[Effect of transcutaneous electric acupoints stimulation on vascular endothelial function and inflammatory factors after percutaneous coronary intervention].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of transcutaneous electric acupoints stimulation (TEAS) on vascular endothelial function and inflammatory factors after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients. METHODS: A total of 94 patients with coronary heart disease and undergoing PCI were randomized into a TEAS group and a sham-TEAS group, 47 cases in each one. In the TEAS group, TEAS started at unilateral Neiguan (PC6) and Ximen (PC4) 30 min before PCI till the end of PCI. In the sham-TEAS group, the procedure and persistent time were same as the TEAS group, but no electric stimulation was performed. Before treatment and at 8 h and 24 h after PCI, the levels of serum endothelin-1 (ET-1), von Willebrand factor (vWF), nitric oxide (NO), blood flow dependent diastolic function (FMD), interleukin-6 (IL-6), inteleukin-10 (IL-10), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were detected in the patients successively. RESULTS: Compared with the levels before PCI, the levels of ET-1 and vWF were all increased at 8 h and 24 h after PCI in the two groups (P<0.05) and the levels in the TEAS group were remarkably lower than those in the sham-TEAS group (P<0.05). Compared with the levels before PCI, the levels of NO and FMD at 8 h and 24 h after PCI were all reduced in the two groups (P<0.05) and the levels in the TEAS group were higher obviously than those in the sham-TEAS group (P<0.05). Compared with the levels before PCI, the levels of hs-CRP, MMP-9, IL-6 and IL-10 were all increased at 8 h and 24 h after PCI in the two groups (P<0.05); Compared with the sham-TEAS group, the levels of hs-CRP, MMP-9 and IL-6 were reduced and the level of IL-10 was increased at 8 h and 24 h after PCI in the TEAS group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: TEAS effectively improves the vascular endothelial function and reduces serum inflammatory factors after PCI.

[Prevention effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for chemotherapy-related myelosuppression in non-small cell lung cancer].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the prevention effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) for chemotherapy-related myelosuppression in non-small cell lung cancer. METHODS: A total of 102 patients with non-small cell lung cancer who received initial chemotherapy were randomly divided into a conventional group, a medication group and a TEAS group, 34 cases in each one. The conventional group was treated with chemotherapy of gemcitabine combined with cisplatin and given routine care. On the basis of conventional group's treatment, the medication group was given Diyu Shengbai tablets before chemotherapy, 2-3 tablets each time, 3 times a day. In the TEAS group, on the basis of conventional group's treatment, TEAS was applied at Dazhui (GV 14), Geshu (BL 17), Hegu (LI 4), Zusanli (ST 36) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on day 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 14, 21 and 28 of chemotherapy. The treatment was given 30 min each time and once a day. In the three groups, the treatment for 28 days was as one course and one course of treatment was required. The changes of leukocytes, platelets, erythrocyte, hemoglobin indexes in patients of the three groups were observed one day before chemotherapy and on day 5, 8, 11, 14, 21 and 28 of chemotherapy. The comfort situation of patients was observed one day before chemotherapy and on the 5th, 11th and 21st day of chemotherapy. RESULTS: Compared with before chemotherapy, the leukocyte counts of three groups were decreased at various time points after chemotherapy (P<0.05). Compared with the conventional group, the leukocyte counts were higher on day 8 and 14 in the TEAS group and on day 14 in the medication group (P<0.05). Compared with before chemotherapy, the platelet count decreased on the day 5, 8, 11 and 14 of chemotherapy in the conventional group (P<0.05), and the platelet counts all decreased at each time point after chemotherapy in the medication group (P<0.05). The platelet counts of the TEAS group on day 5, 8, 11 and 14 of chemotherapy were higher than those of the conventional group (P<0.05), and the platelet counts of the TEAS group on day 5, 8, 11 and 21 of chemotherapy were higher than those of the medication group (P<0.05). Compared with the conventional group, the comfort situation scores of the TEAS group were higher on the 5th and 11th days of chemotherapy (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation can prevent chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression (leukocyte, platelets) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer and improve patient comfort situation.

Clinical characteristics and etiology of bacterial meningitis in Chinese children >28 days of age, January 2014-December 2016: A multicenter retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and etiology of bacterial meningitis (BM) in Chinese children. METHOD: BM cases in children 28days to 18 years old were collected from January 2014-December 2016 and screened according to World Health Organization standards. Clinical features, pathogens, and resistance patterns were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 837 cases were classified into five age groups: 28 days-2 months (17.0%), 3-11 months (27.8%), 12-35 months (24.0%), 3-6 years (13.9%), and >6years (17.3%). Major pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae, n=136, 46.9%), group B Streptococcus (GBS, n=29, 10.0%), and Escherichia coli (E. coli, n=23, 7.9%). In infants <3 months old, GBS (46.5%) and E. coli (23.3%) were most common; in children >3 months old, S. pneumoniae (54.7%), which had a penicillin non-susceptibility rate of 55.4% (36/65), was most frequent. The resistance rates of S. pneumoniae and E. coli to cefotaxime and ceftriaxone were 14.0%/40.0% and 11.3%/68.4%, respectively. All GBS isolates were sensitive to penicillin. CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of BM peaked in the first year of life, while S. pneumoniae was the predominant pathogen in children >3months of old. The antibiotic resistance of S. pneumoniae was a concern.

Chlorella pyrenoidosa cultivation in outdoors using the diluted anaerobically digested activated sludge.

A freshwater green algae Chlorella pyrenoidosa (C. pyrenoidosa) was cultured in outdoors using the diluted anaerobically digested activated sludge (ADAS). The outdoors batch culture in every season showed that C. pyrenoidosa can grow normally under natural conditions in the diluted ADAS (STE/ADAS=1.5/1, 3/1 and 5/1, v/v). Seasonal changes of environmental conditions significantly affected biomass growth and nutrient removal. Optimal biomass growth and nutrient removal was achieved at STE/ADAS=1.5/1 during summer culture, harvesting a maximum biomass concentration of 1.97 ± 0.21 g/L, average biomass productivity of 291.52 ± 33.74 g/m(3)/day (maximum value of 573.10 ± 41.82) and average lipids productivity of 37.49 ± 5.26 g/m(3)/day (maximum value of 73.70 ± 9.75); simultaneously, the microalgae growth effectively removed nutrients from the wastewater, including 105.6 ± 17.1 mg CODCr/L/day, 36.8 ± 6.1mg N/L/day and 6.1 ± 1.1 mg P/L/day.

Continuous cultivation of Chlorella pyrenoidosa using anaerobic digested starch processing wastewater in the outdoors.

Microalgae cultivation using wastewater might be a suitable approach to support sustainable large-scale biomass production. Its compelling characteristics included the recycling of nutrients and water resources, reducing carbon emissions and harvesting available biomass. In outdoor batch and continuous cultures, Chlorella pyrenoidosa completely adapted to anaerobic digested starch processing wastewater and was the dominant microorganism in the photobioreactor. However, seasonal changes of environmental conditions significantly influenced biomass growth and lipid production. The long-term outdoor operation demonstrated that the biomass concentration and productivity in continuous operations at different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) can be successfully predicted using the kinetic growth parameters obtained from the batch culture. A moderate HRT (4days) in the summer provided the best microalgae and lipid production and achieved relatively high biomass concentrations of 1.29-1.62g/L, biomass productivities of 342.6±12.8mg/L/d and lipids productivities of 43.37±7.43mg/L/d.