Accelerated Testing of PEI-Silica Sorbent Pellets for Direct Air Capture.

Amine-based sorbents have shown exceptional CO uptake for direct air capture (DAC). However, amine degradation is a major issue for this class of materials, hindering their deployment for large-scale DAC. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation of polyethylenimine (PEI) sorbents was conducted to understand their degradation under process-relevant environments for the DAC of CO.

Vitamin D with Calcium Supplementation Managing Glycemic Control with HbA1c and Improve Quality of Life in Patients with Diabetes.

Objectives:: This study evaluates the effect of vitamin D with calcium supplementation on glycemic control and quality of life (QoL) in patients with diabetes.

Materials And Methods:: A prospective, observational, open-label randomized, controlled study was conducted on 150 type-2 patients with diabetes. A total number of patients were divided into three groups (n= 50 in each group) i.

Tailoring sub-3.3 Å ultramicropores in advanced carbon molecular sieve membranes for blue hydrogen production.

Carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes prepared by carbonization of polymers containing strongly size-sieving ultramicropores are attractive for high-temperature gas separations. However, polymers need to be carbonized at extremely high temperatures (900° to 1200°C) to achieve sub-3.3 Å ultramicroporous channels for H/CO separation, which makes them brittle and impractical for industrial applications.

Effectiveness of Empagliflozin With Vitamin D Supplementation in Peripheral Neuropathy in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.

Background: Neuropathy is the most prevalent broad-spectrum microvascular complication of diabetes. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of empagliflozin with vitamin D supplementation on diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Methods: A prospective, randomized, controlled study was conducted for six months including 150 type 2 diabetic patients, divided into three groups (n=50/group): Group 1, patients on oral hypoglycemic agents; Group 2, patients on empagliflozin and Group 3, patients on empagliflozin with vitamin D.

Structural breakdown of starch-based foods during gastric digestion and its link to glycemic response: In vivo and in vitro considerations.

The digestion of starch-based foods in the small intestine as well as factors affecting their digestibility have been previously investigated and reviewed in detail. Starch digestibility has been studied both in vivo and in vitro, with increasing interest in the use of in vitro models. Although previous in vivo studies have indicated the effect of mastication and gastric digestion on the digestibility of solid starch-based foods, the physical breakdown of starch-based foods prior to small intestinal digestion is often less considered.

Facilely Cross-Linking Polybenzimidazole with Polycarboxylic Acids to Improve H/CO Separation Performance.

Polybenzimidazole (PBI) with a strong size-sieving ability exhibits attractive H/CO separation properties for blue H production and CO capture. Herein, we report that PBI can be facilely cross-linked with polycarboxylic acids, oxalic acid (OA), and -aconitic acid (TaA) to improve its separation performance. The acids react with the amines on the PBI chains, decreasing free volume and increasing size-sieving ability.

Transplantation: a brief history.

Developments in transplantation have progressed dramatically over the past century. Current research is underway to optimize immune modulation, genetically engineering animals for xenografting, and breakthroughs are occurring in regenerative medicine. However, pioneering live-donor transplantation has transformed transplantation in the organ shortage, and these contribute an increased proportion of transplanted organs.

Role of allograft nephrectomy following kidney graft failure: preliminary experience with pre-operative angiographic kidney embolization.

Introduction: Allograft nephrectomy (AN) is not without morbidity following graft failure (GF) in kidney transplantation (KT).

Methods: Single center retrospective review of all adult patients undergoing AN following KT, including a subset of patients who underwent pre-operative angiographic kidney embolization (PAKE).

Results: Over a 104 month period, 853 adult patients underwent deceased donor KT.

Clinically significant peripancreatic fluid collections after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

Background: Peripancreatic fluid collections (PPFC) are a serious complication after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKTx).

Methods: Retrospective study for all 223 SPKTx performed from December 8, 1996, to October 10, 2011, to evaluate the risk factors (RF) and impact of PPFCs on outcomes was conducted.

Results: Clinically significant PPFCs were seen in 36 (16%) cases, all within 3 months after transplantation.

Greening coal: breakthroughs and challenges in carbon capture and storage.

Like it or not, coal is here to stay, for the next few decades at least. Continued use of coal in this age of growing greenhouse gas controls will require removing carbon dioxide from the coal waste stream. We already remove toxicants such as sulfur dioxide and mercury, and the removal of CO₂ is the next step in reducing the environmental impacts of using coal as an energy source (i.

Hypertension in standard criteria deceased donors is associated with inferior outcomes following kidney transplantation.

Background: Hypertension may be a either a cause or an effect of kidney disease. Although hypertension is an important component of the expanded criteria donor definition, risks of transplanting deceased donor kidneys from hypertensive standard criteria donors (SCD) are less well understood.

Methods: Retrospective single-center study in all adult patients who received a deceased donor kidney transplant from a SCD to evaluate the role of donor hypertension as a pre-transplant risk factor for death-censored graft loss (DCGL) and renal function.

A review of eslicarbazepine acetate for the adjunctive treatment of partial-onset epilepsy.

Eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) is a novel antiepileptic drug indicated for the treatment of partial-onset seizures. Structurally, it belongs to the dibenzazepine family and is closely related to carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine. Its main mechanism of action is by blocking the voltage-gated sodium channel.

Kidney transplantation from donation after cardiac death donors: lack of impact of delayed graft function on post-transplant outcomes.

Introduction: Delayed graft function (DGF) is more common in recipients of kidney transplants from donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors compared to donation after brain death (DBD) donors.

Methods: Single-center retrospective study to evaluate the impact of DGF on controlled (Maastricht category III) DCD donor kidney transplant outcomes.

Results: From 10/01 to 6/08, 578 adult deceased donor kidney transplants were performed including 70 (12%) from DCD and 508 (88%) from DBD donors.

Single center experience transplanting kidneys from deceased donors with terminal acute renal failure.

Background: Transplantation of kidneys from deceased donors with terminal acute renal failure (ARF) is uncommon.

Methods: We reviewed retrospectively our single-center experience with transplantation of ARF donor kidneys.

Results: From January 2007 through September 2008, we transplanted 25 kidneys from 17 ARF donors; 22 kidneys were from standard criteria donors.

Successful kidney transplantation from a donation after cardiac death donor with acute renal failure and bowel infarction using extracorporeal support.

As a result of the ever widening disparity between organ supply and demand, a resurgence of interest has occurred in kidney recovery from donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors. New techniques of in situ extracorporeal support offer the potential to reduce warm ischemic injury and optimize donor management prior to organ recovery. In addition, preliminary outcomes using kidneys from selected deceased donors with rising serum creatinine levels have been promising.

Advances in immunosuppression for pancreas transplantation.

Purpose Of Review: A review of current literature was performed to identify trends and evaluate outcomes with regard to clinical immunosuppression in pancreas transplantation.

Recent Findings: Through 2006, over 20 000 pancreas transplantations were performed in the US. Since 2000, the 1-year patient survival rates for the three pancreas transplantation categories--simultaneous pancreas-kidney, sequential pancreas after kidney, and pancreas alone--were 95-97% and the 1-year pancreas graft survival (complete insulin independence) rates were 85%, 78%, and 77%, respectively.

Evaluation of gelatin/resorcinol/aldehyde as a hemostatic agent and tissue adhesive: an experimental study in rat.

Use of gelatin/resorcinol/formaldehyde glue as a tissue adhesive and hemostatic agent was evaluated experimentally after modification of the aldehyde component. Gelatin/ resorcinol/aldehyde (GRA) glue was prepared by mixing gelatin and resorcinol and cross-linking with a blend of formaldehyde/glutaraldehyde. After wedge resection of the liver of 28 albino rats, bleeding was controlled, and the cut surfaces were joined with GRA.

Experience in renal and extrarenal transplantation with donation after cardiac death donors with selective use of extracorporeal support.

Background: Most reports of donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors are exclusive to kidney transplantation and report high rates of delayed graft function (DGF).

Study Design: From April 1, 2003, to October 3, 2007, we performed 53 kidney transplantations and 4 simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantations from DCD donors. All DCD donor kidneys were managed with pulsatile perfusion preservation, and all simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplantation donors were managed with extracorporeal support.

Effect of elevated admission serum creatinine and its worsening on outcome in hospitalized patients with decompensated heart failure.

Renal insufficiency (RI), as represented by elevated serum creatinine (>1.5 mg/dl) on admission, is common and found in almost half of patients hospitalized with decompensated heart failure. This finding is associated with prolongation of length of stay and rate of rehospitalizations after discharge and also has an independent unfavorable effect on 6-month mortality.

Angle closure glaucoma following pupillary block in an aphakic perfluoropropane gas-filled eye.

We report the case of a 35-year-old aphakic patient who developed an intractable secondary glaucoma due to angle closure after pupillary block following the use of perfluoropropane (C3F8) gas at a nonexpansile concentration of 14%.

The indocyanine green findings in idiopathic uveal effusion syndrome.

We report two cases clinically diagnosed as idiopathic uveal effusion syndrome, where indocyanine green angiogram suggest non-specific choroidal inflammation as the underlying cause. Treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was beneficial.