Aliibacillus thermotolerans gen. nov., sp. nov.: a thermophilic and heterotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacterium from compost.

A novel moderately thermophilic and heterotrophic ammonia-oxidizing bacterium, designated strain BM62T, was isolated from compost in the thermophilic stage in Harbin, China. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene indicated that strain BM62T belongs to the family Bacillaceae within the class Bacilli and was most closely related to Alteribacillus iranensis X5BT (only 94.6% sequence similarity). Cells of strain BM62T were Gram-positive, rod-shaped, motile by periflagella, catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Growth of strain BM62T was observed at salinities of 0-4% (optimum 2-3%), temperatures of 35-65 °C (optimum 50 °C) and pH values of 5-9 (optimum pH 7). The major cellular fatty acid was iso-C16:0, and the predominant ubiquinone was MK-7. The peptidoglycan type is A1γ, and meso-diaminopimelic acid was the diagnostic diamino acid. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phospholipid and phosphatidylglycerol. The G + C content of its genomic DNA was 36.5 mol%. Data from this polyphasic taxonomy study suggested that strain BM62T should be classified as the type strain of the type species of a new genus within the family Bacillaceae for which the name Aliibacillus thermotolerans gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species Aliibacillus thermotolerans sp. nov. is BM62T (= DSM 101851T = CGMCC 1.15790T). The respective DPD Taxon Number is GA00057.

Randomized, Controlled Trial: Efficacy of Ultrasound and Exercise in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis.

CONTEXT: The aim in treating ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is to reduce patients' symptoms, including pain, stiffness, and fatigue; to correct their posture; and to improve their quality of life. Currently, no definitive therapy is available for treating AS. Previous studies have reported positive results regarding the efficacy of exercise. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of ultrasound, combined with exercise, in patients with AS. DESIGN: The research team designed a randomized, double-blind, 2-arm parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: The study took place at the Affiliated Hongqi Hospital of Mudanjiang Medical University (Mudanjiang, China). PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 62 individuals with AS who were patients at the hospital. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups: (1) the intervention group, who received exercise and ultrasound therapy; or (2) the control group, who received exercise and placebo ultrasound therapy, without an active probe, both for 8 wk. OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome measures included (1) the numerical rating scale (NRS), (2) the Bath ankylosing spondylitis metrology index (BASMI), (3) the Bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index (BASDAI), (4) the Bath ankylosing spondylitis functional index (BASFI), and (5) the ankylosing spondylitis quality of life (ASQoL) questionnaire. All outcomes were measured at baseline and at the end of 4 and 8 wk of treatment. RESULT: Fifty-seven patients fulfilled the requirements of the study. Ultrasound and exercise therapy showed greater efficacy than the placebo ultrasound and exercise in decreasing the scores for the NRS, daily and at night; the BASMI; the BASDAI; the BASFI; and the ASQoL, at the end of both 4 and 8 wk of treatment. No adverse events were noted in either group. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that 8 wk of ultrasound and exercise therapy was efficacious in patients with AS.

[Prediction on spatial migration of suitable distribution of Elaeagnus mollis under climate change conditions in Shanxi Province, China]. / æ°”å€™å˜åŒ–æ¡ä»¶ä¸‹å±±è¥¿ç¿ æžœæ²¹æ ‘é€‚å®œåˆ†å¸ƒåŒºçš„ç©ºé—´è¿ç§»é¢„æµ‹.

The impacts of climate change on biodiversity and its adaptation will directly affect the efficiency of biodiversity conservation. Predicting spatial variation of suitable habitats of threatened species under future climate change has important theoretical and practical significance for biodiversity conservation. In this study, we predicted the suitable distribution of Elaeagnus mollis, an endemic endangered plant in China, under climate change at regional scales. Then, we simulated the spatial variation and migration tend of suitable distribution under different climate change scenarios by spatial analysis. The results from Maxent model showed that the two suitable distribution areas of E. mollis presented different migration trends under the future climate change scenarios: the suitable areas of Lyuliang Mountain would fluctuate slightly in latitudinal direction, while that in Zhongtiao Mountain would migrate to high elevation. Analysis of the spatial pattern change of the suitable areas indicated that the areas with obvious change occurred at the boundary of the suitable areas of E. mollis, including new suitable area and lost suitable area. The new suitable areas were scattered in the marginal of the original, with the increase rate of 9.1% to 20.9%, and the lost suitable areas were concentrated in the northern Lyuliang Mountain suitable areas and the southeast Zhongtiao Mountain suitable areas, with the loss rate of 16.4% to 31.1%. These regions were more sensitive to climate change. Using the classification statistical tool of Zonal, we found that the central points of the Lyuliang Mountain suitable areas showed southward migration trend under the future climate change, with the maximum migration distance of 7.451 km, while the center point of the Zhongtiao Mountain suitable areas showed migration trend to the northwest, with the maximum migration distance of 8.284 km. Our results indicated that the response of E. mollis distribution in Shanxi to climate change was intense.

[Flora and geographic pattern of mountain forests at community level in Taihang Mountains: Results based on plant community survey]. / å¤ªè¡Œå±±å±±åœ°æ£®æž—ç¾¤è½æ¤ç‰©åŒºç³»ä¸Žåœ°ç†æ ¼å±€­­åŸºäºŽæ¤ç‰©ç¾¤è½æ¸ 查数据.

Taihang Mountains is located on the eastern edge of the second step of Chinese topography, which is the natural boundary between Loess Plateau and North China Plain and is considered as one of the important priority areas for biodiversity conservation in China. We took 108 counties involved in the generalized Taihang Mountains as the research area to systematically analyze the characteristics of family and genus characters, floristic composition, geographical pattern of plant diversity and species richness hotspots at community level of mountain forests in Taihang Mountains. A total of 963 species of seed plants belonging to 447 genera and 100 families were recorded in 778 forest plots in Taihang Mountains. Within all the species, 12 species of gymnosperms belonging to 7 genera of 3 families, 951 species of angiosperms belonging to 440 genera of 97 families. Herbaceous plants (71.1%) was the dominant life form. The distribution types of families were mainly tropical (38%) and temperate (24%), and the distribution types of genera were mainly temperate (68.7%). The horizontal distribution pattern of plant diversity showed a trend of increasing from southwest to northeast. Species richness was positively correlated with the latitude and longitude. However, the richness patterns of different life-form plants were different, in that herbaceous richness was positively correlated with the longitude and latitude but that of woody plants was not. In the vertical gradient, plant richness of Taihang Mountains presented a single-peak distribution, which was concentrated in the low and middle elevations of 400-1800 m and peaked at 1000-1200 m. Based on the community inventory data, we mapped plant richness of Taihang Mountain forest community. The mountain areas such as Xiaowutai Mountain, Yuntai Mountain, Taiyue Mountain, Wangwu Mountain and Zhongtiao Mountain were identified as hotspots of plant richness, which should be included in the key planning and management areas of the Taihang Mountains priority protection.

Ultrasound combined with fine needle aspiration cytology for the assessment of axillary lymph nodes in patients with early stage breast cancer.

This study aimed to explore the clinical usefulness of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (USG-FNAC) for the evaluation of axillary lymph nodes in patients with early stage breast cancer (BC) among the Chinese Han female population.Around 124 patients with early stage BC were included in this retrospective study. All patients underwent USG-FNAC (group A). Patients with proven metastasis also underwent axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) (group B). In addition, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) was performed 2 to 5 hours prior to the surgery.The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive value (PPV) of axillary ultrasound were 75.0%, 75.0%, 75.0%, and 82.6%, respectively, while for USG-FNAC, they were 80.8%, 100.0%, 88.7%, and 100.0%, respectively. Significant differences were found in specificity, accuracy, and PPV between the 2 procedures (P < .05).The results of this study demonstrated that USG-FNAC was effective for selecting patients with early stage BC using ALND or SLNB among the Chinese Han female population.

Ultrasound for postoperative surveillance after mastectomy in patients with breast cancer: A retrospective study.

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical usefulness of postoperative surveillance by ultrasound (PSU) in patients after breast cancer surgery.In this retrospective study, 324 patients with breast cancer after mastectomy were included between January 2006 and December 2008. The final-positive lesions (FPL) were diagnosed according to the results of cytopathology, clinical and imaging examinations. The outcome evaluations included the sensitivity (SS), specificity (SC), ultrasound accuracy for FPL (UAFPL), and positive predictive value (PPV) after the mastectomy.A total of 5117 ultrasound examinations were conducted for all those patients to the December 2016. After mastectomy, the SS, SC, UAFPL, and PPV were as follows: mastectomy bed (SS, 100.0%; SC, 99.7%; UAFPL, 99.7%; and PPV, 36.0%), contralateral breast (SS, 100.0%; SC, 99.0%; UAFPL, 99.0%; and PPV, 25.4%), ipsilateral axillary or supraclavicular (SS, 91.7%; SC, 99.4%; UAFPL, 99.4%; and PPV, 25.6%), and contralateral axilla or supraclavicular lymph nodes (SS, 100.0%; SC, 99.9%; UAFPL, 99.9%; and PPV, 33.3%).In summary, we demonstrated that applied PSU can detect the malignant lesions in the breast regional area with high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.

[Evaluation of color Doppler flow imaging in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of spermatic cord torsion].

OBJECTIVE: To distinguish spermatic cord torsion from acute orchitis by color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI). METHODS: Thirteen patients with acute orchialgia were examined by CDFI. The clinical data of diagnosis and treatment were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: The findings of CDFI showed lower or even no blood flow in the testes in 8 cases, which were diagnosed as spermatic cord torsion. Among them, 1 received manual detorsion and 7 were proved by operations. The other 5 showed abundant blood flow signal in the testes and were diagnosed as acute orchitis or epididymo-orchitis. After the use of antibiotics, their symptoms were relieved and the blood flow of the testes reduced upon reexamination. CONCLUSIONS: CDFI plays an important role in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of spermatic cord torsion, and could be regarded as a detecting method of first choice for patients of acute orchialgia.

Association of serum angiopoietin-like protein 2 and epinephrine levels in metabolically healthy but obese individuals: In vitro and in vivo evidence.

In the present study, we explored the association of serum angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2) levels with insulin sensitivity and serum epinephrine levels in metabolically healthy but obese (MHO) subjects. We also investigated the effects of epinephrine on ANGPTL2 expression in adipocytes in vitro. We examined the metabolic characteristics and serum ANGPTL2 and epinephrine levels in 100 non-diabetic obese postmenopausal women. Subjects were classified as MHO (n=25) or at-risk (n=25) based on the upper and lower quartiles of insulin sensitivity, respectively. Differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with increasing doses of epinephrine (10, 30 and 50 nM) in the presence or absence of phentolamine (10 µM), propranolol (0.3 µM), LY294002 (50 µM) or protein kinase A inhibitor fragment 6-22 amide (PKAI, 1 mM) for 24 h. We observed that serum ANGPTL2 levels were negatively correlated with insulin sensitivity (r=-0.23, P=0.021) and serum epinephrine level (r=-0.62, P<0.001) in the study subjects, with the MHO subjects displaying significantly lower serum ANGPTL2 and higher serum epinephrine levels than the at-risk subjects. Epinephrine reduced the ANGPTL2 mRNA and protein levels in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Propranolol and PKAI were able to eliminate this reduction in ANGPTL2 levels whereas phentolamine and LY294002 were not. The in vitro findings indicated that epinephrine decreased ANGPTL expression at the mRNA and protein levels via the ß-adrenoceptors and the PKA signaling pathway. This study suggests that ß-receptor activation helps to maintain the metabolic profile of MHO individuals and prevent type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by decreasing serum ANGPTL2 levels.