A bacterium which can effectively degrade LAS (Linear Sodium Alkylbenzenesulfonate) was isolated from washing powder manufacturing effluent and was preliminarily identified as Corynebacterium jeikeium GZ6. The bacterium can degrade LAS up to till 700 mg/L, and the optimum pH, temperature and concentration of LAS are 7.0, 30℃ and 400 mg/L, respectively. The biodegradation rate can reach 98.7% after 24 hours'cultivation in the suitable conditions. Experiments also showed that some heavy metal ions such as Hg2+ , Co2+ , Cd2+ can differently inhibit the degradation of LAS.

With the advent of intellectual economy and information,the progression of rule of law,and the reforming of system of forensic science in China,some aspects of the higher education of forensic medicine are faced with unprecedented chance and challenge and have to be improved in order to adapt to training creative talented person of forensic medicine in our society.The aspects to be improved include the system of student enrollment,the pattern of higher educa-tion and training of forensic doctor,the contents of forensic medicine course,the traditional teaching method of forensic medicine,and the graduates'further education and so on.

OBJECTIVETo develop a new technique for assessing the risk of birth defects, which are a major cause of infant mortality and disability in many parts of the world.

METHODSThe region of interest in this study was Heshun County, the county in China with the highest rate of neural tube defects (NTDs). A hybrid particle swarm optimization/ant colony optimization (PSO/ACO) algorithm was used to quantify the probability of NTDs occurring at villages with no births. The hybrid PSO/ACO algorithm is a form of artificial intelligence adapted for hierarchical classification. It is a powerful technique for modeling complex problems involving impacts of causes.

RESULTSThe algorithm was easy to apply, with the accuracy of the results being 69.5%±7.02% at the 95% confidence level.

CONCLUSIONThe proposed method is simple to apply, has acceptable fault tolerance, and greatly enhances the accuracy of calculations.

Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; China ; epidemiology ; Environmental Exposure ; adverse effects ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Models, Biological ; Neural Tube Defects ; epidemiology ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVEBy using the RNAi method to inhibit Itk protein expression specificity, to observe lymphocytes proliferation and cytokines production, verify its function as a drug target.

METHODSDesigned siRNA aims at Itk sequence according to its sequence and solid structure, then electrotransfected into mouse spleen lymphocytes, We validated the decrease of Itk protein by Western-Blot, and detected the change of the cell proliferation by MTS and the change of inflammatory cytokines by ELISA.

RESULTSItk protein can be suppressed by Itk-siRNA, there were significantly reduced compared to its control group on cell proliferation as well as cytokine secretion such as IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IFN-gamma. They all have statistical difference (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONItk has an important immunomodulatory effect in mouse spleen lymphocytes proliferation and secretion of inflammatory cytokines.This can supply an experimental basis to regard Itk as drug target for inflammation therapy.

Animals ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Proliferation ; Cytokines ; genetics ; immunology ; Lymphocytes ; cytology ; immunology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; genetics ; immunology ; Spleen ; cytology ; immunology

Objective To compare the relative efficacy and quality of extraction of human fecal DNA using four methods.Methods Real-time PCR were utilized for analysis both quantification and quality of the fecal targeted bacteria(including gut all eubaeterium,Bacteriodes-PrevoteUa group,Bifidobacterium spp Enterobacteriaceae and Enterococcus spp)by using 16s rRNA gene-targeted genus or group-specific primer sets.Results The negative rat of PCR product from method 3(phenol-chloroform plus bead-beating) was about 40%(4/10)by using universal primers,the PCR inhibition disappeared after fecal DNA purified with column.The total fecal 16s rRNA gene copy numbers(per gram of wet weight of feces)as well as the numbers of Bacteriodes-Prevotella group from method 1(QIAamp~DNA stool mini kit)and 4(QIAamp~ DNA stool mini kit combined with bead-beating)was higher significantly than that from method 2(FastDNA ~Kit,Biol01)and 3(P

OBJECTIVETo study molecular epidemiology of norovirus (NV) infections, stool specimens collected from children with acute diarrhea were tested by TaqMan real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the viral specific nucleic acid segments.

METHODSFecal samples from a total of 1260 children who had watery diarrhea seen from December 2006 to December 2007 in Guangzhou were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR. The primers and probes used for rapid detection and typing of NV strain target NV sequences were at the ORF1-ORF2 junction, a highly conserved region of the NoV genome. The positive specimens were determined by nested PCR and sequenced.

RESULTSTotally 257 specimens were positive for NV with a positive rate of 20.40%. Shedding of NV type GI was detected in 6.90%, type GII in 16.98% respectively, while the positive number of mixed infection with GI and GII was 44. Of the NV strains that were cloned and sequenced, GI was GI-3, GI-2 and GI-4 detected in positive specimens respectively; meanwhile, GII-4 was most commonly seen in genome II, followed by GII-3 and GII-7. In addition, the average age of children infected with NV was less than 2 years. An epidemic occurred during the winter and early spring (December through the next March).

CONCLUSIONNV was one of the important pathogens for acute diarrhea among children in Guangzhou, which suggested GII-4 was the prevalent strain.

Caliciviridae Infections ; epidemiology ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Diarrhea ; epidemiology ; etiology ; virology ; Feces ; virology ; Humans ; Infant ; Molecular Epidemiology ; Norovirus ; classification ; genetics ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of electro-acupuncture (EA) at points along Foot Yangming Channel on metabolite of ulcerative colitis (UC) rats' cerebral cortex and to identify key metabolites by referring to Pi/Wei-brain related theory in Chinese medicine (CM).

METHODSThe UC rat model was set up by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) method. Male SD rats were randomly divided into the model group and the EA group, 13 in each group. Another 13 rats were recruited as the blank control group. Rats in the blank control group and the model group received no EA. EA was performed at Zusanli (ST36), Shangjuxu (ST37), and Tianshu (ST25) for 5 days by using disperse-dense wave. Then all rats were sacrificed. Their recto-colon and the ileocecal junction were pathomorphologically observed by light microscope and transmission electron microscope (TEM). Cerebral cortexes were extracted. Water-soluble and lipid-soluble brain tissue metabolites were respectively extracted for metabolic research using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR).

RESULTSEA could obviously improve the general condition of UC model rats, decrease the value of DAI, reduce the infiltration of inflammatory cells in the intestinal tract, stabilize structures such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum and so on (P <0.05). 1HNMR analysis showed that in the model group, contents of glutamic acid, cholesterol, very low density lipoproein (VLDL) in the pallium obviously decreased, while alanine and low density lipoprotein (LDL) significantly increased. After EA, levels of lactic acid, glutamic acid, total cholesterol (TC), and VLDL all increased, and levels of alanine and LDL decreased. All indices were approximate to those of the blank control group.

CONCLUSIONEA at Foot Yangming channel was found to have some effect on metabolites in the brain tissue of UC model rats, which had specific metabonomic material basis and mechanism based on the Pi/Wei-brain related theory.

Acupuncture Points ; Animals ; Cerebral Cortex ; metabolism ; Colitis, Ulcerative ; Electroacupuncture ; Lipids ; Male ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

Microbial contamination, growth and reproduction have a great influence on the quality of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and its preparation. TCM may be polluted by microbial in the production process due to ambient air, facilities and appliances and operating personnel, which affects the quality and efficacy of the final product. The GMP certification inspection standard of TCM manufacturing enterprises clearly established: "Sterilization methods of Chinese herbal medicine, intermediate products, finished products should follow the principle whether or not to change its quality", "TCM powder that used as medicine directly should follow the principle whether to do microbiological examinations". So it's particularly important for product quality, corporate energy consumption and its efficiency to choose the scientific and effective sterilization techniques and methods. Ozone is a kind of safe, environmentally friendly, efficient and no residue emerging sterilization technology. It has been widely applied in various fields of medical and health care and production and living. This paper mainly analyzed the ozone sterilization technology of TCM, aiming to explore the principle of ozone sterilization, the advantages, application status and existing problems and so on. The management regulations and implementation rules of ozone sterilization were summarized to make sterilization of Chinese medicine in the production, management, quality control and other aspects standardized, reasonable and scientific, and to provide the theoretical reference of the ozone sterilization technology for TCM and its preparation.
Bacteria ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Drug Contamination ; prevention & control ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; Humans ; Ozone ; pharmacology ; Plants, Medicinal ; microbiology ; Sterilization ; methods

Objective To evaluate the effect of various iterative reconstruction methods on phase analysis of gated myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI). Methods Thirty consecutive patients scanned by the Philips CardioMD system were recruited into this study. The gated SPECT (GSPECT) data were reconstructed with filtered backprojection (FBP),maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM),three-di-mensional (3D) resolution recovery MLEM (AST),attenuation corrected (AC) MLEM,AC and 3D Monte Carlo scatter corrected (ACSC) MLEM methods. Parameters of left ventricular ( LV ) dyssynchrony ( phase standard deviation and histogram bandwidth) were measured using the software SyncTool. Paired t-test was used to compare the differences of the LV dyssynchrony indices between FBP and MLEM,AC MLEM,ACSC MLEM,AST respectively. Results The phase standard deviations of stress GSPECT MPI for FBP,MLEM,AC MLEM,ACSC MLEM,and AST were 11.6°,10.9°,11.2°,11.6°,11.4° respectively;while the histogram bandwidths were 35.7°,34.3°,35.1°,36.9°,35. 1 ° respectively. The phase standard deviations of rest GSPECT MPI for FBP,MLEM,AC MLEM,ACSC MLEM and AST were 15.2°,14. 5°,15.4° ,15. 4°,14.8° respectively; while the histogram bandwidths were 47.3°,46.4°,46.4° ,47.9°,46.1 ° respectively. No statistical significance was observed between the FBP and various iterative reconstruction methods for both the stress and rest GSPECT MPI study (t:-1. 179 to 1.554,P＞0.05 forall). Conclusion The standard FBP reconstruction method is accurate enough for the measurement of LV dyssynchrony indices using the widely used clinical software SyncTool.

Lie detection technology has been applied increasingly to investigate and solve criminal cases. This article explores the evolvement of lie detection technology in the ancient times and the application of the psychological and physiological parameters which have become more accurate with the introduction of modern polygraph. The cognitive exploration and the application of Event Related Potentials (ERPs), functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and Event-Related functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (E-R fMRI) have made detection technology focus on the brain activities, which produce more objective results by tracing the original state of lying. In summary, this article describes different types of lie detections, simple and complex, their working principles, the latest development, and the prospect of their application in forensic science.
Evoked Potentials ; Forensic Medicine ; Humans ; Lie Detection ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Psychophysiology/instrumentation*