Ethnobotanical studies on rice landraces under on-farm conservation in Xishuangbanna of Yunnan Province, China.

BACKGROUND: A complex interaction and mutual influence exists among landscapes, cultures, and landraces, with rice culture being a typical embodiment of this relationship. The conservation of landraces operates alongside preserving traditional practices. The Xishuangbanna region stands out as a hub for the genetic diversity of landraces, boasting rich genetic resources. Despite the diverse rice resources in this region, a comprehensive and systematic study has not been undertaken. METHODS: From October to November 2023, we collected rice landraces under the on-farm conservation in 18 townships including Menghai, Mengla and Jinghong in Xishuangbanna. Employing semi-structured interviews and various methods, we investigated factors influencing the preservation and loss of rice landraces in the region. Statistical analysis was applied to the agronomic traits of collected local rice, encompassing indica or japonica, glutinous or non-glutinous, grain shape, and hull color as second category traits. The second category included quantitative traits like thousand grain weight and grain length. Rice diversity among different regions, traits, and ethnic groups was assessed using the Shannon-Wiener index. Additionally, clustering analysis via the UPGMA method depicted the distribution characteristics of the resources. RESULTS: A total of 70 rice landraces were collected in the Xishuangbanna region, each exhibiting distinct characteristics. Differences were observed across regions, trait, naming, and ethnic groups. Diversity analysis revealed that Mengla had the highest diversity, followed by Menghai, while Jinghong exhibited the lowest diversity. The second category of traits displayed broader diversity than the first, with the Dai people's glutinous rice showcasing greater diversity than other ethnic groups. Cluster analysis categorized the 70 samples into seven groups at a genetic distance of 1.15. Ethnobotanical interviews emphasized the rapid loss of rice landraces resources in Xishuangbanna, with indigenous ethnic cultures playing a vital role in the conservation of rice landraces. Dai traditions, in particular, played a crucial role in protecting glutinous rice resources, showcasing a mutual dependence between Dai culture and glutinous rice. CONCLUSIONS: The rich natural environment and diverse ethnic cultures in Xishuangbanna have given rise to various rice landraces. The Dai, primary cultivators of glutinous rice with higher diversity, intertwine their traditional ethnic culture with the conservation of glutinous rice resources. At the same time, the preserving glutinous rice resources promotes the inheritance of Dai ethnic culture. However, rice landraces are facing the risk of loss. Hence, collecting and documenting rice landraces is crucial. Encourage local communities to sustain and expand their cultivation, promoting on-farm conservation. These measures contribute valuable germplasm and genes for rice breeding and serve as a means of cultural preservation.

Optimized Charge/Hydrophobicity Balance of Antimicrobial Peptides Against Polymicrobial Abdominal Infections.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) potentially serve as ideal antimicrobial agents for the treatment of polymicrobial abdominal infections due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and excellent biocompatibility. However, the balance of chain length, positive charges, and hydrophobicity on the antimicrobial activity of AMPs are still far from being optimal. Herein, a series of AMPs ([KX]n -NH2 , X = Ile, Leu or Phe, n = 3, 4, 5, or 6) with varied charges and hydrophobicity for the treatment of polymicrobial abdominal infections are designed. Specifically, [KI]4 -NH2 peptide exhibits the best in vitro antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and -negative bacteria, as well as fungal strains. Based on the good cell biocompatibility, [KI]4 -NH2 peptide is found to have negligible in vivo toxicity at the dosage of up to 28 mg kg-1 . Furthermore, great in vivo therapeutic efficacy of [KI]4 -NH2 peptide against S. typhimurium is demonstrated in the mice abdominal infection model. The design of short sequence of antimicrobial peptides with a charge/hydrophobicity balanced structures provides a simple and efficient strategy for potential clinical applications of antimicrobial peptide-based biomaterials in a variety of bacterial infection diseases.

Growth of 3D-TNAs@Ti-MOFs by dual titanium source strategy with enhanced photoelectrocatalytic/photoelectro-Fenton performance for degradation of tetracycline under visible light irradiation.

Visible-light-active 3D-TNAs@Ti-MOFs composite electrodes were fabricated by decorating nanoscaled Ti-based metal-organic frameworks on three-dimensional TiO2 nanotube arrays (3D-TNAs) prepared by a facile in situ solvothermal method. The photoelectrocatalytic performance of electrode materials was evaluated by degradation of tetracycline (TC) under visible light irradiation. The experiment results show that Ti-MOFs nanoparticles are highly distributed on the top and side walls of TiO2 nanotubes. The 3D-TNAs@NH2-MIL-125 solvothermally synthesized for 30 h exhibited the best photoelectrochemical performance compared with 3D-TNAs@MIL-125 and pristine 3D-TNAs. In order to further enhance the degradation efficiency of TC by 3D-TNAs@NH2-MIL-125, a photoelectro-Fenton (PEF) system was constructed. The influence of H2O2 concentration, solution pH and applied bias potential on TC degradation were explored. The results showed that when pH was 5.5, H2O2 concentration was 30 mM, and applied bias was 0.7 V, the degradation rate of TC was 24% higher than the pure photoelectrocatalytic degradation process. The enhanced photoelectro-Fenton performance of 3D-TNAs@NH2-MIL-125 could be attributed to the large specific surface area, excellent light utilization, efficient interfacial charge transfer, low electron-hole recombination rate and high production of ˙OH as the result of the synergistic effect between TiO2 nanotubes and NH2-MIL-125.

Dupilumab for treatment of severe atopic dermatitis accompanied by lichenoid amyloidosis in adults: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Lichenoid amyloidosis (LA) is a subtype of primary cutaneous amyloidosis characterized by persistent multiple groups of hyperkeratotic papules, usually on the lower leg, back, forearm, or thigh. LA may be associated with several skin diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD). The treatment of LA is considered to be difficult. However, as there is some overlap in the etiopathogenesis of LA and AD, AD treatment may also be effective for LA. CASE SUMMARY: Case 1: A 70-year-old man was diagnosed with severe AD with LA based on large dark erythema and papules on the trunk and buttocks and dense hemispherical millet-shaped papules with pruritus on the extensor side of the lower limbs. He had a long history of the disease (8 years), with repeated and polymorphic skin lesions. Given the poor efficacy of traditional treatments, this patient was recommended to receive dupilumab treatment. At the initial stage, 300 mg was injected subcutaneously every 2 wk. After 28 wk, the drug interval was extended to 1 mo due to the pandemic. Follow-up observations revealed that the patient reached an Eczema Area Severity Index of 90 (skin lesions improved by 90% compared with the baseline) by the end of the study. Moreover, Investigator's Global Assessment score was 1, and scoring atopic dermatitis index and numeric rating scale improved by 97.7% and 87.5% compared with the baseline, respectively, with LA skin lesions having largely subsided. Case 2: A 30-year-old woman was diagnosed with severe AD with LA, due to dense and substantial papules on the dorsal hands similar to changes in cutaneous amyloidosis, and erythema and papules scattered on limbs and trunk with pruritus, present for 25 years. After 16 wk of dupilumab treatment, she stopped, and skin lesions completely subsided, without recurrence since the last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Dupilumab shows rational efficacy and safety in the treatment of severe AD with LA, in addition to benefits in the quality of life of the patients.

Pembrolizumab combined with axitinib in the treatment of skin metastasis of renal clear cell carcinoma to nasal ala: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Renal clear cell carcinoma (RCC) is a malignant tumor of the genitourinary system with a predilection for males. The most common metastatic sites are the lung, liver, lymph nodes, contralateral kidney or adrenal gland, however, skin metastasis has only been seen in 1.0%-3.3% of cases. The most common site of skin metastasis is the scalp, and metastasis to the nasal ala region is rare. CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old man with clear cell carcinoma of the left kidney was treated with pembrolizumab and axitinib for half a year after surgery and was found to have a red mass on his right nasal ala for 3 mo. The skin lesion of the patient grew rapidly to the size of 2.0 cm × 2.0 cm × 1.2 cm after discontinuation of targeted drug therapy due to the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic. The patient was finally diagnosed with skin metastasis of RCC in our hospital. The patient refused to undergo surgical resection and the tumor shrank rapidly after resuming target therapy for 2 wk. CONCLUSION: It is rare for an RCC to metastasize to the skin of the nasal ala region. The tumor size change of this patient before and after treatment with targeted drugs shows the effectiveness of combination therapy for skin metastasis.

Fast Capture and Efficient Removal of Bloom Algae Based on Improved Dielectrophoresis Process.

A dielectrophoresis (DEP) method for direct capture and fast removal of Anabaena was established in this work. The factors affecting the removal efficiency of Anabaena were investigated systematically, leading to optimized experimental conditions and improved DEP process equipment. The experimental results showed that our improved DEP method could directly capture Anabaena in eutrophic water with much enhanced removal efficiency of Anabaena from high-concentration algal bloom-eutrophication-simulated solution. The removal rate could increase by more than 20% after applying DEP at 15 V compared with a pure filtration process. Moreover, the removal rate could increase from 38.76% to 80.18% in optimized experimental conditions (the initial concentration of 615 µg/L, a flow rate of 0.168 L/h, an AC voltage of 15 V, and frequency of 100 kHz). Optical microscopic images showed that the structure of the captured algae cells was intact, indicating that the DEP method could avoid the secondary pollution caused by the addition of reagents and the release of phycotoxins, providing a new practical method for emergent treatment of water bloom outbreaks.

Effect of metal pollution on the distribution and co-occurrence pattern of bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities throughout the soil profiles.

Metal pollution has raised negative impact on microbes, but little is known about the distribution and co-occurrence pattern of bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities along the soil profiles at multiple metal contamination sites. Here, we characterized the variations of metal concentrations and microbial communities with soil depth along five deep bores at the Tanghe Sewage Reservoir, a typical metal contamination area on the North China Plain. Co, Cd, Mg, Se, and Li were identified as the major contaminants in this area, and the pollution load index was 1.88, 1.54 and 1.62 in the shallow layer (0-0.6 m), deep layer (>2.0 m) and middle layer (0.6-2.0 m), respectively. The diversities and compositions of bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities varied significantly along the soil profiles. Deterministic process played a crucial role in shaping the difference of microbial community compositions among different soil layers, in which metal levels contributed more than soil physiochemical parameters. Furthermore, the interspecific co-occurrence network was most complex in the middle layer, indicating that metal pollution could decrease microbial network complexity. Bacterial keystone species in the co-occurrence networks showed both positive and negative correlations with polluted metals, whereas most archaeal and fungal keystone species were negatively related to multiple metals. These findings increased our understanding of distribution patterns, co-occurrence networks and environmental drivers of microbial communities in metal pollution soils.

Magnetic-Transition-Metal Oxides Modified Pollen-Derived Porous Carbon for Enhanced Absorption Performance.

In our work, the transition-metal-oxide precursor (TMO@BC, M = Fe, Co, Ni) has been loaded on the pollen carbon by the hydrothermal method and annealed at different temperatures to generate a composite material of metal oxide and pollen carbon in this study, which can effectively prevent agglomeration caused by a small size and magnetism. The XRD patterns of the samples showed that the as-synthesized metal oxides were γ-Fe2O3, CoO, and NiO. In the 20 mg/L methyl orange adsorption experiment, the adsorption amount of CoO@C at 500 ℃ reached 19.32 mg/g and the removal rate was 96.61%. Therefore, CoO@C was selected for the adsorption correlation-model-fitting analysis, which was in line with the secondary reaction. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2: 0.9683-0.9964), the intraparticle diffusion model, and the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model indicated that the adsorption process was the result of both physical and chemical adsorptions, and the judgment was based on the electrostatic action. The adsorption and removal efficiency of ciprofloxacin (CIP) by changing the pH of the reaction was about 80%, so the electrostatic attraction worked, but not the main factor. Recovered by an external magnetic field, the three-time recycling efficiency was still maintained at more than 80%. This novel biomass-derived magnetic porous carbon material embedded with transition-metal-oxide nanoparticles is highly promising for many applications, especially in the field of environmental remediation.

Electrochemical Oxidation of Landfill Leachate after Biological Treatment by Electro-Fenton System with Corroding Electrode of Iron.

Electrochemical oxidation of landfill leachate after biological treatment by a novel electrochemical system, which was constructed by introducing a corroding electrode of iron (Fec) between a boron-doped diamond (BDD) anode and carbon felt (CF) cathode (named as BDD-Fec-CF), was investigated in the present study. Response surface methodology (RSM) with Box-Behnken (BBD) statistical experiment design was applied to optimize the experimental conditions. Effects of variables including current density, electrolytic time and pH on chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) removal efficiency were analyzed. Results showed that electrolytic time was more important than current density and pH for both COD and NH3-N degradation. Based on analysis of variance (ANOVA) under the optimum conditions (current density of 25 mA·cm-2, electrolytic time of 9 h and pH of 11), the removal efficiencies for COD and NH3-N were 81.3% and 99.8%, respectively. In the BDD-Fec-CF system, organic pollutants were oxidized by electrochemical and Fenton oxidation under acidic conditions. Under alkaline conditions, coagulation by Fe(OH)3 and oxidation by Fe(VI) have great contribution on organic compounds degradation. What is more, species of organic compounds before and after electrochemical treatment were analyzed by GC-MS, with 56 kinds components detected before treatment and only 16 kinds left after treatment. These results demonstrated that electrochemical oxidation by the BDD-Fec-CF system has great potential for the advanced treatment of landfill leachate.

Global trends in the incidence of psoriasis from 1990 to 2019

Background: The global, regional, and national burden of psoriasis was investigated based on the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Objectives: To report the incidence of psoriasis in 204 countries and territories from 21 regions according to age, sex, region, country, and socialdemographic index (SDI) between 1990 and 2019. Materials & Methods: Estimates from the GBD 2019 study were used to analyse the incidence of psoriasis at the global, regional, and national levels. The estimated annual percentage changes (EAPCs) in the age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) were calculated to quantify trends between 1990 and 2019. Results: From 1990 to 2019, the global incidence of psoriasis increased by 26.53%, but the ASIR of psoriasis decreased, with an EAPC of -0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.78 to -0.76). In 2019, the highest ASIRs of psoriasis (112.58 per 100,000 population; 95% uncertainty interval, 108.89 to 116.07) were observed in high-SDI regions. The male-to-female ratio for psoriasis incidence peaked globally in the 50-54-year-old age group and peaked in the 75-79-year-old age group in high-SDI regions. Regionally, Central Sub-Saharan Africa (EAPC, -0.57; 95% CI: -0.67 to -0.48) and Eastern Sub-Saharan Africa (EAPC, -0.36; 95% CI, -0.38 to -0.34) had the largest decrease in ASIR of psoriasis from 1990 to 2019. Nationally, increases in the ASIR of psoriasis was observed only in Japan (EAPC, 0.04; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.05). Conclusion: Globally, the incidence of psoriasis showed an increasing trend, but the ASIR of psoriasis decreased significantly from 1990 to 2019. Only Japan showed an unfavourable increasing trend.

Highly Efficient Removal of Nitrate and Phosphate to Control Eutrophication by the Dielectrophoresis-Assisted Adsorption Method.

The removal of excessive amounts of nitrate and phosphate from water sources, especially agricultural wastewater, has been of high significance to control eutrophication in aquatic systems. Here, a new method is reported for the removal of nitrate and phosphate simultaneously from wastewater based on the combination of the solution-phased adsorption (ADS) and dielectrophoresis (DEP) techniques. The plant ash was first selected as the adsorbent by screening tests, followed by a systematic investigation of using the adsorbent to remove nitrate and phosphate from wastewater under various experimental conditions, including the testing of adsorbent dosage, pretreatment time, water flow rate, and electrode voltage. The analysis of the adsorbent particles was also performed by scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) test, and the measurement of Zeta potentials. Compared with the ADS method alone, the introduction of DEP into the purification process has greatly increased the removal rate by 66.06% for nitrate and 43.04% for phosphate, respectively. In the meantime, it is observed that the processing time has been greatly reduced by 92% with the assistance of DEP.

Effect of glucose metabolism disorders on the short-term prognosis in neonates with asphyxia: a multicenter study in Hubei Province, China. / çª’æ¯æ–°ç”Ÿå„¿ç³–ä»£è°¢ç´Šä¹±å¯¹è¿‘æœŸé¢„åŽçš„å½±å“ï¼šä¸€é¡¹æ¹–åŒ—çœå¤šä¸­å¿ƒç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of glucose metabolism disorders on the short-term prognosis in neonates with asphyxia. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of the neonates with asphyxia who were admitted to 52 hospitals in Hubei Province of China from January to December, 2018 and had blood glucose data within 12 hours after birth. Their blood glucose data at 1, 2, 6, and 12 hours after birth (with an allowable time error of 0.5 hour) were recorded. According to the presence or absence of brain injury and/or death during hospitalization, the neonates were divided into a poor prognosis group with 693 neonates and a good prognosis group with 779 neonates. The two groups were compared in the incidence of glucose metabolism disorders within 12 hours after birth and short-term prognosis. RESULTS: Compared with the good prognosis group, the poor prognosis group had a significantly higher proportion of neonates from secondary hospitals (48.5% vs 42.6%, P<0.05) or with severe asphyxia (19.8% vs 8.1%, P<0.05) or hypothermia therapy (4.8% vs 1.5%, P<0.05), as well as a significantly higher incidence rate of disorder of glucose metabolism (18.8% vs 12.5%, P<0.05). Compared with the good prognosis group, the poor prognosis group had a significantly higher incidence rate of disorder of glucose metabolism at 1, 2, and 6 hours after birth (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that recurrent hyperglycemia (adjusted odds ratio=2.380, 95% confidence interval: 1.275-4.442, P<0.05) was an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in neonates with asphyxia. CONCLUSIONS: Recurrent hyperglycemia in neonates with asphyxia may suggest poor short-term prognosis, and it is necessary to strengthen the early monitoring and management of the nervous system in such neonates.

Two cases of refractory erythrodermic psoriasis effectively treated with secukinumab and a review of the literature.

Erythrodermic psoriasis (EP), which accounts for 1 to 2.25% of all psoriatic cases, typically occurs in patients with poor control of existing psoriasis. Secukinumab yields rapid and sustained improvements of signs and symptoms in patients with plaque psoriasis. Currently, clinical data on the treatment of EP with secukinumab are scarce. We describe two adult patients with severe EP, including one male and one female who were both ineligible for or resistant to acitretin or methotrexate treatment and had additional diseases. The patients underwent treatment with secukinumab using the standard regimen. After 4 weeks of treatment, a 75% reduction in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score (PASI 75) was achieved in both patients. Secukinumab was well tolerated and was continued for at least 32 weeks of treatment. We report the clinical use of secukinumab in the treatment of EP and review its potential role in the management of this severe condition.

Three cases report of idiopathic angiosarcoma of the head and neck and literature review.

Herein, we reported 3 cases of angiosarcoma (AS) of the head and neck in old patients, and the etiology, pathogenesis, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and prognosis were discussion. Case 1, a male patient aged 86 years old was admitted due to purplish erythema on the head and face and progressive purplish edema in the orbit of the eye for 3 years. He was misdiagnosed with connective tissue disease in another hospital, and a second biopsy and histopathological examination confirmed the AS of the head and neck. Case 2, a male patient aged 85 years were admitted due to erythemalike hyperplasia in the left anterior head with necrosis and scar formation at the center for 2 months. He was misdiagnosed with folliculitis in another hospital, and histopathological examination confirmed the AS of the head and neck. Case 3, a male patient aged 87 years were admitted due to large erythema in the right scalp with ulcer and scar formation for 1 month, and histopathological examination confirmed the AS of the head and neck. One of them was lost to follow, one died 5 months after confirmed diagnosis, and one achieved favorable outcome after radiotherapy and received further follow up. The early clinical manifestations of the three patients were different and lacked characteristics. The disease progressed rapidly and the prognosis was poor. At present, surgery combined with postoperative radiotherapy is the preferred treatment. Through this article, the following conclusions can be obtained: erythema in the head and face of the elderly, rapid progresses and painful, pathological examinations must be performed, and changes in blood vessels and vascular endothelial cells with or without crack formation and red blood cell extravasation should be carefully observed during pathological examinations in case of misdiagnosis. It is hoped that these three cases can serve as a reminder for clinicians, for reducing misdiagnosis and miss diagnosis, choosing appropriate treatment methods, and judging their prognosis. Therefore, early diagnosis and surgical treatment are extremely important to improve the prognosis of AS patients.

Electrochemical oxidation of sulfamethoxazole in BDD anode system: Degradation kinetics, mechanisms and toxicity evaluation.

In the present study, electrochemical oxidation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) with Boron-doped Diamond (BDD) anode and Stainless Steel (SS) cathode was investigated systematically. The effects of current density, initial pH, supporting electrolyte and natural organic matter (NOM) on SMX degradation were explored. Under the conditions of current density 30 mA cm-2, 0.1 M Na2SO4 used as supporting electrolyte, pH of 7 and without NOM affect, SMX was completely removed after 3 h electrolysis. COD removal efficiency, current efficiency and energy consumption were 65.6%, 40.1%, 72 kWh kg COD-1, respectively. Degradation mechanism was analyzed based on the active sites of SMX identified by density functional theory (DFT) calculation and intermediates analysis by HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Three possible degradation pathways were proposed, with the replacement of -NH2 at aromatic ring by -OH, the oxidation of -NH2 to -NO2 and the addition of -OH on isoxazole ring observed. The active sites detected in reaction matched the DFT calculation results exactly. The toxicity of intermediates produced during electrolysis process was evaluated by Escherichia coli experiment. Results showed that, after 2 h electrolysis, the inhibition ratio was decreased from the initial value of 22.8% to 10%, which has already achieved the safety boundary. After 4 h electrolysis, the toxicity was almost zero even with still 60% COD remained in the solution. This phenomenon demonstrated that the toxicity of SMX and its intermediate products was reduced significantly during electrolysis process.

Treatment of psoriasis: janus kinases inhibitors and biologics for the interleukin-23/Th17 axis.

With the discovery of the IL-23 / Th17 axis, the treatment of psoriasis has entered a new era. The aim of this study was to explore the progress of biologics and janus kinases (JAK) inhibitors targeting IL-23/Th17 axis in the treatment of psoriasis. review of English-language article was performed. Search terms included IL-17, IL-23, biologics, monoclonal antibodies, neutralizing antibodies, JAK, inhibitors, Psoriasis Area Severity Index and psoriasis. Data were selected from two phase 2 clinical trials; and nine phase 3 randomized, double-blind clinical trials; and other clinical trials. This review analyzes skin lesion clearance and major adverse reactions of 9 mAbs including mirikizumab and bimekizumab. At the same time, the research progress and prospects of three non-IgG small molecule biologics are analyzed too. This paper also compares the efficacy and limitations of biologics targeting the IL-23/Th17 axis with non-biologics acting on the JAK-signal transducer and activator of transcription pathway. The IL-17A/F inhibitors and non-IgG small molecule biologics that are being studied will bring a revolutionary development to the treatment of psoriasis. Topical application of JAK inhibitors can not only achieve the purpose of treating psoriasis, but also reduce the amounts of systemic medication, and reduces side effects. Each drug has its own indication, and the effect of the drug can be better achieved by selecting the indication for the drug.

Effects of Cyclosporine on Palmoplantar Pustulosis and Serum Expression of IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-α.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to investigate the effects of cyclosporine on palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) and serum expression of IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-α. METHODS: Patients with PPP (n = 48) were recruited and treated with cyclosporine alone. The Palmoplantar Pustulosis Area and Severity Index score was obtained, and ELISA was employed to detect the serum IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-α expression before treatment and after 8 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: Complete remission was achieved in 16.7% of the patients, remission in 45.8%, an improvement in 31.3%, and the treatment was ineffective in 6.25%, yielding an overall effectiveness of 62.5%. Adverse effects included hypertension (n = 6), frequent urination and enuresis nocturna (n = 6), gastrointestinal discomfort (n = 6), hypertrichosis (n = 3), and increased creatinine (n = 1). While serum IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-α concentrations were reduced after 8 weeks of treatment, the reductions were greatest for IL-23 and TNF-α, whereas the reduction in IL-17 was not significant. CONCLUSION: Cyclosporine is a safe and effective treatment for PPP with few adverse effects, which might be related to the regulation of IL-23 and TNF-α.

Highly efficient removal of ammonia nitrogen from wastewater by dielectrophoresis-enhanced adsorption.

A new approach, based on dielectrophoresis (DEP), was developed in this work to enhance traditional adsorption for the removal of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) from wastewater. The factors that affected the removal efficiency were systematically investigated, which allowed us to determine optimal operation parameters. With this new method we found that the removal efficiency was significantly improved from 66.7% by adsorption only to 95% by adsorption-DEP using titanium metal mesh as electrodes of the DEP and zeolite as the absorbent material. In addition, the dosage of the absorbent/zeolite and the processing time needed for the removal were greatly reduced after the introduction of DEP into the process. In addition, a very low discharge concentration (C, 1.5 mg/L) of NH3-N was achieved by the new method, which well met the discharge criterion of C < 8 mg/L (the emission standard of pollutants for rare earth industry in China).