Preparation and properties of a novel macro porous Ni2+-imprinted chitosan foam adsorbents for adsorption of nickel ions from aqueous solution.

In this study, novel macro porous Ni2+-imprinted chitosan foam adsorbents (F-IIP) were prepared using sodium bicarbonate and glycerine to obtain a porogen for adsorbing nickel ions from aqueous solutions. The use of the ion-imprinting technique for adsorbents preparation improved the nickel ion selectivity and adsorption capacity. We characterised the imprinted porous foam adsorbents in terms of the effects of the initial pH value, initial metal ion concentration, and contact time on the adsorption of nickel ions. The adsorption process was described best by Langmuir monolayer adsorption models, and the maximum adsorption capacity calculated from the Langmuir equation was 69.93mgg-1. The kinetic data could be fitted to a pseudo-second-order equation. Our analysis of selective adsorption demonstrated the excellent preference of the F-IIP foams for nickel ions compared with other coexisting metal ions. Furthermore, tests over five cycle runs suggested that the F-IIP foam adsorbents had good durability and efficiency.

Comparison of Co(2+) adsorption by chitosan and its triethylene-tetramine derivative: Performance and mechanism.

A cross-linked chitosan derivative (CCTS) was synthesized via cross-linking of epichlorohydrin and grafting of triethylene-tetramine. The adsorption performance and capacity of the raw chitosan (CTS) and its derivative were also investigated for removal of Co(2+) from aqueous solution. A maximum adsorbed amount of 30.45 and 59.51mg/g was obtained for CTS and CCTS, respectively under the optimized conditions. In addition, the adsorption kinetics for the adsorption of Co(2+) by CTS and CCTS were better described by the pseudo second-order equation. The adsorption isotherm of CCTS was well fitted by the Langmuir equation, but the data of the adsorption of Co(2+) onto CTS followed Freundlich and Sips isotherms better. Furthermore, the adsorbent still exhibited good adsorption performance after five regeneration cycles. Finally, Co(2+) removal mechanisms, including physical, chemical, and electrostatic adsorption, were discussed based on microstructure analysis and adsorption kinetics and isotherms. Chemical adsorption was the main adsorption method among these mechanisms.

[New advances in the subtyping of systemic amyloidosis].

Amyloidosis is a heterogeneous group of diseases caused by deposition of misfolded proteins, which usually leads to organ dysfunction. Accurate typing of amyloid deposits is of paramount importance because organ involvements and disease prognosis differ widely among different subtypes, and its treatments are type specific. Correct identification of amyloidogenic protein is crucial to proper treatment. Traditional antibody-based diagnostic methods such as immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence are helpful in amyloid typing, but limitations of those approaches including antibody availability and serum protein contamination impair sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis. Sometimes misdiagnosis can lead to catastrophic therapeutic outcome. Genetic testing is important to confirm the diagnosis of hereditary amyloidosis. Nowadays proteomic analysis has been used as an advanced strategy for amyloid typing and the gold-standard today is laser microdissection followed by mass spectrometry (LMD/MS), which can identify causal protein without additional clinical information. Furthermore, LMD/MS is performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens, thus large scale retrospective studies based on archival material can be conducted. In recent studies, LMD/MS has been proven superior to traditional methods without the drawbacks mentioned above. This proteomic approach provides guarantee of appropriate clinical management and probability of new insights into the mechanism of amyloidosis.In this article the new advances of studies on subtyping of systemic amyloidosis are reviewed.

Simultaneous absorption of NOx and SO2 from flue gas with pyrolusite slurry combined with gas-phase oxidation of NO using ozone.

NO was oxidized into NO(2) first by injecting ozone into flue gas stream, and then NO(2) was absorbed from flue gas simultaneously with SO(2) by pyrolusite slurry. Reaction mechanism and products during the absorption process were discussed in the followings. Effects of concentrations of injected ozone, inlet NO, pyrolusite and reaction temperature on NO(x)/SO(2) removal efficiency and Mn extraction rate were also investigated. The results showed that ozone could oxidize NO to NO(2) with selectivity and high efficiency, furthermore, MnO(2) in pyrolusite slurry could oxidize SO(2) and NO(2) into MnSO(4) and Mn(NO(3))(2) in liquid phase, respectively. Temperature and concentrations of injected ozone and inlet NO had little impact on both SO(2) removal efficiency and Mn extraction rate. Specifically, Mn extraction rate remained steady at around 85% when SO(2) removal efficiency dropped to 90%. NO(x) removal efficiency increased with the increasing of ozone concentration, inlet NO concentration and pyrolusite concentration, however, it remained stable when reaction temperature increased from 20°C to 40°C and decreased when the flue gas temperature exceeded 40°C. NO(x) removal efficiency reached 82% when inlet NO at 750 ppm, injected ozone at 900 ppm, concentration of pyrolusite at 500 g/L and temperature at 25°C.

[Randomized controlled observation on head point-through-point therapy for treatment of insomnia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of head point-through-point therapy on insomnia and to probe the mechanism. METHODS: Seventy-one cases of insomnia were randomly divided into a head penetration needling group (n=36) and a routine acupuncture group (n=35). In the head penetration needling group, Shenting (GV 24)-through-anterior Shencong (EX-HN 1), bilateral Toulinqi (GB 15)-through-bilateral Shencong (EX-HN 1), posterior Shencong-through-Qiangjian (GV 18) were selected; and in the routine acupuncture group, Baihui (CV 20), Yintang (EX-HN 3), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Neiguan (PC 6), etc. were selected. After treatment of 30 days, their therapeutic effects, cumulative scores of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and plasma serotonin contents before and after treatment were compared. Results The total effective rate of 91.7% in the head penetration needling group was better than 77.1% in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05), and the improvement of sleep quality, falling asleep time and the total cumulative score of PSQI in the head penetration needling group was superior to that in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05), and plasma serotonin was significantly increased in the head penetration needling group with a significant difference as compared with that in the routine acupuncture group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The therapeutic effect of head penetration needling is better than that of the routine acupuncture, and the mechanism is related with regulation of serotonin metabolism.

[Clinical observation on head point-through-point electroacupuncture for treatment of poststroke depression].

OBJECTIVE: To observe clinical therapeutic effect of head point-through-point electroacupuncture (EA) on poststroke depression (PSD) and to study the mechanism. METHODS: One hundred and eight cases of PSD were randomly divided into a point-through-point EA group (n = 38), a non point-through-point group (n = 36) and a western medicine group (n = 34). After treatment of 28 days, their therapeutic effects, scores of HAMD depression scale and SDS self-rating scale, and plasma 5-HT contents were compared before and after treatment among the 3 groups. RESULTS: The effective rate of 86.84% in the point-through-point EA group was better than 63.89% in the non point-through-point group and 67.65% in the western medicine group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Plasma 5-HT content in the point-through-point EA group increased significantly, with a very significant difference as compared with that of the non point-through-point group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Head point-through-point therapy can obviously increase plasma 5-HT content of the patient with PSD, so as to cure poststroke depression, with a better therapeutic effect than other two groups.