Staphylococcus aureus and biofilms: transmission, threats, and promising strategies in animal husbandry.

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is a common pathogenic bacterium in animal husbandry that can cause diseases such as mastitis, skin infections, arthritis, and other ailments. The formation of biofilms threatens and exacerbates S. aureus infection by allowing the bacteria to adhere to pathological areas and livestock product surfaces, thus triggering animal health crises and safety issues with livestock products. To solve this problem, in this review, we provide a brief overview of the harm caused by S. aureus and its biofilms on livestock and animal byproducts (meat and dairy products). We also describe the ways in which S. aureus spreads in animals and the threats it poses to the livestock industry. The processes and molecular mechanisms involved in biofilm formation are then explained. Finally, we discuss strategies for the removal and eradication of S. aureus and biofilms in animal husbandry, including the use of antimicrobial peptides, plant extracts, nanoparticles, phages, and antibodies. These strategies to reduce the spread of S. aureus in animal husbandry help maintain livestock health and improve productivity to ensure the ecologically sustainable development of animal husbandry and the safety of livestock products.

Combining Porous Se@SiO2 Nanocomposites and dECM Enhances the Myogenic Differentiation of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells.

Background: Volumetric Muscle Loss (VML) denotes the traumatic loss of skeletal muscle, a condition that can result in chronic functional impairment and even disability. While the body can naturally repair injured skeletal muscle within a limited scope, patients experiencing local and severe muscle loss due to VML surpass the compensatory capacity of the muscle itself. Currently, clinical treatments for VML are constrained and demonstrate minimal efficacy. Selenium, a recognized antioxidant, plays a crucial role in regulating cell differentiation, anti-inflammatory responses, and various other physiological functions. Methods: We engineered a porous Se@SiO2 nanocomposite (SeNPs) with the purpose of releasing selenium continuously and gradually. This nanocomposite was subsequently combined with a decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM) to explore their collaborative protective and stimulatory effects on the myogenic differentiation of adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs). The influence of dECM and NPs on the myogenic level, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and mitochondrial respiratory chain (MRC) activity of ADSCs was evaluated using Western Blot, ELISA, and Immunofluorescence assay. Results: Our findings demonstrate that the concurrent application of SeNPs and dECM effectively mitigates the apoptosis and intracellular ROS levels in ADSCs. Furthermore, the combination of dECM with SeNPs significantly upregulated the expression of key myogenic markers, including MYOD, MYOG, Desmin, and myosin heavy chain in ADSCs. Notably, this combination also led to an increase in both the number of mitochondria and the respiratory chain activity in ADSCs. Conclusion: The concurrent application of SeNPs and dECM effectively diminishes ROS production, boosts mitochondrial function, and stimulates the myogenic differentiation of ADSCs. This study lays the groundwork for future treatments of VML utilizing the combination of SeNPs and dECM.

Protocatechuic acid reduces H2O2-induced migration and oxidative stress of fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis by activating Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway.

Honeycomb (Nidus vespae) is traditional Chinese medicine and can treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and protocatechuic acid (PCA) is a bioactive component of honeycomb. This study aimed to investigate whether PCA could reduce the H2O2-induced migration and oxidative stress of RA fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLSs). H2O2-induced RA-FLSs were used to simulate the in vitro model of RA. The viability, apoptosis, migration, invasion, and oxidative stress of RA-FLSs were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling assay, wound healing, transwell assays, DCFDA staining, and malonaldehyde and superoxide dismutase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. The expression of migration and invasion-related proteins and Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway-related proteins was analyzed by western blotting. As a result, PCA suppressed the viability, migration, invasion, and oxidative and promoted apoptosis of H2O2-induced RA-FLSs by activating the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway. ML-385, an Nrf2 inhibitor, could enhance the viability, migration, invasion, and oxidative and inhibited apoptosis of H2O2-induced RA-FLSs. In conclusion, PCA reduced H2O2-induced migration and oxidative stress of RA-FLSs by activating the Nrf2-Keap1 signaling pathway.

Therapeutic or prophylactic anticoagulation in acute isolated distal deep vein thrombosis: protocol for a prospective, multicentre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial (TOP-IDDVT).

INTRODUCTION: The efficacy and safety of anticoagulant treatment is not established for patients with acute symptomatic isolated distal deep vein thrombosis (IDDVT). In real-world clinical practice, both therapeutic and prophylactic anticoagulation are used for acute IDDVT. However, therapeutic anticoagulation is associated with higher risk of bleeding than prophylactic anticoagulation. Thus, this study aims to assess the efficacy and safety in patients with first acute symptomatic IDDVT treated with therapeutic or prophylactic anticoagulation using rivaroxaban. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a prospective, multicentre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial. Outpatients with a first, acute, symptomatic, objectively confirmed IDDVT in four centres from 1 August 2021 are recruited. Eligible patients are randomised in a 1:1 ratio to receive prophylactic anticoagulation (rivaroxaban 10 mg once a day for 3 months) or therapeutic anticoagulation (rivaroxaban 20 mg once a day for 3 months). All patients are followed for 6 months. The primary efficacy outcome is radiographically confirmed recurrent venous thromboembolism. The primary safety outcome is the incidence of major or clinically relevant non-major bleeding events. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Zhongshan Hospital Fudan University (B2021-175R). Study results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04967573.

Functional Genomics Insights Into the Pathogenicity, Habitat Fitness, and Mechanisms Modifying Plant Development of Rhodococcus sp. PBTS1 and PBTS2.

Pistachio Bushy Top Syndrome (PBTS) is a recently emerged disease that has strongly impacted the pistachio industry in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The disease is caused by two bacteria, designated PBTS1 that is related to Rhodococcus corynebacterioides and PBTS2 that belongs to the species R. fascians. Here, we assessed the pathogenic character of the causative agents and examined their chromosomal sequences to predict the presence of particular functions that might contribute to the observed co-occurrence and their effect on plant hosts. In diverse assays, we confirmed the pathogenicity of the strains on "UCB-1" pistachio rootstock and showed that they can also impact the development of tobacco species, but concurrently inconsistencies in the ability to induce symptoms were revealed. We additionally evidence that fas genes are present only in a subpopulation of pure PBTS1 and PBTS2 cultures after growth on synthetic media, that these genes are easily lost upon cultivation in rich media, and that they are enriched for in an in planta environment. Analysis of the chromosomal sequences indicated that PBTS1 and PBTS2 might have complementary activities that would support niche partitioning. Growth experiments showed that the nutrient utilization pattern of both PBTS bacteria was not identical, thus avoiding co-inhabitant competition. PBTS2 appeared to have the potential to positively affect the habitat fitness of PBTS1 by improving its resistance against increased concentrations of copper and penicillins. Finally, mining the chromosomes of PBTS1 and PBTS2 suggested that the bacteria could produce cytokinins, auxins, and plant growth-stimulating volatiles and that PBTS2 might interfere with ethylene levels, in support of their impact on plant development. Subsequent experimentation supported these in silico predictions. Altogether, our data provide an explanation for the observed pathogenic behavior and unveil part of the strategies used by PBTS1 and PBTS2 to interact with plants.

Prognostic Value of CT Radiomic Features in Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma.

In this work, we assess the reproducibility and prognostic value of CT-derived radiomic features for resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Two radiologists contoured tumour regions on pre-operative CT of two cohorts from two institutions undergoing curative-intent surgical resection for PDAC. The first (n = 30) and second cohorts (n = 68) were used for training and validation of proposed prognostic model for overall survival (OS), respectively. Radiomic features were extracted using PyRadiomics library and those with weak inter-reader reproducibility were excluded. Through Cox regression models, significant features were identified in the training cohort and retested in the validation cohort. Significant features were then fused via Cox regression to build a single radiomic signature in the training cohort, which was validated across readers in the validation cohort. Two radiomic features derived from Sum Entropy and Cluster Tendency features were both robust to inter-reader reproducibility and prognostic of OS across cohorts and readers. The radiomic signature showed prognostic value for OS in the validation cohort with hazard ratios of 1.56 (P = 0.005) and 1.35 (P = 0.022), for the first and second reader, respectively. CT-based radiomic features were shown to be prognostic in patients with resectable PDAC. These features may help stratify patients for neoadjuvant or alternative therapies.

Promiscuous Pathogenicity Islands and Phylogeny of Pathogenic Streptomyces spp.

Approximately 10 Streptomyces species cause disease on underground plant structures. The most economically important of these is potato scab, and the most studied of these pathogens is Streptomyces scabiei (syn. S. scabies). The main pathogenicity determinant of scab-causing Streptomyces species is a nitrated diketopiperazine, known as thaxtomin A (ThxA). In the pathogenic species Streptomyces turgidiscabies, ThxA biosynthetic genes reside on a mobile pathogenicity island (PAI). However, the mobilization of PAIs in other Streptomyces species remains uncharacterized. Here, we investigated the mobilization of the PAI of S. scabiei 87-22. Based on whole genome sequences, we inferred the evolutionary relationships of pathogenic Streptomyces species and discovered that Streptomyces sp. strain 96-12, a novel pathogenic species isolated from potatoes in Egypt, was phylogenetically grouped with nonpathogenic species rather than with known pathogenic species. We also found that Streptomyces sp. strain 96-12 contains a PAI that is almost identical to the PAI in S. scabiei 87-22, despite significant differences in their genome sequences. This suggested direct or indirect in vivo mobilization of the PAI between S. scabiei and nonpathogenic Streptomyces species. To test whether the S. scabiei 87-22 PAI could, indeed, be mobilized, S. scabiei 87-22 deletion mutants containing antibiotic resistance markers in the PAI were mated with Streptomyces diastatochromogenes, a nonpathogenic species. The PAI of S. scabiei was site-specifically inserted into the aviX1 gene of S. diastatochromogenes and conferred pathogenicity in radish seedling assays. Our results demonstrated that S. scabiei, the earliest described Streptomyces pathogen, could be the source of a PAI responsible for the emergence of novel pathogenic species.