Mechanisms and fitness of ceftazidime/avibactam-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical strains in Taiwan.

Background: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infection is a global public health issue, and ceftazidime/avibactam is recommended by international guidelines as the preferred treatment for KPC- and OXA-48-producing CRKP. Since its introduction in Taiwan in 2019, ceftazidime/avibactam-resistant strains have emerged. Our aim is to investigate the mechanisms of ceftazidime/avibactam resistance in CRKP in Taiwan and study their associated fitness costs.

Clinical outcomes and safety of remdesivir in hospitalized individuals with COVID-19, with or without severe renal impairment.

Background: The use of remdesivir in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and severe renal impairment has been approved; however, limited clinical data exist. Accordingly, we aimed to compare outcomes and adverse events associated with remdesivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19, with and without severe renal impairment.

Methods: Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 undergoing a 5-day remdesivir course at Taipei Veterans General Hospital from April 1 to July 31, 2022, were enrolled.

The immediate effects of weaning stress on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal alteration of newly weaned piglets.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of weaning stress on gene expression of specific markers in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and neuronal activity in the newly weaned piglets. Twelve 28-days-old, newly weaned crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) male piglets from 6 l (2 piglets/l) were randomly categorized into two groups: (a) weaning stress: piglets were separated from their dams, relocated and mixed with the unacquainted domestic piglets for 2 hr (stress, n = 6); (b) no-stress: piglets stayed with their dams in the farrowing house (NS; n = 6). After weaning stress, all piglets were electrically euthanized and the blood samples/HPA tissues were collected for subsequent analysis, including plasma cortisol and mRNA expression of c-fos, c-jun, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), CRH receptor 1 (CRHR-1) and adrenocorticotropin hormone receptor (MC2R).