Owing to their two-dimensional confinements, silicon nanowires display remarkable optical, magnetic, and electronic properties. Of special interest has been the development of advanced biosensing approaches based on the field effect associated with silicon nanowires (SiNWs). Recent advancements in top-down fabrication technologies have paved the way to large scale production of high density and quality arrays of SiNW field effect transistor (FETs), a critical step towards their integration in real-life biosensing applications. A key requirement toward the fulfilment of SiNW FETs’ promises in the bioanalytical field is their efficient integration within functional devices. Aiming to provide a comprehensive roadmap for the development of SiNW FET based sensing platforms, we critically review and discuss the key design and fabrication aspects relevant to their development and integration within complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology.

The physiological function of Arabidopsis thaliana universal stress protein (AtUSP) in plant has remained unclear. Thus, we report here the functional role of the Arabidopsis universal stress protein, AtUSP (At3g53990). To determine how AtUSP affects physiological responses towards cold stress, AtUSP overexpression (AtUSP OE) and T-DNA insertion knock-out (atusp, SALK_146059) mutant lines were used. The results indicated that AtUSP OE enhanced plant tolerance to cold stress, whereas atusp did not. AtUSP is localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm, and cold stress significantly affects RNA metabolism such as by misfolding and secondary structure changes of RNA. Therefore, we investigated the relationship of AtUSP with RNA metabolism. We found that AtUSP can bind nucleic acids, including single- and double-stranded DNA and luciferase mRNA. AtUSP also displayed strong nucleic acid-melting activity. We expressed AtUSP in RL211 Escherichia coli, which contains a hairpin-loop RNA structure upstream of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT), and observed that AtUSP exhibited anti-termination activity that enabled CAT gene expression. AtUSP expression in the cold-sensitive Escherichia coli (E. coli) mutant BX04 complemented the cold sensitivity of the mutant cells. As these properties are typical characteristics of RNA chaperones, we conclude that AtUSP functions as a RNA chaperone under cold-shock conditions. Thus, the enhanced tolerance of AtUSP OE lines to cold stress is mediated by the RNA chaperone function of AtUSP.

Introduction Multiple comorbidities among HIV ‐positive individuals may increase the potential for polypharmacy causing drug‐to‐drug interactions and older individuals with comorbidities, particularly those with cognitive impairment, may have difficulty in adhering to complex medications. However, the effects of age‐associated comorbidities on the treatment outcomes of combination antiretroviral therapy ( cART ) are not well known. In this study, we investigated the effects of age‐associated comorbidities on therapeutic outcomes of cART in HIV ‐positive adults in Asian countries. Methods Patients enrolled in the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database cohort and on cART for more than six months were analysed. Comorbidities included hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia and impaired renal function. Treatment outcomes of patients ≥ 50 years of age with comorbidities were compared with those <50 years and those ≥ 50 years without comorbidities. We analysed 5411 patients with virological failure and 5621 with immunologic failure. Our failure outcomes were defined to be in‐line with the World Health Organization 2016 guidelines. Cox regression analysis was used to analyse time to first virological and immunological failure. Results The incidence of virologic failure was 7.72/100 person‐years. Virological failure was less likely in patients with better adherence and higher CD 4 count at cART initiation. Those acquiring HIV through intravenous drug use were more likely to have virological failure compared to those infected through heterosexual contact. On univariate analysis, patients aged <50 years without comorbidities were more likely to experience virological failure than those aged ≥50 years with comorbidities (hazard ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.31 to 2.33, p < 0.001). However, the multivariate model showed that age‐related comorbidities were not significant factors for virological failure (hazard ratio 1.31, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.74, p = 0.07). There were 391 immunological failures, with an incidence of 2.75/100 person‐years. On multivariate analysis, those aged <50 years without comorbidities ( p = 0.025) and age <50 years with comorbidities ( p = 0.001) were less likely to develop immunological failure compared to those aged ≥50 years with comorbidities. Conclusions In our Asia regional cohort, age‐associated comorbidities did not affect virologic outcomes of cART . Among those with comorbidities, patient...

BackgroundAntiretroviral therapy (ART) has evolved rapidly since its beginnings. This analysis describes trends in first-line ART use in Asia and their impact on treatment outcomes.MethodsPatients in the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database receiving first-line ART for ≥6 months were included. Predictors of treatment failure and treatment modification were assessed.ResultsData from 4662 eligible patients was analysed. Patients started ART in 2003–2006 (n = 1419), 2007–2010 (n = 2690) and 2011–2013 (n = 553). During the observation period, tenofovir, zidovudine and abacavir use largely replaced stavudine. Stavudine was prescribed to 5.8% of ART starters in 2012/13. Efavirenz use increased at the expense of nevirapine, although both continue to be used extensively (47.5% and 34.5% of patients in 2012/13, respectively). Protease inhibitor use dropped after 2004. The rate of treatment failure or modification declined over time (22.1 [95%CI 20.7–23.5] events per 100 patient/years in 2003–2006, 15.8 [14.9–16.8] in 2007–2010, and 11.6 [9.4–14.2] in 2011–2013). Adjustment for ART regimen had little impact on the temporal decline in treatment failure rates but substantially attenuated the temporal decline in rates of modification due to adverse event. In the final multivariate model, treatment modification due to adverse event was significantly predicted by earlier period of ART initiation (hazard ratio 0.52 [95%CI 0.33–0.81], p = 0.004 for 2011–2013 versus 2003–2006), older age (1.56 [1.19–2.04], p = 0.001 for ≥50 years versus <30years), female sex (1.29 [1.11–1.50], p = 0.001 versus male), positive hepatitis C status (1.33 [1.06–1.66], p = 0.013 versus negative), and ART regimen (11.36 [6.28–20.54], p<0.001 for stavudine-based regimens versus tenofovir-based).ConclusionsThe observed trends in first-line ART use in Asia reflect changes in drug availability, global treatment recommendations and prescriber preferences over the past decade. These changes have contributed to a declining rate of treatment modification due to adverse event, but not to reductions in treatment failure.

This study was conducted to assess the removal of arsenic (As) and heavy metals from mining wastewater by the combination of adsorption, using modified iron-ore drainage sludge, and horizontal-subsurface-flow constructed wetland with common reed (Phragmites australis). The pilot-scale experiment with a constant flow rate of 5 m3/day was operated for four months using real wastewater from a Pb–Zn mine in northern Vietnam. Atomic absorption spectroscopy was used for elemental analysis in wastewater and plant. X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface charge measurements (by a particle charge detector (PCD)), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and surface area Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) measurements were performed to determine the characteristics of the adsorbent. The results showed that the average removals of As, Mn, Cd, Zn, and Pb by the combined system with limestone substrate during four months were 80.3%, 96.9%, 79.6%, 52.9%, and 38.7%, respectively. The use of another constructed wetland substrate, laterite, demonstrated better removal efficiency of As than limestone. The concentrations of As and heavy metals in the effluent were lower than the limits established by the QCVN 40:2011/BTNMT for industrial wastewater, which indicated the feasibility of combining adsorption and constructed wetland for the treatment of mining wastewater.