The clinical study of ultrasound-guided intra-hysteromyoma injection of ethyl alcohol absolute combined with HIFU in the treatment of uterine fibroids

Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the energy deposition in the target area of high intensity focused ultrasound （HIFU） with ultrasound-guided intra-hysteromyoma injection of ethyl alcohol absolute Methods Eighty patients with hysteromyomas were randomly divided into two groups： group HIFU （group H） and group HIFU combined with ullrasound-guided inlra-hysteromyoma injectionn of ethyl alcohol absolute （group E ＋ H）. Patients in group E ＋ H received an ullrasound-guided injection of absolute ethyl alcohol 1 h before HIFU treatment. The irradiation time, irradiation dose, energy efficiency factor （radiation energy required for ablation of a myoma per unit of volume）, grey variation, pain score, and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. An independent sample t-test was used with a two- tailed P-value of 〈 0.05. Results The irradiation time, irradiation dose, and energy efficiency factor were significantly lower in group E ＋ H than those in group H （P 〈 0.05）. The hysteromyomas of patients in group E＋H appeared as dominantly hyperechoic masses, and those of patients in group H appeared as hyperechoic tissue （non- mass）. The incidence of adverse reactions and pain score were higher in group H than those in group E ＋ H （P 〈 0.05）. Conclusion Ultrasound-guided inlra-hysteromyoma injection of ethyl alcohol absolute can enhance the energy deposition of HIFU in the uterine fibroids, improve the treatment efficiency, shorten the treatment time, reduce the treatment dose, and reduce the pain and complications for the patients.

Inhibition of EGFR Suppresses Ethyl Alcohol and Tobacco Cell Effects on Growth of Human Oral Keratinocytes and Human Papillomavirus 16 Entry as a Function of Furin

Background: Reported are increased risks for malignant transformation in human oral keratinocytes (HOK) from ethyl alcohol (ETOH), tobacco products or human papilloma virus oncogenic subtype 16 (HPV 16) infections. We examined various HOK cell responses to these factors to show inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) also inhibits furin;proprotein convertase (FC) and HPV 16 entry in HOK. Methods: Immortalized HOK by HPV 16 (HPV 16B) or human telomerase (hTERT);primary foreskin keratinocytes (NHFK), primary HOK, buccal keratinocytes (NHBK) and oral SCC-25 were treated with dibenz[a,l]pyrene (DBP), anthraquinone;nitrosamine (NNAL) or ethyl alcohol (ETOH) and acetaldehyde (AA). ETOH was tested for synthesis of malondialdehyde (MDA) and alcohol dehydrogenase expression (ADH). ETOH, and PAH were evaluated by Western immunoblot for oncogene changes, and phosphorylated EGFR expression. Inhibition of EGFR by WZ4002 and Erlotinib and/or carcinogens effect on HPV 16 entry were studied. A green fluorescent pseudovirus (PsV);chloromethylketone (CMK) an inhibitor of furin activity and Western immunoblot of furin cell distribution further characterized HPV 16 entry. Results: ETOH (10 μM) increased expression of phosphorylated EGFR and HPV 16 entry through furin activity, and membrane, nuclear and cytoskeletal accumulations. CMK suppressed HPV 16 entry and blockage of ADH while aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enhanced HPV 16 entry. Similarly PAH, DBP (4-8 nM), anthraquinone (98 nM) and NNAL (6.9 μM) enhanced HPV 16 entry through furin activity and membrane, nuclear and cytoskeletal accumulations. Furthermore, WZ4002 and Erlotinib suppressed expressions of phosphorylated EGFR, FC activity, and HPV 16 entry. ETOH and DBP treatments also enhanced expressions of protease activated receptor-1 (PAR-1), and p21waf1 while depressed p16 and p27KIP1 expressions in HOK/HPV 16B cells. Conclusion: EGFR inhibitors are candidates for suppression of alcohol and tobacco effects on EGFR phosphorylated expression;keratinocyte growth, and HPV 16 entry and prevention treatment for HPV related diseases.

Dosimeter Film Based on Ethyl Violet-Bromophenol Blue Dyed Poly(Vinyl Alcohol)

Dyed poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films, prepared by a simple technique of casting aqueous solutions of PVA containing a mixture of Ethyl violet and bromophenol blue (EV-BPB) on a horizontal glass plate, are useful as routine high-dose dosimeter in the 1 - 30 kGy range. The color of films changes from violet to yellow when exposed to gamma radiation. The response of this dosimeter depends up on the concentration of chloral hydrate (CH) in the polymer material. The radiation chemical yield (G-value) of PVA dyed film was calculated and found to increase by increasing concentration of chloral hydrate. Post-irradiation storage on the response of the films are discussed. The overall combined uncertainty (at 2σ) associated with measurement of response (ΔA mm-1) at 600 nm for dose range 1 - 15 kGy is 5.6%.

Imaging characteristics of hypervascular focal nodular hyperplasialike lesions in patients with chronic alcoholic liver disease

BACKGROUND Focal nodular hyperplasia(FNH)-like lesions are hyperplastic formations in patients with micronodular cirrhosis and a history of alcohol abuse.Although pathologically similar to hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)lesions,they are benign.As such,it is important to develop methods to distinguish between FNH-like lesions and HCC.AIM To evaluate diagnostically differential radiological findings between FNH-like lesions and HCC.METHODS We studied pathologically confirmed FNH-like lesions in 13 patients with alco-holic cirrhosis[10 men and 3 women;mean age:54.5±12.5(33-72)years]who were negative for hepatitis-B surface antigen and hepatitis-C virus antibody and underwent dynamic computed tomography(CT)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI),including superparamagnetic iron oxide(SPIO)and/or gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI.Seven patients also underwent angiography-assisted CT.RESULTS The evaluated lesion features included arterial enhancement pattern,washout appearance(low density compared with that of surrounding liver parenchyma),signal intensity on T1-weighted image(T1WI)and T2-weighted image(T2WI),central scar presence,chemical shift on in-and out-of-phase images,and uptake pattern on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI hepatobiliary phase and SPIO-enhanced MRI.Eleven patients had multiple small lesions(<1.5 cm).Radiological features of FNH-like lesions included hypervascularity despite small lesions,lack of“corona-like”enhancement in the late phase on CT during hepatic angiography(CTHA),high-intensity on T1WI,slightly high-or iso-intensity on T2WI,no signal decrease in out-of-phase images,and complete SPIO uptake or incomplete/partial uptake of gadoxetic acid.Pathologically,similar to HCC,FNH-like lesions showed many unpaired arteries and sinusoidal capillarization.CONCLUSION Overall,the present study showed that FNH-like lesions have unique radiological findings useful for differential diagnosis.Specifically,SPIO-and/or gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI and CTHA features might facilitate differential diagnosis of FNH-like lesions and HCC.

Therapy for alcoholic liver disease

Alcoholism results in about 2.5 million deaths annually worldwide, representing 4% of all mortality. Although alcoholism is associated with more than 60 diseases, most mortality from alcoholism results from alcoholic liver disease (ALD). ALD includes alcoholic steatosis, alcoholic hepatitis, and alcoholic cirrhosis, in order of increasing severity. Important scoring systems of ALD severity include: Child-Pugh, a semi-quantitative scoring system useful to roughly characterize clinical severity; model for end-stage liver disease, a quantitative, objective scoring system used for prognostication and prioritization for liver transplantation; and discriminant function, used to determine whether to administer corticosteroids for alcoholic hepatitis. Abstinence is the cornerstone of ALD therapy. Psychotherapies, including twelve-step facilitation therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and motivational enhancement therapy, help support abstinence. Disulfiram decreases alcohol consumption by causing unpleasant sensations after drinking alcohol from accumulation of acetaldehyde in serum, but disulfiram can be hepatotoxic. Adjunctive pharmacotherapies to reduce alcohol consumption include naltrexone, acamprosate, and baclofen. Nutritional therapy helps reverse muscle wasting, weight loss, vitamin deficiencies, and trace element deficiencies associated with ALD. Although reduced protein intake was previously recommended for advanced ALD to prevent hepatic encephalopathy, a diet containing 1.2-1.5 g of protein/kg per day is currently recommended to prevent muscle wasting. Corticosteroids are first-line therapy for severe alcoholic hepatitis (discriminant function &#x02265; 32), but proof of their efficacy in decreasing mortality remains elusive. Pentoxifylline is an alternative therapy. Complications of advanced ALD include ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, esophageal variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, hepatorenal syndrome, hepatopulmonary syndrome, and portopulmonary hypertension. Alcoholic cirrhotics have increased risk of developing hepatomas. Liver transplantation is the ultimate therapy for severe ALD, but generally requires 6 mo of proven abstinence for eligibility. Alcoholic cirrhotics who maintain abstinence generally have a relatively favorable prognosis after liver transplantation.

Aerobic Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol Catalyzed by Cu-Mn Mixed Oxides and 2,2,6,6-Tetramethyl-piperidyl-1-oxyl

Heterogeneous Cu-Mn mixed oxides can mediate TEMPO-catalyzed selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol by molecular oxygen under neutral condition, and is recyclable. In the case of the molar ratio of Cu and Mn over 1, the highly-dispersed CuO inside the Cu-Mn mixed oxides is responsible for the good performances in catalytic oxidation.

Controlled delivery of ibuprofen from poly(vinyl alcohol)-poly(ethylene glycol) interpenetrating polymeric network hydrogels

Hydrogels composed of poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) and poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) were synthesized using glutaraldehyde as crosslinker and investigated for controlled delivery of the common anti-inflammatory drug, ibuprofen(IBF). To regulate the drug delivery, solid inclusion complexes(ICs) of IBF in β–cyclodextrin(β–CD) were prepared and added to the hydrogels. The ICs were prepared by the microwave irradiation method, which is more environmentally benign. The formation of IC was confirmed by various analytical techniques and the synthesized hydrogels were also characterized. Controlled release of drug was achieved from the hydrogels containing the ICs in comparison to the rapid release from hydrogels containing free IBF.The preliminary kinetic analysis emphasized the crucial role of β–CD in the drug release process that influences the polymer relaxation, thereby leading to prolonged release. The cytotoxicity assay validated the hydrogels as non-toxic in nature and hence can be utilized for controlled delivery of IBF.

2,4,6-Trichloro-1,3,5-triazine/dimethylformamide as an efficient reagent for one-pot conversion of alcohols into N-alkylphthalimides

An efficient and mild method for the direct conversion of alcohols into N-alkylphthalimides using 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine and dimethylformamide was described.The reaction was preceded via(alcoxymethylene) dimethylammonium chloride intermediate and produced corresponding N-alkylphthalimides in good-to-excellent yields.

Protective Effects of Tetramethylpyrazine on Cerebrovascular Regulations in Rats with Chronic Alcoholic Encephalopathy

Recent studies showed that pathology of alcoholic encephalopathy was associated with cerebral vascular damage.TMP（tetramethylpyrazine）is widely used in the treatment of cerebrovascular diseases,however,it has not been reported whether TMP can relieve alcohol-induced

Recycling and depolymerization of waste polyethylene terephthalate bottles by alcohol alkali hydrolysis

In this work,a novel alcohol alkali hydrolysis method was explored for the preparation of terephthalic acid(TPA)from waste polyethylene terephthalate(PET).First,a series of single factor experiments on the depolymerization rate of waste PET bottles and the yield of TPA were conducted to determine the optimized experimental conditions,in terms of reaction time,reaction temperature,dosage of ethylene glycol and sodium bicarbonate,amount of distilled water and stirring rate.Then IR spectra and elemental analysis were carried out for the characterization of obtained product.Under optimal experimental conditions,over 98%PET can be depolymerized into the target product(TPA)and the purity and yield of TPA are over 97%and 94%,respectively.Both the experimental and analytical results support a feasible process for the preparation of TPA from waste PET.It is expected that this alcohol alkali hydrolysis method can promise an effective way for the sustainable recycling of waste PET.

Asymmetric Addition of Diethylzinc to Aldehydes Catalyzed by Chiral γ_Amino Alcohols

New chiral gamino alcohols 1-4 were synthesized and applied in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to aldehydes to give sec-alcohol with up to 94.0% enantiomeric excess.

Role of transmethylation reactions in alcoholic liver disease

Alcoholic liver disease is a major health care problem worldwide. Findings from many laboratories, including ours, have demonstrated that ethanol feeding impairs several of the many steps involved in methionine metabolism. Ethanol consumption predominantly results in a decrease in the hepatocyte level of S-adenosylmethionine and the increases in two toxic metabolites, homocysteine and S-adenosylhomocysteine. These changes, in turn, result in serious functional consequences which include decreases in essential methylation reactions v/a inhibition of various methyltransferases. Of particular interest to our laboratory is the inhibition of three important enzymes, phosphatidylethanolamine methyltransferase, isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase and protein L-isoaspartate methyltransferase. Decreased activity of these enzymes results in increased fat deposition, increased apoptosis and increased accumulation of damaged proteins- all of which are hallmark features of alcoholic liver injury. Of all the therapeutic modalities available, betaine has been shown to be the safest, least expensive and most effective in attenuating ethanol-induced liver injury. Betaine, by virtue of aiding in the remethylation of homocysteine, removes both toxic metabolites （homocysteine and S-adenosylhomocysteine）, restores S-adenosylmethionine level, and reverses steatosis, apoptosis and damaged proteins accumulation. In conclusion, betaine appears to be a promising therapeutic agent in relieving the methylation and other defects associated with alcoholic abuse.

Solvent-free alkylation of dimethyl malonate using benzyl alcohols catalyzed by FeCl_3/SiO_2

Activated methylene compound such as dimethyl malonate reacted readily with benzylic alcohols in the presence of ferric chloride/silica gel mixture （FeCl3/SiO2） under microwave irradiation to produce benzylic derivative of dimethyl malonate in high yields in solvent-free condition. 2009 Mohammad Reza Shushizadeh. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Porous alumina ceramic via gelcasting based on2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate dissolved in tert-butyl alcohol

To obtain porous alumina ceramic with high strength,a novel gelcasting system based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate(HEMA)dissolved in tert-butyl alcohol(TBA)was developed.The polymerization of the HEMA-TBA gelcasting system,the thermal behavior of obtained green body,and the microstructures and mechanical properties of the sintered bodies were investigated by rheometer,TG-DSC,SEM and bending strength testing,respectively.The results show that,(1)10 mg/mL of the initiator(benzoyl peroxide)is the optimal amount for polymerization of this gelscasting system at 25 ℃;(2)The alumina suspension of the HEMA-TBA gelcasting system showing shear-thinning behavior is sufficiently low for gelcasting process;(3)The bending strength of porous alumina ceramic samples,whose porosities range from 42% to 56%,is from(8±0.5)to(91±4.5)MPa.

Hospitalizations for alcoholic liver disease during the COVID-19 pandemic increased more for women,especially young women,compared to men

BACKGROUND Alcoholic liver disease(ALD)remains one of the major indications for liver transplantation in the United States and continues to place a burden on the national healthcare system.There is evidence of increased alcohol consumption during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,and the effect of this on the already burdened health systems remains unknown.AIM To assess the trends for ALD admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic,and compare it to a similar pre-pandemic period.METHODS This retrospective study analyzed all admissions at a tertiary health care system,which includes four regional hospitals.ALD admissions were identified by querying a multi-hospital health system’s electronic database using ICD-10 codes.ALD admissions were compared for two one-year periods;pre-COVID-19 from April 2019 to March 2020,and during-COVID-19 from April 2020 to March 2021.Data were analyzed using a Poisson regression model and admission rates were compared using the annual quarterly average for the two time periods,with stratification by age and gender.Percent increase or decrease in admissions from the Poisson regression model were reported as incident rate ratios.RESULTS One thousand three hundred and seventy-eight admissions for ALD were included.80.7%were Caucasian,and 34.3%were female.An increase in the number of admissions for ALD during the COVID-19 pandemic was detected.Among women,a sharp rise(33%)was noted in those below the age of 50 years,and an increase of 22%in those above 50 years.Among men,an increase of 24%was seen for those below 50 years,and a 24%decrease in those above 50 years.CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread implications,and an increase in ALD admissions is just one of them.However,given that women are often prone to rapid progression of ALD,this finding has important preventive health implications.

DNA methylation patterns in alcoholics and family controls

AIM: To assess whether DNA methylation patterns in chronic alcoholics are different from non-alcoholic sibling controls. METHODS: We examined the methylation patterns in DNA samples from 25 chronic alcoholics and 22 matched siblings as controls (one per family). DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and analyzed for differences in the methylation patterns after bisulfite-conversion. We used the Illumina GoldenGate Methylation Cancer Panel I (Illumina, San Diego, CA), which probes the methylation profile at 1505 CpG sites from 807 cancer related genes. We excluded the 84 X-chromosome CpG sites and 134 autosomal CpG sites that failed to show a within sample reliability score of at least 95% for all samples, leaving 1287 autosomal CpG sites (associated with 743 autosomal genes) with reliable signals for all samples. A methylation score was calculated as the average methylation for the 1287 CpG sites examined. Differences were assessed by a two-sample t-test. We also examined the average sib pair differences in methylation scores at each of the 1287 sites. All analyses were performed using SPSS, version 9.0, P < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Methylation levels at the 1287 CpG sites averaged 28.2% for both alcoholics and controls. The mean difference in methylation scores between alcoholic and non-alcoholic sibs by CpG site was < 1% with small inter-individual variances; and only 5 CpG sites had an average sib difference > 5%. Subgroup analysis showed that methylation scores were significantly lower for the alcoholic-dependent subjects who smoked compared to their non-smoking unaffected siblings. Specifically, among smokers who are alcoholic, global methylation indices were significantly lower than in non-alcoholic sib controls, whereas among non-smoking alcoholics, the global indices were significantly higher (P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: Although we observed no effect of alcoholism alone on DNA methylation, there is a decrease in alcoholics who smoke, suggesting a mechanism for alcohol-tobacco synergy for carcinogenesis.

Preparation of Anisotropic MnO2 Nanocatalysts for Selective Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol and 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural

Anisotropic MnO2 nanostructures,includingα-phase nanowire,α-phase nanorod,δ-phase nanosheet,α+δ-phase nanowire,and amorphous fl occule,were synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method through adjusting the pH of the precursor solution and using diff erent counterions.The catalytic properties of the as-synthesized MnO2 nanomaterials in the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol(BA)and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF)were evaluated.The eff ects of micromorphology,phase structure,and redox state on the catalytic activity of MnO2 nanomaterials were investigated.The results showed that the intrinsic catalytic oxidation activity was mainly infl uenced by the unique anisotropic structure and surface chemical property of MnO2.With one-dimensional and 2D structures exposing highly active surfaces,unique crystal forms,and high oxidation state of Mn,the intrinsic activities for MnO2 catalysts synthesized in pH 1,5,and 10 solutions(denoted as MnO2-pH1,MnO2-pH5,and MnO2-pH10,respectively)were twice higher than those of other MnO2 catalysts in oxidation of BA and HMF.With a moderate aspect ratio,theα+δnanowire of MnO2-pH10 exhibited the highest average oxidation state,most abundant active sites,and the best catalytic oxidation activity.

Isobaric Vapor–Liquid Equilibrium for tert-Butyl Alcohol + Water + Propane-1,3-Diol + 1-Ethyl-3-Methylimidazolium Chloride at 101.3 kPa

In this study, we used a mixture of organic liquid propane-1,3-diol and ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride([emim]Cl) as the entrainer to separate tert-butyl alcohol(TBA) + water. We measured the isobaric vapor–liquid equilibrium(VLE) for the quaternary system TBA + water + propane-1,3-diol + [emim]Cl at 101.3 kPa, and found the VLE data to be well correlated with the nonrandom two-liquid model. These results show that the mixed solvent of propane-1,3-diol + [emim]Cl can increase the relative volatility of TBA to water and break the azeotropic point. We found no notable synergetic effect between them, and observed that the liquid mixed solvent of propane-1,3-diol and [emim]Cl had lower viscosity than [emim]Cl, which makes it a promising entrainer for separating the TBA + water azeotrope in industrial applications.

Facile preparation of methylcellulose/poly(vinyl alcohol)physical complex hydrogels with tunable thermosensitivity

Novel complex hydrogels of methylcellulose （MC） and poly（vinyl alcohol） （PVA） with wide-spectrum thermoresponsivity were prepared via physical and mild process. Thermal phase transition of MC/PVA hydrogels exhibited two forms including sol/sol to gel/sol and sol/gel to gel/gel. The phase transition temperature of MC/PVA solution ranged from 38,7 to 60.6 ℃ and was able to be adjusted by simply changing the feeding ratios of two components. The interior morphology of MC/PVA gels was examined with fluorescence analysis and scanning electron microscopy analysis, which showed that MC was well dispersed in matrix before and after thermally gelling.

A mild and efficient method for the methoxymethylation and acetylation of alcohols promoted by benzyltriphenylphosphonium tribromide

A mild and efficient method for the conversion of alcohols to their corresponding methoxymethyl ethers and acetates using benzyltriphenylphosphonium tribromide （BTPTB） as catalyst is described. All reactions were performed under completely heterogeneous reaction conditions in good to high yields.