Min Of Treatment Research Articles

A Brief Incubation of Cumulus-Enclosed Mouse Eggs in a Calcium-Free Medium Containing a High Concentration of Calcium-Chelator Markedly Improves Preimplantation Development.

The presence of cumulus cells (CCs) surrounding ovulated eggs is beneficial to in vitro fertilization and preimplantation development outcomes in several mammalian species. In the mouse, this contribution has a negligible effect on the fertilization rate; however, it is not yet clear whether it has positive effects on preimplantation development. Here, we compared the rates of in vitro fertilization and preimplantation development of ovulated B6C3F1 CC-enclosed vs. CC-free eggs, the latter obtained either after a 5 min treatment in M2 medium containing hyaluronidase or after 5–25 min in M2 medium supplemented with 34.2 mM EDTA (M2-EDTA). We found that, although the maintenance of CCs around ovulated eggs does not increment their developmental rate to blastocyst, the quality of the latter is significantly enhanced. Most importantly, for the first time, we describe a further quantitative and qualitative improvement, on preimplantation development, when CC-enclosed eggs are isolated from the oviducts in M2-EDTA and left in this medium for a total of 5 min prior to sperm insemination. Altogether, our results establish an important advancement in mouse IVF procedures that would be now interesting to test on other mammalian species.

Clinical and Surgical Outcomes of Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Cataract Surgery (FLACS) on Hard Cataracts in the Egyptian Population.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical and surgical outcomes of femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) in hard cataract of Egyptian population.SettingICare Center, Alexandria, Egypt.DesignRetrospective observational.MethodsThe study included 50 FLACS cases of 40 patients who had cataract; NO4 NC4 or more according to Lens Opacities Classification System III (LOCS III), performed between October 2018 and May 2019. The cases underwent anterior capsulotomy, lens fragmentation, and corneal incisions with the femtosecond laser. Arcuate keratotomy was performed in selected cases. Phacoemulsification and implantation of an intraocular lens are then performed.ResultsPatients mean age was 63.06 ± 7.75 yr, mean femtosecond laser energy was 12.92 ± 0.72 mJ, mean docking time was 3.00 ± 0.83 min and overall mean laser treatment time was 92.00 ± 25.01 sec. Mean laser treatment time was lower in cases that did not get astigmatic keratectomy (87.7 ± 18.97 vs 89.47 ± 13.43 sec; p < 0.73). Attempted refraction was −0.09 ± 0.52 D and achieved 12 months postoperative manifest sphere equivalent refraction (SER) was −0.19 ± 1.11 D (r = 0.8 and P˂0.001). Mean error (ME) was −0.2 ± 1.11 (range: −2.5–1.5) while mean absolute error (MAE) was 0.97 ± 0.57 (range: 0–2.5). Eighty percent and 92% of cases had 1 month postoperative SER within 1.0 D and 1.5 D, respectively. One eye (2%) had incomplete capsulotomy, 7 eyes (14%) had incomplete corneal incision and lens fragmentation was complete in all cases except 1 eye (2%). Thirty-four eyes (68%) showed postdocking conjunctival ecchymosis and 35 eyes (70%) had intraoperative miosis.ConclusionFLACS has low complication rate with effective results. High cost of technology is still the main barrier against its popularity.

Mechanochemical Synthesis of Lithium Pentaaluminate from Lithium Carbonate and Boehmite

It has been shown that mechanical activation of a boehmite + lithium carbonate mixture with an Al : Li atomic ratio of 5 : 1 in an AGO-2 planetary activator at a centrifugal acceleration of 40g and milling times from 1 to 10 min and subsequent heat treatment of the mechanically activated mixture for 2 h at 900°C ensure the formation of fine-particle phase-pure lithium pentaaluminate with a specific surface area from 15 to 25 m2/g. We consider a scheme of the processes involved in the mechanically stimulated thermal synthesis of lithium pentaaluminate.

Heterogeneous fenton oxidation of methylene blue with Fe-impregnated biochar catalyst

Fe-impregnated biochar (Fe-BC) as high-efficiency heterogeneous Fenton catalyst was synthesized and evaluated in detail for its catalytic activity, stability and reusability under various conditions. The optimal conditions for the Fenton oxidation of methylene blue (MB) as model dye were determined as 0.075 g/L H2O2, 0.5 g/L Fe-BC for 0.1 g/L MB, which resulted in optimum Dye:Fecat:H2O2 ratio of 1:5:0.75 (on g/L basis) or [Dye]:[Fetotal]:[H2O2] molar ratio of 1:6.2:7.0 respectively. The effective degradation of MB was identified over a wider pH range, and even after four consecutive runs Fe-BC maintained above 95% MB removal rate within 3 min of treatment with low Fe release, indicating strong stability and reusability. Under the optimum Dye:Fecat:H2O2 (g/L) condition at initial pH 4, the Fe-BC achieved 99.9% removal efficiency of MB within 3 min in heterogeneous Fenton reaction (HEFR) with much less H2O2 concentration and low catalyst dosage, demonstrating its efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to other Fenton reaction catalysts. The removal velocity of MB showed two rate steps: a fast first stage followed by a slow stage with the rate in the order of H2O2/Fe-BC ⋙ H2O2/biochar > biochar > H2O2. Overall, the developed Fe-BC is more economical with strong stability and recyclability for use in HEFR for treating recalcitrant pollutants.

Influence of heat treatment of goat milk on casein micelle size, rheological and textural properties of acid gels and set type yoghurts.

Acid gels and yoghurts were made from goat milk that was heated at 72°C/30 s, 85°C/5 min, and 95°C/5 min, followed by acidification with starter culture at 43C until pH 4.6. The rheological and textural properties of acid gels and yoghurts were analyzed using dynamic low amplitude oscillatory rheology and back extrusion texture analysis, respectively. The effect of goat milk heat treatment on the mean casein micelle diameter and protein profile was also determined by dynamic light scattering and SDS PAGE electrophoresis, respectively. The shortest gelation and fermentation time was recorded for yoghurt prepared from milk heated at 85°C/5 min. Also, the pH of gelation, the storage moduli (G') and yield stress were higher for this yoghurt, compared with the other two. Textural properties of goat milk yoghurts such as firmness and consistency were strongly affected by milk heat treatment, and the highest values were recorded for yoghurt produced from milk preheated at 85°C/5 min, as well. The largest casein micelles were measured after 85°C/5 min treatment and their size decreased at higher temperature, despite higher denaturation of whey proteins at the most intense heat regime, indicating the structure changes that influence on the acid gelation.

Plasma additive layer manufacture smoothing (PALMS) technology – An industrial prototype machine development and a comparative study on both additive manufactured and conventional machined AISI 316 stainless steel

Additive Layer Manufacturing (ALM) of metals is rapidly changing the landscape of industrial manufacturing. Its deployment is however still hindered by extremely rough native surfaces, and drastic difficulties in efficiently applying conventional finishing methods. This paper presents the PALMS process, derived from electrolytic plasma polishing, as a solution to this problem. The viability of the process on a scale compatible with commercial use is demonstrated with a prototype industrial implementation. PALMS was applied on AISI 316 stainless steel pieces produced either by ALM or by conventional machining (CM.) Surface states, microstructures and other properties were compared pre- and post-PALMS. Significant improvements in surface state were observed after a 10 min treatment, with a 5-fold reduction in roughness. ALM surfaces were not affected negatively by PALMS in any way measured, and showed slight improvements in hardness and pore density. Two PVD coatings (TiN and WCC) were finally applied Post-PALMS, to test the compatibility of the process with further industrially relevant surface treatments. PALMS enables good coating adhesion on ALM pieces, with improved friction and wear properties compared to their CM counterparts.

Highly efficient and mild electrochemical degradation of bentazon by nano-diamond doped PbO2 anode with reduced Ti nanotube as the interlayer

Anodic oxidation based on PbO2 anode has been demonstrated as the feasible approach for the decontamination of organic pollutants; however, the performance of this process is hindered by its ordinary electrochemical activity and relatively low stability. In this study, we fabricated an efficient Ti/TiO2-RNTs/Sb-SnO2/PbO2-ND electrode with electrochemically reduced TiO2 nanotubes as the interlayer and nano-diamond as the dopant. As compared with other electrodes, the constructed Ti/TiO2-RNTs/Sb-SnO2/PbO2-ND exhibited higher oxygen evolution overpotential, larger active area and less charge transfer resistance. Thus, the average current efficiency of 30% could be attained at 120 min with TiO2-NTs/Sb-SnO2/PbO2, which was 1.5 times higher in comparison with the typical Ti/Sb-SnO2/PbO2 electrode. It was found that the removal efficiency of COD could be increased from 49% to 69% after 120 min treatment in the presence of 10 mM Cl−1 in the electrolyte. After 6 h of electrolysis, 74% of TOC was removed and 31% and 22% of initial N was transformed into NH4+ and NO3− ions, respectively. And oxalic acid, glyoxylic acid, malonic acid and acetic acid were identified quantitatively as the intermediate products. Finally, it was estimated that the accelerated service life of Ti/TiO2-RNTs/Sb-SnO2/PbO2-ND electrode was approximately three times of Ti/Sb-SnO2/PbO2 electrode. Generally, this study is of great interest for the engineering community to design an efficient electrode material for the wastewater treatment.

Decontamination of peppermint distillate using spark plasma: microbiological and physicochemical evaluation.

Microbial contamination of herbal distillates is one of the crucial problems that the market is commonly facing. Spark plasma can be proposed as a potential emerging solution for the decontamination of liquids even with the sensitive aromatic compound like peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) distillate. However, its probable effects on the physicochemical properties of distillate is the main area of concern which will be discussed in the current paper. According to our results, spark plasma with an energy of 2J/pulse is able to achieve a 4-log reduction in Pseudomonas aeruginosa counts after 4min of treatment. Various assessments including pH analysis, color measurement, evaluation of essential oil content and composition are employed to determine the likely side effects of the method on the final product. The results show that the plasma processing does not make any sensible changes in the peppermint distillate acidity and color. According to the results, the peppermint essential oil content decreases only about 4% in the samples affected by the plasma, however, content of menthol as the main compound of peppermint distillate reduces about 17%.

Effect of ozone treatment on processing properties of wheat bran and shelf life characteristics of noodles fortified with wheat bran.

The effects of ozone treatment on microorganism and volatile substances of wheat bran, as well as on the quality of fresh noodles made from wheat flour supplemented with ozone treated wheat bran were studied in this paper. Results showed that the optimized condition of ozone treatment was 50min treatment time and optimized condition of bran properties were 15% moisture content, 15 mesh particle size. Under the optimized condition microbial contents in the wheat bran can be reduced more than 90% after ozone treatment. There was no significant increase in microbial contents of treated wheat bran during storage, whereas the types of volatile substances were gradually decreased. After the ozone treated wheat bran was added back to wheat flour and used for fresh noodles preparation, there were relatively few changes in the quality of the fresh noodles but the shelf life was prolonged as compared to the untreated bran.

Starch gelatinization and drying of paddy using microwave rotary drum dryer: Optimization, kinetics, and cooking studies

The microwave-assisted starch gelatinization was carried out in a semi-pilot microwave rotary drum dryer. Gelatinization experiments were planned using a central composite design and the process was optimized. The effect of microwave power density, time of treatment, and water application rate on final moisture content, crystallinity percentage, and specific energy consumption was studied. The optimized conditions in the starch gelatinization process were found at 1 kW kg−1 power density, 60 min treatment time, and 90 mL/10 min water application rate. Microwave power density and treatment time significantly (p < 0.01) affected the crystallinity percentage and specific energy consumption. Further, the gelatinized paddy was dried in the same dryer at 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00, and 1.25 kW kg−1 microwave power density levels. The drying characteristics, milling yield, cooking characteristics and cooking kinetics of the milled rice were analyzed. Drying rates were increased with an increase in microwave power density. The head rice yield and specific energy consumption were lower in microwave drying compared with hot air drying. The crystallinity percentage of microwave dried rice was decreased with an increase in power density. At higher power density, the microstructure of starch granules showed formations of internal fissures as well as the effect on the color and cooking rate constants of the rice.

Efficacy of dual-frequency ultrasound and sanitizers washing treatments on quality retention of cherry tomato

Refrigeration is an effective means of reducing losses in fresh fruit; however, its efficacy as a means of preservation is mostly limited to crops that are not vulnerable to chill injury. Cherry tomato is one of these crops where other supporting processes or storage alternatives are sought. The effect of 10-min post-harvest treatment of cherry tomato with individual or combined application of dual-frequency ultrasound (20/40 kHz) and chemical sanitizers was investigated. The sanitizers used are 200 mg/L sodium dichloroisocyanurate (SD), 40 mg/L peracetic acid (PAA), 40 mg/L peracetic acid with 5% H2O2 (PAAH), and 5% hydrogen peroxide. The results showed that the treatments significantly reduced the natural microbiota (aerobic mesophiles and yeasts and molds) within the values of 0.29–3.10 log CFU/g. The highest inactivation was observed for the PAAH and ultrasound when applied as an individual (2.08–2.32 log CFU/g) and combined (3.07–3.10 log CFU/g) treatment. Also, the ultrasound and combined treatment resulted in higher retention of the total phenolic, and flavonoid contents, but with a loss in firmness of the cherry tomato. Nevertheless, during storage, the treatments when compared with the untreated samples, impede the loss in firmness. The other quality parameters such as pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and maturity index were not affected, which signified that irrespective of the treatment, similar changes take place on the fruit during storage, especially in both control and chemically treated fruit. The combination of 40 mg/L PAAH and 20/40 kHz for 10 min caused ≥3-log CFU/g reduction of the natural microbiota. It mitigated the senescence of the cherry tomato during the refrigerated storage (4 °C), which thereby increased the shelf-life. The results obtained at the end of the storage thereby indicated that the combined treatments could guarantee microbial safety and retain the quality of the cherry tomato.

Role of MUC2 mucin associated FCGBP in innate host defense against Entamoeba histolytica

The mucus layer is the first line of innate host defense in the gastrointestinal tract against potential pathogens and dangerous compounds. The mucus bilayer in the colon is primarily composed of MUC2 mucin, however recent studies have described other proteins secreted with colonic mucus. One of these proteins is FCGBP which is abundantly expressed in mucus and hypothesized to stabilize the mucus layer. This study aims to characterize the biosynthesis and packaging of FCGBP with MUC2 mucin and how it is regulated in response to the colonic parasite Entamoeba histolytica (Eh). Eh cysteine protease 5 (EhCP5) degrades MUC2 mucin in the C terminus to invade the colon. We hypothesize that MUC2 and FCGBP together play important roles in innate host defense. The aims of the study are, 1) to determine if FCGBP co‐localizes with MUC2 mucin and 2) to quantify a functional role for FCGBP with MUC2 against Eh. To elucidate if FCGBP is synthesized and packaged within mucin granule vesicles, granules were isolated from human goblet cells LS174T by differential centrifugation and purified through sucrose gradients. Granules were treated with the detergent CHAPS to solubilize the granule lipid bilayer and the presence of MUC2 and FCGBP determined by Western blotting. To determine if FCGBP mRNA expression was altered in response to Eh, live Eh were incubated with goblet cells for 10, 20, and 30 min and quantified by RT‐PCR. To determine if Eh could degrade FCGBP in a similar fashion as MUC2, secreted proteases from WT Eh and EhCP5‐ were incubated with mucin granules and enzymatic cleavage of FCGBP and MUC2 determined by Western blotting using antibodies specific for the C‐terminus of MUC2 and FCGBP.FCGBP was associated with mucin granules and following treatment with the mild detergent CHAPS, increased immunoreactivity for FCGBP and MUC2 suggesting that FCGBP was localized within granules and not on the granule lipid bilayer. FCGBP partitioned in the same high density fractions as MUC2 granules purified by sucrose density gradient demonstrating that FCGBP was localized with MUC2 within mucin granules. Interestingly, both MUC2 and FCGBP mRNA expressions in goblet cells were co‐ordinately increased in a time‐dependent fashion in response to live Eh and the positive mucus secretagogues, PMA and PGE2. Secreted Eh cysteine protease rapidly degraded both MUC2 and FCGBP as visualized by Western blotting, with FCGBP being completely degraded within 1 min of treatment whereas MUC2 was degraded 50%. Incubation with SPs derived from EhCP5‐ inhibited the degradation of both MUC2 and FCGBP suggesting that degradation of FCGBP occurred prior to MUC2 by destabilizing MUC2.This study demonstrates that FCGBP is localized within MUC2 mucin granules and are secreted together to form an integral part of mucosal innate host defense. Strikingly, both MUC2 and FCGBP mRNA transcripts were co‐ordinately regulated in response to Eh. Importantly, Eh cysteine proteinase rapidly degraded FCGBP prior to cleaving MUC2 in the C‐terminus. Taken together, these data suggest that FCGBP plays an integral role with MUC2 mucin in innate host defense and in conferring rheological properties of the mucus gel in the colon.Support or Funding InformationSupported by CIHR

PD07-05 AMBULATORY PERCUTANEOUS NEPHROLITHOTOMY PERFORMED IN A FREE-STANDING SURGERY CENTER

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy (PNL) is a procedure that has traditionally been performed in an inpatient setting with at least an overnight stay. Many surgical procedures have evolved over time from an inpatient setting to an ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting. Feasibility of Ambulatory PNL (aPNL) was shown in our initial pilot series of 25 cases [1]. This 650 case series is reviewed to further evaluate outcomes with a more robust data set. METHODS: We present our series of 650 patients who underwent PNL in an ASC from April 2015 to October 2019. Each aPNL was performed by one of two surgeons with the same operative team. All procedures were performed with the urologist obtaining renal access and all procedures were performed tubeless (ureteral stent without a nephrostomy tube). All patients also had hemostatic plugs placed into the access tract with a local intercostal block to aid with pain control.[2] All cases were reviewed and demographic data and case details were analyzed. RESULTS: 650 consecutive aPNL cases were reviewed, identifying 294 men and 356 women, 304 right side and 346 left, mean age 57.3 years (16-86), mean BMI 31.0 (16-49), mean ASA of 2.3 (1-4) and mean stone burden 30.6 mm (6-160), mean fluoroscopy time 87 sec (0-322). Mean OR time was 101 min (32-305) and mean treatment time was 21 min (1-262). Mean PACU time was 94 min (range 37-247). A mini-PNL (mPNL) procedure was conducted in 149 (23%) patients. Stone free rate was 81%. Twenty six patients had complications ranging from Clavien I-IVa, of which 13 were hospital transfers. CONCLUSIONS: This consecutive 650 case series further demonstrates the safety of aPNL. While twenty six patients experienced complications, the site of service did not lead to an alteration in the outcomes of the adverse events. Each complication that occurred was managed in an appropriate fashion without notable treatment delay. Our complication rate in the ASC is lower than reported in large cohort studies. This is likely due to preselection of healthier patients and inherent challenges monitoring patients in an ambulatory setting. With an experienced surgeon, well trained operative team and with modifications to the procedure focusing on post-operative pain control, PNL can be safely and effectively performed in an ASC. Reference: 1. Davalos JG, Abbott JE. Ambulatory PCNL: Initial Case Series. J Urology. April 2016. Vol. 195 (4), Supplement 1: MP51-20, e688-e689. 2. 2. Abbott JE, Cicic, A, Jump III RW, Davalos JG. Hemostatic Plug: Novel Technique for Closure of Percutaneous Nephrostomy Tract. J Endourol. March 2015, 29(3): 263-269. Source of Funding: None

Multi-Stimuli-Responsive Field-Effect Transistor with Conjugated Polymer Entailing Spiropyran in the Side Chains

Multi-stimuli-responsive field-effect transistors (FETs) with organic/polymeric semiconductors have received increasing attention. Herein, we report a novel strategy for fabricating multi-stimuli-r...

Influence of Heat Treatment Parameters on the Functional Behavior and Corrosion Performance of a Shape Memory Wire Actuator

In the present study, the effect of heat treatment parameters on the functional response, corrosion behavior and microstructural evolution of NiTi shape memory alloys were investigated. Various heat treatment regimes were utilized to study the impact of temperature and duration on the actuation behavior of wire samples under bending. Results clarified that austenite transformation temperatures As and Af increased at higher treatment temperatures. Cyclic response in the range of 0 to 15 degrees indicated that the actuation force exhibits an inverse relation with the treatment temperature. Higher treatment durations below 500°C elevated both the hardness and the sustained load. Bending force levels above 1500gf were achieved after a 90 min treatment at 400°C, whereas that over 500°C brought about a noticeable drop in strength. Investigations on the corrosion behavior of NiTi alloy was utilized in the simulated body fluid revealing that the sample heat treated at 400°C for 90 min showed the highest corrosion resistance.

Temperature-dependent effects on CO2 water bath therapy induced changes in blood flow and vascularity in hind limb ischemia.

To test if magnitudes of the beneficial actions of CO2 water bath therapy on blood flow and vascular density are dependent upon temperature, ischemia in the hind limb of rats was induced by occluding the left femoral artery for 2 weeks and the animals were exposed to water bath therapy with or without CO2 at 34 or 41 °C for 4 weeks (20 min treatment each day for 5 days/week). CO2 water bath therapy at 34 °C increased peak, minimal, and mean blood flow by 190%-600% in the ischemic limb. On the other hand, CO2 water bath treatment at 41 °C increased these parameters of blood flow by 37%, 55%, and 41%, respectively, in the ischemic limb. The small blood vessel count, an index of vascular density, in the ischemic limb was increased by CO2 water bath therapy at 34 and 41 °C by 32% and 122%, respectively. No changes in the ischemic animals by CO2 water bath therapy at 34 or 41 °C were observed in the heart rate, R-R interval, and plasma lipid or glucose levels. These data indicate that the beneficial effect of CO2 water bath therapy at 34 °C on blood flow in the ischemic muscle is greater whereas that on vascular density is smaller than changes in these parameters at 41 °C.

Effect of microwave treatment (low power and varying time) on potato starch: Microstructure, thermo-functional, pasting and rheological properties

The present study focused on the effect of microwave treatment (300 W for 1, 3 and 5 min) on the physicochemical, morphological, structural and rheological properties of potato starch. Significant effect (p < 0.05) of treatment time was observed on water activity and moisture content while non-significant effect occurred on color. Water absorption capacity increased from 0.82–1.16 g/g with treatment time while oil absorption capacity decreased from 0.63–0.53 g/g. Dynamic and loss moduli, pasting temperatures and final viscosities were positively correlated with treatment time. The peak and pasting viscosity incremented till 3 min treatment but decreased at 5 min. Onset temperature of gelatinization ranged from 53.8 to 57.4 °C with treatment time. SEM micrographs showed unaffected starch granules at 1 min of treatment while fissures and indentations developed at 3 and 5 min. The X-Ray diffraction patterns indicated the transformation of starch crystals from B crystallite to amorphic type.

Fluorination of silylated nanosilicas using c-C4F8 radiofrequency plasma

The structure of surface layer of octafluorocyclobutane radiofrequency plasma (c-C4F8 rf-plasma) treated fumed silica—pristine and chemically modified with triethoxy-, vinyltriethoxy-, or vinyltrichlorosilane—has been studied by means of FTIR- and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy as well as temperature-programmed desorption mass spectrometry. The surface layer structure of the silylated nanosilicas after plasma fluorination was found to be defined by the reactivity of the pre-grafted groups. It was revealed that for hydride- and vinyl-silylated silicas at facile (about 15 min) treatment the single fragments with C:F ratio close to 1:1 are attached to surface (as in the case of pristine silica fluorination), whereas a long term (about 60 min) plasma treatment leads to formation of polymeric structures at the surface. Both the nature of pre-grafted groups, capable to be involved in polymerization reaction, and their concentration effect on these polymeric structures. Thus, at surface groups concentration of about 0.5 mmol/g fluorine-enriched polymeric chains are formed, while at twice as little concentration the chains with unsaturated bonds are generated.

Devulcanisation of ground rubber tyre by novel ternary deep eutectic solvents

This study aims to optimize the parameters in thermo-sonic devulcanisation of ground rubber tyre (GRT) with the help of three novel ternary deep eutectic solvents (TDESs). Ultrasonic frequency and time were varied between 37 and 80 kHz and 25–60 min, respectively. Whereas, heating temperature and time intervals were ranged from 25 to 200 °C and 0–60 min. Through one factor at a time (OFAT) analysis and response surface methodology (RSM) software modelling, the study shows that 37 kHz sonication for 60 min and thermal treatment at 180 °C for 55 min were the optimum conditions, resulting in 75% devulcanisation (%Dvul). At these conditions, devulcanisates were further analysed by thermogravimetric analyser (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), swelling behaviour and Horikx curve to verify the occurrence of devulcanisation. These additional analyses verify that the intensity of sulphur bridges reduced and negligible changes in degradation temperature as well as the amount of main chain scission were experienced. These evidences demonstrate selective scission of sulphur-bridges as well as the high potential that polymeric properties were being retained compared to typical reclamation process.

The Instant Spontaneous Neuronal Activity Modulation of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Patients With Primary Insomnia.

Primary insomnia (PI) is associated with increased spontaneous neuronal activity. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) modulates brain function, and it is an effective treatment for primary insomnia. However, whether taVNS alleviates insomnia through modulating spontaneous neuronal activity is not fully clarified. This study aims to investigate the instant effect of taVNS in modulating spontaneous neuronal activity in PI patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Twenty-two PI subjects underwent rs-fMRI scanning prior and immediately after 30 min treatment of taVNS controlled by twenty healthy adults. Amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) analysis was employed to assess the difference in spontaneous neuronal activity between PI patients and healthy adults, as well as between pre-treatment and post-treatment of taVNS. The taVNS-induced altered ALFF brain areas were then selected as regions of interest to perform the resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis in PI patients. The right precuneus showed significantly increased ALFF in PI patients. After immediate taVNS treatment, the ALFF was significantly decreased in the right precuneus and increased in the left middle occipital gyrus. The RSFC in right precuneus with right angular, right superior frontal gyrus, and right middle frontal gyrus was significantly decreased. This study provides insights into the instant brain effects of taVNS on PI patients.