A genome-wide association study suggests new candidate genes for milk production traits in Chinese Holstein cattle

A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted on 15 milk production traits in Chinese Holstein. The experimental population consisted of 445 cattle, each genotyped by the GGP (GeneSeek genomic profiling)-BovineLD V3 SNP chip, which had 26 151 public SNPs in its manifest file. After data cleaning, 20 326 SNPs were retained for the GWAS. The phenotypes were estimated breeding values of traits, provided by a public dairy herd improvement program center that had been collected once a month for 3 years. Two statistical models, a fixed-effect linear regression model and a mixed-effect linear model, were used to estimate the association effects of SNPs on each of the phenotypes. Genome-wide significant and suggestive thresholds were set at 2.46E-06 and 4.95E-05 respectively. The two statistical models concurrently identified two genome-wide significant (P < 0.05) SNPs on milk production traits in this Chinese Holstein population. The positional candidate genes, which were the ones closest to these two identified SNPs, were EEF2K (eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase) and KLHL1 (kelch like family member 1). These two genes could serve as new candidate genes for milk yield and lactation persistence, yet their roles need to be verified in further function studies.

Overexpression of dishevelled 2 is involved in tumor metastasis and is associated with poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

PURPOSE

Although hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignant tumors, its molecular mechanism is still unknown. Dishevelled 2 (Dvl2) is one of the downstream targets of non-canonical Wnt signaling, which has been demonstrated to be of great importance in the progression of cancers. Nevertheless, the expression mechanisms and physiological significance of Dvl2 in HCC remain unclear.

METHODS

Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to measure Dvl2 protein expression in HCC and adjacent normal tissues of 101 patients. Wound healing and transwell assays were used to determine cell migration and invasion.

RESULTS

Dvl2 expression was upregulated in HCC tissues compared to the adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, its expression level was significantly correlated with histological grade (P = 0.042), metastasis (P = 0.005) and vein invasion (P = 0.009) in patients with HCC. Wound healing and transwell assays showed that knockdown of Dvl2 reduced cell migration and invasion in HepG2 cells. Finally, we confirmed that Dvl2 could regulate the migration and invasion of HCC cells by interacting with P62 in non-canonical Wnt signaling.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data showed that Dvl2 was overexpressed in HCC tissues and was also correlated with poor prognosis, suggesting that Dvl2 is a novel therapeutic target for HCC.

Effects of Lactobacillus casei CCFM419 on insulin resistance and gut microbiota in type 2 diabetic mice

The antidiabetic effect of Lactobacillus is increasingly recognized worldwide. In this research, the hypoglycemic activity of Lactobacillus casei CCFM419 was investigated in mice with high-fat and low-dose streptozotocin induced type 2 diabetes. Oral L. casei CCFM419 administration favourably regulated blood glucose balance, increased glucose tolerance and protected islets in the diabetic mice, accompanied by an improvement in lipid metabolism. The homeostasis model of insulin resistance, insulin level and insulin tolerance test and mRNA expression of PI3K/Akt signalling pathway indexes revealed that L. casei CCFM419 had a positive effect on insulin resistance. Furthermore, treatment with L. casei CCFM419 recovered the level of short-chain fatty acids and increased the abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria, such as Allobaculum and Bacteriodes. These results demonstrated that L. casei CCFM419 had the potential ability to ameliorate insulin resistance and hyperglycaemic in type 2 diabetic mice through underlying PI3K/Akt signalling pathway and short-chain fatty acids/gut microbiota pathways.

Effects of Lactobacillus plantarum CCFM0236 on hyperglycaemia and insulin resistance in high-fat and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic mice

AIMS

The aim of this study was to rapidly screen potential hypoglycaemic strain by α-glucosidase inhibitory activity in vitro, then explored the antidiabetic effect of Lactobacillus plantarum CCFM0236 in vivo.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The cell-free supernatant of Lact. plantarum CCFM0236 significantly inhibited α-glucosidase activity in vitro. Therefore, the effects of Lact. plantarum CCFM0236, with potential hypoglycaemia activity, on insulin resistance and hyperglycaemia were explored in high-fat and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetes mice. Oral administration of Lact. plantarum CCFM0236 was found to decrease food intake, blood glucose level, glycosylated haemoglobin level and leptin level. Treatments of Lact. plantarum CCFM0236 also favourably regulated insulin level, AUC_glucose , and HOMA-IR index, and increased the activities of glutathione peroxidase and the levels of glutathione, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and interleukin-10. In addition, Lact. plantarum CCFM0236 reduced levels of malondialdehyde and tumour necrosis factor-α and protected pancreas function.

CONCLUSIONS

Lactobacillus plantarum CCFM0236 has potential hypoglycaemic ability by ameliorating insulin resistance, antioxidant capacity and systemic inflammation in mice.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The method of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity could be effectively used to screen potential hypoglycaemic products and Lact. plantarum CCFM0236 might be a promising therapeutic agent for ameliorating type 2 diabetes.

Using the TBAg/PHA ratio in the T-SPOT(®).TB assay to distinguish TB disease from LTBI in an endemic area

SETTING

An important limitation of the T-SPOT(®).TB assay is its inability to distinguish active tuberculosis (TB) from latent tuberculous infection (LTBI).

OBJECTIVE

We proposed a new calculation method for the T-SPOT assay and assessed its effect on distinguishing active TB from LTBI.

DESIGN

A total of 162 active TB patients and 97 LTBI individuals were diagnosed according to conventional tests and the T-SPOT assay.

RESULTS

The results of early secreted antigenic target 6 (ESAT-6) and culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) in T-SPOT cannot be recommended for distinguishing TB from LTBI. The number of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) spot-forming cells (sfc) in the T-SPOT assay was reduced in active TB patients. The ESAT-6/PHA or CFP-10/PHA ratios in active TB patients were significantly higher than in individuals with LTBI. Using 0.295 as the threshold ratio of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigen (TBAg) sfc to PHA sfc (TBAg/PHA ratio, the larger of ESAT-6/PHA and CFP-10/PHA), the sensitivity and specificity were 82.1% and 90.7% in distinguishing active TB from LTBI. The TBAg/PHA ratio might also be used to monitor the effect of anti-tuberculosis treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Calculating the TBAg/PHA ratio might have the potential to diagnose active TB and distinguish TB disease from LTBI.

Quantum dots protected from oxidative attack using alumina shells synthesized by atomic layer deposition

Applications of luminescent quantum dots require the materials to be stable under a wide range of temperatures, photon fluxes and chemical environments. In this work, we demonstrate that Al2O3 shells synthesized by atomic layer deposition on films of CdTe quantum dots are effective to prevent chemical degradation for up to 17 hours under continuous illumination at 90 °C in ambient air. Control samples with no Al2O3 coating experienced extensive oxidation and severe quenching of the photoluminescence intensity under these conditions.

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging for Predicting and Monitoring Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma Treatment Response

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Whether ADC value predicts the therapy response and outcomes of primary central system lymphoma remains controversial. This study assessed the minimum ADC correlated with treatment response in patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma undergoing methotrexate-based chemotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-five patients with primary central nervous system lymphoma underwent conventional MR imaging and DWI before chemotherapy and after 1 and 5 cycles of chemotherapy. Treatment response was determined according to the International PCNSL Collaborative Group criteria and was classified as a complete response, partial response, or progressive disease. Pretreatment minimum ADC, minimum ADC after 1 cycle, minimum ADC after 5 cycles, and change in minimum ADC were compared among the different response groups. The Pearson correlation test was calculated between these ADC parameters and tumor response.

RESULTS

The pretreatment minimum ADC of the progressive disease group was lower than that of the complete response and partial response groups, but there was no significant difference among them. The minimum ADC after 1 cycle and minimum ADC after 5 cycles were statistically significantly higher than the pretreatment minimum ADC. A comparison among groups showed that minimum ADC after 1 cycle, minimum ADC after 5 cycles, minimum ADC change, and the percentage of minimum ADC change were all significantly different among the 3 groups. A significant positive correlation was observed between the percentage of minimum ADC after 1 cycle of chemotherapy and the size reduction percentage after 5 cycles of chemotherapy. The minimum ADC change and the percentage of minimum ADC change performed better in the differentiation of the final treatment response, specifically in complete response and partial response from progressive disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The minimum ADC after 1 cycle and minimum ADC changes were better correlated with the treatment response than the pretreatment minimum ADC. Minimum ADC after early therapy may potentially to be used to predict and monitor the response of primary central nervous system lymphoma to chemotherapy.

Using Vision Data in an Object-Level Robot Language — RAPT

This paper describes the use of verification vision in an ob ject-level language for robot assembly (RAPT). In particular, a representation scheme for making full use of vision infor mation to update the robot system's knowledge about its environment is discussed. By using newly introduced vision commands, the user can specify vision verification tasks in order to determine the difference between the planned posi tions and the actual positions of objects in the robot's envi ronment. A symbolic reasoning system reasons about the spatial constraints at compile time and produces symbolic position expressions of the objects to be verified, which con tain variables to be instantiated by vision data at run time. A framework for handling vision data combines run time and compile time information in a general way so that all ramifi cations of the effect of the changed position determined by verification vision are taken into account. The new vision commands and the framework will be discussed in detail.

Is phytoestrogen intake associated with decreased risk of prostate cancer? A systematic review of epidemiological studies based on 17,546 cases

This study uses current epidemiological data to evaluate whether phytoestrogen intake is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer. We performed a random-effect meta-analysis of published data retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, ProQuest, and CNKI, which was supplemented by a manual search of relevant references. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were performed to explore the source of heterogeneity. Sensitivity analysis was evaluated to assess the stability of the results. Egger's test and funnel plots were used to detect the existence of publication bias. We retrieved 507 papers, and 29 studies were ultimately confirmed as eligible. The meta-analysis showed that phytoestrogen intake was significantly associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.77 (95% CI 0.66-0.88; I(2)  = 77.6%). The food/nutritional sources that were significantly associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer included soy and soy products, tofu, legumes, daidzein, and genistein. Subgroup analysis indicated that the associations were significant among Asians and Caucasians, but not among Africans. Meta-regression revealed that the pooled OR increased with the number of cases in the studies. The results might be affected by publication bias based on the Eggers' test (p = 0.011) and the asymmetry of the funnel plot. Phytoestrogen intake may reduce the risk of prostate cancer in Asians and Caucasians. Regular intake of food that is rich in phytoestrogens, such as soy/soy products or legumes, should be recommended.

Fracture Toughness of PP/EPDM/Nano-Ternary Composites: The Role of Distribution of Inorganic Particles

The influence of the distribution of the inorganic particles on the toughness of the PP/EPDM/nano-ternary composites was investigated. Four morphologies for PP/EPDM/nano-ternary composites were obtained by means of adjusting the surface tension of inorganic particles (nano-CaCO3, hydrophobic nano-SiO2 and hydrophilic nano-SiO2) and the compounding sequence (one-step extrusion and two-step extrusion). Morphological observation revealed that the segregated dispersion morphology was formed in the PP/EPDM/CaCO3 composite. For the PP/EPDM/R974 (hydrophobic nano-SiO2) composite, R974 particles were dispersed at the interface between the PP matrix and EPDM dispersed phase. A200 particles (hydrophilic nano-SiO2) continuously dispersed between PP and EPDM phase for PP/EPDM/A200 composites prepared by one-step, while were present in EPDM dispersed phase for the two-step PP/EPDM/A200 composites. The dependence of the toughness on the phase morphology of the components, especially the distribution of nanoparticles, was studied systematically. The impact strength of one-step PP/EPDM/A200 composites was pronouncedly enhanced, increasing 552 % compared to pure PP. Compared with the other three composites, the one-step PP/EPDM/A200 composites exhibits better effect of preventing crack propagation and far higher fracture energies. It is attributed to the A200 particles continuously dispersed between EPDM phase and matrix, which makes EPDM particles have better compatibility with the PP matrix and the overlapping of the stress field with A200 particles.

Probenecid protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting lysosomal and inflammatory damage in rats

Probenecid has been used for decades to treat gout, and recent studies have revealed it is also a specific inhibitor of the pannexin-1 channel. It has been reported that the pannexin-1 channel is involved in ischemic injury. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effect and the possible mechanisms of action of probenecid in global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rats. Twenty minutes of transient global cerebral I/R injury was induced using the four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) method in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Different doses of probenecid were administered intravenously, intraperitoneally, or by gavage before or after reperfusion. Probenecid via all three routes protected against CA1 neuronal death when given before reperfusion. This protective effect continued when probenecid was given at 2h after reperfusion, but not at 6h. Interestingly, the protective effect regained if probenecid was given continuously for 7days after reperfusion. The release of cathepsin B and overexpression of calpain-1 after reperfusion were inhibited, while the upregulation of Hsp70 was strengthened by probenecid pre-treatment. Furthermore, the activation and proliferation of microglia and astrocytes after I/R injury were suppressed by continuous given for 7days, but only partly by a single dose at 6h of reperfusion. Thus, our data indicate that probenecid protects against transient global cerebral I/R injury probably by inhibiting calpain-cathepsin pathway and the inflammatory reaction.

Crystallization Kinetics for PP/EPDM/Nano-CaCO3 Composites – The Influence of Nanoparticles Distribution

The primary aim of this paper is to provide an insight on the effect of the distribution of calcium carbonate nanoparticles (nano-CaCO3) on the isothermal crystallization kinetics in Polypropylene (PP)/ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer (EPDM)/nano-CaCO3 composites prepared by different compounding procedures. PP/EPDM/CaCO3 composites were prepared by two compounding procedures (direct compounding: mixed all three solid materials together; multistep compounding: the melted EPDM/CaCO3 master batch in a single screw extruder blended with melted PP in twin-screw extruder via injecting into the twin-screw extruder from a lateral port at the melting section of the twin-screw extruder). Morphological observation showed that abundant CaCO3 particles concentrated around EPDM dispersed phase in the multistep compounding composite, essentially different from the respectively dispersed morphology of CaCO3 particles and EPDM domains in the matrix for the direct compounding composite. Moreover, better dispersion of CaCO3 particles in the multistep compounding composite was observed comparing to the direct compounding composite. Futhermore, a pronounced improvement of the crystallization half time (t1/2), rate of crystallization (G) was achieved in the multistep compounding composite, which may originate from the better dispersion of CaCO3 particles providing larger nucleation density and the collaborative nucleation of EPDM and CaCO3 during the isothermal crystallization.

Branched ZnO nanotrees on flexible fiber-paper substrates for self-powered energy-harvesting systems

Branched ZnO nanotrees have been successfully synthesized on flexible fiber-paper substrates for realizing high-performance piezoelectric nanogenerators. And the output voltage of the NG increased to 0.1 V, enough to power some micro/nano devices.

Can diffusion tensor imaging noninvasively detect IDH1 gene mutations in astrogliomas? A retrospective study of 112 cases

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

IDH1 mutational status probably plays an important role in the predictive response for patients with astroglioma. This study explores whether DTI metrics are able to noninvasively detect IDH1 status in astrogliomas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The DTI data of 112 patients with pathologically proven astroglioma (including 25, 12, and 10 cases with IDH1 mutation and 11, 11, and 43 cases without mutation in grades II, III, and IV, respectively) were retrospectively reviewed. The maximal fractional anisotropy, minimal ADC, ratio of maximal fractional anisotropy, and ratio of minimal ADC in the tumor body were measured. In the same World Health Organization grading, the imaging parameters of patients with and without IDH1 R132H mutation were compared by means of optimal metrics for detecting mutations. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed.

RESULTS

The maximal fractional anisotropy and ratio of maximal fractional anisotropy values had statistical significance between patients with IDH1 R132H mutation and those without mutation in astrogliomas of grades II and III. The areas under the curve for maximal fractional anisotropy and ratio of maximal fractional anisotropy were both 0.92 in grade II and 0.80 and 0.82 in grade III. The minimal ADC value and ratio of minimal ADC value also demonstrated statistical significance between patients with mutation and those without mutation in all astroglioma grades. The areas under the curve for minimal ADC were 0.94 (II), 0.76 (III), and 0.66 (IV), and the areas under the curve for ratio of minimal ADC were 0.93 (II), 0.83 (III), and 0.70 (IV).

CONCLUSIONS

Fractional anisotropy and ADC from DTI can noninvasively detect IDH1 R132H mutation in astrogliomas.

Migration: a notable feature of cerebral sparganosis on follow-up MR imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Cerebral sparganosis is a rare parasitic infection caused by sparganum, which can migrate in the brain. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the migration of cerebral sparganosis and describe its patterns on MR imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MR images of 14 patients with cerebral sparganosis treated from 2005 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. Diagnosis was made on the basis of a constellation of clinical history, laboratory tests, imaging findings, and histopathology. At least 3 MR imaging studies were performed for each patient during the follow-up period ranging from 12 to 38 months. Time interval, sites, enhanced pattern, and presumed routes of migration were evaluated.

RESULTS

Both the initial lesions and migrated ones exhibited the "tunnel" sign and multiloculated rim enhancement. Migration was detected between 4 and 18 months after the baseline MR imaging in 14 lesions (in 14 patients), while 3 of 14 lesions showed a second migration between 22 and 38 months. Nearly all migrations were limited to the same hemisphere except for 2 contralateral migrations through the thalamus. Most of the migrations were in close proximity (within the same lobe, to the adjacent lobe, from the basal ganglia to the cortex, from the cerebellum to the pons and interthalamus) except 1 from the basal ganglia to the cerebellum. A signal change along the presumed route of migration was seen in 3 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Migration is a notable feature of cerebral sparganosis. Demonstration of migration on MR imaging could be a key diagnostic clue and beneficial for the treatment policy.

Biodegradation of nicotine by newly isolated Pseudomonas sp. CS3 and its metabolites

AIMS

Isolation and characterization of nicotine-degrading bacteria with advantages suitable for the treatment of nicotine-contaminated water and soil and detection of their metabolites.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A novel nicotine-degrading bacterial strain was isolated from tobacco field soil. Based on morphological and physiochemical properties and sequence of 16S rDNA, the isolate was identified as Pseudomonas sp., designated as CS3. The optimal culture conditions of strain CS3 for nicotine degradation were 30°C and pH 7·0. However, the strain showed broad pH adaptability with high nicotine-degrading activity between pH 6·0 and 10·0. Strain CS3 could decompose nicotine nearly completely within 24 h in liquid culture (1000 mg L(-1) nicotine) or within 72 h in soil (1000-2500 mg kg(-1) nicotine) and could endure up to 4000 mg L(-1) nicotine in liquid media and 5000 mg kg(-1) nicotine in soil. Degradation tests in flask revealed that the strain had excellent stability and high degradation activity during the repetitive degradation processes. Additionally, three intermediates, 3-(3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-5-yl) pyridine, 1-methyl-5-(3-pyridyl) pyrrolidine-2-ol and cotinine, were identified by GC/MS and NMR analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

The isolate CS3 showed outstanding nicotine-degrading characteristics such as high degradation efficiency, strong substrate endurance, broad pH adaptability, and stability and persistence in repetitive degradation processes and may serve as an excellent candidate for applications in the bioaugmentation process to treat nicotine-contaminated water and soil. Also, detection of nicotine metabolites suggests that strain CS3 might decompose nicotine via a unique nicotine-degradation pathway.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The advantage of applying the isolated strain lies in broad pH adaptability and stability and persistence in repetitive use, the properties previously less focused in other nicotine-degrading micro-organisms. The strain might decompose nicotine via a nicotine-degradation pathway different from those of other nicotine-utilizing Pseudomonas bacteria reported earlier, another highlight in this study.

Analysis of clinical data of patients with different outcomes after short-time insemination

The study is to analyse the clinical data of the two groups of patients with different fertilisation outcomes after short-time insemination and probe into short-time insemination indications. A retrospective study including 558 cycles of short-time insemination in our centre during January 2009 to June 2010 which were divided into two groups by the method of fertilisation, 472 cycles by IVF and 86 cycles by Re-ICSI group according to fertilisation conditions to and compare the differences between the two groups in the indexes of average female age, average male age, duration of infertility, forward-moving sperm counts, abnormal sperm rate, proportion of primary infertility, etc. The differences between the two groups have statistical significance in duration of infertility, forward-moving sperm counts, abnormal sperm rate and proportion of primary infertility (5.02 ± 3.12 versus 5.86 ± 3.35; 83.06 ± 78.55 versus 54.02 ± 61.78; 83.56 ± 5.24% versus 86.31 ± 5.26%; 56.87% versus 74.42%; P < 0.05). The discrepancy between the two groups has no statistical significance in average female age and average male age (P > 0.05). Duration of infertility, forward-moving sperm counts, abnormal sperm rate and previous pregnancy history have great significance to predict fertilisation failure, so decisions should be made on the basis of the above indexes when evaluating whether a patient should conduct short-time insemination.