Multi-omics investigation reveals unique markers in compared to closely related species.

Introduction: The (KP) species complex (KpSC) comprises KP as the predominant species, and six other taxa including two subspecies each of var (KV) and (KQ), all capable of causing clinical infections and often challenging to differentiate. Among these, KP is by far the most clinically significant, with the emergence of multidrug-resistant and hypervirulent strains leading to severe infections and limited treatment options, underscoring the need to understand the genomic features of KP.

Methods: This study compared globally disseminated KP lineages with less abundant KV strains in synthetic human urine (SHU) across multiple omics levels to identify characteristics differentiating these closely related species.

Potential in-host evolution of ST147: convergence and the role of capsular alterations in morphotype diversity.

, an important opportunistic pathogen, is traditionally classified into classic and hypervirulent pathotypes. Convergent strains combining antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and hypervirulence have emerged globally, posing a significant health challenge. In this study, we investigated potential in-host evolution and morphotypic variation among consecutive ST147 isolates from a single patient.

Genotypic characterization of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing from dogs in northern Germany.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing concern in veterinary and public health, with extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing playing a significant role. This study examined 1,000 healthy and sick dogs from a veterinary clinic in northern Germany and identified 85 ESBL-producing . Whole-genome sequencing of these isolates revealed seven phylogroups.

Temperatures above 37°C increase virulence of a convergent sequence type 307 strain.

Background: Convergence of (KP) pathotypes has been increasingly reported in recent years. These pathogens combine features of both multidrug-resistant and hypervirulent KP. However, clinically used indicators for hypervirulent KP identification, such as hypermucoviscosity, appear to be differentially expressed in convergent KP, potential outbreak clones are difficult to identify.

Colostrum as a source of ESBL-Escherichia coli in feces of newborn calves.

The aim of the present study was to determine if colostrum and the equipment for harvesting and feeding colostrum are sources of fecal ESBL/AmpC-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL/AmpC-E. coli) in calves. Therefore, 15 male calves fed with pooled colostrum on a dairy farm and held individually in an experimental barn, the colostrum pool and the equipment for harvesting and feeding colostrum were sampled and analyzed for the occurrence of ESBL/AmpC-E.

Natural phenolic compounds as biofilm inhibitors of multidrug-resistant - the role of similar biological processes despite structural diversity.

Multidrug-resistant gram-negative pathogens such as have become increasingly difficult to treat and therefore alternative treatment options are needed. Targeting virulence factors like biofilm formation could be one such option. Inhibition of biofilm-related structures like curli and cellulose formation in has been shown for different phenolic natural compounds like epigallocatechin gallate.

Genomic analysis of the international high-risk clonal lineage Klebsiella pneumoniae sequence type 395.

Background: Klebsiella pneumoniae, which is frequently associated with hospital- and community-acquired infections, contains multidrug-resistant (MDR), hypervirulent (hv), non-MDR/non-hv as well as convergent representatives. It is known that mostly international high-risk clonal lineages including sequence types (ST) 11, 147, 258, and 307 drive their global spread. ST395, which was first reported in the context of a carbapenemase-associated outbreak in France in 2010, is a less well-characterized, yet emerging clonal lineage.

Geno- and Phenotypic Characteristics of a ST20 Isolate with Unusual Colony Morphology.

is a common member of the intestinal flora of vertebrates. In addition to opportunistic representatives, hypervirulent (hvKp) and antibiotic-resistant (ABR-Kp) occur. While ABR-Kp isolates often cause difficult-to-treat diseases due to limited therapeutic options, hvKp is a pathotype that can infect healthy individuals often leading to recurrent infection.

Multidrug-Resistant High-Risk and Clonal Lineages Occur in Black-Headed Gulls from Two Conservation Islands in Germany.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) , including extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and , not only emerge in healthcare settings but also in other habitats, such as livestock and wildlife. The spread of these pathogens, which often combine resistance with high-level virulence, is a growing problem, as infections have become increasingly difficult to treat. Here, we investigated the occurrence of ESBL-producing and in fecal samples from two black-headed gull colonies breeding on two nature conservation islands in Western Pomerania, Germany.

Extensively Drug-Resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae Counteracts Fitness and Virulence Costs That Accompanied Ceftazidime-Avibactam Resistance Acquisition.

The ability of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Klebsiella pneumoniae to rapidly acquire resistance to novel antibiotics is a global concern. Moreover, Klebsiella clonal lineages that successfully combine resistance and hypervirulence have increasingly occurred during the last years. However, the underlying mechanisms of counteracting fitness costs that accompany antibiotic resistance acquisition remain largely unexplored.

The COVID-19 Patient in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit.

COVID-19 continues to rampage around the world. Noncritical care-trained physicians may be deployed into the intensive care unit to manage these complex patients. Although COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory disease, it is also associated with significant pathology in the brain, heart, vasculature, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and kidneys.

A functional genomic screen in Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals divergent mechanisms of resistance to different alkylphosphocholine chemotherapeutic agents.

The alkylphosphocholine (APC) class of antineoplastic and antiprotozoal drugs, such as edelfosine and miltefosine, are structural mimics of lyso-phosphatidylcholine (lyso-PC), and are inhibitory to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at low micromolar concentrations. Cytotoxic effects related to inhibition of phospholipid synthesis, induction of an unfolded protein response, inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation, and disruption of lipid rafts have been attributed to members of this drug class, however, the molecular mechanisms of action of these drugs remain incompletely understood. Cytostatic and cytotoxic effects of the APCs exhibit variability with regard to chemical structure, leading to differences in effectiveness against different organisms or cell types.

Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis of the Larval Gut Transcriptome Reveals Candidate Enzymes for Keratin Digestion.

The clothes moth is one of a few insects that can digest keratin, leading to the destruction of clothing, textiles and artwork. The mechanism of keratin digestion is not yet fully understood, partly reflecting the lack of publicly available genomic and transcriptomic data. Here we present a high-quality gut transcriptome of generated from larvae reared on keratin-rich and keratin-free diets.

Giant bilateral adrenal lipoma in a patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Summary: Apart from adrenal myelolipomas, adrenal lipomatous tumors are rare and only seldom described in the literature. We present the case of a 50-year-old man, with a classical form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), which was well treated with prednisolone and fludrocortisone. The patient presented with pollakisuria and shortness of breath while bending over.

Prognostic impact of cytoplasmatic EGFR upregulation in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma: A pilot study.

In various tumors, epidermal growth factor-receptor (EGFR) serves a role in tumorigenesis and has an impact on survival. Usually the EGF-receptor is located on the surface of the cell membrane and is involved in various signaling pathways. The dimerization of EGFR with other ErbB family proteins, such as HER2, is important for the tumor progression.

Larvae of the Clothing Moth Maintain Gut Bacteria that Secrete Enzyme Cocktails to Facilitate the Digestion of Keratin.

The evolutionary success of insects is promoted by their association with beneficial microbes that enable the utilization of unusual diets. The synanthropic clothing moth provides an intriguing example of this phenomenon. The caterpillars of this species have adapted to feed on keratin-rich diets such as feathers and wool, which cannot be digested by most other animals and are resistant to common digestive enzymes.

Postcardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenator: No longer a bridge to no where?

Background: Postcardiotomy extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (PC-ECMO) represents a unique subset of critically ill patients, with a paucity of data regarding long-term survival and correlated characteristics. We present a retrospective cohort of PC-ECMO patients, with outcomes at 1 and 3 years.

Methods: Data were collected retrospectively for all patients requiring ECMO within 72 hours of an index cardiac operation (excluding assist devices and transplants).

DRoP: Automated detection of conserved solvent-binding sites on proteins.

Water and ligand binding play critical roles in the structure and function of proteins, yet their binding sites and significance are difficult to predict a priori. Multiple solvent crystal structures (MSCS) is a method where several X-ray crystal structures are solved, each in a unique solvent environment, with organic molecules that serve as probes of the protein surface for sites evolved to bind ligands, while the first hydration shell is essentially maintained. When superimposed, these structures contain a vast amount of information regarding hot spots of protein-protein or protein-ligand interactions, as well as conserved water-binding sites retained with the change in solvent properties.

Haemodynamic response associated with both ictal and interictal epileptiform activity using simultaneous video electroencephalography/near infrared spectroscopy in a within-subject study.

This paper reports the findings from a pilot study of four patients with medically refractory epilepsy undergoing pre-surgical evaluation with ages ranging from 5 to 17 years. Video electroencephalography recordings and data from a near infrared spectroscopy cerebral/somatic oximeter were gathered and related to electrographic seizure onset and offset as determined by a paediatric epileptologist. All four patients showed haemodynamic changes associated with epileptiform activities.

A high-throughput fatty acid profiling screen reveals novel variations in fatty acid biosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and related algae.

Analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) by gas chromatography (GC) is a common technique for the quantitative and qualitative analysis of acyl lipids. Methods for FAME preparation are typically time-consuming and labor-intensive and require multiple transfers of reagents and products between reaction tubes and autosampler vials. In order to increase throughput and lower the time and materials costs required for FAME preparation prior to GC analysis, we have developed a method in which 10-to-20-mg samples of microbial biomass are transferred to standard GC autosampler vials, transesterified using an emulsion of methanolic trimethylsulfonium hydroxide and hexane, and analyzed directly by GC without further sample handling.

Androgen receptor expression in primary breast cancer and its predictive and prognostic value in patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

The androgen receptor (AR) has been shown to be of potential prognostic importance in retrospective cohorts. We evaluated immunohistochemical AR expression on a tissue microarray of 673 core biopsies from primary breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant docetaxel/doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide (TAC) chemotherapy in the prospective GeparTrio phase-III trial. AR was detected in 53.

An intracellular targeted antibody detects EGFR as an independent prognostic factor in ovarian carcinomas.

Background: In ovarian cancer, the reported rate of EGFR expression varies between 4-70% depending on assessment method and data on patient outcome are conflicting.

Methods: In this study we investigated EGFR expression and its prognostic value in a cohort of 121 invasive ovarian carcinomas, using a novel antibody against the intracellular domain of the receptor. We further evaluated an association between EGFR, the nuclear transporter CRM1 as well as COX-2.