Effect of biochars pyrolyzed in N2 and CO2, and feedstock on microbial community in metal(loid)s contaminated soils

Little is known about the effects of applying amendments on soil for immobilizing metal(loid)s on the soil microbial community. Alterations in the microbial community were examined after incubation of treated contaminated soils. One soil was contaminated with Pb and As, a second soil with Cd and Zn. Red pepper stalk (RPS) and biochars produced from RPS in either N2 atmosphere (RPSN) or CO2 atmosphere (RPSC) were applied at a rate of 2.5% to the two soils and incubated for 30 days. Bacterial communities of control and treated soils were characterized by sequencing 16S rRNA genes using the Illumina MiSeq sequencing. In both soils, bacterial richness increased in the amended soils, though somewhat differently between the treatments. Evenness values decreased significantly, and the final overall diversities were reduced. The neutralization of pH, reduced available concentrations of Pb or Cd, and supplementation of available carbon and surface area could be possible factors affecting the community changes. Biochar amendments caused the soil bacterial communities to become more similar than those in the not amended soils. The bacterial community structures at the phylum and genus levels showed that amendment addition might restore the normal bacterial community of soils, and cause soil bacterial communities in contaminated soils to normalize and stabilize

Prediction of Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology based on cortical thickness patterns

AbstractIntroductionRecent studies have shown that pathologically defined subtypes of Alzheimer's disease (AD) represent distinctive atrophy patterns and clinical characteristics. We investigated whether a cortical thickness–based clustering method can reflect such findings.MethodsA total of 77 AD subjects from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 2 data set who underwent 3-T magnetic resonance imaging, [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (PET), [18F]-Florbetapir PET, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) tests were enrolled. After clustering based on cortical thickness, diverse imaging and biofluid biomarkers were compared between these groups.ResultsThree cortical thinning patterns were noted: medial temporal (MT; 19.5%), diffuse (55.8%), and parietal dominant (P; 24.7%) atrophy subtypes. The P subtype was the youngest and represented more glucose hypometabolism in the parietal and occipital cortices and marked amyloid-beta accumulation in most brain regions. The MT subtype revealed more glucose hypometabolism in the left hippocampus and bilateral frontal cortices and less performance in memory tests. CSF test results did not differ between the groups.DiscussionCortical thickness patterns can reflect pathophysiological and clinical changes in AD

The current capacity and quality of colonoscopy in Korea

Background/Aims Little is known for the capacity and quality of colonoscopy, and adherence to colonoscopy surveillance guidelines in Korea. This study aimed to investigate the present and potential colonoscopic capacity, colonoscopic quality, and adherence to colonoscopy surveillance guidelines in Korea. Methods We surveyed representative endoscopists of 72 endoscopy units from June to August 2015, using a 36-item questionnaire regarding colonoscopic capacity, quality, and adherence to colonoscopy surveillance guidelines of each hospitals. Results Among the 62 respondents who answered the questionnaire, 51 respondents were analyzed after exclusion of 11 incomplete answers. Only 1 of 3 of endoscopy units can afford to perform additional colonoscopies in addition to current practice, and the potential maximum number of colonoscopies per week was only 42. The quality of colonoscopy was variable as reporting of quality indicators of colonoscopy were considerably variable (29.4%–94.1%) between endoscopy units. Furthermore, there are substantial gaps in the adherence to colonoscopy surveillance guidelines, as concordance rate for guideline recommendation was less than 50% in most scenarios. Conclusions The potential capacity and quality of colonoscopy in Korea was suboptimal. Considering suboptimal reporting of colonoscopic quality indicators and low adherence rate for colonoscopy surveillance guidelines, quality improvement of colonoscopy should be underlined in Korea

Whole Genome Analysis of the Red-Crowned Crane Provides Insight into Avian Longevity

The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) is an endangered, large-bodied crane native to East Asia. It is a traditional symbol of longevity and its long lifespan has been confirmed both in captivity and in the wild. Lifespan in birds is known to be positively correlated with body size and negatively correlated with metabolic rate, though the genetic mechanisms for the red-crowned crane's long lifespan have not previously been investigated. Using whole genome sequencing and comparative evolutionary analyses against the grey-crowned crane and other avian genomes, including the long-lived common ostrich, we identified red-crowned crane candidate genes with known associations with longevity. Among these are positively selected genes in metabolism and immunity pathways (NDUFA5, NDUFA8, NUDT12, SOD3, CTH, RPA1, PHAX, HNMT, HS2ST1, PPCDC, PSTK CD8B, GP9, IL-9R, and PTPRC). Our analyses provide genetic evidence for low metabolic rate and longevity, accompanied by possible convergent adaptation signatures among distantly related large and long-lived birds. Finally, we identified low genetic diversity in the red-crowned crane, consistent with its listing as an endangered species, and this genome should provide a useful genetic resource for future conservation studies of this rare and iconic species

The prM-independent packaging of pseudotyped Japanese encephalitis virus

As noted in other flaviviruses, the envelope (E) protein of Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) interacts with a cellular receptor and mediates membrane fusion to allow viral entry into target cells, thus eliciting neutralizing antibody response. The formation of the flavivirus prM/E complex is followed by the cleavage of precursor membrane (prM) and membrane (M) protein by a cellular signalase. To test the effect of prM in JEV biology, we constucted JEV-MuLV pseudotyped viruses that express the prM/E protein or E only. The infectivity and titers of JEV pseudotyped viruses were examined in several cell lines. We also analyzed the neutralizing capacities with anti-JEV sera from JEV-immunized mice. Even though prM is crucial for multiple stages of JEV biology, the JEV-pseudotyped viruses produced with prM/E or with E only showed similar infectivity and titers in several cell lines and similar neutralizing sensitivity. These results showed that JEV-MuLV pseudotyped viruses did not require prM for production of infectious pseudotyped viruses