Adsorption of phenolic compounds from water on polymeric adsorbents with olefin groups

Removal and recovery of aromatic pollutants from water by solid adsorbents have been of considerable concern recently. In this paper, adsorption of phenolic compounds from aqueous solution onto a polymeric adsorbent with olefin groups at temperatures from 297 K was studied

HumMod: A Modeling Environment for the Simulation of Integrative Human Physiology

Mathematical models and simulations are important tools in discovering key causal relationships governing physiological processes. Simulations guide and improve outcomes of medical interventions involving complex physiology. We developed HumMod, a Windows-based model of integrative human physiology. HumMod consists of 5000 variables describing cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, neural, endocrine, skeletal muscle, and metabolic physiology. The model is constructed from empirical data obtained from peer-reviewed physiological literature. All model details, including variables, parameters, and quantitative relationships, are described in Extensible Markup Language (XML) files. The executable (HumMod.exe) parses the XML and displays the results of the physiological simulations. The XML description of physiology in HumMod's modeling environment allows investigators to add detailed descriptions of human physiology to test new concepts. Additional or revised XML content is parsed and incorporated into the model. The model accurately predicts both qualitative and quantitative changes in clinical and experimental responses. The model is useful in understanding proposed physiological mechanisms and physiological interactions that are not evident, allowing one to observe higher level emergent properties of the complex physiological systems. HumMod has many uses, for instance, analysis of renal control of blood pressure, central role of the liver in creating and maintaining insulin resistance, and mechanisms causing orthostatic hypotension in astronauts. Users simulate different physiological and pathophysiological situations by interactively altering numerical parameters and viewing time-dependent responses. HumMod provides a modeling environment to understand the complex interactions of integrative physiology. HumMod can be downloaded at http://hummod.or

Removal of candida albicans from water by adhesion to aminophosphorous groups grafted onto poly (styrene-co-divinylbenzene)

Candida albicans is a fungal pathogen capable of causing opportunistic infections that may be lethal. The purpose of this study was to establish the removal percent of a Candida albicans culture from a water solution by using some polymers with antimicrobial activity. The mechanism of action is based on yeast adhesion on aminophosphorous active groups

The characterization of recycled poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) functionalized with α-hydroxyphosphonic acids for new study of antimicrobal tests

Antimicrobials are a wide variety of compounds with the attack for the destruction or inhibition of microorganisms.This article describes the using of recycled α-hydroxyphosphonic acids grafted on styrene-divinylbenzene copolymeras a recycled material for new study of antimicrobial tests

Hyperoxia influences cancer growth and metastasis. A pilot experimental model

Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, România, Regional Institute of Oncology, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Department, Iași, România, Regional Institute of Oncology, Department of Molecular Biology, TRANSCEND, Iași, România, CEMEX Research Center, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, România, The 5th International Congress of the Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimatology of the Republic of Moldova, 16th Edition of the International Course of Guidelines and Protocols in Anesthesia, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, 28th Meeting of the European Society for Computing and Technology in Anesthesia and Intensive Care September 27-29, 2018, Chisinau, the Republic of MoldovaIntroduction: Perioperative care of cancer patients is under scrutiny. Among many factors promoting cancer recurrence and metastasis, high oxygen concentration exposure is underevaluated. While oxygen toxicity is documented in several circumstances, its implication in tumor cell growth and progression is poorly understood. Objective: To characterize high oxygen concentration exposure effects on tumor progression using a breast cancer murine model. Material and methods: A highly aggressive breast tumor cell line 4T1 (ATCC®) was injected in mammary gland in 8 week old females BALB/c mice. We divided the animals into 3 groups, each including 6 individuals: G1 – tumor bearing mice with no intervention post inoculation; G2 – primary tumor removal at 2 weeks post inoculation; G3 - primary tumor removal at 2 weeks post inoculation followed by 6 hours of 75% oxygen exposure. In all groups cancer evolution was assessed at 6 weeks by standard pathomorphological evaluation: specimens from the primary tumor, locally recurrent tumor and target organ metastasis were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, and digital microscopy. Results: Surgically removed primary tumors in G3 group had similar characteristics with those in G2 group and previously described models. At study endpoint, compared with both G2 and G1 groups, G3 animals showed significantly higher tumor burden: larger local recurrence and more metastasis (larger number and dimensions) in liver and lungs, associated with significantly enlarged spleen. Conclusions: Short term (6 hours) high oxygen (75%) concentration exposure results in significantly more aggressive progression of a 4T1-BALB/c murine breast cancer model

New Trends in Robots Engineering with Professional Software SolidWorks

Engineering robotic systems stand for a challenging complex process, closely related to product development phases. Society’s needs and requirements generate the idea for new robot products, which are sketched as an initial concept. This is the moment when the design phases start, engineers continue their work by evaluating and optimizing the mechanical parts according to many criteria: kinematics, dynamics, the strength of materials, NVH, thermal assessments, etc. Finally, there are established specifications for prototype execution, environment sustainability, end-user specifications, and recycling requirements. All these phases could be implemented into smart software. SolidWorks is such software enabling the creation of new mechanical designs automatically based on its programming tools. This chapter is focused on relevant advanced capabilities of SolidWorks software to assist engineers in achieving a new advanced level in mechanical design, that of automatically generating new or modifying existing concepts according to the requirements. By using professional software in research studies, new engineering procedures can be developed in order to automate the concept and design phases for many concurrent engineering methodologies, design optimization methods, manufacturing, documentation, or end-user specification. Case studies on the different types of robot systems used in healthcare and assisted living are presented

Therapeutic Advances in the Management of Cardiogenic Shock

Background: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a life-threatening state of tissue hypoperfusion, associated with a very high risk of mortality, despite intensive monitoring and modern treatment modalities. The present review aimed at describing the therapeutic advances in the management of CS. Areas of uncertainty: Many uncertainties about CS management remain in clinical practice, and these relate to the intensity of invasive monitoring, the type and timing of vasoactive therapies, the risk-benefit ratio of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) therapy, and optimal ventilation mode. Furthermore, most of the data are obtained from CS in the setting of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), although for non-AMI-CS patients, there are very few evidences for etiological or MCS therapies. Data sources: The prospective multicentric acute heart failure registries that specifically presented characteristics of patients with CS, distinct to other phenotypes, were included in the present review. Relevant clinical trials investigating therapeutic strategies in post-AMI-CS patients were added as source information. Several trials investigating vasoactive medications and meta-analysis providing information about benefits and risks of MCS devices were reviewed in this study. Therapeutic advances: Early revascularization remains the most important intervention for CS in settings of AMI, and in patients with multivessel disease, recent trial data recommend revascularization on a "culprit-lesion-only" strategy. Although diverse types of MCS devices improve hemodynamics and organ perfusion in patients with CS, results from almost all randomized trials incorporating clinical end points were inconclusive. However, development of new algorithms for utilization of MCS devices and progresses in technology showed benefit in selected patients. A major advance in the management of CS is development of concept of regional CS centers based on the level of facilities and expertise. The modern systems of care with CS centers used as hubs integrated with emergency medical systems and other referee hospitals have the potential to improve patient outcomes. Conclusions: Additional research is needed to establish new triage algorithms and to clarify intensity and timing of pharmacological and mechanical therapies

Reduced Renal Mass, Salt-Sensitive Hypertension Is Resistant to Renal Denervation

Aim: Activation of the sympathetic nervous system is common in resistant hypertension (RHT) and also in chronic kidney disease (CKD), a prevalent condition among resistant hypertensives. However, renal nerve ablation lowers blood pressure (BP) only in some patients with RHT. The influence of loss of nephrons per se on the antihypertensive response to renal denervation (RDNx) is unclear and was the focus of this study.Methods: Systemic hemodynamics and sympathetically mediated low frequency oscillations of systolic BP were determined continuously from telemetrically acquired BP recordings in rats before and after surgical excision of ∼80% of renal mass and subsequent RDNx.Results: After reduction of renal mass, rats fed a high salt (HS) diet showed sustained increases in mean arterial pressure (108 ± 3 mmHg to 128 ± 2 mmHg) and suppression of estimated sympathetic activity (∼15%), responses that did not occur with HS before renal ablation. After denervation of the remnant kidney, arterial pressure fell (to 104 ± 4 mmHg), estimated sympathetic activity and heart rate (HR) increased concomitantly, but these changes gradually returned to pre-denervation levels over 2 weeks of follow up. Subsequently, sympathoinhibition with clonidine did not alter arterial pressure while significantly suppressing estimated sympathetic activity and HR.Conclusion: These results indicate that RDNx does not chronically lower arterial pressure in this model of salt-sensitive hypertension associated with substantial nephron loss, but without ischemia and increased sympathetic activity, thus providing further insight into conditions likely to impact the antihypertensive response to renal-specific sympathoinhibition in subjects with CKD