Monte Carlo investigation of the nucleus size effect and cell's oxygen content on the damage efficiency of protons.

Living tissues could suffer different types of DNA damage as a result of being exposed to ionizing radiations. Monte Carlo simulations of the underlying interactions have been instrumental in predicting the damage types and the processes involved. In this work, we employed Geant4-DNA and MCDS for extracting the initial DNA damage and investigating the dependence of damage efficiency on the cell's oxygen content.

Replication-deficient Sendai virus expressing human norovirus capsid protein elicits robust NoV-specific antibody and T-cell responses in mice.

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is a major global cause of acute gastroenteritis, with vaccine development facing several challenges. Despite years of research, there are currently no licensed vaccines available for controlling HuNoVs. Here, we describe the construction and testing of a replication-deficient Sendai virus (SeV) vector as a potential vaccine candidate against the HuNoV GII.

Defects and magnetic studies of nanocrystalline cobalt substituted manganese ferrite probed by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and magnetic measurement.

Cobalt substituted manganese ferrite nanoparticles, MnCoFeO (x = 0.0, 0.1, 0.

Developing a vaccine against velogenic sub-genotype seven of Newcastle disease virus based on virus-like particles.

In the present study, for the first time, we released and assembled the particles of three major structural proteins of velogenic NDV (M, HN, and F glycoproteins) as a NDV-VLPs. The ElISA result of the cytokines of splenocyte suspension cells showed that IL2, IL10, TNF-α, and IFN- ˠ titers were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in mice that were immunized only with NDV-VLPs three times with a 10-day interval, in comparison to those that were immunized with NDV-VLPs twice in a 10-day interval and received a B1 live vaccine boost on the third interval.

Enhanced antibacterial and anticancer activities of plant extract mediated green synthesized zinc oxide-silver nanoparticles.

This study presents a green synthesis approach for the fabrication of zinc oxide-silver nanoparticles (ZnO-Ag-NPs) using fruit peels extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent. This eco-friendly method offers a sustainable alternative to conventional methods that often employ toxic or hazardous chemicals. Antibacterial and anti-cancer activities of the green synthesized nanoparticles were then assessed .

Computational modeling and a Geant4-DNA study of the rejoining of direct and indirect DNA damage induced by low energy electrons and carbon ions.

Purpose: DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) created by ionizing radiations are considered as the most detrimental lesion, which could result in the cell death or sterilization. As the empirical evidence gathered from the cellular and molecular radiation biology has demonstrated significant correlations between the initial and lasting levels of DSBs, gaining knowledge into the DSB repair mechanisms proves vital. Much effort has been invested into understanding the mechanisms triggering the repair and processes engaged after irradiation of cells.

Chitosan coated magnetic cellulose nanowhisker as a drug delivery system for potential colorectal cancer treatment.

Polysaccharide-based magnetic nanocomposites can eminently illuminate several attractive features as anticancer drug carriers. In this study, rice straw-based cellulose nanowhisker (CNW) was used as solid support for FeO nanofillers to synthesize magnetic CNW. Then, cross-linked chitosan-coated magnetic CNW for 5-fluorouracil carrier abbreviated as CH/MCNW/5FU.

Therapeutic efficacy of -Docosanol against velogenic Newcastle disease virus infection in domestic chickens.

Introduction: The control of Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection depends solely on vaccination which in most cases is not sufficient to restrain the consequences of such a highly evolving viral disease. Finding out substances for preparing an efficient anti-ND drug would be of high value. -Docosanol is a saturated fatty alcohol with an inhibitory effect against many enveloped viruses.

Potential use of gold-silver core-shell nanoparticles derived from peel for anticancer compound, protocatechuic acid delivery.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most killing cancers and this has become a global problem. Current treatment and anticancer drugs cannot specifically target the cancerous cells, thus causing toxicity towards surrounding non-cancer cells. Hence, there is an urgent need to discover a more target-specific therapeutic agent to overcome this problem.

Sonochemical synthesis of a copper reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite using honey and evaluation of its antibacterial and cytotoxic activities.

The combination of graphene-based materials and inorganic nanoparticles for the enhancement of the nanomaterial properties is extensively explored nowadays. In the present work, we used a sonochemical method to synthesize a copper/reduced graphene oxide (Cu/RGO) nanocomposite using Australian honey and vitamin C as capping and reducing agents, respectively. The honey-mediated copper/reduced graphene oxide (H/Cu/RGO) nanocomposite was then characterized through UV-visible, XRD, HRTEM, and FTIR analysis.

DNA damage and microdosimetry for carbon ions: Track structure simulations as the key to quantitative modeling of radiation-induced damage.

Purpose: Dose distribution in carbon-ion irradiations is generally envisaged to have therapeutic advantages over protons, primarily due to the carbon ion's comparatively higher relative biological effectiveness in the tumor than in the encompassing healthy tissues. The objective of this work was to simulate the overall physical and chemical reactions of primary carbon ions impinging on liquid water and, as such, to investigate the DNA-damage yields in the form of strand breaks (SBs) and in connection with the expected microdosimetric quantities.

Materials And Methods: Using a B-DNA model and Geant4-DNA, we simulated the primary and secondary interactions in a spherical medium of water.

Harnessing rat derived model cells to assess the toxicity of TiO nanoparticles.

Until now, a few studies have been conducted on the destructive effects of TiO NPs in living organisms, and studies on the toxicity of TiO NPs are still in the beginning phases. Because of the widespread use of TiO NPs in all areas of human life, it is essential to study their profound and fundamental toxic effects on each organ and body cell. Herein, we evaluate the effect of exposure to TiO NPs on in vitro models derived from the rat bone marrow and adipose tissues.

Prolonged norovirus infections correlate to quasispecies evolution resulting in structural changes of surface-exposed epitopes.

In this study, we analyzed norovirus (NoV) evolution in sequential samples of six chronically infected patients. The capsid gene was amplified from stool samples, and deep sequencing was performed. The role of amino acid flexibility in structural changes and ligand binding was studied with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Linear B-Cell Epitopes in Human Norovirus GII.4 Capsid Protein Elicit Blockade Antibodies.

Human norovirus (HuNoV) is the leading cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide with the GII.4 genotype accounting for over 80% of infections. The major capsid protein of GII.

Thymolipoma associated with lymphocytosis in a 6-year-old girl: A case report.

Thymolipoma is a benign and rare tumor that could be found at any age. Thymolipoma associated with the myasthenia gravis, Graves disease, aplastic anemia, and hypogammaglobulinemia was reported previously, but in this case, thymolipoma is associated with lymphocytosis. A 6-year-old girl was brought to the hospital because of a chronic cough.

Calculation of microdosimetric spectra for protons using Geant4-DNA and a -randomness sampling algorithm for the nanometric structures.

Purpose: Through introducing stochastic quantities that can be connected to the dimensions of the microscopic structures exposed to radiations, microdosimetry is concerned with the substantive specifications of radiation quality that could help gain insight into radiation effects. Utilizing the -randomness method and Geant4-DNA code, we calculated microdosimetry quantities for nanometric structures in a spherical body of water irradiated with protons. To gain more insight into the effects of radiation on microscopic structures and validate the code parameters, we made a comparison between our results obtained within Geant4-DNA and results from other simulations.

Development and immunogenic potentials of chitosan-saponin encapsulated DNA vaccine against avian infectious bronchitis coronavirus.

Infectious Bronchitis (IB) is an economically important avian disease that considerably threatens the global poultry industry. This is partly, as a result of its negative consequences on egg production, weight gain as well as mortality rate.The disease is caused by a constantly evolving avian infectious bronchitis virus whose isolates are classified into several serotypes and genotypes that demonstrate little or no cross protection.

Calculation of the initial DNA damage induced by alpha particles in comparison with protons and electrons using Geant4-DNA.

Interaction of ionizing radiations with cells leads to single- and double-strand breaks (SSBs and DSBs) as well as base lesions of DNA. Employing the Geant4-DNA toolkit, we simulated the transportation of primary alphas and secondary particles in liquid water to study the damage in the form of SSBs and DSBs. Simulations were performed in a spherical water medium, where we used a B-DNA model and classified the DNA damage and its complexity.

Quantitation of norovirus-specific IgG before and after infection in immunocompromised patients.

Noroviruses (NoV) cause the majority of non-bacterial gastroenteritis cases worldwide, with genotype II.4 being the most common. The aim of our study was to quantitate norovirus-specific IgG in immunocompromised patients before and after laboratory-confirmed norovirus infection.

Generation of recombinant MVA-norovirus: a comparison study of bacterial artificial chromosome- and marker-based systems.

Background: Recombinant Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara has been employed as a safe and potent viral vector vaccine against infectious diseases and cancer. We generated recMVAs encoding norovirus GII.4 genotype capsid protein by using a marker-based approach and a BAC-based system.

A simulation approach for determining the spectrum of DNA damage induced by protons.

To study the molecular damage induced in the form of single-strand and double-strand breaks by ionizing radiation at the DNA level, the Geant4-DNA Monte Carlo simulation code for complete transportation of primary protons and other secondary particles in liquid water has been employed in this work. To this aim, a B-DNA model and a thorough classification of the complexity of the DNA damage were used. Strand breaks were assumed to have primarily originated by direct physical interactions via energy depositions, assuming a threshold energy of 17.

Induction of a robust immune response against avian influenza virus following transdermal inoculation with H5-DNA vaccine formulated in modified dendrimer-based delivery system in mouse model.

This study was aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity of recombinant plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), pBud-H5-green fluorescent protein (GFP)-interferon-regulatory factor (IRF)3 following delivery using polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimer and transactivator of transcription (TAT)-conjugated PAMAM dendrimer as well as the effect of IRF3 as the genetic adjuvant. BALB/c mice were vaccinated transdermally with pBud-H5-GFP, PAMAM/pBud-H5-GFP, TAT-PAMAM/pBud-H5-GFP, and TAT-PAMAM/pBud-H5-GFP-IRF3. The expression analysis of H5 gene from the blood by using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction confirmed the ability of PAMAM dendrimer as a carrier for gene delivery, as well as the ability of TAT peptide to enhance the delivery efficiency of PAMAM dendrimer.

Production of recombinant human epidermal growth factor in Pichia pastoris.

This study was carried out to express human epidermal growth factor (hEGF) in Pichia pastoris GS115. For this aim, the hEGF gene was cloned into the pPIC9K expression vector, and then integrated into P. pastoris by electroporation.

Development of Tat-Conjugated Dendrimer for Transdermal DNA Vaccine Delivery.

Purpose: In order to enhance cellular uptake and to facilitate transdermal delivery of DNA vaccine, polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers conjugated with HIV transactivator of transcription (TAT) was developed.

Methods: First, the plasmid DNA (pIRES-H5/GFP) nanoparticle was formulated using PAMAM dendrimer and TAT peptide and then characterized for surface charge, particle size, DNA encapsulation and protection of the pIRES-H5/GFP DNA plasmid to enzymatic digestion. Subsequently, the potency of the TAT-conjugated dendrimer for gene delivery was evaluated through in vitro transfection into Vero cells followed by gene expression analysis including western blotting, fluorescent microscopy and PCR.