The persistent impacts of polyester microfibers on soil bio-physical properties following thermal treatment.

Soilborne microplastics can persist for decades and their consequences are of growing concern. Therefore, it is important to explore the feasible approaches for eliminating microplastic effects on soil properties. Through an incubation experiment, we evaluate the effects of thermal treatment on physical properties, enzymatic activities and microbial communities in polyester-microfibers contaminated soils. The effects of polyester-microfiber levels (0%, 0.1%, 0.3% and 1.0% of soil dry weight) on soil properties were detected under not heated (PMF), heated (mPMF) and added with natural-organic-matters (OM) following heated (mPMF+OM) conditions. Our results showed that 1.0% mPMF soil had lower bulk density and higher mean weight diameter than 0% mPMF soil, akin to PMF soils. Meanwhile, great volumes of < 30 µm pores in 0.3% and 1.0% mPMF soils were observed than that in 0% mPMF soil. Additionally, the dose-effects of melted polyester-microfiber on soil enzymatic activities and bacterial communities were still observed following thermal treatment, even under the OM added condition. Furthermore, our results demonstrated that polyester microfibers influenced soil microbial communities and functioning via altering specific soil physical properties, regardless of thermal treatment or not. Results of this study should be useful to guide further develop viable methods for remediating soils contaminated with microplastics.

Polyketides with different post-modifications from desert endophytic fungus Paraphoma sp.

Three new polyketides 4,6,8-trihydroxy-5-methyl-3,4-dihydronaphthalen-1(2H)-one (1), 5,7-dihydroxy-3-(1-hydroxyethyl)-3,4-dimethylisobenzofuran-1(3H)-one (2) and 1-(4-hydroxy-6-methoxy-1,7-dimethyl-3-oxo-1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran-1-yl) ethyl acetate (3) together with seven known analogues (4-10) were isolated from desert endophytic fungus Paraphoma sp. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by analysis of NMR data. The absolute configuration of (1-3) was established on the basis of CD experiments. The possible biosynthetic pathway of compounds (1-10) was suggested, which implied that these secondary metabolites might be originated from polyketide biosynthesis with different post-modification reactions. Compounds 2, and 5-8 were evaluated for bioactivities against plant pathogen A. solani, whereas none of them displayed any biological effects. In addition, compounds 1, 2 and 5-10 were also tested for cytotoxic activities against three human cancer cell lines (HepG2 cells, MCF-7 cells and Hela cells) without biological effects.

Reactivity of patients with maintenance hemodialysis to erythropoietin in the treatment of renal anemia.

To explore the reactivity of patients with renal anemia (MHD) to erythropoietin (EPO) in maintenance hemodialysis (HD), 31 patients were enrolled in this study. According to the level of serum ferritin (SF), they were divided into two groups; one group received treatment using recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) and the other group was given iron sucrose. Taking terminal EPO dosage, terminal erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) and rate of change of ERI (ΔERII) as target indexes, the influence of SF level on dosage of EPO was evaluated after usage conditions of relevant substances in a 3-month period. The results revealed that differences of dialysis age, albumin (ALB), blood calcium, initial and terminal SF, variable quantity of hemoglobin (Hb), terminal EPO and ERI between two groups had statistical significance. Furthermore, SF level and terminal EPO (r = -0.37, P < 0. 05) as well as SF level and terminal ERI (r = - 0.39, P <0.05) were negatively correlated. Difference of terminal ERI between the two groups had statistical significance. It can therefore be summarized that supplementing an iron agent intravenously to maintain SF level between 500 ng/ml and 1200 ng/ml may improve reactivity of patients with MHD to EPO. In addition, rHuEPO therapy in treating anemia of patients with MHD has the same effect with intravenous drug delivery, less side effects and is easy to administer.

Effects of sodium ferrous chlorophyll treatment on anemia of hemodialysis patients and relevant biochemical parameters.

This study explores the effects of sodium ferrous chlorophyll treatment on the anemia of maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients, as well as the relevant biochemical parameters. We selected 72 patients who had received regular MHD treatment two or three times a week for more than 3 months in the Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Zhengzhou City of Henan Province from March 2014 to March 2016. They were equally divided into a treatment group and a control group. Haemoglobin (HB) and hematocrit (HCT) of the treatment group increased significantly after treatment (p < 0.01), but less in the control group (p < 0.05); Also serum ferritin (SF) and transferrin saturation (TAST) of the treatment group increased significantly after treatment (p < 0.01); SF of the control group also increased significantly (p < 0.01) and TAST of the control group increased (p < 0.05) but less than in the treatment group. No obvious changes of serum creatinine (SCR), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), C-reactive protein (CRP) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were found in either groups after treatment (p>0.05). Albumin (ALB) dosage of the treatment group increased after treatment (p < 0.05) while hemopoietin (EPO) decreased significantly (p < 0.01). ALB and EPO of the control group had no obvious changes after treatment (p>0.05). ALB level of the treatment group increased more significantly than in the control group (p < 0.05), while EPO dosage decreased more significantly than in the control group (p <0.05). Therefore, the combination of conventional western medicine and sodium ferrous chlorophyll can effectively improve anemia conditions of MHD patients and their quality of life.

Relationship between male sterility and ß-1,3-glucanase activity and callose deposition-related gene expression in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

In previous studies, we first isolated one different protein ß-1,3-glucanase using two-dimensional electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry from normal wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and chemical hybridization agent-induced male sterility (CIMS) wheat. In this experiment, ß-1,3-glucanase activity and the expression of a callose deposition-related gene, UDP-glucose phosphorylase (UGPase), were determinate in normal, CIMS, and genetic male sterility (GS) wheat. ß-1,3-glucanase activity was significantly different between the fertile and sterile lines during callose synthesis and degradation, but there was no difference between CIMS and GS wheat. The UGPase gene of callose deposition was highly expressed in the meiophase and sharply decreased in the tetrad stage. However, the expression of the UGPase gene was significantly different between the fertile and sterile lines. These data indicated that ß-1,3-glucanase activity and the expression of the UGPase gene play important roles in the male sterility of wheat. Consequently, pollen mother cells (PMCs) might degenerate at the early meiosis stage, and differences in UGPase gene expression and ß-1,3-glucanase activity might eventually result in complete pollen collapse. In addition, the critical period of anther abortion might be the meiosis stage to the tetrad stage rather than what we previously thought, the mononuclear period.

Sequential therapy for non-thalamus supratentorial hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhages.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to assess the effectiveness of sequential therapy for non-thalamus supratentorial hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (NTS-HICH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical data of 110 patients with HICH. The patients were admitted 72 hours after disease onset, and 43 patients received sequential therapy. The length of hospital stay, treatment costs, incidence of pulmonary infections, mortality rates and Modified Rankin Score (mRS) 1 and 3 months after NTS-HICH were compared between patients who received sequential or non-sequential therapies. RESULTS: The length of hospital stay, treatment costs, and 1-month mortality rates were not significantly different between both groups. However, mortality rates at 3 months, incidence of pulmonary infection, and mRS at both 1 and 3 months were significantly better in patients who received sequential therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Sequential therapy significantly improves the prognosis for patients with NTS-HICH.

[Clinical and experimental observations of jinqiancao gao on preventive and therapeutic effects in cholelithiasis].

This paper reports the clinical treatment of 120 patients with cholelithiasis for 2 months with Jinquiancao Gao. The Results showed that the clinical effective rate was 92.5%, among which 29 cases were cured, 42 cases markedly improved and 40 cases ineffective. Animal experiments showed that this medicine can prevent gallstone growth. The gallstone growth rate was 78.5% in the control group and 42.8% in the experimental group (P less than 0.05). The mechanism of the decrease of gallstone growth rate suggests that the said medicine could inhibit the activity of beta-Glucuronidase in the bile, diminish the non-combined bilirubin and prevent the bile from forming bilirubin stones. The result of cultured liver cells in vitro showed that the cholesterol synthesis was markedly inhibited by Jinqiancao Gao. Thus the cholesterol concentration of bile was decreased. These effects in turn prevented the bile from forming cholesterol stones.