Pathway-guided monitoring of the disease course in bladder cancer with longitudinal urine proteomics.

Background: Monitoring bladder cancer over time requires invasive and costly procedures. Less invasive approaches are required using readily available biological samples such as urine. In this study, we demonstrate a method for longitudinal analysis of the urine proteome to monitor the disease course in patients with bladder cancer.

Bioinformatics study of expression from genomes of epidemiologically related MRSA CC398 isolates from human and wild animal samples.

One of the most important livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) genetic lineages is the clonal complex (CC) 398, which can cause typical S. aureus-associated infections in people. In this work, whole-genome sequencing, RNA-sequencing, and gel-based comparative proteomics were applied to study the genetic characteristics of three MRSA CC398 isolates recovered from humans (strains C5621 and C9017), and from an animal (strain OR418).

A One Health Approach Molecular Analysis of Reveals Distinct Lineages in Isolates from Miranda Donkeys () and Their Handlers.

Donkeys () are in decline in Europe. Occupational exposure to farm animals has been associated with increased staphylococci carriage. We aimed to isolate and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) from donkeys and handlers and characterize the antimicrobial resistance profiles and genetic lineages of strains.

Multidrug-Resistant Methicillin-Resistant Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci in Healthy Poultry Slaughtered for Human Consumption.

Coagulase-negative staphylococci are commensals that are known to be prevalent in most environments, and they are also an important reservoir of antimicrobial-resistant genes. Staphylococcal infections in animal husbandry are a high economic burden. Thus, we aimed to determine the prevalence and species diversity of methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) in poultry slaughtered for human consumption and to study the antimicrobial resistance of the isolates.

Nocturnal Birds of Prey as Carriers of and Other Staphylococci: Diversity, Antimicrobial Resistance and Clonal Lineages.

Owls are nocturnal predators that inhabit urbanized and farmlands. They are in direct contact with other animals, both livestock and small wild rodents that they mostly feed on. Staphylococci can be both commensal and pathogenic bacteria that are widespread across the various ecological niches.

High Frequency of the EMRSA-15 Clone (ST22-MRSA-IV) in Hospital Wastewater.

Hospital wastewaters often carry multidrug-resistant bacteria and priority pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant (MRSA). Pathogens and antibiotic resistance genes present in wastewaters may reach the natural environment facilitating their spread. Thus, we aimed to isolate MRSA from wastewater of 3 hospitals located in the north of Portugal and to characterize the isolates regarding the antimicrobial resistance and genetic lineages.

High Efficacy of Ozonated Oils on the Removal of Biofilms Produced by Methicillin-Resistant (MRSA) from Infected Diabetic Foot Ulcers.

Ozone has a high wound healing capacity and antibacterial properties and can be used as a complementary treatment in infections. Methicillin-resistant (MRSA) is the most common pathogen found in infected diabetic foot ulcers. Most of MRSA are resistant to several classes of antibiotics and, therefore, there is a need for new, effective, and well-tolerated agents.

Copper Complexes with 1,10-Phenanthroline Derivatives: Underlying Factors Affecting Their Cytotoxicity.

The interpretation of cytotoxicity data of Cu(II)-1,10-phenanthroline (phen) complexes normally does not take into account the speciation that complexes undergo in cell incubation media and its implications in cellular uptake and mechanisms of action. We synthesize and test the activity of several distinct Cu(II)-phen compounds; up to 24 h of incubation, the cytotoxic activity differs for the Cu complexes and the corresponding free ligands, but for longer incubation times (, 72 h), all compounds display similar activity. Combining the use of several spectroscopic, spectrometric, and electrochemical techniques, the speciation of Cu-phen compounds in cell incubation media is evaluated, indicating that the originally added complex almost totally decomposed and that Cu(II) and phen are mainly bound to bovine serum albumin.

Multiomics Substrates of Resistance to Emerging Pathogens? Transcriptome and Proteome Profile of a Vancomycin-Resistant Clinical Strain.

Antibiotic resistance and hospital acquired infections are on the rise worldwide. Vancomycin-resistant enterococci have been reported in clinical settings in recent decades. In this multiomics study, we provide comprehensive proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of a vancomycin-resistant clinical isolate from a patient with a urinary tract infection.

Magnetic, fluorescent and hybrid nanoparticles: From synthesis to application in biosystems.

Multifunctional nanoparticles have emerged as an outstanding candidate for a new generation of biomedical applications, mainly due to their remarkable properties and biocompatibility. Individual reports on multi-metal, semiconducting and superparamagnetic nanoparticles (SPIONs), elucidating on each's unique intrinsic properties, have demonstrated that the biological application of such materials is highly dependent of their size, shape, surface nature and core nature. However, reviews combining nanoparticles with multiple properties, as fluorescence and paramagnetism, as well as, biocompatibility, toxicology and biodegradability are yet seldom.

Exploring the Control in Antibacterial Activity of Silver Triangular Nanoplates by Surface Coating Modulation.

In the present work, the synthesis and characterization of silver triangular nanoplates (AgNTs) and their silica coating composites are reported. Engineering control on the surface coating has demonstrated the possibility to modulate the antibacterial effect. Several AgNT-coated nanomaterials, such as PVP (Polyvinylpyrrolidone) and MHA (16-mercaptohexadecanoic acid) as a stable organic coating system as well as uniform silica coating (≈5 nm) of AgNTs, have been prepared and fully characterized.

Synthesis of Gold Functionalised Nanoparticles with the Eranthis hyemalis Lectin and Preliminary Toxicological Studies on Caenorhabditis elegans.

The lectin found in the tubers of the Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) plant (EHL) is a Type II Ribosome Inactivating Protein (RIP). Type II RIPs have shown anti-cancer properties and have great potential as therapeutic agents. Similarly, colloidal gold nanoparticles are successfully used in biomedical applications as they can be functionalised with ligands with high affinity and specificity for target cells to create therapeutic and imaging agents.

Toxicological Evaluation of Luminescent Silica Nanoparticles as New Drug Nanocarriers in Different Cancer Cell Lines.

Luminescent mesoporous silica nanoparticles, CdTeQDs@MNs@PEG1, SiQDs@Isoc@MNs and SiQDs@Isoc@MNs@PEG2, were successfully synthetized and characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, N₂ nitrogen isotherms, ¹H NMR, IR, absorption, and emission spectroscopy. Cytotoxic evaluation of these nanoparticles was performed in relevant in vitro cell models, such as human hepatoma HepG2, human brain endothelial (hCMEC/D3), and human epithelial colorectal adenocarcinoma (Caco-2) cell lines. None of the tested nanoparticles showed significant cytotoxicity in any of the three performed assays (MTT/NR/ LDH) compared with the respective solvent and/or coating controls, excepting for CdTeQDs@MNs@PEG1 nanoparticles, where significant toxicity was noticed in hCMEC/D3 cells.

Green and Red Fluorescent Dyes for Translational Applications in Imaging and Sensing Analytes: A Dual-Color Flag.

Red and green are two of the most-preferred colors from the entire chromatic spectrum, and red and green dyes are widely used in biochemistry, immunohistochemistry, immune-staining, and nanochemistry applications. Selective dyes with green and red excitable chromophores can be used in biological environments, such as tissues and cells, and can be irradiated with visible light without cell damage. This critical review, covering a period of five years, provides an overview of the most-relevant results on the use of red and green fluorescent dyes in the fields of bio-, chemo- and nanoscience.

Translational Chemistry: The Future in Science.

[Image: see text]

Green and Red Fluorescent Dyes for Translational Applications in Imaging and Sensing Analytes: A Dual-Color Flag.

Invited for this month's cover picture is the BIOSCOPE group of Professors Carlos Lodeiro and José Luis Capelo at the REQUIMTE/UCIBIO-LAQv-FCT University NOVA of Lisbon (Portugal), and their collaborators. The cover picture is devoted to Translational Research, and shows the Portuguese Flag represented by the interaction between cells and Janus gold/silver nanoparticles functionalized with rhodamine (red) and Fluorescein (green) dyes as tools for biomedical translational research. Read the full text of their Review at 10.

Subproteomic signature comparison of in vitro selected fluoroquinolone resistance and ciprofloxacin stress in Salmonella Typhimurium DT104B.

Background: Fluoroquinolone resistance in nontyphoidal Salmonella is a situation of serious and international concern, particularly in S. Typhimurium DT104B multiresistant strains. Although known to be multifactorial, fluoroquinolone resistance is still far from a complete understanding.

Mechanisms of quinolone action and resistance: where do we stand?

Quinolone antibiotics represent one of the most important classes of anti-infective agents and, although still clinically valuable, their use has been compromised by the increasing emergence of resistant strains, which has become a prevalent clinical problem. Quinolones act by inhibiting the activity of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV - two essential bacterial enzymes that modulate the chromosomal supercoiling required for critical nucleic acid processes. The acquisition of quinolone resistance is recognized to be multifactorial and complex.