Search

Rationale: Multiseptate gallbladder (MSG) is a rare congenital gallbladder anomaly. Between 1963 and June 2021, only 56 cases were reported. There is currently no treatment guideline for pediatric or adult cases of MSG., Patient Concerns: A 14-year-old woman visited our out-patient clinic in September 2020 for epigastric pain that last for 6 months. Honeycomb appearance of the gallbladder was noted under ultrasonography., Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with MSG. The diagnosis was confirmed through computed tomography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography., Interventions: Cholecystectomy was performed., Outcomes: Epigastric pain showed limited improvement after the surgery. Since she was diagnosed with gastritis at the same time, a proton-pump inhibitor was prescribed. Epigastric pain was eventually resolved., Lessons: MSG cases can undergo cholecystectomy and show good recovery without complications. However, concomitant treatment may be required to resolve in the presence of other symptoms such as epigastric pain., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Cellular sources of IL-23 and IL-17A driving skin inflammation in psoriasis remain unclear. Using high-dimensional unsupervised flow cytometry analysis, mononuclear phagocytes and T cells were examined in the same lesions of patients before and during guselkumab (IL-23p19 blocker) or secukinumab (IL-17A blocker) treatment. Among CD11c + HLA-DR + mononuclear phagocytes, CD64 bright CD163 - CD14 bright CD1c - CD1a ‒ inflammatory monocyte‒like cells were the predominant IL-23-producing cells and, together with CD64 - CD163 - CD14 - IL-23p19 - TNF-α + inflammatory dendritic cell‒like cells, were increased in lesional compared with those in nonlesional skin taken from the same patient. Within T cells, CD8 + CD49a + and/or CD103 + tissue-resident memory T cells, CD4 + CD25 + FoxP3 + regulatory T cells, and CD4 + CD49a - CD103 - T cells were increased. Moreover, CD4 + CD49a - CD103 - T cells and the relatively rare CD8 + memory T cells equally contributed to IL-17A production. Both treatments decreased the frequencies of inflammatory monocyte‒like, inflammatory dendritic cell‒like, and CD4 + CD49a - CD103 - T cells. In contrast, guselkumab reduced memory T cells while maintaining regulatory T cells and vice versa for secukinumab. Neither drug modified the frequencies of IL-17A + IL ‒ 17F + / - CD4 + or CD8 + T cells. This study reveals the identity of the major IL-23 + mononuclear phagocyte and IL-17 + T-cell subsets in psoriatic skin lesions and paves the way for a better understanding of the mode of action of drugs targeting the IL-23/IL-17A pathway in psoriasis., (Copyright © 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Approximately 5% of men and 40%-50% of women have experienced urinary tract infections (UTI), which are the most common infectious diseases and nosocomial infections in humans. Proteus mirabilis is susceptible to most antibiotics, but antibiotic treatment usually causes side effects. In this research, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was assessed for its inhibitory activity against a urinary tract pathogen., Methodology: We studied the effect of pH adjustment, heat, and enzyme treatments on the inhibitory activity of LAB strains and their supernatants, using well-diffusion and co-culture assays. In the cell culture assay, anti-adhesion and anti-invasion activities against P. mirabilis were tested with SV-HUC-1 urothelial cells., Results: LAB were able to adhere to the urothelial cells and inhibited P. mirabilis growth. LAB were also able to inhibit P. mirabilis adhesion to or invasion of SV-HUC-1 urothelial cells. Finally, in the competition assay, LAB showed inhibitory effects against P. mirabilis. LAB could also inhibit the invasion of P. mirabilis into urothelial cells., Conclusions: Two LAB strains (PM206 and 229) exhibited antagonistic activity against P. mirabilis adhesion or invasion of urothelial cells in culture. In the future, probiotics may be used in food or urinary tract cleansing and could replace antibiotic treatments., Competing Interests: No Conflict of Interest is declared, (Copyright (c) 2020 Tzu-Min Lai, Pei-Pei Lin, You-Miin Hsieh, Cheng-Chih Tsai.)

Urinary tract infections are the most common infectious diseases in babies and the elderly and are often acquired as nosocomial infections. The purpose of the present study was to identify strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) which could be used as alternatives to antibiotics for the treatment of urinary tract infections because of their ability to inhibit urinary tract pathogens ( Klebsiella pneumoniae BCRC 10694 and Gardnerella vaginalis BCRC 17040). We screened 370 LAB strains using spent culture supernatants by inhibition zone assay to assess their antimicrobial effects. We studied the effect of heat, pH and enzyme treatment on the inhibitory activity of LAB strain supernatants. Anti-growth activity against urinary tract pathogens was evaluated by co-culture inhibition assay using seven LAB strains. Anti-adhesion and anti-invasion activities against urinary tract pathogens were evaluated by SV-HUC-1 uroepithelium cell culture. The results showed that the supernatants had good heat stability. However, antibacterial activity disappeared entirely at pH 7.0. After enzyme treatments, the supernatants showed first- or second-order inhibitory effects on K. pneumonia BCRC 10694. The survival rate of urinary tract pathogens was 0-10.65% and pH of the culture medium decreased after co-culture with LAB strains for 4 h. In a competition assay, PM2 and RY2 inhibited urinary tract pathogens. PM68, PM78, PM201, PM206 and PM229 inhibited the invasion of SV-HUC-1 cells by G. vaginalis BCRC17040. In conclusion, PM78, PM229 and RY2 showed the strongest inhibitory activity against urinary tract pathogens and could be suitable for use in the treatment of urinary tract infections., Competing Interests: Compliance with Ethical StandardsThe authors declare no conflict of interest.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common infectious diseases in infants and the elderly; they are also the most common among nosocomial infections. The treatment of UTIs usually involves a short-term course of antibiotics. The purpose of this study was to identify the strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that can inhibit the urinary tract pathogen Staphylococcus saprophyticus, as alternatives to antibiotics. In this study, we collected 370 LAB strains from fermented plant products and reference strains from the Bioresources Collection and Research Center (BCRC). Using spent culture supernatants (SCS), we then screened these LAB strains with for antimicrobial effects on urinary tract pathogens by the well-diffusion assay. Seven LAB strains-PM2, PM68, PM78, PM201, PM206, PM229, and RY2-exhibited inhibitory activity and were evaluated for anti-growth activity against urinary tract pathogens by the co-culture inhibition assay. Anti-adhesion and anti-invasion activities against urinary tract pathogens were evaluated using the SV-HUC-1 urothelial cell cultures. The results revealed that the survival rate of S. saprophyticus ranged from 0.9-2.96%, with the pH continuously decreasing after co-culture with LAB strains for 4 h. In the competitive adhesion assay, the exclusion and competition groups performed better than the displacement group. In the SV-HUC-1 cell invasion assay, PM201, PM206, PM229, and RY2 were found to inhibit the invasion of SV-HUC-1 cells by S. saprophyticus BCRC 10786. To conclude, RY2, PM229, and PM68 strains exhibited inhibitory activity against the urinary tract pathogen S. saprophyticus.

Purpose: Consumption of refined foods and beverages high in sugar make the teeth susceptible to the formation of biofilm and may lead to dental caries. The aim of the present study was to determine the ability of selected probiotics to inhibit growth and biofilm formation by the cariogenic bacterium Streptococcus mutans in vitro., Materials and Methods: Strains of latic acid bacteria (LAB) (n = 120) from the Bioresources Collection and Research Center (BCRC), saliva of healthy adults and infant stool were screened. The antimicrobial activity of LAB in vitro was evaluated by agar spot culture and co-culture of the S. mutans strains. Antagonistic substances in the spent culture suspensions (SCS) of LAB were precipitated by extraction with ammonium sulphate and chloroform to characterise the protein and lipophilic fractions., Results: Results of co-culturing show that the SCS of the three LAB strains (Lactobacillus pentosus 13-1, 13-4 and L. crispatus BCRC 14618) subjected to heat treatment showed statistically significantly higher antimicrobial activity. Substances produced by L. pentosus 13-4 which have the potential to exhibit antimicrobial properties might be lipophilic proteins. Additionally, microtiter plate biofilm assays indicated that in vitro biofilm formation by S. mutans is strongly modulated by L. pentosus 13-4 and L. crispatus BCRC 14618., Conclusion: It can be inferred that the mechanism of reducing biofilm formation by these two LAB strains is associated with sucrose-dependent cell-cell adhesion and the gtfC level of glucosyltransferases in the biofilm. Therefore, it is suggested that L. pentosus 13-4 and L. crispatus BCRC 14618 may contribute to preventing dental caries, as they showed an inhibitory effect on the growth and biofilm formation of the cariogenic bacterium S. mutans in vitro.

Objectives: The present study aimed to compare the effects of music and music video interventions on objective and subjective sleep quality in adults with sleep disturbances., Design: A randomized controlled trial was performed on 71 adults who were recruited from the outpatient department of a hospital with 1100 beds and randomly assigned to the control, music, and music video groups., Interventions: During the 4 test days (Days 2-5), for 30min before nocturnal sleep, the music group listened to Buddhist music and the music video group watched Buddhist music videos. They were instructed to not listen/watch to the music/MV on the first night (pretest, Day 1) and the final night (Day 6). The control group received no intervention., Main Outcome Measures: Sleep was assessed using a one-channel electroencephalography machine in their homes and self-reported questionnaires., Results: The music and music video interventions had no effect on any objective sleep parameters, as measured using electroencephalography. However, the music group had significantly longer subjective total sleep time than the music video group did (Wald χ 2 =6.23, p=0.04)., Conclusion: Our study results increase knowledge regarding music interventions for sleep quality in adults with sleep disturbances. This study suggested that more research is required to strengthen the scientific knowledge of the effects of music intervention on sleep quality in adults with sleep disturbances. (ISRCTN94971645)., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: There is a high hospitalization rate for diabetic patients. Since retinopathy and albuminuria are both important manifestations of microvascular disease in diabetes, our aim was to investigate the effect of retinopathy and albuminuria on long-term mortality in type 2 diabetic inpatients through this observational cohort study., Methods: Type 2 diabetic inpatients given a primary diagnosis of poor glucose control were consecutively enrolled during their hospitalization periods. Clinical information was collected through review of each patient's medical records, and mortality data were obtained from the national registry in Taiwan., Results: A total of 761 type 2 diabetic inpatients were enrolled in the study with a median follow-up period of 6.6 years (interquartile range, 4.0-9.6 years). Patients in the Albuminuria(-)/Retinopathy(+), Albuminuria(+)/Retinopathy(-) and Albuminuria(+)/Retinopathy(+) groups had significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality than those in the Albuminuria(-)/Retinopathy(-) group. However, among patients with albuminuria, there was no significant difference in cumulative mortality between those with and without retinopathy (P = 0.821). A decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), but not retinopathy, was an independent predictor of all-cause mortality (95% CI 0.647‒0.893; P < 0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (95% CI 0.564‒0.921; P = 0.009) in type 2 diabetic inpatients with albuminuria., Conclusions: Albuminuria in type 2 diabetic inpatients is a strong predictor of long-term mortality after discharge from the hospital. Retinopathy is an independent predictor of mortality in type 2 diabetic inpatients without albuminuria but not in those with albuminuria. A low eGFR is a better predictor of mortality than retinopathy in type 2 diabetic inpatients with albuminuria.

This study was conducted to investigate the inhibitory effect of Lactobacillus cells and supernatants on the growth of the human colon cancer cell line HT-29. Our study results indicated that the PM153 strain exhibits the best adhesion ability and the highest survival in the gastrointestinal tract simulation experiment. Furthermore, after an 8-h co-culture of PM153 and HT-29 cells, the PM153 strain can induce the secretion of nitric oxide from the HT-29 cells. In addition, after the co-culture of the BCRC17010 strain (10⁸ cfu/mL) and HT-29 cells, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio in the HT-29 cells was 1.19, which showed a significant difference from the other control and LAB groups ( p < 0.05), which therefore led to the inference that the BCRC17010 strain exerts a pro-apoptotic effect on the HT-29 cells. Upon co-culture with HT-29 cells for 4, 8 and 12 h, the BCRC14625 strain (10⁸ cfu/mL) demonstrated a significant increase in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity ( p < 0.05), causing harm to the HT-29 cell membrane; further, after an 8-h co-culture with the HT-29 cells, it induced the secretion of nitric oxide (NO) from the HT-29 cells. Some lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains have ability to inhibit the growth of the colorectal cancer cell line HT-29 Bax/Bcl-2 pathway or NO production. In summary, we demonstrated that the BCRC17010 strain, good abilities of adhesion and increased LDH release, was the best probiotic potential for inhibition of HT-29 growth amongst the seven LAB strains tested in vitro.

Music has been found to improve depressive symptoms and relaxation. However, few studies related to this issue have been conducted using music videos (MVs). The aim was to compare the effects of stimulative and sedative MVs on depressive symptoms and physiological relaxation (i.e., electromyography, heart rate variability, and skin conductance) in older adults with depressive symptoms. Using a 2-week crossover design, interventions alternated between watching a stimulative and sedative MV and vice versa. Each intervention lasted for 30 minutes on 1 day during the first week, and was then alternated to another intervention for 1 day during the following week. Stimulative MVs were more effective in treating depressive symptoms than sedative MVs. Stimulative and sedative MVs had beneficial effects on depressive symptoms and physiological relaxation compared with baseline data. These findings add new knowledge to the literature for health care providers to improve psychophysiological health in older adults with depressive symptoms. [Res Gerontol Nurs. 2016; 9(5):233-242.]., (Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.)

Aim: The present authors examined the effects of listening to music on psychophysiological parameters (blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate) during preoperative and postoperative days and determined whether listening to music could lower pain intensity and opioid dosage during postoperative days in patients who underwent total knee replacements., Methods: This was a two group repeated measures design for 30 subjects aged 53-85 years who were scheduled for total knee replacement. Subjects were randomly assigned to either a music group or a control group. Psychophysiological parameters were obtained from patients' monitors. A visual analog scale was used to assess postoperative pain. Opioid dosage was recorded and converted to standardized units. Mann-Whitney U-test and generalized estimating equation analysis were used to compare groups., Results: Respiratory rates while in the surgical waiting area were lower for the music group than for the control group (P = 0.02). There was no significant difference between these groups for blood pressure, heart rate, pain intensity, or opioid dosage. However, a within-group comparison showed that systolic blood pressure in the music group was significantly and consistently decreased during postoperative recovery (Wald = 9.21, P = 0.007)., Conclusion: These results suggest that listening to music stabilized systolic blood pressure in patients during postoperative recovery. However, the effects of music on psychophysiological parameters, pain intensity, and opioid dosage in a surgical setting require further research., (© 2015 The Authors. Japan Journal of Nursing Science © 2015 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.)

This study collected different probiotic isolates from animal and plant sources to evaluate the bile-salt hydrolase activity of probiotics in vitro. The deconjugation potential of bile acid was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. HepG2 cells were cultured with probiotic strains with high BSH activity. The triglyceride (TG) and apolipoprotein B (apo B) secretion by HepG2 cells were evaluated. Our results show that the BSH activity and bile-acid deconjugation abilities of Pediococcus acidilactici NBHK002, Bifidobacterium adolescentis NBHK006, Lactobacillus rhamnosus NBHK007, and Lactobacillus acidophilus NBHK008 were higher than those of the other probiotic strains. The cholesterol concentration in cholesterol micelles was reduced within 24 h. NBHK007 reduced the TG secretion by 100% after 48 h of incubation. NBHK002, NBHK006, and NBHK007 could reduce apo B secretion by 33%, 38%, and 39%, respectively, after 24 h of incubation. The product PROBIO S-23 produced a greater decrease in the total concentration of cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, TG, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance in the serum or livers of hamsters with hypercholesterolemia compared with that of hamsters fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol diet. These results show that the three probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria are better candidates for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Apoptosis is recognized as a predictor of adverse outcomes in subjects with cardiac diseases. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of probiotic-fermented purple sweet potato yogurt (PSPY) with high γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content on cardiac apoptosis in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) hearts. The rats were orally adminsitered with 2 different concentrations of PSPY (10 and 100%) or captopril, 15.6 mg/kg, body weight (BW)/day. The control group was administered distilled water. DAPI and TUNEL staining were used to detect the numbers of apoptotic cells. A decrease in the number of TUNEL-positive cardiac myocytes was observed in the SHR-PSPY (10 and 100%) groups. In addition, the levels of key components of the Fas receptor- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathways were determined by western blot analysis. The results revealed that the levels of the key components of the Fas receptor- and mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway were significantly decreased in the SHR-captopril, and 10 and 100% PSPY groups. Additionally, the levels of phosphorylated insulin-like growth factor‑I receptor (p-IGF‑IR) were increased in SHR hearts from the SHR-control group; however, no recovery in the levels of downstream signaling components was observed. In addition, the levels of components of the compensatory IGF-IR-dependent survival pathway (p-PI3K and p-Akt) were all highly enhanced in the left ventricles in the hearts form the SHR-10 and 100% PSPY groups. Therefore, the oral administration of PSPY may attenuate cardiomyocyte apoptosis in SHR hearts by activating IGF‑IR-dependent survival signaling pathways.

Background: Music therapy is increasingly used to help heal patients. However, there is a significant gap in the literature about nurses' attitudes toward and need for education in music therapy for nursing practice. This cross-sectional study was conducted to describe nurses' attitudes toward music therapy and determine their need for education in music therapy., Methods: Participants included 1,197 nurses who were recruited from hospitals in different regions of Taiwan., Results: Participants expressed positive attitudes toward music therapy. Most participants were willing to learn about music therapy. "Skill in using musical instruments" was the most frequently identified educational need. Further study of the discrepancy between the attitudes toward "performing music therapy" and "learning music therapy" is needed to clarify why nurses expected that they would receive no support for attending music therapy education., Conclusion: Given participants' attitudes toward music therapy and their motivation for learning, nursing administrators and educators may consider developing policies to further the advancement of music therapy in educational programs and practice., (Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.)

Inflammation plays an important role in triggering fibrosis of cardiovascular disease and hypertension. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has hypotensive effect; GABA concentration could be enhanced in milk fermented with lactic acid bacteria (LAB). This study evaluated the effect of probiotic-fermented purple sweet potato yogurt (PSPY) on the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4)-related inflammatory components, and on fibrosis in the heart of spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). TLR4-related pathway and fibrosis-associated proteins TGFbeta and FGF2 were significantly increased in SHR hearts, but were highly suppressed in 10% PSPY-fed rats. Microscopic examination with Masson trichrome staining of left ventricle further demonstrated that 10% and 100% PSPY both significantly reduced interstitial fibrosis in SHR hearts. These findings indicated that oral administration of 10% probiotic-fermented PSPY was strong enough to lower cardiac fibrosis in SHR rats through the suppression of TLR-4-related inflammatory pathway. Therefore, PSPY may be included in diets to help prevent cardiac fibrosis in patients with hypertension.

Currently, ingenious new analytical and process experimental techniques which are environmentally benign techniques, viz., ultrasound irradiation, have become immensely popular in promoting various reactions. In this work, a novel soluble multi-site phase transfer catalyst (PTC) viz., 1,4-bis-(propylmethyleneammounium chloride)benzene (BPMACB) was synthesized and its catalytic efficiency was assessed by observing the kinetics of sonolytic polymerization of methacrylic acid butyl ester (MABE) using potassium persulphate (PPS) as an initiator. The ultrasound-multi-site phase transfer catalysis (US-MPTC)-assisted polymerization reaction was compared with the silent (non-ultrasonic) polymerization reaction. The effects of the catalyst and various reaction parameters on the catalytic performance were in detail investigated by following the kinetics of polymerization of MABE in an ethyl acetate-water biphasic system. From the detailed kinetic investigation we propose a plausible mechanism. Further the kinetic results demonstrate clearly that ultrasound-assisted phase-transfer catalysis significantly increased the reaction rate when compared to silent reactions. Notably, this environmentally benign and cost-effective process has great potential to be applied in various polymer industries.

Cardiovascular hypertrophy is a common feature of hypertension and an important risk factor for heart damage. The regression of cardiovascular hypertrophy is currently considered an important therapeutic target in reducing the omplications of hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the inhibition of cardiac hypertrophy by probiotic-fermented purple sweet potato yogurt (PSPY) with high γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) hearts. Six-week-old male SHRs were separated randomly and equally into 4 experimental groups: sterile water, captopril and 2 PSPY groups with different doses (10 and 100%) for 8 weeks. The changes in myocardial architecture and key molecules of the hypertrophy-related pathway in the excised left ventricle from these rats were determined by histopathological analysis, hematoxylin and eosin staining and western blot analysis. Abnormal myocardial architecture and enlarged interstitial spaces observed in the SHRs were significantly decreased in the captopril and PSPY groups compared with the sterile water group. Moreover, the increases in atrial natriuretic peptide, B-type natriuretic peptide, phosphorilated protein kinase Cα and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II levels in the left ventricle were accompanied by hypertension and increases in phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 activities with enhanced cardiac hypertrophy. However, the protein levels of the hypertrophic-related pathways were completely reversed by the administration of PSPY. PSPY may repress the activation of ANP and BNP which subsequently inhibit the dephosphorylation of the nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 3 and ultimately prevent the progression of cardiac hypertrophy.

Background: Research-based evidence supports the therapeutic use of music to improve the sleep quality measured by self-reported questionnaires. However, scientific knowledge of the effects of music measured using standard polysomnography in chronic insomnia adults is currently insufficient., Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of soothing music on objective and subjective sleep quality in adults with chronic insomnia., Methods: Fifty participants were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial conducted in the sleep laboratory of a hospital, with 25 participants allocated to the music group and 25 to the control group. For four days, the experimental group was exposed to soothing music selected by the participants or researchers for 45 min at nocturnal sleep time, whereas the control group was not exposed to music. Sleep was measured using polysomnography (PSG) and self-reported questionnaires. A general estimating equation was applied to analyze the data., Results: After controlling for baseline data, the music group had significantly better scores for rested rating (p=0.01), shortened stage 2 sleep (p=0.03), and prolonged REM sleep (p=0.04) compared to the control group, shown by the generalized estimating equations. However, there was no evidence of the effectiveness of music on other sleep parameters as measured by PSG. Additional findings indicate no difference in sleep quality between those who listened to their own preferred music (n=10) and those who listened to music selected by the researchers (n=15)., Conclusion: The results contribute to knowledge of the effectiveness of music as a therapy to improve sleep quality in adults experiencing insomnia. Listening to soothing music at nocturnal sleep time improved the rested rating scores, shortened stage 2 sleep, and prolonged REM sleep, but has little effect on sleep quality as measured by polysomnography and self-reported questionnaires., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Astrocytes function as spatial K(+) buffers by expressing a rich repertoire of K(+) channels. Earlier studies suggest that acid-sensitive tandem-pore K(+) channels, mainly TWIK-related acid-sensitive K(+) (TASK) channels, mediate part of the passive astroglial membrane conductance. Here, using a combination of electrophysiology and pharmacology, we investigated the presence of TASK-like conductance in hippocampal astrocytes of rat brain slices. Extracellular pH shifts to below 7.4 (or above 7.4) induced a prominent inward (or outward) current in astrocytes in the presence of tetrodotoxin, a Na(+) channel blocker, and 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'-disulfonate, a co-transporter blocker. The pH-sensitive current was insensitive to quinine, a potent blocker of tandem-pore K(+) channels including TWIK-1 and TREK-1 channels. Voltage-clamp analysis revealed that the pH-sensitive current exhibited weak outward rectification with a reversal potential of -112 mV, close to the Nernst equilibrium potential for K(+) . Furthermore, the current-voltage relationship was well fitted with the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz current equation for the classical open-rectifier 'leak' K(+) channel. The pH-sensitive K(+) current was potentiated by TASK channel modulators such as the volatile anesthetic isoflurane but depressed by the local anesthetic bupivacaine. However, unlike TASK channels, the pH-sensitive current was insensitive to Ba(2+) and quinine. Thus, the molecular identity of the pH-sensitive leak K(+) channel is unlikely to be attributable to TASK channels. Taken together, our results suggest a novel yet unknown leak K(+) channel underlying the pH- and anesthetic-sensitive background conductance in hippocampal astrocytes., (© 2010 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience © 2010 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

Enrofloxacin (ER) resistant Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae strains emerged in Taiwan in 2002. The mechanism of ER resistance in A. pleuropneumoniae has not yet been reported. A total of 48 A. pleuropneumoniae isolates were obtained from the lungs of pigs with pleuropneumonia in Taiwan between September 2007 and April 2008. Twenty-nine isolates were found to be resistant to enrofloxacin. To understand the mechanisms of A. pleuropneumoniae's resistance to ER, enrofloxacin susceptibility of the isolates along with the mutations of the quinolone resistance-determining region (QRDR) of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV, qnr genes were analyzed. Enrofloxacin resistant isolates were found to carry at least one mutation in the QRDR of gyrA, leading to amino acid changes at codon 83 or 87. Efflux pump inhibitor (Phe-Arg-beta-naphthylamide) decreased enrofloxacin minimum inhibitory concentration 2-16-fold, suggesting participation of efflux in ER resistance. Plasmid mediated quinolone resistance genes qnr were not detected in these isolates. In conclusion, enrofloxacin resistance of A. pleuropneumoniae may be linked to multiple target gene mutations and active effluxs., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To compare the effects of living alone versus living in a group setting on the health, nutrition, personal cognition and general living function of a group of elderly Taiwanese. We also hypothesized that older adults living alone would have poorer indices of function and health than would elderly persons living in a group setting., Design and Participants: We conducted a cross-sectional validation study of 360 men and women older than 65 y. The subjects were 120 solitary (living alone) elders and 240 were non-solitary elders., Measurements: Both groups completed a series of questionnaires, including the Nutrition Screening Initiative (NSI), Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), Activities of Daily Living (ADLs/Barthel scales), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs/Lawton scales), Short Portable Mental State Questionnaire (SPMSQ), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The participants were then administered by specially trained field workers. Blood samples were taken and body mass index, and mid-arm and calf circumferences were measured. The results for each group were statistically analyzed. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant., Results: The nutritional and health status of the solitary elders, especially males, was poor compared to that of the non-solitary elders. In the solitary elders group, the average scores on the NSI, MNA, ADL, IADL, SPMSQ, and GDS were: 4.6, 23.7, 95.6, 7.6, 0.5, and 13%, respectively., Conclusion: Solitary elders, especially males, have a significantly increased risk of poor nutrition (MNA < 24), poor health status, impaired cognition, and impaired activities of daily living.

Enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAggEC) infection is an important cause of acute diarrhea, affecting children in developing countries and travelers visiting tropical or subtropical areas. Three probiotics can exert bacteriostatic or bactericidal effects on human and animal intestinal pathogens, the efficiency of probiotics on EAggEC infection remains unclear. In this study, the antagonistic activity of probiotic bacteria isolated from infant faeces was examined against several EAggEC stains. While three isolates, Lactobacillus acidophilus RY2, Lactobacillus salivarius MM1 and Lactobacillus paracasei En4 were shown to significantly inhibit the growth of EAggEC. In addition, the antagonistic activity of the Lactobacillus species was maintained despite heating (100 degrees C, 15 min) of cell free culture supernatant (CFCS). The antagonistic activity of the CFCS however, could be reduced following lactate dehydrogenase treatment and at pH 7.2. Furthermore, in an adhesion-inhibition assay, L. acidophilus RY2 was shown to be more effective than L. salivarius MM1 and L. paracasei EN4. This study suggests that L. acidophilus RY2 could be used as a probiotic organism against EAggEC.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) are a major cause of sporadic diarrhea disease in humans, affecting mainly infants in developing countries and travelers from industrialized countries visiting tropical or subtropical areas. In this study, we screen the antagonistic activity by inoculating wells among ETEC agar cultures to assess inhibition zones created by the lactobacilli spent culture supernatant (SCS) from healthy infant stool. Only three isolates possessed antagonistic activity, acid and bile tolerance and could adhere to the cultured human intestinal C2BBel (Caco-2) cell line. Isolate identification using API 50CHL strips showed that they belonged to different Lactobacillus species, i.e., Lactobacillus acidophilus RY2, Lactobacillus salivarius MM1 and Lactobacillus paracasei En4. The SCS still had an inhibitory effect on ETEC after heating (100 degrees C, 15 min). The lactate dehydrogenase treatment or the pH of SCS was adjusted to neutral (pH 7.2) to reduce the SCS inhibitory effect. Antimicrobial activity was performed by incubating the lactic acid bacteria (LAB)-SCS with ETEC suspension. After 4h of co-culture, ETEC growth was inhibited. This study suggests that L. acidophilus RY2, L. salivarius MM1 and L. paracasei En4 could be used as an effective control for ETEC.

A new method for wound management, vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) is a technique that applies negative pressure to a wound bed through a porous, open-cell foam that fills the wound cavity. Its advantages include rapid wound healing, reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, lower medical costs, and fewer nursing responsibilities. It can also be used with patients suffering from multiple wounds. The tool may be used to address wounds that are appearing more frequently now that technological advancements are prolonging the lives of elderly patients. Reducing costs associated with wound treatments is therefore becoming an increasingly important issue in health care.

Background: Splenic artery embolization (SAE) has been used as an adjunct to the nonsurgical treatment of blunt splenic injuries since 1981. It is imperative to define the role of SAE in the management of splenic trauma and to establish a guideline for its use., Methods: In this study, 39 consecutive patients with blunt splenic ruptures were evaluated. All the patients were treated according to the authors' protocol, which included SAE as an adjunct. Angiographic study was performed for patients with any of the following presentations: recurrent hypotension despite fluid resuscitation, significant hemoperitoneum or extravasation of contrast media on computed tomography, grade 4 or 5 splenic injury, or progressive need for blood transfusion. Laparotomy was reserved for patients with unstable hemodynamics or failure of SAE., Results: Four patients were excluded from the study, and 6 of the 35 remaining patients (male-to-female ratio, 22:13) received SAE. One of the six SAE patients underwent operation because of persistent hemorrhage after SAE. Nonoperative treatment was successful for 31 patients. Splenic artery embolization increased the success rate for nonsurgical management from 74% (26 of 35 patients) to 89% (31 of 35 patients)., Conclusions: Judicious use of SAE for patients with blunt splenic injury avoids unnecessary surgery and expands the number of patients who can retain their spleen.

Gasification of unburned carbon by using CO2 gas at temperatures of 950-1100 degrees C was performed, in order to modify the pore size distribution and adsorptive capacity of the carbon. Equipments such as N2 adsorption apparatus, mercury pore size analyzer, and SEM were used, where yield, specific surface area and methylene blue number for adsorptive capacity, pore size, and appearance of the carbon were analyzed. Results show that gasification of unburned carbon produces larger adsorptive capability as well as a larger specific surface area. While reacting with CO2 at 1100 degrees C for 45 min, the methylene blue numbers reach to 54-154 mg/g, and the specific surface areas reach to 113-235 m2/g, which signify the actual utility. All carbons in gasification form new pores in a mutual size approximately 0.1-0.01 microm, whose majority affects the adsorptive capacity and specific surface area of the carbon. Besides, their group appearance complies with the obvious flow-like pattern, containing carbon ingredients with various degrees of crystallinity in the surface of unburned carbon. The new pore, conclusively, forms from the lower crystalline carbon ingredient that gasified with CO2 earlier, in the flow-like pattern.

Hemolysin BL (HBL) is a major virulence factor for Bacillus cereus group strains. It is also a target enterotoxin for the most commonly used B. cereus detection kit, i.e., the B. cereus enterotoxin (diarrheal type) reversed passive latex agglutination (BCET-RPLA) test kit. A survey of the HBL activities and the cytotoxicities to the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells for the B. cereus group strains, however, showed that although only part of the B. cereus group strains are HBL active, all strains show cytotoxicity to the CHO cells. Thus, methods that allow the detection of not only the HBL but also of the B. cereus group strains are important. In this study, by comparison of the gene sequences of the 16S rRNA for B. cereus group and other bacteria strains, we designed primers B16S1 and B16S2 specific to all the B. cereus group strains. In addition, because HBL is a major enterotoxin, we also designed HBL gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers, i.e., Hm1 and Hm2, that generated the same results as those of the hemolysis and BCET-RPLA assays. Primers B16S1/B16S2 and Hm1/Hm2 could be combined into a multiplex PCR system for the simultaneous detection of B. cereus group cells and the possible presence of their HBL enterotoxins. Also, all these PCR systems allowed the detection of n x 10(0) CFU B. cereus cells per g of food sample if an 8-h enrichment step was performed prior to the PCR.

Bacillus cereus is one of the important food pathogens. Since B. cereus group cells, such as B. cereus, B. thuringiensis, B. anthracis and B. mycoides, share many phenotypical properties and a high level of chromosomal sequence similarity, it is interesting to investigate the virulence profiles for B. cereus group cells, including B. cereus strains isolated from foods and samples associated with food-poisoning outbreaks. For this investigation, the presence of enterotoxin genes, such as those of haemolysin BL, B. cereus enterotoxin T and enterotoxin FM, were assayed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Meanwhile, their enterotoxin activities were assayed using the BCET-RPLA kit, haemolytic patterns on sheep blood agar and their cytotoxicity to Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Results showed that there were 12 enterotoxigenic profiles for the 98 B. cereus group strains collected. In addition, if any of the three types of enterotoxins was present in the B. cereus group cells, these cells were shown to be cytotoxic to the CHO cells. Similar enterotoxigenic profiles could be found among strains of B. cereus, B. mycoides and B. thuringiensis. Thus, all B. cereus group strains may be potentially toxigenic and the detection of these cells in foods is important. We thus designed PCR primers, termed Ph1/Ph2, from the sphingomyelinase gene of B. cereus cells. These primers were specific for all B. cereus group strains and could be used for the detection of B. cereus cells contaminated in food samples.