The Carthamus tinctorius L. genome sequence provides insights into synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids.

Domesticated safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is a widely cultivated edible oil crop. However, despite its economic importance, the genetic basis underlying key traits such as oil content, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and flowering time remains poorly understood. Here, we present the genome assembly for C. tinctorius variety Jihong01, which was obtained by integrating Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) and BGI-SEQ500 sequencing results. The assembled genome was 1,061.1 Mb, and consisted of 32,379 protein-coding genes, 97.71% of which were functionally annotated. Safflower had a recent whole genome duplication (WGD) event in evolution history and diverged from sunflower approximately 37.3 million years ago. Through comparative genomic analysis at five seed development stages, we unveiled the pivotal roles of fatty acid desaturase 2 (FAD2) and fatty acid desaturase 6 (FAD6) in linoleic acid (LA) biosynthesis. Similarly, the differential gene expression analysis further reinforced the significance of these genes in regulating LA accumulation. Moreover, our investigation of seed fatty acid composition at different seed developmental stages unveiled the crucial roles of FAD2 and FAD6 in LA biosynthesis. These findings offer important insights into enhancing breeding programs for the improvement of quality traits and provide reference resource for further research on the natural properties of safflower.

Triple-Mechanism Enhanced Flexible SiO2 Nanofiber Composite Hydrogel with High Stiffness and Toughness for Cartilaginous Ligaments.

Hydrogels are widely used in tissue engineering, soft robotics and wearable electronics. However, it is difficult to achieve both the required toughness and stiffness, which severely hampers their application as load-bearing materials. This study presents a strategy to develop a hard and tough composite hydrogel. Herein, flexible SiO2 nanofibers (SNF) are dispersed homogeneously in a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix using the synergistic effect of freeze-drying and annealing through the phase separation, the modulation of macromolecular chain movement and the promotion of macromolecular crystallization. When the stress is applied, the strong molecular interaction between PVA and SNF effectively disperses the load damage to the substrate. Freeze-dried and annealed-flexible SiO2 nanofibers/polyvinyl alcohol (FDA-SNF/PVA) reaches a preferred balance between enhanced stiffness (13.71 ± 0.28 MPa) and toughness (9.9 ± 0.4 MJ m-3). Besides, FDA-SNF/PVA hydrogel has a high tensile strength of 7.84 ± 0.10 MPa, super elasticity (no plastic deformation under 100 cycles of stretching), fast deformation recovery ability and excellent mechanical properties that are superior to the other tough PVA hydrogels, providing an effective way to optimize the mechanical properties of hydrogels for potential applications in artificial tendons and ligaments.

Cu/Co Bimetallic Carbon Catalyst as a Highly Efficient Promoter for Reactive Dyes Degradation with PMS.

The synergistic effect between bimetallic catalysts has been confirmed as an effective method for activating persulfate (PMS). Therefore, we immobilized copper-cobalt on chitosan to prepare bimetallic carbon catalysts for PMS activation and degradation of reactive dyes. Experimental results demonstrate that the CuCo-CTs/PMS catalytic degradation system exhibits excellent degradation performance toward various types of reactive dyes (e.g., Ethyl violet, Chlortalidone, and Di chlorotriazine), with degradation rates reaching 90% within 30 min. CuCo-CTs exhibit high catalytic activity over a wide pH range of 3-11 at room temperature and under static conditions, degrading over 92% of RV5 within 60 min. ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy and color changes in the dye solution confirm the effective degradation of RV5, with a degradation rate of 97.2% within 10 min. Additionally, CuCo-CTs demonstrate good stability and reusability, maintaining a degradation rate of 92.8% after eight cycles. Kinetic studies indicate that the degradation follows pseudo-first-order kinetics. Furthermore, based on the results of radical scavenging experiments, the catalytic degradation mechanism of the dye involves both radical and nonradical pathways, with 1O2 identified as the primary active species. This study provides insights and experimental evidence for the application of persulfate oxidation in the treatment of dyeing wastewater.

Simplicispira sedimenti sp. nov., isolated from a sediment of drainage ditch in winery.

A Gram-stain-negative, motile (by single polar flagellum) and rod-shaped bacterium, designated W1-6T, was isolated from a sediment of drainage ditch in winery in Guiyang, south-western China. Strain W1-6T showed the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities with the type strain of Acidovorax wautersii (98.1%) and Simplicispira lacusdiani (97.9%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain W1-6T was placed adjacent to the members of the genus Simplicispira and formed a separat subclade. Cells showed oxidase and catalase negative reactions. The only respiratory quinone detected was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). Summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c), C16:0 and summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c) were predominant cellular fatty acids (> 10%) of strain W1-6T. Diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and five unidentified phospholipids were found in the polar lipid extraction. The genomic DNA G + C content was 65.6%. Strain W1-6T shared the highest digital DNA-DNA hybridization [dDDH, (27.6%)] and average nucleotide identity [ANI (84.3%)] values with the type strain of S. lacusdiani. The dDDH and ANI values were below the cutoff level (dDDH 70%; ANI 95-96%) for species delineation. The polyphasic characteristics indicated that the strain W1-6T represents a novel species of the genus Simplicispira, for which the name Simplicispira sedimenti sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is W1-6T (= CGMCC 1.16274T = NBRC 115624T).

Safflower CtFLS1-Induced Drought Tolerance by Stimulating the Accumulation of Flavonols and Anthocyanins in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Flavonol synthase gene (FLS) is a member of the 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (2-ODD) superfamily and plays an important role in plant flavonoids biosynthetic pathways. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), a key source of traditional Chinese medicine, is widely cultivated in China. Although the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway has been studied in several model species, it still remains to be explored in safflower. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the role of CtFLS1 gene in flavonoid biosynthesis and drought stress responses. The bioinformatics analysis on the CtFLS1 gene showed that it contains two FLS-specific motifs (PxxxIRxxxEQP and SxxTxLVP), suggesting its independent evolution. Further, the expression level of CtFLS1 in safflower showed a positive correlation with the accumulation level of total flavonoid content in four different flowering stages. In addition, CtFLS1-overexpression (OE) Arabidopsis plants significantly induced the expression levels of key genes involved in flavonol pathway. On the contrary, the expression of anthocyanin pathway-related genes and MYB transcription factors showed down-regulation. Furthermore, CtFLS1-OE plants promoted seed germination, as well as resistance to osmotic pressure and drought, and reduced sensitivity to ABA compared to mutant and wild-type plants. Moreover, CtFLS1 and CtANS1 were both subcellularly located at the cell membrane and nucleus; the yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assay showed that they interacted with each other at the cell membrane. Altogether, these findings suggest the positive role of CtFLS1 in alleviating drought stress by stimulating flavonols and anthocyanin accumulation in safflower.

Unraveling the functional characterization of a jasmonate-induced flavonoid biosynthetic CYP45082G24 gene in Carthamus tinctorius.

The cytochrome P450 superfamily of monooxygenases plays a major role in the evolution and diversification of plant natural products. The function of cytochrome P450s in physiological adaptability, secondary metabolism, and xenobiotic detoxification has been studied extensively in numerous plant species. However, their underlying regulatory mechanism in safflower still remained unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the functional role of a putative CtCYP82G24-encoding gene in safflower, which suggests crucial insights into the regulation of methyl jasmonate-induced flavonoid accumulation in transgenic plants. The results showed that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was associated with a progressive upregulation of CtCYP82G24 expression in safflower among other treatment conditions including light, dark, and polyethylene glycol (PEG). In addition, transgenic plants overexpressing CtCYP82G24 demonstrated increased expression level of other key flavonoid biosynthetic genes, such as AtDFR, AtANS, and AtFLS, and higher content of flavonoid and anthocyanin accumulation when compared with wild-type and mutant plants. Under exogenous MeJA treatment, the CtCYP82G24 transgenic overexpressed lines showed a significant spike in flavonoid and anthocyanin content compared with wild-type and mutant plants. Moreover, the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay of CtCYP82G24 in safflower leaves exhibited decreased flavonoid and anthocyanin accumulation and reduced expression of key flavonoid biosynthetic genes, suggesting a possible coordination between transcriptional regulation of CtCYP82G24 and flavonoid accumulation. Together, our findings confirmed the likely role of CtCYP82G24 during MeJA-induced flavonoid accumulation in safflower.

Effects of multi-heavy metal composite pollution on microorganisms around a lead-zinc mine in typical karst areas, southwest China.

Heavy metal pollution poses a serious hazard to the soil bacterial community. The purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of soil heavy metal pollution in lead-zinc mines in karst areas and the response of Pb, Zn, Cd, and As-induced composite pollution to soil microorganisms. This paper selected soil samples from the lead-zinc mining area of Xiangrong Mining Co., Ltd., Puding County, Guizhou Province, China. The soil in the mining area is contaminated by multiple heavy metals such as Pb, Zn, Cd and As. The average levels of Pb, Zn, Cd and As in the Pb-Zn mining soil were 14.5, 7.8, 5.5 and 4.4 times higher than the soil background in this area, respectively. Bacterial community structures and functions were analyzed using 16 S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology and the PICRUSt method. A total of 19 bacterial phyla, 34 classes and 76 orders were detected in the tested soil. At the phylum level, the Proteobacteria are the dominant flora of the soil in the tailings reservoir area of the lead-zinc mine, respectively GWK1 (49.64%), GWK2 (81.89%), GWK3 (95.16%); and for the surrounding farmland soil, the Proteobacteria, Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota, Chloroflexi and Firmicutes are the most abundant in five bacterial groups. RDA analyses revealed that the heavy metal pollution of the lead-zinc mining area has a significant impact on the diversity of soil microorganisms. As the distance from the mining area increased, the heavy metal comprehensive pollution and potential risk value decreased, and the bacterial diversity increased. Additionally, various types of heavy metals have different effects on bacterial communities, and soil heavy metal content will also change the bacterial community structure. Proteobacteria positively related to Pb, Cd, and Zn, therefore, Proteobacteria were highly resistant to heavy metals. PICRUSt analysis suggested that heavy metals significantly affect the metabolic function of microorganisms. Microorganisms might generate resistance and enable themselves to survive by increasing the transport of metal ions and excreting metal ions. These results can be used as a basis for the microbial remediation of heavy metal-contaminated farmland in mining areas.

A Cinnamate 4-HYDROXYLASE1 from Safflower Promotes Flavonoids Accumulation and Stimulates Antioxidant Defense System in Arabidopsis.

C4H (cinnamate 4-hydroxylase) is a pivotal gene in the phenylpropanoid pathway, which is involved in the regulation of flavonoids and lignin biosynthesis of plants. However, the molecular mechanism of C4H-induced antioxidant activity in safflower still remains to be elucidated. In this study, a CtC4H1 gene was identified from safflower with combined analysis of transcriptome and functional characterization, regulating flavonoid biosynthesis and antioxidant defense system under drought stress in Arabidopsis. The expression level of CtC4H1 was shown to be differentially regulated in response to abiotic stresses; however, a significant increase was observed under drought exposure. The interaction between CtC4H1 and CtPAL1 was detected using a yeast two-hybrid assay and then verified using a bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) analysis. Phenotypic and statistical analysis of CtC4H1 overexpressed Arabidopsis demonstrated slightly wider leaves, long and early stem development as well as an increased level of total metabolite and anthocyanin contents. These findings imply that CtC4H1 may regulate plant development and defense systems in transgenic plants via specialized metabolism. Furthermore, transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing CtC4H1 exhibited increased antioxidant activity as confirmed using a visible phenotype and different physiological indicators. In addition, the low accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in transgenic Arabidopsis exposed to drought conditions has confirmed the reduction of oxidative damage by stimulating the antioxidant defensive system, resulting in osmotic balance. Together, these findings have provided crucial insights into the functional role of CtC4H1 in regulating flavonoid biosynthesis and antioxidant defense system in safflower.

Safflower Flavonoid 3'5'Hydroxylase Promotes Methyl Jasmonate-Induced Anthocyanin Accumulation in Transgenic Plants.

Flavonoids are the most abundant class of secondary metabolites that are ubiquitously involved in plant development and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Flavonoid biosynthesis involves multiple channels of orchestrated molecular regulatory factors. Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) has been demonstrated to enhance flavonoid accumulation in numerous plant species; however, the underlying molecular mechanism of MeJA-induced flavonoid biosynthesis in safflower is still not evident. In the present study, we revealed the underlying molecular basis of a putative F3'5'H gene from safflower imparting MeJA-induced flavonoid accumulation in transgenic plants. The constitutive expression of the CtF3'5'H1 gene was validated at different flowering stages, indicating their diverse transcriptional regulation through flower development in safflower. Similarly, the CtF3'5'H1-overexpressed Arabidopsis plants exhibit a higher expression level, with significantly increased anthocyanins and flavonoid content, but less proanthocyanidins than wild-type plants. In addition, transgenic plants treated with exogenous MeJA revealed the up-regulation of CtF3'5'H1 expression over different time points with significantly enhanced anthocyanin and flavonoid content as confirmed by HPLC analysis. Moreover, CtF3'5'H1- overexpressed Arabidopsis plants under methyl violet and UV-B irradiation also indicated significant increase in the expression level of CtF3'5'H1 with improved anthocyanin and flavonoid content, respectively. Noticeably, the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay of CtF3'5'H1 in safflower leaves also confirmed reduced anthocyanin accumulation. However, the CtF3'5'H1 suppression in safflower leaves under MeJA elicitation demonstrated significant increase in total flavonoid content. Together, our findings confirmed that CtF3'5'H1 is likely mediating methyl jasmonate-induced flavonoid biosynthesis in transgenic plants via enhanced anthocyanin accumulation.

The safflower MBW complex regulates HYSA accumulation through degradation by the E3 ligase CtBB1.

The regulatory mechanism of the MBW (MYB-bHLH-WD40) complex in safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) remains unclear. In the present study, we show that the separate overexpression of the genes CtbHLH41, CtMYB63, and CtWD40-6 in Arabidopsis thaliana increased anthocyanin and procyanidin contents in the transgenic plants and partially rescued the trichome reduction phenotype of the corresponding bhlh41, myb63, and wd40-6 single mutants. Overexpression of CtbHLH41, CtMYB63, or CtWD40-6 in safflower significantly increased the content of the natural pigment hydroxysafflor yellow A (HYSA) and negatively regulated safflower petal size. Yeast-two-hybrid, functional, and genetic assays demonstrated that the safflower E3 ligase CtBB1 (BIG BROTHER 1) can ubiquitinate CtbHLH41, marking it for degradation through the 26S proteasome and negatively regulating flavonoid accumulation. CtMYB63/CtWD40-6 enhanced the transcriptional activity of CtbHLH41 on the CtDFR (dihydroflavonol 4-reductase) promoter. We propose that the MBW-CtBB1 regulatory module may play an important role in coordinating HYSA accumulation with other response mechanisms.

Flower-Shaped Ni/Co MOF with the Highest Adsorption Capacity for Reactive Dyes.

Reactive dyes are widely used in textile industry, but their excessive use has caused several water pollution problems. In order to reasonably treat printing and dyeing wastewater, the highly efficient adsorbent for reactive dyes employed in this study is a new type metal-organic framework (MOF) material. Ni/Co MOF (NCM) was synthesized using the solvothermal method; then, the materials were analyzed by a series of characterization methods. This study mainly investigated the adsorption properties of NCM toward reactive dyes, and the adsorption capacities of NCM toward reactive red 218 were up to 200 mg·g-1. The results were found to conform to the Langmuir isotherm model, and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model by performing kinetic and isotherm studies on the adsorption process of reactive red 218 on NCM. The results of the intraparticle diffusion model suggest that the binding of reactive red 218 to NCM was mainly divided into three steps: adsorption, diffusion, and saturation. Moreover, it was concluded by thermodynamic fitting of the adsorption process that the adsorption of reactive red 218 by NCM proceeded spontaneously and was accompanied by an endothermic reaction, in which the adsorption of both occurred mainly by electrostatic attraction. The NCM has good reusability and still has good adsorption performance after being reused 5 times. Therefore, NCM is a very promising and excellent adsorbent for the treatment of dye wastewater because of its high efficiency and reusability.

In Situ Generated UiO-66/Cotton Fabric Easily Recyclable for Reactive Dye Adsorption.

In view of the environmental pollution caused by the widespread use of reactive dyes in the printing and dyeing industry, the modified cotton fabric was loaded with the extremely stable metal-organic frame (MOF) material UiO-66 for removing reactive dyes from colored wastewater. UiO-66/cotton fabric was prepared by in situ synthesis, and its surface morphology and structure were analyzed by XRD, SEM, BET, and XPS. The adsorption performance of UiO-66/cotton fabric on reactive dyes was investigated by adsorbent dosage, adsorption time and temperature, dye concentration, pH, and so on. The results indicated that the adsorption equilibrium time of UiO-66/cotton fabric on reactive orange 16 was 120 min, and the removal rate was about 98%. The adsorption process belongs to simple molecular layer chemisorption and can be regarded as a spontaneous heat absorption reaction, which was consistent with the proposed secondary kinetic model and Langmuir isothermal adsorption model. In addition, the reactive dyes with a higher molecular weight of each sulfonic acid group are more hydrophobic, and the dyes are more likely to aggregate and deposit on the adsorbent surface by electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and π-π accumulation. Therefore, this work provides a potential UiO-66/cotton fabric application for the effective adsorption of reactive dyes in textile wastewater.

Molecular dynamics simulations of cold welding of nanoporous amorphous alloys: effects of welding conditions and microstructures.

Nanoscale cold welding is a promising method in the bottom-up fabrication of nanodevices. Herein, cold welding mechanisms of Cu50Zr50 nanoporous amorphous alloys (NPAAs) are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations, along with the mechanical properties of the welded products. Effects of welding conditions and microstructural parameters are considered. Our results demonstrate that the welded joint has superior mechanical properties. The ultimate strength of the welded NPAAs can be as high as 94-99% that of the original NPAAs but 62-75% for the yield strength and elastic modulus. Voronoi analysis declares that the changes in atomic clusters of NPAAs caused by cold welding are mild. The welding conditions do not have remarkable influences on the mechanical responses of the welded structure. The NPAAs with smaller ligament sizes are more suitable for cold welding, benefiting from the size effect of amorphous alloys. We also successfully use cold welding to fabricate gradient NPAAs and repair fractured NPAAs. It is found that the ultimate tensile strength of the NPAAs changes very little with each successful cold welding. After ten fracture-welding cycles, the ultimate strength of the as-welded specimen is slightly lower than that of the raw materials.

Dyella sedimenti sp. nov., Isolated from the Sediment of a Winery.

A Gram-staining negative, aerobic, non-motile and rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain N-S-14T, was isolated from the sediment of a winery in Guiyang, south-western China and subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic characteristics. The cells showed oxidase-negative and catalase-negative reactions. Growth occurred at 5-45 °C (optimum 30 °C), pH 5.0-8.0 (optimum pH 6.0-7.0) and with 0-3% (w/v) NaCl on R2A medium. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). The predominant cellular fatty acids (> 10.0%) were identified as iso-C15:0, iso-C17:0 and summed feature 9 (iso-C17:1ω9c or C16:0 10-methyl). The profile of polar lipids contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified phospholipid, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified aminolipid and one unidentified lipid. The genomic DNA G + C content was 67.5%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain N-S-14T should be affiliated to the genus Dyella and formed a clade with most closely related Dyella solisilvae DHG54T (98.3%) and Dyella halodurans DHOG02T (97.8%). The digital DNA-DNA hybridization values ranged from 17.7 to 27.1% and the ANI values ranged from 75.2 to 84.0% between strain N-S-14T and other members of the genus Dyella, respectively, and thus the results indicated that strain N-S-14T represented a novel genomic species belonging to the genus Dyella. The polyphasic taxonomic characteristics indicated that the strain N-S-14T represent a novel species of the genus Dyella, for which the name Dyella sedimenti sp. nov. (type strain N-S-14T = CGMCC 1.18717T = KCTC 82384T) is proposed.

Preparation of zeolitic imidazolate framework-67/wool fabric and its adsorption capacity for reactive dyes.

Zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) formed by Co2+ and 2-methylimidazole (MIM) is widely used for adsorption and separation of pollutants. However, there are some disadvantages for ZIF-67 powder, such as strong electrostatic interaction and difficulty in recovery from the liquid phase. The available way to solve the above problems is choosing a suitable substrate to load ZIF-67. The amino and hydroxyl of wool fabrics effectively capture and fix ZIF-67, making it easy to separate ZIF-67 by taking out the composite materials from aqueous solution. In this study, ZIF-67/Wool fabric (ZW) was successfully prepared. The results show that ZIF-67 has better adsorption performance for reactive dyes with more sulfonic groups, higher molecular weight and lower steric resistance. The equilibrium adsorption capacity of ZW for reactive red 195 was 4.15 mg g-1. The adsorption accorded with pseudo-second-order kinetic model and Langmuir isotherm. This study improved the application of ZIF-67, which provided a treatment method for dyeing wastewater and made it possible to recycle waste wool.

Molecular Characterization of an Isoflavone 2'-Hydroxylase Gene Revealed Positive Insights into Flavonoid Accumulation and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Safflower.

Flavonoids with significant therapeutic properties play an essential role in plant growth, development, and adaptation to various environments. The biosynthetic pathway of flavonoids has long been studied in plants; however, its regulatory mechanism in safflower largely remains unclear. Here, we carried out comprehensive genome-wide identification and functional characterization of a putative cytochrome P45081E8 gene encoding an isoflavone 2'-hydroxylase from safflower. A total of 15 CtCYP81E genes were identified from the safflower genome. Phylogenetic classification and conserved topology of CtCYP81E gene structures, protein motifs, and cis-elements elucidated crucial insights into plant growth, development, and stress responses. The diverse expression pattern of CtCYP81E genes in four different flowering stages suggested important clues into the regulation of secondary metabolites. Similarly, the variable expression of CtCYP81E8 during multiple flowering stages further highlighted a strong relationship with metabolite accumulation. Furthermore, the orchestrated link between transcriptional regulation of CtCYP81E8 and flavonoid accumulation was further validated in the yellow- and red-type safflower. The spatiotemporal expression of CtCYP81E8 under methyl jasmonate, polyethylene glycol, light, and dark conditions further highlighted its likely significance in abiotic stress adaption. Moreover, the over-expressed transgenic Arabidopsis lines showed enhanced transcript abundance in OE-13 line with approximately eight-fold increased expression. The upregulation of AtCHS, AtF3'H, and AtDFR genes and the detection of several types of flavonoids in the OE-13 transgenic line also provides crucial insights into the potential role of CtCYP81E8 during flavonoid accumulation. Together, our findings shed light on the fundamental role of CtCYP81E8 encoding a putative isoflavone 2'-hydroxylase via constitutive expression during flavonoid biosynthesis.

Chthonobacter rhizosphaerae sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from rhizosphere soil of Citrus sinenesis.

A Gram-staining negative, facultative anaerobic, motile and short rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain yh7-1T, was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Citrus sinenesis collected from the garden of Citrus sinenesis in Ailao Mountain, south-west China. Cells grew at 15-45 °C, pH 5.0-9.0 and were able to tolerate up to 1% (w/v) NaCl on R2A medium. The respiratory lipoquinone was Q-10 and the major cellular fatty acids contained summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c or C18:1 ω6c) and C18:0. Polar lipids in the cellular membrane were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified phospholipids and one unidentified aminophospholipid. The genomic DNA G+C content was 69.9 mol%. On basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain yh7-1T showed the highest similarities with Chthonobacter albigriseus KCTC 42450T (97.6%), Mongoliimonas terrestris KCTC 42635T (97.0%) and lower than 97.0% to other species. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain yh7-1T clustered with C. albigriseus KCTC 42450T. The ANI values ranged between 78.1 and 82.7% for C. albigriseus KCTC 42450T, M. terrestris KCTC 42635T and strain yh7-1T, which were lower than the prokaryotic species delineation threshold of 95.0-96.0%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between C. albigriseus KCTC 42450T, M. terrestris KCTC 42635T and strain yh7-1T indicated that the new isolate represents a novel genomic species. According to the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain yh7-1T should belong to the genus Chthonobacter, for which the name Chthonobacter rhizosphaerae sp. nov. (type strain yh7-1T = CGMCC 1.17236T = CCTCC AB 2019258T = KCTC 82185T) is proposed.

Synergistic Effects of Alpha Olefin Sulfonate and Sodium Alginate on Inkjet Printing of Cotton/Polyamide Fabrics.

Bicomponent or multicomponent fiber fabrics are important materials for manufacturing high-performance textiles. However, the printing and dyeing of these fabrics are very difficult because the dyeability of different fibers varies greatly. The present study investigated the inkjet printing performance of interwoven fabrics of cotton and polyamide 6. The surfactant alpha olefin sulfonate (AOS) was incorporated into the sodium alginate (SA) solution to pretreat the fabrics to improve the color effects of printed fabrics. The results indicate that fabric pretreatment using 5% alpha olefin sulfonate and 2% sodium alginate significantly enhanced the image colors through increasing the hydrophilicity of the film formed on polyamide fibers and changing the surface morphology of both the fibers. The molecules of AOS interacted with the macromolecules of SA to form the composite films, where the AOS concentration gradient increased outward and SA concentration gradient increased inward. The synergistic pretreatment of alpha olefin sulfonate and sodium alginate endowed the fabrics with high inkjet printing performance, satisfactory color fastnesses, and durability.

Prognostic value of myocardial extracellular volume fraction evaluation based on cardiac magnetic resonance T1 mapping with T1 long and short in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prognostic significance of T1 mapping using T1 long and short in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. METHODS: A total of 263 consecutive patients with HCM referred for cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging were enrolled in this study. The imaging protocol consisted of cine, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), and T1 mapping with T1 long and short. All patients were followed up prospectively. Outcome events were divided into the primary and secondary endpoint events. Primary endpoint events included cardiac death, heart transplant, aborted sudden death, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation after syncope. The secondary endpoint event was defined as unplanned rehospitalization for heart failure. RESULT: The average follow-up duration was 28.3 ± 12.1 (range: 1-78) months. In all, 17 patients (7.0%) experienced a primary endpoint including 13 cardiovascular deaths, three aborted sudden deaths, and one resuscitation after syncope, and 34 patients experienced a secondary endpoint. Patients with primary endpoints showed a trend towards more extensive LGE (p < 0.001), significantly higher ECV (p < 0.001), and native T1 (p = 0.028) than those without events. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, ECV was independently associated with primary and secondary endpoints (p < 0.001 and p = 0.047, respectively). For every 3% increase, ECV portended a 1.374-fold increase risk of a primary endpoint occurring (p < 0.001). In the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the incidence of primary and secondary endpoint events was significantly higher in HCM with increased ECV (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009, respectively). CONCLUSION: In patients with HCM, ECV is a strong imaging marker for predicting adverse outcome. KEY POINTS: • ECV is a potent imaging index which has a strong correlation with LVEF and LVEDVI and can evaluate myocardial tissue structure and function. • ECV and LGE can provide a prognostic value in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. • ECV has stronger predictive effectiveness than LGE; even in the subgroup with LGE, ECV shows independent predictive significance for adverse events.

Long Non-coding RNA FEZF1-AS1 Promotes Growth and Reduces Apoptosis Through Regulation of miR-363-3p/PAX6 Axis in Retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma is the most common malignancy in children's eyes with high incidence. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the progression of retinoblastoma. LncRNA FEZF1 antisense RNA 1 (FEZF1-AS1) has been found to stimulate retinoblastoma. However, the mechanism of FEZF1-AS1 underlying progression of retinoblastoma is still unclear. In current study, FEZF1-AS1 was up-regulated in retinoblastoma tissues and cells. FEZF1-AS1 overexpression enhanced retinoblastoma cell viability, promoted cell cycle, and inhibited apoptosis. Conversely, FEZF1-AS1 knockdown reduced cell viability, cycle, and elevated apoptosis. The interaction between FEZF1-AS1 and microRNA-363-3p (miR-363-3p) was confirmed. FEZF1-AS1 down-regulated miR-363-3p and up-regulated PAX6. PAX6 was a target gene of miR-363-3p. EZF1-AS1 promoted retinoblastoma cell viability and suppressed apoptosis via PAX6. Further, we demonstrated that FEZF1-AS1 contribute to tumor formation in vivo. In conclusion, FEZF1-AS1 elevated growth and inhibited apoptosis by regulating miR-363-3p/PAX6 in retinoblastoma, which provide a new target for retinoblastoma treatment.