[Expression of tyrosine and threonine protein kinase in carcinogenic process of colorectal cancer and its relationship with prognosis].

Objective: To investigate the expression of TTK (tyrosine and threonine protein kinase) in the process of colorectal cancer (CRC) development and its relationship to prognosis in CRC patients. Methods: Colitis-associated colon cancer model was induced by azoxymethane (AOM) and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in C57BL/6 mice. Mice at four different stages of colon cancer development were obtained, named AD1 (inflammation of the recovery), AD2 (mild dysplasia), AD3 (adenoma) and AD4 (adenocarcinoma), as well as negative control (no treatment). The expression of TTK was measured by real time fluorescent quantitative PCR (qPCR) and immunohistochemical staining in mouse colon tissues and 24 pairs of CRC specimens. The relationship between TTK and prognosis was analyzed in a set of CRC genome-wide gene expression microarray data that was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) of National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Results: The genome-wide microarray data from mouse AOM-DSS model indicated that the expression of TTK mRNA was gradually elevated during the development of colon cancer. The subsequent qPCR results showed that TTK mRNA levels in negative control, AD1, AD2, AD3 and AD4 groups were 1.05±0.42, 1.10±0.03, 1.38±0.15, 1.33±0.17 and 2.12±0.22, respectively. And TTK expression in AD2, AD3 and AD4 groups were significantly higher than that in negative control (P<0.05). The protein expression of TTK showed by immunohistochemical staining had similar tendency as the results of TTK mRNA. Besides that, the TTK mRNA levels in tumor tissues (0.71±0.10) from 24 CRC patients were significantly higher than those in paired adjacent normal tissues (0.18±0.04; P<0.001). The positive expression rate of TTK protein in 5 pairs of CRC clinical samples was 80.0%, and it was significantly higher than that in adjacent normal tissues (30.8%, P=0.014). Furthermore, according to a public transcriptomic data (GSE17536), the high levels of TTK were associated with poor prognosis in CRC patients. Conclusions: Elevated expression of TTK is related to colonic carcinogenesis in both of mouse model and human CRC samples. TTK is a poor prognostic factor in CRC.

[Clinical and genetic characteristics of Gitelman syndrome in 5 pedigrees].

Objective: To investigate the clinical and genetic characteristics of 5 pedigrees of Gitelman syndrome (GS), and summarize its advances in genetics, diagnosis and management. Methods: Five families with GS were identified and total genome DNA were extracted from the peripheral blood of all the family members. The exons and their flanking introns of SLC12A3 gene were amplified by PCR and screened for mutation using Autoassembler 2.0 software. Results: Six heterozygous SLC12A3 gene mutations were found in the five pedigrees, including two complex combination of deletion and insertion mutation (c.486-490delTACGGinsA and c. 965-1_969delgCGGACinsACCGAAA and c. 976-977delGT). These mutations were predicted to change the normal protein structure. Conclusion: These 6 SLC12A3 mutations are the major cause of the five pedigrees of GS.

Biogeography and variability of eleven mineral elements in plant leaves across gradients of climate, soil and plant functional type in China.

Understanding variation of plant nutrients is largely limited to nitrogen and to a lesser extent phosphorus. Here we analyse patterns of variation in 11 elements (nitrogen/phosphorus/potassium/calcium/magnesium/sulphur/silicon/iron/sodium/manganese/aluminium) in leaves of 1900 plant species across China. The concentrations of these elements show significant latitudinal and longitudinal trends, driven by significant influences of climate, soil and plant functional type. Precipitation explains more variation than temperature for all elements except phosphorus and aluminium, and the 11 elements differentiate in relation to climate, soil and functional type. Variability (assessed as the coefficient of variation) and environmental sensitivity (slope of responses to environmental gradients) are lowest for elements that are required in the highest concentrations, most abundant and most often limiting in nature (the Stability of Limiting Elements Hypothesis). Our findings can help initiate a more holistic approach to ecological plant nutrition and lay the groundwork for the eventual development of multiple element biogeochemical models.

Expressions of MiR-132 in patients with chronic hepatitis B, posthepatitic cirrhosis and hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the expressions of miR-132 in patients with chronic hepatitis B, posthepatitic cirrhosis and hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to investigate its possible mechanism affecting the function of the body. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Among 125 patients with HBV, there were 44 cases of chronic hepatitis, 42 cases of liver cirrhosis and 39 cases of liver cancer. Their liver function and HBV-deoxyribonucleic acid (HBV-DNA) viral load as well as the expressions of micro ribonucleic acid-132 (miR-132), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylated-protein kinase B (p-Akt) and hepatitis B X protein (HBx), were detected. RESULTS: There were significant differences in some liver function indexes and the HBV-DNA level among the three groups of patients (p < 0.05). The HBV-DNA level was 6.91 Lg copies/mL in the liver cancer group and 5.34 Lg copies/mL in the chronic hepatitis B group. Differences in the expression level of miR-132 among the three groups were notable (p < 0.05), but this expression level had a negative correlation with the HBV-DNA level. The expressions of PI3K and p-Akt proteins and messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs) were markedly different among the three groups (p < 0.05). HBx was expressed in the three groups of patients, and liver cancer patients with the highest expression degree of HBx accounted for 46%. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the expression of miR-132 among the three groups are evident, which may be associated with differences in liver function, the HBV-DNA level, HBx and the expressions of PI3K and p-Akt proteins to a certain degree.

Significant acidification in major Chinese croplands.

Soil acidification is a major problem in soils of intensive Chinese agricultural systems. We used two nationwide surveys, paired comparisons in numerous individual sites, and several long-term monitoring-field data sets to evaluate changes in soil acidity. Soil pH declined significantly (P < 0.001) from the 1980s to the 2000s in the major Chinese crop-production areas. Processes related to nitrogen cycling released 20 to 221 kilomoles of hydrogen ion (H+) per hectare per year, and base cations uptake contributed a further 15 to 20 kilomoles of H+ per hectare per year to soil acidification in four widespread cropping systems. In comparison, acid deposition (0.4 to 2.0 kilomoles of H+ per hectare per year) made a small contribution to the acidification of agricultural soils across China.

An impact rotary motor based on a fiber torsional piezoelectric actuator.

A prototype small impact rotary motor has been fabricated based on a newly developed torsional actuator which is 15.0 mm long and 1.0 mm in diameter. The motor can rotate when it is powered with a saw-shaped voltage. The experimental results show that its angular speed is proportional to both the driving voltage's amplitude and the frequency under 1 kHz. The large nonlinearity occurs at higher driving frequency due to the resonance of the partial mechanical structure of the motor. The motor can rotate at a speed of 90 rpm with a saw-shaped driving voltage of 600 V(p.-p.) at 8 kHz, and produce a stall torque of 80 microN m with 1000 V(p.-p.) at 3 kHz.