Salinity decreases the contribution of microbial necromass to soil organic carbon pool in arid regions

Saline soils are widely distributed in arid areas but there is a lack of mechanistic understanding on the effect of salinity on the formation and biochemical composition of soil organic carbon (SOC). We investigated the effects of salinity on the accumulation of microbial necromass under natural vegetation and in cropland in salt-affected arid areas stretching over a 1200-km transect in northwest China. Under both natural vegetation and cropland, microbial physiological activity (indicated by microbial biomass carbon normalized enzymatic activity) decreased sharply where the electrical conductivity approached 4 ds m-1 (a threshold to distinguish between saline and non-saline soils), but microbial biomass was only slightly affected by salinity. These indicated that a larger proportion of microbes could be inactive or dormant in saline soils. The contribution of fungal necromass C to SOC decreased but the contribution of bacterial necromass C to the SOC increased with increasing soil salinity. Adding fungal and bacterial necromass C together, the contribution of microbial necromass C to SOC in saline soils was 32-39 % smaller compared with non-saline soils. Fungal necromass C took up 85-86 % of microbial necromass C in non-saline soils but this proportion dropped to 60-66 % in saline soils. We suggested that the activity, growth, and turnover rate of microbes slowed by salinity was responsible for the decreased accumulation of fungal necromass in saline compared with non-saline soils, while the increased accumulation of bacterial residue in saline soils could be induced mainly by its slower decomposition. Soil microbial biomass was a poor predictor for the accumulation of microbial necromass in saline soils. We demonstrated a reduced contribution of microbial necromass to SOC and a shift in its composition towards the increase in bacterial origin in saline relative to non-saline soils. We concluded that salinity profoundly changes the biochemistry of SOC in arid regions.

Tumour-associated neutrophils: Potential therapeutic targets in pancreatic cancer immunotherapy

Pancreatic cancer (PC) is a highly malignant tumour of the digestive system with poor therapeutic response and low survival rates. Immunotherapy has rapidly developed in recent years and has achieved significant outcomes in numerous malignant neoplasms. However, responses to immunotherapy in PC are rare, and the immunosuppressive and desmoplastic tumour microenvironment (TME) significantly hinders their efficacy in PC. Tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) play a crucial role in the PC microenvironment and exert a profound influence on PC immunotherapy by establishing a robust stromal shelter and restraining immune cells to assist PC cells in immune escape, which may subvert the current status of PC immunotherapy. The present review aims to offer a comprehensive summary of the latest progress in understanding the involvement of TANs in PC desmoplastic and immunosuppressive functions and to emphasise the potential therapeutic implications of focusing on TANs in the immunotherapy of this deleterious disease. Finally, we provide an outlook for the future use of TANs in PC immunotherapy.

Preoperative serum CA125 level is a good prognostic predictor in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma after hepatectomy: A single-center retrospective study

Serum carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) is associated with the prognosis of various malignancies, including ovarian and pancreatic cancer. The relationship between preoperative serum CA125 level and the survival of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) has not been fully studied. The aim of this study was to explore the prognostic value of CA125 in ICC after hepatectomy. We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological data of 178 ICC patients who underwent hepatic resection. Receiver operating characteristic analyses were performed to estimate the relationships of serum CA125, α-fetoprotein, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen 19-9 with the prognosis of ICC. The predictive value of CA125 for the prognosis of ICC patients was demonstrated by univariate analyses and Cox proportional hazards models. CA125 was correlated with tumor size, differentiation, capsulation, tumor node-metastasis stage, recurrence, and CEA. Univariate analysis indicated that CA125, sex, tumor number, tumor size, differentiation, surgical resection margin, tumor node metastasis stage, and CEA were risk factors for both the overall survival and the disease-free survival of ICC patients. Cox proportional hazards models showed that preoperative elevated CA125, a tumor size > 5 cm, and an R1 surgical resection margin were independent prognostic predictors of overall survival and disease-free survival. CA125 also had strong predictive value for the prognosis of different ICC subgroups, including patients without lymph node metastasis and with elevated carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels. Preoperative elevated serum CA125 level is a noninvasive, simple, and reliable indicator of the prognosis of ICC patients after hepatectomy.

Distribution and correlation between antibiotic resistance genes and host-associated markers before and after swine fever in the longjiang watershed

Antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) are abundantly shed in feces. Thus, it is crucial to identify their host sources so that ARG pollution can be effectively mitigated and aquatic ecosystems can be properly conserved. Here, spatiotemporal variations and sources of ARGs in the Longjiang watershed of South China were investigated by linking them with microbial source tracker (MST) indicators. The most frequently detected ARGs (>90%) were sulI, sulII, bla_TEM, tetW, ermF, and the mobile element intI1. Spatial distribution analyses showed that tributaries contributed significantly more sulI, sulII, and ermF contamination to the Longjiang watershed than the main channel. MST indicator analysis revealed that the Longjiang watershed was contaminated mainly by human fecal pollution. Livestock- and poultry-associated fecal pollution significantly declined after the swine fever outbreak. The occurrence of most ARGs is largely explained by human fecal pollution. In contrast, pig fecal pollution might account for the prevalence of tetO. Moreover, combined human-pig fecal pollution contributed to the observed bla_NDM-1 distribution in the Longjiang watershed. Subsequent analysis of the characteristics of MST markers disclosed that the relatively lower specificities of BacHum and Rum-2-Bac may lead to inaccurate results of tracking ARG pollution source. The present study determined spatiotemporal variations and ARG origins in the Longjiang watershed by combining MST markers. It also underscored the necessity of using multiple MST markers simultaneously to identify and characterize ARG pollution sources accurately.

The crystal structure of (E)-3′,6′-bis(diethylamino)-2-((5-(diethylamino)-2-hydroxybenzylidene)amino)spiro[isoindoline-1,9′-xanthen]-3-one, C39H45N5O3

C33H31BrN4O3, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 11.8558(12) Å, b = 12.1159(11) Å, c = 24.014(2) Å, β = 94.812(2)°, V = 3437.3(6) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt (F) = 0.0574, wRref (F 2) = 0.1725, T = 296(2) K.

Deletion in KRT75L4 linked to frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chickens

Bird feathers are the product of interactions between natural and artificial selection. Feather-related traits are important for chicken selection and breeding. Frizzle feather is characterized by the abnormally development of feathers in chickens. In the current study, frizzle feather characteristics were observed in a local breed called Xiushui Yellow Chicken in Jiangxi, China. To determine the molecular mechanisms that underlie frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chicken, four populations of three breeds (Xiushui Yellow Chicken with frizzle feathers, Xiushui Yellow Chicken with normal feathers, Guangfeng White-Ear Yellow Chicken, and Ningdu Yellow Chicken) were selected for whole-genome resequencing. Using a comparative genome strategy and genome-wide association study, a missense mutation (g.5281494A>G) and a 15-bp deletion (g.5285437-5285451delGATGCCGGCAGGACG) in KRT75L4 were identified as candidate mutations associated with frizzle feather in Xiushui Yellow Chicken. Based on genotyping performed in a large Xiushui Yellow Chicken population, the g.5285437-5285451delGATGCCGGCAGGACG mutation in KRT75L4 was confirmed as the putative causative mutation of frizzle feather. These results deepen the understanding of the molecular mechanisms responsible for frizzle feather, as well as facilitating the molecular detection and selection of the feather phenotype in Xiushui Yellow Chickens.

Quantitative analysis methods for studying fenestrations in liver sinusoidal endothelial cells. A comparative study

Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells (LSEC) line the hepatic vasculature providing blood filtration via transmembrane nanopores called fenestrations. These structures are 50-300 nm in diameter, which is below the resolution limit of a conventional light microscopy. To date, there is no standardized method of fenestration image analysis. With this study, we provide and compare three different approaches: manual measurements, a semi-automatic (threshold-based) method, and an automatic method based on user-friendly open source machine learning software. Images were obtained using three super resolution techniques - atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and structured illumination microscopy (SIM). Parameters describing fenestrations such as diameter, area, roundness, frequency, and porosity were measured. Finally, we studied the user bias by comparison of the data obtained by five different users applying provided analysis methods.

Non-microbial methane emissions from tropical rainforest soils under different conditions

Non-microbial methane (NM-CH4), emissions from soil might play a significant role in carbon cycling and global climate change. However, the production mechanisms and emission potential of soil NM-CH4 from tropical rainforest remain highly uncertain. In order to explore the laws and characteristics of NM-CH4 emission from tropical rainforest soils. Incubation experiments at different environmental conditions (temperatures, soil water contents, hydrogen peroxide) and for soils with different soil organic carbon (SOC) contents were conducted to investigate the NM-CH4 emission characteristics and its influence factors of soils (0-10cm) that collected from a tropical rainforest in Hainan, China. Incubation results illustrated that soil NM-CH4 release showed a linear increase with the incubation time in the first 24 hours at 70 °C, whereas the logarithmic curve increase was found in 192 h incubation. Soil NM-CH4 emission rates under aerobic condition were significantly higher than that of under anaerobic condition at first 24 h incubation. The increasing of temperature, suitable soil water contents (0-100%), and hydrogen peroxide significantly promoted soil NM-CH4 emission rates at the first 24 h incubation. However, excessive soil water contents (200%) inhibited soil NM-CH4 emissions. According to the curve simulated from the NM-CH4 emission rates and incubation time at 70 °C of aerobic condition, soil would no longer release NM-CH4 after 229 h incubation. The NM-CH4 emissions were positively corelated with SOC contents, and the average soil NM-CH4 emission potential was about 6.91 ug per gram organic carbon in the tropical mountain rainforest. This study revealed that soils in the tropical rainforest could produce NM-CH4 under certain environment conditions and it supported production mechanisms of thermal degradation and reactive oxygen species oxidation. Those results could provide a basic data for understanding the soil NM-CH4 production mechanisms and its potential in the tropical rainforest.

Ar plasma-assisted P-doped Ni3S2 with S vacancies for efficient electrocatalytic water splitting

Doping engineering is considered an effective way to improve the electrocatalytic water splitting performance of catalysts. In this paper, P-doped Ni₃S₂/NF was prepared by Ar plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition, where the P dopant was efficiently introduced into Ni₃S₂/NF under the assistance of Ar plasma. Meanwhile, numerous vacancies were generated due to plasma bombardment. In the doping process, the P dopants replace the S vacancies, which contributes to the strong bonding between the P dopants and Ni₃S₂. Due to the synergistic effect of the P dopants and S vacancies, the S_v-Ni₃S_2-xP_x-4 catalyst has low HER and OER overpotentials of 89 mV and 216 mV at 10 mA cm^-2, with a lower impedance value and good stability. The present work shows a facile route to introduce dopants and vacancies into catalyst materials for adding active sites, eventually improving their electrocatalytic performance.

Suspended state heteroaggregation kinetics of kaolinite and fullerene (nC60) in the presence of tannic acid: Effect of π-π interactions

The colloidal heteroassociation between natural mineral colloids and engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) can reduce the bioavailability and toxicity of the ENPs. However, the efficacy of this heteroassociation-based entrapment of ENPs depends on the intrinsic material properties of the particles and the physicochemical parameters of the aquatic environment. Natural organic matter (NOM)-induced surface modifications of clay colloids, functionalization of ENPs, and efficiency of counterions as effective coagulants profoundly affect the effectiveness of heteroaggregation-based attenuation of anthropogenic colloids. In this study, tannic acid (TA), a surrogate of NOM, prevented the edge-to-face self-association of sodium-saturated kaolinite (Na-kaolinite) at acidic pH, as evaluated from the transverse proton spin-spin relaxation data (T₂). Likewise, fullerene water suspension (FWS) adhesion to Na-kaolinite prevented the self-association of Na-kaolinite and enhanced the colloidal stability. At pH 4 and diffusion-limited aggregation regime salt concentrations, the Na-kaolinite and FWS heteroaggregation rates were lower than the Na-kaolinite homoaggregation rates, and eventually reached a plateau. The higher colloidal stability of the Na-kaolinite and FWS binary mixture than that of Na-kaolinite, regardless of stronger charge screening by Ca²⁺_, reflects steric stabilization. However, at pH 7, the increased electrostatic barrier reduces the feasibility of colloidal heteroassociation between Na-kaolinite and FWS; thus, higher salt concentrations are required to initiate aggregation. Weak adsorption of TA on Na-kaolinite at pH 7 facilitated stronger π-π interactions with FWS. All suspensions exhibited faster aggregate growth at pH 7 than pH 4, possibly due to the stronger cation response at pH 7. In situ atomic force microscopy imaging and line profile plots of Na-kaolinite, TA, and FWS mixture in CaCl₂ further corroborated the difference in the heteroaggregation rates observed at the two different pH values. Thus, TA-induced surface functionalization of FWS and the consequent increased electrostatic barrier to heteroassociation with Na-kaolinite may facilitate the environmental mobility of FWS in aquatic media.

The temporal-spatial patterns, polymorphisms and association analysis with meat quality traits of FABP1 gene in domestic pigeons (Columba livia)

1. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABP) are members of lipid-binding proteins, which participate in the metabolism and intracellular transportation of lipids. This study was designed to investigate the expression patterns, polymorphisms and associations with meat quality traits of the FABP1 gene in pigeons. 2. The temporal-spatial expression patterns showed FABP1 was widely expressed in all eleven tissues from 0-4 weeks of age, the expression level in the liver was the highest, followed by the small intestine and subcutaneous fat. 3. Five novel SNPs were found; all of them were synonymous and in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Association analysis revealed that for the SNP of G161C, the AB and BB genotypes had higher (P ≤ 0.01) inosinic acid concentrations in breast muscle than the AA genotype. The BB genotype showed the highest (P < 0.01) intramuscular fat among the three genotypes, and significantly greater FABP1 mRNA levels were observed in the breast muscle of the BB genotype than in the AA and AB genotypes (P < 0.01). In the SNP C1376T, the AB and BB genotypes showed higher (P < 0.01) intramuscular fat than the AA genotype, and the relative mRNA expression level of the BB (P < 0.01) and AB (P < 0.05) genotypes was higher than that of the AA genotype in breast muscle. Correlation analysis implied that the FABP1 mRNA expression level was closely related to the inosinic acid (P < 0.05) and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.01). Oil red O staining of frozen sections of breast muscle on d 28 for SNPs G161C and C1376T also indicated that the BB genotype had the highest intramuscular fat content in both SNPs. In addition, correlation analysis implied the FABP1 mRNA expression level was closely related to inosinic acid (P < 0.05) and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.01). 4. The results suggested that FABP1 could be a potential candidate gene in marker-assisted selection for breeding pigeons with high-quality meat.

Pseudo CT Estimation using Patch-based Joint Dictionary Learning

Magnetic resonance (MR) simulators have recently gained popularity; it avoids the unnecessary radiation exposure associated with Computed Tomography (CT) when used for radiation therapy planning. We propose a method for pseudo CT estimation from MR images based on joint dictionary learning. Patient-specific anatomical features were extracted from the aligned training images and adopted as signatures for each voxel. The most relevant and informative features were identified to train the joint dictionary learning-based model. The well-trained dictionary was used to predict the pseudo CT of a new patient. This prediction technique was validated with a clinical study of 12 patients with MR and CT images of the brain. The mean absolute error (MAE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), normalized cross correlation (NCC) indexes were used to quantify the prediction accuracy. We compared our proposed method with a state-of-the-art dictionary learning method. Overall our proposed method significantly improves the prediction accuracy over the state-of-the-art dictionary learning method. We have investigated a novel joint dictionary Iearning- based approach to predict CT images from routine MRIs and demonstrated its reliability. This CT prediction technique could be a useful tool for MRI-based radiation treatment planning or attenuation correction for quantifying PET images for PET/MR imaging.

Whole-genome SNP data unravel population structure and signatures of selection for black plumage of indigenous chicken breeds from Jiangxi province, China

Ten indigenous chicken breeds were originally distributed in Jiangxi Province, China, and they define a critical component of Chinese chicken genetic resources. We have investigated the population genetics of seven Jiangxi chicken breeds using 600K chicken BeadChip SNP data. To provide a genome-wide perspective for the population structure of all 10 Jiangxi chicken breeds, we herein genotyped 78 additional individuals from the seven breeds and 63 chickens from three uninvestigated breeds-Yugan Black (YG), Nancheng Black (NC) and Wanzai Yellow using 55K chicken SNP arrays. We then explored merged data of 17 101 SNPs from 235 individuals to infer the population structure of the 10 breeds. We showed that NC and YG are two regional populations of the same breed, as individuals from the two populations clustered together to form a branch separate from the other breeds in the neighbor-joining tree, they always grouped together in multidimensional principal component analyses and they displayed an identical pattern of ancestral lineage composition. Hence, NC and YG should be considered a single breed in the state-supported conservation scheme. Moreover, we conducted a genome scan for signatures of selection for black plumage. bayescan and hapflk analyses of two contrasting groups (three black-feathered breeds vs. six non-black-feathered breeds) consistently detected 25 putative regions under selection. Nine pigmentation- associated genes (DCT, SLC24A5, SLC30A4, MYO5A, CYP19A1, NADK2, SLC45A2, GNAQ and DCP2) reside within these regions, and these genes are interesting candidates for black plumage and provide a starting point for further identification of causative mutations for black feathers in chicken.

Increased intrinsic connectivity for structural atrophy and functional maintenance after acute ischaemic stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Significant clinical recovery has commonly been observed in ischaemic stroke patients with irreversible brain structural damage. However, brain mechanisms that help to maintain clinical function remain unclear.

METHODS

Sixty-two patients with acute ischaemic stroke underwent longitudinal clinical assessments and magnetic resonance scanning. The clinical recovery trajectory was evaluated using a hierarchical linear model and intrinsic connectivity was analysed with a seed-based approach to examine its changing pattern based on the regional volume changes calculated using voxel-wise analysis.

RESULTS

It was observed that clinical outcome measures improved mainly in the short-term period (baseline versus 3 weeks) and then remained stable. Grey matter volume was reduced significantly in the bilateral caudate over the entire 3-year long-term period. Significant intrinsic connectivity increases were observed in the caudate-middle cingulum over the short-term period and in the caudate-precuneus and caudate-calcarine over the long-term period. Finally, it was found that increased caudate-calcarine connectivity was associated with reduced right caudate volume, and a positive correlation was found between increased caudate-middle cingulum connectivity and the amount of modified Rankin score changes.

CONCLUSIONS

The increased intrinsic connectivity found in this study tends to be a compensatory mechanism for post-stroke structural damage, associated with clinical recovery. The study helps in understanding the significance of enhanced intrinsic connectivity in post-stroke long-term assessment and rehabilitation.

Population genetic analyses of seven Chinese indigenous chicken breeds in a context of global breeds

Jiangxi province in China is rich in indigenous chicken breeds, which have diverse phenotypes and represent a valuable genetic resource for further genetic improvement of modern breeds. Here, we conducted a series of analyses to reveal genetic diversity, phylogenetic relationships and population structure of seven chicken breeds in Jiangxi province in the context of nine non-local chicken breeds, using 600K SNP data. We show that Jiangxi indigenous breeds have more abundant nucleotide diversity than do European local and commercial breeds. Among Jiangxi breeds, Dongxiang Blue-eggshell (DX) and Chongren Partride (CR) display remarkably reduced genetic diversity, as the two breeds exhibit increased inbreeding coefficients, runs of homozygosity, extent of linkage disequilibrium and reduced expected heterozygosity. DX, CR and Taihe Silkie (TH) represent three ancestral lineages of the Jiangxi chicken and display genetic differentiation from the other four Jiangxi breeds, which show a signature of admixture with European commercial breeds. These findings provide insight for the establishment of an efficient conservation program for Jiangxi chicken breeds. Considering the current status of genetic diversity and ancestral representativeness, particular attention should be paid to DX, CR and TH chickens.

The Src homology and collagen A (ShcA) adaptor protein may participate in the pathogenesis of membranous lupus nephritis

The Src homology and collagen A (ShcA) adaptor protein that binds to tyrosine kinase receptors. ShcA plays a role in insulin signaling, stress resistance and energy metabolism. The 66-kDa Src homology 2 domain-containing protein (p66shc) belongs to the ShcA family and has been associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS); increased ROS is involved in the pathology of lupus nephritis (LN). However, whether ShcA can act as a biomarker for oxidative injury in LN is unknown. This study is aimed to investigate the ShcA expression in kidney tissues from patients presenting with LN and the association between ShcA expression and clinical parameters. Renal biopsy tissues were obtained from 62 LN, 20 primary membranous nephropathy (MN) and 10 other secondary MN patients. ShcA was measured by immunofluorescence. The expression of ShcA in the membranous lupus nephritis (class V) group showed a higher trend but there were no significant differences compared with pure mesangial disease (class II) and proliferative (Class III/IV) lupus nephritis. ShcA deposits were negative in primary and other secondary MN. ShcA might act as a new biomarker and a diagnostic tool to identify membranous lupus nephritis with other MN.

Assessment of the Effectiveness of Combat Eyewear Protection Against Blast Overpressure

It is unclear whether combat eyewear used by U. S. Service members is protective against blast overpressures (BOPs) caused by explosive devices. Here, we investigated the mechanisms by which BOP bypasses eyewear and increases eye surface pressure. We performed experiments and developed three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models of a head form (HF) equipped with an advanced combat helmet (ACH) and with no eyewear, spectacles, or goggles in a shock tube at three BOPs and five head orientations relative to the blast wave. Overall, we observed good agreement between experimental and computational results, with average discrepancies in impulse and peak-pressure values of less than 15% over 90 comparisons. In the absence of eyewear and depending on the head orientation, we identified three mechanisms that contributed to pressure loading on the eyes. Eyewear was most effective at 0 deg orientation, with pressure attenuation ranging from 50 (spectacles) to 80% (goggles) of the peak pressures observed in the no-eyewear configuration. Spectacles and goggles were considerably less effective when we rotated the HF in the counter-clockwise direction around the superior-inferior axis of the head. Surprisingly, at certain orientations, spectacles yielded higher maximum pressures (80%) and goggles yielded larger impulses (150%) than those observed without eyewear. The findings from this study will aid in the design of eyewear that provides better protection against BOP.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement with balloon-expandable valve : Analysis of initial experience in China

Background

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is widely applied for the treatment of severe aortic stenosis (AS) in developed countries; however, in China, it is still in the early stage of utilization. On the basis of previous studies, this work explored the feasibility of TAVR in patients with severe AS in China and analyzed the cause of death in four cases.

Methods

This retrospective study included 20 patients who had severe AS and underwent TAVR with a balloon-expandable system (Edwards SAPIEN XT) in our hospital from January 2011 to June 2016. The valve and heart functions of 16 survivors before and after the TAVR procedure were compared. TAVR endpoints, device success, and adverse events were assessed according to the definitions of the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 (VARC-2).

Results

There were 13 male and seven female patients aged 65–81 years (average, 73.15) who underwent TAVR. The TAVR approach was transfemoral in 19 patients and transapical in one patient. Four patients died (two of coronary artery occlusion and two of aortic annulus rupture) during the TAVR procedure or shortly after; six patients had mild paravalvular leakage, and the rest of the patients showed a significant improvement in cardiac function. During the follow-up period (2–62 months), one patient died of lung cancer 13 months after the TAVR procedure.

Conclusion

TAVR with a balloon-expandable system is safe and effective and can be used for patients with severe AS in China. It requires careful patient selection and preoperative assessment so as to reduce the 30-day postoperative mortality rate.

Long non-coding RNA LINC00261 sensitizes human colon cancer cells to cisplatin therapy

Colon cancer is one of the most common digestive tumors. The present study aimed to explore the functional role, as well as the underlying mechanism of long non-coding RNA LINC00261 in colon cancer. Expression of LINC00261 was analyzed in colon cancer cell lines and human normal cell lines. Acquired resistance cell lines were then built and the acquired resistance efficiency was detected by evaluating cell viability. Thereafter, the effects of LINC00261 overexpression on cisplatin-resistant colon cancer cells were measured, as well as cell apoptosis, viability, migration, and invasion. Subsequently, we investigated the interaction of LINC00261 and β-catenin. The results showed that the LINC00261 gene was down-regulated in colon cancer cell lines and tissues, and in cisplatin-resistant cells. LINC00261 overexpression might relieve cisplatin resistance of colon cancer cells via promoting cell apoptosis, and inhibiting cell viability, migration, and invasion. Moreover, LINC00261 might down-regulate nuclear β-catenin through restraining β-catenin from cytoplasm into nuclei or it could also promote β-catenin degradation and inhibit activation of Wnt pathway. Finally, LINC00261 reduced cisplatin resistance of colon cancer in vivo and enhanced the anti-colon cancer effect of cisplatin through reducing tumor volume and weight.

Identification of suitable reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR normalization in blotched snakehead Channa maculata

A systematic study was conducted to identify reliable reference genes for normalization of gene expression analysis in the blotched snakehead Channa maculata under normal physiological conditions. Firstly, the partial complementary (c)DNA of nine candidate reference genes (actb, tmem104, ube2l3, ef1α, churc1, tmem256, rpl13a, sep15 and g6pd) were cloned from C. maculata. The expression levels of these genes were then assessed in embryos of different developmental stages and various tissue types of adult fish using quantitative real-time (qrt-)PCR. RefFinder algorithm was used to evaluate the expression stability of these genes based on their cycle-threshold (C_t ) values in the qrt-PCR analysis. Results showed that there was no single best reference gene for all stages of embryos and adult tissues tested. Furthermore, it was found that, among the nine candidate genes tested, actb and tmem104 were the most stable reference genes across adult tissue types, while sep15 and tmem256 were the most stable ones across developmental stages of embryos. These stable reference genes are recommended for normalization of gene expression analysis in C. maculata.

Regional and Hemispheric Influences on Temporal Variability in Baseline Carbon Monoxide and Ozone over the Northeast US

Interannual variability in baseline carbon monoxide (CO) and ozone (O3), defined as mixing ratios under minimal influence of recent and local emissions, was studied for seven rural sites in the Northeast US over 2001 - 2010. Annual baseline CO exhibited statistically significant decreasing trends (-4.3 - -2.3 ppbv yr-1), while baseline O3 did not display trends at any site. In examining the data by season, wintertime and springtime baseline CO at the two highest sites (1.5 km and 2 km asl) did not experience significant trends. Decadal increasing trends (~2.55 ppbv yr-1) were found in springtime and wintertime baseline O3 in southern New Hampshire, which was associated with anthropogenic NOx emission reductions from the urban corridor. Biomass burning emissions impacted summertime baseline CO with ~38% variability from wildfire emissions in Russia and ~22% from Canada at five sites and impacted baseline O3 at the two high elevation sites only with ~27% variability from wildfires in both Russia and Canada. The Arctic Oscillation was negatively correlated with summertime baseline O3, while the North Atlantic Oscillation was positively correlated with springtime baseline O3. This study suggested that anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions, and meteorological conditions were important factors working together to determine baseline O3 and CO in the Northeast U.S. during the 2000s.

The use of Masson's trichrome staining, second harmonic imaging and two-photon excited fluorescence of collagen in distinguishing intestinal tuberculosis from Crohn's disease

AIM

Differentiation between Crohn's disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB) continues to be difficult. The present study investigated the collagen fibre characteristics of CD and ITB using Masson's trichrome staining, second harmonic generation (SHG) imaging and two-photon excited fluorescence (TPEF) imaging with the aim of distinguishing between them.

METHOD

The characteristics of collagen fibres in intestinal specimens from patients with CD, ITB and healthy controls were compared using Masson's trichrome staining and SHG and TPEF imaging.

RESULTS

Masson's trichrome staining showed that the content of collagen fibre (540.92 [139.61-1681.93] vs 236.17 [72.94-1108.32], P < 0.05) and fibre deposits (888.92 [315.89-3172.9] vs 498.98 [38.82-5802.31], P < 0.05) were both higher in ITB than in CD. The content of collagen fibre (594.677 [139.61-1681.93] vs 107.425 [4.66-988.7], P < 0.05) and fibre deposits (1118.4661 [315.89-5802.31] vs 340.575 [29.62-1188.87], P < 0.05) were significantly higher in lesions with granulomata than in those without. The SHG/TPEF images demonstrated that the percentage of fibrosis in ITB was also significantly higher than in CD (P < 0.05), in both surgical (13.363% ± 5.303% vs 8.322% ± 5.078%, P = 0.044) and endoscopic specimens (mean rank 13.5 vs 7.5, P = 0.023). The SHG/TPEF imaging described different distribution patterns of collagen between CD and ITB; in the former this was irregular in clumps while in ITB the collagen was arranged around caseating granulomata.

CONCLUSION

The evaluation of fibrosis in CD and ITB by Masson's trichrome staining and SHG and TPEF imaging appears to distinguish between these two diseases.

The effect of glycaemic control in type 2 diabetic patients with subclinical hypothyroidism

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of glycaemic control on subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in Chinese type 2 diabetic patients.

METHODS

The study included 476 diabetic patients with SCH admitted for treatment of type 2 diabetes. The controls were selected euthyroid patients with similar characteristics regarding [age, body mass index (BMI), gender, previous hypertension or duration of diabetes, and smoke]. Total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), triglyceride (TG), the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance ratio (HOMA-IR), fasting plasma glucose, hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c), as well as plasma levels of thyrotrophin, and free thyroxine (FT4) were assessed at baseline and after 6 months of glycaemic control treatment.

RESULTS

The LDL-C level and HOMA-IR value were significantly higher in the SCH group. Glycaemic control reduced HOMA-IR, HbA_1c, LDL-C, and TG level in patients with SCH. Furthermore, glycaemic control plays a negative effect on thyrotrophin in the SCH group, while this effect was not observed in euthyroid subjects. HbA_1c plays a positive correlation with HOMA-IR (r = 0.048, p < 0.001), fasting plasma glucose (r = 0.086, p < 0.001), LDL-C (r = 0.062, p < 0.001) and TG (r = 0.021, p = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that glycaemic control may bring some benefits to type 2 diabetic patients with SCH.