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  • Article
    Haile Shoddo G.
    Heliyon. 2024 May 15;10(9):e29745.
    The goal of this study is to look into household exposure, knowledge, and perceptions of the risks connected with solid waste management in Jigjiga, Ethiopia. Jigjiga is currently grappling with overflowing landfills and limited waste collection, resulting in open dumping and serious health concerns such as disease transmission. The goal of this research is to better understand how Jigjiga residents interact with the waste management system, as well as their perceptions of the health and environmental issues that arise. The study employed a cross-sectional design using a multistage sampling technique. Two kebeles were used to select 200 families living near and far from the dumpsite. Questionnaires were utilized to collect data on demographics, exposure, knowledge, and risk perception. The analysis was carried out utilizing descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression. A survey of 357 households in Jigjiga, Ethiopia, found concerning trends in solid waste management. 78 % of the population visits the dumpsite on a weekly basis, with the majority residing within a 3-km radius. Almost half (44.5 %) reported monthly visits. Despite this, more than 90 % of locals are aware of the health dangers connected with poor waste management. 72 % of individuals believe that inadequate waste disposal causes to illness, with diarrhea being the most prevalent health concern. This study sheds light on the exposure, understanding, and perceptions of risks associated with solid waste management at the household level in Jigjiga, Ethiopia. The findings highlight the significance of improving solid waste management processes to mitigate the negative consequences on human health, the environment, and the economy.
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  • Article
    Kamal Idrissi O, Hali F, El Fatoiki F, Chiheb S.
    Cureus. 2022 Sep;14(9):e29745.
    Hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) is a rare disease defined by a persistent increase in eosinophilic cells associated with organ damage without any underlying cause. Three variants have been identified: myeloproliferative, lymphocytic, and idiopathic syndrome. The symptomatology is variable because it depends on the involvement of different organs, including the circulatory system, skin, lungs, digestive tract, peripheral and central nervous system, and eyes. Although cutaneous involvement may frequently reveal an underlying HES. We report a case of a 52-year-old man with a 12-year history of skin lesions with intense pruritus. On examination, the patient presented with erythroderma, extensive infiltrated plaques, excoriated itchy papules, palmoplantar pustules, ear infiltration, periorbital edema, and cutaneous xerosis. Histopathology showed lichenoid dermatitis without epidermotropism. Inflammatory infiltrates in the dermis were principally composed of eosinophilic cells and lymphocytes. Serum immunoglobulin E and peripheral blood immunophenotyping showed atypical T lymphocyte proliferation CD4+CD3-, and clonal TCR gene rearrangement was in favor of lymphocytic HES. The patient was treated with prednisone (1 mg/kg/day) and pegylated interferon alpha with improvement. This case shows that HES should be suspected in patients with dermatological lesions and hypereosinophilia, without obvious cause. Elimination of secondary causes of eosinophilia, evaluation of deep organ involvement, and cytogenetic studies to assess prognosis are paramount. Pegylated interferon alpha 2a may be an effective treatment option for steroid-resistant or refractory patients with lymphocytic HES.
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  • Article
    Gu P, Su T, Wang Q, Liang Q, Qi Q.
    Sci Rep. 2016 07 13;6:29745.
    Shikimate is a key intermediate in the synthesis of neuraminidase inhibitors. Compared with traditional methods, microbial production of shikimate has the advantages of environmental friendliness, low cost, feed stock renewability, and product selectivity and diversity. Despite these advantages, shikimate kinase I and II respectively encoded by aroK and aroL are inactivated in most shikimate microbial producers, thus requiring the addition of aromatic compounds during the fermentation process. To overcome this problem, we constructed a non-auxotrophic, shikimate-synthesising strain of Escherichia coli. By inactivation of repressor proteins, blocking of competitive pathways and overexpression of key enzymes, we increased the shikimate production of wild-type E. coli BW25113 to 1.73 g/L. We then designed a tunable switch that can conditionally decrease gene expression and substituted it for the original aroK promoters. Expression of aroK in the resulting P-9 strain was maintained at a high level during the growth phase and then reduced at a suitable time by addition of an optimal concentration of inducer. In 5-L fed-batch fermentation, strain P-9 produced 13.15 g/L shikimate without the addition of any aromatic compounds. The tunable switch developed in this study is an efficient tool for regulating indispensable genes involved in critical metabolic pathways.
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  • Article
    Zhang O, Ding C, Pereira T, Xiao R, Gadhoumi K, Meisel K, Lee RJ, Chen Y, Hu X.
    IEEE Access. 2021;9:29736-29745.
    Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a noninvasive way to monitor various aspects of the circulatory system, and is becoming more and more widespread in biomedical processing. Recently, deep learning methods for analyzing PPG have also become prevalent, achieving state of the art results on heart rate estimation, atrial fibrillation detection, and motion artifact identification. Consequently, a need for interpretable deep learning has arisen within the field of biomedical signal processing. In this paper, we pioneer novel explanatory metrics which leverage domain-expert knowledge to validate a deep learning model. We visualize model attention over a whole testset using saliency methods and compare it to human expert annotations. Congruence, our first metric, measures the proportion of model attention within expert-annotated regions. Our second metric, Annotation Classification, measures how much of the expert annotations our deep learning model pays attention to. Finally, we apply our metrics to compare between a signal based model and an image based model for PPG signal quality classification. Both models are deep convolutional networks based on the ResNet architectures. We show that our signal-based one dimensional model acts in a more explainable manner than our image based model; on average 50.78% of the one dimensional model's attention are within expert annotations, whereas 36.03% of the two dimensional model's attention are within expert annotations. Similarly, when thresholding the one dimensional model attention, one can more accurately predict if each pixel of the PPG is annotated as artifactual by an expert. Through this testcase, we demonstrate how our metrics can provide a quantitative and dataset-wide analysis of how explainable the model is.
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  • Article
    Kabongo EM, Mukumbang FC, Delobelle P, Nicol E.
    BMJ Open. 2019 07 01;9(7):e029745.
    INTRODUCTION: Timely antenatal care (ANC) and postnatal care (PNC) attendance decrease maternal and child mortality by improving maternal and child health (MCH) outcomes. Mobile health or mHealth has been identified as an effective way of improving the uptake of MCH services. The MomConnect programme is an mHealth initiative launched by the National Department of Health of South Africa in August 2014 to support MCH. Although widely used, there is a limited understanding of how, why, for whom and under which health system conditions, the implementation of MomConnect improves the health-seeking behaviour of pregnant women and mothers of infants in ANC and PNC facilities. This paper describes the protocol for a realist evaluation of the MomConnect programme, to provide a theory-based understanding of how, why and under what healthcare conditions the MomConnect programme works or not.
    METHOD AND ANALYSIS: We will use the realist evaluation approach through its research cycle conducted in three phases. In phase I, a multimethod elicitation study design will be used, including a document review, key informant interviews and a scoping review to formulate an initial programme theory of the MomConnect intervention. Content and thematic analytic approaches will be used to analyse the data that will be fitted into a realist framework to formulate the initial programme theory. In phase II, a multi-case study design will be applied using a multimethod approach in two South African provinces. In each case, a theory-testing approach underpinned by the hypothetico-deduction analytic model will be used to test the initial programme theory. Surveys, interviews and focus group discussions will be conducted with various programme actors and analysed using appropriate methods. Phase III will entail refining the tested/modified programme theory through cross-case analysis.
    EXPECTED OUTCOMES: An improved understanding of how and why the MomConnect intervention improves the health-seeking behaviour of pregnant women and mothers of infants, and the health system conditions that influence its implementation.
    ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was granted by the Stellenbosch University Ethics Committee (S18/09/189). The protocol has been designed and the study will be conducted in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (1964).
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  • Article
    Bak S, Choi HY, Lee JH, Na JB, Choi DS, Cho JM, Choi HC, Park MJ, Kim JE, Shin HS, Won JH, Kim JY, Kim JM.
    Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Jul 01;101(26):e29745.
    RATIONALE: Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) of the breast is a rare entity, with an estimated incidence of only 0.2% to 0.3% of all primary breast tumors. The radiological features of breast MEC have scarcely been investigated mainly because of its rarity. In this article, we present a case of breast MEC diagnosed at our hospital and review the literature, focusing on radiological findings and radiologic-pathologic correlations that could improve clinical management of this entity. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first review of the literature that focuses on the radiological features of breast MEC.
    PATIENT CONCERNS: A 47-year-old premenopausal woman presented with a painless palpable mass in the right breast.
    DIAGNOSIS: Mammography and ultrasonography revealed a mass with suspicious malignant features, which was categorized as Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System category 4c. A 14-gauge core-needle biopsy revealed an intermediate-grade MEC of the breast. The patient underwent breast magnetic resonance imaging and chest computed tomography for preoperative evaluation. Postoperative histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of intermediate-grade MEC. The clinical staging was T2N0M0.
    INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent breast-conserving surgery, adjuvant chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy.
    OUTCOMES: No evidence of recurrence has been reported over 37 months.
    LESSONS: The imaging characteristics of breast MEC were variable, and there were no specific radiological features for diagnosis. The presence of cystic components on radiological imaging is likely to be an indicator of a low-grade tumor and better prognosis, although the number of reported cases is limited.
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  • Article
    Anastasopoulou S, Harila-Saari A, Als-Nielsen B, Eriksson MA, Heyman M, Johannsdottir IM, Marquart HV, Niinimäki R, Pronk CJ, Schmiegelow K, Vaitkeviciene G, Thastrup M, Ranta S.
    Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2022 07;69(7):e29745.
    Central nervous system (CNS) involvement in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) implicates enhanced intrathecal chemotherapy, which is related to CNS toxicity. Whether CNS involvement alone contributes to CNS toxicity remains unclear. We studied the occurrence of all CNS toxicities, seizures, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in children with ALL without enhanced intrathecal chemotherapy with CNS involvement (n = 64) or without CNS involvement (n = 256) by flow cytometry. CNS involvement increased the risk for all CNS toxicities, seizures, and PRES in univariate analysis and, after adjusting for induction therapy, for seizures (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.26-8.82; p = 0.016) and PRES (HR = 4.85; 95% CI: 1.71-13.75; p = 0.003).
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  • Article
    Cincidda C, Pizzoli SFM, Pravettoni G.
    JMIR Cancer. 2022 Jan 11;8(1):e29745.
    BACKGROUND: Patients with cancer and survivors may experience the fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), a preoccupation with the progression or recurrence of cancer. During the spread of COVID-19 in 2019, patients and survivors experienced increased levels of FCR. Hence, there is a greater need to identify effective evidence-based treatments to help people cope with FCR. Remotely delivered interventions might provide a valuable means to address FCR in patients with cancer.
    OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to first discuss the available psychological interventions for FCR based on traditional cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) or contemporary CBTs, in particular, mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy, and then propose a possible approach based on the retrieved literature.
    METHODS: We searched key electronic databases to identify studies that evaluated the effect of psychological interventions such as CBT on FCR among patients with cancer and survivors.
    RESULTS: Current evidence suggests that face-to-face psychological interventions for FCR are feasible, acceptable, and efficacious for managing FCR. However, there are no specific data on the interventions that are most effective when delivered remotely.
    CONCLUSIONS: CBT interventions can be efficacious in managing FCR, especially at posttreatment, regardless of whether it is delivered face to face, on the web, or using a blended approach. To date, no study has simultaneously compared the effectiveness of face-to-face, web-based, and blended interventions. On the basis of the retrieved evidence, we propose the hypothetical program of an intervention for FCR based on both traditional CBT and contemporary CBT, named Change Of Recurrence, which aims to improve the management of FCR in patients with cancer and survivors.
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  • Article
    Zhou Z, Zhou M, Shahriar SM.
    Opt Express. 2019 Oct 14;27(21):29738-29745.
    We demonstrate experimentally a superluminal ring laser based on optically pumped Raman gain, and a self-pumped Raman depletion for producing anomalous dispersion, employing two isotopes of rubidium. By fitting the experiment data with the theoretical model, we infer that the spectral sensitivity of the superluminal Raman laser to cavity length change is enhanced by a factor of more than a thousand, compared to a conventional laser.
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  • Article
    Hosseinaee Z, Ecclestone B, Pellegrino N, Khalili L, Mukhangaliyeva L, Fieguth P, Reza PH.
    Opt Express. 2021 Sep 13;29(19):29745-29754.
    Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) has been widely used in functional photoacoustic microscopy to generate multiwavelength light and target multiple chromophores inside tissues. Despite offering a simple, cost-effective technique with a high pulse repetition rate; it suffers from pulse-to-pulse intensity fluctuations and power drift that can affect image quality. Here, we propose a new technique to improve the temporal stability of the pulsed SRS multiwavelength source. We achieve this by lowering the temperature of the SRS medium. The results suggest that a decrease in temperature causes an improvement of temporal stability of the output, considerable rise in the intensity of the SRS peaks, and significant increase of SRS cross section. The application of the method is shown for in vivo functional imaging of capillary networks in a chicken embryo chorioallantois membrane using photoacoustic remote sensing microscopy.
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  • Article
    Hutchison S, LeBel C, Blanchette M, Chabot B.
    J Biol Chem. 2002 Aug 16;277(33):29745-52.
    In the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) A1 pre-mRNA, different regions in the introns flanking alternative exon 7B have been implicated in the production of the A1 and A1B mRNA splice isoforms. Among these, the CE1a and CE4 elements, located downstream of common exon 7 and alternative exon 7B, respectively, are bound by hnRNP A1 to promote skipping of exon 7B in vivo and distal 5' splice site selection in vitro. Here, we report that CE1a is flanked by an additional high affinity A1 binding site (CE1d). In a manner similar to CE1a, CE1d affects 5' splice site selection in vitro. Consistent with a role for hnRNP A1 in the activity of CE1d, a mutation that abrogates A1 binding abolishes distal 5' splice site activation. Moreover, the ability of CE1d to stimulate distal 5' splice site usage is lost in an HeLa extract depleted of hnRNP A/B proteins, and the addition of recombinant A1 restores the activity of CE1d. Notably, distal 5' splice site selection mediated by A1 binding sites is not compromised in an extract prepared from mouse cells that are severely deficient in hnRNP A1 proteins. In this case, we show that hnRNP A2 compensates for the A1 deficiency. Further studies with the CE4 element reveal that it also consists of two distinct portions (CE4m and CE4p), each one capable of promoting distal 5' splice site use in an hnRNP A1-dependent manner. The presence of multiple A1/A2 binding sites downstream of common exon 7 and alternative exon 7B probably plays an important role in maximizing the activity of hnRNP A1/A2 proteins.
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  • Article
    Suman P, Godbole G, Thakur R, Morales-Prieto DM, Modi DN, Markert UR, Gupta SK.
    PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e29745.
    This study examines the IL-11 mediated activation of downstream signaling and expression of effector molecules to resolve the controversies associated with the IL-11 mediated regulation of the invasiveness of two commonly used trophoblastic cell models viz. JEG-3 and HTR-8/SVneo cells. It has been reported that IL-11 increases the invasiveness of JEG-3 cells while, reduces the invasiveness of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Invasion assay performed simultaneously for both the cell lines confirmed the above findings. In addition, HTR-8/SVneo cells showed a higher basal invasiveness than JEG-3 cells. Western blot showed the IL-11 mediated activation of STAT3(tyr705) and STAT1(tyr701) in both the cell lines. However, IL-11 activated the ERK1/2 phosphorylation in JEG-3 cells but, inhibited it in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Within 10 min of IL-11 treatment, p-STAT3(tyr705) was localized inside the nucleus of both the cell lines but, there was enhanced co-localization of protein inhibitor of activated STAT1/3 (PIAS1/3) and p-STAT3(tyr705) in HTR-8/SVneo cells and not in JEG-3 cells. This could be reason for the poor responsiveness of STAT3 responsive genes like mucin 1 (MUC1) in HTR-8/SVneo cells and not in JEG-3 cells. Further, microarray analysis of the IL-11 treated cells revealed differential responsiveness of JEG-3 as compared to HTR-8/SVneo cells. Several family of genes like activator protein-1 (AP-1) transcription factors (Jun and Fos), mucin-type molecules, MMP23B etc showed enhanced expression in IL-11 treated JEG-3 cells while, there was no response or decrease in their expression in IL-11 treated HTR-8/SVneo cells. Expression of these molecules was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. In addition, HTR-8/SVneo cells also showed a significant decrease in the expression of MMP2, MMP3 and MMP9 upon IL-11 treatment. Hence, IL-11 mediated differential activation of signaling and expression of effector molecules is responsible for the differential invasive response of JEG-3 and HTR-8/SVneo cells.
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  • Article
    Tian J, Dong X, Gao S, Yao Y.
    Opt Express. 2017 Nov 27;25(24):29737-29745.
    In this study, a novel fiber-optic, multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator based on fiber core-opened tapers (COTs) is proposed and demonstrated. The COTs were fabricated by splicing single-mode fibers using a standard fiber splicer. A COT can effectively couple part of a core mode into cladding modes, and the coupling ratio can be controlled by adjusting the taper length. Such characteristics are used to obtain a multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator with balanced signal strength by reasonably controlling the taper lengths of the COTs. As a prototype, we constructed an actuator that generated ultrasound at four points with a balanced ultrasonic strength by connecting four COTs with coupling ratios of 24.5%, 33.01%, 49.51%, and 87.8% in a fiber link. This simple-to-fabricate, multipoint, laser-ultrasonic actuator with balanced ultrasound signal strength has potential applications in fiber-optic ultrasound testing technology.
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  • Article
    Rasheev H, Stoyanova R, Tadjer A.
    ACS Omega. 2021 Nov 09;6(44):29735-29745.
    Spinel lithium titanate, Li4Ti5O12 (LTO), emerges as a "universal" electrode material for Li-ion batteries and hybrid Li/Na-, Li/Mg-, and Na/Mg-ion batteries functioning on the basis of intercalation. Given that LTO operates in a variety of electrolyte solutions, the main challenge is to understand the reactivity of the LTO surface toward single- and dual-cation electrolytes at the molecular level. This study first reports results on ion desolvation and electrolyte solvent/salt degradation on an LTO surface by means of periodic DFT calculations. The desolvation stages are modeled by the adsorption of mono- and binuclear complexes of Li+, Na+, and Mg2+ with a limited number of ethylene carbonate (EC) solvent molecules on the oxygen-terminated LTO (111) surface, taking into account the presence of a PF6 - counterion. Alongside cation adsorption, several degradation reactions are discussed: surface-catalyzed dehydrogenation of EC molecules, simultaneous dehydrogenation and fluorination of EC, and Mg2+-induced decay of PF6 - to PF5 and F-. Data analysis allows the rationalization of existing experimentally established phenomena such as gassing and fluoride deposition. Among the three investigated cations, Mg2+ is adsorbed most tightly and is predicted to form a thicker fluoride-containing film on the LTO surface. Gassing, characteristic for carbonate-based electrolytes with LTO electrodes, is foreseen to be suppressed in dual-cation batteries. The latter bears promise to outperform the single-ion ones in terms of durability and safety.
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  • Article
    Cui T, Xiao X, Pan Z, Tang K, Zhong Y, Chen Y, Guo J, Duan S, Zhong G, Li T, Li X, Wu X, Lin C, Yang X, Gao Y, Zhang D.
    ACS Omega. 2023 Aug 15;8(32):29735-29745.
    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent global condition and a common precursor to liver cancer, yet there is currently no specific medication available for its treatment. Ginseng, renowned for its medicinal and dietary properties, has been utilized in NAFLD management, although the precise underlying mechanism remains elusive. To investigate the effectiveness of ginsenoside Rd, we employed mouse and cell models to induce NAFLD using high-fat diets, oleic acid, and palmitic acid. We explored and confirmed the specific mechanism of ginsenoside Rd-induced hepatic steatosis through experiments involving mice with a liver-specific knockout of SIRT6, a crucial protein involved in metabolic regulation. Our findings revealed that administration of ginsenoside Rd significantly reduced the inflammatory response, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, lipid peroxide levels, and mitochondrial stress induced by oleic acid and palmitic acid in primary hepatocytes, thereby mitigating excessive lipid accumulation. Moreover, ginsenoside Rd administration effectively enhanced the mRNA content of key proteins involved in fatty acid oxidation, with a particular emphasis on SIRT6 and its target proteins. We further validated that ginsenoside Rd directly binds to SIRT6, augmenting its deacetylase activity. Notably, we made a significant observation that the protective effect of ginsenoside Rd against hepatic disorders induced by a fatty diet was almost entirely reversed in mice with a liver-specific SIRT6 knockout. Our findings highlight the potential therapeutic impact of Ginsenoside Rd in NAFLD treatment by activating SIRT6. These results warrant further investigation into the development of Ginsenoside Rd as a promising agent for managing this prevalent liver disease.
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  • Article
    Fanning AS, Jameson BJ, Jesaitis LA, Anderson JM.
    J Biol Chem. 1998 Nov 06;273(45):29745-53.
    The tight junction protein ZO-1 belongs to a family of multidomain proteins known as the membrane-associated guanylate kinase homologs (MAGUKs). ZO-1 has been demonstrated to interact with the transmembrane protein occludin, a second tight junction-specific MAGUK, ZO-2, and F-actin, although the nature and functional significance of these interactions is poorly understood. To further elucidate the role of ZO-1 within the epithelial tight junction, we have introduced epitope-tagged fragments of ZO-1 into cultured MDCK cells and identified domains critical for the interaction with ZO-2, occludin, and F-actin. A combination of in vitro and in vivo binding assays indicate that both ZO-2 and occludin interact with specific domains within the N-terminal (MAGUK-like) half of ZO-1, whereas the unique proline-rich C-terminal half of ZO-1 cosediments with F-actin. Consistent with these observations, we found that a construct encoding the N-terminal half of ZO-1 is specifically associated with tight junctions, whereas the unique C-terminal half of ZO-1 is distributed over the entire lateral surface of the plasma membrane and other actin-rich structures. In addition, we have identified a 244-amino acid domain within the N-terminal half of ZO-1, which is required for the stable incorporation of ZO-1 into the junctional complex of polarized MDCK cells. These observations suggest that one functional role of ZO-1 is to organize components of the tight junction and link them to the cortical actin cytoskeleton.
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  • Article
    Summart R, Thaichana P, Supan J, Meepowpan P, Lee TR, Tuntiwechapikul W.
    ACS Omega. 2020 Nov 24;5(46):29733-29745.
    Perylene diimide (PDI) derivatives have been studied as G-quadruplex ligands that suppress telomerase activity by facilitating G-quadruplex formation of telomeric DNA and the hTERT promoter. PIPER, the prototypical PDI, reduces telomerase activity in lung and prostate cancer cells, leading to telomere shortening and cellular senescence of these cells. However, PIPER suffers from poor hydrosolubility and the propensity to aggregate at neutral pH. In this report, we synthesized a new asymmetric PDI, aPDI-PHis, which maintains one N-ethyl piperidine side chain of PIPER and has histidine as another side chain. The results show that aPDI-PHis is superior to its symmetric counterparts, PIPER and PDI-His, in terms of hydrosolubility, G-quadruplex binding, cellular uptake, and telomerase inhibition in prostate cancer cells. These results suggest that one N-ethyl piperidine side chain of PDI is sufficient for G-quadruplex binding, while another side chain can be tuned to elicit desirable properties. These findings might lead to better PDIs for use as anticancer drugs.
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  • Article
    Chen HY, Yeh YC.
    RSC Adv. 2020 Aug 10;10(50):29745-29750.
    The aromatic amino acid tyrosine is an essential precursor for the synthesis of catecholamines, including l-DOPA, tyramine, and dopamine. A number of metabolic disorders have been linked to abnormal tyrosine levels in biological fluids. In this study, we developed an enzyme cascade-triggered colorimetric reaction for the detection of tyrosine, based on the formation of yellow pigment (betalamic acid) and red fluorometric betaxanthin. Tyrosinase converts tyrosine to l-DOPA, and DOPA-dioxygenase catalyzes oxidative cleavage of l-DOPA into betalamic acid. Response is linear for tyrosine from 5 to 100 μM, and the detection limit (LOD) is 2.74 μM. The enzyme cascade reaction was applied to monitor tyrosinase activity and tyrosinase inhibition assays. Lastly, the performance of the proposed biosensor proved successful in the analysis of urine samples without the need for pre-treatment.
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  • Article
    Du BB, Zhang JL, Kong LY, Shi HT, Zhang DH, Wang X, Yang CL, Li PC, Yao R, Liang C, Wu LM, Huang Z.
    J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Dec 19;12(24):e029745.
    BACKGROUND: Cardiac hypertrophy (CH) is a well-established risk factor for many cardiovascular diseases and a primary cause of mortality and morbidity among older adults. Currently, no pharmacological interventions have been specifically tailored to treat CH. OTUD7B (ovarian tumor domain-containing 7B) is a member of the ovarian tumor-related protease (OTU) family that regulates many important cell signaling pathways. However, the role of OTUD7B in the development of CH is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the role of OTUD7B in CH.
    METHODS AND RESULTS: OTUD7B knockout mice were used to assay the role of OTUD7B in CH after transverse aortic coarctation surgery. We further assayed the specific functions of OTUD7B in isolated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. We found that OTUD7B expression decreased in hypertrophic mice hearts and phenylephrine-stimulated neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, OTUD7B deficiency exacerbated transverse aortic coarctation surgery-induced myocardial hypertrophy, abnormal cardiac function, and fibrosis. In cardiac myocytes, OTUD7B knockdown promoted phenylephrine stimulation-induced myocardial hypertrophy, whereas OTUD7B overexpression had the opposite effect. An immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry analysis showed that OTUD7B directly binds to KLF4 (Krüppel-like factor 4). Additional molecular experiments showed that OTUD7B impedes KLF4 degradation by inhibiting lysine residue at 48 site-linked ubiquitination and suppressing myocardial hypertrophy by activating the serine/threonine kinase pathway.
    CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that the OTUD7B-KLF4 axis is a novel molecular target for CH treatment.
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  • Article
    Akinyemi A, Adedini S, Hounton S, Akinlo A, Adedeji O, Adonri O, Friedman H, Shiferaw S, Maïga A, Amouzou A, Barros AJ.
    Glob Health Action. 2015;8:29745.
    BACKGROUND: Family planning expansion has been identified as an impetus to harnessing Nigeria's demographic dividend. However, there is a need for data to address pockets of inequality and to better understand cultural and social factors affecting contraceptive use and health benefits. This paper contributes to addressing these needs by providing evidence on the trends and sub-national patterns of modern contraceptive prevalence in Nigeria and the association between contraceptive use and high-risk births in Nigeria.
    DESIGN: The study utilised women's data from the last three Demographic and Health Surveys (2003, 2008, and 2013) in Nigeria. The analysis involved descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. The multivariate analyses were performed to examine the relationship between high-risk births and contraceptive use. Associations were examined using Poisson regression.
    RESULTS: Findings showed that respondents in avoidable high-risk birth categories were less likely to use contraceptives compared to those at no risk [rate ratio 0.82, confidence interval: 0.76-0.89, p<0.001]. Education and wealth index consistently predicted significant differences in contraceptive use across the models.
    CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that women in the high-risk birth categories were significantly less likely to use a modern method of contraception relative to those categorised as having no risk. However, there are huge sub-national variations at regional and state levels in contraceptive prevalence and subsequent high-risk births. These results further strengthen evidence-based justification for increased investments in family planning programmes at the state and regional levels, particularly regions and states with high unmet needs for family planning.
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