Contamination of groundwater by methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), that is detected in wastewater of petrochemical industry, is an increasing problem to water supply companies. The subjects of this ...research were the methods of photolytic, photocatalytic and microbiological degradation of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) dissolved in wastewaters. The effects of concentrated solar radiation simulated with sodium lamp (SONT UV 400) have been investigated in laboratory experiments. Our result indicated that bacteria
Pseudomonas strain CY, isolated from the kerosene, and added alone, was able to gradually degrade MTBE and to decrease its concentration for 93.6% in 12 h. However, the percentage of photolytic degradation decrease in only 4 h was 99.2%. By adding
Pseudomonas strain CY after 4 h of light treatment, the degradation was enhanced to 99.55% in additional 5 h. The photocatalytic process was performed in slurry-catalyst reactor with different concentrations of TiO
2 catalyst: 5, 0.5 and 0.25 g/L. The MTBE degradation producing carbon dioxide reached 91% in only 150 min, when 5 g/L of catalyst was used.
Myotonic dystrophy (DM1) is a multisystemic disorder caused by a CTG repeat expansion within the 3′-UTR of the DMPK gene. DM1 is characterized by delayed muscle development, muscle weakness and ...wasting, cardiac conduction abnormalities, cognitive defects and cataracts. Recent studies have demonstrated that the disease mechanism involves a dominant gain-of-function conferred upon mutant transcripts by expanded repeats. However, further attempts to model aspects of DM muscle pathology in cultured myoblasts suggest that 3′-UTR sequences flanking the CTG repeat tract are also required for full expression of the disease phenotype. Here, we report that overexpression of the DMPK 3′-UTR including either wild-type (11) or expanded (91) CTG repeats results in aberrant and delayed muscle development in fetal transgenic mice. In addition, transgenic animals with both expanded and wild-type CTG repeats display muscle atrophy at 3 months of age. Primary myoblast cultures from both 11 and 91 repeat mice display reduced fusion potential, but a greater reduction is observed in the 91 repeat cultures. Taken together, these data indicate that overexpression of the DMPK 3′-UTR interferes with normal muscle development in mice and that this is exacerbated by inclusion of a mutant repeat. This suggests that the delayed muscle development in DM1 involves an interplay between the expanded CTG repeat and adjacent 3′-UTR sequences.
Sepsis and its complications are severe clinical syndrome that is caused by systemic inflammatory response of the host to infection. Despite the use of common and numerous new therapeutic protocols, ...mortality from this severe disease is still very high. In the study are presented 155 patients (111 males, 44 females) of average age 49.6 years with mean septic score 12.9 (2-40). Mortality in our patients was 20.6%, septic shock developed in 31.6%, ARF in 20.0%, DIC in 12.9%, and MODS in 25.8% of patients. Positive correlation existed between initial sepsis score and mortality. Older age and the presence of primary diseases (34.2% of patients) were associated with significantly higher septic score and were good prognostic factor for the poor outcome of sepsis. Between mean arterial pressure in the first 24 h after the admission and mortality existed negative correlation (p < 0.05). Positive hemocultures were found in 69.7%, and bacterial infection in 78.7% of patients. GP bacteremia was found in 55.6% of patients and GN in 45.4% of all positive hemocultures. Confirmed bacteremia and bacteremia caused by GPB were associated with the higher mortality rate compared to the patients with negative hemocultures and GN bacteremia (p < 0.05). Concentrations of fibrinogen and urea in the blood at the admission in the patients with sepsis were very good prognostic factors of the disease outcome, and leukopenia, leukocytosis and neutropenia were associated with the increased mortality. Negative correlation existed between fibrinogen concentration and mortality (p < 0.001), while positive correlation (p < 0.001) existed between urea concentration and mortality. In the absence of more efficacious therapeutic protocols, fast recognition of the sepsis, evaluation of its severity, knowledge of the risk factors for its poor outcome and aggressive use of antibiotic and existing supportive therapy can significantly decrease high mortality of this too severe clinical syndrome.
The childhood spinal muscular atrophies (SMAs) are autosomal recessive neurodegenerative conditions characterized by progressive degeneration of lower motor neurons. The gene encoding NAIP (neuronal ...apoptosis inhibitory protein) has been proposed to be a modulator of the severity of SMA and is frequently deleted in type I SMA. In this study we have assessed NAIP (murine homologue of NAIP) transcript levels during mouse embryogenesis. NAIP mRNA is present in the developing brain and spinal cord of E9.5-E14.5 mouse embryos as detected by various in situ hybridization techniques. It is also found in the embryonic branchial arches, the nasal epithelium and in the future digits. At E16.5, NAIP mRNA transcripts were found in the marginal zone of the lateral ventricle, the follicles of the vibrissae, in the retina and in the intestinal villi. These results are the first report of NAIP gene transcript levels in embryogenesis. If motor neuron attrition occurs in the second and third trimester of gestation in SMA, the observation of NAIP transcription in the mouse spinal cord between E9.5 and E14.5 is consistent with a role for NAIP in modifying this disorder.
The LAMMER subfamily of kinases has been conserved throughout evolution, and its members are thought to play important roles in the regulation of cellular growth and differentiation programs. STY is ...a murine LAMMER kinase which has been implicated in the control of PC12 cell differentiation. Multiple transcripts are derived from the Sty gene, and their relative abundance is developmentally regulated. Alternative splicing of the primary Sty transcript generates mRNAs encoding full-length catalytically active (STY) and truncated, kinase-deficient polypeptides. Both STY and its truncated isoform, STYT, are localized in the nucleus and are capable of heterodimerizing. We also demonstrate that STY functions as a dual specificity kinase in mammalian cells.
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