OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the self-efficacy and satisfaction of asthma patients subjected to summer acupoint application treatment(SAAT).METHODS: A two-year follow-up clinical study was conducted. Patients with asthma we...OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the self-efficacy and satisfaction of asthma patients subjected to summer acupoint application treatment(SAAT).METHODS: A two-year follow-up clinical study was conducted. Patients with asthma were treated by applying a herbal paste onto the Feishu(BL 13) and Fengmen(BL 12) acupoints on the three hottest days of summer, according to the traditional Chinese calendar, from 2008 to 2010. During a two-year follow-up, these patients were asked tofill out a questionnaire evaluating asthma degree,exacerbation frequency, concomitant medications and self-satisfaction. The self-rate and doctor-report outcomes obtained in parallel were evaluated to assess the efficacy of SAAT.RESULTS: A total of 527 asthma patients were initially enrolled in this study, of which 97 elderly patients and those with more severe cases of asthma were lost to follow-up. Thus, a total of 430 patients were valid for analysis using self-rate data. Nevertheless, occasional negative returns were obtained;almost all of the outcomes were rated as "No change", "Moderate effective", or "Very effective". In addition, 80% of the patients were satisfied with this treatment. Moreover, 391(91.4%) patients were somewhat improved after SAAT in 2009, and further improvement was observed in 2010. After SAAT, the average asthma-degree score decreased from 5.3 in 2008 to 4 in 2009 and, subsequently to3.5 in 2010.CONCLUSION: With pronounced patient satisfaction, SAAT can reduce the exacerbation severity and frequency, concomitant medications and asthma degree. Prolonging the treatment course might enhance the efficacy of SAAT.展开更多
The chars in the natural environment can affect the migration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs). However, there is insufficient research relating to the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of PBDEs on biochars. ...The chars in the natural environment can affect the migration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs). However, there is insufficient research relating to the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of PBDEs on biochars. This study examined the adsorption kinetics of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether(BDE-47) on maize straw-derived biochars(MSBCs) pyrolyzed at four different temperatures via batch experiments. The biochar samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy,Raman spectra, and elemental analysis. A two-compartment first-order model and pseudo-second-order model exhibited a better fit compared to a pseudo-first-order model in describing the BDE-47 adsorption on biochars, which was dominated by a slow adsorption compartment and chemisorption. The MSBC pyrolyzed at 600 °C had the highest BDE-47 adsorption capacity owing to its relatively large specific surface area and relatively high aromaticity compared with the other three MSBCs pyrolyzed at 300, 400, and 500 ℃.However, there was no significant difference in adsorption capacity among the other three biochars. The organic functional groups coupled with the graphene structures of biochars and the hydrophobic effect of the functional groups promoted the adsorption of BDE-47. Pore diffusion was not the sole rate-limiting step;film diffusion was also involved in the adsorption process of BDE-47 on biochars. The overall results demonstrate the transport and potential treatment of PBDEs using biochars.展开更多
基金Supported by "Research on Key Factors of Efficacy of Summer Acupoint Application Treatment"from the Key Projects in the National Science and Technology Pillar Program(No.2008BAI53B061,2012BAI41B03)
文摘OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the self-efficacy and satisfaction of asthma patients subjected to summer acupoint application treatment(SAAT).METHODS: A two-year follow-up clinical study was conducted. Patients with asthma were treated by applying a herbal paste onto the Feishu(BL 13) and Fengmen(BL 12) acupoints on the three hottest days of summer, according to the traditional Chinese calendar, from 2008 to 2010. During a two-year follow-up, these patients were asked tofill out a questionnaire evaluating asthma degree,exacerbation frequency, concomitant medications and self-satisfaction. The self-rate and doctor-report outcomes obtained in parallel were evaluated to assess the efficacy of SAAT.RESULTS: A total of 527 asthma patients were initially enrolled in this study, of which 97 elderly patients and those with more severe cases of asthma were lost to follow-up. Thus, a total of 430 patients were valid for analysis using self-rate data. Nevertheless, occasional negative returns were obtained;almost all of the outcomes were rated as "No change", "Moderate effective", or "Very effective". In addition, 80% of the patients were satisfied with this treatment. Moreover, 391(91.4%) patients were somewhat improved after SAAT in 2009, and further improvement was observed in 2010. After SAAT, the average asthma-degree score decreased from 5.3 in 2008 to 4 in 2009 and, subsequently to3.5 in 2010.CONCLUSION: With pronounced patient satisfaction, SAAT can reduce the exacerbation severity and frequency, concomitant medications and asthma degree. Prolonging the treatment course might enhance the efficacy of SAAT.
基金financially supported by the Outstanding Youth Fund of the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu, China (No. BK20150050)the National Key Research and Development Program, China (No. 2016YFD0800204)+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21677149)the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. ISSASIP1616)the Key Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. QYZDJSSW-DQC035)
文摘The chars in the natural environment can affect the migration of polybrominated diphenyl ethers(PBDEs). However, there is insufficient research relating to the adsorption behavior and mechanisms of PBDEs on biochars. This study examined the adsorption kinetics of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether(BDE-47) on maize straw-derived biochars(MSBCs) pyrolyzed at four different temperatures via batch experiments. The biochar samples were characterized using Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy,Raman spectra, and elemental analysis. A two-compartment first-order model and pseudo-second-order model exhibited a better fit compared to a pseudo-first-order model in describing the BDE-47 adsorption on biochars, which was dominated by a slow adsorption compartment and chemisorption. The MSBC pyrolyzed at 600 °C had the highest BDE-47 adsorption capacity owing to its relatively large specific surface area and relatively high aromaticity compared with the other three MSBCs pyrolyzed at 300, 400, and 500 ℃.However, there was no significant difference in adsorption capacity among the other three biochars. The organic functional groups coupled with the graphene structures of biochars and the hydrophobic effect of the functional groups promoted the adsorption of BDE-47. Pore diffusion was not the sole rate-limiting step;film diffusion was also involved in the adsorption process of BDE-47 on biochars. The overall results demonstrate the transport and potential treatment of PBDEs using biochars.
