen identification in the diagnostic microbiology laboratory. With the advent of Sanger sequencing and later, next-generation sequencing, 16S rRNA next-generation sequencing (16SNGS) has been proposed to be a plausible platform for this purpose. Nevertheless, usage of the 16SNGS platform has both advantages and limitations.

Group antenatal care (Pregnancy Circles) for diverse and disadvantaged women: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial with integral process and economic evaluations.

Background: Group antenatal care has been successfully implemented around the world with suggestions of improved outcomes, including for disadvantaged groups, but it has not been formally tested in the UK in the context of the NHS. To address this the REACH Pregnancy Circles intervention was developed and a randomised controlled trial (RCT), based on a pilot study, is in progress.

Methods: The RCT is a pragmatic, two-arm, individually randomised, parallel group RCT designed to test clinical and cost-effectiveness of REACH Pregnancy Circles compared with standard care.