The epigenetic landscape of renal cancer

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Nature in Nature Reviews: Nephrology on 28/11/2016, available online: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2016.168 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.The majority of kidney cancers are associated with mutations in the von Hippel-Lindau gene and a small proportion are associated with infrequent mutations in other well characterized tumour-suppressor genes. In the past 15 years, efforts to uncover other key genes involved in renal cancer have identified many genes that are dysregulated or silenced via epigenetic mechanisms, mainly through methylation of promoter CpG islands or dysregulation of specific microRNAs. In addition, the advent of next-generation sequencing has led to the identification of several novel genes that are mutated in renal cancer, such as PBRM1, BAP1 and SETD2, which are all involved in histone modification and nucleosome and chromatin remodelling. In this Review, we discuss how altered DNA methylation, microRNA dysregulation and mutations in histone-modifying enzymes disrupt cellular pathways in renal cancers

Agricultural Sector of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Climate Change — Challenges and Opportunities

Half of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BH) population lives in rural areas. Agricultural production is a backbone of the rural economy and generates significant economic value for the country. BH is highly vulnerable to climate change, which poses a significant development challenge given the climate-sensitivity of the agricultural sector, the share of agriculture in the total economy, the number of people employed in the sector, and the closely related socio-economic issues of food security. BH has experienced serious incidences of extreme weather events over the past two decades, causing severe economic losses. Based on available data and currently available climate projections, exposure to threats from climate change will continue to increase. The review paper presents the current state of the BH agricultural sector and the impact of potential climate change on agricultural systems. It proposes policy options to optimize opportunities and mitigate consequences of possible climate change in the agricultural sector. Development of policy and research capacity should include harmonisation and centralisation of domestic agricultural policies, carrying out a vulnerability assessment and strengthening the public and private extension systems. Further technological development should include improvements in weather and climate information systems, crop development, irrigation and water management

Contribution of Paddy Production to Household Income in Farmer-Managed Irrigation Scheme Communities in Iringa Rural and Kilombero Districts, Tanzania

Journal of Agricultural Studies,2018; 6(2), 100-122Irrigation reduces risks involved in agriculture and enables farming throughout the year. Improved irrigation systems enhance access to irrigation water. However, most smallholder farmers continue to use traditional irrigation schemes as if the difference in water use and crop yields between the two is insignificant. It seems essential to assess the paddy crop yield difference and its contribution to household incomes between traditional and semi-improved Farmer-Managed Irrigation Schemes (FMISs) in Iringa Rural and Kilombero districts in Tanzania. A cross-sectional research design was used in this study involving 48 key informants and 172 randomly selected households. Household survey using a structured questionnaire was the major method for data collection. Data from focus group discussions and key informants supplemented the information collected using household survey. The data were analyzed using Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS). Results indicate that yield of paddy was higher in semi-improved schemes (2.5-3.6 tons/ha) compared to traditional irrigation schemes (2.2-2.9 tons/ha). This was attributed to the presence of improved water intake structures and existence of main canals, which facilitated an improved water supply to the irrigation fields. In spite of the poor and incomplete irrigation infrastructure, the paddy production contributed very significantly (73-80%) to the total annual household income of smallholder irrigators and somewhat more in the improved system than the traditional system. Other income sources are quite marginal in the study areas. The study recommends that the government should invest in irrigation infrastructure development to increase irrigation water use efficiency and increase agricultural values added

Reflections on evolving water management institutions and institutional bricolage: a case of irrigation schemes in Iringa Rural and Kilombero districts, Tanzania

Water policy, 2016; 18: 143-160Over the past 40þ years, evolution of water institutions responsible for allocation and distribution of water has been enormous. This paper analyzes the evolution of both formal and informal water management institutions and how they affect today’s processes of allocating and distributing water in farmer-managed irrigation schemes (FMISs). It also assesses how farmers translate and modify introduced formal institutions in the rights of the existing informal institution while trying to solve water management challenges based on the local conditions. In-depth and focus group data for the study were collected using a checklist of questions administered to 40 informants, one group discussion per village in Itunundu, Mboliboli, Mkula and Magombera villages, Tanzania. The basic argument of this paper is that water institutions have changed over time. Drawing from study findings, the evolution process of water institutions might be understood as an outcome of the government efforts to address emerging challenges with respect to increasing water demand and multi-use. However, institutional evolution is accompanied by some negatives outcomes, as they weaken social norms and threaten sound water management. The experiences from the irrigation schemes highlight the need to include locally evolved institutions while re-crafting formal institutions. Such interventions may well have significant outcomes for efficient, equity and power relations among water users

The moral basis for conservation - reflections on Dickman et al.

Dickman et al . (2015; Front Ecol Environ 13[6] : 325–31) suggested that “moral relativism” and “misguided respect” for cultural practices impede biological conservation. They favor a world in which conservation scientists armed with universal norms will more readily implement their solutions without the consent of local stakeholders. While we acknowledge their concerns, their vision, however tentative, appears misguided. Here we highlight some objections

BladMetrix: a novel urine DNA methylation test with high accuracy for detection of bladder cancer in hematuria patients

Background Cystoscopy is the gold standard for bladder cancer detection, but is costly, invasive and has imperfect diagnostic accuracy. We aimed to identify novel and accurate DNA methylation biomarkers for non-invasive detection of bladder cancer in urine, with the potential to reduce the number of cystoscopies among hematuria patients. Results Biomarker candidates (n = 32) were identified from methylome sequencing of urological cancer cell lines (n = 16) and subjected to targeted methylation analysis in tissue samples (n = 60). The most promising biomarkers (n = 8) were combined into a panel named BladMetrix. The performance of BladMetrix in urine was assessed in a discovery series (n = 112), consisting of bladder cancer patients, patients with other urological cancers and healthy individuals, resulting in 95.7% sensitivity and 94.7% specificity. BladMetrix was furthermore evaluated in an independent prospective and blinded series of urine from patients with gross hematuria (n = 273), achieving 92.1% sensitivity, 93.3% specificity and a negative predictive value of 98.1%, with the potential to reduce the number of cystoscopies by 56.4%. Conclusions We here present BladMetrix, a novel DNA methylation urine test for non-invasive detection of bladder cancer, with high accuracy across tumor grades and stages, and the ability to spare a significant number of cystoscopies among patients with gross hematuria