Treatment of Complex Central Talar Fractures with Lateral Plate Combination with Medial Screw Fixation.

OBJECTIVE: The treatment of talar neck and/or body fractures is known to be difficult and challenging, with significant impact on the long-term functional outcome for the patient. The optimal management, including the choice of surgical approaches and implants, are still under constant discussion. The purpose of the study was to investigate the clinical effects of lateral mini-plate combined with medial lag screws for the treatment of complicated central talar fractures. METHODS: The data of eight patients with complex central talus fractures treated between June 2019 and January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were six males and two females, ranging in age from 15 to 66 years, with an average age of 37.4 years. There were three cases on the left and five cases on the right. All fractures were comminuted, including talar neck with talar body fracture in seven cases and talar body comminuted with subluxation of subtalar joint in one case. All patients were treated with the anteromedial combined anterolateral approach, lateral talar mini-plate fixation and medial lag screw fixation. Fracture reduction quality, union time, and complications were recorded, and functional outcomes were evaluated using the American Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) scoring system. RESULTS: The time from injury to surgery was 1-6 days, with an average of 3.38 days. The follow-up period was 34-53 months (mean 44.88 months). All fractures healed with a mean healing time of 16.75 weeks (13-23 weeks). Anatomical reduction was observed in six cases and near in two cases. After operation, there was no loosening or breakage of implant, loss of fracture reduction, and irritation of skin and soft tissue by internal fixation. The average AOFAS score was 87.38 (48-100), with excellent five cases, good two cases and poor one case, and the excellent and good rate was 87.5%. Superficial skin necrosis in one surgical incision healed after dressing exchange. No deep infection occurred. One case (1/8, 12.5%) developed avascular necrosis of the talus without collapse. Posttraumatic arthritis was found in four cases (4/8, 50%). CONCLUSION: The utilization of lateral mini-plates in combination with medial screws for treating complex central talar fractures results in satisfactory reduction and stable fixation, mitigating complications associated with poor reduction. However, due to the absence of an anatomical mini-plate, pre-contouring is necessary when applying the lateral plate. This demands a surgeon's thorough familiarity with the anatomical morphology of the talus and proficiency in surgical techniques. Posttraumatic arthritis is the most common complication of complex central talar fractures.

2,5-Thiophenedicarboxylic Acid Bridging Hexameric CeIII-Substituted Selenotungstate and Its Application for Detecting Mucin 1.

The development of polyoxometalate chemistry not only is derived from the continuous discovery of novel polyoxometalates (POMs) but also stems from the exploitation of their new functionalities. In this work, we obtained a rigid sulfur-containing heterocyclic ligand-linking aggregate [N(CH3)4]10Na6H6[Ce8(H2O)26W8(HTDA)2(TDA)2O20][SeW4O18]2[SeW9O33]4·112H2O (1) (H2TDA = 2,5-thiophenedicarboxylic acid). Its polyanionic unit consists of one [Ce4(H2O)13W4O10(HTDA)(TDA)O10]18+ cluster and two kinds of Keggin-type [SeW4O18] and [SeW9O33] segments. It is noteworthy that H2TDA ligands not only work as connectors to link two symmetrical {[Ce4(H2O)13W4(HTDA)(TDA)O10][SeW4O18][SeW9O33]2}11- units but also function as ornaments to graft to the polyanionic backbone. Furthermore, 1 and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) were deposited on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) by the electropolymerization (EPM) method, resulting in a 1-poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (1-PEDOT) composite film, which can provide sufficient binding sites to immobilize Au nanoparticles (Au NPs). Hereafter, the Au NPs-immobilized 1-PEDOT modified electrode (Au/1-PEDOT/GCE) was used to construct an electrochemical aptasensor to detect mucin 1, showing a low detection limit of 29.5 fM in the Tris solution. This work not only demonstrates that rigid heterocyclic ligands are beneficial for the creation of novel rare-earth-substituted selenotungstate hybrids but also provides more enlightenment for POM-based materials used for electrochemical detection of cancer markers.

Isoptericola luteus sp. nov., a novel yellow bacterium isolated from soil.

An aerobic, non-motile, Gram-stain-positive bacterium, designated strain NEAU-Y5T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from Northeast Agricultural University, Heilongjiang province. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain NEAU-Y5T belonged to the genus and showed high 16S rRNA sequence similarity to Isoptericola variabilis (98.9 %), Isoptericola nanjingensis (98.9 %), Isoptericola cucumis (98.5 %), Isoptericola hypogeus (98.5 %), Isoptericola dokdonensis (98.5 %), Isoptericola jiangsuensis (98.3 %), and Isoptericola halalbus (98.1 %), followed by other members of the genus Isoptericola (<98 %), and phylogenetically clustered with I. dokdonensis and I. jiangsuensis. Strain NEAU-Y5T was found to grow at 4-40 °C (optimum, 28 °C), pH 6.0-12.0 (optimum, pH 7.0), and tolerated 0-6 % NaCl (w/v). The cell-wall peptidoglycan type was l-Lys-d-Asp. The whole-cell hydrolysates contained glucose, galactose, and ribose. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, hydroxyphosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, and glucosamine unknown phospholipid. Major fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H4). The DNA G+C content was 73.4 mol%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strain NEAU-Y5T and the type strains of the genus Isoptericola ranged from 18.6 to 23.5 % and from 77.3 to 81.6 %, respectively. Based on morphological, physiological, chemotaxonomic, and phylogenetic data, as well as digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values, the novel strain NEAU-Y5T could be differentiated from its closest relatives. Therefore, the strain represents a novel species of the genus Isoptericola, for which the name Isoptericola luteus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-Y5T (=CCTCC AA 2019087T=DSM 110637T).

Investigation of the in vitro toxic effects induced by real-time aerosol of electronic cigarette solvents using microfluidic chips.

The safety of propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) as solvents in electronic cigarette liquid has received increasing attention and discussion. However, the conclusions derived from toxicity assessments conducted through animal experiments and traditional in vitro methodologies have consistently been contentious. This study constructed an original real-time aerosol exposure system, centered around a self-designed microfluidic bionic-lung chip, to assess the biological effects following exposure to aerosols from different solvents (PG, PG/VG mixture alone and PG/VG mixture in combination with nicotine) on BEAS-2B cells. The study aimed to investigate the impact of aerosols from different solvents on gene expression profiles, intracellular biomarkers (i.e., reactive oxygen species content, nitric oxide content, and caspase-3/7 activity), and extracellular biomarkers (i.e., IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and malondialdehyde) of BEAS-2B cells on-chip. Transcriptome analyses suggest that ribosomal function could serve as a potential target for the impact of aerosols derived from various solvents on the biological responses of BEAS-2B cells on-chip. And the results showed that aerosols of PG/VG mixtures had significantly less effect on intracellular and extracellular biomarkers in BEAS-2B cells than aerosols of PG, whereas increasing nicotine levels might elevate these effects of aerosol from PG/VG mixture.

Analysis of the response to cigarette smoke exposure in cell coculture and monoculture based on bionic-lung microfluidic chips.

BACKGROUND: In vitro toxicity assessment studies with various experimental models and exposure modalities frequently generate diverse outcomes. In the prevalent experimental, aerosol pollutants are dissolved in culture medium through capture for exposure to two-dimensional planar cellular models in multiwell plates via immersion. However, this approach can generate restricted and inconclusive experimental data, significantly constraining the applicability of risk assessment outcomes. Herein, the in vitro cocultivation of lung epithelial and/or vascular endothelial cells was performed using self-designed bionic-lung microfluidic chip housing a gas-concentration gradient generator (GCGG) unit. Exposure experiments involving a concentration gradient of cigarette smoke (CS) aerosol were then conducted through an original assembled real-time aerosol exposure system. RESULTS: Transcriptomic analysis revealed a potential involvement of the cGMP-signaling pathway following online CS aerosol exposure on different cell culture models. Furthermore, distinct responses to different concentrations of CS aerosol exposure on different culture models were highlighted by detecting inflammation- and oxidative stress-related biomarkers (i.e., cell viability, reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, GM-CSF, malondialdehyde, and superoxide dismutase). SIGNIFICANT: The results underscore the importance of improving chip biomimicry while addressing multi-throughput demands, given the substantial influence of the coculture model on cellular responses triggered by CS. Furthermore, the coculture model exhibited a mutually beneficial protective effect on cells at low CS concentrations within the GCGG unit, yet revealed a mutually amplified damaging effect at higher CS concentrations in contrast to the monoculture model.

The application of a self-designed microfluidic lung chip in the assessment of different inhalable aerosols.

Microfluidic-based assessment platforms have recently attracted considerable attention and have been widely used for evaluating in vitro toxic effects. In the present study, we developed an original real-time aerosol exposure system, which focused on a self-designed microfluidic chip, in order to evaluate the toxicological effects following exposure to inhalable aerosols. The three-layer structured microfluidic chip enables real-time aerosol exposure at the gas-liquid interface. The comprehensive detection of toxic effect biomarkers based on this assessment platform encompasses transcriptomics, in situ fluorescence detection, and the identification of extracellular secretagogues. Correspondingly, the effects of selected inhalable aerosols such as cigarette smoke (CS), heated tobacco product smoke (HS), and electronic cigarette smoke (ES) on gene expression profiles, cell viability, intracellular biomarkers (reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide), apoptosis (caspase-3/7 activity), and extracellular biomarkers (IL-8, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and malondialdehyde) in the BEAS-2B cells present on the chip were investigated. Following exposure to aerosols derived from CS, HS, and ES, the transcriptome analysis revealed differential expression in these cells. In addition, the overlapping DEGs from the different treatment groups were found to be primarily associated with stimuli and inflammatory responses. Correspondingly, each of the three categories of selected inhalable aerosols was confirmed to induce significant changes in biomarkers that were associated with toxic effects. These results suggest that the original real-time aerosol exposure system centered around a self-designed chip can be applied to the toxic effect evaluation of inhalable aerosol exposure.

Glycomyces niveus sp. nov., a novel actinomycete isolated from sandy soil.

A novel mycelium-forming actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-S30T, was isolated from the sandy soil of a sea beach in Shouguang city, Shandong province, PR China. The strain developed long chains of non-motile cylindrical spores with smooth surfaces on aerial mycelia. The results of a polyphasic taxonomic study indicated that NEAU-S30T represented a member of the genus Glycomyces. The results of 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that NEAU-S30T was closely related to 'Glycomycesluteolus' (98.97 % sequence similarity), Glycomycesalgeriensis (98.90 %), 'Glycomyces tritici' (98.83 %) and Glycomyces lechevalierae (98.76 %). The average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between NEAU-S30T and 'G. luteolus' NEAU-A15, G. algeriensis DSM 44727T, 'G. tritici' NEAU-C2 and G. lechevalierae DSM 44724T were 87.77, 87.53, 87.41 and 87.80 %, respectively. The digital DNA G+C content of the genomic DNA was 70.5 %. The whole-cell sugars contained ribose and xylose. The predominant menaquinones were MK-10(H2), MK-10(H4) and MK-10(H6). The predominant fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. The polar lipid profile consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphoglycolipid, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and an unidentified glycolipid. On the basis of the results of comparative analysis of genotypic, phenotypic and chemotaxonomic data, the novel actinomycete strain NEAU-S30T (=JCM 33975T=CGMCC 4.7890T) represents the type strain of a novel species within the genus Glycomyces, for which the name Glycomyces niveus sp. nov. is proposed.

Streptomyces herbicida sp. nov., a novel actinomycete with antibacterial and herbicidal activity isolated from soil.

A novel actinobacterial strain (NEAU-HV9T) showing antibacterial activity against Ralstonia solanacearum and herbicidal activity against Amaranthus retroflexus L. was isolated from soil sampled in Bama yao Autonomous County, Hechi City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The strain is aerobic and Gram-positive. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain NEAU-HV9T belonged to the genus Streptomyces and showed high 16S rRNA sequence similarity to Streptomyces panaciradicis 1MR-8T (98.90 %), Streptomyces sasae JR-39T (98.89 %) and Streptomyces barringtoniae JA03T (98.69 %) and less than 98.5 % similarity to other members of the genus Streptomyces. The cell wall of strain NEAU-HV9T contained ll-diaminopimelic acid and the whole-cell hydrolysates were galactose, mannose and ribose. The predominant menaquinones were composed of MK-9(H2) and MK-9(H8). The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. The major fatty acids were C16 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C17 : 1 ω8c. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain NEAU-HV9T was 70.6 mol%. Furthermore, the strain could be clearly distinguished from its closely related type strains by the combination of DNA-DNA hybridization results and some phenotypic characteristics. Meanwhile, strain NEAU-HV9T displayed herbicidal activity. Therefore, strain NEAU-HV9T represents a novel species within the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces herbicida sp. nov. is proposed, with strain NEAU-HV9T (=CCTCC AA 2019088T=DSM 113364T) as the type strain.

Actinoplanes sandaracinus sp. nov., a novel ligninase- producing and cellulose-degrading actinobacterium isolated from soil.

A novel ligninase-producing and cellulose-degrading actinobacterium, designated strain NEAU-A12T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from Aohan banner, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, PR China. A polyphasic taxonomic study was used to establish the status of strain NEAU-A12T. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain NEAU-A12T belonged to the genus Actinoplanes and showed the highest similarity (98.3 %) to Actinoplanes palleronii DSM 43940T, while showing less than 98.3 % similarity to other members of the genus Actinoplanes. The phospholipid profile contained diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and glycosylphosphatidylinositol. The diagnostic sugars in cell hydrolysates were determined to be arabinose, glucose and xylose. The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H4), MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H2). The major fatty acids were C15 : 0, C16 : 0, C16 : 1 ω7c and C17 : 0. Meanwhile, genomic analysis revealed a genome size of 10 192 524 bp and a DNA G+C content of 70.6 mol%, and indicated that strain NEAU-A12T had the potential to degrade lignin and cellulose, as well as produce bioactive compounds. In addition, the average nucleotide identity values between strain NEAU-A12T and its reference strains A. palleronii DSM 43940T, Actinoplanes regularis DSM 43151T, Actinoplanes philippinensis DSM 43019T, Actinoplanes xinjiangensis DSM 45184T and Actinoplanes italicus DSM 43146T were 80.3, 80.3, 84.1, 84.3 and 84.0 %, respectively. The levels of digital DNA-DNA hybridization between them were found to be 23.6 % (21.3-26.1 %), 23.8 % (21.5-26.3 %), 28.3 % (25.9-30.8 %), 28.6 % (26.0-30.9 %) and 28.4 % (26.2-31.1 %), respectively. Based on phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genotypic data, strain NEAU-A12T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Actinoplanes, for which the name Actinoplanes sandaracinus sp. nov. is proposed, with NEAU-A12T (=CCTCC AA 2020039T=DSM 112043T) as the type strain.

Combining a lung microfluidic chip exposure model with transcriptomic analysis to evaluate the inflammation in BEAS-2B cells exposed to cigarette smoke.

BACKGROUND: Typically, in vitro studies on the exposure of complex gaseous substances are performed in multi-well plate experiments by trapping and redissolving them, which could introduce potential bias into the results due to the use of inadequate trapping methods. Therefore, a more effective method is to expose complex gaseous substances in gaseous form online, such as using microfluidic chips in experiments. To address these challenges, we introduce a methodology that integrates a self-designed bionic-lung chip with transcriptome analysis to assess the impact of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure on changes in BEAS-2B cells cultured on-chip. RESULTS: After the microfluidic chip underwent online gas exposure, total RNA was extracted via in situ cell lysis, and RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis was conducted. And the RNA-Seq findings revealed the significant involvement of the MAPK signaling pathway associated with the inflammatory response in the cellular effects induced by CS exposure. Moreover, the validation of inflammatory response-related biomarkers through in situ fluorescence corroborated the outcomes of the transcriptome analysis. Besides, the experiment involving the inhibition of inflammation by DEX on the microfluidic chip provided additional confirmation of the previous experimental findings. SIGNIFICANT: In this study, we present an analytical strategy that combines microfluidic-based CS in situ exposure method with RNA-Seq technology. This strategy offers an experimental scheme for in situ exposure to complex gases, transcriptome analysis, and in situ fluorescence detection. Through the integration of the comprehensiveness of transcriptome analysis with the chip's direct and intuitive in situ fluorescence detection with the stability and reliability of RT-PCR and Western blot experiments, we have successfully addressed the challenges associated with in vitro risk assessment for online exposure to complex gaseous substances.

A Giant Heterometallic Polyoxometalate Nanocluster for Enhanced Brain-Targeted Glioma Therapy.

Giant heterometallic polyoxometalate (POM) clusters with precise atom structures, flexibly adjustable and abundant active sites are promising for constructing functional nanodrugs. However, current POM drugs are almost vacant in orthotopic brain tumor therapy due to the inability to effectively penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and low drug activity. Here, we designed the largest (3.0 nm × 6.0 nm) transition-metal-lanthanide co-encapsulated POM cluster {[Ce10 Ag6 (DMEA)(H2 O)27 W22 O70 ][B-α-TeW9 O33 ]9 }2 88- featuring 238 metal centers via synergistic coordination between two geometry-unrestricted Ce3+ and Ag+ linkers with tungsten-oxo cluster fragments. This POM was combined with brain-targeted peptide to prepare a brain-targeted nanodrug that could efficiently traverse BBB and target glioma cells. The Ag+ active centers in the nanodrug specifically activate reactive oxygen species to regulate the apoptosis pathway of glioma cells with a low half-maximal inhibitory concentration (5.66 µM). As the first brain-targeted POM drug, it efficiently prolongs the survival of orthotopic glioma-bearing mice.

Anthocyanins-natural pigment of colored rice bran: Composition and biological activities.

Rice by-products are a potential source of various bioactive substances with great processing potential, which are receiving increasing attention. Among them, rice bran is a by-product of rice milling, with high nutritional value and health benefits. Colored rice bran contains a large amount of anthocyanins responsible for color and bioactivities. And anthocyanins are often added to foods as a natural pigment, serving to enhance both the visual appeal and nutritional value. Recent advances in the composition and bioactivities of four common colored rice bran anthocyanins (black, purple, red, and purple red rice) are reviewed in this paper. Rice bran anthocyanins have been confirmed to exhibit biological potential for human health, with their main biological activities being antioxidant, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-cancer, neuroprotective, retinoprotective, immunomodulatory, anti-aging and anti-obesity effects. The structure of anthocyanins determines their biological activities. The anthocyanins composition of rice bran with different colors varied greatly, while that of rice bran with the same color is also slightly different, which is attributed to the rice varieties, growing environment and cropping conditions. However, it remains necessary to conduct further clinical studies to support the health activities of anthocyanins. The present review provides information value for the further development and comprehensive utilization of rice bran anthocyanins.

Investigation on Cr(VI)-bioreduction mechanism and reduction products by a novel Microbacterium sp. strain NEAU-W11.

Cr(VI) widely exists in the environment and has highly toxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects on all organisms. Physical/chemical methods to remove chromium pollution are economically expensive and have disadvantages like high reagent consumption, energy requirements and so on, while bioremediation is an eco-friendly, simple and cost-effective way. In this study, a novel Cr(VI)-reducing strain, Microbacterium sp. NEAU-W11, was reported, and its reduction mechanism was investigated. Microbacterium sp. NEAU-W11 could effectively degrade Cr(VI) under the conditions of pH 7-10, 15-35 °C, and the coexistence of metal pollutants such as Pb and Ni, etc. In addition, both Fe3+ and Cu2+ could improve the reducing ability of strain NEAU-W11, and glucose and lactose as electron donors also had promoting effect. Heat treatment of resting cells confirmed that chromium removal was not biological sorption but biological reduction. The active reductase of strain NEAU-W11 to chromium(VI) mainly existed in the cell cytoplasm, which is the first report in the genus Microbacterium. Micro-characterization of strain NEAU-W11 and the reduction products identified the reduction products as Cr(III)-ligand complexes bound to extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). Collectively, this study systematically investigated the degradation mechanism of Microbacterium sp. NEAU-W11 and the distribution of degradation product Cr(III), providing a new reduction mechanism for the genus Microbacterium, providing a new perspective for a comprehensive understanding of the degradation and transport of chromium by bacteria, and providing theoretical reference for the migration of metal ions in environmental governance.

Multi-CeIII-Inserted Phospho(III)tungstate Containing Three Building Units with Prominent Peroxidase-Mimicking Activity for Detecting l-Cysteine.

An attractive isonicotinic acid-ornamented octa-CeIII-inserted phospho(III)tungstate [H2N(CH3)2]6Na8[Ce8(H2O)30W8Na2O20(INA)4][HPIIIW4O17]2[HPIIIW9O33]4·30H2O (1-Ce) (HINA = isonicotinic acid) has been isolated through the deliberately designed one-step assembly strategy, in which the HPO32- heteroanion template was introduced into the Ce3+/WO42- system in the presence of HINA. The polyoxoanion of 1-Ce consists of two identical [Ce4(H2O)15W4NaO10(INA)2][HPIIIW4O17][HPIIIW9O33]2}7- subunits linked by Ce-O-W bonds. The polyoxoanion exhibits three kinds of polyoxotungstate building blocks [W4NaO20(INA)2]17-, [HPIIIW4O17]6-, and [HPIIIW9O33]8-, in which [W4NaO20(INA)2]17- and [HPIIIW4O17]6- building units can be considered as seeds driven by the coordination of additional Ce3+ ions to induce aggregation of [HPIIIW9O33]8- fragments. Furthermore, 1-Ce possesses high peroxidase-like activity and can oxidize 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine in the presence of H2O2 with a turnover rate of 6.20 × 10-3 s-1. Because l-cysteine (l-Cys) can reduce oxTMB to TMB, the detection of l-Cys was established based on the 1-Ce-based H2O2 colorimetric biosensing platform with the linear range of 5-100 µM and the limit of detection of 4.28 µM. This work not only can expand the scientific research studies on coordination chemistry and materials chemistry of rare-earth-inserted polyoxotungstates but also can provide practical application possibility in clinical diagnosis using liquid biopsy.

Evaluation of cigarette smoke-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in BEAS-2B cells based on a lung microfluidic chip.

Oxidative stress and inflammation induced by cigarette smoking are associated with the pathology process of various chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. Compared with conventional cell culture techniques, microfluidic chips can provide a continuous nutrient supply, mimic the in vivo physiological microenvironment of the cells, and conduct an integrated and flexible analysis of cell status and functions. Here, we designed and fabricated a bionic-lung chip, which was applied to perform cigarette smoke exposure of BEAS-2B cells cultured at the gas-liquid interface. The oxidative stress and inflammation in the cells exposed to cigarette smoke were investigated on chip. The results showed that cellular damage, oxidative stress and inflammatory response induced by cigarette smoke in the chip were dependent on smoke concentration and time after smoke exposure. N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly inhibited these effects of cigarette smoke exposure on the cells at the gas-liquid interface within the chip.

Sphaerisporangium perillae sp. nov., isolated from the root of Perilla frutescens (Linn.) Britt.

A novel protease-producing actinomycete, designated strain NEAU-ZS1T, was isolated from the root of Perilla frutescens (Linn.) Britt collected from Jiamusi, Heilongjiang, PR China. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing showed that strain NEAU-ZS1T belonged to the genus Sphaerisporangium and was most closely related to 'Sphaerisporangium corydalis' NEAU-YHS15T (99.2%) and Sphaerisporangium cinnabarinum JCM 3291T (99.0%). Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that strain NEAU-ZS1T formed a monophyletic clade with 'S. corydalis' NEAU-YHS15T. The genome size was 9.3 Mbp with a DNA G+C content of 70.3 mol%. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization, average nucleotide identity and average amino acid identity values between the genome sequence of strain NEAU-ZS1T and those of 'S. corydalis' NEAU-YHS15T (28.6, 83.9 and 79.1 %) and S. cinnabarinum JCM 3291T (18.5, 70.6 and 50.2 %) were below the recommended thresholds for species delineation. The strain formed spherical spore vesicles produced on the aerial hyphae. The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid and the whole-cell sugars were glucose and madurose. The polar lipids consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, an unidentified phospholipid and an unidentified glycolipid. The menaquinones were MK-9(H4), MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H2). The major fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0, C16 : 1 ω5c, 10-methy C17 : 0 and C17 : 1 ω7c. On the basis of the results of a polyphasic taxonomic study, it is concluded that strain NEAU-ZS1T represents a novel species of the genus Sphaerisporangium, for which the name Sphaerisporangium perillae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is NEAU-ZS1T (=CCTCC AA 2021019T= JCM 35655T).

Description of Jidongwangia harbinensis gen. nov. sp. nov.

During our previous study, strain NEAU-J3T was classified as representing a novel genus 'Wangella' within the family Micromonosporaceae. Nevertheless, it is a great pity the name cannot be validated as the proposed genus name is illegitimate (Principle 2 of the ICNP). In this study, we describe Jidongwangia as a novel genus within the family Micromonosporaceae and a polyphasic approach was used to provide evidence to support the classification. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of the type strain is 71.6 %. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values could be used to differentiate NEAU-J3T from its related type strains. The phenotypic, genetic and chemotaxonomic data also indicated that NEAU-J3T occupies a branch separated from those of known genera in the family Micromonosporaceae. Therefore, NEAU-J3T represents a novel species of a novel genus in the family Micromonosporaceae, for which the name Jidongwangia harbinensis gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of Jidongwangia harbinensis is NEAU-J3T (= CGMCC 4.7039T = DSM 45747T).

Sisal-Fiber-Reinforced Polypropylene Flame-Retardant Composites: Preparation and Properties.

Natural-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites with a series of advantages including light weight, chemical durability, renewable resources, low in cost, etc., are being widely used in many fields such as the automotive industry, packaging, and construction. However, the flammability of plant fiber and the PP matrix restricts the application range, security, and use of these composites. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the flame retardants of such composites. In this paper, sisal-fiber-reinforced polypropylene (PP/SF) flame-retardant composites were prepared using the two-step melt blending method. The flame retardant used was an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) composed of silane-coated ammonium polyphosphate (Si-APP) and pentaerythritol (PER). The influence of different blending processes on the flammability and mechanical properties of the composites was analyzed. The findings suggested that PP/SF flame-retardant composites prepared via different blending processes showed different flame-retardant properties. The (PP/SF)/IFR composite prepared by PP/SF secondary blending with IFR showed excellent flame-retardant performance, with a limited oxygen index of about 28.3% and passing the UL-94 V-0 rating (3.2 mm) in the vertical combustion test. Compared with the (PP/IFR) /SF composite prepared by a matrix primarily blended with IFR and then secondly blended with SF, the peak heat release rate (pk HRR) and total heat release (THR) of the (PP/SF)/IFR composite decreased by 11.3% and 13.7%, respectively. In contrast, the tensile strength of the (PP/SF)/IFR system was 5.3% lower than that of the (PP/IFR)/SF system; however, the overall mechanical (tensile, flexural, and notched impact) properties of the composites prepared using three different mixing processes were similar.

Design of a microfluidic lung chip and its application in assessing the toxicity of formaldehyde.

In this work, a microfluidic lung chip with membrane supporting cell growth that can produce multiple concentration gradients of gas and liquid is introduced. The chip is composed of a gas gradient layer in the upper part, a porous membrane supporting cell growth in the middle and a liquid gradient layer in the lower part. The gas-liquid interface environment of the cells on the membrane can expose the cells to the gas in the upper layer and the liquid in the lower layer at the same time. Then, the chip is applied to the toxicity testing of formaldehyde in A549 cells. The results showed that at 6 × 10-5 mol/L formaldehyde, the survival rate of the cells in four channels were 90, 87, 81, and 71%, which shows a dose-response trend under the influence of different concentrations of formaldehyde. ROS staining results also showed that formaldehyde exposure at 6 × 10-5 mol/L lead to the increase of ROS level in the cells. These results suggest that the chip based on cell growth on membrane could be used for toxicological evaluation of environmental polluting gases.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) integration signature in cervical lesions: identification of MACROD2 gene as HPV hot spot integration site.

BACKGROUND: High-risk HPV is clearly associated with cervical cancer. Integration of HPV DNA into the host genome is considered a key event in driving cervical carcinogenesis. However, the mechanism on how HR-HPV integration influences the host genome structure has remained enigmatic. METHODS: In our study, 25 DNA samples including 11 from fresh-frozen cervical carcinomas and 14 from fresh-frozen high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSILs) were detected using the method of HPV capture combined with next generation sequencing. RESULTS: We calculated the frequency in each viral gene or region and found that breakpoints were prone to occur in L1 and L2 instead of E2 in the cervical cancer (P = 0.0004 and P = 5.15 × 10-40) and HSIL group (P = 2.1 × 10-32 and P = 7.06 × 10-13). The results revealed that HPV16 showed a strong tendency toward intronic region (P = 5.02 × 10-64) but a subtle tendency toward intergenic region (P = 0.04). The most frequent integration site was in the MACROD2 gene (introns 2, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9), which in MACROD2 functional domain. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that MACROD2 is HPV hot spot integration site in cervical lesions, and its deficiency alter DNA repair and sensitivity to DNA damage thought impaired PARP1 activity resulting in chromosome instability.