The ecological filter system for treatment of decentralized wastewater.

A vertical flow constructed wetland was combined with a biological aerated filter to develop an ecological filter, and to obtain the optimal operating parameters: The hydraulic loading was 1.55 m3/(m2·d), carbon-nitrogen ratio was 10, and gas-water ratio was 6. The experimental results demonstrated considerable removal efficiency of chemical oxygen demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in wastewater by the ecological filter, with average removal rates of 83.79%, 93.10%, 52.90%, and 79.07%, respectively. Concentration of NH4+-N after treatment met the level-A discharge standard of GB18918-2002. Compared with non-plant filter, the ecological filter improved average removal efficiency of COD, NH4+-N, TN, and TP by 13.03%, 25.30%, 14.80%, and 2.32%, respectively: thus, plants significantly contribute to the removal of organic pollutants and nitrogen. Through microporous aeration and O2 secretion of plants, the ecological filter formed an aerobic-anaerobic-aerobic alternating environment; thus aerobic and anaerobic microbes were active and effectively removed organic pollutants. Meanwhile, nitrogen and phosphorus were directly assimilated by plants and as nutrients of microorganisms. Meanwhile, pollutants were removed through nitrification, denitrification, filtration, adsorption, and interception by the filler. High removal rates of pollutants on the ecological filter proved that it is an effective wastewater-treatment technology for decentralized wastewater of mountainous towns.

[Efficacy evaluation on knee osteoarthritis treated with acupuncture: non-randomized concurrent control trial].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and efficacy sustainable time of acupuncture in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: The non-randomized concurrent control trial was adopted. One hundred and ninety-three cases of KOA were divided into an immediate acupuncture group (group A, 97 cases) and a delayed acupunc-weeks at the end of treatment. In group B, the same acupuncture therapy was applied after waiting 4 weeks. The acupoints in the two groups were Liangqiu (ST 34), Dubi (ST 35), Zusanli (ST 36), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Xuehai (SP 10), Xiyan (EX-LE 4), Xiyangguan (GB 33). WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis) was used for the assessment of the primary index and VAS (visual analogue scale) was for the secondary index. The evaluation was accomplished by the patients at the beginning of trial, on the 4th and 8th weeks. In each group, 72 patients finished the trial and the data of the lost cases were included in the final data analysis. RESULTS: In the 4th week of trial, WOMAC score was (25. 8+/-22.0) in group A difference (P<0. 001). VAS scorewas (31. 8+/-24. and was (43.8+/-22.2) in group B, indicating the significant 6) in group A and was (56. 6 +/-25. 8) in group B, indicating very significant difference (P<0. 001). In the 8th week, the efficacy was reduced slightly in the follow-up of group A, but it was improved apparently as compared Acupuncture relieves joint pain and improves joint function obviously.by th patiieffr,a Mtaetfti-?an tf ri-with that before treatment. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture relieves joint pain and improves joint function obviously.The effect of acupuncture is still sustainable in 4 weeks after terminating the treatment.

[Efficacy observation of knee osteoarthritis treated with acupuncture].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of the conventional acupuncture on knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: Seventy-three cases of KOA were treated with the conventional acupuncture therapy at Liang-qiu (ST 34), Dubi (ST 35), Zusanli (ST 36), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Yinlingquan (SP 9), etc. The conventional acupuncture therapy lasted for 4 weeks (at least 3 treatments and less than 5 times each week). At the end of treatment, the follow-up visit lasted for 4 weeks. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and the visual analogue scale (VAS) were adopted for the efficacy assessments of the patients. RESULTS: Of 73 cases, 49 cases accomplished the trial. The data of the lost cases were included in the final data analysis. At the end of 4-week treatment and the follow-up visit, every score in VAS and WOMAC was decreased The conventional acupuncture therapy reduces the joint pain for apparently (P < 0.001, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: the patients with KOA and improves the joint function. The 4-week follow-up visit indicates that the efficacy of acupuncture is still sustained.

Alpinetin/hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin host-guest system: preparation, characterization, inclusion mode, solubilization and stability.

The inclusion complexation behavior, characterization and binding ability of alpinetin with hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin (HPßCD) has been investigated in both solution and the solid state by means of UV-vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, ¹H and 2D NMR, XRD, SEM and DSC. The results showed that the water solubility and stability of alpinetin were obviously increased in the inclusion complex with HPßCD. This satisfactory water solubility and high stability of the alpinetin/HPßCD complex will be potentially useful for its application as herbal medicine or healthcare products.

[Differences of clinical trails on domestic and international treatment of knee osteoarthritis with acupuncture].

Literatures on knee osteoarthritis treated by acupuncture both in China and abroad published in the mainstay periodicals in recent 10 years were selected, and analyses were done in the following aspects: (1) Randomization, (2) Control group, (3) Sample size, (4) Intervention measurements, (5) Intervention periods, (6) Evaluation on therapeutic effects, (7) Follow-up assessment, (8) Adverse effects, (9) Ratio of the lost case. The result indicates that differences can still be found on the trial designation in China and abroad. The domestic research design should be more comprehensively and strictly.

[Clinical observation of effect of jiawei yupingfeng mixture for prevention and treatment of 100 children with repeated respiratory tract infection].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Jiawei Yupingfeng Mixture (YPF) on repeated respiratory tract infection (RRTI) and its impacts on T-cell subsets, immunoglobulin and erythrocyte immune. METHODS: Two hundred children with RRTI were assigned equally to two groups, the test group treated with YPF and the control group treated by transfer factor. The clinical efficacy, and the changes of T-cell subsets, immunoglobulin and erythrocyte immune before and after treatment were observed in 31 patients randomly selected from each group. RESULTS: After treatment, the frequency of attacking was reduced and the course of attacking was shortened significantly in the test group as compared with before treatment and also with the control group (P < 0.01); IgG and IgA levels were improved in both groups, but the improvement was more significant in the test group (P<0.01, P<0.05); T-cell subsets indices, including CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio, all improved in the test group significantly (P <0.01), while in the control group, significant improvement only showed in rising of CD3(+) and CD4(+) (P <0.05, P <0.01), comparison between groups showed significant difference in terms of CD3(+), CD4(+) and CD8(+); in the control group, levels of C3b, RFER and RFIR were changed significantly (P<0.05, P<0.01), but the improvement of ICR was insignificant, while in the test group, the above indices were significant improved as compared with after treatment of the control group (P <0.01). CONCLUSION: YPF plays a preventive and therapeutic role in children with RRTI by way of regulating the cellular and humoral immune.

Forty-six cases of vertebrobasilar insufficiency treated by acupuncture plus intravenous infusion of ligustrazine.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of acupuncture plus Ligustrazine on vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) by transcranial Doppler (TCD) sonography. METHODS: 86 VBI patients including 56 cases of low flow rate velocity type (LFVT) and 30 cases of high flow velocity type (HFVT) were randomly divided into Ligustrazine group (26 LFRT and 14 HFVT) and acupuncture plus Ligustrazine group (30 LFVT and 16 HFVT). The blood flow velocity (BFV) of vertebral artery (VA) and basilar artery (BA) in systole before and after treatment was measured with TCD and therapeutic effects were evaluated after 10 days' treatment in the two groups. RESULTS: In the acupuncture plus Ligustrazine group, the total effective rate was 93.3% and 88.5% in cases of LFVT and HFVT respectively, and BFV of VA and BA increased in LFVT patients while that in HFVT patients decreased significantly (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Owing to its dual regulation on blood flow of VA and BA, the therapeutic effect of acupuncture plus Ligustrazine was better than that of simple Ligustrazine.

[Experimental study on effect of Huaxian Decoction treating bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the preventive and therapeutic effect of Huaxian Decoction (HXD) on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice by taking treatment of ligustrazin and prednisone as controls, for investigate the clinical value and possible mechanism in treatment of pulmonary fibrosis by traditional Chinese herbs. METHODS: A total of 96 male ICR mice, aged 6 to 8 weeks, were randomly divided into 8 groups. Pulmonary fibrosis was induced in the model group by intranasal instillation of bleomycin 5 mg/kg. HXD were given via gastrogavage to the HXD prevention group and treatment group respectively at 48 h before and 14 days after they were modeled with the same method, and the groups of ligustrazin and prednisone, treatment and prevention, were managed the same as for HXD groups, but with ligustazin and prednisone instead of HXD respectively. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue of animals were gathered on day 28. Cellular ultrastructural changes of lung was examined under electron microscope by HE, Masson stain; Content of hydroxyproline (HYP) in lung tissue was assessed by acidolysis method; and concentration of transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) in BALF was assessed by ELISA. RESULTS: Pulmonary coefficient was significantly lower in all the drug intervening groups than that in the model group (P < 0.05), improvement on alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis were alsonaged the safter intervention, especially in the HXD prevention group (Pinstead < 0.05). HYP content in lung tissue and TGF-beta1 content in BALF lowered at the same time. CONCLUSION: Early stage application of HXD can alleviate bleomycin-induced alveolitis and pulmonary fibrosis in mice to certain degree, suggesting that Chinese herbs with supplementing qi and activating blood circulation effect could play a definite preventive action on pulmonary fibrosis, and the inhibition on expressions of TGF-beta1 in lung tissues may be one of the mechanisms.

[Effects of cordyceps sinensi on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice].

OBJECTIVE: To study the prevention & treatment effect of cordyceps sinensi on bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis (PF) in mice. METHOD: Rats were divided into 4 groups. In BM group (model), pulmonary interstitial fibrosis model was established through nasal dripping of 5 mg x kg(-1) bleomycin. In PCT group (prevention & treatment with cordyceps sinensi), cordyceps sinensi was orally administered 48 h before bleomycin dripping. In CT group (treatment with cordyceps sinensi), cordyceps sinensi was orally administered at 14 d after bleomycin dripping, and NC group (normal mice, control). At 28 d, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and lung tissue were collected, right lung received HE staining and masson staining, the change in cell micro-structure was observed under electron microscope, the hydroxyproline (HYP) content in lung tissue of left lung was detected through acidolysis method, and TGF-beta1, IFN-gamma and IL-4 concentration in BALF was detected through ELISA. RESULT: Compared with those in BM group, mouse lung coefficient decreased significantly (P < 0.05), alveolitis and fibrosis degree improved significantly in PCT and CT groups (P < 0.05), HYP content in lung decreased (P < 0.05). TGF-beta1 and 1L-4 content in BALF decreased significantly in each drug intervention group, IFN-gamma content increased significantly (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The cordyceps sinensi can alleviate bleomycin-induced alveolitis and fibrosis degree in a certain degree. The mechanism of the alleviation is possibly due to its inhibition of TGF-beta1 expression and its regulation of imbalance of the type I and II cytokine in lung tissue.