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Expanding the application of high-strength hydrogels has attracted tremendous attention in the fields of biomedical engineering, agriculture and wastewater treatment owing to their versatility and outstanding deformation resistance. In this paper, a new class of graphene oxide (GO)/hydrophobically associated polyacrylamide composite hydrogels (GHA gels) were constructed by a simple one-pot method. Without the introduction of any conventional organic cross-linkers, the GHA gels physically cross-linked by GO sheets and hydrophobically associated domains demonstrated superior mechanical strength and high toughness. Because the networks of hydrophobically associated polyacrylamide could swiftly reconstruct without any external stimuli, the GHA gels exhibited prominent self-healing ability and fatigue resistance. The GHA gels also manifested improved adsorption capacity for the removal of dye pollutants with the aid of GO sheets. More impressively, on slightly heating GHA gels in ethanol for only 30 min after adsorption, the dyes would exude from the GHA gels rapidly and subsequently dissolve in ethanol. Thus the recovered adsorbents could be reused in the next water purification cycle. These types of strong and fully physically cross-linked hydrogels prepared by such a convenient strategy are promising as efficient recyclable toxic substance adsorbents, thus meeting the demand for the newly developed soft matter requiring remarkable mechanical properties and satisfying recyclability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the association between the expression level of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase 1B3 ( PAFAH1B3 ) gene in bone marrow CD138 + cells of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) treated with autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) and the prognosis within 2 years., Methods: 147 MM patients treated with AHSCT in The First and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University from May 2014 to May 2019 were included in the study. Expression level of PAFAH1B3 mRNA in bone marrow CD138 + cells of the patients was detected. Patients with disease progression or death during 2 years of follow-up were included in progression group, and the rest were included in good prognosis group. After comparing the clinical data and PAFAH1B3 mRNA expression levels of the two groups, the patients were divided into high PAFAH1B3 expression group and low PAFAH1B3 expression group based on the median PAFAH1B3 mRNA expression level of the enrolled patients. Progression-free survival rate (PFSR) between the two groups was compared by the Kaplan-Meier method. The related factors of prognosis within 2 years were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate COX regression analysis., Results: At the end of follow-up, there were 13 patients lost to follow-up. Finally, 44 patients were included in the progression group and 90 patients were included in the good prognosis group. Age in the progression group was higher than that in the good prognosis group, the proportion of patients with CR+VGPR after transplantation in the progression group was lower than that in the good prognosis group, and there was a statistical difference between two groups in the cases distribution of ISS stage (all P<0.05). PAFAH1B3 mRNA expression level and the proportion of patients with LDH>250U/L in the progression group were higher than those in the good prognosis group, and platelet count in the progression group was lower than that in the good prognosis group (all P<0.05). Compared with the low PAFAH1B3 expression group, the 2-year PFSR of the high PAFAH1B3 expression group was significantly lower (log-rank χ 2 =8.167, P=0.004). LDH>250U/L (HR=3.389, P=0.010), PAFAH1B3 mRNA expression (HR=50.561, P=0.001) and ISS stage Ⅲ(HR=1.000, P=0.003) were independent risk factors for prognosis in MM patients, and ISS stage Ⅰ (HR=0.133, P=0.001) was independent protective factor., Conclusion: The expression level of PAFAH1B3 mRNA in bone marrow CD138 + cells is related to the prognosis of MM patients treated with AHSCT, and detecting PAFAH1B3 mRNA expression can bring some information for predicting PFSR and prognostic stratification of patients.

Objective: To investigate the effect of scutellarin (SCU) on proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells and its related molecular mechanism., Methods: Human AML HL-60 cells were cultured in vitro. The cells were treated with SCU at the concentration of 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64 μmol/L, and the inhibition rate of cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 method. Then HL-60 cells were treated with SCU at the concentration of 4, 8, 16 μmol/L, and the negative control group (NC group) was set. The cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry, and the expression of cell cycle, apoptosis and JAK2/STAT3 pathway related proteins were detected by Western blot., Results: SCU significantly inhibited the proliferation of HL-60 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner( r =0.958, r =0.971). Compared with NC group, the proportion of cells in G 0 /G 1 phase and apoptosis rate of HL-60 cells in 4, 8, 16 μmol/L SCU group were significantly increased, and the proportion of cells in S phase was significantly decreased ( P <0.05). The relative protein expression levels of p21, p53, caspase-3 and Bax were significantly increased, while the relative protein expression levels of CDK2, cyclin E and Bcl-2 were significantly decreased ( P <0.05). The ratio of p-JAK2/JAK2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 were significantly decreased ( P <0.05). The changes of above-mentioned indexes were concentration dependent., Conclusion: SCU can inhibit the proliferation of AML cells, induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and its mechanism may be related to the regulation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is an intensive therapy to cure high-risk haematological malignant disorders, congenital diseases, autoimmune disease and so on. The main complication of HSCT is graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), which can cause the death of recipients and affect the therapeutic effect. Many kinds of immune cells and inflammatory factors were involved in the occurrence of GVHD. Twenty years ago the mice and human interleukin-17 (IL-17) were found. A new kind of T cell-CD4(+) IL-17(+) T was found in recent years, named Th17 cells. Now IL-17 and Th17 cells have become the hot spot in the research field of infection immunity, autoimmune diseases, tumor immunity and GVHD. In this article, immunoregulatory effects of interleukin-17 and Th17 cells in GVHD are reviewed.

Objective: To explore the application value of detection of Hepcidin together with indicator of iron overload on clinical diagnosis and treatment of MDS with iron overload by measuring Hepcidin and iron load indices of transfusion dependent myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) patients., Methods: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), radioimmunoassay and colorimetry were used to determine the Hepcidin, serum ferritin (SF) and serum iron (SI) levels of 106 serum samples from 68 cases of transfusion dependent MDS patients, 30 serum samples of MDS patients without transfusion and 60 serum samples of controls., Results: For MDS group, Hepcidin level in blood transfusion < 9 U subgroup was significantly higher than that in control group \[(583 ± 50) µg/L vs (175 ± 35) µg/L\] and there was a strong positive correlation between Hepcidin levels and SF (r = 0.976), but no correlation between Hepcidin and SI (r = 0.284); Both Hepcidin and SF level in transfusion 9 ∼ 24 U subgroup was significantly higher than those in control group \[(665 ± 80) µg/L vs (175 ± 35) µg/L; (1445 ± 275) µg/L vs (112 ± 26)µg/L\]; whereas for SI level, there was no difference between transfusion 9 ∼ 24 U subgroup and the control group. Hepcidin did not correlate with SF or SI; For blood transfusion > 24 U group, all of Hepcidin, SF and SI levels were higher than those in control groups \[(703 ± 64) µg/L vs (175 ± 35) µg/L; (2587 ± 352) µg/L vs (112 ± 26)µg/L; (20 ± 4) µg/L vs (14 ± 4) µmol/L\], Hepcidin negatively correlated with SF and SI (r = -0.536; r = -0.456). Hepcidin levels of RARS patients were significantly lower than RAEB patients \[(260 ± 40) µg/L vs (442 ± 51) µg/L\], and there was no significant difference between RARS group and control group regardless of the number of blood transfusion., Conclusion: Both Hepcidin and SF levels in MDS patients regardless of transfusion dependent or not, or the number of blood transfused were higher than those of normal controls, the increase of Hepcidin can not synchronize with the increase of SF level due to the increased blood transfusion, when blood transfusion > 24 U, Hepcidin level showed a negative relationship with SF and SI, reflecting the decreased ability of Hepcidin to inhibit body iron absorption during the increase of blood transfusion, which finally would lead to iron overload. We can predict the occurrence of iron overload in transfusion dependent MDS patients by dynamic monitoring concentration of Hepcidin.

Objective: To study the manipulation procedure and application of a new post-core system in posterior fixed partial dentures., Methods: Abutment tooth canals were firstly prepared according to respective canal directions and then complete crown preparation was made following standard procedures. The impression of prepared abutment teeth was taken with silicone and specially made syringe. The fixed partial denture and bolt-like post were fabricated respectively and lastly the two parts were glued together in patient after try-in., Results: All the fixed partial denture with the new post-core system did not get loose and there was no abutment tooth fractured after 23 months in use., Conclusions: This new post-core system could improve retention of the posterior fixed partial denture if the inter-occlusion distance of the abutment tooth was shorter than 3 mm.

Aim: To establish a suitable condition for extraction of phenylalanine (Phe), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-OH-Trp) and four diastereomeric salts, (1R,2S)-ephedrine- (2S,3S)-tartaric acid, (1R,2S)-ephedrine-(2R,3R)-tartaric acid, (1S,2S)-pseudoephedrine-(2S,3S)-tartaric acid, (1S,2S)-pseudoephedrine- (2R,3R)-tartaric acid in supercritical fluid extraction and to assess the solubilities of Phe, 5-OH-Trp and the four diastereomeric salts in CO2., Methods: Single-pass method and HPCE., Results: The solubilities of Phe, 5-OH-Trp and the four diastereomeric salts in CO2 were determined over temperature and pressure ranges of 25-50 degrees C and 6.32-34.03 MPa respectively. The experimental results showed that the solubilities of Phe, 5-OH-Trp and the four diastereomeric salts do not increase with density of CO2. There existed a maximum in the critical region of CO2., Conclusion: The dramatically high solubilities in the pressure of 6.32-7.78 MPa show a critical behavior, which can be explained by critical characteristic through thermodynamics analysis. The results suggest that the separation of Phe, 5-OH-Trp and the four diastereomeric salts is more efficient in critical region of CO2.