The corrosive potential of carbon steel was evaluated under high pressure CO2–water systems to simulate the condition of CO2 transportation pipeline in the CO2 capture and storage (CCS) applications. ...To understand the thermodynamic properties of CO2–water systems related to the corrosion phenomena, thermodynamic modeling were conducted to determine the mutual solubilities of CO2 and water in the two coexisting phases, and to calculate the concentrations of corrosive species in the free water at various pressures and temperatures. Carbon steel samples were exposed to water-saturated CO2, and CO2-saturated water in the CO2 pressure range of 40–80bar at 50°C. The corrosion rate of samples was determined by weight loss measurements. The surface morphology and the composition of the corrosion product layers were analyzed by using surface analytical techniques (SEM and EDS).
The corrosion property of carbon steel was evaluated using an autoclave under CO2-saturated water phase and water-saturated CO2 phase with impurities (O2 and SO2) at 80 bar CO2 and 50 °C to simulate ...the condition of CO2 transmission pipeline in the carbon capture and storage (CCS) applications. The results showed that the corrosion rate of carbon steel in CO2-saturated water was very high and it increased with adding O2 in the system due to the inhibition effect of O2 on the formation of protective FeCO3. It is noteworthy that corrosion took place in the water-saturated CO2 phase under supercritical condition when no free water is present. The addition of O2 increased the corrosion rates of carbon steel in water-saturated CO2 phase. The addition of 0.8 bar SO2 (1%) in the gas phase dramatically increased the corrosion rate of carbon steel from 0.38 to 5.6 mm/y. This then increased to more than 7 mm/y with addition of both O2 and SO2. SO2 can promote the formation of iron sulfite hydrate (FeSO3·3H2O) on the steel surface which is less protective than iron carbonate (FeCO3), and it is further oxidized to become FeSO4 and FeOOH when O2 is present with SO2 in the CO2-rich phase. The corrosion rates of 13Cr steel were very low compared with carbon steel in CO2-saturated water environments with O2, whereas it was as high as carbon steel in a water-saturated CO2 phase with O2 and SO2.
Although the diagnostic and severity grading criteria on the 2013 Tokyo Guidelines (TG13) are used worldwide as the primary standard for management of acute cholangitis (AC), they need to be ...validated through implementation and assessment in actual clinical practice. Here, we conduct a systematic review of the literature to validate the TG13 diagnostic and severity grading criteria for AC and propose TG18 criteria. While there is little evidence evaluating the TG13 criteria, they were validated through a large‐scale case series study in Japan and Taiwan. Analyzing big data from this study confirmed that the diagnostic rate of AC based on the TG13 diagnostic criteria was higher than that based on the TG07 criteria, and that 30‐day mortality in patients with a higher severity based on the TG13 severity grading criteria was significantly higher. Furthermore, a comparison of patients treated with early or urgent biliary drainage versus patients not treated this way showed no difference in 30‐day mortality among patients with Grade I or Grade III AC, but significantly lower 30‐day mortality in patients with Grade II AC who were treated with early or urgent biliary drainage. This suggests that the TG13 severity grading criteria can be used to identify Grade II patients whose prognoses may be improved through biliary drainage. The TG13 severity grading criteria may therefore be useful as an indicator for biliary drainage as well as a predictive factor when assessing the patient's prognosis. The TG13 diagnostic and severity grading criteria for AC can provide results quickly, are minimally invasive for the patients, and are inexpensive. We recommend that the TG13 criteria be adopted in the TG18 guidelines and used as standard practice in the clinical setting. Free full articles and mobile app of TG18 are available at: http://www.jshbps.jp/modules/en/index.php?content_id=47. Related clinical questions and references are also included.
Highlight
Kiriyama and colleagues conducted a systematic review of the literature to validate the TG13 diagnostic and severity grading criteria for acute cholangitis. A large‐scale case series study in Japan and Taiwan served as the main basis for the validation. They recommend that the TG13 criteria be adopted in the TG18.
A new, highly conductive (4.1 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 30 °C), highly deformable, and dry‐air‐stable glass 0.4LiI‐0.6Li4SnS4 is prepared using a homogeneous methanol solution. The solution process enables ...the wetting of any exposed surface of the active materials with highly conductive solidified electrolytes (0.4LiI‐0.6Li4SnS4), resulting in considerable improvements in the electrochemical performance of these electrodes over conventional mixture electrodes.
Background
Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) is technically demanding and there is much controversy about its safety. We evaluated the learning curve for pure LPD based on the clinical ...outcomes of consecutive patients treated by a single surgeon.
Methods
We reviewed the medical records of 119 consecutive patients who underwent LPD by a single surgeon between June 2013 and August 2018. The learning curve was evaluated using the cumulative summation (CUSUM) and risk-adjusted CUSUM (RA-CUSUM) methods. Perioperative outcomes were compared among the learning curve phases.
Results
CUSUM analysis of the operation time showed that the operation time improved after the 47th case. RA-CUSUM analysis showed the learning curve for surgical failure, defined as severe complications (Clavien–Dindo grade ≥ 3) or open conversion, comprised three phases (phase 1: cases 1–60; phase 2: cases 61–83; phase 3: cases 84–119). There were no significant differences in operation time among the three phases. Intraoperative blood loss decreased significantly over the three phases (
P
= 0.032). There were no postoperative deaths. The rates of postoperative complications, pancreatic fistula (grade B/C), and post-pancreatic hemorrhage were significantly lower in phase 3 than in phase 2 (2.8% vs. 21.7%,
P
= 0.019; 2.8% vs. 17.4%,
P
= 0.049; 0% vs. 13.0%,
P
= 0.026), but not between phases 1 and 2. Postoperative hospital stay decreased progressively, and was significantly shorter in phase 3 than in phase 1 (9.1 vs. 16.7 days,
P
= 0.001).
Conclusions
The LPD failure rate decreased after the first 60 cases and stabilized after 84 cases. For safe dissemination of LPD, it is important to shorten the long learning curve and decrease the unfavorable outcomes in the early phase of the learning curve.
Following the worldwide surge in mpox (monkeypox) in 2022, cases have persisted in Asia, including South Korea, and sexual contact is presumed as the predominant mode of transmission, with a ...discernible surge in prevalence among immunocompromised patients. Drugs such as tecovirimat can result in drug‐resistant mutations, presenting obstacles to treatment. This study aimed to ascertain the presence of tecovirimat‐related resistant mutations through genomic analysis of the monkeypox virus isolated from a reported case involving prolonged viral shedding in South Korea. Here, tecovirimat‐resistant mutations, previously identified in the B.1 clade, were observed in the B.1.3 clade, predominant in South Korea. These mutations exhibited diverse patterns across different samples from the same patient and reflected the varied distribution of viral subpopulations in different anatomical regions. The A290V and A288P mutant strains we isolated hold promise for elucidating these mechanisms, enabling a comprehensive analysis of viral pathogenesis, replication strategies, and host interactions. Our findings imply that acquired drug‐resistant mutations, may present a challenge to individual patient treatment. Moreover, they have the potential to give rise to transmitted drug‐resistant mutations, thereby imposing a burden on the public health system. Consequently, the meticulous genomic surveillance among immunocompromised patients, conducted in this research, assumes paramount importance.
Background
Accumulating evidence suggests that the gut microbiome is associated with asthma. However, altered gut microbiome in adult asthma is not yet well established. We aimed to investigate the ...gut microbiome profiles of adult asthmatic patients with symptomatic eosinophilic inflammation.
Methods
The 16 s rRNA gene metagenomic analysis of feces in the symptomatic eosinophilic asthma group (EA, n = 28) was compared with the healthy control (HC, n = 18) and the chronic cough control (CC, n = 13). A correlation analysis between individual taxa and clinical markers was performed within the EA group. Changes in the gut microbiome were examined in patients with significant symptom improvement in the EA group.
Results
The relative abundances of Lachnospiraceae and Oscillospiraceae significantly decreased and Bacteroidetes increased in the EA group. Within EA group, Lachnospiraceae was negatively correlated with indicators of type 2 inflammation and lung function decline. Enterobacteriaceae and Prevotella was positively associated with type 2 inflammation and lung function decline, respectively. The abundance of predicted genes associated with amino acid metabolism and secondary bile acid biosynthesis was diminished in the EA group. These functional gene family alterations could be related to gut permeability, and the serum lipopolysaccharide concentration was actually high in the EA group. EA patients with symptom improvement after 1 month did not show a significant change in the gut microbiome.
Conclusions
Symptomatic eosinophilic adult asthma patients showed altered the gut microbiome composition. Specifically, a decrease in commensal clostridia was observed, and a decrease in Lachnospiraceae was correlated with blood eosinophilia and lung function decline.
Type 2 asthma alters the composition of major taxa of the gut microbiome, especially causing a decrease in commensal clostridia. Within type 2 asthma, Lachnospiraceae negatively correlates with indicators of type 2 inflammation and lung function decline. In contrast, pathobiont and Prevotella are positively associated, respectively. According to functional gene predictions, microbial metabolites are diminished and LPS production increases.Abbreviations: LDA, linear discriminant analysis; LPS, lipopolysaccharide; OVA, ovalbumin
Thrombotic events (TE), including deep vein thrombosis, stroke, and myocardial infarction, occur in 30-40% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) resulting in substantial morbidity and ...mortality. We explored the risk factors for TE in SLE patients. We analyzed data obtained during a prospective cohort based on the KORean lupus NETwork (KORNET) registry, and enrolled 259 SLE patients with clinical data available at the onset of SLE. TE was defined as the presence of arterial or venous thrombosis. Multivariate Cox-proportional hazards analysis was performed to investigate risk factors for TE. During a mean follow-up of 103.3 months (SD 53.4), 27 patients (10.4%) had a TE. In multivariate analysis, hypertension (hazard ratio HR 7.805, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.929-31.581; P = 0.004), anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS) (HR 12.600, 95% CI: 4.305-36.292; P < 0.001), mean daily prednisolone > 5 mg/day (HR 3.666, 95% CI: 1.318-10.197; P = 0.013), and SLICC/ACR Damage Index (SDI) score (HR 1.992, 95% CI: 1.465-2.709; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with the development of TE in SLE patients. Instead, use of an ACEi or ARB (HR 0.159, 95% CI: 0.043-0.594; P = 0.006) was a protective factor against TE development in these patients. In conclusion, hypertension, higher mean daily dose of prednisolone, diagnosis of APS, and higher SDI were risk factors for TE in patients with SLE. On the other hand, the use of an ACEi or ARB was associated with a reduced risk of TE.
Sn4P3 is introduced for the first time as an anode material for Na‐ion batteries. Sn4P3 delivers a high reversible capacity of 718 mA h g−1, and shows very stable cycle performance with negligible ...capacity fading over 100 cycles, which is attributed to the confinement effect of Sn nanocrystallites in the amorphous phosphorus matrix during cycling.
PDF
