Displaying publications 61 - 80 of 304 in total

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  1. Yang Y, Swierczak A, Ibahim M, Paiva P, Cann L, Stevenson AW, et al.
    Radiother Oncol, 2019 04;133:93-99.
    PMID: 30935588 DOI: 10.1016/j.radonc.2019.01.006
    BACKGROUND: Synchrotron microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is a new, evolving form of radiotherapy that has potential for clinical application. Several studies have shown in preclinical models that synchrotron MRT achieves equivalent tumor control to conventional radiotherapy (CRT) but with significantly reduced normal tissue damage.

    METHODS: To explore differences between these two modalities, we assessed the immune cell infiltrate into EMT6.5 mammary tumors after CRT and MRT.

    RESULTS: CRT induced marked increases in tumor-associated macrophages and neutrophils while there were no increases in these populations following MRT. In contrast, there were higher numbers of T cells in the MRT treated tumors. There were also increased levels of CCL2 by immunohistochemistry in tumors subjected to CRT, but not to MRT. Conversely, we found that MRT induced higher levels of pro-inflammatory genes in tumors than CRT.

    CONCLUSION: Our data are the first to demonstrate substantial differences in macrophage, neutrophil and T cell numbers in tumors following MRT versus CRT, providing support for the concept that MRT evokes a different immunomodulatory response in tumors compared to CRT.

  2. Goh MS, Lam SD, Yang Y, Naqiuddin M, Addis SNK, Yong WTL, et al.
    J Hazard Mater, 2021 10 15;420:126624.
    PMID: 34329083 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.126624
    In agriculture, the convenience and efficacy of chemical pesticides have become inevitable to manage cultivated crop production. Here, we review the worldwide use of pesticides based on their categories, mode of actions and toxicity. Excessive use of pesticides may lead to hazardous pesticide residues in crops, causing adverse effects on human health and the environment. A wide range of high-tech-analytical methods are available to analyse pesticide residues. However, they are mostly time-consuming and inconvenient for on-site detection, calling for the development of biosensors that detect cellular changes in crops. Such new detection methods that combine biological and physicochemical knowledge may overcome the shortage in current farming to develop sustainable systems that support environmental and human health. This review also comprehensively compiles domestic pesticide residues removal tips from vegetables and fruits. Synthetic pesticide alternatives such as biopesticide and nanopesticide are greener to the environment. However, its safety assessment for large-scale application needs careful evaluation. Lastly, we strongly call for reversions of pesticide application trends based on the changing climate, which is lacking in the current scenario.
  3. Azwar E, Chan DJC, Kasan NA, Rastegari H, Yang Y, Sonne C, et al.
    J Hazard Mater, 2022 02 15;424(Pt A):127329.
    PMID: 34601414 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127329
    Aquatic weeds pose hazards to aquatic ecosystems and particularly the aquatic environment in shellfish aquaculture due to its excessive growth covering entire freshwater bodies, leading to environmental pollution particularly eutrophication intensification, water quality depletion and aquatic organism fatality. In this study, pyrolysis of six aquatic weed types (wild and cultured species of Salvinia sp., Lemna sp. and Spirodella sp.) were investigated to evaluate its potential to reduce and convert the weeds into value-added chemicals. The aquatic weeds demonstrated high fixed carbon (8.7-47.3 wt%), volatile matter content (39.0-76.9 wt%), H/C ratio (1.5-2.0) and higher heating value (6.6-18.8 MJ/kg), representing desirable physicochemical properties for conversion into biofuels. Kinetic analysis via Coats-Redfern integral method obtained different orders for chemical reaction mechanisms (n = 1, 1.5, 2, 3), activation energy (55.94-209.41 kJ/mol) and pre-exponential factor (4.08 × 104-4.20 × 1017 s-1) at different reaction zones (zone 1: 150-268 °C, zone 2: 268-409 °C, zone 3: 409-600 °C). The results provide useful information for design and optimization of the pyrolysis reactor and establishment of the process condition to dispose this environmentally harmful species.
  4. He S, Ding L, He K, Zheng B, Liu D, Zhang M, et al.
    BMC Psychiatry, 2022 Dec 29;22(1):834.
    PMID: 36581864 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04487-w
    BACKGROUND: Although disturbances in biological rhythms are closely related to the onset of major depressive disorder (MDD), they are not commonly assessed in Chinese clinical practice. The Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN) has been used to evaluate disturbances in biological rhythms in MDD. We aimed to assess and confirm the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the BRIAN (C-BRIAN) in patients with MDD.

    METHODS: A total of 120 patients with MDD and 40 age- and sex-matched controls were recruited consecutively. Reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha, the split-half coefficient, and the test-retest coefficient; test-retest reliability was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficient. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to determine the construct validity of the scale. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) were used to check concurrent validity by evaluating the correlation between the C-BRIAN, PSQI, and MEQ.

    RESULTS: The overall Cronbach's α value was 0.898, indicating good internal consistency. The Guttman split-half coefficient was 0.792, indicating good split-half reliability. Moreover, the test-retest reliability for both the total and individual item score was excellent. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that construct validity was acceptable (χ2/df = 2.117, GFI = 0.80, AGFI = 0.87, CFI = 0.848, and RMSEA = 0.097). Furthermore, total BRIAN scores were found to be negatively correlated with MEQ (r = - 0.517, P 

  5. Li G, Yan L, Chen X, Lam SS, Rinklebe J, Yu Q, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2023 Apr;320:138058.
    PMID: 36746249 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.138058
    Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) pose a great threat to ecosystems and long-term exposure causes adverse effects to wildlife and humans. Cadmium induces a variety of diseases including cancer, kidney dysfunction, bone lesions, anemia and hypertension. Here we review the ability of plants to accumulate cadmium from soil, air and water under different environmental conditions, focusing on absorption mechanisms and factors affecting these. Cadmium possess various transport mechanisms and pathways roughly divided into symplast and apoplast pathway. Excessive cadmium concentrations in the environment affects soil properties, pH and microorganism composition and function and thereby plant uptake. At the same time, plants resist cadmium toxicity by antioxidant reaction. The differences in cadmium absorption capacity of plants need more exploration to determine whether it is beneficial for crop breeding or genetic modification. Identify whether plants have the potential to become hyperaccumulator and avoid excessive cadmium uptake by edible plants. The use of activators such as wood vinegar, GLDA (Glutamic acid diacetic acid), or the placement of earthworms and fungi can speed up phytoremediation of plants, thereby reducing uptake of crop varieties and reducing human exposure, thus accelerating food safety and the health of the planet.
  6. Ma Z, Zhang F, Ma H, Chen X, Yang J, Yang Y, et al.
    PLoS One, 2021;16(4):e0248329.
    PMID: 33857162 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248329
    The elderly usually suffer from many diseases. Improving the quality of life of the elderly is an urgent social issue. In this present study, D-galactose treated aging mice models were used to reveal the effects of different animal sources and different doses of whey protein (WP) on the immune indexes organs and intestinal flora. A total of 9 groups were set up, including normal control (NC), negative control (NS), positive control (Vc), low-, medium- and high-doses of cow WP intervention groups (CL, CM and CH for short, correspondingly) and low-, medium- and high-doses of goat WP intervention groups (GL, GM and GH for short, correspondingly). The body weight gain, thymus/body weight ratio, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, spleen immunoglobulins G (IgG), spleen interleukin-2 (IL-2) and spleen interleukin-2 (IL-6) were measured. Then, the intestinal contents were collected, and 16s genes of intestinal bacteria were sequenced to reveal the changes in bacterial flora structure. WP intervention significantly increased the weight gain, thymus/body ratio and SOD activity, but decrease the content of MDA. WP intervention increased some immune indicators. All the WP treated aging mice showed similar values of physiological indexes to that of the Vc group, even better. The relative abundance of Lactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas was increased and decreased, respectively, by both cow and goat WP. Lactobacillus may be involved in regulating the functional repair of organisms. In contrast, Stenotrophomonas might play a negative role in the immune and antioxidant capacity of the body. Combining physiological indicators and intestinal flora structure, low-concentration WP for cow and goat might be optimal for aging models.
  7. Peng Z, Xue H, Liu X, Wang S, Liu G, Jia X, et al.
    Front Bioeng Biotechnol, 2023;11:1222088.
    PMID: 37539434 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1222088
    The development of cost-effective, biocompatible soft wound dressings is highly desirable; however, conventional dressings are only designed for flat wounds, which creates difficulty with promising healing efficiency in complex practical conditions. Herein, we developed a tough, adhesive biomimetic hyaluronic acid methacryloyl hydrogels composed of chemically crosslinked hyaluronic acid methacryloyl (HAMA) network and poly(N-hydroxyethyl acrylamide) (PHEAA) network rich in multiple hydrogen bonding. Due to the multiple chemical crosslinking sites (acrylamide groups) of HAMA; the bulk HEMA/PHEAA hydrogels presented significant enhancements in mechanical properties (∼0.45 MPa) than common hyaluronic acid hydrogels (<0.1 MPa). The abundant hydrogen bonding also endowed the resultant hydrogels with extremely high adhesiveness on many nonporous substrates, including glass and biological tissues (e.g., heart, liver, lung, kidney, stomach, and muscle), with a considerable interfacial toughness of ∼1432 J m-2. Accordingly, since both natural hyaluronic acid derivative polymers and hydrophilic PHEAA networks are highly biocompatible, the hydrogel matrix possesses good blood compatibility (<5% of hemolysis ratio) and satisfies the general dressing requirements (>99% of cell viability). Based on these physicochemical features, we have demonstrated that this adhesive hydrogel, administered in the form of a designed patch, could be applied to wound tissue healing by promoting epithelialization, angiogenesis, and collagen deposition. We believe that our proposed biomimetic hydrogel design holds great potential for wound repair and our developed HAMA/PHEAA hydrogels are extremely promising for the next-generation tissue healings in emergency situations.
  8. Li Y, Dong W, Zhang L, Yang Y, Song Y, Shi N, et al.
    Aesthet Surg J, 2024 Jan 25.
    PMID: 38271268 DOI: 10.1093/asj/sjae010
    BACKGROUND: Large and long ears are regarded as symbols of wealth and health in eastern Asian culture, patients with lying ears wish their ears to be more exposed and prominent. Surgeries correcting lying ears have been documented.

    OBJECTIVES: We report correction of lying ears and aesthetic modification of helix and ear lobule with HA injections.

    METHODS: We performed HA injections at auriculocephalic sulcus (AS) to increase cranioauricular angle (CA) and correct lying ears. The injections at helix and lobule were case-specific. The CA was measured and photographs were taken at baseline and 1-, 3-, 6-, and 10-month follow-ups. Efficacy was assessed using a 5-point global aesthetic improvement scale (GAIS). Adverse events (AEs) were recorded.

    RESULTS: Forty-six patients (92 ears) received HA injections and completed follow-ups. Instant correction outcomes were observed. Sixteen (34.8%) patients received one touch-up injection, whose clinical efficacy persisted for 1 to 1.5 years. The GAIS for over 90% of cases with touch-up treatment was "very much improved" or "much improved" at all follow-ups. The GAIS for over 70% of cases without touch-up treatment was "very much improved" or "much improved" at 1, 3, and 6-month follow-ups. CA increased significantly compared with the baseline. Patients also reported "more V-shaped face shape" and "lifted jawline" effects. No serious AEs occurred.

    CONCLUSIONS: As an alternative technique to surgeries, HA filler injections at AS effectively corrected lying ears. This technique produced immediate, long-lasting, and aesthetically pleasing results. The side effects and downtime were minimal.

  9. Yang Y, Foong SY, He Y, Liew RK, Ma NL, Yek PNY, et al.
    Environ Res, 2024 Jan 29;248:118282.
    PMID: 38295974 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118282
    The escalating consumer demand for crabs results in a growing amount of waste, including shells, claws, and other non-edible parts. The resulting crab shell waste (CSW) is disposed of via incineration or landfills which causes environmental pollution. CSW represents a potential biological resource that can be transformed into valuable resources via pyrolysis technique. In this study, microwave pyrolysis of CSW using self-purging, vacuum, and steam activation techniques was examined to determine the biochar production yield and its performance in treating palm oil mill effluent (POME). The biochar produced through microwave pyrolysis exhibits yields ranging from 50 to 61 wt%, showing a hard texture, low volatile matter content (≤34.1 wt%), and high fixed carbon content (≥58.3 wt%). The KOH-activated biochar demonstrated a surface area of up to 177 m2/g that is predominantly composed of mesopores, providing a good amount of adsorption sites for use as adsorbent. The biochar activated with steam removed 8.3 mg/g of BOD and 42 mg/g of COD from POME. The results demonstrate that microwave pyrolysis of CSW is a promising technology to produce high-quality biochar as an adsorbent for POME treatment.
  10. Tian X, Teo WFA, Wee WY, Yang Y, Ahmed H, Jakubovics NS, et al.
    BMC Genomics, 2023 Dec 04;24(1):734.
    PMID: 38049764 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09831-2
    BACKGROUND: Actinomyces strains are commonly found as part of the normal microflora on human tissue surfaces, including the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and female genital tract. Understanding the diversity and characterization of Actinomyces species is crucial for human health, as they play an important role in dental plaque formation and biofilm-related infections. Two Actinomyces strains ATCC 49340 T and ATCC 51655 T have been utilized in various studies, but their accurate species classification and description remain unresolved.

    RESULTS: To investigate the genomic properties and taxonomic status of these strains, we employed both 16S rRNA Sanger sequencing and whole-genome sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform with PE151 (paired-end) sequencing. Our analyses revealed that the draft genome of Actinomyces acetigenes ATCC 49340 T was 3.27 Mbp with a 68.0% GC content, and Actinomyces stomatis ATCC 51655 T has a genome size of 3.08 Mbp with a 68.1% GC content. Multi-locus (atpA, rpoB, pgi, metG, gltA, gyrA, and core genome SNPs) sequence analysis supported the phylogenetic placement of strains ATCC 51655 T and ATCC 49340 T as independent lineages. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), average nucleotide identity (ANI), and average amino acid identity (AAI) analyses indicated that both strains represented novel Actinomyces species, with values below the threshold for species demarcation (70% dDDH, 95% ANI and AAI). Pangenome analysis identified 5,731 gene clusters with strains ATCC 49340 T and ATCC 51655 T possessing 1,515 and 1,518 unique gene clusters, respectively. Additionally, genomic islands (GIs) prediction uncovered 24 putative GIs in strain ATCC 49340 T and 16 in strain ATCC 51655 T, contributing to their genetic diversity and potential adaptive capabilities. Pathogenicity analysis highlighted the potential human pathogenicity risk associated with both strains, with several virulence-associated factors identified. CRISPR-Cas analysis exposed the presence of CRISPR and Cas genes in both strains, indicating these strains might evolve a robust defense mechanism against them.

    CONCLUSION: This study supports the classification of strains ATCC 49340 T and ATCC 51655 T as novel species within the Actinomyces, in which the name Actinomyces acetigenes sp. nov. (type strain ATCC 49340 T = VPI D163E-3 T = CCUG 34286 T = CCUG 35339 T) and Actinomyces stomatis sp. nov. (type strain ATCC 51655 T = PK606T = CCUG 33930 T) are proposed.

  11. Su MH, Azwar E, Yang Y, Sonne C, Yek PNY, Liew RK, et al.
    J Hazard Mater, 2020 Sep 05;396:122610.
    PMID: 32298865 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122610
    This study examined an aquaponic approach of circulating water containing ammonia excretions from African catfish grown in an aquaculture tank for bacterial conversion into nitrates, which then acted as a nutrient substance to cultivate lettuce in hydroponic tank. We found that microwave pyrolysis biochar (450 g) having microporous (1.803 nm) and high BET surface area (419 m2/g) was suitable for use as biological carrier to grow nitrifying bacteria (63 g of biofilm mass) that treated the water quality through removing the ammonia (67%) and total suspended solids (68%), resulting in low concentration of remaining ammonia (0.42 mg/L) and total suspended solid (59.40 mg/L). It also increased the pH (6.8), converted the ammonia into nitrate (29.7 mg/L), and increased the nitrogen uptake by the lettuce (110 mg of nitrogen per plant), resulting in higher growth in lettuce (0.0562 %/day) while maintaining BOD5 level (3.94 mg/L) at acceptable level and 100% of catfish survival rate. Our results demonstrated that microwave pyrolysis biochar can be a promising solution for growing nitrifying bacteria in aquaponic system for simultaneous toxic ammonia remediation and generation of nitrate for growing vegetable in aquaculture industry.
  12. Yang Y, Liang Q, Zhang B, Zhang J, Fan L, Kang J, et al.
    J Chromatogr A, 2024 Jan 25;1715:464621.
    PMID: 38198876 DOI: 10.1016/j.chroma.2023.464621
    White tea contains the highest flavonoids compared to other teas. While there have been numerous studies on the components of different tea varieties, research explicitly focusing on the flavonoid content of white tea remains scarce, making the need for a good flavonoid purification process for white tea even more important. This study compared the adsorption and desorption performance of five types of macroporous resins: D101, HP20, HPD500, DM301, and AB-8. Among the tested resins, AB-8 was selected based on its best adsorption and desorption performance to investigate the static adsorption kinetics and dynamic adsorption-desorption purification of white tea flavonoids. The optimal purification process was determined: adsorption temperature 25 °C, crude tea flavonoid extract pH 3, ethanol concentration 80 %, sample loading flow rate and eluent flow rate 1.5 BV/min, and eluent dosage 40 BV. The results indicated that the adsorption process followed pseudo-second-order kinetics. Under the above purification conditions, the purity of the total flavonoids in the purified white tea flavonoid increased from approximately 17.69 to 46.23 %, achieving a 2.61-fold improvement, indicating good purification results. The purified white tea flavonoid can be further used for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.
  13. Wong GR, Ha KO, Himratul-Aznita WH, Yang YH, Wan Mustafa WM, Yuen KM, et al.
    Oral Dis, 2014 Nov;20(8):762-7.
    PMID: 24320099 DOI: 10.1111/odi.12218
    The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of HPV seropositivity among patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and healthy individuals and to correlate the association between HPV 16 seropositivity and risk of OSCC.
  14. Siow MY, Ng LP, Vincent-Chong VK, Jamaludin M, Abraham MT, Abdul Rahman ZA, et al.
    Oral Dis, 2014 May;20(4):345-51.
    PMID: 23651447 DOI: 10.1111/odi.12118
    To identify differentially expressed miRNA between oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and non-cancer (NC) and to associate these with clinico-pathological parameters.
  15. Hong W, Wang Y, Chang Z, Yang Y, Pu J, Sun T, et al.
    Sci Rep, 2015;5:15328.
    PMID: 26471125 DOI: 10.1038/srep15328
    It is an urgent need to develop new drugs for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), and the enzyme, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a recognised drug target. The crystal structures of methotrexate binding to mt- and h-DHFR separately indicate that the glycerol (GOL) binding site is likely to be critical for the function of mt-DHFR selective inhibitors. We have used in silico methods to screen NCI small molecule database and a group of related compounds were obtained that inhibit mt-DHFR activity and showed bactericidal effects against a test Mtb strain. The binding poses were then analysed and the influence of GOL binding site was studied by using molecular modelling. By comparing the chemical structures, 4 compounds that might be able to occupy the GOL binding site were identified. However, these compounds contain large hydrophobic side chains. As the GOL binding site is more hydrophilic, molecular modelling indicated that these compounds were failed to occupy the GOL site. The most potent inhibitor (compound 6) demonstrated limited selectivity for mt-DHFR, but did contain a novel central core (7H-pyrrolo[3,2-f]quinazoline-1,3-diamine), which may significantly expand the chemical space of novel mt-DHFR inhibitors. Collectively, these observations will inform future medicinal chemistry efforts to improve the selectivity of compounds against mt-DHFR.
  16. 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.
  17. Guan R, Van Le Q, Yang H, Zhang D, Gu H, Yang Y, et al.
    Chemosphere, 2021 May;271:129499.
    PMID: 33445014 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129499
    Phytochemicals refer to active substances in plant-based diets. Phytochemicals found in for example fruits, vegetables, grains and seed oils are considered relatively safe for consumption due to mammal-plant co-evolution and adaptation. A number of human diseases are related to oxidative stress caused by for example chemical environmental contaminants in air, water and food; while also lifestyle including smoking and lack of exercise and dietary preferences are important factors for disease development in humans. Here we explore the dietary sources of antioxidant phytochemicals that have beneficial effects on oxidative stress, cardiovascular and neurological diseases as well as cancer. Plant-based diets usually contain phenolic acids, flavonoids and carotenoids, which have strong antioxidant properties, and therefore remove the excess of active oxygen in the body, and protect cells from damage, reducing the risk of cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease. In most cases, obesity is related to diet and inactivity and plant-based diets change lipid composition and metabolism, which reduce obesity related hazards. Cruciferous and Allium vegetables are rich in organic sulphides that can act on the metabolism of carcinogens and therefore used as anti-cancer and suppressing agents while dietary fibres and plant sterols may improve intestinal health and prevent intestinal diseases. Thus, we recommend a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains as its content of phytochemicals may have the potential to prevent or improve a broad sweep of various diseases.
  18. Jiang H, Bai L, Ji L, Bai Z, Su J, Qin T, et al.
    J Virol, 2020 07 16;94(15).
    PMID: 32461319 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00294-20
    Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection alters microRNA (miRNA) expression in the central nervous system (CNS). However, the mechanism contributing to miRNA regulation in the CNS is not known. We discovered global degradation of mature miRNA in mouse brains and neuroblastoma (NA) cells after JEV infection. Integrative analysis of miRNAs and mRNAs suggested that several significantly downregulated miRNAs and their targeted mRNAs were clustered into an inflammation pathway. Transfection with miRNA 466d-3p (miR-466d-3p) decreased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression and inhibited JEV replication in NA cells. However, miR-466d-3p expression increased after JEV infection in the presence of cycloheximide, indicating that viral protein expression reduced miR-466d-3p expression. We generated all the JEV coding proteins and demonstrated NS3 helicase protein to be a potent miRNA suppressor. The NS3 proteins of Zika virus, West Nile virus, and dengue virus serotype 1 (DENV-1) and DENV-2 also decreased miR-466d-3p expression. Results from helicase-blocking assays and in vitro unwinding assays demonstrated that NS3 could unwind pre-miR-466d and induce miRNA dysfunction. Computational models and an RNA immunoprecipitation assay revealed arginine-rich domains of NS3 to be crucial for pre-miRNA binding and degradation of host miRNAs. Importantly, site-directed mutagenesis of conserved residues in NS3 revealed that R226G and R202W reduced the binding affinity and degradation of pre-miR-466d. These results expand the function of flavivirus helicases beyond unwinding duplex RNA to degrade pre-miRNAs. Hence, we revealed a new mechanism for NS3 in regulating miRNA pathways and promoting neuroinflammation.IMPORTANCE Host miRNAs have been reported to regulate JEV-induced inflammation in the CNS. We found that JEV infection could reduce expression of host miRNA. The helicase region of the NS3 protein bound specifically to miRNA precursors and could lead to incorrect unwinding of miRNA precursors, thereby reducing the expression of mature miRNAs. This observation led to two major findings. First, our results suggested that JEV NS3 protein induced miR-466d-3p degradation, which promoted IL-1β expression and JEV replication. Second, arginine molecules on NS3 were the main miRNA-binding sites, because we demonstrated that miRNA degradation was abolished if arginines at R226 and R202 were mutated. Our study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of JEV and reveals several amino acid sites that could be mutated for a JEV vaccine.
  19. Shah T, Haimi I, Yang Y, Gaston S, Taoutel R, Mehta S, et al.
    Am J Cardiol, 2021 05 15;147:23-32.
    PMID: 33640366 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2021.02.015
    Gender disparities in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) outcomes continue to be reported worldwide; however, the magnitude of this gap remains unknown. To evaluate gender-based discrepancies in clinical outcomes and identify the primary driving factors a global meta-analysis was performed. Studies were selected if they included all comers with STEMI, reported gender specific patient characteristics, treatments, and outcomes, according to the registered PROSPERO protocol: CRD42020161469. A total of 56 studies (705,098 patients, 31% females) were included. Females were older, had more comorbidities and received less antiplatelet therapy and primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Females experienced significantly longer delays to first medical contact (mean difference 42.5 min) and door-to-balloon time (mean difference 4.9 min). In-hospital, females had increased rates of mortality (odds ratio [OR] 1.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.84 to 1.99, p <0.00001), repeat myocardial infarction (MI) (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.56, p=0.05), stroke (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.20, p <0.001), and major bleeding (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.56 to 2.12, p <0.00001) compared with males. Older age at presentation was the primary driver of excess mortality in females, although other factors including lower rates of primary PCI and aspirin usage, and longer door-to-balloon times contributed. In contrast, excess rates of repeat MI and stroke in females appeared to be driven, at least in part, by lower use of primary PCI and P2Y12 inhibitors, respectively. In conclusion, despite improvements in STEMI care, women continue to have in-hospital rates of mortality, repeat MI, stroke, and major bleeding up to 2-fold higher than men. Gender disparities in in-hospital outcomes can largely be explained by age differences at presentation but comorbidities, delays to care and suboptimal treatment experienced by women may contribute to the gender gap.
  20. Yang Y, Wei X, Zhang N, Zheng J, Chen X, Wen Q, et al.
    Nat Commun, 2021 08 12;12(1):4876.
    PMID: 34385436 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25075-8
    While the printed circuit board (PCB) has been widely considered as the building block of integrated electronics, the world is switching to pursue new ways of merging integrated electronic circuits with textiles to create flexible and wearable devices. Herein, as an alternative for PCB, we described a non-printed integrated-circuit textile (NIT) for biomedical and theranostic application via a weaving method. All the devices are built as fibers or interlaced nodes and woven into a deformable textile integrated circuit. Built on an electrochemical gating principle, the fiber-woven-type transistors exhibit superior bending or stretching robustness, and were woven as a textile logical computing module to distinguish different emergencies. A fiber-type sweat sensor was woven with strain and light sensors fibers for simultaneously monitoring body health and the environment. With a photo-rechargeable energy textile based on a detailed power consumption analysis, the woven circuit textile is completely self-powered and capable of both wireless biomedical monitoring and early warning. The NIT could be used as a 24/7 private AI "nurse" for routine healthcare, diabetes monitoring, or emergencies such as hypoglycemia, metabolic alkalosis, and even COVID-19 patient care, a potential future on-body AI hardware and possibly a forerunner to fabric-like computers.
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