Bioequivalence Study of Atenolol Tablets in Healthy Chinese Subjects Under Fasting and Fed Conditions.

Atenolol, a cardioselective ß1-blocker, exhibits efficacy in treating cardiovascular diseases. We conducted a single-center, randomized, open, single-dose, 2-preparation, 2-cycle, 2-sequence, double-crossover trial with a 7-day washout period to investigate the pharmacokinetics, bioequivalence (BE), and safety of test and reference atenolol tablets (25 mg) in healthy Chinese volunteers. Forty-eight healthy participants were randomized into the fasting and fed arms. After administering a single oral dose of the test or reference formulation (25 mg), plasma atenolol concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic parameters were obtained from concentration-time profiles. In total, 23 and 24 individuals were included in the fasting and fed arms, respectively. The mean concentration-time profiles for both formulations were similar, and Cmax, AUC0-t, and AUC0-∞ were within the BE range of 80%-125%. Thirteen adverse events (AEs) were observed in 7 participants in the fasting arm; 1 withdrew from the trial early owing to an AE. In the fed arm, 20 AEs were observed in 8 participants, and none withdrew from the trial. All adverse reactions were grade I, with no serious AEs or deaths. Therefore, the 2 tablets are bioequivalent in healthy Chinese individuals under fasting and fed conditions, supporting their further clinical development.

Corrosion resistance and earth-abundance FeS-based heterojunction catalyst for seawater splitting at industrial grade density.

The strategic progression toward highly efficient transition metal electrocatalytic electrodes is crucial to achieving efficiency and long-term stability in hydrogen production from authentic seawater sources. This work reports the development of a self-supporting, heterogeneous and corrosion-resistant iron sulfur-based catalytic electrode via a streamlined, one-step process involving sulfide etching and electroless plating on an iron foam substrate (IF). This new electrode, named NiS-FeS@IF, involves a nanostructured NiS-FeS catalytic material that combines in situ, resulting in a thin, ultrathin nanospherical layer on the IF. This construction has low overpotentials of merely 322 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 563 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with a current density of 500 mA cm-2 in alkaline simulated seawater electrolytes. Importantly, the NiS-FeS@IF electrode enduring more than 500 h at an industrial grade high current density of 1 A cm-2 without noteworthy performance deterioration. The unique and uniformly dispersed morphology of NiS-FeS facilitates intensified interfacial electron transfer, optimizes active site exposure and provides efficient channels for the rapid release and mass transfer of gas bubbles. This work introduces a novel approach for the facile preparation of efficient electrode materials.

Nondiagnostic cytological results on ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration: Does the thyroid nodule depth matter?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether thyroid nodule depth and other ultrasound features can predict nondiagnostic cytological results on ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 412 thyroid nodules that underwent ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration from 2014 to 2015. The nodules were classified as nondiagnostic and diagnostic by the cytopathological results. Clinical information of the patients (ie., age, sex) and ultrasound features (ie., size, depth, calcification, cystic content, vascularity) of the nodules were recorded and compared between the nondiagnostic group and diagnostic group. RESULTS: Age and sex were not significantly different between the nondiagnostic group and diagnostic group (P > 0.05). Nodule depth >15 mm (OR, 7.128; P < 0.001), peripheral rim calcification (OR, 5.725; P = 0.01) and cystic content >50% (OR, 2.995; P = 0.018) were factors for the nondiagnostic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytopathological results. Macrocalcification in the nodule sized 5-10 mm was associated with the nondiagnostic results (P = 0.04). Nodule size and vascularity were not associated with the nondiagnostic results (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nodule depth >15 mm, peripheral rim calcification and cystic content >50% were three independent predictors of the nondiagnostic cytopathological results. Macrocalcification in the nodule sized 5-10 mm was also associated with the nondiagnostic results.