Fate of antibiotic resistance genes in cultivation substrate and its association with bacterial communities throughout commercial production of Agaricus bisporus

Animal manure is an important raw material for Agaricus bisporus production; however, it is also a reservoir for antibiotic residues, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Little is known about the influence of the commercial cultivation of A. bisporus on the dynamics of ARGs and the underlying mechanisms that cause their variations. In this study, we investigated the fate of 285 ARGs, 10 mobile genetic elements, and seven major categories of antibiotic residues in substrate and mushroom samples at different production phases. The results showed that commercial substrate preparation, particularly the pasteurization phase, was highly efficient in removing ARGs from the substrate. We further found that mycelium proliferation of A. bisporus contributed significantly to the removal of ARGs from the substrate and casing soil. The bacterial community is the key driver of changes in ARGs during the commercial cultivation of A. bisporus, which explained 46.67% of the variation in ARGs. Our results indicate that, despite the addition of animal manure, the risk of ARG dissemination to fruiting bodies and the environment is low. We propose that bioremediation by specific edible fungi might be a novel and promising method for scavenging antimicrobial resistance contamination from soil environment

Reassessment of Different Criteria for Diagnosing Post-hepatectomy Liver Failure: a Single-center Study of 1683 Hepatectomy

Assessing the incidence and severity of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) can be based on different criteria, and we wished to compare the diagnostic efficiency and specificity of different PHLF criteria. Data from patients (n=1683) who received hepatectomies in the liver surgery department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from April 2008 to August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Possible PHLF patients were screened according to the criteria of the International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS). Subsequently, other PHLF evaluation methods, including Child-Pugh score, “50-50” criteria, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and Clavien-Dindo classification were used to assess the suspected PHLF patients, and statistical analysis was performed for correlation of these methods with clinical prognoses. Using ISGLS grading, 40 cases (2.38%) were suspected to have PHLF, among whom 5 (0.30%) patients died. Of the 40 cases there were 9 patients of ISGLS grade A, 21 of grade B, and 10 of grade C. Among the entire group, Child-Pugh scoring showed 3 patients in grade A, 35 in grade B, and 2 in grade C, while only 5 patients met the “50-50” criteria. Interestingly, MELD scores ≥11 points were found only in 3 cases. Twenty-eight patients were classified as Clavien-Dindo grade I, 8 as grade II, 3 as grade III, and 1 as grade IV. Prothrombin time on postoperative day 5 (PT5), ISGLS, and Clavien-Dindo were found to have significant correlation with the prognosis of PHLF (r\u3e0.5, p \u3c0.05), thus can be used as prognosis predictors for PHLF patients

Reassessment of Different Criteria for Diagnosing Post-hepatectomy Liver Failure: a Single-center Study of 1683 Hepatectomy

Assessing the incidence and severity of post-hepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) can be based on different criteria, and we wished to compare the diagnostic efficiency and specificity of different PHLF criteria. Data from patients (n=1683) who received hepatectomies in the liver surgery department of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from April 2008 to August 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Possible PHLF patients were screened according to the criteria of the International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS). Subsequently, other PHLF evaluation methods, including Child-Pugh score, “50-50” criteria, Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score, and Clavien-Dindo classification were used to assess the suspected PHLF patients, and statistical analysis was performed for correlation of these methods with clinical prognoses. Using ISGLS grading, 40 cases (2.38%) were suspected to have PHLF, among whom 5 (0.30%) patients died. Of the 40 cases there were 9 patients of ISGLS grade A, 21 of grade B, and 10 of grade C. Among the entire group, Child-Pugh scoring showed 3 patients in grade A, 35 in grade B, and 2 in grade C, while only 5 patients met the “50-50” criteria. Interestingly, MELD scores ≥11 points were found only in 3 cases. Twenty-eight patients were classified as Clavien-Dindo grade I, 8 as grade II, 3 as grade III, and 1 as grade IV. Prothrombin time on postoperative day 5 (PT5), ISGLS, and Clavien-Dindo were found to have significant correlation with the prognosis of PHLF (r\u3e0.5, p \u3c0.05), thus can be used as prognosis predictors for PHLF patients

A novel liver function evaluation system using radiopharmacokinetic modeling of technetium-99m-DTPA-galactosyl human serum albumin

China Medical Board of New York (CMB) [06-837, 11-045]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30901453]Background A new kinetic model of technetium-99m-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl human serum albumin (Tc-99m-GSA) was developed to show the speed of asialoglycoprotein receptor-mediated endocytosis.Materials and methods Ten healthy volunteers and 17 patients with liver cirrhosis were intravenously injected with 185 MBq of Tc-99m-GSA, and dynamic planar images were acquired. The absolute amounts of Tc-99m-GSA in the liver and extrahepatic blood were estimated from the time-activity curves for the liver, heart, and lungs. A two-compartment model was represented with two parameters as variables to estimate the uptake index (UI) of Tc-99m-GSA transport through the hepatic cell membrane from the total plasma at any given time.Results The dynamic curve of Tc-99m-GSA uptake by the liver was generated. Analysis of individuals with normal livers and patients with liver cirrhosis showed statistically significant differences in their UI. The UI for normal livers was high and that for cirrhotic livers was low. Linear regression correlation of UI with albumin, prealbumin, and prothrombin time was 0.841, 0.746, and -0.723, respectively.Conclusion UI reflects the cellular transport of asialoglycoproteins as ascertained by the two-compartment model on the basis of GSA dynamic images. It is useful for measuring liver function