Efficient inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus replication using novel modified microRNA-30a targeting 3'-untranslated region transcripts

RNA interference (RNAi)-based gene therapy is currently considered to be a combinatorial anti-human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) therapy. Although arti­ficial polycistronic microRNAs (miRs) can reduce HIV-1 escape mutant variants, this approach may increase the risk of side effects. The present study aimed to optimize the efficiency of anti-HIV RNAi gene therapy in order to reduce the cell toxicity induced by multi-short hairpin RNA expression. An artificial miR-30a-3'-untranslated region (miR-3'-UTR) obtained from a single RNA polymerase II was used to simultaneously target all viral transcripts. The results of the present study demonstrated that HIV-1 replication was signifi­cantly inhibited in the cells with the miR-3'-UTR construct, suggesting that miR-3'-UTR may serve as a promising tool for RNAi-based gene therapy in the treatment of HIV-1. © 2016, Spandidos Publications. All Rights Reserved

Structural changes during creep in multiple-mechanical-thermally-treated austenitic steel.

Structural changes during creep have been studied in a 20Cr-25Ni-Nb stabilised stainless steel using transmission electron microscopy. The application of multiple-mechanical-thermal-treatment (MMTT) produced in the steel a very fine cellular substructure supported by Nb(CN) particles. The cells formed during MMTT have been converted into subgrains during early stages of creep and elongated on further creep deformation at all the three stresses (70, 84, 95 N/mm[2]) examined. The elongation was more pronounced at the high stresses (84, 95 N/mm[2]) and due to the banded distribution of Nb(CN) the elongation occurred in the areas of subgrains where the density of particles was relatively lower and the width of the subgrains were comparable to the interspacing of the particle bands (-1mum). Dislocation analysis of the substructure indicated that most of the dislocations were close to screw orientation. The analysis of creep data at constant load and variable temperatures showed that two creep mechanisms were operating, one below and the other above a critical temperature, or at constant temperature a critical stress. It was found that the activation energy for the creep process operating below the transition point was about 300 kJ/mol and for that operating above it was about 630 kJ/mol. Over the stress range studied both activation energies remained stress independent. The transition temperature however decreased linearly with increasing creep stress. Experimental data indicated that the transition from one creep mechanism to the other took place over a narrow range of temperature or stress

Comparison of Integrated Cell Culture -RT-PCR & Cell Culture Methods for Detection of Enteroviruses

"nBackground: Generally, sewage exposed water could be potentially contaminated with enteroviruses. For this reason, en­terovirus isolation from sewage specimens is one of the most sensitive indicators for virus circulation in the population. We evalu­ated the ICC-RT-PCR and cell culture methods for detection of enteroviruses in Tehran sewage system."nMethods: This research utilized 63 specimens provided through Grab sample method to concentrate by two-phase method and cultured in RD and HEp-2 cells, respectively. All specimens then were inoculated using sensitive cell cultures of RD and HEp-2. After 24 hours incubation at 36 ˚C by means of Pan E.V primers and afterwards Pan P.V Primers along with spe­cific sabin primers, RT-PCR was carried out on the cell culture specimens. Data were analyzed using SPSS Software (SPSS for and ANOVA test as well as Chi-square test."nResults: Out of 63 collected specimens, enteroviruses were isolated from 33 specimens (52.38%) and 41(65.01%) specimens which utilized cell-culture & ICC-RT-PCR methods respectively. Polioviruses were also isolated from 6 specimens."nConclusions: Statistical analysis indicated that there was a significant relationship (0.05 level) between cell culture and ICC-RT-PCR methods to isolate enteroviruses. Further the sensitivity of ICC-RT-PCR method to detect en-teroviruses less than 0.01 TCID50 was evaluated, which indicated that this method is acceptable and sensitive enough to detect enteroviruses in sewage