Search

• The role of indirect network effects on EV penetration was investigated. • A three-stage sequential game theoretical model for EV diffusion was developed. • 40% subsidy can be saved with consideration of indirect network effects. • The subsidy trade-off strategy under phasing out EV subsidies was proposed. • Charging infrastructures subsidy can mitigate EV sales shrink caused by subsidy cuts. This study analyzes the indirect network effects between electric vehicle (EV) sales and EV charging infrastructure constructions with consideration of the phasing out EV subsidies in China. A three-level Stackelberg game model is proposed to analyze the interactions among the government, the charging infrastructures investors and EV consumers. The closed-form solutions for government subsidies, charging price, charging infrastructures quantity and EV market share are derived from the theoretical model. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to demonstrate the role of indirect network effects on EV penetration and government subsidies. The results show that ignoring indirect network effects can easily lead to an EV market failure and greatly increase the financial burden for EV penetration. While about 40% subsidy can be saved with consideration of indirect network effects. With phasing out EV subsidies, the government is suggested to shift the purchasing subsidy to the charging infrastructure subsidy. The subsidy strategy derived from the proposed model outperforms the other possible solutions in terms of social welfare maximization. A scenario analysis for the environmental impact of EVs shows that EV promotion should be coordinated with clean electricity generation development. The impact of energy price fluctuations on EV diffusion is also discussed, indicating that the gasoline price significantly influences EV adoption. Specifically, when the gasoline price increases from 3.8 USD/gal to 5.7 USD/gal and 7.6 USD/gal, the EV market share will increase by 25% and 42%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This prospective study explored the application of texture features extracted from T2WI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps in predicting recurrence of advanced cervical cancer patients treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). We included 34 patients with advanced cervical cancer who underwent pelvic MR imaging before, during and after CCRT. Radiomic feature extraction was performed by using software at T2WI and ADC maps. The performance of texture parameters in predicting recurrence was evaluated. After a median follow-up of 31 months, eleven patients (32.4%) had recurrence. At four weeks after CCRT initiated, the most textural parameters (four T2 textural parameters and two ADC textural parameters) showed significant difference between the recurrence and nonrecurrence group (P values range, 0.002~0.046). Among them, RunLengthNonuniformity (RLN) from T2 and energy from ADC maps were the best selected predictors and together yield an AUC of 0.885. The support vector machine (SVM) classifier using ADC textural parameters performed best in predicting recurrence, while combining T2 textural parameters may add little value in prognosis. T2 and ADC textural parameters have potential as non-invasive imaging biomarkers in early predicting recurrence in advanced cervical cancer treated with CCRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Engrailed homeobox 1 (EN1) is a candidate oncogene that is epigenetically modified in salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC). We investigated the expression of EN1 in SACC tissues and cells, EN1 promoter methylation, and the role of EN1 in tumour progression in SACC. Methods: Thirty-five SACC samples were screened for key transcription factors that affect tumour progression. In vitro and in vivo assays were performed to determine the viability, tumorigenicity, and metastatic ability of SACC cells with modulated EN1 expression. Quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed on SACC samples. Results: EN1 was identified as a transcription factor that was highly overexpressed in SACC tissues, regardless of clinical stage and histology subtype, and its level of expression correlated with distant metastasis. EN1 promoted cell invasion and migration through epithelial-mesenchymal transition in vitro and enhanced SACC metastasis to the lung in vivo. RNA-seq combined with in vitro assays indicated that EN1 might play an oncogenic role in SACC through the PI3K-AKT pathway. EN1 mRNA levels were negatively correlated with promoter hypermethylation, and inhibition of DNA methylation by 5-aza-dC increased EN1 expression. Conclusions: The transcription factor EN1 is overexpressed in SACC under methylation regulation and plays a pivotal role in SACC progression through the PI3K-AKT pathway. These results suggest that EN1 may be a diagnostic biomarker and a potential therapeutic target for SACC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonizing road transport is important for China to achieve carbon neutrality. Road transport decarbonization requires rapid deployment of new energy vehicles, especially electric vehicles, expanding demand for critical battery minerals including lithium, cobalt, and nickel. By constructing a novel bottom-up framework that combines Low Emissions Analysis Platform and Vehicle Critical Mineral Demand model, this study assesses China's road transport decarbonization pathways and critical battery mineral demand under three illustrative scenarios. Results show China's vehicle stock peaking at 528 million in 2045 and remaining saturated through 2060. Except for diesel-fueled trucks, China's internal combustion engine vehicles are completely phased out around 2050–2055. Share of oil-derived fuels in China's road transport energy declines, while share of electricity and hydrogen increases significantly, with electricity and hydrogen together accounting for 57–88% in 2060. China's road transport CO 2 peaks at 977–1,083 Mt in 2028–2032, declining to 62–282 Mt in 2060, with private vehicles, light- and heavy-duty trucks as core mitigation areas. Cumulative demand for lithium, cobalt, and nickel from electric-vehicle batteries is estimated at 16.1–19.6 Mt LCE, 0.4–0.55 Mt and 3.3–4.3 Mt by 2060, respectively, indicating a challenge for China's local mineral supply. Recycling reduces cumulative demand for primary lithium, cobalt, and nickel resources by over 30%, 60% and 60%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) MR imaging has been applied in researches of various diseases, however its potential in cervical cancer patients has not been fully explored. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of IVIM MR imaging to monitor early treatment response in patients receiving concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) for advanced cervical cancers.Methods: Twenty-one patients receiving CCRT for advanced cervical cancer were prospectively enrolled. MR examinations including IVIM imaging (with 14 b values, 0 ~ 1000 s/mm(2)) were performed at 4 time points: 1-week prior to, 2-week and 4-week during, as well as immediately post CCRT (within 1 week). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were derived from the mono-exponential model, while the diffusion coefficient (D), perfusion fraction (f) and pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*) maps were calculated from the bi-exponential model. Dynamic changes of ADC, D, f and D* in cervical cancers were investigated as early surrogate markers for treatment response.Results: ADC and D values increased throughout the CCRT course. Both f and D* increased in the first 2 to 3 weeks of CCRT and started to decrease around 4 weeks of CCRT. Significant increase of f value was observed from prior to CCRT (f 1 = 0.12 ± 0.52) to two-week during CCRT (f2 = 0.20 ± 0.90, p = 0.002).Conclusions: IVIM MR imaging has the potential in monitoring early tumor response induced by CCRT in patients with cervical cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing concerns about energy conservation and the environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions over the world have promoted the development of the electric vehicles (EVs) market. However, one of the biggest barriers in the development of the EV market is the lack of the public charging infrastructure. This paper reviews the factors that can directly and indirectly influence the economics of the public charging infrastructure. The knowledge gaps, barriers and opportunities in the development of the charging infrastructure have been identified and analyzed. In order to promote the development of the public charging infrastructure, more research efforts should be paid on the impacts of psychological factors of customers and the technical development of charging infrastructures and EV batteries. The government support has been proved to play an important role, so that how the government policy can be tailored for the development of the charging infrastructure market should receive more attentions. In addition, the charging price as an endogenous factor should be considered more carefully in modelling the charging infrastructure market. New business models are also urgently needed to accelerate the future development of the public charging infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To monitor early response for locally advanced cervical cancers undergoing concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) by ultrasonic histogram. Methods B-mode ultrasound examinations were performed at 4 time points in thirty-four patients during CCRT. Six ultrasonic histogram parameters were used to assess the echogenicity, homogeneity and heterogeneity of tumors. Results I peak increased rapidly since the first week after therapy initiation, whereas W low , W high and A high changed significantly at the second week. The average ultrasonic histogram progressively moved toward the right and converted into more symmetrical shape. Conclusion Ultrasonic histogram could be served as a potential marker to monitor early response during CCRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A facile one-step process was developed to generate hydrophilic coating on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hollow fiber membranes based on co-deposition of polymerized dopamine (PDA) and poly (ethyleneimine) (PEI) from aqueous solutions. For comparison, step-by-step coating of PDA and PEI was also applied to modify PTFE membranes. ATR-FTIR, XPS, SEM, AFM and water contact angle measurements were applied to analyze the surface chemistry and morphology evolution of the modified PTFE membranes at varied grafting yields. PDA and PEI were successfully deposited on PTFE membranes while the hydrophilicity and wettability of the modified membrane were greatly improved. The modified PTFE membranes showed high water permeate fluxes, good long-term stability and durability in strong acidic aqueous solution. Although PTFE hollow fiber membranes samples modified by a step-by-step dip-coating process with PDA and PEI tent to lose their hydrophilicity in strong alkaline solutions, the co-deposited PTFE membranes with PDA and PEI were found to have good durability in aqueous solution at pH 13. This work provides a one-step method to improve the hydrophilicity and chemical stability of the PTFE hollow fiber membranes for water treatment applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, thin-film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membranes are widely developed for wastewater purification, although it is a pressing subject to further improve its permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance. Here, the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes were modified with dopamine (DA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) via surface segregation during non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). And then some residual amine groups on the as-prepared PVDF/DA-PEI membranes participated in the reaction with 1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylic acid chloride (TMC) by interfacial polymerization (IP), forming the TFC FO membranes. Furthermore, they were co-deposited by tannic acid (TA) and taurine, engineering the tTFC FO membranes. The introduction of DA and PEI in the substrate enhances the selectivity of the membrane having a low specific reverse solute flux (J s /J w), and the TA-taurine layer improves the anti-fouling of the surface. Especially, tTFC6 (6 represents the weight concentration of DA and PEI in the substrate) has an excellent performance has a large J w of 42.10 ± 0.86 L m−2 h−1, a low J s /J w of 0.06 ± 0.02 g/L, and a high flux recovery (FRR) of more than 90% using bovine serum albumin (BSA), sodium alginate (SA), and SiO 2 nanoparticles as model contaminants. The results provide new insights into the preparation of highly permeable and anti-fouling FO membranes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • PVDF scaffolds were prepared via DMSO crystallization and phase separation. • Solar-driven evaporators with directional channels were developed by urchin-like CuO. • The evaporators have adequate water supply and excellent salt resistance. • 3D PVDF/CuO evaporator exhibits low evaporation enthalpy and high evaporation rate. Solar-driven evaporators with vertical channels usually exhibit excellent desalination due to the fast water transportation and excellent salt tolerance, which are often fabricated via a directional liquid nitrogen-assisted ice templating method and freeze-drying process. However, they are reliant on a very limited number of water-soluble polymers and hydrophilic inorganic materials, and the freeze-drying process costs a long time and much energy. A highly efficient and straightforward process for the fabrication of solar-driven evaporators with directional channels from water-insoluble materials is urgent. Here, water-insoluble polyvinylidene fluoride was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and then the solution was engineered to PVDF scaffolds by the combination of directional DMSO crystallization with the commonly porous membrane formation method of non-solvent (water) induced phase separation. The result is the creation of oriented perpendicular pores to the surfaces and framberry-like microparticles on the pore walls. After the in situ deposition of urchin-like CuO particles with high solar adsorption on PVDF scaffolds, PVDF/CuO solar-driven evaporators have been successfully constructed. The evaporate rate depends on the PVDF content and CuO loading. Briefly, PVDF/CuO evaporators fabricated from high PVDF content of more than 3 wt% have low porosity, slow water supply, and poor hydrophilicity, resulting in a low evaporate rate and high evaporation enthalpy. The optimized 3D PVDF/CuO evaporator (V3-9 h) with a PVDF content of 3 wt% and CuO loading of 31.3 ± 1.6 wt% has a high pure water evaporation rate of 3.2 ± 0.2 and 3.5 ± 0.3 kg m-2h−1 under sun illumination at 1 and 2 kW m−2, respectively. And the evaporation enthalpy is as low as 1083.8 ± 25.5 J/g, 55 % lower than pure water. Moreover, the sample exhibits a similar evaporation rate in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution because the verticle channels endow the evaporator with excellent salt tolerance. The facile and scalable fabrication process of solar-driven evaporators with directional channels will greatly boost the development of cost-effective desalination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A flexible and stable dual-mode film with photo responsibility was engineered. • Intercalated rGO/CB heating coating shows high solar absorptivity and low emissivity. • Hierarchical PVDF/Al 2 O 3 cooling coating exhibits high solar reflectivity and emissivity. • The dual-mode film has excellent outdoor thermal management under changeable climates. A single-mode solar heating (SH) and passive radiative cooling (PRC) have been fast developed in outdoor thermal management. However, they hardly change with the temperature fluctuations of the hot and cold seasons. Herein, a flexible and stable dual-mode film with photo responsibility was engineered by integrating heating coating and cooling coating on the opposite surfaces of a porous polypropylene (PP) membrane. Flip the surfaces of the dual-mode film-facing solar light to switch between PRC and SH. The cross-linked heating side was fabricated from reduced graphene oxide (rGO) nanosheets intercalated with carbon black (CB) particles via spraying. A thick intercalated film can enhance solar absorptivity (96.4 %) and low infrared emissivity (8.0 %) due to the multiple solar reflections and adsorption between the interlayers, leading to high solar heating. The cooling side was derived from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) coating embedded micro-nano Al 2 O 3 particles via water vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS). The hierarchical coating with a pore size of 8.4 ± 0.1 µm and roughness of 4.0 ± 0.3 µm exhibits high solar reflectivity (92.2 %) and infrared emissivity (96.9 %), resulting in excellent passive radiative cooling. The net heating power (P heating) and net cooling power (P cooling) of the dual-mode film are 845.9 and 96.7 W m−2. Moreover, the dual-mode film exhibits outdoor thermoregulation capacity upon covering buildings, cars, and ice. In outdoor environments under solar radiation of 611 ∼ 716 W m−2, it has a temperature increase/decrease of 17.8/5.3 °C to the ambient temperature. Owing to the scalable fabrication processes and excellent thermoregulation characteristics, the dual-mode film is promising for applications in personal thermal management, energy-efficient buildings, in-car temperature control, and food freezing-thawing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A magnetic demulsifier with beetle-like structures was successfully fabricated. • The beetle-like microstructure endowed the demulsifier with anomalous wettability. • Fe 3 O 4 grains acted as solid-phase bridges to connect C-SR particles and GO sheets. • The demulsifier showed excellent separation properties for oil-in-water emulsion. • The introduction of Fe 3 O 4 and C-SR enhanced solar-assisted recyclability of GO. Owing to its high selective adsorption and excellent cyclability, superwetting materials have attracted considerable attention in environmental governance, especially oily wastewater treatment. However, the inferior separation efficiency and high recovery energy consumption seriously limit the actual application of superwetting particles in oil–water emulsion separation. Herein, inspired reversely by the water collection and water retention of the hydrophilic/superhydrophobic structure on the Stenocara beetle's back, we fabricated magnetic graphene oxide composite with beetle-like microstructure by one-step solvothermal and environmentally friendly ball milling method. Magnetic composite with superhydrophobic/superoleophilic bumps–hydrophilic underlayer exhibits high hydrophobicity/oleophilicity in air and high oleophobicity underwater. In the process of particle assembly, the Fe 3 O 4 grains with abundant oxygen vacancies peeled off from the in-situ deposited magnetic Fe 3 O 4 microspheres play a bridging role to immobilize the superhydrophobic carbon black particles on the graphene oxide (GO) surface. On the unique surface of magnetic composite, attributed to strong π–π/n–π interface adsorption and hydrophobic interaction, the oil–water separation can be rapidly demulsified and the superoleophilic bumps (superhydrophobic carbon black nanoparticles) can capture and aggregate tiny oil droplets. The hydration layer formed in the hydrophilic region effectively prevents the captured oil droplets from spreading on the composite structure, thus enhancing the emulsion separation ability of magnetic GO. More importantly, the prepared composites exhibit efficient recycling and regeneration under solar irradiation, which is superior to the recovery efficiency of traditional GO sheets lacking high self-heating components. These inverse beetle-like magnetic GO-based particles open up a new opportunity for the design and fabrication of advanced demulsifiers in the field of oil–water emulsion separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supra-wetting materials, especially superhydrophobic absorption materials, as an emerging advanced oil-water separation material have attracted extensive concern in the treatment of oil spillage and industrial oily wastewater. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate robust and multifunctional superhydrophobic materials for the multitasking oil-water separation and fast clean-up of the viscous crude oil by an environment-friendly and scalable method. Herein, a solid-solid phase ball-milling strategy without chemical reagent-free modification was proposed to construct heterogeneous superhydrophobic composites by using waste soot as the solid-phase superhydrophobic modifier. A series of covalent bond restricted soot-graphene (S-GN) or soot-Fe 3 O 4 (S-Fe 3 O 4) composite materials with a peculiar micro-nano structure are prepared. Through "glue+superhydrophobic particles" method, the prepared soot-based composite particles are facilely loaded on the porous skeleton of the sponge to obtain multifunctional superhydrophobic adsorbents. The reported superhydrophobic adsorbents exhibited robust chemical and mechanical stability, convenient magnetic collection, the high oil absorption capacity of 60–142 g g−1, durable recyclability (>250 cycles), efficient separation efficiency (>99.5%) and outstanding self-heated performance, which enable them to be competent for oil-water separation in multitasking and complex environment (floating oils, continuous oil collection, oil-in-water emulsion, and viscous oil-spills). ga1 Scheme. Preparation and application of multifunctional superhydrophobic adsorbent by mixed-dimensional particles assembly strategy. • A mixed-dimensional particle assembly strategy for constructing soot-based superhydrophobic composites was proposed. • The assembly and wettability transition mechanism of soot combined with graphene/Fe 3 O 4 were revealed. • Superhydrophobic adsorbents can be obtained by bonding soot-based composite particles with commercial glue. • Superhydrophobic adsorbents exhibit robust chemical and mechanical stability, oil absorption capacity and durability. • MS@S-Fe 3 O 4 and MS@S-GN significantly reduce the viscosity of crude oil by photothermal effect for oil spills remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We report a rare case of malignant phyllodes tumors (MPT) with partial response to apatinib.Case Presentation: A 26-year-old woman had a palpable mass in her right breast for over a year. After resection, pathology indicated malignant phyllodes tumor. Eleven months after surgery, she underwent reoperation for a lung nodule, which demonstrated lung metastasis. She refused chemotherapy and was rehospitalized six months later due to leg pain. Pelvic mass biopsy revealed metastatic malignant phyllodes tumor. After concurrent chemoradiotherapy of the pelvic mass, multiple lung metastases emerged. Subsequent treatment with apatinib 500 mg/day resulted in a reduction in mass size and partial response. She survived for more than 8 months.Conclusion: The present case showed the potential therapeutic effects of apatinib in patients with MPT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two groups are grafted to SiO 2 nanoparticles in a certain proportion by simple reaction. • A pH-responsive sponge is obtained by modifying pH-responsive nanoparticles on the surface of the sponge by a non-polymerization method. • The wettability transition between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity is realized by protonation and deprotonation of carboxyl group in acid and basic solutions. • The modified sponge can not only absorb oil in acid or neutral solution, but also release oil in basic solution. The oil recycle and absorbent regeneration is realized using this wettability transition. • With the assistance of vacuum pump, the sponge can realize a continuous oil-water separation process and discharge the absorbed oil through post-treatment. With the development of research on superwettability materials, superhydrophobic and superoleophilic materials show superior separation ability in oil-water separation due to their excellent oil-water selectivity. However, due to the super wetting ability of the oil to the material, it is difficult to clean and reuse after adsorbing the oil spill. Therefore, how to realize the complete regeneration of superhydrophobic and superoleophilic materials is still a worldwide problem. In this paper, the controlled adsorption-desorption process of oil and the complete regeneration of materials are realized by pH induced superwettability transformation. We fabricate a pH-responsive oil-water separation sponge by a method of simply impregnating the carboxyl and alkyl group modified SiO 2 nanoparticles on the surface of melamine sponge (MS) skeleton, which can change the wettability from superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity through protonation and deprotonation in different pH solutions. The experiment results indicate that the sponge is superhydrophobic and superoleophilic in acid and neutral solution, and can adsorb oil in water. While in basic solution, it becomes superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic, which can release the adsorbed oil. With the help of a vacuum pump, we can use this wettability transition to achieve a continuous oil adsorption and desorption process. These findings offer a new preparation method of regenerative 3D adsorption materials like MS in oil-water separation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The effects of functional groups of UiO-66 on dyes adsorption capacity was studied. • The adsorption mechanism of functionalized UiO-66 on dyes was revealed. • The multiple interactions enhanced the adsorption of UiO-66-NH 2 on cationic dye. • The charge interaction increased the adsorption of UiO-66-(COOH) 2 on cationic dyes. UiO-66-based metal-organic framework (MOF) materials are a class of porous crystalline materials consisting of Zr metal clusters compounded with organic ligands of terephthalic acid group. In this study, functionalized UiO-66-X (X =H , NH 2 , (COOH) 2) nanoparticles were synthesized. The morphology of UiO-66-X nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, while the crystal structure was analyzed using XRD and TGA. Chemical composition of UiO-66-X nanoparticles were analyzed through TFIR and XPS. The adsorption capacities of UiO-66-X nanoparticles for anionic dye of Congo red (CR), and cationic dyes of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (Rh B) dyes were evaluated. Furthermore, the adsorption mechanisms of UiO-66-X nanoparticles for dyes were analyzed and summarized. Results showed that the adsorption capacities of UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH 2 on CR were 93.05 mg/g and 94.20 mg/g, respectively. In particular, the adsorption capacities of UiO-66-(COOH) 2 on MB and Rh B were significantly increased with the adsorption capacities of 80.66 mg/g and 72.64 mg/g, respectively. Due to the strong π-π effect and hydrogen bonding interactions between UiO-66 and CR dyes. UiO-66-NH 2 has stronger hydrophilicity and has electrostatic interactions, Lewis acid-base interactions and hydrogen bonds with CR. The abundant -COOH groups and higher negative Zeta potential (-23.43 mV) in UiO-66-(COOH) 2 led to strong electrostatic interactions and Lewis acid-base interactions with the cationic dyes MB and Rh B. Therefore, the adsorption performance of UiO-66-(COOH) 2 on cationic dyes was improved. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the separation efficiency and decrease fouling of the membranes used in oil-in-water emulsions separation, a superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic TiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 composite membrane with ultra low oil adhesion was designed. TiO 2 nanorod arrays were prepared on Al 2 O 3 porous ceramic membrane surface by simple magnetron sputtering and hydrothermal oxidation. The microstructure and surface photosensitivity of TiO 2 nanorod array-coated ceramic membrane can effectively increase the efficiency of oil-water separation and reduce the degree of surface fouling. The layer of TiO 2 nanorod arrays not only reduced the pore size of traditional ceramic membrane (enhanced sieving effect of porous structures) but also endowed its superhydrophilicity (enhanced flux) and underwater superoleophobicity (enhanced oil/water selectivity and antifouling). Based on the superhydrophilicity (water contact angle (WCA) of 0°) and underwater superoleophobicity (oil contact angle (OCA) higher than 150°) of ceramic membrane, oil droplets were blocked by the membrane (oil-water separation efficiency 99.1% under gravity) and water will pass (flux is maintained at 41.8 L/(m 2  h) under gravity). It also has excellent anti-fouling ability due to the ultra-low oil adhesion force (0.084 mN) of the TiO 2 nanorod array-coating after UV irradiation. These features, combined with energy-saving, low-cost and easy-to-scale manufacturing schemes will be of great versatility and practicality in environmental rehabilitation and wastewater purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) dual layer hollow fiber membrane was modified by coating dopamine and grafting polyethyleneimine, then the hydrophilic and antibacterial PVDF membrane was obtained through quaternization reactions. The attenuated total reflectant Fourier transform infrared spectra (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were applied to confirm the successful modification. The water contact angle measurement suggested that the membrane hydrophilicity was significantly improved. Morphological changes of membranes were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). The pure water flux before and after BSA contamination was measured and the flux recovery rate for the modified membrane was as high as 94%. The antibacterial tests showed that the hydrophilic and antibacterial PVDF membrane owned excellent anti-bacterial efficiency and resistance to bacterial adhesion. The average pore size, mechanical property and zeta potential were also investigated. All the results demonstrated this facile method can enhance the hydrophilicity and antibacterial ability of PVDF dual layer hollow fiber membrane, and would have application in water treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the emergency rescue, such as coal mining disasters, potable water was the primary factor to ensure the safety of people trapped underground, and it was easy to be obtained by the filtration of coal mine water. As a membrane separation technology, forward osmosis (FO) membranes were expected to be used in the emergency filtration of coal mine water with higher contents of SO 4 2− and F−. In this paper, a thin film composite (TFC) FO membrane was prepared by phase conversion and interfacial bonding methods, and the influence of compound modification by TiO 2 , polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polydopamine (PDA) on the morphology and permeability of the TFC FO membrane was studied. The results show that the large size TiO 2 (50 nm) was only physically deposited on the polysulfone (PSF) membrane, and PVA increased the binding strength of the PDA membrane to the polyamide (PA) membrane. As a result, 2 wt% TiO 2 and 2 wt% PVA and PDA co-doping led to a low water contact angle of 27° and a high FO water flux performance of 12.9 LM−2H−1 using a 2 M NaCl draw solution. Furthermore, the composite membrane showed better hydrophilicity, and the rejection of SO42− and F− were 92.1% and 89.3%, respectively, indicating that TiO 2 improved the internal channels of the TFC FO membrane and PVA and PDA increased the hydrophilicity of the PA layer. Therefore, the novel TFC FO membrane exhibited good rejection and reproducibility, and this study demonstrated that TFC FO membrane was a good candidate for the emergency filtration of coal mine water. [Display omitted] • FO membranes were expected to be used in the emergency filtration of coal mine water with SO42− and F−. • FO membranes with compound modification by TiO 2 , PVA and PDA exhibited good rejection and reproducibility. • The composite membranes showed better hydrophilicity in coal mine water and rejection with SO 4 2− and F−. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The PVDF/PHEMA membranes were fabricated via the VIPS process. • The surfaces of the resulting membranes are rough and porous. • After surface zwitterion, the membrane displays underwater superoleophobicity. • The membranes can efficiently separate oil-in-water emulsions in resisting fouling. Oil droplets can adsorb on the surface or enter the pore channels during membrane separation, causing a decrease in water flux and increasing the number of washing and replacements, thus increasing costs. So, membrane fouling seriously limits the use of the membrane in the purification of wastewater containing oils. Generally, the underwater superoleophobic surface provides better resistance to oils, which can be fabricated by the synergistic effects of the rough structure and hydrophilic groups are required. Here, poly(vinylidene fluoride)/poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PVDF/PHEMA) composite membranes with the continuous sponge-like rough structure were prepared by the vapor-induced phase separation process (VIPS), and then they were furthermore co-deposited by tannic acid (TA) and N-aminoethyl piperazine propane sulfonate (AEPPS). The zwitterionic surfaces with excellent underwater anti-oil adhesion ability can efficiently separate crude oil-in-water having the flux 1056 ± 102 L m−2 h−1 bar−1 and toluene-in-water emulsions having the flux of 1593 ± 163 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, the separation efficiency is more than 99%. Moreover, they exhibit excellent underwater anti-oil adhesion ability, excellent stability, and reversibility. Our work develops rough and porous surfaces with stable underwater superoleophobicity in an efficient way, which enables the resulting membranes to be used in the continuous purification of oily wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term separation of highly emulsified oily wastewater is still challenging in advanced membrane technologies. Herein, β-FeOOH nanorods were in-situ inlaid on a hierarchically superhydrophilic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) ultrafiltration membrane surface via a facile biomimetic mineralization process. The β-FeOOH-decorated hierarchical PVDF membrane surface with the organic-inorganic hybrids showed excellent hydrophilicity and ultralow underwater oil adhesion force. After in-situ anchoring of β-FeOOH nanorods, the polydopamine/polyethylenimine (PDA/PEI) modified hierarchical PVDF membrane showed improved permeation flux behaviors, higher oil removal, demulsification, and better anti-oil-fouling properties during 1440-min continuous separation of stabilized soybean oil-in-water (o/w) and crude o/w emulsions. In contrast, the unmodified hierarchically superhydrophilic PVDF membrane maintained efficient emulsion separation for a much shorter period (120 min). Most importantly, the surface-immobilized β-FeOOH exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity for cleaning the oil foulants (soybean oil and crude oil) through the photo-Fenton reaction in the presence of peroxide, endowing the membrane with self-cleaning capability. As a result, the unwanted foulants were successfully removed from the membrane surface, restoring separation performance of the superhydrophilic PVDF membrane for reuse. Therefore, the self-cleaning membrane can treat more oily wastewater and produce more clean water before replacement. The mineralized superhydrophilic PVDF membrane with hierarchical composite micro-/nano structures exhibits satisfactory stability under simultaneous separation and photocatalysis cleaning, showing great potential for tricky oily wastewater treatment and oil resource recovery. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Janus membrane (JM) with opposite wettability has great potential in separation of oil-in-water (O/W) and water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions. In this work, we have reported a simple, low cost nanocasting/NIPS strategy for preparation of the superhydrophobic and underwater oleophobic surface of JM for the first time. Poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) and polyethylenimine (PEI) blend membranes were fabricated on PDMS modified non-woven fabric by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. Then the as-prepared membranes were further modified with hydrophilic nano-SiO 2 to improve the hydrophilicity of the top surface. Peel off PDMS modified non-woven fabric, parts of PDMS chains were imprinted to the membrane bottom surface with micro-nano three-dimensional microstructures, resulting in superhydrophobic property. The as-prepared JM exhibits an asymmetric wettability with the water contact angle of 35.3° and 151.8° of the opposite surfaces. By changing the orientation of the membrane, oil or water can be filtered respectively. The as-prepared JM shows excellent separation performance for both O/W emulsion and W/O emulsion, the separation efficiency reached 99.72 % and 99.68 %, respectively, as well as good long-term stability. This work is expected to yield a new way to fabricate the superhydrophobic surface of JM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube (CNT) based adsorbents have attracted extensive research interest for aqueous pollutants removal. However, such adsorbents face the problems of limited adsorption capacities and costly regeneration. Here, we report a highly adsorptive photo-regenerable CNT based multifunctional membrane with excellent self-cleaning properties via the facile vacuum filtration method, followed by FeOOH in-situ anchoring and silver-amino reaction. Various dyes (Rhodamine B, methylene blue, eosin Y and acid orange 7) and emerging contaminants (bisphenol A, amoxicillin and p-nitrophenol) were tested with the CNT based membrane. Our membrane exhibited superior adsorption performance to dyes among CNT based adsorbents reported in literature. In particular, the CNT based composite membrane displayed even better adsorption performance to cationic dyes. The adsorption capacities of the membrane for Rhodamine B and methylene blue were up to 181 and 247 mg/g, respectively. The membrane also had excellent self-cleaning and photo-regenerable properties after severe organic fouling. Our multifunctional CNT based membrane combined the features of adsorption, membrane separation, and catalytic degradation into one system, showing great promise for dye polluted wastewater purification. This study also offers a new strategy to engineer robust adsorptive, self-cleaning and regenerable membranes for wastewater treatment. Image 1 • A highly adsorptive photo-regenerable CNT-based multifunctional membrane was prepared. • The CNT-based membrane has excellent adsorption performance for cationic dyes. • The membrane shows good self-cleaning and photo-regenerable properties after fouling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the water treatment process, the common polymer membranes with high interface energy are frequently contaminated by oily water. The wettability of the separation membrane surface greatly limits the application range of the membrane. Here, a facile method is reported to fabricate a hydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic coating on hydrophobic polypropylene (PP) microfiltration membrane via co-deposition of tannic acid (TA), polyethyleneimine (PEI), and dopamine (DA). After modification, the microfiltration membrane exhibits excellent hydrophilicity, outstanding acid, alkali and organic solvent resistance. In addition, they can be applied to separate n-hexane-in-water emulsions driven by self-gravity with excellent water flux (489 ± 24 Lm−2 h−1) and high separation efficiency (99.8%). The fabricated TA/DA/PEI coating with outstanding performances has great potential application in the field of oily water treatment. • A facile one-step co-deposition of TA/DA/PEI hydrophilic coating was developed to modify hydrophobic PP membranes. • These membranes can separate various oil-in-water emulsions driven by gravity with excellent water flux and separation efficiency. • The modified coating possesses excellent acid, alkali and organic solvent resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A catalytic PVDF membrane functionalized with zero valent iron was fabricated. • Membrane active surfaces generate much •OH radicals through decomposition of H 2 O 2. • The membrane exhibits excellent degradation performance for toxic organics. • Our catalytic membrane shows high regeneration ability after four consecutive cycles. A hierarchical polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane functionalized with catalytic zero valent iron nanoparticles via polydopamine/polyethyleneimine was successfully fabricated. The catalytic membrane exhibited excellent degradation performance for toxic 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), Rhodamine B (RB), and 2,4-dichlorophenol (2-CP). With a trace amount of H 2 O 2 flowing over the surface of the catalytic membrane, highly active sites were monitored. The active surfaces generated a large amount of •OH radicals via decomposition of H 2 O 2. The radicals unselectively oxidized a wide range of recalcitrant organic pollutants. Specifically, ~ 80% RB and almost 100% 4-NP and 2-CP were degraded within 30 min in aqueous solutions. Furthermore, total organic carbon analysis revealed that recalcitrant RB, 4-NP and 2-CP molecules could be partially mineralized into carbon dioxide and water inside the membrane. The degradation mechanism was related to a Fenton-like reaction. The catalytic membrane showed high regeneration ability with approximately 100% activity retention after four consecutive use cycles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Superspreading surfaces with excellent water transport efficiency are highly desirable for addressing thermal failures through the liquid-vapor phase change of water in electronics thermal management applications. However, the trade-off between capillary pressure and viscous resistance in traditional superspreading surfaces with micro/ nanostructures poses a longstanding challenge in the development of superspreading surfaces with high cooling efficiency in confined spaces. Herein, a heat-treated hierarchical porous enhanced superspreading surface (HTHP) for highly efficient electronic cooling is proposed. Compared with the single porous structures in nanograss, nanosheets, and copper foam, HTHP with hierarchical honeycomb pores effectively resolves the trade-off effect by introducing large vertical through-pores to reduce viscous resistance, and connected small pores to provide sufficient capillary pressure synergistically. HTHP exhibits excellent capillary performance in both horizontal spreading and vertical rising. Despite a thickness of only 0.33 mm, the as-prepared ultrathin vapor chamber (UTVC) fabricated to exploit the superior capillary performance of HTHP achieved effective heat dissipation with outstanding thermal conductivity (12 121 Wm -1 K -1 ), and low thermal resistance (0.1 KW -1 ) at a power of 5 W. This regulation strategy based on hierarchical honeycomb porous structures is expected to promote the development of high-performance superspreading surfaces with a wide range of applications in thermal management., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Background: Cadonilimab is a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and CTLA-4, which has shown substantial clinical benefits in advanced cervical cancer. In the COMPASSION-16 trial, we aimed to evaluate the addition of cadonilimab to first-line standard chemotherapy in persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer., Methods: In this randomised, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial, women aged 18-75 years across 59 clinical sites in China with previously untreated persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive cadonilimab (10 mg/kg) or placebo plus platinum-based chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab every 3 weeks for six cycles, followed by maintenance therapy every 3 weeks for up to 2 years. Randomisation was performed centrally through an interactive web-response system. Stratification factors were the use of bevacizumab (yes or no) and previous concurrent chemoradiotherapy (yes or no). The dual primary outcomes were progression-free survival as assessed by blinded independent central review and overall survival in the full analysis set. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04982237; the study has completed enrolment and is ongoing for treatment and follow-up., Findings: 445 eligible women were enrolled between Sept 11, 2021, and June 23, 2022. Median progression-free survival was 12·7 months (95% CI 11·6-16·1) in the cadonilimab group and 8·1 months (7·7-9·6) in the placebo group (hazard ratio 0·62 [95% CI 0·49-0·80], p<0·0001); median overall survival was not reached (27·0 months to not estimable) versus 22·8 months (17·6-29·0), respectively (hazard ratio 0·64 [0·48-0·86], p=0·0011). The most common grade 3 or higher adverse events were decreased neutrophil count, decreased white blood cell count, and anaemia., Interpretation: The addition of cadonilimab to first-line standard chemotherapy significantly improved progression-free survival and overall survival with a manageable safety profile in participants with persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer. The data support the use of cadonilimab plus chemotherapy as an efficacious first-line therapy in persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer., Funding: Akeso Biopharma., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests TL, DLu, MHu, ZMW, BL, and MX are employees of Akeso Biopharma. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Background: Lactylation, a post-translational modification, is increasingly recognized for its role in cancer progression. This study investigates its prevalence and impact in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)., Results: Immunohistochemical staining of 81 OSCC cases shows lactylation levels correlate with malignancy grading. Proteomic analyses of six OSCC tissue pairs reveal 2765 lactylation sites on 1033 proteins, highlighting its extensive presence. These modifications influence metabolic processes, molecular synthesis, and transport. CAL27 cells are subjected to cleavage under targets and tagmentation assay for accessible-chromatin with high-throughput sequencing, and transcriptomic sequencing pre- and post-lactate treatment, with 217 genes upregulated due to lactylation. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR confirm the regulatory role of lactylation at the K146 site of dexh-box helicase 9 (DHX9), a key factor in OSCC progression. CCK8, colony formation, scratch healing, and Transwell assays demonstrate that lactylation mitigates the inhibitory effect of DHX9 on OSCC, thereby promoting its occurrence and development., Conclusions: Lactylation actively modulates gene expression in OSCC, with significant effects on chromatin structure and cellular processes. This study provides a foundation for developing targeted therapies against OSCC, leveraging the role of lactylation in disease pathogenesis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The molecular and cellular organization of the primate cerebellum remains poorly characterized. We obtained single-cell spatial transcriptomic atlases of macaque, marmoset, and mouse cerebella and identified primate-specific cell subtypes, including Purkinje cells and molecular-layer interneurons, that show different expression of the glutamate ionotropic receptor Delta type subunit 2 ( GRID2 ) gene. Distinct gene expression profiles were found in anterior, posterior, and vestibular regions in all species, whereas region-selective gene expression was predominantly observed in the granular layer of primates and in the Purkinje layer of mice. Gene expression gradients in the cerebellar cortex matched well with functional connectivity gradients revealed with awake functional magnetic resonance imaging, with more lobule-specific differences between primates and mice than between two primate species. These comprehensive atlases and comparative analyses provide the basis for understanding cerebellar evolution and function.

Slippery surfaces, which originate in nature with special wettability, have attracted considerable attention in both fundamental research and practical applications in a variety of fields due to their unique characteristics of superlow liquid friction and adhesion. Although research on bioinspired slippery surfaces is still in its infancy, it is a rapidly growing and enormously promising field. Herein, a systematic review of recent progress in bioinspired slippery surfaces, beginning with a brief introduction of several typical creatures with slippery property in nature, is presented. Subsequently,this review gives a detailed discussion on the basic concepts of the wetting, friction, and drag from micro- and macro-aspects and focuses on the underlying slippery mechanism. Next, the state-of-the-art developments in three categories of slippery surfaces of air-trapped, liquid-infused, and liquid-like slippery surfaces, including materials, design principles, and preparation methods, are summarized and the emerging applications are highlighted. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects of various slippery surfaces are addressed., (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Objectives: To compare amino acid metabolism patterns between HPV-positive and HPV-negative head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients and identify key genes for a prognostic model., Design: Utilizing the Cancer Genome Atlas dataset, we analyzed amino acid metabolism genes, differentiated genes between HPV statuses, and selected key genes via LASSO regression for the prognostic model. The model's gene expression was verified through immunohistochemistry in clinical samples. Functional enrichment and CIBERSORTx analyses explored biological functions, molecular mechanisms, and immune cell correlations. The model's prognostic capability was assessed using nomograms, calibration, and decision curve analysis., Results: We identified 1157 key genes associated with amino acid metabolism in HNSCC and HPV status. The prognostic model, featuring genes like IQCN, SLC22A1, SYT12, and TLX3, highlighted functions in development, metabolism, and pathways related to receptors and enzymes. It significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration and outperformed traditional staging in prognosis prediction, despite immunohistochemistry results showing limited clinical identification of HPV-related HNSCC., Conclusions: Distinct amino acid metabolism patterns differentiate HPV-positive from negative HNSCC patients, underscoring the prognostic model's utility in predicting outcomes and guiding therapeutic strategies., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Acinic cell carcinoma of the salivary gland (AciCC) is a low-grade carcinoma characterized by the overexpression of the transcription factor nuclear receptor subfamily 4 group A member 3 (NR4A3). AciCC has been the subject of a few molecular research projects. This study delves into AciCC's molecular landscape to identify additional alterations and explore their clinical implications. RNA sequencing and immunohistochemical staining for markers NR4A3/NR4A2, DOG-1, S100, and mammaglobin were utilized on 41 AciCCs and 11 secretory carcinoma (SC) samples. NR4A3 was evident in 35 AciCCs, while the residual 6 were NR4A3-negative and NR4A2-positive; SC samples were consistently NR4A3-negative. A novel fusion, PON3 exon 1- LCN1 exon 5, was detected in 9/41 (21.9%) AciCCs, exhibiting a classical histologic pattern with serous cell components growing in solid sheets alongside the intercalated duct-like component. Clinical follow-up of 39 patients over a median of 59 months revealed diverse prognostic outcomes: 34 patients exhibited no disease evidence, whereas the remaining 5 experienced poorer prognosis, involving local recurrence, lymph node, and distant metastasis, and disease-associated death, 4 of which harbored the PON3::LCN1 fusion. In addition, the HTN3::MSANTD3 fusion was recurrently identified in 7/41 AciCC cases. SC patients lacked both fusions. Immunohistochemistry uncovered differential expression of DOG-1, S100, and mammaglobin across samples, providing nuanced insights into their roles in AciCC. This study accentuates PON3::LCN1 and HTN3::MSANTD3 fusions as recurrent molecular events in AciCC, offering potential diagnostic and prognostic utility and propelling further research into targeted therapeutic strategies., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: The authors have disclosed that they have no significant relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this article., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: We aimed to investigate bone metastasis induced by Notch signalling pathway dysregulation and to demonstrate that SPARC is a potential therapeutic target in adenoid cystic carcinoma (AdCC) with Notch dysregulation., Materials and Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 144 AdCC patients. RNA-sequencing and enrichment analyses were performed using 32 AdCC samples. Osteonectin/SPARC and the Notch activation indicator Notch intracellular domain (NICD) were detected using immunohistochemistry. Cell proliferation and migration assays were conducted using stably NICD over-expressing cells. The effect of SPARC on osteoclast differentiation in NICD cells was investigated using western blotting, quantitative reverse transcription PCR, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase staining and resorption assays., Results: RNA-sequencing analysis showed that genes down-regulated in Notch-mutant AdCCs, such as SPARC, were enriched in ossification and osteoblast differentiation. Most (75/110, 68.2%) Notch1-wild-type AdCCs showed SPARC over-expression, whereas 30 out of 34 (88.2%) Notch1-mutant tumours showed low SPARC expression. SPARC over-expression was then found negatively to be correlated with NICD expression in 144 AdCCs. NICD over-expression promoted cell growth, migration and osteoclast differentiation, which could be partly reversed by exogenous SPARC., Conclusions: Notch activation in AdCC contributes to bone metastasis through SPARC inhibition. The study results suggest that SPARC may represent a prognostic biomarker and potential therapeutic target., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

The relationship between various patterns of mucin-producing salivary adenocarcinomas, including invasive salivary adenocarcinomas with mucinous differentiation, such as colloid and papillary carcinomas, remains unclear. Herein, we aimed to describe the clinicopathologic characteristics, immunophenotypes, molecular underpinnings, and clinical behavior of salivary mucinous adenocarcinomas (MA) to clarify their classification. We described a broad series of colloid and papillary patterns of MAs, indicating that papillary pattern presented papillary cystic proliferation of mucinous columnar cells as salivary intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms with recurrent AKT1 E17K mutations, whereas colloid adenocarcinomas containing large mucinous pools or lakes around the malignant epithelial nests or islands harbored BRAF V600E mutations with worse prognosis. Typical morphologic structures, CK7(+), CK20(-), CDX2(-), p63(-), p40(-), MAML2 fluorescence in situ hybridization (-), AR(-), TTF-1(-), S100(-), mammaglobin(-), or S100/mammaglobin(+) with ETV6 fluorescence in situ hybridization (-) immunophenotype, and recurrent AKT1 E17K or BRAF V600E mutations may be defined. To our knowledge, this small series represents the first genetic study on a typical colloid pattern of MA, and our study with the spectrum documentation for MA in clinicopathologic characteristics, histologic and immunophenotypes, molecular features, and clinical behavior will allow for a better understanding of these rare but distinctive tumors., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding: This research was supported by research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82103061). The authors have disclosed that they have no significant relationships with, or financial interest in, any commercial companies pertaining to this article., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Abstract: A 68-year-old man with chest tightness underwent cardiac blood perfusion imaging on total-body 13 N-NH 3 PET/CT. Incidentally, mildly increased 13 N-NH 3 activity was observed in the left side of the body of the tongue. Pathological diagnosis proved to be mucosal squamous cell carcinoma., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest and sources of funding: none declared., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: In situ vaccination, a kind of therapeutic cancer vaccine, can be realized by radiotherapy and intratumoral immune injection. This study combines intratumoral injection, radiotherapy and PD-1 blockade for synergistic antitumor effect. Materials & methods: Patients with advanced solid tumors who are unresponsive or intolerant to standard treatment will be treated with hypofractionated radiotherapy, intratumoral injection of FOLactis, PD-1 blockade. The primary end point is to observe the efficacy and safety, with the secondary end point to evaluate abscopal effects and the correlation between the immunological rationale and efficacy. Discussion: The combined regimen will be utilized to trigger antitumor immunity and is expected to be feasible and effective and provide a novel option for the comprehensive treatment of cancer. Clinical Trial Registration: ChiCTR2200060660 (ChiCTR.gov.cn).

Background: Familial gigantiform cementoma (FGC) is a rare tumor characterized by the early onset of multi-quadrant fibro-osseous lesions in the jaws, causing severe maxillofacial deformities. Its clinicopathological features overlap with those of other benign fibro-osseous lesions. FGC eventually exhibits progressively rapid growth, but no suspected causative gene has been identified., Methods: In this study, three patients with FGC were recruited, and genomic DNA from the tumor tissue and peripheral blood was extracted for whole-exome sequencing., Results: Results showed that all three patients harbored the heterozygous mutation c.1067G > A (p.Cys356Tyr) in the ANO5 gene. Furthermore, autosomal dominant mutations in ANO5 at this locus have been identified in patients with gnathodiaphyseal dysplasia (GDD) and are considered a potential causative agent, suggesting a genetic association between FGC and GDD. In addition, multifocal fibrous bone lesions with similar clinical presentations were detected, including five cases of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia, five cases of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, and eight cases of juvenile ossifying fibromas; however, none of them harbored mutations in the ANO5 gene., Conclusion: Our findings indicate that FGC may be an atypical variant of GDD, providing evidence for the feasibility of ANO5 gene testing as an auxiliary diagnostic method for complex cases with multiple quadrants., (© 2023 The Authors. Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD-1 or CTLA-4 individually have shown substantial clinical benefits in the treatment of malignancies. We aimed to assess the safety and antitumour activity of cadonilimab monotherapy, a bispecific PD-1/CTLA-4 antibody, in patients with advanced solid tumours., Methods: This multicentre, open-label, phase 1b/2 trial was conducted across 30 hospitals in China. Patients aged 18 years or older with histologically or cytologically confirmed, unresectable advanced solid tumours, unsuccessful completion of at least one previous systemic therapy, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1 were eligible for inclusion. Patients who had previously received anti-PD-1, anti-PD-L1, or anti-CTLA-4 treatment were not eligible for inclusion. In the dose escalation phase of phase 1b, patients received intravenous cadonilimab at 6 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg every 2 weeks. In the dose expansion phase of phase 1b, cadonilimab at 6 mg/kg and a fixed dose of 450 mg were given intravenously every 2 weeks. In phase 2, cadonilimab at 6 mg/kg was administered intravenously every 2 weeks in three cohorts: patients with cervical cancer, oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The primary endpoints were the safety of cadonilimab in phase 1b and objective response rate in phase 2, based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), version 1.1. The safety analysis was done in all patients who received at least one dose of cadonilimab. Antitumour activity was assessed in the full analysis set for the cervical cancer cohort, and in all patients with measurable disease at baseline and who received at least one dose of cadonilimab in the oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma cohorts. The study is registered on ClinicalTrial.gov, NCT03852251, and closed to new participants; follow-up has been completed., Findings: Between Jan 18, 2019, and Jan 8, 2021, 240 patients (83 [43 male and 40 female] in phase 1b and 157 in phase 2) were enrolled. Phase 2 enrolled 111 female patients with cervical cancer, 22 patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (15 male and seven female), and 24 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (17 male and seven female). During dose escalation, no dose-limiting toxicities occurred. Grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events occurred in 67 (28%) of 240 patients; the most frequent grade 3 or worse treatment-related adverse events were anaemia (seven [3%]), increased lipase (four [2%]), decreased bodyweight (three [1%]), decreased appetite (four [2%]), decreased neutrophil count (three [1%]), and infusion-related reaction (two [1%]). 17 (7%) patients discontinued treatment due to treatment-related adverse events. 54 (23%) of 240 patients reported serious treatment-related adverse events, including five patients who died (one due to myocardial infarction; cause unknown for four). In phase 2, in the cervical cancer cohort, with a median follow-up of 14·6 months (IQR 13·1-17·5), the objective response rate was 32·3% (32 of 99; 95% CI 23·3-42·5). In the oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cohort, with a median follow-up of 17·9 months (IQR 4·0-15·1), the objective response rate was 18·2% (four of 22; 95% CI 5·2-40·3). In the hepatocellular carcinoma cohort, with a median follow-up of 19·6 months (IQR 8·7-19·8), the objective response rate was 16·7% (four of 24; 95% CI 4·7-37·4)., Interpretation: Cadonilimab showed an encouraging tumour response rate, with a manageable safety profile, suggesting the potential of cadonilimab for the treatment of advanced solid tumours., Funding: Akeso Biopharma., Translation: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests LS reports grants or contracts from Beijing Xiantong Biomedical Technology, Qilu Pharmaceutical, ZaiLab Pharmaceutical (Shanghai), Alphamab Oncology, Yaojie Ankang (Nanjing) Technology, Beigene, Qiyu Biotechnology (Shanghai), and BriSTAR Immunotech; consulting fees from Mingji Biopharmaceutical, Haichuang Pharmaceutical, and Herbour Biomed; and participated on a data safety monitoring board or advisory board from MSD, Merk, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi, Roche, Servier, and AstraZeneca. WL, WS, ZMW, BL, and MX are Akeso employees. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To reveal the mechanisms underlying the epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG)-mediated inhibition of carcinogenesis and the related regulatory signaling pathways., Design: The effect of EGCG on the proliferation of OSCC cells was examined. SuperPred, ChEMBL, Swiss TargetPrediction, DisGeNET, GeneCards, and National Center for Biotechnology Information databases were used to predict the EGCG target genes and oral leukoplakia (OL)-related, oral submucosal fibrosis (OSF)-related, and OSCC-related genes. The binding of EGCG to the target proteins was simulated using AutoDock and PyMOL. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset was subjected to consensus clustering analysis to predict the downstream molecules associated with these targets, as well as their potential functions and pathways., Results: EGCG significantly inhibited OSCC cell proliferation (p < 0.001). By comparing EGCG target genes with genes linked to oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) and OSCC, a total of eleven potential EGCG target genes were identified. Furthermore, EGCG has the capacity to bind to eleven proteins. Based on consensus clustering and enrichment analysis, it is suggested that EGCG may hinder the progression of cancer by altering the cell cycle and invasive properties in precancerous lesions of the oral cavity. Some possible strategies for modifying the cell cycle and invasive properties may include EGCG-mediated suppression of specific genes and proteins, which are associated with cancer development., Conclusions: This study investigated the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways associated with the EGCG-induced suppression of OSCC. The identification of specific pharmacological targets of EGCG during carcinogenesis is crucial for the development of innovative combination therapies involving EGCG., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest All authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: We report the efficacy and safety of serplulimab, a novel humanized anti-programmed death-1 antibody, plus nanoparticle albumin-bound (nab)-paclitaxel in previously treated patients with programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1)-positive advanced cervical cancer., Methods: Patients diagnosed with PD-L1-positive (combined positive score ≥1) cervical cancer were enrolled in this single-arm, open-label, phase II study. They were given serplulimab 4.5 mg/kg for up to 2 years (35 dosing cycles) plus nab-paclitaxel 260 mg/m 2 for up to six cycles once every 3 weeks. Primary endpoints were safety and objective response rate (ORR) assessed by independent radiological review committee (IRRC) per RECIST version 1.1. Secondary endpoints included ORR assessed by the investigator, duration of response (DOR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS)., Results: Between December 2019 and June 2020, 52 patients were screened and 21 were enrolled. IRRC-assessed ORR was 57.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 34.0-78.2%); 3 (14.3%) patients achieved complete response and 9 (42.9%) partial response. The median DOR was not reached (NR) (95% CI 4.1-NR). IRRC-assessed median PFS was 5.7 months (95% CI 3.0-NR), and median OS was 15.5 months (95% CI 10.5-NR). Investigator-assessed ORR was 47.6% (95% CI 25.7-70.2%). Seventeen (81.0%) patients experienced grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events. Grade ≥3 adverse drug reactions were reported in 7 (33.3%) patients. Immune-related adverse events occurred in 12 (57.1%) patients., Conclusions: In previously treated patients with PD-L1-positive advanced cervical cancer, serplulimab plus nab-paclitaxel provided durable clinical activity and a manageable safety profile., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04150575., Competing Interests: XH, GY, JL, QW, and JZ are employees of Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. The authors declare that this study received funding from Shanghai Henlius Biotech, Inc. The funder had the following involvement in the study: the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, and the writing of this article. The funder was not involved in the decision to submit this article for publication. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 An, Li, Wang, Zhu, An, Jiang, Huang, Wang, Li, Wang, Yuan, Hou, Yang, Li, Wang, Zhu and Wu.)

Hydrogels with wet adhesion are promising interfacial adhesive materials; however, their adhesion in water, oil, or organic solvents remains a major challenge. To address this, a pressure-sensitive P(AAm-co-C 18 )/PTA-Fe hydrogel is fabricated, which exhibits robust adhesion to various substrates in both aqueous solutions and oil environments. It is demonstrated that the key to wet adhesion under liquid conditions is the removal of the interfacial liquid, which can be achieved through rational molecular composition regulation. By complexing with hydrophilic polymer networks, phosphotungstic acid (PTA) is introduced into the hydrogel network as a physical cross-linker and anchor point to improve the cohesion strength and drive the migration of polymer chains. The migration and rearrangement of hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer chains on the hydrogel surface are induced by the electrostatic interactions of Fe 3+ , which create a surface with interfacial water- and oil-removing properties. By co-regulating the hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymer chains, the P(AAm-co-C 18 )/PTA-Fe hydrogel is able to act as a pressure-sensitive adhesive under water and oils with adhesion strength of 92.6 and 90.0 kPa, respectively. It is anticipated that this regulation strategy for polymer chains will promote the development of wet adhesion hydrogels, which can have a wide range of applications., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

The correlation of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in serum of patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with clinicopathological efficacy and International Prognostic Index (IPI) is analyzed. 115 DLBCL patients admitted to our hospital for treatment from June 2020 to June 2021 are selected as the DLBCL patient group, 65 healthy subjects who received physical examination in our hospital during the same period are selected as the healthy control group, and the serum bFGF levels of DLBCL group and healthy control group are observed before treatment. The experimental results show that the serum bFGF expression of DLBCL patients is decreased significantly after chemotherapy, and the serum bFGF expression of DLBCL patients is closely related to the treatment effect, disease progression, tumor invasion, and prognosis, which has important clinical significance for judging the disease, treatment effect, and prognosis of patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Yan Pan et al.)

Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials provide an ideal platform for spintronics, magnetoelectrics, and numerous intriguing physical phenomena in 2D limits. Moiré superlattices based on 2D magnets offer an avenue for controlling the spin degree of freedom and engineering magnetic properties. However, the synthesis of high-quality, large-grain, and stable 2D magnets, much less obtaining a magnetic moiré superlattice, is still challenging. We synthesize 2D ferromagnets (trigonal Cr 5 Te 8 ) with controlled thickness and robust stability through chemical vapor deposition. Single-unit-cell-thick flakes with lateral sizes of tens of micrometers are obtained. We observe the layer-by-layer growth mode for the crystal formation in non-van der Waals Cr 5 Te 8 . The robust anomalous Hall signal confirms that Cr 5 Te 8 of varying thickness have a long-range ferromagnetic order with an out-of-plane easy axis. There is no obvious change of the Curie temperature when the thickness of Cr 5 Te 8 decreases from 52.1 to 7.2 nm. Here, we construct diverse 2D non-van der Waals/van der Waals vertical heterostructures (Cr 5 Te 8 /graphene, Cr 5 Te 8 /h-BN, Cr 5 Te 8 /MoS 2 ). A uniform moiré superlattice is formed in the heterostructure through a lattice mismatch. The successful growth of 2D Cr 5 Te 8 and a related moiré superlattice introduces 2D non-van der Waals ferromagnets into moiré superlattice research, thus highlighting prospects for property investigation of a non-van der Waals magnetic moiré superlattice and massive applications which require a scalable approach to magnetic moiré superlattices.

Damage-free transfer of large-area two-dimensional (2D) materials is indispensable to unleash their full potentials in a wide range of electronic, photonic, and biochemical applications. However, the all-surface nature of 2D materials renders many of them vulnerable to surrounding environments, especially etchants and water involved during wet transfer process. Up to now, a scalable and damage-free transfer method for sensitive 2D materials is still lacking. Here, we report a general damage-free transfer method for sensitive 2D materials. The as-transferred 2D materials exhibit well-preserved structural integrity and unaltered physical properties. We further develop a facile TEM sample preparation technique that allows direct recycling of materials on TEM grids with high fidelity. This recycling technique provides an unprecedented opportunity to precisely relate structural characterization with physical/chemical/electrical probing for the same samples. This method can be readily generalized to diverse nanomaterials for large-area damage-free transfer and enables in-depth investigation of structure-property relationship.

Immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) and ascites-derived spheroids in ovarian cancer (OC) facilitate tumor growth and progression, and also pose major obstacles for cancer therapy. The molecular pathways involved in the OC-TME interactions, how the crosstalk impinges on OC aggression and chemoresistance are not well-characterized. Here, we demonstrate that tumor-derived UBR5, an E3 ligase overexpressed in human OC associated with poor prognosis, is essential for OC progression principally by promoting tumor-associated macrophage recruitment and activation via key chemokines and cytokines. UBR5 is also required to sustain cell-intrinsic β-catenin-mediated signaling to promote cellular adhesion/colonization and organoid formation by controlling the p53 protein level. OC-specific targeting of UBR5 strongly augments the survival benefit of conventional chemotherapy and immunotherapies. This work provides mechanistic insights into the novel oncogene-like functions of UBR5 in regulating the OC-TME crosstalk and suggests that UBR5 is a potential therapeutic target in OC treatment for modulating the TME and cancer stemness.

Objective: To explore the value of strain elastography as an early predictor of long-term prognosis in patients with locally advanced cervical cancers treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT)., Methods: Strain elastography examinations were performed on 45 patients with locally advanced cervical cancers at 3 time points: prior to CCRT, and at 1 and 2 weeks after the start of CCRT. The maximum tumor diameter (D max ), strain ratio (SR), and their percentage changes (ΔD max and ΔSR) were calculated to predict long-term prognosis. Based on the results of physical examinations, Papanicolaou test, and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging, we classified patients into two groups: responders (complete remission) and non-responders (sustained disease, recurrence, or death)., Results: After a median follow-up of 30 months (range, 12-36 months), 36 of 45 (80%) patients were disease free. The D max as well as ΔD max at 2 weeks during CCRT was able to predict the responder outcomes, with an area-under-the-curve (AUC) of 0.733 and 0.731, respectively. Furthermore, significant differences in SR and ΔSR at 1 and 2 weeks during therapy were shown between the responder and non-responder groups (all p < 0.05), and ΔSR at 2 weeks during CCRT presented with the highest AUC (0.91), yielding 88.9% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity with a selected cutoff value., Conclusions: Strain elastography may be useful as an early predictor of long-term outcomes after CCRT for patients with cervical cancer., Key Points: • The D max as well as ΔD max at 2 weeks during CCRT can predict the responder outcomes. • The elastography parameters (SR and ΔSR) exhibited predictive values of favorable response after therapy initiation. • ΔSR at 2 weeks during CCRT held the best predictive value for the responder outcomes.

Background and Objectives: Danhong injection is the most commonly prescribed adjuvant drug applied for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases in China. Ceftriaxone is usually prescribed along with Danhong injection to elderly patients with complications. However, the pharmacokinetic interactions between these two medications have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether Danhong injection influences the pharmacokinetic profile of ceftriaxone in old rats when these two medications are used in combination., Methods: The animal experiment protocol was designed according to the clinical data. Ten-month-old male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were dosed with ceftriaxone through intravenous administration for 1 or 7 days in the presence or absence of Danhong injection. The combinations were divided into 1-day, 7-day, and 14-day combined-treatment groups in which Danhong injection was administered for 1, 7, or 14 days and ceftriaxone was given for 1, 7, or 7 days, respectively. The plasma concentration of ceftriaxone was determined by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TQ-MS) on a BEH C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.4% formic acid-water. The chromatographic method was validated and found to be simple, rapid, and stable., Results: Danhong injection significantly increased the plasma clearance of and decreased systemic exposure to ceftriaxone. In the 1-day combined-treatment group, the plasma clearance of ceftriaxone increased by 52.69%, and the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of ceftriaxone was decreased by 32.54% (P < 0.01). In the 7-day combined-treatment group, the rate of plasma clearance increased by 52.49% and the area under the concentration-time curve decreased by 31.15% (P < 0.01). For the 14-day combined-treatment group, the plasma clearance of ceftriaxone increased by 26.73%, and the area under the concentration-time curve decreased by 21.44% (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: In old male rats, systemic exposure to ceftriaxone decreased when used concomitantly with Danhong injection, which may be because Danhong injection increased the plasma clearance of ceftriaxone. Further investigations should be carried out to clarify the mechanism for the influence of Danhong injection on the pharmacokinetics of ceftriaxone.

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and its copolymers have been widely employed for the modification of hemodiafiltration membranes due to their excellent hydrophilicity, antifouling and hemocompatibility. However, challenges still remain to simplify the modification procedure and to improve the utilization efficiency. In this paper, antifouling and hemocompatibility polysulfone (PSf) hemodiafiltration membranes were fabricated via in situ cross-linked polymerization of vinyl pyrrolidone (VP) and vinyltriethoxysilane (VTEOS) in PSf solutions and non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) technique. The prepared membranes were characterized by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which suggested that VP and VTEOS have been cross-linked copolymerized in PSf membranes. The modified PSf membranes with high polymer content showed improved hydrophilicity, ultrafiltration and protein antifouling ability. In addition, the modified PSf membranes showed lower protein adsorption, inhibited platelet adhesion and deformation, prolonged the activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), prothrombin time (PT), and decreased the content of fibrinogen (FIB) transferring to fibrin, indicating enhanced hemocompatibility. In a word, the present work provides a simple and effective one-step modification method to construct PSf membranes with improved hydrophilicity, antifouling and hemocompatibility., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)