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  • Retraction: Designing of an mRNA vaccine against high-risk human papillomavirus targeting the E6 and E7 oncoproteins exploiting immunoinformatics and dynamic simulation

    by The PLOS One Editors



  • PTPN21 inhibits cell apoptosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia induced by chemotherapeutic agents via GADD45A and JNK signaling pathway

    by Chenze Zhao, Yu Zhang, Linlin Huang, Jingjing Xiang, Baodong Ye, Ni Zhu

    Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a hematologic malignancy characterized by the uncontrolled proliferation of immature lymphocytes, often results in unfavorable long-term survival prospects for patients. PTPN21, a protein with established roles in oncogenesis, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ALL. This study explores the role of PTPN21 in ALL cell apoptosis induced by chemotherapeutic agents. Key findings reveal that elevated PTPN21 levels hinder the apoptosis of ALL cells in response to vincristine (VCR) and daunorubicin (DNR). PTPN21 accomplishes this by inhibiting the GADD45A and JNK signaling pathways, thereby reversing cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase. Restoring GADD45A reverses the anti-apoptotic effect of PTPN21. These findings suggest that targeting PTPN21 in conjunction with chemotherapy may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for ALL, offering potential implications for improving treatment efficacy and overcoming drug resistance.

  • Correction: Cross-lingual hate speech detection using domain-specific word embeddings

    by Ayme Arango Monnar, Jorge Perez Rojas, Barbara Poblete



  • A survey on the use of continuous positive airway pressure in newborn care in Kenya in 2017–2018

    by Jemma L. Wright, Emma Haddon, Helen M. Nabwera, Fiona M. Dickinson, Mary-Jo Hoare, Pamela Godia, Judith Maua, Mercy K. Sammy, Bridget C. Naimoi, Onesmus Muchemi, Sylvia Kawira, Joyce Mutuku, Osman H. Warfa, Beatrice Ochieng, Sophie Ngugi, Allan Govoga, Florence Murila, Alexander Manu, William M. Macharia, Matthews Mathai, Juan E. Dewez

    Background

    Globally, complications of preterm birth are the leading cause of under-5-mortality. Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a common and life-threatening complication among preterm infants. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is a relatively simple and effective intervention that is recommended for RDS treatment. However, appropriate infrastructure and processes are required to ensure that it is used safely, effectively and sustainably. This study describes how CPAP was used in newborn care in Kenya between 2017–2018. Our aim was to identify enablers, barriers and gaps in CPAP use.

    Methods

    A cross-sectional survey was carried out across all newborn baby units in Kenya between 2017–2018, as part of a evaluation of CPAP use in newborn care. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data.

    Results

    Twenty-three hospitals across 15 (32%) of the counties in Kenya were providing CPAP in newborn care. The survey was conducted in 19 hospitals, amounting to 83% of all hospitals providing CPAP in newborn care in the country. Sub-county (level 4) and county (level 5) referral had fewer resources (i.e., trained staff, infrastructure and equipment) than the national referral (level 6) and private hospitals. In addition, there was a wide variation in the CPAP devices used and the resources for supporting CPAP use across different hospitals.

    Conclusion

    We found access to CPAP for neonates with RDS was inequitable in Kenya. There were also disparities in the availability of resources, personnel, and guidelines to support its implementation. Lack of standardisation of CPAP use in newborn care was especially evident in the public sector. To optimise coverage and standardisation of CPAP use in newborn care in Kenya, our results support ongoing partnerships to strengthen public and private healthcare sectors involving the implementation of strategies to improve infrastructure for newborn care, train and retain staff, and provide additional equipment.



  • Correction: Conjectures and refutations: Species diversity and phylogeny of <i>Australoheros</i> from coastal rivers of southern South America (Teleostei: Cichlidae)

    by Carlos A. Santos de Lucena, Sven Kullander, Michael Norén, Bárbara Calegari