Understanding the pathophysiology of colonization as a guide for future treatment for chronic leg ulcers.

Chronic leg wounds represent a major burden of disease worldwide, costing health care systems billions of dollars each year. Aside from the financial implications, they also impose a significant physical and psychosocial burden on the patient, their relatives and/or carers, and the community. Whilst measures such as maintenance of wound hygiene, debridement, dressings and compression are the current standard of care, complete healing is not always achievable and ulcer recurrence is common.

Functionally-informed fine-mapping identifies genetic variants linking increased CHD1L expression and HIV restriction in monocytes.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV) set-point viral load is a strong predictor of disease progression and transmission risk. A recent genome-wide association study in individuals of African ancestries identified a region on chromosome 1 significantly associated with decreased HIV set-point viral load. Knockout of the closest gene, CHD1L, enhanced HIV replication in vitro in myeloid cells.

Orthoflavivirus circulation in South-East Queensland, Australia, before and during the 2021-2022 incursion of Japanese encephalitis virus assessed through sero-epidemiological survey of a sentinel equine population.

An incursion and outbreak of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was reported in Australia in 2021 and 2022, respectively. There was speculation that JEV may have been circulating in Australia unknowingly prior to the detection. In this study, we determined sero-prevalence and transmission of West Nile virus (WNV), Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV) and JEV, prior to and post JEV incursion in a sentinel equine population in south-east Queensland (SEQ), Australia, using blocking ELISAs (screening test) and virus neutralisation test (confirmatory).

Structural basis for TIR domain-mediated innate immune signaling by Toll-like receptor adaptors TRIF and TRAM.

Innate immunity relies on Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns. The TIR (Toll/interleukin-1 receptor) domain-containing TLR adaptors TRIF (TIR domain-containing adaptor-inducing interferon-β) and TRAM (TRIF-related adaptor molecule) are essential for MyD88-independent TLR signaling. However, the structural basis of TRIF and TRAM TIR domain-based signaling remains unclear.

Modified multiplex PCR for serotyping and pathotyping of .

is a zoonotic pathogen that causes invasive infections in humans who have been in close contact with infected pigs or contaminated pork-derived products. There is currently no consensus on the universal virulence factors or markers that can differentiate pathogenic from non-pathogenic or commensal isolates. A diagnostic tool for serotyping and pathotyping of is required for active public health surveillance and the One-Health approach.

Genomic Diversity and Virulence Factors of Isolated from Healthy and Necrotic Enteritis-Affected Broiler Chicken Farms in Quebec Province.

Avian necrotic enteritis due to the Gram-positive bacterium has re-emerged following the ban on antibiotic growth promoters in many poultry producing countries. The limited number of previous studies has left important gaps in our understanding of the genetic diversity and virulence traits of the pathogen. To address these knowledge gaps, in this study, we sequenced the genomes of 41 isolates recovered from commercial broiler chicken flocks in Quebec, Canada, including isolates from healthy birds and those affected by necrotic enteritis.

Esterase-Mediated Pyrethroid Resistance in Populations of an Invasive Malaria Vector from Ethiopia.

Background: The swift expansion of the invasive malaria vector throughout Africa presents a major challenge to malaria control initiatives. Unlike the native African vectors, thrives in urban settings and has developed resistance to multiple classes of insecticides, including pyrethroids, organophosphates, and carbamates.

Methods: Insecticide susceptibility tests were performed on field-collected mosquitoes from Awash Sebac Kilo, Ethiopia, to assess insecticide resistance levels.

"Nomophobia: Prevalence, associated factors, and impact on academic performance among nursing students".

Background: The literature offers limited and conflicting evidence regarding the prevalence, associated factors, and impact of nomophobia on nursing students' academic performance.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate these aspects among nursing students.

Method: A cross-sectional design and convenience sampling method were used to recruit 500 nursing students.

Nomophobia among nursing students: prevalence and associated factors.

Nomophobia, or the fear of being without a mobile phone, has been linked to negative impacts on the physical, psychological, and academic well-being of students, including nursing students. While the prevalence of nomophobia and its associated factors vary across studies, limited research has focused on nursing students in Hamedan-Iran. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of nomophobia and its related factors among nursing students in Hamedan Province.

Comparison of nasal swabs and handmade foam cubes for detecting equine herpesvirus 5 (EHV-5) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR).

The control of equine respiratory infections is a biosecurity challenge. Respiratory viruses are often rapidly detected using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on nasal swabs. In the past, some laboratories developed handmade techniques to increase the amount of nasal secretions collected, without comparing them with nasal swabs when qPCR replaced the use of viral culture.

Serotype diversity of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae detected by real-time PCR in clinical and subclinical samples from Spanish pig farms during 2017-2022.

Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae is the causative agent of porcine pleuropneumonia, a challenging respiratory disease for the global swine industry. Variations in the serotypes associated with clinical disease have been observed in different regions worldwide. This study aimed to provide an updated epidemiological assessment of A.

Characterization of a novel SNP identified in Australian group A isolates derived from the M1 lineage.

Group A (GAS) is a human-adapted pathogen responsible for a variety of diseases. The GAS M1 lineage has contributed significantly to the recently reported increases in scarlet fever and invasive infections. However, the basis for its evolutionary success is not yet fully understood.

Molecular epidemiology of rubella during the pre- and post-elimination eras in the Americas.

Since the last case of indigenous rubella virus (RuV) was detected in 2009 in the Region of the Americas, sporadic rubella and congenital rubella cases have been confirmed, and subsequently, a low number of associated sequences have been reported. Fifty-one sequences of wild-type RuV, representing four genotypes (1E, 1G, 1J, and 2B), were reported from five countries, with confirmed sources of exposure for 46 cases. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the diversity of these viruses, showing no associations with sustained endemic transmission from previously endemic strains.

A Heparan Sulfate Mimetic RAFT Copolymer Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Ameliorates Viral-Induced Inflammation.

The high transmissibility and mutation ability of coronaviruses enable them to easily escape existing immune protection and also pose a challenge to existing antiviral drugs. Moreover, drugs only targeting viruses cannot always attenuate the "cytokine storm". Herein, a synthetic heparan sulfate (HS) mimetic, HMSA-06 is reported, that exhibited antiviral activities against both the SARS-CoV-2 prototype and Omicron strains by targeting viral entry and replication.

Prevalence of thrombosis in patients undergoing dialysis treatment: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Aim: to determine the prevalence of thrombosis in dialysis patients.

Background: Thrombosis is the most common cause of vascular access dysfunction in dialysis patients. Various studies have reported different prevalence rates of thrombosis, and no systematic study provides a comprehensive result on this subject.

Genomic tools for post-elimination measles molecular epidemiology using Canadian surveillance data from 2018-2020.

Introduction: Measles is caused by the highly infectious measles virus, MeV, for which there is an effective vaccine. Monitoring of progress of measles elimination requires enhanced surveillance and tracking of MeV strains, including documenting the absence of an endemically circulating strain. Due to a reduction in the number of circulating genotypes, additional sequence information, beyond the standardized 450 nucleotide window of the nucleoprotein (N450), is required to corroborate the information from epidemiological investigations and, ideally, fill in gaps in the surveillance data.

A zebrafish-based in vivo model of Zika virus infection unveils alterations of the glutamatergic neuronal development and NS4A as a key viral determinant of neuropathogenesis.

Infection of pregnant women by Zika virus (ZIKV) is associated with severe neurodevelopmental defects in newborns through poorly defined mechanisms. Here, we established a zebrafish in vivo model of ZIKV infection to circumvent limitations of existing mammalian models. Leveraging the unique tractability of this system, we gained unprecedented access to the ZIKV-infected brain at early developmental stages.

Clinical Snapshot of Group A Streptococcal Isolates from an Australian Tertiary Hospital.

(Group A , GAS) is a human-restricted pathogen that causes a wide range of diseases from pharyngitis and scarlet fever to more severe, invasive infections such as necrotising fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome. There has been a global increase in both scarlet fever and invasive infections during the COVID-19 post-pandemic period. The aim of this study was the molecular characterisation of 17 invasive and non-invasive clinical non-1 GAS isolates from an Australian tertiary hospital collected between 2021 and 2022.

Dual therapy with corticosteroid ablates the beneficial effect of DP2 antagonism in chronic experimental asthma.

Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) signals via the DP1 and DP2 receptors. In Phase II trials, DP2 antagonism decreased airway inflammation and airway smooth muscle (ASM) area in moderate-to-severe asthma patients. However, in Phase III, DP2 antagonism failed to lower the rate of exacerbations, and DP2 as a target was shelved.