The global antibiotic resistance crisis, driven by antibiotic overuse and misuse, is multifaceted. This study aimed to assess the microbiological and genetic characteristics of raw retail pork meat, including the isolation, antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST), whole genome sequencing (WGS) of selected indicator bacteria, antibiotic residue testing, and metagenomic sequencing. Samples were purchased from 10 randomly selected retail stores in Gauteng, South Africa. Samples were aseptically separated, with a portion sent to an external laboratory for isolating indicator bacteria and antibiotic residue testing. Identification of the isolated bacteria was reconfirmed using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). AST was performed using the Microscan Walkaway system. WGS and metagenomic sequencing were performed using the Illumina NextSeq 550 instrument. The isolated E. coli and enterococci exhibited little phenotypic resistance, with WGS revealing tetracycline resistance genes. Isolated bacteria and meat samples all harboured tetracycline resistance genes, and the antibiotic residue concentrations were within acceptable limits for human consumption. In the metagenomic context, most identified bacteria were of food/meat spoilage and environmental origin, with the resistome analysis primarily indicating beta-lactam, tetracycline and multidrug resistance genes. Further research is needed to understand the broader implications of these findings on environmental health and antibiotic resistance.

As the carbon storage capacity of timber is recognized, there is growing interest in timber and wooden structures as a solution to various environmental problems. The use of Korean timber with substantial carbon storage capacity is required to reduce Korean carbon emissions and circulate timber resources. In this study, fire tests were conducted to investigate the charring properties of glued laminated timber columns made of Korean larch. The fire tests were conducted under both load-bearing and non-load-bearing conditions. The fire test results showed that the charring depth was affected by the corners of the section, and that the load ratio had an insignificant influence on the charring depth when the load ratio was 0.9 or less. This study provides data that can be used to compare the charring properties of laminated wood produced using South Korean larch with the charring properties of foreign standards. This provides reference data for developing fire-resistant design standards for timber structures made from South Korean timber.

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has disproportionately affected certain demographics in England, exacerbating existing health disparities. Effective therapeutics are a critical line of defence against COVID-19, particularly for patients at elevated risk for severe disease. Surveillance systems were established to monitor usage of COVID-19 therapeutics in hospital and community settings and inform stewardship. Three antiviral therapies: nirmatrelvir plus ritonavir (Paxlovid®), remdesivir (Veklury®), and molnupiravir (Lagevrio®); and two neutralising monoclonal antibody therapies (nMAbs): sotrovimab (Xevudy®) and casirivimab with imdevimab (Ronapreve®); were in use in England between July 2020 to April 2023. This paper aims to illuminate trends in the utilisation of COVID-19 therapeutics treatment in both hospital and community settings, stratified by the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) in England. Chapter 3 of the English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) report 2022 to 2023 also discusses the epidemiological surveillance of these five directly-acting antiviral COVID-19 therapeutics use in England between 2022 to 2023.

The serendipitous discovery of antiparasitic drugs, such as quinine and artemisinin from plant origin reveals that the search for new chemical pharmacophores from medicinal plants is valuable. The present study sought to explore the antiplasmodial, antileishmanial, and antitrypanosomal activities of extracts from Lippia adoensis. Crude extracts of L. adoensis leaves and twigs, which were obtained by extraction using 70% ethanol in water, were assayed for antiplasmodial activity against P. falciparum 3D7 and Dd2 through the SYBR green I-based fluorescence assay; and for antileishmanial, antitrypanosomal, and cytotoxic effects on Leishmania donovani, Trypanosoma brucei brucei, and Vero cells, respectively, using the resazurin colorimetric assays. The phytochemical analysis of the extracts was performed using a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) feature-based detection and molecular networking flow on Global Natural Product Social (GNPS). As a result, the crude extracts from L. adoensis inhibited growth of P. falciparum (3D7 and Dd2) (IC50s; (3D7): 10.008 and 97.467 μg/mL; (Dd2): 29.48 and 26.96 μg/mL), L. Donovani (IC50s: 22.879-10.522 μg/mL), and T. brucei brucei (IC50s: 2.3085-55.06 μg/mL). The extracts were found to be non-cytotoxic to Vero cells, thus yielding median cytotoxic concentrations (CC50s) above 100 μg/mL. The LC-MS tandem molecular networking flow predicted that the extracts contain valsafungin A and bacillamidin on the first cluster, and fatty acids, ketone and aldehyde derivatives on the second cluster. Overall, the present study demonstrated the antiparasitic effects of L. adoensis extracts, thus justifying the use of this plant in the traditional treatment of fever and malaria conditions. Nevertheless, detailed metabolomic studies and antiparasitic mechanisms of action of the extracts are expected to unveil the potential antiparasitic hit compounds.

Forty-eight Pasteurella multocida isolates were recovered from porcine pneumonic lungs collected in Norwestern Spain (2017- 2019). These isolates were characterized for their minimal inhibition concentrations to twelve antimicrobial agents and for the appearance of eight resistance genes: tetA, tetB, blaROB1, blaTEM, ermA, ermC, mphE and msrE. Relevant resistance percentages were shown to teracyclines, sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim and tiamulin, thus suggesting that P. multocida isolates were mostly susceptible to amoxicillin, ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, florfenicol, marbofloxacin and macrolides. 29.2% of isolates were resistant to more than two antimicrobials. The tetracycline resistance genes (tetA and tetB) were detected in 22.9% of the isolates, but none was positive to both simultaneously; blaROB1 and blaTEM genes were found in one third of isolates but both genes were detected simultaneously in only one isolate. ermC gene was observed in 41.7% of isolates, a percentage that decreased until 22.9% for msrE; finally, ermA was harboured by 16.7% and mphE was not found in any of them. Six clusters were established based on hierarchical clustering analysis on antimicrobial susceptibility for the twelve antimicrobials. Generally, it was unable to foresee the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern for each family and the association of each particular isolate inside the clusters established from the presence or absence of the resistance genes analyzed.

Water samples for bacterial microbiome studies undergo a biomass concentration, DNA extraction and taxonomic identification steps. Through benchmarking, we studied the applicability of Skimmed milk flocculation (SMF) for bacterial enrichment, an adapted in-house DNA extraction protocol, and six 16S rRNA databases (16S-DBs). Surface water samples from two rivers were treated with SMF and Vacuum filtration (VF) and subjected to amplicon or shotgun metagenomics. A mock community standard underwent five DNA extraction protocols, taxonomical identification with six different 16S-DBs and evaluated by the Measurement Integrity Quotient (MIQ) score. In SMF samples, the skimmed milk was metabolized by members of lactic acid bacteria or genera such as Polaromonas, Macrococcus, and Agitococcus, resulting in increased relative abundance (p < 0.5) up to 5.0 log fold change compared to VF, rendering SMF inapplicable for bacterial microbiome studies. The best performing DNA extraction protocols were FastSpin Soil, the in-house method and EurX. All 16S-DBs yielded comparable MIQ scores within each DNA extraction kit, ranging from 61-66 (ZymoBIOMICs) up to 80-82 (FastSpin). DNA extraction kits exert more bias to the composition than the 16S-DBs. This benchmarking study presented valuable insights to inform future water metagenomic study designs.

Mannheimia haemolytica is the main pathogen contributing to pneumonic pasteurellosis in sheep. The aim of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance levels in M. haemolytica from the lungs of slaughtered sheep and the genetic resistance mechanisms involved. A total of 256 M. haemolytica isolates, 169 from lungs with pneumonic lesions and 87 without, were analyzed by the disk diffusion method for 12 antimicrobials, and the whole genome of 14 isolates sequenced to identify resistance determinants. Levels of phenotypic resistance ranged from <2 % for 10 antimicrobials (amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic, ceftiofur, cefquinome, lincomycin/spectinomycin, gentamicin, erythromycin, florfenicol, enrofloxacin, and doxycycline) to 4.3% for tetracycline and 89.1% for tylosin. Six isolates carried tetH genes and four carried, in addition, strA and sul2 genes in putative plasmid sequences. No mutations associated with macrolide resistance were identified in 23 rDNA sequences suggesting that M. haemolytica phenotypic results for tylosin should be interpreted with care in the absence of well-established epidemiological and clinical breakpoints. The identification of strains phenotypically resistant to tetracycline and of several resistance genes, some of which were present in plasmids, highlight the need for continuous monitoring of susceptibility patterns in Pasteurellaceae isolates from livestock

Intrammary infections are a major problem for dairy sheep farms, and Streptococcus uberis is one of the main etiological agents of ovine mastitis. Surveys on antimicrobial resistance are still limited in sheep and characterization of isolates is important for acquiring information on resistance and for optimizing therapy. In this study, a sampling of 124 S. uberis isolates collected in Sardinia (Italy) from sheep milk was analysed by multilocus-sequence typing (MLST) and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) for genetic relatedness. All isolates were also subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility analysis by the disk diffusion test using a panel of 14 antimicrobials. Resistance genes were detected by PCR assays. MLST analysis revealed that the isolates were grouped into 86 sequence types (STs), of which 73 were new genotypes, indicating a highly diverse population of S. uberis. The most frequently detected lineage was the clonal complex (CC)143, although representing only 13.7% of all characterized isolates. A high level of heterogeneity was also observed among the SmaI PFGE profiles, with 121 unique patterns. Almost all (96.8%) isolates were resistant to at least one antimicrobial, while all exhibited phenotypic susceptibility to oxacillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and ceftiofur. Of the antimicrobials tested, the highest resistance rate was found against streptomycin (93.5%), kanamycin (79.8%) and gentamicin (64.5%), followed by novobiocin (25%) and tetracycline-TE (19.3%). Seventy-four (59.7%) isolates were simultaneously resistant to all aminoglycosides tested. Seventeen isolates (13.7%) exhibited multidrug resistance. All aminoglycosides-resistant isolates were PCR negative for aad-6 and aphA-3’ genes. Among the TE-resistant isolates, the tetM gene was predominant, indicating that the resistance mechanism is mainly mediated by the protection of ribosomes and not through the efflux pump. Three isolates were resistant to erythromycin, and two of them harboured the ermB gene. This is the first study reporting a detailed characterization of the S. uberis strains circulating in Sardinian sheep. Further investigations will be needed to understand the relationships between S. uberis genotypes, mastitis severity, and intra-mammary infection dynamics in the flock, as well as to monitor the evolution of antimicrobial resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is a global health problem. The human gut microbiome is implicated in the dynamics of antibiotic resistance acquisition and transmission, with the gut microbiota thought to play a crucial role. This study aimed to determine the potential influence of human gut bacteria microbiota on the gut resistome and the relationship between gut background microbiota and Escherichia coli resistome. The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines was used to systematically review studies that characterised gut microbiota and resistome using metagenomic analysis and/or those that reported gut E. coli resistome in healthy individuals. Changes in the diversity and abundance of bacterial gut microbiota and the resistome across different groups and the microbiota composition of the gut harbouring antibiotic-resistant E. coli were summarised. Findings suggest that lower bacterial microbiota diversity is likely associated with an increased abundance of the overall gut resistome. Age-related differences were observed, with younger infants exhibiting lower microbiota diversity and higher ARG abundance compared to older infants and adults. Studies that reported correlation revealed positive correlations between the compositional relative abundance of Proteobacteria and ARGs abundance, mainly driven by members within the Enterobacteriaceae family, particularly E. coli. This study also revealed that human gut microbiome studies that investigate gut resistome using metagenomic sequencing approaches in apparently healthy individuals are at least uncommon.

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic human pathogen and a leading cause of bloodstream infections. It can acquire different antibiotic resistance genes, leading to treatment failure. Aim: We elaborate on the genomic characteristics; antibiotic resistance, virulence, pathogenicity, phylogenomics and clonal diversity of S. aureus implicated in bloodstream infections. Six multidrug-resistant (MDR) S. aureus, three methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and three methicillin-sensitive S. aureus obtained from blood cultures underwent whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. All isolates carried different permutations and combinations of resistance genes including, blaZ, mecA, aac(6')-aph (2''), ant(9)-Ia, ant(6)-Ia, mepR, fosB, norA, norC, lmrS, arlS, arlR, mgrA, kdpD and sdrM. We found 6 spa types (t9475, t355, t045, t1265, t1257, and t7888) with varying profiles of virulence genes responsible for immune invasion, enterotoxins, adhesion/biofilm, haemolysins, and leukotoxins. Panton-Valentine leukocidin (Luk-PV) was found in one MSSA isolate. Two SCCmec types IVd(2B) and I(1B) were identified. Isolates belonged to four multilocus sequence types (MLSTs), the most common of which was ST5 (n=3). The STs were clustered into two clonal complexes CC5 and CC8. We found two MRSA clones typed as ST5-CC5-t045-SCCmec_I(1B), and the human-associated MRSA endemic clone ST612-CC8-t1257-SCCmec_IVd(2B). The insertion sequences IS30 and IS6 associated with virulence were found in two isolates. The presence of virulent MDR S. aureus in bloodstream infections poses a clinical concern because of limited treatment options and increased risk of mortality.

The current study aims to first, isolate H. pylori in cultures from gastric biopsy samples and test their susceptibility. Secondly, we aim to assess the efficacy of the standard triple therapy from patients coming of the western central region of Colombia. Patients with H. pylori positive re-ceived standard triple therapy with PPI [40 mg b.i.d.], clarithromycin [500 mg b.i.d.], amoxicillin [1g b.i.d.] for 14 days. Thereafter, antibiotic susceptibility of the isolates was assessed by E-Test. From 94 patients enrolled, 67 were positive for H. pylori by histology or culture. Resistance to metronidazole, levofloxacin, rifampicin, clarithromycin and amoxicillin was 81, 26.2, 23.9, 19 and 9.5%, respectively. No resistance was found for tetracycline. 54 patients received standard triple therapy, 48 attended follow-ups testing and of them, 30 had resistance test reports. Overall eradication rate was 81.2%, 4 patients underwent second-line management and only one patient remained H. pylori positive by urea breath test during the follow-up [six weeks]. Eradication was significantly higher in patients with clarithromycin susceptible than in resistant strains [95.6% vs. 42.8% p= 0.001]. The updated percentages of resistance to clarithromycin in this geographical area have increased, so this value must be considered when choosing the treatment regimen.

Background/Objectives: The 28-day mortality rate for septic shock is high, necessitating rapid and effective empiric antimicrobial therapy. This study investigates whether the rate of catecholamine dose reduction in septic shock can indicate bacterial susceptibility to initial antimicrobial therapy. Methods: This retrospective observational study involved 108 adult patients with bacteraemia and septic shock admitted at the intensive care unit of Nihon University Itabashi Hospital between January 2017 and December 2023. They were classified into the Susceptible or Resistant group based on the bacteria’s susceptibility to the initial empiric antimicrobial therapy. Catecholamine dosages were converted to norepinephrine equivalent (NEE) scores, with the time course from peak to end of administration measured at NEE reductions. Results: Of the 108 patients, 94 were in the Susceptible group and 14 in the Resistant group. The Susceptible group showed faster reductions in catecholamine doses: time to reduce the dose from the maximum NEE to 25% was 19 vs. 49.5 hours (p = 0.0057); and 0%, 29 vs. 54 hours (p = 0.0475). Conclusions: In septic shock with bacteraemia, faster catecholamine dose reduction indicates bacterial susceptibility to initial empiric antibiotics. This reduction rate can serve as an early clinical indicator of appropriate initial empiric therapy.

The present study aimed at investigating the in vitro and in vivo susceptibility of malaria parasites to crude extracts and fractions from Polyalthia suaveolens, Uvaria angolensis, and Monodora tenuifolia. The ethanolic extracts were prepared by maceration, and were further partitioned using water, dichloromethane, hexane, and methanol. The most promising fraction was subjected to column chromatography and the sub-fractions tested for activity in vitro. The antiplasmodial effect of extracts and fractions was tested against the Chloroquine resistant (PfK1) strain in 96 wells microtiter plate format using SYBR green florescence assay. The promising fraction was further assessed for cytotoxicity and acute toxicity in Swiss albino mice and subsequently against the rodent malaria parasite, P. berghei. Qualitative phytochemical screening was also performed on the promising fraction. The methanol fractions exerted the overall better effect with that of the twigs of P. suaveolens (PStw(Ace)) showing the highest potency with a IC50 value of 3.24 µg/mL followed by the fractions of leaf of M. tenuifolia (MoTel(Ace), IC50= 3.84 µg/ml) and stem bark of P. suaveolens (IC50= 4.90 µg/ml). The phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, lactones, and phenols in the more active fraction of P. suaveolens (PStw(Ace)). The chromatographic fractionation of this fraction led to 12 sub-fractions with PS8 sub-fraction being the most active (IC50= 4.42 µg/mL). In vivo, oral administration of 2000 mg/kg b.w of fraction PStw(Ace) in mice showed no signs of toxicity. Also, fraction PStw(Ace) at 400 mg/kg b.w exerted the highest suppressive effect against P. berghei strain B throughout the 4 days experiment (% parasitaemia below 5.2%). Overall, the results achieved supported the use of the three plants in the traditional treatment of malaria in Cameroon. More interestingly, the methanolic fraction of the twigs extract from P. suaveolens might be of interest in future development of an antimalarial phytodrug.

The emergence of multi-drug resistant E. coli is an important matter of increasing considerable concern to global public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence, antibiotic resistance pattern, phylogroups and genetic variation of E. coli isolates from raw milk, vegetable salad and ground meat samples. Methods: Culture-based techniques, Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion susceptibility testing, PCR and RAPD assays were used to determine the incidence rate, antimicrobial resistance pattern, phylogenetic groups and genetic diversity of the E. coli isolates. Results: E. coli isolates were highly resistant to amoxicillin (79.16%), trime-thoprim-sulfamethoxazole (70.83%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (62.50%), tetracycline (54.16%), chloramphenicol (54.16%), nitrofurantoin (54.16%), ampicillin (45.83%), streptomycin (45.83%), and kanamycin (33.33%); and completely susceptible to norfloxacin and azithromycin. 70.83% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant. Most E. coli isolates (46%) belonged to phylogroup A. RAPD with UBC245 primer categorized the isolates into 11 clusters. A high level of genetic di-versity was found among the isolates; however, 33.3% of the isolates were grouped in a major cluster (R5). Conclusions: Antibiotic resistance patterns are randomly distributed among the ge-netic clusters. Novel, practical, efficient food safety control and surveillance systems of multi-drug resistant foodborne pathogens are required to control the foodborne pathogen contamina-tion.

Porcine parvovirus 8 (PPV8), a novel virus in the Parvoviridae family, was first identified in 2022 in lung samples of domestic pigs from China. Retrospective analyses showed that it had been circulating in China since 1998, but no other countries had reported its presence so far. A recent study conducted in South America did not detect any PPV8-positive samples in that region. Here we report the detection of PPV8 in Hungarian and Slovakian pig farms and the estimated prevalence of the virus in Hungary. Altogether 2230 serum, 233 oral fluid, and 115 processing fluid samples were systematically collected from 23 Hungarian and 2 Slovakian pig farms between 2020 and 2023. A real-time quantitative PCR method was developed to detect the viral genome. Our results revealed the presence of PPV8 on 65% of the Hungarian farms and on both Slovakian farms included in our study, marking its first detection in Europe. Oral fluid samples showed the highest positivity rates, reaching up to 100% in some herds. The viral genome was successfully detected in serum and processing fluid samples too, but with significantly lower prevalence rates of 4% and 5%, respectively. Genetic analysis of 11 partial VP2 sequences demonstrated high similarity to the original Chinese strain but with unique amino acid mutations, suggesting possible local evolution of the virus. Our study presents the first scientific evidence of PPV8 infection outside of China and offers a comprehensive assessment of its prevalence in the Hungarian pig population. Further research is required to understand its potential impact on swine health.

In the present study, we aimed to determine the antimicrobial resistance and genetic structure of a population of S. aureus recovered from transient and persistent intramammary infections and nares/muzzles. We investigated the antimicrobial resistance of 189 S. aureus strains using a broad antimicrobial susceptibility profile. Furthermore, 107 S. aureus isolates were strain-typed using staphylococcal protein-A (spa) typing. Here, a great proportion of strains exhibited multidrug resistance to antimicrobials, including resistance to critically important antimicrobials, although no methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains were found. Our study did not strengthen the idea that extramammary niches (i.e., nares/muzzles) are an important source for S. aureus. A discrepancy in the antimicrobial resistance between S. aureus strains isolated from nasal/muzzles and milk samples was observed. Furthermore, S. aureus isolates from transient and persistent IMIs did not differ by spa typing, suggesting that the persistence of bovine IMIs was determined by cow factors. Thus, the high level of multidrug-resistant S. aureus found in the two herds studied together with the predominance of a well udder-adapted S. aureus strain may contribute to the history of the high prevalence of mastitis caused by S. aureus, leading to great animal and public health concerns.

Diarrhea remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, especially among children. Recent epidemiological studies conducted in developing countries identified Shigella species as the most predominant pathogenic bacteria responsible for diarrhea. Antimicrobial therapy is necessary for Shigella infections; however, the rapid emergence of resistance against existing antimicrobials in Shigella spp. poses a serious global health problem. To identify alternative antimicrobial compounds with activity against Shigella species, the pathogens responsible for bacterial diarrhea. In this study, we have applied antibacterial phenotypic screening to identify potent anti-Shigella compounds across a broad chemical diversity, including selected acetaminophen derivatives containing benzothiazoles backbone, and their combination with certain antibiotics. In continuation to our effort in searching potent antimicrobial compounds, we have found this time around that two acetaminophen derivatives containing benzothiazoles backbone (4a and 4b) could inhibit the growth of Shigella flexneri with common MIC value of 12.5 µg/ml. These compounds were established through a time-kill kinetics’ study to be bactericidal. Meanwhile, the 2-aminobenzothiazoles (1a and 1b) used for the synthesis of compounds 4 (a & b) were found to be poorly active (MIC: 100 µg/ml) against this pathogen. Combination studies of 4a and 4b with the least susceptible antibiotics (ceftriaxone and cotrimoxazole) demonstrated synergistic anti-Shigella activity. The present study demonstrates that the azobenzothiazole dyes 4 (a & b) can be repurposed as potential anti-Shigella compounds, which can serve as scaffolds for the development of new agents against infectious diarrhea caused by Shigella and other enteric pathogens, especially in developing countries.

Background: Commensal Neisseria species are part of the oropharyngeal microbiome and important for health, but also serve as a reservoir for antimicrobial resistance. Little is known about the prevalence of these species in the general population, how this varies by age and how antimicrobial susceptibility varies between species. Methods: We assessed the prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Neisseria species in the parents (n=38) and children (n=50) of 35 families in Belgium.Results: Various commensal Neisseria (n=5) could be isolated from the participants. Most abundant were N. subflava and N. mucosa. N. subflava was detected in 77 of 88 (87.5%) individuals and N. mucosa in 64 of 88 (72.7%). N. mucosa was more prevalent in children (41/50 [82%]) than parents (23/38 [60.5%]; P<0.05), while N. bacilliformis was more prevalent in parents (7/36 [19.4%]) than children (2/50 [4%]; P<0.05). N. bacilliformis showed high ceftriaxone minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs; median MIC 0.5mg/L; IQR 0.38-0.75) and these high MICs explained the higher ceftriaxone MICs of all Neisseria isolates from the parents than the children. The median azithromycin MIC of all Neisseria isolates per individual was positively correlated with the median family MIC (rho=0.24; P=0.033). The same association was found for the analysis limited to N. subflava (rho=0.36; P=0.004) and N. mucosa (rho=0.30; P=0.027). Interpretation: The most abundant commensal Neisseria species found in this population were N. subflava and N. mucosa, of which the prevalence of N. mucosa varied by age. The prevalence of N. bacilliformis also varied by age and showed concerningly high ceftriaxone MICs which warrant further investigation. We found evidence of clustering of azithromycin, but not ceftriaxone, MIC by family.

Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is widely used in public healthcare facilities; this exposure can result in the development of bacterial tolerance to disinfectant, which has known links to antibiotic cross-resistance. However, the mechanism through which cross-resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants develops remains ambiguous. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the phenotypic, and transcriptomic changes caused by disinfectant exposure in gram-negative bacteria and determine the cause of cross-resistance to antibiotics. The results demonstrated that the misuse of disinfectants plays an important role in the emergence of disinfectant resistance and in the increase in antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance may occur from exposure of gram-negative bacteria to subminimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of NaOCl. Ten passages of gram-negative bacteria in increasingly higher subMICs of NaOCl disinfectant was sufficient to increase the MIC to &gt;2,500 µg/ml NaOCl, particularly in K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa. To determine the development of cross-resistance to antibiotics due to NaOCl exposure, the MICs for each antibiotic before and after exposure of each strain to sublethal concentrations of NaOCl were compared. After overnight incubation with a sublethal concentration of NaOCl, a statistically significant increase in MIC was only observed for imipenem (P&lt;0.01). Investigation of the mechanism of cross-resistance by means of transcriptome analysis revealed that 1,250 µg/ml NaOCl-adapted K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa strains increased resistance to imipenem due to increased expression of the resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) efflux pumps, such as AcrAB-TolC and MexAB/XY-OprM. Therefore, we suggest that exposure to NaOCl can influence the expression of RND efflux pump genes, contributing to imipenem cross-resistance.

Klebsiella pneumoniae is one of the most common causes of clinical and asymptomatic mastitis in dairy cattle, also in milk and dairy products affecting its quality. Mastitis caused by K. pneumoniae is even more serious due to its poor response to antibiotic therapy. This study was conducted to detect and identify the presence of K. pneumoniae in milk and dairy products. A total of 234 samples were randomly collected from various locations in Libya. Samples were examined for the presence of K. pneumoniae by conventional cultural techniques that included cultivation in violet red bile agar plus 4-methylumbelliferyl-ß-D-glucuronide (VRBA + MUG) broth, and CHROM agar followed by identification by PCR and partial sequencing of 16S rRNA. Out of the 234 samples of milk and dairy products collected, 16 (6.8%) of the isolates revealed mucoid colonies on agar media phenotypically suggested to be K. pneumoniae. The isolates identification was confirmed by molecular techniques (16S rRNA). Among examined samples, K. pneumoniae was recovered from she camel’s milk, raw cow’s milk, raw fermented milk, Maasora cheese, Ricotta cheese, soft cheese, full cream milk powder, milk powder infant formula, cereal baby food and growing up formula. From the 16 K. pneumoniae isolates; antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on 12 isolates, the results showed that K. pneumoniae isolates were resistant to more than 8 antibiotics, interestingly, two isolates revealed MBL production. This study emphasized the relationship between K. pneumoniae and raw milk, cheese, milk powder and infant milk retailed in Libya, which is considered as a risk for human health as many of these products did not comply with microbiological criteria of international and/or Libyan standards. The necessary precautions have to be taken to carry out effective sanitary practices during the production in dairy plants, handling and distribution in the markets particularly at local small manufacture scale.

(1) Background: Since microplastics in the aquatic environment are difficult to prevent and can cause adverse physiological and biochemical reactions to various organisms, we aimed to analyze the effectiveness of an eco-friendly removal method using aquatic plants with high ornamental value and excellent water purification ability. (2) Methods: Iris pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps were planted in tap water contaminated with microplastics to analyze the removal rate and root adsorption of microplastics. (3) Results: The amount of microplastics in the planting boxes of Iris pseudacorus and Lythrum anceps was significantly reduced, and the adsorption of microplastics on the roots was confirmed. (4) Conclusions: It was found that the removal of microplastics in water by aquatic plants is effective and that microplastic pollution does not significantly affect plant growth. However, the removal of microplastics by adsorption on plant roots may be affected by various environmental factors, so it is necessary to consider various limitations.

Streptococcal infection is a main infectious diseases for farmed grey mullet (Mugil cephalus). This study were to identify spreptococcal species in diseased farmed grey mullet and to investigate differences in susceptibility to 13 antibiotics and in genotypes between the stains from the grey mullet and non-grey mullet. 170 samples from diseased farmed grey mullet were collected from three county in 2013 -2016. Multiplex PCR identified L. garviea (146) as the main pathogen, S. agalactia (9), S. dysgalactiae (19), and double infection (5), but no S. iniae. The prevalence changed annually and differed among three counties. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis demonstrated identical genotype with an ApaI-digested DNA pattern. Disc diffusion results demonstrated differences in antibiotic susceptibility between the strains from grey mullet (146) and non-grey mullet (30). Almost all strains resisted to clindamycin and all strains were susceptible to six antibiotic in grey mullet and 4 antibiotics in non-grey mullet. The reduced susceptible strains was more in non-grey mullet than grey mullet group. The reduced susceptible strains were observed the highest in 2014 and in Chiayi county and decreased from 2014 to 2016. However, the strains with reduced susceptibility to ceftriaxone, cirpofoxacin, moxifloxacin, tetracycline for human treatment were observed.

An efficacious treatment of H. pylori infection is cornerstone for the global control of the diseases caused by this bacterium. Continuous epidemiologic surveillance of susceptibility of H. pylori to the antibiotics recommended for its eradication is highly recommended. This study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of 651 isolates from five different collections isolated between 1996 to 2008 in México City. The susceptibility profile of H. pylori isolates was determined by the E-test strips for each antibiotic (amoxicillin, clarithromycin, metronidazole, and tetracycline). Antimicrobial susceptibility testing showed a very high proportion of H pylori strains susceptible to amoxicillin, clarithromycin, and tetracycline (94.5%, 95%, and 99.5 %, respectively). In contrast, a high proportion (95%) of isolates was resistant to metronidazole. Notably, the proportion of susceptible/resistant strains to the 4 antibiotics over 5 consecutive time periods remained stable over time. Despite a wide use of amoxicillin and clarithromycin in the general population, the H pylori high susceptibility to these 2 antibiotics has been preserved during more than a decade. The high prevalence of resistance to metronidazole in H. pylori strains in our population compromises its use in the empirical treatment of H. pylori infection.

Aims: The lack of information about the inter variability of the test results obtained by CLSI and EUCAST requires further clarifications to interpret antimicrobial susceptibility patterns better. This study aimed to compare the CLSI and EUCAST interpretations of the antimicrobial susceptibility test results of the ESBL–producing uropathogenic Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia strains. Methods: After obtaining 157 ESBL-producing E. coli and 95, ESBL-producing K. pneumonia isolates from the urine specimens of the patients, Kirby-Bauer’s disc diffusion method was used for conducting antimicrobial susceptibility test. The test procedures and the interpretation of the results were carried out according to the year 2017 versions of both of the two guidelines. For the statistical comparison of concordance between the two guidelines, the Kappa coefficients and the concordance rates were calculated. Results: The results were graded in the range from perfect to poor agreement. For E. coli, interpretations of the AST results revealed a moderate to perfect agreement between both methods. Weighted Kappa agreement scores in the range from 0.42 to 1. The agreement for AMC, TPZ30/6, ceftazidime 10, meropenem, and aztreonam was poor without any inconsistencies. For Klebsiella, the kappa agreement score was in the range from 0.25 to 1. It was incompatible with AMC, TPZ 30/6, ceftazidime 10, aztreonam; there was poor agreement for cefepime, amikacin and ertapenem. Conclusions: Our results showed agreement between the two guidelines for uropathogenic extended-spectrum ß-lactamase producing Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae but also showed inconsistencies between two guidelines. Therefore, the results of our study contribute to the comparison of these guidelines for interpreting antibiotic susceptibilities.

The change in the value of the breaking energy is discussed here for selected steel grades used in building structures after subjecting the samples made of them to episodes of heating in the steady-state heating regime and then cooling in a simulated fire conditions. These changes were recorded based on the instrumented Charpy impact tests, in relation to the material initial state. The S355J2+N, 1H18N9T steels and also X2CrNiMoN22-5-3 duplex steel were selected for detailed analysis. The fire conditions were modelled experimentally by heating the samples and then keeping them for a specified time at a constant temperature of: 600°C (first series) and 800°C (second series), respectively. Two alternative cooling variants were investigated in the experiment: slow cooling of the samples in the furnace, simulating the natural fire progress, without any external extinguishing action, and cooling them in water mist simulating an extinguishing action by a fire brigade. The temperature of the tested samples was set at the level -20oC and alternatively at the level + 20oC. The conducted analysis is aimed at assessing the risk of sudden, catastrophic fracture of load-bearing structure made of steel degraded as a result of a fire previously occurred with different development scenarios.

There are many features of homeostasis worth investigating such as how it works (information pathways, set point processing), where its command and control processors are located in the cell, the language used and how homeostasis interacts with all effectors (all aspects of an organism's functional maintenance and development such as cell differentiation). All are necessary and valid inquiries, but this paper examines the implications of ignoring it as a factor of disease causation. Alternatively when properly understood the homeostasis profile becomes a rational explanation for any individual’s range of health; where some areas are very resistant to disease (resilient) and other areas of homeostasis are dysfunctional leading to minor, moderate or very susceptible tendencies to disease (a lack of resilience in homeostasis). An understanding of this phenomenon, its interactions with gene expression (epigenetics) is necessary in order to evaluate the solutions for acute and chronic diseases. By this method diseases can be defined more precisely as specific susceptibilities in homeostasis, leading to a method to restore specific homeostasis functions.

The application of antimicrobials in aquaculture primarily aims to prevent and treat bacterial infections in fish. Inappropriate use of antimicrobials in fish farming may result in the emergence of zoonotic antibiotic-resistant bacteria and subsequent transmission of resistant strains to humans via food consumption. From recently, AMR emerged as a significant public health concern in the aquaculture ecosystem and fisheries. The aquatic environment serves as a potential reservoir for resistant bacteria, with aquaculture practices providing an ideal breeding ground for AMR due to the excessive use of antimicrobials to prevent and treat diseases. The mutual inter-connection of intensive fish farming systems with terrestrial environments, food processing industry and human population creates pathways for the transmission of resistant bacteria, exacerbating the problem further. One Health concept, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal and environmental health, enables a holistic approach to address the challenges posed by AMR. By understanding the evolution of such approach, the future of aquaculture, being the important source of a global animal protein supply, can be safeguarded. Risk mitigation strategies for AMR should be based on One Health concept to contribute to sustainable aquaculture practices that protect human and animal health, ensure food safety and protection of environment.

A testable hypothesis with quantitative predictions is put forward, proposing that strong acids produced on land at a rate correlated with global population are an increas-ing cause of increasing atmospheric CO2 pressure (pCO2). This hypothesis widens the imbalance assumed between the global uptake of CO2 by photosynthesis and emissions of CO2 from all sources, including the combustion of fossil fuels, causing greater atmos-pheric pCO2. Our modelling tests for reactions of dissolved inorganic carbon show that increasing atmospheric CO2 is caused thermodynamically by falling land surface pH values, but only with bicarbonate present. Strong acids generated by oxygen from re-duced inorganic compounds of nitrogen and sulphur emit CO2 almost stoichiometrically from dissolved bicarbonate in the pH range of most global soils, between 6 to above 8. We show that each decrease of aqueous pH value of 0.01 units from acidification of sur-face water near pH 8 potentially increases the pCO2 in the atmosphere by about 7 ppmv. The surface pH value of the ocean near 8.10 in 2000 has been shown to decrease at this rate, a result of equilibrating with the rising atmospheric pCO2. Therefore, our qualita-tive estimates of increasing atmospheric CO2 driven by irreversible acidification on land are critical and need broad scale validation. Unfortunately, these acidifying processes on land from excessive nitrogen fertiliser, export of alkaline produce from farmlands and other processes were not considered by previous biogeochemical reviews. However, several very recent research studies showing CO2 emissions from soil during nitrifica-tion are consistent with our hypothesis. Despite counter measures to curb excessive CO2 emissions, including carbon capture and geological storage, the increasing Keeling curve for pCO2 may continue to rise because zero carbon policies do not address these causes. We recommend that this hypothesis be further tested by in situ experiments in neutral soils and water, designed to compare CO2 emissions under the acidifying conditions de-scribed in this article. Corrective counter measures can then be designed and applied.

Musculoskeletal infections (MIs) are among the most difficult-to-treat staphylococcal diseases. The limited availability of effective antibiotics has encouraged the development of innovative strategies such as combinatory therapy to combat MI. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro antistaphylococcal activity of anti-inflammatory and the antimicrobial combinatory effect of celecoxib with oxacillin. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 17 anti-inflammatory drugs were determined for standard strains and clinical isolates of S. aureus strains, counting methicillin-resistant strains (MRSA), by the broth microdilution method. The fractional inhibitory concentration indices (FICIs) were evaluated by the checkerboard assays. Celecoxib produced the most potent antistaphylococcal effect against all the tested strains (MIC ranging from 32 to 64 mg/mL), followed by diacerein against MRSA3 and MRSA ATCC 33592 (MIC 64 mg/mL). Several synergistic effects were observed for tested S. aureus strains, including MRSA (FICI ranging from 0.087 to 0.471). The strongest synergistic interaction (FICI 0.087) was obtained against MRSA ATCC 33592 at a celecoxib concentration of 2 mg/mL with a 19-fold oxacillin MIC reduction (from 512 to 26.888 mg/mL). This is the first report on the antistaphylococcal combinatory effect of celecoxib with oxacillin. Our findings suggest celecoxib and its combination with oxacillin as perspective agents for research focused on the development of novel therapies for MI caused by S. aureus. Thus, this study presents novel findings that celecoxib could, in some cases, resensitise MRSA strains to become susceptible to certain β-lactams (e.g., oxacillin) not previously tested.

Background: Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococcal colonization of the gastrointestinal and genital tracts of pregnant women usually remains asymptomatic; even if it is the critical determinant of infection in neonates and young infants. It causes early and late onset of invasive Group B Streptococcus (GBS) disease manifesting as septicemia, meningitis and pneumonia. Now it is recognized as an important cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world including Ethiopia where the magnitude of the problem has been little studied. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of GBS colonization, to identify associated risk factors and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern among pregnant women at selected health facilities of Wolaita Sodo Town, Southern Ethiopia. Methodology: A health facility based cross-sectional study design was conducted at WSUCSH & Wolaita Sodo Health Center from June to August, 2022. A total of 279 pregnant women who were in ANC follow up with at 35-37 weeks of gestation were included. For GBS isolation, recto-vaginal swabs were inoculated in 1ml Todd-Hewitt broth medium supplemented with 10μg/ml colistin and 15μg/ml nalidixic acid and followed by identification of isolates based on colonial morphology, gram stains, catalase reaction and CAMP tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using modified Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method. All collected data were organized in Epi info 4.6.0.2, then transfer tabulated using SPSS version 20. Logistic regression analysis was used to see the association between variables. Finally, the p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: In present study, 279 pregnant mothers included and their age was between 15 to 38 years with a mean of 26.5 ± 4.5 years. Of all participants, the highest 120 (43.01%) were housewives. The overall carriage rate of GBS was 67(24.0%). GBS colonization showed a statistically significant association with college and above levels of maternal education [AOR= 6.610, 95% CI (1.724 - 25.349), P=0.01]. High susceptibility of GBS isolate was seen to Penicillin G & Chloramphenicol (92.5%) for each, Ampicillin, and Ceftriaxone (89.6%) each, following Vancomycin (74.62%), and Erythromycin (77%). Relatively, GBS showed high resistance to Tetracycline (88 %). Conclusion: In this study, the overall prevalence of GBS colonization was 24.0%. College and above educational level was statistically significant with GBS colonization. This study used to give attention to the management of pregnant women by making GBS culture one of the routine diagnoses during ANC follow-up and to prevent infection by early detection.

The work aims to develop an electromagnetic shielding measurement methodology and design an electromagnetic shielding effectiveness test setup for thin sheet material testing. In brief, multiple shielding effectiveness standards are described and analyzed in the thin sheet material testing framework. Two types of the developed shielding effectiveness test probe in high and low-frequency ranges are validated comprehensively. Extensive descriptions and data of developed testing methodology are also reported.

Determining the genetic contribution of susceptibility to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes is important for public health measures and individualized treatment. Through intense research on this topic, several hundred genes have been implicated as possibly contributing to the severe infection phenotype(s); however, the findings are complex and appear to be population-dependent. We aimed to determine the contribution of human rare genetic variants associated with a severe outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections and their burden in the Slovenian population. A panel of 517 genes associated with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection were obtained through an extensive review of the literature, and additionally included target genes identified by the COVID-19 Host Genetic Initiative, as well as the curated Research COVID-19 associated genes from PanelApp, England Genomics. Whole genome sequencing was performed using PCR-free WGS on DNA from 60 patients hospitalized due to severe COVID-19 disease, and the identified rare genomic variants were analyzed and classified according to the ACMG criteria. Background prevalence in the general Slovenian population was determined by comparison with sequencing data from 8025 individuals included in the Slovenian genomic database (SGDB). Results show that several rare pathogenic/likely pathogenic genomic variants in genes CFTR, MASP2, MEFV, TNFRSF13B, and RNASEL likely contribute to the severe infection outcomes in our patient cohort. These results represent an insight into the Slovenian genomic diversity associated with severe COVID-19 outcome.

The intelligent morphing wing structure has the characteristics of flexibility, large deformation and adaptive change, which are different from those of the conventional wing. The motion law of the variable-camber leading edge is analysed by the numerical simulation method based on kinematics theory to solve the problem of verifying the motion function and structural strength of the variable camber wing. The driving deformation and aerodynamic load simulation of the variable camber leading edge are realised by designing a follow-up load test apparatus. Based on the numerical simulation of the mechanical boundary, the motion trajectory of the upper and lower wing loading points was predicted, and a multi-point cooperative control system was developed. Multi-sensor iteration was used to ensure the loading accuracy of the test control. The test results show that the average error of the deflection angle is 4.59% in the variable camber leading edge motion test. In the variable camber leading edge strength test, the average error of applied load magnitude and direction is 0.54% and 0.24%, respectively.

Essential oils (EOs) have been gaining popularity in the past decades among researchers due to their potential to replace conventional chemicals used in the fight against pests, pathogenic and spoilage microbes and oxidation processes. EOs are complex mixtures with many chemical components the content of which depends on many factors – not just the plant genus, species or subspecies, but also chemotype, locality and climatic conditions, phase of vegetation, method of extraction and others. Due to this fact, there’s still much to study, with antimicrobial effect being one of the key properties of EOs. There are many methods that have been frequently engaged by researchers for in vitro evaluation; however, although the research has been going on for decades, an internationally accepted standard is still missing. Most of methods are based on time-proven standards used for testing of antibiotics. Due to the specific properties of EOs and their components, such as volatility and hydrophobicity, many modifications of these standard procedures have been adopted. The aim of this review is to describe the most common methods and their modifications for testing of antimicrobial properties of EOs and to point out the most controversial variables which can potentially affect results of the assays.

Plants from the Myrtaceae family are well known to contain considerable amounts of volatile compounds, ranging from oxygenated monoterpenes to hydrogenated sesquiterpenes, and others, which exhibit antimicrobial activity. One such plant includes Syzygium aromaticum that has been extensively used to treat a number of disorders, including bacterial and fungal infections. Thus, the scientific validation of the essential oil (EO) of Syzygium aromaticum vis-à-vis Candida and Cryptococcus species is valuable. To this end, the present study sought to investigate the antifungal activity of EO from S. aromaticum (clove) leaves and flower buds against Candida and Cryptococcus species. The antioxidant activity of S. aromaticum’s essential oils is also elucidated. The EO was extracted from fresh leaves and floral buds of S. aromaticum using a Clevenger-type apparatus. The as-prepared essential oils were further evaluated for antifungal activity against Candida and Cryptococcus species using a microdilution method. The phytochemical analysis of the EOs was assessed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activities of the EOs were evaluated using standard methods. As a result, the GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of volatile compounds, such as eugenol (87.08%), β-caryophyllene (6.40%) and acetyleugenol (4.45%) as the major constituents of EO from the flower buds ; and eugenol (90.54%) and β-caryophyllene (24.65%) as the major components of the leaf’s EO. The eugenol-rich essential oils exhibited significant antifungal effects against Candida species (common MIC value: 200 ppm) and Cryptococcus neoformans (MIC value: 50 ppm), as well as antioxidant activity. Overall, essential oils of S. aromaticum demonstrated an-tioxidant and antifungal effects, thus validating the ethnopharmacological use of this plant in the treatment of fungal infections. However, antifungal mechanisms of action, in-depth toxicity and in vivo experiments, and pharmacokinetics are warranted to support the use of this plant in ethnomedicine.

Poplars (Populus spp.) are of significant ecological and economic importance. Long-term breeding efforts were aimed mainly at obtaining fast-growing and productive plants and less considered resistance to pests. This study aimed to identify the patterns of susceptibility to Saperda carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) among Populus hybrids and pure species, considering crossing combinations and some other traits. In our research, 35 clones of poplar species and hybrids of the Ukrainian and foreign selection from the Aigeiros, Tacamahaca, and Leucoides sections were tested in 2021 and 2023 in the plantation created in 2014 in Eastern Ukraine. S. carcharias preferred infesting clones with earlier foliage development, larger diameters, and height increments. Specifically, hybrids with American maternal lineage showed the highest susceptibility, whereas those with European maternal lineage or Asian origin displayed lower infestation levels or resistance, respectively. This variability suggests a complex relationship between genetic background and pest resistance, underlining the need for a deeper understanding of the factors influencing susceptibility to S. carcharias. Selecting native species clones or creating mixed clone plantations could enhance the resilience of poplar plantations to pest threats.

A major problem of the technological production process of the metallurgical-grade silicon is formation of a large amount of microsilica. However, this material can be a significant source of raw materials for its own production. Hence, this study is aimed to solve the problem of micro-silica utilization, i.e. the technogenic dust-like waste generated during the melting of the technical-grade silicon. Within this study, the technology of the joint briquetting of microsilica was investigated with the carbonaceous reducing agents, i.e. by obtaining of mono-charge and by melting of the technical-grade silicon from the obtained mono-charge in the 200kVA ore-thermal furnace. Results of the study show that the briquettes in the melting process of the technical-grade silicon can be used in the range from 0 to 50%. The using of briquettes may significantly improve the technological parameters. When briquetted charge is applied only, the technological parameters will deteriorate significantly. The material balance of silicon melting showed the recovery rates of the main elements (Si, Al, Ca and Fe). It recorded a decrease in content of aluminum from 1.9-2.1% to 0.5-0.7%, calcium from 0.2-0.3% to 0.07-0.1% and titanium from 0.2-0.23% to 0.11-0.13% during the transition to briquetted monocharge. Phosphorus content increased from 0.004-0.005 to 0.011-0.013%.

The Aspergillus genus comprises fungi that are widely distributed in nature. The Terrei section is particularly important due to its functions in recycling organic matter. Aspergillus hortae is a species from this section that has been isolated from clinical samples, but its role as a pathogenic agent is unclear. In this study, three clinical A. hortae isolates from Colombia, initially identified as A. terreus, were characterised by micro and macro-morphological analysis at 26°C and 37°C. A bioinformatic pipeline was used for molecular typing, which included analysis of whole genome sequences for accurate species identification. Susceptibility assays were also conducted using the microdilution broth method (EUCAST). It was confirmed that this species is intrinsically resistant to Amphotericin B with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 2-4 mg/L, and is also thermotolerant. We obtained the in vitro susceptibility profiles for three azole drugs (MIC, 0.25-1 mg/L). The three isolates showed phylogenetic divergence from the reference genome strain. A mutation (M769K) in the MelA ortholog of a hypopigmented isolate, which had the lowest MIC value for AmB (2 mg/L), was identified. This study presents the morphological characterization, molecular typing through whole-genome analysis and identification of susceptibility profiles to azoles and amphotericin B of three clinical isolates of A. hortae from Colombia.

Emphasizing the importance of acoustic attenuation in maintaining compliance with stringent noise regulations and enhancing workplace safety, the analysis covers the theoretical and practical aspects of sound attenuation in a turboengine testing stand. This paper presents a preliminary analysis and also an evaluation of a procedure for projecting a noise attenuator for industrial application and especially for turboengine test stands. While primarily focusing on the static acoustic behavior of the attenuator, considerations were also made regarding flow dynamics, Mach number-dependent attenuation, pressure drop, and self-generated noise aspects to provide a comprehensive perspective in selecting the optimal design configuration. The study investigates different calculation methods for assessment of the noise reduction for linear and staggered baffles, applied on a scaled reduced model of attenuator. Thus, the critical parameters and projecting requirements necessary for effective noise reduction in high-performance turboengine testing environments will be evaluated in a down-scaled model. Key factors examined include the selection of design parameters and configurations from various options. Advanced computational methods, like analytic and finite element analysis (FEM) are utilized to predict the acoustic performance and identify potential design optimizations. Experimental validation is performed to corroborate the simulation results, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of the attenuator. The findings indicate that a well-designed sound attenuator module can significantly reduce noise levels without compromising the operational performance of the turboengine inside a test cell.

Polycyclic polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (PPAPs) comprise a large group of compounds of mostly plant origin. The best-known compound is hyperforin from St. John's wort with its antidepressant, antitumor and antimicrobial properties. Chemical synthesis of PPAP variants allows the generation of compounds with improved activity and compatibility. Here we studied two synthetic PPAP-derivatives, PPAP 23 and PPAP 53, as to their antimicrobial activity. While PPAP 23 is insoluble in water, PPAP 53, the sodium salt, is water-soluble. In vitro, both compounds exhibited good and comparable activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. Both compounds had no adverse effects on Galleria mellonella wax moth larvae, even at high concentrations. However, they were unable to protect the larvae from infection with S. aureus because components of the larval coelom neutralized the antimicrobial activity; a similar neutralizing effect was also seen with serum albumin. In a septic arthritis model triggered by S. aureus PPAP23 decreased the formation of abscesses and bacterial load in kidneys, and in a mouse skin abscess model topical treatment with PPAP 53 resulted in an approximately two-fold reduction in S. aureus counts. PPAP 23 and PPAP 53 also showed high growth inhibiting activity against anaerobic Gram-positive pathogenic gut bacteria such as Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium difficile. Based on these results, we envision potential application of PPAP 23 and PPAP 53 in the topical treatment of wound infections with Gram+ pathogens, and their oral use in intestinal infections with C. difficile.

Tack is one of the most important factors affecting the operability of prepregs, but it is still very difficult to obtain the change of prepreg tack with time at different temperatures. In this paper, a newly designed T-peel device is used to test the tack decay rate of prepregs at different temperatures. The obtained decay rate deviates less than 8.9% from the manufacturer's data. The maximum deviation of the ratio of tack decay speeds calculated by the Arrhenius equation from the experiments is not higher than -9.7%. It is proved that the present method can obtain the decay rate of tack of prepregs at different temperatures. This method is also applicable to the other two types of prepregs. The article proposes the handling life unit, an operational life measurement unit for prepregs, and establishes that the relationship between tack and remaining shelf life reduces prepreg management costs.

Conventional farming relies on large-scale, intensive crop production using mechanical tillage and synthetic inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which, despite being economically beneficial, can be environmentally destructive, whereas organic cropping system offers a more sustainable alternative with less harmful environmental impact. But is organic system more beneficial for soil health than conventional? In this study, we focused on evaluating the functional potential of soil for the conversion of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur, as well as measuring the actual activity of enzymes involved in these cycles. We used Chernozem soil samples from fields that were managed using organic (OCS) and conventional (CCS) methods as the objects of our study. Another objective of the study was to compare two methods: profiling of functional genes of the microbial community and measurement of actual enzyme activity. The comparison of OCS versus CCS indicates that functional gene profiling and enzymatic activity measurements similarly capture qualitative differences between these systems, but diverge in how they assess quantitative differences. A combination of these two methods for assessing soil conditions appears to be promising. Overall, the study demonstrated that the agronomic practices used in the conventional cropping system not only preserved the functional properties of the soil microbiome but also significantly enhanced its microbiological activity for nutrient bioconversion compared to the organic cropping system. However, the question remains as to how long the conventional system can sustain its high potential.

In this data deposit, I describe a dataset that is the result of content mining 167,318 published articles for statistical test results. As a result of this content mining, 688,112 results from 50,845 articles were extracted. In order to provide a comprehensive set of data, the statistical results are supplemented with metadata from the article they originate from. The dataset is provided in a comma separated file (CSV) in long-format. For each of the 688,112 results, 20 variables are included, of which seven are article metadata and 13 pertain to the individual statistical results (e.g., reported and recalculated p-value). A five-pronged approach was taken to generate the dataset: (i) collect journal lists, (ii) spider journal pages for articles, (iii) download articles, (iv) add article metadata, and (v) mine articles for statistical results.

Relative to several model bacteria, the ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis is shown here to have an elevated resistance to exogenous antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) – both, with regard to peptide bulk concentration in the medium, and the numbers of peptide molecules per cell. By monitoring integration of the AMPs in the bacterial cell membrane and observing the resulting effect on membrane energy-coupling, it is concluded that the membranotropic effects of the tested AMPs in Z. mobilis and in Escherichia coli are comparable. The advantage of Z. mobilis over E. coli apparently results from its uncoupled mode of energy metabolism that, in contrast to E. coli, does not rely on oxidative phosphorylation, and hence, is less vulnerable to disruption of its energy-coupling membrane by AMPs. It is concluded that the high resistance to antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) observed in Z. mobilis not only proves crucial for its survival in its natural environment but also offers a promising platform for AMP production and sheds light on potential strategies for novel resistance development in clinical settings.

The demonstration of compliance of rolling stock against disturbance limits for railway signaling, and in particular track circuits, is subject to a large deal of variability, caused by the diverse values of the electrical parameters of the railway line and resulting transfer functions, as well as operating conditions of rolling stock during tests. Instrumental uncertainty is evaluated with a Type B approach and shown to be much less than the experimental variability. Repeated test runs in acceleration, coasting, cruising, braking conditions are considered, deriving both max-hold (spread) and sample dispersion curves compared to the respective mean values (Type A approach to the evaluation of uncertainty). The major source of variability affecting a significant portion of the spectrum is caused by the superposed oscillations of the onboard LC filter, for which different choices of the transformation window duration are discussed. The test runs and the acquired data covered overall 1 day of tests along about 300 km of the Italian 3 kV DC railway network.

Escherichia coli is an indicator microorganism in One Health antibiotic resistance surveillance programmes. The purpose of the study was to describe and compare E. coli isolates obtained from pigs and human contacts from a commercial farm in South Africa using conventional methods and whole genome sequencing (WGS). Porcine E. coli isolates were proportionally more resistant phenotypically and harboured a richer diversity of antibiotic resistance genes, as compared to human E. coli isolates. Different pathovars, namely ExPEC (12.43%, 21/169), ETEC (4.14%; 7/169), EPEC (2.96%, 5/169), EAEC (2.96%, 5/169) and STEC (1.18%, 2/169) were detected at low frequencies. Sequence type complex (STc) 10 were the most prevalent (85.51%, 59/169) among human and porcine isolates. Six STcs (STc10, STc86, STc168, STc206, STc278 and STc469) were shared at the human-livestock interface according to multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Core genome MLST and hierarchical clustering (HC) showed that human and porcine isolates were overall genetically diverse, but some clustering at HC2 to HC200 were observed. In conclusion, even though the isolates shared a spatio-temporal relationship, there were still differences in the virulence potential, antibiotic resistance profiles, and cgMLST and HC according to the source of isolation.

The zinc oxide (ZnO) arrester is positioned on locomotive roof preventing other onboard electrical equipment from the harm caused by external and internal overvoltages. A number of locomotive arrester burnout and explosion accidents occur during traction supply network harmonic resonance causing train stoppages and power outages in the network. This study firstly carries out high-frequency tests to investigate the wide frequency band electrical characteristics of the locomotive arrester, explaining that the arrester is prone to fault during resonance. Consequently, a prognostics and health management (PHM) for locomotive arrester is proposed providing on online monitoring, fault warning and health assessment solutions, which is beneficial to the operation and maintenance of arresters in the future. The testing method and PHM scheme presented in this paper can be not only applied to the arrester, also readily expanded to other high-voltage electrical equipment on the electric locomotive.

This study addresses the importance of conducting mass movement susceptibility mapping and hazard assessment using quantitative techniques, including machine learning, in the Northern Lima Commonwealth (NLC). Previous exploration of the topographic variables revealed high correlation and multicollinearity among some of them, which led to dimensionality reduction through principal component analysis (PCA). Six susceptibility models were generated using weights of evidence, logistic regression, multilayer perceptron, support vector machine, random forest, and naive Bayes methods to produce quantitative susceptibility maps and assess the hazard associated with two scenarios: the first being an El Niño phenomenon and the second being an earthquake exceeding 8.8Mw. The main findings indicate that machine learning models exhibit excellent predictive performance for the presence and absence of mass movement events, as all models surpassed an AUC value of &gt;0.9, with the random forest model standing out. In terms of hazard levels, in the event of an El Niño phenomenon or an earthquake exceeding 8.8Mw, approximately 40% of the NLC area would be exposed to the highest hazard levels. It also highlights the importance of integrating methodologies to reduce model uncertainty, such as comprehensive analysis of variables supported by high quality data and organized workflows. The findings of this research are expected to serve as a supportive tool for land managers in formulating effective disaster prevention and risk reduction strategies.

Skin cancer is a prevalent and heterogenous disease with several subtypes, such as melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Among them, melanoma is the most aggressive subtype, with a higher propensity to spread compared to most solid tumors. The application of OMICS approaches has revolutionized the field of melanoma research by providing comprehensive insights into the molecular alterations and biological processes underlying melanoma development and progression. This review aims to offer an overview of melanoma biology, covering its transition from primary to malignant melanoma, as well as the key genes and pathways involved in the initiation and progression of this disease. Utilizing online databases, we extensively explored the general expression profile of genes, identified the most frequently altered genes, and gene mutations, and examined genetic alterations responsible for drug resistance. Additionally, we studied the mechanisms responsible for immune checkpoint inhibitors resistance in melanoma.

Conditional Independence (CI) testing is fundamental in statistical analysis. For example, CI testing helps validate causal graphs or longitudinal data analysis with repeated measures in causal inference. CI testing is difficult, especially when testing involves categorical variables conditioned on a mixture of continuous and categorical variables. Current parametric and non-parametric testing methods designed for continuous variables and can quickly fall short in the categorical case. This paper presents a computational approach for CI testing for categorical data types, which we call computational conditional independence (CCI) testing. The test procedure is based on permutation and combines machine learning prediction algorithms and Monte Carlo Cross-Validation. We evaluated the approach through simulation studies and assessed the performance against alternative methods; the generalized covariance measure (GCM) test, the kernel conditional independence (KCI) test, and testing with multinomial regression. We find that the computational approach to testing has utility over the alternative methods, and we can achieve better control over type-I-error rates. We hope this work can expand the toolkit for CI testing for practitioners and researchers.

This study extends the CGAN-based MODIS cloud vertical-profile (64×64-scene, about 70km width×15km height) retrieval technique developed by Leinonen et al. (2019) [1] to construct seamless 3D cloud fields for the MODIS granules [2]. Firstly, the accuracy and spatial continuity of the Leinonen et al. [1] retrievals are statistically evaluated. Then, according to the characteristics of the retrieval error, a spatially overlapping-scene ensemble generation method and a bi-directional Ensemble Binning Probability Fusion (CGAN-BEBPF) technique are developed, which improves the CGAN retrieval accuracy and support to construct seamless 3D clouds. The CGAN-BEBPF technique involves three steps: cloud masking, intensity scaling, and optimal value selection. It ensures adequate coverage of the low reflectivity areas while preserving the high reflectivity cloud cores. The technique is applied to retrieve the 3D cloud fields of Typhoon Chaba and a multi-cell convective system. The cloud structures of the CGAN-BEBPF results are highly consistent with the ground-based radar observations. It can retrieve weak clouds at the top levels of convective storms and hurricanes that were missed by ground-based radars and fill the gaps of the ground-based radar lower-level PPI scan. Overall, CGAN-BEBPF can be automated to retrieve the rich informative 3D structures of typhoons and severe convective systems over the oceans along the MODIS swath, which certainly presents great value for improving maritime and near-shore typhoons and convection prediction and other cloud-sensitive applications.

Rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Salmonella serotypes host-adapted to cattle is of increasing concern to the beef and dairy industry. The bulk of the existing literature focuses on AMR post-slaughter. In comparison, the understanding of AMR in Salmonella among pre-harvest cattle is still limited, particularly in Texas, which ranks top five in beef and dairy exports in the United States; inherently, the health of Texas cattle has nationwide implications for the health of the United States beef and dairy industry. In this study, long-read whole genome sequencing and bioinformatic methods were utilized to analyze antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) in 98 isolates from beef and dairy cattle in the Texas Panhandle. Fisher exact tests and elastic net models accounting for population structure were used to infer associations between ARGs and antimicrobial phenotypic profiles and metadata. Gene mapping was also performed to assess the role of mobile genetic elements in harboring ARGs. ARG were found to be statistically different between the type of cattle operation and Salmonella serotypes. Beef operations were statistically significantly associated with more resistance genes compared to dairy operations. Salmonella Heidelberg, followed by Salmonella Dublin isolates, were associated with the most ARGs. Additionally, specific classes of ARGs were only present within mobile genetic elements.

Sporotrichosis’ clinical manifestations, lesions in the cutaneous or subcutaneous tissues, it is caused by dimorphic fungi of the Sporothrix complex, is a cosmopolitan mycosis that affects humans and animals. This study aimed to identify prevalent species in Minas Gerais, Brazil, and characterize virulence profiles and antifungal susceptibility associated with Sporothrix isolates. Isolates were identified using macro and micro-morphological traits as well molecular biology techniques. Antifungal susceptibility was determined using the Minimal Inhibitory Concentration test, while, virulence factors such as growth at different temperatures, biofilm formation, melanin production, and urease activity were assessed. Our findings revealed S. brasiliensis as a predominant species isolated. Urease activity was a crucial factor associated with growth at 50°C in S. brasiliensis isolates, highlighting their high thermotolerance. Furthermore, strains isolated from humans produced a more robust biofilm compare to those from felines. Strains of S. brasiliensis isolated from Felis catus exhibited faster melanin production, decreased susceptible to antifungal agents tested, and superior growth capacity at 50°C to strains isolated from humans. Therefore, our study highlights the prevalence of S. brasiliensis causing sporotrichosis in both human and felines. However, it underscores the circulation of different strains, with varying levels of virulence and susceptibility to antifungal agents.

Addressing the significant challenge in high-speed cotton dibbling operations in Xinjiang—specifically, the duck bill’s ("Duck bill" is a type of duck-billed bunch planting mechanism or component). shortened opening duration leading to seed throwing and floating—a new crawler-type delayed hole-forming mechanism has been designed. This mechanism extends the duck bill horizontally, thereby prolonging its opening time, enabling cotton sowing speeds of up to 6 km/h. Following agronomic principles for cotton planting, the overall layout of the crawler-type hole-forming mechanism, the structural parameters of the key components and the trajectory of the hole-forming are determined. We use the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and multi-body dynamics coupling method to simulate and analyze the motion process of the device. The fixed the tilt angle of the duck bill α(A), the depth of the duck bill hole-forming into the soil h(B), and the angle of rotation of the moving duck bill β(C) were taken as the experimental factors, with the longitudinal length of cotton seed hole (Y1) and the hole-forming depth of cotton seed hole (Y2) as the response values. The parameter range of each factor and the preliminary influence on the response value were determined through pre-experiments and single-factor simulation test. Based on RecurDyn-EDEM coupling, a quadratic regression orthogonal rotation combination simulation test was carried out. The results show that the order of the primary and secondary factors affecting the Y1 of the time-lapse hole-forming device was: A > C > B. The order of primary and secondary factors affecting the Y2 of the delayed hole forming device was: B > C > A. When the A was 2.4 °, the B was 42.4 mm, and the C was 30.5 °, the performance of the hole-forming was the best, and the Y1 was 26.4 mm, and the Y2 was 25.0 mm. The bench verification test results show that under the optimized combination of operating parameters, the average Y1 was 29.1 mm, and the average Y2 was 23.2 mm. Compared with the results of the previous coupled simulation model, the average relative errors of the two are 7.23 % and 4.36 %, respectively, indicating the accuracy and effectiveness of the established DEM simulation model and virtual test analysis. The hole-forming area and the opening time of the duck bill after the stable operation of the machine were recorded and measured. The calculated hole dislocation rate Hc was 4.33 %, which did not exceed the national standard requirement of 6 %. The qualified rate of hole distance Hx was 94.33 %, which was much higher than the national standard requirement of 80 %. The average opening time of the duck bill at a speed of 6 km/h is 0.45 s, which is much longer than the time required for cotton seeds to fall from the duck bill 0.11 s. It meets the requirements of high-speed cotton planting in China and facilitating advancements in future high-speed planter technology.

Description of a novel bovine antimicrobial peptide and its antimicrobial spectrum. RNA isolation and RT-PCR were done from various tissues. DCD peptide was synthesized, and antimicrobial activity was analyzed. Bovine dermcidin gene contains five exons intermittent by 4 introns. Bovine DCD-mRNA was 398 bp with ORF 336 bp. Bovine DCD was expressed in skin and blood. Analysis of the amino acid compositions revealed that cysteine was repeated 6 times indicating the presence of 3 disulfide bonds that play role in the peptide stability. Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus bovis, and Enterococcus faecalis were affected by Bovine DCD peptide. Highest antimicrobial effect was at 50 and 100 µg/ml. The effect on Escherichia coli and Candida albicans was slightly low. In all bacteria, Bovine DCD peptide activity did not affect by varying pH values, but in Staphylococcus aureus, the activity was affected greatly at pH 4.5 and 5.5. The optimum salt concentrations were 100 and 50 mM NaCl with all bacterial strains and E. coli, respectively. In case of C. albicans, the antimicrobial activity of Bovine DCD peptide decreased with increasing the pH value regardless the NaCl concentration. The pH 6.5 of the sweat buffer was the optimum for the Bovine DCD peptide activity.

The antimicrobial resistance to clinically approved antibiotics is rapidly increasing worldwide. Staphylococcus aureus is a critical contributor to deaths associated with antibiotic resistance. In this regard, the search for natural compounds is quite active, that alone or in combination with other agents can be effective as new antibacterial agents. The antibacterial activity of essential oils has presented an increasing interest during the last years and was effective even on multidrug-resistant strains. The present study aims to investigate the interaction effects of oregano essential oil (OEO) with some conventional antibiotics against Staphylococcus aureus tested by agar methods. For this purpose, we selected S. aureus ATCC 29213 and five clinical isolates representative of the species. The essential oil was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The analysis of the Oregano essential oil revealed the main component to be carvacrol (81,20%). Concentration 2.5% (v/v) OEO was combined with drugs proposed by EUCAST, 2024, specifically penicillin, cefoxitin, erythromycin, gentamycin and tetracycline. The research results showed that the combination of OEO with penicillin, cefoxitin, erythromycin, and tetracycline enhanced the antimicrobial activity of the antibiotics against S. aureus in almost all cases. The area of suppression remained identical (but not smaller) in the unaffected cases. When comparing the effects of the GEN-OEO combination and GEN against most S. aureus strains, a decrease in antimicrobial activity was reported by the diffusion agar method.

In recent years, bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics has become a major concern in the medical field. The global misuse of antibiotics in clinics, personal use, and agriculture has accelerated this resistance, making infections increasingly difficult to treat and rendering new antibiotics ineffective more quickly. Finding new antibiotics is challenging due to the complexity of bacterial mechanisms, high costs and low financial incentives for the development of new molecular scaffolds, and stringent regulatory requirements. Additionally, innovation has slowed, with many new antibiotics being modifications of existing drugs rather than entirely new classes. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a valid alternative to small molecule antibiotics offering several advantages, including broad-spectrum activity and a lower likelihood of inducing resistance due to their multifaceted mechanisms of action. However, AMPs face challenges such as stability issues in physiological conditions, potential toxicity to human cells, high production costs, and difficulties in large-scale manufacturing. A reliable strategy to overcome the drawbacks associate with the use of small molecule antibiotics and AMPs is the combination therapy, namely the simultaneous co-administration of two or more antibiotics or the synthesis of covalently linked conjugates. This review is intended to cover and critically analyze the design, synthetic strategies, antibacterial activity and, when possible, the cytotoxicity of antibiotic-AMPs conjugates.

The chemical investigation of the anti-yeast methanol extract from the stem bark of Terminalia mantaly led to the isolation of seven compounds: 3-O-methyl-4-O-α-rhamnopyranoside ellagic acid (1), 3-O-mehylellagic acid (2), arjungenin or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid (3), arjunglucoside or 2,3,19,23-tetrahydroxyolean-12-en-28-oïc acid glucopyranoside (4), 2α,3α,24-trihydroxyolean-11,13(18)-dien-28-oïc acid (5), stigmasterol (6), stigmasterol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (7). Their structures were established by means of spectroscopic analysis and comparison with published data. Compounds 1-5 were tested in vitro for activity against three pathogenic yeast isolates, Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis and Candida krusei. The activity of compounds 1, 2 and 4 were comparable to that of the reference compound fluconazole (MIC values below 32 µg/ml) against the three tested yeast isolates. They were also tested for inhibitory properties against four enzymes of metabolic significance: Glucose-6-Phosphate Deshydrogenase (G6PD), human erythrocyte Carbonic anhydrase I and II (hCA I and hCA II), Glutathione S-transferase (GST). Compound 4 showed highly potent inhibitory property against the four tested enzymes with overall IC₅₀ values below 4 µM and inhibitory constant (Ki) <3 µM.

Background: The skin prick test (SPT) is used to diagnose sensitization to antigens. This study proposes a deep learning approach to infer wheal dimensions, aiming to reduce dependence on human interpretation. Methods: A dataset of SPT images (n=5844) was used to infer a convolutional neural network for wheal segmentation (ML model). Three methods for inferring wheal dimensions were evaluated: the ML model; the standard protocol (MA1); and approximation of the area as an ellipse using diameters measured by an allergist (MA2). The results were compared with assisted image segmentation (AIS), the most accurate method. Bland-Altman, distribution analyses, and correlation tests were applied to compare the methods. The study also compared the percentage deviation among these methods in determining the area of wheals with regular geometric shapes (n = 150) and with irregular shapes (n=150). Results: The Bland-Altman analysis showed that the difference between methods was not correlated with the absolute area. The ML model achieved a segmentation accuracy of 85.88% and a strong correlation with the AIS method (ρ=0.88), outperforming all other methods. Additionally, MA1 showed significant error (13.44±13.95%) for pseudopods. Conclusions: The ML protocol can potentially automate the reading of SPT, offering greater accuracy than the standard protocol.

Individual susceptibility to pulmonary oxygen toxicity (PO2tox) is highly variable and currently lacks a reliable biomarker for predicting pulmonary hyperoxic stress. As nitric oxide (NO) is involved in many respiratory system processes and functions, we aimed to determine if expired nitric oxide (FENO) levels can provide an indication of PO2tox susceptibility in humans. Eight U.S. Navy trained divers volunteered as subjects. The hyperoxic exposures consisted of six- and eight-hour hyperbaric chamber dives conducted on consecutive days in which subjects breathed 100% oxygen at 202.65 kPa. Subjects’ individual variability in pulmonary function and FENO was measured twice daily over five days and compared with their post-dive values to assess susceptibility to PO2tox. Only subjects who showed no decrements in pulmonary function following the six-hour exposure conducted the eight-hour dive. FENO decreased by 55% immediately following the six-hour oxygen exposure (n=8, p<0.0001) and by 63% following the eight-hour exposure (n=4, p<0.0001). Four subjects showed significant decreases in pulmonary function immediately following the six-hour exposure. These subjects had the lowest baseline FENO and the lowest post-dive FENO and had clinical symptoms of PO2tox. Individuals with low FENO were the first to develop PO2tox symptoms and deficits in pulmonary function from the hyperoxic exposures. These data suggest that endogenous levels of NO in the lung may protect against the development of PO2tox.

Laser Photoacoustic Spectrometers (LPAS), which provide photoacoustic spectra for detecting food frauds or adulteration, and fluorescence-based systems for recognition of contamination by heavy metal ions in water are two important families of sensors for health and environmental purposes. Both sensor families require one or more low-frequency Lock-In Amplifiers (LIAs) to extract the signal of interest from background noise. In the cited applications, the required LIA frequency is quite low (up to 1kHz), and this leads to a simplification of the hardware with consequent good results in portability, economy, reduced size, weight and low-cost characteristics. The present system, called ENEA DSP Box Due, is based on a very inexpensive microcontroller proto-board and can replace four commercial LIAs, resulting in significant savings in both cost and space. Furthermore, it incorporates a dual-channel oscilloscope and a sinusoidal function generator. This article outlines the architecture of the ENEA DSP Box Due, its electrical characterization and its applications within a project concerning laser techniques for food and water safety.

Escherichia coli is a gram-negative commensal bacterium living in human and animal intestines. Its pathogenic strains are cause of high morbidity which can adversely affect people by causing urinary tract infections, food poisoning, septic shock, or meningitis. Humans can contract E. coli by eating contaminated food—such as raw or undercooked raw milk, meat products, and fresh produce sold in open markets—as well as by coming into contact with contaminated settings like wastewater, municipal water, soil, and faeces. Some pathogenic strains of E. coli have been identified in Nigeria such as enterohemorrhagic (EHEC), as well as enterotoxigenic (ETEC), enteropathogenic (EPEC), enteroinvasive (EIEC), enteroaggregative (EAEC), and verotoxigenic (VTEC). This causes acute watery or bloody diarrhoea, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Apart from the virulence profile of E. coli, antibiotic resistance mechanisms such as the presence of blaCTX-M found in humans, animals and environmental isolates which are of great importance and require surveillance and monitoring for emerging threats in resource-limited countries. This review is aimed at understanding the underlying mechanisms of evolution and antibiotic resistance in E. coli in Nigeria and highlighting the use of improving One Health approaches to combat the problem of emerging infectious diseases.

Cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a severe complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) strongly linked to a nearly five-fold higher risk of cardiovascular mortality. Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) are a significant cohort in which these assessments have particular relevance to the increased cardiovascular risk inherent in the condition. This study aimed to explore the subtle correlation between the Ewing test, Sudoscan-cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy score, and cardiovascular risk calculated using SCORE 2 Diabetes in individuals with T2DM. The cohort consisted of 211 patients diagnosed with T2DM with overweight or obesity without established ASCVD, aged between 40 to 69 years. The prevalence of CAN in our group was 67.2%. In the study group, according SCORE2-Diabetes, four patients (1.9%) were classified with moderate cardiovascular risk, thirty-five (16.6%) with high risk, and one hundred seventy-two (81.5%) with very high cardiovascular risk. On multiple linear regression, the SCORE2-Diabetes algorithm remained significantly associated with Sudoscan CAN-score and Sudoscan Nephro-score and Ewing test score. Testing for the diagnosis of CAN in very high-risk patients should be performed because approximately 70% of them associate CAN. Increased cardiovascular risk is associated with sudomotor damage and that Sudoscan is an effective and non-invasive measure of identifying such risk.

Staphylococcus aureus is a gram-negative bacterium that causes superficial and deep infections that can be mild or potentially fatal. Recently, the bacterium has gained significant attention due to the increased incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains that make treatment with antibiotics dif-ficult. Owing to the MDR strains, alternative therapies such as antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT) have emerged as good options to treat non-systemic infections. PDT combines a photosensi-tiser (PS) with light and oxygen to generate free radicals that destroy bacterial structures such as the plasma membrane, matrix, and genetic material. This systematic review aimed to identify the ef-fectiveness of PDT delivered using different types of hydrogels for treating wounds, burns, and contamination by S. aureus. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Bibliographic research was conducted using the PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases. Only full articles published in English between 2013 and 2024 from any country of origin (without restrictions) were included. The research was carried out from 15 June 2023 to 15 June 2024 and did not use any automatic biblio-graphic search tool. The articles collected were identified using keywords and selected using in-clusion and exclusion criteria in accordance with the PRISMA protocol. Seven articles were in-cluded that presented a good set of evidence associated with the use of PDT against S. aureus in in vitro and in vivo studies. To conclude, PDT can effectively complement antimicrobial therapy against S. aureus, in the healing of wounds and burns. The effectiveness of this technique depends on the PS used, hydrogel type, and lesion location. Some studies have already demonstrated the ef-fectiveness of PDT but most were in vitro and a few in vivo. Further studies are required to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of PDT delivered via hydrogels in in vivo models of bacterial infection.

A theoretical framework for agricultural landscape pattern transitions in rural areas is proposed to fill the gap of current research with an empirical study in the Alabata farm settlement in Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria. Adopting the use of ArcGIS 10.8 and Surfer 27.3 to calculate the surface area and volume of the ground surface degraded and exposed to harsh weather conditions due to both natural and man-made anthropogenic activities causing runoffs and continuous soil erosion, which has affected agricultural production and sent some of the farmers packing and abandoning their farmlands. The farm settlement within the total sampled frame area of 1.50 km² covers a total distance of 5.11 km. The sample frame was divided into 36 frames with similar ecological terrain and soil types, which fell into either identified soil types 1 and 2. The study completed a questionnaire onsite using three major criteria. Only 23 farmers responded positively to the few questions with farmers either living on the farm or working as hired laborers on-site at the visit. The transition characteristics of agricultural landscape patterns as represented in abandoned land, and orchards are analyzed from a local perspective.

Out of a worldwide annual incidence of ~150 million cases for urinary tract infection (UTI), >25% of outpatient prescriptions of oral antimicrobial treatment (OAT) are for cystitis not complicated by sepsis. OAT aids the immune cells infiltrating urothelium to eliminate uropathogens attaching and invading urothelium amidst hyperosmotic urine. This adaptability of uropathogens and the short interval between Penicillin sale and the first antimicrobial resistance (AMR) report suggests that AMR is a 3.8 billion years old evolutionary conserved heritable trait of surviving environmental threats through exponential proliferation of mutant strains selected by Darwinian principle. Therefore, OAT success with minimal AMR can be ensured by antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) following the principle of 5Ds -drug, dose, duration, drug-route, and de-escalation. While convenient to administer, the onset of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for OAT in urine is a window of opportunity for uropathogens to survive the first contact with OAT and the descendant colonies armed with AMR are likely to survive subsequent higher urine OAT levels. Meanwhile, intravesical antimicrobial treatment (IAT) delivers the first strike well above MIC. The root cause analysis of AMR dovetails with the strengths, weaknesses, opportunity, and threat (SWOT) analysis of OAT in this interdisciplinary review.

Almost fifty years after the introduction of antibiotics as an antimicrobial agent, we are facing an increasing number of multi-resistant microbials. The search for new antimicrobial compounds emerged as a promising alternative to treatments for diseases caused by microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria. Thus, endophytic fungi are gaining recognition for their varied metabolites that may possess antimicrobial properties. In our research, we isolated, from Calea pinnatifida, six endophytic fungi identified as Colletotrichum siamense, Colletotrichum karstii, Hypomontagnella barbarensis, Neopestalotiopsis clavispora, Nigrospora sacchari-officinarum and Annulohypoxylon moriforme. Analyses of microbial secondary metabolites by utilizing UHPLC-HR-ESI-MS/MS in conjunction with molecular networking, allowed the annotation of 9 compounds, 5 of them from GNPS spectral library match, and 4 from prediction-based on the molecular network, and allowed the isolation of two pairs of Acyl-tetronic acid derivatives distereoisomeric identified by NMR spectrum. In this sense, the present study underlines the value of endophytic fungi as a reservoir of potentially new antimicrobial agents.

New antiviral agents are essential to improving treatment and control of SARS-CoV-2 infections that can lead to the disease COVID-19. Antimicrobial peptoids are sequence-specific oligo-N-substituted glycine peptidomimetics that emulate the structure and function of natural antimicrobial peptides but are resistant to proteases. We demonstrate antiviral activity of a new peptoid (TM9) against the coronavirus, murine hepatitis virus (MHV), as a closely related model for the structure and antiviral susceptibility profile of SARS-CoV-2. This peptoid mimics the human cathelicidin LL-37, which has also been shown to have antimicrobial and antiviral activity. In this study TM9 was effective against three murine coronavirus strains, demonstrating the therapeutic window is large enough to allow use of TM9 for treatment. All three isolates of MHV generated infection in mice after 15 min of exposure by aerosol using the Madison aerosol chamber and all three viral strains could be isolated from the lungs throughout the 5-day observation period post-infection, with the peak titers on day 2. MHV-A59 and MHV-A59-GFP were also isolated from liver, heart, spleen, olfactory bulbs, and brain. These data demonstrate that MHV serves as a valuable natural murine model of coronavirus pathogenesis in multiple organs, including the brain.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health threat linked to increased morbidity and mortality. It has the potential to return us to the pre-antibiotic era. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are recognized as a key intervention to improve antimicrobial use and combat AMR. However, implementation of AMS programs remains limited in Africa, particularly in Rwanda. This qualitative study, conducted at King Faisal Hospital (KFH) in Rwanda, aimed at assessing current prescription practices to identify areas for improvement and promote adherence to AMS principles. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed, revealing four emerging themes. First, emerged on AMS activities that were working well which includes availability of microbiology laboratory results, and prescription guidelines as factors influencing antibiotic prescription adjustments. Second, Implementations challenges to AMS which identified the prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics, limited local data on AMR patterns, stock-outs of essential antibiotics, Thirdly, the importance of adhering to AMR management guidelines at KFH was underscored. Lastly, participant recommendations centered on regular training for healthcare workers, widespread dissemination of AMR findings across departments, and the enforcement of antibiotic restriction policies. These actions can improve prescription behaviors, upholding the highest standards of patient care, and strengthening the nascent AMS program.

This review article focuses on the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in transforming healthcare in Africa, specifically in combatting infectious diseases, neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), and antimicrobial resistance. We provide a comprehensive overview of the significance of AI in the healthcare industry, highlighting its urgency and importance in addressing these specific health challenges in Africa. We begin by discussing the role of AI in infectious disease surveillance and outbreak detection. We explore how AI technology can be employed for real-time tracking and prediction of outbreaks, providing examples of successful AI applications in infectious disease surveillance within the African context.Next, we examine the potential of AI-enabled diagnosis and treatment for faster and more accurate diagnoses of infectious diseases and NTDs. We highlight specific examples of AI applications in diagnosing and treating these diseases in Africa, showcasing the potential of AI to improve clinical outcomes and save lives.Furthermore, we focus on how AI-driven drug discovery and development can expedite the search for new treatments for infectious diseases and combat antimicrobial resistance. We present examples of AI applications in drug discovery within the African context, illustrating the potential for AI to revolutionize the development of effective therapeutics.In addition, we delve into how AI-powered public health interventions can enhance the design and implementation of targeted interventions. We explore how AI can optimize resource allocation and facilitate data-driven decision-making processes, providing examples of AI applications in public health in Africa.Finally, we address the challenges and limitations of implementing AI in combatting infectious diseases, NTDs, and antimicrobial resistance in Africa. We discuss potential barriers and ethical concerns surrounding AI applications in healthcare, aiming to encourage informed and responsible utilization of AI technologies.Overall, this review emphasizes the importance and potential of AI in combatting infectious diseases, NTDs, and antimicrobial resistance in Africa. It positions AI as a catalyst for revolutionizing healthcare in the region, leading to more effective disease surveillance, diagnosis, treatment, drug discovery, and public health interventions.

Metals play vital roles in biological systems, with iron/heme being essential for cellular and metabolic functions necessary for survival and/or virulence in many bacterial pathogens. Given the rise of bacterial resistance to current antibiotics, there is an urgent need for the development of non-toxic and novel antibiotics that do not contribute to resistance to other antibiotics. Gallium, which mimics iron, has emerged as a promising antimicrobial agent, offering a novel approach to combat bacterial infections. Gallium does not have any known functions in biological systems. Gallium exerts its effects primarily by replacing iron in redox enzymes, effectively inhibiting bacterial growth by targeting multiple iron/heme-dependent biological processes and suppressing the development of drug resistance. The aim of this review is to highlight recent findings on the mechanisms of action of gallium and provide further insights into the development of gallium-based compounds. Understanding the mechanisms underlying gallium’s biological activities will enhance its therapeutic application across various medical fields, offering promising avenues for the treatment of infectious diseases, cancer, and inflammatory conditions.

Current antibiograms cannot discern the particular effect of a specific antibiotic when the bacteria are incubated with a mixture of antibiotics. To prove that this task is achievable, Escherichia coli strains were treated with ciprofloxacin for 45 min, immobilized on a slide and stained with SYBR Gold. In susceptible strains, the nucleoid relative surface started to decrease near the MIC, being progressively condensed as dose increased. The shrinkage level correlated with the DNA fragmentation degree. Ciprofloxacin-resistant bacilli showed no change. Additionally, E. coli strains were incubated with ampicillin for 45 min and processed similarly. The ampicillin-susceptible strain revealed intercellular DNA fragments that increased with dose, unlike the resistant strain. Co-incubation with both antibiotics revealed that ampicillin did not modify the nucleoid condensation effect of ciprofloxacin, whereas the quinolone partially decreased the background of DNA fragments induced by ampicillin. Sixty clinical isolates, with different combinations of susceptibility-resistance to each antibiotic, were co-incubated with the EUCAST breakpoints of susceptibility of ciprofloxacin and ampicillin. The morphological assay correctly categorized all the strains for each antibiotic in 60 min, demonstrating the feasible independent evaluation of a mixture of quinolone and beta-lactam. The rapid phenotypic assay may shorten the incubation times and necessary microbial mass currently required for evaluation.

Tamil Nadu, a state in southern India, is bereft of any native milch or dual-purpose cattle breed and the state depends chiefly on crossbred cattle for milk production. As most (90 percent) of the milk production in the state was contributed by Jersey crossbred cattle, the genetic evaluation study was intended to assess the milk production traits viz., test-day milk yields (TDMYs), total milk yield (TMY) and 305-day milk yield (305MY) in these crossbred cattle reared under farmers’ rearing environment. Data on monthly TDMYs (TDMY1 to TDMY10) of Jersey crossbred cows (n=81,653) reared by the farmers over 24 years (1999-2022) were collected for evaluation. The influence of non-genetic factors viz., location (agroclimatic zones), period and season of calving, and parity on TDMYs, TMY, and 305MY were assessed, and the variance and covariance components for genetic parameters (heritability and genetic correlation) of the traits were estimated by the method of restricted maximum likelihood (REML) under multivariate animal model and by random regression model (RRM). The overall means of various TDMYs ranged from 4.98 (TDMY10) to 9.95 kg (TDMY2) and, for TMY and 305MY the means were 2480.33 and 2393.71 kg respectively. The heritabilities estimated by animal model for TDMYs were high and ranged from 0.39 ± 0.01 to 0.47 ± 0.01 and were fairly less variable throughout the lactation while the estimates obtained by RRM were medium to high and ranged between 0.28 ± 0.01 and 0.65 ± 0.02 for different days in milk (DIMs). The heritability estimated for TMY and 305MY were 0.48 ± 0.01 and 0.49 ± 0.01 respectively. The estimates of heritability in mid-lactation yields were comparatively little less than those at the beginning and the end of lactation. The high estimates of heritabilities for TDMYs, TMY, and 305MY obtained in the present study offered an ample scope for improving milk production through selective breeding. Genetic correlations between TDMYs estimated by animal model were positive and moderate to high, with a range between 0.47 ± 0.01 and 0.99 ± 0.00. Considerably higher estimates (0.97-0.99) were observed between adjacent TDMYs showing strong genetic associations. By RRM, genetic correlations estimated between DIMs were positive, except for a few estimates and the magnitude of genetic correlation decreased with an increase in the interval between the DIMs. The high genetic correlation observed between the TDMYs in early and mid stages of lactation with TMY and 305MY suggested that these test day yields could be used favorably for the early selection of cows for milk production which facilitates reduction in the generation interval and consequently increase the annual genetic gain for the milk production traits.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization issued a practical approach and Global Action Plan to control the threatening emerging antibacterial resistance. One of the main basis of this plan is the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASPs). This study aimed to evaluate community pharmacists’ awareness and perception towards antimicrobial resistance and ASPs in Jordan. Thus, a qualitative study was conducted through in-depth interviews with twenty community pharmacists. Convienience sampling was used in the study. Qualitative analysis of the data yielded four themes and eleven sub-themes. All the respondents showed good understanding about the causes of antimicrobial resistance. The most important causes reported by them was the non-restricted prescription of antimicrobials. Most of the pharmacists believed that they are competent to provide ASPs, however, they believed that there are several barriers against the implementation of ASPs in community pharmacies in Jordan. Barriers demonstrated by the pharmacists, including organizational obstacles, resources obstacles, and personal obstacles. As a conclusion, this study revealed several barriers against the implementation of ASPs in community pharmacies in Jordan. Incorporating ASPs in the community pharmacy settings requires proper pharmacist training, several academic disciplines team efforts, and good pharmacy practice of antimicrobial guidelines.

The global need for rapid diagnostic methods for pathogen identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is underscored by the increasing bacterial resistance and limited therapeutic options, especially critical in sepsis management. The evolution from traditional phenotype-based methods to rapid molecular and mass spectrometry techniques has significantly decreased result turnaround times, improving patient outcomes. Despite advancements, the complex decision-making in antimicrobial therapy often exceeds the capacity of many clinicians, highlighting the importance of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP). These programs, integrating mHealth and eHealth, leverage technology to enhance healthcare services and patient outcomes, particularly in remote or resource-limited settings. However, the application of such technologies in antimicrobial management remains underexplored in hospitals. The development of platforms combining antimicrobial prescription data with pharmacotherapeutic algorithms and laboratory integration can significantly reduce costs and improve hospitalization times and mortality rates. Yet, the effectiveness of empirical antibiotic therapy, influenced by rapid diagnostic tests, becomes cost-effective when error rates exceed 20%, emphasizing the need for technological integration in ASPs to combat the rising challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and healthcare sustainability.

The Chromogranin A (CgA)-derived peptide Catestatin (CST: hCgA352-372) is highly conserved (>90% in 90% species) in mammalian species. The highest-evolved primates show 58.8% similarity with the lowest-evolved monotremes. CST was initially identified as a physiological brake in catecholamine secretion by inhibiting nicotinic-cholinergic signaling. CST also inhibits desensitization of catecholamine secretion, indicating that CST can act both as a cholinergic antagonist (short-term) and as a cholinergic agonist (long-term). The long-term effect sustains catecholamine secretion during stressful situations. CST is now established as a pleiotropic hormone: it affects the cardiovascular system by lowering blood pressure and cardiac contractility, enhancing baroreflex sensitivity, increasing heart rate variability, and promoting angiogenesis; and it increases insulin sensitivity by reducing inflammation, inhibiting hepatic glucose production, attenuating endoplasmic reticulum stress, and inducing glycogen production. The present review will highlight the important direct and indirect effects of CST, CST1-15 (aka cateslytin), D-CST1-15 (where L-amino acids were changed to D-amino acids), and human variants of CST (Gly364Ser-CST and Pro370Leu-CST) on microbial growth inhibition and their potential as therapy for antibiotic-resistant pathogenic microbes.

Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, has been causing significant crop losses and has now become the most economically important pest of corn globally. With the challenges arising from the extensive use of synthetic chemicals such as reports that FAW gained resistance to various insecticides, researchers are developing environmentally sound control measures to address these issues. An example is the application of the RNA interference in managing FAW populations. RNA interference is a biological process where dsRNA molecules silence specific gene of interest. Here, dsRNA fragments were generated to target Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases CYP321A7 and CYP321A8 in FAW. Mortality and phenotypic effects of RNAi-mediated knockdown of essential genes of target CYP450s through RNAi in FAW were analyzed. Results showed that RNA in vitro transcription yielded ~14 μg/μL of dsCYP321A7 and dsCYP321A8. The mortality rate of dsCYP321A7- and dsCYP321A8-fed larvae following exposure to insecticide with dual active ingredient of Chlorantraniliprole and Thiamethoxam increased by 90% and 80%, respectively as compared to dsGFP-fed larvae with 40% at 2 days post insecticide exposure. This study provided evidence for the potential of RNAi for FAW management strategies particularly for insecticide-resistant populations, including the potential for biopesticide development.

As time continues to advance, the need for robust security threat mitigation has become increasingly vital in software. However, ensuring early effective security threat mitigation requires optimal test data and consistent test case design. It is a constant struggle to maximize test coverage through test data optimization. We conducted explanatory research to maximize test coverage of security requirements as modeled in Structured Misuse Case Description (SMCD) i.e., structured specification of misuse case, so as to improve consistency in optimal test data generation. We specified constraints upon Mal activity in Object Constraint Language (OCL) in order to minimize human dependency and improve consistency in optimal test data generation. It was evident through results that MC/DC generated optimal test data of security threats through SMCD in comparison to the Decision Coverage method thus resulting in designing a significantly lower number of test cases and yet maximizing test coverage of security threats. MC/DC generated test data with n+1, while Decision Coverage generated test data with〖 2〗^n, we, therefore, conclude that MC/DC maximizes test coverage through optimal test data from SMCD in comparison to Decision Coverage.

Oral candidiasis is a common problem among immunocompetent patients. The frequent resistance of Candida strains to popular antimycotics makes it necessary to look for alternative methods of treatment. The authors conducted a systematic review following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The objective of this review was to determine whether curcumin-mediated aPDT and blue light could be considered as an alternative treatment for oral candidiasis. PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane Library databases were searched using a combination of the following keywords: (Candida OR candidiasis oral OR candidosis oral OR denture stomatitis) AND (curcumin OR photodynamic therapy OR aPDT OR photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy OR PACT OR photodynamic inactivation OR PDI). The review included in vitro laboratory studies with Candida spp., in vivo animal studies, and randomized control trials (RCTs) involving patients with oral candidiasis or prosthetic stomatitis, published only in English. The method of elimination of Candida species in the studies was curcumin-mediated aPDT. 757 studies were identified. Following the analysis of the titles and abstracts of the studies, only 42 studies were selected for in-depth screening, after which 26 were included in this study. All studies evaluated the antifungal efficacy of curcumin-mediated aPDT against C. albicans and non-albicans Candida. In studies conducted with planktonic cells solutions, seven studies demonstrated complete elimination of Candida spp. cells. The remaining studies demonstrated only partial elimination. In all cases, experiments on single-species yeast biofilms demonstrated partial, statistically significant inhibition of cell growth and reduction of biofilm mass. In vivo, curcumin-mediated aPDT has shown good antifungal activity against oral candidiasis also in an animal model. However, its clinical efficacy as a potent therapeutic strategy for oral candidiasis requires further RCTs.

Then the purposes of this study were to compare and correlate the aerobic threshold (TH_aer) and anaerobic threshold (TH_anaer) measured during a new single judo specific incremental test and Treadmill Test for aerobic demand evaluation. Eight well-trained male competitive judo players (24.3±7.9 years; height of 169.3±6.7cm; fat mass of 12.7±3.9%) performed a maximal incremental specific test for judo mimicking the UchiKomi drills and on treadmill in different days. There was difference between specific and general TH_aer (P=0.0006) as well as weak correlation for TH_aer (r=0.32; R²=0.1; P=0.2) and TH_anaer (rs=-0.31; R²=0.1; P=0.12). When correlation was applied with normalized data (percentage of peak load) we observed moderate correlation for TH_aer (r=0.76; R²=0.58; P=0.027), but the same was not observed for TH_anaer. We conclude that there is a need of TH_aer and TH_anaer evaluation through a specific test for Judo.

The interface of a structural system in the soil is usually unsaturated. A decrease in the shear strength of the soil-structure interface can degrade the structure, especially under humid conditions. Studying the shear characteristics of the silt-concrete interface using a shear apparatus. Suction-controlled ring shear tests were carried out on the silt-concrete interface for three interface roughness values. The influence of the matric suction (s) and interface roughness (R) on the shear strength index of the silt-concrete interface was analyzed. The test results showed that high values of s and R improved the shear strength of the interface, but the result was affected by the net normal stress (NNS). High values of NNS and R improved the strain-hardening characteristics. NNS, s, and R significantly affected the interface shear shrinkage. The internal friction angle of the saturated interface was smaller than that of saturated silt, whereas the opposite occurred in the unsaturated state. The cohesion and internal friction angle of the interface rose with an increase in R, and they were larger than that of silt. A shear strength model of the silt and interface was established.

Background: In antibiotic naïve populations, there is a strong association between the use of an antimicrobial and resistance to this antimicrobial. Less evidence is available as to whether this relationship is weakened in populations highly exposed to antimicrobials. Individuals taking HIV PrEP have a high intake of antimicrobials. We previously found that there was no difference in the prevalence of pheno- and genotypic antimicrobial resistance between two groups of PrEP clients who had, and had not, taken antimicrobials in the prior 6-months. Both groups did, however, have a higher prevalence of resistance than a sample of the general population. Methods: In the current study, we used zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to evaluate if there was an individual level association between the consumption of antimicrobials and 1. the minimum inhibitory susceptibilities of oral Neisseria subflava and 2. the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes in the oropharynges of these individuals. Results: We found no evidence of an association between the consumption of antimicrobials and the minimum inhibitory susceptibilities of oral Neisseria subflava or the abundance of antimicrobial resistance genes in these individuals. Conclusions: We conclude that in high antimicrobial consumption populations, the association between antimicrobial consumption and resistance may be attenuated.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have emerged as a promising solution to tackle bacterial infections and combat antibiotic resistance. However, their clinical application has been hindered by their vulnerability to protease degradation and toxicity towards mammalian cells. To overcome these challenges, our study aims to develop a method to enhance the stability and safety of AMPs, applicable to effective drug-device combination products. KR12 antimicrobial peptide was chosen and in order to further enhance its delivery and efficacy, HIV TAT protein-derived cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) was fused to form CPP-KR12. A new product, CPP-KR12@Si, was developed by forming silica nanoparticles with self-entrapped CPP-KR12 peptide using the biomimetic silica precipitability due to its cationic nature. Peptide delivery from CPP-KR12@Si to bacteria and cells was delivered at a slightly delayed rate with improved stability against trypsin treatment and a reduction in cytotoxicity over CPP-KR12. Finally, the antimicrobial potential of CPP-KR12@Si/bone graft substitute (BGS) combination product was demonstrated, which is coated with CPP-KR12 in the form of nanoparticles on the surface of BGS. Self-entrapped AMP in silica nanoparticles is a safe and effective AMP delivery method that will be useful for developing a drug/device combination product for tissue regeneration.

In this study, global response analysis was performed to explore the mechanism of action of Usnic acid and its synergy with Norfloxacin, a well-known quinolone antibiotic to which MRSA clinical isolates showed resistance (MIC, 500 µg/mL). Microdilution assay, growth kinetics, microscopic analysis, and cell-based assays consistently showed that Usnic acid possess strong anti-staphylococcal activity (MIC, 7.8 µg/ml), causes cell leakage, modulates efflux pump activity, and synergizes with Norfloxacin against multi-drug resistant clinical isolate MRSA 2071. Whole cell proteome profiling using gel-free based nano-LC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS revealed several proteins whose expression was significantly modulated by Usnic acid and Norfloxacin alone or in combination. Usnic acid downregulated the abundance of RNA polymerase subunits (RpoB, RpoC), carbamoyl phosphate synthase large subunit (PyrAB), chaperone (GroEL), and adenylosuccinate synthetase (PurA). Interestingly, proteins found to be upregulated in the presence of Usnic acid and Norfloxacin included oxidative stress-related proteins such as peroxidase (Tpx), alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AphC), and general stress protein (UspA). This study clearly showed that Usnic acid affects numerous cellular targets and can potentiate the action of Norfloxacin. Furthermore, an in-vivo study emphasized the use of Usnic acid to develop as a safe phytopharmaceutical to repurpose old antibiotics through combination therapy against MRSA infections.

The gut microbiota has recently been associated with susceptibility/resistance to malaria in animal models and humans, yet the impact of the gut microbiota on the risk of a malaria attack remains to be assessed. This study aims at assessing the influence of the gut microbiota on malaria attacks and Plasmodium parasitæmia in children living in a malaria-endemic area in Mali. Three hundred healthy children were included in a 16-months cohort study in Bandiagara. Their gut bacteria and fungi community structures were characterised via 16S and ITS metabarcoding from stool samples collected at inclusion. Clinician team monitored the occurrence of malaria attacks. Asymptomatic carriage of Plasmodium was assessed by qPCR. Over the 16-month period, 107 (36%) children experienced at least one occurrence of malaria attacks, and 82 (27%) at least one asymptomatic Plasmodium parasitæmia episode. A higher gut bacteria richness was independently associated with susceptibility to asymptomatic parasitæmia episodes and malaria attacks; while the Shannon H diversity and Chao-1 richness index of gut fungi community structure was relatively homogeneous in children who were and were not infected with P. falciparum. Using a linear discriminant effect size analysis of operational taxonomic units assigned to the species level, 17 bacteria, including Clostridiaceae, Eubacteriaceae, Senegalimassilia sp., Atopobiaceae and Lachnosipraceae, and seven fungi, including Dioszegia fristigensis, Ogataea polymorpha and Cutaneotrichosporon cyanovorans, were associated with susceptibility; whereas eight bacteria, including, Bifidobacterium spp., Weissela confusa and Peptostreptococcacea, and 3 fungi, Malassezia sp., Niesslia exosporoides, and Didymocrea leucaenae, were associated with resistance to malaria. Moreover, 15 bacteria, including Coproccus eutactus, Terrisporobacter petrolearius, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Ruminococcaceae, and 13 fungi, including Wallemia mellicola, were associated with susceptibility, whereas 19 bacteria, including Bifidobacterium spp., Bacteroides fragilis, Peptostreptococcacea, and Lactobacillus ruminis, and three fungi, including Cryptococcus neoformans, were associated with resistance to asymptomatic Plasmodium parasitæmia episodes. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings that point the way towards strategies aiming to reduce the risk of malaria by modulating gut microbiota components in at-risk populations.

The assessment of rockfall risks on human activities and infrastructure is of great importance. Rock falls pose a significant risk to a) transportation infrastructure b) inhabited areas and c) Cultural Heritage sites. The paper presents a method to assess rockfall susceptibility at national scale in Greece, using a simple rating approach and GIS techniques. An extensive inventory of rockfalls for the entire country was compiled for the period between 1935 and 2019. The rockfall events that were recorded are those, which have mainly occurred as distinct rockfall episodes in natural slopes and have impacted human activities, such as roads, inhabited areas and archaeological sites. Through a detailed analysis of the recorded data, it was possible to define the factors which determine the occurrence of rockfalls. Based on this analysis, the susceptibility zoning against rockfalls at national scale was prepared, using a simple rating approach and GIS techniques. The rockfall susceptibility zoning takes into account the following parameters: (a) the slope gradient, (b) the lithology, (c) the annual rainfall intensity, (d) the earthquake intensity and (e) the active fault presence. Emphasis was given on the study of the earthquake effect as a triggering mechanism of rockfalls. Finally, the temporal and spatial frequency of the recorded events and the impact of rockfalls on infrastructure assets and human activities in Greece were evaluated.

State-of-the-art augmented-reality (AR) glasses record their position and orientation in space, enabling measurements and analyses of clinical gait-and-balance tests. This study’s objective was to evaluate concurrent validity and test-retest reliability for common clinical gait-and-balance tests in people with Parkinson’s disease: the Five Times Sit-To-Stand (FTSTS) and Timed Up-and-Go (TUG) tests. Position and orientation data was collected in 22 participants with Parkinson's disease using HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap 2 AR glasses, from which test-completion durations and durations of distinct sub-parts (e.g., sit-to-stand, turning) were derived and compared to reference systems and over test repetitions. Regarding concurrent validity, for both tests an excellent between-systems agreement was found for position and orientation time series and test-completion durations. Between-systems agreement for FTSTS (sub-)durations were all excellent, while TUG turning sub-durations were excellent (turn 1) and moderate (turn 2). Regarding test-retest reliability, the within-system test-retest variation in test-completion times and sub-durations was always much greater than the between-systems variation, implying that these (sub-)durations may be derived interchangeably from AR and reference-system data. In conclusion, AR data are of sufficient quality to evaluate gait and balance in people with Parkinson's disease, with valid quantification of test-completion durations and sub-durations of distinct FTSTS and TUG sub-parts.

Doravirine (DOR) is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) with efficacy against some NNRTI resistant mutants. Although DOR resistance mutations are established for HIV-1 subtype B, it is less clear for non-B subtypes. This study investigated prevalent NNRTI resistance mutations on DOR susceptibility in HIV-1 subtype C. Prevalent drug resistance mutations were identified from a South African genotypic drug resistance testing database. Mutations, single or in combination, were introduced into replication defective pseudoviruses and assessed for DOR susceptibility in vitro. The single V106M and Y188L mutations caused high-level resistance while others didn’t significantly impact DOR susceptibility. We observed agreement between our in vitro and the Stanford HIVdb predicted susceptibilities. However, the F227L mutation was predicted to cause high-level DOR resistance but was susceptible in vitro. Combinations of mutations containing K103N, V106M or Y188L caused high-level resistance, in agreement with the predictions. These mutations are frequently observed in patients failing efavirenz or nevirapine-based first-line regimens. However, they are also observed in those failing a protease inhibitor-based second-line regimen, as we have observed in our database. Genotypic drug resistance testing is therefore vital prior to initiation on DOR-based treatment for those previously exposed to efavirenz or nevirapine.

Geopolymers, made from aluminosilicate raw materials, offer significant environmental advantages over conventional concrete (CC) mixes. This study explores the compressive strength, setting time, and durability of geopolymer concrete (GPC) cylinders, some of which include an additional ordinary portland cement (OPC) mix. Consistent material composition and testing methods are emphasized to achieve reliable results. MATLAB was utilized to develop and assess a neural network model predicting the compressive strength of GPC based on key variables. The model was validated using 16 experimental samples and 1047 samples from various studies. The performance plot displayed the Mean Squared Error (MSE) over iterations, identifying the best training performance at epoch 658 with an MSE of 5.3408. The Error Histogram highlighted distribution errors between predicted and actual compressive strength values, with the highest range from -1.015 to 0.3587, meaning that the predicted values were mostly within a small margin of error from the actual values. This narrow error range indicates that the ANN model has high accuracy in its predictions, as most errors are small and clustered around zero, demonstrating reliable performance in estimating compressive strength. Regression analysis showed varying correlation coefficients (training set R=0.98373, test set R=0.88164, and whole set R=0.96982), indicating adequate predictive accuracy. The results demonstrate that properly trained neural networks can effectively predict the compressive strength of GPC, highlighting its potential as a sustainable construction material.

The development of multidrug resistance by pathogenic bacteria and yeast is a significant medical problem that needs to be addressed. One possible answer could be the combined use of antibiotics and silver nanoparticles, which have different mechanisms of antimicrobial action. Nanoparticles can be combined with antifungal agents in the same way. Biogenic silver nanoparticles synthesized using environmentally friendly technology using extracts of biologically active plants are an effective nanomaterial that needs to be comprehensively investigated for implementation into medical practice. In this study, the synergistic effects arising from their combined use with antibiotics and fungicides against various bacteria and yeasts, included in the ESKAPE list, were studied. Effective concentrations of substances were established, recommendations for the studied pathogenic species were presented and the effect of destruction of the bacterial membrane was illustrated. The most significant synergistic effect was manifested in pathogenic candida and brewer's yeast.

New antimicrobial approaches are essential to counter antimicrobial resistance. The drug development pipeline is exhausted with emergence of resistance resulting in unsuccessful trials. The lack of an effective drug developed from the conventional drug portfolio has mandated the introspection into the list of potentially effective unconventional alternate antimicrobial molecules. Alternate therapies, that are clinically explicable forms include monoclonal antibodies, antimicrobial peptides, aptamers and phages. Clinical diagnostics optimizes the drug delivery. In the era of diagnostic-based applications, it is logical to draw diagnostic based treatment for infectious diseases. Selection criteria of alternate therapeutics in infectious disease include detection, monitoring of response and resistance mechanism identification. Integrating these diagnostic applications is disruptive to the traditional therapeutic development. The challenges and mitigation methods need to be noted. Applying the goals of clinical pharmacokinetics that include enhancing efficacy and decreasing toxicity of drug therapy this review analyses the strong correlation of alternate antimicrobial therapeutics in infectious diseases. The relationship between drug concentration and the resulting effect defined by the pharmacodynamic parameters are also analyzed. This review analyzes the perspectives of aligning diagnostic initiatives into the use of alternate therapeutics with a particular focus on companion diagnostic applications in infectious diseases.

This study uses a mass-spring-damping system to simulate the repeated strain of liquefaction cyclic triaxial tests. The two results are compared in this paper to understand the feasibility of the mass-spring-damping system developed in this paper and the feasibility of future research on this related topic and development potential. The main factors affecting this mode's repeated strain are the spring coefficient k and the external force Q0. The spring coefficient has an inverse relationship but does not increase in multiples. The external force has a direct proportional relationship but does not increase the result- a non-multiple increase. When the pore water pressure of the liquefied cyclic triaxial test specimen rises, it will cause the specimen to liquefy, decreasing effective stress, shear modulus G, and damping ratio D, causing an increase in strain. The shear modulus and damping ratio are related to the spring coefficients k and c. Both are variables that change with time. This article takes an original thin-tube specimen at point A in the Yunlin area in Taiwan as a testing example. Through Mathematica software, it can be obtained that the mass m=1kg, the spring coefficient k=244e-0.1t kgf/cm, and the damping coefficient c=0.739e-0.257t kgf-s/cm and external force Q0=10.1sin2πt kg; Finally, this study selected the original thin-tube specimens from four locations in the Yunlin area, and simulated the repeated strain amount of the cyclic triaxial test specimens through a spring-damping system. The results show that the spring-damping system is feasible for simulated cyclic triaxial tests because the model is simple and the parameters are easy to understand and obtain, which also shows the extensibility of this model. Preliminary results of the research show that this model can further simulate the repeated strain obtained by cyclic triaxial tests without considering the increased trend in pore water pressure and the decrease in effective stress during cyclic loading.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in cattle raised in North America. At the feedlot, cattle are subject to metaphylactic treatment with macrolides to prevent BRD, a practice that may promote antimicrobial resistance and has resulted in an urgent need for novel strategies. Mannheimia haemolytica is one of the major bacterial agents of BRD. The inhibitory effects of two amphipathic, α-helical (PRW4, WRL3) and one β-sheet (WK2) antimicrobial peptides were evaluated against multidrug-resistant (MDR) M. haemolytica isolated from Alberta feedlots. WK2 was not cytotoxic against bovine turbinate (BT) cells by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. All three peptides inhibited M. haemolytica, with WK2, being the most efficacious against multiple isolates. At 8-16 µg/ml, WK2 was bactericidal against Mh 330 in broth and at 32 µg/ml in the presence of BT cells, reduced the population by 3 logs CFU/ml without causing cytotoxic effects. The membrane integrity of Mh 330 was examined using NPN (1-N-phenylnaphthylamine), and ONPG (o-Nitrophenyl β-D-galactopyranoside) with both the inner and outer membranes being compromised. Thus, WK2 may be a viable alternative to the use of macrolides as part of BRD prevention and treatment strategies.

Helicobacter pylori infection constitutes a silent pandemic of global concern. In the last decades, the alarming increase of multidrug resistance evolved by this pathogen has led to a marked drop in the eradication rates of traditional therapies worldwide, encouraging scientific community to discover and develop new antimicrobial strategies. In the present work, we identified a battery of novel drug-like HsrA inhibitors with MIC values ranging from 0.031 to 4 mg/L against antibiotic-resistant strains of H. pylori. Most of these novel antimicrobials exhibited minor effects against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive species of human microbiota. The most potent anti-H. pylori candidate demonstrated a high therapeutic index, additive effect in combination with metronidazole and clarithromycin, as well as a strong antimicrobial action against Campylobacter jejuni, another clinically relevant pathogen of phylum Campylobacterota. Transcriptomic analysis suggested that in vivo inhibition of HsrA triggered lethal global disturbances in H. pylori physiology, including the arrest of protein biosynthesis, malfunction of respiratory chain, detriment in ATP generation, and oxidative stress. The novel drug-like HsrA inhibitors described here constitute valuable candidates to a new family of narrow-spectrum antibiotics that allow overcoming the current resistome, protecting from dysbiosis, and increasing therapeutic options for novel personalized treatments against H. pylori.

The textile sector is responsible for a number of environmental impacts. Due to the in-creasing quantities of textiles, their share is rising and a trend reversal from a linear to a circular textile chain is needed. This article presents the background, methodological approach and results of a participatory textile development model. In the commercial B2B sector, three textile prototypes were developed together with users and trialled over several months in three application areas. Textile development took into account the requirements of fibre regeneration in the product design and focused on innova-tive chemical recycling solutions. The three sustainably aligned textiles were subject-ed to spectroscopic and textile-technological tests. Screening life cycle assessments an-alysed their environmental profile and compared it with reference textiles that are used as standard. Overall, it is clear that the three textiles can match conventional ref-erence textiles in terms of quality and have considerable environmental benefits com-pared to the reference textiles. The user survey did identify concerns about a high arti-ficial fibre content, although a general rejection of recycled fibres was not observed. The results show that a transformation is possible, but must start with the fibre com-position; recycling, on the other hand, is of minor importance.

Introduction: Biliary Atresia (BA) is a common cause of neonatal cholestatic jaundice which, if recognized and treated early, can be life-saving for the infant. If the liver biopsy suggests the presence of BA, exploratory laparotomy is then carried out to confirm the diagnosis, along with the Kasai procedure to provide drainage to the bile secreted by the liver. The purpose of this study is to get a deep dive into all the various imaging modalities that can diagnose BA more effectively and with absolute certitude, thus helping prevent several children from a grave prognosis.Methodology: For the collection of the data, a search was done by two individuals using PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library databases for all relevant literature. Each qualifying paper was evaluated independently by two reviewers. Each article was analyzed for the number of patients, their age, procedure modality, complexity of ethology, and incidence of the pre-decided complications. The statistical software packages RevMan (Review Manager, version 5.3), SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 20), Google Sheets, and Excel in Stata 14 were used to perform the statistical analyses. The data was obtained and entered into analytic software.Results: A total of 39 studies with 3,679 subjects were selected for the study, out of which 7 studies showed sensitivity above or equal to 95%, and an astounding 14 studies showed specificity above 95%. The value of True Positive (TP) was 1280, that of True Negative (TN) was 1817, that of False Positive (FP) was 239, and that of False Negative (FN) was 343. With a confidence interval of 95%, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values were calculated. The sensitivity of Ultrasonography for Biliary Atresia is 0.79, with a CI of 95% in a range of 0.77 to 0.81. The specificity of Ultrasonography for Biliary Atresia is 0.88, with a CI of 95% in a range of 0.87 to 0.90. Conclusion: Even though several radiological techniques at present help to detect BA, USG of the abdomen proves to be an effective diagnostic and a modest screening test for the detection of BA.

Asymptotic theories for fractional cointegrations have been extensively studied in the context of time series data, with numerous empirical studies and tests developed. However, most of the previously developed testing procedures for fractional cointegration were primarily designed for time series data. This paper proposes a generalized residual-based test for fractionally cointegrated panels with fixed effects. The test development is based on bivariate panel series with the regressor assumed to be fixed across cross-sectional units. The proposed test procedure accommodates any integration order between [0,1], and it is asymptotically normal under the null hypothesis. Monte Carlo experiments demonstrate that the test exhibits better size and power compared to a similar residual-based test across varying sample sizes.

Salmonella species are important foodborne pathogens worldwide. Salmonella pathogenicity is associated with multiple virulence factors and enhanced antimicrobial resistance. To determine the molecular characteristics and genetic correlations of Salmonella, 24 strains of Salmonella isolated from different sources (raw poultry, human stool, and food) in the Wenzhou area were investigated to determine the distribution of antimicrobial resistance and virulence determinants using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Aminoglycoside-resistance genes were detected in all samples. Over half of the samples found antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs) and point mutations for several clinically frequently used antibiotic, β-lactamases, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones. Of these strains, 62.5% were predicted to be multidrug-resistant (MDR). The quinolone-modifying enzyme gene aac(6')-Ib-cr, detected in five samples (S1–S4 and S10), were located on integrons. Analysis of Salmonella pathogenicity island (SPI) profiles suggests that serotypes with close genetic relationships share the same distribution of virulence factors, revealing a link between genotype and SPI profiles. CgMLST analysis indicated that five isolates S14–S18 were closely related to strains originating from the UK, suggesting that they may have been introduced from the UK. Data from this study may enrich the molecular traceability database for Salmonella and provide a basis for effective public health policies.

Pulmonary infections with Mycobacterium avium occur in susceptible individuals following exposure to the bacterium in the environment, where it often persists in biofilms. Many methods have been used to generate biofilms of M. avium, and it is unknown whether different approaches generate similar structures and cell phenotypes. To make a parallel comparison of in vitro biofilm ultrastructure, extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, and drug susceptibility of biofilm resident bacteria, we used two published methods to generate M. avium biofilms: four week incubation in M63 medium or 24 hour exposure to dithiothreitol (DTT). Scanning electron microscopy revealed differences in biofilm ultrastructure between the two methods, including variation in appearance of ECM materials and morphology of resident cells, while light microscopy and staining with calcofluor white indicated that both biofilms contained polysaccharides characteristic of cellulose. Measuring susceptibility of biofilms to degradation by enzymes suggested differences in structurally important ECM molecules, with DTT biofilms having important protein and, to a lesser extent, cellulose components, and M63 biofilms having moderate protein, cellulose, and DNA components. Both biofilms conferred resistance to the bactericidal effects of amikacin and clarithromycin, with resident cells being killed at &gt;10-fold lower rates than planktonic cells at almost all concentrations. Though these comparisons indicate differences in biofilm responses by M. avium under differing conditions, they also suggest common features of biofilm formation including cellulose production and antimicrobial resistance.

Objective: On March 11, 2020 the WHO declared that COVID-19 is pandemic. Among the risk factors for many infectious diseases, a role of the ABO blood group system is reported in the literature. We argue whether it is necessary to investigate the relationship between ABO blood groups and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection and if we should consider some blood groups as potential risk factors for COVID-19. Results: Based on the scientific evidence reported in this letter, we believe that further studies are needed to investigate how the ABO polymorphism influences the host susceptibility, individual response and clinical risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection.