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Background The use of electroacupuncture at Shenting and Baihui acupoints may improve the learning and memory impairment in cerebral ischemic stroke patients with cognitive impairment induced by one pathogenic factor known as abnormal free radical metabolism. Objective To explore the possible mechanism of using electroacupuncture at Shenting and Baihui acupoints to improve the learning and memory impairment in a rat model of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion induced learning and memory impairment by observing the changes of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in brain tissues of the model. Methods This experiment was conducted from August 2019 to August 2020. Eighteen SPF male SD rats were selected and equally randomized into three groups by use of random allocation using SPSS 22.0: sham operation group (receiving a neck incision for separating the neck artery, then being caught at a fixed time point), model group (receiving occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for inducing ischemia-reperfusion injury, then being assessed with a Zea-Longa score of 1-3 points in the fully awake state, and being caught at a fixed time point) and electroacupuncture group (first receiving interventions similar to those given to rats in the model group, then on the first day after being successfully modeled, receiving a 30-minute electroacupuncture at Shenting and Baihui acupoints with dense-sparse waves in the frequency range of 1 Hz/20 Hz, once daily, for two consecutive weeks). When the intervention ended, Morris water maze experiment was used to test the learning and memory ability of all rats. The SOD activity and MDA content in brain tissues of rats were measured by WST-1 assay, and thiobarbituric acid assay, respectively. Results The rats in both model group and electroacupuncture group were modeled successfully. On the 13th day of training trial, compared with rats in the sham operation group, those in the model group showed an increased escape latency and decreased number of crossing the platform (P

Byline: Tiemin. Jiang, Zongding. Wang, Tuerganaili. Aji, Bo. Ran, Qiang. Guo, Ruiqing. Zhang, Talaiti. Tuergan, Kai. Zhong, Yingmei. Shao, Wen. Hao Background: Hepatic cystic echinococcosis (HCE) rupture into the biliary [...]

Transport time lag is a crucial characteristic of fire spreading in fire early stage, which determines the activation time of the fire detector. To clarify the quantitative relationship between the delay behavior and the quasi-steady state of smoke transmission in a long-narrow space, a time-varying spreadsheet is theoretically proposed to calculate the delay time of fire smoke transmission based on the theory of weak plume and the existing achievements concerned. Moreover, a theoretical model concerning the critical time for quasi-steady state assumption applicability is developed, where the method of calculating the critical time is also presented. The results of the case study show that due to the difference of smoke spreading velocity in long-narrow spaces and unconfined spaces for a case with the same conditions, the critical time for the smoke transmission to reach the quasi-steady state at a given radial distance on the ceiling in a long-narrow space is larger than that in the open space. For the open case, the thin ceiling plume, the small volume of entrained air, and the relatively high velocity of smoke lead to the longer delay time of smoke transmission in a long-narrow space than that in the open space under the same situations.

With the continuous expansion of petroleum exploitation, a large amount of petroleum hydrocarbons has leaked into the Earth's soil, which seriously threatens ecological health. Hence, a series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of natural attenuation (NA), rice husk (RH), and biochar derived from rice husk (RHBC) in enhancing the bioremediation of petroleum-contaminated soil. When the biodegradation time reached 100 d, the total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs) biodegradation amounts of NA, RH, and RHBC were 3688.2, 4557.9, and 5913.3 mg/kg, which was equal to the biodegradation efficiency of 32.8, 40.6, and 52.6%, respectively. Compared with NA and RH, the biodegradation efficiency of n-alkanes C11–C15 (C11 represents n-alkanes with 11 carbons, namely n-Hendecane) C16–C29, and C30–C40 in RHBC increased to 69.7~82.5%, 42.4~81.5%, and 30.2~48.1%, equivalent to 12.2~34.5%, 6.9~31.2%, and 13.5~37.1% more than NA and RH, respectively. Moreover, the half-life of biodegradation in RHBC was shorted to 83.3 d, equal to 49.7 and 67.9% of NA and RH, respectively. Furthermore, the application of RHBC could improve the dehydrogenase activity in soil and promote the growth and reproduction of petroleum-degrading bacteria (PDB), which enhances the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons. This study exhibited that biochar formed from biomass pyrolysis is a potential biostimulator in enhancing the remediation of petroleum-contaminated soil by indigenous bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human cystic echinococcosis is a zoonosis caused by the larval cestode Echinococcus granulosus. Clear cell renal carcinoma is the most common pathological type of renal cell carcinoma. Echinococcosis complicated with carcinoma is rarely reported. Here, we reported a female patient with echinococcal cyst of the liver accompanied with clear cell renal carcinoma. This 27-year-old woman was admitted for abdominal pain. The serological testing of hydatid cyst was positive and levels of tumor markers were within the normal range. The computed tomography and histological findings confirmed hepatic echinococcal cyst complicated with renal carcinoma of kidney. Preoperative liver function was grade A. The patient underwent pericystectomy of liver hydatid cyst and partial nephrectomy. No recurrence was found at 1 year of follow-up. Liver hydatid complicated with renal cell carcinoma is rare, which should be differentiated from liver metastasis of renal cancer. Surgical resection is the optimal treatment. This case may provide insight for the diagnosis and research on the co-occurrence of tumor and hydatid cyst.