Use of adjuvants to improve antibiotic efficacy and reduce the burden of antimicrobial resistance.

Introduction: The increase in antibiotic resistance, together with the absence of novel antibiotics, makes mandatory the introduction of novel strategies to optimize the use of existing antibiotics. Among these strategies, the use of molecules that increase their activity looks promising.

Areas Covered: Different categories of adjuvants have been reviewed.

Ashbya gossypii as a versatile platform to produce sabinene from agro-industrial wastes.

Background: Ashbya gossypii is a filamentous fungus widely utilized for industrial riboflavin production and has a great potential as a microbial chassis for synthesizing other valuable metabolites such as folates, biolipids, and limonene. Engineered strains of A. gossypii can effectively use various waste streams, including xylose-rich feedstocks.

Odour characterisation of recycled HDPE in different washing and processing processes.

The waste of polymeric materials in our society is increasing year after year, generating a serious pollution problem. One way to deal with this waste problem is to recycle and reuse these materials. This process of recovery of used plastic materials aims to minimise their impact on the environment and reduce the energy consumption required for the generation of new consumer products.

Luminescent Ln(III)-Metallopeptide Sensors for Monitoring Elastase B Activity in Complex Biological Media.

The detection and monitoring of and its virulence factors, such as the LasB protease, are crucial for managing bacterial infections. Traditional fluorescent sensors for this protease face limitations in bacterial cultures due to interference from pigments like pyoverdine secreted by this opportunistic pathogen. We report here a Ln(III)-metallopeptide that combines a DO3A-Ln(III) complex and a sensitizing unit via a short peptide sequence as a simple, tunable, and selective probe for detecting 's LasB.

New insights into the magnetism and magnetic structure of LuCrO perovskite.

A polycrystalline sample LuCrO has been characterized by neutron powder diffraction (NPD) and magnetization measurements. Its crystal structure has been Rietveld refined from NPD data in space group Pnma; this perovskite contains strongly tilted CrO octahedra with extremely bent Cr-O-Cr superexchange angles of ∼142°. The NPD data show that below Néel temperature (T ≃ 131 K), the magnetic structure can be defined as an A-type antiferromagnetic arrangement of Cr magnetic moments, aligned along the b axis, with a canting along the c axis.

Magnetism of metastable γ-FePd nanowire arrays across an unusually broad temperature range (5 K to 800 K).

Arrays of 50 nm diameter FePd cylindrical nanowires were electrochemically grown, crystallizing in a metastable γ-Fe(Pd) A1 disordered solid solution. After performing a heating-cooling thermal cycle between 300 K and 1000 K, the γ-Fe(Pd) metastable phase still predominates (97%), coexisting with a not-fully-identified minority phase. The thermal cycling induces a moderate increase in the crystallite size and a reduction of the lattice parameter although leading to a significant heating-cooling magnetic hysteresis.

Outcomes of a Self-Management Program for People with Non-Communicable Diseases in the Context of COVID-19.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the online version of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) on physical activity and depressive symptoms in individuals with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Mexico and Peru during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials And Methods: Quasi-experimental study with a non-probability sample of 114 people with NCDs, recruited by invitation in Mexico and by convenience in Peru. The participants were assigned to intervention (n = 85) and control (n = 29) groups.

A new type of Class C β-lactamases defined by PIB-1. A metal-dependent carbapenem-hydrolyzing β-lactamase, from Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Structural and functional analysis.

Antibiotic resistance is one of most important health concerns nowadays, and β-lactamases are the most important resistance determinants. These enzymes, based on their structural and functional characteristics, are grouped in four categories (A, B, C and D). We have solved the structure of PIB-1, a Pseudomonas aeruginosa chromosomally-encoded β-lactamase, in its apo form and in complex with meropenem and zinc.

Preserving the efficacy of antibiotics to tackle antibiotic resistance.

Different international agencies recognize that antibiotic resistance is one of the most severe human health problems that humankind is facing. Traditionally, the introduction of new antibiotics solved this problem but various scientific and economic reasons have led to a shortage of novel antibiotics at the pipeline. This situation makes mandatory the implementation of approaches to preserve the efficacy of current antibiotics.

Unveiling the Structural Properties, Optical Behavior, and Thermoelectric Performance of 2D CsSnBr Halide Obtained by Mechanochemistry.

Metal halide perovskites with a two-dimensional structure are utilized in photovoltaics and optoelectronics. High-crystallinity CsSnBr specimens have been synthesized via ball milling. Differential scanning calorimetry curves show melting at 553 K (endothermic) and recrystallization at 516 K (exothermic).

Intranasal SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant vaccines elicit humoral and cellular mucosal immunity in female mice.

Background: In order to prevent the emergence and spread of future variants of concern of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), developing vaccines capable of stopping transmission is crucial. The SARS-CoV-2 vaccine NDV-HXP-S can be administered live intranasally (IN) and thus induce protective immunity in the upper respiratory tract. The vaccine is based on Newcastle disease virus (NDV) expressing a stabilised SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

Optimizing Thermoelectric Properties through Compositional Engineering in Ag-Deficient AgSbTe Synthesized by Arc Melting.

Thermoelectric materials offer a promising avenue for energy management, directly converting heat into electrical energy. Among them, AgSbTe has gained significant attention and continues to be a subject of research at further improving its thermoelectric performance and expanding its practical applications. This study focuses on Ag-deficient AgSbTe and AgSbTeSe materials, examining the impact of compositional engineering within the AgSbTe thermoelectric system.

Role of bacterial multidrug efflux pumps during infection.

Multidrug efflux pumps are protein complexes located in the cell envelope that enable bacteria to expel, not only antibiotics, but also a wide array of molecules relevant for infection. Hence, they are important players in microbial pathogenesis. On the one hand, efflux pumps can extrude exogenous compounds, including host-produced antimicrobial molecules.

Multiscale Length Structural Investigation and Thermoelectric Performance of Double-Filled SrYbCoSb: An Exceptional Thermal Conductivity Reduction by Filler Segregation to the Grain Boundaries.

Among thermoelectric materials, skutterudites are the most prominent candidates in the mid-temperature range applications. In the multiple-filled SrYbCoSb skutterudite, with Sr and Yb as fillers, we have enhanced the thermoelectric performance of CoSb through the reduction of lattice thermal conductivity and the optimization of carrier concentration and electrical conductivity. The high-pressure synthesis of the double-filled derivative promotes filling fraction fluctuation.

Immersive virtual reality for learning about ecosystems: effect of two signaling levels and feedback on action decisions.

Introduction: The goal of the present study was to test the effect of signaling associated with feed-back in learning forest ecosystems in the context of realistic living forest simulator, in IVR conditions for students in agriculture. Two signaling modalities, corresponding to two signaling levels, were investigated: visual of forest elements (tree species, plants, flowers, fungi, wet-areas etc.) and , both with text in pop-up windows, in a 2x2 experimental plan.

The immunodominance of antigenic site Sb on the H1 influenza virus hemagglutinin increases with high immunoglobulin titers of the cohorts and with young age, but not sex.

The head domain of the hemagglutinin of influenza viruses plays a dominant role in the antibody response due to the presence of immunodominant antigenic sites that are the main targets of host neutralizing antibodies. For the H1 hemagglutinin, five major antigenic sites defined as Sa, Sb, Ca1, Ca2, and Cb have been described. Although previous studies have focused on defining the hierarchy of the antigenic sites of the hemagglutinin in different human cohorts, it is still unclear if the immunodominance profile of the antigenic sites might change with the antibody levels of individuals or if other demographic factors (such as exposure history, sex, or age) could also influence the importance of the antigenic sites.

Antimicrobial Activity and Phytochemical Characterization of Pers., a Native Plant of the Central Chilean Coast.

Few sclerophyllous plants from the central coast of Chile have been systematically studied. This work describes the phytochemical composition and antimicrobial properties of Pers. (sin.

Transcriptomic profiling of an evolved Yarrowia lipolytica strain: tackling hexanoic acid fermentation to increase lipid production from short-chain fatty acids.

Background: Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are cost-effective carbon sources for an affordable production of lipids. Hexanoic acid, the acid with the longest carbon chain in the SCFAs pool, is produced in anaerobic fermentation of organic residues and its use is very challenging, even inhibiting oleaginous yeasts growth.

Results: In this investigation, an adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) was performed to improve Yarrowia lipolytica ACA DC 50109 tolerance to high hexanoic acid concentrations.

Magnetoelastic Coupling Evidence by Anisotropic Crossed Thermal Expansion in Magnetocaloric RSrCoFeO (R = Sm, Eu) Double Perovskites.

Double perovskite oxides, characterized by their tunable magnetic properties and robust interconnection between the lattice and magnetic degrees of freedom, present an enticing foundation for advanced magnetic refrigeration materials. Herein, we delve into the influence of rare-earth elements on RSrCoFeO (R = Sm, Eu) disordered double perovskites by examining their structural, electronic, magnetic, and magnetocaloric properties. Temperature-dependent synchrotron X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the stability of the orthorhombic phase () across a wide temperature range.

Mutations in the efflux pump regulator MexZ shift tissue colonization by Pseudomonas aeruginosa to a state of antibiotic tolerance.

Mutations in mexZ, encoding a negative regulator of the expression of the mexXY efflux pump genes, are frequently acquired by Pseudomonas aeruginosa at early stages of lung infection. Although traditionally related to resistance to the first-line drug tobramycin, mexZ mutations are associated with low-level aminoglycoside resistance when determined in the laboratory, suggesting that their selection during infection may not be necessarily, or only, related to tobramycin therapy. Here, we show that mexZ-mutated bacteria tend to accumulate inside the epithelial barrier of a human airway infection model, thus colonising the epithelium while being protected against diverse antibiotics.

Individual differences in spite predict costly third-party punishment.

Objective: Spiteful behaviors are those aimed at inflicting harm on another person while also incurring a cost to the self. Although spite sometimes reflects destructive and socially undesirable behaviors including aggression, the current work sought to examine a potentially socially beneficial aspect of spite: engagement in costly punishment for selfish behavior.

Method: Four studies used a costly third-party punishment task and measured individual differences in spite, narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and motivations for engaging in punishment.

Transcriptional consequences of trisomy 21 on neural induction.

Introduction: Down syndrome, caused by trisomy 21, is a complex developmental disorder associated with intellectual disability and reduced growth of multiple organs. Structural pathologies are present at birth, reflecting embryonic origins. A fundamental unanswered question is how an extra copy of human chromosome 21 contributes to organ-specific pathologies that characterize individuals with Down syndrome, and, relevant to the hallmark intellectual disability in Down syndrome, how trisomy 21 affects neural development.

ψ(2S) Suppression in Pb-Pb Collisions at the LHC.

The production of the ψ(2S) charmonium state was measured with ALICE in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02  TeV, in the dimuon decay channel. A significant signal was observed for the first time at LHC energies down to zero transverse momentum, at forward rapidity (2.