Coating CoFe2O4 shell on Fe particles to increase the utilization efficiencies of Fe and peroxymonosulfate for low-cost Fenton-like reactions.

Bimetallic composites (Fe@CoFe2O4) with zero-valent Fe as the core encapsulated by CoFe2O4 layers are synthesized by a coprecipitation-calcination method, which are applied to activate PMS for the degradation of bisphenol A (BPA). Enhanced activity of Fe@CoFe2O4 is achieved with very fast degradation rate (kobs = 0.5737 min-1). In the fixed-bed reactor, the catalyst lifetime (tul) of Fe@CoFe2O4 is determined to be 22 h compared to 11 h of Fe, and the deactivation rate constant (kd) for Fe@CoFe2O4 is 0.0083 mg·L-1·h-1, only ∼1/10 of Fe (0.0731). The XPS results indicate that the core-shell structure of Fe@CoFe2O4 could promote the redox cycles of Co3+/Co2+ and Fe3+/Fe2+. It is proved that the coating of CoFe2O4 shell on Fe0 can protect the Fe0 core from being oxidized by PMS to form passivation layer. The electrons of Fe0 can therefore be used effectively for activating PMS to produce ROSs via the CoFe2O4 shell. This modification method of Fe0 would decrease the cost of PMS based wastewater remediation greatly, thus should have great potential on an industrial scale.

The psycholinguistic and affective processing of framed health messages among younger and older adults.

How health-related messages are framed can impact their effectiveness in promoting behaviors, and messages framed in terms of gains have been shown to be more effective among older adults. Recent findings have suggested that the affective response to framed messages can contribute to these effects. However, the impact of demands associated with psycholinguistic processing for different frames is not well understood. In this study, exercise-related messages were gain or loss framed and with a focus on either desirable or undesirable outcomes. Participants read these messages while their eye movements were monitored and then provided affective ratings. Older adults reacted less negatively than younger adults to loss-framed messages and messages focusing on undesirable outcomes. Eye-movement measures indicated both younger and older adults had difficulty processing the most complex messages (loss-framed messages focused on avoiding desirable outcomes). When gain-framed messages were easily processed, they engendered more positive affect, which in turn, was related to better recall. These results suggest that affective and cognitive mechanisms are interdependent in comprehension of framed messages for younger and older adults. An implication for translation to effective health communication is that simpler message framing engenders a positive reaction, which in turn supports memory for that information, regardless of age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Glycemic variation in uncontrolled Graves' disease patients with normal glucose metabolism: Assessment by continuous glucose monitoring.

PURPOSE: To observe the glycemic variation (GV) in uncontrolled Graves' disease (GD) patients with normal glucose metabolism measured by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). METHODS: This was a single-center, open-label, observational study. From January 2017 to October 2017, 20 GD patients with normal glucose metabolism and 24 healthy control subjects were recruited. Serum samples were obtained at 0, 30, and 120 min after oral glucose loading for glucose, insulin, and C-peptide level measurements. Fasting plasma fasting free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxin (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone concentrations were also detected. All participants were subjected to a 3-day CGM after baseline data were collected. The primary endpoint was the difference in the mean amplitude of the glycemic excursions between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy subjects, the GD patients had higher mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) (P < 0.01). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed that FT4 level was an independent factor for the MAGE. Interestingly, the GD patients had a significant prolongation in the time to peak glucose, especially after breakfast (P < 0.01), and the elevation in the incremental area under the curve of glucose after breakfast till 4 hours later. CONCLUSIONS: Uncontrolled GD patients with normal glucose metabolism had a greater GV, and the FT4 level may contributed to the increased GV.

Light propagation along the pericardium meridian at human wrist as evidenced by the optical experiment and Monte Carlo method.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the characteristics of light propagation along the Pericardium Meridian and its surrounding areas at human wrist by using optical experiment and Monte Carlo method. METHODS: An experiment was carried out to obtain the distribution of diffuse light on Pericardium Meridian line and its surrounding areas at the wrist, and then a simplified model based on the anatomical structure was proposed to simulate the light transportation within the same area by using Monte Carlo method. RESULTS: The experimental results showed strong accordance with the Monte Carlo simulation that the light propagation along the Pericardium Meridian had an advantage over its surrounding areas at the wrist. CONCLUSION: The advantage of light transport along Pericardium Merdian line was related to components and structure of tissue, also the anatomical structure of the area that the Pericardium Meridian line runs.

Assessment of cardiac abnormalities in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy by (99m)Tc-MIBI gated myocardial perfusion imaging.

Cardiac abnormalities in Duchenne's muscular dystrophy (DMD) are often detected in adult patients and their early detection is warranted. Studies have suggested that myocardial damage may be detected by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging or by echocardiography at the early stage of DMD. We aimed to identify early changes of cardiac abnormalities in children with DMD by technetium 99m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile ((99m)Tc-MIBI) gated myocardial perfusion imaging (GMPI). Forty-three boys aged 3 to 14 years (mean age 8.2±3.6 years) with DMD and 12 age-matched normal boys as control were studied by G-MPI. These patients were at early stage according to previous studies on DMD. Uptake of (99m)Tc-MIBI in 7 regional walls and 17 segments of the left ventricle were visually analyzed. Quantitative gated single photon emission tomography (QGSSPET) analysis of myocardium was performed to evaluate left ventricular function (LVEF). Gated myocardial perfusion imaging revealed cardiac abnormalities in 81.4% of all patients. Regional perfusion decrease involving multiple walls of LV was present. Four of the patients demonstrated mild abnormalities (11.4%), 7 moderate (20.0%) and 24 severe abnormalities (68.6%). Evident LV ejection fraction (EF) decrease (42.1±6.4%) and dilation with globally poor perfusion were found in three patients, aged 10 to 14, which had significant difference compared with the control group (EF=58.4±4.7%, P=0.001). The rest cases, aged 3 to 9 years, had normal LVF. In conclusion, from the 35 cases of DMD patients (aged 3 to 14 years), regional myocardial perfusion decrease was detected in multiple walls by (99m)Tc-MIBI G-MPI at an early stage, while left ventricular function decrease (3/35, 8.6%) appeared late at about 10 years of age or older as compared with the control group in this study.