Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Zuzanna Sycz, Dorota Wojnicz, Dorota Tichaczek-Goska
Summary: Multispecies bacterial biofilms are a common cause of chronic recurrent urinary tract infections. Plant-derived compounds, such as ursolic acid, show potential as an alternative to antibiotics for preventing and eradicating bacterial biofilms. This study found that ursolic acid inhibited biofilm formation, reduced bacterial survival, and affected the morphology of bacterial cells, particularly in the early stages of biofilm development.
Article
Cell Biology
Yu Pang, Zhihui Cheng, Si Zhang, Shujie Li, Xueping Li, Xiaodan Li, Xiao Zhang, Xiaoxiao Li, Yingxing Feng, Heting Cui, Zhen Chen, Le Liu, Qing Li, Jianxiao Huang, Mingqing Zhang, Siwei Zhu, Lei Wang, Lu Feng
Summary: Urinary tract infections are mainly caused by uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC). This study reveals that UPEC senses host immune responses and initiates escape by upregulating a key phospholipase. The findings provide insights into pathogenic bacteria's response to intracellular phosphate shortage and tackling host defense, and offer potential for developing new therapeutic agents to treat UPEC infection.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alice Romagnoli, Paolo Moretti, Mattia D'Agostino, Jesmina Rexha, Nunzio Perta, Astra Piccinini, Daniele Di Marino, Francesco Spinozzi, Anna La Teana
Summary: Researchers have conducted a structural and functional analysis of aIF5A in the crenarchaeal Sulfolobus solfataricus model organism, and found that it is associated with multiple RNA molecules and possesses specific ribonuclease activity. The study also revealed that aIF5A can exist in two conformations, with the monomeric form more likely to associate with RNA. Modeling the three-dimensional structure of S. solfataricus aIF5A showed that it has an extended positively charged surface, which may explain its strong tendency to bind to RNA in vivo.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bhawna Rathi, Surbhi Gupta, Parveen Kumar, Veerbhan Kesarwani, Rakesh Singh Dhanda, Sandeep Kumar Kushwaha, Manisha Yadav
Summary: This study found that caffeine can inhibit biofilm formation of E. coli by regulating curli assembly, reducing cytotoxicity and survivability. It may be used as an alternative therapeutic strategy for chronic E. coli biofilm-related infections.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Fisheries
Yu-Chi Wu, Chia-Hong Tsai, Shau-Chi Chi
Summary: The research revealed that Shewanella strain 0409 can inhibit NNV by suppressing viral RNA synthesis and preventing NNV uncoating through inhibiting endosomal acidification.
Review
Biology
Rasha M. El-Mekkawy, Noura E. Hamour, Wesam A. Hassanein, Ayman A. Allam
Summary: Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) show effective antibacterial activity against extended-spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) producing uropathogenic bacteria. The LAB isolate K3 inhibits the production of antibiotic-resistant bla TEM genes of the ESBL strain U60. The genotypic analysis confirms U60 as Escherichia coli U60.1 and K3 as Weissella confuse K3.
SAUDI JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Marine
Carmen Rizzo, Vincenzo Zammuto, Angelina Lo Giudice, Maria Giovanna Rizzo, Antonio Spano, Pasqualina Lagana, Miguel Martinez, Salvatore Guglielmino, Concetta Gugliandolo
Summary: The bacteria associated with Antarctic sponges have antibiofilm activity against common pathogens. Their cell-free supernatants and crude extracts show potential as biosurfactants for inhibiting biofilm formation, with applications in pharmaceutical and environmental fields.
JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ambreen Arif, Ihsan Ullah, Obaid Ullah, Ronaq Zaman
Summary: This study identified colistin resistance and its bactericidal activity against gram-negative bacteria in urinary tract infection (UTI) patients. Escherichia coli was the main pathogen responsible for UTIs, and Klebsiella pneumoniae exhibited the highest resistance to antibiotics.
PAKISTAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Optics
Vadim Elagin, Ivan Budruev, Artem Antonyan, Pavel Bureev, Nadezhda Ignatova, Olga Streltsova, Vladislav Kamensky
Summary: This study aimed to improve the efficacy of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy with Fotoditazin against uropathogenic Gram-negative bacteria. Non-ionic detergent Triton X-100 and emulsifier Tween 80 were tested, and the effect of extracellular photosensitizer on therapy efficacy was analyzed. The study found that Triton X-100 at 10% vol enhanced the therapy efficacy of E. coli up to 52%, and an increase in laser output power led to an increase in efficacy.
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Alba Tamargo, Carolina Cueva, Diego Taladrid, Christina Khoo, M. Victoria Moreno-Arribas, Begona Bartolome, Dolores Gonzalez de Llano
Summary: This study found that cranberry polyphenols have a high recovery rate during gastrointestinal digestion, and cranberry feeding alters the composition of colonic microbiota, especially the Enterococcaceae population. Additionally, there were increases in microbial-derived short-chain fatty acids, particularly butyric acid.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zuzanna Sycz, Dorota Tichaczek-Goska, Anna Jezierska-Domaradzka, Dorota Wojnicz
Summary: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a serious health problem in the human population due to the chronic and recurrent nature of the infections. Bacteria causing UTIs form multi-species biofilms resistant to conventional antibiotics, leading researchers to search for plant-derived compounds as alternative strategies. Asiatic acid (AA) was found to decrease bacterial survival and biofilm formation, particularly against young biofilms. Further research is needed to understand AA's antibacterial mechanisms of action.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Valentina Laverde-Rojas, Yamil Liscano, Sandra Patricia Rivera-Sanchez, Ivan Dario Ocampo-Ibanez, Yeiston Betancourt, Maria Jose Alhajj, Cristhian J. Yarce, Constain H. Salamanca, Jose Onate-Garzon
Summary: Colistin is a re-emergent antibiotic peptide used to combat multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacterial infections, but the spread of colistin-resistant strains has become a global public health concern. Nanotechnology strategies have been successfully applied to combat antibiotic resistance. Nanoliposomes coated with highly deacetylated chitosan and colistin were found to enhance antimicrobial activity against susceptible strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, but not against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Interestingly, free coated nanoliposomes exhibited consistent antibacterial activity against both sensitive and multidrug-resistant strains. Simulation studies revealed weak association of colistin with zwitterionic phospholipid micelles.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rosa Fernandez-Fernandez, Beatriz Robredo, Enrique Navajas, Carmen Torres
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a global problem, and soil is a promising resource for finding new antimicrobial agents. The MicroMundo project, part of the Tiny Earth citizen science project, has successfully raised awareness about antimicrobial resistance and contributed to the search for new alternatives. Through this project, 32 potentially antimicrobial-producing bacteria were isolated from 2600 isolates obtained from soil samples.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
N. Pugazhenthiran, S. Murugesan, T. Muneeswaran, S. Suresh, M. Kandasamy, H. Valdes, M. Selvaraj, A. Dennyson Savariraj, R. V. Mangalaraja
Summary: The study successfully prepared monodispersed silver quantum dots of sub 5 nm range using sweet lime peel extract, showing high photoluminescence quenching and strong biocidal effects.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Ecology
S. Mauger, C. Monard, C. Thion, P. Vandenkoornhuyse
Summary: Single-cell omics, a new molecular tool, is gaining interest in microbial ecology for its ability to assess genetic diversity at population and community levels. It can contribute to the identification of genomic and functional information of micro-organisms, and potentially lead to breakthroughs in concepts and knowledge of microbial ecosystems and ecoevolutionary processes.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Jennifer C. Shrodes, Amaris Williams, Timiya S. Nolan, Jessica N. Radabaugh, Ashlea Braun, David Kline, Songzhu Zhao, Guy Brock, Jennifer A. Garner, Colleen K. Spees, Joshua J. Joseph
Summary: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of a cooking intervention with food provision and diabetes self-management education and support. The intervention was adapted from Cooking Matters and the American Diabetes Association's diabetes self-management education and support intervention into a 6-week program. The results showed that the intervention was feasible in terms of demand, acceptability, implementation, practicality, and limited efficacy.
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Amaris Williams, Jennifer C. Shrodes, Jessica N. Radabaugh, Ashlea Braun, David Kline, Songzhu Zhao, Guy Brock, Timiya S. Nolan, Jennifer A. Garner, Colleen K. Spees, Joshua J. Joseph
Summary: This study tested the effectiveness of a cooking intervention with food provision and diabetes self-management education and support in helping diabetes patients control blood sugar and manage the disease. The results showed that participants in the intervention group had improved self-care behaviors and health-related quality of life, especially for those who were food insecure. This intervention should be tested in larger randomized controlled trials.
JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Paul Belany, Madison L. Kackley, Songzhu Zhao, Bjorn Kluwe, Alex Buga, Christopher D. Crabtree, Divya Nedungadi, David Kline, Guy Brock, Orlando P. Simonetti, Jeff S. Volek, Joshua J. Joseph
Summary: This study investigated the effects of ketogenic diets with varying sodium content versus low-fat diets on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in overweight and obese adults. The results showed that ketogenic diets reduced weight and increased aldosterone levels without worsening cardiometabolic risk factors. Further research is needed to understand the mechanistic connections between ketones and aldosterone.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods
Staci A. Hepler, David M. Kline, Andrea Bonny, Erin McKnight, Lance A. Waller
Summary: Opioid misuse is a major problem in the United States and estimating its prevalence at a local level is challenging. In this study, a Bayesian hierarchical spatio-temporal abundance model is developed to estimate the county-level prevalence and counts of people who misuse opioids by integrating indirect county-level data with state-level survey estimates. The model is applied to surveillance data from Ohio and shows accurate results. This framework can be useful for estimating hard to reach populations in various health conditions.
JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL STATISTICAL SOCIETY SERIES A-STATISTICS IN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Pediatrics
Mariah L. Wright, Brett G. Klamer, Elizabeth Bonachea, John D. Spencer, Jonathan L. Slaughter, Tahagod H. Mohamed
Summary: Fluid overload in neonates can lead to poor outcomes, but diuretics may help reduce the rates of mechanical ventilation and mortality. A retrospective study of preterm neonates in a level IV NICU from 2014-2020 found that fluid balance distribution varied by gestational age, and higher peak fluid balance percentages were associated with increased odds of mechanical ventilation and mortality. The use of diuretics was more common in neonates with younger gestational age, smaller birth weight, positive fluid balance, and those on mechanical ventilation.
PEDIATRIC NEPHROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laura Schwartz, M. Skye Bochter, Aaron Simoni, Kristin Bender, Juan de Dios Ruiz Rosado, Israel Cotzomi-Ortega, Yuriko I. Sanchez-Zamora, Brian Becknell, Sarah Linn, Birong Li, Nicholas Santoro, Tad Eichler, John David Spencer
Summary: Enhancing the expression of antimicrobial peptides provides an alternative approach for the treatment of urinary tract infections. This study discovered that histone deacetylase inhibitors can induce the expression of ribonuclease 4 and 7, protecting human kidney and bladder cells from uropathogenic bacteria. Mouse experiments confirmed the protective effects of these inhibitors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Social Sciences, Mathematical Methods
Qianyu Dong, David Kline, Staci A. Hepler
Summary: The opioid epidemic in North Carolina has led to a sharp increase in illicit opioid overdose deaths. To address this crisis, a Bayesian spatio-temporal model is proposed to forecast future overdose deaths and identify the optimal increase in buprenorphine prescriptions in each county. The model estimates a negative relationship between death rate and increasing buprenorphine, with an estimated reduction of over 5% in overdose deaths.
STATISTICS AND PUBLIC POLICY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
David Kline, Amanda M. Bunting, Staci A. Hepler, Ariadne Rivera-Aguirre, Noa Krawczyk, Magdalena Cerda
Summary: This study examines overdose deaths involving stimulants with and without opioids in the US from 1999 to 2020. The findings show that death rates involving cocaine and opioids sharply increased around 2015, particularly in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. There were also steady increases in deaths involving psychostimulants without opioids just before 2010, particularly in states in the West and South. Deaths involving psychostimulants with opioids increased around 2015, with the largest increases concentrated in Appalachian states.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Review
Urology & Nephrology
Laura Schwartz, Juan de Dios Ruiz-Rosado, Emily Stonebrook, Brian Becknell, John David Spencer
Summary: The bladder and kidney employ immune responses to prevent urinary tract infections and minimize tissue injury. This article discusses the mechanisms used by uropathogenic bacteria to cause kidney infection and the immune defense mechanisms used by kidney cells and immune cells to eradicate infection.
NATURE REVIEWS NEPHROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Michael F. Rayo, Daria Faulkner, David Kline, Thomas Thornhill, Samuel Malloy, Dante Della Vella, Dane A. Morey, Net Zhang, Gregg Gonsalves
Summary: The FAAST program is an innovative approach for improving the detection of new cases of infectious disease. This study evaluates a Bayesian search algorithm to target hotspots of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in multiple locations in Columbus, Ohio, with the goal of detecting the most cases over time.
JMIR PUBLIC HEALTH AND SURVEILLANCE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jihyeon Kwon, David M. Kline, Staci A. Hepler
Summary: The American Community Survey (ACS) is an important source of demographic and socioeconomic data in the United States, conducted annually by the U.S. Census Bureau. This paper introduces a Bayesian hierarchical model to address the uncertainty and temporal misalignment in the ACS multi-year time-period estimates, showing that the proposed model provides more accurate estimates of covariate effects compared to models that ignore the temporal misalignment. The model is applied to analyze the relationship between yearly county-level characteristics and the prevalence of frequent mental distress in North Carolina from 2014 to 2018.
SPATIAL AND SPATIO-TEMPORAL EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Erin R. McKnight, Qianyu Dong, Daniel L. Brook, Staci A. Hepler, David M. Kline, Andrea E. Bonny
Summary: This study aims to describe the spatial relationship between opioid misuse prevalence and office-based buprenorphine access in Ohio. The results showed that less than half of the waivered providers in the state were prescribing buprenorphine, and 25% of counties had no buprenorphine access. While urban counties had higher buprenorphine capacity relative to their burden of opioid misuse, access was limited by buprenorphine prescribing frequency. In contrast, in rural counties, there was a minimal gap between prescribing capacity and frequency.
CUREUS JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Bjorn Kluwe, Neal Pohlman, Veena Kesireddy, Songzhu Zhao, Yubo Tan, David Kline, Guy Brock, James B. Odei, Valery S. Effoe, Justin B. Echouffo Tcheugui, Rita R. Kalyani, Mario Sims, Herman A. Taylor, Morgana Mongraw-Chaffin, Ehimare Akhabue, Joshua J. Joseph
Summary: This study investigated the mediational role of aldosterone in the association between ideal cardiovascular health (ICH) and incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as the mediational role of blood pressure (BP) and glucose in the association of aldosterone with incident CVD. The results showed that aldosterone played a mediating role between ICH and CVD incidence.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Veena Kesireddy, Bjorn Kluwe, Neal Pohlman, Songzhu Zhao, Yubo Tan, David Kline, Guy Brock, James B. Odei, Valery S. Effoe, Justin B. Echouffo-Tcheugui, Rita R. Kalyani, Mario Sims, Herman A. Taylor, Morgana Mongraw-Chaffin, Ehimare Akhabue, Joshua J. Joseph
Summary: This study investigated the association and mediating role of aldosterone between ideal cardiovascular health (ICH) indicators and incident diabetes. The results showed that aldosterone mediated the association between ICH and diabetes, while blood pressure and glucose mediated the association between aldosterone and diabetes.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PREVENTIVE CARDIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Amro M. Stino, Naresh Bumma, Rachel Smith, Long Davalos, Jeff Allen, Jing Christine Ye, Matthew Pianko, Erica Campagnaro, Cassandra Fierro, Abdelrahman Awad, Ben Murdock, Maciej Pietrzak, Gerard Loszanski, David M. Kline, Yvonne Efebera, Bakri Elsheikh
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the safety and maximum tolerated dose of lenalidomide in anti-myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG) neuropathy, revealing higher risks associated with higher doses.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)