Advancing High-Throughput Cellular Atomic Force Microscopy with Automation and Artificial Intelligence.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has reached a significant level of maturity in biology, demonstrated by the diversity of modes for obtaining not only topographical images but also insightful mechanical and adhesion data by performing force measurements on delicate samples with a controlled environment (e.g., liquid, temperature, pH).

Assessing the threat of harboring a multi-resistant IncC plasmid and the efficacy of an antibiotic targeting LpxC.

Self-transmissible IncC plasmids rapidly spread multidrug resistance in many medically important pathogens worldwide. A large plasmid of this type (pIP1202, ~80 Kb) has been isolated in a clinical isolate of , the agent of plague. Here, we report that pIP1202 was highly stable in infected mice and fleas and did not reduce virulence in these animals.

Fieldwork on animals living in extreme conditions as a source of biomedical innovation.

Most biomedical research on animals is based on the handful of the so-called standard model organisms, i.e. laboratory mice, rats or , but the keys to some important biomedical questions may simply not be found in these.

An IS element-driven antisense RNA attenuates the expression of serotype 2 fimbriae and the cytotoxicity of .

Insertion sequences (IS) represent mobile genetic elements that have been shown to be associated with bacterial evolution and adaptation due to their effects on genome plasticity. In , the causative agent of whooping cough, the numerous IS elements induce genomic rearrangements and contribute to the diversity of the global population. Previously, we have shown that the majority of IS-specific endogenous promoters induce the synthesis of alternative transcripts and thereby affect the transcriptional landscape of .

Cascading expression of ApiAP2 transcription factors controls daughter cell assembly in Toxoplasma gondii.

Pathogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii in the intermediate host is based on the tachyzoite ability to divide rapidly to produce significant amount of daughter cells in a reduce time frame. The regulation of the cell-cycle specific expression program is therefore key to their proliferation. Transcriptional regulation has a crucial role in establishing this expression program and transcription factors regulates many aspects of tachyzoite cell cycle.

Is longer really better? Results of a retrospective real-life cohort study evaluating the benefit of adding a weekly educational session to a traditional 8-week home-based pulmonary rehabilitation programme in people with COPD.

Objectives: To evaluate the short-term and long-term benefits of adding a weekly educational session to a traditional 8-week home-based pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) programme in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Primary hypothesis was that 8 home-based supervised sessions will be equivalent to 16 home-based supervised sessions at both short- and long-term after PR.

Design: Retrospective cohort study conducted on prospectively collected real-life data, from January 2010 to December 2021.

The benefits of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum: From immunomodulator to vaccine vector.

Probiotics have been increasingly recognized for positively influencing many aspects of human health. Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (L. plantarum), a non-pathogenic bacterium, previously known as Lactobacillus plantarum, is one of the lactic acid bacteria commonly used in fermentation.

Method for the detection and quantification of viral contamination during the preparation of gene therapy drugs in a hospital pharmacy.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to develop a method for sampling and detecting an adenovirus-derived gene therapy (GT) vector on isolator worksurfaces.

Methods: We used a quantitative PCR (q-PCR) to detect the viral genome in standard dilutions of pure GT product and extracts of sampled surfaces. We compared three devices for surface sampling (a cotton compress, a cotton swab and a polyester flocked swab) and performed positive control, negative control and induced contamination tests for each.

Pulmonary fibrosis in patients with autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis: a retrospective nationwide cohort study.

Background: Autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (aPAP) is a rare disease that may progress towards pulmonary fibrosis. Data about fibrosis prevalence and risk factors are lacking.

Methods: In this retrospective multicentre nationwide cohort, we included patients newly diagnosed with aPAP between 2008 and 2018 in France and Belgium.

Targeted delivery of flagellin by nebulization offers optimized respiratory immunity and defense against pneumococcal pneumonia.

Novel therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to combat pneumonia caused by strains resistant to standard-of-care antibiotics. Previous studies have shown that targeted stimulation of lung innate immune defenses through intranasal administration of the Toll-like receptor 5 agonist flagellin improves the treatment of pneumonia when combined with antibiotics. To promote translation to the clinic application, this study assessed the direct delivery of flagellin to the airways through nebulization using a vibrating mesh nebulizer in mice.

Reassessing the association between bacterial vaginosis and preterm birth: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: For the past three decades, researchers have proposed an association between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and preterm birth. This association has been questioned since treating BV with antibiotics during pregnancy hasn't led to a decreased risk of preterm birth.

Objective: To re-assess the connection between BV and preterm birth by reviewing existing literature.

HEV ORF2 protein-antibody complex deposits are associated with glomerulonephritis in hepatitis E with reduced immune status.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, one of the most common forms of hepatitis worldwide, is often associated with extrahepatic, particularly renal, manifestations. However, the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. Here, we report the development of a de novo immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis (GN) in a kidney transplant recipient with chronic hepatitis E.

Large-scale deep learning identifies the antiviral potential of PKI-179 and MTI-31 against coronaviruses.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the global pandemic of Coronavirus Disease (2019) (COVID-19), underscoring the urgency for effective antiviral drugs. Despite the development of different vaccination strategies, the search for specific antiviral compounds remains crucial. Here, we combine machine learning (ML) techniques with in vitro validation to efficiently identify potential antiviral compounds.

Pulmonary Administration of TLR2/6 Agonist after Allergic Sensitization Inhibits Airway Hyper-Responsiveness and Recruits Natural Killer Cells in Lung Parenchyma.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease with persistent airway inflammation, bronchial hyper-reactivity, mucus overproduction, and airway remodeling. Antagonizing T2 responses by triggering the immune system with microbial components such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) has been suggested as a therapeutic concept for allergic asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a TLR2/6 agonist, FSL-1 (Pam2CGDPKHPKSF), administered by intranasal instillation after an allergic airway reaction was established in the ovalbumin (OVA) mouse model and to analyze the role of natural killer (NK) cells in this effect.

Peptide Alkyl Thioester Synthesis from Advanced Thiols and Peptide Hydrazides.

Peptide alkyl thioesters are versatile reagents in various synthetic applications, commonly generated from peptide hydrazides and thiols. However, a notable limitation is the need for a substantial excess of the thiol reagent, restricting the usage to simple thiols. Here, we introduce an adapted procedure that significantly enhances thioester production with just a minimal thiol excess, facilitating the use of advanced thiol nucleophiles.

PP1 phosphatase controls both daughter cell formation and amylopectin levels in Toxoplasma gondii.

Virulence of apicomplexan parasites is based on their ability to divide rapidly to produce significant biomass. The regulation of their cell cycle is therefore key to their pathogenesis. Phosphorylation is a crucial posttranslational modification that regulates many aspects of the eukaryotic cell cycle.

Virucidal activity of porphyrin-based metal-organic frameworks against highly pathogenic coronaviruses and hepatitis C virus.

The antiviral effect of four porphyrin-based Metal-Organic Frameworks (PMOFs) with Al and Zr, namely Al-TCPP, PCN-222, PCN-223 and PCN-224 was assessed for the first time against HCoV-229E, two highly pathogenic coronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Infection tests were done under dark or light exposure for different contact times, and it was found that 15 min of light exposure were enough to give antiviral properties to the materials, therefore inactivating HCoV-229E by 99.98 % and 99.

Enzymatically enhanced ultrastructure expansion microscopy unlocks expansion of cysts.

Unlabelled: Expansion microscopy (ExM) is an innovative approach to achieve super-resolution images without using super-resolution microscopes, based on the physical expansion of the sample. The advent of ExM has unlocked the detail of super-resolution images for a broader scientific circle, lowering the cost and entry skill requirements for the field. One of its branches, ultrastructure expansion microscopy (U-ExM), has become popular among research groups studying apicomplexan parasites, including the acute stage of infection.

The CpxAR signaling system confers a fitness advantage for flea gut colonization by the plague bacillus.

Unlabelled: The adaptation of , the flea-borne plague agent, to fluctuating environmental conditions is essential for the successful colonization of the flea vector. A previous comparative transcriptomic analysis showed that the Cpx pathway of is up-regulated in infected fleas. The CpxAR two-component system is a component of the envelope stress response and is critical for maintaining the integrity of the cell.