Surveillance of pathogenic yeasts in hospital environments in Taiwan in 2020.

Background: A predominate azole-resistant Candida tropicalis clade 4 genotype causing candidemia has been detected in not only Taiwan but also China, Singapore, and Australia. It can also be detected on fruit surfaces. In addition to determining distribution and drug susceptibilities of pathogenic yeasts in environments of intensive care units of 25 hospitals in Taiwan, we would also like to investigate whether the azole-resistant C.

Ultra-sensitive electrochemical sensor based on in situ grown ultrafine HKUST-1 nanoparticles @ graphite nanosheets and core-shell structured MoO-polypyrrole nanowires for the detection of rutin in orange juice.

Rutin extracted from natural plants has important medical value, so developing accurate and sensitive quantitative detection methods is one of the most important tasks. In this work, HKUST-1@GN/MoO-Ppy NWs were utilized to develop a high-performance rutin electrochemical sensor in virtue of its high conductivity and electrocatalytic activity. The morphology, crystal structure, and chemical element composition of the fabricated sensor composites were characterized by SEM, TEM, XPS, and XRD.

Genetic relatedness among azole-resistant Candida tropicalis clinical strains in Taiwan from 2014 to 2018.

To monitor trends in the distribution of yeast species and the susceptibilities of these species to commonly prescribed antifungal drugs, we conduct the Taiwan Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance of Yeasts (TSARY) every 4 years. We found that 25 of 294 Candida tropicalis isolates from TSARY 2014 and 31 of 314 C. tropicalis isolates from TSARY 2018 were resistant to fluconazole.

Distribution of Yeast Species and Risk Factors of Oral Colonization after Oral-Care Education among the Residents of Nursing Homes.

Most yeasts causing infections in humans are part of commensal microflora and etiological agents of different infections when hosts become susceptible, usually due to becoming immunocompromised. The colonization of potentially pathogenic microbes in the oral cavity is increased by poor oral hygiene. This follow-up survey was conducted approximately two months after providing information on proper oral care at 10 nursing homes in Taiwan.

The Use of MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry to Analyze Commensal Oral Yeasts in Nursing Home Residents.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a rapid and accurate method to identify microorganisms in clinical laboratories. This study isolates yeast-like microorganisms in the oral washes that are collected from non-bedridden nursing home residents, using CHROMagar plates, and identifies them using Bruker MALDI-TOF MS. The ribosomal DNA sequences of the isolates are then examined.

DST659 genotype of Candida albicans showing positive association between biofilm formation and dominance in Taiwan.

Based on multiple locus sequence typing, we previously found that DST659 and DST693 were dominant genotypes of Candida albicans among the bloodstream isolates at Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou. Biofilm-forming activity, which is critical for C. albicans virulence, probably contributed to the dominance of antifungal sensitive isolates in hospital.

Fruits as the vehicle of drug resistant pathogenic yeasts.

Objective: We investigated the diversity and drug susceptibility of pathogenic yeasts on fruit surfaces.

Method: Fruits were purchased from supermarkets and washed with buffer. The pellets were re-suspended in medium after centrifugation.

Association between IFNL4 rs368234815 polymorphism and sustained virological response in chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing PEGylated interferon/ribavirin therapy: A meta-analysis.

Background And Aims: Many studies have been published on the association between IFNL4 rs368234815 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and sustained virological response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients undergoing treatment with PEGylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV). Because of the variable and sometimes inconsistent results, we performed a meta-analysis to estimate the association between these factors.

Methods: We conducted a search of the literature published prior to July 1, 2014.

Zebrafish Egg Infection Model for Studying Candida albicans Adhesion Factors.

Disseminated candidiasis is associated with 30-40% mortality in severely immunocompromised patients. Among the causal agents, Candida albicans is the dominant one. Various animal models have been developed for investigating gene functions in C.

Association of rs12979860 and rs8099917 polymorphisms near IL28B with SVR in hepatic allograft recipients with HCV recurrence undergoing PEG-IFN/RBV therapy: a meta-analysis.

The association of rs12979860 and rs8099917 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near IL28B with sustained virological response (SVR) in hepatic allograft recipients undergoing treatment with PEGylated interferon (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) for recurrent hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains inconclusive. We therefore performed a meta-analysis to estimate this association. A search of the literature published prior to November 1, 2013, was conducted using various databases.

[Investigation on the current situation of human soil-borne nematode infection in Shapingba district of Chongqing].

By stratified cluster sampling method, 2 urban and 2 rural fields were selected from Shapingha district of Chongqing for survey in December 2009 to February 2010. According to the Administrating Regulations of National Investigation on Important Human Parasitic Diseases, Kato-Katz method was used to examine human intestinal soil-borne nematode eggs, and adhesive cellophane anal swab method was applied to examine Enterobius infection for children under 12 years old. 203 cases were found positive in 2121 subjects, with an infection rate of 9.

Characterization of embryonic stem cell lines derived from New Zealand white rabbit embryos.

The purposes of this study were to examine technical details in deriving and maintaining rabbit embryonic stem (rES) cell lines and to analyze their characteristics. When STO cells were used as feeder cells, no rES cell lines were established using either intact blastocysts or inner cell masses (ICMs). On the mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) feeder, rES cell lines were efficiently (24%) derived.