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Vibrio mimicus bacteria are native to aquatic environments but have the potential to cause diseases in animals and humans, such as gastroenteritis and cholera-like diarrhea (1). In Vibrio cholera bacteria, [...]

Panton-Valentine leucocidin (PVL)-producing Staphylococcus aureus (PVL-SA) is typically associated with skin and soft tissue infections, such as abscesses (1). Transmission occurs between persons in close contact, often causing clusters of [...]

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a common etiologic agent of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among children. Although M. pneumoniae infection often causes a mild and self-limiting disease, pneumonia develops in [approximately equal to] [...]

Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive pathogen responsible for listeriosis, a severe foodborne infection that causes high hospitalization and mortality rates in at-risk populations, including older adults, immunocompromised persons, pregnant women, [...]

Background: Autosomal recessive deficiency in the caspase recruitment domain‐containing protein 9 (CARD9) is a congenital immunological condition that leads to susceptibility to mucocutaneous and invasive fungal infections. There is growing incidence of fungal infections in patients with CARD9 deficiency, a phenomenon that is increasingly recognised. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the frequency, geographic distribution and nature of mutations in patients with CARD9 deficiency, based on published papers in the literature until March 2023. Methods: We swiftly conducted a study to pinpoint every documented instance of fungal infections arising from CARD9 deficiency. We selected case reports from the databases of PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Google Scholar spanning the period from October 2009 to March 2023. Results: We analysed 90 cases of fungal infections and identified 32 mutations in the CARD9 gene. Notably, the homozygous (HMZ) p.Q295X (c.883C > T) mutation was associated with an increased risk of candidiasis. In contrast, the HMZ p.Q289X (c.865C > T) mutation is linked to a higher risk of dermatophytosis. We observed differences in the geographical distribution of these mutations. The primary mutations found in African patients differ from those in Asian patients. Specifically, Asian patients exhibit a broader spectrum of CARD9 mutations than African patients. Conclusions: The diversity of mutations observed in the 90 cases revealed 32 distinct variations, emphasising the unique genetic alterations in the CARD9 gene associated with specific geographical areas and the corresponding prevalence of fungal infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neisseria meningitidis colonizes the pharynx of humans and is responsible for severe invasive meningococcal diseases (IMD), such as septicemia and meningitis; case-fatality rate for IMD is [approximately equal to]11% (1). [...]

Pseudomonas furukawaii ZS1, isolated from grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) culture water, exhibits efficient aerobic nitrate reduction without nitrite accumulation; however, the molecular pathway underlying this aerobic nitrate reduction remains unclear. In this study, we constructed a complete genome map of P. furukawaii ZS1 and performed a comparative genomic analysis with a reference strain. The results showed that P. furukawaii ZS1 genome was 6 026 050 bp in size and contained 5427 predicted protein-coding sequences. The genome contained all the necessary genes for the dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia pathway but lacked those for the assimilatory nitrate reduction pathway; additionally, genes that convert ammonia to organic nitrogen were also identified. The presence of putative genes associated with the nitrogen and oxidative phosphorylation pathways implied that ZS1 can perform respiration and nitrate reduction simultaneously under aerobic conditions, so that nitrite is rapidly consumed for detoxication by denitrification. The aim of this study is to indicate the great potential of strain ZS1 for future full-scale applications in aquaculture. This work provided insights at the molecular level on the nitrogen metabolic pathways in Pseudomonas species. The understanding of nitrogen metabolic pathways also provides significant molecular information for further Pseudomonas species modification and development. Keywords: aerobic nitrate reduction, Pseudomonas furukawaii ZS1, culture water, organic nitrogen, aerobic conditions, Introduction The demand for aquatic products in China has increased rapidly in recent years, and the sustained growth of the world population concurrent with economic development will further increase this [...]

Cholera is an acute life-threatening diarrheal disease responsible for [approximately equal to]4.3 million cases and 142,000 deaths annually worldwide (1). Excluding epidemic peaks in Haiti and Yemen (2,3), most cases [...]

Multiple studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have measured the levels of gene silencing by inserting the URA3 gene at various loci and selecting against URA3-expressing cells by 5-flouroorotic acid (5-FOA). However, 5-FOA affects the cellular pools of dNTPs and can produce side effects. To circumvent this issue, we and others have introduced drug-free techniques to detect silent and active gene states. In this study, we compared three drug-free methods based on the expression of fluorescent reporters in the VIIL telomere of S. cerevisiae. Our results point out that only one of these methods is suitable for large-scale drug-free analyses of gene silencing. Key words: 5-flouroorotic acid (5-FOA), yEGFP, gene silencing, Introduction Gene silencing at the subtelomeric, rRNA gene or mating type loci of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an extensively studied phenomenon and serves as a paradigm for gene repression and silencing [...]

Medicated chewing gum with lysozyme hydrochloride and ascorbic acid as active pharmaceutical ingredients was developed for application in dentistry. The aim of this research was to study the cytotoxicity, proliferative, and microbiological activities of the active ingredients in different types of cell cultures. The preclinical study of active pharmaceutical ingredients and their combinations was carried out using culture lines such as HepG2 (human hepatocarcinoma cells), Hek293 (human embryonic kidney cells), and MAEC (mouse aortic endothelial cells). MTT assays were used to analyse cytotoxicity and proliferative activity, while the state of antioxidant protection was assessed by the content of sulfhydryl groups and catalase activity. The determination of lipid peroxidation products was based on the level of TBA-active products. As a microbiological model for studying the effect of the developed dental medicine on the ability of the oral cavity microorganisms to form biofilms, the following strains were used: Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Lactobacillus plantarum, and Candida albicans. The optical density of the formed biofilm was evaluated by the intensity of the experimental sample's colour on a StatFax 303 Plus photometer at a wavelength of 630 nm. The combination of ascorbic acid and lysozyme hydrochloride in the established concentrations (20 mg and 10 mg per 1 gum, respectively) resulted in a slight stimulation of cell proliferation without any toxic effects and increased antioxidant protection, preventing the development of oxidative stress. It was found that, in contrast to the separately used active substances, the combination of lysozyme hydrochloride and ascorbic acid inhibits the biofilm formation of all studied microorganisms and shows the ability to destroy diurnal biofilms of L. plantarum and fungi of the genus Candida, indicating potentiation and summation of the active pharmaceutical ingredients' composition effects in the developed dental medicine. Due to the observed positive pharmacological and microbiological action, the combination of lysozyme hydrochloride and ascorbic acid in the medicated chewing gum serves as a promising tool for the prevention and treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases of the periodontium and mucous membranes and the prevention of caries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cholera remains an ongoing public health threat on the continent of Africa, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which in 2020 reported the largest number of cases [...]