PIH1D3-knockout rats exhibit full ciliopathy features and dysfunctional pre-assembly and loading of dynein arms in motile cilia.

Recessive mutation of the X-linked gene, (), causes familial ciliopathy. PIH1D3 deficiency is associated with the defects of dynein arms in cilia, but how PIH1D3 specifically affects the structure and function of dynein arms is not understood yet. To gain insights into the underlying mechanisms of the disease, it is crucial to create a reliable animal model.

Detergent-insoluble PFN1 inoculation expedites disease onset and progression in PFN1 transgenic rats.

Accumulating evidence suggests a gain of elusive toxicity in pathogenically mutated PFN1. The prominence of PFN1 aggregates as a pivotal pathological hallmark in PFN1 transgenic rats underscores the crucial involvement of protein aggregation in the initiation and progression of neurodegeneration. Detergent-insoluble materials were extracted from the spinal cords of paralyzed rats afflicted with ALS and were intramuscularly administered to asymptomatic recipient rats expressing mutant PFN1, resulting in an accelerated development of PFN1 inclusions and ALS-like phenotypes.

Characterization of Pore Size Distribution and Water Transport of UHPC Using Low-Field NMR and MIP.

Water transport is vital for the durability of ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) in engineering, but its absorption behavior requires further comprehension. This study investigates the impact of silica fume (SF) and metakaolin (MK) on water absorption in UHPC matrix with a high volume of limestone powder (LS) under two curing temperatures, and the variation in water transport with pore size obtained by low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). Relations between cumulative water absorption with other properties were discussed, and the pore size distribution (PSD) measured by Mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) was compared with that determined by LF-NMR.

Detergent-insoluble inclusion constitutes the first pathology in PFN1 transgenic rats.

Mutation of profilin 1 (PFN1) can cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). To assess how PFN1 mutation causes the disease, we created transgenic rats with human genomic DNA that harbors both the coding and the regulatory sequences of the human PFN1 gene. Selected transgenic lines expressed human PFN1 with or without the pathogenic mutation C71G at a moderate and a comparable level and in the similar pattern of spatial and temporal expression to rat endogenous PFN1.

Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection using an UPLC-MS based metabolomics method.

Introduction: The fecal metabolome of Clostridium difficile (CD) infection is far from being understood, particularly its non-volatile organic compounds. The drawbacks of current tests used to diagnose CD infection hinder their application.

Objective: The aims of this study were to find new characteristic fecal metabolites of CD infection and develop a metabolomics model for the diagnosis of CD infection.

Risk factors and medical costs for healthcare-associated carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli infection among hospitalized patients in a Chinese teaching hospital.

Background: The emergence and spread of Carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC) is becoming a serious problem in Chinese hospitals, however, the data on this is scarce. Therefore, we investigate the risk factors for healthcare-associated CREC infection and study the incidence, antibiotic resistance and medical costs of CREC infections in our hospital.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, matched case-control-control, parallel study in a tertiary teaching hospital.

Changes in antimicrobial use prevalence in China: results from five point prevalence studies.

Objective: The abuse of antimicrobials is a serious concern in China. Several measures have been taken to improve the rational use of antimicrobials, including the establishment of a national surveillance network for antimicrobial use. This study describes the dynamic changes in antimicrobial use in China between 2001 and 2010, with the scope of identifying targets to improve the prescription of antimicrobials.