Effects of statins and steroids on coronary artery disease and stroke in patients with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis: A general population study.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of statins and steroids on the risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke in patients with interstitial lung disease and pulmonary fibrosis (ILD-PF). METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled patients with ILD-PF who were using statins (statin cohort, N = 11,567) and not using statins (nonstatin cohort, N = 26,159). Cox proportional regression was performed to analyze the cumulative incidence of CAD and stroke. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of CAD and stroke were determined after sex, age, and comorbidities, as well as the use of inhaler corticosteroids (ICSs), oral steroids (OSs), and statins, were controlled for. RESULTS: Compared with those of patients without statin use, the aHRs (95% CIs) of patients with statin use for CAD and ischemic stroke were 0.72 (0.65-0.79) and 0.52 (0.38-0.72), respectively. For patients taking single-use statins but not ICSs/OSs, the aHRs (95% CIs) for CAD and ischemic stroke were 0.72 (0.65-0.79)/0.69 (0.61-0.79) and 0.54 (0.39-0.74)/0.50 (0.32-0.79), respectively. For patients using ICSs/OSs, the aHRs (95% CIs) for CAD and ischemic stroke were 0.71 (0.42-1.18)/0.74 (0.64-0.85) and 0.23 (0.03-1.59)/0.54 (0.35-0.85), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The findings demonstrate that statin use, either alone or in combination with OS use, plays an auxiliary role in the management of CAD and ischemic stroke in patients with ILD-PF.

Reduction of Cr(VI) by crop-residue-derived black carbon.

Burning crop residues is a common postharvest practice on farmland, leading to the accumulation of black carbon (BC) in the soil. To understand the potential role of BC in immobilizing toxic Cr(VI) in soil, this study evaluated the Cr(VI) sorption kinetics at pH levels ranging from 3 to 7 and examined the reaction mechanism of Cr(VI) with BC derived from burning rice straw. The BC samples, after reacting with Cr(VI), were analyzed using Cr K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The results showed that Cr(VI) was sorbed and subsequently reduced to Cr(III), which was bound to the BC surface through surface complexation and precipitation. As indicated by the diffuse reflection infrared Fourier transform spectra, the phenolic groups of BC are the dominant drivers of Cr(VI) reduction, giving rise to carbonyl/carboxyl groups on the BC surface. The reaction rate of Cr(VI) with BC increased from 10(-3.62) to 10(-1.65) h(-1) as pH was decreased from 7 to 3 because Cr(VI) sorption and reduction both occur faster at low pH. These results suggest that BC derived from burning crop residue is an effective reductant for Cr(VI) and may play an important role in determining the fate of Cr(VI) in BC-rich farmland soils.

Removal of hexavalent chromium from acidic aqueous solutions using rice straw-derived carbon.

This study evaluates the removal of Cr(VI) from water by carbon derived from the burning of rice straw. Rice straw was burned in the air to obtain rice carbon (RC), and then the removal of Cr(VI) by RC was investigated under various pHs and ionic strengths. After the experiments, the oxidation state of Cr bound to RC was analyzed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which revealed that Cr bound to RC was predominately in the trivalent form. The results showed that upon reacting with RC, Cr(VI) was reduced to Cr(III), which was either adsorbed on RC or released back into solution. The extent and rate of Cr(VI) removal increased with decreasing solution pH because the Cr(VI) adsorption and the subsequent reduction of adsorbed Cr(VI) to Cr(III) both occur preferentially at low pH. The minimal effect of ionic strength on the rates of Cr(VI) removal and Cr(III) adsorption indicated specific interactions between Cr(VI)/Cr(III) and their surface binding sites on RC. These results suggest that rice straw-based carbon may be effectively used at low pH as a substitute for activated carbon for the treatment of Cr(VI) contaminated water.