Immunodetection of urinary C-terminal telopeptide fragment of type II collagen: An osteoarthritis biomarker analysis.

The urinary C-terminal telopeptide fragment of type II collagen (uCTX-II) has been reported as the efficient blood-based biomarker for osteoarthritis, which affects knees, hands, spine, and hips. This study reports a sensing strategy with antibody-conjugated gold nanoparticles (GNP) on an interdigitated electrode (IDE) to determine uCTX-II. The GNP-antibody complex was chemically immobilized on the IDE surface through the amine linker.

Plasmodium vivax HAP2/GCS1 gene exhibits limited genetic diversity among parasite isolates from the Greater Mekong Subregion.

Background: Antigens expressed in sexual stages of the malaria parasites are targets of transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs). HAP2/GCS1, a TBV candidate, is critical for fertilization in Plasmodium. Here, the genetic diversity of PvHAP2 was studied in Plasmodium vivax parasite populations from the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS).

Bizarreness of Lucid and Non-lucid Dream: Effects of Metacognition.

Dreams are usually characterized by primary consciousness, bizarreness and cognitive deficits, lacking metacognition. However, lucid dreaming (LD) is a type of consciousness state during which the dreamer is aware of the fact that he or she is dreaming, without leaving the sleeping state. Brain research has found that LD shares some common neural mechanisms with metacognition such as self-reflection.

Genetic diversity, natural selection and haplotype grouping of Plasmodium vivax Duffy-binding protein genes from eastern and western Myanmar borders.

Background: Merozoite proteins of the malaria parasites involved in the invasion of red blood cells are selected by host immunity and their diversity is greatly influenced by changes in malaria epidemiology. In the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), malaria transmission is concentrated along the international borders and there have been major changes in malaria epidemiology with Plasmodium vivax becoming the dominant species in many regions. Here, we aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of P.

An MFS-Domain Protein Pb115 Plays a Critical Role in Gamete Fertilization of the Malaria Parasite .

Sexual reproduction is an essential process in the life cycle and a vulnerable step for blocking transmission from the human host to mosquitoes. In this study, we characterized the functions of a conserved cell membrane protein P115 in the rodent malaria parasite ANKA. Pb115 was expressed in both asexual stages (schizonts) and sexual stages (gametocytes, gametes, and ookinetes), and was localized on the plasma membrane of gametes and ookinetes.

Artesunate and erythropoietin synergistically improve the outcome of experimental cerebral malaria.

Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe neurological syndrome in humans and the main fatal cause of malaria. In malaria epidemic regions, despite appropriate anti-malarial treatment, 10-20% of deaths still occur during the acute phase. This is largely attributable to poor treatment access, therapeutic complexity and drug resistance; thus, developing additional clinical adjunctive therapies is an urgent necessity.

Chloroquine (CQ) exerts anti-breast cancer through modulating microenvironment and inducing apoptosis.

CQ is an anti-malaria drug, which has been used for years. However, there are published articles about its activity in anti-cancers. The aim of this approach was to look at possibility and related mechanisms of anti-breast cancer (mouse breast cancer cell line 4T1) by CQ alone.

Identification of three ookinete-specific genes and evaluation of their transmission-blocking potentials in Plasmodium berghei.

With a renewed hope for malaria elimination, interventions that prevent transmission of parasites from humans to mosquitoes have received elevated attention. Transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs) targeting the sexual stages are well suited for this task. Here, through bioinformatic analysis, we selected two putative Plasmodium berghei ookinete-stage proteins (PBANKA_111920, and PBANKA_145770) and a previously characterized ookinete protein PBANKA_135340 (PSOP7) for evaluation of their transmission-blocking potentials.