Blood leukocytes as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for thyroid nodules: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid nodule (TN) patients in China are subject to overdiagnosis and overtreatment. The implementation of existing technologies such as thyroid ultrasonography has indeed contributed to the improved diagnostic accuracy of TNs. However, a significant issue persists, where many patients undergo unnecessary biopsies, and patients with malignant thyroid nodules (MTNs) are advised to undergo surgery therapy. METHODS: This study included a total of 293 patients diagnosed with TNs. Differential methylation haplotype blocks (MHBs) in blood leukocytes between MTNs and benign thyroid nodules (BTNs) were detected using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (RRBS). Subsequently, an artificial intelligence blood leukocyte DNA methylation (BLDM) model was designed to optimize the management and treatment of patients with TNs for more effective outcomes. RESULTS: The DNA methylation profiles of peripheral blood leukocytes exhibited distinctions between MTNs and BTNs. The BLDM model we developed for diagnosing TNs achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.858 in the validation cohort and 0.863 in the independent test cohort. Its specificity reached 90.91% and 88.68% in the validation and independent test cohorts, respectively, outperforming the specificity of ultrasonography (43.64% in the validation cohort and 47.17% in the independent test cohort), albeit with a slightly lower sensitivity (83.33% in the validation cohort and 82.86% in the independent test cohort) compared to ultrasonography (97.62% in the validation cohort and 100.00% in the independent test cohort). The BLDM model could correctly identify 89.83% patients whose nodules were suspected malignant by ultrasonography but finally histological benign. In micronodules, the model displayed higher specificity (93.33% in the validation cohort and 92.00% in the independent test cohort) and accuracy (88.24% in the validation cohort and 87.50% in the independent test cohort) for diagnosing TNs. This performance surpassed the specificity and accuracy observed with ultrasonography. A TN diagnostic and treatment framework that prioritizes patients is provided, with fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy performed only on patients with indications of MTNs in both BLDM and ultrasonography results, thus avoiding unnecessary biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to demonstrate the potential of non-invasive blood leukocytes in diagnosing TNs, thereby making TN diagnosis and treatment more efficient in China.

Clinical outcomes of percutaneous microwave ablation for pulmonary oligometastases from hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary oligometastases are common in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), however, the existing therapeutic options have several limitations. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) in the treatment of HCC-originating pulmonary oligometastases. METHODS: A total of 83 patients, comprising 73 males and 10 females with a median age of 57 years, who had pulmonary oligometastases from HCC, underwent MWA treatment at four different medical institutions. Inclusion criteria for patients involved having primary HCC under control and having less than three oligometastases with a maximum diameter of ≤ 5 cm in the unilateral lung or less than five oligometastases with a maximum diameter of ≤ 3 cm in the bilateral lung. A total of 147 tumors were treated with MWA over 116 sessions. The primary endpoints assessed included technical success, treatment efficacy, and local progression rate, while secondary endpoints encompassed complications, clinical outcomes, overall survival (OS), local progression-free survival (LPFS), and prognostic factors. RESULTS: The technical success rate for MWA was 100% (116/116 sessions), and the treatment efficacy rate was 82.3% (121/147 tumors). Six months after MWA, the local progression rate was 23.1% (18/147 tumors). Complications were observed in 10.3% (major) and 47.4% (minor) of the 116 sessions, with no cases of ablation-related deaths. The median follow-up period was 21.6 months (range: 5.7-87.8 months). Median OS was 22.0 months, and the 1-, 2-, and 3-year OS rates were 82.6%, 44.5%, and 25.2%, respectively. Median LPFS was 8.5 months. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified α-fetoprotein (AFP) levels during initial diagnosis and the number of oligometastases as potential independent prognostic factors for OS (p = 0.017 and 0.045, respectively). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous MWA is a safe and effective treatment modality for pulmonary oligometastases originating from HCC.

MeIS: DNA methylation-based immune response signatures for thyroid nodule diagnostics.

CONTEXT: Accurately distinguishing between benign thyroid nodules (BTNs) and papillary thyroid cancers (PTCs) with current conventional methods poses a significant challenge. OBJECTIVE: We identify DNA methylation markers of immune response-related genes for distinguishing BTNs and PTCs. METHODS: In this study, we analyzed a public reduced representative bisulfite sequencing (RRBS) dataset and revealed distinct methylation patterns associated with immune signals in PTCs and BTNs. Based on these findings, we developed a diagnostic classifier named as the Methylation-based Immune Response Signature (MeIS), which was composed of fifteen DNA methylation markers associated with immune response-related genes. We validated the MeIS's performance in two independent cohorts: ZS's retrospective cohort (50 PTC and 18 BTN surgery-leftover samples) and ZS's preoperative cohort (31 PTC and 30 BTN fine-needle aspiration (FNA) samples). RESULTS: The MeIS classifier demonstrated significant clinical promise, achieving AUCs of 0.96, 0.98, 0.89 and 0.90 in the training set, validation set, ZS's retrospective cohort, and ZS's preoperative cohort, respectively. For the cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules, in the ZS's retrospective cohort, MeIS exhibited a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 82%; in the ZS's preoperative cohort, MeIS achieved a sensitivity of 84% and a specificity of 74%. Additionally, combining MeIS and BRAFV600E detection improved the detecting performance of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules, yielding sensitivities of 98% and 87%, and specificities of 82% and 74% in the ZS's retrospective cohort and ZS's preoperative cohort, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The fifteen markers we identified can be employed to improve the diagnostic of cytologically indeterminate thyroid nodules.

Molecular Engineering of Bright NIR-I/NIR-II Nanofluorophores for High-Resolution Bioimaging and Tumor Detection in Vivo.

A comprehensive approach for the construction of NIR-I/NIR-II nanofluorophores with exceptional brightness and excellent chemo- and photostability has been developed. This study first confirmed that the amphiphilic molecules with stronger hydrophobic moieties and weaker hydrophilic moieties are superior candidates for constructing brighter nanofluorophores, which are attributed to its higher efficiency in suppressing the intramolecular charge transfer/aggregation-caused fluorescence quenching of donor-acceptor-donor type fluorophores. The prepared nanofluorophore demonstrates a fluorescence quantum yield exceeding 4.5% in aqueous solution and exhibits a strong NIR-II tail emission up to 1300 nm. The superior performance of the nanofluorophore enabled the achievement of high-resolution whole-body vessel imaging and brain vessel imaging, as well as high-contrast fluorescence imaging of the lymphatic system in vivo. Furthermore, their potential for highly sensitive fluorescence detection of tiny tumors in vivo has been successfully confirmed, thus supporting their future applications in precise fluorescence imaging-guided surgery in the early stages of cancer.

Hypoxia-activated cascade nanovaccine for synergistic chemoembolization-immune therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

In this work, a promising treatment strategy for triggering robust antitumor immune responses in transarterial chemoembolization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is presented. The zeolitic imidazolate framework nanoparticles loaded with hypoxia-activated prodrug tirapazamine and immune adjuvant resiquimod facilitated in situ generation of nanovaccine via a facile approach. The nanovaccine can strengthen the ability of killing the liver cancer cells under hypoxic environment, while was capable of improving immunogenic tumor microenvironment and triggering strong antitumor immune responses by increasing the primary and distant intratumoral infiltration of immune cells such as cytotoxic T cells. Moreover, a porous microcarrier, approved by FDA as pharmaceutical excipient, was designed to achieve safe and effective delivery of the nanovaccine via transarterial therapy in rabbit orthotopic VX2 liver cancer model. The microcarrier exhibited the characteristics of excellent drug loading and occlusion of peripheral artery. The collaborative delivery of the microcarrier and nanovaccine demonstrated an exciting inhibitory effect on solid tumors and tumor metastases, which provided a great potential as novel combination therapy for HCC interventional therapy.

Geographical differentiation of garlic based on HS-GC-IMS combined with multivariate statistical analysis.

Garlic is famous for its unique flavor and health benefits. An effective means of authenticating garlic's origin is through the implementation of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) scheme. However, the prevalence of fraudulent behavior raises concerns regarding the reliability of this system. In this study, garlic samples from six distinct production areas (G1: Cangshan garlic, G2: Qixian garlic, G3: Dali single clove garlic, G4: Jinxiang garlic, G5: Yongnian garlic, and G6: Badong garlic) underwent analysis using HS-GC-IMS. A total of 26 VOCs were detected in the samples. The differences in VOCs among the different garlic samples were visually presented in a two-dimensional topographic map and fingerprint map. Principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were employed to demonstrate the capacity of the HS-GC-IMS method for effectively distinguishing garlic samples from different geographical sources. Further screening based on the p-value and VIP score threshold identified 12 different aroma substances, which can be utilized for the identification of garlic from different producing areas. The fusion of HS-GC-IMS with multivariate statistical analysis proved to be a rapid, intuitive, and efficient approach for identifying and categorizing garlic VOCs, offering a novel strategy for ascertaining garlic origin and ensuring quality control.

An analytical overview of the composition and characteristics of China's food safety standards.

This paper discusses the framework of China's food safety standards and provides a brief overview of the problems and developmental characteristics of food safety in China. The composition and characteristics of China's food safety standards are revealed by an analysis of the changes in China's general food standards, an overview of the characteristics of the hygiene requirements in the production and operation process, and an introduction to food product and test method standards. In conclusion, Chinese food safety standards are still being improved, but they must also be effectively implemented and followed up in real time in order to continuously improve the quality of food and reduce food safety incidents. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Antifungal mechanism of rose, mustard, and their blended essential oils against Cladosporium allicinum isolated from Xinjiang naan and its storage application.

AIMS: To reveal the inhibition mechanism of rose, mustard, and blended essential oils against Cladosporium allicinum isolated from Xinjiang naan, and investigate the effect of the three essential oils on oxidative damage and energy metabolism. METHODS AND RESULTS: Rose and mustard essential oils significantly inhibited mycelial growth and spore viability in a dose-dependent relationship. After essential oil treatment, the cell membrane permeability was altered, and significant leakage of intracellular proteins and nucleic acids occurred. SEM observations further confirmed the disruption of cell structure. ROS, MDA, and SOD measurements indicated that essential oil treatment induced a redox imbalance in C. allicinum, leading to cell death. As for energy metabolism, essential oil treatment significantly reduced Na+K+-ATPase, Ca2+Mg2+-ATPase, MDH activity, and CA content, impairing metabolic functions. Finally, storage experiments showed that all three essential oils ensured better preservation of naan, with mustard essential oil having the best antifungal effect. CONCLUSIONS: Rose and mustard essential oils and their blends can inhibit C. allicinum at multiple targets and pathways, destroying cell morphological structure and disrupting metabolic processes.

Analysis on Foodborne Pathogen Contamination of Food Samples in Longnan City from 2013 to 2022.

The objective was to determine the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in food in Longnan City, Gansu Province, China. In this research, we conducted tests on baked foods, catering foods, meat, and fruits and vegetables sold in supermarkets, farmers' markets, restaurants, retail stores, street stalls, and school canteens from 2013 to 2022. We analyzed the variety of foodborne pathogens (Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, and diarrheagenic Escherichia coli) in different sites and food types. Once foodborne pathogens were detected in the sample, it was deemed unqualified. The total detection rates of foodborne pathogens were 1.559%, 3.349%, 1.980%, 1.040%, 3.383%, and 1.303% in food from supermarkets, farmers' markets, restaurants, retail stores, street stalls, and school canteens, respectively. No pathogenic bacteria were detected in baked foods. Salmonella, S. aureus, L. monocytogenes, B. cereus, and diarrheagenic E. coli were detected in catering foods, among which B. cereus had the highest detection rate. Salmonella was the most common pathogenic bacteria detected in meat, while the detection rate of pathogenic bacteria in fruits and vegetables was low, with only one positive sample for diarrheagenic E. coli. Among the six sites, street stalls (3.382%) and farmers' markets (3.349%) had higher detection rates of pathogens. In general, the detection rate of pathogens from 2013 to 2022 was not high, but there were also some hidden dangers. Catering food is vulnerable to pathogen contamination, and street stalls and farmers' markets are the main sites of pollution. According to the above findings, the regulatory authorities should continue to strengthen supervision, guarantee food safety through early warning, and reduce the risk of food contamination.

Microwave ablation combined with transarterial chemoembolization containing doxorubicin hydrochloride liposome for treating primary and metastatic liver cancers.

Aims: To determine the safety and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) with doxorubicin hydrochloride liposome (DHL) in patients with primary liver cancer (PLC) and metastatic liver cancer (MLC). Materials and methods: The medical records of patients with primary or metastatic liver cancer who underwent MWA combined with TACE containing DHL from March 2019 to March 2022 were collected and analyzed. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were recorded. Local tumor response was evaluated according to the modified RECIST criteria. Local tumor progression-free survival (LTPFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Altogether, 96 patients with liver cancer were included (PLC, n â€‹= â€‹45; MLC, n â€‹= â€‹51). Forty (41.7%) patients experienced AEs during treatment, and eight (8.3%) patients developed grade 3 AEs. Compared to before treatment, the serum total bilirubin level and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio significantly increased after treatment. The median LTPFS was 14.5 months in patients with PLC and 10.7 months in patients with MLC. The median OS was not reached in patients with PLC or MLC. The 1-month and 3-month disease control rates reached more than 80% in both groups. Conclusion: MWA combined with TACE with DHL may be a safe and effective method for the treatment of liver cancer.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Radiological Progression: Lenvatinib Plus PD-1 Inhibitor Combined with Microwave Ablation and Synchronous Transarterial Chemoembolization.

Purpose: To determine the clinical outcomes of lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitor combined with microwave ablation (MWA) and synchronous transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with progressive hepatocellular carcinoma (pHCC). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled pHCC patients who underwent lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitor combined with MWA and TACE (LP-MT) or lenvatinib combined with MWA and TACE (L-MT) from January 2019 to December 2022. Treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were recorded during the follow-up. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were the primary outcomes. The prognostic analyses for survival were performed using Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: In total, 90 eligible patients with pHCC who received combination therapy were included in the study. Among them, 42 patients received LP-MT and 48 patients received L-MT. There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the two groups. Patients who underwent lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitor combined with MWA and TACE had better PFS (median, 10.0 vs 7.4 months, P = 0.03) than those who underwent combination therapy without PD-1 inhibitor, although no significant difference was found in OS (median, 22.5 vs 20.0 months, P = 0.19) between the two groups. The disease control rate of LP-MT group was higher than that of L-MT group (88.1% vs 64.6%, P = 0.01), especially in patients with BCLC stage C (89.3% vs 70.0%, P = 0.03). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that treatment method and Child-Pugh class were independent prognostic factors for PFS. The AEs of LP-MT group were comparable and tolerable to those of L-MT group (Any grade, 78.6% vs 62.5%, P = 0.10; Grade 3, 23.8% vs 12.5%, P = 0.16). Conclusion: Lenvatinib plus PD-1 inhibitor may be slightly superior to lenvatinib alone when combined with local interventional therapy for progressive HCC, especially in patients with BCLC stage C.

Comparison of intraluminal brachytherapy combined with and without stent placement for treatment of obstructive jaundice induced by tumor thrombus.

PURPOSE: To compare the safety and efficacy of intraluminal brachytherapy with iodine-125 (125I) seed strand implantation combined with and without stent placement to treat patients with obstructive jaundice induced by tumor thrombus. METHODS: Between January 2018 and June 2022, 42 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice (MOJ) induced by tumor thrombus were included. 20 patients received 125I seed strand implantation and stent placement (group A). The remaining 22 patients, implanted 125I seed strands only, served as control (group B). The two groups' overall survival and jaundice-free survival were compared using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. RESULTS: During the follow-up period, the mean survival time of group A was 38.0 ± 4.1 months (95%CI, 30.0-46.1 months), while that of group B was 25.1 ± 2.8 (95% CI, 19.5-30.6 months) (p = 0.406). The mean survival rates of 12 months for all patients, group A, and group B was 66.7%, 65%, and 68%, respectively. The mean jaundice-free survival of group A and group B were 34.0 ± 3.6 months (95% CI, 27.9-41.2months) and 22.9 ± 2.7 months (95%CI, 17.5-28.2months) (p = 0.254), respectively. Two PTBD drainage tube infection cases occurred in group A and group B separately. CONCLUSIONS: 125I intraluminal brachytherapy is an effective and safe therapy for treating patients with obstructive jaundice induced by tumor thrombus.

Solid-state nanochannels for bio-marker analysis.

Bio-markers, such as ions, small molecules, nucleic acids, peptides, proteins and cells, participate in the construction of living organisms and play important roles in biological processes. It is of great significance to accurately detect these bio-markers for studying their basic functions, the development of molecular diagnosis and to better understand life processes. Solid-state nanochannel-based sensing systems have been demonstrated for the detection of bio-markers, due to their rapid, label-free and high-throughput screening, with high sensitivity and specificity. Generally, studies on solid-state nanochannels have focused on probes on the inner-wall (PIW), ignoring probes on the outer-surface (POS). As a result, the direct detection of cells is difficult to realize by these inner-wall focused nanochannels. Moreover, the sensitivity for detecting ions, small molecules, nucleic acids, peptides and proteins requires further improvement. Recent research has focused on artificial solid-state nanochannels with POS, which have demonstrated the ability to independently regulate ion transport. This design not only contributes to the in situ detection of large analytes, such as cells, but also provides promising opportunities for ultra-high sensitivity detection with a clear mechanism. In this tutorial review, we present an overview of the detection principle used for solid-state nanochannels, inner-wall focused nanochannels and outer-surface focused nanochannels. Furthermore, we discuss the remaining challenges faced by current nanochannel technologies and provide insights into their prospects.

Monoallelic variation in DHX9, the gene encoding the DExH-box helicase DHX9, underlies neurodevelopment disorders and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

DExD/H-box RNA helicases (DDX/DHX) are encoded by a large paralogous gene family; in a subset of these human helicase genes, pathogenic variation causes neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) traits and cancer. DHX9 encodes a BRCA1-interacting nuclear helicase regulating transcription, R-loops, and homologous recombination and exhibits the highest mutational constraint of all DDX/DHX paralogs but remains unassociated with disease traits in OMIM. Using exome sequencing and family-based rare-variant analyses, we identified 20 individuals with de novo, ultra-rare, heterozygous missense or loss-of-function (LoF) DHX9 variant alleles. Phenotypes ranged from NDDs to the distal symmetric polyneuropathy axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT2). Quantitative Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) analysis demonstrated genotype-phenotype correlations with LoF variants causing mild NDD phenotypes and nuclear localization signal (NLS) missense variants causing severe NDD. We investigated DHX9 variant-associated cellular phenotypes in human cell lines. Whereas wild-type DHX9 was restricted to the nucleus, NLS missense variants abnormally accumulated in the cytoplasm. Fibroblasts from an individual with an NLS variant also showed abnormal cytoplasmic DHX9 accumulation. CMT2-associated missense variants caused aberrant nucleolar DHX9 accumulation, a phenomenon previously associated with cellular stress. Two NDD-associated variants, p.Gly411Glu and p.Arg761Gln, altered DHX9 ATPase activity. The severe NDD-associated variant p.Arg141Gln did not affect DHX9 localization but instead increased R-loop levels and double-stranded DNA breaks. Dhx9-/- mice exhibited hypoactivity in novel environments, tremor, and sensorineural hearing loss. All together, these results establish DHX9 as a critical regulator of mammalian neurodevelopment and neuronal homeostasis.

Long-Term Aging Behavior of Plastic/Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR) Composite Modified Bitumen.

The reuse of recycled waste plastics has long been attempted in pavement engineering as bitumen modifier. It was revealed that waste plastics can significantly enhance the high-temperature performance of bitumen and bitumen mixtures. Even so, the application of waste plastics as a bitumen modifier is still not widespread. This is attributable to the generally poor low-temperature performance of plastic-modified bitumen, which often fails to meet specification requirements. For this purpose, styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) was selected to improve the low-temperature performance of plastic-modified bitumen. However, due to the long-term aging process, the composite and structure of the modified bitumen will change, which negatively impacts its performance. The objective of this study is to investigate the long-term aging behavior of plastic/SBR composite-modified bitumen. For this purpose, waste polyethylene was used as a plastic modifier and was mixed with base bitumen and 3% SBR at ratios 4.5%, 6% and 7.5%. The rheological properties and molecular weight distribution of base bitumen, plastic and plastic/SBR-modified bitumen before and after long-term aging were measured. Results show that the incorporation of plastic can improve the complex modulus, rutting factor and percent recovery of bitumen and reduce the non-recoverable creep compliance of the bitumen, indicating the modification process enhances the high-temperature performance of bitumen. The enhancement effect is more pronounced with the increase of plastic content. For modified bitumen with 7.5% plastic modifier, the complex modulus of modified bitumen is increased by 1127.55% compared to base bitumen. The addition of 3% SBR modifier can further improve the high-temperature performance of the modified bitumen. In addition, the modification process also increases the large molecule size percentage (LMSP) and weight average molecular weight of bitumen. Compared with weight average molecular weight, the LMSP correlates well with the rheological properties of modified bitumen. In accordance with the complex modulus, using the LMSP and weight average molecular weight of bitumen before and after aging, the corresponding aging index was calculated. The quantitative results showed that the addition of plastic modifier can improve the aging resistance of bitumen, but the enhancement effect is not as obvious as that of SBR modifier.

Nocardioides potassii sp. nov., isolated from weathered potash tailings soil.

A Gram-positive, aerobic actinomycete, designated strain KLBMP 9356T, was isolated from weathered potash tailings soil sampled in Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, PR China. The colonies were cream-coloured, convex and rounded. The optimal growth conditions of strain KLBMP 9356T were 1 % (w/v) NaCl, 28 °C and pH 7. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain KLBMP 9356T showed the highest similarity to Nocardioides zhouii CGMCC 1.11084T (98.9 %) and Nocardioides glacieisoli CGMCC 1.11097T (98.7 %). Results from two tree-making algorithms supported the position that strain KLBMP 9356T forms a stable clade with N. zhouii CGMCC 1.11084T and N. glacieisoli CGMCC 1.11097T. Strain KLBMP 9356T exhibited low digital DNA-DNA hybridization values with N. zhouii CGMCC 1.11084T (27.6 %) and N. glacieisoli CGMCC 1.11097T (31.4 %). The average nucleotide identity values between strain KLBMP 9356T and N. zhouii CGMCC 1.11084T and N. glacieisoli CGMCC 1.11097T were 83.8% and 85.9%, respectively. The peptidoglycan in the cell wall of the novel strain was ll-2,6-diaminopimelic acid and the predominant menaquinone was MK-8(H4). The major fatty acids (>10 %) were C17:1ω8c and C18:1ω9c. The major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, lyso-phospatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol. The genomic DNA G+C content was 71.6 mol%. Based on its morphological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain KLBMP 9356T represents a novel species of the genus Nocardioides, for which the name Nocardioides potassii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KLBMP 9356T (=CGMCC 4.7738T=NBRC 115493T).

Study of Factors Influencing Moisture Susceptibility of Warm-Mix Asphalt Using the Surface Free Energy Approach.

The application of warm-mixing technology brings considerable economical and environment benefits by decreasing the mixing temperature during warm asphalt mixture (WMA) production. However, the possible water residue also generates concerns for moisture susceptibility. For deep investigation on the influencing factors and mechanisms of the moisture susceptibility of WMA, surface free energy (SFE) tests and laboratory tests are applied in this research. A novel indicator based on SFE, namely, effective adhesion work, is proposed to assess the asphalt-aggregate adhesion with different moisture contents. Then, given the mixing procedure of the dry-mixing method, an advanced three-phase model as a form of asphalt-aggregate-warm mixing additive is introduced, improving the conventional two-phase asphalt-aggregate model for better reflecting the separate addition of warm-mixing additives during mixing. Afterwards, the influence of aggregate type, asphalt type, aggregate moisture content, warm-mixing agent type, and the warm-mixing process on the moisture susceptibility of WMA is analyzed utilizing the models and indicators proposed. Finally, the validity of the SFE indicator is verified by comparing the calculation of effective adhesion work with freeze-thaw splitting test results. The results show that all of the above factors impact the moisture susceptibility of WMA by influencing the interfacial adhesion, with the effect of moisture content being the most significant. Meanwhile, effective adhesion work and the three-phase model brought out in this research are proven to be feasible to characterize the adhesion properties of WMA, offering theoretical support to the research on warm-mixing technology.

Antribacter soli sp. nov., a novel actinobacterium isolated from soils of weathering dolomite.

Strain KLBMP 9083T, a novel actinobacterium, was isolated from weathered soils collected from a karst area in Anshun, Guizhou Province, PR China. The taxonomic position of strain KLBMP 9083T was studied using the polyphasic approach. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that strain KLBMP 9083T formed a stabilized monophyletic clade with its closest relative strain Antribacter gilvus CGMCC 1.13856T (98.4 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). The peptidoglycan hydrolysates contained alanine, glutamic acid, threonine and lysine. The polar lipids were composed of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside, an unidentified phosphoglycolipid, an unidentified phospholipid and an unidentified glycolipid. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H8) (87.1 %), MK-9(H6) (7.3 %) and MK-9(H4) (5.6 %). The major fatty acids (>10 %) were anteiso-C15 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content was 72.3 mol%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between strain KLBMP 9083T and A. gilvus CGMCC 1.13856T were 23.4 and 79.9 %, respectively. On the basis of morphological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain KLBMP 9083T represents a novel species of the genus Antribacter, for which the name Antribacter soli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is KLBMP 9083T (=CGMCC 4.7737T=NBRC 115577T).

Preliminary radiogenomic study of hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma: associations between MRI features and mutations.

Aim: To investigate associations between MRI features and high-frequency mutations of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: This study included 58 HCC patients who underwent contrast-enhanced MRI prior to surgical resection and genome sequencing. MRI features and mutation information were evaluated. Results: The top five most frequently mutated genes in HCC were TP53 (53.45%), TAF1 (24.14%), PDE4DIP (22.41%), ABCA13 (18.97%) and LRP1B (17.24%). Mutations in TP53 and LRP1B were associated with tumor necrosis (p = 0.035) and mosaic architecture (p = 0.015), respectively. Mutations in ABCA13 were associated with mosaic architecture (p = 0.025) and necrosis (p = 0.010). Conclusion: This preliminary radiogenomics analysis showed associations between MRI features and high-frequency mutations in HBV-related HCCs.

Radiogenomics has been helpful for disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and drug development, and has shown good prospects in gene function analysis and gene therapy research. Some studies have explored the relationship between the underlying genotype and MRI features. However, few studies have indicated the relationship between the underlying genotype and MRI features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) so far. In this study, the top five most frequently mutated genes in hepatitis B virus-related HCCs were TP53, TAF1, PDE4DIP, ABCA13 and LRP1B and certain associations existed between MRI features and high-frequency mutations. These results demonstrated the potential clinical value of imaging traits as surrogate markers of molecular portraits in HCC. The potential correlations between MRI features and high-frequency mutations may provide effective clinical information for hepatitis B virus-related HCCs.

Yinghuangia soli sp. nov., isolated from soil of weathering dolomite in a karst area.

A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic actinomycete strain, designated KLBMP 8922T, was isolated from a soil sample collected from weathering dolomite crust in Guizhou Province, PR China. KLBMP 8922T showed the 16S rRNA gene similarities to Yinghuangia seranimata CCTCC AA 206006T (98.7 %), Yinghuangia catbensis VN07A0015T (98.3 %) and Yinghuangia aomiensis M24DS4T (98.2 %). The taxonomic status of this strain was investigated by using a polyphasic approach. The aerial mycelia of KLBMP 8922T formed spore chains, and spores were cylindrical with smooth surfaces. The whole-cell sugars were ribose, mannose and galactose with traces of glucose and xylose. The diagnostic amino acids of the cell wall were ll-diaminopimelic acid, alanine and glutamic acid. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H6) and MK-9(H8). The diagnostic phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylinositolmannoside, phosphatidylethanolamine, an unidentified phospholipid and an unidentified lipid. The major cellular fatty acids (>10 %) were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and iso-C16 : 1H. The genomic DNA G+C content was 72.0 mol%. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) value between KLBMP 8922T and Y. seranimata CCTCC AA 206006T was 24.1 %, and the average nucleotide identity (ANI) value was 81.0 %. On the basis of a combination of morphological, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain KLBMP 8922T represents a novel species of the genus Yinghuangia for which the name Yinghuangia soli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain was KLBMP 8922T (= CGMCC 1.19360T = NBRC 115572T).