Inhibitors of acetohydroxyacid synthase as promising agents against non-tuberculous mycobacterial diseases.

Acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS), exclusively present in microorganisms and plants, is a promising target for several herbicides due to its catalytic role in the branched-chain amino acid biosynthetic pathway. Previous studies have shown that K13787, a pyrazolopyrimidine sulfonamide AHAS inhibitor, was moderately effective against pulmonary infection caused by M. tuberculosis and nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM).

Enhancing antitumor immunity in Lewis lung cancer through plasma-treated medium-induced activation of dendritic cells.

Background: Recently, atmospheric non-thermal plasma jet-treated medium (PTM) has been recognized as a novel strategy in cancer therapy and lymphocyte activation. However, PTM has limitations in inducing a robust antitumor-immune response. This study demonstrated that PTM treatment inhibited tumor progression by activating dendritic cells (DCs).

Long-Term Risk of Cardiovascular Death in Patients With Mildly Reduced Ejection Fraction After Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Multicenter, Prospective Registry Study.

Background: The prognostic implication of mildly reduced ejection fraction (mrEF) after acute myocardial infarction has not been clearly demonstrated. We investigated the long-term risk of cardiovascular death and its predictors in patients with mrEF following acute myocardial infarction.

Methods And Results: A total of 18 668 patients who presented with acute myocardial infarction were included in 2 prospective, multicenter registries.

Pharmacist interventions in Asian healthcare environments for older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis on hospitalization, mortality, and quality of life.

Background: Pharmaceutical interventions play a key role in the care of older people experiencing polypharmacy. Despite the rapid increase in the aging population in Asia, there is a lack of evidence regarding the effectiveness of pharmacist interventions on older adult's healthcare. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the effects of pharmacist interventions in Asian health care environments on hospitalization, mortality, and quality of life (QoL) among older people in Asia.

Upper common pathway analysis using late atrial premature depolarization in atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia.

Background: Anatomic and electrophysiologic findings suggest that the actual circuit of atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) involves the perinodal atrium. However, occasional instances in which the atrium is dissociated from the AVNRT have led to the concept of an upper common pathway (UCP).

Objective: We aimed to assess the prevalence of UCP in AVNRT using a late atrial premature depolarization (LAPD) maneuver.

BCG-booster vaccination with HSP90-ESAT-6-HspX-RipA multivalent subunit vaccine confers durable protection against hypervirulent Mtb in mice.

The quest for effective and enhanced multiantigenic tuberculosis (TB) subunit vaccine necessitates the induction of a protective pathogen-specific immune response while circumventing detrimental inflammation within the lung milieu. In line with this goal, we engineered a modified iteration of the quadrivalent vaccine, namely HSP90-ESAT-6-HspX-RipA (HEHR), which was coupled with the TLR4 adjuvant, CIA09A. The ensuing formulation was subjected to comprehensive assessment to gauge its protective efficacy against the hypervirulent Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) Haarlem clinical strain M2, following a BCG-prime boost regimen.

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of RipA, a peptidoglycan hydrolase, against Mycobacterium tuberculosis Beijing outbreak strains.

Given that individuals with latent tuberculosis (TB) infection represent the major reservoir of TB infection, latency-associated antigens may be promising options for development of improved multi-antigenic TB subunit vaccine. Thus, we selected RipA, a peptidoglycan hydrolase required for efficient cell division of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), as vaccine candidate. We found that RipA elicited activation of dendritic cells (DCs) by induction of phenotypic maturation, increased production of inflammatory cytokines, and prompt stimulation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Clinical Correlates of Incidental Probable Benign Pulmonary Nodules with Diameters Less than 8 mm in a Healthy Korean Cohort: A Retrospective Study.

Incidental pulmonary nodules detected via computed tomography (CT) are usually small, solid nodules (diameters less than 8 mm) that are likely benign and are difficult to biopsy. Additional features of the benignity of these small nodules may help determine the need and periodicity of further follow-up and should be identified. This study was conducted to examine the clinical factors associated with benign solid pulmonary nodules measuring less than 8 mm in diameter.

Comparison of the 11-Day Adhesive ECG Patch Monitor and 24-h Holter Tests to Assess the Response to Antiarrhythmic Drug Therapy in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.

Accurate assessment of the response to the antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) in atrial fibrillation (AF) is crucial to achieve adequate rhythm control. We evaluated the effectiveness of extended cardiac monitoring using an adhesive ECG patch in the detection of drug-refractory paroxysmal AF. Patients diagnosed with paroxysmal AF and receiving AAD therapy were enrolled.

Pearls & Oy-sters: Familial Verbal Auditory Agnosia Due to Repeat Expansion.

Chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 () gene pathogenic variants have been typically associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but recent studies suggest their involvement in other disorders. This report describes a family with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance of progressive verbal auditory agnosia due to GGGGCC repeat expansion in C9orf72. A 60-year-old right-handed male truck driver presented with slowly progressive poor speech perception for 8 years, which became most troublesome when receiving verbal orders over the phone.

Flyways and migratory behaviour of the Vega gull (Larus vegae), a little-known Arctic endemic.

Large gulls are generalist predators that play an important role in Arctic food webs. Describing the migratory patterns and phenology of these predators is essential to understanding how Arctic ecosystems function. However, from all six large Arctic gull taxa, including three long-distance migrants, to date seasonal movements have been studied only in three and with small sample sizes.

Translationally controlled tumor protein restores impaired memory and altered synaptic protein expression in animal models of dementia.

This study describes the effects of translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) on mice with memory impairment caused by scopolamine (SCO) administration. Specifically, memory functions and expression levels of hippocampal synaptic proteins in 7- to 12-month-old SCO-treated wild-type (WT-SCO) mice were compared to those of TCTP-overexpressing (TG) and TCTP knocked-down (KD) mice similarly treated with SCO. Passive-avoidance tasks were performed with WT, TG, and KD mice for four weeks after intraperitoneal injection of SCO or saline followed by an acquisition test.

A Structural View at Vaccine Development against .

Tuberculosis (TB) is still the leading global cause of death from an infectious bacterial agent. Limiting tuberculosis epidemic spread is therefore an urgent global public health priority. As stated by the WHO, to stop the spread of the disease we need a new vaccine, with better coverage than the current BCG vaccine.

Mycobacterial acyl carrier protein suppresses TFEB activation and upregulates miR-155 to inhibit host defense.

Mycobacterial acyl carrier protein (AcpM; Rv2244), a key protein involved in (Mtb) mycolic acid production, has been shown to suppress host cell death during mycobacterial infection. This study reports that mycobacterial AcpM works as an effector to subvert host defense and promote bacterial growth by increasing microRNA (miRNA)-155-5p expression. In murine bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), AcpM protein prevented transcription factor EB (TFEB) from translocating to the nucleus in BMDMs, which likely inhibited transcriptional activation of several autophagy and lysosomal genes.

Structure based design of effective HtpG-derived vaccine antigens against .

Vaccine development against Tuberculosis is a strong need, given the low efficacy of the sole vaccine hitherto used, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine. The chaperone-like protein HtpG of is a large dimeric and multi-domain protein with promising antigenic properties. We here used biophysical and biochemical studies to improve our understanding of the structural basis of HtpG functional role and immunogenicity, a precious information to engineer improved antigens.

The advantage of the mini-electrode-equipped catheter for the radiofrequency ablation of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

Introduction: Novel ablation catheters equipped with mini-electrodes (ME) offer high resolution mapping for target tissue. This study aimed to evaluate the mapping performance and efficacy of ME catheters in radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardias (PSVTs).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 136 patients undergoing RFA of PSVT including 76 patients with atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) and 60 patients with atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia (AVRT) or Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome.

Non-Thermal Plasma Jet-Treated Medium Induces Selective Cytotoxicity against -Infected Macrophages.

Plasma-treated media (PTM) serve as an adjuvant therapy to postoperatively remove residual cancerous lesions. We speculated that PTM could selectively kill cells infected with () and remove postoperative residual tuberculous lesions. We therefore investigated the effects of a medium exposed to a non-thermal plasma jet on the suppression of intracellular replication, cell death, signaling, and selectivity.

Patterns of dementia treatment in older adults with Parkinson's disease using nationwide medical claims data.

Background: Dementia is a common feature in Parkinson's disease (PD); however, data on dementia treatment patterns in patients with PD are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of dementia in individuals with PD and to describe the dementia treatment patterns in the Korean elderly population.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study using data obtained from the Korean National Health Insurance Service-Senior Cohort (NHIS-SC) database.

Clinical Trial: Magnetoplasmonic ELISA for Urine-based Active Tuberculosis Detection and Anti-Tuberculosis Therapy Monitoring.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has proved the importance of fast and widespread diagnostic testing to prevent serious epidemics timely. The first-line weapon against rapidly transmitted disease is a quick and massive screening test to isolate patients immediately, preventing dissemination. Here, we described magnetoplasmonic nanozymes (MagPlas NZs), i.

A Dendritic Cell-Activating Rv1876 Protein Elicits Mycobacterium Bovis BCG-Prime Effect via Th1-Immune Response.

The widely administered tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), is the only licensed vaccine, but has highly variable efficiency against childhood and pulmonary TB. Therefore, the BCG prime-boost strategy is a rational solution for the development of new TB vaccines. Studies have shown that (Mtb) culture filtrates contain proteins that have promising vaccine potential.

Rv2145c Promotes Intracellular Survival by STAT3 and IL-10 Receptor Signaling.

Although (Mtb) is an intracellular pathogen in phagocytic cells, the factors and mechanisms by which they invade and persist in host cells are still not well understood. Characterization of the bacterial proteins modulating macrophage function is essential for understanding tuberculosis pathogenesis and bacterial virulence. Here we investigated the pathogenic role of the Rv2145c protein in stimulating IL-10 production.

Perinatal outcomes and factors affecting the survival rate of fetuses with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome treated with fetoscopic laser coagulation: a single-center seven-year experience.

Objectives: This single-center study aimed to assess the perinatal outcomes and its associated factors in fetuses with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) treated by fetoscopic laser coagulation (FLC).

Methods: In this retrospective study, we included fetuses prenatally diagnosed with TTTS at Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea, between October 2011 and December 2018. All patients with TTTS stage II or higher and those with stage I TTTS coupled with symptomatic polyhydramnios or cardiac dysfunction were eligible for FLC.