Comparative life cycle cost analysis of bio-valorized magnetite nanocatalyst for biodiesel production: Modeling, optimization, kinetics and thermodynamic study.

An active, high surface area, recyclable, magnetic, basic, iron oxide-based nanocatalyst was developed from banana leaves waste and used for microwave-assisted transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel. According to the Hammett indicator, the catalyst has a high total basicity of 15 < H < 18.4. After optimization through the response surface methodology, the reaction allows 96.5 % biodiesel yield in the presence of 24:1 methanol to soybean oil molar ratio, 6 wt% BLW@Fe3O4, 0.5 h at 65 °C. The magnetic nature of the catalyst improves reusability for up to 6 cycles. Thermodynamic analyses showed that transesterification of soybean oil to biodiesel is an endothermic reaction. Moreover, the catalyst has the potential to reduce biodiesel production costs by utilizing abundant biomass waste materials. The calculated cost for 1 kg of catalyst is $1.14, while the biodiesel's cost per kg produced in this work is merely $1.05, showing high commercial viability.

[Synergistic Benefits of Pollution and Carbon Reduction from Air Pollution Control in Hebei Province from 2013 to 2020].

Recently, China has been facing the dual challenges of air pollution control and carbon emission reduction. Pollution and carbon reduction have become a breakthrough point for green socio-economic transformation. Air pollutant and CO2 emission inventories provide a tool for monitoring pollution and carbon reduction; however, there have been some problems in previous studies, including incomplete species coverage, different source classifications, and narrow time scales. Based on the unified emission source classification system and estimation method, an emission inventory was developed for Hebei Province from 2013 to 2020, and the emission trends, structure change, driving force, synergistic benefits, and spatial distribution were analyzed. Hebei Province achieved a balance during the study period in socio-economic development and anthropogenic emission control. SO2 emissions decreased rapidly during the "Ten Atmospheric Measures" period. VOCs and NH3 emissions reduction were more significant during the "Blue Sky Defense War" period. The decrease rates of NOx and PM2.5 emissions were relatively stable, and CO2 emissions increased slightly. The coal-fired treatment effectively reduced the air pollutant and CO2 emissions and strengthening the emission standards for key industries reduced SO2, NOx, and PM2.5 emissions; however, the VOCs emission control requires improvement. Power and residential sources achieved co-reduction of air pollutants and CO2 and reducing residential coal optimized the energy structure, thereby leading to greater synergistic benefits in the residential source. The key pollution and carbon reduction areas in Hebei Province were Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Handan, Baoding, and Langfang. The methods and conclusions in this study can provide technical and decision-making references for regional pollution and carbon reduction efforts.

Exposures to volatile organic compounds, serum vitamin D, and kidney function: association and interaction assessment in the US adult population.

The relationships of exposures to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with vitamin D and kidney function remain unclear. Our analyses included 6070 adults from 2003 to 2010 survey cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to explore associations of six VOCs with serum vitamin D, albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The results suggested that dibromochloromethane was positively associated with ACR, and chloroform was inversely associated with ACR. U-shaped associations of toluene, m-/p-xylene, bromodichloromethane, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene with ACR were observed. Toluene, m-/p-xylene, and 1,4-dichlorobenzene were associated with eGFR in U-shaped manners, while bromodichloromethane and chloroform were inversely associated with eGFR. Elevation in 1,4-dichlorobenzene was associated with decrease in vitamin D, while chloroform and m-/p-xylene were in U-shaped associations with vitamin D. VOCs mixture was U-shaped associated with ACR, inversely associated with eGFR, and inversely associated with vitamin D. Vitamin D was in a U-shaped association with ACR. Vitamin D significantly interacted with VOCs on the two kidney parameters. In the US adult population, exposures to VOCs were associated with kidney function and serum vitamin D level decline, and the serum vitamin D may have interaction effects with VOCs exposures on kidney function.

The global burden of disease attributable to high fasting plasma glucose in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: An updated analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019.

AIMS: High fasting plasma glucose (HFPG) is an independent risk factor for several adverse health outcomes and has become a serious public health problem. We aimed to evaluate the spatial pattern and temporal trend of disease burden attributed to HFPG from 1990 to 2019 using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using data from GBD 2019, we estimated the numbers and age-standardized rates of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributed to HFPG by calendar year, age, gender, country, region, Socio-demographic Index (SDI), and specific causes. The joinpoint regression analysis was used to assess the temporal trends of deaths and DALYs from 1990 to 2019. RESULTS: In 2019, globally, the numbers of deaths and DALYs attributable to HFPG were approximately 6.50 million and 172.07 million, respectively, with age-standardized rates of 83.00 per 100,000 people and 2104.26 per 100,000 people, respectively. From 1990 to 2019, the global numbers of deaths and DALYs attributed to HFPG have over doubled. The age-standardized rate of DALYs showed an increasing trend, particularly in males and in regions with middle SDI or below. The leading causes of the global disease burden attributable to HFPG in 2019 were diabetes mellitus, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic kidney disease. CONCLUSIONS: HFPG is an important contributor to increasing the global and regional disease burden. Necessary measures should be taken to curb the growing burden attributed to HFPG, particularly in males and in regions with middle SDI or below.

Atom-economic amide synthesis by using an iron-substituted polyoxometalate catalyst.

We report an efficient and economical amidation strategy by using a polyoxometalate-based iron catalyst that affords the corresponding amide products in good yields. All of the aliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic substrates are produced in high yields without additional base or organic ligands. Most importantly, the first example of heterogeneous iron(III)-catalyzed formation of the diamides is developed.

First quantitative assessment of the adsorption of a fluorocarbon gas on phospholipid monolayers at the air/water interface.

HYPOTHESIS: Fluorocarbon gases introduced above monolayers of phospholipids at the air/water interface were recently found to promote the adsorption of diverse molecular compounds, with potential application in drug-loaded microbubble design. Quantitative determination of the fluorocarbon present in the monolayers is strongly needed for the development of such applications. We hypothesized that neutron reflectometry (NR) and ellipsometry experiments would allow quantification of the fluorocarbon trapped in the monolayers. EXPERIMENTS: We report the first quantitative determination of the extents of adsorption of perfluorohexane (F-hexane) on different phospholipid monolayers with respect to both their phase and isotopic form. To this aim, we applied an approach based on co-modeling the data obtained from NR and ellipsometry. FINDINGS: We found that F-hexane adsorbs strongly in monolayers of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) when they are both in the liquid expanded (LE) and liquid condensed (LC) phases, but to different extents according to the isotopic form of the phospholipid. Kinetic resolution of the interfacial composition from data on both isotopic contrasts (assuming chemical identicality) was therefore not possible using NR alone, so an alternative NR/ellipsometry co-modeling treatment was applied to data from each isotopic contrast. F-hexane adsorbs more abundantly on monolayers of hydrogenous DPPC than chain-deuterated DPPC when they are in the LE phase, whilst the opposite was observed when they monolayers are in the LC phase. The extents of adsorption of F-hexane in monolayers of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC, LE phase) and distearoylphosphatidylcholine (DSPC, LC phase) concurs with the strong dependence of those with phospholipids of different isotopic contrasts according to the monolayer phase. This new methodology can lead to advances in the novel characterization of fluorocarbons interacting with phospholipid monolayers of relevance to applications such as in the shells of fluorocarbon-stabilized medically-oriented microbubbles.

The Assessment of Dynamic Spinal Cord Impingement by Kinematic Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Traumatic Central Cord Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: There are few reports describing the imaging features of traumatic central cord syndrome (TCCS) in kinematic magnetic resonance imaging (kMRI) scans. The current study aimed to assess and characterize dynamic spinal cord impingement (DSCI) using kMRI and evaluate the risk factors for poor outcomes in patients with TCCS after surgery. METHODS: This retrospective study included 63 patients with TCCS who underwent surgery in the authors' hospital. The American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale grade and Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score were collected preoperatively and at the final follow-up to assess neurological function. Patients were divided into two groups based on the JOA score (> or <50%), and clinical and radiographic evaluations were compared. The metrics examined included age at the time of surgery, gender, type of trauma, the interval from injury to surgery, surgical approach, pathological signs, range of motion, DSCI and the length of intramedullary hyperintensity signal (LIHS). RESULTS: There were statistical differences in the LIHS, DSCI and preoperative JOA score between good (JOA >50%; n = 50) and poor (JOA <50%, n =13) recovery patient groups (P<0.05). Logistic regression, with poor outcomes as the dependent variable, suggested independent risk associations with preoperative JOA score (P<0.05), DSCI (P<0.05) and LIHS (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: kMRI can be effective for decision-making in the treatment of TCCS. The lower preoperative JOA score, longer high signal cord and higher dynamic spinal cord impingement were risk factors for poor outcomes in patients with TCCS after surgery.

Assessment of prognostic value of intraoperative oliguria for postoperative acute kidney injury: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Oliguria is often viewed as a sign of renal hypoperfusion and an indicator for volume expansion during surgery. However, the prognostic association and the predictive utility of intraoperative oliguria for postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) are unclear. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study on patients undergoing major thoracic surgery in an academic hospital to assess the association of intraoperative oliguria with postoperative AKI and its predictive value. To contextualise our findings, we included our results in a meta-analysis of observational studies on the importance of oliguria during noncardiac surgery. RESULTS: In our cohort study, 3862 patients were included; 205 (5.3%) developed AKI after surgery. Intraoperative urine output of 0.3 ml kg-1 h-1 was the optimal threshold for oliguria in multivariable analysis. Patients with oliguria had an increased risk of AKI (adjusted odds ratio: 2.60; 95% confidence interval: 1.24-5.05). However, intraoperative oliguria had a sensitivity of 5.9%, specificity of 98%, positive likelihood ratio of 2.74, and negative likelihood ratio of 0.96, suggesting poor predictive ability. Moreover, it did not improve upon the predictive performance of a multivariable model, based on discrimination and reclassification indices. Our findings were generally consistent with the results of a systematic review and meta-analysis, including six additional studies. CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative oliguria has moderate association with, but poor predictive ability for, postoperative AKI. It remains of clinical interest as a risk factor potentially modifiable to interventions.

Chinese Herbal Medicines Might Improve the Long-Term Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results of a Decision-Analytic Markov Model.

Aims. The priority of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) plus conventional treatment over conventional treatment alone for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was documented in the 5C trial (chictr.org number: ChiCTR-TRC-07000021). The study was designed to evaluate the 10-year effectiveness of CHMs plus conventional treatment versus conventional treatment alone with decision-analytic model for ACS after PCI. Methods and Results. We constructed a decision-analytic Markov model to compare additional CHMs for 6 months plus conventional treatment versus conventional treatment alone for ACS patients after PCI. Sources of data came from 5C trial and published reports. Outcomes were expressed in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of the model. The model predicted that over the 10-year horizon the survival probability was 77.49% in patients with CHMs plus conventional treatment versus 77.29% in patients with conventional treatment alone. In combination with conventional treatment, 6-month CHMs might be associated with a gained 0.20% survival probability and 0.111 accumulated QALYs, respectively. Conclusions. The model suggested that treatment with CHMs, as an adjunctive therapy, in combination with conventional treatment for 6 months might improve the long-term clinical outcome in ACS patients after PCI.

Assessment of ovarian cancer conditions from exhaled breath.

We present a pilot study that aims to examine the possibility to easily and noninvasively detect and discriminate females with ovarian cancer (OC) from females that have no tumor(s) and from females that have benign genital tract neoplasia, using exhaled breath samples. The study is based on clinical samples and data from 182 females, as follows: 48 females with OC, 48 tumor-free controls and 86 females with benign gynecological neoplasia. Analysis of the breath samples with gas chromatography linked with mass spectrometry shows that decanal, nonanal, styrene, 2-butanone and hexadecane could serve as potential volatile markers for OC. Analysis of the same samples with tailor-made nanoarrays shows good discrimination between females with OC and females that have either no tumor or benign genital tract neoplasia (71% for accuracy, sensitivity and specificity). Conversely, the nanoarray output shows excellent discrimination between the OC patients and the tumor-free controls (79% sensitivity, 100% specificity and 89% accuracy). These results suggest that the nanoarray approach might be useful to avoid unnecessary complicated or expensive tests for tumor-free females in case of a negative result. In the case of positive result, the test will indicate with high probability the presence of OC.

[Assessing Chinese herbal medicines for benefiting qi and activating blood circulation in treating unstable angina based on Markov model: a long-term clinical effectiveness exploration].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the long-term clinical effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicines for benefiting qi and activating blood circulation (CHMBQABC) plus routine Western medical intervention in treating unstable angina (UA) patients of qi deficiency blood stasis syndrome (QDBSS) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) based on Markov model. METHODS: A Markov model was established based on prognosis and sequelae of UA patients after PCI treated by CHMBQABC plus routine Western medical intervention or by routine Western medical intervention. According to the transition probabilities of 40 Markov cycles and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) averagely gained, we assessed the therapeutic advantage of CHMBQABC plus routine Western medical intervention. RESULTS: By the prediction of Markov model for 20 years, the transition probabilities of revascularization, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and all-cause death in the CHMBQABC plus routine Western medical intervention group was 56.65%, 6.53%, 5.16%, and 31.66%, respectively, and the QALYs averagely gained was 12.95; while the transition probabilities of revascularization, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke, and all-cause death in the Western medical intervention group was 55.31%, 6.87%, 5.25%, and 32.57%, respectively, and the QALYs averagely gained was 12.84. Compared with the Western medical intervention group, the QALYs averagely gained was 0.11 in the CHMBQABC plus routine Western medical intervention group. CONCLUSION: Based on predicted results of the Markov model, CHMBQABC plus routine Western medical intervention got better efficacy in treating UA patients after PCI, indicating CHMBQABC plus routine Western medical intervention could improve the long-term clinical effectiveness for UA patients of QDBSS after PCI.

Bullous impetigo in children infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus alone or in combination with methicillin-susceptible S. aureus: analysis of genetic characteristics, including assessment of exfoliative toxin gene carriage.

Among bullous impetigo isolates, exfoliative toxin (ET) gene carriage was found in 61.5% of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates versus 90.6% of methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) isolates. MRSA-only cases were ETB or ETA positive, while MRSA/MSSA coinfection cases were ET negative for MRSA but ETA positive for MSSA. Collagen adhesin may facilitate some MRSA infections.