| 1. |
- Beal, Jacob, et al.
(author)
-
Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density
- 2020
-
In: Communications Biology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2399-3642. ; 3:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data.
|
|
| 2. |
- Guo, Hao, et al.
(author)
-
A humanized monoclonal antibody targeting secreted anterior gradient 2 effectively inhibits the xenograft tumor growth.
- 2016
-
In: Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications - BBRC. - : Elsevier BV. - 0006-291X .- 1090-2104. ; 475:1, s. 57-63
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Anterior Gradient 2 (AGR2) is a potential anti-tumor target and we previously reported a murine antibody 18A4 with specific binding to AGR2. However, humanization is a must to overcome immunogenicity before considering for clinical use and optimized vectors for mammalian expression are also necessary for following industrialized manufacture. Here, we describe an anti-tumor humanized antibody blocking secreted AGR2 activity. We employed the CDR grafting technique and deimmunization analysis to construct humanized antibody variants of 18A4, and 18A4Hu I was selected as the best humanization candidate, characterized by physical and chemical property comparison. Mouse xenograft study showed that 18A4Hu I could effectively inhibit the xenograft tumor growth, antibody blocking epitope analysis using AGR2 mutants indicated that the inhibition activity of 18A4Hu I is exerted probably through blocking the AGR2 functions which rely on the amino acid sites of E60-H76 and A86-E153. What's more, in this report, we also describe a pHAb-FAST vector system which is specifically designed for humanized antibody mammalian expression vector fast construction. With pHAb-FAST system, expression vector of 18A4Hu I could be quickly constructed only through twice overlapping PCR reactions. To our knowledge, AGR2-targeted 18A4Hu I is a promising humanized anti-tumor drug candidate, and pHAb-FAST system is a useful optimized mammalian expression vector construction tool. Our findings are supposed to accelerate the development of antibody-based cancer therapy.
|
|
| 3. |
- Jin, Ying-Hui, et al.
(author)
-
Chemoprophylaxis, diagnosis, treatments, and discharge management of COVID-19 : An evidence-based clinical practice guideline (updated version)
- 2020
-
In: Military Medical Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2054-9369. ; 7:1
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the cause of a rapidly spreading illness, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), affecting more than seventeen million people around the world. Diagnosis and treatment guidelines for clinicians caring for patients are needed. In the early stage, we have issued "A rapid advice guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infected pneumonia (standard version)"; now there are many direct evidences emerged and may change some of previous recommendations and it is ripe for develop an evidence-based guideline. We formed a working group of clinical experts and methodologists. The steering group members proposed 29 questions that are relevant to the management of COVID-19 covering the following areas: chemoprophylaxis, diagnosis, treatments, and discharge management. We searched the literature for direct evidence on the management of COVID-19, and assessed its certainty generated recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Recommendations were either strong or weak, or in the form of ungraded consensus-based statement. Finally, we issued 34 statements. Among them, 6 were strong recommendations for, 14 were weak recommendations for, 3 were weak recommendations against and 11 were ungraded consensus-based statement. They covered topics of chemoprophylaxis (including agents and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) agents), diagnosis (including clinical manifestations, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respiratory tract specimens, IgM and IgG antibody tests, chest computed tomography, chest x-ray, and CT features of asymptomatic infections), treatments (including lopinavir-ritonavir, umifenovir, favipiravir, interferon, remdesivir, combination of antiviral drugs, hydroxychloroquine/chloroquine, interleukin-6 inhibitors, interleukin-1 inhibitors, glucocorticoid, qingfei paidu decoction, lianhua qingwen granules/capsules, convalescent plasma, lung transplantation, invasive or noninvasive ventilation, and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)), and discharge management (including discharge criteria and management plan in patients whose RT-PCR retesting shows SARS-CoV-2 positive after discharge). We also created two figures of these recommendations for the implementation purpose. We hope these recommendations can help support healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
- Hou, Lu, et al.
(author)
-
Positron Emission Tomography Imaging of the Endocannabinoid System : Opportunities and Challenges in Radiotracer Development
- 2021
-
In: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 0022-2623 .- 1520-4804. ; 64:1, s. 123-149
-
Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is involved in a wide range of biological functions and comprises cannabinoid receptors and enzymes responsible for endocannabinoid synthesis and degradation. Over the past 2 decades, significant advances toward developing drugs and positron emission tomography (PET) tracers targeting different components of the ECS have been made. Herein, we summarized the recent development of PET tracers for imaging cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1R) and 2 (CB2R) as well as the key enzymes monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), particularly focusing on PET neuroimaging applications. State-of-the-art PET tracers for the ECS will be reviewed including their chemical design, pharmacological properties, radiolabeling, as well as preclinical and human PET imaging. In addition, this review addresses the current challenges for ECS PET biomarker development and highlights the important role of PET ligands to study disease pathophysiology as well as to facilitate drug discovery.
|
|
| 6. |
- Jin, Han, et al.
(author)
-
A Mobile-Based High Sensitivity On-Field Organophosphorus Compounds Detecting System for IoT-Based Food Safety Tracking
- 2017
-
In: Journal of Sensors. - : Hindawi Publishing Corporation. - 1687-725X .- 1687-7268.
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A mobile-based high sensitivity absorptiometer is presented to detect organophosphorus (OP) compounds for Internet-of-Things based food safety tracking. This instrument consists of a customized sensor front-end chip, LED-based light source, low power wireless link, and coin battery, along with a sample holder packaged in a recycled format. The sensor front-end integrates optical sensor, capacitive transimpedance amplifier, and a folded-reference pulse width modulator in a single chip fabricated in a 0.18 mu m 1-poly 5-metal CMOS process and has input optical power dynamic range of 71 dB, sensitivity of 3.6 nW/cm(2) (0.77 pA), and power consumption of 14.5 mu W. Enabled by this high sensitivity sensor front-end chip, the proposed absorptiometer has a small size of 96 cm(3), with features including on-field detection and wireless communication with a mobile. OP compound detection experiments of the handheld system demonstrate a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.4 mu mol/L, comparable to that of a commercial spectrophotometer. Meanwhile, an android-based application (APP) is presented which makes the absorptiometer access to the Internet-of-Things (IoT).
|
|
| 7. |
- Kim, Jae-Young, et al.
(author)
-
Event Horizon Telescope imaging of the archetypal blazar 3C 279 at an extreme 20 microarcsecond resolution
- 2020
-
In: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 640
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- 3C 279 is an archetypal blazar with a prominent radio jet that show broadband flux density variability across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. We use an ultra-high angular resolution technique - global Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) at 1.3mm (230 GHz) - to resolve the innermost jet of 3C 279 in order to study its fine-scale morphology close to the jet base where highly variable-ray emission is thought to originate, according to various models. The source was observed during four days in April 2017 with the Event Horizon Telescope at 230 GHz, including the phased Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, at an angular resolution of ∼20 μas (at a redshift of z = 0:536 this corresponds to ∼0:13 pc ∼ 1700 Schwarzschild radii with a black hole mass MBH = 8 × 108 M⊙). Imaging and model-fitting techniques were applied to the data to parameterize the fine-scale source structure and its variation.We find a multicomponent inner jet morphology with the northernmost component elongated perpendicular to the direction of the jet, as imaged at longer wavelengths. The elongated nuclear structure is consistent on all four observing days and across diffierent imaging methods and model-fitting techniques, and therefore appears robust. Owing to its compactness and brightness, we associate the northern nuclear structure as the VLBI "core". This morphology can be interpreted as either a broad resolved jet base or a spatially bent jet.We also find significant day-to-day variations in the closure phases, which appear most pronounced on the triangles with the longest baselines. Our analysis shows that this variation is related to a systematic change of the source structure. Two inner jet components move non-radially at apparent speeds of ∼15 c and ∼20 c (∼1:3 and ∼1:7 μas day-1, respectively), which more strongly supports the scenario of traveling shocks or instabilities in a bent, possibly rotating jet. The observed apparent speeds are also coincident with the 3C 279 large-scale jet kinematics observed at longer (cm) wavelengths, suggesting no significant jet acceleration between the 1.3mm core and the outer jet. The intrinsic brightness temperature of the jet components are ≤1010 K, a magnitude or more lower than typical values seen at ≥7mm wavelengths. The low brightness temperature and morphological complexity suggest that the core region of 3C 279 becomes optically thin at short (mm) wavelengths.
|
|
| 8. |
- Lee, Jin-Ching, et al.
(author)
-
Anti-Dengue Virus Constituents from Formosan Zoanthid Palythoa mutuki
- 2016
-
In: Marine Drugs. - : MDPI AG. - 1660-3397. ; 14:8
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A new marine ecdysteroid with an alpha-hydroxy group attaching at C-4 instead of attaching at C-2 and C-3, named palythone A (1), together with eight known compounds (2-9) were obtained from the ethanolic extract of the Formosan zoanthid Palythoa mutuki. The structures of those compounds were mainly determined by NMR spectroscopic data analyses. The absolute configuration of 1 was further confirmed by comparing experimental and calculated circular dichroism (CD) spectra. Anti-dengue virus 2 activity and cytotoxicity of five isolated compounds were evaluated using virus infectious system and [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) assays, respectively. As a result, peridinin (9) exhibited strong antiviral activity (IC50 = 4.50 +/- 0.46 mu g/mL), which is better than that of the positive control, 2'CMC. It is the first carotene-like substance possessing anti-dengue virus activity. In addition, the structural diversity and bioactivity of the isolates were compared by using a ChemGPS-NP computational analysis. The ChemGPS-NP data suggested natural products with anti-dengue virus activity locate closely in the chemical space.
|
|
| 9. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(author)
-
Amplitude analysis of D0 → K -π+π+π-
- 2017
-
In: Physical Review D. - 2470-0010 .- 2470-0029. ; 95:7
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- We present an amplitude analysis of the decay D0 → K -π+π+π- based on a data sample of 2.93 fb−1 acquired by the BESIII detector at the ψ(3770) resonance. With a nearly background free sample of about 16000 events, we investigate the substructure of the decay and determine the relative fractions and the phases among the different intermediate processes. Our amplitude model includes the two-body decays D0 → ¯K*0ρ0, D0 → K−a+1(1260) and D0 → K−1(1270)π+, the three-body decays D0 →¯K*0π+π− and D0 → K−π+ρ0, as well as the four-body nonresonant decay D0 → K−π+π+π−. The dominant intermediate process is D0 → K−a+1(1260), accounting for a fit fraction of 54.6%.
|
|
| 10. |
- Ablikim, M., et al.
(author)
-
Amplitude analysis of the chi(c1) -> eta pi(+)pi(-) decays
- 2017
-
In: Physical Review D. - : AMER PHYSICAL SOC. - 2470-0010 .- 2470-0029. ; 95:3
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Using 448.0 x 10(6) psi(3686) events collected with the BESIII detector, an amplitude analysis is performed for psi(3686) -> gamma chi(c1), chi(c1) ->eta pi(+)pi(-) decays. The most dominant two- body structure observed is a(0)(980)(+/-) pi(-/+); a(0)(980)(+/-) -> eta pi(+/-.) line shape is modeled using a dispersion relation, and a significant nonzero a(0) (980) coupling to the eta'pi channel is measured. We observe chi(c1) -> a(2)(1700)pi production for the first time, with a significance larger than 17 sigma. The production of mesons with exotic quantum numbers, J(PC) = 1(-+), is investigated, and upper limits for the branching fractions chi(c1) -> pi(1)(1400)(+/-)pi(-/+) , chi(c1) -> pi(1)(1600)(+/-)pi(-/+) and chi(c1) -> pi 1(2015)(+/-)pi(-/+) with subsequent pi(1)(X)(+/-) -> eta pi(+/-) decay, are determined.
|
|
