Clinical Significance of Quantitative Viral Load in Patients Positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Cycle threshold (CT) refers to the number of cycles in a reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay needed to amplify viral RNA and can be used to indicate viral load. CT is inversely related to viral load, where lower CT values indicate higher viral levels. Data suggest lower CT scores are associated with worse outcomes in COVID; however, quantitative CT scores are not typically reported to patients.

The effect of TRV027 on coagulation in COVID-19: A pilot randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

COVID-19 causes significant thrombosis and coagulopathy, with elevated D-dimer a predictor of adverse outcome. The precise mechanism of this coagulopathy remains unclear; one hypothesis is that loss of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 activity during viral endocytosis leads to pro-inflammatory angiotensin-II accumulation, loss of angiotensin-1-7 and subsequent vascular endothelial activation. We undertook a double-blind randomized, placebo-controlled experimental medicine study to assess the effect of TRV027, a synthetic angiotensin-1-7 analogue on D-dimer in 30 patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

Safety and immunogenicity of a self-amplifying RNA vaccine against COVID-19: COVAC1, a phase I, dose-ranging trial.

Background: Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) encapsulated self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) is a novel technology formulated as a low dose vaccine against COVID-19.

Methods: A phase I first-in-human dose-ranging trial of a saRNA COVID-19 vaccine candidate LNP-nCoVsaRNA, was conducted at Imperial Clinical Research Facility, and participating centres in London, UK, between 19 June to 28 October 2020. Participants received two intramuscular (IM) injections of LNP-nCoVsaRNA at six different dose levels, 0.

Antimicrobial resistance genes and modelling of treatment failure in bacterial vaginosis: clinical study of 289 symptomatic women.

Clinical management of bacterial vaginosis (BV) is difficult owing to inaccurate diagnostic tests, limited drug choices, and a high rate of recurrence. To our knowledge, there has not been a previous study of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes in community practice using next-generation sequencing (NGS). A case-control study (1 : 1 age-matched with and without BV) was undertaken in a series of 326 nongravid women of reproductive age with symptoms of BV to determine the prevalence of AMR genes.

Dual Action of miR-125b As a Tumor Suppressor and OncomiR-22 Promotes Prostate Cancer Tumorigenesis.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are a novel class of small RNA molecules, the dysregulation of which can contribute to cancer. A combinatorial approach was used to identify miRs that promote prostate cancer progression in a unique set of prostate cancer cell lines, which originate from the parental p69 cell line and extend to a highly tumorigenic/metastatic M12 subline. Together, these cell lines are thought to mimic prostate cancer progression in vivo.

A networks method for ranking microRNA dysregulation in cancer.

Background: Despite the lack of agreement on their exact roles, it is known that miRNAs contribute to cancer progression. Many studies utilize methods to detect differential regulation of miRNA expression. It is prohibitively expensive to examine all potentially dysregulated miRNAs and traditionally, researchers have focused their efforts on the most extremely dysregulated miRNAs.

microRNA dysregulation in prostate cancer: network analysis reveals preferential regulation of highly connected nodes.

microRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNAs shown to contribute to a number of cellular processes including cell growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. MiRNAs regulate gene expression of their targets post-transcriptionally by binding to messenger RNA (mRNA), causing translational inhibition or mRNA degradation. Dysregulation of miRNA expression can promote cancer formation and progression.

Analysis of changes in farm pond network connectivity in the peri-urban landscape of the Taoyuan area, Taiwan.

The farm pond system for irrigation is the most prominent feature in the Taoyuan area, Taiwan, giving the region a unique landscape and hydrological character. Although this area had more than 3,290 ponds in the 1970s, fewer than 1,800 now remain. This study analyzes changes in irrigation farm ponds and the canal network landscape in the Taoyuan area.

MicroRNA-17-3p is a prostate tumor suppressor in vitro and in vivo, and is decreased in high grade prostate tumors analyzed by laser capture microdissection.

MicroRNAs (miRs) are a novel class of RNAs with important roles in regulating gene expression. To identify miRs controlling prostate tumor progression, we utilized unique human prostate sublines derived from the parental P69 cell line, which differ in their tumorigenic properties in vivo. Grown embedded in laminin-rich extracellular matrix (lrECM) gels these genetically-related sublines displayed drastically different morphologies correlating with their behaviour in vivo.