Quantifying sources of methane using light alkanes in the Los Angeles basin, California

Methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and C2-C5 alkanes were measured throughout the Los Angeles (L.A.) basin in May and June 2010. We use these data to show that the emission ratios of CH4/CO and CH4/CO2 in the L.A. basin are larger than expected from population-apportioned bottom-up state inventories, consistent with previously published work. We use experimentally determined CH4/CO and CH4/CO2 emission ratios in combination with annual State of California CO and CO2 inventories to derive a yearly emission rate of CH4 to the L.A. basin. We further use the airborne measurements to directly derive CH4 emission rates from dairy operations in Chino, and from the two largest landfills in the L.A. basin, and show these sources are accurately represented in the California Air Resources Board greenhouse gas inventory for CH4. We then use measurements of C2-C5 alkanes to quantify the relative contribution of other CH4 sources in the L.A. basin, with results differing from those of previous studies. The atmospheric data are consistent with the majority of CH4 emissions in the region coming from fugitive losses from natural gas in pipelines and urban distribution systems and/or geologic seeps, as well as landfills and dairies. The local oil and gas industry also provides a significant source of CH4 in the area. The addition of CH4 emissions from natural gas pipelines and urban distribution systems and/or geologic seeps and from the local oil and gas industry is sufficient to account for the differences between the top-down and bottom-up CH4 inventories identified in previously published work. Key PointsTop-down estimates of CH4 emissions in L.A. are greater than inventory estimatesEstimates of CH4 emissions from landfills in L.A. agree with CARB inventoryPipeline natural gas and/or seeps, and landfills are main sources of CH4 in L.A. ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved

hTERT mediates gastric cancer metastasis partially through the indirect targeting of ITGB1 by microRNA-29a.

Human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) plays a key role in tumor invasion and metastasis, but the mechanism of its involvement in these processes is not clear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possible molecular mechanism of hTERT in the promotion of gastric cancer (GC) metastasis. We found that the up-regulation of hTERT in gastric cancer cells could inhibit the expression of miR-29a and enhance the expression of Integrin β1 (ITGB1). In addition, the invasive capacity of gastric cancer cells was also highly increased after hTERT overexpression. Our study also found that the restoration of miR-29a suppressed the expression of ITGB1 and inhibited GC cell metastasis both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our results suggested that hTERT may promote GC metastasis through the hTERT-miR-29a-ITGB1 regulatory pathway

Memory development: implications for adults recalling childhood experiences in the courtroom

Adults frequently provide compelling, detailed accounts of early childhood experiences in the courtroom. Judges and jurors are asked to decide guilt or innocence based solely on these decades-old memories using 'common sense' notions about memory. However, these notions are not in agreement with findings from neuroscientific and behavioural studies of memory development. Without expert guidance, judges and jurors may have difficulty in properly adjudicating the weight of memory evidence in cases involving adult recollections of childhood experiences

Risk of chronic kidney disease after cancer nephrectomy.

The incidence of early stage renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is increasing and observational studies have shown equivalent oncological outcomes of partial versus radical nephrectomy for stage I tumours. Population studies suggest that compared with radical nephrectomy, partial nephrectomy is associated with decreased mortality and a lower rate of postoperative decline in kidney function. However, rates of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients who have undergone nephrectomy might be higher than in the general population. The risks of new-onset or accelerated CKD and worsened survival after nephrectomy might be linked, as kidney insufficiency is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Nephron-sparing approaches have, therefore, been proposed as the standard of care for patients with type 1a tumours and as a viable option for those with type 1b tumours. However, prospective data on the incidence of de novo and accelerated CKD after cancer nephrectomy is lacking, and the only randomized trial to date was closed prematurely. Intrinsic abnormalities in non-neoplastic kidney parenchyma and comorbid conditions (including diabetes mellitus and hypertension) might increase the risks of CKD and RCC. More research is needed to better understand the risk of CKD post-nephrectomy, to develop and validate predictive scores for risk-stratification, and to optimize patient management

Wound dressings for a proteolytic-rich environment

Wound dressings have experienced continuous and significant changes over the years based on the knowledge of the biochemical events associated with chronic wounds. The development goes from natural materials used to just cover and conceal the wound to interactive materials that can facilitate the healing process, addressing specific issues in non-healing wounds. These new types of dressings often relate with the proteolytic wound environment and the bacteria load to enhance the healing. Recently, the wound dressing research is focusing on the replacement of synthetic polymers by natural protein materials to delivery bioactive agents to the wounds. This article provides an overview on the novel protein-based wound dressings such as silk fibroin keratin and elastin. The improved properties of these dressings, like the release of antibiotics and growth factors, are discussed. The different types of wounds and the effective parameters of healing process will be reviewed

Climate Variability, Social and Environmental Factors, and Ross River Virus Transmission: Research Development and Future Research Needs

Background: Arbovirus diseases have emerged as a global public health concern. However, the impact of climatic, social and environmental variability on the transmission of arbovirus diseases remains to be determined. Objective: We provided an overview of research development and future research directions about the inter-relationship between climate variability, social and environmental factors and the transmission of Ross River virus (RRV) – the most common and widespread arbovirus disease in Australia. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature search on climatic, social and environmental factors and RRV disease. Potentially relevant studies were identified from a series of electronic searches. Databases searched were the MEDLINE (via EBSCOhost), Current Contents Connect (via ISI Web of Knowledge) and ScienceDirect. We critically reviewed key predictors of RRV transmission through an integration of our own research with literature. Results: The body of evidence reveals that the transmission cycles of RRV disease appeared to be sensitive to climate variability. Rainfall, temperature and high tides were among major determinants of the transmission of RRV disease at macro level. However, the nature and magnitude of the inter-relationship between climate variability, mosquito density and the transmission of RRV disease varied with geographic area and socio-environmental condition. Projected anthropogenic global climatic change may result in an increase in RRV infections. Conclusions: The analysis indicates that there is a complex relationship between climate variability, social and environmental factors and Ross River virus transmission. Different strategies should be adopted for the control and prevention of Ross River virus disease at different levels. These research findings could be used as an additional tool to support decision-making in disease control/surveillance and risk management

Interacting effects of soil fertility and atmospheric CO 2 on leaf area growth and carbon gain physiology in Populus × euramericana (Dode) Guinier

Two important processes which may limit productivity gains in forest ecosystems with rising atmospheric CO 2 are reduction in photosynthetic capacity following prolonged exposure to high CO 2 and diminution of positive growth responses when soil nutrients, particularly N, are limiting. To examine the interacting effects of soil fertility and CO 2 enrichment on photosynthesis and growth in trees we grew hybrid poplar ( Populus × euramericana ) for 158 d in the field at ambient and twice ambient CO 2 and in soil with low or high N availability. We measured the timing and rate of canopy development, the seasonal dynamics of leaf level photosynthetic capacity, respiration, and N and carbohydrate concentration, and final above- and belowground dry weight. Single leaf net CO 2 assimilation (A) increased at elevated CO 2 over the majority of the growing season in both fertility treatments. At high fertility, the maximum size of individual leaves, total leaf number, and seasonal leaf area duration (LAD) also increased at elevated CO 2 , leading to a 49% increase in total dry weight. In contrast, at low fertility leaf area growth was unaffected by CO 2 treatment. Total dry weight nonetheless increased 25% due to CO 2 effects on A. Photosynthetic capacity (A at constant internal p(CO 2 ), (( C 1 )) was reduced in high CO 2 plants after 100 d growth at low fertility and 135 d growth at high fertility. Analysis of A responses to changing C 1 indicated that this negative adjustment of photosynthesis was due to a reduction in the maximum rate of CO 2 fixation by Rubisco. Maximum rate of electron transport and phosphate regeneration capacity were either unaffected or declined at elevated CO 2 . Carbon dioxide effects on leaf respiration were most pronounced at high fertility, with increased respiration mid-season and no change (area basis) or reduced (mass basis) respiration late-season in elevated compared to ambient CO 2 plants. This temporal variation correlated with changes in leaf N concentration and leaf mass per area. Our results demonstrate the importance of considering both structural and physiological pathways of net C gain in predicting tree responses to rising CO 2 under conditions of suboptimal soil fertility.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65655/1/j.1469-8137.1995.tb04295.x.pd

Role of Cyclin B1/Cdc2 Up-Regulation in the Development of Mitotic Prometaphase Arrest in Human Breast Cancer Cells Treated with Nocodazole

Background: During a normal cell cycle, the transition from G 2 phase to mitotic phase is triggered by the activation of the cyclin B1-dependent Cdc2 kinase. Here we report our finding that treatment of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells with nocodazole, a prototypic microtubule inhibitor, results in strong up-regulation of cyclin B1 and Cdc2 levels, and their increases are required for the development of mitotic prometaphase arrest and characteristic phenotypes. Methodology/Principal Findings: It was observed that there was a time-dependent early increase in cyclin B1 and Cdc2 protein levels (peaking between 12 and 24 h post treatment), and their levels started to decline after the initial increase. This early up-regulation of cyclin B1 and Cdc2 closely matched in timing the nocodazole-induced mitotic prometaphase arrest. Selective knockdown of cyclin B1or Cdc2 each abrogated nocodazole-induced accumulation of prometaphase cells. The nocodazole-induced prometaphase arrest was also abrogated by pre-treatment of cells with roscovitine, an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases, or with cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor that was found to suppress cyclin B1 and Cdc2 up-regulation. In addition, we found that MAD2 knockdown abrogated nocodazole-induced accumulation of cyclin B1 and Cdc2 proteins, which was accompanied by an attenuation of nocodazole-induced prometaphase arrest. Conclusions/Significance: These observations demonstrate that the strong early up-regulation of cyclin B1 and Cdc2 contributes critically to the rapid and selective accumulation of prometaphase-arrested cells, a phenomenon associate

Post-Epidemic Chikungunya Disease on Reunion Island: Course of Rheumatic Manifestations and Associated Factors over a 15-Month Period

Although the acute manifestations of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) illness are well-documented, few data exist about the long-term rheumatic outcomes of CHIKV-infected patients. We undertook between June and September 2006 a retrospective cohort study aimed at assessing the course of late rheumatic manifestations and investigating potential risk factors associated with the persistence of these rheumatic manifestations over 15 months. 147 participants (>16 yrs) with laboratory-confirmed CHIKV disease diagnosed between March 1 and June 30, 2005, were identified through a surveillance database and interviewed by telephone. At the 15-month-period evaluation after diagnosis, 84 of 147 participants (57%) self-reported rheumatic symptoms. Of these 84 patients, 53 (63%) reported permanent trouble while 31 (37%) had recurrent symptoms. Age ≥45 years (OR = 3.9, 95% CI 1.7–9.7), severe initial joint pain (OR = 4.8, 95% CI 1.9–12.1), and presence of underlying osteoarthritis comorbidity (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.1–7.4) were predictors of nonrecovery. Our findings suggest that long-term CHIKV rheumatic manifestations seem to be a frequent underlying post-epidemic condition. Three independent risk factors that may aid in early recognition of patients with the highest risk of presenting prolonged CHIKV illness were identified. Such findings may be particularly useful in the development of future prevention and care strategies for this emerging virus infection