Single-Cell Transcript Analysis of Pancreas Development

AbstractDNA microarray analysis was combined with a modified single-cell PCR procedure to study gene expression profiles of single cells at different stages of pancreatic development. This method identifies distinct cell types at embryonic day 10.5, a stage when the pancreatic epithelium is morphologically uniform. Some cells express unexpected combinations of genes, and these expression patterns provide new insights into pancreas development. Following on these findings, we use PCR products from different cell types to identify novel pancreatic genes, some of which mark subtypes of developing pancreatic cells. By integrating these data with previous genetic and biochemical studies, we propose a pathway for pancreatic cell development. This form of single-cell transcriptional analysis can be applied to any developmental process or tissue to characterize distinct cell types

Comparison of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy running models between outsourcing cooperation and rental cooperation conducted in Taiwan

Background/PurposeWe conducted a retrospective study to compare the cost and effectiveness between two different running models for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), including the outsourcing cooperation model (OC) and the rental cooperation model (RC).MethodsBetween January 1999 and December 2005, we implemented OC for the SWL, and from January 2006 to October 2011, RC was utilized. With OC, the cooperative company provided a machine and shared a variable payment with the hospital, according to treatment sessions. With RC, the cooperative company provided a machine and received a fixed rent from the hospital. We calculated the cost of each treatment session, and evaluated the break-even point to estimate the lowest number of treatment sessions to make the balance between revenue and cost every month. Effectiveness parameters, including the stone-free rate, the retreatment rate, the rate of additional procedures and complications, were evaluated.ResultsCompared with OC there were significantly less treatment sessions for RC every month (42.6±7.8 vs. 36.8±6.5, p=0.01). The cost of each treatment session was significantly higher for OC than for RC (751.6±20.0 USD vs. 684.7±16.7 USD, p=0.01). The break-even point for the hospital was 27.5 treatment sessions/month for OC, when the hospital obtained 40% of the payment, and it could be reduced if the hospital got a greater percentage. The break-even point for the hospital was 27.3 treatment sessions/month for RC. No significant differences were noticed for the stone-free rate, the retreatment rate, the rate of additional procedures and complications.ConclusionOur study revealed that RC had a lower cost for every treatment session, and fewer treatment sessions of SWL/month than OC. The study might provide a managerial implication for healthcare organization managers, when they face a situation of high price equipment investment

Reversine suppresses oral squamous cell carcinoma via cell cycle arrest and concomitantly apoptosis and autophagy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The effective therapies for oral cancer patients of stage III and IV are generally surgical excision and radiation combined with adjuvant chemotherapy using 5-Fu and Cisplatin. However, the five-year survival rate is still less than 30% in Taiwan. Therefore, evaluation of effective drugs for oral cancer treatment is an important issue. Many studies indicated that aurora kinases (A, B and C) were potential targets for cancer therapies. Reversine was proved to be a novel aurora kinases inhibitor with lower toxicity recently. In this study, the potentiality for reversine as an anticancer agent in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was evaluated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Effects of reversine on cell growth, cell cycle progress, apoptosis, and autophagy were evaluated mainly by cell counting, flow cytometry, immunoblot, and immunofluorescence.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results demonstrated that reversine significantly suppressed the proliferation of two OSCC cell lines (OC2 and OCSL) and markedly rendered cell cycle arrest at G2/M stage. Reversine also induced cell death via both caspase-dependent and -independent apoptosis. In addition, reversine could inhibit Akt/mTORC1 signaling pathway, accounting for its ability to induce autophagy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Taken together, reversine suppresses growth of OSCC via multiple mechanisms, which may be a unique advantage for developing novel therapeutic regimens for treatment of oral cancer in the future.</p

Genotoxic Klebsiella pneumoniae in Taiwan

Colibactin is a nonribosomal peptide-polyketide synthesized by multi-enzyme complexes encoded by the pks gene cluster. Colibactin-producing Escherichia coli have been demonstrated to induce host DNA damage and promote colorectal cancer (CRC) development. In Taiwan, the occurrence of pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) has been suggested to correlate with an increasing risk of CRC, and Klebsiella pneumoniae is the predominant PLA pathogen in Taiwan

Assessment of hypermucoviscosity as a virulence factor for experimental Klebsiella pneumoniae infections: comparative virulence analysis with hypermucoviscosity-negative strain

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Klebsiella pneumoniae </it>displaying the hypermucoviscosity (HV) phenotype are considered more virulent than HV-negative strains. Nevertheless, the emergence of tissue-abscesses-associated HV-negative isolates motivated us to re-evaluate the role of HV-phenotype.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Instead of genetically manipulating the HV-phenotype of <it>K. pneumoniae</it>, we selected two clinically isolated K1 strains, 1112 (HV-positive) and 1084 (HV-negative), to avoid possible interference from defects in the capsule. These well-encapsulated strains with similar genetic backgrounds were used for comparative analysis of bacterial virulence in a pneumoniae or a liver abscess model generated in either naïve or diabetic mice. In the pneumonia model, the HV-positive strain 1112 proliferated to higher loads in the lungs and blood of naïve mice, but was less prone to disseminate into the blood of diabetic mice compared to the HV-negative strain 1084. In the liver abscess model, 1084 was as potent as 1112 in inducing liver abscesses in both the naïve and diabetic mice. The 1084-infected diabetic mice were more inclined to develop bacteremia and had a higher mortality rate than those infected by 1112. A mini-Tn<it>5 </it>mutant of 1112, isolated due to its loss of HV-phenotype, was avirulent to mice.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results indicate that the HV-phenotype is required for the virulence of the clinically isolated HV-positive strain 1112. The superior ability of the HV-negative stain 1084 over 1112 to cause bacteremia in diabetic mice suggests that factors other than the HV phenotype were required for the systemic dissemination of <it>K. pneumoniae </it>in an immunocompromised setting.</p

Important prognostic factors for the long-term survival of lung cancer subjects in Taiwan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study used a large-scale cancer database in determination of prognostic factors for the survival of lung cancer subjects in Taiwan.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Total of 24,910 subjects diagnosed with lung cancer was analysed. Survival estimates by Kaplan-Meier methods. Cox proportional-hazards model estimated the death risk (hazard ratio (HR)) for various prognostic factors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The prognostic indicators associated with a higher risk of lung cancer deaths are male gender (males versus females; HR = 1.07, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.03–1.11), males diagnosed in later periods (shown in 1991–1994 versus 1987–1990; HR = 1.13), older age at diagnosis, large cell carcinoma (LCC)/small cell carcinoma (SCC), and supportive care therapy over chemotherapy. The overall 5-year survival rate for lung cancer death was significantly poorer for males (21.3%) than females (23.6%). Subjects with squamous cell carcinoma (SQCC) and treatment by surgical resection alone had better prognosis. We find surgical resections to markedly increase 5-year survival rate from LCC, decreased risk of death from LCC, and no improved survival from SCC.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Gender and clinical characteristics (i.e. diagnostic period, diagnostic age, histological type and treatment modality) play important roles in determining lung cancer survival.</p

Advanced age affects the outcome-predictive power of RIFLE classification in geriatric patients with acute kidney injury

The RIFLE (risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage) classification is widely used to gauge the severity of acute kidney injury, but its efficacy has not been formally tested in geriatric patients. To correct this we conducted a prospective observational study in a multicenter cohort of 3931 elderly patients (65 years of age or older) who developed acute kidney injury in accordance with the RIFLE creatinine criteria after major surgery. We studied the predictive power of the RIFLE classification for in-hospital mortality and investigated the potential interaction between age and RIFLE classification. In general, the survivors were significantly younger than the nonsurvivors and more likely to have hypertension. In patients 76 years of age and younger, RIFLE-R, -I, or -F classifications were significantly associated with increased hospital mortality in a stepwise manner. There was no significant difference, however, in hospital mortality in those over 76 years of age between patients with RIFLE-R and RIFLE-I, although RIFLE-F patients had significantly higher mortality than both groups. Thus, the less severe categorizations of acute kidney injury per RIFLE classification may not truly reflect the adverse impact on elderly patients