• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.3 no.3
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• pp.113-121
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• 2001

The use of a marker gene in a transformation process aims to give a selective advantage to the transformed cells, allowing them to grow faster and better, and to kill the non-transformed cells. In general, the selective gene is introduced into plant genome along with the genes of interest. In some cases, the marker gene can be the gene of interest that will confer an agronomic characteristic, such as herbicide resistance. In this review we list and discuss the use of the most common selective marker genes on plant transformation and the effects of their respective selective agents. These genes could be divided in categories according their mode of action: genes that confer resistance to antibiotics and herbicides; and genes for positive selection. The contention of the marker gene flow through chloroplast transformation is further discussed. Moreover, strategies to recover marker-free transgenic plants, involving multi-auto-transformation (MAT), co-transformation, site specific recombination and intragenomic relocation of transgenes through transposable elements, are also reviewed.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.282-285
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• 2004

The polyene antibiotics including nystatin, pimaricin, amphotericin and candicidin are a family of most promising antifungal polyketide compounds, typically produced by rare actinomycetes species. The biosynthetic gene clusters for these polyenes have been previously investigated, revealing the presence of highly homologous biosynthetic genes among polyene-producers such as polyketide synthase (PKS) and cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) genes. Based on amino acid sequence alignment among actinomycetes CYP genes, the highly-conserved regions specific for only polyene CYP genes were identified and chosen for degenerate PCR primers, followed by the PCR-screening with various actinomycetes genomic DNAs. Among tested several polyene non-producing actinomycetes strains, Pseudonorcardia autotrophica strain was selected based on the presence of PCR product with polyene-specific CYP gene primers, and then confirmed to contain a cryptic novel polyene hydroxylase gene in the chromosome. These results suggest that the polyene-specific hydroxylase gene PCR should be an efficient way of screening and isolating potentially-valuable cryptic polyene antibiotic biosynthetic genes from various microorganisms including rare actinomycetes.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.725-729
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• 2016

A novel genome-engineering tool in Clostridium acetobutylicum was developed based on single-crossover homologous recombination. A small-sized non-replicable plasmid, pHKO1, was designed for efficient integration into the C. acetobutylicum genome. The integrated pHKO1 plasmid backbone, which included an antibiotic resistance gene, can be excised in vivo by Flp recombinase, leaving a single flippase recognition target sequence in the middle of the targeted gene. Since the pSHL-FLP plasmid, the carrier of the Flp recombinase gene, employed the segregationally unstable pAMβ1 replicon, the plasmid was rapidly cured from the mutant C. acetobutylicum. Consequently, our method makes it easier to engineer C. acetobutylicum.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.354-357
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• 2017

There is an increase in the presence of drug-resistant staphylococci outside of the nosocomial and healthcare setting. Although the presence of staphylococci has been studied in several public spaces, nothing is known on the presence of staphylococci in public libraries. Book surfaces from public libraries in the East London area, United Kingdom were swabbed and cultured and identity of the isolates determined by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). Seven different staphylococcal species were identified by MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. This short study provides evidence of the presence of multidrug-resistant staphylococci in public libraries in the East London area.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.99-109
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• 1999

Enteropathogenic Yersina enterocolitica is an important cause of human and animal disease. Phenotypic and genotypic characteristics currently used to identify Yersinia enterocolitica are not necessarily sufficient to differentiate pathogenic from non-pathogenic strains or to analyze the epidemiology of yersiniae at a molecular level. To improve the characterization of Yersinia enterocolitica, A total of 65 isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica were examined with bioserotyping, antibiotic susceptibilities, PFGE, PCR-ribotyping. Genomic DNA pattern generated by PFGE are highly specific for different strains of an organism and have significant value in epidemiologic investigations. The PFGE analysis of Not I-digested chromosomal DNA of Y. enterocolitica were performed with a CHEF Mapper(Bio-Rad, USA). Not I generated 19 restriction endonuclease digestion profiles(REDP). PCR-ribotyping, performed with primers complementry to conserved regions of 16S and 23S rRNA gene, generated 13 ribotypes. PCR-ribotyping can be considered a good technich for subtyping strains of Y.enterocolitica.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.3195-3198
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• 2014

An ultra-sensitive detection method for small molecules such as antibiotics was developed using ICP-MS with magnetic and $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. Since most of the antibiotics are too small to employ a sandwich-type extraction through an immunoreaction, a non-specific platform was employed, in which the target was extracted by magnetic separation, followed by tagging with $TiO_2$ nanoparticles of 11.2 nm for ICP-MS measurement. The detection limit for salinomycin obtained from spiked serum samples was $0.4ag\;mL^{-1}$ (${\pm}10.3%$), which was about $1.5{\times}10^6$ times lower than that of LC-MS/MS and about $1.2{\times}10^{11}$ times better than that of ELISA. Such an excellent sensitivity enabled us to study the toxicity of antibiotics exposed to human beings by determining them in serum.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.89-95
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• 2009

Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) is an antibody-targeted chemotherapeutic agent consisting of calicheamicin, a potent cytotoxic antibiotic linked to a recombinant humanized anti CD33 monoclonal antibody directed against the CD33 antigen present on leukemic myeloblasts in most patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). GO is indicated for the treatment of patients with CD33 positive AML in first relapse who are 60 years of age or older and who are not considered candidates for cytotoxic chemotherapy. GO has shown moderate activity as a single agent in patients with CD33-positive refractory or relapsed acute myeloid leukaemia, with more promising results in acute promyelocytic leukaemia. The side effect profile may be an improvement on conventional chemotherapy, except for a higher frequency of veno-occlusive disease or sinusoidal obstructive syndrome, especially after a subsequent haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Because of the different mechanisms of action and non-overlapping toxicities, the integration of this immunoconjugate with standard chemotherapy is a rational approach.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.283-288
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• 2009

Pneumonia remains the leading cause of mortality in children. Diagnosis depends on a combination of factors, including clinical assessment, radiological and laboratory findings. Although Streptococcus pneumoniae remains the most important cause of childhood bacterial pneumonia, the great majority of cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are of viral etiology. A new, rapid, and inexpensive test that differentiates viral from bacterial pneumonia is needed to decide empiric antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics effective against the expected bacterial pathogens should be instituted where necessary. The role of emerging pathogens and the effect of pneumococcal resistance and heptavalent conjugate pneumococcal vaccines are to be considered in practice. There are reports supporting the valid and highly efficacious use of penicillin as a first-line drug for treating CAP. This review raises the issue of the overuse of unnecessary antibiotics in viral CAPs and the use of second or third-line antibiotics for non-complicated pneumonias in most clinical settings.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.240-247
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• 1997

Bacillary is the most common form of H. pylori observed during human infection. However, it is known that the morphology change of H. pylori from bacillary to coccoid can be occurred with a response to the environmental stresses such as the nutrient depletion, accumulation of toxic metabolites, pH alteration, and exposure to antimicrobial agents. The coccoid form of H. pylori, which is viable but non-culturable in vitro, seems to be the major cause of antibiotic resistancy and high reinfectability of H. pylori. In this regard, we studied the environmental factors that can induce the morphological change in vitro of H. pylori, and the change of fatty acid composition of plasma membrane. The morphological change from bacillary to coccoid could be observed with the depletion of nutrients, pH variation and reactive oxygen species added in the culture media. This morphologic conversion was paralleled by a dramatic decrease in unsaturated fatty acids and an increase in saturated fattv acids of plasma membrane. The change in composition of membrane fatty acid seems to be a kind of protection mechanism of H. pylori against these environmental stresses.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.54 no.5
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• pp.404-407
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• 2021

We present a case study of necrotizing fasciitis (NF), a very rare but dangerous complication of chest tube management. A 69-year-old man with shortness of breath underwent thoracostomy for chest tube placement and drainage with antibiotic treatment, followed by a computed tomography scan. He was diagnosed with thoracic empyema. Initially, a non-cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon managed the drainage, but the management was inappropriate. The patient developed NF at the tube site on the chest wall, requiring emergency fasciotomy and extensive surgical debridement. He was discharged without any complications after successful control of NF. A thoracic surgeon can perform both tube thoracostomy and tube management directly to avoid complications, as delayed drainage might result in severe complications.