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Green finance and environmental, social, and governance: evidence from Chinese listed companies

Wu J, Liew CY

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int, 2023 Nov;30(51):110499-110514.
PMID: 37792189 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30139-x

In recent years, academics have paid more attention to green finance, and public companies have reached a broad consensus on the concept of timely environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure. Due to the close relationship between green finance and ESG, this presents an opportunity to determine whether green finance compels companies to actively disclose ESG. The sample for this study consists of China's non-financial A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2021, and the empirical findings demonstrate that green finance can positively influence the ESG performance of listed companies. Through an analysis of heterogeneity, this study reaches the following conclusions: state-owned enterprises, heavy pollution companies, and companies in low-carbon pilot cities perform better in terms of green finance's role in promoting ESG scoring. This study also introduces market concentration and social trust as the moderating variables, enriching the green finance research framework. Through the analysis of moderating variables, the 'black box' effect of green finance on ESG is disclosed, providing theoretical support for the government and companies to better comprehend the policy effect as well as a reference for reform and experimental promotion of green finance.
Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of novel carbamates as potential inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase

Wu J, Pistolozzi M, Liu S, Tan W

Bioorg Med Chem, 2020 03 01;28(5):115324.
PMID: 32008882 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmc.2020.115324

Rivastigmine, a dual inhibitor of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), has been approved by U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD) dementia. In the current work, a bambuterol derivative lacking one of the carbamoyloxy groups on the benzene ring (BMC-1) and its analogues were synthesized using 1-(3-hydroxyphenyl) ethan-1-one and 1-(4-hydroxyphenyl) ethan-1-one as starting materials. In-vitro cholinesterase assay established that nine compounds were more potent to inhibit both electric eel AChE and equine serum BChE than rivastigmine under the same experimental conditions. Further study confirmed that among the nine carbamates, BMC-3 (IC50(AChE) = 792 nM, IC50(BChE) = 2.2 nM) and BMC-16 (IC50(AChE) = 266 nM, IC50(BChE) = 10.6 nM) were excellent cholinesterase inhibitors with potential of permeating through the blood-brain barrier. These carbamates could be used as potential dual inhibitors of AChE and BChE and to discover novel drugs for the treatment of AD and PD dementia.
Fulltext Complex Network Theory Applied to the Growth of Kuala Lumpur's Public Urban Rail Transit Network

Ding R, Ujang N, Hamid HB, Wu J

PLoS One, 2015;10(10):e0139961.
PMID: 26448645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139961

Recently, the number of studies involving complex network applications in transportation has increased steadily as scholars from various fields analyze traffic networks. Nonetheless, research on rail network growth is relatively rare. This research examines the evolution of the Public Urban Rail Transit Networks of Kuala Lumpur (PURTNoKL) based on complex network theory and covers both the topological structure of the rail system and future trends in network growth. In addition, network performance when facing different attack strategies is also assessed. Three topological network characteristics are considered: connections, clustering and centrality. In PURTNoKL, we found that the total number of nodes and edges exhibit a linear relationship and that the average degree stays within the interval [2.0488, 2.6774] with heavy-tailed distributions. The evolutionary process shows that the cumulative probability distribution (CPD) of degree and the average shortest path length show good fit with exponential distribution and normal distribution, respectively. Moreover, PURTNoKL exhibits clear cluster characteristics; most of the nodes have a 2-core value, and the CPDs of the centrality's closeness and betweenness follow a normal distribution function and an exponential distribution, respectively. Finally, we discuss four different types of network growth styles and the line extension process, which reveal that the rail network's growth is likely based on the nodes with the biggest lengths of the shortest path and that network protection should emphasize those nodes with the largest degrees and the highest betweenness values. This research may enhance the networkability of the rail system and better shape the future growth of public rail networks.
Mapping the cumulative impacts of long-term mining disturbance and progressive rehabilitation on ecosystem services

Wang Z, Lechner AM, Yang Y, Baumgartl T, Wu J

Sci Total Environ, 2020 May 15;717:137214.
PMID: 32062237 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137214

Open-cut coal mining can seriously disturb and reshape natural landscapes which results in a range of impacts on local ecosystems and the services they provide. To address the negative impacts of disturbance, progressive rehabilitation is commonly advocated. However, there is little research focusing on how these impacts affect ecosystem services within mine sites and changes over time. The aim of this study was to assess the cumulative impacts of mining disturbance and rehabilitation on ecosystem services through mapping and quantifying changes at multiple spatial and temporal scales. Four ecosystem services including carbon sequestration, air quality regulation, soil conservation and water yield were assessed in 1989, 1997, 2005 and 2013. Disturbance and rehabilitation was mapped using LandTrendr algorithm with Landsat. We mapped spatial patterns and pixel values for each ecosystem service with corresponding model and the landscape changes were analyzed with landscape metrics. In addition, we assessed synergies and trade-offs using Spearman's correlation coefficient for different landscape classes and scales. The results showed that carbon sequestration, air quality regulation and water yield services were both positively and negatively affected by vegetation cover changes due to mined land disturbance and rehabilitation, while soil conservation service were mainly influenced by topographic changes. There were strong interactions between carbon sequestration, air quality regulation and water yield, which were steady among different spatial scales and landscape types. Soil conservation correlations were weak and changed substantially due to differences of spatial scales and landscape types. Although there are limitations associated with data accessibility, this study provides a new research method for mapping impacts of mining on ecosystem services, which offer spatially explicit information for decision-makers and environmental regulators to carry out feasible policies, balancing mining development with ecosystem services provision.
Bioequivalence of cefalexin in healthy Chinese subjects

Lv X, Zhong G, Yao H, Wu J, Ye S

Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther, 2021 Nov;59(11):725-733.
PMID: 34448694 DOI: 10.5414/CP203986

OBJECTIVE: An earlier three-way crossover study evaluating bioequivalence of 3 cefalexin formulations (capsule for reference, capsule and tablet for test) in healthy subjects in Malaysia showed that the intra-individual coefficients of variation were 9.25% for AUC0-t, 9.54% for AUC0-∞, and 13.90% for Cmax. It is preliminarily stated that cefalexin is not a high-variation product. The here-presented clinical study in China was carried out to analyze the pharmacokinetic properties of two preparations in fasting and postprandial condition to assess the bioequivalence of the test preparation and reference preparation when administered on a fasting and postprandial basis in healthy Chinese subjects and to observe the safety of the test preparation and reference preparation in healthy Chinese subjects.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this trial, a total of 56 eligible subjects were randomly assigned to the fasting group and the postprandial group. The two groups were given 250 mg of the test and reference preparation, respectively. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was applied to determine the plasma concentration of cefalexin. PhoenixWinNonlin software (V7.0) was used to calculate the pharmacokinetic parameters of cefalexin using the non-compartmental model (NCA), and the bioequivalence and safety results were calculated by SAS (V9.4) software.
RESULTS: The main pharmacokinetic parameters of the test and reference preparations were as follows, the fasting group: Cmax 12.59 ± 2.65 μg/mL, 12.72 ± 2.28 μg/mL; AUC0-8h 20.43 ± 3.47 h×μg/mL, 20.66 ± 3.38 h×μg/mL; AUC0-∞ 20.77 ± 3.53 h×μg/mL, 21.02 ± 3.45 h×μg/mL; the postprandial group: Cmax 5.25 ± 0.94 μg/mL, 5.23 ± 0.80 μg/mL; AUC0-10h 16.92 ± 2.03 h×μg/mL, 17.09 ± 2.31 h×μg/mL; AUC0-∞ 17.33 ± 2.09 h×μg/mL, 17.67 ± 2.45 h×μg/mL.
CONCLUSION: The 90% confidence intervals of geometric mean ratios of test preparation and reference preparation were calculated, and the 90% confidence intervals of geometric mean ratios of Cmax, AUC0-10h, and AUC0-∞ were within the 80.00% ~ 125.00% range in both groups. Both Cmax and AUC met the pre-determined criteria for assuming bioequivalence. The test and reference products were bioequivalent after administration under fasting as well as under fed conditions in healthy Chinese subjects. This study may suggest that successful generic versions of cefalexin not only guarantee the market supply of such drugs but can also improve the safety and effectiveness and quality controllability of cefalexin through a new process and a new drug composition ratio.
Fulltext Feasibility Study of Using Hydrophobic Geopolymer-Based as Aggregate Substitution in Asphalt Mixture

Ago C, Li G, Wu J, Md Yusoff NI

Polymers (Basel), 2023 Jul 18;15(14).
PMID: 37514465 DOI: 10.3390/polym15143077

Hydrophobic aggregates have the great ability to prevent asphalt pavement roads from stripping-off of the asphalt in presence of water. In addition, they give the option to consume less asphalt and save cost. On the other hand, natural aggregates have been found to be non-renewable and rare. Geopolymer based artificial aggregates are great materials as they demonstrated to have exceptional features, such as high strength, superior durability, and greater resistance to fire exposure. In this study, a new hydrophobic geopolymer based aggregate has been produced with rice ash (RA) and fly ash as precursors as well as, Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) and Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3) as activators. The mechanical properties combined with the softening coefficient, surface properties of samples, contact angle and adhesion were characterized as well as microstructure X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) test. The results indicate that the activators Na2SiO3/NaOH at a mix ratio of 1 have a suitable effect on the pores and the compressive strength of the new artificial aggregate most particularly sodium hydroxide. Nonetheless, it has been found that coating the artificial aggregate with asphalt showed a great improvement of the hydrophobic nature of the produced artificial aggregate based geopolymer. Hence, indicates the possibility of using it as recycle aggregate pavement. From a microstructure point, the hydrophobic nature of the new alkali-activated artificial aggregate can be improved by increasing the quantity of mullite in the mix proportion design.
Fulltext A hybrid approach for low-carbon transportation system analysis: integrating CRITIC-DEMATEL and deep learning features

Zhan C, Zhang X, Yuan J, Chen X, Zhang X, Fathollahi-Fard AM, et al.

Int J Environ Sci Technol (Tehran), 2023 Jun 09.
PMID: 37360563 DOI: 10.1007/s13762-023-04995-6

As supply chains, logistics, and transportation activities continue to play a significant role in China's economic and social developments, concerns around energy consumption and carbon emissions are becoming increasingly prevalent. In light of sustainable development goals and the trend toward sustainable or green transportation, there is a need to minimize the environmental impact of these activities. To address this need, the government of China has made efforts to promote low-carbon transportation systems. This study aims to assess the development of low-carbon transportation systems in a case study in China using a hybrid approach based on the Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC), Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and deep learning features. The proposed method provides an accurate quantitative assessment of low-carbon transportation development levels, identifies the key influencing factors, and sorts out the inner connection among the factors. The CRITIC weight matrix is used to obtain the weight ratio, reducing the subjective color of the DEMATEL method. The weighting results are then corrected using an artificial neural network to make the weighting more accurate and objective. To validate our hybrid method, a numerical example in China is applied, and sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the impact of our main parameters and analyze the efficiency of our hybrid method. Overall, the proposed approach offers a novel method for assessing low-carbon transportation development and identifying key factors in China. The results of this study can be used to inform policy and decision-making to promote sustainable transportation systems in China and beyond.
Fulltext The Interplay of Protein Hydrolysis and Ammonia in the Stability of Hevea Rubber Latex during Storage

Payungwong N, Sakdapipanich J, Wu J, Ho CC

Polymers (Basel), 2023 Dec 07;15(24).
PMID: 38139887 DOI: 10.3390/polym15244636

Natural rubber (NR) latex derived from Hevea brasiliensis is a complex colloid comprising mainly rubber hydrocarbons (latex particles) and a multitude of minor non-rubber constituents such as non-rubber particles, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and soluble organic and inorganic substances. NR latex is susceptible to enzymatic attack after it leaves the trees. It is usually preserved with ammonia and, to a lesser extent, with other preservatives to enhance its colloidal stability during storage. Despite numerous studies in the literature on the influence of rubber proteins on NR latex stability, issues regarding the effect of protein hydrolysis in the presence of ammonia on latex stability during storage are still far from resolved. The present work aims to elucidate the interplay between protein hydrolysis and ammoniation in NR latex stability. Both high- and low-ammonia (with a secondary preservative) NR latexes were used to monitor the changes in their protein compositions during storage. High-ammonia (FNR-A) latex preserved with 0.6% (v/v) ammonia, a low 0.1% ammonia/TMTD/ZnO (FNR-TZ) latex, and a deproteinized NR (PDNR) latex were labeled with fluorescence agents and observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy to determine their protein composition. Protein hydrolysis was confirmed via sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The results revealed that protein hydrolysis increased with the storage duration. The change in protein composition accompanying hydrolysis also allows the spatial distribution of allergenic proteins to be estimated in the latex. Concurrently, the latex stability increased with the storage duration, as measured by the latex's mechanical stability time (MST) and the zeta potential of the latex particles. As monitored by AFM, the surface roughness of the NR latex film increased markedly during extended storage compared with that of the DPNR latex, which remained smooth. These results underscore the pivotal role of ammonia in bolstering NR latex stability brought on by protein hydrolysis, which greatly impacts latex film's formation behavior. NR latex stability underpins the quality of latex-dipped goods during manufacturing, particularly those for medical gloves.
Fulltext Evaluation of the cardiotoxicity of mitragynine and its analogues using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Lu J, Wei H, Wu J, Jamil MF, Tan ML, Adenan MI, et al.

PLoS One, 2014;9(12):e115648.
PMID: 25535742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115648

INTRODUCTION: Mitragynine is a major bioactive compound of Kratom, which is derived from the leave extracts of Mitragyna speciosa Korth or Mitragyna speciosa (M. speciosa), a medicinal plant from South East Asia used legally in many countries as stimulant with opioid-like effects for the treatment of chronic pain and opioid-withdrawal symptoms. Fatal incidents with Mitragynine have been associated with cardiac arrest. In this study, we determined the cardiotoxicity of Mitragynine and other chemical constituents isolated using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs).
METHODS AND RESULTS: The rapid delayed rectifier potassium current (IKr), L-type Ca2+ current (ICa,L) and action potential duration (APD) were measured by whole cell patch-clamp. The expression of KCNH2 and cytotoxicity was determined by real-time PCR and Caspase activity measurements. After significant IKr suppression by Mitragynine (10 µM) was confirmed in hERG-HEK cells, we systematically examined the effects of Mitragynine and other chemical constituents in hiPSC-CMs. Mitragynine, Paynantheine, Speciogynine and Speciociliatine, dosage-dependently (0.1∼100 µM) suppressed IKr in hiPSC-CMs by 67%∼84% with IC50 ranged from 0.91 to 2.47 µM. Moreover, Mitragynine (10 µM) significantly prolonged APD at 50 and 90% repolarization (APD50 and APD90) (439.0±11.6 vs. 585.2±45.5 ms and 536.0±22.6 vs. 705.9±46.1 ms, respectively) and induced arrhythmia, without altering the L-type Ca2+ current. Neither the expression, and intracellular distribution of KCNH2/Kv11.1, nor the Caspase 3 activity were significantly affected by Mitragynine.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study indicates that Mitragynine and its analogues may potentiate Torsade de Pointes through inhibition of IKr in human cardiomyocytes.
Fulltext Optimization of human immunodeficiency virus treatment during incarceration: viral suppression at the prison gate

Meyer JP, Cepeda J, Wu J, Trestman RL, Altice FL, Springer SA

JAMA Intern Med, 2014 May;174(5):721-9.
PMID: 24687044 DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.601

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) management in correctional settings is logistically feasible, but HIV-related outcomes before release have not been recently systematically examined.
Intra- and intermolecular C-h.pi interactions in bis[benzyl 3-(fluoren-9-ylidene)dithiocarbazato-N3,S]nickel(II)

Shanmuga Sundara Raj S, Fun HK, Wu J, Tian YP, Xie FX, Shao ZH, et al.

Acta Crystallogr C, 2000 Nov;56 Pt 11:1321-2.
PMID: 11077284

The title compound, [Ni(C(21)H(15)N(2)S(2))(2)], has a novel cis configuration with two fluorene moieties on the same side. The Ni atom is in a square-planar configuration. The molecular packing is stabilized by intramolecular stacking between the fluorene moieties and extensive C-H.pi interactions.
Porphyrin Acceptors with Two Perylene Diimide Dimers for Organic Solar Cells

Pan X, Wu J, Xiao L, Yap B, Xia R, Peng X

ChemSusChem, 2021 Sep 06;14(17):3614-3621.
PMID: 34107177 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202100787

Three small-molecule acceptors (Por-PDI, TEHPor-PDI, and BBOPor-PDI) with different side chains were synthesized by using a porphyrin core as the electron-donating unit and connecting electron-withdrawing perylene diimide dimers via acetylene bridges. The bulk heterojunction organic solar cells based on the three acceptors and a polymer donor provided power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 3.68-5.21 % when the active layers were fabricated with pyridine additives. Though the synthesis of Por-PDI is easier with fewer reaction steps and higher yields, the devices based on Por-PDI showed the best performance with a PCE of 5.21 %. The more ordered intermolecular packing due to the reduced steric hindrance at the porphyrin core of Por-PDI could contribute to the more balanced hole/electron mobilities, higher maximum charge generation rate, and less bimolecular recombination in Por-PDI devices, which are beneficial for the higher PCE.
Biomolecular assembly on interdigitated electrode nanosensor for selective detection of insulin-like growth factor-1

Gu Y, Liu L, Guo J, Xiao S, Fang F, Yu X, et al.

Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol, 2021 Dec;49(1):30-37.
PMID: 33467925 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2020.1865992

This research is focussed to quantify IGF1 by electroanalytical analysis on InterDigitated electrode surface and characterized by the microscopic observations. For the detection, antibody and aptamer were used to analyze the level of IGF1. The sandwich pattern (aptamer-IGF1-antibody) was designed on the chemically modified IDE surface and reached the limit of detection to 10 fM with 100 folds enhancement in the sensitivity. Different control experiments (absence of IGF1, binding with IGF2 and with non-complementary aptamer) were failed to show the current changes, discriminated the specific detection. A good detection strategy is to complement the currently following imaging systems for AAA.
Tissue-specific and maturity-dependent distribution of pyridine alkaloids in Areca triandra

Wu J, Zhang H, Wang S, Yuan L, Grünhofer P, Schreiber L, et al.

J Plant Res, 2019 Jul;132(4):531-540.
PMID: 31127431 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-019-01115-9

Areca nuts (seeds of Areca catechu L.) are a traditional and popular masticatory in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, certain parts of China, and some other countries. Four related pyridine alkaloids (arecoline, arecaidine, guvacoline, and guvacine) are considered being the main functional ingredients in areca nut. Until now, A. catechu is the only known species producing these alkaloids in the Arecaceae family. In the present study, we investigated alkaloid contents in 12 Arecaceae species and found that only Areca triandra Roxb. contained these pyridine alkaloids. We further analyzed in more detail tissue-specific and development-related distribution of these alkaloids in leaves, male and female flowers and fruits in different stages of maturity in A. triandra by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole/time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Results revealed that the alkaloids were most abundant in young leaves, the pericarp of ripe fruits and the endosperm of unripe fruits in developmental stage 2. Abundance of the 4 different alkaloids in A. triandra fruits varied during maturation. Pericarps of ripe fruits had the highest arecaidine concentration (4.45 mg g-1) and the lowest guvacoline concentration (0.0175 mg g-1), whereas the endosperm of unripe fruits of developmental stage 2 contained the highest guvacoline concentration (3.39 mg g-1) and the lowest guvacine concentration (0.245 mg g-1). We conclude that A. triandra is useful in future as a further valuable source of Areca alkaloids.
First Report of Leaf Spot Caused by Nigrospora oryzae on Dendrobium candidum in China

Wu JB, Zhang CL, Mao PP, Qian YS, Wang HZ

Plant Dis, 2014 Jul;98(7):996.
PMID: 30708927 DOI: 10.1094/PDIS-09-13-1006-PDN

Dendrobium (Dendrobium candidum Wall. ex Lindl.) is a perennial herb in the Orchidaceae family. It has been used as traditional medicinal plant in China, Malaysia, Laos, and Thailand (2). Fungal disease is one of the most important factors affecting the development of Dendrobium production. During summer 2012, chocolate brown spots were observed on leaves of 2-year-old Dendrobium seedlings in a greenhouse in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, situated at 30.26°N and 120.19°E. Approximately 80% of the plants in each greenhouse were symptomatic. Diseased leaves exhibited irregular, chocolate brown, and necrotic lesions with a chlorotic halo, reaching 0.8 to 3.2 cm in diameter. Affected leaves began to senesce and withered in autumn, and all leaves of diseased plants fell off in the following spring. Symptomatic leaf tissues were cut into small pieces (4 to 5 mm long), surface-sterilized (immersed in 75% ethanol for 30 s, and then 1% sodium hypochlorite for 60 s), rinsed three times in sterilized distilled water, and then cultured on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with 30 mg/liter of kanamycin sulfate (dissolved in ddH2O). Petri plates were incubated in darkness at 25 ± 0.5°C, and a grey mycelium with a white border developed after 4 days. Fast-growing white mycelia were isolated from symptomatic leaf samples, and the mycelia became gray-brown with the onset of sporulation after 5 days. Conidia were unicellular, black, elliptical, and 11.4 to 14.3 μm (average 13.1 μm) in diameter. Based on these morphological and pathogenic characteristics, the isolates were tentatively identified as Nigrospora oryzae (1). Genomic DNA was extracted from a representative isolate F12-F, and a ~600-bp fragment was amplified and sequenced using the primers ITS1 and ITS4 (4). BLAST analysis showed that F12-F ITS sequence (Accession No. KF516962) had 99% similarity with the ITS sequence of an N. oryzae isolate (JQ863242.1). Healthy Dendrobium seedlings (4 months old) were used in pathogenicity tests under greenhouse conditions. Leaves were inoculated with mycelial plugs (5 mm in diameter) from a 5-day-old culture of strain F12-F, and sterile PDA plugs served as controls. Seedlings were covered with plastic bags for 5 days and maintained at 25 ± 0.5°C and 80 ± 5% relative humidity. Eight seedlings were used in each experiment, which was repeated three times. After 5 days, typical chocolate brown spots and black lesions were observed on inoculated leaves, whereas no symptoms developed on controls, which fulfilled Koch's postulates. This shows that N. oryzae can cause leaf spot of D. candidum. N. oryzae is a known pathogen for several hosts but has not been previously reported on any species of Dendrobium in China (3). To our knowledge, on the basis of literature, this is the first report of leaf spot of D. candidum caused by N. oryzae in China. References: (1) H. J. Hudson. Trans. Br. Mycol. Soc. 46:355, 1963. (2) Q. Jin et al. PLoS One. 8(4):e62352, 2013. (3) P. Sharma et al. J. Phytopathol. 161:439, 2013. (4) T. J. White et al. PCR Protocols: A Guide to Methods and Applications. Academic Press, San Diego, 1990.
Tumor-responsive dynamic nanoassemblies for targeted imaging, therapy and microenvironment manipulation

Low LE, Wu J, Lee J, Tey BT, Goh BH, Gao J, et al.

J Control Release, 2020 Aug 10;324:69-103.
PMID: 32423874 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.05.014

The recent designs of dynamic nanoassemblies exploiting the tumor-targeting properties have received increasing attention for tumor imaging and therapy due to their tumor-specific delivery and enhanced antitumor efficacy. However, these designs are mainly focused on the macroscopic tumor therapeutic effect, while the nano-bio interactions in the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain poorly understood. This review aims to provide an overview of the development of tumor-responsive nanoassemblies towards the imaging, therapy and TME modulation in the tumor site. The tumor biology leading to TME formation and the potential TME properties for the practicable design of tumor-targeting nanoassemblies has been outlined. Furthermore, the various approaches for TME modification and the realization via dynamic nanoassemblies for enhanced tumor therapy were reviewed. Lastly, the prospects of these methods were briefly discussed. These strategies may inspire the development of new combinational cancer therapeutics.
Fulltext HIV in people reincarcerated in Connecticut prisons and jails: an observational cohort study

Meyer JP, Cepeda J, Springer SA, Wu J, Trestman RL, Altice FL

Lancet HIV, 2014 Nov 1;1(2):e77-e84.
PMID: 25473651 DOI: 10.1016/S2352-3018(14)70022-0

Reincarceration in prison or jail correlates with non-sustained HIV viral suppression, but HIV treatment outcomes in released prisoners who are reincarcerated have not recently been systematically assessed despite advances in antiretroviral treatment (ART) potency, simplicity, and tolerability.
The performance of simultaneous partial nitritation, anammox, denitrification, and COD oxidation (SNADCO) method in the treatment of digested effluent of fish processing wastewater

Sanjaya EH, Chen Y, Guo Y, Wu J, Chen H, Din MFM, et al.

Bioresour Technol, 2022 Feb;346:126622.
PMID: 34958906 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126622

The simultaneous partial nitritation, anammox, denitrification, and COD oxidation (SNADCO) method was successfully carried out in an air-lift moving bed biofilm reactor (AL-MBBR) with cylinders carriers for the treatment of digested fish processing wastewater (FPW). Synthetic wastewater was used as substrate at stage 1. It changed into the digested FPW with dilution variation in order to increase the nitrogen and COD loading rates. With influent concentration of NH4+-N of 909 ± 101 mg-N/L and COD of 731 ± 26 mg/L, the nitrogen removal efficiency was 86.8% (nitrogen loading rate of 1.21 g-TN/L/d) and the COD removal efficiency was 50.5% (COD loading rate at 0.98 g-COD/L/d). This study showed that the process has the advantages in treating the real high ammonia concentration of digested wastewater containing organic compounds. The nitritation and anammox route was predominant in nitrogen removal, while COD oxidation and microbe proliferation played the main role in COD removal.
Advances in research on schistosomiasis and toxoplasmosis in China: A bibliometric analysis of Chinese academic journals published from 1980 to 2021

Tao Y, Shen C, Zhang Y, Zhao X, Leow CY, Wu J, et al.

Acta Trop, 2023 Feb;238:106783.
PMID: 36455636 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106783

BACKGROUND: The scale-up of zoonoses prevention control and eradication in China, coupled with numerous academic articles in Chinese journals has led to the development of new tools and strategies aimed at further consolidating parasite control goals. As a result, there is a growing need for an up-to-date understanding of the research progress and prevention and control experience of parasitic diseases in China.
METHODS: To understand the research status of schistosomiasis and toxoplasmosis in China, academic articles published in Chinese journals from 1980 to 2021 were retrieved from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases. The Bibliographic Items Co-occurrence Matrix Builder (BICOMB) software was used to extract and analyze the keyword frequencies. The 'K/A ratio' as the frequency of a keyword that occurred in all the articles within a certain time stage was calculated to compare the popularity of the same keyword in different time stages. Keyword co-occurrence network maps were constructed by VOSviewer software.
RESULTS: A total of 18,508 articles in the research field of Schistosoma and 13,289 articles in the field of Toxoplasma gondii were included. Results in both fields showed some similarities: the annual number of articles presented an increasing trend before entering the 21st century and decreased rapidly in recent years. Two opposite changing trends of keyword frequency could be observed in the K/A ratio analysis: the K/A ratios of 'Surveillance' and 'Infection' continuously increased over time, while those of 'Schistosoma mansoni' and 'Mesenteric lymph nodes' decreased. The diversification of keyword co-occurrence networks could be observed in the co-occurrence network maps.
CONCLUSIONS: This bibliometric analysis reveals trends in research themes in the fields of Schistosoma and Toxoplasma gondii from 1980 to 2021, presenting China's experience such as a high degree of government involvement and multidisciplinary participation in schistosomiasis and toxoplasmosis control and elimination.
Ascendancy of unfolded protein response over glioblastoma: estimating progression, prognosis and survival

Gundamaraju R, Wu J, William JNG, Lu W, Jha NK, Ramasamy S, et al.

Biotechnol Genet Eng Rev, 2023 Apr;39(1):143-165.
PMID: 35904341 DOI: 10.1080/02648725.2022.2106002

Glioblastoma (GBM) is presented with a poor prognosis. The endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) has been implicated as a major contributor to disease progression and chemoresistance in GBM. Triggering ERS by chemical agents or genetic modulations is identified as some of the reasons for regulating gene expression and the pathogenesis of GBM. ERS initiates unfolded protein response (UPR), an integrated system useful in restoring homeostasis or inducing apoptosis. Modulation of UPR might have positive outcomes in GBM treatment as UPR inducers have been shown to alter cell survival and migration. In the current review, we have utilized GSE7806, a publicly available dataset from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), to evaluate the genes expressed during 6.5 hr and 18 hr, which can be comparable to the early and late-onset of the disease. Subsequently, we have elucidated the prognosis and survival information whilst the expression of these genes in the GBM was noted in previous studies. This is the first of its kind review summarizing the most recent gene information correlating UPR and GBM.

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