Preparation of carboxyl-functionalized silica core-shell microspheres and their applications in weak cation exchange chromatography, heavy metal removal, and lysozyme enrichment.

Chromatography is a technique of separation based on adsorption and/or interaction of target molecules with stationary phases. Herein, we report the design and fabrication of BTDA@SiO2 core-shell microspheres as a new class of stationary phase and demonstrate its impressive performance for chromatographic separations. The silica microspheres of BTDA@SiO2 were synthesized by in situ method with 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxaldehyde and 3,5-diaminobenzoic to separate peptides and proteins on high-performance liquid chromatography. The BTDA@SiO2 core-shell structure has a high specific surface area and retention factor of 4.27 and 8.31 for anionic and cationic peptides, respectively. The separation factor and resolution were high as well. A typical chromatogram illustrated nearly baseline resolution of the two peptides in less than 3 min. The BTDA@SiO2 was also highly stable in the pH range of 1 to 14. Furthermore, the prepared BTDA@SiO2 core-shell material not only be used for chromatographic separation but also as heavy metal removal from water. Using a BTDA@SiO2, we also achieved a lysozyme enrichment with a maximum saturated adsorption capacity reaching 714 mg/g. In summary, BTDA@SiO2 has great application prospects and significance in separation and purification systems.

Synthesis of core-shell material rich in carboxyl groups and its application in the selective adsorption of cationic peptides.

The ability to extract peptides and proteins from biological samples with excellent reusability, high adsorption capacity, and great selectivity is essential in scientific research and medical applications. Inspired by the advantages of core-shell materials, we fabricated a core-shell material using amino-functionalized silica as the core. Benzene-1,3,5-tricarbaldehyde and 3,5-diaminobenzoic acid were used as model organic ligands to construct a shell coating by alternately reacting the two monomers on the surface of silica microspheres. The resultant material featured an outstanding capability for the adsorption of cationic peptides, most likely owing to its porous structure, a large number of carboxylic functional groups, and low mass-transfer resistance. The maximum saturated adsorption capacity reached 833.3 mg/g and the adsorption process took only 20 min. Under optimized adsorption conditions, the core-shell material was used to selectively adsorb cationic peptides from the tryptic digestive solution of lysozyme and bovine serum albumin, Specifically, the analysis results showed seven cationic peptides in the eluate and twenty anionic peptides in the supernatant, which indicates the efficient trap of most cationic peptides in the digestive solution.

Ivabradine effects in hospitalized acute heart failure patients: a single center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: An increased heart rate (HR) is deleterious in patients with decompensated heart failure. Ivabradine, an HR lowering agent which acts by inhibiting the If current in the sinoatrial node, is indicated for chronic heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. However, data regarding the safety and efficacy of ivabradine in acute decompensated heart failure is limited. This retrospective observational study aimed to investigate the effects of ivabradine on morbidity and short-term mortality of hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure. METHODS: A total of 998 patients with acute decompensated heart failure on top of a chronic status from 1/5/2014 to 1/5/2019 who were already on guideline-directed treatment including a beta-blocker were included. Patients were divided into two groups, the first group (No-ivabradine) where patients continued the same dose of beta-blocker alone while the second group (ivabradine group) ivabradine 5 mg BID was added in addition to the same dose of beta-blocker. Patients with hemodynamic instabilities were excluded from the study. Propensity matching was performed to exclude confounding factors. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups regarding baseline patient characteristics, laboratory, and echocardiographic data. There were significant differences between groups regarding average HR (87 ± 15 and 90 ± 12 bpm in ivabradine and control groups, consecutively, P = 0.0006*) and length of hospital stay (5.3 ± 2.3 and 7.7 ± 5.6 days in ivabradine and control groups, consecutively, P < 0.0001*). However, there were no differences in rehospitalization and mortality rates at 1 month and 6 months. CONCLUSION: In a retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the effects of ivabradine on morbidity and short-term mortality of hospitalized patients with acute decompensated heart failure. Ivabradine was associated with significantly lower average HR and length of hospital stay. However, there was no benefit in the reduction of rehospitalization and mortality rates at 1- and 6-month follow-ups.

[Prosthetic treatment of a six-year-old child with hypodontia. A case report]. / Prothetische Versorgung eines 6-jährigen Kindes mit Hypodontie. Ein Fallbericht.

The prosthetic treatment of young patients with congenital missing of several teeth is a challenge for the dentist. An early prosthetic management with regard to function, phonetics, esthetics is important to ensure a normal psychological development of these children and to promote a normal tooth and jaw development. On the basis of this case report about the prosthetic rehabilitation of a 6-year-old patient with congenital hypodontia of the primary and the permanent dentition, we give an overview of the literature available about this topic. A restorative dental management with removable prosthodontic appliances is described, and the prosthetic therapeutic alternatives are discussed.

Patient ratings of chewing ability from a randomised crossover trial: lingualised vs. first premolar/canine-guided occlusion for complete dentures.

BACKGROUND: Complex procedures involving a facebow transfer and the use of lingualised teeth are deemed to have a positive influence on the chewing ability with complete dentures. OBJECTIVES: To determine if patients' ratings of their ability to chew depend on the method of complete denture fabrication. METHODS: Edentulous patients (n = 20) participated in a within-subject crossover trial. Each patient received two sets of new complete dentures. One pair was manufactured based on intraoral tracing of centric relation and facebow transfer; semi-anatomical teeth with lingualised occlusion denture (LOD) were chosen. The second pair was made using a simplified procedure without facebow transfer; jaw relations were recorded with wax occlusion rims, and anatomical teeth with a first premolar/canine-guidance (CGD) were selected. The dentures were delivered in randomised order, and each was worn for 3 months. Three months after delivery, patients' ratings of each new prosthesis were recorded on visual analogue scales for their ability to chew seven index foods. Repeated measurements analysis of variance was performed to investigate possible carry-over effects accounting for confounding by treatment period. RESULTS: When comparing the two treatments, participants rated their ability to chew in general, to masticate carrots, hard sausage, steak and raw apple in particular, was significantly better with the CGD (anatomical teeth) than with the LOD (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Comprehensive methods for the fabrication of complete dentures including semi-anatomical lingualised teeth and a full registration do not seem to influence the perceived chewing ability, when compared with more simple procedures. Chewing ability for tough foods appears to benefit from the use of anatomical teeth.