Coronary artery disease (CAD) causes more than 700,000 deaths each year in China. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in populations of European ancestry identified several genetic loci for CAD, but no such study has yet been reported in the Chinese population. Here we report a three-stage GWAS in the Chinese Han population. We identified a new association between rs6903956 in a putative gene denoted as C6orf105 on chromosome 6p24.1 and CAD (P = 5.00 × 10⁻³, stage 2 validation; P = 3.00 × 10⁻³, P = 1.19 × 10⁻⁸ and P = 4.00 × 10⁻³ in three independent stage 3 replication populations; P = 4.87 × 10⁻¹², odds ratio = 1.51 in the combined population). The minor risk allele A of rs6903956 is associated with decreased C6orf105 mRNA expression. We report the first GWAS for CAD in the Chinese Han population and identify a SNP, rs6903956, in C6orf105 associated with susceptibility to CAD in this population.

BackgroundDistal radius fracture is common in the general population. Fracture management includes a plaster cast, splint and synthetic material cast to immobilise the injured arm. Casting complications are common in those conventional casting technologies. 3D printing technology is a rapidly increasing application in rehabilitation. However, there is no clinical study investigating the application of a 3D–printed orthopaedic cast for the treatment of bone fractures. We have developed a patient-specific casting technology fabricated by 3D printing. This pioneering study aims to use 3D–printed casts we developed for the treatment of distal radius fractures, to provide the foundation for conducting additional clinical trials, and to perform clinical assessments.MethodTen patients with ages between 5 and 78 years are involved in the clinical trial. Patients are applied 3D–printed casts we developed. Orthopaedic surgeons carried out a six-week follow-up to examine clinical outcomes. Two questionnaires were developed for the assessment of clinical efficacy and patients’ satisfaction. These questionnaires are completed by physicians and participating patients.ResultsA 3D–printed cast creates a custom-fitted design to maintain the fractured bone alignment. No loss of reduction is found in all patients. Compartment syndrome and pressure sores are not present. Patient comfort gets positive scores on the questionnaire. All (100%) of the patients opt for the 3D–printed cast instead of the conventional plaster cast.DiscussionA patient-specific, 3D–printed cast offers a proper fit to immobilise an injured arm and holds the fracture reduction appropriately. A custom-fitted structure reduces the risk of pressure-related complications due to the high and concentrated local stress. The ventilated and lightweight design minimises interference with a patient’s daily activities and reduces the risk of cutaneous complications. Patients express a strong preference for using a 3D–printed cast instead of a plaster cast. Limitations of the novel cast include a slight odour after heavy sweating and the relatively high cost due to the limitations of current 3D printing technologies.ConclusionsThis pioneering study is the first clinical trial on the application of a 3D–printed cast for the treatment of forearm fractures. The novel casting technology heals the fracture effectively without casting complications. The 3D–printed cast is patient-specific and ventilated as well as lightweight, and it features both increased patient comfort and satisfaction.

Background Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) is produced by microorganisms and plants via either tryptophan-dependent or tryptophan-independent pathways. Herein, we investigated the optimisation of IAA production by Streptomyces fradiae NKZ-259 and its formulation as a plant growth promoter to improve economic and agricultural development. Results The maximum IAA yield achieved using optimal conditions was 82.363 μg/mL in the presence of 2 g/L tryptophan after 6 days of incubation. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of putative IAA revealed an RF value of 0.69 and a retention time of 11.842 min, comparable with the IAA standard. Regarding product formulation, kaolin-based powder achieved a suspension rate of 73.74% and a wetting time of 80 s. This carrier exhibited good shelf life stability for NKZ-259, and the cell population did not decrease obviously over 4 months of storage at 4 °C. In vivo analysis of plant growth promotion showed that tomato seedlings treated with kaolin powder containing NKZ-259 cells displayed a significant increase in root and shoot length of 7.97 cm and 32.77 cm, respectively, and an increase in fresh weight and dry weight of 6.72 g and 1.34 g. Compared to controls, plant growth parameters were increased almost it two-fold. Conclusion Optimising the culture conditions resulted in an almost four-fold increase in IAA secretion by NKZ-259 cells. The results clearly demonstrate that S. fradiae NKZ-259 holds great potential for plant growth promotion and IAA production. Furthermore, kaolin-based powder is an effective carrier for NKZ-259 cells and may be useful for commercial applications. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12866-019-1528-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.