Harmonization service and global library of models to support country-driven global information on salt-affected soils.

Global distribution of salt-affected soils (SAS) has remained at about 1 billion hectares in the literature over the years despite changes in climate, sea levels, and land use patterns which influence the distribution. Lack of periodic update of input soil data, data gaps, and inconsistency are part of the reasons for constant SAS distribution in the literature. This paper proposes harmonization as a suitable alternative for managing inconsistent data and minimizing data gaps. It developed a new harmonization service for supporting country-driven global SAS information update. The service contains a global library of harmonization models for harmonizing inconsistent soil data. It also contains models for identifying gaps in SAS database and for showing global distribution where harmonization of available data is needed. The service can be used by countries to develop national SAS information and update global SAS distribution. Its data availability index is useful in identifying countries without SAS data in the global database, which is a convenient way to identify countries to mobilize when updating global SAS information. Its application in 27 countries showed that the countries have more SAS data than they currently share with the global databases and that most of their data require SAS harmonization.

Classification of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are promising, environmentally friendly energy sources. Many works are devoted to the study of materials, individual aspects of SOFC operation, and the development of devices based on them. However, there is no work covering the entire spectrum of SOFC concepts and designs. In the present review, an attempt is made to collect and structure all types of SOFC that exist today. Structural features of each type of SOFC have been described, and their advantages and disadvantages have been identified. A comparison of the designs showed that among the well-studied dual-chamber SOFC with oxygen-ion conducting electrolyte, the anode-supported design is the most suitable for operation at temperatures below 800 °C. Other SOFC types that are promising for low-temperature operation are SOFC with proton-conducting electrolyte and electrolyte-free fuel cells. However, these recently developed technologies are still far from commercialization and require further research and development.

Some Thermoelectric Phenomena in Copper Chalcogenides Replaced by Lithium and Sodium Alkaline Metals.

This review presents thermoelectric phenomena in copper chalcogenides substituted with sodium and lithium alkali metals. The results for other modern thermoelectric materials are presented for comparison. The results of the study of the crystal structure and phase transitions in the ternary systems Na-Cu-S and Li-Cu-S are presented. The main synthesis methods of nanocrystalline copper chalcogenides and its alloys are presented, as well as electrical, thermodynamic, thermal, and thermoelectric properties and practical application. The features of mixed electron-ionic conductors are discussed. In particular, in semiconductor superionic copper chalcogenides, the presence of a "liquid-like phase" inside a "solid" lattice interferes with the normal propagation of phonons; therefore, superionic copper chalcogenides have low lattice thermal conductivity, and this is a favorable factor for the formation of high thermoelectric efficiency in them.

TAp73/Delta Np73 influences apoptotic response, chemosensitivity and prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

We investigated the mechanisms by which TAp73 beta and dominant-negative p73 (Delta Np73) regulate apoptosis. TAp73 beta transactivated the CD95 gene via the p53-binding site in the first intron. In addition, TAp73 beta induced expression of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members and led to apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway. Endogenous TAp73 was upregulated in response to DNA damage by chemotherapeutic drugs. On the contrary, DeltaNp73 conferred resistance to chemotherapy. Inhibition of CD95 gene transactivation was one mechanism by which DeltaNp73 functionally inactivated the tumor suppressor action of p53 and TAp73 beta. Concomitantly, DeltaNp73 inhibited apoptosis emanating from mitochondria. Thus, DeltaNp73 expression in tumors selects against both the death receptor and the mitochondrial apoptosis activity of TAp73 beta. The importance of these data is evidenced by our finding that upregulation of DeltaNp73 in hepatocellular carcinoma patients correlates with reduced survival. Our data indicate that Delta Np73 is an important gene in hepatocarcinogenesis and a relevant prognostic factor.

Truncated hepatitis B virus RNA in human hepatocellular carcinoma: its representation in patients with advancing age.

RNA from tissue samples of 46 HBsAg seropositive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients was analysed by an RT/PCR assay which discriminates full-length hepatitis B virus (HBV) RNA polyadenylated at the unique viral poly(A) signal governing replication from truncated HBV RNA polyadenylated at a cryptic poly(A) signal. In the tumor the apparent coexistence was less frequent than in the peritumor while the predominance of one of the two RNAs was more frequent. The mean age of patients with a predominance of truncated RNA in the tumor was 9 years above those patients with a predominance of full length RNA (p < 0.05). An inverse relationship existed between the presence of truncated RNA and the presence of RNA carrying core gene sequences. The results of this study establish truncated RNA as a frequent marker of the chronic infection but leave it open whether it is found preferentially in patients developing HCC or generally in chronically infected individuals.

DNA sequence requirements for the activation of a CATAAA polyadenylation signal within the hepatitis B virus X reading frame: rapid detection of truncated transcripts.

Truncated hepatitis B virus transcripts terminating downstream of a cryptic CAUAAA polyadenylation signal within the HBx open reading frame have previously been identified in tissue samples from two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (Hilger et al., 1991, J. Virol. 65, 4284-4291). In this study an HBx expression plasmid was systematically deleted in order to elucidate the DNA sequence context which is required for the conversion of the usually inactive CAUAAA motif into a functional polyadenylation signal. Deletions were made progressively on a stretch of viral DNA which, seen on the transcript level, started downstream of the established UAUAAA polyadenylation signal and proceeded to the cryptic CAUAAA motif. The plasmid constructs obtained were used to transfect cells of the HepG2 line. The analysis of newly synthesized RNA via an RNase protection assay revealed termination downstream of the CAUAAA motif following the removal of GU-rich auxiliary sequences downstream of the poly(A) addition site of the UAUAAA signal. Similar results were obtained when an anchored oligo(dT) primer which recognizes selectively truncated RNA was used for the differential, RT/PCR-mediated amplification of 3'-ends. Thus it could be documented in two ways that inactivation or removal of the UAUAAA signal rendered the CAUAAA motif functional as a poly(A) signal. On the basis of the results obtained, we suggest that chromosomally integrated viral DNA on which the TATAAA motif is removed may constitute a template for truncated as well as for virus/cell hybrid transcripts. We also suggest the use of anchored oligo(dT) primers for the rapid identification of truncated transcripts in tissue samples of HCC patients.