Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) solid waste is characterized by widespread availability, renewability, and substantial production volume. In the context of the "dual carbon" goals, the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste for producing fuel gas for recycling in pharmaceutical production has emerged as a crucial strategy for optimizing the energy structure in the TCM industry and developing renewable energy. This paper comprehensively reviews both internal and external factors that influence the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste. Internal factors encompass moisture content, particle size, ash content, and the morphology of the raw materials, while external factors include pyrolysis conditions, equivalence ratios, types of gasifiers, and gasifying agents. Furthermore, this paper details the challenges associated with the pyrolysis of TCM solid waste, such as the dispersion of feedstocks, the diversity of resources, the complexity of the pyrolysis process, and the variations in gasifier performance. Finally, this paper proposes measures to address these challenges. This paper aims to provide insights into the development of a circular economy for TCM resources and the advancement of low-carbon energy utilization in the TCM industry.
Pyrolysis ; Carbon/chemistry* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Solid Waste/analysis* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Gases/chemistry*

To explore the variation laws of volatile oil during the extraction process of Artemisiae Argyi Folium and its impact on the quality of the medicinal solution, as well as to achieve precise control of the extraction process, this study employed headspace solid phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-SPME-GC-MS) in combination with multiple light scattering techniques to conduct a comprehensive analysis, identification, and characterization of the changes in volatile components and the physical properties of the medicinal solution during the extraction process. A total of 82 volatile compounds were identified using the HS-SPME-GC-MS technique, including 21 alcohols, 15 alkenes, 14 ketones, 9 acids, 6 aldehydes, 5 phenols, 3 esters, and 9 other types of compounds. At different extraction time points(15, 30, 45, and 60 min), 71, 72, 64, and 44 compounds were identified in the medicinal solution, respectively. It was observed that the content of volatile components gradually decreased with the extension of extraction time. Through multivariate statistical analysis, four compounds with significant differences during different extraction time intervals were identified, namely 1,8-cineole, terpinen-4-ol, 3-octanone, and camphor. RESULTS:: from multiple light scattering techniques indicated that at 15 minutes of extraction, the transmittance of the medicinal solution was the lowest(25%), the particle size was the largest(0.325-0.350 nm), and the stability index(turbiscan stability index, TSI) was the highest(0-2.5). With the extension of extraction time, the light transmittance of the medicinal solution improved, stability was enhanced, and the particle size decreased. These laws of physicochemical property changes provide important basis for the control of Artemisiae Argyi Folium extraction process. In addition, the changes in the bioactivity of Artemisiae Argyi Folium extracts during the extraction process were investigated through mouse writhing tests and antimicrobial assays. The results indicated that the analgesic and antimicrobial effects of the medicinal solution were strongest at the 15-minute extracting point. In summary, the findings of this study demonstrate that the content of volatile oil in Artemisiae Argyi Folium extracts gradually decreases with the extension of extraction time, and the variation in volatile oil content directly influences the physicochemical properties and pharmacological efficacy of the medicinal solution. This discovery provides important scientific reference for the optimization of Artemisiae Argyi Folium extraction processes and the development and application of process analytical technologies.
Oils, Volatile/pharmacology* ; Artemisia/chemistry* ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology* ; Chlorogenic Acid/pharmacology* ; Solid Phase Microextraction ; Quality Control

The study investigated the intrinsic changes in material basis of Angelicae Sinensis Radix during wine processing by headspace-gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry(HS-GC-IMS), headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(HS-SPME-GC-MS), and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS) combined with chemometrics. HS-GC-IMS fingerprints of Angelicae Sinensis Radix before and after wine processing were established to analyze the variation trends of volatile components and characterize volatile small-molecule substances before and after processing. Principal component analysis(PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis(OPLS-DA) were employed for differentiation and difference analysis. A total of 89 volatile components in Angelicae Sinensis Radix were identified by HS-GC-IMS, including 14 unsaturated hydrocarbons, 16 aldehydes, 13 ketones, 9 alcohols, 16 esters, 6 organic acids, and 15 other compounds. HS-SPME-GC-MS detected 118 volatile components, comprising 42 unsaturated hydrocarbons, 11 aromatic compounds, 30 alcohols, 8 alkanes, 6 organic acids, 4 ketones, 7 aldehydes, 5 esters, and 5 other volatile compounds. UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS identified 76 non-volatile compounds. PCA revealed distinct clusters of raw and wine-processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix samples across the three detection methods. Both PCA and OPLS-DA effectively discriminated between the two groups, and 145 compounds(VIP>1) were identified as critical markers for evaluating processing quality, including 4-methyl-3-penten-2-one, ethyl 2-methylpentanoate, and 2,4-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane detected by HS-GC-IMS, angelic acid, β-pinene, and germacrene B detected by HS-SPME-GC-MS, and L-tryptophan, licoricone, and angenomalin detected by UPLC-Q-Orbitrap-MS. In conclusion, the integration of the three detection methods with chemometrics elucidates the differences in the chemical material basis between raw and wine-processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix, providing a scientific foundation for understanding the processing mechanisms and clinical applications of wine-processed Angelicae Sinensis Radix.
Wine/analysis* ; Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/methods* ; Angelica sinensis/chemistry* ; Solid Phase Microextraction/methods* ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/isolation & purification* ; Chemometrics ; Volatile Organic Compounds/chemistry* ; Principal Component Analysis ; Ion Mobility Spectrometry/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of inverted-Y urethral function-preserving holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) on stress urinary incontinence after surgery in patients with BPH. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data on 109 cases of BPH treated in our hospital from June 2022 to May 2023 by traditional HoLEP with preservation of the apical prostatic urethral valve (group A, n = 52) or inverted-Y urethral function-preserving HoLEP (group B, n = 57). We recorded the intra- and post-operative parameters, evaluated the urinary incontinence status and post-void symptoms according to the International Continence Society standards, and analyzed the effect of inverted-Y versus traditional HoLEP in improving the postoperative urinary incontinence of the patients. RESULTS: The incidence rate of stress urinary incontinence after catheter removal was significantly lower in group B than in A (10.52% vs 26.92%, P = 0.027), and so was it at 2 weeks after surgery (1.75% vs 11.54%, P = 0.037), and at 1 month postoperatively (0% vs 7.69%, P = 0.033). CONCLUSION For the treatment of BPH, inverted-Y urethral function-preserving HoLEP is superior to traditional HoLEP with preservation of the apical prostatic urethral valve in improving stress urinary incontinence after surgery.
Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Lasers, Solid-State/therapeutic use* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/surgery* ; Urethra/surgery* ; Postoperative Complications/prevention & control* ; Urinary Incontinence, Stress/etiology* ; Prostatectomy/adverse effects* ; Aged ; Urinary Incontinence ; Prostate/surgery*

BACKGROUND: Icaridin and DEET are common insect repellents widely used on human skin and clothing (skin-insect repellents [skin-IR]) to repel common pests, such as mosquitoes and biting flies. Novel analytical methods for urinary skin-IR exposure biomarkers that can be effectively applied in epidemiological studies and provide strong evidence related to risk assessment associated with daily exposure are required. In this study, we aimed to develop a method for analyzing the concentrations of icaridin, DEET, and two DEET metabolites N,N-diethyl-3-(hydroxymethyl) benzamide and 3-(diethylcarbamoyl) benzoic acid in human urine. METHODS: In this analysis, after formic acid-induced acidification of the urine sample, exposure biomarkers were extracted using solid-phase extraction composed of a modified polystyrenedivinylbenzene polymer for reversed phase (hydrophobic) retention. Subsequently, high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was performed within 10 min for a separation analysis. The present method was applied to five Japanese adults (aged 20-43 years) who used icaridin or DEET-containing products within a week. RESULTS: Limits of detection were 0.06-0.11 µg/L. Extraction recoveries were 74%-88%. The intraday and interday variations were 1.5-17.5 and 0.9-15.8% relative standard deviation, respectively. All exposure biomarkers were successfully detected in all five adults. Urinary concentrations of exposure biomarkers reached their maximum values within 15 h after starting to use skin-IR. CONCLUSIONS This method was successful in measuring urinary exposure biomarkers of skin-IR, including icaridin and DEET. Moreover, this study presents the first application of biomonitoring of urinary icaridin concentrations after using a commercial product.
Humans ; Solid Phase Extraction/methods* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry/methods* ; Adult ; Insect Repellents/urine* ; DEET/urine* ; Young Adult ; Male ; Japan ; Female ; Chromatography, Liquid ; Biomarkers/urine* ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; East Asian People

OBJECTIVES: To develop risk prediction models for postoperative hypothermia after transurethral holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) using machine learning algorithms. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 403 patients from our center (283 patients in the training set and 120in the internal validation set) and 120 patients from Weifang People's Hospital (as the external validation set). The risk prediction models were built using logistic regression, decision tree and support vector machine (SVM), and model performance was evaluated in terms of accuracy, recall, precision, F1 score and AUC. RESULTS: Operation duration, prostate weight, intraoperative irrigation volume, and being underweight were identified as the predictors of postoperative hypothermia following HoLEP. Among the 3 algorithms, SVM showed the best precision rate and accuracy in all the 3 data sets and the best area under the ROC (AUC) in the training set and validation set, followed by logistic regression, which had a similar AUC in the two data sets. SVM outperformed logistic regression and decision tree models in the validation set in precision, accuracy, recall, F1 score, and AUC, and performed well in the external validation set with better precision rate and accuracy than logistic regression and decision tree models but slightly lower recall rate, F1 index, and AUC value than the decision tree model. SVM outperformed logistic regression and decision tree models in precision, accuracy, F1 score, and AUC in the training set, but had slightly lower recall rate than the decision tree. CONCLUSIONS Among the 3 models, SVM has the best performance and generalizability for predicting post-HoLEP hypothermia risk to provide support for clinical decisions.
Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Machine Learning ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate/adverse effects* ; Hypothermia/etiology* ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/surgery* ; Algorithms ; Lasers, Solid-State ; Risk Assessment ; Postoperative Complications ; Decision Trees ; Logistic Models ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Support Vector Machine

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of holmium laser ω-shaped pre-transection of the prostate apex (PTPA) with preservation of the bladder neck on the urinary continence and sexual function of the patients with BPH after transurethral holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP). METHODS: This retrospective study included 165 cases of BPH undergoing holmium laser ω-shaped PTPA with preservation of the bladder neck following HoLEP from January 2018 to January 2023. We recorded and compared the baseline, perioperative and 12-month follow-up data on the patients, and evaluated their urination function using IPSS, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), postvoid residual urine volume (PVR), and quality of life (QOL) scores. For those who had had sexual activity and normal ejaculation before surgery, we further assessed their erectile and ejaculatory functions postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean surgical time was (70.35±12.27) min, the intraoperative blood loss (60.12±19.54) ml, and the weight of the excised gland (56.37±13.71) g. The hospital stay and postoperative catheter-indwelling time averaged (5.13±2.34) and (3.21±1.37) d, respectively. Significant improvements were observed in IPSS, QOL, PVR and Qmax at 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery compared with the baseline (P<0.05), which all remained stable throughout the follow-up period. At 3 months after surgery, stress urinary incontinence was found in 10.91% of the patients, and all but 1 case (0.6%) recovered within 12 months. There were no significant changes in the IIEF-5 and Erectile Hardness Scale (EHS) scores postoperatively (P>0.05). Retrograde ejaculation occurred in 19 (11.52%) of the patients, but none experienced painful ejaculation after surgery. CONCLUSION Holmium laser ω-shaped PTPA with preservation of the bladder neck is safe and effective for the treatment of BPH, which can effectively improve the urinary continence and protect the sexual function of the patient.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/surgery* ; Lasers, Solid-State/therapeutic use* ; Retrospective Studies ; Quality of Life ; Urinary Bladder ; Urinary Incontinence ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate/methods* ; Prostate/surgery* ; Ejaculation ; Aged ; Middle Aged

OBJECTIVES: Postoperative hypothermia is a common clinical complication with a high incidence rate, potentially adversely affecting postoperative recovery. Transurethral holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) is a minimally invasive procedure for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Offering advantages such as minimal bleeding, broad indications, and rapid postoperative recovery. However, research on risk factors for postoperative hypothermia following HoLEP remains limited, and predictive models for guiding clinical practice are lacking. This study aims to develop a predictive model for assessing the risk of postoperative hypothermia in HoLEP patients and to identify relevant risk factors. METHODS: Clinical data from patients who underwent HoLEP at affiliated Hospital of Shandong Second Medical University were retrospectively collected. Patients were categorized into a hypothermia group and a non-hypothermia group based on whether postoperative hypothermia occurred. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative indicators were compared between the 2 groups. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression combined with logistic regression analysis was used to analyze clinical data. A predictive model for assessing the risk of postoperative hypothermia after HoLEP was constructed and internally validated using bootstrap resampling. RESULTS: A total of 403 patients were included in the analysis, among whom 85 patients developed postoperative hypothermia, with an incidence rate of 21.1%. Logistic regression analysis identified operative duration (OR=1.009, 95% CI 1.003 to 1.015), underweight status (OR=9.881, 95% CI 4.038 to 24.910), and prostate weight (OR=1.021, 95% CI 1.012 to 1.030) as independent risk factors for postoperative hypothermia, and these variables were incorporated into the nomogram model. Internal validation showed strong discriminative ability of the nomogram, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.755 (95% CI 0.686 to 0.820) and a C-index of 0.832 (95% CI 0.787 to 0.865). The calibration curve demonstrated good consistency between predicted and observed outcomes. Decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram provided greater clinical utility when the risk threshold for postoperative hypothermia was between 8% and 97%. CONCLUSIONS This study developed a nomogram model for predicting the risk of postoperative hypothermia in HoLEP patients, providing clinicians with a simple and effective predictive tool for individualized risk assessment and preoperative decision-making.
Humans ; Male ; Nomograms ; Prostatic Hyperplasia/surgery* ; Lasers, Solid-State/adverse effects* ; Risk Factors ; Retrospective Studies ; Transurethral Resection of Prostate/methods* ; Postoperative Complications/epidemiology* ; Hypothermia/epidemiology* ; Middle Aged ; Aged

OBJECTIVES: To establish a method for the detection of carbamazepine and its metabolites 10,11-dihydro-10,11-epoxycarbamazepine and 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxycarbamazepine in blood samples by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). METHODS: The blood samples were treated with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate as an extraction solvent. The samples were extracted by ultrasound-assisted extraction and separated by ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18, 95Å column. The mobile phase A aqueous solution containing 0.1% formic acid and 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate, and mobile phase B mixed organic solvent containing acetonitrile/methanol (V_acetonitrile∶V_methanol=2∶3) were used for gradient elution at the flow rate of 1.00 mL/min. An electrospray ion source in positive mode was used for detection in the multiple reaction monitoring. RESULTS: The linearities of carbamazepine and its metabolites 10,11-dihydro-10,11-epoxycarbamazepine and 10,11-dihydro-10-hydroxycarbamazepine in blood samples were good within the corresponding range, with correlation coefficients (r) greater than 0.995 6. The limits of detection were 3.00, 0.40 and 1.30 ng/mL, respectively. The limit of quantitation were 8.00, 1.00 and 5.00 ng/mL, respectively. The extraction recoveries ranged from 76.00% to 106.44%. The relative standard deviations of the intra-day and inter-day precisions were less than 16%. Carbamazepine and its main metabolite 10,11-dihydro-10,11-epoxycarbamazepine were detected in blood samples of death cases with a mass concentration of 2.71 μg/mL and 252.14 ng/mL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS This method has high sensitivity and good selectivity, which is suitable for the detection of carbamazepine and its metabolites in blood samples, and can be used for carbamazepine-related forensic identifications.
Chromatography, Liquid/methods* ; Tandem Mass Spectrometry ; Methanol ; Carbamazepine/analysis* ; Benzodiazepines/analysis* ; Solvents ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Solid Phase Extraction

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to remove occlusal veneers of varied thicknesses and compositions by Er:Yag laser in vitro and analyze the interfacial microstructure between veneers and tooth that irradiated by laser, by which experimental evidence could be provided to support the non-invasive removal of occlusal veneerby laser. METHODS: Fresh mandibular premolars extracted for orthodontic requirements were collected for tooth preparation. Three kinds of ceramic materials (Vita Suprinity, Vita Mark Ⅱ, and Upcera Hyramic) were selected to fabricate occlusal veneer with different thicknesses (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 mm). One week later, Er:Yag laser (2.5 W and 3.5 W) was used to irradiate and remove the occlusal veneer and recorded the timespan. After the removal operation, the micro-morphologies of samples were examined by scanning electron microscope. RESULTS: Upcera Hyramic veneer failed to be removed (>20 min); the operation span at 2.5 W, Vita Suprinity (96.0 s±16.0 s) was longer than Vita MarkⅡ(84.5 s±19.5 s) in the 1.0 mm group (P<0.05), and Vita Suprinity (246.5 s±13.5 s) was longer than Vita MarkⅡ(170.0 s±14.0 s) in the 1.5 mm group (P<0.05). At 3.5 W, Vita Suprinity (381.0 s±24.0 s) was longer than Vita MarkⅡ(341.5 s±26.5 s) in the 2.0 mm group. CONCLUSIONS Increasing laser power could shorten the operation span and facilitate the removal of occlusal veneers with the same thickness and composition. The occlusal veneer was sustained when insufficient laser power was applied. With the same laser power and ceramic thickness, laser penetration could interfere with the integral of the ceramic structure when the laser interacted with the bonding layer. With the same ceramic composition and laser power, the operation span and laser power increased with the thickness of the occlusal veneer. However, the laser was incapable of removing occlusal resin veneer directly.
Lasers, Solid-State ; Materials Testing ; Dental Porcelain/chemistry* ; Ceramics/chemistry* ; Bicuspid ; Dental Veneers