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Background: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been a major advance in the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) which have been substantiated in clinical trials. However, real-world data on first-line alectinib in a Chinese patient population are limited. Methods: We enrolled patients diagnosed with advanced ALK-positive NSCLC treated with first-line alectinib at 8 centers in China, including cases with symptomatic or active CNS metastases. Continuation of alectinib was permitted after local or gradual progression at the treating clinician's discretion. Time-to-treatment failure (TTF) was defined as the period from the start of alectinib to discontinuation for any cause including disease progression, death, adverse events and patient's preference. We defined longer EML4-ALK variants as containing EML4 fusions to at least exon 13 and shorter variants had EML4 fusions up to exon 6. Results: Of the 110 patients included, 26.4% had Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG) ≥2 points. The objective response rate (ORR) was 88.5% [95% confidence interval (CI): 79.9-94.3%] and median tumor shrinkage rate was 60% (range, 0-100%) in patients with target lesions. For patients with measurable central nervous system (CNS) metastases, the CNS-ORR was 92.9% (95% CI: 66.1-99.8%), additionally, 80% (8/10) of patients experienced significant improvement in CNS-related symptoms following alectinib treatment. With a median follow-up of 18.3 months, the estimated 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate and 2-year treatment failure-free rate were 81.1% (95% CI: 71.5-87.7%) and 81.0% (95% CI: 70.6-88.0%) respectively. Grade 3-4 adverse events occurred in 6.4% and only 2 patients (1.8%) permanently discontinued alectinib due to adverse events. Multivariate analysis indicated that patients with metastases in ≥3 distant organs and a tumor reduction rate ≤50% demonstrated more unfavorable mPFS than their counterparts. Furthermore, patients carrying longer variants showed superior mPFS to those with shorter variants (not reached vs. 24.2 months, hazard ratio =0.17, 95% CI: 0.04-0.68, P=0.004). Conclusions: Alectinib showed substantial efficacy and an excellent safety profile in a real-world setting of Chinese patients. Clinical outcomes and long-term survival still require longer follow-up. Tumors with shorter EML4 fusion variants, more extensive metastases and less reduction in tumor lesions may require more aggressive strategies.

Background There is limited data on the clinical outcome, long‐term survival and tolerability of sequential therapy of first‐line crizotinib followed by alectinib in a real‐world setting for Chinese patients with advanced ALK+ NSCLC. Methods The medical records of patients who received sequential therapy with first‐line crizotinib followed by alectinib (no intermittent systemic therapy was allowed between the two ALK‐TKIs) were collected from six centers in China. Combined time treatment to failure (C‐TTF) was defined as the period from the start of crizotinib to the complete discontinuation of alectinib due to any cause. Results A total of 61 patients were included in our study. Fifty‐two patients were switched to alectinib due to disease progression, seven as a result of toxicity, and two due to patient preference. At the time of data cutoff, alectinib treatment was discontinued in 31 patients on account of disease progression while severe adverse events resulted in cessation of alectinib in another two patients. Rebiopsy was conducted in 21 patients following disease progression on alectinib in whom ALK secondary mutation was found in 13 patients. Patients with ALK secondary mutation demonstrated better PFS during treatment with subsequent ALK‐TKIs compared with those without (10.4 vs. 3.1 m, p = 0.0018, HR = 0.08). With a median follow‐up of 34.3 months, C‐TTF was 39.2 months and estimated 5‐year OS was 68.6% in the overall population. Conclusion Sequential therapy with first‐line crizotinib followed by alectinib demonstrated long‐term benefits. Different efficacy in subsequent ALK‐TKI between patients with or without ALK secondary mutation further emphasized the importance of rebiopsy to guide targeted therapy more precisely., Sequential therapy with first‐line crizotinib followed by alectinib demonstrated long‐term benefits in a Chinese population. Different efficacy in subsequent ALK‐TKI between patients with or without ALK secondary mutation further emphasized the importance of rebiopsy to guide targeted therapy more precisely.

Hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane (AB) hydrolysis is of great importance considering the ever-increasing demand for green and sustainable energy. However, the development of a facile and efficient strategy to construct high-performance catalysts remains a grand challenge. Herein, we report an amino-group and space-confinement assisted strategy to fabricate Rh nanoparticles (NPs) using amino-functionalized metal-organic-frameworks (UiO-66-NH2) as a NP matrix (Rh/UiO-66-NH2). Owing to the coordination effect of amino-group and space-confinement of UiO-66-NH2, small and well-distributed Rh NPs with a diameter of 3.38 nm are successfully achieved, which can be served as efficient catalysts for AB hydrolysis at room temperature. The maximum turnover frequency of 876.7 min−1 is obtained by using the Rh/UiO-66-NH2 with an optimal Rh loading of 4.38 wt% and AB concentration of 0.2 M at 25 °C, outperforming most of the previously developed Rh-based catalysts. The catalyst is also stable in repetitive cycles for five times. The high performance of this catalyst must be ascribed to the structural properties of UiO-66-NH2, which enable the formation of small and well-dispersed Rh NPs with abundant accessible active sites. This study provides a simple and efficient method to significantly enhance the catalytic performance of Rh for AB hydrolysis.

Microplastics can accumulate in soils and strongly affect the biogeochemical cycle. Biodegradable plastic films show potential as sustainable alternatives that could reduce microplastic soil contamination and accumulation. However, the effects of traditional and biodegradable microplastics on soil organic matter (SOM) stability are not sufficiently understood, particularly under varying temperatures. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics on SOM stability and bacterial community in two contrasting soils (Black soil vs. Loess soil) under varying temperature conditions (15 °C vs. 25 °C). Results showed that microplastics addition significantly enhanced cumulative CO

Developing efficient catalytic systems to boost hydrogen evolution from hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane (AB) is of broad interest but remains a formidable challenge since the widespread usages of hydrogen have been considered as sustainable solutions to ensure future energy security. Herein, we developed an alkaline ultrasonic irradiation-mediated catalytic system with O/N-rich porous carbon supported Ru nanoclusters (NCs) (Ru/ONPC) to considerably boost the catalytic activity for hydrogen production from the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB. The uniformly distributed sub-2.0 nm Ru NCs on the ONPC were demonstrated to be efficient catalysts to boost hydrogen generation from the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB with the synergistic effect between ultrasonic irradiation and alkaline additive without any additional heating. An ultrahigh turnover frequency (TOF) of 4004 min

Plastic mulch is frequently used to increase crop yield, resulting in large quantities of residues accumulating in soil due to low recovery rates. However, the effects of microplastic residues from traditional and biodegradable plastic films on soil nitrogen (N) transformation and bioavailability are not well understood. Here, the main objectives were to examine the effects of micro-sized residues (diameter5 mm) of polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable plastic mulch films (PLA) on the soil N in two contrasting soils (clay soil and sandy loam soil) in different temperatures (15 °C vs. 25 °C). Results showed that the microplastic presence showed a little effect on soil N transformation and bioavailability at 15 °C, but both microplastics significantly decreased NO

Here, by a simple one-step in situ chemical reduction method, the AgxCuy alloy was tailored on the surface of mesoporous TiO2 (M-TiO2), therefore, a series of bi-functional mesoporous TiO2 nanohybrids (M-TiO2/AgxCuy) for both surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection and photocatalytic degradation of ampicillin (AMP) were achieved. The composition and structure of the nanohybrids were well characterized using XRD, TEM, XPS and HRTEM-EDS measurements. Results indicated that AgxCuy alloy was mainly attached around the pores of M-TiO2 which may generate more active sites than nonporous P25−Ag−Cu. Thus, the M-TiO2/AgxCuy nanohybrids could be used as efficient SERS substrates to sensitively monitor the AMP in water with lower detection limit (˜ 1 ppt) than P25−Ag−Cu. Besides, the M-TiO2/Ag3Cu1 nanohybrid also showed higher photocatalytic activities for the degradation of AMP under UV irradiation over the M-TiO2/Ag, the M-TiO2/Cu and the P25−Ag−Cu. This work provided a simple and effective approach to synthesize bi-functional nanohybrids for detection and degradation of organic contaminants in wastewater.

Supported metal nanoparticles (MNPs) have shown great promise in catalytic hydrogen evolutions because of the highly efficient utilization of metal atoms, while the low binding strength between MNPs and supports results in the agglomeration of MNPs into larger particles, considerably decreasing the catalytic efficiency. Herein, we smartly develop a universal, green, and sustainable low-temperature oxidative thermal redispersion strategy to fabricate metal oxide precursors and subsequently well dispersing and stabilizing MNPs (M = Rh, Ru, Ir) over oxygenated carbons (Mesoporous carbon, Ketjen black, and Vulcan carbon), which can be utilized as efficient catalysts for hydrogen production from ammonia borane (AB) hydrolysis and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Such flexible modulation strategy enables the formation of oxidized metal species on oxygenated carbons, which is the key to synthesize ultrasmall MNPs against sintering and agglomeration during the reduction process. Attributing to the innately structural/componential/surficial superiorities, the optimal Rh/C-300A-350H exhibits the highest catalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution from AB hydrolysis and HER with turnover frequencies of 3308/5040 min−1 in aqueous/basic solutions and an overpotential of 29 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH, respectively. With the similar activation mechanism for dissociation of O–H bond in H2O, the highly dispersed Rh NPs with ultrafine sizes and electronic metal-support interaction are responsible for the excellent catalytic activity toward the hydrogen evolution reactions. This study presents an extremely facile and sustainable modulation strategy for increasing the adhesion of MNP catalysts on oxygenated carbons for catalytic applications.

Heteroatom-doped porous carbons that possess large surface areas and well-defined porosity show great promise in heterogeneous catalysis, whereas their syntheses inevitably require complicated steps, hazardous activation and functional reagents, and an inert gas atmosphere. Herein, a one-pot synthetic strategy to oxygen-rich porous nitrogen-doped carbon (OPNC) is developed through pyrolysis of ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid tetra-sodium in air without any activation and functionalization agents. The as-prepared OPNC with more surface oxygenated groups and mesopores not only benefits synthesis of well-dispersed ultrafine Rh nanoparticles (NPs) with abundant accessible active sites, but also facilitates the diffusion of reactants and avoids mass transfer limitations, thereby considerably contributes to a high performance toward AB hydrolysis. Specifically, the optimal Rh/OPNC exhibits a high activity toward AB hydrolysis with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 433 min−1. The kinetic isotope studies indicate that the cleavage of O H bond in H2O molecules is the rate-determining step (RDS). The Rh/OPNC can be reused for five repetitive cycles with approximately 62% remained activity of the first cycle. The catalytic activity of Rh/OPNC can be further improved with a very high TOF of 1201 min−1 in alkaline solution. This study proposes a simple and sustainable pathway to synthesize efficient catalyst support for depositing metal NPs toward AB hydrolysis.

To satisfy the demand of industrial production, selecting strains suitable for fermentation initiation is necessary. In this study, the effects of mixed‐starter culture including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Weissella on the quality of Sichuan pickle were discussed. Results showed that mixed‐starter culture can accelerate fermentation and had the highest efficiency for nitrite degradation, that is, the maximum nitrite concentration was 8.97 g/kg on day 1 and decreased to 1.88 mg/kg after 3 days. The mixed‐starter culture improved the sensory properties of pickles, which easily produced acids but had reduced amounts of total acids. The pickle products fermented by the mixed‐starter culture contained increased lactic acid (17.52 g/kg), mannitol (0.62%), umami (35.85), and sweet (11.36) amino acids on day 4. The strains Weissella paramesenteroides C2‐2 and Lactobacillus brevis ZP11‐2 grew well in the mixed‐starter culture fermentation., This is the first report about three LAB strains' application on Brassicaceae pickle. Also, the fermentation characteristics of five treatments are analyzed, including single‐starter culture fermentation, mixed‐starter culture fermentation, and spontaneous fermentation.

Originally described from a sample collected in the Pamir Mountains at the end of the nineteenth century, Cyclotella lacunarum Hustedt is a centric diatom species that is not-well defined and seldom reported in the scientific literature. Our investigations revealed that the type locality of this taxon, now referred to as Lindavia lacunarum (Hustedt) Nakov et al., is actually in western China and not in Tajikistan, as wrongly assumed previously. Light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations of the type material and of modern material collected at the type locality allowed us to emend the description of this species. Its most remarkable character is that it possesses central fultoportulae with only two satellite pores instead of three as generally reported for similar species of Lindavia. Lindavia lacunarum was then compared to two similar populations of Lindavia collected from high elevation lakes in Tajikistan and Nepal. These two populations were originally identified as Cyclotella/Lindavia lacunarum and represent the only reported occurrences of this taxon outside its type locality. The population from Tajikistan differs from L. lacunarum by having cells of smaller size, with an almost flat valve face and has been described as a new variety Lindavia lacunarum var. karakulensis var. nov. The Nepalese population is more clearly differentiated from L. lacunarum by having a different type of colliculate pattern in the central area and significantly lower density of central fultoportulae and is therefore described as a new species, Lindavia nepalensis sp. nov.

Supported metal nanoclusters (NCs) have become highly attractive in catalytic applications because of their maximum atom utilization with superior catalytic property. The main challenge in fabricating metal NC catalysts is their low binding strength with carriers, which induces transformation of metal NCs to large nanoparticles. In this study, a facile, effective, and eco-friendly synthetic strategy for O/N-doped hollow carbon (ONC) is developed through direct steaming commercial Vulcan carbon in nitric acid vapour. The strong binding strength between abundant O/N functional groups of hollow structure of carbon matrix and Ru precursors enables the production of highly dispersed Ru NCs on ONC (Ru/ONC). The achieved Ru/ONC with highly distributed Ru NCs (1.69 nm in diameter) exhibits a significant activity improvement for catalytic AB dehydrogenation compared with Ru/C without modification. High turnover frequencies of 556 and 1837 min−1 (with NaOH) are achieved under the optimal conditions, surpassing most of previous developed Ru catalysts. Homogenously distributed Ru NCs with rich surface-active sites and the O/N functional groups of hollow structured carbon induced fast mass transfer are responsible for the superior activity. The facile strategy shows great application prospects for the preparation of efficient supported metal catalysts by modifying the structure and surface properties of carbon carriers.

Functional carbons that can provide abundant anchoring sites for metal nanoparticles (NPs) have shown great promise in boosting the catalytic activity for hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB), while the synthetic recipes for some of them are complicated, time-consuming and hazardous together with a low yield. Herein, we develop a facile and easily scalable one-pot synthetic strategy to nitrogen-doped carbon skeleton (NCS) via direct pyrolysis of ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid tetra-sodium salt in air. Attributing to the anchoring sites from abundant nitrogen-dopant and nanoporous structure of NCS, ultrasmall RuNi alloy NPs are highly distributed on NCS. The as-prepared RuNi/NCS can be used as a highly active catalyst for hydrogen production from AB hydrolysis at room temperature. Specifically, the optimal Ru1Ni1.90/NCS delivers an excellent catalytic activity with a very high turnover frequency of 1017 min−1 in basic solution, superior to many previous results. The kinetic studies indicate that AB hydrolysis catalyzed by Ru1Ni1.90/NCS is first-order and zero-order in terms of Ru and AB concentrations, respectively. Additionally, the isotopic analysis reveals that the O–H bond cleavage of water is the rate-determining step. The high catalytic activity of Ru1Ni1.90/NCS can be assigned to the ultrasmall RuNi nanostructure, highly nanoporous carbon matrix, and abundant N-dopant and the synergistic catalysis between the two metals. This study offers a simple synthetic protocol for construction of metal-carbon hybrid toward hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of chemical storage materials.

A new araphid diatom, Diatoma kalakulensis sp. nov., was discovered in Lake Kalakul, located in the Pamir Mountains in north-western China. The morphology and ultrastructure of this new species are described on the basis of observations made under light and electron microscopy. Compared to Diatoma tenuis, Diatoma kalakulensis is characterized by longer valves, higher stria density, wider apical ends and the position of its rimoportula.

Global freshwater systems are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors via impacts on ecological structure and function necessary to maintain their health. In order to properly manage freshwater ecosystems, we must have a better understanding of the ecological response to human‐induced stressors, especially in multiple stressor environments. When long‐term observational records are scarce or non‐existent, paleolimnology provides a means to understanding ecological response to long‐term stress. Lake Gusinoye is a large, deep lake in continental southeast Siberia, and has been subject to multiple human‐induced stressors since the 19th century. Diatom assemblages since the late 17th century were reconstructed from a Lake Gusinoye sediment core to increase our understanding of the response of primary producer communities to centuries of environmental change. Records of anthropogenic contamination of Lake Gusinoye (as indicated by spheroidal carbonaceous particle, trace metal, and element records) indicate increases in regional and local development c. 1920. Diatom assemblages were initially dominated by Aulacoseira granulata, which declined beginning in the 18th century, likely as a response to hydrological change in the Gusinoye basin due to regional climate warming following the termination of the Little Ice Age (LIA). Significant diatom compositional turnover was observed since the 19th century at Lake Gusinoye. Since the early 20th century, Lake Gusinoye diatom assemblages have changed more profoundly as a result of multiple anthropogenic stressors, including nutrient influx, aquaculture, and wastewater discharge from the Gusinoozersk State Regional Power Plant. Recent diatom assemblages are dominated by Lindavia ocellata and nutrient‐rich species, including Fragilaria crotonensis and Asterionella formosa. Evidence of continued nutrient enrichment at Lake Gusinoye is likely due to aquaculture in the lake, and suggests potential interactive effects of warming regional temperatures and increasing nutrients (eutrophication).

A simple one-pot approach based on molecularly imprinted polymer shells dispersed on the surface of silica for simultaneous determination of rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate has been developed. Highly dense molecularly imprinted polymer shells were formed in the mixture of acetonitrile and toluene by the copolymerization of methacrylic acid and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, as well as two templates, rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate, at the directing by the vinyl end groups functional monolayer at surface silica microspheres after 3-methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane modification. The obtained imprinted polymer shells showed large average pore diameter (102.5 nm) and about 100 nm shell thickness. The imprinted particles also showed high imprinting factor (αRhB = 3.52 and αDBzP = 3.94), rapid binding kinetics and excellent selective affinity capacity for rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate containing another three competitors in mixed solution. Moreover, the imprinted particles coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography was successfully applied to simultaneous analysis of rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate in two spiked beverage samples with average recoveries in the range of 88.0−93.0% for rhodamine B and 84.0–92.0% for dibenzyl phthalate with the relative standard deviation lower than 5.1%. Therefore the imprinted polymers are outstanding solid-phase separation materials for simultaneous extraction and enrichment of trace of rhodamine B and dibenzyl phthalate from complicated matrices. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

A new medium-sized species of Hippodonta (Bacillariophyceae) is described from Lake Qinghai, China. The morphology and ultrastructure of Hippodonta qinghainensis sp. nov. are described using light and scanning electron microscopy. This new species is compared with similar species of Hippodonta using conventional and geometric morphometric analyses. Hippodonta qinghainensis can be separated from the other species of Hippodonta by a unique combination of characters that include an elliptic-lanceolate to rhombic-lanceolate valve shape, non protracted apices, the absence of fascia, relatively coarse, uniseriate striae and the presence of two rows of lineolae around the valves apices.

This paper describes a new Cymbella species from an alpine lake in the Pamir Mountains, NW China, with the aid of light and scanning electron microscopy and morphometric analyses. The morphology of the new species, named Cymbella pamirensis, is discussed and compared to similar species. The main morphometric features distinguishing Cymbella pamirensis from similar species of Cymbella are the outline and size of the valves. Cymbella pamirensis has been observed in surface sediment and core samples from Lake Sate Baile Dikuli, an alkaline, mesotrophic lake of the Pamir Mountains.

We examined the long-term dynamics of plant biomass of Filifolium sibiricum steppe, Stipa baicalensis steppe and Leymus chinense (syn. Aneurolepidium chinense) steppe relative to interannual variation of precipitation and temperature during 1981–1990 in the Tumugi, Xingan League, eastern Inner Mongolia of China. On the average, annual precipitation was 41.1 cm. Peak live aboveground biomass (PLAB) was 152 g m-2 for F. sibiricum steppe and S. baicalensis steppe and 162 g m-2 for L. chinense steppe. Peak live belowground biomass (PLBB) varied between 968 g m-2 for F. sibiricum steppe and 1022 g m-2 for L. chinense steppe. The coefficient of variation (CV) in annual precipitation (25%) was lower than the CV in PLAB (35% to 37%) but larger than the CV in PLBB (10%) of the three meadow steppe sites. Rain use efficiency was 3.6 gDM m-2 cm-1 yr-1 for F. sibiricum steppe and S. baicalensis steppe, and 3.9 gDM m-2 cm-1 yr-1 for L. chinense steppe, respectively. Using the CENTURY ecosystem model, simulation results agreed reasonably well with the observed soil organic matter, seasonal dynamics and interannual variation of plant biomass of these three steppe sites during 1981–1990. The CENTURY model is slightly more successful than the empirical regression models that use annual precipitation to estimate PLAB of these meadow steppe over time. Both seasonal distribution and interannal variation in precipitation and temperature are the important controls of temporal dynamics of plant biomass, rain use efficiency, carbon flux and storage of these meadow steppe ecosystems over time.

The morphology and ultrastructure of Gyrosigma peisonis var. major var. nov., a new variety of Gyrosigma peisonis found in Lake Qinghai (China), are described here on the basis of light and scanning electron microscopy. Most of the morphological features of this new variety are identical to those of the nominal variety Gyrosigma peisonis var. peisonis, but the variety major differs in its distinctly larger cell size and its higher value for the longitudinal/transverse stria density ratio, however. The seasonal variation of this taxon, which was investigated by a sediment-trap study is also discussed.

Stauroneis lacusvulcani sp. nov. is described from two small volcanic lakes in northeastern China. The morphology of S. lacusvulcani is illustrated with light and scanning electron micrographs and discussed in comparison with several species of the Stauroneis gracilior group. S. lacusvulcani can be distinguished by the size of the valves and its long-protracted and strongly capitate apices. Diatom analysis of the sedimentary record from Lake Xiaolongwan (Jilin Province) showed that this new species was most abundant during the early Holocene (~8950 to 10,640 yrs BP).