A Genetic Variant in the Promoter Region of miR-106b-25 Cluster and Risk of HBV Infection and Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND: MiR-106b-25 cluster, hosted in intron 13 of MCM7, may play integral roles in diverse processes including immune response and tumorigenesis. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs999885, is located in the promoter region of MCM7. METHODS: We performed a case-control study including 1300 HBV-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases, 1344 HBV persistent carriers and 1344 subjects with HBV natural clearance to test the association between rs999885 and the risk of HBV persistent infection and HCC. We also investigated the genotype-expression correlation between rs999885 and miR-106b-25 cluster in 25 pairs of HCC and adjacent non-tumor liver tissues. RESULTS: Compared with the HBV natural clearance subjects carrying rs999885 AA genotype, those with AG/GG genotypes had a decreased risk of chronic HBV infection with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.79 [95% confidence intervals (CIs) = 0.67-0.93]. However, the AG/GG genotypes were significantly associated with an increased HCC risk in HBV persistent carriers (adjusted OR = 1.25, 95% CIs = 1.06-1.47). Expression analysis revealed that the expression level of miR-106b-25 cluster was significantly higher in AG/GG carriers than those in AA carriers in non-tumor liver tissues. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the A to G base change of rs999885 may provide a protective effect against chronic HBV infection but an increased risk for HCC in HBV persistent carriers by altering the expression of the miR-106b-25 cluster

Podwyższone stężenia lipokaliny-2 w surowicy krwi są związane ze wskaźnikami metabolizmu glukozy i metabolizmu kostnego w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2

Introduction: The role of lipocalin 2 (LCN2) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) needs to be fully elucidated. Moreover, bone has been demonstrated to modulate glucose metabolism via LCN2. We thus performed this study to investigate the associations of LCN2 with indexes of glucose metabolism in T2DM. The associations of LCN2 with bone metabolism were examined concurrently. Material and methods: Total 288 Chinese Han subjects entered in this study including 146 patients with T2DM and 142 subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Insulin resistance was assessed by HOMA-IR andWstęp: Wyjaśnienie roli lipokaliny-2 (lipocalin 2; LCN2) w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2 jest niezbędne, w szczególności, że zostało dowiedzione, iż kość moduluje metabolizm glukozy za pośrednictwem LCN2. Niniejsze badanie przeprowadzono, aby zbadać, w jaki sposób LCN2 jest powiązana ze wskaźnikami metabolizmu glukozy w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2. Jednocześnie zbadano powiązania LCN2 z metabolizmem kostnym. Materiał i metody: W badaniu wzięło udział 288 Chińczyków Han, w tym 146 pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 2 i 142 pacjentów z prawidłową tolerancją glukozy. Insulinooporność oceniano za pomocą wskaźnika HOMA-IR, natomiast funkcję komórek beta trzustki za pomocą HOMA-β. W przypadku pacjentów z cukrzycą typu 2 oznaczano również markery obrotu kostnego, N-końcowy propeptyd prokolagenu typu I, C-końcowy usieciowany telopeptyd łańcucha alfa kolagenu typu I, gęstość mineralną kości (bone mineral density; BMD) odcinka lędźwiowego kręgosłupa i szyjki kości udowej. Wyniki: Stężenia LCN2 w surowicy krwi w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2 były wyższe niż u osób z prawidłową tolerancją glukozy (p = 0,005). Ponadto, LCN2 była dodatnio skorelowana ze stężeniem insuliny w surowicy krwi na czczo (r = 0,262, p = 0,001), wskaźnikiem HOMA-IR (r = 0,185, p = 0,026) i HOMA-β (r = 0,306, p < 0,001), odpowiednio, oraz ujemnie skorelowana z osoczowym stężeniem glukozy na czczo (r = –0,218, p = 0,006). Dodatkowo, BMD szyjki kości udowej (β = –0,176, p = 0,033), N-końcowy propeptyd prokolagenu typu I (β = 0,181, p = 0,026) oraz C-końcowy usieciowany telopeptyd łańcucha alfa kolagenu typu I (β = –0,168, p = 0,037) były niezależnymi czynnikami predykcyjnymi dla LCN2 w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2. Wnioski: Lipokalina-2 była powiązana ze wskaźnikami metabolizmu glukozy. Ponadto, BMD oraz markery obrotu kostnego były nie­zależnymi czynnikami predykcyjnymi dla LCN2 w przebiegu cukrzycy typu 2. Można sądzić, że LCN2 może odgrywać rolę w procesie wzajemnego wpływu homeostazy kości i homeostazy glukozy

An integrated proteomic and metabolomic study on the gender-specific responses of mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis to tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)

Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), accounting for the largest production of brominated flame-retardants (BFRs) along the Laizhou Bay in China, is of great concern due to its diverse toxicities. In this study, we focused on the gender-specific responses of TBBPA in mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis using an integrated proteomic and metabolomic approach. After exposure of TBBPA (10 mu g L-1) for one month, a total of 9 metabolites and 67 proteins were altered in mussel gills from exposed group. The significant changes of metabolites in female mussel gills from exposed group exhibited the disturbances in energy metabolism and osmotic regulation, while in male samples only be found the variation of metabolites related to osmotic regulation. iTRAQ-based proteomic analysis showed biological differences between male and female mussel gills from solvent control group. The higher levels of proteins related to primary and energy metabolism and defense mechanisms in male mussel gills meant a greater anti-stress capability of male mussels. Further analysis revealed that TBBPA exposure affected multiple biological processes consisting of production and development, material and energy metabolism, signal transduction, gene expression, defense mechanisms and apoptosis in both male and female mussels with different mechanisms. Specially, the responsive proteins of TBBPA in male mussels signified higher tolerance limits than those in female individuals, which was consistent with the biological differences between male and female mussel gills from solvent control group. This work suggested that the gender differences should be considered in ecotoxicology. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Simulated runoff responses to land use in the middle and upstream reaches of Taoerhe River basin, Northeast China, in wet, average and dry years

Study on runoff variations and responses can lay a foundation for flood control, water allocation and integrated river basin management. This study applied the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model to simulate the effects of land use on annual and monthly runoff in the Middle and Upstream Reaches of Taoerhe River basin, Northeast China, under the wet, average and dry climate conditions through scenario analysis. The results showed that from the early 1970s to 2000, land use change with an increase in farmland (17.0%) and decreases in forest (10.6%), grassland (4.6%) and water body (3.1%) caused increases in annual and monthly runoff. This effect was more distinct in the wet season or in the wet year, suggesting that land use change from the early 1970s to 2000 may increase the flood potential in the wet season. Increases in precipitation and air temperature from the average to wet year led to annual and monthly (March and from June to December) runoff increases, while a decrease in precipitation and an increase in air temperature from the average to dry year induced decreases in annual and monthly (all months except March) runoff, and moreover, these effects were more remarkable in the wet season than those in the dry season. Due to the integrated effects of changing land use and climate conditions, the annual runoff increased (decreased) by 70.1mm (25.2mm) or 197.4% (71.0%) from the average to wet (dry) year. In conclusion, climate conditions, especially precipitation, played an important role in runoff variations while land use change was secondary over the study area, and furthermore, the effects of changes in land use and/or climate conditions on monthly runoff were larger in the wet season. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Study on runoff variations and responses can lay a foundation for flood control, water allocation and integrated river basin management. This study applied the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model to simulate the effects of land use on annual and monthly runoff in the Middle and Upstream Reaches of Taoerhe River basin, Northeast China, under the wet, average and dry climate conditions through scenario analysis. The results showed that from the early 1970s to 2000, land use change with an increase in farmland (17.0%) and decreases in forest (10.6%), grassland (4.6%) and water body (3.1%) caused increases in annual and monthly runoff. This effect was more distinct in the wet season or in the wet year, suggesting that land use change from the early 1970s to 2000 may increase the flood potential in the wet season. Increases in precipitation and air temperature from the average to wet year led to annual and monthly (March and from June to December) runoff increases, while a decrease in precipitation and an increase in air temperature from the average to dry year induced decreases in annual and monthly (all months except March) runoff, and moreover, these effects were more remarkable in the wet season than those in the dry season. Due to the integrated effects of changing land use and climate conditions, the annual runoff increased (decreased) by 70.1mm (25.2mm) or 197.4% (71.0%) from the average to wet (dry) year. In conclusion, climate conditions, especially precipitation, played an important role in runoff variations while land use change was secondary over the study area, and furthermore, the effects of changes in land use and/or climate conditions on monthly runoff were larger in the wet season. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Accounting for Calibration Uncertainties in X-ray Analysis: Effective Areas in Spectral Fitting

While considerable advance has been made to account for statistical uncertainties in astronomical analyses, systematic instrumental uncertainties have been generally ignored. This can be crucial to a proper interpretation of analysis results because instrumental calibration uncertainty is a form of systematic uncertainty. Ignoring it can underestimate error bars and introduce bias into the fitted values of model parameters. Accounting for such uncertainties currently requires extensive case-specific simulations if using existing analysis packages. Here we present general statistical methods that incorporate calibration uncertainties into spectral analysis of high-energy data. We first present a method based on multiple imputation that can be applied with any fitting method, but is necessarily approximate. We then describe a more exact Bayesian approach that works in conjunction with a Markov chain Monte Carlo based fitting. We explore methods for improving computational efficiency, and in particular detail a method of summarizing calibration uncertainties with a principal component analysis of samples of plausible calibration files. This method is implemented using recently codified Chandra effective area uncertainties for low-resolution spectral analysis and is verified using both simulated and actual Chandra data. Our procedure for incorporating effective area uncertainty is easily generalized to other types of calibration uncertainties.Comment: 61 pages double spaced, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Characteristics of Sediment Bacterial Community in Response to Environmental Impacts in a Sewage Polluted River

The Jiaolai River is the main source of industrial and irrigation water for its catchment of 3900 km(2). Anthropogenic activities have caused heavy pollution of this river, but their impacts on biota have never been evaluated. In this study, molecular techniques were applied to investigate the impacts of environmental pollution on the river. Quantitative PCR revealed that total bacterial abundance ranged from 2.90x10(7) to 2.12x10(8) copies/g, with no significant differences among sampling sites or seasons. Bacterial abundance and pore water ammonium concentration were negatively correlated. Cluster analysis revealed that bacterial communities were mainly distributed into groups corresponding to nitrate concentration. Two clone libraries were constructed to compare the bacterial composition of samples with high (J308) and moderate (J304) nitrate impact. Sample J308 was characterized by more members in Clostridia and disappearance of Betaproteobacteria members, which are the primary contributors to nitrogen biogeochemical cycling. Bacterial communities in the sediment were clearly differentiated by environmental nitrogen pollution, suggesting that nitrogen eutrophication was the main environmental problem influencing the Jiaolai River

Optimization of NiFe2O4/rGO composite electrode for lithium-ion batteries

The combination of carbon compositing and the proper choice of binders in one system offer an effective strategy for improving electrode performance for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). Here, we focus on the optimization of reduced graphene oxide content in NiFeO/reduced graphene oxide (abbreviated to NiFeO/rGO) composites and the proper choice of binders to enhance the cycling stability of the NiFeO electrode. The NiFeO/rGO composites were fabricated by a hydrothermal-annealing method, in which the mean size of spinel NiFeO nanoparticles was approximately 20\ua0nm. When tested as anode materials for LIBs, the NiFeO/rGO electrodes with carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) binder exhibited excellent lithium-storage performance including high reversible capacity, good cycling durability and high-rate capability. The capacity could be retained as high as 1105\ua0mAh\ua0g at a current density of 100\ua0mA\ua0g for over 50 cycles, even cycled at higher current density of 1000\ua0mA\ua0g, a capacity of 800\ua0mAh\ua0gcan be obtained, whereas the electrode with the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder suffered from rapid capacity decay under the same test conditions. As a result, the NiFeO/rGO composites with CMC binder electrode in this work are promising as anodes for high-performance LIBs, resulting from the synergistic effect of optimal graphene content and proper choice of binder

The capacities of institutions for the integration of ecosystem services in coastal strategic planning: The case of Jiaozhou Bay

This paper explains how the practice of integrating ecosystem-service thinking (i.e., ecological benefits for human beings) and institutions (i.e., organisations, policy rules) is essential for coastal spatial planning. Adopting an integrated perspective on ecosystem services (ESs) both helps understand a wide range of possible services and, at the same time, attune institution to local resource patterns. The objective of this paper is to identify the extent to which ESs are integrated in a specific coastal strategic planning case. A subsequent objective is to understand whether institutions are capable of managing ESs in terms of uncovering institutional strengths and weaknesses that may exist in taking ESs into account in existing institutional practices. These two questions are addressed through the application of a content analysis method and a multi-level analysis framework on formal institutions. Jiaozhou Bay in China is used as an illustrative case. The results show that some ESs have been implicitly acknowledged, but by no means the whole range. This partial ES implementation could result from any of four institutional weaknesses in the strategic plans of Jiaozhou Bay, namely a dominant market oriented interest, fragmented institutional structures for managing ESs, limited ES assessment, and a lack of integrated reflection of the social value of ESs in decision-making. Finally, generalizations of multi-level institutional settings on ES integration, such as an inter-organisational fragmentation and a limited use of ES assessment in operation, are made together with other international case studies. Meanwhile, the comparison highlights the influences of extensive market-oriented incentives and governments' exclusive responsibilities on ES governance in the Chinese context