Half-life Research Articles

Persistence of PPP Deviations in Central and Eastern European Economies

ABSTRACT This paper studies the persistence of PPP deviations in terms of half-life (HL) for eleven Central and Eastern European countries. We identify three different shapes of impulse responses; 1) smoothly downward sloping, 2) smoothly falling with a small hitch, and 3) smoothly decaying with a small hump in the beginning. Estimated half-lives do not conform well with the consensus view of three to five years of PPP deviations. The relative appropriateness of the overestimation argument and the underestimation argument for the persistence of PPP deviation is not decisive.

Microfinance Providers and Rural Lending in the Province of Carniola Before 1914: a Case Study of the District Credit Cooperative Litija

The study provides new insights and compares two different types of microfinance intermediaries and their role and impact on the economic and financial situation of the rural population before the beginning of World War I. The abolition of serfdom in the Habsburg monarchy in 1848 had a significant impact on traditional life in the second half of the 19th century. Peasants became landowners, and their participation in the market and monetary economy became crucial. The development of microfinance intermediaries, such as savings banks and credit cooperatives, was essential for the financial inclusion of the rural population. The article shows the development of credit operations in a rural environment using the example of the District Credit Cooperative Litija.

7741 Artri King As A Cause Of Adrenal Insufficiency

Abstract Disclosure: Q. Aziz: None. S. Fatima: None. A.L. Champion: None. K.E. Izuora: None. IntroductionDietary supplements are highly unregulated and may have substance that can be harmful. Due to its easy availability, more patients may have access to these supplements which can cause detrimental health outcomes, such as adrenal insufficiency. Clinical Case Patient is a 46 year old female with past medical history of hypertension and obesity presents to the hospital for worsening left hip pain, which started 2 weeks ago. She heard a crack in her left hip and denied any trauma or injury prior. She was found to have subtrochanteric fracture. Nine months ago, she had right hip pain and was unable to bear weight. Physical exam was notable for alopecia in frontal and temporal region, dorsocervical fat pad, multiple bruises, round facies, and multiple purple straie. She also reported a 50 pound weight gain in the last year. She stated that she took an over the counter “pain medication”, but denied any supplements. Due to the non-traumatic fracture and physical features, AM cortisol was ordered for suspicion of Cushing’s Syndrome by primary team and was low at 2.4. Endocrinology team was consulted. Cosyntropin stimulation test showed baseline AM cortisol level 1.4 and 1 hour after cosyntropin, cortisol was 8.3. ACTH 3.4, testosterone undetectable, androstendione undetectable, Aldosterone 42.2, DHEA undetectable. It was found later that patient was taking an over the counter supplement called Artri King, up to 4 tablets a day. Artri King has been advertised as a supplement for joint and muscle pain and contains unknown amount of dexamethasone and diclofenac. She was soon placed on hydrocortisone for adrenal insufficiency and was titrated down. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can be suppressed with as low as 5 mg prednisone equivalent a day. This can lead to inadequate adrenal response to stress. If a patient has prolonged exposure to exogenous steroids, insufficient ACTH secretion can lead to atrophy of the zona fasciculata and reticularis, resulting in reduced ability to secrete cortisol. Therefore, it is important to help withdraw patient from glucocorticoids. When initiating glucocorticoid withdrawal, hydrocortisone may be helpful due to short half life, allowing HPA axis more opportunity to recover. Adrenal atrophy may be slowly reversible, but 4 years after diagnosis of glucocorticoid induced adrenal insufficiency, recovery of adrenal function is unlikely to occur. ConclusionsIt is important to obtain a thorough history, especially for supplements. Many supplements are not regulated and can pose harm to our patients. Adrenal insufficiency due to glucocorticoids may not only occur from steroid injections, long course of prescription glucocorticoids, but can include supplements if it is hidden from the ingredient list. Presentation: 6/3/2024

Optimization, purification and characterization of laccase from a new endophytic Trichoderma harzianum AUMC14897 isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica and its applications in dye decolorization and wastewater treatment.

Hazardous synthetic dye wastes have become a growing threat to the environment and public health. Fungal enzymes are eco-friendly, compatible and cost-effective approachfor diversity of applications. Therefore, this study aimed to screen, optimize fermentation conditions, and characterize laccase from fungal endophyte with elucidating its ability to decolorize several wastewater dyes. A new fungal endophyte capable of laccase-producing was firstly isolated from cladodes of Opuntia ficus-indica and identified as T. harzianum AUMC14897 using ITS-rRNA sequencing analysis. Furthermore, the response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize several fermentation parameters that increase laccase production. The isolated laccase was purified to 13.79-fold. GFC, SDS-PAGE revealed laccase molecular weight at 72kDa and zymogram analysis elucidated a single band without any isozymes. The peak activity of the pure laccase was detected at 50°C, pH 4.5, with thermal stability up to 50°C and half life span for 4h even after 24h retained 30% of its activity. The Km and Vmax values were 0.1mM, 22.22µmol/min and activation energy (Ea) equal to 5.71kcal/mol. Furthermore, the purified laccase effectively decolorized various synthetic and real wastewater dyes. Subsequently, the new endophytic strain produces high laccase activity that possesses a unique characteristic, it could be an appealing candidate for both environmental and industrial applications.

Exploring the potential of peach gum polysaccharides in β-carotene emulsions encapsulation during storage

Oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions have emerged as a viable method for encapsulating β-carotene. To achieve stable emulsion systems, the development of latent emulsifiers is essential. This study collected three peach cultivars (Mixture cultivar (MC), Zhonghpan 11# (ZP11), and Yingqing (YQG)) to extract peach gum polysaccharides (PGP) for the encapsulation of β-carotene without the need for additional emulsifiers. The research aimed to investigate the emulsions' physicochemical stability (including particle size, zeta potential, turbidity, color, and retention rate of β-carotene (RR)) during storage. The findings revealed that the ZP11 emulsion exhibited the highest emulsion efficiency (EE) at 89.08% and displayed a more vibrant color. After 35 days of storage, YQG emulsion exhibited better emulsion stability with the highest zeta-potential (>35 mV, negative), RR of β-carotene (43.44%), and longest half-life period (t1/2, 32.31d) among three cultivars. Correlation analysis showed that molecular weight (Mw), polydispersity coefficient (Mw/Mn), and arabinose (Ara) of PGP would have an influence on its emulsifying capacity and stability of β-carotene emulsion. The information was significant for PGP of great potential as an emulsifier and stabilizer to provide possibility regarding designing a proper delivery system.

Rhamnosomes: A new generation of flexible vesicles for a boosted targeted nose-to-brain delivery of selegiline in the treatment of Parkinson's disease

Extensive hepatic metabolism of Selegiline, a selective monoamine oxidase B inhibitor for newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease patients, causes limited brain bioavailability. To improve efficacy, a new generation of flexible lipidic vesicles, Rhamnosomes, comprising alternating lecithin and Rhamnolipid moieties, and decorated with lactoferrin to actively target Selegiline to the brain is proposed.Rhamnosomes were optimized using design of expert, where lipid amount, Soybean lecithin:Rhamnolipid ratio and sonication time were varied. Polyelectrolyte complexation was employed for Lactoferrin conjugation to Rhamnosomes. A pharmacokinetic study in rat plasma and brain was conducted. Optimized Rhamnosomes had a particle size of 107nm, polydispersity index of 0.23, zeta potential of -41mV, entrapment efficiency of 78%, relative deformability of 36sec and ex-vivo skin permeation reaching 60% after 24 hr. The plasma half life of Rhamnosomes was 3.24 times the market product and 2.63 times the intravenous solution, whereas, lactoferrin-conjugated Rhamnosomes exhibited 7 times higher absolute bioavailability than the market product and more than double its brain drug targeting efficiency. Prominent direct nose-to-brain transport values further proved the efficiency of intranasally delivered Selegiline-loaded Lactoferrin conjugated Rhamnosomes to actively target the brain in a non-invasive approach for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Rapid Concentration of Ga-68 and Proof-of-Concept Microscale Labeling of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11 in a Droplet Reactor.

The radiometal gallium-68 (Ga-68) has garnered significant interest due to its convenient production via compact and widely available generators and the high performance of 68Ga-labeled compounds for positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging for cancer diagnosis and management of patients undergoing targeted radionuclide therapy. Given the short half life of Ga-68 (68 min), microfluidic-based radiosynthesis is a promising avenue to establish very rapid, efficient, and routine radiolabeling with Ga-68; however, the typical elution volume of Ga-68 from a generator (4-10 mL) is incompatible with the microliter reaction volumes of microfluidic devices. To bridge this gap, we developed a microscale cartridge-based approach to concentrate Ga-68. By optimizing cartridge design, resin type, resin mass, and eluent composition, Ga-68 was reliably concentrated from ~6 mL to ~80 µL with high recovery efficiency (>97%, n = 14). Furthermore, this method is suitable for both single- and dual-generator setups. To demonstrate suitability of the concentrated radiometal for radiolabeling, we performed microdroplet synthesis of [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11, achieving high radiochemical yield (83 ± 11%, n = 3), excellent radiochemical purity (>99%), and high apparent specific activity (255-320 MBq/μg). The entire process, including Ga-68 concentration, radiosynthesis, purification, and formulation, was completed in 12 min. Starting with activity of 0.81-0.84 GBq, 0.51-0.64 GBq of product was produced, sufficient for multiple patient doses. This work paves the way to clinical-scale production of other 68Ga-labeled compounds using droplet microreactor methods, or high-throughput labeling optimization or compound screening of 68Ga-labeled probes using droplet reaction arrays.

Green and Reflux method synthesis of CeO2/rGO for their characterization and Photodegradation of dye

In this study, cerium oxide (CeO2) was synthesized using a green and eco-friendly solution combustion method with lemongrass as the fuel source. The synthesis process was simple and environmentally friendly, leveraging a straightforward reflux technique to prepare the CeO2/rGO composite. The resulting CeO2 and CeO2/rGO composite was characterized using various analytical techniques, including XRD, FE-SEM, FTIR, EDX, UV-Vis, XPS, and BET analysis. The photocatalytic performance of the CeO2/rGO composite was evaluated through the degradation of Methyl Violet (MV) dye, demonstrating a remarkable photocatalytic efficiency with approximately 99 % degradation following a first-order reaction kinetics. The half-life period (t₁/₂) of the degradation process was determined to be 19.01 minutes, and the rate constant (k) was calculated to be 0.03971 min⁻¹. The study also explored various factors affecting the photocatalytic activity, including pH levels, dye concentration, light source, and the amount of catalyst used. Additionally, scavenger studies were performed to identify the reactive species involved, and the total organic carbon (TOC) removal efficiency was evaluated. The reusability of the CeO2/rGO catalyst was also investigated, demonstrating its potential for sustainable and effective application in environmental remediation processes.

Antisolvent crystallization of rare earth sulfate hydrates: Thermodynamics, kinetics and impact of iron

The thermodynamics and kinetics of ethanol antisolvent crystallization of rare earths from sulfate solutions has been explored, with a view towards separating the rare earths as part of a NdFeB magnet recycling process. The solubility of single and binary metal (Nd, Pr, Fe) phases in aqueous ethanol solutions has been determined. The impact of Fe and Pr on the crystallization of Nd is evaluated, the oxidation kinetics of Fe(II) to Fe(III) quantified, and the influence of Fe oxidation state on the thermodynamics and kinetics of crystallization investigated. Oxidation to Fe(III) is slow, with a half life of approx. 600 h. For pure Nd, the solubility of the obtained, stable sulphate octahydrate decreases exponentially with increased molar organic:aqueous (O/A) ratio, and is well described by the OLI model until O/A=0.2. Pr crystallizes as an isostructural octahydrate with similar solubility. Fe(II) precipitates as a mixed solid phase, with a solubility approximately 40 times higher than the rare earths at O/A=0.2. Fe(III) solutions exhibit liquid–liquid phase separation without precipitation at all evaluated concentrations. Nd and Pr coprecipitate together in proportion to their relative concentrations, with Pr precipitating at concentrations well below its pure component solubility. Fe(II) does not precipitate with Nd at O/A≤0.2 even at high concentration, with significant precipitation as separate particles at higher O/A for all concentrations. The crystallization kinetics and the morphology of the Nd phase is affected by the Fe oxidation state. The work highlights the potential of antisolvent crystallization for selective and efficient separation of REE from Fe.

Development and application of diffusive gradients in thin-films for in-situ monitoring of 6PPD-Quinone in urban waters

The occurrence and risk of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine-quinone (6PPD-Q), derived from the oxidation of the tire antidegradant 6PPD, has raised significant concern since it was found to cause acute mortality in coho salmon when exposed to urban runoff. Given the short half-life period and low solubility of 6PPD-Q, reliable in situ measurement techniques are required to accurately understand its occurrence and behaviour in aquatic environments. Here, using the diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) method with HLB as a binding agent, we developed a new methodology to measure 6PPD-Q in urban waters. 6PPD-Q was rapidly and strongly adsorbed on the HLB-binding gel and was efficiently extracted using organic solvents. The HLB-DGT accumulated 6PPD-Q linearly for >7 d and its performance was not significantly affected by pH (6.5–8.5), ionic strength (0.0001–0.5 M) or dissolved organic matter (0–20 mg L−1). Field evaluation of the DGT method demonstrated its effectiveness in urban runoff, detecting 6PPD-Q levels of 15.8–39.5 ng L−1 in rivers. In snowmelt, DGT detected 6PPD-Q levels of 210 ng L−1 which is two times higher than the value obtained by grab sampling. 6PPD-Q levels were much higher in snowmelt than those in rivers. This indicates that snowfall constitutes an important transport pathway for 6PPD-Q and that DGT effectively captured the fraction continuously released from dust particles in the snow samples. 6PPD-Q posed a substantial risk to migratory fish in urban waters, and its release from tire wear particles requires further investigation. This study is the first to develop a DGT-based in situ measurement method for 6PPD-Q in urban waters, and the method can ensure an accurate measurement of the release of 6PPD-Q to the environment, particularly in rainfall or snowmelt, important pathways for its entry into the aquatic environment.

Enrichment of White Chocolate with Microencapsulated β-Carotene: Impact on Quality Characteristics and β-Carotene Stability during Storage.

This study developed functional white chocolate enriched with free (WC-F) and encapsulated β-carotene using whey protein isolate (WPI) and pullulan (PUL) blends through spray drying (WC-SP), freeze drying (WC-LP), and coaxial electrospinning (WC-EL). The thermal properties, rheological properties, hardness, and color of the chocolates were evaluated, and the stability of β-carotene was monitored over 4 months at 25 °C. No significant differences were found in melting profile temperatures among samples; however, WC-LP and WC-EL exhibited higher melting energies (30.88 J/g and 16.00 J/g) compared to the control (12.42 J/g). WC-F and WC-SP showed rheological behaviors similar to those of the control, while WC-LP and WC-EL displayed altered flow characteristics. Hardness was unaffected in WC-F and WC-SP (7.77 N/mm2 and 9.36 N/mm2), increased slightly in WC-LP (10.28 N/mm2), and decreased significantly in WC-EL (5.89 N/mm2). Over storage, melting point, rheological parameters, and hardness increased slightly, while color parameters decreased. β-carotene degradation followed a first-order reaction model, with degradation rate constants (k) of 0.0066 day-1 for WC-SP, 0.0094 day-1 for WC-LP, and 0.0080 day-1 for WC-EL, compared to 0.0164 day-1 for WC-F. WC-SP provided the best β-carotene retention, extending the half-life period by 2 times compared to WC-F (126.04 days vs. 61.95 days). Practical implications: The findings suggest that WC-SP, with its superior β-carotene stability, is particularly suitable for the development of functional confectionery products with extended shelf life, offering potential benefits in industrial applications where product stability is crucial. Future research directions: Further studies could explore the incorporation of additional bioactive compounds in white chocolate using similar encapsulation methods, as well as consumer acceptance and sensory evaluation of these enriched products.

Pharmacokinetics of Efmoroctocog alfa by Two-Compartment Model Highlights Hemophilia A Patients with Biphasic Decay, Long Mean Residence Time, and Beta Half-Life.

Background/Objectives: A compartmental pharmacokinetics (PK) analysis of new extended half-life FVIII concentrates has never been performed in a large cohort of hemophilia patients. An improved PK analysis of individual outcomes may help to tailor hemophilia replacement treatment. Methods: PK outcomes after the infusion of a standard single dose of Efmoroctocog alfa were collected from 173 patients with severe/moderately severe hemophilia A in 11 Italian hemophilia centers. Factor VIII clotting activity (FVIII:C) was measured by one-stage clotting assay (OSA) in all patients, and chromogenic substrate assay (CSA) in a subgroup (n = 52). Fifty patients underwent a comparative PK assessment with standard half-life (SHL) recombinant FVIII (rFVIII) products. Non-compartmental analysis (NCA), one compartment model (OCM), and TCM were used to analyze the decay curves of all patients, and one-way paired ANOVA to compare the PK outcomes. Results: All 173 PKs conformed to the NCA and OCM, but only 106 (61%) conformed to the TCM based on the biphasic features of their decay curves. According to the TCM, the Beta HL and MRT of rFVIIIFc were 20.42 ± 7.73 and 25.64 ± 7.61 h, respectively. ANOVA analysis of the outcomes from the three PK models showed significant differences in clearance, half-life (HL), and mean residence time (MRT) (p < 0.001 for all parameters). As anticipated, the HL and MRT of rFVIIIFc were longer than those of SHL rFVIII. Comparing OSA with CSA outcomes, Cmax resulted higher when measured by CSA (p = 0.05) and, according to TCM, Beta HL resulted longer when measured by OSA (p = 0.03). FVIII:C trough levels obtained with SHL concentrates were significantly lower than those obtained with rFVIIIFc at each post-infusion time point. Conclusions: In a large group of hemophilia A (HA) patients, three different PK models confirmed the improved pharmacokinetic (PK) characteristics of rFVIIIFc, compared with standard half-life rFVIII concentrates. The TCM only fits two-thirds of the PKs, highlighting their biphasic decay and a long Beta half-life. In these patients, the TCM would be preferable to properly evaluate individual PK features.

Development of a SnO2-based 44Ti/44Sc generator for medical applications

Towards application of 44Sc for diagnostic nuclear medicine, a 44Ti/44Sc generator based on an inorganic resin has been evaluated. Unlike other radionuclide generators used for medical applications, the long-term retention of the parent 44Ti is vital due to its long half life. Herein, tin dioxide (SnO2), a robust inorganic-based resin, has been synthesized and used as the stationary phase for a 44Ti/44Sc generator. The sorption behavior of 44Ti/44Sc was tested on SnO2 with varying acids, concentrations, and times. Preliminary batch study results showed >88 % 44Ti retention to the resin at lower acid concentrations (0.05 M HNO3 and 0.05 M HCl). A pilot generator was evaluated for a year, demonstrating 85.3 ± 2.8 % 44Sc elution yields and 0.71 ± 0.14 % 44Ti breakthrough in 5 M HNO3. Based on capacity studies, a 7.4 MBq (200 µCi) upscaled generator system was constructed for further evaluation of the SnO2 resin stability and the efficacy of the eluted 44Sc for radiolabeling. 44Sc could be regularly eluted from this generator in 5 M HNO3 with an overall average radiochemical yield 84.7 ± 9.5 %. Post-elution processing of the 44Sc with DGA-normal resin removed all 44Ti present and allowed for high 44Sc-DOTA labeling yields of 94.2 ± 0.5 %. Overall, SnO2 has been shown to be a viable material for a 44Ti/44Sc generator.

Peroxynitrite: A tale of two radicals

The published syntheses of peroxynitrite from azide, nitrite, amylnitrite, hydroxylamine, nitrogen monoxide, and ammonia are discussed. With one exception, all of these syntheses yield peroxynitrite contaminated with nitrate and nitrite as well as reactants. The rate constant for the reaction of nitrogen monoxide with superoxide has been determined by pulse radiolysis and flash photolysis. In pulse radiolysis studies, the formation of the reactants may be rate-limiting and could lead to underestimation of the second-order rate constant. The conditions of flash photolysis experiments can be chosen to minimize conflict between reactant formation and the reaction half-life, thus the rate constant of 1.6 × 1010 M−1 s−1 determined by flash photolysis is preferred. The toxicity of peroxynitrite can be attributed mainly to its rapid reaction with carbon dioxide to yield the oxidizing trioxidocarbonate(•1−) and nitrogen dioxide radicals.

"Flowers" and "sea": Dutch flower still life of the first half of the 17th century in Middelburg

"Flowers" and "sea": Dutch flower still life of the first half of the 17th century in Middelburg

Bioequivalence study of low dose drospirenone/ethinyl estradiol 3 mg/0.03 mg film tablets under fasting conditions in Turkish healthy female subjects.

This bioequivalence research aims to evaluate the relative bioavailability and pharmacokinetic characteristics of ethinyl estradiol and drospirenone in the test preparation in comparison to the reference preparation during fasting conditions. A liquid chromatography method with tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of drospirenone and ethinyl estradiol in plasma. The pharmacokinetic parameters that were analyzed were the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), time to achieve Cmax (tmax), elimination half life, and area under the concentration time curve of plasma (AUC0-t, AUC0-∞ for ethinyl estradiol, and AUC0-72h for drospirenone). Both the AUC and Cmax parameters were determined to be between 80.00% and 125.00% (90% confidence intervals), which is the acceptable range. Based on the study findings, it was concluded that the test formulation, which includes 3 mg of drospirenone and 0.03 mg of ethinyl estradiol, demonstrated bioequivalence when compared to the reference formulation.

Half-life of serum alpha-fetoprotein in prepubertal testicular yolk sac tumors: an index significantly associated with prognosis.

To evaluate the association between serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) half-life (HL) and prognosis in prepubertal children with elevated AFP values 3 to 4 weeks after surgery for testicular yolk sac tumors (YST). Prepubertal patients with testicular YST treated with radical orchiectomy between January 2016 and December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Negative outcomes were defined as relapse, metastasis or death. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to select risk factors for negative outcomes. A total of 42 patients were eventually enrolled into the study. Patients were divided into non-negative and negative outcomes groups, consisting of 35 and 7 patients, respectively. Thirty-five patients were stage I, two cases were stage II, and five cases were stage IV, according to the Children's Oncology Group staging system. The overall survival (OS) rate was 100%. Average AFP values significantly decreased after resection (P < 0.001). A significant positive correlation was shown between pre- and postoperative AFP values (r = 0.60, P < 0.001). Long AFP HL was considered as an independent risk factor for negative outcomes in YST patients underwent radical orchiectomy (P = 0.04). The cut-off value for AFP HL was 5.78 days, regardless of age division. Testicular YST is a relatively rare disease in children with an OS of 100%, and salvage chemotherapy is effective even in grade IV patients. The postoperative AFP HL was significantly associated with prognosis in prepubertal patients with testicular YST. The cut-off value for AFP HL is 5.78 days regardless of the effect of physiological AFP elevation.

Comparative study on pharmacokinetics of extract from Bufonis venenum and its liposomes

Bufadienolides and indolealkylamines, the primary active components in Bufonis venenum, have rapid clearance from the body with a short half-life, leading to low bioavailability. Moreover, Bufadienolides and indolealkylamines are associated with serious adverse effects. In order to reduce the toxicities, minimize the adverse effects and simultaneously load lipophilic bufadienolides and hydrophilic indolealkylamines with satisfactory drug loading and encapsulation rate, we prepared Bufonis venenum extract-liposomes (BVE-LP). To compare the pharmacokinetic differences between Bufonis venenum extract (BVE) and its liposomes, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) assay was established to simultaneously detect the 12 chemical components in rat plasma. Results of pharmacokinetic study in SD rats showed that the highest exposure based on the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-t) was obtained by 5-hydroxytryptamine with a mean value of 267.097 μg/L*h in BVE-LP group, which was 72.36 % higher as compared to that obtained in Bufonis venenum extract (BVE) group with a mean value of AUC0-t of 154.966 μg/L*h. The exposure (AUC0-t) of desacetylcinobufotalin, desacetylcinobufagin, arenobufagin and telocinobufagin in BVE-LP group was 111.89 %, 94.13 %, 134.08 %, and 92.94 % higher when compared to that in BVE group. With the employment of liposomes, there was an obvious decrease in the clearance of bufotenidine, desacetylcinobufotalin, gamabufotalin, arenobufagin, and telocinobufagin. The terminal half life (t1/2) of desacetylcinobufotalin, gamabufotalin, arenobufagin, and telocinobufagin in BVE-LP group was increased by 185.96 %, 292.64 %, 196.78 % and 131.29 % when compared to that in BVE group. All the results above indicated that a slower elimination rate and more exposure of some bufadienolides and indolealkylamines was obtained by BVE-LP when compared to BVE group, which verified BVE-LP could provide a therapeutic option for effective delivery of Bufonis venenum in clinical. Data availabilityThe data will be shared on reasonable request to the corresponding author.

Synthesis, characterization and evaluation of new alternative ruthenium complex for dye sensitized solar cells

For first time, new innovative ruthenium N3-Dye anchored with selenium (Se) and N3 dye anchored with sulphur atoms were synthesized in a good yield. Dyes are applied and evaluated in performance of dye sensitized solar cell. N3–Se dye showed superior photochemical& electrochemical behavior and high rate electron transfer across anode surface than N3–S dye. The better optical and electrochemical activities would make Se-dye a candidate for applications in solar cells. Half life time of N3–S showed a single exponential decay with an average lifetime of 0.8 ns. For N3–Se dye, decay curve was fitted by sum two exponential functions with 75% and 25% counts have 2.5 ns and 30 ns respectively. Solar cells were fabricated and analyzed to determine their solar-to-electric conversion efficiency under standard AM 1.5 sunlight. Commercial N3 dyes showed current density (Jsc) of 17.813 mA cm−2, open circuit potential (Voc) of 0.678 V, filling factor (FF) of 0.607 and conversion efficiencies (η) of 7.3%. Corresponding values for N3–S dye, Jsc 11.2 mA cm−2, Voc 0.650 V, FF 0.681 and η 5%. Se–N3 dye, showed Jsc = 6.670 mA cm−2, Voc = 0.6004 V, FF = 0.77 and η = 3.09%. Long lifetime of N3–Se caused low practical performance.

Meta-Analysis and Machine Learning Models for Anaerobic Biodegradation Rates of Organic Contaminants in Sediments and Sludge.

Anaerobic biodegradation rates (half-lives) of organic chemicals are pivotal for environmental risk assessment and remediation. Traditional experimental evaluation, constrained by prolonged, oxygen-free conditions, struggles to keep pace with emerging contaminants. Data-driven machine learning (ML) models serve as promising complements. However, reported quantitative structure-biodegradation relationships or ML models on anaerobic biodegradation are mostly based on small data sets (<100 records) and neglect experimental conditions, usually achieving compromised predictions. This work aimed to develop ML models for predicting the biodegradation half-lives of organic pollutants in anaerobic environments (i.e., sediment/soil and sludge). Focusing on important features of both chemicals and experimental conditions, we first curated two data sets, one for sediment/soil (SED) and the other for sludge (SLD), covering 978 records for 206 chemicals from the literature, and then conducted a meta-analysis. Next, we built a binary classification (half-life of 30 days as the cutoff) model with an accuracy of 81% and a regression model with R2 of 0.56 for SED based on LightGBM (80% and 0.31 for SLD based on Extra tree, respectively). The model interpretations underscored the significance of experimental conditions (e.g., temperature and inoculum dosage), as evidenced by their high feature importance, and the models were found to correctly capture the effects of chemical substructures, for example, branched structures and aromatic rings prolonged half-lives while methyl group and ortho-substitution on rings shortened half-lives. The applicability domains of the models were also defined, resulting in reasonable prediction for the half-lives of 41% (SED) or 67% (SLD) of over 4000 persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals. Overall, this study pioneers ML models for predicting the anaerobic degradation half-lives, offering valuable support for future evaluation and implementation of chemical anaerobic biodegradation.