Coding-Complete Genome Sequences of Alpha and Delta SARS-CoV-2 Variants from Kamphaeng Phet Province, Thailand, from May to July 2021.

We report coding-complete genome sequences of 44 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains of the alpha and delta variants identified from patients in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand. Two nonsense mutations in open reading frame 3a (ORF3a) (G254*) and ORF8 (K68*) were found in the alpha variant sequences. Two lineages of the delta variant, B.

The Double Burden of COVID-19 and Dengue in Nepal: The challenges ahead.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant impact on the health care system. As a consequence, diagnosis and treatment of vector borne diseases including dengue has been equally affected. Nepal is no exception to this, where COVID-19 cases is exponentially increased and all resources are concentrated on its prevention, control and management.

Antigenic evolution of dengue viruses over 20 years.

Infection with one of dengue viruses 1 to 4 (DENV1-4) induces protective antibodies against homotypic infection. However, a notable feature of dengue viruses is the ability to use preexisting heterotypic antibodies to infect Fcγ receptor–bearing immune cells, leading to higher viral load and immunopathological events that augment disease. We tracked the antigenic dynamics of each DENV serotype by using 1944 sequenced isolates from Bangkok, Thailand, between 1994 and 2014 (348 strains), in comparison with regional and global DENV antigenic diversity (64 strains).

Effect of Novel Polymer-Free Nitrogen-Doped Titanium Dioxide Film-Coated Coronary Stent Loaded With Mycophenolic Acid.

Titanium is commonly used in blood-exposed medical devices because it has superior blood compatibility. Mycophenolic acid inhibits the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells. This study examined the effect of a non-polymer TiO thin film-coated stent with mycophenolic acid in a porcine coronary overstretch restenosis model.

Preferential and persistent impact of acute HIV-1 infection on CD4 iNKT cells in colonic mucosa.

Acute HIV-1 infection (AHI) results in the widespread depletion of CD4 T cells in peripheral blood and gut mucosal tissue. However, the impact on the predominantly CD4 immunoregulatory invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells during AHI remains unknown. Here, iNKT cells from peripheral blood and colonic mucosa were investigated during treated and untreated AHI.

Decreased urothelial expression of caveolin 1 and 2 in aging rats showing detrusor overactivity: Potential association with aging bladder.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of aging on bladder function and caveolin protein expression in rat urothelium.

Materials And Methods: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into the following two groups: young age control group (12 weeks) and old-aged group of rats (80 weeks). Urodynamic measurements were taken to compare the contraction interval and the contraction pressure between the two groups.

Tracking tick-borne diseases in Mongolian livestock using next generation sequencing (NGS).

The livestock industry in Mongolia accounts for 24% of national revenue, with one third of the population maintaining a pastoral lifestyle. This close connection between Mongolian population and livestock is a major concern for pathogen transfer, especially given the increase in vector-borne diseases globally. This study examines blood samples from livestock to assess the prevalence of tick-borne bacterial infections across three provinces in Mongolia (Dornogovi, Selenge, Töv).

Entomological Risk Assessment for Dengue Virus Transmission during 2016-2020 in Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand.

Individual houses with high risks of dengue virus (DENV) transmission might be a source of virus transmission within the neighborhood. We conducted an entomological risk assessment for DENV transmission at the household level, comprising family cohort members residing in the same location, to assess the risk for dengue virus transmitted by mosquito vectors. The studies were conducted in Kamphaeng Phet Province, Thailand, during 2016-2020.

Lithocholic Acid Induces miR21, Promoting PTEN Inhibition via STAT3 and ERK-1/2 Signaling in Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Micro-RNA-21 (miR-21) is a vital regulator of colorectal cancer (CRC) progression and has emerged as a potential therapeutic target in CRC treatment. Our study using real-time PCR assay found that a secondary bile acid, lithocholic acid (LCA), stimulated the expression of miR21 in the CRC cell lines. Promoter activity assay showed that LCA strongly stimulated miR21 promoter activity in HCT116 cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner.

A systems approach to elucidate personalized mechanistic complexities of antibody-Fc receptor activation post-vaccination.

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies that activate Fc-mediated immune functions have been correlated with vaccine efficacy, but it is difficult to unravel the relative roles of multiple IgG and Fc receptor (FcR) features that have the capacity to influence IgG-FcR complex formation but vary on a personalized basis. Here, we develop an ordinary differential-equation model to determine how personalized variability in IgG subclass concentrations and binding affinities influence IgG-FcγRIIIa complex formation and validate it with samples from the HIV RV144 vaccine trial. The model identifies individuals who are sensitive, insensitive, or negatively affected by increases in HIV-specific IgG1, which is validated with the addition of HIV-specific IgG1 monoclonal antibodies to vaccine samples.

Thoracolumbar Slope Is Useful Parameter for Evaluating HealthRelated Quality of Life and Sagittal Imbalance Aggravation in Adult Spinal Deformity: A Prospective Observational Cohort Study.

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the natural course of primary degenerative sagittal imbalance (PDSI), its aggravating factors, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) associated with various spinal alignment parameters (SAPs) in patients with PDSI who have not undergone surgery.

Methods: One hundred three participants volunteered to participate. The SAPs, including T1 pelvic angle (T1PA), thoracolumbar tilt, and thoracolumbar slope (TLS), were measured on whole-spine standing radiographs.

Identification of potential metabolic biomarkers in predicting esophageal varices needing treatment in patients with liver cirrhosis.

The goal of this study was to determine the diagnostic performance of in vivo quantitative proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H-MRS) to identify the presence of esophageal varices needing treatment (VNT), as well as investigate its correlation with clinical characteristics in patients with liver cirrhosis. Forty cirrhotic patients without VNT showing the negative red color sign, and 40 cirrhotic patients with VNT showing positive red color sign underwent laboratory tests, esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy, and H-MRS with single-voxel localization in the cirrhotic liver parenchyma. The levels of lactate + triglyceride (TG) and choline in cirrhotic patients with VNT were significantly higher than those in cirrhotic patients without VNT.

Three-year Efficacy and Safety of Takeda's Dengue Vaccine Candidate (TAK-003).

Background: Takeda's live attenuated tetravalent dengue vaccine candidate (TAK-003) is under evaluation in a long-term clinical trial across 8 dengue-endemic countries. Previously, we have reported its efficacy and safety in both seronegative and seropositive participants and that its performance varies by serotype, with some decline in efficacy from first to second year postvaccination. This exploratory analysis provides an update with cumulative and third-year data.

Phosphorylation of β-catenin Ser60 by polo-like kinase 1 drives the completion of cytokinesis.

β-Catenin is a multifunctional protein and participates in numerous processes required for embryonic development, cell proliferation, and homeostasis through various molecular interactions and signaling pathways. To date, however, there is no direct evidence that β-catenin contributes to cytokinesis. Here, we identify a novel p-S60 epitope on β-catenin generated by Plk1 kinase activity, which can be found at the actomyosin contractile ring of early telophase cells and at the midbody of late telophase cells.

Monocyte-derived transcriptome signature indicates antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis as a potential mechanism of vaccine-induced protection against HIV-1.

A gene signature was previously found to be correlated with mosaic adenovirus 26 vaccine protection in simian immunodeficiency virus and simian-human immunodeficiency virus challenge models in non-human primates. In this report, we investigated the presence of this signature as a correlate of reduced risk in human clinical trials and potential mechanisms of protection. The absence of this gene signature in the DNA/rAd5 human vaccine trial, which did not show efficacy, strengthens our hypothesis that this signature is only enriched in studies that demonstrated protection.

RV144 vaccine imprinting constrained HIV-1 evolution following breakthrough infection.

The scale of the HIV-1 epidemic underscores the need for a vaccine. The multitude of circulating HIV-1 strains together with HIV-1's high evolvability hints that HIV-1 could adapt to a future vaccine. Here, we wanted to investigate the effect of vaccination on the evolution of the virus post-breakthrough infection.

Identification of in vivo expressed proteins in live attenuated lipopolysaccharide mutant that mediates heterologous protection against Leptospira spp.

Leptospirosis vaccines that elicit broad protection against a range of pathogenic Leptospira spp. would overcome a major drawback of currently licensed bacterin vaccines. Live attenuated vaccine produced from a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutant strain of L.

Dengue pre-vaccination screening test evaluation for the use of dengue vaccine in an endemic area.

Background: The dengue vaccine (Dengvaxia) is only recommended for individuals with prior dengue infection (PDI). This study aimed to perform a serosurvey to inform decision-making for vaccine introduction and identify appropriate target populations. We also evaluated the performance of the serological tests using plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) as a reference test in identifying PDI to determine suitability for pre-vaccination screening.

Risk Factors for HIV sero-conversion in a high incidence cohort of men who have sex with men and transgender women in Bangkok, Thailand.

Background: We measured Human Immunodeficiency (HIV) incidence, retention, and assessed risk factors for seroconversion among two previously unreported cohorts of men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender Women (TGW) in Bangkok, Thailand between 2017 and 2019.

Methods: We conducted an 18-month prospective cohort study of HIV-uninfected Thai cisgender men and TGW aged between 18 and 35 years who reported sex with men in the past six months and at least one additional risk factor for HIV infection. HIV and syphilis testing and computer-based behavioral questionnaires were administered at each visit.