Prevalence of Schistosoma infection and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Shewa Robit Health Center, North-Central Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Schistosoma spp. and other intestinal parasites are common in Ethiopia. During pregnancy, SCH increases the risk of adverse birth outcomes.

Development of a luminex-based assay for the detection of anti-capripoxvirus and rift valley fever virus antibodies in domestic ruminants.

The three members of the genus capripoxvirus (CaPV), lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), sheeppox virus (SPPV), and goatpox virus (GTPV) have common hosts and areas of overlapping geographical distribution with Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV). Hence, to ensure more cost-effective disease surveillance we developed and evaluated a Luminex assay for the simultaneous detection of antibodies against CaPV and RVFV in domestic ruminants. In cattle, the assay had a sensitivity (Se) of 98.

Undetected circulation of major arboviruses in West Sudan: urging for institutionalizing multisectoral one health strategy for the preparedness, prevention, and control of zoonotic arboviral diseases.

Objectives: Arboviruses pose a significant global health challenge. This study investigated the seroprevalence of major human arboviral infections, including yellow fever (YFV), dengue (DENV), Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), Rift Valley fever (RVF), West Nile virus (WNV), and chikungunya (CHIK), in Darfur region from September to December 2018. ELISA-IgM was used to detect antibodies.

Evaluating PAX1/JAM3 methylation for triage in HPV 16/18-infected women.

Objective: Referring all women who tested positive for human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 to colposcopy may lead to potential over-referral issues. Triage tests based on cytology results face challenges in achieving accurate diagnoses. Our study aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of PAX1/JAM3 methylation (CISCER) test as a triage method for HPV 16/18-positive women.

CCR2 restricts IFN-γ production by hippocampal CD8 TRM cells that impair learning and memory during recovery from WNV encephalitis.

Central nervous system (CNS) resident memory CD8 T cells (T) that express IFN-γ contribute to neurodegenerative processes, including synapse loss, leading to memory impairment. Here, we show that CCR2 signaling in CD8 T that persist within the hippocampus after recovery from CNS infection with West Nile virus (WNV) significantly prevents the development of memory impairments. Using CCR2-deficient mice, we determined that CCR2 expression is not essential for CNS T cell recruitment or virologic control during acute WNV infection.

Safety of perioperative intravenous different doses of dexamethasone in primary total joint arthroplasty: a retrospective large-scale cohort study.

Purpose: Perioperative intravenous different doses of dexamethasone (DEX) can realize effective clinical outcomes in total joint arthroplasty (TJA). However, the effect of different DEX doses on readmission rates and postoperative complications remains unclear.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent primary TJA between December 2012 and October 2020.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of ammonia-producing microorganisms in the lungs of patients with severe pneumonia: a multicentre cohort study.

Background: Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum, and Mycoplasma hominis were widely known as ammonia-producing microorganisms and can cause hyperammonemia, leading to cerebral edema and altered consciousness, which represent serious complications in lung transplant recipients. However, there is limited knowledge on the epidemiology and outcomes of infections caused by U. urealyticum, U.

The association between different timeframes of air pollution exposure and COVID-19 incidence, morbidity and mortality in German counties in 2020.

Background: Ambient air pollution is a known risk factor for several chronic health conditions, including pulmonary dysfunction. In recent years, studies have shown a positive association between exposure to air pollutants and the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of a COVID-19 infection, however the time period for which air pollution exposure is most relevant for the COVID-19 outcome is still not defined. The aim of this study was to analyze the difference in association when varying the time period of air pollution exposure considered on COVID-19 infection within the same cohort during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020.

"I have never felt so alone and vulnerable" - A qualitative study of bereaved people's experiences of end-of-life cancer care during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Background: COVID-19 drastically affected healthcare services world-wide. In the UK, many cancer services were overwhelmed as oncology staff were reassigned, and cancer diagnoses and treatments were delayed. The impact of these pressures on end-of-life care for patients with advanced cancer and their relatives is not well understood.

Antifungal susceptibility profile of Candida species and uncommon yeasts from drug abusers with oral candidiasis.

In Iran, there is limited information regarding the species distribution and antifungal susceptibility profiles of yeast isolates from drug addicts suffering from oral candidiasis (OC). In this study, 104 yeast isolates, including 98 Candida species and 6 uncommon yeasts, were collected from 71 drug abusers with OC. The susceptibility profiles of Candida spp.

Impact of schistosomiasis infection on maternal and neonatal outcomes in pregnancy: a prospective cohort study in Nigeria.

Background: Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease, affects approximately 40 million women of reproductive age contributing to preventable anaemia during pregnancy, intrauterine growth retardation and low birth weight. In spite of the high prevalence rate of this disease among school aged children in Abakaliki, no study in Abakaliki has looked at the burden of Schistosomal infection in pregnancy with a view to determining maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Objective: To determine the association between schistosomal infection and maternal anemia, low birth weight, and other neonatal outcomes in Abakaliki.

Evidence of an emerging triple-reassortant H3N3 avian influenza virus in China.

The H3 subtype of avian influenza virus (AIV) stands out as one of the most prevalent subtypes, posing a significant threat to public health. In this study, a novel triple-reassortant H3N3 AIV designated A/chicken/China/16/2023 (H3N3), was isolated from a sick chicken in northern China. The complete genome of the isolate was determined using next-generation sequencing, and the AIV-like particles were confirmed via transmission electron microscopy.

Residual HCV-RNA and Elevated Platelet-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predict Poor Long-Term Outcomes in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C After Treatment.

Introduction: Despite achieving sustained viral response (SVR) after treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), the risk of liver disease progression and extrahepatic complications in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) remains. We aimed to determine the role of residual HCV-RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), a condition known as occult hepatitis C (OCI), and systemic inflammatory markers as predictors of long-term outcomes in patients treated with DAAs.

Methods: We followed 42 patients treated with DAAs with OCI status determined after therapy, for a median of 6.

VZV IE4 downregulates cellular surface MHC-I via sequestering it to the Golgi complex.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection downregulates surface major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression and retains MHC-I in the Golgi complex of infected cells. However, the underlying mechanism is not fully understood. The VZV IE4 protein is a multifunctional protein that is essential for VZV infection.

Gram-negative bacteria-driven increase of cytosolic phospholipase A2 leads to activation of Kupffer cells.

Bacterial infections are prevalent and the major cause of morbidity and mortality in cirrhosis. Activation of human Kupffer cells (HKCs) from livers is essential for human innate immunity. Cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) plays a crucial role in the control and balance of innate immune and inflammatory reactions.

An HRP-integrated CRISPR/Cas12a biosensor towards chair-side diagnosis for Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Rapid diagnostic tools for Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), the primary microorganism responsible for the development of periodontitis, particularly those designed for chair-side applications, could provide substantial health benefits to patients. To address this issue, we developed a CRISPR/Cas12a-based rapid Pg detection method. Dual-gRNA and hairpin reporter strategies were employed to enhance CRISPR/Cas12a reaction efficiency.

Deciphering the molecular basis of lipoprotein recognition and transport by LolCDE.

Outer membrane (OM) lipoproteins serve vital roles in Gram-negative bacteria, contributing to their pathogenicity and drug resistance. For these lipoproteins to function, they must be transported from the inner membrane (IM), where they are assembled, to the OM by the ABC transporter LolCDE. We have previously captured structural snapshots of LolCDE in multiple states, revealing its dynamic conformational changes.

Predicting sepsis mortality into an era of pandrug-resistant E. coli through modeling.

Background: Infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria are increasingly frequent, burdening healthcare systems worldwide. As pathogens acquire resistance to all known antibiotics - i.e.

SMCHD1 genetic variants in type 2 facioscapulohumeral dystrophy and challenges in predicting pathogenicity and disease penetrance.

The molecular diagnosis of type 1 facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD1) relies on the detection of a shortened D4Z4 array at the 4q35 locus. Until recently, the diagnosis of FSHD2 relied solely on the absence of a shortened D4Z4 allele in clinically affected patients. It is now established that most FSHD2 cases carry a heterozygous variant in the SMCHD1 gene.

Psychometric evaluation and item response theory analysis of the COVID Stress Scales in an older adult population.

Objectives: The COVID Stress Scales (CSS) represent a widely used self-report measure of stress and anxiety-related responses to COVID-19. Although the CSS have been validated across various nations and languages, their psychometric properties have not been assessed at the factor- or item-level with older adults. We aimed to psychometrically evaluate the CSS in older adults.

Cytokinin Plays a Multifaceted Role in Ralstonia solanacearum-Triggered Plant Disease Development.

Cytokinin signalling plays both positive and negative roles in plant resistance to pathogens. It is not clear whether the role of cytokinin changes at the different stages of pathogen infection. Arabidopsis thaliana sequentially exhibits distinct root morphological symptoms during Ralstonia solanacearum infection, which offers a good system to investigate function of cytokinin in the whole pathogen infection process.

Impact of diagnostic stewardship on catheter-associated urinary tract infections and patient outcomes.

Background: Diagnostic stewardship of urine cultures from patients with indwelling urinary catheters may improve diagnostic specificity and clinical relevance of the test, but risk of patient harm is uncertain.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the impact of a computerized clinical decision support tool to promote institutional appropriateness criteria (neutropenia, kidney transplant, recent urologic surgery, or radiologic evidence of urinary tract obstruction) for urine cultures from patients with an indwelling urinary catheter. The primary outcome was a change in catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) rate from baseline (34 mo) to intervention period (30 mo, including a 2-mo wash-in period).

Outbreak investigations of and frozen raw breaded chicken: the mitigation of a significant public health issue in Canada.

In May 2017, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) became the primary subtyping method for in Canada. As a result of the increased discriminatory power provided by WGS, 16 multi-jurisdictional outbreaks of associated with frozen raw breaded chicken products were identified between 2017 and 2019. The majority (15/16) were associated with , while the remaining outbreak was associated with Heidelberg.

Combatting Helicobacter pylori: A Focus on Nanomaterials.

Developing effective non-antibiotic antimicrobial strategies is essential for combating global antibiotic resistance, including resistance stemming from Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) treatment. Nanomaterials offer a promising and innovative approach for non-antibiotic anti-H.