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Biomedical subjects

Feifei Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Feifei Wang.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Comparative in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility profiles of clofazimine and pyrifazimine against clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in southwest China.

UNLABELLED: Clofazimine (CFZ) is a key drug used to treat drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), while pyrifazimine (TBI-166) is an improved riminophenazine derivative with better pharmacokinetics. However, there is a lack of data on its susceptibility and resistance in regions with a high disease burden, such as southwestern China. We compared the in vitro antimicrobial activities of CFZ and TBI-166 against 249 DR-TB clinical isolates (99 multidrug-resistant TB [MDR-TB] and 150 pre-extensively drug-resistant TB [pre-XDR-TB] isolates) from southwestern China. TBI-166 exhibited a concentration-dependent biphasic antimicrobial pattern compared to CFZ. TBI-166 showed significantly greater potency at low concentrations (MIC&#x2085;&#x2080; = 0.031 &#xb5;g/mL TBI-166 vs 0.25 &#xb5;g/mL for CFZ; P < 0.001), but attenuated inhibition at high concentrations (MIC&#x2089;&#x2080; > 4 &#xb5;g/mL vs 1 &#xb5;g/mL for CFZ; P < 0.001). However, at high concentrations, the antibacterial effect of TBI-166 is weaker than that of CFZ (40% of TBI-166-resistant isolates have MIC > 4 &#xb5;g/mL, compared to 6.67% of CFZ-resistant isolates, P < 0.001). Epidemiological cutoff values (ECOFFs) were 1.0 &#xb5;g/mL for CFZ and 0.25 &#xb5;g/mL for TBI-166. Based on these in vitro ECOFFs, the resistance rate to TBI-166 (20.1%, 50/249) was significantly higher than that to CFZ (6.0%, 15/249, P < 0.0001). Whole-genome sequencing revealed that mutations in Rv0678 were prevalent in dual-resistant isolates (10/14) and TBI-166 monoresistant isolates (5/40), while Rv1979c mutations were less frequent, and no pepQ mutations were detected. These mutations differed from known hotspots, suggesting potential novel resistance mechanisms. IMPORTANCE: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) remains a major global health challenge, and optimizing treatments for high-burden regions like southwest China is crucial. This study is the first to detail the differential in vitro activities of clofazimine (CFZ) and the novel TBI-166 against clinical DR-TB isolates from southwest China, alongside their resistance-associated genetic profiles. Findings show TBI-166 has enhanced low-concentration potency but higher resistance rates, plus novel mutations in Rv0678 and Rv1979c linked to resistance. These insights will help refine clinical regimens for DR-TB and strengthen regional resistance surveillance, both of which are essential for controlling the spread of DR-TB in southwest China and informing treatment and surveillance strategies in other similar high-burden areas globally.

Clofazimine

Associations Between Short Video Exposure, Empathy and Attitudes Toward End-Of-Life Care Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.

AIM: This cross-sectional study examined the associations between short video exposure, nursing students' empathy, and attitudes toward end-of-life (EOL) care, and tested whether perceived impact is statistically consistent with an indirect pathway in these relationships. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: In total, 534 undergraduate nursing students were included. Data were collected using a self-designed questionnaire, including the Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professions Student version for empathy assessment. Statistical analysis for correlation and mediation analysis (PROCESS macro) was performed. RESULTS: 85.96% of students watch short videos for more than 30&#x2009;min daily, with more than 60% of them viewing EOL-related content. Students with prior caregiving experience or formal palliative care education showed significantly higher empathy and more positive attitudes (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05). Exposure to medical and EOL-related short videos was positively correlated with perceived impact, empathy, and positive EOL attitudes, with effect sizes ranging from very weak to modest (r&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.10 to 0.27). The data were consistent with an indirect pathway between short video exposure and empathy via perceived impact (indirect effect&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.04; 95% bootstrap CI [0.01, 0.08]). However, for EOL attitudes, short video exposure showed a direct association rather than an indirect pathway via perceived impact (direct effect&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.09, p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.01). CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional study, short video exposure was modestly associated with nursing students' empathy, with data consistent with an indirect pathway via perceived impact; the observed associations explained only approximately 1% to 7% of the variance in the outcome variables. However, reshaping EOL attitudes may require more systematic education beyond brief video exposure. These findings are hypothesis-generating and await validation through longitudinal and experimental research using standardized video content. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nursing educators should consider integrating curated short video content into palliative care curricula to enhance students' empathy and perceived impact of end-of-life education. However, brief video exposure alone may be insufficient to reshape deeper end-of-life attitudes, suggesting the need for comprehensive, multi-modal educational strategies.

Humans

A chromosome-level genome assembly of Guimi No. 2 (Actinidia chinensis).

In this study, we report a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of Actinidia chinensis var. chinensis 'Guimi No. 2'. This cultivar, discovered in Guizhou karst ecosystems, exhibits resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa). Using a combination of MGI short-read sequencing, PacBio HiFi long-read sequencing, and Hi-C technology, we generated a genome assembly of 608.43&#x2009;Mb with a contig N50 of 20.70&#x2009;Mb, and 99.70% of the assembly was successfully anchored onto 29 pseudochromosomes. The quality value (QV) and the LTR Assembly Index (LAI) of the assembled genome were 72.23 and 10.10. The BUSCO analysis indicated that the genome assembly and gene model prediction were 98.40% and 96.56% complete, respectively. A total of 251.15&#x2009;Mb of repetitive sequences and 45,986 protein-coding genes were annotated. This genome assembly provides critical insights into A. chinensis's genomic architecture and serves as a foundational resource for elucidating disease resistance mechanisms against Psa, while enabling comparative phylogenomic studies across the Actinidia genus.

Actinidia

&#x3b3;-tubulin mediates DNA double-strand break repair.

Double-strand breaks (DSBs) in DNA pose a critical threat to genomic integrity, potentially leading to the onset and progression of various diseases, including cancer. Cellular responses to such lesions entail sophisticated repair mechanisms primarily mediated by non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). Interestingly, the efficient recruitment of repair proteins and completion of DSB repair likely involve complex, inter-organelle communication and coordination of cellular components. In this study, we report a role of &#x3b3;-tubulin in DSB repair. &#x3b3;-tubulin is a major microtubule nucleation factor governing microtubule dynamics. We show that &#x3b3;-tubulin is recruited to the site of DNA damage and is required for efficient DSB repair via both NHEJ and HR. Suppression of &#x3b3;-tubulin impedes DNA repair and exacerbates DNA damage accumulation. Furthermore, &#x3b3;-tubulin mediates the mobilization and formation of DNA damage foci, which serve as repair centers, thereby facilitating the recruitment of HR and NHEJ repair proteins on damaged chromatin. Finally, pharmacological inhibition of &#x3b3;-tubulin enhances the cytotoxic effect of DNA-damaging agents, consistent with the DNA repair function of &#x3b3;-tubulin, and underscoring the potential of its therapeutic intervention in cancer therapy.

DNA Breaks, Double-Stranded