Molecular Epidemiology of Integron-Associated Antimicrobial Gene Cassettes in the Clinical Isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii from Northern Taiwan

Ming-Feng Lin,Ming- Li Liou,Chi-Chao Tu,Hui-Wen Yeh,Chung-YuLan 대한진단검사의학회 2013 Annals of Laboratory Medicine Vol.33 No.4

Background: The aims of this study were to understand the molecular epidemiology of integron-associated gene cassettes in Acinetobacter baumannii across four hospitals in northern Taiwan and to clarify the relationship between the presence of integrons and antibiotic-resistant phenotypes. Methods: Sixty-five A. baumannii isolates, collected from the patients of four regional hospitals in northern Taiwan in 2009, were tested for the presence of integrons and their associated gene cassettes. The susceptibility difference between integron-positive and integron-negative A. baumannii strains was analyzed. Antibiotic-resistant phenotypes among A. baumannii with different types of gene cassette array combinations were also compared. Results: Around 72% of the A. baumannii isolates carried class 1 integrase genes. Despite this, only three gene cassette arrays were found in the integrons. Integron-positive strains were significantly more resistant to all the tested antibiotics than the integrase-negative strains. All the four types of A. baumannii with different gene cassette array combinations were multidrug-resistant in nature. Gene cassette array aacA4-catB8-aadA1 existed in all the integron-positive A. baumannii isolates. Repetitive-sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR)results revealed the prevalence of one major cluster of imipenem-resistant A. baumannii strains (84%) in the four regional hospitals. Conclusions: The presence of integrons with associated antimicrobial resistance gene cassettes can be used as a representative marker of multidrug resistance in A. baumannii. Some prevalent gene cassette arrays may exist among epidemiologically unrelated A. baumannii strains.

MicroRNA-124 rs531564 Polymorphism and Cancer Risk: A Meta-analysis

Li, Wen-Jing,Wang, Yong,Gong, Yu,Tu, Chao,Feng, Tong-Bao,Qi, Chun-Jian Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.17

Several studies reported there was a polymorphism (rs531564 C > G) in miR-124 gene. To investigate the MiR-124 rs531564 polymorphism and cancer risk. We conducted a literature search of the Medline, Embase and Wangfang Medicine databases to identify all relevant studies for this meta-analysis. We determined that the miR-124 rs531564 polymorphism was significantly associated with decreased risks of cancers in the allelic model (G vs C, OR=0.71, 95% CI=0.53-0.94, P=0.02), homozygote model (GG vs CC, OR=0.42, 95% CI=0.26-0.66, P=0.0002), dominant model (GG/GC vs CC, OR=0.71, 95% CI=0.51-0.98, P=0.04) and recessive model (GG vs GC/CC, OR=0.43, 95% CI=0.27-0.69, P=0.0004). In an analysis stratified by cervical cancer group, significant associations were observed in the allelic model (G vs C, OR=0.46, 95% CI=0.32-0.66, P<0.0001), and dominant model (GG/GC vs CC, OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.3-0.66, P<0.0001). Subgroup analysis also revealed a decreased risk for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in the homozygote model (GG vs CC, OR=0.45, 95% CI=0.27-0.75, P=0.002) and recessive model (GG vs GC/CC, OR=0.46, 95% CI=0.28-0.75, P=0.002). This meta-analysis suggests that the miR-124 rs531564 C > G polymorphism is an important risk factor for cancers among the Chinese population.

Effect of weaning age on growth performance, feed efficiency, nutrient digestibility and blood-biochemical parameters in Droughtmaster crossbred beef calves

Tao, Hui,Guo, Feng,Tu, Yan,Si, Bing-Wen,Xing, Yu-Chuan,Huang, De-Jun,Diao, Qi-Yu Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2018 Animal Bioscience Vol.31 No.6

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of weaning age on intake, performance, nutrition metabolism and serum parameters of beef calves. Methods: Sixty Droughtmaster crossbred calves were assigned to 5 groups with 12 calves in each group. The calves in control group remained with the dams till the 22-week age, while the calves weaned at 28 d (4 wk), 42 d (6 wk), 56 d (8 wk), and 70 d (10 wk) of age were sent to group 4 wk, group 6 wk, group 8 wk, and group 10 wk, respectively, and then were fed on milk replacer till the 22-week age. Feed intake and body weight and size were record and blood metabolites were measured. And 24 calves of them (6 in each group) were picked randomly for digestion and metabolism trail. Feed, feces and urine sample were taken and measured. Results: Dry matter intake of calves in group 4 wk was significantly lower than those in the remaining groups from wk 17 to 22 (p<0.05). Feed efficiency of the calves was higher in groups 4 wk and 6 wk than those in groups 8 wk and 10 wk from 11 to 13 wk (p<0.05), and calves had higher feed efficiency in group 4 wk, group 6 wk, and group 8 wk than those in group 10 wk from wk 14 to wk 22. Calves in group 4 wk and 6 wk had lower body weight than group 8 wk and group 10 wk and control group at 10-week age (p<0.05) and 13-week age (p<0.05), and calves in group 6 wk had no significant difference in body weight with control group, group 8 wk and 10 wk (p>0.05) but was higher than that of group 4 wk (p<0.05). Calves in group 6 wk had higher final body weight and total gain than group 4 wk, but no difference of total gain with that of groups 8 wk, 10 wk, and control group. And weaning calves at 6-week age brought higher feed efficiency and average daily gain from wk 14 to wk 22, and higher dry matter and organic matter digestibility at 21 wk. Conclusion: It is concluded that the weaning of calves at 6 weeks of age gave positive results.

Effect of Dietary Concentrate:forage Ratios and Undegraded Dietary Protein on Nitrogen Balance and Urinary Excretion of Purine Derivatives in Dorper×thin-tailed Han Crossbred Lambs

Ma, Tao,Deng, Kai-Dong,Tu, Yan,Jiang, Cheng-Gang,Zhang, Nai-Feng,Li, Yan-Ling,Si, Bing-Wen,Lou, Can,Diao, Qi-Yu Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2014 Animal Bioscience Vol.27 No.2

This study aimed to investigate dietary concentrate:forage ratios (C:F) and undegraded dietary protein (UDP) on nitrogen balance and urinary excretion of purine derivatives (PD) in lambs. Four Dorper${\times}$thin-tailed Han crossbred castrated lambs with $62.3{\pm}1.9$ kg body weight at 10 months of age were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a $2{\times}2$ factorial arrangement of two levels of C:F (40:60 and 60:40) and two levels of UDP (35% and 50% of CP), according to a complete $4{\times}4$ Latin-square design. Each experimental period lasted for 19 d. After a 7-d adaptation period, lambs were moved into individual metabolism crates for 12 d including 7 d of adaption and 5 d of metabolism trial. During the metabolism trial, total urine was collected for 24 h and spot urine samples were also collected at different times. Urinary PD was measured using a colorimetric method and creatinine was measured using an automated analyzer. Intake of dry matter (DM) (p<0.01) and organic matter (OM) (p<0.01) increased as the level of UDP decreased. Fecal N was not affected by dietary treatment (p>0.05) while urinary N increased as the level of UDP decreased (p<0.05), but decreased as dietary C:F increased (p<0.05). Nitrogen retention increased as dietary C:F increased (p<0.05). As dietary C:F increased, urinary excretion of PD increased (p<0.05), but was not affected by dietary UDP (p>0.05) or interaction between dietary treatments (p>0.05). Daily excretion of creatinine was not affected by dietary treatments (p<0.05), with an average value of $0.334{\times}0.005$ mmol/kg $BW^{0.75}$. A linear correlation was found between total PD excretion and PDC index ($R^2$ = 0.93). Concentrations of creatinine and PDC index in spot urine were unaffected by sampling time (p>0.05) and a good correlation was found between the PDC index (average value of three times) of spot urine and daily excretion of PD ($R^2$ = 0.88). These results suggest that for animals fed ad libitum, the PDC index in spot urine is effective to predict daily excretion of PD. In order to improve the accuracy of the spot sampling technique, an appropriate lag phase between the time of feeding and sampling should be determined so that the sampling time can coincide with the peak concentration of PD in the urine.

Effects of Parafibromin Expression on the Phenotypes and Relevant Mechanisms in the DLD-1 Colon Carcinoma Cell Line

Zhao, Shuang,Sun, Hong-Zhi,Zhu, Shi-Tu,Lu, Hang,Niu, Zhe-Feng,Guo, Wen-Feng,Takano, Yasuo,Zheng, Hua-Chuan Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.7

Background: Parafibromin is a protein encoded by the HRPT2 (hyperparathyroidism 2) oncosuppressor gene and its down-regulated expression is involved in pathogenesis of parathyroid, breast, gastric and colorectal carcinomas. This study aimed to clarify the effects of parafibromin expression on the phenotypes and relevant mechanisms of DLD-1 colon carcinoma cells. Methods: DLD-1 cells transfected with a parafibromin-expressing plasmid were subjected to examination of phenotype, including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration and invasion. Phenotype-related proteins were measured by Western blot. Parafibromin and ki-67 expression was detected by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays. Results: The transfectants showed higher proliferation by CCK-8, better differentiation by electron microscopy and ALP activity and more apoptotic resistance to cisplatin by DNA fragmentation than controls. There was no difference in early apoptosis by annexin V, capase-3 activity, migration and invasion between DLD-1 cells and their transfectants. Ectopic parafibromin expression resulted in down-regulated expression of smad4, MEKK, GRP94, GRP78, $GSK3{\beta}$-ser9, and Caspase-9. However, no difference was detectable in caspase-12 and -8 expression. A positive relationship was noted between parafibromin and ki-67 expression in colorectal carcinoma. Conclusions: Parafibromin overexpression could promote cell proliferation, apoptotic resistance, and differentiation of DLD-1 cells.

Lymph Node Ratio is More Predictive than Traditional Lymph Node Stratification in Lymph Node Positive Invasive Breast Cancer

Bai, Lian-Song,Chen, Chuang,Gong, Yi-Ping,Wei, Wen,Tu, Yi,Yao, Feng,Li, Juan-Juan,Wang, Li-Jun,Sun, Sheng-Rong Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2013 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.14 No.2

Objective: To evaluate the relationships between lymph node ratio (LNR, the ratio of positive lymph nodes in excised axillary lymph nodes) and disease-free survival (DFS) by comparing with traditional absolute positive lymph node number (pN classification) for prediction of breast cancer (BC) progrnosis. Methods and Patients: We retrospectively reviewed patients who received comprehensive therapy in Department of Breast Surgery, Hubei Cancer Hospital, China from Jan 2002 to Dec 2006 (Group A), and Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, China from Jun 2008 to May 2012 (Group B). Patients were allocated to low-risk (${\leq}0.20$), intermediate-risk (> 0.20 but ${\leq}0.65$), high-risk (>0.65) groups by LNR. The primary endpoint was 5-DFS. Results: A total of 294 patients were included in our study. LNR was verified as a negative prognostic factor for DFS (P=0.002 in Group A, P<0.0001 in Group B). Then we found the effects of pN and LNR delamination on disease-free survival (DFS) had statistical significance (P=0.012 for pN and P=0.031 for LNR stratification in Group A, both of them P<0.001 in Group B). Compared to pN staging, LNR staging displayed superior performance in prognosis, the adjusted hazard ratio of recurrence being 2.07 (95%CI, 1.07 to 4.0) for intermediate risk group (P=0.030) and 2.44 (95%CI, 1.21 to 4.92) for high risk group (P=0.013) in Group A. Conclusions: LNR stratification proved an adverse prognostic factor of DFS in lymph nodes positive invasive BC using cut-off values 0.20 and 0.65, and was more predictive than traditional pN classification for 5-DFS.

Applicability Analysis of Microseismic Technology in Tunnel Water Inrush Monitoring

Yan-hao Chen,Shuai Cheng,Li-Ping Li,Jun-yan Yang,Hong-liang Liu,Wen-feng Tu 대한토목학회 2021 KSCE JOURNAL OF CIVIL ENGINEERING Vol.25 No.7

Water inrush disaster is one of the most serious geological disasters in tunnel construction. There are still some problems in the existing researches, such as the activity information of surrounding rock is difficult to obtain, the mechanism of water inrush disaster is unclear, the correlation between water inrush disaster and microseismic (MS) information is missing, which have caused the water inrush disaster to be passively controlled. Combining with the practical experience of tunnel engineering, the application problems of MS technology in tunnel engineering is summarized, which provides ideas for monitoring of surrounding rock activity. The formation mechanism of water inrush disaster caused by rock mass fracturing and filling medium instability has been revealed. The MS characteristics of the water inrush channel in different water inrush disasters have also been revealed. The MS response characteristics of water inrush and rockburst disasters are compared, which provides guidance for the improvement of MS monitoring technology and the analysis of effective MS information. The compression failure test of limestone under saturated and natural conditions is carried out. The results show that the presence of water weakens the ability of rock to store energy. The acoustic emission (AE) phenomenon is weaker in the process of saturated limestone failure, which increases the difficulty of AE monitoring. The number of AE events of natural limestone and saturated limestone shows a slow increase to a sudden increase in the process stress loading, which can be regarded as an important precursor of rock failure.