Preparation of rigid polyurethane foam from lignopolyol obtained through mild oxypropylation

Lignin, one of the main components of lignocellulose, can be used as an alternative to chemical polyols in the production of polyurethane because of its abundant phenolic and alcohol hydroxyls. Traditionally, lignin is directly applied in the preparation of polyurethane; however, modified lignin has been proved to be superior, especially that obtained by the oxypropylation reaction. Therefore, lignopolyol obtained by mild and efficient oxypropylation was utilized in the production of rigid polyurethane foam in this study. Specifically, the effects of the content of lignopolyol on the chemical structure, morphological structure, mechanical properties and thermal stability of the lignin-based rigid polyurethane foam were investigated. It was found that the compressive strength of the rigid polyurethane foam was significantly improved with the addition of lignopolyol compared with that of the pure polyurethane foam, which was attributed to the fact that oxypropylation made lignin into highly branched and functionalized polyols by transforming all phenolic hydroxyls into aliphatic hydroxyls. Moreover, when the molal weight of lignopolyol accounted for 40% of the added polyols, the generated foam showed optimal uniformity and regularity, and the compressive strength reached 0.18 MPa, meeting the requirements of industrial application, below which, the amount of undesired reactions is bound to increase. As a consequence, the added amount of lignopolyol was increased as much as possible on the basis of guaranteeing the desired properties, which was more conducive to realizing the green degradation and economic synthesis of rigid polyurethane foam.

Lignin-based polyurethane foam with excellent performance could be produced with the lignopolyol prepared by mild and efficient oxypropylation.     

The clinical significance of thyroid hormone-responsive in thyroid carcinoma and its potential regulatory pathway

The study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of thyroid hormone-responsive (THRSP) and explore its relevant pathways in thyroid carcinoma (THCA).The gene expression data of THRSP were obtained and the prognostic significance of THRSP in THCA was analyzed through various bioinformatics databases. Then, the factors influencing THRSP mRNA expression were explored, and the function of THRSP in predicting the lymph node metastasis (LNM) stage was determined. We further performed the enrichment analysis and constructed a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network to examine potential regulatory pathways associated with THRSP.THRSP gene expression was significantly increased in THCA compared with the normal tissues. High THRSP mRNA expression had a favorable overall survival (OS) in THCA patients (P < .05). Additionally, the mRNA expression of THRSP was related to stage, histological subtype, and methylation among THCA patients (all P < .05). Besides, THRSP served as a potent predictor in discriminating the LNM stage of thyroid cancer patients. According to Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) on THRSP-associated genes, THRSP was positively related to metabolic pathways.The upregulation of THRSP predicted a good OS in THCA patients. Furthermore, THRSP might inhibit THCA progression through positive regulation of metabolism-associated pathways.     

Target nursing care on anxiety and depression in patients with gallbladder cancer during perioperative period

Background:This study retrospectively investigated the effects of target nursing care (TNC) on anxiety and depression in patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC) during the perioperative period.Methods:This retrospective study analyzed the data of 80 patients with GBC during perioperative period. These records were divided into an intervention group (n = 40) or a control group (n = 40). All 80 patient records in both groups were administered routine nursing care (RNC). The patients in the intervention group also underwent TNC. The primary outcomes were depression (measured using the Hamilton Depression Scale, HAMD) and anxiety (assessed using the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, HAMA). The secondary outcomes were quality of life (assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, SF-36) and adverse events. We collected and analyzed the outcome data before and after treatment.Results:After treatment, patients in the intervention group showed more promising effects on depression (HAMD, P < .01) and anxiety (HAMA, P < .01) than those in the control group did. However, there were no significant differences in the quality of life before and after treatment. No TNC- or RNC-associated adverse events were reported in patient records.Conclusion:This study found that TNC was more effective than RNC in relieving depression and anxiety. Future studies should be conducted to validate the present findings.     

Malignant transformation of nevus sebaceous to basal-cell carcinoma: Case series,literature review,and management algorithm

Nevus sebaceous (NS) is a common congenital hamartoma of the skin composed predominantly of sebaceous glands. Although most NS are benign skin tumors, malignant transformations have been reported. There is still controversy about the lifetime risk of malignant degeneration and precise surgical criteria. This study reports cases of malignant degeneration and suggests a surgical treatment algorithm. The medical records of patients with basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) arising from NS between January 2001 and January 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics including lesion location, and tumor size were investigated. The symptoms, histological findings before and after excision, complications, and recurrence during 2-year follow-up periods were investigated. Ten patients were identified with BCC arising from NS lesions. All patients were female and the mean age was 52.11 years. All patients complained of sudden morphological changes, the most common type being rapid color changes. Two cases had histological findings that showed a miss-match between punch biopsy and excisional biopsy results. No recurrence was detected 2 years after surgeries in any patients. Cases after third stage, especially in over 40 years who report morphologic changes, should undergo total surgical excision as the first approach, with strong suspicion of malignant degeneration.     

Modification of C.I. Pigment Red 146 with surfactants and graphene oxide

Organic pigments are important in a range of fields, from printing ink to industrial coatings. Azo pigments are some of the most common pigments in use today, but they typically have poor solvent solubility and tend to agglomerate. Consequently, the size and crystal structure of the pigment particles has a crucial effect on their optical and physical properties, such as color strength and solvent resistance, respectively. Several technologies, such as microreactors, have been developed to control pigment particle size, but an in-depth study of the effects of modification conditions on pigment properties (color, flowability, and solvent resistance) has not been reported to date. Therefore, in this paper, we report the surface modification of C.I. Pigment Red 146 particles using anionic (Igepon T) and non-ionic surfactants (Peregal O-25) and additives (DB-60 as the second diazo component and graphene oxide) on the pigment properties. In addition, we examined the effect of hydrothermal treatment at different temperatures on the same properties. The various modifications resulted in an increase in the solvent resistance, a reduction in the particle size (from 30.581 to 12.252 μm), a narrowing of the particle size distribution, and an increase in hydrophilicity. In addition, the color brightness and brilliance were significantly improved, and the maximum color strength reached 112.6%. These findings have applications for the development of pigments having enhanced color properties, solvent resistance, and processability.

The color properties and solvent resistance of modified Pigment Red 146 were obviously improved by adding surfactants and graphene oxide.     

Intraocular lens-blocking technique for intraocular foreign body removal

The aim of this study was to describe a novel technique for intraocular foreign body (IOFB) removal. Phacoemulsification was performed in all patients, followed by a complete microincision vitrectomy to free all tissues surrounding the IOFB. A three-piece intraocular lens (IOL) was placed in the capsular bag, and an opening was made in the upper center of the capsule. The IOFB was removed and lifted to the anterior chamber through the capsular opening and IOL edge. The IOFB was confined to the anterior chamber by the IOL, and then easily extracted through the main corneal incision. The technique was adopted in six eyes of six patients. All IOFBs were removed successfully in all patients without intraoperative or postoperative complications. The IOL-blocking technique is a useful approach for IOFB removal.     

Altereporenes A–E,five epoxy octa-hydronaphthalene polyketides produced by an endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. YUD20002

Five previously undescribed epoxy octa-hydronaphthalene polyketides, altereporenes A–E (1–5) were isolated from rice culture of the endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. YUD20002 derived from the tubers of Solanum tuberosum. Their structures were determined on the basis of comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, while the absolute configurations were elucidated by the comparison of experimental and calculated specific rotations. Meanwhile, the antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities of compounds 1–5 were also investigated.

Five previously undescribed epoxy octa-hydronaphthalene polyketides, altereporenes A–E (1–5) were isolated from rice culture of the endophytic fungus Alternaria sp. YUD20002 derived from the tubers of Solanum tuberosum.     

Polydiacetylene-based colorimetric and fluorometric sensors for lead ion recognition

Development of novel sensors for the detection of lead ions (Pb²⁺) has attracted increasing interest due to their inherent toxic effects on human health and the environment. In this study, we describe two new polydiacetylene (PDA)-based liposome sensors for the colorimetric and fluorometric recognition of Pb²⁺ in aqueous solution. In the sensor system, a thymine-1-acetic acid (TAA) or orotic acid (OA) group was reasonably introduced into the diacetylene monomer to work as a strong binding site for Pb²⁺. The TAA- or OA-functionalized monomer and 10,12-pentacosadiynoic acid (PCDA) were incorporated into PDA liposomes in aqueous solution. After UV light-induced polymerization, deep blue colored liposome solutions were obtained. Upon the addition of a series of transition metal cations into the liposome solutions, only Pb²⁺ could induce a color change from blue to red observable by the naked eye and a large fluorescence enhancement. The results clearly showed that the PDA–EDEA–TAA and PDA–EDEA–OA liposomes could act as highly selective and sensitive probes to detect Pb²⁺ in aqueous solution. The detection limits of PDA–EDEA–TAA and PDA–EDEA–OA systems are 38 nM and 25 nM, respectively. The excellent selectivity of PDA liposomes could be attributed to the stronger complexation behavior of Pb²⁺ with TAA (or OA) and the carboxylic acid at the lipid–solution interface which could perturb the PDA conjugated backbone. In addition, the proposed sensors were successfully applied to detect trace amounts of Pb²⁺ in real water samples with excellent recovery, indicating that the developed method had a good accuracy and precision for the analysis of trace Pb²⁺ in practical samples.

In this study two colorimetric and fluorometric sensors were prepared for lead ions based on conjugated polydiacetylenes.