The Impact of Undermining Coparenting on the Mental and Physical Health Outcomes of Black Fathers: The Role of Depression and Restrictive Emotionality.

The parenting literature has established the coparenting relationship as central to the parenting behaviors and outcomes of men. The construct of coparenting encompasses supportive efforts among individuals that facilitate the rearing of children and unsupportive actions that can undermine parenting efforts (Merrifield & Gamble, 2013). Few studies have examined undermining coparenting as an experience that shapes Black men's health outcomes.

The pathogenicity and virulence of the opportunistic pathogen .

The pervasive presence of and other coagulase-negative staphylococci on the skin and mucous membranes has long underpinned a casual disregard for the infection risk that these organisms pose to vulnerable patients in healthcare settings. Prior to the recognition of biofilm as an important virulence determinant in , isolation of this microorganism in diagnostic specimens was often overlooked as clinically insignificant with potential delays in diagnosis and onset of appropriate treatment, contributing to the establishment of chronic infection and increased morbidity or mortality. While impressive progress has been made in our understanding of biofilm mechanisms in this important opportunistic pathogen, research into other virulence determinants has lagged .

Great Britain and Ireland 2023 (StaphGBI 2023) Conference Report.

Since 1997, Great Britain and Ireland (StaphGBI) conferences have brought together the research community in the UK and Ireland. The 12th StaphGBI conference, hosted by University of Galway 22-23 June 2023, was co-chaired by Dr Merve S. Zeden and Professor James P.

Metabolic reprogramming and altered cell envelope characteristics in a pentose phosphate pathway mutant increases MRSA resistance to β-lactam antibiotics.

Central metabolic pathways control virulence and antibiotic resistance, and constitute potential targets for antibacterial drugs. In Staphylococcus aureus the role of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) remains largely unexplored. Mutation of the 6-phosphogluconolactonase gene pgl, which encodes the only non-essential enzyme in the oxidative phase of the PPP, significantly increased MRSA resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, particularly in chemically defined media with physiologically-relevant concentrations of glucose, and reduced oxacillin (OX)-induced lysis.

Sponge-derived fatty acids inhibit biofilm formation of MRSA and MSSA by down-regulating biofilm-related genes specific to each pathogen.

Aim: A promising approach for the development of next-generation antimicrobials is to shift their target from causing bacterial death to inhibiting virulence. Marine sponges are an excellent potential source of bioactive anti-virulence molecules (AVM). We screened fractions prepared from 26 samples of Irish coastal sponges for anti-biofilm activity against clinically relevant pathogens.

Metabolic reprogramming and flux to cell envelope precursors in a pentose phosphate pathway mutant increases MRSA resistance to β-lactam antibiotics.

Unlabelled: Central metabolic pathways controls virulence and antibiotic resistance, and constitute potential targets for antibacterial drugs. In the role of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) remains largely unexplored. Mutation of the 6-phosphogluconolactonase gene which encodes the only non-essential enzyme in the oxidative phase of the PPP, significantly increased MRSA resistance to β-lactam antibiotics, particularly in chemically defined media with glucose, and reduced oxacillin (OX)-induced lysis.

Purine Nucleosides Interfere with c-di-AMP Levels and Act as Adjuvants To Re-Sensitize MRSA To β-Lactam Antibiotics.

The purine-derived signaling molecules c-di-AMP and (p)ppGpp control /PBP2a-mediated β-lactam resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) raise the possibility that purine availability can control antibiotic susceptibility. Consistent with this, exogenous guanosine and xanthosine, which are fluxed through the GTP branch of purine biosynthesis, were shown to significantly reduce MRSA β-lactam resistance. In contrast, adenosine (fluxed to ATP) significantly increased oxacillin resistance, whereas inosine (which can be fluxed to ATP and GTP via hypoxanthine) only marginally increased oxacillin susceptibility.

A scoping review protocol to identify clinical signs, symptoms and biomarkers indicative of biofilm presence in chronic wounds.

Wound healing is characterised by haemostatic, inflammatory, proliferative and remodelling phases. In the presence of comorbidities such as diabetes, healing can stall and chronic wounds may result. Infection is detrimental to these wounds and associated with poor outcomes.

Father-figure Presence and Externalizing and Internalizing Problems in Mexican and Dominican American Children.

This study examined whether various types of father-figure presence in Mexican ( = 414)- and Dominican- American ( = 336) households measured at baseline predicted child mental health functioning one year later. Results of linear regression analyses showed that the impact of household structure on child functioning was significant and differed by ethnicity. For Mexican-American children, residing with a step-father or other adult male predicted increased externalizing problems compared to children residing their biological father.

Accumulation of Succinyl Coenzyme A Perturbs the Methicillin-Resistant (MRSA) Succinylome and Is Associated with Increased Susceptibility to Beta-Lactam Antibiotics.

Penicillin binding protein 2a (PBP2a)-dependent resistance to β-lactam antibiotics in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is regulated by the activity of the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle via a poorly understood mechanism. We report that mutations in and , but not other TCA cycle enzymes, negatively impact β-lactam resistance without changing PBP2a expression. Increased intracellular levels of succinyl coenzyme A (succinyl-CoA) in the mutant significantly perturbed lysine succinylation in the MRSA proteome.

Enzyme-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles to Target and Disperse Biofilms.

Background: biofilms pose a unique challenge in healthcare due to their tolerance to a wide range of antimicrobial agents. The high cost and lengthy timeline to develop novel therapeutic agents have pushed researchers to investigate the use of nanomaterials to deliver antibiofilm agents and target biofilm infections more efficiently. Previous studies have concentrated on improving the efficacy of antibiotics by deploying nanoparticles as nanocarriers.

Osteointegration, antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of orthopaedic titanium surfaces coated with silver and strontium-doped hydroxyapatite using a novel blasting process.

Poor integration of orthopaedic devices with the host tissue owing to aseptic loosening and device-associated infections are two of the leading causes of implant failure, which represents a significant problem for both patients and the healthcare system. Novel strategies have focused on silver to combat antimicrobial infections as an alternative to drug therapeutics. In this study, we investigated the impact of increasing the % substitution (12% wt) of silver and strontium in hydroxyapatite (HA) coatings to enhance antimicrobial properties and stimulate osteoblasts, respectively.

The Novel Membrane-Associated Auxiliary Factors AuxA and AuxB Modulate β-lactam Resistance in MRSA by stabilizing Lipoteichoic Acids.

A major determinant of β-lactam resistance in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the drug insensitive transpeptidase, PBP2a, encoded by mecA. Full expression of the resistance phenotype requires auxiliary factors. Two such factors, auxiliary factor A (auxA, SAUSA300_0980) and B (auxB, SAUSA300_1003), were identified in a screen against mutants with increased susceptibility to β-lactams in the MRSA strain, JE2.

Examining the Longitudinal Effect of Spanking on Young Latinx Child Behavior Problems.

Spanking is a divisive discipline practice in the USA and is considered an inappropriate and harmful discipline tactic by some scholars and practitioners. However, increased diversity in the USA has contributed to varying cultural beliefs regarding discipline, which in turn influences child development. While prior literature has examined correlates of spanking, few studies have examined its impact on Latinx children over time.

Adverse childhood experiences and mental and physical health disparities: the moderating effect of race and implications for social work.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to mental and physical health problems, leading to ACEs being viewed as a public health concern. Yet, less research has focused on the prevalence and impact of ACEs among diverse racial and ethnic groups. Given the increasing diversity in the USA, coupled with research that has found certain racial and ethnic groups to experience larger-scale adversity such as poverty or discrimination more frequently than White individuals, it is important to understand how ACEs are experienced by people of color.

Tailoring Nanoparticle-Biofilm Interactions to Increase the Efficacy of Antimicrobial Agents Against .

Background: Considering the timeline required for the development of novel antimicrobial drugs, increased attention should be given to repurposing old drugs and improving antimicrobial efficacy, particularly for chronic infections associated with biofilms. Methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) are common causes of biofilm-associated infections but produce different biofilm matrices. MSSA biofilm cells are typically embedded in an extracellular polysaccharide matrix, whereas MRSA biofilms comprise predominantly of surface proteins and extracellular DNA (eDNA).

Glycomics Microarrays Reveal Differential In Situ Presentation of the Biofilm Polysaccharide Poly--acetylglucosamine on and Cell Surfaces.

The biofilm component poly--acetylglucosamine (PNAG) is an important virulence determinant in medical-device-related infections caused by ESKAPE group pathogens including Gram-positive and Gram-negative . PNAG presentation on bacterial cell surfaces and its accessibility for host interactions are not fully understood. We employed a lectin microarray to examine PNAG surface presentation and interactions on methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) and a clinical isolate.

Impaired Alanine Transport or Exposure to d-Cycloserine Increases the Susceptibility of MRSA to β-lactam Antibiotics.

Prolonging the clinical effectiveness of β-lactams, which remain first-line antibiotics for many infections, is an important part of efforts to address antimicrobial resistance. We report here that inactivation of the predicted d-cycloserine (DCS) transporter gene cycA resensitized methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) to β-lactam antibiotics. The cycA mutation also resulted in hypersusceptibility to DCS, an alanine analogue antibiotic that inhibits alanine racemase and d-alanine ligase required for d-alanine incorporation into cell wall peptidoglycan.

Skin color as a predictor of mental health in young Latinx children.

Rationale: Racial phenotype shapes the ways in which others perceive and interact with children, with implications for their immediate and long-term well-being. Still, few empirical studies have examined these links in Latinx children.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between skin color, as a salient marker of racial phenotype, and the mental health of young, Latinx children.

Maternal depression and acculturative stress impacts on Mexican-origin children through authoritarian parenting.

Depression and acculturative stress are common among Latina mothers, yet little is known about how these variables are related to parenting practices and in turn, to the mental health functioning of their young children. The present study used a sample of Mexican-origin mothers of 3- to 6-year-old children ( = 175) to test a model of maternal depression and acculturative stress as predictors of child internalizing and externalizing problems, mediated by authoritarian and authoritative parenting practices. Results showed that maternal depressive symptoms and acculturative stress were associated with child internalizing, but not externalizing, problems.

A novel medical device coating prevents Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation on medical device surfaces.

Prevention of device related infections due to Staphylococcus aureus biofilms on devices represents a significant challenge. Such infections have recently been shown to be dependent on the coagulation pathway via activation of pro-thrombin and fibrin production. Three direct-thrombin inhibitors, argatroban, hirudin and dabigatran, were examined to determine their effect on preventing S.

Complete Genome Sequence of Staphylococcus epidermidis CSF41498.

Staphylococcus epidermidis CSF41498 is amenable to genetic manipulation and has been used to study mechanisms of biofilm formation. We report here the whole-genome sequence of this strain, which contains 2,427 protein-coding genes and 82 RNAs within its 2,481,008-bp-long genome, as well as three plasmids.

The father's role in risk and resilience among Mexican-American adolescents.

Research suggests fathers are important to adolescent well-being, yet there is limited information regarding how fathering is associated with adolescent risk and resilience in Mexican American families. This cross-sectional study utilized a structural equation model to examine whether parent-child alienation mediated the relations between parental displays of warmth and hostility and the outcomes of adolescent resilience and delinquency in Mexican American families (N = 272). Results indicated that adolescent-perceived alienation from parents was a significant predictor of both resilience and delinquency.