Gram

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is recognized globally as a significant health challenge, but its extent remains unclear in many regions. It is crucial to prioritize a foundational evaluation of AMR prevalence to facilitate the implementation of laboratory-based surveillance. Adopting a One Health perspective, this study outlines the present AMR status in the Middle East. AIM: To synthesize the current state of knowledge on AMR in the Middle East, delineate the contributions of different sectors (human health, animal health, and environment), and discern the effectiveness of One Health interventions in mitigating AMR...

The photochemistry of noncovalent interactions to promote organic transformations is an emerging approach to providing fresh opportunities in synthetic chemistry. Generally, the external substance is necessary to add as an interaction partner, thereby sacrificing the atom economy of the reaction. Herein, we describe a catalyst-free and noncovalent interaction-mediated strategy to access the olefination of N -tosylhydrazones using acetone as a solvent and an interaction partner. This protocol also features broad substrate scope, excellent functional group compatibility, and mild reaction conditions without transition metals...

Gram-positive bacteria, in particular Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ), are the leading bacterial cause of death in high-income countries and can cause invasive infections at various body sites. These infections are associated with prolonged hospital stays, a large economic burden, considerable treatment failure, and high mortality rates. So far, there is only limited knowledge about the specific locations where S. aureus resides in the human body during various infections. Hence, the visualization of S...

Bioadhesives with all-inclusive properties for simultaneous strong and robust adhesion, cohesion, tracking, drug delivery, self-sterilization, and nontoxicity are still farfetched. Herein, a carbon dot (CD) is made to infuse each of the above-desired aspects with gelatin, an inexpensive edible protein. The CD derived through controlled hydrothermal pyrolysis of dopamine and terephthaldehyde retained -NH2 , -OH, -COOH, and, most importantly, -CHO functionality on the CD surface for efficient skin adhesion and cross-linking...

Resistance to antibiotics and antimicrobial compounds is a significant problem for human and animal health globally. The development and introduction of new antimicrobial compounds are urgently needed, and copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) have found widespread application across various sectors including biomedicine, pharmacy, catalysis, cosmetics, and many others. What makes them particularly attractive is the possibility of their synthesis through biogenic routes. In this study, we synthesized biogenic green tea (GT, Camellia sinensis )-derived CuO NPs (GT CuO NPs) and examined their biophysical properties, in vitro toxicity for mammalian cells in culture, and then tested them against Neisseria gonorrhoeae , an exemplar Gram-negative bacterium from the World Health Organization's Priority Pathogen List...

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a Gram-negative Enterobacteriaceae that is classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a Priority One ESKAPE pathogen. South and Southeast Asian countries are regions where both healthcare associated infections (HAI) and community acquired infections (CAI) due to extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKp) are of concern. As K. pneumoniae can also exist as a harmless commensal, the spread of resistance genotypes requires epidemiological vigilance...

BACKGROUND: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) has been increasingly applied in sepsis. We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic and therapeutic utility of mNGS of paired plasma and peritoneal drainage (PD) fluid samples in comparison to culture-based microbiological tests (CMTs) among critically ill patients with suspected acute intra-abdominal infections (IAIs). METHODS: We conducted a prospective study from October 2021 to December 2022 enrolling septic patients with suspected IAIs (n = 111)...

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) protects the central nervous system from infections or harmful substances1 ; its impairment can lead to or exacerbate various diseases of the central nervous system2-4 . However, the mechanisms of BBB disruption during infection and inflammatory conditions5,6 remain poorly defined. Here we find that activation of the pore-forming protein GSDMD by the cytosolic lipopolysaccharide (LPS) sensor caspase-11 (refs. 7-9 ), but not by TLR4-induced cytokines, mediates BBB breakdown in response to circulating LPS or during LPS-induced sepsis...

Hereunder, we pioneered the synthesis of Copper Oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) utilizing Tragacanth gum (TG). The NPs were characterized using advanced techniques and assessed for different pharmaceutical and environmental perspectives. The successful formation of a colloidal NPs solution was confirmed by the appearance of a distinct black color and a distinct peak at 260 nm in UV-Visible spectrophotometry. The FTIR analysis unveiled a spectrum of functional groups responsible for the reduction and stabilization of CuO NPs...

A total of 20 endophytic fungi were isolated (ZSEFL1-ZSEFL20) from Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. (Nabq) leaves. Four isolates A2/ZSEFL2, Alternaria alternata , D/ZSEFL14, Aspergillus niger , E/ZSEFL15, Epicoccum nigrum , and S/ZSEFL19, Penicillium crustosum were found to show the most promising antimicrobial activities either in plug or disc diffusion screening assays against Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and pathogenic fungi. Antimicrobial activity was tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, Serratia marcescens ATCC 14764, Klebsiella pneumonia e ATCC 700603, Candida albicans ATCC 10231, and Fusarium oxysporum ATCC417...

In this research, two novel Fe(III)-reducing bacteria, SG10T and SG198T of genus Geothrix, were isolated from the rice field of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China. Strains SG10T and SG198T were strictly anaerobic, rod-shaped and Gram-stain-negative. The two novel strains exhibited iron reduction ability, utilizing various single organic acid as the elector donor and Fe(III) as a terminal electron acceptor. Strains SG10T and SG198T showed the highest 16S rRNA sequences similarities to the type strains of Geothrix oryzisoli SG189T (99...

A group of Gram-negative plant-associated diazotrophic bacteria belonging to the genus Nitrospirillum was investigated, including both previously characterized and newly isolated strains from diverse regions and biomes, predominantly in Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA and recA genes revealed the formation of a distinct clade consisting of thirteen strains, separate from the formally recognized species N. amazonense (the closest species) and N. iridis. Comprehensive taxonomic analyses using the whole genomes of four strains (BR 11140T  = AM 18T  = Y-2T  = DSM 2788T  = ATCC 35120T , BR 11142T  = AM 14T  = Y-1T  = DSM 2787T  = ATCC 35119T , BR 11145 = CBAmC, and BR 12005) supported the division of these strains into two species: N...

Three Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile strains (DC2WT , DC25WT , and LKC2W) were isolated from streams in China. Comparisons based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that these three strains share 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity values over 97.0 % with the species of genus Arcicella . There was confusion due to the fact that all species of genera Flectobacillus , Aquirufa , and Sandaracinomonas show 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of over 90.0 % to the above three strains, but the genus Flectobacillus belongs to the family Spirosomataceae and the genera Aquirufa and Sandaracinomonas belong to the family Cytophagaceae ...

A novel Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented, short rod-shaped bacterial strain, HBC34T , was isolated from a freshwater sample collected from Daechung Reservoir, Republic of Korea. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that HBC34T was affiliated with the genus Sphingobium and shared the highest sequence similarity to the type strains of Sphingobium vermicomposti (98.01 %), Sphingobium psychrophilum (97.87 %) and Sphingobium rhizovicinum (97.59 %). The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA-DNA hybridisation (dDDH) values between HBC34T and species of the genus Sphingobium with validly published names were below 84...

This study explores the potential of propolis from Melipona rufiventris species. With its composition encompassing resin, wax, pollen, and soil, propolis holds historical significance in traditional medicine within tropical regions. This research is driven by the scarcity of information surrounding M. rufiventris propolis, prompting an investigation into its chemical constituents, in vivo toxicity, and antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. This exploration could potentially uncover novel applications for this natural product, bolstering both meliponiculture practices and the preservation of native bee populations...

Detection of bacterial RNA by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), such as reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) and reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP), offers distinct advantages over DNA-based methods. However, such assays also present challenges in ascertaining positive and internal control material that can reliably monitor success over all phases of testing (bacterial lysis, nucleic acid recovery, reverse transcription, amplification, and signal detection): since they are unable to distinguish between amplification of bacterial RNA transcripts and the DNA templates that encode them, using intact organisms as controls can inform cell lysis but not successful detection of RNA...

In this study, the genetic differences and clinical impact of the carbapenemase-encoding genes among the community and healthcare-acquired infections were assessed. This retrospective, multicenter cohort study was conducted in Colombia and included patients infected with carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative rods between 2017 and 2021. Carbapenem resistance was identified by Vitek, and carbapenemase-encoding genes were identified by whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to classify the alleles and sequence types (STs)...

BACKGROUND: Aminoglycosides (AGs) are important antibiotics in the treatment of Gram-negative sepsis. However, they are associated with the risk of irreversible sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Several genetic variants have been implicated in the development of ototoxicity. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the pharmacogenetic determinants of AG-related ototoxicity. METHODS: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and was registered on Prospero (CRD42022337769)...

BACKGROUND: Surgical site infections are one of the major clinical problems in surgical departments that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to healthcare systems around the world. AIM: The study aimed to address the pressing issue of surgical site infections, which pose significant clinical and financial burdens on healthcare systems globally. Recognizing the substantial costs incurred due to these infections, the research has focused on understanding the role of lipase and protease production by multi-drug resistant bacteria isolated from surgical wounds in the development of post-surgical wound infections...

In the present study, we have discussed the influence of forging temperature (623 K (FT623), 723 K (FT723) and 823 K (FT823)) on microstructure and texture evolution and its implication on mechanical behavior, in vitro - in vivo biocorrosion, antibacterial response, and cytocompatibility of microalloyed Mg-Zr-Sr-Ce alloy. Phase analysis, SEM, and TEM characterization confirm the presence of Mg12 Ce precipitate, and its stability was further validated by performing ab initio molecular dynamic simulation study...