Preparation of Lanthanum-Modified Tea Waste Biochar and Its Adsorption Performance on Fluoride in Water.

In this study, tea waste was used as a raw material, and TBC (tea waste biochar) was prepared by pyrolysis at 700 °C. La(NO3)3·6H2O was used as the modifier to optimize one-way modification; the orthogonal experiment was undertaken to determine the optimal preparation conditions; and La-TBC (lanthanum-modified biochar) was obtained. The key factors for the adsorption of fluoride by La-TBC were investigated by means of batch adsorption experiments, and kinetics and isothermal adsorption experiments were carried out on the adsorption of fluoride in geothermal hot spring water. The adsorption mechanism of fluoride by La-TBC was analyzed via characterization methods such as SEM-EDS (Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer), BET (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared), XRD (X-ray diffraction), and so on. The results show that La-TBC had the best adsorption effect on fluoride at pH 7. The process of adsorption of fluoride follows the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isothermal model, and the maximum theoretical adsorption quantity was 47.47 mg/g at 80 °C, while the removal rate of fluoride from the actual geothermal hot spring water reached more than 95%. The adsorption process was dominated by the monolayer adsorption of chemicals, and the mechanisms mainly include pore filling, ion exchange, and electrostatic interaction.

Inhibition of ferroptosis ameliorates hypertensive nephropathy through p53/Nrf2/p21 pathway by Taohongsiwu decoction: Based on network pharmacology and experimental validation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hypertensive nephropathy (HN) is a complication of hypertension. Taohongsiwu decoction (THSWD) is used clinically but its application in the prevention and treatment of HN remains unelucidated. AIM OF STUDY: This study aims to explore the potential targets and molecular mechanisms of THSWD in the treatment of HN. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A network pharmacology approach was used to predict the components and targets of THSWD for treating HN. Animal experiments were performed to verify the network pharmacology findings. RESULTS: 205 targets were identified and regarded as potential targets of THSWD in HN treatment. Subsequently, we screened 17 hub genes and identified TP53 as the most critical one. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that p53 signaling pathway might play a significant role. In vivo experiments indicated that high-salt diets can lead to high blood pressure, kidney injury, inflammation, and fibrosis. Furthermore, the altered levels of biomarkers (Iron, malondialdehyde, catalase, ferritin, transferrin, Superoxide dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidase 4) provided evidence of ferroptosis. We found that the ferroptosis inhibitor ferrostatin-1 (Fer-1) and THSWD could significantly alleviate HN by suppressing ferroptosis. THSWD and Fer-1 treatment downregulated the protein and mRNA expression of p53, p21, RB, and CTNNB1, which were upregulated by high salt. Meanwhile, THSWD and Fer-1 reversed the downregulation of Nrf2 caused by high-salt diet. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that THSWD attenuate HN induced by a high-salt diet through inhibiting ferroptosis via the p53/Nrf2/p21 pathway.

Engineered cytochrome fused extracellular matrix enabled efficient extracellular electron transfer and improved performance of microbial fuel cell.

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) was a promising technology for energy harvesting from wastewater. However, inefficient bacterial extracellular electron transfer (EET) limited the performance as well as the applications of MFC. Here, a new strategy to reinforce the EET by engineering synthetic extracellular matrix (ECM) with cytochrome fused curli was developed. By genetically fusing a minimal cytochrome domain (MCD) with the curli protein CsgA and heterogeneously expressing in model exoelectrogen of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, the cytochrome fused electroactive curli network was successfully constructed and assembled. Interestingly, the strain with the MCD fused synthetic ECM delivered about 2.4 times and 2.0 times higher voltage and power density output than these of wild type MR-1 in MFC. More impressively, electrochemical analysis suggested that this synthetic ECM not only introduced cytochrome of MCD, but also attracted more self-secreted electrochemically active substances, which might facilitate the EET and improve the MFC performance. This work demonstrated the possibility to manipulation the EET with ECM engineering, which opened up new path for exoelectrogen design and engineering.

The effect of Taohong Siwu decoction combined with antihypertensive medicine in the treatment of hypertension: Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Taohong Siwu Decoction (THSWD) is a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine. Recent research has shown that the practical components of THSWD have specific curative effects on various cardiovascular diseases, including hypertension, suggesting THSWD could effectively lower blood pressure (BP) with fewer side effects. However, little information is available regarding the effectiveness of THSWD combined with antihypertensive medicine on hypertension. OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis aimed to study the efficacy and safety of THSWD in treating hypertension. METHODS: According to the search strategy, 8 databases were searched, including China Knowledge Network (CNKI), Wanfang Database, VIP Database, Pubmed, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), web of science, EMBASE and Cochrane Library, for the randomized controlled trial of THSWD on hypertension. 9 RCTs were included and 827 patients were involved. This meta-analysis used RevMan 5.4 to evaluate the articles. RESULTS: This review included 9 RCTs. All studies were THSWD with the antihypertensive drug compared with single antihypertensive western medicine. The total effective rate of THSWD combined with corresponding western medicine was significantly improved (Relative risk = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.16-1.37, P < .00001), which could effectively reduce the systolic BP (MD = -15.28 mm Hg; 95% CI: -20.17 to -10.40, P < .00001=, diastolic BP (MD = -9.70 mm Hg; 95% CI: -12.66 to -6.73, P < .00001), Triglycerides (MD = -1.48, 95%CI: -2.09 to -0.87, P < .00001), total cholesterol (MD = -1.43, 95% CI: -1.63 to -1.24, P < .00001) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD = -0.93, 95% CI: -1.07 to -0.80, P < .00001). Compared with the single routine western medicine group, THSWD combined with the corresponding western medicine increased serum high-density lipoprotein (MD = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.35 to 0.46, P < .00001). CONCLUSION: THSWD combined with antihypertensive drugs in treating hypertension was curative in lowering BP, improving blood lipid levels and reducing the incidence of adverse reactions compared to antihypertensive medications treatment. However, more high-quality studies are needed due to the biased results and the small number of studies for further verification of the effectiveness of THSWD, and providing a new treatment for clinical reference.

Cytochrome C catalyzed oxygen tolerant atom-transfer radical polymerization.

Atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) is a well-known technique for controlled polymer synthesis. However, the ATRP usually employed toxic heavy metal ionas as the catalyst and was susceptible to molecular oxygen, which made it should be conducted under strictly anoxic condition. Conducting ATRP under ambient and biocompatible conditions is the major challenge. In this study, cytochrome C was explored as an efficient biocatalyst for ATRP under biocompatible conditions. The cytochrome C catalyzed ATRP showed a relatively low polymer dispersity index of 1.19. More interestingly, the cytochrome C catalyzed ATRP showed superior oxygen resistance as it could be performed under aerobic conditions with high dissolved oxygen level. Further analysis suggested that the Fe(II) embed in the cytochrome C might serve as the catalytic center and methyl radical was responsible for the ATRP catalysis. This work explored new biocompatible catalyst for aerobic ATRP, which might open new dimension for practical ATRP and application of cytochrome C protein.

Microstructure and Properties of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyamide/Nylon Microcellular Foamed Composites.

The automobile and aerospace industries require lightweight and high-strength structural parts. Nylon-based microcellular foamed composites have the characteristics of high strength and the advantages of being lightweight as well as having a low production cost and high product dimensional accuracy. In this work, the glass fiber-reinforced nylon foams were prepared through microcellular injection molding with supercritical fluid as the blowing agent. The tensile strength and weight loss ratio of microcellular foaming composites with various injection rates, temperatures, and volumes were investigated through orthogonal experiments. Moreover, the correlations between dielectric constant and injection volume were also studied. The results showed that the "slow-fast" injection rate, increased temperature, and injection volume were beneficial to improving the tensile strength and strength/weight ratios. Meanwhile, the dielectric constant can be decreased by building the microcellular structure in nylon, which is associated with the weight loss ratio extent closely.

Transplantation of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Expressing the Human Preproenkephalin Gene Can Relieve Pain in a Rat Model of Neuropathic Pain.

Transgenic therapy for central neuralgia faces the problems of low expression and weak targeting and affects superficial but not deep neurons. In this study, we generated a lentivirus vector with human preproenkephalin gene (hPPE) expression driven by the transcriptional amplification strategy system (TAS) and established a primary bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (BMSC) line stably expressing hPPE for transplantation into a rat model of neuropathic pain rat. The paw thermal withdrawal latency assay and paw mechanical withdrawal threshold assay showed that unlike control BMSCs and BMSCs with hPPE overexpression driven by the CMV or Synapsin 1 (SYN1) promoter, TAS-hPPE BMSCs had a robust and lasting analgesic effect. The TAS-hPPE BMSC-treated group exhibited higher expression of TAS-driven hPPE and a higher ratio of BMSCs in the midbrain, spinal cord and cortex then the CMV-hPPE BMSC- and SYN1-hPPE BMSC-treated groups. Moreover, we also observed that TAS-hPPE BMSCs displayed a greater tendency to differentiate into neurons and exhibit neuronal-like distribution than CMV-hPPE or SYN1-hPPE BMSCs. In conclusion, our study shows that the TAS improves BMSC transgenic therapy for neuropathic pain treatment.

Study on the prevention of infection in terminal cancer patients applying epidural analgesia by adding cefazolin to anesthetics: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the antibacterial effect of adding cefazolin into anesthetics in patients with terminal cancer undergoing long-term epidural analgesia. METHODS: Patients undergoing epidural analgesia with terminal cancer were randomly divided into two groups: the conventional drug group (group C) and the cefazolin group (group G). Both groups were given levobupivacaine and morphine, while cefazolin was added to group G. The mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), respiratory rates (R), visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, satisfaction and complications of patients in the two groups were observed. 3 ml of the used analgesic was taken for bacterial culture when replacing the new analgesic case. RESULTS: HR, MAP, R, VAS scores, dosages of morphine, satisfaction of the analgesic and the complications were not significantly different between the two groups (P > 0.05). The overall satisfaction of patients in group G was significantly higher than that in group C (P < 0.05). One patient's anesthetics in group C were infected with colibacillus. Four patients in group C got infected in their epidural puncture sites. There was no infection in group G (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Adding cefazolin to local anesthetics could effectively prevent bacterial infection and ensured the safety of epidural analgesia for patients with terminal cancer.

The effect of increased abdominal pressure on internal jugular vein catheterization under ultrasound-guidance on conscious patients: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The shape and cross-sectional area (CSA) of internal jugular vein (IJV) are easily affected by external factors. That causes venous collapsibility. We tried to distend IJV by increasing the pressure on patients' abdomen in order to improve the success rate of internal jugular vein catheterization (IJVC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing IJVC were randomly allocated to two groups: Group 1 and Group 2. For patients in Group 1, the pressure on abdomen was increased by placing a 3000 ml bag of normal saline (NS). No special treatment was arranged for patients in Group 2. Transverse images of right IJV were captured at the outer edge which was parallel to the cricoid by ultrasonography. CSA, circumference (CF), transverse diameter (TD) and anteroposterior diameter (APD) of right IJV were measured and compared. All patients underwent ultrasound-guided short-axis puncturing. The success rates of one-off puncturing in two groups were recorded and compared. RESULTS: The results under ultrasonography assessments show that CF, CSA, APD and success rate of puncturing in Group 1 were significantly higher than that of Group 2 (P < 0.05), while TD was not significantly increased (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in complications between two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Pressure on the abdomen could significantly increase CSA of IJV. That helps improving the success rate of one-off puncturing.

Aqueous Gold Nanoparticles Generated by AC and Pulse-Power-Driven Plasma Jet.

In this study, we developed a simple-to-use approach based on an atmospheric pressure plasma jet to synthesize aqueous Au nanoparticles (AuNP). Special attention was paid to the different reaction dynamics and AuNP properties under AC and pulse-power-driven plasma jets (A-Jet and P-Jet, respectively). The morphology of the AuNP, optical emissions, and chemical reactions were analyzed. Further, a copper mesh was placed above the reaction cell to evaluate the role of electrons and neutral species reduction. A visible color change was observed after the A-Jet treatment for 30 s, while it took 3 min for the P-Jet. The A-Jet treatment presented a much higher AuNP growth rate and a smaller AuNP diameter compared with the P-Jet treatment. Further analysis revealed an increase in chemical concentrations (Cl- and H2O2) and liquid conductivity after plasma treatment, with a higher increased amplitude for the A-Jet case. Moreover, the electrons alone had little effect on AuNP generation, while neutral species showed a clear Au+ reduction effect, and a unique coupling effect between both reactions was observed. The different reaction dynamics between the A-Jet and P-Jet were attributed to their different local heating effects and different discharge power during the reaction.

Comparison between ultrasound-guided paravertebral nerve block and subarachnoid block for elderly male patients under unilateral-opened inguinal hernia repair operation: A randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Paravertebral block (PVB) as a sole anesthetic technique is difficult even in experienced hands. Hence, this study was undertaken to study the safety and efficacy of PVB and to compare with subarachnoid block (SAB) for inguinal hernia repair surgery (IHRS) in elderly male patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-five male patients aged 65 to 89 scheduled for IHRS were allocated randomly by computer-generated randomisation sequence into two groups. They underwent PVB (Group PVB: 33 patients were injected with 10 ml ropivacaine 0.5% at each level from T12 to L1) or SAB (Group SAB: 32 patients were injected with 15 mg ropivacaine 0.5% at L3-L4 level). Primary outcomes were hemodynamic changes and duration of postoperative analgesia. Secondary outcomes were dosage of remedial analgesics, time to perform the block, side effects and satisfaction of patients. RESULTS: The hemodynamics in the Group PVB were more stable than those in the Group SAB during surgery (P < 0.05). The duration of post-operative analgesia was significantly longer in the Group PVB (P < 0.001). The total dose of fentanyl was smaller in the Group PVB in the first 24 h (P < 0.001). The time to perform the block was significantly longer in the Group PVB (P < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the visual analogue scales (VAS) scores between the two groups at 4 h, 6 h, 8 h and 10 h (P < 0.05) but not at 2 h, 12 h and 24 h (P > 0.05). The VAS scores were lowest at 2 h for both the 2 groups, highest at 12 h for Group PVB and at 8 h for Group SAB respectively. The Group PVB had fewer adverse effects (P < 0.05) and higher satisfaction of patients (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided PVB can ensure the anesthetic effects of unilateral-opened IHRS in elderly male patients. It has a small impact on hemodynamics, a longer postoperative analgesia time and less complications.

Tailoring Bandgap of Perovskite BaTiO3 by Transition Metals Co-Doping for Visible-Light Photoelectrical Applications: A First-Principles Study.

The physical and chemical properties of V-M″ and Nb-M″ (M″ is 3d or 4d transition metal) co-doped BaTiO3 were studied by first-principles calculation based on density functional theory. Our calculation results show that V-M″ co-doping is more favorable than Nb-M″ co-doping in terms of narrowing the bandgap and increasing the visible-light absorption. In pure BaTiO3, the bandgap depends on the energy levels of the Ti 3d and O 2p states. The appropriate co-doping can effectively manipulate the bandgap by introducing new energy levels interacting with those of the pure BaTiO3. The optimal co-doping effect comes from the V-Cr co-doping system, which not only has smaller impurity formation energy, but also significantly reduces the bandgap. Detailed analysis of the density of states, band structure, and charge-density distribution in the doping systems demonstrates the synergistic effect induced by the V and Cr co-doping. The results can provide not only useful insights into the understanding of the bandgap engineering by element doping, but also beneficial guidance to the experimental study of BaTiO3 for visible-light photoelectrical applications.

Effect of Mold Opening Process on Microporous Structure and Properties of Microcellular Polylactide⁻Polylactide Nanocomposites.

Cell structure is a key factor that determines the final properties of microcellular polylactide (PLA) product. In the mold opening process, adjusting the rate of mold opening can effectively control cell structure. PLA and PLA composites with a void fraction as high as 50% were fabricated using the mold opening technique. The effects of mold opening rate and the addition of nanoclay on the cell structure, mechanical properties, and surface quality of microcellular PLA and PLA composites samples were investigated. The results showed that finer cell structure was received in the microcellular PLA samples and the surface quality was improved effectively when decreasing the rate of mold opening. The effect of mold opening rate on the foaming behavior of microcellular PLA⁻nanoclay was the same as that of microcellular PLA. The addition of 5 wt % nanoclay significantly improved the foaming properties, such as cell density, cell size, and structural uniformity, which consequently enhanced the mechanical properties of foams and the surface quality.

The optimal combination of mechanical ventilator parameters under general anesthesia in obese patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary dysfunction after laparoscopic surgery is commonly seen in the high-risk group of obese patients. To reduce or avoid this complication caused by an improper combination of mechanical ventilation parameters, we conducted the following trial of 3 factors with 3 levels of mechanical ventilation, aimed to obtain the low airway pressure with good ventilator effects. METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated as a sample of cases according to the "30≤weight/height(2)<40" obesity index. Anesthesia machine was checked on the most fundamental respiratory frequency (f), tidal volume (VT), and respiratory ratio (I:E) as the 3 factors of A, B, and C, with 3 levels of f=15, 12, 9 (beats per minute), VT=8, 10, 12 (mL/kg), and I:E=1:2.5, 1:2.0, 1:1.5. By using L9 (3(4)) K=3 repeat, the orthogonal experimental design and analysis table for statistics, testing, and analysis of the factors that affect the respiratory and change at the end of the level of carbon dioxide (PETCO2), peak airway pressure (PIP), mean airway pressure (Pmean), and the end of endogenous airway pressure (PEEPi) are of statistical significance. SPSS 13.0 analysis of variance was used for statistically significant test, with P<.05 and P<.01 as statistically significant differences. RESULTS: In this study, a total of 27 cases of laparoscopic surgery were allocated in 9 experimental groups under general anesthesia. Patients' vital signs are stable; SPO2 is 100%. There are different combinations among 3 factors and 3 levels of parameters: (1) the impact on the PETCO2, respiratory frequency (f), and/or VT, choose either level, P<.01 means statistically significant, respiratory ratio (I:E) of either selection, P>.05, not statistically significant; (2) the impact of PIP: respiratory frequency (f) change, P<.05, significant difference, VT and I:E changes, P<.01 means statistically significant; (3) the impact of airway pressure on average (Pmean): 3 factors and 3 levels of selected respiratory parameters, P<.01 means statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The best combination of respiratory parameters is A3B1C2, that is, f=9beats per minute, VT=8mL/kg, and I:E=1:2.0. That is, neither small tidal volume and faster frequency nor slow frequency large tidal volume is a good choice. To let obese patients under general anesthesia can obtain a lung protective effect of low airway pressure with good ventilation; it is noteworthy that (1) I:E of airway pressure (PIP, Pmean) is the important impact factor for the protection of the lung and (2) I:E of airway pressure (PIP, Pmean) is the factor with opposite properties.

[Electrospinning technology in tissue engineering scaffolds].

Tissue engineering technology provides a new method to repair ill tissue and worn-out organs. In tissue engineering, scaffolds play an important role in supporting cell growth, inducing tissue regeneration, controlling tissue structure and releasing active factor. In the last decade, electrospinning technology developed rapidly and opened vast application fields for scaffolds. In this review, we summarized the technological conditions of electrospinning for scaffolds, the study of electrospun fiber scaffolds applied in tissue cell cultivation, and some new directions of electrospinning technology for scaffolds. We also addressed development directions of electrospinning research for scaffolds.

Studies on pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution of bifendate nanosuspensions for intravenous delivery.

It is reported that the nanosuspension is one of the promising formulations for poorly water-soluble drugs. In order to enhance the in vitro and in vivo behaviours of DDB (bifendate), DDB-NSP (DDB nanosuspensions) have been produced by the precipitation-combined microfluidization method. The optimized DDB-NSP were transformed into dry powders by freeze-drying and then investigated by transmission electron microscopy, laser diffraction and X-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments. Next, the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of DDB-NSP and DDB-Sol (DDB solution) were carried out. XRD experiments manifested that the crystalline state of DDB was preserved after the size reduction process. An accelerated dissolution velocity and increased saturation solubility could be shown for the DDB-NSP. Compared with DDB-Sol, DDB-NSP exhibited a markedly different pharmacokinetic property with a 17.18-fold increase in AUC(0-∞). Meanwhile, the tissue distribution demonstrated that DDB-NSP were mainly uptaken by RES organs particularly by liver. These results supported the fact that nanosuspension, as a promising intravenous drug-delivery system for DDB, could be developed as an alternative to the conventional DDB preparations.

A mini review of nanosuspensions development.

Nanosuspension drug delivery has obtained great success in the preparation of insoluble drugs. The nanosuspension technology can confer a series of special characteristics to the drugs, such as the enhanced dissolution rate and saturation solubility. This mini review first described the differences between the nanocrystals and nanosuspensions. Next, the product techniques, the stable measures, the special features, and the routes of administration of the nanosuspensions were reviewed and compared. Finally, some existing shortcomings of the nanosuspensions were mentioned and the perspectives of the nanosuspensions were also made.

Development and in vitro characterizations of bifendate nanosuspensions.

It is reported that nano-sizing is one of the promising methods for improving the dissolution rate and oral bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs. In this study, bifendate (DDB) suspensions have been successfully produced by employing two different techniques, the precipitation-ultrasonication method and the precipitation-combined microfluidization method. According to the preliminary test, in the precipitation-ultrasonication process, the concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVPK30) and lecithin in the anti-solvent, the concentration of DDB in the organic phase and the precipitation temperature were optimized at 0.05%, 0.2%, 40 mg/ml and 0-3 degrees C, respectively. In the microfluidization process, two important parameters, the number of cycles and the pressure were investigated systematically and 10 cycles at 23,300 psi of homogenization pressure was found to be the most efficient method. Comparing the two kinds of suspensions by TEM and particle size analysis, a small and uniform size with narrow distribution was achieved by the precipitation-combined microfluidization process. Both formulations before and after particle size reduction were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The DSC and XRD testified that there was no crystalline state changed in the size reduction process. In the in vitro dissolution test, an enhanced dissolution property was shown due to the increased surface area. Besides, lyophilization of DDB nanosuspensions was an effective measure to stabilize the systems for long time.