Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Turk J Med Sci 2021 Apr 17. Epub 2021 Apr 17.

Background/aim: Tuberculosis is a public health problem that still remains significant. For prevention, diagnosis and treatment on tuberculosis more effective novel biomarkers are needed. MicroRNAs can regulate innate and adaptive immune responses, alter host-pathogen interactions and affect progression of diseases. Read More

Drug Res (Stuttg) 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Department of Biochemistry, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria.

Farnesyltransferase (FTase) is a zinc enzyme that has been the subject of attention in anti-cancer research over the past. In this study, phytochemicals from plants were screened for their inhibitory potentials on the human farnesyltransferase. A three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) model for the inhibition of farnesyltransferase was generated and the inhibition of farnesyltransferase by the hit, ascorbic acid was validated in an animal model of breast cancer. Read More

Horm Metab Res 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

Genetic and Endocrinology Unit, Pediatric Department, Menoufia University, Shebin ElKoum, Menofia, Egypt.

The contribution of PAX8 genetic variants to congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is not well understood. We aimed to study the genetic variability of exons 3 and 5 of PAX8 gene among a cohort of children with congenital hypothyroidism in correspondence to their clinical aspect. Blood samples were collected from 117 children (63 girls and 54 boys) with CH and enrolled as cases (Group I). Read More

J Neural Eng 2021 Apr 16. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath, Bath, Somerset, BA2 7AY, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.

The electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) have been used in the control of robotic arms. The performance of non-invasive BCIs may not be satisfactory due to the poor quality of EEG signals, so the shared control strategies were tried as an alternative solution. However, most of the existing shared control methods set the arbitration rules manually, which highly depended on the specific tasks and developer's experience. Read More

J Neurosurg 2021 Apr 16:1-7. Epub 2021 Apr 16.

2Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.

Objective: Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a debilitating neuromuscular disorder with limited treatment options. The current study describes a novel minimally invasive procedure that provided effective and sustained relief for patients with HFS. The authors provide a detailed description of the awake CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the facial nerve for treatment of HFS, and they examine its clinical efficacy. Read More

Pathol Res Pract 2021 Apr 5;222:153433. Epub 2021 Apr 5.

Department of Neurosurgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, PR China; Central Laboratory, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430060, PR China. Electronic address:

Increasing literature reported that circRNAs play vital roles in the occurrence and progression of GBM and regulate GBM cell proliferation, metastases, and chemosensitivity. However, the expression pattern and function of circRNAs in GBM still need further studies. In our work, hsa_circ_0072309 was remarkably downregulated in GBM. Read More

Pathol Res Pract 2021 Mar 24;221:153412. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

1(st) Department of Pathology, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 75 Mikras Asias str., 11527, Goudi, Athens, Greece. Electronic address:

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) targeted therapies are mostly based on activating mutations and rearrangements which are rare events in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinomas (LUSC). Recently advances in immunotherapy have improved the therapeutic repository for LUSC, but there is still an urgent need for novel targets and biomarkers. We examined 73 cases of LUSC for relative copy number amplification of DCUN1D1, BCL9, FGFR1 and ERBB2 genes and searched for correlations with molecular alterations and clinicopathological characteristics. Read More

Int Immunopharmacol 2021 Apr 14;96:107660. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226018, China. Electronic address:

Alpinetin is the major active ingredient of Alpiniakatsumadai Hayata. As a kind of novel plant-derived flavonoid, alpinetin has shown potent hepatoprotective effect against many liver diseases such as non-alcoholic fatty liver and lipopolysaccharide/d-Galactosamine-induced liver injury. However, its roles in liver fibrosis remain to be determined. Read More

J Hazard Mater 2021 Apr 1;416:125790. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

SKL-ESPC and BIC-ESAT, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address:

Ambient air pollution is a major risk factor for the prevalence and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Based on the COPDB (COPD in Beijing) panel study, whole-blood transcriptomes were repeatedly measured in 48 COPD patients and 62 healthy participants. Ambient mass concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM), temperature, and relative humidity were continuously monitored at a monitoring station. Read More

Bioorg Chem 2021 Mar 29;111:104862. Epub 2021 Mar 29.

Institute of Biological Information Processing: Structural Biochemistry (IBI-7), Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52428 Jülich, Germany; Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. Electronic address:

For the COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, there are currently no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this coronavirus infection. In this study, we focus on the main protease enzyme of SARS-CoV-2, 3CL, which is critical for viral replication. We employ explicit solvent molecular dynamics simulations of about 150 compounds docked into 3CL's binding site and that had emerged as good main protease ligands from our previous in silico screening of over 1. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021 Apr 13;557:90-96. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Nephrology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, China.

Klotho deficiency was observed in virtually all kinds of kidney disease and is thought to play a critical role in podocyte injury. However, the underline mechanisms involved in podocyte injury remain unknown. miRNAs have diverse regulatory roles, and miR-30 family members were essential for podocyte homeostasis. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021 Apr 13;557:77-84. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Chongqing Eye Institute, Chongqing, China. Electronic address:

4-octyl itaconate (OI) is one kind of cell-permeable derivative of itaconate to regulate inflammation and oxidative stress. However, its effects on the angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress in human primary retinal pigment epithelium (hRPE) cells as well as its underlying mechanisms were unclear. In this study, we found that OI suppressed changes in pro-inflammatory cytokines (MCP-1, IL-8, and IL-6) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) via activation of Nrf2 signaling in Ang II-treated hRPE cells. Read More

Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021 Apr 13;557:26-32. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of General Surgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China; International Joint Research Center of Minimally Invasive Endoscopic Technology Equipment and Standards, China. Electronic address:

Development of novel targeted therapies remains the priority in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatments. Early reports have demonstrated that androgen receptor (AR) plays a suppressive role in HCC progression. However, the underlying mechanisms by which AR attenuates HCC development are still elusive, especially under hypoxic conditions. Read More

Cognition 2021 Apr 13;212:104710. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom; Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom.

Recognition of emotional facial expressions is considered to be atypical in autism. This difficulty is thought to be due to the way that facial expressions are visually explored. Evidence for atypical visual exploration of emotional faces in autism is, however, equivocal. Read More

Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2021 Mar 26;257:119739. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.

In China, over 10% of cultivated land is polluted by heavy metals, which can affect crop growth, food safety and human health. Therefore, how to effectively and quickly detect soil heavy metal pollution has become a critical issue. This study provides a novel data preprocessing method that can extract vital information from soil hyperspectra and uses different classification algorithms to detect levels of heavy metal contamination in soil. Read More

Horm Behav 2021 Apr 13;131:104967. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Badestr. 13, 48149 Münster, Germany; Münster Graduate School of Evolution, University of Münster, Hüfferstr. 1a, 48149 Münster, Germany.

The time of dominance rank acquisition is a crucial phase in male life history that often affects reproductive success and hence fitness. Hormones such as testosterone and glucocorticoids can influence as well as be affected by this process. At the same time, hormone concentrations can show large individual variation. Read More

Virology 2021 Apr 11;559:89-99. Epub 2021 Apr 11.

M. H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA. Electronic address:

Influenza D virus (IDV) is a novel type of influenza virus that infects and causes respiratory illness in bovines. Lack of host-specific in vitro model that can recapitulate morphology and physiology of in vivo airway epithelial cells has impeded the study of IDV infection. Here, we established and characterized bovine primary respiratory epithelial cells from nasal turbinate, soft palate, and trachea of the same calf. Read More

Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021 Mar 17;128:105204. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

Department of Biostatistics and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA.

Previous research has used cortisol, the major hormonal byproduct of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis system, to explore how environmental stressors influence daily physiological functioning. Most of the research focused on diurnal cortisol has examined specific cortisol markers, with little consideration of how different components of the diurnal pattern may co-occur. Morning level, cortisol awakening response (CAR), bedtime level, as well as the diurnal slope and total cortisol exposure throughout the day (area under the curve; AUC), are five common parameters of diurnal HPA axis functioning that have been individually linked to physical and mental health outcomes, with mixed results. Read More

World Neurosurg 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Central Laboratory, The First People's Hospital of Yibin, Yibin 644000, Sichuan, China. Electronic address:

Background: Meningioma is a common tumor of the central nervous system, and malignant meningioma is highly aggressive and frequently recurs after surgical resection. Claudin 6 (CLDN6) is involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion and plays a role in maintaining tight junctions (TJs) between cells as well as obstructing the movement of cells to neighboring tissues.

Methods: In this study, we attempted to evaluate the effect of TJ protein CLDN6 expression levels on meningioma invasiveness by using silencing and overexpression constructs in both in vitro and in vivo models. Read More

Infect Genet Evol 2021 Apr 13:104861. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, and Joint Laboratory of International Cooperation in Metabolic and Developmental Sciences, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China; Peng Cheng Laboratory, Vanke Cloud City Phase I Building 8, Xili Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, China. Electronic address:

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is one of the most reliable methods for detection of drug resistance, genetic diversity in other virulence factor and also evolutionary dynamics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC). First-line anti-tuberculosis drugs are the major weapons against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). However, the emergence of drug resistance remained a major obstacle towards global tuberculosis (TB) control program 2030, especially in high burden countries including Pakistan. Read More

Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2021 Apr 13:128042. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201203, People's Republic of China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Rd, Beijing 100049, PR China. Electronic address:

In an effort to identify novel inhibitors of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), twenty five pyranochalcone derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro activities against TNF-α induced NF-κB inhibition in HEK293T cells. Among all of these derivatives, several displaying the same acrylate moiety on the B ring exhibited potent inhibition, with IC values ranging from 0.29-10. Read More

Int J Infect Dis 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

School of Geography and Environment, Jiangxi Normal University, No. 99, Ziyang Rd., Nanchang 330022, China. Electronic address:

Objectives: The outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic is reaching its final phase in China. The complete epidemic data are available for a complete assessment of epidemiological parameters in all regions and time periods.

Methods: This study aims to present a spatiotemporal epidemic model based on spatially stratified heterogeneity (SSH) to simulate the epidemic spread. Read More

Metab Eng 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Division of Biotechnology and Life Science, Institute of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16, Naka-cho, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8588, Japan. Electronic address:

Production of valuable compounds including biofuels and pharmaceutical precursors derived from microalgae has garnered significant interest. Stable production of algal biomass is essential to make the microalgal industry commercially feasible. However, one of the largest issues is severe biological contamination by predators grazing the algal biomass, resulting in the crash of outdoor cultures. Read More

Genomics 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA. Electronic address:

Non-canonical intronic variants are a poorly characterized yet highly prevalent class of alterations associated with Mendelian disorders. Here, we report the first RNA expression and splicing analysis from a family whose members carry a non-canonical splice variant in an intron of RPL11 (c.396 + 3A > G). Read More

Cell Signal 2021 Apr 13:110005. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Orthopaedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; Orthopaedic Institute, Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address:

It is known that nucleus pulposus cells (NPs) play an important role in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), and a previous study indicated that the stiffness of NP tissue changes during the degeneration process. However, the mechanism underlying the cellular response to ECM stiffness is still unclear. To analyze the effects of extracellular matrix (ECM) with different degrees of stiffness on NPs, we prepared polyacrylamide (PA) gels with different elastic moduli, and cells grown under different stiffness conditions were obtained and analyzed. Read More

Int J Pharm 2021 Apr 13:120597. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Laboratory of Nanosystems and Drug Delivery Devices (NanoSYS), School of Pharmacy - Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG). Rua 240, esq. com 5ª Avenida, Setor Leste Universitário. 74605-170, Goiânia - GO Brazil. Electronic address:

This work aimed to select an effective penetration enhancer (PE) for nail pretreatment, develop voriconazole (VOR)-loaded nanomicelles, and evaluate their ability to deliver VOR to the nail. A complete analysis of nail protein dynamics, bond rupture, and microstructure was performed. Alternative methods as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and the Ellman's reagent (DTNB) assay were also evaluated. Read More

Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2021 Apr 13:129911. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Key Laboratory of Saline-alkali Vegetation Ecology Restoration, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China. Electronic address:

Background: Ellagic acid (EA) possesses prominent inhibitory activities against various cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our recent study demonstrated EA's activities in reducing HCC cell proliferation and tumor formation. However, the mechanisms of EA to exert its anticancer activities and its primary targets in cancer cells have not been systematically explored. Read More

Life Sci 2021 Apr 13:119491. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

The First Clinical Medicine College of Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830054, Xinjiang, China.

Objective: Exosomes can convey particular microRNAs (miRNAs) to affect biological functions of cancer cells. Nevertheless, the impact of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs)-derived exosomes (BMSC-exos) transmitting miR-19b-3p on esophageal cancer (EC) progression remains scarcely studied. We aimed to explore the role of BMSC-exos mediating miR-19b-3p in EC cell growth. Read More

Life Sci 2021 Apr 13:119463. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. Electronic address:

Through the regulation of gene expression, microRNAs (miRNAs) are capable of modulating vital biological processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Several mechanisms control the function of miRNAs, including translational inhibition and targeted miRNA degradation. Through utilizing high-throughput screening methods, such as small RNA sequencing and microarray, alterations in miRNA expression of kidneys have recently been observed both in rodent models and humans throughout the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI). Read More

Life Sci 2021 Apr 13:119501. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Spine Surgery, People's Hospital of Longhua, Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangdong 518000, Shenzhen, China. Electronic address:

Aims: The present study evaluated the functions of Piperlongumine (PL) in osteosarcoma (OS) cell growth and metastasis both in vitro and in vivo.

Main Methods: MTT assay was conducted to test the cytotoxic effects of PL on the human osteoblasts line HFOB1.19 and the human normal chondrocyte line C28/I2T. Read More