Colorectal Cancer Screening using Immunochemical Faecal Occult Blood Testing (iFOBT) in Urban-Poor Communities in Cheras, Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers globally, with the immunochemical faecal occult blood test (iFOBT) frequently used for population level screening. This study evaluated CRC screening uptake among urban-poor individuals aged 40-65, assessed their knowledge of CRC risk factors and symptoms before and after an educational programme, and identified determinants of polyps and CRC within this group.

Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited 577 individuals from seven People's Residential Project (PPR) areas in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia Madani Carnival between March 2022 and July 2023.

Development and validation of a species-specific environmental DNA (eDNA) primer for endangered Asian arowana, (Teleostei: Osteoglossidae) for law enforcement and wild population monitoring.

The Asian Arowana, (Müller and Schlegel, 1844) is a large majestic freshwater teleost, crowned as the king of aquariums with its bright charismatic appearance and magnificent swimming performance. The most expensive Asian arowana is the Golden Blue-based Malayan Arowana which is endemic to the Bukit Merah Lake and Kerian River Basin, Perak, Malaysia. has been listed as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), regulated under Appendix 1 of the Convention of International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES) for commercial trade.

CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing for Tissue-Specific In Vivo Targeting: Nanomaterials and Translational Perspective.

Clustered randomly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPRs) and its associated endonuclease protein, i.e., Cas9, have been discovered as an immune system in bacteria and archaea; nevertheless, they are now being adopted as mainstream biotechnological/molecular scissors that can modulate ample genetic and nongenetic diseases via insertion/deletion, epigenome editing, messenger RNA editing, CRISPR interference, etc.

Cationic lipopolymeric nanoplexes containing the CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein for genome surgery.

sgRNA/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) provide a site-specific robust gene-editing approach avoiding the mutagenesis and unwanted off-target effects. However, the high molecular weight (∼165 kDa), hydrophilicity and net supranegative charge (∼-20 mV) hinder the intracellular delivery of these RNPs. In the present study, we have prepared cationic RNPs lipopolymeric nanoplexes that showed a size of 117.

Scale development and validation for usage of social networking sites during COVID-19.

This research aims to explore the usage of social networking sites in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the objective, this study develops and validates a scale to measure the usage of social networking sites. Data was collected via a google form link through social networking sites in India viz.

FnCas9-based CRISPR diagnostic for rapid and accurate detection of major SARS-CoV-2 variants on a paper strip.

The COVID-19 pandemic originating in the Wuhan province of China in late 2019 has impacted global health, causing increased mortality among elderly patients and individuals with comorbid conditions. During the passage of the virus through affected populations, it has undergone mutations, some of which have recently been linked with increased viral load and prognostic complexities. Several of these variants are point mutations that are difficult to diagnose using the gold standard quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) method and necessitates widespread sequencing which is expensive, has long turn-around times, and requires high viral load for calling mutations accurately.

Rapid and accurate nucleobase detection using FnCas9 and its application in COVID-19 diagnosis.

Rapid detection of DNA/RNA pathogenic sequences or variants through point-of-care diagnostics is valuable for accelerated clinical prognosis, as witnessed during the recent COVID-19 outbreak. Traditional methods relying on qPCR or sequencing are tough to implement with limited resources, necessitating the development of accurate and robust alternative strategies. Here, we report FnCas9 Editor Linked Uniform Detection Assay (FELUDA) that utilizes a direct Cas9 based enzymatic readout for detecting nucleobase and nucleotide sequences without trans-cleavage of reporter molecules.

Design and optimization of a probiotic tablet for gastrointestinal tolerance by a simplex-centroid mixture.

In this study, a simplex-centroid mixture design using design of experiment (DOE) software was implemented to evaluate the effect of biopolymers as excipients, which are hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and alginate, on the gastrointestinal tolerance of probiotic tablet containing . Microbial viability and dissolution time were used to evaluate the ideal formulation made using 39.01% carboxymethylcellulose and 60.

Terminal Uridylyl Transferase Mediated Site-Directed Access to Clickable Chromatin Employing CRISPR-dCas9.

Locus-specific interrogation of target genes employing functional probes such as proteins and small molecules is paramount in decoding the molecular basis of gene function and designing tools to modulate its downstream effects. In this context, CRISPR-based gene editing and targeting technologies have proved tremendously useful, as they can be programmed to target any gene of interest by simply changing the sequence of the single guide RNA (sgRNA). Although these technologies are widely utilized in recruiting genetically encoded functional proteins, display of small molecules using CRISPR system is not well developed due to the lack of adequate techniques.

Cas9 interrogates genomic DNA with very high specificity and can be used for mammalian genome editing.

Genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used to make precise heritable changes in the DNA of organisms. Although the widely used Cas9 (SpCas9) and its engineered variants have been efficiently harnessed for numerous gene-editing applications across different platforms, concerns remain regarding their putative off-targeting at multiple loci across the genome. Here we report that Cas9 (FnCas9) shows a very high specificity of binding to its intended targets and negligible binding to off-target loci.

The effects of foot position on lower extremity kinematics during single leg squat among adolescent male athletes.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of transverse plane foot position on lower limb kinematics during a single leg squat.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among highly-trained male athletes. Only participants who showed normal knee valgus during a drop landing screening test were recruited.

A G-quadruplex motif at the 3' end of sgRNAs improves CRISPR-Cas9 based genome editing efficiency.

Originating as a component of prokaryotic adaptive immunity, the type II CRISPR/Cas9 system has been repurposed for targeted genome editing in various organisms. Although Cas9 can bind and cleave DNA efficiently under in vitro conditions, its activity inside a cell can vary dramatically between targets owing to the differences between genomic loci and the availability of enough Cas9/sgRNA (single guide RNA) complex molecules for cleavage. Most methods have so far relied on Cas9 protein engineering or base modifications in the sgRNA sequence to improve CRISPR/Cas9 activity.

Yeasts in sustainable bioethanol production: A review.

Bioethanol has been identified as the mostly used biofuel worldwide since it significantly contributes to the reduction of crude oil consumption and environmental pollution. It can be produced from various types of feedstocks such as sucrose, starch, lignocellulosic and algal biomass through fermentation process by microorganisms. Compared to other types of microoganisms, yeasts especially is the common microbes employed in ethanol production due to its high ethanol productivity, high ethanol tolerance and ability of fermenting wide range of sugars.

Influence of high-pressure homogenization, ultrasonication, and supercritical fluid on free astaxanthin extraction from β-glucanase-treated Phaffia rhodozyma cells.

In this study astaxanthin production by Phaffia rhodozyma was enhanced by chemical mutation using ethyl methane sulfonate. The mutant produces a higher amount of astaxanthin than the wild yeast strain. In comparison to supercritical fluid technique, high-pressure homogenization is better for extracting astaxanthin from yeast cells.

Psychosis induced by cefuroxime and metronidazole.

We report a case 35-year-old lady who developed acute psychosis following administration of cefuroxime and metronidazole. Earliest mood changes occurred on the second day of antibiotics therapy. She developed hallucinations, delusions and bizarre behavior 1 day after the completion of the antibiotic therapy.

Sequence and structural investigation of a novel psychrophilic α-amylase from Glaciozyma antarctica PI12 for cold-adaptation analysis.

A novel α-amylase was isolated successfully from Glaciozyma antarctica PI12 using DNA walking and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods. The structure of this psychrophilic α-amylase (AmyPI12) from G. antarctica PI12 has yet to be studied in detail.