Carbon dioxide separation and capture by adsorption: a review.

Rising adverse impact of climate change caused by anthropogenic activities is calling for advanced methods to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Here, we review adsorption technologies for carbon dioxide capture with focus on materials, techniques, and processes, additive manufacturing, direct air capture, machine learning, life cycle assessment, commercialization and scale-up.

Successfully separated conjoined twins at French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children Kabul Afghanistan.

Conjoined twins are a rare malformation and few cases have been reported in the literature. There are different types of conjoined twins and the most common type is the thoracopagus. Prognosis is related to the type of conjoined twins and the organs they share. We are reporting an Omphalopagus, in which there was sharing of the liver, sternum, and abdominal wall. The complications in this kind of cases are Bleeding, Bile leakage, and infection.

The effect of henna and linseed herbal ointment blend on wound healing in rats with second-degree burns.

The treatment of skin burns is one of the most important challenge in medical science. The aim of this study is evaluation of the efficacy of Artaderm herbal ointment containing the Henna (Lawsonia inermis) extract, Linseed (Linum usitatissimum) oil, and Honey Wax on wound healing in the rat with second-degree burn wounds. The Artaderm ointment had an effective role in controlling burn wound infections due to its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, 64 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups (n = 8). Four groups received Artaderm, 1% Silver Sulfadiazine (SSD 1%), Cod Liver Oil and Fundermol (Alpha) ointments which used in common practices for burn injuries. Another three groups received Henna, Linseed, and Honey Wax alone and a control group that just underwent a second-degree burn injury without any treatments. A second-degree burn was formed on the back of each rat and dressed daily with one of the agents. Burn wounds were macroscopically and microscopically evaluated on the 7th, 14th, and 21st day after burn induction. Rats treated with the Artaderm ointment had significantly faster wound contraction as well as shorter healing time than the rest groups. No scar was observed in rats treated with the Artaderm ointment on the 21st day, while this level of improvement was not observed in other groups at the same time. More than 90% of wounds were healed after on the 14th day in rats treated with Artaderm (94.10 ± 0.18) and Alpha (92.05 ± 0.23) ointments. According to these findings, it can be concluded that Artaderm herbal ointment can be used as a proper alternative for healing of wounds in second-degree burns.

Flow-Mediated Dilation, a Marker of Endothelial Cell Dysfunction, in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension.

Background: Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is considered a marker of endothelial cell dysfunction (ECD) and has been mostly evaluated in coronary artery disease. The role of ECD in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is not well-known. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between FMD and PH. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the FMD of the brachial artery was measured in 40 confirmed PH patients. Meanwhile, echocardiographic findings, the 6-minute walk test (6MWT), and serum pro-brain natriuretic peptide (pro-BNP) level were evaluated. Overall, 20 patients accomplished all evaluations, and their data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 23). Results: There was an inverse relationship between pro-BNP and 6MWT (r<0, P<0.05). A significant direct relationship was observed between left ventricular ejection fraction and FMD (P=0.031). Right ventricular (RV) dilation was significantly correlated with pro-BNP (P=0.046). There was a significant direct correlation between RV function and FMD and a significant inverse relationship between pro-BNP and FMD (P=0.05). The independent t-test showed no relationship between FMD and syncope (P=0.75). Conclusion: Endothelial cell function, which can be evaluated by FMD, was involved in patients with PH. The FMD and 6MWT were helpful as objective prognostic markers in PH. Furthermore, pro-BNP was a noninvasive indicator in the diagnosis of RV systolic dysfunction.

Transplantation of R-GSIK scaffold with mesenchymal stem cells improves neuroinflammation in a traumatic brain injury model.

Neural tissue engineering has been introduced as a novel therapeutic strategy for traumatic brain injury (TBI). Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has been demonstrated to improve functional outcome of brain injury, and RADA4GGSIKVAV (R-GSIK), a self-assembling nano-peptide scaffold, has been suggested to promote the behavior of stem cells. This study was designed to determine the ability of the R-GSIK scaffold in supporting the effects of MSCs on motor function activity and inflammatory responses in an experimental TBI model. A significant recovery of motor function was observed in rats that received MSCs+R-GSIK compared with the control groups. Further analysis showed a reduction in the number of reactive astrocytes and microglial cells in the MSCs and MSCs+R-GSIK groups compared with the control groups. Furthermore, western blot analysis indicated a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TLR4, TNF, and IL6, in the MSCs and MSCs+R-GSIK groups compared with the TBI, vehicle, and R-GSIK groups. Overall, this study strengthens the idea that the co-transplantation of MSCs with R-GSIK can increase functional outcomes by preparing a beneficial environment. This improvement may be explained by the immunomodulatory effects of MSCs and the self-assembling nano-scaffold peptide.

Prevalence and risk factors for subclinical coccidiosis in broiler chicken farms in Mazandaran province, Iran.

Coccidiosis is a disease of almost universal importance in Poultry production. The subclinical form of coccidiosis has most significant economic impact due to impaired growth rate and feed conversion. Some factors such as: age, size of flock, season, etc., may effect on severity of this disease. In this study, the relationships between some major risk factors and prevalence of subclinical coccidiosis were investigated. This study was done in 120 broiler farms in five different cities of Mazandaran province, north of Iran. Five chicks (3-8 weeks of ages) were taken randomly from every 120 farms and post-mortem and parasitological examinations were performed. Five Eimeria spp. were recognized: Eimeria tenella, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria brunetti, and Eimeria necatrix. The prevalence rate of subclinical coccidiosis among them is 75% (90 farms out of 120). E. acervulina was the most prevalent species (65.5%) followed by E. maxima (17.7%), E. tenella (15.5%), E. brunetti (10%), and E. necatrix (5.5%). According to what the results approve, the occurrence of subclinical coccidiosis is significantly related to the age and size of flock, whereas the other factors such as the season of year, industrial strains, chicken's keeping system, and anticoccidial drugs do not affect this phenomenon remarkably.