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Due to high incidence of tuberculosis in Taiwan, there is a tendency for overdiagnosis of tuberculosis. Differential diagnosis between malignant diseases and pulmonary tuberculosis is ...extremely important for us.
We present a case of misdiagnosis of tuberculosis (TB). While TB is common in Taiwan, this case highlights the importance of differential diagnoses to avoid misdiagnosis and ensure appropriate treatment.
The imaging of peptidoglycan (PGN) dynamics in living bacteria facilitates the understanding of PGN biosynthesis and wall-targeting antibiotics. The main tools for imaging bacterial PGN are ...fluorescent probes, such as the well-known PGN metabolic labeling probes. However, fluorescent small-molecule probes for labeling key PGN-synthesizing enzymes, especially for transglycosylases (TGases), remain to be explored. In this work, the first imaging probe for labeling TGase in bacterial cell wall studies is reported. We synthesized various fluorescent MoeA-based molecules by derivatizing the natural antibiotic moenomycin A (MoeA), and used them to label TGases in living bacteria, monitor bacterial growth and division cycles by time-lapse imaging, and study cell wall growth in the mecA-carrying methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains when the β-lactam-based probes were unsuitable.
A series of muramyl dipeptide (MDP) analogues with structural modifications at the C4 position of MurNAc and on the d-iso-glutamine (isoGln) residue of the peptide part were synthesized. The ...C4-diversification of MurNAc was conveniently achieved by using CuAAC click strategy to conjugate an azido muramyl dipeptide precursor with structurally diverse alkynes. d-Glutamic acid (Glu), replaced with isoGln, was applied for the structural diversity through esterification or amidation of the carboxylic acid. In total, 26 MDP analogues were synthesized and bio-evaluated for the study of human NOD2 stimulation activity in the innate immune response. Interestingly, MDP derivatives with an ester moiety are found to be more potent than reference compound MDP itself or MDP analogues containing an amide moiety. Among the varied lengths of the alkyl chain in ester derivatives, the MDP analogue bearing the d-glutamate dodecyl (C12) ester moiety showed the best NOD2 stimulation potency.
Osimertinib is the most efficient first‐line drug, with least adverse effects, for metastatic non‐small‐cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations with ...exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R mutations. Herein, we present a 68‐year‐old woman who had chronic hepatitis B with aggressive NSCLC and received osimertinib as cancer treatment for 4.5 months. This is the first report of mortality due to osimertinib‐related acute fulminant hepatitis. Clinicians should routinely arrange for hepatitis B virus (HBV) screening and prescribe antiviral drugs to patients with chronic HBV infection before osimertinib administration.
Osimertinib is the most efficient first‐line drug, with least adverse effects, for metastatic non‐small‐cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) harboring epidermal growth factor receptor mutations with exon 19 deletion or exon 21 L858R mutations. Herein, we present a 68‐year‐old woman who had chronic hepatitis B with aggressive NSCLC and received osimertinib as cancer treatment for 4.5 months without antiviral prophylaxis. This is the first report of mortality due to osimertinib‐related acute fulminant hepatitis.
Non-apnea sleep disorder (NASD) increases the risk of cardiovascular events, such as hypertension and ischemic heart disease (IHD). Patients with heart failure (HF) are at higher risk for sleep ...disorder; however, there is no documentation on NASD's association with HF to date. Therefore, our study aimed to determine whether NASD increases the risk of incident HF.
Using the outpatient and inpatient data from Taiwan's Longitudinal Health Insurance Database, we conducted a nationwide cohort study of patients with a first-time diagnosis of NASD in the year 2000 and followed up the risk of incident heart failure until December 31, 2013. We calculated risks and incidence ratios of HF for patients with NASD compared with the general population. The cumulative incidence of NASD and the subsequent risk of HF are assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression using a matched comparison cohort of HF patients without NASD.
The NASD cohort had an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of incident HF 19.7% higher than that of the cohort without NASD (95% CI = 1.130-1.270; p<0.001). In the NASD population, the mean interval to HF in males and females were 5.00±3.69 years and 5.00±3.66 years, respectively. The Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that after the seventh year, the incidence of HF was higher in the NASD cohort than in the control cohort till the end of the follow up.
Our study demonstrates that NASD patients are associated with a higher risk of incident HF.
The association of metabolic syndrome (MetS) components with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, a marker of hepatic injury, may differ between men and women. However, the ...sex-specific association in a military young population which has a low prevalence of MetS was unclear. We conducted a cross-sectional examination in 6738 men and 766 women, aged 18-50 years, from the cardiorespiratory fitness study in armed forces (CHIEF) in eastern Taiwan. The components of MetS were defined according to the updated International Diabetes Federation (IDF) ethnic criteria for Asians. Elevated ALT levels were defined as ≥40 U/L for both sexes and ≥30 U/L for women alternatively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the sex-specific association between MetS components and elevated ALT. The prevalence of MetS and elevated ALT in men were 11.9% and 12.7% respectively, and in women were 3.5%, and 3.8% respectively. In men, high-density lipoprotein < 40 mg/dL, blood pressures ≥ 130/85 mmHg, serum triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dL, and waist size ≥ 90 cm were associated with elevated ALT (odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals: 1.59 (1.34-1.90), 1.40 (1.19-1.65), 2.00 (1.68-2.39), and 1.68 (1.38-2.04); all
< 0.001); whereas in women, only fasting plasma glucose ≥ 100 mg/dL was associated with elevated ALT ≥ 40 U/L (OR: 7.59 (2.35-24.51),
= 0.001) and ALT ≥ 30 U/L (2.67 (0.89-7.95),
= 0.08). Our findings suggest that the relationship between metabolic abnormalities and elevated ALT may differ by sex, possibly due to the MetS more prevalent in young adult men than in women.
The writing's on the (cell) wall: A series of Lipid II analogues with modifications to the peptide moiety were evaluated as substrates of bacterial transglycosylase. The first two positions on the ...peptide, D‐lactate and L‐alanine (see scheme), especially their methyl groups, were found to be essential for substrate‐binding activity, an important discovery for the design of antibiotics to inhibit cell‐wall biosynthesis.
Inhibition of tumor metastasis is one of the most important purposes in colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. This study aimed to explore the effects of liquiritigenin, a flavonoid extracted from the ...roots of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, on HCT116 cell proliferation, invasion, and
epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). We found that liquiritigenin significantly inhibited HCT116 cell proliferation, invasion, and the EMT process, but had no influence on cell apoptosis. Moreover, liquiritigenin remarkably reduced the expression of runt-related transcription factor
2 (Runx2) in HCT116 cells. Overexpression of Runx2 obviously reversed the liquiritigenin-induced invasion and EMT inhibition. Furthermore, liquiritigenin inactivated the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway in HCT116 cells. Upregulation of Runx2 reversed the liquiritigenin-induced
PI3K/AKT pathway inactivation. In conclusion, our research verified that liquiritigenin exerted significant inhibitory effects on CRC invasion and EMT process by downregulating the expression of Runx2 and inactivating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Liquiritigenin could be an effective therapeutic
and preventative medicine for CRC treatment.
We reported the preparation of epoxy coatings incorporated with a composite filler of poly(styrenesulfonate)-polyaniline/reduced graphene oxide (PSS-PANI/rGO) and their performance on the mechanical ...and anticorrosion properties. The rGO platelets were first dispersed in the PSS solution, followed by in situ oxidative polymerization of aniline. The resulting PSS-PANI/rGO composite was then blended with a bisphenol-A type epoxy at different loadings by tri-roller mill, and was subsequently cured with a curing agent. The ultimate tensile strength and tensile toughness of the epoxy composite at a loading of only 0.5 wt% PSS-PANI/rGO were improved by 39% and 127%, respectively, when compared to the respective values of the pristine epoxy. This was ascribed to their strong interfacial bonding upon curing by the reaction between the PANI and epoxy. Furthermore, the potentiodynamic polarization of the carbon steels coated with the epoxy/PSS-PANI/rGO composite revealed that the anticorrosion performance was greatly improved when compared to those with the neat epoxy and epoxy/rGO coatings. The superior anticorrosion effect was attributed to its larger tortuosity of diffusion pathways, improved interfacial strength between the epoxy and filler, and the passivation layer formed by the presence of polyaniline which was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The improved anticorrosion and toughness would allow the coatings to withstand externally mechanical impact and prevent corrosion effectively.
•Epoxy anticorrosion coating filled with PSS-PANI/rGO composite filler was prepared.•Polyaniline reacts with epoxy and enhanced mechanical properties of the coating.•Improved anticorrosion lies on the larger tortuosity and the passivation layer.
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