The aging lung: microenvironment, mechanisms, and diseases.

With the development of global social economy and the deepening of the aging population, diseases related to aging have received increasing attention. The pathogenesis of many respiratory diseases remains unclear, and lung aging is an independent risk factor for respiratory diseases. The aging mechanism of the lung may be involved in the occurrence and development of respiratory diseases. Aging-induced immune, oxidative stress, inflammation, and telomere changes can directly induce and promote the occurrence and development of lung aging. Meanwhile, the occurrence of lung aging also further aggravates the immune stress and inflammatory response of respiratory diseases; the two mutually affect each other and promote the development of respiratory diseases. Explaining the mechanism and treatment direction of these respiratory diseases from the perspective of lung aging will be a new idea and research field. This review summarizes the changes in pulmonary microenvironment, metabolic mechanisms, and the progression of respiratory diseases associated with aging.

Microbial denitrification characteristics of typical decentralized wastewater treatment processes based on 16S rRNA sequencing.

Despite the widespread application of decentralized wastewater treatment (WWT) facilities in China, relatively few research has used the multi-media biological filter (MMBF) facilities to investigate the microorganism characteristics. This study utilizes 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology to examine the microbial biodiversity of a representative wastewater treatment (WWT) system in an expressway service area. The pathways of nitrogen removal along the treatment route were analyzed in conjunction with water quality monitoring. The distribution and composition of microbial flora in the samples were examined, and the dominant flora were identified using LEfSe analysis. The FAPROTAX methodology was employed to investigate the relative abundance of genes associated with the nitrogen cycle and to discern the presence of functional genes involved in nitrogen metabolism. On average, the method has a high level of efficiency in removing COD, TN, NH3-N, and TP from the effluent. The analysis of the microbial community identified a total of 40 phyla, 111 classes, 143 orders, 263 families, and 419 genera. The phyla that were predominantly observed include Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, Bacteroidetes. The results show that the system has achieved high performance in nitrogen removal, the abundance of nitrification genes is significantly higher than that of other nitrogen cycle genes such as denitrification, and there are six nitrogen metabolism pathways, primarily nitrification, among which Nitrospirae and Nitrospira are the core differentiated flora that can adapt to low temperature conditions and participate in nitrification, and are the dominant nitrogen removal flora in cold regions. This work aims to comprehensively investigate the diversity and functional properties of the bacterial community in decentralized WWT processes.

Retracted: Myricetin Prevents Cataract Formation by Inhibiting the Apoptotic Cell Death Mediated Cataractogenesis.

An editorial decision has been made to retract this manuscript due to breach of publishing guidelines, following the identification of non-original and manipulated figures.Reference:Yu Yang, Xiaoxia Xu, Qi Liu, Hai Huang, Xuewen Huang, Hongbin Lv. Myricetin Prevents Cataract Formation by Inhibiting the Apoptotic Cell Death Mediated Cataractogenesis.Med Sci Monit, 2020; 26:e922519. DOI: 10.12659/MSM.922519.

A novel heterogeneous transfer learning method based on data stitching for the sequential coding brain computer interface.

OBJECTIVE: For the brain computer interface (BCI), it is necessary to collect enough electroencephalography (EEG) signals to train the classification model. When the operation dimension of BCI is large, it will bring great burden to data acquisition. Fortunately, this problem can be solved by our proposed transfer learning method. METHOD: For the sequential coding experimental paradigm, the multi-band data stitching with label alignment and tangent space mapping (MDSLATSM) algorithm is proposed as a novel heterogeneous transfer learning method. After filtering by multi-band filtering, the artificial signals can be obtained by data stitching from the source domain, which build a bridge between the source domain and target domain. To make the distribution of two domains closer, their covariance matrices are aligned by label alignment. After mapping to the tangent space, the features are extracted from the Riemannian manifold. Finally, the classification results are obtained with feature selection and classification. RESULTS: Our data set includes the EEG signals from 16 subjects. For the heterogeneous transfer learning of cross-label, the average classification accuracy is 78.28%. MDSLATSM is also tested for cross-subject, and the average classification accuracy is 64.01%, which is better than existing methods. SIGNIFICANCE: Combining multi-band filtering, data stitching, label alignment and tangent space mapping, a novel heterogeneous transfer learning method can be achieved with superior performance, which promotes the practical application of the BCI systems.

Retracted: Myricetin Prevents Cataract Formation by Inhibiting the Apoptotic Cell Death Mediated Cataractogenesis.

The manuscript is being retracted due to non-original and duplicated content in the figure images, which raise concerns regarding the credibility of the study. Reference: Yu Yang, Xiaoxia Xu, Qi Liu, Hai Huang, Xuewen Huang, Hongbin Lv. Myricetin Prevents Cataract Formation by Inhibiting the Apoptotic Cell Death Mediated Cataractogenesis. Med Sci Monit, 2020; 26: e922519.DOI: 10.12659/MSM.922519.

Association of variants m.T16172C and m.T16519C in whole mtDNA sequences with high altitude pulmonary edema in Han Chinese lowlanders.

BACKGROUND: High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) is a hypoxia-induced non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema that typically occurred in un-acclimatized lowlanders, which inevitably leads to life-threatening consequences. Apart from multiple factors involved, the genetic factors also play an important role in the pathogenesis of HAPE. So far, researchers have put more energy into the nuclear genome and HAPE, and ignored the relationship between the mitochondrion DNA (mtDNA) variants and HAPE susceptibility. METHODS: We recruited a total of 366 individuals including 181 HAPE patients and 185 non-HAPE populations through two times. The first time, 49 HAPE patients and 58 non-HAPE individuals were performed through whole mtDNA sequences to search the mutations and haplogroups. The second time, 132 HAPE patients and 127 non-HAPE subjects were collected to apply verifying these mutations and haplogroups of mtDNA with the routine PCR method. RESULTS: We analyzed and summarized the clinical characteristics and sequence data for the 49 HAPE patients and 58 non-HAPE individuals. We found that a series of routine blood indexes including systolic arterial blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), white blood cell (WBC), and C-reactive protein (CRP) in the HAPE group presented higher and displayed significant differences compared with those in the non-HAPE group. Although the average numbers of variants in different region and group samples were not statistically significant (P > 0.05), the mutation densities of different regions in the internal group showed significant differences. Then we found two mutations (T16172C and T16519C) associated with the HAPE susceptibility, the T16172C mutation increased the risk of HAPE, and the T16519C mutation decreased the HAPE rating. Furthermore, the two mutations were demonstrated with 132 HAPE patients and 127 non-HAPE individuals. Unfortunately, all the haplogroups were not associated with the HAPE haplogroups. CONCLUSIONS: We provided evidence of differences in mtDNA polymorphism frequencies between HAPE and non-HAPE Han Chinese. Genotypes of mtDNA 16172C and 16519C were correlated with HAPE susceptibility, indicating the role of the mitochondrial genome in the pathogenesis of HAPE.

Platelets and High-Altitude Exposure: A Meta-Analysis.

Wang, Yuliang, Xuewen Huang, Weibo Yang, and Qingxian Zeng. Platelets and high-altitude exposure: a meta-analysis. High Alt Med Biol. 23:43-56, 2022. Background: How high-altitude hypoxia influences platelets is controversial. We attempted to quantify the impact of high-altitude exposure on platelets through meta-analysis. Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, VIP, Wanfang, and CNKI) and identified articles reporting an association between platelet count (PC) or platelet indices (platelet distribution width, mean platelet volume [MPV], and plateletcrit) and high-altitude exposure. The mean and standard deviation were extracted, and the standard mean difference (SMD) was estimated using random-effects models. Stata 15.3 was used to analyze statistical data. Results: Thirty-two studies were ultimately included. For acute high-altitude hypoxia (1-14 days), no significant difference was detected, even in patients with acute mountain disease. For the chronic high-altitude hypoxia (≥1 month) group, a significant decrease in PC (SMD [95% confidence interval, CI] = -0.34 [-0.63 to -0.04]) and increase in MPV (SMD [95% CI] = 1.55 [0.60 to 2.49]) were detected compared with those in the control group. Subgroup analysis showed that the tendency was more obvious in the group with longer exposure (≥1 year). Moreover, the PC of the chronic mountain sickness group was less compared with the healthy altitude control group (SMD [95% CI] = -1.82 [-2.74 to -0.91]). Conclusion: A reduced PC and an increased MPV are associated with chronic exposure to high-altitude hypoxia. Moreover, acute high-altitude exposure has no significant influence on platelets.

Role of ssDNA as a Noninvasive Indicator for the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: An Exploratory Study.

METHODS: This prospective study enrolled 102 patients with newly diagnosed HCC, 21 with cirrhosis, 20 with chronic hepatitis, 284 with nonliver diseases, and 45 healthy individuals at the Affiliated Wuxi No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University (May-October 2018). ssDNA was extracted using magnetic beads and quantified using the Qubit ssDNA assay. ssDNA levels were compared among the disease groups and in HCC vs. non-HCC. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to determine the diagnostic value of ssDNA. In patients with resectable HCC, ssDNA and α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels were measured during follow-up and compared with HCC recurrence detected by imaging. RESULTS: The median ssDNA levels were higher in HCC than in healthy individuals, cirrhosis, and chronic hepatitis (median, 23.20 vs. 9.36, 9.64, and 9.76 ng/µL, respectively, P < 0.001). ssDNA levels in HCC were higher than those in cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis (both P < 0.001); there were no differences in ssDNA levels between healthy controls and patients with cirrhosis (P = 0.15) or chronic liver disease (P = 0.39). The area under the curve of ssDNA for HCC diagnosis was 0.909 (95% CI: 0.879-0.933). The ssDNA levels decreased by 3.19-fold (P < 0.001) after HCC radical resection. In six patients, the ssDNA levels increased about 3-6 months before a recurrence was detected by AFP and imaging. CONCLUSIONS: ssDNA might be a noninvasive indicator for HCC diagnosis and prognosis. ssDNA could eventually be complementary to AFP levels and imaging, but confirmatory studies are necessary.

The Ratio of ssDNA to dsDNA in Circulating Cell-Free DNA Extract is a Stable Indicator for Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer.

Due to the different mechanisms of cell-free DNA production, the single-stranded DNA to double-stranded DNA ratio in blood maybe different between healthy individuals and gastric cancer (GC) patients. We aimed to explore the potential application of this ratio in GC diagnosis. The plasma cell-free DNA extracts from 118 healthy individuals and 106 GC patients were prepared. The levels of single-stranded DNA or double-stranded DNA in plasma, and the single-stranded DNA to double-stranded DNA ratio on the diagnostic efficiency for GC were assessed with ROC curve. The relationships between this ratio and the clinical characteristics of GC patients were analyzed. The ratios in 63 GC patients before and after surgery were compared. In healthy individuals, the single-stranded DNA to double-stranded DNA ratio was not affected by factors including age, gender and BMI, and subjected to normal distribution (P = 0.1090). GC patients had a lower value of this ratio than healthy individuals (P < 0.0001). Considering this ratio as a GC diagnostic indicator, the area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.923[95% confidence interval (CI):0.880-0.955]. This ratio in unresectable GC was obviously lower than that in resectable GC (P = 0.0045). There was a rank correlation between this ratio and GC TNM staging (rho = -0.266, P = 0.0058), but it had no correlation with tumor size (r = 0.14, P = 0.145). Additionally, this ratio was not affected by hemolysis and repeated freeze-thaw of blood samples, and was significantly elevated after surgery(P < 0.0001). The single-stranded DNA to double-stranded DNA ratio in plasma is a stable non-invasive indicator for GC diagnosis.

Hierarchical 0D-2D bio-composite film based on enzyme-loaded polymeric nanoparticles decorating graphene nanosheets as a high-performance bio-sensing platform.

Herein, we developed a hierarchical bio-composite sensing film by facile one-step electro-deposition of 0D enzyme-polymer nanoparticles (NPs) with 2D graphene oxide nanosheets as conductive supports and nanofillers, based on which an effective and robust enzymatic biosensor platform was constructed. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a model enzyme was co-assembled with a photo-cross-linkable polypeptide of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate modified poly(γ-glutamic acid) (γ-PGA-HEMA), generating hybrid HRP@γ-PGA-HEMA nanoparticles (HRP@PGH NPs). Then HRP@PGH NPs and graphene oxide nanosheets (GO NSs) were simultaneously electrodeposited onto the electrode surface, obtaining a hierarchical 0D-2D bio-composite film. After subsequent electrochemical reduction of GO NSs into graphene nanosheets (GNSs) and following photo-cross-linking, the resultant nanostructured HRP@PGH/GNSs sensing film was successfully applied to construct an enzymatic biosensor for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The biosensor exerted high sensitivity, fast response, and good stability for H2O2 sensing. Satisfactory results were also demonstrated for its practical application in human serum samples, suggesting a promising application potential in biomedical diagnostics. The one-step generated 0D-2D bio-composite sensing film demonstrates synergetic effects from both the soft nanoparticles and hard conductive nanosheets, which would enlighten the innovative construction of composite nanomaterials and nanoarchitectonics for bio-sensing systems.

Myricetin Prevents Cataract Formation by Inhibiting the Apoptotic Cell Death Mediated Cataractogenesis.

BACKGROUND The current research work aimed to explore the protective role of myricetin against cataractogenesis in humans, in terms of its anti-apoptotic potential. MATERIAL AND METHODS Human eye lens epithelial cells were exposed to oxidative stress by treating with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione (GSH) were determined using standard detection kits. DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole), AO/EB (acridine orange/ethidium bromide) and Annexin V/propidium iodide (PI) staining assays were used for the assessment of cell apoptosis. Western blotting was used to examine the protein concentrations. RESULTS The exposure of human epithelial eye lens cells to H2O2 led to significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species molecules. Treatment of the H2O2-stressed epithelial cells with myricetin caused significant (P<0.05) increased levels of SOD, CAT, and GSH. Western blot analysis also showed a significant (P<0.05) increase in the expression of SOD, CAT, and GSH levels in human epithelial eye lens cells. Additionally, myricetin administration to H2O2-treated epithelial eye lens cells caused a significant decline in cell apoptosis ratio. The induction of apoptosis was associated with upregulation of Bax and downregulation of Bcl-2. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study showed the potential of myricetin in protecting the apoptosis driven cataract formation in humans.

Role of matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene polymorphisms in glaucoma: A hospital-based study in Chinese patients.

BACKGROUND: Glaucoma is the irreversible vision loss and contributes second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) is involved with remodeling and destruction of extracellular matrix. Elevated MMP-9 levels and various functional variants of MMP-9 have been associated with glaucoma in different population. In the current investigation, we tested association of MMP-9 common variants with different clinical categories of glaucoma in Chinese population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled total of 396 glaucoma patients those reported to hospital comprising of 212 primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) cases and 184 primary open-angle glaucoma POAG patients. In addition, 329 normal individuals from similar geographical areas were enrolled as healthy controls. Five common single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs3918242, rs3918254, rs2250889, rs3918249, and rs17576) were genotyped by PCR-RFLP. Plasma levels of MMP-9 were quantified by ELISA. RESULTS: Heterozygotes (GC) and allele "G" for rs2250889 polymorphism were more frequent in PACG cases compared with healthy controls (GC: P < .0001, OR = 2.26; G: P < .0001, OR = 1.19). Similarly, heterozygous mutant and minor allele for rs3918242 polymorphism were more prevalent in POAG in comparison with healthy controls. Interestingly, distribution of rs17576 variant was statistically higher in both PACG and POAG cases than healthy controls. Furthermore, analysis of plasma MMP-9 with MMP-9 polymorphisms revealed significant association of rs2250889, rs3918242, and rs17576 with plasma levels of the protein. CONCLUSIONS: MMP-9 mutants are associated with elevated plasma MMP-9 and predisposed to development of glaucoma.

Electrochemical protein recognition based on macromolecular self-assembly of molecularly imprinted polymer: a new strategy to mimic antibody for label-free biosensing.

A versatile strategy, based on the use of an amphiphilic copolymer as a macromonomer, was developed for the preparation of a fully synthetic MIP (molecularly imprinted polymer) sensor for protein recognition. A UV-crosslinkable copolymer poly(DMA-co-HEA-co-St) (UPDHS) was designed and synthesized to assemble with the template protein in aqueous solution, resulting in the fabrication of protein imprinted polymeric nanoparticles. Linear macromolecular chains were used to protect the structural integrity of the protein, through which a 3D structure was formed around the protein molecule to generate recognition cavities. Then the nanoparticles were immobilized on the cleaned surface of a transducer as an MIP sensing platform. The resultant MIP coating was then irradiated via ultraviolet light to ensure that the recognition cavities were stable after UV curing. After protein extraction, recognition cavities complementary to the protein molecule in shape, size and chemical functionality were formed in the platform, which could then selectively rebind to the template in a mixture of closely related compounds. The sensor exhibited satisfactory selectivity, a wide linear range from 10-14 to 10-9 mg mL-1, and a comparatively lower detection limit for protein detection. This strategy offers a new and straightforward method for the synthesis of receptors for label-free and cost-efficient protein recognition. This is one of the most effective and versatile strategies for the preparation of high-performance protein recognition devices based on a fully synthetic MIP.

Lung Ultrasound Is Accurate for the Diagnosis of High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema: A Prospective Study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of lung ultrasonography (LUS) for high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). Background: LUS has proven to be a reliable tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases, including pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and pneumothorax. LUS also has potential for the diagnosis of HAPE. However, the actual diagnostic value of LUS for HAPE is still unknown. Our objective was to determine the feasibility of using LUS for the diagnosis of HAPE. Materials and Methods: A prospective clinical research study of adult HAPE patients was conducted. LUS and chest X-ray (CXR) were performed in patients with suspected HAPE before and after treatment, and pulmonary moist rales were recorded concurrently. The diagnostic value of LUS, CXR, and moist rales for HAPE (i.e., their sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values) were assessed, and the results were compared. The gold standard was the final diagnosis. Results: In total, 148 patients were enrolled in the study, 126 of which were diagnosed with HAPE (85.14%). Before treatment, the diagnostic accuracy of LUS for HAPE was as follows: sensitivity, 98.41% (95% confidence interval (CI) 100.60-96.23%); specificity, 90.91% (95% CI 102.92-78.90%). LUS had higher sensitivity (0.98 vs. 0.81, P < 0.01 using the McNemar test) than moist rales for the diagnosis of HAPE. LUS also had higher sensitivity than CXR (0.98 vs. 0.93, P < 0.05 using the McNemar test). After treatment, LUS was consistent with CXR in 96.55% of HAPE patients, and the concordance between LUS and CXR was high (k statistic = 0.483 P ≤ 0.001; 95% CI -0.021 to -0.853). Conclusion: The results indicate that LUS is a reliable method for the diagnosis and surveillance of HAPE. This trial is registered with Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR-DDD-16009841).

Genome-wide association study of high-altitude pulmonary edema in a Han Chinese population.

A two-stage genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify and analyze genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) in a Han Chinese patient population. In the first stage, DNA samples from 68 patients with recurrent HAPE were scanned using Affymetrix SNP Array 6.0 Chips, and allele frequencies were compared to those of 84 HapMap CHB samples to identify candidate SNPs. In the second stage, the 77 identified candidate SNPs were examined in an independent cohort of samples from 199 HAPE patients and 304 controls. Associations between SNPs and HAPE risk were tested using various genetic models. Of the 77 original SNPs, 7 were found to be associated with HAPE susceptibility in the second stage of the study. GO and pathway enrichment analysis of the 7 SNPs revealed 5 adjacent genes involved in various processes, including regulation of nucleoside diphosphate metabolism, thyroid hormone catabolism, and low-density lipoprotein receptor activity. These results suggest the identified SNPs and genes may contribute to the physiopathology of HAPE.

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage from systemic lupus erythematosus misdiagnosed as high altitude pulmonary edema.

UNLABELLED: A 26-year-old woman presented with dyspnea and dry cough soon after arriving on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (3650 m). Chest radiograph showed diffuse patchy infiltrates. The initial diagnosis was high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE). However, the patient had no sputum or moist rales, and supplemental oxygen and intravenous aminophylline produced no improvement. Chest HRCT revealed symmetric and diffuse ground glass opacities. Further examination found anemia, leukopenia, urine abnormalities, and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Antibodies for ds-DNA and ANA were positive. Hemoptysis and arthralgia developed after a few days. Finally the patient was diagnosed with diffuse alveolar hemorrhage secondary to systemic lupus erythemetosus. CONCLUSION: When considering a diagnosis of HAPE, careful attention to physical signs, and a clinical course that is atypical for HAPE should prompt evaluation for other disease processes; HRCT can be useful in this setting.

Two functional loci in the promoter of EPAS1 gene involved in high-altitude adaptation of Tibetans.

EPAS1 involves in the hypoxic response and is suggested to be responsible for the genetic adaptation of high-altitude hypoxia in Tibetans. However, the detailed molecular mechanism remains unknown. In this study, a single nucleotide polymorphism rs56721780:G>C and an insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphism -742 indel in the promoter region showed divergence between Tibetans and non-Tibetan lowlanders. rs56721780:G>C regulated the transcription of EPAS1 by IKAROS family zinc finger 1 (IKZF1), which was identified as a new transcriptional repressor for EPAS1 gene. It demonstrated that the C allele of rs56721780:G>C decreased the binding of IKZF1, leading to the attenuated transcriptional repression of EPAS1 gene. The insertion at -742 indel provided a new binding site for Sp1 and was related to the activation of EPAS1 promoter. Further functional analysis revealed that lysyl oxidase (LOX) gene, which was reported to be responsible for extracellular matrix protein cross-linking of amnion previously, was a direct target of EPAS1. The CC genotype at rs56721780:G>C and the insertion genotype at -742 indel were found associated with higher EPAS1 and LOX expression levels in amnion, as well as higher birth weight of Tibetan newborns, suggesting that EPAS1 gene might play important roles in the development of amnion, fetus growth and high-altitude adaptation of Tibetans.

Pri-miR-124 rs531564 and pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 polymorphisms are associated with decreased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Chinese populations.

MicroRNAs are a new class of small non-protein-coding RNAs that sometimes function as tumor suppressors or oncogenes. Aberrant expression and structural alteration of microRNAs have been reported to be involved in tumorigenesis and cancer development. Recently, rs531564/pri-miR-124-1, rs4938723/pri-miR-34b/c, rs7372209/pri-miR-26a-1, rs895819/pre-miR-27a, and rs11134527/pri-miR-218 were reported to be associated with risks of various cancers. In order to evaluate the relationship of these SNPs and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) risk, we conducted a case-control study with 1109 ESCC patients and 1275 control subjects to examine the potential association of these pri/pre-miRNA polymorphisms with ESCC susceptibility. As a result, two SNPs were associated with a significant risk of ESCC. We found that the GG genotype of pri-miR-124-1 rs531564 was associated to a significantly decreased risk of ESCC comparing with the CC/CG genotypes (p = 0.005; OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.43-0.86). In addition, the CC genotype of pri-miR-34b/c rs4938723 was associated with a significant decreased risk of ESCC (CC VS. TT/TC: p = 0.007, OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.71-0.95) in Chinese population. The present study provides the first evidence that pri-miR-124-1 rs531564 and pri-miR-34 rs4938723 were associated with the risk of ESCC in Chinese population.

Plant species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality in global drylands.

Experiments suggest that biodiversity enhances the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple functions, such as carbon storage, productivity, and the buildup of nutrient pools (multifunctionality). However, the relationship between biodiversity and multifunctionality has never been assessed globally in natural ecosystems. We report here on a global empirical study relating plant species richness and abiotic factors to multifunctionality in drylands, which collectively cover 41% of Earth's land surface and support over 38% of the human population. Multifunctionality was positively and significantly related to species richness. The best-fitting models accounted for over 55% of the variation in multifunctionality and always included species richness as a predictor variable. Our results suggest that the preservation of plant biodiversity is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change and desertification in drylands.

Helicobacter pylori induces mitochondrial DNA mutation and reactive oxygen species level in AGS cells.

To investigate the role of ROS in the helicobacter pylori (Hp) induced mtDNA mutations, AGS cells were treated by extracts of Hp11638 or Hp11638M. The ROS levels, cytochrome C reductions, and intracellular ATP levels were measured. The coding region and the D-Loop region were amplified and sequenced. Results showed the ROS levels, cytochrome C reduction and mtDNA mutations were markedly increased and cell viability decreased after treatment with both Hp extracts, and 616 mutations were detected in D-Loop region and 3 heteroplasmic point mutations in the Cytb gene. No mutations were found in the coding region. The mutation rates of mtDNA D-Loop region were positively correlated with the ROS levels and negatively to the ATP levels.