Effective reduction of carbon-containing pollutants in coffee cherry pulping wastewater using natural polysaccharide from Tamarindus indica L. seeds.

The wastewater produced during coffee cherry pulping is known for containing harmful pollutants, particularly organic compounds containing carbon, which pose significant risks to the environment and human health. This research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Tamarindus indica L. seed polysaccharides in treating coffee effluent. Varying doses (ranging from 0.05 to 0.30 g) of the isolated polysaccharides were added to samples of the effluent to determine their ability to remove contaminants, especially those of organic carbon origin. Notably, a dosage of 0.10 g demonstrated optimal efficacy, resulting in a 55% decrease in total dissolved solids and an 80% decrease in chemical oxygen demand. Additionally, Fourier-transform infrared and zeta potential analysis of both the polysaccharides and the treated effluent samples revealed the presence of functional groups potentially pivotal for the pollutant removal activity of the isolated polysaccharides. This provides insights into the coagulation mechanism of Tamarindus indica L. seed polysaccharides in eliminating organic carbon-based pollutants. These findings highlight the potential of Tamarindus polysaccharides as a sustainable alternative to chemical agents for removing pollutants, thus promoting environmental sustainability and human well-being.

Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dye pollutants by Fe3O4/SiO2 core-shell magnetic nanocomposite functionalized with TiO2.

Significant efforts have been dedicated to creating recyclable and efficient methods for treating waste dyes, including rhodamine B (RhB). Nevertheless, challenges such as complex operational techniques, high costs, energy consumption, and inefficacy in dye removal persist. Here, the synthesis and application of TiO2/Fe3O4/SiO2 for photocatalytic degradation of RhB dye pollutants have been explored. This research was initiated with magnetite (Fe3O4) synthesis using the coprecipitation method, followed by silica (SiO2) extraction from rice husk waste using the sol-gel process, and a hydrothermal method for synthesizing titanium dioxide (TiO2) and TiO2/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite. The crystalline structure of TiO2/Fe3O4/SiO2 was obtained with Fe3O4 as the core, while TiO2 and SiO2 as the shell. The particle size analysis showed the nanosize of TiO2/Fe3O4/SiO2 (1.04 ± 0.46 nm). TiO2/Fe3O4/SiO2 nanocomposite boasts a high surface area of 48.025 m2/g, 2.2 times higher than unmodified TiO2. This nanocomposite also displayed paramagnetic properties with a saturation magnetization of 9.117 emu/g, facilitating easy separation in photocatalytic applications. The photocatalytic activity of TiO2/Fe3O4/SiO2 exhibited effectively degraded RhB, achieving a degradation rate of 53.58% and an excellent rate constant of 0.7303 min-1. The RhB photodegradation in this study requires a moderate irradiation time (60 min), uses only a tiny amount of photocatalyst (100 mg), and does not need additional chemicals. Moreover, this study has another advantage of utilizing rice husk as a silica source, offering an eco-friendly and sustainable approach.

A sustainable, low-cost carbonaceous hydrochar adsorbent for methylene blue adsorption derived from corncobs.

In this study, activated carbon from corncobs was successfully synthesized by hydrothermal carbonization and hydrochemical activation at low temperatures, followed by pyrolysis. A developed method of hydrochemical activation of hydrochar that uses only small amounts of chemicals is a promising approach. After activation, the activator residues in the hydrothermal product can constantly act as a chemical activator during pyrolysis to form corncob-activated carbon (AHC-KOH), which had specific surface area of 965.028 m2/g and oxygenated functional groups of 0.3780 mmol/g, 31.67 and 4 times, respectively, of those of the inactivated sample. AHC-KOH was used to study the adsorption characteristics of methylene blue (MB). The MB adsorption efficiency of AHC-KOH was the highest at 489.560 mg/g, which was considerably higher than that of activated carbons produced from other biomasses. The isotherm equilibrium and adsorbent kinetics parameters of MB adsorption on AHC-KOH were also determined using the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.99) and pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R2 > 0.99). Thus, the results indicate that an inexpensive adsorbent produced from corncobs using the above method is a promising material for wastewater treatment.

Myricetin: versatile plant based flavonoid for cancer treatment by inducing cell cycle arrest and ROS-reliant mitochondria-facilitated apoptosis in A549 lung cancer cells and in silico prediction.

Myricetin is categorized under the secondary metabolite flavonoid which includes a diverse range of consumable plant parts, and it has a potential against several classes of cancer including cancers and tumors. In the present study, the anticancer potential of the unique flavonoid-myricetin in A549 lung cancer cells was evaluated. Among different doses of myricetin, 73 µg/ml was more effective to prevent the cancer cell growth. It also promoted sub-G1 phase aggregation of cells and a equivalent decrease in the fraction of cells entering the S and subsequent phase which indicates apoptotic cell death. Myricetin generated enormous free radicals and, altered the potential of mitochondrial membrane in A549 cells as paralleled to untreated cells. In addition, myricetin treatment intensified the expression of P53 and relegated the expression of EGFR in A549 cells. These results suggested that myricetin exhibits cytotoxic potential by arresting the progression of cell cycle and ROS-dependent mitochondria-mediated mortality in cancer A549 lung cancer cells and it would be useful to develop as a drug candidate for lung cancer therapeutics. In silico experiments were carried out against human EGFR and P53 tumor suppressor protein to gain more insights into the binding mode of the myricetin may act as significant potential for anticancer therapy.

Relationship between symptoms and both stage of change in adopting a healthy life style and quality of life in patients with liver cirrhosis: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of patients with liver cirrhosis have not considered the broad range of symptoms or the association between healthy behavior and quality of life. The purposes of this study were to examine the association between symptoms and adopting exercise and consuming fruits and vegetables and to identify factors associated with quality of life in patients with liver cirrhosis. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 91 consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis in one tertiary general hospital in South Korea between February 2016 and January 2017. Each study participant completed a self-administered questionnaire that measured symptom, stage of change in engaging in exercise and consumption of fruits and vegetables, and the Korean version of the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression analysis and multiple regression models was used, respectively, to examine the association between each symptom with stage of change in engaging in exercise and consumption of fruits and vegetables and to evaluate factors affecting quality of life. RESULTS: Experiencing nausea was associated with more readiness for change in engaging in exercise, but experiencing shortness of breath was associated with less readiness for change in engaging in exercise. Experiencing right upper quadrant pain was associated with more readiness for change in engaging in consumption of fruits and vegetables. Muscle cramps, anorexia, right upper quadrant pain and body pain, itching, ascites or edema, bruising, and change in appearance negatively affected quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the types of symptoms experienced by a patient with liver cirrhosis hinder or promote the patient's adoption of exercise and dietary behavior. Experiencing symptoms may negatively affect quality of life. Caregivers should provide supportive care to patients with liver cirrhosis, which includes assessing and managing symptoms to improve quality of life.

Comparison of characteristics and biocompatibility of green synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles with chemical synthesized nanoparticles.

Iron oxide nanoparticles synthesis is an expanding area of research due of their magnetic properties and possible applications in several novel technologies. FeONPs are indispensable in the biomedical field for diagnosis, treatments and drug delivery and in bioremediation applications. The synthesis route of nanoparticles is a major concern because biological methods are eco-friendly, and chemical methods are considered toxic. The objective of this study is to synthesize FeONPs by two different methods and to compare their properties and efficiency in applications. FeONPs were synthesized and characterized by microscopic and various spectroscopic techniques. The synthesized FeONPs were screened for their cytotoxic activity on PBMCs using MTT assay and found to exhibit good biocompatibility. Moreover, the GS FeONPs exhibited potential antibacterial activities and meanwhile showed less toxicity in brine shrimp lethality assay. Hence, these nanoparticles are biocompatible, environmentally safe and can be utilized in many medical applications.

Predictive score for hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatitis B e antigen loss in patients treated with entecavir or tenofovir.

The risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatitis B e antigen seroclearance (ESC) remains unclear. We established and validated a new risk prediction model for HCC development after ESC in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) receiving antiviral therapy (AVT). Between 2006 and 2016, 769 patients (training cohort) and 1,061 patients (validation cohort) with CHB who experienced ESC during AVT using entecavir (ETV) or tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) were recruited. In the multivariate analysis, male sex (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.092; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.152-3.800), cirrhosis (HR = 5.141; 95% CI = 2.367-11.167) and fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4) of >3.25 (HR = 2.070; 95% CI = 1.184-3.620) were the independent risk factors for HCC development (all P < .05). Accordingly, a novel HCC-ESCAVT model was developed (1x[sex: male = 1, female = 0] + 3x(cirrhosis = 1, noncirrhosis = 0) + 1x(FIB-4: >3.25 = 1, ≤3.25 = 0). The cumulative risk for HCC development was significantly different among the risk groups based on the HCC-ESCAVT category (0-1, 2-4 and 5 for the low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups, respectively) (overall P < .001, log-rank test). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for predicting HCC development 3, 5 and 10 years after ESC was 0.791, 0.771 and 0.790, respectively (all P < .05). The predictive value of the HCC-ESCAVT model was similar in the validation cohort (AUC = 0.802, 0.774 and 0.776 at 3, 5 and 10 years, respectively; all P < .05). Hence, we have developed and validated a new HCC-ESCAVT model for HCC development, which includes male sex, cirrhosis and FIB-4 of >3.25 as constituent variables.

Lessons from a COVID-19 hospital, Republic of Korea.

OBJECTIVE: To document the experiences of converting a general hospital to a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) designated hospital during an outbreak in Daegu, Republic of Korea. METHODS: The hospital management formed an emergency task force team, whose role was to organize the COVID-19 hospital. The task force used different collaborative channels to redistribute resources and expertise to the hospital. Leading doctors from the departments of infectious diseases, critical care and pulmonology developed standardized guidelines for treatment coherence. Nurses from the infection control team provided regular training on donning and doffing of personal protective equipment and basic safety measures. FINDINGS: Keimyung University Daegu Dongsan hospital became a red zone hospital for COVID-19 patients on 21 February 2020. As of 29 June 2020, 1048 COVID-19 patients had been admitted to the hospital, of which 22 patients died and five patients were still being treated in the recovery ward. A total of 906 health-care personnel worked in the designated hospital, of whom 402 were regular hospital staff and 504 were dispatched health-care workers. Of these health-care workers, only one dispatched nurse acquired COVID-19. On June 15, the hospital management and Daegu city government decided to reconvert the main building to a general hospital for non-COVID-19 patients, while keeping the additional negative pressure rooms available, in case of resurgence of the disease. CONCLUSION: Centralized coordination in frontline hospital operation, staff management, and patient treatment and placement allowed for successful pooling and utilization of medical resources and manpower during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Changes in Characteristics of Patients with Liver Cirrhosis Visiting a Tertiary Hospital over 15 Years: a Retrospective Multi-Center Study in Korea.

BACKGROUND: Liver cirrhosis has become a heavy burden not only for patients, but also for our society. However, little is known about the recent changes in clinical outcomes and characteristics of patients with cirrhosis-related complications in Korea. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate changes in characteristics of patients with liver cirrhosis in Daegu-Gyeongbuk province in Korea over the past 15 years. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 15,716 liver cirrhotic patients from 5 university hospitals in Daegu-Gyeongbuk province from 2000 to 2014. The Korean Standard Classification of Diseases-6 code associated with cirrhosis was investigated through medical records and classified according to the year of first visit. RESULTS: A total of 15,716 patients was diagnosed with cirrhosis. A number of patients newly diagnosed with cirrhosis has decreased each year. In 2000, patients were most likely to be diagnosed with hepatitis B virus (HBV) cirrhosis, followed by alcoholic cirrhosis. There was a significant decrease in HBV (P < 0.001), but alcohol, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) showed a significant increase during the study period (alcohol, P = 0.036; HCV, P = 0.001; NAFLD, P = 0.001). At the time of initial diagnosis, the ratio of Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP) class A gradually increased from 23.1% to 32.9% (P < 0.001). The most common cause of liver-related hospitalization in 2000 was hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (25.5%); in 2014, gastrointestinal bleeding with esophageal and gastric varices (21.4%) was the most common cause. Cases of hospitalization with liver-related complication represented 76.4% of all cases in 2000 but 70.9% in 2014. Incidence rate of HCC has recently increased. In addition, HCC-free survival was significantly lower in CTP class A than in classes B and C. Finally, there was significant difference in HCC occurrence according to causes (P < 0.001). HBV and HCV cirrhosis had lower HCC-free survival than alcoholic and NAFLD cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: In recent years, the overall number of cirrhosis patients has decreased. This study confirmed the recent trend in decrease of cirrhosis, especially of cirrhosis due to HBV, and the increase of HCV, alcoholic and NAFLD cirrhosis. Targeted screening for at-risk patients will facilitate early detection of liver diseases allowing effective intervention and may have decreased the development of cirrhosis and its complications.

Real-life effectiveness and safety of the daclatasvir/asunaprevir combination therapy for genotype 1b chronic hepatitis C patients: An emphasis on the pretreatment NS5A resistance-associated substitution test.

This study aimed to investigate the real-life effectiveness and safety of daclatasvir (DCV) and asunaprevir (ASV) combination therapy in Korean patients. We consecutively enrolled patients with genotype 1b hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection treated with at least one dose of DCV/ASV combination therapy in seven tertiary hospitals of South Korea. The sustained virologic response (SVR) rates and safety according to intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses were evaluated. Among the 526 enrolled patients, 91% showed negative (87%) or "undetermined" (4%) resistance-associated substitution (RAS); 9% did not undergo RAS testing. The SVR rates for ITT and PP were 89.3% and 95.0% in treatment-naive patients and 93.2% and 95.6% in treatment-experienced patients, respectively. In PP analysis, negative RAS was associated with higher SVR (96.3%) than with "undetermined RAS" (85.7%) or "not tested for RAS" (84.4%). Adverse events were reported in 185 (35.4%) patients, and events leading to discontinuation were observed in 4.3% of the study population. Forty-two (8.0%) patients developed transaminase elevation (≥2 × upper normal limit), resulting in treatment discontinuation in six (1.1%) patients. DCV/ASV combination therapy showed acceptable efficacy in genotype 1b compensated HCV-infected patients with negative pretreatment RAS. Although most adverse events were tolerable to continue antiviral treatment, adequate monitoring for transaminase elevation is warranted.

Positive effects of compost and vermicompost produced from tannery waste-animal fleshing on the growth and yield of commercial crop-tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) plant.

Accumulation of solid waste has intensified with the increase in world population and industrialization. Most importantly, wastes of animal origin such as animal manures and tannery wastes are a major under-utilized resource in most countries with potential for utilization in crop production. This study evaluated the potential of solid state hydrolyzed tannery animal fleshing (SSF-ANFL) and submerged state hydrolyzed tannery ANFL (SmF-ANFL) vermicompost and compost amended soils on the growth, yield and chemical characteristics of tomatoes. It was interesting to observe that of most measured parameters, the SSF amended treatments resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) the highest measurements compared to the SmF amended treatments. On average, the SSF vermicompost resulted in a 10%, 8.9% and 14% higher plant height, stem girth and leaf numbers, respectively, compared to other treatments combined. It was also noteworthy that, for the same parameters, the SSF-ANFL based treatments resulted in a 7.7%, 10.1% and 7.4% higher plant height, stem girth and leaf numbers, respectively, relative to the SmF-ANFL based treatments. The study demonstrates the potential of animal fleshing based vermicomposts as nutrient sources in crop production.

Chronic Hepatitis B Infection Is Significantly Associated with Chronic Kidney Disease: a Population-based, Matched Case-control Study.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection leads to hepatic and extrahepatic manifestations including chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the association between HBV and CKD is not clear. This study investigated the association between chronic HBV infection and CKD in a nationwide multicenter study. METHODS: A total of 265,086 subjects who underwent health-check examinations in 33 hospitals from January 2015 to December 2015 were enrolled. HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) positive cases (n = 10,048), and age- and gender-matched HBsAg negative controls (n = 40,192) were identified. CKD was defined as a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 or proteinuria as at least grade 2+ of urine protein. RESULTS: HBsAg positive cases showed a significantly higher prevalence of GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (3.3%), and proteinuria (18.9%) than that of the controls (2.6%, P < 0.001, and 14.1%, P < 0.001, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor associated with GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 along with age, blood levels of albumin, bilirubin, anemia, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). Likewise, HBsAg positivity was an independent factor for proteinuria along with age, male, blood levels of bilirubin, protein, albumin, and HbA1c. A subgroup analysis showed that HBsAg positive men but not women had a significantly increased risk for GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. CONCLUSION: Chronic HBV infection was significantly associated with a GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and proteinuria (≥ 2+). Therefore, clinical concern about CKD in chronic HBV infected patients, especially in male, is warranted.

A magnetically separable and recyclable Ag-supported magnetic TiO2 composite catalyst: Fabrication, characterization, and photocatalytic activity.

In this study, a magnetically separable, highly active, and recyclable photocatalyst was synthesized by physico-chemical incorporation of Ag, TiO2, and Fe3O4 into one structure. The physical and chemical properties of the catalysts were evaluated by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, field emission transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The Ag-supported magnetic TiO2 composite demonstrated desirable properties and features such as a narrow band gap of 1.163 eV, modifiable structure, and high degradation efficiency. The activity and durability of the synthesized photocatalyst in the degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous solutions under visible light irradiation and different experimental conditions were evaluated and compared to those of commercial TiO2 and Ag/TiO2 composites. It was found that the synthesized composite showed a much higher MO photodegradation efficiency than the other composites under visible light irradiation. Moreover, it exhibited a high photocatalytic activity and was recoverable and durable; its photocatalytic efficiency in MO removal was consistently higher than 93.1% after five reuses without any evident signs of deactivation. Thus, the developed photocatalyst is a very promising material for practical applications in environmental pollution remediation.

Comparison of quality of life and worry of cancer recurrence between endoscopic and surgical treatment for early gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: The quality of life (QOL) of patients who survive early gastric cancer (EGC) is an area of increasing interest. OBJECTIVE: To compare the QOL and degree of worry of cancer recurrence in EGC patients who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or surgery. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTINGS: A tertiary referral center. PATIENTS: A total of 565 patients with EGC who received ESD or surgery. INTERVENTION: Questionnaires. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: QOL was evaluated using the Short-form Health Survey and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QOL questionnaires (QLQ-C30 and EORTC-QLQ-STO22). Mood disorders and the worry of cancer recurrence were estimated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Worry of Cancer Scale, respectively. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 55.7% of the ESD (137/246) and 58.9% of the surgery (188/319) patients. The surgery group had more QOL-related symptomatic and functional problems, including fatigue (P=.044), nausea/vomiting (P=.032), appetite loss (P=.023), diarrhea (P<.001), pain (P=.013), reflux symptoms (P=.005), eating restrictions (P<.001), anxiety (P=.015), taste impairment (P=.011), and poor body image (P<.001). The ESD group had significantly higher worry of cancer recurrence scores after adjusting for covariates, especially when visiting their physicians. The HADS results did not differ between the groups. LIMITATIONS: Cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: Endoscopic treatment for EGC provides a better QOL, but stomach preservation might provoke cancer recurrence worries. Endoscopists should address this issue for relieving a patient's concern of cancer recurrence during follow-up period after ESD. ( CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: WHO ICTRP KCT0000791.).

Impact of reinforced education by telephone and short message service on the quality of bowel preparation: a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: High quality bowel preparation is essential for successful colonoscopy. This study aimed to assess the impact of reinforced education by telephone or short message service (SMS) on the quality of bowel preparation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A prospective, endoscopist-blinded, randomized, controlled study was conducted. Reinforced education groups received additional education via reminders by telephone or SMS 2 days before colonoscopy. The primary outcome was the quality of the bowel preparation according to the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS). The secondary outcomes included polyp detection rate (PDR), adenoma detection rate (ADR), tolerance, and subjective feelings of patients. RESULTS: A total of 390 patients were included. Total BBPS score was significantly higher in the reinforced education groups than in the control group (mean [SD] telephone vs. CONTROL: 7.1 [1.2] vs. 6.3 [1.4], P < 0.001; SMS vs. CONTROL: 6.8 [1.3] vs. 6.3 [1.4], P = 0.027). Between the two interventions, there was no significant difference in total BBPS score. PDR and ADR were not different among groups. Reinforced education groups showed lower anxiety and better tolerance compared with controls. A preparation-to-colonoscopy time of > 6 hours and < 80 % of the purgative ingested were independent factors associated with inadequate bowel preparation (BBPS < 5), whereas re-education by telephone was inversely related to inadequate bowel preparation. CONCLUSION: SMS was the optimal education modality, and was as effective as telephone reminders for the quality of bowel preparation. A reinforced educational approach via telephone or SMS should be individualized, depending on the resource availability of each clinical practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01911052).

Hetero-bivalent GLP-1/glibenclamide for targeting pancreatic ß-cells.

G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) cell signalling cascades are initiated upon binding of a specific agonist ligand to its cell surface receptor. Linking multiple heterologous ligands that simultaneously bind and potentially link different receptors on the cell surface is a unique approach to modulate cell responses. Moreover, if the target receptors are selected based on analysis of cell-specific expression of a receptor combination, then the linked binding elements might provide enhanced specificity of targeting the cell type of interest, that is, only to cells that express the complementary receptors. Two receptors whose expression is relatively specific (in combination) to insulin-secreting pancreatic ß-cells are the sulfonylurea-1 (SUR1) and the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors. A heterobivalent ligand was assembled from the active fragment of GLP-1 (7-36 GLP-1) and glibenclamide, a small organic ligand for SUR1. The synthetic construct was labelled with Cy5 or europium chelated in DTPA to evaluate binding to ß-cells, by using fluorescence microscopy or time-resolved saturation and competition binding assays, respectively. Once the ligand binds to ß-cells, it is rapidly capped and presumably removed from the cell surface by endocytosis. The bivalent ligand had an affinity approximately fivefold higher than monomeric europium-labelled GLP-1, likely a result of cooperative binding to the complementary receptors on the ßTC3 cells. The high-affinity binding was lost in the presence of either unlabelled monomer, thus demonstrating that interaction with both receptors is required for the enhanced binding at low concentrations. Importantly, bivalent enhancement was accomplished in a cell system with physiological levels of expression of the complementary receptors, thus indicating that this approach might be applicable for ß-cell targeting in vivo.

Shifting prevalence of gallbladder polyps in Korea.

Only a few studies have evaluated the population-adjusted prevalence of gallbladder polyps (GBP). This study aimed to evaluate the changes in GBP prevalence and risk factors at a single health screening center in Korea from 2002 to 2012. Of 48,591 adults who underwent health screening between 2002 and 2012, 14,250 age- and gender-matched subjects were randomly selected to evaluate prevalence. Risk factors were analyzed between the GBP-positive and GBP-negative groups during 2002-2004 (Period A) and 2010-2012 (Period B). The annual prevalence of GBP over the 11-yr period was 5.4%. Annual prevalence increased from 3.8% in Period A to 7.1% in Period B. Male gender and obesity were independent risk factors for GBP in both periods. Hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) positivity was a risk factor for GBP in Period A but not in Period B. The risk factors for GBP changed from HBsAg positivity to lipid profile abnormalities. Other variables including age, hypertension, diabetes, impaired fasting glucose, chronic hepatitis C virus infection, and liver function tests did not correlate with GBP. In conclusion, GBP prevalence is increasing and risk factors for GBP have changed in Korea. More attention should be paid to this issue in the future.

Optimization of gearbox housing shape for agricultural UTV using structural-acoustic coupled analysis.

In this study, gearbox radiated noise was successfully reduced through housing shape optimization. First, dynamic and structural-acoustic coupled analysis models of an agricultural UTV gearbox were developed. Then, the test equipment was configured to match that of the simulation model, and a test was conducted. The analysis and test results showed errors within 0.1 dB for vibration and 0.2 dB(A) for noise, indicating that the models were reliable. The housing design was then optimized using topology optimization based on the developed structural-acoustic coupling analysis model. The sound pressure level around the housing was used as an objective function for topology optimization. The optimal distribution of materials for the housing was also derived to reduce the radiated noise. Lastly, the housing rib was designed based on the optimization result, and an improvement in the radiated noise by approximately 2.43 dB(A) was confirmed in the operation area.

Outcome of Atezolizumab Plus Bevacizumab Combination Therapy in High-Risk Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Real-world data regarding treatment with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in high-risk patients with advanced HCC are lacking. In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, a total of 215 patients with advanced HCC received atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment at four tertiary hospitals. High-risk patients were those with grade Vp4 portal vein thrombus, bile duct invasion, or more than 50% liver infiltration. In total, 98 (45.6%) were the high-risk population, 186 (86.5%) were considered to be Child-Pugh class A, and 128 (59.5%) had previously received neoadjuvant or concomitant radiation treatment. Median overall survival (OS) was 11.25 months (95% CI, 9.50-13.10), and the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.00 months (95% CI, 6.82-9.18). In the high-risk population, the median OS was 10 months (95% CI, 8.19-11.82) and the median PFS was 6.50 months (95% CI, 3.93-9.08). In the high-risk population, multivariate analysis indicated that radiation therapy and lower ALBI grade were associated with better OS and PFS. A total of 177 (82.3%) patients experienced adverse events of any grade, the most common being proteinuria (23.7%). Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment showed consistent efficacy and tolerability in both the total and high-risk population. Radiation therapy combined with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment might be helpful to improve PFS and OS in high-risk populations.

Pyrolysis behaviour and synergistic effect in co-pyrolysis of wheat straw and polyethylene terephthalate: A study on product distribution and oil characterization.

Renewable lignocellulosic biomass is a favorable energy resource since its co-pyrolysis with hydrogen-rich plastics can produce high-yield and high-quality biofuel. In contrast to earlier co-pyrolysis research that concentrated on increasing product yield, this study comprehends the synergistic effects of two distinct feedstocks that were not considered earlier. This work focuses on co-pyrolyzing wheat straw (WS) with non-reusable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) for the production of pyrolysis oil. WS and PET were blended in different ratios (100/0, 80/20, 60/40, 40/60, 20/80, and 0/100), and pyrolysis experiments were conducted in a fixed-bed reactor under different temperatures to assess their synergistic effect on oil yield. Synergy rates of up to 7.78 % were achieved on yield for the blends of plastic and biomass at a temperature of 500 °C. In comparison to individual biomass or plastics, co-pyrolyzing PET-biomass blends demonstrated good process interaction and promoted the yields of value-added products. The heating value of the pyrolysis oils was in the range of 16.45-28.64 MJ/kg, which depends on the amount of plastic present in the feedstock. The physical analysis of the oils shows that they can be used for heat production by direct combustion in boilers or furnaces. The correlation between WS and PET was validated with the aid of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. The GC-MS result demonstrated the presence of different compounds such as O-H compounds, esters, carbonyl group elements, acids, hydrocarbons, aromatics, and nitrogenated compounds in the pyrolysis oil, which differed based on the proportions of PET in the feedstock. The increased hydrocarbon and reduced oxygen percentages in the pyrolysis oil were implicitly caused by enhanced hydrocarbon pool mechanisms, in which the breakdown of PET may be supplied as a hydrogen donor. Overall, waste lignocellulosic biomass and plastics can be used to produce biofuels, which helps reduce the amount of solid waste that ends up in landfills. This study also revealed that future research should be focused on the reaction mechanisms of WS and PET co-pyrolysis in order to examine the synergistic interactions.