Ciprofloxacin Removal via Acid-Modified Red Mud: Optimizing the Process, Analyzing the Adsorption Features, and Exploring the Underlying Mechanism.

In this study, RM (red mud) was acidified with sulfuric acid, and the acidified ARM (acidified red mud) was utilized as an innovative adsorption material for treating antibiotic-containing wastewater. The adsorption conditions, kinetics, isotherms, thermodynamics, and mechanism of ARM for CIP (ciprofloxacin) were investigated. The characterization of the ARM involved techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and NH3-TPD analysis. Adsorption studies employed a response surface methodology (RSM) for the experimental design. The results showed that ARM can absorb CIP effectively. The RSM optimal experiment indicated that the most significant model terms influencing adsorption capacity were solution pH, CIP initial concentration, and ARM dosage, under which the predicted maximum adsorption capacity achieved 7.30 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics adhered to a pseudo-second-order model, while equilibrium data fitted the Langmuir-Freundlich isotherm, yielding maximum capacity values of 7.35 mg/g. The adsorption process occurred spontaneously and absorbed heat, evidenced by ΔGθ values between -83.05 and -91.50 kJ/mol, ΔSθ at 281.6 J/mol/K, and ΔHθ at 0.86 kJ/mol. Analysis using attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) indicated a complex reaction between the Al-O in the ARM and the ester group -COO in CIP. The C=O bond in CIP was likely to undergo a slight electrostatic interaction or be bound to the internal spherical surface of the ARM. The findings indicate that ARM is a promising and efficient adsorbent for CIP removal from wastewater.

Is It Appropriate to Adjust the Uric Acid Reference Interval?

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the observable distribution of serum uric acid levels in healthy adults residing in China's coastal areas and to assess the suitability of current reference intervals. METHODS: The study incorporated 20,786 participants. The overall uric acid level displayed a skewed distribution, leading to the division of subjects into six groups based on gender and age. The analysis was conducted to comprehend the distribution of UA in various groups and seasons, establish and validate the reference intervals for the surface healthy population in this region, and analyze the abnormality rates using different reference intervals. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed between the uric acid levels of males and females across all age groups (ALL p < 0.05). Furthermore, there were statistical differences in uric acid levels among different age groups for both genders (H = 69.593 and 326.348, all p < 0.001). The overall reference interval was determined as 238 - 488 µmol/L for males and 155 - 364 µmol/L for females, based on the 95% confidence interval (P2.5 - P97.5). The established reference intervals, grounded on gender and age group, were validated, showing statistically significant disparities in UA levels among groups. The abnormality rate in males decreased by 56.90% following the adjustment of the reference interval. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that UA levels at all ages exhibited varying degrees of "right shift". Additionally, the low-value population should not be overlooked in the clinical evaluation of UA test results. Setting a reasonable reference interval and clinical decision level is crucial for clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Establishment of Complete Capillary Blood Counts Reference Intervals for Young Children in Local Area, China.

BACKGROUND: Blood count reference intervals are important to diagnose diseases and assess overall health, especially for young children. Although, in 2021, the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China issued "Reference intervals of blood cell analysis for children (WS/T 779-2021)", these RIs may not suitable for small children all over the country due to racial, lifestyle, and geographical differences. The aim of this study was to establish and validate locally determined hematological reference intervals among young children in Nantong district and compare them with WS/T 779-2021 and American data. METHODS: The reference sample consisted of 4,758 apparently healthy small children aged from age 28 days to 3 years according to the EP28-A3c guideline issued by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Capillary blood samples collected in K2-EDTA anticoagulant tubes analyzed by standard procedures. Statistical analysis was based on the guidelines of the CLSI. RESULTS: Pediatric reference intervals for 18 capillary complete blood count (CCBC) parameters were established for young children. WBC and differentials did not differ by gender in the combined analysis of all data, but showed some variations among different age groups, especially for NE and LYM. RIs of RBC value, MCV, and MCH were established, especially with regard to the difference among different age and gender groups. An overall increasing trend of PLT value was observed in children with no obvious difference between boys and girls. Further validation with 1,136 healthy subjects demonstrated that the verified proportions of our study were within 90.11% - 100%. RIs determined in the present study were more concentrated than WS/T 779-2021, with slight differences in the upper and bottom boundaries. CONCLUSIONS: Establishing appropriate region-specific reference intervals for pediatrics is essential. This study offers local reference intervals of CCBC values for young children and could be used as a benchmark for similar populations in the Yangtze River Delta economic region.

Evaluation scheme design of college information construction based on a combined algorithm.

By controlling the benefits and drawbacks of informatization construction (IC) and development, evaluating the level of education informatization (EI) development can aid in university administration and decision-making. This work develops an evaluation method for the University Information Construction (UIC) based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Particle Swarm Optimization-based back-Propagation Neural Network (PSO-BPNN) algorithm to address the fuzziness issue in grade evaluation in the IC. Firstly, a set of data-driven evaluation index systems of the UIC effect is constructed with 16 second-class indicators and four first-class indicators of infrastructure, resource management, information management, and safeguard measures. The AHP method is used to determine the weight of the first-class indicators of the IC model. Secondly, from two perspectives of inertia weight and learning factor, the PSO-BPNN algorithm is designed to fit and analyze the level of UIC. The experimental findings demonstrate that the proposed model's training impact is better, reflecting UIC's effectiveness more accurately.

A comparative study on coagulation and hematologic laboratory techniques for blood sampling using the push-pull method from a CVC versus venipuncture.

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the equivalence and substitutability of two blood collection methods: the push-pull method from a CVC and direct venous puncture (DVP). METHODS: A comparative, within-subject study was conducted between September 2021 and December 2021 at a hospital in NanTong city. The sample comprised critically ill patients aged 18 and older in critical care units such as general, emergent, cardiac, respiratory, and neurological units. A total of 154 paired blood samples were collected via a CVC and direct venous puncture. This study focused on the laboratory results of the coagulation and hematologic tests. The reproducibility and reliability of the results were calculated by the mean of the coefficient of variation (CV) and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Bland-Altman statistics were used to analyze the substitutability of the two blood collection methods. RESULTS: The difference in the means between the two methods ranged from -1.61 to 0.09, and the coefficients of variation for both methods were similar. The ICCs of the two methods were all above 0.90, which indicated excellent reliability. In the Bland-Altman plots, all of the blood samples that obtained by the push-pull method were within clinically acceptable ranges compared to the samples obtained by direct venous puncture. CONCLUSION: The push-pull method of collecting blood specimens from a CVC should be acceptable for coagulation and hematologic laboratory tests.

Clinical Performance Evaluation of Feces Analyzer KU-F10.

BACKGROUND: Systematic performance verification is required before a laboratory can introduce a new measure-ment procedure for reporting results of patient testing. The aim of this study was to explore the basic performance and clinical application value of KU-F10 Feces analyzer. METHODS: We collected 530 fecal specimens in our hospital from October 2019 to February 2020, using manual methods as the gold standard. Then we made a comprehensive evaluation from repeatability, carried pollution rate, coincidence rate of formed element, and coincidence rate of fecal occult blood test. RESULTS: The sensitivity of white blood cells was 90.3%, the specificity was 99.2%, and the coincidence rate with microscopy was 98.7%; the sensitivity of the instrument to detect red blood cells was 90.3%, the specificity was 98.2%, and the coincidence rate with microscopy was 97.7%, The sensitivity of the instrument to detect fungi is 100.0%, the specificity is 98.7%, and the coincidence rate with the microscopy is 98.7%. The sensitivity of the in-strument to detect fat globules is 94.7%, the specificity is 99.0%, the coincidence rate with the microscopy is 98.9%. Comparison of instrumental fecal occult blood test and reagent B fecal occult blood result: On the 387 cases tested fecal samples, the sensitivity of the instrument was 83.8%, the specificity was 96.5%, and the coincidence rate with the results of microscopy was 92.3%. FOB minimum detection limit is 0.1 µg/mL and detection range is 0.1 to 2,000 µg/mL. CONCLUSIONS: The KU-F10 feces analyzer has an advantage of a high degree of automation, simple operation procedures, fast detection speed, improved working environment, improved work efficiency, and higher clinical application value.

[Red Mud-activated Peroxymonosulfate for Ciprofloxacin Degradation: Efficiency and Mechanism].

In this paper, the effects and mechanism of ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) catalyzed by solid waste red mud (RM) was firstly studied. The results indicated that RM has large specific surface area (10.96 m2·g-1) and complex pore structure, containing ferric, alumina and calcium oxide, which enhanced ciprofloxacin degradation by PMS effectively. Radical quenching experiments revealed that SO4-·and HO·were contributed to ciprofloxacin oxidation, and the reaction was mainly occurred on RM's surface. An increase in temperature could accelerate CIP degradation, and the corresponding reaction activation energy Ea was about 5.74 kJ·mol-1. Meanwhile, CIP degradation rate increased with PMS concentration and the optimal dosage of RM was 1.0 g·L-1. Eight degradation intermediates were identified using HPLC/MS/MS, and consequently, CIP was degraded mainly through two pathways; the piperazine groups were preferentially attacked by active free radicals. This study further indicated that RM is a cheap catalyst and can be potentially used in the treatment of antibiotic contaminated wastewater.

Performance Verification of the Iris iQ200 Sprint Automated Urine Microscopy Analyzer in a Hospital Routine Laboratory.

BACKGROUND: Systematic performance verification is required before a laboratory can introduce a new measurement procedure for reporting results of patient testing. The aim of this study was to determine whether a new Iris iQ200 Sprint automated urine microscopy analyzer (iQ200 Sprint) could be incorporated into our routine laboratory. METHODS: A total of 421 fresh urine samples were selected from the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, including those from healthy individuals and those with a variety of abnormalities to ensure a wide range of results. Precision, recovery, carry-over, linearity and reference interval were verified according to well-established protocols. RESULTS: The repeatability studies found coefficients of variability (CVs) in the range of 10.53% - 20.28% for red blood cells, white blood cells, and squamous epithelial cells, while the CV for the iQ Positive Control sample was 3.23%. The relative bias was 0.5% for the iQ Positive Control sample and no carry-over was detected. Linearity was observed at concentrations of 10 - 2069.5 particles/µL (y = 0.989x + 9.1, R2 = 0.999). The manufacturer's claimed reference interval meets the requirements for medical usefulness. CONCLUSIONS: Performance verification is needed before a clinical laboratory can introduce a new measurement procedure. The iQ200 Sprint is sufficiently precise and reliable to be applied in our clinical laboratory.

Alu-based cell-free DNA: a novel biomarker for screening of gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fourth most common cancer and the second major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In our previous study, a novel and sensitive method for quantifying cell-free DNA (CFD) in human blood was established and tested for its ability to predict patients with tumor. We want to investigate CFD expression in the sera of GC patients in an attempt to explore the clinical significance of CFD in improving the early screening of GC and monitoring GC progression by the branched DNA (bDNA)-based Alu assay. The concentration of CFD was quantitated by bDNA-based Alu assay. CEA, CA19-9, C72-4 and CA50 concentrations were determined by ABBOTT ARCHITECT I2000 SR. We found the CFD concentrations have significant differences between GC patients, benign gastric disease (BGD) patients and healthy controls (P < 0.05). CFD were weakly correlated with CEA (r = -0.197, P < 0.05) or CA50 (r = 0.206, P < 0.05), and no correlation with CA19-9 (r = -0.061, P > 0.05) or CA72-4 (r = 0.011, P > 0.05). In addition, CFD concentrations were significantly higher in stage I GC patients than BGD patients and healthy controls (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in CEA, CA19-9 and CA50 among the three traditional tumor markers (P > 0.05). Our analysis showed that CFD was more sensitive than CEA, CA19-9, CA72-4 or CA50 in early screening of GC. Compared with CEA, CA19-9, CA72-4 and CA50, CFD may prove to be a better biomarker for the screening of GC, thus providing a sensitive biomarker for screening and monitoring progression of GC.

Family Risk Factors Associated With Aggressive Behavior in Chinese Preschool Children.

PURPOSE: The study explored family predictors of aggressive behavior in preschool children in China. DESIGN AND METHODS: Using a stratified cluster sampling method, 1382 preschool children were recruited from ten kindergarten schools in Shanghai, China. Their parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)-aggression subscale, the Parent Behavior Inventory, the Family Environment Scale, and a demographic questionnaire. RESULTS: The mean age of the 1382 children was 4.97years (SD=.88), with 55.1% (762) boys, and 44.9% (620) girls. According to the CBCL, the prevalence of aggressive behavior in preschool children was 12.4%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that family conflicts (OR = 1.231, 95% CI: 1.115-1.360), hostile/coercive parenting (OR = 1.083, 95% CI: 1.051-1.116), inconsistent parenting between grandparents and parents (OR = 1.658, 95% CI: 1.175-2.341), and more time spent watching TV (OR = 1.999, 95% CI: 1.568-2.550) significantly predicted aggressive behavior of children. CONCLUSIONS: Children with more family conflicts who experience hostile/coercive parenting were more likely to engage in aggressive behavior. Moreover, inconsistent parenting attitudes between grandparents and parents, and excessive TV exposure also contributed to childhood aggression. Given that the results of this study show a high prevalence of aggressive behavior in preschool children, future research must pay greater attention to this aspect. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Family risk factors identified as relevant to children's aggression in this study provide avenues to develop family-focused strategies for curbing aggression in preschool children.

Relationship between parenting and proactive versus reactive aggression among Chinese preschool children.

This study examines the relationship between parenting and proactive versus reactive aggression among preschool children in China. Children (1164) from 10 kindergartens in Shanghai were rated by their parents and teachers using the Parent Behavior Inventory (PBI) and the Aggressive Behavior-Teacher's Checklist. Children had higher levels of reactive than proactive aggression, and older children and boys had higher levels of both proactive and reactive aggression. Hostile/coercive parenting style and low father education were significantly linked to aggression in children. These findings suggest that parenting style and type of aggression should be addressed when considering prevention and intervention.

[Relations between aggressive behavior and family factors among preschool children in Shanghai].

OBJECTIVE: To describe the prevalence of aggressive behavior among preschool children and its related family factors. METHODS: 1234 preschool children in ten kindergartens were rated on their aggressive behavior by their parents, using Child Behavior Checklist (CBCI), Parent Behavior Inventory (PBI) and a general questionnaire. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of aggressive behavior among preschool children was 12.9% (95%CI: 11.0 - 15.0) according to the CBCL assessment, with the rate being slight higher (13.7%, 93/680) in boys than in girls (11.9%, 66/554). Data from logistic regression analysis showed that parents' hostile/coercive parenting style (OR = 2.396, 95%CI: 1.636 - 3.510) and inconsistent parenting attitude between parents and grandparents (OR = 1.867, 95%CI: 1.287 - 2.710) would lead to more aggressive behaviors in preschool children. Compared with children without difficulty in falling asleep, those who often (OR = 3.415, 95%CI: 1.901 - 6.135) or sometimes (OR = 2.147, 95%CI: 1.256 - 3.671) had problem falling asleep at night had more aggressive behaviors. On the other hand, factors as: watching TV less than 1 hour each day (OR = 0.252, 95%CI: 0.136 - 0.467), father in older age (OR = 0.703, 95%CI: 0.503 - 0.983) and participating in regular outdoor activities (OR = 0.617, 95%CI: 0.399 - 0.955) were protective factors to the aggressive behaviors of the children. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of aggressive behavior in preschool children was high which called for more attention. Intervention programs targeting the family should consider the influencing factors as ways of parenting, consistent attitude on parenting in the family etc. to reduce the occurrence of aggressive behavior among preschool children.