HIV-1 TAR element is processed by Dicer to yield a viral micro-RNA involved in chromatin remodeling of the viral LTR

Background  

RNA interference (RNAi) is a regulatory mechanism conserved in higher eukaryotes. The RNAi pathway generates small interfering RNA (siRNA) or micro RNA (miRNA) from either long double stranded stretches of RNA or RNA hairpins, respectively. The siRNA or miRNA then guides an effector complex to a homologous sequence of mRNA and regulates suppression of gene expression through one of several mechanisms. The suppression of gene expression through these mechanisms serves to regulate endogenous gene expression and protect the cell from foreign nucleic acids. There is growing evidence that many viruses have developed in the context of RNAi and express either a suppressor of RNAi or their own viral miRNA.     

Selection of reliable reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis in human non-cancerous gastric tissue

Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is the standard method for studying changes in relative gene expression in complex diseases like obesity and gastritis. However, variations in amount of starting material, enzymatic efficiency and presence of amplification inhibitors can lead to quantification errors. Hence, the need for accurate data normalization is vital. Among several known strategies for data normalization, the use of reference genes as an internal control is the most common approach. Human gastric tissue has been the least investigated for stability of reference gene expression. In this study, three popular algorithms, GeNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper were used to evaluate the reference gene stability. Conclusion: HPRT1 and GAPDH are the best performing pair of reference genes for qRT-PCR profiling experiments involving non-malignant gastric tissue samples.     

Identification of Some Promising Heterocycles Useful in Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis: Virtual Screening,Pharmacophore Mapping,Molecular Docking,and Molecular Dynamics

Russian Journal of Bioorganic Chemistry - Rhinitis is an allergic disease that causes troubles and restlessness for patients. In this research work we will focus on finding promising organic...     

Neurophysiological study on possible protective and therapeutic effects of Sidr (Zizyphus spina-christi L.) leaf extract in male albino rats treated with pentylenetetrazol

In this study, anti-convulsant effect of Sidr leaf extract was examined by using pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) model on male albino rat by evaluating the changes in norepinephrine (NE), dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) contents in different brain regions (cerebellum, brainstem, striatum, cerebral cortex, hypothalamus and hippocampus). The administration of subconvulsive dose of PTZ (40 mg/kg i.p.) every other day for 9 days caused a significant decrease in monoamine content in different brain areas, this is may be due to the increase in nitric oxide levels, although antagonized the GABAA receptors which led to neurotransmitter release so the content is decreased. Administration of PTZ after treatment with Sidr (50 mg/kg i.p.) leaf extract for 3 weeks as a protective group and administration of Sidr leaf extract for 3 weeks after treatment of PTZ as a therapeutic group caused significant increase in NE, DA, and 5-HT contents in all tested brain regions at most of the time intervals studied. This may be due to the presence of peptide and cyclopeptide alkaloids in the extract which inhibit neurotransmitter activity which led to the inhibition of neurotransmitter release. From these results, we can say that the Sidr leaf extract has neuroprotective and therapeutic roles against pentylenetetrazol convulsant effect.     

Effects of photobiomodulation on bone defects grafted with bone substitutes: A systematic review of in vivo animal studies

A present, photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) effectiveness in enhancing bone regeneration in bone defects grafted with or without biomaterials is unclear. This systematic review (PROSPERO, ref. CRD 42019148959) aimed to critically appraise animal in vivo published data and present the efficacy of PBMT and its potential synergistic effects on grafted bone defects. MEDLINE, CCCT, Scopus, Science Direct, Google Scholar, EMBASE, EBSCO were searched, utilizing the following keywords: bone repair; low-level laser therapy; LLLT; light emitting diode; LEDs; photobiomodulation therapy; in vivo animal studies, bone substitutes, to identify studies between 1994 and 2019. After applying the eligibility criteria, 38 papers included where the results reported according to “PRISMA.” The results revealed insufficient and incomplete PBM parameters, however, the outcomes with or without biomaterials have positive effects on bone healing. In conclusion, in vivo animal studies with a standardized protocol to elucidate the effects of PBMT on biomaterials are required initially prior to clinical studies.     

The effect of immigration of infectives on disease-free equilibria

Journal of Mathematical Biology - Many disease transmission models exhibit a threshold behaviour based on the basic reproduction number $${\mathcal {R}}_0$$ , where the disease-free equilibrium is...