From early on, infants show a preference for infant-directed speech (IDS) over adult-directed speech (ADS), and exposure to IDS has been correlated with language outcome measures such as vocabulary. The present multi-laboratory study explores this issue by investigating whether there is a link between early preference for IDS and later vocabulary size. Infants’ preference for IDS was tested as part of the ManyBabies 1 project, and follow-up CDI data were collected from a subsample of this dataset at 18 and 24 months. A total of 341 (18 months) and 327 (24 months) infants were tested across 21 laboratories. In neither preregistered analyses with North American and UK English, nor exploratory analyses with a larger sample did we find evidence for a relation between IDS preference and later vocabulary. We discuss implications of this finding in light of recent work suggesting that IDS preference measured in the laboratory has low test-retest reliability.

Metabolites are small molecules involved in cellular metabolism where they act as reaction substrates or products. The term ‘metabolomics’ refers to the comprehensive study of these molecules. The concentrations of metabolites in biological tissues are under genetic control, but this is limited by environmental factors such as diet. In adult mono- and dizygotic twin pairs, we estimated the contribution of genetic and shared environmental influences on metabolite levels by structural equation modeling and tested whether the familial resemblance for metabolite levels is mainly explained by genetic or by environmental factors that are shared by family members. Metabolites were measured across three platforms: two based on proton nuclear magnetic resonance techniques and one employing mass spectrometry. These three platforms comprised 237 single metabolic traits of several chemical classes. For the three platforms, metabolites were assessed in 1407, 1037 and 1116 twin pairs, respectively. We carried out power calculations to establish what percentage of shared environmental variance could be detected given these sample sizes. Our study did not find evidence for a systematic contribution of shared environment, defined as the influence of growing up together in the same household, on metabolites assessed in adulthood. Significant heritability was observed for nearly all 237 metabolites; significant contribution of the shared environment was limited to 6 metabolites. The top quartile of the heritability distribution was populated by 5 of the 11 investigated chemical classes. In this quartile, metabolites of the class lipoprotein were significantly overrepresented, whereas metabolites of classes glycerophospholipids and glycerolipids were significantly underrepresented.

Internet addiction is a newly emergent disorder. It has been found to be associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders. Information about such coexisting psychiatric disorders is essential to understand the mechanism of Internet addiction. In this review, we have recruited articles mentioning coexisting psychiatric disorders of Internet addiction from the PubMed database as at November 3, 2009. We describe the updated results for such disorders of Internet addiction, which include substance use disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, hostility, and social anxiety disorder. We also provide discussion for possible mechanisms accounting for the coexistence of psychiatric disorders and Internet addiction. The review might suggest that combined psychiatric disorders mentioned above should be evaluated and treated to prevent their deteriorating effect on the prognosis of Internet addiction. On the other hand, Internet addiction should be paid more attention to when treating people with these coexisting psychiatric disorders of Internet addiction. Additionally, we also suggest future necessary research directions that could provide further important information for the understanding of this issue.

Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) production has been very rare in serotype K1 Klebsiella pneumoniae ST23 strains, which are well-known invasive community strains. Among 92 ESBL-producing strains identified in 218 isolates from nine Asian countries, serotype K1 K. pneumoniae strains were screened. Two ESBL-producing K. pneumoniae isolates from Singapore and Indonesia were determined to be serotype K1 and ST23. Their plasmids, which contain CTX-M-15 genes, are transferable rendering the effective transfer of ESBL resistance plasmids to other organisms.

This multicentre surveillance study was conducted to investigate the trends in incidence and aetiology of healthcare-associated bloodstream infections (HCA-BSIs) in Taiwan. From 2000 to 2011 a total of 56 830 HCA-BSIs were recorded at three medical centres, and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were the most common pathogens isolated (n = 9465, 16·7%), followed by E. coli (n = 7599, 13·4%). The incidence of all HCA-BSIs in each and all hospitals significantly increased over the study period owing to the increase of aerobic Gram-positive cocci and Enterobacteriaceae by 4·2% and 3·6%, respectively. Non-fermenting Gram-negative bacteria, Bacteroides spp. and Candida spp. also showed an increase but there was a significant decline in the numbers of methicillin-resistant S. aureus. In conclusion, the incidence of HCA-BSIs in Taiwan is significantly increasing, especially for Enterobacteriaceae and aerobic Gram-positive cocci.

The medical records of 84 patients with stool cultures positive for Clostridium difficile during the period August 2007 to June 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. A case of confirmed (toxigenic) C. difficile infection (CDI) was defined by the presence of symptoms (fever, diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort or distension, ileus) and the presence of toxigenic C. difficile. Patients with compatible clinical symptoms and stool cultures positive for non-toxigenic C. difficile isolates were defined as probable (non-toxigenic) CDI cases. Of these 84 patients, 50 (59·5%) were diagnosed as confirmed CDI and 34 (40·5%) as probable CDI. Thirteen (15·5%) of the 84 patients died during their hospital stay. Usage of proton pump inhibitors was a significant independent risk factor for CDI (OR 3·21, P = 0·014). Of the 50 isolates associated with confirmed CDI, seven (8·3%) carried binary toxin genes (cdtAB), and six (7·1%) had a deletion in the tcdC gene. The mortality rate in confirmed CDI patients with isolates exhibiting deletion in the tcdC gene (2/6, 33·3%), those with isolates harbouring binary toxin genes (2/7, 28·6%), and those with isolates containing mutations in gyrA (2/7, 28·6%) and gyrB (1/2, 50%) was higher than the overall mortality rate (10/50, 20%) in patients with confirmed CDI.

Shigella flexneri 4a caused sustained outbreaks in a large long-stay psychiatric centre, Taiwan, 2001–2006. Trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole (SXT) prophylaxis was administered in 2004. We recovered 108 S. flexneri 4a isolates from 83 symptomatic (including one caregiver) and 12 asymptomatic subjects (11 contacts, one caregiver). The isolates were classified into eight antibiogram types and 15 genotypes (six clusters) by using antimicrobial susceptibility testing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of NotI-digested DNA, respectively. These characteristics altered significantly after SXT prophylaxis (P < 0·05), with concomitant emergence of SXT-resistant isolates in two antibiogram types. P01 (n = 71), the predominant epidemic genotype, caused infection in two caregivers and five patients under their care; two P01 isolates were recovered from the same patient 6 months apart. These results indicate the importance of sustained person-to-person transmission of S. flexneri 4a by long-term convalescent, asymptomatic or caregiver carriers, and support the emergence of SXT-resistant strains following selective pressure by SXT prophylaxis.

The purpose of this study was to understand the seasonal, geographical and clinical characteristics of Taiwanese patients hospitalized for non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) infections and their economic burden. Hospital data obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance (NHI) database between 2006 and 2008 were analysed. Infants had the highest annual incidence of 525 cases/100 000 person-years. Elderly patients aged >70 years had the highest in-hospital mortality rate (2·6%). Most (82·6%) gastroenteritis occurred in children aged <10 years. Septicaemia, pneumonia, arthritis and osteomyelitis occurred mainly in patients aged >50 years. A median medical cost for NTS-associated hospitalizations was higher for patients with septicaemia than for those with gastroenteritis. Seasonal variation of NTS-associated hospitalizations was correlated with temperature in different areas of Taiwan. In summary, infants had a high incidence of NTS-associated hospitalizations. However, the elderly had a higher in-hospital mortality rate and more invasive NTS infections than children.

Non-typhoidal Salmonella (NTS) is a common pathogen causing foodborne infections, bacteraemia, and extra-intestinal focal infections (EFIs) in humans. The study compares the clinical characteristics of elderly patients with NTS bacteraemia with those of young adults. Of 272 adults with NTS bacteraemia identified in this study, 162 (59·6%) were aged ⩾55 years. EFIs were observed in 36% of the 162 patients. The most common EFIs in the elderly patients (⩾55 years) was mycotic aneurysm, followed by pulmonary infections and bone/joint infections. Elderly patients more often had chronic heart, lung, renal and malignant diseases, had more EFIs, and a higher 30-day mortality rate. Independent factors of 30-day mortality in elderly patients were solid-organ tumour [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 4·4, P=0·003], mycotic aneurysm (aOR 3·7, P=0·023) and shock (aOR 12·1, P<0·0001). HIV infection, autoimmune diseases, and receipt of immunosuppressive therapy were more often observed in young patients.

Seaward migration of immature salmonids (smolts) may be associated with severe mortality in anthropogenically altered channels. Few studies however, have identified distinct behaviours that lead to exposure to adverse habitats or even unsuccessful migration. This study used high resolution telemetry to map migration routes of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) smolts approaching a water withdrawal zone associated with an aquaculture facility in a lowland river. Individual smolts were tagged with an acoustic transmitter and released upstream of the water withdrawal zone. A trap was installed downstream of the water withdrawal zone. The trap captured all smolts that passed the water withdrawal zone. The tracking results confirmed previous studies on Pacific salmon showing that Atlantic salmon smolts may perform milling behaviours (i.e. upstream excursions and circular swimming behaviour) in anthropogenically altered channels. Non-milling and milling smolts were compared. Smolts performing milling behaviours covered a larger area (m2) and experienced an increased probability of entering the water withdrawal zone, considered an adverse habitat. Finally, smolts were identified as either passing (67%) or non-passing (33%) the water withdrawal zone based on the recapture data from the trap. In total, 20% of the non-passing smolts entered the aquaculture facility. Several behavioural traits differed between the remaining (80%) non-passing smolts and the passing smolts. In particular, time spent near the water withdrawal zone correlated negatively with the probability of passage. These links between individual behaviours and exposure to adverse habitats and passage probability may be applied to improve management of salmonid populations.

The effects of hydrolyzed yeast supplementation on growth performance, health and immune-physiological parameters in neonatal calves challenged with vaccine were investigated. Twelve Holstein calves were started in the experiment at 2 ± 1 days of age and were studied for 35 days. Calves were randomly assigned to each of two dietary treatments, a control (CON) and hydrolyzed yeast (HY) group. The calves in the HY group received control calf starter supplemented with 0.2% HY. All calves were given calf starter ad libitum for 5 weeks starting in week 1. Calves were also given whole milk according to a step-down milking protocol. In order to induce immune responses, all calves were challenged with Hog cholera and Erysipelothrix insidiossa live vaccines by intramuscular injection at 3 weeks of age. Growth performance and feed intake were not affected by dietary treatment throughout the experimental period, except that the HY group had significantly higher (P < 0.05) milk intake than did the CON group at 3 weeks of age. Calves in the HY group showed significantly better (P < 0.05) fecal and health scores at 3 weeks compared to those in the control group. After vaccine challenge, neutropenia, lymphophilia and thrombocytopenia were observed in the CON group, but calves in the HY group did not show significant changes of leukocytes. The average concentration of serum haptoglobin in the HY group was significantly higher (P < 0.05) at 1 and 3 days post-vaccine challenge (DPVC) than that of CON group. Feeding HY supplemented calf starter resulted in a higher (P < 0.05) relative amount of bacterial and viral – specific IgA than in the CON group at 5 DPVC. Although the percentage of CD4+ T cells was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the HY group than in the CON group at −2 DPVC, significant differences between groups after vaccine challenge was not observed during the experimental period. These results suggest that 0.2% HY supplementation in calf starter can improve the health status and immune-related serum protein production and affect blood cell composition in neonatal calves after vaccine challenge.

This population-based cohort study aimed to investigate the incidence and relative hazard of renal and perinephric abscess (RA) in the diabetic population in Taiwan. More than a half million diabetic patients and sex- and age-matched controls were identified from the 1997 Taiwan National Health Insurance data and were linked to in-patient claims from 1997 to 2007. Person-year approach with Poisson assumption was used to estimate the incidence density (ID) of RA. The hazard ratios (HRs) of hospitalization due to RA in relation to diabetes were analysed using a Cox proportional hazard model. The ID for the diabetic and control subjects was 4·6 and 1·1/10 000 person-years, respectively, in 11 years of follow-up, representing an adjusted HR of 3·81 (95% confidence interval 3·44–4·23). This study confirmed the association of diabetes with RA, and argued that more aggressive urological care should be administered to diabetic patients.

We have developed a method for obtaining membership of globular cluster NGC 6121 byradius-velocity profiles of a self- gravitating system. Previous works usually identifiedthe membership of clusters by spatial distribution (radius), velocity distribution (propermotion), and photometry (isochrone in colour-magnitude diagram). However, field starcontamination might be severe by method of spatial distribution and photometric method,and many high speed stars near the central region might be missed by velocity distributionmethod. More complete members could be identified by this method.

The influence of the cloned-cattle meat diets upon reproduction in mammals was rarely studied. This study was performed to analyze the effects of the diets containing cloned-cattle (Korean native beef, Hanwoo) meat on the reproductive physiology in rats. The male and female rats were fed with the diets containing 5% or 10% of normal- (N-5 or N-10) or cloned- (C-5 or C-10) cattle meat during test periods. The rats fed with commercial pellets were used as control. Lower food consumption in normal- and cloned-cattle meat diet groups is detected in both male and female rats compared with that of control (P < 0.05, 0.01 and 0.001). No signs of cloned-cattle meat diets on male reproductive parameters are found in all groups, except for lower sperm deformity in C-5 group (P < 0.05) and higher testosterone concentration in C-10 group (P < 0.05), respectively. There are no significant test substance-related differences of Caesarean section and delivery in dams and external examination and physiological development test in neonate compared with control and normal meat groups. Based on these results, it can be postulated that there are no obvious negative effects on the reproductive physiology in rats fed with cloned-cattle meat diets compared to their comparators.

Excretory/secretory (ES) products obtained by in vitro culture of infective-stage larvae of Trichinella spiralis and T. pseudospiralis were injected intramuscularly at various intervals into mice. Mini-osmotic pumps containing T. spiralis ES products were also implanted subcutaneously and intraperitoneally into rats. The introduction of ES materials into muscles elicited extensive lesions which included dissolution of myofibres, mobilization of mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leucocytes, angiogenesis, hypertrophy of myonuclei, myotube formation, mitosis, muscle bundles becoming rounded and separated from each other, disappearance of Z, I and A bands of sarcomeres, increase in endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complexes, decrease in glycogen and relocation of mitochondria. These are considered as degenerative/regenerative changes of muscles to injury. Immunodominant epitopes of specific 45–53 kDa glycoproteins in ES antigens of T. spiralis could not be detected in hypertrophic nuclei of injected muscles by using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies and immunocytochemical methods. ES products of T. spiralis failed to stimulate unsensitized lymphocytes in the lymphocyte transformation test. Infective-stage larvae of T. spiralis released from muscles were found capable of forming nurse cells after injection subcutaneously into rats. It is postulated that the invasion of muscles by trichinellids elicits two independent events, i.e. a general degenerative/regenerative response of muscles and a specific change in genomic expression of myonuclei. The two events are probably mediated by different effector molecules.

Monoclonal antibodies raised against antigens present in the excretions/secretions (E/S) of larval Trichinella spiralis, polyclonal antibodies raised against E/S and antisera from rabbits and pigs infected with T. spiralis were used in conjunction with immunocytochemical techniques to detect antigens in sections of muscle from mice that had been infected with T. spiralis for 15 or 30 days. The antibodies recognized epitopes in the stichocytes, on the surface of the cuticle, in the lumen of the oesophagus and in the lumen of the intestine of encysted larvae. Monoclonal antibodies 7C2C5 and 1H7 and the polyclonal antibodies recognized epitopes in the cavity occupied by the larva, in the cytoplasm of the nurse cell, and in the hypertrophic nuclei of the nurse cell, but did not recognize material in the smaller nuclei of the nurse cell, in the cyst wall or in the surrounding muscle. Monoclonals 3B2E6 and 1D11G8B2, which recognized epitopes in the stichocytes and on the surface of the cuticle of the larvae, gave negative results with the cytoplasm and nuclei of the nurse cell. A polyclonal antibody raised against Trichuris suis recognized epitopes in the muscle and hypodermis of encysted T. spiralis but gave negative results with material in the nurse cell and nurse cell nuclei. The possibility that the antigen detected in the cytoplasm and nuclei of the nurse cell is produced by the stichocytes of the nematode and that it is controlling genes of the altered muscle fibre, either directly or indirectly, is discussed.