Facile synthesis of water-soluble carbon nano-onions under alkaline conditions

Carbonization of tomatoes at 240 °C using 30% (w/v) NaOH as catalyst produced carbon onions (C-onions), while solely carbon dots (C-dots) were obtained at the same temperature in the absence of the catalyst. Other natural materials, such as carrots and tree leaves (acer saccharum), under the same temperature and alkaline conditions did not produce carbon onions. XRD, FTIR, HRTEM, UV–vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence analyses were performed to characterize the as-synthesized carbon nanomaterials. Preliminary tests demonstrate a capability of the versatile materials for chemical sensing of metal ions. The high content of lycopene in tomatoes may explain the formation of C-onions in alkaline media and a possible formation mechanism for such structures was outlined

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Protective Role of Mycosynthesized Bimetallic ZnO-CuO Nanoparticles as Therapeutic Nutrients to Enhance the Resistance of <i>Vicia faba</i> against <i>Fusarium</i> Wilt Disease

The exacerbation of climatic changes helped to increase the risk of plant diseases in the world. The novelty of this study lies in the manufacture of therapeutic nutrients using nanotechnology with strong effectiveness against plant disease. Based on this concept, we mycosynthesized bimetallic ZnO-CuO nanoparticles (NPs), alternatives to reduce the spread of Vicia faba Fusarium wilt disease, which is one of the world’s most imperative cultivated crops. The article’s uniqueness comes in the utilization of ZnO-CuO nanoparticles to carry out two crucial tasks: therapeutic nutrients and managing Fusarium disease. To evaluate the resistance of infected plants, disease index (DI), photosynthetic pigments, osmolytes, oxidative stress and yield parameters were assessed. NPs of ZnO, CuO, and ZnO-CuO were mycosynthesized using a biomass filtrate of Aspergillus fumigatus OQ519856. DI reached 87.5%, due to Fusarium infection, and, as a result, a severe decrease in growth characters, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble carbohydrates, and proteins as well as yield parameters was observed. Infected plants produced more of the studied metabolites and antioxidants. On the other hand, the treatment with CuO-ZnO NPs led to a great decline in the DI by 22.5% and increased the protection by 74.28%. A clear improvement in growth characters, photosynthetic pigments and a high content of carbohydrates and proteins was also observed in both healthy and infected plants as a result of CuO-ZnO NPs treatment. Remarkably, CuO-ZnO NPs significantly increased the yield parameters, i.e., pods/plant and pod weight, by 146.1% and 228.8%, respectively. It could be suggested that foliar application of NPs of ZnO, CuO, and ZnO-CuO could be commercially used as antifusarial agents and strong elicitors of induced systemic resistance

Potential Benefits of N-Acetylcysteine in Preventing Pregabalin-Induced Seeking-Like Behavior

Substance-use disorder is globally prevalent and responsible for numerous social and medical problems. Pregabalin (Lyrica), typically used to treat diabetic neuropathy, has recently emerged as a drug of abuse. Drug abuse is associated with several neuronal changes, including the downregulation of glutamate transporters such as glutamate transporter 1 and cystine/glutamate antiporter. We investigated the effects of N-acetylcysteine, a glutamate transporter 1 and xCT upregulator, on pregabalin addiction using a conditioned place preference paradigm. Pregabalin (60 mg/kg) was found to induce conditioned place preference when compared to a vehicle. A 100 mg/kg dose of N-acetylcysteine was found to block pregabalin-seeking behaviors. These results support previous findings showing that glutamate transporters play an important role in pregabalin-induced seeking behaviors. N-acetylcysteine may represent a beneficial agent in preventing the abuse potential of pregabalin

Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries

Background: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit