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International Ophthalmology Jul 2024This study aimed to investigate the demographics, clinical characteristics, and management outcomes of patients with acute infectious endophthalmitis (AIE).
PURPOSE
This study aimed to investigate the demographics, clinical characteristics, and management outcomes of patients with acute infectious endophthalmitis (AIE).
METHODS
This retrospective chart review was conducted on all patients admitted with the clinical diagnosis of infectious endophthalmitis from 2017 to 2022. Demographic data, patients' clinical characteristics, the type of acute infectious endophthalmitis (post-operative, post-traumatic, bleb-associated, and endogenous endophthalmitis), the type of surgical procedure in the post-operative cases, the microbiologic analysis results of vitreous samples, therapeutic measures, and visual outcomes of patients were recorded.
RESULTS
In this study, 182 participants, including 122 male (67%) and 60 (33%) female, were involved. The mean age of patients was 54.56 ± 21 years, with a range of 1-88 years old. The most prevalent type of AIE was post-operative (59.9%), followed by endogenous (19.2%), post-traumatic (17%), and bleb-associated (3.8%). The most common type of intraocular surgery in the post-operative subgroups of AIE patients was phacoemulsification (57.8%). The median (interquartile range) of the primary and final BCVA of patients was 1.5 (1.35, 1.85) and 0.65 (0.35, 1.35), respectively. Vitreous haziness grade (OR, 2.89; 95% CI, 1.11-5.74; p = 0.009) and the primary VA (OR, 60.34; 95% CI, 2.87-126.8; p = 0.008) revealed statistical significance for final vision loss.
CONCLUSION
AIE is a devastating condition with poor visual outcomes, which presents with acute inflammatory signs and symptoms regardless of its type. However, prompt and appropriate treatment leads to visual recovery to a functional level in many patients.
Topics: Humans; Endophthalmitis; Male; Female; Retrospective Studies; Middle Aged; Aged; Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Adolescent; Eye Infections, Bacterial; Young Adult; Acute Disease; Child; Child, Preschool; Visual Acuity; Infant; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Vitreous Body; Vitrectomy
PubMed: 38958789
DOI: 10.1007/s10792-024-03239-x -
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Jul 2024Mycotoxin contamination poses a significant problem in developing countries, particularly in northern Pakistan's fluctuating climate. This study aimed to assess...
Mycotoxin contamination poses a significant problem in developing countries, particularly in northern Pakistan's fluctuating climate. This study aimed to assess aflatoxin contamination in medicinal and condiment plants in Upper Dir (dry-temperate) and Upper Swat (moist-temperate) districts. Plant samples were collected and screened for mycotoxins (Aflatoxin-B1 and Aflatoxin-B-2). Results showed high levels of AFB-1 (11,505.42 ± 188.82) as compared to AFB-2 (846 ± 241.56). The maximum contamination of AFB-1 in Coriandrum sativum (1154.5 ± 13.43 ng to 3328 ± 9.9 ng) followed by F. vulgare (883 ± 9.89 ng to 2483 ± 8.4 ng), T. ammi (815 ± 11.31 ng to 2316 ± 7.1 ng), and C. longa (935.5 ± 2.12 ng to 2009 ± 4.2 ng) while the minimum was reported in C. cyminum (671 ± 9.91 ng to 1995 ± 5.7 ng). Antifungal tests indicated potential resistance in certain plant species (C. cyminum) while A. flavus as the most toxins contributing species due to high resistance below 80% (54.2 ± 0.55 to 79.5 ± 2.02). HPLC analysis revealed hydroxyl benzoic acid (5136 amu) as the dominant average phytochemical followed by phloroglucinol (4144.31 amu) with individual contribution of 8542.08 amu and 12,181.5 amu from C. cyaminum. The comparison of average phytochemicals revealed the maximum concentration in C. cyminum (2885.95) followed by C. longa (1892.73). The findings revealed a statistically significant and robust negative correlation (y = - 2.7239 × + 5141.9; r = - 0.8136; p < 0.05) between average mycotoxins and phytochemical concentrations. Temperature positively correlated with aflatoxin levels (p < 0.01), while humidity had a weaker correlation. Elevation showed a negative correlation (p < 0.05), while geographical factors (latitude and longitude) had mixed correlations (p < 0.05). Specific regions exhibited increasing aflatoxin trends due to climatic and geographic factors.
Topics: Pakistan; Aflatoxins; Phytochemicals; Plants, Medicinal; Climate
PubMed: 38958785
DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-02045-9 -
Planta Jul 2024Millets' protein studies are lagging behind those of major cereals. Current status and future insights into the investigation of millet proteins are discussed. Millets... (Review)
Review
Millets' protein studies are lagging behind those of major cereals. Current status and future insights into the investigation of millet proteins are discussed. Millets are important small-seeded cereals majorly grown and consumed by people in Asia and Africa and are considered crops of future food security. Although millets possess excellent climate resilience and nutrient supplementation properties, their research advancements have been lagging behind major cereals. Although considerable genomic resources have been developed in recent years, research on millet proteins and proteomes is currently limited, highlighting a need for further investigation in this area. This review provides the current status of protein research in millets and provides insights to understand protein responses for climate resilience and nutrient supplementation in millets. The reference proteome data is available for sorghum, foxtail millet, and proso millet to date; other millets, such as pearl millet, finger millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, tef, and browntop millet, do not have any reference proteome data. Many studies were reported on stress-responsive protein identification in foxtail millet, with most studies on the identification of proteins under drought-stress conditions. Pearl millet has a few reports on protein identification under drought and saline stress. Finger millet is the only other millet to have a report on stress-responsive (drought) protein identification in the leaf. For protein localization studies, foxtail millet has a few reports. Sorghum has the highest number of 40 experimentally proven crystal structures, and other millets have fewer or no experimentally proven structures. Further proteomics studies will help dissect the specific proteins involved in climate resilience and nutrient supplementation and aid in breeding better crops to conserve food security.
Topics: Millets; Plant Proteins; Proteome; Proteomics; Droughts; Stress, Physiological; Crops, Agricultural; Sorghum
PubMed: 38958760
DOI: 10.1007/s00425-024-04478-z -
Archives of Microbiology Jul 2024Cordyceps cicadae is recognized for its medicinal properties, attributed to bioactive constituents like polysaccharides and adenosine, which have been shown to improve...
Cordyceps cicadae is recognized for its medicinal properties, attributed to bioactive constituents like polysaccharides and adenosine, which have been shown to improve kidney and liver functions and possess anti-tumor properties. Rho GTPase activating proteins (Rho GAPs) serve as inhibitory regulators of Rho GTPases in eukaryotic cells by accelerating the GTP hydrolysis of Rho GTPases, leading to their inactivation. In this study, we explored the function of the CcRga8 gene in C. cicadae, which encodes a Rho-type GTPase activating protein. Our study found that the knockout of CcRga8 resulted in a decrease in polysaccharide levels and an increase in adenosine concentration. Furthermore, the mutants exhibited altered spore yield and morphology, fruiting body development, decreased infectivity, reduced resistance to hyperosmotic stress, oxidative conditions, and cell wall inhibitors. These findings suggest that CcRga8 plays a crucial role in the development, stress response, and bioactive compound production of C. cicadae.
Topics: Cordyceps; GTPase-Activating Proteins; Fungal Proteins; Adenosine; Polysaccharides; Fruiting Bodies, Fungal
PubMed: 38958759
DOI: 10.1007/s00203-024-04072-7 -
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology Jul 2024This study investigated the potential of endophytic fungi to produce paclitaxel (Taxol®), a potent anticancer compound widely employed in chemotherapy. This research...
This study investigated the potential of endophytic fungi to produce paclitaxel (Taxol®), a potent anticancer compound widely employed in chemotherapy. This research aimed to identify, confirm, and characterize endophytic fungi capable of paclitaxel (PTX) production and assess their paclitaxel yield. Additionally, it aimed to investigate factors influencing paclitaxel production. A total of 100 endophytic fungal isolates were collected and identified from the roots of Artemisia judaica. Aspergillus fumigatiaffinis exhibited the highest PTX production (26.373 μg L) among the isolated endophytic fungi. The strain was identified as A. fumigatiaffinis (Accession No. PP235788.1). Molecular identification confirmed its novelty, representing the first report of PTX production by A. fumigatiaffinis, an endophyte of Artemisia judaica. Optimization through full factorial design of experiments (DOE) and response surface methodology (RSM) significantly enhanced PTX production to 110.23 μg L from 1 g of dry weight of the fungal culture under optimal conditions of pH 8.0, 150 μg L becozyme supplementation, and 18 days of fermentation in potato dextrose broth. The presence of paclitaxel was confirmed using thin layer chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. These findings maximize the role of endophytic fungus to produce a secondary metabolite that might be able to replace the chemically produced PTX and gives an opportunity to provide a sustainable source of PTX eco-friendly at high concentrations. KEY POINTS: • Endophytic fungi, like A. fumigatiaffinis, show promise for eco-friendly paclitaxel production • Optimization strategies boost paclitaxel yield significantly, reaching 110.23 μg L • Molecular identification confirms novelty, offering a sustainable PTX source.
Topics: Paclitaxel; Aspergillus; Endophytes; Fermentation; Plant Roots; Culture Media; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
PubMed: 38958755
DOI: 10.1007/s00253-024-13230-2 -
Oncotarget Aug 2023With the rapid adoption of immunotherapy into clinical practice for HPV-associated malignancies, assessing tumor burden using "liquid biopsies" would further our... (Review)
Review
With the rapid adoption of immunotherapy into clinical practice for HPV-associated malignancies, assessing tumor burden using "liquid biopsies" would further our understanding of clinical outcomes mediated by immunotherapy and allow for tailoring of treatment based on real-time tumor dynamics. In this review, we examine translational studies on peripheral surrogates of tumor burden derived from peripheral blood in HPV-associated malignancies, including levels and methylation of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), miRNA derived from extracellular vesicles, circulating tumor cells (CTCs), and HPV-specific antibodies and T cell responses. We review their utility as prognostic and predictive biomarkers of response to chemotherapy and radiation, with a focus on how they may inform and guide immunotherapies to treat locally advanced and metastatic HPV-associated malignancies. We also highlight unanswered questions that must be addressed to translate and integrate these peripheral tumor biomarkers into the clinic.
Topics: Humans; Papillomavirus Infections; Immunotherapy; Biomarkers, Tumor; Tumor Burden; Circulating Tumor DNA; Neoplasms; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Prognosis; Liquid Biopsy
PubMed: 38958745
DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.28487 -
Microbial Ecology Jul 2024Endophytes play an important role in plant development, survival, and establishment, but their temporal dynamics in young conifer plants are still largely unknown. In...
Endophytes play an important role in plant development, survival, and establishment, but their temporal dynamics in young conifer plants are still largely unknown. In this study, the bacterial community was determined by metabarcoding of the 16S rRNA gene in the rhizoplane, roots, and aerial parts of 1- and 5-month-old seedlings of natural populations of Abies religiosa (Kunth) Schltdl. & Cham. In 1-month-old seedlings, Pseudomonas dominated aerial parts (relative abundance 71.6%) and roots (37.9%). However, the roots exhibited significantly higher bacterial species richness than the aerial parts, with the dissimilarity between these plant sections mostly explained by the loss of bacterial amplification sequence variants. After 5 months, Mucilaginibacter dominated in the rhizoplane (9.0%), Streptomyces in the roots (12.2%), and Pseudomonas in the aerial parts (18.1%). The bacterial richness and community structure differed significantly between the plant sections, and these variations were explained mostly by 1-for-1 substitution. The relative abundance of putative metabolic pathways significantly differed between the plant sections at both 1 and 5 months. All the dominant bacterial genera (e.g., Pseudomonas and Burkholderia-Caballeronia-Paraburkholderia) have been reported to have plant growth-promoting capacities and/or antagonism against pathogens, but what defines their role for plant development has still to be determined. This investigation improves our understanding of the early plant-bacteria interactions essential for natural regeneration of A. religiosa forest.
Topics: Seedlings; Bacteria; Endophytes; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Abies; Plant Roots; Soil Microbiology; Biodiversity; Microbiota; DNA, Bacterial
PubMed: 38958675
DOI: 10.1007/s00248-024-02398-9 -
International Journal of Systematic and... Jul 2024Novel Gram-positive, catalase-negative, α-haemolytic cocci were isolated from breast milk samples of healthy mothers living in Hanoi, Vietnam. The 16S rRNA gene...
Novel Gram-positive, catalase-negative, α-haemolytic cocci were isolated from breast milk samples of healthy mothers living in Hanoi, Vietnam. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of these strains varied by 0-2 nucleotide polymorphisms. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of one strain, designated as BME SL 6.1, showed the highest similarity to those of NCTC 8618 (99.4 %), ATCC 49124 (99.4 %), and ATCC 19258 (99.3 %) in the salivarius group. Whole genome sequencing was performed on three selected strains. Phylogeny based on 631 core genes clustered the three strains into the salivarius group, and the strains were clearly distinct from the other species in this group. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) value of strain BME SL 6.1 exhibited the highest identity with NCTC 8618 (88.4 %), followed by ATCC 49124 (88.3 %) and ATCC 19258 (87.4 %). The ANI and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain BME SL 6.1 and other species were below the cut-off value (95 and 70 %, respectively), indicating that it represents a novel species of the genus . The strains were able to produce α-galactosidase and acid from raffinose and melibiose. Therefore, we propose to assign the strains to a new species of the genus as sp. nov. The type strain is BME SL 6.1 (=VTCC 12812=NBRC 116368).
Topics: RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Phylogeny; Humans; Female; DNA, Bacterial; Milk, Human; Streptococcus; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Vietnam; Whole Genome Sequencing
PubMed: 38958657
DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006442 -
International Journal of Systematic and... Jul 2024A novel slightly halophilic, aerobic, and Gram-stain-negative strain, designated as CH-27, was isolated during a bacterial resource investigation of intertidal sediment...
A novel slightly halophilic, aerobic, and Gram-stain-negative strain, designated as CH-27, was isolated during a bacterial resource investigation of intertidal sediment collected from Xiaoshi Island in Weihai, PR China. Cells of strain CH-27 were rod-shaped with widths of 0.3-0.6 µm and lengths of 2.0-11.0 µm. Strain CH-27 grew optimally at 37 °C, pH 7.0 and with 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Catalase activity was weakly positive and oxidase activity was positive. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain CH-27 was most related to KCTC 92639 (93.6 %), followed by MCCC 1K00261 (92.0 %). Based on genome comparisons between strain CH-27 and KCTC 92639, the average amino acid identity was 63.6 % and the percentage of conserved proteins was 48.3 %. The major cellular fatty acid of strain CH-27 (≥10 %) was iso-C and the sole respiratory quinone was quinone-8. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, and aminophospholipid. The DNA G+C content was 62.7 mol%. Based on comprehensive analysis of its phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain CH-27 represents a novel species in a novel genus, for which the name gen. nov., sp.nov. is proposed. The type strain is CH-27 (=MCCC 1H00480=KCTC 8011).
Topics: Base Composition; Phylogeny; Fatty Acids; Geologic Sediments; China; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; DNA, Bacterial; Bacterial Typing Techniques; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Genome, Bacterial; Phospholipids
PubMed: 38958649
DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.006440 -
Mayo Clinic Proceedings Jul 2024
PubMed: 38958621
DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2024.03.018