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Nano-Fe 3 O 4 was loaded onto coconut-based activated carbon fibres (CACF) using an electrostatic self-assembly method. The effects of the mass ratio of CACF to nano-Fe 3 O 4 , loading time, pH and temperature on the loading effect were investigated and ideal loading conditions were determined. To study the adsorption performance of MACF@Fe 3 O 4 for methylene blue, the effects of the initial concentration, pH and time on the adsorption were investigated and the working conditions of adsorption were established. MACF@Fe 3 O 4 was systematically characterized. Adsorption kinetics were investigated under ideal conditions. The ideal loading conditions for MACF@Fe 3 O 4 were as follows: mass ratio of 1:1, 20 min, pH 9.36, 22.5°C. The saturation magnetization of MACF@Fe 3 O 4 was 48.2263 emu·g -1 , which could be quickly separated under an external magnetic field. When the dosage was 0.010 g, the adsorption rate reached 97.29% and the maximum adsorption capacity was 12.1616 mg·g -1 . The adsorption process conformed to pseudo-first-order kinetics during the first 15 min and pseudo-second-order kinetics during 20-120 min. The equations were ln( Q e - Q t )=2.2394-0.0689t and t Q t =0.0774 + 0.5295t , respectively. The isothermal adsorption model showed that MACF@Fe 3 O 4 was more in line with the Langmuir model, indicating that the adsorption process was mainly monolayer adsorption. The thermodynamic analysis results showed that the adsorption process of MB by MACF@Fe 3 O 4 was an endothermic process. In this study, MACF@Fe 3 O 4 with high adsorption capacity and easy separation from coconut palm fibres has good application prospects in the field of adsorption, which can promote the high-value utilization of coconut palms., Competing Interests: We declare we have no competing interests., (© 2024 The Authors.)

A novel slightly halophilic, aerobic, and Gram-stain-negative strain, designated as CH-27 T , was isolated during a bacterial resource investigation of intertidal sediment collected from Xiaoshi Island in Weihai, PR China. Cells of strain CH-27 T were rod-shaped with widths of 0.3-0.6 µm and lengths of 2.0-11.0 µm. Strain CH-27 T grew optimally at 37 °C, pH 7.0 and with 2.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Catalase activity was weakly positive and oxidase activity was positive. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain CH-27 T was most related to Marinihelvus fidelis KCTC 92639 T (93.6 %), followed by Wenzhouxiangella marina MCCC 1K00261 T (92.0 %). Based on genome comparisons between strain CH-27 T and M. fidelis KCTC 92639 T , the average amino acid identity was 63.6 % and the percentage of conserved proteins was 48.3 %. The major cellular fatty acid of strain CH-27 T (≥10 %) was iso-C 15 : 0 and the sole respiratory quinone was quinone-8. The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, and aminophospholipid. The DNA G+C content was 62.7 mol%. Based on comprehensive analysis of its phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain CH-27 T represents a novel species in a novel genus, for which the name Elongatibacter sediminis gen. nov., sp.nov. is proposed. The type strain is CH-27 T (=MCCC 1H00480 T =KCTC 8011 T ).

Ultraviolet (UV) light is widely used for wastewater disinfection. Traditional electrode-excited UV lamps, such as low-pressure mercy lamps (LPUV), encounter drawbacks like electrode aging and rapid light attenuation. A novel UV source of microwave discharge electrodeless lamp (MDEL) has aroused attention, yet its disinfection performance is unclear and still far from practical application. Here, we successfully developed a complete piece of equipment based on MDELs and achieved the application for disinfection in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The light emitted by an MDEL (MWUV) shared a spectrum similar to that of LPUV, with the main emission wavelength at 254 nm. The inactivation rate of Gram-negative E. coli by MWUV reached 4.5 log at an intensity of 1.6 mW/cm 2 and a dose of 20 mJ/cm 2 . For Gram-positive B. subtilis, an MWUV dose of 50 mJ/cm 2 and a light intensity of 1.2 mW/cm 2 reached an inactivation rate of 3.4 log. A higher MWUV intensity led to a better disinfection effect and a lower photoreactivation rate of E. coli. When inactivated by MWUV with an intensity of 1.2 mW/cm 2 and a dose of 16 mJ/cm 2 , the maximum photoreactivation rate and reactivation rate constant K max of E. coli were 0.63 % and 0.11 % h -1 respectively. Compared with the photoreactivation, the dark repair of E. coli was insignificant. The full-scale application of the MDEL equipment was conducted in two WWTPs (10,000 m 3 /d and 15,000 m 3 /d). Generally 2-3 log inactivation rates of fecal coliforms in secondary effluent were achieved within 5-6 s contact time, and the disinfected effluent met the emission standard (1000 CFU/L). This study successfully applied MDEL for disinfection in WWTPs for the first time and demonstrated that MDEL has broad application prospects., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Ye Du reports financial support was provided by Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In this study, two novel bacterial strains were isolated from coastal sediment of Weihai, China. The two strains were Gram-stain-negative and facultatively aerobic, designated 3-1745 T and A346 T . Based on phenotypic, genetic and phylogenetic properties, strains 3-1745 T and A346 T represent two novel species of the genus Marinobacterium . The results of genome analysis revealed many central carbohydrate metabolism pathways such as gluconeogenesis, pyruvate oxidation, tricyclic acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway and PRPP biosynthesis in the genus Marinobacterium . The ability of strains 3-1745 T and A346 T to utilize volatile fatty acids was experimentally confirmed. Polyhydroxyalkanoate synthases (PhaA, PhaB and PhaC) for the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates were prevalent in the genus Marinobacterium . Multiple BGCs (biosynthetic gene clusters) including betalactone, ectoine, ranthipeptide, redox-cofactor, RiPPs (ribosomally synthesized post-translationally modified peptides) and T3PKS (polyketide synthases) in the genome of the genus Marinobacterium were found. Additional genome analyses suggested that the genus Marinobacterium contained diverse potential mechanisms of salt tolerance and mainly utilized oligosaccharides. This is the first report on broad genomic analyses of the genus Marinobacterium with the description of two novel species and potential ecological and biotechnological implications.

A novel Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, and non-motile bacterial strain, designated SDUM287046 T , was isolated from the coastal sediments of Jingzi Port of Weihai, China. Cells of strain SDUM287046 T were rod-shaped with widths of 0.4-0.5 μm and lengths of 0.7-1.4 μm and could produce flexirubin-type pigments. Optimum growth of strain SDUM287046 T occurred at 33-35 °C, pH 7.0, and with 2% ( w / v ) NaCl. Oxidase activity was negative, but catalase activity was positive. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain SDUM287046 T was most closely related to Aequorivita aquimaris D-24 T (98.3%). The main cellular fatty acids were iso-C 15:0 , anteiso-C 15:0 , iso-C 17:0 3-OH, and summed feature 9 (comprised of iso-C 17:1 ω9c and/or C 16:0 10-methyl). The sole respiratory quinone was MK-6. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), one aminolipid (AL), three unidentified glycolipids (GL), and three unidentified lipids (L). The DNA G + C content was 39.3 mol%. According to the integrated results of phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical, and chemotaxonomic characteristics, we propose that strain SDUM287046 T represents a novel species of the genus Aequorivita , for which the name Aequorivita aurantiaca sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SDUM287046 T (=KCTC 92754 T = MCCC 1H01418 T ). Comparative genomic analysis showed that the 16 Aequorivita species shared 1453 core genes and differed mainly in amino acid metabolism, cofactor metabolism, and vitamin metabolism. Biogeographic distribution analysis indicated that the marine environments were the primary habitat of Aequorivita bacteria.

Known for its species abundance and evolutionary status complexity, family Roseobacteraceae is an important subject of many studies on the discovery, identification, taxonomic status, and ecological properties of marine bacteria. This study compared and analyzed the phylogenetic, genomic, biochemical, and chemo taxonomical properties of seven species from three genera (Psychromarinibacter, Lutimaribacter, and Maritimibacter) of the family Roseobacteraceae. Moreover, a novel strain, named C21-152 T was isolated from solar saltern sediment in Weihai, China. The values of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, the average nucleotide identity (ANI), the average amino acid identity (AAI), and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) between genomes of the novel strain and Psychromarinibacter halotolerans MCCC 1K03203 T were 97.19, 78.49, 73.45, and 21.90%, respectively. Genome sequencing of strain C21-152 T revealed a complete Sox enzyme system related to thiosulfate oxidization as well as a complete pathway for the final conversion of hydroxyproline to α-ketoglutarate. In addition, strain C21-152 T was resistant to many antibiotics and had the ability to survive below 13% salinity. This strain had versatile survival strategies in saline environments including salt-in, compatible solute production and compatible solute transport. Some of its physiological features enriched and complemented the knowledge of the characteristics of the genus Psychromarinibacter. Optimum growth of strain C21-152 T occurred at 37 ℃, with 5-6% (w/v) NaCl and at pH 7.5. According to the results of the phenotypic, chemotaxonomic characterization, phylogenetic properties and genome analysis, strain C21-152 T should represent a novel specie of the genus Psychromarinibacter, for which the name Psychromarinibacter sediminicola sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is C21-152 T (= MCCC 1H00808 T  = KCTC 92746 T  = SDUM1063002 T )., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Antibiotics and heavy metals have caused serious contamination of the environment and even resulted in public health concerns. It has therefore become even more urgent to adopt a sustainable approach to combating these polluted environments. In this paper, we investigated the microbial community of marine sediment samples after 255 days of enrichment culture under Cu (II) and lincomycin stress and ZC255 was the most resistant strain obtained. The 16S rRNA gene sequence confirmed that it belonged to the genus Rossellomorea . Strain ZC255 was resistant to 12 kinds of antibiotics, and had a superior tolerance to Cu (II), Pb (II), Ni (II), Zn (II), Cr (III), and Cd (II). Moreover, it exhibits strong bioremoval ability of Cu and lincomycin. The removal efficiency of Cu (II) and lincomycin can achieve 651 mg/g biomass and 32.5 mg/g biomass, respectively. Strain ZC255 was a promising isolate for pollution bioremediation applications.

Objective: To evaluate the utility of computed tomography perfusion (CTP) both at admission and during delayed cerebral ischemia time-window (DCITW) in the detection of delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) and the change in CTP parameters from admission to DCITW following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage., Methods: Eighty patients underwent CTP at admission and during DCITW. The mean and extreme values of all CTP parameters at admission and during DCITW were compared between the DCI group and non-DCI group, and comparisons were also made between admission and DCITW within each group. The qualitative color-coded perfusion maps were recorded. Finally, the relationship between CTP parameters and DCI was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses., Results: With the exception of cerebral blood volume (P=0.295, admission; P=0.682, DCITW), there were significant differences in the mean quantitative CTP parameters between DCI and non-DCI patients both at admission and during DCITW. In the DCI group, the extreme parameters were significantly different between admission and DCITW. The DCI group also showed a deteriorative trend in the qualitative color-coded perfusion maps. For the detection of DCI, mean transit time to the center of the impulse response function (Tmax) at admission and mean time to start (TTS) during DCITW had the largest area under curve (AUC), 0.698 and 0.789, respectively., Conclusion: Whole-brain CTP can predict the occurrence of DCI at admission and diagnose DCI during DCITW. The extreme quantitative parameters and qualitative color-coded perfusion maps can better reflect the perfusion changes of patients with DCI from admission to DCITW., (© 2023. Huazhong University of Science and Technology.)

Byproduct formation (chlorate, bromate, organic halogen, etc.) during sulfate radical (SO 4 •- )-based processes like ultraviolet/peroxymonosulfate (UV/PMS) has aroused widespread concern. However, hypohalous acid (HOCl and HOBr) can form via two-electron transfer directly from PMS, thus leading to the formation of organic halogenated byproducts as well. This study found both PMS alone and UV/PMS can increase the toxicity to mammalian cells of wastewater, while the UV/H 2 O 2 decreased the toxicity. Cytotoxicity of two wastewater samples increased from 5.6-8.3 to 15.7-29.9 mg-phenol/L, and genotoxicity increased from 2.8-3.1 to 5.8-12.8 μg 4-NQO/L after PMS treatment because of organic halogen formation. Organic halogen formation from bromide rather than chloride was found to dominate the toxicity increase. The SO 4 •- -based process UV/PMS led to the formation of both organic halogen and inorganic bromate and chlorate. However, because of the very low concentration (<20 μg/L) and relatively low toxicity of bromate and chlorate, contributions of inorganic byproducts to toxicity increase were negligible. PMS would not form chlorate and bromate, but it generated a higher concentration of total organic halogen, thus leading to a more toxic treated wastewater than UV/PMS. UV/PMS formed less organic halogen and toxicity because of the destruction of byproducts by UV irradiation and the removal of byproduct precursors. Currently, many studies focused on the byproducts bromate and chlorate during SO 4 •- -based oxidation processes. This work revealed that the oxidant PMS even needs more attention because it caused higher toxicity due to more organic halogen formation.

A novel strain, isolate 5K15 T , which belongs to difficult-to-cultivate phylum Verrucomicrobiota , was recovered from kelp collected from Li Island, Rongcheng, China. The genome sequence of the strain (genome size 3.95 Mbp) showed the presence of four putative biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs), namely, two terpene biosynthetic gene clusters, one aryl polyene biosynthetic cluster, and one type III PKS cluster. Genomic analysis revealed 79 sulfatase-encoded genes, 24 sulfatase-like hydrolase/transferase-encoded genes, and 25 arylsulfatase-encoded genes, which indicated the great potential of 5K15 T to degrade sulfated polysaccharides. Comparative analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the novel strain was most closely related to Oceaniferula marina N1E253 T (96.4%). On the basis of evidence from a polyphasic study, it is proposed that the strain 5K15 T (= KCTC 82748 T = MCCC 1H00442 T = SDUM 810003 T ) be classified as Oceaniferula flavus sp. nov. The strain has the ability of carbohydrate transport and metabolism. This ability allows it to survive in carbohydrate-rich materials such as kelp. It has the potential to be used in the marine drug industry using seaweed.

A yellow-orange, rod-shaped (0.3-0.4 × 2.2-3.8 µm), Gram-stain-negative, non-motile, atrichous bacterium, designated strain 1062 T , was isolated from tidal zone sediment collected from Xiaoshi Island, Weihai, Shandong Province, China. Growth of strain 1062 T occurred at 15-43 °C (optimum, 37 °C), pH 6.0-9.5 (optimum, pH 7.5) and with 0.5-7.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2.0-3.0%). Nitrate was not reduced to nitrite or nitrogen. Positive for catalase and oxidase activity, as well as the hydrolysis of casein, DNA, starch and Tweens 20, 40, 60, but negative for hydrolysis of alginate, CM-cellulose, agar and Tweens 80. The 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons indicated that strain 1062 T had a sequence similarity of 96.2% with Fulvivirga lutimaris KCTC 42720 T and 94.3% with Fulvivirga kasyanovii KCTC 12832 T . Phylogenetic analysis showed that strain 1062 T belonged to the genus Fulvivirga. The genomic DNA G + C content was 45.1 mol%. The ANI values of strain 1062 T in comparison to F. kasyanovii KCTC 12832 T and F. lutimaris KCTC 42720 T were all lower than 70%. The dDDH values of strain 1062 T in comparison to F. kasyanovii KCTC 12832 T and F. lutimaris KCTC 42720 T were all lower than 20%. The average amino acid identity values of strain 1062 T in comparison to F. kasyanovii KCTC 12832 T and F. lutimaris KCTC 42720 T were all lower than 60%. The major fatty acids (> 5%) of strain 1062 T were iso-C 15:0 , iso-C 15:0 G, iso-C 15:0 3OH, iso-C 17:0 3-OH and summed feature 3 (C 16:1 ω7c/C 16:1 ω6c). The polar lipids consist of an aminolipid, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The major respiratory quinone was MK-7. Based on the results of physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics, the strain 1062 T (= KCTC 72868 T  = MCCC 1H00499 T ) was identified as a new species of the genus Fulvivirga and the name Fulvivirga sedimenti sp. nov, is proposed., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Aerobic anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria (AAPB) are a kind of heterotrophic prokaryote that can use bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) for photosynthesis without oxygen production and they are widely distributed in aquatic environments, including oceans, lakes, and rivers. A novel aerobic anoxygenic photosynthetic bacterium strain XJSP T was isolated during a study of water microbial diversity in Sayram Lake, Xinjiang Province, China. Strain XJSP T was found to grow optimally at 33 °C, pH 7.5 with 1.0% (w/v) NaCl, and to produce bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence and concatenated alignment sequences of 120 ubiquitous single-copy proteins both supported that strain XJSP T belonged to the genus Pseudotabrizicola . Both average nucleotide identity (ANI) and DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) values were below the species delineation threshold. The primary polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unknown lipid, and one unidentified phospholipid. Based on the results of polyphasic analyses performed in this study, strain XJSP T represents a new member of the genus Pseudotabrizicola , for which the name Pseudotabrizicola formosa sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XJSP T (=KCTC 52636 T = MCCC 1H00184 T = SDUM 107003 T ). Comparative genomic analysis showed that four species of the genus Pseudotabrizicola shared 2570 core genes and possessed a complete anoxygenic photosystem II.

Fresh mulberry leaf vegetable is nutritive and becoming popular. However, available preservation technologies are deficient. In present work, the effects of two kinds of modified atmosphere packaging on postharvest quality of fresh mulberry leaf vegetable stored at 4 °C were evaluated. The respiration rate of samples in the modified polyethylene packages (MP20) was 12.88-22.65% lower than that in normal polyethylene packaging (CK). The content of total soluble solids, soluble protein, and total polyphenol in MP20 was less changed than that in CK, and the vitamin C retention was higher as well. Moreover, the lignin content in MP20 was lower than that in CK during storage (19.79% vs 13.38% at day 8), and that was significantly positively related to the polyphenol oxidase and peroxidase activities inhibition. Taken together, a packaging with moderate gas permeability (MP20) is suitable for nutrition maintenance and lignification inhibition of fresh mulberry leaf vegetable during cold storage., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Here, we describe a novel bacterial strain, designated T37 T , which was isolated from the marine sediment of Xiaoshi Island, PR China. Growth of strain T37 T occurs at 15-40 °C (optimum 37 °C), pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum 7.5), and in the presence of 0.5-5.5% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 1.5%). Characteristic biochemical traits of the novel strain include MK-9 as the major menaquinone. The major fatty acids identified were iso-C 14:0 and C 16:1 ω9c (oleic acid). Phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, and phosphoglycolipids were the major cellular polar lipids. The G + C content of genomic DNA was 58.4 mol%. Unusual outer membrane features deduced from the analysis of cell morphology point towards the formation of an enlarged periplasmic space putatively used for the digestion of macromolecules. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes and the genome indicated that strain T37 T represents a novel species and genus affiliated with a distinct family level lineage of the verrucomicrobial subdivision 1. Our polyphasic taxonomy approach places the novel strain in a new genus within the current family Verrucomicrobiaceae, order Verrucomicrobiales, class Verrucomicrobiae. Strain T37 T (= KCTC 72799  T  = MCCC 1H00391 T ) is the type strain of a novel species, for which the name Sulfuriroseicoccus oceanibius gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

A novel facultatively anaerobic and Gram-stain-negative bacterial strain, designated 5E3 T , was isolated from intertidal sediments of Xiaoshi Island of Weihai, People's Republic of China. Cells of strain 5E3 T were long rod-shaped with widths of 0.3-0.5 μm and lengths of 4.0-6.0 μm. Optimum growth of strain 5E3 T occurred at 33 °C, pH 6.5-7.0 and with 3% (w/v) NaCl. Oxidase activity was negative but catalase activity was weakly positive. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that strain 5E3 T was most closely related to 'Maribellus comscasis' WC007 (99.5%), followed by M. sediminis MCCC 1K04285 T (95.9%) and M. luteus XSD2 T (95.6%). Genome comparisons between strain 5E3 T and strain 'M. comscasis' WC007, using average nucleotide identity (ANI) value (93.0%) and DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) value (50.1%), confirmed low genome relatedness. The major cellular fatty acids (≥ 10%) were iso-C 15:0 and iso-C 17:0 3-OH. The sole respiratory quinone was MK-7. The polar lipids consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), one unidentified aminolipid (AL) and three unidentified lipids (L1, L2, L3). The DNA G + C content was 37.9 mol%. According to the integrated results of phylogenetic, physiological, biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics, we propose that strain 5E3 T represents a novel species of the genus Maribellus, for which the name Maribellus maritimus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 5E3 T (= KCTC 82744 T  = MCCC 1H00473 T )., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped, non-gliding and non-motile bacterium designated as N1E253 T , was isolated from marine sediments collected from the coast of Weihai, PR China. N1E253 T was found to grow at pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum, pH 7.5), 15-37 °C (optimum, 30 °C) in the presence of 1.5-5.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0%). The major polar lipids of strain N1E253 T were phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol and one unidentified phospholipid. The sole respiratory quinone was MK-9. The major cellular fatty acids (> 10.0%) were iso-C 14: 0 , C 16: 0 and Summed Feature 3 (C 16:1 ω7c and/or C 16:1 ω6c). The result of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis confirmed the affiliation of this novel isolate to the family Verrucomicrobiaceae, with Persicirhabdus sediminis KCTC 22039  T being its closest relative with 92.1% sequence similarity. Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 5,073,947 bp, DNA G + C content of 52.0% and two protein-coding genes related to the resistance of fluoroquinolones. Based on physiological, genomic, biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics, we propose that strain N1E253 T represents a novel species of a novel genus within the family Verrucomicrobiaceae, for which the name Oceaniferula marina gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is N1E253 T (= KCTC 72800  T  = MCCC 1H00405 T )., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

A Gram-stain-negative, yellow, strictly aerobic, non-flagellated, gliding, rod-shaped bacterial strain, was isolated from costal sediment, designated as F6074 T . The strain F6074 T grows optimally at 30 °C, pH 7.5, and 3.0% (w/v) NaCl. Cells of strain F6074 T are 0.2-0.5 µm wide and 1.0-2.0 µm long. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain F6074 T belonged to the genus Gelidibacter, with the highest sequence similarity to Gelidibacter japonicus JCM 31967 T (98.0%), followed by G. flavus JCM 31135 T (97.7%), and similarity between strain F6074 T and the type species G. algens DSM 12408 T was 96.0%. Genome sequencing results revealed a genome size of 47,07,621 bp. The DNA G + C content was 37.8 mol%. The ANI and dDDH values between strain F6074 T and G. japonicus JCM 31967 T were 83.9 and 27.8%, the values between strain F6074 T and G. algens DSM 12408 T were 77.5% and 31.5%, and the values between strain F6074 T and G. flavus JCM 31135 T were 84.3 and 27.9%, respectively. The predominant quinone was MK-6 and the major fatty acids were iso-C 15:0 , iso-C 15:1 G, iso-C 17:0 3-OH, anteiso-C 15:0 and summed feature 3. The polar lipids were consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), two unidentified aminolipids (AL) and three unidentified lipids (L1, L2, L3). Based on the phenotypic, phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic data, strain F6074 T was considered to represent a novel species of the genus Gelidibacter, for which the name Gelidibacter maritimus sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is F6074 T (MCCC 1H00427 T  = KCTC 72942 T )., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Gegen Qinlian decoction (GGQLD) is a typical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription documented in Shang Han Lun . Clinically, GGQLD has been utilized to manage the inflammatory symptoms of metabolic diseases and to protect against renal damage in China. In the present study, a hypothesis was proposed that the multi-target solution of GGQLD produced anti-inflammatory effects on ameliorating hyperuricemia (HUA). Methods: A total of 30 primary HUA patients receiving GGQLD treatment (two doses daily) for 4 weeks were selected. Then, differences in uric acid (UA) levels and expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and urinary exosomes before and after treatment were analyzed. The therapeutic indexes for the active ingredients in GGQLD against HUA were confirmed through pharmacological subnetwork analysis. Besides, the HUA rat model was established through oral gavage of potassium oxonate and treated with oral GGQLD. In addition, proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs) were stimulated by UA and intervened with GGQLD for 48 h. Subsequently, RNA-seq, flow cytometry, and confocal immunofluorescence microscopy were further conducted to characterize the differences in UA-mediated inflammation and apoptosis of human renal tubular epithelial cells pre- and post-administration of GGQLD. In the meanwhile, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) was carried out to determine gene expression, whereas a western blotting (WB) assay was conducted to measure protein expression. Results: Our network analysis revealed that GGQLD treated HUA via the anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic pathways. Additionally, NLPR3 expression significantly decreased in PBMCs and urinary exosomes of HUA patients after GGQLD treatment. In vivo , GGQLD treatment alleviated HUA-induced renal inflammation, which was associated with decreased expression of NLRP3 inflammasomes and apoptosis-related mRNAs. Moreover, GGQLD promoted renal UA excretion by inhibiting the activation of GSDMD-dependent pyroptosis induced by NLRP3 inflammasomes and by reducing apoptosis via the mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathway in vitro . Conclusion: This study indicates that GGQLD efficiently reduces inflammatory responses while promoting UA excretion in HUA. Our findings also provide compelling evidence supporting the idea that GGQLD protects against the UA-mediated renal tubular epithelial cell inflammation through the mitochondrial apoptosis signaling pathways. Taken together, these findings have demonstrated a novel therapeutic method for the treatment of HUA., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Wang, Qi, Guan, Lin, He, Guan, Fu, Ye, Xiao and Wu.)

A Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented, rod-shaped, strictly aerobic, non-motile bacterium, designated BDHS18 T , was isolated from the sediment of the Hasuhai Lake, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that this strain belongs to the genus Moheibacter in the family Flavobacteriaceae and its closest relative was Moheibacter sediminis JCM 19634 T (96.0%), followed by Moheibacter stercoris DSM 29388 T (95.3%). Cells of strain BDHS18 T were catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Strain BDHS18 T was found to grow optimally at 28-33 ℃, pH 7.5-8.0, and in the presence of approximately 1.0% (w/v) NaCl. Major cellular fatty acids were iso-C 15:0 , iso-C 17:0 3-OH, Summed feature 4 and Summed feature 9. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-6. The predominant polar lipids in strain BDHS18 T were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid. The DNA G + C content was 36.9 mol%. According to the phylogenetic analysis, physiological and phenotypic characteristics, strain BDHS18 T represents a novel species of the genus Moheibacter, for which the name Moheibacter lacus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is BDHS18 T (= KCTC 72160 T  = MCCC 1H00369 T ).

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic coccus, designated CK1056 T , was isolated from coastal sediment of Xiaoshi Island, Weihai, PR China. Strain CK1056 T was found to grow at 15-37 °C (optimum, 30 °C), with 0.5-6.5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.5 %) and displayed alkaliphilic growth within the pH range of pH 6.5-10.0 (optimum, pH 8.0). The major fatty acids identified were iso-C 15 : 0 and summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1  ω 7 c and/or C 16 : 1  ω 6 c ). The main polar lipids consisted of aminophosphoglycolipid and phosphatidylethanolamine. The predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 54.0 mol%. The result of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis confirmed the affiliation of this micro-organism to the family Puniceicoccaceae , with Coraliomargarita akajimensis KCTC 12865 T as its closest relative with only 88.0 % sequence similarity. From the taxonomic data obtained in this study, we propose that the new marine isolate be placed into a novel species within a novel genus in the family Puniceicoccaceae , phylum Verrucomicrobia , for which the name Oceanipulchritudo coccoides gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CK1056 T (=KCTC 72798 T =MCCC 1H00425 T ).

During insect larval-pupal metamorphosis, proteins in the hemolymph are absorbed by the fat body for the maintenance of intracellular homeostasis; however, the type of proteins and how these proteins are internalized into the fat body are unclear. In Bombyx mori, the developmental profiles of total proteins in the hemolymph and fat body showed that hemolymph-decreased protein bands (55-100 kDa) were in accordance with those protein bands that increased in the fat body. Inhibition of clathrin-dependent endocytosis predominantly blocked the transportation of 55-100 kDa proteins from the hemolymph into the fat body, which was further verified by RNA interference treatment of Bmclathrin. Six hexamerins were shown to comprise ∼90% of the total identified proteins in both the hemolymph and fat body by mass spectrum (MS) analysis. In addition, hemolymph-specific proteins were mainly involved in material transportation, while fat body-specific proteins particularly participated in metabolism. In this paper, four hexamerins were found for the first time, and potential proteins absorbed by the fat body from the hemolymph through clathrin-dependent endocytosis were identified. This study sheds light on the protein absorption mechanism during insect metamorphosis., (© 2019 Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Aims: Adventitial vasa vasorum provides oxygen and nourishment to the vascular wall, but whether it regulates vascular disease remains unclear. We have previously shown that an increased expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is associated with macrophage infiltration. This study aims to determine whether adventitial fibroblast (AF)-derived VEGF increases the number of vasa vasorum contributing to neointima formation through macrophage recruitment., Methods and Results: In rat balloon injury model, vasa vasorum count was increased particularly in the adventitia accompanied by cell proliferation and VEGF expression. Both endogenous and PKH26-labelled exogenous macrophages were mainly distributed in adventitia around vasa vasorum. Interestingly, perivascular delivery of Ranibizumab preferentially concentrated in adventitia resulted in a decrease of neointima formation with concurrent reduction of vasa vasorum count and macrophage infiltration. AFs with adenovirus-mediated VEGF over-expression delivered to the adventitia significantly enhanced these pathological changes after injury. In Tie2-cre/Rosa-LoxP-RFP mice, endothelial cells were increased in the adventitia after wire injury. By using multiphoton laser scanning microscopy, macrophage rolling, adhesion and transmigration were observed in vasa vasorum. Moreover, adoptive transfer of macrophages accelerated injury-induced neointima formation. VEGF-neutralizing antibody administration also attenuated wire injury-induced neointima formation and macrophage infiltration. In primary cultured AFs, exogenous VEGF increased VEGF expression and secretion in a time- and dose-dependent manner. AF-conditioned medium promoted endothelial cell angiogenesis, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 expression and macrophage adhesion was blocked by VEGF-neutralizing antibody and VEGFR2 inhibitor ZM323881, which also inhibited activation of VEGFR2/ERK1/2 pathway., Conclusion: These results demonstrate that AF-derived VEGF plays a significant role in the increase of vasa vasorum count which is involved in macrophage recruitment and neointima formation., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author(s) 2019. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

A novel strain, U0105 T , was isolated from marine sediment of the coast of Weihai, China. The bacterium was aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, oxidase-positive, catalase-positive, rod-shaped and motile. Growth was observed at salinities of 1.0-6.0 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum with 2.0-3.0 %), temperatures of 20-40 °C (optimum at 37 °C) and pH of 6.5-9.5 (optimum at pH 7.0-7.5). The isolate could not reduce nitrate to nitrite. It could hydrolyse starch and Tweens 20, 40 and 60, but not casein or cellulose. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain U0105 T belonged to the genus Alteromonas, with highest sequence similarity to Alteromonas aestuariivivens KCTC 52655 T (97.1 %). The average nucleotide identity value and the digital DNA-DNA hybridization value between strain U0105 T and A. aestuariivivens KCTC 52655 T were 69.2 % and 21.2 %, respectively. Strain U0105 T was found to contain Q-8 as the sole menaquinone and summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were identified as phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine. The G+C content of the chromosomal DNA was 45.3 mol%. The combined genotypic and phenotypic data show that strain U0105 T represents a novel species of the genus Alteromonas, for which the name Alteromonas sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is U0105 T (=KCTC 62080 T =MCCC 1H00299 T ).

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are members of an important class of pattern recognition receptors in insects that can specifically recognize peptidoglycan (PGN) in bacterial cell walls and participate in immune regulation and bacterial clearance. Although the role of PGRPs in regulating the innate immune response in Drosophila melanogaster has been studied, little is known regarding PGRPs in Lepidoptera species. In this study, five short (S)-type Bombyx mori PGRPs (BmPGRPs) were cloned, expressed, and evaluated for their function in innate immunity. B. mori larvae that were injected with the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus megaterium or the gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli exhibited a rapid and significant upregulation in S-type BmPGRP expression. The results showed that the five evaluated BmPGRPs have significant agglutination activity toward E. coli and B. megaterium and more notable amidase activity toward meso-diaminopimelic acid peptidoglycan (DAP-PGN). Furthermore, only in the presence of BmPGRP-S5 did B. mori larval hemocytes exhibit significant phagocytosis against E. coli and B. megaterium., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Is the membrane raft redox signalling pathway involved in blood pressure increase, endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodelling in an angiotensin II-induced hypertensive animal model? What is the main finding and its importance? The membrane raft redox signalling pathway was involved in endothelial dysfunction and medial remodelling in angiotensin II-induced hypertension., Abstract: The membrane raft (MR) redox pathway is characterized by NADPH oxidase activation via the clustering of its subunits through lysosome fusion and the activation of acid sphingomyelinase (ASMase). Our previous study shows that the MR redox signalling pathway is associated with angiontensin II (AngII)-induced production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and endothelial dysfunction in rat mesenteric arteries. In the present study, we hypothesized that this signalling pathway is involved in blood pressure increase, endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodelling in an AngII-induced hypertensive animal model. Sixteen-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to AngII infusion for 2 weeks with or without treatment with the lysosome fusion inhibitor bafilomycin A1 and ASMase inhibitor amitriptyline. After treatments, aortas were harvested for further study. The results showed that the MR redox signalling pathway was activated as indicated by the increase of MR formation, ASMase activity and ROS production in aorta from AngII-infused rats compared with that from control rats. MR formation and ROS production were significantly inhibited in thoracic aorta from AngII-induced rats treated with bafilomycin A1 and amitriptyline. Both treatments significantly attenuated blood pressure increase, endothelial dysfunction and vascular remodelling including medial hypertrophy, and increased collagen and fibronectin deposition in thoracic aortas from AngII-infused rats. Finally, both treatments significantly prevented the increase of inflammatory factors including monocyte chemotactic protein 1, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and tumour necrosis factor α in thoracic aorta from AngII-infused rats. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that the MR redox signalling pathway was involved in endothelial dysfunction and medial remodelling in AngII-induced hypertension., (© 2019 The Authors. Experimental Physiology © 2019 The Physiological Society.)

A novel aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain U0301 T , was isolated from a marine sediment sample in Weihai, China. This strain grew optimally at 33 °C, pH 7.5 and in the presence of 2.0-3.0 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain U0301 T shared pairwise 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of 95.5, 95.4, 95.2 and 95.0 % to Parahaliea aestuarii S2-26 T , Halioglobus pacificus KCTC 23430 T , Halioglobus lutimaris HF004 T and Halioglobus japonicus KCTC 23429 T , respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequences demonstrated that U0301 T formed a tight phylogenetic lineage with type strains of H. pacificus and H. japonicus. The percentage of conserved protein values of strain U0301 T as compared with H. japonicus KCTC 23429 T and Parahalieamediterranea 7SM29 T were 62.5 and 58.0 %, respectively. The ANI values of strain U0301 T with H. japonicus KCTC 23429 T and P. mediterranea 7SM29 T were 78.2 and 75.3 %, respectively. Both metrics of genome comparison suggested that strain U0301 T showed higher homology with the genus Halioglobus than the genus Parahaliea. The strain contained ubiquinone 8 as the sole respiratory quinone. The major fatty acids were summed feature 8 (C18 : 1ω7c and/or C18 : 1ω6c), summed feature 3 (C16 : 1ω6c and/or C16 : 1ω7c) and C17 : 1ω8c. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G+C content was 61.7 mol%. Considering the phenotypic characteristics, chemotaxonomic data and phylogenetic analysis comprehensively, strain U0301 T should represent a novel species of the genus Halioglobus, for which the name of Halioglobus sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is U0301 T (=KCTC 62082 T =MCCC 1H00234 T ).

Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) have adverse psychotropic effects (APEs). To explore the risk factors for AED-induced APEs, we compared Chinese outpatients with epilepsy with and without AED-induced APEs. We reviewed the medical data of outpatients with epilepsy enrolled in the Epilepsy Long-term Follow Up Registry Study (ELFURS) between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2015. Data on demographics, comorbidities, variables related to epilepsy, AED use, and APEs were collected. APEs were determined by experienced epileptologists based on the definition of "adverse drug reaction (ADR)" proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1972, and the causality relationship between APEs and suspected medications was assessed based on the WHO-UMC scale. APEs included effects on memory, sleep, behavior, mood, psychotic symptoms, and others in this study. We divided the study population into patients with and without AED-induced APEs and then compared the differences between the two groups using univariate and multivariate methods. A total of 3074 eligible patients were included in this study (1001 patients with AED-induced APEs and 2073 patients without AED-induced APEs). Of all APEs, the effects on memory and sleep were most pronounced. The results show that the female sex (odds ratio [OR] 1.242, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.055-1.463), psychotic disorder comorbidities (OR 1.815, 95% CI 1.159-2.841), polytherapy with AEDs (OR 1.400, 95% CI 1.061-1.847), and the duration of epilepsy (OR 1.010, 95% CI 1.000-1.020) are significant nondrug risk factors for AED-induced APEs. Recognizing risk factors for APEs may help determine optimal treatment strategies for epilepsy., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

During insect larval-pupal metamorphosis, the obsolete larval organs and tissues undergo histolysis and programmed cell death to recycle cellular materials. It has been demonstrated that some cathepsins are essential for histolysis in larval tissues, but the process of tissue destruction is not well documented. Fat body, the homologous organ to mammalian liver and adipose tissue, goes through a distinct destruction process during larval-pupal transition. Herein, we found that most of the Bombyx proteases - including Bombyx cathepsin B (BmCatB) (BmCatLL-2), Bombyx cathepsin D (BmCatD), Bombyx cathepsin L like-1 (BmCatLL-1) and -2(BmCatLL-2), Bombyx fibroinase (BmBcp), Bombyx matrix metalloprotease (BmMmp), Bombyx A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 1 (BmAdamTS-1), Bombyx A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs like (BmAdamTS L) and Bombyx cysteine protease inhibitor (Bmbcpi)- were expressed highly in fat body during feeding and metamorphosis, with a peak occurring during the nonfeeding moulting or prepupal stage, as well as being responsive to 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E). The aforementioned protease genes expression was upregulated by injection of 20E into the feeding larvae, while blocking 20E signalling transduction led to downregulation. Western blotting and immunofluorescent staining of BmCatB and BmBcp confirmed the coincident variation of their messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein level during the development and after the treatments. Moreover, BmCatB, BmBcp, BmMmp and BmAdamTS-1 RNA interference all led to blockage of larval fat body destruction. Taken together, we conclude that 20E regulates larval fat body destruction by upregulating related protease gene expression and protein levels during larval-pupal transition., (© 2018 The Royal Entomological Society.)

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a common component of the outermost cell wall in Gram-negative bacteria. In mammals, LPS serves as an endotoxin that can be recognized by a receptor complex of TLR4 (Toll-like receptor 4) and MD-2 (myeloid differentiation-2) and subsequently induce a strong immune response to signal the release of tumor necrosis factor (TNF). In Drosophila melanogaster, no receptors for LPS have been identified, and LPS cannot activate immune responses. Here, we report a protein, BmEsr16, which contains an ML (MD-2-related lipid-recognition) domain, may function as an LPS receptor in the silkworm Bombyx mori. We showed that antibacterial activity in the hemolymph of B. mori larvae was induced by Escherichia coli, peptidoglycan (PGN) and LPS and that the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes was also induced by LPS. Furthermore, both the expression of BmEsr16 mRNA in the fat body and the expression of BmEsr16 protein in the hemolymph were induced by LPS. Recombinant BmEsr16 bound to LPS and lipid A, as well as to PGN, lipoteichoic acid, but not to laminarin or mannan. More importantly, LPS-induced immune responses in the hemolymph of B. mori larvae were blocked when the endogenous BmEsr16 protein was neutralized by polyclonal antibody specific to BmEsr16. Our results suggest that BmEsr16 may function as a key accessory protein for LPS signaling in B. mori., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

A Gram-stain negative, facultative anaerobic, non-motile, strongly orange-pigmented and rod-shaped bacterium, designated XAY3209 T , was isolated from a marine sediment sample collected from the coast of Weihai, China. Strain XAY3209 T was found to grow optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0 and in the presence of 2.0% (w/v) NaCl. Its genomic DNA G+C content was 41.9 mol%. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, the novel isolate belongs to the family Cyclobacteriaceae and is related to the genus Algoriphagus. It shares 98.1% 16S rRNA sequence identity with Algoriphagus marincola, its close phylogenetic relative, but did not show similarities more than 97% with other members of the genus Algoriphagus with validly published names. It contained menaquinone-7 (MK-7) as the sole respiratory quinone, iso-C 15:0 , iso-C 17:1 ω9c and Summed feature 3 (C 16:1 ω7c and/or iso-C 15:0 2-OH) as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid, one unidentified phospholipid and five unidentified lipids. Results of physiological experiments, biochemical tests and genome average nucleotide identity value (with A. marincola MCCC 1F01203 T ) indicate that strain XAY3209 T is genetically and phenotypically distinct from the species of the genus Algoriphagus with validly published names. Strain XAY3209 T therefore represents a novel species, for which the name Algoriphagus formosus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is XAY3209 T (= KCTC 52842 T  = MCCC 1H00189 T ).

In this study, a novel coordination polymer [CdL₂(H₂O) 0.5 ] n ( 1 ), [HL = 4-(2-(4-((pyridin-3-yl)methoxy)phenyl)diazenyl)benzoic acid] was fabricated via an in situ ligand transformation reaction under solvothermal conditions. The as-prepared polymer exhibited a selectivity and efficiency for Cr(III) removal with a high uptake capacity of 106.13 mg·g -1 . Interestingly, even in the low concentration (0.02⁻0.20 ppm), it still performs a relatively high efficiency (≥ 92.5%) towards the removal of Cr(III) in aqueous solution. Remarkably, it also presents good selectivity and high efficiency (93.3%) for Cr(III) removal in the presences of interfering metal ions. The good removal performance for Cr(III) was demonstrated to be a structure-dependent chemical process between polymer and Cr(III) involving the diazene and methoxy groups in polymer 1 , which happened not only on the surfaces of the adsorbent but also in the pores of polymer, giving rise to a strong affinity toward Cr(III) adsorption. The possible adsorption mechanism of Cr(III) was proposed and systematically verified by FT-IR, scanning electron microscope (SEM), atomic force microscope (AFM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) measurements., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The changes in mineral elements during cider fermentation process were determined using ICP-MS. The results showed that the main minerals in the fermentation liquor included K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Sr and B. The content of K was the highest in both the apple juice and the cider, being 1 853. 83 and 1 654. 38 mg . L-1 respectively. The content of minerals was in dynamic changes along with the fermentation process. As a whole, during 72-120 h and 144-216 h, most of the minerals contents underwent great fluctuation. Especially when fermented for 192 h, the content of most of the minerals reached peak value or valley value. The content of Fe and Zn achieved their peak value, while the content of K, Na, Ca, Mg, Mn and B achieved valley value. But during the following 24 h, the content of minerals underwent a sharp reversal. After fermentation, the content of K, Mg, Cu, Zn and B decreased significantly, while the content of Na, Ca, Mn, Fe and Sr did not change significantly. The correlational analysis was conducted to evaluate the correlation between the mineral elements, and the result showed that the correlation between Ca and Mn was the most significant, with the correlation index reaching 0. 924. The information of this study will supply sufficient data for the fermentation process control and quality improvement of cider.

The silkworm is a poikilothermic animal, whose growth and development is significantly influenced by environmental temperature. To identify genes and metabolic pathways involved in the heat-stress response, digital gene expression analysis was performed on the midgut of the thermotolerant silkworm variety '932' and thermosensitive variety 'HY' after exposure to high temperature (932T and HYT). Deep sequencing yielded 6,211,484, 5,898,028, 5,870,395 and 6,088,303 reads for the 932, 932T, HY and HYT samples, respectively. The annotated genes associated with these tags numbered 4357, 4378, 4296 and 4658 for the 932, 932T, HY and HYT samples, respectively. In the HY-vs-932, 932-vs-932T, and HY-vs-HYT comparisons, 561, 316 and 281 differentially expressed genes were identified, which could be assigned to 179, 140 and 123 biological pathways, respectively. It was found that some of the biological pathways, which included oxidative phosphorylation, related to glucose and lipid metabolism, are greatly affected by high temperature and may lead to a decrease in the ingestion of fresh mulberry. When subjected to an early period of continuous heat stress, HSP genes, such as HSP19.9, HSP23.7, HSP40-3, HSP70, HSP90 and HSP70 binding protein, are up-regulated but then reduced after 24h and the thermotolerant '932' strain has higher levels of mRNA of some HSPs, except HSP70, than the thermosensitive variety during continuous high temperature treatment. It is suggested that HSPs and the levels of their expression may play important roles in the resistance to high temperature stress among silkworm varieties. This study has generated important reference tools that can be used to further analyze the mechanisms that underlie thermotolerance differences among silkworm varieties., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Albendazole is a broad-spectrum parasiticide with high effectiveness and low host toxicity. No method is currently available for measuring albendazole and its metabolites in silkworm hemolymph. This study describes a rapid, selective, sensitive, synchronous and reliable detection method for albendazole and its metabolites in silkworm hemolymph using ultrafast liquid chromatography tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UFLC-MS/MS). The method is liquid-liquid extraction followed by UFLC separation and quantification in an MS/MS system with positive electrospray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring mode. Precursor-to-product ion transitions were monitored at 266.100 to 234.100 for albendazole (ABZ), 282.200 to 208.100 for albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO), 298.200 to 159.100 for albendazole sulfone (ABZSO2) and 240.200 to 133.100 for albendazole amino sulfone (ABZSO2-NH2). Calibration curves had good linearities with R2 of 0.9905-0.9972. Limits of quantitation (LOQs) were 1.32 ng/mL for ABZ, 16.67 ng/mL for ABZSO, 0.76 ng/mL for ABZSO2 and 5.94 ng/mL for ABZSO2-NH2. Recoveries were 93.12%-103.83% for ABZ, 66.51%-108.51% for ABZSO, 96.85%-105.6% for ABZSO2 and 96.46%-106.14% for ABZSO2-NH2, (RSDs <8%). Accuracy, precision and stability tests showed acceptable variation in quality control (QC) samples. This analytical method successfully determined albendazole and its metabolites in silkworm hemolymph in a pharmacokinetic study. The results of single-dose treatment suggested that the concentrations of ABZ, ABZSO and ABZSO2 increased and then fell, while ABZSO2-NH2 level was low without obvious change. Different trends were observed for multi-dose treatment, with concentrations of ABZSO and ABZSO2 rising over time.

The impact of the high-temperature phase change material on conventional infrared decoy's combustion performance and infrared radiation characteristics was studied. The selected high-temperature phase change materials did not reduce infrared radiation in the 3-5 microm or 8-14 microm band of infrared decoy, while extended the burning time, and reduced the burning rate of the grain, thus prolonged the effective interference time of IR decoy. The results show the phase change material is effective infrared decoy functional additives.

Drosomycin (Drs) gene encodes a 44-residue inducible antifungal peptide, Drosomycin, in Drosophila melanogaster. Six genes, Drs-lC, Drs-lD, Drs-lE, Drs-lF, Drs-lG and Drs-lI, show homology to the Drs form in a multigene family on the 3rd chromosome of D. melanogaster. It is the first experimental demonstration that the six members in the Drs family act as functional genes. To further delineate the functional divergence of these six members, their cDNA sequences were cloned respectively into the pET-3C vector and expressed in the E. coli. The antifungal activity of the expression products was assayed using the Cerletti's method. The results showed a difference among the six isoforms in antifungal activity against the tested fungal strains: in which Drs was most effective and showed antifungal activity to all seven fungal strains, whereas isoform Drs-lC was effective to six strains, Drs-lD was effective to five strains, Drs-lG was effective to four strains, and Drs-lE and Drs-lF were effective to only three strains. Drs-lI had no activity against any tested fungal strains. By comparing the variable residue sites of these six isoforms to that of Drosomycin in the three-dimensional structure, we suggested that the reduction in the antifungal activity was due to the variable residues that were not in the alpha-helix. In addition, two inserted residues (RV) in Drs-lI may affect the dimensional structure and resulted in a functional change. These results may explain the evolution of the Drosomycin multigene family and its functional divergence.

Hydrogen bonds occurring in the catalytic triad (Asp32, His64 and Ser221) and the oxyanion hole (Asn155) are very important to the catalysis of peptide bond hydrolysis by serine proteases. For the subtilisin NK (nattokinase), a bacterial serine protease, construction and analysis of a three-dimensional structural model suggested that several hydrogen bonds formed by four residues function to stabilize the transition state of the hydrolysis reaction. These four residues are Ser33, Asp60, Ser62 and Thr220. In order to remove the effect of these hydrogen bonds, four mutants (Ser33-->Ala33, Asp60-->Ala60, Ser62-->Ala62, and Thr220-->Ala220) were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis. The results of enzyme kinetics indicated that removal of these hydrogen bonds increases the free-energy of the transition state (DeltaDeltaG(T)). We concluded that these hydrogen bonds are more important for catalysis than for binding the substrate, because removal of these bonds mainly affects the kcat but not the K(m) values. A substrate, SUB1 (succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide), was used during enzyme kinetics experiments. In the present study we have also shown the results of FEP (free-energy perturbation) calculations with regard to the binding and catalysis reactions for these mutant subtilisins. The calculated difference in FEP also suggested that these four residues are more important for catalysis than binding of the substrate, and the simulated values compared well with the experimental values from enzyme kinetics. The results of MD (molecular dynamics) simulations further demonstrated that removal of these hydrogen bonds partially releases Asp32, His64 and Asn155 so that the stability of the transition state decreases. Another substrate, SUB2 (H-D-Val-Leu-Lys-p-nitroanilide), was used for FEP calculations and MD simulations.

Four hybridoma cell lines, 2A2, 5H9, 5H2 and 5E12, secreting monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Lily symptomless virus (LSV) were produced by fusing mouse myeloma cells (SP2/0) with spleen cells from BALB/C immunized by the LSV particles. The four MAbs could specifically react with LSV. The titres of ascitic fluids of the four MAbs are up to 10(-6) in ELISA. Isotypes and subclasses of 5H9 and 5E12 belong to IgG1 while those of 2A2 and 5H2 belong to IgG3. Isotypes of light strains of the four MAbs all belong to kappa. The four MAbs were used in antigen-coated plate (ACP)-ELISA for LSV detection, and ACP-ELISA could successfully detect 1.8 ng of purified LSV or virus in plant sap diluted 1:300. The presence of LSV in field lily tissues was investigated with ACP-ELISA.

Objective: To investigate the role of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the malignant transformation of bile duct cells. Tissues from 6 Chinese patients and 6 American patients with cholangiocarcinoma were studied., Methods: RNA was extracted from the selected tumor areas of formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded sections, followed by reverse transcription double polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blotting., Results: Positive and negative strand HCV RNA sequences were detected in seven out of twelve patients with cholangiocarcinoma. A high positive rate was found in Chinese patients (83%) as compared to US patients (33%)., Conclusion: Our finding suggests HCV may play a role in the malignant transformation of bile duct cells.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic virus, but its genome and replicative intermediates also have been detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Chronic HCV infection may lead to hepatocellular carcinoma and, in a small percentage of cases, to B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. To our knowledge, coexistence of these 2 tumors has not been reported previously. We describe a case of chronic hepatitis C and cirrhosis with 2 small hepatocellular carcinomas and incidental non-Hodgkin lymphoma of a hilar lymph node found during liver transplantation. Although the mechanisms of HCV oncogenesis in hepatocellular carcinoma and in lymphoma are unclear, the presence of these 2 tumors in a single patient are in agreement with the tropism of HCV and its role in oncogenesis.

Primary lymphoma of the liver is rare. Recently, marginal zone B-cell lymphomas of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) type have been described in the liver. Most of these cases occurred without known underlying liver disease, while others were seen in patients with chronic hepatitis. A case of primary hepatic MALT lymphoma in a patient with primary biliary cirrhosis was reported recently. Some authors have proposed that chronic persistent immunogenic stimulation causes development of acquired MALT and subsequently MALT lymphoma, based on the observation of MALT lymphoma in association with infectious agents, such as Helicobacter pylori and hepatitis C virus, and autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto thyroiditis and Sjögren syndrome. Primary biliary cirrhosis is a chronic, progressive, cholestatic liver disease characterized by destruction of intrahepatic small to medium-sized bile ducts; this disease is mediated by a cytotoxic T-cell reaction. The prolonged immune activation in primary biliary cirrhosis may play a role in the lymphomagenesis of hepatic MALT lymphoma. We describe another case of primary hepatic MALT lymphoma, which was found incidentally in a patient with end-stage primary biliary cirrhosis. This case further supports the role of immunogenic stimulation in the pathogenesis of this particular low-grade B-cell lymphoma.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) is a rare tumor with an unpredictable course and prognosis. The aim of this study is to describe our experience with liver resection, as well as transplantation, in the treatment of this tumor. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, pathological findings, and postoperative results in a series of 11 patients presenting between 1990 and 1998. Five patients (45%) presented with abdominal pain, 3 patients (27%) with jaundice and ascites, and the rest were asymptomatic. Computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging showed localized lesions in 2 patients (18%) and multifocal disease in the others. Seven patients (64%) had extrahepatic lesions, detected either by preoperative imaging or discovered at exploration. Two resections of apparently localized lesions were followed by rapid and aggressive recurrence. Five patients were treated with transplantation, including 1 patient who had previously undergone resection. Of these 5 patients, 2 patients are currently free of detectable disease, 1 patient who had severe ascites and jaundice is now asymptomatic with stable extrahepatic lesions, and 2 patients (including 1 who had previously undergone a resection) died of tumor recurrence. One patient with advanced tumor died while waiting for transplantation. The remaining 4 patients are free of symptoms and have stable hepatic and extrahepatic disease. HEHE is nearly always multifocal, and our results with resection were dismal. Because of the unpredictable nature of the tumor, the indications for transplantation in patients without liver-related symptoms should be carefully evaluated. Nevertheless, extrahepatic disease should not be an absolute contraindication for liver transplantation in patients with severe liver dysfunction.

We report a case of de novo hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a patient with recurrent hepatitis C (HCV) and cirrhosis 7 years after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). This is a previously unreported observation in the natural history of posttransplantantion HCV infection and reiterates the strong oncogenic potential of HCV.

A 42-year-old woman with a history of 25-year oral contraceptive use presented with abdominal pain and was found to have two exophytic liver masses. She had no known prior liver diseases, and her serum liver enzyme and AFP levels were normal. One of the masses was a hepatocellular adenoma and the other was a pigmented hepatocellular carcinoma. The exophytic appearance of both lesions was unusual. This case, once more, demonstrated the risk of hepatocellular adenomas to undergo malignant transformation. The reason for the brown pigment deposition in the hepatocellular carcinoma was not clear. The prognosis was expected to be excellent following complete surgical resection.

Background: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common primary liver cancer and constitutes 10% of primary liver malignancies. Surgery is the optimal therapy; the majority of the patients will require extensive resections that are associated with significant morbidity., Methods: We retrospectively studied the records of 26 patients who underwent exploratory laparotomy for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma between June 1991 and December 1997 at the Mount Sinai Hospital. Patients with perihilar (Klatskin) tumors were excluded. All patients were considered resectable based on CT or MRI findings. Patients with positive margins or nodal invasion received adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation., Results: Sixteen patients underwent 18 resections; in 10 patients the tumors were unresectable at laparotomy and only biopsy was performed. The mean age (62 versus 53 years) was significantly higher, and the mean total bilirubin level (0.71 versus 6.17 mg/dL) was significantly lower in the resected group (p=0.031 and 0.017, respectively). No patient with a total bilirubin over 1.2 mg/dL was found to be resectable. Median actuarial survivals were 42.9+/-8.9 months for resectable and 6.7+/-3.6 months for unresectable patients (p=0.005). Positive margins were associated with significantly shorter disease-free survival. But resected patients with positive margins survived significantly longer than those who were unresectable. Tumor size, presence of satellite nodules, and degree of tumor necrosis on histologic examination were significant predictors of outcomes. Survival among patients receiving adjuvant therapy was not significantly altered., Conclusions: We conclude that an aggressive surgical approach is warranted in patients with ICC because resection offers the only hope for longterm survival. Our findings emphasize the importance of achieving tumor-free margins. Noncurative resection offers a survival advantage over no resection. Histologic examination of resected specimens can help select patients with poor prognoses.

We reported that a murine carcinoma (DEN3) an its six pulmonary metastases (M2, M4C, M4D, M4E, M4F, and M6) exhibited different degrees of radioresistability (In Vitro Cell. Dev. Biol.26:222-228; 1990). While the M2, M4C, M4E, and M4F cultured cells survived up to 2.5 Gy, the cells of DEN3 and M6 tolerated up to 5.0 Gy, and the M4D cells could withstand up to 10.0 Gy of X-irradiation. In the present investigation, the cytogenetic features of these cell lines were examined: (a) to determine the degree of cytogenetic heterogeneity among these cell lines, and (b) to investigate whether any association between the cytogenetic anomaly and the degree of radioresistability could be established. Heterogeneous cytogenetic aberrations were detected in all of the above lines. Karyotype analysis of the M4D and M6 cell lines displayed both numerical and structural abnormalities. The gain and loss of chromosomal copies were observed. Structural aberrations, such as translocation and deletion appeared in both cell lines. However, correlation between the cytogenetic abnormality and the degree of radioresistability was not demonstrated except for a dramatic reduction in one or more copies of the X-chromosome that occurred in 86% and 93% of the M6 and M4D cells, respectively. The results suggest heterogeneous cytogenetic aberrations among these cell lines and a possible association between the loss of X-chromosome and radioresistability of these tumor cells.

The physiological effects of angiotensin II (ANG II) on the kidney are mediated primarily by the ANG II type 1 (AT1) receptor. Two highly similar AT1 receptor subtypes have been identified in the rat by molecular cloning techniques, namely AT1A and AT1B. The intrarenal localization of the AT1A and AT1B receptor subtypes has not been studied by hybridization methods with subtype-specific receptor probes. Using radiolabeled probes from the 3' noncoding region of the AT1A and AT1B cDNAs, we localized AT1 mRNA in rat kidney by in situ hybridization. Specificity of the 3' noncoding region probes was tested by Northern blot and solution hybridization methods. AT1A mRNA levels were highest in the liver, kidney, and adrenal. In contrast, AT1B mRNA levels were highest in the adrenal and pituitary and low in kidney. Autoradiographic localization of 125I-[Sar1,Ile8]ANG II binding indicated that the highest levels of AT1 receptors were found in glomeruli and vascular elements. In situ hybridization with a nonselective AT1 receptor riboprobe indicated that the highest levels of AT1 mRNA were in the outer medullary vasa recta and cortical glomeruli with additional diffuse labeling of the cortex and outer medulla, consistent with labeling of tubular elements. In contrast, in situ hybridization with the AT1 subtype selective probes revealed that AT1A receptor mRNA was primarily localized to the vasa recta and diffusely to the outer stripe of the outer medulla and the renal cortex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)