Novel Risk Associations between microRNA Polymorphisms and Gastric Cancer in a Chilean Population

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth leading cause of cancer deaths in the world, with variations across geographical regions and ethnicities. Emerging evidence indicates that miRNA expression is dysregulated in GC and its polymorphisms may contribute to these variations, which has yet to be explored in Latin American populations. In a case-control study of 310 GC patients and 311 healthy donors from Chile, we assessed the association of 279 polymorphisms in 242 miRNA genes. Two novel polymorphisms were found to be associated with GC: rs4822739:C>G (miR-548j) and rs701213:T>C (miR-4427). Additionally, rs1553867776:T>TCCCCA (miR-4274) and rs12416605:C>T (miR-938) were associated with intestinal-type GC, and rs4822739:C>G (miR-548j) and rs1439619:T>G (miR-3175) with TNM I-II stage. The polymorphisms rs6149511:T> TGAAGGGCTCCA (miR-6891), rs404337:G>A (miR-8084), and rs1439619:T>G (miR-3175) were identified among H.pylori-infected GC patients and rs7500280:T>C (miR-4719) and rs1439619:T>G (miR-3175) were found among H. pylori cagPAI+ infected GC cases. Prediction analysis suggests that seven polymorphisms could alter the secondary structure of the miRNA, and the other one is located in the seed region of miR-938. Targets of miRNAs are enriched in GC pathways, suggesting a possible biological effect. In this study, we identified seven novel associations and replicated one previously described in Caucasian population. These findings contribute to the understanding of miRNA genetic polymorphisms in the GC pathogenesis.     

Assessment of composite beam performance using GWO–ELM metaheuristic algorithm

Composite beams (CBs) include concrete slabs jointed to the steel parts by the shear connectors, which highly popular in modern structures such as high rise buildings and bridges. This study has investigated the structural behavior of simply supported CBs in which a concrete slab is jointed to a steel beam by headed stud shear connector. Determining the behavior of CB through empirical study except its costly process can also lead to inaccurate results. In this case, AI models as metaheuristic algorithms could be effectively used for solving difficult optimization problems, such as Genetic algorithm, Differential evolution, Firefly algorithm, Cuckoo search algorithm, etc. This research has used hybrid Extreme machine learning (ELM)–Grey wolf optimizer (GWO) to determine the general behavior of CB. Two models (ELM and GWO) and a hybrid algorithm (GWO–ELM) were developed and the results were compared through the regression parameters of determination coefficient (R²) and root mean square (RMSE). In testing phase, GWO with the RMSE value of 2.5057 and R² value of 1.2510, ELM with the RMSE value of 4.52 and R² value of 1.927, and GWO–ELM with the RMSE value of 0.9340 and R² value of 0.9504 have demonstrated that the hybrid of GWO–ELM could indicate better performance compared to solo ELM and GWO models. In this case, GWO–ELM could determine the general behavior of CB faster, more accurate and with the least error percentages, so the hybrid of GWO–ELM is more reliable model than ELM and GWO in this study.

     

澳大利亚房地产本科教育特色探讨

房地产作为一项重要资产,对国民经济有着举足轻重的作用。房地产教育是推动房地产业发展的基础,借鉴和吸收国外先进房地产教育经验有助于培养有国际视野的房地产人才。文章立足于澳大利亚房地产教育,研究其房地产教育的特色,结合中国当前房地产教育的实际情况,探索中国房地产专业人才培养的新思路。     

Book reviews

HEALTH GUIDE FOR THE NUCLEAR AGE, by P. Bunyard, Macmillan, London, 1988, 159 pp. index and glossary (£7.95 pb., £12.95 hb.)

PROCEEDINGS OF A SYMPOSIUM, “Severe Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants,” Sorrento, March, 1988, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, 1988; two volumes, 503 and 771 pages, including author index

CHERNOBYL: The Long Shadow, a volume in The Natural Environment: Problems and Management Series, by Chris C. Park, Routledge, Chapman &; Hall, Andover, UK, 1989, viii + 207, extensive bibliography, index (£25)

RADIONUCLIDES IN THE FOOD CHAIN, edited by M. W. Carter et al. Springer‐Verlag, Berlin, 1989, xv + 518 pp., glossary, index (£50)

HANDBOOK OF INDUSTRIAL SAFETY AND HEALTH, 1st Edition, The Trade &; Technical Press, Surrey, UK, 1980 (£60.00)

PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL, edited by Conrad P. Straub, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida, USA, 1989, vi + 537 pp., index (£30.50)

PRACTITIONER'S HANDBOOK ON THE MODELLING OF DYNAMIC CHANGE IN ECOSYSTEMS, by J. N. R. Jeffers, John Wiley, Chichester, 1988, xiii + 181 pp., index (£28.50)

UNDERGROUND TANK LEAK AND DETECTION METHODS, A State‐of‐the‐art Review, by S. Naiki and J. A. Broscious, Taylor and Francis, B asingstoke, UK, 1989, 114 pp., index (£25)

PERSPECTIVES ON ECOLOGY, by Koula Mellos, Macmillan Press, Basingstoke, UK, 1989, 178 pp., index (£29.50)

AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY AND WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT, edited by Jerome O. Nriagu and J. S. S. Laksshminarayana, vol. 22 in the Wiley series on “Advances in Environmental Science and Technology (Series Editor . . . Jerome O. Nriagu)”, J. Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK, 1989, 292 pp., index (£47.95)

ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF THE OIL INDUSTRY, edited by Brian Dicks, J. Wiley and Sons, Chichester, UK, 1989, 316 pp. (£80)

WRI/IIED WITH UNEP, World Resources 1988–89. Basic Books, New York, 1988, 372 pp., index ($32.95 hardcovers, $16.95 paper)

RANGELANDS, edited by B. A. Buchanan, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, 1988, 89 pp. ($22.50)

THE FUELWOOD TRAP. A Study of the SADCC Region, by B. Muslow et al. Earthscan Publications, London, 1988, Index and Bibliography, 181 pp. (£8.95 pb.)

BEYOND THE WOODFUEL CRISIS. People and Trees in Africa, by G. Leach and R. Means, Earthscan Publications, London, 1988, Index, 309 pp. (£8.95 pb.)

EXERCISES IN SPATIAL THINKING, CASE STUDIES OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ISSUES, by L. H. Klaassen, Avebury (Gower Publishing Company, Aldershot, UK), 1989, 307 pp., index (£35)

TRAFFIC ANALYSIS: New Technology and New Solutions, by M. A. P. Taylor and W. Young, Edward Arnold, London, 1989, xxl + 353 pp., bibliography, 2 appendices, index (£40)

URBAN DECLINE: British Experience, by D. Clark, Routledge, Chapman Hall, Andover, UK, 1989, ix + 161 pp., index (£25)

INSTANT CITIES: Urbanization and the rise of San Francisco and Denver, by G. Barth, University of New Mexico Press, (Albuquerque, 1988, xxiv + 310 pp. ($12.95)

SHELTER UPGRADING FOR THE URBAN POOR: Evaluation of third world experience, edited by R. J. Skinner, J. L. Taylor and E. A. Wegelin, Island Publishing House, Manila, in co‐operation with the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (HABITAT) and the Institute for Housing Studies (BIE) v+261 pp.

SURVEY OF LONDON: vol xlii, SOUTHERN KENSINGTON: KENSINGTON SQUARE TO EARL'S COURT. General Editor, Hermione Hobhouse, The Athlone Press, published for the Greater London Council, 1986. Cloth, 502 pp., 152 plates, maps, 159 figs, and graphs (£50.00)

PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21st SYMPOSIUM ON REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT, 26–30 October 1987, Ann Arbor, Michigan; ERIM: Volume 1, 673 pp., Volume 2, 674–1152 pp., both with author index, 1987.

MONSTER IN OUR MIDST, by Peggy Woodford, MacMillan Childrens Books, London and Basingstoke, 1988, 220 pp. (£7.95)

THE ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS HANDBOOK, Euromonitor Publications, London, 1989, xiv + 335 pp., index (£65)     

Identification of Stereochemical Configurations of Cyclopenta[ cd ]pyrene DNA Adducts in Strain A/J Mouse Lung and C3H10T1/2CL8 Cells

Four major and several minor DNA adducts were resolved by 32 P-postlabeling analysis of DNA from strain A/J mouse lung and C3H10T1/2CL8 (C3H10T1/2) mouse embryo fibroblasts treated with cyclopenta[ cd ]pyrene (CPP). The identical pattern of adducts was seen in vivo and in vitro. Cochromatography of synthetic resolved diastereomers of cis - and trans - N 2 -CPP-deoxyguanosine-3'-phosphates with the in vivo adducts obtained from strain A/J mouse lung and in vitro adducts obtained from C3H10T1/2 cells allowed identification of the predominant DNA adduct as cis -(3 R ,4 S )- N 2 -CPP-deoxyguanosine. The second most abundant adduct formed in vivo and in vitro was identified as trans -(3 S ,4 S )- N 2 -CPP-deoxyguanosine.     

Speciation of As, Cr, Se and Hg under coal fired power station conditions

Coal combustion from power stations is an important anthropogenic contributor of toxic trace elements to the environment. Some trace elements may be emitted in range of valencies, often with varying toxicity and bioavailability. Hence, determination of trace element speciation in coals and their combustion products is important for conducting comprehensive risk assessments of the emissions from coal-fired power stations. This study focuses on speciation of selected trace elements, As, Cr, and Se, in coal combustion products and Hg in flue gas, which were sampled at one Australian power station. Different analytical methods such as secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), ion chromatography-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (IC-ICPMS) and X-ray absorption near edge structure spectrometry (XANES) were used to determine trace element speciation in coal and ash samples. Results showed that As, Cr and Se are all present in a range of valency states in coal. Concentrations of As and Se in the bottom ash as well as the more toxic hexavalent chromium were less than the detection limits. The more toxic As³⁺ form in fly ash was at 10% of the total arsenic, while selenium was mainly found in Se⁴⁺ form. Hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺) in fly ash was 2.7% of the total fly ash chromium. Mercury speciation in flue gas was determined using the Ontario Hydro sampling train and analysis technique. Approximately 58% of the total mercury in flue gas was released in the elemental form (Hg⁰), which, among all mercury species, has the highest residence time in the environment due to lower solubility. This work summarises the performance of the selected analytical techniques for speciation of trace elements.     

The effects of fat-free,saturated and polyunsaturated fat diets on rat liver and plasma lipids

The liver and plasma lipids and fatty acid composition of rats fed synthetic diets of differing fat type and content were studied. All animals were starved for 48 hr and then refed a high carbohydrate, fat-free diet for 48 hr. They were then divided into three groups and fed for an additional 48 hrs the following: group 1, the fat-free diet; group 2, a diet containing 44% of calories from corn oil; and group 3, a diet containing 44% calories from completely hydrogenated soybean oil. The total lipid concentration of the liver in the animals on the fat-free diet was elevated at 72 and 96 hr. The addition of either saturated or unsaturated fat in the diet at 48 hr prevented this accumulation. The total phospholipid and cholesterol concentrations of the liver were relatively uninfluenced by any diet in this study. Plasma total fatty acid concentration was elevated at 72 hr in the animals on a fat-free diet compared to those fed the stock diet, starved for 48 hr or fed the fat-containing diets. By 96 hr, however plasma fatty acid concentrations in all groups were similar to those in animals fed only the stock diet. The release of de novo synthesized fatty acids into plasma from the liver was strongly inhibited by dietary fat, either saturated or polyunsaturated. With the fat-free diet there was a significant increase in the saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in both liver and plasma. The addition of corn oil to the diet facilitated a reversion of the fatty acid composition in liver and plasma to that found in the animals fed the stock diet ad libitum, but saturated fat did not. No effect of diet on the fatty acid composition of the red cells was observed during the course of this study. Exogenous saturated fatty acids, although similar chemically to the fatty acids synthesized by the liver, may have physiological actions that differ from endogenously synthesized fat.     

Growth support and metabolism of phytosterols inParamecium tetraurelia

The basis of the growth requirement ofParamecium for one of several structurally similar phytosterols is not known. Previous research has indicated that selective esterification of only growth-promoting sterols may be a key. In this study, it was found that under certain conditions sterols that fail to support growth (e.g., cholesterol) can be esterified in large amounts inParamecium. We found no compelling evidence to support the hypothesis that steryl esters serve a specialized role in the fatty acid metabolism of the cell. Octadecenoic acid, essential for cell growth, was the major fatty acid in both steryl esters and triglycerides. It was also shown thatP. tetraurelia can dehydrogenate Δ⁰ and Δ⁷, as well as Δ⁵-3β-hydroxy sterols, to yield the conjugated 5,7-diene derivative. These results indicate the presence of a Δ⁵, in addition to a Δ⁷, desaturase of the sterol nucleus in this ciliate. Two C₂₄ α-ethyl sterols, Δ²²-stigmasterol (Δ²²) and stigmastanol (Δ⁰), were shown for the first time to promote growth. Finally, we found that non-growth-promoting sterols may compose a high percentage of the free sterols of the surface membrane without adversely affecting cell growth or viability. These data support the conclusion that the growth requirement for select phytosterols inParamecium does not involve the structural or functional role of “bulk” sterols in cell membranes.     

Correspondence of soldier defense secretion mixtures with cuticular hydrocarbon phenotypes for chemotaxonomy of the termite genus Reticulitermes in North America

Soldier defense secretions from samples of Reticulitermes collected in California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Georgia were characterized and correlated with cuticular hydrocarbon phenotypes. Twenty-seven cuticular hydrocarbon phenotypes have been defined, and soldier defense secretion (SDS) phenotypes have been described for 25 of these. Forty-five terpenoid compounds were found, including monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and a few diterpenes. The monoterpenes include (–)--pinene, (–)--pinene, (–)-camphene, myrcene, (Z)- and (E)-ocimene, and (–)-limonene. The major sesquiterpenes produced are (+)--cadinene, (+)--cadinene aldehyde, (–)-germacrene A, germacrene B, -himachalene, and -bisabolene. Some SDS phenotypes pair with more than one cuticular hydrocarbon phenotype; however, with two exceptions, each hydrocarbon phenotype is associated with only one SDS phenotype. These chemical characterizations lend support to the conclusion that there are numerous undescribed species of Reticulitermes in North America.