Background/Objectives: Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome CP/CPPS is a rather common condition and in recent years many studies have shown contradictory results regarding its impact on semen quality. This prospective cohort study set out to investigate how CP/CPPS affected the parameters of semen in a prospective cohort of patients compared with the WHO 2021 reference group. Methods: From 2013 to 2022, a total of 1071 patients with suspicion of CP/CPPS received a comprehensive andrological examination. Complete semen analysis was carried out in compliance with WHO 2010 guidelines, comparing every study population semen variable to the WHO 2021 reference group (n~3500). Results: All evaluated semen parameters had median values that fell within a normal range. Nonetheless, approximately 25% of patients had values for each semen variable that were lower than the WHO reference group’s fifth percentile. In particular, bacteriospermia was associated with a negative impact on semen volume. Conclusions: This is the largest study that compares all standard semen parameters in patients suffering from CP/CPPS to WHO 2021 reference values. It provides evidence of an impairment of conventional semen parameters. Full article

Atmospheric CO₂ levels have been increasing, and likewise, increasing drought events have been following increasing temperatures. There is very little literature on the effects of climate change factors on early-successional deciduous species used for ecological restoration. Thus, morphological and allometric variation in four coppiced early-successional deciduous species was examined in response to a 2 × 2 factorial of ambient CO₂ (aCO₂, 400 ppm) and elevated CO₂ (eCO₂, 800 ppm), as well as well-watered and drought treatments with 15%–20% and 5%–10% volumetric moisture content, respectively, grown in sandy soil with low soil nitrogen (N) under greenhouse conditions. The four species examined were as follows: green alder (Alnus viridis subsp. crispa (Ait.) Turrill), speckled alder (A. incana subsp. rugosa (Du Roi) R.T. Clausen), gray birch (Betula populifolia (Marshall)), and white birch (B. papyrifera (Marshall)), and all are from the same phylogenetic family, Betulaceae. Genus differences in morphological and growth traits were large, especially in response to the environmental treatments used. Alders upregulated all growth traits under eCO₂ because of the strong coppicing sink effect and the additional foliar N provided by the actinorhizal ability of the genus, whereas birches remained the same or slightly decreased under eCO₂. As a result, alders have a significantly greater foliar N than birches, with 2.8 and 1.0%, respectively. All species reduced growth under drought, and green alder had the greatest stem dry mass growth, followed by speckled alder and then the birches. Under drought, eCO₂ not only mitigated the alder drought dry mass but, in fact, doubled the stem dm, whereas eCO₂ only just mitigated the birches drought response. When corrected for size using stem height, alders allocated more to stem and leaf and less to root dry mass than birches. Atmospheric CO₂ and soil moisture treatments changed organ biomass allocation. The tallest stem height was the best predictor of total (above and below) dry mass. With increasing atmospheric CO₂, particularly on low nutrient sites, the results show alders are capable of sequestering far more carbon than birches. In addition, with more atmospheric CO₂, alders can mitigate against drought conditions better compared to birches. Full article

To optimize cranberry juice enrichment, correlation between physicochemical properties of filtration membranes (FM) and anthocyanin migration was investigated during electrodialysis with filtration membranes (EDFM) using redundancy (RDA) and multivariate regression (MRGA) analyses. Six polyether sulfone (PES) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes with molecular weight cut-offs between 150 and 500 kDa, commercially available at large scale, were characterized in terms of nine physicochemical characteristics and used for EDFM. The highest migration of total anthocyanin was obtained with PVDF 250 kDa, with a global migration rate of 3.5 ± 0.4 g/m²·h. RDA showed that two FM properties (mesopore porosity and hydrophilic porosity) were significantly negatively correlated to the anthocyanin’s migration and explained 67.4% of their total variation in migration. Predictive MRGA models were also developed for each anthocyanin based on these significant FM properties. A combination of intermolecular interactions may lead to binding in a cooperative and synergistic mode and hinder the anthocyanin migration. Full article

The principal purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), as well as the principal associated risk factors, in patients registered in the IDON-PAD database. PAD is a condition characterized by the narrowing or blockage of arteries in the body’s extremities due to plaque buildup, leading to reduced blood flow and tissue ischemia. While PAD primarily affects the lower extremities, it can lead to symptoms such as intermittent claudication and, in severe cases, ulcers and amputations. Risk factors for PAD are numerous and cumulative, including smoking, age over 50, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. The prevalence of PAD increases with age, with rates ranging from 2.5% in those over 50 to 60% in those over 85, varying by ethnicity and study population. Diabetic patients face a higher risk of PAD-related complications and have lower success rates with revascularization procedures. The diagnosis of PAD traditionally relied on physical examination and symptoms, but the Ankle–Brachial Index is now a standard diagnostic tool due to its non-invasive nature and reliability. In Mexico, the prevalence of PAD is estimated at 10%, with significant risk factors being the duration of diabetes, hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, and smoking. Notably, 70% of PAD cases are asymptomatic, emphasizing the importance of proactive screening. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PAD and associated risk factors in diabetic patients aged 40 and above. The prevalence was found to be 11.2%, with high-risk waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, positive Edinburgh questionnaire, and weak pulses as significant predictors. The detection and management of PAD in diabetic patients require a comprehensive approach, including lifestyle modifications and regular screenings. Prevention strategies should focus on controlling risk factors, including obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. In conclusion, PAD is a prevalent yet underdiagnosed condition in diabetic patients, necessitating proactive screening and comprehensive management to mitigate associated risks and improve patient outcomes. The principal limitation of this study is that, as it uses a cross-sectional methodology and is not an experimental study, although we can establish the prevalence of PAD as well as the associated risk factors, we cannot define causality or determine the hazard ratio for each of these factors. Special thanks to Dr. Leobardo Sauque Reyna and all participants for their contribution to this research. Full article

Hip fractures inflict heightened morbidity and mortality upon older adults. Although previous studies have explored the impact of individual demographic factors on hip fracture risk, a comprehensive review can help reconcile disparities among these factors. This meta-analysis encompassed 69 studies involving 976,677 participants and 99,298 cases of hip fractures. We found that age ≥ 85 (OR = 1.75), BMI < 18.5 (OR 1.72), female sex (OR = 1.23), history of falls (OR = 1.88), previous fractures (OR = 3.16), menopause (OR 7.21), history of maternal hip fractures (OR = 1.61), single and unmarried status (OR = 1.70), divorced status (OR 1.38), residing in a residential care facility (OR = 5.30), and living alone (OR = 1.47) were significantly associated with an increased incidence of hip fracture. Conversely, BMI ranging from 25 to 30 (OR = 0.59), BMI > 30 (OR = 0.38), parity (OR = 0.79), non-Caucasian descent (overall OR = 0.4, Asian OR 0.36, Black OR = 0.39, and Hispanic OR = 0.45), and rural residence (OR = 0.95) were significantly associated with a diminished risk of hip fracture. Hip fracture patients exhibited significantly lower weight and BMI than the non-fracture group, while their age was significantly higher. However, age at menopause and height did not significantly differ between the two groups. Full article

Orthopedic emergencies due to fractures are one of the main reasons for surgical intervention. The distal radius is a structure prone to fractures, particularly in young people. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the success rate of methoxyflurane in the reduction in distal radius fractures that required conservative treatment. The medical records of all the patients with Frykman type I and type II distal radius fractures who underwent fracture reduction with methoxyflurane or propofol from December 2021 to January 2023 were reviewed. The success rate of distal radius fracture reduction with methoxyflurane was analyzed, and the secondary outcomes, such as the recovery time and length of stay in the orthopedic emergency department, were assessed and compared with propofol. A total of 145 patients with distal radius fractures presented to the emergency department during the study period. Seventy-five patients met our inclusion criteria. Fifty patients had a fracture reduction with methoxyflurane, while twenty patients received propofol. The median recovery time and reduction duration were 30 min and 65.5 min, respectively, resulting in a shorter period for the methoxyflurane group. Methoxyflurane was successfully used in 48 of the 82 patients undergoing Frykman type I and type II distal radius fracture reduction while improving the recovery time due to its easy self-delivery and rapid effectiveness in the patient, as well as being able to estimate the level of pain so that the amount of anesthetic needed can be estimated and adverse effects avoided. Methoxyflurane represents a great candidate for surgical interventions like the reduction in distal radius fractures. Full article

Periprosthetic shoulder infection (PSI) remains a challenging complication after shoulder arthroplasty. Therapeutic options include one- or two-stage revision, irrigation and debridement, and resection arthroplasty. With our systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to compare one- and two-stage revisions for periprosthetic shoulder joint infections and determine the most appropriate therapeutic procedure. We performed an extensive literature search in PubMed, Ovid Medline, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL and filtered out all relevant studies. The meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model, heterogeneity was analyzed using I², and publication bias was assessed using the Egger’s test. A total of 8 studies with one-stage revisions, 36 studies with two-stage revisions, and 12 studies with both one-stage and two-stage revisions were included. According to the random-effects model, the reinfection rate for the entirety of the studies was 12.3% (95% Cl: 9.6–15.3), with a low-to-moderate heterogeneity of I² = 47.72%. The reinfection rate of the one-stage revisions was 10.9%, which was significantly lower than the reinfection rate of the two-stage revisions, which was 12.93% (p = 0.0062). The one-stage revision rate was significantly lower with 1.16 vs. 2.25 revisions in the two-stage revision group (p < 0.0001). The postoperative functional outcome in one-stage-revised patients was comparable but not statistically significant (p = 0.1523). In one- and two-stage revisions, most infections were caused by Cutibacterium acnes. In summary, our systematic review and meta-analysis show the superiority of single-stage revision regarding reinfection and revision rates in periprosthetic shoulder joint infection. Full article

MV140 is an inactivated whole-cell bacterial mucosal vaccine with proven clinical efficacy against recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs). These infections are primarily caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC) strains, which are unique in their virulence factors and remarkably diverse. MV140 contains a non-UPEC strain, suggesting that it may induce an immune response against different UPEC-induced UTIs in patients. To verify this, we experimentally evaluated the cellular and humoral responses to UTI89, a prototypical UPEC strain, in mice vaccinated with MV140, as well as the degree of protection achieved in a UPEC UTI89 model of acute cystitis. The results show that both cellular (Th1/Th17) and antibody (IgG/IgA) responses to UTI89 were induced in MV140-immunized mice. MV140 vaccination resulted in an early increased clearance of UTI89 viable bacteria in the bladder and urine following transurethral infection. This was accompanied by a highly significant increase in CD4⁺ T cells in the bladder and an increase in urinary neutrophils. Collectively, our results support that MV140 induces cross-reactive humoral and cellular immune responses and cross-protection against UPEC strains. Full article

This study uses the Social–Ecological–Technological Systems (SETS) framework to examine the urban disaster management strategies of Toyama City, Japan. The recent seismic shocks on the Noto Peninsula highlight the importance of implementing efficient disaster management. Toyama City has incorporated the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals into its statutory planning frameworks and urban management policies. This synthesis promotes a cooperative approach to disaster resilience while effectively managing challenging limitations. However, we investigate how Toyama City’s policy may be improved using policy direction evaluation and SETS allomorph coding. This extensive allomorph analysis of the city’s urban planning and disaster management documents shows a dominant focus on social and technical elements, including emergency preparedness, policy, economic criteria, and infrastructure. Nevertheless, the results reveal a significant deficiency in ecological considerations, indicating an asymmetry in the existing policy framework. Our study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive disaster management strategy that considers social, technological, and ecological variables to improve the city’s ability to support sustainable development and socio-hydrological challenges. Full article

Background/Objective: No guidelines indicate surgical risk factors for the elderly because of the lack of data from general neurosurgeons. To better understand the management of surgical risk in elderly patients with meningiomas based on a national database in Japan. Methods: Results of surgically treated meningiomas were explored in 8138 patients registered in the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database in Japan during 2010–2015. Age (<65, 65–74, and ≥75 years), sex, Barthel index (BI), medical history, tumor location, oral medication prescriptions on admission, and stroke complications were evaluated. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified risk factors for stroke complications, BI deterioration between admission and discharge, and in-hospital mortality. Results: Advanced age was the prominent risk factor for BI deterioration (odds ratio: 3.26; 95% confidence interval: 2.69–3.95) but not for in-hospital mortality. Lower BI (60–80) on admission increased the risk of BI deterioration in all age groups; however, BI < 60 demonstrated a significant inverse risk (0.47; 0.32–0.69) in the elderly (≥75 years). Location (falx, parasagittal, and deep) and anticoagulants were not significant risk factors for BI deterioration in patients aged ≥ 75 years, despite being significant risk factors in patients aged <65 and/or 65–74 years. Conclusions: Although advanced age could lead to postoperative functional decline at discharge, it was not sufficiently significant enough to be associated with in-hospital mortality. Because of the possibility of recovery even in elderly patients with severe disabilities, appropriate surgical selection and optimal management may lead to favorable functional outcomes in elderly patients with meningiomas. Full article

Gastric cancer is the fifth most common cancer and the fourth cause of global cancer mortality. The identification of new biomarkers and drug targets is crucial to allow the better prognosis and treatment of patients. The mitotic spindle positioning (MISP) protein has the function of correcting mitotic spindle positioning and centrosome clustering and has been implicated in the cytokinesis and migration of cancer cells. The goal of this work was to evaluate the expression and clinical relevance of MISP in gastric cancer. MISP expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in a single hospital series (n = 286) of gastric adenocarcinomas and compared with normal gastric mucosa and intestinal metaplasia, a preneoplastic lesion. MISP was detected on the membrane in 83% of the cases, being overexpressed in gastric cancer compared to normal gastric mucosa (n = 10). Its expression was negatively associated with diffuse and poorly cohesive types. On the other hand, it was strongly expressed in intestinal metaplasia where it was associated with MUC2 and CDX2 expression. Furthermore, when we silenced MISP in vitro, a significant decrease in the viability of gastric carcinoma cells was observed. In conclusion, MISP is overexpressed in gastric cancer, being associated with an intestinal phenotype in gastric carcinogenesis and having a role in cellular proliferation. Full article

Hypertensive diseases of pregnancy (HDPs) represent a global clinical challenge, affecting 5–10% of women and leading to complications for both maternal well-being and fetal development. At the heart of these complications is endothelial dysfunction, with oxidative stress emerging as a pivotal causative factor. The reduction in nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability is a vital indicator of this dysfunction, culminating in blood pressure dysregulation. In the therapeutic context, although antihypertensive medications are commonly used, they come with inherent concerns related to maternal–fetal safety, and a percentage of women do not respond to these therapies. Therefore, alternative strategies that directly address the pathophysiology of HDPs are required. This article focuses on the potential of the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway, abundantly present in dark leafy greens and beetroot, as an alternative approach to treating HDPs. The objective of this review is to discuss the prospective antioxidant role of nitrate. We hope our discussion paves the way for using nitrate to improve endothelial dysfunction and control oxidative stress, offering a potential therapy for managing HDPs. Full article

The grouting quality of prestressed pipelines directly affects the safety and durability of prestressed reinforced concrete bridge structures, attracting wide attention from the engineering community. Based on the principles of the scattering wave method, this paper designs and manufactures a large-scale model to simulate the actual construction testing environment. Several sets of design defects with significantly distributed spans in the prestressing ducts were pre-set, and the Engineering Geophysical Instrument System–Pipeline Grouting Profile (EGS-PGP) equipment developed was used to detect the grouting quality of the prestressed pipelines under different conditions, obtaining the frequency attenuation values at defect locations. The study shows that stability of the peak frequency throughout the test can indicate compact grouting, while a large fluctuation in the peak frequency range with no regular changes can indicate non-compact grouting; a sudden increase or decrease in peak frequency can effectively indicate the location of grouting defects along the pipeline. The number of sudden changes in frequency can indicate the number of gaps inside the pipeline. The chirp signal, compared to the hammer impact signal, shows greater stability and engineering application value in detecting defects using the scatter wave method. This study provides technical support for the detection of grouting quality in prestressed pipelines based on chirp signals. Full article

The negatively charged extracellular matrix plays a vital role in intervertebral disc tissues, providing specific cues for cell maintenance and tissue hydration. Unfortunately, suitable biomimetics for intervertebral disc regeneration are lacking. Here, sulfated alginate was investigated as a 3D culture material due to its similarity to the charged matrix of the intervertebral disc. Precursor solutions of standard alginate, or alginate with 0.1% or 0.2% degrees of sulfation, were mixed with primary human nucleus pulposus cells, cast, and cultured for 14 days. A 0.2% degree of sulfation resulted in significantly decreased cell density and viability after 7 days of culture. Furthermore, a sulfation-dependent decrease in DNA content and metabolic activity was evident after 14 days. Interestingly, no significant differences in cell density and viability were observed between surface and core regions for sulfated alginate, unlike in standard alginate, where the cell number was significantly higher in the core than in the surface region. Due to low cell numbers, phenotypic evaluation was not achieved in sulfated alginate biomaterial. Overall, standard alginate supported human NP cell growth and viability superior to sulfated alginate; however, future research on phenotypic properties is required to decipher the biological properties of sulfated alginate in intervertebral disc cells. Full article

This study examines the catalytic activity of NiFeCoO_x catalysts for anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis. The catalysts were synthesized with a Ni to Co ratio of 2:1 and Fe content ranges from 2.5 to 12.5 wt%. The catalysts were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The catalytic activity of the NiFeCoO_x catalysts was evaluated through linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and chronoamperometry (CA) experiments for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The catalyst with 5% Fe content exhibited the highest catalytic activity, achieving an overpotential of 228 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻². Long-term catalyst testing for the OER at 50 mA cm⁻² showed stable electrolysis operation for 100 h. The catalyst was further analyzed in an AEM water electrolyzer in a single-cell test, and the NiFeCoO_x catalyst with 5% Fe at the anode demonstrated the highest current densities of 1516 mA cm⁻² and 1620 mA cm⁻² at 55 °C and 70 °C at 2.1 V. The maximum current density of 1880 mA cm⁻² was achieved at 2.2 V and 70 °C. The Nyquist plot analysis of electrolysis at 55 °C showed that the NiFeCoO_x catalyst with 5% Fe had lower activation resistance compared with the other Fe loadings, indicating enhanced performance. The durability test was performed for 8 h, showing stable AEM water electrolysis with minimum degradation. An overall cell efficiency of 70.5% was achieved for the operation carried out at a higher current density of 0.8 A cm⁻². Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of giant cactus harvest time and the inclusion of pigeon pea hay in improving the ensiling process and the nutritional composition of cactus silage. In total, 40 polyvinyl chloride-PVC mini-silos (10 × 40 cm) were used. Mini-silos were distributed in a 2 × 5 factorial scheme, referent to 2 harvest times (18 and 24 months) and 5 levels (0, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) of pigeon pea hay inclusion in a randomized design. Effluent losses (p < 0.001) showed a negative linear effect as the inclusion of pigeon pea hay increased. Gas losses (p < 0.001), dry matter (DM) recovery (p < 0.001), and pH (p < 0.001) revealed the interactive effects between the pigeon pea hay inclusion and the harvest time. The DM content was higher in the giant cactus harvested at 24 months. The difference in nutritional composition promoted by the harvest time did not affect the silage quality. The gradual inclusion of pigeon pea hay improved the fermentative and bromatological characteristics of giant cactus silage. It is important to highlight that the inclusion of pigeon pea hay contributed to the increase in pH without affecting the necessary acidity for ideal conservation. Full article

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a three-dimensional structural deformity of the spine that affects 2–3% of adolescents under the age of 16. AIS etiopathogenesis is not completely understood; however, the disease phenotype is correlated to multiple genetic loci and results from genetic–environmental interactions. One of the primary, still unresolved issues is the implementation of reliable diagnostic and prognostic markers. For clinical management improvement, predictors of curve progression are particularly needed. Recently, an epigenetic contribution to AIS development and progression was proposed; nevertheless, validation of data obtained in peripheral tissues and identification of the specific mechanisms and genes under epigenetic control remain limited. In this study, we propose a methodological approach for the identification of epigenetic markers of AIS progression through an original workflow based on the preliminary characterization of local expression of candidate genes in tissues directly involved in the pathology. The feasibility of the proposed methodological protocol has been originally tested here in terms of identification of the putative epigenetic markers of AIS progression, collection of the different tissues, retrieval of an appropriate amount and quality of RNA and DNA, and identification of suitable reference genes. Full article

Determining the tumor origin in humans is vital in clinical applications of molecular diagnostics. Metastatic cancer is usually a very aggressive disease with limited diagnostic procedures, despite the fact that many protocols have been evaluated for their effectiveness in prognostication. Research has shown that dysregulation in miRNAs (a class of non-coding, regulatory RNAs) is remarkably involved in oncogenic conditions. This research paper aims to develop a machine learning model that processes an array of miRNAs in 1097 metastatic tissue samples from patients who suffered from various stages of breast cancer. The suggested machine learning model is fed with miRNA quantitative read count data taken from The Cancer Genome Atlas Data Repository. Two main feature-selection techniques have been used, mainly Neighborhood Component Analysis and Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance, to identify the most discriminant and relevant miRNAs for their up-regulated and down-regulated states. These miRNAs are then validated as biological identifiers for each of the four cancer stages in breast tumors. Both machine learning algorithms yield performance scores that are significantly higher than the traditional fold-change approach, particularly in earlier stages of cancer, with Neighborhood Component Analysis and Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance achieving accuracy scores of up to 0.983 and 0.931, respectively, compared to 0.920 for the FC method. This study underscores the potential of advanced feature-selection methods in enhancing the accuracy of cancer stage identification, paving the way for improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies in oncology. Full article

To the best of our knowledge, a novel concept of mode heterogeneity for the design of multimode devices is presented in this paper and applied to the design of scalable multimode power splitters. Based on a cascade of mode-dependent splitters and converters, we achieve beam splitting and mode conversion for four modes from $T{E}_0$ to $T{E}_3$ in the bandwidth from 1525 nm to 1560 nm. The measurements of the device at 1550 nm show excellent performance, with the insertion loss ranging from 0.16 dB to 0.63 dB, crosstalk all below −16.71 dB, and power uniformity between 0.026 dB and 0.168 dB. Full article

The rise in the antibiotic resistance of bacteria has increased scientific interest in the study of materials with unique mechanisms of antimicrobial action. This paper presents the results of studies on the antimicrobial activity of carbon materials and textiles decorated with them. A comparative analysis of the bactericidal and fungicidal activities of graphene oxide, electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene, carbon dots, and their combinations was performed. Microbiological studies on reference strains of E. coli, S. aureus, and C. albicans showed that graphene oxide inhibited growth with up to 98% efficiency. Electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene was less effective (up to 40%). This study found no significant antimicrobial activity of carbon dots and the combination of carbon dots with graphene oxide significantly weakened their effectiveness. However, the combination of electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene and carbon dots exhibits a synergistic effect (up to 76%). A study on the antimicrobial activity of decorated cotton textiles demonstrated the effectiveness of antimicrobial textiles with graphene oxide, electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene, and a combination of carbon dots with electrochemically exfoliated multigraphene. Full article

The pathogenicity of many bacteria, including Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus, depends on pore-forming toxins (PFTs), which cause the lysis of host cells by forming pores in the membranes of eukaryotic cells. Bioinformatic analysis revealed a region homologous to the Lys171-Gly250 sequence in hemolysin II (HlyII) from B. cereus in over 600 PFTs, which we designated as a “homologous peptide”. Three β-barrel PFTs were used for a detailed comparative analysis. Two of them—HlyII and cytotoxin K2 (CytK2)—are synthesized in Bacillus cereus sensu lato; the third, S. aureus α-toxin (Hla), is the most investigated representative of the family. Protein modeling showed certain amino acids of the homologous peptide to be located on the surface of the monomeric forms of these β-barrel PFTs. We obtained monoclonal antibodies against both a cloned homologous peptide and a 14-membered synthetic peptide, DSFNTFYGNQLFMK, as part of the homologous peptide. The HlyII, CytK2, and Hla regions recognized by the obtained antibodies, as well as an antibody capable of suppressing the hemolytic activity of CytK2, were identified in the course of this work. Antibodies capable of recognizing PFTs of various origins can be useful tools for both identification and suppression of the cytolytic activity of PFTs. Full article