Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nasal Mucosa ; metabolism ; Nasal Polyps ; metabolism ; Neuropeptides ; classification ; metabolism

Bacterial Infections ; Humans ; Respiratory Hypersensitivity ; microbiology

The effects of surfactants on the production of cellulase by Trichoderma viride in liquid substrate fermentation process were investigated. Straw was used as the sole carbon source and the surfactants were biosurfactant rhamnolipid from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Tween 80. The changes of FPA,CMCase,Avicelase and surface tension with time were analyzed under different concentrations of the two surfactants. The results showed that the surfactants can enhance the enzyme activity of Trichoderma viride. The FPA,CMCase,Avicelase were promoted 1.08,1.6 and 1.03 times higher than the controls by rhamnolipid. The enhancement of the enzyme activity by rhamnolipid was much higher than that of Tween 80. At the same time,rhamnolipid was not degraded prior to other substrate.

OBJECTIVETo introduce a better surgical approach for the resection of tumors involving the anterior and middle skull base and the fronto-orbito-ethmoidal area.

METHODSA "T" form incision was made in the fronto-orbito-ethmoidal region and along the nasal pyramid down. Parts of ethmoid sinus, lamina papyracea, fronto-orbito bone and behind wall of frontal sinus were resected in order to expose the tumors in the anterior skull base and the fronto-orbito-ethmoidal region. Then, the tumor was resected partly under the operation microscope, protecting the neighbouring important structures, for instance: optic nerve, internal carotid artery, sella, meninx, etc. The nasal pyramid was repaired and fixed to the frontal bone with titanium board and titanium nail in order to resume the appearance of a good face.

RESULTSThirteen patients received tumour resection through this approach. The patients were followed-up for 24 months, 11 patients showed no tumour recurrence, no severe complication, such as cerebrospinal rhinorrhea, meningoencephlocele, etc, in this series. The facial appearance was good.

CONCLUSIONSThe approach via the fronto-orbito-ethmoidal region is a good surgical procedure to resect the tumors involving the anterior and middle skull base and the fronto-orbito-ethmoidal area.

Ethmoid Bone ; surgery ; Female ; Frontal Bone ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nose Neoplasms ; surgery ; Orbit ; surgery ; Skull Base Neoplasms ; surgery

Despite recent advances in conventional therapeutic approaches for cancer, the efficacy of chemotherapy for cancer is limited due to the drug resistance and toxic side effects during treatment. To overcome drug resistance, higher doses of the toxic chemotherapy drugs are frequently administered, thus leading to even severe adverse side effects, which have limited their clinical application. Cationic liposome as a novel non-viral carrier for co-delivery of gene and chemotherapy drugs in cancer gene therapy has already attracted more and more attention in recent years. Most importantly, this combined strategy can generate a significant synergistic effect, which can silence the related gene expression and increase the concentration of the intracellular chemotherapy drugs. This approach allows the use of a much lower dose of the chemotherapy drugs to achieve same therapeutic effect, which may have the potential for overcoming some major limitations of the conventional chemotherapy. In conclusion, co-delivery of gene and chemotherapy drugs with cationic liposome delivery system will play a vital role in the future and especially could be a promising clinical treatment for drug-resistant tumors.
Animals ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Cations ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; Drug Carriers ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Therapy ; methods ; Humans ; Liposomes ; administration & dosage ; chemistry ; Neoplasms ; therapy ; RNA, Small Interfering ; administration & dosage ; genetics

Eight compounds were isolated from the stems of Brucea mollis by various chromatographic techniques such as column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20, and preparative HPLC, and their structures were elucidated as bruceolline O (1), 1-(1-beta-glucopyranosyl)-1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde (2), canthin-6-one (3), 11-hydroxycanthin-6-one (4), 9-methoxycanthin-6-one (5), 4-methoxycanthin-6-one (6), infractin (7), and beta-carboline-1-propionic acid (8). The cytotoxic activities of compounds 1-8 against HCT-8 and A549 human cell lines were determined, but none of them exhibited significant activity (IC 50 > 10 micromol x L(-1)). Among them, compound 1 is a new indole alkaloid, and compounds 2 and 5-7 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Brucea ; chemistry ; Carbolines ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Indole Alkaloids ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Plant Stems ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical experience in diagnosing and managing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea via transnasal endoscopic approach and its combination with frontal approach.

METHODSA retrospective study of 58 patients with CSF rhinorrhea was conducted. Fifty eight cases were all under CT. Fifty six cases underwent surgical treatment Among them, 45 patients were treated with transnasal endoscopic approach, 11 whose cerebrospinal fistulas located in back wall of frontal sinus and orbital-frontal part with fronto-rhinal approach. Two were without any surgical treatment. Among 56 cases who underwent surgical treatment, 31 cases were under normal CT, of which 25 were accurate. Another 25 cases were under thin-section spiral CT scan and three-dimensional reconstruction, of which 23 were accurate. Eight cases locating the fistulas inaccurately by CT found the fistulas by operation.

RESULTSPostoperative follow-up lasted from 6 months to 5 years, a median follow-up period of 3 years. Among 45 cases with transnasal endoscopic approach, 43 were cured after the first attempt, one was cured after the second attempt; one died because of the intracranial infection. Among 11 cases with fronto-rhinal reossification, 10 were cured after the first attempt, one with orbital-frontal absence after the fifth attempt. Two left hospital and lost following-up without any surgical treatment.

CONCLUSIONSThin-section spiral CT scan and three-dimensional reconstruction make the leak locating more accurate. Combination of frontal approach may deal with transnasal endoscopic surgery's demerit to the unreachable site and enhance the achievement ratio of the first attempt.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Endoscopy ; Female ; Frontal Sinus ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

White-rot fungi is a kind of basidiomycetes making wood rotten. For their particular metabolism and extracellular degrading ability, they can degrade a lot of organic pollutants, and then become the hot point of international academic research. This paper reviews the recent research progress in many aspects,such as the sort and degradation mechanism of white rot fungus, advances in applied research for white rot fungi on industry and environmental pollution disposal and so on. In addition, some suggestions on the prospective application in the composting of municipal solid waste are presented in the end.

Objectives To investigate the clinical features,prognosis and risk factors of patients with cryptococcal meningitis.Methods Totally 146 patients with cryptococcal meningitis who were hospitalized in Huashan Hospital from January 2000 to December 2006 were enrolled in this study.The clinical data including diagnosis and misdiagnosis,experimental and etiology tests,treat- ments and prognosis from all the patients were analyzed retrospectively.Results Among the 146 patients enrolled in the study,78 patients(53.4%)had concomitant diseases.The misdiagnosis rate of all patients was 72.6%(106/146).The positive rate of cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)India ink smear was 59.6%(87/106),while 43.2%(63/146)cases of cryptococcus neoformans culture in CSF was positive.The positive rate of Latex agglutination test(LAT)was 91.7%(134/146)in CSF among all patients.The treatments were as follows:combination of Amphotericin B(AmpB)or its lipid formula- tions with flucytosine(5-FC)(98 cases),including combination with Fluconazole initally(62 cases), single therapy of Fluconazole(13 cases).Ommaya implanted for lateral cerebral ventricle drainage(53 cases)and AmpB intrathecal injection(53 cases).The average dose of AmpB is 3.06 g.The course of treatment lasted from 12 weeks to 20 months.There were 104 patients(71.2%)cured,27(18.5%) improved,15(10.3%)died and 34(23.3%)relapsed.Conclusions High misdiagnosis rate is common in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.Immunodeficiency is the major risk factor for cryp- tococcal meningitis.CSF LAT is the most sensitive diagnostic test.Early diagnosis,combination of AmpB with 5-FC antifungal therapy and control of acute intracranial hypertension are the keys to im- prove prognosis of cryptococcal meningitis.

0.05). Dysphasia resolved significantly after stent placement in both groups.The improvement of dysphasia was more significant in Group A than in Group B after 2 months of stent placement(1.37?0.56 in group A, 1.82?0.50 in group B,P=0.004).The median survival period was longer in Group A than in Group B (7 months vs 4 months).The mean survival period was also longer in Group A than in Group B (8.3 months vs 3.5 months).There was a statistically significant difference in the survival period between the two groups(P