Analysis of Tissue and Serum MicroRNA Expression in Patients with Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Cancer

Introduction

MicroRNAs play an important role in many human malignancies; so far, their expression remains to be studied in upper urinary tract urothelial cancer (UUTUC).

Materials and Methods

The expression of eleven microRNAs (miR-10a, miR-21, miR-96, miR-135, miR-141, miR-182, miR-200b, miR-205, miR-429, miR-520b, miR-1244) formerly shown to be upregulated in urothelial bladder cancer were studied in corresponding normal and cancerous tissue samples of patients undergoing nephroureterectomy for UUTUC. Upregulated microRNAs were then measured in serum samples of patients with UUTUC and patients with non-malignant urological diseases to evaluate their potential as non-invasive biomarkers for UUTUC.

Results

MicroRNA expression allowed differentiation of normal and cancerous tissue: miR-21, miR-96, miR-135, miR-141, miR-182, miR-205, miR-429 and miR-520b were significantly overexpressed. Furthermore, miR-205 was upregulated in poorly differentiated UUTUC. The analysis of circulating RNA in serum demonstrated an increase of miR-141 in patients with UUTUC; receiver operator characteristic analysis demonstrated an area under the curve of 0.726 for miR-141 as a diagnostic biomarker. Furthermore, we observed lower levels of miR-10a and miR-135 in UUTUC patients.

Conclusions

MicroRNA expression is altered in UUTUC. The analysis of circulating miR-141 may be useful to identify patients with UUTUC.     

Global patterns of aegyptism without arbovirus

The world’s most important mosquito vector of viruses, Aedes aegypti, is found around the world in tropical, subtropical and even some temperate locations. While climate change may limit populations of Ae. aegypti in some regions, increasing temperatures will likely expand its territory thus increasing risk of human exposure to arboviruses in places like Europe, Northern Australia and North America, among many others. Most studies of Ae. aegypti biology and virus transmission focus on locations with high endemicity or severe outbreaks of human amplified urban arboviruses, such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya viruses, but rarely on areas at the margins of endemicity. The objective in this study is to explore previously published global patterns in the environmental suitability for Ae. aegypti and dengue virus to reveal deviations in the probability of the vector and human disease occurring. We developed a map showing one end of the gradient being higher suitability of Ae. aegypti with low suitability of dengue and the other end of the spectrum being equal and higher environmental suitability for both Ae. aegypti and dengue. The regions of the world with Ae. aegypti environmental suitability and no endemic dengue transmission exhibits a phenomenon we term ‘aegyptism without arbovirus’. We then tested what environmental and socioeconomic variables influence this deviation map revealing a significant association with human population density, suggesting that locations with lower human population density were more likely to have a higher probability of aegyptism without arbovirus. Characterizing regions of the world with established populations of Ae. aegypti but little to no autochthonous transmission of human-amplified arboviruses is an important step in understanding and achieving aegyptism without arbovirus.     

Choice behaviour of Myrmica rubra workers between ant larvae and larvae of their Phengaris (Maculinea) nausithous nest parasites

Larvae of Phengaris (Maculinea) butterflies are adopted by Myrmica workers and are obligate myrmecophiles. Brood recognition by Myrmica rubra workers was tested for concolonial larvae (M. rubra) versus allocolonial larvae (M. rubra and P. nausithous) to assay the mimetic efficiency of P. nausithous. In addition, we tested M. rubra ant colonies from different populations with and without the presence of Phengaris, to test for potential local adaptation in adoption behaviour. We show that M. rubra can distinguish between nest-mate and foreign larvae as well as between P. nausithous and their own larvae. Workers from the allopatric population inspected and rejected more P. nausithous larvae than workers from the sympatric population. This might reflect a local host adaptation in which the social parasite more efficiently mimes its sympatric host ants than allopatric ones.     

Parallelized disruption of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells via miniaturized and automated bead mill

The application of integrated microbioreactor systems is rapidly becoming of more interest to accelerate strain characterization and bioprocess development. However, available high‐throughput screening capabilities are often limited to target extracellular compounds only. Consequently, there is a great demand for automated technologies allowing for miniaturized and parallel cell disruption providing access to intracellular measurements. In this study, a fully automated bead mill workflow was developed and validated for four different industrial platform organisms: Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Aspergillus niger. The workflow enables up to 48 parallel cell disruptions in microtiter plates and is applicable at‐line to running lab‐scale cultivations. The resulting cell extracts form the basis for quantitative omics studies where no rapid metabolic quenching is required (e.g., genomics and proteomics).     

Full assessment of Sida (Sida hermaphrodita) biomass as a solid fuel

Due to an increased awareness of climate change and limited fossil resources, the demand for alternative energy carriers such as biomass has risen significantly during the past years. This development is supported by the idea of a transition to a bio‐based economy reducing fossil‐based carbon dioxide emissions. Based on this trend, biomass for energy is expected to be used in the EU mainly for heating until the end of the decade. The perennial herbaceous mallow plant Sida hermaphrodita (L.) Rusby (‘Sida’) has high potential as an alternative biomass plant for energy purposes. Different density cultivation scenarios of Sida accounting for 1, 2, or 4 plants per m² resulted in a total biomass yield of 21, 28, and 34 tons dry matter/ha, respectively, over a 3‐year period under agricultural conditions while the overall investment costs almost doubled from 2 to 4 plants per m². Subsequently, Sida biomass was used as SI) chips, SII) pellets, and SIII) briquettes for combustion studies at pilot plant scale. Pellets outcompeted chips and briquettes by showing low CO emission of 40 mg/Nm³, good burnout, and low slagging behavior, however, with elevated NO_x and SO₂ levels. In contrast, combustion of chips and briquettes displayed high CO emissions of >1,300 mg/Nm³, while SO₂ values were below 100 mg/Nm³. Contents of HCl in the flue gas ranged between 32 and 52 mg/Nm³ for all Sida fuels tested. High contents of alkaline earth metals such as CaO resulted in high ash melting points of up to 1,450°C. Life cycle assessment results showed the lowest ecological impact for Sida pellets taking all production parameters and environmental categories into consideration, showing further advantages of Sida over other alternative biomasses. Overall, the results indicate the improved applicability of pelletized Sida biomass as a renewable biogenic energy carrier for combustion.     

Population size estimates based on the frequency of genetically assigned parent–offspring pairs within a subsample

Estimating population density as precise as possible is a key premise for managing wild animal species. This can be a challenging task if the species in question is elusive or, due to high quantities, hard to count. We present a new, mathematically derived estimator for population size, where the estimation is based solely on the frequency of genetically assigned parent–offspring pairs within a subsample of an ungulate population. By use of molecular markers like microsatellites, the number of these parent–offspring pairs can be determined. The study's aim was to clarify whether a classical capture–mark–recapture (CMR) method can be adapted or extended by this genetic element to a genetic‐based capture–mark–recapture (g‐CMR). We numerically validate the presented estimator (and corresponding variance estimates) and provide the R‐code for the computation of estimates of population size including confidence intervals. The presented method provides a new framework to precisely estimate population size based on the genetic analysis of a one‐time subsample. This is especially of value where traditional CMR methods or other DNA‐based (fecal or hair) capture–recapture methods fail or are too difficult to apply. The DNA source used is basically irrelevant, but in the present case the sampling of an annual hunting bag is to serve as data basis. In addition to the high quality of muscle tissue samples, hunting bags provide additional and essential information for wildlife management practices, such as age, weight, or sex. In cases where a g‐CMR method is ecologically and hunting‐wise appropriate, it enables a wide applicability, also through its species‐independent use.     

Disentangling the role of connectivity,environmental filtering,and spatial structure on metacommunity dynamics

Dispersal is a key process in metacommunity dynamics, allowing the maintenance of diversity in complex community networks. Geographic distance is usually used as a surrogate for connectivity implying that communities that are closely located are considered more prone to exchange individuals than distant communities. However, in some natural systems, organisms may be subjected to directional dispersal (air or water flows, particular landscape configuration), possibly leading close communities to be isolated from each other and distant communities to be connected. Using geographic distance as a proxy for realised connectivity may then yield misleading results regarding the role of dispersal in structuring communities in such systems. Here, we quantified the relative importance of flow connectivity, geographic distance, and environmental gradients to explain polychaete metacommunity structure along the coasts of the Gulf of Lions (northwest Mediterranean Sea). Flow connectivity was estimated by Lagrangian particle dispersal simulations. Our results revealed that this metacommunity is strongly structured by the environment at large spatial scales, and that both flow connectivity and geographic distance play an important role within homogeneous environments at smaller spatial scales. We thus strongly advocate for a wider use of connectivity measures, in addition to geographic distance, to study spatial patterns of biological diversity (e.g. distance decay) and to infer the processes behind these patterns at different spatial scales. Synthesis Everything is connected, but connections are seldom accurately quantified. Biological communities are often studied separately, using observations, experiments and models to unravel local dynamics of organisms interacting with each other. However, regional processes such as dispersal through ocean and air circulation, likely to connect distant communities and influence their local dynamics, are not always accounted for, or, at best, used as an homogeneous and distance‐related factor. Ocean models have being extensively developed and validated during the past decades with the increasing availability of accurate meteorological data. Using such model outputs, precise quantifi cation of exchange rates of organisms between communities was performed in a marine Mediterranean coastal area. Jointly with local environmental and biological data, these results were used to quantify the effects of realistic connectivity on local and regional polychaete community structure, and revealed that the environmental gradient, geographic distance, and connectivity were responsible for community structure at different spatial scales.