Hollow Heterostructured Nanocatalysts for Boosting Electrocatalytic Water Splitting.

The implementation of electrochemical water splitting demands the development and application of electrocatalysts to overcome sluggish reaction kinetics of hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER). Hollow nanostructures, particularly for hollow heterostructured nanomaterials can provide multiple solutions to accelerate the HER/OER kinetics owing to their advantageous merit. Herein, the recent advances of hollow heterostructured nanocatalysts and their excellent performance for water splitting are systematically summarized. Starting by illustrating the intrinsically advantageous features of hollow heterostructures, achievements in engineering hollow heterostructured electrocatalysts are also highlighted with the focus on structural design, interfacial engineering, composition regulation, and catalytic evaluation. Finally, some perspective insights and future challenges of hollow heterostructured nanocatalysts for electrocatalytic water splitting are also discussed.

Dynamic-related protein 1 inhibitor eases epileptic seizures and can regulate equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 expression.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic-related protein 1 (Drp1) is a key protein involved in the regulation of mitochondrial fission, and it could affect the dynamic balance of mitochondria and appears to be protective against neuronal injury in epileptic seizures. Equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (ENT1) is expressed and functional in the mitochondrial membrane that equilibrates adenosine concentration across membranes. Whether Drp1 participates in the pathogenesis of epileptic seizures via regulating function of ENT1 remains unclear. METHODS: In the present study, we used pilocarpine to induce status epilepticus (SE) in rats, and we used mitochondrial division inhibitor 1 (Mdivi-1), a selective inhibitor to Drp1, to suppress mitochondrial fission in pilocarpine-induced SE model. Mdivi-1administered by intraperitoneal injection before SE induction, and the latency to firstepileptic seizure and the number of epileptic seizures was thereafter observed. The distribution of Drp1 was detected by immunofluorescence, and the expression patterns of Drp1 and ENT1 were detected by Western blot. Furthermore, the mitochondrial ultrastructure of neurons in the hippocampal CA1 region was observed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: We found that Drp1 was expressed mainly in neurons and Drp1 expression was significantly upregulated in the hippocampal and temporal neocortex tissues at 6 h and 24 h after induction of SE. Mitochondrial fission inhibitor 1 attenuated epileptic seizures after induction of SE, reduced mitochondrial damage and ENT1 expression. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that Drp1 is upregulated in hippocampus and temporal neocortex after pilocarpine-induced SE and the inhibition of Drp1 may lead to potential therapeutic target for SE by regulating ENT1 after pilocarpine-induced SE.

Olfactomedin-3 Enhances Seizure Activity by Interacting With AMPA Receptors in Epilepsy Models.

Background: OLFM3 (olfactomedin-3) is a member of the olfactomedin domain family, which has been found to stimulate the formation and adhesion of tight cell connections and to regulate cytoskeleton formation and cell migration. Differences in the gene coding for OLFM3 have been found between patients with epilepsy and controls. However, the exact role of OLFM3 in epilepsy has not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: Biochemical methods were used to assess OLFM3 expression and localization in the cortex of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and in the hippocampus and cortex of epileptic mice. Electrophysiological recordings were used to measure the role of OLFM3 in regulating hippocampal excitability in a model of magnesium-free-induced seizure in vitro. Behavioral experiments were performed in a pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)-induced seizure model, and electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded in the chronic phase of the kainic acid (KA)-induced epilepsy model in vivo. OLFM3 and its interaction with AMPAR (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptor) subunits were analyzed by co-immunoprecipitation. Results: The expression of OLFM3 was increased in the cortex of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and in the hippocampus and cortex of epileptic mice compared with controls. Interestingly, lentivirus-mediated overexpression of OLFM3 in the hippocampus increased the susceptibility of mice to PTZ-induced seizures, and OLFM3 knockdown had the opposite effect. OLFM3 affected AMPAR currents in a brain-slice model of epileptiform activity induced by Mg2+-free medium. We found that OLFM3 co-immunoprecipitation with GluA1 and GluA2. Furthermore, downregulation or overexpression of OLFM3 in the hippocampus affected the membrane expression of GluA1 and GluA2 in epileptic mice. Conclusion: These findings reveal that OLFM3 may enhance seizure activity by interacting with GluA1 and GluA2, potentially indicating a molecular mechanism for new therapeutic strategies.

Interactions between GHRH and GABAARs in the brains of patients with epilepsy and in animal models of epilepsy.

Growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) has recently been shown to increase the level of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and activate GABA receptors (GABARs) in the cerebral cortex. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that can inhibit seizures. Does GHRH enhance the inhibitory effect of GABA to prevent epilepsy by increasing the GABA level and activating GABARs? In this study, patients with epilepsy and C57/BL6 mice with epilepsy induced by kainic acid (KA) or pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) served as the research subjects. Western blots were used to observe the differences in GHRH expression between the normal group and the epilepsy group, immunofluorescence was performed to explore the localization of GHRH in the brain, and coimmunoprecipitation was used to observe the interaction between GHRH and GABARs. GHRH expression was significantly increased in both patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and in two mouse models induced by KA or PTZ compared with that in the normal groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). GHRH was expressed in neurons in both humans and mice. Additionally, GHRH co-localized with presynaptic and postsynaptic sites of inhibitory neurons. Coimmunoprecipitation confirmed that GHRH interacted with GABAAα1 and GABAAß2 + 3. GHRH may play an important role in inhibiting seizures by activating GABAARs.

Increasing CO2 differentially affects essential and non-essential amino acid concentration of rice grains grown in cadmium-contaminated soils.

Environmental pollution by both ambient CO2 and heavy metals has been steadily increasing, but we do not know how fluctuating CO2 concentrations influence plant nutrients under high Cd pollution, especially in crops. Here, we studied the effects of elevated CO2 and Cd accumulation on proteins and amino acids in rice under Cd stress. In this pot experiment, we analyzed the amino-acid profile of 20 rice cultivars that accumulate Cd differently; the plants were grown in Cd-containing soils under ambient conditions and elevated CO2 levels. We found that although Cd concentrations appeared to be higher in most cultivars under elevated CO2 than under ambient CO2, the effect was significant only in seven cultivars. Combined exposure to Cd and elevated CO2 strongly decreased rice protein and amino acid profiles, including essential and non-essential amino acids. Under elevated CO2, the ratios of specific amino acids were either higher or lower than the optimal ratios provided by FAO/WHO, suggesting that CO2 may flatten the overall amino-acid profile, leading to an excess in some amino acids and deficiencies in others when the rice is consumed. Thus, Cd-tainted rice limits the concentration of essential amino acids in rice-based diets, and the combination with elevated CO2 further exacerbates the problem.

Fungal inoculation and elevated CO2 mediate growth of Lolium mutiforum and Phytolacca americana, metal uptake, and metal bioavailability in metal-contaminated soil: evidence from DGT measurement.

Fungal inoculation and elevated CO2 may mediate plant growth and uptake of heavy metals, but little evidence from Diffusive Gradients in Thin-films (DGT) measurement has been obtained to characterize the process. Lolium mutiforum and Phytolacca americana were grown at ambient and elevated CO2 on naturally Cd and Pb contaminated soils inoculated with and without Trichoderma asperellum strain C3 or Penicillium chrysogenum strain D4, to investigate plant growth, metal uptake, and metal bioavailability responses. Fungal inoculation increased plant biomass and shoot/root Cd and Pb concentrations. Elevated CO2 significantly increased plants biomass, but decreased Cd and Pb concentrations in shoot/root to various extents, leading to a metal dilution phenomenon. Total Cd and Pb uptake by plants, and DGT-measured Cd and Pb concentrations in rhizosphere soils, were higher in all fungal inoculation and elevated CO2 treatments than control treatments, with the combined treatments having more influence than either treatment alone. Metal dilution phenomenon occurred because the increase in DGT-measured bioavailable metal pools in plant rhizosphere due to elevated CO2 was unable to match the increase in requirement for plant uptake of metals due to plant biomass increase.

[Effects of elevated CO2 on the Cd uptake and root morphology of different rice varieties under cadmium stress].

A hydroponic experiment was conducted to study the effects of elevated CO2 on the Cd uptake and root morphology of rice varieties Rongyou-398 (RY) and Yueza-889 (YZ) under different levels of Cd stress. Low levels (5, 10, and 20 micromol x L(-1)) Cd stress increased the biomass of the two rice varieties significantly, while high levels (> 50 micromol x L(-1)) Cd stress was in adverse. Elevated CO2 increased the varieties dry biomass significantly, and increased the stem Cd concentration of YZ but decreased that of RY. Under the stress of 5-200 micromol Cd x L(-1), elevated CO2 increased the proportion of active root length in total root length of YZ but decreased that of RY, which could be one of the main reasons for the difference in the Cd uptake of the two varieties under Cd stress.

Elevated CO2 increases Cs uptake and alters microbial communities and biomass in the rhizosphere of Phytolacca americana Linn (pokeweed) and Amaranthus cruentus L. (purple amaranth) grown on soils spiked with various levels of Cs.

General concern about increasing global atmospheric CO(2) levels owing to the ongoing fossil fuel combustion and elevated levels of radionuclides in the environment, has led to growing interest in the responses of plants to interactive effects of elevated CO(2) and radionuclides in terms of phytoremediation and food safety. To assess the combined effects of elevated CO(2) and cesium contamination on plant biomass, microbial activities in the rhizosphere soil and Cs uptake, Phytolacca americana Linn (pokeweed, C3 specie) and Amaranthus cruentus L. (purple amaranth, C4 specie) were grown in pots of soils containing five levels of cesium (0, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 mg Cs kg(-1)) under two levels of CO(2) (360 and 860 µL L(-1), respectively). Shoot and root biomass of P. americana and Amaranthus crentus was generally higher under elevated CO(2) than under ambient CO(2) for all treatments. Both plant species exhibited higher Cs concentration in the shoots and roots under elevated CO(2) than ambient CO(2). For P. americana grown at 0, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 mg Cs kg(-1), the increase magnitude of Cs concentration due to elevated CO(2) was 140, 18, 11, 34 and 15% in the shoots, and 150, 20, 14, 15 and 19% in the roots, respectively. For A. cruentus, the corresponding value was 118, 28, 21, 14 and 17% in the shoots, and 126, 6, 11, 17 and 22% in the roots, respectively. Higher bioaccumulation factors were noted for both species grown under elevated CO(2) than ambient CO(2). The populations of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi, and the microbial C and N in the rhizosphere soils of both species were higher at elevated CO(2) than at ambient CO(2) with the same concentration of Cs. The results suggested that elevated CO(2) significantly affected plant biomass, Cs uptake, soil C and N concentrations, and community composition of soil microbes associated with P. americana and A. cruentus roots. The knowledge gained from this investigation constitutes an important advancement in promoting utilization of CO(2) fertilization for improvement of phytoextraction of soils contaminated with radionuclides.

Growth and cesium uptake responses of Phytolacca americana Linn. and Amaranthus cruentus L. grown on cesium contaminated soil to elevated CO2 or inoculation with a plant growth promoting rhizobacterium Burkholderia sp. D54, or in combination.

Growth and cesium uptake responses of plants to elevated CO(2) and microbial inoculation, alone or in combination, can be explored for clean-up of contaminated soils, and this induced phytoextraction may be better than the natural process. The present study used open-top chambers to investigate combined effects of Burkholderia sp. D54 inoculation and elevated CO(2) (860 µL L(-1)) on growth and Cs uptake by Phytolacca americana and Amaranthus cruentus grown on soil spiked with various levels of Cs (0-1000 mg kg(-1)). Elevated CO(2) and bacterial inoculation, alone or in combination, significantly increased biomass production with increased magnitude, ranging from 22% to 139% for P. americana, and 14% to 254% for A. cruentus. Total tissue Cs in both plants was significantly greater for bacterial inoculation treatment singly, and combined treatments of bacterial inoculation and elevated CO(2) than for the control treatment in most cases. Regardless of CO(2) concentrations and bacterial inoculation, A. cruentus had higher tissue Cs concentration, Cs transfer factors and concentration ratios than P. americana, but they had slightly different contents of antioxidant enzymes. It is concluded that combined effects of elevated CO(2) and microbial inoculation with regard to plant ability to grow and remove radionuclides from soil can be explored for CO(2)- and microbe-assisted phytoextraction technology.

Determination and characterization of cysteine, glutathione and phytochelatins (PC2₋6) in Lolium perenne L. exposed to Cd stress under ambient and elevated carbon dioxide using HPLC with fluorescence detection.

Metal-binding thiols, involved in detoxification mechanisms in plant and other organism under heavy metal stress, are receiving more and more attentions, and various methods have been developed to determine related thiols such as cysteine (Cys), glutathione (GSH) and phytochelatins (PCs). In present study, an HPLC method was established for simultaneous determination of Cys GSH and PC(2-6) after treatment with disulfide reductant of tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine hydrochloride (TCEP) and thiolyte reagent of monobromobimane (mBBr). The separation of thiol derivatives was performed on an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 column (4.6 mm × 30 mm, 1.8 µm) with a linear gradient elution of 0.1% (v/v) trifluoroacetic acid (TFA)-acetonitrile (ACN) at 0.8 mL min(-1). The temperature of the column was maintained at 25°C. The excitation and emission wavelengths were set at 380 and 470 nm, respectively. The thiol derivatives were well separated in 19 min, and the total analysis time was 30 min. The established method was proved selective, specific and reproducible, and could be applicable to determine Cys, GSH and PC(2-6) and to evaluate their roles in detoxification mechanisms in Cd-treated Lolium perenne L. under ambient and elevated carbon dioxide (CO(2)). It was found that the total SH contents and proportions of thiols in roots and shoots were dependent on Cd concentration, whereas the total SH contents decreased and the proportions of thiols altered without significance at elevated CO(2) level.

Effects of elevated CO(2) levels on root morphological traits and Cd uptakes of two Lolium species under Cd stress.

This study was conducted to investigate the combined effects of elevated CO(2) levels and cadmium (Cd) on the root morphological traits and Cd accumulation in Lolium multiflorum Lam. and Lolium perenne L. exposed to two CO(2) levels (360 and 1 000 µl/L) and three Cd levels (0, 4, and 16 mg/L) under hydroponic conditions. The results show that elevated levels of CO(2) increased shoot biomass more, compared to root biomass, but decreased Cd concentrations in all plant tissues. Cd exposure caused toxicity to both Lolium species, as shown by the restrictions of the root morphological parameters including root length, surface area, volume, and tip numbers. These parameters were significantly higher under elevated levels of CO(2) than under ambient CO(2), especially for the number of fine roots. The increases in magnitudes of those parameters triggered by elevated levels of CO(2) under Cd stress were more than those under non-Cd stress, suggesting an ameliorated Cd stress under elevated levels of CO(2). The total Cd uptake per pot, calculated on the basis of biomass, was significantly greater under elevated levels of CO(2) than under ambient CO(2). Ameliorated Cd toxicity, decreased Cd concentration, and altered root morphological traits in both Lolium species under elevated levels of CO(2) may have implications in food safety and phytoremediation.

Effects of elevated CO(2) on growth, photosynthesis, elemental composition, antioxidant level, and phytochelatin concentration in Lolium mutiforum and Lolium perenne under Cd stress.

The objective of this study was to investigate combined effects of Cd and elevated CO(2) on growth, physiological and physiochemical characteristics, elemental compositions in Lolium mutiforum and Lolium perenne grown in soils amended with three Cd concentrations (0, 25, 100 mg kg(-1)) under two CO(2) levels (375, 810 microLL(-1)). Elevated CO(2) increased net assimilation rate and internal CO(2) concentration, and consequently increased total plant biomass by 51 to 31%. At same spiked Cd level, malondialdehyde content in leaves was lower under elevated than under ambient CO(2), whereas superoxide dismutase activity was higher. Elevated CO(2) decreased Cd, S, and phytochelatin concentrations in roots and shoots to a various degree, depending on plant species and element, but the PC-Cd ratio was not affected. It was concluded that elevated CO(2) ameliorated Cd toxicity in both Lolium species under Cd stress, and that the increase of plant biomass and the alleviation of Cd toxicity with elevated CO(2) for the Lolium species may be more dependent on increased photosynthesis and enhanced antioxidant capacity. Results of the study may provide insights into the interaction between soil Cd contamination and atmospheric CO(2) concentration with regard to plant ability to grow and remove the Cd from soils.

Contrasting effects of elevated CO2 on Cu and Cd uptake by different rice varieties grown on contaminated soils with two levels of metals: implication for phytoextraction and food safety.

A pot experiment in six open-top chambers with two levels of CO(2) and two multi-metal contaminated soils was conducted to investigate combined effects of elevated CO(2) levels and metals (Cu and Cd) on rice. Elevated CO(2) significantly increased the total dry weight biomass of six Chinese rice by 20-108 and 32-142% for low and high levels of contaminated soils, respectively. We observed dilution/little varied phenomena in grain Cu concentration in six rice varieties grown on both contaminated soils under elevated CO(2). We found significantly higher Cd concentrations in the parts of three rice varieties under elevated CO(2), but lower levels for the others. Two major conclusions can be drawn from our study: (1) rice varieties with significantly increased biomass and metal uptake under elevated CO(2) exhibit greater potential for phytoextraction and (2) given expected global increases in CO(2) concentration, CO(2)-induced accumulation of metals in rice might be a component contributing to the potential health risk in the future, with Cd being a more important threat to human health than Cu.

[Effects of calcium on cadmium bioavailability in lateritic red soil and related mechanisms].

A pot experiment with Cd-polluted lateritic red soils was conducted to study the effects of applying different concentration (0, 40, 100, and 200 mg x kg(-1)) Ca on the rape biomass, its Cd uptake, and the Ca and Cd concentrations in soil solution. Comparing with no Ca application, applying Ca increased the rape dry mass, whether under high or low level Cd pollution. The increment of the dry mass in two cropping seasons was averagely 5.5% (low level Cd pollution) and 17.3% (high level Cd pollution). The Ca concentration both in soil solution and in rape plant increased markedly with increasing Ca application rate. At the Ca application rate 100 mg x kg(-1), the Cd concentration in soil solution increased by 74.5% (low Cd pollution) and 31.0% (high level Cd pollution), while that in rape plant decreased by 4.5% (low Cd pollution) and 13.1% (high level Cd pollution). There was a positive relationship between the Ca/Cd (mass ratio) in soil solution and the Cd concentration in rape plant under both low and high levels Cd pollution. The Ca/Cd (mass ratio) in soil solution affected the bioavailability of soil Cd, and further, affected the Cd up-take by rape.

Using elevated CO2 to increase the biomass of a Sorghum vulgare x Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense hybrid and Trifolium pratense L. and to trigger hyperaccumulation of cesium.

The most important challenge to use phytoremediation is how to improve its efficiency by increasing the accumulation of metals in plants, or by improving key plant biological traits that should enhance metal uptake. In this paper, we used open-top chambers to investigate the effects of elevated CO2 (860 microL L(-1)) on biomass and Cs uptake by a Sorghum vulgare x Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense hybrid and Trifolium pratense L. growing on soils spiked with various levels of cesium (0, 300, 1500 and 3000 mg Cs kg(-1)). The results showed that elevated CO2 not only increased aboveground biomass of the Sorghum and Trifolium species by 32-111%, and by 8-11%, respectively, compared to the ambient CO2 treatment, but also caused more accumulation of Cs by Sorghum species (up to 73%) than Trifolium species (up to 43%). It was speculated that the increase in biomass and the improvement in Cs accumulation ability at elevated CO2 could be related to lowered soil pH values, and changes in number and kind of microorganisms in the rhizospheres of the two tested species. This is the first report of a link among elevated CO2, increased biomass and hyperaccumulation of Cs by Sorghum and Trifolium species.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalic acid esters in vegetables from nine farms of the Pearl River Delta, South China.

This study investigated the occurrence of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 6 phthalic acid esters (PAEs) in 11 vegetable species collected from nine farms of the Pearl River Delta, South China. Twelve PAH compounds and all PAE compounds were detected by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) in vegetables. The total concentrations of PAHs (Sigma(PAHs)) and PAEs (Sigma(PAEs)) ranged from 7.0 to 5353 microg kg(-1) dry weight (d.w.), with a mean value of 1173 microg kg(-1) d.w., and from 0.073 to 11.2 mg kg(-1) d.w., with a mean value of 3.2 mg kg(-1) (d.w.), respectively. The highest levels of Sigma(PAHs) and Sigma(PAEs) were found in Brassica juncea and Brassica parachinensis, respectively. For the same vegetable, the bioconcentration factors (BCFs; the ratio of contaminant concentration in plant tissue to the soil concentration) of PAHs (between 0.0037 and 5.5) are generally higher than those of PAEs (between <0.0001 and 0.61). It was also noted that there were great variations of organic contaminant levels, BCFs, and benzo[a]pyrene equivalent concentrations, which depend on the various contaminants, sampling locations, and vegetable species. The occurrences of PAHs and PAEs in this study are compared with those in other studies and their sources are discussed.

Using elevated carbon dioxide to enhance copper accumulation in Pteridium revolutum, a copper-tolerant plant, under experimental conditions.

In our survey in the copper (Cu) mining area of China, a sun fern (Pteridium revolutum) was found to accumulate 30-567 mg Cu kg(-1) DW (33 samples) in its fronds with a large frond biomass. Cu translocation factors in the plants varied from 0.09 to 3.88. In a greenhouse pot experiment, the effect of an elevated CO2 concentration (700 microL L(-1)) on Cu accumulation in plants was studied using three fern species (P. revolutum, Pteridium aquilinum, and Pteris vittata) grown in the Cu-contaminated soil. P. revolutum showed a higher Cu tolerance but its Cu translocation factor was lower than 1. At the elevated CO2 concentration, frond biomass of all species was significantly increased, as was the total Cu content in the fronds of P. revolutum and P. aquilinum. Our study suggests that P. revolutum could serve as a good candidate for phytoextraction of Cu-contaminated soils and that doubling the ambient CO2 concentration will facilitate its use in phytoextraction.

Potential of different species for use in removal of DDT from the contaminated soils.

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its main metabolites, p,p'-DDD and p,p'-DDE (DDTs in this study included DDT, DDD and DDE), are frequently detected in agricultural soils even though its usage in agriculture was banned in 1980s or earlier. In this study, eleven plants including eight maize (Zea mays) cultivars and three forage species (alfalfa, ryegrass and teosinte) widely cultivated in China were grown in the soils spiked with DDTs to investigate their potential for removal of DDT from the contaminated soils. The plants varied largely in their ability to accumulate and translocate DDTs, with the bioconcentration factor (BCF; DDT concentration ratio of the plant tissues to the soils) ranging from 0.014 to 0.25 and the translocation factor (TF; DDT concentration ratio of the shoots to the roots) varying from 0.35 (Zea mays cv Chaotian-23) to 0.76 (Zea mays spp. mexicana). The amount of DDT phytoextraction ranged from 3.89mug (ryegrass) to 27.0mug (teosinte) and accounted for <0.1% of the total initial DDTs spiked in the soils. After 70d, the removal rates reached 47.1-70.3% of the total initial DDTs spiked in the soils with plants while that was only 15.4% in the soils without plant. Moreover, the higher removal rates of DDTs occurred at the first 20d of experiment, and then the removal rate decreased with time. The highest amount of DDTs phytoextracted was observed in teosinte, followed by Zea mays spp. mexicana, but the highest removal rate of DDTs was found in maize (Zea mays cv Jinhai-6). Even though phytoextraction is not the main removal process for DDTs, the plant species especially Zea mays cv Jinhai-6 showed high potential for removing DDTs from the contaminated soils.

[Petridium revolutum, a promising plant for phytoremediation of Cu-polluted soil].

A field survey on the Petridium revolutum growing on the Cu mining spoils in Yunnan Province and related greenhouse hydroponic sand culture experiment showed that when growing on the soil with an average Cu concentration of 2 432 mg x kg(-1) DW and the maximum Cu concentration of 7 554 mg x kg(-1) DW, P. revolutum had a large amount of aboveground biomass, with the maximum dry weight of 40.05 g x plant(-1) DW and the average dry weight of 18.33 g x plant(-1) DW. The average and maximum Cu contents were 201 and 567 mg x kg(-1) DW in aboveground biomass, and 346 and 1723 kg(-1) DW in underground biomass, respectively. The transfer factor of Cu reached a maximum of 3.88, with an average of 0.81. Under quartz sand culture condition, P. revolutum could grow well when the Cu concentration in nutrient solution was 7 mg x L(-1). The accumulation of Cu by P. revolutum plant increased significantly with increasing Cu concentration, with the most of absorbed Cu concentrated in underground biomass. It was suggested that P. revolutum had a remarkable tolerance to Cu and a potential capacity of Cu accumulation, and could be used in the phytoremediation of Cu-polluted soils.

[Clinical observation on analgesic effect of electroacupuncture at Neimadian after operation of extremities].

OBJECTIVE: To observe effectiveness and safety of electroacupuncture at Neimadian for analgesia in the extremities after orthopedic operation. METHODS: Two hundred cases enrolled were divided into two groups. The test group of 100 cases were treated with electroacupuncture at Neimadian and oral administration of placebo, and the control group of 100 cases with oral administration of tramadoli hydrochloride. RESULTS: The mean score for pain signs at all the time points before and after analgesic treatment in the test group had more decreases as compared with the control group (P < 0.001); and in the good rate after treatment, the test group was higher than the control group (P < 0.001, P < 0.05), and for safety, the test group was higher than the control group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The analgesic effect and safety of electroacupuncture at Neimadian are superior to the routine analgesic after operation of the extremities.