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Objectives: Sickness situation in the past two weeks, an indicator of health service needs, is an increasing major health concern. However, data on the relationship between obesity and two-week morbidity in the female population, particularly in middle-aged and elderly women, is sparse. The present study aimed to examine the association between obesity and two-week morbidity among middle-aged and elderly women in Southern China, and to explore the independent contributions of socio-demographic variables, health-related factors, and obesity to two-week morbidity. Methods: In total, 2364 middle-aged and elderly women were included in this cross-sectional, community-based survey. Obesity was assessed using body mass index (BMI). The outcome variable was sickness situation over the past two weeks (two-week morbidity). Clustered logistic regression was applied to analyze the independent contribution of obesity to two-week morbidity. Results: Approximately 14.6% of participants experienced sickness in the past two weeks. Obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02–2.12) was significantly associated with two-week morbidity and its independent contribution accounted for 3.7%, lower than that of socio-demographic variables (73.7%) and health-related factors(22.6%). Conclusions: Some degree of correlation was observed between obesity and two-week morbidity among middle-aged and elderly women in Southern China, which can be used as a reference for health-related decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The middle and lower portions of the Yangtze River basin is the most species-rich region for freshwater mussels in Asia. The management and conservation of the taxa in this region has been greatly hampered by the lack of a well-developed phylogeny and species-level taxonomic framework. In this study, we tested the utility of two mitochondrial genes commonly used as DNA barcodes: the first subunit of the cytochrome oxidase c gene (COI) and the first subunit of the NADH dehydrogenase gene (ND1) for 34 putative species representing 15 genera, and also generated phylogenetic hypotheses for Chinese unionids based on the combined dataset of the two mitochondrial genes. The results showed that both loci performed well as barcodes for species identification, but the ND1 sequences provided better resolution when compared to COI. Based on the two-locus dataset, Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) phylogenetic analyses indicated 3 of the 15 genera of Chinese freshwater mussels examined were polyphyletic. Additionally, the analyses placed the 15 genera into 3 subfamilies: Unioninae (Aculamprotula, Cuneopsis, Nodularia and Schistodesmus), Gonideninae (Lamprotula, Solenaia and Ptychorhychus) and Anodontinae (Cristaria, Arconaia, Acuticosta, Lanceolaria, Anemina and Sinoanodonta). Our results contradict previous taxonomic classification that placed the genera Arconaia, Acuticosta and Lanceolaria in the Unioninae. This study represents one of the first attempts to develop a molecular phylogenetic framework for the Chinese members of the Unionidae and will provide a basis for future research on the evolution, ecology, and conservation of Chinese freshwater mussels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphate-solubilizing fungi (PSF) generally enhance available phosphorus (P) released from soil, which contributes to plants’ P requirement, especially in P-limiting regions. In this study, two PSF, TalA-JX04 and AspN-JX16, were isolated from the rhizosphere soil of moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) widely distributed in P-deficient areas in China and identified as Talaromyces aurantiacus and Aspergillus neoniger, respectively. The two PSF were cultured in potato dextrose liquid medium with six types of initial pH values ranging from 6.5 to 1.5 to assess acid resistance. Both PSF were incubated in Pikovskaya’s liquid media with different pH values containing five recalcitrant P sources, including Ca3(PO4)2, FePO4, CaHPO4, AlPO4, and C6H6Ca6O24P6, to estimate their P-solubilizing capacity. No significant differences were found in the biomass of both fungi grown in media with different initial pH, indicating that these fungi could grow well under acid stress. The P-solubilizing capacity of TalA-JX04 was highest in medium containing CaHPO4, followed by Ca3(PO4)2, FePO4, C6H6Ca6O24P6, and AlPO4 in six types of initial pH treatments, while the recalcitrant P-solubilizing capacity of AspN-JX16 varied with initial pH. Meanwhile, the P-solubilizing capacity of AspN-JX16 was much higher than TalA-JX04. The pH of fermentation broth was negatively correlated with P-solubilizing capacity (p<0.01), suggesting that the fungi promote the dissolution of P sources by secreting organic acids. Our results showed that TalA-JX04 and AspN-JX16 could survive in acidic environments and both fungi had a considerable ability to release soluble P by decomposing recalcitrant P-bearing compounds. The two fungi had potential for application as environment-friendly biofertilizers in subtropical bamboo ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to estimate the prevalences of chlamydia (CT) and gonococcal (NG) infections and explore risk factors associated with the CT infection among women in Shenzhen, China. We collected socio-demographic and clinical data from women (aged 20–60) and determined positivity of CT or NG by nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) with self-collected urine specimens. We estimated prevalence of CT and NG and determined risk factors associated with CT infection. Among 9,207 participants, 4.12% (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.71%-4.53%) tested positive for CT and 0.17% (95% CIs, 0.09%-0.25%) for NG. Factors significantly associated with CT infection included being an ethnic minority (ethnicity other than Han China) (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.9; 95% CI, 1.2–3.0), using methods other than condom for contraception (AOR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2–1.8), having a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes (AOR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1–1.8), and experiencing reproductive tract symptoms in the past three months (AOR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0–1.7). we found that CT infection is prevalent among women in Shenzhen, China and associated with both demographic and behavioral factors. A comprehensive CT screening, surveillance and treatment programme targeting this population is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice cultivation has been challenged by increasing food demand and water scarcity. We examined the responses of water use, grain yield, and water productivity to various modes of field water managements in Chinese double rice systems. Four treatments were studied in a long-term field experiment (1998–2015): continuous flooding (CF), flooding—midseason drying—flooding (F-D-F), flooding—midseason drying—intermittent irrigation without obvious standing water (F-D-S), and flooding—rain-fed (F-RF). The average precipitation was 483 mm in early-rice season and 397 mm in late-rice season. The irrigated water for CF, F-D-F, F-D-S, and F-RF, respectively, was 263, 340, 279, and 170 mm in early-rice season, and 484, 528, 422, and 206 mm in late-rice season. Grain yield for CF, F-D-F, F-D-S, and F-RF, respectively, was 4,722, 4,597, 4,479, and 4,232 kgha-1 in early-rice season, and 5,420, 5,402, 5,366, and 4,498 kgha-1 in late-rice season. Compared with CF, F-D-F consumed more irrigated water, which still decreased grain yield, leading to a decrease in water productivity by 25% in early-rice season and by 8% in late-rice season. Compared with F-D-F, F-D-S saved much irrigated water with a small yield reduction, leading to an increase in water productivity by 22% in early-rice season and by 26% in late-rice season. The results indicate that CF is best for early-rice and FDS is best for late-rice in terms of grain yield and water productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed oil content is an important agronomic trait in oilseed rape. However, the molecular mechanism of oil accumulation in rapeseeds is unclear so far. In this report, RNA sequencing technique (RNA-Seq) was performed to explore differentially expressed genes in siliques of two Brassica napus lines (HFA and LFA which contain high and low oil contents in seeds, respectively) at 15 and 25 days after pollination (DAP). The RNA-Seq results showed that 65746 and 66033 genes were detected in siliques of low oil content line at 15 and 25 DAP, and 65236 and 65211 genes were detected in siliques of high oil content line at 15 and 25 DAP, respectively. By comparative analysis, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in siliques of these lines. The DEGs were involved in multiple pathways, including metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolic, photosynthesis, pyruvate metabolism, fatty metabolism, glycophospholipid metabolism, and DNA binding. Also, DEGs were related to photosynthesis, starch and sugar metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and lipid metabolism at different developmental stage, resulting in the differential oil accumulation in seeds. Furthermore, RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR data revealed that some transcription factors positively regulate seed oil content. Thus, our data provide the valuable information for further exploring the molecular mechanism of lipid biosynthesis and oil accumulation in B. nupus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions between early developing Schistosoma mansoni larval stages and the hemolymph of its snail intermediate host represent the first molecular encounter with the snail’s immune system. To gain a more comprehensive understanding of this early parasite-host interaction, biotinylated sporocyst tegumental membrane (Mem) proteins and larval transformation proteins (LTP) were affixed to streptavidin-agarose beads and used as affinity matrices to enrich for larval-reactive plasma proteins from susceptible (NMRI) and resistant (BS-90) strains of the snail Biomphalaria glabrata. Nano-LC/MS-MS proteomic analyses of isolated plasma proteins revealed a diverse array of 94 immune-and nonimmune-related plasma proteins. Included among the immune-related subset were pattern recognition receptors (lectins, LPS-binding protein, thioester-containing proteins-TEPs), stress proteins (HSP60 and 70), adhesion proteins (dermatopontins), metalloproteases (isintegrin nd etalloproteinase (ADAM), ADAM-related Zn proteinases), cytotoxins (biomphalysin) and a Ca2+-binding protein (neo-calmodulin). Variable immunoglobulin and lectin domain (VIgL) gene family members, including fibrinogen-related proteins (FREPs), galectin-related proteins (GREPs) and C-type lectin-related proteins (CREPs), were the most prevalent of larval-reactive immune lectins present in plasma. FREPs were highly represented, although only a subset of FREP subfamilies (FREP 2, 3 and 12) were identified, suggesting potential selectivity in the repertoire of plasma lectins recognizing larval glycoconjugates. Other larval-binding FREP-like and CREP-like proteins possessing a C-terminal fibrinogen-related domain (FReD) or C-type lectin binding domain, respectively, and an Ig-fold domain also were identified as predicted proteins from the B. glabrata genome, although incomplete sequence data precluded their placement into specific FREP/CREP subfamilies. Similarly, a group of FReD-containing proteins (angiopoeitin-4, ficolin-2) that lacked N-terminal Ig-fold(s) were identified as a distinct group of FREP-like proteins, separate from the VIgL lectin family. Finally, differential appearance of GREPs in BS-90 plasma eluates, and others proteins exclusively found in eluates of the NMRI strain, suggested snail strain differences in the expression of select larval-reactive immune proteins. This hypothesis was supported by the finding that differential gene expression of the GREP in BS-90 and ADAM in NMRI snail strains generally correlated with their patterns of protein expression. In summary, this study is the first to provide a global comparative proteomic analysis of constitutively expressed plasma proteins from susceptible and resistant B. glabrata strains capable of binding early-expressed larval S. mansoni proteins. Identified proteins, especially those exhibiting differential expression, may play a role in determining immune compatibility in this snail host-parasite system. A complete listing of raw peptide data are available via ProteomeXchange using identifier PXD004942. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a clinical syndrome with the main characteristic of diffuse liver cells with fatty changes. The clinical evolution of NAFLD includes simple non-alcoholic fatty liver, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods and Findings: We conducted this review to identify the effectiveness of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) in NAFLD. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Library and Embase. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ω-3 PUFA treatment for NAFLD were considered. Two reviewers assessed the quality of each study and collected data independently. Disagreements were resolved by discussion among the reviewers and any of the other authors of the paper. We performed a meta-analysis and reported summary estimates of outcomes as inverse variance (IV), fixed or random, with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We included seven RCTs involving 442 patients (227 for the experimental group and 215 for the control group). All the patients were divided into two groups: one treated with ω-3 PUFA and the other was the control group (generally placebo). The demographics of the ω-3 PUFA and control groups were comparable. Beneficial changes in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (IV 95% CI: −7.61 [−12.83 to −2.39], p = 0.004), total cholesterol (TC) (IV 95% CI: −13.41 [−21.44 to −5.38], p = 0.001), triglyceride (TG) (IV 95% CI: −43.96 [−51.21 to −36.71], p<0.00001) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (IV 95% CI: 6.97 [2.05 to 11.90], p = 0.006) favored ω-3 PUFA treatment. Omega-3 PUFA tended towards a beneficial effect on aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (IV 95% CI: −6.89 [−17.71 to 3.92], p = 0.21), γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (IV 95% CI: −8.28 [−18.38 to 1.83], p = 0.11) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (IV 95% CI: −7.13 [−14.26 to 0.0], p = 0.05). Conclusions: Supplementation with ω-3 PUFA is a practical and effective treatment for NAFLD to decrease ALT, TC and increase HDL-C, especially to decrease TG. Omega-3 PUFA also has a tendency toward a beneficial effect on AST, GGT and LDL-C. More high-quality, large RCTs are needed to validate our findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, assessment of the safety of transgenic rice T1C-1 expressing Cry1C was carried out by: (1) studying horizontal gene transfer (HGT) in Sprague Dawley rats fed transgenic rice for 90 d; (2) examining the effect of Cry1C protein in vitro on digestibility and allergenicity; and (3) studying the changes of intestinal microbiota in rats fed with transgenic rice T1C-1 in acute and subchronic toxicity tests. Sprague Dawley rats were fed a diet containing either 60% GM Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) rice T1C-1 expressing Cry1C protein, the parental rice Minghui 63, or a basic diet for 90 d. The GM Bt rice T1C-1 showed no evidence of HGT between rats and transgenic rice. Sequence searching of the Cry1C protein showed no homology with known allergens or toxins. Cry1C protein was rapidly degraded in vitro with simulated gastric and intestinal fluids. The expressed Cry1C protein did not induce high levels of specific IgG and IgE antibodies in rats. The intestinal microbiota of rats fed T1C-1 was also analyzed in acute and subchronic toxicity tests by DGGE. Cluster analysis of DGGE profiles revealed significant individual differences in the rats' intestinal microbiota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-density (LD) single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) arrays provide a cost-effective solution for genomic prediction and selection, but algorithms and computational tools are needed for the optimal design of LD SNP chips. A multiple-objective, local optimization (MOLO) algorithm was developed for design of optimal LD SNP chips that can be imputed accurately to medium-density (MD) or high-density (HD) SNP genotypes for genomic prediction. The objective function facilitates maximization of non-gap map length and system information for the SNP chip, and the latter is computed either as locus-averaged (LASE) or haplotype-averaged Shannon entropy (HASE) and adjusted for uniformity of the SNP distribution. HASE performed better than LASE with ≤1,000 SNPs, but required considerably more computing time. Nevertheless, the differences diminished when >5,000 SNPs were selected. Optimization was accomplished conditionally on the presence of SNPs that were obligated to each chromosome. The frame location of SNPs on a chip can be either uniform (evenly spaced) or non-uniform. For the latter design, a tunable empirical Beta distribution was used to guide location distribution of frame SNPs such that both ends of each chromosome were enriched with SNPs. The SNP distribution on each chromosome was finalized through the objective function that was locally and empirically maximized. This MOLO algorithm was capable of selecting a set of approximately evenly-spaced and highly-informative SNPs, which in turn led to increased imputation accuracy compared with selection solely of evenly-spaced SNPs. Imputation accuracy increased with LD chip size, and imputation error rate was extremely low for chips with ≥3,000 SNPs. Assuming that genotyping or imputation error occurs at random, imputation error rate can be viewed as the upper limit for genomic prediction error. Our results show that about 25% of imputation error rate was propagated to genomic prediction in an Angus population. The utility of this MOLO algorithm was also demonstrated in a real application, in which a 6K SNP panel was optimized conditional on 5,260 obligatory SNP selected based on SNP-trait association in U.S. Holstein animals. With this MOLO algorithm, both imputation error rate and genomic prediction error rate were minimal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cytochrome P450 2C19 (CYP2C19) is an important drug-metabolizing enzyme (DME), which is responsible for the biotransformation of several kinds of drugs such as proton pump inhibitors, platelet aggregation inhibitors and antidepressants. Previous studies showed that Buchang NaoXinTong capsules (NXT) increased the CYP2C19 metabolic activity in vitro and enhanced the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel in vivo. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remained unclear. In the present study, we examined whether Pregnane X receptor (PXR) plays a role in NXT-mediated regulation of CYP2C19 expression. Methods: We applied luciferase assays, real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), Western blotting and cell-based analysis of metabolic activity experiments to investigate the NXT regulatory effects on the CYP2C19 promoter activity, the mRNA/ protein expression and the metabolic activity. Results: Our results demonstrated that NXT significantly increased the CYP2C19 promoter activity when co-transfected with PXR in HepG2 cells. Mutations in PXR responsive element abolished the NXT inductive effects on the CYP2C19 promoter transcription. Additionally, NXT incubation (150 and 250μg/mL) also markedly up-regulated endogenous CYP2C19 mRNA and protein levels in PXR-transfected HepG2 cells. Correspondingly, NXT leaded to a significant enhancement of the CYP2C19 catalytic activity in PXR-transfected HepG2 cells. Conclusion: In summary, this is the first study to suggest that NXT could induce CYP2C19 expression via PXR activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study demonstrated that theasinensin A (TSA) had a potential to form the complex with hydrophobic Trp-containing dipeptides, and to reduce their membrane potential by artificial-lipid membrane taste sensor. At a 1:3 molar ratio of the 6 Trp-containing dipeptides together with TSA, we observed a significant chemical shift of the protons of the dipeptides (Δδ) to a high magnetic field, when analyzed using 1H-nuclear-magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The Δδ values were correlated with the hydrophobicity (log P) of the dipeptides and significant correlations were obtained (P = 0.022, R2 = 0.77); e.g., Trp-Leu with the highest log P value of 1.623 among the tested dipeptides showed the highest Δδ value of 0.105 ppm for the H7 proton of Trp-Leu, while less chemical shifts were observed in theasinensin B and epigallocatechin-3-O-gallate. Diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy revealed that the diffusion coefficient of 3 mM of Trp-Leu (7.6 × 10−11 m2/s) at a pulse field gradient in the range 0.05–0.3 T/m decreased in the presence of 3 mM TSA (6.6 × 10−11 m2/s), suggesting that Trp-Leu forms a complex with TSA. Quantum mechanical calculations and rotating frame nuclear Overhauser effect-NMR spectroscopy provided configuration information on the geometry of the complex that Trp-Leu formed with TSA (1:1 complex) with a ΔG energy of –8.7 kJ/mol. A sensor analysis using artificial-lipid membranes demonstrated that the changes in membrane potential of 1 mM Trp-Leu (21.8 ± 1.3 mV) and Leu-Trp (5.3 ± 0.9 mV) were significantly (P < 0.001) reduced by 1 mM TSA (Trp-Leu, 13.1 ± 2.4 mV; Leu-Trp, 3.5 ± 0.5 mV; TSA alone, 0.2 ± 0.01 mV), indicating the effective suppression of hydrophobicity of dipeptides by TSA-formed complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a critical health issue that has drawn greater attention to the potential use of immunotherapy. Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), a pattern recognition receptor, is an essential component in host innate defense system against S. aureus infection. However, little is known about the innate immune response, specifically TLR2 activation, against MRSA infection. Here, we evaluate the protective effect and the mechanism of MRSA murine pneumonia after pretreatment with Pam3CSK4, a TLR2 agonist. We found that the MRSA-pneumonia mouse model, pretreated with Pam3CSK4, had reduced bacteria and mortality in comparison to control mice. As well, lower protein and mRNA levels of TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 were observed in lungs and bronchus of the Pam3CSK4 pretreatment group. Conversely, expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, but not TGF-β, increased in Pam3CSK4-pretreated mice. Our additional studies showed that CXCL-2 and CXCL1, which are necessary for neutrophil recruitment, were less evident in the Pam3CSK4-pretreated group compared to control group, whereas the expression of Fcγ receptors (FcγⅠ/Ⅲ) and complement receptors (CR1/3) increased in murine lungs. Furthermore, we found that increased survival and improved bacterial clearance were not a result of higher levels of neutrophil infiltration, but rather a result of enhanced phagocytosis and bactericidal activity of neutrophils in vitro and in vivo as well as increased robust oxidative activity and release of lactoferrin. Our cumulative findings suggest that Pam3CSK4 could be a novel immunotherapeutic candidate against MRSA pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine bacterium Vibrio alginolyticus uses a single polar flagellum to navigate in an aqueous environment. Similar to Escherichia coli cells, the polar flagellar motor has two states; when the motor is counter-clockwise, the cell swims forward and when the motor is clockwise, the cell swims backward. V. alginolyticus also incorporates a direction randomization step at the start of the forward swimming interval by flicking its flagellum. To gain an understanding on how the polar flagellar motor switch is regulated, distributions of the forward Δf and backward Δb intervals are investigated herein. We found that the steady-state probability density functions, P(Δf) and P(Δb), of freely swimming bacteria are strongly peaked at a finite time, suggesting that the motor switch is not Poissonian. The short-time inhibition is sufficiently strong and long lasting, i.e., several hundred milliseconds for both intervals, which is readily observed and characterized. Treating motor reversal dynamics as a first-passage problem, which results from conformation fluctuations of the motor switch, we calculated P(Δf) and P(Δb) and found good agreement with the measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens subsp. plantarum FZB42 is a representative of Gram-positive plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that inhabit plant root environments. In order to better understand the molecular mechanisms of bacteria-plant symbiosis, we have systematically analyzed the primary transcriptome of strain FZB42 grown under rhizosphere-mimicking conditions using differential RNA sequencing (dRNA-seq). Our analysis revealed 4,877 transcription start sites for protein-coding genes, identified genes differentially expressed under different growth conditions, and corrected many previously mis-annotated genes. We also identified a large number of riboswitches and cis-encoded antisense RNAs, as well as trans-encoded small noncoding RNAs that may play important roles in the gene regulation of Bacillus. Overall, our analyses provided a landscape of Bacillus primary transcriptome and improved the knowledge of rhizobacteria-host interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bursaphelenchus xylophilus is the pathogen of pine wilt disease. Bursaphelenchus mucronatus is similar to B. xylophilus in morphology. Both species share a common niche, but they are quite different in pathogenicity. Presently, the role of bacteria in pine wilt disease development has been widely speculated. The diversity of bacteria associated with B. xylophilus and B. mucronatus with different virulence remains unclear. In this study, virulence of four B. xylophilus and four B. mucronatus strains were evaluated by inoculating Pinus thunbergii. High-throughput sequencing targeted 16S rDNA of different virulence nematode strains was carried out. The associated bacterial community structures of the eight strains were analyzed. The results showed that 634,051 high-quality sequences were obtained from the eight nematode strains. The number of OTUs of bacteria associated with B. mucronatus was generally greater than those of B. xylophilus. The richness of the community of bacteria associated with high virulent B. xylophilus ZL1 and AmA3 was higher than moderately virulent B. xylophilus AA3, HE2, and all B. mucronatus strains. While the diversity of bacteria associated with B. mucronatus was higher than B. xylophilus. Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonadaceae_Unclassified or Rhizobiaceae_Unclassified were predominant in the nematode strains with different virulence. Oxalobacteraceae and Achromobacter were found more abundant in the low virulent B. xylophilus and non-virulent B. mucronatus strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have reported that natriuretic peptides in the blood and pleural fluid (PF) are effective diagnostic markers for heart failure (HF). These natriuretic peptides include N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and midregion pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP). This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the diagnostic accuracy of blood and PF natriuretic peptides for HF in patients with pleural effusion. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched to identify articles published in English that investigated the diagnostic accuracy of BNP, NT-proBNP, and MR-proANP for HF. The last search was performed on 9 October 2014. The quality of the eligible studies was assessed using the revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. The diagnostic performance characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, and other measures of accuracy) were pooled and examined using a bivariate model. Results: In total, 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis, including 12 studies reporting the diagnostic accuracy of PF NT-proBNP and 4 studies evaluating blood NT-proBNP. The summary estimates of PF NT-proBNP for HF had a diagnostic sensitivity of 0.94 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.90–0.96), specificity of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.86–0.95), positive likelihood ratio of 10.9 (95% CI: 6.4–18.6), negative likelihood ratio of 0.07 (95% CI: 0.04–0.12), and diagnostic odds ratio of 157 (95% CI: 57–430). The overall sensitivity of blood NT-proBNP for diagnosis of HF was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.86–0.95), with a specificity of 0.88 (95% CI: 0.77–0.94), positive likelihood ratio of 7.8 (95% CI: 3.7–16.3), negative likelihood ratio of 0.10 (95% CI: 0.06–0.16), and diagnostic odds ratio of 81 (95% CI: 27–241). The diagnostic accuracy of PF MR-proANP and blood and PF BNP was not analyzed due to the small number of related studies. Conclusions: BNP, NT-proBNP, and MR-proANP, either in blood or PF, are effective tools for diagnosis of HF. Additional studies are needed to rigorously evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of PF and blood MR-proANP and BNP for the diagnosis of HF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cabbage moth, Mamestra brassicae L. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a serious pest of vegetable crops throughout the world. In order to determine whether or not M. brassicae is a migrant, and if yes, what is the pattern of M. brassicae seasonal migration, a long-term study on M. brassicae from April to October in 2003–2014 was carried out by means of a searchlight trap on a small island located in the center of the Bohai Strait. The results show that a large number of M. brassicae were trapped every year on the island, which indicates that M. brassicae is a migrant and migrated at least 40–60 km across the Bohai Strait. The mean migration period of M. brassicae over the sea within one year is 151 ± 8 d in 2003–2014, with the shortest time span 78 d in 2003 and the longest 189 d in 2014, respectively. The number of M. brassicae captured, however, varies considerably between months or years. The majority of captures were female, with different levels of ovarian development and mating status. Most of the females trapped in May-July during 2010–2014 had a high mating rate and advanced level of ovarian development, suggesting that the migration of this species does not conform to the hypothesis of ‘oogenesis-flight syndrome’. The findings of the present study are beneficial to the development of forecasting systems and management strategies of M. brassicae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration behavior of the turnip moth, Agrotis segetum (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is not well known by far. Here, we present the data from an 11-year study on A. segetum by means of searchlight trapping and ovarian dissection on Beihuang (BH) Island, which located in the center of the Bohai Strait in northern China. The data showed a large number of A. segetum flight across the strait each year, which provides direct evidence that A. segetum is a long-distance migrant, migrating at least 40 - 60 km to reach the trapping site. The migration period during 2003-2013 ranged from 115 to 172 d. Among the catches, the proportion of females was significantly higher than that of males in each month from May to September. Ovarian dissection showed that the proportion of mated females and the proportion of sexually mature females was significantly higher than that of unmated females and sexually immature females in early summer, respectively, but conversely in autumn. The early summer populations migrate in a south-north direction, which might undertake a long-distance flight on several successive nights. The autumn populations migrate in a north-south direction, which might originate not far from the trapping site. Based on these findings, the migratory physiology of A. segetum was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD44 as one of the most putative stem cell markers plays a key role in many cellular processes, including cancer cell growth and migration. Functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CD44 may modulate its gene functions and thus cancer risk. In the current study, we investigated if polymorphisms in the 3’-untranslated region (UTR) of CD44 are associated with increased susceptibility to colorectal cancer (CRC) by conducting a case-control study of 946 CRC patients and 989 cancer-free controls. Three polymorphisms (rs13347C/T, rs10836347C/T, rs11821102G/A) in the 3’-UTR of CD44 were genotyped. We found that the variant genotypes (CT and TT) of rs13347 (adjusted odds ratio (OR)=1.79, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.50-2.17) increased an individual’s susceptibility to CRC, compared with rs13347CC homozygous genotypes. We also found that CRC patients with the CT/TT genotype had a 1.6-fold increased risk for developing advanced (stage III + IV) CRC. Furthermore, functional assays showed that the C to T base change at rs13347C/T disrupts the binding site for the microRNA hsa-mir-509-3p, thereby increasing CD44 transcriptional activity and expression level. These findings suggest that the rs13347C/T in microRNA binding site may be potential biomarkers for genetic susceptibility to CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OCT4 is a transcription factor involved in maintaining stem cell phenotype and pluripotential. However, it remains unclear the expression pattern and biological function of OCT4 isoforms in cervical cancer. Here, we reported that both nuclear OCT4A and cytoplasmic OCT4B were overexpressed in CC. OCT4A was responsible for self-renewal of cervical cancer stem–like cells (CCSCs). Furthermore, OCT4B overexpression in SiHa cervical cancer cell line significantly increased cell proliferation and tumorigenesis by inhibiting apoptosis. Moreover, OCT4B enhanced angiogenesis by the upregulation of CD34, VEGF, HIF-1α and IL-6, and promoted tumor cell mobility to the surrounding tissue by the upregulation of MMP2 and MMP9, and the induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In conclusion, nuclear OCT4A may serve as a marker of CCSCs and the driving force for cervical cancer metastasis and recurrence, while cytoplasmic OCT4B may cooperate with OCT4A to regulate the progression of cervical cancer through inducing angiogenesis and EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate patients with ischemic infarctions in the territory of the corpus callosum to advance our understanding of this rare stroke subtype by providing comprehensive descriptive and epidemiological data. Methods: From January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2014, all cases of acute ischemic stroke diagnosed by clinical manifestation and diffusion weighted imaging in Dalian Municipal Central Hospital were investigated. The patients presenting with corpus callosum infarctions were selected and further allocated into genu and/or body and splenium infarction groups. Proportion, lesion patterns, clinical features, risk factors and etiology of corpus callosum infarction were analyzed. Results: Out of 1,629 cases, 59 patients (3.6%) with corpus callosum infarctions were identified by diffusion weighted imaging, including 7 patients who had ischemic lesions restricted to the corpus callosum territory. Thirty six patients had lesions in the splenium (61.0%). Corpus callosum infarction patients suffered from a broad spectrum of symptoms including weakness and/or numbness of the limbs, clumsy speech, and vertigo, which could not be explained by lesions in corpus callosum. A classical callosal disconnection syndrome was found in 2 out of all patients with corpus callosum infarctions. Statistical differences in the risk factor and infarct pattern between the genu and/or body group and splenium group were revealed. Conclusion: Corpus callosum infarction and the callosal disconnection syndrome were generally rare. The most susceptible location of ischemic corpus callosum lesion was the splenium. Splenium infarctions were often associated with bilateral cerebral hemisphere involvement (46.2%). The genu and/or body infarctions were associated with atherosclerosis. The most common cause of corpus callosum infarction probably was embolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth in sucrose medium was previously found to trigger the expression of functions involved in the plant associated life style of the endophytic bacterium Enterobacter sp. 638. Therefore, comparative transcriptome analysis between cultures grown in sucrose or lactate medium was used to gain insights in the expression levels of bacterial functions involved in the endophytic life style of strain 638. Growth on sucrose as a carbon source resulted in major changes in cell physiology, including a shift from a planktonic life style to the formation of bacterial aggregates. This shift was accompanied by a decrease in transcription of genes involved in motility (e.g. flagella biosynthesis) and an increase in the transcription of genes involved in colonization, adhesion and biofilm formation. The transcription levels of functions previously suggested as being involved in endophytic behavior and functions responsible for plant growth promoting properties, including the synthesis of indole-acetic acid, acetoin and 2,3-butanediol, also increased significantly for cultures grown in sucrose medium. Interestingly, despite an abundance of essential nutrients transcription levels of functions related to uptake and processing of nitrogen and iron became increased for cultures grown on sucrose as sole carbon source. Transcriptome data were also used to analyze putative regulatory relationships. In addition to the small RNA csrABCD regulon, which seems to play a role in the physiological adaptation and possibly the shift between free-living and plant-associated endophytic life style of Enterobacter sp. 638, our results also pointed to the involvement of rcsAB in controlling responses by Enterobacter sp. 638 to a plant-associated life style. Targeted mutagenesis was used to confirm this role and showed that compared to wild-type Enterobacter sp. 638 a ΔrcsB mutant was affected in its plant growth promoting ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To assess the clinical significance and risk factors of solitary lymph node metastasis (SLM) in gastric carcinoma and establish a more accurate method to evaluate the possibility of lymph node metastasis (LM). Methods: A total of 385 patients with gastric carcinoma who underwent D2 lymphadenectomy at the Cancer Center of Sun Yat-Sen University were included in this research. Then we used a group of data from Sun Yat-sen University Gastrointestinal Hospital (SYSUGIH) to validate the accuracy of our developed method. The χ2 test, Kaplan–Meier analysis, log-rank test, COX model, and discriminate analysis were used to analyze the data with SPSS13.0. Results: We found that the LM number and pathological T staging were independent prognostic risk factors. CEA grading, LN status by CT, and T staging by CT were independent risk factors for LM in gastric carcinoma. In addition, we developed the equation Y = -5.0 + X1 + 1.8X3 + 0.7X4 (X1 = CEA grading, X3 = LN status by CT, X4 = T staging by CT) to evaluate the situation of LM. The data from SYSUGIH shows this equation has a better accuracy compared with CT. Conclusions: SLM is an independent risk factor in gastric cancer. And there was no survival difference between the skip metastasis group and the other SLM group (P = 0.659). It is inappropriate for the patient with SLM doing a standard D2 lymphadenectomy, due to the fact that LM rarely occurs in the splenic artery, splenic hilum. The risk factors for LM include CEA grading, LN status by CT, and T staging by CT. And we can use Y = -5.0 + X1 + 1.8X3 + 0.7X4 (X1, CEA grading, X3 = LN status by CT, X4 = T staging by CT, the critical value is 0.3) to estimate the possibility of LM, which has a better accuracy compared with CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing number of demanding consumer image applications has led to increased interest in no-reference objective image quality assessment (IQA) algorithms. In this paper, we propose a new blind blur index for still images based on singular value similarity. The algorithm consists of three steps. First, a re-blurred image is produced by applying a Gaussian blur to the test image. Second, a singular value decomposition is performed on the test image and re-blurred image. Finally, an image blur index is constructed based on singular value similarity. The experimental results obtained on four simulated databases to demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has high correlation with human judgment when assessing blur or noise distortion of images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human adenovirus type 55 (HAdV-B55) represents a re-emerging human pathogen, and this adenovirus has been reported to cause outbreaks of acute respiratory diseases among military trainees and in school populations around the world. HAdV-B55 has been revealed to have evolved from homologous recombination between human adenovirus type 14 (HAdV-B14) and type 11 (HAdV-B11), but it presents different clinical manifestations from parental virus HAdV-B11. In the present paper, we report the distinct biological features of HAdV-B55 in comparison with the parental viruses HAdV-B11 and HAdV-B14 in cell cultures. The results showed that HAdV-B55 replicated well in various cells, similar to HAdV-B11 and HAdV-B14, but that its processing had a slower and milder cytopathic effect in the early stages of infection. Viral fitness analysis showed that HAdV-B55 exhibited higher levels of replication in respiratory cells than did either of its parents. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis analyses in A549 cells indicated that HAdV-B55 was less cytotoxic than HAdV-B11 and HAdV-B14 were and induced milder apoptosis. Finally, thermal sensitivity analysis revealed that HAdV-B55 exhibited lower thermostability than did either HAdV-B11 or HAdV-B14, which may limit the transmission of HAdV-B55 in humans. Together, the findings described here expand current knowledge about this re-emerging recombinant HAdV, shedding light on the pathogenesis of HAdV-B55. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noninvasive biomarkers have been developed to predict hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related fibrosis owing to the significant limitations of liver biopsy. Those biomarkers were initially derived from evaluation of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related fibrosis, and their accuracy among HBV-infected patients was under constant debate. A systematic review was conducted on records in PubMed, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library electronic databases, up until April 1st, 2013, in order to systematically assess the effectiveness and accuracy of these biomarkers for predicting HBV-related fibrosis. The questionnaire for quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies (QUADAS) was used. Out of 115 articles evaluated for eligibility, 79 studies satisfied the pre-determined inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. Eventually, our final data set for the meta-analysis contained 30 studies. The areas under the SROC curve for APRI, FIB-4, and FibroTest of significant fibrosis were 0.77, 0.75, and 0.84, respectively. For cirrhosis, the areas under the SROC curve for APRI, FIB-4 and FibroTest were 0.75, 0.87, and 0.90, respectively. The heterogeneity of FIB-4 and FibroTest were not statistically significant. The heterogeneity of APRI for detecting significant fibrosis was affected by median age (P = 0.0211), and for cirrhosis was affected by etiology (P = 0.0159). Based on the analysis we claim that FibroTest has excellent diagnostic accuracy for identification of HBV-related significant fibrosis and cirrhosis. FIB-4 has modest benefits and may be suitable for wider scope implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been implicated in human cancer, including colorectal cancer (CRC). Such dysregulated miRNAs may have potential as diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets. However, the nature of an association between these miRNAs and clinical stages of CRC is still not clear. To this end, we performed a miRNA profiling of 1547 distinct human miRNAs using 31 samples of tumor and paired normal mucosa obtained from 31 CRC patients. Based on statistical analyses of profiling data, we identified 569 miRNAs that were significantly dysregulated in CRC relative to normal tissues (P<0.05). Among the 569 dysregulated miRNAs, downregulation of 17 was associated with stages II, III, and IV colon and rectal cancers (separate or combined), according to our criteria. We also assessed the potential of these dysregulated miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers for CRC patients who were without metastasis, and the value of the dysregulated miRNAs for predicting metastasis, lymph node and distant. Their distinct expression patterns in colon and rectal cancers were also examined. Although our findings cannot be immediately applied toward clinical diagnosis, our new study model for determining and assessing the biomarker potential of dysregulated miRNAs should be useful in further research in detection of human CRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human enterovirus 71 (HEV71) has emerged as the leading cause of viral encephalitis in children in most Asian countries. The roles of host miRNAs in the neurological pathogenesis of HEV71 infection remain unknown. In the present study, comprehensive miRNA expression profiling in HEV71-infected human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was performed using the Affymetrix Gene Chip microarray assay and was validated using real-time RT-PCR. Among the 69 differentially expressed miRNAs, miR-1246 was specifically induced by HEV71 infection in human neuroblastoma cells, but inhibition of miR-1246 failed to affect HEV71 replication. Parallel mRNA and microRNA profiling based on the 35 K Human Genome Array identified 182 differentially regulated genes. Target prediction of miR-1246 and network modeling revealed 14 potential target genes involved in cell death and cell signaling. Finally, a combined analysis of the results from mRNA profiling and miR-1246 target predication led to the identification of disc-large homolog 3 (DLG3), which is associated with neurological disorders, for further validation. Sequence alignment and luciferase reporter assay showed that miR-1246 directly bound with the 3′-UTR of DLG3 gene. Down-regulation of miR-1246 induced significant changes in DLG3 expression levels in HEV71-infected SHSY5Y cells. Together, these results suggested that miR-1246 might play a role in neurological pathogenesis of HEV71 by regulating DLG3 gene in infected cells. These findings provide new information on the miRNA and mRNA profiles of HEV71-infected neuroblastoma cells. The biological significance of miR-1246 and DLG3 during the course of HEV71 infection deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NRP1 as multifunctional non-tyrosine-kinase receptors play critical roles in tumor progression. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an important class of pervasive genes that are involved in a variety of biological functions, particularly cancer. It remains unclear whether miRNAs can regulate the expression of NRP1. The goal of this study was to identify miRNAs that could inhibit the growth, invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer by targeting NRP1 expression. We found that miR-338 expression was reduced in gastric cancer cell lines and in gastric cancer tissues. Moreover, we found that miR-338 inhibited gastric cancer cell migration, invasion, proliferation and promoted apoptosis by targeting NRP1 expression. As an upstream regulator of NRP1, miR-338 directly targets NRP1. The forced expression of miR-338 inhibited the phosphorylation of Erk1/2, P38 MAPK and Akt; however, the expression of phosphorylated Erk1/2, P38 MAPK and Akt was restored by the overexpression of NRP1. In AGS cells infected with miR-338 or transfected with SiNRP1, the protein levels of fibronectin, vimentin, N-cadherin and SNAIL were decreased, but the expression of E-cadherin was increased. The expression of mesenchymal markers in miR-338-expressing cells was restored to normal levels by the restoration of NRP1 expression. In vivo, miR-338 also decreased tumor growth and suppressed D-MVA by targeting NRP1. Therefore, we conclude that miR-338 acts as a novel tumor suppressor gene in gastric cancer. miR-338 can decrease migratory, invasive, proliferative and apoptotic behaviors, as well as gastric cancer EMT, by attenuating the expression of NRP1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined if transplantation of combined haploidentical hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) affected graft failure and graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Patients with SAA-I (N = 17) received haploidentical HSCT plus MSC infusion. Stem cell grafts used a combination of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF)-primed bone marrow and G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells of haploidentical donors and the culture-expanded third-party donor-derived umbilical cord MSCs (UC-MSCs), respectively. Reduced intensity conditioning consisted of fludarabine (30 mg/m2·d)+cyclosphamide (500 mg/m2·d)+anti-human thymocyte IgG. Transplant recipients also received cyclosporin A, mycophenolatemofetil, and CD25 monoclonal antibody. A total of 16 patients achieved hematopoietic reconstitution. The median mononuclear cell and CD34 count was 9.3×108/kg and 4.5×106/kg. Median time to ANC was >0.5×109/L and PLT count >20×109/L were 12 and 14 days, respectively. Grade III-IV acute GVHD was seen in 23.5% of the cases, while moderate and severe chronic GVHD were seen in 14.2% of the cases. The 3-month and 6-month survival rates for all patients were 88.2% and 76.5%, respectively; mean survival time was 56.5 months. Combined transplantation of haploidentical HSCs and MSCs on SAA without an HLA-identical sibling donor was safe, effectively reduced the incidence of severe GVHD, and improved patient survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL/Apo2L) has been shown to have protective effects against atherosclerosis. However, whether TRAIL has any effects on expression of macrophage scavenger receptors and lipid uptake has not yet been studied. Macrophage lines RAW264.7 and THP-1, and mouse primary peritoneal macrophages, were cultured in vitro and treated with recombinant human TRAIL. Real-time PCR and western blot were performed to measure mRNA and protein expressions. Foam cell formation was assessed by internalization of acetylated and oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling. We found that TRAIL treatment increased expression of scavenger receptor (SR)-AI and SR-BI in a time- and dose-dependent manner, and this effect was accompanied by increased foam cell formation. These effects of TRAIL were abolished by a TRAIL neutralizing antibody or in DR5 receptor-deficient macrophages. The increased LDL uptake by TRAIL was blocked by SR-AI gene silencing or the SR-AI inhibitor poly(I:C), while SR-BI blockade with BLT-1 had no effect. TRAIL-induced SR-AI expression was blocked by the inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, but not by inhibitors of ERK1/2 or JNK. TRAIL also induced apoptosis in macrophages. In contrast to macrophages, TRAIL showed little effects on SR expression or apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that TRAIL promotes macrophage lipid uptake via SR-AI upregulation through activation of the p38 pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we engineered Listeria monocytogens (Lm) by deleting the LmΔactA/ΔinlB virulence determinants and inserting HCV-NS5B consensus antigens to develop a therapeutic vaccine against hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. We tested this recombinant Lm-HCV vaccine in triggering of innate and adaptive immune responses in vitro using immune cells from HCV-infected and uninfected individuals. This live-attenuated Lm-HCV vaccine could naturally infect human dendritic cells (DC), thereby driving DC maturation and antigen presentation, producing Th1 cytokines, and triggering CTL responses in uninfected individuals. However, vaccine responses were diminished when using DC and T cells derived from chronically HCV-infected individuals, who express higher levels of inhibitory molecule Tim-3 on immune cells. Notably, blocking Tim-3 signaling significantly improved the innate and adaptive immune responses in chronically HCV-infected patients, indicating that novel strategies to enhance the potential of antigen presentation and cellular responses are essential for developing an effective therapeutic vaccine against HCV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The newly diagnosed rate of HCV infection is increasing in China. However, the risk factors have not been fully identified. Here, a survey was performed in Yanbian Prefecture, a high-endemic area in China. Methods: We identified newly diagnosed HCV infection in 2007–2011, using the local National Disease Supervision Information Management System from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We determined the risk factors using a case-control survey by questionnaire. Results: Yanbian Prefecture had a rapid increase in the yearly newly diagnosed rate of HCV infection from 32.6 to 72.1/100.000 from the year 2007 to 2011. People aged 50–64 years had a high HCV infection of 43.4%, but only 0.3% of cases were reported in those aged less than 20 years. Cosmetic treatment, family history, blood transfusion, and dental treatment were independent risk factors for HCV infection. Unexpectedly, cosmetic treatments [odd ratio (OR) = 5.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.31–11.48, P = 0.00] and family history (OR = 4.68, 95% CI = 2.67–8.75, P = 0.00) showed a higher risk than the conventional risk factors of blood transfusion (OR = 4.49, 95% CI = 1.95–10.37, P = 0.001) and dental treatment (OR = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.42–6.25, P = 0.00). To further analyze the intrafamilial transmission, we found that spouses of HCV patients had an increased risk for acquiring HCV (OR = 5.75, 95% CI: 1.94–17.07), without significant association between either HCV RNA viral load (P = 0.29) or genotype (P = 0.43). Conclusions: HCV infection was increased in Yanbian Prefecture. Cosmetic treatment was a higher risk factor than medical procedure. HCV infection had a clear family clustering phenomenon, especially between spouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moso bamboo [Phyllostachys heterocycla var. pubescens (Mazel ex J. Houz.) Ohwi] is one of the most important forest crops in China and the rest of Asia. Although many sympodial bamboo tissue culture protocols have been established, there is no protocol available for plantlet regeneration as indicated by callus induction for monopodial bamboos, such as Moso bamboo. In the present report, embryogenic callus induction, embryoid development, and germination were established for Moso bamboo from zygotic seed embryos. Callus was initiated from zygotic embryos after 10–20 d culture on MS media supplemented with 4.0 mg/L 2, 4-D and 0.1 mg/L zeatin (ZT). About 50% of the explants produced calli, and nearly 15% of the calli were found to be embryogenic in nature. These embryogenic calli can be subcultured for proliferation in the Murashige and Skoog media (MS) supplemented with 0.5–2.0 mg/L 2, 4-D. These calli were found to have maintained their capacity for regeneration even after one year of subculture. The viable somatic embryoids regenerated in medium containing 5.0–7.0 mg/L ZT. Nearly 5% of the calli were found capable of regenerating into plantlets directly in MS medium containing 5.0–7.0 mg/L ZT. Root growth was more pronounced when the plantlets were transferred to medium containing 2.0 mg/L NAA. After 30 days of subculture, the plantlets were transferred to a greenhouse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma is a lethal cancer with rising incidence, yet the molecular biomarkers that have strong prognostic impact and also hold great therapeutic promise remain elusive. We used a data mining approach and identified the p21 protein-activated kinase 1 (PAK1), an oncogene and drugable protein kinase, to be among the most promising targets for GEJ adenocarcinoma. Immunoblot analysis and data mining demonstrated that PAK1 protein and mRNA were upregulated in cancer tissues compared to the noncancerous tissues. Immunohistochemistry revealed PAK1 overexpression in 72.6% of primary GEJ adenocarcinomas (n = 113). A step-wise increase in PAK1 levels was noted from paired normal epithelium, to atypical hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma. PAK1 overexpression in tumor was associated with lymph node (LN) metastasis (P<0.001), advanced tumor stage (P<0.001), large tumor size (P = 0.006), residual surgical margin (P = 0.033), and unfavorable overall survival (P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed PAK1 overexpression is an independent high-risk prognostic predictor (P<0.001). Collectively, PAK1 is overexpressed during tumorigenic progression and its upregulation correlates with malignant properties mainly relevant to invasion and metastasis. PAK1 expression could serve as a prognostic predictor that holds therapeutic promise for GEJ adenocarcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Eastern honey bee, Apis cerana Fabricius, is distributed in southern and eastern Asia, from India and China to Korea and Japan and southeast to the Moluccas. This species is also widely kept for honey production besides Apis mellifera. Apis cerana is also a model organism for studying social behavior, caste determination, mating biology, sexual selection, and host-parasite interactions. Few resources are available for molecular research in this species, and a linkage map was never constructed. A linkage map is a prerequisite for quantitative trait loci mapping and for analyzing genome structure. We used the Chinese honey bee, Apis cerana cerana to construct the first linkage map in the Eastern honey bee. Results: F2 workers (N = 103) were genotyped for 126,990 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). After filtering low quality and those not passing the Mendel test, we obtained 3,000 SNPs, 1,535 of these were informative and used to construct a linkage map. The preliminary map contains 19 linkage groups, we then mapped the 19 linkage groups to 16 chromosomes by comparing the markers to the genome of A. mellfiera. The final map contains 16 linkage groups with a total of 1,535 markers. The total genetic distance is 3,942.7 centimorgans (cM) with the largest linkage group (180 loci) measuring 574.5 cM. Average marker interval for all markers across the 16 linkage groups is 2.6 cM. Conclusion: We constructed a high density linkage map for A. c. cerana with 1,535 markers. Because the map is based on SNP markers, it will enable easier and faster genotyping assays than randomly amplified polymorphic DNA or microsatellite based maps used in A. mellifera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keeping mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract communities in balance is crucial for host health maintenance. However, our understanding of microbial communities in the GI tract is still very limited. In this study, samples taken from the GI tracts of C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequence-based analysis to examine the characteristic bacterial communities along the mouse GI tract, including those present in the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, colon and feces. Further analyses of the 283,234 valid sequences obtained from pyrosequencing revealed that the gastric, duodenal, large intestinal and fecal samples had higher phylogenetic diversity than the jejunum and ileum samples did. The microbial communities found in the small intestine and stomach were different from those seen in the large intestine and fecal samples. A greater proportion of Lactobacillaceae were found in the stomach and small intestine, while a larger proportion of anaerobes such as Bacteroidaceae, Prevotellaceae, Rikenellaceae, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae were found in the large intestine and feces. In addition, inter-mouse variations of microbiota were observed between the large intestinal and fecal samples, which were much smaller than those between the gastric and small intestinal samples. As far as we can ascertain, ours is the first study to systematically characterize bacterial communities from the GI tracts of C57BL/6 mice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The moderate halophile Amycolicicoccus subflavus DQS3-9A1T is the type strain of a novel species in the recently described novel genus Amycolicicoccus, which was isolated from oil mud precipitated from oil produced water. The complete genome of A. subflavus DQS3-9A1T has been sequenced and is characteristic of harboring the genes for adaption to the harsh petroleum environment with salinity, high osmotic pressure, and poor nutrient levels. Firstly, it characteristically contains four types of alkane hydroxylases, including the integral-membrane non-heme iron monooxygenase (AlkB) and cytochrome P450 CYP153, a long-chain alkane monooxygenase (LadA) and propane monooxygenase. It also accommodates complete pathways for the response to osmotic pressure. Physiological tests proved that the strain could grow on n-alkanes ranging from C10 to C36 and propane as the sole carbon sources, with the differential induction of four kinds of alkane hydroxylase coding genes. In addition, the strain could grow in 1–12% NaCl with the putative genes responsible for osmotic stresses induced as expected. These results reveal the effective adaptation of the strain DQS3-9A1T to harsh oil environment and provide a genome platform to investigate the global regulation of different alkane metabolisms in bacteria that are crucially important for petroleum degradation. To our knowledge, this is the first report to describe the co-existence of such four types of alkane hydroxylases in a bacterial strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]