Establecimiento del esquema de purificación de los antígenos de SOBERANA®02, SOBERANA®Plus y SOBERANA 01 / Establishment of the purification scheme for SOBERANA®02, SOBERANA®Plus and SOBERANA 01 antigens

La urgente necesidad de desarrollar y producir vacunas seguras y efectivas para garantizar la reducción de la propagación del coronavirus de tipo 2 causante del síndrome respiratorio agudo severo, hizo que el Centro de Inmunología Molecular y el Instituto Finlay de Vacunas, desarrollaran dos vacunas y un candidato vacunal contra la COVID-19, que tienen como componente la molécula del dominio de unión al receptor (aa 319-541) del virus. Para establecer el proceso productivo, se realizaron experimentos en los posibles pasos del proceso de purificación de la molécula del dominio de unión al receptor (aa 319-541), con vistas a su posterior transferencia tecnológica a escala industrial. Dicha molécula está fusionada con una etiqueta de hexahistidina en su extremo C-terminal y presenta nueve residuos de cisteína en su secuencia que forman cuatro enlaces disulfuros intramoleculares, quedando una cisteína libre que permite obtener dos moléculas: dimérica y monomérica, antígenos que forman parte de las vacunas SOBERANA®02 y SOBERANA®Plus y el candidato vacunal SOBERANA 01. Se determinaron las mejores condiciones de adsorción de las matrices cromatográficas de afinidad por quelatos metálicos, intercambio catiónico y exclusión molecular. Se evaluó el desempeño del proceso a escala piloto y se caracterizó la molécula de acuerdo a sus propiedades físico-químicas y biológicas. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron un 60,02 ± 5,15por ciento de recuperación total de la proteína de interés, con más del 98% de pureza en ambas moléculas, una eficiente remoción de contaminantes y una antigenicidad mayor del 90por ciento referido al monómero control del dominio de unión al receptor con 99 por ciento de pureza, lo que demuestra que el proceso establecido es eficiente en la obtención de un producto con la calidad requerida(AU)

The urgent need to develop and produce safe and effective vaccines to guarantee the reduction of the spread of the type 2 coronavirus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, led the Center for Molecular Immunology and the Finlay Vaccine Institute to develop two vaccines and one candidate vaccine to combat the 2019 coronavirus pandemic. As part of the establishment of the production process, experiments were carried out on the possible steps of the purification process of the receptor binding domain molecule (aa 319-541) with a view to its subsequent technological transfer on an industrial scale. This molecule is fused with a hexahistidine tag at its C-terminal end and has nine cysteine residues in its sequence that form four intramolecular disulfide bonds; leaving a free cysteine that allows two molecules to be obtained: dimeric and monomeric, which constitute the antigens of the SOBERANA®02 and SOBERANA®Plus vaccines and the SOBERANA 01 vaccine candidate. The best adsorption conditions of the chromatographic matrices of affinity for metal chelates, cationic exchange and molecular exclusion were determined. The performance of the process was evaluated on a pilot scale and the molecule was characterized according to its physical-chemical and biological properties. The results obtained showed a 60.02 ± 5.15percent total recovery of the protein of interest with more than 98% purity in both molecules, an efficient removal of contaminants and an antigenicity greater than 90percent referred to the control monomer of the domain receptor binding with 99% purity; which demonstrates that the established process is efficient in obtaining a product with the required quality(AU)

Exploring Scientific Connotation of "Fried Charcoal Survivability" of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos Based on Color-composition Correlation / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the scientific connotation of fried charcoal survivability of Lonicerae Japonicae Flos（LJF） by analyzing the correlation between the color change and the intrinsic components during the processing of LJF Carbonisata（LJFC）， and taking pH， charcoal adsorption and microscopic characteristics as indexes. MethodLJFC samples with different degrees of processing were prepared according to the stir-frying time of 0.0， 1.5， 3.0， 4.5， 6.0， 7.5， 9.0， 10.5 min（numbered S1-S8）， and the contents of gallic acid， chlorogenic acid， cryptochlorogenic acid， rutin， luteoloside， isochlorogenic acid A and isochlorogenic acid C were determined by high performance liquid chromatography（HPLC）， and the L*（brightness）， a*（red-greenness） and b*（yellow-blueness） of LJFC samples with different degrees of processing were determined by spectrophotometer， and the correlation analysis and principal component analysis（PCA） between the contents of seven representative components and the color of the samples were carried out by SPSS 26. 0 and SIMCA-P 14.1. Then pH， adsorption force and characteristic structure of different samples of LJFC were detected and the processing pattern of LJFC was analyzed. ResultThe results of quantitative analysis revealed that the contents of luteoloside， rutin， chlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid A gradually decreased， and the contents of cryptochlorogenic acid， isochlorogenic acid C and gallic acid firstly increased and then decreased. The L* and b* of the sample powders decreased， and a* showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing. The L* and b* were positively correlated with the contents of chlorogenic acid， rutin， luteoloside， isochlorogenic acid A， b* was positively correlated with the content of gallic acid， and a* was positively correlated with the contents of cryptochlorogenic acid and isochlorogenic acid C. PCA revealed that samples could be clearly divided into 3 groups， S1-S2 as one group， S3-S5 as one group， and S6-S8 as one group， with S3 having the highest score. The results of regression analysis showed that only isochlorogenic acid C could be used to predict the contents of components by colorimetric values combined with regression equations. Physicochemical analysis showed that pH of LJFC increased with the increase of degree of charcoal stir-frying， while adsorption force showed a tendency of increasing and then decreasing， with the highest adsorption force in the S5 sample， and the non-glandular hairs， calcium oxalate clusters and pollen grains had a varying degree of decreasing with the deepening of processing degree， and the microstructures of S6-S8 samples were obviously charred with pollen grains almost invisible. ConclusionThe changes in chemical composition and color characteristics of LJFC during the processing have certain correlations， combined with the changes in physicochemical properties， S5 sample is found to be the optimal processed products， which can provide a reference for the processing standardization and quality evaluation of LJFC， and enrich the scientific connotation of fried charcoal survivability of LJF.

Analysis of curative effect and short-term survival rate of plasma exchange and double plasma molecular adsorption combined with half-volume plasma exchange in the treatment of liver failure / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To investigate how plasma exchange (PE) and double plasma molecular adsorption combined with half-volume plasma exchange (DPMAS + half-volume PE) affect the curative effect and short-term survival rate in liver failure. Methods: Data from 181 cases of liver failure caused by different etiologies from January 1, 2017 to September 31, 2020, were selected. Patients were divided into a PE treatment alone group and a DPMAS + half-dose PE treatment group. The laboratory indicators with different models of artificial liver before and after treatment and the survival rates of 7, 14, 28, and 90 days after discharge were observed in the two groups. Measurement data were analyzed by t-tests and rank sum tests. Categorical data were analyzed by χ (2) test. Results: Non-biological artificial liver therapy with different models improved the liver and coagulation function in the two groups of patients with liver failure (P < 0.05 in PTA% intra-group). The coagulation function was significantly improved in the PE treatment alone group compared with that in the DPMAS + half-dose PE group [PT after treatment: (20.15 ± 0.88) s in the PE treatment alone group, (23.43 ± 1.02) s, t = -2.44, P = 0.016 in the DPMAS+half-dose PE group; PTA: 44.72% ± 1.75% in the PE treatment alone group, 35.62% ± 2.25%, t = 3.215 P = 0.002 in the DPMAS + half-dose PE group]. Bilirubin levels were significantly decreased in the DPMAS+half-dose PE group compared to the PE treatment alone group [total bilirubin after treatment: (255.30 ± 15.64) μmol/L in the PE treatment alone group, (205.46 ± 9.03) μmol/L, t = 2.74, P = 0.07 in the DPMAS + half-dose PE group; direct bilirubin after treatment: (114.74 ± 7.11) μmol/L in the PE treatment alone group, (55.33 ± 3.18) μmol/L, t = 7.54, P < 0.001) in the DPMAS + half-dose PE group]. However, there was no significant effect on leukocytes and neutrophils after treatment with different models of artificial liver (P > 0.05) in the two groups, and platelets decreased after treatment, with no statistically significant difference between the groups (t = -0.15, P = 0.882). The inflammatory indexes of the two groups improved after treatment with different models of artificial liver (P < 0.05], and the 28 and 90 d survival rates were higher in the DPMAS+half-dose PE group than those of the PE treatment alone group (28 d: 60.3% vs. 75.0%, χ (2) = 4.315, P = 0.038; 90 d: 56.2% vs. 72.5%. χ (2) = 10.355 P < 0.001). DPMAS + half-dose PE group plasma saving was 1385 ml compared with PE treatment alone group (Z = -7.608, P < 0.05). Conclusion: Both DPMAS+half-dose PE and PE treatment alone have a certain curative effect on patients with liver failure. In DPMAS+half-dose PE, the 28-day survival rate is superior to PE treatment alone, and it saves plasma consumption and minimizes blood use in clinic.

Construction of albumin corona and its application in pharmaceutical preparation / 中国药科大学学报

@#Protein corona is a protein layer that adsorbs on the surface after nonspecific interactions between nanoparticles and plasma proteins.In recent years, studies have shown that modification of specific plasma proteins on the surface of nanoparticles to construct protein corona can prolong the blood half-life of nanoparticles and promote the targeted delivery of nanoparticles, which has attracted widespread attention to the study of drug-carrying systems, among which, albumin corona, the most abundant protein in blood, is the most widely studied.Based on the above, this paper systematically summarized the method of constructing albumin corona and its application in the research on pharmaceutical preparations, in order to provide reference for the construction of albumin corona in the process of drug preparation.

Advances in bacterial adsorption and transport of aromatic compounds / 生物工程学报

Aromatic compounds are a class of organic compounds with benzene ring(s). Aromatic compounds are hardly decomposed due to its stable structure and can be accumulated in the food cycle, posing a great threat to the ecological environment and human health. Bacteria have a strong catabolic ability to degrade various refractory organic contaminants (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, PAHs). The adsorption and transportation are prerequisites for the catabolism of aromatic compounds by bacteria. While remarkable progress has been made in understanding the metabolism of aromatic compounds in bacterial degraders, the systems responsible for the uptake and transport of aromatic compounds are poorly understood. Here we summarize the effect of cell-surface hydrophobicity, biofilm formation, and bacterial chemotaxis on the bacterial adsorption of aromatic compounds. Besides, the effects of outer membrane transport systems (such as FadL family, TonB-dependent receptors, and OmpW family), and inner membrane transport systems (such as major facilitator superfamily (MFS) transporter and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter) involved in the membrane transport of these compounds are summarized. Moreover, the mechanism of transmembrane transport is also discussed. This review may serve as a reference for the prevention and remediation of aromatic pollutants.

Analysis of Safe Storage Moisture Content of Mume Flos Decoction Pieces Based on Theory of Water Activity and Water Molecular Mobility / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveThe hygroscopic properties of Mume Flos decoction pieces were studied from the perspectives of macroscopic［water activity（Aw）］ and microscopic（water molecular mobility）， which provided a theoretical basis for the determination of the safe storage moisture content. MethodAdsorption isotherm of Mume Flos decoction pieces was obtained by static weighing method， and seven common hygroscopic models were fitted and estimated. The best model was selected according to the principle that determination coefficient（R2） was closer to 1， residual sum of squares（RSS） was closer to 0 and Akaike information criterion（AIC） was smaller. According to the optimal model， the absolute and relative safe moisture contents of Mume Flos decoction pieces at 25， 35， 45 ℃ was calculated. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance（LF-NMR） was used to measure the water molecular mobility in the hygroscopic process of Mume Flos decoction pieces. ResultThe best model to describe the adsorption isotherm of Mume Flos decoction pieces was the Peleg model. According to the model expression， the absolute safe moisture contents of Mume Flos decoction pieces at 25， 35， 45 ℃ were 9.59%， 7.96% and 7.68%， and the relative safe moisture contents were 13.05%， 11.99%， 11.77%， respectively. Mume Flos decoction pieces all contained two water states during the process of hygroscopic absorption at different temperatures， namely bound water T21 and free water T22. During the process of hygroscopic absorption， bound water had the largest increase in peak area. The sum of peak areas of the bound water and free water had a good linear relationship with the moisture contents， and the R2 were 0.959 9， 0.911 8 and 0.974 7 at 25， 35， 45 ℃， respectively. When Aw<0.57， T21 did not change， and the water molecular mobility remained unchanged. When Aw>0.57， T21 showed an increasing trend， and the water molecular mobility increased. The moisture contents of Mume Flos decoction pieces were 8.44%， 6.81% and 6.25% when the water molecular mobility increased at 25， 35， 45 ℃， respectively. ConclusionCombined with the theory of water activity and water molecular mobility， 6.25% is recommended as the safe storage moisture content of Mume Flos decoction pieces， this study can provide reference for determining the safe storage moisture content of other decoction pieces.

Optimization for condition of adsorbing hepatitis A virus antigen with aluminum hydroxide adjuvant and evaluation of immunogenicity of adsorption products / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Objective To optimize the adsorption condition of hepatitis A virus(HAV)antigen by aluminum hydroxide[Al(OH)_3]adjuvant and evaluate the immunogenicity of the adsorbed products. Methods The final molar concentration of buffer(0. 01,0. 02 and 0. 04 mol/L),pH value(5. 5,6. 0,6. 5,7. 0,7. 5 and 8. 0),final molar concentration of sodium chloride(NaCl)(0. 075,0. 13,0. 15,0. 17,0. 45,0. 75 and 1. 0 mol/L),mixing mode(mixing after dilution and mixing directly without dilution)and dropping order[HAV stock solution into Al(OH)_3 solution,and Al(OH)_3 solution into HAV stock solution]were selected for single factor screening. Taking Al(OH)_3 adsorption rate as the evaluation index,the selected factors were optimized by orthogonal test. NIH mice were immunized intraperitoneally with adsorbed products prepared under optimal and suboptimal combination conditions with 0. 5 mL/mouse,10 mice in each group with half male and half female. After 28 d of immunization,the blood samples were collected from eyeball or heart,and the serum was separated. The HAV antibody level was detected by ELISA,and the immunogenicity of adsorbed products was evaluated by the seroconversion rate of mouse serum antibody. Results The results of single factor screening test showed that the final molar concentration of buffer,pH value and final molar concentration of NaCl had significant influence on the adsorption effect(F = 6. 582,14. 007 and 8. 612,respectively,each P < 0. 05),while the mixing mode and dropping order had no effect(t =-0. 696 and 1. 153,respectively,each P > 0. 05). The final molar concentration of buffer was 0. 01 and 0. 02 mol/L,the pH value was 5. 5 ～ 7. 0,and the final molar concentration of NaCl was 0. 13 ～ 0. 17 mol/L. The orthogonal test showed that the order of the influence on adsorption effect was the final molar concentration of buffer > pH value > NaCl final molar concentration. The optimal combination was pH 6. 3 + final molar concentration of buffer 0. 01 mol/L + NaCl molar final concentration 0. 15 mol/L,and the suboptimal combination was pH 5. 8 + final molar concentration of buffer 0. 02 mol/L +NaCl final molar concentration 0. 17 mol/L. The seroconversion rate of serum antibody in mice immunized with the adsorbed products prepared by the optimal and suboptimal combination was both 100%. Conclusion The adsorbed products prepared under the optimized conditions have good immunogenicity,which lays a foundation of the research of inactivated hepatitis A vaccine

Study on release and antioxidant activity of quercetin after loaded by hot alkali hydrolysis modified UiO-66 material / 药学学报

UiO-66 (University of Oslo 66) is a kind of promising material that can improve the release and bioavailability of poorly water-soluble bioactive compounds of traditional Chinese medicine. However, the loading of quercetin in raw UiO-66 was not ideal. In this study, UiO-66-BH (UiO-66-blend-heating) was obtained by heating UiO-66 and KOH solution following blended them. UiO-66-BH maintained the outline of octahedral structure of UiO-66 but with obvious rough and uneven pores on the surface. UiO-66-BH had good adsorption of quercetin with saturation adsorption was 138.92 mg·g-1, the adsorption process belonged to single molecular layer adsorption and was controlled by chemisorption. UiO-66-BH can control the release of quercetin in simulated gastrointestinal fluid, and the drug concentration was significantly higher than that of free quercetin after long-term release (36% vs 9%). Compared with quercetin, the ABTS (2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) ammonium salt) radical scavenging activity of UiO-66-BH@quercetin drug delivery system decreased, while the DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity remained almost unchanged. The drug delivery system showed a strong antioxidant effect similar to quercetin. The findings indicated that UiO-66-BH could control release of quercetin and was expected to be used as a drug carrier material for some insoluble active components of traditional Chinese medicine such as quercetin.

Absorption characteristics of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant with inactivated enterovirus 71 / 中国生物制品学杂志

@#Objective To explore the absorption characteristics of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant with inactivated enterovirus 71(EV71).Methods The morphology,purity and particle size distribution of inactivated EV71 particles were analyzed by transmission electron microscope,size exclusion chromatography HPLC(SEC-HPLC) and dynamic light scatter(DLS),and the morphology of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant nanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscope.Using inactivated EV71 antigen content(4 000,6 000,8 000,10 000,11 000,12 000,13 000,14 000,20 000,30 000 U/mL),aluminum hydroxide adjuvant concentration [0.35,0.25,0.17,0.085 mg/mL(aluminum content)],adsorption time(0.30 and 120 min),ionic strength(sodium chloride concentration of 0.15,0.75 and 1.25 mol/L)and phosphorus-aluminum molar ratio(P/Al,0.15,0.64,2.08 and 7.87) as variables,the adsorption characteristics of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant with inactivated EV71 antigen were investigated.Results Inactivated EV71 particles mainly existed in the form of intact virus particles with a diameter of about 30 nm;Aluminum hydroxide adjuvant showed the characteristics of nanocrystallization,and the particle size was distributed within 200～700 nm.The inactivated EV71 antigen at the concentration of no more than 11 000 U/mL was completely absorbed by aluminum hydroxide adjuvant of 0.35 mg/mL(aluminum content),and no free antigen was detected in the supernatant;while from 12 000 U/mL,the content of free antigen in the supernatant increased with the increase of antigen content;the inactivated EV71 antigen of 250 U/mL was completely absorbed by various concentrations of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant,and no free antigen was detected in the supernatant;the adsorption effect of aluminum hydroxide adjuvant consistent after incubation for different time,and no free antigen was detected in the supernatant.Under the conditions of single dose of vaccine with aluminum hydroxide content(0.35 mg/mL) and inactivated EV71 antigen content(250 U/mL),sodium chloride ion strength had no effect on the adsorption of inactivated EV71 virus,while phosphate ion concentration significantly effected the adsorption.Conclusion Aluminum hydroxide adjuvant in a single dose of vaccine completely absorbed inactivated EV71 antigen,and group replacement played an important role.

Effect and safety of double plasma molecular absorption in treatment of patients with severe wasp stings injury: a multicenter historical cohort study / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To compare the effect and safety of continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH)+double plasma molecular absorption (DPMA)+hemoperfusion (HP), CVVH+HP, and CVVH+plasma exchange (PE) in treatment of patient with severe wasp stings injury.Methods:Multicenter, historical cohort study and superiority test were used. From July 2020 to October 2022, patients with wasp sting injury and multiple organ damage admitted to the intensive care units (ICU) of five hospitals were consecutively screened and recruited into the CVVH+DPMA+HP group (intervention group). Propensity score matching was used to establish historical cohorts. Patients with severe wasp sting injury who hospitalized from January 2016 to June 2020 in each ICU were collected and matched 1∶1 with the intervention group, and divided into CVVH+HP group and CVVH+PE group according to their actual hemopurification protocols (historical control groups). The primary outcome was the acute physiology and chronic health evaluation Ⅱ (APACHE Ⅱ) score on days 3 and 7 after initiation of treatment. Secondary outcomes included complications, length of ICU and hospital stays, and all-cause mortality. Multivariate Cox proportional risk regression was used to analyze the prognosis of patients.Results:After propensity score matching, 56 patients in intervention group and each of the two historical control groups were matched successfully. There were no significant differences in age, gender, comorbidities, biochemical test indices and critical illness scores among the groups. After treatment, APACHE Ⅱ score markedly declined in all groups, and the decrease was faster in the intervention group; treatment with DPMA [hazard ratio ( HR) = 1.04, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.02-1.08, P = 0.00], the decreased levels of body temperature ( HR = 1.02, 95% CI was 1.00-1.03, P = 0.02), serum creatine kinase (CK; HR = 0.98, 95% CI was 0.96-1.00, P = 0.05) and myoglobin (MYO; HR = 2.88, 95% CI was 1.24-6.69, P = 0.01) were independent risk factors for APACHE Ⅱ score decline to the target value (15 scores). There were no significant differences in the incidence of bleeding complications, filter or perfusion thrombosis, blood pressure reduction, catheter-related infection and anaphylaxis among the groups. Conclusion:CVVH+DPMA+HP regimen can significantly reduce the APACHE Ⅱ score of patients with severe wasp sting injury, and the efficacy is superior to CVVH+HP and CVVH+PE regimens, with safety.

Utilidad del sistema de recirculación de adsorbentes moleculares en la falla hepática: "diálisis hepática" / Usefulness of the molecular adsorbent recirculating system in liver failure: "liver dialysis"

INTRODUCCIÓN. La falla hepática ya sea aguda o crónica reagudizada representa un reto para el clínico ya que sus complicaciones conllevan una gran mortalidad, esto se ve aún más complicado ya que las opciones terapéuticas son limitadas, incluso muchas veces no se puede acceder a un programa de trasplante hepático oportuno que mejore la sobrevida de estos pacientes, es así que se ha desarrollado un sistema de "diálisis" hepática conocido como sistema de recirculación de adsorbentes moleculares el cual hace un efecto de detoxificación para eliminar sustancias que generan una noxa en el cuerpo humano. OBJETIVO. Entender la utilidad del sistema recirculante molecular adsorbente en la falla hepática, conocer sus indicaciones y complicaciones. METODOLOGÍA. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura con un enfoque descriptivo, retrospectivo cualitativo no experimental, de documentos que tratan sobre la utilización del sistema MARS para tratar la falla hepática, con evidencia desde el año 2004 hasta el 2021. La revisión bibliográfica se llevó a cabo en bases de datos como Pubmed, Embase, BVS, Google Scholar y Elsevier. RESULTADOS. Se identificaron 30 artículos que cumplieron criterios de inclusión de un grupo original de 343 artículos revisados. Se ha determinado que la evidencia sobre este sistema está compuesta sobre todo por reportes de caso y son pocos los ensayos controlados aleatorizados que empleen su uso, sin embargo, se ha podido determinar que este sistema es un puente al trasplante renal mientras se estabiliza al paciente en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos, disminuye los marcadores de falla hepática. CONCLUSIÓN. En Latinoamérica su uso es casi nulo de ahí la necesidad de entender el mecanismo de este novedoso sistema.

INTRODUCTION. Hepatic failure, whether acute or chronic, represents a challenge for the clinician since its complications entail a great mortality, this is even more complicated since the therapeutic options are limited, even many times it is not possible to access a timely liver transplant program to improve the survival of these patients, Thus, a hepatic "dialysis" system known as molecular adsorbent recirculation system has been developed, which has a detoxification effect to eliminate substances that generate a noxa in the human body. OBJECTIVE. To understand the usefulness of the molecular adsorbent recirculating system in liver failure, to know its indications and complications. METHODOLOGY. A literature review was performed with a descriptive, retrospective qualitative non-experimental qualitative approach, of papers dealing with the use of the MARS system to treat liver failure, with evidence from 2004 to 2021. The literature review was conducted in databases such as Pubmed, Embase, BVS, Google Scholar and Elsevier. RESULTS. Thirty articles were identified that met inclusion criteria from an original group of 343 articles reviewed. It has been determined that the evidence on this system is mainly composed of case reports and there are few randomized controlled trials that employ its use, however, it has been determined that this system is a bridge to renal transplantation while the patient is stabilized in the Intensive Care Unit, decreasing the markers of liver failure. CONCLUSIONS. In Latin America its use is almost null, hence the need to understand the mechanism of this novel system.

Biosorption of Zinc using Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 2423)

Heavy metals such as zinc in untreated industrial effluents cause diseases and disorders in living organisms. They cannot be degraded like organic contaminants and hence have to be removed. Though physical and chemical methods are available for their removal, most of them are not economical and eco-friendly. Hence, a suitable technique is necessary to minimize the deleterious effects of dispersion of heavy metals in ecosystems. Though zinc serves as a micronutrient, it becomes toxic in higher concentrations. Bacteria can be used in the removal of zinc and the process is economical and ecofriendly. Hence, in the present study, we tested zinc removal efficiency of Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 2423) for various concentrations viz. 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 ppm of zinc in nutrient broth for a period of 10 days. Samples were tested for the zinc level every two days in each concentration and the maximum removal was noticed after six days of treatment. With the increase in zinc concentration, both biomass and zinc removal efficiency showed an increase. Autoclaved cells showed maximum zinc removal when compared with other cell types. Among the other heavy metals tested, iron enhanced the biomass of B. subtilis during zinc treatment and the results are discussed.

Effective adsorption of drug from aqueous solution using citric acid functionalized magnetite nanoparticles and their antibacterial studies

The synthesis of magnetite nanoparticles and their applications after surface modification have drawn in the eye of researchers toward it all through the previous a few times. In the present study, the synthesis of citric acid-modified magnetic nanoparticles has been reported. Numerous technical approaches such as x-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were accustomed to characterize these synthesized magnetite nanoparticles. The main emphasis of this examination was to study the adsorption behavior of these synthesized nanoparticles for ciprofloxacin drug from aqueous solution. The influences of various experimental parameters including pH, the contact time, amount of nanoparticles and initial concentration of ciprofloxacin drug, were investigated simultaneously. Moreover, isotherm study was observed to follow Langmuir isotherm model and the value of maximum adsorption capacity was 20.65 mg/g as calculated. Furthermore, the kinetic study was found to fit well with pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The overall study suggested that these functionalized magnetite nanoparticles can be utilized as a proficient tool for the adsorption of drug from aqueous solution. The antibacterial behavior of these drug loaded nanoparticles was also scrutinized.

Medical Oxygen: A Lifesaving Drug During the COVID-19 Pandemic—Source and Distribution

Oxygen is an essential lifesaving medicine used for several indications at all levels of health care. The COVID-19 pandemic and its recent second wave have resulted in a surge in demand for necessary resources, including trained staf, hospital beds, and medical supplies like oxygen. Limited availability of these resources resulted in added risk of adverse outcomes. Also, the widespread unregulated use of oxygen by the general public in household settings poses safety concerns. This review focuses on sources of medical oxygen like cryogenic oxygen plants, pressure swing adsorption, oxygen concentrators, and oxygen cylinders. Their specifcations, storage, distribution within healthcare settings, regulation, and safety concerns have been considered. Resources needed for calculating oxygen demand, surge planning, identifying the suitable source, and distribution systems for diferent settings have been detailed. This review aims to help the hospital administrators, biomedical engineers, and clinicians plan and rationalize oxygen usage in low- and middle-income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Estudio teórico de la oxidación de CO con O2 usando catalizadores de Au-Pd y Au-Pt / Theoretical study of the CO Oxidation with O2 using Au-Pd and Au-Pt catalysts / Estudo teórico da oxidação de CO com O2 usando catalisadores de Au-Pd e Au-Pt

Resumen En el presente estudio se realizaron cálculos con base en la Teoría del Funcional de la Densidad Electrónica (DFT) con la aproximación B3PW91/LANL2DZ para optimizar los sistemas monometálicos y bimetálicos Au9, Au8Pd, Au8Pt, AuPd8, AuPt8, Pd9 y Pt9. Los materiales fueron teóricamente evaluados como catalizadores para la oxidación de monóxido de carbono (CO) y se determinó el sistema más favorable para la adsorción de esta molécula. La sustitución de átomos de Pt y Pd por átomos de Au en los nonámeros generó un cambio en la estructura tridimensional del sistema. El análisis de reactividad global mostró que el clúster más reactivo es PÍ9, seguido por AuPt s . Los índices de Fukui identificaron los sitios más susceptibles para un ataque nucleofílico de ambos clústeres. La adsorción de CO generó una cascada de oxidación que liberó ~4,5 eV, indicando que la reacción es altamente exotérmica y exergónica. Los clústeres AuPt s y Pt 9 mostraron los valores más bajos de energía de activación de la etapa determinante del mecanismo. En general, la sustitución de un átomo de platino (o paladio) por un átomo de oro no afecta la reactividad de los nonámeros y, por tanto, se infiere que el clúster AuPt s podría ser un catalizador promisorio en la oxidación de CO.

Abstract In the current study were development calculations based on Density Functional Theory (DFT) with the B3PW91/LANL2DZ approach for optimizing both monometallic and bimetallic systems: Au9, AusPd, Au8Pt, AuPds, AuPts, Pd9 y Pt9. Such materials were theoretically tested as catalyst for the oxidation of carbon monoxide (CO) and the most favorable system for its further adsorption was determined. The substitution of Pt and Pd by Au atoms in the nonamers generated a change in the tridimensional structure of the system. The global reactivity analysis showed that the most reactive cluster is Pt9 followed by AuPts. On the other hand, the Fukui indexes identified the most susceptible sites for a nucleophilic attack of both clusters. The CO adsorption generated an oxidation cascade which liberated ∼ 4.5 eV, indicating that the reaction is highly exothermic and exergonic. Both AuPt8 and Pt9 showed the lowest values of activation energy in the determining step of the mechanism. In general, the substitution of a Pt (Pd) atom by an Au atom does not affect the reactivity of the nonamers and then it is inferred that the AuPds cluster could be a promissory catalyst in the CO oxidation.

Resumo No presente estudo, cálculos baseados na Teoria do Funcional da Densidade Eletrônica (DFT) com a abordagem B3PW91/LANL2DZ foram realizados para otimizar sistemas monometálicos e bimetálicos Au9, Au8Pd, Au8Pt, AuPd8, AuPt8, Pd9 y Pt9. Tais materiais foram teoricamente avaliados como catalisadores para a oxidação do monóxido de carbono (CO) e foi determinado o sistema mais favorável para a adsorção desta molécula. A substituição dos átomos de Pt e Pd por átomos de Au nós não-nomes gerou uma mudança na estrutura tridimensional do sistema. A análise de reatividade global mostrou que o cluster mais reativo é Pt9, seguido por AuPt8. Os índices de Fukui identificaram os sítios mais suscetíveis ao ataque nucleofílico de ambos os clusters. A adsorção de CO gerou uma cascata de oxidação que liberou ~4,5 eV, indicando que a reação é altamente exotérmica e exergônica. Os aglomerados AuPt 8 y Pt 9 apresentaram os menores valores de energia de ativação do estágio determinante do mecanismo. Em geral, a substituição de um átomo de platina (ou paládio) por um átomo de ouro não afeta a reatividade dos não-nomes e, portanto, infere-se que o aglomerado AuPt 8 pode ser um catalisador promissor na oxidação do CO.

COVID-19, shock séptico refractario y terapia extracorpórea de purificación sanguínea con OXIRIS® / Management of refractory septic shock with blood purification therapy using a special filter: report of one case

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in critically ill patients with COVID-19 and blood purification therapies have a role to immunomodulate the excessive inflammatory response and improve clinical results. One of the devices designed for these therapies is the oXiris® filter, allowing to perform renal replacement therapy combined with selective adsorption of endotoxins and cytokines. We report a 55-year-old male with COVID who developed a septic shock secondary to a sepsis caused by Pseudomona aeruginosa, refractory to the usual management. A veno-venous continuous hemofiltration was started using the oXiris® filter for 48 hours. Subsequently, there was an improvement in clinical perfusion parameters and a reduction in inflammatory markers. The patient was discharged from the intensive care one month later.

Advance in research on application of endotoxin adsorption membrane in treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 / 中华危重病急救医学

The new type coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease of severe lung inflammation induced by 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The World Health Organization (WHO) nomenclature of the newly discovered coronavirus was 2019-nCoV and the disease caused by 2019-nCoV was named COVID-19 on January 12, 2020. After 2019-nCoV invasion into a human body, it can stimulate the human immune system and engender a large number of cytokines, triggering a cytokine storm, resulting in severe infection, acute lung injury, multiple organ dysfunction, etc. Therefore, theoretically, the removal of over-production of cytokines can avoid the occurrence of cytokine storm and reduce the incidence of severe critical COVID-19 and serious poor prognosis. In this review, the authors systematically reviewed the past published reports related to the occurrence of cytokine storm in sepsis resulting in deterioration of disease situation, and recently they analyzed the therapeutic effects of patients with severe critical COVID-19 using endotoxin adsorption membrane for treatment in the disease course, further providing the effective clinical evidence of applying endotoxin adsorption membrane for treatment of COVID-19.

Selective Separation and Preconcentration of Caffeine from Natural and Pharmaceutical Products using New Polyurethane Foams

Abstract Two polyurethane foam-based sorbents (PUF) were synthesized by imprinting and grafting techniques and examined for selective separation and preconcentration of caffeine (CAF) in some pharmaceutical products and in black tea. Molecularly imprinted PUF was synthesized based on hydrogen-bonding interactions between CAF and alizarin yellow G (AYG) and subsequent polymerization into PUF. The static experiments indicated optimum sorption conditions at pH=6.5 and 5.5 for imprinted PUF (AY-IPUF) and grafted PUF (AY-GPUF), respectively. In the online experiments, the suitable preconcentration time was found to be 40 and 20s for (AY-IPUF) and (AY-GPUF), respectively, at a flow rate of 1.75 mL.min-1. Desorption of CAF has been affected by passing 500 µL of 0.05, 0.01 mol.L−1 HCl eluent onto (AY-IPUF) and (AY-GPUF), respectively. The online methods have provided satisfactory enrichment factors of 8.4 and 10.5 for (AY-IPUF) and (AY-GPUF), respectively. The time consumed for preconcentartion, elution and determination steps was 1.48 and 1.05 min, thus, the throughput was 42 and 57 h-1, for (AY-IPUF) and (AY-GPUF), respectively. The developed sorbents were studied for the determination of CAF in pharmaceutical samples which will be helpful to minimize caffeinism. Finally, in silico bioactivity, ADMET and drug-likeness predictive computational studies of caffeine were also carried out

Optimization of conditions for preparation of amidoximated polyacrylonitrile membrane for U (VI) adsorption / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To optimize conditions for the preparation of amidoximated polyacrylonitrile (PAO) membrane for U (VI) adsorption that can be easily recycled and reused. Methods Using polyacrylonitrile powder as a raw material, the PAO membrane was prepared using the nonsolvent-induced phase separation method under different conditions. The effects of the polyacrylonitrile concentration and temperature and duration of amidoximation in the preparation of casting solution as well as alkali treatment before adsorption on the U (VI) adsorption performance of PAO membrane were investigated. Results Alkali treatment significantly improved the U (VI) adsorption performance of PAO membrane, and the temperature and duration of alkali treatment affected the U (VI) adsorption capacity. The optimal alkali treatment conditions were 0.1 mol/L NaOH, 80 min, and 60℃. The polyacrylonitrile concentration and temperature and duration of amidoximation in the preparation of casting solution influenced the adsorption performance of PAO membrane. The optimal preparation conditions were 10wt% polyacrylonitrile and amidoximation at 65℃ for 18 h. Under the optimal preparation and alkali treatment conditions, the U (VI) adsorption capacity of PAO membrane reached 255 mg/g. Conclusion The PAO membrane has the advantages of simple preparation, high adsorption capacity, and easy recycling and reuse, which can be used as an ideal material for adsorbing U (VI) in wastewater.

Clinical application of blood adsorption / 中国小儿急救医学

Blood adsorption, one of the blood purification, can be classified into hemoperfusion and immunoadsorption.In recent years, double plasma molecular adsorption, a combined adsorption, has also been widely used in clinical practice.Based on adsorption, the toxins in blood of patients can be efficiently removed by hemoadsorbents.There are two kinds of adsorbents commonly used in hemoperfusion: carbon and resin, and two types of adsorbents in immunoadsorption: biological affinity and physicochemical affinity.Adsorption has been widely applied in clinical practice, involving in sepsis, organ transplantation, systemic lupus erythematosus, liver failure, autoimmune diseases and so on.The review described the application of blood adsorption in clinical practice.