2,387 research outputs found

    Lactobacillus reuteri inhibition of Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli adherence to human intestinal epithelium

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    Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) is a major cause of diarrheal infant death in developing countries, and probiotic bacteria have been shown to provide health benefits in gastrointestinal infections. In this study, we have investigated the influence of the gut symbiont Lactobacillus reuteri on EPEC adherence to the human intestinal epithelium. Different host cell model systems including non-mucus-producing HT-29 and mucus-producing LS174T intestinal epithelial cell lines as well as human small intestinal biopsies were used. Adherence of L. reuteri to HT-29 cells was strain-specific, and the mucus-binding proteins CmbA and MUB increased binding to both HT-29 and LS174T cells. L. reuteri ATCC PTA 6475 and ATCC 53608 significantly inhibited EPEC binding to HT-29 but not LS174T cells. While pre-incubation of LS174T cells with ATCC PTA 6475 did not affect EPEC attaching/effacing (A/E) lesion formation, it increased the size of EPEC microcolonies. ATCC PTA 6475 and ATCC 53608 binding to the mucus layer resulted in decreased EPEC adherence to small intestinal biopsy epithelium. Our findings show that L. reuteri reduction of EPEC adhesion is strain-specific and has the potential to target either the epithelium or the mucus layer, providing further rationale for the selection of probiotic strains

    Thermal Hydraulic Analyses for Coupling High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor to Hydrogen Plant

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    The US Department of Energy is investigating the use of high-temperature nuclear reactors to produce hydrogen using either thermochemical cycles or high-temperature electrolysis. Although the hydrogen production processes are in an early stage of development, coupling either of these processes to the high-temperature reactor requires both efficient heat transfer and adequate separation of the facilities to assure that off-normal events in the production facility do not impact the nuclear power plant. An intermediate heat transport loop will be required to separate the operations and safety functions of the nuclear and hydrogen plants. A next generation high-temperature reactor could be envisioned as a single-purpose facility that produces hydrogen or a dual-purpose facility that produces hydrogen and electricity. Early plants, such as the proposed Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), may be dual-purpose facilities that demonstrate both hydrogen and efficient electrical generation. Later plants could be single-purpose facilities. At this stage of development, both single- and dual-purpose facilities need to be understood. A number of possible configurations for a system that transfers heat between the nuclear reactor and the hydrogen and/or electrical generation plants were identified. These configurations included both direct and indirect cycles for the production of electricity. Both helium and liquid salts were considered as the working fluid in the intermediate heat transport loop. Methods were developed to perform thermal-hydraulic and cycle-efficiency evaluations of the different configurations and coolants. The thermal-hydraulic evaluations estimated the sizes of various components in the intermediate heat transport loop for the different configurations. The relative sizes of components provide a relative indication of the capital cost associated with the various configurations. Estimates of the overall cycle efficiency of the various configurations were also determined. The evaluations determined which configurations and coolants are the most promising from thermalhydraulic and efficiency points of view

    Low Serum Pancreatic Amylase and Lipase Values Are Simple and Useful Predictors to Diagnose Chronic Pancreatitis

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    Background/Aims This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic role of low serum amylase and lipase values in the detection of chronic pancreatitis. Methods Patients underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and were diagnosed with non-calcific chronic pancreatitis (NCCP; n=99) and calcific chronic pancreatitis (CCP; n=112). Patient serum amylase and lipase values were compared with those of healthy controls (H; n=170). Results The median serum amylase (normal range, 19 to 86 U/L) and lipase values (7 to 59 U/L) (P25–P75) were 47.0 (39.8 to 55.3) and 25.0 (18.0 to 35.0) for H, 34.0 (24.5 to 49.0) and 19.0 (9.0 to 30.0) for NCCP, and 30.0 (20.0 to 40.8) and 10.0 (3.0 to 19.0) for CCP, respectively. The cutoff values with the highest diagnostic accuracy for discriminating NCCP from H were 40 U/L for amylase and 20 U/L for lipase, respectively, and for CCP from H were 38 U/L for amylase and 15 U/L for lipase, respectively. For the diagnosis of NCCP with a criterion of serum amylase <40 and lipase <20 U/L, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values were 37.4%, 88.8%, 66.1%, and 70.9%, respectively. Conclusions Serum amylase and/or lipase levels below the normal serum range are highly specific for chronic pancreatitis patients. Clinicians should not ignore low serum pancreatic enzyme values

    Additional flap on plastic stents for improved antimigration effect in the treatment of post-cholecystectomy bile leak

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    Background and study aims: In plastic stent insertion for treatment of post-cholecystectomy bile leak, stent migration may be more common due to the absence of a shelf to anchor the stent. We evaluated how adding a flap to straight plastic stents for this indication might influence the rate of stent migration when compared to use of conventional plastic stents. Patients and methods: This is a retrospective study including patients referred for ERCP for treatment of post-cholecystectomy bile leak. Patients with a customized anti-migration flap stent had the additional flap created on the distal end of straight plastic stents, intended to aid in anchoring in the distal supra-sphincteric biliary duct. The primary endpoint is stent migration events. The secondary endpoint is bile leak resolution after first ERCP session. Results: Thirty-two patients were treated with the experimental additional flap stents and 225 patients were treated with standard straight biliary stents. The total failure rate of bile leak resolution after a single endoscopic treatment for all treated was 10.5 % (27/257) and the total stent migration rate for all enrolled was 15.2 % (39/257). Stent migration rate was lower in the additional flap stent group than in the conventional group (3.1 % vs. 16.9 %, respectively, P  = 0.04). Furthermore, significantly more patients had resolution of their bile leak after the first ERCP session in the group with the additional flap (100 % vs. 88 %, respectively, P  = 0.03). Conclusion: A plastic biliary stent with an extra flap may have improved performance with regard to stent migration and resolution of bile leak over standard plastic biliary stents

    Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of Glycosylated Macrolactam Analogues of the Macrolide Antibiotic YC‐17

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    YC‐17 is a 12‐membered ring macrolide antibiotic produced from Streptomyces venezuelae ATCC 15439 and is composed of the polyketide macrolactone 10‐deoxymethynolide appended with D‐desosamine. In order to develop structurally diverse macrolactam analogues of YC‐17 with improved therapeutic potential, a combined approach involving chemical synthesis and engineered cell‐based biotransformation was employed. Eight new antibacterial macrolactam analogues of YC‐17 were generated by supplying a novel chemically synthesized macrolactam aglycone to S. venezuelae mutants harboring plasmids capable of synthesizing several unnatural sugars for subsequent glycosylation. Some YC‐17 macrolactam analogues were active against erythromycin‐resistant bacterial pathogens and displayed improved metabolic stability in vitro. The enhanced therapeutic potential demonstrated by these glycosylated macrolactam analogues reveals the unique potential of chemoenzymatic synthesis in antibiotic drug discovery and development.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113147/1/adsc_201500250_sm_miscellaneous_information.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/113147/2/2697_ftp.pd
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