Predictive signatures of immune response to vaccination and implications of the immune setpoint remodeling.

In 2020, I featured two articles in the "mSphere of Influence" commentary series that had profound implications for the field of immunology and helped shape my research perspective. These articles were "Global Analyses of Human Immune Variation Reveal Baseline Predictors of Postvaccination Responses" by Tsang et al. (Cell 157:499-513, 2014, https://doi.

Encephalitis by Epstein Barr Virus in a Transplant Immunosuppressed Patient.

Encephalitis due to Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a rare condition that primarily affects children and immunosuppressed patients. Diagnosing EBV encephalitis can be challenging due to its nonspecific clinical presentation and the lack of confirmatory tests. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman with a history of kidney transplantation who was admitted due to progressive subacute mental deterioration, preceded by vertigo and without fever.

[Amphotericin B Liposomal Lock Therapy in Fungal Peritonitis in a Patient With Peritoneal Dialysis: Regarding a Challenging Case].

Fungal peritonitis is a rare complication associated with peritoneal dialysis, whose standard management consists of systemic antifungal therapy associated with early removal of the peritoneal dialysis catheter. This report describes and analyzes the use of lock therapy with intracatheter liposomal amphotericin B in a clinical case of fungal peritonitis.

Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Infection in AIDS Patients: A Detailed Description of 4 Cases, Including Histopathological Finding.

Unlabelled: Non tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are important opportunistic infection in patients with AIDS.

Aim: To present 4 cases of disseminated infections by NTM in patients with AIDS.

Results: These cases were associated with prolonged symptoms of fever, weight loss, diarrhea or cough, with hepatosplenomegaly, anemia and thrombocytopenia.

Associations Between Ambient PM and Thyroid Hormones in Pregnant Persons in Puerto Rico.

Introduction: This study investigates associations between fine particulate air pollution (PM) exposure and thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy in Puerto Rican individuals, a vulnerable population facing socioeconomic and environmental disparities.

Methods: This research draws on data from the PROTECT cohort study and involves 1040 participants to measure the effect of PM on developmentally important thyroid hormones (TSH, T3, T4, and FT4). Pollution concentrations were linked to participant locations using EPA air quality data and analyzed across two visits during gestational weeks 16-20 and 24-28.

A Review of Potentially Toxic Elements in Sediment, Water, and Aquatic Species from the River Ecosystems.

There is concern over potential toxic elements (PTEs) impacting river ecosystems due to human and industrial activities. The river's water, sediment, and aquatic life are all severely affected by the release of chemical and urban waste. PTE concentrations in sediment, water, and aquatic species from river ecosystems are reported in this review.

Causal Effects of Air Pollution, Noise, and Shift Work on Unstable Angina and Myocardial Infarction: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Cardiovascular disease continues to be a major contributor to global morbidity and mortality, with environmental and occupational factors such as air pollution, noise, and shift work increasingly recognized as potential contributors. Using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach, this study investigates the causal relationships of these risk factors with the risks of unstable angina (UA) and myocardial infarction (MI). Leveraging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as genetic instruments, a comprehensive MR study was used to assess the causal influence of four major air pollutants (PM, PM, NO, and NO), noise, and shift work on unstable angina and myocardial infarction.

Clearing the Air on Pollutant Disruptions of the Gut-Brain Axis: Developmental Exposure to Benzo[a]pyrene Disturbs Zebrafish Behavior and the Gut Microbiome in Adults and Subsequent Generations.

Developmental exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, has been linked to various toxic effects, including multigenerational behavioral impairment. While the specific mechanisms driving BaP neurotoxicity are not fully understood, recent work highlights two important determinants of developmental BaP neurotoxicity: (1) the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), which induces host metabolism of BaP, and (2) the gut microbiome, which may interact with BaP to affect its metabolism, or be perturbed by BaP to disrupt the gut-brain axis. We utilized the zebrafish model to explore the role of AHR, the gut microbiome, and their interaction, on BaP-induced neurotoxicity.

The First Large Identification of 3ANX and NX Producing Isolates of in Manitoba, Western Canada.

Fusarium head blight, caused by , continues to be one of the most important and devastating fungal diseases on cereal grains including wheat, barley, and oat crops. produces toxic secondary metabolites that include trichothecene type A and type B mycotoxins. There are many variants of these toxins that are produced, and in the early 2010s, a novel type A trichothecene mycotoxin known as 3ANX (7-α hydroxy,15-deacetylcalonectrin) and its deacetylated product NX (7-α hydroxy, 3,15-dideacetylcalonectrin) were identified in Minnesota, USA.

Aflatoxin B1: Challenges and Strategies for the Intestinal Microbiota and Intestinal Health of Monogastric Animals.

The objective of this review is to investigate the impacts of aflatoxins, particularly aflatoxin B1 (AFB), on intestinal microbiota, intestinal health, and growth performance in monogastric animals, primarily chickens and pigs, as well as dietary interventions to mitigate these effects. Aflatoxin B1 contamination in feeds disrupts intestinal microbiota, induces immune responses and oxidative damage, increases antioxidant activity, and impairs jejunal cell viability, barrier function, and morphology in the small intestine. These changes compromise nutrient digestion and reduce growth performance in animals.

Crustacean Zooplankton Ingestion of Potentially Toxic : In Situ Estimation Using Gene Gut Content Detection in a Large Temperate Eutrophic Lake.

Grazing by zooplankton can regulate bloom-forming cyanobacteria but can also transfer toxin-producing cells, as well as toxic metabolites, to the food web. While laboratory investigations have provided extensive knowledge on zooplankton and toxic cyanobacteria interactions, information on zooplankton feeding on toxin-producing cyanobacteria in natural water bodies remains scarce. In this study, we quantified -specific synthase genes from the gut contents of various cladoceran and copepod taxa to assess the in situ crustacean community and taxon-specific ingestion of potentially toxic in Lake Peipsi, a large eutrophic lake in Estonia, Northern Europe.

Spatial Distribution and Dietary Risk Assessment of Aflatoxins in Raw Milk and Dairy Feedstuff Samples from Different Climate Zones in China.

This study aimed to explore the contamination of aflatoxins by investigating the spatial distribution of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in cow feedstuff and aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in raw milk, and the potential health risks of AFM1 in milk and dairy products. Feedstuff and raw milk were collected from 160 pastures in three climate zones of China from October to November 2020. The results indicated the level of AFB1 and AFM1 ranged from 51.

Fusarium Head Blight in Argentina, a Profile of Produced Mycotoxins and a Biocontrol Strategy in Barley During Micro-Malting Process.

Barley ( L.) is the second winter crop in Argentina. In the national market, grains are mainly destined to produce malt for beer manufacture.

Mapping Variability of Mycotoxins in Individual Oat Kernels from Batch Samples: Implications for Sampling and Food Safety.

Oats are susceptible to contamination by mycotoxins, including deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and T-2/HT-2 toxins, posing food safety risks. This study analyses the variation in levels of 14 mycotoxins in 200 individual oat kernels from two DON-contaminated batch samples (mean = 3498 µg/kg) using LC-MS/MS. The samples also contained deoxynivalenol-3-glucoside (DON-3G), 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), and ZEN.

Holocellulose from a Winemaking By-Product to Develop a Biopolymeric System for Bacterial Immobilization: Adsorption of Ochratoxin A in Wine Model Solutions (Box-Behnken Design).

Significant agro-industrial waste is produced during the winemaking process, including grape stalks, which are a rich source of the valuable biopolymer holocellulose that can be utilized for biotechnological processes. The purpose of this study was to delignify grape stalks in order to extract holocellulose. Then Lactobacillus plantarum (LP) was immobilized in the interstitial spaces of holocellulose and then coated with natural polymers (chitosan, Ch; and alginate, Al) to create the Holo-LP/Ch/Al complex.

Characterisation of Strains and Their Prophages That Carry Horse-Specific Leukocidin Genes .

Leukocidins of (.) are bicomponent toxins that form polymeric pores in host leukocyte membranes, leading to cell death and/or triggering apoptosis. Some of these toxin genes are located on prophages and are associated with specific hosts.

Effect of In Vitro Ruminal pH on Zearalenone Degradation and Interaction with Other Mycotoxins in a Static Gastrointestinal Model.

The degradation of zearalenone (ZEN) in the rumen of dairy cows is influenced by rumen pH, which is a key factor affecting this process. The aim of this study was to investigate the variation of ZEN in interaction with other mycotoxins at different ruminal pH environments (physiological (pH 6.5) and acidic (pH 5.

Assessment of Toxins and Pesticides in Organic and Conventional Tomato Products: Insights into Contamination Patterns and Food Safety Implications.

toxins (ATs) are a group of toxins produced by fungi that frequently contaminate tomatoes and tomato products. Recently, the European Food Safety Authority evaluated ATs for their genotoxic and carcinogenic properties. infestation is often controlled using ad hoc treatment strategies (fungicides).

Host-Induced Gene Silencing of the -Methyl Transferase Gene Enhanced Maize Aflatoxin Resistance.

Maize is one of the major crops that are susceptible to infection and subsequent aflatoxin contamination, which poses a serious health threat to humans and domestic animals. Here, an RNA interference (RNAi) approach called Host-Induced Gene Silencing (HIGS) was employed to suppress the -methyl transferase gene (, also called ), a key gene involved in aflatoxin biosynthesis. An RNAi vector carrying part of the gene was introduced into the B104 maize line.

Diversity of Mycotoxins in Stored Paddy Rice: Contamination Patterns in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.

Rice ( L.) is the most important food in Vietnam. However, rice is often lost in post-harvest due to fungal growth and mycotoxins contamination.

The Global Secondary Metabolite Regulator Modulates Virulence, Ochratoxin Biosynthesis, and the Mode of Action of Biopesticides and Essential Oils.

is considered one of the main fungi responsible for black and sour rot in grapes, as well as the production of the carcinogenic mycotoxin ochratoxin A. The global regulatory methyltransferase protein controls the production of various secondary metabolites in species, as well as influences sexual and asexual reproduction and morphology. The goal of this study was to investigate the role of the regulatory gene in physiology, virulence, and ochratoxin A (OTA) production by deleting this gene from the genome of a wild-type strain.

A case report of long-latency evoked diaphragm potentials after exposure to acute intermittent hypoxia in post-West Nile virus meningoencephalitis.

We present a case report of a 42-year-old female with post-West Nile virus meningoencephalitis who exhibited unique, long-latency diaphragm potentials evoked by transcranial and cervical magnetic stimulation after exposure to acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH). The subject was recruited for a study investigating AIH effects on respiratory motor function in healthy individuals. She had contracted West Nile virus infection 5 years before assessment that resulted in hospitalization and persistent allodynia but was not reported to the research team.

Machine learning and confirmatory factor analysis show that buprenorphine alters motor and anxiety-like behaviors in male, female, and obese C57BL/6J mice.

Buprenorphine is an opioid approved for medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorder. Used off-label, buprenorphine has been reported to contribute to the clinical management of anxiety. Although human anxiety is a highly prevalent disorder, anxiety is a latent construct that cannot be directly measured.

A One Health Perspective on Multidrug Resistance Amongst Iberian Exotic Pet Owners.

Understanding owners' realities and perceptions may be crucial to helping veterinarians be more effective in their daily work. Noticing the lack of publications in this area, specifically on exotic pets, prompted us to gather insights into non-traditional companion animal owners. A survey was conducted, resulting in 541 respondents from Portugal and Spain.

In Vitro Evaluation of Ruminal Digestibility, Fermentation Characteristics, and Bacterial Diversity of Kenaf Crop at Various Cutting Heights.

The current study investigated the in vitro degradability, in vitro gas production, methane (CH) production, and ruminal bacterial community of kenaf plants cut at different heights (130, 160, 190, 220, and 250 cm). These samples were subjected to an in vitro batch culture system using buffalo rumen fluid to measure gas and CH production at 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h of incubation. Results reveal that crude protein (CP) concentration was the highest at the 220 cm height compared with the other heights.