Schottky infrared detectors with optically tunable barriers beyond the internal photoemission limit.

Internal photoemission is a prominent branch of the photoelectric effect and has emerged as a viable method for detecting photons with energies below the semiconductor bandgap. This breakthrough has played a significant role in accelerating the development of infrared imaging in one chip with state-of-the-art silicon techniques. However, the performance of these Schottky infrared detectors is currently hindered by the limit of internal photoemission; specifically, a low Schottky barrier height is inevitable for the detection of low-energy infrared photons. Herein, a distinct paradigm of Schottky infrared detectors is proposed to overcome the internal photoemission limit by introducing an optically tunable barrier. This device uses an infrared absorbing material-sensitized Schottky diode, assisted by the highly adjustable Fermi level of graphene, which subtly decouples the photon energy from the Schottky barrier height. Correspondingly, a broadband photoresponse spanning from ultraviolet to mid-wave infrared is achieved, with a high specific detectivity of 9.83 × 1010 cm Hz1/2 W-1 at 2,700 nm and an excellent specific detectivity of 7.2 × 109 cm Hz1/2 W-1 at room temperature under blackbody radiation. These results address a key challenge in internal photoemission and hold great promise for the development of the Schottky infrared detector with high sensitivity and room temperature operation.

Convolutional neural network-assisted diagnosis of midpalatal suture maturation stage in cone-beam computed tomography.

OBJECTIVES: The selection of treatment for maxillary expansion is closely related to the calcification degree of the midpalatal suture. A classification method for individual assessment of the morphology of midpalatal suture in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is useful for evaluating the calcification degree. Currently, convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been introduced into the field of oral and maxillofacial imaging diagnosis. This study validated the ability of CNN models in assessing the maturation stage of the midpalatal suture. METHODS: The existing CNN model ResNet50 was trained to locate the CBCT transverse plane which contained a complete midpalatal suture. ResNet18, ResNet50, RessNet101, Inception-v3, and Efficientnetv2-s models were trained to evaluate the midpalatal suture maturation stage. Multi-class classification metrics, accuracy, recall, precision, F1-score, and area under the curve values from the receiver operating characteristic curve were used to evaluate the performance of the models, and gradient-weighted class activation map technology was utilised to visualise five midpalatal suture maturation stages for each model. RESULTS: Resnet50 demonstrated an accuracy of 99.74 % in identifying the transverse plane that contained the complete midpalatal suture. The highest accuracies achieved on the two-stage, three-stage, and five-stage maturation classification tests were 95.15, 88.06, and 75.37 %, all of which exceeded the average accuracy of three experienced orthodontists. CONCLUSIONS: The CNN model can locate the plane of the midpalatal suture in CBCT images and can assist clinicians in assessing the maturation stage of the midpalatal suture to select the means of maxillary expansion. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The application of artificial intelligence on CBCT midpalatal suture plane localisation and maturation stage evaluation enhances diagnostic and treatment efficiency and accuracy of individual assessment of midpalatal suture calcification degree. Additionally, it assists the clinical palatal expansion technique in achieving ideal results.

A meta-transcriptomic study of mosquito virome and blood feeding patterns at the human-animal-environment interface in Guangdong Province, China.

Mosquitoes are a formidable reservoir of viruses and important vectors of zoonotic pathogens. Blood-fed mosquitoes have been utilized to determine host infection status, overcoming the difficulties associated with sampling from human and animal populations. Comprehensive surveillance of potential pathogens at the interface of humans, animals, and the environment is currently an accredited method to provide an early warning of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases and to proactively respond to them. Herein we performed comprehensive sampling of mosquitoes from seven habitats (residential areas, hospital, airplane, harbor, zoo, domestic sheds, and forest park) across five cities in Guangdong Province, China. Our aim was to characterize the viral communities and blood feeding patterns at the human-animal-environment interface and analyze the potential risk of cross-species transmission using meta-transcriptomic sequencing. 1898 female adult mosquitoes were collected, including 1062 Aedes and 836 Culex mosquitoes, of which approximately 12% (n = 226) were satiated with blood. Consequently, 101 putative viruses were identified, which included DNA and RNA viruses, and positive-stranded RNA viruses (+ssRNA) were the most abundant. According to viral diversity analysis, the composition of the viral structure was highly dependent on host species, and Culex mosquitoes showed richer viral diversity than Aedes mosquitoes. Although the virome of mosquitoes from different sampling habitats showed an overlap of 39.6%, multiple viruses were specific to certain habitats, particularly at the human-animal interface. Blood meal analysis found four mammals and one bird bloodmeal source, including humans, dogs, cats, poultry, and rats. Further, the blood feeding patterns of mosquitoes were found to be habitat dependent, and mosquitoes at the human-animal interface and from forests had a wider choice of hosts, including humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife, which in turn considerably increases the risk of spillover of potential zoonotic pathogens. To summarize, we are the first to investigate the virome of mosquitoes from multiple interfaces based on the One Health concept. The characteristics of viral community and blood feeding patterns of mosquitoes at the human-animal-environment interface were determined. Our findings should support surveillance activities to identify known and potential pathogens that are pathogenic to vertebrates.

P-ResUnet: Segmentation of brain tissue with Purified Residual Unet.

Brain tissue of Magnetic Resonance Imaging is precisely segmented and quantified, which aids in the diagnosis of neurological diseases such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's, and multiple sclerosis. Recently, UNet-like architectures are widely used for medical image segmentation, which achieved promising performance by using the skip connection to fuse the low-level and high-level information. However, In the process of integrating the low-level and high-level information, the non-object information (noise) will be added, which reduces the accuracy of medical image segmentation. Likewise, the same problem also exists in the residual unit. Since the output and input of the residual unit are fused, the non-object information (noise) of the input of the residual unit will be in the integration. To address this challenging problem, in this paper we propose a Purified Residual U-net for the segmentation of brain tissue. This model encodes the image to obtain deep semantic information and purifies the information of low-level features and the residual unit from the image, and acquires the result through a decoder at last. We use the Dilated Pyramid Separate Block (DPSB) as the first block to purify the features for each layer in the encoder without the first layer, which expands the receptive field of the convolution kernel with only a few parameters added. In the first layer, we have explored the best performance achieved with DPB. We find the most non-object information (noise) in the initial image, so it is good for the accuracy to exchange the information to the max degree. We have conducted experiments with the widely used IBSR-18 dataset composed of T-1 weighted MRI volumes from 18 subjects. The results show that compared with some of the cutting-edge methods, our method enhances segmentation performance with the mean dice score reaching 91.093% and the mean Hausdorff distance decreasing to 3.2606.

Inhibition of Chikungunya virus early replication by intracellular nanoantibodies targeting nsP2 Epitope Rich Region.

Chikungunya fever, caused by Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), is an Aedes mosquito-borne disease present worldwide, and millions of CHIKV infections have been reported. Treatment for CHIKV includes supportive care and anti-inflammatory medications, but there are currently no antiviral treatments or vaccines. Nonstructural protein 2 (nsP2) of CHIKV is the most important functional protein mediating virus replication and amplification, making it an ideal antiviral target for CHIKV. In this study, we determined the CHIKV nsP2 Epitope Rich Region, expressed recombinant nsP2 protein, and isolated 5 nsP2-specific nanobodies (Nb-A2, Nb-A9, Nb-D7, Nb-D12 and Nb-E12) from a phage display library comprising variable domains of Camellidae heavy chain-only antibodies (VHH). We subsequently established a stable Nbs-expressing HEK293T cell line to explore antiviral function. The results showed that Nb-A9 inhibited CHIKV replication at the early stage of CHIKV infection in HEK293T cells, and protected cells against CHIKV-induced cytopathic effect (CPE). This is possibly the first report of an Nbs-based strategy against CHIKV nsP2, Nb-A9 has great potential for developing a novel antiviral drug to treat CHIKV infection. The acquisition of antibodies has laid a foundation for further research on the function of CHIKV nsP2 and the development of therapeutic drugs.

Electrochemical epitaxial PbTe nanowires photodetector for NIR response.

Lead telluride nanowires deposited by electrochemical atomic layers have broad application prospects in the field of photodetectors. In this work, using the method of electrochemical atomic layer deposition, we obtained different morphologies of lead telluride materials by controlling the deposition parameters, such as deposition time, temperature, and potential, and characterized them using SEM, TEM, XPS, and other techniques. A lead telluride nanowire detector with good performance was prepared. The photoresponsivity of the detector is 102 mA W-1, the detectivity is 2.1 × 108Jones, and the response time and recovery time are 0.52 s and 0.54 s respectively at 2.7µm wavelength laser irradiation.

Effects of COVID-19 Non-Pharmacological Interventions on Dengue Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) implemented during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have demonstrated significant positive effects on other communicable diseases. Nevertheless, the response for dengue fever has been mixed. To illustrate the real implications of NPIs on dengue transmission and to determine the effective measures for preventing and controlling dengue, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the available global data to summarize the effects comprehensively. We searched Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science in line with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines from December 31, 2019, to March 30, 2022, for studies of NPI efficacy on dengue infection. We obtained the annual reported dengue cases from highly dengue-endemic countries in 2015-2021 from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to determine the actual change in dengue cases in 2020 and 2021, respectively. A random-effects estimate of the pooled odds was generated with the Mantel-Haenszel method. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed using the inconsistency index (I2 ) and subgroup analysis according to country (dengue-endemic or non-endemic) was conducted. This review was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42021291487). A total of 17 articles covering 32 countries or regions were included in the review. Meta-analysis estimated a pooled relative risk of 0.39 (95% CI: 0.28-0.55), and subgroup revealed 0.06 (95% CI: 0.02-0.25) and 0.55 (95% CI: 0.44-0.68) in dengue non-endemic areas and dengue-endemic countries, respectively, in 2020. The majority of highly dengue-endemic countries in Asia and Americas reported 0-100% reductions in dengue cases in 2020 compared to previous years, while some countries (4/20) reported a dramatic increase, resulting in an overall increase of 11%. In contrast, there was an obvious reduction in dengue cases in 2021 in almost all countries (18/20) studied, with an overall 40% reduction rate. The overall effectiveness of NPIs on dengue varied with region and time due to multiple factors, but most countries reported significant reductions. Travel-related interventions demonstrated great effectiveness for reducing imported cases of dengue fever. Internal movement restrictions of constantly varying intensity and range are more likely to mitigate the entire level of dengue transmission by reducing the spread of dengue fever between regions within a country, which is useful for developing a more comprehensive and sustainable strategy for preventing and controlling dengue fever in the future.

An occupational risk of hepatitis E virus infection in the workers along the meat supply chains in Guangzhou, China.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes infections in humans and animals. HEV have been identified in pig farms, markets and swine workers, but studies with parallel observations along the poultry and pork supply chains remains limited. This study aimed to characterize HEV infection risks in workers along the meat supply chain. Two rounds of cross-sectional surveys were performed among swine and poultry workers in pig and poultry farms, slaughterhouses, wholesale and retail live poultry markets, live pig markets and pork markets. Human sera from the workers and the general population were collected and tested for HEV specific IgM/IgG antibodies by commercial indirect-ELISA test kits. Risk factors of HEV seropositivity associated with different occupational settings were identified using logistic regression. 47.0% (156/332) of the swine workers and 40.2% (119/296) of the poultry workers were seropositive, compared to 26.1% (35/134) in the general population. Multivariable analysis showed that human HEV infection risk increased along the pork supply chain, with the highest risk at pig slaughterhouses (adjusted OR = 3.19, 95% CI = 1.49-6.88) and pork markets (adjusted OR = 2.02, 95% CI = 1.04-3.97), but no significant higher risk was observed among poultry workers. Swine occupational exposure is associated with HEV infection, especially in workers in pig slaughterhouses and pork markets. Strengthening control measures in these settings is important for HEV control and long term HEV elimination.

Pre-Existing Cross-Reactive Antibody Responses Do Not Significantly Impact Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccine-Induced Neutralization.

Recent exposure to seasonal coronaviruses (sCoVs) may stimulate cross-reactive antibody responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome CoV 2 (SARS-CoV-2). However, previous studies have produced divergent results regarding protective or damaging immunity induced by prior sCoV exposure. It remains unknown whether pre-existing humoral immunity plays a role in vaccine-induced neutralization and antibody responses. In this study, we collected 36 paired sera samples from 36 healthy volunteers before and after immunization with inactivated whole-virion SARS-CoV-2 vaccines for COVID-19, and analyzed the distribution and intensity of pre-existing antibody responses at the epitope level pre-vaccination as well as the relationship between pre-existing sCoV immunity and vaccine-induced neutralization. We observed large amounts of pre-existing cross-reactive antibodies in the conserved regions among sCoVs, especially the S2 subunit. Excep t for a few peptides, the IgG and IgM fluorescence intensities against S, M and N peptides did not differ significantly between pre-vaccination and post-vaccination sera of vaccinees who developed a neutralization inhibition rate (%inhibition) <40 and %inhibition ≥40 after two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Participants with strong and weak pre-existing cross-reactive antibodies (strong pre-CRA; weak pre-CRA) had similar %inhibition pre-vaccination (10.9% ± 2.9% vs. 12.0% ± 2.2%, P=0.990) and post-vaccination (43.8% ± 25.1% vs. 44.6% ± 21.5%, P=0.997). Overall, the strong pre-CRA group did not show a significantly greater increase in antibody responses to the S protein linear peptides post-vaccination compared with the weak pre-CRA group. Therefore, we found no evidence for a significant impact of pre-existing antibody responses on inactivated vaccine-induced neutralization and antibody responses. Our research provides an important basis for inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine use in the context of high sCoV seroprevalence.

Genomic characterization of Wenzhou mammarenavirus detected in wild rodents in Guangzhou City, China.

Wenzhou mammarenavirus (WENV) is a zoonotic pathogen newly discovered in east and southeast Asia. WENV has been found in wild rodent animals around the world while its standing is barely understood in Guangzhou city, where is known as a region of outbreak hotspot for zoonotic emerging infectious diseases. To investigate the prevalence and genomic characteristics of mammarenavirus in Guangzhou City, lung tissue samples from wild rodent species were collected from five districts of Guangzhou City in the year 2015 and 2016. The viral RNA was extracted and then subjected to mammarenavirus-specific PCR. The result revealed approximately 1.0% (3/306) nucleic acid positivity for lung tissue samples obtained from three rodent species: Mus musculus, Rattus flavipectus, and Rattus norvegicus. Viral metagenomic sequencing of three samples was then carried out and two full segment L and three full segment S sequences were obtained. Phylogenetics analysis indicated the sequences of the new mammarenavirus strain have 76.2% - 94.4% similarity to known WENV encoded genes, with the highest similarity to the WENV 9-24 strain. Population structure analysis grouped all known WENV into seven lineages, and this WENV Guangzhou strain was grouped with WENV 9-24 as well. Though the seroprevalence result was not available, our data provides the first nucleic acid evidence of circulating WENV in Guangzhou city, and it suggested WENV had a broader host tropism than previously known.

A Comparative Study of Associated Microbiota Between Pig Farm and Pig Slaughterhouse in Guangdong, China.

The goal of this study was to compare the microbiota in different pig-present settings in China. Bioaerosol samples from pig farms and slaughterhouses and nasal samples from pig farmers and slaughterhouse workers were collected in Guangdong, southern China. The bacterial genomic DNA was isolated and subjected to 16S sequencing. The data were analyzed using QIIME2 with the DADA2 pipeline. A total of 14,923,551 clean reads and 2785 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained, which were mostly grouped into 4 phyla (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria) and 220 families. The microbiota richness of nasal samples in pig-present workers was higher than that of bioaerosols collected in the vicinity of the pig enclosures. There were 31.7% (620/1954) shared OTUs between pig farm bioaerosols and pig farmers which was higher than that between pig slaughterhouses and slaughterhouse workers (23.4%, 364/1553) (p < 0.001). Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas were the most abundant in pig-present bioaerosols, and Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, and Corynebacterium were dominant bacterial genus in pig farmers. The bacterial patterns are also specific to the location of sample collected. The results suggest that bioaerosol microbiota interact with human nasal microbes in the vicinity of the pig farm enclosures, providing the basis for further analysis of microbial transmission across hosts in pig-present settings.

Prevalence of human alveolar echinococcosis in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Human alveolar echinococcosis (HAE), caused by the larvae of Echinococcus multilocularis, is a severe parasitic disease that is a major public health concern. New HAE cases in China account for 91% of the global HAE burden every year. Although there are a few studies and systematic reviews (SRs) on the prevalence of HAE in China, trends in the prevalence have not been estimated. This study aims to describe the overall variation in the trend of HAE prevalence in China, and provide evidence for preventive measures in the future. METHODS: Thirty-five eligible studies were retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP, and included in the SR and meta-analysis. An adjusted Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality checklist was used to evaluate study quality. The arcsine transformation was used to adjust the individual reported prevalence, and the pooled HAE prevalence was calculated. Heterogeneity was evaluated using the chi-square test and I2 statistic. Forest plots were generated for the meta-analysis, and publication bias of the studies was assessed using the Egger's test and funnel plots. We conducted subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and meta-regression analyses to analyze the source of heterogeneity and factors potentially influencing the prevalence of HAE. RESULTS: The meta-analysis indicated that the pooled HAE prevalence in China was 0.96% (95% CI: 0.71 to 1.25%). Factors potentially influencing HAE prevalence were female sex (OR = 1.60, 95% CI: 1.35 to 1.91, P<0.01), being ≥30 years old (OR = 4.72, 95% CI: 2.29 to 9.75, P<0.01), and being farmers and/or herdsmen (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.60 to 4.02, P<0.01). The results of the meta-regression analysis (R2 = 38.11%, P < 0.01) indicated that HAE prevalence is on a downward trend. CONCLUSIONS: HAE prevalence has decreased over time and maintained low levels after 2005 in China. This decline was influenced by the utilization of One Health strategies as intervention measures. Therefore, these One Health strategies should be used as references to formulate future programs for HAE control. More high-quality epidemiological investigations and surveillance programs should be conducted in order to improve HAE control in the future.

Distribution of the COVID-19 epidemic and correlation with population emigration from Wuhan, China.

BACKGROUND: The ongoing new coronavirus pneumonia (Corona Virus Disease 2019, COVID-19) outbreak is spreading in China, but it has not yet reached its peak. Five million people emigrated from Wuhan before lockdown, potentially representing a source of virus infection. Determining case distribution and its correlation with population emigration from Wuhan in the early stage of the epidemic is of great importance for early warning and for the prevention of future outbreaks. METHODS: The official case report on the COVID-19 epidemic was collected as of January 30, 2020. Time and location information on COVID-19 cases was extracted and analyzed using ArcGIS and WinBUGS software. Data on population migration from Wuhan city and Hubei province were extracted from Baidu Qianxi, and their correlation with the number of cases was analyzed. RESULTS: The COVID-19 confirmed and death cases in Hubei province accounted for 59.91% (5806/9692) and 95.77% (204/213) of the total cases in China, respectively. Hot spot provinces included Sichuan and Yunnan, which are adjacent to Hubei. The time risk of Hubei province on the following day was 1.960 times that on the previous day. The number of cases in some cities was relatively low, but the time risk appeared to be continuously rising. The correlation coefficient between the provincial number of cases and emigration from Wuhan was up to 0.943. The lockdown of 17 cities in Hubei province and the implementation of nationwide control measures efficiently prevented an exponential growth in the number of cases. CONCLUSIONS: The population that emigrated from Wuhan was the main infection source in other cities and provinces. Some cities with a low number of cases showed a rapid increase in case load. Owing to the upcoming Spring Festival return wave, understanding the risk trends in different regions is crucial to ensure preparedness at both the individual and organization levels and to prevent new outbreaks.

The surveillance of four mosquito-borne diseases in international travelers arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, China, 2016-2017.

BACKGROUND: Little comprehensive analysis combining epidemiological and clinical data has been done with mosquito-borne diseases imported into Guangzhou by air travelers. METHODS: We screened international travelers (body temperature >36.5 °C) arriving at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport, and recorded their epidemiological and clinical information. Whole-blood samples were collected for laboratory diagnosis of dengue virus (DENV), chikungunya virus (CHIKV), zika virus (ZIKV) infections and malaria. RESULTS: Between March 1, 2016 and December 31, 2017, 155 (6.6%) cases (100 of DENV, 21 of CHIKV, 1 of ZIKV, 34 of malaria, including one co-infection of DENV and CHIKV) were identified among 2350 febrile travelers. DENV (90.0%) and CHIKV (100.0%) cases mainly came from Southern and Southeast Asia. Malaria cases (91.2%) mainly came from sub-Saharan Africa. Traveling abroad (28/74, 37.8%) and living/working abroad (11/22, 50.0%) were the most common causes of DENV infection and malaria for Chinese, respectively. Cases with these four mosquito-borne diseases were more likely to have nervous, musculoskeletal and skin symptoms and signs than other febrile diseases (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It is important to strengthen the surveillance of mosquito-borne diseases among tourists and workers returning from Southeast Asia, Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, especially those with nervous, musculoskeletal and skin symptoms and signs.

MicroRNA-486 as a Biomarker for Early Diagnosis and Recurrence of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Early diagnosis is essential for improvements of prognosis and survival of the patients. Currently, there is no effective biomarker available in clinical settings for early detection of lung cancer. Altered expressions in many cancer types including NSCLC and stable existence in plasma make microRNAs (miRNAs) a group of potentially useful biomarkers for clinical assessments of patients with NSCLC. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the potential values of miRNAs as blood-based biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis in NSCLC patients. METHODS: Peripheral blood samples from healthy volunteers and early-staged NSCLC patients before and after surgery were collected, and plasma was separated. Expression of ten miRNAs in the plasma and tumor sections of the patients was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: MiRNA (miR)-486 and miR-150 were found to significantly distinguish lung cancer patients from healthy volunteers. Area under curve of miR-486 and miR-150 were 0.926 (sensitivity, 0.909; specificity, 0.818) and 0.752 (sensitivity, 0.818; specificity, 0.818), respectively. In response to therapy, patients with down-regulated miR-486 expression showed prolonged recurrence-free survival than those with un-reduced miR-486 expression (median, unreached vs. 19 months; hazard ratio, 0.1053; 95% confidence interval, 0.01045 to 1.060; P=0.056). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that miR-486 and miR-150 could be potential blood-based biomarkers for early diagnosis of NSCLC. Monitoring change of miR-486 expression in plasma might be an effective and non-invasive method for recurrence prediction of early-staged NSCLC patients.

ATP-binding cassette transporters and sterol O-acyltransferases interact at membrane microdomains to modulate sterol uptake and esterification.

A key component of eukaryotic lipid homeostasis is the esterification of sterols with fatty acids by sterol O-acyltransferases (SOATs). The esterification reactions are allosterically activated by their sterol substrates, the majority of which accumulate at the plasma membrane. We demonstrate that in yeast, sterol transport from the plasma membrane to the site of esterification is associated with the physical interaction of the major SOAT, acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT)-related enzyme (Are)2p, with 2 plasma membrane ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters: Aus1p and Pdr11p. Are2p, Aus1p, and Pdr11p, unlike the minor acyltransferase, Are1p, colocalize to sterol and sphingolipid-enriched, detergent-resistant microdomains (DRMs). Deletion of either ABC transporter results in Are2p relocalization to detergent-soluble membrane domains and a significant decrease (53-36%) in esterification of exogenous sterol. Similarly, in murine tissues, the SOAT1/Acat1 enzyme and activity localize to DRMs. This subcellular localization is diminished upon deletion of murine ABC transporters, such as Abcg1, which itself is DRM associated. We propose that the close proximity of sterol esterification and transport proteins to each other combined with their residence in lipid-enriched membrane microdomains facilitates rapid, high-capacity sterol transport and esterification, obviating any requirement for soluble intermediary proteins.

A preliminary analysis of microRNA as potential clinical biomarker for schizophrenia.

MicroRNAs (miRNA, miR) have been implicated as promising blood-based biomarkers for schizophrenia patients. This study aimed to clinically validate miRNA as potential schizophrenia biomarkers. Plasma levels of 10 miRNAs were analyzed using qPCR in a cohort of 61 schizophrenia patients and 62 normal controls, as well as 25 patients particularly selected for a six-week antipsychotic treatment course. Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Global Assessment Scale (GAS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) were administered to assess the clinical symptoms. The results demonstrated that a panel of miRNAs consisting of miR-30e, miR-181b, miR-34a, miR-346 and miR-7 had significantly increased expression levels with significant combined diagnostic value (AUC:0.713; sensitivity:35.5%; specificity:90.2%). In response to pharmacological treatment, expression levels of miR-132, miR-181b, miR-432 and miR-30e were significantly decreased. In addition, the improvement of clinical symptomatology was significantly correlated with the changes of miR-132, miR-181b, miR-212 and miR-30e expression levels. Furthermore, the decreases of plasma levels of miR-132 and miR-432 were significantly greater in high-effect subgroup than those in low-effect subgroup after six-week treatment course. We conclude that miR-30e, miR-181b, miR-34a, miR-346 and miR-7 combined as a panel are potentially useful non-invasive biomarkers for schizophrenia diagnosis. Markers miR-132, miR-181b, miR-30e and miR-432 are potential indicators for symptomatology improvements, treatment responses and prognosis for schizophrenia patients.

Aberrant microRNA expression in peripheral plasma and mononuclear cells as specific blood-based biomarkers in schizophrenia patients.

Findings from multiple studies on microRNA (miRNA) expression profiling in schizophrenia patients have produced conflicting results. In order to investigate miRNA as specific biomarkers in the peripheral plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of schizophrenia patients, expression levels of the nine most frequently reported schizophrenia-associated miRNA (miR-30e, miR-34a, miR-181b, miR-195, miR-346, miR-432, miR-7, miR-132 and miR-212) were examined in the peripheral plasma and PBMC in 25 schizophrenia patients and 13 healthy controls using quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. We observed significantly increased expressions of miR-132, miR-195, miR-30e and miR-7 in plasma samples (p<0.05 to p<0.001), and miR-212, miR-34a and miR-30e in PBMC samples (p<0.05 to p<0.01). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) of miR-30e in plasma was 0.767 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.608-0.926) with sensitivity and specificity of 90.90% and 60.00% respectively, and the AUC of miR-30e in PBMC was 0.756 (95% CI 0.584-0.929) with sensitivity and specificity of 81.80% and 68.00%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that miR-30e in plasma was more sensitive to differentiate schizophrenia patients from normal controls than miR-30e in PBMC. Our findings indicate that miRNA expression is more significant in plasma than in PBMC, and suggest that miR-30e in plasma may be a more sensitive biomarker for schizophrenia diagnosis, although its aberrant expression can be detected in both plasma and PBMC.