Microalgae have been identified as promising candidates for biorefinery of value-added molecules. The valuable products from microalgae include polyunsaturated fatty acids and pigments, clean and sustainable energy (e.g. biodiesel). Nevertheless, high cost for microalgae biomass harvesting has restricted the industrial application of microalgae. Flocculation, compared with other microalgae harvesting methods, has distinguished itself as a promising method with low cost and easy operation. Here, we reviewed the methods of microalgae harvesting using flocculation, including chemical flocculation, physical flocculation and biological flocculation, and the progress and prospect in bio-flocculation are especially focused. Harvesting microalgae via bio-flocculation, especially using bio-flocculant and microalgal strains that is self-flocculated, is one of the eco-friendly, cost-effective and efficient microalgae harvesting methods.
Biofuels ; Biomass ; Flocculation ; Microalgae ; growth & development

Child ; Critical Care ; Humans ; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric ; Medical Records ; Severity of Illness Index

Air Pollutants, Occupational ; analysis ; Coke ; Fatty Liver ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Occupational Exposure ; adverse effects ; Risk Factors

Objective To investigate the effects of early rehabilitative training program on patients with acute myocardial infarction(AMI).Methods One hundred and twenty-two patients with AMI were randomly divided into early rehabilitation group(n=62)and control group(n=60).In addition to routine treatment,patients in rehabilitation group received early rehabilitative training mainly by walking exercise for two weeks.Results There were no significant differences in ventricular arrhythmia(Lown≥Ⅲ), extension of infarction and heart rate variability(HRV)between the two groups(P＞0.05).Forty of 62 patients(64.5%)in rehabilitation group had their left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)more than or equal to 50% in the 3~(rd)～4~(th)week after admission,significantly higher than that in control group(45.0%, 27/60 ;P＜0.01 ).By the end of the 4~(th)week after admission,25.8% of the patients in rehabilitation group showed positive in treadmill test,significantly lower than that in control group(38.3%,P＜0.01). Occurrence of angina pectoris and reinfarction and fatality in rehabilitation group were significantly lower than those in control group(P＜0.05)during their hospitalization and follow-up period.Patients in rehabilitation group stayed at hospital for(16?3)days in average,significantly less than that in control group[(27?4) days],with statistically significant difference(P＜0.05).Conclusion Early rehabilitative training for patients with uncomplicated AMI is not only safe and feasible,but also useful in improvement for their prognosis and quality of life.

To evaluate the effects of different antagonists on the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol and the expression of Bcl-2 in mitochondria in rat hippocampus after ischemia, we examined Bcl-2 and cytochrome c expression by immunoblotting using 4-vessel occlusion (4-VO) as brain ischemia model. The results showed that after 24 h ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) cytochrome c decreased markedly in mitochondria, which was correspondingly increased in the cytosolic fraction. Bcl-2 expression was time-dependent, reaching its peak level after 6 h I/R. In all those samples, there were no alterations in the subcellular distribution of cytochrome oxidase, a mitochondrial respiratory chain protein. The decreases in Bcl-2 and cytochrome c in mitochondria were restored by pretreatment with non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist ketamine or L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channel (L-VGCC) antagonist nifedipine at 20 min prior to ischemia. The results demonstrate that the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to cytosol and the up-regulation of Bcl-2 are possibly mediated by NMDA receptors or L-VGCC following brain ischemia. Cytochrome c release may be injurious while Bcl-2 up-regulation may be protective to ischemic hippocampus.
Animals ; Brain Ischemia ; metabolism ; Calcium Channel Blockers ; pharmacology ; Calcium Channels, L-Type ; drug effects ; Cytochromes c ; metabolism ; Cytosol ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Ketamine ; pharmacology ; Male ; Mitochondria ; metabolism ; Nifedipine ; pharmacology ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate ; antagonists & inhibitors ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo compare clinical outcomes between two suturing methods using non absorbable materials through drilling the bone and suturing anchors for the treatment of complete rupture of the deltoid ligament.

METHODSFrom January 2009 to January 2013, 58 hospitalized patients with ankle fracture combined with complete rupture of the deltoid ligament were treated with suturing using non absorbable materials through drilling the bone or suturing anchors. There were 29 patients who received suturing treatments using non absorbable materials through drilling the bone (Group A), including 18 males and 11 females, with an average age of (39.76 +/- 11.81) years old. According to the Lauge-Hansen classification, 12 patients had supination external rotation (SER) injuries with IV degree, 5 patients had pronation external rotation (PER) injuries with III degree, 10 patients had PER injuries with IV degrss, and 2 patients had pronation abduction injuries with III degree. There were 29 patients who received treatments with suturing using anchors (Group B), including 14 males and 15 females, with an average age of (41.79 +/- 13.28) years old. According to the Lauge-Hansen classification,9 patients had SER injuries with IV degree, 6 patients had PER injuries with III degree,13 patients had PER injuries with IV degree, and 1 patient had pronation abduction injuries with III degree. All the patients were treated with open reduction and internal fixation, as well as reconstruction of deltoid ligaments to restore the stability of the medial ankle structures. The clinical examination, imaging evaluation, American society for ankle surgery (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score and visual analogue scale (VAS) were used to evaluate the clinical results after operation, and the results of the two groups were compared and analyzed statistically.

RESULTSThe follow-up duration of the 58 patients ranged from 23 to 40 months,with an average of 27.3 months. All the patients had fracture union, and the mean healing time was 12.3 weeks (ranged, 10 to 17 weeks). There were no incision complications and ankle instability. There were no significant differences between two groups in AOFAS (P=0.666) and the VAS (P=0.905).

CONCLUSIONTreatments of complete rupture of the deltiod ligaments with the two suturing methods get similar good clinical effects, but the suturing using non absorbable materials through drilling the bone has several advantages such as reducing the financial burden of patients, saving social medical resources and avoiding the shortcoming in difficult removal of anchor suture.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Ankle Fractures ; surgery ; Ankle Injuries ; surgery ; Ankle Joint ; surgery ; Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Lateral Ligament, Ankle ; injuries ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the therapeutic effect of Longjintonglin Capsules on type IIIA prostatitis accompanied by abnormal semen liquefaction.

METHODSWe selected 140 patients with type IIIA prostatitis accompanied by abnormal semen liquefaction according to the diagnostic standards of the American Institutes of Health (NIH) and treated them with Longjintonglin Capsules orally 3 capsules once tid for 12 weeks. We obtained the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Indexes (NIH-CPSI), traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndrome scores, leukocyte count in the expressed prostatic secretion (EPS), semen liquefaction time, and the results of semen analysis and compared these indicators before and after the treatment.

RESULTSOf the 140 cases, 132 were included in this study, excluding 8 due to their incomplete case histories. Before and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of medication, the total NIH-CPSI scores were 24.52 ± 5.43, 21.28 ± 4.85, 18.01 ± 4.28, and 14.49 ± 3.65 (P < 0.01), the TCM syndrome scores were 35.63 ± 6.07, 26.66 ± 5.03, 17.37 ± 4.18, and 11.11 ± 3.96 (P < 0.01), and the leukocyte counts (/HP) were 27.50 ± 7.01, 22.38 ± 5.22, 16:76 ± 4.10, and 11.40 ± 4.74 (P < 0.01), respectively. After 12 weeks of treatment, 31 of the patients with type IIIA prostatitis were cured and another 72 well responded, with an overall response rate of 78.0%. Of those with abnormal semen liquefaction, 61 were cured, 39 well responded, and 32 failed to respond, with an overall effectiveness rate of 75.8%. Semen analysis showed significantly increased percentage of progressively motile sperm after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of medication as compared with the baseline (P < 0.01). No abnormal liver or renal function or other adverse reactions were observed during the treatment.

CONCLUSIONLongjintonglin Capsules, with its advantages of safety, effectiveness and no obvious adverse effects, deserve to be recommended for the treatment of type IIIA prostatitis accompanied by abnormal semen liquefaction.

Capsules ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; Humans ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Phytotherapy ; Prostatitis ; classification ; drug therapy ; Semen ; Semen Analysis

OBJECTIVETo establish a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatorgraphy (RP-HPLC) method for detecting the dencichine in Panax notoginseng extracts and drug preparations.

METHODDencichine was extracted with the borate buffer (pH 9. 18) and the clear supernatant was used for the derivatization. Pre-column derivatization was performed using 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate (FMOC) to form derivatives. The mobile phase consisted of methanol and 0. 05 mol x L( -1) NaH2 PO4 (48: 52) (pH adjusted to 7.4 with NaOH solution) in a flow rate of 1.0 mL m min(-1). The ultraviolet (UV) detection wavelength was set at 262 nm.

RESULTThe linearity was demonstrated over a wide range of concentration from 1.76 mg L(-1) to 352 mg x L(-1) for dencichine. The detection limit was determined to be 60 microg x L(-1). The derivative was stable and the derivatization agent did not influence the measurement of dencichine. The average recovery rate was 95. 3% and the relative standard derivation (RSD) was 1. 7%. The method was used to determine dencichine in different P. notoginseng extracts and drug preparations.

CONCLUSIONThis method is simple, fast and sensitive, suitable for determining the dencichine in P. notoginseng extracts and drug preparations as well as for the study of the dencichine metabolism in vivo.

Amino Acids, Diamino ; analysis ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; instrumentation ; methods ; Fluorenes ; chemistry ; Panax notoginseng ; chemistry ; Plant Roots ; chemistry ; Plants, Medicinal ; chemistry ; Reproducibility of Results

Acyltransferases ; antagonists & inhibitors ; chemistry ; Animals ; Antifungal Agents ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Benzofurans ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Benzothiazoles ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Drug Design ; Enzyme Inhibitors ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Fungi ; drug effects ; enzymology ; Imidazoles ; chemical synthesis ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure

In recent years, the incidence of infections caused by invasive fungal pathogens has increased dramatically. However, most antifungal agents used in clinic have many drawbacks and cannot meet the demand of the clinical use. Therefore, for the development of new generation of antifungal agents, it is of great significance to find antifungal lead compounds with novel chemical scaffolds and new mode of action. Novel antifungal lead compounds reported in recent years are reviewed. Their chemical structures, antifungal activity and structure-activity relationship are discussed in detail, and current problems and trends in future research are also emphasized.
4-Butyrolactone ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antifungal Agents ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Berberine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cholestanols ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cycloleucine ; analogs & derivatives ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Fungi ; drug effects ; Heterocyclic Compounds ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Lactones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; Naphthoquinones ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Pyridines ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Structure-Activity Relationship