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In this study, we confirmed that the characteristics of anion intercalation into the interlayer of a hydrotalcite-like compound (HT) during synthesis are similar to those of the anion-exchange reaction of HTs as well as the reconstruction reaction of HTs from Mg-Al oxide. We demonstrated that (i) Cl-, which has a higher charge density than NO3-, more easily reacted with Mg and Al species to form HT structure, resulting in greater intercalation of Cl- into the HT interlayer; and (ii) for HTs with lower Mg : Al molar ratios, OH-, which has a higher charge density than Cl- and NO3-, was more likely to interact with Mg and Al species to form HT structure, blocking the intercalation of Cl- and NO3-. Furthermore, we showed that high concentrations of Cl- and NO3- in solution regulated their intercalation into the HT interlayer. The high activity of Cl- and NO3- in solution would facilitate the anions' reactions with Mg and Al species to form HTs, resulting in a high degree of anion intercalation into the interlayer of HTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnesium–aluminum oxide (Mg–Al oxide) prepared by the thermal decomposition of a hydrotalcite-like compound was found to have potential for treating NaBF4 wastewater. The Mg–Al oxide removed the and F− and H3BO3 from the NaBF4 solution. With increasing Mg–Al oxide quantity and time, the concentration decreased and the degree of , F−, and boron removal increased. The decrease in the concentration resulted from uptake by the Mg–Al oxide and not hydrolysis. The Mg–Al oxide took up F− from the solution preferentially. The Mg–Al oxide also converted the H3BO3 in the aqueous solution into , which it took up. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cancer immunotherapy using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has been recognized as a novel therapeutic option for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). However, only approximately 20–30% of patients with recurrent/metastatic (R/M) HNSCC benefit. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying the response to ICIs remain unclear. We investigated the proportion, activation status, and expression level of immune checkpoint molecules in circulating T cell subsets in R/M HNSCC patients treated with nivolumab using flow cytometry and mass cytometry, and then determined whether treatment response was associated with these values. We also assessed the changes in the frequency of tumor-associated antigens, MAGE-A4 and p53, -specific T cells prior to and after nivolumab treatment using the IFN-γ ELISPOT assay. The proportion of activated CD4+ and CD8+ TEMRA cells significantly increased in the disease-controlled patients but not in disease-progressed patients. As expected, the expression of PD-1 in T cells markedly decreased regardless of the therapeutic response. Meanwhile, T cell immunoglobulin mucin-3 expression on CD8+ T cells was significantly higher in patients with disease progression than in disease-controlled patients after treatment. The frequency of the tumor-associated antigens, MAGE-A4- and p53-specific T cells, was not correlated with clinical responses; however, in the disease-controlled patients, the frequency of MAGE-A4-specific T cells was significantly augmented. We concluded that in R/M HNSCC patients treated with nivolumab, circulating T cells show dynamic alterations depending on treatment efficacy. An analysis of the immunokinetics of circulating T cells could thus provide new insights into rational therapeutic strategies in cancer immunotherapy for HNSCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]