Temperature-Dependent Evaporative Anthropogenic VOC Emissions Significantly Exacerbate Regional Ozone Pollution.

The evaporative emissions of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds (AVOCs) are sensitive to ambient temperature. This sensitivity forms an air pollution-meteorology connection that has not been assessed on a regional scale. We parametrized the temperature dependence of evaporative AVOC fluxes in a regional air quality model and evaluated the impacts on surface ozone in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) area of China during the summer of 2017. The temperature dependency of AVOC emissions drove an enhanced simulated ozone-temperature sensitivity of 1.0 to 1.8 µg m-3 K-1, comparable to the simulated ozone-temperature sensitivity driven by the temperature dependency of biogenic VOC emissions (1.7 to 2.4 µg m-3 K-1). Ozone enhancements driven by temperature-induced AVOC increases were localized to their point of emission and were relatively more important in urban areas than in rural regions. The inclusion of the temperature-dependent AVOC emissions in our model improved the simulated ozone-temperature sensitivities on days of ozone exceedance. Our results demonstrated the importance of temperature-dependent AVOC emissions on surface ozone pollution and its heretofore unrepresented role in air pollution-meteorology interactions.

Impacts of Ship Emissions on Air Quality in Southern China: Opportunistic Insights from the Abrupt Emission Changes in Early 2020.

In early 2020, two unique events perturbed ship emissions of pollutants around Southern China, proffering insights into the impacts of ship emissions on regional air quality: the decline of ship activities due to COVID-19 and the global enforcement of low-sulfur (<0.5%) fuel oil for ships. In January and February 2020, estimated ship emissions of NOx, SO2, and primary PM2.5 over Southern China dropped by 19, 71, and 58%, respectively, relative to the same period in 2019. The decline of ship NOx emissions was mostly over the coastal waters and inland waterways of Southern China due to reduced ship activities. The decline of ship SO2 and primary PM2.5 emissions was most pronounced outside the Chinese Domestic Emission Control Area due to the switch to low-sulfur fuel oil there. Ship emission reductions in early 2020 drove 16 to 18% decreases in surface NO2 levels but 3.8 to 4.9% increases in surface ozone over Southern China. We estimated that ship emissions contributed 40% of surface NO2 concentrations over Guangdong in winter. Our results indicated that future abatements of ship emissions should be implemented synergistically with reductions of land-borne anthropogenic emissions of nonmethane volatile organic compounds to effectively alleviate regional ozone pollution.

Modified pedicle screw fixation under guidance of stress analysis for cervicothoracic junction: Surgical technique and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: In cervicothoracic junction, the use of strong fixation device such as pedicle screw placement is often needed. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement using stress conduction analysis in the clinical application. METHODS: We retrospectively collected patients who underwent pedicle screw internal fixation in cervicothoracic junction. Patients were divided into conventional nail placement (Group A) and modified pedicle screw implantation under guidance of stress analysis (Group B) according to the methods of pedicle screw placement. The accuracy of pedicle screw placement was assessed by computed tomography (CT) examination, and the success rate was calculated. RESULTS: A total of 80 patients who underwent pedicle screw internal fixation in cervicothoracic junction were included. There were no obvious differences in baseline characteristics between two groups. The success rate of total screw placement, cervical spine screw placement and upper thoracic spine screw placement in Group B was higher than those in Group A (P< 0.001, P= 0.005, P= 0.008). Additionally, Heary Grade I in the Group B was higher than Group A (P= 0.001). CONCLUSION: Stress analysis-guided technique can increase the accuracy of pedicle screw placement. Importantly, it meets the requirements of internal fixation of the cervicothoracic junction.

Investigation of Exfoliation Efficiency of 6H-SiC Implanted Sequentially with He+ and H2+ Ions.

Silicon carbide (SiC) is a promising material used in the advanced semiconductor industry. Fabricating SiC-on-insulator via H implantation is a good method. He and H co-implantation into Si can efficiently enhance exfoliation efficiency compared to only H implantation. In this study, 6H-SiC single crystals were implanted with He+ and H2+ dual beams at room temperature, followed by annealing at 1100 °C for 15 min, and irradiations with 60 keV He ions with a fluence of 1.5 × 1016 ions/cm-2 or 5.0 × 1016 ions/cm-2 and 100 keV H2+ ions with a fluence of 5 × 1016 ions/cm-2 were carried out. The lattice disorder was characterized by both Raman spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The intensity of Raman peaks decreased with increasing fluence. No Raman shift or new phases were found. A very high numerical density of bubbles was observed as compared to single H or He implantation. Moreover, stacking faults, Frank loops and tangled dislocations were formed in the damaged layer. Surface exfoliation was inhibited by co-implantation. A possible reason for this is an increase in fracture toughness and a decrease in elastic out-of-plane strain due to dense bubbles and stacking faults.

Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of Differentially Expressed Proteins in Serum of Former Uranium Miners by Isobaric Tags for the Relative and Absolute Quantitation.

The carcinogenicity of radon has been convincingly documented through epidemiological studies of underground miners. However, there is a lack of early warning indicators for radon radiation damage. In this study, mixed serum samples of 3 groups were collected from 27 underground uranium miners and seven aboveground miners according to the radiation exposure dose. The differentially expressed proteins in the serum were identified using the isobaric tags for the relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-based method. Some differentially expressed proteins were validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 84 underground and 32 aboveground miners. A total of 25 co-differentially expressed proteins in 2 underground miner groups were screened, of which 9 were downregulated and 13 were upregulated. Biological process analysis of these proteins using Metascape showed that 5 GO terms were enriched, such as negative regulation of very-low-density lipoprotein particle clearance, endocytosis, and regulated exocytosis. The results of the ELISA for the expression levels of GCN1, CIP2A, and IGHV1-24 in the serum of 116 miners' serum showed that the levels of GCN1 and CIP2A were consistent with the iTRAQ results. In conclusion, APOC1, APOC2, APOC3, ORM1, ORM2, ANTXR1, GCN1, and CIP2A may be potential early markers of radon radiation damage.

MicroRNA profiling in BEAS-2B cells exposed to alpha radiation reveals potential biomarkers for malignant cellular transformation.

The carcinogenicity of radon has been convincingly documented through epidemiological studies of underground miners. The risk of lung cancer from radon exposure is due to the continuous radioactive decay of this gas and subsequent emission of high-energy alpha decay particles. And the bronchial epithelial cells are the main targets of radon exposure. However, there is a lack of early warning indicators of lung cancer caused by radon in the physical examination of populations involved in occupations with higher exposure to radon. To assess the potential of a molecular-based marker approach for the early detection of human lung cancer induced by radon, human bronchial epithelial cell injury models induced by alpha-particle irradiation were constructed. The results of transwell migration assay, transwell invasion assay, and the expression of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related proteins showed that malignant cell transformation could be triggered by alpha irradiation. Potential microRNAs (miRNAs) (hsa-miR-3907, hsa-miR-6732-3p, hsa-miR-4788, hsa-miR-5001-5p, and hsa-miR-4257) were screened using miRNA chips in cell models. The pathway analyses of miRNAs selected using DIANA-miRPath v3.0 showed that miRNAs involved in malignant cell transformation were associated with cell adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix receptor interaction, and proteoglycans in cancer, among others, which are closely related to the occurrence and development of carcinogenesis. Reverse Transcription Quantitative Real-Time PCR (RT-qPCR) assay showed that five screened miRNAs were up-regulated in five lung cancer tissue samples. In conclusion, the results indicated that hsa-miR-3907, hsa-miR-6732-3p, hsa-miR-4788, hsa-miR-5001-5p, and hsa-miR-4257 may be potential early markers of the malignant transformation of bronchial epithelial cells induced by alpha-particle irradiation.

Purification of recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 13 in E. coli and its molecular mechanism of mitogenesis.

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 13, a member of the FGF11 subfamily, is a kind of intracrine protein similar to other family members including FGF11, FGF12, and FGF14. Unlike classical FGF, FGF13 exerts its bioactivities independent of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs). However, the effect of exogenous administration of FGF13 still remains further investigated. In the present study, we established an Escherichia coli expression system for the large-scale production of FGF13 and then obtained two isoform proteins including recombinant human FGF13A (rhFGF13A) and rhFGF13B with a purity greater than 90% by column chromatography, respectively. Otherwise, soluble analysis indicated that both rhFGF13A and rhFGF13B expressed in E. coli BL21 (DE3) pLysS were soluble. Furthermore, cellular-based experiments demonstrated that rhFGF13A, rather than rhFGF13B, could promote the proliferation of NIH3T3 cells in the presence of heparin. Mechanistically, the mitogenic effect of FGF13 was mediated by activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), but not p38. Moreover, blockage of FGFRs also significantly attenuated the mitogenic effects of rhFGF13A, implying that FGFRs are still related to FGF13. Thus, our research shows that exogenous FGF13 can act as secreted FGF to participate in cell signal transmission and heparin is still required as an ancillary cofactor for the mitogenic effects of FGF13, which may help people to discover more potential functions of FGF13 in cell life activities.

Ryanodine receptor antagonism alleviates skeletal muscle ischemia reperfusion injury by modulating TNF-α and IL-10.

BACKGROUND: Intracellular calcium overload has been implicated in various pathological conditions including ischemia reperfusion injury. This study aims to explore the effect and probable mechanism of dantrolene, a ryanodine receptor and intracellular calcium antagonist, on the skeletal muscle ischemia reperfusion injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SD rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham group which underwent anaesthesia and exposure of femoral vein, reperfusion group that received 2 h ischemia and the amount of diluent via femoral vein before 4 h reperfusion, dantrolene group that underwent 2 h ischemia and was given 2 mg/kg dantrolene via femoral vein before 4 h reperfusion. The parameters measured at the end of reperfusion included serum maleic dialdehyde (MDA), tissue myeloperoxidase (MPO) and muscle histology, as well as serum TNF-α and IL-10. RESULTS: Levels of MDA, MPO and TNF-α increased in the reperfusion group, whereas the relevant expressions in the dantrolene group decreased significantly. Histological examination demonstrated significant improvements between the same both groups. IL-10 reflected the protection observed above with a significant up-regulation of expression after dantrolene administration. CONCLUSION: Ryanodine receptor antagonist dantrolene exerted a significant protective effect against the inflammatory injury of skeletal muscle ischemia reperfusion. The underlying molecular mechanism is probably related to the suppression of TNF-α levels and the increment of IL-10 expression.

Expression and purification of an FGF9 fusion protein in E. coli, and the effects of the FGF9 subfamily on human hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation and migration.

Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 9 has oncogenic activity and plays an important role in the development of ovarian, lung, prostate, and gastric cancers. In the present study, with the aim of reducing the cost of utilizing growth factors in cancer research, a simple and efficient method for the preparation of recombinant human (rh)FGF9 in Escherichia coli was established. The rhFGF9 fusion protein (6 × His-TEV-rhFGF9) and the native protein released by tobacco etch virus (TEV) protease were obtained using a Ni-NTA system, with > 95% purity. Both purified forms of rhFGF9, with and without fusion tags, significantly stimulated the proliferation of NIH3T3 cells. The FGF9 subfamily, including FGF9, FGF16, and FGF20, in addition to rhFGF16, rhFGF9, and rhFGF20, were shown to stimulate the proliferation and migration of HuH7 human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that the stimulation of HuH7 cell proliferation and migration with rhFGF9 and rhFGF20 were associated with the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathways and matrix metalloproteinase-26 (MMP26). Inhibition of the ERK and NF-κB pathways blocked cell migration, and NF-κB was demonstrated to be regulated by ERK. Therefore, the present study demonstrates a simple method for the preparation of biologically active rhFGF9 protein. Furthermore, the results indicate that exogenous rhFGF9- and rhFGF20-activated ERK/NF-κB signal transduction pathways play important roles in the regulation of HCC cell proliferation and migration, and this discovery helps to find the potential for new solutions of the treatment of liver cancer.

Particle-Associated Ambient Benzo[a]pyrene and Levels of Urinary 1-Hydroxypyrene in a Non-occupationally Exposed Population of Adults and Children in Lanzhou, China.

Concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in ambient air from different areas in Lanzhou city in northwest of China, and its metabolite 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) in the urine of resident children and adults were determined by using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and high performance liquid chromatography. Results showed that the atmospheric environmental concentration of B[a]P varied significantly from one part of the city to another with levels of 150 ng/m(3) in the industrial area of Xigu and 73.8 ng/m(3) in the agricultural area of Yuzhong. The geometric mean urinary 1-OHP concentration was 0.42 µmol/mol-creatinine, with a range of means between 0.067 and 2.05 for the various population sub-groups. The non-occupationally exposed populations' age, gender and area of residence were the major factors that influenced urinary 1-OHP levels. The health risks of B[a]P for adults and children in Xigu and for children in Yuzhong exceeded the acceptable level (1 × 10(-4)) of the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Urinary perchlorate exposure and risk in women of reproductive age in a fireworks production area of China.

Perchlorate is used widely in fireworks, and, if ingested, it has the potential to disrupt thyroid function. The concentrations of perchlorate in water and soil samples and in urine samples of women of reproductive age from Liuyang, the largest fireworks production area in China, were investigated. The results showed that the average perchlorate concentrations in groundwater, surface water, farmland soil, and urine samples of women from the fireworks production area were significantly greater than those from the control area. The health risk of perchlorate ingested through drinking water was assessed based on the mode recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The values of hazard quotient of river water and groundwater in the fireworks production area were much greater than the safe level (=1), which indicates that adverse health effects may result from perchlorate when these sources of water are used as drinking water. These results indicated that the environment of the fireworks production area has been polluted by perchlorate and that residents were and are facing greater exposure doses of perchlorate. Fireworks production enterprises may be a major source of perchlorate contamination.

New azalomycin F analogs from mangrove Streptomyces sp. 211726 with activity against microbes and cancer cells.

Seven new azalomycin F analogs (1-7) were isolated from the broth of mangrove Streptomyces sp. 211726, and respectively identified as 25-malonyl demalonylazalomycin F5a monoester (1), 23-valine demalonylazalomycin F5a ester (2), 23-(6-methyl)heptanoic acid demalonylazalomycins F3a ester (3), F4a ester (4) and F5a ester (5), 23-(9-methyl)decanoic acid demalonylazalomycin F4a ester (6) and 23-(10-methyl)undecanoic acid demalony lazalomycin F4a ester (7). Their structures were established by their spectroscopic data and by comparing with those of azalomycins F3a, F4a and F5a. Biological assays exhibited that 1-7 showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial and anti HCT-116 activities.

Actinoallomurus acanthiterrae sp. nov., an actinomycete isolated from rhizosphere soil of the mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius.

A novel actinobacterium strain, 2614A723(T), was isolated from rhizosphere soil of mangrove plant Acanthus ilicifolius collected at Touyuan, Wenchang, Hainan province, China. A phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain 2614A723(T) formed a distinct phyletic line in the genus Actinoallomurus, the 16S rRNA gene tree sharing similarities of 98.35%, 98.07% and 97.86% with Actinoallomurus spadix NBRC 14099(T), Actinoallomurus purpureus TTN02-30(T) and Actinoallomurus luridus TT02-15(T), respectively. Strain 2614A723(T) contained lysine and meso-diaminopimelic acid in the cell wall peptidoglycan and madurose, galactose and xylose in the whole-cell sugars. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H4) and MK-9(H6). The major polar phospholipids were phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The predominant fatty acids were iso-C16 : 0 and anteiso-C17 : 0. These chemotaxonomic data confirmed the affiliation of strain 2614A723(T) to the genus Actinoallomurus. It is apparent from the combined phenotypic data, biochemical tests and DNA-DNA hybridization values that strain 2614A723(T) should be classified in the genus Actinoallomurus as a representative of a novel species. The name Actinoallomurus acanthiterrae sp. nov. is proposed with strain 2614A723(T) ( = CCTCC AA 2012001(T) = DSM 45727(T)) as the type strain.

Barrientosiimonas humi gen. nov., sp. nov., an actinobacterium of the family Dermacoccaceae.

Three novel actinobacteria, strains 39(T), 40 and 41, were isolated from soil collected from Barrientos Island in the Antarctic. The taxonomic status of these strains was determined using a polyphasic approach. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 39(T) represented a novel lineage within the family Dermacoccaceae and was most closely related to members of the genera Demetria (96.9 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity), Branchiibius (95.7 %), Dermacoccus (94.4-95.3 %), Calidifontibacter (94.6 %), Luteipulveratus (94.3 %), Yimella (94.2 %) and Kytococcus (93.1 %). Cells were irregular cocci and short rods. The peptidoglycan type was A4α with an L-Lys-L-Ser-D-Asp interpeptide bridge. The cell-wall sugars were galactose and glucose. The major menaquinone was MK-8(H(4)). The polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphoglycolipid, two glycolipids and one unknown phospholipid. The acyl type of the cell-wall polysaccharide was N-acetyl. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C(17 : 0) (41.97 %), anteiso-C(17 : 1)ω9c (32.16 %) and iso-C(16 : 0) (7.68 %). The DNA G+C content of strain 39(T) was 68.4 mol%. On the basis of phylogenetic and phenotypic differences from other genera of the family Dermacoccaceae, a novel genus and species, Barrientosiimonas humi gen. nov., sp. nov., is proposed; the type strain of the type species is 39(T) (=CGMCC 4.6864(T) = DSM 24617(T)).

Molecular characterization of Antarctic actinobacteria and screening for antimicrobial metabolite production.

The present study aimed to isolate actinobacteria from soil samples and characterized them using molecular tools and screened their secondary metabolites for antimicrobial activities. Thirty-nine strains from four different location of Barrientos Island, Antarctica using 12 types of isolation media was isolated. The isolates were preceded to screening of secondary metabolites for antimicrobial and antifungal activities. Using high-throughput screening methods, 38% (15/39) of isolates produced bioactive metabolites. Approximately 18% (7/39), 18% (7/39), 10% (4/39) and 2.5% (1/39) of isolates inhibited growth of Candida albicans ATCC 10231(T), Staphylococcus aurues ATCC 51650(T), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aurues (MRSA) ATCC BAA-44(T) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 10145(T), respectively. Molecular characterization techniques like 16S rRNA analysis, Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR), Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and composite analyses were used to characterize the actinobacteria strains. Analysis of 16S rRNA sequences is still one of the most powerful methods to determine higher taxonomic relationships of Actinobacteria. Both RAPD and ERIC-PCR fingerprinting have shown good discriminatory capability but RAPD proved to be better in discriminatory power than ERIC-PCR. Our results demonstrated that composite analysis of both fingerprinting generally increased the discrimination ability and generated best clustering for actinobacteria strains in this study.

Verrucosispora wenchangensis sp. nov., isolated from mangrove soil.

An actinomycete strain 234402(T) was isolated from a mangrove soil sample collected in Wenchang, China. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 234402(T) indicated that the highest similarity was to Verrucosispora sediminis MS426(T) (99.25%). The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The major menaquinones were MK-9(H(4)) and MK-9(H(6)), with MK-9(H(8)) as minor components. The characteristic whole-cell sugars were xylose, mannose and glucose. The phospholipid profile was found to comprise phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol mannoside and an unknown phospholipid. The DNA G+C content was 69.2 mol%. The results of physiological and biochemical tests and low DNA-DNA relatedness demonstrated strain 234402(T) could be readily distinguished from the closely related Verrucosispora species. On the basis of these phenotypic and genotypic data, strain 234402(T) represents a novel species of the genus Verrucosispora, for which the name Verrucosispora wenchangensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 234402(T) (=CCTCC AA 2011018(T)=DSM 45674(T)).

Micromonospora haikouensis sp. nov., isolated from mangrove soil.

An actinomycete strain 232617(T) was isolated from a composite mangrove sediment sample collected in Haikou, China. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 232617(T) indicated the highest similarity with Micromonospora siamensis TT2-4(T) (99.05%), Micromonospora krabiensis A-2(T) (98.99%) and Micromonospora carbonacea DSM 43815(T) (98.91%). The gyrB gene sequence analysis also indicated that 232617(T) should be assigned to the genus Micromonospora. The cell wall contains meso-DAP and glycine. The major menaquinones were MK-10(H(4)) and MK-10(H(6)), with MK-9(H(4)) as minor components. The characteristic whole-cell sugars are xylose, arabinose and glucose. The phospholipid profile comprises phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidlglycerol and phosphatidylinositol mannoside. The DNA G+C content is 71.5 mol%. Furthermore, a combination of DNA-DNA relatedness and some physiological and biochemical properties indicated that the novel strain could be readily distinguished from the closest related species. On the basis of these phenotypic and genotypic data, strain 232617(T) represents a novel species of the genus Micromonospora, for which the name Micromonospora haikouensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 232617(T) (= CCTCC AA 201112 (T) = DSM 45626 (T)).

Streptomyces qinglanensis sp. nov., isolated from mangrove sediment.

A Streptomyces-like strain, 172205(T), was obtained from mangrove soil collected at Qinglan Harbour, Wenchang, Hainan, China. The strain was characterized by white aerial mycelium and long spore chains. Comparison of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the strain represents a novel member of the genus Streptomyces, exhibiting highest levels of similarity (<98.29%) to the type strains of members of the genus Streptomyces. However, DNA-DNA relatedness and phenotypic data readily distinguished strain 172205(T) from phylogenetically related type strains. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H(6)) and MK-9(H(8)). The major fatty acids were iso-C(15:0) (10.31%), anteiso-C(15:0) (35.19%), iso-C(16:0) (20.24%) and anteiso-C(17:0) (10.05%). The diagnostic phospholipid was phosphatidylethanolamine. The cell wall contained ll-diaminopimelic acid and meso-diaminopimelic acid and whole-cell hydrolysates contained ribose, galactose and glucose. The results of DNA-DNA hybridization, physiological and biochemical tests allowed the genotypic and phenotypic differentiation of strain 172205(T) from phylogenetically related type strains. Therefore, strain 172205(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Streptomyces, for which the name Streptomyces qinglanensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 172205(T) (=CGMCC 4.6825(T) =DSM 42035(T)).

Microbispora hainanensis sp. nov., isolated from rhizosphere soil of Excoecaria agallocha in a mangrove.

Strain 211020(T) was isolated from rhizosphere soil of Excoecaria agallocha in a mangrove in Hainan, China. The strain produced longitudinal pair spores branching from aerial hyphae. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that the isolate belonged to the genus Microbispora, exhibiting the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (98.75 %) to Microbispora corallina JCM 10267(T) with a low DNA-DNA relatedness value (13 ± 0.6 %). The isolate contained meso-diaminopimelic acid as the diagnostic diamino acid but madurose was not detected. The predominant menaquinones were MK-9(H(4)), MK-9(H(2)) and MK-9(H(0)), and the major fatty acids were iso-C(16 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0) and C(17 : 0). The phospholipid profile of strain 211020(T) comprised phosphatidylinositol mannoside, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol and phospholipids of unknown structure containing glucosamine. The DNA G+C content was 70.8 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic data, strain 211020(T) can be distinguished as a novel species of the genus Microbispora, for which the name Microbispora hainanensis sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is 211020(T) ( = CGMCC 4.5595(T) = DSM 45428(T)).

[Clinical study on Thread-tooth Arc-track Screw Plate System through expandable channels in the treatment of lumbar instability diseases].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity and reliability of Thread-tooth Arc-track Screw Plate System (TASPS) in the fixation fusion through expandable channels. METHODS: From August 2007 to August 2010, 108 patients with lumbar instability were treated with surgery, including 61 males and 47 females, ranging in age from 26 to 57 years, with an average of 41 years. All the patients were divided into two groups : minimally invasive fusion group and traditional operation group (54 patients in each group). The patients in the minimally invasive fusion group were treated with self-designed TASPS to conduct the fixation fusion through expandable channels by minimally invasive pedicle screw; and the patients in traditional operation group were treated with traditional interbody fixation fusion by pedicle screw. The data were collected and investigated at the 1st week, 3rd month and 1st year postoperatively. The comparative parameters of two groups contained the total operation time, the implanted time, the total amount of bleeding; the VAS score, ODI score and improvement rate at each investigated period; the intervertebral space height of preoperative and postoperative periods; the inefficiency rate of implantation and the fusion rate of postoperative period. RESULTS: All incisions were healed by first stage without any complications such as dural tear, injury of nerve root or cauda equine, intervertebral space infection. The patients in the minimally invasive fusion group needed longer operative time than that of the traditional operation group, but had less total amount of intraoperative and postoperative bleeding and shorter implanted time of pedicle screw than those of the traditional operation group. The VAS scores of two groups at the 1st week after operation significantly decreased compared with that of the 1st day before the operation, and the difference was of high statistical significance. And the VAS scores of two groups at the 3rd month and 1st year after operation also significantly decreased compared with that of the 1st day before the operation, and the difference was highly statistically significant. By comparing the VAS score and ODI score at the 1st week, 3rd month and 1st year postoperatively, the results showed that the VAS score and ODI score of the minimally invasive fusion group were all lower than those of the traditional operation group, and the differences were of high statistical meaningfulness. After 1 year, the improvement rate of the minimally invasive fusion group was (77.46 +/- 6.34)%, while that of the traditional operation group was (72.73 +/- 4.49)%, and the difference was highly statistically significant (P < 0.01). The intervertebral space heights of two groups remarkably increased. At the 3rd month after operation, the difference of intervertebral space heights of the two groups was of no statistical significance. At the 1st year after operation, intervertebral space heights of the two groups were lost to some extent, but the height of the minimally invasive fusion group was higher than that of the traditional operation group, and the difference was statistically significant. The fusion rates of the two groups after 1 year were 100%. CONCLUSION: The fixation fusion through expandable channels by minimally invasive pedicle screw possesses the characteristics of fewer traumas, less intraoperative blood loss, less postoperative pain and rapid recovery. Since its intervertebral fusion rate is similar to the open surgery, it can be viewed as one effective approach for the treatment of lumbar instability diseases. And TASPS is reasonably designed, easy to install and reliably fixed with good reduction effect, which can be applied through expandable channels.