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Woody orchard wastes have caused tremendous pressure on the environment. In the study, Ficus carica branch (FB) wastes were recycled and prepared for biochars (FBBs) through pyrolytic technique and the characteristics of FBBs, their Cd2+ adsorption behaviors and mechanism in solution were investigated. The FBBs yield, H, N and O contents and hydrophilicity decreased, but the pH, Si, C and ash contents, aromaticity, specific surface area, total pore volume, and stability increased with the increase of pyrolysis temperature. Meanwhile, significant morphological and functional groups changes were observed with increasing pyrolysis temperature. The optimum Cd2+ adsorption conditions were pH 6 and dosage of 5 g·L−1. The Cd2+ adsorption capacities of all the FBBs were well described by pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherm models and the maximum adsorption capacity was 34.85 mg·g−1 for FBB800. The adsorption of FBB800 was spontaneous. Moreover, the selective adsorption sequence was in the order of Cd2+ > Pb2+ > Cu2+ > Zn2+. After 5 cycles, the adsorption efficiency could still reach 80%. Precipitation with minerals and surface functional group complexation were the dominant mechanism for Cd2+ adsorption. The results indicated that the FBBs could be applied as a low-cost adsorbent to remove Cd2+ effectively from aqueous solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Tooth whitening is a relatively conservative and effective option to treat discolored teeth. However, questions remain whether in-office or at-home tooth whitening products with short treatment durations are as effective and stable as products with longer treatment durations. Materials and Methods: Forty human third molars with intact enamel surfaces were divided into four groups of ten each, subjected to discoloration challenges with coffee for 60 h, and they were treated with four professional tooth whitening systems: two for take-home use—6% hydrogen peroxide for 30 min/d for a total of 7 h in 14 days (HP6), 10% carbamide peroxide for 10 h/d for 140 h in 14 days (CP10), as well as two for in-office use—35% HP for 10 min × 3 (HP35) for a total of 30 min and 40% HP for 20 min × 3 (HP40) for a total of 60 min. Teeth colors were assessed in the CIE L*a*b* color space with a spectrophotometer immediately and six months after whitening treatments. Surface roughness (Sa) for the treated and untreated enamel surfaces of the teeth in all groups were evaluated with a three-dimensional laser scanning microscope after six months. Results: No significant differences were found between HP6 and CP10 groups immediately after whitening (∆E 10.6 ± 1.6 vs. 11.4 ± 1.7, p > 0.05) and at six months after treatments (∆E 9.0 ± 1.9 vs. 9.2 ± 2.5, p > 0.05), or between HP35 and HP40 groups immediately after whitening (∆E 5.9 ± 1.2 vs. 5.3 ± 1.7, p > 0.05) and at six months after treatments (∆E 7.2 ± 1.6 vs. 7.7 ± 1.3, p > 0.05). The two at-home whitening systems achieved significantly better whitening outcomes than the two in-office products immediately after whitening (p < 0.05). However, at six months after treatments, the differences between at-home and in-office treatments had narrowed significantly (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences with respect to the Sa values between the treated and untreated surfaces (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Tooth whitening products in the same product category have similar whitening efficacies, despite significant differences in treatment durations (7 vs. 140 h, and 30 min vs. 60 min, respectively). Take-home products achieved better whitening outcomes than in-office products, but they needed 14 to 280 times longer treatment durations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Exercise is a known trigger of the inhibitory pain modulation system and its analgesic effect is termed exercise‐induced hypoalgesia (EIH). Previous studies have demonstrated that rats with deficient analgesic response following exercise develop more significant hypersensitivity following nerve injury compared to rats with substantial analgesic response following exercise. Objectives: A rat model of EIH as an indicator of the pain inhibitory system's efficiency was used to explore the association between EIH profiles and the effect of pharmacotherapy on rat's neuropathic pain. Methods: EIH profiles were assessed by evaluating paw responses to mechanical stimuli before and after exercise on a rotating rod. Rats with a reduction of ≤33% in responses were classified as low EIH and those with ≥67% as high EIH. Low and high EIH rats underwent sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI). Paw responses to mechanical stimuli were measured at baseline, following CCI, and after treatment with diclofenac, duloxetine or pregabalin. In a different group of low and high EIH rats, EIH was measured before and following treatment with the same medications. Results: Low EIH rats developed more significant hypersensitivity following CCI. Duloxetine and pregabalin successfully reduced hypersensitivity, although significantly more so in low EIH rats. Diclofenac had limited effects, and only on low EIH rats. Four days of duloxetine administration transformed low EIH rats' profiles to high EIH. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that EIH profiles in rats can not only predict the development of hypersensitivity following injury but may also support targeted pharmacological treatment. Significance: Exercise is a known trigger of the inhibitory pain modulation. Rats with deficient analgesic response following exercise develop more significant hypersensitivity following nerve injury. Pain modulation profiles in rats can also support targeted pharmacological treatment; rats with deficient analgesic response following exercise benefit more from treatment with duloxetine and gabapentin. Treatment with duloxetine can improve pain modulation profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall health condition of patients significantly affects the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of endodontic diseases. A systemic consideration of the patient's overall health along with oral conditions holds the utmost importance in determining the necessity and feasibility of endodontic therapy, as well as selecting appropriate therapeutic approaches. This expert consensus is a collaborative effort by specialists from endodontics and clinical physicians across the nation based on the current clinical evidence, aiming to provide general guidance on clinical procedures, improve patient safety and enhance clinical outcomes of endodontic therapy in patients with compromised overall health., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To meet critical requirements on flexible electronic devices, multifunctionalized flexible sensors with excellent electromechanical performance and temperature perception are required. Herein, lignin-reinforced thermoresponsive poly(ionic liquid) hydrogel is prepared through an ultrasound-assisted synthesized method. Benefitting from the electrostatic interaction between lignin and ionic liquid, the hydrogel displays high stretchability (over 1425%), excellent toughness (over 132 kPa), and impressive stress loading-unloading cyclic stability. The hydrogel strain sensor presents excellent electromechanical performance with a high gauge factor (1.37) and rapid response rate (198 ms), which lays the foundation for human body movement detection and smart input. Moreover, owing to the thermal-sensitive feature of poly(ionic liquid), the as-prepared hydrogel displays remarkable thermal response sensitivity (0.217°C -1 ) in body temperature range and low limit of detection, which can be applied as a body shell temperature indicator. Particularly, the hydrogel can detect dual stimuli of strain and temperature and identify each signal individually, showing the specific application in human-machine interaction and artificial intelligence. By integrating the hydrogel strain sensor into a wireless sensation system, remote motion capture and gesture identification is realized in real-time., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest with the contents of this article., (Copyright © 2021 Xinyu Qu et al.)