Detection and Genetic Environment of Pleuromutilin-Lincosamide-Streptogramin A Resistance Genes in Staphylococci Isolated from Pets

Increasing emergence of staphylococci resistant to pleuromutilins, lincosamides, and streptogramin A (PLS_A) and isolated from humans and pets is a growing public health concern worldwide. Currently, there was only one published study regarding one of the PLS_A genes, vga(A) detected in staphylococci isolated from cat. In this study, eleven pleuromutilin-resistant staphylococci from pets and two from their owners were isolated and further characterized for their antimicrobial susceptibilities, plasmid profiles, genotypes, and genetic context of the PLS_A resistance genes. The gene sal(A) identified in 11 staphylococcal isolates was found for the first time in Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus xylosus. Moreover, these 11 isolates shared the identical regions flanking the sal(A) gene located in the chromosomal DNA. Two S. haemolyticus isolates from a cat and its owner carried similar vga(A)_LC plasmids and displayed indistinguishable PFGE patterns. A novel chromosomal multidrug resistance genomic island (MDRGI) containing 13 resistance genes, including lsa(E), was firstly identified in S. epidermidis. In addition, vga(A)_LC, sal(A), and lsa(E) were for the first time identified in staphylococcal isolates originating from pet animals. The plasmids, chromosomal DNA region, and MDRGI associated with the PLS_A resistance genes vga(A), vga(A)_LC, sal(A), and lsa(E) are present in staphylococci isolated from pets and humans and present significant challenges for the clinical management of infections by limiting therapeutic options.

Expanding public health in China: an empirical analysis of healthcare inputs and outputs

OBJECTIVES

The Chinese Government claims that China's health policy is primarily focused on prevention. However, this does not appear to be the case. Researchers with an interest in China's health policy may be aware that the Chinese Government launched a health reform in 2009 to improve the health status of the entire population by 2020.¹ This health reform has been in place for 7 years, and only 4 years now remain to achieve the overall objectives by 2020. This study analyzed the main inputs and outputs of China's health reform in order to identify the main problems and highlight the major challenges. It is hoped that this study will provide some reference for health reform in China and other developing countries.

STUDY DESIGN

This study focused on health, with human resources and healthcare costs as the main input indicators, and 2-week prevalence of illness and prevalence of non-communicable diseases as the main output indicators. By longitudinal comparison of real data from 2009 to 2014, the effects of China's health reform were analyzed to identify the main challenges, enabling suggestions to be made for future reference.

METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of empirical data. Data were collected between 2009 and 2014 as follows: (1) data on the distribution of healthcare professionals were collected from the Statistical Bulletin of China's Health Development, issued by the National Health and Family Planning Commission every year between 2009 and 2014; (2) data on government health expenditure were obtained from the Annual National Public Fiscal Expenditure Data, released by the Financial Ministry of the People's Republic of China from 2009 to 2014; (3) data on the prevalence of chronic diseases, 2-week prevalence of illness, residents' medical service demands, and utilization of health services were obtained from the Fourth and Fifth National Health Care Surveys in 2008 and 2013; and (4) data on total healthcare expenditure, medical expenditure and out-of-pocket payments were obtained from the 2015 China Statistical Yearbook.

RESULTS

From 2009 to 2014, China's healthcare human resources were distributed primarily in hospitals that focus on providing treatment. By 2014, 62.5% of the health professionals and technical personnel were distributed in hospitals. From 2009, the Chinese Government spent more money on health care than previously, with approximately 67% spent on disease treatment and 14.19% spent on disease prevention. However, the 2-week prevalence of illness increased by 5.2 percentage points, and the prevalence of chronic diseases increased by 9 percentage points. Meanwhile, residents' out-of-pocket payments for health care were as high as 50.61% of the total healthcare expenditure and were particularly high in rural areas.

CONCLUSION

China should adjust the direction of its health reform as soon as possible to focus on improving health status rather than treatment of disease. In the future, as China's population ageing trend intensifies, China must take effective measures or the country's non-communicable disease rates will continue to increase. To meet this challenge, China's health reform should take effective measures to control the rising trend of the incidence of non-communicable diseases. First, China should focus on the core goal of its health reform policy, which is disease prevention. Second, China should focus on strengthening public health systems to effectively prevent and control key epidemic diseases. Third, China should increase the number of public health personnel, improve the level of education and training of public health personnel and increase the input of funds into the field of public health as soon as possible.

Subclinical hypothyroidism and the associations with macrovascular complications and chronic kidney disease in patients with Type 2 diabetes

AIMS

The prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) is high among patients with diabetes, although the relationship between SCH and diabetic vascular complications is unknown. This study aimed to determine the relationship between SCH and vascular complications in patients with Type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

In this cross sectional study, 991 patients with Type 2 diabetes were screened for thyroid function at their admission to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. We compared the prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD), ischaemic stroke and chronic kidney disease (CKD) with the prevalence of euthyroidism and SCH.

RESULTS

Among the 991 patients, 126 (12.7%) patients had SCH. The prevalence of CHD was significantly higher in the SCH group than in the euthyroid group (22.2% and 15.0%, respectively; P = 0.039). In the logistic regression analyses, SCH was associated with CHD [odds ratio (OR): 1.993; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.135-3.497; P = 0.016]. This association was stronger in patients aged ≥ 65 years than in younger patients [2.474 (1.173-5.220); P = 0.017]. No significant association was found between SCH and ischaemic stroke. Patients with severe SCH had a high risk of CKD [1.842 (1.120-3.029); P = 0.016].

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that SCH in patients with Type 2 diabetes is associated with a high prevalence of CHD (and CKD in severe SCH), although not with ischaemic stroke.

The DYX2 locus and neurochemical signaling genes contribute to speech sound disorder and related neurocognitive domains

A major milestone of child development is the acquisition and use of speech and language. Communication disorders, including speech sound disorder (SSD), can impair a child's academic, social and behavioral development. Speech sound disorder is a complex, polygenic trait with a substantial genetic component. However, specific genes that contribute to SSD remain largely unknown. To identify associated genes, we assessed the association of the DYX2 dyslexia risk locus and markers in neurochemical signaling genes (e.g., nicotinic and dopaminergic) with SSD and related endophenotypes. We first performed separate primary associations in two independent samples - Cleveland SSD (210 affected and 257 unaffected individuals in 127 families) and Denver SSD (113 affected individuals and 106 unaffected individuals in 85 families) - and then combined results by meta-analysis. DYX2 markers, specifically those in the 3' untranslated region of DCDC2 (P = 1.43 × 10(-4) ), showed the strongest associations with phonological awareness. We also observed suggestive associations of dopaminergic-related genes ANKK1 (P = 1.02 × 10(-2) ) and DRD2 (P = 9.22 × 10(-3) ) and nicotinic-related genes CHRNA3 (P = 2.51 × 10(-3) ) and BDNF (P = 8.14 × 10(-3) ) with case-control status and articulation. Our results further implicate variation in putative regulatory regions in the DYX2 locus, particularly in DCDC2, influencing language and cognitive traits. The results also support previous studies implicating variation in dopaminergic and nicotinic neural signaling influencing human communication and cognitive development. Our findings expand the literature showing genetic factors (e.g., DYX2) contributing to multiple related, yet distinct neurocognitive domains (e.g., dyslexia, language impairment, and SSD). How these factors interactively yield different neurocognitive and language-related outcomes remains to be elucidated.

Photochemical upconversion and triplet annihilation limit from a boron dipyrromethene emitter

Non-coherent sensitized red-to-green upconversion has been achieved utilizing platinum(ii) tetraphenyltetrabenzoporphyrin (PtTPTBP) as the triplet sensitizer and a nearly quantitatively fluorescent boron dipyrromethene chromophore as the energy acceptor/annihilator in deoxygenated toluene.

Overexpression of Ad5 precursor terminal protein accelerates recombinant adenovirus packaging and amplification in HEK-293 packaging cells

Recombinant adenoviruses are one of the most common vehicles for efficient in vitro and in vivo gene deliveries. Here, we investigate whether exogenous precursor terminal protein (pTP) expression in 293 cells improves the efficiency of adenovirus packaging and amplification. We used a piggyBac transposon-based vector and engineered a stable 293 line that expresses high level of Ad5 pTP, designated as 293pTP. Using the AdBMP6-GLuc that expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP), BMP6 and Gaussia luciferase, we found that the infectivity of AdBMP6-GLuc viral samples packaged in 293pTP cells was titrated up to 19.3 times higher than that packaged in parental 293 cells. AdBMP6-GLuc viral samples packaged in 293pTP cells exhibited significantly higher transduction efficiency in 143B and immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblast (iMEF) cells, as assessed by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis of GFP-positive cells, the luciferase activity assay and BMP6-induced osteogenic marker alkaline phosphatase activities in iMEFs. When adenovirus amplification efficiency was analyzed, we found that 293pTP cells infected with AdBMP6-GLuc yielded up to 12.6 times higher titer than that in parental 293 cells, especially at lower multiplicities of infection. These results strongly suggest that exogenous pTP expression may accelerate the packaging and amplification of recombinant adenoviruses. Thus, the engineered 293pTP cells should be a superior packaging line for efficient adenovirus production.

Comparison of dexmedetomidine/fentanyl with midazolam/fentanyl combination for sedation and analgesia during tooth extraction

Dexmedetomidine is an α2-adrenergic receptor agonist that causes minimal respiratory depression compared with alternative drugs. This study investigated whether combined dexmedetomidine/fentanyl offered better sedation and analgesia than midazolam/fentanyl in dental surgery. Sixty patients scheduled for unilateral impacted tooth extraction were randomly assigned to receive either dexmedetomidine and fentanyl (D/F) or midazolam and fentanyl (M/F). Recorded variables were patient preoperative anxiety scores, vital signs, visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores, Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation Scale (OAAS) scores after drug administration, surgeon and patient degree of satisfaction, and the duration of analgesia after surgery. The OAAS scores were significantly lower for patients administered D/F compared to those who received M/F. The duration of analgesia after the surgical procedure was significantly longer in patients who received D/F (5.3 h) than in those who received M/F (4.1 h; P=0.017). The number of surgeons satisfied with the level of sedation/analgesia provided by D/F was significantly higher than for M/F (P=0.001). Therefore, dexmedetomidine/fentanyl appears to provide better sedation, stable haemodynamics, surgeon satisfaction, and postoperative analgesia than midazolam/fentanyl during office-based unilateral impacted tooth extraction.

Identifying significant crosstalk of pathways in tuberous sclerosis complex

OBJECTIVE

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is the second most common phakomatosis and is characterized by the formation of benign hamartomas and low-grade neoplasms in multiple organ systems. In this study, our objective here was to explore the interaction and crosstalk between pathways in response to tuberous sclerosis complex.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We enriched the significant pathways and made the crosstalk analysis of the significant pathways.

RESULTS

The results showed that ECM-receptor interaction was a significant pathway in TSC. In addition, insulin-signaling and mTOR signaling also have been identified involved in TSC here, which have been well characterized. Further analysis indicated that there was a crosstalk between ECM-receptor interaction and antigen processing and presentation, ECM-receptor interaction and apoptosis, and leishmaniasis-oxidative phosphorylation-pancreatic cancer. In this study, a network-based approach was used to analyze the crosstalk among TSC related pathways. The crosstalk of pathways is found and analyzed using the PPI datasets and expression profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work showed that comprehensive and system-wide analysis could provide evidence for TSC pathway and complement the traditional component-based approaches. The crosstalk identified might provide new alternative insights into the TSC pathology, which may contribute to the development of novel therapeutic targets for TSC.

Report of ribosomal RNA methylase gene erm(B) in multidrug-resistant Campylobacter coli

OBJECTIVES

Campylobacter is a major foodborne enteric pathogen and macrolides are the drug of choice for the clinical therapy of campylobacteriosis. Macrolide resistance among Campylobacter compromises clinical treatment, is associated with adverse health events and is a significant public health concern. Here, we report the first identification of a horizontally transferrable macrolide resistance mechanism in porcine Campylobacter coli ZC113 that is mediated by a ribosomal RNA methylase, Erm(B).

METHODS

Horizontal transfer of a macrolide resistance determinant between C. coli and Campylobacter jejuni was performed by natural transformation. Whole-genome sequencing was initially used to identify the ribosomal methylase-encoding gene erm(B) in Campylobacter. Cloning of erm(B) into C. jejuni NCTC 11168 was performed to evaluate whether the erm(B) gene is responsible for high-level macrolide resistance in Campylobacter.

RESULTS

The erm(B) gene was identified in ZC113, conferred high-level resistance to macrolides and was associated with a chromosomal multidrug-resistant genomic island (MDRGI). The MDRGI probably originated from Gram-positive bacteria and was horizontally transferred between C. coli and C. jejuni via natural transformation. Furthermore, the erm(B)-positive isolate ZC113 was resistant to all clinically important antibiotics used for treating campylobacteriosis and is essentially multidrug-resistant Campylobacter.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a horizontally transferable macrolide resistance mechanism in thermophilic Campylobacter. Surveillance of erm(B) and its associated MDRGI in both C. coli and C. jejuni is urgently warranted.

The Synthesis and Properties of High Pure δ Layered Sodium Disilicate

δ layered sodium disilicate (δ-Na2Si2O5) is a single layer silicate and has good properties as detergent builder. However, it is difficult to synthesize high pure δ-Na2Si2O5. In this paper, a feasible and simple technology was found by decreasing Na content in liquid sodium silicate (water glass). The crystalline time was short and no seed needed. The suitable synthesis conditions were Si/Na = 1.05–1.10, calcining at 720 °C for 5 minutes. The synthesis conditions are of industrial value. XRD and 29Si NMR data proved that synthesized samples were δ-Na2Si2O5 without impure phase. High pure δ-Na2Si2O5 exhibited good ions binding ability and reached 312 to 338 mg CaCO3/g.

Synthesis and Properties of Al-δ Layered Sodium Disilicate with High Framework Stability

Al-δ layered sodium disilicate with high framework stability in hot water (60–80°C) has been successfully synthesized from the system of Na2O–Al2O3–SiO2–H2O. It was shown that the presence of aluminum can improve the purity of δ phase. After marinated in hot distilled water for 60minutes, Al-δ layered sodium disilicate still kept δ phase and had better Ca2+ binding capacity and calcium binding rate. This property of Al-δ layered sodium disilicate may extend its application field. The samples were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, MAS NMR, Ca2+ binding capacity and rate, The data of 27Al MAS NMR and 29Si MAS NMR showed that aluminum was incorporated essentially in tetrahedral framework position, and substitute for SiO4 tetrahedron in sheet of δ layered sodium disilicate.

Characterization of the carbonic anhydrases 15b expressed in PGCs during early zebrafish development

The main function of carbonic anhydrases is to regulate acid-base balance. In the present study, the zebrafish CA15b sequence was identified from the National Center for Biotechnology Information database (accession No. NM_213182). The 1716 base pair full-length cDNA of CA15b was obtained by 3' and 5'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends analysis. It was expressed (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis) in the ovary, heart, brain, and muscle, but not in testis or liver. Based on in situ hybridization, CA15b mRNA was transcribed in the ooplasm of stage I to stage II oocytes, in the cortex of stage III oocytes, and along the periphery of stage IV oocytes. Furthermore, this protein was localized (immunohistochemistry) in the plasma membrane of oocytes. Based on whole-mount in situ hybridization, CA15b mRNA was present in every blastomere of embryos from one-cell to blastula stages. Strong signals of the transcripts were present along cleavage furrows of two- and eight-cell stage embryos, which subsequently condensed into four clusters of cells during the blastula stage. During subsequent stages, the four groups of CA15b-expressing cells appeared to move toward the dorsal side of the embryos, clustered into two groups on either side of the midline, and remained visible as they migrated toward the region of the gonad in embryos at 24 hours postfertilization. Expression patterns of CA15b were similar to those of vasa, a marker of primordial germ cells. Thus, we hypothesized that CA15b might be necessary for development of primordial germ cells and female germ cells in zebrafish.

Analysis of the structural proteins from the Musca domestica hytrosavirus with an emphasis on the major envelope protein

The Musca domestica hytrosavirus (MdHV), a member of the family Hyrosaviridae, is a large, dsDNA, enveloped virus that infects adult house flies and causes a diagnostic hypertrophy of the salivary gland. Herein, studies were directed at identifying key structural components of the viral envelope and nucleocapsid. SDS-PAGE of detergent-treated virus fractions identified protein bands unique to the envelope and nucleocapsid components. Using prior LC-MSMS data we identified the viral ORF associated with the major envelope band, cloned and expressed recombinant viral antigens, and prepared a series of polyclonal sera. Western blots confirmed that antibodies recognized the target viral antigen and provided evidence that the viral protein MdHV96 underwent post-translational processing; antibodies bound to the target high molecular weight parent molecule as well as distinct sets of smaller bands. Immuno gold electron microscopy demonstrated that the anti-MdHV96 sera recognized target antigens associated with the envelope. The nucleocapsids migrated from the virogenic stroma in the nucleus through the nuclear membrane into the cytoplasm, where they acquired an initial envelope that contained MdHV96. This major envelope protein, appeared to incorporate into intracellular membranes of both the caniculi and rough endoplasmic reticulum membranes and mediate binding to the nucleocapsids. Oral infection bioassays demonstrated that the anti-HV96 polyclonal sera acted as neutralizing agents in suppressing the levels of orally acquired infections.

Double-quantum homonuclear NMR correlation spectroscopy of quadrupolar nuclei subjected to magic-angle spinning and high magnetic field

We present a new application of the R2(2)(1) symmetry-based dipolar recoupling scheme, for exciting directly double-quantum (2Q) coherences between the central transition of homonuclear half-integer quadrupolar nuclei. With respect to previously published 2Q-recoupling methods (M. Eden, D. Zhou, J. Yu, Chem. Phys. Lett. 431 (2006) 397), the R2(2)(1) sequence is used without pi/2 bracketing pulses and with an original super-cycling. This leads to an improved efficiency (a factor of two for spin-5/2) and to a much higher robustness to radio-frequency field inhomogeneity and resonance offset. The 2Q-coherence excitation performances are demonstrated experimentally by (27)Al NMR experiments on the aluminophosphates berlinite, VPI5, AlPO(4)-14, and AlPO(4)-CJ3. The two-dimensional 2Q-1Q correlation experiments incorporating these recoupling sequences allow the observation of 2Q cross-peaks between central transitions, even at high magnetic field where the difference in offset between octahedral and tetrahedral (27)Al sites exceeds 10 kHz.

Robust and efficient spin-locked symmetry-based double-quantum homonuclear dipolar recoupling for probing (1)H-(1)H proximity in the solid-state

We report a novel symmetry-based method, using inversion elements bracketed by spin locks, for exciting double-quantum (DQ) coherences between spin-1/2 nuclei, such as protons. Compared to previous DQ-recoupling techniques, this new pulse sequence requires moderate rf field, even at ultra-fast MAS speeds. Furthermore, it is easy to implement and it displays higher robustness to both chemical shift anisotropy and to spreads in resonance frequencies. These advances greatly facilitate the observation of (1)H-(1)H proximities at high fields and high MAS frequencies.

Cloning and characterization of a novel oocyte-specific gene zorg in zebrafish

Genes specifically expressed in oocytes are important for the development of both germ cells and embryos. Using the digital differential display program from the NCBI, we identified a novel EST sequence (no. DT881820) from zebrafish ovary libraries in the GenBank. The full-length cDNA of this transcript was obtained by performing 3'- and 5'-RACE and was confirmed by PCR and direct sequencing methods. The cDNA clone for this novel gene consisted of 894 base pairs and encoded a protein with 215 amino acids. Since this protein shared no significant homology with any other known proteins, we have named this gene zorg (zebrafish oogenesis related gene). Based on RT-PCR analysis, this gene was specially expressed in the ovary and was abundantly present at the blastula stage. However, the level of expression decreased significantly during the early gastrula periods. Based on whole-mount in situ hybridization studies, zorg transcripts were uniformly distributed in the cleavage stage through to the blastula stage. In addition, during early gastrulation, zorg transcripts appeared in the dorsal region, but became restricted to the primordial germ cells (PGC) in early somitogenesis and remained visible in PGC as they migrated towards the region of the gonad of embryos 24h post-fertilization. In situ hybridization of sectioned ovaries demonstrated that zorg mRNAs appeared in the cytoplasm of stage I and stage II oocytes and localized in the cortex of stage III and stage IV oocytes during oogenesis. We hypothesized that the protein expressed from the zebrafish zorg gene has roles in the formation of the female germ cells and in early embryonic development in zebrafish.