Purification and reclamation of wastewater by an integrated biological pond system

The feasibility of an inexpensive wastewater treatment system is evaluated in this study.The experiment was conducted in 3 phases with different treatment combinations for testing theirpurification efficiencies. The pond system was divided into 3 functional regions: influentpurification, efficient upgrading and multi-utilization. Various kinds of aquatic organisms, wereeffectively cooperated in this system. The system attained high reduction of BOD_5, COD, TSS, TN,TP and other pollutants. The mutagenic effect and number of bacteria and virus significantly de-clined during the process of purifieation. After the wastewater flowed through the upgrading zone,the concentrations of pollutants and algae evidently decreased. Plant harvesting did not yield drama-tic effects on reductions of the main pollutants, through it did affect remarkably the biomassproductivity of the macrophytes. The wastewater was reclaimed for various purposes.

Effects of Integrated Chinese Herbs and Western Medicine on Swine Toxoplasmosis

[ Objective] To evaluate the efficacy of integrated Chinese herbs and western medicine on the treatment of swine toxoplasmosis, in order to increase cure rate and lower recurrence rate. [ Method] Pigs artificially infected by Toxoplasma gondii were treated with compound suffonamide and a self-designed Chinese herbs formula, and the quantities of toxoplasma in ascites were determined. Animal regression experiment was per- formed after mice were inoculated with pathological samples of the pigs infected with toxoplasma. After treatment with integrated Chinese herbs and western medicine, the clinical manifestations of pigs were observed and the level of circulating antigen （CAg） in sera was detected. Curative effect indexes of integrated Chinese herbs and western medicine-treated group were compared with that of Chinese herbs-treated group, western medi- cine-treated group and positive control group. [ Result] All the toxoplasma trophozoites were killed by integrated and westem medicine. Regression expedment results showed that toxoplasma appeared only in one mouse that was inoculated with brain of pig. The treated pigs had nonsignificant clinical symptoms; the peak of serum CAg was lower than that of the positive control group and CAg turned negative faster than that of Chinese herbs-treated group, westem medicine-treated group, and positive control group. [ Conclusion] The integrated Chinese herbs and western medicine has good effect on the treatment of swine toxoplasmosis.

Sludge reduction with Tubificidae and the impact on the performance of the wastewater treatment process

To reduce excess sludge, a Tubificidae reactor was combined with an integrated oxidation ditch with vertical circle （IODVC）, and a new integrated system was developed for wastewater treatment, A pilot-scale of this integrated system was tested to investigate the sludge reduction with Tubificidae and the impact on effluent quality and sludge production. The dominant worm was Branchnria Sowerbyi in the Tubificidae reactor after inoculation of Branchnria Sowerbyi and Limnodrilns sp., and the maximal volume density of wet Tubificidae in vessels of the Tubificidae reactor was 17600 g/m^3. Two operational modes, treating the excess sludge （first mode） and the returned sludge （second mode） of IODVC by the Tubificidae reactor, were used in this experiment. The results showed that the excess sludge reduction rate was 46.4% in the first mode, and the average sludge yield of the integrated system was 6.19× 10^-5 kg SS/kg COD in the second mode. Though the sludge returned to IODVC via the Tubificidae reactor, it had little impact on the effluent quality and the sludge characteristics of the IODVC. No new type of recalcitrant substance in the supernatant was discharged into the environment when the sludge was treated by Tubificidae. The experimental results also indicated that no significant changes occurred on the viscosity, specific resistance, and the floc size distribution of the sludge.

Diagnosis and treatment of an elderly patient with 2019-nCoV pneumonia and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Gansu Province:A case report

BACKGROUND In December 2019,the first patient with 2019-novel coronavirus(2019-nCoV)was reported in Wuhan,China,and the disease spread rapidly across the country and surrounding countries within 2 mo.As of February 29,2020,a total of 91 confirmed cases had been reported in Gansu Province.This case report of the diagnosis and treatment of an elderly patient with 2019-nCoV pneumonia complicated by acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Gansu Province aims to provide a better reference for the treatment of patients in the future.CASE SUMMARY The patient,a 94-year-old female,lived in Maiji District of Tianshui,Gansu Province,China.On January 30,2020,she was admitted to the Fourth People’s Hospital of Tianshui after 9 d of close contact with a patient with 2019-nCoV pneumonia.She was subsequently admitted to Gansu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine for isolation and transferred to Tianshui Gansu Provincial Hospital of Infectious Diseases on February 3,2020 for treatment.Upon initial examination,her body temperature was 36.7°C,pulse was 80,breathing was 20,and blood pressure was 130/80 mmHg.She was conscious with normal development and normal nutrition.The pharynx was not red,and bilateral tonsils were not red and swollen.The lungs sounded slightly coarse with no dry or wet rales.The first symptoms were cough and fatigue on 2 February.The patient was hospitalized for 12 d.After active treatment,she was discharged on February 14 with a good prognosis.CONCLUSION A history of exposure to the affected area or patient is a major cause of 2019-nCoV infection,and population clustering is a high risk factor for transmission.Patients may not necessarily have respiratory system symptoms as the only clinical manifestation but may also have concomitant or first onset digestive symptoms.Attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.Nucleic acid testing is extremely important and needs to be repeated several times.Laboratory and auxiliary examination indicators during the first week of admission are extremely important.It is feasible to carry out dynamic and continuous index monitoring,which can predict and guide the prevention and treatment of multiple organ dysfunction and the prognosis of the disease.

Patient-reported Outcomes (PROs): An Approach to Evaluate Treatment Efficacy of Chinese Medicine or Integrative Medicine

Chinese medicine (CM) has been an experience based practice over the past three thousand years. The safety and efficacy of CM has been practised through experience, rather than nowadays’ modern scientific measurements. In this way, the development of CM has not been keeping pace with the advance in science and technology and the progress in orthodox medicine. In order to meet the requirements of modern science and technology, an evidence based approach must be adopted. Reassurance is needed to convince people for safety and efficacy of CM and give confidence to the evidence based demands ——“Tradition is confirmed by Modern Science” (1) .

Current Status of Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Treatment of Diabetic Peripheral Vascular Disease

Diabetic peripheral vascular disease(PVD)is one of the common chronic complications of diabetes.The main clinical manifestations of PVD are numbness and coldness of the limbs,resting pain,intermittent claudication,and other symptoms.The combined treatment involving Chinese and Western medicine for PVD has various clinical methods and definite curative effects.It is worthy of in-depth clinical research and application.

Traditional Chinese combined with western therapy in treatment of upper extremity edema after breast cancer surgery: A meta-analysis

Objective:To evaluate clinical efficacy by traditional Chinese combined with western therapy to treat upper extremity edema after breast cancer surgery.The clinical efficacy was described by the effective rate and the change of peripheral diameter of the affected limb.Methods:National Knowledge Internet(CNKI),Wan Fang Digital Journals(Wan Fang),VIP Chinese periodical service platform(VIP),Chinese biomedical literature service system(CBM),PubMed and EMBASE were searched on computer.And clinical randomized controlled trials(RCT)of the treatment of upper extremity edema after breast cancer surgery with integration of Chinese and western treatment were selected.The time was from January 2011 to May 2020.Upper extremity edema after breast cancer surgery was the first key word and the second was traditional Chinese combined with western therapy.Note Express was used to screen and extract literature.Bias risks of all the literature included in the study were evaluated and analyzed by RevMan5.3 software.Results:10 randomized controlled clinical tests,644 patients in conformity to the inclusion criteria,9 for the observation of curative effectiveness,5 of changes in limb circumference.322 cases were included in the observation group and the same number of cases in the control group,all of which were in Chinese.The results expressed that the curative effect in the observation group was 91.1%,and it was higher than the curative effect in the control group treated by single western treatment obviously,and it was only 68.9%[95%CI(1.22,1.44),Z=6.55,P<0.00001].The peripheral diameter shrinking degree of the affected limb in the observation group was also clearly higher than that in the control group which was healed by simple western treatment[95%CI(-0.98,-0.64),Z=9.40,P<0.00001].Conclusion:Traditional Chinese combined with western therapy treating upper extremity edema after the surgery of breast cancer had a notable clinical effect,which treated the disease and effectively lessened the peripheral diameter of the affected limb.The method was worthy of clinical application.However,owing to the low quality of the included documents,further discussion and learning were still needed.

Clinical Characteristics of 42 SARS Patients and Their Treatment of Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine

Objective:To understand the clinical manifestation of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and explore its effective treatment with integrative Chinese and western medicine (ICWM). Methods:The data of patients, whose diagnosis of SARS had been confirmed were summarized and analyzed, and clinical observation was conducted when the patients were treated with ICWM. Results:In the early stage of the 42 patients, the symptoms revealed were fever in 100% of SARS patients, headache in 92. 9%, aversion to cold in 76. 2%, chest stuffiness in 76. 2% , cough in 73. 8% and myalgia in 88.1%; pulmonary lesion involves >3 lobes in 42. 9%, 2 lobes in 47. 6% and 1 lobe in 9. 5%; 61. 9% of them showed liver function abnormality (increase of ALT or AST), 47. 6% showed elevated myocardial enzyme (CK or CK-MB) , 0. 48% showed an inclination of renal function (higher of BUN or Cr); in their T lymphocyte subsets, 91. 2% (31/34 patients) had lowered CD3 and 76. 5% (26/34 patients) lowered CD4/CD8 ratio. In the mid-late stage, the symptoms were lassitude and weakness in 85. 7%, scare in 81. 0%, short of breath or chest stuffiness in 71. 4%, loss of appetite in 64. 3%;light dark tongue proper in 52. 4%, yellow and white tongue coating in 45. 2%, and yellow thick coating on the middle-root part of the tongue in 21. 4%. Most of them were asymptomatic when discharged from hospital, with 92. 8% of their pulmonary lesion, according to chest film, completely absorbed and liver function, myocardial enzyme and renal function all normalized. However, of the 30 patients who had CD3 reexamination, 70% of the CD3 showed lower than normal range and 36. 7% showed their CD4/CD8 inclined to lower margin, follow-up should be done for these patients. Of the 42 patients, who received western medicine (WM) alone in the early stage and ICWM in the mid-late stage, 10 were severe cases and 3 critical cases, but none of them died. The mean defervescent time was 3. 52±0. 85 days, the time for complete absorption of pulmonary lesion judged by chest X-ray film was 26. 82±5. 98 days, and the mean hospitalization time was 33. 60±4. 37 days. Conclusion:The manifestation of SARS is multifarious, showing that there were damage in multiple organs. The T lymphocyte count percentage and its subsets, CD3 and CD4 /CD8 ratio, are valuable for early diagnosis and follow-up in the rehabilitation stage. Majority of the patients could be clinically cured. Combined treatment of WM and TCM according to syndrome differentiation and psychiatric intervention are beneficial to remit partial symptoms and promote rehabilitation.

Train of Thought about Treatment of High Blood Pressure with Integrative Traditional and Western Medicine

Based on the differ—ent theories,TCM andWestern medicine(WM)have their owndifferent understandingsabout the pathogenesisand treatment of highblood pressure(HBP).In TCM the balancesbetween blood-qi,vis—cera—bowel, and yin—yang are all highly

An innovative integrated system utilizing solar energy as power for the treatment of decentralized wastewater

This article reports an innovative integrated system utilizing solar energy as power for decentralized wastewater treatment, which consists of an oxidation ditch with double channels and a photovoltaic （PV） system without a storage battery. Because the system operates without a storage battery, which can reduce the cost of the PV system, the solar radiation intensity affects the amount of power output from the PV system. To ensure that the power output is sufficient in all different weather conditions, the solar radiation intensity of 78 W/m 2 with 95% confidence interval was defined as a threshold of power output for the PV system according to the monitoring results in this study, and a step power output mode was used to utilize the solar energy as well as possible. The oxidation ditch driven by the PV system without storage battery ran during the day and stopped at night. Therefore, anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic conditions could periodically appear in the oxidation ditch, which was favorable to nitrogen and phosphate removal from the wastewater. The experimental results showed that the system was efficient, achieving average removal efficiencies of 88% COD, 98% NH 4 ＋ -N, 70% TN and 83% TP, under the loading rates of 140 mg COD/（g MLSS·day）, 32 mg NH 4 ＋ -N/（g MLSS·day）, 44 mg TN/（g MLSS·day） and 5 mg TP/（g MLSS·day）.

Bi-doped carbon quantum dots functionalized liposomes with fluorescence visualization imaging for tumor diagnosis and treatment

Liposomes are one of the significant classes of antitumor nanomaterials and the most successful nanomedicine drugs in clinical translation. However, it is difficult to accurately reveal liposome delivery modes and drug release rates at different p H values to assess the biodistribution and drug delivery pathways in vivo. Here, we established a strategy to integrate Bi-doped carbon quantum dots(CQDs)with liposomes to produce fluorescence visualization and therapeutic effects, namely lipo/Bi-doped CQDs.Lipo/Bi-doped CQDs show good water solubility and physicochemical properties, which can be used for in vitro labeling of colon cancer(CT26) cells and in vivo imaging localization tracking tumors for monitoring. Simultaneously, thanks to the excellent p H sensitivity and ion doping characteristic of Bi-doped CQDs, lipo/Bi-doped CQDs can be used to reveal the drug release rate of liposomes at different p H values and exhibit potential effects in vivo antitumor therapy.

Clinical trial with traditional Chinese medicine intervention ''tonifying the kidney to promote liver regeneration and repair by affecting stem cells and their microenvironment'' for chronic hepatitis B-associated liver failure

AIM:To study the clinical efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)intervention"tonifying the kidney to promote liver regeneration and repair by affecting stem cells and their microenvironment"("TTK")for treating liver failure due to chronic hepatitis B.METHODS:We designed the study as a randomized controlled clinical trial.Registration number of Chinese Clinical Trial Registry is Chi CTR-TRC-12002961.A total of 144 patients with liver failure due to infection with chronic hepatitis B virus were enrolled in this randomized controlled clinical study.Participants were randomly assigned to the following three groups:(1)a modern medicine control group(MMC group,36patients);(2)a"tonifying qi and detoxification"("TQD")group(72 patients);and(3)a"tonifying the kidney to promote liver regeneration and repair by affecting stem cells and their microenvironment"("TTK")group(36patients).Patients in the MMC group received general internal medicine treatment;patients in the"TQD"group were given a TCM formula"tonifying qi and detoxification"and general internal medicine treatment;patients in the"TTK"group were given a TCM formula of"TTK"and general internal medicine treatment.All participants were treated for 8 wk and then followed at 48 wk following their final treatment.The primaryefficacy end point was the patient fatality rate in each group.Measurements of various virological and biochemical indicators served as secondary endpoints.The one-way analysis of variance and the t-test were used to compare patient outcomes in the different treatment groups.RESULTS:At the 48-wk post-treatment time point,the patient fatality rates in the MMC,"TQD",and"TTK"groups were 51.61%,35.38%,and 16.67%,respectively,and the differences between groups were statistically significant(P<0.05).However,there were no significant differences in the levels of hepatitis B virus DNA or prothrombin activity among the three groups(P>0.05).Patients in the"TTK"group had significantly higher levels of serum total bilirubin compared to MMC subjects(339.40μmol/L±270.09μmol/L vs 176.13μmol/L±185.70μmol/L,P=0.014).Serum albumin levels were significantly increased in both the"TQD"group and"TTK"group as compared with the MMC group(31.30 g/L±4.77g/L,30.72 g/L±2.89 g/L vs 28.57 g/L±4.56 g/L,P<0.05).There were no significant differences in levels of alanine transaminase among the three groups(P>0.05).Safety data showed that there was one case of stomachache in the"TQD"group and one case of gastrointestinal side effect in the"TTK"group.CONCLUSION:Treatment with"TTK"improved the survival rates of patients with liver failure due to chronic hepatitis B.Additionally,liver tissue was regenerated and liver function was restored.

Necrotizing fasciitis of cryptoglandular infection treated with multiple incisions and thread-dragging therapy:A case report

BACKGROUND Necrotizing fasciitis is a fulminant necrotizing soft tissue disease with a high fatality rate.It always starts with impact on the deep fascia rapidly and might result in secondary necrosis of the subcutaneous tissue,fascia,and muscle.Thus,timely and multiple surgical operations are needed for the treatment.Meanwhile,the damage of skin and soft tissue caused by multiple surgical operations may require dermatoplasty and other treatments as a consequence.CASE SUMMARY Here,we report a case of 50-year-old male patient who was admitted to our hospital with symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis caused by cryptoglandular infection in the perianal and perineal region.The symptoms of necrotizing fasciitis,also known as the cardinal features,include hyperpyrexia,excruciatingly painful lesions,demonstration gas in the tissue,an obnoxious foul odor and uroschesis.The results of postoperative pathology met the diagnosis.Based on the premise of complete debridement,multiple incisions combined with thread-dragging therapy(a traditional Chinese medicine therapy)and intensive supportive therapies including comprising antibiotics,nutrition and fluids were given.The outcome of the treatment was satisfactory.The patient recovered quickly and achieved ideal anal function and morphology.CONCLUSION Timely and effective debridement and multiple incisions combined with thread-dragging therapy are an integrated treatment for necrotizing fasciitis.

Successful Treatment with Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine for Severe Overdose of Amlodipine:A Case Report

Introduction Amlodipine is a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker （CCB） that inhibits calcium influx into cardiac, vascular smooth muscle cells, and pancreatic beta cells, leading to dilation of arteries and arterioles and reduction in insulin secretion. Oral administration of amlodipine is absorbed slowly but almost completely, with a hiah oral bioavailabilitv up to 60%-80%.

Evaluation of the Clinical Efficacy of Qingqiao Capsule (清窍胶囊) in Treating Patients with Secretory Otitis Media

Objective： To observe the clinical efficacy of Qingqiao Capsule （清窍胶囊, QQC） in treating patients with secretory otitis media （SOM）. Methods： A total of 90 patients were randomly assigned into the treated group （n：45） and the control group （n=45）. Patients in the treated group were administrated with QQC, 5 capsules each time, 3 times a day for totally 10-14 days, and those in the control group were given per os cefaclor capsules 0.5g each time for adult, 3 times a day, or 20mg/（kg·d） for children, for 10-14 days. The therapeutic efficacy of treatment on the patients was observed and compared after treatment and followed up for 3-6 months. Results： （1） The clinical efficacy in the treated group was superior to that in the control group with significant statistical difference （P〈0.01）; （2） Comparison of the efficacies in patients of three different TCM syndrome types （the external pathogenic wind invasion caused auditory orifice stuffiness type, the Gan-Dan damp-heat steaming up auditory orifice type and the Pi-deficiency dysfunction induced dirty dampness blocking ear type） showed no statistically significant difference（P〉0.05）; （3） The vanishing rate and time needed of the main symptoms and signs in the treated group were superior to those in the control group on ear muffle, tinnitus, hearing impairment, hydrotypanum, pure tone threshold and abnormal tongue figure, and the difference was statistically significant （P〈0.05 or P〈0.01）, only those of earache, otopiesis and abnornal pulse figure were insignificantly different between the two groups （P〉0.05）. Conclusion： QQC is an effective Chinese composite medicine on patients with SOM, and shows no obvious adverse reaction.

Clinical Controlled Study of Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine in Treating 49 Cases of SARS

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of integrative Chinese and western medicine (ICWM) in treating severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) patients. Methods: Through parallel control design, 49 SARS patients were observed. Used as control, there were in the western medicine (WM) group 29 patients, who were treated with Ribavirin, Levofloxacin, Thymopentin, Azithromycin, methylprednisolone, etc. , on the basis of 'Recommended Protocol for Infectious Atypical Pneumonia' (abbreviated as 'Recommended Protocol') issueed by Ministry of Health. As the treated group, there were in the ICWM 20 cases. The protocol for treatment of SARS in 'Special Science and Technological Action to Prevent and Treat SARS' (abbreviated as 'Special S-T Action'), issued by Ministry of Science and Technology, together with the same WM as those for the control group. Results: (1) Time from the disease onset to the symptom improvement were 5.10±2. 83 days and 7. 62±2. 27 days in ICWM and WM group respectively, P<0.05; (2) As to corticosteroid (CS) amount and days before reducing dosage, 2 groups showed no significant difference, P>0. 05;(3) There was no significant difference in the time from disease onset to the body temperature normalization and the total amount of CS and the duration of using CS before reducing it to 80 mg between the ICWM group and the WM group; (4) The days and amounts for use CS after reducing between the ICWM group and the WM group were significantly different (P<0. 05). Conclusion: There were obvious advantages in ICWM to treat SARS, compared with that of WM alone, especially in improving the clinical symptoms, promoting the recovery of immune function, promoting the absorption of pulmonary inflammation and reducing the dosage and duration of CS treatment.

Treatment of Bone Marrow Failure Syndrome with Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine

Aplastic anemia （AA） and myelodysplastic syndrome （MDS） are both included in the bone marrow failure syndromes （BMFS）. AA is a group of diseases characterized by hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell damage, oerioheral blood cvtooenia, andclinical manifestations including anemia, bleeding and infection, which eventually lead to bone marrow failure. The incidence rate of AA in China is 7.4/10^6, higher than that in Western countries, among which the morbidity of acute AA and chronic AA （CAA） is 1.4/10^6 and 6.0/10^6, respectively.

Preparation of NIR-II-excited Drug-loaded Liposomes and Their Antitumor Activity and in Vitro Imaging Studies

In recent years,with the rapid development of nano-technology,the combination of diagnosis and treatment by nanotechnologyhas brought new hope for mankind to overcome cancer.The Near-infrared two-region(NIR-II)imaging technology hasdeveloped rapidly in recent years because of its non-invasive nature,strong tissue penetration and overall imaging of small animals.In this study,a novel nano-drug delivery system(DOX-IR1061 cationic liposomes)was prepared,loaded with doxorubicin(DOX)as a chemotherapeutic drug and NIR-II-excited fluorescent probe IR1061 as an imaging agent,and the uptake ability of tumor cellswas enhanced by octadecylamine.DOX-IR1061 cationic liposomes have good NIR-II imaging ability,clear imaging and obvioussignal.Cell uptake indicated that palamine could enhance the uptake efficiency of cationic liposomes by tumor cells,while in vitroanti-tumor experiments revealed that the enhancement of uptake efficiency would enhance the anti-tumor effect of DOX.Therefore,DOX-IR1061 cationic liposomes we prepared have the potential to realize both tumor imaging and therapy,and to realize theintegration of rapid diagnosis and treatment,and provide new ideas for cancer cure and the development of the field of diagnosis andtreatment integration.

Can the management of depression in type 2 diabetes be democratized?

Both type 2 diabetes and depression are common and are projected to increase.There is increasing evidence for a bidirectional relationship between the two.Diabetes is a risk factor for depression;contrariwise,individuals with depression are at greater risk of developing diabetes.They are a burden for both the individual and the society.Co-existent depression worsens diabetic control because of obesity,insulin resistance and the adverse metabolic effects of anti-diabetes medicines.In addition,compliance to lifestyle measures required for diabetes is also compromised such as following a specific diet,taking proper medications on time,getting metabolic parameters assessed and maintaining a sleep cycle.Depression occurs in many grades;mild depression is more common in diabetes than frank or full-blown depression leading to suicide.Unfortunately,there are not enough trained and accessible mental health professionals such as psychologists or psychiatrists to deal with the increasing burden of depression in diabetes.Therefore,alternate models for management of mild to moderate depression are required.There is evidence that a team-approach by employing health care assistants can lower the risk of cardiac risk factors.INtegrating DEPrEssioN and Diabetes treatmENT study was carried out to determine whether the team-approach using non-health care professionals could be effective in managing mild to moderate depression and to study its effects on metabolic parameters among subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.The international study,carried out in four independent centers in India assessed the impact of a trained but not qualified non-psychiatrist in coordinating and forming a fulcrum between the patient,the family and the consultant endocrinologist/diabetologist.The interventions were fine-tuned to be culturally appropriate by qualitative interviews before they began.It was shown that the outcomes of both depression and diabetes could be improved by the employment of a clinical care coordinator.It is possible to scale up the studies to wider geographical areas and health-care organizations.