Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with pharyngeal inflammation, but the coexistence of systemic inflammation is controversial. This study investigated whether local and systemic ...inflammatory biomarkers are related in patients with OSA. An uncontrolled extension to the study assessed the response to effective treatment.We recruited 89 patients with OSA (apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) ≥5 events·h
), 28 snorers and 26 healthy controls. Pharyngeal lavage (PHAL) and plasma samples were collected at baseline and after a 1-year follow-up. Inflammatory cells were evaluated by flow cytometry; interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor-α were evaluated by immunoassay.In PHAL, CD4
T-cells, IL-6 and IL-8 were higher in OSA patients than in snorers or healthy controls (p<0.05). The AHI correlated with CD4
, IL-6 and IL-8 in PHAL (all p-values <0.05). There were no differences in the inflammatory biomarkers in plasma between the study groups and no relationship between plasma and PHAL biomarkers. Biomarkers decreased significantly in PHAL but not in plasma after 1 year of therapy with continuous positive airway pressure or surgery.In patients with OSA, increased levels of inflammatory biomarkers were found in PHAL, which were reduced with effective treatment. No simultaneous increase in plasma inflammatory biomarkers was found.
Natural gas is one of the most highly used resources, not only as a fuel but also as a raw material for many industrial processes. In addition, it is an environmental friendly fuel due to its lower ...greenhouse gas emission than that of coal or oil. However, it is a nonrenewable energy source and the quality of the available resources is expected to deplete continuously. In this scenario, membrane technologies can play an important role in the purification of the reduced and contaminated resources, competing with the current technologies owing to their simpler adaptability to different feed compositions, lower energy consumption and investment costs. In this review, the current state of the natural gas sources, including nonconventional resources (tight/shale gas and biogas), is explored, along with the current market status of the conventional natural gas. A comparison between the conventional purification technologies and membrane processes is provided, together with the currently available commercial membranes as well as new materials. Furthermore, the latest materials in research stage are reviewed, pointing out their limitations to the current membranes technologies. Finally, future research trends to overcome the current membrane technology limitations are proposed, and the conclusions are addressed.
The main goal of this work was to produce an easily recoverable waste-based magnetic activated carbon (MAC) for an efficient removal of the antiepileptic pharmaceutical carbamazepine (CBZ) from ...wastewater. For this purpose, the synthesis procedure was optimized and a material (MAC4) providing immediate recuperation from solution, remarkable adsorptive performance and relevant properties (specific surface area of 551 m
2
g
−1
and saturation magnetization of 39.84 emu g
−1
) was selected for further CBZ kinetic and equilibrium adsorption studies. MAC4 presented fast CBZ adsorption rates and short equilibrium times (< 30–45 min) in both ultrapure water and wastewater. Equilibrium studies showed that MAC4 attained maximum adsorption capacities (
q
m
) of 68 ± 4 mg g
−1
in ultrapure water and 60 ± 3 mg g
−1
in wastewater, suggesting no significant interference of the aqueous matrix in the adsorption process. Overall, this work provides evidence of potential application of a waste-based MAC in the tertiary treatment of wastewaters.
Graphical abstract
The incubation period of COVID-19 helps to determine the optimal duration of the quarantine and inform predictive models of incidence curves. Several emerging studies have produced varying results; ...this systematic review aims to provide a more accurate estimate of the incubation period of COVID-19.
For this systematic review, a literature search was conducted using Pubmed, Scopus/EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases, covering all observational and experimental studies reporting the incubation period and published from 1 January 2020 to 21 March 2020.We estimated the mean and 95th percentile of the incubation period using meta-analysis, taking into account between-study heterogeneity, and the analysis with moderator variables.
We included seven studies (n=792) in the meta-analysis. The heterogeneity (I
83.0%, p<0.001) was significantly decreased when we included the study quality and the statistical model used as moderator variables (I
15%). The mean incubation period ranged from 5.6 (95% CI: 5.2-6.0) to 6.7 days (95% CI: 6.0-7.4) according to the statistical model. The 95th percentile was 12.5 days when the mean age of patients was 60 years, increasing 1 day for every 10 years.
Based on the published data reporting the incubation period of COVID-19, the mean time between exposure and onset of clinical symptoms depended on the statistical model used, and the 95th percentile depended on the mean age of the patients. It is advisable to record sex and age when collecting data in order to analyze possible differential patterns.
The kinetics of the combustion of coal, two different sewage sludge and their blends (containing different dried weight percentages of sewage sludge) was studied by simultaneous thermogravimetric ...analysis. Once the weight percentage of sludge in the blend was ⩽10%, the effects on the combustion of coal were hardly noticeable in terms of weight loss. The Arrhenius activation energy corresponding to the co-combustion of the blends was evaluated by non-isothermal kinetic analysis. This showed that, though differences between coal and sewage sludge, the combustion of their blends kept kinetically alike to that of the coal. This work illustrates how thermogravimetric analysis may be used as an easy rapid tool to asses, not only mass loss, but also kinetics of the co-combustion of sewage sludge and coal blends.
We surveyed diversity patterns and engaged in bioprospecting for bioactive compounds of fungi associated with the endemic macroalgae, Monostroma hariotii and Pyropia endiviifolia, in Antarctica. A ...total of 239 fungal isolates were obtained, which were identified to represent 48 taxa and 18 genera using molecular methods. The fungal communities consisted of endemic, indigenous and cold-adapted cosmopolitan taxa, which displayed high diversity and richness, but low dominance indices. The extracts of endemic and cold-adapted fungi displayed biological activities and may represent sources of promising prototype molecules to develop drugs. Our results suggest that macroalgae along the marine Antarctic Peninsula provide additional niches where fungal taxa can survive and coexist with their host in the extreme conditions. We hypothesise that the dynamics of richness and dominance among endemic, indigenous and cold-adapted cosmopolitan fungal taxa might be used to understand and model the influence of climate change on the maritime Antarctic mycota.
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The gas permeability of Y0.03Zr0.97O2 (3Y-TZP) porous supports from thermoplastic feedstocks has been improved by adding MgO as a non-pyrolyzable pore former. Common pyrolyzable pore ...formers such as graphite often produce tortuous and narrow pore channels with low gas permeability, limiting the performance of oxygen transport membranes or other membranes relying on gas transport to the active membrane surface. Thermoplastic feedstocks for extrusion of tubular 3Y-TZP supports were prepared with four different amounts of pyrolyzable pore formers and/or MgO as non-pyrolyzable pore former. The MgO was removed after sintering by leaching in acetic acid. With this technique we obtained porosities above 70 vol% and gas permeabilities above 3∙10−14 m2. Compared to samples with only pyrolyzable pore formers, the non-pyrolyzable pore former increases the gas permeability and reduces the tortuosity.
Purpose
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of first-line therapy with palbociclib in a Spanish cohort treated after palbociclib approval.
Methods
PALBOSPAIN is an observational, retrospective, ...multicenter study evaluating real-world patterns and outcomes with 1 L palbociclib in men and women (any menopausal status) with advanced HR
+
/HER2– BC diagnosed between November 2017 and November 2019. The primary endpoint was real-world progression-free survival (rw-PFS). Secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS), the real-world response rate (rw-RR), the clinical benefit rate, palbociclib dose reduction, and safety.
Results
A total of 762 patients were included. The median rw-PFS and OS were 24 months (95% CI 21–27) and 42 months (40-not estimable NE) in the whole population, respectively. By cohort, the median rw-PFS and OS were as follows: 28 (95% CI 23–39) and 44 (95% CI 38-NE) months in patients with
de novo
metastatic disease, 13 (95% CI 11–17) and 36 months (95% CI 31–41) in patients who experienced relapse < 12 months after the end of ET, and 31 months (95% CI 26–37) and not reached (NR) in patients who experienced relapse > 12 months after the end of ET. rw-PFS and OS were longer in patients with oligometastasis and only one metastatic site and those with non-visceral disease. The most frequent hematologic toxicity was neutropenia (72%; grade ≥ 3: 52.5%), and the most common non-hematologic adverse event was asthenia (38%).
Conclusion
These findings, consistent with those from clinical trials, support use of palbociclib plus ET as 1 L for advanced BC in the real-world setting, including pre-menopausal women and men.
Trial registration number
NCT04874025 (PALBOSPAIN). Date of registration: 04/30/2021 retrospectively registered.
Highly porous carbons were obtained from solid wastes generated in the chemical and the mechanical processing of birch wood (substandard kraft cellulose, hydrolysis lignin, chips and bark). ...NaOH-chemical activation of these residues at 575–800 °C resulted in an efficient process to produce carbons with specific surface areas well above 1000 m2 g−1 and average pore widths of 1–1.7 nm.
Comparative evaluations have shown the potentiality of wood wastes-based carbons in applications related to environmental protection. Activated carbons derived from chips- and bark-birch wood displayed specific capacitances as high as 308 F g−1 in the H2SO4 aqueous electrolyte and 200 F g−1 in the (C2H5)4NBF4/acetonitrile organic medium. Moreover, their capacitive performance at high current density competed well with that found for commercial carbons used in supercapacitors.
Wood-derived carbons also proved to be highly promising for CO2 capture in power stations, achieving uptakes under post- and pre-combustion conditions of 11–16 wt.% and 49–91 wt.%, respectively.
► Wastes from birch-wood processing resulted suitable precursors of nanoporous carbons. ► NaOH-activation led to carbons with areas above 1100 m2 g−1 and pores of 1–1.7 nm ► Wood based-carbons are promising as electrodes in supercapacitor. ► Nanoporous carbons present high potentiality as adsorbents for CO2 capture.
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