Prediction of overseas migration of the small brown planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) in East Asia

A method has been developed for predicting the overseas migration of Laodelphax striatellus (Fallén) from eastern China to Japan and Korea. The method consists of two techniques: estimation of the emigration period in the source region and simulation of migration. The emigration period was estimated by calculating the effective accumulated temperature for the insect by use of real-time daily surface temperatures at the source. During the emigration period, migration simulations were performed twice a day, at every dusk and dawn. The prediction method was evaluated, by cross-validation using migrations in the 4 years from 2008 to 2011. The results showed that the emigration periods included the mass migrations, and that the method successfully predicted those migrations.     

The genes influencing adiponectin levels also influence risk factors for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes

Results from previous studies suggest that adiponectin levels are associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus; however, the genetic and/or environmental components of this relationship have not been characterized. The aims of this study were (1) to assess the presence of pleiotropy between adiponectin levels and risk factors for cardiovascular disease and (2) to study the association of circulating levels of adiponectin with risk factors for cardiovascular disease in the absence and presence of obesity in Mexican American adults from the San Antonio Family Heart Study. Body composition and circulating levels of adiponectin, leptin, and lipid subfractions and measurements of glucose metabolism were measured in 898 subjects. The mean and standard error of the circulating levels of adiponectin was 8.7 +/- 3.2 microg/ml. Bivariate quantitative analyses between adiponectin levels and phenotypes related to cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus were conducted using the variance decomposition approach implemented in SOLAR. A second analysis in unrelated subjects compared these risk factors between sex- and age-matched lean and obese subjects with high and low adiponectin levels. We found significant evidence of pleiotropy (i.e., shared genetic effects) between plasma levels of adiponectin and well-established risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Individuals with low adiponectin levels per body weight had more adverse risk profiles. These findings offer new insights into the genetic connection between increasing adiposity and risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and they suggest that adiponectin may be an important risk factor for the development of these conditions.     

Neonatal mortality levels for 193 countries in 2009 with trends since 1990: a systematic analysis of progress, projections, and priorities

Background

Historically, the main focus of studies of childhood mortality has been the infant and under-five mortality rates. Neonatal mortality (deaths <28 days of age) has received limited attention, although such deaths account for about 41% of all child deaths. To better assess progress, we developed annual estimates for neonatal mortality rates (NMRs) and neonatal deaths for 193 countries for the period 1990–2009 with forecasts into the future.

Methods and Findings

We compiled a database of mortality in neonates and children (<5 years) comprising 3,551 country-years of information. Reliable civil registration data from 1990 to 2009 were available for 38 countries. A statistical model was developed to estimate NMRs for the remaining 155 countries, 17 of which had no national data. Country consultation was undertaken to identify data inputs and review estimates. In 2009, an estimated 3.3 million babies died in the first month of life—compared with 4.6 million neonatal deaths in 1990—and more than half of all neonatal deaths occurred in five countries of the world (44% of global livebirths): India 27.8% (19.6% of global livebirths), Nigeria 7.2% (4.5%), Pakistan 6.9% (4.0%), China 6.4% (13.4%), and Democratic Republic of the Congo 4.6% (2.1%). Between 1990 and 2009, the global NMR declined by 28% from 33.2 deaths per 1,000 livebirths to 23.9. The proportion of child deaths that are in the neonatal period increased in all regions of the world, and globally is now 41%. While NMRs were halved in some regions of the world, Africa''s NMR only dropped 17.6% (43.6 to 35.9).

Conclusions

Neonatal mortality has declined in all world regions. Progress has been slowest in the regions with high NMRs. Global health programs need to address neonatal deaths more effectively if Millennium Development Goal 4 (two-thirds reduction in child mortality) is to be achieved. Please see later in the article for the Editors'' Summary     

Gene Systems Network Inferred from Expression Profiles in Hepatocellular Carcinogenesis by Graphical Gaussian Model

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a liver with advanced-stage chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is induced by hepatitis C virus, which chronically infects about 170 million people worldwide. To elucidate the associations between gene groups in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, we analyzed the profiles of the genes characteristically expressed in the CHC and HCC cell stages by a statistical method for inferring the network between gene systems based on the graphical Gaussian model. A systematic evaluation of the inferred network in terms of the biological knowledge revealed that the inferred network was strongly involved in the known gene-gene interactions with high significance Open image in new window , and that the clusters characterized by different cancer-related responses were associated with those of the gene groups related to metabolic pathways and morphological events. Although some relationships in the network remain to be interpreted, the analyses revealed a snapshot of the orchestrated expression of cancer-related groups and some pathways related with metabolisms and morphological events in hepatocellular carcinogenesis, and thus provide possible clues on the disease mechanism and insights that address the gap between molecular and clinical assessments.     

Effect of recent changes in atomic bomb survivor dosimetry on cancer mortality risk estimates

The Radiation Effects Research Foundation has recently implemented a new dosimetry system, DS02, to replace the previous system, DS86. This paper assesses the effect of the change on risk estimates for radiation-related solid cancer and leukemia mortality. The changes in dose estimates were smaller than many had anticipated, with the primary systematic change being an increase of about 10% in gamma-ray estimates for both cities. In particular, an anticipated large increase of the neutron component in Hiroshima for low-dose survivors did not materialize. However, DS02 improves on DS86 in many details, including the specifics of the radiation released by the bombs and the effects of shielding by structures and terrain. The data used here extend the last reported follow-up for solid cancers by 3 years, with a total of 10,085 deaths, and extends the follow-up for leukemia by 10 years, with a total of 296 deaths. For both solid cancer and leukemia, estimated age-time patterns and sex difference are virtually unchanged by the dosimetry revision. The estimates of solid-cancer radiation risk per sievert and the curvilinear dose response for leukemia are both decreased by about 8% by the dosimetry revision, due to the increase in the gamma-ray dose estimates. The apparent shape of the dose response is virtually unchanged by the dosimetry revision, but for solid cancers, the additional 3 years of follow-up has some effect. In particular, there is for the first time a statistically significant upward curvature for solid cancer on the restricted dose range 0-2 Sv. However, the low-dose slope of a linear-quadratic fit to that dose range should probably not be relied on for risk estimation, since that is substantially smaller than the linear slopes on ranges 0-1 Sv, 0-0.5 Sv, and 0- 0.25 Sv. Although it was anticipated that the new dosimetry system might reduce some apparent dose overestimates for Nagasaki factory workers, this did not materialize, and factory workers have significantly lower risk estimates. Whether or not one makes allowance for this, there is no statistically significant city difference in the estimated cancer risk.     

Cardiovascular disease risk among atomic bomb survivors exposed in utero, 1978-2003

Tatsukawa, Y., Nakashima, E., Yamada, M., Funamoto, S., Hida, A., Akahoshi, M., Sakata, R., Ross, N. P., Kasagi, F., Fujiwara, S. and Shore, R. E. Cardiovascular Disease Risk among Atomic Bomb Survivors Exposed In Utero, 1978-2003. Radiat. Res. 170, 269-274 (2008).Given the well-documented association of in utero radiation exposure with childhood cancer and developmental impairments, the possibility of effects on adult onset diseases is an important issue. The objectives of the present study were to examine the effects of atomic bomb radiation dose on the incidence of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction and stroke) among survivors exposed in utero and to compare their risk estimates with those of survivors exposed in childhood (<10 years old) at the time of the bombing. A total of 506 participants exposed in utero and 1,053 participants exposed in childhood were followed during 1978-2003 with biennial clinical examinations. There were no significant radiation dose effects for any diseases in the entire in utero-exposed cohort or in trimester-of-exposure subgroups, though there was a suggestion of an increased risk when fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease cases were combined. Positive radiation dose effects were found for hypertension and cardiovascular disease in the childhood-exposure cohort, but there were no statistically significant differences in the relative risks when we compared the two cohorts. Since the in utero cohort was under age 60 at the latest examination, continued follow-up is needed to document cardiovascular disease risk more fully.     

HSP60 interacts with YB-1 and affects its polysome association and subcellular localization

YB-1 is a DNA/RNA-binding protein which, in the cytoplasm, associates with polysomes and regulates translation. However, YB-1 has a novel nuclear localization signal, and its nuclear accumulation is correlated with cancer induction. Here we designated the amino-acid sequence as YB-NLS and demonstrated that YB-NLS is necessary for the nuclear translocation of overexpressed YB-1 in NG108-15 cells. In addition, we found that a heat shock protein, HSP60, binds to YB-NLS in the cytoplasm. Interestingly, when HSP60 expression was repressed, an increase of polysome-associated YB-1 was observed in heavy-sedimenting fractions on a sucrose gradient. Overexpression of HSP60 resulted in a decrease of YB-1 in the heavy-sedimenting fractions and suppression of YB-NLS activity. Furthermore, the NLS-deleted YB-1 was apparently associated with the heavy-sedimenting polysomes. These results suggest that HSP60 interacts with YB-1 at the YB-NLS region and acts as a regulator of polysome association and the subcellular distribution of YB-1.