Bioremediation is one of the most effective ways to treat and dispose of chlorinated hydrocarbons, and methanotrophs are potentially useful to do so. Recent studies found that facultative methanotrophs can use compounds containing C-C bond as sources of carbon and energy, thus overcoming the limitation that obligate methanotrophsone uses only C1 compounds for this process. This is a unique metabolic approach that is becoming increasingly attractive in the field of contaminant biodegradation. Here, we summarized the bioremediation of chlorinated hydrocarbons by obligate and facultative methanotrophs. This process involves the degradation of various chlorinated hydrocarbons by diverse strains, including pure cultures and mixed cultures. We also compare the activity expression and catalytic properties of different types of methane monooxygenases in various substrates. We furthermore summarize the kinetic characteristics of the degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons using the model strain Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, and outline the degradation and potential of chlorinated hydrocarbons by facultative methanotrophs. Lastly, we discuss current problems and future research directions for degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons by methanotrophs.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Hydrocarbons, Chlorinated ; metabolism ; Methylosinus trichosporium ; metabolism ; Oxygenases ; metabolism

Objective To enhance the students’ performance ability in the massage, acupuncture and moxibustion teaching and objectify the operation practice. Methods To utilize the miniature sensing technology,collect the various physical signals,quantify the technique parameter after computer information processing. Results Students’practice of massage,acupuncture and moxibustion can be visualized to meet the requirement of teaching experiment in massage, acupuncture and moxibustion,which shows that this research can innovatively solve the problem of the deficiency of quantity index in the teaching of massage and acupuncture.

Objective To ev aluate clinical results of selective anterior corpectomy combined with segmental discectomv and fusion for multilevel cervical myelopathv andits related factors.Methods Twenty-five patients of multilevel cervical myelopathv with 3 or 4 consecutive segments were treated with selective anterior corpectomy combinedwith segmental discectomy and fusion.The clinical results were evaluated by the parameters including improvement of Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA)score postoperatively,fusion rate,and the degree of spinal canal decompression and range of motion of the cervical spine.Results JOA score were improved from 9.5±1.3 pre-operatively to 13.8±0.8(P＜0.01)6 months post operation and 1 3.6±0.9(P＜0.05)atthe final follow-up.Bony fusion was verified by X-ray and 3D-CT scan 1 2 months post operation and final follow-up.Moreover,the degree of decompression of the spinal canal was also remarkable.The range of motion of the cervical spine after operation decreased significantly(P＜0.05).Conclusion Selective anterior corpectomy combined with segmental discectomy and fusion was an alternative choice for the surgical treatment of multilevel cervical myelopathy.

Objective To study the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance urography (MRU) in the urinary tract obstruction(UTO) in children.Methods 65 children with UTO underwent intravenous pyelography(IVP),B-ultrasound(BUS) and MR urography(MRU) ,MRU using hearvily T_2-weighted fat suppression turbo echo sequence.MRU features were compared with that of operation.The accurate rate in diagnosis of UTO with MRU was analysed comparatively with that of IVP and BUS.Results The lesions diagnosed with MRU included stricture of ureteropelvic junction in 36 children,and duplication of renal pelvis in 3 children (diagnostic error in 1),primary megaloureter in 9,narrowing of cystic inlet of ureter in 4,cysts of cystic inlet of ureter in 3,solitary kidney in 2,nephrolith in 5,nervous bladder in 2 and congenital renal dysplasia in 1.The accuracy was 98.5% in defining the UTO with MRU(64/65),which was superior to that with IVP and BUS(P＜0.05).Conclusion MRU is of great value in the diagnosis of upper urinary tract obstruction in children.

Methanotrophs could degrade methane and various chlorinated hydrocarbons. The analysis on methane monooxygenase gene cluster sequence would help to understand its catalytic mechanism and enhance the application in pollutants biodegradation. The methanotrophs was enriched and isolated with methane as the sole carbon source in the nitrate mineral salt medium. Then, five chlorinated hydrocarbons were selected as cometabolic substrates to study the biodegradation. The phylogenetic tree of 16S rDNA using MEGE5.05 software was constructed to identify the methanotroph strain. The pmoCAB gene cluster encoding particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) was amplified by semi-nested PCR in segments. ExPASy was performed to analyze theoretical molecular weight of the three pMMO subunits. As a result, a strain of methanotroph was isolated. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that the strain belongs to a species of Methylocystis, and it was named as Methylocystis sp. JTC3. The degradation rate of trichloroethylene (TCE) reached 93.79% when its initial concentration was 15.64 μmol/L after 5 days. We obtained the pmoCAB gene cluster of 3 227 bp including pmoC gene of 771 bp, pmoA gene of 759 bp, pmoB gene of 1 260 bp and two noncoding sequences in the middle by semi-nested PCR, T-A cloning and sequencing. The theoretical molecular weight of their corresponding gamma, beta and alpha subunit were 29.1 kDa, 28.6 kDa and 45.6 kDa respectively analyzed using ExPASy tool. The pmoCAB gene cluster of JTC3 was highly identical with that of Methylocystis sp. strain M analyzed by Blast, and pmoA sequences is more conservative than pmoC and pmoB. Finally, Methylocystis sp. JTC3 could degrade TCE efficiently. And the detailed analysis of pmoCAB from Methylocystis sp. JTC3 laid a solid foundation to further study its active sites features and its selectivity to chlorinated hydrocarbon.
Methylocystaceae ; classification ; metabolism ; Multigene Family ; Oxygenases ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S ; genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Trichloroethylene ; metabolism

From the TCM theoretical basis and the evidences of acupoint selection and acupuncture and moxibustion methods regarding acupuncture for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a theoretical discussion is made in this article, also a review regarding the key mechanism of experiment researches on acupuncture for PTSD is made from aspects of neurobiology and brain functional imaging, etc., which could further clarify the effect mechanism of acupuncture on PTSD. It is found that PTSD is a kind of stress syndrome accompanied with a variety of abnormal mental symptom , and acupuncture has superior effect on PTSD. Based on these, the research progress and deficiency on current mechanism study of PTSD are reviewed, hoping to offer ideas for upcoming research and to serve the clinical practice better.
Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; methods ; trends ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic ; therapy

To study the effects of the extract of fungal elicitor, AgNO3, MeJA and yeast on the growth and content of secondary metabolites of adventitious roots in Tripterygium wilfordii. The above elicitors were supplemented to the medium, the growth and the content of secondary metabolites were measured. When the medium was supplemented with the elicitor Glomerella cingulata or Collectotrichum gloeosporioides, the content of triptolide was increased by 2.24 and 1.93-fold, the alkaloids content was increased by 2.02 and 2.07-fold, respectively. The optimal concentration of G. cingulata was 50 μg/mL for accumulation of triptolide, alkaloids and for the growth of adventitious roots. AgNO3 inhibited the growth of adventitious roots and the accumulation of the alkaloids, whereas it (at 25 μmol/L) increased the accumulation of triptolide by 1.71-fold compared to the control. The growth of adventitious roots, the contents of triptolide and alkaloids were increased 1.04, 1.64 and 2.12-folds, respectively when MeJA was at 50 μmol/L. When the concentration of yeast reached 2 g/L, the content of triptolide increased 1.48-folds. This research demonstrated that supplementation of AgNO3 and yeast enhanced the biosynthesis of triptolide in adventitious roots and the synergism of G. cingulata and MeJA could promote the biosynthesis of both triptolide and alkaloids.
Acetates ; pharmacology ; Alkaloids ; biosynthesis ; Colletotrichum ; Cyclopentanes ; pharmacology ; Diterpenes ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Epoxy Compounds ; metabolism ; Oxylipins ; pharmacology ; Phenanthrenes ; metabolism ; Phyllachorales ; Plant Roots ; drug effects ; growth & development ; Secondary Metabolism ; Tripterygium ; drug effects ; growth & development ; metabolism

Objective To investigate the outcome of damage control sugery in patients with acute superior mesenteric occlusion (ASMO).Methods Seventeen patients with acute superior mesenteric occlusion from June 2008 to May 2012 were reviewed retrospectively.Diagnosis was confirmed by CT and/or DSA.Patients were divided into two groups:seven patients in damage control group (shortening surgical time,bowel exteriorization,temporary abdominal closure) ; ten patients in conventional surgical treatment group.The treatment outcomes of the two groups were compared.The survival of all patients was followed up for 6 months to 5 years at outpatient clinic.Results The overall mortality rate was (5/17) and surgical complications rate was (8/17).Operation time was (97 ±42) min and (236 ± 137) min(t =-4.72,P ＜0.01,P ＜ 0.05) respectively in damage control group and conventional surgical treatment group.Intestine resection length was (114 ± 94) cm and (229 ± 93) cm (t =-2.49,P =0.03,P ＜ 0.05) respectively.Complications rate was (1/7) and (7/10) (Fisher's dxact test P =0.05,P ≤0.05) respectively; mortality was (1/7) and (4/10) (Fisher's dxact test P =0.34,P ＞ 0.05) respectively.Conclusions Although damage control does not significantly reduce mortality,but the rational use of damage control can effectively reduce operation time,shorten intestine resection length and decrease surgical complications.

BACKGROUND:Many experiments have demonstrated that tissue engineering scaffolds prepared by polymer materials alone or biomaterials cannot meet the requirement of tissue engineering research.
OBJECTIVE:To evaluate biological characteristics and cel affinity of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyoctanoate)/col agen composite scaffold.
METHODS:Tissue engineering scaffolds were prepared by combination of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyoctanoate) and col agen at different proportions (2%, 4%, 6%, 8%and 10%) using solvent casting/particulate leaching method. Inner structure and apertures were observed by scanning electron microscope, and the porosity was determined by liquid displacement method. Rabbit chondrocytes were co-cultured with poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyoctanoate)/col agen composite scaffold and poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyoctanoate) scaffold. Growth curve of cel s was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, and cel adhesion on the scaffolds was observed by scanning electron microscope.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The pore size and porosity of the composite scaffold were about 200μm and (85±2)%, respectively. The cel affinity dynamical y increased with the increasing of proportion of col agen. Compared with the poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyoctanoate) scaffold, the poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyoctanoate)/col agen composite scaffolds are better to improve cel adhesion and proliferation, with favorable cel ular affinity.

Objective To explore the effect of lysophosphatidic acid(LPA)on blood-brain barrier(BBB) permeability and its possible mechanism.Methods LPA or LPA+suramin(L+S)were stereotaxically injected into the right eaudate nucleus in SD rats in vivo.Evans blue(EB)was used to quantitatively measure the permeability of BBB at different time points.The expression of matrix metalloproteinase-9 was detected by immunohistochemistry technique.The pathological ultrastruetural changes of BBB were assessed by transmission electron microscopy.Results The BBB permeability began to increase after LPA administered into ipsilateral eaudate nucleus,and reached the peak at 24h.Then the permeability of BBB gradually lowered after 48h.In comparison with the same time points of control group,there were quite significant differences(P＜0.01).After L+S was injected,the change of BBB permeability had differences in comparison with those of LPA group in the same time points,(P＜0.05).MMP-9 positive cells were mainly vascular endothelial cells.The numbers of MMP-9 positive blood vessels grew at 6h in LPA group,and the expression of it reached maximum at 24h,then the number of it decreased at 48h,showing significant statistical differences in comparison with the L+S group(P＜0.01),It was observed microscopically that ultrastrueture of BBB of the LPA group was changed sharply,such as basement membrane roughed and fragmented,astroeyte end-feet swolled markedly and perivaseular space enlarged obviously.But there were no remarkable changes in BBB in L+S group.Conclusion LPA can induce increase of BBB permeability and its possible mechanism is the strong expression of MMP-9 protein produeted by endothelial cells through the mediation of LPA receptor,leading to degradation of basement membrane.