Geobacter sp. Strain IAE Dihaloeliminates 1,1,2-Trichloroethane and 1,2-Dichloroethane.

Chlorinated ethanes, including 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) and 1,1,2-trichloroethane (1,1,2-TCA), are widespread groundwater contaminants. Enrichment cultures XRDCA and XRTCA derived from river sediment dihaloeliminated 1,2-DCA to ethene and 1,1,2-TCA to vinyl chloride (VC), respectively. The XRTCA culture subsequently converted VC to ethene via hydrogenolysis. Microbial community profiling demonstrated the enrichment of Geobacter 16S rRNA gene sequences in both the XRDCA and XRTCA cultures, and Dehalococcoides mccartyi (Dhc) sequences were only detected in the ethene-producing XRTCA culture. The presence of a novel Geobacter population, designated as Geobacter sp. strain IAE, was identified by the 16S rRNA gene-targeted polymerase chain reaction and Sanger sequencing. Time-resolved population dynamics attributed the dihaloelimination activity to strain IAE, which attained the growth yields of 0.93 ± 0.06 × 107 and 1.18 ± 0.14 × 107 cells per µmol Cl- released with 1,2-DCA and 1,1,2-TCA as electron acceptors, respectively. In contrast, Dhc growth only occurred during VC-to-ethene hydrogenolysis. Our findings discover a Geobacter sp. strain capable of respiring multiple chlorinated ethanes and demonstrate the involvement of a broader diversity of organohalide-respiring bacteria in the detoxification of 1,2-DCA and 1,1,2-TCA.

Ecotoxicological effects of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and Galaxolide, separately and as binary mixtures, in radish (Raphanus sativus).

Nano-TiO2 and Galaxolide (HHCB) are continually released into the environment because they are common ingredients of personal care products. In this study, the effects of nano-TiO2 and HHCB, individually and as binary mixtures, on Raphanus sativus were investigated. Growth indices (germination rate, root length, and shoot elongation), random amplification of polymorphic DNA profiles of DNA damage in the seedling roots, and expression of genes related to DNA damage, repair, and the cell cycle were assessed. Radish germination was not affected by nano-TiO2 (5-200 mg L-1) but was inhibited by HHCB (≥50 mg L-1). Nano-TiO2 and HHCB both caused severe DNA damage, including DNA mismatch damage, DNA double-strand breaks, and chromosomal damage. The binary mixtures indicated antagonistic effects occurred, and 200 mg L-1 nano-TiO2 decreased the genetic toxicity of HHCB. Of the genes that were examined, MRE11 and WRKY40 were the most sensitive to nano-TiO2 and HHCB, indicating that these genes could be used as sensitive biomarkers for exposure of R. sativus to nano-TiO2 and HHCB. The results improve our understanding of the risks posed by nano-TiO2 and HHCB to R. sativus in particular and possibly to other plants.

The effect of proprioception training on knee kinematics after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: A randomized control trial.

BACKGROUND: Proprioception is essential for the normal movement of knee joints. How proprioception training affects the postoperative knee functional recovery after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effect of proprioception training on the knee joint kinematics of patients after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). METHODS: The randomized controlled study was performed at the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology of Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital between December 2019 and April 2021. Forty-five patients who underwent ACLR were randomly divided into a proprioception group (n= 23) and a control group (n= 22). The patients were randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group according to whether the final digits of their ID numbers were odd or even. All patients followed a common postoperative rehabilitation program. The outcome measures included the patients Lysholm scores, hop distances, and knee kinematics during unanticipated jump-cut maneuvering measured at different follow-up times. Knee joint kinematics were described as the positional and orientational changes of the femur relative to the tibia. RESULTS: After surgery, the proprioception group did not exhibit significantly higher hop distances than the control group at the 6-month (114.8 ± 19.0 vs. 105.9 ± 20.7 cm, p= 0.137, 95% CI: -3.13 to 22.03 cm) and 1-year follow-ups (143.1 ± 19.3 vs. 133.9 ± 26.2 cm, p= 0.216, 95% CI: -5.57 to 23.87 cm). For knee joint kinematics, the members of the proprioception training group exhibited significantly reduced knee abduction (valgus) angles and external rotation and significantly increased knee flexion compared to those in the common training group. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that proprioceptive rehabilitation training enhances knee joint functional performance and shows altered knee joint kinematics in ACL-reconstructed populations during unanticipated jump-cut maneuvering compared with the common rehabilitation training.

C1q/TNF-related protein 9 decreases cardiomyocyte hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced inflammation by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

C1q/TNF-related protein 9 (CTRP9) acts as an adipokine and has been reported to exert numerous biological functions, such as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative stress effects, in ischemic heart disease. In the present study, the role of CTRP9 in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes (NRCMs) following hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) and the underlying mechanism was investigated. Adenoviral vectors containing CTRP9 or green fluorescent protein were transfected into NRCMs. A H/R model was constructed 2 days after transfection by 2 h incubation under hypoxia followed by 4 h of reoxygenation. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK) and CK-myocardial band (CK-MB) levels were detected by a biochemical analyzer using biochemical kits. In addition, cell viability was detected using trypan blue staining to determine the extent of cell injury. Inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-10 were measured by ELISA. Western blotting and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR were used to evaluate the expression levels of CTRP9, toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), myeloid differentiation primary response (MyD88) and NF-κB. The DNA binding activity of NF-κB was also detected using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The results indicated that transfection with adenoviral vectors containing CTRP9 could markedly enhance CTRP9 expression. CTRP9 overexpression increased cell viability and decreased the release of LDH, CK and CK-MB. In addition, CTRP9 overexpression reduced TNF-α and IL-6 levels whilst increasing IL-10 levels, but decreased the expression of TLR4, MyD88 and NF-κB. Furthermore, the DNA binding activity of NF-κB under H/R was also decreased by CTRP9 overexpression. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that CTRP9 could protect cardiomyocytes from H/R injury, which was at least partially due to the inhibition of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce the release of inflammatory cytokines.

[Impact of antihypertensive medication timing on degree and stability of blood pressure lowering in patients with essential hypertension].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of antihypertensive medication timing on degree and stability of blood pressure (BP) lowering in patients with moderate and severe essential hypertension. METHODS: Ninety patients were randomly assigned to take Valsartan and Felodiping together in the morning (group A), Valsartan in the morning and Felodiping in the evening (group B) or Felodiping in the morning and Valsartan in the evening (group C, n = 30 each). The morning dosage was titrated if the goal blood pressure was not achieved. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed on the first and 14(th) day of medication. RESULTS: The BP reductions during nighttime and twenty-four in group B and C hours were similar (P > 0.05) but were significant more than those in group A (P < 0.05). The smoothness indexes of mean systolic, mean arterial blood pressure during nighttime and twenty-four in group B and C were similar but significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.05). The smoothness index of diastolic pressure at nighttime in group B and C was similar but significantly higher than that in group A (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: More significant and stable antihypertensive effects could be achieved by taking the two antihypertensive medications separately in the morning and at evening compared that taken the two drugs together in the morning.

Ball-milled biochar for galaxolide removal: Sorption performance and governing mechanisms.

The environmental risk of galaxolide (HHCB) spurs the need to develop efficient and economical removal technology. Although sorption is one of the best removal approaches, studies on sorption of HHCB by biochar were limited. With the purpose of combining the advantages of ball-milling and sorption technologies, six ball-milled biochars (BM-biochars) varied with biomasses and pyrolysis temperature were produced, characterized, and tested for HHCB removal from aqueous solution. At an initial HHCB concentration of 2 mg L-1, the unmilled and BM-biochars adsorbed 330-746 and 609-2098 mg kg-1 of HHCB, respectively. The increase in sorption capacities (about 3-fold increase) was mainly ascribed to the increase in BM-biochar's external and internal surface area, pore volume and pore size, and the exposure of the graphitic structure. The removal of HHCB by the BM-biochars increased with increasing pyrolysis temperature. For lower temperature biochar (300 °C wheat straw biochar, WS300), hydrophobic partitioning played a major role in HHCB sorption onto unmilled biochar (log Koc/log Kow value of WS300 was 0.772 at a Ce of 1 mg L-1). Ball milling reduced the hydrophobicity of 300 °C biochar, which diminished the HHCB sorption. However, increased surface area, pore volume, pore size, and graphitic structure provided additional sorption sites, resulting in enhanced HHCB uptake (log Koc/log Kow value of BMWS300 was 1.23 at a Ce of 1 mg L-1). For higher temperature biochars (500 and 700 °C), ball milling mainly enhanced HHCB sorption onto high temperature biochars via surface adsorption, π-π interaction, and pore filling. For WS500, 77.9% of HHCB removal was due to surface adsorption. Ball milling increased this percentage to 96.7% for BMWS500. This work highlighted the potential of ball milling as an excellent engineering method to improve biochar's sorption properties.