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1.
Plant Dis ; 2024 May 29.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38812364

ABSTRACT

Macadamia (Macadamia ternifolia Maiden and Betche) belongs to the Proteaceae family (Li et al. 2022). In the hilly areas of Guangxi (southern China), macadamia trees are an important source of revenue. The planting area in Guangxi has increased in recent years, exceeding 53,333 hectares by the end of 2022, but this increase is also associated with emergency of, macadamia diseases. Leaf blight symptoms were observed in 37/241 macadamia trees (15% incidence) in a plantation in Nanning, Guangxi province in China, during June, 2022. Disease severity on infected trees ranged from 5% to 60%. The disease developed from the tips or margins of leaves, causing the leaves to turn brown, and later gradually withered (Fig. 1 A). Ten leaves with lesions were collected from five macadamia trees (two leaves per tree. Thereafter, small segments (3 to 4 mm²) excised from the margins of ten lesions were surface sterilized in 75% ethanol for 30 s and 1% hypochlorite for 90 s and Page 1 of 6 2 rinsed in sterile water, before plating onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. Plates were incubated under lighting during the daytime, and darkness at night-time for 5 days at 25℃. Twenty-two purified colonies were generated by subculturing hyphal tips, of which eight exhibited similar morphology and were further characterized. The colonies on PDA were gray with a white outer ring and flat lawn on the surface (Fig. 1 B). The pycnidia were superficial to semi-immersed on PDA, solitary to aggregated, globose to sub-globose, brown to black and oozed yellow mucilaginous masses (Fig.1 C). The α-conidia were unicellular, hyaline elliptical or fusiform, and measuring 4-8 × 1.9-4 µm (n=30) , whereas the ß-conidia were hyaline, long, straight or curved, measuring 20-23 × 0.9-2 µm (n=30) (Fig. 1 D-E). The morphological features were similar to Diaporthe hongkongensis (Dissanayake et al. 2015). The eight morphologically similar isolates were identified as D. hongkongensis using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, but only one isolate, JG11, was selected for further molecular identification. Five target genes, including the ITS region, translation elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1-α), beta-tubulin genes (TUB2), calmodulin (CAL), and histone H3 (HIS) were amplified and sequenced using primers ITS1/ITS4, EF1-728F/EF1-986R, Bt2a/Bt2b, CAL-228F/CAL-737R, and CYLH3F/H3-1b, respectively (Carbone and Kohn 1999). The sequences were deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OQ932790 (ITS) and OR147955-58 for EF1-α, TUB, CAL and HIS genes, respectively. BLAST search of GenBank showed that ITS, EF1-α, TUB, CAL, and HIS sequences of JG11 were similar to Page 2 of 6 3 those of D. hongkongensis NR111848 (99.22% identity), KY433566 (99.72%), MW208603 (99.42%), MW221740 (99.80%), and MW221661 (99.79%), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of concatenated sequences was performed with IQ-TREE software. JG11 was grouped in the same clade as other Diaporthe hongkongensis isolates (Fig. 2). Pathogenicity experiments were carried out on healthy macadamia trees in a greenhouse. Three macadamia trees were used as negative controls where five uninjured leaves per tree were sprayed with sterile distilled water. Uninjured five leaves per tree of three other macadamia trees were sprayed with conidia suspension of the isolate JG11 at a concentration of 1×106. Each treatment was repeated 3 times independently, with 5 leaves per tree (Liu et al. 2023; Havill et al. 2023; Zhang et al. 2022). Plastic bags were placed over all inoculated leaves. The average daily temperature and relative humidity in the greenhouse were 32°C and 65%, respectively. Two days later, browning appeared on the leaves inoculated with the spore suspension and expanded outward. After 5 days, all macadamia leaves inoculated with the fungal spores began to wither, while controls remained asymptomatic (Fig. 1 H-I). D. hongkongensis was consistently re-isolated and purified from inoculated leaves and the identity was confirmed by morphological identification and molecular analysis, completed Koch's postulates. D. hongkongensis has been reported on peach (Zhang et al. 2021), grapevine trunk (Dissanayake et al. 2015) and Cunninghamia lanceolata (Liao et al. 2022). To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. hongkongensis causing leaf blight on macadamia in China. These findings provide a foundation for future research on the epidemiology and control of this newly emerging disease of macadamia.

3.
Adv Mater ; : e2404815, 2024 May 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38719211

ABSTRACT

The solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) with lithium fluoride (LiF) is critical to the performance of lithium metal batteries (LMBs) due to its high stability and mechanical properties. However, the low Li ion conductivity of LiF impedes the rapid diffusion of Li ions in the SEI, which leads to localized Li ion oversaturation dendritic deposition and hinders the practical applications of LMBs at high-current regions (>3 C). To address this issue, a fluorophosphated SEI rich with fast ion-diffusing inorganic grain boundaries (LiF/Li3P) is introduced. By utilizing a sol electrolyte that contains highly dispersed porous LiF nanoparticles modified with phosphorus-containing functional groups, a fluorophosphated SEI is constructed and the presence of electrochemically active Li within these fast ion-diffusing grain boundaries (GBs-Li) that are non-nucleated is demonstrated, ensuring the stability of the Li || NCM811 cell for over 1000 cycles at fast-charging rates of 5 C (11 mA cm-2). Additionally, a practical, long cycling, and intrinsically safe LMB pouch cell with high energy density (400 Wh kg-1) is fabricated. The work reveals how SEI components and structure design can enable fast-charging LMBs.

4.
BMC Palliat Care ; 23(1): 84, 2024 Apr 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38556855

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The interdisciplinary realm of medical humanities explores narratives and experiences that can enhance medical education for physicians through perspective-taking and reflective practice. However, there is a gap in comprehension regarding its appropriateness at the postgraduate level, especially when utilising art therapists as faculty. This study aims to assess the acceptability of an innovative art therapy-focused educational initiative among junior doctors during a palliative care rotation, with the goal of cultivating empathy and promoting well-being. METHODS: A qualitative research project was conducted at the Division of Supportive and Palliative Care (DSPC) in the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). The study involved the recruitment of junior doctors who had successfully completed a three-month palliative care rotation program, spanning from January 2020 to April 2021. In a single small-group session lasting 1.5 h, with 3 to 4 participants each time, the individuals participated in activities such as collage making, group reflection, and sharing of artistic creations. These sessions were facilitated by an accredited art therapist and a clinical psychologist, focusing on themes related to empathy and wellbeing. To assess the acceptability of the program, two individual interviews were conducted three months apart with each participant. An independent research assistant utilised a semi-structured question guide that considered affective attitude, burden, perceived effectiveness, coherence, and self-efficacy. Thematic analysis of the transcribed data was then employed to scrutinise the participants' experiences. RESULTS: A total of 20 individual interviews were completed with 11 participants. The three themes identified were lack of pre-existing knowledge of the humanities, promotors, and barriers to program acceptability. CONCLUSIONS: The participants have mixed perceptions of the program's acceptability. While all completed the program in its entirety, the acceptability of the program is impeded by wider systemic factors such as service and manpower needs. It is vital to address these structural limitations as failing to do so risks skewing current ambivalence towards outright rejection of future endeavours to integrate humanities programs into medical education.


Subject(s)
Art Therapy , Palliative Medicine , Humans , Empathy , Qualitative Research , Employment
5.
PLoS One ; 19(4): e0302620, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38640107

ABSTRACT

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296939.].

6.
Emerg Med Int ; 2024: 6631990, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38655008

ABSTRACT

Knowledge about biological rhythms of diseases may not only help in understanding the pathophysiology of diseases but can also help health service policy makers and emergency department directors to allocate resources efficiently. Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) has high rates of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of SAH has been attributed to patient-related factors such as characteristics of aneurysms, smoking, and hypertension. There are studies showing that the incidence of aneurysmal SAH appears to behave in periodic fashions over long time periods. However, there are inconsistencies in the literature regarding the impact of chronobiological factors such as circadian, seasonal, and lunar cycle factors on the occurrence of SAH. In this study, we focused on the analysis of a temporal pattern of SAH (infradian rhythms) with a novel approach using circular statistical methods. We aimed to see whether there is a circular pattern for the occurrence of SAH at all and if so, whether it can be related to known temporal patterns based on available literature. Our study did not support the notion that aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhages occur on any specific day in a cycle with specific lengths up to 365 days including specific weekdays, full moon, equinoxes, and solstices. Hence, we found no relationship between SAH incidence and timing. Study in larger populations using similar circular statistical methods is suggested.

7.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38666305

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) model for first-trimester screening for pre-eclampsia in a large Asian population. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter prospective cohort study in 10 935 participants with singleton pregnancies attending for routine pregnancy care at 11-13+6 weeks of gestation in seven regions in Asia between December 2016 and June 2018. We applied the AI+ML model for the first-trimester prediction of preterm pre-eclampsia (<37 weeks), term pre-eclampsia (≥37 weeks), and any pre-eclampsia, which was derived and tested in a cohort of pregnant participants in the UK (Model 1). This model comprises maternal factors with measurements of mean arterial pressure, uterine artery pulsatility index, and serum placental growth factor (PlGF). The model was further retrained with adjustments for analyzers used for biochemical testing (Model 2). Discrimination was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The Delong test was used to compare the AUC of Model 1, Model 2, and the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) competing risk model. RESULTS: The predictive performance of Model 1 was significantly lower than that of the FMF competing risk model in the prediction of preterm pre-eclampsia (0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.77-0.87 vs. 0.86, 95% CI 0.811-0.91, P = 0.019), term pre-eclampsia (0.75, 95% CI 0.71-0.80 vs. 0.79, 95% CI 0.75-0.83, P = 0.006), and any pre-eclampsia (0.78, 95% CI 0.74-0.81 vs. 0.82, 95% CI 0.79-0.84, P < 0.001). Following the retraining of the data with adjustments for the PlGF analyzers, the performance of Model 2 for predicting preterm pre-eclampsia, term pre-eclampsia, and any pre-eclampsia was improved with the AUC values increased to 0.84 (95% CI 0.80-0.89), 0.77 (95% CI 0.73-0.81), and 0.80 (95% CI 0.76-0.83), respectively. There were no differences in AUCs between Model 2 and the FMF competing risk model in the prediction of preterm pre-eclampsia (P = 0.135) and term pre-eclampsia (P = 0.084). However, Model 2 was inferior to the FMF competing risk model in predicting any pre-eclampsia (P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: This study has demonstrated that following adjustment for the biochemical marker analyzers, the predictive performance of the AI+ML prediction model for pre-eclampsia in the first trimester was comparable to that of the FMF competing risk model in an Asian population.

8.
Bioorg Med Chem Lett ; 105: 129760, 2024 Jun 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38641151

ABSTRACT

The naturally occurring bile acid lithocholic acid (LCA) has been a crucial core structure for many non-sugar-containing sialyltranferase (ST) inhibitors documented in literature. With the aim of elucidating the impact of the terminal carboxyl acid substituent of LCA on its ST inhibition, in this present study, we report the (bio)isosteric replacement-based design and synthesis of sulfonate and sulfate analogues of LCA. Among these compounds, the sulfate analogue SPP-002 was found to selectively inhibit N-glycan sialylation by at least an order of magnitude, indicating a substantial improvement in both potency and selectivity when compared to the unmodified parent bile acid. Molecular docking analysis supported the stronger binding of the synthetic analogue in the enzyme active site. Treatment with SPP-002 also hampered the migration, adhesion, and invasion of MDA-MB-231 cells in vitro by suppressing the expression of signaling proteins involved in the cancer metastasis-associated integrin/FAK/paxillin pathway. In totality, these findings offer not only a novel structural scaffold but also valuable insights for the future development of more potent and selective ST inhibitors with potential therapeutic effects against tumor cancer metastasis.


Subject(s)
Lithocholic Acid , Molecular Docking Simulation , Sialyltransferases , Lithocholic Acid/pharmacology , Lithocholic Acid/chemistry , Lithocholic Acid/chemical synthesis , Lithocholic Acid/analogs & derivatives , Humans , Sialyltransferases/antagonists & inhibitors , Sialyltransferases/metabolism , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Movement/drug effects , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemical synthesis , Structure-Activity Relationship , Sulfates/chemistry , Sulfates/pharmacology , Sulfates/chemical synthesis , Neoplasm Metastasis , Sulfonic Acids/pharmacology , Sulfonic Acids/chemistry , Sulfonic Acids/chemical synthesis , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/chemical synthesis , Molecular Structure , Cell Adhesion/drug effects , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Paxillin/metabolism , Paxillin/antagonists & inhibitors , Focal Adhesion Kinase 1/antagonists & inhibitors , Focal Adhesion Kinase 1/metabolism , Drug Discovery
9.
Int J Mol Sci ; 25(8)2024 Apr 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38673867

ABSTRACT

Sialyltransferase-catalyzed membrane protein and lipid glycosylation plays a vital role as one of the most abundant post-translational modifications and diversification reactions in eukaryotes. However, aberrant sialylation has been associated with cancer malignancy and metastasis. Sialyltransferases thus represent emerging targets for the development of small molecule cancer drugs. Herein, we report the inhibitory effects of a recently discovered lithocholic acid derivative FCW393 on sialyltransferase catalytic activity, integrin sialyation, cancer-associated signal transduction, MDA-MB-231 and B16F10 cell migration and invasion, and in in vivo studies, on tumor growth, metastasis, and angiogenesis. FCW393 showed effective and selective inhibition of the sialyltransferases ST6GAL1 (IC50 = 7.8 µM) and ST3GAL3 (IC50 = 9.45 µM) relative to ST3GAL1 (IC50 > 400 µM) and ST8SIA4 (IC50 > 100 µM). FCW393 reduced integrin sialylation in breast cancer and melanoma cells dose-dependently and downregulated proteins associated with the integrin-regulated FAK/paxillin and GEF/Rho/ROCK pathways, and with the VEGF-regulated Akt/NFκB/HIF-1α pathway. FCW393 inhibited cell migration (IC50 = 2.6 µM) and invasion in in vitro experiments, and in in vivo studies of tumor-bearing mice, FCW393 reduced tumor size, angiogenesis, and metastatic potential. Based on its demonstrated selectivity, cell permeability, relatively low cytotoxicity (IC50 = 55 µM), and high efficacy, FCW393 shows promising potential as a small molecule experimental tool compound and a lead for further development of a novel cancer therapeutic.


Subject(s)
Cell Movement , Sialyltransferases , Sialyltransferases/metabolism , Sialyltransferases/antagonists & inhibitors , Humans , Animals , Mice , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Movement/drug effects , Neoplasm Metastasis , Female , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Enzyme Inhibitors/chemistry , Enzyme Inhibitors/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Cell Proliferation/drug effects , Lithocholic Acid/pharmacology
11.
Cell Rep ; 43(3): 113892, 2024 Mar 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38431841

ABSTRACT

Hexanucleotide repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene are the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. Due to the lack of trunk neuromuscular organoids (NMOs) from ALS patients' induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), an organoid system was missing to model the trunk spinal neuromuscular neurodegeneration. With the C9orf72 ALS patient-derived iPSCs and isogenic controls, we used an NMO system containing trunk spinal cord neural and peripheral muscular tissues to show that the ALS NMOs could model peripheral defects in ALS, including contraction weakness, neural denervation, and loss of Schwann cells. The neurons and astrocytes in ALS NMOs manifested the RNA foci and dipeptide repeat proteins. Acute treatment with the unfolded protein response inhibitor GSK2606414 increased the glutamatergic muscular contraction 2-fold and reduced the dipeptide repeat protein aggregation and autophagy. This study provides an organoid system for spinal neuromuscular pathologies in ALS and its application for drug testing.


Subject(s)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis , Frontotemporal Dementia , Humans , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/pathology , C9orf72 Protein/genetics , C9orf72 Protein/metabolism , Frontotemporal Dementia/genetics , Frontotemporal Dementia/pathology , Proteins/genetics , Dipeptides/pharmacology , Dipeptides/metabolism , DNA Repeat Expansion
12.
J Biotechnol ; 383: 27-38, 2024 Mar 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38336281

ABSTRACT

The widespread adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops has escalated concerns about their safety and ethical implications, underscoring the need for efficient GM crop detection methods. Conventional detection methods, such as polymerase chain reaction, can be costly, lab-bound, and time-consuming. To overcome these challenges, we have developed RapiSense, a cost-effective, portable, and sensitive biosensor platform. This sensor generates a measurable voltage shift (0.1-1 V) in the system's current-voltage characteristics, triggered by an increase in membrane's negative charge upon hybridization of DNA/RNA targets with a specific DNA probe. Probes designed to identify the herbicide resistance gene hygromycin phosphotransferase show a detection range from ∼1 nM to ∼10 µM and can discriminate between complementary, non-specific, and mismatched nucleotide targets. The incorporation of a small membrane sensor to detect fragmented RNA samples substantially improve the platform's sensitivity. In this study, RapiSense has been effectively used to detect specific DNA and fragmented RNA in transgenic variants of Arabidopsis, sweet potato, and rice, showcasing its potential for rapid, on-site GM crop screening.


Subject(s)
Crops, Agricultural , RNA , Plants, Genetically Modified/genetics , Crops, Agricultural/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods , DNA
13.
PLoS One ; 19(1): e0296939, 2024.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38295121

ABSTRACT

Imagine having a knowledge graph that can extract medical health knowledge related to patient diagnosis solutions and treatments from thousands of research papers, distilled using machine learning techniques in healthcare applications. Medical doctors can quickly determine treatments and medications for urgent patients, while researchers can discover innovative treatments for existing and unknown diseases. This would be incredible! Our approach serves as an all-in-one solution, enabling users to employ a unified design methodology for creating their own knowledge graphs. Our rigorous validation process involves multiple stages of refinement, ensuring that the resulting answers are of the utmost professionalism and solidity, surpassing the capabilities of other solutions. However, building a high-quality knowledge graph from scratch, with complete triplets consisting of subject entities, relations, and object entities, is a complex and important task that requires a systematic approach. To address this, we have developed a comprehensive design flow for knowledge graph development and a high-quality entities database. We also developed knowledge distillation schemes that allow you to input a keyword (entity) and display all related entities and relations. Our proprietary methodology, multiple levels refinement (MLR), is a novel approach to constructing knowledge graphs and refining entities level-by-level. This ensures the generation of high-quality triplets and a readable knowledge graph through keyword searching. We have generated multiple knowledge graphs and developed a scheme to find the corresponding inputs and outputs of entity linking. Entities with multiple inputs and outputs are referred to as joints, and we have created a joint-version knowledge graph based on this. Additionally, we developed an interactive knowledge graph, providing a user-friendly environment for medical professionals to explore entities related to existing or unknown treatments/diseases. Finally, we have advanced knowledge distillation techniques.


Subject(s)
Distillation , Pattern Recognition, Automated , Humans , Databases, Factual , Health Facilities , Delivery of Health Care
14.
Infect Dis Ther ; 13(2): 373-383, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38286955

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Limited studies have evaluated the association between Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and the duration of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) or histamine H2-receptor blocker (H2RA) use and provided a cutoff duration for PPI or H2RA use to mitigate a substantially increased risk of CDI. We aimed to evaluate these associations in hospitalized patients using a nationwide insurance claims database. METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study to identify cases with a first ever record of CDI in a study cohort undergoing PPI or H2RA therapy from the National Health Insurance Database from 2012 to 2018. Each case was matched with one control by age, sex, and calendar year. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC ROC). Youden's J statistic was used to identify the optimal cutoff duration in days for PPI or H2RA use. RESULTS: In the main analysis, the AUC ROC was 0.64 (95% CI 0.63-0.66) and optimal cutoff duration was 15 days for PPI users. The AUC ROC was 0.63 (95% CI 0.62-0.64) and optimal cutoff duration was 16 days for H2RA users. In the sensitivity analyses, the results were similar to those of the main analysis, and the optimal cutoff duration was in the range of 14-15 days. CONCLUSIONS: The optimal cutoff duration for PPI and H2RA use was about 2 weeks. It is necessary to be cautious regarding the risk of CDI in patients taking PPIs or H2RAs for longer than 2 weeks.

15.
J Biomol Struct Dyn ; : 1-9, 2024 Jan 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38258435

ABSTRACT

The high expression or mutation of SHP2 can induce cancer, so targeting SHP2 has become a new strategy for cancer treatment. In this study, we used the previously reported SHP2 allosteric inhibitor IACS-13909 as a lead drug for structural derivation and modification, and synthesized three SHP2 inhibitors. Among them, 1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine derivative 4b was a highly selective SHP2 allosteric inhibitor, with an IC50 value of 3.2 nM, and its inhibitory activity was 17.75 times than that of the positive control IACS-13909. The cell proliferation experiment detected that compound 4b would markedly inhibit the proliferation of various cancer cells. Interestingly, compound 4b was highly sensitive to KRASG12C-mutant non-small cell lung cancer NCI-H358 cells, with an IC50 value of 0.58 µM and its antiproliferative activity was 4.79 times than that of IACS-13909. Furthermore, the combination therapy of compound 4b and KRASG12C inhibitor sotorasib would play a strong synergistic effect against NCI-H358 cells. The western blot experiment detected that compound 4b markedly downregulated the phosphorylation levels of ERK and AKT in NCI-H358 cells. Molecular docking study predicted that compound 4b bound to the allosteric site of SHP2 and formed H-bond interactions with key residues Thr108, Glu110, Arg111, and Phe113. In summary, this study aims to provide new ideas for the development of SHP2 allosteric inhibitors for the treatment of KRASG12C mutant non-small cell lung cancer.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

16.
iScience ; 27(1): 108690, 2024 Jan 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38235340

ABSTRACT

Prenatal stress has been extensively documented as a contributing factor to adverse cardiac development and function in fetuses and infants. The release of glucocorticoids (GCs), identified as a significant stressor, may be a potential factor inducing cardiac hypertrophy. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. Herein, we discovered that corticosterone (CORT) overload induced cardiac hypertrophy in embryonic chicks and fetal mice in vivo, as well as enlarged cardiomyocytes in vitro. The impaired mitochondria dynamics were observed in CORT-exposed cardiomyocytes, accompanied by dysfunction in oxidative phosphorylation and ATP production. This phenomenon was found to be linked to decreased mitochondrial fusion protein mitofusin 2 (MFN2). Subsequently, we found that CORT facilitated the ubiquitin-proteasome-system-dependent degradation of MFN2 with an enhanced binding of appoptosin to MFN2, serving as the underlying cause. Collectively, our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms by which exposure to stress hormones induces cardiac hypertrophy in fetuses.

17.
Stud Health Technol Inform ; 310: 534-538, 2024 Jan 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38269866

ABSTRACT

Among the elderly, hypertension remains one of the prevalent health conditions, which requires monitoring and intervention strategies. Nevertheless, regular reporting of blood pressure (BP) from these individuals still poses multiple challenges. However, most people own cell phone and are engaged in phone conversations daily. Here, we propose an adjustable cuffless smartphone attachment (ACSA+) equipped with a PPG sensor for the estimation of BP during phone conversations. ACSA+ can be easily attached to the back of any modern cell phone. ACSA+ will help to continuously collect BP data and store it as a trend line.


Subject(s)
Cell Phone , Smartphone , Aged , Humans , Blood Pressure , Pilot Projects , Telephone
18.
Stem Cell Res ; 74: 103288, 2024 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38181637

ABSTRACT

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from two patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a 47-year-old female and a 45-year-old male. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated using a non-integrating SeV-based method, delivering the transcription factors OCT4, SOX2, c-MYC, and KLF4. These transgene-free iPSC lines exhibited typical pluripotent cell morphology, expressed pluripotency-associated markers, and had tri-lineage differentiation potential. Both iPSC lines were free of mycoplasma contamination and displayed normal karyotypes. The availability of these two cell lines provides a promising opportunity to use sporadic ALS models for investigating the intricate pathological mechanisms of ALS.


Subject(s)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis , Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells , Male , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells/metabolism , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/pathology , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/metabolism , Kruppel-Like Factor 4 , Cell Differentiation
19.
BMC Genomics ; 25(1): 37, 2024 Jan 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38184538

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Citrus is one of the most valuable fruits worldwide and an economic pillar industry in southern China. Nevertheless, it frequently suffers from undesirable environmental stresses during the growth cycle, which severely restricts the growth, development and yield of citrus. In plants, the growth-regulating factor (GRF) family of transcription factors (TF) is extensively distributed and plays an vital part in plant growth and development, hormone response, as well as stress adaptation. However, the systematic identification and functional analysis of GRF TFs in citrus have not been reported. RESULTS: Here, a genome-wide identification of GRF TFs was performed in Citrus sinensis, 9 members of CsGRFs were systematically identified and discovered to be scattered throughout 5 chromosomes. Subsequently, physical and chemical properties, phylogenetic relationships, structural characteristics, gene duplication events, collinearity and cis-elements of promoter were elaborately analyzed. In particular, the expression patterns of the CsGRF genes in response to multiple phytohormone and abiotic stress treatments were investigated. Predicated on this result, CsGRF04, which exhibited the most differential expression pattern under multiple phytohormone and abiotic stress treatments was screened out. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) technology was utilized to obtain gene silenced plants for CsGRF04 successfully. After the three stress treatments of high salinity, low temperature and drought, the CsGRF04-VIGS lines showed significantly reduced resistance to high salinity and low temperature stresses, but extremely increased resistance to drought stress. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, our findings systematically analyzed the genomic characterization of GRF family in Citrus sinensis, and excavated a CsGRF04 with potential functions under multiple abiotic stresses. Our study lay a foundation for further study on the function of CsGRFs in abiotic stress and hormone signaling response.


Subject(s)
Citrus sinensis , Citrus , Citrus sinensis/genetics , Phylogeny , Plant Growth Regulators/pharmacology , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins , Hormones
20.
Expert Opin Drug Saf ; 23(2): 213-220, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37581403

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Bevacizumab is used for the treatment of advanced malignant tumors; it acts by inhibiting angiogenesis. This study aimed to examine adverse events (AEs) of bevacizumab, especially hemorrhage, using the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The reporting odds ratio (ROR) and proportional reporting ratio (PRR) were used to analyze the AEs of bevacizumab using FAERS registration data from January 2004 to September 2022. Clinical information regarding hemorrhagic signals was further analyzed. RESULTS: The number of bevacizumab-associated AE reports was 96,477. Our study found that 892 significant preferred terms (PTs) were spread throughout 25 organ systems. The system organ classes (SOCs) focus on general disorders, administration site conditions, blood and lymphatic system disorders, injury, poisoning, and procedural complications. A total of 2,847 bevacizumab-related hemorrhage cases were reported, and 37 hemorrhagic signals were identified. Hemorrhagic signals were focused on SOC levels in vascular, gastrointestinal, and nervous system disorders. Colorectal, lung, and breast cancers are the three most common malignancies associated with BV-induced hemorrhage. CONCLUSION: The AE report from the present study confirms the majority of label information for bevacizumab, while also identifying new AEs. In addition, this was a large descriptive study of bevacizumab-induced hemorrhage.


Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions , United States , Humans , Female , Bevacizumab/adverse effects , United States Food and Drug Administration , Pharmacovigilance , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/epidemiology , Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions/etiology , Hemorrhage/chemically induced , Hemorrhage/epidemiology , Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems
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