Household air pollution and personal exposure risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons among rural residents in Shanxi, China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of pollutants of widespread concerns. Gaseous and size-segregated particulate-phase PAHs were collected in indoor and outdoor air in rural households. Personal exposure was measured and compared to the ingestion exposure. The average concentrations of 28 parent PAHs and benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) were 9000 ± 8390 and 131 ± 236 ng/m(3) for kitchen, 2590 ± 2270 and 43 ± 95 ng/m(3) for living room, and 2800 ± 3890 and 1.6 ± 0.7 ng/m(3) for outdoor air, respectively. The mass percent of high molecular weight (HMW) compounds with 5-6 rings contributed 1.3% to total 28 parent PAHs. Relatively higher fractions of HMW PAHs were found in indoor air compared to outdoor air. Majorities of particle-bound PAHs were found in the finest PM0.25 , and the highest levels of fine PM0.25 -bound PAHs were in the kitchen using peat and wood as energy sources. The 24-h personal PAH exposure concentration was 2100 ± 1300 ng/m(3) . Considering energies, exposures to those using wood were the highest. The PAH inhalation exposure comprised up to about 30% in total PAH exposure through food ingestion and inhalation, and the population attributable fraction (PAF) for lung cancer in the region was 0.85%. The risks for inhaled and ingested intakes of PAHs were 1.0 × 10(-5) and 1.1 × 10(-5) , respectively.

HLA-B allele dropout in PCR sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe typing due to intronic polymorphism in the novel B*58:01:01:02 allele

Currently, Luminex technology based on the PCR sequence-specific oligonucleotide (SSO) probe method has been widely used for HLA genotyping in the immunogenetics laboratories. Here, we reported a case with HLA-B allele dropout by Luminex technology. The initial HLA-B result of the Luminex method with a commercial agent kit was inconclusive, and then, the result of PCR-SBT technology indicated the dropout as a HLA-B*58 allele. Subsequently, the full-length sequence of HLA-B allele was determined by TOPO-TA cloning, and a novel allele B*58:01:01:02 was identified in the individual. Compared with HLA-B*58:01:01:01, the novel allele showed some nucleotides difference at 509 C>T, 521 T>G and CCC insertion in position 503 of intron 2. According to the full-length sequence, the new mutations of intron 2 were contributed to HLA-B locus allele dropout in the sample. Our results indicated multiplatform should be used to improve the HLA typing accuracy when a conclusive HLA genotype cannot be determined.

HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies of 8333 Chinese Han from the Zhejiang province, China

The distribution of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) allele and haplotype is varied among different ethnic populations. In this study, HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies were determined in 8333 volunteer bone marrow donors of Zhejiang Han population using the polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing. A total of 52 HLA-A, 96 HLA-B and 61 HLA-DRB1 alleles were found. Of these, the top three frequent alleles in HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-DRB1 loci, respectively, were A*11:01 (24.53%), A*24:02 (17.35%), A*02:01 (11.58%); B*40:01 (15.67%), B*46:01 (11.87%), B*58:01 (9.05%); DRB1*09:01 (17.54%),DRB1*12:02 (9.64%) and DRB1*08:03 (8.65%). A total of 171 A-B-DRB1 haplotypes with a frequency of >0.1% were presented and the five most common haplotypes were A*33:03-B*58:01- DRB1*03:01, A*02:07-B*46:01-DRB1*09:01, A*30:01-B*13:02-DRB1*07:01, A*33:03-B*58:01-RB1*13:02 and A*11:01-B*15:02-DRB1*12:02. The information will be useful for selecting unrelated bone marrow donors and for anthropology studies and pharmacogenomics analysis.

Effects of late-gestation heat stress on immunity and performance of calves

Lactating cows that experience heat stress will have reduced dry matter intake and milk yield and shift metabolism, which ultimately reduces the efficiency of milk production. Dry cows that are heat stressed similarly experience lower intake, reduced mammary growth, and compromised immune function that ultimately results in a poorer transition into lactation and lower milk yield in the next lactation. A recent focus in our laboratory is on the effects of late gestation, in utero heat stress on calf survival and performance. We have completed a series of studies to examine preweaning growth and health, and later reproductive and productive responses, in an attempt to quantify acute and persistent effects of in utero heat strain. Late gestation heat stress results in calves with lower body weight at birth, shorter stature at weaning, and failure to achieve the same weight or height at 12 mo of age observed in calves from dams that are cooled when dry. A portion of the reduced growth may result from the lower immune status observed in calves heat stressed in utero, which begins with poorer apparent efficiency of immunoglobulin absorption and extends to lower survival rates through puberty. Heat-stressed calves, however, have permanent shifts in metabolism that are consistent with greater peripheral accumulation of energy and less lean growth relative to those from cooled dams. Comparing reproductive performance in calves heat stressed versus those cooled in utero, we observe that the cooled heifers require fewer services to attain pregnancy and become pregnant at an earlier age. Tracking the milk production in calves that were heat stressed in utero versus those cooled in late gestation revealed a significant reduction of yield in the first lactation, approximately 5 kg/d through 35 wk of lactation, despite similar body weight and condition score at calving. These observations indicate that a relatively brief period of heat stress in late gestation dramatically alters the health, growth, and ultimate performance of dairy calves. Thus, it is critical to effectively manage heat stress of dry cows to avoid negative effects on the calf.

Noise-induced damage to ribbon synapses without permanent threshold shifts in neonatal mice

Recently, ribbon synapses to the hair cells (HCs) in the cochlea have become a novel site of interest in the investigation of noise-induced cochlear lesions in adult rodents (Kujawa and Liberman, 2009; Lin et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2012; Shi et al., 2013). Permanent noise-induced damage to this type of synapse can result in subsequent degeneration of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in the absence of permanent changes to hearing sensitivity. To verify whether noise exposure during an early developmental period produces a similar impact on ribbon synapses, the present study examined the damaging effects of noise exposure in neonatal Kunming mice. The animals received exposure to broadband noise at 105-decibel (dB) sound pressure level (SPL) for 2h on either postnatal day 10 (P10d) or postnatal day 14 (P14d), and then hearing function (based on the auditory brainstem response (ABR)) and cochlear morphology were evaluated during either postnatal weeks 3-4 (P4w) or postnatal weeks 7-8 (P8w). There were no significant differences in the hearing threshold between noise-exposed and control animals, which suggests that noise did not cause permanent loss of hearing sensitivity. However, noise exposure did produce a significant loss of ribbon synapses, particularly in P14d mice, which continued to increase from P4w to P8w. Additionally, a corresponding reduction in the amplitude of compound action potential (CAP) was observed in the noise-exposed groups at P4w and P8w, and the CAP latency was elongated, indicating a change in synaptic function.

Cochlear protection against cisplatin by viral transfection of X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein across round window membrane

We have previously demonstrated that both age-related and noise-induced hearing loss are reduced in transgenic mice that ubiquitously overexpress X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP). In view of the therapeutic implications of these findings, we have developed a minimally invasive surgical method to deliver adenoid-associated virus (AAV) across the round window membrane (RWM) of the cochlea, enabling efficient gene transfer to hair cells and sensory neurons in this enclosed structure. This RWM approach was used in the present study to evaluate the effectiveness of AAV-mediated XIAP overexpression in protecting against cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. Two weeks following surgery, AAV-derived XIAP was detected in the majority of inner and outer hair cells, resulting in a threefold elevation of this antiapoptotic protein in the cochlea. The protection of AAV-mediated XIAP overexpression was evaluated in animals treated with cisplatin at a dose of 4 mg kg(-1) per day for 4-7 consecutive days. The XIAP overexpression was found to attenuate cisplatin-induced hearing loss by ~22 dB. This was accompanied by a reduction of the loss of vulnerable hair cells and sensory neurons in the cochlea by 13%.

PROX1 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma proliferation and sorafenib resistance by enhancing β-catenin expression and nuclear translocation

Aberrant activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is frequent in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and contributes to HCC initiation and progression. This abnormal activation may result from somatic mutations in the genes of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and/or dysregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. The mechanism for the latter remains poorly understood. Prospero-related homeobox 1 (PROX1) is a downstream target of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in human colorectal cancer and elevated PROX1 expression promotes malignant progression. However, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway does not regulate PROX1 expression in the liver and HCC cells. Here we report that PROX1 promotes HCC cell proliferation in vitro and tumor growth in HCC xenograft mice. PROX1 and β-catenin levels are positively correlated in tumor tissues as well as in cultured HCC cells. PROX1 can upregulate β-catenin transcription by stimulating the β-catenin promoter and enhance the nuclear translocation of β-catenin in HCC cells, which leads to the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Moreover, we show that increase in PROX1 expression renders HCC cells more resistant to sorafenib treatment, which is the standard therapy for advanced HCC. Overall, we have pinpointed PROX1 as a critical factor activating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway in HCC, which promotes HCC proliferation and sorafenib resistance.

Investigation of killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 diversity and identification of ten novel KIR2DL3 alleles in the Chinese Han population

KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 are important inhibitory receptors that recognize a subset of HLA-C allelic products carrying Ser77 and Asn80. In this study, we have determined KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 diversity in the Chinese Han population by a PCR sequence-based typing. Based on sequencing, the coding regions of 166 Chinese Han individuals, seven new polymorphic sites (238G>A, 405G>A, 476A>G, 550G>A, 608G>A, 789T>C, 947T>C) were found. KIR2DL2*00301, *00101, KIR2DL3*00101,*00201,*013, *015 and ten new KIR2DL3 variants (KIR2DL3*00105, 00106, 00107, 00108, 019, 020, 021, 022, 023 and 024) were identified, of which KIR2DL3*00101 was the most frequent allele. Compared with the sequences of KIR2DL3*00101, all sequences of 2DL3*00105, 2DL3*00106, 2DL3*00107 and 2DL3*00108 had one nucleotide substitution(789T>C, 261C>T, 489G>A and 405G>A),but none resulted in amino acid change. An A>G substitution was observed in nucleotide position 476 in 2DL3*019, 608 G>A in 2DL3*020, 824T>C in 2DL3*021 and 238 G>A in 2DL3*023. In addition, 2DL3*022 probably arose from 2DL3*00201 with a nucleotide substitution G>A at 550. There were more HLA-C1 positive individuals than HLA-C2. In conclusion, the data of allelic polymorphism for KIR2DL2 and KIR2DL3 were obtained in the Chinese Han population and ten novel KIR2DL3 alleles were identified.

Personal inhalation exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban and rural residents in a typical northern city in China

Personal inhalation exposure samples were collected and analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) for 126 selected volunteers during heating and non-heating seasons in a typical northern Chinese city, Taiyuan. Measured personal PAH exposure levels for the urban residents in the heating and non-heating seasons were 690 (540-1051) and 404 (266-544) ng/m(3) , respectively, while, for the rural residents, they were 770 (504-1071) and 312 (201-412) ng/m(3) , respectively. Thus, rural residents are exposed to lower PAH contamination in comparison with the urban residents in the non-heating seasons. In the heating season, personal PAH inhalation exposure levels were comparable between the urban and rural residents, in part owing to the large rate of residential solid fuel consumption in the rural area for household cooking and heating. The estimated incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCR) due to PAH exposure in Taiyuan were 3.36 × 10(-5) and 2.39 × 10(-5) for the rural and urban residents, respectively, significantly higher than the literature-reported national average level, suggesting an urgent need of PAH pollution control to protect human health.

Effect of heat stress during late gestation on immune function and growth performance of calves: isolation of altered colostral and calf factors

Calves born to cows exposed to heat stress during the dry period and fed their dams' colostrum have compromised passive and cell-mediated immunity compared with calves born to cows cooled during heat stress. However, it is unknown if this compromised immune response is caused by calf or colostrum intrinsic factors. Two studies were designed to elucidate the effects of colostrum from those innate to the calf. The objective of the first study was to evaluate the effect of maternal heat stress during the dry period on calf-specific factors related to immune response and growth performance. Cows were dried off 46 d before expected calving and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: heat stress (HT; n=18) or cooling (CL; n=18). Cows of the CL group were housed with sprinklers, fans and shade, whereas cows of HT group had only shade. After calving, the cows were milked and their colostrum was frozen for the subsequent study. Colostrum from cows exposed to a thermoneutral environment during the dry period was pooled and stored frozen (-20 °C). Within 4h of birth, 3.8L of the pooled colostrum from thermoneutral cows was fed to calves born to both HT and CL cows. Day of birth was considered study d 0. All calves were exposed to the same management and weaned at d 49. Blood samples were collected before colostrum feeding, 24h after birth and twice weekly up to d 28. Total serum IgG concentrations were determined. Body weight was recorded at birth and at d 15, 30, 45, and 60. Relative to CL calves, HT calves were lighter at birth (38.3 vs. 43.1 kg), but no difference in weight gain was observed at d 60. Additionally, HT calves had lower apparent efficiency of IgG absorption (26.0 vs. 30.2%), but no differences were observed for total IgG concentration. The objective of the second study was to evaluate the isolated effect of the colostrum from HT cows on calf immune response and growth performance. The experimental design was identical to the first study, but all calves were born to cows under thermoneutral conditions during the dry period. At birth, calves were blocked by sex and birth weight and then randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments, which meant they received pooled colostrum from HT cows or CL cows. No treatment effect was observed on passive immune transfer or on postnatal growth. Thus, heat stress during the last 6 wk of gestation negatively affects the ability of the calf to acquire passive immunity, regardless of colostrum source.

Long-term outcomes after nucleos(t)ide analogue discontinuation in HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients

Nucleos(t)ide analogue (NUC) resistance is an important clinical risk resulting from long-term therapy in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) management. Discontinuation of NUCs is a feasible strategy to reduce resistance. We aimed to observe the outcomes after NUC withdrawal in HBeAg-positive CHB patients. A total of 97 patients (11 patients with HBsAg loss and 86 patients with sustained HBeAg seroconversion) were enrolled. HBV DNA levels and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were monitored regularly after discontinuation. Relapse was defined as HBV DNA levels >2000 IU/mL in at least two determinations more than 4 weeks apart. HBeAg seroconversion was achieved within 48 weeks (interquartile range (IQR), 24-72 weeks). The time on consolidation therapy was 96 weeks (IQR, 84-144 weeks). No relapses occurred for HBsAg loss patients. Evidence of relapse was observed in 9.3% of HBeAg seroconversion patients. All relapse cases occurred within 48 weeks after discontinuation. The time to relapse was 33 ± 15 weeks. Elevation of HBV DNA and ALT levels over baseline were only observed in 12.5% of relapse patients. There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics (sex, HBV genotype, age or ALT levels) or time on consolidation therapy between patients with relapse or sustained response. NUC discontinuation in HBeAg-positive CHB patients is feasible after achieving HBeAg seroconversion at a minimum of 24 weeks. There is further benefit to prolonging the time on consolidation therapy to reduce relapse. More than 48 weeks of sustained response is a predictive marker for long-term sustained response.

Multimedia fate and source apportionment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a coking industry city in Northern China

A steady state Level III fate model was established and applied to quantify source-receptor relationship in a coking industry city in Northern China. The local emission inventory of PAHs, as the model input, was acquired based on energy consumption and emission factors. The model estimations were validated by measured data and indicated remarkable variations in the paired isomeric ratios. When a rectification factor, based on the receptor-to-source ratio, was calculated by the fate model, the quantitatively verified molecular diagnostic ratios provided reasonable results of local PAH emission sources. Due to the local ban and measures on small scale coking activities implemented from the beginning of 2004, the model calculations indicated that the local emission amount of PAHs in 2009 decreased considerably compared to that in 2003.

Mitotic and meiotic behavior of rye chromosomes in wheat - Psathyrostachys huashanica amphiploid x triticale progeny

The dynamics of rye chromosomes during mitosis and meiosis was analyzed in a subset comprising 33 F3 lines from the cross of wheat, Psathyrostachys huashanica amphiploid (AABBDDNsNs) and hexaploid triticale (AABBRR), as visualized by genomic in situ hybridization. The results indicated that 31 of the total lines contained 4-14 rye chromosomes. Twenty-eight combinations had more rye chromosomes than the F1 hybrids, suggesting the occurrence of spontaneous quantitative increment. No P. huashanica chromosomes were detected in all of the combinations tested. Mitotic analysis showed that rye chromosomes progressed normally with the wheat counterparts without loss. However, abnormal meiosis was found in almost all lines. Similar progression between wheat and rye genomes appeared from interphase to metaphase I. It was at anaphase I that many rye univalents lagged behind those of wheat, followed by equational division. This resulted in the formation of chromosomal segments and micronuclei at telophase I or II. Micronuclei could also be generated from the immobilized univalents in the periphery of cells. Synapsis and translocations between wheat and rye genomes, chromosome bridges, and unreduced gametes were detected. Therefore, it is proposed that rye chromosome elimination may involve chromatid lagging, fragmentation and micronucleation, or the immobilization of certain univalents during meiosis instead of mitosis in the relatively advanced generations. This mechanism, together with spontaneous incremental increase of rye chromosome number, permitted the generation of various germplasms for wheat improvement.

A novel thin-layer amperometric detector based on chemically modified ring-disc electrode and its application for simultaneous measurements of nitric oxide and nitrite in rat brain combined with in vivo microdialysis

A novel thin-layer amperometric detector (TLAD) based on chemically modified ring-disc electrode and its application for simultaneous measurements of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrite (NO(2)(-)) in rat brain were demonstrated in this work. The ring-disc electrode was simultaneously sensitive to nitric oxide (NO) and nitrite (NO(2)(-)) by modifying its inner disc with electropolymerized film of cobalt(II) tetraaminophthalocyanine (polyCoTAPc)/Nafion and its outer ring with poly(vinylpyridine) (PVP), respectively. The ring-disc electrode was used to constitute a novel TLAD in radial flow cell for simultaneous measurements of NO and NO(2)(-) in rat brain combined with techniques of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and in vivo microdialysis. It was found that the basal concentration of NO in the caudate nucleus of rat brain is lower than 1.0x10(-7) mol l(-1), NO(2)(-) concentration is 5.0x10(-7) mol l(-1) and NO exists in brain maybe mainly in the form of its decomposed product.

Relaxation dynamics of photoexcited excitons in rubrene single crystals using femtosecond absorption spectroscopy

The relaxation dynamics of an exciton in rubrene was investigated by femtosecond absorption spectroscopy. Exciton relaxation to a self-trapped state occurs via the coherent oscillation with 78 cm(-1) due to a coupled mode of molecular deformations with phenyl-side-group motions and molecular displacements. From the temperature dependence of the decay time of excitons, the energy necessary for an exciton to escape from a self-trapped state is evaluated to be ~35 meV (~400 K). As a result, a self-trapped exciton is stable at low temperatures. At room temperature, excitons can escape from a self-trapped state and, subsequently, they are dissociated to charged species. The exciton dissociation mechanism is discussed on the basis of the results.

Effect of heat stress during the dry period on mammary gland development

Heat stress during the dry period negatively affects hepatic metabolism and cellular immune function during the transition period, and milk production in the subsequent lactation. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in the depressed mammary gland function remain unknown. The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of heat stress during the dry period on various indices of mammary gland development of multiparous cows. Cows were dried off approximately 46 d before expected calving and randomly assigned to 2 treatments, heat stress (HT, n=15) or cooling (CL, n=14), based on mature equivalent milk production. Cows in the CL treatment were provided with sprinklers and fans that came on when ambient temperatures reached 21.1°C, whereas HT cows were housed in the same barn without fans and sprinklers. After parturition, all cows were housed in a freestall barn with cooling. Rectal temperatures were measured twice daily (0730 and 1430 h) and respiration rates recorded at 1500 h on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule from dry off to calving. Milk yield and composition were recorded daily up to 280 d in milk. Daily dry matter intake was measured from dry off to 42 d relative to calving. Mammary biopsies were collected at dry off, -20, 2, and 20 d relative to calving from a subset of cows (HT, n=7; CL, n=7). Labeling with Ki67 antigen and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate nick-end labeling were used to evaluate mammary cell proliferation and apoptosis, respectively. The average temperature-humidity index during the dry period was 76.6 and not different between treatments. Heat-stressed cows had higher rectal temperatures in the morning (38.8 vs. 38.6°C) and afternoon (39.4 vs. 39.0°C), greater respiration rates (78.4 vs. 45.6 breath/min), and decreased dry matter intake (8.9 vs. 10.6 kg/d) when dry compared with CL cows. Relative to HT cows, CL cows had greater milk production (28.9 vs. 33.9 kg/d), lower milk protein concentration (3.01 vs. 2.87%), and tended to have lower somatic cell score (3.35 vs. 2.94) through 280 d in milk. Heat stress during the dry period decreased mammary cell proliferation rate (1.0 vs. 3.3%) at -20 d relative to calving compared with CL cows. Mammary cell apoptosis was not affected by prepartum heat stress. We conclude that heat stress during the dry period compromises mammary gland development before parturition, which decreases milk yield in the next lactation.

C35T mutation could slightly decrease the activity of human α-(1,2)-fucosyltransferase

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY

The C35T mutant α-(1,2)-fucosyltransferase (FUT1) gene had been reported related to the para-Bombay phenotype, but recently, our laboratory found that the C35T was a polymorphism in the Chinese population. This study aims at further clarifying the property of C35T mutant FUT1.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The mutant C35T FUT1 gene was cloned into expression vector in vitro, the mRNA expression was analyzed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the mutant enzyme's activity was determined in vitro.

RESULTS

The results showed that the frequencies of 35C and 35T alleles were 0.735 and 0.265, respectively. The FUT1 mRNA level of transfected cells with C35T recombination vector showed 99.85% of the wild-type FUT1 transfected cells. The enzyme relative activity of transfected cell lysates with C35T FUT1 recombination vector was 79.45% compared with that of the wild-type FUT1 transfected cell lysates. The K(m)(phenyl-gal) value of enzyme encoded by C35T allele was 0.5 times higher than that of the enzyme encoded by FUT1 wild-type allele.

CONCLUSION

These results suggested that FUT1 C35T was a polymorphism in the Chinese population and did not affect its mRNA transcription, but could slightly decrease the activity of human α-(1,2)-fucosyltransferase in vitro.

A novel FUT1 allele was identified in a Chinese individual with para-Bombay phenotype

BACKGROUND

The para-Bombay phenotype is characterised by H-deficient or H partially deficient red blood cells (RBCs) in individuals who secrete ABH antigens in their saliva. Samples from an individual whose RBCs had an apparent para-Bombay phenotype and his family members were investigated and a novel FUT1 allele was identified.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

RBCs' phenotype was characterised by standard serologic technique. Genomic DNA was sequenced with primers that amplified the coding sequence of FUT1 and FUT2, respectively. Routine ABO genotyping analysis was performed. Haplotypes of FUT1 were identified by TOPO cloning sequencing. Recombination expression vectors of FUT1 mutation alleles were constructed and transfected into COS-7 cells. The pα-(1,2)-fucosyltransferase activity of expression protein was determined.

RESULTS

B101/O02 genotype of the proband was correlated with ABH substances in saliva. The proband carried a new FUT1 allele which showed 35C/T, 235G/C and 682A/G heterozygote by directly DNA sequencing. Two haplotypes, 235C and 35T+682G, were identified by TOPO cloning sequencing and COS-7 cells transfected with five recombination vectors including wild-type, 35T, 235C, 682G and 35T+682G alleles were established respectively. The α-(1,2)-fucosyltransferase activities of cell lysates which had transfected with 35T, 235C, 682G and 35T+682G recombination vectors showed 79·45, 16·23, 80·32 and 24·59%, respectively, compared with that of the wild-type FUT1-transfected cell lysates.

CONCLUSION

A novel FUT1 allele 235C was identified, which greatly diminished the activity of α-(1,2)-fucosyltransferase.

Analysis of the complete cDNA sequences of HLA-DRB1 alleles with group-specific amplification primers in the Chinese Han population

Currently for the majority of HLA-DRB1 alleles the focus has been mainly on exon 2 and complete cDNA sequences of HLA-DRB1 alleles are rare. In this study, we analyzed the complete coding sequences of partial alleles of HLA-DRB1 locus. The cDNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using the group-specific primers located in the 5'- and 3'-untranslated regions to obtain the complete coding sequences. The amplification products were sequenced using an ABI BigDye® Terminator Cycle Sequencing kit. The HLA-DRB1 allele phylogenetic tree was analyzed by dnaman software. Full-length cDNA sequences of 22 HLA-DRB1 alleles were obtained in this study. HLA-DRB1*08:09, DRB1 *12:02:01, and DRB1*13:12 alleles were first reported for complete coding sequences. The sequences of exon 1 of HLA-DRB1*04:06:01, DRB1*08:03:02, and DRB1 *14:07:01 were newly presented. The complete coding sequences of HLA-DRB1 *01:01:01, DRB1*03:01:01:01, DRB1*04:01:01, DRB1*04:05:01, DRB1*07:01:01: 01, DRB1*09:01:02, DRB1*10:01:01, DRB1*11:01:01, DRB1*12:01:01, DRB1*13: 01:01, DRB1*13:02:01, DRB1*14:04, DRB1*14:54, DRB1*15:01:01:01, DRB1*15: 02:01, and DRB1*16:02:01 were identical to those previously reported. Forty polymorphic positions in complete coding sequences outside exon 2 of these HLA-DRB1 alleles were confirmed. According to the phylogenetic tree of full-length coding sequence, the HLA-DRB1 allele was classified into seven major allelic lineages. In conclusion, a protocol for HLA-DRB1 cDNA amplification and sequencing was improved and the data may help to determine the polymorphism of coding sequences outside exon 2.

Human platelet antigen allele frequencies and new mutations on platelet glycoprotein genes in the Chinese Han population

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The frequencies of human platelet antigens (HPAs) vary between different populations. In this study, we determined the HPA allele frequencies in the Chinese Han population and identified situation of incompatibility possibly leading to alloimmunisation.

METHODS

A total of 750 volunteer blood donors of the Chinese Han population were genotyped for HPA-1 to -17w systems. HPA genotyping was determined by polymerase chain reaction sequence-based typing.

RESULTS

Among the 17 HPA systems, the allele frequency is different from other populations. We noted the absence of HPA-7bw to HPA-14bw, HPA-16bw and HPA-17bw alleles in the population. The estimated incompatibility probabilities regarding platelet antigens 1 to 6w and 15 systems after transfusion of random donor platelet were from 0·004 to 0·373. Thirteen glycoprotein alleles were observed in the population. In addition, we identified 16 novel mutations on the glycoprotein genes separated from HPA polymorphisms, including GP1BA (517-525delAAC), ITGA2B (2722C>T and IVS26+85T>C), ITGA2 (1521C>T, 2474T>G and IVS20+10 G>C), ITGB3 (1476G>A, IVS10+19C>A, 1813G>A, IVS11+21G>A, IVS11+152A>G and IVS11-104T>C), GP1BB (IVS1-79G>A, IVS1-27C>T and 129G>A) and CD109 (2139A>G). Five of them could lead to amino acid deletion, substitution or premature stop codon in corresponding glycoprotein.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a high degree of polymorphism of the membrane glycoprotein genes related to human platelet alloantigen-1 to -17w systems in the Chinese Han population. These data could have some impact on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of alloimmune thrombocytopenia.

Mechanically strained a-Si:H AMOLED driver circuits

This paper examines the variations in performance of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film transistor (TFT) pixel driver circuits for active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays, which are subject to compressive or tensile mechanical strain. The external strain is induced by bending of the TFT substrate, and is measured by the observed changes in resistance of in-situ strain gauges. Mechanical strain impacts the performance of the circuit in terms of its drive current, which may be attributed to mobility and Fermi energy shifts in the individual TFTs. The effect of strain-induced shifts in the TFTs as a function of strain orientation (longitudinal or transverse) with respect to direction of current flow is also examined. Our measurements show that the variation in the drain current of a longitudinally oriented TFT can be as much as ∼ 1.5% for strains as high as 10−3. Proper layout and circuit design can suppress the effect of strain-induced shifts, and should be taken into consideration when designing stable TFT driver circuits for mechanically flexible AMOLED displays.

Effects of soil organic matter on the development of the microbial polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) degradation potentials

The microbial activity in soils was a critical factor governing the degradation of organic micro-pollutants. The present study was conducted to analyze the effects of soil organic matter on the development of degradation potentials for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Most of the degradation kinetics for PAHs by the indigenous microorganisms developed in soils can be fitted with the Logistic growth models. The microbial activities were relatively lower in the soils with the lowest and highest organic matter content, which were likely due to the nutrition limit and PAH sequestration. The microbial activities developed in humic acid (HA) were much higher than those developed in humin, which was demonstrated to be able to sequester organic pollutants stronger. The results suggested that the nutrition support and sequestration were the two major mechanisms, that soil organic matter influenced the development of microbial PAHs degradation potentials.