A genome-wide association study identified PRKCB as a causal gene and therapeutic target for Mycobacterium avium complex disease.

Non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is a chronic progressive lung disease that is increasing in incidence. Host genetic factors are associated with NTM-PD susceptibility. However, the heritability of NTM-PD is not well understood.

Ultraviolet radiation vs air filtration to mitigate virus laden aerosol in an occupied clinical room.

Mitigation measures against infectious aerosols are desperately needed. We aimed to: 1) compare germicidal ultraviolet radiation (GUV) at 254 nm (254-GUV) and 222 nm (222-GUV) with portable high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to inactivate/remove airborne bacteriophage ϕX174, 2) measure the effect of air mixing on the effectiveness of 254-GUV, and 3) determine the relative susceptibility of ϕX174, SARS-CoV-2, and Influenza A(H3N2) to GUV (254 nm, 222 nm). A nebulizer generated ϕX174 laden aerosols in an occupied clinical room (sealed-low flow).

Nanobody screening and machine learning guided identification of cross-variant anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing heavy-chain only antibodies.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to persist, demonstrating the risks posed by emerging infectious diseases to national security, public health, and the economy. Development of new vaccines and antibodies for emerging viral threats requires substantial resources and time, and traditional development platforms for vaccines and antibodies are often too slow to combat continuously evolving immunological escape variants, reducing their efficacy over time. Previously, we designed a next-generation synthetic humanized nanobody (Nb) phage display library and demonstrated that this library could be used to rapidly identify highly specific and potent neutralizing heavy chain-only antibodies (HCAbs) with prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy in vivo against the original SARS-CoV-2.

Leptospirosis, melioidosis, and rickettsioses in the vicious circle of neglect.

The global priorities in the field of infectious diseases are constantly changing. While emerging viral infections have regularly dominated public health attention, which has only intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous bacterial diseases have previously caused, and continue to cause, significant morbidity and mortality-deserving equal attention. Three potentially life-threatening endemic bacterial diseases (leptospirosis, melioidosis, and rickettsioses) are a huge public health concern especially in low- and middle-income countries.

LD-transpeptidase-mediated cell envelope remodeling enables developmental transitions and survival in and .

and are two phylogenetically related bacterial pathogens that exhibit extreme intrinsic resistance when they enter into a dormancy-like state. This enables both pathogens to survive extended periods in growth-limited environments. Survival is dependent upon their ability to undergo developmental transitions into two phenotypically distinct variants, one specialized for intracellular replication and another for prolonged survival in the environment and host.

Bacteriological quality and predictors of raw meat collected from municipal slaughterhouse and butcher shops in northeast, Ethiopia.

Background: Meat is a good source of protein in the human diet, and more than three-quarters of the world's population consumes it. It is the most perishable food item since it has enough nutrients to enable microbial growth. In underdeveloped nations, animals are routinely slaughtered and sold in unsanitary conditions, compromising the bacteriological quality and safety of the meat received from the animals.

Virulence and pathogenicity of group B : Virulence factors and their roles in perinatal infection.

This review summarizes key virulence factors associated with group B (GBS), a significant pathogen particularly affecting pregnant women, fetuses, and infants. Beginning with an introduction to the historical transition of GBS from a zoonotic pathogen to a prominent cause of human infections, particularly in the perinatal period, the review describes major disease manifestations caused by GBS, including sepsis, meningitis, chorioamnionitis, pneumonia, and others, linking each to specific virulence mechanisms. A detailed exploration of the genetic basis for GBS pathogenicity follows, emphasizing the roles of capsules in pathogenesis and immune evasion.

Impact of fluconazole on outcomes of patients with primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis: a commercial health insurance claims-based, propensity score matched analysis.

Background: Patients with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis often experience prolonged symptoms lasting weeks to months. Limited data exist regarding whether fluconazole prevents development of disseminated disease or shortens symptom duration. We describe factors associated with fluconazole receipt and assess its effect on outcomes among patients with pulmonary coccidioidomycosis.

Genomics yields biological and phenotypic insights into bipolar disorder.

Bipolar disorder is a leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Despite high heritability (60-80%), the majority of the underlying genetic determinants remain unknown. We analysed data from participants of European, East Asian, African American and Latino ancestries (n = 158,036 cases with bipolar disorder, 2.

Regional and institutional trends in assessment for academic promotion.

The assessment of research performance is widely seen as a vital tool in upholding the highest standards of quality, with selection and competition believed to drive progress. Academic institutions need to take critical decisions on hiring and promotion, while facing external pressure by also being subject to research assessment. Here we present an outlook on research assessment for career progression with specific focus on promotion to full professorship, based on 314 policies from 190 academic institutions and 218 policies from 58 government agencies, covering 32 countries in the Global North and 89 countries in the Global South.

RELMβ sets the threshold for microbiome-dependent oral tolerance.

Tolerance to dietary antigens is critical for avoiding deleterious type 2 immune responses resulting in food allergy (FA) and anaphylaxis. However, the mechanisms resulting in both the maintenance and failure of tolerance to food antigens are poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that the goblet-cell-derived resistin-like molecule β (RELMβ) is a critical regulator of oral tolerance.

Unraveling the distinctive gut microbiome of khulans (Equus hemionus hemionus) in comparison to their drinking water and closely related equids.

The microbial composition of host-associated microbiomes is influenced by co-evolutionary interactions, host genetics, domestication, and the environment. This study investigates the contribution of environmental microbiota from freshwater bodies to the gastrointestinal microbiomes of wild khulans (Equus hemionus hemionus, n = 21) and compares them with those of captive khulans (n = 12) and other equids-Przewalski's horse (n = 82) and domestic horse (n = 26). Using PacBio technology and the LotuS pipeline for 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we analyze microbial diversity and conduct differential abundance, alpha, and beta diversity analyses.

Phage therapy could be key to conquering persistent bacterial lung infections in children.

Persistent bacterial lung infections in children lead to significant morbidity and mortality due to antibiotic resistance. In this paper, we describe how phage therapy has shown remarkable efficacy in preclinical and clinical studies, demonstrating significant therapeutic benefits through various administration routes. Ongoing trials are evaluating its safety and effectiveness against different pathogens.

Endocrine and molecular regulation of seasonal avian immune function.

Birds have evolved seasonal adaptations in multiple aspects of the innate and adaptive immune systems. Seasonal immunological adaptations are crucial for survival in harsh environmental conditions and in response to increased prevalence of acute and chronic diseases. Similar to other vertebrates, birds exhibit remarkable plasticity in cytokine production, chemotaxis, phagocytosis and inflammation across the year.

Circadian gating: concepts, processes, and opportunities.

Circadian clocks provide a biological measure of time that coordinates metabolism, physiology and behaviour with 24 h cycles in the environment. Circadian systems have a variety of characteristic properties, such as entrainment to environmental cues, a self-sustaining rhythm of about 24 h and temperature compensation of the circadian rhythm. In this perspective, we discuss the process of circadian gating, which refers to the restriction of a biological event to particular times of day by the circadian clock.

Late-Onset Sepsis Among Extremely Preterm Infants During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: To compare incidence of late-onset sepsis (LOS) among extremely preterm infants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Multicenter cohort study of infants with birthweight 401 to 1000 g or gestational age 22 to 28 weeks. LOS was defined as a bacterial or fungal pathogen isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid culture obtained after 72 hours of age.

The microglial response to inhibition of Colony-stimulating-factor-1 receptor by PLX3397 differs by sex in adult mice.

Microglia, the resident macrophages of the brain, are derived from the yolk sac and colonize the brain before the blood-brain barrier forms. Once established, they expand locally and require Colony-stimulating-factor-1 receptor (CSF1R) signaling for their development and maintenance. CSF1R inhibitors have been used extensively to deplete microglia in the healthy and diseased brain.

Impact of high body mass index on hepatocellular carcinoma risk in chronic liver disease: A population-based prospective cohort study.

Background And Aims: We investigated associations between body mass index (BMI) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with hepatitis B (HBV) C (HCV) virus infection, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and liver cirrhosis (LC).

Methods: We followed 350,608 Korean patients with liver disease who underwent routine health examinations from 2003-2006 until December 2018 via national hospital discharge records. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) per 5-kg/m2 BMI increase (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) for HCC risk were calculated using Cox models.

High diversity of fungal ecological groups from ice-free pristine and disturbed areas in the Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, Antarctica.

Ice-free areas are habitats for most of Antarctica's terrestrial biodiversity. Although fungal communities are an important element of these habitats, knowledge of their assemblages and ecological functions is still limited. Herein, we investigated the diversity, composition, and ecological functionality of fungal communities inhabiting sediments from ice-free areas across pristine and anthropogenically impacted sites in the Fildes Peninsula on King George Island, Antarctica.

Evaluation of the effect of 2-borneol on the model through oxidative stress and acute toxicity tests.

Borneol, a compound found in resin-rich plants, is known for its aromatic and therapeutic properties. Widely used in countries, such as China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, borneol has also demonstrated efficacy in nanodrug administration. The primary objective of this study is to understand how borneol induces oxidative stress, its impact on the attraction and repulsion of , and its acute toxicity.

Genome sequence of WestPM, a phage infecting isolated from beach environmental samples.

Bacteriophage WestPM is a siphoviral-like phage infecting isolated from environmental samples collected on Pensacola Beach, FL. The genome of this phage is 39,693 bp long and contains 59 predicted protein-coding genes and zero tRNA genes. Based on gene content similarity, WestPM is grouped in the actinobacteriophage EA11 subcluster.

Geographic origin and evolution of dengue virus serotypes 1 and 3 circulating in Africa.

Despite the increasing burden of dengue in Kenya and Africa, the introduction and expansion of the virus in the region remain poorly understood. The objective of this study is to examine the genetic diversity and evolutionary histories of dengue virus (DENV) serotypes 1 and 3 in Kenya and contextualize their circulation within circulation dynamics in the broader African region. Viral RNA was extracted from samples collected from a cohort of febrile patients recruited at clinical sites in Kenya from 2013 to 2022.