Search

The goal of this research was to decipher the biological functions and mechanism of long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 200 (LINC00200) in gastric cancer (GC). In this study, our data confirmed that LINC00200 expression was up-regulated in GC tissues and its high expression was correlated with the poor differentiation of GC tissues and lymph node metastasis of the patients. In vitro experiments indicated that, the overexpression of LINC00200 facilitated the proliferation of GC cells, constrained their apoptosis, and increased the IC50 of oxaliplatin (Oxa), whereas knockdown of LINC00200 exhibited the opposite effects. Additionally, we demonstrated that LINC00200 could bind to E2F transcription factor 1 (E2F1), and the up-regulation of LINC00200 expression enhanced the binding between E2F1 and RAD51 promoter, hence promoting RAD51 transcription, while knockdown of LINC00200 inhibited the transcription of RAD51. In conclusion, LINC00200 may recruit E2F1 to the RAD51 recombinase (RAD51) promoter region, thereby up-regulating the expression of RAD51 and enhancing the chemoresistance of GC cells to Oxa. Our data suggested that LINC00200 could probably be a promising target for treating GC.

308 Background: Anti-PD-1 agent plus chemo as first-line therapy for advanced G/GEJ cancer (Checkmate-649) yields OS and PFS benefits compared to chemo alone, indicating synergistic activity between immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemo. The combination of anti-PD-1 and anti-CTLA-4 has consistently demonstrated higher response rate compared to PD-1 monotherapy but higher toxicity. Here, we performed this phase Ib/II study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AK104, a PD-1/CTLA-4 bispecific antibody, combined with XELOX (capecitabine combined with oxaliplatin) or modified XELOX (mXELOX) in the first-setting of G/GEJ cancer cohorts. This study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03852251). Methods: Pts with unresectable advanced G/GEJ adenocarcinoma and no prior systemic therapy, regardless of PD-L1 status were enrolled, excluding known HER2-positive pts. Enrolled patients received AK104 (4 mg/kg, 6 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, Q2W or 10 mg/kg, 15mg/kg Q3W) + chemo (mXELOX Q2W or XELOX Q3W). The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR) based on Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1). Results: As of 13 Aug 2021, 96 pts were enrolled with median age 62.7 years (range: 29–75), 70.8% male, 62.5% ECOG PS 1, 44.8% liver metastasis. The median follow-up was 9.95 months (range, 0.4-26.8). 88 patients (92%) had at least one post-baseline tumor evaluation. The ORR was 65.9% (58/88) with 2 (2.3%) complete responses and 56 (63.6%) partial responses. The disease control rate (DCR) was 92.0% (81/88). The median duration of response (DoR) was 6.93 months (95%CI, 4.60 to 11.20). The median PFS was 7.10 months (95%CI, 5.55 to 10.48). The median OS was 17.41 months (95%CI, 12.35 to NE). In pts with PD-L1 CPS≥1 vs CPS＜1, median OS was 17.41 months and 14.65 months, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) occurred in 97.9% of pts, and the most frequent were platelet count decreased (60.4%), white blood cell count decreased (58.3%), neutrophil count decreased (56.3%), anaemia (47.9%), nausea (30.2%), vomiting (30.2%), aspartate aminotransferase increased (30.2%). Grade ≥3 TRAEs occurred in 62.5% pts. No new safety signals were identified. Conclusions: AK104 in combination with mXELOX/XELOX showed promising activity and manageable safety in previously untreated pts with advanced G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. AK104 + chemo represents a potential new first-line treatment option for these pts. A phase III study of AK104 combined with chemo as first-line therapy for G/GEJ cancer is underway. Clinical trial information: NCT03852251.

Vascular endothelial cells (VECs), which are lined up in the inner surface of blood vessels, are in direct contact with the metabolite-related endogenous danger signals in the circulatory system. Moreover, VECs death impairs vasodilation and increases endothelium-dependent permeability, which is strongly correlated with the development of atherosclerosis (AS). Among several forms of cell death, regulatory death of endothelial cells frequently occurs in AS, mainly including ferroptosis, pyroptosis, apoptosis and autophagy. In this review, we summarize regulatory factors and signaling mechanisms of regulatory death in endothelial cells, discussing their effects in the context of the atherosclerotic procession.

The city is an intertwined network constructed in a limited space by such economic markets as housing, labor, land, and transportation. The emergence of the city is a sign of civilization ...

Background: The present study is aimed at summarizing the clinicopathological characteristics, prognosis, and management of breast adenosquamous carcinoma (ASC). Methods: A population-based study was performed using retrospectively extracted data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database for breast cancer patients with histological diagnoses of ASC, infiltrating duct carcinoma (IDC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) from 2004 to 2016. End-points were overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM). Propensity Score Matching (PSM) was employed to minimize selection bias of baseline characteristics. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used for identifying valuable prognostic factors. Results: ASC presented similar tumor size but low histological grade and less lymph node metastasis compared to IDC. ASC expressed less positive rate of hormone receptors and barely HER2, which was similar with SCC (estrogen receptor (ER): ASC 27.74% and SCC 21.53%, progesterone receptor (PR): ASC 18.06% and SCC 12.85%, HER2: ASC 4.44% and SCC 7.53%). ASC patients underwent the same treatment as IDC (chemotherapy 36.99% vs. 41.86%, BCS 50.58% vs 52.83%, P >0.05), only with less radiotherapy (39.88% vs. 48.34%, PP Cox proportional hazards models, ASC was no longer an independent poor prognosis factor. In matched groups, no significant difference in BCSM nor OS was observed between ASC and IDC groups. In HR-negative patients, the prognosis of ASC was similar with that of IDC, and both were superior to SCC. In HR-positive patients, the five-year survival rate of ASC was only about 60%, which was far less than that in ASC of HR-negative, the poor prognosis of ASC was closer to that of SCC. Multivariate analysis showed that older age (age≥60) and advanced AJCC stage (III and IV) were independent factors of poor prognosis in ASC, breast-conserving surgery was also ideally suited for ASC. Conclusions: ASC has unique clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis. To improve the clinical and biological understanding of ASC can make breast cancer patients get more individualized treatment.

Treatment options in the second-line extensive-stage SCLC (ED-SCLC) setting are limited. The PASSION study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03417895) was a phase 2 study of camrelizumab plus apatinib in ED-SCLC after platinum-based chemotherapy.In stage I of the study, patients were randomized (1:1:1) to receive camrelizumab 200 mg every 2 weeks plus apatinib 375 mg once daily (QD), 5 days on and 2 days off, or 7 days on and 7 days off (six patients each cohort). On the basis of tolerability during the first 28-day cycle and efficacy data at stage I, one cohort was chosen to expand to 45 patients at stage II. The primary end point was objective response rate (ORR).From April 20, 2018 to March 12, 2019, a total of 59 patients were enrolled, with 47 patients in the QD cohort. In the QD cohort, confirmed ORR reached 34.0% (95% confidence interval: 20.9‒49.3), the median progression-free survival was 3.6 months, and the median overall survival was 8.4 months. Chemotherapy-sensitive and chemotherapy-resistant patients (defined as patients with disease relapse at ≥90 and90 d after platinum-based chemotherapy, respectively) had comparable confirmed ORR (37.5% versus 32.3%), median progression-free survival (3.6 versus 2.7 mo), and median overall survival (9.6 versus 8.0 mo). Treatment-related adverse events of grade 3 or higher were reported in 43 of 59 patients (72.9%). Five patients (8.5%) discontinued because of treatment-related adverse events.Camrelizumab plus apatinib exhibited potential antitumor activity in patients with both chemotherapy-sensitive and chemotherapy-resistant ED-SCLC who had failed platinum-based chemotherapy with an acceptable toxicity profile. This phase 2 data warrant further clinical studies of camrelizumab plus apatinib in SCLC.

Actin is a key protein in the dynamic processes within the eukaryotic cell. To date, methods exploring the molecular state of actin are limited to insights gained from structural approaches, providing a snapshot of protein folding, or methods that require chemical modifications compromising actin monomer thermostability. Nanopore sensing permits label-free investigation of native proteins and is ideally suited to study proteins such as actin that require specialised buffers and cofactors. Using nanopores, we determined the state of actin at the macromolecular level (filamentous or globular) and in its monomeric form bound to inhibitors. We revealed urea-dependent and voltage-dependent transitional states and observed the unfolding process within which sub-populations of transient actin oligomers are visible. We detected, in real-time, filament-growth, and drug-binding at the single-molecule level demonstrating the promise of nanopore sensing for in-depth understanding of protein folding landscapes and for drug discovery.

The flower-like porous In

Microbial degradation is an important option for combating antibiotic pollution. Arthrobacter nicotianae OTC-16 was isolated as a novel tetracycline-degrading bacterium, which could degrade oxytetracycline/tetracycline (OTC/TET). Toxicity assessment indicated that this bacterium effectively converted OTC into byproducts with less toxicity to bacterial and algal indicators. Six degradation products of OTC were tentatively identified, and a potential biotransformation pathway was proposed that includes decarbonylation, reduction, and dehydration. Bioaugmentation of TC removal with this bacterium was further studied in various matrices. In aqueous media, strain OTC-16 accelerated OTC removal over a temperature range of 20–35 ℃, pH range of 6.0–9.0, and OTC concentration range of 25–150 mg L−1. The strain also facilitated the decrease of OTC and TET concentrations in both swine and chicken manures, with a maximum decrease of 91.54%, and increased the degradation of OTC in soils by 8.22–45.45%. A unique advantage of this bacterium in promoting OTC degradation in alkaline environments was demonstrated, where it successfully competed with the indigenous microbiota and largely decreased the relative abundances of the studied tetracycline resistance genes (tetB and tetW) in soil. This work offers a better understanding of the antibiotic bioaugmentation and new microbial sources.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and clinical practice of ‘‘guideline for prevention and treatment of Type 2 diabetes in China’’ among the physicians. We took a tertiary first-class hospital in Fujian Province as an example to identify the differences between clinical practice and guideline.MethodsWe selected 3000 inpatients with type 2 diabetes who visited at the tertiary first-class hospital in Fujian Province between September 2017 to November 2017, then retrospectively analyzed their clinical data, including age, gender, height, weight, body mess index, admission departments, combined diseases, complications, course of disease, diabetes diet education, monitoring of blood glucose and blood pressure, the selection of hypoglycemic therapy and other secondary prevention measures. The data we obtained was analyzed by SPSS 19.0 software.ResultsA total of 3000 effective inpatient were enrolled, including 1724 male and 1276 female, the mean age(± standard deviation) of patients was 66.21 ± 11.75 years, the mean hospitalization days was 12.26±10.30 days.In this study, we found that:1.only 60.9% of the patients have monitored HbA1C in nearly 3 months; in the last year, 96.3% of patients have monitored blood lipid;98.1% of patients have monitored the serum creatinine;only 9.5% of patients have received comprehensive eye examination by an ophthalmologist or optometrist.2.After admission, 73.3% of patients have received the education about diabetes diet; 86.8% of patients have accepted the peripheral blood glucose monitoring;among 2084 diabetic patients combined with hypertension, only 1868 patients (89.6%) have received blood pressure monitoring.3. Among 202 patients who are newly diagnosed diabetes, there were 45 cases meet HbA1C > 9.0% or FPG > 11.1 mmol/ L, only 25 people (55.56%) have received an intensive insulin therapy.4.Among 474 patients who have undergone an large or medium-sized surgical treatment, about 182(62.1%) patients have started a hypoglycemic therapy before the operation, and only 196(41.4%) patients have changed into intensive insulin therapy before surgery.5. About 714 of diabetic patients who combined with a clear history of cardiovascular, only 548 (76.8%) patients have received antiplatelet therapy;and 566 people (79.3%) have used statin to lower blood lipid. 6.In total, only 168(5.6%) patients have received a relatively standard diagnosis and treatment in non-surgical department, and only 4(0.1%) patients in surgical department.ConclusionThere are still many deficiencies in clinical practice of type 2 diabetes guideline, even in tertiary first-class hospital, there are also many physicians, especially non-specialist doctors, were not familiar with the knowledge of guideline for management of Type 2 diabetes.The acute exacerbation of diabetes in the global can take serious complications and bring heavy economic burden, so it required us to pay attention to the prevention and early treatment of diabetes. We suggest to popularize the “guideline for management of Type 2 diabetes” through various forms, such as academic seminars, lecture tour and medical staffs, so as to enhance the education of physicians and promote treatment based on guideline of type 2 diabetes.

Summary Background Immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy has been shown to be efficacious as treatment for advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without targetable genetic aberrations; however, there is scarce evidence of the effectiveness of the combinations in the Asian population. We evaluated camrelizumab plus chemotherapy against non-squamous NSCLC in China. Methods We did a randomised, open-label, multicentre, phase 3 trial (CameL) in 52 hospitals in China for patients with non-squamous NSCLC without EGFR and ALK alteration. Eligible patients were aged 18–70 years and had no previous systemic chemotherapy, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 or 1, and at least one measurable lesion per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1). Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 4–6 cycles of carboplatin (area under curve 5 mg/mL per min) plus pemetrexed (500 mg/m2) with or without camrelizumab (200 mg) every 3 weeks, followed by maintenance therapy with camrelizumab plus pemetrexed or pemetrexed alone. Medication was administered intravenously on day 1 of each 3-week treatment cycle. Randomisation was done using a centralised interactive web-response system with the block size randomly generated as four or six and stratified by sex and smoking history. The two primary endpoints were progression-free survival per blinded independent central review, in all patients and in patients who were PD-L1 positive. Primary analysis was done in the full analysis set that included all randomly assigned patients who received at least one dose of the study treatment. Herein, due to the primary endpoint being met at the interim analysis, we reported the findings of prespecified interim analysis, which only included confirmatory statistical testing for progression-free survival in all patients. Safety was assessed in the as-treated population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03134872 (follow-up is ongoing). Findings Between May 12, 2017, and June 6, 2018, of the 419 patients who were randomly assigned, seven did not receive assigned treatment and 412 received either camrelizumab plus chemotherapy (n=205) or chemotherapy alone (n=207). At interim analysis, median follow-up duration was 11·9 months (IQR 9·0–14·9). Progression-free survival in this interim analysis was significantly prolonged with camrelizumab plus chemotherapy than with chemotherapy alone (median 11·3 months [95% CI 9·6–15·4] vs 8·3 months [6·0–9·7]; hazard ratio 0·60 [0·45–0·79]; one-sided p=0·0001). Most common grade 3 or worse treatment-related adverse events were decreased neutrophil count (78 [38%] patients in the camrelizumab plus chemotherapy group vs 63 [30%] patients in the chemotherapy alone group), decreased white blood cell count (40 [20%] vs 30 [14%]), anaemia (38 [19%] vs 23 [11%]), and decreased platelet count (34 [17%] vs 24 [12%]). Serious treatment-related adverse events occurred in 74 (36%) patients in the camrelizumab plus chemotherapy group and 27 (13%) patients in the chemotherapy alone group. Interpretation The primary endpoint was met at the interim analysis, showing a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in progression-free survival with camrelizumab plus carboplatin and pemetrexed versus chemotherapy alone in all patients, supporting camrelizumab plus carboplatin and pemetrexed as a first-line treatment option for Chinese patients with advanced non-squamous NSCLC without EGFR and ALK alterations. The trial is being continued to collect long-term outcomes in all patients and carry out confirmatory statistical testing for progression-free survival in the PD-L1–positive population. Funding Jiangsu Hengrui Medicine.

Background Association of immune-related adverse events with tumor response has been reported. Reactive cutaneous capillary endothelial proliferation (RCCEP) is the most common adverse event related to camrelizumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, but lack of comprehensive analyses. In this study, we conducted comprehensive analyses on RCCEP in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients treated with camrelizumab monotherapy. Methods Data were derived from a Chinese nationwide, multicenter phase 2 trial of camrelizumab in pre-treated advanced HCC. The occurrence, clinicopathological characteristics, and prognostic value of RCCEP were analyzed. Results With a median follow-up of 12.5 months, 145 of the 217 camrelizumab-treated patients (66.8%) experienced RCCEP (all grade 1 or 2). RCCEP occurred on the skin surface, mainly on the skin surface of head, face, and trunk. RCCEP could be divided into 5 types including “red-nevus-like,” “pearl-like,” “mulberry-like,” “patch-like,” and “tumor-like,” according to the morphological features. RCCEP biopsy and pathology showed capillary endothelial hyperplasia and capillary hyperplasia in dermis. Significant association between RCCEP occurrence with higher objective response rate was observed (19.3% vs. 5.6%; one-sided p = 0.0044). Compared with those without RCCEP, patients with RCCEP had prolonged progression-free survival (median PFS; 3.2 months vs. 1.9 months; one-sided p < 0.0001) and overall survival (median OS; 17.0 months vs. 5.8 months; one-sided p < 0.0001). In multivariable analyses, the development of RCCEP was significantly associated with prolonged PFS and OS after adjusting for baseline covariates. In addition, the landmark analyses of PFS and OS were consistent with the unadjusted analysis. Conclusions RCCEP occurred on the skin surface and was an immune response of skin capillary endothelial cells. RCCEP occurrence positively associated with outcomes of camrelizumab in advanced HCC.

Background The benefit of adjuvant chemotherapy in invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is still unclear. The objective of the current study was to elucidate the effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy in hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, pT1b-c/N0–1/M0 ILC. Methods Based on Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) database, we identified original 12,334 HR-positive, HER2-negative, pT1b-c/N0–1/M0 ILC patients, who were then divided into adjuvant chemotherapy group and control group. End-points were overall survival (OS) and breast cancer-specific mortality (BCSM). Aiming to minimize the selection bias of baseline characteristics, Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method was used. Results In a total of 12,334 patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative, pT1b-c/N0–1/M0 ILC, 1785 patients (14.5%) were allocated into adjuvant chemotherapy group and 10,549 (85.5%) into control group. Used PSM, the 1785 patients in adjuvant chemotherapy group matched to the 1785 patients in control group. By Kaplan-Meier survival analyses, we observed no beneficial effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on OS in both original samples (P = 0.639) and matched samples (P = 0.962), however, ineffective or even contrary results of adjuvant chemotherapy on BCSM both in original samples (P = 0.001) and in matched samples (P = 0.002). In both original and matched multivariate Cox models, we observed ineffectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy on OS (hazard ratio (HR) for overall survival = 0.82, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.62–1.09]; P = 0.172 and HR = 0.90, 95%CI [0.65–1.26]; P = 0.553, respectively), unexpectedly promoting effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on BCSM (HR = 2.33, 95%CI [1.47–3.67]; P = 0.001 and HR = 2.41, 95%CI [1.32–4.39]; P = 0.004, respectively). Standard surgery was beneficial to the survival of patients. Lymph node metastasis was detrimental to survival and radiotherapy brought survival benefit in original samples, but two issues had unobvious effect in matched samples. Conclusion In this study, adjuvant chemotherapy did not improve survival for patients with HR-positive, HER2-negative pT1b-c/N0–1/M0 ILC.

Objectives: To describe direct medical costs associated with each line of treatment among metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients in China.Methods: Electronic medical records between 2011 and ...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of a mind map-based life review programme (MBLRP) on psychological distress, hope, meaning in life and self-transcendence in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. METHODS Eighty-four cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy from a university-affiliated hospital in Fujian, China. The participants were randomly allocated to a MBLRP group (n = 40) or usual care group (n = 44). Data were collected at baseline (T0), on the second day (T1) and four weeks after the programme (T2) using the Distress Thermometer, Meaning in Life Questionnaire, Herth Hope Scale and Self-transcendence Scale. RESULTS No significant interaction effects for time and group membership were found for psychological distress either at T1 (t = -1.707, p = .090) or at T2 (t = -1.123, p = .263). The interaction effects for T1 and group membership were statistically significant for meaning in life (t = 3.487, p = .001) and hope (t = 5.313, p

Actin is a key protein in the dynamic processes within the eukaryotic cell. To date, methods exploring the molecular state of actin are limited to insights gained from structural approaches, providing a snapshot of protein folding, or methods that require chemical modifications compromising actin monomer thermostability. Nanopore sensing permits label-free investigation of native proteins and is ideally suited to study proteins such as actin that require specialised buffers and cofactors. Using nanopores, we determined the state of actin at the macromolecular level (filamentous or globular) and in its monomeric form bound to inhibitors. We revealed urea-dependent and voltage-dependent transitional states and observed the unfolding process within which sub-populations of transient actin oligomers are visible. We detected, in real-time, filament-growth, and drug-binding at the single-molecule level demonstrating the promise of nanopore sensing for in-depth understanding of protein folding landscapes and for drug discovery., Nanopipettes were used for real-time investigation into actin dynamics and drug binding at single-molecule resolution, showing promise for a better understanding of the mechanism of protein–protein interactions and drug discovery.

Additional file 1. Occurrence site and grade of reactive capillary endothelial proliferation.

Background: Cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy are prone to suffering a higher incidence rate of depression, leading to poor quality of life. However, how cancer affects depression is unclear. This study aimed to examine whether the relationship between cognitive appraisal and depression is mediated by perceived stress and self-efficacy in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 421 cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy participated in this cross-sectional survey. Cognitive appraisal of cancer, perceived stress, self-efficacy and depression were measured with the Perceived Life Threat Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, General Self-efficacy Scale and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression Scale, respectively. Path analysis was performed to analyze the mediating effects of perceived stress and self-efficacy on the relationship between cognitive appraisal of cancer and depression. Findings: Cognitive appraisal of cancer exerted direct (b=0.066, SE=0.020, p＜0.001, bias-corrected 95% CI = [0.027, 0.106]) and indirect (mediated by depression and insomnia) (b=0.136, SE=0.015, p＜0.001, bias-corrected 95% CI = [0.107, 0.167]) effects on depression. Perceived stress and self-efficacy were significant in mediating the relationship between cognitive appraisal of cancer and depression (b= 0.101, SE = 0.014, p＜0.001, bias-corrected 95% CI = [0.074,0.132]; b = 0.021, SE = 0.006, p＜0.001, bias-corrected 95% CI = [0.006,0.028], respectively). Additionally, a sequential mediating effect of perceived stress via self-efficacy was found, and the mediating effect size was 0.014 (p＜0.01, bias-corrected 95% CI = [0.010,0.034]). Interpretation: This study suggests that medical staff could prevent or relieve depression through improving self-efficacy or reducing perceived stress on cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Funding Statement: National Natural Science Fund of China [Grant Number: 81401863]; Fujian Science and Technology Innovation Joint Fund [Grant Number: 2017Y9107]. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by Ethics Review Committee for Biomedical Research of Fujian Medical University.

BACKGROUND: Hydrothermal carbonization has become a proficient technique to synthesize carbon materials from biomass owing to its availability and environmental friendliness. Chrome‐tanned leather, a biomass waste that contains numerous functional groups, is a potential adsorbent for separation of heavy metal ions. In the present work, a phenolic‐functionalized hollow sponge‐like adsorbent (HSLW) was synthesized from leather waste via hydrothermal carbonization in the presence of tannin. This study aims to develop a novel adsorbent for uranium separation from salt lake. RESULTS: The adsorbent was characterized by several techniques and the adsorption behavior of the adsorbent towards uranium was investigated. The maximum adsorption capacity of the absorbent reached 200.10 mg g⁻¹ at 328.15 K. The adsorption process fitted well with the linear Freundlich isotherm model and pseudo‐second‐order model. The thermodynamic parameters indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous, feasible and endothermic in nature. Selective adsorption in competitive multi‐ion solution and simulated high‐salinity system showed that the adsorbent had not only strong affinity but also high selectivity towards uranium. CONCLUSION: HSLW could become a promising adsorbent for practical and efficient selective separation and recovery of uranium from salt lakes. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

Background: A subset of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), reported as immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) thyroiditis, is characterized by IgG4+ plasma cell-rich inflammation and marked sclerotic changes, which suggests a close relationship with immunoglobulin G4-related disease (IgG4-RD). However, to date, there is no consensus regarding the cutoff values used to define a significant IgG4+ plasma cell count in thyroid inflammation. We, therefore, sought to validate both the cutoff value of the comprehensive diagnostic criteria (CVC) and the cutoff value of thyroid-specific diagnostic criteria (CVT) for diagnosing IgG4 thyroiditis. Methods: One hundred twenty cases of HT were retrospectively reviewed. According to the CVC (IgG4+ plasma cells >10/HPF (high-power field) and IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cell ratio >40%) and the CVT (IgG4+ plasma cells >20/HPF and IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cell ratio >30%), cases were subclassified as IgG4 thyroiditis or non-IgG4 thyroiditis. Clinical, serological, sonographic, and histopathological characteristics of the two subsets, and the cases diagnosed as IgG4 thyroiditis using different thresholds were compared. Results: Both the CVC and CVT identified the same set of distinct clinical, laboratory, and sonographic features of the cases diagnosed as IgG4 thyroiditis. All 120 cases of HT were able to be divided into four distinct groups. Group A included the 25 cases who were assigned as IgG4 thyroiditis by both the CVC and CVT, whereas Group D included the 85 cases who did not meet either of the cutoff values. Group B and Group C comprised the borderline cases who only met one of the two thresholds. Based on histological evaluation, the cases in Group B who met the CVT demonstrated similar histological features of IgG4 thyroiditis. Conclusions: Although both of the cutoff values can efficiently distinguish IgG4 thyroiditis from its non-IgG4 counterpart, the thyroid-specific cutoff value (CVT, IgG4+ plasma cells >20/HPF, and IgG4+/IgG+ plasma cell ratio >30%) can better identify borderline cases of HT with more fibrotic changes, which may represent an early phase lesion of IgG4 thyroiditis. We propose a new series of clinical and pathological diagnostic clues for both endocrinologists and pathologists to improve the early recognition of IgG4 thyroiditis.

Background Evidence of hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) in neonates is limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical symptoms, pathogens, possible transmission routes, and prognosis of neonatal HFMD in Shanghai. Methods This was a case-control study based on the HFMD registry surveillance system. All neonates and infected family members were enrolled between 2016 and 2017 in Shanghai. Neonates with HFMD were followed for at least half a year. Detailed questionnaires, medical history, and physical examination were recorded. Routine blood examination, liver and renal function, immunophenotypes of peripheral blood lymphocytes (CD3, CD4, and CD8 T-cells; NK cells), immunoglobulin (Ig) M, IgG, and IgA, and cytokine interleukin (IL-1β, IL-2R, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α) levels were measured. All rectal swab specimens were collected and genotyped for enterovirus, and phylogenetic analysis based on the VP1 sequences of coxsackievirus A6 (CV-A6) was performed to investigate molecular and evolutionary characteristics. T-test or nonparametric test was used to evaluate the differences. Logistic analysis was applied to calculate the risk of clinical manifestations in the group of HFMD neonates and their paired siblings. Results There were 16 neonates among the 12,608 diagnosed patients with HFMD, accounting for 0.13%. All neonatal infections were transmitted by other members of the family, mainly the elder siblings, and were caused by CV-A6. CV-A6 was the emerging and predominant causative agent of HFMD in Shanghai. None of the neonates with HFMD experienced fever, onychomadesis, or severe complications. However, two elder sibling patients showed lethargy, and one developed hypoperfusion. In the elder siblings with HFMD, the proportion of white blood cells was generally higher than in neonates with HFMD. The immunologic function of the neonates with HFMD was basically normal. The levels of inflammatory markers were higher in both neonates and elder siblings with HFMD compared to age-matched controls. The clinical symptoms receded about 1 week after onset. None of the neonates had sequelae. Conclusions In our study, CV-A6 infection in neonates was benign, but had the character of family clustering. Due to the two-child policy in China, elder siblings may be the main route of HFMD transmission.

Abstract Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer in China but few large-scale studies were conducted to understand CRC patients. The current study is aimed to gain a real-world perspectives of CRC patients in China. Methods: Using electronic medical records of sampled patients between 2011 and 2016 from 12 hospitals in China, a retrospective cohort study was conducted to describe demographics and disease prognosis of CRC patients, and examine treatment sequences among metastatic CRC (mCRC) patients. Descriptive, comparative and survival analyses were conducted. Results: Of 8,136 CRC patients, 44% had mCRC. Risks of recurrence after radical surgery increased with tumor, models and metastases (TNM) stage at diagnosis (p

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of paclitaxel combined with a leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil regimen (PLF regimen; q2w) as neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) for advanced gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 183 patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent 3 cycles of PLF regimen chemotherapy before surgery and received surgery 2 weeks after chemotherapy were enrolled as a treatment group. A total of 184 patients with advanced gastric cancer and no NCT during the same period were enrolled as the controls and treated with surgery. Both groups underwent a D2 radical gastrectomy and the standard postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. Results: In the NCT group, there were 19 cases of complete remission, 86 cases of partial remission, 72 cases of stable disease, and 6 cases of progressive disease, with an overall response rate of 57.4%. The R0 resection rate was higher than in the control group (85.2% vs 61.4%, p < .05). In the NCT group, 12 cases of esophagogastric cancer (20.7%) showed complete remission and 32 cases (55.2%) showed partial remission, while 7 cases of distal gastric cancer (5.6%) showed complete remission and 54 cases (43.2%) showed partial remission. Pathologic complete remission was higher for esophagogastric cancer than for distal gastric cancer (20.7% vs 3.2%, p < .05). Differences were found between the NCT and control groups in terms of 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall and disease-free survival. Conclusion: The PLF regimen showed good tolerability and a high response rate, especially for esophagogastric cancer. This regimen reduced the tumor size, lowered the tumor stage, and improved the R0 resection rate and survival rate.

Cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R) allosteric ligands hold a far-reaching therapeutic promise. We report the application of fluoro- and nitrogen-walk approaches to enhance the drug-like properties of GAT211, a prototype CB1R allosteric agonist-positive allosteric modulator (ago-PAM). Several analogs exhibited improved functional potency (cAMP, β-arrestin 2), metabolic stability, and aqueous solubility. Two key analogs, GAT591 (6r) and GAT593 (6s), exhibited augmented allosteric-agonist and PAM activities in neuronal cultures, improved metabolic stability, and enhanced orthosteric agonist binding (CP55,940). Both analogs also exhibited good analgesic potency in the CFA inflammatory-pain model with longer duration of action over GAT211 while being devoid of adverse cannabimimetic effects. Another analog, GAT592 (9j), exhibited moderate ago-PAM potency and improved aqueous solubility with therapeutic reduction of intraocular pressure in murine glaucoma models. The SAR findings and the enhanced allosteric activity in this class of allosteric modulators were accounted for in our recently developed computational model for CB1R allosteric activation and positive allosteric modulation.

A rapid, specific, and sensitive analysis for simultaneous determination of fourteen components (daidzein, fermononetin, apigenin, luteolin, puerarin, ononin, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside, tanshinol, rosmarinic acid, alkanoic acid, salvianolic acid B, berberine, jatrorrhizin, and palmatine) of Yigan Jiangzhi formula (YGJZF, a clinical experienced formula for damp-heat syndrome) in rat plasma was developed and validated using ultraperformance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Lower limit of quantitation ranged from 0.2–10.0 ng/mL, and the calibration curves showed good linearity over 500 times of measuring range. The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetics investigation of the fourteen compounds in rat plasma after oral administration of two different doses of YGJZF. Compared with the low-dose group of YGJZF, the high-dose group showed significant increase (P<0.01 or P<0.05) in maximum plasma concentration, maximum concentration time, and area under the plasma concentration-time curve and decrease (P<0.01 or P<0.05) in clearance of most of the fourteen analytes, which suggested that the bioavailability of these components could be enhanced by increasing dosage. The above results may provide useful information for cognizing the relationship between in vitro and in vivo data of the fourteen bioactive ingredients of YGJZF and further guiding rational clinical drug prescription.

Diabetic cardiac fibrosis increases ventricular stiffness and facilitates the occurrence of diastolic dysfunction. Retinoid X receptor (RXR) plays an important role in cardiac development and has been implicated in cardiovascular diseases. In the present study, we investigated the effects of RXR agonist treatment on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) and the underlying mechanism. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats induced by STZ injection were treated with either RXR agonist bexarotene (Bex) or vehicle alone. Echocardiography was performed to determine cardiac structure and function. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) were treated with high glucose (HG) with or without the indicated concentration of Bex or the RXR ligand 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA). The protein abundance levels were measured along with collagen, body weight (BW), blood biochemical indexes and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) levels. The effects of RXRα down-regulation by RXRα small interfering RNA (siRNA) were examined. The results showed that bexarotene treatment resulted in amelioration of left ventricular dysfunction by inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis and myocardial fibrosis. Immunoblot with heart tissue homogenates from diabetic rats revealed that bexarotene activated liver kinase B1 (LKB1) signaling and inhibited p70 ribosomal protein S6 kinase (p70S6K). The increased collagen levels in the heart tissues of DCM rats were reduced by bexarotene treatment. Treatment of CFs with HG resulted in significantly reduced LKB1 activity and increased p70S6K activity. RXRα mediated the antagonism of 9-cis-RA on HG-induced LKB1/p70S6K activation changes in vitro. Our findings suggest that RXR agonist ameliorates STZ-induced DCM by inhibiting myocardial fibrosis via modulation of the LKB1/p70S6K signaling pathway. RXR agonists may serve as novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of DCM.

Objective In recent years, the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS) has been widely used to predict survival conditions of patients with status epilepticus (SE). However, the diagnostic value of STESS has not yet been evaluated. We therefore performed this meta-analysis to assess the overall diagnostic accuracy of STESS for predicting survival condition of patients with SE. Methods Systemic searches for relevant published studies were conducted in EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrange databases up to July 2, 2017. Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. All statistical analyses were performed using Stata12.0 and Meta-DiSc software. Results A total of 11 studies including 12 observations with 1356 patients were included in this meta-analysis. Summary estimates of the diagnostic value of STESS for survival condition of patients with SE were listed as follows: sensitivity, 0.81 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.76–0.85); specificity, 0.53 (95% CI: 0.50–0.56); positive likelihood ratio (PLR), 1.86 (95% CI: 1.57–2.21); negative likelihood ratio (NLR), 0.38 (95% CI: 0.30–0.48); diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), 5.24 (95% CI: 3.49–7.87); and area under the curve (AUC), 0.81. Metaregression analysis showed that ethnicity, study design, publish year, and sample size did not significantly influence the diagnostic performance statistically (all P > 0.05). Conclusions The STESS is a promising candidate for predicting survival condition of patients with SE. However, the potential tool should be validated in well-designed studies with larger sample sizes.

Two samples of ancient Chinese coins were analyzed with a confocal three-dimensional micro-X-ray fluoroscope. The depth distributions of elemental iron (Fe), calcium (Ca) and copper (Cu) were obtained based on this non-destructive measurement method. One coin, named “Chongning Tongbao”, was certified as genuine in accordance with the available archaeological data, whereas another coin, named “Zhenglong Yuanbao”, was identified as a reproduction.

This study is a retrospective analysis evaluating the efficacy and toxicity of combination chemotherapy with Paclitaxel (PTX) and Oxaliplatin (OXA) as first-line treatment for patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC). One hundred and seven patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma received intravenous infusions of PTX at 135 mg/m2 and OXA at 85 mg/m2 on day 1 every 14 days. Among 107 patients enrolled, 9 patients could not be evaluated for a response because of the absence of any measurable lesions. Assessment of the response of 98 patients was made. The overall objective response rate was 42.9% (95% CI 32.9–52.8%), with two complete responses and 40 partial responses. The disease control was 79.6% (95% CI 71.5–87.7%). With 29 months of the median time of follow-up, the median progression-free survival was 5.8 months (95% CI 4.30–7.30 months) and the median overall survival was 11.5 months (95% CI 9.08–13.9 months). The 1-year survival rate was 48.0%. The most common grades 3 and 4 toxicities included neutropenia (32.7%), leucopenia (17.8%), fatigue (5.61%), and anemia (4.67%). Peripheral neuropathy occurred in 23.4% patients and grade 2 or higher peripheral neuropathy occurred in 12.1% of the patients. Combination chemotherapy with PTX and OXA offers a new, effective and safe regimen for patients with advanced gastric cancer.

This paper is dedicated to studying the semilinear Schrodinger equation $$\begin{aligned} \left\{ \begin{array}{ll} -\triangle u+V(x)u=f(x, u), \quad x\in {\mathbb {R}}^{N},\\ u\in H^{1}({\mathbb {R}}^{N}), \end{array}\right. \end{aligned}$$ where $$V\in \mathcal {C}(\mathbb {R}^N, \mathbb {R})$$ is sign-changing and either periodic or coercive and $$f\in \mathcal {C}(\mathbb {R}^N\times \mathbb {R}, \mathbb {R})$$ is subcritical and local super-linear (i.e. allowed to be super-linear at some $$x\in \mathbb {R}^N$$ and asymptotically linear at other $$x\in \mathbb {R}^N$$ ). Instead of the common condition that $$\lim _{|t|\rightarrow \infty }\frac{\int _{0}^{t} f(x, s)\mathrm {d}s}{t^2}=\infty $$ uniformly in $$x\in \mathbb {R}^N$$ , we use a local super-quadratic condition $$\lim _{|t|\rightarrow \infty }\frac{\int _{0}^{t} f(x,s)\mathrm {d}s}{t^2}=\infty $$ a.e. $$x\in G$$ for some domain $$G\subset \mathbb {R}^N$$ to show the existence of nontrivial solutions for the above problem.

A novel layered Zr-Al-La tri-metal composite (AZL) was fabricated via co-precipitation method for fluoride removal. The as-prepared adsorbent was characterized by various technologies, and its adsorption behaviors to fluoride were thoroughly carried out to investigate the fluoride removal performance. The results showed that the layered structure existed and the AZL exhibited the maximum adsorption capacity of 90.48 mg g-1 at 308 K and pH 3.0 from the Langmuir isotherm model. The adsorption kinetics was well fitted by the pseudo-second-order equation, and the adsorption isotherms were well described by the Langmuir equation. Adsorption thermodynamics result was indicative of endothermic reaction in the process of adsorption of AZL to fluoride. The as-prepared AZL composite has excellent fluoride removal performance for the practical ground water and satisfies the permissible limit of fluoride in drinking water recommended by Chinese Standard. In addition, based on the characterization, the adsorption mechanism of fluoride on AZL was proposed, including electrostatic interaction between the protonated surface of AZL and fluoride, as well as ion-exchange by hydroxyl group and fluoride.

This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This author accepted manuscript is made available following 24 month embargo from date of publication (Sept 2017) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policy Supplementary data to this article is available from the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2017.09.243, Hydrogen capture and storage is the core of hydrogen energy application. With its high specific surface area, direct bandgap, and variety of potential applications, phosphorene has attracted much research interest. In this study, density functional theory (DFT) is utilized to study the interactions between doped phosphorenes and hydrogen molecules. The effects of different dopants and metallic or nonmetallic atoms on phosphorene/hydrogen interactions is systematically studied by adsorption energy, electron density difference, partial density of states analysis, and Hirshfeld population. Our results indicate that the metallic dopants Pt, Co, and Ni can help to improve the hydrogen capture ability of phosphorene, whereas the nonmetallic dopants have no effect on it. Among the various metallic dopants, Pt performs very differently, such that it can help to dissociate H2 on phosphorene. Specified doped phosphorene could be a promising candidate for hydrogen storage, with behaviors superior to those of intrinsic graphene sheet.

An innovative approach using thermal sensitizer NiFeMnO4 under microwave (MW)-H2O2 condition was proposed to remove organic pollutant of model wastewater. The removal efficiency of 30.0 mg/L methyl orange for NiFeMnO4 under MW-H2O2 condition in 6.0 min reached up to 96.5%, which is larger than that for activated carbon under same MW-Fenton condition. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed that the NiFeMnO4 power with an average size of less than 40 nm and specific surface areas (19.87 m2/g) had a spinel-type cubic structure, in which Ni2+, Mn3+, Mn4+, Fe3+ and Fe2+ occupied the octahedral sites of NiFeMnO4 lattice. The studies of low-temperature thermal degradation, microwave induced oxidation, microwave combining with H2O2 catalytic behavior and effect of active species for NiFeMnO4 indicated that the feasibility to MW-NiFeMnO4-H2O2 route had been successfully verified and joint reaction with acceleration effect of the direct decomposition by MW “hot spots”, the MW “hot spots” accelerated electron–hole excitation and Fe2+-H2O2 reaction was responsible for the degradation of methyl orange in NiFeMnO4-MW-H2O2 system.

The overall objective of this research project is to investigate the feasibility of incorporating oil-based drilling cuttings pyrolysis residues (ODPR) and fly ash for the preparation of non-autoclaved aerated concrete. Within this thesis, mechanical and physical properties, detailed environmental performance, and microstructure analysis were carried out. Meanwhile, the early hydration process and hydrated products of ODPR non-autoclaved aerated concrete (ONAAC) were analyzed with X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the following optimal mix proportion is ideal for preparing ODPR non-autoclaved aerated concrete (about 600 kg/m3), that is to say, is 25–30% for fly-ash, 15–20% for ODPR, 20–30% for cement, 15–20% for quicklime and 4% for gypsum, W/S is 0.61. Furthermore, the best curing steam temperature is 80 °C. The compressive strength, dry unit weight and thermal conductivity of products can basically meet the requirements of Chinese standard GB 11969-2008. The results also showed that ODPR had a certain pozzolanic activity which could play the role of active materials. Environmental performance tests came to the conclusion that when ODPR serves as recycled aggregates and admixture for preparation of non-autoclaved aerated concrete, from the technique’s perspective, it wouldn’t be the substance of environmental contamination.

Background: The E3 ubiquitin ligase neural precursor cell expressed developmentally downregulated 4-1 (NEDD4-1) negatively regulates phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) protein levels through polyubiquitination and proteolysis, but its significance in lung cancer is still unclear. This study investigated the expression and the role of NEDD4-1 in tumor development and chemosensitivity of lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). Methods: We retrospectively investigated the expression and significance of NEDD4-1, PTEN, and p-Akt proteins in 135 paired ADC and adjacent noncancerous tissue specimens using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we evaluated the relationship between NEDD4-1 expression and clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis. The effects of small interfering RNA against NEDD4-1 on proliferation and chemosensitivity were examined in A549 cells in vitro using 3- (4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl) -5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl) -2-(4-sulfophenyl)- 2H-tetrazolium method. The ability of migration and invasion of A549 cells was tested by transwell assay. Moreover, reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analyses were used to determine the expression of NEDD4-1, PTEN, phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt activity, and its downstream target proteins. Results: NEDD4-1 protein was significantly upregulated in lung ADC tissues, whereas it was weak or negative in normal lung epithelial cells. The expression of NEDD4-1 in ADC (78.5%, 106/135) was significantly much higher than that in adjacent normal lung tissue (13.3%, 29/135, P < 0.01), and it was associated with lymph node metastasis, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage, and chemotherapy resistance. PTEN expression was downregulated in lung ADC (60.7% vs. 100.0% in noncancerous specimens, P = 0.007), and was negatively correlated with lymph node metastasis, histological variants, clinical stage, chemoresistance. In addition, expression of p-Akt in ADC tissues (71.1% 96/135) was much higher than that in adjacent lung epithelial cells (6.7%, 9/135, P < 0.01). Kaplan-Meier and multivariate analysis demonstrated that expressions of NEDD4-1 and PTEN were both independent risk factors for survival in patients with lung ADC. NEDD4-1 knockdown in vivo decreased proliferation, migration, and invasion and improved chemosensitivity to cisplatin and paclitaxel in A549 cells. NEDD4-1 knockdown also significantly enhanced PTEN expression and inhibited p-Akt activity and downstream target proteins. Conclusions: NEDD4-1 upregulation may contribute to the progression of lung ADC. NEDD4-1 may regulate the proliferation, invasion, migration, and chemoresistance of lung ADC cells through the PI3K/Akt pathway, suggesting that it may be regarded as a therapeutic target for the treatment of lung ADC.

With the widespread use of nuclear energy, uranium containing radioactive waste water has raised global concerns on environmental sustainability, calling for high-performance materials in effective pollution treatments. Here, a novel adsorbent was prepared by immobilizing bayberry tannin onto bovine serum albumin nanospheres (BSA–BT-NSs), which was shaped by antisolvent method. The as-prepared adsorbent was characterized by SEM, TEM, FT-IR, and XPS, and showed excellent adsorption capacity and high selective adsorption for uranyl ions (UO22+) from radioactive wastewater, which included Fe3+, Mn2+, Cs2+, Co2+, and Sr2+. The effects of different adsorption parameters such as pH, temperature, time, and initial UO22+ concentration were investigated. The adsorption isothermal data were well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model, and a maximum adsorption capacity of 487.805 mg g−1 was estimated. Furthermore, the BSA–BT-NSs possess excellent stability under 60Co γ-ray irradiation at total doses ranging from 10 kGy to 350 kGy. These facts indicated that BSA–BT-NSs could be used as a low-cost and environmentally friendly adsorbent for UO22+ removal with high efficiency and selectivity from various uranium-containing radioactive industrial effluents. More importantly, combined with the characterization analysis, adsorption experimental results, and theory calculations based on density functional theory, the adsorption mechanism of the BSA–BT-NSs is revealed.

Potassium cobalt hexacyanoferrate was modified on alkali-hydrolyzed leather scrap (AHLS/KCoFC) to prepare a novel adsorbent for cesium (Cs+) adsorption. AHLS/KCoFC was characterized with SEM, FT-IR, XRD, and XPS to affirm the correct modification. Batch experiments were performed to investigate the adsorption performance of AHLS/KCoFC for Cs+ under various conditions, including pH, initial concentration, contact time and temperature. The equilibrium data was fitted well with Langmuir model and the maximum adsorption capacity was 36.75 mg g−1 at pH 6.0, 298.15 K and concentration 100 mg L−1. Thermodynamic and kinetic studies showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic, the pseudo-second-order kinetic model fitted accurately the data, and the adsorption process was controlled by intraparticle diffusion, but it was not the only rate-limiting step. Moreover, selective adsorption was investigated systematically. It was found that AHLS/KCoFC exhibited high selectivity for Cs+ in presence of coexisting ions. At the optimum conditions, AHLS/KCoFC could be employed to the recovery of Cs+ from saline lake brine, and the adsorption efficiency was achieved 97.33%, suggesting AHLS/KCoFC is potential application advantage as an efficient adsorbent.

Sulfotransferase family 1E member 1 (SULT1E1) is known to catalyze sulfoconjugation and play a crucial role in the deactivation of estrogen homeostasis, which is involved in tumorigenesis and the progression of breast and endometrial cancers. Our previous study has shown that the protein levels of SULT1E1 were decreased in breast cancer; however, the underlying mechanism is still poorly understood. In this study, we explored the functional and molecular mechanisms by which SULT1E1 influenced breast cancer. Here, we identified that overexpression of SULT1E1 inhibited breast cancer cell growth through inducing apoptosis and arresting cell cycle progression. Furthermore, enforced expression of SULT1E1 suppressed tumor cell migration and invasion. Moreover, we found that the activation of PPARγ was required for SULT1E1-mediated downregulation of C-myc, Cyclin D1, MMP-2 and MMP-9 as well as for cell apoptosis, migration and invasion. In addition, the overexpression of SULT1E1 significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Taken together, our findings indicated that SULT1E1 performed its tumor suppressor characteristics by activating PPARγ, which provided a novel target for patients with breast cancer.

We simulate the modulation of 1-μm self-similar (parabolic) vector bisolitons in this paper. Through the change of laser pulse parameters in orthogonal directions, we modulate self-similar vector bisoliton when its polarization or group velocity is locked. When input orthogonal vector components have the same central wavelength, the variation of projection angle can induce the variation of time delay, and the change of phase difference can induce the change of amplitude ratio of output vector solitons. By comparison, for input orthogonal vector components with slightly different central wavelengths, pulse shapes with oscillations can be achieved at some specific condition. Our simulation results expand the research about vector soliton manipulation and are beneficial for relevant experiments.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitor combined with apatinib on immune regulation and efficacy of the combined therapy in mice bearing gastric cancer (MBGC), and to provide a research basis for enhancing the benefit of immunotherapy in advanced gastric cancer (AGC). METHODS MBGC were divided into normal saline group (group NS), apatinib group (group A), PD-1 inhibitors group (group B) and PD-1 inhibitors combined with apatinib group (group C). Tumor inhibition rates were calculated. Cytokine levels and expression of immune cells and molecules were detected, and the pathological manifestations of tumor tissues were observed. RESULTS Group C had the smallest tumor volume (115.17 ± 16.08 mm3) with a tumor inhibition rate of 89.4% ± 0.69%, significantly increased levels of CD4+T and CD8+T cells in tumor tissues (P

Core–shell nanoscale zero-valent iron@alginate/carboxymethyl cellulose sodium composite loaded with calcium (nZVI@SA/CMC-Ca) beads were synthesized in this study using coaxial electronic injection method. The adsorbent structure was characterized via FT-IR, SEM, EDX and XPS. The adsorption behavior of U(VI) and Cu(II) on core–shell nZVI@SA/CMC-Ca beads was studied under various experimental parameters like pH, contact time and temperature. The isotherm and the kinetic data, pertaining to the adsorption of U(VI) and Cu(II) by core–shell nZVI@SA/CMC-Ca beads obeyed both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms model and the pseudo-second-order kinetics model, respectively. The thermodynamic parameters revealed the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption. The experiment of regeneration and reusability suggested core–shell nZVI@SA/CMC-Ca bead was a regenerated material.

Many disease diagnoses involve subjective judgments by qualified raters. For example, through the inspection of a mammogram, MRI, or ultrasound image, the clinician himself becomes part of the measuring instrument. To reduce diagnostic errors and improve the quality of diagnoses, it is necessary to assess raters' diagnostic skills and to improve their skills over time. This paper focuses on a subjective binary classification process, proposing a hierarchical model linking data on rater opinions with patient true disease-development outcomes. The model allows for the quantification of the effects of rater diagnostic skills (bias and magnifier) and patient latent disease severity on the rating results. A Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm is developed to estimate these parameters. Linking to patient true disease outcomes, the rater-specific sensitivity and specificity can be estimated using MCMC samples. Cost theory is used to identify poor- and strong-performing raters and to guide adjustment of rater bias and diagnostic magnifier to improve the rating performance. Furthermore, diagnostic magnifier is shown as a key parameter to present a rater's diagnostic ability because a rater with a larger diagnostic magnifier has a uniformly better receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve when varying the value of diagnostic bias. A simulation study is conducted to evaluate the proposed methods, and the methods are illustrated with a mammography example.