The contamination of groundwater by methyl tert-butyl ether(MTBE) has become widespread.As a result,the bioremediation of MTBE is becoming an active area of research.In this paper,the progress of the studies on the degradation of MTBE by microbes was reviewed,focusing on the aerobic strains that could degrade MTBE.The possible metabolic pathways of MTBE were discussed as two main pathways separated by tert-butyl alcohol(TBA).The effect of environment factors,coexisting pollutants,and inter metabolite on the MTBE degradation were also discussed.

Child ; Community-Acquired Infections ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Pneumonia ; epidemiology

Acute Disease ; Humans ; Paraquat ; poisoning

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Kartagener Syndrome

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Maxillary Sinus Neoplasms ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue

Objective To analyze the results of postoperative conventional radiotherapy supplemen- ted by stereotactic radiotherapy for glioma and with analysis of prognostic factors.Methods From Dec. 1998 to Dee.2004,143 patients with brain glioma were postoperatively treated with conventional radiotherapy supplemented by stereotactic radiotherapy.Steretactic radiotherapy of 5-7 Gy/fraction,to totally 5-7 fractions were added as boost to the GTV following the conventional radiotherapy.The conventional radiotherapy,ai- ming at the peri-tumoral subclinical micro-loci,was about 50 Gy.Results The KPS grades were 81?9, 71?9 in patients 3-6 month after treatment in contrast to that prior to operation (t=5.98,P＜0.01 ).CR 39 patients (27.3%) ,PR 70 patients(49.0% ) ,NC 25 patients(17.5%),PD 9 patients(6.3%),with an effi- ciency rate of 76%.The 1-,3-,and 5-year survival rate was 56.6%,36.0% and 21.7%,respectively. Prognostic factor analysis showed that patients with low grade glioma had better survival time.Age,tumor site and dose,etc were unrelated to prognosis.Conclusion Stereotactic radiotherapy supplementing conven- tional radiotherapy is effective for postoperative brain glioma,which method not only shows excellence in physical dose distribution but strictly in accordance with the principle of radiobiology also.

Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nervous System Neoplasms ; pathology ; Neuroglia ; pathology ; Neurons ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the impact of in utero exposure to di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) on the apoptosis of testicular cells in the pubertal male rat offspring.

METHODSTen pregnant SD rats were randomly divided into a control and an experimental group to be treated intragastrically with olive oil (1 ml per day) and DBP (500 mg per kg of body weight per day) respectively between gestation days 12 and 19. At the pubertal age (postnatal day 45, PND 45), the testes of the male rat offspring were removed for observation of the cell structure under the transmission electron microscope and the development of different spermatogenetic cells by HE staining. The apoptosis of testicular cells was detected by the TUNEL method, the expressions of the apoptosis-regulating proteins Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bax and p53 were determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot, and the data obtained were compared between the two groups by t-test.

RESULTSTransmission electron microscopy revealed increased apoptosis and vacuolization of testicular cells in the PND-45 rat offspring, HE staining showed markedly decreased numbers of different spermatogenetic cells, TUNEL manifested significantly increased apoptosis of testicular cells in the experimental group as compared with the control (12.00 ± 5. 22 vs 3.17 ± 1.47, P < 0.01), and immunohistochemistry and Western blot exhibited remarkably higher expressions of Bax and p53 in the former than in the latter group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONIn utero exposure to DBP can increase the apoptosis of germ cells and Sertoli cells, induce the vacuolization of testicular cells, and significantly elevate the expressions of the apoptosis-promoting proteins Bax and p53 in the pubertal male rat offspring.

Animals ; Apoptosis ; Body Weight ; Dibutyl Phthalate ; adverse effects ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sertoli Cells ; cytology ; pathology ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis ; cytology ; pathology ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 ; metabolism ; bcl-2-Associated X Protein ; metabolism

Objective To observe the early outcome and crisis onset after surgical treatment on myasthenia gravis with thymoma and analyze the relevant factors.Methods 436 patients with myasthenia gravis were treated surgically between January 1999 and Jan- uary 2005,58 patients with thymoma.The severity of MG disease was classified according to modified Osserman classification:type Ⅰ(n=17),type Ⅱ a(n=23),type Ⅱ b(n=12)and type Ⅲ(n=6).The distribution of thymomas by the Masaoka clinical stage showed 30 in stage Ⅰ,18 in stage Ⅱ,7 in stage Ⅲ and 3 in stage Ⅳ.The early outcome and crisis onset after surgical treat- ment were analyzed by statistical methods.Results After operation,symptoms improved in 16 eases(27.59%),no change in 18 eases(31.03%),deterioration in 11 cases(18.97%)and crisis onset or death in 13 cases.Logistic test showed that the possibility of crisis onset in patients with thymoma is 1.286 times higher than patients without thymoma.Patients with thymoma,type Ⅱ or above are in high risk group of crisis.The incidence rate of crsis in type Ⅱ group or above was significantly higher than type Ⅰ(P=0.048 0.05).Conclusion The risk of crsis onset after operation significantly raises in myasthenia gravis patients with thymoma.The staging of the disease are associated to development of crisis and crisis onset is independents to patho-staging of thymoma.

Objective To investiagte the serum adiponectin concentration in preeclampsia and its relationship with serum leptin and soluble leptin receptor levels.Method The level of adiponectin,leptin and soluble leptin receptor in serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA)in 38 patients with preeclampsia and 42 patients as control.The relationship of free leptin index(leptin/soluble leptin receptor) to preeclampsia was analyzed.Results There were no significant differences in maternal age,gestational age and body mass index(BMI)between two groups.But the gestational age and birth weight were significantly lower in preeclampsia than in control.The patients with preeclampsia had significantly higher levels of serum adiponectin, leptin and free leptin index(1691.7?g/ml,37.5 ng/ml and 0.95 respectively)than the control(689.4?g/ml, 19.3 ag/ml and 0.49,respectively).But there was no significant difference in serum level of soluble leptin receptor between the groups(35.0 ng/ml vs 42.2 ng/ml).Serum adiponectin was not significantly correlated with the level of leptin,soluble leptin receptor and free leptin index.Area of serum adiponectin,leptin and free leptin index in preeclampsia under the ROC curve were less than 0.5.Conclusions The patients with preeclampsia have paradoxical higher serum levels of adiponecfin and more bioavailability of leptin,suggesting these may be important factom of this complication.