Dietary taurine effect on intestinal barrier function, colonic microbiota and metabolites in weanling piglets induced by LPS.

Diarrhea in piglets is one of the most important diseases and a significant cause of death in piglets. Preliminary studies have confirmed that taurine reduces the rate and index of diarrhea in piglets induced by LPS. However, there is still a lack of relevant information on the specific target and mechanism of action of taurine.

Autophagy benefits the in vitro and in vivo clearance of Talaromyces marneffei.

Talaromycosis, namely Talaromyces marneffei infection, is increasing gradually and has a high mortality rate even under antifungal therapy. Although autophagy acts differently on different pathogens, it is a promising therapeutic strategy. However, information on autophagy in macrophages and animals upon infection by T.

Parisfargosides A-E, five new cholestane glycosides from the rhizomes of Paris fargesii.

Five new cholestane glycosides, named parisfargosides A-E (1-5), were isolated from the rhizomes of Paris fargesii. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of UV, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR data as well as chemical methods. The structures of all compounds contained α, β-unsaturated ketone unit.

Sp1 contributes to overexpression of stanniocalcin 2 through regulation of promoter activity in colon adenocarcinoma.

Background: Aberrant expression of stanniocalcin 2 (STC2) is implicated in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). A previous study identified that STC2 functions as a tumor promoter to drive development of some cancers, but the role of its overexpression in the development of COAD remains unclear.

Aim: To evaluate the regulation mechanism of STC2 overexpression in COAD.

Pediatric low-grade gliomas can be molecularly stratified for risk.

Pediatric low-grade gliomas (PLGGs) consist of a number of entities with overlapping histological features. PLGGs have much better prognosis than the adult counterparts, but a significant proportion of PLGGs suffers from tumor progression and recurrence. It has been shown that pediatric and adult low-grade gliomas are molecularly distinct.

Oligodendrogliomas in pediatric and teenage patients only rarely exhibit molecular markers and patients have excellent survivals.

Although oligodendrogliomas appear histologically similar in adult and pediatric patients, the latter have only been rarely studied and most of those studies did not have long follow-up. We examined 55 oligodendroglial tumors from pediatric and teenage patients for their biomarkers with formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues and studied their survival status. None of the tumors harbored 1p/19q codeletion or IDH mutation.

Effect of E-waste Recycling on Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Flame Retardants and Plasticizers and Their Association with Oxidative Stress.

In this study, three chlorinated (Cl-mOPs) and five nonchlorinated (NCl-mOPs) organophosphate metabolites were determined in urine samples collected from participants living in an electronic waste (e-waste) dismantling area (n = 175) and two reference areas (rural, n = 29 and urban, n = 17) in southern China. Bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate [BCEP, geometric mean (GM): 0.72 ng/mL] was the most abundant Cl-mOP, and diphenyl phosphate (DPHP, 0.

Not all 1p/19q non-codeleted oligodendroglial tumors are astrocytic.

Although 1p/19q codeletion is the genetic hallmark defining oligodendrogliomas, approximately 30-40% of oligodendroglial tumors have intact 1p/19q in the literature and they demonstrate a worse prognosis. This group of 1p/19q intact oligodendroglial tumors is frequently suggested to be astrocytic in nature with TP53 and ATRX mutations but actually remains under-investigated. In the present study, we provided evidence that not all 1p/19q intact oligodendroglial tumors are astrocytic through histologic and molecular approaches.

Associations between polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure and oxidative stress in people living near e-waste recycling facilities in China.

Emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from e-waste recycling activities in China is known. However, little is known on the association between PAH exposure and oxidative damage to DNA and lipid content in people living near e-waste dismantling sites. In this study, ten hydroxylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (OH-PAHs) and two biomarkers [8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) and malondialdehyde (MDA)] of oxidative stress were investigated in urine samples collected from people living in and around e-waste dismantling facilities, and in reference population from rural and urban areas in China.

Urinary Concentrations of Bisphenols and Their Association with Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in People Living Near E-Waste Recycling Facilities in China.

In this study, concentrations of bisphenol A (BPA) and seven other bisphenols (BPs) were measured in urine samples collected from people living in and around e-waste dismantling facilities, and in matched reference population from rural and urban areas in China. BPA, bisphenol S (BPS), and bisphenol F (BPF) were frequently detected (detection frequencies: > 90%) in urine samples collected from individuals who live near e-waste facilities, with geometric mean (GM) concentrations of 2.99 (or 3.

Compound-specific carbon isotopic fractionation during transport of phthalate esters in sandy aquifer.

The present paper aims to evaluate the carbon isotopic fractionation of phthalate esters (PAEs) during transport in an sandy aquifer. Breakthrough curves of di-methyl phthalate (DMP), di-ethyl phthalate (DEP), and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) in mixed solution were determined by miscible displacement experiment, and simulated using HYDRUS-1D software. The stable carbon isotopes (δ(13)C) of 3 PAEs in effluent were analyzed at different times.

Surgically treated incidentally discovered low-grade gliomas are mostly IDH mutated and 1p19q co-deleted with favorable prognosis.

Objective: LGGs (low-grade gliomas) are sometimes encountered by chance during radiological examinations. These incidentally discovered LGGs (IDLGGs) were relatively under-studied in the literature. The purpose of current study is to review a cohort of patients with IDLGGs surgically treated in our institution for their clinical and histological aspects and determine their IDH1 and 1p19q status.

Rapid identification and characterization of Penicillium marneffei using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) in paraffin-embedded tissue samples.

Penicillium marneffei infection is a deadly disease and early diagnosis leads to prompt and appropriate antifungal therapy. To develop a sensitive method to diagnose P. marneffei infection, a multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) assay was adapted.

In vitro susceptibility testing of Aspergillus spp. against voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, amphotericin B and caspofungin.

Background: During recent years, the incidence of serious infections caused by opportunistic fungi has increased dramatically due to alterations of the immune status of patients with hematological diseases, malignant tumors, transplantations and so forth. Unfortunately, the wide use of triazole antifungal agents to treat these infections has lead to the emergence of Aspergillus spp. resistant to triazoles.

Comparison of a glucose consumption based method with the CLSI M38-A method for testing antifungal susceptibility of Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes.

Background: The prevalence of dermatophytoses and the development of new antifungal agents has focused interest on susceptibility tests of dermatophytes. The method used universally for susceptibility tests of dermatophytes was published as document (M38-A) in 2002 by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI), dealing with the standardization of susceptibility tests in filamentous fungi, though not including dermatophytes especially. However, it is not a very practical method for the clinical laboratory in routine susceptibility testing.

[Inhibitory effect of dexamethasone on myeloid differentiation factor 88 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha expressions in mouse peritoneal macrophages].

Objective: To study the inhibitory effect of dexamethasone (DEX) on myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression in mouse peritoneal macrophages in innate immune response to Penicillium marneffei (PM).

Methods: Mouse peritoneal macrophages were cultured in the presence of heat-inactivated yeast-phase PM with or without DEX, and the protein and mRNA expressions of MyD88 in the macrophages were detected using Western blotting and real-time PCR, respectively. TNF-alpha in the cell culture supernatant was measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

[Autophosphorylation of erythrocyte insulin receptors in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome].

Objective: To investigate the tyrosine autophosphorylation of insulin receptors in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

Methods: Forty patients with PCOS and 20 age- and body mass index matched healthy women were included in the study. The patients with PCOS were classified as HI-PCOS (n=20) or non-HI-PCOS (n=20) based on the fasting insulin level (>or< or =15 mIU/L).

Synergistic effects of terbinafine and itraconazole on clinical isolates of Fonsecaea monophora.

Our objective was to develop new approaches to the chemotherapy of invasive infections caused by Fonsecaea monophora. The in vitro effects of a combination of terbinafine with itraconazole on 18 clinical isolates were evaluated using a checkerboard microdilution method. The mode of interaction between the two drugs on the 18 isolates was analyzed using fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICI) analysis.

Occurrence of fumonisin B(1) in corn from the main corn-producing areas of China.

Fumonisin B(1) (FB(1)) is the most abundant of the fumonisin mycotoxins, mainly produced in maize by F. verticillioides and F. proliferatum.

Pseudomembranous-like tinea of the scrotum: report of six cases.

Six cases of tinea of the scrotum with atypical clinical features were observed in the dermatology department of our hospital between 2001 and 2007. The age of onset ranged from 14 to 26 years. Unusual clinical presentations of pseudomembranous-like disease were observed in every patient.