The Right to a Fair Trial in China

The right to a fair trial is a growing international standard that protects defendant rights before, during, and after trial. Despite significant changes to China\u27s Criminal Procedure Law and Criminal Law, China presently fails to comply with the standard. China\u27s history of human rights abuses and the obstacles to compliance make enforcement of the right seem an insunnountable task. However, the trends of democratization and economic globalization, combined with optimistic reports of political reform in China provide hope that compliance with the right will eventually be achieved

The role of iron on the degradation and mineralization or organic compounds using conventional Fenton and photo-Fenton processes

The role of iron on the degradation of different organic compounds, differing in their structure (aliphatic versus aromatic) and iron complex formation capacity, by conventional and photo-Fenton processes was investigated. Results show that these chemical characteristics can affect the degree of treatment in terms of COD and TOC removals. While aromatics exhibited a fast and great reduction in the COD by the conventional Fenton process, aliphatic compounds, apart from acetic acid, required the presence of UV light to enhance treatment results. EDTA and oxalic acid responded very positively to UV irradiation in both COD removal and mineralization, reaching the highest values showed by aromatics; and results depended on the intensity of the UV light applied. Phenol and 4-nitrophenol responded favourably to UV irradiation in terms of mineralization and slightly in COD removal. Reductions in the COD were almost total (95.99%), while only an 80% of reduction in the TOC was achieved, for the best photo-Fenton treatment of oxalic acid, phenol and nitrophenol. 60% COD and 40% TOC removals were achieved correspondingly in the case of EDTA. Acetic acid showed almost no mineralization and low COD removal (≈20%) when treated by a conventional Fenton process; and did not enhanced results when assisting the treatment with UV light. Photo-regeneration of ferrous ion and photo-decarboxylation of iron carboxylates are assessed in the framework of these results

Rationale, Study Design, and Cohort Characteristics for the Markers for Environmental Exposures (MEE) Study.

Environmental factors have been linked to many diseases and health conditions, but reliable assessment of environmental exposures is challenging. Developing biomarkers of environmental exposures, rather than relying on self-report, will improve our ability to assess the association of such exposures with disease. Epigenetic markers, most notably DNA methylation, have been identified for some environmental exposures, but identification of markers for additional exposures is still needed. The rationale behind the Markers for Environmental Exposures (MEE) Study was to (1) identify biomarkers, especially epigenetic markers, of environmental exposures, such as pesticides, air/food/water contaminants, and industrial chemicals that are commonly encountered in the general population; and (2) support the study of potential relationships between environmental exposures and health and health-related factors. The MEE Study is a cross-sectional study with potential for record linkage and follow-up. The well-characterized cohort of 400 postmenopausal women has generated a repository of biospecimens, including blood, urine, and saliva samples. Paired data include an environmental exposures questionnaire, a breast health questionnaire, dietary recalls, and a food frequency questionnaire. This work describes the rationale, study design, and cohort characteristics of the MEE Study. In addition to our primary research goals, we hope that the data and biorepository generated by this study will serve as a resource for future studies and collaboration

Generation of a fully erythromycin-sensitive strain of Clostridioides difficile using a novel CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing system

© 2019, The Author(s). Understanding the molecular pathogenesis of Clostridioides difficile has relied on the use of ermB-based mutagens in erythromycin-sensitive strains. However, the repeated subcultures required to isolate sensitive variants can lead to the acquisition of ancillary mutations that affect phenotype, including virulence. CRISPR-Cas9 allows the direct selection of mutants, reducing the number of subcultures and thereby minimising the likelihood of acquiring additional mutations. Accordingly, CRISPR-Cas9 was used to sequentially remove from the C. difficile 630 reference strain (NCTC 13307) two ermB genes and pyrE. The genomes of the strains generated (630Δerm* and 630Δerm*ΔpyrE, respectively) contained no ancillary mutations compared to the NCTC 13307 parental strain, making these strains the preferred option where erythromycin-sensitive 630 strains are required. Intriguingly, the cas9 gene of the plasmid used contained a proximal frameshift mutation. Despite this, the frequency of mutant isolation was high (96% and 89% for ermB and pyrE, respectively) indicating that a functional Cas9 is still being produced. Re-initiation of translation from an internal AUG start codon would produce a foreshortened protein lacking a RuvCI nucleolytic domain, effectively a ‘nickase’. The mutation allowed cas9 to be cloned downstream of the strong Pthl promoter. It may find application elsewhere where the use of strong, constitutive promoters is preferred

Effective differentiation of double negative thymocytes requires high fidelity replication of mitochondrial DNA in an age dependent manner

One of the most proliferative periods for T cells occurs during their development in the thymus. Increased DNA replication can result in increased DNA mutations in the nuclear genome, but also in mitochondrial genomes. A high frequency of mitochondrial DNA mutations can lead to abnormal mitochondrial function and have negative implications on human health. Furthermore, aging is accompanied by an increase in such mutations through oxidative damage and replication errors. Increased mitochondrial DNA mutations cause loss of mitochondrial protein function, and decrease energy production, substrates, and metabolites. Here we have evaluated the effect of increased mitochondrial DNA mutations on T cell development in the thymus. Using mice carrying a mutant mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (PolG) that causes increased mitochondrial DNA mutations, we show that high fidelity replication of mitochondrial DNA is pivotal for proper T cell development. Reducing the fidelity of mitochondrial DNA replication results in a premature age-dependent reduction in the total number of CD4/CD8 double negative and double positive thymocytes. Analysis of mitochondrial density in thymocyte subpopulations suggests that this may be due to reduced proliferation in specific double negative stages. Taken together, this work suggests that T cell development is regulated by the ability of mitochondria to faithfully replicate their DNA

Non-overlapping and Inverse Associations Between the Sexes in Structural Brain-Trait Associations

Personality reflects the set of psychological traits and mechanisms characteristic for an individual. The brain-trait association between personality and gray matter volume (GMv) has been well studied. However, a recent study has shown that brain structure-personality relationships are highly dependent on sex. In addition, the present study investigates the role of sex on the association between temperaments and regional GMv. Sixty-six participants (33 male) completed the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and underwent structural magnetic resonance brain imaging. Mann-Whitney U tests showed a significant higher score on Novelty Seeking (NS) and Reward Dependence (RD) for females, but no significant group effects were found for Harm Avoidance (HA) and Persistence (P) score. Full factor model analyses were performed to investigate sex-temperament interaction effects on GMv. This revealed increased GMv for females in the superior temporal gyrus when linked to NS, middle temporal gyrus for HA, and the insula for RD. Males displayed increased GMv compared to females relating to P in the posterior cingulate gyrus, the medial superior frontal gyrus, and the middle cingulate gyrus, compared to females. Multiple regression analysis showed clear differences between the brain regions that correlate with female subjects and the brain correlates that correlate with male subjects. No overlap was observed between sex-specific brain-trait associations. These results increase the knowledge of the role of sex on the structural neurobiology of personality and indicate that sex differences reflect structural differences observed in the normal brain. Furthermore, sex hormones seem an important underlying factor for the found sex differences in brain-trait associations. The present study indicates an important role for sex in these brain structure-personality relationships, and implies that sex should not just be added as a covariate of no interest

Optimization of the Fenton treatment of 1,4-dioxane and on-line FTIR monitoring of the reaction

1,4-dioxane is a non-biodegradable, toxic, hazardous, and priority pollutant widely used in the chemical industry as a solvent; as well as it is a resulting by-product of many industrial processes. The optimization of the Fenton treatment of 1,4-dioxane, and the on-line FTIR monitoring of its degradation route, including the assessment of the enhancement of the 6 biodegradability of the solution along treatment are herein addressed. Besides the full removal of 1,4-dioxane, an 80% reduction of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) was achieved at the best tested treatment conditions. Whether the used concentration of H2O2 was expectedly addressed as the reaction factor most influencing the achieved COD removal at the end of the process; the performance of the treatment under acid pH conditions showed to have just a slight influence, thus supporting this process may suitably be performed at neutral pH value. On-line FTIR monitoring of the process novelly provided the degradation route of 1,4-dioxane along its oxidation treatment, as well as a comprehensive optimization of the Fenton process based on the increase of the biodegradability of the solution and the reduction of the consumption of reagents

Illusionary Self-Motion Perception in Zebrafish

Zebrafish mutant belladonna (bel) carries a mutation in the lhx2 gene (encoding a Lim domain homeobox transcription factor) that results in a defect in retinotectal axon pathfinding, which can lead to uncrossed optic nerves failing to form an optic chiasm. Here, we report on a novel swimming behavior of the bel mutants, best described as looping. Together with two previously reported oculomotor instabilities that have been related to achiasmatic bel mutants, reversed optokinetic response (OKR) and congenital nystagmus (CN, involuntary conjugate oscillations of both eyes), looping opens a door to study the influence of visual input and eye movements on postural balance. Our result shows that looping correlates perfectly with reversed OKR and CN and is vision-dependent and contrast sensitive. CN precedes looping and the direction of the CN slow phase is predictive of the looping direction, but is absent during looping. Therefore, looping may be triggered by CN in bel. Moreover, looping in wild-type fish can also be evoked by whole-field motion, suggesting that looping in a bel mutant larvae is a result of self-motion perception. In contrary to previous hypotheses, our findings indicate that postural control in vertebrates relies on both direct visual input (afference signal) and eye-movement-related signals (efference copy or reafference signal)

A Critical Role for CD8 T Cells in a Nonhuman Primate Model of Tuberculosis

The role of CD8 T cells in anti-tuberculosis immunity in humans remains unknown, and studies of CD8 T cell–mediated protection against tuberculosis in mice have yielded controversial results. Unlike mice, humans and nonhuman primates share a number of important features of the immune system that relate directly to the specificity and functions of CD8 T cells, such as the expression of group 1 CD1 proteins that are capable of presenting Mycobacterium tuberculosis lipids antigens and the cytotoxic/bactericidal protein granulysin. Employing a more relevant nonhuman primate model of human tuberculosis, we examined the contribution of BCG- or M. tuberculosis-elicited CD8 T cells to vaccine-induced immunity against tuberculosis. CD8 depletion compromised BCG vaccine-induced immune control of M. tuberculosis replication in the vaccinated rhesus macaques. Depletion of CD8 T cells in BCG-vaccinated rhesus macaques led to a significant decrease in the vaccine-induced immunity against tuberculosis. Consistently, depletion of CD8 T cells in rhesus macaques that had been previously infected with M. tuberculosis and cured by antibiotic therapy also resulted in a loss of anti-tuberculosis immunity upon M. tuberculosis re-infection. The current study demonstrates a major role for CD8 T cells in anti-tuberculosis immunity, and supports the view that CD8 T cells should be included in strategies for development of new tuberculosis vaccines and immunotherapeutics