Dengue Virus Ribonucleic Acid Detection Rates in Blood Donors Correlate With Local Infection Incidences During a Dengue Outbreak in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND: Evidence for mitigation of transfusion-transmitted dengue informed by surveillance data is lacking. In this study, we evaluated the risk of positive dengue viral (DENV) ribonucleic acid (RNA) from blood transfusions during a large outbreak in Taiwan. METHODS: Serum collected from blood donors living in districts experiencing the dengue epidemic were tested for DENV RNA using a qualitative transcription-mediated nucleic acid amplification assay (TMA). The TMA-reactive specimens were further tested for immunoglobulin (Ig)M and IgG antibodies, nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) antigen, and viral RNA by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. We estimated DENV RNA prevalence and the number of DENV infections among blood donors. RESULTS: A total of 4976 specimens were tested for DENV RNA, and 21 were TMA-reactive. The detection rate was 0.84 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.15-4.73), 3.36 (95% CI, 1.31-8.60), and 6.19 (95% CI, 3.14-12.17) per 1000 donors in districts where the weekly dengue incidence was 5-50, 50-200, and 200 or more per 100 000 residents, respectively. Alanine aminotransferase screening only detected 4.4% of TMA-reactive donations. A total of 143 transfusion-transmitted DENV infections probably occurred during this outbreak, accounting for 9.2 in 10 000 dengue infections. CONCLUSIONS: Approximately 0.5%-1% of blood donations were DENV RNA positive in epidemic districts. The correlation of DENV RNA rates with dengue incidence may inform the design of effective control measures.

Plastome Evolution in the Sole Hemiparasitic Genus Laurel Dodder (Cassytha) and Insights into the Plastid Phylogenomics of Lauraceae.

To date, little is known about the evolution of plastid genomes (plastomes) in Lauraceae. As one of the top five largest families in tropical forests, the Lauraceae contain many species that are important ecologically and economically. Lauraceous species also provide wonderful materials to study the evolutionary trajectory in response to parasitism because they contain both nonparasitic and parasitic species. This study compared the plastomes of nine Lauraceous species, including the sole hemiparasitic and herbaceous genus Cassytha (laurel dodder; here represented by Cassytha filiformis). We found differential contractions of the canonical inverted repeat (IR), resulting in two IR types present in Lauraceae. These two IR types reinforce Cryptocaryeae and Neocinnamomum-Perseeae-Laureae as two separate clades. Our data reveal several traits unique to Cas. filiformis, including loss of IRs, loss or pseudogenization of 11 ndh and rpl23 genes, richness of repeats, and accelerated rates of nucleotide substitutions in protein-coding genes. Although Cas. filiformis is low in chlorophyll content, our analysis based on dN/dS ratios suggests that both its plastid house-keeping and photosynthetic genes are under strong selective constraints. Hence, we propose that short generation time and herbaceous lifestyle rather than reduced photosynthetic ability drive the accelerated rates of nucleotide substitutions in Cas. filiformis.

Transcriptome transfer produces a predictable cellular phenotype.

Cellular phenotype is the conglomerate of multiple cellular processes involving gene and protein expression that result in the elaboration of a cell's particular morphology and function. It has been thought that differentiated postmitotic cells have their genomes hard wired, with little ability for phenotypic plasticity. Here we show that transfer of the transcriptome from differentiated rat astrocytes into a nondividing differentiated rat neuron resulted in the conversion of the neuron into a functional astrocyte-like cell in a time-dependent manner. This single-cell study permits high resolution of molecular and functional components that underlie phenotype identity. The RNA population from astrocytes contains RNAs in the appropriate relative abundances that give rise to regulatory RNAs and translated proteins that enable astrocyte identity. When transferred into the postmitotic neuron, the astrocyte RNA population converts 44% of the neuronal host cells into the destination astrocyte-like phenotype. In support of this observation, quantitative measures of cellular morphology, single-cell PCR, single-cell microarray, and single-cell functional analyses have been performed. The host-cell phenotypic changes develop over many weeks and are persistent. We call this process of RNA-induced phenotype changes, transcriptome-induced phenotype remodeling.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles as controlled release drug delivery and gene transfection carriers.

In this review, we highlight the recent research developments of a series of surface-functionalized mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) materials as efficient drug delivery carriers. The synthesis of this type of MSN materials is described along with the current methods for controlling the structural properties and chemical functionalization for biotechnological and biomedical applications. We summarized the advantages of using MSN for several drug delivery applications. The recent investigations of the biocompatibility of MSN in vitro are discussed. We also describe the exciting progress on using MSN to penetrate various cell membranes in animal and plant cells. The novel concept of gatekeeping is introduced and applied to the design of a variety of stimuli-responsive nanodevices. We envision that these MSN-based systems have a great potential for a variety of drug delivery applications, such as the site-specific delivery and intracellular controlled release of drugs, genes, and other therapeutic agents.

Perpendicular mesoporous Pt thin films: electrodeposition from titania nanopillars and their electrochemical properties.

A perpendicular mesoporous platinum electrode with a flat surface is successfully synthesized by electrodeposition using titania nanopillars as template, and the electrochemical studies indicate that this material is a promising catalytic electrode for fuel cells because of its high surface area and perpendicular nanopores.

mRNA transport to and translation in neuronal dendrites.

Transport of mRNA is an important biological process in all cells that sets up gradients of translated protein from the site of mRNA docking and translation. Neurons are highly polarized cells where the targeted movement of RNAs and local translation at that site have been shown to be integral to the proper functioning of the neuron. Indeed, this specialized biological function for localized RNAs in particular neurons may in part confer a selective advantage on these cells such that they "out-compete" others in the race to establish synaptic connectivity. In this mini-review we highlight some of the salient features of RNA targeting and translation in neurons.

Variations of chemical compositions in coarse aerosols and fine aerosols in two successive episodes.

Particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 microm (PM2.5) and ranging between 10 to 2.5 microm (PM10-2.5) were simultaneously collected at four air-quality monitoring stations in the Taichung area of central Taiwan during the period of February 12 to 22, 2004. Two different types of PM10 episodes, a nonlocal dust-storm episode and a local episode, were observed in the present study. High concentrations of coarse aerosols occurred during the dust-storm episode, whereas high concentrations of fine aerosols were present during the local episode. Relatively high levels of Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and Cl- in coarse aerosols were observed during the dust-storm episode. Very high concentrations of secondary aerosols (NH4+, SO4(2-), and NO3-) in fine aerosols were observed during the local episode. The nitrate ion demonstrated the greatest increase in the ratios of ionic species to PM2.5 and ionic species to PM10-2.5 during the local episode. Significantly high ratios (0.444) of NO3- to NO2 in fine aerosols were present during the local episode, indicating that the relatively high formation rate of NO3 was one of the important factors leading to the increase of the NO3 to PM2.5 ratio during the local episode. Results also showed that an abundant quantity of fine ammonium nitrate was formed during the local episode, and chloride depletion probably was the major pathway to form coarse NaNO3 during this episode.

Formation of highly ordered mesoporous titania films consisting of crystalline nanopillars with inverse mesospace by structural transformation.

Highly ordered mesoporous titania films consisting of crystalline nanopillars with open-spaced, perpendicular, and continuous porosity have been prepared via structural transformation from a 3D hexagonal mesostructure during the thermal treatment. The mechanism of the structural transformation is explained by the crystallization of the titania framework and the large contraction of the initial 3D hexagonal mesostructured film upon calcination. This structural transformation provides a new approach to generate mesoporous thin-film materials with unique structures.

Effect of citric acid on aluminum hydrolytic speciation.

The mechanisms of the influence of organics on Al transformation were not fully understood. This study investigated the effect of citric acid on Al speciation in partially neutralized aluminum solution. The partially neutralized solution was prepared with 20 mmol L(-1) AlCl3 without citrate (citrate/Al molar ratio of 0, control) or with citrate (citrate to Al molar ratios between 0.1 and 3.0) at pH between 3.0 and 7.0. The nature of aluminum hydrolytic products as influenced by citrate complexation was investigated by turbidity measurement, ferron kinetic color development, peak line width in 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) deconvolution demodule quantitative methods, and the MinteqA2 chemical speciation program. Sulfate precipitates from Al solution as influenced by citrate were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The turbidity of the Al solution increased with increasing pH values. Increases in citrate/Al molar ratio from 0 to 0.1 decreased dramatically the turbidity due to citrate complexation. The 27Al NMR peak at 6 ppm of the Al solution at a citrate/Al molar ratio of 0.5 shifted to 8 and 10 ppm in the solutions at citrate/Al molar ratio of 1.0 and 3.0, respectively. Comparison of 27Al NMR data and the data obtained from the MinteqA2 chemical speciation program, indicate that the Al-citrate complexes as revealed by 27Al NMR data are largely Al(citrate), AlH(citrate)+, and Al(citrate)(2)3- complexes (99-112%) in the pH range of 4.5-6.5. The non-detected Al fractions by the MinteqA2 program account for 82-99% of the non-detected Al fractions by NMR quantitation in the same pH range. The AFM of sulfate precipitates from solutions with low citrate/Al molar ratios (i.e., 0.01, pH 4.5, aged 40 days) shows that Al13 sulfate precipitates were ellipse-shaped. These ellipse-shaped precipitates were aggregated when solution pH increased from 4.5 to 7.0 (aged 40 days), indicating the fast hydrolytic rate of Al at high pH. The sulfate precipitates from solution with a high citrate/Al molar ratio (i.e., 0.05, pH 4.5, aged 40 days) also shows aggregate of particles, and XRD non-crystallized precipitates the hampering effect of citrate on Al precipitates.

Nerve growth factor rapidly increases muscarinic tone in mouse medial septum/diagonal band of Broca.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) has been implicated in maintaining and regulating normal functioning of the septohippocampal pathway. However, many aspects of its physiological actions and the underlying mechanisms await elucidation. In this study, we investigated the effect of acute NGF exposure on neurons in the mouse medial septum/diagonal band of Broca (MS/DB), focusing on the cholinergic neurons and the subpopulation of noncholinergic neurons that were identified to be putatively GABAergic. We report that MS/DB neurons in a thin slice preparation, when exposed to NGF via bath perfusion, rapidly and indiscriminately increased the rate of spontaneous firing in all MS/DB neurons. However, focal application of NGF to individual MS/DB neurons increased spontaneous firing in cholinergic, but not in the noncholinergic, subpopulation. The NGF-induced effect on cholinergic neurons was direct, requiring activation and signaling via TrkA receptors, which were immunohistochemically localized to the cholinergic neurons in the MS/DB. TrkA receptors were absent in putative GABAergic MS/DB neurons, and blockade of TrkA signaling in these and other noncholinergic neurons had no effect on their firing activity after exposure to NGF. Conversely, methyl scopolamine, blocked the increased firing activity of noncholinergic neurons during bath perfusion of NGF. We propose a cell type-specific mode of action for NGF in the MS/DB. The neurotrophin directly enhances cholinergic neuronal activity in the MS/DB through TrkA-mediated signaling, increasing acetylcholine release and, thus, muscarinic tone. This increase in muscarinic tone, in turn, results in heightened firing activity in noncholinergic MS/DB neurons.