The objective of the survey was to inspect potential microbial contamination in tilapia and milkfish sampled from culture ponds, supermarkets and traditional retail markets using the distribution of ...aerobic plate counts and indicator microorganisms. Fishes from traditional retail markets had the lowest aerobic plate counts among three places. Milkfish had lower aerobic plate counts compared with tilapia. Fish meat and fish heads exhibited lower aerobic plate counts compared with fish gills and fishintestines for the same fish. In regard to detection of indicator microorganisms, intestines had the lowest frequency of Staphylococcus aureus, especially milkfish collected from culture ponds (25％). Frequency of Salmonella in fish samples from supermarkets was 0％. Detective rate of coliform from all fishes of the three areas was above 94.4％., 生鮮超市對於魚類大都以冷藏販售，而傳統零售市場則以新鮮為號召，故本調查之目的在探討台南地區養殖魚溫、生鮮超市及傳統零售市場三地吳郭魚及虱目魚微生物含量之程度，以作為消費者與業者之參考。就養植魚溫、生鮮超市及傳統零售市場三地所販售之吳郭魚及虱目魚來比較，好氣性總生菌數方面，以傳統零售市場販售者最少。若就魚種而言，虱目魚較吳郭魚之好氣性總生菌數少，就部位而
Certain cytokines may contribute to the sequence of events that lead to meningeal inflammation in bacterial meningitis. However, their role in viral meningitis is not so less well defined. We ...determined the cytokines levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of children with aseptic meningitis and discussed their relationship with clinical and laboratory findings.
We determined the concentrations of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in the CSF of 62 patients with aseptic meningitis including 17 patients with culture-proved enteroviral meningitis, and from 19 control acute febrile patients without meningitis.
The GM-CSF in the cerebrospinal fluid was detected from one of the 62 patients with aseptic meningitis and none of the 19 controls. Fourteen (23%) of the 62 patients with aseptic meningitis and 2 (10.5%) of 19 controls had detectable IL-1 beta. There was no significant difference in IL-1 beta levels between patients with aseptic meningitis (4.4 +/- 11.4 pg/ml) and control group (2.4 +/- 7.7 pg/ml). The CSF IFN-gamma level was detectable in 40 (65%) of 62 patients and 6 (31.6%) of 19 controls. The mean CSF IFN-gamma concentration was significantly higher in patients with aseptic meningitis when compared with that in control group (37.9 +/- 48.8 pg/ml vs 17.5 +/- 29.7 pg/ml; p = 0.007).
IFN-gamma was detectable in the CSF in 65% of patients with aseptic meningitis and the role of interferon-gamma remains to be determined.
This study aimed to investigate the in vitro susceptibilities of carbapenem-non-susceptible Pseudomonas aeruginosa (CNSPA) and Acinetobacter baumannii (CNSAB) isolates to cefiderocol, novel ...β-lactamase inhibitor (BLI) combinations, new tetracycline analogues, and other comparative antibiotics.
In total, 405 non-duplicate bacteremic CNSPA (n = 150) and CNSAB (n = 255) isolates were collected from 16 hospitals in Taiwan between 2018 and 2020. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined using the broth microdilution method, and susceptibilities were interpreted according to the relevant guidelines or in accordance with results of previous studies and non-species-related pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data.
Among the isolates tested, cefiderocol demonstrated potent in vitro activity against CNSPA (MIC50/90, 0.25/1 mg/L; 100% of isolates were inhibited at ≤4 mg/L) and CNSAB (MIC50/90, 0.5/2 mg/L; 94.9% of isolates were inhibited at ≤4 mg/L) isolates. More than 80% of CNSPA isolates were susceptible to cefiderocol, ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam, and amikacin, based on breakpoints established by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Activities of new BLI combinations varied significantly. Tetracycline analogues, including tigecycline (MIC50/90, 1/2 mg/L; 92.5% of CNSAB isolates were inhibited at ≤2 mg/L) and eravacycline (MIC50/90, 0.5/1 mg/L; 99.6% of CNSAB isolates were inhibited at ≤2 mg/L) exhibited more potent in vitro activity against CNSAB than omadacycline (MIC50/90, 4/8 mg/L).
The spread of CNSPA and CNSAB poses a major challenge to global health. Significant resistance be developed even before a novel agent becomes commercially available. The development of on-site antimicrobial susceptibility tests for these novel agents is of great clinical importance.
MicroRNA399-mediated regulation of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBC24/PHOSPHATE2 (PHO2) is crucial for Pi acquisition and translocation in plants. Because of a potential role for PHO2 in protein ...degradation and its association with membranes, an iTRAQ (for isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation)- based quantitative membrane proteomic method was employed to search for components downstream of PHO2. A total of 7491 proteins were identified from Arabidopsis thaliana roots by mass spectrometry, 35.2% of which were predicted to contain at least one transmembrane helix. Among the quantifiable proteins, five were significantly differentially expressed between the wild type and pho2 mutant under two growth conditions. Using immunoblot analysis, we validated the upregulation of several members in PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER1 (PHT1) family and PHOSPHATE TRANSPORTER TRAFFIC FACILITATOR1 (PHF1) in pho2 and demonstrated that PHO2 mediates the degradation of PHT1 proteins. Genetic evidence that loss of PHF1 or PHT1;1 alleviated Pi toxicity in pho2 further suggests that they play roles as downstream components of PHO2. Moreover, we showed that PHO2 interacts with PHT1s in the postendoplasmic reticulum compartments and mediates the ubiquitination of endomembrane-localized PHT1;1. This study not only uncovers a mechanism by which PHO2 modulates Pi acquisition by regulating the abundance of PHT1s in the secretory pathway destined for plasma membranes, but also provides a database of the membrane proteome that will be widely applicable in root biology research.
Since April 2022, waves of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant cases have surfaced in Taiwan and spread throughout the island. Using high-throughput sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, we analyzed 2,405 ...PCR-positive swab samples from 2,339 persons and identified the Omicron BA.2.3.7 variant as a major lineage within recent community outbreaks in Taiwan.
Microtubule‐associated protein Tau, abundant in the central nervous system (CNS), plays crucial roles in microtubule assembly and stabilization. Abnormal Tau phosphorylation and aggregation are a ...common pathogenic hallmark in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hyperphosphorylation of Tau could change its conformation and result in self‐aggregation, increased oxidative stress, and neuronal death. In this study, we examined the potential of licochalcone A (a natural chalcone) and five synthetic derivatives (LM compounds) for inhibiting Tau misfolding, scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS) and providing neuroprotection in human cells expressing proaggregant ΔK280 TauRD‐DsRed. All test compounds were soluble up to 100 μM in cell culture media and predicted to be orally bioavailable and CNS‐active. Among them, licochalcone A and LM‐031 markedly reduced Tau misfolding and associated ROS, promoted neurite outgrowth, and inhibited caspase 3 activity in ΔK280 TauRD‐DsRed 293 and SH‐SY5Y cells. Mechanistic studies showed that LM‐031 upregulates HSPB1 chaperone, NRF2/NQO1/GCLC pathway, and CREB‐dependent BDNF/AKT/ERK/BCL2 pathway in ΔK280 TauRD‐DsRed SH‐SY5Y cells. Decreased neurite outgrowth upon induction of ΔK280 TauRD‐DsRed was rescued by LM‐031, which was counteracted by knockdown of NRF2 or CREB. LM‐031 further rescued the downregulated NRF2 and pCREB, reduced Aβ and Tau levels in hippocampus and cortex, and ameliorated cognitive deficits in streptozocin‐induced hyperglycemic 3 × Tg‐AD mice. Our findings strongly indicate the potential of LM‐031 for modifying AD progression by targeting HSPB1 to reduce Tau misfolding and activating NRF2 and CREB pathways to suppress apoptosis and promote neuron survival, thereby offering a new drug development avenue for AD treatment.
Through upregulating HSPB1 chaperone to reduce Tau misfolding, and enhancing NRF2 and CREB pathways to reduce ROS and apoptosis in ΔK280 TauRD‐DsRed SH‐SY5Y cells, as well as promoting neuron survival and cognitive function in hyperglycemic 3×Tg‐AD mice, LM‐031 (3‐benzoyl‐5‐hydroxychromen‐2‐one) displays potential for Alzheimer’s disease treatment.
Four glucosyltransferases associated with the surface of the unicellular alga--Euglena gracilis have been identified. Based on competition experiments, trypsin treatments and comparison of enzyme ...activities between intact cells and sonicated cells, two glycosyltransferases (using acceptors I or III) are present on the external cell surface. The third one (using acceptor II) is unique to the flagellum. The last one (using acceptor IV) is present both in the cell surface and in the flagellum. Acceptor IV glycosyltransferase is located on the cytoplasmic side of the membrane as judged by a comparison of glycosyltransferase activities of three preparations--whole cell bodies, isolated cell surfaces and isolated flagella. UDP-glucose is the major sugar donor. The four acceptors have been identified as glycolipids but are not intermediates of glycoprotein synthesis. Sequential extractions with different ratios of chloroform-methanol (CM) mixtures, pulse-chase experiments, thin layer chromatography (TLC) analyses and SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analyses all suggest lipid is a terminal acceptor. The acceptors in the flagella are more stable than those either in the cell bodies or in cell surfaces, suggesting that turnover occurs on the cell surface but not in the flagellum. Divalent cation requirements are quite different between whole cell bodies (5 mM Mg('2+) is optimal) and isolated flagella (10 mM Ca('2+) is optimal). Optimal pH is 7.0 for all three preparations. A glucosyltransferase still active for acceptor IV has been solubilized from isolated flagella by extraction with 10 mM CHAPS (3-{(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethyl ammonio)}-1-propane-sulfonate}, a zwitterionic detergent). Partial purification of this glucosyltransferase has been accomplished by centrifugation in a sucrose gradient (5-20%) after extraction with CHAPS and by incubation with labeled dialdehyde-UDP. The binding of dialdehyde-UDP to glycosyltransferases has been demonstrated by several control experiments. By localizing glycosyltransferases in SDS-gels and in non-denaturating gels after labeling with dial-{('3)H}UDP and by localizing enzyme activity in non-denaturing gels, the acceptor IV glycosyltransferase has been identified. A 32K dalton polypeptide appears to be the peptide or one of the peptides which glycosylates a plasma membrane bound lipid.
Several previous studies have emphasized the importance of situating students in authentic learning or problem‐solving contexts to enhance their learning performances. However, some challenges of ...situated learning have been stated, such as the lack of effective learning support or concrete objective design to improve students’ learning engagement, problem‐solving competences and their active thinking. In this study, a mobile technology‐supported experiential learning system was developed to improve students’ problem‐solving competences as well as their learning performances, attitudes and collective efficacy. Moreover, an experiment was conducted on an environmental science course in an elementary school to compare the effects of this method with those of the conventional situated mobile learning approach on students’ learning effectiveness. The experimental results display that the implemented approach can significantly enhance students’ learning achievements, environmental attitudes and collective efficacy; furthermore, the students who learned with the implemented approach showed higher problem‐solving competence than those who learned with the conventional situated mobile learning approach, implying a noticeable reference for conducting experiential learning activities in environmental science education. Furthermore, the promotion of students’ active thinking in the mobile technology‐supported experiential learning is discussed.
Practitioner Notes
What is already known about this topic
The importance of situating students in authentic learning or problem‐solving contexts to enhance their learning performances has been emphasized.
Some challenges of situated learning have been stated, such as the lack of effective learning support or concrete objective design to improve students’ learning engagement, problem‐solving competences and active thinking.
Properly integrating technology into instruction is most effective in an authentic learning context.
What this paper adds
A mobile technology‐supported experiential learning system was designed to conduct an authentic learning activity.
The proposed approach can significantly enhance students’ learning achievements, environmental attitudes and collective efficacy.
The students who learned with the proposed approach showed higher problem‐solving competence than those who learned with the conventional situated mobile learning approach.
The promotion of students’ active thinking while learning with the mobile technology‐supported experiential learning system is discussed.
Implications for practice and/or policy
The mobile technology‐supported experiential learning system is beneficial to students in an authentic learning environment as it triggers their active thinking.
Such an approach can be designed with authentic learning activities in other courses by replacing the authentic objects and learning materials.
It would be interesting to probe students’ social interactions and learning patterns in an experiential collective learning activity.
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