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Inflammatory infiltration has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The NLRP3 inflammasome is involved in the development of several types of CVDs, including myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia-reperfusion damage, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and hypertension. Inhibiting the activity of NLRP3 inflammasome can inhibit the progress of CVDs. However, there is no NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor in clinic, and it is very important to find a safe and effective NLRP3 inhibitor. Phenols and terpenoids are naturally natural products that have many anti-inflammatory effects in CVDs by modulating the NLRP3 inflammatory pathway. Thus, 20 natural products from phenols and terpenoids for the treatment of cardiovascular disease based on the inhibition of NLRP3 inflammasome were summarized and screened. Docking results showed salvianolic acid B and ellagic acid in phenols, and oridonin and triptolide in terpenoids had a better binding activity with NLRP3, which can provide theoretical support for finding novel NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitors or lead compounds in the future.

To guarantee the flow assurance of drilling fluid in deep-water drilling, the inhibitory effect of PVP-K90 on methane hydrate formation was measured at 275.15 and 277.15 K with an initial pressure ...

Phase behaviour including phase equilibria and dissociation enthalpies and structure of double semiclathrate hydrates formed with tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) + CH4 were measured to evaluate the performance of TBAF for hydrate based industrial applications. The phase equilibria and the dissociation enthalpies for TBAF + CH4 semiclathrate hydrate (SCH) with (0.02–0.15) salt mass fraction were obtained by employing the isochoric pressure-search method and calculated from the experimental data with Clausius-Clapeyron equation, respectively. A confocal Raman spectrometer was applied to analyze the structure of (TBAF + CH4) SCHs. Data showed that TBAF strongly enhanced the stability of CH4 hydrates by increasing the equilibrium temperature at a given pressure. The Raman spectra revealed that small 512 cages of TBAF hydrates could trap CH4 molecules. In particular, the Raman spectra of double TBAF + CH4 SCHs, as compared with those of pure TBAF SCHs, indicated that the large cages which already trapped the cation of TBAF also had the possibility of encaging CH4 molecules at low salt concentrations (

Clathrate hydrate is a promising option for gas storage and transportation. Sucrose stearate, an environmentally friendly chemical, was studied in CH4 hydrate formation process to evaluate its effect on gas storage of CH4 hydrate. The experiment was conducted systematically with four different sucrose stearate concentrations at three various initial pressures. The experimental data were employed to calculate the normalized hydrate formation rate and equilibrium time based on chemical affinity. The results indicated that the presence of sucrose stearate significantly enhanced the CH4 hydrate formation rate and storage when initial pressure was higher than 5.0 MPa. In addition, Raman spectroscopic analysis was performed to examine the hydrate structure and obtain the theoretical storage capacity. The spectra demonstrated that sucrose stearate decreased the hydration number with not changing CH4 hydrate’s structure. The theoretical storage capacity and the energy value were increased by about 2.59%. Combing all the results, sucrose stearate was a good kinetic promoter for CH4 hydrate formation. The systems with sucrose stearate at low concentration and high concentration were suggested for designing gas storage process and fast hydrate formation process, respectively.

BackgroundCurcumin has multifunctional pharmacological properties, including anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties. We investigated whether curcumin can improve pathological changes associated with Alzheimer's disease, including amyloid β (Aβ), protein kinase B (PKB, also termed Akt), and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) levels and expression. MethodsAlzheimer’s transgenic APPSWE/PS1ΔE9 mice and wild type mice were treated with curcumin by intragastric administration for 2 weeks at 2 and 5 months of age. Aβ plaques and contents in the brain and retina were measured by immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay, respectively, while the expression of Akt and GSK3β was tested by RNA isolation and quantitative real-time poly merase chain reaction. Bloods of patients with AD and age-matched health controls were used to determine the contents of Aβ, Akt and GSK3β. ResultsCurcumin treatment decreased Aβ accumulation in the early stages of AD at 5 months (p < 0.001). It also improved AD-associated pathological changes, including upregulation of Akt (p < 0.01) and downregulation of GSK3β (p < 0.01). In addition to AD-associated changes, the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β was significantly decreased by curcumin treatment (p < 0.05). ConclusionsCurcumin can suppress Aβ accumulation during the early stages of AD, upregulate the expression of Akt, downregulate the expression of GSK3β, and inhibit the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1β. Curcumin can be used to improve pathological features of AD in the early stages of disease

Objective To determine the effective concentration of target-controlled infusion (TCI) of remifentanil used to inhibit stress during the treatment of severe tracheal stenosis with fibreoptic bronchoscopy and to evaluate the safety of the monitored anaesthesia care (MAC) by remifentanil.Methods A study of 60 patients with severe tracheal stenosis who underwent diagnostic and therapeutic fibreoptic bronchoscopy at Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital affiliated with Tongji University was performed. Dexmedetomidine was initially administered at a bolus dose (0.8 mcg/kg), followed by a 0.5 mcg/(kg·h) continuous infusion. Remifentanil was administered by TCI. When the target concentration was reached, the nasopharyngeal airway was inserted, and then oxygen was supplied by a connected anaesthesia machine. The effective concentration of remifentanil was titrated by the improved sequential method, and 30 patients were included. The EC95 of remifentanil was set as the plasma target concentration to evaluate the safety of the MAC, and another 30 patients were included. Remedy measures: Propofol (10-20 mg) was injected intravenously. The primary outcome measures were the cough score and the incidence and severity of hypoxemia. The tolerance score for nasopharyngeal airway placement, Ramsay sedation score, haemodynamic changes, satisfaction score, patients’ 24 h recall score, patients’ willingness to re-receive the procedure, and related adverse events were recorded.Results On the basis of sedation with dexmedetomidine, the EC95 of remifentanil for inhibiting the stress response in fibreoptic bronchoscopy performed on patients with severe tracheal stenosis was 2.710 ng/ml (95% CI, 2.471-4.473 ng/ml), and the EC50 was 2.243 ng/ml (95% CI, 2.061-2.446 ng/ml). Among the 30 patients who received an EC95 of remifentanil as the target concentration, 1 patient was remedied by injecting propofol; the tolerance score for insertion of the nasopharyngeal airway was 2, the score of Ramsay sedation was 3, and the cough score was 1. The incidence of respiratory depression was 50%, the incidence of hypoxemia was 20%, and 86.7% of patients with respiratory depression returned to normal by awakening. One patient returned to normal by mask-assisted ventilation, and another returned to normal by laryngeal mask mechanical ventilation. The satisfaction score of the operator was 9, the satisfaction score of the anaesthesiologist was 8, the satisfaction score of the patients was 10, the score of the patients' 24 h operative recall was 1, the rate of patient willingness to re-accept the procedure was 93.3%, the incidence of throat pain at 30 min after the end of the operation was 16.7%, and the circulation was stable during the operation. No pruritus, nausea, vomiting or other related adverse reactions were reported.Conclusion MAC using TCI of remifentanil can effectively inhibit the stress response to fibreoptic bronchoscopy in patients with severe tracheal stenosis while maintaining spontaneous breathing. The patients are safe and comfortable and express high satisfaction, making this method worthy of clinical application.Trial registration Registration date : 12/02/2021, Registration number: ChiCTR2100043380.

Background: Sufentanil is widely used during anesthesia induction. However, sufentanil injections can cause cough through different mechanisms. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a small dose of oxycodone and sufentanil in suppressing sufentanil-induced cough (SIC) during general anesthesia induction.Methods: This prospective, randomized, controlled trial was conducted form February 12, 2019 to December 30, 2019. A total of 174 patients were scheduled for elective surgery, and 144 screened patients were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=48). Five minutes before sufentanil bolus (0.4 μg/kg), patients in group O received 0.02 mg/kg oxycodone intravenously within 5 s, those in group S received 0.02 μg/kg sufentanil within 5 s and those in group N received an equal volume of 0.9% normal saline within 5 s. Sufentanil was diluted to 5 μg/ml and administered within 5 s after pretreatment. The incidence and severity of cough in the three groups were evaluated within 1 minute after sufentanil injection during anesthesia induction. Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded at T0 (after entering the operation), T1 (3 minutes after pretreatment), T2 (before intubation), and T3 (1 minute after intubation).Results: The incidences of cough in group N, group O, and group S were 20 (41.6%), 7 (14.5%), and 6 (12.5%), respectively. Compared with group N, group O and group S exhibited significantly reduced incidence and severity of cough, and the severity of cough in group O and group S was dramatically reduced compared with that in group N (P). No significant differences in the rangeability of MAP and HR were noted at the four time points in the three groups (P> 0.05).Conclusion: Intravenous oxycodone (0.02 mg/kg) and sufentanil (0.02 μg/kg) represent effective approaches to reducing SIC in anesthesia induction and ensuring a relatively stable hemodynamic state during general anesthesia induction.Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR1900021087, registered date: January 28, 2019), http://www.chictr.org.cn

In is paper, the hydrate decomposition behaviours in the sediments were captured by the Cryo-SEM method, and the microcosmic characteristics of sand production during the decomposition process were analyzed. (1) The gas hydrate decomposition increases pore space and reduces reservoir strength: The expansion action of decomposition water & gas, softening action of decomposition water and compression action by overlying stress (crustal stress) promoted sand production, deformation and subsidence of NGH reservoirs in the mining process. (2) Decomposition of NGH has a greater impact on sediments with smaller particle size. (3) The particle size of NGH may be larger than the particle size of mud in the reservoirs, and acting as "gravel" plays a certain role in sand control. Therefore, the particle size of NGH cannot be ignored in the design of sand control. (4) It has been revealed and verified that sputtering (splashing) is a unique process for sand production caused by NGH decomposition. In other words, the rapid expansion of the volume by decomposed gas and water from NGH leads to eruption and sputtering of hydrate particles, providing the driving force for sand migration, which is the different way of sand production in conventional oil and gas.

Background: Ovarian cancer (OC) is the most frequent cause of deaths in gynecologic malignancies. Mechanisms have been proposed via RNAseq and DNAseq technique recently. However, the driving factors are still obscure. The possible reasons are attributed to the incomplete human reference. Methods: This study integrated the mapping-based and mapping-free protocol to achieve a comprehensive analysis of OC patients. Findings: We eventually obtained 450 reliable single nucleotide variants (SNVs) from the whole exome sequencing (WES) data and novel events from the RNAseq data, including 154 SNVs, 462 intron events, two repeats and six splice events. We identified six differentially expressed genes and six contigs that are significantly related to survival prognosis. Interpretation: This study integrated the mapping-based and mapping-free protocol to achieve comprehensive analysis of OC patients. Both RNAseq and WES data were applied to obtain novel transcriptional events and convincing SNVs. The novel events were validated using an independent cohort of 20 Chinese OC patients. Funding: This study was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (Grant No. Q20H160028, LYY19H310001), Medical and Health Research Project of Zhejiang Province (2020KY059, 2021KY589). Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: All procedures performed in this study involving human participants were consistent with the ethics standards of the Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethics standards. The ethics committee of Zhejiang Cancer Hospital approved this study. All tissues were collected from the biobank of Zhejiang Cancer Hospital (Reference number IRB-2019-5).

Poorly water-soluble naringenin (NAR) was selected as a model drug and loaded into the porous MOFs for the construction of NAR@ZIF-8 inclusion complex. By film dispersion method, NAR@ZIF-8 was further encapsulated into liposomes to fabricate a novel drug delivery system. Liposomes and a novel drug delivery system were established. Subsequently, the lipid-drug ratio, phospholipid-cholesterol ratio, and hydration temperature were investigated using the Box-Behnken design based the single factor experiment. The prepared liposomes system showed spherical or quasi-spherical shape, uniform particle size distribution, and complete structure. More specifically, the average particle size was 113.2 ± 1.4 nm, and zeta potential was − 7.536 ± 0.264 mV. Moreover, the drug release behaviors of NAR, NAR@ZIF-8, and NAR@ZIF-8 liposomes were explored in vitro. Compared with free NAR and NAR@ZIF-8 which exhibited a burst drug release, NAR@ZIF-8 liposomes showed a more sustained release behavior with 79.86% drug release in 72 h. In vitro cytotoxicity experiments showed that, compared with free NAR and NAR@ZIF-8, NAR@ZIF-8 liposomes exhibited higher inhibition efficiency on lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells and gastric cancer SGC-7901 cells in a concentration-dependent manner.

Phase equilibrium conditions for tetrabutylphosphonium chloride (TBPC) + CH4 double semiclathrate hydrates (SCHs) were determined to evaluate the stabilization effect of TBPC for potential applications of hydrate-based gas separation and storage. The equilibrium data revealed that TBPC strongly enhances the stability of CH4 hydrates by increasing the equilibrium temperature at a given pressure, and the system showed the strongest stabilization effect at a TBPC mass fraction of 0.30. The dissociation enthalpies of (TBPC + CH4) SCHs were calculated from the experimental data obtained in this work using the Clausius–Clapeyron equation and the Peng–Robinson equation of state. It was found that the mean dissociation enthalpies for (TBPC + CH4) SCHs with TBPC mass fractions of 0.05 to 0.50 were (135.49 to 158.32) kJ·(mol of CH4)−1, which were much higher than that of the pure CH4 hydrate. In addition, to identify the molecular behavior and hydrate structure, Raman spectroscopy measurements were conducted at 203...

Tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) could form semiclathrate hydrate under milder conditions compared to gas hydrate and, thus, effectively improve the thermodynamic stability of gas hydrate. To evaluate the effect of TBAB on the formation kinetics of methane hydrates, the kinetic properties of TBAB + CH4 semiclathrate hydrate were investigated with an isobaric method at 7.0 MPa with salt mass fraction and subcooling degree varying from 0.05 to 0.60 and from 4 to 10 K, respectively. The result showed that, with a higher salt concentration and subcooling degree, the induction time presented its stochastic property, while the normalized gas consumption and gas consumption rate were relatively constant and higher, respectively. In addition, Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) device, and cryo-scanning electron microscopy were employed to identify the molecular behavior and observe the morphology of the hydrate. The spectra of Raman and PXRD revealed that the CH4 molecules were encaged in dodeca...

Modulation of inhibitor kappa B kinase-beta (IKK-β) kinase activity could be useful for preventing inflammation that serves an efficient role in protection against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). IKK-β induces inflammation by activating transcription factor NF-kappa B (NF-κB) through phosphorylation of IκB. Therefore, IKK-β is considered an interesting target for protecting and treating CVDs. The cardioprotective potential of terpenoids, alkaloids and quinines may be related to modulating inflammatory responses. In this study, the interactions between different classes of inhibitors and IKK-β were investigated, through the application of SystemsDock. Molecular docking results showed that Diosgenin and Ginsenoside Re were the top docking score compounds. Diosgenin and Ginsenoside Re are the most promising IKK-β inhibitors in terpenoids, alkaloids, and quinones. Diosgenin and Ginsenoside Re could be helpful to find the lead compounds on designing and developing novel cardioprotective agents.

Hydrate formation and agglomeration in oil and gas pipelines is a serious safety and environmental problem. An eco-friendly and effective anti-agglomerant is a promising candidate to mitigate gas hydrate blockage risk environmentally and economically. This study evaluated the anti-agglomeration effect of mixed biosurfactants (rhamnolipid + trehalose lipids) through the torque changes during the CH4 hydrate growth process. The results showed that mixed biosurfactants greatly decreased the force needed for the system to be flowing. A surprising synergistic effect functioned for mixed biosurfactants, leading to the decease of dosage needed for anti-agglomeration. The CH4 hydrate formation kinetics was also studied, and the data revealed that mixed biosurfactants could fasten the gas dissolution process while did not greatly change the hydrate growth rate. In addition, the Raman spectra for CH4 hydrate formed with mixed biosurfactants were obtained and analyzed. It demonstrated that the added biosurfactants decreased the hydration number by increasing the small cage occupancy. Meanwhile, the hydrate surface became regular and smooth, which contributed to preventing hydrate blockage in oil and gas system.

For potential application in advanced gas storage at moderate temperatures, a systematic study on tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) + CH4 semiclathrate hydrate formation kinetics was conducted using isobaric kinetics measurements to evaluate the effects of pressure (6.0, 3.0 MPa), temperature (278 K, subcooling degree of 6 K), and salt concentration (0.10, 0.20, 0.30, 0.34, 0.45 mass fraction). The results revealed that the systems showed shorter induction time, higher normalized gas consumption and higher rapid growth rate under a higher supersaturation environment, represented by higher pressure or lower temperature. Besides, the effect of salt concentration was complicated. With the increase of salt concentration, the total gas consumption was almost the same while the normalized gas consumption decreased greatly, indicating that the amount of CH4 trapped in the hydrate unit greatly decreased and the system with low salt concentration was a good choice for advanced gas storage. In addition, a Raman device was employed to reveal the structural properties. The spectra showed that the (TBAC + CH4) semiclathrate hydrates were formed with hexagonal structure or tetragonal structure under different salt concentrations, which were different from the structures of pure TBAC hydrate. It was assumed that at low salt concentrations the addition of CH4 induced the formation of hexagonal structure since it had three 512 cages per TBAC which was higher than that of the tetragonal structure.

The kinetic effects of N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide ([Py14]-Br) on the formation of CO2 gas hydrates were experimentally investigated. Both of the induction time of CO2 hydrates formation and the formation rates were investigated in the aqueous solutions of [Py14]-Br at different concentrations. Pressure and temperature changes versus time during the hydrate formation process were measured under the isochoric conditions. The induction time had a trend to decrease with the increase of initial pressure or subcooling. [Py14]-Br aqueous solution could delay the induction time compared with pure water system at relatively high subcooling, while it appeared to have no inhibition effect at low subcooling, even enhanced the formation of gas hydrates. It was interesting to find that [Py14]-Br at a low mass fraction could slow the formation rate of CO2 gas hydrate, while it had a promotion effect at high mass fraction. The same promotion effect was also found by PVP at the mass fraction of 2.0%. So [Py14]-Br not only acted as kinetic inhibitor but also promoter of CO2 gas hydrate under different situations. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In this work, the phase equilibrium data of methane hydrate in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and tetra-n-butylammonium chloride (TBAC) mixed aqueous solutions were investigated in the temperature range of (279.6 to 301.5) K and pressure range of (3.74 to 11.62) MPa. The measurements were carried out at mass fraction of 0.019 THF with the mass fraction of 0.020, 0.050, 0.101, 0.201, and 0.340 TBAC, and 0.058 THF with 0.102, 0.202, and 0.340 TBAC. The phase equilibrium data were obtained by the isochoric pressure-search method. The results showed that the addition of THF + TBAC could remarkably increase the phase equilibrium temperatures compared to the equilibrium temperature of pure CH4 hydrate. However, the addition of THF + TBAC mixtures did not push the CH4 hydrates equilibrium temperature to a higher degree compared to the addition of single THF. In stabilizing hydrate crystals, the TBAC played a positive role when the concentration of THF was low, but a negative role when the concentration of THF became high.

Dissociation temperatures of mixed tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) + tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) semiclathrate hydrates were determined by using the DSC technique. The system was measured in five groups with a fixed total mole fraction (x = 0.0100, 0.0200, and 0.0337), TBAB mole fraction (xTBAB = 0.0370) or TBAC mole fraction (xTBAC = 0.0337). The obtained results demonstrated that at a given x, the dissociation temperatures of mixed (TBAB + TBAC) semiclathrate hydrates were all higher than that of pure TBAB hydrate, and the maximum dissociation temperature appeared at xTBAB/x = 0.25 instead of xTBAB/x = 0 or 1 (corresponding to pure TBAC or TBAB hydrate). In addition, for systems with fixed xTBAB or xTBAC, TBAC gained the control of forming TBAC semiclathrate hydrate preferentially.

Low dosage hydrate inhibitor (LDHI) is an effective choice to prevent hydrate formation and blockage in petroleum and natural gas processing industry. This study investigated the effect of dodecyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride (DDBAC) on CH4 hydrate growth and agglomeration in oil-water systems. Hydrate formation kinetics and torque changes were determined with the isothermal-isochoric method. The kinetic experimental results revealed that 0.35 wt% DDBAC exerted a strong and stable inhibition effect on CH4 hydrate growth, represented by long induction time and low gas uptake amount. The chemical affinity modeling calculation results showed that DDBAC decreased normalized hydrate formation rate and increased the kinetic equilibrium time. The torque changes demonstrated that anti-agglomeration effect strengthened with the increase of DDBAC mass fraction. In addition, the mechanism of CH4 hydrate formation in studied system was proposed combining the experimental results, hydrate morphology and DDBAC’s properties. It showed that DDBAC could hinder gas dissolution in oil phase, separate hydrate particles from each other and make hydrate surface soft. These results are of fundamental value in developing LDHI and understanding the mechanism of hydrate formation, which are essential in preventing hydrate blockage and ensuring safety production of oil and gas.

This work aims at reporting the dissociation pressures of carbon dioxide simple hydrates in the aqueous solution of N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide at four different mass fractions (0.01, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.20) in the pressure range of (2.34 to 3.13) MPa and in the temperature range of (276.63 to 280.63) K, respectively. The experiment was carried out by employing an isochoric pressure-search method. The obtained CO2 hydrate equilibrium data in pure water were compared with those from literatures, and the good agreement demonstrated the good reliability and accuracy of our experimental apparatus and method. The equilibrium data measured with the addition of N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bromide showed that it acted as a thermodynamic inhibitor to change the hydrate stable region to lower temperature or higher pressures. Also, with the mass fraction increasing, the inhibition effect became stronger. However, it was a weak thermodynamic inhibitor compared with some conventional ones.

Dissociation data for the semiclathrate hydrates formed with tetraamylammonium bromide (TAAB: C20H44NBr) + CH4, + CO2, or + N2 were measured in the pressure range of (1.33 to 20.37) MPa and temperature range of (279.8 to 291.9) K at (0.050 and 0.100) mass fraction of TAAB. The experimental data were obtained by employing an isochoric pressure-search method. The results showed that at a given pressure, the temperature required to form double TAAB + CH4, + CO2, or + N2 hydrates was higher than that required for the corresponding pure CH4, CO2, or N2 hydrates, and as the TAAB concentration increased, its effect of enlarging the hydrate stability zone was strengthened. However, the experimental dissociation temperatures for double semiclathrate hydrates were lower than those for TAAB hydrates formed without guest gases. In addition, the data for double semiclathrate hydrates formed from TAAB generated in this work were compared with those formed from some other semiclathrate hydrate formers (such as tetrabuty...

In this work, based on the van der Waals–Platteeuw (vdW–P) theory, a thermodynamic approach is proposed to determine the phase equilibria of semiclathrate hydrates formed with tetrabutyl ammonium halide (fluoride, chloride, or bromide) and guest gas (CH 4 or CO 2 ). The Peng–Robinson equation of state (PR-EoS) and electrolyte-Non-Random Two-Liquid (e-NRTL) activity model are employed to obtain the fugacity of gaseous hydrate formers and activity coefficients of species in the aqueous phase, respectively. In addition, two modifications for evaluations of vapor pressure of water in the empty hydrate lattice and Langmuir constants relating to the salt concentrations in aqueous solution and temperature are applied. It is shown that the model results are in acceptable agreement with the experimental data on phase equilibria for studied systems over wide temperature, pressure, and salt concentration ranging from 280.1 to 304.8 K, from 0.172 to 9.932 MPa, and from 0.02 to 0.35, respectively.

Phase equilibrium conditions of the CH4, CO2, or N2 semiclathrate hydrates formed with tetraamylammonium chloride (TAAC: C20H44NCl) aqueous solution at 0.328 mass fraction, corresponding to the stoichiometric composition of TAAC·38H2O, were experimentally measured. The experimental data were obtained in the temperature range of (279.9 to 292.8) K and pressure range of (2.11 to 16.40) MPa by employing an isochoric pressure-search method. The results showed that double semiclathrate hydrates of TAAC + CH4, TAAC + CO2, and TAAC + N2 all had an obvious advantage in thermal stability compared to the corresponding pure CH4, CO2, and N2 hydrates. In addition, some comparisons were made between our data and experimental equilibrium data from the open literature for semiclathrate hydrates formed with various semiclathrate hydrate formers.

In this paper, phase equilibrium data of the double tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBACl: C16H36ClN) semiclathrate hydrate with a guest gas (CO2 or N2) at four different TBACl concentrations (0.06, 0.15, 0.34, and 0.44 mass fraction) were experimentally measured by employing an isochoric pressure-search method in the temperature range of (282.9 to 293.2) K and at pressures up to 13.57 MPa, respectively. The results demonstrated that double TBACl + CO2 (or N2) semiclathrate hydrates had an obvious advantage in thermal stability compared to pure CO2 (or N2) hydrates. And the strongest stabilization effect was observed with the application of TBACl at 0.34 mass fraction, corresponding to TBACl·30H2O. In addition, the results were compared with the corresponding data reported in open literature. The comparisons showed that some literature data seemed to be not reliable.

Hydrate phase equilibrium conditions for the simulated landfill gas (LFG) of methane and carbon dioxide (50 mol% methane, 50 mol% carbon dioxide) were investigated with the pressure range of (1.90 to 13.83) MPa and temperature range of (280.0 to 288.3) K at (0.050, 0.170, 0.340, and 0.394) mass fraction (w) of tetrabutylammonium nitrate (TBANO3). The phase boundary between liquid–vapor–hydrate (L–V–H) phases and liquid–vapor (L–V) phases was determined by employing an isochoric pressure-search method. The phase equilibrium data measured showed that TBANO3 appeared a remarkable promotion effect at w TBANO 3 = 0.394, corresponding to TBANO3 · 26H2O, but inhibition effect at w TBANO 3 = (0.050, or 0.170) on the semiclathrate hydrate formation. In addition, the application of TBANO3 at 0.340 mass fraction, corresponding to TBANO3 · 32H2O, displayed promotion effect at lower pressures (below 6.38 MPa) and inhibition effect at higher pressures (above 6.38 MPa).

In this paper, phase equilibrium data of tetrabutylphosphonium bromide (TBPB) + CO2, + N2 semiclathrate hydrates were measured by employing an isochoric pressure-search method. The experimental temperature, pressure, and mass fraction of TBPB ranged from (282.2 to 292.0) K, from (1.32 to 16.86) MPa, and from (0.050 to 0.600), respectively. The results demonstrated that at a given pressure, the temperature required to form mixed TBPB + CO2, + N2 hydrates was significantly higher than that required for forming pure CO2 or N2 hydrates. In addition, the application of TBPB at 0.371 mass fraction, corresponding to TBPB·32H2O, showed the strongest stabilization effect.

2-[F-18]Fluoroethyl azide ([F-18]FEA) and terminal alkynyl modified propioloyl RGDfK were selected in this study. [F-18]FEA was prepared by nucleophilic radiofluorination of 2-azidoethyl 4-toluenesulfonate with radiochemical yield of 71 +/- 4% (n = 5, decay-corrected). We assessed the various conditions of the CuAAC reaction between [F-18]FEA and propioloyl RGDfK, which included peptide concentration, reaction time, temperature and catalyst dosage. The F-18-labeled-RGD peptide ([F-18]F-RGDfK) could be obtained in 60 min by a two-step radiochemical synthesis route, with total radiochemical yield of 60 +/- 2% (n = 3, decay-corrected) through click chemistry. [F-18]F-RGDfK showed high stability in phosphate buffered saline and new-born calf serum. Micro-PET imaging at 1 h post injection of [F-18]F-RGDfK showed medium concentration of radioactivity in tumors while much decreased concentration in tumors in the blocking group. These results showed that [F-18]F-RGDfK obtained by click chemistry maintained the affinity and specificity of the RGDfK peptide to integrin alpha(v)beta(3). This study provided useful information for peptide radiofluorination by using click chemistry. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective To evaluate ¹²⁵I-labeled anti-carbonic anhydrase IX monoclonal antibody (¹²⁵I-MAb) as a novel single-photon emission computed tomography tracer for imaging carbonic anhydrase IX in the mice bearing HT-29 tumors. Methods Anti-carbonic anhydrase IX monoclonal antibody was labeled with iodine-125 by the iodogen method. The radiochemical purity of ¹²⁵I-MAb was measured by radio-thin-layer chromatography. The in-vitro stability of ¹²⁵I-MAb was determined in PBS (0.05 mol/l, pH 7.4) or new-born calf serum at 37°C, and analyzed by radio-thin-layer chromatography. A biodistribution study and planar imaging were carried out in the mice bearing HT-29 tumors. The expression of CA IX in HT-29 tumors was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Results ¹²⁵I-MAb was obtained with a radiolabeling efficiency of 98%, and showed high stability in PBS and new-born calf serum. Furthermore, the biodistribution study showed specific tumor uptake in the mice bearing HT-29 tumors, and planar imaging with ¹²⁵I-MAb 48 h post injection showed a high concentration of radioactivity in tumors and a much decreased concentration in tumors in the blocking group. An immunohistochemical analysis showed the expression of CA IX in HT-29 tumors. Conclusion The preliminary biodistribution study and results from planar imaging showed the potential of ¹²⁵I-MAb as an agent for tumor diagnosis and encouraged further investigation.

Objective To observe the effect of preoperative effect on peri-operative pain in patients following a thoracotomy.

The aim of this study was to develop a radiopharmaceutical for the imaging of CXCR4-expressing tumors in vivo. For 125I-labeling, 125I-SIB was synthesized and conjugated with the e-NH2 group of Ac-TZ14011, a specific CXCR4 antagonist. The specific radioactivity of the product was 5 GBq/μmol and the radiochemical purity (RCP) was 96% (n = 3). After 6 h, the RCP of the product in PBS was 93%. The MCF-7 cell uptake of Ac-TZ14011 was rapid and high. Primary biodistribution studies indicated that 125I-IB-Ac-TZ14011 was mainly excreted via the kidney, and further evaluation in mice with induced tumors was necessary.

To explore the feasibility and safety on lung resection surgery with the combined method of microinjection acupuncture (MIA) and intravenous anesthesia instead of compound traditional acupuncture and drug anesthesia (ADA).Ninety cases of lung resection surgery were randomized into a general anesthesia group, a MIA group and a ADA group, 30 cases in each one. In the general anesthesia group, before surgery, the intramuscular injection of atropine 0. 5 mg was used; during surgery, the anesthesia induction was followed with intravenous injection of fentanyl citrate, propofol and rocuronium bromide and the dosage was increased accordingly; after surgery, the analgesia pump was applied. In the MIA group, on the basis of general anesthesia, before anesthesia induction, the acupoint catgut embedding was applied to Jiaji (EX-B 2) of T4 , T6 and T, , Feishui (BL 13), Xinshu (BL 15) and Geshu (BL 17) on the affected side and bilateral Quchi (LI 11) and Zusanli (ST 36); after surgery, the analgesia pump was applied. In the ADA group, on the basis of general anesthesia, before! anesthesia induction, electroacupuncture (EA) was applied to Hegu (LI 4), Neiguan (PC 6) , Houxi (SI 3) and Zhigou (TE 6) for 30 min; during surgery, EA and intravenous medication were combined at the same acupoints as those before surgery; after surgery, moxibustion and the analgesia pump were applied in combination for analgesia. In each group, the biological indices were monitored during surgery at 11 time points named T. (before anesthesia I induction), T1 (intubation in general anesthesia induction), T2 (skin incision), T3 (rib exposure in muscular incision) T. (chest open), T, (lung removal), T6 (drainage tube implantation), T7 (chest closure), T (muscular stitching), T, (skin stitching) and T0 (extubation). The actual dosage of anesthetics during surgery and the, dosage of fentanyl citrate in analgesia pump were quantified after surgery. Results (1) In the MIA group and ADA group, the increased dosage of fentanyl citrate was less than that in the general anesthesia group [(1. 23±0. 28) µg . kg-1 . h-1 vs (2. 4±0. 54µg. kg-1 . h-1, (1. 1±0. 38µg . kg-1 . h-1 vs (2. 4±0. 54µg. kg-1 . h-1 , both P0. 05]. The increased dosage of propofol and rocuronium bromide was not different during surgery among the groups (all P0. 05). (2) In the MIA group and ADA group, after surgery, the increased dosage of fentanyl citrate was less than that in the general anesthesia group [(11. 0±1. 04)µg/kg vs (15. 4±1. 52µg/kg, (11. 5±1. 38µg/kg vs (15. 4±1. 52µg/kg, both P0. 05], reducing by 25% in comparison. (3) The differences in heart rate and blood pressure at 11 time points during surgery were not significant among the three groups (all P0. 05).n The combined method of MIA and intravenous anesthesia significantly reduces the dosage of intravenous anesthetics during and after lung resection surgery as compared with ADA, presenting the similar analgesic effect as simple intravenous medication and the good safety. The combined method of MIA and intravenous anesthesia is much