A cynomolgus monkey urinary tract infection model confirms efficacy of new FimH vaccine candidates.

The increase in urinary tract infections (UTI) caused by antibiotic-resistant requires the development of new therapeutic agents and prophylactic vaccines. To evaluate the efficacy of new lead candidates, we implemented a cynomolgus macaque UTI challenge model that mimics human uncomplicated cystitis in response to transurethral challenge with a multidrug-resistant (MDR) serotype O25b ST131 isolate. fimbrial adhesin FimH and O-antigens are separately under clinical evaluation by others as vaccine candidates to prevent UTI and invasive urosepsis disease, respectively.

Semisynthetic Glycoconjugate Vaccine Candidates against O25B Induce Functional IgG Antibodies in Mice.

Extraintestinal pathogenic (ExPEC) is a major health concern due to emerging antibiotic resistance. Along with O1A, O2, and O6A, O25B is a major serotype within the ExPEC group, which expresses a unique -antigen. Clinical studies with a glycoconjugate vaccine of the above-mentioned -types revealed O25B as the least immunogenic component, inducing relatively weak IgG titers.

Point-of-care ultrasound: Closing guideline gaps in screening for valvular heart disease.

Background: A linear increase in the number of valvular heart disease is expected due to the aging population, yet most patients with severe valvular heart disease remain undiagnosed.

Hypothesis: POCUS can serve as a screening tool for valvular heart disease.

Methods: We reviewed the literature to assess the strengths and limitations of POCUS in screening and diagnosing valvular heart disease.

VD and LXR agonist (T0901317) combination demonstrated greater potency in inhibiting cholesterol accumulation and inducing apoptosis via ABCA1-CHOP-BCL-2 cascade in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Obesity is associated with hypercholesterolemia and is a global epidemic. Epidemiological and animal studies revealed cholesterol is an essential regulator of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer progression while inhibition of cholesterol accumulation was found to prevent breast tumor growth. Individually, vitamin D and LXR agonist T0901317 showed anticancer properties.

CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) knockdown reduces inflammation, ER stress, and apoptosis, and promotes autophagy in oxLDL-treated RAW264.7 macrophage cells.

Atherosclerosis is associated with deregulated cholesterol metabolism and formation of macrophage foam cells. CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) is a transcription factor, and its inhibition has recently been shown to prevent atherosclerosis development and foam cell formation. However, whether C/EBPβ regulates inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and apoptosis, in macrophage foam cells and its underlying molecular mechanism remains unknown.

The contribution of cholesterol and epigenetic changes to the pathophysiology of breast cancer.

Breast cancer​ is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in women. Accumulating evidence suggests that cholesterol plays an important role in the development of breast cancer. Even though the mechanistic link between these two factors is not well understood, one possibility is that dysregulated cholesterol metabolism may affect lipid raft and membrane fluidity and can promote tumor development.

Assessing Emotional Suffering in Palliative Care: Use of a Structured Note Template to Improve Documentation.

Context: Documentation of the emotional or psychological needs of seriously ill patients receiving specialty palliative care is endorsed by the "Measuring What Matters" project as a quality performance metric and recommended for use by hospice and palliative care programs for program improvement.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to increase the proportion of inpatient palliative care team encounters in which emotional or psychological needs of patients and family members were documented and to qualitatively enrich the nature of this documentation.

Methods: This is a mixed-methods retrospective study of 200 patient charts reviewed before and after implementation of a structured note template (SmartPhrase) for palliative care encounters.

Predictors of resolution and persistence of renal laboratory abnormalities in pediatric HIV infection.

Background: Among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected youth, the role of renal disease (RD) and its management has become increasingly important as these children/adolescents mature into young adults. The identification of predictors of abnormal renal laboratory events (RLE) may be helpful in the management of their HIV infection and its associated renal complications.

Methods: Data collected from HIV-infected youth followed for ≥ 48 months were analyzed to identify predictors of resolution versus persistence of RLE and determine the utility of RLE to predict the onset of RD.

A C-RING-like domain participates in protein self-assembly and mineral nucleation.

AP7 is a nacre-associated protein of the mollusk shell that forms supramolecular assemblies that nucleate single-crystal aragonite in vitro. AP7 possesses two major sequence regions: a random coil 30-amino acid N-terminal domain (AP7N) and a partially disordered 36-amino acid C-terminal domain (AP7C) that exhibits imperfect sequence homology to the C subclass of the intracellular RING domain family. We report here new findings that implicate the C-RING domain in AP7-mediated supramolecular assembly and single-crystal mineral formation.

Formation of framework nacre polypeptide supramolecular assemblies that nucleate polymorphs.

The formation of aragonite in the mollusk shell nacre layer is linked to the assembly of framework protein complexes that interact with β-chitin polysaccharide. What is not yet understood is how framework nacre proteins control crystal growth. Recently, a 30 AA intrinsically disordered nacre protein sequence (n16N) derived from the n16 framework nacre protein was found to form aragonite, vaterite, or ACC deposits when adsorbed onto β-chitin.

Intrinsically disordered mollusk shell prismatic protein that modulates calcium carbonate crystal growth.

The formation of calcite prism architecture in the prismatic layer of the mollusk shell involves the participation of a number of different proteins. One protein family, Asprich, has been identified as a participant in amorphous calcium carbonate stabilization and calcite architecture in the prismatic layer of the mollusk, Atrina rigida . However, the functional role(s) of this protein family are not fully understood due to the fact that insufficient quantities of these proteins are available for experimentation.