Synchronised removal of nitrogen and sulphate from rubber industrial wastewater by coupling of Sulfammox and sulphide-driven autotrophic denitrification in anaerobic membrane bioreactor.

Global rubber industry, growing 4-6 % annually with 13.76 million Mt of rubber produced in 2019, significantly impacts the economy. This study explores coupling sulfate-dependent ammonium oxidation (Sulfammox) and sulfide-driven autotrophic denitrification (SDAD) within an anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to treat high-strength natural rubber wastewater.

Enhancing Rubber Industry Wastewater Treatment through an Integrated AnMBR and A/O MBR System: Performance, Membrane Fouling Analysis, and Microbial Community Evolution.

This study explores the effectiveness of an integrated anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) coupled with an anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor (A/O MBR) for the treatment of natural rubber industry wastewater with high sulfate, ammonia, and complex organic contents. This study was conducted at the lab-scale over a duration of 225 days to thoroughly investigate the efficiency and sustainability of the proposed treatment method. With a hydraulic retention time of 6 days for the total system, COD reductions were over 98%, which reduced the influent from 22,158 ± 2859 mg/L to 118 ± 74 mg/L of the effluent.

Aircraft observations in a tropical supercluster over the equatorial Indian Ocean during MISO-BOB field campaign.

The Monsoon Intra-Seasonal Oscillations in the Bay of Bengal (MISO-BOB) field campaign was conducted in the Indian Ocean during the 2018 and 2019 summer monsoon seasons. WC-130J aircraft of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron of the US Air Force participated in the campaign in June 2018. The dropsonde observations across a tropical supercluster showed zonal wind variations in association with the structure of the convectively coupled Kelvin wave (CCKW).

Close surveillance imaging is unnecessary for patients with grade I blunt thoracic aortic injury.

Background: No evidence-based recommendations exist for imaging surveillance of grade I blunt thoracic aortic injuries (BTAI). We aimed to evaluate the natural history of these injuries to provide guidance for follow-up imaging.

Methods: Patients that presented to our trauma center from 2008 to 2021 with grade I BTAI were retrospectively evaluated.

The Effect of Anticoagulation and Antiplatelet Use in Trauma Patients on Mortality and Length of Stay.

Background: Though many trauma patients are on anticoagulation or antiplatelet therapy (AAT), there are few generalizable data on the risks for these patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of anticoagulation (AC) and antiplatelet (AP) therapy on mortality and length of stay (LOS) in general trauma patients.

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of patients in the institutional trauma registry during 2019 to determine AAT use on admission and discharge.

Hemorrhagic Complications of Invasive Intracranial Pressure Monitor Placement in Acute Liver Failure: Outcomes of a Single-Center Protocol and Comprehensive Literature Review.

Background: Elevated intracranial pressure due to cerebral edema is associated with very poor survival in patients with acute liver failure (ALF). Placing an intracranial pressure monitor (ICPm) aids in management of intracranial hypertension, but is associated with potentially fatal hemorrhagic complications related to the severe coagulopathy associated with ALF.

Methods: An institutional Acute Liver Failure Clinical Protocol (ALF-CP) was created to correct ALF coagulopathy prior to placing parenchymal ICP monitoring bolts.

An effective multi-modality model for single-session cricothyroidotomy training for trainees.

Background: We piloted a curriculum combining a flipped classroom with two-stage narration, role-play, and partial task trainer simulation to teach this critical skill to trainees.

Methods: This "flipped classroom" module (2012-2018) for open and percutaneous cricothyroidotomy (OC and PC) required participants to watch two 4 min training videos for OC and PC. The simulation session consisted of a 45-min hands-on simulation of OC and PC in which participants rotated between the roles of operator, narrator, and critiquer.

Preoperative chlorhexidine mouthwash to reduce pneumonia after cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Postoperative pneumonia is one of the most common complications after cardiac surgery, entailing increased patient morbidity, mortality, and health care burden. The primary aim of this study was to assess whether preoperative chlorhexidine mouthwash is associated with reduced postoperative pneumonia after cardiac surgery.

Methods: A comprehensive systematic search of NLM Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, and Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health was executed to include the studies since inception to June 27, 2017, which assessed the effects of preoperative chlorhexidine gluconate mouthwash on postoperative pneumonia.

Shock subtypes by left ventricular ejection fraction following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Background: Post-resuscitation hemodynamic instability following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) may occur from myocardial dysfunction underlying cardiogenic shock and/or inflammation-mediated distributive shock. Distinguishing the predominant shock subtype with widely available clinical metrics may have prognostic and therapeutic value.

Methods: A two-hospital cohort was assembled of patients in shock following OHCA.

Blood Pressure Coefficient of Variation and Its Association With Cardiac Surgical Outcomes.

Background: Multiple studies completed in the ambulatory nonsurgical setting show a significant association between short- and long-term blood pressure variability and poor outcomes. However, perioperative blood pressure variability outcomes have not been well studied, especially in the cardiac surgical setting. In this study, we sought to assess whether systolic and mean arterial blood pressure variability were associated with 30-day mortality and in-hospital renal failure in patients undergoing cardiac surgery requiring cardiopulmonary bypass.

Favorable Neurocognitive Outcome with Low Tidal Volume Ventilation after Cardiac Arrest.

Rationale: Neurocognitive outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is often poor, even when initial resuscitation succeeds. Lower tidal volumes (Vts) attenuate extrapulmonary organ injury in other disease states and are neuroprotective in preclinical models of critical illness.

Objective: To evaluate the association between Vt and neurocognitive outcome after OHCA.

The Effect of Positive End-Expiratory Pressure on Intracranial Pressure and Cerebral Hemodynamics.

Background: Lung protective ventilation has not been evaluated in patients with brain injury. It is unclear whether applying positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) adversely affects intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP). We aimed to evaluate the effect of PEEP on ICP and CPP in a large population of patients with acute brain injury and varying categories of acute lung injury, defined by PaO/FiO.

Controversies in the Management of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a physical insult (a bump, jolt, or blow) to the brain that results in temporary or permanent impairment of normal brain function. TBI describes a heterogeneous group of disorders. The resulting secondary injury, namely brain swelling and its sequelae, is the reason why patients with these vastly different initial insults are homogenously treated.

The organizational structure of an intensive care unit influences treatment of hypotension among critically ill patients: A retrospective cohort study.

Purpose: Prior studies report that weekend admission to an intensive care unit is associated with increased mortality, potentially attributed to the organizational structure of the unit. This study aims to determine whether treatment of hypotension, a risk factor for mortality, differs according to level of staffing.

Methods: Using the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care database, we conducted a retrospective study of patients admitted to an intensive care unit at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center who experienced one or more episodes of hypotension.

Cofactor binding and enzymatic activity in an unevolved superfamily of de novo designed 4-helix bundle proteins.

To probe the potential for enzymatic activity in unevolved amino acid sequence space, we created a combinatorial library of de novo 4-helix bundle proteins. This collection of novel proteins can be considered an "artificial superfamily" of helical bundles. The superfamily of 102-residue proteins was designed using binary patterning of polar and nonpolar residues, and expressed in Escherichia coli from a library of synthetic genes.

Attitudes toward prenatal diagnosis and termination of pregnancy for genetic disorders among healthcare workers in a selected setting in Sri Lanka.

Objectives: Assess attitudes toward prenatal diagnosis (PND) and termination of pregnancy (TOP) for Down syndrome (DS), hemophilia, lethal autosomal recessive disorder (LRD) and a hypothetical late-onset neurodegenerative disorder (NDD) among healthcare workers in one Sri Lankan district.

Methods: Self-administered questionnaire (tested for content validity) completed by medical (n = 218) and nursing (n = 368) students, nurses (n = 178) and doctors (n = 127).

Results: Acceptability of PND was 94%, 91%, 86% and 71% respectively for LRD, DS, hemophilia and NDD.

A high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of plasma artemisinin using a glassy carbon electrode for reductive electrochemical detection.

A high-performance liquid chromatography assay equipped with a glassy carbon electrode for electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) was developed at reductive mode for the analysis of artemisinin, the antimalarial drug from Artemisia annua (Asteraceae) in human plasma. This method was selective, sensitive, and produced satisfactory recovery, precision, and accuracy. Analysis of plasma samples from 8 male volunteers given 10 mg kg-1 of artemisinin orally as an aqueous suspension showed a mean peak plasma concentration (Cmax) of 580.

Selection of high artemisinin yielding Artemisia annua.

Artemisia annua L. seeds from North Viet Nam were germinated and continuously propagated by tissue culture technique. Three-week-old plantlets were transplanted from the laboratory into the field under tropical climatic conditions and assayed for artemisinin at different stages of growth.