Staphylococcus aureus(SA) infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality despite the availability of numerous effective anti-staphylococcal antibiotics.This organism is responsible for both nosocomial and ...Staphylococcus aureus(SA) infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality despite the availability of numerous effective anti-staphylococcal antibiotics.This organism is responsible for both nosocomial and community-acquired infections ranging from relatively minor skin and soft tissue infections to life-threateningsystemic infections.The increasing incidence of methicillin-resistant strains has granted an increasing use of vancomycin causing a covert progressive increase of its minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)(dubbed the MIC "creep").In this way,the emergence of vancomycinintermediate SA(VISA) strains and heteroresistantVISA has raised concern for the scarcity of alternative treatment options.Equally alarming,though fortunately less frequent,is the emergence of vancomycin-resistant SA.These strains show different mechanisms of resistance but have similar problems in terms of therapeutic approach.Ultimately,various debate issues have arisen regarding the emergence of SA strains with a minimum inhibitory concentration sitting on the superior limit of the sensitivity range(i.e.,MIC = 2 μg/mL).These strains have shown certain resilience to vancomycin and a different clinical behaviour regardless of vancomycin use,both in methicillin-resistant SA and in methicillin-sensitive SA.The aim of this text is to revise the clinical impact and consequences of the emergence of reduced vancomycin susceptibility SA strains,and the different optimal treatment options known.展开更多
Previous studies have shown that glycine and proline are pharmacophores that display antibacterial activity.In the present study,glycine and proline were derivated to diketopiperazine compounds by chemical synthesis m...Previous studies have shown that glycine and proline are pharmacophores that display antibacterial activity.In the present study,glycine and proline were derivated to diketopiperazine compounds by chemical synthesis method,and their antibacterial activities were evaluated by three strains of spoilage bacteria,Escherichia coli,Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Shewanella putrefaciens,and the relationship of their antibacterial activities and structures was also investigated.Uv-vis spectrophotometry was used to determine the growth curves of three kinds of active indicator bacteria.Minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)was determined by micro broth dilution method.The results showed that 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)pyrazine had significant antibacterial activity against three strains of the bacteria,and its MIC was 1.25%.It indicates 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)pyrazine has the potential to be developed as a kind of preservative in future.展开更多
AIM: To investigate the mechanisms of aspirin increasing the susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) to metronidazole. METHODS: H pylori reference strain 26 695 and two metronidazole-resistant isolates of H p...AIM: To investigate the mechanisms of aspirin increasing the susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) to metronidazole. METHODS: H pylori reference strain 26 695 and two metronidazole-resistant isolates of H pylori were included in this study. Strains were incubated in Brucella broth with or without aspirin (1 mmol/L). The rdxA gene of H pylori was amplified by PCR and sequenced. The permeability of H pylori to antimicrobials was determined by analyzing the endocellular radioactivity of the cells after incubated with [7-3H]-tetracycline. The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of H pylori 26 695 were depurated and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The expression of 5 porins (hopA, hopB, hopC, hopD and hopE) and the putative RND efflux system (hefABC) of H pylori were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: The mutations in rdxA gene did not change in metronidazole resistant isolates treated with aspirin. The radioactivity of H pylori increased when treated with aspirin, indicating that aspirin improved the permeability of the outer membrane of H pylori. However, the expression of two OMP bands between 55 kDa and 72 kDa altered in the presence of aspirin.The expression of the mRNA of hopA, hopB, hopC, hopD, hopE and hefA, hefB, hefC of H pylori did not change when treated with aspirin. CONCLUSION: Although aspirin increases the susceptibility of H pylori to metronidazole, it has no effect on the mutations of rdxA gene of H pylori . Aspirin increases endocellular concentrations of antimicrobials probably by altering the OMP expression.展开更多
[Objectives] This study was conducted to explore the antifungal activity of wood vinegar produced from apricot shell. [Methods]The minimal inhibitory concentration( MIC) of wood vinegar against Aspergillus fumigatus w...[Objectives] This study was conducted to explore the antifungal activity of wood vinegar produced from apricot shell. [Methods]The minimal inhibitory concentration( MIC) of wood vinegar against Aspergillus fumigatus was determined on agar plates. Then,the mycelial growth and the morphology of the apical vesicles of A. fumigatus cultured in the medium supplemented with 1/2 MIC wood vinegar were observed to evaluate the effect of wood vinegar on A. fumigatus.RNA-Seq was performed to explore the antifungal mechanism of wood vinegar. [Results] The wood vinegar produced from apricot shell could inhibit the growth of A. fumigatus,with a MIC of 20 μl/ml. In the medium supplemented with 1/2 MIC wood vinegar,the mycelial growth of A. fumigatus was suppressed,some apical vesicles were incompletely developed. The gene ontology( GO) term enrichment analysis based on RNA-Seq showed that the differentially expressed genes( DEGs)were enriched in metabolic process,cellular process and single-organism process in the category of biological processes,cell,cell part,membrane,organelle and membrane part in the category of cellular components,catalytic activity and binding in the category of molecular function. The significantly up-regulated DEGs were mostly involved in cell,cell part,organelle,organelle part and macro molecular complex in the category of cellular component,while the significantly down-regulated DEGs were mostly involved in biological process,cellular process and single-organism process in the category of biological process,catalytic activity,binding,transporter activity,and nucleic acid binding transcription factor activity in the category molecular function. Moreover,KEGG( Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis showed that the DEG unigenes involved in metabolism were the most,followed by those involved in genetic information processing.[Conclusions]The results indicated that the wood vinegar produced from apricot shell might inhibit the growth of A. fumigatus by interfering with the expression of multiple genes involved in multiple signaling pathways.展开更多
A strategy for water and wastewater minimization is developed for continuous water utilization systems involving fixed flowrate(non-mass-transfer-based)operations,based on the fictitious operations that is introduced ...A strategy for water and wastewater minimization is developed for continuous water utilization systems involving fixed flowrate(non-mass-transfer-based)operations,based on the fictitious operations that is introduced to represent the water losing and/or generating operations and a modified concentration interval analysis(MCIA) technique.This strategy is a simple,nongraphical,and noniterative procedure and is suitable for the quick yields of targets and the identification of pinch point location.Moreover,on the basis of the target method,a heuristic-based approach is also presented to generate water utilization networks,which could be demonstrated to be optimum ones. The proposed approaches are illustrated with example problems.展开更多
Minimal hepatic encephalopathy(MHE)is a critical neurocognitive complication of decompensated liver cirrhosis and portosystemic shunting,which results in a wide range of cognitive deficits including impairments in wor...Minimal hepatic encephalopathy(MHE)is a critical neurocognitive complication of decompensated liver cirrhosis and portosystemic shunting,which results in a wide range of cognitive deficits including impairments in working attention,psychomotor speed,and executive function.Current guidelines have recommended paper-and-pencil psychometric tests for the diagnosis of MHE.Most high-risk cirrhotic patients are required to be examined;however,paperand-pencil psychometric tests are neither convenient nor rapid to perform in the clinic.Recently,novel computerized psychometric tests,including the inhibitory control test,EncephalApp Stroop App,and critical flicker frequency,have been proven to be rapid,effective,and convenient methods for screening MHE in clinical practice and for identifying high-risk cirrhotic patients for further validation using rigid neuropsychometric examinations.However,diagnostic accuracy of these tests is influenced by educational background,age,and cultural differences.This review summarizes clinical evidence of the application of novel computerized psychometric tests for screening MHE.展开更多
文摘Staphylococcus aureus(SA) infections remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality despite the availability of numerous effective anti-staphylococcal antibiotics.This organism is responsible for both nosocomial and community-acquired infections ranging from relatively minor skin and soft tissue infections to life-threateningsystemic infections.The increasing incidence of methicillin-resistant strains has granted an increasing use of vancomycin causing a covert progressive increase of its minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)(dubbed the MIC "creep").In this way,the emergence of vancomycinintermediate SA(VISA) strains and heteroresistantVISA has raised concern for the scarcity of alternative treatment options.Equally alarming,though fortunately less frequent,is the emergence of vancomycin-resistant SA.These strains show different mechanisms of resistance but have similar problems in terms of therapeutic approach.Ultimately,various debate issues have arisen regarding the emergence of SA strains with a minimum inhibitory concentration sitting on the superior limit of the sensitivity range(i.e.,MIC = 2 μg/mL).These strains have shown certain resilience to vancomycin and a different clinical behaviour regardless of vancomycin use,both in methicillin-resistant SA and in methicillin-sensitive SA.The aim of this text is to revise the clinical impact and consequences of the emergence of reduced vancomycin susceptibility SA strains,and the different optimal treatment options known.
基金Supported by The Tackling-plan Project of Henan Department of Science and Technology (222102310388)Key Scientific Research Plan of Colleges in Henan Province (22B350002)Henan Provincial Medical Science and Technology Research Plan Joint Construction Project (LHGJ20191520).
文摘Previous studies have shown that glycine and proline are pharmacophores that display antibacterial activity.In the present study,glycine and proline were derivated to diketopiperazine compounds by chemical synthesis method,and their antibacterial activities were evaluated by three strains of spoilage bacteria,Escherichia coli,Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Shewanella putrefaciens,and the relationship of their antibacterial activities and structures was also investigated.Uv-vis spectrophotometry was used to determine the growth curves of three kinds of active indicator bacteria.Minimum inhibitory concentration(MIC)was determined by micro broth dilution method.The results showed that 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)pyrazine had significant antibacterial activity against three strains of the bacteria,and its MIC was 1.25%.It indicates 2-methyl-3-(methylthio)pyrazine has the potential to be developed as a kind of preservative in future.
基金Supported by The National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30470777
文摘AIM: To investigate the mechanisms of aspirin increasing the susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) to metronidazole. METHODS: H pylori reference strain 26 695 and two metronidazole-resistant isolates of H pylori were included in this study. Strains were incubated in Brucella broth with or without aspirin (1 mmol/L). The rdxA gene of H pylori was amplified by PCR and sequenced. The permeability of H pylori to antimicrobials was determined by analyzing the endocellular radioactivity of the cells after incubated with [7-3H]-tetracycline. The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of H pylori 26 695 were depurated and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. The expression of 5 porins (hopA, hopB, hopC, hopD and hopE) and the putative RND efflux system (hefABC) of H pylori were analyzed using real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS: The mutations in rdxA gene did not change in metronidazole resistant isolates treated with aspirin. The radioactivity of H pylori increased when treated with aspirin, indicating that aspirin improved the permeability of the outer membrane of H pylori. However, the expression of two OMP bands between 55 kDa and 72 kDa altered in the presence of aspirin.The expression of the mRNA of hopA, hopB, hopC, hopD, hopE and hefA, hefB, hefC of H pylori did not change when treated with aspirin. CONCLUSION: Although aspirin increases the susceptibility of H pylori to metronidazole, it has no effect on the mutations of rdxA gene of H pylori . Aspirin increases endocellular concentrations of antimicrobials probably by altering the OMP expression.
基金Supported by the Key Scientific and Technological Research Project for Universities of Hebei Province(ZD2018306)
文摘[Objectives] This study was conducted to explore the antifungal activity of wood vinegar produced from apricot shell. [Methods]The minimal inhibitory concentration( MIC) of wood vinegar against Aspergillus fumigatus was determined on agar plates. Then,the mycelial growth and the morphology of the apical vesicles of A. fumigatus cultured in the medium supplemented with 1/2 MIC wood vinegar were observed to evaluate the effect of wood vinegar on A. fumigatus.RNA-Seq was performed to explore the antifungal mechanism of wood vinegar. [Results] The wood vinegar produced from apricot shell could inhibit the growth of A. fumigatus,with a MIC of 20 μl/ml. In the medium supplemented with 1/2 MIC wood vinegar,the mycelial growth of A. fumigatus was suppressed,some apical vesicles were incompletely developed. The gene ontology( GO) term enrichment analysis based on RNA-Seq showed that the differentially expressed genes( DEGs)were enriched in metabolic process,cellular process and single-organism process in the category of biological processes,cell,cell part,membrane,organelle and membrane part in the category of cellular components,catalytic activity and binding in the category of molecular function. The significantly up-regulated DEGs were mostly involved in cell,cell part,organelle,organelle part and macro molecular complex in the category of cellular component,while the significantly down-regulated DEGs were mostly involved in biological process,cellular process and single-organism process in the category of biological process,catalytic activity,binding,transporter activity,and nucleic acid binding transcription factor activity in the category molecular function. Moreover,KEGG( Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway analysis showed that the DEG unigenes involved in metabolism were the most,followed by those involved in genetic information processing.[Conclusions]The results indicated that the wood vinegar produced from apricot shell might inhibit the growth of A. fumigatus by interfering with the expression of multiple genes involved in multiple signaling pathways.
文摘A strategy for water and wastewater minimization is developed for continuous water utilization systems involving fixed flowrate(non-mass-transfer-based)operations,based on the fictitious operations that is introduced to represent the water losing and/or generating operations and a modified concentration interval analysis(MCIA) technique.This strategy is a simple,nongraphical,and noniterative procedure and is suitable for the quick yields of targets and the identification of pinch point location.Moreover,on the basis of the target method,a heuristic-based approach is also presented to generate water utilization networks,which could be demonstrated to be optimum ones. The proposed approaches are illustrated with example problems.
文摘Minimal hepatic encephalopathy(MHE)is a critical neurocognitive complication of decompensated liver cirrhosis and portosystemic shunting,which results in a wide range of cognitive deficits including impairments in working attention,psychomotor speed,and executive function.Current guidelines have recommended paper-and-pencil psychometric tests for the diagnosis of MHE.Most high-risk cirrhotic patients are required to be examined;however,paperand-pencil psychometric tests are neither convenient nor rapid to perform in the clinic.Recently,novel computerized psychometric tests,including the inhibitory control test,EncephalApp Stroop App,and critical flicker frequency,have been proven to be rapid,effective,and convenient methods for screening MHE in clinical practice and for identifying high-risk cirrhotic patients for further validation using rigid neuropsychometric examinations.However,diagnostic accuracy of these tests is influenced by educational background,age,and cultural differences.This review summarizes clinical evidence of the application of novel computerized psychometric tests for screening MHE.
