High prevalent stg840 and stc830 types of erythromycin-resistant group G streptococci isolated from bacteraemia in southern Taiwan

A total of 204 nonrepetitive isolates of group A streptococci (GAS), including 107 randomly collected between 1992 and 1995 and 66 and 31 consecutively collected in 1997 and 1998, respectively, from a university hospital in southern Taiwan were examined to determine the prevalence and mechanisms of erythromycin resistance among these isolates. Resistance to erythromycin was detected in 129 isolates (63.2%) by the agar dilution test. Of these, 42 isolates (32.6%) were assigned to the constitutive macrolide, lincosamide, and streptogramin B resistance (cMLS) phenotype, and all carried the ermBgene; 4 (3.1%) were assigned to the inducible MLS resistance (iMLS) phenotype, and all harbored the ermTR gene; and 83 (64.3%) were erythromycin resistant but susceptible to clindamycin (M phenotype), and all possessed the mefA gene. Distributed by years, the rates of erythromycin resistance and different phenotypes were 61.7% (53.0% cMLS, 6.1% iMLS, and 40.9% M phenotype) between 1992 and 1995, 62.1% (12.2% cMLS and 87.8% M phenotype) in 1997, and 71.0% (9.1% cMLS and 90.9% M phenotype) in 1998. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed that all but 2 cMLS isolates were clonal in origin, and 17 clones were detected among the M-phenotype isolates. These results indicate that the high incidence and increasing rate of erythromycin-resistant GAS in southern Taiwan are due to the prevalence of multiple M-phenotype clones and that clindamycin may be the drug of choice for the treatment of infections with GAS in penicillin-hypersensitive patients in this area.

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Erythromycin-Resistant Group G Streptococci in an Isolated Northern Canadian Community

Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1155/1990/808271 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 3-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lindsay Nicolle ◽

Brian Postl ◽

Barbara Urias ◽

Barbara Law ◽

Norma Ling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dilution Method ◽

Agar Dilution Method ◽

Native Communities ◽

Group G Streptococci ◽

Canadian Native ◽

High Prevalence ◽

Group A ◽

Agar Dilution ◽

Resistant Group ◽

One Year

The susceptibility of groups A, C, and G streptococci isolated from pharynx or skin in two northern Canadian native communities during a one year study of the epidemiology of streptococcal infection was determined for penicillin, erythromycin and clindamycin using an agar dilution method. Organisms studied included 725 group A, 82 group C, and 184 group G streptococci. All organisms were susceptible to penicillin (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] range less than 0.004 to 0.015 μg/mL; MIC900.015 μg/mL) and clindamycin (range 0.007 to 0.06 μg/mL; MIC900.06 μg/mL) with no differences observed between streptococcal groups. For erythromycin, groups A and C were generally susceptible (range less than 0.007 to 0.030 μg/mL; MIC900.03 μg/mL; and range 0.007 to 1.0 μg/mL; MIC900.06 μg/mL, respectively). Group G was less susceptible (range 0.007 to greater than 2.0 μg/mL; MIC90greater than 2.0 μg/mL) with 38% of all isolates having an MIC greater than or equal to 1 μg/mL. On review of group G isolates, 100 of 100 from one community were susceptible (MIC less than 0.007 to 0.03 μg/mL) and 73 (87%) of 84 from the second community were resistant. All resistant strains tested were type T16. These data suggest that erythromycin-resistant group G streptococci may occur with high prevalence in certain populations and that patterns of antimicrobial susceptibility in isolated communities may be highly community-specific.

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Prevalence and Clinical Implications of Hepatitis B Virus Genotypes in Southern Taiwan

Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology ◽

10.1080/00365520310000500 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

pp. 95-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Lee C.-M. ◽

Chen C.-H. ◽

Lu S.-N. ◽

Tung H.-D. ◽

Chou W.-J. ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatitis B Virus ◽

Hepatitis B ◽

Clinical Implications ◽

B Virus ◽

Virus Genotypes ◽

Southern Taiwan

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Debatable Issues of English Writing Apprehensions: A Qualitative Study of Taiwanese English Majors’ Perspectives

English Language Teaching ◽

10.5539/elt.v11n1p33 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 33

Author(s):

Grace Hui Chin Lin ◽

Patricia J. Larke ◽

Douglas S. Jarvie ◽

Paul Shih Chieh Chien

Keyword(s):

Language Learning ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Advanced Level ◽

English Writing ◽

Emotional Factors ◽

Writing Course ◽

English Majors ◽

Key Issues ◽

Southern Taiwan ◽

Time Restriction

Anxiety (e.g., Dallos, 1976, 2006; Krashen, 2003, 2016) sometimes might be unavoidable in the learning process, because the cognitive and intellectual systems are usually connected with emotional factors. This empirical study was conducted in an English majors’ advanced-level writing course to explore relevant explanations about why Taiwanese university students experienced “anxiety” (Tomlinson, 1981, 2016). Seventeen participants of junior grade at a southern Taiwan university had cooperated with their teacher to examine their anxiety occurring during writing in English. The findings discovered five key issues explaining their apprehension including mentioned (1) time restriction, (2) teacher evaluation, (3) peer competition, (4) uninteresting writing topics. The fifth factor repeated by most of the student is displayed by this study. The study implies the anxiety should be a negative impact upon language learning.

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Source water of two-pronged northward flow in the southern Taiwan Strait in summer

Journal of Oceanography ◽

10.1007/s10872-011-0036-1 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 67 (4) ◽

pp. 385-393 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Huasheng Hong ◽

Chen-Tung Arthur Chen ◽

Yuwu Jiang ◽

Jiann-Yuh Lou ◽

Zhaozhang Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Taiwan Strait ◽

Source Water ◽

Southern Taiwan

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Identification of novel autoantibodies in ascites of relapsed paclitaxel-resistant gastric cancer with peritoneal metastasis using immunome protein microarrays and proteomics

Cancer Biomarkers ◽

10.3233/cbm-203142 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Zhongyin Yang ◽

Chao Yan ◽

Wentao Liu ◽

Wei Xu ◽

Chen Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastric Cancer ◽

Effective Treatment ◽

Peritoneal Metastasis ◽

Quantitative Proteomics ◽

Poor Prognosis ◽

Protein Microarrays ◽

Tandem Mass ◽

Tandem Mass Tag ◽

Resistant Group ◽

Potential Biomarkers

BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer (GC) patients with peritoneal metastasis usually have extremely poor prognosis. Intraperitoneal infusion of paclitaxel (PTX) provides an effective treatment, but relapse and PTX-resistance are unavoidable disadvantages, and it is difficult to monitor the occurrence of PTX-resistance. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore novel autoantibodies in the ascites of individuals with relapsed PTX-resistant GC with peritoneal metastasis. METHODS: Ascites samples were collected before PTX infusion and after the relapse in 3 GC patients. To determine the expression of significantly changed proteins, we performed autoantibody profiling with immunome protein microarrays and tandem mass tag (TMT) quantitative proteomics, and then, the overlapping proteins were selected. RESULTS: Thirty-eight autoantibodies that were differentially expressed between the ascites in the untreated group and relapsed PTX-resistant group were identified. For confirmation of the results, TMT quantitative proteomics was performed, and 842 dysregulated proteins were identified. Four proteins, TPM3, EFHD2, KRT19 and vimentin, overlapped between these two assays. CONCLUSIONS: Our results first revealed that TPM3, EFHD2, KRT19 and vimentin were novel autoantibodies in the ascites of relapsed PTX-resistant GC patients. These autoantibodies may be used as potential biomarkers to monitor the occurrence of PTX-resistance.

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Untargeted Plasma Metabolomics Unravels a Metabolic Signature for Tissue Sensitivity to Glucocorticoids in Healthy Subjects: Its Implications in Dietary Planning for a Healthy Lifestyle

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13062120 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (6) ◽

pp. 2120

Author(s):

Nicolas C. Nicolaides ◽

Maria-Konstantina Ioannidi ◽

Eleni Koniari ◽

Ifigeneia Papageorgiou ◽

Anastasia Bartzeliotou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthy Subjects ◽

Healthy Lifestyle ◽

Serum Cortisol ◽

Polyol Pathway ◽

Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽

Multivariate Statistical ◽

Glucocorticoid Sensitivity ◽

Metabolic Signature ◽

Resistant Group ◽

One Carbon Metabolism

In clinical practice, differences in glucocorticoid sensitivity among healthy subjects may influence the outcome and any adverse effects of glucocorticoid therapy. Thus, a fast and accurate methodology that could enable the classification of individuals based on their tissue glucocorticoid sensitivity would be of value. We investigated the usefulness of untargeted plasma metabolomics in identifying a panel of metabolites to distinguish glucocorticoid-resistant from glucocorticoid-sensitive healthy subjects who do not carry mutations in the human glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1) gene. Applying a published methodology designed for the study of glucocorticoid sensitivity in healthy adults, 101 healthy subjects were ranked according to their tissue glucocorticoid sensitivity based on 8:00 a.m. serum cortisol concentrations following a very low-dose dexamethasone suppression test. Ten percent of the cohort, i.e., 11 participants, on each side of the ranking, with no NR3C1 mutations or polymorphisms, were selected, respectively, as the most glucocorticoid-sensitive and most glucocorticoid-resistant of the cohort to be analyzed and compared with untargeted blood plasma metabolomics using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). The acquired metabolic profiles were evaluated using multivariate statistical analysis methods. Nineteen metabolites were identified with significantly lower abundance in the most sensitive compared to the most resistant group of the cohort, including fatty acids, sugar alcohols, and serine/threonine metabolism intermediates. These results, combined with a higher glucose, sorbitol, and lactate abundance, suggest a higher Cori cycle, polyol pathway, and inter-tissue one-carbon metabolism rate and a lower fat mobilization rate at the fasting state in the most sensitive compared to the most resistant group. In fact, this was the first study correlating tissue glucocorticoid sensitivity with serine/threonine metabolism. Overall, the observed metabolic signature in this cohort implies a worse cardiometabolic profile in the most glucocorticoid-sensitive compared to the most glucocorticoid-resistant healthy subjects. These findings offer a metabolic signature that distinguishes most glucocorticoid-sensitive from most glucocorticoid-resistant healthy subjects to be further validated in larger cohorts. Moreover, they support the correlation of tissue glucocorticoid sensitivity with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome-associated pathways, further emphasizing the need for nutritionists and doctors to consider the tissue glucocorticoid sensitivity in dietary and exercise planning, particularly when these subjects are to be treated with glucocorticoids.

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Co-variation of silicate, carbonate and sulfide weathering drives CO2 release with erosion

Nature Geoscience ◽

10.1038/s41561-021-00714-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 211-216

Author(s):

Aaron Bufe ◽

Niels Hovius ◽

Robert Emberson ◽

Jeremy K. C. Rugenstein ◽

Albert Galy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Erosion Rate ◽

Global Climate ◽

Stream Water ◽

Sulfide Oxidation ◽

Silicate Weathering ◽

Emission Rates ◽

Mountain Ranges ◽

Weathering Rates ◽

Southern Taiwan ◽

Co2 Release

AbstractGlobal climate is thought to be modulated by the supply of minerals to Earth’s surface. Whereas silicate weathering removes carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere, weathering of accessory carbonate and sulfide minerals is a geologically relevant source of CO2. Although these weathering pathways commonly operate side by side, we lack quantitative constraints on their co-variation across erosion rate gradients. Here we use stream-water chemistry across an erosion rate gradient of three orders of magnitude in shales and sandstones of southern Taiwan, and find that sulfide and carbonate weathering rates rise with increasing erosion, while silicate weathering rates remain steady. As a result, on timescales shorter than marine sulfide compensation (approximately 106–107 years), weathering in rapidly eroding terrain leads to net CO2 emission rates that are at least twice as fast as CO2 sequestration rates in slow-eroding terrain. We propose that these weathering reactions are linked and that sulfuric acid generated from sulfide oxidation boosts carbonate solubility, whereas silicate weathering kinetics remain unaffected, possibly due to efficient buffering of the pH. We expect that these patterns are broadly applicable to many Cenozoic mountain ranges that expose marine metasediments.

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Temporal Trend of ST131 Clone among Urinary Escherichia coli Isolates in the Community: A Taiwan National Surveillance from 2002 to 2016

Microorganisms ◽

10.3390/microorganisms9050963 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 963

Author(s):

Jiun-Ling Wang ◽

Wen-Chien Ko ◽

Chih-Hsin Hung ◽

Ming-Fang Cheng ◽

Hui-Ying Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Temporal Trend ◽

Multidrug Resistant ◽

Population Based ◽

Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis ◽

Sequence Type ◽

E Coli ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Resistant Group ◽

Ciprofloxacin Resistance ◽

Susceptible Group

Sequence type (ST) 131 is a multidrug-resistant pandemic lineage of E. coli responsible for extraintestinal infections. Few surveillance data of ST131 included all antimicrobial-susceptible and -resistant isolates or focused on community-acquired urinary tract infection (UTI). From a population-based surveillance pool of 2997 outpatient urine E. coli isolates, 542 were selected for detection of ST131 based on ciprofloxacin and/or cefotaxime resistance. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on all ST131 isolates to further determine their relatedness. The estimated overall ST131 prevalence in this community UTI cohort increased from 11.2% (in 2002–2004), 12.2% (in 2006–2008), 13.6% (in 2010–2012), to 17.4% in 2014–2016 (p < 0.01). In the ciprofloxacin-resistant/cefotaxime-resistant group, ST131 increased from 33.3% in 2002–2004 to 72.1% in 2014–2016 (p < 0.01). In the ciprofloxacin-resistant/cefotaxime-susceptible group, ST131 was found in 24.3% overall without significant increase in its prevalence over time. PFGE showed emergence of a cluster of ciprofloxacin-resistant/cefotaxime-resistant ST131 carrying Gr. 1 CTX-M ESBL in 2014–2016, especially 2016. Multivariate analysis revealed that age (≥65 y.o) and ciprofloxacin resistance were independent factors associated with ST131. This longitudinal surveillance showed that ciprofloxacin-resistant/cefotaxime-susceptible ST131 has been circulating in the community since 2002 but ciprofloxacin-resistant/cefotaxime-resistant ST131 increased rapidly in the later years.

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