Orthodontic treatments, while essential for achieving optimal oral health, present challenges in infection control due to the propensity for bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on orthodontic appliances. Silver-coated orthodontic materials have emerged as a promising solution, leveraging the potent antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Antibacterial coatings are used in orthodontics to prevent the formation of bacterial biofilms. This systematic review evaluated the literature on antimicrobial silver coatings on fixed orthodontic appliances, including archwires, brackets, and microimplants. Two evaluators, working independently, rigorously conducted a comprehensive search of various databases, including PubMed, PubMed Central, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science. This systematic review comprehensively examined in vitro studies investigating the antimicrobial efficacy of silver-coated orthodontic archwires, brackets, and microimplants. The review registered in PROSPERO CRD42024509189 synthesized findings from 18 diverse studies, revealing consistent and significant reductions in bacterial adhesion, biofilm formation, and colony counts with the incorporation of AgNPs. Key studies demonstrated the effectiveness of silver-coated archwires and brackets against common oral bacteria, such as Streptococcus mutans and Staphylococcus aureus. Microimplants coated with AgNPs also exhibited notable antimicrobial activity against a range of microorganisms. The systematic review revealed potential mechanisms underlying these antimicrobial effects, highlighted implications for infection prevention in orthodontic practice, and suggested future research avenues. Despite some study heterogeneity and limitations, the collective evidence supports the potential of silver-coated orthodontic materials in mitigating bacterial complications, emphasizing their relevance in advancing infection control measures in orthodontics.

Staphylococcus aureus is a significant bacterium responsible for multiple infections and is a primary cause of fatalities among patients in hospital environments. The advent of pathogenic bacteria such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus revealed the shortcomings of employing antibiotics to treat bacterial infectious diseases. Quorum sensing enhances S. aureus\'s survivability through signaling processes. Targeting the key components of quorum sensing has drawn much interest nowadays as a promising strategy for combating infections caused by bacteria. Concentrating on the accessory gene regulator quorum-sensing mechanism is the most commonly suggested anti-virulence approach for S.aureus. Quorum quenching is a common strategy for controlling illnesses triggered by microorganisms since it reduces the pathogenicity of bacteria and improves bacterial biofilm susceptibility to antibiotics, thus providing an intriguing prospect for drug discovery. Quorum sensing inhibition reduces selective stresses and constrains the emergence of antibiotic resistance while limiting bacterial pathogenicity. This review examines the quorum sensing mechanisms involved in S. aureus, quorum sensing targets and gene regulation, environmental factors affecting quorum sensing, quorum sensing inhibition, natural products as quorum sensing inhibitory agents and novel therapeutical strategies to target quorum sensing in S. aureus as drug developing technique to augment conventional antibiotic approaches.

BACKGROUND: Brain-heart infusion agar supplemented with 4 µg/mL of vancomycin (BHI-V4) was commonly used for the detection of heterogeneous (hVISA) and vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA). However, its diagnostic value remains unclear. This study aims to compare the diagnostic accuracy of BHI-V4 with population analysis profiling with area under the curve (PAP-AUC) in hVISA/VISA.
METHODS: The protocol of this study was registered in INPLASY (INPLASY2023120069). The PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to October 2023. Review Manager 5.4 was used for data visualization in the quality assessment, and STATA17.0 (MP) was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS: In total, eight publications including 2153 strains were incorporated into the meta-analysis. Significant heterogeneity was evident although a threshold effect was not detected across the eight studies. The summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) was 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.74-0.81). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic score and diagnostic odds ratio were 0.59 (95% CI: 0.46-0.71), 0.96 (95%CI: 0.83-0.99), 14.0 (95% CI, 3.4-57.1), 0.43 (95%CI, 0.32-0.57), 3.48(95%CI, 2.12-4.85) and 32.62 (95%CI, 8.31-128.36), respectively.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that BHI-V4 had moderate diagnostic accuracy for diagnosing hVISA/VISA. However, more high-quality studies are needed to assess the clinical utility of BHI-V4.

UNASSIGNED: Respiratory tract infections are major contributors to the global disease burden. Quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) holds potential as a rapidly deployable framework to understand respiratory pathogen transmission and inform policy on infection control.
UNASSIGNED: The goal of this paper was to evaluate, motivate, and inform further development of the use of QMRA as a rapid tool to understand the transmission of respiratory pathogens and improve the evidence base for infection control policies.
UNASSIGNED: We conducted a literature review to identify peer-reviewed studies of complete QMRA frameworks on aerosol inhalation or contact transmission of respiratory pathogens. From each of the identified studies, we extracted and summarized information on the applied exposure model approaches, dose-response models, and parameter values, including risk characterization. Finally, we reviewed linkages between model outcomes and policy.
UNASSIGNED: We identified 93 studies conducted in 16 different countries with complete QMRA frameworks for diverse respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, Legionella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, influenza, and Bacillus anthracis. Six distinct exposure models were identified across diverse and complex transmission pathways. In 57 studies, exposure model frameworks were informed by their ability to model the efficacy of potential interventions. Among interventions, masking, ventilation, social distancing, and other environmental source controls were commonly assessed. Pathogen concentration, aerosol concentration, and partitioning coefficient were influential exposure parameters as identified by sensitivity analysis. Most (84%, n=78) studies presented policy-relevant content including a) determining disease burden to call for policy intervention, b) determining risk-based threshold values for regulations, c) informing intervention and control strategies, and d) making recommendations and suggestions for QMRA application in policy.
UNASSIGNED: We identified needs to further the development of QMRA frameworks for respiratory pathogens that prioritize appropriate aerosol exposure modeling approaches, consider trade-offs between model validity and complexity, and incorporate research that strengthens confidence in QMRA results. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP12695.

A nanoparticle-drug delivery system against Staphylococcus aureus, especially Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, has been recently proposed as an alternative pathway therapy. Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus is resistance to many antibiotics, making it a a threat to human life, especially for older and immunocompromised people. Treatment of Multidrug-resistant staphylococcus aureus is considered an urgent need. A variety of kinds of nanoparticle-drug delivery systems with different compositions, and biological properties have been extensively investigated against Staphylococcus aureus. This review summarizes the novel nanoparticle-drug delivery systems against Staphylococcus aureus. These nanoparticle-drug delivery systems could reduce antibiotic resistance and minimize side effects of the antibiotics. Also, they can deliver a high concentration of the drugs and eliminate the bacteria in a specific and targeted site of infection. Despite these benefits of nanoparticle-drug delivery systems, the cytotoxicity, stress oxidative, genotoxicity, and inflammation that may occur in vivo and in vitro should not be ignored. Therefore, we need a better knowledge of the pharmacological properties and safety concerns of nanoparticle-drug delivery systems. The limitations of each nanoparticle-drug delivery system with high therapeutic potential have to be considered for further design.

OBJECTIVE: Nanotechnology is constantly advancing in dental science, progressing several features aimed at improving dental implants. An alternative for surface treatment of dental implants is electrochemical anodization, which may generate a nanotubular surface (TiO2 nanotubes) with antibacterial potential and osteoinductive features. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to elucidate the possible antibacterial properties of the surface in question compared to the untreated titanium surface.
METHODS: For that purpose, was performed a systematic search on the bases PubMed, Lilacs, Embase, Web Of Science, Cinahl, and Cochrane Central, as well as, manual searches and gray literature.
METHODS: The searches resulted in 742 articles, of which 156 followed for full-text reading. Then, 37 were included in the systematic review and 8 were included in meta-analysis.
RESULTS: Fifteen studies revealed significant antibacterial protection using TiO2 nanotube surfaces, while 15 studies found no statistical difference between control and nanotextured surfaces. Meta-analysis of in vitro studies demonstrated relevant bacterial reduction only for studies investigating Staphylococcus aureus in a period of 6 h. Meta-analysis of in vivo studies revealed three times lower bacterial adhesion and proliferation on TiO2 nanotube surfaces.
CONCLUSIONS: TiO2 nanotube topography as a surface for dental implants in preclinical research has demonstrated a positive relationship with antibacterial properties, nevertheless, factors such as anodization protocols, bacteria strains, and mono-culture methods should be taken into consideration, consequently, further studies are necessary to promote clinical translatability.

Microbial biofilm formation creates a persistent and resistant environment in which microorganisms can survive, contributing to antibiotic resistance and chronic inflammatory diseases. Increasingly, biofilms are caused by multi-drug resistant microorganisms, which, coupled with a diminishing supply of effective antibiotics, is driving the search for new antibiotic therapies. In this respect, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are short, hydrophobic, and amphipathic peptides that show activity against multidrug-resistant bacteria and biofilm formation. They also possess broad-spectrum activity and diverse mechanisms of action. In this comprehensive review, 150 publications (from January 2020 to September 2023) were collected and categorized using the search terms \'polypeptide antibiotic agent\', \'antimicrobial peptide\', and \'biofilm\'. During this period, a wide range of natural and synthetic AMPs were studied, of which LL-37, polymyxin B, GH12, and Nisin were the most frequently cited. Furthermore, although many microbes were studied, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the most popular. Publications also considered AMP combinations and the potential role of AMP delivery systems in increasing the efficacy of AMPs, including nanoparticle delivery. Relatively few publications focused on AMP resistance. This comprehensive review informs and guides researchers about the latest developments in AMP research, presenting promising evidence of the role of AMPs as effective antimicrobial agents.

A large increase in hospital-onset and intensive-care-unit-onset Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia rates in English acute trusts was observed between 2020 and 2021, coinciding with reported increases in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases and associated hospitalizations. Many of these S. aureus bacteraemia cases were defined as co-/secondary infections to COVID-19. Over the same period, increases in the percentage of ventilator-associated pneumonia-related bacteraemia were also found. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have contributed to the increase in hospital-onset S. aureus bacteraemia in England; further studies are needed to better understand the impacts on patient outcomes.

UNASSIGNED: Reliable animal models are critical for preclinical research and should closely mimic the disease. With respect to route of infection, pathogenic agent, disease progression, clinical signs, and histopathological changes. Sheep have similar bone micro- and macrostructure as well as comparable biomechanical characteristics to humans. Their use in bone research is established, however their use in bone infection research is limited. This systematic review will summarise the key features of the available bone infection models using sheep, providing a reference for further development, validation, and application.
UNASSIGNED: This systematic review was designed according to the PRISMA guidelines and registered with PROSPERO. Quality was assessed using SYRICLE\'s risk of bias tool adapted for animal studies. PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE were searched until March 2022.1921 articles were screened by two independent reviewers, and 25 were included for analysis.
UNASSIGNED: Models have been developed in nine different breeds. Staphylococcus aureus was used in the majority of models, typically inoculating 108 colony forming units in tibial or femoral cortical defects. Infection was established with either planktonic or biofilm adherent bacteria, with or without foreign material implanted. Most studies used both radiological and microbiological analyses to confirm osteomyelitis.
UNASSIGNED: There is convincing evidence supporting the use of sheep in bone infection models of clinical disease. The majority of sheep studied demonstrated convincing osteomyelitis and tolerated the infection with minimal complications. Furthermore, the advantages of comparable biology and biomechanics may increase the success for translating in vivo results to successful therapies.
UNASSIGNED: In the realm of preclinical research, the translation to viable clinical therapies is often perilous, and the quest for reliable and representative animal models remains paramount. This systematic review accentuates the largely untapped potential of sheep as large animal models, especially in bone infection research. The anatomical and biomechanical parallels between sheep and human bone structures position sheep as an invaluable asset for studying osteomyelitis and periprosthetic joint infection. This comprehensive exploration of the literature demonstrates the robustness and translational promise of these models. Furthermore, this article underscores the potential applicability for sheep in developing effective therapeutic strategies for human bone infections.

The rapid population growth in Africa is associated with an increasing demand for livestock products which in turn can lead to antimicrobial use. Antimicrobial usage in animals contributes to the emergence and selection of resistant bacteria which constitutes a serious public health threat. This study aims to review and summarize the available information on highest priority critically important antimicrobials (HPCIAs) resistance in livestock production in Africa. This work will help to inform future policies for controlling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the food production chain. A scoping review was conducted according to the Cochrane handbook and following PRISMA 2020 guidelines for reporting. Primary research studies published after 1999 and reporting resistance of Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp, and Campylobacter spp to HPCIAs in poultry, cattle, pigs, goats, and sheep in Africa were searched in four databases. A total of 312 articles were included in the review. The majority of the studies (40.7) were conducted in North African countries. More than 49.0% of included studies involved poultry and 26.2% cattle. Cephalosporins and quinolones were the most studied antimicrobial classes. Of the bacteria investigated in the current review, E. coli (41.7%) and Salmonella spp (24.9%) represented the most commonly studied. High levels of resistance against erythromycin in E. coli were found in poultry (MR 96.1%, IQR 83.3-100.0%), cattle (MR 85.7%, IQR 69.2-100.0%), and pigs (MR 94.0%, IQR 86.2-94.0%). In sheep, a high level of resistance was observed in E. coli against nalidixic acid (MR 87.5%, IQR 81.3-93.8%). In goats, the low level of sensibility was noted in S. aureus against streptomycin (MR 86.8%, IQR 19.4-99.0%). The study provides valuable information on HPCIAs resistance in livestock production in Africa and highlights the need for further research and policies to address the public health risk of AMR. This will likely require an investment in diagnostic infrastructure across the continent. Awareness on the harmful impact of AMR in African countries is a requirement to produce more effective and sustainable measures to curb AMR.