Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is one of the most common agents causing acute liver disease worldwide. HAV has been increasingly reported as the cause of foodborne disease outbreaks. The standard method currently available for detection of the genome of HAV in vulnerable foodstuffs is by RT-qPCR (ISO 15216). Despite its usefulness in the investigation of foodborne viruses, the use of RT-qPCR in food virology has been shown to overestimate the quantity of infectious virus or to highly underestimate the effect of the treatment on virus inactivation. The gold standard methods currently used for evaluating the efficacy of inactivation treatments on the adapted strain of HAV (HM175/18f) are either the plaque assay or the end-point dilution assay (TCID50). However, both assays are labor-intensive and time-consuming. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the xCELLigence real-time cell analysis (RTCA) system for detecting the infectivity of the adapted strain of HAV. Kinetics of cell impedance showed that HAV induced a decrease in cell index (CI) correlated with the onset of HAV-induced cell death. In addition, the time to which the HAV-induced CI drop occurred was dependent on the viral concentration. An inverse linear relation could be established over a range of 5 log10 between the concentration of HAV and the time to reach 50% of CI decrease (TCI50), showing that the RTCA assay could be used as a titration method for HAV. In addition, the RTCA-based assay could be performed in less than 6 days instead of 12 to 14 days with the gold standard methods. Therefore, the RTCA-based titration method is a powerful and suitable tool for high-throughput screening of anti-viral treatments. Its usefulness in HAV inactivation studies will improve the assessment of viral risk in food virology, as controlling transmission of viruses through their removal from foodstuffs is also an important challenge in reducing the burden of viral foodborne illnesses.

Hand-foot-mouth disease (HFMD) is a widespread communicable disease and has caused large epidemics in many countries. This meta-analysis aimed to analyze and evaluate the epidemiological features of HFMD outbreaks in Chinese preschools.

Presurigical planning for glioma tumor resection and radiotherapy treatment require proper delineation of tumoral and peritumoral areas of brain. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is the most common mathematical model applied for diffusion weighted MRI data. Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) is another mathematical model for DWI data modeling.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a noninvasive, inexpensive and safe analgesic technique used for relieving acute and chronic pain. However, despite all these advantages, there has been very little research into the therapeutic effects of TENS on brain activity. To the best of our knowledge, there is no evidence on the effect of high frequency TENS on the gamma band activity.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a recent increase in prevalence. A timely appropriate treatment for the disorder may play a crucial role in improvements in behaviors, interactions, and communications in an individual's life. It appears that evaluation of therapeutic approaches to the patients is essential and of importance. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of memantine as adjunct therapy in children with ASD.

A dye-sensitized solar module (DSSM) and a high voltage all-solid-state electrochemical double layer capacitor (EDLC) are, for the first time, implemented in a compact Harvesting-Storage (HS) device. Conductive glass is employed as current collecting substrate for both DSSM and EDLC, leading to a robust and portable final structure. The photovoltaic section is constituted by a 4 series cells W-type module, while in the storage section an EDLC employing an ionic liquid-based polymeric electrolyte (a mixture of polyethylene oxide and N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, PEO-Pyr14TFSI) and activated carbon electrodes is used. The solid state EDLC is first characterized individually to determine its electrochemical performance before successfully proving the integration with the DSSM. The harvesting-storage properties of the integrated photo-capacitor are evaluated through photo-charge and subsequent discharge protocols performed at two different discharge currents, showing that in this configuration the EDLC unit can be effectively charged up to 2.45 V.

Precise regulation of signaling pathways in single cells underlies tissue development, maintenance and repair in multicellular organisms, but our ability to monitor signaling dynamics in living vertebrates is currently limited. We implemented kinase translocation reporter (KTR) technology to create DREKA ("dynamic reporter of Erk activity") zebrafish, which allow one to observe Erk activity in vivo at single cell level with high temporal resolution. DREKA zebrafish faithfully reported Erk activity after muscle cell wounding and revealed the kinetics of small compound uptake. Our results promise that kinase translocation reporters can be adapted for further applications in developmental biology, disease modeling, and in vivo pharmacology in zebrafish.

The AKR1B10 (aldo-keto reductase family 1 member B10) gene has important functions in carcinogen-induced neoplasia. AKR1B10 is also expressed in type 2 reaction leprosy patients (R2). We measured the expression of AKR1B10 in the skin lesions of patients with leprosy by immunohistochemistry from biopsies that encompassed the spectrum of types of leprosy, based on the Ridley and Jopling classification [10 samples each of tuberculoid (TT), borderline tuberculoid (BT), mid-borderline (BB), and borderline lepromatous (BL) lesions; four samples of lepromatous lesions (LL)], reactional leprosy [14 samples of type 1 Reaction (R1) and 10 samples of type 2 Reaction (R2)], and biopsies from 9 healthy control (HC) subjects. In addition, 46 lepromatous lesions (BL and LL), 45 lepromatous lesions in regression, and 115 R2 lesions were included. Eight of 10 R2 samples (80%), 3 of 46 active BL and LL samples (6%), 23 of 45 BL and LL samples in regression (51%), and 107 of 115 R2 samples (93%) were positive for AKR1B10, differing significantly between all groups (p < 0.05). AKR1B10 expression was highest in the cytoplasm of macrophages. Thus, AKR1B10 is overexpressed on the lepromatous side (BL and LL) in samples that are in regression, especially type 2 reaction-associated lesions, rendering it a potential marker of type 2 reactional episodes of leprosy and a target of drugs against reactional episodes.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal disease characterized by exuberant deposition of extracellular matrix components, deterioration of lung architecture and impairment of lung functions. Its etiopathogenesis remains incompletely understood, as reflected in the lack of an appropriate therapy. Modeling the human disease in mice via the administration of bleomycin (BLM), despite the inherent limitations, has provided valuable insights into the underlying pathogenetic mechanisms, and has been instrumental for the development and validation of new pharmacologic interventions. Here we have directly compared the, most widely used, intratracheal (IT) route of administration with oropharyngeal aspiration (OA). Our results suggest that the OA route of BLM-administration can be used as a safe and effective alternative, minimizing peri-operative and experimental mortality, while preserving a solid fibrotic profile, as assessed with a plethora of standardized readout assays.

ARG1, which encodes Arginase1, is expressed in the liver cytoplasm and plays a major role in the hepatic urea cycle. The past research works shed light on the fact that ARG1 participates in anti-inflammation, tumor immunity, and immunosuppression-related diseases. Nevertheless, the concrete role and clinical significance of ARG1 in the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. Herein, we aimed at examining the expression and clinicopathological significance of ARG1 in HCC, together with determining the effect of ARG1 on the progression and metastasis of HCC. In the current study, evaluation of the expression of ARG1 and clinicopathological significance of ARG1 was carried out in the human HCC tissues microarray, and the ARG1 overexpression vector and shRNA-ARG1 plasmids were constructed for the assessment of the concrete effect of ARG1 on cellular behaviors of Huh7 cells. As our data revealed, ARG1 was significantly downregulated in HCC, and the higher expression of ARG1 was positively correlated with more aggressive tumor growth, size, ALT, and GGT level. Significantly, we found that the high expression of ARG1 was correlated with poor DFS of HCC patients. Besides, in vitro study revealed that overexpression of ARG1 could enhance arginase activity, cell viability, migration, and invasion of Huh7 cells, and loss-of-function of ARG1 by shRNA interference could inhibit these cellular behaviors. Additionally, overexpression of ARG1 led to a significant increase in the expression of Vimentin, N-cadherin, and β-catenin both at protein and mRNA levels, which promotes the EMT process. On the other hand, these proteins' expression was significantly downregulated in ARG1 silenced Huh7 cells. Besides, the level of E-cadherin protein was upregulated in ARG1 knocked down cells. In conclusion, ARG1 might play a pivotal role as an oncogene in the progression of HCC through promoting the EMT process.

Postpartum depression (PPD) places a burden on maternal health. PPD exerts a negative impact on mothers' health and children's life. The purpose of this research was to identify the prevalence of PPD and the risk factors contributing to PPD. Therefore, a cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted. 116 women were categorized into two groups. One category included new mothers who received scores of Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) 12 or more. The other category included mothers who received scores less than 12. Descriptive statistic and then binary logistic regression were also performed. For EPDS ≥ 12, the prevalence of PPD was 27.6% among new mothers during the first year after delivery. Level of education, diseases during pregnancy, being the first-time mothers, dissatisfaction about family, and limited communication and interaction with others were significant predictors of PPD.

This study aimed to explore whether bone marrow- (BM-) derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) contributing to monocrotaline- (MCT-) induced pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in rats via modulating store-operated Ca2+ channels (SOC).

Torreya grandis Fort. ex Lindl. is a plant belonging to the Taxaceae family and Torreya grandis cv. Merrillii is the only grafted and thoroughbred species belonging to this species. In this study, we extracted five different seed oils, including T. grandis seed oil (TGSO), T. grandis "Xiangyafei" seed oil (XYSO), T. grandis "Zhimafei" seed oil (ZMSO), T. grandis "Majus"seed oil (TGMSO), and T. grandis "cunguangfei" seed oil (CGSO) using physical pressure. The resulting extracts were analyzed to determine their fatty acid composition, antioxidant activity, and inhibitory activity towards tyrosinase. The results of the antioxidant activity assays revealed that XYSO and ZMSO exhibited much greater DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing power than TGSO. Notably, all five of the seed oils showed dose-dependent inhibitory activity towards tyrosinase. XYSO and TGSO gave the highest activities of all of the seed oils tested in the current study against monophenolase and diphenolase, with IC50 values of 227.0 and 817.5μg/mL, respectively. The results of this study show that wild TGSOs exhibit strong antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibition activities. These results therefore suggest that wild TGSOs could be used as a potential source of natural antioxidant agents and tyrosinase inhibitors.

The aim of this study was to determine any changes in adiponectin and omentin levels in GDM patients who delivered at term and preterm and to evaluate whether adipokines can be useful as a clinical biomarker to predict subsequent preterm delivery.

There is a rapidly growing body of literature on the topic of hip arthroscopic surgery.

Viral load (VL) monitoring is standard of care in HIV-infected persons initiated on antiretroviral therapy (ART). We evaluated the predictive value of VL measurements at 6 and 12 months after initiation of firstline ART to estimate the future risk of virologic failure (VF).

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a sequel to visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which is found in VL-endemic countries including Bangladesh. Because of these enigmatic cases, the success of the National Kala-azar Elimination Program is under threat. To date, diagnostic methods for PKDL cases in endemic regions have been limited to clinical examination and rK39 test or microscopy, and a suitable and accurate alternative method is needed. In this study, we investigated the application of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a potential method for diagnosis of PKDL in comparison with microscopy.

Preeclampsia is characterized by new onset of hypertension and proteinuria after 20 weeks' gestation and is a leading cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. The pathogenesis of preeclampsia is often associated with aberrant trophoblast function that leads to shallow placental implantation. However, the exact underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Placental LncZBTB39-1:2 expression level was investigated in 20 healthy placentae and 20 placentae with preeclampsia using qRT-PCR, and the metabolic profile of trophoblasts overexpressing LncZBTB39-1:2 in vitro was analysed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In this study, we found that the expression of LncZBTB39-1:2 was significantly higher in preeclamptic placentae than in healthy placentae. Our metabolomics results have shown that tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and metabolites related to carbohydrate metabolism were decreased with the overexpression of LncZBTB39-1:2 in HTR8/SVneo cells. These findings were validated by detecting a lower level of intracellular ATP in HTR8/Vneo cells. Furthermore, the migration of HTR8/SVneo cells was compromised when cells were transfected with a plasmid encompassing LncZBTB39-1:2 overexpression. From these results, we conclude that abnormal levels of LncZBTB39-1:2 expression might lead to aberrant conditions in HTR-8/SVneo trophoblast cells. Aberrant conditions might be associated with dysregulated trophoblast migration and subsequent failure of uterine spiral artery remodelling, a pathogenesis recognised as a contributing factor in the aetiology of preeclampsia.

Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), is known to impair testicular functions and reproduction. However, its effects on immature testis Blood-testis barrier (BTB) and the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. We constructed a rat model to investigate the roles of autophagy in BTB toxicity induced by DEHP. Sprague-Dawley rats were developmentally exposed to 0, 250 and 500 mg/kg DEHP via intragastric administration from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND 35. Testicular morphology, expressions of BTB junction proteins and autophagy related proteins were detected. In addition, expressions of oxidative stress markers were also analyzed. Our results demonstrated that developmental DEHP exposure induced decreasing organ coefficients of immature testes and severe testicular damage in histomorphology. The expressions of junctional proteins were down-regulated significantly after DEHP treatment. Intriguingly, DEHP simultaneously increased the number of autophagosomes and the levels of autophagy marker LC3-II and p62, suggesting that the accumulated autophagosomes resulted from impaired autophagy degradation. Moreover, the expressions of HO-1 and SOD levels remarkably decreased after DEHP exposure. Vitamins E and C could alleviate the DEHP-induced oxidative stress, reverse the autophagy defect and restore the BTB impairment. Taken together, DEHP exposure destroys immature testis blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity through excessive ROS-mediated autophagy.

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in developing nations like India. RHD commonly affects the mitral valve which is lined by a single layer of endothelial cells (ECs). The role of ECs in mitral valve damage during RHD is not well elucidated. In here, anti-endothelial cell antibody from RHD patients has been used to stimulate the ECs (HUVECs and HMVECs). ECs proinflammatory phenotype with increased expression of TNFα, IL-6, IL-8, IFNγ, IL-1β, ICAM1, VCAM1, E-selectin, laminin B, and vimentin was documented in both ECs. The promoter hypomethylation of various key inflammatory cytokines (TNFα, IL-6, and IL-8), integrin (ICAM1) associated with leukocyte transendothelial migration, and extracellular matrix genes (vimentin, and laminin) were also observed. Further, the in-vitro data was in accordance with ex-vivo observations which correlated significantly with the etiological factors such as smoking, socioeconomic status, and housing. Thus, the study sheds light on the role of ECs in RHD which is a step forward in the elucidation of disease pathogenesis.