Paracandidimonas lactea sp. nov., a urea-utilizing bacterium isolated from landfill.

A urea-utilizing bacterium, designated Q2-2 T, was isolated from landfill. Cells of strain Q2-2 T were Gram stain-negative, aerobic, short-rod bacteria. Strain Q2-2 T was observed to grow at a temperature range of 15-37℃ (optimum 30 â„ƒ), a pH range of 5.5-9.5 (optimum pH 8.0) and 0-4% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 1%). The major respiratory quinone was Q-8, and the major polar lipids were diphosphatidyl glycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylmethylethanolamine, and phosphatidyl glycerol. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain Q2-2 T had the highest similarity with Paracandidimonas caeni 24 T (98.0%), followed by Pusillimonas soli MJ07T (97.5%), Parapusillimonas granuli Ch07T (97.2%), Pusillimonas ginsengisoli DCY25T (97.1%) and Paracandidimonas soli IMT-305 T (96.4%). The ANI values between strain Q2-2 T and the above related type strains were 71.02%, 73.52%, 74.32%, 74.59% and 72.29%, respectively. The DNA G + C content of strain Q2-2 T was 61.1%. Therefore, strain Q2-2 T represents a novel species of the genus Paracandidimonas, for which the name Paracandidimonas lactea sp. nov. (type strain Q2-2 T = CGMCC 1.19179 T = JCM 34906 T) is proposed.

Foetidibacter luteolus gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from the rhizosphere of Salvia miltiorrhiza.

A polyphosphate-producing bacterium, YG09T, was isolated from the rhizosphere of Salvia miltiorrhiza. Its colonies were 2.0-3.0 mm in diameter, smooth, circular, convex and yellow after growth on R2A at 28 °C for 72 h, with aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, non-motile and rod-shaped bacteria. The strain was found to grow at 10-40 °C (optimum 37 °C), pH 5.5-8.0 (optimum 6.0), with 0-0.6% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 0). Chemotaxonomic analysis showed menaquinone-7 as the only quinone present; C15: 1 iso G, C15: 1 iso, C16: 0, C16: 0 3OH, C17: 0 iso 3OH, summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c and/or C16:1 ω6c) as the major fatty acids (> 5%), and phosphatidylethanolamine, three unidentified phospholipids, four unidentified polar lipids, three unidentified aminolipids, and one unidentified amino phospholipid as the polar lipids. The DNA G + C content was 44.6 mol%. The 16S rRNA gene sequences of the isolate showed highest similarities to Panacibacter ginsenosidivorans Gsoil 1550T (93.6%), Filimonas endophytica SR2-06T (93.4%), Parasegetibacter terrae SGM2-10T (92.8%), and Arvibacter flaviflagrans C-1-16T (92.7%), within the family Chitinophagaceae of the phylum Bacteroidetes. The ANI values between strain YG09T and Panacibacter ginsenosidivoran Gsoil 1550T, Filimonas endophytica SR2-06T and Filimonas lacunae YT21T were 69.4, 68.3 and 68.7%, respectively. Based on phenotypic, genotypic and phylogenetic analyses, strain YG09T represents a novel genus in the family Chitinophagaceae, for which the name Foetidibacter luteolus gen. sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Foetidibacter luteolus YG09T (= MCCC 1K04042T = KCTC 72595T).

Transcatheter closure of coronary arterial fistula in children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter closure of coronary arterial fistula (CAF) is being utilized increasingly as an alternative to surgical closure, but most of the literature on transcatheter closure of CAF in children and adolescents consists of case reports and reports of small series. The aim of this study was therefore to describe our experience of percutaneous closure of CAF in children and adolescents. METHODS: Between April 1998 and December 2012, 37 children and adolescents with congenital CAF underwent percutaneous transcatheter closure. After aortic root angiography and selective coronary angiography, a guidewire was positioned to the fistula. In some cases, an arteriovenous wire loop (AV loop) was created. The sheath passed along the wire to the site of the desired occlusion of the fistula. One or more occlusion devices were selected to embolize the fistula. RESULTS: Occlusion devices were placed in 33 procedures (32 patients). Occlusion was unsuccessful in five patients. Duct occluders were placed in 12 procedures, coils in 11 (10 patients), muscular ventricular septal occluders in six, and vascular plugs in four procedures. The tricuspid valve was injured in two patients. One patient with a giant CAF aneurysm had a thrombosis within the aneurysm after transcatheter closure. There were no deaths, fistula dissection or myocardial infarction. CONCLUSION: Transcatheter closure of CAF is feasible in anatomically suitable cases, but injury to the tricuspid valve involved with AV loop methods can occur in closure procedures, and thrombus formation is possible in the blind pouch of the residual fistula after closure. Long-term follow up after fistula closure is necessary.

Profiles of Bacillus spp. Isolated from the Rhizosphere of Suaeda glauca and Their Potential to Promote Plant Growth and Suppress Fungal Phytopathogens.

Members of the genus Bacillus are known to play an important role in promoting plant growth and protecting plants against phytopathogenic microorganisms. In this study, 21 isolates of Bacillus spp. were obtained from the root micro-ecosystem of Suaeda glauca. Analysis of the 16S rRNA genes indicated that the isolates belong to the species Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus velezensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus aryabhattai and Brevibacterium frigoritolerans. One of the interesting findings of this study is that the four strains B1, B5, B16 and B21 are dominant in rhizosphere soil. Based on gyrA, gyrB, and rpoB gene analyses, B1, B5, and B21 were identified as B. amyloliquefaciens and B16 was identified as B. velezensis. Estimation of antifungal activity showed that the isolate B1 had a significant inhibitory effect on Fusarium verticillioides, B5 and B16 on Colletotrichum capsici (syd.) Butl, and B21 on Rhizoctonia cerealis van der Hoeven. The four strains grew well in medium with 1-10% NaCl, a pH value of 5-8, and promoted the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our results indicate that these strains may be promising agents for the biocontrol and promotion of plant growth and further study of the relevant bacteria will provide a useful reference for the development of microbial resources.

[The development of a new perimembranous ventricular septal defect occluder].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a new perimembranous VSD occluder and to evaluate it. METHODS: The shape of VSD occluder was designed as fabric frame "I" shape that comprised two types: symmetric and asymmetric. The safety, efficacy, feasibility and complication were tested in 22 animal models and in 58 VSD patients in clinical trial. The device were compared with Amplatzer occluder in this study. RESULTS: The new perimembranous VSD occluder was passed the national material test. In animal study, artificial VSD were all occluded by using the new devices with no complication in follow up except one pig expresented wound infection. In clinical trial, all 58 VSD cases were healing with the new device. One patient suffered with atria-ventricular block 5 days after procedure and was free from AV block with medicine therapy. Compared with Amplatzer perimembranous VSD occluder, the new devices had lower frequency of residual shunt. CONCLUSION: The new perimembranous VSD occluder is a safe and effective perimembranous VSD interventional apparatus, and the effect of the new occluders seems not worse than that of the Amplatzer ones.

Toxicity of nickel ions and comprehensive analysis of nickel ion-associated gene expression profiles in THP-1 cells.

The aim of the present study was to explore the toxic effects and underlying mechanisms of nickel ions during therapeutic nickel­based alloy­treatment in congenital heart disease by investigating the metal­induced cytotoxicity to the human monocyte­derived macrophage cell line THP­1. THP­1 cells were treated with NiCl2·6H2O (25, 50, 100, 200, 400 and 800 µM) for 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. MTT was applied to detect THP­1 cell proliferation following NiCl2 treatment. Apoptosis of THP­1 cells was quantified using flow cytometry. Illumina sequencing was used for screening the associated genes, whose mRNA expression levels were further confirmed by quantitative real­time polymerase chain reaction. High concentrations of nickel ions had a significant suppressive effect on cell proliferation at the three concentrations investigated (200, 400 and 800 µM). Treatment with nickel ions (25­400 µM) for 48 h reduced cell viability in a dose­dependent manner. The mRNA expression levels of RELB, FIGF, SPI­1, CXCL16 and CRLF2 were significantly increased following nickel treatment. The results of the present study suggested that nickel ions exert toxic effects on THP­1 cell growth, which may indicate toxicity of the nickel ion during treatment of congenital heart disease. The identification of genes modified by the toxic effects of nickel on THP­1 cells (EPOR, RELB, FIGF, SPI­1, TGF­ß1, CXCL16 and CRLF2) may aid in the development of interventional measures for the treatment/prevention of nickel ion­associated toxic effects during the treatment of congenital heart disease.