EMPLOYMENT OF MAGNETIC WATER TREATMENT IN CONSTRUCTION

Magnetic treatment (MT) is one of the interested techniques that have been widely used in various aspects of life due to its positive effectiveness on the properties of water when utilized. Construction sector received great attention by researchers in order to employ magnetic water (MW) in the production of various building materials especially cement-based materials. This is due to the role of water is involved directly in the hydration process of the cement as well as curing process. The effectiveness of using MW came from the influence of magnetic field (MF) on physical properties of water molecular such as surface tension. Break down in the size of water clusters, therefore, is occurred which increases the activity of water molecular to penetrate the cement particle easily to involve in the hydration process. Various parameters may affect the magnetization process such as time, strength of MF and speed of water through the MF. In the current paper, the impact of using MW in the production of various construction and building materials that based on cement is addressed to clarify the actual need in adopting such an attractive technology to magnetize the water to be used in mixing and curing cement-based materials to construct sustainable concrete structures in construction sites

Oral versus topical propranolol for management of superficial infantile hemangiomas: a comparative study

Background/purpose: Oral propranolol has been used successfully for the treatment of infantile hemangiomas (IHs). However, its safety is questioned. Topical therapy with 1% propranolol ointment has been reported to be safeand effective. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness and safety of oral versus topical propranolol (1% ointment) as a nonselective b-blocker in the management of cutaneous IH.Patients and methods: Forty-eight patients with IH were randomly divided into two equal groups: group A (n= 24) was treated with oral propranolol and group B (n= 24) was treated with propranolol ointment 1%. The patients were followed up for 3 months after treatment was stopped.Results: There was a significant statistical difference between the two groups as regards the effectiveness of the drug (P = 0.041). In the oral group, 50% (n= 12) showed an excellent response, 33.33% (n= 8) showed good response, and 16.67% (n =4) showed a fair response, whereas in the topical group 16.67% (n= 4) showed an excellent response, 45.83% (n= 11) showed good response, and 37.5% (n= 9) showed a fair response. There was no significant adverse event in any group during the follow-up period.Conclusion: Oral propranolol is an effective, safe, and fastacting drug for treating IH and can be monitored on an outpatient basis. Topical propranolol is an easily prepared drug and seems to be an alternative therapeutic option for superficial cutaneous hemangioma. However, the optimal dosing and duration of treatment are still to be defined. Keywords: infantile hemangiomas, propranolol, propranolol ointment, topical propranolo

Probing the Water Stability Limits and Degradation Pathways of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs)

A comprehensive model to describe the water stability of prototypical metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) is derived by combining different types of theoretical and experimental approaches. The results provide an insight into the early stages of water-triggered destabilization of MOFs and allow detailed pathways to be proposed for the degradation of different MOFs under aqueous conditions. The essential elements of the approach are computing the pKa values of coordinated water molecules and geometry relaxations. Variable-temperature and pH infrared spectroscopy techniques are used to corroborate the main findings. The model developed herein helps to explain stability limits observed for several prototypical MOFs, including MOF-5, HKUST-1, UiO-66, and MIL-101-Cr, in aqueous solutions, and thus, provides an insight into the possible degradation pathways in acidic and basic environments. The formation of a metal hydroxide through the autoprotolysis of metal-coordinated water molecules and the strength of carboxylate–metal interactions are suggested to be two key players that govern stability in basic and acidic media, respectively. The methodology presented herein can effectively guide future efforts, which are especially significant for in silico screening, for developing novel MOFs with enhanced aqueous stability

Tuning the Chemical Environment within the UiO-66-NH2 Nanocages for Charge-Dependent Contaminant Uptake and Selectivity

The remarkable water stability of Zr-carboxylatebased metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) stimulated considerable interest toward their utilization in aqueous phase applications. The origin of such stability is probed here through pH titration and plc modeling. A unique feature of the Zr-6(mu 3OH)(4)(mu O-3)(4)(RCO2)(12) cluster is the Zr-bridging oxo/hydroxyl groups, demonstrating several pK(a) values that appear to provide for the water stability at a wide range of pH. Accordingly, the tunability of the cage/surface charge of the MOF can feasibly be controlled through careful adjustment of solution pH. Such high stability, and facile control over cage/surface charge, can additionally be augmented through introducing chemical functionalities lining the cages of the MOF, specifically amine groups in the UiO-66-NH2 presented herein. The variable protonation states of the Zr cluster and the pendant amino groups, their H-bond donor/acceptor characteristics, and their electrostatic interactions with guest molecules were effectively utilized in controlled experiments to demonstrate high uptake of model guest molecules (137 mg/g for Cr(VI), 1275 mg/g for methylene blue, and 909 mg/g for methyl orange). Additionally, a practical form of the silica-supported MOF, UiO-66-NH2 @SiO2, constructed in under 2 h reaction time, is described, generating a true platform microporous sorbent for practical use in demanding applications

Human Lymph Node Stromal Cells Have the Machinery to Regulate Peripheral Tolerance during Health and Rheumatoid Arthritis.

BACKGROUND: In rheumatoid arthritis (RA) the cause for loss of tolerance and anti-citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA) production remains unidentified. Mouse studies showed that lymph node stromal cells (LNSCs) maintain peripheral tolerance through presentation of peripheral tissue antigens (PTAs). We hypothesize that dysregulation of peripheral tolerance mechanisms in human LNSCs might underlie pathogenesis of RA. METHOD: Lymph node (LN) needle biopsies were obtained from 24 RA patients, 23 individuals positive for RA-associated autoantibodies but without clinical disease (RA-risk individuals), and 14 seronegative healthy individuals. Ex vivo human LNs from non-RA individuals were used to directly analyze stromal cells. Molecules involved in antigen presentation and immune modulation were measured in LNSCs upon interferon γ (IFNγ) stimulation (n = 15). RESULTS: Citrullinated targets of ACPAs were detected in human LN tissue and in cultured LNSCs. Human LNSCs express several PTAs, transcription factors autoimmune regulator (AIRE) and deformed epidermal autoregulatory factor 1 (DEAF1), and molecules involved in citrullination, antigen presentation, and immunomodulation. Overall, no clear differences between donor groups were observed with exception of a slightly lower induction of human leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) and programmed cell death 1 ligand (PD-L1) molecules in LNSCs from RA patients. CONCLUSION: Human LNSCs have the machinery to regulate peripheral tolerance making them an attractive target to exploit in tolerance induction and maintenance

Synthetic Geopolymers for Controlled Delivery of Oxycodone: Adjustable and Nanostructured Porosity Enables Tunable and Sustained Drug Release

In this article we for the first time present a fully synthetic mesoporous geopolymer drug carrier for controlled release of opioids. Nanoparticulate precursor powders with different Al/Si-ratios were synthesized by a sol-gel route and used in the preparation of different geopolymers, which could be structurally tailored by adjusting the Al/Si-ratio and the curing temperatures. In particular, it was shown that the pore sizes of the geopolymers decreased with increasing Al/Si ratio and that completely mesoporous geopolymers could be produced from precursor particles with the Al/Si ratio 2∶1. The mesoporosity was shown to be associated with a sustained and linear in vitro release profile of the opioid oxycodone. A clinically relevant release period of about 12 h was obtained by adjusting the size of the pellets. The easily fabricated and tunable geopolymers presented in this study constitute a novel approach in the development of controlled release formulations, not only for opioids, but whenever the clinical indication is best treated with a constant supply of drugs and when the mechanical stability of the delivery vehicle is crucial

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