Biomedical subjects

Huifang Xu

Publications and source records attributed to Huifang Xu.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2003

[Treatment of wastewater from a toilet for reclamation with a airlift external recirculated membrane bioreactor].

A new type membrane bioreactor(MBR) coupled with a separated immersed membrane unit was studied for treatment of wastewater from a toilet and for reclamation of the treated water. The results showed that the effluent of the MBR was stable with COD < 47 mg/L, BOD5 < 8.5 mg/L, NH3-N < 20 mg/L, when the influent concentration was COD 440-970 mg/L, BOD5 307-612 mg/L, NH3-N 59-111 mg/L. The treated water could meet the standard of reused water for toilet washing issued by the Ministry of Construction P.R. China. The sludge loading, volume loading, HRT and their impaction to COD of effluent were studied. Appropriate sludge loading, volume loading were respectively 0.1 kg/(kg.d), 1 kg/(m3.d) and HRT 7-8 hour. The effect of mixed liquid suspendend solid(MLSS), temperature and permeating time of the MBR to the membrane fluxes were discussed in this paper.

Biodegradation, Environmental↗

PubMed2003

Procedure and clinical assessments of malariotherapy: recent experience in 20 HIV patients.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the side effects of malariotherapy and to explore safe procedures in conduct of malariotherapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients. METHODS: Twenty HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients were selected for the study of malariotherapy and were intravenously infected with Plasmodia vivax to induce therapeutic malaria. Malaria was terminated with chloroquine after 10 - 20 malarial febrile episodes. Clinical assessments were made before (baseline), during (malarial phase) and after (post) termination of malaria. The density of Plasmodia in peripheral blood from the HIV/AIDS patients were compared to that from HIV-negative naturally infected malarial patients who donated the blood for the therapeutically induced malaria. CD(4) cell baseline levels were correlated to the severity of malarial symptoms and parasitemia. RESULTS: There were no significant differences of Plasmodium density between the HIV/AIDS patients injected with P. vivax and the HIV-negative blood donors. However, it was found that the HIV-positive patients had milder malarial symptoms and parasitemia with progressively lower CD(4) cell baseline levels. All patients developed every day or every other day fever episodes with headache and shaking chill. These symptoms were well tolerated with the aid of anti-pyretic medications. Spleen and liver enlargement were seen in 15 of 20 and 4 of 20 patients respectively. Transitory liver effects with increase of serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase were seen in 2 of 20 during malarial phase. Most patients experienced mild to medium anemia and 6 of 20 patients developed thrombocytopenia during malarial phase. All these side effects disappeared after termination of malaria or within one month thereafter. No complications occurred in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutically induced acute vivax malaria was well tolerated in 20 HIV-positive subjects who represented a range of CD(4) cell levels from 1868/ micro l to 15/ micro l. Malariotherapy did not induce complications while increasing CD(4) cell levels in most treated HIV/AIDS patients (results published elsewhere).

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Impact of acute vivax malaria on the immune system and viral load of HIV-positive subjects.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanisms of malariotherapy for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients and to identify which stage(s) of HIV infection is suitable for the treatment of malariotherapy. METHODS: Therapeutic acute vivax malaria was induced and terminated after 10 fever episodes in 12 HIV-1-infected subjects: Group 1 (G1) had 5 patients with CD(4) T-cell counts >or=500/ micro l at baseline, Group 2 (G2) had 5 patients with CD4 at 499 - 200/ micro l and Group 3 had 2 patients with CD(4) < 200/ micro l (not included in statistical analysis). Enzyme-Linked-Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) was used to measure plasma levels of cytokines and soluble activation markers. Flow cytometry was used to measure levels of lymphocyte subsets and phenotypes and CD(4) cell apoptosis. Bayer bDNA assay was used to test plasma levels of HIV-1 RNA (viral load). Samples were taken and tested twice before malaria (baselines), three times during malaria and seven times after termination of malaria (at day 10 and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months). RESULTS: Levels of plasma tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), soluble TNF-alpha receptor-2 (sTNF-RII), neopterin (NPT) and soluble IL-2 receptor (sIL-2R) significantly increased during malaria and sharply reduced to baselines post malaria in all groups. Stronger responses of the aforementioned factors were seen in G2 than in G1 during malaria (P = 0.081, 0.001, 0.013, 0.020). CD4 count and percentage; CD(4)/CD(8) ratio and CD(25)(+) and CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) percentages increased but HLA-DR+ percentage decreased either during or post malaria in G2. Most G2 patients experienced sustained increase but most G1 patients underwent natural history decline of CD(4) counts and percentages during 2-year follow-up. Percentage of apoptotic CD(4) cells decreased post malaria in all groups. G3 patients had weaker immune responses, however, one advanced AIDS patient in this group experienced clinical improvement after malariotherapy. Most of the 12 patients experienced increase of HIV viral load during malaria but the viral load returned to baseline levels 1 - 3 months after cure of malaria and remained near baseline levels for up to two years. CONCLUSIONS: Part of the mechanisms of malariotherapy is to induce high levels of cytokine activities and subsequently the changes of T-lymphocyte subsets and phenotypes in HIV-infected patients. These findings suggest that malariotherapy may treat HIV-1-infected patients whose CD4 baselines are in the range of 500 - 200/ micro l.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2002

Interface chemistry of nanostructured materials: ion adsorption on mesoporous alumina.

This paper presents a part of our work on understanding the effect of nanoscale pore space confinement on ion sorption by mesoporous materials. Acid-base titration experiments were performed on both mesoporous alumina and alumina particles under various ionic strengths. The point of zero charge (PZC) for mesoporous alumina was measured to be approximately 9.1, similar to that for nonmesoporous alumina materials, indicating that nanoscale pore space confinement does not have a significant effect on the PZC of pore surfaces. However, for a given pH deviation from the PZC, (pH-PZC), the surface charge per mass on mesoporous alumina was as much as 45 times higher than that on alumina particles. This difference cannot be fully explained by the surface area difference between the two materials. Our titration data have demonstrated that nanoscale confinement has a significant effect, most likely via the overlap of the electric double layer (EDL), on ion sorption onto mesopore surfaces. This effect cannot be adequately modeled by existing surface complexation models, which were developed mostly for an unconfined solid-water interface. Our titration data have also indicated that the rate of ion uptake by mesoporous alumina is relatively slow, probably due to diffusion into mesopores, and complete equilibration for sorption could take 4-5 min. A molecular simulation using a density functional theory was performed to calculate ion adsorption coefficients as a function of pore size. The calculation has shown that as pore size is reduced to nanoscales (<10 nm), the adsorption coefficients of ions can vary by more than two orders of magnitude relative to those for unconfined interfaces. The prediction is supported by our experimental data on Zn sorption onto mesoporous alumina. Owing to their unique surface chemistry, mesoporous materials can potentially be used as effective ion adsorbents for separation processes and environmental cleanup.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

[A comparison of master eye operation with slave eye operation on patients with large-angle exotropia].

OBJECTIVE: To search for an excellent therapy for patients with large-angle exotropia. METHODS: Strabotomy was performed on the master eyes in the 41 cases (master eye group) and slave eyes in the other 41 cases (slave eye group) with large-angle exotropia (>/= 60(Delta)). The post-operative visual acuity, ocular position, visual function and fixation, the average surgical amount and the frequency of strabotomy were statistically compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Post-operatively, orthophoria occurred in 39 cases and mild exotropia remained in 2 cases in each group. The statistic analyses showed that the surgical results were better in the master eye group in the visual acuity (P < 0.05), visual function (P < 0.05), average surgical amount and frequency (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The surgical results of strabotomy performed on the master eye in cases with large-angle exotropia are better than that on the slave eye, and the surgical damage in the master eye is less. Thus, the master eye strabotomy is especially suitable for children with large-angle exotropia under general anesthesia.

Adolescent↗