Phosphate-dissolving microorganisms are widely distributed in soil, rhizosphere and other ecological environment. Understanding the characteristics of these microorganisms in solubilizing phosphates is helpful to apply them in improving P use efficiency. The obtained results indicated that the fungi had much higher capacity to dissolve the rock than the bacteria. Existence of Fe, Al, Mg and Na in the culture media reduced the rock solubilization by the bacteria, but increased the solubilization of the fungi. The higher content of the rock in the media, the lower capacity of the rock phosphate solubilization was found. The capacity was also significantly reduced if the concentration of C material in the media was higher than 3%. It was also found that the microorganisms destroyed the rock structure. The P was more easily released from the rock at further incubation. In conclusion, there is some potential to utilize the microorganisms to activate the rock phosphate.

Objective To investigate the influence of factors related to metabolic syndrome(MS)on the outcome in subjects without diabetes mellitus in a community.Methods A two-year follow-up study was conducted in 885 subjects who were enrolled in the epidemiologic survey carried out in Pingliang Community, Shanghai in 2002.Oral glucose tolerance test,lipid prefde,blood pressure(BP),body mass index(BMI),waist and hip circumferences were measured.Results (1)The baseline of BMI,fasting plasma glucose(FPG),2h plasma glucose after glucose loading(2hPG),BP,triglyceride(TG)in the subjects with impaired glucose regulation(IGR)increased significantly as compared to those with normal glucose regulation(NGR)(all P

To study the chemical constituents from the the deep-sea fungus Alternaria sp. F49. Seven compounds were isolated from the EtOAc extract by using silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, ODS and HPLC methods. Based on the spectroscopic analysis, their structures were identified as (8R)-5-O-methyl-orcinotriol (1), orcinotriol (2), α-acetylorcinol (3), 3'-hydroxyalternariol 5-O-methyl ether (4), altenusiol (5), altenusin (6), and 5'-methoxy-6-methyl-biphenyl-3,4,3'-triol (7). (8R)-5-O-Methyl-orcinotriol (1) is a new phenolic compound which has never been reported in the literature. Compounds 4-7 showed strong DPPH free radical scavenging activity; whereas compounds 1-7 showed strong ABTS free radical scavenging activity.

Objective: To observe the effects of microwave on the activity of SOD and the contents of MDA in renal cortex and testis of mice. Methods: Microwave generator(2 450 MHz, 10 mW/cm2) was used to expose mice; NBT,DTNB and TBA were used to mearure the activity of SOD and the contents of MDA in renal cortex and testis of the mice after microwave exposure.Results: The content of MDA in renal cortex and testis of the mice increased progressively on days 1,6,12 and reached the highest level on day 24 after the microwave exposure (P<0.01). The activity of SOD in renal cortex and testis of the mice decreased progressively on days 1, 6, 12 and reached the lowest level on day 24 after the microwave exposure (P<0.01). Conclusions: Microwave exposure can produce reactive oxygen free radicals and lead to depress SOD activity.

Objective To investigate the effect of mutant presenilin-1(PS-1)on retinoic acid (RA)-induced PC12 cell gene expression,and find out the pathogenesis-related genes of Alzheimer's disease. Methods Gene-engineered PC12 cells stably expressing mutant PS-1 or wild-type PS-1 gene were induced by RA and then investigated by silver staining difrerential display (DD) technique for detecting gene differential expression. Results The gene-engineered PC12 cell models expressing mutant or wide-type PS-1 gene were successfully established by Lipofectin transferring technique. The endoplasmic reticulum protein 29 (ERp29) was higher expressed in gene-engineered PC12 cells with mutant PS-1,moreover,it had a close relationship with cell apoptosis. Conclusions The increase of ERp29 expression may be result from endoplasmic reticulum stress.The higher expression of ERp29 may play an important role in pathogenic mechanism of Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVETo compare the value of dipyridamole (201)Tl Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial imaging and exercise myocardial (99)Tc(m)-MIBI SPECT imaging on diagnosing cardiac syndrome X.

METHODSSixty-three patients with known cardiac syndrome X were divided into dipyridamole (201)Tl SPECT myocardial imaging group (group 1, n = 35) and exercise myocardial (99)Tc(m)-MIBI-SPECT imaging group (group 2, n = 28) and the diagnostic accuracy rates were compared.

RESULTSThirty-one out of 35 cardiac syndrome X patients showed reverse redistribution in group 1 and the diagnostic accuracy rate was 89%. Positive test results were evidenced 24 out of 28 cardiac syndrome X patients in group 2 and the diagnostic accuracy rate was 87% (P > 0.05 vs. group 1).

CONCLUSIONThe diagnostic accuracy rates of these two myocardial imaging methods were satisfactory and comparable on detecting cardiac syndrome X.

Adult ; Aged ; Dipyridamole ; Exercise Test ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microvascular Angina ; diagnostic imaging ; Middle Aged ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; methods

OBJECTIVETo analyze risk factors of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) patients living at above 2000 m high altitude area.

METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed the incidence of PAH in 526 ASD patients out of 1178 congenital heart disease patients who were hospitalized in Qinghai cardiovascular hospital between January 2007 to December 2009 and explored the risk factors including gander, age, altitude, defect size and nationalities for developing PAH in ASD patients using binary logistic regression.

RESULTSPAH prevalence was 68.4% (360/526) in ASD patients. The risk factors of developing PAH in these ASD patients were defect size (OR: 1.200, 95%CI: 1.156 - 1.246, P = 0.000), age (OR: 1.027, 95%CI: 1.003 - 1.052, P = 0.025) and altitude (OR: 1.389, 95%CI: 1.001 - 1.637, P = 0.043) while gender and nationality were not risk factors for PAH. The incidence of developing PAH increased with aging (P = 0.000). The standardized ratio of PAH at ≥ 3500 m was 74.8% which was significantly higher than that at 2000 - 2499 m altitude (66.2%, P = 0.005) and at 2500 - 3499 m altitude (66.9%, P = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONSThe risk for developing PAH is high in patients living at high altitude area. The risk factors of developing PAH in ASD patients living at high altitude are defect size, age and altitude.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Altitude ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial ; complications ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Hypertension, Pulmonary ; complications ; epidemiology ; Incidence ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the potential regulatory role played by the hormone resistin in lipid metabolism and expression of nuclear factor (NF)-kB and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a during hepatic steatosis.

METHODSA non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) cell model was established by treating the normal human hepatic cell line, L02, with palmitic acid. Four research groups of L02 cells were generated: C group (control, no palmitic acid treatment), P group (NAFLD model, treated with 20 microg/ml palmitic acid), CR group (C group treated with 50 microg/L recombinant human resistin), and PR group (P group treated with 50 microg/L recombinant human resistin). All treatments were carried out for 72 hours. Oil red O staining was used to detect the intracellular changes in lipid drops. Biochemical assays were used to measure triglycerides (TGs), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) levels in culture medium. The mRNA and protein expression levels of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-2, NF-kB, and TNF-a were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, respectively.

RESULTSThe TG, ALT, AST, and GGT levels were higher in the P, CR, and PR groups than in the C group. The NF-kB mRNA level was also higher in the P, CR, and PR groups (Student's t = 17.64, 22.03, 26.06 respectively) than in the C group, as was the TNFa mRNA level ( t = 5.67, 5.38, 11.64), but the IRS-2 mRNA level was lower ( t = 8.19, 9.23, 20.93) (all, P less than 0.05). In addition, no significant difference in these mRNA levels were found between the P group and the CR group (NF-kB: t = 1.75, TNFa: t = 0.58, IRS-2: t = 2.14; all, P more than 0.05). The detected protein levels of NF-kB, TNFa, and IRS-2 were consistent with the mRNA levels.

CONCLUSIONResistin can promote steatosis in LO2 cells through the NF-kB signaling pathway, thereby contributing to the NAFLD pathogenic process.

Cell Line ; Fatty Liver ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver ; metabolism ; NF-kappa B ; metabolism ; Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease ; Resistin ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of the combination therapy of biofeedback with electrical stimulation on chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) through clinical trials.

METHODSA total of 140 cases of diagnosed CP/CPPS were randomly divided into a control group (n = 20), a biofeedback group (BF, n = 40), an electrical stimulation group (ES, n = 40), and a biofeedback plus electrical stimulation group (BF + ES, n = 40). The latter three groups were treated by corresponding methods 5 times a week for 2 weeks, while the controls left untreated. After the treatment, all the patients were followed up for 30 days. The NIH chronic prostatitis symptom index (NIH-CPSI) scores and the results of uroflowmetry were obtained and compared before and after the treatment.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the scores on pain, urinary symptoms and quality of life (QOL) and the total NIH-CPSI scores were obviously decreased (P < 0.05), and the maximum flow rate (MFR) markedly improved (P < 0.05) in the BF, ES and BF + ES groups after the treatment, with significant differences between the former two and the latter one (P < 0.05), but not between the BF and ES groups (P > 0.05), nor in the control group before and after the treatment (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe combination therapy of biofeedback with electrical stimulation has a synergistic effect on CP/CPPS by alleviating pain and urinary symptoms, improving QOL and elevating MFR.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Biofeedback, Psychology ; Chronic Disease ; Electric Stimulation ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pelvic Pain ; therapy ; Prostatitis ; therapy ; Syndrome ; Young Adult

BACKGROUNDThe rocking and instability of a loaded complete denture (CD) during lateral excursion reduce the bearing area under the denture base, causing localized high stress concentrations. This can lead to mucosal tenderness, ulceration, and alveolar bone resorption, and the linear occlusion design was to decrease the lateral force exerted on the denture and to ensure denture stability. But it is not known how the bearing areas of linear occlusal CDs (LOCDs) and anatomic occlusal CDs (AOCDs) differ. The purpose of this study was to analyze and compare the distributions of the high and low vertical stress-bearing areas in the mandibular alveolar mucosa under LOCDs and AOCDs at lateral excursion.

METHODSComputerized tomography (CT) and finite element analysis were used to establish three-dimensional models of an edentulous maxilla and mandible with severe residual ridge resorption. These models were composed of maxillary and mandibular bone structure, mucosa, and the LOCD or AOCD. Lateral excursion movements of the mandible were simulated and the vertical stress-bearing areas in the mucosa under both mandibular CDs were analyzed using ANSYS 7.0.

RESULTSOn the working side, the high stress-bearing (-0.07 to -0.1 MPa) area under the LOCD during lateral excursion was smaller than that under the AOCD, while the medium stress-bearing (-0.03 to -0.07 MPa) area under the LOCD was 1.33-fold that under the AOCD. The medium stress-bearing area on the non-working side under the LOCD was 2.4-fold that under the AOCD. Therefore, the overall medium vertical stress-bearing area under the LOCD was 20% larger than that under the AOCD.

CONCLUSIONSDuring lateral excursion, the medium vertical stress-bearing area under a mandibular LOCD was larger and the high vertical stress-bearing area was smaller than that under an AOCD. Thus, the vertical stress under the LOCD was distributed more evenly and over a wider area than that under the AOCD, thereby improving denture stability.

Aged ; Computer Simulation ; Dental Occlusion ; Dental Stress Analysis ; Denture, Complete ; Female ; Finite Element Analysis ; Humans ; Mandible ; physiology ; Stress, Mechanical