R implementation of the Ecological Risk due to Flow Alteration (ERFA) method

The R implementation of the Ecological Risk due to Flow Alteration (ERFA) method is a product of “Translating Environmental Flow Research in Cambodia” (TEFRIC), a project funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) involving the UCL Department of Geography, the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (both in the UK), the Institute of Technology of Cambodia and the Tonle Sap Authority (both in Cambodia). Whilst this software was developed as part of this project with a geographical focus on SE Asia (and the example data sets provided are for the Mekong River Basin), use of the code is not restricted to this region. Instead it can be applied for any situation where baseline and scenario river flow time series are available. The software is referred thereafter as TEFRIC ERFA and can be downloaded freely from NERC Environmental Information Data Centre (Laizé and Thompson, 2019)

Variation of stemness markers expression in tumor nodules from synchronous multi-focal hepatocellular carcinoma - an immunohistochemical study

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Entomophagy and power

Edible insects are being framed as a panacea for health, resource and climate challenges, and the ‘entomophagy movement’ is growing rapidly. Yet as the insect ‘solution’ is scaled up, there is a greater focus on technical innovation and less on the structural inequalities that govern who produces within, who controls, and who benefits from the edible insect trade. We ask: To what extent is the promotion of ‘entomophagy’ challenging or reproducing power relations in global food systems? Drawing on evidence from academia, industry, and the local insect trade in Southeast Asia we critically investigate the rising interest in insects as food. We conducted a systematic literature review, a systematic company and product review of products available online, and fieldwork in Thailand where the edible insect market is growing. Our analysis suggests that the emerging edible insects movement is – generally but not exclusively – reinforcing the existing power relations that many of its actors suggest it could challenge. We conclude our paper with recommendations for further research to investigate the disparity between the claims and consequences of this ‘quick-fix’ approach to food systems. Beyond relying on solely technical and market-based solutions, we recommend more ‘power-aware’ approaches in academia and business, accountability and transparency in research and trade, more detailed critical research in different contexts, and the inclusion of marginalised actors in the discourse, as means to realise the potential of edible insects in a democratic way. Natural Environment Research CouncilThis is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Wageningen Academic Publishers via http://dx.doi.org/10.3920/JIFF2016.001

The mineral composition of five insects as sold for human consumption in Southern Africa

Edible insects have been proposed as an alternative protein source that is economically and  environmentally preferable to livestock, and certain species may be high in nutrients that benefit human health. We present data describing the mineral content of five edible insects as sold in South Africa and Zimbabwe. We report high variation between and within species, and note that these insects contain significant quantities of potentially beneficial, and potentially harmful, micronutrients. Two caterpillars were notably high in Fe and Zn, which are important nutrients for combating iron deficiency anemia. Na content varied both between and within species, suggesting that some sellers add quantities of salt that could be harmful to health. Mn levels were high in edible termites. We concluded that caterpillars can be promoted as nutrient rich foods in southern Africa; that added salt should be limited in commercial products; and that further research is required to determine whether common serving sizes of termites may put consumers in danger of manganese poisoning. Key words: Edible insects, nutrition, mineral composition, micronutrients, Lepidoptera.Abbreviation: DALYs, Disability-adjusted life years; Na, sodium; K, potassium; Ca, calcium; Mg, magnesium; Al, aluminium; P, phosphorus; S, sulphur; Cu, copper; Fe, iron; Mn, manganese; Zn, zinc; DRI, daily recommended intake

Arginine Metabolism in Bacterial Pathogenesis and Cancer Therapy

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Down-regulation of TIMP2 by HIF-1α/miR-210/HIF-3α regulatory feedback circuit enhances cancer metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Cancer metastasis is a multistep process that involves a series of tumor-stromal interaction, including extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, which requires a concerted action of multiple proteolytic enzymes and their endogenous inhibitors. This study investigated the role of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP) 2 in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis. We found that TIMP2 was the most significantly down-regulated member among the TIMP family in human HCCs. Moreover, TIMP2 underexpression was frequent (41.8%; 23 of 55) in human HCCs and was significantly associated with liver invasion and poorer survival outcomes of HCC patients. Furthermore, stable silencing of TIMP2 in HCC cell lines enhanced cell invasive ability and ECM degradation associated with formation of invadopodia-like feature, suggesting that TIMP2 is a negative regulator of HCC metastasis. Using an orthotopic tumor xenograft model, we demonstrated that ectopic expression of TIMP2 open reading frame in the highly metastatic HCC cell line, MHCC-97L, significantly reduced HCC progression as well as pulmonary metastasis. Mechanistically, TIMP2 suppression, in a hypoxic environment, was induced through a regulatory feedback circuit consisting of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1 alpha, microRNA-210 (miR-210), and HIF-3alpha. CONCLUSION: TIMP2 is frequently down-regulated in human HCCs and its down-regulation is associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poorer patient outcome. Its suppression is under the regulation of a novel feedback circuit consisting of HIF-1alpha/miR-210/HIF-3alpha. TIMP2 is an important regulator of ECM degradation and HCC metastasis. (Hepatology 2016;64:473-487).published_or_final_versio

PIM1 regulates glycolysis and promotes tumor progression in hepatocellular carcinoma

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Phosphorylation of nucleophosmin at threonine 234/237 is associated with HCC metastasis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is frequently complicated by the occurrence of intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastases, leading to poor prognosis. To improve the prognosis for HCC patients, there is an urgent need to understand the molecular mechanisms of metastasis in HCC. Since protein Serine/Threonine phosphorylation emerges to be an important posttranslational modification critical in signaling process associated with cell proliferation, survival and metastasis, we employed a pair of primary tumor-derived and corresponding lung-metastatic counterparts (PLC/PRF/5-PT and PLC/PRF/5-LM) and aimed to identify these changes using CelluSpot Serine/Threonine kinase peptide array. Upon analysis, we found phosphorylated level of nucleophosmin (NPM) at Threonine 234/237 (p-NPM-Thr234/237) had remarkably high level in metastatic HCC cells (PLC-LM) than the corresponding primary HCC cell line (PLC-PT). Similar observation was observed in another match primary and their metastatic counterparts (MHCC-97L and MHCC-97H). By immunohistochemical staining, p-NPM-Thr234/237 was consistently found to be preferentially expressed in metastatic HCCs when compared with primary HCC in 28 HCC cases (p < 0.0001). By overexpressing Flag-tagged NPM and its phosphorylation site mutant (Thr234/237A) into low p-NPM-Thr234/237 expressing cells (Hep3B and Huh7) using a lentiviral based approach, we demonstrated that p-NPM-Thr234/237 is critical in invasion and migration of HCC cells, and this effect was mediated by cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1). Wild-type NPM was found to physically interact with a metastatic gene, ROCK2, and defective in Thr234/237 phosphorylation decreased its binding affinity, resulting in decrease in ROCK2 mediated signaling pathway. Identification of CDK1/p-NPM/ROCK2 signaling pathway provides a novel target for molecular therapy against HCC metastasis.published_or_final_versio

SENP1 promotes hypoxia-induced cancer stemness by HIF-1α deSUMOylation and SENP1/HIF-1α positive feedback loop

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Characterization and Evaluation of Layered Bi2WO6 Nanosheets as a New Antibacterial Agent

Background: Pathogenic microorganisms are causing increasing cases of mortality and morbidity, along with alarming rates of ineffectiveness as a result of acquired antimicrobial resistance. Bi2WO6 showed good potential to be used as an antibacterial substance when exposed to visible light. This study demonstrates for the first time the dimension-dependent antibacterial activity of layered Bi2WO6 nanosheets. Materials and methods: The synthesized layered Bi2WO6 nanosheets were prepared by the hydrothermal method and characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Antibacterial and antibiotic-modulation activities were performed in triplicate by the microdilution method associated with visible light irradiation (LEDs). Results: Bi2WO6 nanosheets were effective against all types of bacteria tested, with MIC values of 256 µg/mL against Escherichia coli standard and resistant strains, and 256 µg/mL and 32 µg/mL against Staphylococcus aureus standard and resistant strains, respectively. Two-dimensional (2D) Bi2WO6 nanosheets showed antibacterial efficiency against both strains studied without the presence of light. Conclusions: Layered Bi2WO6 nanosheets revealed dimension-dependent antibacterial activity of the Bi2WO6 system.The authors thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico— CNPq, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—CAPES, and Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—FUNCAP (Proc. BP4-00172-00232.01.00/20 and Proc. PR2-0101-00006.01.00/15) for the financial support. The authors would also like to thank the educational institutions UFCA, URCA, and UNILEÃO for their support during the experiments