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Abstract Microalgae species are of economic importance regarded as “green gold” being rich in bioactive compounds. Spirulina and Chlorella are the most popular microalgal species and are marketed as healthy food supplements. At the same time, Amphora holds potential as a source of healthy lipids and essential fatty acids. Yet, there are considerable variations in their reported chemical composition, and less is known about their compositional differences. A multiplexed metabolomic approach was adopted for the quality control (QC) of Spirulina supplements and to compare its constitutive metabolome to Chlorella and Amphora. The adopted protocol comprised gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS), ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS/MS), and ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV/Vis) for mapping their primary and secondary metabolome. Interestingly, UPLC-HRMS/MS analysis delineated the abundance of fatty acids in Amphora versus glycolipids enrichment in Spirulina, and porphyrins were the main pigments identified in Spirulina, with scarce occurrence in Chlorella. Orthogonal projections to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) analysis of GC–MS data set revealed palmitic acid, 3-mannobiose, and glyceryl-glycoside as being most enriched in Spirulina, versus sucrose and leucine in Chlorella and Amphora, respectively. Despite being of low discriminatory potential, UV/Vis OPLS-DA modeling showed that Spirulina was distinguished with the UV absorbances of carotenoids and chlorophyll pigments, as indicated by its OPLS-DA derived S-plot. Our study provides a QC approach for the analysis of the microalgal species and poses alternative spectral and compositional markers for their discrimination.

Abstract Silicon (Si) and/or proline (Pro) are natural supplements that are considered to induce plants' stress tolerance against various abiotic stresses. Sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) production is severely afflicted by salinity stress. Therefore, two field tests were conducted to evaluate the potential effects of Si and/or Pro (6mM) used as seed soaking (SS) and/or foliar spray (FS) on Sweet corn plant growth and yield, physio-biochemical attributes, and antioxidant defense systems grown in a saline (EC = 7.14dS m−1) soil. The Si and/or Pro significantly increased growth and yield, photosynthetic pigments, free proline, total soluble sugars (TSS), K+/Na+ratios, relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), α-Tocopherol (α-TOC), Ascorbate (AsA), glutathione (GSH), enzymatic antioxidants activities and other anatomical features as compared to controls. In contrast, electrolytes, such as SS and/or FS under salt stress compared to controls (SS and FS using tap water) were significantly decreased. The best results were obtained when SS was combined with FS via Si or Pro. These alterations are brought about by the exogenous application of Si and/or Pro rendering these elements potentially useful in aiding sweet corn plants to acclimate successfully to saline soil.

A series of novel 1,2,3-triazole-linked ciprofloxacin-chalcones 4a-j were synthesised as potential anticancer agents. Hybrids 4a-j exhibited remarkable anti-proliferative activity against colon cancer cells. Compounds 4a-j displayed IC50s ranged from 2.53-8.67 µM, 8.67–62.47 µM, and 4.19–24.37 µM for HCT116, HT29, and Caco-2 cells; respectively, whereas the doxorubicin, showed IC50 values of 1.22, 0.88, and 4.15 µM. Compounds 4a, 4b, 4e, 4i, and 4j were the most potent against HCT116 with IC50 values of 3.57, 4.81, 4.32, 4.87, and 2.53 µM, respectively, compared to doxorubicin (IC50 = 1.22 µM). Also, hybrids 4a, 4b, 4e, 4i, and 4j exhibited remarkable inhibitory activities against topoisomerase I, II, and tubulin polymerisation. They increased the protein expression level of γH2AX, indicating DNA damage, and arrested HCT116 in G2/M phase, possibly through the ATR/CHK1/Cdc25C pathway. Thus, the novel ciprofloxacin hybrids could be exploited as potential leads for further investigation as novel anticancer medicines to fight colorectal carcinoma.

Yu Nakanishi,1 Hiroshi Iwamoto,1 Shintaro Miyamoto,1 Satoshi Nakao,1 Naoko Higaki,1 Kakuhiro Yamaguchi,1 Shinjiro Sakamoto,1 Yasushi Horimasu,1 Takeshi Masuda,1 Naoko Matsumoto,2 Taku Nakashima,1 Yojiro Onari,3 Kazunori Fujitaka,1 Yoshinori Haruta,4 Hironobu Hamada,5 Soichiro Hozawa,6 Noboru Hattori1 1Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; 2Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hiroshima Red Cross Hospital & Atomic-Bomb Survivors Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan; 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hiroshima Mazda Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan; 4Haruta Respiratory Clinic, Hiroshima, Japan; 5Department of Physical Analysis and Therapeutic Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan; 6Hiroshima Allergy and Respiratory Clinic, Hiroshima, JapanCorrespondence: Hiroshi Iwamoto, Department of Molecular and Internal Medicine, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan, Tel +81-82-257-5196, Email iwamotohiroshig@gmail.comPurpose: Asthma guidelines recommend considering the patient preference to optimize medication choices. Patient preference for inhaler medication may affect asthma outcomes, but evidence regarding this is lacking. This study investigated the associations between patient preference for inhaler medications and asthma outcomes.Patients and Methods: A multicenter questionnaire survey was conducted among 351 adult patients with asthma treated with regular inhaled corticosteroids. Agreement between patients’ preferences and current medication was evaluated using two questions: matched preference was defined as patients answering that the current inhaler medication was the most preferred treatment and they were satisfied with it. Mismatched preference was defined as when patients reported that the current inhaler medication was not the most preferred treatment and/or they were not satisfied with it. We investigated the factors associated with patient preference for asthma inhaler medications.Results: In total, 269 (76.6%) patients were classified into the matched preference group and 82 (23.4%) patients into the mismatched preference group. Multivariate analyses showed that matched preference was independently associated with higher asthma control test scores (P< 0.001), fewer exacerbations (P=0.009), less regular oral corticosteroid use (P=0.009), and better inhaler adherence (P=0.006) than the mismatched preference group. In subgroup analysis, younger age was associated with matched preference in patients using dry powder inhalers but not in those using pressurized metered dose inhalers.Conclusion: The use of preference-matched inhaler medication was associated with better asthma outcomes. Evaluation of patients’ preference for inhaler medication might provide useful information for individualized treatment with asthma inhaler medications.Keywords: patient preference, asthma control, inhaled corticosteroids, inhaler adherence, shared decision-making

Abstract A new series of nucleosides, moieties, and Schiff bases were synthesized from sulfadimidine. Infrared (IR), 1HNMR, 13C NMR, and mass spectrometry techniques and elemental analysis were employed to elucidate the synthesized compounds. The prepared analogues were purified by different chromatographic techniques (preparative TLC and column chromatography). Molecular docking studies of synthesized compounds 3a, 4b, 6a, and 6e demonstrated the binding mode involved in the active site of DNA gyrase. Finally, all synthesized compounds were tested against selected bacterial strains. The most effective synthesized compounds against S. aureus were 3a, 4d, 4b, 3b, 3c, 4c, and 6f, which exhibited inhibition zones of inhibition of 24.33 ± 1.528, 24.67 ± 0.577, 23.67 ± 0.577, 22.33 ± 1.528, 18.67 ± 1.528 and 19.33 ± 0.577, respectively. Notably, the smallest zones were observed for 4a, 6d, 6e and 6g (6.33 ± 1.528, 11.33 ± 1.528, 11.67 ± 1.528 and 14.66 ± 1.155, respectively). Finally, 6b and 6c gave negative zone values. K. pneumoniae was treated with the same compounds and the following results were obtained. The most effective compounds were 4d, 4c, 4b and 3c, which showed inhibition zones of 29.67 ± 1.528, 24.67 ± 0.577, 23.67 ± 1.155 and 19.33 ± 1.528, respectively, followed by 4a and 3d (15.33 ± 1.528 for both), while moderate results (13.67 ± 1.155 and 11.33 ± 1.528) were obtained for 6f and 6g, respectively. Finally, 6a, 6b, 6c, 3a, and 3b did not show any inhibition. The most effective compounds observed for the treatment of E. coli were 4d, 4b, 4c, 3d, 6e and 6f (inhibition zones of 26.33 ± 0.577, 21.67 ± 1.528, 21.67 ± 1.528, 19.67 ± 1.528, 17.67 ± 1.155 and 16.67 ± 1.155, respectively). Compounds 3b, 3c, 6a, 6c, and 6g gave moderate results (13.67 ± 1.528, 12.67 ± 1.528, 11.33 ± 0.577, 15.33 ± 1.528 and 12.67 ± 1.528, respectively), while 6b showed no effect. The MIC values against S. aureus ranged from 50 to 3.125 mg, while those against E. coli and K. pneumoniae ranged from 50 to 1562 mg. In vitro, the antibacterial effects were promising. Further research is required to study the in vivo antibacterial effects of these compounds and determine therapeutic doses.

In the present study, the efficiency of three different solvents (H2O, acidified H2O, and 70% Methanol) for metabolites extraction from the leaves of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris var. rubra) was investigated along with their inhibitory activity on pancreatic α-amylase and lipase for obesity management. The metabolic profile of the three extracts was analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled with electrospray ionization high-resolution mass spectrometric (ESI-HRMS-MS). Mass spectrometry-based molecular networking was employed to aid in metabolites annotation and for the visual investigation of the known metabolites and their analogues. The study led to the tentative identification of 45 metabolites including amino acids, purine derivatives, phenolic acids, flavonoids, fatty acids, and an alkaloid, articulating 24 compounds as a first time report from beet leaves along with 2 new putatively identified compounds: a flavone feruloyl conjugate (39) and a malonylated acacetin diglycoside (40). The three extracting systems exhibited comparable efficiency for pulling out the secondary metabolites from the beet leaves. The in vitro study supported this finding and demonstrated that the three extracts inhibited the activity of both pancreatic α-amylase and lipase enzymes with no significant difference observed regarding the percentage of the inhibition of the enzymes. Conclusively, the extraction protocol has a minimal effect on the anti-obesity properties of beet leaves.

Abstract Background While the burden of neurologic illness in developing countries is increasing, less is known about mortality among patients admitted to sub-Saharan African hospitals with neurologic disease. We sought to characterize the rate and patient-level predictors of in-hospital mortality in a Ugandan Neurology ward.cc. Methods Data was prospectively collected on 335 patients admitted to the Neurology ward of Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. Kaplan-Meier survival curves and multivariate COX proportional hazard modeling were used to assess survival. Results Within our sample (n = 307), 35.8% received no diagnosis at time of hospital admission. Stroke (27.3%), head trauma (19.6%), and malaria (16.0%) were the most common diagnoses. Among the 56 (18.5%) patients who died during the index hospitalization, the most common diagnosis at admission and at death was stroke. Adjusted regression analysis showed that patients without a diagnosis at time of death (HR = 7.01 [2.42–20.35], p

Boswellia sp. is a species of Boswellia. Burseraceae is an essential conventional natural product that has received a lot of attention in the pharmaceutical industry in recent years. The aim of this study was to role of Boswellia sp. Burseraceae on kidney and liver of Balb/c mice. Different concentrations of Boswellia sp. Burseraceae solution was given to 5–7 weeks old wild-type Balb/c mice of both sexes (n = 24) for 21 days, with a control group given normal water to determine the physiological, biochemical, haematological, (0.5%, 1%), and histopathological effect of (0.5%, 1% and 5%) Boswellia sp..The results of this study showed that physiological parameters were changed with the increasing concentration of Boswellia sp. Burseraceae solution; like daily food consumption was reduced and fluid intake was more, decrease in body weight, urine output was low with less Na+ & K+ resulting into hypernatremia, hyperkalemia and hyperuricemia. Also elevated creatinine level in blood increase levels of bilirubin, Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT), Alkaline Phosphatase (ALP) and degeneration of cells, glomerular atrophy of kidney cells and degeneration of hepatocytes. In conclusion, all of the results support to dosage toxicity. Biochemical indicators such as white blood cells, glucose, and haemoglobin did not alter significantly. Based on the findings, it is concluded that the extract exhibits dosage toxicity, which is corroborated by histopathological indicators.

In this work, we design and then synthesis of new derivatives of nucleosides, oxadiazoline derivatives containing acetylated sugars and α-aminophosphonate derivatives. The synthesized compounds have been elucidated by different spectroscopic analysis, such as, elemental analysis, 13C NMR, infrared (IR) and 1H NMR. The compounds previously synthesized were purified and then tested against breast cancer cells (MCF-7). The results showed that the compounds 5d, 6b, 7a and 9h showed moderate to very high activity against breast cancer, with incidence rates of 78.45%, 84.60%, 93.45% and 95.78%, respectively. The reference ratio of 5-fluorouracil was inhibitory of 96.02%. The binding potential of synthesized compounds against thymidylate synthase (TS) and Cathepsin B (CB) has been investigated and the compounds 7a and 9h exhibits highly binding with thymidylate synthase (TS) and Cathepsin B (CB).

Soft corals are recognized as an abundant source of diverse secondary metabolites with unique chemical features and physiologic capabilities. However, the discovery of these metabolites is usually hindered by the traditional protocol which requires a large quantity of living tissue for isolation and spectroscopic investigations. In order to overcome this problem, untargeted metabolomics protocols have been developed. The latter have been applied here to study the chemodiversity of common Egyptian soft coral species, using only minute amounts of coral biomass. Spectral similarity networks, based on high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry data, were employed to explore and highlight the metabolic biodiversity of nine Egyptian soft coral species. Species-specific metabolites were highlighted for future prioritization of soft coral species for MS-guided chemical investigation. Overall, 79 metabolites were tentatively assigned, encompassing diterpenes, sesquiterpenes, and sterols. Simultaneously, the methodology assisted in shedding light on newly-overlooked chemical diversity with potential undescribed scaffolds. For instance, glycosylated fatty acids, nitrogenated aromatic compounds, and polyketides were proposed in Sinularia leptoclados, while alkaloidal terpenes and N-acyl amino acids were proposed in both Sarcophyton roseum and Sarcophyton acutum.

A condensation reaction of 2,3,5,6-tetraamino-1,4-benzoquinone 1 with 4,5-Dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-phthalonitrile 2 produced p-benzoquinone [2,3-b:2,3-b]bis[(5,8-dihydroxybenzopyrazine)-6,7-dinitrile] 3. Utilizing acetic acid with lithium/pentanol, the tetra-nitrile monomer was cyclo-tetramerized, yielding the matching network polymer, tetra p-benzoquinone[2,3-b:2,3-b]. bis[(5,8-dihydroxybenzopyrazino) porphyrazine (2H-Pz) 4a. The equivalent tetra p-benzoquinone[2,3-b:2,3-b]bis[(5,8-dihydroxybenzopyrazino) metallic porphyrazine networks (M-Pz) M = Zn 4b or Ni 4c, were obtained by cyclo-tetramerizing the tetra-nitril monomer 3 using metal salt and quinoline. The synthesized molecules’ elemental analytical results, as well as their IR and NMR spectral data, are consistent with their assigned structures. The prepared compounds have large molecular weights and metal content, indicating that reactions of tetramerization, polymerization, and chelation were all productive. The synthesized porphyrazines were proved to be excellent substrates for oxidizing thiophenol and benzyl thiol to their respective disulfides in atmospheric oxygen. The maximal production of the corresponding disulfides after 15 min was 96 percent for thiophenol and 93 percent for benzyl thiol, respectively.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of some natural compounds against multidrug-resistant bacteria. Methods: Forty-three bacterial strains were collected. Disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) tests were carried out for natural compounds including quercetin, Acacia nilotica , Syzygium aromaticum , and Holothuria atra . Scanning electron microscope analysis and bacterial DNA apoptosis assays were performed. Results: Staphylococcus aureus strains were resistant to imipenim, ampicillin, and penicillin. Most Escherichia coli strains were resistant to amoxicillin, clavulanat, and ampicillin. Finally, tigecycline was effective with Klebsiella pneumoniae and was resistant to all antibiotics. Only S aromaticum had an antibacterial effect on K pneumoniae . Most S aureus strains were sensitive to S aromaticum , A nilotica , and quercetin. All examined natural extracts had no effect on E coli . Holothuria atra had no effect on any of the strains tested. Minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration values for examined plants against S aureus were 6.25 to 12, 1.6 to 3.2, and 9.12 to 18.24 mg/mL, respectively. Syzygium aromaticum was active against K pneumoniae with an MIC of 12.5 mg/mL. Scanning electron microscope analysis performed after 24 and 48 hours of incubation showed bacterial strains with distorted shapes and severe cell wall damage. Syzygium aromaticum , quercetin, and A nilotica showed clear fragmentations of S aureus DNA. Conclusions: Current findings confirmed the beneficial effect of using natural products such as clove (S aromaticum) , quercetin, and A nilotica as a promising therapy to overcome multidrug resistant bacteria.

1,4-Bis(p-tolylamino)-6,7-dichloroanthraquinone 1 when reacted with di(sodiothio)-maleonitrile 2 afforded heterocyclic thianone compound, 5,12-dioxo-5,12-dihydroanthro[2,3-b][1,4]dithiine-2,3-dicarbonitrile 3. Using lithium/pentanol and acetic acid, the dicarbonitrile product 3 was cyclotetramerized, yielding the matching tetra 5,12-dioxo-5,12-dihydroanthro[2,3-b][1,4]dithiine-porphyrazine dye compound (2H-Pz) 4a. The dicarbonitrile molecule was a ring-shaped metallic product utilizing metallic salt and quinoline, yielding the corresponding tetra 5,12-dioxo-5,12-dihydroanthro[2,3-b][1,4]dithiine-porphyrazinato-metal II dyes (M-Pz), M = Zn, Co, or Ni 4b–d. The produced compounds’ elemental analysis investigation, Infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum information accord with the structures attributed to them. The cyclotetramerization and complexation reactions are ensured by the molecular weight and metal load of the produced products. The inclusion of electron-donating groups resulted in a lower optical band gap of the produced dye sensitizers, with “push–pull” promotion of about 1.55 eV. The prepared substituted porphyrazines reveal high absorption in the UV–VIS region, which could be of potential value as a building block for novel electronic and optical materials as well as a sensor for technology. This is considered for improving solar cell absorption. The absorption bands of the synthesized porphyrazine dyes extend beyond 800 nm, so these dyes could be useful in various optoelectronic applications.

Breast cancer is a major cause of death in women worldwide. In this study, 60 female rats were classified into 6 groups; negative control, α-aminophosphonates, arylidine derivatives of 3-acetyl-1-aminoquinolin-2(1H)-one, DMBA, DMBA & α-aminophosphonates, and DMBA & arylidine derivatives of 3-acetyl-1-aminoquinolin-2(1H)-one. New α-aminophosphonates and arylidine derivatives of 3-acetyl-1-aminoquinolin-2(1H)-one were synthesized and elucidated by different spectroscopic and elemental analysis. Histopathological examination showed marked proliferation of cancer cells in the DMBA group. Treatment with α-aminophosphonates mainly decreased tumor mass. Bcl2 expression increased in DMBA-administered rats and then declined in the treated groups, mostly with α-aminophosphonates. The level of CA15-3 markedly declined in DMBA groups treated with α-aminophosphonates and arylidine derivatives of 3-acetyl-1-aminoquinolin-2(1H)-one. Gene expression of GST-P, PCNA, PDK, and PIK3CA decreased in the DMBA group treated with α-aminophosphonates and arylidine derivatives of 3-acetyl-1-aminoquinolin-2(1H)-one, whereas PIK3R1 and BAX increased in the DMBA group treated with α-aminophosphonates and arylidine derivatives of 3-acetyl-1-aminoquinolin-2(1H)-one. The molecular docking postulated that the investigated compounds can inhibt the Thymidylate synthase TM due to high hydrophobicity charachter.

This work aimed to synthesize a new antihyperglycemic thiazolidinedione based on the spectral data. The DFT\B3LYP\6-311G** level of theory was used to investigate the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), chemical reactivity and map the molecular electrostatic potentials (MEPs) to explain how the synthesized compounds interacted with the receptor. The molecular docking simulations into the active sites of PPAR-γ and α-amylase were performed. The in vitro potency of these compounds via α-amylase and radical scavenging were evaluated. The data revealed that compounds (4–6) have higher potency than the reference drugs. The anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities for thiazolidine-2,4-dione have been investigated in vivo using the alloxan-induced diabetic rat model along with the 30 days of treatment protocol. The investigated compounds didn’t show obvious reduction of blood glucose during pre-treatments compared to diabetic control, while after 30 days of treatments, the blood glucose level was lower than that of the diabetic control. Compounds (4–7) were able to regulate hyperlipidemia levels (cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoproteins and low- and very-low-density lipoproteins) to nearly normal value at the 30th day.

The Red Sea is one of the most biodiverse aquatic ecosystems. Notably, seagrasses possess a crucial ecological significance. Among them are the two taxa Halophila stipulacea (Forsk.) Aschers., and Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb. ex Solms) Asch., which were formally ranked together with the genus Enhalus in three separate families. Nevertheless, they have been recently classified as three subfamilies within Hydrocharitaceae. The interest of this study is to explore their metabolic profiles through ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-HRMS/MS) analysis in synergism with molecular networking and to assess their chemosystematics relationship. A total of 144 metabolites were annotated, encompassing phenolic acids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and lipids. Furthermore, three new phenolic acids; methoxy benzoic acid-O-sulphate (16), O-caffeoyl-O-hydroxyl dimethoxy benzoyl tartaric acid (26), dimethoxy benzoic acid-O-sulphate (30), a new flavanone glycoside; hexahydroxy-monomethoxy flavanone-O-glucoside (28), and a new steviol glycoside; rebaudioside-O-acetate (96) were tentatively described. Additionally, the evaluation of the antidiabetic potential of both taxa displayed an inherited higher activity of H. stipulaceae in alleviating the oxidative stress and dyslipidemia associated with diabetes. Hence, the current research significantly suggested Halophila, Thalassia, and Enhalus categorization in three different taxonomic ranks based on their intergeneric and interspecific relationship among them and supported the consideration of seagrasses in natural antidiabetic studies.

First-principles computation was used to study the effect of pressure on the elastic properties, magnetic properties, optical properties, and electronic structure of the normal spinel magnesium ferrite (MgFe _2 O _4 ) at different pressures (0, 10, 20, 50, 70, and 100 GPa). The normal spinel MgFe _2 O _4 has a direct bandgap of 1.62 eV which significantly decreased to 0.42 eV with increasing the pressure to 100 GPa. The values of the elastic constants were coherent with the mechanical stability norms for cubic crystals, which revealed that MgFe _2 O _4 was mechanically stable. The values of Pugh’s ratio indicate that MgFe _2 O _4 is ductile at all pressure values except at 100 Gpa MgFe _2 O _4 shows brittle behavior. The computed values of the Zener anisotropy factor at different pressures were not equal to 1.0, which indicates that MgFe _2 O _4 is elastically anisotropic. The optical properties (refractive index, reflectivity, dielectric function, optical conductivity, and loss function) for the normal spinel MgFe _2 O _4 , as well as its magnetic moment, were calculated and discussed at different pressures.

Seigo Miyoshi,1 Ryoji Ito,1 Hitoshi Katayama,1 Kentaro Dote,2 Mayuki Aibiki,3 Hironobu Hamada,1,4 Takafumi Okura,1 Jitsuo Higaki1 1Department of Cardiology, Pulmonology, Hypertension and Nephrology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, 2Intensive Care Division, Ehime University Hospital, 3Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Shitsukawa, Toon, Ehime, 4Department of Physical Analysis and Therapeutic Sciences, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, Japan Background: Neutrophil elastase, alveolar thrombin generation, and fibrin deposition play crucial roles in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). However, the usefulness of combination therapy with a selective neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat, and recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhTM) for patients with ARDS and DIC remains unknown. Methods: We conducted a retrospective data analysis of 142 ARDS patients with DIC to assess the effects of sivelestat combined with rhTM. Patients were divided into four groups: control (no sivelestat or rhTM treatment), sivelestat treatment alone, rhTM treatment alone, and combined treatment with sivelestat and rhTM. A Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess subject mortality rates. The efficacy of these drugs was evaluated based on survival rate, number of ventilator-free days, and change in PaO2/FIO2 (P/F) ratios and DIC scores before and at 7 days after a diagnosis of ARDS with DIC. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that patient age, combination therapy, gas exchange, organ failure, cause, associated disease score, and serum C-reactive protein levels were predictors of mortality for patients with ARDS and DIC. As compared with untreated controls, combination therapy significantly improved the 60-day survival rate of patients with ARDS and DIC. There were significantly more ventilator-free days for those who received combination therapy than for untreated controls. P/F ratios and DIC scores were significantly improved with sivelestat alone, rhTM alone, or their combination as compared with untreated controls. Conclusion: Our results suggest that combined treatment with sivelestat and rhTM has beneficial effects on survival and the respiratory and DIC status of patients with ARDS and DIC. Keywords: sivelestat, recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin, disseminated intravascular coagulation, acute respiratory distress syndrome

Seigo Miyoshi,1 Hironobu Hamada,1,2 Ryoji Ito,1 Hitoshi Katayama,1 Kazunori Irifune,1 Toshimitsu Suwaki,3 Norihiko Nakanishi,4 Takanori Kanematsu,5 Kentaro Dote,6 Mayuki Aibiki,7 Takafumi Okura,1 Jitsuo Higaki1 1Department of Integrated Medicine and Informatics, Ehime University, Graduate School of Medicine, Toon, 2Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, 3Department of Respiratory Medicine, Sumitomo Besshi Hospital, Niihama, 4Department of Respiratory Medicine, Ehime Prefectural Central Hospital, Matsuyama, 5Department of Respiratory Medicine, Matsuyama Red Cross Hospital, Matsuyama, 6Intensive Care Division, Ehime University Hospital, Toon, 7Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Toon, Japan Background: Neutrophil elastase plays a crucial role in the development of acute lung injury (ALI) in patients with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). The clinical efficacy of the neutrophil elastase inhibitor, sivelestat, for patients with ALI associated with SIRS has not been convincingly demonstrated. The aim of this study was to determine if there are clinical features of patients with this condition that affect the efficacy of sivelestat. Methods: This was a retrospective study of 110 ALI patients with SIRS. Clinical information, including the etiology of ALI, the number of organs failing, scoring systems for assessing the severity of illness, and laboratory data, was collected at the time of diagnosis. Information on the number of ventilator-free days (VFDs) and changes in PaO2/FIO2 (ΔP/F) before and 7 days after the time of ALI diagnosis was also collected. The effect of sivelestat on ALI patients was also examined based on whether they had sepsis and whether their initial serum procalcitonin level was ≥0.5 ng/mL. Results: There were 70 patients who were treated with sivelestat and 40 control patients. VFDs and ΔP/F were significantly higher in the treated patients than in the control patients. However, there was no significant difference in the patient survival rate between the two groups. Sivelestat was more effective in ALI patients with a PaO2/FIO2 ratio ≥140 mmHg or sepsis. Sivelestat significantly prolonged survival and led to higher VFDs and increased ΔP/F in septic patients and patients with initial serum procalcitonin levels ≥0.5 ng/mL. Conclusion: The results may facilitate a future randomized controlled trial to determine whether sivelestat is beneficial for ALI patients with sepsis. Keywords: systemic inflammatory response syndrome, procalcitonin, ventilator-free days, neutrophil elastase

A functionalized chitosan thiourea composite (CH-TU) was successfully synthesized using formaldehyde as a crosslinking agent for enhancing silver recovery from different aqueous solutions. Comparison sorption studies with a non-functionalized composite (CH-F) as a reference material were conducted. Grafting led to an improvement in the sorption performances, i.e., 0.763 mmol Ag g−1 for CH-F vs. 2.125 mmol Ag g−1 for CH-TU. The pseudo-first-order rate equation (PFORE) was fitted to the sorption kinetics at saturation times of 40 and 30 min for CH-F and CH-TU, respectively, while the sorption isotherms were fitted with Langmuir and Sips equations for both sorbents. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), nitrogen sorption–desorption isotherms (BET-surface area), elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and pH of the zero charge (pHpzc) were used to characterize and investigate the sorption mechanism. Sorption was performed three times to check the reproducibility, while the sorption performances were stable over 20 cycles, with a limited decrease in performance (5 and 3% for CH-F and CH-TU, respectively). Nitric acid solution (0.3 M) was efficient for desorbing the adsorbed metal ions. The grafted sorbent with thiourea is considered as a promising tool for recovering Ag(I) from acidic waste leachate derived from waste spent films. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]