Immune correlates of protection as a game changer in tuberculosis vaccine development.

The absence of validated correlates of protection (CoPs) hampers the rational design and clinical development of new tuberculosis vaccines. In this review, we provide an overview of the potential CoPs in tuberculosis vaccine research. Major hindrances and potential opportunities are then discussed.

Plasma proteomics-based organ-specific aging for all-cause mortality and cause-specific mortality: a prospective cohort study.

Individual's aging rates vary across organs. However, there are few methods for assessing aging at organ levels and whether they contribute differently to mortalities remains unknown. We analyzed data from 45,821 adults in the UK Biobank, using plasma proteomics and machine learning to estimate biological ages for 12 major organs.

Next Generation Sequencing and Genetic Analyses Reveal Factors Driving Evolution of Sweetpotato Viruses in Uganda.

Sweetpotato ( L.) is an essential food crop globally, especially for farmers facing resource limitations. Like other crops, sweetpotato cultivation faces significant production challenges due to viral infections.

Efficacy of Smoking Cessation Interventions among People with HIV in Kenya.

Background: People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) smoke at much higher rates than the general population, resulting in higher risk for tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. The efficacy of smoking cessation interventions among people with HIV in lower-middle-income countries remains unclear.

Methods: We conducted a randomized, 2 × 2 factorial design trial based in Nairobi, Kenya, to evaluate the efficacy of bupropion versus placebo, and a culturally tailored behavioral cessation therapy, called Positively Smoke Free (PSF), versus standard of care for people with HIV who smoke.

Betamethasone improved near-term neonatal lamb lung maturation in experimental maternal asthma.

Maternal asthma is associated with increased rates of neonatal lung disease, and fetuses from asthmatic ewes have fewer surfactant-producing cells and lower surfactant-protein B gene (SFTPB) expression than controls. Antenatal betamethasone increases lung surfactant production in preterm babies, and we therefore tested this therapy in experimental maternal asthma. Ewes were sensitised to house dust mite allergen, and an asthmatic phenotype induced by fortnightly allergen lung challenges; controls received saline.

Molecular and pathological screening of the current circulation of fowlpox and pigeon pox virus in backyard birds.

Avian pox is a disease that has devastating impacts on both poultry and wild bird species. Avian pox is caused by various strains of avipoxviruses (APV). Nevertheless, the virus has been detected in pigeons and chickens that are raised in backyard areas, leading to substantial financial damage for small-scale producers.

Eight novel diagnostic markers differentiate lineages of the highly invasive myrtle rust pathogen .

is the causal agent of myrtle rust in over 480 species within the family Myrtaceae. Lineages of are structured by their hosts in the native range, and some have success in infecting newly encountered hosts. For example, the pandemic biotype has spread beyond South America, and proliferation of other lineages is an additional risk to biodiversity and industries.

Global risk dynamics of Borrelia miyamotoi in the context of climate change.

The impact of Borrelia miyamotoi on human health, facilitated by the expanding geographical distribution and increasing population of Ixodes ticks, remains obscure in the context of global climate change. We employed multiple models to evaluate the effect of global climate change on the risk of B. miyamotoi worldwide across various scenarios.

An accumulated mutation gained in mosquito cells enhances Zika virus virulence and fitness in mice.

Unlabelled: Zika virus (ZIKV) remains a significant public health threat worldwide. A number of adaptive mutations have accumulated within the genome of ZIKV during global transmission, some of which have been linked to specific phenotypes. ZIKV maintains an alternating cycle of replication between mosquitoes and vertebrate hosts, but the role of mosquito-specific adaptive mutations in ZIKV has not been well investigated.

Molecular Epidemiology and AMR Perspective of Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli in Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: Diarrhoeagenic Escherichia coli (DEC) persistently challenges public health in Africa, contributing substantially to the diarrhoeal disease burden. This systematic review and meta-analysis illuminate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of DEC pathotypes across the continent.

Methods: The review selectively focused on pathotype-specific studies reporting prevalence and/or AMR of human-derived DEC pathotypes from African nations, excluding data from extra-intestinal, animal, and environmental sources and studies focused on drug and mechanism experiments.

The SARS-unique domain (SUD) of SARS-CoV-2 nsp3 protein inhibits the antiviral immune responses through the NF-κB pathway.

Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) plays a crucial role in various cellular processes, including inflammatory and immune responses. Its activation is tightly regulated by the IKK (IκB kinase) complex. Upon severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the virus is initially recognized by the innate immune system and typically activates the NF-κB pathway, leading to a severe inflammatory response.

Advanced Palladium Nanosheet-Enhanced Phototherapy for Treating Wound Infection Caused by Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria.

With the increasing spread of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria worldwide, it is needed to develop antibiotics-alternative strategies for the treatment of bacterial infections. This work develops a multifunctional single-component palladium nanosheet (PdNS) with broad-spectrum and highly effective bactericidal activity against MDR bacteria. PdNS exerts its endogenous nanoknife (mechanical cutting) effect and peroxidase-like activity independent of light.

Evaluation and comparison of performances of six commercial NSP ELISA assays for foot and mouth disease virus in Thailand.

ELISA kits that detect antibodies to the non-structural protein (NSP) of the foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), commonly referred to as NSP-ELISA, can distinguish between vaccinated and naturally infected animals. They can play an essential role in demonstrating 'proof-of-freedom' during the control of FMD. Although various NSP-ELISA kits are available in Thailand, information regarding their performance is lacking.

Preclinical evaluation and pilot clinical study of [Ga]Ga-NOTA-H006 for non-invasive PET imaging of 5T4 oncofetal antigen.

Purpose: Trophoblast glycoprotein, the so-called 5T4, is an oncofetal antigen expressed in many different cancers. However, no 5T4-specific radioligand is employed in the clinic for non-invasive diagnosis. Thus, the aim of the current study was to develop a PET radiotracer for imaging 5T4 expression in preclinical and clinical stages.

Biosecurity Assessments for Emerging Transdisciplinary Biotechnologies: Revisiting Biodefense in an Age of Synthetic Biology.

Introduction: Rapid advances in biotechnologies and transdisciplinary research are enhancing the ability to perform full-scale engineering of biology, contributing to worldwide efforts to create bioengineered plants, medicines, and commodities, which promise sustainability and innovative properties.

Objective: This rapidly evolving biotechnology landscape is prompting focused scrutiny on biosecurity frameworks in place to mitigate harmful exploitation of biotechnology by state and non-state actors. Concerns about biosafety and biosecurity of engineering biology research have existed for decades as views about how advances in this and associated fields might provide new capabilities to malicious actors.