Behaviour and mechanics of phenolic sorption by novel bio-based graphene derivatives as adsorbents.

Phenolic compounds, notorious for their environmental and health hazards, demand efficient removal from wastewater. Our research leads in synthesizing bio-based graphene derivatives from biomass-derived lignin, such as graphene oxide (bGO) and reduced graphene oxide (brGO), and these materials show promise in effectively removing hydrophobic pollutants like phenol and tannic acid. Hence, this study investigated the mechanical and dynamical aspects of their sorptions by bGO and brGO.

Effect of cellulose materials on the mechanochemical-assisted reaction system with oleic acid.

As the most abundant natural polymer in nature, cellulose has become the promising alternative raw material to replace fossil-based polymer. Owing to the presence of innumerable hydroxyl groups, various approaches are employed to render processability of cellulose. Herein, a sustainable esterification strategy, mechanochemical-assisted esterification, was developed to produce cellulose oleate (CO) with only a small amount of solvent.

Facile Preparation of Cellulose Fiber Reinforced Polypropylene Using Hybrid Filler Method.

Dried hybrid fillers comprised of silica/CNF were successfully synthesized in ethanol/water mixed solvents at room temperature without the usage of any precursor. The as-prepared fillers were incorporated with polypropylene (PP) as a polymer matrix through a twin-screw extruder. From surface morphology analysis, the agglomeration of the silica/CNF hybrid fillers was prevented in the PP matrix and they exhibited moderate transparency, around 17.

Esterification of Cellulose with Long Fatty Acid Chain through Mechanochemical Method.

Mechanochemical reaction, a green synthetic esterification route was utilized to prepare long-chain cellulose esters from microcrystalline cellulose. The influence of reaction conditions such as reaction temperature and time were elucidated. Only low dosage of oleic acid, 1-butyl-3-metylimidazolium acetate, and -toluenesulfonyl chloride were required.

Hepatitis C Virus-Associated Acalculous Cholecystitis and Review of the Literature.

Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is an infrequently encountered clinical condition associated with high morbidity and mortality. Viral infection associated AAC is rare, but it is most commonly associated with Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, dengue virus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, human immunodeficiency virus, disseminated visceral varicella-zoster virus infection, Zika virus, and hepatitis C. We report on a patient who was first diagnosed with a chronic hepatic C infection and subsequently with acalculous cholecystitis.

Liquid Biopsy of Vitreous Reveals an Abundant Vesicle Population Consistent With the Size and Morphology of Exosomes.

Purpose: To investigate the molecular components of the vitreous in order to better understand retinal physiology and disease.

Methods: Vitreous was acquired from patients undergoing vitrectomy for macular hole and/or epiretinal membrane, postmortem donors, and C57BL/6J mice. Unbiased proteomic analysis was performed via electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).

Osteoporosis disease management for fragility fracture patients: new understandings based on three years' experience with an osteoporosis care service.

Objective: To review the 3-year performance of an established osteoporosis care service and consider further improvements in an effort to reduce fragility fractures.

Methods: Osteoporosis care has been coordinated for all willing and able patients with orthopedic fragility fractures in our health system by a nurse and medical director since 2003, using a guideline-based care algorithm and task management software. Patients were followed by telephone for 2 years to monitor their status and optimize adherence to treatment.

Redesigning the care of fragility fracture patients to improve osteoporosis management: a health care improvement project.

Objective: To develop new processes that assure more reliable, population-based care of fragility fracture patients.

Methods: A 4-year clinical improvement project was performed in a multispecialty, community practice health system using evidence-based guidelines and rapid cycle process improvement methods (plan-do-study-act cycles).

Results: Prior to this project, appropriate osteoporosis care was provided to only 5% of our 1999 hip fracture patients.

Serological responses and immunity to superinfection with avian malaria in experimentally-infected Hawaii amakihi.

Six of seven Hawaii Amakihi (Hemignathus virens) with chronic malarial infections had no increases in peripheral parasitemia, declines in food consumption, or loss of body weight when rechallenged with the homologous isolate of Plasmodium relictum 61 to 62 days after initial infection. Five uninfected control amakihi exposed at the same time to infective mosquito bites developed acute infections with high parasitemias. Reductions in food consumption and loss of body weight occurred in all control birds and three of these individuals eventually died.

Cortical effects of bromocriptine, a D-2 dopamine receptor agonist, in human subjects, revealed by fMRI.

Studies of human subjects performing cognitive tasks on and off dopaminergic drugs have suggested a specific role of dopamine in cognitive processes, particularly in working memory and prefrontal "executive" functions. However, the cortical effects of these drugs have been poorly understood. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine both task-specific and general changes in cortical activity associated with bromocriptine, a selective agonist for D-2 dopamine receptors.

Maintenance versus manipulation of information held in working memory: an event-related fMRI study.

One model of the functional organization of lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) in primates posits that this region is organized in a dorsal/ventral fashion subserving spatial and object working memory, respectively. Alternatively, it has been proposed that a dorsal/ventral subdivision of lateral PFC instead reflects the type of processing performed upon information held in working memory. We tested this hypothesis using an event-related fMRI method that can discriminate among functional changes occurring during temporally separated behavioral subcomponents of a single trial.

Functional MRI studies of spatial and nonspatial working memory.

Single-unit recordings in monkeys have revealed neurons in the lateral prefrontal cortex that increase their firing during a delay between the presentation of information and its later use in behavior. Based on monkey lesion and neurophysiology studies, it has been proposed that a dorsal region of lateral prefrontal cortex is necessary for temporary storage of spatial information whereas a more ventral region is necessary for the maintenance of nonspatial information. Functional neuroimaging studies, however, have not clearly demonstrated such a division in humans.

Lateral calcaneal artery flap for coverage of a posterior heel defect in a child.

The lateral calcaneal artery fasciocutaneous transpositional flap is utilized for coverage in a case presentation of a 6-year-old child with an insensate posterior heel defect. The procedural technique and 32-month follow-up is described. Advocacy of this flap, for this patient, and potential detriments of alternative coverage options are discussed.

Utility of a rapid lamellar body count in the assessment of fetal maturity.

The authors investigated the use of a recently described method for the rapid determination of the lamellar body count (LBC) as a means of evaluating fetal pulmonary maturity. Results of the rapid LBC were compared, alone and in combination with the foam stability index (FSI), with the results obtained by thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The study used 90 consecutive amniotic fluid specimens from 82 patients.

Creatine kinase MM isoforms in serum after cardiac surgery.

We evaluated creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.

Cryosurgical ablation of atrioventricular nodal reentry: histologic localization of the proximal common pathway.

A method using cryosurgery has been previously described to selectively ablate atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia while preserving intact atrioventricular conduction. The purpose of the present study was to define the histologic features of the cryolesions in relationship to the specialized conduction system. In 12 adult dogs a series of nine discrete cryolesions was placed along the perimeter of the triangle of Koch while continuously monitoring the His bundle electrogram.

Linkage of adrenoleukodystrophy to a polymorphic DNA probe.

Linkage studies between X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy and a cloned deoxyribonucleic acid fragment (St14), which detects polymorphisms in the distal end of the long arm of the X chromosome (Xq27-28), have shown no recombination in six families. The lod score for these data (and another kindred reported earlier is 13.766 at recombination fraction (theta) = 0.

Cardiac cryosurgery: regional myocardial blood flow of ventricular cryolesions.

Cryosurgery is one of three methods introduced recently for the treatment of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Cryothermic exposure ablates arrhythmogenic ventricular myocardium, and produces a dense fibrous scar with a sharp border to histologically normal tissue. Myocardial blood flow in the region of the cryolesion, however, has not been quantitated.

Cryosurgical modification of retrograde atrioventricular conduction. Implications for the surgical treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia.

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia resulting from atrioventricular nodal reentry is a common arrhythmia that usually responds to medical therapy. When atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia is refractory to medical therapy, cryoablation or endocardial catheter ablation of the His bundle has been employed to protect the ventricles from the tachycardia. However, these techniques necessitate implantation of a permanent ventricular pacemaker.

Alteration of antegrade atrioventricular conduction by cryoablation of peri-atrioventricular nodal tissue. Implications for the surgical treatment of atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia.

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia due to atrioventricular nodal reentry is a common arrhythmia that usually responds to medical therapy. When atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia is refractory to medical therapy, surgical cryoablation or endocardial catheter ablation of the His bundle has been employed to protect the ventricles from the tachycardia. However, these techniques necessitate implantation of a permanent ventricular pacemaker.

The electrophysiologic effects of discrete cryosurgery for the treatment of supraventricular tachycardia due to AV nodal reentry.

The electrophysiologic effects of multiple cryosurgical lesions along the circumference of Koch's triangle were evaluated as a treatment of AV nodal reentrant tachycardia in 31 dogs. These animals were divided into a control group (n = 8) and a cryosurgical group (n = 23), and were studied using incremental atrial pacing and programmed atrial premature stimulation. In the cryosurgical group, significant prolongation of AV nodal conduction time, initiation of Wenckebach periodicity at a slower atrial pacing rate, and an increase in the functional refractory period of the AV node were documented postoperatively.

Elective prolongation of atrioventricular conduction by multiple discrete cryolesions: a new technique for the treatment of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia.

The present study describes a surgical method for the permanent prolongation of atrioventricular (AV) conduction. In 22 dogs, a series of nine discrete cryolesions were placed along the perimeter of the triangle of Koch while the His bundle electrogram was being monitored continuously. Ten dogs underwent a sham operation to control for the effects of cardiopulmonary bypass and atriotomy on AV conduction.