Public fitness centers and exercise facilities have been implicated as possible sources for transmitting community-acquired bacterial infections. However, the overall diversity of the bacterial community residing on the surfaces in these indoor environments is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the overall bacterial ecology of selected fitness centers in a metropolitan area (Memphis, TN, USA) utilizing culture-independent pyrosequencing of the 16S rRNA genes. Samples were collected from the skin-contact surfaces (e.g., exercise instruments, floor mats, handrails, etc.) within fitness centers. Taxonomical composition revealed the abundance of Firmicutes phyla, followed by Proteobacter and Actinobacteria, with a total of 17 bacterial families and 25 bacterial genera. Most of these bacterial genera are of human and environmental origin (including, air, dust, soil, and water). Additionally, we found the presence of some pathogenic or potential pathogenic bacterial genera including Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Klebsiella, and Micrococcus. Staphylococcus was found to be the most prevalent genus. Presence of viable forms of these pathogens elevates risk of exposure of any susceptible individuals. Several factors (including personal hygiene, surface cleaning and disinfection schedules of the facilities) may be the reasons for the rich bacterial diversity found in this study. The current finding underscores the need to increase public awareness on the importance of personal hygiene and sanitation for public gym users.

There are a number of clinically effective treatments for stress-associated psychiatric diseases, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Nonetheless, many patients exhibit resistance to first-line interventions calling for novel interventions based on pathological mechanisms. Accumulating evidence implicates altered glutamate signaling in MDD pathophysiology, suggesting that modulation of glutamate signaling cascades may offer novel therapeutic potential. Here we report that JHU-083, our recently developed prodrug of the glutaminase inhibitor 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (DON) ameliorates social avoidance and anhedonia-like behaviors in mice subjected to chronic social defeat stress (CSDS). JHU-083 normalized CSDS-induced increases in glutaminase activity specifically in microglia-enriched CD11b cells isolated from the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. JHU-083 treatment also reverses the CSDS-induced inflammatory activation of CD11b cells. These results support the importance of altered glutamate signaling in the behavioral abnormalities observed in the CSDS model, and identify glutaminase in microglia-enriched CD11b cells as a pharmacotherapeutic target implicated in the pathophysiology of stress-associated psychiatric conditions such as MDD.

Objective Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a highly prevalent and burdensome disease. The pathophysiology is not fully elucidated, but environmental pollutants have been suggested to impact the inflammatory component of the disease process. This review aims to summarize the role of environmental pollution in CRS onset and disease severity. Methods A systematic review was performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus databases were queried in August 2021. Original articles reporting on air pollution exposure in CRS were included. Other forms of sinonasal disease were excluded. Results Literature search produced 11,983 articles, of which 10 met inclusion criteria. Outcomes evaluated included incidence/prevalence, disease severity, quality of life, and histopathologic/microbial changes. Air pollutant exposure was associated with higher odds of CRS, particularly with particulate matter (PM) exposure. Increasing air pollution exposure was also associated with worsened disease severity and detectable histopathologic changes. Impact on quality of life was less clear. Conclusion Air pollution (particularly PM) is correlated with CRS incidence/prevalence and disease severity, with evidence of histopathologic changes in CRS tissue samples. Further research is warranted to better understand the mechanisms by which air pollution components may cause CRS and type 2 inflammation. Level of Evidence 3a

Background: Olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a strong, independent predictor of frailty and mortality risk. This study evaluated the association of dietary patterns and frailty status in older adults with OD. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Dietary patterns (DPs) characteristic of OD were derived using exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Multiple logistic regressions adjusted for demographics and frailty risk factors assessed the association of DPs with two frailty metrics: the frailty index (FI) and physical frailty (PF). Results: EFA yielded six distinct DPs in persons with OD. The protein/selenium (OR 0.82 [95% CI 0.74–0.92], p = 0.041) and β-carotene/vitamin A DPs (OR 0.76 [95% CI 0.66–0.88], p = 0.028) were independently associated with frailty by FI. Only the protein/selenium DP (OR 0.82 [95% CI 0.74–0.92], p = 0.036) was associated with frailty by PF. No DPs were associated with either frailty measure in normosmic persons. Conclusions: Dietary patterns high in protein/selenium and β-carotene/vitamin A are associated with lower frailty prevalence in adults with OD. While the relationship between OD and frailty is likely multifaceted, these findings suggest that dietary patterns are uniquely associated with frailty in older adults with OD.