Evaluation of a SNP-STR haplotype panel for forensic genotype imputation.

Short tandem repeat polymorphism (STR)-based individual identification is a popular and reliable method in many forensic applications. However, STRs still frequently fail to find any matched records. In such cases, if known STRs could provide more information, it would be very helpful to solve specific problems. Genotype imputation has long been used in the study of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and has recently been introduced into forensic fields. The idea is that, through a reference haplotype panel containing SNPs and STRs, we can obtain unknown genetic information through genotype imputation based on known STR or SNP genotypes. Several recent studies have already demonstrated this exciting idea, and a 1000 Genomes SNP-STR haplotype panel has also been released. To further study the performance of genotype imputation in forensic fields, we collected STR, microhaplotype (MH) and SNP array genotypes from Chinese Han population individuals and then performed genotype imputation analysis based on the released reference panel. As a result, the average locus imputation accuracy was ∼83 % (or ∼70 %) when SNPs in the SNP array (or MH SNPs) were imputed from STRs, and was ∼30 % when highly polymorphic markers (STRs and MHs) were imputed from each other. When STRs were imputed from SNP array, the average locus imputation accuracy increased to ∼48 %. After analyzing the match scores between real STRs and the STRs imputed from SNPs, ∼80 % of studied STR records can be connected to corresponding SNP records, which may help for individual identification. Our results indicate that genotype imputation has great potential for forensic applications.

Association Between Polymorphisms in Gastric Cancer Related Genes and Risk of Gastric Cancer: A Case-Control Study.

Gastric cancer has the second highest incidence among all the malignancies in China, just below lung cancer. Gastric cancer is likewise one of the main sources of cancer related passings. Gastric cancer therefore remains a huge threat to human health. The primary reason is absence of high sensitivity and specificity for early detection while the pathogenesis of GC is stayed muddled. During the last few decades, a lot of GC related genes have been identified. To find candidate GC related variant in these GC related genes, we conducted this case-control study. 29 tagSNPs located in 7 GC related genes were included. 228 gastric cancer patients and 299 healthy controls were enrolled. Significant differences were found between the genotype frequencies of EFNA1 rs4971066 polymorphism between gastric cancer patients and healthy controls. The result indicated that ephrin-A1 tagSNP rs4971066 GT/TT genotypes was significantly associated with reduced susceptibility of gastric cancer development.

Efficiency and risks of selenite combined with different water conditions in reducing uptake of arsenic and cadmium in paddy rice.

The co-contamination of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) in soils is a common problem. Selenium (Se) can reduce the uptake of As and Cd in plants, and in practice, the alternate wetting and drying is a common culture mode in rice production. However, it is unknown whether Se can efficiently reduce As and Cd concentrations in crops suffering from a high-level contamination of As and Cd under different soil water conditions. In this study, we assessed the efficiency and risks of selenite [Se(IV)], in a pot experiment, to reduce the uptake of As and Cd in a rice plant (YangDao No 6) growing in a heavily contaminated soil by As and Cd (pH 7.28) under different soil water conditions. The results showed that Se(IV) failed to control the grain total As and Cd concentrations within their individual limited standard (0.2 mg kg-1) despite that Se(IV) significantly reduced the grain total As and Cd concentrations. The soil drying treatment alone could reduce the accumulation of arsenite [As(III)] in the grains, but additional Se(IV) stimulated the accumulation of As(III) in the grains under soil drying conditions. In addition, the addition of Se(IV) enhanced the As and Cd concentrations in the shoots and/or roots of rice plants under certain conditions. The above results all suggested that the utilization of Se(IV) in a high contaminated soil by As and Cd cannot well control the total concentrations of As and Cd in plants. In this study, the available concentrations of As and Cd in the rhizosphere soil, the rhizosphere soil pH, the formation of root iron/manganese plaques and the concentrations of essential elements in the grains were monitored, and the related mechanisms on the changes of these parameters were also discussed. This study will give a guideline for the safe production of rice plants in a heavily co-contaminated soil by As and Cd.

Toxicity of different forms of antimony to rice plants: Effects on reactive oxidative species production, antioxidative systems, and uptake of essential elements.

Antimonite [Sb(III)] and antimonate [Sb(V)] are known to have different toxicity to plants, but the corresponding mechanisms are not fully understood. This study was conducted to investigate reactive oxygen species (ROS), antioxidant systems, and levels of certain essential elements in response to exposure to Sb(III) and Sb(V). Results showed that exposure to Sb(V) caused oxidative stress in a rice plant (Yangdao No.6). Sb(III) was shown to be more toxic than Sb(V) as judged from a lower shoot biomass, a higher loss of essential elements, and higher production of superoxide anion free radicals (O2-). The toxicity of Sb(III) might partially be due to the disturbance of the O2- dismutation reaction, which resulted in root cell membrane damage under exposure to 20 mg L-1 Sb(III). Sb(V) stimulated the shoot fresh weight and the shoot uptake of many essential elements. Moreover, Sb(V) and Sb(III) both stimulated the accumulation of calcium in the shoots and roots, and calcium was found to significantly correlate with the concentrations of many essential elements and with some parameters correlated to antioxidant systems, suggesting a Ca-induced regulatory mechanism. The activity of glutathione peroxidase was significantly enhanced by Sb(V) and Sb(III), suggesting a role in scavenging hydrogen peroxide. Catalase was activated by exposure to 20 mg L-1 Sb(III) in the roots and by exposure to 20 mg L-1 Sb(V) both in the shoots and roots. However, peroxidase was activated by exposure to 5 mg L-1 Sb(III) in the shoots and by exposure to 5 mg L-1 Sb(V) in the roots. This study, for the first time, showed the differences between Sb(V) and Sb(III) toxicity when looking at the antioxidant response and essential element uptake.

Synthesis of Sulfur-Doped 2D Graphitic Carbon Nitride Nanosheets for Efficient Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol and Hydrogen Evolution.

Sulfur-doped two-dimensional (2D) graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (2D-SCN) with efficient photocatalytic activity were synthesized via (1) polycondensation of thiourea to form bulk sulfur-doped graphitic carbon nitride (SCN) and (2) followed by thermal oxidative treatment of the prepared SCN via an etching strategy to form 2D-SCN. Sulfur was doped in situ into SCN by using thiourea as the precursor, and the 2D nanosheet structure was obtained during the thermal oxidative etching process. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the 2D-SCN sample were investigated in detail. Herein, it is shown that the thermal oxidative etching treatment and sulfur doping induced a 2D nanosheet structure (2D-SCN-3h) with a thickness of about 4.0 nm and exposure of more sulfur elements on the surface. The surface area increased from 16.6 m2/g for SCN to 226.9 m2/g. Compared to bulk SCN, a blue shift of the absorption peaks was observed for the obtained 2D-SCN-3h photocatalyst, and the absorption intensity was higher than that of the sulfur-free counterpart (2D-CN). The successful in situ doping of S element into SCN or 2D-SCN-3h samples is beneficial to the introduction of surface N defects and O species. 2D-SCN-3h indicated higher efficiency in photogenerated charge carrier separation and showed the highest reductive activity in photocatalytic splitting of water at a rate of 127.4 µmol/h under simulated solar light irradiation, which was 250 times and 3 times higher than that of SCN and 2D-CN photocatalysts, respectively. The apparent quantum efficiency was estimated to be 8.35% at 420 nm irradiation. The S-C-N bond formed by sulfur doping was beneficial to the charge-transfer process, and this led to higher photocatalytic activity according to partial density of state analysis computed by first-principles methods.

In Situ Synthesis of All-Solid-State Z-Scheme BiOBr0.3I0.7/Ag/AgI Photocatalysts with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity Under Visible Light Irradiation.

A series of novel visible light driven all-solid-state Z-scheme BiOBr0.3I0.7/Ag/AgI photocatalysts were synthesized by facile in situ precipitation and photo-reduction methods. Under visible light irradiation, the BiOBr0.3I0.7/Ag/AgI samples exhibited enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to BiOBr0.3I0.7 and AgI in the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The optimal ratio of added elemental Ag was 15%, which degraded 89% of MO within 20 min. The enhanced photocatalytic activity of BiOBr0.3I0.7/Ag/AgI can be ascribed to the efficient separation of photo-generated electron-hole pairs through a Z-scheme charge-carrier migration pathway, in which Ag nanoparticles act as electron mediators. The mechanism study indicated that ·O2- and h+ are active radicals for photocatalytic degradation and that a small amount of ·OH also participates in the photocatalytic degradation process.

Synergistic Effects of Ag Nanoparticles/BiV1-xMoxO4 with Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity.

In recent years, BiVO4 has drawn much attention as a novel photocatalyst given its excellent ability to absorb visible light. This work reports the development of Ag-modified BiV1-xMoxO4 composites through a facile hydrothermal synthesis with the subsequent photoinduced reduction of Ag+ at almost neutral pH conditions. Metallic Ag nanoparticles were deposited on the (040) facet of Mo-doped BiVO4 powders. The crystal structure and morphology of the as-prepared samples were studied by XRD and SEM analyses. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of BiVO4, Ag/BiVO4, and Ag-modified BiV1-xMoxO4 were evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB). The Ag/BiV0.9925Mo0.0075O4 composite exhibited the most efficient photocatalytic performance. The present work provides greater insight into the application of BiVO4 in the field of photocatalysis.

In Situ Hydrothermal Construction of Direct Solid-State Nano-Z-Scheme BiVO4/Pyridine-Doped g-C3N4 Photocatalyst with Efficient Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalytic Degradation of Phenol and Dyes.

In the current study, a mediator-free solid-state BiVO4/pyridine-doped g-C3N4 nano-Z-scheme photocatalytic system (BDCN) with superior visible-light absorption and optimized photocatalytic activity was constructed via an in situ hydrothermal method for the first time. The pyridine-doped g-C3N4 (DCN) nanosheets show strong absorbance in the visible-light region by pyridine doping, and the BiVO4 (∼10 nm) nanoparticles are successfully in situ grown on the surface of DCN nanosheets by the controlled hydrothermal method. Under the irradiation of visible light (λ > 420 nm), the BiVO4/DCN nanocomposite photocatalysts efficiently degrade phenol and methyl orange (MO) and display much higher photocatalytic activity than the individual DCN, bulk BiVO4, or the simple physical mixture of DCN and BiVO4. The greatly improved photocatalytic ability is attributed to the construction of the direct Z-scheme system in the BiVO4/DCN nanocomposite free from any mediator, which leads to enhanced separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs, as confirmed by the photocurrent analysis. The possible Z-scheme mechanism of the BiVO4/DCN nanocomposite photocatalyst was investigated by transient time-resolved luminescence decay spectrum, active species trapping experiments, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) technology, and hydrogen evolution test.

The role of exogenous neural stem cells transplantation in cerebral ischemic stroke.

To observe the effects of neural stem cells (NSCs) transplantation in rats' striatum and subventricular zone (SVZ) in rat models of focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion. Hippocampus was extracted from fetal rats with 14 days of gestation. Suspension culture was used to isolate and culture the rat's NSCs. A cerebral ischemia and reperfusion rat's model was made on the left side of the brain through occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery. Neurological signs were assessed by Zea Longa's five-grade scale, with scores 1, 2, and 3 used to determine the successful establishment of the rat's model. The NSCs were stereotaxically injected into the left striatum 24 hours after the successful rat's model was built. Rats were then randomly divided into 5 groups, namely, normal group, sham operation group, ischemia group, PBS transplantation group, and NSCs transplantation group, each of which was observed on day 3, day 7, and day 14. The ischemia-related neurological deficits were assessed by using a 7-point evaluation criterion. Forelimb injuries were evaluated in all rats using the foot-fault approach. Infarct size changes were observed through TTC staining and cell morphology and structure in the infarct region were investigated by Nissl staining. Apoptosis and apoptosis-positive cell counts were studied by Tunel assay. Expressions of double-labeling positive cells in the striatum and subventricular zone (SVZ) were observed by BrdU/NeuN and BrdU/GFAP fluorescent double-labeling method and the number of positive cells in the striatum and SVZ was counted. Results from the differently treated groups showed that right hemiplegia occurred in the ischemia group, PBS transplantation group, and NSCs transplantation group in varying degrees. Compared with the former two groups, there was least hemiplegia in the NSCs transplantation group. The TTC staining assay showed that rats in the NSCs transplantation group had smaller infarct volume than those from the PBS transplantation group. The Nissl dyeing showed that there was a large area of neuronal necrosis and apoptosis in the ischemia and PBS transplantation groups, and damage was mainly focused in the striatum. Degeneration and damage of nerve cells were significantly reduced in the NSCs transplantation group. The Tunel assay showed that the number of apoptosis-positive cells in the NSCs transplantation group was less than that in the PBS transplantation group at each time point. Double immunofluorescent labeling showed that the proliferation of endogenous neural stem cells began at the third day, reaching the peak at the 7th day, and was significantly reduced at the 14th day in the SVZ. The number of BrdU/NeuN increased significantly in the NSCs transplantation group compared to that in the PBS transplantation group (P < 0.05). The number of BrdU/GFAP decreased significantly in the NSCs transplantation group compared to that of PBS transplantation group (P < 0.05). The number of BrdU/GFAP-positive cells in the striatum was observed to be much more in the PBS transplantation group than in the NSCs transplantation group. Both neurological deficits and coordination capacity of rats with cerebral ischemia were significantly improved via transplantation of the neural stem cells. In conclusion, transplantation of neural stem cells can therefore possibly promote the differentiation of endogenous NSCs into neurons and reduce their differentiation towards glial cells. Transplantation of the neural stem cells may also change the ischemic microenvironment of striatum, possibly inhibiting the proliferation of glial cells.

Tuning the K+ concentration in the tunnel of OMS-2 nanorods leads to a significant enhancement of the catalytic activity for benzene oxidation.

OMS-2 nanorods with tunable K(+) concentration were prepared by a facile hydrothermal redox reaction of MnSO4, (NH4)2S2O8, and (NH4)2SO4 at 120 °C by adding KNO3 at different KNO3/MnSO4 molar ratios. The OMS-2 nanorod catalysts are characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption and desorption, inductively coupled plasma, and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry. The effect of K(+) concentration on the lattice oxygen activity of OMS-2 is theoretically and experimentally studied by density functional theory calculations and CO temperature-programmed reduction. The results show that increasing the K(+) concentration leads to a considerable enhancement of the lattice oxygen activity in OMS-2 nanorods. An enormous decrease (ΔT50 = 89 °C; ΔT90 > 160 °C) in reaction temperatures T50 and T90 (corresponding to 50 and 90% benzene conversion, respectively) for benzene oxidation has been achieved by increasing the K(+) concentration in the K(+)-doped OMS-2 nanorods due to the considerable enhancement of the lattice oxygen activity.

Comparative evaluation of the protective potentials of human paraoxonase 1 and 3 against CCl4-induced liver injury.

We previously reported that electroporation mediated hPON1 or hPON3 gene delivery could protect against CCl(4)-induced liver injury. However, substantial evidence supported that the in vivo physiological functions of hPON1 and hPON3 were distinct. To compare the protective efficacies of hPON1 and hPON3 against liver injury, recombinant adenovirus AdPON1 and AdPON3, which were capable of expressing hPON1 and hPON3 respectively, were intravenously injected into mice before they were given CCl(4). Adenovirus mediated expression of hPON1 and hPON3 were demonstrated by elevated serum esterase activity, hepatic lactonase activity, and hPON1/hPON3 mRNA expression in liver. Serum transaminase assay, histological observation and TUNEL analysis revealed that the extent of liver injury and hepatocyte apoptosis in AdPON1 or AdPON3 treated mice was significantly ameliorated in comparison with control. Meanwhile, overexpression of hPON1 and hPON3 reduced the hepatic oxidative stress and strengthen the total antioxidant capabilities in liver through affecting the hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and total antioxidant capability (T-AOC) levels, regardless of the exposure to CCl(4) or corn oil. Administration of AdPON1 or AdPON3 also suppressed inflammatory response by decreasing TNF-alpha and IL-1beta levels in CCl(4) mice. In this study, hPON1 exhibited a slightly higher efficacy than hPON3 in alleviating liver injury, but the difference between them were not significant.