A meta-analysis of epigenome-wide association studies of ultra-processed food consumption with DNA methylation in European children.

Background/objective: There is limited knowledge on how diet affects the epigenome of children. Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is emerging as an important factor impacting health, but mechanisms need to be uncovered. We therefore aimed to assess the association between UPF consumption and DNA methylation in children.

SEROCONVERSION CAN PRECEDE CULTURE CONFIRMED DIAGNOSIS OF INFECTION IN ASIAN ELEPHANTS () BY DECADES.

() infection was diagnosed in 16 human-managed Asian elephants () at four different US facilities. A retrospective review was performed to collate information on serological test results and describe the timelines from exposure to an elephant known to be positive for , detection of antimycobacterial antibodies in the exposed elephant, and isolation from the exposed elephant to confirm diagnosis. Seroconversion was defined by a positive test result using ElephantTB STAT-PAK, multiantigen print immunoassay, or DPP VetTB assay for elephants (Chembio Diagnostic Systems, Inc).

In Children, -Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor Antibody Encephalitis Incidence Exceeds That of Japanese Encephalitis in Vietnam.

Background: The recognition of autoimmune causes of encephalitis has led to epidemiological shifts in the worldwide characteristics of encephalitis. -methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibody encephalitis leads to well-established complex neuropsychiatric manifestations. In low- and middle-income countries, including Vietnam, its relative incidence, especially in children, is unknown and most neurologists currently consider infectious encephalitis prior to autoimmune etiologies.

Elevated mutation rates in multi-azole resistant Aspergillus fumigatus drive rapid evolution of antifungal resistance.

The environmental use of azole fungicides has led to selective sweeps across multiple loci in the Aspergillus fumigatus genome causing the rapid global expansion of a genetically distinct cluster of resistant genotypes. Isolates within this cluster are also more likely to be resistant to agricultural antifungals with unrelated modes of action. Here we show that this cluster is not only multi-azole resistant but has increased propensity to develop resistance to next generation antifungals because of variants in the DNA mismatch repair system.

Protocol to phenotype and quantify mycobacteria-specific myeloid cells from human airways by mass cytometry.

Alveolar macrophages and other myeloid cells in the human airways are the primary cell types responding to respiratory pathogens. Here, we present a protocol for in vitro stimulation of cryopreserved human bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells with mycobacterial antigens for phenotyping and quantifying proinflammatory cytokine responses in myeloid cells by mass cytometry. We demonstrate that the measure of markers of myeloid lineage and function is stable after freezing stained cells thereby allowing for batched analyses and/or machine downtime.

Exogenous binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP) enhance immune regulatory phenotype in ex-vivo Mtb infected PBMCs stratified based on QuantiFERON response.

Even though anti-tuberculosis (TB) treatment is readily available, Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection continues to be a global threat with a high death rate recorded from a single infectious agent. This highlights the significance of developing new strategies to curb the growing Mtb infection cases. Host-directed therapies (HDT) offer a promising approach that includes both drug discovery and drug repurposing, aimed at identifying host targets and promoting immune cell populations that can lead to better infection outcomes.

Analysis of type 2 diabetes mellitus-related genes by constructing the pathway-based weighted network.

Complex network is an effective approach to studying complex diseases, and provides another perspective for understanding their pathological mechanisms by illustrating the interactions between various factors of diseases. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex polygenic metabolic disease involving genetic and environmental factors. By combining the complex network approach with biological data, this study constructs a pathway-based weighted network model of T2DM-related genes to explore the interrelationships between genes, here a weight is assigned to each edge in terms of the number of the same pathways in which the two nodes (genes) connected to the edge are involved.

Nurses' Perspectives on the Use of Prophylactic Dressings to Prevent Pressure Injury: A Qualitative Study.

Aim: To understand, from a nursing perspective, factors affecting the use of prophylactic dressings to prevent pressure injuries in acute hospitalised adults.

Background: Pressure injury causes harm to patients and incurs significant costs to health services. Significant emphasis is placed on their prevention.

stilPCR increases the effective sequencing length of Illumina targeted next-generation sequencing.

Identifying pathogens, resistance-conferring mutations, and strain types through targeted amplicon sequencing is an important tool. However, due to the limitations of short read sequencing, many applications require the division of limited clinical samples. Here, we present stilPCR (single-tube Illumina long read PCR), which allows the generation of hemi-nested amplicons in a single tube, with Illumina indexes and adapters, effectively increasing the Illumina read length without increasing the input requirements of reagents or sample.

Impact of short-term aircraft noise on cardiovascular disease risk in the area surrounding London Heathrow airport: the RISTANCO epidemiological study.

Background: Long-term exposure to aircraft noise has been associated with small increases in cardiovascular disease risk, but there are almost no short-term exposure studies.

Objectives: Research questions were: Is there an association between short-term changes in exposure to aircraft noise and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality? What are the key effect modifiers? Is there variability in risk estimates between areas with consistent versus changing patterns of noise exposure? Do risk estimates differ when using different noise metrics?

Design: Descriptive analyses of noise levels and variability at different times of day, analyses of inequalities in noise exposure and case-crossover analyses of cardiovascular events in relation to aircraft noise exposure.

Setting: Area surrounding London Heathrow airport.

β-1,6-Glucan plays a central role in the structure and remodeling of the bilaminate fungal cell wall.

The cell wall of human fungal pathogens plays critical roles as an architectural scaffold and as a target and modulator of the host immune response. Although the cell wall of the pathogenic yeast is intensively studied, one of the major fibrillar components in its cell wall, β-1,6-glucan, has been largely neglected. Here, we show that β-1,6-glucan is essential for bilayered cell wall organization, cell wall integrity, and filamentous growth.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms are associated with strain-specific virulence differences among clinical isolates of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Studies across various pathogens highlight the importance of pathogen genetic differences in disease manifestation. In the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, sequence type (ST) associates with patient outcome. We performed a meta-analysis of four genomic studies and identified overlapping gene regions associated with virulence, suggesting the importance of these gene regions in cryptococcal disease in diverse clinical isolates.

How mathematical modelling can inform outbreak response vaccination.

Mathematical models are established tools to assist in outbreak response. They help characterise complex patterns in disease spread, simulate control options to assist public health authorities in decision-making, and longer-term operational and financial planning. In the context of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), vaccines are one of the most-cost effective outbreak response interventions, with the potential to avert significant morbidity and mortality through timely delivery.

The Effects of COVID-19 on Antifungal Prescribing in the UK-Lessons to Learn.

Fungal infections are increasingly prevalent; however, antifungal stewardship attracts little funding or attention. Previous studies have shown that knowledge of guidelines and scientific evidence regarding antifungals is poor, leading to prescribing based on personal experiences and the inherent biases this entails. We carried out a retrospective study of inpatient antifungal usage at two major hospitals.

Patients' Ability to Self-Manage Their Surgical Wound to Prevent Wound Complications: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Aims: To provide insights into postdischarge patients' experiences and preferences regarding surgical wound care education at discharge in the Netherlands.

Background: Patient involvement in wound care practices postdischarge is beneficial for the prevention of surgical site infections and has become an essential component in reducing the burden on healthcare systems. Surgical wound care discharge education is crucial to achieve this.

Aspergillus-mediated allergic airway inflammation is triggered by dendritic cell recognition of a defined spore morphotype.

Background: Exposure to fungi, especially Aspergillus fumigatus, can elicit potent allergic inflammation that triggers and worsens asthmatic disease. Dendritic cells (DCs) initiate allergic inflammatory responses to allergic stimuli. However, it is unclear if Af spores during isotropic growth (early spore swelling) can activate DCs to initiate allergic responses or if germination is required.

Card9 and MyD88 differentially regulate Th17 immunity to the commensal yeast Malassezia in the murine skin.

The fungal community of the skin microbiome is dominated by a single genus, Malassezia. Besides its symbiotic lifestyle at the host interface, this commensal yeast has also been associated with diverse inflammatory skin diseases in humans and pet animals. Stable colonization is maintained by antifungal type 17 immunity.

Risk factors for surgical site infections following hepatobiliary surgery: An umbrella review and meta-analyses.

Background: In the hepatobiliary (HPB) surgical cohort, surgical site infections (SSI) can extend hospital stays, result in higher morbidity, and poor patient outcomes. This umbrella review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesise the evidence for the association between clinical and patient risk factors and SSI in patients following HPB surgery.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and Scopus from January 2000 to April 2023 to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses where patient and/or clinical factors of SSIs following HPB surgery were reported.

Clinicians' and Patients' Experiences and Perceptions on the Prevention and Management of Surgical Site Infections: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Review.

Aim: To explore clinicians' and patients' perceptions of implementing evidence-based practice to improve clinical practice for preventing and managing surgical site infections within hospital acute care settings.

Design: A convergent integrated mixed-methods systematic review using the Joanna Briggs Institute approach.

Methods: Included studies reported (i) acute care hospital clinicians' and patients' experiences and preferences for preventing and managing surgical site infections and (ii) barriers and facilitators to implementing surgical site infection prevention and management guidelines.

USING SPUTUM AND TONGUE SWAB SPECIMENS FOR IN-HOME POINT-OF-CARE TARGETED UNIVERSAL TESTING FOR TB OF HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS: AN ACCEPTABILITY AND FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS.

Introduction: Effective strategies are needed to facilitate early detection and diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). The overreliance on passive case detection, symptom screening, and collection of sputum, results in delayed or undiagnosed TB, which directly contributes to on-going TB transmission. We assessed the acceptability and feasibility of in-home, Targeted Universal TB Testing (TUTT) of household contacts using GeneXpert MTB/RIF Ultra at point-of-care (POC) during household contact investigations (HCIs) and compared the feasibility of using sputum vs.