ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To compare the clinical effect of fast needling (without needle retaining), needle retaining acupuncture combined with occupational therapy and simple occupational therapy for hand dysfunction of spastic cerebral palsy in children. METHODS: A total of 75 children with spastic cerebral palsy were randomly divided into an occupational therapy group (25 cases), a fast needling group (25 cases, 1 case dropped out) and a needle retaining group (25 cases, 1 case dropped out). The patients in the occupational therapy group were only treated with occupational therapy for 20 min each time. The patients in the fast needling group were treated with acupuncture (without needle retaining) combined with occupational therapy, and the needle retaining group was treated with acupuncture (needle retaining) combined with occupational therapy, and acupuncture was taken at Hegu (LI 4), Houxi (SI 3), Yuji (LU 10), Waiguan (SJ 5), Jianyu (LI 15) and so on. The needles were retained for 30 min in patients of the needle retaining group. All the above treatments were performed once a day, 5 times a week for 12 weeks. The scores of fine motor function measure (FMFM) and Peabody developmental motor scale 2 (PDMS-2) were observed in patients of the three groups before and after treatment, and the safety of the fast needling group and the needle retaining group was compared. RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of FMFM and PDMS-2 in patients of the three groups were higher than those before treatment (P<0.01), and the scores of FMFM and PDMS-2 in the fast needling group and the needle retaining group were higher than those in the occupational therapy group (P<0.05, P<0.01). The incidence of acupuncture abnormalities in the fast needling group was 0.3% (5/1 440), which was lower than 1.4% (20/1 440) in the needle retaining group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Acupuncture combined with occupational therapy has better clinical effect than occupational therapy alone in improving hand dysfunction in children with spastic cerebral palsy, and there is no statistical difference in effect between fast needling acupuncture and needle retaining acupuncture, but fast needling has better safety than needle retaining acupuncture.
Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Cerebral Palsy , Occupational Therapy , Child , Humans , Cerebral Palsy/therapy , Percutaneous Collagen Induction , Upper Extremity , Hand , Treatment Outcome , Acupuncture PointsABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The results of meta-analyses regarding the effect of vitamin D on blood pressure are conflicting. The present umbrella meta-analysis was conducted to provide definite and conclusive results. METHODS: Systematically, Scopus, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science databases and Google Scholar were searched for relevant literature published up to July 2022. All meta-analyses of clinical trials addressing the effect of vitamin D on blood pressure were included. Random effects analysis was performed to obtain the overall effect size based on the standardized mean differences (SMDs) and weighted mean differences (WMDs) separately. The quality of included meta-analyses was assessed by using the Measurement Tool for Assessing Multiple Systematic Reviews 2 questionnaire. FINDINGS: Overall, 21 meta-analyses were enrolled in the umbrella review. The results indicated that systolic blood pressure was significantly reduced after the intervention based on WMD effect size analysis (ESWMD = -0.69 mm Hg; 95% CI, -1.35 to -0.04 [P < 0.038]; I2 = 46.7%, P = 0.021); however, no considerable impact was observed based on analysis of SMD effect sizes (ESSMD = -0.05 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.24 to 0.14; P = 0.615). Also, vitamin D supplementation indicated a significant improvement in diastolic blood pressure based on WMD effect sizes (ESWMD = -0.66 mm Hg; 95% CI, -1.05 to -0.27 [P < 0.001]; I2 = 56.4%, P = 0.004) but not SMD analysis (ESSMD = -0.04 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.13 to 0.04 [P = 0.328]; I2 = 53.4%, P = 0.057). IMPLICATIONS: Based on obtained evidence, vitamin D could be considered an efficient adjuvant for improving blood pressure.
Subject(s)
Vitamin D , Vitamins , Humans , Blood Pressure , Vitamin D/pharmacology , Vitamins/therapeutic use , Dietary SupplementsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of buccal acupuncture on pain after lumbar spinal fusion. METHODS: Sixty patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion were randomly divided into an observation group (30 cases, 1 case dropped off) and a control group (30 cases, 1 case was eliminated). The patients in the control group were treated with routine anesthesia. On the basis of the control group, the patients in the observation group were treated with buccal acupuncture at bilateral back point, waist point, and sacral point for 30 min per treatment. The first acupuncture was given before anesthesia induction, and then once a day postoperation for two days, totally 3 treatments. The dosage of sufentanil, the number of remedial analgesia, and the incidence of nausea and vomiting within 48 h after surgery were compared between the two groups; rest and motion visual analogue scale (VAS) scores at 2 (T1), 8 (T2), 12 (T3), 24 (T4), and 48 (T5) h after surgery were observed; the quality of recovery-15 scale (QoR-15) at 24 and 48 h after surgery were evaluated. RESULTS: The dosage of sufentanil and the number of remedial analgesia within 48 h after surgery in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.01). There was no significant statistically difference in rest and motion VAS scores between the two groups in T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 (P>0.05). The QoR-15 scores in the observation group at 24 and 48 h after surgery were higher than those in the control group (P<0.01). The incidence of nausea in the observation group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Buccal acupuncture could reduce the amount of postoperative analgesic drugs of patients after lumbar spinal fusion, and promote early postoperative recovery.
Subject(s)
Acupuncture Therapy , Spinal Fusion , Humans , Spinal Fusion/adverse effects , Sufentanil , Pain Management , Pain , NauseaABSTRACT
Artemisia vulgaris (A. vulgaris) is a traditional Chinese medicine widely distributed in China and contains many bioactive compounds with pharmacological effects. However, the anti-inflammatory effects and mechanism of essential oil from A. vulgaris on enteritis in fish are still unclear. In this study, in order to elucidate the underlying mechanism of essential oil from A. vulgaris on zebrafish enteritis, zebrafish were used for establishing animal models to observe the histopathological changes of intestines, determine the activities of immune-related enzymes and oxidative stress indicators, and the mRNA expression of genes in MyD88/TRAF6/NF-KB signaling pathways. The results showed that different doses of A. vulgaris essential oil could effectively alleviate zebrafish enteritis in a dose- and time-dependent manner by improving the intestinal histopathological damage, decreasing the intestinal oxidative stress, repairing the intestinal immune ability, changing the expression levels of IL-1ß, IL-10 and genes in MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB pathway. In addition, co-treatment with oxazolone and MyD88 inhibitor could alleviate the morphological damage, the induction of oxidative stress, and the levels of immune-related enzymes and the mRNA expression of genes in MyD88/TRAF6/NF-κB signaling pathway. Moreover, essential oil from A. vulgaris had more significantly therapeutic effects on enteritis of male zebrafish than that of female zebrafish. This result will clarify the therapeutic effect and anti-inflammatory mechanism of essential oil from A. vulgaris on zebrafish enteritis, and provide a theoretical basis for further research on the rationality of A. vulgaris to replace feed antibiotics.
Subject(s)
Artemisia , Enteritis , Oils, Volatile , Male , Female , Animals , Zebrafish/genetics , NF-kappa B/genetics , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Artemisia/genetics , Artemisia/metabolism , Oils, Volatile/pharmacology , Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism , TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6/genetics , TNF Receptor-Associated Factor 6/metabolism , Enteritis/drug therapy , Enteritis/veterinary , Enteritis/genetics , Oxidative Stress , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology , RNA, Messenger/metabolismABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Wenjing decoction (WJD) was widely used in the treatment for ovulatory disorder infertility (ODI) in China, while its efficacy was not clearly known. In this study, we evaluated the clinical efficacy of WJD by meta-analysis. METHODS: Eight electronic databases including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, VIP Database, and China Biology Medicine were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published from the inception of each database to July 1, 2021, of which the interventions involve WJD and clomiphene. Outcomes included clinical efficacy rate, pregnancy rate, ovulation rate, dominant follicle diameter, endometrial thickness, estradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone. Meta-analysis and risk of bias were performed by RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: Eleven RCTs including 915 patients, of which 476 in the intervention group and 439 in the control group. Meta-analysis showed that WJD was better than clomiphene for patients with ODI in terms of clinical effective rate (odds ratio [OR] = 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.34), pregnancy rate (OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.15-2.07), ovulation rate (OR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.07-1.67), endometrial thickness (mean difference [MD] = 1.50, 95% CI: 0.90-2.10), and dominant follicle diameter (MD = 1.85, 95% CI: 0.68-3.02). The estradiol level (MD = 91.0, 95% CI: 80.3-101.88) in patients taking WJD was significantly higher than those taking clomiphene, while the follicle-stimulating hormone level (MD = -0.93, 95% CI: -1.13 to -0.72) and the luteinizing hormone level (MD = -4.41, 95% CI: -4.80 to -4.03) in patients taking WJD was significantly lower than those taking clomiphene. Our results also indicated that WJD combined with clomiphene was better than clomiphene alone for patients with ODI in terms of pregnancy rate (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.37-2.35). CONCLUSIONS: WJD may be effective in the treatment of patients with ODI. Due to the quality and quantity of literature, RCT with large sample size and high quality need to be performed to verify our conclusion.
Subject(s)
Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Fertility Agents, Female , Infertility, Female , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Clomiphene/therapeutic use , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use , Estradiol/therapeutic use , Fertility Agents, Female/therapeutic use , Follicle Stimulating Hormone , Infertility, Female/drug therapy , Luteinizing Hormone , Ovulation Induction/methods , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Objective: To explore the effect of chronic heart failure complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus on cognitive function in the elderly. Methods: 600 patients with chronic heart failure were selected from January 2018 to January 2021. All patients were divided into observation group (A) and control group (B). A was chronic heart failure complicated with type 2 diabetes mellitus group. B was chronic heart failure group. The clinical effects of the two groups were observed. Results: Compared with the clinical indexes during and after operation, there were differences in operation time, postoperative recovery time, and treatment cost between A and B, but the difference is not significant (all P > 0.05). LVEF cardiac function index score, LVEF score of A compared with B, the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The MMSE score and MoCA score of the two groups were compared. Before operation, the MMSE score and MoCA score of A were lower than those of B, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). After operation, the MMSE score and MoCA score in B were significantly higher than those in B, but the increasing trend of MMSE score and MoCA score in B was significantly higher than that in A (P < 0.05). Comparison of HAMA score and HAMD score: before operation, the HAMA score and HAMD score were higher in A, but the difference is not significant (P > 0.05). After operation, the scores of HAMA and HAMD in A and B decreased significantly, but the difference is not significant (P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the fasting blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin were the risk factors of cognitive impairment. Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes mellitus in elderly patients with chronic heart failure will further aggravate cognitive impairment, and type 2 diabetes is an important independent risk factor affecting cognitive function, which accelerates cognitive impairment and significantly reduces the executive ability of elderly patients with chronic heart failure, resulting in a significant decline in patients' ability to understand and apply information.
ABSTRACT
Background: Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that donafenib has superior efficacy and safety compared with sorafenib in Chinese patients with unresectable or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objective of this study was to assess the cost effectiveness of donafenib compared with sorafenib for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic HCC in China. Methods: A three-state partitioned survival model was developed to perform a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing donafenib and sorafenib from a Chinese healthcare payer's perspective. The model adopted a lifetime horizon and a 4-week cycle length. Survival data were derived from the ZGDH3 study and fitted with standard parametric functions for extrapolation beyond the trial period. Cost data were obtained from the mean price of publicly listed online bids in 2021 and medical service prices across provinces in China. Utility data were obtained from previous literature. The cost and health outcomes were discounted at an annual rate of 5%. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (PSAs) were carried out to verify the robustness of the model. Results: Compared with sorafenib, donafenib incurred a higher cost (US$22,330.23 vs. US$14,775.92) but yielded more quality-adjusted life years (1.045 vs. 0.861 QALYs). The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) for donafenib was US$41,081.52 per QALY gained (ICER = US$13,439.10/QALY). The PSA results indicated that at a willingness-to-pay threshold of 3 times the GDP in China, the probability of donafenib being cost effective was 16.9%. The ICER (US$13,439.10/QALY) decreased when the branded price of sorafenib was used in the model. Conclusions: Donafenib is unlikely to be cost effective compared with sorafenib for the first-line treatment of unresectable or metastatic HCC in China. Reducing the price of donafenib can increase the possibility of it being cost effective in the future.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Liver Neoplasms , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/drug therapy , Cost-Benefit Analysis , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/drug therapy , Pyridines , Sorafenib/therapeutic useABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: To explore the effects of nutritional support combined with insulin therapy on serum protein, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), pentraxin-3 (PTX-3), and serum amylase (AMS) levels in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis complicated with acute pancreatitis.A total of 64 patients with diabetic ketoacidosis complicated with acute pancreatitis admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to February 2019 were enrolled in this prospective study. They were divided into the study group and the control group according to the random number table method, with 32 patients in each group. Patients in the study group were given nutritional support combined with insulin therapy, and patients in the control group were given insulin therapy.There were no significant differences in general data including age, gender, body mass index, course and type of diabetes, acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II, RANSON, CT grades between the 2 groups before treatment (all Pâ>â.05). After 7âdays of treatment, the clinical efficacy of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group (study group vs control group, 94.44% vs 75.00%, Pâ<â.05). After 7âdays of treatment, the levels of prealbumin and albumin in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (Pâ<â.05). After 7âdays of treatment, the levels of PCT, CRP, TNF-α, PTX-3, and AMS in the 2 groups were significantly lower than those before treatment (Pâ<â.05), and the levels of PCT, CRP, TNF-α, PTX-3, and AMS in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group. After 7âdays of treatment, the levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA in the 2 groups were significantly higher than those before treatment, and the levels of IgG, IgM, and IgA in the study group were significantly higher than those in the control group (Pâ<â.05).Nutritional support combined with insulin is obviously effective in the treatment of diabetic ketoacidosis complicated with acute pancreatitis, which can improve serum protein levels, reduce inflammatory response, improve immune function, and is worthy of clinical application.
Subject(s)
Diabetic Ketoacidosis/blood , Diabetic Ketoacidosis/therapy , Insulin/therapeutic use , Nutritional Support , Pancreatitis/therapy , Acute Disease , Adult , Aged , Amylases/blood , C-Reactive Protein/analysis , Diabetic Ketoacidosis/diagnosis , Humans , Immunoglobulin A/blood , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Immunoglobulin M/blood , Middle Aged , Pancreatitis/complications , Procalcitonin/blood , Procalcitonin/drug effects , Prospective Studies , Serum Amyloid P-Component , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/bloodABSTRACT
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, characterized by an aberrant metabolic phenotype with high metastatic capacity, resulting in poor patient prognoses and low survival rates. We designed a series of novel AuIII cyclometalated prodrugs of energy-disrupting Type II antidiabetic drugs namely, metformin and phenformin. Prodrug activation and release of the metformin ligand was achieved by tuning the cyclometalated AuIII fragment. The lead complex 3met was 6000-fold more cytotoxic compared to uncoordinated metformin and significantly reduced tumor burden in mice with aggressive breast cancers with lymphocytic infiltration into tumor tissues. These effects was ascribed to 3met interfering with energy production in TNBCs and inhibiting associated pro-survival responses to induce deadly metabolic catastrophe.
Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents/metabolism , Metformin/metabolism , Prodrugs/metabolism , Animals , Antineoplastic Agents/chemistry , Antineoplastic Agents/pharmacology , Antineoplastic Agents/therapeutic use , Autophagy/drug effects , Cell Line, Tumor , Coordination Complexes/chemistry , Drug Evaluation, Preclinical , Energy Metabolism/drug effects , Gold/chemistry , Humans , Metformin/chemistry , Mice , Molecular Conformation , Phenformin/chemistry , Phenformin/metabolism , Prodrugs/chemistry , Prodrugs/pharmacology , Prodrugs/therapeutic use , Transplantation, Heterologous , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms/pathologyABSTRACT
Chronic diarrhea is one of the most common complaints in clinical practice for both adults and children. The purpose of this study was to assess the commonly used Chinese herbal medicine navel therapy for the treatment of chronic diarrhea (traditional Chinese medicine syndrome of spleen deficiency). The literature search was up to June 2018. Four types of studies (clinical trials, case series, case reports, and experts' experience) researched on Chinese medicine navel therapy used alone or combined with other therapies for the treatment of chronic diarrhea all included. Information on prescriptions, effectiveness, and safety of intervention was collected. Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Support System V2.5 was used to do data analysis. We included 416 studies. All these studies carried out in 194 cities of China. We obtained the most commonly used single herbs, herbal medicine combination, and Chinese patent medicine for both adults and children. The top 3 single herbs were Caryophylli Flos (Dingxiang), Cinnamomi Cortex (Rougui), and Euodiae Fructus (Wuzhuyu). The most frequently used Chinese patent medicines were Ding Gui Infantile Navel Paste and Huoxiang Zhengqi Liquid. The effectiveness assessment was based on clinical trials, but we did not perform a meta-analysis because of different study design and unsatisfactory methodological quality. No serious adverse reaction happened in original studies. The application of Chinese medicine navel therapy could be one of the ideal treatments for chronic diarrhea in the future, especially for children. However, high-quality studies are very needed to provide clear evidence.
Subject(s)
Diarrhea/drug therapy , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage , Administration, Topical , Adult , Child , China , Chronic Disease , Cinnamomum zeylanicum , Databases, Bibliographic , Drug Combinations , Female , Humans , Male , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Phytotherapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Schistosomiasis japonica is a zoonosis and presents significant public health problems in China and the Philippines. Vaccines targeting domestic animals constitute attractive control measures. METHODS: We conducted three vaccine trials to evaluate the protective efficacy of recombinant full-length paramyosin (rSj97) in water buffalo. Animals were immunized with 3 doses of rSj97 adjuvanted with ISA206 at 250µg/dose or 500µg/dose at 4wk intervals before challenge with 1000 Schistosoma japonicum cercariae. The primary outcome was worm burden assessed by portal perfusion 8-10weeks post challenge. Safety measures included weight, temperature, body condition score, hemogram and routine assays for hepatic and renal function. RESULTS: The three-dose regimen was well tolerated in all three trials. In the first trial, vaccinated buffalo had 51.5% lower worm burden post challenge compared to controls. In the second trial, buffalo immunized with 500µg/dose of rSj97 had 57.8% lower worm burden compared to controls (p=0.026). A similar but not significant reduction (60.9%) was observed with animals administered with 250ug rSj97/dose. In the third trial, buffalo immunized with a 500µg/dose of rSj97 had 57.8% lower worm burden compared to controls (p=0.014). CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicated that rSj97 is a safe and promising vaccine candidate for schistosomiasis japonica in water buffalo.
Subject(s)
Buffaloes , Cattle Diseases/prevention & control , Helminth Proteins/administration & dosage , Schistosomiasis japonica/veterinary , Tropomyosin/administration & dosage , Vaccines/therapeutic use , Adjuvants, Immunologic/administration & dosage , Animals , Cattle , Cattle Diseases/parasitology , Female , Helminth Proteins/immunology , Male , Parasite Load , Recombinant Proteins/administration & dosage , Recombinant Proteins/immunology , Schistosomiasis japonica/prevention & control , Tropomyosin/immunology , Vaccination/veterinaryABSTRACT
Protosappanin A (PrA), obtained from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Caesalpinia sappan L. (Lignum Sappan), possesses a lot of pharmaceutical activities. Typically, it is a potent antioxidant. This study makes an effort to test its protective effects against osteoporosis by partially reducing oxidative stress in RAW264.7 cells and a mouse ovariectomized (OVX) osteoporosis model. The influence that PrA affected on osteoclastic proliferation and differentiation under oxidative status was investigated. Our results revealed that PrA significantly inhibited the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells in oxidative stress conditions. Moreover, it suppressed some osteoclastic markers by TRAP staining, bone section assay and quantitative real-time PCR. PrA decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in RAW264.7 cells. In vivo, our results demonstrated that PrA supplementation improved some serum oxidative markers, including malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione (GSH), and inhibited some osteoclastic markers, such as CTX-1 and TRAP. Importantly, it ameliorated the micro-architecture of trabecular bones by micro-CT assay. In summary, these findings showed that protection by PrA against osteoporosis is associated with a reduction in oxidative stress, suggesting that PrA may be useful in bone resorption related diseases, especially osteoporosis.
ABSTRACT
In this paper, we prepared a type of composite microspheres embedded with poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles for efficient inhalation delivery of tetrandrine (Tet), which is a traditional Chinese medicine for anticancer, and studied its morphology, drug release profile, cytotoxicity and cellular uptake behavior. PLGA nanoparticles loading tetrandrine were prepared by emulsion solvent diffusion method, and composite microspheres were prepared by spray drying method with mannitol as matrix due to its osmotic effect. Scanning electronic microscopy, dynamic light scattering laser particle analyzer and confocal microscopy were applied to characterize the morphology and size of the microspheres. The drug loading rate, drug encapsulation efficiency and drug release properties were explored by RP-HPLC. The cytotoxicity in A549 cells between crude drug of Tet and Tet-loaded microspheres were compared by MTT assay. The cellular uptake behavior of microspheres in A549 cells was investigated using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The resultant microspheres were composed of 189 nm PLGA nanoparticles exhibited sizes ranging from 1 to 3 µm, with the highest deposition efficiency. The microspheres can easily be dissolved in a mimic lung environment and release redispersible PLGA nanoparticles. Compared with crude drug of Tet, Tet-loaded microspheres showed a certain sustained release property and higher cytotoxicity effect to A549 cells. The cellular uptake experiment demonstrated a higher excellent penetration ability of cells to nanoparticles and time-dependent uptake process. This study provides a basis for developing new inhalation therapies for lung cancer.
Subject(s)
Benzylisoquinolines/chemistry , Drug Carriers/chemistry , Drug Compounding/methods , Lactic Acid/chemistry , Polyglycolic Acid/chemistry , A549 Cells , Benzylisoquinolines/pharmacology , Cell Survival/drug effects , Humans , Microspheres , Nanoparticles/chemistry , Particle Size , Polylactic Acid-Polyglycolic Acid CopolymerABSTRACT
Effects of Nelumbo nucifera stem and leaf tissue extract on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda were studied to verify its potential in entriphication control. Five concentrations of Nelumbo nucifera stem and leaf tissue extract were chosen to compare their inhibitory effects on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda. The result showed that the leaf extract inhibited the algae bloom more effectively than the stem extract on the whole. When the leaf extract normality was 25 g x L(-1), the highest inhibition rate of Microcystis aeruginosa and Scenedesmus quadricanda was 71.33% and 78.14%, respectively, while for the stem extract, the values were 49.78% and 52.14%. Propanamide was found in both the stem and leaf tissue extracts of Nelumbo nucifera by GC-MS analysis, with concentrations of 1.1 mg x L(-1) and 0.2 mg x L(-1), respectively. The EC50 values of the two kinds of algae were calculated by the probability method.
Subject(s)
Allelopathy/physiology , Eutrophication/drug effects , Microcystis/drug effects , Nelumbo/chemistry , Scenedesmus/drug effects , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry , Microcystis/growth & development , Nelumbo/physiology , Pheromones/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Plant Stems/chemistry , Scenedesmus/growth & developmentABSTRACT
The long-term phosphorus (P) adsorption and retention capacities of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel slag materials derived from one batch and a 278-d column experiments with a synthetic P solution were compared. The investigations of the regeneration of the P adsorption capacity by water level decrease was conducted. It was revealed column experiment on a long-term basis can determine P saturation of EAF accurately. And the results can be used for realistic estimations of constructed wetland systems (CWS) longevity. EAF slag showed a high afinity for P, reaching a saturation value of 1.65 g/kg. Regeneration experiment of the P adsorbing capacity by this material showed that, after 4 weeks of water level decrease, EAF steel slag was able to increase its initial P adsorption capacity to 2.65 g/kg. A sequential P fractionation experiment was performed to quantify the proportion of P bound to mineral compounds in EAF. From the most loosely bound to the most strongly bound P fraction, P1 was associated with resin extractable (13%), Fe extractable (0.5 mol/L Na2CO3, 39%), Al extractable (0.1 mol/L NaOH, 21%), Ca extractable (1 mol/L HCl, 13%), and Ca in a stable residual pool (concentrated hot HCl, 14%). X-ray fluorescence analyses of EAF steel slag chemical composition revealed that the continuous application of a P solution resulted in 300% and 170% increases in K2O and P2O5, respectively. Al2O3 and FeO increased by 8%, while the portion of CaO remained unchanged. The investigated properties (P retention potential, regeneration of P adsorption, P fractionation) provide useful data about the suitability of slag material as a media for longterm P removal and dry-wet operation can improve P retention capacity of EAF to prolong the longevity of full-scale CWS.
Subject(s)
Industrial Waste/analysis , Phosphorus/metabolism , Steel/chemistry , Waste Disposal, Fluid/methods , Wetlands , Adsorption , Phosphorus/chemistryABSTRACT
Predator diet is known to influence antipredator behaviour in prey. Yet, it is not clear how antipredator behaviour is affected by diet changes of the predator. We studied the effect of previous and present diet of a predatory mite Typhlodromips swirskii on the antipredator response of its prey, the whitefly Bemisia tabaci. An earlier study showed that adult female whiteflies that had experienced predators, had learned to avoid ovipositing on plants with predators whose previous and present diet consisted of whitefly eggs and immatures. Here, we investigate whether adult whiteflies also avoid plants with predators whose present and/or previous diet consisted of a non-whitefly food source. Adult whiteflies were found not to avoid plants with predators whose present diet consisted of pollen and whose previous diet had consisted of either pollen or whitefly eggs and larvae. They did avoid plants with predators whose present diet consisted of whiteflies and whose previous diet had consisted of pollen, but to a lesser extent than when previous and present diet consisted of whiteflies. In a choice experiment, whiteflies discriminated between plants with predators whose present diet consisted of whiteflies, but that differed in previous diet. Our results show that both previous and present diets of predators are important in eliciting antipredator behaviour.