Hyaluronic Acid-Functionalized Polydopamine Nanoparticles Augment Photothermal Therapy via Synergetic Tumor-Targeting and Heat Shock Protein Inhibition

As an alternative or supplement to conventional tumor treatment, photothermal therapy (PTT) is a rapid development technique for tumor elimination with the advantages of remote manipulation and minimal invasiveness. Although many different nanomaterials used in PTT have achieved excellent tumor treatment effects, poor tumor accumulation and high tumor heat resistance might lead to low PTT efficacy and frequent tumor recurrence. Herein, a kind of tumor-targeting nanoparticle (PDA-HA/STA9090 NPs) was rationally designed through conjugating hyaluronic acid (HA) on the surface of polyamine (PDA), along with loading the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor Ganetespib (STA9090). The PDA-HA/ST9090 NPs not only presented a high photothermal conversion efficiency (35.2%) but also enhanced the accumulation in tumoral sites for efficient downregulation of HSP90 in vitro. Accordingly, the mice treated with PDA-HA/STA9090 NPs under 808 nm laser irradiation showed the most effective tumor inhibition. Taken together, this work could not only provide a potential strategy to reduce hyperthermia side effects but also prompt the therapeutic effect of PTT with the assistance of HSP inhibition

Antisuperbug Cotton Fabric with Excellent Laundering Durability

Multidrug-resistant superbugs are currently a severe threat to public health. Here, we report a novel kind of antisuperbug material prepared by irradiation induced graft polymerization of 1-butyl-3-vinyl imidazole chloride onto cotton fabric. The reduction of superbugs on this fabric is higher than 99.9%. Attributed to the strong covalent bonding between the graft chains and the cellulose macromolecules, the antisuperbug performance did not decrease even after 150 equiv of domestic laundering cycles. Covalent bonding also prevented the release of the antibacterial groups during application and guarantees the safety of the material, which was proved by animal skin irritation and acute oral toxicity tests

Highly Stable Graphene-Based Nanocomposite (GO–PEI–Ag) with Broad-Spectrum, Long-Term Antimicrobial Activity and Antibiofilm Effects

Various silver nanoparticle (AgNP)-decorated graphene oxide (GO) nanocomposites (GO–Ag) have received increasing attention owing to their antimicrobial activity and biocompatibility; however, their aggregation in physiological solutions and the generally complex synthesis methods warrant improvement. This study aimed to synthesize a polyethyleneimine (PEI)-modified and AgNP-decorated GO nanocomposite (GO–PEI–Ag) through a facile approach through microwave irradiation without any extra reductants and surfactants; its antimicrobial activity was investigated on Gram-negative/-positive bacteria (including drug-resistant bacteria) and fungi. Compared with GO–Ag, GO–PEI–Ag acquired excellent stability in physiological solutions and electropositivity, showing substantially higher antimicrobial efficacy. Moreover, GO–PEI–Ag exhibited particularly excellent long-term effects, presenting no obvious decline in antimicrobial activity after 1 week storage in physiological saline and repeated use for three times and the lasting inhibition of bacterial growth in nutrient-rich culture medium. In contrast, GO–Ag exhibited a >60% decline in antimicrobial activity after storage. Importantly, GO–PEI–Ag effectively eliminated adhered bacteria, thereby preventing biofilm formation. The primary antimicrobial mechanisms of GO–PEI–Ag were evidenced as physical damage to the pathogen structure, causing cytoplasmic leakage. Hence, stable GO–PEI–Ag with robust, long-term antimicrobial activity holds promise in combating public-health threats posed by drug-resistant bacteria and biofilms

Alignment of <i>phsA</i> sequences in 21 <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis.

<p>The deletion of G at position 760 resulted in a frame-shift mutation. The first sequence is H₂S-positive <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis strain SC-B67 (NC_006905.1).</p

Phylogenetic relationships of all <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis STs from MLST database by eBURST analysis.

<p>All <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis STs were divide into three clonal complexes. The blue solid circle represents the founder clonal complex. The red lines indicate SLVs between STs.</p

Additional file 1 of Search-engine-based surveillance using artificial intelligence for early detection of coronavirus disease outbreak

Additional file 1. Table S1. Correlation coefficients of the query volumes of 32 keywords with the numbers of new cases of coronavirus disease and their query multiples (increases in query volume) from December 30, 2019 to 31 December 2019

Antimicrobial Resistance and Molecular Investigation of H₂S-Negative <i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i> serovar Choleraesuis Isolates in China

<div><p><i>Salmonella enterica</i> subsp. <i>enterica</i> serovar Choleraesuis is a highly invasive pathogen of swine that frequently causes serious outbreaks, in particular in Asia, and can also cause severe invasive disease in humans. In this study, 21 <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates, detected from 21 patients with diarrhea in China between 2010 and 2011, were found to include 19 H₂S-negative <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates and two H₂S-positive isolates. This is the first report of H₂S-negative <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolated from humans. The majority of H₂S-negative isolates exhibited high resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, gentamicin, tetracycline, ticarcillin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, but only six isolates were resistant to norfloxacin. In contrast, all of the isolates were sensitive to cephalosporins. Fifteen isolates were found to be multidrug resistant. In norfloxacin-resistant isolates, we detected mutations in the <i>gyrA</i> and <i>parC</i> genes and identified two new mutations in the <i>parC</i> gene. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) analysis were employed to investigate the genetic relatedness of H₂S-negative and H₂S-positive <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates. PFGE revealed two groups, with all 19 H₂S-negative <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates belonging to Group I and H₂S-positive isolates belonging to Group II. By MLST analysis, the H₂S-negative isolates were all found to belong to ST68 and H₂S-positive isolates belong to ST145. By CRISPR analysis, no significant differences in CRISPR 1 were detected; however, one H₂S-negative isolate was found to contain three new spacers in CRISPR 2. All 19 H₂S-negative isolates also possessed a frame-shift mutation at position 760 of <i>phsA</i> gene compared with H₂S-positive isolates, which may be responsible for the H₂S-negative phenotype. Moreover, the 19 H₂S-negative isolates have similar PFGE patterns and same mutation site in the <i>phs</i>A gene, these results indicated that these H₂S-negative isolates may have been prevalent in China. These findings suggested that surveillance should be increased of H₂S-negative <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis in China.</p></div

CRISPR spacer content of the 21 <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates.

<p>^#Novel spacer identified in this study.</p><p>CRISPR spacer content of the 21 <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates.</p

Mutations detected in the <i>gyrA</i> and <i>parC</i> gene of H₂S-negative <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates.

<p>Ser, serine. Gly, glycine. Ala, alanine. Tyr, tyrosine. Cys, cysteine. Arg, arginine. Pro, proline.</p><p>Mutations detected in the <i>gyrA</i> and <i>parC</i> gene of H₂S-negative <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates.</p

Dendrogram analysis of PFGE for the 21 <i>S</i>. Choleraesuis isolates by <i>Xba</i>I-digestion.

<p>The strain number, species, origin and ST are shown for each isolate.</p