Leaf Extracts of Selected Gardening Trees Can Attenuate Quorum Sensing and Pathogenicity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1.

An increasing concern on resistance to multiple-antibiotics has led to the discovery of novel agents and the establishment of new precaution strategy. Numerous plant sources have been widely studied to reduce virulence of pathogenic bacteria by interfering cell-to-cell based communication called quorum sensing (QS). Leaf extracts of 17 gardening trees were collected and investigated for their anti-QS effects using a sensor strain Chromobacterium violaceum CV026. Methanolic extracts of K4 (Acer palmatum), K9 (Acer pseudosieboldianum) and K13 (Cercis chinensis) leaves were selected for further experiments based on their antagonism effect on QS without inhibiting C. violaceum CV026 growth. Subsequently, the leaf extracts on QS-mediated virulence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 involved in biofilm formation, motility, bioluminescence, pyocyanin production, QS molecules production, and Caenorhabditis elegans killing activity were evaluated. The biofilm formation ability and swarming motility of P. aeruginosa PAO1 were decreased approximately 50% in the presence of these leaf extracts at a concentration of 1 mg/mL. The expression level of lecA::lux of P. aeruginosa PAO1 and pyocyanin production were also reduced. The three leaf extracts also decreased autoinducer (AI) production in P. aeruginosa PAO1 without direct degradation, suggesting that AI synthesis might have been suppressed by these extracts. The three leaf extracts also showed anti-infection activity in C. elegans model. Taken together, these results suggest that methanolic leaf extracts of K4, K9 and K13 have the potential to attenuate the virulence of P. aeruginosa PAO1.

Effect of Enhancers on in vitro and in vivo Skin Permeation and Deposition of S-Methyl-(L)-Methionine

S-methyl-(L)-methionine (SMM), also known as vitamin U, is commercially available as skin care cosmetic products for its wound healing and photoprotective effects. However, the low skin permeation expected of SMM due to its hydrophilic nature with a log P value of −3.3, has not been thoroughly addressed. The purpose of this study thus was to evaluate the effect of skin permeation enhancers on the skin permeation/deposition of SMM. Among the enhancers tested for the in vitro skin permeation and deposition of SMM, oleic acid showed the most significant enhancing effect. Moreover, the combination of oleic acid and ethanol further enhanced in vitro permeation and deposition of SMM through hairless mouse skin. Furthermore, the combination of oleic acid and ethanol significantly increased the in vivo deposition of SMM in the epidermis/dermis for 12 hr, which was high enough to exert a therapeutic effect. Therefore, based on the in vitro and in vivo studies, the combination of oleic acid and ethanol was shown to be effective in improving the topical skin delivery of SMM, which may be applied in the cosmetic production process for SMM.

Microbiological Evaluation of Pork and Chicken By-Products in South Korea.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the microbiological risk of pork and chicken by-products by enumerating indicator bacteria (total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and Escherichia coli) and identifying pathogens such as Campylobacter and Salmonella. The antibiotic resistance of pathogenic isolates was determined, and molecular subtyping was performed using automated repetitive sequence-based PCR (rep-PCR). Pork and chicken by-products were collected from 10 processing plants. The mean numbers of total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and E. coli from 95 pork by-product samples and 64 chicken by-product samples were 5.1, 3.6, and 2.4 log CFU/g and 4.5, 3.0, and 1.8 log CFU/g, respectively. The numbers of indicator bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract (small intestine, large intestine, and gizzard) were significantly higher than those in other organs. Salmonella and Campylobacter species were detected in 3 and 5 of 95 pork by-product samples and in 6 and 3 of 64 chicken by-product samples, respectively. Four of 9 Salmonella isolates examined were resistant to eight antibiotics, and each of these resistant strains produced an extended-spectrum ß-lactamase. Most Campylobacter isolates were resistant to tetracycline (7 of 8 strains) and quinolones (7 of 8 strains). The similarity in rep-PCR patterns among Salmonella isolates was more closely associated with serotype than with the processing plant and type of meat. Conversely, the rep-PCR patterns of Campylobacter isolates were specific to the processing plant. Our findings could help agencies develop regulations for protection from foodborne bacterial infections arising from animal by-products.

High occurrence of extended-spectrum ß-lactamase-producing Salmonella in broiler carcasses from poultry slaughterhouses in South Korea.

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant foodborne Salmonella has become a major public health problem. Consumption of undercooked poultry contaminated with Salmonella can induce food poisoning in humans. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella spp. isolated from 120 chicken carcasses produced in 6 poultry slaughterhouses in South Korea. A total of 11 samples (9.2%) were found contaminated with Salmonella: 5 isolates were serotyped as Salmonella Bellevue strain (slaughterhouse C) and 6 isolates were serotyped as Salmonella Enteritidis strain (slaughterhouse E). Salmonella Bellevue isolates were resistant to five antibiotics (ampicillin, chloramphenicol, nalidixic acid, tetracycline, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole), while Salmonella Enteritidis isolates were resistant to nine antibiotics (ampicillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefazolin, cephalothin, amikacin, nalidixic acid, streptomycin, and tetracycline). All cephalosporin-resistant Salmonella Enteritidis isolates exhibited the extended-spectrum ß-lactamase (ESBL) phenotype and carried the gene encoding CTX-M-15, the most prevalent ESBL enzyme worldwide. Based on molecular subtyping performed using the automated rep-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system (DiversiLab), the isolates showing ≥ 95 similarity in their rep-PCR banding patterns were classified into 5 pulsotypes. Given that cephalosporins are the drugs of choice for invasive Salmonella infections, the high incidence of ESBL-producing strains in chicken should emphasize the necessity of regular monitoring of the occurrence of antibiotic-resistant ESBL-positive Salmonella strains in poultry meat.

Liquid-crystalline semiconducting copolymers with intramolecular donor-acceptor building blocks for high-stability polymer transistors.

The ability to control the molecular organization of electronically active liquid-crystalline polymer semiconductors on surfaces provides opportunities to develop easy-to-process yet highly ordered supramolecular systems and, in particular, to optimize their electrical and environmental reliability in applications in the field of large-area printed electronics and photovoltaics. Understanding the relationship between liquid-crystalline nanostructure and electrical stability on appropriate molecular surfaces is the key to enhancing the performance of organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) to a degree comparable to that of amorphous silicon (a-Si). Here, we report a novel donor-acceptor type liquid-crystalline semiconducting copolymer, poly(didodecylquaterthiophene-alt-didodecylbithiazole), which contains both electron-donating quaterthiophene and electron-accepting 5,5'-bithiazole units. This copolymer exhibits excellent electrical characteristics such as field-effect mobilities as high as 0.33 cm(2)/V.s and good bias-stress stability comparable to that of amorphous silicon (a-Si). Liquid-crystalline thin films with structural anisotropy form spontaneously through self-organization of individual polymer chains as a result of intermolecular interactions in the liquid-crystalline mesophase. These thin films adopt preferential well-ordered intermolecular pi-pi stacking parallel to the substrate surface. This bottom-up assembly of the liquid-crystalline semiconducting copolymer enables facile fabrication of highly ordered channel layers with remarkable electrical stability.

A Case of Choroid Plexus Papilloma of a Child with Anorexia and Failure to Thrive / 대한소아신경학회지

Choroid plexus papilloma is a very rare disease in children. The manifestations of the disease differ according to the tumor size and the location. Increased CSF production by the tumor, hydrocephalus and symptoms of increased ICP are the main symptoms. The first line of treatment is surgical excision, but sometimes excision itself is very difficult due to the site and the size of the mass. Adjunctive radiation therapy or chemotherapy is not recommended. Since gross total resection without adjunctive therapy offers highest likelihood of success. Significant prognostic factors are sex, age, time of diagnosis, the duration between the appearance of symptoms and diagnosis, tumor volume, tumor site and the extent of surgery. We report a case of choroid plexus papilloma, in a child with anorexia and failure to thrive.

Gender Differences in Expression of Apoptosis, p53, and Bcl-2 in Delayed Focal Cerebral Infarction in Rats

Apoptosis is a normal physiological process. Morphological studies have shown that cells die by physiological mechanisms after undergoing characteristic changes termed 'apoptosis' or 'programmed cell death'. Several genes were known to participate in the apoptotic process including p53 as a proapoptic gene and Bcl-2 as an antiapoptic gene. It was also known that there are certain gender differences in the cerebrovascular accidents and their effect on tissue damage. The purpose of this study is to evaluate how the apoptotic genes are expressed in delayed focal cerebral infarction and peri-infarct area in male and female adult rats by comparing the immunoexpression of p53 and Bcl-2 and p53:Bcl-2 ratio at delayed focal cerebral infarction between both sexes. In sixteen adult Spraugue-Dawley rats (nine males and seven females), the right MCA and both CCA were ligated for thirty minutes to make a delayed focal cerebral infarction in right frontal lobe. Their brains were taken at seventy two hours after the operation. And then the brains were prepared for immunohistochemical stains for apoptosis, p53 and Bcl-2 proteins. The infarction volume of male rats (11.3 mm3) was larger than that of female rats (7.3 mm3) (p<0.01). In male group, the width (micrometer2) of the apoptotic area (46.4 micrometer2) was significantly larger than those in female group (38.9 micrometer2) (p<0.005). The p53 : Bcl-2 ratio was significantly higher in male group (3.23) compared with female group (2.18) (p<0.01). As a result, the p53:Bcl-2 ratio seemed to be related to the gender differences in neuronal apoptosis after delayed focal cerebral infarction.

Primary Intramedullary Spinal Cord Lymphoma: Case Report

The authors report a primary intramedullary spinal cord lymphoma in a 49-year-old man who presented with right arm pain, voiding difficulty and progressive walking difficulty. Preoperative cervical spinal CT and MRI studies were highly suggestive of spinal stenosis with compressive myelopathy but histopathological study of the specimen after surgery revealed spinal cord lymphoma. As no tumorous lesion was found other than the spinal cord, he was given 6000 rad of radiation under the diagnosis of primary CNS lymphoma. The neurologic deficits improved partially after the surgery but delete right arm pain persisted. One year later, follow up studies showed neither local nor systemic tumor recurrence.

The Clinical Analysis of Stereotactic Aspiration of Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage

To date no consensus has been reached regarding the suitability of surgical treatment for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, especially in deep seated cases. With the recent introduction of an alternative to conservative therapy, craniotomy or stereotactic aspiration, it has become even more difficult to determine which therapeutic approaches should be used. We used stereotactic aspiration technique under a local anesthesia instead of craniotomy to treat 48 patients, because we believe that better therapeutic results could be obtained by minimal invasion to the brain. In present study, we analysed the level of consciousness and clinical outcome, location and volume of hematoma, interval of operation from ictus, and rate of hematoma removal. Our series consist of 18 males and 30 females. The most prevalent age group of intracerebral hemorrhage patients were the 6th decades. The hematoma were located at basal ganglia in 75%, thalamus in 15%, pons in 8%, and lobar 2%. The prognosis was favorable in patients with good neurological grade at admission, but was unfavorable in those with large volume although the statistical difference was not significant. Rate of hematoma removal was high in the cases where operations performed after 4 days. The statistical difference between the time interval from hemorrhage to operation and prognosis was not significant. The overall mortality rate was 17%. These results seem to indicate that stereotactic aspiration may play a comparable indices in the treatment of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Esthetic mandibular angle reduction: ist use and complications

No abstract available.

A Case of a Recurrent Postoperative Discitis

The etiology of the postoperative discitis is not fully known, but most likely, the cause seems to be of a low grade infection and chemical and mechanical injuries. The incidence of these complication is from 0.12% to 2.6% of all cases. The characteristics of this disease are recurrence of severe lower back and gluteal pain, spasm of lumbar paravertebral muscle and elevated E.S.R. following the asymptomatic post-operative period, a roentgenogram showed an early destructive change in the adjacent vertebra, the narrowing of the intervertebral disc space, sclerotic changes in the vertebral bone and occasional fusion of the spine, and relatively good prognosis. We present a case of recurrent postoperative discitis with E.S.R. change and roentgenographic change.