Inhibition of host 5-lipoxygenase reduces overexuberant inflammatory responses and mortality associated with meningoencephalitis.

Unlabelled: Cryptococcosis, caused by fungi of the genus , manifests in a broad range of clinical presentations, including severe pneumonia and disease of the central nervous system (CNS) and other tissues (bone and skin). Immune deficiency or development of overexuberant inflammatory responses can result in increased susceptibility or host damage, respectively, during fungal encounters. Leukotrienes help regulate inflammatory responses against fungal infections.

Detection and Quantification of Cryptococcus Uptake by Phagocytic Cells Using Imaging Flow Cytometry.

Cryptococcus neoformans, the predominant etiological agent of cryptococcosis, is an encapsulated fungal pathogen found ubiquitously in the environment that causes pneumonia and life-threatening infections of the central nervous system. Following inhalation of yeasts or desiccated basidiospores into the lung alveoli, resident pulmonary phagocytic cells aid in the identification and eradication of Cryptococcus yeast through their arsenal of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). PRRs recognize conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), such as branched mannans, β-glucans, and chitins that are the major components of the fungal cell wall.

Model of Coccidioidomycosis for Drug Susceptibility Tests and Virulence Factor Identification.

Coccidioidomycosis (CM) can manifest as respiratory and disseminated diseases that are caused by dimorphic fungal pathogens, such as species. The inhaled arthroconidia generated during the saprobic growth phase convert into multinucleated spherules in the lungs to complete the parasitic lifecycle. Research on coccidioidal virulence and pathogenesis primarily employs murine models typically associated with low lethal doses (LD < 100 spores).

A Recombinant Multivalent Vaccine (rCpa1) Induces Protection for C57BL/6 and HLA Transgenic Mice against Pulmonary Infection with Both Species of .

Coccidioidomycosis is caused by () and (), which have a 4-5% difference in their genomic sequences. There is an urgent need to develop a human vaccine against both species. A previously created recombinant antigen (rCpa1) that contains multiple peptides derived from isolate C735 is protective against the autologous isolate.

Advocating for Coccidioidomycosis to Be a Reportable Disease Nationwide in the United States and Encouraging Disease Surveillance across North and South America.

Coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) has been a known health threat in the United States (US) since the 1930s, though not all states are currently required to report disease cases. Texas, one of the non-reporting states, is an example of where both historical and contemporary scientific evidence define the region as endemic, but we don't know disease incidence in the state. Mandating coccidioidomycosis as a reportable disease across more US states would increase disease awareness, improve clinical outcomes, and help antifungal drug and vaccine development.

Coupling Between Subregional Oscillators Within the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus Determines Free-Running Period in the Rat.

Rats housed in a 22-h light-dark cycle (11:11, T22) exhibit 2 distinct circadian locomotor activity (LMA) bouts simultaneously: one is entrained to the LD cycle and a second dissociated bout maintains a period greater than 24 h. These 2 activity bouts are associated with independent clock gene oscillations in the ventrolateral (vl-) and dorsomedial (dm-) suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), respectively. Previous results in our laboratory have shown that the vl- and dm-SCN oscillators are weakly coupled under T22 and that the period of the dissociated bout depends on coupling between the 2 subdivisions.

An Immunogenic and Slow-Growing Cryptococcal Strain Induces a Chronic Granulomatous Infection in Murine Lungs.

Many successful pathogens cause latent infections, remaining dormant within the host for years but retaining the ability to reactivate to cause symptomatic disease. The human opportunistic fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans establishes latent pulmonary infections in immunocompetent individuals upon inhalation from the environment. These latent infections are frequently characterized by granulomas, or foci of chronic inflammation, that contain dormant and persistent cryptococcal cells.

Case Report: Neurologic Presentation of West Nile Virus: Difficult Diagnosis.

West Nile virus infections have surged across the globe. South Texas, located on the path of bird migration, with and other species, and biotic primers that predispose the area to epidemics (floods, amplifying hosts, and lack of mosquito control and prevention) remains a highly endemic area for arbovirus spread. West Nile virus infection ranges from mild febrile illness to severe central nervous system involvement.

Social distancing enhanced automated optimal design of physical spaces in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds, manually enhanced ad-hoc solutions have helped the physical space designers and decision makers to cope with the dynamic nature of space planning. Due to the unpredictable nature by which the pandemic is unfolding, the standard operating procedures also change, and the protocols for physical interaction require continuous reconsideration. Consequently, the development of an appropriate technological solution to address the current challenge of reconfiguring common physical environments with prescribed physical distancing measures is much needed.

CARD9-Associated Dectin-1 and Dectin-2 Are Required for Protective Immunity of a Multivalent Vaccine against Infection.

species are fungal pathogens that can cause a widely varied clinical manifestation from mild pulmonary symptom to disseminated, life-threatening disease. We have previously created a subunit vaccine by encapsulating a recombinant coccidioidal Ag (rCpa1) in glucan-chitin particles (GCPs) as an adjuvant-delivery system. The GCP-rCpa1 vaccine has shown to elicit a mixed Th1 and Th17 response and confers protection against pulmonary coccidioidomycosis in mice.

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) clones from Paraguayan children.

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus is considered one of the most important human pathogens, and its levels of resistance to methicillin have increased even in strains isolated from people without nosocomial risk factors. Molecular analysis is essential for understanding the patterns of dissemination. The objective of this study was to identify community-acquired methicillin-resistant S.

CARD9 Is Required for Classical Macrophage Activation and the Induction of Protective Immunity against Pulmonary Cryptococcosis.

Caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (CARD9) is a critical adaptor molecule triggered by the interaction of C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) with carbohydrate motifs found in fungi. Consequently, clinical and animal studies indicate that CARD9 is an important regulator of protective immunity against fungal pathogens. Previous studies suggest that CARD9 is important for the induction of protection against , an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes life-threatening infections of the central nervous system in immunocompromised patients.

Clinical Features Of Women With COPD: Sex Differences In A Cross-Sectional Study In Spain ("The ESPIRAL-ES Study").

Aim: This cross-sectional multicenter study was performed aimed at describing the clinical characteristics of women with COPD attended in routine daily practice in Spain.

Methods And Results: Of a total of 1610 consecutive patients diagnosed with COPD recruited in primary care centers and pneumology services throughout Spain over a 90-day period, 17.9% (n=286) were women, with a median age of 62 years.

Induction of memory-like dendritic cell responses in vivo.

Dendritic cells (DCs), a vital component of the innate immune system, are considered to lack antigen specificity and be devoid of immunological memory. Strategies that can induce memory-like responses from innate cells can be utilized to elicit protective immunity in immune deficient persons. Here we utilize an experimental immunization strategy to modulate DC inflammatory and memory-like responses against an opportunistic fungal pathogen that causes significant disease in immunocompromised individuals.

IFN-γ immune priming of macrophages in vivo induces prolonged STAT1 binding and protection against Cryptococcus neoformans.

Development of vaccines against opportunistic infections is difficult as patients most at risk of developing disease are deficient in aspects of the adaptive immune system. Here, we utilized an experimental immunization strategy to induce innate memory in macrophages in vivo. Unlike current trained immunity models, we present an innate memory-like phenotype in macrophages that is maintained for at least 70 days post-immunization and results in complete protection against secondary challenge in the absence of adaptive immune cells.

Defects in intracellular trafficking of fungal cell wall synthases lead to aberrant host immune recognition.

The human fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, dramatically alters its cell wall, both in size and composition, upon entering the host. This cell wall remodeling is essential for host immune avoidance by this pathogen. In a genetic screen for mutants with changes in their cell wall, we identified a novel protein, Mar1, that controls cell wall organization and immune evasion.

Geographic variations of the prevalence and distribution of COPD phenotypes in Spain: "the ESPIRAL-ES study".

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of COPD phenotypes at a national level and to determine their geographic distribution among different autonomous communities in Spain.

Patients And Methods: A total of 1,610 patients (82% men, median age 67 years) recruited in primary care centers and pneumology services participated in an observational, cross-sectional, and multicenter study. Phenotypes evaluated were the non-exacerbator phenotype, the asthma-COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS), the exacerbator phenotype with emphysema, and the exacerbator phenotype with chronic bronchitis.

Physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of banana flour during ripening.

Banana flour has been recognized as functional ingredient, owing to its healthy nutritional pattern. Nevertheless, unripe and ripe banana flours show different characteristics and scarce information is available about changes undergone during banana ripening. This study evaluates the changes on physiochemical (chemical composition, hydration properties, rheological properties and structural characteristic) and nutritional (resistant starch content, phenolic compound and antioxidant activity) characteristics of banana flour at the initial four ripening stages.

Depressive status explains a significant amount of the variance in COPD assessment test (CAT) scores.

Background: COPD assessment test (CAT) is a short, easy-to-complete health status tool that has been incorporated into the multidimensional assessment of COPD in order to guide therapy; therefore, it is important to understand the factors determining CAT scores.

Methods: This is a post hoc analysis of a cross-sectional, observational study conducted in respiratory medicine departments and primary care centers in Spain with the aim of identifying the factors determining CAT scores, focusing particularly on the cognitive status measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and levels of depression measured by the short Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Results: A total of 684 COPD patients were analyzed; 84.

Innate Immunity against Cryptococcus, from Recognition to Elimination.

species, the etiological agents of cryptococcosis, are encapsulated fungal yeasts that predominantly cause disease in immunocompromised individuals, and are responsible for 15% of AIDS-related deaths worldwide. Exposure follows the inhalation of the yeast into the lung alveoli, making it incumbent upon the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) of pulmonary phagocytes to recognize highly conserved pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS) of fungi. The main challenges impeding the ability of pulmonary phagocytes to effectively recognize include the presence of the yeast's large polysaccharide capsule, as well as other cryptococcal virulence factors that mask fungal PAMPs and help evade detection and subsequent activation of the immune system.

[MLVA analysis and virulence profile of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus causing infections in Paraguayan children].

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is one of the first causes of skin and soft tissue infections, and can also produce severe diseases such as osteomyelitis and pneumonia. The aim of this descriptive study was to determine the SCCmec type and virulence profile and to study the genetic diversity by MLVA analysis of 21 CA-MRSA isolates that infected Paraguayan children in 2010. The SCCmec type and virulence factors were performed by PCR and genetic diversity by MLVA (multiple locus variable analysis).

Active smoking and COPD phenotype: distribution and impact on prognostic factors.

Purpose: Smoking can affect both the phenotypic expression of COPD and factors such as disease severity, quality of life, and comorbidities. Our objective was to evaluate if the impact of active smoking on these factors varies according to the disease phenotype.

Patients And Methods: This was a Spanish, observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study of patients with a diagnosis of COPD.

[Community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus isolated from Paraguayan children: clinical, phenotypic and genotypic characterization].

Introduction: The prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus in the community has increased, being the pediatric population the most affected. This fact highlights the need for epidemiological surveillance.

Aim: To characterize clinical, phenotypic and genotypic isolates of S.

Dectin-3 Is Not Required for Protection against Cryptococcus neoformans Infection.

C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) are diverse, trans-membrane proteins that function as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) which are necessary for orchestrating immune responses against pathogens. CLRs have been shown to play a major role in recognition and protection against fungal pathogens. Dectin-3 (also known as MCL, Clecsf8, or Clec4d) is a myeloid cell-specific CLR that recognizes mycobacterial trehalose 6,6'-dimycolate (TDM) as well as α-mannans present in the cell wall of fungal pathogens.