Cr(VI) Resistance and Removal by Indigenous Bacteria Isolated from Chromium-Contaminated Soil

( Dong Yan Long ),( Xian Jin Tang ),( Kuan Cai ),( Guang Cun Chen ),( Chao Feng Shen ),( Ji Yan Shi ),( Ling Gui Chen ),( Ying Xu Chen ) 한국미생물 · 생명공학회 2013 Journal of microbiology and biotechnology Vol.23 No.8

The removal of toxic Cr(VI) by microorganisms is a promising approach for Cr(VI) pollution remediation. In the present study, four indigenous bacteria, named LY1, LY2, LY6, and LY7, were isolated from Cr(VI)-contaminated soil. Among the four Cr(VI)-resistant isolates, strain LY6 displayed the highest Cr(VI)-removing ability, with 100 mg/l Cr(VI) being completely removed within 144 h. It could effectively remove Cr(VI) over a wide pH range from 5.5 to 9.5, with the optimal pH of 8.5. The amount of Cr(VI) removed increased with initial Cr(VI) concentration. Data from the time-course analysis of Cr(VI) removal by strain LY6 followed first-order kinetics. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence, strain LY6 was identified as Pseudochrobactrum asaccharolyticum, a species that had never been reported for Cr(VI) removal before. Transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis further confirmed that strain LY6 could accumulate chromium within the cell while conducting Cr(VI) removal. The results suggested that the indigenous bacterial strain LY6 would be a new candidate for potential application in Cr(VI) pollution bioremediation.

C-type natriuretic peptide attenuates renal osteodystrophy through inhibition of FGF-23/MAPK signaling

Dong Dong Zhang,Yang Fang Wu,Wei Xia Chen,Yao Xu,Si Yan Liu,Huang Huang Luo,Guang Mei Jiang,Yue Wu,Peng Hu 생화학분자생물학회 2019 Experimental and molecular medicine Vol.51 No.-

Renal osteodystrophy (ROD) occurs as early as chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 2 and seems ubiquitous in almost all pediatric patients with CKD stage 5. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23, a bone-derived endocrine regulator of phosphate homeostasis, is overexpressed in CKD and disturbs osteoblast differentiation and matrix mineralization. In contrast, C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) acts as a potent positive regulator of bone growth. In the present study, we infused CNP into uremic rats and observed whether CNP could attenuate ROD through the inhibition of FGF-23 cascades. In uremic rats, CNP administration significantly alleviated renal dysfunction, calcium phosphate metabolic disorders, hypovitaminosis D, secondary hyperparathyroidism, the decrease in bone turnover markers and retarded bone pathological progression. More importantly, within FGF-23/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, the fibroblast growth factor receptor-1, Klotho and alternative (STAT-1/phospho-STAT-1) elements were upregulated by CNP, whereas FGF-23, RAF-1/phospho-RAF-1, and downstream (ERK/phospho-ERK and P38/phospho-P38) elements were paradoxically underexpressed in bone tissue. Therefore, CNP exerts a therapeutic effect on ROD through inhibition of FGF-23/MAPK signaling at the RAF-1 level.

Radiofrequency Ablation Combined with Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization Therapy Versus Surgical Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma within the Milan Criteria: A Meta-Analysis

Wei-dong Wang,Li-hua Zhang,Jia-Yan Ni,Xiong-ying Jiang,Dong Chen,Yao-ting Chen,Hong-liang Sun,Jiang-hong Luo,Lin-feng Xu 대한영상의학회 2018 Korean Journal of Radiology Vol.19 No.4

Objective: To meta-analytically compare combined transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) plus radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and surgical resection (SR) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria. Materials and Methods: PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies comparing these two therapies that were published between January 2006 and August 2017. Overall survival rate (OS), recurrence-free survival rate (RFS), major complications and the average length of hospital stay were compared between these two therapies. Metaanalytic pooled odds ratio (OR) was calculated using TACE plus RFA as the base category. Results: Seven case-control studies and one randomized trial were identified. Meta-analytic results revealed that, compared with SR, TACE plus RFA had significantly higher 1-year OS (OR for survival = 0.50, p = 0.009) and lower major complications (OR = 1.88, p = 0.02) after therapy. Three studies reported on the length of hospital stay. The average length ± standard deviation reported in individual studies for SR and TACE plus RFA groups was 19.8 ± 8.4 days and 7.4 ± 2.2 days, respectively; 18.7 ± 4.9 days and 11.5 ± 6.9 days, respectively; and 16.6 ± 6.7 days and 8.5 ± 4.1 days, respectively (p < 0.0001 for all studies). Three or 5-year OS and 1-, 3-, or 5-year RFS did not significantly differ between the two therapies. Conclusion: Combined TACE plus RFA may be an alternative to SR for the treatment of patients with HCC within Milan the criteria. Non-randomized design in most of the original studies was a limitation.

Fibulin-5 is a Prognostic Marker that Contributes to Proliferation and Invasion of Human Glioma Cells

Sheng, Xu-Dong,Chen, Hu,Wang, Hui,Ding, Zhi-Bin,Xu, Gang-Zhu,Zhang, Jun-Feng,Lu, Wen-Chao,Wu, Tao,Zhao, Ling Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.2

Fibulin-5 has recently been considered as a potential tumor suppressor in human cancers. Several studies have shown that it is down-regulated in a variety of tumor types and inhibits tumor growth and metastasis. This study was aimed to investigate the clinical significance of fibulin-5 in glioma and its role in cell proliferation and invasion. We found that the expression of fibulin-5 in glioma tissues was significantly lower than those in normal brain (NB) tissues. Negative expression was significantly correlated with advanced clinical stage (grade III+IV). Furthermore, Fibulin-5 negative expression was correlated with a shorter overall survival of glioma patients. Multivariate Cox repression analysis indicated that fibulin-5 was an independent factor for predicting overall survival of glioma patients. Overexpression obviously inhibited cell proliferation in U251 and U87 cells. Furthermore, it significantly reduced the number of migrating and invading glioma cells. In conclusion, impaired expression of fibulin-5 is correlated with the advanced tumor stage in glioma. Otherwise, Fibulin-5 is an independent prognostic marker for predicting overall survival of glioma patients. Mechanistically, it may function as a tumor suppressor via inhibiting cell proliferation and invasion in gliomas.

Attenuation of Experimental Autoimmune Hepatitis in Mice with Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes Carrying MicroRNA-223-3p

Yong-Ping Chen,Feng-Bin Lu,Da-Zhi Chen,Lu Chen,En-De Hu,Jin-Lu Wu,Hui Li,Yue-Wen Gong,Zhuo Lin,Xiao-Dong Wang,Ji Li,Xiao-Ya Jin,Lan-Man Xu 한국분자세포생물학회 2019 Molecules and cells Vol.42 No.12

MicroRNA-223-3p (miR-223-3p) is one of the potential microRNAs that have been shown to alleviate inflammatory responses in pre-clinical investigations and is highly encased in exosomes derived from bone mesenchymal stem cells (MSC-exosomes). MSC-exosomes are able to function as carriers to deliver microRNAs into cells. Autoimmune hepatitis is one of the challenging liver diseases with no effective treatment other than steroid hormones. Here, we examined whether MSC-exosomes can transfer miR-223-3p to treat autoimmune hepatitis in an experimental model. We found that MSC-exosomes were successfully incorporated with miR-223-3p and delivered miR-223-3p into macrophages. Moreover, there was no toxic effect of exosomes on the macrophages. Furthermore, treatments of either exosomes or exosomes with miR-223-3p successfully attenuated inflammatory responses in the liver of autoimmune hepatitis and inflammatory cytokine release in both the liver and macrophages. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of miR-223-3p level and STAT3 expression in the liver and macrophages. These results suggest that MSC-exosomes can be used to deliver miR-223-3p for the treatment of autoimmune hepatitis.

Sexing Goat Embryos by PCR Amplification of X- and Y- chromosome Specific Sequence of the Amelogenin Gene

Chen, A-qin,Xu, Zi-rong,Yu, Song-dong Asian Australasian Association of Animal Productio 2007 Animal Bioscience Vol.20 No.11

The objective of this study was to develop a simplified, efficient, and accurate protocol for sexing goat embryos. Based on the amelogenin gene located on the conservation region of X- and Y- chromosomes, a pair of primers was utilized and the system of PCR was established to amplify a 262 bp fragment from the X- chromosome in female goats, and a 262 bp fragment from X- chromosome and 202 bp fragment from the Y- chromosome in male goats, respectively. The accuracy and specificity of the primers were assessed using DNA template extracted from goat whole blood sample of known sex. 100% (10/10) concordance was obtained by using the PCR assay. Fifty-one biopsied embryos were transferred into 25 recipient goats on the same day that the embryos were collected and sex of the kid was confirmed after parturition. Eighteen kids of predicted sex were born. The biopsied samples from 51 goat embryos were amplified with 100% efficiency and 94.7% accuracy. In conclusion, our results indicated that PCR sexing protocols based on the amelogenin gene is highly reliable and suitable for sex determination of goats.

Influence of Relative Humidity on the Temperature Increase of a Power Converter

Xu, Yang,Chen, Hao,Hu, Zhentao,Li, Dong The Korean Institute of Power Electronics 2015 JOURNAL OF POWER ELECTRONICS Vol.15 No.3

As a vital part of renewable energy and electrical traction, power converters are supposed to have high reliability and good performance. However, power semiconductors produce considerable heat when the power converter works, which results in high junction temperatures that lower the reliability and performance of the power semiconductors. Many studies show that ambient humidity has a significant effect on power devices, but the influence of high humidity on junction temperatures has yet to be studied. Therefore, this paper presents a thermal model for power converters in moist air to obtain the junction temperature increase, which is utilized for the power converter used in a Switched Reluctance Motor System. Simulation results show that the law of converter temperature distribution is independent of the relative humidity in the case of fixed ambient temperature, whereas the temperature in the power converter decreases as the ambient relative humidity increases. These simulation results are validated with the experimental results.

Hexadecanoic Acid from Buzhong Yiqi Decoction Induced Proliferation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Dong-Feng Chen,Xican Li,Zhiwei Xu,Xiaobing Liu,Shao-Hui Du,Hui Li,Jian-Hong Zhou,He-Ping Zeng,Zi-Chun Hua 한국식품영양과학회 2010 Journal of medicinal food Vol.13 No.4

Buzhong Yiqi decoction (BYD) is a well-known ancient tonic prescription in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The purpose of this study is to identify active components of BYD involved in promoting proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and to investigate its mechanism. BYD was extracted with petroleum ether, ethanol, and water. Evidence provided by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide, bromodeoxyuridine, proliferation cell nuclear antigen immunoreactivity, cell cycle analysis, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry indicated that hexadecanoic acid (HA) in BYD extracted with petroleum ether is the active compound responsible for increasing proliferation of MSCs. Western blot analysis show that HA significantly increase retinoic acid receptor (RAR) levels of MSCs, but not estrogen receptor, thyroid hormone receptor, vitamin D receptor, glucocorticoid receptor, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed that HA significantly increased RAR mRNA levels. Furthermore, the mechanism of HA action depends on RAR pathway and up-regulates expression of mRNA for insulin-like growth factor-I, the target gene of RAR. Our findings have now allowed for a refinement in our understanding of TCM with respect to pharmacological regulation of stem cells and may be useful to stem cell biology and therapy.

Micrococcus endophyticus sp. nov., isolated from surface-sterilized Aquilaria sinensis roots.

Chen, Hua-Hong,Zhao, Guo-Zhen,Park, Dong-Jin,Zhang, Yu-Qin,Xu, Li-Hua,Lee, Jae-Chan,Kim, Chang-Jin,Li, Wen-Jun Society for General Microbiology 2009 International journal of systematic and evolutiona Vol.59 No.5

<P>A Gram-positive bacterial strain, designated YIM 56238(T), was isolated from plant roots (Aquilaria sinensis), and characterized by using a polyphasic approach. Strain YIM 56238(T) grew optimally at pH 7.0-8.0 and at 28 degrees C. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain YIM 56238(T) indicated that it belongs to the genus Micrococcus. Chemotaxonomic data strongly supported the classification of this strain within the genus Micrococcus: the cell-wall peptidoglycan contained lysine, glutamic acid, alanine and glycine; the predominant menaquinones were MK-8(H(2)) (63.6 %) and MK-7(H(2)) (21.1 %); the phospholipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol and an unknown ninhydrin-negative phospholipid; and the major cellular fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0) (30.95 %) and anteiso-C(15 : 0) (53.75 %). The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 72.9 mol%. A number of physiological features were found that clearly distinguished strain YIM 56238(T) from recognized species of the genus Micrococcus. DNA-DNA hybridization studies suggested that the novel strain represents a separate genomic species. On the basis of the data, therefore, strain YIM 56238(T) represents a novel species of the genus Micrococcus, for which the name Micrococcus endophyticus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 56238(T) (=DSM 17945(T)=KCTC 19156(T)).</P>

Capturing Wetting States in Nanopatterned Silicon

Xu, XiuMei,Vereecke, Guy,Chen, Chang,Pourtois, Geoffrey,Armini, Silvia,Verellen, Niels,Tsai, Wei-Kang,Kim, Dong-Wook,Lee, Eunsongyi,Lin, Chang-You,Van Dorpe, Pol,Struyf, Herbert,Holsteyns, Frank,Moshc American Chemical Society 2014 ACS NANO Vol.8 No.1

<P>Spectacular progress in developing advanced Si circuits with reduced size, along the track of Moore’s law, has been relying on necessary developments in wet cleaning of nanopatterned Si wafers to provide contaminant free surfaces. The most efficient cleaning is achieved when complete wetting can be realized. In this work, ordered arrays of silicon nanopillars on a hitherto unexplored small scale have been used to study the wetting behavior on nanomodulated surfaces in a substantial range of surface treatments and geometrical parameters. With the use of optical reflectance measurements, the nanoscale water imbibition depths have been measured and the transition to the superhydrophobic Cassie–Baxter state has been accurately determined. For pillars of high aspect ratio (about 15), the transition occurs even when the surface is grafted with a hydrophilic functional group. We have found a striking consistent deviation between the contact angle measurements and the straightforward application of the classical wetting models. Molecular dynamics simulations show that these deviations can be attributed to the long overlooked atomic-scale surface perturbations that are introduced during the nanofabrication process. When the transition condition is approached, transient states of partial imbibition that characterize intermediate states between the Wenzel and Cassie–Baxter states are revealed in our experiments.</P><P><B>Graphic Abstract</B> <IMG SRC='http://pubs.acs.org/appl/literatum/publisher/achs/journals/content/ancac3/2014/ancac3.2014.8.issue-1/nn405621w/production/images/medium/nn-2013-05621w_0009.gif'></P><P><A href='http://pubs.acs.org/doi/suppl/10.1021/nn405621w'>ACS Electronic Supporting Info</A></P>