Microplastics from polyvinyl chloride agricultural plastic films do not change nitrogenous gas emission but enhance denitrification potential.

The effects of microplastics (MPs) from agricultural plastic films on soil nitrogen transformation, especially denitrification, are still obscure. Here, using a robotized flow-through system, we incubated vegetable upland soil cores for 66 days with MPs from PE mulching film (F-PE) and PVC greenhouse film (F-PVC) and directly quantified the emissions of nitrogenous gases from denitrification under oxic conditions, as well as the denitrification potential under anoxic conditions. The impact of MPs on soil nitrogen transformation was largely determined by the concentration of the additive phthalate esters (PAEs) containing in the MPs. The F-PE MPs with low level of PAEs (about 0.006 %) had no significant effect on soil mineral nitrogen content and nitrogenous gas emissions under oxic conditions. In contrast, the F-PVC MPs with high levels of PAEs (about 11 %) reduced soil nitrate content under oxic conditions, probably owing to promoted microbial assimilation of nitrogen, as the emissions of denitrification products (N2, NO, and N2O) was not affected. However, the F-PVC MPs significantly enhanced the denitrification potential of the soil due to the increased abundance of denitrifiers under anoxic conditions. These findings highlight the disturbance of MPs from agricultural films, particularly the additive PAEs on nitrogen transformation in soil ecosystems.

Biochar mitigates the stimulatory effects of straw incorporation on N2O emission and N2O/(N2O + N2) ratio in upland soil.

Straw incorporation, a common agricultural strategy designed to enhance soil organic carbon (SOC), often leads to increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, potentially offsetting benefits of SOC sequestration. However, the mechanism and mitigation options for the enhanced N2O emission following straw incorporation remain unclear. Here, N2 and N2O emission rate, as well as N2O/(N2O + N2) ratio under four different fertilization treatments [i.e., non-fertilization (Control), conventional chemical fertilization (CF), conventional chemical fertilization plus straw incorporation (SWCF), and conventional chemical fertilization plus straw and biochar incorporation (SWBCF)] were investigated by a robotized sampling and analysis system. High-throughput sequencing was also employed to assess the variation of bacterial community across different treatments. The results showed CF, SWCF, and SWBCF fertilization treatments significantly increased N2O emission rate by 1.04, 2.01, and 1.29 folds, respectively, relative to Control treatment. Albeit no significant enhancements in N2 emission rate, the N2O/(N2O + N2) ratio significantly increased by 65.53%, 1.10 folds, and 69.49% in CF, SWCF, and SWBCF treatments, respectively. The partial least squares path modeling analysis further revealed that fertilization treatments slightly increased N2 emission rate by increasing DOC content and keystone OTUs abundance. While the enhanced N2O emission rate and N2O/(N2O + N2) ratio in the fertilization treatments was primarily determined by reducing DOC/NO3- ratio and specific bacteria module abundance dominated by Gaiellales, Solirubrobacterales, and Micrococcales. Furthermore, SWBCF treatment alleviated the increase in net global warming potential due to straw incorporation, as indicated by the higher SOC sequestration and lower N2O/(N2O + N2) ratio therein. Collectively, these findings suggest that simultaneous application of straw and biochar has the potential to mitigate the risk of increased N2O emission from straw incorporation. This study provides valuable insights for developing targeted strategies in C sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation, tackling the challenge presented by global climate change.

Assembly of π-Conjugated [B3O6] Units by Mer-Isomer [YO3F3] Octahedra to Design a UV Nonlinear Optical Material, Cs2YB3O6F2.

Achieving the extreme balance of the key performance requirements is the crucial to breakthrough the application bottleneck for nonlinear optical (NLO) materials. Herein, by assembly of the π-conjugated [B3O6] functional species with the aid of structure-directing property of mer-isomer [YO3F3] octahedra, a new ultraviolet (UV) NLO material, Cs2YB3O6F2 with aligned arrangement of coplanar [B3O6] groups has been synthesized. The polar material exhibits the rare coexistence of the largest second harmonic generation response of 5.6×KDP, the largest birefringence of 0.091 at 532 nm, the shortest Type I phase-matching down to 200.5 nm and deep-ultraviolet transparency among reported acentric rare-earth borates with [B3O6] groups. Remarkably, benefiting from the enhanced bonding force among functional units [B3O6], a firm three-dimensional framework is constructed, which facilitates the growth of large crystals. This can be proved by a block shape crystal with dimensional of 6×5×4 mm3, indicating that it was a promising UV NLO crystal. This work provides a powerful strategy to design UV NLO materials with good performances.

Effects of different grassland utilization methods on the germinable soil seed bank of the Hulunbuir meadow steppe.

Seed banks are crucial regenerative resources for aboveground vegetation. The pattern of their changes holds immense significance in understanding alterations in the belowground seed bank. This understanding is pivotal for uncovering both short-term and long-term shifts in plant communities. Additionally, it contributes to the restoration of grassland ecosystems. To better protect grassland biodiversity and provide a theoretical basis for the restoration of degraded grasslands, in this study, the germination characteristics of soil seed banks in free-grazed, enclosed and mown areas were compared, and the results were combined with those of previous studies for a comprehensive analysis. The density of soil seed bank and perennial forage soil seed bank were significantly affected by different grassland utilization and soil depths. Grazing and enclosure grassland utilization methods increased the content of the soil seed bank, and mowing reduced the content of the seed bank. The soil seed bank density of perennial grasses accounted for the highest proportion under grazing, followed by mowing, and its lowest proportion was observed in the enclosures. Grazing not only facilitated the germination of the perennial grass seed bank but also substantially augmented its content. Mowing inhibited the germination of the upper growth grasses seed bank, which was particularly significant in the 0-2 cm soil layer under grazing. The content of the upper growth grasses seed bank affected the total seed bank to a certain extent, mainly in the 5-10 cm layer. The general correlations among the perennial grasses, upper growth grasses and soil germination seed bank resulted in 84.58% information extraction, and this information has practical significance for grassland ecological restoration.

Conversion from rice fields to vegetable fields alters product stoichiometry of denitrification and increases N2O emission.

Information about effects of conversion from rice fields to vegetable fields on denitrification process is still limited. In this study, denitrification rate and product ratio (i.e., N2O/(N2O + N2) ratio) were investigated by soil-core incubation based N2/Ar technique in one rice paddy field (RP) and two vegetable fields (VF4 and VF7, 4 and 7 years vegetable cultivating after conversion from rice fields, respectively). Genes related to denitrification and bacterial community composition were quantified to investigate the microbial mechanisms behind the effects of land-use conversion. The results showed that conversion of rice fields to vegetable fields did not significantly change denitrification rate although the abundance of denitrification related genes was significantly reduced by 79.22%-99.84% in the vegetable soils. Whereas, compared with the RP soil, N2O emission rate was significantly (P < 0.05) increased by 53.5 and 1.6 times in the VF4 and VF7 soils, respectively. Correspondingly, the N2O/(N2O + N2) ratio increased from 0.18% (RP soil) to 5.65% and 0.65% in the VF4 and VF7 soils, respectively. These changes were mainly attributed to the lower pH, higher nitrate content, and the altered bacterial community composition in the vegetable soils. Overall, our results showed that conversion of rice fields to vegetable fields increased the N2O emission rate and altered the product ratio of denitrification. This may increase the contribution of land-use conversion to global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion.

How does partial substitution of chemical fertiliser with organic forms increase sustainability of agricultural production?

To ensure global food security, agriculture must increase productivity while reducing environmental impacts associated with chemical nitrogen (N) fertilisation. This necessitates towards more sustainable practices such as recycling organic waste to substitute chemical fertiliser N inputs. However, hitherto how such strategy controls the succession of microbial communities and their relationship with crop yields and environmental impacts have not been comprehensively investigated. We conducted a field experiment with vegetable production in China examining partial substitution (25-50%) of chemical fertiliser with organic forms (pig manure or municipal sludge compost) considering key sustainability metrics: productivity, soil health, environmental impacts and microbial communities. We demonstrate that partial organic substitution improved crop yields, prevented soil acidification and improved soil fertility. Treatments also reduced detrimental environmental impacts with lower N2O emission, N leaching and runoff, likely due to reduced inorganic nitrogen surplus. Microbial communities, including key genes involved in the N cycle, were dynamic and time-dependent in response to partial organic substitution, and were also important in regulating crop yields and environmental impacts. Partial organic substitution increased bacterial diversity and the relative abundance of several specific microbial groups (e.g. Sphingomonadales, Myxococcales, Planctomycetes, and Rhizobiales) involved in N cycling. Additionally, partial organic substitution reduced the number of bacterial ammonia oxidizers and increased the number of denitrifiers, with the proportion of N2O-reducers being more pronounced, suggesting a mechanism for reducing N2O emissions. Comprehensive economic cost-benefit evaluation showed that partial organic substitution increased economic benefit per unit area by 37-46%, and reduced agricultural inputs and environmental impacts per unit product by 22-44%. Among them, 50% substitution of pig manure was the most profitable strategy. The study is crucial to policy-making as it highlights the potential advantages of shifting towards systems balancing chemical and organic fertilisers with economic benefits for farmers, reduced environmental damage and an efficient way for organic waste disposal.

Impacts of Modified Graphite Oxide on Crystallization, Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Polybutylene Terephthalate.

In this study, the surface modification on graphene oxide (GO) was performed using octadecylamine (ODA). Furthermore, polybutylene terephthalate/GO (PBT/GO) composites were prepared to elucidate the role of GO surface modification on the mechanical performance, thermal stability and crystallization behavior. Results of Fourier transform infrared spectra (FT-IR), Raman spectrum, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) revealed that ODA was successfully grafted on GO. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), tensile test, Izod impact strength test and TGA were carried out on the PBT/GO composites. Results indicated that the addition of raw GO can enhance the crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity and can slightly improve the thermal stability and tensile strength of the composites. However, the impact strength and elongation at break were seriously decreased owing to the poor compatibility between the GO and PBT matrix. Once the modified GO was added, the crystallization temperature and degree of crystallinity were greatly increased. The tensile strength increased greatly while the elongation at break and Izod impact strength were efficiently maintained; these were evidently higher than those of PBT/raw GO. Moreover, thermal stability was greatly enhanced. SEM (scanning electron microscope) observation results on the impact-fractured surface clearly confirmed the improved compatibility between the modified GO and PBT matrix. A related mechanism had been discussed.

Maintenance of dominant populations in heavily grazed grassland: Inference from a Stipa breviflora seed germination experiment.

An understanding of population adaptation and maintenance mechanisms under interference from large herbivores is lacking and is a major focus of ecological research. In the Eurasian steppe, which has been subjected to continuous interference from domesticated ungulates throughout history and shows increased grazing, it is particularly urgent to analyze the ecological adaptation strategies of widely distributed Stipa plants. In this study, Stipa breviflora in a group of desert steppes in the Mongolian Plateau was selected to study the potential mechanism underlying the maintenance of dominant populations under the continuous interference of heavy grazing from the new perspective of seed germination rate. Laboratory experimental results showed that the values of the phenotypic traits of S. breviflora seeds were lower under a heavy grazing treatment than under a non-grazing treatment, but the seed germination rate did not decrease. The awns of non-grazed seeds significantly affected the seed germination rate, while those of heavily grazed seeds did not. Field observations showed that grazing does not significantly affect the population density of S. breviflora at different growth stages except in extremely wet and dry years. Our study suggests that under heavy grazing, S. breviflora uses an "opportunistic" ecological strategy to ensure population maintenance by increasing the seed germination rate and reducing dispersal via changes in associated seed phenotypic traits.

Indirect N2O emissions from groundwater under high nitrogen-load farmland in eastern China.

Current estimates of global indirect N2O emissions are based on a relatively small dataset and remain a major source of uncertainly in the global N2O budget. Nitrogen (N)-enriched groundwater from agricultural fields may act as an important source of indirect N2O emissions as it discharges to adjacent watershed areas. During 2015-2017, dissolved N2O concentrations in groundwater were measured and indirect N2O emission factors (EF5g) calculated under three typical high-N land-use types (vineyard, vegetable field and paddy field) in eastern China. The average dissolved N2O concentrations in groundwater were 58.1 ±â€¯40.4, 18.5 ±â€¯11.5 and 0.72 ±â€¯0.27  µg N L-1 for vineyard, vegetable field and paddy field, respectively. The dissolved N2O was over-saturated and was therefore a net source of N2O to the atmosphere. The indirect N2O emission factors (EF5g) of vineyard (0.0091) and vegetable (0.0092) fields were much higher than the current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) default value of 0.0025 which indicated that these land-uses may have led to indirect N2O emissions from the underlying groundwater. In contrast, the EF5g of the paddy field (0.0019) was slightly lower than the default EF5g proposed by IPCC (2006) and contributed minimal indirect N2O emissions to the atmosphere. However, the current IPCC method may have overestimated the contribution of groundwater N2O to the global N cycle because it took residual but not initial groundwater NO3--N concentration into account when calculating EF5g. Therefore, we proposed the adoption of an improved method for calculating the EF5g and compared it to the current IPCC (2006) method using data from the present study and other published data. The results of the comparison showed that the improved method was more scientifically appropriate measurement for calculating EF5g.

ImagePy: an open-source, Python-based and platform-independent software package for bioimage analysis.

Summary: This note presents the design of a scalable software package named ImagePy for analysing biological images. Our contribution is concentrated on facilitating extensibility and interoperability of the software through decoupling the data model from the user interface. Especially with assistance from the Python ecosystem, this software framework makes modern computer algorithms easier to be applied in bioimage analysis. Availability and implementation: ImagePy is free and open source software, with documentation and code available at https://github.com/Image-Py/imagepy under the BSD license. It has been tested on the Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.

Grazing influences Stipa breviflora seed germination in desert grasslands of the Inner Mongolia Plateau.

Seed germination plays an important role in determining the composition and regeneration of plant populations (Stipa breviflora). However, the influencing factors and strategies employed for seed germination in desert grasslands under grazing remain unknown. Therefore, in this study, the reproductive allocation, seed density, seed properties, and corresponding seed germination rates of S. breviflora were examined. Possible situations encountered during dispersal were also simulated to determine their effects on seed germination. The results showed that reproductive individual density not subjected to grazing were significantly higher than those subjected to moderate and heavy grazing. For seed density and seed bank in soil, the highest values were observed for the no grazing treatment, followed by the moderate and heavy grazing treatments. The seed density for germination of soil seed banks was nearly one-fourth of seed density during the growing season. In addition, grazing treatments affected the phenotypic characteristics of seeds and reduced the lower limit of the weight of germinable seeds. Awn removal significantly increased germination. The longest germination time was observed for seeds that entered the soil at an angle of 0°. Our research demonstrated that grazing negatively affected the desert grassland edificator. Individual plants adopted different adaptation strategies under different grazing intensities; for example, a fixed proportion of the seed number and seed germination number of S. breviflora in the soil seed bank was maintained by exceeding the minimum weight of a seed for seed germination. During seed dispersion, the awn effectively prevented germination under unfavourable conditions and helped seeds enter the soil at an optimal angle for promoting germination.

[The effect of a combined nanoparticulate/calcium hydroxide medication on the biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis in starvation phase].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of Ca(OH)2 with a silver nanoparticle suspension to eliminate the biofilm of Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) in starvation phase. METHODS: The biofilm models of E．faecalis in the starvation phase were built in vitro with 256 extracted human single-rooted teeth, and the methods of plate culture count and crystal violet biofilm assay were applied to determine the effect of the inhibition of different intracanal medicament (silver nanoparticle with calcium hydroxide, silver nanoparticle alone, calcium hydroxide alone ) to the biofilm of E. faecalis in starvation phase at 1 and 7 days. The negative control group was treated with sterile water only. Statistical analysis was carried out with SPSS 13.0 software package. RESULTS: The inhibitory effect of Ca（OH）2+nanosilver on the biofilms of E. faecalis was found more significant than that of silver nanoparticle alone and calcium hydroxide alone at 1 and 7 days, and silver nanoparticle alone was more effective than calcium hydroxide alone. No difference in antimicrobial properties was observed between the two time points in the Ca(OH)2+silver nanoparticle group and silver nanoparticle group, while higher antimicrobial efficacy was observed in the Ca(OH)2 group after 7 days than 1 day. CONCLUSIONS: Silver nanoparticle with calcium hydroxide has an obvious inhibitory effect on the biofilm of E.faecalis in the starvation phase.

The 90-day prognostic value of copeptin in acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

The aim of the study was to assess the 90-day prognostic value of copeptin in a group of Chinese patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). In this study, all consecutive patients with first-ever ICH from 2010 to 2012 were recruited to participate in the study. On admission, plasma copeptin levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Hemphill ICH scores were assessed on admission blinded to plasma copeptin levels. For the assessment of functional outcome at 90 days, Modified Rankin Scale was used. During the study period, 271 patients were diagnosed as ICH and were included in the analysis. The median GCS score on admission was 11 points. Patients with an unfavorable outcomes and non-survivors had significantly increased plasma copeptin levels on admission (P < 0.001 for both). Copeptin was an independent prognostic marker of functional outcome and death [odds ratio 3.45 (95 % confidence intervals: 1.85-6.99) and 3.66 (2.42-8.28), respectively, P < 0.001 for both, adjusted for age, the hematoma volume and other predictors] in patients with ICH. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, copeptin could improve the Hemphill score in predicting 90-day functional outcome [area under the curve (AUC) of the combined model, 0.83; 95 % CI 0.74-0.90; P < 0.001] and mortality (AUC of the combined model, 0.88; 95 % CI 0.82-0.93; P < 0.001). In conclusion, our study suggests that copeptin levels are a useful tool to predict unfavorable functional outcome and mortality 90 days after ICH and have a potential to assist clinicians.

[Effects of grazing on spatial distribution relationships between constructive and dominant species in Stipa breviflora desert steppe].

The effects of grazing on spatial distribution relationships of constructive species (Stipa breviflora) and dominant species (Cleistogenes songorica and Allium polyrhizum) in the desert steppe were analyzed by different analysis methods. The results showed that the landscape characteristic of S. breviflora + C. songorica + A. polyrhizum community was mainly affected by soil properties and inherent properties of populations. The spatial distribution variability influenced by continuous grazing (CG) was in order of A. polyrhizum > C. songorica > S. breviflora. The influence of CG upon the density of S. breviflora and A. polyrhizum was notable, while little influence upon the density of C. songorica was observed. S. breviflora density increased with the increasing C. songorica density in CG area, whereas it increased firstly and then decreased with the increasing C. songorica density in enclosed area (CK). S. breviflora density decreased with the increasing A. polyrhizum density in CG and CK area. It was concluded that there was density effect for plant interspecific relationships which could disappear with the presence of outside interference. Plant interspecific relationships were multiple with the difference in populations or interference conditions.

Houttuynia cordata inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced rapid pulmonary fibrosis by up-regulating IFN-γ and inhibiting the TGF-ß1/Smad pathway.

This study aimed to explore the effect and mechanism of H. cordata vapor extract on acute lung injury (ALI) and rapid pulmonary fibrosis (RPF). We applied the volatile extract of HC to an RPF rat model and analyzed the effect on ALI and RPF using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, routine blood tests, a cell count of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) content, van Gieson (VG) staining, hydroxyproline (Hyp) content and the dry/wet weight ratio. The expression of IFN-γ/STAT(1), IL-4/STAT(6) and TGF-ß(1)/Smads was analyzed using ELISA, immunohistochemistry and western blotting methods. The active ingredients of the HC vapor extract were analyzed using a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS), and the effects of the active ingredients of HC on the viability of NIH/3T3 and RAW264.7 cells were detected using an MTT assay. The active ingredients of the HC vapor extract included 4-terpineol, α-terpineol, l-bornyl acetate and methyl-n-nonyl ketone. The results of the lung H&E staining, Hyp content, dry/wet weight ratio and VG staining suggested that the HC vapor extract repaired lung injury and reduced RPF in a dose-dependent manner and up-regulated IFN-γ and inhibited the TGF-ß1/Smad pathway in vivo. In vitro, it could inhibit the viability of RAW264.7 and NIH/3T3 cells. It also dose-dependently inhibited the expression of TGF-ß1 and enhanced the expression of IFN-γ in NIH/3T3. The HC vapor extract inhibited LPS-induced RPF by up-regulating IFN-γ and inhibiting the TGF-ß1/Smad pathway.

Local defects enhanced dehydrogenation kinetics of the NaBH(4)-added Li-Mg-N-H system.

A mechanistic understanding on the enhanced kinetics of hydrogen storage in the NaBH(4)-added Mg(NH(2))(2)-2LiH system is provided by carrying out experimental investigations associated with first-principles calculations. It is found that the operating temperatures for hydrogen desorption of the Mg(NH(2))(2)-2LiH system are reduced by introducing NaBH(4), and the NaBH(4) species seems almost unchanged during dehydrogenation/hydrogenation process. First-principles calculations reveal that the presence of NaBH(4) in the Mg(NH(2))(2)-2LiH system facilitates the formation of Mg vacancies in Mg(NH(2))(2). The appearance of Mg vacancies not only weakens the N-H bonds but also promotes the diffusion of atoms and/or ions, consequently resulting in the improvement of the reaction kinetics of hydrogen desorption/absorption of the NaBH(4)-added Mg(NH(2))(2)-2LiH system. This finding provides us with a deep insight into the role played by NaBH(4) in the Li-Mg-N-H system, as well as ideas for designing high-performance catalysts for metal-N-H-based hydrogen storage media.

Hydrogen storage reaction over a ternary imide Li2Mg2N3H3.

The reaction details of hydrogen storage process of a ternary imide Li(2)Mg(2)N(3)H(3) are elucidated for the first time. It is found that 1 mole of Li(2)Mg(2)N(3)H(3) converts to a mixture of Mg(NH(2))(2)-2LiH-MgNH on taking up 2 moles of H(2), and that the presence of MgNH in the Mg(NH(2))(2)-2LiH system not only alters the dehydrogenation thermodynamics but also improves the dehydrogenation kinetics.

Synthesis of a carbene transfer organometallic polymer and application to forming a recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for the Suzuki reactions of aryl chlorides.

An efficient and versatile synthetic approach to NHC-based organometallic polymers has been developed by a simple three-step synthesis. A novel brush polymer having imidazolium salt side chains (P2) was firstly synthesized through postpolymerization modification of P1, which permits access to Ag(I)-NHC-based side chain polymer (P3) at room temperature in high yield. P3 was applied as a carbene transfer agent to form a Pd-NHC-containing polymer (P4) by the transmetallation reaction of Ag(I)-NHCs in the side chains. Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) analysis indicated that 77% of Ag(I)-NHCs in the side chains of P3 were transmetallated. The resulting Pd-NHC-containing polymer (P4) showed high catalytic activity and reusability in the Suzuki reactions of aryl chlorides and aryl boronic acids. This novel Pd-NHC-containing polymeric catalyst was used five times and still remained active giving the desired biaryl products in 70% yield in the fifth run of the cross-coupling reaction of deactivated 4-chloroanisole with phenylboronic acid.

[Pricking blood therapy combined with ultraviolet irradiation for treatment of acute herpes zoster].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate clinical therapeutic effect and the safety of pricking blood therapy combined with ultraviolet irradiation for treatment of acute herpes zoster. METHODS: One hundred and thirty cases were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, 65 cases in each group. The observation group was treated with pricking blood therapy combined with ultraviolet irradiation. Firstly, the affected parts were heavily taped with a plum-blossom needle and then cupping. After the cup was removed, with the body surface-dividing field method, ultraviolet irradiation was given at the skin injury area and the nerve root area corresponding to paraspinal vertebra, and the control group was treated with Aciclovir and other western medicine. Seven days constituted one course. Their therapeutic effects and adverse reactions were observed. RESULTS: After treatment of 7 days, the cured rate of 76.9% and the total effective rate of 90.8% in the observation group were significantly higher than 38.5% and 66.2% in the control group, respectively (both P < 0.01); the incidence rate of post herpetic neuralgia of 3.1% in the observation group was significantly lower than 12.3% in the control group (P < 0.05); after treatment, the scores for pain, rash and sleep decreased significantly in the two groups (all P < 0.01), more significantly decreased in the observation group than in the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05); the pain-relieving time, herpes-stopping time, scab-forming time and the cured time in the cured patients of the observation group were significantly shorter than those in the control group (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The pricking blood therapy combined with ultraviolet irradiation has rapid therapeutic effect, effectively shortens duration of illness, decreases the incidence rate of post herpetic neuralgia and it is a safe remedy for treatment of herpes zoster.

Rapid pulmonary fibrosis induced by acute lung injury via a lipopolysaccharide three-hit regimen.

Based on the common characteristic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and highly pathogenic avian influenza and the mechanism of inflammation and fibrosis, it is speculated that there should exist a fundamental pathological rule that severe acute lung injury (ALI)-induced rapid pulmonary fibrosis is caused by various etiological factors, such as SARS coronavirus, H5N1-virus, or other unknown factors, and also by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the most common etiological factor. The investigation employed intratracheally, and intraperitoneally and intratracheally applied LPS three-hit regimen, compared with bleomycin-induced chronic pulmonary fibrosis. Inflammatory damage and fibrosis were evaluated, and the molecular mechanism was analyzed according to Th1/Th2 balance, Sma- and MAD-related proteins (Smads) and signal transducer and activator of transcriptions (STATs) expression. The results suggested that rapid pulmonary fibrosis could be induced by ALI via LPS three-hits. The period from 3-7 days in the LPS group was the first rapid pulmonary fibrosis stage, whereas the second fast fibrosis stage occurred on days 14-21. Th2 cell polarization, Smad4 and Smad7 should be the crucial molecular mechanism of ALI-induced rapid fibrosis. The investigation was not only performed to establish a new rapid pulmonary fibrosis model, but also to provide the elicitation for mechanism of ALI changed into the rapid pulmonary fibrosis.