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Background: Cough variant asthma (CVA) is classified as a distinct form of asthma. As the primary or only symptom, cough is the leading cause for the most prevalent chronic cough among kids. The American College of Clinical Pharmacy, British Thoracic Society, and Chinese guidelines established for diagnosing and treating chronic cough in kids recommend inhaled corticosteroids, combined with leukotriene receptor antagonists when necessary. Methods: We will conduct a comprehensive search in major databases using keywords to find studies related to the analysis of montelukast sodium and budesonide for treating CVA in kids. Two reviewers will independently assess the quality of the selected research articles and perform data extraction. Next, we will use the RevMan software (version: 5.3) to conduct the statistical analysis of the present study. Results: This study will assess the efficacy and safeness of using montelukast sodium and budesonide to treat kids with CVA by pooling the results of individual studies. Conclusion: Our findings will provide vigorous evidence to judge whether montelukast sodium and budesonide therapy is an efficient form of therapy for CVA patients. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval is not needed for the present meta-analysis. OSF registration number: May 17, 2021.osf.io/cuvjz (https://osf.io/cuvjz/).

Background Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is a condition caused by a deficiency in pulmonary surfactant. Many interventions, including pulmonary surfactant, non-invasive respiratory support, and other supportive treatments have been used to prevent RDS. However, recent studies have focused on the continuous positive airway pressure as a significant potential agent for preventing RDS. However, its safety and effectiveness are yet to be assessed. To this end, the current study aims to perform to explore the safety and effectiveness of continuous positive airways in treating neonates with RDS. Methods We will conduct comprehensive literature searches on MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Chinese BioMedical Literature from their inception to April 2021. The search aims to identify all the randomized controlled studies on continuous positive airway pressure in treating neonates with RDS. In addition, we aim to search the gray literature to establish any available potential studies. We will use 2 independent authors to determine study eligibility, extract data using the structured pro-forma table, analyze data, and utilize suitable tools in assessing the risk of bias in the selected studies. Accordingly, we will conduct all statistical analyses using RevMan 5.3 software. Results The current study aims to provide high-quality synthesis of existing evidence concerning the continuous positive airway pressure to treat neonates suffering from RDS. Conclusion Our findings seek to provide evidence to establish whether continuous positive airway pressure can ascertain safety and effectiveness for neonates with RDS. Ethics and dissemination The study will require ethical approval. Osf registration number May 20, 2021.osf.io/7nj8s. (https://osf.io/7nj8s/).

Flotation waste of copper slag (FWCS) was used as a raw material for the preparation of a micro-electrolysis material (MEM) through a carbothermal reduction process. The performance of MEM was evaluated for the degradation of organic contaminants in water. The effects of preparation conditions on the performance of MEM were investigated. Results showed that the MEM prepared under the conditions of calcination temperature of 1100 °C, calcination time of 60 min, and coal dosage of 25% presented the best performance for degrading methyl orange (MO). The decolorization process was enhanced by increasing the MEM dosage, decreasing the initial pH of the solution, and raising the solution temperature. Moreover, the MEM presented good capability for the degradation of methylene blue, eosin Y, and acid fuchsin. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis showed that increasing the roasting temperature was beneficial to the formation of zero-valent iron (ZVI). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) showed that micro-sized ZVI particles were formed in the MEM, and they contained a small amount of copper element. Meanwhile, the mechanism analysis showed that a redox reaction of the MEM and MO occurred, the azo bond of MO was destroyed, and sulfanilic acid was generated.

A microbial bio-based collector was isolated from iron mine soil using a combination of flotation and culturing techniques. Four microbial strains with greater than 75% recovery of pure hematite were separated using the technique. Classification and identification of the 4 strains by 16S rDNA sequences were conducted. Among them only 1 strain, termed F3, can act as a collector for hematite, as it is not pathogenic to humans. The morphology and hematite adsorption (by scanning electron microscopy; SEM), composition, zeta potential and hydrophobicity of strain F3 were further evaluated. Based on the changes in the zeta potential and hydrophobicity of a hematite surface before and after adsorption with F3, its adsorption mechanism was also analysed. The results revealed that the combination technique of flotation and bacterial culturing is a highly effective technique for isolating bio-collectors from iron mine soil. Two flotation stages were required to isolate strain F3, which belongs to the genus Stenotrophomonas . This rod-shaped bacterium had CH 2 , CH 3 and phosphate groups on its cell wall that imparted strong hydrophobicity and negative charge. Adsorption of strain F3 reduced the zeta potential of a hematite surface and enhanced its hydrophobicity. The adsorption of F3 to hematite is presumed to be through chemical adsorption. Therefore, strain F3 can be used as a bio-collector for hematite flotation.

Rhodococcus erythropolis as a flotation collector for hematite was evaluated in the study. The surface morphology and cell wall composition of R. erythropolis was analyzed. Zeta potentials for four pure minerals from hematite ores were measured before and after adsorption by R. erythropolis . Pure mineral flotation tests and mixed mineral separation tests were performed to describe adsorption characteristics and mechanisms. A rod-shaped bacterium was detected with CH 2 , CH 3 and COO groups on its cell wall that imparted hydrophobicity and negative charges. The ability of R. erythropolis to collect hematite was stronger than its ability to collect quartz, kaolinite and apatite. For a pulp pH of 6 and a cell concentration of 75 mg/L, recovery rate of hematite was 89.67%. The recovery differences between hematite and quartz, kaolinite and apatite were 66.43%, 60.36% and 54.30%, respectively. These data indicated that electrical properties of hematite surface were more suitable for adsorption of R. erythropolis than other three minerals. The adsorbed hematite particles appeared as large agglomerates after interaction with R. erythropolis . The quartz, kaolinite and apatite particles, however, were in the form of dispersed particles or small agglomerates. The chemical adsorption of hematite on bacterial cell wall resulted in agglomeration. The effects of flocculation and flotation of R. erythropolis on micro-fine hematite particles were characterized for the first time. The results showed that R. erythropolis can act as a flotation collector for hematite from hematite ores.

A novel process for preparing direct reduction iron (DRI) and titanium nitride (TiN) from Panzhihua titanomagnetite concentrate is proposed. This process involves pelletizing, direct reduction roasting and magnetic separation. The effects of reduction temperature, coal dosage and reduction time on the phase transformation of composite pellets were investigated by X-ray diffraction. Results show that TiN formation proceeds less easily than metallic iron formation. Increasing the reduction temperature, reduction time and coal dosage can promote the transformation of titanium to TiN. Titanium was almost completely transformed into TiN under the conditions of 1300 °C reduction temperature, 26 wt % coal dosage and 90 min reduction time. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis showed that near-spherical metallic iron particles with diameters from dozens of microns to about 300 μm were formed in the reduced pellets, whereas the TiN particles generally measured less than 10 μm. The energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) results revealed that the TiN phase contains a certain amount of vanadium and carbon, and traces of other impurities. The reduced composite pellets under the optimum conditions were processed by grinding and subsequent magnetic separation. As a result, a DRI with 92.88 wt % Fe, 1.00 wt % Ti, and 0.13 wt % V was obtained, and the recoveries of Fe, Ti, and V were 92.85 wt %, 9.00 wt %, and 19.40 wt %, respectively. 91.00 wt % Ti and 80.60 wt % V were concentrated in the rough TiN concentrate.