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Background Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common cancers in the world. Due to the lack of specific symptoms, more than 80% of patients are diagnosed as the advanced stage with a high mortality rate, so the early diagnosis of GC is incredibly essential. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are a kind of endogenous non-coding RNA with stable structure, the long half-life, and tumor specificity. It can be used as a diagnostic marker for tumors. Method Using circRNA sequencing technology screened three pairs of GC and adjacent tissues, and circRNAs with significant expression differences were screened out. The circular structure and characteristics of circPTPN22 were determined by RT-qPCR, agarose gel electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing, RNase R, and actinomycin D assays. Cell Counting Kit‐8, colony formation, Transwell, Wound healing, tumor formation in mice and western blotting assays were used to detect the effects of circPTPN22 on the proliferation, invasion, migration, tumor growth of GC cells in vitro and protein expression. Result CircPTPN22 is up-regulated and positively correlated with metastasis in GC tissues, cells, and plasma. RT-qPCR results showed that circPTPN22 had good diagnostic efficacy and could be used to predict the prognosis of GC patients. In vitro and vivo experiments showed that the downregulation of circPTPN22 could inhibit cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through the epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) pathway. CircPTPN22 may regulate GC progression through the competitive binding of miRNAs. Conclusion CircPTPN22 can be used as a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for GC and can inhibit cell proliferation and metastasis through the competitive binding of miRNA to inhibit the EMT pathway.

Background Dynamic trajectories of psychopathology, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) provide a key to understanding human adjustment processes after trauma exposure. Recent studies have suggested more heterogeneous mental health outcomes than the initially identified four adjustment trajectories. To explore this heterogeneity, we investigated the after-trauma adjustment patterns of psychopathology based on retrospective lifetime data. This was first carried out on the PTSD symptoms (PTSS, including no symptoms, few symptoms, partial and full PTSD), and secondly together with their post-trauma comorbidities. Methods Data of trauma and the post-trauma mental disorders were collected for a large and randomly selected community sample, resulting in a N = 960 trauma-exposed subsample. Pattern recognition as carried out by latent class analysis (LCA) was implemented on this subsample. LCA was first exploited to identify the potential trajectory patterns of PTSS and next to explore the patterns of mental adjustments when additional post-trauma comorbid disorders, such as anxiety, mood and substance use disorders, were assessed. Results Four PTSS trajectory patterns were found, namely resilient, chronic, recovered, and delayed onset, consistent with findings from longitudinal PTSD studies. When post-trauma comorbidities were evaluated, other than the trajectory pattern of delayed onset which retained a low comorbidity profile, the other three split respectively and paired up with either low, moderate or high comorbidity profile. Conclusions Mental health outcomes after trauma exposure were considerably more complex than the four previously established adjustment trajectories. Here, we uncovered additional and more heterogeneous adjustment patterns comprised of PTSS trajectories and post-trauma comorbidity profiles.

Background: Due to the lack of specific and sensitive detection indicators, most patients with gastric cancer (GC) are already in the advanced stage at the time of diagnosis, resulting in a higher mortality. Therefore, it is urgent to search for effective diagnostic biomarkers with high specificity that can be applied in clinic. Methods: We screened out circ_0004771 through circRNA sequencing performed on three pairs of GC tissues and corresponding paracancerous tissues. Both exonuclease digestion assay, agarose gel electrophoresis (AGE) and sanger sequencing verified the potential of circ_0004771 being a biomarker. Additionally, we established quantitative real-time fluorescent Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) to detect the expression level of circ_0004771 and evaluated the methodology. What’s more, we collected plasma samples from GC patients, precancerous patients and gastritis patients, and we constructed the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) to appraise its diagnostic efficacy. Meanwhile, we collected the clinicopathological data of the patients to analyze the relationship between the expression level of circ_0004771 and the pathological parameters of the patients. Results: The expression level of circ_0004771 is up-regulated both in GC tissues and cells compared to normal controls. Circ_0004771 can be served as a promising biomarker because of its stable cyclic structure and longer half-life. The expression level of plasma circ_0004771 can distinguish between GC patients and precancerous patients, GC patients and gastritis patients. The diagnostic efficiency of circ_0004771 is higher than that of CEA and CA199. Higher diagnostic efficiency can be achieved in combination diagnosis. The expression level of plasma circ_0004771 in GC patients decreased after surgery, which can track the recovery condition of patients. Besides, the downstream regulatory forecast indicates that circ_0004771 may act as miRNA sponge to regulate the progression of GC.Conclusion: Plasma circ_0004771 can be served as a less invasive tumor biomarker with high diagnostic values.

sBackgroundCancer patients are considered to be highly susceptible to viral infections, however, the comprehensive features of COVID-19 in these patients remained largely unknown. The present study aimed to assess the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in a large cohort of cancer patients.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsData of consecutive cancer patients admitted to 33 designated hospitals for COVID-19 in Hubei province, China from December 17, 2019 to March 18, 2020 were retrospectively collected. The follow-up cutoff date was April 02, 2020. The clinical course and survival status of the cancer patients with COVID-19 were measured, and the potential risk factors of severe events and death were assessed through univariable and multivariable analyses.ResultsA total of 283 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patients (50% male; median age, 63.0 years [IQR, 55.0 to 70.0]) with more than 20 cancer types were included. The overall mortality rate was 18% (50/283), and the median hospitalization stay for the survivors was 26 days. Amongst all, 76 (27%) were former cancer patients with curative resections for over five years without recurrence. The current cancer patients exhibited worse outcomes versus former cancer patients (overall survival, HR=2.45, 95%CI 1.10 to 5.44, log-rank p=0.02; mortality rate, 21% vs 9%). Of the 207 current cancer patients, 95 (46%) have received recent anti-tumor treatment, and the highest mortality rate was observed in the patients receiving recent chemotherapy (33%), followed by surgery (26%), other anti-tumor treatments (19%), and no anti-tumor treatment (15%). In addition, a higher mortality rate was observed in patients with lymphohematopoietic malignancies (LHM) (53%, 9/17), and all seven LHM patients with recent chemotherapy died. Multivariable analysis indicated that LHM (p=0.001) was one of the independent factors associating with critical illness or death.ConclusionsThis is the first systematic study comprehensively depicting COVID-19 in a large cancer cohort. Patients with tumors, especially LHM, may have poorer prognosis of COVID-19. Additional cares are warranted and non-emergency anti-tumor treatment should be cautiously used for these patients under the pandemic.

In this study, resin-based hydrated iron oxide (HFOR) composites were prepared and used as a functional adsorbent for the simultaneous removal of p-Arsanilic acid (p-ASA) and arsenate (As (V)). The effects of solution pH and coexisting substances on the adsorption of different arsenic species were also investigated. Results showed that the coexisting substances slightly affected the adsorption process of two arsenic species. Analysis of the adsorption behavior, isotherm equilibrium, and adsorption kinetics, as well as that results of the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, zeta potential, and other analytical methods revealed that the satisfactory adsorption performance of HFOR can be attributed to the electrostatic interactions induced by the positively charged groups and the coordination of the hydrated iron oxide nanoparticles, which exhibited excellent specific adsorption for both arsenic species. Moreover, HFOR showed high acid and alkali resistance and reusability, as well as a constant co-removal performance for different arsenic species in five consecutive operating cycles (55 mg As/g of As(V) and 18 mg/g of p-ASA). Results of continuous running fixed-bed column experiments confirmed that HFOR enabled excellent simultaneous adsorption for p-ASA and As(V).

Title: Paleogeographic framework and Paleo-sedimentary environmental restoration in the Lower Part of Yanchang formation in Triassic of Ordos Basin, ChinaOrdos basin is a craton basin, rich in coal, oil and natural gas resources. The Yanchang formation includes the lower part (Chang 10- Chang 8 oil bearing intervals) and the upper part (Chang 7- Chang 1 oil bearing intervals) in which we found many hydrocarbon-rich depressions. The sedimentary period of Chang 10-Chang 8 formation is the transition stage from the North China Craton depression basin to Ordos basin due to the influence of the Indosinian movement. Previous studies mainly focused on the the interior of the present residual basin rather than the peripheral of the basin.Twenty five outcrops out of Ordos basin and one hundred drilling cores in the basin are used and multiple methods including microscope, SEM observation , the major-trace elements analysis ; zircon U-Pb geochronological studies and seismic profile interpretation are applied to study the paleoredox, paleosalinity , paleoclimate and provenance of the the lower part of the Yanchang formation in the Ordos basin.It is concluded that: (1)the main charateristics of the sedimentary facies about Chang 10 is rivers-deltas- shore-shallow lacustrine. The sedimentary facies of Chang 9 has the features of “multi-deltas surrounding the lake” with a transitory lake transgression. The main charateristics of Chang 8 is that the rivers became more powerful and the area of lake increased.(2) based on the zircon U-Pb age structure comparision beween the lower part the Yanchang formation and its periphery old land, the results indicate that it has consistent source, which are mainly northern and southern margin of Huabei block. However, the north-east Alashan old land and south Qinlin-Qilian tectonic belts may just supply few detrital sediments.(3) according to the seismic interpretation, we have found a large number of synsedimentary fault. Seismites developed in Chang9 and Chang8 and turbidite developed in Chang9. The distribution of the synsedimentary fault, seismites and turbidite can cetify that the structure activity was more active in the sedimentary period of the Yanchang formation.

In this work, non-thermal plasma combined with zeolites was used to remove inorganic pollutant ammonia nitrogen from wastewater. Ammonia nitrogen elimination performances at various operating parameters were investigated. Roles of active species in the removal of ammonia nitrogen were also discussed. The experimental results showed that 69.97% ammonia nitrogen can be removed from the plasma/zeolites synergistic system after 30 min treatment. The removal efficiency was 16.23% and 61.55% higher than that in sole zeolites adsorption system and that in sole discharge plasma system, respectively. Higher applied voltage, lower initial ammonia nitrogen concentration and weak acidic conditions were favorable for ammonia nitrogen removal. After the addition of zeolites, part of O3 and H2O2 generated in the plasma/zeolites system were decomposed into other oxygen species (•OH and 1O2), which improved the oxidation degree of ammonia nitrogen. In addition, the reaction mechanism of ammonia nitrogen in water by plasma/zeolites process was discussed. After repeated use three times, the effect of the zeolites in the plasma/zeolites system remained stable. Characterization of the zeolites after reaction was analyzed through BET, SEM, XRD and FT-IR. The experiments have confirmed the applicability of the plasma/zeolites system for the further treatment of low-concentration ammonia nitrogen wastewater.

In this study, a copper-based catalyst (CuCN) with CuNx active sites highly dispersed in a porous carbon nitride matrix was synthesized and applied to a heterogeneous photo-assisted Photo-Fenton (PF) system to degrade tetracycline (TET). The results showed that the CuCN/PF system degraded up to 93.6% of TET within 60 min for ultrapure water matrix under the best experimental conditions, and more than 70% of TET for both river and lake water matrix. Toxicological tests suggested that the environmental risk caused by TET can be effectively inhibited by the CuCN/PF system. The good visible-light response and charge transport abilities of CuCN catalyst were identified in photoelectrochemical experiments. Free radical scavenging experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy indicated that the active species in the degradation process were·OH, h+,·O2- and 1O2. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed the positive effect of CuNx sites in CuCN on the formation of hydroxyl radicals by activating H2O2. This work will provide a new insight for the development of high-efficiency heterogeneous catalysts in wastewater environmental remediation.

Background: The acute toxicity on aquatic organisms are indispensable parameters in the ecological risk assessment priority chemical screening process (e.g. persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals). Currently, a number of predictive models for aquatic toxicity are available, however, the accuracy of in silico tools in priority assessment and risk assessment still remains to be further studied. Herein, this study evaluated the performance of seven Quantitative Structure–Activity Relationship (QSAR) in silico methods (Danish QSAR Database, Ecological Structure Activity Relationships, KAshinhou Tool for Ecotoxicity on PAS, Toxicity Estimation Software Tool, QSAR Toolbox, Read Across, and Virtual models for property Evaluation of chemicals within a Global Architecture) for assessing acute aquatic toxicity to Daphnia magna and Pimephales promelas using the first batch list of Priority Controlled Chemicals in China. Results: Based on the values for the median lethal dose and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s acute aquatic toxicity categories of concern, the acute toxicity grade was classified into six categories. According to the comparative prediction results, the accuracy of the Daphnia magna toxicity categories prediction was 25%–56%, the correlation coefficient ranged from 0.1236 to 0.6349, and the correlation coefficients of the applicability domain were 0.040 and 0.5148. The corresponding values for the Pimephales promelas toxicity categories prediction were 22%–44%, 0.1495–0.4144, 0.2156 and 0.6793. Conclusion: As the structure of chemicals of first batch list of Priority Controlled Chemicals in China are complex, the accuracy of model prediction is low, which depends on the quality of the constructed model and application domain. Although in silico methods can be used to preliminarily estimate aquatic toxicity, experimental data validation is still required for prioritizing environmental hazards assessments and risk assessments.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) is a commonly used antibiotic for both human and animals. The frequent detection of SMX in natural water bodies and sediment has become an issue of great environmental concern due to its potential risk to induce antibiotic resistance in pathogenic bacteria. In the present work, the catalytic wet peroxide oxidation (CWPO) was investigated to remove SMX with sludge-derived carbon (SC) as a cheap alternative catalyst. Different acids were used to modify SC. It was found that SC modified with sulphuric acid (SC-H2SO4) demonstrated the best catalytic activity. The removal efficiency of SMX and TOC was 97.7% and 65.7%, respectively, after 260 min, at pH 5 with a dosage of 220 mg/L H2O2. The effects of temperature, initial pH and H2O2 dosage were also investigated. The study demonstrated that the increase of temperature could significantly improve the degradation of SMX from 10.0% at 20°C to 94.7% at 60°C.

The ether extract ofArtemisia integrifoliawas separated by chromatography and afforded a new iridoid, arteintegin A (6), together with five known compounds, namely chamazulene (1) , acetylenes (E)-2, (E)-3, (Z)-4, eugenol (5). The structure elucidation of the new compound was carried out by 1D ( 1H NMR and 13C NMR) and 2D-NMR (COSY, HSQC and NOESY) spectral analysis .

This paper studies the container handling process for a newly designed container terminal, known as the Frame Bridge based Automated Container Terminal (FB-ACT). The system was shown to be an effective solution to the next generation container terminal, but its efficiency depends on the dispatching of frame trolleys (FTs), which transport containers along the apron. We address the FT dispatching problem to ensure conflict-free movements, while considering the handshakes with other devices in the system. A mixed-integer programming (MIP) model is formulated to minimize the makespan considering FT conflicts and handshakes. An algorithm based on filtered beam search is developed to solve the problem. In this algorithm, two filtering approaches are used to guide the search for beam nodes at each level. The first approach uses a surrogate model to effectively screen out the less promising nodes. Then, the second approach uses a reduced MIP model to further identify the beam nodes for the next level. Numerical experiments show that our proposed algorithm yields near-optimal solutions in small-scale problems. In large-scale problems, our algorithm significantly outperforms two other algorithms based on first come, first served (FCFS) or FCFS with dedicated vehicle assignment. Some interesting insights about the FB-ACT system are also shown in the study.

With the help of Chinese reform and the opening-up policy, as well as the global cultural fusion, TCSL (Teaching Chinese as a Second Language) is gradually growing into a hot research field where more and more research has been conducted to solve difficulties in practical teaching. However, little of this is concerned with the semiotic value of the TCSL classroom. To fill this research gap, this paper innovatively regards the TCSL classroom as a special semiotic text and applies Roland Barthes’ textual analysis theory into the TCSL classroom. Through a series of theoretical analyses and case studies, it aims at exploring the mutual connection between Barthes’ free text and the TCSL classroom and elaborating five codes existing in the TCSL classroom. At the same time, a new plural teaching model is expected to be constructed which can realize the democratic communication between the teacher and students, bring students’ subjective initiative into full play and eventually achieve the goal of mutual learning.

Mitochondria has been a promising target in blood cancer given their unique dependencies on mitochondrial functions compared to normal hematopoietic cells. In line with this concept, we show that an anthelminthic drug ivermectin selectively kills chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cells via inducing mitochondrial dysfunctions and oxidative stress. Ivermectin is significantly more effective in inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis in CML cell line K562 and primary CML CD34 than normal bone marrow (NBM) CD34 cells. Ivermectin also augments in vitro and in vivo efficacy of standard CML tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Mechanistically, ivermectin inhibits respiratory complex I activity and suppresses mitochondrial respiration in K562 and CML CD34 cells. Interestingly, we demonstrate that mitochondrial respiration are lower in NBM CD34 compared to malignant CD34 cells. In addition, ivermectin also induces mitochondrial dysfunctions in NBM CD34 cells in a similar manner as in CML CD34 cells whereas NBM CD34 cells are significantly less sensitive to ivermectin than CML CD34 cells. These suggest that NBM CD34 cells are more tolerable to mitochondrial dysfunctions than CML CD34 cells. Consistently, ivermectin induces higher levels of oxidative stress and damage in CML than normal counterparts. Antioxidant NAC rescues ivermectin's effects, confirming oxidative stress as the mechanism of its action in CML. Our work provides the fundamental evidence to repurpose ivermectin for CML treatment. Our work also highlights the therapeutic value of targeting mitochondria respiration in CML.

In order to solve the disadvantages of most of the photocatalyst, ZnFe2O4 is chosen as the magnetic material and prepared ZnFe2O4/Ag3PO4 composite photocatalysts. ZnFe2O4 is prepared by hydrotherma...

To improve the corrosion inhibition efficiency of eco-friendly polyaspartic acid (PASP) for mild steel in acidic solutions, PASP/N-(3-aminopropyl)imidazole (PD-1) and PASP/N-(3-aminopropyl)-imidazole-co-n-dodecylamine (PD-2) were chemically synthesized by the facile ring-opening reaction of polysuccinimide. Inhibition efficiencies of PD-1 and PD-2 for mild steel in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution were investigated by electrochemical measurements (electrochemical impedance and polarization) and the weight loss method. In comparison with PASP, PD-1 and PD-2 show improved inhibition efficiencies due to the functional groups. In particular, PD-2 shows superior corrosion inhibition capacity, and the efficiency is up to 94% at a relatively low concentration of 100 mg L−1 at 298 K, as determined by potentiodynamic polarization measurements. Surface analysis of mild steel with PD-2 as an inhibitor clearly indicates that the inhibitor molecules adsorb on the steel surface and efficiently inhibit the corrosion of mild steel. The present work provides very meaningful results in designing and preparing new polymer inhibitors with high inhibition efficiency.

Gabapentin (GAB) is an emerging contaminant that is frequently detected in water bodies across the globe. The present study used zebrafish as a model organism to investigate the effects of GAB on the early development of zebrafish and on its antioxidant system. Acute toxicity tests indicated that the 96 h LC50 value of GAB for zebrafish embryos was 59.9 g L−1. Further, it was observed that GAB causes malformation of embryos such as hemagglutination and pericardial edema. Compared to the control group, a significant enhancement (p < 0.05) of heartbeat rates was found at GAB concentrations exceeding 50 mg L−1, while the swimming frequency was clearly increased upon exposure to GAB at a concentration of 100 mg L−1 (p < 0.05). Additionally, the development of the zebrafish embryo was also negatively impacted after exposure to GAB as demonstrated by significantly decreased body lengths. Exposure to GAB at concentrations exceeding 50 mg L−1 significantly influenced the development of zebrafish, leading to malformation of organs and abnormal movements. Although no significant developmental effects of GAB were observed at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.1 and 10 μg L−1), further research about the antioxidant system confirmed that severe oxidant injury happened inside the organisms. catalase (CAT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione (GSH) and the ability of inhibition of hydroxyl radicals (IHR) were used as biomarkers in the present study to illustrate GAB toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations. The results showed that activities of CAT, LDH and GST as well as IHR were all elevated after GAB exposure, which proved that ROS were formed in the body as derived from GAB exposure. Among all of these biomarkers, CAT was the most sensitive one to evaluate the influence of GAB, and showed a significant increase even at a very low exposure concentration (0.1 μg L−1).

The EtOAc extract of Artemisia ordosica was separated by preparative reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and afforded a new lignan glycoside, artemordolignan glycoside A (1). The structure elucidation of the new compound was carried out by 1D (1H and 13C NMR) and 2D NMR (COSY, HSQC, and NOESY) spectral analysis.

In this study, spinel-type MnFe2O4 magnetic nanoparticles were successfully synthesized employing the purified sol–gel method and used for the advanced treatment of biologically pretreated semi-coking wastewater (BPSCW) by the O3/H2O2 catalytic system. Results showed that the MnFe2O4 magnetic catalysts did not have a regular surface morphology, and their surface contained numerous fine particles that showed a particle accumulation state and formed a good nano-spinel structure. Their surface morphology, ratio, size, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed two active metal elements in the catalyst, namely, Fe3+ and Mn2+, which were consistent with the elemental composition and valence of MnFe2O4. Under optimal reaction conditions, the removal efficiency of O3/H2O2/MnFe2O4 catalytic system for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and volatile phenol (VP) can reach 85.2% and 94.1%, respectively (catalyst dosage = 2.0 g∙L−1, O3 dosage = 1.2 mg∙min−1, H2O2 concentration = 0.15 mol∙L−1, pH = 7.0, and treatment time = 70 min). The free radical quenching experiment and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiment verified that hydroxyl radicals (∙OH) played a role in the deep treatment of BPSCW in the O3/H2O2/MnFe2O4 catalytic system. Phosphate experiments proved that lewis acid sites on the surface of the MnFe2O4 magnetic catalysts were the catalytically active sites. The superparamagnetic properties of the MnFe2O4 magnetic catalysts (67.8 emu∙g−1) facilitated magnetic separation from the treated wastewater. After 10 cycles, the activity of the MnFe2O4 magnetic catalysts remained high, and the removal efficiencies of COD and VP only decreased by 13.6% and 11.9%, respectively. Considering excellent degradation performance, easy magnetic separation and high stability, this study provided important insights into the practical application of the O3/H2O2 catalytic system for the advanced treatment of BPSCW.

Chitosan (CS)-g-polyacrylamide (PAM) is a highly efficient and environmentally friendly flocculant, which was synthesized through plasma-induced graft copolymerization of CS and acrylamide (AM). The effects of monomer concentration, AM:CS ratio, discharge power, discharge time, post-polymerization temperature, and post-polymerization time on the intrinsic viscosity, grafting ratio, and grafting efficiency of CS-g-PAM were investigated. The optimum conditions of graft copolymerization were as follows: 20% monomer concentration, 7:3 AM:CS ratio, 40 W discharge power, 90 s discharge time, 50°C post-polymerization temperature, and 24 h post-polymerization time. The structural characteristics of CS-g-PAM were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. CS-g-PAM exhibited better flocculation efficiency than the commercially available PAM in both diatomite-simulated wastewater and low-turbidity algal water. The optimal turbidity removal efficiency for the diatomite-simulated wastewater was 99.9%, which was obtained with 6 mg L

In this study, maleyl chitosan-graft-polyacrylamide (MHCS-g-PAM), a novel chitosan-based flocculant, was prepared through UV irradiation, and maleyl chitosan (MHCS) was designed and prepared with maleic anhydride and acrylamide (AM) through maleyl acylation reaction. The effects of monomer concentration, MHCS-to-AM ratio, illumination time, initiator concentration, pH on viscosity, and grafting efficiency were investigated to optimize the synthesis of these substances. MHCS-g-PAM was characterized through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Flocculation mechanisms in alga-containing wastewater at various pH levels and dosages were examined in detail on the basis of zeta potential measurements. Zeta potential experiments indicated that the adsorption-bridging and charge neutralization mechanisms played an important role in algal removal. Flocculation tests on algal removal demonstrated that the flocculation performance of MHCS-g-PAM was more effective than that of cationic polyacrylamide, polyferric sulfate, and polymeric aluminium. The optimal Chl-a and COD removal rate obtained by MHCS-g-PAM was 98.6% and 94.9% at pH7 and 4mg·L-1, respectively.

Confining metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) in carriers such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs) has become a novel strategy for designing highly efficient and stable non-noble metal chainmail catalysts. In this study, Fe3O4 NPs were confined in the chainmail of multi-walled CNTs to prepare Fe3O4@CNT magnetic nanocomposite with confinement effect, and peroxydisulfate (PDS) was activated to degrade tetracycline (TL) in aqueous solution. Under the conditions of 20 °C, pH0 = 7, 0.5 mM PDS and 0.4 g/L Fe3O4@CNT, TL degradation efficiency of 98.1% could be achieved by radicals ( OH, SO4 −, O2 −) and non-radicals (1O2) generated in the system. Stable carbon-layer structure can protect Fe3O4 NPs inside the chainmail from the influence of reaction environment. TL degradation efficiency still reached 80.2% after five cycles, and the leaching of Fe ions was less than 10 μg/L during each cycle. Electrochemical analysis and density functional theory (DFT) calculations show that electron transfer from active Fe3O4 NPs to the carbon layer to motivate the catalytic activity of carbon surface. This work will provide an innovative path for the application of chainmail catalysts in nano-water environmental remediation.

In this study, a Cu–Ce@Az ozone catalyst with multiple active components was prepared through the impregnation method to treat purified terephthalic acid (PTA) wastewater, and characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area analysis, X-ray energy spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and other methods. The Cu–Ce@Az ozone catalyst had a developed pore structure with a large specific surface area and crystal structure. After calcination, the metallic elements Cu and Ce existed in the state of oxides CuO and CeO2. The effects of reaction time, solution pH, catalyst dosage, and ozone dosage on the catalytic oxidation performance of the Cu–Ce@Az ozone catalyst were studied. Adding tert-butanol reduced the removal rate of COD from the PTA wastewater through the catalytic oxidation system, which proves that a Cu–Ce@Az ozone catalyst treatment process of PTA wastewater follows the free-radical reaction mechanism. The results of 3D fluorescence spectroscopy analysis show that the organic matter in the PTA wastewater was converted into tryptophan organic matter and aromatic organic matter after the reaction of the catalytic oxidation system. Ultraviolet absorption spectroscopy analysis indicated that in unsaturated chemical bonds, some conjugated structures and benzene ring structures of organic matter in the PTA wastewater were destroyed.

Molecular imprinting technology in combination with photodegradation technology was applied to synthetize HPW-CS/TiO2/FACS photocatalysts. The novel photocatalyst could not only exhibit high photoc...

Based on an efficient and bottom-up synthesis technique, Bismuth Selenide (Bi 2 Se 3 ) nanoplatelets with uniform morphology and average thickness down to 3–7 nm had been fabricated. Its nonlinear absorption property under high power excitation had been well characterized by our Z-scan measurement system at different illumination wavelengths, and we found that the as-fabricated bi-layer Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplatelets show unique nonlinear optical responses, that is, with a saturable optical intensity of 32 GW/cm 2 (resp. 3.7 MW/cm 2 ) and a modulation depth of 88% (resp. 36%) at 800 nm (resp. 1565 nm). By implementing its saturable absorption property, we designed an optical saturable absorber device based on bilayer Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplatelets through deposited them onto the end-facet of optical fiber. The as-fabricated optical saturable absorber device allows for the generation of mode-locking pulses at 1571 nm with pulse duration of 579 fs and a repetition rate of 12.54 MHz at a pump power of 160 mW. The method on fabricating ultrathin Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplatelets may pave a new way to massive production of large-area topological insulator thin films that can be used in two-dimensional layered materials related photonics device.

In this work, a highly efficient and environmentally friendly chitosan-based graft flocculant, namely, acrylamide- and dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride-grafted chitosan [CS-g-P(AM-DMDAAC)], was prepared successfully through plasma initiation. FTIR results confirmed the successful polymerization of CS-g-P(AM-DMDAAC) and P(AM-DMDAAC). P(AM-DMDAAC) was the copolymer of acrylamide- and dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride. SEM results revealed that a densely cross-linked network structure formed on the surface. XRD results verified that the ordered crystal structure of chitosan in CS-g-P(AM-DMDAAC) was changed into an amorphous structure after plasma-induced polymerization. The flocculation results of low-algal-turbidity water further showed the optimal flocculation efficiency of turbidity removal rate, COD removal rate, and Chl-a removal rate were 99.02%, 96.11%, and 92.20%, respectively. The flocculation efficiency of CS-g-P(AM-DMDAAC) were significantly higher than those obtained by cationic polyacrylamide (CPAM) and Polymeric aluminum and iron (PAFC). This work provided a valuable basis for the design of eco-friendly naturally modified polymeric flocculants to enhance the flocculation of low-algal-turbidity water.

Objective This study aimed to compare survival and toxicity between induction chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (IC + CCRT) and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) alone in elderly patients with advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Study Design Propensity-matched analysis of survival and toxicity in a retrospective elderly cohort. Setting Department of Medical Oncology, Jingzhou Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China. Subjects and Methods In total, 193 patients with stage III to IVb NPC who were treated with IC + CCRT or CCRT alone were enrolled. A cohort with suitable propensity scores was created (82 patients in the IC + CCRT group and 82 patients in the CCRT group). Survival and toxicity were compared between the 2 groups. Results For the IC + CCRT group and the CCRT group, the 5-year locoregional failure-free survival (LRFFS) rate was 80.4% and 77.2% ( P = .53), the 5-year distant failure-free survival (DFFS) rate was 80% and 76.9% ( P = .517), the 5-year overall survival (OS) rate was 71.8% and 60.5% ( P = .26), and the 5-year cancer-specific survival (CSS) rate was 75.3% and 66.7% ( P = .144), respectively. There was a significant difference in the cumulative incidence of all grade 3 to 4 toxicities between the 2 groups (29.9% vs 17.7%, P = 4.8 × 10-6). Conclusions IC + CCRT had a high cumulative incidence of grade 3 to 4 toxicities in elderly patients with advanced NPC, while there were no improvements in 5-year LRFFS rate, DFFS rate, OS rate, or CSS rate between patients who underwent the IC + CCRT vs CCRT alone. Concurrent chemoradiotherapy alone is still the standard of treatment.

Even though the nonlinear optical effects of solution processed organic–inorganic perovskite films have been studied, the nonlinear optical properties in two-dimensional (2D) perovskites, especially their applications for ultrafast photonics, are largely unexplored. In comparison to bulk perovskite films, 2D perovskite nanosheets with small thicknesses of a few unit cells are more suitable for investigating the intrinsic nonlinear optical properties because bulk recombination of photocarriers and the nonlinear scattering are relatively small. In this research, we systematically investigated the nonlinear optical properties of 2D perovskite nanosheets derived from a combined solution process and vapor phase conversion method. It was found that 2D perovskite nanosheets have stronger saturable absorption properties with large modulation depth and very low saturation intensity compared with those of bulk perovskite films. Using an all dry transfer method, we constructed a new type of saturable absorber device...

The conditions for the treatment of high phosphorus pharmaceutical wastewater using chemical precipitation were determined to achieve high efficiency on the removal of total phosphorus (TP). The key factors affecting the TP removal efficiencies of four metal salts (FeCl3, AlCl3, MgCl2, and CaCl2), such as molar ratio, initial wastewater pH, and reaction time, were investigated. The optimal metal mole ratios of FeCl3, AlCl3P, MgCl2, and CaCl2 for the TP removal were 1.8:1, 1.8:1, 1.6:1, and 1.6:1 in the initial pH range, respectively. The TP removal efficiencies obtained by FeCl3, AlCl3, MgCl2, and CaCl2 were 99.8%, 98.3%, 96.9%, and 99.2% at the optimal mole ratio and pH conditions with 30 min reaction time, respectively. FeCl3 and AlCl3 had better removal performance on COD, wherein the removal rates of COD by FeCl3 and AlCl3 were 38.6% and 27.6%, respectively. FeCl3 and CaCl2 were selected for the combined process of removing TP and overcoming the aforementioned problem. The final effluent quality was better than the one only used on one of the four metal salts, in which the removal rates of TP and COD were as high as 99.8% and 46.9%, respectively. The combined process with FeCl3 and CaCl2 was an effective method for the pretreatment of high phosphorus pharmaceutical wastewater to reduce the processing cost and to decrease the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and TP. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

// Liyan Jiang 1, * , Xinying Su 2, * , Tianwei Zhang 2 , Xiaolu Yin 2 , Meizhuo Zhang 3 , Haihua Fu 2 , Hulin Han 2 , Yun Sun 2 , Lili Dong 1 , Jialin Qian 1 , Yanhua Xu 4 , Xuan Fu 4 , Paul R. Gavine 2 , Yanbin Zhou 5 , Kun Tian 6 , Jiaqi Huang 7 , Dong Shen 7 , Haiyi Jiang 4 , Yihong Yao 7 , Baohui Han 1 , Yi Gu 2 1 Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China 2 Asia & Emerging Markets, iMed, AstraZeneca, Shanghai, China 3 R&D Information, AstraZeneca, Shanghai, China 4 Global Medicines Development, AstraZeneca, Shanghai, China 5 The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangdong, China 6 General Hospital of Chengdu Military Region of PLA, Sichuan, China 7 R&D, MedImmune, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, USA * These authors contributed equally to this study Correspondence to: Yi Gu, email: yigu68@yahoo.com Baohui Han, email: xkyyhan@gmail.com Keywords: PD-L1, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), biomarker, tumor-infiltrating immune cells, oncogenic driver Received: August 02, 2016 Accepted: February 20, 2017 Published: March 01, 2017 ABSTRACT In order to explore the potential patient population who could benefit from anti PD-1/PD-L1 mono or combination therapies, this study aimed to profile a panel of immunotherapy related biomarkers (PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4 and CD8) and targeted therapy biomarkers (EGFR, KRAS, ALK, ROS1 and MET) in NSCLC. Tumor samples from 297 NSCLC patients, including 156 adenocarcinomas (AD) and 129 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), were analyzed using immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, sequencing and fluorescence in situ hybridization. 43.1% of NSCLC patients had PD-L1 positive staining on ≥ 5% tumor cells (TC). Furthermore, dual color immunofluorescence revealed that the majority of PD-L1/CD8 dual positive tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) had infiltrated into the tumor core. Finally, combined analysis of all eight biomarkers showed that tumor PD-L1 positivity overlapped with known alterations in NSCLC oncogenic tumor drivers in 26% of SCC and 76% of AD samples. Our illustration of the eight biomarkers’ overlap provides an intuitive overview of NSCLC for personalized therapeutic strategies using anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immune therapies, either as single agents, or in combination with targeted therapies. For the first time, we also report that PD-L1 and CD8 dual positive TILs are predominantly located within the tumor core.

The exon numbers and lengths vary in different eukaryotic species. With increasing completed genomic sequences, it is indispensable to reanalyze the gene organization in diverse eukaryotic genomes. We performed a large-scale comparative analysis of the exon-intron structure in 72 eukaryotic organisms, including plants, fungi and animals. We confirmed that the exon-intron structure varies massively among eukaryotic genomes and revealed some lineage-specific features of eukaryotic genes. These include a teleost-specific exon-intron structure pattern, relatively small introns and large exons in fungi and algae, and a gradual expansion of introns in vertebrates. Furthermore, the conservation analysis of exon-intron boundaries indicates that several bases near splice site junctions are different in introns with variable length among different species. After comparison, we identified a trend showing increases in intron densities and lengths in diverse species from fungi, plants, invertebrates to vertebrates, while it was the opposite in relation to exon lengths. The statistical properties of eukaryotic genomic organization suggest that genome-specific features are preserved by diverse evolutionary processes, which paves way for further research on the diversification of eukaryotic evolution.

Three-dimensional Ti-Sn/γ-Al 2 O 3 particle electrodes were prepared for the efficient degradation of chloramphenicol (CAP) in wastewater. To observe the surface morphology and structural characteristics of the Ti-Sn/γ-Al 2 O 3 particle electrodes, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction were used for characterization. Parameters affecting the degradation efficiency and energy consumption of the Ti-Sn/γ-Al 2 O 3 particle electrodes, such as conductivity, initial pH of wastewater, current density, air flow, and initial CAP concentration (100 mg·L −1 ), were examined. Results showed that the optimal conditions were 0.1 A current intensity, 1.0 L·min −1 air flow, 6000 μS·cm −1 conductivity, and pH 6. More than 70% of CAP was degraded under the optimal conditions. Based on the reaction intermediate products identified, a possible pathway for the electrochemical oxidation of CAP by the Ti-Sn/γ-Al 2 O 3 particle electrodes was proposed.

Multi-layer black phosphorus nanosheets (BPs) with different sizes are synthesized by using a basic solvent exfoliation method in association with controlled gradient centrifugation. Size-dependent nonlinear saturable absorption and Kerr nonlinearity as well as ultrafast carrier dynamics of BPs is systematically studied by using a Z-scan and pump–probe technique. Furthermore, an ultrashort pulse with a pulse duration of about 635 fs centered at a wavelength of 1562 nm is generated by using smaller sized BPs as a saturable absorber. These results directly reveal the physical processes of size-dependent nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of BPs and provide researchers with a viable approach in tailoring the NLO response of BPs through controlling the sizes, paving the way towards BP based electronics and optoelectronics applications such as ultrafast optical switches, modulators, fiber lasers, etc.

A new sesquiterpene, artefrigin (

Two new compounds, namely integrin A (

Immune infiltration of tumor microenvironment is an important determinant for immune response and outcomes. To investigate the diversity and clinical relevance of immune infiltration in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), we performed a comprehensive analysis using the bulk tumor transcriptomes. The prognosis significance for immune infiltration was systematically evaluated and sufficient immune infiltration was associated with better outcomes. Resting mast cells emerged as the most strongly associated with better overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), whereas the activated mast cells were correlated with adverse survival. Immune infiltration-based classification exhibited clinical relevance and provided a close link between cancer cell-intrinsic genetic events and immune landscape. The immune infiltration-miRNA functional network analysis showed that the resting mast cell-associated miRNAs are mainly involved in the enrichment of development, mRNA metabolic process, myeloid cell differentiation, Wnt, calcium modulating, interferon, p53 pathways. Additionally, we found one promoter (miR-30a) and one suppressor (miR-550a) of resting mast cells. Coupling the detailed analyses of the cellular immune infiltration and the implicated modulation role of miRNAs provides novel type of candidates for LUAD immunotherapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses a combination of photosensitizers with visible light to generate reactive species and selectively kill tumor or unwanted tissue. Znln

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of endoscopic surgery via a Kocher point approach for intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) caused by thalamic hemorrhage (TH), in comparison with external ventricular drainage (EVD). Between January 2016 and August 2017, a total of 40 patients with IVH caused by TH were enrolled. The patients were assigned to an EVD group and an endoscopic surgery group in a non-randomized manner. The pre-operative characteristics recorded included age, pre-operative Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, hemorrhage volume, length of neuro-intensive care unit stay and Graeb score of IVH. Outcomes included the GCS score at 2 weeks after surgery, 30-day and 90-day mortality rates, modified Rankin scale at 6 months after ictus and ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt rate. The baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. The VP shunt rate in the EVD group was significantly higher compared with that in the endoscopic surgery group (50.0 vs. 15.0%; P=0.02; odds ratio, 5.7). In conclusion, smartphone-assisted endoscopic surgery via Kocher's point is feasible and safe, and significantly reduces permanent shunt dependency for IVH caused by TH.

The use of attapulgite (ATP)-based materials for adsorption of pollutants from water and wastewater has received growing attention. However, recovering ATP-based adsorbents remains a challenge. In this study, a magnetic adsorbent ATP/CoFe2O4 with high tannic acid (TA) adsorptive capacity was fabricated via a facile co-precipitation approach and was well characterized. The loaded CoFe2O4 particles were embedded into the adsorbent surfaces to allow magnetic separability. For this material, its TA adsorption kinetics, isotherm behavior, and magnetic separation efficiency are reported. The developed magnetic composites had rapid sorption kinetics of 3 h, high sorption capacity of 109.36 mg/g, and good magnetic separation efficiency of 80%. The used ATP/CoFe2O4 was successfully regenerated by NaOH and reused five times without a substantial reduction in TA removal and magnetic performance. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding formation and surface complexation were identified as the sorption mechanisms of TA by ATP/CoFe2O4.

The use of attapulgite (ATP)-based materials for adsorption of pollutants from water and wastewater has received growing attention. However, recovering ATP-based adsorbents remains a challenge. In this study, a magnetic adsorbent ATP/CoFe2O4 with high tannic acid (TA) adsorptive capacity was fabricated via a facile co-precipitation approach and was well characterized. The loaded CoFe2O4 particles were embedded into the adsorbent surfaces to allow magnetic separability. For this material, its TA adsorption kinetics, isotherm behavior, and magnetic separation efficiency are reported. The developed magnetic composites had rapid sorption kinetics of 3 h, high sorption capacity of 109.36 mg/g, and good magnetic separation efficiency of 80%. The used ATP/CoFe2O4 was successfully regenerated by NaOH and reused five times without a substantial reduction in TA removal and magnetic performance. Intermolecular hydrogen bonding formation and surface complexation were identified as the sorption mechanisms of TA by ATP/CoFe2O4.

Mn-Ce-Zr-O catalysts doped with varying Mn content were prepared and assessed for the catalytic combustion of chlorobenzene (CB). Nanosized MCZ-0.67 catalyst with amorphous phase exhibited a high and stable catalytic activity among the studied catalysts, achieving 90% CB conversion at 226 &deg, C and withstanding stability tests, including time-based stability and the successive influence of various operating conditions. Meanwhile, the MCZ-0.67 catalyst used showed good recyclability by calcination in air. Characterization results suggested that Mn doping played a dominant role in improving the catalytic performance, resulting in larger surface area, better redox properties and greater amounts of surface active oxygen. In addition, the introduction of Zr was also indispensable for maintaining the good catalytic performance of catalysts. Finally, trace amounts of polychlorinated by-products during CB oxidation were monitored and the oxidation process was discussed.