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Toxicology Research Jun 2024There is a significant shortage of observational studies on neurotoxic snakebite envenomation in the Philippines. This lack of data, especially concerning treatment...
INTRODUCTION
There is a significant shortage of observational studies on neurotoxic snakebite envenomation in the Philippines. This lack of data, especially concerning treatment using Purified Cobra Antivenom (PCAV), has prompted the initiation of this foundational study.
METHODS
The target population included snakebite patients admitted to the Eastern Visayas Medical Center and treated with PCAV between 2016 and 2020. A retrospective chart review was conducted for data collection. The investigation analyzed the hospital stay and patient features of individuals who were administered either lower or higher doses of PCAV.
RESULTS
Eighty-two patients were identified during the study. Of these, 27 (33%) were under 20 years of age and 50 (61%) were male. Most patients, totalling 75 (92%) were hailed from rural areas. Of the 82 patients, 59 (72%) received one or two ampoules of PCAV during the course. However, patients who received more than two ampoules had a longer median hospital stay than those who received less than three ampoules [96 h (interquartile range, IQR 66-122) vs. 125 h (IQR 96-218), = 0.038]. The study reported five in-hospital mortalities (6.1%).
CONCLUSIONS
The individuals who needed a high dosage of PCAV tended to have more extended hospital stays, yet over 70% of the patient population required a lower dosage. To gain a clearer understanding of the burden of neurotoxic snakebites and determine the optimal PCAV dosage based on disease severity in the area, a more comprehensive, prospective study is recommended.
PubMed: 38863797
DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfae088 -
ACS Omega May 2024Two homologues in a series of quinary oxysulfides, LaCuSO ( = Cr or Fe), have been synthesized by solid-state synthesis in sealed ampules, and their structures are...
Two homologues in a series of quinary oxysulfides, LaCuSO ( = Cr or Fe), have been synthesized by solid-state synthesis in sealed ampules, and their structures are homologue to assume a novel crystal structure. X-ray diffraction analyses of single crystal and powder samples give a monoclinic lattice, described in the 2/ (No. 12) space group, with lattice parameters = 15.3853(5) Å, = 13.9729(5) Å, = 10.5074(4) Å, and β = 116.227(3)° for the Cr analogue and = 15.4303(2) Å, = 14.0033(2) Å, = 10.4909(2) Å, and β = 116.261(2)° for Fe. The crystal structure contains one-dimensional (1D) chains consisting of interconnected transition metal element () trimers, which are further arranged into two-dimensional (2D) layers. These spin-chain planes are interspaced with 1D chains of lanthanum-oxygen coordinations and an apparent disordered occupation of copper sites. Alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) magnetic susceptibility measurements show that the Cr and Fe analogues exhibit what is best described as spin-domain formation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations suggest the formal oxidation state of the species is best represented in the form LaCuSO.
PubMed: 38799367
DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c00564 -
Gels (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024The application results of profile control and water plugging technology are highly related to the gelation time and strength of phenolic resin hydrogel. In this work, a...
The application results of profile control and water plugging technology are highly related to the gelation time and strength of phenolic resin hydrogel. In this work, a hydrogel solution was prepared by fully mixing the prepared polymer solution with a crosslinker. The static gelation process of PFR hydrogel in ampoule bottles and porous media was analyzed by changes in the viscosity and residual resistance coefficient. Then, the dynamic gelation of the PFR hydrogel in porous media was tested using a circulating flow device, and the changes in viscosity and injection pressure were analyzed during the dynamic gelation process. Finally, the effects of the polymer concentration and crosslinker concentration on dynamic gelation were analyzed. The initial gelation time and final gelation time in porous media were 1-1.5 times and 1.5-2 times those in ampoule bottles under static conditions, respectively. The initial dynamic gelation time in porous media was 2-2.5 times and 1.5-2 times the initial static gelation times in ampoule bottles and porous media, respectively. The final dynamic gelation time was four times and two times the initial static gelation times in ampoule bottles and porous media, respectively. The production after dynamic gelation in porous media comprised hydrogel aggregates and water fluid, leading to a high injection pressure and low viscosity of the produced liquid. As the concentration of polymer and crosslinker increased, the dynamic gelation time was shortened and the gel strength was increased. In the dynamic gelation process in porous media, the phenol resin hydrogel could migrate deeply, but it was limited by the concentrations of the polymer and crosslinker. The results of subsequent water flooding showed that the polymer hydrogel had a good plugging ability after dynamic gelation. The deep reservoir could only be blocked off in the subsequent water flooding process when the migration of hydrogel happened in the dynamic gelation process.
PubMed: 38786242
DOI: 10.3390/gels10050325 -
Inorganic Chemistry May 2024Transition metal (TM) sulfides belong to the class of 2D materials with a wide application range. Various methods, including solvothermal, hydrothermal, chemical vapor...
Transition metal (TM) sulfides belong to the class of 2D materials with a wide application range. Various methods, including solvothermal, hydrothermal, chemical vapor deposition, and quartz ampoule-based approaches, have been employed for the synthesis of TM sulfides. Some of them face limitations due to the low stability of TM sulfides and their susceptibility to oxidation, and others require more sophisticated equipment or complex and rare precursors or are not scalable. In this work, we propose an alternative approach for the synthesis of 2D TM sulfides by sulfurization of corresponding metal oxides in the vapor of CS at elevated temperature. Subsequent treatment in liquid nitrogen allows exfoliation of created sulfides to a 2D structure. A proposed approach was successfully applied to nine transition metals: Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Cr, Mo, and W. The resulting materials were extensively characterized using various analytical techniques with a focus on their crystalline structure and 2D nature. Our approach offers several advantages including the use of simple precursors (CS and metal oxides), universality (in all cases, the sulfides were obtained), equipment simplicity (tube furnace and quartz reactor), short preparation time (3 h), and the ability of morphology and phase tuning (in particular cases) of the created materials by adjusting the temperature. In addition, gram-scale bulk materials can be obtained in the entry-level laboratories using the proposed approach.
PubMed: 38655681
DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.4c00475 -
IUCrData Mar 2024Neodymium(III) -oxidotungstate(VI) was synthesized as a side-product in an unsuccessful synthesis attempt at fluoride derivatives of neodymium tungstate in fused silica...
Neodymium(III) -oxidotungstate(VI) was synthesized as a side-product in an unsuccessful synthesis attempt at fluoride derivatives of neodymium tungstate in fused silica ampoules, using neodymium(III) oxide, neodymium(III) fluoride and tungsten trioxide. Violet, platelet-shaped single crystals of the title compound emerged of the bulk, which crystallize in the defect scheelite type with a trigonal dodeca-hedral coordination of oxide anions around the Nd cations and the hexa-valent tungsten cations situated in the centers of oxide tetra-hedra.
PubMed: 38586517
DOI: 10.1107/S2414314624001755 -
Pharmeuropa Bio & Scientific Notes 2024This publication describes the outcome of a project to develop a replacement European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) for Human tetanus...
This publication describes the outcome of a project to develop a replacement European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Biological Reference Preparation (BRP) for Human tetanus immunoglobulin (TIg) as well as for the World Health Organization (WHO) International Standard (IS) for Tetanus Immunoglobulin, Human. Bulk TIg was kindly provided by a European manufacturer and was used to prepare the candidate standard. The candidate standard was freeze-dried and calibrated in an international collaborative study jointly co-ordinated by the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM, Council of Europe). The results of this study show that there was good agreement between laboratories for the potency estimates obtained for the candidate standard relative to the current WHO IS/Ph. Eur. BRP. The study also demonstrated that the candidate standard is suitable for use in Ph. Eur. assays for potency testing of TIg products and there was good agreement in the potency estimates obtained using the different assay methods included in the study. Accelerated degradation studies performed at the MHRA over a period of 4 years suggest that the freeze-dried candidate standard will be very stable. The candidate standard was established as Ph. Eur. BRP for Human tetanus immunoglobulin, batch 2 with an assigned potency of 45 IU/ampoule. The same preparation was also adopted by the WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization (ECBS) to serve as the WHO 2 IS for Tetanus Immunoglobulin, Human (13/240).
Topics: Humans; Tetanus; Calibration; Europe; Reference Standards; Tetanus Antitoxin; Antitoxins
PubMed: 38533744
DOI: No ID Found -
Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England... Apr 2024The ternary polyphosphide LaZnP was synthesized from the elements by using a salt flux or a ceramic method in sealed quartz ampoules. The obtained samples were...
The ternary polyphosphide LaZnP was synthesized from the elements by using a salt flux or a ceramic method in sealed quartz ampoules. The obtained samples were investigated by X-ray powder and single crystal diffraction: own type, 1̄, = 775.33(13), = 827.45(13), = 1502.8(3) pm, = 82.111(3), = 77.034(3), = 89.996(3)°, w = 0.1553, 5852 values and 183 variables. This peculiar structure is characterized by the simultaneous presence of three distinct anionic phosphide species, namely P, P, and P units. LaZnP is an electron precise Zintl phase: (7La)(2Zn)(4P)(2P)(P). The P-P single bond distances range from 219.2 to 223.0 pm. The zinc sites show tetrahedral phosphorus coordination by three P and one P species. The tetrahedra are condensed to chains common corners. The P units with P-P-P angles of 113.7° have exclusively lanthanum coordination. P solid-state NMR was used to probe the phosphorus local environments, connectivities and spatial proximities. The eleven crystallographically distinct phosphorus atoms were assigned with the help of two-dimensional homonuclear dipolar correlation experiments. Even though the application of 2D measurements on such phosphorus-based polyanionic compounds is exceedingly challenging because of the wide dispersion of chemical shifts, the fast irreversible decay of the transverse magnetization, and slow spin-lattice relaxation, a complete assignment is possible using radiofrequency-driven dipolar recoupling (RFDR), -RESOLVED and total-through-bond correlation with R-sequence (R-TOBSY) techniques.
PubMed: 38530644
DOI: 10.1039/d4dt00529e -
Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery &... 2024There are multiple recommended protocols for Vitamin D (VitD) supplementation in elderly; however, only a few studies achieved to examine the role of VitD supplements...
BACKGROUND
There are multiple recommended protocols for Vitamin D (VitD) supplementation in elderly; however, only a few studies achieved to examine the role of VitD supplements before intertrochanteric fracture surgery on mortality and complications after surgery.
METHODS
This single-center block-randomized double-blinded trial was conducted on 80 patients with intertrochanteric fractures and a sufficient level of 25 (OH) VitD. The intervention group received an intramuscular 300,000 IU VitD ampule before surgery. The primary outcome was a 6-month mortality rate, and the secondary outcomes were 1- and 2-year mortality rates and Harris Hip Score (HHS) in 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery. Chi-square, t-test, repeated measure ANOVA, and Cox regression survival model was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS
40 patients were allocated to each group. Demographic, clinical characteristics, and preoperative evaluations were not significantly different between the groups. Mortality rate 6-month after the surgery was 7.5% and 10% for the intervention and placebo groups respectively ( = .71), 15% and 12.5% at 1-year ( = .83), and 25% and 27.5% at 2-year ( .98). Based on the Cox regression model, only age was significantly associated with mortality (HR = 1.229, <.001). Significant HHS changes from baseline through 24 months after surgery were observed within both groups; however, mean differences were not significantly different between groups.
CONCLUSIONS
A single preoperative 300,000 IU VitD did not significantly impact 2-year survival and HHS in patients with intertrochanteric fractures and sufficient serum VitD level.
PubMed: 38495917
DOI: 10.1177/21514593231220769 -
Scientific Reports Mar 2024Persistent diarrhea is a severe gastroenteric disease with relatively high risk of pediatric mortality in developing countries. We conducted a randomized, double-blind,... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Persistent diarrhea is a severe gastroenteric disease with relatively high risk of pediatric mortality in developing countries. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of liquid-form Bacillus clausii spore probiotics (LiveSpo CLAUSY; 2 billion CFU/5 mL ampoule) at high dosages of 4-6 ampoules a day in supporting treatment of children with persistent diarrhea. Our findings showed that B. clausii spores significantly improved treatment outcomes, resulting in a 2-day shorter recovery period (p < 0.05) and a 1.5-1.6 folds greater efficacy in reducing diarrhea symptoms, such as high frequency of bowel movement of ≥ 3 stools a day, presence of fecal mucus, and diapered infant stool scale types 4-5B. LiveSpo CLAUSY supportive treatment achieved 3 days (p < 0.0001) faster recovery from diarrhea disease, with 1.6-fold improved treatment efficacy. At day 5 of treatment, a significant decrease in blood levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-23 by 3.24% (p = 0.0409), 29.76% (p = 0.0001), and 10.87% (p = 0.0036), respectively, was observed in the Clausy group. Simultaneously, there was a significant 37.97% decrease (p = 0.0326) in the excreted IgA in stool at day 5 in the Clausy group. Overall, the clinical study demonstrates the efficacy of B. clausii spores (LiveSpo CLAUSY) as an effective symptomatic treatment and immunomodulatory agent for persistent diarrhea in children.Trial registration: NCT05812820.
Topics: Infant; Humans; Child; Bacillus clausii; Spores, Bacterial; Diarrhea; Cytokines; Probiotics
PubMed: 38494525
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56627-9 -
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology Jun 2024Vitiligo is a skin pigmentation disorder caused by the selective degradation of melanocytes. This study investigates the therapeutic effects of microneedling with and... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
Evaluation of efficacy and safety of vitiligo treatment with micro-needling combined with N-Acetylcysteine and micro-needling alone: A double-blinded randomized controlled clinical trial.
INTRODUCTION
Vitiligo is a skin pigmentation disorder caused by the selective degradation of melanocytes. This study investigates the therapeutic effects of microneedling with and without N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in patients with persistent and limited vitiligo.
METHOD
This research employed a clinical trial design with double-blind randomization. Individuals affected by vitiligo and seeking treatment at Rasool Akram Medical Complex were divided into two separate treatment groups. In the intervention group, 24 affected areas underwent meso-microneedling using 5% NAC ampoules over six sessions, in addition to the application of 4.7% NAC cream once daily on the specified area. Conversely, the control group, consisting of 22 lesions, underwent microneedling using distilled water during six sessions. The severity of lesions and the extent of repigmentation were gauged using the Modified VETI Score. Assessment of treatment efficacy was determined through both physician evaluations and patient feedback.
RESULTS
Twenty patients with a mean age of 36.4 years were recruited. The mean percentage of lesions and their intensity were significantly improved 2 weeks after the third session and 1 month after the end of the treatment (p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference between the intervention and control groups. Gender, age, family history, duration of disease, duration of disease stability, and history of hypothyroidism had no statistically significant relationship with patients' treatment outcomes (p > 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Microneedling with or without the application of NAC appears to be an effective treatment option for persistent vitiligo lesions. However, despite the higher improvement rate with the application of NAC, the difference was not significant.
Topics: Humans; Vitiligo; Acetylcysteine; Double-Blind Method; Female; Adult; Male; Middle Aged; Treatment Outcome; Combined Modality Therapy; Young Adult; Severity of Illness Index; Dry Needling; Needles; Adolescent; Skin Pigmentation
PubMed: 38470079
DOI: 10.1111/jocd.16274