To assess effects of cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) alone and in combination on soil microbial community structural diversity, an incubation experiment was conducted, employing two soils, namely, the marine sediment silty loam soil and the yellowish red soil, in which five levels of Cd, Hg or Cd and Hg in combination were added. After incubated 56 days, phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were tested. The results showed that the composition of the microbial communities changed significantly after different levels of metals application. The principal component analysis (PCA) of PLFAs indicated the structure of the microbial community was also significantly influenced by the pollution of metals, with the increases in PLFAs biomarkers for fungi and actinomycetes, and the increases in the ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria. By comparing the effects of Cd, Hg alone and in combination, the results revealed that the combined pollution of Cd and Hg had higher toxicity to soil microbial community structural diversity than that of Cd or Hg applied alone.

The effect of lead (Pb) treatment on the soil enzymatic activities,soil microbial biomass,rice physiological indices and rice biomass in soil-rice system were studied by pot experiment in a greenhouse. Lead was applied at 0(CK),100,300,500,700,900 mg/kg levels in two different paddy soils.The results showed that low Pb concentration had a stimulating effect on soil enzymatic activities,microbial biomass car- bon (Cmic) and rice biomass,and an inhibitory influence on most indices when Pb concentration over 500 mg/kg and the influence also restricted by soil properties (e.g.size composition,organic matter content). Rice Chorophyll content increased with Pb level and appeared a peak at 700 mg/kg Pb concentration,then decreased with Pb level in Silty loam,however,no evident difference in Yellowish red soil.Pb was effective in indueing proline accumulation and its toxicity caused oxidative stress on rice plants.Higher soil Cmic with planting rice than with no rice indicated rice growth definite detoxification.On the whole,Soil enzymatic ac- tivities,Cmic and rice physiological indices,therefore,may be sensitive indicators reflecting environmental stress in soil-Pb-rice system.And the correlations among them followed soil types.

The effect of lead (Pb) treatment on the soil microbial biomass carbon (Cmic), microbial biomass nitrogen (Nmic), micro-bial activities, rice physiological indices and rice biomass in the interactive system of soil-rice-lead and microbe, were studied by a greenhouse pot experiment. Lead was applied at six different levels in two different paddy soils, namely 0 (CK), 100, 300, 500, 700 and 900 mg·kg-1 soil. The results showed that Pb treatment had a stimulating effect on soil Cmic, Nmic, microbial activities, rice chlorophyll content and rice biomass at low Pb treatment levels and an inhibitory influence at high Pb levels. Most indices appeared peak values at the levels from 300 mg·kg-1 to 500 mg·kg-1 Pb treatments. However, the degree of influence on Cmic, Nmic, microbial activities and rice biomass by Pb was related to the clay and organic matter contents of the soils. Meanwhile, Lead was effective in inducing proline accumulation and its toxicity caused oxidative stress in rice plants at the tested Pb levels. Correlations between soil microbial indices and rice physiological indices were also affected by soil properties. The results also indicated that soil Nmic, soil dehydrogenase and rice peroxidase were more sensitive biological indicators reflecting Pb contamination.

We present a case of twin reversed arterial perfusion syndrome complicated by an acardius acephalus fetus and complex skeletal dysplasia in the co‐twin, including a reduction of the right arm and absence of the right scapula and 4 ribs, as evaluated with three‐dimensional sonography and MRI. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2007

In order to examine the influence of lead (Pb) contamination on microbial biomass, two ecophysiological parameters and microbial community structure in soil during the growth of Chinese Cabbage (Brassica chinensis), a 60 days-growth experiment of the plant was conducted in two different soils, namely, marine sediment silty loam (S1) and yellowish red soil (S2). Six application rates of lead acetate were added to obtain the Pb concentrations of 0, 100, 300, 500, 700 and 900 mg·kg -1 soil. The results revealed that the Pb application at the level of 100 and 300 mg·kg -1 soil displayed a slight stimulative effect on microbial biomass, whereas Pb concentrations >500 mg·kg -1 caused an immediate gradual significant decline in microbial biomass for both two soils. Two ecophysiological parameters, the microbial biomass carbon/ organic carbon (C_ mic /C_ org ) ratio was decreased and a consequence the metabolic quotient (q_ CO_ 2 ) was increased with elevating Pb concentrations, indicating a stressful condition for soil microflora. The results also showed that less shifts in soil microbial biomass and two ecophysiological parameters were occurred in planted soils as compared with the respective unplanted soils, suggesting that the influences on microorganisms by Pb contamination was related to different management (plant vegetation) and the clay and organic matter contents of the soils. The profiles of 21 phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were used to assess whether observed changes in functional microbial parameters were accompanied by changes in the composition of the microbial communities at Pb application rates of 0, 300 and 900 mg·kg -1 soil. The results of principal component analyses (PCA) indicated there were significant differences in the soil microbial community structure among three Pb treatments. Relative increases in fatty acid indicators for fungi and actinomycetes and gradual increases in the ratio of Gram-positive to Gram-negative bacteria were found with elevating Pb concentrations.

The accumulation of Pb in the food chain is one of the great concerns as it can cause chronic health problems and the available Pb is easily absorbed by crops. To shed light on Pb bioavailability in lead-contaminated agricultural soils of Zhejiang Province, a series of plant growth experiments were performed in a greenhouse to select more suitable extractants from five commonly used extractants (0.1 M HCl, 1 M NH4OAc, 0.1 M CaCl2, DTPA-TEA and Mehlich 3). The results showed that 1 M NH4OAc can extract Pb best, indicating the Pb bioavailability, then, DTPA-TEA and 0.1 M HCl in the tested soils. In case 1 M NH4OAc was used as an extractant, the critical Pb concentrations in soils were 50.19 mg/kg, 21.16 mg/kg and 114.00 mg/kg (1 M NH4OAc extracted Pb) in silty loam, yellowish- red soil and purplish soil, respectively. When the values exceed the above ones, the contents of Pb in Chinese cabbage leaves will exceed the Chinese Tolerance Limit of Lead in Foods (GB14935-94), as a result, potential ecological risk and hazard to human health via the food chain will appear.

Soil microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, play important roles in promoting soil quality and improving plant health and nutrition, thus influencing terrestrial ecosystems. Increasing anthropogenic activities, such as sprawling urbanization, agricultural development, pesticides utilization, and pollutions from all sources, can potentially affect soil microbial community composition and diversity, leading to deterioration of soil quality and fertility. However, it is yet to be determined how these changes in microbial diversity can influence surface and ground ecosystems. To that end, there is an acute need for reliable and accurate methods to study the community structure and taxonomy of soil microorganisms. Without the development of effective methods for studying the microbial diversity, distribution, and behavior in polluted soil, a thorough understanding of microbial diversity, as well as its impact on soil health, cannot be achieved. The determination of species diversity depends on several factors including the intensity of each species, the total number of species present, species evenness, and the spatial distribution of species. Methods to measure microbial community structure and functional diversity in polluted soils can be classified into two groups, i.e., biochemical-based techniques and molecular biological-based techniques. Typically, diversity studies include the relative comparisons of communities across a gradient of stress and disturbance. With current techniques, it is difficult to study true diversity due to lack of knowledge on composition and the techniques to determine the accuracy of the extraction or detection methods. Traditionally, the analysis of soil microbial communities has always depended on culturing techniques using a variety of culture media designed to maximize the recovery of diverse microbial populations. However, only a small fraction (<1%) of the soil microbial community has been accessed with this approach. To overcome these problems, other methods such as the community-level physiological profiling and analysis of phospholipid fatty acids have been used in an attempt to measure a greater proportion of the soil microbial community. In recent years, molecular-based approaches for assessing soil microbial community have provided a new understanding of the phylogenetic diversity of microbial communities in polluted soils. Among all the available techniques, the PCR-based methods are most useful including denaturing/temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE/TGGE), amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA), ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (RISA), automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA), etc. The use of these techniques might provide new ways of measuring soil microbial diversity, ultimately leading to a more complete understanding of the potential impacts of pollution on soil microorganisms. Information obtained from such studies will also provide insight on the role of microbial processes in soil health. However, although the PCR-based molecular techniques have been used to overcome the limitations of culture-based methods, they have their own limitations such as the lysis efficiency of cells or fungal structures variation between and within microbial groups. Since each group of methods (biochemical-based versus molecular biological-based) can only provide a partial picture of one aspect of soil microbial diversity, a combined use of techniques from the two groups will certainly help to develop a broader, more complete profile of soil microbial diversity in polluted soils, which will eventually enhance our knowledge on the changes in microbial community function caused by the changes in microbial community structure.

BACKGROUND:Vulvovaginal candidiasis (WC) is a bothersome disease in women. Poor compliance with the continuous use of antifungal vaginal drugs often results in treatment failure. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy, acceptability, and safety of single-dose sertaconazole vaginal tablet (500 mg) treatment compared with conventional 3-dose econazole vaginal tablet (150 mg) treatment for VVC.METHODS:In this open, randomized, and comparative study, 40 symptomatic patients with VVC confirmed by the smear method were enrolled. Patients in group A were treated with single-dose sertaconazole vaginal tablet and those in group B were treated continuously with econazole vaginal tablet for 3 days.RESULTS:The characteristics of the patients in both groups were comparable and without statistical difference. Group A showed a significantly better clearance rate for candidiasis than group B (100% vs. 72.2% on day 7, p = 0.013; 100% vs. 77.8% on day 14, p = 0.030), based on smear method results. Group A showed a more rapid response for symptom relief than group B on day 7, but there was no difference in overall symptom relief between group A and group B on day 14.CONCLUSION:Single-dose sertaconazole proved to be a more convenient and symptom-relieving treatment for VVC. The advantages of such management are worthy of further study in women with relapse VVC.

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of different concentrations of lead acetate on soil microbial biomass and community structure during growth of Chinese cabbage (Brassica chinensis) in two different soils. The field soils were used for a small pot, short-term 60-day growth chamber study. The soils were amended with different Pb concentrations, ranging from 0 to 900 mg kg−1 soil. The experimental design was a 2 soil × 2 vegetation/non-vegetation × 6 treatments (Pb) × 3 replicate factorial experiment. At 60 days the study was terminated and soils were analyzed for microbial parameters, namely, microbial biomass, basal respiration and PLFAs. The results indicated that the application of Pb at lower concentrations (100 and 300 mg kg−1) as lead acetate resulted in a slight increase in soil microbial biomass, whereas Pb concentrations >500 mg kg−1 caused an immediate gradual significant decline in biomass. However, the degree of impact on soil microbial biomass and basal respiration by Pb was related to management (plant vegetation) or the contents of clay and organic matter in soils. The profiles of 21 phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) were used to assess whether observed changes in functional microbial parameters were accompanied by changes in the composition of the microbial communities after Pb application at 0, 300 and 900 mg Pb kg−1 soil. The results of principal component analyses (PCA) indicated that there were significant increases in fungi biomarkers of 18:3ω6c, 18:1ω9c and a decrease in cy17:0, which is an indicator of gram-negative bacteria for the high levels of Pb treatments In a word, soil microbial biomass and community structure, therefore, may be sensitive indicators reflecting environmental stress in soil–Pb–plant system. However, further studies will be needed to better understand how these changes in microbial community structure might actually impact soil microbial community function.

A pot experiment was conducted under submerged conditions with hybrid rice Zhenong 7 to study the variation in the soil microbial biomass carbon (Cmic), soil microbial biomass nitrogen (Nmic), soil respiration rate, soil microbial metabolic quotient, soil enzyme activities, chlorophyll content, proline content and peroxidase activity (POD) in rice leaf at different growth stages. The soil Cmic, Nmic and soil respiration rate significantly increased at the early stage and then declined during rice growth, but ascended slightly at maturity. However, soil metabolic quotient declined at all the stages. Soil urease activity increased at first and then decreased, while acid phosphatase and dehydrogenase activities descended before ascended and then descended again. Soil urease activity and acid phosphatase activity showed a peak value at the tillering stage about 30 days after rice transplanting, but the peak value of dehydrogenase activity emerged at about 50 days after rice transplanting and the three soil enzymatic activities were significantly different at the different developmental stages. As rice growing, chlorophyll content in rice leaf descended at the early stage then ascended and a peak value appeared at about the 70th after rice transplanting, after that declined drastically, while POD activity increased gradually, but proline content declined gradually. There was a slight relation between rice physiological indices and soil biochemical indices, which indicated that soil biochemical characteristics were affected significantly by rice growth in the interaction system of the rice, soil and microorganisms.

Some enzymatic activities were determined in the areas polluted by tailings from Tiantai Pb-Zn-Ag Mine in Zhejiang Province of China. The results indicated the soil enzymatic activities decreased significantly with increase of concentrations of heavy metals or the distance away from mining tailing center, especially dehydrogenase and urease activities. Multivariate regression analysis between heavy metal contents and soil enzymatic activities indicated that single dehydrogenase activity was very significantly correlated to combined effect of soil heavy metals in mine area. Moreover, single urease, protease and acid phosphatase activities were significantly related to the combined effect of heavy metals. The results suggest it is feasible to use soil enzymatic activities to indicate the pollution situation by combined heavy metals in the soil of mine area.

概述了土壤重金属污染的特点、现状及污染的来源,主要从工程措施、农业措施、改良措施和生物修复措施四方面对国内外各种修复技术进行分析与评论,指出各类措施的原理、优缺点、实用性.同时,提出了当前土壤重金属污染与修复技术研究的重点.

We present the first report of mosaic isochromosome 10p associated with multiple congenital anomalies including megacisterna magna, echogenic focus of the left ventricle, umbilical cord cysts, and distal arthrogryposis. The most obvious anomalies found on prenatal ultrasound were enlarged cisterna magna and lower limb flexion contractures which resembled clubfeet. Analyses of GTG-banded chromosomes of 42 cells harvested from 32 independent tissue culture colonies were examined. Thirty-five cells from 27 colonies had 46 chromosomes and appeared to be 46,XX, female karyotype. Seven cells from independent colonies had 47 chromosomes with abnormal karyotypes. The extra chromosome material was identified as isochromosome 10p without involvement of the heterochromatic region of the long arm [47,XX,+ i(10p)]. Mosaic tetrasomy 10p was confirmed using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) of a 10p-specific probe to metaphase chromosomes of this patient.

The aim of this study was to achieve one-stage screening for trisomy 21 using a combination of nuchal translucency (NuT) measurement and maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and free beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) biochemistry levels in the second trimester among a high-risk study population. From January 1998 to June 2001, 45 cases of trisomy 21 were prenatally found and confirmed in the hospital-based cytogenetic diagnosis laboratory. A total of 867 normal singleton pregnancies were enrolled as controls from the antenatal care clinics in the hospital. All study and control subjects between 13 weeks and 18 weeks of gestation with a mean age of 15.2 +/- 1.3 weeks underwent one-stage nuchal translucence measurements and maternal serum biochemical screening for Down syndrome. The final logistic model contained beta-hCG (multiples of the gestational median or MoM), maternal age (matA), nuchal translucence (NuT MoM) and AFP (MoM) as covariates. Also, the estimated coefficients of the regression were highly significant. This model provided the estimated probability of Down syndrome as follows: Pr (Down syndrome) = exp (Z)/ [1 + exp (Z)], where Z = -11.18 + 0.64 x (beta-hCG MoM) + 0.25 x matA + 1.32 x NuT MoM -2.23 x AFP MoM. The logistic regression with estimated coefficients was installed in a Palm digital assistant (PDA) equipped with Excel (Microsoft). The risk probability of Down syndrome could be readily calculated after inputting data for all four predictor variables.

Sialic acids including a number of their derivatives are ubiquitous at the terminal positions of the oligosaccharides of glycoproteins. The transfer of sialic acids from cystidine-5-monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-NeuAc) to the terminal position of the carbohydrate group of glycoproteins and glycolipids is catalyzed by a family of sialyltransferases (STs). There is a large body of evidence to suggest that tumor cells have altered surface properties from their normal counterparts, and that these changes are partially due to altered sialo-glycoconjugates expressed on the plasma membrane and that altered sialylation (change in glycoprotein expression), which occurs during certain pathological processes, such as oncogenic transformation, tumor metastases, and invasion, is associated with enhanced ST activity. In this report we attempt to review the important findings in studing sialyltransferases of cervix squamous cell carcinoma.

Patients with angiographically proven stent restenoses do not necessarily develop adverse cardiac events. Which clinical, procedural, or angiographic parameters relate to the development of adverse cardiac events among these patients has not been determined. This study included 155 patients (167 stented lesions) with angiographically proven restenosis (≥ 50% diameter stenosis) within the stent or at its margins in routine follow‐up angiograms that was obtained at 6.5 ± 3.6 months after successful stenting. Thirty‐six patients (22%) had adverse cardiac events (including unstable angina necessitating target lesion revascularization, acute myocardial infarction, or cardiac death) during follow‐up and 119 patients (78%) were event‐free. These two groups of patients were compared to determine the parameters related to adverse cardiac events. Univariate determinants of adverse events included hypertension (P = 0.023), unstable angina at initial presentation (P = 0.002), target lesion in proximal left anterior descending artery (P = 0.041), TIMI grade 0–2 flow in follow‐up angiograms (p < 0.001), impaired left ventricular function at follow‐up (P = 0.002), follow‐up minimal lumen diameter ≤ 0.6 mm (P = 0.003), follow‐up diameter stenosis > 75% (P = 0.005), late loss > 2 mm (P = 0.01), and loss index > 1.127 (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated hypertension (odds ratio, OR, = 3.6; P = 0.019), unstable angina at initial presentation (OR = 2.6; P = 0.007), TIMI grade 0–2 flow at follow‐up (OR = 2.8; P = 0.05), impaired LV function at follow‐up (OR = 4.2; P = 0.004), and loss index > 1.127 (OR = 3.6; P = 0.017) as independent risk factors for adverse cardiac events. Classification and regression tree analysis identified loss index > 1.127 and impaired LV function as the two strongest determinant of adverse cardiac event. Therefore, hypertensive patients whose initial clinical presentation were unstable angina should be managed carefully to optimize the angiographic results and, most importantly, followed up more closely for development of impaired LV function after coronary stenting in order to prevent the occurrence of adverse cardiac event at follow‐up. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2002;55:331–337. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of coronary calcification among moderate- to high-risk Chinese patients and to evaluate the ability of the coronary calcium score determined by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) to predict angiographic coronary artery disease in this population. We enrolled 163 consecutive patients and analyzed their cardiovascular risk factors, coronary calcium scores and coronary angiogram results. One hundred and twenty-five patients (76.7%) had a positive EBCT scan result (coronary calcium score >0). The prevalence of calcification and the calcium scores showed a graded relation to the number of cardiovascular risk factors and age (p < 0.001 for trend). Coronary calcium scores showed statistically significant differences between patients with angiographic evidence of coronary artery disease and patients with normal coronary angiography (p < 0.05), but could not differentiate between patients with significant and insignificant coronary artery disease. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that a coronary calcium score >5 predicted angiographic coronary artery disease with 93% sensitivity and 86% specificity (area under the curve 0.95 ± 0.019). Multivariate analysis showed a coronary calcium score >5 to be the strongest independent predictor of angiographic coronary artery disease (odds ratio 120.7, 95% confidence interval 21.7–671.4; p < 0.001). Coronary calcium score determined by EBCT appears to have a similar predictive value in Chinese patients as it does in other ethnic populations that have been reported to date.

BACKGROUND The detection of coronary artery calcification by electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) has been suggested as an indicator of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). There is no consensus on the correlation between coronary calcification and angiographically significant stenosis on an artery-by-artery basis. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between coronary calcification score (CCS) and the presence of significant CAD on an artery-by-artery basis in patients with stable angina pectoris. METHODS AND RESULTS EBCT and coronary angiogram (CAG) were evaluated in 71 patients with stable angina and in nine control subjects. The CCSs of each of the four major coronary arteries were highest in patients with significant CAD (n=43), followed by patients with insignificant CAD (n=5), patients with syndrome X (n=23) and control subjects, respectively. Calcification scores of the four major coronary arteries appeared to have different predictive power for significant stenosis on the same vessel. For left main (LM) and left anterior descending (LAD) coronary arteries, CCSs of vessels with significant stenoses were not different from those without significant stenoses (values expressed as medians: LM 0 versus 1; LAD 98.5 versus 70; not significant). Calcification scores of left circumflex (LCX) and right coronary arteries (RCA) were significantly higher in vessels with significant stenosis (LCX 49.5 versus 0; RCA 53 versus 1; P<0.05). CCSs appeared to be moderately useful to predict significant stenoses in these two vessels (areas under receiver operating characteristic curves: LCX 0.68+/-0.08, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.81; RCA 0.71+/-0.08, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.84). CONCLUSIONS The CCSs of RCA and LCX arteries, but not those of LM and LAD arteries, may predict significant angiographic stenosis on an artery-by-artery basis among patients with stable angina pectoris.

BACKGROUND:Because the reported frequency of pre-eclampsia in Taiwan varies significantly, the aims of this study were to measure the current incidence of pre-eclampsia and its correlated morbidity and mortality for both mothers and fetuses in Taiwan.METHODS:We retrospectively studied all reported cases of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia from January 1, 1993 to December 31, 1997 in the 14 tertiary medical centers and regional hospitals in Taiwan. Recruiting criteria were pregnancy-induced hypertension (systolic blood pressure > or = 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 mmHg) with proteinuria (> or = 300 mg of urinary protein per 24 hours) and independent part edema.RESULTS:There were 4,193 patients with pre-eclampsia and eclampsia for a frequency of 2.03% of 206,551 deliveries during the study period. Of these, 58.9% of patients were classified as having mild pre-eclampsia while 38.4% had severe pre-eclampsia. Advanced maternal age (> 35 years) (odds ratio [OR] = 4.56; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.23-4.90; p < 0.001), primiparity (OR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.61-1.82; p = 0.02) and twin pregnancy (OR = 1.92; 95% CI = 1.64-2.25; p = 0.01) were significant risk factors for developing pre-eclampsia. However, multivariate analysis showed that only advanced maternal age was a significant risk factor for pre-eclampsia (OR = 3.21; 95% CI = 2.95-3.50; p < 0.001). In contrast to mild pre-eclampsia, severe pre-eclampsia resulted in significantly worse outcomes for both mothers and fetuses. Complications in patients with severe pre-eclampsia included placental abruption, acute renal failure, pulmonary edema, postpartum hemorrhage, pleural effusion, preterm labor, intrauterine growth retardation, stillbirth, neonatal mortality and low birth weight infants, all of which occurred significantly more frequently than in patients with mild pre-eclampsia (p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS:Pre-eclampsia remains a big challenge in modern obstetrics in Taiwan. Early diagnosis and management of patients with pre-eclampsia to prevent progression would significantly improve outcomes for mothers and fetuses.