Quick detection of faults in combinational networks designed in minterm format by computing a single novel parameter

This paper reports on the development of a novel scheme as an alternative to Susskind's method [A.K. Susskind, Testing by verifying Walsh coefficients, Proceedings of the 11th Annual Symposium on fault-tolerant computing, June 1981, pp. 206–208.] for detection of struck-at faults in combinational logic circuits. The main idea in the present scheme is to extend an existing design of the combinational network under test in minterm format by some logic checking the correctness of all input–output mappings by computing only one novel parameter after cycling through all 2 ⁿ input combinations of a circuit with n inputs. Thus the present scheme uses 2 ⁿ n-bit input patterns once to a circuit while Susskind's method uses twice that many. So it provides substantially less work than that needed in Susskind's method. Furthermore, the tester needed to implement the present scheme is a simplified version of that needed in Susskind's method.     

Progress and Prospects of Anti-HBV Gene Therapy Development

Despite the availability of an effective vaccine against hepatitis B virus (HBV), chronic infection with the virus remains a major global health concern. Current drugs against HBV infection are limited by emergence of resistance and rarely achieve complete viral clearance. This has prompted vigorous research on developing better drugs against chronic HBV infection. Advances in understanding the life cycle of HBV and improvements in gene-disabling technologies have been impressive. This has led to development of better HBV infection models and discovery of new drug candidates. Ideally, a regimen against chronic HBV infection should completely eliminate all viral replicative intermediates, especially covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). For the past few decades, nucleic acid-based therapy has emerged as an attractive alternative that may result in complete clearance of HBV in infected patients. Several genetic anti-HBV strategies have been developed. The most studied approaches include the use of antisense oligonucleotides, ribozymes, RNA interference effectors and gene editing tools. This review will summarize recent developments and progress made in the use of gene therapy against HBV.     

Isolation and Characterization of Barley (Hordeum vulgare) Extracellular Vesicles to Assess Their Role in RNA Spray-Based Crop Protection

The demonstration that spray-induced gene silencing (SIGS) can confer strong disease resistance, bypassing the laborious and time-consuming transgenic expression of double-stranded (ds)RNA to induce the gene silencing of pathogenic targets, was ground-breaking. However, future field applications will require fundamental mechanistic knowledge of dsRNA uptake, processing, and transfer. There is increasing evidence that extracellular vesicles (EVs) mediate the transfer of transgene-derived small interfering (si)RNAs in host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) applications. In this study, we establish a protocol for barley EV isolation and assess the possibilities for EVs regarding the translocation of sprayed dsRNA from barley (Hordeum vulgare) to its interacting fungal pathogens. We found barley EVs that were 156 nm in size, containing predominantly 21 and 19 nucleotide (nts) siRNAs, starting with a 5′-terminal Adenine. Although a direct comparison of the RNA cargo between HIGS and SIGS EV isolates is improper given their underlying mechanistic differences, we identified sequence-identical siRNAs in both systems. Overall, the number of siRNAs isolated from the EVs of dsRNA-sprayed barley plants with sequence complementarity to the sprayed dsRNA precursor was low. However, whether these few siRNAs are sufficient to induce the SIGS of pathogenic target genes requires further research. Taken together, our results raise the possibility that EVs may not be mandatory for the spray-delivered siRNA uptake and induction of SIGS.     

RNAi在储粮害虫防治应用中的研究现状及展望

RNAi具有防治效果好、靶向性强等优点,因此被认为是下一代的害虫防控技术。近年,美国环境署(EPA)和食药局(FDA)先后批准了两款基于该技术的害虫防治及作物改良产品上市,标志着该技术在粮食领域的商品化开端。目前RNAi在多种储粮害虫中的可行性已经得到证实,但是该技术还存在一些问题,例如不同的害虫种类、dsRNA递送方式和分子设计差异都会影响RNAi防治效果。因此,本文系统性概述了RNAi技术在储粮害虫防治领域的研究及应用现状,并首次对RNAi技术在储粮害虫防控中的可行性、效率影响因素和增效方法进行了较为详细的总结。最后,还对RNAi技术在储粮害虫中的应用实践进行了展望,以期为该技术广泛应用于储粮害虫绿色防控提供理论基础。     

Systematic Approaches towards the Development of Host-Directed Antiviral Therapeutics

Since the onset of antiviral therapy, viral resistance has compromised the clinical value of small-molecule drugs targeting pathogen components. As intracellular parasites, viruses complete their life cycle by hijacking a multitude of host-factors. Aiming at the latter rather than the pathogen directly, host-directed antiviral therapy has emerged as a concept to counteract evolution of viral resistance and develop broad-spectrum drug classes. This approach is propelled by bioinformatics analysis of genome-wide screens that greatly enhance insights into the complex network of host-pathogen interactions and generate a shortlist of potential gene targets from a multitude of candidates, thus setting the stage for a new era of rational identification of drug targets for host-directed antiviral therapies. With particular emphasis on human immunodeficiency virus and influenza virus, two major human pathogens, we review screens employed to elucidate host-pathogen interactions and discuss the state of database ontology approaches applicable to defining a therapeutic endpoint. The value of this strategy for drug discovery is evaluated, and perspectives for bioinformatics-driven hit identification are outlined.     

基于Kriging模型的组合型腔注射模浇注系统多目标优化设计

针对非自然平衡布置的组合型腔注射模浇注系统设计的特点,提出了基于Kriging模型的浇注系统多目标优化设计方法。首先给出了Kriging近似模型的基本原理,再针对组合型腔的特点,建立浇注系统多目标优化模型;在多目标优化模型求解中,基于Pareto最优提出了混合交叉变异的多目标蚁群算法;结合鼠标上下盖组合型腔浇注系统的设计实例验证了提出方法的实用性,同时,优化结果表明提出的混合交叉变异的多目标蚁群算法具有较好的算法性能。     

降低Pin1对大肠癌SW620细胞的增殖和凋亡能力的影响

Objective:The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of Pin1 reduction on SW620 cell proliferation and apoptosis in human colorectal carcinoma.Methods:We constructed a plasmid of RNA interfering(shRNA)for Pin1 gene(pGenesl-1-Pin1),then the plasmid was transfected into colorectal carcinoma SW620 cells line by liposome mediation.The protein expression of Pin1 was tested by Western blotting.The proliferation rate was analyzed by MTT and the apoptotic rate of cells was tested by flow cytometry.In order to explain further the effect of Pin1 in SW620 cells,the protein level of Bc1-2 was analyzed by Western blotting.Results:pGenesil-1-Pin1 plasmid was successfully constructed and confirmed by sequencing.The protein relative levels of Pin1 were 0.06±0.04 for the P-shRNA/SW620 cells,and 0.32±0.09 for the P-Con/SW620 cells.The cell growth rate of SW620 cells was slower while the apoptotic rate was increased after transfection with pGenesil-Pin1plasmid,and the apoptotic rate was 12.38%±1.55%for the P-shRNA/SW620 group.At the same time,we found that the protein expression of Bcl-2 was also reduced.The results were 0.13±0.04 for the P-shRNA/SW620 cells,and 0.36±0.08for the P-Con/SW620 cells.Conclusion:Inhibited Pin1 expression may suppress the cell proliferation and promote apoptosis of colorectal carcinoma cells in vitro.