Notes

Microbial and also fungus areas regarding traditional fermented China soy bean stick (Doujiang) and their qualities.
Background Carriage of multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria (GN) in hospitalized neonates may increase the risk of difficult-to-treat invasive infections at neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Data on MDRGN carriage among hospitalized newborns in Africa are limited. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study at the NICUs of 2 tertiary hospitals in Ghana. Takinib in vitro Swabs from the axilla, groin, perianal region, and the environment were cultured, GN were identified, and antibiotic susceptibility was tested. We obtained blood culture isolates from neonates with sepsis. Whole-genome sequencing was used to characterize carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae. Typing was done by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Results A total of 276 GN were isolated from 228 screened neonates. Pathogenic GN were cultured in 76.8% (175 of 228) of neonates. Klebsiella spp (41.7%; 115 of 276) and Escherichia coli (26.4%; 73 of 276) were the commonest organisms. Carriage rates of MDRGN and third-generation cephalosporin resistant organisms were 49.6% (113 of 228) and 46.1% (105 of 228), respectively. Among Klebsiella spp, 75.6% (87 of 115) phenotypically expressed extended-spectrum β-lactamase activity, whereas 15.6% expressed carbapenemase and harbored bla- OXA-181 and bla- CTX-M-15. Overall, 7.0% (16 of 228) of neonates developed GN bloodstream infection. In 2 of 11 neonates, sequencing showed the same identity between carriage and the bloodstream isolate. Length of stay before specimen collection and antibiotic use were independently associated with carriage rates, which increased from 13% at admission to 42% by day 2 and reached a plateau at 91% by day 15. Conclusions High carriage rates of MDRGN, including carbapenemase-producing enterobacterales may be an emerging problem in NICUs in Africa. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.Background Diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) remains challenging. We sought to determine the prevalence of disseminated TB by testing urine with TB-lipoarabinomannan (TB-LAM) lateral flow assay and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra) in hospitalized adults. Methods We prospectively enrolled human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive adults with suspected meningitis in Uganda during 2018-2020. Participants underwent standardized urine-based TB screening. Urine (60 mcL) was tested with TB-LAM (Alere), and remaining urine was centrifuged with the cell pellet resuspended in 2 mL of urine for Xpert Ultra testing. Results We enrolled 348 HIV-positive inpatients with median CD4 of 37 cells/mcL (interquartile range, 13-102 cells/mcL). Overall, 26% (90 of 348; 95% confidence interval [CI], 21%-30%) had evidence of disseminated TB by either urine assay. Of 243 participants with both urine TB-LAM and Ultra results, 20% (48 of 243) were TB-LAM-positive, 12% (29 of 243) were Ultra-positive, and 6% (14 of 243) were positive by both assays. In definite and probable TB meningitis, 37% (14 of 38) were TB-LAM-positive and 41% (15 of 37) were Ultra-positive. In cryptococcal meningitis, 22% (40 of 183) were TB-LAM-positive and 4.4% (6 of 135) were Ultra-positive. Mortality trended higher in those with evidence of disseminated TB by either assay (odds ratio = 1.44; 95% CI, 0.83-2.49; P = .19) and was 6-fold higher in those with definite TB meningitis who were urine Ultra-positive (odds ratio = 5.67; 95% CI, 1.13-28.5; P = .04). Conclusions In hospitalized Ugandans with advanced HIV disease and suspected meningitis, systematic screening with urine TB-LAM and Ultra found a high prevalence of urine TB test positivity (26%). In those with TB meningitis, urine tests were positive in over one third. There was little concordance between Ultra and TB-LAM, which warrants further investigation. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.Background Human positive cofactor 4 (PC4) was initially characterized as a multifunctional transcriptional cofactor, but its role in skin wound healing is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of PC4 in skin wound healing through PC4 knock-in mouse model. Methods A PC4 knock-in mouse model (PC4+/+) with a dorsal full-thickness wound was used to investigate the biological functions of PC4 in skin wound healing. Quantitative PCR, Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed to evaluate the expression of PC4; Sirius red staining and immunofluorescence were performed to explore the change of collagen deposition and angiogenesis. Proliferation and apoptosis were detected using Ki67 staining and TUNEL assay. Primary dermal fibroblasts were isolated from mouse skin to perform cell scratch experiments, cck-8 assay and colony formation assay. Results The PC4+/+ mice were fertile and did not display overt abnormalities but showed an obvious delay in cutaneous healing of dorsal skin. Histological staining showed insufficient re-epithelialization, decreased angiogenesis and collagen deposition, increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation in PC4+/+ skin. Our data also showed decreased migration rate and proliferation ability in cultured primary fibroblasts from PC4+/+ mice in vitro. Conclusions This study suggests that PC4 might serve as a negative regulator of skin wound healing in mice. © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press.Objectives Overtraining syndrome (OTS), a common dysfunction among elite athletes, causes decreased performance and fatigue and has no standardized diagnostic criteria. The Endocrine and Metabolic Responses on Overtraining Syndrome (EROS) study identified more than 45 potential biomarkers of OTS. In the present study, we hypothesized that combinations of these biomarkers could be an accurate diagnostic tool for OTS. Methods We selected parameters with largest difference and fewest overlapping results compared to healthy athletes and highest feasibility and reproducibility. Among the multiple combinations attempted, we chose those that did not show overlapping results, according to the objective. Results We included 11 clinical parameters, 4 basal hormones, and 5 hormonal responses in Insulin Tolerance Test (ITT). The three selected diagnostic tools were the (i) EROS-CLINICAL, with only clinical parameters, which was suitable as an initial assessment for athletes suspected of OTS; (ii) EROS-SIMPLIFIED, with clinical parameters and basal hormones, when the EROS-CLINICAL was inconclusive; and (iii) EROS-COMPLETE, with basal and hormonal responses to stimulation tests, which was valuable for population-based screening, research purposes, and unusual presentations of OTS.
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