Infection of dogs with SARS-CoV-2 Sit, Thomas H C; Brackman, Christopher J; Ip, Sin Ming ...
Nature,
10/2020, Volume:
586, Issue:
7831
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first detected in Wuhan in December 2019 and caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)
. In 2003, the closely related SARS-CoV had ...been detected in domestic cats and a dog
. However, little is known about the susceptibility of domestic pet mammals to SARS-CoV-2. Here, using PCR with reverse transcription, serology, sequencing the viral genome and virus isolation, we show that 2 out of 15 dogs from households with confirmed human cases of COVID-19 in Hong Kong were found to be infected with SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in five nasal swabs collected over a 13-day period from a 17-year-old neutered male Pomeranian. A 2.5-year-old male German shepherd was positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA on two occasions and virus was isolated from nasal and oral swabs. Antibody responses were detected in both dogs using plaque-reduction-neutralization assays. Viral genetic sequences of viruses from the two dogs were identical to the virus detected in the respective human cases. The dogs remained asymptomatic during quarantine. The evidence suggests that these are instances of human-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2. It is unclear whether infected dogs can transmit the virus to other animals or back to humans.
We tested 50 cats from coronavirus disease households or close contacts in Hong Kong, China, for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in respiratory and fecal samples. We found 6 cases ...of apparent human-to-feline transmission involving healthy cats. Virus genomes sequenced from 1 cat and its owner were identical.
Background and Aims
Mutations in the disheveled, Egl‐10 and pleckstrin domain‐containing protein 5 (DEPDC5) gene have emerged as an important cause of various familial focal epilepsy syndromes. ...However, the significance of DEPDC5 mutations in patients with sporadic focal epilepsy has yet to be characterized.
Materials and Methods
We studied a kindred of familial focal epilepsy with variable foci using whole‐exome sequencing. We subsequently studied a cohort of 293 patients with focal epilepsy and sequenced all exons of DEPDC5 using targeted resequencing.
Results
We reported a Taiwanese family with a novel splice site mutation which affected mRNA splicing and activated the downstream mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. Among patients with focal epilepsies, the majority (220/293) of these patients had sporadic focal epilepsy without malformation of cortical development. Two (0.9%) of these patients had probably pathogenic mutations in the
DEPDC5 gene.
Discussion and Conclusions
Our finding suggests that DEPDC5 is not only the most common gene for familial focal epilepsy but also could be a significant gene for sporadic focal epilepsy. Since focal epilepsies account for more than 60% of all epilepsies, the effect of mTORC1 inhibitor on patients with focal epilepsy due to DEPDC5 mutations will be an important future direction of research.
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•p-NiO n-WO3 heterojunction sensor, having nanosheets & nanorods structures.•Heterojunction sensors show high selectivity for acetaldehyde (20−100 ppm).•NiO:WO3 (15:85) sensor shows ...2184 % response for 100 ppm acetaldehyde at 250 °C.•Acetaldehyde gas sensing mechanism of heterojunction sensor proposed.•Excellent transient resistance response of NW2 sensor for acetaldehyde & stability study.
P-N heterojunction based chemi-resistive sensor is designed by incorporating NiO nanosheets (NSs) into WO3 nanorods (NRs) with high aspect ratio. The nanostructured NiO and WO3 were synthesized by facile hydrothermal chemical route and well-characterized by using XRD, FESEM, EDS, XPS, Raman, and elemental mapping. These two materials mixed in different weight ratio viz 5:95, 15:85, and 25:75 to fabricate the sensors named NW1, NW2, and NW3, respectively. The fabricated sensors were investigated for gas sensing properties at different operating temperatures. All the sensors revealed a high response towards acetaldehyde among various gases at 250 °C. Among these sensors, NW2 exhibited the highest response of 2184 % for 100 ppm acetaldehyde concentration at 250 °C and revealed a high response for 20–100 ppm acetaldehyde range. The NW2 sensor also showed excellent transient resistance response for different concentrations of acetaldehyde gas in real-time. The consistent response of the NW2 sensor for 100 ppm acetaldehyde was dynamically observed and confirmed remarkable repeatability in real-time. The high response and selectivity of the NW2 sensor are due to the p-n heterojunction formed at NiO and WO3 interface. The hypothesized acetaldehyde sensing mechanism was explored and the stability of the NW2 sensor was tested. This p-n heterojunction-based nanostructure can be promising to design high-performance acetaldehyde sensing application.
Resveratrol, a phytochemical found in various plants and Chinese herbs, is associated with multiple tumor-suppressing activities, has been tested in clinical trials. However, the molecular mechanisms ...involved in resveratrol-mediated tumor suppressing activities are not yet completely defined. Here, we showed that treatment with resveratrol inhibited cell mobility through induction of the mesenchymal-epithelial transition (MET) in lung cancer cells. We also found that downregulation of FOXC2 (forkhead box C2) is critical for resveratrol-mediated suppression of tumor metastasis in an in vitro and in vivo models. We also identified a signal cascade, namely, resveratrol-∣miRNA-520h-∣PP2A/C-∣Akt → NF-κB → FOXC2, in which resveratrol inhibited the expression of FOXC2 through regulation of miRNA-520h-mediated signal cascade. This study identified a new miRNA-520h-related signal cascade involved in resveratrol-mediated tumor suppression activity and provide the clinical significances of miR-520h, PP2A/C and FOXC2 in lung cancer patients. Our results indicated a functional link between resveratrol-mediated miRNA-520h regulation and tumor suppressing ability, and provide a new insight into the role of resveratrol-induced molecular and epigenetic regulations in tumor suppression.
Chronic diseases are a major health problem in the United States. Accumulated data suggest that consumption of vegetables can significantly reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Dietary ...guidelines for 2015–2020 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend 1–4 cups of vegetables per day for males and 1–3 cups of vegetables per day for females, depending on their age. However, the average intake of vegetables is below the recommended levels. Microgreens are young vegetable greens. Although they are small, microgreens have delicate textures, distinctive flavors, and various nutrients. In general, microgreens contain greater amounts of nutrients and health-promoting micronutrients than their mature counterparts. Because microgreens are rich in nutrients, smaller amounts may provide similar nutritional effects compared to larger quantities of mature vegetables. However, literature on microgreens remains limited. In this Review, we discuss chemical compositions, growing conditions, and biological efficacies of microgreens. We seek to stimulate interest in further study of microgreens as a promising dietary component for potential use in diet-based disease prevention.
Background
The prevalence of atopic diseases has increased rapidly in recent decades globally. The administration of probiotics to reduce gastrointestinal inflammation has been popular, but its role ...in the prevention or treatment of allergic disease remains controversial. This study evaluated the effectiveness of prenatal and postnatal probiotics in the prevention of early childhood and maternal allergic diseases.
Methods
In a prospective, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled clinical trial, pregnant women with atopic diseases determined by history, total immunoglobulin (Ig)E > 100 kU/L, and/or positive specific IgE were assigned to receive either probiotics (Lactobacillus GG; ATCC 53103; 1 × 1010 colony‐forming units daily) or placebo from the second trimester of pregnancy. Both of clinical evaluation performed by questionnaires concerning any allergic symptoms and plasma total IgE, and allergen‐specific IgE were obtained in high‐risk parents and children at 0, 6, 18, and 36 months of age. The primary and secondary outcomes were the point and cumulative prevalence of sensitization and developing of allergic diseases, and improvement of maternal allergic symptom score and plasma immune parameters before and after intervention, respectively.
Results
In total, 191 pregnant women (LGG group, n = 95; control group, n = 96) were enrolled. No significant effects of prenatal and postnatal probiotics supplementation on sensitization, development of allergic diseases, and maternal IgE levels between placebo and LGG groups. Symptoms of maternal allergic scores improved significantly in the LGG group (P = 0.002). Maternal allergic diseases improvement was more prominent in pregnant women with IgE > 100 kU/L (P = 0.01) and significantly associated with higher interleukin‐12p70 levels (P = 0.013).
Conclusions
LGG administration beginning at the second trimester of pregnancy reduced the severity of maternal allergic disease through increment of Th1 response, but not the incidence of childhood allergic sensitization or allergic diseases (ClinicalTrials.govnumber, IDNCT00325273).
Heterojunction based gas sensor was fabricated by forming two semiconductor nanostructures interface i.e. n-type ZnO nanorods and p-type NiO nanoplates. These nanostructures were synthesized via ...chemical routes. Palladium (Pd) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized and sensitized on the surface of heterojunction sensor material to enhance the gas response. Sensor materials were characterized using XRD, TEM, FESEM, EDS, Elemental mapping, and XPS techniques for their physicochemical properties. The n-ZnO/p-NiO heterojunction sensors with and without Pd NPs sensitization were investigated for low hydrogen gas concentration 2–100 ppm. Pd NPs sensitized n-ZnO/p-NiO heterojunction sensor showed higher response of 72% towards 100 ppm hydrogen (H2) gas concentration at the operating temperature 225 °C, whereas 53% response was noted by p-NiO/n-ZnO heterojunction sensor for 100 ppm concentration at 237 °C operating temperature. Both the sensors were investigated for selectivity studies using methane (CH4), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon dioxide (CO2) and H2 gases. Higher selectivity was observed towards H2 gas for both the sensors. The gas responses of both sensors were investigated at various operating temperatures and concentrations. Transient response, repeatability, and stability were also confirmed for both sensors. The gas sensing mechanism for heterojunction sensors was elucidated.
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•n-ZnO/p-NiO heterojunction, having nanorod and nanoplates structure synthesized.•Pd NPs sensitized and un-sensitized n-ZnO/p-NiO sensor tested for gas sensing.•Heterojunction sensors show H2 gas response for 2 ppm- 100 ppm concentration.•Pd sensitized sensor exhibits high response & selectivity at low temperature 225 °C.•Hydrogen gas sensing mechanism of heterojunction sensor and stability studied.
Colon carcinogenesis represents a stepwise progression from benign polyps to invasive adenocarcinomas and distant metastasis. It is believed that these pathologic changes are contributed by aberrant ...activation or inactivation of protein-coding proto-oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. However, recent discoveries in microRNA (miRNA) research have reshaped our understanding of the role of non-protein-coding genes in carcinogenesis. In this regard, a remarkable number of miRNAs exhibit differential expression in colon cancer tissues. These miRNAs alter cell proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis through their interactions with intracellular signaling networks. From a clinical perspective, polymorphisms within miRNA-binding sites are associated with the risk for colon cancer, whereas miRNAs isolated from feces or blood may serve as biomarkers for early diagnosis. Altered expression of miRNA or polymorphisms in miRNA-related genes have also been shown to correlate with patient survival or treatment outcome. With further insights into miRNA dysregulation in colon cancer and the advancement of RNA delivery technology, it is anticipated that novel miRNA-based therapeutics will emerge.
Abstract
We conducted observations of multiple HC
3
N (
J
= 10−9, 12−11, and 16−15) lines and the N
2
H
+
(
J
= 1−0) line toward a large sample of 61 ultracompact (UC) H
ii
regions, through the ...Institut de Radioastronomie Millmétrique 30 m and the Arizona Radio Observatory 12 m telescopes. The N
2
H
+
J
= 1−0 line is detected in 60 sources and HC
3
N is detected in 59 sources, including 40 sources with three lines, 9 sources with two lines, and 10 sources with one line. Using the rotational diagram, the rotational temperature and column density of HC
3
N were estimated toward sources with at least two HC
3
N lines. For 10 sources with only one HC
3
N line, their parameters were estimated, taking one average value of
T
rot
. For N
2
H
+
, we estimated the optical depth of the N
2
H
+
J
= 1−0 line, based on the line intensity ratio of its hyperfine structure lines. Then the excitation temperature and column density were calculated. When combining our results in UC H
ii
regions and previous observation results on high-mass starless cores, the
N
(HC
3
N)/
N
(N
2
H
+
) ratio clearly increases from the region stage. This means that the abundance ratio changes with the evolution of high-mass star-forming regions (HMSFRs). Moreover, positive correlations between the ratio and other evolutionary indicators (dust temperature, bolometric luminosity, and luminosity-to-mass ratio) are found. Thus we propose the ratio of
N
(HC
3
N)/
N
(N
2
H
+
) as a reliable chemical clock of HMSFRs.
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