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The aim of this study is to investigate certain genetic features of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA). A total of 12 eligible ICCA patients were enrolled, and tumor tissues from the patients were subjected to next-generation sequencing of a multi-genes panel. Tumor mutation burden (TMB), mutated genes, copy number variants (CNVs), and pathway enrichment analysis were performed. The median TMB was 2.76 Mutation/Mb (range, 0–36.62 Mutation/Mb) in ICCA patients. The top two most commonly mutated genes in ICCA were KRAS (33%) and TP53 (25%). The co-mutations of KRAS and TP53 were 16.7% (2/12) in ICCA patients. Notably, patient P6 with the highest TMB did not have KRAS and TP53 mutations. Additionally, TP53 and/or KRAS alterations were significantly associated with poor progression-free survival than those with wild type (1.4 months vs 18 months). DNA damage repair and homologs recombinant repair deficiencies were significantly associated with high TMB in ICCA cases. In conclusion, we found that certain genetic mutations of TP53 and KRAS could predict poor prognosis in ICCA patients.

Pollution from heavy‐metal ions has become a major challenge to the global fight against environmental pollution. Given the availability of various low‐cost and environmentally friendly adsorbents, adsorption has become the most efficient technology for the removal of heavy metals from water. In this study, attapulgite (ATP) was directly functionalized by coupling with an aminosilane agent. Analysis showed this maneuver provided a suitable adsorbent for the removal of lead ion (Pb2+) from an aqueous solution. The effects of several parameters including solution pH, contacting time, adsorbent dosage, and initial Pb2+ ion concentration were investigated. Batch sorption results showed that the adsorption process was rapid and over 98% of Pb2+ was removed within 30 min at the optimal pH 4.0. The maximum adsorption capacity at 25°C, calculated by the Langmuir isotherm, was 82.17, 78.80, 61.13, and 28.56 mg/g for γ‐divinyltriaminepropyl‐methyldimethoxylsilane‐grafted attapulgite (KH‐103‐ATP), γ‐aminopropyl‐methyldiethoxysilane‐grafted attapulgite (KH‐912‐ATP), N‐(β‐aminoethyl‐γ‐aminopropyl)‐methyl‐dimethoxysilane‐grafted attapulgite (KH‐602‐ATP), and ATP, respectively. Moreover, molecular dynamics simulations of adsorption behaviors of heavy‐metal ions at attapulgite surfaces (010) modified by aminosilane agents were carried out. Both the PMF value and diffusion coefficient of metal ions suggest that KH‐103‐ATP owns the highest rate constant and capacity compared with the other two. And the analysis of free energy and results of XPS characterization revealed that Pb2+ formed covalent bonds with the nitrogen atom of aminosilane agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: TMC-incorporated carbon nitride (CN) with hexagonal and quadrangle honeycomb-like structure and having periodic lattice defects linked by -CONH- bond was synthesized through combining the high calcination with the chemical condensation of melamine and 1,3,5-benzenetricarbonyl trichloride. The obtained CN has a tri-s-triazine ring and benzene ring skeleton, which makes it have excellent mechanical and thermal stability. The BET specific surface area was enhanced to about 125.6 m2/g, and the mean pore size is about 3.43 nm. This CN exhibited an excellent adsorption-enhanced photocatalytic performance.Graphical abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fouling of membranes by proteins is a major problem in membrane filtration operations. To reduce protein-fouling, an easy-clean surface was designed by grafting temperature-sensitive poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) brushes onto the surface of zirconium oxide (ZrO2) membranes via chemical grafting. The grafting density of PNIPAAm brushes and polymer thickness were controlled by changing the NIPAM concentration. The water fluxes of the PNIPAAm-grafted-ZrO2 (PNIPAAm-g-ZrO2) membranes were highly dependent on the solution temperature, and increased at higher solution temperature. An increase in the water fluxes was evident at approximately 32–34°C. Compared with the ZrO2 membranes, the fluxes for the PNIPAAm-g-ZrO2 membrane declined more gradually at both 25°C and 35°C, and a high initial rejection of 89.4%, along with a suitable steady flux of 66.2Lm−2 h−1, were achieved at 25°C. The PNIPAAm-g-ZrO2 membrane exhibited good anti-fouling properties and improved membrane performance during the filtration of bovine serum albumin (BSA). In particular, due to the reversible volume phase transition of PNIPAAm around the lower critical solution temperature (LCST), an environmentally-friendly membrane cleaning method by means of temperature-change water elution around the LCST of the PNIPAAm brushes was proposed. Following the alternate temperature-change (35°C/25°C) cleaning, a flux recovery of about 80% was obtained for the PNIPAAm-g-ZrO2 membrane (the flux recovery of the ZrO2 membrane was only about 14% at 25°C). Moreover, when the experiments were repeated four times, the anti-fouling and easy-cleaning properties were maintained. The hydrophilicity and the rapid stretching of PNIPAAm chains were considered responsible for loosening and shaking off the adsorbed BSA on the graft membrane surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To establish a serum-free culture system of dendritic cells (DCs) from chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells so that DCs vaccine may be applied to the adoptive immunotherapy of CML in the near future., Methods: Fetal calf serum, serum-free medium and autologous serum were used for culture of DCs. The usage of cytokines was classified into two groups: group A (stem cell factor, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating-factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-4) and group B (granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating-factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-4). The phenotypes of DCs were analyzed by using indirect immunofluorescence and flow cytometry. Mixed leukocyte responses were performed by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Chromosome analysis of DCs can be achieved by displaying G banding. T cells from CML patients were stimulated with autologous DCs and T-cell cytotoxicity was measured by (MTT) assay., Results: CD34(+) cells or mononuclear cells were obtained from peripheral blood or bone marrow samples of eight patients of chronic-phase CML. Group A of serum-free medium was better than group B in expansion of total cell numbers and the rate of DCs. These results of serum-free medium were not significantly different from those of fetal calf serum medium, but the results of autologous serum medium were inferior to two groups above. The expression of major histocompatibility complex class II antigen on the surface of DCs was notable (> 50%), but the expression of CD83 and the costimulatory molecules CD86 was not noticeable (10% - 50%). Although CD1a(+)/CD14(-) DCs were potent stimulators of allogeneic lymphocytes, expansion of T cells from normal volunteers were not significant (average 27.2 fold at DCs: T cells ratio of 1:10). At day 12, CD1a(+) cells from three patients were studied by displaying G banding and Ph(+) cells in these populations were 100%, 98% and 60%, respectively. At an effector: target ratio of 40:1, 32% to 45% cytotoxicity was noted with DC-stimulated T cells against autologous leukemia cells., Conclusions: A stable serum-free culture system of CML-DCs was established. The expression of CD83 and CD86 on the surface of CML-DCs and DCs' potent stimulation of allogeneic lymphocytes were not notable. DCs in CML patients can be derived from the malignant clone and these malignant DCs could induce anti-leukemic reactivity in autologous T lymphocytes without the necessity for additional exogenous antigens.