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Background: Remimazolam is a novel ultrashort-acting intravenous benzodiazepine sedative-hypnotic. The combination of remimazolam and sevoflurane does not increase respiratory sensitivity, produce bronchospasm, or cause other adverse conditions. We aimed to observe the effects of different remimazolam doses on the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane at end-expiration during laryngeal mask insertion and evaluate the effect of sex on the efficacy of the combination of remimazolam on the suppression of laryngeal mask insertion in adult patients., Methods: We included 240 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia with elective placement of a laryngeal mask (120 males and 120 females). The patients were randomly divided into four groups according to sex: a control group (randomization for female patients, RF0; randomization for male patients, RM0) and three remimazolam groups (RF1, RM1 / RM2, RF2 / RM3, RF3), with 30 patients in each group. Induction was established by vital capacity rapid inhalation induction (VCRII), using 8% sevoflurane and 100% oxygen (6 L/min) in all patients. The (RF1, RM1), (RM2, RF2), and (RM3, RF3) groups were continuously injected with remimazolam at doses of 1, 1.5, and 2.0 mg/kg/h, respectively, while the (RM0, RF0) group was injected with an equal volume of normal saline. The end-expiratory concentration of sevoflurane was adjusted to a preset value after the patient's eyelash reflex disappeared. After the end-expiratory concentration of sevoflurane was kept stable for at least 15 min, the laryngeal mask was placed, and the patient's physical response to the mask placement was observed immediately and within 30 s of placement. The MAC of sevoflurane was measured using the up-and-down sequential method of Dixon., Results: The calculated MAC of end-expiratory sevoflurane during laryngeal mask insertion in adult females was (2.94 ± 0.18)%, (2.69 ± 0.16)%, (2.32 ± 0.16)% and (1.83 ± 0.15)% in groups RF0, RF1, RF2 and RF3; (2.98 ± 0.18)%, (2.80 ± 0.19)%, (2.54 ± 0.15)% and (2.15 ± 0.15)% in male groups RM0, RM1, RM2 and RM3, respectively. The MAC values were significantly lower in the (RF1-RF3, RM1-RM3) group when compared to the (RF0, RM0) group. There was no significant difference between (RF0, RF1) and (RM0, RM1), but the MAC value of the RF2-RF3 group was significantly lower than that of the RM2-RM3 group., Conclusions: Remimazolam can effectively reduce end-expiratory sevoflurane MAC values during laryngeal mask placement in adults. When remimazolam was measured above 1.5 mg/kg/h, the effect of inhibiting laryngeal mask implantation in female patients was stronger than that in male patients. Remimazolam at a dose of 1-2 mg/kg/h combined with sevoflurane induction can be safely and effectively used in these patients., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Understanding anaerobic biodegradation of ether oxygenates beyond MTBE in groundwater is important, given that it is replaced by ETBE as a gasoline additive in several regions. The lack of studies demonstrating anaerobic biodegradation of ETBE, and its product TBA, reflects the relative resistance of ethers and alcohols with a tertiary carbon atom to enzymatic attack under anoxic conditions. Anaerobic ETBE- or TBA-degrading microorganisms have not been characterized. Only one field study suggested anaerobic ETBE biodegradation. Anaerobic (co)metabolism of ETBE or TBA was reported in anoxic microcosms, indicating their biodegradation potential in anoxic groundwater systems. Non-isotopic methods, such as the detection of contaminant loss, metabolites, or ETBE- and TBA-degrading bacteria are not sufficiently sensitive to track anaerobic biodegradation in situ. Compound- and position-specific stable isotope analysis provides a means to study MTBE biodegradation, but isotopic fractionation of ETBE has only been studied with a few aerobic bacteria (εC -0.7 to -1.7‰, εH -11 to -73‰) and at one anoxic field site (δ 2 H-ETBE +14‰). Similarly, stable carbon isotope enrichment (δ 13 C-TBA +6.5‰) indicated TBA biodegradation at an anoxic field site. CSIA and PSIA are promising methods to detect anaerobic ETBE and TBA biodegradation but need to be investigated further to assess their full potential at field scale., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The authors report on a mild, label-free, and fast method for the separation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), which are relevant cells, whose use is not limited to studies of endothelial dysfunction, from cocultures with macrophages to afford HUVEC in ≈100% purity. Poly(di(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate) (PDEGMA) brushes with a dry thickness of (5 ± 1) nm afford the highly effective one-step separation by selective HUVEC detachment, which is based on the brushes' thermoresponsive behavior. Below the thermal transition at 32 °C the brushes swells and desorbs attached proteins, resulting in markedly decreased cell adhesion. Specifically, HUVEC and macrophages, which are differentiated from THP-1 monocytes, are seeded and attached to PDEGMA brushes at 37°C. After decreasing the temperature to 22°C, HUVEC shows a decrease in their cell area, while the macrophages are not markedly affected by the temperature change. After mild flushing with a cell culture medium, the HUVEC can be released from the surface and reseeded again with ≈100% purity on a new surface. With this selective cell separation and removal method, it is possible to separate and thereby purify HUVEC from macrophages without the use of any releasing reagent or expensive labels, such as antibodies., (© 2023 The Authors. Macromolecular Bioscience published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Postoperative fatigue syndrome (POFS) is an important factor in postoperative recovery. However, the effect of anesthetic drugs on postoperative fatigue in female patients has been rarely studied. This study compared the effects of maintaining general anesthesia with propofol or sevoflurane on the incidence of POFS in patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy., Methods: This prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial enrolled patients scheduled for laparoscopic hysterectomy. Eligible patients were randomized into the propofol and sevoflurane groups. The primary outcome was the incidence of POFS within 30 Days, defined by a simplified identity consequence fatigue scale (ICFS-10) scores≥24 or Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores of fatigues>6. Secondary outcomes were perioperative grip strength, early ambulation and anal exhaust after surgery, and inpatient days., Results: 32 participants were assigned to the propofol group (P) and 33 to the sevoflurane group (S). Incidence of POFS on postoperative D1 was P (8/32) vs. S (10/33) (p = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 16.4-27.00); D3 P (2/32) vs. S (5/33) (p = 0.45,95% CI:5.96-23.76). POFS were not found on postoperative D5 and D30. There were no differences in perioperative grip strength, early ambulation and anal exhaust after surgery, and inpatient days between the two groups., Conclusions: POFS after scheduled laparoscopic hysterectomy was unaffected by anesthesia with propofol vs. sevoflurane. The incidence of POFS was highest on the first postoperative day, at 27.7%, and declined progressively over the postoperative 30 days. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No. ChiCTR 2,000,033,861), registered on 14/06/2020)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Insulin resistance is closely related to many metabolic diseases and has become a serious public health problem worldwide. So, it is crucial to find its environmental pathogenic factors. Methyl tert -butyl ether (MTBE), a widely used unleaded gasoline additive, has been proven to affect glycolipid metabolism. However, results from population studies are lacking. For this purpose, the potential relationships between MTBE exposure and the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index, a useful surrogate marker of insulin resistance, were evaluated using a small-scale occupational population. In this study, 201 participants including occupational and non-occupational MTBE exposure workers were recruited from the Occupational Disease Prevention and Control Hospital of Huaibei, and their health examination information and blood samples with informed consent were collected. The internal exposure levels were assessed by detecting blood MTBE using solid-phase-micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Then the adjusted linear regression model was used to assess the relationship between MTBE exposure and fasting plasma glucose (FPG), or TyG index. Then, receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curves were performed to calculate the optimal cut-off points. Multivariable and hierarchical logistic regression models were used to analyze the impact of MTBE exposure on the risk of insulin resistance. Obvious correlations were observed between blood MTBE levels with TyG index ( p = 0.016) and FPG ( p = 0.001). Further analysis showed that using the mean of the TyG index (8.77) as a cutoff value had a good effect on reflecting the risk of insulin resistance. Multivariable logistic regression analysis also indicated that MTBE exposure was an independent risk factor for a high TyG index (OR = 1.088, p = 0.038), which indicated that MTBE exposure might be a new environmental pathogenic factor leading to insulin resistance, and MTBE exposure might increase the risk of insulin resistance by independently elevating the TyG index in male gas station workers.

The wound therapy based on antibiotic delivery inevitably leads to the emergence of drug resistance. Hydrogel biomaterials with inherent antibacterial activities have emerged as promising candidates for addressing this issue. However, developing an inherently antibacterial hydrogel through simple and facile strategies to promote localized wound infection healing remains a challenge. In this study, we successfully constructed antimicrobial cationic hydrogels with self-healing and injectable properties through physically and chemically dual-crosslinked networks. The networks were formed by the copolymers poly[(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-(4-formylphenyl methacrylate)-co-(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride solution)] (PDFM) and poly[(di(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)-co-(2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride)-co-(2-(((6-(6-methyl-4[1H]pyrimidionylureido) hexyl)carbamoyl)oxy)ethyl methacrylate)] (PDAU). The hydrogel systems effectively facilitate the regeneration and healing of infected wounds through the contact bactericidal feature of quaternary ammonium cations. The presence of Schiff base bonds in the injectable hydrogels imparts remarkable pH responsiveness and self-healing properties. In vitro experiments verified their intrinsic antibacterial activities along with their favorable cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility in both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, the hydrogel significantly accelerated the healing of bacterially infected in a full-thickness skin wound. This facilely prepared dual-crosslinked hydrogel, without antibiotics loading, holds significant prospects for treating infected wounds., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, sevoflurane and isoflurane are the most popular anesthetics in general anesthesia for their safe, rapid onset, and well tolerant. Nevertheless, many studies reported their neurotoxicity among pediatric and aged populations. This effect is usually manifested as cognitive impairment such as perioperative neurocognitive disorders. The wide application of sevoflurane and isoflurane during general anesthesia makes their safety a major health concern. Evidence indicates that iron dyshomeostasis and ferroptosis may establish a role in neurotoxicity of sevoflurane and isoflurane. However, the mechanisms of sevoflurane- and isoflurane-induced neuronal injury were not fully understood, which poses a barrier to the treatment of its neurotoxicity. We, therefore, reviewed the current knowledge on mechanisms of iron dyshomeostasis and ferroptosis and aimed to promote a better understanding of their roles in sevoflurane- and isoflurane-induced neurotoxicity., (© 2023 The Authors. CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Mask induction of anesthesia for pediatric patients has included the use of nitrous oxide since the inception of pediatric anesthesia. However, the use of nitrous oxide precludes adequate preoxygenation. Additionally, pediatric physiology (less Functional Residual Capacity, higher oxygen consumption), increased risk of laryngospasm and lack of intravenous access increase the risk of a severe airway complication in the event of airway occlusion. Nitrous oxide does not facilitate tranquil mask placement on an unwilling child and does not meaningfully speed mask induction. Exposure to nitrous oxide has potential occupational health concerns and nitrous oxide has significant environmental detriment., Conclusion: Utilizing other, evidence-based, techniques to facilitate tranquil mask placement will assure that patients have a pleasant induction experience and avoiding nitrous oxide will reduce the environmental impact, as well as improve the safety of, pediatric mask induction., (© 2023 The Authors. Pediatric Anesthesia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Purpose: Volatile anesthetics affect the circadian rhythm of mammals, although the effects of different types of anesthetics are unclear. Here, we anesthetized mice using several volatile anesthetics at two different times during the day. Our objective was to compare the effects of these anesthetics on circadian rhythm., Methods: Male adult C57BL/6 J mice were divided into eight groups (n = 8 each) based on the anesthetic (sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, or no anesthesia) and anesthesia time (Zeitgeber time [ZT] 6-12 or ZT18-24). Mice were anesthetized for 6 h using a 0.5 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) dose under constant dark conditions. The difference between the start of the active phase before and after anesthesia was measured as a phase shift. Clock genes were measured by polymerase chain reaction in suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) samples removed from mouse brain after anesthesia (n = 8-9 each)., Results: Phase shift after anesthesia at ZT6-12 using sevoflurane (- 0.49 h) was smaller compared with desflurane (- 1.1 h) and isoflurane (- 1.4 h) (p < 0.05). Clock mRNA (ZT6-12, p < 0.05) and Per2 mRNA (ZT18-24, p < 0.05) expression were different between the groups after anesthesia., Conclusion: 0.5 MAC sevoflurane anesthesia administered during the late inactive to early active phase has less impact on the phase shift of circadian rhythm than desflurane and isoflurane. This may be due to differences in the effects of volatile anesthetics on the expression of clock genes in the SCN, the master clock of the circadian rhythm., (© 2023. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists.)

Scoparone (6, 7 dimethylesculetin) is a biologically active compound derived from the herb Artemisia capillaris having anti-inflammatory, anti-lipemic, and anti-allergic roles. Activation of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) in primary hepatocytes of both wild-type and humanized CAR mice by scoparone, accelerates bilirubin and cholesterol clearance in vivo . This can prevent gallstones which is a dreaded gastrointestinal disease. To date, surgery is regarded as the gold standard for treating gallstones. The molecular interactions between scoparone and CAR leading to gallstone prevention are not yet explored. In this study, we have analyzed these interactions through an insilico approach. After extracting the CAR structures (mice and human) from the protein databank and 6, 7-dimethylesuletin from PubChem, energy minimization of both the receptors was done to make them stable followed by docking. Next, a simulation was performed to stabilize the docked complexes. Through docking, H-bonds and pi-pi interactions were found in the complexes, which imply a stable interaction, thus activating the CAR. A similarity search for scoparone was performed and the selected compounds were docked with the CAR receptors. Esculentin acetate and scopoletin acetate interacted with human CAR through pi-alkyl and H-bond respectively. While Fraxidin methyl ether, fraxinol methyl ether, and 6, 7 diethoxycoumarin interacted with mice CAR through H-bond and Pi-Pi T-shaped bonds. The selected complexes were simulated further. Our results are in accordance with the hypothesis in the literature. We have also analyzed the drug likeliness, absorption, non-carcinogenicity, and other properties of scoparone which can support further in vivo studies.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Centaurea paphlagonica (Bornm.) Wagenitz is an endemic plant in Turkey. Pyrocatechol, vanillic acid, 3,4-dihydroxy benzoic acid, 5-O-caffeoylshikimic acid, tamarixetin, chlorogenic acid methyl ester, quercetin, 1,3-dicaffeoylquinic acid, tamarixetin-7-O-β-D-glucopyranoside, quercimetrin, daucosterin, paphlagonicanin B, tamarixetin-7-O-β-rutinoside, rutin, chlorogenic acid, isoorientin, orientin, 3-O-feruloylquinic acid, quercetagetin-3-methyl ether 6-O-β-glucopyranoside, diosmetin 6-C-β-glucopyranoside, quercetagetin 4'-methyl ether 7-O-β-glucopyranoside, paphlagonicanin A, nepetin, cirsiliol, desacylcynaropicrin, and 8α-O-(2',3'-dihydroxyisobutyryl) desacylcynaropicrin were isolated from both flower and aerial parts of C. paphlagonica. These compounds were identified using 1D and 2D NMR methods and ESI-MS. The MTT assay assessed the antiproliferative activities of all isolated (known and new compounds) compounds on Caco-2, LNCaP, A549, HeLa, and HEK-293 cell lines. The 8α-O-(2',3'-dihydroxyisobutyryl) desacylcynaropicrin demonstrated the highest activity against CaCo-2 and HeLa cancer cell lines., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Sphingolipids, including sphingosine and sphinganine, are one of the major classes of lipids. They serve as constituents of cell membranes and lipid rafts and aid in the performance of cell-cell communication and adhesion. Abnormal levels of sphingolipids in the aqueous humor can indicate impaired sphingolipid metabolism and associated ocular pathologies. Sphingolipids can be extracted from the aqueous humor by the methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) lipid extraction method and subsequently analyzed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This chapter describes a modified protocol for an MTBE lipid extraction from the aqueous humor, followed by analysis with ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS)., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: General anesthetics (eg, propofol and volatile anesthetics) enhance the slow-delta oscillations of the cortical electroencephalogram (EEG), which partly results from the enhancement of (γ-aminobutyric acid [GABA]) γ-aminobutyric acid-ergic (GABAergic) transmission. There is a GABAergic excitatory-inhibitory shift during postnatal development. Whether general anesthetics can enhance slow-delta oscillations in the immature brain has not yet been unequivocally determined., Methods: Perforated patch-clamp recording was used to confirm the reversal potential of GABAergic currents throughout GABAergic development in acute brain slices of neonatal rats. The power density of the electrocorticogram and the minimum alveolar concentrations (MAC) of isoflurane and/or sevoflurane were measured in P4-P21 rats. Then, the effects of bumetanide, an inhibitor of the Na + -K + -2Cl - cotransporter (NKCC1) and K + -Cl - cotransporter (KCC2) knockdown on the potency of volatile anesthetics and the power density of the EEG were determined in vivo., Results: Reversal potential of GABAergic currents were gradually hyperpolarized from P4 to P21 in cortical pyramidal neurons. Bumetanide enhanced the hypnotic effects of volatile anesthetics at P5 (for MAC LORR , isoflurane: 0.63% ± 0.07% vs 0.81% ± 0.05%, 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.257 to -0.103, P < .001; sevoflurane: 1.46% ± 0.12% vs 1.66% ± 0.09%, 95% CI, -0.319 to -0.081, P < .001); while knockdown of KCC2 weakened their hypnotic effects at P21 in rats (for MAC LORR , isoflurane: 0.58% ± 0.05% to 0.77% ± 0.20%, 95% CI, 0.013-0.357, P = .003; sevoflurane: 1.17% ± 0.04% to 1.33% ± 0.04%, 95% CI, 0.078-0.244, P < .001). For cortical EEG, slow-delta oscillations were the predominant components of the EEG spectrum in neonatal rats. Isoflurane and/or sevoflurane suppressed the power density of slow-delta oscillations rather than enhancement of it until GABAergic maturity. Enhancement of slow-delta oscillations under volatile anesthetics was simulated by preinjection of bumetanide at P5 (isoflurane: slow-delta changed ratio from -0.31 ± 0.22 to 1.57 ± 1.15, 95% CI, 0.67-3.08, P = .007; sevoflurane: slow-delta changed ratio from -0.46 ± 0.25 to 0.95 ± 0.97, 95% CI, 0.38-2.45, P = .014); and suppressed by KCC2-siRNA at P21 (isoflurane: slow-delta changed ratio from 16.13 ± 5.69 to 3.98 ± 2.35, 95% CI, -18.50 to -5.80, P = .002; sevoflurane: slow-delta changed ratio from 0.13 ± 2.82 to 3.23 ± 2.49, 95% CI, 3.02-10.79, P = .003)., Conclusions: Enhancement of cortical EEG slow-delta oscillations by volatile anesthetics may require mature GABAergic inhibitory transmission during neonatal development., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 International Anesthesia Research Society.)

Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (PODE) and methanol are important low-carbon substitutable fuels for reducing carbon emissions in internal combustion engines. In the research, the impacts of methanol ratio, injection timing, and intake temperature on HCHO generation and emission were investigated using both engine tests and numerical simulations. Results suggest that an increase in methanol ratio suppresses auto-ignition tendency of PODE, leading to the increase of ignition delay period, pressure peak, and heat release rate peak inside the cylinder. The decrease in in-cylinder combustion temperature contributes to an increase in HCHO emission due to partial oxidation of methanol in the cylinder and exhaust pipe. While the injection timing is gradually postponed from -10 °CA ATDC to 2 °CA ATDC, in-cylinder high-temperature area decreases, the quantity of unburned methanol increases, but part of HCHO is converted to HCO due to H radical influence, resulting in 72% increased HCHO emission. With the increment of intake temperature, the oxidation and decomposition of in-cylinder methanol accelerate, leading to an improvement in combustion stability, more uniform temperature distribution, and a decrease in unburned methanol, which results in lower HCHO emission. When the intake temperature is rose from 30 to 60 °C, HCHO emission decreases by 11.2%., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)