Chinese Herbal Medicines as Natural Alternative Products to Antibiotics in Weaned Piglets through Intestinal Microbiota Regulation.

During the growth process of weaned piglets, digestive problems such as gastrointestinal disorders and diarrhea are common. Farmers usually use antibiotics to help piglets grow smoothly. However, the overuse of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance issues.

Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid Affects the Social Behavior of Adult Zebrafish by Damaging Telencephalon Neurons through Oxidation Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis.

The neonicotinoid imidacloprid is a widely used insecticide worldwide. We assessed the effects of acute and chronic imidacloprid exposure on the social behavior of adult zebrafish. We assembled simple apparatus to detect 2D locomotion: a single camera capture system and two specially designed water tanks.

Probing Flat Band Physics in Spin Ice Systems via Polarized Neutron Scattering.

In this Letter, we illustrate how polarized neutron scattering can be used to isolate the spin-spin correlations of modes forming flat bands in a frustrated magnetic system hosting a classical spin liquid phase. In particular, we explain why the nearest-neighbor spin ice model, whose interaction matrix has two flat bands, produces a dispersionless (i.e.

Traditional Chinese herbal formula relieves snoring by modulating activities of upper airway related nerves in aged rats.

Aim: The present study investigated whether intraperitoneal treatment with the herbal formula B210 ([B210]; a herbal composition of and ) can reduce snoring in aged rats. Also, we studied possible neural mechanisms involved in B210 treatment and subsequent reduced snoring in rats.

Methods And Result: We compared pressure and frequency of snoring, activities of phrenic nerve (PNA), activities of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLNA) and activities of hypoglossal nerve (HNA), inspiratory time (T) and expiratory time (T) of PNA, and pre-inspiratory time (Pre-T) of HNA in aged rats between sham and B210 treatment groups (30 mg/mL dissolved in DMSO).

CTX-M ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae: estimated prevalence in adults in England in 2014.

Background: ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (ESBLPE) are increasing in prevalence worldwide and are more difficult to treat than non-ESBLPE. Their prevalence in the UK general population is unknown, as the only previous UK ESBLPE faecal colonization study involved patients with diarrhoea.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of CTX-M ESBLPE faecal colonization in the general adult population of England in 2014, and investigate risk factors.

Informing future research for carriage of multiresistant Gram-negative bacteria: problems with recruiting to an English stool sample community prevalence study.

Objectives: This study aims to highlight problems with recruiting to an English stool sample community prevalence study. It was part of a larger cross-sectional research to determine the risk factors for the presence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase and carbapenemase-producing coliforms in stool samples of the asymptomatic general English population.

Setting: Four National Health Service primary care trusts (PCTs) of England representing a different section of the population of England: Newham PCT; Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT; Shropshire County PCT; and Southampton City PCT.

Perforated peptic ulcer - an update.

Peptic ulcer disease (PUD) affects 4 million people worldwide annually. The incidence of PUD has been estimated at around 1.5% to 3%.

Azo dyes and human health: A review.

Synthetic azo dyes are widely used in industries. Gerhardt Domagk discovered that the antimicrobial effect of red azo dye Prontosil was caused by the reductively cleaved (azo reduction) product sulfanilamide. The significance of azo reduction is thus revealed.

Intra-Abdominal Hematoma Following Enoxaparin Injection.

An elderly patient, who was being treated for therapeutic enoxaparin for a couple of days due to suspected deep vein thrombosis, was admitted to hospital following a collapse and severe abdominal pain. She was in hypovolemic shock and was fluid resuscitated. Ultrasound scan and computed tomography (CT) scan showed a large pelvic hematoma.

Carcinogenicity, allergenicity, and lupus-inducibility of arylamines.

Arylamines are widely used in food, drugs, and cosmetics as well as other industries. These chemicals are present ubiquitously in cigarette smoke, smoke emitted from cooking fume hoods as well as are generated by diverse industries. Arylamines can be generated by cleavage of azo dyes by intestinal and skin microbiota.

Occurrence, uses, and carcinogenicity of arylamines.

Arylamines are chemically synthesized and contained in oxidants, epoxy polymers, explosives, fungicides, pesticides, colorants, polyurethanes, and used in rubber, pharmacology, cosmetics, and other chemical industries. Many arylamines are ubiquitously present in cigarette smoke, cooking fume hoods, foods, automobile exhaust, industrial sites, etc. Some arylamines can be generated through azo reduction by intestinal, skin, and environmental microorganisms from azo dyes that are widely used.

Streptococcus pneumoniae ClpL modulates adherence to A549 human lung cells through Rap1/Rac1 activation.

Caseinolytic protease L (ClpL) is a member of the HSP100/Clp chaperone family, which is found mainly in Gram-positive bacteria. ClpL is highly expressed during infection for refolding of stress-induced denatured proteins, some of which are important for adherence. However, the role of ClpL in modulating pneumococcal virulence is poorly understood.

The performance of routine computed tomography for the detection of colorectal cancer.

Introduction: Although colonoscopy and computed tomography (CT) colonography in expert hands are the most sensitive investigations for colorectal cancer, some patients may not tolerate the necessary bowel preparation and insufflation of gas into the colon. We assessed the performance of unprepared contrast CT for the detection of colorectal cancer.

Methods: A retrospective review was undertaken of all patients who had contrast CT of the abdomen and pelvis and then went on to have colonoscopy at our institutions between 2007 and 2010.

Complete Genome Sequence of emm1 Streptococcus pyogenes A20, a Strain with an Intact Two-Component System, CovRS, Isolated from a Patient with Necrotizing Fasciitis.

Here, we announce the complete sequence of Streptococcus pyogenes A20. This strain was isolated from a patient with necrotizing fasciitis. Given that A20 harbors an intact two-component system, CovRS, the discovery of its genome sequence provides more insight into the pathogenesis of a pandemic emm1 strain.

Upper gastrointestinal bleeding: gallstone-induced auto-sphincterotomy.

A 67-year-old gentleman with no significant medical history of note presented with sudden onset of epigastric pain, coffee ground vomiting and passing black tarry stool. A series of investigations including blood tests, ultrasound scan, CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast and endoscopy failed to reveal any site of active bleeding. The mystery remained and the patient continued to have upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

An unusual presentation of migraine: temporary complete body paralysis and aphasia.

A 47-year-old gentleman with a medical history of long-standing migraine presented with temporary total body paralysis and expressive aphasia for 4 h. It was also associated with worsening severe unilateral pulsating pain, nausea, photophobia, blurred vision, hearing disturbance and neck stiffness. All these symptoms were resolving gradually after 4 h and had resolved completely after 1 day.

Tendon impingement of the extensor digiti minimi: clinical cases series and cadaveric study.

The authors describe two unique clinical cases of closed extensor digiti minimi (EDM) tendon injuries after hyperflexion of the wrist with full finger flexion and one case of chronic tenosynovitis around the EDM tendon. All three cases were thought to be related to the bifurcation of the EDM tendon and synovial septum. Subsequently, variations in EDM tendons were investigated in 49 cadaveric hands with a focus on patterns of tendon bifurcation and their relationships with the surrounding synovial sheath.

Comparative genotoxicity of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid and anthranilic acid in the presence of a metal cofactor Cu (II) in vitro.

Several clinical studies have reported that an increase in excretion of tryptophan metabolites 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (3-OHAA), anthranilic acid (AA) and other metabolites in the urine of bladder cancer patients are implicated to play a role in the etiology of bladder cancer; however the mechanisms involved are unknown. The present study compares the genotoxicity of tryptophan metabolites AA and 3-OHAA to cause mutagenesis in vitro. The DNA damage effects of tryptophan metabolites were analyzed using plasmid relaxation assay performed with AA and 3-OHAA at various concentrations between 50μM and 400μM in the presence of plasmid DNA pSP-72.

Regulation of gene expression by the NSP1 and NSP3 non-structural proteins of rotavirus.

The role of the rotavirus non-structural proteins NSP1 and NSP3 in regulating cellular and viral mRNA translation has been investigated by examining the effect of added recombinant NSP3 on protein translation in a T7-based in vitro coupled transcription-translation system. Addition of purified NSP3 to assays primed solely with cellular mRNA was found to have no effect on the translation efficiency of the mRNA. However, as expected, the addition of viral mRNA to such assays competitively inhibited the synthesis of cellular protein, and interestingly, this inhibition was enhanced by the addition of NSP3.

Induction of DNA damage signaling genes in benzidine-treated HepG2 cells.

We examined genotoxicity and DNA damage response in HepG2 cells following exposure to benzidine. Using the Comet assay, we showed that benzidine (50-200 μM) induces DNA damage in HepG2 cells. DNA damage signaling pathway-based PCR arrays were used to investigate expression changes in genes involved in cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and DNA repair and showed upregulation of 23 genes and downregulation of one gene in benzidine-treated cells.

Anti-Cancer Effects of Protein Extracts from Calvatia lilacina, Pleurotus ostreatus and Volvariella volvacea.

Calvatia lilacina (CL), Pleurotus ostreatus (PO) and Volvariella volvacea (VV) are widely distributed worldwide and commonly eaten as mushrooms. In this study, cell viabilities were evaluated for a human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line (SW480 cells) and a human monocytic leukemia cell line (THP-1 cells). Apoptotic mechanisms induced by the protein extracts of PO and VV were evaluated for SW480 cells.

Enhancement of temozolomide-induced apoptosis by valproic acid in human glioma cell lines through redox regulation.

Temozolomide (TMZ) is an oral alkylating agent that has been widely used in the treatment of refractory glioma, although inherent and acquired resistance to this drug is common. The clinical use of valproic acid (VPA) as an anticonvulsant and mood-stabilizing drug has been reported primarily for the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder and less commonly for major depression. VPA is also used in the treatment of glioma-associated seizures with or without intracranial operation.

Blind subacromial injection from the anterolateral approach: the ballooning sign.

Purpose: Our aim was to verify the association of fullness over the skin distal to anterior acromion termed "ballooning" in relation to accuracy of subacromial injection and determine its accuracy in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value. We hypothesized that a positive ballooning was a sign of an accurately placed injection into the subacromial bursa.

Methods: Data of 136 shoulders with impingement, which received subacromial steroid injections, were evaluated for presence of ballooning signs, pain, motion, and muscle strength.

Possible roles of excess tryptophan metabolites in cancer.

Tryptophan is metabolized through serotonin, indole, and kynurenine (KN) pathways. Uptake of an excess amount of tryptophan accompanied with vitamin B6 deficiency may result in the accumulation of higher concentrations of metabolites mainly from the KN pathways in the bladder. These metabolites could interact with nitrite to become mutagenic nitrosamines.

Partially purified Curcuma longa inhibits alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone-stimulated melanogenesis through extracellular signal-regulated kinase or Akt activation-mediated signalling in B16F10 cells.

Bioassay-guided fractionation of Curcuma longa by solvent partitioning and purification with octadecylsilane open column chromatography yielded a partial purification. The active 80% methanol chromatographic fraction from the ethyl acetate layer [partial purification from C. longa (PPC)] was used to investigate the alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH)-stimulated melanogenesis signal pathway in B16F10 cells.