Serum 27-nor-5β-cholestane-3,7,12,24,25 pentol glucuronide discovered by metabolomics as potential diagnostic biomarker for epithelium ovarian cancer

The aim of this study was to use a two steps strategy metabolomics to screen/identify and validate novel metabolic biomarker(s) for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). In the screening step, serum samples from 27 healthy women, 28 benign ovarian tumors, and 29 EOCs were analyzed by using LC-MS based nontargeted metabolomics. The three groups were separated with OSC filtered PLS-DA model, and six metabolites (27-nor-5β-cholestane-3,7,12,24,25 pentol glucuronide (CPG), phenylalanine, glycocholic acid, propionylcarnitine, Phe-Phe and Lyso PC (18:2)) were considered as potential biomarker candidates. In the validation step, the six metabolites were analyzed in targeted metabolomics by LC-selective ion monitoring mass spectrometry in another 685 serum samples with various clinical backgrounds. As a result, CPG was evaluated to be a potential biomarker and its content was elevated in EOC tissues compared with benign ovarian tumor tissues (p = 0.0005). Besides, CPG levels were found to be up-regulated in early stage EOC and in the three types of EOC histological types. Other variables such as nonovarian diseases, medicine consumption, gynecological inflammations, and menopausal state did not interfere in using CPG as diagnosis marker. CPG was found to be complementary to CA125. Our findings suggest that CPG can be considered a statistical relevant biomarker of EOC, ready for early stage detection.     

Early development of reconstructed embryos after somatic cell nuclear transfer in a non-human primate

To improve efficiency and assess variation in nuclear transfer techniques in non-human primates, we investigated the following factors: type of donor cell, interval between enucleation and cell injection, activation after electrical pulsing and cytokinesis inhibitors. An average of 16.4 oocytes were recovered from 91 retrievals; however, 15 (14%) additional retrieval attempts yielded no oocytes due to a failure of follicular stimulation. Oocyte maturation rates at 36, 38 and 40 h post-hCG were 46.2, 52.6 and 61.2%, respectively. The MII spindle could be seen clearly using polarized microscopy in 89.1% (614/689) of oocytes. Nuclei were seen in 42% of the NT couplets, 53% of those cleaved to the 2-cell stage and 63% of the 2-cell embryos developed to the 8-cell stage by Day 3. There was no difference in the occurrence of nuclear formation between couplets created using fibroblasts or cumulus cells, although embryos were more reliably produced with fibroblasts. The interval (2, 3 and 4 h) between enucleation and cell injection did not affect NT efficiency. Ethanol treatment after electrical pulses yielded more 2-cell NT embryos than did treatment with ionomycin, but the frequency of nuclear formation and development to the 8-cell stage was not different. Treatment of couplets with cycloheximide and cytochalasin B for 5 h after activation had no impact on NT efficiency.     

Altitudinal variation in ant–aphid mutualism in nitrogen transfer of oak (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus liaotungensis</Emphasis>)

Ant–plant relationship is a model for the study of the ecology and evolution of interspecific interactions. In direct ant–plant mutualism (i.e., plants providing food or nesting places for ants, and ants protecting the plants in return) ants provide nutrients to plants. However, whether a similar mechanism exists in indirect ant–plant mutualism (i.e., an ant–aphid–plant system) remains unknown. In this work, we used the ¹⁵N stable isotope method to study altitudinal variations in the roles of ants in the nutrient transfer of oak (Quercus liaotungensis). Our work shows that ants deliver nitrogen in indirect ant–plant interactions, and that the effect of nutrient transfer differed significantly with altitude. Ants’ trophic level at high altitudes was significantly lower than that at low altitudes, indicating that the degree of ant–aphid mutualism was greater at high altitudes, which may be beneficial in nitrogen transfer. Our work suggests that ant–aphid mutualism might be context dependent, such that it affects nutrient transfer in the food web, and that this context dependency is an important factor that influences altitudinal variation in nutrient transfer.     

Liver Fat Content,Evaluated through Semi-Quantitative Ultrasound Measurement,Is Associated with Impaired Glucose Profiles: A Community-Based Study in Chinese

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We investigated whether the deposition of fat in the liver is associated with glycemic abnormalities and evaluated the contribution of the liver fat content (LFC) to the impaired glucose regulation. We conducted a community-based study among 2836 residents (1018 males and 1818 females) without prior known diabetes mellitus from the Changfeng Study who were at least 45 years old. A standard interview, anthropometrics and laboratory parameters were performed for each participant. The standardised ultrasound hepatic-renal echo-intensity and hepatic echo-intensity attenuation rate were used to assess the LFC. The cohort was stratified according to the quintiles for LFC. Two-hour glucose and fasting blood glucose increased across the LFC quintiles after adjustment for age and gender. LFC increased continuously among glucose categories after adjustment for age and gender (NGT: 7.7±0.3%, IFG: 10.0±0.8%, IGT: 11.8±0.5%, IFG+IGT: 11.7±0.9%, new- DM: 12.4±0.6%, P<0.001). By logistic regression analysis, 1% LFC increment independently predicted prediabetes and diabetes (OR 1.032, 1.019–1.045, P<0.001; 1.021, 1.005–1.037, P = 0.012, respectively) after adjustment for all potential confounders. Furthermore, participants with LFC higher than 10% had higher odds ratios of impaired glucose regulation as compared with those with LFC below 10% in fully adjusted logistic models. These results suggest that the LFC is strongly associated with impaired glucose regulation in the Chinese population, and that an even slightly elevated LFC is associated with increased glucose dysregulation.     

The Incidence and Survival Rate of Population-Based Pancreatic Cancer Patients: Shanghai Cancer Registry 2004–2009

Background

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with dismal prognosis. Large population-based evidence on its survival rate and influence factors is lacking in China.

Objective

This study aimed to depict the demographic factors, tumor characteristics, incidence rate and survival rate of pancreatic cancer cases in urban China.

Methods

The demographic factors, tumor characteristics were collected for all the pancreatic cancer cases identified during 2004 to 2009 from the Shanghai Cancer Registry. The survival time was ascertained through linkage of the Shanghai Cancer Registry and the Shanghai Vital Statistics Registry. The deadline of death certificates was the end of December 2012. Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional-hazards regression model were used to explore the survival rate and influence factors.

Results

11,672 new pancreatic cancer cases were identified among Shanghai residency during 2004 to 2009. The crude incidence rate of pancreatic cancer was increasing from 12.80/100,000 in 2004 to 15.66/100,000 in 2009, while the standardized incidence rate was about 6.70/100,000 and didn''t change a lot. The overall 5-year survival rate was 4.1% and the median survival time was 3.9 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 3.8–4.0) months. Subjects had received surgical resection had improved survival (HR  = 0.742, 95% CI: 0.634–0.868) than its counterparts. In adjusted multivariable Cox proportional-hazard models, factors associated with poor survival included older age at diagnosis (age > = 70 years: hazard ratio (HR)  = 1.827, 95% CI: 1.614–2.067), male sex (HR  = 1.155, 95% CI: 1.041–1.281), distant disease at diagnosis (HR =  1.257, 95% CI: 1.061–1.488), positive lymph node (HR  = 1.236, 95% CI: 1.085–1.408), tumor stage (Stage IV HR  = 2.817, 95% CI: 2.029–3.909).

Conclusion

The age-adjusted incidence rate was stable and overall survival rate was low among pancreatic cancer patients of Shanghai residency. Early detection and improved treatment strategies are needed to improve prognosis for this deadly disease.     

MoN Supported on Graphene as a Bifunctional Interlayer for Advanced Li‐S Batteries

Rational design of effective polysulfide barriers is highly important for high‐performance lithium‐sulfur (Li‐S) batteries. A variety of adsorbents have been applied as interlayers to alleviate the shuttle effect. Nevertheless, the unsuccessful oxidation of Li₂S on interlayers leads to loss of active materials and blocks Li ion transport. In this work, a MoN‐based interlayer sandwiched between the C‐S cathode and the separator is developed. Such an interlayer not only strongly binds lithium polysulfides via Mo‐S bonding but also efficiently accelerates the decomposition of Li₂S. The acceleration mechanism toward Li₂S decomposition is determined to be a combination of contributions of catalytic cleavage of Li‐S bond in Li₂S based on the proposed covalence‐activation mechanism and rapid migration of the produced Li ions. As a result, the C–S cathodes with the as‐developed interlayer manifest a negligible charging potential barrier and outstanding cycling stability with a very low capacity fading rate of 0.023% per cycle during 1500 cycles at 1 C. High areal capacity of 6.02 mAh cm^?2 is achieved for high sulfur loading of 7.0 mg cm^?2 after cycling at 0.1 C. The material and strategy demonstrated in this work can open the door toward developing shuttle suppression interlayers without impairing cathode performance.     

利用RAPD技术分析实验用比格犬的遗传背景

目的　运用RAPD技术对实验用比格犬 (Beagle)进行遗传背景分析。方法　筛选的 16个RAPD引物对 4 0个样品的分析 ,共得到 93个扩增条带。结果　所有样品的相似系数 80 4 %到 10 0 %间变动 ,平均相似系数为93 2 8% ,聚类分析得到了这些个体的同源树资料。结论　本遗传背景资料可以为以后的比格犬繁育生产和生物医药学的研究应用提供技术指导     

Nonlinear dynamics of fires in Africa over recent decades controlled by precipitation

Dynamics of fires in Africa are of critical importance for understanding changes in ecosystem properties and effects on the global carbon cycle. Given increasing fire risk from projected warming on the one hand and a documented human‐driven decline in fires on the other, it is still unknown how the complex interplay between climate and human factors affects recent changes of fires in Africa. Moreover, the impact of recent strong El Niño events on fire dynamics is not yet known. By applying an ensemble empirical mode decomposition method to satellite‐derived fire burned area, we investigated the spatio‐temporal evolution of fires in Africa over 2001–2016 and identified the potential dominant drivers. Our results show an overall decline of fire rates, which is continuous over the time period and mainly caused by cropland expansion in northern sub‐Saharan Africa. However, we also find that years of high precipitation have caused an initial increase in fire rates in southern Africa, which reversed to a decline in later years. This decline is caused by a high frequency of dry years leading to very low fuel loads, suggesting that recent drought causes a general reduction of burned areas, in particular in xeric savannas. In some mesic regions (10°–15°S), solar radiation and increased temperature caused increase in fires. These findings show that climate change overrules the impact of human expansion on fire rates at the continental scale in Africa, reducing the fire risk.