A simple framework for attribution of changes in concentration-load-discharge relationships and estimating the longevity of biosolids legacy phosphorus.

Legacy phosphorus (P) is a key driver of freshwater eutrophication, additionally limiting water quality improvements after implementing best managing practices. Recycled wastewater biosolids used as fertilizers are often significant contributors of legacy P in agricultural landscapes, leading to an urgent need to understand the timeframe of P releases from impacted soils. Therefore, this study aims to estimate the longevity of the effects of biosolids-derived P on water quality.

Impact on hospital length of stay and antimicrobial usage in children diagnosed with viral meningitis by rapid multiplexed PCR assay.

Meningitis and encephalitis can lead to severe morbidity and result in permanent neurologic deficits in children, but outcomes differ depending on the causative pathogen. Early diagnosis of viral meningitis may allow for appropriate management, including avoidance of antimicrobial treatment and hospital admission. We sought to determine the clinical utility of a multiplexed meningitis-encephalitis (ME) panel at a quaternary care pediatric institution in patients diagnosed with human enterovirus (HEV) and human parechovirus (HPeV) meningitis.

Scalp Bacterial Profile and Antibiotics Susceptibility Pattern in Patients With Primary Cicatricial Alopecia.

Background: Primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA) is a group of disorders causing irreversible hair loss because of hair follicle destruction. Although bacterial colonization is suspected to contribute to PCA pathogenesis, its role remains unclear.

Objective: To investigate bacterial colonization patterns and antibiotic susceptibility profiles in patients with PCA compared to those with non-inflammatory scalp conditions.

Tumor-specific biochemical nanoconversion of self-assembled peptide-conjugated paclitaxel-docetaxel-based nanoparticles.

Docetaxel (DTX, 1) and paclitaxel (PTX, 2) are famous cytotoxic agents widely used in cancer therapy, however, their low specificity for tumor cells often results in severe systemic toxicity. Beyond conventional prodrug strategies, this study introduces a novel nanoconversion technology that chemically modifies DTX to form self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs), which subsequently convert into a paclitaxel-mimicking molecule (PTXm, 3). Hydrophilic acetylated Phe-Arg-Arg-Phe peptide ((Ac)FRRF, 4) and hydrophobic docetaxel were conjugated to prepare self-assembled (Ac)FRRF-DTX NPs.

Preparation and Therapeutic Evaluation of Engineered Semaglutide and Statin-Lipid Conjugate-Based Nanoparticle.

: Fatty liver disease and obesity are among the most prevalent health conditions in modern society and have recently garnered significant attention. Semaglutide, a well-known anti-obesity drug, has been widely used for diabetes and obesity treatment; however, nanotherapeutics utilizing semaglutide have not yet been developed. : A novel statin-lipid conjugate was synthesized using rosuvastatin and ursodeoxycholic acid, a liver-protective agent.

Review of the Palaearctic species of Bouček, 1956 (Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae), with descriptions of the eight new species.

Palaearctic species of the genus Bouček, 1956 are reviewed. Twelve Palaearctic species are recognized based on females, of which eight new species are described: Tselikh, Lee & Ku, (Republic of Korea), Tselikh, Lee & Ku, (Republic of Korea), Tselikh, Haas & Ku, (Republic of Korea, Sweden), Tselikh, Lee & Ku, (Republic of Korea), Tselikh, Lee & Ku, (Republic of Korea), Tselikh, Lee & Ku, (Republic of Korea), Tselikh, Haas & Ku, (Germany, Japan, Sweden), and Tselikh, Haas & Ku, (Russia, Republic of Korea, Sweden). The female of Bouček, 1956 is described for the first time.

Performance Evaluation of Novaplex Multiplex Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of Serotypes.

, or group B streptococcus (GBS), is a Gram-positive pathogen with an extended track record of colonization in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. GBS can induce disease in individuals across all age demographics, yet it predominantly triggers infections in neonates and the elderly. Identification of the serotype is vital for effective management of the disease as it provides critical information for clinicians on the cause of the disease.

Nano-anticoagulant based on carrier-free low molecular weight heparin and octadecylamine with an albumin shuttling effect.

Low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), derived from unfractionated heparin (UFH), has enhanced anticoagulant efficacy, long duration of action, and extended half-life. Patients receiving LMWH for preventive therapies would strongly benefit from its long-term effects, however, achieving this is challenging. Here, we design and evaluate a nanoengineered LMWH and octadecylamine conjugate (LMHO) that can act for a long time while maintaining close to 97 ± 3% of LMWH activity via end-specific conjugation of the reducing end of LMWH.

Development of Rapid Disk Diffusion Device Using Laser Speckle Formation Technology for Rapid Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing.

The escalation of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) due to the excessive and inappropriate use of antimicrobials has prompted the urgent need for more rapid and effective antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods. Conventional AST techniques often take 16-24 h, leading to empirical prescription practices and the potential emergence of AMR. The study aimed to develop a rapid disk diffusion (RDD) method utilizing laser speckle formation (LSF) technology to expedite AST results.

Community-Acquired Solitary Brain Abscesses Caused by Hypervirulent in a Healthy Adult.

A 42-year-old man was admitted to the emergency room complaining of fever and headache. His cerebrospinal fluid showed a cloudy appearance, and his white blood cell count was elevated at 2460/mm, with a predominance of neutrophils (81%), and abnormal protein and glucose levels (510.7 mg/dL and 5 mg/dL, respectively).

Analysis of Self-Assembled Low- and High-Molecular-Weight Poly-L-Lysine-Ce6 Conjugate-Based Nanoparticles.

In cancer therapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has attracted significant attention due to its high potential for tumor-selective treatment. However, PDT agents often exhibit poor physicochemical properties, including solubility, necessitating the development of nanoformulations. In this study, we developed two cationic peptide-based self-assembled nanomaterials by using a PDT agent, chlorin e6 (Ce6).

Development of an automated amplicon-based next-generation sequencing pipeline for rapid detection of bacteria and fungi directly from clinical specimens.

Unlabelled: The timely identification of microbial pathogens is essential to guide targeted antimicrobial therapy and ultimately, successful treatment of an infection. However, the yield of standard microbiology testing (SMT) is directly related to the duration of antecedent antimicrobial therapy as SMT culture methods are dependent on the recovery of viable organisms, the fastidious nature of certain pathogens, and other pre-analytic factors. In the last decade, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been successfully utilized as a diagnostic tool for various applications within the clinical laboratory.

Analysis of virulence profiles in clinical isolates of from renal abscesses: clinical significance of hypervirulent isolates.

Introduction: can cause a wide range of infections. Hypervirulent (hvKp), particularly associated with the K1 and K2 capsular types, is an increasingly significant microorganism with the potential to cause invasive infections, including renal abscesses. Despite the rising prevalence of hvKp infections, information on renal abscesses caused by is limited, and the clinical significance of hvKp associated with specific virulence genes remains elusive.

Smallholders' vulnerability in the maize market: An analysis of marketing channels to improve the role of cooperatives in Benin.

Smallholder households in developing countries often face challenges related to market access. Despite being proposed as a potential solution, cooperatives in the north of Benin have reportedly failed to effectively address this issue. The alternatives channels used by smallholder famers and the factors that influence their choices remain unclear.

A taxonomic study of four rare pteromalid genera: Huang & Tong, Xiao & Ye, Hedqvist and Ferrière from the Eastern Palaearctic (Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae, Pachyneurinae).

The four morphologically similar genera Huang & Tong, 1993, Xiao & Ye, 2015, Hedqvist, 1973 and Ferrière, 1934 from the Eastern Palaearctic are reviewed. Redescriptions of genera and all available types of Eastern Palaearctic species are provided. An identification key to genera is given.

Review of the Palaearctic species of Girault, 1915 (Chalcidoidea, Pteromalidae).

Palaearctic species of the genus Girault, 1915 are reviewed. from South Korea and from Japan are described. Type material of (Masi) and (Kamijo) is redescribed and illustrated.

Doxorubicin covalently conjugated heparin displays anti-cancer activity as a self-assembled nanoparticle with a low-anticoagulant effect.

Heparin is a glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) member and well-known FDA-approved anticoagulant that has been widely used in the clinic for 100 years. It has also been evaluated in various fields for further clinical applications, such as in anti-cancer or anti-inflammatory therapy beyond its anticoagulant effect. Here, we sought to utilize heparin molecules as drug carriers by directly conjugating the anticancer drug doxorubicin to the carboxyl group of unfractionated heparin.

Accuracy Validation of the Elecsys HBsAg II Quant Assay and Its Utility in Resolving Equivocal Qualitative HBsAg Results.

: There are reports of false qualitative HBsAg results, because of various causes, such as samples with low HBsAg concentrations that may produce false positives. The main aims of this study were to validate the analytical accuracy and to assess the utility of the Elecsys assay compared to that of the qualitative HbsAg assay as a screening test in resolving equivocal qualitative HbsAg results. The limit of blank (LoB), the limit of detection (LoD), the limit of quantification (LoQ), and linearity were estimated to validate the analytical accuracy of the Elecsys HBsAg II Quant assay.

FPGA Implementation of the Chirp-Scaling Algorithm for Real-Time Synthetic Aperture Radar Imaging.

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR), which can generate images of regions or objects, is an important research area of radar. The chirp scaling algorithm (CSA) is a representative SAR imaging algorithm. The CSA has a simple structure comprising phase compensation and fast Fourier transform (FFT) operations by replacing interpolation for range cell migration correction (RCMC) with phase compensation.

Clinical Evaluation of BioFire COVID-19 Test, BioFire Respiratory Panel 2.1, and Cepheid Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 Assays for Sample-to-Answer Detection of SARS-CoV-2.

Background: Due to the extreme infectivity of SARS-CoV-2, sample-to-answer SARS-CoV-2 reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are urgently needed in order to facilitate infectious disease surveillance and control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate three sample-to-answer SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR assays—BioFire COVID-19 Test, BioFire RP 2.1, and Cepheid Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2—using clinical samples.

The current state of laboratory mycology in Asia/Pacific: A survey from the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM) and International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ISHAM).

Introduction: Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in Asia/Pacific are a particular threat to patients with malignancies, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus or undiagnosed/untreated human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Adequate and early access to diagnostic tools and antifungals is essential for IFI clinical management and patient survival.

Methods: Details on institution profile, self-perception on IFI, and access to microscopy, culture, serology, antigen detection, molecular testing, and therapeutic drug monitoring for IFI were collected in a survey.

Case report: Compound heterozygosity in gene with a large exon deletion and a novel rare p.Gly536Asp variant as a cause of severe pyruvate kinase deficiency.

Red cell pyruvate kinase (PK) deficiency is the most common cause of hereditary nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia and the most frequent enzyme abnormality of the glycolytic pathway. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Korean PK deficiency study that analyzes copy number variation (CNV) using next-generation sequencing (NGS). A 7-year-old girl with jaundice was admitted for evaluation of a persistent hemolytic anemia.

Pyogenic spondylitis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae: should the possibility of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae be considered?

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae is rare but the second most common causative agent among gram-negative bacteria that cause pyogenic spondylitis. However, there are no available studies on the serotype, virulence factors, and clinical characteristics associated with K. pneumoniae-caused pyogenic spondylitis.

Invasive Hypervirulent Syndrome Originating from an Anorectal Abscess as Opposed to a Pyogenic Liver Abscess.

An immunocompetent 49-year-old man presented with swelling and pain in the lower region of his left leg that had lasted for 4 weeks. The diagnosis was severe pyomyositis and osteomyelitis in the lower left leg caused by hypervirulent (hvKP) along with multiple metastatic infections in the kidneys, lungs, and brain originating from an anorectal abscess. A virulence-gene analysis revealed that the isolated harbored , , , , , , and -virulence genes and belonged to the K1 capsular serotype.