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Australia lags behind other linguistic and culturally diverse countries in policy direction and approaches to early multilingual education, despite well-established research documenting the intellectual, linguistic, sociocultural, familial and economic benefits of multilingualism in the early years. This is evidenced by the absence of a national policy framework that addresses early multilingual education in Australia, and the relatively limited attention given to research on the role of early childhood education in supporting and extending children's home languages. Within this context, using data from a larger study on early multilingual education, this article builds on empirical data from interviews with four educators representing two early childhood education settings. This article aims to examine the educators' perspectives of their settings' policy and practice, in the absence of broader curriculum frameworks, regarding their role in extending children's home languages. Despite this policy gap, the authors explore how these settings facilitated the diverse linguistic and cultural assets of children and families by supporting and extending children's home languages. Drawing on Bourdieu's framework of social practice, they examine various pedagogical approaches implemented at the settings that validated children's multilingualism, and explore the range of opportunities afforded to multilingual children in using their home languages at the settings. The findings reveal that despite the educators' well-developed understandings of the benefits of early multilingualism, there is some confusion regarding appropriate pedagogical approaches for multilingual support in early childhood education.

UNLABELLED: Gonorrhea, caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc), is characterized by neutrophilic influx to infection sites. Gc has developed mechanisms to resist killing by neutrophils that include modifications to its surface lipooligosaccharide (LOS). One such LOS modification is sialylation: Gc sialylates its terminal LOS sugars with cytidine-5-monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid, which is scavenged from the host using LOS sialyltransferase (Lst) since Gc cannot make its sialic acid. Sialylation enables sensitive strains of Gc to resist complement-mediated killing in a serum-dependent manner. However, little is known about the contribution of sialylation to complement-independent, direct Gc-neutrophil interactions. In the absence of complement, we found sialylated Gc expressing opacity-associated (Opa) proteins decreased the oxidative burst and granule exocytosis from primary human neutrophils. In addition, sialylated Opa+ Gc survived better than vehicle treated or Δlst Gc when challenged with neutrophils. However, Gc sialylation did not significantly affect Opa-dependent association with or internalization of Gc by neutrophils. Previous studies have implicated sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-type lectins (Siglecs) in modulating neutrophil interactions with sialylated Gc. Blocking neutrophil Siglecs with antibodies that bind to their extracellular domains eliminated the ability of sialylated Opa+ Gc to suppress the oxidative burst and resist neutrophil killing. These findings highlight a new role for sialylation in Gc evasion of human innate immunity, with implications for the development of vaccines and therapeutics for gonorrhea. IMPORTANCE: Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea, is an urgent global health concern due to increasing infection rates, widespread antibiotic resistance, and its ability to thwart protective immune responses. The mechanisms by which Gc subverts protective immune responses remain poorly characterized. One way N. gonorrhoeae evades human immunity is by adding sialic acid that is scavenged from the host onto its lipooligosaccharide, using the sialyltransferase Lst. Here, we found that sialylation enhances N. gonorrhoeae survival from neutrophil assault and inhibits neutrophil activation, independently of the complement system. Our results implicate bacterial binding of sialic acid-binding lectins (Siglecs) on the neutrophil surface, which dampens neutrophil antimicrobial responses. This work identifies a new role for sialylation in protecting N. gonorrhoeae from cellular innate immunity, which can be targeted to enhance the human immune response in gonorrhea.

Performance feedback has been identified as an evidence-based practice to improve teacher implementation fidelity. The efficacy of performance feedback might be enhanced with ancillary strategies such as goal setting. In this paper, we systematically reviewed 22 experimental studies in which a combination of goal setting and performance feedback was used to improve teacher implementation of practices. We summarized effects and explored which aspects of goal setting and performance feedback were associated with improved performance. Overall, we found the combination of goal setting and performance feedback was highly effective. We found that the features associated with consistent positive effects included visual presentation of data, verbal feedback, teacher-created goals, measurement of progress toward goals, and discussion of goals during feedback. We discuss why these particular features might be efficacious, and how administrators and teacher trainers can integrate them into their efforts to support teachers to improve their practice.

Recent political earthquakes such as the assassination attempt against former president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden's withdrawal from the 2024 campaign quickly overshadowed the various court proceedings involving the [...]

Background: The objective of this study was to evaluate if imbalance influences complication rates, radiological outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) following adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery. Methods: ASD patients with baseline and 2-year radiographic and PROMs were included. Patients were grouped according to whether they answered yes or no to a recent history of pre-operative loss of balance. The groups were propensity-matched by age, pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis (PI-LL), and surgical invasiveness score. Results: In total, 212 patients were examined (106 in each group). Patients with gait imbalance had worse baseline PROM measures, including Oswestry disability index (45.2 vs. 36.6), SF-36 mental component score (44 vs. 51.8), and SF-36 physical component score (p < 0.001 for all). After 2 years, patients with gait imbalance had less pelvic tilt correction (-1.2 vs. -3.6°, p = 0.039) for a comparable PI-LL correction (-11.9 vs. -15.1°, p = 0.144). Gait imbalance patients had higher rates of radiographic proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) (26.4% vs. 14.2%) and implant-related complications (47.2% vs. 34.0%). After controlling for age, baseline sagittal parameters, PI-LL correction, and comorbidities, patients with imbalance had 2.2-times-increased odds of PJK after 2 years. Conclusions: Patients with a self-reported loss of balance/unsteady gait have significantly worse PROMs and higher risk of PJK.

AbstractThe project aimed to revolutionize home security by developing innovative, user-friendly, and highly secure smart security devices requiring minimal installation and robust data protection. Through meticulous research and critical design phases, the project successfully achieved its objectives, surpassing initial goals and setting new standards for home security.Objectives & Research Findings:The project aimed to address the critical needs of homeowners, tenants/renters, and property managers by focusing on damage-free installation, easy setup, remote monitoring, and encrypted data transmission. Analysis of burglary statistics emphasized the vulnerability of inadequate door-locking mechanisms, while exploration of sensor technologies identified viable options for detecting door status. Patent analysis provided insights into prior art and innovation trends, guiding design decisions and strategies for intellectual property protection.Critical Design Phase & Achievements:Detailed engineering analysis, testing protocols, risk assessment, and compliance considerations were conducted. Hardware components were carefully selected and tested for optimal performance, and housing units were designed for durability and practical installation. Non-invasive sensors facilitated risk-free installation, while battery-powered sensors ensured portability and longevity. Invasive sensor options were developed for permanent home installation, and user-friendly mobile/web applications provided real-time property security status with secure and encrypted data transmission.Future Recommendations & Conclusion:Future recommendations include extending battery life, enhancing data protection measures, implementing a notification system within the application, and ensuring compatibility with other smart home systems. The project demonstrates how innovative security solutions can evolve alongside technology to meet user needs effectively, setting new benchmarks for convenience, flexibility, and data protection in home security systems. Lessons learned will guide future improvements, ensuring continued innovation and user satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Research has demonstrated the negative impact of racism on health, yet the measurement of racial sentiment remains challenging. This article provides practical guidance on using social media data for measuring public sentiment. METHODS: We describe the main steps of such research, including data collection, data cleaning, binary sentiment analysis, and visualization of findings. We randomly sampled 55,844,310 publicly available tweets from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2021 using Twitters Application Programming Interface. We restricted analyses to US tweets in English using one or more 90 race-related keywords. We used a Support Vector Machine, a supervised machine learning model, for sentiment analysis. RESULTS: The proportion of tweets referencing racially minoritized groups that were negative increased at the county, state, and national levels, with a 16.5% increase at the national level from 2011 to 2021. Tweets referencing Black and Middle Eastern people consistently had the highest proportion of negative sentiment compared with all other groups. Stratifying temporal trends by racial and ethnic groups revealed unique patterns reflecting historical events specific to each group, such as the killing of George Floyd regarding sentiment of posts referencing Black people, discussions of the border crisis near the 2018 midterm elections and anti-Latinx sentiment, and the emergence of COVID-19 and anti-Asian sentiment. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates the utility of social media data as a quantitative means to measure racial sentiment over time and place. This approach can be extended to a range of public health topics to investigate how changes in social and cultural norms impact behaviors and policy.A supplemental digital video is available at http://links.lww.com/EDE/C91.

Virtual reality (VR) is an innovative technology that is rapidly gaining popularity in and out of the classroom. With improvements in hardware and software technology and the push for one-to-one computing, teachers have access to innovative VR supports and resources. These innovative technologies have the potential to improve instruction for diverse learners in today's classroom, particularly students with identified disabilities. VR, as an interactive and visual tool, provides teachers with the ability to support and enhance traditional classroom materials for students, particularly those with disabilities. However, teacher time is often compromised and finding new technology can be daunting. This article intends to assist educators in utilizing VR in the classroom, with minimal effort and money. Using a detailed vignette, we guide the reader through a detailed example of how VR apps can be located and implemented for students with disabilities who struggle with motivation and engagement through experiential learning. Finally, we offer additional apps and their delivery devices as a starting point for teachers to begin creating more immersive and interactive content through VR technology.

Teacher implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) is critical for student success, yet a gap remains between research to practice. Two EBPs that specifically promote student engagement and positive behavior are specific praise (BSP) and active student responding (OTR). Unfortunately, many classroom teachers, specifically pre-service teachers, struggle with implementing EBPs. While the caseload demands continue to increase for university field supervisors, educator preparation programs are tasked with finding effective and efficient ways to provide feedback to pre-service teachers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of written performance feedback and goal setting on increasing evidence-based classroom management practices with special education pre-service teachers. Using a single-case multiple probe design, researchers found that all pre-service teachers increased their rate of BSP and OTR after receiving performance feedback with and without goal setting by email. Results from social validity, limitations, and directions for future research are also discussed.

Although evidence-based practices for improving academic engagement for students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders (EBD) have been identified, many teachers do not implement these practices with optimal fidelity. Thus, effective strategies are needed to improve teacher fidelity. Performance feedback is an effective professional development strategy, but it is unclear whether ancillary strategies like goal setting might further improve fidelity. In this study, we evaluated the effects of email performance feedback with and without goal setting on teacher implementation of opportunities to respond and behavior-specific praise using a multiple probe design. Participants were four general and special educators at a U.S. alternative school for students with EBD. Results indicated that a combination of written performance feedback and goal setting was effective, and that performance feedback alone was also effective. We were unable to determine whether the goal-setting component strengthened the performance feedback. Teachers provided positive feedback about the utility and feasibility of performance feedback with goal setting.

Introducción: el creciente número de estudios que relacionan la actividad deportiva con una mejor salud y bienestar ha consolidado el respaldo al deporte como enfoque preventivo y de promoción de la salud en todos los contextos. Objetivo: analizar las relaciones entre la actividad deportiva y calidad de vida en estudiantes de contabilidad y administración en Arequipa. Metodología: este estudio empleó una estrategia cuantitativa, transversal y explicativa, diseño no experimental, de tipo descriptiva correlacional basada en el modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para identificar relaciones causales. Se encuestó a 1435 estudiantes de contabilidad y administración en Arequipa mediante un cuestionario para conocer el grado de relación entre las variables estudiadas. Resultados: se muestra la relación causal significativa entre la calidad de vida de los estudiantes y la actividad deportiva (0.889), además de los constructos: intensidad (0.827), frecuencia (0.914) y duración (0.861). También se mostró un error cuadrático (RMSEA) de 0.071 y una discrepancia (CMIN/Gl) de 2.543 lo que hace relevante el modelo confirmatorio. Conclusiones: los constructos frecuencia, intensidad y duración de la actividad deportiva, tiene una relación estadísticamente significativa sobre la calidad de vida en estudiantes de contabilidad y administración en Arequipa.

# Background Athletes at risk for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury have concurrent deficits in visuocognitive function and sensorimotor brain functional connectivity. # Purpose This study aimed to determine whether visual perturbation neuromuscular training (VPNT, using stroboscopic glasses and external visual focus feedback) increases physical and cognitive training demand, improves landing mechanics, and reduces neural activity for knee motor control. # Design Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Eight right leg dominant healthy female athletes (20.4±1.1yrs; 1.6±0.1m; 64.4±7.0kg) participated in four VPNT sessions. Before and after VPNT, real-time landing mechanics were assessed with the Landing Error Scoring System (LESS) and neural activity was assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging during a unilateral right knee flexion/extension task. Physical and cognitive demand after each VPNT session was assessed with Borg’s Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) for both physical and cognitive perceived exertion and the NASA Task Load Index. Descriptives and effect sizes were calculated. # Results Following VPNT, LESS scores decreased by 1.5 ± 1.69 errors with a large effect size (0.78), indicating improved mechanics, and reductions in BOLD signal were observed in two clusters: 1) left supramarginal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, secondary somatosensory cortex (p=.012, z=4.5); 2) right superior frontal gyrus, supplementary motor cortex (p

Autistic adolescents and emerging adults experience high rates of mental health conditions--a risk factor for hospitalization. Using nationally representative data from the 2016 HCUP KID, we estimated the prevalence and costs of mental health-related hospitalizations for autistic adolescents and emerging adults in the United States. Hospital discharges for ages 10-20 years (n = 1,346,849) were analyzed using survey-adjusted logistic regression and general linear modeling. Mental health-related hospitalizations among autistic young people (n = 14,368) were mostly for neurodevelopmental, disruptive, depressive, and bipolar disorders. Mental health-related hospitalizations were almost 11 times more likely (OR = 10.98, 95% CI = 10.00-12.00) for autistic youth compared youth with complex and chronic conditions, and two times (OR = 2.03, 95% CI = 1.88-2.19) more likely compared to population controls. Predicted mean service delivery costs of mental health-related hospitalizations for autistic adolescents and emerging adults were US$7,401.23 per stay, resulting in US$106 million in estimated total service delivery costs in 2016. Mental health-related hospitalizations can indicate poor quality care, be traumatic, and increase suicide risk. Community mental health care for autistic young people is needed.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is an abnormal coronal curvature of the spine that most commonly presents in adolescence. While it may be asymptomatic, AIS can cause pain, cosmetic deformity, and physical and psychological disability with curve progression. As adolescents with AIS enter adulthood, condition outcomes vary with some experiencing curve stabilization and others noting further curve progression, chronic pain, osteoporosis/fractures, declines in pulmonary and functional capacity, among others. Regular monitoring and individualized management by healthcare professionals are crucial to address the diverse challenges and provide appropriate support for a fulfilling adult life with AIS. This review examines the prevalence, risk factors, presenting symptoms, diagnosis, management, and complications of AIS in the adult population, informing targeted interventions by clinicians caring for adult patients with AIS.

BackgroundResearch is needed to fully investigate the differential mechanisms racial and ethnic groups use to deal with ongoing intersectional racism in women's lives. The aim of this paper was to understand how Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern women experience racism-from personal perceptions and interactions to coping mechanisms and methods of protection.MethodsA purposive sample of 52 participants participated in 11 online racially/ethnically homogeneous focus groups conducted throughout the USA. A team consensus approach was utilized with codebook development and thematic analysis.ResultsThe findings relate to personal perceptions and interactions related to race and ethnicity, methods of protection against racism, vigilant behavior based on safety concerns, and unity across people of color. A few unique concerns by group included experiences of racism including physical violence among Asian American Pacific Islander groups, police brutality among Black groups, immigration discrimination in Latina groups, and religious discrimination in Middle Eastern groups. Changes in behavior for safety and protection include altering methods of transportation, teaching their children safety measures, and defending their immigration status. They shared strategies to help racial and ethnic minorities against racism including mental health resources and greater political representation. All racial and ethnic groups discussed the need for unity, solidarity, and allyship across various communities of color but for it to be authentic and long-lasting.ConclusionGreater understanding of the types of racism specific groups experience can inform policies and cultural change to reduce those factors.

We investigated the content of liberal and conservative news media Facebook posts on race and ethnic health disparities. A total of 3,327,360 liberal and conservative news Facebook posts from the United States (US) from January 2015 to May 2022 were collected from the Crowd Tangle platform and filtered for race and health-related keywords. Qualitative content analysis was conducted on a random sample of 1750 liberal and 1750 conservative posts. Posts were analyzed for a continuum of hate speech using a newly developed method combining faceted Rasch item response theory with deep learning. Across posts referencing Asian, Black, Latinx, Middle Eastern, and immigrants/refugees, liberal news posts had lower hate scores compared to conservative posts. Liberal news posts were more likely to acknowledge and detail the existence of racial/ethnic health disparities, while conservative news posts were more likely to highlight the negative consequences of protests, immigration, and the disenfranchisement of Whites. Facebook posts from liberal and conservative news focus on different themes with fewer discussions of racial inequities in conservative news. Investigating the discourse on race and health in social media news posts may inform our understanding of the public's exposure to and knowledge of racial health disparities, and policy-level support for ameliorating these disparities.

This work presents a quad-port Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) wideband antenna that operates in the terahertz (THz) frequency range is designed and analyzed. To improve MIMO performance, a defective ground structure (DGS) is used. A rectangular metallic patch was altered by adding parasitic elements to the radiator with the lowered ground plane on a polyamide substrate in order to achieve the wideband THz operating frequency. The THz antenna was turned into a MIMO antenna by replicating horizontally and vertically with a spacing of 0.05 λ and 0.002 λ, respectively (λ calculated at 1.7 THz). The designed THz MIMO antenna, comprising 40 μm × 46 μm × 2 μm, operates across the 1.7–10.4 THz frequency region. The THz MIMO antenna provides isolation of more than 20 dB in the frequency range of 2.8–10.4 THz and more than 10 dB for the frequency of 1.7–2.7 THz. Isolation augmentation is accomplished by establishing different local current channels using the antenna's DGS. The MIMO diversity properties of the proposed THz MIMO antenna are analyzed and found to be ECC

Objective:. To investigate the heterogeneity of treatment effects (HTE) of laser epilation in preventing pilonidal disease recurrence through analysis of prespecified clinical factors. Background:. Pilonidal disease is a common, painful disease affecting 1% of the population aged 15 to 30 years with postoperative recurrence rates as high as 30% to 40%. Methods:. Single-institution randomized controlled trial from September 2017 to September 2022 with 1-year follow-up, including patients aged 11 to 21 years with pilonidal disease undergoing gluteal cleft laser epilation and standard care (improved hygiene and mechanical or chemical depilation) or standard care alone. Results:. In total, 302 patients were enrolled with 151 randomized to each intervention. 1-year follow-up was available for 96 patients in the laser group and 134 in the standard care group. There were no significant differences in treatment effects based on sex, body mass index, previous disease, prior surgical excision, or annual household income (all P > 0.05). HTE was identified by race and ethnicity (P = 0.005) and health insurance type (P = 0.001). Recurrence among non-Hispanic white patients was 4% (3/75) with laser treatment and 31.6% (31/98) with standard care versus 38.9% (7/18) with laser treatment and 38.2% (13/34) with standard care among all other racial/ethnic groups. Recurrence rates among privately insured patients were 4.0% (3/75) with laser treatment and 33.3% (29/87) with standard care versus 36.8% (7/19) with laser treatment and 29.7% (11/37) with standard care in patients with public insurance. Conclusions:. The effectiveness of laser epilation to reduce pilonidal disease recurrence rates may vary based on race and ethnicity and insurance type. Additional studies are warranted to investigate this potential HTE.

BackgroundDespite persistent racial disparities in maternal health in the USA, there is limited qualitative research on women's experiences of discrimination during pregnancy and childbirth that focuses on similarities and differences across multiple racial groups.MethodsEleven focus groups with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern women (N = 52) in the USA were conducted to discuss the extent to which racism and discrimination impact pregnancy and birthing experiences.ResultsParticipants across groups talked about the role of unequal power dynamics, discrimination, and vulnerability in patient-provider relationships. Black participants noted the influence of prior mistreatment by providers in their healthcare decisions. Latinas expressed fears of differential care because of immigration status. Middle Eastern women stated that the Muslim ban bolstered stereotypes. Vietnamese participants discussed how the effect of racism on mothers' mental health could impact their children, while Black and Latina participants expressed constant racism-related stress for themselves and their children. Participants recalled better treatment with White partners and suggested a gradient of treatment based on skin complexion. Participants across groups expressed the value of racial diversity in healthcare providers and pregnancy/birthing-related support but warned that racial concordance alone may not prevent racism and emphasized the need to go beyond "band-aid solutions."ConclusionWomen's discussions of pregnancy and birthing revealed common and distinct experiences that varied by race, skin complexion, language, immigration status, and political context. These findings highlight the importance of qualitative research for informing maternal healthcare practices that reduce racial inequities.

Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are a heterogeneous class of cancers, predominately occurring in the gastroenteropancreatic system, which pose a growing health concern with a significant rise in incidence over the past four decades. Emerging from neuroendocrine cells, these tumors often elicit paraneoplastic syndromes such as carcinoid syndrome, which can manifest as a constellation of symptoms significantly impacting patients’ quality of life. The prognosis of NETs is influenced by their tendency for metastasis, especially in cases involving the liver, where the estimated 5-year survival is between 20 and 40%. Although surgical resection remains the preferred curative option, challenges emerge in cases of neuroendocrine tumors with liver metastasis (NELM) with multifocal lobar involvement, and many patients may not meet the criteria for surgery. Thus, minimally invasive and non-surgical treatments, such as locoregional therapies, have surfaced. Overall, these approaches aim to prioritize symptom relief and aid in overall tumor control. This review examines locoregional therapies, encompassing catheter-driven procedures, ablative techniques, and radioembolization therapies. These interventions play a pivotal role in enhancing progression-free survival and managing hormonal symptoms, contributing to the dynamic landscape of evolving NELM treatment. This review meticulously explores each modality, presenting the current state of the literature on their utilization and efficacy in addressing NELM.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae (the gonococcus, Gc) causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. Gc is a prominent threat to human health by causing severe lifelong sequelae, including infertility and chronic pelvic pain, which is amplified by the emergence of "superbug" strains resistant to all current antibiotics. Gc is highly adapted to colonize human mucosal surfaces, where it survives despite initiating a robust inflammatory response and influx of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs, neutrophils) that typically clear bacteria. Here, dual-species RNA-sequencing was used to define Gc and PMN transcriptional profiles alone and after infection. Core host and bacterial responses were assessed for two strains of Gc and three human donors' PMNs. Comparative analysis of Gc transcripts revealed overlap between Gc responses to PMNs, iron, and hydrogen peroxide; 98 transcripts were differentially expressed across both Gc strains in response to PMN co-culture, including iron-responsive and oxidative stress response genes. We experimentally determined that the iron-dependent TbpB is suppressed by PMN co-culture, and iron-limited Gc have a survival advantage when cultured with PMNs. Analysis of PMN transcripts modulated by Gc infection revealed differential expression of genes driving cell adhesion, migration, inflammatory responses, and inflammation resolution pathways. Production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL1B and IL8, the adhesion factor ICAM1, and prostaglandin PGE2 were induced in PMNs in response to Gc. Together, this study represents a comprehensive and experimentally validated dual-species transcriptomic analysis of two isolates of Gc and primary human PMNs that gives insight into how this bacterium survives innate immune onslaught to cause disease.

ABSTRACT Host-microbe biology (HMB) stands on the cusp of redefinition, challenging conventional paradigms to instead embrace a more holistic understanding of the microbial sciences. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Council on Microbial Sciences hosted a virtual retreat in 2023 to identify the future of the HMB field and innovations needed to advance the microbial sciences. The retreat presentations and discussions collectively emphasized the interconnectedness of microbes and their profound influence on humans, animals, and environmental health, as well as the need to broaden perspectives to fully embrace the complexity of these interactions. To advance HMB research, microbial scientists would benefit from enhancing interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research to utilize expertise in diverse fields, integrate different disciplines, and promote equity and accessibility within HMB. Data integration will be pivotal in shaping the future of HMB research by bringing together varied scientific perspectives, new and innovative techniques, and ’omics approaches. ASM can empower under-resourced groups with the goal of ensuring that the benefits of cutting-edge research reach every corner of the scientific community. Thus, ASM will be poised to steer HMB toward a future that champions inclusivity, innovation, and accessible scientific progress.

ABSTRACTGonorrhea, caused by the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Gc), is characterized by neutrophilic influx to infection sites. Gc has developed mechanisms to resist killing by neutrophils that include modifications to its surface lipooligosaccharide (LOS). One such LOS modification is sialylation: Gc sialylates its terminal LOS sugars with cytidine-5′-monophosphate-N-acetylneuraminic acid, which is scavenged from the host using LOS sialyltransferase (Lst) since Gc cannot make its sialic acid. Sialylation enables sensitive strains of Gc to resist complement-mediated killing in a serum-dependent manner. However, little is known about the contribution of sialylation to complement-independent, direct Gc-neutrophil interactions. In the absence of complement, we found sialylated Gc expressing opacity-associated (Opa) proteins decreased the oxidative burst and granule exocytosis from primary human neutrophils. In addition, sialylated Opa+ Gc survived better than vehicle treated or Δlst Gc when challenged with neutrophils. However, Gc sialylation did not significantly affect Opa-dependent association with or internalization of Gc by neutrophils. Previous studies have implicated sialic acid-binding immunoglobulin-type lectins (Siglecs) in modulating neutrophil interactions with sialylated Gc. Blocking neutrophil Siglecs with antibodies that bind to their extracellular domains eliminated the ability of sialylated Opa+ Gc to suppress the oxidative burst and resist neutrophil killing. These findings highlight a new role for sialylation in Gc evasion of human innate immunity, with implications for the development of vaccines and therapeutics for gonorrhea.IMPORTANCENeisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes gonorrhea, is an urgent global health concern due to increasing infection rates, widespread antibiotic resistance, and its ability to thwart protective immune responses. The mechanisms by which Gc subverts protective immune responses remain poorly characterized. One way N. gonorrhoeae evades human immunity is by adding sialic acid that is scavenged from the host onto its lipooligosaccharide, using the sialyltransferase Lst. Here, we found that sialylation enhances N. gonorrhoeae survival from neutrophil assault and inhibits neutrophil activation, independently of the complement system. Our results implicate bacterial binding of sialic acid-binding lectins (Siglecs) on the neutrophil surface, which dampens neutrophil antimicrobial responses. This work identifies a new role for sialylation in protecting N. gonorrhoeae from cellular innate immunity, which can be targeted to enhance the human immune response in gonorrhea.