Photodynamic therapy: new treatment for refractory lymphocytic infiltration of the skin

Lymphocytic infiltration of the skin (LIS) is a relatively uncommon skin condition, first described by Jessner and Kanof in 1953. LIS presents mainly on the face, in particular on the cheeks and earlobe, but also on the neck, upper trunk or proximal limbs of middle-aged adults. LIS is often resistant to treatment. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) refers to the process of applying a topical prodrug, such as 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) or methyl 5-aminolaevulinic acid (MAL), followed by irradiation with visible or ultraviolet light. The prodrug is converted by target tissue to photoactive porphyrins, which lead to local tissue destruction when activated by light. We describe a 48-year-old woman with refractory LIS, who was treated with MAL-PDT.

Metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma presenting as a solitary plaque on the palm

Cutaneous metastases from gastric adenocarcinoma are extremely rare. When present, metastasis typically signifies disseminated disease with a poor prognosis. We report a case of an 80-year-old male with gastric cancer who presented with a single, erythematous plaque on the left palm, a very rare site for skin metastasis. Results of a skin biopsy demonstrated that the cutaneous metastasis originated from the stomach. This report emphasized the need for appropriate investigation into newly appearing, unusual, or persistent skin lesions.

Ozonolysate of excess sludge as a carbon source in an enhanced biological phosphorus removal for low strength wastewater

Potential use of the municipal sludge ozonolysate as a carbon source was examined for phosphorus removal from low strength wastewater in a modified intermittently decanted extended aeration (IDEA) process. At ozone dosage of 0.2 g O(3)/g solids, readily biodegradable COD accounted for about 36% of COD from sludge ozonolysate. The denitrification potential of ozonolysate as a carbon source was comparable to that of acetate. Although, the first order constant for phosphorus release with the ozonolysate was half that of acetate, it was much higher than that of wastewater. Continuous operation of the modified IDEA process showed that the removals of nitrogen and phosphorus were simultaneously enhanced by addition of the ozonolysate. Phosphorus release was significantly induced after complete denitrification indicating that phosphorus release was strongly depended on nitrate concentration. Effectiveness of the ozonolysate as a carbon source for EBPR was also confirmed in a track study of the modified IDEA.

Hydrogenotrophic denitrification in a packed bed reactor: effects of hydrogen-to-water flow rate ratio

Hydrogen dissolution and hydrogenotrophic denitrification performance were investigated in a lab-scale packed bed reactor (PBR) by varying the hydrogen flow rate and hydraulic retention time (HRT). The denitrification performance was enhanced by increasing the hydrogen flow rate and HRT as a result of high dissolved hydrogen concentration (0.39mg/L) and utilization efficiencies (79%). In this study, the hydrogen-to-water flow rate ratio (Q(g)/Q(w)) was found to be a new operating factor representing the two parameters of hydrogen flow rate and HRT. Hydrogen dissolution and denitrification efficiency were nonlinearly and linearly correlated with the Q(g)/Q(w), respectively. Based on its excellent linear correlation with denitrification efficiency, Q(g)/Q(w) should be greater than 2.3 to meet the WHO's guideline of nitrate nitrogen for drinking water. This study demonstrates that Q(g)/Q(w) is a simple and robust factor to optimize hydrogen-sparged bioreactors for hydrogenotrophic denitrification.

Ozone treatment of wastewater sludge for reduction and stabilization

Ozonation was applied to wastewater sludge for reduction and stabilization. Ozone was found to be very effective at reducing sludge and producing a useful carbon source. An ozone dose of 0.3 g/gDS fulfilled the criteria for the disinfection of class A type biosolids. The sludge treated with 0.5 gO(3)/gDS produced no hydrogen sulfide for a month at 29 degrees C. Ozonation resulted in low pH conditions, which might facilitate the mobilization of heavy metals from sludge. The results of a geotechnical investigation proved that the residuals of ozone-treated sludge did not meet the required properties required for landfill cover without the addition of quick lime.

Phosphorus recovery by mesoporous structure material from wastewater

This study was designed to investigate the fundamental aspects of a possible removal of phosphorous from wastewater by using the mesoporous structure materials for wastewater reuse. The zirconium sulphate with mesoporous structure as a new type of ion exchangers was synthesised by hydrothermal reaction. From the results of X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope, it was discovered that the synthesised material had hexagonal mesoporous structure with a pore size of approximately 40-50A. Experimental results showed that the zirconium sulphate with mesoporous structure had very high sorption capacity for the phosphorus. The novel ion exchange occurred between PO4(3-) and SO4(2-), OH-. The amount of phosphate ions exchanged into the solid was as great as 3.4 mmol/g-ZS. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain a higher removal efficiency than other ion exchange media and adsorbents.

A high filtration system with synthetic permeable media for wastewater reclamation

A novel filtration process with synthetic permeable media was investigated for secondary effluent reclamation. Polyurethane was chosen as the filter medium among three tested media. Compressibility and up-flow velocity were changed to determine the optimum operation for the system. An equation was introduced to express the relationship between the removal efficiency and up-flow velocity. In a pilot study, the synthetic medium filtration with compression showed very stable effluent quality without clogging trouble, though the system operated with three times higher filtration rate and much longer backwashing interval than conventional systems.

Operational strategies for an activated sludge process in conjunction with ozone oxidation for zero excess sludge production during winter season

A pilot-scale activated sludge system coupled with sludge ozonation process was operated for 112 days of a winter season without excess sludge wasting. The concept of this process is that the excess sludge produced is first disintegrated by ozone oxidation and then recirculated to a bioreactor in order to mineralize the particulate and soluble organic compounds. The basis of operation was to determine either the optimal amount of sludge in kg SS ozonated each day (SO) or the optimal ozonation frequency under the variable influent chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading and temperature conditions, since the ozone supply consumes costly energy. The optimal SO was obtained using the theoretically estimated sludge production rate (SP) and experimentally obtained ozonation frequency (n). While the SP was mainly subject to the COD loadings, sludge concentration was affected by the temperature changes in winter season. The optimal n was observed between 2.5 and 2.7 at around 15 degrees C, but it was doubled at 10 degrees C. Mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration was leveled off at around 5000 mg/L in bioreactor at 15 degrees C, but the volatile fraction of MLSS was fixed around 0.7 indicating that there was no significant inorganic accumulation. Suspended solids (SS) and soluble COD in effluents kept always a satisfactory level of 10 and 15 mg/L with sufficient biodegradation. It was recommended to apply a dynamic SO under variable influent COD loadings and temperature conditions to the activated sludge system without excess sludge production for saving energy as well as system stabilization.

Granulation in an upflow anaerobic sequencing batch reactor treating disintegrated waste activated sludge

An upflow anaerobic reactor operated with a sequencing batch mode to enhance high rate digestion of raw and thermally disintegrated waste activated sludge with formation of granules. The gas production rate doubled when disintegrated waste activated sludge was introduced. Gradual granulation took place and the dispersed particles become coarse granulation as the operation continued. The granular sludge showed relatively higher specific methanogenic activity than the dispersed sludge. Bacterial morphology by a scanning electron microscope showed diversity of bacteria such as filamentous, rod and spherical shape in the section of granules. Filamentous bacteria, which might support the frame of a granule, were observed as long chains at the outer surface. Meanwhile, rod and spherical bacteria, which might play a role in the initial stage of granule formation, were observed from the inner surface of the granule. High rate digestion of sludge along with efficient liquid-solids separation was achieved due mainly to development of sludge granules within the upflow reactor.

Performance evaluation of physicochemical processes for biologically pre-treated livestock wastewater

The use of a combination of biological and physicochemical methods is a promising technique to reduce highly concentrated pollutants in livestock wastewater: firstly, biodegradable organic matters, nitrogen and a part of phosphorus should be removed in a biological treatment process and then residual non-biodegradable organic matters, color and phosphorus be eliminated by physicochemical methods. In this study, therefore, the integrations of chemical coagulation, activated carbon adsorption, Fenton oxidation and ozonation were evaluated to provide an appropriate post-treatment process for biologically pre-treated livestock wastewater. With applying a single method such as coagulation and Fenton oxidation, a yellowish brown color and COD still remained. According to the experimental result, the quality of treated wastewater including color was enough to be discharged after chemical coagulation followed by ozonation or Fenton oxidation process. Among these, ozonation was the most effective technology for decolorization. Neither simple biological nor physicochemical process provides an adequate treatability for the sufficient depletion of organics and decolorization when treating livestock wastewater. Considering only the removal efficiency, the integration of Fenton oxidation and ozonation would be an efficient alternative as a post-treatment.

The role of Coptidis Rhizoma extract in a renal ischemia-reperfusion model

The effect of Coptidis Rhizoma extract on ischemia-reperfusion in rats was examined. The blood levels of urea nitrogen and creatinine increased significantly more in rats subjected to 24-h reperfusion than those subjected to 6-h reperfusion following 1-h ischemia, indicating functional kidney damage was more severe after the longer reperfusion time. These parameters were reduced by oral administration of Coptidis Rhizoma extract. Greater activity was found in rats given the extract for 30 days than in rats given the extract for 10 days prior to ischemia-reperfusion. In addition, the serum malondialdehyde level was lower, while the glutathione/glutathione disulfide ratio and the activities of the antioxidation enzymes, superoxide dismutase and catalase, were higher in rats given Coptidis Rhizoma extract orally for 30 consecutive days prior to 1-h ischemia and 24-h reperfusion in comparison with control rats given water. These results indicate that Coptidis Rhizoma has a protective action against the renal dysfunction caused by the ischemia and reperfusion process. Furthermore, renal DNA of rats given Coptidis Rhizoma extract orally showed a significantly lower DNA fragmentation rate, which was dose-dependent, implying that the extract afforded the kidneys protection against oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis during the process and ameliorated renal function impairment.

Acidic and hydrogen peroxide treatment of polyaluminum chloride (PACL) sludge from water treatment

The water treatment sludge including coagulants cannot be easily removed by conventional dewatering methods. The possibility of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) oxidation as a pretreatment to enhance the dewaterability of polyaluminum chloride (PACl) sludge from water works was investigated. H2O2 treatment alone was not effective but H2O2 treatment under acidic condition significantly reduced both the cake water content and specific resistance to filtration (SRF), indicating the enhancement of dewaterability and filterability. The filterability after acid/H2O2 treatment was comparable to polymer conditioning and even more dewatered cake than polymer conditioning was produced. By H202 combined with sulfuric acid (H2SO4), leached iron caused Fenton's reaction, which showed a potential to significantly reduce the amount of solids mass and to produce more compact cake with higher filterability.

Application of cDNA microarray technique to detection of gene expression in host cells infected with viruses

cDNA microarray technique was used to monitor changes in mRNA levels in cells after Hantaan virus (HTNV) infection. The values of the ratio of medians for HTNV and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) at the early stage of infection were compared and found similar, suggesting that the same or similar genes are associated with the early events of infection with either virus. The reproducibility of values of the "ratio of medians" for HTNV was examined. We found that applying cluster analysis to the gene expression data groups efficiently together genes with the same function. Therefore, in analyzing the effects of viral infection on host cells by the cDNA microarray technique, clustering data appear to be necessary for gaining biological meaning from a dump of gene expression profiles obtained from virus-infected cells.

Reduction of sludge by ozone treatment and production of carbon source for denitrification

The feasibility of ozone treatment of municipal sludge for sludge reduction and carbon source production has been investigated. Significant accumulation of solubilized organics and unsettlable micro-solids (UMS) was observed at relatively low ozone dosages while mineralization became dominant at higher dosages. Batch denitrification experiments showed that the solubilized organics and the UMS could be utilized as carbon sources for nitrogen removal. In terms of overall sludge reduction, 54% reduction of the total sludge mass could be achieved by ozone treatment at 0.2 g-O3/g-MLSS.

Ozonation of wastewater sludge for reduction and recycling

An ozone treatment system was introduced as an alternative method for municipal sludge treatment and disposal. A pilot-scale facility was built to investigate the feasibility of the ozonation for sludge reduction and recycle. The system consists of three main parts; advanced wastewater treatment, sludge ozone treatment and belt press dewatering. Ozonation of wastewater sludge resulted in mass reduction by mineralization as well as volume reduction by improvement of dewatering characteristics. The supernatant of the ozonated sludge, consisting of solubilized organics and micro-particles, proved to be an effective carbon source for denitrification. A simple economic assessment reveals that the ozonation process can be more economical than incineration for sludge treatment and disposal at small- and medium-sized wastewater treatment plants.

Multidrug-resistant Salmonella typhimurium and Salmonella enteritidis identified by multiplex PCR from animals

Antibiotic resistance in Salmonella enteritidis and S. typhimurium, one of most frequent etiologic pathogens of food-borne bacterial gastroenteritidis in humans, is a serious health problem worldwide. Fifteen and 22 each of S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium were isolated from animals from 1983 to 1999 in Korea and tested for their antibiotic resistance patterns and phage types. S. enteritides isolates were highly resistant to sulfonamides (86.7%) and four of them (26.6%) showed multiple antibiotic resistance. The most frequent phage type (PT) of S. enteritids was PT1 (33.3%) even though none of them had multiple antibiotic resistance. S. typhimurium isolates were highly resistant to streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracycline, 100%, 95.5%, and 86.4% respectively. The incidence of multiple antibiotic resistance of S. typhimurium isolates was extremely high (100%) comparing to S. enteritidis isolates (26.7%). Two of the five ACSSuT type S. typhimurium isolates, resistant to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracycline, were phage type DT104. All S. typhimurium isolates were sensitive to florfenicol. For the rapid detection of multiple antibiotic resistant S. enteritidis and S. typhimurium isolates, particularly ACSSuT type S. typhimurium DT104, antibiotic resistance genes, cmlA/tetR, PSE-1, and TEM, and Salmonella spp. Specific gene, SipB/C, were amplified using four pairs of primers in hot-started multiplex polymerase chain reaction. Two Korean isolates of S. typhimurium DT104 showed TEM amplicons instead of PSE-1 for the ampicillin resistance. The multiplex PCR used in this study was useful in rapid detection of ACSSuT type S. typhimurium and identification of b-lactamase gene distribution among Salmonella isolates.

Anti-lipid peroxidative principles from the stem bark of Kalopanax pictus Nakai

Hepatic lipid peroxide contents were examined in bromobenzene-treated rats firstly after the oral administration of MeOH extract of Kalopanax pictus stem barks, its n-BuOH fraction, EtOAc fraction and an alkaline hydrolysate of the n-BuOH fraction, and secondly after the intraperitoneal administration of hederagenin monodesmosides and bisdesmosides. Two hederagenin monodesmosides, kalopanaxsaponin A (KPS-A) and sapindoside C, exhibited significant anti-lipid peroxidation effects after intraperitoneal administration at doses of 10-30 micromole/kg, whereas their bisdesmosides did not exhibit any significant activity. These results suggest that it is the hederagenin monodesmosides that are responsible for anti-lipid peroxidation in vivo. The activity of KPS-A was established by the observation of decreased aminopyrine N-demethylase activity and increased epoxide hydrolase activity.

Correlation between 99mTc-pertechnetate uptakes and expressions of human sodium iodide symporter gene in breast tumor tissues

We investigated a correlation between the expression of human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) mRNA and the uptake of 99mTc-pertechnetate in 25 breast tumors. 99mTc-pertechnetate scintigraphy revealed positive uptake in 4 patients. The normalized mRNA expression of hNIS was higher in tumors with positive uptake on the scintigraphy (n=4, median 0.97, range 0.78-1.27) than that in negative uptake tumors (n=21, median 0.46, range 0.10-1.03, p < 0.005). 99mTc-pertechnetate uptake is correlated with the hNIS expression in the breast tumor.

Application of nucleotide sequence of RNA polymerase beta-subunit gene (rpoB) to molecular differentiation of serovars of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica

To establish a molecular differentiation method for Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica, a hyper-variable region of RNA polymerase beta-subunit (rpoB) of S. enterica subsp. enterica (I), serotype Typhimurium, and Escherichia coli were investigated through comparison of nucleotide sequence of the region. The hyper-variable region was identified at 612-937 of the gene. After PCR amplification of the region in the 17 serotypes and two biotypes of serotype Gallinarum of S. enterica subsp. enterica (I), the nucleotide sequences of the region were determined and compared. All serotypes were distantly related to E. coli with 82.8-84.7% identities in nucleotide sequence while showing 96.6-100% identities with each other. According to the phylogenetic analysis based on the sequenced region with the neighbor-joining method, relatedness of biotype Gallinarum to serotype Enteritidis and biotype Pullorum was determined. Biotype Gallinarum was more closely related to serotype Enteritidis than biotype Pullorum. These results suggested that the 612-937 variable region of rpoB might be useful for molecular evolutionary analysis of serotypes of S. enterica subsp. enterica (I).

Impact of postprandial hypertriglyceridemia on vascular responses in patients with coronary artery disease: effects of ACE inhibitors and fibrates

We analyzed vascular responses (endothelial function, oxidant stress) to postprandial hypertriglyceridemia (PHTG) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) to reveal potential therapeutical effects of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition (ACE-I) and of lipid lowering (fibrate). The study population (n=39, mean age: 60 years) consisted of four groups, all of which had angiographically documented CAD. A high fat group (n=9) consumed a high fat meal, a low fat group (n=9) a low fat meal, and ACE-I (n=10) or fibrate (n=11) groups consumed a high fat meal plus lisinopril or fenofibrate. Serum triglycerides (TG) increased significantly 2 h after eating a test meal in all groups with the exception of the low fat group. In the high and low fat groups changes of serum TG were positively correlated (r=0.664, P<0.005) with changes of phorbol ester-activated leukocyte superoxide anion radical (O(2-.)) formation and were negatively correlated (r=-0.488, P<0.05) with flow-mediated brachial artery dilation (FMD). There was a negative correlation (r=-0.419, P=0.094) between FMD and changes of O(2-.) formation in the high and low fat groups. In the ACE-I and fibrate groups, O(2-.) formation decreased 2 h after eating a test meal (from 5.34+/-1.01 to 3.81+/-1.15 nmol/10(6)cells per min, P<0.01, and from 4.66+/-0.91 to 4.26+/-0.97 nmol/10(6)cells per min, P=0.374, respectively). However, endothelial function did not show any significant changes 2 h after eating a test meal in all groups. PHTG increases oxidant stress and further deteriorates endothelial function, even in patients with CAD. Both ACE-I and fibrates have an antioxidant effect but no acute beneficial effects in terms of endothelial function under conditions of PHTG in CAD patients.

Doenjang hexane fraction-induced G1 arrest is associated with the inhibition of pRB phosphorylation and induction of Cdk inhibitor p21 in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells

Doenjang (fermented soy paste) is a Korean traditional fermented food. In previous studies, we demonstrated that Doenjang extracts exhibited anti-mutagenic and anti-carcinogenic activities. Here we investigated the effects of Doenjang hexane fraction (DHF) on cell cycle progression in the human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells. Treatment of DHF to MCF-7 cells induced a G1 phase arrest of the cell cycle, which correlated with the accumulation of the hypophosphorylated form of the retinoblastoma protein (pRB) and enhanced association of pRB with the transcription factor E2F-1. After DHF treatment, the expression of D-type cyclins was decreased in a time-dependent manner, but DHF did not affect the levels of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks), cyclin E and cyclin A protein. However, the activity of Cdk2 and cyclin E-associated kinase was decreased in a time-dependent manner. The tumor suppressor p53 and Cdk inhibitor p21, a known downstream effector of the p53, and association of p21 with Cdk2 were markedly induced in DHF-treated cells. Taken together, the present results indicate that treatment of MCF-7 cells with DHF induces a significant inhibition of pRB phosphorylation and increase of Cdk inhibitor p21 that appear to be responsible for the observed G1 arrest.