Controlling vaccine kinetics using tannic acid for enhanced humoral immunity.

Despite the success of global vaccination campaigns, vaccine access in low-resource settings is an ongoing challenge. Subunit vaccines are a well-established and clinically scalable intervention, yet they have achieved limited success for poorly immunogenic antigens such as those associated with SARS-CoV-2. Delivery strategies that promote gradual release of subunit vaccines from the injection site offer the potential to improve humoral immunity by enhancing lymph node exposure, however, clinical implementation of this strategy is challenging due to poor scalability and high costs.

Dendritic Cell Immune Modulation Polyphenol Membrane Coatings.

Cellular hitchhiking is an emerging strategy for the control of adoptively transferred immune cells. Hitchhiking approaches are primarily mediated by adhesion of nano and microparticles to the cell membrane, which conveys an ability to modulate transferred cells local drug delivery. Although T cell therapies employing this strategy have progressed into the clinic, phagocytic cells including dendritic cells (DCs) are much more challenging to engineer.

Pharmacological reprogramming of zebrafish lateral line supporting cells to a migratory progenitor state.

In the zebrafish lateral line, non-sensory supporting cells readily re-enter the cell cycle to generate new hair cells and supporting cells during homeostatic maintenance and following damage to hair cells. This contrasts with supporting cells from mammalian vestibular and auditory sensory epithelia which rarely re-enter the cell cycle, and hence loss of hair cells results in permanent sensory deficit. Lateral line supporting cells are derived from multipotent progenitor cells that migrate down the trunk midline as a primordium and are deposited to differentiate into a neuromast.

High-density genetic linkage mapping in Sitka spruce advances the integration of genomic resources in conifers.

In species with large and complex genomes such as conifers, dense linkage maps are a useful resource for supporting genome assembly and laying the genomic groundwork at the structural, populational, and functional levels. However, most of the 600+ extant conifer species still lack extensive genotyping resources, which hampers the development of high-density linkage maps. In this study, we developed a linkage map relying on 21,570 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis [Bong.

Cancer vaccines in the clinic.

Vaccines are an important tool in the rapidly evolving repertoire of immunotherapies in oncology. Although cancer vaccines have been investigated for over 30 years, very few have achieved meaningful clinical success. However, recent advances in areas such antigen identification, formulation development and manufacturing, combination therapy regimens, and indication and patient selection hold promise to reinvigorate the field.

Backpack-mediated anti-inflammatory macrophage cell therapy for the treatment of traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a debilitating disease with no current therapies outside of acute clinical management. While acute, controlled inflammation is important for debris clearance and regeneration after injury, chronic, rampant inflammation plays a significant adverse role in the pathophysiology of secondary brain injury. Immune cell therapies hold unique therapeutic potential for inflammation modulation, due to their active sensing and migration abilities.

Preclinical characterization of macrophage-adhering gadolinium micropatches for MRI contrast after traumatic brain injury in pigs.

The choroid plexus (ChP) of the brain plays a central role in orchestrating the recruitment of peripheral leukocytes into the central nervous system (CNS) through the blood-cerebrospinal fluid (BCSF) barrier in pathological conditions, thus offering a unique niche to diagnose CNS disorders. We explored whether magnetic resonance imaging of the ChP could be optimized for mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). mTBI induces subtle, yet influential, changes in the brain and is currently severely underdiagnosed.

Genomic view of the origins of cell-mediated immunity.

NKp30 is an activating natural killer cell receptor (NKR) with a single-exon variable (VJ)-type immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF) domain. Such VJ-IgSF domains predate the emergence of the antigen receptors (immunoglobulin and T cell receptor), which possess the same domain but undergo gene rearrangement. NCR3, the gene encoding NKp30, is present in jawed vertebrates from sharks to mammals; thus, unlike most NKR that are highly divergent among vertebrate taxa, NKp30 is uniquely conserved.

Characterizing malpractice cases involving emergency department advanced practice providers, physicians in training, and attending physicians.

Objective: The objective was to evaluate available characteristics and financial costs of malpractice cases among advanced practice providers (APPs; nurse practitioners [NPs] and physician assistants [PAs]), trainees (medical students, residents, fellows), and attending physicians.

Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of claims occurring in the emergency department (ED) from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2019, contained in the Candello database. Cases were classified according to the provider type(s) involved: NP, PA, trainee, or cases that did not identify an extender as being substantially involved in the adverse event that resulted in the case ("no extender").

Assessing the impact of hospital mergers and acquisitions on safety culture with proactive risk assessments.

Hospitals seeking to understand patient safety strengths and vulnerabilities in the context of mergers/acquisitions benefit more from a third-party perspective than from a limited internal process. A well-structured and highly-inclusive risk assessment-involving a broad cross-section of interviews-can be key to a successful transition of optimal health care safety during organizational changes.

Effects of red raspberry polyphenols and metabolites on the biomarkers of inflammation and insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes: a pilot study.

Berry fruits are rich in polyphenolic compounds (PCs) and may promote health benefits. Anthocyanin (ACN) concentrations of red raspberry (RR) () extracts were 887.6 ± 262.

Malpractice Cases in Breast Surgery: An Assessment of Litigation Involving Surgeons.

Introduction: Improving patient safety and quality are priorities in health care. The study of malpractice cases provides an opportunity to identify areas for quality improvement. While the issues surrounding malpractice cases in breast cancer are often multifactorial, there are few studies providing insight into malpractice cases specifically related to common breast cancer surgical procedures.

Cell therapies in the clinic.

Cell therapies have emerged as a promising therapeutic modality with the potential to treat and even cure a diverse array of diseases. Cell therapies offer unique clinical and therapeutic advantages over conventional small molecules and the growing number of biologics. Particularly, living cells can simultaneously and dynamically perform complex biological functions in ways that conventional drugs cannot; cell therapies have expanded the spectrum of available therapeutic options to include key cellular functions and processes.

Analysis of shark NCR3 family genes reveals primordial features of vertebrate NKp30.

Natural killer (NK) cells play major roles in innate immunity against viruses and cancer. Natural killer receptors (NKR) expressed by NK cells recognize foreign- or self-ligands on infected and transformed cells as well as healthy cells. NKR genes are the most rapidly evolving loci in vertebrates, and it is generally difficult to detect orthologues in different taxa.

The usage of Mate Select, a web-based selection tool for pedigree dogs for promoting sustainable breeding.

Background: Inbreeding is a phenomenon that accumulates through the mating of relatives within closed populations, such as pedigree dog breeds, and results in reduced genetic variation within breeds, and may lead to poorer health and fertility from inbreeding depression. The impact of inbreeding is driven by the selection and mating of parents, but information on choices to reduce inbreeding is difficult to assess for individual breeders. Tools to inform dog breeders on the current state of the inbreeding and the relationships among possible parents are potentially useful for providing guidance towards choices that are more beneficial to the breed.

Survival and inactivation of human norovirus GII.4 Sydney on commonly touched airplane cabin surfaces.

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is one of the leading causes of acute gastroenteritis globally. HuNoV outbreaks have been recently reported during air travels. Contaminated surfaces are known as a critical transmission route at various settings.

Effectiveness of Aqueous Chlorine Dioxide in Minimizing Food Safety Risk Associated with , O157:H7, and on Sweet Potatoes.

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is a commonly used sanitizer in the produce industry despite its limited effectiveness against contaminated human pathogens in fresh produce. Aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO) is an alternative sanitizer offering a greater oxidizing potency with greater efficacy in reducing a large number of microorganisms. We investigated the effect of aqueous chlorine dioxide treatment against human pathogens, , O157:H7, and seeded on sweet potatoes.

Tipifarnib as a Precision Therapy for -Mutant Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas.

Tipifarnib is a potent and highly selective inhibitor of farnesyltransferase (FTase). FTase catalyzes the posttranslational attachment of farnesyl groups to signaling proteins that are required for localization to cell membranes. Although all RAS isoforms are FTase substrates, only HRAS is exclusively dependent upon farnesylation, raising the possibility that HRAS-mutant tumors might be susceptible to tipifarnib-mediated inhibition of FTase.

Hyaluronic Acid-Cellulose Composites as Patches for Minimizing Bacterial Infections.

A facile method was used to synthesize biocomposites containing differing ratios of hyaluronic acid (HA) and cellulose (CEL). Based on the properties of the individual polymers, the resultant composite materials may have potentially great wound care properties. In the method outlined here, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl]), a simple ionic liquid, was used as the sole solvent without chemical modifiers to dissolve the biopolymers at ratios of 1:1 and 2:1 HA to CEL.

Evaluation of ultraviolet (UV-C) light treatment for microbial inactivation in agricultural waters with different levels of turbidity.

Produce growers using surface or well water to irrigate their crops may require an appropriate water treatment system in place to meet the water quality standard imposed by FSMA Produce Safety Rule. This study evaluated the potential of using ultraviolet (UV-C) treatment in reducing the microbial population in agricultural water. Waters with turbidity levels ranging from 10.

Environmental monitoring and exposure science dataset to calculate ingestion and inhalation of metal(loid)s through preschool gardening.

Metal(loid) contamination may pose an increased risk of exposure to children residing near legacy and active resource extraction sites. Children may be exposed to arsenic, cadmium, and/or lead by ingestion and/or inhalation while engaging in school or home outdoor activities via environmental media including water, soil, dust, and locally grown produce. It is thus critical to collect site-specific data to best assess these risks.

Enhanced microbial safety of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fillet using recently invented medium molecular weight water-soluble chitosan coating.

Chitosan with higher molecular weight exhibited higher antimicrobial efficacy against foodborne pathogens. However, the poor water solubility of higher or medium molecular weight chitosan limits its applications. To overcome the challenge, our research team searched for simple preparation procedure for fast-dissolving medium molecular weight chitosan in water.

Population structure and genetic history of Tibetan Terriers.

Background: Tibetan Terrier is a popular medium-sized companion dog breed. According to the history of the breed, the western population of Tibetan Terriers includes two lineages, Lamleh and Luneville. These two lineages derive from a small number of founder animals from the native Tibetan Terrier population, which were brought to Europe in the 1920s.

Ingestion and inhalation of metal(loid)s through preschool gardening: An exposure and risk assessment in legacy mining communities.

Children residing in mining towns are potentially disproportionately exposed to metal(loid)s via ingestion and dust inhalation, thus, increasing their exposure when engaging in school or home gardening or playing outside. This citizen science study assessed preschool children's potential arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) exposure via locally grown produce, water, incidental soil ingestion, and dust inhalation at four sites. Participants were trained to properly collect water, soil, and vegetable samples from their preschools in Nevada County, California.

Steroid-induced psychosis.

Steroid-induced psychosis is a well-documented phenomenon. It usually occurs with oral systemic steroid treatment and is more common at higher doses, although there are case reports of occurrence with local steroid injections. We report a case of a 35-year-old man with no previous history of psychosis who was seen for follow-up after a brief psychotic episode following an injection of 5 mg of dexamethasone into his scrotum the previous day.