Relationships between cancer pattern, country income and geographical region in Asia.

BACKGROUND: Cancer incidence and mortality varies across region, sex and country\u27s economic status. While most studies focused on global trends, this study aimed to describe and analyse cancer incidence and mortality in Asia, focusing on cancer site, sex, region and income status. METHODS: Age-standardised incidence and mortality rates of cancer were extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2012 database. Cancer mortality to incidence ratios (MIRs) were calculated to represent cancer survival. The data were analysed based on the four regions in Asia and income. RESULTS: Cancer incidence rate is lower in Asia compared to the West but for MIR, it is the reverse. In Asia, the most common cancers in men are lung, stomach, liver, colorectal and oesophageal cancers while the most common cancers in women are breast, lung, cervical, colorectal and stomach cancers. The MIRs are the highest in lung, liver and stomach cancers and the lowest in colorectal, breast and prostate cancers. Eastern and Western Asia have a higher incidence of cancer compared to South-Eastern and South-Central Asia but this pattern is the reverse for MIR. Cancer incidence rate increases with country income particularly in colorectal and breast cancers but the pattern is the opposite for MIR. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that there is a wide variation in cancer incidence and mortality across Asia. This study is the first step towards documenting and explaining the changing cancer pattern in Asia in comparison to the rest of the world

Aqua­chlorido(3,5-dinitro-2-oxidobenzo­ato-κ2 O 1,O 2)(1,10-phenanthroline-κ2 N,N′)chromium(III)

In the title compound, [Cr(C7H2N2O7)Cl(C12H8N2)(H2O)], the CrIII atom displays a distorted octa­hedral coordination geometry, with the chelating phenantroline and 3,5-dinitro­salicylate ligands in trans positions. In the crystal, mol­ecules are connected via O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds into a two-dimensional framework parallel to (100). In addition, there are π–π stacking inter­actions between phenanthroline ligands along the c axis, with a mean inter­planar distance of 3.456 (4) Å

Cross-linked CoMoO4/rGO nanosheets as oxygen reduction catalyst

Development of inexpensive and robust electrocatalysts towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for the cost-affordable manufacturing of metal-air batteries and fuel cells. Here we show that cross-linked CoMoO4 nanosheets and reduced graphene oxide (CoMoO4/rGO) can be integrated in a hybrid material under one-pot hydrothermal conditions, yielding a composite material with promising catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) were used to investigate the efficiency of the fabricated CoMoO4/rGO catalyst towards ORR in alkaline conditions. The CoMoO4/rGO composite revealed the main reduction peak and onset potential centered at 0.78 and 0.89 V (vs. RHE), respectively. This study shows that the CoMoO4/rGO composite is a highly promising catalyst for the ORR under alkaline conditions, and potential noble metal replacement cathode in fuel cells and metal-air batteries

Associations of Alzheimer's disease risk variants with gene expression, amyloidosis, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies have identified more than 30 Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk genes, although the detailed mechanism through which all these genes are associated with AD pathogenesis remains unknown. We comprehensively evaluate the roles of the variants in top 30 non-APOE AD risk genes, based on whether these variants were associated with altered mRNA transcript levels, as well as brain amyloidosis, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration. METHODS: Human brain gene expression data were obtained from the UK Brain Expression Consortium (UKBEC), while other data used in our study were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort. We examined the association of AD risk allele carrier status with the levels of gene expression in blood and brain regions and tested the association with brain amyloidosis, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration at baseline, using a multivariable linear regression model. Next, we analyzed the longitudinal effects of these variants on the change rates of pathology using a mixed effect model. RESULTS: Altogether, 27 variants were detected to be associated with the altered expression of 21 nearby genes in blood and brain regions. Eleven variants (especially novel variants in ADAM10, IGHV1-68, and SLC24A4/RIN3) were associated with brain amyloidosis, 7 variants (especially in INPP5D, PTK2B) with brain tauopathy, and 8 variants (especially in ECHDC3, HS3ST1) with brain neurodegeneration. Variants in ADAMTS1, BZRAP1-AS1, CELF1, CD2AP, and SLC24A4/RIN3 participated in more than one cerebral pathological process. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variants might play functional roles and suggest potential mechanisms in AD pathogenesis, which opens doors to uncover novel targets for AD treatment

Associations of Alzheimer's disease risk variants with gene expression, amyloidosis, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies have identified more than 30 Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk genes, although the detailed mechanism through which all these genes are associated with AD pathogenesis remains unknown. We comprehensively evaluate the roles of the variants in top 30 non-APOE AD risk genes, based on whether these variants were associated with altered mRNA transcript levels, as well as brain amyloidosis, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration. METHODS: Human brain gene expression data were obtained from the UK Brain Expression Consortium (UKBEC), while other data used in our study were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) cohort. We examined the association of AD risk allele carrier status with the levels of gene expression in blood and brain regions and tested the association with brain amyloidosis, tauopathy, and neurodegeneration at baseline, using a multivariable linear regression model. Next, we analyzed the longitudinal effects of these variants on the change rates of pathology using a mixed effect model. RESULTS: Altogether, 27 variants were detected to be associated with the altered expression of 21 nearby genes in blood and brain regions. Eleven variants (especially novel variants in ADAM10, IGHV1-68, and SLC24A4/RIN3) were associated with brain amyloidosis, 7 variants (especially in INPP5D, PTK2B) with brain tauopathy, and 8 variants (especially in ECHDC3, HS3ST1) with brain neurodegeneration. Variants in ADAMTS1, BZRAP1-AS1, CELF1, CD2AP, and SLC24A4/RIN3 participated in more than one cerebral pathological process. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variants might play functional roles and suggest potential mechanisms in AD pathogenesis, which opens doors to uncover novel targets for AD treatment

mRNA processing in mutant zebrafish lines generated by chemical and CRISPR-mediated mutagenesis produces unexpected transcripts that escape nonsense-mediated decay.

As model organism-based research shifts from forward to reverse genetics approaches, largely due to the ease of genome editing technology, a low frequency of abnormal phenotypes is being observed in lines with mutations predicted to lead to deleterious effects on the encoded protein. In zebrafish, this low frequency is in part explained by compensation by genes of redundant or similar function, often resulting from the additional round of teleost-specific whole genome duplication within vertebrates. Here we offer additional explanations for the low frequency of mutant phenotypes. We analyzed mRNA processing in seven zebrafish lines with mutations expected to disrupt gene function, generated by CRISPR/Cas9 or ENU mutagenesis methods. Five of the seven lines showed evidence of altered mRNA processing: one through a skipped exon that did not lead to a frame shift, one through nonsense-associated splicing that did not lead to a frame shift, and three through the use of cryptic splice sites. These results highlight the need for a methodical analysis of the mRNA produced in mutant lines before making conclusions or embarking on studies that assume loss of function as a result of a given genomic change. Furthermore, recognition of the types of adaptations that can occur may inform the strategies of mutant generation

Aging male symptoms scale (AMS) for health-related quality of life in aging men: translation and adaptation in Malay

The Aging Male Symptoms Scale (AMS) measures health-related quality of life in aging men. The objective of this paper is to describe the translation and validation of the AMS into Bahasa Melayu (BM). The original English version of the AMS was translated into BM by 2 translators to produce BM1 and BM2, and subsequently harmonized to produce BM3. Two other independent translators, blinded to the English version, back-translated BM3 to yield E2 and E3. All versions (BM1, BM2, BM3, E2, E3) were compared with the English version. The BM pre-final version was produced, and pre-tested in 8 participants. Proportion Agreement, Weighted Kappa, Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient, and verbatim responses were used. The English and the BM versions showed excellent equivalence (weighted Kappa and Spearman Rank Coefficients, ranged from 0.72 to 1.00, and Proportion Agreement values ranged from 75.0% to 100%). In conclusion, the BM version of the AMS was successfully translated and adapted

Thiomicrorhabdus marina sp.nov., an obligate chemolithoautotroph isolated from tidal zone sediment, and genome insight into the genus Thiomicrorhabdus

The contribution of microbes to the marine sulfur cycle has received considerable attention in recent years. In this study, a new Gram-stain-negative, aerobic sulfur-oxidizing bacterium, designated strain 6S2-11T, was isolated from tidal zone sediment of the coast of Weihai, China. Strain 6S2-11T was an obligate chemolithoautotroph utilizing thiosulfate as the energy source. Physiological and biochemical experiments, phylogenetic analysis, and comparative genomic analysis were done with strain 6S2-11T. According to genomic analysis, strain 6S2-11T owned a complete thiosulfate oxidation pathway and an untypical nitrogen metabolism pathway. Its relatively small genome also has multiple environmental adaptation mechanisms. The DNA G+C content of strain 6S2-11T was 44.1%. Strain 6S2-11T was observed to grow at 20-37°C (optimum, 35°C), pH 6.0-9.5 (optimum, pH 7.5), and 0.5-5% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2.5%). The major cellular fatty acids (>10%) of strain 6S2-11T were Summed Feature 8 (C18:1ω7c/C18:1ω6c), C16:0 and Summed Feature 3 (C16:1ω7c/C16:1ω6c). The comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 6S2-11T was most closely to Thiomicrorhabdus xiamenensis G2T (96.8%). Based on the results of phylogenetic analysis, the strain 6S2-11T is a novel specie of the genus Thiomicrorhabdus, for which name Thiomicrorhabdus marina sp.nov. is proposed with the type strain 6S2-11T (=MCCC 1H00523T=KCTC 82994T)