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Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique is one of the molecular methods in amplifying DNA for the detection of malaria. However, the limitations of PCR especially when used for routine clinical practice can hamper its sensitivity and specificity. With that, this study focuses on designing a microfluidic device that will mimic the function of a conventional genus-specific PCR based on 18S rRNA gene to detect malaria parasites (Plasmodium falciparum) at low grade parasitemia. The design was drawn and simulated using ANSYS 14.5 Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The simulation shows that adding loops to the design increases its relative deviation but to a minimal extent as compared to having only a straight path design, which indicates that looping is acceptable in designing a microfluidic device to minimize chip length. Also, increasing the cross-sectional area of the fluid path decreases the efficiency of the design, thus, the design with a relatively smaller cross-sectional area is favored. And lastly, among the three materials utilized, the chip made of polypropylene is the most efficient with a relative deviation of 0.94 as compared to polycarbonate and polydimethylsiloxane which have relative deviations of 2.78 and 1.92, respectively.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared breast cancer (BC) as the most prevalent cancer in the world. With its prevalence and severity, there have been several breakthroughs in developing treatments for the disease. Targeted therapy treatments limit the damage done to healthy tissues. These targeted therapies are especially potent for luminal and HER-2 positive type breast cancer. However, for triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the lack of defining biomarkers makes it hard to approach with targeted therapy methods. Protein–protein interactions (PPIs) have been studied as possible targets for drug action. However, small molecule drugs are not able to cover the entirety of the PPI binding interface. Peptides were found to be more suited to the large or flat PPI surfaces, in addition to their better pharmacokinetic properties. In this study, computational methods was used in order to verify whether peptide drug inhibitors are good drug candidates against the ubiquitin protein, UBE2C by conducting docking, MD and MMPBSA analyses. Results show that while the lead peptide, T20-M shows good potential as a peptide drug, its binding affinity towards UBE2C is not enough to overcome the natural UBE2C–ANAPC2 interaction. Further studies on modification of T20-M and the analysis of other peptide leads are recommended.

Background Although simultaneous dye decolorization and bioelectricity generation (SDDB PF) in the CC could efficiently augment the overall stoichiometric ratio of electron transfer ϕ value (ca. 3.34∼3.46 fold increase), considerably stimulating the performance of reductive decolorization. Evidently, DC-MFC seemed to be more electroactive than single chamber-MFC to maximize ET efficiency for SDD&BG.

Due to the pandemics of COVID-19, herbal medicine has recently been explored for possible antiviral treatment and prevention via novel platform of microbial fuel cells. It was revealed that

This study explored a bioenergy platform of biodegradability and toxicity evaluation through microbial fuel cells (MFCs) modules for simultaneous decolorization and bioelectricity generation. The most appropriate decolorizer consortia NIU pond exhibited the extent of decolorization: Sunset Yellow FCF (93 %), Allura Red (96.6 %), and Tartrazine (91.41 %) in 3, 8, 12 h respectively. The ranking for bioelectricity generation in MFCs (unit: mW m−2) (Sunset Yellow FCF Degradation) was hot spring water (46.42) > hot spring soil (22.17) > NIU pond (17.75) > NIU soil (7.89). In the presence of the dye, power density was increased by 88 %, 84 % and 27 % for NP, HS, and HW, respectively. Acclimation process was inspected in terms of bioenergy-extracting capability to evaluate toxicity potency of model dyes. According to metagenomics analysis upon microbial populations before and after acclimation, indigenous microbial community was only predominated by Pseudomonas monteilii and of Bacillus pumilus. Significant increased biodiversity was evolved under selection of dye stress. After acclimation, community ecology in the consortia contained Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus lactis, and Escherichia shigella. Tandem mass spectrometric analysis pointed out sunset yellow ECF was gradually degraded and decolorized intermediates steadily accumulated. MFC modules were promising platforms to select candidate biodecolorizers from microbial populations.

In this work, indigenous microbial consortium was employed to degrade four (4) anthraquinone dyes. Apart from biodecolorization, the interactive effects of biosorption and biotoxicity via microbial fuel cells (MFCs) were investigated thereby suggesting feasible strategies to assess toxicities of anthraquinone dyes. Serial microbial acclimatization upon indigenous mixed consortia was first implemented to obtain optimal consortia for decolorization. The well-acclimated consortium was capable to degrade 50 mg L−1 Acid blue 62 (AB62) at 47.07 ± 1.411 mg L−1 h−1. The ranking of decolorization performance at 50 mg L−1 was AB62 > Acid Blue 25 (AB25) > Acid Blue 40 (AB40) > Reactive Blue 19 (RB19). The appreciably decreased rates of decolorization at higher concentrations (300 mg L−1) was mainly biosorption due to dye inhibition. However, as power densities in MFCs at

Ji-Ming-Shan (JMS) is a traditional herbal prescription consisting of seven herbs including Areca cathechu Burm.f., Citrus reticulata Blanco, Chaenomeles speciosa (Sweet) Nakai, Euodia ruticarpa (A. Juss.) Benth., Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.). It was first recorded during the Song dynasty and has been used extensively for protection against rheumatism, treatment of swelling of tendons, relief from foot pain, gout and diuresis and other forms of inflammation.The aim of this study is to evaluate the anti-inflammatory and anti-osteoarthritis activity of JMS extracts with the use of different cell lines (RAW 264.7 cells, SW1353 cells and primary cultured rat chondrocytes). MIA-induced rat animal models were used to assess the anti-osteoarthritis activity of the extract.This study investigated the anti-inflammatory activity of JMS-95E on LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages and IL-1β-stimulated chondrocytes. For the in vivo study, male Wistar rats were used and they were randomly assigned in different groups: blank, control, positive control and three different JMS-95E treatment groups (200, 400, 800 mg/kg/d). Paw edema, hind-limb weight bearing, serum inflammatory cytokines including hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining experiments were used to assess the efficacy of the extract in the rat model.JMS 95% ethanol extract (JMS-95E, marker substance: narirutin (5.10 mg/g) and hesperidin (11.33 mg/g) has been identified in the extract using high pressure liquid chromatography. For in vitro assays, JMS-95E did not exhibit cytotoxicity and was able to downregulate the protein expression of iNOS, COX-2 and MMP-13. The production of inflammatory mediators such as NO and PGEJMS-95E inhibited the inflammatory pathway leading to the production or expression levels of NO, iNOS, COX-2 and PGE

Although energy-demanding, the surface modification of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) for biomedical applications is mandatory to mitigate irreversible biofouling that occurs whenever PTFE comes into contact with biological fluids. Here, we propose to take advantage of the adhesive properties of dopamine (DA) and of the antifouling ability of various zwitterionic monomers (sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA), sulfobetaine methacrylamide (SBAA), sulfobetaine acrylamide (SBAA'), and 4-vinylpyridine propylsulfobetaine (4VPPS)) and form antifouling coatings by copolymerization on the surface of expanded PTFE membranes. This simple, low-energy, and one-step coating procedure arises in significant biofouling mitigation. All zwitterionic coatings led to important reduction of biofouling by red blood cell conentrate (88-94%), platelet conentrate (70-90%), whole blood (40-66%), or bacteria (83-96%). Also, it is shown that the interactions of polydopamine with ePTFE are stable even at high temperatures. However, the zwitterionic monomers are differently affected. While the performance of SBMA coatings decreased (as SBMA is prone to hydrolysis), those of SBAA, SBAA', and 4VPPS coatings were generally maintained. All in all, this study illustrates that efficient and stable antifouling zwitterionic coatings can be generated onto PTFE membranes for biomedical applications, without the use of conventional high-energy-demanding surface modification processes.

AIMS In this study, we aimed to isolate and evaluate the efficacy of Bacillus velezensis as a probiotic and to assess its activity towards pigeons infected with pigeon circovirus (PiCV). METHODS AND RESULTS Bacillus velezensis, isolated from pigeon faeces, was orally administered to pigeons for 60 days. After pigeons were challenged with PiCV, the PiCV viral load and expression of indicator genes for innate immunity were detected in spleen tissue and faeces of pigeons. Bacillus velezensis significantly reduced the PiCV viral load in the faeces and spleen of pigeons 5 days post-challenge (dpc). The mRNA expression levels of treated pigeons showed that interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), myxovirus resistance 1 (Mx1), and signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 (STAT1) genes were upregulated, whereas no expression of interleukin-4 (IL-4) was detected. Moreover, toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and 4 (TLR4) were significantly upregulated in probiotic-treated pigeons (P

As ortho- or para-polyhydroxybenzene-bearing aromatics could express bioenergy-stimulating characteristics to microbial fuel cells (MFCs), this novel study specifically selected the Parkinson’s dis...

Biofouling has long been a problem for biomaterials, so being able to control the fouling on the surface of a biomaterial would be ideal. In this study a copolymer system was designed comprising three moieties: an epoxy containing group, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA); a thermoresponsive segment, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm); and an antifouling zwitterionic unit, sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA). The copolymers (pGSN), synthesized via free radical polymerization with these 3 moieties, were then grafted onto polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The presence of a critical temperature for both the copolymers and the coated PDMS was evidenced by particle size and contact angle measurements. The coated PDMS exhibited controllable temperature-dependent antifouling behaviors and stimuli-responsive phase characteristics in the presence of salts. The interactions of the coated PDMS with biomolecules were tested via attachment of fibrinogen protein, platelets, human whole blood, and tumor cells (HT1080). The attachment and detachment of these biomolecules were studied at different temperatures. Exposed hydrophobic domains of thermoresponsive NIPAAm-rich pGSN containing NIPAAm at 56 mol% generally allows molecular and cellular attachment on the PDMS surface at 37 °C. On the other hand, the coated PDMS with a relatively high content of SBMA (>41 mol%) in the copolymer started to exhibit fouling resistance and lower the thermoresponsive properties. Interestingly, the incorporation of zwitterionic SBMA units into the copolymers was found to accelerate the hydration of the PDMS surfaces and resulted in biomolecular and cellular detachment at 25 °C, which is comparable to the detachment at 4 °C. This modified surface behavior is found to be consistent through all biofouling tests.

In association with the mortality rate due to air pollution, vehicular emitted fine particles (PM2.5) are a threat to public health. PM2.5-induced in-vivo studies on environmental microorganisms can be used to assess the adverse impacts of PM2.5 on human health. In the present study, the toxicity of traffic-related-air-pollutant (TRAP) PM2.5 was evaluated in the animal model Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) using different toxicological endpoints such as lethality, survivability (lifespan), behavioral (head thrashing and body bending), and reproduction (brood size). The TRAP PM2.5 sample were collected in Taichung City, Taiwan from Mar 24 to April 15 in 2018. Of these 23 day samples, three samples (Days A, B, and C) were randomly selected. The results showed that no immediate lethality was observed after acute (24 h) exposure of the nematodes. On the other hand, sublethal endpoints of reproduction exhibited statistically significant dose-dependent reduction, although Day A and Day C did not decrease the egg-laying capability of the worms. For the neurological toxicity, it is inferred that the higher the PM2.5 concentrations, the more the adverse effects of neurobehavior (head trashing and body bending) it poses on the C. elegans. The lifespans of nematodes exposed to heavily TRAP PM2.5 were significantly shortened compared with those of untreated ones based on survival rate. The nematodes exposed PM2.5 models not only posed potentially adverse health effects on human but also represented ecotoxic impacts on the ecosystem. In conclusion, heavy concentrations of TRAP PM2.5 significantly and severely disrupted toxicological endpoints of neurology and reproduction to C. elegans. TRAP PM2.5 significantly shortened the lifespan of the nematodes compared with the control. TRAP PM2.5 might more severely influenced the specific toxic endpoints, such as lifespan and neurobehavira, in this in-vivo models compared with the reproductive endpoints.

The introduction of heavy metal wastes in the environment has posed health risks to both human and animals due to their toxicity. Since then, different studies have been explored for the possibility of utilizing new, low–cost, and sustainable adsorbent materials to get rid of heavy metals in the wastewater streams and aqueous solutions. This present study aimed to investigate and compare the adsorption ability of powdered calamansi (Citrofortunella microcarpa) fruit peels (PCFP) for the elimination of both Al(III) and Cu(II) ions in single (non–competitive) and binary (competitive) aqueous systems by batch adsorption techniques. Scanning electron microscopic and spectroscopic techniques were used to characterize the surface morphologies for the biosorbent and quantify the removal rates of heavy metal, respectively. Models were then used to describe in detail about the adsorption kinetics and isotherms for both single and binary metal systems. The influence and dependency of different experimental conditions on adsorption performance were also analyzed. The PCFP derived biosorbent was successful in removal of both Al(III) and Cu(II) ions in single (non–competitive) and binary (competitive) aqueous systems with 99, 70 and 91% adsorption rates, respectively. The biosorption process follows the Ho’s pseudo–second order kinetics. Furthermore, the Langmuir isotherm model was found helpful in explaining the adsorption mechanism. The dominating electrostatic interaction between adsorbents and adsorbates demonstrates monolayer adsorption at the binding sites on the surface of the peeling. Finally, the findings of this study will contribute to a better understanding of the adsorption process, as well as future system design applications in the treatment of heavy metal containing waste effluents.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) systems are promising technologies that pose as an efficient alternative renewable energy source. This study evaluated the performance of MFCs inoculated with active soil microorganisms and fed with crab meat processing wastewater, using different proton exchange membranes and different electrode materials, in the production of bioelectricity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. MFC’s performance were analysed in terms of power density, energy output and COD reduction. COD concentrations were measured using standard Hach® COD kit Method 8000 with high range mercury vials. MFC reactors using titanium mesh wire electrodes demonstrated high open circuit potential (OCP) with peak values of 967 mV and 960 mV for MFC with Nafion membrane (MFC-Nafion) and MFC with gelatinised tapioca starch (MFC-GTS), respectively. Average power density output in closed circuit conditions peaked to as high as 9,908.52 mW/m3 for MFC-GTS reactor using carbon fiber brush electrodes. Energy plotted peaked at 235.88 J for MFC-GTS as a function of time calculated from geometric areal power density. COD reduction in MFC-GTS reactor was 31.05% and 36.06% using titanium wire mesh and carbon fiber brush electrodes, respectively. These results revealed that MFCs inoculated with active soil microbes using organic GTS membrane is a promising technology for bioenergy generation and COD reduction.

Pigeon racing’s recent upturn in popularity can be attributed in part to the huge prize money involved in these competitions. As such, methods to select pigeons with desirable genetic characteristics for racing or for selective breeding have also been gaining more interest. Polymerase chain reaction—restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) for genotyping-specific genes is one of the most commonly used molecular techniques, which can be costly, laborious and time consuming. The present study reports the development of an alternative genotyping method that employs Kompetitive Allele Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction (KASP) technology with specifically designed primers to detect previously reported racing performance-associated polymorphisms within the LDHA, MTYCB, and DRD4 genes. To validate, KASP assays and PCR-RFLP assays results from 107 samples genotyped for each of the genes were compared and the results showed perfect (100%) agreement of both methods. The developed KASP assays present an alternative rapid, reliable, and cost-effective method to identify polymorphisms in pigeons.

A multifunctional microchip-based distillation apparatus is presented for the distilled of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in food products. The microchip is fabricated on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates, and comprises a sample zone, a buffer zone, a serpentine distillation column, and a collection zone. In the process, the sample is introduced into the sample zone and is heated under carefully controlled temperature and time conditions. The resulting SO2 and water vapor are carried by nitrogen (N2) gas to the distillation column, where the SO2 is separated from the water vapor via the condensing effects of a continuous cold water flow. Finally, the SO2 is transported to the collection zone, where it is collected with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and its concentration determined using an alkali-based titration and paper-based detection method. A distillation efficiency of 90.5% is obtained under the optimal distillation conditions at concentrations of 20–4000 ppm. Moreover, a linear correlation (R2 = 0.9997) is observed between the experimental measurements of the SO2 concentration and the known concentration. The validity of the presented microchip-based distillation apparatus is further investigated by distilling the SO2 concentrations of 25 commodity samples. The detection results show that the deviation does not exceed 5.4% compared with the traditional official method.

Acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) or formerly known as early mortality syndrome (EMS) is an emerging disease that has caused significant economic losses to the aquaculture industry. The primary causative agent of AHPND is Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium that has gained plasmids encoding the fatal binary toxins Pir A/Pir B that cause rapid death of the infected shrimp. In this review, the current research studies and information about AHPND in shrimps have been presented. Molecular diagnostic tools and potential treatments regarding AHPND were also included. This review also includes relevant findings which may serve as guidelines that can help for further investigation and studies on AHPND or other shrimp diseases.

The present work is designed to evaluate the feasibility of using polyacrylonitrile (PAN) asymmetric membrane prepared via diffusion induced phase separation (DIPS). The PAN membrane was hydrolyzed using NaOH for different hours to improve its hydrophilicity and tune the microstructure morphology of HPAN1-5h membrane. The PAN and HPAN1-5h membranes were investigated the physicochemical properties by using the ATR-FTIR, water contact angle, Zeta potential and SEM. Besides, the positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy results reveal that there was a reduction of free volume by increasing hydrolysis time. The breaking of intermolecular hydrogen bonds after desalination prompts a free structure which affects the growth and decline of the dry and wet zones in the membrane. The HPAN1-5h membranes were revealed the hydrolysis time progresses, the surface of the membrane became denser and pore size decreased. It also showed the salt deposition on the surface of the membranes after pervaporation testing. A permeation flux of 48.0 L/m2 h and rejections above 99% was obtained from 3.5 wt% NaCl aqueous feed solution at 60 °C using the HPAN membrane which was hydrolyzed for 1 h (HPAN1h). The HPAN1h membrane gave the highest permeation flux and has stability for up to 80 h of operation.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a Gram-negative bacterium causing acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND) in white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. LpxD gene, a principal component of lipid A, which plays a vital role in the biosynthesis of lipopolysaccharides (LPSs) responsible for the pathogenesis of Gram-negative bacteria However, the function of lpxD in V. parahaemolyticus’ virulence has not been studied. In this study, lpxD gene knockout and its role in V. parahaemolyticus’ virulence in white shrimp were determined. The lpxD gene was knocked out by homologous recombination. Virulence and immunogenicity of the lpxD gene was disrupted and the pirA, the major virulence factor of AHPND, and AP1 gene were intact in white shrimp. White shrimp fed with normal diet with VP△lpxD displayed protection (reduced mortality rate from 66 to 27%) after challenge with V. parahaemolyticus. Our results indicated that knockout of the lpxD gene can cause attenuation of V. parahaemolyticus in white shrimp, and VP△lpxD could be used as a live attenuated oral vaccine against V. parahaemolyticus in white shrimp.

Graphene oxide quantum dots (GOQDs), a carbon-based nanomaterial resembling the structure of graphene oxide but with a smaller size of

Carbon molecular sieve membranes (CMSMs) are regarded as promising membranes for gas separation due to its high gas separation performance. Polyimide (ODPA-FDA) precursor films were prepared and characterized for the formation of carbon molecular sieve membranes. This was compared to a commercial polyimide Matrimid. The precursor membranes were characterized with dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, FTIR spectroscopy, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy in order to determine the effect of the polyimide structure on its permeation properties. The carbonized membranes were characterized by determining its pore size distribution and sorption isotherms. Results showed that ODPA-FDA polyimide has a higher Tg and d-spacing than that of Matrimid. The permeability and selectivity of ODPA-FDA precursor and carbonized films were higher or similar than that of Matrimid precursor and carbonized films due to the addition of a bulky aromatic group in the ODPA-FDA amine moiety which causes narrow free volume distribution. The unique structure of ODPA-FDA polyimide makes it an attractive candidate for the precursor of CMSM.

Several studies have stated the harmful effects of PM2.5 to population health, including disruption of neurological development. However, the mechanism behind the neurodevelopmental effects of ambient PM2.5 and postnatal PBDEs and OCPs exposure is still unknown. Our goal was to determine influence of breastmilk residues, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), to the infants’ neurodevelopment with respect to high and low PM2.5 exposure areas. The participants were recruited from high PM2.5 exposure areas (n = 32) and low PM2.5 exposure areas (n = 23) of southern Taiwan. The extracted 14 PBDEs and 20 OCPs compounds were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer. The infants, aging from 8-12 months, were examined by Bayley Scales of Infants and Toddlers Development, Third Edition (Bayley-III) for neurodevelopment. Results showed that high PM2.5 exposure caused reduced head circumference and had significant effects on the motor skill and social emotional development. For breastmilk PBDEs, a positive correlation between BDE-196 and social emotion, after multivariate analysis with adjustment of confounders, was observed while BDE-99, 196, 197, and 207 showed higher magnitudes in low PM2.5 areas than in high PM2.5 areas. For OCPs, only γ- hexachlorcyclohexanes (γ-HCH) presented the significant difference between high and low PM2.5 exposure areas. Most breastmilk OCPs residues, including 4,4’-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (4,4’-DDT), γ-HCH, endrin, and heptachlor epoxide showed negative impact on the Bayley-III scores after multivariate analysis. In conclusion, infants’ neurodevelopment was significantly correlated with the location of PM2.5 exposure and breastmilk intake of certain PBDEs and OCPs. Breastmilk OCPs might obviously affect infants’ neurodevelopment more compared to breastmilk PBDEs based on our finding. Moreover, this study further employs awareness about viable effects of PM2.5 in infants’ neurodevelopment.

Cooking oil fumes (CF) coming from night market stalls exhaust contain substantial amounts of air pollutants such as carbonyl compounds that may contribute to outdoor air pollution and may have adverse health effects on the Taiwanese population. Carbonyl emission characteristics depend on several factors, which include but are not limited to, the cooking style and food material being used. The current study evaluated carbonyl compound emissions from two scenarios: a standard kitchen cooking classroom with a stack gas tunnel and night market food stalls. The different cooking styles and food types cooked using a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stove, such as grilled chicken with (GCS) and without sauce (GC), mixed barbecue with sauce (MBS), grilled vegetables with sauce (GVS), stir-fried oyster omelet (OM), fried Taiwanese chicken nuggets (FN) in the kitchen cooking classroom, and grilled chicken with (GCS) and without sauce (GC), stir-fried oyster omelet (OM), grilled vegetables with sauce (GVS), and fried steak (FS) in the night market were evaluated for carbonyl carbon emissions. OM from the kitchen classroom and GCS from the night market showed the highest mean total carbonyl compound concentrations (1850 ± 682 ppb and 1840 ppb). Formaldehyde was found to be the most predominant carbonyl compound, with contribution percentages ranging from 70.9–99.58% of the total carbonyl emission factors in CFs. Grilled vegetables with sauce had the highest emission factor magnitude of 274 µg kg–1 wt. Factors such as the addition of sauce and grilling were also observed to increase carbonyl compound emissions. Corresponding health risks of carbonyl compounds in CFs for the night market vendors were also assessed. All values for cancer risk (R) were above the standard R value for workplace exposure, and HQ values were all greater than 1, suggesting a high risk for adverse health effects. Although our reported values were relatively high due to our sampling conditions, our study was first to be conducted in Taiwan and holds an important contribution to the global existing data of carbonyl compound emissions.