A Scoping Review of the Current Knowledge of the Social Determinants of Health and Infectious Diseases (Specifically COVID-19, Tuberculosis, and H1N1 Influenza) in Canadian Arctic Indigenous Communities.

Social determinants of health (SDHs) and the impact of colonization can make Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities susceptible to infectious diseases, including the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This scoping review followed the PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews and studied what is known about selected pandemics (COVID-19, tuberculosis, and H1N1 influenza) and SDHs (healthcare accessibility, food insecurity, mental health, cultural continuity, housing, community infrastructure, and socioeconomic status (SES)) for Canadian Arctic Indigenous communities. Original studies published in English and French up to October 2024 were located in databases (PubMed, Medline, and CINAHL), , and through reference tracking.

Fecal microbiota transplantation: transitioning from chaos and controversial realm to scientific precision era.

With the popularization of modern lifestyles, the spectrum of intestinal diseases has become increasingly diverse, presenting significant challenges in its management. Traditional pharmaceutical interventions have struggled to keep pace with these changes, leaving many patients refractory to conventional pharmaceutical treatments. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach for enterogenic diseases.

First morphological and molecular characterisation of Spirometra mansoni (Cestoda, Diphyllobothriidae) in a domestic cat from Veracruz, Mexico.

Cestodes of the genus Spirometra are multi-host parasites that are the causative agents of spirometrosis in domestic and wild carnivores and sparganosis in humans, endemic diseases in tropical and subtropical regions. In domestic animals, the infection is usually asymptomatic or produces gastrointestinal signs such as vomiting and chronic diarrhoea. In humans, an incidental parasitosis develops where the plerocercoid can lodge in tissues and cause a variety of symptoms, including neuropathies, blindness, paralysis, and death.

Detection of selected vector-borne pathogens in domestic animals, ectoparasites, and their owners in a rural community in Southwest Guatemala.

Vector-borne pathogens, which are transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods to animals and people, are common in tropical regions where, combined with economic factors, can cause significant public health burden. A community-level study was undertaken in southwestern Guatemala to assess the presence of vector-borne pathogens in blood samples from humans (n = 98), their animals (n = 90), and ectoparasites (n = 83) over a period of 2 weeks. Human capillary blood was collected from participant's index finger, and animal venous blood (chickens, pigs, dogs, and cats) was collected from the jugular or cephalic veins at the enrollment period of a concurrent study.

Chronic intestinal spirochaetosis and Giardia lamblia infection mimicking eosinophilic enterocolitis.

Human intestinal spirochaetosis is caused by the colonisation of the luminal membrane of the colon and rectum by anaerobic spirochaetes belonging to the genus Brachyspira. The common method used for its diagnosis is routine haematoxylin and eosin staining of colonic and rectal biopsy samples. The clinical spectrum of human intestinal spirochaetosis is heterogeneous, ranging from asymptomatic colonisation to symptoms such as chronic mucosal diarrhoea, rectal bleeding, and abdominal pain.

Structure-guided discovery of viral proteins that inhibit host immunity.

Viruses encode proteins that inhibit host defenses, but sifting through the millions of available viral sequences for immune-modulatory proteins has been so far impractical. Here, we develop a process to systematically screen virus-encoded proteins for inhibitors that physically bind host immune proteins. Focusing on Thoeris and CBASS, bacterial defense systems that are the ancestors of eukaryotic Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) and cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) immunity, we discover seven families of Thoeris and CBASS inhibitors, encompassing thousands of genes widespread in phages.

Regulation of anaplerotic enzymes by melatonin enhances resilience to cadmium toxicity in Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek.

Melatonin (Mel) is a tryptophan-derived (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) molecule. In the present study, role of Mel in the regulation of various anaplerotic enzymes is discussed in relation to N metabolism and H-ATPase activity in mung bean under Cd stress. The application of Mel to the Cd-stressed mung bean seedlings was remarkable in improving the activity of hexokinase (35.

Validation of a Questionnaire Assessing Pregnant Women's Perspectives on Addressing the Psychological Challenges of Childbirth.

Introduction: Pregnant women's experiences and concerns regarding childbirth are complex, necessitating a multidimensional and personalized approach in maternal care. This study explores the psychological and emotional factors influencing pregnant women's decisions regarding their mode of delivery. The results will provide valuable insights for the development of educational and counseling strategies designed to support pregnant women in making informed and conscious decisions about their childbirth.

ESAT-6 protein suppresses allograft rejection by inducing CD4Foxp3 regulatory T cells through IκBα/cRel pathway.

Background: Maintenance immunosuppression is required for suppression of alloimmunity or allograft rejection. However, continuous use of immunosuppressants may lead to various side effects, necessitating the use of alternative immunosuppressive drugs. The early secreted antigenic target of 6 kDa (ESAT-6) is a virulence factor and immunoregulatory protein of mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), which alters host immunity through dually regulating development or activation of various immune cells.

Comparison of immune responses to respiratory syncytial virus in infancy, childhood, and adulthood using an in vitro model of human respiratory infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in infants. We developed an in vitro model of human respiratory infection to study cellular immune responses to RSV in infants, children, and adults. The model includes human lung epithelial A549 cells or human fetal lung fibroblasts infected with a clinical strain of RSV at a multiplicity of infection of 0.

No microorganism was detected in amniotic fluid of healthy pregnancies from the second trimester to the delivery.

Background: The early colonization and establishment of the microbiome in newborns is a crucial step in the development of the immune system and host metabolism. However, the exact timing of initial microbial colonization remains a subject of ongoing debate. While numerous studies have attempted to determine the presence or absence of intrauterine bacteria, the majority of them have drawn conclusions based on sequencing data from maternal or infant samples taken at a single time point.

In vitro long-term exposure to chlorhexidine or triclosan induces cross-resistance against azoles in Nakaseomyces glabratus.

Background: Topical antiseptics are crucial for preventing infections and reducing transmission of pathogens. However, commonly used antiseptic agents have been reported to cause cross-resistance to other antimicrobials in bacteria, which has not yet been described in yeasts. This study aims to assess the in vitro efficacy of antiseptics against clinical and reference isolates of Candida albicans and Nakaseomyces glabratus, and whether prolonged exposure to antiseptics promotes the development of antifungal (cross)resistance.

Histopathology of the tongue in a hamster model of COVID-19.

Objective: With altered sense of taste being a common symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the main objective was to investigate the presence and distribution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) within the tongue over the course of infection.

Methods: Golden Syrian hamsters were inoculated intranasally with SARS-CoV-2 and tongues were collected at 2, 3, 5, 8, 17, 21, 35, and 42 days post-infection (dpi) for analysis. In order to test for gross changes in the tongue, the papillae of the tongue were counted.

Distinct pro-inflammatory/pro-angiogenetic signatures distinguish children with Long COVID from controls.

Background: Recent proteomic studies have documented that Long COVID in adults is characterized by a pro-inflammatory signature with thromboinflammation. However, if similar events happen also in children with Long COVID has never been investigated.

Methods: We performed an extensive protein analysis of blood plasma from pediatric patients younger than 19 years of age Long COVID and a control group of children with acute COVID-19, MIS-C, and healthy controls resulted similar for sex distribution and age.

The influence of depth on the global deep-sea plasmidome.

Plasmids play a crucial role in facilitating genetic exchange and enhancing the adaptability of microbial communities. Despite their importance, environmental plasmids remain understudied, particularly those in fragile and underexplored ecosystems such as the deep-sea. In this paper we implemented a bioinformatics pipeline to study the composition, diversity, and functional attributes of plasmid communities (plasmidome) in 81 deep-sea metagenomes from the Tara and Malaspina expeditions, sampled from the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans at depths ranging from 270 to 4005 m.

Microbiome analysis in individuals with human papillomavirus oral infection.

Microbiome gained attention as a cofactor in cancers originating from epithelial tissues. High-risk (hr)HPV infection causes oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma but only in a fraction of hrHPV+ individuals, suggesting that other factors play a role in cancer development. We investigated oral microbiome in cancer-free subjects harboring hrHPV oral infection (n = 33) and matched HPV- controls (n = 30).

Short, extended and continuous infusion of β-lactams: predicted impact on target attainment and risk for toxicity in an ICU patient cohort.

Objectives: This study aimed to predict the impact of different infusion strategies on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) target attainment and the potential risk for toxicity in an ICU cohort treated with β-lactams.

Method: Using collected patient data from 137 adult ICU patients, and applying population PK models, individual PK parameters were estimated and used to predict concentrations and target attainment following cefotaxime 2 g q8h, piperacillin/tazobactam 4.5 g q6h and meropenem 1 g q8h, applying 15 min short infusions (SI), 3 h extended infusions (EI) and 24 h continuous infusion (CI).

Inhibition of vascular smooth muscle cell PERK/ATF4 ER stress signaling protects against abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) are a life-threatening cardiovascular disease for which there is a lack of effective therapy preventing aortic rupture. During AAA formation, pathological vascular remodeling is driven by vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) dysfunction and apoptosis, for which the mechanisms regulating loss of VSMCs within the aortic wall remain poorly defined. Using single-cell RNA-Seq of human AAA tissues, we identified increased activation of the endoplasmic reticulum stress response pathway, PERK/eIF2α/ATF4, in aortic VSMCs resulting in upregulation of an apoptotic cellular response.

Exosomes derived from syncytia induced by SARS-2-S promote the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by fever, fatigue, dry cough, dyspnea, mild pneumonia and acute lung injury (ALI), which can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and SARS-CoV-2 can accelerate tumor progression. However, the molecular mechanism for the increased mortality in cancer patients infected with COVID-19 is unclear.

Methods: Colony formation and wound healing assays were performed on Huh-7 cells cocultured with syncytia.

Navigating Regulatory Frameworks and Compliances for Bacteriophages as Therapeutic Agents.

The emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance in recurrent bacterial infections has led to exploring alternative therapeutic options, including using bacteria lysing viruses [bacteriophages] to control recalcitrant infections. Bacteriophages [Phage] and their end products such as enzymes, virus-like particles, and vectors are being used for varied applications such as basic and applied research for the field of phage therapeutics. Phage-based products and services such as viral vectors for gene therapy/vaccines, imaging agents, diagnostics as well as drug delivery agents form a wide range of useful innovative therapeutics that are under development.

Unconventional use of injectable long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine against HIV-1 in PWH in clinical need: 52 weeks real-world data.

Background: Long-acting Cabotegravir and Rilpivirine (LA CAB + RPV) shows potential advantages in heavily comorbid and even in viremic people with HIV (PWH). We assessed LA CAB + RPV durability in a cohort of PWH with a high comorbidity burden and adherence issues.

Methods: Retrospective observational study in two Italian outpatient settings enrolling PWH who switched to LA CAB + RPV from February 2021 to January 2024 in presence of exclusion criteria enlisted in registrational trials or with other worrisome clinical risks.

Genetic mutations in Cryptococcus neoformans pyrimidine salvage pathway enzymes contribute to reduced susceptibility against 5-fluorocytosine.

Cryptococcal meningitis is a high-mortality infection. Adding 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to its treatment improves outcomes, but resistance to 5-FC presents a significant challenge. We conducted whole-genome sequencing on seven C.

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.