Assessment of left ventricular structure and function in preeclampsia subtypes by multimodal echocardiography.

AIM: To explore left ventricular structural/functional abnormalities in preeclampsia patients by using multimodal echocardiography and to analyze the cardiac impact in preeclampsia subtypes. METHODS: A total of 103 individuals, including 64 preeclampsia patients and 39 healthy pregnant women were recruited for this study from 2019 to 2021. There were 34 patients with preeclampsia with severe features (SPE) patients and 30 with preeclampsia with nonsevere features (NSPE), including 9 with early-onset NSPE (EO-NSPE) patients, 27 early-onset SPE (EO-SPE) patients, 21 later-onset NSPE (LO-NSPE), and 7 with later-onset SPE (LO-SPE). All patients underwent multimodal echocardiography before treatment, including two-dimensional, Doppler, and speckle-tracking echocardiography, to evaluate left ventricular structure/function. Analysis of variance was used to determine statistical significance across groups. RESULTS: EO-SPE patients showed decreased left ventricular ejection fractions, peak longitudinal systolic strain at apical four-chambers, peak circumferential, and radial systolic strain at the apical and mitral annular plane systolic excursion (MAPSE), and increased mitral regurgitation compared to other preeclampsia patients. Compared to LO-NSPE and EO-SPE patients, LO-SPE patients showed increased left ventricular mass indexed to height2.7 and early diastolic left ventricular diastolic filling/mitral annular velocity, and decreased MAPSE and early/late diastolic mitral annular velocity. CONCLUSION: EO-SPE patients were characterized by left ventricular injury and systolic function reduced. LO-SPE patients were characterized by left ventricular hypertrophy and reduced diastolic function. Multimodal echocardiography can detect myocardial injury in PE patients at an early stage.

Silencing TLR4 using an ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction-based shRNA system reduces ischemia-induced seizures in hyperglycemic rats.

The toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway is involved in seizures. We investigated whether ultrasound-targeted microbubble destruction (UTMD)-mediated delivery of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) targeting the TLR4 gene (shRNA-TLR4) can reduce ischemia-induced seizures in rats with hyperglycemia. A total of 100 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to five groups: (1) Sham; (2) normal saline (NS); (3) shRNA-TLR4, where rats were injected with shRNA-TLR4; (4) shRNA-TLR4 + US, where rats were injected with shRNA-TLR4 followed by ultrasound (US) irradiation; and (5) shRNA-TLR4 + microbubbles (MBs) + US, where rats were injected with shRNA-TLR4 mixed with MBs followed by US irradiation. Western blot and immunohistochemical staining were used to measure TLR4-positive cells. Half of the rats in the NS group developed tonic-clonic seizures, and TLR4 expression in the CA3 region of the hippocampus was increased in these rats. In addition, the NS group showed an increased number of TLR4-positive cells compared with the Sham group, while there was a decreased number of TLR4-positive cells in the shRNA, shRNA + US, and shRNA + MBs + US groups. Our findings indicate that the TLR4 pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of ischemia-induced seizures in hyperglycemic rats and that UTMD technology may be a promising strategy to treat brain diseases.

Porous carbon aerogel derived from bacterial cellulose with prominent potential for efficient removal of antibiotics from the aquatic matrix.

The development of adsorption methods for the remediation of antibiotics pollution in water is hindered by the lack of high-performance sorbents. In this study, a nanofiber carbon aerogel was prepared using bacterial cellulose and its adsorption performances for three common antibiotics (norfloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol) in water were evaluated. The as-prepared nanofiber carbon aerogel showed a higher adsorption capacity toward target antibiotics compared to other adsorbents reported in the literature. The maximum adsorption capacities for norfloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol were 1,926, 1,264, and 525 mg/g, respectively at 298 K. Notably, the nanofiber carbon aerogel was able to adsorb 80% of the equilibrium adsorption capacity within 1 min and reach equilibrium within 15 min. After five regeneration cycles, the adsorption capacity still reached 1,166, 847, and 428 mg/g for norfloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and chloramphenicol, respectively. The characterization results showed that the carbon aerogel exhibited a high specific surface area (1,505 m2/g) and a layered porous network structure. Furthermore, the mechanistic study reveals that the enhanced antibiotic adsorption by the as-prepared nanofiber carbon aerogel was attributed to the pore filling effect, hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic effect, electrostatic interaction, and π-π interactions. Overall, these results imply that low-cost and green nanofiber carbon aerogels may be promising adsorbents for the remediation of antibiotic-contaminated wastewater. The materials prepared from natural and readily available bacterial cellulose can adsorb antibiotics efficiently, which provides a reference for the development of adsorbent materials using natural substances.

Serum Neurofilament Light: a Potential Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Obstetric Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome.

Obstetric posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), caused by preeclampsia (PE) or eclampsia, is a clinical imaging syndrome and a critical maternal complication, with vasogenic edema in white matter as a typical imaging characteristic. Serum neurofilament light (NFL) is a marker of neuroaxonal injury. Therefore, we performed this study to explore the diagnostic and prognostic role of NFL in obstetric PRES. We used stored serum samples and clinical data obtained from 2148 PE or eclampsia patients from the Guangzhou Medical Centre for Critical Pregnant Women from January 2015 to January 2020. The serum NFL concentration was measured by Simoa assay. Patients without complete data and MRI examinations were excluded. All patients were grouped into the PRES and non-PRES groups based on the PRES diagnostic criteria. In total, 222 patients met the inclusion criteria and were grouped into the PRES (n = 123) and non-PRES (n = 99) groups. The NFL level was significantly higher in the PRES group than in the non-PRES group (p < 0.0001). The discriminatory accuracy of diagnostic panels (headaches + NFL, NFL) in receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (area under the curve) was 0.9338 and 0.7664. Importantly, the NFL level was significantly correlated with edema severity (Spearman's correlation, p < 0.0001), and a poorer pregnancy outcome was observed in the PRES group. In conclusion, an increased NFL level can add predictive value for diagnosing obstetric PRES, and its level is associated with both clinical severity and pregnancy outcome, suggesting that NFL could serve as a diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for obstetric PRES.

Enhanced coagulation by two-stage alum addition: the role of solution pH, floc breakage and assistant of non-ionic polyacrylamide.

Coagulation process is highly influenced by solution pH, floc breakage, and coagulant aid. In this work, two-stage addition of alum-based coagulants, polyaluminum chloride (PACl) and aluminum sulfate (Al2(SO4)3), was compared to their one-stage addition with the same total dosage. The dose ratio of primary and secondary addition was optimised. The effects of solution pH, floc breakage and dosing timing of coagulant aid of non-ionic polyacrylamide (NPAM) on coagulation efficiency and floc property were investigated. The results showed that two-stage addition of PACl showed less sensitivity with the variation of pH. Compared to PACl, two-stage addition of Al2(SO4)3 was more sensitive to the solution pH, especially when the pH ranged from 7 to 10. For all cases, the presence of floc breakage improved the removal of colloidal particles. The coagulation mechanism of primary coagulant was charge neutralisation, while other mechanism was involved with the secondary addition of coagulant. Compared to one-stage addition, the settling performance of aggregates and particulates removal in two-stage addition was more effective with the variation of dosage or dosing timing of NPAM. The present work provides detailed operating parameters for this coagulation strategy.

Contribution of excess inflammation to a possible rat model of eclamptic reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome induced by lipopolysaccharide and pentylenetetrazol: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) is a clinical-imaging syndrome as well as a critical maternal complication. The precise pathophysiological mechanism remains controversial, mostly due to the lack of a reliable experimental animal model. Because women with eclampsia almost always present with RPLS as a complication, we hypothesize that seizures induced by preeclampsia may lead to RPLS in rats. METHODS: Pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats received pentylenetetrazol (PTZ, 40 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) after lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 µg/kg, tail vein injection) to induce eclampsia-like seizures. An anatomical view and brain water content were used to ascertain the success of the model. Moreover, blood pressure, serum biochemical indicators, serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammatory factors, neuroinflammation markers (Iba-1 for microglia and GFAP for astrocytes by immunofluorescence) and blood brain barrier (BBB) injury markers (VE-cadherin and ZO-1 protein by Western blotting) were measured to determine the possible mechanism. RESULTS: The rat cerebral cortex was congested and oedematous, and water contents were significantly higher following LPS and PTZ treatments. Additionally, the BP, serum and CSF inflammatory factors and neuroinflammation markers were significantly elevated, while the expression levels of VE-cadherin and ZO-1 protein were significantly decreased by LPS and PTZ treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Excess inflammation may account for the phenotypes observed in this possible eclamptic RPLS rat model induced by LPS and PTZ, providing a better understanding of mechanism of RPLS. Specifically, excess inflammation leads to BBB dysfunction and subsequently results in fluid leakage that causes lesions and increases the entrance of inflammatory factors into the brain, thus increasing the neuronal excitability that triggers seizures.

Synergistic effect of glucocorticoids and IGF-1 on myogenic differentiation through the Akt/GSK-3ß pathway in C2C12 myoblasts.

Purpose: Glucocorticoids are the only therapeutics that can delay the progression of Duchenne musculardystrophy (DMD), the most prevalent type of inherited neuromuscular disorder in males. However, beyond theiranti-inflammatory effects, glucocorticoids have other underlying mechanisms that remain unclear. Moreover, muscleand circulating levels of insulin growth factor-1 (IGF-1) often decrease in response to glucocorticoids. Therefore, wehypothesized that glucocorticoids, either alone or in combination with IGF-1, can improve myogenic differentiation.Materials and methods: Established C2C12 myoblasts were employed as an in vitro model of myogenic differentiation,and myogenic differentiation markers, as assessed by Western blot (myogenin, MyoD, and MyHC protein expression),cellular morphology analysis (fusion index) and RT-PCR (MCK mRNA expression), were measured.Results: Myogenic differentiation markers were increased by glucocorticoid treatment. Furthermore, this effect was furtherenhanced by IGF-1, and these results suggest that glucocorticoids, either alone or together with IGF-1, can promotemyogenic differentiation. Akt and GSK-3ß play important roles in myogenic differentiation. Interestingly, the levels ofboth phosphorylated Ser473-Akt and phosphorylated Ser9-GSK-3ß were increased by glucocorticoid and IGF-1 cotreatment.Pharmacological manipulation with LY294002 and LiCl was employed to inhibit Akt and GSK-3ß, respectively.We found that cellular differentiability was inhibited by LY294002 and enhanced by LiCl, indicating that theAkt/GSK-3ß signaling pathway is activated by glucocorticoid and IGF-1 treatment to promote myogenic differentiation.Conclusions: Glucocorticoids together with IGF-1 promote myogenic differentiation through the Akt/GSK-3ßpathway. Thus, these results further our knowledge of myogenic differentiation and may offer a potential alternativestrategy for DMD treatment based on glucocorticoid and IGF-1.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in preeclampsia and eclampsia: The role of hypomagnesemia.

PURPOSE: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), defined by its clinical and imaging manifestations, is a critical maternal complication. The specific pathophysiological mechanism of PRES has not been fully elucidated and remains controversial. Recently, several case studies reported that hypomagnesemia is present in the acute phase of PRES regardless of its etiology. Moreover, magnesium sulfate is a conventional treatment for preeclampsia (PE) and eclampsia; therefore, we hypothesized that hypomagnesemia might play an important role in the cascades involved in PRES in PE or eclampsia. METHOD: We consecutively collected PE and eclampsia patients who were examined via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tested for magnesium levels between January 2013 and January 2017. All patients were grouped into PRES and non-PRES groups based on MRI results. Demographic data, magnesium levels and imaging features were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients met the inclusion criteria; these participants were sorted into PRES (n = 38) and non-PRES (n = 34) groups. Twenty-four patients (63%) in the PRES group and 2 patients (6%) in the non-PRES group presented hypomagnesemia. Moreover, magnesium levels were significantly lower in the PRES group during both the acute phase (p < 0.001) and the post-phase (p = 0.04) than in the non-PRES group. However, there was no correlation between magnesium levels and edema severity during the acute phase. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that hypomagnesemia frequently occurs in the acute phase of obstetric PRES and suggest a potential relationship between them. Such a connection would support the application of magnesium sulfate in PE and eclampsia patients to prevent PRES. However, additional randomized trials are needed.

An interdigitated microelectrode based aptasensor for real-time and ultratrace detection of four organophosphorus pesticides.

With increasing industrialization of food production, residues of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) are more frequently found in the environment including rivers, lakes and soils. Extended exposure to OPs, even at a level below 1 nM, may lead to liver and central nervous system damages in humans and animals, while existing detection methods are not sensitive enough to detect OPs at trace levels. We presented a simple-to-use aptasensor to rapidly detect broad-spectrum OPs with high sensitivity. DNA aptamer was modified on the surface of a micro interdigitated electrode chip, and AC electrokinetics was employed to accelerate the binding of OP molecules to the aptamer probe. The sensing strategy directly measured the interfacial capacitance whose change rate was adopted as a quantitative indicator of recognition events, with a sample to result detection time of 30 s. This aptasensor had a wide linear range of (fM ~ nM), and the detection limit reached (0.24-1.67) fM for four highly-toxic OPs, with good specificity. It still showed good activity after being stored in non-refrigerated environment for at least 14 days. This aptasensor as well as the detection method offer a promising solution for on-site and real-time sensitive OP detection.

Comprehensive analysis of the expression profile of circRNAs and their predicted protein-coding ability in the muscle of mdx mice.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked genetic neuromuscular disease that is characterized by progressive muscle wasting and by defects in the regenerative capacity and inflammatory infiltration of muscle. Many noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) participate in the pathophysiological mechanisms of this disease. To explore the role of circular RNAs (circRNAs), a type of ncRNAs, in DMD, microarray analysis was performed to explore the expression patterns of circRNAs in the gastrocnemius muscles in mdx mice, a DMD animal model, and C57 mice. The microarray data were validated by qRT-PCR. Further, gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were performed to predict the function of the differentially expressed circRNAs (DEcRNAs). A circRNA/microRNA (miRNA) interaction network was predicted by bioinformatics. We also predicted the protein-coding ability of the circRNAs based on their N6-methyladenosine motifs and open-reading frames. We identified 197 differentially expressed circRNAs between mdx mice and C57 mice. Of the 197 DEcRNAs, 6 circRNAs were randomly selected to validate the microarray data, and twenty-two circRNAs were randomly selected to construct a circRNA/miRNA interaction network. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the linear counterparts of the DEcRNAs were mainly associated with muscle structure, nervous system development, and the cAMP signaling pathway. A total of 189 circRNAs were predicted to have protein-coding potential, and there were 98 circRNAs that could potentially be translated into polypeptides with 150 or more amino acids. This work described the expression pattern of circRNAs in mdx mice and indicated that circRNAs may play pivotal roles in the pathophysiological mechanisms of DMD.

Long-term treatment of blepharospasm with botulinum toxin A: a service-based study over a 16-year follow-up in southern China.

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the effect of long-term treatment with botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) for blepharospasm. Prevalence data and clinical features in southern China and influencing factors for selecting BTX-A treatment were explored. METHODS: We collected data retrospectively from 338 consecutive patients diagnosed with blepharospasm over 16 years to assess prevalence data and clinical features. Thereafter, all patients were classified into BTX-A (n = 135) or non-BTX-A (n = 203) treatment groups according to the patients' requests in order to explore the factors influencing whether BTX-A treatment was chosen. Furthermore, dynamic follow-up data were analyzed to evaluate the long-term efficacy in the BTX-A group. RESULTS: The prevalence was 23.3 per million, with an onset age of 50.3 ± 12.3 years and a female:male ratio of 2.4:1; the most common symptom was excessive blinking (91.2%). The symptom severity and psychological assessment scores were significantly decreased by treatment with BTX-A (p < 0.01), and there was no significant difference in response duration with the prolongation of BTX-A injections. Adverse events occurred 52 times (5.0%) among 1038 injections. The symptom severity and psychological assessment scores and the occurrence of eye-opening difficulty were higher, and medical expenses and the symptom tolerability rate were lower in the BTX-A group than in the non-BTX-A group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The onset age was earlier than that in Western countries. However, starting BTX-A treatment early is justified, even though a higher dosage was needed to maintain reliable long-term efficacy. Additionally, symptom severity and medical expenses are the primary factors affecting whether patients select BTX-A treatment.

Upregulation of microRNA-205 is a potential biomarker for intracranial aneurysms.

Inhibition of microRNA-205 is considered to be a therapeutic target for abdominal aortic aneurysm in animal model. Hepatocyte growth factor also plays pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of intracranial aneurysms, and its expression can be regulated by different miRNAs in different processes. We investigated the involvement of microRNA-205 in intracranial aneurysms and explored is potential interaction with hepatocyte growth factor. We found that blood levels of microRNA-205 were significantly higher in patients with intracranial aneurysms than in healthy controls. High blood levels of microRNA-205 showed diagnostic values for intracranial aneurysms. MicroRNA-205 and hepatocyte growth factor were negatively correlated in patients with intracranial aneurysms. MicroRNA-205 overexpression inhibited hepatocyte growth factor expression and reduced cell viability. Therefore, microRNA-205 may participate in intracranial aneurysms and may serve as a diagnostic marker for this disease.

MiR-16 attenuates ß-amyloid-induced neurotoxicity through targeting ß-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 in an Alzheimer's disease cell model.

The aberrant deposition of ß-amyloid (Aß) is closely linked to the pathogenesis and development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). MiR-16 was abnormally downregulated and may be related to the development of AD. However, the functional role and molecular mechanism of miR-16 in AD pathogenesis are still not well elucidated. The expressions of miR-16 and ß-site amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) mRNA and protein levels in AD brain tissues and Aß-treated PC12 cellular AD model were examined by qRT-PCR and western blot analyses. Luciferase reporter assay was used to verify the potential target of miR-16. The cell viability, apoptosis, and caspase-3 activity in PC12 cells were determined by the MTT assay, flow cytometry analysis, and caspase-3 activity assay, respectively. Downregulation of miR-16 and upregulation of BACE1 existed in AD tissues and the cellular AD model of PC12. In addition, miR-16 directly suppressed BACE1 expression. Moreover, miR-16 overexpression and BACE1 knockdown facilitated Aß-induced cell toxicity, apoptosis, and caspase-3 activity in N2a cells, which was partially eliminated by overexpression of BACE1. In contrast, BACE1 knockdown reversed the miR-16 inhibition-mediated inhibitory effect on Aß-induced cell toxicity, apoptosis, and caspase-3 activity in PC12 cells. Collectively, miR-16 attenuated Aß-induced neurotoxicity through targeting BACE1 in an Aß insult cellular AD model, providing a potential therapeutic target for AD treatment.

Predictors of oedema type in reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome with preeclampsia or eclampsia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictive factors of oedema types in reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) with preeclampsia (PE) and eclampsia, which is closely related to reversible lesions and clinical recovery. METHOD: We collected data from 44 consecutive patients diagnosed with RPLS in PE or eclampsia between 2013 and 2017. All patients were classified into vasogenic oedema (n = 31) or cytotoxic oedema (n = 13) groups according to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results. General information, clinical data, biochemical indicators and imaging features were collected retrospectively to explore the differences between the groups. Furthermore, we analysed potential predictive factors by logistic regression. RESULTS: The occurrence rates of immune disease and stillbirth, hospitalization time and the levels of serum albumin (ALB), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were higher, while the values of systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP) and 24-h urine protein were lower in the cytotoxic oedema patients than those in the vasogenic oedema patients (p < .05). The ALB concentration was closely correlated with vasogenic oedema, while AST and ALT were closely correlated with cytotoxic oedema by logistic regression (p < .05). CONCLUSION: The levels of ALB, AST and ALT are potential predictors for the development of oedema in RPLS. ALB is related to vasogenic oedema by a possible mechanism of decreased colloid osmotic pressure, while AST and ALT are related to cytotoxic oedema by a possible mechanism of endothelial dysfunction.

Ultrasound-Mediated Kallidinogenase-Loaded Microbubble Targeted Therapy for Acute Cerebral Infarction.

BACKGROUND: The neuroprotective effects of kallidinogenase against acute cerebral infarction have been demonstrated, and the use of microbubbles has been suggested as a therapeutic mechanism for drug delivery. This study was designed to investigate the optimal parameters for preparing kallidinogenase-loaded microbubbles (KLMs) and to evaluate the effects of KLM-targeted therapy on neurogenesis and angiogenesis following experimental acute cerebral infarction in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: KLMs were prepared by mechanical shaking. Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into an ultrasound-mediated KLM-treated group and 4 control groups. Treatments were administered via daily tail vein injection on 6 consecutive days, starting at 24 hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). The ultrasound-treated groups were subjected to a 2-MHz pulse of ultrasonic irradiation on the lateral skull of the ischemic side for 10 minutes during injection. Cell proliferation was examined using a 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine assay. Infarct volume and neurological function were evaluated on days 3 and 7 after MCAO. RESULTS: The ultrasound-mediated KLM and kallidinogenase treatments significantly increased the numbers of doublecortin-immunoreactive cells in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and laminin+ cells in the peri-infarction region on day 7 after MCAO, compared with the other 3 groups (all P <.05). The neurological function scores of the ultrasound-mediated KLM-treated group were significantly better than those of rats treated with kallidinogenase alone or with the other treatments (all P <.05). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with the ultrasound-mediated KLMs promoted the proliferation of SVZ neuroblasts and vascular regeneration, which contributed to functional improvement after stroke. These findings provide a novel therapy for ischemic stroke.

A study on clinicoradiological characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome in preeclampsia or eclampsia.

Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) is a critical maternal complication in preeclampsia or eclampsia during pregnancy. However, studies regarding the clinicoradiological and outcome differences between RPLS and non-RPLS pregnancies are scarce. We aimed to explore the incidence of RPLS, and summarize the clinicoradiological characteristics and pregnancy outcomes. We consecutively collected a total of 100 patients who were diagnosed with preeclampsia or eclampsia, and examined via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) among 21 872 women between 2013 and 2016. All patients were grouped into RPLS (n=49) and non-RPLS (n=51) groups according to their MRI results. Information about clinicoradiological features and pregnancy outcomes was collected retrospectively to explore the differences between the groups. The incidence of RPLS in pregnant women was 0.22% (49/21 872). The frequency of clinical symptoms, such as headache, vision change, seizure and consciousness disorders, and blood pressure conditions, such as severely elevated hypertension, systolic and diastolic pressure and mean arterial pressure levels, was increased in the RPLS group compared with that in the non-RPLS group (P<0.05). The occipital lobe was the most frequently affected area (93.88%) in RPLS patients. The cesarean section rate in RPLS group was higher than the non-RPLS group (P<0.05), whereas the 1 min Apgar score was lower (P<0.05). These results suggest that the incidence of RPLS was high. Information about clinical symptoms and blood pressure was useful in predicting RPLS. In addition, RPLS was significantly associated with the delivery mode and pregnancy outcomes. The most frequently affected area was the occipital lobe.

Gelsemium elegans Poisoning: A Case with 8 Months of Follow-up and Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Gelsemium elegans (G. elegans) is a toxic plant indigenous to Southeast Asia. It is highly poisonous due to its strong respiratory depressive effect. However, G. elegans poisoning cases have not been summarized comprehensively and are rarely reported in English journals. Furthermore, none of the present reports present prognosis in detail. CASE PRESENTATION: A 26-year-old female was found comatose at home and brought to the hospital with deep coma, hypoxia, and acidosis. After mechanical ventilation for hours, the patient recovered from coma with sequelae of impaired short-term memory, disorientation, and childish behaviors. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed bilateral hippocampus and basal ganglia damage due to hypoxia. During 8 months of follow-up, both her symptoms and brain MRI scan improved significantly. CONCLUSION: G. elegans is highly toxic. Although patients may die within 30 min due to its strong respiratory depressive effect, they can survive with timely respiratory support and enjoy gradual improvement without delayed postanoxic encephalopathy.

[Heavy metal pollution characteristics and ecological risk analysis for soil in Phyllostachys praecox stands of Lin'an].

An investigation was carried out in an attempt to reveal the characteristics of heavy metals contamination in the soils of Phyllostachys praecox forest in Lin' an. Based on the concentrations of Hg, As, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni, Co and Mn in 160 topsoil samples, the pollution status and ecological risks of heavy metals in the soils were assessed by single factor pollution index, Nemerow integrated pollution index and Hankanson potential ecological risk index. The spatial variability of heavy metal concentrations in the soils closely related to the distribution of traffic, industrial and livestock pollution sources. The average concentrations of Hg, As, Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Cr, Ni, Co and Mn in the soils were 0.16, 7.41, 34.36, 87.98, 103.98, 0.26, 59.12, 29.56, 11.44 and 350.26 mg · kg(-1), respectively. Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu concentrations were as 2.89, 1.70, 1.12 and 1.12 times as the background values of soil in Zhejiang Province, respectively. But their concentrations were all lower than the threshold values of the National Environmental Quality Standard for Soil (GB 15618-1995). The average single factor pollution index revealed that the level of heavy metal pollution in the soils was in order of Pb>Cd>Cu= Zn>Hg>As>Ni>Co>Cr>Mn. Pb pollution was of moderate level while Cd, Cu and Zn pollutions were slight. There was no soil pollution caused by the other heavy metals. However, the Nemerow integrated pollution index showed that all the 160 soil samples were contaminated by heavy metals to a certain extent. Among total 160 soil samples, slight pollution level, moderate pollution level and heavy pollution level accounted for 55.6%, 29.4% and 15.0%, respectively. The average single factor potential ecological risk index (Er(i)) implied that the potential ecological risk related to Cd reached moderate level, while the others were of slight level. Furthermore, Cd and Hg showed higher potential ecological risk indices which reached up to 256.82 and 187.33 respectively, indicating Cd and Hg had a strong ecological risk and therefore might pose the most serious ecological risk in the soils of P. praecox standsin Lin' an. In addition, the integrated factor potential ecological risk analysis suggested a slight risk to local ecosystem originated from heavy metal contamination in the soils of P. praecox stands in Lin'an.

Ultrasonic Fenton-like catalytic degradation of bisphenol A by ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles prepared from steel pickling waste liquor.

In this study, Fe3O4 NPs (named as Fe3O4 NPs-PO) were prepared by steel pickling waste liquor to reduce the cost of preparation, and were compared with those obtained by the common co-precipitation method (named as Fe3O4 NPs-CP) which prepared from chemical reagent using BET, XRD, XPS, TEM and SEM techniques. The results indicated that Fe3O4 NPs-PO nanoparticles mainly existed in the form of Fe3O4 and appeared to be roughly spherical in shape with a size range of 20-50 nm. The heterogeneous Fenton-like catalytic capacity of Fe3O4 NPs-PO in US+Fe3O4+H2O2 system was comprehensively investigated. BPA could be degraded within a wide pH range of 7-10. The removal efficiencies of BPA were close to 100% and about 45% total organic carbon (TOC) in solution was eliminated at the optimized conditions. It was found that ·OH radicals which mainly caused the degradation of BPA were promptly generated due to the catalysis of the Fe3O4 NPs-PO. Furthermore, the comparative study of catalytic activity, stability and reusability between Fe3O4 NPs-PO and Fe3O4 NPs-CP showed that the two catalysts both remained good activity after several reaction cycles and no significant change in composition and structure was observed, the loss of catalyst was negligible, which demonstrated that Fe3O4 NPs-PO were promising in ultrasonic Fenton-like process to treat refractory organics.