The surge of patients in the pandemic of COVID‐19 caused by the novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 may overwhelm the medical systems of many countries. Mask‐wearing and handwashing can slow the spread of ...the virus, but currently, masks are in shortage in many countries, and timely handwashing is often impossible. In this study, the efficacy of three types of masks and instant hand wiping was evaluated using the avian influenza virus to mock the coronavirus. Virus quantification was performed using real‐time reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction. Previous studies on mask‐wearing were reviewed. The results showed that instant hand wiping using a wet towel soaked in water containing 1.00% soap powder, 0.05% active chlorine, or 0.25% active chlorine from sodium hypochlorite removed 98.36%, 96.62%, and 99.98% of the virus from hands, respectively. N95 masks, medical masks, and homemade masks made of four‐layer kitchen paper and one‐layer cloth could block 99.98%, 97.14%, and 95.15% of the virus in aerosols. Medical mask‐wearing which was supported by many studies was opposed by other studies possibly due to erroneous judgment. With these data, we propose the approach of mask‐wearing plus instant hand hygiene (MIH) to slow the exponential spread of the virus. This MIH approach has been supported by the experiences of seven countries in fighting against COVID‐19. Collectively, a simple approach to slow the exponential spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 was proposed with the support of experiments, literature review, and control experiences.
How do trees support their upright massive bodies? The support comes from the incredibly strong and stiff, and highly crystalline nanoscale fibrils of extended cellulose chains, called cellulose ...nanofibers. Cellulose nanofibers and their crystalline parts—cellulose nanocrystals, collectively nanocelluloses, are therefore the recent hot materials to incorporate in man‐made sustainable, environmentally sound, and mechanically strong materials. Nanocelluloses are generally obtained through a top‐down process, during or after which the original surface chemistry and interface interactions can be dramatically changed. Therefore, surface and interface engineering are extremely important when nanocellulosic materials with a bottom‐up process are fabricated. Herein, the main focus is on promising chemical modification and nonmodification approaches, aiming to prospect this hot topic from novel aspects, including nanocellulose‐, chemistry‐, and process‐oriented surface and interface engineering for advanced nanocellulosic materials. The reinforcement of nanocelluloses in some functional materials, such as structural materials, films, filaments, aerogels, and foams, is discussed, relating to tailored surface and/or interface engineering. Although some of the nanocellulosic products have already reached the industrial arena, it is hoped that more and more nanocellulose‐based products will become available in everyday life in the next few years.
Nanocelluloses, the natural reinforcement for plants, are incredibly strong and stiff, and are therefore under great scrutiny for incorporation in sustainable, ecofriendly, and strong man‐made materials. Nanocelluloses enable dramatic tailoring of surface chemistry, interface interactions, and functionalities via chemical and/or physical surface and interface engineering that permit assembly of diverse nanocellulosic materials. Some of the promising progress in this area is reviewed.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a poor prognostic breast cancer with the highest mutations and limited therapeutic choices. Cytokine networking between cancer cells and the tumor ...microenvironment (TME) maintains the self-renewing subpopulation of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) that mediate tumor heterogeneity, resistance and recurrence. Immunotherapy of those factors combined with targeted therapy or chemoagents may advantage TNBC treatment.
We found that the oncogene Multiple Copies in T-cell Malignancy 1 (MCT-1/MCTS1) expression is a new poor-prognosis marker in patients with aggressive breast cancers. Overexpressing MCT-1 perturbed the oncogenic breast epithelial acini morphogenesis and stimulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition and matrix metalloproteinase activation in invasive TNBC cells, which were repressed after MCT-1 gene silencing. As mammary tumor progression was promoted by oncogenic MCT-1 activation, tumor-promoting M2 macrophages were enriched in TME, whereas M2 macrophages were decreased and tumor-suppressive M1 macrophages were increased as the tumor was repressed via MCT-1 knockdown. MCT-1 stimulated interleukin-6 (IL-6) secretion that promoted monocytic THP-1 polarization into M2-like macrophages to increase TNBC cell invasiveness. In addition, MCT-1 elevated the soluble IL-6 receptor levels, and thus, IL-6R antibodies antagonized the effect of MCT-1 on promoting M2-like polarization and cancer cell invasion. Notably, MCT-1 increased the features of BCSCs, which were further advanced by IL-6 but prevented by tocilizumab, a humanized IL-6R antibody, thus MCT-1 knockdown and tocilizumab synergistically inhibited TNBC stemness. Tumor suppressor miR-34a was induced upon MCT-1 knockdown that inhibited IL-6R expression and activated M1 polarization.
The MCT-1 pathway is a novel and promising therapeutic target for TNBC.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) has claimed many lives worldwide. Wearing medical masks (MMs) or N95 ...masks (N95Ms namely N95 respirators) can slow the virus spread and reduce the infection risk. Reuse of these masks can minimize waste, protect the environment, and help solve the current imminent shortage of masks. Disinfection of used masks is needed for their reuse with safety, but improper decontamination can damage the blocking structure of masks. In this study, we demonstrated using the avian coronavirus of infectious bronchitis virus to mimic SARS‐CoV‐2 that MMs and N95Ms retained their blocking efficacy even after being steamed on boiling water for 2 hours. We also demonstrated that three brands of MMs blocked over 99% viruses in aerosols. The avian coronavirus was completely inactivated after being steamed for 5 minutes. Altogether, this study suggested that MMs are adequate for use on most social occasions and both MMs and N95Ms can be reused for a few days with steam decontamination between use.
Highlights
Reuse of medical masks and N95 respirators is highly needed.
The masks have excellent efficacy in blocking coronaviruses in aerosols.
The masks should be decontaminated for reuse.
The masks maintain their blocking efficacy after being steamed on boiling water.
The steam measure can inactivate coronaviruses completely.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) has led to an unprecedented setback for global economy and health. Vaccination is ...one of the most effective interventions to substantially reduce severe disease and death due to SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Vaccination programmes are being rolled out globally, but most of these vaccines have been approved without extensive studies on their side‐effects and efficacy. Recently, new‐onset autoimmune phenomena after COVID‐19 vaccination have been reported increasingly (e.g. immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, autoimmune liver diseases, Guillain–Barré syndrome, IgA nephropathy, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus). Molecular mimicry, the production of particular autoantibodies and the role of certain vaccine adjuvants seem to be substantial contributors to autoimmune phenomena. However, whether the association between COVID‐19 vaccine and autoimmune manifestations is coincidental or causal remains to be elucidated. Here, we summarize the emerging evidence about autoimmune manifestations occurring in response to certain COVID‐19 vaccines. Although information pertaining to the risk of autoimmune disease as a consequence of vaccination is controversial, we merely propose our current understanding of autoimmune manifestations associated with COVID‐19 vaccine. In fact, we do not aim to disavow the overwhelming benefits of mass COVID‐19 vaccination in preventing COVID‐19 morbidity and mortality. These reports could help guide clinical assessment and management of autoimmune manifestations after COVID‐19 vaccination.
As vaccination programmes are being rolled out globally, new‐onset autoimmune phenomena are emerging after COVID‐19 vaccination (e.g. immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia, autoimmune liver diseases, Guillain–Barré syndrome, IgA nephropathy, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus).
Two new nervogenic acid derivatives liparisnervosides Q (1) and R (5), as well as five known nervogenic acid derivatives (2–4, 6, 7) and four phenanthrenes (8–11) were isolated from the whole plant ...of Liparis nervosa (Thunb. ex A. Murray) Lindl.. Their structures were detremined using extensive spectroscopic techniques, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HR‐ESI‐MS, and acid hydrolysis. Furthermore, their antimicrobial and immunosuppressive activities were evaluated. Nervosine VII (3) exhibited antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus with an MIC of 62.5 μg/mL and inhibited the proliferation of human T cells with an IC50 value of 9.67±0.96 μM. These findings contribute to our understanding of the potential pharmacological properties of these compounds.
In recent years, N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have established themselves as a masterful and promising type of organocatalyst for the speedy construction of medicinally and biologically significant ...molecules from common and accessible small molecules. In particular, various cyclic scaffolds, including carbocycles and heterocycles, have been synthesized using NHCs
via
cycloaddition reaction. An exhaustive review focused on the chemistry of NHCs in these cyclic molecules has yet to be reported. In this contribution, a general picture of the utilization of NHCs in constructing twelve kinds of bioactive cyclic skeletons is firstly presented. We provide a systematic and comprehensive overview from the perspective of cycloaddition reactions; moreover, the limitations, challenges, and future prospects were discussed.
A general picture of utilization of NHCs in constructing several kinds of bioactive cyclic skeletons.
Summary
Plants form complex interaction networks with diverse microbiomes in the environment, and the intricate interplay between plants and their associated microbiomes can greatly influence ...ecosystem processes and functions. The phyllosphere, the aerial part of the plant, provides a unique habitat for diverse microbes, and in return the phyllosphere microbiome greatly affects plant performance. As an open system, the phyllosphere is subjected to environmental perturbations, including global change, which will impact the crosstalk between plants and their microbiomes. In this review, we aim to provide a synthesis of current knowledge of the complex interactions between plants and the phyllosphere microbiome under global changes and to identify future priority areas of research on this topic.
Insulin/IGF-1 Signaling (IIS) is known to constrain longevity by inhibiting the transcription factor FOXO. How phosphorylation mediated by IIS kinases regulates lifespan beyond FOXO remains unclear. ...Here, we profile IIS-dependent phosphorylation changes in a large-scale quantitative phosphoproteomic analysis of wild-type and three IIS mutant Caenorhabditis elegans strains. We quantify more than 15,000 phosphosites and find that 476 of these are differentially phosphorylated in the long-lived daf-2/insulin receptor mutant. We develop a machine learning-based method to prioritize 25 potential lifespan-related phosphosites. We perform validations to show that AKT-1 pT492 inhibits DAF-16/FOXO and compensates the loss of daf-2 function, that EIF-2α pS49 potently inhibits protein synthesis and daf-2 longevity, and that reduced phosphorylation of multiple germline proteins apparently transmits reduced DAF-2 signaling to the soma. In addition, an analysis of kinases with enriched substrates detects that casein kinase 2 (CK2) subunits negatively regulate lifespan. Our study reveals detailed functional insights into longevity.
Based on the successful establishment of a rat model of chronic restraint stress, we used multiple algorithms to quantify the morphological changes of rat hypothalamic microglia from various ...perspectives, providing a pathomorphological basis for the subsequent study of molecular mechanisms of hypothalamic stress injury, such as neuroinflammation. To verify the successful establishment of the chronic stress model, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to detect serum glucocorticoid levels. Microglia labeled with Iba1 in frozen sections of rat hypothalamus were scanned and photographed at multiple levels using confocal microscopy. Subsequently, images were processed for external contouring and skeletonization, and morphological indices of microglia were calculated and analyzed using fractal, skeleton, and Sholl analysis. In addition, the co-expression of CD68 (a marker that can reflect phagocytic activity) and Iba1 was observed by immunofluorescence technique. Compared with the control group, microglia in the chronic stress group displayed reduced fractal dimension and lacunarity, increased density and circularity, enlarged soma areas, and shortened and reduced branches. Sholl analysis confirmed the reduced complexity of microglia following chronic stress. Meanwhile, microglia CD68 increased significantly, indicating that the microglia in the chronic stress group have greater phagocytosis activity. In summary, chronic restraint stress promoted the conversion of microglia in the rat hypothalamus to a less complex form, manifested as larger soma, shorter and fewer branches, more uniform and dense texture, and increased circularity; indeed, the shape of these microglia resembled that of amoeba and they displayed strong phagocytosis activity.
•The spatial complexity of microglia in the hypothalamus of rats decreased after chronic stress.•The branches of microglia decreased and shortened after chronic stress, and the area of cell soma enlarged.•The phagocytosis of microglia in hypothalamus of rats was enhanced after chronic stress.
PDF
