Mechanistic insights into the orthogonal functionality of an AHL-mediated quorum-sensing circuit in .

YpsR, a pivotal regulatory protein in the quorum-sensing (QS) of (), is essential for molecular signaling, yet its molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Herein, this study systematically investigates the interactions between YpsR and acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs), shedding light on the selective mechanism of YpsR to various AHL molecules. Using molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) analysis, we confirmed YpsR's binding affinities, with the strongest observed for 3OC6-HSL, which notably inhibited growth.

A quantitative analysis of biosafety and biosecurity using attack trees in low-to-moderate risk scenarios: Evidence from iGEM.

As synthetic biology is extensively applied in numerous frontier disciplines, the biosafety and biosecurity concerns with designing and constructing novel biological parts, devices, and systems have inevitably come to the forefront due to potential misuse, abuse, and environmental risks from unintended exposure or potential ecological impacts. The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition often serves as the inception of many synthetic biologists' research careers and plays a pivotal role in the secure progression of the entire synthetic biology field. Even with iGEM's emphasis on biosafety and biosecurity, continuous risk assessment is crucial due to the potential for unforeseen consequences and the relative inexperience of many participants.

Seasonal drought drives sugarcane borer outbreaks.

Sugarcane borers (SCB) pose a major threat to sugarcane production. Effective pest management requires detailed knowledge of SCB phenology and population dynamics in responses to environmental changes. This study tested the hypothesis that drought drives SCB outbreaks and identified season-specific effects by investigating large-scale field data of these pests in 4 key sugarcane-growing provinces in south subtropical and tropical China (Guangxi, Guangdong, Yunnan, and Hainan) from 1987 to 2018.

Economic assessment of animal disease burden in Senegalese small ruminants.

Small ruminant production in sub-Saharan Africa is limited by a range of constraints, including animal health issues. This study aimed at estimating the impact of these issues on the small ruminant production in Senegal in a holistic manner, using an approach developed by the Global Burden of Animal Diseases (GBADs) programme. The estimation focused on the mixed crop-livestock system, representing a large proportion (>60 %) of the small ruminant population in the country.

Fibroblast growth factor 10 alleviates LPS-induced acute lung injury by promoting recruited macrophage M2 polarization.

Acute lung injury (ALI) is characterized by damage to the alveoli and an overabundance of inflammation. Representing a serious inflammatory condition, ALI lacks a precise treatment approach. Despite the recognized benefit impacts of Fibroblast growth factor-10 (FGF10) on ALI, the underlying mechanisms remain unelucidated.

Report from the World Health Organization's immunization and vaccines-related implementation research advisory committee (IVIR-AC) meeting, virtual gathering, 10-13 September 2024.

The Immunization and Vaccines-related Implementation Research Advisory Committee (IVIR-AC) is the primary advisory body of the World Health Organization conducting independent reviews of immunization-related implementation research, with a primary focus on transmission and economic modeling analyses that estimate the value and impact of vaccines. From 10 to 13th September 2024, IVIR-AC convened virtually for its second of two semi-annual meetings to provide feedback and recommendations across six sessions including: pneumococcal vaccination strategies that rely on indirect protection; vaccine impact modeling for chikungunya; The Lancet Commission on strengthening the use of epidemiological modeling of emerging and pandemic infectious diseases; methods for immunization coverage estimation; setting immunization research priorities in the South-East Asian Region; and modeling evidence related to typhoid conjugate vaccine schedules. This report summarizes the sessions, proceedings, and recommendations from that meeting.

Risk factors for antimicrobial usage and diseases in Dutch veal calf farms: A cross-sectional study.

Antimicrobial use (AMU) is the main driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). In the Netherlands, the veal calf sector was among the largest consumers of antimicrobials in Defined Daily Doses Animal (DDDA) for the year of 2022. As preventive use in Dutch livestock farms is forbidden since 2011, most AMU is due to the herd health status which is affected by the farm environment in which the conditions for diseases to spread are created.

Accuracy of International Guidelines in Identifying Normal Liver Histology in Chinese Patients With HBeAg-Positive Chronic HBV Infection.

We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of various international guideline criteria for identifying HBeAg-positive chronic HBV infection patients with no significant liver disease. A total of 1108 HBeAg-positive CHB patients were retrospectively enrolled. The guidelines assessed included those from the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 2017, the American Association for the Study of the Liver Disease (AASLD) 2018, the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) 2015 and the Chinese Society of Hepatology (CSH) 2022.

Identification and mapping of objects targeted for surveillance and their role as risk factors for brucellosis in livestock farms in Kazakhstan.

Objects for Targeted Surveillance (OTS) are infrastructure entities that can be considered as focal points and conduits for transmitting infectious animal diseases, necessitating ongoing epidemiological surveillance. These entities encompass slaughterhouses, meat processing plants, animal markets, burial sites, veterinary laboratories, etc. Currently, in Kazakhstan, a funded research project is underway to establish a Geographic Information System (GIS) database of OTSs and investigate their role in the emergence and dissemination of infectious livestock diseases.

Global landscape of COVID-19 vaccination programmes for older adults: a descriptive study.

Background: To minimise severe cases and deaths from COVID-19 among high-risk populations such as older adults (aged 60 years and older), it is crucial to monitor and update vaccination strategies. In this study, we aim to provide a global profile of the current COVID-19 vaccination programmes for older adults, including vaccination policies, coverage rates, and vaccine demand.

Methods: We used publicly available data on the COVID-19 vaccines used, vaccination schedules, indicated age groups, and age-specific country-level vaccine coverage, updated through to July 20, 2024.

Zinc Oxide-Enhanced Copper Sulfide Nanozymes Promote the Healing of Infected Wounds by Activating Immune and Inflammatory Responses.

Bacterial infection and an excessive inflammatory response are two major factors that affect the healing of infected wounds. The zinc oxide/copper sulfide (ZnO-CuS) microspheres (MSs) developed in this work can kill bacteria and resist inflammation. ZnO-CuS exhibits different enzyme-like activities depending on pH.

The interplay of age, gender and amyloid on brain and cognition in mid-life and older adults.

Deficits in memory are seen as a canonical sign of aging and a prodrome to dementia in older adults. However, our understanding of age-related cognition and brain morphology occurring throughout a broader spectrum of adulthood remains limited. We quantified the relationship between cognitive function and brain morphology (sulcal width, SW) using three cross-sectional observational datasets (PISA, AIBL, ADNI) from mid-life to older adulthood, assessing the influence of age, sex, amyloid (Aβ) and genetic risk for dementia.

Changes in Epidemics of Respiratory Viral Infections Resulted From the COVID-19 Pandemic in Shanghai.

To investigate the changing patterns of respiratory viral infections within the context of COVID-19 pandemic. The etiological surveillance data of eight respiratory viral pathogens among patients with ARIs in Shanghai between 2013 and 2023 were analyzed to evaluate the dynamic patterns of respiratory viral infections in Shanghai compared to global other regions during pre-pandemic (period 1), pandemic (period 2), and post-pandemic (period 3) periods of COVID-19. In Shanghai and various other global regions, there was a delay of 2‒4 months in the peak positive rate of IFV and a reverse seasonality for RSV, HMPV, and HBoV was observed following the relaxation of NPIs.

Catching invasives with curiosity: the importance of passive biosecurity surveillance systems for invasive forest pest detection.

First detections of nonnative insect species are often made by curious members of the public rather than by specialists or trained professionals. Passive surveillance is a crucial component of national biosecurity surveillance, highlighted by early detection case studies of several prominent nonnative arthropod pests (e.g.

SntB triggers the antioxidant pathways to regulate development and aflatoxin biosynthesis in .

The epigenetic reader SntB was identified as an important transcriptional regulator of growth, development, and secondary metabolite synthesis in . However, the underlying molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this study, by gene deletion and complementation, we found SntB is essential for mycelia growth, conidial production, sclerotia formation, aflatoxin synthesis, and host colonization.

Alveolar epithelial cells shape lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses and reprogramming of alveolar macrophages.

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are sentinels in the airways, where they sense and respond to invading microbes and other stimuli. Unlike macrophages in other locations, AMs can remain responsive to Gram-negative lipopolysaccharides (LPS) after they have responded to LPS in vivo (they do not develop "endotoxin tolerance"), suggesting that the alveolar microenvironment may influence their responses. Although alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) normally limit AMs' innate responses, preventing inflammation induced by harmless antigens in the lung, how AECs influence the innate responses of AMs to infectious agents has been uncertain.

Microbes and pathogens associated with shrimps - implications and review of possible control strategies.

Shrimp aquaculture has been growing rapidly over the last three decades. However, high-density aquaculture together with environmental degradation has led to increased incidence of shrimp infections. Thus, devising and implementing effective strategies to predict, diagnose and control the spread of infections of shrimps are crucial, also to ensure biosecurity and sustainability of the food industry.

Assessment of public health laboratory preparedness and response in WHO South-East Asia region during the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned and future directions.

This Health Policy reviews the preparedness and response of public health laboratories in the WHO South-East Asia Region (SEAR) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a scoping review and in-depth interviews with key stakeholders, the study identifies successes, challenges, and lessons learned from available literature and the perspective of senior laboratory leaders. Key themes include human resources, health information systems, diagnostic capacity, public risk communication, biosafety, biosecurity, funding, and laboratory network coordination.

Criteria air pollutants and HIV-related mortality: Insights from a nationwide case-crossover investigation.

The heightened vulnerability of individuals with HIV to environmental stressors is well-recognized, yet the role of air pollution in exacerbating HIV-related mortality remains underexplored. In this nationwide, individual-level case-crossover study conducted from 2013 to 2019, we investigated the association between short-term exposure to criteria air pollutants and HIV-related mortality. Our analysis of 38,510 HIV-related deaths revealed significant associations between exposure to PM, PM, NO, and CO and increased mortality risk.