Effects of polyvinylchloride microplastics on the toxicity of nanoparticles and antibiotics to aerobic granular sludge: Nitrogen removal, microbial community and resistance genes.

Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) have ecological risk to humans and ecosystems. Polyvinylchloride microplastics (PVC MPs), as a representative of microplastics, may often coexist with CuO NPs and CIP in wastewater treatment systems due to their widespread application. However, the co-impact of PVC MPs in wastewater systems contained with CuO NPs and CIP on nitrogen removal and ecological risk is not clear.

Co-existence effect of copper oxide nanoparticles and ciprofloxacin on simultaneous nitrification, endogenous denitrification, and phosphorus removal by aerobic granular sludge.

Nanoparticles and antibiotics are toxic to humans and ecosystems, and they inevitably coexist in the wastewater treatment plants. Hence, the co-existence effects and stress mechanism of copper (II) oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) and ciprofloxacin (CIP) on simultaneous nitrification, endogenous denitrification and phosphorus removal (SNEDPR) by aerobic granular sludge (AGS) were investigated here. The co-existence stress of 5 mg/L CuO NPs and 5 mg/L CIP resulted in the synergistic inhibitory effect on nutrient removal.

Rapid start-up of partial nitrification reactor by exogenous AHLs and Vanillin combined with intermittent aeration.

Quorum sensing (QS) and quorum quenching (QQ) are common phenomena in microbial systems and play an important role in the nitrification process. However, rapidly start up partial nitrification regulated by N-acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs)-mediated QS or QQ has not been reported. Hence, we chose N-butyryl homoserine lactone (C-HSL) and N-hexanoyl homoserine lactone (C-HSL) as the representative AHLs, and Vanillin as the representative quorum sensing inhibitor (QSI) combined intermittent aeration to investigate their effects on the start-up process of partial nitrification.

Application of digital tomosynthesis in diagnosing spinal tuberculosis.

Objective: To study the value of digital tomosynthesis (DTS) applied in diagnosing spinal tuberculosis.

Methods: Images of digital radiology (DR) and DTS were retrospectively analyzed in patients with spinal tuberculosis, and image quality and ratio of detection of lesions were compared.

Results: Excellent ratio was higher for DTS images than DR images; ratios of detection of bone destruction, sequestration, and paraspinal abscess were higher for DTS than DR.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging without bowel preparation for detection of ulcerative colitis.

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) without bowel preparation, the optimal b value and the changes in apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in detecting ulcerative colitis (UC).

Methods: A total of 20 patients who underwent 3T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without bowel preparation and colonoscopy within 24 h were recruited. Biochemical indexes, including C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, hemoglobin, leucocytes, platelets, serum iron and albumin, were determined.

Circulating tumor cells are associated with bone metastasis of lung cancer.

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer mortality worldwide, predominantly due to the difficulty of early diagnosis and its high metastatic potential. Recently, increasing evidence suggests that circulating tumour cells (CTCs) are responsible for cancer metastatic relapse, and CTCs have attracted interest in cancer metastasis detection and quantification. In present study, we collected blood samples from 67 patients with bone metastasis, and 30 patients without such metastasis, and searched for CTCs.

3.0T 31P MR spectroscopy in assessment of response to antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C.

Aim: To investigate the utility of phosphorus-31 (31P) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) as a noninvasive test for assessment of response to interferon and ribavirin treatment in patients with different severities of hepatitis C virus infection.

Methods: Sixty chronic hepatitis C patients undergoing antiviral therapy with interferon and ribavirin underwent 31P MRS at 3.0T before treatment, 6 mo after the start of treatment, and 1 year after the start of treatment.

Antidiabetic activity of Taxus cuspidata polysaccharides in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.

In present study, crude polysaccharides (TCPs) were obtained by hot water extraction and ethanol precipitation from the Taxus cuspidata. With a purpose of finding valuable and economical drug for diabetes, TCPs was administered orally at three doses [50, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight (b.w.

Aging-related changes in the default mode network and its anti-correlated networks: a resting-state fMRI study.

Intrinsic brain activity in a resting state incorporates components of the task negative network called default mode network (DMN) and task-positive networks called attentional networks. In the present study, the reciprocal neuronal networks in the elder group were compared with the young group to investigate the differences of the intrinsic brain activity using a method of temporal correlation analysis based on seed regions of posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). We found significant decreased positive correlations and negative correlations with the seeds of PCC and vmPFC in the old group.

Colonic polyps: application value of computer-aided detection in computed tomographic colonography.

Background: Colonic polyps are frequently encountered in clinics. Computed tomographic colonography (CTC), as a painless and quick detection, has high values in clinics. In this study, we evaluated the application value of computer-aided detection (CAD) in CTC detection of colonic polyps in the Chinese population.

[Changes of immunologic parameters in patients with simple bone metastases treated with 89SrCl2].

Objective: To investigate the influence of (89)SrCl(2) (strontium-89 chloride) on immune functions in patients with simple bone metastases.

Methods: Twenty-five patients diagnosed as simple bone metastases with un-detectable primary tumors were treated with (89)SrCl(2). The CD4(+), CD8(+), CD4(+)/CD8(+) lymphocyte subsets were assessed before and after (89)SrCl(2) treatment.

Serum concentrations of IL-2 and TNF-alpha in patients with painful bone metastases: correlation with responses to 89SrCl2 therapy.

Unlabelled: We have used 89SrCl2 for the palliative treatment of painful bone metastases from various malignant diseases. We studied the correlation between serum interleukin-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels and the response to 89SrCl2 therapy.

Methods: Forty-two patients (24 men and 18 women) were treated intravenously with 89SrCl2 at a dose of 148 MBq (4 mCi).

Clinical application of metallic stents in treatment of esophageal carcinoma.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of self-expanding metal stents (SEMS) in patients with malignant esophageal obstruction and to analyze their prognosis and complications.

Methods: Seventy-four metallic stents were placed under fluoroscopic guidance in 66 patients with esophageal obstruction secondary to carcinoma, of whom, 6 cases were complicated by fistula.

Results: After seventy-two stents were successfully used in 66 cases without any severe complications (technical successful rate was 97%), the dysphagia score improved from 3.