•An effective degradation of SMT by nZVI/PS process was achieved.•Complete degradation of SMT was obtained in 30 min by nZVI/PS process.•This study provides a novel treatment of SMT-contaminated ...wastewater.
This study investigates the effectiveness of the nanoscale zero-valent iron and persulfate (nZVI/PS) process in degrading sulfamethazine (SMT) in aqueous solutions. nZVI was formed using a rotating packed bed with blade packings. The dominant generated free radical in the nZVI/PS process for degrading SMT was SO4−. nZVI can gradually release Fe2+, which subsequently activates PS to form SO4−, increasing the efficiency of degradation of SMT by this process. The effects of the PS/nZVI molar ratio, initial SMT concentration, and species of inorganic anions on the efficiency of degradation of SMT were also studied. A PS/nZVI molar ratio of 1/0.5 in the nZVI/PS process was chosen to reduce the required nZVI dosage at PS concentrations of 0.5, 1, and 2 mmol/L. The efficiency of degradation of SMT declined as the initial SMT concentration was increased. Inorganic anions (SO42−, HCO3−, NO3−, and Cl− ions) at high concentrations inhibited the degradation of SMT and their suppressive effects followed the order SO42− > HCO3− > NO3− > Cl−. The efficiency of degradation of SMT using the formed nZVI significantly exceeded that using commercial nZVI that was purchased from Centron Biochemistry Technology. At an nZVI dosage of 56 mg/L, a PS concentration of 2 mmol/L, and an initial SMT concentration of 10 mg/L, the efficiency of degradation of SMT was 93% after 5 min in the absence of inorganic anions. Therefore, the nZVI/PS process is highly effective in degrading SMT in aqueous solutions.
Herein, we aim to develop a facile method for the fabrication of mechanical metamaterials from templated polymerization of thermosets including phenolic and epoxy resins using self-assembled block ...copolymer, polystyrene–polydimethylsiloxane with tripod network (gyroid), and tetrapod network (diamond) structures, as templates. Nanoindentation studies on the nanonetwork thermosets fabricated reveal enhanced energy dissipation from intrinsic brittle thermosets due to the deliberate structuring; the calculated energy dissipation for gyroid phenolic resins is 0.23 nJ whereas the one with diamond structure gives a value of 0.33 nJ. Consistently, the gyroid-structured epoxy gives a high energy dissipation value of 0.57 nJ, and the one with diamond structure could reach 0.78 nJ. These enhanced properties are attributed to the isotropic periodicity of the nanonetwork texture with plastic deformation, and the higher number of struts in the tetrapod diamond network in contrast to tripod gyroid, as confirmed by the finite element analysis.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a persistent inflammatory disease, and long-term clinical treatment often leads to side effects. In this study, we evaluated pterostilbene (PT), a natural anti-inflammatory ...substance, for its protective effects and safety during prolonged use on OA. Results showed that PT alleviated the loss of chondrocytes and widened the narrow joint space in an octacalcium phosphate (OCP)-induced OA mouse model (n = 3). In vitro experiments demonstrate that PT reduced NLRP3 inflammation activation (relative protein expression: C: 1 ± 0.09, lipopolysaccharide (LPS): 1.14 ± 0.07, PT: 0.91 ± 0.07, LPS + PT: 0.68 ± 0.04) and the release of inflammatory cytokines through NF-κB signaling inactivation (relative protein expression: C: 1 ± 0.03, LPS: 3.49 ± 0.02, PT: 0.66 ± 0.08, LPS + PT: 2.78 ± 0.05), ultimately preventing cartilage catabolism. Interestingly, PT also altered gut microbiota by reducing inflammation-associated flora and increasing the abundance of healthy bacteria in OA groups. Collectively, these results suggest that the PT can be considered as a protective strategy for OA.
This study developed a mechatronics platform for a seven-mode vehicle-oriented powertrain system. The innovative “all-in-one” concept was used for flexibly arranging various power or energy sources ...to be combined for various hybrid powertrains. Hence, it significantly reduces the cost and human resources for evaluating new-type power systems or developed vehicle control strategies on the same experimental platform. In this study, three power sources were chosen for providing hybrid power. The first source is a 125 c.c. spark ignition (SI) engine, where a controllable throttle valve governs the output torque, while a fuel meter measures the consumed fuel. The second one is a 1.5kW hub motor, where a motor control unit (MCU) and a 48V lithium battery pack properly provide the required electric power. The third source is an air engine, where a 220V air compressor and other components provide the pneumatic power. For the experimental platform, a developed Matlab/Simulink package receives the measured signals and sends the control commands to actuators. Through the on/off state control of three controllable e-clutches, three single-source modes, three dual-source modes, and one three-source mode (3+3+1) can be conducted. A 1.1kW/24V magnetic powder brake emulates the road load. The results show that three dual-source modes and a three-source mode were successfully operated. The efficiencies, torques and speeds, mass flow rates, etc. have been measured and calculated. This platform is aimed for the research fields of green energies, advanced powertrains, and power flow management.
This study investigates the impact of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD) on mortality and mechanical ventilation use in critically ill patients.
We enrolled patients with NTM-LD or ...tuberculosis (TB) in intensive care units (ICU) and analysed their association with 30-day mortality and with mechanical ventilator-free survival (VFS) at 30 days after ICU admission.
A total of 5996 ICU-admitted patients were included, of which 541 (9.0 %) had TB and 173 (2.9 %) had NTM-LD. The overall 30-day mortality was 22.2 %. The patients with NTM-LD had an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.49 (95 % CI, 1.06–2.05), and TB patients had an aHR of 2.33 (95 % CI, 1.68–3.24), compared to ICU patients with negative sputum mycobacterial culture by multivariable Cox proportional hazard (PH) regression. The aHR of age<65 years, obesity, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, end-stage kidney disease, active cancer and autoimmune disease and diagnosis of respiratory failure were also significantly positively associated with ICU 30-day mortality. In multivariable Cox PH regression for VFS at 30 days in patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation, NTM-LD was negatively associated with VFS (aHR 0.71, 95 % CI: 0.56–0.92, p = 0.009), while TB showed no significant association. The diagnosis of respiratory failure itself predicted unfavourable outcome for 30-day mortality and a negative impact on VFS at 30 days.
NTM-LD and TB were not uncommon in ICU and both were correlated with increasing 30-day mortality in ICU patients. NTM-LD was associated with a poorer outcome in terms of VFS at 30 days.
Hyperuricemia, an abnormally high level of blood uric acid, is a major risk factor for gout. Although xanthine oxidase inhibitors were clinically used to lower blood uric acid level, the concerned ...side effects restricted their utilization. In this study, strictinin, an abundant polyphenol in Pu'er tea, was evaluated for its preventive effects on hyperuricemia. The results showed that the xanthine oxidase activity, uric acid production, and inflammation in AML12 mouse hepatocytes treated with xanthine were significantly reduced by the supplementation of strictinin. Detailed analyses revealed that strictinin inhibited xanthine-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Consistently, the elevated blood uric acid level and the enhanced xanthine oxidase activity in mice treated with potassium oxonate were effectively diminished by strictinin supplementation. Moreover, for the first time, strictinin was found to promote healthy gut microbiota. Overall, strictinin possesses a great potential to be utilized as a functional ingredient for the prevention of hyperuricemia.
We evaluated the utility of combining quantitative pulmonary vasculature measures with clinical factors for predicting pulmonary hemorrhage after computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsy.
Patients ...who underwent CT-guided lung biopsy were retrospectively included in this study. Clinical and radiographic vasculature variables were evaluated as predictors of pulmonary hemorrhage. The radiographic pulmonary vascular analysis included vessel count, density, diameter, and area, and also blood volume in small vessels with a cross-sectional area ≤5 mm2 (BV5) and total blood vessel volume (TBV) in the lungs. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to identify the independent risk factors of higher-grade pulmonary hemorrhage and establish the prediction model presented as a nomogram.
The study included 126 patients; discovery cohort n = 103, and validation cohort n = 23. All pulmonary hemorrhage, higher-grade (grade ≥2) pulmonary hemorrhage, and hemoptysis occurred in 42.9%, 15.9%, and 3.2% of patients who underwent CT-guided lung biopsies. In the discovery cohort, patients with larger lesion depth (p = 0.013), higher vessel density (p = 0.033), and higher BV5 (p = 0.039) were more likely to experience higher-grade hemorrhage. The nomogram prediction model for higher-grade hemorrhage built by the discovery cohort showed similar performance in the validation cohort.
Higher-grade pulmonary hemorrhage may occur after CT-guided lung biopsy. Lesion depth, vessel density, and BV5 are independent risk factors for higher-grade pulmonary hemorrhage. Nomograms integrating clinical parameters and radiographic pulmonary vasculature measures offer enhanced capability for assessing hemorrhage risk following CT-guided lung biopsy, thereby facilitating improved patient clinical care.
Chloroquine (CQ) and its derivative, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), have attracted wide attention for treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, conflicting outcomes have been found in ...COVID-19 clinical trials after treatment with CQ or HCQ. To date, it remains uncertain whether CQ and HCQ are beneficial antiviral drugs for combating COVID-19. We performed a systematic review to depict the efficacy of CQ or HCQ for the treatment of COVID-19. The guidelines of PRISMA were used to conduct this systematic review. We searched through articles from PubMed, Web of Science and other sources that were published from 1 January 2020 to 31 October 2020. The search terms included combinations of human COVID-19, CQ, and HCQ. Eleven qualitative articles comprising of four clinical trials and seven observation studies were utilized in our systematic review. The analysis shows that CQ and HCQ do not have efficacy in treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. In addition, CQ and HCQ have caused life-threatening adverse reactions which included cardiac arrest, electrocardiogram modification, and QTc prolongation, particularly during the treatment of patients with severe COVID-19. Our systematic review suggested that CQ and HCQ are not beneficial antiviral drugs for curing patients with severe COVID-19. The treatment effect of CQ and HCQ is not only null but also causes serious side effects, which may cause potential cardiotoxicity in severe COVID-19 patients.
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