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Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells: A promising therapeutic option for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers

Dama G, Du J, Zhu X, Liu Y, Lin J

Diabetes Res Clin Pract, 2023 Jan;195:110201.
PMID: 36493913 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2022.110201

Chronic wounds fail to heal through the three normal stages of healing (inflammatory, proliferative, and remodelling), resulting in a chronic tissue injury that is not repaired within the average time limit. Patients suffering from type 1 and type 2 diabetes are prone to develop diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs), which commonly develop into chronic wounds that are non treatable with conventional therapies. DFU develops due to various risk factors, such as peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, arterial insufficiency, foot deformities, trauma and impaired resistance to infection. DFUs have gradually become a major problem in the health care system worldwide. In this review, we not only focus on the pathogenesis of DFU but also comprehensively summarize the outcomes of preclinical and clinical studies thus far and the potential therapeutic mechanism of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for the treatment of DFU. Based on the published results, BMSC transplantation can contribute to wound healing through growth factor secretion, anti-inflammation, differentiation into tissue-specific cells, neovascularization, re-epithelialization and angiogenesis in DFUs. Moreover, clinical trials showed that BMSC treatment in patients with diabetic ulcers improved ulcer healing and the ankle-brachial index, ameliorated pain scores, and enhanced claudication walking distances with no reported complications. In conclusion, although BMSC transplantation exhibits promising therapeutic potential in DFU treatment, additional studies should be performed to confirm their efficacy and long-term safety in DFU patients.
Current perspectives on mesenchymal stem cells as a potential therapeutic strategy for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Jiang Y, Yusoff NM, Du J, Moses EJ, Lin JT

World J Stem Cells, 2024 Jul 26;16(7):760-772.
PMID: 39086561 DOI: 10.4252/wjsc.v16.i7.760

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a significant health challenge, characterized by its widespread prevalence, intricate natural progression and multifaceted pathogenesis. Although NAFLD initially presents as benign fat accumulation, it may progress to steatosis, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are recognized for their intrinsic self-renewal, superior biocompatibility, and minimal immunogenicity, positioning them as a therapeutic innovation for liver diseases. Therefore, this review aims to elucidate the potential roles of MSCs in alleviating the progression of NAFLD by alteration of underlying molecular pathways, including glycolipid metabolism, inflammation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and fibrosis. The insights are expected to provide further understanding of the potential of MSCs in NAFLD therapeutics, and support the development of MSC-based therapy in the treatment of NAFLD.
Fulltext First record of the dotted grouper Epinephelusepistictus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843) (Perciformes, Serranidae) in Malaysia

Du J, Loh KH, Then AY, Zheng X, Teguh Peristiwady, Rizman-Idid M, et al.

Zookeys, 2019;861:107-118.
PMID: 31333328 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.861.34043

Five specimens of Epinephelusepistictus (Temminck & Schlegel, 1843) were collected from a major landing site located on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia during a fish faunal survey on 23 August 2017. The present study extends the distribution range of E.epistictus southwards from Andaman Sea to the Strait of Malacca. Species identification was confirmed by colour pattern and DNA barcoding (567 bp of cytochrome C oxidase I) of all E.epistictus specimens and nine closely related Epinephelus species. The interspecies genetic distance ranged from 0.002-0.245. This study also presents, for the first time for Malaysia, data on length-weight relationships and otolith measurements. It contributes to a better understanding of taxonomy, and phylogenetic and genetic diversity of E.epistictus.
Fulltext Checklist of the coral fish fauna of Xisha Islands, China

Qiu S, Chen B, Du J, Loh KH, Liao J, Liu X, et al.

Biodivers Data J, 2021;9:e63945.
PMID: 33732033 DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e63945

Background: The Xisha Islands are composed of the Yongle Islands and the Xuande Islands in Hainan Province, China. It has one of the highest species diversity in the world and is also a typical oceanic distribution area of coral reefs globally. The ichthyofauna of the Xisha Islands were recorded by underwater visual census in May 2019 and July 2020. The survey data were combined with previous records of species into the checklist of the Xisha Islands presented herein. A total of 691 species, belonging to 24 orders and 97 families, was recorded. The major families were Labridae, Pomacentridae, Serranidae, Chaetodontidae, Hexanchidae, Lutjanidae, Scaridae, Gobiidae, Scorpaenidae and Carangidae. In this study, the Coral Fish iversity Index (CFDI) of six families (Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Labridae, Scaridae and Acanthuridae) was 229, indicating 756 coral fishes. In terms of the IUCN Red List, one species is Critically Endangered (Glyphis gangeticus), six species are Endangered (Stegostoma fasciatum, Aetomylaeus maculatus, Aetomylaeus vespertilio, Epinephelus akaara, Cheilinusundulatus sp. and Xiphias gladius), 16 species are Vulnerable, and 13 species are Near Threatened in the Xisha Archipelago, so conservation should be strengthened in this area in the future.
New information: One species is a new record for China (Dischistodus pseudochrysopoecilus) and 23 species are newly found in the Xisha Islands.
Fulltext Conversational Interfaces for Health: Bibliometric Analysis of Grants, Publications, and Patents

Xing Z, Yu F, Du J, Walker JS, Paulson CB, Mani NS, et al.

J Med Internet Res, 2019 11 18;21(11):e14672.
PMID: 31738171 DOI: 10.2196/14672

BACKGROUND: Conversational interfaces (CIs) in different modalities have been developed for health purposes, such as health behavioral intervention, patient self-management, and clinical decision support. Despite growing research evidence supporting CIs' potential, CI-related research is still in its infancy. There is a lack of systematic investigation that goes beyond publication review and presents the state of the art from perspectives of funding agencies, academia, and industry by incorporating CI-related public funding and patent activities.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to use data systematically extracted from multiple sources (ie, grant, publication, and patent databases) to investigate the development, research, and fund application of health-related CIs and associated stakeholders (ie, countries, organizations, and collaborators).
METHODS: A multifaceted search query was executed to retrieve records from 9 databases. Bibliometric analysis, social network analysis, and term co-occurrence analysis were conducted on the screened records.
RESULTS: This review included 42 funded projects, 428 research publications, and 162 patents. The total dollar amount of grants awarded was US $30,297,932, of which US $13,513,473 was awarded by US funding agencies and US $16,784,459 was funded by the Europe Commission. The top 3 funding agencies in the United States were the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Boston Medical Center was awarded the largest combined grant size (US $2,246,437) for 4 projects. The authors of the publications were from 58 countries and 566 organizations; the top 3 most productive organizations were Northeastern University (United States), Universiti Teknologi MARA (Malaysia), and the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS; France). US researchers produced 114 publications. Although 82.0% (464/566) of the organizations engaged in interorganizational collaboration, 2 organizational research-collaboration clusters were observed with Northeastern University and CNRS as the central nodes. About 112 organizations from the United States and China filed 87.7% patents. IBM filed most patents (N=17). Only 5 patents were co-owned by different organizations, and there was no across-country collaboration on patenting activity. The terms patient, child, elderly, and robot were frequently discussed in the 3 record types. The terms related to mental and chronic issues were discussed mainly in grants and publications. The terms regarding multimodal interactions were widely mentioned as users' communication modes with CIs in the identified records.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provided an overview of the countries, organizations, and topic terms in funded projects, as well as the authorship, collaboration, content, and related information of research publications and patents. There is a lack of broad cross-sector partnerships among grant agencies, academia, and industry, particularly in the United States. Our results suggest a need to improve collaboration among public and private sectors and health care organizations in research and patent activities.
Aluminum Microcomb Electrodes on Silicon Wafer for Detecting Val66Met Polymorphism in Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor

Li Z, Cui L, Zhao H, Du J, Gopinath SCB, Lakshmipriya T, et al.

Dev Neurosci, 2021;43(1):53-62.
PMID: 33849012 DOI: 10.1159/000515197

OBJECTIVE: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) dysregulation is widely related with various psychiatric and neurological disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, Rett syndrome, and addiction, and the available evidence suggests that BDNF is also highly correlated with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.
METHODS: The BDNF target sequence was detected on a capture probe attached on aluminum microcomb electrodes on the silicon wafer surface. A capture-target-reporter sandwich-type assay was performed to enhance the detection of the BDNF target.
RESULTS: The limit of detection was noticed to be 100 aM. Input of a reporter sequence at concentrations >10 aM improved the detection of the target sequence by enhancing changes in the generated currents. Control experiments with noncomplementary and single- and triple-mismatches of target and reporter sequences did not elicit changes in current levels, indicating the selective detection of the BDNF gene sequence.
CONCLUSION: The above detection strategy will be useful for the detection and quantification of BDNF, thereby aiding in the provision of suitable treatments for BDNF-related disorders.
Evaluation of vegetable sauerkraut quality during storage based on convolution neural network

Du J, Zhang M, Teng X, Wang Y, Lim Law C, Fang D, et al.

Food Res Int, 2023 Feb;164:112420.
PMID: 36738024 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2022.112420

Vegetable sauerkraut is a traditional fermented food. Due to oxidation reactions that occur during storage, the quality and flavor in different periods will change. In this study, the quality evaluation and flavor characteristics of 13 groups of vegetable sauerkraut samples with different storage time were analyzed by using physical and chemical parameters combined with electronic nose. Photographs of samples of various periods were collected, and a convolutional neural network (CNN) framework was established. The relationship between total phenol oxidative decomposition and flavor compounds was linearly negatively correlated. The vegetable sauerkraut during storage can be divided into three categories (full acceptance period, acceptance period and unacceptance period) by principal component analysis and Fisher discriminant analysis. The CNN parameters were fine-tuned based on the classification results, and its output results can reflect the quality changes and flavor characteristics of the samples, and have better fitting, prediction capabilities. After 50 epochs of the model, the accuracy of three sets of data namely training set, validation set and test set recorded 94%, 85% and 93%, respectively. In addition, the accuracy of CNN in identifying different quality sauerkraut was 95.30%. It is proved that the convolutional neural network has excellent performance in predicting the quality of Szechuan Sauerkraut with high reliability.
Relationship Between Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Caregiver Burden In Breast Cancer Patients: The Mediating Role of Anxiety and Depression

Wang S, Zhang Q, Goh PH, Hu J, Liu X, Du J, et al.

J Clin Psychol Med Settings, 2023 Sep;30(3):645-653.
PMID: 36385422 DOI: 10.1007/s10880-022-09927-z

Breast cancer impacts not only the physical and mental health of patients but also the people around them-especially their caregivers. This study examined the relationship between post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and caregiver burden in breast cancer patients through the mediating pathway of anxiety and depression.
METHODS: A total of 236 breast cancer patients from China completed the Chinese Version of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (PSS), the Chinese version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Chinese version of the General Anxiety Symptoms Scale (GAD-7). In addition, caregivers of these breast cancer patients were surveyed by the Caregiver Self-Assessment Questionnaire (CSAQ).
RESULTS: Structural equation model showed that our model fitted well [χ2 /df = 1.966, TLI = 0.959, CFI = 0.994, RMSEA (90% CI) = 0.065 (0-0.12)] and revealed that anxiety, but not depression, mediated the relationship between PTSS in breast cancer patients and caregiver burden.
CONCLUSION: The level of PTSS was positively correlated with anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients, and the level of anxiety and depression was positively related to caregiver burden. The PTSS of patients positively predicted caregiver burden and this relationship appears to be mediated by the patient's anxiety.
Fulltext Innovative Design of a Cloud Tour Guide Robot for Smart Cities under the Principle of System Innovation Design

Du J, Salim NAM, Zakaria WZW, Gu Y, Ling J

Comput Intell Neurosci, 2022;2022:4971849.
PMID: 35860639 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4971849

In light of the ongoing occurrence of epidemics, the general populace frequently makes the decision to curtail their nomadic lifestyle in order to protect both their health and their safety. This has resulted in a number of issues, the most notable of which are the drop in the people's living happiness index and the poor business that the tourism industry has been experiencing as a result. Therefore, the idea of "cloud tourism" is undoubtedly the first candidate for the tourism industry, and in order to meet the requirements of cloud tourism, it is necessary to have an entirely new system to serve this, of which the scenic guide robot is an important part. At the same time, the quickening development of 5G technology offers solutions that may be put into practice for the multifurther IoT's expansion in smart cities. People will be able to experience the real outdoors without having to leave their homes, which will improve the people's well-being and alleviate the chilly status quo in the tourism industry. This is the plan, and it will be accomplished through the use of innovative guide robots that will make the experience more convenient and reliable.
A non-toxic recombinant protein rSUMO-CPBm4 as a potential vaccine candidate against Clostridium perfringens type C beta enterotoxemia

Goa Y, Du JG, Jirapattharasate C, Galon E, Ji SW, Ran ZG, et al.

Trop Biomed, 2023 Dec 01;40(4):400-405.
PMID: 38308826 DOI: 10.47665/tb.40.4.004

Beta toxin (CPB) is a lethal toxin and plays a key role in enterotoxemia of ruminants caused by Clostridium perfringens type C strain. The existing vaccines based on crude CPB need time-consuming detoxification and difficult quality control steps. In this study, we synthesized the rCPBm4 of C. perfringens type C strain and small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-tag CPBm4 (rSUMO-CPBm4) by introducing four amino acid substitutions: R212E, Y266A, L268G, and W275A. Compared with rCPBm4, rSUMO-CPBm4 was expressed with higher solubility in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Neither rCPBm4 nor rSUMO-CPBm4 was lethal to mice. Although rCPBm4 and rSUMO-CPBm4 were reactogenic with polyclonal antibodies against crude CPB, rabbits vaccinated with rSUMO-CPBm4 developed significant levels of toxin-neutralizing antibody (TNA) titers that conferred protection against crude toxin challenge. These data suggest that genetically detoxified rSUMO-CPBm4 is a promising subunit vaccine candidate for C. perfringens type C beta enterotoxemia.
Fulltext Perceived Threat of COVID-19 Contagion and Frontline Paramedics' Agonistic Behaviour: Employing a Stressor-Strain-Outcome Perspective

Shahzad F, Du J, Khan I, Fateh A, Shahbaz M, Abbas A, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 Jul 15;17(14).
PMID: 32679748 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145102

Historically, infectious diseases have been the leading cause of human psychosomatic strain and death tolls. This research investigated the recent threat of COVID-19 contagion, especially its impact among frontline paramedics treating patients with COVID-19, and their perception of self-infection, which ultimately increases their agonistic behaviour. Based on the stressor-strain-outcome paradigm, a research model was proposed and investigated using survey-based data through a structured questionnaire. The results found that the perceived threat of COVID-19 contagion (emotional and cognitive threat) was positively correlated with physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion, which led toward agonistic behaviour. Further, perceived social support was a key moderator that negatively affected the relationships between agonistic behaviour and physiological anxiety, depression, and emotional exhaustion. These findings significantly contributed to the current literature concerning COVID-19 and pandemic-related effects on human behaviour. This study also theorized the concept of human agonistic behaviour, which has key implications for future researchers.
An updated checklist of the marine fish fauna of Redang Islands, Malaysia

Du J, Loh KH, Hu W, Zheng X, Affendi YA, Ooi JLS, et al.

Biodivers Data J, 2019;7:e47537.
PMID: 31849564 DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.7.e47537

Background: Redang Islands Marine Park consists of nine islands in the state of Terengganu, Malaysia. Redang Island is one of the largest off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, which is famous for its crystal-clear waters and white sandy beaches. The ichthyofauna of the Redang archipelago was surveyed by underwater visual observations between August 2016 and May 2018. Census data were compiled with existing records into the checklist of the marine fish of the Redang archipelago presented herein. A total of 314 species belonging to 51 families were recorded. The most speciose families (Pomacentridae, Labridae, Scaridae, Serranidae, Apogonidae, Carangidae, Gobiidae, Chaetodontidae, Lutjanidae, Nemipteridae and Siganidae) were also amongst the most speciose at the neighbouring Tioman archipelago (except Chaetodontidae). The coral fish diversity index value for the six families of coral reef fishes (Chaetodontidae, Pomacanthidae, Pomacentridae, Labridae, Scaridae and Acanthuridae) of the study sites was 132. We estimated that there were 427 coral reef fish species in the Redang archipelago. According to the IUCN Red List, eight species are Near Threatened (Carcharhinus melanopterus, Chaetodon trifascialis, Choerodon schoenleinii, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, E. polyphekadion, Plectropomus leopardus, Taeniura lymma and Triaenodon obesus), eleven are Vulnerable (Bolbometopon muricatum, Chaetodon trifasciatus, Chlorurus sordidus, Dascyllus trimaculatus, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, E. polyphekadion, Halichoeres marginatus, Heniochus acuminatus, Nebrius ferrugineus, Neopomacentrus cyanomos and Plectropomus areolatus) and three are Endangered (Amphiprion clarkia, Cheilinus undulatus and Scarus ghobban) in the Redang archipelago.
New information: Five species are new records for Malaysia (Ctenogobiops mitodes, Epibulus brevis, Halichoeres erdmanni, H. richmondi and Scarus caudofasciatus) and 25 species are newly recorded in the Redang archipelago.
Effects of Soil Amendments on Microbial Activities in a Typical Cd-Contaminated Purple Field Soil, Southwestern China

Wang W, Zhou F, Chang Y, Cui J, He D, Du J, et al.

Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 2020 Mar;104(3):380-385.
PMID: 31932904 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-020-02786-0

In this study, three soil amendments (inorganic, liming, or organic-inorganic materials) were used in a Cd-contaminated purple field soil to investigate their impacts on soil Cd availability, enzyme (urease, catalase, sucrase, and acid phosphatase) activities, microbial biomass (carbon/nitrogen) and type (bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes) in mustard and corn trials. Results showed that soil amendments generally decreased soil exchangeable Cd, fungi and bacterial populations while increasing the activities of all the four soil enzymes tested, microbial biomass carbon and populations of actinomycetes (p 0.05) whereas stronger effects appeared in soil organic matter and available nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium; p
Extracellular vesicle-transmitted miR-671-5p alleviates lung inflammation and injury by regulating the AAK1/NF-κB axis

Lian J, Zhu X, Du J, Huang B, Zhao F, Ma C, et al.

Mol Ther, 2023 May 03;31(5):1365-1382.
PMID: 36733250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.01.025

Mesenchymal stem cells regulate remote intercellular signaling communication via their secreted extracellular vesicles. Here, we report that menstrual blood-derived stem cells alleviate acute lung inflammation and injury via their extracellular vesicle-transmitted miR-671-5p. Disruption of this abundantly expressed miR-671-5p dramatically reduced the ameliorative effect of extracellular vesicles released by menstrual blood-derived stem cells on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pulmonary inflammatory injury. Mechanistically, miR-671-5p directly targets the kinase AAK1 for post-transcriptional degradation. AAK1 is found to positively regulate the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling by controlling the stability of the inhibitory protein IκBα. This study identifies a potential molecular basis of how extracellular vesicles derived from mesenchymal stem cells improve pulmonary inflammatory injury and highlights the functional importance of the miR-671-5p/AAK1 axis in the progression of pulmonary inflammatory diseases. More importantly, this study provides a promising cell-based approach for the treatment of pulmonary inflammatory disorders through an extracellular vesicle-dependent pathway.
Toxic metal pollution and associated health risk in nonferrous metal smelting soil containing clay minerals

Cai K, Du J, Yan L, Luan Z, He Y, Shen J, et al.

J Environ Manage, 2024 Nov;370:122909.
PMID: 39405840 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122909

Given the research situation of toxic metals (TMs) pollution in farmland soil, it is very critical to study the clay influence on TMs environmental behavior to meet the aim of lowering TMs pollution. This research explores the association among clay minerals and TMs and the health risks in TMs combined polluted farmland of northern China. In this study, agricultural soil, wheat grain, and atmospheric sediments from nonferrous metal smelting (NMS) areas were collected and investigated to determine the effect of clay minerals on TMs. The results show that the content ranges of Cd (0.199 mg/kg ∼1.98 × 102 mg/kg), Pb (0.228 × 102 mg/kg ∼ 4.87 × 103 mg/kg), Cu (0.187 × 102 mg/kg ∼ 4.57 × 103 mg/kg), and Zn (0.559 × 102 mg/kg ∼ 3.04 × 103 mg/kg) in the agricultural soil. In particular, Cd has reached heavy pollution by the high pollution index (6.74). The findings indicate that Cd and Pb in wheat grain were influenced by their exchangeable fractions in soil, according to a significant relationship between Cd and Pb in soil and wheat grain. XRD-SEM suggests that TMs come from atmospheric sediments associated with NMS emissions by microsphere signatures with surface burn marks. Meanwhile, Geographical detector indicated that clay was the primary contributor to spatial distribution of Cd and Pb. In addition, XRD results showed that I/S (a mixed layer of illite and smectite), illite, chlorite, and kaolinite co-existed. Whereas the clay minerals with this ratio did not demonstrate better adsorption capacities for Cd and Pb due to the Cd percentage of the residual fraction being less than 9%. The result of negative correlation between exchangeable Cd and clay minerals implies that illite, chlorite, and kaolinite may preferentially adsorb Cd and Pb. It is similar to the relationship between Cd and Pb in wheat grain and illite, chlorite, and kaolinite. In addition, the health assessment result show that the negative correlation between clay minerals and the noncarcinogenic hazard quotient (HQ) and indicate that clay minerals could reduce the noncarcinogenic risk of Pb and Cd for children. Our findings provide a potential mechanism and application of clay minerals for the remediation of soil contaminated with TMs.
Broadband Nonlinear Photonics in Few-Layer Borophene

Ma C, Yin P, Khan K, Tareen AK, Huang R, Du J, et al.

Small, 2021 Jan 27.
PMID: 33502109 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202006891

In this paper, 2D borophene is synthesized through a liquid-phase exfoliation. The morphology and structure of as-prepared borophene are systemically analyzed, and the Z-scan is used to measure the nonlinear optical properties. It is found that the saturable absorber (SA) properties of borophene make it serve as an excellent broadband optical switch, which is strongly used for mode-locking in near- and mid-infrared laser systems. Ultrastable pulses with durations as short as 792 and 693 fs are successfully delivered at the central wavelengths of 1063 and 1560 nm, respectively. Furthermore, stable pulses at a wavelength of 1878 nm are demonstrated from a thulium mode-locked fiber laser based on the same borophene SA. This research reveals a significant potential for borophene used in lasers helping extending the frontiers of photonic technologies.
Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Conditioned Medium Promotes Aβ25-35 phagocytosis by Modulating Autophagy and Aβ-Degrading Enzymes in BV2 Cells

Xu Z, Nan W, Zhang X, Sun Y, Yang J, Lu K, et al.

J Mol Neurosci, 2018 Jun;65(2):222-233.
PMID: 29845511 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-018-1075-5

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is a promising prospect for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, the underlying mechanisms by which MSCs mediate positive effects are still unclear. We speculated that MSCs mediate microglial autophagy and enhance the clearance of Aβ. To test this hypothesis, we cultured BV2 microglial cells with umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells conditioned medium (ucMSCs-CM) in the presence or absence of Aβ25-35 oligomers. We investigated BV2 cell proliferation, cell death, and Aβ25-35 phagocytosis as well as protein expression levels of LC3, Beclin-1, p62, insulin-degrading enzyme (IDE), and neprilysin (Nep) with western blotting. The results showed that ucMSCs-CM inhibited the proliferation and decreased cell death of BV2 cells induced by Aβ25-35. ucMSCs-CM also promoted the phagocytosis of Aβ25-35 by BV2 cells and changed the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3, Beclin-1, and p62. Treatment also upregulated the expression of Aβ-degrading enzymes IDE and Nep. Furthermore, the culture medium in BV2 cells with Aβ25-35 and ucMSCs-CM prevented neuronal cell SH-SY5Y from cell death compared to control medium without ucMSCs-CM. Altogether, these data suggested that ucMSCs-CM protect microglial and neuronal cells from Aβ25-35-induced cell death and promote Aβ phagocytosis by modulating autophagy and enhancing the expression of Aβ-degrading enzymes in microglia.
Fulltext Advancing DNA Barcoding to Elucidate Elasmobranch Biodiversity in Malaysian Waters

Loh KH, Lim KC, Then AY, Adam S, Leung AJ, Hu W, et al.

Animals (Basel), 2023 Mar 09;13(6).
PMID: 36978544 DOI: 10.3390/ani13061002

The data provided in this article are partial fragments of the Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene (CO1) sequences of 175 tissues sampled from sharks and batoids collected from Malaysian waters, from June 2015 to June 2022. The barcoding was done randomly for six specimens from each species, so as to authenticate the code. We generated barcodes for 67 different species in 20 families and 11 orders. DNA was extracted from the tissue samples following the Chelex protocols and amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the barcoding universal primers FishF2 and FishR2. A total of 654 base pairs (bp) of barcode CO1 gene from 175 samples were sequenced and analysed. The genetic sequences were blasted into the NCBI GenBank and Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD). A review of the blast search confirmed that there were 68 valid species of sharks and batoids that occurred in Malaysian waters. We provided the data of the COI gene mid-point rooting phylogenetic relation trees and analysed the genetic distances among infra-class and order, intra-species, inter-specific, inter-genus, inter-familiar, and inter-order. We confirmed the addition of Squalus edmundsi, Carcharhinus amboinensis, Alopias superciliosus, and Myliobatis hamlyni as new records for Malaysia. The establishment of a comprehensive CO1 database for sharks and batoids will help facilitate the rapid monitoring and assessment of elasmobranch fisheries using environmental DNA methods.
Comparison of common human respiratory pathogens among hospitalized children aged ≤ 6 years in Hainan Island, China, during spring and early summer in 2019-2021

Mai W, Ren Y, Tian X, Al-Mahdi AY, Peng R, An J, et al.

J Med Virol, 2023 Apr;95(4):e28692.
PMID: 36946502 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28692

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related public health intervention measures have been reported to have resulted in the reduction of infections caused by influenza viruses and other common respiratory viruses. However, the influence may be varied in areas that have different ecological, economic, and social conditions. This study investigated the changing epidemiology of 8 common respiratory pathogens, including Influenza A (IFVA), Influenza B (IFVB), Respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV), rhinovirus (RV), Human metapneumovirus Adenovirus, Human bocavirus, and Mycoplasma pneumoniae, among hospitalized children during spring and early summer in 2019-2021 in two hospitals in Hainan Island, China, in the COVID-19 pandemic era. The results revealed a significant reduction in the prevalence of IFVA and IFVB in 2020 and 2021 than in 2019, whereas the prevalence of HRSV increased, and it became the dominant viral pathogen in 2021. RV was one of the leading pathogens in the 3 year period, where no significant difference was observed. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close relationships among the circulating respiratory viruses. Large scale studies are needed to study the changing epidemiology of seasonal respiratory viruses to inform responses to future respiratory virus pandemics.
Fulltext Genetic diversity and population structure of Terapon jarbua (Forskål, 1775) (Teleostei, Terapontidae) in Malaysian waters

Chanthran SSD, Lim PE, Li Y, Liao TY, Poong SW, Du J, et al.

Zookeys, 2020;911:139-160.
PMID: 32104142 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.911.39222

A background study is important for the conservation and stock management of a species. Terapon jarbua is a coastal Indo-Pacific species, sourced for human consumption. This study examined 134 samples from the central west and east coasts of Peninsular (West) Malaysia and East Malaysia. A 1446-bp concatenated dataset of mtDNA COI and Cyt b sequences was used in this study and 83 haplotypes were identified, of which 79 are unique haplotypes and four are shared haplotypes. Populations of T. jarbua in Malaysia are genetically heterogenous as shown by the high level of haplotype diversity ranging from 0.9167-0.9952, low nucleotide diversity ranging from 0.0288-0.3434, and high FST values (within population genetic variation). Population genetic structuring is not distinct as shown by the shared haplotypes between geographic populations and mixtures of haplotypes from different populations within the same genetic cluster. The gene flow patterns and population structuring observed among these regions are likely attributed to geographical distance, past historical events, allopatric speciation, dispersal ability and water currents. For instance, the mixture of haplotypes revealed an extraordinary migration ability of T. jarbua (>1200 km) via ancient river connectivity. The negative overall value of the neutrality test and a non-significant mismatch distribution are consistent with demographic expansion(s) in the past. The median-joining network concurred with the maximum likelihood haplotype tree with three major clades resolved. The scarcity of information on this species is an obstacle for future management and conservation purposes. Hence, this study aims to contribute information on the population structure, genetic diversity, and historical demography of T. jarbua in Malaysia.

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