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Alzheimer's & Dementia : the Journal of... Feb 2024Verbal fluency tasks are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) assessments. Yet, standard valid response counts fail to reveal disease-specific semantic memory patterns....
INTRODUCTION
Verbal fluency tasks are common in Alzheimer's disease (AD) assessments. Yet, standard valid response counts fail to reveal disease-specific semantic memory patterns. Here, we leveraged automated word-property analysis to capture neurocognitive markers of AD vis-à-vis behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD).
METHODS
Patients and healthy controls completed two fluency tasks. We counted valid responses and computed each word's frequency, granularity, neighborhood, length, familiarity, and imageability. These features were used for group-level discrimination, patient-level identification, and correlations with executive and neural (magnetic resonanance imaging [MRI], functional MRI [fMRI], electroencephalography [EEG]) patterns.
RESULTS
Valid responses revealed deficits in both disorders. Conversely, frequency, granularity, and neighborhood yielded robust group- and subject-level discrimination only in AD, also predicting executive outcomes. Disease-specific cortical thickness patterns were predicted by frequency in both disorders. Default-mode and salience network hypoconnectivity, and EEG beta hypoconnectivity, were predicted by frequency and granularity only in AD.
DISCUSSION
Word-property analysis of fluency can boost AD characterization and diagnosis.
HIGHLIGHTS
We report novel word-property analyses of verbal fluency in AD and bvFTD. Standard valid response counts captured deficits and brain patterns in both groups. Specific word properties (e.g., frequency, granularity) were altered only in AD. Such properties predicted cognitive and neural (MRI, fMRI, EEG) patterns in AD. Word-property analysis of fluency can boost AD characterization and diagnosis.
Topics: Humans; Alzheimer Disease; Neuropsychological Tests; Brain; Memory; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Frontotemporal Dementia; Memory Disorders
PubMed: 37823470
DOI: 10.1002/alz.13472 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Nov 2023This work aimed to determine the presence of bacterial pathogens in fish with a clinical picture suggestive of infectious disease in Nile tilapia reared in Chiapas,...
This work aimed to determine the presence of bacterial pathogens in fish with a clinical picture suggestive of infectious disease in Nile tilapia reared in Chiapas, Mexico. Blood and viscera samples were taken from healthy and diseased animals from commercial farms. Clinical and pathological examinations of each individual were performed and samples were collected for bacteriological studies. The bacterial isolates were identified and characterized by culture, biochemical tests, antibiogram, challenge tests and 16S rRNA sequencing. and were isolated from various diseased organisms. The clinical picture caused by was characterized by appetite disorders, neurological signs, nodulation or ulceration in different areas and congestion or enlargement of internal organs. Providenciosis in juvenile specimens caused a characteristic picture of hemorrhagic septicemia. Challenge tests performed in healthy organisms revealed that both infections caused higher mortality rates in fish ( < 0.05) compared with non-infected specimens, with 100% survival. There was 100% mortality for animals infected with after three days post infection and 45% for those infected with . The isolation and identification of two pathogens involved in an infection process were achieved and cataloged as potential causal agents of disease outbreaks in tilapia farming in Mexico. This is the first report of possible bacterial infection caused by and in tilapia farms, which are two uncommon but potentially emerging pathogens for the species.
PubMed: 38067066
DOI: 10.3390/ani13233715 -
Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland) Jan 2024To solve the problem with pan-drug resistant and extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative microbes, newly approved drugs such as ceftazidime/avibactam, cefiderocol,...
To solve the problem with pan-drug resistant and extensively drug-resistant Gram-negative microbes, newly approved drugs such as ceftazidime/avibactam, cefiderocol, plazomicin, meropenem/vaborbactam, and eravacycline have been introduced in practice. The aim of the present study was to collect carbapenemase-producing clinical isolates, to characterize their carbapenemase genes and clonal relatedness, and to detect their susceptibility to commonly used antimicrobials and the above-mentioned newly approved antibiotics. Sixty-four carbapenemase producers were collected in a period of one year from four Bulgarian hospitals, mainly including (89% of the isolates) and also single , and isolates. The main genotype was (in 61%), followed by (23%), (7.8%) and (7.8%). Many isolates showed the presence of ESBL ( in 76.6%) and AmpC ( in 37.5% or in 7.8% of isolates). The most common MLST type was ST11 (57.8%), followed by ST340 (12.5%), ST258 (6.3%) and ST101 (6.3%). The isolates were highly resistant to standard-group antibiotics, except they were susceptible to tigecycline (83.1%), colistin (79.7%), fosfomycin (32.8%), and aminoglycosides (20.3-35.9%). Among the newly approved compounds, plazomicin (90.6%) and eravacycline (76.3%) showed the best activity. Susceptibility to ceftazidime/avibactam and meropenem/vaborbactam was 34.4% and 27.6%, respectively. For cefiderocol, a large discrepancy was observed between the percentages of susceptible isolates according to EUCAST susceptibility breakpoints (37.5%) and those of CLSI (71.8%), detected by the disk diffusion method. This study is the first report to show patterns of susceptibility to five newly approved antibiotics among molecularly characterized isolates in Bulgaria. The data may contribute to both the improvement of treatment of individual patients and the choice of infection control strategy and antibiotic policy.
PubMed: 38247640
DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics13010081 -
Clinical Genitourinary Cancer Apr 2024Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the 10 most common cancer globally with an almost 4 times higher prevalence in men. The main risk factors for development of urothelial... (Review)
Review
Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the 10 most common cancer globally with an almost 4 times higher prevalence in men. The main risk factors for development of urothelial carcinoma are advanced age, smoking, arsenic contamination, exposure to carcinogens. Metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC) has overall poor prognosis with a 5-year overall survival rate of only < 5%. The standard of care comprises of platinum-based chemotherapy, but the responses are often not sustained. A working group was established with an objective to discuss the most recent clinical data on the genitourinary tumors of interest and comprised of experts across Latin America, Emerging Asia (except China, Japan, and South Korea), Africa, and the Middle East (known as Emerging Markets or EM). There is an evident disparity in terms of uneven mortality and incidence rate distribution among various regions. There is a lack and/or insufficient data on epidemiology, treatment, and outcomes in the EM. The lack of registries impacts the healthcare decisions and the lower incidence from the region might not be reflective of the true disease burden. The treatment outcomes of mUC can be improved by understanding the current disease burden and treatment approach of mUC and identifying the gaps and challenges associated with management. Hence, a literature review was developed to summarize the current disease burden and treatment approach of mUC across EM. The review also highlights the unmet needs for mUC management in EM and suggests a way forward to improve the current situation in order to better serve the patients.
Topics: Male; Humans; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; Expert Testimony; Treatment Outcome; Cost of Illness
PubMed: 38228413
DOI: 10.1016/j.clgc.2024.01.001 -
Archives of Razi Institute Jun 2023Probiotics have been used for over a century to prevent and treat diseases. They can reduce the effects of gastroenteritis and are now used to treat acute diarrhea. This...
Probiotics have been used for over a century to prevent and treat diseases. They can reduce the effects of gastroenteritis and are now used to treat acute diarrhea. This study aimed to evaluate the co-aggregative effects of probiotics bacteria against diarrheal causative bacteria. For this purpose, 11 isolates of probiotic bacteria were used in the current study, including three , one , two , three , and two isolates. All isolates were tested for antibiotic susceptibility, autoaggregation ability, adhesion ability, antibacterial activity, acid tolerance, and bile salts tolerance. The results showed that most of them had the ability to autoaggregate after 4 h, with the highest percentage of 57.14% for . For the antibiotic susceptibility test, all the isolates showed resistance against trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, except one isolate. Moreover, all the isolates, except one, were susceptible to both vancomycin and tetracycline. All tested isolates had adhesion ability with different survival rates, which reached 34.57% for in acidic conditions. Besides, the highest survival rate was 85.17%, which belonged to , for bile salt tolerance. Probiotic isolates had an antibacterial effect against diarrhea-causative bacteria with an inhibition diameter of 17-49 mm for different spp. and spp. isolates. Furthermore, the co-aggregation ability of probiotic isolates against diarrhea-causative bacteria was studied, and results showed that probiotic isolates had a co-aggregative effect against diarrhea-causative bacteria, , , and , after 24 h of incubation. The highest co-aggregative effect of probiotics isolates belonged to and against with a co-aggregation percentage of 100%, while the lowest co-aggregation rate was 14.29% against . The findings revealed the probiotic properties and co-aggregative effects of probiotic bacteria against diarrhea-causative bacteria.
Topics: Animals; Escherichia coli; Lactobacillus; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bile Acids and Salts; Diarrhea; Probiotics
PubMed: 38028859
DOI: 10.22092/ARI.2022.359870.2494 -
The Indian Journal of Medical Research Aug 2023During the course of a retrospective survey on healthcare associated infections (HAIs) due to carbapenem-resistant organisms, an unusual prevalence of HAIs due to...
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES
During the course of a retrospective survey on healthcare associated infections (HAIs) due to carbapenem-resistant organisms, an unusual prevalence of HAIs due to carbapenem-resistant Providencia stuartii (CRPS) was found. Hence this study aimed to conduct the occurrence of P. stuartii associated HAIs with special reference to the drug resistance profiling of these isolates.
METHODS
Of the eight total HAI cases (7.5% of total HAIs and 33.3% of HAIs due to Enterobacterales) of CRPS infections included in this study, three were reported from ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), three were surgical site infections (SSIs), one was a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) and one was a bloodstream infection. All the eight CRPS isolates were tested for extended-spectrum β-lactamases production, AmpC hyperproduction as well as carbapenem resistance. Typing of the isolates was performed by repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR).
RESULTS
All the eight isolates of CRPS were found to be AmpC hyperproducers, carbapenemase producers, and harboured chromosomally located bla in seven isolates and bla genes in one. All the cases with CRPS infections had prior history of colistin therapy along with prolonged hospital stay (>20 days). The cases were located in five different wards/intensive care unit (ICU) within the hospital in one year. However, strain typing by REP-PCR revealed 100 per cent similarity and clonal relatedness in all the seven isolates carrying bla genes. Interestingly, routine hospital surveillance revealed a high carriage of P. stuartii in the axilla of patients admitted to the ICU.
INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS
The study findings suggest CRPS as an important cause of HAIs. This organism often goes unnoticed due to the burden of carbapenem resistance in other Enterobacterales and non-fermenters.
Topics: Humans; Retrospective Studies; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Bacterial Proteins; beta-Lactamases; Carbapenems; Cross Infection; Hospitals; Anti-Bacterial Agents
PubMed: 37787258
DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_3668_20 -
International Journal of Pharmaceutics Feb 2024Enterobacteriaceae species are part of the 2017 World Health Organization antibiotic-resistant priority pathogens list for development of novel medicines....
Enterobacteriaceae species are part of the 2017 World Health Organization antibiotic-resistant priority pathogens list for development of novel medicines. Multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is an increasing threat to public health and has become a relevant human pathogen involved in life-threatening infections. Phage therapy involves the use of phages or their lytic endolysins as bioagents for the treatment of bacterial infectious diseases. Gram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane, making difficult the access of endolysins to the peptidoglycan. Here, three endolysins from prophages infecting three distinct Enterobacterales species, Kp2948-Lys from K. pneumoniae, Ps3418-Lys from Providencia stuartii, and Kaer26608-Lys from Klebsiella aerogenes, were purified and exhibited antibacterial activity against their specific bacterium species verified by zymogram assays. These three endolysins were successfully associated to liposomes composed of dimyristoyl phosphatidyl choline (DMPC), dioleoyl phosphatidyl ethanolamine (DOPE) and cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHEMS) at a molar ratio (4:4:2), with an encapsulation efficiency ranging from 24 to 27%. Endolysins encapsulated in liposomes resulted in higher antibacterial activity compared to the respective endolysin in the free form, suggesting that the liposome-mediated delivery system enhances fusion with outer membrane and delivery of endolysins to the target peptidoglycan. Obtained results suggest that Kp2948-Lys appears to be specific for K. pneumoniae, while Ps3418-Lys and Kaer26608-Lys appear to have a broader antibacterial spectrum. Endolysins incorporated in liposomes constitute a promising weapon, applicable in the several dimensions (human, animals and environment) of the One Health approach, against multidrug-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Prophages; Enterobacteriaceae; Liposomes; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Peptidoglycan; Endopeptidases; Bacteria; Bacteriophages
PubMed: 38160991
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.123758 -
Scientific Reports Oct 2023In this study, six analogs of 2-arylquinoline were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial and leishmanicidal activity. At a later stage,...
In this study, six analogs of 2-arylquinoline were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro and in vivo antiplasmodial and leishmanicidal activity. At a later stage, hemolytic activity and druggability were tested in vitro and in silico, respectively, observing as a result: firstly, compounds showed half-maximal effective concentration (EC) values between 3.6 and 19.3 µM. Likewise, a treatment using the compounds 4a-f caused improvement in most of the treated hamsters and cured some of them. Regarding the antiplasmodial activity, the compounds showed moderate to high activity, although they did not show hemolytic activity. Furthermore, 4e and 4f compounds were not able to control P. berghei infection when administered to animal models. Molecular dynamic simulations, molecular docking and ligand binding affinity indicate good characteristics of the studied compounds, which are expected to be active. And lastly, the compounds are absorbable at the hematoencephalic barrier but not in the gastrointestinal tract. In summary, ADMET properties suggest that these molecules may be used as a safe treatment against Leishmania.
Topics: Animals; Antimalarials; Molecular Docking Simulation; Antiprotozoal Agents; Leishmania; Structure-Activity Relationship
PubMed: 37845281
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43805-4 -
Microbial Ecology Nov 2023Many insects are associated with endosymbionts that influence the feeding, reproduction, and distribution of their hosts. Although the small green mirid, Nesidiocoris...
Many insects are associated with endosymbionts that influence the feeding, reproduction, and distribution of their hosts. Although the small green mirid, Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae), a zoophytophagous predator that feeds on plants as well as arthropods, is a globally important biological control agent, its microbiome has not been sufficiently studied. In the present study, we assessed the microbiome variation in 96 N. tenuis individuals from 14 locations throughout Japan, based on amplicon sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Nine major bacteria associated with N. tenuis were identified: Rickettsia, two strains of Wolbachia, Spiroplasma, Providencia, Serratia, Pseudochrobactrum, Lactococcus, and Stenotrophomonas. Additionally, a diagnostic PCR analysis for three typical insect reproductive manipulators, Rickettsia, Wolbachia, and Spiroplasma, was performed on a larger sample size (n = 360) of N. tenuis individuals; the most prevalent symbiont was Rickettsia (69.7%), followed by Wolbachia (39.2%) and Spiroplasma (6.1%). Although some symbionts were co-infected, their prevalence did not exhibit any specific tendency, such as a high frequency in specific infection combinations. The infection frequency of Rickettsia was significantly correlated with latitude and temperature, while that of Wolbachia and Spiroplasma was significantly correlated with host plants. The predominance of these bacteria and the absence of obligate symbionts suggested that the N. tenuis microbiome is typical for predatory arthropods rather than sap-feeding insects. Rickettsia and Wolbachia were vertically transmitted rather than horizontally transmitted from the prey. The functional validation of each symbiont would be warranted to develop N. tenuis as a biological control agent.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Biological Control Agents; Hemiptera; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Rickettsia; Spiroplasma; Wolbachia; Microbiota; Symbiosis
PubMed: 37658881
DOI: 10.1007/s00248-023-02290-y -
Infection and Drug Resistance 2023The coexistence of with other resistance determinants is rarely reported for . Therefore, this study investigates the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of a...
BACKGROUND
The coexistence of with other resistance determinants is rarely reported for . Therefore, this study investigates the phenotypic and genetic characteristics of a multidrug-resistant strain YQ150713.
METHODS
YQ150713 was identified as carrying . S1-pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE), Southern blotting, and conjugation experiments were used to determine plasmid characteristics. An antimicrobial susceptibility test was conducted. The complete genomic sequence of YQ150713 was obtained using Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and Oxford nanopore platforms. To further characterize the phylogenetic structure of YQ150713, average nucleotide identity (ANI) and phylogenetic analyses were conducted.
RESULTS
The S1-PFGE, Southern blot, and conjugation assays have confirmed that the isolate YQ150713 contains the gene on a conjugative plasmid pYQ150713-NDM-1. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing has indicated that strain YQ150713 was resistant to various common antibiotics, except aztreonam and fosfomycin. Bioinformatics analysis has further shown that pYQ150713-NDM-1 was a novel plasmid with a size of 265,883 bp, and and were co-located on it. Phylogenetic analysis suggesting has spread widely throughout the world.
CONCLUSION
In this study, and were co-localized on a novel plasmid pYQ150713-NDM-1 with a horizontal transfer function. To reduce the risk of the dissemination of such isolates in clinical settings, more surveillance will be required in the future.
PubMed: 37601562
DOI: 10.2147/IDR.S418131