Novel overlapping constructed wetlands with water drops reoxygenation and lightweight fillers for decentralized wastewater treatment.

Constructed wetlands (CWs), crucial for the rural decentralized wastewater treatment, have encountered limitations in nutrient removal efficiency and require extensive land area. This study has constructed a novel overlapping horizontal subsurface flow CWs (OLCWs). Remarkably, OLCWs with mixed lightweight fillers (M-OLCWs) exhibited a significant enhancement in total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency (88-91 %) in different hydraulic loading rates compared to single filler OLCWs (48-62 %). This significant enhancement can be attributed to the lightweight fillers, which have higher abundances and diversity of nitrogen related microorganisms. The treatment dynamics revealed that the second stage exhibited an excellent TN removal efficiency (73-75 %) attributed to sufficient dissolved oxygen concentration by water drops reoxygenation. The research reveals that M-OLCWs, by utilizing water drops reoxygenation and lightweight fillers, not only enhance pollutant treatment efficiency but also reduce required land area, thereby offering a sustainable solution for rural decentralized wastewater treatment.

Clinical Practice Guideline for Allergic Rhinitis Treatment with Acupuncture / 中国结合医学杂志

With reference to international guidelines for the development of tools-Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system approach and reasoning, this practice guideline has been drafted reflecting the characteristics of acupuncture to improve effectiveness and safety of acupuncture treatment for allergic rhinitis. This guideline includes outlining the acupuncture diagnosis and treatment principles for allergic rhinitis, suggesting recommendations and related evidence for the acupuncture treatment of allergic rhinitis, and defining operating methods and precautions for the acupuncture treatment of allergic rhinitis.

Acupuncture for secondary dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis: a prospective case-series study / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of acupuncture by stages on secondary dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis through prospective case-series study.@*METHODS@#A total of 36 cases of adenomyosis patients with moderate-to-severe dysmenorrhea were treated with acupuncture by stages. The acupoints of Diji (SP 8), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Ciliao (BL 32) and Shiqizhui (EX-B 8) were selected and acupuncture was given once a day during menstrual period; the acupoints of Guanyuan (CV 4), Zigong (EX-CA1), Sanyinjiao (SP 6) and Zusanli (ST 36) ect. were selected and acupuncture was given twice per week during non-menstrual period. All the treatment was given for three menstrual cycles. The visual analogue scale (VAS), Cox menstrual symptom scale (CMSS), Endometriosis Health Profile-5 (EHP-5) scores and the menstrual blood volume of pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC) were observed before treatment and at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment. Before treatment and at the 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment, the volume of uterus was measured by transvaginal ultrasound and the correlation among the quality of life, the severity of pain and symptoms was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The VAS, CMSS and EHP-5 scores at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment were lower than those before treatment (0.05). Compared before treatment, at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment, the PBAC scores were reduced in patients with PBAC>100 points (<0.01). Compared between 2nd and 1st menstrual cycle into treatment, between 3rd and 2nd menstrual cycle into treatment, the VAS, CMSS scores were all decreased (<0.01, <0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the severity score of CMSS and EHP-5 at the corresponding time points of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd menstrual cycle into treatment (<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#The acupuncture by stages has significant analgesic effect in patients with secondary dysmenorrhea of adenomyosis, and has the advantages of relieving the menstruation-related symptoms, regulating menstrual blood volume and improving the quality of life.

A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial of Treatment of Moderate and Severe Persistent Allergic Rhinitis of Spleen Deficiency Pattern by Herbal Cake-partitioned Moxibustion Combined with Rhinocort Nasal Spray / 针刺研究

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect of herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion combined with medication in the treatment of moderate and severe persistent allergic rhinitis (PAR) patients of spleen deficiency pattern. METHODS: Sixty patients with moderate and severe PAR of spleen deficiency pattern were randomized into medication (Rhinocort) group and herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion combined with medication group (combination group, n=30 cases in each). Medicinal cake-partitioned moxibustion was applied to Yintang (GV 29, for about 20 min), Shenque(CV 8, about 50 min), bilateral Zusanli (ST 36, about 40 min)and Hegu(LI 4, about 40 min)once every other day for successive 8 weeks. All the patients received treatment with Rhinocort nasal spray, 2 jets/day for each nostril (64 µg/jet) for 8 weeks. The patients' conditions (symptoms of nasal sufferings, sleeping, sniffle, eye, emotion, etc.) were assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and rhino conjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ, 24 items of 7 aspects, 0-6 points/item), respectively. The spleen deficiency syndrome score was determined according to "Guiding Principles for Clinical Research of New Drugs of Chinese Materia Medica" (2002). The therapeutic effect was assessed by referring to "the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Principles and Recommended Schemes for Allergic Rhinitis" (2004). RESULTS: Following the treatment, the scores of VAS, RQLQ, spleen deficiency syndrome were significantly decreased on the 4thand the 8th week of treatment in both groups in comparison with those of their own individual pre-treatment (P0.05). CONCLUSION: Herbal cake-partitioned moxibustion combined with hormone (Rhinocort) nasal spray is effective in relieving symptoms of moderate and severe PAR patients of spleen deficiency syndrome, and has a better post-effect.

[Expression of insulin receptor substrate-2 and its tyrosine phosphorylation in the hepatic tissue of chronic hepatitis B patients].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the expression of insulin receptor substrate-2 (IRS-2) mRNA and protein, and its tyrosine phosphorylation in hepatic tissue of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, and to explore the role of IRS-2 on insulin resistance in CHB patients. METHODS: Eighteen patients with CHB were included, and 6 individuals with normal liver function were enrolled as control. Based on the insulin resistance index determined by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA), CHB patients were further divided into CHB without insulin resistance group (<2.69, n=10) and CHB with insulin resistance group (>2.69, n=8). Hepatic tissues were harvested from all patients during operation or with liver biopsy. The mRNA expression of IRS-2 in liver tissue was assessed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the protein expression of IRS-2 was detected by Western blotting. Immunoprecipitation and enhanced chemiluminescent technique were used to measure the tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-2. RESULTS: In CHB without insulin resistance group, the mRNA expression (0.38+/-0.06), the protein expression (0.94+/-0.18) and the tyrosine phosphorylation (0.78+/-0.09) of IRS-2 in hepatic tissue were decreased, but without statistically significant difference (all P>0.05), as compared to those in control group (0.45+/-0.11, 0.99+/-0.20, 1.00+/-0.23, respectively). In CHB with insulin resistance group, the mRNA expression (0.26+/-0.08), the protein expression (0.67+/-0.11) and the tyrosine phosphorylation (0.63+/-0.14) of IRS-2 in hepatic tissue were significantly decreased compared with those of the control group with statistically significant difference (P<0.05 or P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The decreased expression of mRNA and protein and the reduced tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-2 in CHB patients with insulin resistance inducing impairment of the insulin signal pathway may be one of the mechanisms underlying insulin resistance.