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  1. Evidence for the Higgs Boson Decay to a Z Boson and a Photon at the LHC
    Aad G, Abbott B, Abeling K, Abicht NJ, Abidi SH, Aboulhorma A, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2024 Jan 12;132(2):021803.
    PMID: 38277607 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.132.021803
    The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton-proton collision datasets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140  fb^{-1} for each experiment, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is 2.2±0.7 times the standard model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.
  2. First Evidence for cos2β>0 and Resolution of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa Quark-Mixing Unitarity Triangle Ambiguity
    Adachi I, Adye T, Ahmed H, Ahn JK, Aihara H, Akar S, et al.
    Phys Rev Lett, 2018 Dec 28;121(26):261801.
    PMID: 30636113 DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.261801
    We present first evidence that the cosine of the CP-violating weak phase 2β is positive, and hence exclude trigonometric multifold solutions of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) Unitarity Triangle using a time-dependent Dalitz plot analysis of B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} with D→K_{S}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} decays, where h^{0}∈{π^{0},η,ω} denotes a light unflavored and neutral hadron. The measurement is performed combining the final data sets of the BABAR and Belle experiments collected at the ϒ(4S) resonance at the asymmetric-energy B factories PEP-II at SLAC and KEKB at KEK, respectively. The data samples contain (471±3)×10^{6}BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the BABAR detector and (772±11)×10^{6}BB[over ¯] pairs recorded by the Belle detector. The results of the measurement are sin2β=0.80±0.14(stat)±0.06(syst)±0.03(model) and cos2β=0.91±0.22(stat)±0.09(syst)±0.07(model). The result for the direct measurement of the angle β of the CKM Unitarity Triangle is β=[22.5±4.4(stat)±1.2(syst)±0.6(model)]°. The measurement assumes no direct CP violation in B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} decays. The quoted model uncertainties are due to the composition of the D^{0}→K_{S}^{0}π^{+}π^{-} decay amplitude model, which is newly established by performing a Dalitz plot amplitude analysis using a high-statistics e^{+}e^{-}→cc[over ¯] data sample. CP violation is observed in B^{0}→D^{(*)}h^{0} decays at the level of 5.1 standard deviations. The significance for cos2β>0 is 3.7 standard deviations. The trigonometric multifold solution π/2-β=(68.1±0.7)° is excluded at the level of 7.3 standard deviations. The measurement resolves an ambiguity in the determination of the apex of the CKM Unitarity Triangle.
  3. [Discrimination of geographic strains of periodic Brugia malayi by the cuticular ornamentation of the male]
    Bain O, Chandrasekharan SA, Partono F, Mak JW, Zheng HJ, Seo BS, et al.
    Ann Parasitol Hum Comp, 1988;63(3):209-23.
    PMID: 3190122
    A comparative study of five periodic human strains of Brugia malayi, originating from India, China, Korea, Malaysia and Indonesia, is given. This morphological analysis is based on males; the "standard" characters (oesophagus, papillae, spicules...) appear identical. On the contrary, the cuticular ornamentation of the posterior region--which is composed of the area rugosa and of a system of bosses and constitutes a secondary non-skid copulatory apparatus--differs following the geographical origin of the strain. A key is given, based on this character. 1(2) At 800-1,200 micron from the tip of tail, numerous cuticular bosses present on the right side of the body (fig. 2 and 8 B). 2(1) At 800-1,200 micron from the tip of tail, cuticular bosses absent or scarce on the right side of the body (fig. 8 D). 3(4) At 1,800-1,200 micron from the tip of tail (fig. 4), scarce and slightly projecting cuticular bosses on the dorsal side of the body contrasting with well projecting lateral cuticular bosses (fig. 9 E and F). Anterior extremity of the area rugosa made by a few stripes of tiny bosses linked transversally (fig. 9 A). 4(3) At 1,800-2,200 micron, numerous cuticular bosses on the dorsal side of the body (figs. 5, 6 and 7). Anterior extremity of the area rugosa made by the stripes of longitudinal rods (fig. 9C). 5(6) Oblong transversally stretched cuticular bosses on the dorsal and left sides of the body, anteriorly to the area rugosa (fig. 5); big oblong bosses on the left side (fig. 9 B). Transversal wrinkles and stripes of rods absent on the dorsal side of the body. 6(5) Round cuticular bosses on the dorsal and left sides of the body anteriorly to the area rugosa (figs. 6 and 7): no big oblong bosses on the left side. Transversal wrinkles or stripes of rods present on the dorsal side of the body (fig. 9 D). Nomenclaturally, such differences could be used in defining different taxa, but it could be useful to perform "blind determination" (material without labelling), to study conveniently the morphology of microfilariae (often an excellent indication for speciation in that group of Nematodes) and, evenly, to proceed to parallel studies on isoenzymes. However, whatever could be the taxonomical conclusion, the differences observed in Brugia malayi originating from different regions appear to the sufficient to consider the existence of four distinct diseases.
  4. Fulltext Was Wuhan the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic?-A critique
    Cao Y, Chen L, Chen H, Cun Y, Dai X, Du H, et al.
    Natl Sci Rev, 2023 Apr;10(4):nwac287.
    PMID: 37089192 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwac287
  5. Rapid authentication and identification of different types of A. roxburghii by Tri-step FT-IR spectroscopy
    Chen Y, Huang J, Yeap ZQ, Zhang X, Wu S, Ng CH, et al.
    Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc, 2018 Jun 15;199:271-282.
    PMID: 29626818 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2018.03.061
    Anoectochilus roxburghii (Wall.) Lindl. (Orchidaceae) is a precious traditional Chinese medicinal herb and has been perennially used to treat various illness. However, there were unethical sellers who adulterated wild A. roxburghii with tissue cultured and cultivated ones. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an effective authentication method to differentiate between these different types of A. roxburghii. In this research, the infrared spectroscopic tri-step identification approach including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Second derivative infrared spectra (SD-IR) and two-dimensional correlation infrared spectra (2D-IR) was used to develop a simple and rapid method to discriminate between wild, cultivated and tissue cultivated A. roxburghii plant. Through this study, all three types of A. roxburghii plant were successfully identified and discriminated through the infrared spectroscopic tri-step identification method. Besides that, all the samples of wild, cultivated and tissue cultivated A. roxburghii plant were analysed with the Soft Independent Modelling of Class Analogy (SIMCA) pattern recognition technique to test and verify the experimental results. The results showed that the three types of A. roxburghii can be discriminated clearly as the recognition rate was 100% for all three types and the rejection rate was more than 60%. 70% of the validated samples were also identified correctly by the SIMCA model. The SIMCA model was also validated by comparing 70 standard herbs to the model. As a result, it was demonstrated that the macroscopic IR fingerprint method and the classification analysis could discriminate not only between the A. roxburghi samples and the standard herbs, it could also distinguish between the three different types of A. roxburghi plant in a direct, rapid and holistic manner.
  6. Fulltext Microbiota organization is a distinct feature of proximal colorectal cancers
    Dejea CM, Wick EC, Hechenbleikner EM, White JR, Mark Welch JL, Rossetti BJ, et al.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2014 Dec 23;111(51):18321-6.
    PMID: 25489084 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1406199111
    Environmental factors clearly affect colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence, but the mechanisms through which these factors function are unknown. One prime candidate is an altered colonic microbiota. Here we show that the mucosal microbiota organization is a critical factor associated with a subset of CRC. We identified invasive polymicrobial bacterial biofilms (bacterial aggregates), structures previously associated with nonmalignant intestinal pathology, nearly universally (89%) on right-sided tumors (13 of 15 CRCs, 4 of 4 adenomas) but on only 12% of left-sided tumors (2 of 15 CRCs, 0 of 2 adenomas). Surprisingly, patients with biofilm-positive tumors, whether cancers or adenomas, all had biofilms on their tumor-free mucosa far distant from their tumors. Bacterial biofilms were associated with diminished colonic epithelial cell E-cadherin and enhanced epithelial cell IL-6 and Stat3 activation, as well as increased crypt epithelial cell proliferation in normal colon mucosa. High-throughput sequencing revealed no consistent bacterial genus associated with tumors, regardless of biofilm status. However, principal coordinates analysis revealed that biofilm communities on paired normal mucosa, distant from the tumor itself, cluster with tumor microbiomes as opposed to biofilm-negative normal mucosa bacterial communities also from the tumor host. Colon mucosal biofilm detection may predict increased risk for development of sporadic CRC.
  7. Enhanced Enzymatic Sugar Recovery of Dilute-Acid-Pretreated Corn Stover by Sodium Carbonate Deacetylation
    Fu W, Wu S, Wang C, Thangalazhy-Gopakumar S, Kothari U, Shi S, et al.
    Bioengineering (Basel), 2023 Oct 14;10(10).
    PMID: 37892926 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10101197
    The prehydrolysate from dilute acid pretreatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks often contains inhibitory compounds that can seriously inhibit the subsequent enzymatic and fermentation processes. Acetic acid is one of the most representative toxic compounds. In this research, alkaline deacetylation of corn stover was carried out using sodium carbonate under mild conditions to selectively remove the acetyl groups of the biomass and reduce the toxicity of the prehydrolysate. The deacetylation process was optimized by adjusting factors such as temperature, treatment time, and sodium carbonate concentration. Sodium carbonate solutions (2~6 wt%) at 30~50 °C were used for the deacetylation step, followed by dilute acid pretreatment with 1.5% H2SO4 at 121 °C. Results showed that the acetyl content of the treated corn stover could be reduced up to 87%, while the hemicellulose loss remained low. The optimal deacetylation condition was found to be 40 °C, 6 h, and 4 wt% Na2CO3, resulting in a removal of 80.55% of the acetyl group in corn stover and a hemicellulose loss of 4.09%. The acetic acid concentration in the acid prehydrolysate decreased from 1.38 to 0.34 g/L. The enzymatic hydrolysis of solid corn stover and the whole slurry after pretreatment increased by 17% and 16%, respectively.
  8. Fulltext Redundant Innate and Adaptive Sources of IL17 Production Drive Colon Tumorigenesis
    Housseau F, Wu S, Wick EC, Fan H, Wu X, Llosa NJ, et al.
    Cancer Res, 2016 04 15;76(8):2115-24.
    PMID: 26880802 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-0749
    IL17-producing Th17 cells, generated through a STAT3-dependent mechanism, have been shown to promote carcinogenesis in many systems, including microbe-driven colon cancer. Additional sources of IL17, such as γδ T cells, become available under inflammatory conditions, but their contributions to cancer development are unclear. In this study, we modeled Th17-driven colon tumorigenesis by colonizing Min(Ap) (c+/-) mice with the human gut bacterium, enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF), to investigate the link between inflammation and colorectal cancer. We found that ablating Th17 cells by knocking out Stat3 in CD4(+) T cells delayed tumorigenesis, but failed to suppress the eventual formation of colonic tumors. However, IL17 blockade significantly attenuated tumor formation, indicating a critical requirement for IL17 in tumorigenesis, but from a source other than Th17 cells. Notably, genetic ablation of γδ T cells in ETBF-colonized Th17-deficient Min mice prevented the late emergence of colonic tumors. Taken together, these findings support a redundant role for adaptive Th17 cell- and innate γδT17 cell-derived IL17 in bacteria-induced colon carcinogenesis, stressing the importance of therapeutically targeting the cytokine itself rather than its cellular sources. Cancer Res; 76(8); 2115-24. ©2016 AACR.
  9. Levels of Ancylostoma infections and phylogenetic analysis of cox 1 gene of A. ceylanicum in stray cat faecal samples from Guangzhou, China
    Hu W, Yu XG, Wu S, Tan LP, Song MR, Abdulahi AY, et al.
    J Helminthol, 2016 Jul;90(4):392-7.
    PMID: 26123649 DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X15000413
    Ancylostoma ceylanicum is a common zoonotic nematode. Cats act as natural reservoirs of the hookworm and are involved in transmitting infection to humans, thus posing a potential risk to public health. The prevalence of feline A. ceylanicum in Guangzhou (South China) was surveyed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). In total, 112 faecal samples were examined; 34.8% (39/112) and 43.8% (49/112) samples were positive with hookworms by microscopy and PCR method, respectively. Among them, 40.8% of samples harboured A. ceylanicum. Twelve positive A. ceylanicum samples were selected randomly and used for cox 1 sequence analysis. Sequencing results revealed that they had 97-99% similarity with A. ceylanicum cox 1 gene sequences deposited in GenBank. A phylogenetic tree showed that A. ceylanicum isolates were divided into two groups: one comprising four isolates from Guangzhou (South China), and the other comprising those from Malaysia, Cambodia and Guangzhou. In the latter group, all A. ceylanicum isolates from Guangzhou were clustered into a minor group again. The results indicate that the high prevalence of A. ceylanicum in stray cats in South China poses a potential risk of hookworm transmission from pet cats to humans, and that A. ceylanicum may be a species complex worldwide.
  10. Fulltext Phase formation study of CuAlO2 transparent conductive oxide thin films
    Hutagalung, Sabar D., Woon, Wu S., Khatijah A. Yaacob, Lockman, Zainovia
    Journal of Nuclear and Related Technologies, 2007;2007(1):165-170.
    MyJurnal
    P-type transparent conductive oxide of copper aluminum oxide (CuAlO2) thin films were prepared by using sol-gel method with nitrate solutions as starting precursor. Copper nitrate and aluminum nitrate were selected as raw materials that provide the copper and aluminum source. The CuAlO2 thin films were deposited on pre-cleaned silicon substrate by spin-coating technique. To study of phase formation of CuAlO2, as prepared sample was dried and subjected to heat treatment at various temperatures. The heat-treated samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive x-ray (EDX). From XRD analysis result found that CuAlO2 phase was formed after annealing at 1100 o C for 4 hrs. EDX result of annealed sample at 1100 o C shows composition of Cu and Al that indicate the possibility of forming CuAlO2.
  11. Fulltext Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition)
    Klionsky DJ, Abdelmohsen K, Abe A, Abedin MJ, Abeliovich H, Acevedo Arozena A, et al.
    Autophagy, 2016;12(1):1-222.
    PMID: 26799652 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356
  12. Fulltext Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1
    Klionsky DJ, Abdel-Aziz AK, Abdelfatah S, Abdellatif M, Abdoli A, Abel S, et al.
    Autophagy, 2021 Jan;17(1):1-382.
    PMID: 33634751 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1797280
    In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field.
  13. Threat Upon Entry: Effect of Coworker Ostracism on Newcomers' Proactive Behaviors During Organizational Socialization
    Liu P, Zhang Y, Ji Y, Wu S
    Front Psychol, 2021;12:545478.
    PMID: 33889103 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.545478
    Extant literature has underlined the importance of newcomer proactive socialization to the organization. However, the effect of coworker ostracism on newcomers' proactive behaviors has not been noticed. Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we proposed a model exploring how coworker ostracism impacted newcomers' proactive behaviors via the mediation of psychological availability. Through an empirical study with a sample of 263 newcomers and three waves of longitudinal data, we found that coworker ostracism had a negative effect on newcomers' information seeking and guanxi developing. In addition, emotional intelligence enhanced the negative effect of coworker ostracism on newcomers' psychological availability and the indirect influence of coworker ostracism on newcomers' proactive behaviors via psychological availability. Important theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
  14. Fulltext A 3.4-kb Copy-Number Deletion near EPAS1 Is Significantly Enriched in High-Altitude Tibetans but Absent from the Denisovan Sequence
    Lou H, Lu Y, Lu D, Fu R, Wang X, Feng Q, et al.
    Am J Hum Genet, 2015 Jul 02;97(1):54-66.
    PMID: 26073780 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2015.05.005
    Tibetan high-altitude adaptation (HAA) has been studied extensively, and many candidate genes have been reported. Subsequent efforts targeting HAA functional variants, however, have not been that successful (e.g., no functional variant has been suggested for the top candidate HAA gene, EPAS1). With WinXPCNVer, a method developed in this study, we detected in microarray data a Tibetan-enriched deletion (TED) carried by 90% of Tibetans; 50% were homozygous for the deletion, whereas only 3% carried the TED and 0% carried the homozygous deletion in 2,792 worldwide samples (p < 10(-15)). We employed long PCR and Sanger sequencing technologies to determine the exact copy number and breakpoints of the TED in 70 additional Tibetan and 182 diverse samples. The TED had identical boundaries (chr2: 46,694,276-46,697,683; hg19) and was 80 kb downstream of EPAS1. Notably, the TED was in strong linkage disequilibrium (LD; r(2) = 0.8) with EPAS1 variants associated with reduced blood concentrations of hemoglobin. It was also in complete LD with the 5-SNP motif, which was suspected to be introgressed from Denisovans, but the deletion itself was absent from the Denisovan sequence. Correspondingly, we detected that footprints of positive selection for the TED occurred 12,803 (95% confidence interval = 12,075-14,725) years ago. We further whole-genome deep sequenced (>60×) seven Tibetans and verified the TED but failed to identify any other copy-number variations with comparable patterns, giving this TED top priority for further study. We speculate that the specific patterns of the TED resulted from its own functionality in HAA of Tibetans or LD with a functional variant of EPAS1.
  15. Identifying and treating foot ulcers in patients with diabetes: saving feet, legs and lives
    Ousey K, Chadwick P, Jawien A, Tariq G, Nair HKR, Lázaro-Martínez JL, et al.
    J Wound Care, 2018 05 01;27(Sup5):S1-S52.
    PMID: 29738280 DOI: 10.12968/jowc.2018.27.Sup5.S1
  16. Study on moths of the Herminia decipiens complex (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Herminiinae) with descriptions of three new species
    Owada M, Wu S
    Zootaxa, 2019 Aug 09;4652(3):zootaxa.4652.3.13.
    PMID: 31716865 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4652.3.13
    Asian herminiine moths of the Herminia decipiens complex are revised and five allopatric species are recognized, i.e. Herminia decipiens (Hampson, 1898) in Nilgiri Hills, Khasi Hills, South China, Indochina, Malay Peninsula, H. terminalis (Wileman, 1915) in Taiwan, H. yuksam sp. nov. in East Nepal, Sikkim, H. borneo sp. nov. in Borneo and H. amamioshima sp. nov. in Amami-oshima Is., Shimo-Koshikijima Is. and South Kyushu (Kagoshima). Key to all species is given.
  17. Fulltext Application of ultrasonication at different microbial growth stages during apple juice fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum: Investigation on the metabolic response
    Wang H, Tao Y, Li Y, Wu S, Li D, Liu X, et al.
    Ultrason Sonochem, 2021 May;73:105486.
    PMID: 33639530 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2021.105486
    In this work, low-intensity ultrasonication (58.3 and 93.6 W/L) was performed at lag, logarithmic and stationary growth phases of Lactobacillus plantarum in apple juice fermentation, separately. Microbial responses to sonication, including microbial growth, profiles of organic acids profile, amino acids, phenolics, and antioxidant capacity, were examined. The results revealed that obvious responses were made by Lactobacillus plantarum to ultrasonication at lag and logarithmic phases, whereas sonication at stationary phase had a negligible impact. Sonication at lag and logarithmic phases promoted microbial growth and intensified biotransformation of malic acid to lactic acid. For example, after sonication at lag phase for 0.5 h, microbial count and lactic acid content in the ultrasound-treated samples at 58.3 W/L reached 7.91 ± 0.01 Log CFU/mL and 133.70 ± 7.39 mg/L, which were significantly higher than that in the non-sonicated samples. However, the ultrasonic effect on microbial growth and metabolism of organic acids attenuated with fermentation. Moreover, ultrasonication at lag and logarithmic phases had complex influences on the metabolism of apple phenolics such as chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, procyanidin B2, catechin and gallic acid. Ultrasound could positively affect the hydrolysis of chlorogenic acid to caffeic acid, the transformation of procyanidin B2 and decarboxylation of gallic acid. The metabolism of organic acids and free amino acids in the sonicated samples was statistically correlated with phenolic metabolism, implying that ultrasound may benefit phenolic derivation by improving the microbial metabolism of organic acids and amino acids.
  18. Sofosbuvir-velpatasvir for treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in Asia: a single-arm, open-label, phase 3 trial
    Wei L, Lim SG, Xie Q, Văn KN, Piratvisuth T, Huang Y, et al.
    Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol, 2019 02;4(2):127-134.
    PMID: 30555048 DOI: 10.1016/S2468-1253(18)30343-1
    BACKGROUND: Treatment with combined sofosbuvir and velpatasvir has resulted in high sustained virological response rates in patients chronically infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) with genotypes 1-6 in clinical trials and real-world settings, but its efficacy and safety has not been assessed in Asia, a region with diverse HCV genotypes.

    METHODS: In this single-arm, open-label, phase 3 trial, we recruited patients from 38 sites across China, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, who were chronically infected with HCV genotypes 1-6, and were HCV treatment-naive or treatment-experienced, either without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis. Patients self-administered a combined sofosbuvir (400 mg) and velpatasvir (100 mg) tablet once daily for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was sustained virological response, defined as HCV RNA less than 15 IU/mL at 12 weeks after completion of treatment (SVR12), assessed in all patients who received at least one dose of study drug. The primary safety endpoint was the proportion of adverse events leading to premature discontinuation of study drug. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02671500, and is completed.

    FINDINGS: Between April 14, 2016, and June 30, 2017, 375 patients were enrolled in the study, of whom 374 completed the full treatment course and one discontinued treatment. Overall, 362 (97% [95% CI 94-98]) of 375 patients achieved SVR12. Among 42 patients with HCV genotype 3b, all of whom had baseline resistance-associated substitutions in NS5A, 25 (89% [95% CI 72-98]) of 28 patients without cirrhosis and seven (50% [23-77]) of 14 patients with cirrhosis achieved SVR12. The most common adverse events were upper respiratory tract infection (36 [10%] patients) and headache (18 [5%] patients). There were no discontinuations due to adverse events. Serious adverse events were reported in three (1%) patients, none of which was judged to be related to sofosbuvir-velpatasvir treatment.

    INTERPRETATION: Consistent with data from other phase 3 studies, single-tablet sofosbuvir-velpatasvir for 12 weeks is an efficacious and safe treatment for Asian patients with chronic HCV infection, but might have lower efficacy in those infected with HCV genotype 3b and with cirrhosis.

    FUNDING: Gilead Sciences.

  19. Is there a role for academic medical centers in emerging markets?
    Wiener CM, Thompson SJ, Wu S, Chellappa M, Hasham S
    World Hosp Health Serv, 2012;48(4):4-6.
    PMID: 23484425
    Governments in emerging markets face mounting challenges in managing health spending, building capability and capacity, modernizing ageing infrastructure, and investing in skills and resources. One path to overcoming these challenges is to establish new public-private models of health care development and delivery based on United States academic medical centers, whose missions are to advance medical education and clinical delivery. Johns Hopkins Medicine is a participant in the collaboration developing between the Perdana University Hospital and the Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine in Malaysia. These two organizations comprise an academic health science center based on the United States model. The Perdana project provides constructive insights into the opportunities and challenges that governments, universities, and the private sector face when introducing new models of patient care that are integrated with medical education, clinical training, and biomedical research.
  20. Fulltext Elevated CO2 improves both lipid accumulation and growth rate in the glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase engineered Phaeodactylum tricornutum
    Wu S, Gu W, Huang A, Li Y, Kumar M, Lim PE, et al.
    Microb Cell Fact, 2019 Sep 23;18(1):161.
    PMID: 31547820 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-019-1214-x
    BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have shown that stress induction and genetic engineering can effectively increase lipid accumulation, but lead to a decrease of growth in the majority of microalgae. We previously found that elevated CO2 concentration increased lipid productivity as well as growth in Phaeodactylum tricornutum, along with an enhancement of the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP) activity. The purpose of this work directed toward the verification of the critical role of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), the rate-limiting enzyme in the OPPP, in lipid accumulation in P. tricornutum and its simultaneous rapid growth rate under high-CO2 (0.15%) cultivation.

    RESULTS: In this study, G6PDH was identified as a target for algal strain improvement, wherein G6PDH gene was successfully overexpressed and antisense knockdown in P. tricornutum, and systematic comparisons of the photosynthesis performance, algal growth, lipid content, fatty acid profiles, NADPH production, G6PDH activity and transcriptional abundance were performed. The results showed that, due to the enhanced G6PDH activity, transcriptional abundance and NAPDH production, overexpression of G6PDH accompanied by high-CO2 cultivation resulted in a much higher of both lipid content and growth in P. tricornutum, while knockdown of G6PDH greatly decreased algal growth as well as lipid accumulation. In addition, the total proportions of saturated and unsaturated fatty acid, especially the polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; C20:5, n-3), were highly increased in high-CO2 cultivated G6PDH overexpressed strains.

    CONCLUSIONS: The successful of overexpression and antisense knockdown of G6PDH well demonstrated the positive influence of G6PDH on algal growth and lipid accumulation in P. tricornutum. The improvement of algal growth, lipid content as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids in high-CO2 cultivated G6PDH overexpressed P. tricornutum suggested this G6PDH overexpression-high CO2 cultivation pattern provides an efficient and economical route for algal strain improvement to develop algal-based biodiesel production.

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