Displaying publications 41 - 60 of 149 in total

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  1. Wan J, Yuan J, Li X, Bao Y, Hou Y, Li Z, et al.
    Complement Ther Med, 2020 Nov;54:102579.
    PMID: 33183675 DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102579
    OBJECTIVE: Although many studies have attempted to unravel the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and the incidence of VTE, the results remained inconsistent. To address this discrepancy, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to precisely disentangle the relationship between serum vitamin D levels and VTE risk.

    METHODS: The Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed/Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar databases were searched for all available observational studies that reported the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) based on serum vitamin D levels categories. The search was performed up to March 2020.

    RESULTS: Seven studies were included. The overall analysis showed a significantly increased risk of VTE in subjects with low levels of serum vitamin D compared with those with normal vitamin D levels (RR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.07-1.69; P = 0.011). In a sensitivity analysis, we did not observe a significant effect of any individual study on the combined effect sizes. Nevertheless, significant heterogeneity was present among the studies (Cochrane Q test, p = 0.018, I2 = 61%). In the stratified analysis, low vitamin D levels were positively associated with an increased risk of VTE in prospective population-based studies (RR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.06-1.61; P = 0.010) and in subjects below 60 years old (RR = 1.28; 95% CI: 1.07-1.54; P = 0.060).

    CONCLUSION: our systematic review and meta-analysis showed that a low serum vitamin D level was indeed associated with an increased risk of VTE.

  2. Umpleby AM, Shojaee-Moradie F, Fielding B, Li X, Marino A, Alsini N, et al.
    Clin Sci (Lond), 2017 Nov 01;131(21):2561-2573.
    PMID: 28923880 DOI: 10.1042/CS20171208
    Dietary sugars are linked to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and dyslipidaemia, but it is unknown if NAFLD itself influences the effects of sugars on plasma lipoproteins. To study this further, men with NAFLD (n = 11) and low liver fat 'controls' (n = 14) were fed two iso-energetic diets, high or low in sugars (26% or 6% total energy) for 12 weeks, in a randomised, cross-over design. Fasting plasma lipid and lipoprotein kinetics were measured after each diet by stable isotope trace-labelling.There were significant differences in the production and catabolic rates of VLDL subclasses between men with NAFLD and controls, in response to the high and low sugar diets. Men with NAFLD had higher plasma concentrations of VLDL1-triacylglycerol (TAG) after the high (P<0.02) and low sugar (P<0.0002) diets, a lower VLDL1-TAG fractional catabolic rate after the high sugar diet (P<0.01), and a higher VLDL1-TAG production rate after the low sugar diet (P<0.01), relative to controls. An effect of the high sugar diet, was to channel hepatic TAG into a higher production of VLDL1-TAG (P<0.02) in the controls, but in contrast, a higher production of VLDL2-TAG (P<0.05) in NAFLD. These dietary effects on VLDL subclass kinetics could be explained, in part, by differences in the contribution of fatty acids from intra-hepatic stores, and de novo lipogenesis. The present study provides new evidence that liver fat accumulation leads to a differential partitioning of hepatic TAG into large and small VLDL subclasses, in response to high and low intakes of sugars.
  3. Thagaard J, Broeckx G, Page DB, Jahangir CA, Verbandt S, Kos Z, et al.
    J Pathol, 2023 Aug;260(5):498-513.
    PMID: 37608772 DOI: 10.1002/path.6155
    The clinical significance of the tumor-immune interaction in breast cancer is now established, and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have emerged as predictive and prognostic biomarkers for patients with triple-negative (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and HER2-negative) breast cancer and HER2-positive breast cancer. How computational assessments of TILs might complement manual TIL assessment in trial and daily practices is currently debated. Recent efforts to use machine learning (ML) to automatically evaluate TILs have shown promising results. We review state-of-the-art approaches and identify pitfalls and challenges of automated TIL evaluation by studying the root cause of ML discordances in comparison to manual TIL quantification. We categorize our findings into four main topics: (1) technical slide issues, (2) ML and image analysis aspects, (3) data challenges, and (4) validation issues. The main reason for discordant assessments is the inclusion of false-positive areas or cells identified by performance on certain tissue patterns or design choices in the computational implementation. To aid the adoption of ML for TIL assessment, we provide an in-depth discussion of ML and image analysis, including validation issues that need to be considered before reliable computational reporting of TILs can be incorporated into the trial and routine clinical management of patients with triple-negative breast cancer. © 2023 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.
  4. Tay K, Kamarul T, Lok WY, Mansor M, Li X, Wong J, et al.
    Malays Orthop J, 2020 Jul;14(2).
    PMID: 32313613 DOI: 10.5704/MOJ.2007.001
    With the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and related deaths worldwide, we decided to share the development of this condition in Singapore and Malaysia. First few cases were diagnosed in the two countries at the end of January 2020, and the numbers have surged to thousands by end of March 2020. We will focus on strategies adopted by the government and also the Orthopaedic community of the two countries up till the beginning of April 2020. We hope that by sharing of relevant information and knowledge on how we are managing the COVID-19 condition, we can help other communities, and health care workers to more effectively overcome this pandemic.
  5. Tang W, Liu H, Li X, Ooi TC, Rajab NF, Cao H, et al.
    Aging (Albany NY), 2022 Nov 14;14(21):8688-8699.
    PMID: 36375474 DOI: 10.18632/aging.204380
    BACKGROUND: A complex of Zn and carnosine, called Zinc-L-carnosine (ZnC), enjoys a wide application as part of a Zn supplement therapeutic method as well as in treating peptic ulcers. However, researches fail to confirm the biological functions possessed by ZnC as well as tumor immune microenvironment in colorectal cancer (CRC).

    METHODS: Cell counting kit 8(CCK8), 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU), transwell and wound healing assays were conducted to study the influence of ZnC in the proliferating, invading and migrating processes of CRC cell lines (HCT116, LOVO) in vitro. The antitumor activity ZnC as well as its effects on tumor immune microenvironment were then assessed using CRC subcutaneous tumors in the C57BL/6 mouse model.

    RESULTS: According to CCK8, EdU, transwell and wound healing assays, ZnC inhibited CRC cell lines in terms of proliferation, invasion and migration. ZnC could inhibit miR-570 for up-regulating PD-L1 expression. In vivo experiments showed that gavage (100 mg/kg, once every day) of ZnC inhibited the tumor growth of CRC, and the combination of ZnC and anti-PD1 therapy significantly improved the efficacy exhibited by anti-PD1 in treating CRC. In addition, mass cytometry results showed that immunosuppressive cells including regulatory T cells (tregs), bone marrow-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), and M2 macrophages decreased whereas CD8+ T cells elevated after adding ZnC.

    CONCLUSIONS: The present study reveals that ZnC slows the progression of CRC by inhibiting CRC cells in terms of proliferation, invasion and migration, meanwhile up-regulating PD-L1 expression via inhibiting miR-570. The ZnC-anti-PD1 co-treatment assists in synergically increasing anti-tumor efficacy in CRC therapy.

  6. Tang W, Liu H, Li X, Ooi TC, Rajab NF, Cao H, et al.
    J Oncol, 2023;2023:2611105.
    PMID: 36908705 DOI: 10.1155/2023/2611105
    BACKGROUND: Approximately 10% of cancer patients worldwide have colorectal cancer (CRC), a prevalent gastrointestinal malignancy with substantial mortality and morbidity. The purpose of this work was to investigate the APOC1 gene's expression patterns in the CRC tumor microenvironment and, using the findings from bioinformatics, to assess the biological function of APOC1 in the development of CRC.

    METHODS: The TCGA portal was employed in this investigation to find APOC1 expression in CRC. Its correlation with other genes and clinicopathological data was examined using the UALCAN database. To validate APOC1's cellular location, the Human Protein was employed. In order to forecast the relationship between APOC1 expression and prognosis in CRC patients, the Kaplan-Meier plotter database was used. TISIDB was also employed to evaluate the connection between immune responses and APOC1 expression in CRC. The interactions of APOC1 with other proteins were predicted using STRING. In order to understand the factors that contribute to liver metastasis from CRC, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was done on one patient who had the disease. This procedure included sampling preoperative blood and the main colorectal cancer tissues, surrounding colorectal cancer normal tissues, liver metastatic cancer tissues, and normal liver tissues. Finally, an in vitro knockdown method was used to assess how APOC1 expression in tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) affected CRC cancer cell growth and migration.

    RESULTS: When compared to paracancerous tissues, APOC1 expression was considerably higher in CRC tissues. The clinicopathological stage and the prognosis of CRC patients had a positive correlation with APOC1 upregulation and a negative correlation, respectively. APOC1 proteins are mostly found in cell cytosols where they may interact with APOE, RAB42, and TREM2. APOC1 was also discovered to have a substantial relationship with immunoinhibitors (CD274, IDO1, and IL10) and immunostimulators (PVR, CD86, and ICOS). According to the results of scRNA-seq, we found that TAMs of CRC tissues had considerably more APOC1 than other cell groups. The proliferation and migration of CRC cells were impeded in vitro by APOC1 knockdown in TAMs.

    CONCLUSION: Based on scRNA-seq research, the current study shows that APOC1 was overexpressed in TAMs from CRC tissues. By inhibiting APOC1 in TAMs, CRC progression was reduced in vitro, offering a new tactic and giving CRC patients fresh hope.

  7. Tang BH, Guan Z, Allegaert K, Wu YE, Manolis E, Leroux S, et al.
    Clin Pharmacokinet, 2021 11;60(11):1435-1448.
    PMID: 34041714 DOI: 10.1007/s40262-021-01033-x
    BACKGROUND: Population pharmacokinetic evaluations have been widely used in neonatal pharmacokinetic studies, while machine learning has become a popular approach to solving complex problems in the current era of big data.

    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to evaluate whether combining population pharmacokinetic and machine learning approaches could provide a more accurate prediction of the clearance of renally eliminated drugs in individual neonates.

    METHODS: Six drugs that are primarily eliminated by the kidneys were selected (vancomycin, latamoxef, cefepime, azlocillin, ceftazidime, and amoxicillin) as 'proof of concept' compounds. Individual estimates of clearance obtained from population pharmacokinetic models were used as reference clearances, and diverse machine learning methods and nested cross-validation were adopted and evaluated against these reference clearances. The predictive performance of these combined methods was compared with the performance of two other predictive methods: a covariate-based maturation model and a postmenstrual age and body weight scaling model. Relative error was used to evaluate the different methods.

    RESULTS: The extra tree regressor was selected as the best-fit machine learning method. Using the combined method, more than 95% of predictions for all six drugs had a relative error of < 50% and the mean relative error was reduced by an average of 44.3% and 71.3% compared with the other two predictive methods.

    CONCLUSION: A combined population pharmacokinetic and machine learning approach provided improved predictions of individual clearances of renally cleared drugs in neonates. For a new patient treated in clinical practice, individual clearance can be predicted a priori using our model code combined with demographic data.

  8. Tan L, Wang M, Li X, Li H, Zhao J, Qu Y, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2016 Jan;200:572-8.
    PMID: 26539970 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.10.079
    In this work, fractionation of empty fruit bunch (EFB) by bisulfite pretreatment was studied for the production of bioethanol and high value products to achieve biorefinery of EFB. EFB was fractionated to solid and liquor components by bisulfite process. The solid components were used for bioethanol production by quasi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. The liquor components were then converted to furfural by hydrolysis with sulfuric acid. Preliminary results showed that the concentration of furfural was highest at 18.8g/L with 0.75% sulfuric acid and reaction time of 25min. The conversion of xylose to furfural was 82.5%. Furthermore, we attempted to fractionate the liquor into hemicellulose sugars and lignin by different methods for producing potential chemicals, such as xylose, xylooligosaccharide, and lignosulfonate. Our research showed that the combination of bisulfite pretreatment and resin separation could effectively fractionate EFB components to produce bioethanol and other high value chemicals.
  9. Tan L, Sun W, Li X, Zhao J, Qu Y, Choo YM, et al.
    Biotechnol J, 2015 Jun;10(6):915-25.
    PMID: 25866127 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201400733
    Bisulfite pretreatment is a proven effective method for improving the enzymatic hydrolysis of empty fruit bunch (EFB) from oil palm for bioethanol production. In this study, we set out to determine the changes that occur in the structure and properties of EFB materials and fractions of hemicellulose and lignin during the bisulfite pretreatment process. The results showed that the crystallinity of cellulose in EFB increased after bisulfite pretreatment, whereas the EFB surface was damaged to various degrees. The orderly structure of EFB, which was maintained by hydrogen bonds, was destroyed by bisulfite pretreatment. Bisulfite pretreatment also hydrolyzed the glycosidic bonds of the xylan backbone of hemicellulose, thereby decreasing the molecular weight and shortening the xylan chains. The lignin fractions obtained from EFB and pretreated EFB were typically G-S lignin, and with low content of H units. Meanwhile, de-etherification occurred at the β-O-4 linkage, which was accompanied by polymerization and demethoxylation as a result of bisulfite pretreatment. The adsorption ability of cellulase differed for the various lignin fractions, and the water-soluble lignin fractions had higher adsorption capacity on cellulase than the milled wood lignin. In general, the changes in the structure and properties of EFB provided insight into the benefits of bisulfite pretreatment.
  10. Sum AYC, Li X, Yeng YYH, Razif MFM, Jamil AHA, Ting NS, et al.
    Int J Med Mushrooms, 2020;22(8):803-814.
    PMID: 33389874 DOI: 10.1615/IntJMedMushrooms.2020035658
    Natural compounds found in Lignosus rhinocerus like polysaccharides and polysaccharide-protein complexes have the capabilities to modulate the immune system. It possesses antitumor and anti-inflammatory properties and is commonly used in Southeast Asia and Southern China to alleviate illness. To investigate its immunomodulating properties, composition of polysaccharides and the expression of cytokines/chemokines from L. rhinocerus (TM02®) cultivar treated RAW 264.7 were explored. It was revealed, CWE contains linear polysaccharides with 1,4-linkages and rhinoprolycan fraction (HMW & MMW) possesses 1,4-Glcp and 1,6-Glcp backbone and branched chain (1,3,6-Glcp, 1,4,6-Glcp, 1,3,6-Glcp, 1,2,4,6-Glcp). Cytokines profile showed upregulation from CWE (IL-5: 12.078 ± 1.225), HMW (IL-6: 7.297 ± 0.338; TIMP-1: 3.358 ± 0.200), MMW (IL-5: 15.412 ± 5.823; TIMP-1: 1.747 ± 0.053), and LMW (MIP-2: 3.495 ± 0.416; TIMP-1: 7.573 ± 0.088) and possible involvement of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathway. Further in vivo studies are needed to fully understand the immunomodulatory effects of TM02®.
  11. Su X, Lin Y, Liu L, Mei H, Xu A, Zeng C, et al.
    J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab, 2023 Jan 27;36(1):74-80.
    PMID: 36433712 DOI: 10.1515/jpem-2022-0372
    OBJECTIVES: Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) is a group of rare autosomal inherited diseases characterized by a widespread loss of adipose tissue. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the features of Chinese patients with CGL2.

    METHODS: Three patients diagnosed with CGL2 from our center were reviewed. Data on clinical features, results of laboratory analyses, and previous treatments were retrospectively collected. This study also reviewed studies that reported patients diagnosed with CGL2 in the last 30 years.

    RESULTS: All patients presented a lack of subcutaneous fat, hypertriglyceridemia, reversed triangular faces, acanthosis nigricans, and hepatomegaly within the first six months of life. All three patients developed splenomegaly, and mental retardation in later life. Dietary control dramatically lowered triglyceride levels in all patients. One patient presented with diabetes mellitus at 1 year-old. Although combined therapy with low fat diet and metformin maintained normal levels of blood lipid and glucose, this patient developed hypertrophic cardiomyopathy at the age of three. By a literature review on all Chinese cases with CGL2, it is known that classic manifestations such as hypertriglyceridemia, hepatomegaly and diabetes mellitus can occur shortly after birth, and early diagnosis and treatment can improve quality of life. In this cohort, the most frequent variations are c.782dupG and c.974dup in the BSCL2 gene. However, the same genotype may have different clinical phenotypes in patients with CGL2.

    CONCLUSIONS: This study not only described the clinical and genetic features of three patients with CGL2 in China, but also reviewed literature about CGL2 around the world.

  12. Sreekar R, Katabuchi M, Nakamura A, Corlett RT, Slik JWF, Fletcher C, et al.
    R Soc Open Sci, 2018 Sep;5(9):181168.
    PMID: 30839691 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181168
    The relationship between β-diversity and latitude still remains to be a core question in ecology because of the lack of consensus between studies. One hypothesis for the lack of consensus between studies is that spatial scale changes the relationship between latitude and β-diversity. Here, we test this hypothesis using tree data from 15 large-scale forest plots (greater than or equal to 15 ha, diameter at breast height ≥ 1 cm) across a latitudinal gradient (3-30o) in the Asia-Pacific region. We found that the observed β-diversity decreased with increasing latitude when sampling local tree communities at small spatial scale (grain size ≤0.1 ha), but the observed β-diversity did not change with latitude when sampling at large spatial scales (greater than or equal to 0.25 ha). Differences in latitudinal β-diversity gradients across spatial scales were caused by pooled species richness (γ-diversity), which influenced observed β-diversity values at small spatial scales, but not at large spatial scales. Therefore, spatial scale changes the relationship between β-diversity, γ-diversity and latitude, and improving sample representativeness avoids the γ-dependence of β-diversity.
  13. Sookhak M, Akhundzada A, Sookhak A, Eslaminejad M, Gani A, Khurram Khan M, et al.
    PLoS One, 2015;10(1):e0115324.
    PMID: 25602616 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115324
    Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are ubiquitous and pervasive, and therefore; highly susceptible to a number of security attacks. Denial of Service (DoS) attack is considered the most dominant and a major threat to WSNs. Moreover, the wormhole attack represents one of the potential forms of the Denial of Service (DoS) attack. Besides, crafting the wormhole attack is comparatively simple; though, its detection is nontrivial. On the contrary, the extant wormhole defense methods need both specialized hardware and strong assumptions to defend against static and dynamic wormhole attack. The ensuing paper introduces a novel scheme to detect wormhole attacks in a geographic routing protocol (DWGRP). The main contribution of this paper is to detect malicious nodes and select the best and the most reliable neighbors based on pairwise key pre-distribution technique and the beacon packet. Moreover, this novel technique is not subject to any specific assumption, requirement, or specialized hardware, such as a precise synchronized clock. The proposed detection method is validated by comparisons with several related techniques in the literature, such as Received Signal Strength (RSS), Authentication of Nodes Scheme (ANS), Wormhole Detection uses Hound Packet (WHOP), and Wormhole Detection with Neighborhood Information (WDI) using the NS-2 simulator. The analysis of the simulations shows promising results with low False Detection Rate (FDR) in the geographic routing protocols.
  14. Shiroiwa T, Murata T, Ahn J, Li X, Nakamura R, Teerawattananon Y, et al.
    Value Health Reg Issues, 2022 Nov;32:62-69.
    PMID: 36099801 DOI: 10.1016/j.vhri.2022.07.002
    OBJECTIVES: Almost all preference-based measures (PBMs) have been developed in Western countries, with none having been formulated in Asian countries. In this study, we construct a new generic PBM based on concept elicitation using interview surveys in East and Southeast Asian countries and qualitative analysis.

    METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 225 adults recruited from 9 East and Southeast Asian countries or regions (Indonesia, Japan, Korea, mainland China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand). Trained interviewers conducted semistructured interviews with 25 participants from the general population of each country/region. Qualitative data were analyzed using a content analysis approach. The selection of items was determined based on interview surveys and team member discussions. The description of items was considered based on a detailed qualitative analysis of the interview survey.

    RESULTS: A new region-specific PBM-the Asia PBM 7 dimensions instrument-was designed. It reflects East and Southeast Asian values and comprises 7 items: pain, mental health, energy, mobility, work/school, interpersonal interactions, and burden to others.

    CONCLUSIONS: The new region-specific instrument is one of the first PBMs developed in the context of non-Western countries. The Asia PBM 7 dimensions contains 7 items that address the core concepts of health-related quality of life that are deemed important based on East and Southeast Asian health concepts.

  15. Shi X, Waiho K, Li X, Ikhwanuddin M, Miao G, Lin F, et al.
    BMC Genomics, 2018 Dec 29;19(1):981.
    PMID: 30594128 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-018-5380-8
    BACKGROUND: Mud crabs, Scylla spp., are commercially important large-size marine crustaceans in the Indo-West Pacific region. As females have the higher growth rate and economic value, the production of all female stocks is extremely essential in aquaculture. However, the sex determination mechanism is still unclear. Development of sex-specific genetic markers based on next-generation sequencing proved to be an effective tool for discovering sex determination system in various animals.

    RESULTS: Restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) was employed to isolate sex-specific SNP markers for S. paramamosain. A total of 335.6 million raw reads were obtained from 20 individuals, of which 204.7 million were from 10 females and 130.9 million from 10 males. After sequence assembly and female-male comparison, 20 SNP markers were identified to be sex-specific. Furthermore, ten SNPs in a short sequence (285 bp) were confirmed heterozygous in females and homozygous in males in a large population by PCR amplification and sequencing. Subsequently, a female-specific primer was successfully designed according to the female-specific nucleotide which could amplify an expected band from females but not from males. Thus, a rapid and effective method for molecular sexing in S. paramamosain was developed, meanwhile, this method could successfully identify the sex of S. tranquebarica and S. serrata. Finally, nine and four female-specific SNP markers were detected in S. tranquebarica and S. serrata, respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: Sex-specific SNP markers were firstly identified in crab species and showed female heterogamety and male homogamety, which provided strong genetic evidence for a WZ/ZZ sex determination system in mud crabs S. paramamosain, S. tranquebarica and S. serrata. These findings will lay a solid foundation for the study of sex determination mechanism, sex chromosome evolution, and the development of mono-sex population in crustaceans.

  16. Shi X, Wu X, Song T, Li X
    Nanoscale, 2016 Jul 22.
    PMID: 27444699
    The design of DNA nanotubes is a promising and hot research branch in structural DNA nanotechnology, which is rapidly developing as a versatile method for achieving subtle nanometer scale materials and molecular diagnostic/curative devices. Multifarious methods have been proposed to achieve varied DNA nanotubes, such as using square tiles and single-stranded tiles, but it is still a challenge to develop a bottom-up assembly way to build DNA nanotubes with different diameters and patterns using certain universal DNA nanostructures. This work addresses the challenge by assembling three types of spatial DNA nanotubes with different diameters and patterns from the so-called "basic bricks", i.e., hierarchical DNA sub-tiles. A high processing rate and throughput synthesis of DNA nanotubes are observed and analyzed by atomic force microscopy. Experimental observations and data analysis suggests the stability and controllability of DNA nanotubes assembled by hierarchical DNA sub-tiles.
  17. Shi T, Li X, Zheng J, Duan Z, Ooi YY, Gao Y, et al.
    Cell Oncol (Dordr), 2023 Aug;46(4):969-985.
    PMID: 37014552 DOI: 10.1007/s13402-023-00791-z
    PURPOSE: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive disease with a high mortality rate, in which about 90% of patients harbor somatic oncogenic point mutations in KRAS. SPRY family genes have been recognized as crucial negative regulators of Ras/Raf/ERK signaling. Here, we investigate the expression and role of SPRY proteins in PDAC.

    METHODS: Expression of SPRY genes in human and mice PDAC was analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas and Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, and by immunohistochemistry analysis. Gain-of-function, loss-of-function of Spry1 and orthotopic xenograft model were adopted to investigate the function of Spry1 in mice PDAC. Bioinformatics analysis, transwell and flowcytometry analysis were used to identify the effects of SPRY1 on immune cells. Co-immunoprecipitation and K-ras4B G12V overexpression were used to identify molecular mechanism.

    RESULTS: SPRY1 expression was remarkably increased in PDAC tissues and positively associated with poor prognosis of PDAC patients. SPRY1 knockdown suppressed tumor growth in mice. SPRY1 was found to promote CXCL12 expression and facilitate neutrophil and macrophage infiltration via CXCL12-CXCR4 axis. Pharmacological inhibition of CXCL12-CXCR4 largely abrogated the oncogenic functions of SPRY1 by suppressing neutrophil and macrophage infiltration. Mechanistically, SPRY1 interacted with ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 to induce activation of nuclear factor κB signaling and ultimately increase CXCL12 expression. Moreover, SPRY1 transcription was dependent on KRAS mutation and was mediated by MAPK-ERK signaling.

    CONCLUSION: High expression of SPRY1 can function as an oncogene in PDAC by promoting cancer-associated inflammation. Targeting SPRY1 might be an important approach for designing new strategy of tumor therapy.

  18. Samsudin MFR, Ullah H, Tahir AA, Li X, Ng YH, Sufian S
    J Colloid Interface Sci, 2021 Mar 15;586:785-796.
    PMID: 33198982 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2020.11.003
    Herein, we performed an encyclopedic analysis on the photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen production of BiVO4/g-C3N4 decorated with reduced graphene oxide (RGO) or graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The differences between RGO and GQDs as an electron mediator was revealed for the first time in the perspective of theoretical DFT analysis and experimental validation. It was found that the incorporation of GQDs as an electron mediator promotes better photoelectrocatalytic hydrogen performance in comparison to the RGO. The addition of GQD can significantly improve the activity by 25.2 and 75.7% in comparison to the BiVO4/RGO/g-C3N4 and binary composite samples, respectively. Correspondingly, the BiVO4/GQD/g-C3N4 attained the highest photocurrent density of 19.2 mA/cm2 with an ABPE of 0.57% without the presence of any sacrificial reagents. This enhancement is stemming from the low photocharge carrier transfer resistance which was further verified via DFT study. The DFT analysis revealed that the BiVO4/GQD/g-C3N4 sample shared their electronic cloud density through orbital hybridization while the BiVO4/RGO/g-C3N4 sample show less mutual sharing. Additionally, the charge redistribution of the GQDs-composite at the heterostructure interface articulates a more stable and stronger heterojunction than the RGO-composite. Notably, this study provides new insights on the effect of different carbonaceous materials (RGO and GQDs) which are often used as an electron mediator to enhance photocatalytic activity.
  19. Rohner K, Marlais M, Ahn YH, Ali A, Alsharief A, Novak AB, et al.
    PMID: 38211969 DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfae009
    BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: IgA vasculitis with nephritis (IgAVN) is the most common vasculitis in children. Treatment recommendations are, due to a lack of evidence, based on expert opinion resulting in variation. The aim of this study was to describe clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of an extremely large cohort of children with biopsy proven IgAVN to identify prognostic risk factors and signals of treatment efficacy.

    METHODS: Retrospective data were collected on 1148 children with biopsy proven IgAVN between 2005 and 2019 from 41 international paediatric nephrology centres across 25 countries and analyzed using multivariate analysis. The primary outcome was estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and persistent proteinuria at last follow up.

    RESULTS: The median follow up was 3.7 years (IQR 2-6.2). At last follow up, 29% of patients had an eGFR 

  20. Qiu Z, Shen Q, Jiang C, Yao L, Sun X, Li J, et al.
    Int J Nanomedicine, 2021;16:2311-2322.
    PMID: 33776435 DOI: 10.2147/IJN.S302396
    Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative chronic disorder that causes dementia and problems in thinking, cognitive impairment and behavioral changes. Amyloid-beta (Aβ) is a peptide involved in AD progression, and a high level of Aβ is highly correlated with severe AD. Identifying and quantifying Aβ levels helps in the early treatment of AD and reduces the factors associated with AD.

    Materials and Methods: This research introduced a dual probe detection system involving aptamers and antibodies to identify Aβ. Aptamers and antibodies were attached to the gold (Au) urchin and hybrid on the carbon nanohorn-modified surface. The nanohorn was immobilized on the sensor surface by using an amine linker, and then a Au urchin dual probe was immobilized.

    Results: This dual probe-modified surface enhanced the current flow during Aβ detection compared with the surface with antibody as the probe. This dual probe interacted with higher numbers of Aβ peptides and reached the detection limit at 10 fM with R2=0.992. Furthermore, control experiments with nonimmune antibodies, complementary aptamer sequences and control proteins did not display the current responses, indicating the specific detection of Aβ.

    Conclusion: Aβ-spiked artificial cerebrospinal fluid showed a similar response to current changes, confirming the selective identification of Aβ.

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