Ethanol can be produced from lignocellulose by first hydrolysing the material to sugars,including hexose,and pentose,and then fermenting the hydrolysate to ethanol.Hydrolysis using dilute-acid has advantages over other methods.However,compounds which inhibit fermentation are generated during this kind of hydrolysis.Therefore,it is important to focus on microorganisms metabolizing xylose and tolerating/decomposing inhibitors,on detoxification methods of hydroly- sates with low-cost and facilitated to scale-up,and different fermentation modes in ethanol production from hydrolysate.This review summarized the advance in above aspects.

Salmonella enterica serovar Cerro 87, which was isolated from a commercial egg-producing farm, has a phosphorothioated DNA backbone resulting DNA degradation(Dnd) during the pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) process. In this research, a gene deletion mutant XTG103 was engineered with the entire dnd gene cluster knocked out by double crossover using vector pKOV-kan, and lost Dnd phenotype corre- spondingly. We regulated the DNA phosphorothioation by heterogenous expression of dnd gene cluster with an isopropyl ?-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) inducible promoter PlacZ.

Using plants to remove or inactivate heavy metal pollutants from soils and surface waters provide a cheap and sustainable approach of Phytoremediation. However, field trials suggested that the efficiency of contaminant removal using natural hyperaccumulators is insufficient, due to that many of these species are slow growing and produce little shoot biomass. These factors severely constrain their potential for large-scale decontamination of polluted soils. Moreover, both the micronutrient and toxic metal content accumulated in crops determine the quality and safety of our food-chain. By a transgenic approach, the introduction of novel genes responsible for hyperaccumulating phenotype into high biomass plants and/or stable crops uptaking minerals as food is a promising strategy for the development of effective techniques of phytoremediation and improvement of nutritional value of stable food through a viable commercialization. Recently, the progress at molecular level for heavy metal uptaking, detoxification and hyperaccumulation in plants, and also the clarification of some functional genes in bacteria, yeasts, plants and animals, have advanced the research on genetic engineering plants of heavy metal resistance and accumulation, and on the functional genes (e . g. gsh1, MerA and ArsC) and their genetic transformated plants. These studies demonstrated commercialization potentials of phytoremediation. In this paper, the molecular approach, effects and problems in gene transformation were discussed in details, and also the strategy and emphases were probed into the future research.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Genetic Engineering ; methods ; Metals, Heavy ; metabolism ; Plants, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; metabolism ; Soil Pollutants ; metabolism

It is believed that cancer stem cells(CSCs)are the cancerous root of tumors that deeply hide in the microenviron-ment,and the primary origin of the tumor recurrence and metastasis.Characteristics of niche sealing and retention of the CSCs are different from that of the normal stem cells.CSCs are located in the most deficient site of the caner microenvironment with deficiency of vital qi.The niche that storing CSCs is characterized by root deficiency accompanied by blood stasis and phlegm stagnation.CSCs are caused by dislocated ministerial fire which enervates the primitive qi deficiency become more deficient, and deepens the cancer toxin.It is suggested that intervening CSCs and the niche that for CSCs survival by strengthening the vital qi,mitigating the deficiency and stasis of the microenvironment may be an effective strategy to remove the cancer toxin root.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate and compare the effect of naso-intestinal tube decompression and octreotide in conservative management of early post-operative inflammatory ileus (EPII).

METHODSFrom March 2005 to January 2009, forty-five patients diagnosed with EPII, who failed to improve with conventional conservative management including nasogastric tube decompression, were enrolled in this study. All patients were prospectively nonrandomized into naso-intestinal tube group (n = 23) or Octreotide group (n = 22). The outcomes were compared between nasogastric tube, naso-intestinal tube and Octreotide groups.

RESULTSAll the forty-five patients with EPII refractory to conservative management with nasogastric decompression were treated successfully with the naso-intestinal tube decompression or octreotide in 3-12 days. Compared with the Octreotide group, the first passage of flatus was earlier [(4.7 +/- 1.9) d vs (6.7 +/- 1.6) d] and abdominal circumference recovered faster [(90.4 +/- 2.0)% vs (95.1 +/- 1.3)%] in the naso-intestinal tube group (P < 0.05). But the volume of cumulative and daily gastrointestinal decompression were more in naso-intestinal tube group than those in Octreotide group [(4037 +/- 1155) ml vs (3316 +/- 1038) ml; (890 +/- 181) ml vs (492 +/- 83) ml; P < 0.05].

CONCLUSIONSPatients with EPII could be safely and effectively managed by naso-intestinal tube decompression or octreotide. It is possible for those patients to avoid second laparotomy. Naso-intestinal tube decompression and octreotide are associated with faster recovery and less fluid loss respectively.

Abdomen ; surgery ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Decompression ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Intestinal Obstruction ; etiology ; therapy ; Intubation, Gastrointestinal ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Octreotide ; therapeutic use ; Postoperative Complications ; therapy ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the incidence of intron 22 inversion (INV22) of factor VIII (FVIII) gene in severe hemophilia A (HA) patients, clarify its pathological mechanism, and identify INV22 carrier in the female family members.

METHODSOne-stage method was used to assay the FVIII activity (FVIII:C)in 126 severe HA patients with a median age of 14 years old (range: 4 months-63 years). INV22 was analyzed by long-distance polymerase chain reaction (LD-PCR) and pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and pedigree were conducted in 3 involved HA families.

RESULTSOf all the 126 severe HA, 52 (41.3%) cases had the INV22. Four females including 3 mothers and 1 sister of probands were diagnosed as INV22 carriers among 11 suspected carrier mosaicisms from 3 INV22 positive HA families. In 8 females from one family without HA history, the patient's mother was a INV22 carrier, but her maternal grandmother, 2 maternal aunts, 2 female siblings and 1 elder female cousin were negative.

CONCLUSIONLD-PCR and PFGE could be used to diagnose severe HA patients with INV22 and identify the carriers.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Chromosome Inversion ; Chromosomes, Human, X ; Factor VIII ; genetics ; Female ; Hemophilia A ; genetics ; Heterozygote ; Humans ; Infant ; Introns ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pedigree

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of Bushen Huoxue Decoction in the treatment of carotid atherosclerotic plaque. Methods Totally 50 patients of carotid atherosclerotic plaque were collected to conduct health education. At the same time, they were given Bushen Huoxue Decoction, one dosage a day, twice a day, decoction, for 12 weeks. The correlation indexes of carotid artery before and after treatment were observed, and TCM syndrome integrals were evaluated before and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks treatment. FBG, TC, LDL-C, CRP HCY, IL-6, IGF-1, and OPG were detected before and after treatment. Hematuria routine, liver and renal function were monitored. Results After treatment, the Crouse score and the plaque grade score of carotid atherosclerotic plaque showed a tendency to decrease, without statistical significance (P=0.060, P=0.336). Carotid maximal plaque area and modified total score of carotid atherosclerotic plaque were significantly reduced compared with that before treatment (P<0.05). TCM syndrome integrals were significantly reduced compared with that before treatment (P<0.05), and the scores decreased significantly with the prolongation of treatment time. TCM syndrome integrals after 4, 8, and 12 weeks were significantly reduced compared with that before treatment (F=160.352, P<0.001). Total effective rate of treatment in the efficacy of TCM syndrome was 85.11％ (40/47). Serum levels of FBG and TC decreased significantly after the treatment compared with that before the treatment, with statistical significance (P<0.05). Serum levels of LDL-C, HCY, CRP, IL-6, IGF-1, and OPG all showed a tendency to decrease, without statistical significance (P>0.05). No abnormality in hematuria routine, liver and renal function examinations were found during the research. Conclusion Bushen Huoxue Decoction has obvious clinical efficacy for carotid atherosclerotic plaque, which can improve clinical symptoms of patients, it also could stabilize and reduce plaque with high safety.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Exons ; Factor VIII ; genetics ; Hemophilia A ; genetics ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation

Objective To investigate the immediate and cumulative effects of early acupuncture therapy on cerebral hemodynamics in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Methods Totally 60 patients with acute ischemic stroke were selected and randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 30 patients in each group. The two groups were treated with routine Western treatment. On the basis of above, the treatment group was given acupuncture treatment (acupuncture for the first time before the use of circulating medication), 30 minutes for each needle, 1 needle every 10 minutes, once per day. The treatment for both groups lasted for 14 d. The changes of systolic peak velocity (Vs), diastolic peak velocity (Vd), pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) of middle cerebral artery (MCA) in the two groups were observed. Results Compared with before treatment, both Vs and Vd increased and both PI and RI decreased in the treament group (P＜0.05); Compared with the treatment for 1 d, both Vs and Vd increased and both PI and RI decreased in the treament group after treatment (P＜0.05). Compared with before treatment, Vs, Vd, PI, RI in the treatment group and Vs and PI in the control group were significantly improved after treatment (P＜0.05). After treatment, the improvement of Vs, Vd, PI and RI in the treatment group was better than that in the control group (P＜0.05). Conclusion Early acupuncture has immediate and cumulative effects on cerebral blood flow in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Many times of acupuncture may strengthen the effects of acupuncture.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the dynamic changes of myocardial matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) activities in mice with viral myocarditis (VM) and their relationships with cardiac function and myocardial collagen amount and to explore the role of MMPs in the pathologic lesion of VM.

METHODSSixty-five six-week-old male DBA/2 mice were obtained from the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. They were divided into two groups randomly. Mice in infected group (n=50) were inoculated intraperitoneally with 0.14 ml of coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3, Nancy strain). Control mice (n=15) were inoculated intraperitoneally with 0.14 ml of Eagle's solution. Eight infected mice were sacrificed on day 3, 7, 10, 21 and 30, respectively and fifteen control mice were killed on day 30 after inoculation. Total protein concentration was determined according to the method of Bradford, while MMPs activities were measured with SDS-PAGE type substrate gels embedded with type I gelatin (zymography). Echocardiographic studies were performed under anesthesia with 3% chloralhydrate intraperitoneally (0.01-0.015 ml/g). Cardiac systolic function indexes, such as peak velocity of aorta (Vp) and flow velocity integral of aorta (Vi) were determined by echocardiography. Histological cross sections of hearts were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and myocardial histopathologic scores were counted under optical microscope. Myocardial collagen amount was measured by determination of hydroxyproline quantification.

RESULTSIn virus-infected mice, both MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities were increased significantly compared with those in controls and reached the peak on day 10 (P < 0.01). On day 10, cardiac systolic function indexes (Vp and Vi) were all significantly lower than those at other stages after virus inoculation and in control group (P < 0.05). There was no obvious elevation in myocardial collagen amount in mice with VM at acute stage (P > 0.05). While the myocardial collagen amount in infected group at recovery stage (on day 21 and 30) increased significantly compared with controls. MMP-2 and MMP-9 activities positively correlated with myocardial histopathological scores, respectively (r =0.801, 0.821 P < 0.01), while they negatively correlated with Vp (r = -0.649, -0.683, P < 0.01) and Vi, respectively (r = -0.711, -0.755, P < 0.01). However, Vp and Vi negatively correlated with myocardial histopathological scores (r = -0.756, -0.584, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSIn mice with VM, the activities of myocardial MMP-2 and MMP-9 at acute stage increased significantly, then myocardial collagen amount elevated in recovery stage. These changes were associated with myocardial remodeling and cardiac dysfunction. Myocardial MMP activities are important markers of myocardial pathologic lesion. They are of value in the evaluation of the severity of myocardial damage and cardiac dysfunction in mice with VM.

Animals ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Coxsackievirus Infections ; complications ; Disease Models, Animal ; Echocardiography ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinases ; metabolism ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred DBA ; Myocarditis ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; physiopathology ; virology ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; pathology ; Systole ; Ventricular Dysfunction ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Ventricular Remodeling