Manganese peroxidase (MnP), a crucial enzyme in lignin degradation, has wide potential applications in environmental protection. However, large-scale industrial application of this enzyme is limited due to several factors primarily related to cost and availability. Special attention has been paid to the production of MnP from inexpensive sources, such as lignocellulosic residues, using solid-state fermentation (SSF) systems. In the present study, a suitable SSF medium for the production of MnP by Schizophyllum sp. F17 from agro-industrial residues has been optimized. The mixed solid medium, comprising pine sawdust, rice straw, and soybean powder at a ratio of 0.52:0.15:0.33, conferred a maximum enzyme activity of 11.18 U/g on the sixth day of SSF. The results show that the use of wastes such as pine sawdust and rice straw makes the enzyme production more economical as well as helps solve environmental problems.
Culture Media ; Fermentation ; Industrial Microbiology ; methods ; Oryza ; Peroxidases ; biosynthesis ; Schizophyllum ; enzymology ; Wood

BACKGROUND: Previously, more researches are about the pathological changesinskeleton, nerveandmuscularofcongenitalclubfoot(CCF). Researches are exploring the changes in the surrounding soft tissues of the deformed feet.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationships between the pathogeny,pathology and pathogenesis of CCF and extracellular matrix (ECM).DESIGN: A completely randomized controlled trial.SETTING: Institute of Orthopeadics of the Fourth Military Medical University.PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted in the Institute of Orthopeadics of the Fourth Military Medical University from November 1997 to August 2003. The deep fascia of study group was obtained from 15 CCF patients who received operative corrections including 11 males and 4 females with an average of 9 months. Five infant corpses who died from non-neural muscular diseases and non-collagen diseases aged between 4 and 21 months with an average age of 11 months were selected in the control group.METHODS: Immunohistochemical investigation was used for the assay of both study and control group. Slices were quantitatively analyzed by Letica Q,570c color image analysis and management system.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Positive expressions of collagen Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ, and the relative contents in the deep fascia of both groups.RESULTS: The grey values for relative contents of collagen Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ in the interior foot were 116. 43 ± 11. 80, 132. 91 ± 8. 88, and 184. 40 ± 11.82respectively in the study group, and 169.28 ± 8.17, 176. 33 ± 9.47, and 194. 38 ±5.87 in the control group. The contents of collagen Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲincreased in the contractured tissues of CCF group with the most significant increase in collagen Ⅰ, followed by collagen Ⅲ and the increase of collagen Ⅱwas least. Additionally, collagen Ⅰ was negatively correlated with collagen Ⅲ. The positive expression of collagen Ⅱ might be an accompanying phenomenon, which had no correlation with collagen Ⅰ and Ⅲ.CONCLUSION: ECM changes in CCF are accorded with fibrosis in tissues and organs and general fibroelastosis. Therefore, CCF might be caused by the fibrosis of interior foot.

Brain Abscess ; surgery ; Epilepsy ; etiology ; Humans ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Recurrence

To investigate the mechanism by which Schisandra Chinensis mediates the phenotypic transformation of microglia via microRNA-124 (miR-124)-based regulation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway, a model was established using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation of BV2 cells. Cells were treated with different doses of Schisandra Chinensis extract (SCE). MiR-124 inhibitors and negative control sequences (NC inhibitor) were transfected into LPS-induced BV2 cells and treated with SCE. The MTT assay was used for cell activity detection; an NO kit was used to measure NO release; ELISA kits were used to measure the levels of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). Microglia markers, including ionized calcium binding adapter molecule-1 (IBA-1) and arginase-1 (Arg-1), and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) were evaluated by immunofluorescent staining. NF-κB p65, IBA-1, Arg-1, TLR4, myeloid differentiation primary factor 88 (MyD88), inhibitor of nuclear factor-kappa B kinases-α (IKK-α), IL-10, TNF-α were detected by immunoblot. SCE at concentrations ranging from 31.25 to 250 μg·mL^-1 had no significant effect on cell activity. SCE treatment significantly inhibited NO release induced by LPS (P < 0.001, P < 0.01), increased the level of IL-10 (P < 0.05), and decreased the level of TNF-α (P < 0.001). In addition, SCE significantly reduced the expression of TNF-α, IBA-1, TLR4, and MyD88 (P < 0.01, P < 0.001) and elevated the expression of IL-10, Arg-1, NF-κB P65 and IKK-α (P < 0.001, P < 0.01, P < 0.05). SCE treatment could also promote the expression of miR-124 (P < 0.01). However, transfection with the miR-124 inhibitor increased TNF-α (P < 0.001), decreased the level of IL-10 (P < 0.05), increased the mRNA level and the protein expression of TNF-α and IBA-1 (P < 0.05, P < 0.01, P < 0.001), and decreased the mRNA level and protein expression of IL-10 and Arg-1 (P < 0.001, P < 0.01). In addition, the inhibition of TLR4 and MyD88 was attenuated. In conclusion, SCE appears to inhibit the activation of TLR4 signaling pathway by upregulating miR-124 so as to inhibit microglia M1 polarization and promote microglia M2 polarization.

Four screening methods, colorimetric assay, blood-plate hemolysis method, surface tension activ- ity and oil spreading technique were introduced to isolate strains producing bio-demulsifiers from 6 different bacteria source samples. The results of various screening methods were evaluated in this paper. Seventeen demulsifying strains were obtained, which are qualified in demulsification test of kerosene model emulsions. Among them, 5 strains showed high demulsifying ability, achieving 70% plus demulsifying ratio within 24 hours. Petroleum-contaminated soil, excess sludge from biological process treating oilfield produced water and sludge from municipal wastewater treatment plant were the best among all tested sources. Due to the determination limit, the colorimetric assay and blood-plate hemolysis method are not competent to screen bio-demulsifiers strains. The measurement of surface tension and oil spreading method were easy but accu- rate methods to isolate bio-demulsifiers strains. Although demulsification test of model emulsion is an effec- tive technique to target strains with the capability of breaking emulsions, it is sophisticated and time-con- suming. Thus it is recommended to use surface tension and oil spreading methods in pre-screening and vali- date the results in demulsification test with kerosene model emulsions.

To find antibacterial candidate compounds, eighteen novel sulfonamide derivatives containing a fused-ring were designed and synthesized on the basis of previous studies, with structures confirmed by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and MS. Antibacterial activities of the products were evaluated by the agar dilution method. The results show that these derivatives have different degrees of inhibitory activity on the tested bacteria, with the compounds IIi and IIr the most potent. The MIC of IIi for S. aureus, E. coli and MRSA was 8, 32 and 16 μg·mL^-1, respectively, and the MIC of the IIr was 8, 64 and 32 μg·mL^-1, respectively. The anti-MRSA activities of the two compounds is significant and is worthy of further structural optimization and study.

Objective To explore clinical characters of type 1 diabetes mellitus with different serum potassium levels in children and adolescent.Methods One hundred and seventy-five patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus were reviewed,they were divided into 3 groups according to the serum potassium level.The patients whose serum potassium

Objective To investigate the effect of escharectomy on rats' pulmonary NF-?B activation and the expression of pulmonary proinflammatory cytokines in early stage of burn injury.Method Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups:group A(control group),group B(postburn without escharectomy),group C(escharectomy at early stage of burn injury).Thermal-injuried rats underwent 35% TBSA full-thickness burns. Activation of pulmonary NF-?B at 12 hours and 24 hours postburn was tested by electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA),and at the same time expressions of pulmonary TNF-?mRNA were measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR)and release of pulmonary TNF-?were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Results Compared with control group,activity of pulmonary NF-?B in group B was markedly increased,reached(19.56?1.36)?10~4 A at 12 hours and(15.23?1.94)?10~4 A at 24 hours,which was higher than that in group A[(4.36?0.38)?10~4 A,P

To investigate the distribution of the genes of two major metallo-beta-lactamases (MBL; i.e., IMP and VIM) and class 1 integrons (intI) in the clinical imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a total of 65 isolates, from a university hospital in Sichuan between December 2004 and April 2005 were screened for MBL genes by PCR using primers specific for bla ( IMP-1 ), bla ( VIM ) and bla ( VIM-2 ) genes. The MBL-positive isolates were further assessed for class 1 integrons by PCR using specific primers. The nucleotide sequences of several PCR products were also determined. The results revealed that the bla ( VIM ) gene was found in 81.5% (53/65) of all isolates, bla ( VIM-2 ) gene was found in only 1 isolate and the intI gene was observed in 45.3% (24/53) of bla ( VIM )-positive isolates. One isolate carried simultaneously both bla ( IMP-1 ) and intI genes, and to the best of our knowledge this is the first report of such isolate in southwest China. These observations highlight that the genes for VIM beta-lactamase and class 1 integrons were predominantly present among the imipenem-resistant P. aeruginosa tested, confirming the current widespread threat of imipenem-resistant, integron-borne P. aeruginosa.
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; China ; DNA Primers/chemistry ; Drug Resistance, Bacterial ; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial ; Imipenem/*pharmacology ; Integrons ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Models, Genetic ; Pseudomonas Infections/genetics ; Pseudomonas Infections/*microbiology ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa/*metabolism ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; beta-Lactamases/*metabolism

Objective To explore the application value of real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) technique in diagnosing and staging of chronic viral hepatitis B and hepatic fibrosis and to establish Young's modulus reference range for diagnosing and staging of hepatic fibrosis.Methods Forty-eight patients with chronic hepatitis B and fifty-eight healthy adults were enrolled and their Young's modulus values of S5 and S6 segments of liver were measured.Histopathologic examination was performed on 48 patients with chronic hepatitis B.Comparative analysis was conducted between the pathological findings and Young's modulus values,by means of which Young's modulus reference range for diagnosis and staging of hepatic fibrosis was obtained.Results There was significant difference in Young's modulus values of S5 and S6 segments of liver between chronic hepatitis B group and the normal control group (P＜0.05).Young's modulus values of S5 and S6 segments of liver in chronic hepatitis B group were (11.7 ± 2.9) kPa and (12.1 ± 3.2) kPa respectively,which were significantly higher than those in the normal control group,(5.7 ± 1.1) kPa and (5.8 ± 1.3) kPa respectively.Significant differences of Young's modulus values were detected in every staging of hepatic fibrosis (P＜0.05).S5 segment of liver Young's modulus values in S0-S4 stages were (5.8 ± 2.2) kPa,(7.3 ± 1.9) kPa,(10.3 ± 2.8) kPa,(10.3 ± 2.8) kPa,and (25.3 ± 3.6) kPa,respectively.S6 segment of liver Young's modulus values in S0-S4 stages were (5.7 ± 2.3) kPa,(9.2±2.1) kPa,(10.5±2.1) kPa,(14.7±4.5) kPa,and (26.1 ±2.1) kPa,respectively.Young's modulus value of the liver rose with the increase of S stage.Conclusion SWE technique can establish the Young's modulus reference range for hepatic fibrosis stage.Besides,it features high sensitivity,specificity and accuracy.