Hypomethylation of glycine dehydrogenase promoter in peripheral blood mononuclear cells is a new diagnostic marker of hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Glycine dehydrogenase (GLDC) plays an important role in the initiation and proliferation of several human cancers. In this study, we aimed to detect the methylation status of GLDC promoter and its diagnostic value for hepatitis B virus-associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HBV-HCC).

Methods: We enrolled 197 patients, 111 with HBV-HCC, 51 with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and 35 healthy controls (HCs).

The tendency of anemia of inflammation in periodontal diseases.

Anemia of inflammation (AI) is associated with inflammatory diseases, and inflammation-induced iron metabolism disorder is the major pathogenic factor. Earlier studies have reported a tendency of AI in periodontitis patients, but the explicit relationship and possible pathological mechanisms remain unclear. Here, the analyses of both periodontitis patients and a mouse model of ligature-induced experimental periodontitis showed that periodontitis was associated with lower levels of hemoglobin and hematocrit with evidence of systemic inflammation (increased white blood cell levels) and evidence of iron restriction (low serum iron along with a high serum hepcidin and ferritin levels), in accordance with the current diagnosis criteria for AI.

Identification and characterization of a novel hydroxylamine oxidase, DnfA, that catalyzes the oxidation of hydroxylamine to N.

Nitrogen (N) gas in the atmosphere is partially replenished by microbial denitrification of ammonia. Recent study has shown that Alcaligenes ammonioxydans oxidizes ammonia to dinitrogen via a process featuring the intermediate hydroxylamine, termed "Dirammox" (direct ammonia oxidation). However, the unique biochemistry of this process remains unknown.

Dirammox Is Widely Distributed and Dependently Evolved in and Is Important to Nitrogen Cycle.

Nitrogen cycle is an essential process for environmental health. Dirammox (ect onia idation), encoded by the cluster, was a novel pathway for microbial N production defined in HO-1. Here, a copy of the cluster as a whole was proved to have existed and very conserved in all genomes.

Novel Alcaligenes ammonioxydans sp. nov. from wastewater treatment sludge oxidizes ammonia to N with a previously unknown pathway.

Heterotrophic nitrifiers are able to oxidize and remove ammonia from nitrogen-rich wastewaters but the genetic elements of heterotrophic ammonia oxidation are poorly understood. Here, we isolated and identified a novel heterotrophic nitrifier, Alcaligenes ammonioxydans sp. nov.

The damage and tolerance mechanisms of Phaffia rhodozyma mutant strain MK19 grown at 28 °C.

Background: Phaffia rhodozyma has many desirable properties for astaxanthin production, including rapid heterotrophic metabolism and high cell densities in fermenter culture. The low optimal temperature range (17-21 °C) for cell growth and astaxanthin synthesis in this species presents an obstacle to efficient industrial-scale astaxanthin production. The inhibition mechanism of cell growth at > 21 °C in P.

Hydroxylation at Multiple Positions Initiated the Biodegradation of Indeno[1,2,3-cd]Pyrene in IcdP1.

Nowadays, contamination by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has become a serious problem all over the world; in particular, high-molecular-weight PAHs (HWM PAHs, four to seven rings) are more harmful to human health and environment due to their more complex structure and metabolic pathway. Biodegradation of PAHs with six or more rings, such as indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene (IcdP), was rarely described. An IcdP-degrading strain, IcdP1, was isolated from HWM PAH-contaminated soil.

Pseudomonas sp. AOB-7 utilizes PHA granules as a sustained-release carbon source and biofilm carrier for aerobic denitrification of aquaculture water.

Nitrate accumulation causes long-time threat to aquatic animals in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS); thus, nitrate removal is also required in RASs. However, the lack of carbon sources makes denitrification difficult to function. Nitrate removal performance of an aerobic denitrifying and extracellular polyhydroxyalkanoate depolymerase-producing bacterium, Pseudomonas sp.

Photobacterium sp. NNA4, an efficient hydroxylamine-transforming heterotrophic nitrifier/aerobic denitrifier.

An efficient heterotrophic nitrifying/aerobic denitrifying strain, Photobacterium sp. NNA4 was isolated from a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). NNA4 was capable of utilizing ammonia, nitrate or nitrite as sole N-source with maximal removal rates of 12.

Microbial community dynamics in an ANAMMOX reactor for piggery wastewater treatment with startup, raising nitrogen load, and stable performance.

Bacterial community dynamics of the ANAMMOX reactor of an integrated "UASB + SHARON + ANAMMOX" system for treating piggery wastewater were investigated using the Illumina MiSeq method with samples obtained at ~ 2-week intervals during a 314-day period. With aerobic activated sludge as seeds and low content artificial wastewater (NH-N 50 mg/L; NO-N 55 mg/L) as influent for the ANAMMOX reactor, nitrogen removal was initially observed on day 38 with a removal rate 1.3 mg N L day, and increased to 90.

[Analysis on mechanisms and medication rules of herbal prescriptions for gout caused by heat-damp accumulation syndrome based on data mining and network pharmacology].

To mine the medication rules of herbal prescriptions for gout caused by heat-damp accumulation syndrome, and explore the possible mechanism of the core herbs, we collected the relevant literature of gout caused by heat-damp accumulation syndrome in CNKI, medication rules of herbal prescriptions are analyzed by using TCMISS(V2.5) software, and the compatibility of core drugs and new prescriptions were mined.KEGG pathway analysis was performed by BATMAN-TCM, an online analysis tool, and the potential signaling pathways of core drugs compatibility to treat gout caused by heat-damp accumulation syndrome were revealed.

Mechanism of anti-Vibrio activity of marine probiotic strain Bacillus pumilus H2, and characterization of the active substance.

Vibriosis is a major epizootic disease that impacts free-living and farmed fish species worldwide. Use of probiotics is a promising approach for prevention of Vibrio infections in aquaculture. A probiotic anti-Vibrio strain, Bacillus pumilus H2, was characterized, and the mechanism of its effect was investigated.

Specific amino acids responsible for the cold adaptedness of Micrococcus antarcticus β-glucosidase BglU.

Psychrophilic enzymes display efficient activity at moderate or low temperatures (4-25 °C) and are therefore of great interest in biotechnological industries. We previously examined the crystal structure of BglU, a psychrophilic β-glucosidase from the bacterium Micrococcus antarcticus, at 2.2 Å resolution.

Association of running manner with bacterial community dynamics in a partial short-term nitrifying bioreactor for treatment of piggery wastewater with high ammonia content.

Optimization of running parameters in a bioreactor requires detailed understanding of microbial community dynamics during the startup and running periods. Using a novel piggery wastewater treatment system termed "UASB + SHARON + ANAMMOX" constructed in our laboratory, we investigated microbial community dynamics using the Illumina MiSeq method, taking activated sludge samples at ~2-week intervals during a ~300-day period. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) were further investigated by quantification of AOB amoA genes and construction of gene clone libraries.

[Expression of PIGF and Its receptor Flt-1 in Patients with Multiple Myeloma and their Correlation with Chemotherapeutic Efficacy].

Objective: To investigate the expression of PIGF and its receptor Flt-1 in patients with multiple myeloma, and to analyze their correlation with the efficacy of thalidomide-based chemotherapy so as to provide further theoretical basis for individualized treatment.

Methods: A total of 35 patients diagnosed as multiple myeloma from June 2012 to March 2013 in our hospital and 15 non-tumor patients as controls were enrolled in this study. MM patients were treated with thalidomide-based chemotherapy for 3 months, and then were grouped according to the curative effecacy.

Marinobacter strain NNA5, a newly isolated and highly efficient aerobic denitrifier with zero N2O emission.

An efficient aerobic denitrification bacterium, strain NNA5, was isolated and identified as Marinobacter sp. NNA5. NNA5 did not perform heterotrophic nitrification.

Molecular Structural Basis for the Cold Adaptedness of the Psychrophilic β-Glucosidase BglU in Micrococcus antarcticus.

Psychrophilic enzymes play crucial roles in cold adaptation of microbes and provide useful models for studies of protein evolution, folding, and dynamic properties. We examined the crystal structure (2.2-Å resolution) of the psychrophilic β-glucosidase BglU, a member of the glycosyl hydrolase 1 (GH1) enzyme family found in the cold-adapted bacterium Micrococcus antarcticus.

Prokaryotic Community Structure Driven by Salinity and Ionic Concentrations in Plateau Lakes of the Tibetan Plateau.

The prokaryotic community composition and diversity and the distribution patterns at various taxonomic levels across gradients of salinity and physiochemical properties in the surface waters of seven plateau lakes in the Qaidam Basin, Tibetan Plateau, were evaluated using Illumina MiSeq sequencing. These lakes included Lakes Keluke (salinity, <1 g/liter), Qing (salinity, 5.5 to 6.

Complete Genome Sequence of Rhodococcus sp. Strain IcdP1 Shows Diverse Catabolic Potential.

The complete genome sequence of Rhodococcus sp. strain IcdP1 is presented here. This organism was shown to degrade a broad range of high-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and organochlorine pesticides.

Reactions of the cationic zinc thiolate model complex [Zn(Tab)4](PF6)2 with N-donor ligands and cobalt dichloride.

Reactions of [Zn(Tab)(4)](PF(6))(2) (Tab = 4-(trimethylammonio)benzenethiolate) (1) with 2,2'-bipyridine (2,2'-bipy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (2,9-dmphen), N-methylimidazole (N-Meim), and 2,6-bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (bppy) or with CoCl(2)·6H(2)O at the presence of N-donor ligands (2,2'-bipy, phen, 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine (4,4'-dmbpy), 2,6-bis(3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine (bdmppy))gave rise to a family of zinc or cobalt thiolate complexes, [Zn(Tab)(2)(L)](PF(6))(2) (2: L = 2,2'-bipy, 3: L = phen, 4: L = 2,9-dmphen), [Zn(Tab)(2)(N-Meim)(2)](PF(6))(2) (5), [Zn(Tab)(2)(bppy)](PF(6))(2) (6), [Co(Tab)(2)(L)(2)](PF(6))(3) (7: L = 2,2'-bipy, 8: L = phen, 9: L = 4,4'-dmbpy), and [Co(Tab)(bdmppy)Cl](PF(6)) (10). These compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, UV-vis spectra,(1)H NMR, electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectra, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The Zn(II) in [Zn(Tab)(2)L(n)](2+)dications of 2-5 is tetrahedrally coordinated by two Tab ligands and one L or two N-Meim ligands.

Preparation of a nitrate-coordinated copper(II) complex of 2-(pyrazol-3-yl)-6-(pyrazolate)pyridine as an efficient catalyst for methyl methacrylate polymerization.

Treatment of [CuCl(2)(bppyH(2))] (1, bppyH(2) = 2,6-di(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine) with 2 equiv. of AgNO(3) in DMF gave rise to a binuclear Cu(II) complex [Cu(2)(bppyH)(2)(NO(3))(2)] (bppyH = 2-(pyrazol-3-yl)-6-(pyrazolate)pyridine) (2). Complex 2 was characterized by elemental analysis, IR and single crystal X-ray diffraction.