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Fe-Mn-Ce metal oxides (FeMC) were prepared by using a co-precipitation method for the removal of tetracycline (TC). The FeMC composite has a good adsorption performance, and the maximum adsorption capacity at 318 K is 307.692 mg/g. FeMC metal oxides maintain good stability, and the removal rate of TC still reaches 85.24% after 5 cycles. The structural characteristics and adsorption mechanism of FeMC adsorbent have been systematically studied. According to the study of adsorption kinetics and adsorption isotherms, the adsorption process conforms to the quasi-secondorder kinetic model. Langmuir isotherm model is more suitable than Freundlich isotherm model to describe the adsorption equilibrium data. The Fourier-transform infrared spectrum shows that the adsorption between FeMC and TC is realized by the stretching vibration of C-H and the stretching vibrations of C-O or C-O-C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fe-Co-Ni-S (FCNS) nanocomposite is prepared through a hydrothermal method as a new efficient adsorbent to remove organic dyes in wastewater. The morphology, elemental composition and crystalline structure of the adsorbents have been studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The influence of the dosage of adsorbent and the pH value on the adsorption performance, the reusability of the nanocomposite, and effects of different anions are studied, which show that the adsorption rate of FCNS towards Rhodamine B (RhB) is as high as 99.63%. The adsorption kinetics of RhB on FCNS is described to pseudo-second- order model. At 318 K, the saturated adsorption capacity is 581.4 mg/g, which is consistent with the Langmuir isotherm. The kinetic results indicate that the adsorption process involves three steps, among which chemical adsorption and intraparticle diffusion play important roles. In addition, through the thermodynamic fitting of the adsorption process, it indicates that the adsorption of RhB by FCNS is spontaneous and accompanied by endothermic reaction. The FCNS nanocomposites has good adsorption performance under pH values ranging from 3 to 11. The FCNS has good reusability and adsorption performance after being reused 5 times. The Fourier-transform infrared spectrum indicates that hydrogen bonding is one of the main factors for influencing the adsorption. Compared with monometallic or bimetallic sulfides, the composite presented here has better adsorption performance and higher adsorption capacity, which will inspire some other emerging trimetallic sulfide composites for various advanced applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a manganese cerium co-doped iron-based metal–organic frameworks composite oxide nanomaterial (MnCe/MIL-100) was prepared by solvothermal method and used to adsorb tetracycline (TC) from water. Scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction were used to study the micro morphology, main element composition and crystal structure of the adsorbent. The experimental results were fitted by adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms and other models. In addition, the influence of the dosage of adsorbent and the pH of the solution on the adsorption performance and the reusability of the composite were also studied. It was found that the adsorption rate of MnCe/MIL-100 to TC can be as high as 100%. The adsorption kinetics of TC on MnCe/MIL-100 can be well described by pseudo-second-order model. At room temperature, the adsorption capacity is up to 210.971 mg/g, which is consistent with Langmuir isotherm. Through thermodynamic analysis, it is found that this process has the characteristic of absorbing heat, and this absorption is spontaneous. Meanwhile, MnCe/MIL-100 still has good TC adsorption capacity after five cycles, showing good reusability, which is of great significance to cost saving and environmental pollution reduction. Finally, the analysis by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and zeta potential explain the mechanism of TC adsorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetracycline (TC) is a new eco toxic antibiotic, which is easy to cause bacterial drug resistance. Considering this, tetracycline in water needs to be removed. In this paper, a Cu/Mn/Ce oxide composite were prepared by a simple coprecipitation method and used as a new and efficient adsorbent to remove tetracycline from water. The morphology and microstructure of the adsorbent were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, X-ray diffraction and zeta potential. The effects of adsorption isotherm, kinetics, molar ratio, initial concentration and pH value of TC solution were studied. The results show that the adsorption capacity towards TC solution is the highest when the molar ratio of Cu/Mn/Ce is 1:1:3, according to the Langmuir isotherm model. The maximum adsorption capacity is 344.83 mg/g. The maximum removal rate is 99.97% at pH = 7, and the adsorption kinetics conforms to the quasi-second-order model. The adsorption capacity of Cu/Mn/Ce is basically unchanged after three cycles, and the removal rate is still as high as 91%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, FeMoCoS (FMCS) nanocomposites were designed and fabricated through a hydrothermal method as a new efficient adsorbent to remove organic dyes in wastewater. The morphology and microstructure of the adsorbent were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The effects of adsorption isotherm, kinetics, initial concentration and pH value of Rhodamine B (RhB) solution on the experiment were also studied. The results show that FMCS has good adsorption capacity for RhB solution, and the maximum adsorption capacity is 280.89 mg/g calculated by using a Langmuir isotherm model. Column study was made to achieve bulk removal of the dye. Column adsorption capacity has been found to be greater than the batch adsorption capacity. Moreover, the maximum removal rate of RhB reaches 99.64% at pH = 7 and pHpzc = 9.57 according to zeta potential. The adsorption kinetics match the pseudo-second-order model, indicating that the adsorption process is dominated by chemisorption. After 5-cycles of consecutive adsorption, the adsorbent can still maintain a high adsorption capacity, indicating a good potential for RhB removal from wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Ni-Mo-S (NMS) nanomaterial was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method and used as a new adsorbent to remove Congo red (CR) from azo dye wastewater. The crystal phase, morphology and microstructure of the samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The adsorption isotherm, kinetics and thermodynamics, as well as the influence of different Ni-Mo molar ratios and pH values on the experiment were studied. The experimental results show that NMS (Ni-Mo molar ratio 1:2) has a good adsorption capacity for CR. According to the Langmuir isotherm model, the maximum adsorption capacity was 490.20 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics is in good agreement with the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption equilibrium can be reached within 30 min. Moreover, the maximum removal rate of CR reaches 93.07% at pH = 7 and pHpzc = 7.64 according to zeta potential. Finally, the mechanism of adsorption of CR by NMS (Ni-Mo molar ratio 1:2) was discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fe-Al-Ni composite oxide was synthesized through a simple coprecipitation method. The adsorbent was characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, zeta potential, and energy dispersive analysis of X-rays, and its defluoridation properties were investigated. Adsorption kinetics fitted well the pseudo-second-order model. The fluoride adsorption isotherm was well described by the Freundlich model. Moreover, when the initial fluoride concentration was 200 mg/L, the maximum adsorption capacity was calculated as 59.5 mg/g from the Langmuir model. It was found that the maximum removal rate was 93.6% at pH = 7, with an initial fluoride concentration of 10 mg/L. The co-existing anions indicate that chloride, sulfate, and nitrate don’t have much effect on F– adsorption, but phosphate and carbonate show a significant effect on F– removal. It shows that the efficacy of the adsorbents still maintains high as being reused, indicating that the spent adsorbent is suitable for regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, flower-shaped Na2Mg(CO3)2 nanoparticles were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method for defluoridation in water. The effects of the initial concentration of fluoride, pH value, and coexisting ions on the removal of fluoride were investigated. Na2Mg(CO3)2 nanoparticles were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and energy disperse analysis of X-rays. The experimental results show that the adsorption isotherm is consistent with the Freundlich model at pH = 7 and 35°C. When the initial concentration is 200 mg/L, the maximum adsorption capacity calculated by the Langmuir model is up to 113.64 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics is consistent with the pseudo-second-order model, and the adsorption equilibrium can be achieved within 100 min. There is little effect on Na2Mg(CO3)2 nanoparticles in the wide range of pH values (3-10). The fluoride removal rate reaches up to 92.26% at pH = 7 for the initial fluoride concentration of 5 mg/L, along with the adsorbent dose of 1 g/L. Except for PO43-, SO42-, and HCO3-, other anions don't affect the fluoride adsorption. The experiment results also demonstrate that the prepared adsorbents can be reused for at least six times. Finally, the mechanism for fluoride adsorption by Na2Mg(CO3)2 nanoparticles is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granular iron-impregnated attapulgite adsorbents (Fe-ATP) were developed for effective removal of arsenic from groundwater. Fe-ATP with an iron content of 15% and calcinated at temperature of 200°C showed the best adsorption performance for both arsenite and arsenate. The adsorption data of arsenite onto Fe-ATP fitted both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms well, while Langmuir described the adsorption of arsenate onto Fe-ATP better than Freundlich isotherm. Both arsenite and arsenate adsorption onto Fe-ATP followed pseudo-second-order kinetics model. The removal efficiency of arsenite by Fe-ATP was insensitive to pH in a wide pH range of 3–11, however, Fe-ATP exhibited better removal performance for arsenate in the pH < 7 conditions. Co-existing anions did not evidently inhibit arsenic removal by Fe-ATP. In column tests using lab-prepared arsenic containing water as influent, about 4900, 1500 and 550 (1320, 520 and 260) bed volumes (BVs) of water with 200 μg/L arsenite (arsenate) were treated before breakthrough (10 μg/L, WHO standard) was reached under flowing rates of 200, 600 and 1000 mL/h, respectively. While the influent contaminant concentration was 303 μg/L from real groundwater and the flowing rate was 200 mL/h, breakthrough BVs at the WHO provisional guideline value of 10 μg/L were 1300. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PURPOSE: This prospective, randomized trial was conducted to establish whether the pediatric laryngeal mask airway (LMA) could be used without any concerns for abnormally high intra-cuff pressure when a cuff of the LMA was inflated with half the maximum recommended inflation volume or the resting volume before insertion. BASIC PROCEDURES: Eighty children 0 to 9 years of age and weighing of 5 to 30 kg scheduled for general anesthesia were included. Before insertion, the cuff of the LMA was filled with half the maximum recommended inflation volume in the Half volume group, or the resting volume by opening the pilot balloon valve to atmospheric pressure in the Resting volume group. After insertion of the LMA, intra-cuff pressure, oropharyngeal leak pressure, and leakage volume were investigated. MAJOR FINDINGS: The Half volume group showed lower mean intra-cuff pressure than the Resting volume group (49.6 ± 12.1 cm H(2)O vs 58.1 ± 13.8 cm H(2)O, P = .005). There was no difference in oropharyngeal leak pressure (22.1 ± 5.8 vs 21.7 ± 5.1 cm H(2)O, P = .757) or leakage volume between the Half volume group and the Resting volume group (0.13 ± 0.13 ml/kg vs 0.11 ± 0.12 ml/kg, P = .494) under spontaneous respiration. CONCLUSIONS: Both methods of the LMA cuff inflation before insertion provided an acceptable range of intra-cuff pressure with adequate pharyngeal sealing without any intervention after insertion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A PCR-linked reverse DNA hybridization method using two different specific rpoB DNA probes (Avp and Intp) of Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium intracellulare, respectively, were evaluated for the differentiation and identification of M. avium and M. intracellulare culture isolates. Among the 504 culture isolates tested by this method, 48 strains showed positive results for M. avium and 60 strains showed positive results for M. intracellulare. The other 396 culture isolates showed negative results for both M. avium and M. intracellulare. These results were consistent with those obtained from partial rpoB (306bp) sequence analysis and biochemical tests. The negative strains obtained by this DNA hybridization method were identified as M. tuberculosis (366 strains), M. peregrinum (11 strains), M. abscessus (9 strains), M. fortuitum (8 strains), and M. flavescens (2 strains) by rpoB DNA sequence analysis. Due to the high sensitive and specific result obtained by this assay, we suggest that this PCR-linked reverse DNA hybridization method using two different specific rpoB DNA probes of M. avium and M. intracellulare would be used for the rapid and precise method for differentiation and identification of M. avium and M. intracellulare. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Purpose: We employed the results of imaging modalities from pediatric patients who received successful epilepsy surgery to determine the accuracy of each imaging tool in identifying epileptic zones in youngsters. Methods: All Engel class I pediatric patients who received epilepsy surgery between October 2003 and April 2008 were selected. Their pathology, EEG, MRI, PET, and subtraction ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI (SISCOM) results were compared for accuracy in locating the epileptic foci, defined as “area that resulted in seizure ablation after resection”. Results: Forty-two patients were enrolled (23 temporal lobectomy, 19 extratemporal resections). MRI showed concordance in 84.2% of extratemporal cases, all of which had precise localization of lesions. In temporal cases, lateralization was 91.3% and localization was 82.6%. PET showed a concordance rate of 95.5% and localization was 72.7% for temporal lesions. For extratemporal lesions, concordance was only 68.4%. SISCOM showed concordance in 100% of temporal and 92.3% of extratemporal cases, with localization in 66.7% of temporal and 84.6% of extratemporal cases. Most temporal lobe cases had hippocampal sclerosis, and cortical dysplasia was observed in extratemporal cases. Discussion: MRI was invariably reliable in all cases. PET results were as reliable in lateralizing the temporal epileptic area, while its efficacy was lower for extratemporal cases. SISCOM effectively localized lesions in extratemporal cases, but its efficacy was lower in temporal lesions. In cases of conflicting pre-surgical results, MRI, with supplementary data from PET, helped to establish correct decisions in temporal epilepsies, while utilization of SISCOM and MRI data is advised for extratemporal cases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Perfusion experiments were performed to analyze functional roles of the chloride channels in the retinal neurons. The network model was tested for its ability to account for the details of light responses observed in retinal neurons perfused with low chloride fluids. Light responses of the second-order neurons were visibly enhanced. In addition, the wave shapes and the firing rates of the third-order neurons were evidently varied by the low chloride fluids. Results suggest that the sensitivity of the retinal neurons to light stimuli could be changed by extracellular concentration of chloride ion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: There is growing interest in the effect of postoperative analgesics on oncological outcomes after cancer surgery. We investigated the impact of tramadol after breast cancer surgery on recurrence and mortality and explored the mechanism by which tramadol affects cultured breast cancer cells in vitro.Methods: Electronic medical records of patients who underwent breast cancer surgery between November 2005 and December 2010 at Severance Hospital in Korea were reviewed. Cox regression analyses were used to identify factors related to postoperative recurrence and mortality. We performed the sensitivity test with propensity score matching to adjust for selection bias. In addition, we investigated the effects of tramadol on human breast adenocarcinoma (Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 [MCF-7]) cells via assessment of cell viability, clonogenic assay, and cell cycle analysis in vitro.Results: Of 2588 breast cancer patients, 36.4% had received tramadol. Those who received tramadol had a 0.71-fold decreased risk of recurrence and a 0.56-fold decrease in mortality. The MCF-7 cell viability assays showed that tramadol had an anti-proliferative effect by cell cycle arrest, suppressing colony formation, and regulation of oestrogen and progesterone receptors. Tramadol induced apoptosis of MCF-7 cells via extracellular signal-regulated kinases by decreasing of 5-hydroxytryptamine (HT)2B receptor and transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 expression.Conclusions: After breast cancer surgery, patients who received tramadol had a decreased risk of postoperative recurrence and mortality. The anti-tumour effect of tramadol appears to involve inhibition of proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and effects on 5-HT2B receptor and TRPV-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: To evaluate the influence of reversal of neuromuscular blockade with sugammadex or neostigmine on postoperative quality of recovery following a single bolus dose of rocuronium after pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) under general anesthesia.Design: Prospective, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.Setting: This study was conducted in a University Teaching Hospital from February to July 2017.Patients: A total of 84 patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status of I or II who were scheduled to undergo PPV under general anesthesia.Interventions: The patients were randomly assigned to the neostigmine (Group N, n = 44) or sugammadex (Group S, n = 40) groups; 3 ml of study drug was prepared for the patients. For patients in Group N, a solution of neostigmine methylsulfate (1 mg) and glycopyrrolate (0.2 mg) was prepared, while a solution of sugammadex sodium (2 mg/kg) and normal saline was prepared for patients in Group S.Measurements: The primary endpoint was the effect of sugammadex, compared with neostigmine, on the recovery rate in the physiological domain in patients who underwent PPV with general anesthesia. The quality of recovery was assessed using the Postoperative Quality Recovery Scale at 15 min and 40 min after surgery, and on postoperative day 1.Main Results: The recovery rate in the physiological domain was higher in Group S at 15 min after surgery (P = 0.020). Though there were no significant differences in the overall cognitive recovery domain, patients in Group S could recall more numbers in reverse order. However, there were no significant differences between the groups in the other domains of the scale.Conclusions: The use of sugammadex may increase the quality of physiological recovery at early postoperative periods, compared with that of neostigmine, following a single bolus dose of rocuronium in patients undergoing PPV with general anesthesia.Trial Registration: Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03108989). Registration number: NCT03108989. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insular cortex (IC) is a pain-related brain region that receives various types of sensory input and processes the emotional aspects of pain. The present study was conducted to investigate spatiotemporal patterns related to neuroplastic changes in the IC after nerve injury using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. The tibial and sural nerves of rats were injured under pentobarbital anesthesia. To observe optical signals in the IC, rats were re-anesthetized with urethane 7 days after injury, and a craniectomy was performed to allow for optical imaging. Optical signals of the IC were elicited by peripheral electrical stimulation. Neuropathic rats showed a significantly higher optical intensity following 5.0 mA electrical stimulation compared to sham-injured rats. A larger area of activation was observed by 1.25 and 2.5 mA electrical stimulation compared to sham-injured rats. The activated areas tended to be larger, and the peak amplitudes of optical signals increased with increasing stimulation intensity in both groups. These results suggest that the elevated responsiveness of the IC to peripheral stimulation is related to neuropathic pain, and that neuroplastic changes are likely to be involved in the IC after nerve injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents novel low-cost CMOS temperature sensor for controlling the self-refresh period of a mobile DRAM. In the proposed temperature sensor, the temperature dependency of poly resistance is used to generate a temperature-dependent bias current, and a ring oscillator driven by this bias current is employed to obtain the digital code pertaining to on-chip temperature. This method is highly area-efficient, simple and easy for IC implementation as compared to traditional temperature sensors based on bandgap reference. The proposed CMOS temperature sensor was fabricated with an 80nm 3-metal DRAM process, which occupies extremely small silicon area of only about 0.016mm2 with under 1μW power consumption for providing 0.7°C effective resolution at 1 sample/s processing rate. This result indicates that as much as 73% area reduction was obtained with improved resolution as compared to the conventional temperature sensor in mobile DRAM. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Seogak Jihwang-Tang (SJT) has been widely used to treat patients suffering from cerebral infarction. However, very little scientific investigation has been carried out. We investigated the effect of SJT on the production of various cytokines using peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the cerebral infarction patients presenting with altered consciousness. The cytokines production was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The amount of IL-4, IL-10 and TGF-β1 in culture supernatant significantly increased in the SJT, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or PHA-treated cells compared to unstimulated cells (P < 0.05). We also showed that increased IL-4 and IL-10 levels by LPS or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) were significantly inhibited by SJT in a dose-dependent manner. Maximal inhibition rate of IL-4 and IL-10 production by SJT was 45.6 ± 3.3% and 61 ± 4.7% for LPS-stimulated cells and 27.3 ± 1.2% and 83.6 ± 2% for PHA-stimulated cells, respectively (P < 0.05). On the other hand, SJT significantly increased the LPS or PHA-induced TGF-β1 production (P < 0.05). These data suggest that SJT has a regulatory effect on the cytokines production, which might explain its beneficial effect in the treatment of cerebral infarction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We investigated the localization of GABAA and GABAC receptors in horizontal cells (HCs) and HC axon terminals (ATs) dissociated from goldfish retina, using whole-cell patch-clamping recordings. Applications of GABA on HCs induced two groups with inward currents at the holding potential of −50 mV: One was a sustained inward current in the H1 cell, with one type of HCAT (AT1), and the other was a transient inward current in other HC soma and HCAT (AT2). Co-application of GABA with bicuculline or SR95531, GABAA receptor antagonists, showed a non-blocking effect in the sustained current, but a blocking effect in the transient current. The sustained current was evoked by cis-4-aminocrotonic acid (CACA), a GABAC receptor agonist, while the transient current was not induced by CACA, but mimicked by muscimol, a GABAA receptor agonist. Both the sustained and transient currents were completely blocked by picrotoxin and not mimicked by baclofen, a GABAB receptor agonist. Thus H1 cell and AT1 have GABAC receptors, while H2, H3 cells and AT2 have GABAA receptors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]