Synthesis and characterisation of DOTA-kisspeptin-10 as a potential gallium-68/lutetium-177 pan-tumour radiopharmaceutical.

Kisspeptin (KISS1) and its cognate receptor (KISS1R) are implicated in the progression of various cancers. A gallium-68 labelled kisspeptin-10 (KP10), the minimal biologically active structure, has potential as a pan-tumour radiopharmaceutical for the detection of cancers. Furthermore, a lutetium-177 labelled KP10 could find therapeutic application in treating oncological diseases.

Identification and Characterization of Acanthamoeba from Contact Lens Care Solutions and Hospital Environments in the Ophthalmology Wards and Operating Rooms in Southeastern Iran.

Objective: Different Acanthamoeba species are among the most ubiquitous organisms causing serious diseases in humans including central nervous system (CNS) and eye infections. Contact lenses, lens care solutions and the hospital environments particularly the indoor and outdoor environments of ophthalmology wards where people are present with different types of eye diseases, are the potential sources of human infection. The purpose of the present study was the molecular investigation of free-living amoebae in the used contact lenses, lens care solutions and hospital samples from the ophthalmology wards and operating rooms in a referral hospital in southeastern Iran.

Tracking Multidrug Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria in Alexandria, Egypt (2020-2023): An Integrated Analysis of Patient Data and Diagnostic Tools.

Background: The rise in carbapenem-resistant (CRE) in Egypt, particularly in hospital settings, poses a significant public health challenge. This study aims to develop a combined epidemiological surveillance tool utilizing the Microreact online platform (version 269) and molecular microarray technology to track and analyze carbapenem-resistant strains in Egypt. The objective is to integrate molecular diagnostics and real-time data visualization to better understand the spread and evolution of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria.

Corrigendum to " antiplasmodium and antitrypanosomal activities, β-haematin formation inhibition, molecular docking and DFT computational studies of quinoline-urea-benzothiazole hybrids" [Heliyon Volume 10, Issue 19, October 2024, Article e38434].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.

AIDS-related mycoses: advances, challenges, and future directions.

Fungal infections are a major contributor to mortality for people with HIV/AIDS. Recently, researchers, clinicians, industry experts, and policymakers convened for the triennial AIDS-Related Mycoses Meeting to address critical gaps in the management of AIDS-related mycoses. Delegates highlighted several scientifically driven milestones that have significantly reduced fungal-related deaths, and the need to address outstanding challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and research.

Developing a Serum-Free and Cytokine-Optimizing Induction Medium to Increase the Production of CD14CD16 and CD14CD16 Monocytes from Human CD133 Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells.

Immunotherapy utilizes immune cells to target cancer and improves treatment outcomes with few side effects. Despite the effectiveness of immunotherapy, the limited availability of monocytes, which are essential for the differentiation of antigen-presenting cells, remains a major challenge. In this study, we developed a technique for inducing monocytes from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells by using a serum-free (SF) medium supplemented with optimal concentrations of serum substitutes and cytokines.

Behavioural and social drivers of human papillomavirus vaccination in eThekwini District of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

Background: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women in South Africa. Infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the cause of cervical cancer, which can be prevented by HPV vaccination. However, there is wide variation in HPV vaccination coverage among the urban districts of South Africa; with the lowest coverage being 40% in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.

Diagnosis and Management of Kaposi Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Inflammatory Cytokine Syndrome in Resource-Constrained Settings: A Case Report and an Adapted Case Definition.

Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV), also known as human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8), is the primary etiologic cause of Kaposi sarcoma (KS) and KSHV Inflammatory Cytokine Syndrome (KICS). Patients with KICS demonstrate symptoms of systemic inflammation, high KSHV viral load, elevation of inflammatory markers, and increased mortality. Management requires rapid diagnosis, treatment of underlying HIV, direct treatment of KS, and addressing the hyperimmune response.

The persistent pool of HIV-1-infected cells is formed episodically during untreated infection.

Previous studies have shown that the majority of long-lived cells harboring persistent HIV-1 proviral genomes originates from viruses circulating in the year prior to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, but a smaller proportion originates from viruses circulating much earlier in untreated infection. These observations suggest that discrete biological factors influence the entry and persistence of viruses into the persistent proviral pool, and there may be periods earlier in untreated infection with increased seeding. Therefore, we examined the timing of formation of the long-lived pool of infected cells that persists during ART in seven women (after a median of 5.

Mechanism of Qingdai in Alleviating Acute Lung Injury by Inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

Objective: Qingdai (QD) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) commonly used in clinical practice to treat acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS). However, the mechanisms underlying the effects of QD remain not fully understood. This investigation demonstrated QD alleviated LPS-induced ALI in mice and exerted anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

The host gene regulates HBV replication via HBV PRE-induced nuclear export.

The persistent global burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has prompted ongoing investigations into host determinants of viral control. In this study, we investigate the regulatory influence of the host gene cleavage stimulation factor subunit 2 (CSTF2) on HBV replication dynamics. We demonstrate differential CSTF2 expression across the spectrum of HBV infection phases, with upregulated expression noted during the immune-reactive and inactive carrier states compared with the immune-tolerant phase.

Emergence of Omicron FN.1 a descendent of BQ.1.1 in Botswana.

Botswana, like the rest of the world, has been significantly impacted by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In December 2022, we detected a monophyletic cluster of genomes comprising a sublineage of the Omicron variant of concern (VOC) designated as B.1.

Increase of niche filling with increase of host richness for plant-infecting mastreviruses.

Now that it has been realized that viruses are ubiquitous, questions have been raised on factors influencing their diversity and distribution. For phytoviruses, understanding the interplay between plant diversity and virus species richness and prevalence remains cardinal. As both the amplification and the dilution of viral species richness due to increasing host diversity have been theorized and observed, a deeper understanding of how plants and viruses interact in natural environments is needed to explore how host availability conditions viral diversity and distributions.

Impact of drug-resistant tuberculosis on socio-economic status, quality of life and psychological well-being of patients in Bucharest, Romania: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health challenge, with 1.3 million deaths in 2022. Ten countries in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) accounted for 88.

Combination of spatial transcriptomics analysis and retrospective study reveals liver infection of SARS-COV-2 is associated with clinical outcomes of COVID-19.

Background: Liver involvement is a common complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), especially in hospitalized patients. However, the underlying mechanisms involved are not fully understood.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins was conducted on liver tissues from six patients with COVID-19.

Advancing precision therapy for colorectal cancer: Developing clinical indications for multi-target kinase inhibitor BPR1J481 using patient-derived xenograft models.

The large and rapid increase in the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) demonstrates the urgent need for new drugs with higher efficacy to treat CRC. However, the lack of applicable and reliable preclinical models significantly hinders the progress of drug development. Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models are currently considered reliable in vivo preclinical models for predicting drug efficacy in cancer patients.

Repeat adolescent pregnancies in Southwestern Uganda: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Pregnancy in adolescents continues to remain a significant public health challenge, with repeat pregnancies in this age group often receiving insufficient attention. In Uganda, repeat adolescent pregnancy varies between 26.1% and 55.

Comparative evaluation of sensititre YeastOne and VITEK2 antifungal susceptibility tests with CLSI broth microdilution method of clinical isolates in Taiwan.

Unlabelled: Commercial antifungal susceptibility tests were available for clinical yeast isolates. However, the updated Sensititre YeastOne (SYO) version YO10C excluded species for susceptibility testing. Uncorrelation of antifungal susceptibility patterns by SYO and therapeutic outcomes had been recently reported.

Telemedicine facilitates medical care for hospitalized patients in quarantine.

Background/purpose: Telemedicine is an innovative medical care system that facilitates visual communication between patients and healthcare workers (HCWs), mainly in a community-based setting. We investigated the clinical effectiveness of in-patient telemedicine care for patients in quarantine for the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods: We conducted a prospective study to include patients with mild-to-moderate severity of COVID-19 and their primary-care HCWs.

Novel lineage of anelloviruses with large genomes identified in dolphins.

Unlabelled: Anellovirus infections are ubiquitous in mammals but lack any clear disease association, suggesting a commensal virus-host relationship. Although anelloviruses have been identified in numerous mammalian hosts, their presence in members of the family Delphinidae has yet to be reported. Here, using a metagenomic approach, we characterize complete anellovirus genomes ( = 69) from four Delphinidae host species: short-finned pilot whale (, = 19), killer whale (, = 9), false killer whale (, = 6), and pantropical spotted dolphin (, = 1).

Ecology meets reproductive medicine in HIV prevention: the case for geography-informed approaches for bacterial vaginosis in Africa.

Purpose Of Review: Women in Africa bear the burden of the HIV epidemic, which has been associated with the high prevalence of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in the region. However, little progress has been made in finding an effective cure for BV. Drawing on advances in microbiome-directed therapies for gastrointestinal disorders, similar live-biotherapeutic based approaches for BV treatment are being evaluated.

The Frequency and Incidence of QT Prolongation with Extended Use of Bedaquiline or Delamanid in a Large, Multi-Country MDR/RR-TB Cohort.

Background: The 2022 WHO guidelines on multi-drug/rifampicin resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) recommend six months of bedaquiline (Bdq) in the all-oral 9-month shorter regimen and six months or longer for Bdq and delamanid (Dlm) in the 18-20-month longer regimen. However, lack of evidence on extended treatment using Bdq or Dlm has limited their use to six months. We examine the frequency and incidence of QT prolongation based on duration of Bdq and/or Dlm use in longer regimens.

Exploring bifunctional molecules for anti-SARS-CoV-2 and anti-inflammatory activity through structure-based virtual screening, SAR investigation, and biological evaluation.

As new variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue to emerge, they raise increasing concerns about the efficacy of neutralizing antibodies and vaccines. This situation underscores the urgent need for specific drugs against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Given that COVID-19 is particularly associated with substantial inflammation, the development of novel, effective antiviral and anti-inflammatory agents represents a promising research direction.