Modal Verbs for the Advice Move in Advice Columns

PACLIC 23 / City University of Hong Kong / 3-5 December 200

Molecular epidemiology and emergence of worldwide epidemic clones of Neisseria meningitidis in Taiwan

BACKGROUND: Meningococcal disease is infrequently found in Taiwan, a country with 23 million people. Between 1996 and 2002, 17 to 81 clinical cases of the disease were reported annually. Reported cases dramatically increased in 2001–2002. Our record shows that only serogroup B and W135 meningococci have been isolated from patients with meningococcal disease until 2000. However, serogroup A, C and Y meningococci were detected for the first time in 2001 and continued to cause disease through 2002. Most of serogroup Y meningococcus infections localized in Central Taiwan in 2001, indicating that a small-scale outbreak of meningococcal disease had occurred. The occurrence of a meningococcal disease outbreak and the emergence of new meningococcal strains are of public health concern. METHODS: Neisseria meningitidis isolates from patients with meningococcal disease from 1996 to 2002 were collected and characterized by serogrouping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The genetic relatedness and clonal relationship between the isolates were analyzed by using the PFGE patterns and the allelic profiles of the sequence types (STs). RESULTS: Serogroups A, B, C, W135, Y, and non-serogroupable Neisseria meningitidis were, respectively, responsible for 2%, 50%, 2%, 35%, 9%, and 2% of 158 culture-confirmed cases of meningococcal disease in 1996–2002. Among 100 N. meningitidis isolates available for PFGE and MLST analyses, 51 different PFGE patterns and 30 STs were identified with discriminatory indices of 0.95 and 0.87, respectively. Of the 30 STs, 21 were newly identified and of which 19 were found in serogroup B isolates. A total of 40 PFGE patterns were identified in 52 serogroup B isolates with the patterns distributed over several distinct clusters. In contrast, the isolates within each of the serogroups A, C, W135, and Y shared high levels of PFGE pattern similarity. Analysis of the allelic profile of the 30 STs suggested the serogroup B isolates be assigned into 5 clonally related groups/ clonal complexes and 7 unique clones. The ST-41/44 complex/Lineage 3, and the ST-3439 and ST-3200 groups represented 79% of the serogroup B meningococci. In contrast, isolates within serogroups A, serogroup W135 (and C), and serogroup Y, respectively, simply belonged to ST-7, ST-11, and ST-23 clones. CONCLUSION: Our data suggested that serogroup B isolates were derived from several distinct lineages, most of which could either be indigenous or were introduced into Taiwan a long time ago. The serogroup A, W135 (and C), and Y isolates, respectively, belonged to the ST-7, ST-11, and ST-23, and the represented clones that are currently the major circulating clones in the world and are introduced into Taiwan more recently. The emergence of serogroup A, C and Y strains contributed partly to the increase in cases of meningococcal disease in 2001–2002

MetaSquare: An integrated metadatabase of 16S rRNA gene amplicon for microbiome taxonomic classification

MOTIVATION: Taxonomic classification of 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon is an efficient and economic approach in microbiome analysis. 16S rRNA sequence databases like SILVA, RDP, EzBioCloud and HOMD used in downstream bioinformatic pipelines have limitations on either the sequence redundancy or the delay on new sequence recruitment. To improve the 16S rRNA gene-based taxonomic classification, we merged these widely used databases and a collection of novel sequences systemically into an integrated resource. RESULTS: MetaSquare version 1.0 is an integrated 16S rRNA sequence database. It is composed of more than 6 million sequences and improves taxonomic classification resolution on both long-read and short-read methods. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: Accessible at https://hub.docker.com/r/lsbnb/metasquare_db and https://github.com/lsbnb/MetaSquare. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online

Efficacy of combined traditional Chinese medicine spray with premature ejaculation desensitization therapy for the treatment of primary premature ejaculation

Objectives: We recommend a new kind of spray made from eight kinds of traditional Chinese medicine, we aimed to investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of combined traditional Chinese medicine spray (TCMS) with premature ejaculation desensitization therapy (PEDT) for the treatment of primary premature ejaculation (PPE).Methods: A total of 90 patients with PPE were randomly assigned to receive TCMS, PEDT monotherapy or TCMS plus PEDT combination therapy for 6 weeks. Intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) and Chinese index of sexual function for premature ejaculation (CIPE-5) were measured to evaluate the effect of each treatment.Results: Eighty six (86) participants completed the study voluntarily. Both IELT and CIPE-5 in these three groups increased after treatment when compared with baseline levels (p< 0.01). IELT and CIPE-5 after treatment in TCMS plus PEDT group were significantly higher than those in the other two groups (both p <0.05). Additionally, clinical efficacy in TCMS plus PEDT group (89.7%) was significantly higher than in TCMS (65.5%) and PEDT group (67.9%) (p< 0.01).Conclusion: The self-made TCMS was safe and effective for the treatment of PPE, a combination of TCMS and PEDT therapy was more effective than the TCMS or PEDT monotherapy.Keywords: Primary premature ejaculation (PPE); traditional Chinese mdicine spray (TCMS); premature ejaculation desensitization training therapy (PEDT); Intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT); Chinese index of sexual function for premature ejaculation (CIPE-5

Chinese herbal decoction as a complementary therapy for atrophic gastritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Chinese herbal decoction (CHD) has been extensively used in the treatment of atrophic gastritis (AG) in China and other Far Eastern countries. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the efficacy and safety of CHD in AG.Materials and Methods: Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials (central), VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Sinomed, Wanfang data were searched (up to December 2015). Randomized controlled trials recruiting patients with AG comparing CHD (alone or with western medicine (WM)) with WM were eligible. Dichotomous data were pooled to obtain relative risk (RR), with a 95% confidence interval (CI).Results: Forty-two articles including 3,874 patients were identified. CHD, used alone or with WM, had beneficial effect over WM in the improvement of clinical manifestations (RR=1.28; 95% CI 1.22-1.34) and pathological change (RR=1.42; 95% CI 1.30-1.54) for AG patients. However, the H. pylori eradication effect of CHD was not supported by the existing clinical evidence, because of the significant study heterogeneity (I2>50%) and inconsistency between the primary results and sensitivity analysis.Conclusions: CHD, if prescribed as a complementary therapy to WM, may improve the clinical manifestations and pathological change for AG patients. But its monotherapy for H. pylori eradication is not supported by enough clinical evidence.Keywords: atrophic gastritis; Helicobacter pylori; Chinese herbal decoction; meta-analysi

Configuration of Coupling Methanol Steam Reforming over Cu-Based Catalyst in a Synthetic Palladium Membrane for One-Step High Purity Hydrogen Production

Methanol steam reforming coupled with an efficient hydrogen purification technology to produce high purity hydrogen that feeds for hydrogen fuel cells is an attractive approach to realizing distributed power generation. However, the harmony of catalytic reforming and hydrogen separation with respect to thermodynamics is still an issue. In this work, in order to construct an integrated methanol steam reforming (MSR) reactor for high purity hydrogen production, CuCe/Al2O3 was synthesized by a hydrothermal-impregnated method and a Pd membrane supported by a porous ceramic using the electroless plating method. The results revealed that the catalytic activity and high temperature stability for methanol steam reforming were evidently improved by tuning the copper dispersion, porous structure and the crystal phase. The coupling range with palladium membrane operating temperature was widened. CuCe/Al2O3 presented an excellent stability with a better carbon deposition resistance for the long-term tests than Cu/Al2O3, which exhibited 836.68 μmol/gcat. min of H2 production with low carbon deposition (3.38 wt%) and lower CO emission (0.48 vol%). A 10 μm thick Pd membrane that was deposited on the ceramic support displayed dense and even surface morphology. The effect of palladium membrane structure on hydrogen separation was analyzed. In addition, the influence of temperature on coupling was discussed. Ultimately, high purity of H2 (99.36 vol%) was achieved at 400 °C by integrating the Pd membrane reactor with methanol steam reforming. The internal temperature distribution of the reactor and the effects of feeding conditions were also investigated. This work might offer certain reference for the development of the future distributed integrated hydrogen power generation system, especially in the application of electric vehicles and on-site electricity

Clinical risk factors of carbohydrate antigen-125, cytokeratin fragment 19, and neuron-specific enolase in liver metastases from elderly lung cancer patients

Objective: Lung cancer is a common malignant tumor characterized by challenging detection and lack of specificity in clinical manifestations. To investigate the correlation of tumor markers in the serum with liver metastasis and prognosis of lung cancer. Methods: A total of 3,046 elderly lung cancer patients were retrospectively studied between September 1999 and July 2020. Divided into liver metastasis group and non-liver metastasis group. We compared a series of serum biomarkers between the two groups of elderly patients to predict the prognosis in patients with lung cancer by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), advanced flow cytometry (FCM) and multi tumor marker protein chip, including tumor markers in the serum included alkaline phosphatase (ALP), serum calcium, hemoglobin (HB), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), cytokeratin fragment 19 (Cyfra21-1), carbohydrate antigen-125 (CA-125), carbohydrate antigen-153 (CA-153), carbohydrate antigen-199 (CA-199), and free prostate specific antigen (free PSA). We used binary logistic regression analysis to determine risk factors, and used receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis to evaluate the diagnostic value of liver metastases in elderly patients with lung cancer. Results: The proportion of lung cancer in the liver metastasis group was higher than that observed in the non-liver metastases group. The expression levels of CA-125, Cyfra21-1, and NSE in the liver metastasis group of lung cancer were significantly higher than those reported in the non-liver metastases group (p < 0.05). ROC curve analysis shows that the area under the curve of CA-125, Cyfra21-1, and NSE are 0.614, 0.616 and 0.608, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of CA-125 were 45.70% and 76.20%, the sensitivity and specificity of Cyfra21-1 were 60.10% and 57.10%, and the sensitivity and specificity of NSE were 44.10% and 75.00%, respectively. Conclusion: High levels of CA-125, Cyfra21-1, and NSE in the serum may be associated with liver metastasis in elderly patients with lung cancer. CA-125 and NSE are factors influencing the prognosis of elderly patients with liver metastasis of lung cancer

Genomic diversity of citrate fermentation in Klebsiella pneumoniae

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has long been recognized that <it>Klebsiella pneumoniae </it>can grow anaerobically on citrate. Genes responsible for citrate fermentation of <it>K. pneumoniae </it>were known to be located in a 13-kb gene cluster on the chromosome. By whole genome comparison of the available <it>K. pneumoniae </it>sequences (MGH 78578, 342, and NTUH-K2044), however, we discovered that the fermentation gene cluster was present in MGH 78578 and 342, but absent in NTUH-K2044. In the present study, the previously unknown genome diversity of citrate fermentation among <it>K. pneumoniae </it>clinical isolates was investigated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using a genomic microarray containing probe sequences from multiple <it>K. pneumoniae </it>strains, we investigated genetic diversity among <it>K. pneumoniae </it>clinical isolates and found that a genomic region containing the citrate fermentation genes was not universally present in all strains. We confirmed by PCR analysis that the gene cluster was detectable in about half of the strains tested. To demonstrate the metabolic function of the genomic region, anaerobic growth of <it>K. pneumoniae </it>in artificial urine medium (AUM) was examined for ten strains with different clinical histories and genomic backgrounds, and the citrate fermentation potential was found correlated with the genomic region. PCR detection of the genomic region yielded high positive rates among a variety of clinical isolates collected from urine, blood, wound infection, and pneumonia. Conserved genetic organizations in the vicinity of the citrate fermentation gene clusters among <it>K. pneumoniae</it>, <it>Salmonella enterica</it>, and <it>Escherichia coli </it>suggest that the13-kb genomic region were not independently acquired.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Not all, but nearly half of the <it>K. pneumoniae </it>clinical isolates carry the genes responsible for anaerobic growth on citrate. Genomic variation of citrate fermentation genes in <it>K. pneumoniae </it>may contribute to metabolic diversity and adaptation to variable nutrient conditions in different environments.</p

Efficacy of combined traditional Chinese medicine spray with premature ejaculation desensitization therapy for the treatment of primary premature ejaculation.

Objectives: We recommend a new kind of spray made from eight kinds of traditional Chinese medicine, we aimed to investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of combined traditional Chinese medicine spray (TCMS) with premature ejaculation desensitization therapy (PEDT) for the treatment of primary premature ejaculation (PPE). Methods: A total of 90 patients with PPE were randomly assigned to receive TCMS, PEDT monotherapy or TCMS plus PEDT combination therapy for 6 weeks. Intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT) and Chinese index of sexual function for premature ejaculation (CIPE-5) were measured to evaluate the effect of each treatment. Results: Eighty six (86) participants completed the study voluntarily. Both IELT and CIPE-5 in these three groups increased after treatment when compared with baseline levels (p&lt; 0.01). IELT and CIPE-5 after treatment in TCMS plus PEDT group were significantly higher than those in the other two groups (both p &lt;0.05). Additionally, clinical efficacy in TCMS plus PEDT group (89.7%) was significantly higher than in TCMS (65.5%) and PEDT group (67.9%) (p&lt; 0.01). Conclusion: The self-made TCMS was safe and effective for the treatment of PPE, a combination of TCMS and PEDT therapy was more effective than the TCMS or PEDT monotherapy

CHINESE HERBAL DECOCTION AS A COMPLEMENTARY THERAPY FOR ATROPHIC GASTRITIS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS

Background: Chinese herbal decoction (CHD) has been extensively used in the treatment of atrophic gastritis (AG) in China and other Far Eastern countries. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the efficacy and safety of CHD in AG. Materials and Methods: Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane central register of controlled trials (central), VIP, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Sinomed, Wanfang data were searched (up to December 2015). Randomized controlled trials recruiting patients with AG comparing CHD (alone or with western medicine (WM)) with WM were eligible. Dichotomous data were pooled to obtain relative risk (RR), with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Forty-two articles including 3,874 patients were identified. CHD, used alone or with WM, had beneficial effect over WM in the improvement of clinical manifestations (RR=1.28; 95% CI 1.22-1.34) and pathological change (RR=1.42; 95% CI 1.30-1.54) for AG patients. However, the H. pylori eradication effect of CHD was not supported by the existing clinical evidence, because of the significant study heterogeneity (I2>50%) and inconsistency between the primary results and sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: CHD, if prescribed as a complementary therapy to WM, may improve the clinical manifestations and pathological change for AG patients. But its monotherapy for H. pylori eradication is not supported by enough clinical evidence