Multicenter Diagnostic Evaluation of a Novel Coronavirus Antigen Lateral Flow Test among Symptomatic Individuals in Brazil and the United Kingdom.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the commercialization of many antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs), requiring independent evaluations. This report describes the clinical evaluation of the Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV Antigen Test (Colloidal Gold) (Beijing Hotgen Biotech Co., Ltd.

Multiplex PCR Assay for Clade Typing of Salmonella enterica Serovar Enteritidis.

Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis is one of the most commonly reported serovars of nontyphoidal Salmonella causing human disease and is responsible for both gastroenteritis and invasive nontyphoidal Salmonella (iNTS) disease worldwide. Whole-genome sequence (WGS) comparison of Salmonella Enteritidis isolates from across the world has identified three distinct clades, global epidemic, Central/East African, and West African, all of which have been implicated in epidemics: the global epidemic clade was linked to poultry-associated gastroenteritis, while the two African clades were related to iNTS disease. However, the distribution and epidemiology of these clades across Africa are poorly understood because identification of these clades currently requires whole-genome sequencing capacity.

Vertical and Horizontal Transmission of Cell Fusing Agent Virus in Aedes aegypti.

Cell fusing agent virus (CFAV) is an insect-specific flavivirus (ISF) found in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. ISFs have demonstrated the ability to modulate the infection or transmission of arboviruses such as dengue, West Nile, and Zika viruses. It is thought that vertical transmission is the main route for ISF maintenance in nature.

Targeted Transcriptomic Screen of Pneumococcal Genes Expressed during Murine and Human Infection.

The advent of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines led to the near disappearance of most of the included serotypes in high-income settings but also the rise of nonvaccine-type colonization and disease. Alternative strategies, using genetically conserved proteins as antigens, have been evaluated preclinically and clinically for years, so far unsuccessfully. One possible explanation for the failure of these efforts is that the choice of antigens may not have been sufficiently guided by an understanding of the gene expression pattern in the context of infection.

Inhibition of Protein Glycosylation Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) extensively glycosylates its spike proteins, which are necessary for host cell invasion and the target of both vaccines and immunotherapies. These glycans are predicted to modulate spike binding to the host receptor by stabilizing its open conformation and host immunity evasion. Here, we investigated the essentiality of both the host -glycosylation pathway and SARS-CoV-2 glycans for infection.

Intracellular Transposition and Capture of Mobile Genetic Elements following Intercellular Conjugation of Multidrug Resistance Conjugative Plasmids from Clinical Isolates.

Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) are often associated with antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). They are responsible for intracellular transposition between different replicons and intercellular conjugation and are therefore important agents of ARG dissemination. Detection and characterization of functional MGEs, especially in clinical isolates, would increase our understanding of the underlying pathways of transposition and recombination and allow us to determine interventional strategies to interrupt this process.

Oxidative Phosphorylation Is Required for Powering Motility and Development of the Sleeping Sickness Parasite Trypanosoma brucei in the Tsetse Fly Vector.

The single-celled parasite Trypanosoma brucei is transmitted by hematophagous tsetse flies. Life cycle progression from mammalian bloodstream form to tsetse midgut form and, subsequently, infective salivary gland form depends on complex developmental steps and migration within different fly tissues. As the parasite colonizes the glucose-poor insect midgut, ATP production is thought to depend on activation of mitochondrial amino acid catabolism via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS).

Should Deep-Sequenced Amplicons Become the New Gold Standard for Analyzing Malaria Drug Clinical Trials?

Regulatory clinical trials are required to ensure the continued supply and deployment of effective antimalarial drugs. Patient follow-up in such trials typically lasts several weeks, as the drugs have long half-lives and new infections often occur during this period. "Molecular correction" is therefore used to distinguish drug failures from new infections.