Ballast Water Exchange and Invasion Risk Posed by Intracoastal Vessel Traffic: An Evaluation Using High Throughput Sequencing.

Ballast water remains a potent vector of non-native aquatic species introductions, despite increased global efforts to reduce risk of ballast water mediated invasions. This is particularly true of intracoastal vessel traffic, whose characteristics may limit the feasibility and efficacy of management through ballast water exchange (BWE). Here we utilize high throughput sequencing (HTS) to assess biological communities associated with ballast water being delivered to Valdez, Alaska from multiple source ports along the Pacific Coast of the United States.

MAPKAP1 rs10118570 polymorphism is associated with anti-infection and anti-hepatic fibrogenesis in schistosomiasis japonica.

Chronic infection with Schistosoma japonicum is an important cause of hepatic fibrosis (HF). Human 9q33.3 is one of the most important loci for stress-related diseases.

Transmesosigmoid hernia: case report and review of literature.

Transmesosigmoid hernia has previously been considered as a rare condition. The clinical symptoms can be nonspecific. Here, we report a case of acute intestinal obstruction because of transmesosigmoid hernia.

Streptococcus acidominimus causing invasive disease in humans: a case series.

Introduction: Streptococcus acidominimus is a member of the viridans group streptococci and is rarely pathogenic in humans, making it difficult to assess its epidemiologic and clinical significance.

Case Presentation: We report the cases of five Han Chinese patients with invasive diseases caused by S. acidominimus over a one-year time frame.

Two cases of bacterial suppurative thyroiditis caused by Streptococcus anginosus.

Acute suppurative thyroiditis (AST) is a rare clinical condition. Streptococcus anginosus has a propensity of producing empyema in the head and neck. Here, we reported two cases of AST caused by S.

Polymorphisms in microRNA target sites influence susceptibility to schizophrenia by altering the binding of miRNAs to their targets.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 3' untranslated regions (3' UTRs) of genes may affect miRNA binding to messenger RNA and contribute to the risk of disease. Whether the SNPs that modify miRNA binding in the 3' UTR are involved in schizophrenia-related genes remains unclear. We selected 803 SNPs from the 3' UTRs of 425 candidate genes for schizophrenia.

microRNA-181a represses ox-LDL-stimulated inflammatory response in dendritic cell by targeting c-Fos.

Oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) activates dendritic cells (DCs), thereby initiating inflammation responses in atherosclerosis, yet the modulatory mechanisms remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators for DC functions. This study evaluated the regulation by miRNAs of the ox-LDL-induced DC immune response.

Identification of shared genetic susceptibility locus for coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity: a meta-analysis of genome-wide studies.

Type 2 diabetes (2DM), obesity, and coronary artery disease (CAD) are frequently coexisted being as key components of metabolic syndrome. Whether there is shared genetic background underlying these diseases remained unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of 35 genome screens for 2DM, 36 for obesity or body mass index (BMI)-defined obesity, and 21 for CAD using genome search meta-analysis (GSMA), which combines linkage results to identify regions with only weak evidence and provide genetic interactions among different diseases.