β-Lactam Inoculum Effect in Methicillin-Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus Infective Endocarditis.

Importance: Infective endocarditis (IE) caused by Staphylococcus aureus is associated with high mortality, approximately 20% to 30%, mostly in the first month, with no improvement in recent decades. Current opinion is that antistaphylococcal penicillin and cefazolin are equally effective in treating methicillin-susceptible S aureus (MSSA) IE, and both are recommended as possible first-line treatments. Most MSSA strains carry the β-lactamase blaZ gene, and some blaZ-positive strains exhibit an inoculum effect, meaning increased minimum inhibitory concentrations at high inoculum.

Multiscale study of the chiral self-assembly of cellulose nanocrystals during the frontal ultrafiltration process.

The structural organization of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) suspensions at the membrane surface during frontal ultrafiltration has been characterized, for the first time, at the nano- and microscale by small-angle X-ray and light scattering (SAXS and SALS, respectively). During filtration, the particles assembled at the membrane surface and formed the so-called concentration polarization layer (CPL), which contains CNCs arranged in a chiral nematic (cholesteric) helicoidal structure, with the long axis of the CNCs oriented parallel to the membrane surface, and the helical axis of the cholesteric structure oriented perpendicular to the membrane surface. The self-organization of CNCs in the form of oriented cholesteric structures was further characterized by a pitch gradient in the CPL.

Insight into the hydrophobic functionalization of cellulose microfibrils using the Passerini three-component reaction.

The aqueous catalyst-free one-pot Passerini 3-component reaction (P-3CR) was employed for the functionalization of dialdehyde cellulose (DAC) derived from the periodate oxidation of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) with insights provided by C and N CP-MAS NMR and FTIR analyses. The kinetics of the P-3CR revealed rapid progress within the initial 2 h, reaching a plateau between 6 and 18 h. The reaction achieved a maximum degree of substitution (DS) with only 1 equivalent of carboxylic acid and isocyanide with respect to the number of aldehydes, therefore demonstrating the atom economy character of the P-3CR performed on MFC.

Chiral nematic nanocomposites with pitch gradient elaborated by filtration and ultraviolet curing of cellulose nanocrystal suspensions.

An innovative method combining frontal filtration with ultraviolet (UV) curing has been implemented to design cellulosic nanocomposite films with controlled anisotropic textures from nanometric to micrometric length scales. Namely, an aqueous suspension containing poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate polymer (PEGDA) as a photocurable polymer and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) at a 70/30 mass ratio was processed by frontal filtration, followed by in-situ UV-curing in a dedicated cell. This procedure allowed designing nanocomposite films with highly oriented and densely-packed CNCs, homogeneously distributed in a PEGDA matrix over a thickness of ca.

Enhancing the Mechanical and Durability Properties of Fully Recycled Aggregate Concrete Using Carbonated Recycled Fine Aggregates.

The global construction industry is increasingly utilizing concrete prepared from recycled aggregate as a substitute for natural aggregate. However, the subpar performance of recycled fine aggregate (RFA) has resulted in its underutilization, particularly in the structural concrete exposed to challenging environments, including those involving chlorine salts and freeze-thaw climates. This study aimed to enhance the performance of RFA as a substitute for river sand in concrete as well as fulfill the present demand for fine aggregates in the construction sector by utilizing accelerated carbonation treatment to create fully recycled aggregate concrete (FRAC) composed of 100% recycled coarse and fine aggregates.

Tibial Tubercle Avulsion Fractures in Adolescence in Sports Injury about Four Cases Series.

Introduction: Tibial tubercle avulsion fractures are a rare lesion in adolescence that occurs during sports such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball. They result from a forceful extension of the knee against a fixed leg.

Case Report: Case 1: A 14-year-old adolescent who reportedly experienced severe knee pain when he jumped to head a ball during a soccer game.

Relevance of Procalcitonin Levels as a Marker of Severity and Predictor of Mortality, Initiation and Duration of Antibiotics in Patients Admitted with Acute Pancreatitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Procalcitonin levels have been studied to predict the benefit of adding antibiotics in a patient with acute pancreatitis. Through this study, we are searching for any possible correlation between serum procalcitonin levels and the severity of acute pancreatitis (included acute on chronic cases) to determine whether procalcitonin levels can predict a benefit from antibiotic therapy in acute pancreatitis.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study involving patients with acute pancreatitis and acute on chronic pancreatitis.

Dealkylation of Poly(methyl methacrylate) by TiCl Vapor Phase Infiltration (VPI) and the Resulting Chemical and Thermophysical Properties of the Hybrid Material.

This study examines the chemical reaction pathways for vapor phase infiltration (VPI) of TiCl into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). VPI is a processing method that transforms organic polymers into organic-inorganic hybrid materials with new properties of interest for microelectronic patterning, technical textiles, and chemical separations. Understanding the fundamental chemical mechanisms of the VPI process is essential for establishing approaches to design the chemical structure and properties of these hybrid materials.

Orthotropic organization of a cellulose nanocrystal suspension realized via the combined action of frontal ultrafiltration and ultrasound as revealed by in situ SAXS.

Hypothesis: Rodlike cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) exhibit significant potential as building blocks for creating uniform, sustainable materials. However, a critical hurdle lies in the need to enhance existing or devise novel processing that provides improved control over the alignment and arrangement of CNCs across a wide spatial range. Specifically, the challenge is to achieve orthotropic organization in a single-step processing, which entails creating non-uniform CNC orientations to generate spatial variations in anisotropy.

Methacrylated Cellulose Nanocrystals as Fillers for the Development of Photo-Cross-Linkable Cytocompatible Biosourced Formulations Targeting 3D Printing.

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) from cotton were functionalized in aqueous medium using methacrylic anhydride (MA) to produce methacrylated cellulose nanocrystals (mCNCs) with a degree of methacrylation (DM) up to 12.6 ± 0.50%.

Electrohydrodynamic convection instabilities observed in suspensions of cellulose nanocrystals.

Unlabelled: Cellulose nanocrystals are slender, negatively charged nanoparticles that spontaneously form a cholesteric liquid crystal in aqueous suspension above a critical concentration. When they are suspended in apolar solvents such as toluene using surfactants, the application of an AC electric field leads to the reorientation and then distortion of the cholesteric order until the cholesteric structure completely unwinds into a nematic-like order, typically above 0.4-0.

Vapor-Phase Infiltration of Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity 1 (PIM-1) with Trimethylaluminum (TMA) and Water: A Combined Computational and Experimental Study.

Vapor-phase infiltration, a postpolymerization modification process, has demonstrated the ability to create organic-inorganic hybrid membranes with excellent stability in organic solvents while maintaining critical membrane properties of high permeability and selectivity. However, the chemical reaction pathways that occur during VPI and their implications on the hybrid membrane stability are poorly understood. This paper combines quartz crystal microbalance gravimetry (QCM) and chemical characterization with first-principles simulations at the atomic scale to study each processing step in the infiltration of polymer of intrinsic microporosity 1 (PIM-1) with trimethylaluminum (TMA) and its co-reaction with water vapor.

Identification of spp. in a Clinical Sample: Always Contamination? Results of a French Retrospective Study.

Background: are environmental gram-positive bacilli that can cause ubiquitous mycetoma and, more rarely, invasive infections. We describe the clinical relevance of spp. identified in human samples and characteristics of patients with invasive infections.

Digital Pathology in Cameroon.

Purpose: Cancer is becoming increasingly prevalent among the group of treatable diseases in African countries. There is a shortage of clinicians and pathologists available for cancer diagnosis and treatment. These limited resources must be efficiently used to maximize the number of patients treated.

Murlentamab, a Low Fucosylated Anti-Müllerian Hormone Type II Receptor (AMHRII) Antibody, Exhibits Anti-Tumor Activity through Tumor-Associated Macrophage Reprogrammation and T Cell Activation.

AMHRII, the anti-Müllerian hormone receptor, is selectively expressed in normal sexual organs but is also re-expressed in gynecologic cancers. Hence, we developed murlentamab, a humanized glyco-engineered anti-AMHRII monoclonal antibody currently in clinical trial. Low-fucosylated antibodies are known to increase the antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) potency of effector cells, but some preliminary results suggest a more global murlentamab-dependent activation of the immune system.

Temperature-triggered formation of a cellulose II nanocrystal network through regioselective derivatization.

The two ends of rodlike cellulose II nanocrystals (CNC-II) were regioselectively functionalized either with gold nanoparticles or thermosensitive polymer chains. In the first case, after the introduction of sulfur atoms at both ends of the rods, CNC-II were labelled using a method based on the in situ nucleation and growth of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) from soluble derivatives. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images showed that such a method resulted in the grafting of one monodisperse AuNP at each extremity of the CNC-II, i.

Biophysical analysis of the plant-specific GIPC sphingolipids reveals multiple modes of membrane regulation.

The plant plasma membrane (PM) is an essential barrier between the cell and the external environment, controlling signal perception and transmission. It consists of an asymmetrical lipid bilayer made up of three different lipid classes: sphingolipids, sterols, and phospholipids. The glycosyl inositol phosphoryl ceramides (GIPCs), representing up to 40% of total sphingolipids, are assumed to be almost exclusively in the outer leaflet of the PM.

Breakdown and buildup mechanisms of cellulose nanocrystal suspensions under shear and upon relaxation probed by SAXS and SALS.

The breakdown and buildup mechanisms in concentrated cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) suspensions under shear and during relaxation upon cessation of shear were accessed by small-angle X-ray and light scattering combined with rheometry. The dynamic structural changes over nanometer to micrometer lengthscales were related to the well-known three-regime rheological behavior. In the shear-thinning regime I, the large liquid crystalline domains were progressively fragmented into micrometer-sized tactoids, with their cholesteric axis aligned perpendicular to the flow direction.

RETRACTED: Optimized reducing-end labeling of cellulose nanocrystals: Implication for the structure of microfibril bundles in plant cell walls.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy).

Interrelationships Between Patients' Data Tracking Practices, Data Sharing Practices, and Health Literacy: Onsite Survey Study.

Background: Although the use of patient-generated data (PGD) in the optimization of patient care shows great promise, little is known about whether patients who track their PGD necessarily share the data with their clinicians. Meanwhile, health literacy-an important construct that captures an individual's ability to manage their health and to engage with their health care providers-has often been neglected in prior studies focused on PGD tracking and sharing. To leverage the full potential of PGD, it is necessary to bridge the gap between patients' data tracking and data sharing practices by first understanding the interrelationships between these practices and the factors contributing to these practices.

Antibacterial Cellulose Nanopapers via Aminosilane Grafting in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide.

In this work, we present an innovative strategy for the grafting of an antibacterial agent onto nanocellulose materials in supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO). Dense cellulose nanofibril (CNF) nanopapers were prepared and subsequently functionalized in supercritical carbon dioxide with an aminosilane, -(6-aminohexyl)aminopropyltrimethoxysilane (AHA-P-TMS). Surface characterization (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact angle, ζ-potential analysis) evidenced the presence of the aminosilane.

Bioactive sphingolipids: Advancements and contributions from the laboratory of Dr. Lina M. Obeid.

Sphingolipids and their synthetic enzymes have emerged as critical mediators in numerous diseases including inflammation, aging, and cancer. One enzyme in particular, sphingosine kinase (SK) and its product sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), has been extensively implicated in these processes. SK catalyzes the phosphorylation of sphingosine to S1P and exists as two isoforms, SK1 and SK2.

Small-Angle Neutron Scattering Reveals the Structural Details of Thermosensitive Polymer-Grafted Cellulose Nanocrystal Suspensions.

Thanks to the use of small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), a detailed structural description of thermosensitive polymer-grafted cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) was obtained and the behavior of aqueous suspensions of these derivatized biosourced particles upon temperature increase was revealed. Although literature data show that the surface grafting of thermosensitive polymers drastically enhances the colloidal properties of CNCs, direct space microscopic investigation techniques fail in providing sufficient structural information on these objects. In the case of CNCs decorated with temperature-sensitive polyetheramines following a peptide coupling reaction, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of SANS spectra shows that CNCs are homogeneously covered by a shell comprising polymer chains in a Gaussian conformation with a thickness equal to their radius of gyration in solution, thus revealing a mushroom regime.