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ZnCl2-modified activated carbon supported nanoscale zero-valent iron material (nZVI/BC600) was synthesized by green carbothermal reduction and liquid phase reduction to explore the removal efficiency of U(VI) under different conditions. The results showed that under the optimal conditions (C0 = 10 mg/L, C/Fe = 5:1, pH = 5.5, t = 30 min), the removal rate of U(VI) by nZVI/BC600 was 99.68%, which was 9.18% higher than that of ZnCl2-modified activated carbon and conformed to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. SEM and XPS analysis showed that nZVI was uniformly distributed on activated carbon, and U(VI) was reduced to U(IV) or U(V). The removal mechanism of U(VI) by nZVI/BC600 is chemical adsorption, redox and co-precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence is limited regarding the time intervals between human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration and oocyte retrieval in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation cycles, and it is difficult to determine proper schedules to optimise outcomes for patients undergoing oocyte retrieval on the same day. We aimed to identify correlations between factors pertaining to treatment outcomes and time intervals to facilitate working schedules of ART centres. Our study included 2509 patients who underwent ICSI cycles. Based on different time intervals between hCG administration and oocyte retrieval, all cycles were divided into four groups: group 1 (34.00-35.99 hours), group 2 (36.00-36.99 hours), group 3 (37.00-37.99 hours) and group 4 (38.00-39.32 hours). Female age, basal FSH level, Gn starting stimulation dosage and total Gn dosage of group 1 were significantly higher than those of other groups. E2 level on hCG day and number of follicles aspirated were significantly higher in group 4 than in the other groups. Number of oocytes retrieved, oocyte retrieval rate, cleavage rate and number of usable embryos were positively correlated with the time interval, even after adjusting for female age, basal FSH level, E2 on hCG day and number of follicles aspirated. A fixed hCG administration time matching arranged oocyte retrieval is good enough for most patients to achieve maximal treatment outcomes. For patients with lower treatment expectations (expected no. of oocyte retrieval ≤3), moderately delayed oocyte retrieval would be more appropriate.Impact StatementWhat is already known on this subject? The time interval between hCG administration and OPU during COH is essential for ART treatment outcomes, but different intervals were reported in previous studies.What the results of this study add? Fixed hCG administration time matching arranged OPU is good enough for most patients to achieve maximal outcomes. For patients with lower treatment expectations (expected no. of oocyte retrieval ≤3), moderately delayed oocyte retrieval would be required.What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? We studied whether the oocytes and pregnancy outcomes changed along with extended time intervals, and there is no need to adhere to an exact interval for every patient. Therefore, it would help clinicians develop more reasonable time schedules for fertility centres and patients undergoing oocyte recovery on the same day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Limited knowledge is available on regional distribution of antituberculosis (TB) drug resistance and on province-specific time-trends in TB drug susceptibility in China. To obtain the latest information about the dynamics of drug-resistant TB in Gansu province, we conducted a retrospective study and analyzed data on drug resistance among new TB cases diagnosed between June 2010 and May 2014 in Gansu, China. The data were collected from the only TB surveillance and treatment hospital in Gansu and, therefore, represented the epidemiology of TB in the province. The drug resistance was defined based on diagnostic drug susceptibility testing. Overall, 17.3% of TB new cases diagnosed during 2010 to 2014 in Gansu presented resistance to at least one anti-TB drug. And a total of 2.9% of new TB cases have multidrug resistance. The prevalence of multidrug-resistant TB in Gansu was found to resurge after 2013 (2.0%) after a steady decline between 2010 and 2012 (from 7.1% to 1.2%). The drug resistance patterns of TB and their revolution trends in Gansu differed from other regions of China. We report the first epidemiological description of drug-resistant TB in Gansu, which is distinct when compared to other regions. Our data demonstrate that the distribution of drug-resistant TB varies to a great extent among different geographic regions. And the results of our study greatly suggest that the implementation of individualized TB management and regimen policy based on the regional epidemiology of TB drug susceptibility is highly required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Varied doses of Taishan Pinus massoniana pollen polysaccharide (TPPPS) and Astragalus polysaccharide (APS) extracted by hot water extraction and ethanol precipiration method were added to the vaccine in order to prepare polysaccharide-rabbit haemorrhagic disease (RHD) tissue inactivated vaccine. The purpose was to study effects of TPPPS on immune response of RHD tissue inactivated vaccine and on production performance of Rex rabbits. Results showed that each index in groups I, II, III and IV was higher than that in group V, especially groups I, II and IV, the difference between which and group V was much more significant (P <0.05); each index in group I was extremely higher than that in group V (P <0.01); each index in group I was significantly higher than that in groups II, III (P <0.05), and generally no significant difference was observed between groups II and III. The overall level in group IV was slightly lower than that in group I. Each index in the polysaccharide groups reached its peak value later than that in the non-polysaccharide groups did. Results suggested that any dose of TPPPS can enhance immunologic function and production performance of rabbits, and the amount of 400mg per rabbit has the most obvious efficacy. Furthermore, it can extend the immune peak period of RHD tissue inactivated vaccine and the growing peak period of Rex rabbits. TPPPS has generally higher efficiency than APS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]