Epidemiology of culture-confirmed infections of Streptococcus pneumoniae (2012-2015) and nasopharyngeal carriage in children and households in Taiwan (2014-2015).

Purpose: An observational study was performed to investigate the carriage rate and serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae in the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) era in Taiwan.

Methodology: From March 2014 to March 2015 a total of 500 healthy children and their households (631 adults) were enrolled from two large medical centres for nasopharyngeal carriage survey. Clinical isolates were prospectively collected from June 2012 to May 2015 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

Corrigendum: Intestinal microbiome in children with severe and complicated acute viral gastroenteritis.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep46130.

Risk factors for poor outcomes of children with acute acalculous cholecystitis.

Background: Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is generally considered to be a mild disease in children; however, if left untreated or treated without caution, AAC can lead to severe outcomes, such as death. The objectives of this study were to present the clinical features and identify the predictors of mortality in pediatric AAC.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with AAC between 2005 and 2012 were enrolled.

Intestinal microbiome in children with severe and complicated acute viral gastroenteritis.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the microbiota of children with severe or complicated acute viral gastroenteritis (AGE). To that end, next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology was used to sequence the 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) gene in 20 hospitalized pediatric patients with severe or complicated AGE and a further 20 otherwise healthy children; the fecal microbiome was then assessed. Comparative metagenomics data were analyzed by a Wilcoxon rank-sum test and hierarchical clustering analysis of bacterial reads.

Anti-apoptotic effects of Sonic hedgehog signalling through oxidative stress reduction in astrocytes co-cultured with excretory-secretory products of larval Angiostrongylus cantonensis.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is an important aetiologic agent of eosinophilic meningitis and meningoencephalitis in humans. Co-culturing astrocytes with soluble antigens of A. cantonensis activated the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signalling pathway and inhibited the apoptosis of astrocytes via the activation of Bcl-2.

PARRoT- a homology-based strategy to quantify and compare RNA-sequencing from non-model organisms.

Background: Next-generation sequencing promises the de novo genomic and transcriptomic analysis of samples of interests. However, there are only a few organisms having reference genomic sequences and even fewer having well-defined or curated annotations. For transcriptome studies focusing on organisms lacking proper reference genomes, the common strategy is de novo assembly followed by functional annotation.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa-associated Diarrheal Diseases in Children.

Background: The gastrointestinal tract is not the common infection site of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The role of P. aeruginosa as a causative agent for diarrhea in children without preexisting disease is controversial.

Antibody Responses to Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccine in Health Care Personnel Previously Vaccinated and Vaccinated for The First Time.

Inactivated influenza vaccination induces a hemagglutinin-specific antibody response to the strain used for immunization. Annual vaccination is strongly recommended for health care personnel. However, it is debatable if repeated vaccination would affect the antibody response to inactivated influenza vaccine through the time.

Repression of Rgg But Not Upregulation of LacD.1 in -type Mutant Mediates the SpeB Repression in Group A .

CovR/CovS is an important two-component regulatory system in human pathogen group A (GAS). Epidemiological studies have shown that inactivation of the sensor kinase CovS is correlated with invasive clinical manifestations. The phosphorylation level of response regulator CovR decreases dramatically in the absence of CovS, resulting in the derepression of virulence factor expression and an increase in bacterial invasiveness.

Hyperinvasiveness of Salmonella enterica serovar Choleraesuis linked to hyperexpression of type III secretion systems in vitro.

Salmonella enterica serovars Choleraesuis and Typhimurium are among the non-typhoid Salmonella serovars that are important zoonotic pathogens. In clinical observation, S. Typhimurium typically causes diarrheal diseases; however, S.

Child protection medical service demonstration centers in approaching child abuse and neglect in Taiwan.

Child abuse includes all forms of physical and emotional ill treatment, sexual abuse, neglect, and exploitation that results in actual or potential harm to the child's health, development, or dignity. In Taiwan, the Child Protection Medical Service Demonstration Center (CPMSDC) was established to protect children from abuse and neglect. We further analyzed and compared the trends and clinical characteristics of cases reported by CPMSDC to evaluate the function of CPMSDC in approaching child abuse and neglect in Taiwan.

Responding to a Zoonotic Emergency with Multi-omics Research: Pentatrichomonas hominis Hydrogenosomal Protein Characterization with Use of RNA Sequencing and Proteomics.

Pentatrichomonas hominis is an anaerobic flagellated protist that colonizes the large intestine of a number of mammals, including cats, dogs, nonhuman primates, and humans. The wide host range of this organism is alarming and suggests a rising zoonotic emergency. However, knowledge on in-depth biology of this protist is still limited.

The genome of serotype VI Streptococcus agalactiae serotype VI and comparative analysis.

Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS) causes serious infections in humans and other species. A total of 25 complete GBS genomes, including the first sequenced serotype VI genome (GBS-M002), were compared in this study. The power law model suggested that the pan-genome of GBS is open, with approximately 1300 genes in the core genome of GBS, accounting for approximately 60% of the average genome content.

An extract from Taxodium distichum targets hemagglutinin- and neuraminidase-related activities of influenza virus in vitro.

Influenza virus remains an emerging virus and causes pandemics with high levels of fatality. After screening different plant extracts with potential anti-influenza activity, a water extract of Taxodium distichum stems (TDSWex) showed excellent activity against influenza viruses. The EC of TDSWex was 0.

Complicated norovirus infection and assessment of severity by a modified Vesikari disease score system in hospitalized children.

Background: Norovirus (NoV) GII.4 is the most common genotype for norovirus gastroenteritis worldwide. New variants or subgenotypes are continuously emerging, thus posing a serious threat to child health.

Characteristics of children with Kawasaki disease requiring intensive care: 10 years' experience at a tertiary pediatric hospital.

Background/purpose: Kawasaki disease (KD) is a febrile systemic vasculitis, and some patients may develop serious complications requiring intensive care. We aim to ascertain the clinical presentations and outcomes of these patients.

Methods: From October 2004 to October 2014, children with KD who had stayed in the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU) for acute stage treatment were defined as case patients; for each case, three age/sex-matched patients with KD but without ICU stay, if identified, were selected as control patients.

Safety and immunogenicity of an intramuscular quadrivalent influenza vaccine in children 3 to 8 y of age: A phase III randomized controlled study.

A quadrivalent, inactivated, split-virion influenza vaccine containing a strain from both B lineages (IIV4) has been developed, but its safety and immunogenicity in young children has not been described. This was a phase III, randomized, double-blind, active-controlled, multi-center study to examine the immunogenicity and safety of IIV4 in children 3-8 y of age (EudraCT no. 2011-005374-33).

Risk Factors and Outcome Analysis in Children with Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

Background: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is one of the common causes of poisoning in patients and can result in significant morbidity and mortality. However, few studies have focused on the pediatric group.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed children (age < 18 years) with CO poisoning from nonfire accidents at a tertiary medical center in Taiwan from 2002 to 2010.

Fluoroquinolone-nonsusceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from a medical center in the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine era.

Background/purpose: Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common pathogens to cause mucosal and invasive infection in humans. Resistance to fluoroquinolones (FQ) is associated with clinical failure when treating pneumococcal diseases and increase of mortality.

Methods: We collected clinical isolates of S.

Inhibition of endosomal fusion activity of influenza virus by Rheum tanguticum (da-huang).

Rhubarb (Rheum tanguticum; da-huang in Chinese medicine) is a herbal medicine that has been used widely for managing fever and removing toxicity. In this study, we investigated how rhubarb inhibits influenza virus during the early stage of the infectious cycle using different functional assays. A non-toxic ethanolic extract of rhubarb (Rex) inhibited several H1N1 subtypes of influenza A viruses in Madin-Darby canine kidney cells, including strains that are clinically resistant to oseltamivir.

Regulation of Motility and Phenazine Pigment Production by FliA Is Cyclic-di-GMP Dependent in Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

The transcription factor FliA, also called sigma 28, is a major regulator of bacterial flagellar biosynthesis genes. Growing evidence suggest that in addition to motility, FliA is involved in controlling numerous bacterial behaviors, even though the underlying regulatory mechanism remains unclear. By using a transcriptional fusion to gfp that responds to cyclic (c)-di-GMP, this study revealed a higher c-di-GMP concentration in the fliA deletion mutant of Pseudomonas aeruginosa than in its wild-type strain PAO1.

Decreased ADAMTS 13 Activity is Associated With Disease Severity and Outcome in Pediatric Severe Sepsis.

Decreased ADAMTS 13 activity has been reported in severe sepsis and in sepsis-induced disseminated intravascular coagulation. This study aimed to investigate the role of ADAMTS 13 in different pediatric sepsis syndromes and evaluate its relationship with disease severity and outcome. We prospectively collected cases of sepsis treated in a pediatric intensive care unit, between July 2012 and June 2014 in Chang Gung Children's Hospital in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

In vitro and in vivo studies of a potent capsid-binding inhibitor of enterovirus 71.

Objectives: Enterovirus 71 (EV-A71) is an important pathogen that can cause severe neurological symptoms and even death. Our aim was to identify potent anti-EV-A71 compounds and study their underlying mechanisms and in vivo activity.

Methods: We identified a potent imidazolidinone derivative (abbreviated to PR66) as an inhibitor of EV-A71 infection from the screening of compounds and subsequent structure-based modification.

A glimpse into evolution and dissemination of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii isolates in East Asia: a comparative genomics study.

Clonal dissemination is characteristic of the important nosocomial pathogen Acinetobacter baumannii, as revealed by previous multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) studies. However, the disseminated phyletic unit is actually MLST sequence type instead of real bacterial clone. Here we sequenced the genomes of 13 multidrug-resistant (MDR) A.