Background/Aims: Lung adenocarcinoma, a form of non-small cell lung cancer with high lethality at an advanced stage, is becoming more common in women, non- or never-smokers, and even young adults. At present, there are still no effective early diagnosis methods for patients to be cured in a timely manner. Circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are stable and conserved non-coding RNA in mammalian cells, have been reported to be widely involved in the processes of cancer disease. However, it is still a puzzle as to which specific circRNAs are involved in the development of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. Methods: Tumor samples and paired adjacent normal tissues from 4 patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma were selected to investigate the expression profile of circRNAs by using a high-throughput circRNA microarray. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted to screen those differentially expressed circRNAs. qRT-PCR and sequencing were performed to assure the microarray data. Results: A total of 357 circRNAs were dysregulated in the tumor samples, which suggests potential roles in lung cancer. qRT-PCR detection showed that five selected circRNAs were identical to the microarray data, and the potential circRNA-miRNA interactions were predicted. Conclusion: This work illustrates that clusters of circRNAs are aberrantly expressed in early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, which might offer potential targets for the early diagnosis of this disease and new genetic insights into lung cancer.

SummaryBackgroundThe university environment poses a high risk of spreading infectious diseases, particularly the 2009 pandemic influenza H1N1, as it is a mass gathering place for youth. This study aimed to evaluate the predictors of stress symptoms among Chinese university students during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.Material/MethodsWe used a self-reported questionnaire, the PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) to evaluate the stress symptoms among Chinese university students from Heilongjiang (n=455), Beijing (n=106), Shanghai (n=419) and Sichuan (n=102). We then analyzed the predictors of stress symptoms.ResultsThe proportion of university students enrolled in this study who met symptomatic criteria for PTSD was 2% (22 students). The mean PCL-C total score in the sample was 22.09±8.01. The correlational analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between the PCL-C total score and area, and university grade (P<0.01). Moreover, a negative relationship was found between the PCL-C total score and gender, having H1N1 influenza, having family members, friends or acquaintances having H1N1 influenza, and being afraid of H1N1 influenza (P<0.01). The regression analyses showed that in North China, female gender, having H1N1 influenza, having family members or acquaintances with H1N1 influenza, and being afraid of H1N1 influenza were significant predictors of the stress symptoms.ConclusionsIn North China, female gender, having H1N1 influenza, having family members, friends, or acquaintances with H1N1 influenza, and being afraid of H1N1 influenza were significant predictors of the stress symptoms.

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DFO induced tolerance against focal cerebral ischemia in rats, and exerted protective effect on OGD cultured cortical neurons. DFO significant induced the expression of HIF-1alpha and EPO both in vivo and in vitro. DFO preconditioning can protect against cerebral ischemia, which may be associated with the synthesis of HIF-1alpha and EPO.

We used accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C‐dated sediments of the Holocene basal supratidal flat to upper tidal flat facies in 11 cores on the southern Yangtze delta plain to reconstruct relative sea levels of 8.5–8.0 cal ka BP. Three cores were further AMS 14C dated and used to examine the evolution of sedimentary geomorphological environments in response to the rapid sea‐level rise during the early to mid‐Holocene. Results demonstrate relative sea‐level rise of around 30 mm a−1 from 8.5 to 8.3 cal ka BP and around 10 mm a−1 from 8.3 to 8.0 cal ka BP. Retrogradation from supratidal to lower tidal flat environments occurred in response to the rapid sea‐level rise at 8.5–8.3 cal ka BP, and aggradation from middle to upper tidal flat occurred at 8.3–7.9 cal ka BP. Further retreat of the tidal flat at 7.9–7.2 cal ka BP implies a mean sea‐level rise rate exceeding 5 mm a−1 at this time. We suggest that the rapid relative sea‐level rise during 8.3–8.5 cal ka BP and subsequent slower rise caused drastic changes in the coastal zone and that these changes are key phenomena for understanding the coastal response to future sea‐level rise.

Q. (2013). A raised OIS 3 sea level recorded in coastal sediments, southern Changjiang delta plain, China. Quaternary Research, 79 (3), 424-438. A raised OIS 3 sea level recorded in coastal sediments, southern Changjiang delta plain, China AbstractThe distribution of marine-influenced oxygen isotope stage (OIS) 5 to OIS 1 sediments was examined in several late Quaternary boreholes from the southern Changjiang (Yangtze) delta plain, China, using different dating methods including OSL, U-series, AMS 14C and paleomagnetism. Results demonstrate that coastal and estuarine deposition during OIS 5 and OIS 3 occurred throughout the study area. However, Holocene transgressive sediments were absent on the Taihu block. The burial depth of intertidal to subtidal sediment deposited during OIS 5e records 30-80 m subsidence caused by sediment compaction and tectonic movement since that time. However, coastal sediments formed during the late phase of OIS 3 were buried to a depth of ca. 6-15 m in the Taihu Lake area, while the burial depth increased eastward to ca. 45-60 m on the coastal plain. This phenomenon, combined with the distribution of Holocene marine strata, indicates at least 25-30 m uplift of the Taihu block since the end of OIS 3. We suggest that this uplift was mainly caused by the differential subsidence due to substantial amount of post-glacial deposition by the Changjiang and Huanghe Rivers on the continental shelf of east China marginal sea. The distribution of marine influenced oxygen isotope stage (OIS) 5 to OIS 1 sediments were 13 examined in several late Quaternary boreholes from the southern Changjiang (Yangtze) delta 14 plain, China, using different dating methods including OSL, U-series, AMS since the end of OIS 3. We suggest that this uplift was mainly caused by the differential 2 subsidence due to substantial amount of post-glacial deposition by the Changjiang and 3Huanghe Rivers on the continental shelf of east China marginal sea. 4

Previous studies have shown that the administration of antibiotics at subinhibitory concentrations stimulates biofilm formation by the majority of multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains. Here, we investigated the effect of subinhibitory concentrations of mupirocin on biofilm formation by the community-associated (CA) mupirocin-sensitive MRSA strain USA300 and the highly mupirocin-resistant clinical S. aureus SA01 to SA05 isolates. We found that mupirocin increased the ability of MRSA cells to attach to surfaces and form biofilms. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) demonstrated that mupirocin treatment promoted thicker biofilm formation, which also correlated with the production of extracellular DNA (eDNA). Furthermore, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) results revealed that this effect was largely due to the involvement of holin-like and antiholin-like proteins (encoded by the cidA gene), which are responsible for modulating cell death and lysis during biofilm development. We found that cidA expression levels significantly increased by 6.05- to 35.52-fold (P < 0.01) after mupirocin administration. We generated a cidA-deficient mutant of the USA300 S. aureus strain. Exposure of the ΔcidA mutant to mupirocin did not result in thicker biofilm formation than that in the parent strain. We therefore hypothesize that the mupirocin-induced stimulation of S. aureus biofilm formation may involve the upregulation of cidA.