Common Artifacts and Remedies in Histological Preparations

The importance of the accuracy of preparing biological specimen as histological sections that can be examined under a microscope lies in reflecting a true image of the tissue that includes all its components, which are used in scientific research or for the purpose of diagnosing various diseases of the body. Despite this, some cellular structures within the tissue may suffer from some alterations that result from the appearance of defects during any stage of preparing these microscopic sections, which alter or interfere with the precise cellular structures and morphology that constitute the tissue and thus give a different image for tissue features and cause confusion in the work histopathologist in the diagnosis. There are several reasons that can cause a misdiagnosis of the sample that occurs during the surgical separation process or after separation during the stages of microscopic preparation techniques from fixation stage, tissue processing, embedding or microtomy, staining until mounting procedures. The constant need to identify these defects and their causes in addition to try to reduce them is one of the biggest challenges evident in pathology laboratories. Therefore, this study aims to review the most common defects that occur in any stage of tissue processing, with an explanation of their causes and appropriate ways to avoid them.

Emerging space for non-polyethene-glycol bowel preparations in inflammatory bowel disease-related colonoscopy:Veering toward better adherence and palatability

Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases(IBDs)require repeated endoscopic evaluations over time by colonoscopy to weigh disease activity but also for different and additional indications(e.g.,evaluation of postoperative recurrence,colorectal cancer surveillance).Colonoscopy,however,requires adequate bowel preparation to be of quality.The latter is achieved as long as the patient takes a certain amount of product to have a number of bowel movements suitable to clean the colon and allow optimal visualization of the mucosa during endoscopy.However,significant guidelines recommend preparations for patients with IBD not excelling in palatability.This recommendation originates from the fact that most of the studies conducted on bowel preparations in patients with IBD have been done with isosmolar preparations based on polyethylene glycol(PEG),for which,therefore,more safety data exist.As a result,the low-volume non-PEG preparations(e.g.,magnesium citrate plus picosulphate,oral sulphate solutions)have been set aside for the whole range of warnings to be heeded because of their hyperosmolarity.New studies,however,are emerging,leaning in overall for a paradigm shift in this matter.Indeed,such non-PEG preparations seem to show a particularly encouraging and engaging safety profile when considering their broad potential for tolerability and patient preference.Indeed,such evidence is insufficient to indicate such preparations in all patients with IBD but may pave the way for those with remission or well-controlled disease.This article summarizes the central studies conducted in IBD settings using non-PEG preparations by discussing their results.

Application and Practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine Characteristic Technology Inheritance in Research and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparations in Medical Institutions

Medical institution preparations play an important role in the development of hospitals,being one of the main forms of traditional Chinese medicine clinical characteristic medication,as well as an important carrier for the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine.In recent years,the research and development of traditional Chinese medicine preparations has become a hot spot in the research and development of preparations by medical institutions.Traditional Chinese medicine preparations prepared by traditional processes and their entrusted preparation matters have changed from the current licensing management to filing management.The registration model of traditional Chinese medicine preparations has undergone significant changes,emphasizing more on real data and evaluation results from the objective world,respecting traditional medication experience,and emphasizing the inheritance and innovative development of traditional technological experience.In the process of following teachers in the inheritance project of traditional Chinese medicine,we combined the inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine characteristic technology with the research and development practice of traditional Chinese medicine preparations in medical institutions,and focused on the analysis and discussion of technical problems such as prescription screening,dosage form selection,process route design and clinical observation of traditional Chinese medicine preparations,hoping to provide reference for scholars in the same field of traditional Chinese medicine.

On-spot preparation of EDTA solution for the treatment of band keratopathy:a case report

Dear Editor,We report a case of band keratopathy who experienced several ocular surgeries,secondary uveitis and glaucoma which eventually led to severe band keratopathy.We use commonly-used vacuum blood collection tubes with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dipotassium salt(EDTA-K2)to prepare chelation solution on-spot to remove the calcium deposits on the corneal surface.It is proved to be relatively safety,efficacy,cost-effective.

Progress in preparation of AlN-reinforced magnesium matrix composites:A review

As a ceramic material,AlN has very good thermophysical and mechanical properties.In addition,AlN is an effective refining agent for Mg alloys because it has a lattice constant similar to that of Mg.Therefore,AlN is an ideal reinforcement for magnesium matrix composites(MMCs),and is attracting increasing attention.This review addresses the development of preparation technologies for AlN-reinforced Mg matrix composites.The mainstream preparation techniques include stir casting,melt infiltration,powder metallurgy,and in-situ methods.In addition,the advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are analyzed in depth,and it is pointed out that the next direction for the preparation of high-performance AlN-reinforced MMCs is less aluminization and multiple technologies integration.

Research Progress of Bowel Preparation for Colonoscopy

Colorectal cancer ranks third in the global cancer data in 2020. Colorectal scope is the most effective method to diagnose colorectal diseases such as benign and malignant colorectal tumors. The poor quality of intestinal preparation causes an increased rate of missed diagnosis of colorectal tumors, reduces the rate of cecal intubation for colorectal examination, increases the discomfort, and reduces the compliance of re-examination. Therefore, we should try our best to improve the quality of intestinal preparation. This study reviewed the latest advances related to the preoperative preparation for colonoscopy. Recent research shows that smartphone apps can provide more detailed education and guidance on bowel preparation;Pre-packaged foods are more suitable as a way to eat before colonoscopy. The use of smaller doses, better taste of cathartic agents, and some auxiliary measures, combined with the patient’s situation to provide personalized intestinal preparation measures to improve the quality of intestinal preparation. Starting from the quality of colonoscopy bowel preparation, continuous improvement of patients’ tolerance to bowel preparation, continuous improvement of bowel preparation plan based on individual factors’ needs, and better communication with examined subjects by using existing scientific information technology, may be the hot spot of colonoscopy bowel preparation research in the next few years.

Insight into demand-driven preparation of single-atomic mediators for lithium–sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S) batteries have attracted considerable attention as one of the most appealing energy storage systems.Strenuous efforts have been devoted to tackling the tremendous challenges,mainly pertaining to the severe shuttle effect,sluggish redox kinetics and lithium dendritic growth.Single-atomic mediators as promising candidates exhibit impressive performance in addressing these intractable issues.Related research often utilizes a trial-and-error approach,proposing solutions to fabricate single-atomic materials with diversified features.However,comprehensive review articles especially targeting demand-driven preparation are still in a nascent stage.Inspired by these considerations,this review summarizes the design of single-atomic mediators based on the application case-studies in LiS batteries and other metal-sulfur systems.Emerging preparation routes represented by chemical vapor deposition technology are introduced in a demand-oriented classification.Finally,future research directions are proposed to foster the advancement of single-atomic mediators in Li-S realm.

Effects of site preparation methods on soil physical properties and outplanting success of coniferous seedlings in boreal forests

This study assessed the effect of patch scarification and mounding on the physical properties of the root layer and the success of tree planting in various types of forests.This study was conducted on 12 forest sites in taiga forests of the European part of Russia.A total of 54 plots were set up to assess seedling survival;root collar diameter,height,and heigh increment were measured for 240 seedlings to assess growth.In the rooting layer,240 soil samples were taken to determine physical properties.The study showed that soil treatment methods had no effect on bulk density and total porosity in Cladina sites.However,reduced soil moisture was noted,particularly in mounds,resulting in increased aeration.In Myrtillus sites,there were increased bulk density,reduced soil moisture,and total porosity in the mounds.Mounding treatment in Polytrichum sites resulted in reduced soil moisture and increased aeration porosity.In the Myrtillus and Polytrichum sites,patch scarification had no effects on physical properties.In Polytrichum sites,survival rates,heights,and heigh increments of bareroot Norway spruce seedlings in mounds were higher than in patches;however,the same did not apply to diameter.In Cladina and Myrtillus sites,there was no difference in growth for bareroot and containerised seedlings with different soil treatments.Growing conditions and soil types should be considered when applying different soil treatment methods to ensure high survival rates and successful seedling growth.

Protected simultaneous quantum remote state preparation scheme by weak and reversal measurements in noisy environments

We discuss a quantum remote state preparation protocol by which two parties, Alice and Candy, prepare a single-qubit and a two-qubit state, respectively, at the site of the receiver Bob. The single-qubit state is known to Alice while the two-qubit state which is a non-maximally entangled Bell state is known to Candy. The three parties are connected through a single entangled state which acts as a quantum channel. We first describe the protocol in the ideal case when the entangled channel under use is in a pure state. After that, we consider the effect of amplitude damping(AD) noise on the quantum channel and describe the protocol executed through the noisy channel. The decrement of the fidelity is shown to occur with the increment in the noise parameter. This is shown by numerical computation in specific examples of the states to be created. Finally, we show that it is possible to maintain the label of fidelity to some extent and hence to decrease the effect of noise by the application of weak and reversal measurements. We also present a scheme for the generation of the five-qubit entangled resource which we require as a quantum channel. The generation scheme is run on the IBMQ platform.

Study of the reaction mechanism for preparing powdered activated coke with SO_(2)adsorption capability via one-step rapid activation method under flue gas atmosphere

In this study,the impact of different reaction times on the preparation of powdered activated carbon(PAC)using a one-step rapid activation method under flue gas atmosphere is investigated,and the underlying reaction mechanism is summarized.Results indicate that the reaction process of this method can be divided into three stages:stage I is the rapid release of volatiles and the rapid consumption of O_(2),primarily occurring within a reaction time range of 0-0.5 s;stage II is mainly the continuous release and diffusion of volatiles,which is the carbonization and activation coupling reaction stage,and the carbonization process is the main in this stage.This stage mainly occurs at the reaction time range of 0.5 -2.0 s when SL-coal is used as material,and that is 0.5-3.0 s when JJ-coal is used as material;stage III is mainly the activation stage,during which activated components diffuse to both the surface and interior of particles.This stage mainly involves the reaction stage of CO_(2)and H2O(g)activation,and it mainly occurs at the reaction time range of 2.0-4.0 s when SL-coal is used as material,and that is 3.0-4.0 s when JJ-coal is used as material.Besides,the main function of the first two stages is to provide more diffusion channels and contact surfaces/activation sites for the diffusion and activation of the activated components in the third stage.Mastering the reaction mechanism would serve as a crucial reference and foundation for designing the structure,size of the reactor,and optimal positioning of the activator nozzle in PAC preparation.

Design,preparation,application of advanced array structured materials and their action mechanism analyses for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur battery(LSB)has brought much attention and concern because of high theoretical specific capacity and energy density as one of main competitors for next-generation energy storage systems.The widely commercial application and development of LSB is mainly hindered by serious“shuttle effect”of lithium polysulfides(Li PSs),slow reaction kinetics,notorious lithium dendrites,etc.In various structures of LSB materials,array structured materials,possessing the composition of ordered micro units with the same or similar characteristics of each unit,present excellent application potential for various secondary cells due to some merits such as immobilization of active substances,high specific surface area,appropriate pore sizes,easy modification of functional material surface,accommodated huge volume change,enough facilitated transportation for electrons/lithium ions,and special functional groups strongly adsorbing Li PSs.Thus many novel array structured materials are applied to battery for tackling thorny problems mentioned above.In this review,recent progresses and developments on array structured materials applied in LSBs including preparation ways,collaborative structural designs based on array structures,and action mechanism analyses in improving electrochemical performance and safety are summarized.Meanwhile,we also have detailed discussion for array structured materials in LSBs and constructed the structure-function relationships between array structured materials and battery performances.Lastly,some directions and prospects about preparation ways,functional modifications,and practical applications of array structured materials in LSBs are generalized.We hope the review can attract more researchers'attention and bring more studying on array structured materials for other secondary batteries including LSB.

Research Progress on the Preparation of Inorganic/Natural Materials Composite Microspheres

Microspheres are a new type of drug carrier with great potential for development and application.Natural polymers have good biocompatibility,biodegradability,and are easily dispersed in living organisms,making them suitable for preparing microspheres.Inorganic materials(mainly inorganic minerals)have excellent mechanical properties and are inexpensive and easy to obtain.Through the coupling and hybridization of natural polymers and inorganic materials,they can complement each other's advantages and synergistically enhance efficiency,resulting in many excellent physical and chemical properties.Inorganic materials/natural polymer composite microspheres can be prepared by modifying natural polymers with inorganic materials through various methods such as emulsification crosslinking,solution mixing,in-situ synthesis,extrusion,etc.The application of inorganic materials/natural polymer composite microspheres in drug delivery systems has significant sustained-release effects,is safe and non-toxic,and the cost of carrier materials is relatively low,which has certain significance for the development of new drug carriers.This article reviews the recent research on the preparation,drug loading and release properties of inorganic material/natural polymer composite microspheres,analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of commonly used preparation methods,and looks forward to the development direction of composite microspheres.

Bowel preparations as quality indicators for colonoscopy

Colonoscopy is the principal investigative procedure for colorectal neoplasms because it can detect and remove most precancerous lesions.The effectiveness of colonoscopy depends on the quality of the examination.Bowel preparation is an essential part of high-quality colonoscopies because only an optimal colonic cleansing allows the colonoscopist to clearly view the entire colonic mucosa and to identify any polyps or other lesions.Suboptimal bowel preparation not only prolongs the overall procedure time,decreases the cecal intubation rate,and increases the costs associated with colonoscopy but also increases the risk of missing polyps or adenomas during the colonoscopy.Therefore,a repeat examination or a shorter colonoscopy follow-up interval may be suitable strategies for a patient with suboptimal bowel preparation.

Effect of replacing antibiotics using multi-enzyme preparations on production performance and antioxidant activity in piglets

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of replacing antibiotics using multi-enzyme preparations on growth performance,coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility,digestive enzyme activity,and antioxidant property in piglets.A total of 160 piglets（（21.35±0.22）kg）were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments：1）basal diet supplemented with antibiotics（AC）,2）antibiotic diet supplemented with 0.5 g kg^-1 multi-enzyme preparations（AC＋0.5EP）,3）antibiotic diet supplemented with 1.5 g kg^-1 multi-enzyme preparations（AC＋1.5EP）,4）basal diet supplemented with a half dosage of antibiotics and 1.5 g kg^-1 multi-enzyme preparations（AH＋1.5EP）,and 5）basal diet supplemented with 1.5 g kg^-1 multienzyme preparations（BC＋1.5EP）.The results showed that AC＋1.5EP significantly improved the feed efficiency,apparent digestibility of ether extract（EE）and crude ash（CA）,lipase activity in pancreas and duodenum content,maltase and lactase activity in jejunum and ileum mucosa,glutathione peroxidase（GSH-Px）concentration in serum and liver,and decreased malondialdehyde（MDA）concentration in serum and liver compared with piglets receiving AC（P〈0.05）.Piglets receiving BC＋1.5EP showed no significant difference in growth performance（P〉0.05）but had lower MDA concentration than piglets receiving AC（P〈0.05）.The apparent digestibility of EE and crude fiber（CF）,duodenal lipase activity,jejunum mucosa maltase,and ileum mucosa lactase activity of piglets receiving AH＋1.5EP or BC＋1.5EP were significantly improved compared with piglets receiving AC（P〈0.05）.These results indicated an additive growth promotion effect between antibiotics and multi-enzyme preparations on piglets,and the multi-enzyme preparations may be used as substitutes for antibiotics for improving piglet production performance and health status.

Efficacy of 1.2L polyethylene glycol plus ascorbic acid for bowel preparations

BACKGROUND A low-volume polyethylene glycol(PEG) solution that combines ascorbic acid with PEG-based electrolyte solution(PEG-ASC) is gaining mainstream acceptance for bowel preparation due to reduced volume and improved taste.Although several reports showed that bowel preparation with PEG-ASC volume lower than 2.0 L with laxative agents could be an alternative to traditional preparation regimen, the cleansing protocols have not been fully investigated.AIM To evaluate the cleansing efficacy of 1.2 L PEG-ASC solution comparing with 2.0 L PEG electrolyte(PEG-ELS) for bowel preparations.METHODS A randomized, single-blinded, open-label, single-center, non-inferiority study was conducted. In total, 312 Japanese adult patients(aged > 18 years) who underwent colonoscopy were enrolled. Patients were randomly allocated to bowel lavage with either 1.2 L of PEG-ASC solution with at least 0.6 L of an additional clear fluid(1.2 L PEG-ASC group) or 2.0 L of PEG-ELS(PEG-ELS group). Then, 48 mg of sennoside was administered at bedtime on the day before colonoscopy, and the designated drug solution was administered at the hospital on the day of colonoscopy. Bowel cleansing was evaluated using the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale(BBPS). The volume of fluid intake and required time for bowel preparation were evaluated. Furthermore, compliance, patient tolerance,and overall acceptability were evaluated using a patient questionnaire, which was assessed using a visual analog scale.RESULTS In total, 291 patients(1.2 L PEG-ASC group, 148; PEG-ELS group, 143) completed the study. There was no significant difference in successful cleansing, defined as a BBPS score ≥ 2 in each segment, between the two groups(1.2 L PEG-ASC group, 91.9%; PEG-ELS group, 90.2%; 95%CI:-0.03-0.09). The required time for bowel preparation was significantly shorter(164.95 min ± 68.95 min vs 202.16 min± 68.69 min, P < 0.001) and the total fluid intake volume was significantly lower(2.23 L ± 0.55 L vs 2.47 L ± 0.56 L, P < 0.001) in the 1.2 L PEG-ASC group than in the PEG-ELS group. Palatability, acceptability of the volume of solution, and overall acceptability evaluated using a patient questionnaire, which was assessed by the visual analog scale, were significantly better in the 1.2 L PEG-ASC group than in the PEG-ELS group(7.70 cm ± 2.57 cm vs 5.80 cm ± 3.24 cm, P < 0.001). No severe adverse event was observed in each group.CONCLUSION The 1.2 L PEG-ASC solution was non-inferior to the 2.0 L PEG-ELS solution in terms of cleansing efficacy and had better acceptability among Japanese patients.

Rapid and Sensitive Assay of the Main Components in Shuanghuanglian Preparations by UPLC-TOF-MS

1 Introduction As already known, complex prescription has been the outstanding feature of traditional Chinese medicine（TCM）. This fact therefore brings complicated formula with multicomponents from multimaterals, which produces some difficulties to detect the components and to control the quality. Shuanghuanglian preparations（SHLs）, including oral liquid, injection powder, capsule, and tablet, belong to a family of refined traditional Chinese patent medicine and a combined herbal remedy comprised of three herbs：

The preparation and the in-vitro pharmacodynamics study of the intracapsular sustained-release preparations for the prevention of posterior capsule opacification

Docetaxel-loaded sustained-release preparation based on 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate(HEMA)and Methyl methacrylate(MMA)cross-linked copolymer(P(HEMA-co-MMA))was prepared to examine the potential use for preventing posterior capsule opacification(PCO).The preparations were prepared by polymerizing the mixture of HEMA,MMA,cross-linking agent(EGDMA),initiator(AIBN)and docetaxel.The influence factors and mechanism of drug release were studied in the experiments.FT-IR,X-RD and SEM methods were used to characterize the polymer(P(HEMA-co-MMA))and docetaxel-loaded sustained-release preparations.Biocompatibility of P(HEMA-co-MMA)and in-vitro effect of docetaxel-loaded sustained-release preparations were also evaluated.The results showed that docetaxel could release sustainedly from these preparations prepared by cross-linking polymerization.And the release rate could be accelerated by increasing the MMA ratio or EGDMA ratio of the polymer.Release mechanism of docetaxel fitted the Higuchi model well.The results of IR and X-RD showed that only a hydrogen bond was formed between docetaxel and P(HEMA-co-MMA).Docetaxel dispersed in P(HEMA-co-MMA)in amorphous form.The elution test showed that P(HEMA-co-MMA)had good biocompatibility and the in-vitro pharmacodynamics study proved that docetaxel could release stably from the preparations and inhibit HLECs’proliferation.The docetaxel-loaded sustained-release preparations proved to be a promising therapy for preventing PCO.These results also lay a theoretical and experimental foundation for the future.

Effect of Preparations of Bamboo Vinegar and Copper Sulfate on Green Algae and Tobacco Seedling Growth

To provide theoretical and technical basis for the application of preparations of bamboo vinegar and copper sulfate in the prevention of green algae in floating system for tobacco seeding,the soaking and spraying methods were employed to study the effect of different concentrations of preparations of bamboo vinegar and copper sulfate on green algae and tobacco seedling growth. The results showed that the preparations of bamboo vinegar and copper sulfate of different concentrations played a strong role in inhibiting green algae growth and had better effect than copper sulfate. Spraying 1∶ 200 preparations of bamboo vinegar and copper sulfate could significantly promote tobacco seedling growth,and the leaf fresh weight increased by 15. 80% compared with CK,with significant difference; spraying 1∶ 50 preparations was not conducive to tobacco seedling growth. It was recommended to spray 1∶ 200 preparations of bamboo vinegar and copper sulfate in floating system for tobacco seeding,which could promote tobacco seedling growth and reduce green algae to varying degrees.

Innovative color jet 3D printing of levetiracetam personalized paediatric preparations

3D printing is a promising technology used in the fabrication of complex oral dosage delivery pharmaceuticals.This study first reports an innovative color jet 3D printing(CJ-3DP)technology to produce colorful cartoon levetiracetam pediatric preparations with high accuracy and reproducibility.For this study,the ideal printing ink consisted of 40%(v/v)isopropanol aqueous solution containing 0.05%(w/w)polyvinylpyrrolidone and 4%(w/w)glycerin,which was satisfied with scale-up of the production.The external and internal spatial structures of the tablets were designed to control the appearance and release,and cartoon tablets with admirable appearances and immediate release characteristics were printed.The dosage model showed a good linear relationship between the model volume and the tablet strength(r>0.999),which proved the potential of personalized administration.The surface roughness indicated that the appearance of the CJ-3DP tablets was significantly better than the first listed 3D printed drug(Spritam R).Moreover,the scanning electron microscopy and porosity results further showed that the tablets have a structure of loose interior and tight exterior,which could ensure good mechanical properties and rapid dispersion characteristics simultaneously.In conclusion,the innovative CJ-3DP technology can be used to fabricate personalized pediatric preparations for improved compliance.Due to the stable formulation and fabrication process,this technology has the potential in scale-up production.

PREPARATIONS OF FERRIMAGNETOFLUIDS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS IN MINERAL PROCESSING

In this paper the research results on the preparation of ferri-magnetofluids through colloid chemical methods developed in China are in-troduced , and the applications of the resulted fluids in mineral separations are described. The colloid chemical method includes the procedure of oxi-dation-hydrolysis-collection-dispersion. It is shown that by adding NaOH to an FeSO4 ?7H2O aqueous solution, followed by aeration, an oxidation-hydrolysis reaction occurs which produces ultrafine Fe3O4 particles. The particles may then be collected by sodium oleate into kerosene phase and thus forming stable oil-base ferrimagnetofluid, or, alternately, the parti-cles may be coated with sodium oleate first, then flocculated by adding HC1, follmved by redispersion in water by adding sodium dodecyl benzen-sulphonate, to form a water-base ferrimagnetofluid. The above ferrimag-netofluids have been used as separation media in the separation of arsenopy-rite from galena, and in the separation of gold from hard- rock gold ores. The results show that the ferrimagnetofluids are better than paramag-netofluids.