Revisiting the antigen markers of vector-borne parasitic diseases identified by immunomics: identification and application to disease control.

INTRODUCTION: Protein microarray is a promising immunomic approach for identifying biomarkers. Based on our previous study that reviewed parasite antigens and recent parasitic omics research, this article expands to include information on vector-borne parasitic diseases (VBPDs), namely, malaria, schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, babesiosis, trypanosomiasis, lymphatic filariasis, and onchocerciasis. AREAS COVERED: We revisit and systematically summarize antigen markers of vector-borne parasites identified by the immunomic approach and discuss the latest advances in identifying antigens for the rational development of diagnostics and vaccines. The applications and challenges of this approach for VBPD control are also discussed. EXPERT OPINION: The immunomic approach has enabled the identification and/or validation of antigen markers for vaccine development, diagnosis, disease surveillance, and treatment. However, this approach presents several challenges, including limited sample size, variability in antigen expression, false-positive results, complexity of omics data, validation and reproducibility, and heterogeneity of diseases. In addition, antigen involvement in host immune evasion and antigen sensitivity/specificity are major issues in its application. Despite these limitations, this approach remains promising for controlling VBPD. Advances in technology and data analysis methods should continue to improve candidate antigen identification, as well as the use of a multiantigen approach in diagnostic and vaccine development for VBPD control.

Special prognostic phenomenon for patients with mid-range ejection fraction heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Clinical features and outcomes of heart failure (HF) with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF) remain controversial. Thus, we systematically reviewed literatures of clinical research to assess and analyze characteristics and prognosis of patients with HFmrEF. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched for cohort studies up to April 23, 2019. Clinical features and multivariate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) of endpoints of short-term all-cause mortality (SAM), long-term all-cause mortality (LAM), long-term cardiovascular death (LCD) and long-term HF rehospitalization (LHR) among patients with HFmrEF and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) were well addressed. The primary outcome was LAM. RESULTS: Totally 19 studies were included in this study with 164,678 patients enrolled. The follow-up time of LAM was 3.6 ±â€Š2.5 years. HRs of LAM, SAM, LCD, LHR indicated that the risks of patients with HFmrEF were higher than HFpEF patients but lower than HFrEF patients, as for LAM, HFmrEF:HFpEF (reference) HR: 1.07, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00-1.15 (I = 63%, P = 0.0005); HFmrEF:HFrEF (reference) HR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.73-0.88 (I = 70%, P < 0.0001). However, HFmrEF patients had the lowest rate in LAM (30.94%), SAM (2.73%), LCD (17.45%), LHR (26.36%) compared with the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis compared features and prognosis between patients with HFmrEF and HFpEF, HFrEF by HRs. There appeared a special "separation phenomenon" showing rates of endpoints were inconsistent with their hazards in patients with HFmrEF compared with HFpEF patients.

Comparison of the long-term results of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy for morbid obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized and nonrandomized trials.

PURPOSE: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are 2 of the most widely used bariatric procedures today, in this meta-analysis, both techniques were compared for evaluating the efficacy and safety of the treatment of morbid obesity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic literature search of Cochrane Controlled Trials Register Databases, Medline, Embase, ISI databases, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database was performed. Statistical analyses were carried out using RevMan software. RESULTS: Thirty-two recent studies including 6526 patients in total were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with SG, RYGB had significantly better effect in resolving type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and arthritis. However, RYGB had higher incidence of complications and reoperation, and longer operation time than SG. CONCLUSIONS: RYGB was more effective than SG in the resolution of obesity-related comorbidities, SG was a safer procedure with a reduced rate of complications and reoperation.

[Transpiration of Brassica chinensis L. in a plastic greenhouse covered with insect-proof nets in lower reaches of Yangtze River: a simulation study].

With the climate data inside and outside a plastic greenhouse as driving variables, and the greenhouse structure, insect-proof net material, and characteristic breadth and leaf area index of Brassica chinensis L. as parameters; a canopy transpiration model for greenhouse B. chinensis was established, based on Penmam-Monteith transpiration model. This established model was validated by the experimental data of independent samples in a single greenhouse. The results showed that in lower reaches of Yangtze River, the vent discharge coefficient (Cd) of greenhouse covered with 20-, 25-, and 28- mesh insect-proof nets was 0.771, 0.758 and 0.736, and the wind pressure coefficient (Cw) was 0.33, 0.37, and 0.39, respectively. The determination coefficient (R2) between the predicted and measured canopy transpiration rate for the sunny, cloudy, and overcast days in summer was 0.95, 0.91, and 0.94, root mean squared error (RMSE) was 0.018, 0.014, and 0.015 g x m(-2) x s(-1), and relative prediction error (RE) was 14.27%, 18.05%, and 15.80%, respectively, suggesting that this model could better predict the transpiration rate of B. chinensis in the plastic greenhouse covered with insect-proof nets in lower reaches of Yangtze River.

[Effects of stem numbers per ground area on the quality of standard cut Chrysanthemum morifolium in greenhouse: simulation model].

In order to understand the effects of stem numbers per ground area on the quality of standard cut Chrysanthemum morifolium, an experiment with different cultivars, different stem numbers per plant, different planting densities, and different planting dates was conducted in a greenhouse in Shanghai in 2005 and 2006. The effects of stem numbers per ground area on the canopy leaf area index and external quality of standard cut C. morifolium were quantified using the experimental data. Based on the physiological product of thermal effectiveness and PAR (PETP) the canopy absorbed, a model for predicting the effects of stem numbers per ground area on the quality of standard cut C. morifolium was developed, and validated with independent experimental data. The results showed that with the increase of stem numbers per ground area, the leaf area index increased, whereas plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, and flower diameter decreased. The model gave satisfactory predictions of the quality of standard cut C. morifolium cultivated with different stem numbers and planting density. The coefficient of determination (R2) and relative prediction error (RSE) based on the 1:1 line for fresh mass per stem, plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, flower diameter, and the number of qualified stem harvested per ground area were 0.95, 0.96, 0.94, 0.91, 0.81 and 0.97, and 16.1%, 10.1%, 12.8%, 13.4%, 15.9%, 16.1% , respectively. The model developed in this study could be used for the optimization of light and temperature management for standard cut C. morifolium cultivated with different stem numbers and planting densities in greenhouse.

[Simulation model on the formation of greenhouse sweet pepper leaf area index].

Leaf area index (LAI) is one of the most important crop parameters in photosynthesis-driving crop growth simulation model and canopy evapotranspiration simulation model, while air temperature and radiation are the important climate factors affecting crop leaf growth. In this paper, experiments with different sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivars and sowing dates were conducted in greenhouse to quantitatively analyze the relationships of the number of unfolding leaves per plant, the number of old leaves removed per plant, and the length of each leaf with air temperature and radiation. Based on these quantitative relationships, a leaf area simulation model for greenhouse sweet pepper was developed, and the independent experimental data were used to validate the model. The results showed that the number of unfolding leaves per plant was a positive exponential function of the product of thermal effectiveness and PAR (TEP) accumulated after emergence, and the length of each leaf was a negative exponential function of the TEP accumulated after emergence. The coefficient of determination (R2) and the root mean squared error (RMSE) between simulated and measured leaf number, leaf length, and LAI were 0.94, 0.89, and 0.93, and 3.4, 2.15, and 0.15, respectively. The model could use air temperature, radiation, planting density, and emergence date to satisfactorily predict the LAI of greenhouse sweet pepper, and supply required LAI information for the sweet pepper growth and canopy evapotranspiration simulation models.

[Effects of transplanting date and density on appearance quality of greenhouse single-flower cut chrysanthemum].

Transplanting date and density are the important factors affecting the appearance quality of chrysanthemum. The study on the greenhouse single-flower cut chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum morifolium cv. Shenma) showed that within the ranges of test transplanting date and density, the plant height and neck length increased, while the leaf number per plant, stem diameter, plant fresh mass and flower diameter decreased with the delay of transplanting date and the increase of transplanting density. No effect of transplanting density was observed on plant height. For the production of single-flower cut chrysanthemum in non-heated greenhouse in Shanghai, the optimal transplanting date and density to achieve the top rank of quality (rank A) were the middle ten days of August and 64 plants x m(-2), and those to achieve the second rank of quality (rank B) were from mid August to early September and 72-80 plants x m(-2), respectively. The results obtained in this study offered references in establishing the prediction model of greenhouse single-flower cut chrysanthemum appearance quality based on light, temperature, and transplanting date and density.

Inhibitory effect of emodin on tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) expression in rat hepatic stellate cells.

Emodin inhibited expression of both transforming growth factor beta1 (TGFbeta1)- and phorbol ester (PMA)-induced tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) in an immortalized rat hepatic stellate cell line, HSC-T6, by Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Reporter gene assays showed that emodin reduced both basal and PMA-induced activated protein-1 (AP-1) promoter activities. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay revealed that emodin reduced AP-1 DNA binding activities in HSC-T6 cells. AP-1 components analysis showed that emodin also attenuated JunD mRNA expression. Furthermore, emodin markedly inhibited TGFbeta1-induced p42/p44 mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphorylation but did not alter PMA induction. We conclude that emodin effectively inhibits PMA- and TGFbeta1-stimulated TIMP-1 expression in hepatic stellate cells by suppressing the AP-1 signaling pathway and extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation, respectively. These data provide new insight into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of emodin against liver fibrosis.

Cloning and characterization of a novel human RNA binding protein gene PNO1.

Present work reported the cloning and characterization of a human novel RNA binding gene Partner of NOB1 (PNO1), with a length of 1637bp and a putative open reading frame of 759 bp, isolated from human kidney. It is composed of seven exons and is localized on chromosome 2p14. Western blot showed that the molecular weight of PNO1 is about 35kDa. RT-PCR results in 16 human tissues indicated that PNO1 is expressed mainly in liver, lung, spleen and kidney, slightly in thymus, testis, ovary, respectively, but not in heart, brain, skeletal muscle, placenta, pancreas, prostate, small intestine, colon and peripheral blood leukocytes. GFP fusion expression in mammalian cells exhibited its localization in the nucleus, especially in nucleoli. Subcellular localization of thirteen GFP fusion PNO1 deletion proteins showed that the region of 92-230 aa is solely responsible for its nucleolar retention, and KH domain alone is not sufficient for nucleolar retention. The PNO1 family shows significant conservation in both eukaryotes and prokaryotes.

[Tumor relevance analysis of a highly conserved gene by using gene microarray hybridization].

Preliminary function research of a highly conserved human gene,which was cloned from human fetal cDNA library during large-scale cDNA sequencing,is illustrated in this article. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that this gene is highly conserved in human, mouse, fruit fly, thaliana and fission yeast. Other bioinformatics analysis implies its relevance with tumors. RT-PCR analysis shows its wide-ranging expression patterns. Its expression in 16 cancer cases (including 7 liver cancer cases, 5 pancreas cancer cases, 2 larynx cancer cases and 2 lung cancer cases) is studied by using gene microarray analysis. The result shows its relevance with tumors and implies it may have different status in different classification of tumors.