Antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of essential fatty acids against clinically isolated vancomycin-resistant .

Introduction: is a leading cause of hospital-acquired infections, which has become a serious public health concern. The increasing incidence of vancomycin-resistant (VRE-fm) raises an urgent need to find new antimicrobial agents as a complement to traditional antibiotics. The study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of essential fatty acids (EFAs) against VRE-fm, and further explore the molecular mechanism of the antibiofilm activity of EFAs.

Antibiofilm Activity of Essential Fatty Acids Against from Vulvovaginal Candidiasis and Bloodstream Infections.

Purpose: The biofilm formation of is an important virulence factor as it can increase tolerance to conventional antifungal drugs and the host immune system. The study aimed to assess the effect of essential fatty acids (EFAs) against biofilm formation and mature biofilms of strains, which were isolated from vulvovaginal candidiasis and candidemia.

Methods: The biofilm formation ability of and antifungal activities of fluconazole were determined.

MADS-Box Transcription Factor Regulates Dimorphic Transition, Conidiation, and Germination of .

The opportunistic human pathogen exhibits a temperature-dependent dimorphic transition, which is closely related with its pathogenicity. This species grows as multinucleate mycelia that produce infectious conidia at 25°C, while undergoes a dimorphic transition to generate uninucleate yeast form cells at 37°C. The mechanisms of phenotype switching are not fully understood.

Impacts of HBV rtH55R polymerase substitution on viral replication and rtM204I/V resistance to nucleoside/nucleotide antiviral drugs.

Background: High genetic variability at the reverse transcriptase (RT) region of HBV could confer resistance to nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NUCs). The aim of this study was to identify new RT amino acid (AA) substitutions related to NUC resistance.

Methods: HBV RT sequences of genotype C from 501 chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients were analysed to identify potential RT substitutions related to NUC resistance.

Antimicrobial Compounds Produced by Vaginal Are Able to Strongly Inhibit Growth, Hyphal Formation and Regulate Virulence-related Gene Expressions.

The female vaginal environment contains diverse microorganisms, and their interactions play significant roles in health and disease. species are the predominant vaginal microorganisms in healthy women and relevant as a barrier to defense against pathogens, including . The yeast-to-hyphae transition is believed to be a determinant of pathogenesis.

[Exposure to 1-bromopropane causes dose-dependent neurological abnormalities in workers].

Objective: To explore the dose-effect relationship between 1-bromopropane (1-BP) exposure and health effects in workers.

Methods: Occupational field investigations were conducted in 1-BP factories. Ambient 1-BP concentrations were detected with detection tube, and the 8 h time-weighted average individual exposure levels (TWA-8 h) were measured by passive sampler.

[Effects of 1-bromopropane on neurological and hematological changes of female exposed workers].

Objective: To investigate the health effects of 1-bromopropane (1-BP) on female exposed workers.

Methods: Four 1-BP manufacturing plants were investigated. Workers were interviewed with questionnaire and examined with neurobehavioral core test battery, nerve conduction velocity tests of nervus tibialis and nervus suralis, vibration sensation test, hematological and biochemical tests.

Dose-dependent neurologic abnormalities in workers exposed to 1-bromopropane.

Objectives: To investigate the health effects of 1-bromopropane (1-BP) and its dose-dependency in 1-BP production factories in China.

Methods: Data of 60 female and 26 male workers in three 1-BP factories and the same number of age-, sex-, and region-matched controls were interviewed and examined. The time-weighed average exposure levels of individual workers were estimated.

Reversibility of the adverse effects of 1-bromopropane exposure in rats.

Previous experiments indicated that 1-bromopropane (1-BP), an alternative to chloroflurocarbons, is neurotoxic and inhibits spermiation in the testis. Here we investigated the reversibility of the toxic effects of 1-BP in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into three equal groups of 24 each and exposed by inhalation to 0, 400 or 1000 ppm of 1-BP for 6 weeks (8 hrs/day, 7 days/week).

Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations in Chinese coke oven workers relative to job category, respirator usage, and cigarette smoking.

Background: 1-Hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) is a biomarker of recent exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We investigated whether urinary 1-OHP concentrations in Chinese coke oven workers (COWs) are modulated by job category, respirator usage, and cigarette smoking.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study measured urinary 1-OHP concentrations in 197 COWs from Coking plant I and 250 COWs from Coking plant II, as well as 220 unexposed referents from Control plant I and 56 referents from Control plant II.

Higher urinary 1-hydroxypyrene concentration is associated with cooking practice in a Chinese population.

Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) is a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure. We examined urinary 1-OHP concentrations in 328 non-occupational exposed health subjects (108 females and 220 males). Each subject was questionnaired for the information of cigarette smoking and the habit of cooking practice including the cooking frequency in the kitchen (times per week), range hood opened for cooking, and fuel used for cooking.

The influence of metabolic gene polymorphisms on urinary 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations in Chinese coke oven workers.

Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure, may be influenced by metabolic gene polymorphisms. Such knowledge could benefit us in understanding the inter-individual difference in the mechanism of PAHs-induced carcinogenesis. We investigated the influence of gene polymorphisms on urinary 1-OHP concentrations in 447 coke oven workers from two coking plants in south China.

[Comparison on urinary 1-hydroxypyrene concentrations between coke oven workers and non-occupational exposed individuals].

Objective: To compare the urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) concentrations between coke oven workers and non-occupational exposed individuals and to investigate the possible impact factors.

Methods: Spot end-of-shift urine samples were collected in 265 coke oven workers and spot morning urine samples in 226 non-occupational exposed individuals. External exposure levels and possible confounding factors were assessed by environmental polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) monitoring and uniform questionnaire, and the urinary 1-OHP concentrations determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), were used to compare the different urinary 1-OHP levels between different research populations and to explore the effects of several factors such as external exposure levels, smoking habits, alcohol consumptions, age and body mass index (BMI).