Hot weather warning might help to reduce elderly mortality in Hong Kong

While there was evidence on the relationship between extreme hot weather and the increase in mortality, particularly from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and cerebrovascular disease (stroke), some researchers suggested that early warning systems might reduce mortality. In this study, the relationship between Very Hot Weather Warning (VHWW) and mortality was examined in the context of Hong Kong, which has a sub-tropical climate. An observational study was conducted on the daily number of deaths due to IHD and stroke in the Hong Kong elderly population (aged 65 or above) during summer (May–September) in 1997–2005. Totals of 4,281 deaths from IHD and 4,764 deaths from stroke occurred on days with maximum temperature reaching/exceeding 30.4°C. Multiple linear regression models were used to study the association between VHWW and the daily mortality rates from IHD and from stroke, respectively. Results showed that absence of VHWW was associated with an increase of about 1.23 (95% CI: 0.32, 2.14) deaths from IHD and 0.97 (95% CI: 0.02, 1.92) deaths from stroke among the elderly per day. Public education is required to inform the elderly to take appropriate preventive measures and to remind the public to pay more care and attention to the elderly on days which are not considered to be stressful to the general public. Warning systems tailored for the elderly could also be considered.     

Cryptobia cataractae from the blood of Semotilus atromaculatus: structure and division in the fish

A cryptobiid was found in the blood of 2 of 9 Semotilus atromaculatus from a tributary of the Saugeen River in Ontario, Canada. Blood inoculation produced an infection in 2 uninfected S. atromaculatus but not in any Oncorhynchus mykiss, Catostomus commersoni, or Carassius auratus. The flagellate was identified as Cryptobia cataractae, based on host restriction. Cryptobia cataractae occurred as slender and broad forms (body width 3.0-8.7 microns). The length of the anterior flagellum was equal to body length, whereas that of the free recurrent flagellum was half body length. Cryptobia cataractae divided by equal binary fission that produced elongate, slender daughter cells.     

An environmental research on trace elements in freshwater fish by neutron activation analysis

For a case study of environmental contamination, radiochemical activation analysis has been applied to the crucians collected in the Han River. Sixteen trace elements (Hg, Cd, As, Br, Cu, Na, K, Se, Cr, Hf, Rb, Fe, Zn, Co, La, and Cs) were separated into three groups using distillation and diethyldithiocarbamate extraction methods, and their contents were determined by a single comparator method. Compared with the values 15 years ago, the values for mercury and cadmium have been drastically decreased at the middle and lower part of the river, but no typical change is found in other elements.     

Incidence and occurrence profiles of the small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus Fallén) in Korea in 2011–2015

The small brown planthopper (SBPH, Laodelphax striatellus Fallén) is an important pest that causes severe yield losses in rice by transmitting viral plant diseases. For the proper management of this pest, therefore, it is necessary to understand its temporal and spatial dynamics by establishing a periodical monitoring system. A dataset, including the number of SBPHs by location, collection method [aerial collection net (AeCN) or light trap (LT)] and period (May–Aug.) for five years (2011–2015) was provided by the Rural Developmental Administration, and missing values were imputed using multiple imputation methods. Of the 15,848 individuals collected, approximately 47% and 52.9% were collected using the AeCN and LT methods, respectively. Large numbers of SBPHs were generally collected from western coastal regions using AeCNs but not LTs. A high incidence of migratory SBPHs was observed during Julian days 144–166 using the AeCN method, with slightly different migration periods in each year. Generally, the migratory SBPHs made up 39.4% of the total populations of SBPHs during those periods. According to clustering analysis, the migratory region was located along the western coastal regions. Putative migration paths were estimated by trajectory cluster analyses using meteorological data. Interestingly, an L-shaped trajectory path emerged as a potentially important route for migratory SBPHs, passing through major wheat cultivation areas in Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces in China, where high densities of SBPHs occur from late May to early June. These results would provide valuable information to predict the incidence period of migratory SBPHs and establish a proactive management system against SBPH, including the basis for the detection of hazardous factors and decisions regarding appropriate pesticide treatment periods.     

The proper localization of RESPONSIVE TO DESICCATION 20 in lipid droplets depends on their biogenesis induced by STRESS-RELATED PROTEINS in vegetative tissues

Arabidopsis LD surface proteins, SRPs are found only in higher plants and are important for LD biogenesis and abiotic stress signaling. However, the cellular mechanism of SRPs is still unclear. To investigate molecular functions of SRPs, we used tobacco transient expression system. Transient expression of SRPs was sufficient and synergistic for LD biogenesis, and SRPs participated in the formation step of LD in tobacco leaves. RESPONSIVE TO DESICCATION 20 (RD20), a known LD-localizing peroxygenase, localized to LD in the presence of an SRP, and its peroxygenase activity correlated with proper localization of RD20 to LD. Our data suggest that Arabidopsis SRPs play roles as positive factors for LD biogenesis to provide a proper localization of LD-localizing proteins in vegetative tissues.     

Intranasal delivery of Duox2 DNA using cationic polymer can prevent acute influenza A viral infection in vivo lung

Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology - We studied the contribution of Duox2 in mucosal host defense against influenza A virus (IAV) infection in in vivo lung. We found that Duox2 was required for...     

Oncoprotein CIP2A promotes the disassembly of primary cilia and inhibits glycolytic metabolism

In most mammalian cells, the primary cilium is a microtubule‐enriched protrusion of the plasma membrane and acts as a key coordinator of signaling pathways during development and tissue homeostasis. The primary cilium is generated from the basal body, and cancerous inhibitor of protein phosphatase 2A (CIP2A), the overexpression of which stabilizes c‐MYC to support the malignant growth of tumor cells, is localized in the centrosome. Here, we show that CIP2A overexpression induces primary cilia disassembly through the activation of Aurora A kinase, and CIP2A depletion increases ciliated cells and cilia length in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE1) cells. CIP2A depletion also shifts metabolism toward the glycolytic pathway by altering the expression of metabolic genes related to glycolysis. However, glycolytic activation in CIP2A‐depleted cells does not depend on cilia assembly, even though enhanced cilia assembly alone activates glycolytic metabolism. Collectively, these data suggest that CIP2A promotes primary cilia disassembly and that CIP2A depletion induces metabolic reprogramming independent of primary cilia.