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Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a class of persistent organic pollutant, are closely related to abnormal eye development in children. However, little is known regarding the role of peptides in the development of PCB-induced ocular dysplasia. To characterize the nature of PCB exposure on peptides involved in the development of the ocular system, we used liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to detect differential expression of peptides between normal and PCB-exposed zebrafish embryos. A total of 7900 peptides were analyzed, 90 of which were differentially expressed, with 29 being up-regulated and 61 down-regulated. These peptides were investigated using ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) and gene ontology (GO) analysis to explore their role in eye development. This study identified 18 peptides associated with the development of the optic nerve and ocular system in the PCB-exposure group, as well as 10 peptides that are located in the functional domain of their precursor proteins. These peptides provide potential biomarkers for the treatment of ocular dysplasia caused by PCBs and may help us understand the mechanism of abnormal eye development caused by organic pollutants. Highlights • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are an environmental organic pollutant closely related to abnormal retinal development. • Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) were used. • These peptides provide potential biomarkers for the treatment of ocular dysplasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Childhood obesity increases susceptibility to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in adults. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in serum have been proposed as potential diagnostic biomarkers, and they may contribute to the progression toward T2D. Here, we investigated the possibility of predicting the future risk of adult T2D in obese children by using circulating miRNAs. Basic Procedures We performed miRNA high-throughput sequencing to screen relevant circulating miRNAs in obese children. The expression patterns of targeted miRNAs were further explored in obese children and adults with T2D. To investigate the underlying contributions of these miRNAs to the development of T2D, we detected the impacts of the candidate miRNAs on preadipocyte proliferation, insulin secretion by pancreatic β-cell, and glucose uptake by skeletal muscle cells. Main Findings Three miRNAs (miR-486, miR-146b and miR-15b), whose expression in the circulation was most dramatically augmented in obese children and adult T2D patients, were selected for further investigation. Of these 3 miRNAs, miR-486 was implicated in accelerating preadipocyte proliferation and myotube glucose intolerance, miR-146b and miR-15b were engaged in the suppression of high concentration glucose-induced pancreatic insulin secretion, and they all contributed to the pathological processes of obesity and T2D. Principal Conclusions Our results provide a better understanding of the role of circulating miRNAs, particularly miR-486, miR-146b and miR-15b, in predicting the future risk of T2D in obese children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a group of highly toxic environmental pollutants, have been report to influence the visual system development in children. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. The study was aim to investigate the effects of continuous PCBs exposure on optomotor response (OMR) and retinal photoreceptor cell development-related gene expression in zebrafish larvae. The fertilized zebrafish embryos were exposed to PCBs at concentrations of 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/L until 7 days post-fertilization. Control groups with blank and 0.01% methanol were also prepared. OMR test was used to detect the visual behavior. The mRNA expression of the CRX, RHO, SWS1, and SWS2 was assessed by the Quantitative Real-Time PCR. The OMR test showed that the visual behavior of the larvae was most sensitive when the grating spatial frequency was 0.20 LP/mm and the moving speed was 25 cm/s. Moreover, the proportion of positively swimming fish was significantly reduced in the 0.5 and 1 mg/L PCB 1254 treatment group ( P <0.05) compared with the controls. In addition, the expression of SWS2 was significantly down-regulated in all PCB1254 treatment groups ( P <0.05), whereas the decreased expression of the CRX, RHO and SWS1 was found in the 0.5 and 1 mg/L PCB1254 groups ( P <0.05). This is the first report to demonstrate that continue exposure of zebrafish larvae to PCBs causes photoreceptor cell development-related gene expression changes that lead to OMR behavioral alterations. Analysis of these visual behavioral paradigms may be useful in predicting the adverse effects of toxicants on visual function in fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With the rapid advancement in remote sensing technology, the application of remote sensing satellite data (hereinafter referred to as satellite data) becomes more and more widely; meanwhile with the increase of satellites, the source of satellite data get more and more extend. In consequence, the management of satellite data becomes more and more difficult. This paper describes in detail how to use PostgreSQL, Geoserver and WorldWind to build a simple management system of satellite data. The system implements the three-dimensional visualization presentation of satellite data so that users can get the distribution directly, and also has a simple statistical analysis of satellite data so that users can acquire relative information for ordering the data and mine the deeper information contained in the data. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To investigate the effect of the calcium channel blocker verapamil on adipocyte differentiation and its mechanism of action. Methods: Preadipocytes from 3T3-L1 strain mouse embryos were cultured and differentiated into matured adipocytes in vitro. Verapamil was added to the culture medium in the concentration of 30 μmol/L on Day 0. Cell differentiation was determined by Oil Red O staining and marker gene mRNA expression was evaluated and compared by RT-PCR. The fluo-3/AM probe and laser scanning confocal microscopy were used to measure intracellular calcium concentrations. Results: ▪ The differentiation rate of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes exposed to verapamil was lower than that of untreated cells. ▪Verapamil promoted the retention of pref-1 gene expression. Lipoprotein lipase expression in the verapamil group was significantly lower than that in the control group on Day 4, Day 6 and Day 8 (P < 0.05) and resistin expression was significantly lower than that in the control group on Day 6, Day 8 and Day 10 (P < 0.05). Fatty acid synthase expression in the verapamil group was significantly lower than that in the control group from Day 2 (P < 0.05). ▪ Intracellular concentrations of calcium [Ca2+]i in the verapamil group were significantly decreased compared with those in the control group on Day 2, Day 4 and Day 6 (P < 0.05), while there was no obvious difference between the two groups on Day 0 (P > 0.05). Conclusion: In 3T3-L1 preadipocytes verapamil significantly reduced adipocyte differentiation, down-regulated the mRNA expression of three marker genes for adipocytes differentiation, and prolonged the mRNA expression of an inhibitor of differentiation. The inhibitory effect of verapamil on differentiation may involve its role as a blocker of calcium influx in adipocytes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Obesity-associated insulin resistance (IR) is manifested by increased hepatic glucose output and reduced glucose disposal in the peripheral tissues at a given level of insulin. Genetic factors play an important role in the development of obesity-associated IR. We identified a new cDNA by using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH), which was expressed at a higher level in obese subjects and named NYGGF4. We found that the increased expression of NYGGF4 led to a reduction in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and impaired insulin-stimulated glucose transport in mature adipocytes. We therefore propose the hypothesis that NYGGF4 may be a new therapeutic target for obesity-associated IR. NYGGF4 acts directly on the IRS1/PI3K/AKT insulin pathway to reduce glucose uptake and transport, impairs mitochondrial function and causes IR, which supports our hypothesis that NYGGF4 may be a useful therapeutic target for obesity-associated IR. However, its usefulness as a new therapeutic target need to be confirmed by further investigations, including NYGGF4 knockout mice models, which will be used to validate the role of NYGGF4 in vivo. Future studies are also required to determine whether downregulated expression of NYGGF4 contributes to these therapeutic actions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Congenital heart defects (CHD) are the most common form of major birth defect, affecting almost 1% of live births. These defects place a significant economic burden on the National Health Service and on the psychological wellbeing of affected families. The early screening and identification of neonates with CHD could reduce morbidity and mortality by allowing proactive medical treatment and parental counseling about options during pregnancy, including termination. Fetal echocardiography is the principal screening tool for the identification of CHD, but its accuracy mainly depends on the skill and experience of the operator. Various biomarkers of screening for fetal CHD are currently available, such as nuchal translucency (NT), β-hCG and PAPP-A; however, these are non-specific indexes with high incidences of false positive results. Certain specific microRNAs (miRNAs) of cardiogenesis have been identified, which correlate positively with placental miRNA expression. These miRNAs of placental origin can be detected in maternal peripheral blood. Therefore, we postulate that these maternal serum miRNAs may be a potential biomarker for fetal CHD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]