Identification of novel FosX family determinants from diverse environmental samples.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify novel fosfomycin resistance genes across diverse environmental samples, ranging in levels of anthropogenic pollution. We focused on fosfomycin resistance, and given its increasing clinical importance, explored the prevalence of these genes within different environmental contexts.

Methods: Metagenomic DNA was extracted from wastewater and sediment samples collected from sites in India, Sweden, and Antarctica.

Adaptive expression of phage auxiliary metabolic genes in paddy soils and their contribution toward global carbon sequestration.

Habitats with intermittent flooding, such as paddy soils, are crucial reservoirs in the global carbon pool; however, the effect of phage-host interactions on the biogeochemical cycling of carbon in paddy soils remains unclear. Hence, this study applied multiomics and global datasets integrated with validation experiments to investigate phage-host community interactions and the potential of phages to impact carbon sequestration in paddy soils. The results demonstrated that paddy soil phages harbor a diverse and abundant repertoire of auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) associated with carbon fixation, comprising 23.

Of Clams and Clades: Genetic Diversity and Connectivity of Small Giant Clams () in the Southern Pacific Ocean.

Giant clams ( and ) are large marine bivalves occupying tropical and subtropical reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Giant clam populations have declined in many areas of the Indo-Pacific and continue to be threatened by harvesting and environmental change. The small giant clam () occurs throughout the Indo-Pacific and has been subject to several phylogeographic studies across its range.

Vegetable phylloplane microbiomes harbour class 1 integrons in novel bacterial hosts and drive the spread of chlorite resistance.

Bacterial hosts in vegetable phylloplanes carry mobile genetic elements, such as plasmids and transposons that are associated with integrons. These mobile genetic elements and their cargo genes can enter human microbiomes via consumption of fresh agricultural produce, including uncooked vegetables. This presents a risk of acquiring antimicrobial resistance genes from uncooked vegetables.

Reduction in antimicrobial resistance in a watershed after closure of livestock farms.

Natural environments play a crucial role in transmission of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Development of methods to manage antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in natural environments are usually limited to the laboratory or field scale, partially due to the complex dynamics of transmission between different environmental compartments. Here, we conducted a nine-year longitudinal profiling of ARGs at a watershed scale, and provide evidence that restrictions on livestock farms near water bodies significantly reduced riverine ARG abundance.

House Sparrows as Sentinels of Childhood Lead Exposure.

Our understanding of connections between human and animal health has advanced substantially since the canary was introduced as a sentinel of toxic conditions in coal mines. Nonetheless, the development of wildlife sentinels for monitoring human exposure to toxins has been limited. Here, we capitalized on a three-decade long child blood lead monitoring program to demonstrate that the globally ubiquitous and human commensal house sparrow () can be used as a sentinel of human health risks in urban environments impacted by lead mining.

Blood lead increases and haemoglobin decreases in urban birds along a soil contamination gradient in a mining city.

Lead contaminated soil is a persistent global threat to the health of animal populations. Nevertheless, links between soil lead and its adverse effects on exposed wildlife remain poorly understood. Here, we explore local geographic patterns of exposure in urban birds along a gradient of lead contamination in Broken Hill, an Australian mining city.

Horizontal gene transfer in plant microbiomes: integrons as hotspots for cross-species gene exchange.

Plant microbiomes play important roles in plant health and fitness. Bacterial horizontal gene transfer (HGT) can influence plant health outcomes, driving the spread of both plant growth-promoting and phytopathogenic traits. However, community dynamics, including the range of genetic elements and bacteria involved in this process are still poorly understood.

Microbial biofilms on macroalgae harbour diverse integron gene cassettes.

Integrons are genetic platforms that capture, rearrange and express mobile modules called gene cassettes. The best characterized gene cassettes encode antibiotic resistance, but the function of most integron gene cassettes remains unknown. Functional predictions suggest that many gene cassettes could encode proteins that facilitate interactions with other cells and with the extracellular environment.

RCEM best practice guideline: suspected cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome in emergency departments.

Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) is an episodic syndrome of cyclic vomiting in the context of the prolonged use of cannabis. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine Toxicology Special Interest Group has produced guidance to support emergency medicine clinicians with the recognition and treatment of people experiencing CHS.Considerations regarding recognition, investigation and communication are discussed, and recommendations regarding treatment options (which include haloperidol and capsaicin) are made.

Inter-plasmid transfer of antibiotic resistance genes accelerates antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens.

Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat for public health. Plasmids play a critical role in the spread of antimicrobial resistance via horizontal gene transfer between bacterial species. However, it remains unclear how plasmids originally recruit and assemble various antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs).

Glyphosate Disorders Soil Gut Microbiota and Increases Its Antibiotic Resistance Risk.

Pesticides promote the stable development of intensive global agriculture. Nevertheless, their residues in the soil can cause ecological and human health risks. Glyphosate is a popular herbicide and is generally thought to be ecologically safe and nontoxic, but this conclusion has been questioned.

Effects of organic fertilizers on plant growth and the rhizosphere microbiome.

Application of organic fertilizers is an important strategy for sustainable agriculture. The biological source of organic fertilizers determines their specific functional characteristics, but few studies have systematically examined these functions or assessed their health risk to soil ecology. To fill this gap, we analyzed 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing data from 637 soil samples amended with plant- and animal-derived organic fertilizers (hereafter plant fertilizers and animal fertilizers).

Ecology and risks of the global plastisphere as a newly expanding microbial habitat.

Plastic offers a new niche for microorganisms, the plastisphere. The ever-increasing emission of plastic waste makes it critical to understand the microbial ecology of the plastisphere and associated effects. Here, we present a global fingerprint of the plastisphere, analyzing samples collected from freshwater, seawater, and terrestrial ecosystems.

Functional enrichment of integrons: Facilitators of antimicrobial resistance and niche adaptation.

Integrons are genetic elements, found among diverse bacteria and archaea, that capture and rearrange gene cassettes to rapidly generate genetic diversity and drive adaptation. Despite their broad taxonomic and geographic prevalence, and their role in microbial adaptation, the functions of gene cassettes remain poorly characterized. Here, using a combination of bioinformatic and experimental analyses, we examined the functional diversity of gene cassettes from different environments.

Dissecting molecular evolution of class 1 integron gene cassettes and identifying their bacterial hosts in suburban creeks via epicPCR.

Objectives: Our study aimed to sequence class 1 integrons in uncultured environmental bacterial cells in freshwater from suburban creeks and uncover the taxonomy of their bacterial hosts. We also aimed to characterize integron gene cassettes with altered DNA sequences relative to those from databases or literature and identify key signatures of their molecular evolution.

Methods: We applied a single-cell fusion PCR-based technique-emulsion, paired isolation and concatenation PCR (epicPCR)-to link class 1 integron gene cassette arrays to the phylogenetic markers of their bacterial hosts.

Outcomes of Trainee-performed MIGS at Parkland Memorial Hospital: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Aims And Background: As the use of minimally invasive or microinvasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) continues to expand, it is important to look at its outcomes in the hands of trainees. This study aims to examine the efficacy and safety of Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) goniotomy and endocyclophotocoagulation (ECP) with cataract extraction (CE) done by residents and fellows.

Methods: All cases of KDB or ECP performed with CE between 2012 and 2020 at Parkland were reviewed, excluding cases with multiple MIGS procedures or other procedures.

Metagenomic Insight into The Global Dissemination of The Antibiotic Resistome.

The global crisis in antimicrobial resistance continues to grow. Estimating the risks of antibiotic resistance transmission across habitats is hindered by the lack of data on mobility and habitat-specificity. Metagenomic samples of 6092 are analyzed to delineate the unique core resistomes from human feces and seven other habitats.

A global atlas of marine antibiotic resistance genes and their expression.

Oceans serve as global reservoirs of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, little is known about the traits and expression of ARGs in response to environmental factors. We analyzed 347 metagenomes and 182 metatranscriptomes to determine the distribution, hosts, and expression of ARGs in oceans.

Tracing nickel smelter emissions using European honey bees.

This study investigated trace element contamination in honey bees inhabiting urban areas around the South Pacific's largest and longest operating nickel smelter in Nouméa, New Caledonia. There remains a paucity of research on the environmental impact of nickel smelting, and to date, there has been no assessment of its effects on the popular practice of beekeeping, or whether honey bees are a suitable tracer for nickel smelting emissions. Honey bees and honey were sampled from 15 hives across Nouméa to ascertain linkages between nickel smelter emissions, environmental contamination, and trace element uptake by bees.

Tracing the Sources and Prevalence of Class 1 Integrons, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Trace Elements Using European Honey Bees.

Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance is essential for an effective One Health response. This study explores the efficacy of European honey bees () for biomonitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in urban areas. Class 1 integrons () are investigated as a universal AMR indicator, as well as associated cassette arrays and trace element contaminants at a city-wide scale.

Toward a Universal Unit for Quantification of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Environmental Samples.

Surveillance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has been increasingly conducted in environmental sectors to complement the surveys in human and animal sectors under the "One-Health" framework. However, there are substantial challenges in comparing and synthesizing the results of multiple studies that employ different test methods and approaches in bioinformatic analysis. In this article, we consider the commonly used quantification units (ARG copy per cell, ARG copy per genome, ARG density, ARG copy per 16S rRNA gene, RPKM, coverage, PPM, etc.