Comparison of Three Chimeric Zika Vaccine Prototypes Developed on the Genetic Background of the Clinically Proven Live-Attenuated Japanese Encephalitis Vaccine SA-14-2.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a medically important mosquito-borne orthoflavivirus, but no vaccines are currently available to prevent ZIKV-associated disease. In this study, we compared three recombinant chimeric viruses developed as candidate vaccine prototypes (rJEV/ZIKV, rJEV/ZIKV, and rJEV/ZIKV), in which the two neutralizing antibody-inducing prM and E genes from each of three genetically distinct ZIKV strains were used to replace the corresponding genes of the clinically proven live-attenuated Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine SA-14-2 (rJEV). In WHO-certified Vero cells (a cell line suitable for vaccine production), rJEV/ZIKV exhibited the slowest viral growth, formed the smallest plaques, and displayed a unique protein expression profile with the highest ratio of prM to cleaved M when compared to the other two chimeric viruses, rJEV/ZIKV and rJEV/ZIKV, as well as their vector, rJEV.

Key virulence factors responsible for differences in pathogenicity between clinically proven live-attenuated Japanese encephalitis vaccine SA14-14-2 and its pre-attenuated highly virulent parent SA14.

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a neuroinvasive and neurovirulent orthoflavivirus, can be prevented in humans with the SA14-14-2 vaccine, a live-attenuated version derived from the wild-type SA14 strain. To determine the viral factors responsible for the differences in pathogenicity between SA14 and SA14-14-2, we initially established a reverse genetics system that includes a pair of full-length infectious cDNAs for both strains. Using this cDNA pair, we then systematically exchanged genomic regions between SA14 and SA14-14-2 to generate 20 chimeric viruses and evaluated their replication capability in cell culture and their pathogenic potential in mice.

Virtual screening of targeted acrylamide warheads for identification of covalent inhibitors of Cryptopain, a cysteine protease of .

Cryptosporidiosis is an infection induced by the single-celled protozoan Cryptosporidium parasite. This parasite commonly infects the intestines of humans and animals, leading to gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting. Cryptopain protein, a type of cysteine protease found in the genome of plays an important role in cell invasion and its survival.

Opportunistic Assessment of Hip Fracture Risk Based on Chest CT.

Objective: Hip fracture (HF) has been described as the "last fracture of life" in the elderly, so the assessment of HF risk is extremely important. Currently, few studies have examined the relationship between imaging data from chest computed tomography (CT) and HF. This study demonstrated that pectoral muscle index (PMI) and vertebral body attenuation values could predict HF, aiming to opportunistically assess the risk of HF in patients without bone mineral density (BMD) based on chest CT for other diseases.

E-pharmacophore and deep learning based high throughput virtual screening for identification of CDPK1 inhibitors of Cryptosporidium parvum.

Cryptosporidiosis, a prevalent gastrointestinal illness worldwide, is caused by the protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium parvum. Calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 (CpCDPK1), crucial for the parasite's life cycle, serves as a promising drug target due to its role in regulating invasion and egress from host cells. While potent Pyrazolopyrimidine analogs have been identified as candidate hit molecules, they exhibit limitations in inhibiting Cryptosporidium growth in cell culture, prompting exploration of alternative scaffolds.

In silico mechanistic insights of ecofriendly synthesized AgNPs, SeNPs, rGO and Ag&SeNPs@rGONM's for biological applications and its toxicity evaluation using Artemia salina.

The present study focused on Rosmarinus officinalis Linn. leaves extract (ROE) mediated synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and silver and selenium nanoparticles decorated on rGO nanomaterials (Ag&SeNPs@rGONM's) for its antibacterial and antifungal in silico mechanistic insight applications. In addition, the toxicity of the synthesized nanomaterials was evaluated using Artemia salina.

In silico modelling of ciprofloxacin specific aptamer for the development of high-performance biosensor.

Ciprofloxacin (CFX), a widely used fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is critical in healthcare settings for treating patients. However, improper treatment of wastewater from these facilities can lead to environmental contamination with CFX. This underscores the need for an efficient, straightforward method for early detection.

Gonadal efficacy of Thymus quinquecostatus Celakovski: Regulation of testosterone levels in aging mouse models.

Late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) is an age-related disease in men characterized by decreased testosterone levels with symptoms such as decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, and depression. Thymus quinquecostatus Celakovski (TQC) is a plant used as a volatile oil in traditional medicine, and its bioactive compounds have anti-inflammatory potential. Based on this knowledge, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of TQC extract (TE) on LOH in TM3 Leydig cells and in an in vivo aging mouse model.

Computer aided aptamer selection for fabrication of electrochemical sensor to detect Aflatoxin B.

Aflatoxin B (AFB) is a naturally occurring toxin produced by and The AFB is classified as a potent carcinogen and poses significant health risks both to humans and animals. Early detection of the toxin in post-harvest agricultural products will save lives and promote healthy food production. In this study, stratified docking approach was utilized to screen and identify potential aptamers that can bind to AFB.

Solvent based fractional biosynthesis, phytochemical analysis, and biological activity of silver nanoparticles obtained from the extract of Salvia moorcroftiana.

Multi-drug resistant bacteria sometimes known as "superbugs" developed through overuse and misuse of antibiotics are determined to be sensitive to small concentrations of silver nanoparticles. Various methods and sources are under investigation for the safe and efficient synthesis of silver nanoparticles having effective antibacterial activity even at low concentrations. We used a medicinal plant named Salvia moorcroftiana to extract phytochemicals with antibacterial, antioxidant, and reducing properties.

Metallic Nanoparticles: A Promising Arsenal against Antimicrobial Resistance-Unraveling Mechanisms and Enhancing Medication Efficacy.

The misuse of antibiotics and antimycotics accelerates the emergence of antimicrobial resistance, prompting the need for novel strategies to combat this global issue. Metallic nanoparticles have emerged as effective tools for combating various resistant microbes. Numerous studies have highlighted their potential in addressing antibiotic-resistant fungi and bacterial strains.

Binding of USP4 to cortactin enhances cell migration in HCT116 human colon cancer cells.

Ubiquitin-specific protease 4 (USP4) is highly overexpressed in colon cancer and acts as a potent protooncogenic protein by deubiquitinating β-catenin. However, its prominent roles in tumor formation and migration in cancer cells are not fully understood by its deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) activity on β-catenin. Thus, we investigated an additional role of USP4 in cancer.

Double-Network Hydrogel Films Based on Cellulose Derivatives and κ-Carrageenan with Enhanced Mechanical Strength and Superabsorbent Properties.

Covalently crosslinked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) hydrogel films were prepared using citric acid (CA) as the crosslinking agent. Thereafter, the physically crosslinked κ-carrageenan (κ-CG) polymer was introduced into the CMC-HEC hydrogel structure, yielding κ-CG/CMC-HEC double network (DN) hydrogels. The κ-CG physical network provided sacrificial bonding, which effectively dissipated the stretching energy, resulting in an increase in the tensile modulus, tensile strength, and fracture energy of the DN hydrogels by 459%, 305%, and 398%, respectively, compared with those of the CMC-HEC single network (SN) hydrogel.

Development and characterization of type I interferon receptor knockout sheep: A model for viral immunology and reproductive signaling.

Type I interferons (IFNs) initiate immune responses to viral infections. Their effects are mediated by the type I IFN receptor, IFNAR, comprised of two subunits: IFNAR1 and IFNAR2. One or both chains of the sheep IFNAR were disrupted in fetal fibroblast lines using CRISPR/Cas9 and 12 lambs were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

Alginate-reinforced poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/ poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) aerogel monoliths fabricated by phase separation as environmental floating adsorbents.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)/poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) aerogel monoliths were prepared via nonsolvent induced phase separation and then sequentially immersed in ethanol and sodium alginate (ALG) solutions. The resulting composite aerogels contained up to a 52 wt% fraction ALG, causing a remarkable increase in their compressive modulus and collapse strength from 0.3 MPa and 33 kPa to 4 MPa and 406 kPa, respectively, i.

An update on biology and therapeutic avenues.

species has been identified as an important pediatric diarrheal pathogen in resource-limited countries, particularly in very young children (0-24 months). However, the only available drug (nitazoxanide) has limited efficacy and can only be prescribed in a medical setting to children older than one year. Many drug development projects have started to investigate new therapeutic avenues.

embryotoxicity and mode of antibacterial mechanistic study of gold and copper nanoparticles synthesized from (Miq.) Koidz. leaves extract.

The present study demonstrated the embryotoxicity assessment of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) prepared from the leaves extract of (Miq.) Koidz. and addressed their mode of antibacterial mechanisms.

In vitro toxicological assessment and biosensing potential of bioinspired chitosan nanoparticles, selenium nanoparticles, chitosan/selenium nanocomposites, silver nanoparticles and chitosan/silver nanocomposites.

Hydrogen peroxide (HO) is widely used in various industries and biological fields. HO rapidly contaminants with water resources and hence simple detection process is highly wanted in various fields. The present study was focused on the biosensing, antimicrobial and embryotoxicity of bioinspired chitosan nanoparticles (Cs NPs), selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs), chitosan/selenium nanocomposites (Cs/Se NCs), silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and chitosan/silver nanocomposites (Cs/Ag NCs) synthesized using the aqueous Cucurbita pepo Linn.

Attenuates Lung Inflammation by Suppressing the NF-κB/MAPK Pathway.

Cigarette smoke (CS) is the main cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and continuous CS exposure causes lung inflammation and deterioration. To investigate the protective effects of against lung inflammation in this study, cigarette smoke extract (CSE)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated alveolar macrophages (AMs) and mice stimulated with CSE/porcine pancreas elastase (PPE) were used. ethanol extract (AGE) was effective in decreasing the levels of cytokines, chemokine, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 by inhibiting mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases/nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling pathway in AMs.

Chitosan-reinforced PHB hydrogel and aerogel monoliths fabricated by phase separation with the solvent-exchange method.

The poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) organogel monoliths were prepared by nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS). The NIPS-derived organogels were solvent-exchanged with chitosan (CS) solution, resulting in the successful loading of CS into PHB hydrogel. With increasing the CS content, the as-prepared composite hydrogels became syringe injectable with excellent thixotropy due to the increase in the gel network's hydrophilicity.

Silver nanoparticles decorated reduced graphene oxide: Eco-friendly synthesis, characterization, biological activities and embryo toxicity studies.

This study was aimed on the eco-friendly synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and AgNPs decorated rGO (rGO/AgNPs) nanocomposite and appraisal of their bioactivities and toxicity. As-prepared nanomaterials were established through high resolution X-ray diffraction (HR-XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, UV-Vis. spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).

SAMiRNA Targeting Amphiregulin Alleviate Total-Body-Irradiation-Induced Renal Fibrosis.

Fibrosis is a serious unintended side effect of radiation therapy. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether amphiregulin (AREG) plays a critical role in fibrosis development after total-body irradiation (TBI). We found that the expression of AREG and fibrotic markers, such as α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and collagen type I alpha 1 (COL1α1), was elevated in the kidneys of 6 Gy TBI mice.

Weekly treatment with SAMiRNA targeting the androgen receptor ameliorates androgenetic alopecia.

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss in men and women. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and androgen receptor (AR) levels are increased in patients with AGA, and DHT-AR signaling correlates strongly with AGA pathogenesis. In this study, treatment with self-assembled micelle inhibitory RNA (SAMiRNA) nanoparticle-type siRNA selectively suppressed AR expression in vitro.