Initial Time Research Articles

The Influence of Manganese Slag on the Properties of Ultra-High-Performance Concrete.

Manganese slag (MS) is a kind of chemical waste, which may pollute the environment if conventional handling methods (stacking and landfill) are applied. Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC)-with considerably high compactness and strength-can be used not only as a special concrete material, but also to solidify the toxic substances in solid waste. This study proposes the addition of MS to UHPC, where the mass ratio of MS varies from 0% to 40% in the total mass of MS and silica fume. The effects of MS on the fluidity, plastic viscosity, and yield shear stress are investigated, and the flexural strength, compressive strength, and dry shrinkage rate of UHPC with MS are measured. X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectrum and energy spectrum analysis (EDS) diagrams are obtained to analyze the performance mechanism of the UHPC. A rheological study confirms that the slump flow increases with the increasing rate of 0-14.3%, while the yield shear stress and plastic viscosity decrease with the rates of 0-29.6% and 0-22.2%, respectively. The initial setting time increases with the mass ratio of MS by 0-14.3%, and MS has a positive effect on the flexural and compressive strengths of UHPC. In the early curing stage (less than 14 days), the increasing rate in the specimens increases with the curing age; meanwhile, when the curing age reaches 14 days or higher, the increasing rate decreases with increasing curing age. The compactness of UHPC is increased by adding MS. Furthermore, MS can increase the elements of Al and decrease crystals of Ca(OH)2 and calcium silicate hydrate in UHPC.

Potential of Capparis decidua plant and eggshell composite adsorbent for effective removal of anionic dyes from aqueous medium

The presence of hazardous dyes in wastewater poses significant threats to both ecosystems and the natural environment. Conventional methods for treating dye-contaminated water have several limitations, including high costs and complex operational processes. This study investigated a sustainable bio-sorbent composite derived from the Capparis decidua plant and eggshells, and evaluated its effectiveness in removing anionic dyes namely tartrazine (E−102), methyl orange (MO), and their mixed system. The research examines the influence of initial concentration, contact time, pH, adsorbent dosage, and temperature on the adsorption properties of anionic dyes. Optimal removal of tartrazine (E−102), methyl orange (MO), and their mixed system was achieved at a pH of 3. The equilibrium was achieved at 80 min for MO and mixed systems, and 100 min for E−102. The adsorption process showed an exothermic nature, indicating reduced capacity with increasing temperature, consistent with heat release during adsorption. Positive entropy values indicated increased disorder at the solid-liquid interface, attributed to molecular rearrangements and interactions between dye molecules and the adsorbent. Isotherm analysis using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Redlich-Peterson models revealed that the Langmuir model best fit the experimental data. The maximum adsorption capacities of 50.97 mg/g, 52.24 mg/g, and 56.23 mg/g were achieved for E−102, MO, and the mixed system under optimized conditions, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model demonstrated the best fit, indicating that adsorption occurs through physical and chemical interactions such as electrostatic attraction, pore filling, and hydrogen bonding. Hence, the developed bio-sorbent could be a sustainable and cost-effective solution for the treatment of anionic dyes from industrial effluents.

Timing of Initiation of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support and Outcomes Among Patients With Cardiogenic Shock.

Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) provides full hemodynamic support for patients with cardiogenic shock, but optimal timing of ECMO initiation remains uncertain. We sought to determine whether earlier initiation of ECMO is associated with improved survival in cardiogenic shock. We analyzed adult patients with cardiogenic shock who received venoarterial ECMO from the international Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) registry from 2009 to 2019, excluding those cannulated following an operation. Multivariable logistic regression evaluated the association between time from admission to ECMO initiation and in-hospital death. Among 8619 patients (median, 56.7 [range, 44.8-65.6] years; 33.5% women), the median duration from admission to ECMO initiation was 14 (5-32) hours. Patients who had ECMO initiated within 24 hours (n=5882 [68.2%]) differed from those who had ECMO initiated after 24 hours, with younger age, more preceding cardiac arrest, and worse acidosis. After multivariable adjustment, patients with ECMO initiated >24 hours after admission had higher risk of in-hospital death (adjusted odds ratio, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.06-1.36]; P=0.004). Each 12-hour increase in the time from admission to ECMO initiation was incrementally associated with higher adjusted in-hospital mortality rate (adjusted odds ratio, 1.06 [95% CI, 1.03-1.10]; P<0.001). The association between longer time to ECMO and worse outcomes appeared stronger in patients with lower shock severity. Longer delays from admission to ECMO initiation were associated with higher a mortality rate in a large-scale, international registry. Our analysis supports optimization of door-to-support time and the avoidance of inappropriately delayed ECMO initiation.

Integrative effects of phytohormones in the phenolic acids production in Salvia verticillata L. under multi-walled carbon nanotubes and methyl jasmonate elicitation

Salvia verticillata L. is a well-known herb rich in rosmarinic acid (RA) and with therapeutic values. To better understand the possible roles of phytohormones in the production of phenolic acids in S. verticillata, in this work, we investigated some physiological and biochemical responses of the species to methyl jasmonate (MJ) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as two effective elicitors. The leaves were sprayed with aqueous solutions containing 100 mg L−1 MWCNTs and 100 µM MJ and then harvested during interval times of exposure up to 96 h. The level of abscisic acid, as the first effective phytohormone, was altered in the leaves in response to MJ and MWCNTs elicitation (2.26- and 3.06-fold more than the control, respectively), followed by significant increases (P ˂ 0.05) detected in jasmonic acid and salicylic acid contents up to 8 h after exposure. Obtained data revealed that simultaneously with changes in phytohormone profiles, significant (P ˂ 0.05) rises were observed in the content of H2O2 (8.85- and 9.74-folds of control), and the amount of lipid peroxidation (10.18- and 17.01-folds of control) during the initial times after exposure to MJ and MWCNTs, respectively. Later, the content of phenolic acids increased in the elicited leaves due to changes in the transcription levels of key enzymes involved in their biosynthesis pathways, so 2.71- and 11.52-fold enhances observed in the RA content of the leaves after exposure to MJ and MWCNTs, respectively. It is reasonable to conclude that putative linkages between changes in some phytohormone pools lead to the accumulation of phenolic acids in the leaves of S. verticillata under elicitation. Overall, the current findings help us improve our understanding of the signal transduction pathways of the applied stimuli that led to enhanced secondary metabolite production in medicinal plants.

Electrocoagulation using Ti/Ti for the remediation and reuse of aqueous Dispersive Blue-79.

The entire ecology is contaminated by the synthetic dyes that are widely utilised in the textile industries. They can be handled using a variety of technologies, but an eco-friendly method called electrocoagulation has been used to prevent additional contamination. Textile wastewater containing disperse dyes are successfully treated in Electrocoagulation (EC) utilizing Al, Fe, and Stainless Steel (SS), but it is not cost effective, also the treated water contains certain mg/L of the metals used, along with dye components, which obstructs the reuse of the same. The effects of initial pH, applied voltage, dye concentration, supporting electrolyte, and treatment time on the colour removal efficiency (CRE) and consumption of energy were examined in EC process followed by activated charcoal filtration (hybrid process) with a monopolar Ti/Ti electrode on the remediation of aqueous solution of Dispersive Blue-79 (dye 3G). The maximum CREobtained was 99.4%, chemical oxygen demand (COD) 93%, and biological oxygen demand (BOD) 85%, under the following optimized operating conditions, applied voltage 15V, pH = 7, concentration of dye, electrolyte 110mg/L, 0.2g/L and time = 15min. The overall operating cost for the treatment of aqueous dye 3G was 0.455US/m3. The mechanism of EC was studied using XPS analysis in the sludge obtained. For the purpose of the reuse, FTIR, AAS, and ICP-OES analysis were done and compared with the aqueous dye 3G, after EC and hybrid process to ensure the maximum removal of the degraded dye components and metal. ICP-OES results showed that there were no traces of metal in the treated aqueous dye 3G using this method. Throughout the study, the experimental outcomes indicated that the hybrid process upgraded the quality of the treated aqueous dye 3G.

A 0.05 m Change in Inertial Measurement Unit Placement Alters Time and Frequency Domain Metrics during Running.

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) provide exciting opportunities to collect large volumes of running biomechanics data in the real world. IMU signals may, however, be affected by variation in the initial IMU placement or movement of the IMU during use. To quantify the effect that changing an IMU's location has on running data, a reference IMU was 'correctly' placed on the shank, pelvis, or sacrum of 74 participants. A second IMU was 'misplaced' 0.05 m away, simulating a 'worst-case' misplacement or movement. Participants ran over-ground while data were simultaneously recorded from the reference and misplaced IMUs. Differences were captured as root mean square errors (RMSEs) and differences in the absolute peak magnitudes and timings. RMSEs were ≤1 g and ~1 rad/s for all axes and misplacement conditions while mean differences in the peak magnitude and timing reached up to 2.45 g, 2.48 rad/s, and 9.68 ms (depending on the axis and direction of misplacement). To quantify the downstream effects of these differences, initial and terminal contact times and vertical ground reaction forces were derived from both the reference and misplaced IMU. Mean differences reached up to -10.08 ms for contact times and 95.06 N for forces. Finally, the behavior in the frequency domain revealed high coherence between the reference and misplaced IMUs (particularly at frequencies ≤~10 Hz). All differences tended to be exaggerated when data were analyzed using a wearable coordinate system instead of a segment coordinate system. Overall, these results highlight the potential errors that IMU placement and movement can introduce to running biomechanics data.

Evaluation of the adsorption capacity of surfactant-modified biomass in an aqueous acid blue 193 system

The study explored the capacity of modified pinewood dust (S-dust) for adsorbing acid blue 193 dye. The novel adsorbent was prepared via the insitu intercalation of quaternized ammonium copolymer (cationic surfactant) onto pinewood dust. The synthesized biosorbent was characterized using the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersion X-ray (EDX) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area equipment. To establish the variable effects on the dye uptake, the ranges of solution pH, initial adsorbate concentration, contact time and adsorbent dosage were varied. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 117.58 mg/g was recorded at pH 4.0, 0.1 g/L adsorbent dose and 2 h sorption duration. The process kinetics and isotherm modelling fitted best to the pseudo-first-order and Freundlich models, respectively. From the mechanistic/diffusion studies, intraparticle and pore diffusion mechanisms were respectively postulated at low and high initial adsorbate concentrations. Also, the occurrence of a nonspontaneous endothermic uptake process was inferred from the thermodynamics evaluations. Therefore, the effective acid blue 193 dye uptake onto novel S-dust was confirmed in this study.

Surgical effect and gastrointestinal functional recovery of laparoscopic-guided total mesorectal excision in patients with rectal cancer.

To explore the surgical effect and gastrointestinal functional recovery of laparoscopic-guided total mesorectal excision (LGTME) in patients with rectal cancer. A total of 150 rectal cancer patients who underwent surgical treatment in our hospital from July 2022 to July 2023 were selected and randomly divided into two groups using a random number table. There were 75 cases in the control group (CG) who underwent traditional open rectal total mesorectal excision surgery and 75 cases in the experimental group (EG) who underwent LGTME. The surgical effects of the two groups were compared, and the gastrointestinal and anal functional recovery of the two groups were compared before and after treatment. Intraoperative bleeding, incision length, time to initial feeding and time to anal exhaust in the EG were significantly lower than those in the CG ( P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no significant difference in gastrointestinal function and anal function between the two groups ( P > 0.05). After treatment, the levels of motilin, gastrin, neuropeptide Y and basic fibroblast growth factor in the EG were significantly higher than those in the CG, with statistical significance ( P < 0.05); the maximum anal systolic pressure and resting anal sphincter pressure in the EG were significantly lower than those in the CG ( P < 0.05); the rectal sensitivity threshold volume (RSTV) and rectal maximum volume threshold in the EG were significantly higher than those in the CG ( P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in most postoperative complications between the two groups ( P > 0.05). LGTME improves the surgical effects of rectal cancer patients, promotes the recovery of gastrointestinal function and has a small effect on anal function indicators, thereby reducing hospital stay.

Conversion of Rice Straw to Biochar Through Microwave Pyrolysis for its Use as Partial Replacement of Cement

Background: An experimental study was conducted to explore the feasibility of partially substituting biochar in cement, for making concrete mixture in civil infrastructures. The biochar was derived from the pyrolysis process in thermo-chemical conversion of the most under-utilized agricultural residue i.e. rice straw. Demand of cement is increasing day by day due to fast growth of construction sector all around the world. The current scenario of rampant on-farm burning of rice straw is a great concern not only for maintaining the fertility aspects of the cultivating land but also for the degradation of surrounding environment. Production of cement is equally very energy intensive and contributes a lot in emitting greenhouse gases, mostly carbon dioxide to the environment. An attempt was therefore made in the present study to partially replace the rice straw biochar with cement to reduce the production of the later and to evaluate the key performance parameters of biochar based concrete. Methods: The study was carried out in the Department of Agricultural Structures, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India during 2021-22. Microwave assisted pyrolysis was followed for quick and efficient heating of the biomass feedstock. Efforts was also made to supply power to the microwave pyrolyser from a reliable source of power i.e. solar photovoltaic system for its popularization even in remote and off-grid rural areas. Result: The yield of biochar was found to be higher (about 28%) at 600 W input power to the microwave reactor and 15 minutes’ reaction time in the pyrolysis process of rice straw. The performance parameters of biochar based concrete such as initial setting times, final setting times and workability were found to be decreased by 8, 5 and 9% respectively and compressive, split tensile and flexural strengths were increased by 13, 18 and 5% respectively compared to the reference concrete. Biochar from rice straw can hence ultimately be utilized as partial replacement of cement for use in construction industry.

Ocean Bottom Seismometer Clock Correction using Ambient Seismic Noise

Ocean-bottom seismometers (OBSs) are equipped with seismic sensors that record acoustic and seismic events at the seafloor, which makes them suitable for investigating tectonic structures capable of generating earthquakes offshore. One critical parameter to obtain accurate earthquake locations is the absolute time of the incoming seismic signals recorded by the OBSs. It is, however, not possible to synchronize the internal clocks of the OBSs with a known reference time, given that GNSS signals are unable to reach the instrument at the sea bottom. To address this issue, here we introduce a new method to synchronize the clocks of large-scale OBS deployments. Our approach relies on the theoretical time-symmetry of time-lapse (averaged) crosscorrelations of ambient seismic noise. Deviations from symmetry are attributed to clock errors. This implies that the recovered clock errors will be obscured by lapse crosscorrelations' deviations from symmetry that are not due to clock errors. Non-uniform surface wave illumination patterns are arguably the most notable source which breaks the time symmetry. Using field data, we demonstrate that the adverse effects of non-uniform illumination patterns on the recovered clock errors can be mitigated by means of a weighted least-squares inversion that is based on station-station distances. In addition, our methodology permits the recovery of timing errors at the time of deployment of the OBSs. This error can be attributed to either: i) a wrong initial time synchronization of the OBS or ii) a timing error induced by changing temperature and pressure conditions while the OBS is sunk to the ocean floor. The methodology is implemented in an open-source Python package named OCloC, and we applied it to the OBS recordings acquired in the context of the IMAGE project in and around Reykjanes, Iceland. As expected, most OBSs suffered from clock drift. Surprisingly, we found incurred timing errors at the time of deployment for most of the OBSs.

Maternal Effects of Habitats Induce Stronger Salt Tolerance in Early-Stage Offspring of Glycyrrhiza uralensis from Salinized Habitats Compared with Those from Non-Salinized Habitats.

(1) Wild Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (licorice) seeds from different habitats are often mixed for cultivation. However, differences in the responses of seeds from different habitats to salt at the early-stage offspring stage are unclear. (2) Our objective was to evaluate the salt tolerance of G. uralensis germplasms by comparing differences in seed germination and seedling vigor in salinized (abandoned farmland and meadow) and non-salinized (corn farmland edge) soil habitats under different sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations. (3) The germination rates and germination indexes of seeds from the two salinized habitats with 0-320 mmol·L-1 NaCl were higher and their germination initiation times were earlier. Only seeds from salinized habitats were able to elongate their germs at 240 mmol·L-1 NaCl. Seedlings from salinized habitats had higher fresh weights and relative water contents, while they exhibited lower accumulation of malondialdehyde and less cell electrolyte leakages. Under NaCl treatment, seedlings from the salinized habitats displayed higher superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase (SOD, CAT, and POD) activities and lower superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide (O2- and H2O2) contents. Their comprehensive scores showed that the vigor of licorice seeds from salinized habitats was higher. (4) The salt tolerances of different wild G. uralensis seeds were different, and the offspring of licorice from salinized habitats had stronger early-stage salt tolerances.

An α-Gal antigenic surrogate as a biomarker of treatment evaluation in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected children. A retrospective cohort study.

Proper evaluation of therapeutic responses in Chagas disease is hampered by the prolonged persistence of antibodies to Trypanosoma cruzi measured by conventional serological tests and by the lack of sensitivity of parasitological tests. Previous studies indicated that tGPI-mucins, an α-Gal (α-d-Galp(1→3)-β-d-Galp(1→4)-d-GlcNAc)-rich fraction obtained from T. cruzi trypomastigotes surface coat, elicit a strong and protective antibody response in infected individuals, which disappears soon after successful treatment. The cost and technical difficulties associated with tGPI-mucins preparation, however, preclude its routine implementation in clinical settings. We herein developed a neoglycoprotein consisting of a BSA scaffold decorated with several units of a synthetic α-Gal antigenic surrogate (α-d-Galp(1→3)-β-d-Galp(1→4)-β-d-Glcp). Serological responses to this reagent, termed NGP-Tri, were monitored by means of an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (α-Gal-ELISA) in a cohort of 82 T. cruzi-infected and Benznidazole- or Nifurtimox-treated children (3 days to 16 years-old). This cohort was split into 3 groups based on the age of patients at the time of treatment initiation: Group 1 comprised 24 babies (3 days to 5 months-old; median = 26 days-old), Group 2 comprised 31 children (7 months to 3 years-old; median = 1.0-year-old) and Group 3 comprised 26 patients (3 to 16 years-old; median = 8.4 years-old). A second, control cohort (Group 4) included 39 non-infected infants (3 days to 5 months-old; median = 31 days-old) born to T. cruzi-infected mothers. Despite its suboptimal seroprevalence (58.4%), α-Gal-ELISA yielded shorter median time values of negativization (23 months [IC 95% 7 to 36 months] vs 60 months [IC 95% 15 to 83 months]; p = 0.0016) and higher rate of patient negative seroconversion (89.2% vs 43.2%, p < 0.005) as compared to conventional serological methods. The same effect was verified for every Group, when analyzed separately. Most remarkably, 14 out of 24 (58.3%) patients from Group 3 achieved negative seroconversion for α-Gal-ELISA while none of them were able to negativize for conventional serology. Detailed analysis of patients showing unconventional serological responses suggested that, in addition to providing a novel tool to shorten follow-up periods after chemotherapy, the α-Gal-ELISA may assist in other diagnostic needs in pediatric Chagas disease. The tools evaluated here provide the cornerstone for the development of an efficacious, reliable, and straightforward post-therapeutic marker for pediatric Chagas disease.

A short-term wind speed prediction method based on the BLS–RVM hybrid model

Abstract The study introduces a novel approach to short-term wind speed forecasting, which amalgamates statistical and machine learning techniques through the utilization of a hybrid model consisting of the broad learning system (BLS) and the relevance vector machine (RVM), to account for the nonstationary characteristics of wind speed data. Firstly, the initial wind speed time series is preprocessed using singular spectrum analysis to achieve noise reduction. Subsequently, the denoised wind speed time series is predicted using generalized learning system (BLS), and the prediction error is obtained. Finally, the prediction error of BLS is further predicted using RVM, and the final prediction result is obtained by combining it with the prediction results of BLS. By integrating multiple algorithms, this novel wind speed forecasting hybrid model improves prediction accuracy and can adapt to different wind speed characteristics and complex wind speed fluctuations. Through a case study, we find that this model outperforms other comparative models in terms of prediction, fully demonstrating its superiority.

Real-world survival outcomes of immunotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A single-center retrospective review.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Clinical trials have demonstrated that first-line immunotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy improves overall survival. However, reports of survival outcomes in real-world settings are limited. We assessed survival in advanced NSCLC patients treated with immunotherapy alone or in combination with chemotherapy in first- or second-line at the Windsor Regional Cancer Program (WRCP) and compared it to existing literature. We included patients diagnosed with stage IV NSCLC from January 2015 to December 2020 and treated with first-line chemoimmunotherapy (ChemoImmuno1), chemotherapy followed by immunotherapy (Chemo1), or immunotherapy followed by chemotherapy (Immno1) in our survival analysis. Patients with oncogene-addicted mutations were excluded. There were 160 patients of which 41.5% were female. Mean age was 68 years. Median overall survival from time of diagnosis was 474 days (95% CI: 249, 949) with an estimated 5-year survival of 11.1% (95% CI: 4.5, 21.3). Median OS in ChemoImmuno1 was 9.6 months, in Chemo1 was 19.2 months from time of diagnosis and 10.5 months from time of initiation of immunotherapy, and in Immuno1 was 18.4 months, respectively. Estimated survival at three years from time of diagnosis for ChemoImmuno1 was 17.6% and for Immuno1 was 17.9%. For Chemo1, from diagnosis it was 20.1% and from second-line therapy it was 15.4%. Survival outcomes were comparable to clinical trials and other studies. Real-world survival outcomes of immunotherapy for advanced NSCLC are comparable to the existing literature in this single center study.

The use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of hand crush injuries.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used as an adjuvant treatment for crush injury because it can improve tissue hypoxia and stimulate wound healing. However, the actual role of HBOT in crush hand injury is still unknown. This study is to assess the efficacy of HBOT for crush hand patients, as well as the impact of HBOT initiation timing. Between 2018 and 2021, 72 patients with crush hand injury were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into the HBOT and control group, and each group had 36 patients. The average session of HBOT was 18.2 (5-32 sessions) per patient, and no patient had a complication related to the treatment. The two groups had similar demographics, but HBOT group had larger injured area (73.6 ± 51.0 vs. 48.2 ± 45.5 cm2 , p = 0.03). To better control the confounding factors, we performed the subgroup analysis with cut-off injured area of 50 cm2 . In the patients with smaller injured area (≦50 cm2 ), the HBOT group had shorter wound healing time (29.9 ± 12.9 vs. 41.0 ± 18.9 days, p = 0.03). The early HBOT group (first session ≤72 h post-operatively) had shorter hospital stay (8.1 ± 6.4 vs. 15.5 ± 11.4 days, p = 0.04), faster wound healing (28.7 ± 17.8 vs. 41.1 ± 18.1 days, p = 0.08) and less operations (1.54 ± 0.78 vs. 2.41 ± 1.62, p = 0.06) although the latter two didn't achieve statistical significance. HBOT is safe and effective in improving wound healing of hand crush injury. Early intervention of HBOT may be more beneficial. Future research is required to provide more evidence.

Recovery of rhenium, a strategic metal, from copper smelting effluent

Rhenium is a key metal in high technology. It is important how to effectively and selectively recover perrhenate from copper smelting acidic effluent. A CH3COOK activated hierarchical biochar from bamboo shoot shell was prepared to efficiently and selectively adsorb perrhenate in the acidic solution. Some adsorption experiment factors such as initial pH, adsorbent dose, contact time, and temperature have been comprehensively tested. The maximum adsorption capacity of the adsorbent for perrhenate reached up to 84.63 mg/g. Spontaneous physical adsorption was possible adsorption mechanism according to thermodynamic analysis. The intensified hydrophobic surface and graphitic defect structure of the adsorbent accounted for its excellent selectivity to hydrophobic perrhenate. Regeneration experiments showed that the CH3COOK activated hierarchical biochar was reusable. The CH3COOK activated hierarchical biochar has the high potency for highly efficient and selective recovery of perrhenate from the acidic solution generated by the copper smelting process.

Novel Understandings of Biomineralization in Backfill Materials: A Fundamental Investigation of Coal Gangue and Fly Ash Impact on B. pasteurii to Enhance Material Properties

This paper proposes a fundamental investigation of coal gangue and fly ash impact on B. pasteurii to enhance the properties of backfill materials. The goal is to obtain effective microbial mineralization and potential mechanical properties of coal gangue and fly ash as backfill materials and to mitigate the impact of the most common binders used in the backfill material of mines. Micro-scale mineralization was performed with B. pasteurii bacteria using microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) technology to clarify solid waste impact on B. pasteurii and to bind coal gangue and fly ash. Several tests were carried out to analyze the behavior of B. pasteurii, especially when it coexists with these two waste materials separately. In such cases, it was possible to observe a reduction in mineralization initiation time with respect to the natural mineralization of the MICP technology. Moreover, at the macro-scale, the new mineralized backfilling material shows good workability in the fresh state, whereas the strength at 28 days is 5.34 times higher than that obtained with non-mineralized coal gangue and fly ash.

Real-World Evidence Demonstrating Tralokinumab Onset of Action and Efficacy in Two Skin of Color Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease that has higher prevalence, persistence, and severity, as well as different response to treatment, in skin of color (SOC) patients. This underscores the importance of clinical trial diversity and real-world case reports to help reduce health inequity, improve clinical understanding, and enhance treatment access for all patient populations. Tralokinumab specifically targets interleukin-13, and the onset, efficacy, and safety outcomes from the initial clinical trials revealed striking therapeutic potential. &#x0D; Objective: To provide examples of rapid tralokinumab onset of action in SOC patients, including improvement of the difficult-to-treat head and neck subtype and of hyperpigmentation on the hands.&#x0D; Methods: The authors describe the clinical outcomes of two SOC patients: an 18-year-old Asian male [patient 1] and a 37-year-old African-American male [patient 2]. Data related to tralokinumab treatment were collected during routine clinical practice.&#x0D; Results: Both patients were diagnosed with AD in infancy and continued to suffer from AD. At baseline, each had clearly perceptible erythema, induration, and lichenification and were assigned IGA scores of 3. Patient 1 had a BSA of 22%, managed with clobetasol 0.05% ointment for the body and ruxolitonib 1.5% cream for the face. He had never received systemic treatment. Patient 2 had previous medical history of mild asthma and BSA of 29%. His AD was managed with clobetasol 0.05% ointment. Over the prior two decades, he had been managed with myriad topical corticosteroids, prednisone tapers, as well as methotrexate. Due to insurance barriers, there were challenges obtaining tralokinumab immediately for both patients. The lapse in time was less than 6 weeks in each case. Not surprisingly, IGA 3 was assigned at both time of initial presentation and at time of tralokinumab initiation. Both patients were prescribed an initial dose of 600 mg (four 150 mg subcutaneous injections) followed by 300 mg (two 150 mg subcutaneous injections) administered every other week. After 10 weeks, patient 1 experienced a decrease in IGA from 3 to 1; his BSA decreased from 22% to 7%. After only 6 weeks, patient 2 also exhibited a decrease in IGA from 3 to 1; his BSA decreased from 29% to 6%. The improvement was sustained throughout a 6-month follow-up period in both patients. The authors observed significant improvement in the quality of life for both patients, subjectively and objectively. To date, no patient-reported or investigator-recognized adverse outcomes have occurred.&#x0D; Conclusions: Treatment with tralokinumab 300 mg, every other week, showed a rapid onset of action, with superior efficacy to the original clinical trials in two SOC patients with moderate-to-severe AD, one of which had involvement of the difficult-to-treat area of the head and neck. With no patient- or physician- adverse events reported to date, this observational study underscores the importance of future real-world reports to potentially corroborate our findings.

Efficacy and safety of perampanel as the first add-on therapy for children with epilepsy: A real-world multicenter prospective observational study

ObjectivePerampanel (PER) is a new anti-seizure medication (ASM) with a novel mechanism of action. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of PER when added to monotherapy in children and adolescents (age, 4–18 years) with epilepsy. MethodA multicenter prospective observational study was performed on children and adolescents (age, 4–18 years) with epilepsy who did not respond to ASM monotherapy between July 2021 and October 2022. PER was used as the first add-on therapy for the enrolled patients. Seizure-free rate, response rate, inefficacy rate, and drug retention rate were the main observation indicators during the 6 months of treatment. The patients were grouped based on treatment efficacy, and factors affecting efficacy were statistically analyzed. Adverse reactions were also recorded. ResultsIn this study, 93 patients with epilepsy were enrolled; among them, 9 patients were lost to follow-up (attrition rate, 9.7 %), and 84 were included in the analysis. Five patients with unknown efficacy discontinued taking PER early due to intolerable adverse reactions, and 79 patients (48 males, 31 females; mean age, 11.0 ± 3.9 years) finally remained. Genetic epilepsy and structural epilepsy were found in 22 patients and 36 patients, respectively. The mean duration of epilepsy history at the time of PER initiation was 4.0 ± 3.8 years, and the mean maintenance dosage of add-on PER was 4.5 ± 1.8 mg/day (equivalent to 0.14 ± 0.07 mg/kg/day). Among the 79 patients, 28 patients were diagnosed with epilepsy syndrome, including 13 patients having self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes, among whom 9 patients were seizure-free after adding PER during the 6-month follow-up (seizure-free rate, 69.2 %). For these 79 patients, the seizure-free, response, and retention rates at the end of follow-up were 45.6 %, 74.7 %, and 82.1 %, respectively. Among the 84 patients included in the analyses, adverse reactions occurred in 20 patients, mainly dizziness (8 patients), somnolence (6 patients), and irritability (4 patients), and 4 patients developed two adverse reactions simultaneously. Univariate analyses revealed statistically significant differences in efficacy between groups with structural and non-structural epilepsy and between groups with different baseline concomitant ASMs, suggesting that these factors affected the efficacy of PER as the first add-on therapy. ConclusionThe overall response rate of PER as the first add-on therapy for children and adolescents with epilepsy who were followed up for 6 months was 74.7 %, indicating a relatively favorable safety and tolerability profile. The group of the baseline concomitant ASM administered and the etiological classification of epilepsy as either structural or non-structural were the factors influencing the efficacy of PER as the first add-on therapy.

Eco-friendly removal of methyl tert-butyl ether from contaminated water using steam and CO2-activated carbons

AbstractPetrol frequently contains the additive methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE). Because of its significant health risks, MTBE pollution of surface and ground water is a severe concern for the environment. Highly porous physically activated carbons, particularly CO2-activated carbon (CO2-AC) and steam-activated carbon (Steam-AC), were obtained from date stones as potential eco-friendly adsorbents for MTBE from contaminated water. The chemical composition, microstructure, textural, and structural characteristics of adsorbents were characterised by elemental analysis, SEM, N2 sorption, XRD, and FTIR. The adsorption process evaluation based on the initial MTBE concentration, liquid-to-solid ratio, and equilibrium contact time. CO2-AC and steam-AC adsorbents have high surface areas of 819.5 m2/g, and 567.7 m2/g, respectively. At 40 °C, CO2-AC has an adsorption capability of 181.36 mg/g. The adsorption result was best fitted by the Freundlich model. The two-step intraparticle diffusion process prevailed the adsorption process, and the pseudo-second-order model presented an optimal fit for the adsorption kinetics models. Spontaneous physical adsorption was endothermic when CO2-AC adsorbs at 40 °C because ∆G was − 6.34 kJ/mol. Finally, the water quality improved and the salt content, the alkalinity, and the hardness decreased with the use of CO2-AC as an environmentally friendly adsorbent for removing MTBE from the polluted water.