Evaluating the Clinical Efficacy of Teriparatide and Denosumab Combination Therapy in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis aims to assess the clinical effectiveness of the combination therapy involving Teriparatide (TPTD) and Denosumab (DEN) in managing postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO). The findings provide valuable insights into clinical treatment decisions. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and other relevant databases to gather literature concerning the treatment of PMO with TPTD and DEN. After a thorough screening, we selected and analyzed the final literature set. Information relevant to the study was extracted, and a quality assessment was carried out. The meta-analysis utilized RevMan 5.3 software to evaluate the impact of DEN combined with TPTD on parameters such as bone mineral density (BMD), tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-5b (TRACP-5b), fracture incidence, and adverse reactions in PMO patients. Results: After the screening process, a total of 513 patients were studied across 8 studies. Among these, 259 patients received treatment involving DEN combined with TPTD (the research group), while 254 patients were subjected to different treatment regimens (the control group). As per the Cochrane Handbook's quality assessment, all included literature exhibited high overall quality. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the research group exhibited significantly higher BMD than the control group, lower TRACP-5b levels and fracture incidence (P < .05). However, the two groups had no evident difference in adverse reaction incidence (P > .05). Conclusions: The combined treatment of DEN and TPTD exhibits notable efficacy in managing PMO, warranting its promotion and use in clinical practice.

Spatio-Temporal Trends and Identification of Correlated Variables with Water Quality for Drinking-Water Reservoirs.

It is widely accepted that characterizing the spatio-temporal trends of water quality parameters and identifying correlated variables with water quality are indispensable for the management and protection of water resources. In this study, cluster analysis was used to classify 56 typical drinking water reservoirs in Zhejiang Province into three groups representing different water quality levels, using data of four water quality parameters for the period 2006-2010. Then, the spatio-temporal trends in water quality were analyzed, assisted by geographic information systems (GIS) technology and statistical analysis. The results indicated that the water quality showed a trend of degradation from southwest to northeast, and the overall water quality level was exacerbated during the study period. Correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationships between water quality parameters and ten independent variables grouped into four categories (land use, socio-economic factors, geographical features, and reservoir attributes). According to the correlation coefficients, land use and socio-economic indicators were identified as the most significant factors related to reservoir water quality. The results offer insights into the spatio-temporal variations of water quality parameters and factors impacting the water quality of drinking water reservoirs in Zhejiang Province, and they could assist managers in making effective strategies to better protect water resources.

Efficacy and safety of the treatment: combination of benazepril/lercanidipine vs. benazepril alone in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Combination therapy is an effective method to reduce the blood pressure (BP) for patients with hypertension. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of benazepril/lercanidipine compared with benazepril alone in patients with mild-to-moderate hypertension. METHODS: One hundred and eighty-one patients with mild-to-moderate primary hypertension were assigned in this randomized, single-blind, parallel-group study and were randomly divided into group A (benazepril 10 mg/lercanidipine 10 mg) and group B (benazepril 10 mg) for 8 weeks. At 4 weeks, the dosage of Benazepril was titrated up to 20 mg if the diastolic blood pressure (DBP) remained ≥ 90 mmHg. BP control and side effects were evaluated at the end of 1, 4 and 8 weeks. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar. The BP in both groups decreased from the baseline (P < 0.05). At the end of 4 and 8 weeks, Benazepril/Lercanidipine produced greater BP reduction than Benazepril alone (P < 0.05). The comparison of the rate of BP control for the benazepril/lercanidipine and benazepril groups at the end of 1, 4, and 8 weeks were 41.2% vs. 37.6% (P > 0.05), 67.1% vs. 44.7% (P < 0.05), and 71.8% vs. 45.9% (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference of side effects between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The benazepril/lercanidipine combination is more effective in reducing BP than benazepril alone, while it does not increase the incidence of side effects.

Simultaneous adsorption and dechlorination of 2,4-dichlorophenol by Pd/Fe nanoparticles with multi-walled carbon nanotube support.

Nanoscale Pd/Fe particles were combined with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to prepare supported particles (MWNT-stabilized Pd/Fe), which were used to remove 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP). The adsorption capacity of MWNTs was found to be increased with the increasing amount of chlorine atoms, and the removal rates of phenol (P), 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) and 2,4-DCP reached 19.7%, 60.5%, 72.0% and 95.1% respectively, in 1min by MWNTs due to π-π interaction. The adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherm were also discussed. MWNTs as a supporter, was effective for avoiding the agglomeration of nZVI. Furthermore, the speedy removal efficiency of the initial substances (2,4-DCP) reached about 50% in 1min, and over the time continued to rise to 100%, remaining low concentrations (<1mg L(-1)) of the intermediate substances (o-CP, p-CP), and gradual release of the final substance (P) from MWNT-stabilized Pd/Fe composites during the whole process, proposed a novel method for in situ remediation technology.