Evaluation of the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) classification criteria in a Chinese population

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate for thefirst time in a Chinese population, the usefulness of the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group (ESSG) criteria.

METHODS

A total of 193 clinically diagnosed SpA patients were compared to 166 patients with other types of arthritis, using the parameters listed in the ESSG criteria.

RESULTS

The sensitivity and specificity of the ESSG criteria in this Chinese population were high at 85.4% and 96.4% respectively.

CONCLUSION

The use of ESSG criteria for classifying SpA in Chinese will not lead to significant omission of SpA patients or inclusion of patients who do not have SpA.

Optimization of Suzhou Creek Rehabilitation Project Stage I

Suzhou Creek is a seriously polluted tidal river in Shanghai, China. With the development of Shanghai, there is more and more concern over the "blackness and stink" phenomenon of Suzhou Creek. Suzhou Creek Rehabilitation Project was launched in 1998, and the planning investment of the Project Stage I was 8.65 billion yuan (about 1.05 billion US dollars). It is important to predict the effectiveness of the project and to optimize it. In this study, the USEPA's WASP model is employed to establish a water quality model of Suzhou Creek by using data from the Third Trial Low Flow Augmentation on Suzhou Creek in 1999 and other monitoring results. Based on this, Suzhou Creek Rehabilitation Project Stage I is optimized and adjusted, so the actual investment of the Project Stage I is reduced to 6.99 billion yuan. By implementing the Project Stage I, the targets of Stage I have been met, the "blackness and stink" phenomenon of the mainstream was eliminated by the end of 2000, and the ecological system was improved step by step.

PAN-811 (3-Aminopyridine-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone), a novel neuroprotectant, elicits its function in primary neuronal cultures by up-regulating Bcl-2 expression

Neurotoxicity in primary neurons was induced using hypoxia/hypoglycemia (H/H), veratridine (10microM), staurosporine (1microM) or glutamate (100microM), which resulted in 72%, 67%, 75% and 66% neuronal injury, respectively. 3-Aminopyridine-2-carboxaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (PAN-811; 10microM; Panacea Pharmaceuticals, Gaithersburg, MD) pretreatment for 24 h provided maximal neuroprotection of 89%, 42%, 47% and 89% against these toxicities, respectively. Glutamate or H/H treatment of cells increased cytosolic cytochrome c levels, which was blocked by pretreatment of cells with PAN-811. Pretreatment of neurons with PAN-811 produced a time-dependent increase in the protein level of Bcl-2, which was evident even after glutamate or H/H treatments. An up-regulation in the expression of the p53 and Bax genes was also observed following exposure to these neurotoxic insults; however, this increase was not suppressed by PAN-811 pretreatment. Functional inhibition of Bcl-2 by HA14-1 reduced the neuroprotective efficacy of PAN-811. PAN-811 treatment also abolished glutamate or H/H-mediated internucleosomal DNA fragmentation.

Coarse media filtration--an alternative to settling in wastewater treatment

In this paper coarse media filtration has been analysed as an alternative to the traditional settling in primary, secondary and tertiary treatment of wastewater. Various filter media configurations were evaluated for enhanced primary filtration. It was found that a dual media configuration based on Kaldnes biofilm media (1 and K2modified) were most suitable when taking both separation efficiency as well as filter run time into consideration. SS removal efficiencies of around 75% were achieved in the dual Kaldnes primary filter at around 20 m/h without any chemical addition and around 85% at low dosage (1-2 mg/l) of a high MW cationic polymer FO4440SH. In the latter case COD was removed by around 70%. Further experiments were carried out on a multi-media Kaldnes-Filtralite-Sand (KFS) filter for enhanced primary treatment as well as for secondary filtration directly downstream of a high-rate moving bed biofilm reactor, resulting in an extremely compact secondary treatment process. The secondary KFS-filter gave SS-removal efficiencies around 90% (effluent SS < 15 mg/l) and filter run times of around 24 hrs at filtration rates of 10 m/h (sludge loading rates of around 1 kg/m2h) when a small dose (2 mg/l) of polymer was used. It is also demonstrated that the primary filter may also be utilised as a pre-denitrification reactor. A denitrification rate of 1.5 kg NO3-N(equiv.)/m3d was achieved when the filter was operated at a filtration rate of 5 m/h.

A high-rate secondary treatment based on a moving bed bioreactor and multimedia filters for small wastewater treatment plants

For small wastewater treatment plants (WWPTs), high-rate secondary treatment systems with good treatment efficiency and easy, stable, and robust operation are called for. In this paper an experimental study on a high rate secondary treatment based on moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) and multimedia filters is presented. A high rate MBBR converts easily biodegradable SCOD in short HRT (0.5 h) directly after screening, then a Kaldnes-Filtralite-Sand (KFS) filter removes the particulate COD and detached biofilms at filtration rates of 10-20 m/h. The whole system gave effluent SS and COD less than 30 mg/L and 100 mg/L when total detention time is less than 1 h and small dosage of chemicals (iron and/or cationic polymer) is used. A new scenario of high rate secondary system with a primary Kaldnes coarse media filter in front of high rate MBBR and the KFS filter is proposed and discussed. This scenario with total HRT less than 2h is more suitable for high influent SS concentrations and may also be extended for nitrogen and phosphorous removal. Compared to conventional secondary treatment, the high rate secondary treatment will be using only 1/5-1/10 of the space, resulting in considerable savings for construction, energy and operation.

Randomized phase III study of chemoradiation with or without amifostine for patients with favorable performance status inoperable stage II-III non-small cell lung cancer: preliminary results

A prospective randomized study was conducted to determine whether amifostine (Ethyol) reduces the rate of severe esophagitis and hematologic and pulmonary toxicity associated with chemoradiation or improves control of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Sixty patients with inoperable stage II or III NSCLC were treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Both groups received thoracic radiation therapy (TRT) with 1.2 Gy/fraction, 2 fraction per day, 5 days per week for a total dose 69.6 Gy. All patients received oral etoposide (VP-16), 50 mg Bid, 30 minutes before TRT beginning day 1 for 10 days, repeated on day 29, and cisplatin 50 mg/m(2) intravenously on days 1, 8, 29, and 36. Patients in the study group received amifostine, 500 mg intravenously, twice weekly before chemoradiation (arm 1); patients in the control group received chemoradiation without amifostine (arm 2). Patient and tumor characteristics were distributed equally in both groups. Of the 60 patients enrolled, 53 were evaluable (27 in arm 1, 26 in arm 2) with a median follow-up of 6 months. Median survival times were 26 months for arm 1 and 15 months for arm 2, not statistically significantly different. Morphine intake to reduce severe esophagitis was significantly lower in arm 1 (2 of 27, 7.4%) than arm 2 (8 of 26, 31%; P =.03). Acute pneumonitis was significantly lower in arm 1 (1 of 27, 3.7%) than in arm 2 (6 of 26, 23%; P =.037). Hypotension (20 mm Hg decrease from baseline blood pressure) was significantly more frequent in arm 1 (19 of 27, 70%) than arm 2 (1 of 26, 3.8%; P =.0001). Only 1 patient discontinued treatment because of hypotension. These preliminary results showed that amifostine significantly reduced acute severe esophagitis and pneumonitis. Further observation is required to assess long-term efficacy.

Coarse media filtration for enhanced primary treatment of municipal wastewater

In these experimental studies enhanced primary treatment in coarse media filters has been evaluated. The coarse media used in the filters have been plastic carriers normally used for moving bed bioreactors, a Kaldnes carrier K1 with density < 1 g/cm3 (K1L) and a bigger carrier K2, that was used both in a lighter, floating (K2L) version and a heavier, sinking one (K2H). The results demonstrated that media characteristics significantly influenced filter performance. The dosing of a high MW and high charge cationic polymer was, however, found to have an even greater effect on treatment efficiency and especially on head loss development. Both filters were found to be feasible for enhanced primary treatment at high filtration rates (20-30 m/h) especially when dosing low dosages (1-3 mg/l) of polymer. The combination of two media into a dual media filter might take the advantages of both. Further experiments were carried out on a dual media filter consisting of lighter K1L media and heavier K2H media. It was indeed found that the K1L+K2H up-flow filter resulted in better performances in terms of water production when an optimised backwash procedure was taken into account.

[The effect of perindopril in treatment of early diabetic nephropathy with normal blood pressure and microalbuminuria]

OBJECTIVE

To study the effect of perindopril in decreasing the urinary albumin excretion rate (AER) and protecting the renal function in normotensive early diabetic nephropathy.

METHODS

52 diabetic patients with AER between 20 to 200 microg/min, were treated with dietary regimen, oral antihyperglycemic agents or/ and insulin till their fasting blood glucose (FBG) was < 7.0 mmol/L and postprandial blood glucose (PBG) < 10.0 mmol/L. They were then divided randomly into two groups. Group A was a control group (25 cases), the patients were administered with placebo, group B was a treatment group (27 cases), the patients were administered with perindopril (4 mg/day) FBG, PBG, glycosylated haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), AER, blood pressure (MAP) and blood creatinine (Cr) were examined immediately and 3, 6, 12 and 18 months after the treatment.

RESULTS

In group A, AER was significantly increased after 12 and 18 months than at beginning, they were (52.3 +/- 8.6) microg/min and (60.4 +/- 9.0) microg/min vs (44.2 +/- 6.8) microg/min (P < 0.05). In group B, after being treated with perindopril, AER estimated 3, 6, 12 and 18 months later were (20.3 +/- 5.6) microg/min, (22.1 +/- 6.1) microg/min, (21.3 +/- 5.9) microg/min and (20.8 +/- 5.7) microg/min respectively, all were significantly lower those that of group A in the same period (P < 0.05) and also significantly lower than those at the beginning (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Perindopril has good effects in decreasing AER in normotensive early diabetic nephropathy and in protecting the renal function.

Respiratory-driven lung tumor motion is independent of tumor size, tumor location, and pulmonary function

PURPOSE

To determine whether superior-inferior lung tumor motion is predictable by tumor size or location, or pulmonary function test results.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Superior-inferior tumor motion was measured on orthogonal radiographs taken during simulation of 22 patients with inoperable lung cancer diagnosed by orthogonal radiographs.

RESULTS

The tumor size averaged 5.5 +/- 3.1 cm (range 1.5-12 cm). Seven of 11 central tumors demonstrated some motion compared with 5 of 11 peripheral tumors. Four of 5 upper lobe tumors moved compared with 8 of 17 tumors that were either middle or lower lobe lesions. The mean fourth rib motion was 7.3 +/- 3.2 mm (range 2-15). The mean FeV(1) was 1.8 +/- 1.2 (range 0.55-5.33. The mean diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide was 14.0 +/- 6.5 (range 7.8-21.9). The mean total lung capacity was 6.5 +/- 1.2 (range 3.3-8.4). None of these parameters correlated with tumor motion. Although lateral tumor motion could not be consistently determined, 1 tumor moved 10 mm anterior-posteriorly.

CONCLUSIONS

Lung tumors often move significantly during respiration. Tumor motion is not predictable by tumor size or location, or pulmonary function test results. Therefore, tumor motion must be measured in all patients. Measurement in three dimensions will likely be necessary to maximize the irradiated lung volumes or choose beam arrangements parallel to the major axis of motion.

Cardiotrophin-1 can protect cardiac myocytes from injury when added both prior to simulated ischaemia and at reoxygenation

OBJECTIVE

The cytokine cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) has previously been shown to protect cultured cardiocytes from cell death induced by serum removal or hypoxia when administered prior to the damaging stimulus. We wished to test whether a similar protective effect could be observed if CT-1 was added after the ischaemic period and to investigate the signalling pathways involved in the protective effect when CT-1 is given prior to or after ischaemia.

METHODS

We therefore examined the protective effect of CT-1 in cultured rat cardiocytes exposed to simulated ischaemia followed by reoxygenation when CT-1 was administered either prior to simulated ischaemia or at reoxygenation.

RESULTS

We show that CT-1 can exert a protective effect against the damaging effects of simulated ischaemia/reoxygenation both when added after the simulated ischaemia at reoxygenation (P<0.05 in trypan blue, TUNEL and annexin V assays) or when added prior to the simulated ischaemia (P<0.05). In both cases, these protective effects are blocked by an inhibitor of the p42/p44 MAPK pathway (P<0.05 in all assays).

CONCLUSION

CT-1 can protect cardiac cells when added either prior to simulated ischaemia or at the time of reoxygenation following simulated ischaemia and these effects are dependent upon its ability to activate the p42/p44 MAPK pathway. Hence CT-1 may have therapeutic potential when added at the time of reperfusion following ischaemic damage.

[Study on determination of trace cadmium in Chinese medicine loulu by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry]

A method for the determination of trace cadmium in chinese medicine Loulu by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS) has been described. The matrix modifier and its proper concentration, the influence factors including ashing and atomization temperature, atomization time and coexisting ions were investigated. Under the optimum experimental conditions, the detection limit and the relative standard deviation of the method were 0.06 ng.mL-1 and 2.43% (n = 11), respectively. The recovery was between 97% and 105%. The method is simple, rapid and accurate, and can eliminate the matrix effect. It has been applied to the direct determination of trace cadmium in chinese medicine Loulu with satisfactory results.