STAT3-EphA7 axis contributes to the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Our previous study has revealed that EphA7 was upregulated in patient-derived esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) xenografts with hyper-activated STAT3, but its mechanism was still unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To assess the association between EphA7 and STAT3, western blotting, immunofluorescence, ChIP assay, and qRT-PCR were conducted. Truncated mutation and luciferase assay were performed to examine the promoter activity of EphA7. CCK-8 assay and colony formation were performed to assess the proliferation of ESCC. Cell-derived xenograft models were established to evaluate the effects of EphA7 on ESCC tumor growth. RNA-seq analyses were used to assess the effects of EphA7 on related signals. RESULTS: In this study, EphA7 was found upregulated in ESCC cell lines with high STAT3 activation, and immunofluorescence also showed that EphA7 was co-localized with phospho-STAT3 in ESCC cells. Interestingly, suppressing STAT3 activation by the STAT3 inhibitor Stattic markedly inhibited the protein expression of EphA7 in ESCC cells, in contrast, activation of STAT3 by IL-6 obviously upregulated the protein expression of EphA7. Moreover, the transcription of EphA7 was also mediated by the activation of STAT3 in ESCC cells, and the -2000∼-1500 region was identified as the key promoter of EphA7. Our results also indicated that EphA7 enhanced the cell proliferation of ESCC, and silence of EphA7 significantly suppressed ESCC tumor growth. Moreover, EphA7 silence markedly abolished STAT3 activation-derived cell proliferation of ESCC. Additionally, RNA-seq analyses indicated that several tumor-related signaling pathways were significantly changed after EphA7 downregulation in ESCC cells. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the transcriptional expression of EphA7 was increased by activated STAT3, and the STAT3 signaling may act through EphA7 to promote the development of ESCC.

Basin-Scale Study on the Multiphase Distribution, Source Apportionment and Risk Assessment of PAHs in the Hai River Water System.

As a systematic research at basin scale, this study explored the composition and concentration characteristics of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in sediments, water, and suspended particulate matter (SPM) in the water systems (rivers, lakes, and reservoirs) in the Hai River Basin through literature review. The sources and the ecosystem risks of PAHs in the sediments in the entire basin were specially discussed with diagnostic ration, PAHs composition, and an improved risk quotient method. Results showed that the total concentration of PAHs varied from 99.65 to 25,303 ng g(-1) dry weight in sediments, from 51.0 to 559.1 ng L(-1) in water, and from 4528 to 51,080 ng g(-1) dry weight in SPM, respectively. The dominant PAHs in the three examined phases were 2-3 rings in most waterbodies. PAHs in the rivers were from mixed sources (petrogenic and pyrolytic inputs), whereas those in lakes and reservoirs were mainly from biomass combustion and petroleum combustion. PAHs in the entire basin exhibited moderate to high ecological risk, and the rivers (especially Hai River, Jiyun River, Chaobai River, and Beiyun River) suffered higher ecological risk than reservoirs and lakes. Most of the rivers with higher PAHs risk flow through or around megacity Beijing and Tianjin.

Eutrophication Assessment Based on the Cloud Matter Element Model.

Eutrophication has become one of the most serious problems threatening the lakes/reservoirs in China over 50 years. Evaluation of eutrophication is a multi-criteria decision-making process with uncertainties. In this study, a cloud matter element (CME) model was developed in order to evaluate eutrophication level objectively and scientifically, which incorporated the randomness and fuzziness of eutrophication evaluation process. The elements belonging to each eutrophication level in the CME model were determined by means of certainty degrees through repeated simulations of cloud model with reasonable parameters of expectation Ex, entropy En, and hyper-entropy He. The weights of evaluation indicators were decided by a combination of entropy technology and analytic hierarchy process method. The neartudes of water samples to each eutrophication level of lakes/reservoirs in the CME model were generated and the eutrophication levels were determined by maximum neartude principal. The proposed CME model was applied to evaluate eutrophication levels of 24 typical lakes/reservoirs in China. The results of the CME model were compared with those of comprehensive index method, matter element model, fuzzy matter element model, and cloud model. Most of the results obtained by the CME model were consistent with the results obtained by other methods, which proved the CME model is an effective tool to evaluate eutrophication.

[Etiological and epidemiological study on viral diarrhea among children in Changchun].

OBJECTIVE: To study the pathogen and characteristics of viral diarrhea in children in Changchun area. METHODS: 460 stools specimens were collected from children with acute diarrhea cured in the childrens, hospital of Changchun in 2010. Rotavirus were detected by ELISA, caliceverus and astrovirus were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCR), adenovirus were detected by polymerase chain reactions (PCR). RESULTS: A total of 460 specimens were detected. The detection rate of rotavirus, caliceverus, astrovious, adenovious respectively is 35.22%, 20.43%, 9.78%, 3.70%, the detectablerate of mixed infection is 7.61%, children under 2 years old were the major patient. The main genotypes of the virus: rotavirus (G3P[8]), caliceverus (GII-4), astrovious (type I), adenovious (Ad41). CONCLUSION: Rotavirus is the main pathogen in Changchun. Followed by caliceverus, astrovious, adenovious.