AAC

BACKGROUND: Enterobacter cloacae ( E. cloacae ) is one of the most common Enterobacteriaceae causing nosocomial infections. Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants have been considered recently. This study evaluated the abundance of PMQR genes in strains of E. cloacae obtained from clinical samples in Kermanshah, Iran. METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, after collecting 113 isolates of E. cloacae , their identity was confirmed using specific biochemical tests...

The selection of appropriate vocabulary is a crucial and challenging aspect of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention. Core vocabulary lists are frequently used to support vocabulary selection for children who require AAC. A vocabulary domain that has garnered limited attention within the AAC literature is relational basic concepts (RBCs). RBCs describe relationships between objects, persons, or situations, and play a pivotal role in language development, communication, and academic success...

Ocular herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) infections can lead to visual impairment. Long-term acyclovir (ACV) prophylaxis reduces the frequency of recurrences but is associated with drug resistance. Novel therapies are needed to treat drug-resistant HSV-1 infections. Here, we describe the effects of trifluridine (TFT) in combination with ACV or ganciclovir (GCV) on HSV-1 replication and drug-resistance emergence. Wild-type HSV-1 was grown under increasing doses of one antiviral (ACV, GCV, or TFT) or combinations thereof (ACV + TFT or GCV + TFT)...

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is a core component of speech pathology practice. However, international literature has highlighted that speech language pathologists (SLPs) may not feel confident or competent in this area. Confidence and competence are critical factors in therapy as they can impact the quality-of-service provision. The purpose of this scoping review was to investigate the confidence/competence of SLPs in AAC. A systematic scoping search was conducted using four databases to identify relevant literature...

Actinoplanes utahensis deacylase (AAC)-catalyzed deacylation of echinocandin B (ECB) is a promising method for the synthesis of anidulafungin, the newest of the echinocandin antifungal agents. However, the low activity of AAC significantly limits its practical application. In this work, we have devised a multi-dimensional rational design strategy for AAC, conducting separate analyses on the substrate-binding pocket's volume, curvature, and length. Furthermore, we quantitatively analyzed substrate properties, particularly on hydrophilic and hydrophobic...

Although great progress has been made in the development of hybrid rice with increased yield, challenges for the improvement of grain quality still remain. In this study, the textural properties of cooked rice and physicochemical characteristics of starch were investigated for 29 new hybrid rice derived from 5 sterile and 11 restorer rice lines. Except for one sterile line Te A (P1) with high apparent amylose content (AAC) (26.9%), all other parents exhibited a low AAC. Gui 263 demonstrated the highest AAC (20...

This review aimed to critically and comparatively analyze the physicochemical, proximate, nutritional, phytochemical composition, and bioactivities of araticum (Annona crassiflora Mart.) (AAc), a fruit from the Brazilian Cerrado. Additionally, the potential applications of this fruit in the food industry were reviewed. Data and information were collected from the Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. AAc, a fruit mainly studied in the Brazilian regions of Minas Gerais and Goiás, has well-documented physicochemical, proximate, and nutritional characteristics...

OBJECTIVES: Antibiotic-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae is a human pathogen of major global concern due to its ability to cause multiple severe diseases that are often difficult to treat therapeutically. This study aimed to investigate the resistome of local clinical K. pneumoniae isolates. METHODS: Herein, we used a whole genome sequencing approach and bioinformatics tools to reconstruct the resistome of ten clinical K. pneumoniae isolates and one clinical isolate of the closely related Klebsiella quasipneumoniae obtained from patients from three major hospitals in Trinidad, West Indies...

Piperacillin-tazobactam (TZP), cefepime (FEP), or meropenem (MEM) and vancomycin (VAN) are commonly used in combination for sepsis. Studies have shown an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) with TZP and VAN compared to FEP or MEM. VAN guidelines recommend area under the curve (AUC) monitoring over trough (Tr) to minimize the risk of AKI. We investigated the association of AKI and MAKE-30 with the two VAN monitoring strategies when used in combination with TZP or FEP/MEM. Adult patients between 2015 and 2019 with VAN > 72 hours were included...

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) pathogenesis is intricately linked with inflammation. The pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) emerges as a potential biomarker, offering reflection into systemic inflammatory states and assisting in the prognosis of diverse diseases. This research aimed to explore the association between PIV and AAC. METHODS: Employing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), this cross-sectional analysis harnessed weighted multivariable regression models to ascertain the relationship between PIV and AAC...

OBJECTIVE: To understand the prevalence, genetic characteristics and drug resistance features of Salmonella Kentucky ST314 in Shenzhen. METHODS: Whole genome sequencing of 14 strains of Salmonella Kentucky ST314 collected from 2010-2021 by the Foodborne Disease Surveillance Network of Shenzhen Center for Disease Control and Prevention for phylogenetic evolutionary analysis, drug resistance gene and plasmid detection; drug susceptibility experiments were performed by micro-broth dilution method...

BACKGROUND: Standard lymphadenectomy for pancreatoduodenectomy is defined for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and adopted for patients with non-pancreatic periampullary cancer (NPPC), ampullary adenocarcinoma (AAC), distal cholangiocarcinoma (dCCA), or duodenal adenocarcinoma (DAC). This study aimed to compare the patterns of lymph node metastases among the different NPPCs in a large series and in a systematic review to guide the discussion on surgical lymphadenectomy and pathology assessment...

Pseudomonas aeruginosa harboring Verona Integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase enzymes (VIM-CRPA) have been associated with infection outbreaks in several parts of the world. In the US, however, VIM-CRPA remain rare. Starting in December 2018, we identified a cluster of cases in our institution. Herein, we present our epidemiological investigation and strategies to control/manage these challenging infections. This study was conducted in a large academic healthcare system in Miami, FL, between December 2018 and January 2022...

Mycetoma is a devastating neglected tropical infection of the subcutaneous tissues. It is caused by fungal and bacterial pathogens recognized as eumycetoma and actinomycetoma, respectively. Mycetoma treatment involves diagnosing the causative microorganism as a prerequisite to prescribing a proper medication. Current therapy of fungal eumycetoma causative agents, such as Madurella mycetomatis , consists of long-term antifungal medication with itraconazole followed by surgery, yet with usually unsatisfactory clinical outcomes...

BACKGROUND: Prior studies have established a connection between folate intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) has been introduced as a good predictor of CVD events, but no previous study has investigated the relationship between dietary folate intake and severe AAC. Therefore, the study aims to explore the association between dietary folate intake and severe AAC in the United States (US) middle-aged and elderly population. METHODS: This study employed cross-sectional data from the 2013-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to examine the relationship between dietary folate intake and severe AAC...

Cephalexin, a first-generation cephalosporin, is the first-line oral therapy for children with musculoskeletal infections due to methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Cefadroxil, a similar first-generation cephalosporin, is an attractive alternative to cephalexin given its longer half-life. In this study, we describe the comparative pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of cephalexin and cefadroxil in children with musculoskeletal infections. Children aged 6 months to 18 years with a musculoskeletal infection were enrolled in a prospective, open-label, crossover PK study and given single oral doses of cefadroxil (50-75 mg/kg up to 2,000 mg) and cephalexin (50 mg/kg up to 1,375 mg)...

Clofazimine is included in drug regimens to treat rifampicin/drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), but there is little information about its interaction with other drugs in DR-TB regimens. We evaluated the pharmacokinetic interaction between clofazimine and isoniazid, linezolid, levofloxacin, and cycloserine, dosed as terizidone. Newly diagnosed adults with DR-TB at Klerksdorp/Tshepong Hospital, South Africa, were started on the then-standard treatment with clofazimine temporarily excluded for the initial 2 weeks...

UNLABELLED: Capillary samples offer practical benefits compared with venous samples for the measurement of drug concentrations, but the relationship between the two measures varies between different drugs. We measured the concentrations of lumefantrine, mefloquine, piperaquine in 270 pairs of venous plasma and concurrent capillary plasma samples collected from 270 pregnant women with uncomplicated falciparum or vivax malaria. The median and range of venous plasma concentrations included in this study were 447...

Fusarium head blight (FHB), caused by Fusarium graminearum , is currently the most devastating disease for barley ( Hordeum vulgare ) in Canada. Associated mycotoxins can compromise grain quality, where deoxynivalenol (DON) is considered particularly damaging due to its frequency of detection. Breeding barley with a lower DON content is difficult, due to the poor adaptation and malt quality of resistance sources. A set of European-derived heritage varieties were screened in an FHB nursery in Charlottetown, PE, with selections tested at Brandon, MB, between 2018-2022...

Phage therapy has (re)emerged as a serious possibility for combating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections, including those caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium strains. These opportunistic pathogens belong to a specific clonal complex 17, against which relatively few phages have been screened. We isolated a collection of 21 virulent phages growing on these vancomycin-resistant isolates. Each of these phages harbored a typical narrow plaquing host range, lysing at most 5 strains and covering together 10 strains of our panel of 14 clinical isolates...