Rituximab has been associated with hepatitis B virus reactivation (HBV-R). However, the characteristics and scope of this association remain largely undefined.
We completed a comprehensive literature ...search of all published rituximab-associated HBV-R cases and from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) MedWatch database. Literature and FDA cases were compared for completeness, and a meta-analysis was completed.
One hundred and eighty-three unique cases of rituximab-associated HBV-R were identified from the literature (n = 27 case reports, n = 156 case series). The time from last rituximab to reactivation was 3 months (range 0–12), although 29% occurred >6 months after last rituximab. Within FDA data (n = 118 cases), there was a strong signal for rituximab-associated HBV-R proportional reporting ratio = 28.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 23.9–34.1; Empiric Bayes Geometric Mean = 26.4, 95% CI 21.4–31.1. However, the completeness of data in FDA reports was significantly inferior compared with literature cases (P < 0.0001). Among HBV core antibody (HBcAb(+)) series, the pooled effect of rituximab-based therapy showed a significantly increased risk of HBV-R compared with nonrituximab-treated patients (odds ratio 5.73, 95% CI 2.01–16.33; Z = 3.33, P = 0.0009) without heterogeneity (χ2 = 2.12, P = 0.5473).
The FDA AERS provided strong HBV-R safety signals; however, literature-based cases provided a significantly more complete description. Furthermore, meta-analysis of HBcAb(+) series identified a more than fivefold increased rate of rituximab-associated HBV-R.
The objective of this work was to study the chemical and physical characterization of eggshell and eggshell membrane particles prepared from the hen eggshell waste. Under the characterization ...measurements investigated, it was found that the pore structures of the two biomaterials belong to a typical Type II, indicating that they should be basically characteristic of nonporous materials or materials with macropores or open voids. Further, the chemical composition of the resulting eggshell particle was strongly associated with the presence of carbonate minerals from the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra. In contrast to the resulting eggshell membrane particle, the presence of functional groups of amines and amides was observable because of its chemical composition of fibrous proteins. From the isotherm data of methylene blue at 25
°C, the Freundlich model yielded a somewhat better fit than the Langmuir model. The adsorption isotherms revealed the eggshell biosorbents could only uptake the basic dye of less than 1.0
mg/g in aqueous medium, which was attributed to their poor pore properties.
Schematic illustration of the adsorption mechanism of GL-PA at the mild steel surface in HCl solution.
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•4-aminoazobenzene modified natural glucomannan (GL-PA) can act as a green ...eco-friendly inhibitor.•Corrosion inhibition performance of the GL-PA was determined.•Inhibition efficiency of the GL-PA was significantly enhanced compared to GL and GL-P.•DFT was performed to explain the corrosion inhibition performance of GL-PA.
The corrosion inhibition effect of a green eco-friendly 4-aminoazobenzene modified natural glucomannan (GL-PA) on the corrosion protection of mild steel in 0.5 M HCl solution is investigated by electrochemical measurements and surface characterization. The results show that the GL-PA acts as a mixed-type inhibitor and can provide effective corrosion inhibition for mild steel. The corrosion inhibition is achieved by the chemical as well as physical adsorption of the GL-PA on the surface of the mild steel, and the adsorption fairly obeys the Langmuir isotherm.
The aim of this study is to present our institutional experience in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) as a treatment for end‐stage liver disease in children with biliary atresia (BA). A ...retrospective review of transplant records was performed. One hundred BA patients (52 males and 48 females) underwent LDLT. The mean follow‐up period was 85.5 months. The mean age was 2.4 years. The mean preoperative weight, height, and computed GFR were 12.2 kg, 82.5 cm, and 116.4 ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively. Twenty‐seven patients were below 1 year of age, and 49 patients were below 10 kg at the time of transplantation. Ninety‐six had had previous Kasai operation prior to transplant. The mean recipient operative time was 628 min. The mean recipient intraoperative blood loss was 176 ml. Thirty‐five did not require blood or blood component transfusion. The left lateral segment (64) was the most common type of graft used. There were 27 operative complications which included 3 reoperations for postoperative bleeding, 9 portal vein, 4 hepatic vein, 4 hepatic artery, and 7 biliary complications. There was one in‐hospital mortality and one retransplantation. The overall rejection rate was 20%. The overall mortality rate was 3%. The 6‐month, 1‐year and 5‐year actual recipient survival rates were 99%, 98% and 98%, respectively.
In 100 biliary atresia patients undergoing living donor liver transplantation at a single center, the overall mortality rate was 3% and the 5 year actual recipient survival rate was 98%.
Size effects of ceramic nanofiller on polymer-ceramic nanocomposites in terms of microstructure and related properties were studied using P(VDF-CTFE) matrix filled with BaTiO
3
(BTO) nanoparticles in ...the sizes of 50, 100, 150, and 200 nm respectively. The experimental results show that the dielectric constant (
ε
r
) of the P(VDF-CTFE)-BTO nanocomposites significantly increases with increasing size of the nanofiller. Based on Lichtenecker’s mixing law, the
ε
r
of the BTO nanoparticles was calculated from the
ε
r
of the nanocomposites and the results indicate that the
ε
r
of the BTO nanoparticles increases with increasing size from 50–200 nm. The XRD and DSC results suggest that the crystals of P(VDF-CTFE) matrix are of α and γ phases, and the presence of BTO nanofiller favors the formation of the γ phase. Regarding the dielectric responses associated with the chain movement of a polar matrix, the smaller the nanofiller the stronger the influence on the mobility of polymer segments (i.e., glass transition), while the larger the nanofiller the higher the mobility of long polymer chains at high temperatures. Lichtenecker’s mixing law was also used to calculate the
ε
r
of the BTO nanoparticles from the
ε
r
of the nanocomposites at different temperatures. It is found that the applicability of a mixing law used in the polymer-ceramic nanocomposites is strongly related to the dielectric loss of the polymer matrix that is associated with the mobility of polymer chains for the polar polymers, especially at high temperatures. In addition, the dielectric strength (
E
b
) decreases significantly with increasing size of the nanofiller while the polarization under a same electric field does not change much, which experimentally suggests that smaller ceramic nanofiller is preferred to obtain a high
E
b
.
Two types of magnetostrictive resonators – magnetostrictive microcantilever (MSMC) and magnetostrictive particle (MSP) – have been introduced as sensor platforms. Their principles and advantages as ...sensor platforms are discussed along with the materials selection. A detailed and complete comparison between the MSMC and MSP is given. It is concluded that for the resonators with the same size, an MSP exhibits a higher sensitivity and has a much higher resonant frequency. For the resonators with the same resonant frequency, MSMCs exhibit a much higher sensitivity and have a much smaller size than MSPs. Using antibody as the sensing element, MSP biosensors for in situ detection of Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes are developed and characterized. These biosensors exhibit a high performance. For example, the MSP-antibody biosensors of 1mm×0.3mm×15μm exhibit a detection limit less than 100cfu/ml for in situ detection of bacterial cell in water. A new type actuator is introduced using MSPs. The MSP actuator is operated using AC magnetic field with a frequency close to, but different than, its resonant frequency. The MSP actuator exhibits an unlimited displacement, and its moving direction is controlled by the operating frequency used.
An all-organic composite system using newly developed PPy nanoclips is developed. The composites have a uniform microstructure due to the unique preparation process. The composites have a very low ...percolation threshold (<8wt%) and exhibit a high dielectric constant. At room temperature, the composites exhibit a dielectric constant of more than 1000. At temperatures higher than 98°C, the composites exhibit a dielectric constant of about 2000. More interestingly, the high dielectric constant reported here is associated with a loss much smaller than the loss reported for other CDCs using 1-D fillers. It is indicated that a new dielectric relaxation process is induced due to the mixture of PPy with P(VDF-TrFE), whose relaxation time decreases with increasing PPy content. The loss observed in the composites at low temperature including room temperature is mainly determined by this relaxation process rather than the conductivity. If this relaxation process has a strong contribution to the dielectric constant, the widely used percolation formula describing relationship between the dielectric constant and the composite cannot be used.
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•All-organic composite system using newly developed PPy nanoclips.•Very low percolation threshold (<8wt%) and exhibit a high dielectric constant are achieved.•The loss mainly determined by a new relaxation process is studied.
The optimal volume status for neurosurgery has yet to be determined. We compared two fluid protocols based on different stroke volume variation (SVV) cut-offs for goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) ...during supratentorial brain tumour resection.
A randomized, single-blind, open-label trial was conducted. Eighty adult patients undergoing elective supratentorial brain tumour resection were randomly divided into a low SVV and a high SVV group. The SVV cut-offs were used to determine when to initiate colloid infusion. Clinical outcomes and perioperative changes in serum neuronal biomarkers, including S100β, neurone-specific enolase (NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), were compared.
Patients in the low SVV group received a higher volume of colloid 869 (SD 404) vs 569 (453) ml; P=0.0025, had a higher urine output 3.4 (2.4) vs 2.5 (1.7) ml kg−1 h−1; P=0.0416 and a higher average cardiac index 3.2 (0.7) vs 2.8 (0.6) litres min−1 m−2; P=0.0204. Patients in the low SVV group also had a shorter intensive care unit stay 1.4 (0.7) vs 2.6 (3.3) days, P=0.0326, fewer postoperative neurological events (17.5 vs 40%, P=0.0469), attenuated changes in the NSE and GFAP levels, lower intraoperative serum lactate and a higher Barthel index at discharge (all P<0.05).
During GDFT for supratentorial brain tumour resection, fluid boluses targeting a lower SVV are more beneficial than a restrictive protocol.
NCT02113358.
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