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Vanadium oxide cathode materials with stable crystal structure and fast Zn2+ storage capabilities are extremely important to achieving outstanding electrochemical performance in aqueous zinc‐ion batteries. In this work, a one‐step hydrothermal method was used to manipulate the bimetallic ion intercalation into the interlayer of vanadium oxide. The pre‐intercalated Cu ions act as pillars to pin the vanadium oxide (V‐O) layers, establishing stabilized two‐dimensional channels for fast Zn2+ diffusion. The occupation of Mn ions between V‐O interlayer further expands the layer spacing and increases the concentration of oxygen defects (Od), which boosts the Zn2+ diffusion kinetics. As a result, as‐prepared Cu0.17Mn0.03V2O5−□·2.16H2O cathode shows outstanding Zn‐storage capabilities under room‐ and low‐temperature environments (e.g., 440.3 mAh g−1 at room temperature and 294.3 mAh g−1 at −60°C). Importantly, it shows a long cycling life and high capacity retention of 93.4% over 2500 cycles at 2 A g−1 at −60°C. Furthermore, the reversible intercalation chemistry mechanisms during discharging/charging processes were revealed via operando X‐ray powder diffraction and ex situ Raman characterizations. The strategy of a couple of 3d transition metal doping provides a solution for the development of superior room‐/low‐temperature vanadium‐based cathode materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric materials are sensitive to lattice strain, which is always related with their macroscopic properties. Therefore, it is of scientific significance to improve piezocatalytic performance by strain engineering and clarify the underlying mechanism. Herein, BaTiO3 (BTO) powder is fabricated by a solid‐state reaction and ball‐milling is employed to induce lattice strain in BTO. By prolonging ball‐milling time, the lattice strain increases, leading to an enhancement of tetragonality and piezocatalytic performance of BTO. The strain‐engineered BTO exhibited an excellent piezocatalytic activity, with a degradation rate constant k of ∼0.03 min−1 and a H2 evolution rate of 0.899 mmol g−1 h−1, which are 3 and 3.52 times those of the strain‐free one, respectively. The enhanced piezocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the improved piezoelectricity, piezoelectric polarization and adsorption activities for O2, OH and H of the strain‐engineered BTO. This work not only provides a simple and general method to improve piezocatalytic performance by strain engineering, but also unveils the enhancement mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The poor electrode kinetics and low conductivity of the LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4 cathode seriously impede its practical application. Here, an effective strategy of boron‐catalyzed graphitization carbon coating layer is proposed to stabilize the nanostructure and improve the kinetic properties and Li‐storage capability of LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4 nanocrystals for rechargeable lithium‐ion batteries. The graphite‐like BC3 is derived from B‐catalyzed graphitization coating layers, which can not only effectively maintain the dynamic stability of the LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4 nanostructure during cycling, but also plays an important role in enhancing the conductivity and Li+ migration kinetics of LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4@B‐C. The optimized LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4@B‐C exhibits the fastest intercalation/deintercalation kinetics, highest electrical conductivity (8.41 × 10−2 S cm−1), Li+ diffusion coefficient (6.17 × 10−12 cm2 s−1), and Li‐storage performance among three comparison samples (B‐C0, B‐C6, and B‐C9). The highly reversible properties and structural stability of LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4@B‐C are further proved by operando XRD analysis. The B‐catalyzed graphitization carbon coating strategy is expected to be an effective pathway to overcome the inherent drawbacks of the high‐energy density LiMn0.8Fe0.2PO4 cathode and to improve other cathode materials with low‐conductivity and poor electrode kinetics for rechargeable second batteries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pain remains an unresolved problem. Current treatments have limited efficacy. Thus, novel therapeutic targets are urgently required for the development of more effective analgesics. An increasing number of studies have proved that sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) agonists can relieve chronic pain. In this review, we summarize recent progress in understanding the roles and mechanisms of SIRT1 in mediating chronic pain associated with peripheral nerve injury, chemotherapy‐induced peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord injury, bone cancer, and complete Freund's adjuvant injection. Emerging studies have indicated that SIRT1 activation may exert positive effects on chronic pain relief by regulating inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, SIRT1 agonists may serve as potential therapeutic drugs for chronic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study some properties of weight matrices for the Dirac operator on a star graph, which are corresponding concepts to those of the Sturm‐Liouville operator. There are two major ingredients. The first is devoted to the structure properties and asymptotic formulae of weight matrices. As an application, we construct a sequence of eigenfunctions and prove its Riesz basicity in the second ingredient. The methods employed rely on contour integration techniques and the theory of Riesz bases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to some inverse spectral problems for Dirac operators on a star graph with mixed boundary conditions in boundary vertices. By making use of Rouché's theorem, we derive the eigenvalue asymptotics of these operators. Besides, we show that for each of these operators, if the potentials are known a priori for all but one edge on the graph, then the potential on the remaining edge is uniquely determined by part of the potential on this edge and part of its spectrum. Our method relies upon some estimates of infinite products given by Horváth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The morphology and crystallinity of electrode materials have a major effect on their charge carrier storage properties when applied in rechargeable batteries. While nanosizing electrode particles (with larger surface area) and maintaining electrode integrity are both good for performance enhancement, they seem to contradict each other and are challenging to balanced. Herein, electrode particles consisting of numerous nanograins with uniform crystalline orientation are designed to guarantee both high surface area and high structural integrity, allowing the significant improvement of Li+ storage kinetics and performance. Applying this "mesocrystallizing" strategy to an NiCo2O4‐based anode, results in various degrees of pseudocapacitance response, the long‐term cyclability and rate performance of this material are also significantly enhanced. Impressively, the mesocrystalline NiCo2O4 electrode exhibits a high specific capacity of 1403 mAh g–1 after 200 cycles at 1.6 A g–1 (a rate of 1.8 C). The growth mechanism of mesocrystalline materials with different morphologies is identified to be a topotactic structural transition process featuring a gradual edge‐to‐core corrosion process. This work presents an important synthetic clue to balance the morphology and crystallinity of battery electrode materials for their performance optimization and is expected to inspire future structural design for battery materials beyond the one prototyped here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress occurs when protein folding or maturation is disrupted. A malfunction in the ER stress response can lead to cell death and has been observed in many neurological diseases. However, how the ER stress response is regulated in neuronal cells remains largely unclear. Here, we studied an E3 ubiquitin ligase named neural precursor cell expressed developmentally down‐regulated protein 4‐like (Nedd4‐2). Nedd4‐2 is highly expressed in the brain and has a high affinity toward ubiquitinating membrane‐bound proteins. We first utilized unbiased proteomic profiling with ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) of isolated membrane fractions from mouse whole brains to identify novel targets of Nedd4‐2. Through this screen, we found that the expression and ubiquitination of ribosomal proteins are regulated by Nedd4‐2 and we confirmed an association between Nedd4‐2 and ribosomes through ribosome sedimentation and polysome profiling. Further, we utilized immunoprecipitation and western blotting to show that induction of ER stress promotes an association between Nedd4‐2 and ribosomal proteins, which is mediated through dephosphorylation of Nedd4‐2 at serine‐342. This increased interaction between Nedd4‐2 and ribosomal proteins in turn mediates ER stress‐associated translational suppression. In summary, the results of this study demonstrate a novel regulatory mechanism underlying the ER stress response and a novel function of Nedd4‐2 in translational control. Our findings may shed light on neurological diseases in which the ER stress response or the function of Nedd4‐2 is dysregulated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the anodes used in lithium‐/sodium‐ion batteries (LIBs/SIBs) have poor low‐temperature (LT) performances, which severely limit their applications under LT environment. Herein, two‐dimensional nickel oxide nanosheet encapsulated in N‐doped carbon coated layer (abbreviated as NiO@C−N NSs) is successfully prepared and investigated for the first time as a LT anode for LIBs/SIBs. As a result, the prepared NiO@C−N NSs electrode delivers a high room temperature (RT) Li‐storage capacity (1036 mA h g−1 at 0.05 A g−1) and excellent LT Li‐storage performance (428 mA h g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 at −40 °C). Furthermore, the prepared NiO@C−N NSs also exhibits a superior RT Na‐storage capacity of 529 mA h g−1 at 0.05 A g−1 and superior LT Na‐storage performance. Through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis, we find that the LT Li‐/Na‐storage performances of NiO@C−N NSs electrodes are mainly dominated by the RSEI of SEI membrane formation at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Moreover, the LT Li‐/Na‐storage properties of NiO@C−N NSs can be effectively improved by using commercial LT electrolyte with low viscosity and low melting point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is known as the most prevalent cancer in women worldwide, and has an undeniable negative impact on public health, both physically, and mentally. This study aims to investigate the effects of toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) gene silencing on proliferation and apoptosis of human breast cancer cells to explore for a new theoretical basis for its treatment. TLR4 small interference RNA (siRNA) fragment recombinant plasmids were constructed, including TLR4 siRNA‐1, TLR4 siRNA‐2, and TLR4 siRNA‐3. Human breast cancer MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells were assigned into blank, negative control (NC), TLR4 siRNA‐1, TLR4 siRNA‐2, and TLR4 siRNA‐3 groups. MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cell growth was detected by MTT assay. Apoptosis and cell cycle were determined by flow cytometry. Reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and Western blot analysis were conducted to determine the expression of TLR4, CDK4, cyclin D1, Livin, Bcl‐2, p53, c‐FLIP, and caspase‐3. In comparison with the NC and blank groups, the TLR4 siRNA‐1, TLR4 siRNA‐2, and TLR4 siRNA‐3 groups showed decreased the expression of TLR4, inhibited proliferation of MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells and promoted MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cell apoptosis, and the cells were blocked in G1 phase. In comparison with the NC and blank groups, in the TLR4 siRNA‐1, TLR4 siRNA‐2, and TLR4 siRNA‐3 groups, siRNA‐TLR4 significantly increased expression of p53 and caspase‐3 in MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells, while it decreased the expressions of CDK4, cyclinD1, Livin, Bal‐2, and c‐FLIP. The study demonstrates that TLR4 gene silencing inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells. TLR4 gene silencing inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) represent a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries, owing to the much higher abundance and lower cost of sodium resources in comparison with lithium. However, the electrode materials of SIBs usually suffer from more severe issues, such as low specific capacity and poor cyclability, owing to the much larger Na+ diameter and drastic volumetric variations during sodiation/desodiation. Hence, it is still a huge challenge to develop superior electrode materials for reversible Na storage. In comparison with the crystalline materials conventionally used in batteries, amorphous ones may offer a more stable framework for the uptake of Na. To address these issues, a porous composite composed of amorphous Co2P and N,B-co-doped carbon (A-Co2P/C xN yB z-650) is prepared by controlling the annealing temperature at 650 °C after freeze-drying the precursors. As-prepared A-Co2P/C xN yB z-650 exhibits much better Na-storage properties in terms of higher Na-storage capacity, longer cycling stability, and excellent rate performance compared with the crystalline counterparts. These may benefit from the fact that the amorphous framework can provide easier Na+ accessibility and better strain accommodation, originating from volumetric variations during sodiation/desodiation. More importantly, the electrolyte for all of the electrochemical tests are NaPF6 based, which is more accessible for practical applications because of its higher safety compared with the commonly used NaClO4-based electrolyte. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The features of graft-versus-host disease ( GVHD) were compared between patients who underwent myeloablative conditioning and received a peripheral blood stem cell transplant ( PBSCT) from either a haploidentical donor ( HID) or a matched sibling donor ( MSD) during the same period of time. The HID group included more patients with advanced disease. Both groups received the same GVHD prophylaxis with the addition of antithymoglobulin ( ATG) in HID group. Higher cumulative incidences ( CI) of acute GVHD grade 2-4 (35·1% vs. 13·9%, P = 0·003), similar CI of grade 3-4 (14·5% vs. 9·8%, P = 0·595), less 3-year CI of extensive chronic GVHD (17·1% vs. 41·5%, P = 0·017) and less severe chronic GVHD (5·8% vs. 21·2%, P = 0·049) occurred in the HID group compared with the MSD group. There was no difference in the sites of the involved organs between these two groups. Higher 3-year CI of non-relapse mortality (24·0% vs. 10·2%, P = 0·014), relapse (39·0% vs. 22·6%, P = 0·032) and inferior disease-free survival (45·7% vs. 78·9%, P = 0·000) were recorded in the HID cohort compared with the MSD group. More HID patients had Karnofsky scores above 90 than those in MSD group ( P = 0·016). In conclusion, ATG plays a key role in the unmanipulated HID PBSCT protocol, producing better quality of life in survivors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As is well known, a gradual increase in capacity during cycling is a common phenomenon in previously reported oxide-based anodes for lithium-ion batteries. However, not only may this be superfluous for practical applications, but it may also imply the presence of some electrochemical instabilities and side reactions. To achieve ultrastable Li storage without such a gradual increase in capacity, the mechanism of this increase by using a MnO/graphene-based nanohybrid (MnO@C/RGO) as an example was comprehensively explored. Then, the gradual increase behavior of the specific capacity was effectively restrained by rationally optimizing the cutoff voltage, which resulted in the MnO@C/RGO electrode maintaining a nearly constant capacity during cycling at different current densities. Taking the high current density of 2 A g−1 as an example, there was no clear capacity change (increase/attenuation) even over 2000 cycles with stable coulombic efficiencies of around 99.7 %. This ultrastable Li-storage capability should mainly benefit from rational testing parameters and an optimal 3D conductive network. More importantly and interestingly, full cells were also assembled and tested by coupling MnO@C/RGO and commercial LiFePO4 as the anode and cathode materials, respectively. The full cells impressively exhibited superior rate performance and excellent cycling stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SnFe2O4 nanocrystals (NC), prepared with a simple one-step carrier-solvent-assisted interfacial reaction process, were developed as highly efficient catalysts for hydrogen peroxide sensing. These NCs, with a size of around 7 nm, served as the sensing catalyst and were decorated onto the pore surfaces of a porous fluorine-doped tin oxide (PFTO) host electrode, prepared from commercial FTO glass with a simple anodic treatment, to form the sensing electrode for hydrogen peroxide. The SnFe2O4 NCs-loaded PFTO electrode exhibited an ultra-high sensitivity of 1027 mA m−1 cm−2 toward hydrogen peroxide, outperforming Pt NCs-loaded PFTO electrodes. The SnFe2O4 NCs-loaded PFTO electrode proved a promising relatively low cost, high performance sensing electrode for hydrogen peroxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although graphene oxide (GO) has large interlayer spacing, it is still inappropriate to use it as an anode for sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) because of the existence of H-bonding between the layers and ultralow electrical conductivity which impedes the Na+ and e− transformation. To solve these issues, chemical, thermal, and electrochemical procedures are traditionally employed to reduce GO nanosheets. However, these strategies are still unscalable, consume high amounts of energy, and are expensive for practical application. Here, for the first time, we describe the superior Na storage of unreduced GO by a simple and scalable alkali-metal-ion (Li+, Na+, K+)-functionalized process. The various alkali metals ions, connecting with the oxygen on GO, have played different effects on morphology, porosity, degree of disorder, and electrical conductivity, which are crucial for Na-storage capabilities. Electrochemical tests demonstrated that sodium-ion-functionalized GO (GNa) has shown outstanding Na-storage performance in terms of excellent rate capability and long-term cycle life (110 mAh g−1 after 600 cycles at 1 A g−1) owing to its high BET area, appropriate mesopore, high degree of disorder, and improved electrical conductivity. Theoretical calculations were performed using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) to further study the Na-storage capabilities of functionalized GO. These calculations have indicated that the Na−O bond has the lowest binding energy, which is beneficial to insertion/extraction of the sodium ion, hence the GNa has shown the best Na-storage properties among all comparatives functionalized by other alkali metal ions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new concept of three-dimensionally extended host electrodes is proposed with the fabrication and applications of fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) nanorod array based host electrodes as an example. The FTO nanorod arrays were grown on top of commercial FTO glass through a vapor-liquid-solid process by using Au nanocrystals as the anisotropic growth catalyst, tin powders as the precursor, and NH4F as the fluorine source. This three-dimensionally extended FTO nanostructure was then decorated with Pt nanocrystals, using a polyol method, to serve as a non-enzymatic sensing electrode for H2O2. These FTO nanorods not only offer greatly enlarged sensing areas and fast charge transport channels, but also significantly enhance the hydrophilicity of the electrode, all of which are beneficial for the electrochemical sensing of aqueous samples. A two order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity toward H2O2 over the plain commercial FTO glass was achieved, reaching a high sensitivity value of 543 mA M−1 cm2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the impacts of low-dose methotrexate ( MTX) with cyclosporine ( CSA) on graft-versus-host disease ( GVHD) and graft-versus-leukemia ( GVL) effect after haploidentical modified donor lymphocyte infusion ( DLI). Fifty-five consecutive patients who had relapsed acute leukemia after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ( HSCT) and received modified DLI were retrospectively studied. Forty-one patients received CSA and 14 received low-dose MTX after DLI to prevent DLI-associated GVHD. The incidence of acute GVHD and grade 2-4 acute GVHD in MTX group showed a trend toward being higher than in CSA group (61.0% vs. 37.3%, p = 0.198 and 61.0% vs. 35.5%, p = 0.155). However, no significant difference in the incidence of grade 3-4 acute GVHD between two groups (p = 0.982) was observed. Moreover, compared with CSA, patients treated with MTX had lower re-relapse rate (38.1% vs. 80.8%, p = 0.029), better disease-free survival ( DFS) (51.9% vs. 15.6%, p = 0.06), and higher absolute lymphocyte counts at 30, 45, 60, and 90 d after modified DLI (p < 0.05). This study suggested that after haploidentical modified DLI, low-dose MTX is at least as effective as CSA in the prevention of DLI-associated GVHD and probably allowed stronger GVL effect than CSA. This phenomenon was probably due to a direct antitumor effect and a better reconstitution of lymphocytes after modified DLI induced by low-dose MTX. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the most effective post-consolidation therapy and curative option for adult patients with Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-negative) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first complete remission (CR1). A human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-haploidentical related donor (haplo-RD) is one of the most important alternative sources for those without HLA-identical sibling donor (ISD). The present study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (haplo-HSCT) in adult Ph-negative ALL CR1 patients ( n = 183). We produced an unmanipulated haplo-HSCT protocol including granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for all donors, intensive immune suppression, anti-thymocyte globulin, and combination of G-CSF-primed bone marrow harvest and G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood stem cells harvest as the source of stem cell grafts. The median age for high-risk versus low-risk groups were 29 versus 23 years. Three-year incidences of relapse mortality and nonrelapse mortality for high-risk versus low-risk groups were 7.1% versus 11.1% ( p = 0.498) and 18.0% versus 16.2% ( p = 0.717), respectively. Three-year probabilities of disease-free survival and overall survival for high-risk versus low-risk groups were 67.6% versus 68.2% ( p = 0.896) and 74.9% versus 72.7% ( p = 0.981), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that limited cGVHD and a lower pre-HSCT comorbidity burden were associated with better outcomes. In summary, comparable outcomes were observed among high- and low-risk Ph-negative ALL CR1 patients after haplo-HSCT. Haplo-RD could be considered for adults with Ph-negative ALL in CR1 as an important alternative source of donors in cases when no ISD is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epigenetic remodeling of cell adhesion genes is a common phenomenon in cancer invasion. This study aims to investigate global methylation of cell adhesion genes in cervical carcinogenesis and to apply them in early detection of cancer from cervical scraping. Genome-wide methylation array was performed on an investigation cohort, including 16 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 ( CIN3) and 20 cervical cancers ( CA) versus 12 each of normal, inflammation and CIN1 as controls. Twelve members of clustered proto-cadherin ( PCDH) genes were collectively methylated and silenced, which were validated in cancer cells of the cervix, endometrium, liver, head and neck, breast, and lung. In an independent cohort including 107 controls, 66 CIN1, 85 CIN2/3, and 38 CA, methylated PCDHA4 and PCDHA13 were detected in 2.8%, 24.2%, 52.9%, and 84.2% ( P < 10−25), and 2.8%, 24.2%, 50.6%, and 94.7% ( P < 10−29), respectively. In diagnosis of CIN2 or more severe lesion of the cervix, a combination test of methylated PCDHA4 or PCDHA13 from cervical scraping had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 74.8%, 80.3%, 73%, and 81.8%, respectively. Testing of this combination from cervical scraping is equally sensitive but more specific than human papillomavirus ( HPV) test in diagnosis of CIN2 or more severe lesions. The study disclosed a collective methylation of PCDH genes in cancer of cervix and other sites. At least two of them can be promising diagnostic markers for cervical cancer noninferior to HPV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This retrospective study compared the transplantation outcomes of 98 consecutive patients with acute leukemia. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed using G-CSF-mobilized bone marrow and blood (G-BM&PB) or G-CSF-mobilized peripheral blood (G-PB) from HLA-identical sibling donors. The G-BM&PB and G-PB groups displayed significantly different neutrophil recovery rates (medians of 15 vs. 14 d, respectively; p = 0.009) but similar platelet recovery rates. The cumulative incidences of grades II-IV acute graft-versus-host disease ( aGVHD) in the G-BM&PB and G-PB cohorts were similar (16.2 ± 4.7% vs. 21.8 ± 7.4%, respectively; p = 0.676), but the incidences of grades III-IV aGVHD were significantly different (5.5 ± 3.1% vs. 18.9 ± 7.1%, respectively; p = 0.042). The G-BM&PB and G-PB cohorts displayed similar cumulative incidences of chronic GVHD ( cGVHD, 49.1 ± 5.7% vs. 42.7 ± 6.8%, respectively; p = 0.465), one-yr cumulative incidences of treatment-related mortality (16.5 ± 3.5% vs. 24.4 ± 4.1%, respectively; p = 0.220), and five-yr cumulative incidences of relapse (13.9 ± 4.8% vs. 26.8 ± 7.2%, respectively; p = 0.113). The five-yr probability of leukemia-free survival (LFS) was significantly higher in the G-BM&PB group than in the G-PB group (77.8 ± 5.2% vs. 57.6 ± 8.6%, respectively; p = 0.023). Multivariate analysis identified G-PB as an independent risk factor for grades III-IV aGVHD and LFS. Our results suggest that HLA-identical transplantation with G-BM&PB results in superior clinical outcomes compared with G-PB for patients with acute leukemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We retrospectively compared the antileukemic effects of chemotherapy alone and chemotherapy followed by modified donor lymphocyte infusion ( DLI) in 82 patients with relapsed acute leukemia after haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ( HSCT) without in vitro T-cell depletion. We also investigated prognostic factors in patients receiving chemotherapy followed by modified DLI. Thirty-two patients received chemotherapy alone, and the remaining 50 patients received chemotherapy followed by modified DLI. In patients receiving chemotherapy followed by modified DLI, complete remission rate was significantly higher (64.0% vs. 12.5%, P = 0.000), the incidence of relapse was significantly lower (50.0% vs. 100.0%, P = 0.000), and disease-free survival was significantly improved (36.0% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.000) compared with patients receiving chemotherapy alone. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease ( GVHD) after intervention ( P = 0.000) and patients receiving chemotherapy followed by modified DLI ( P = 0.037) were associated with a lower relapse rate. Furthermore, in patients receiving chemotherapy followed by modified DLI, multivariate analysis demonstrated that chronic GVHD after modified DLI ( P = 0.039) and duration of minimal residual disease ( MRD) (−) ≥4 months after modified DLI ( P = 0.001) were associated with a lower relapse rate. Our study is the first to suggest that chemotherapy followed by modified DLI is associated with stronger antileukemic effects and better survival in relapsed acute leukemia after haploidentical HSCT without in vitro T-cell depletion. Furthermore, our study suggests that lack of chronic GVHD and duration of MRD (−) <4 months after modified DLI are associated with higher relapse rates in patients receiving chemotherapy followed by modified DLI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence of epileptic seizures among allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo- HSCT) patients has been poorly described. No report has systematically studied epilepsy's possible causes, risk factors, and effect on prognosis among allo- HSCT patients. We retrospectively examined data from 1461 patients who underwent allo- HSCT within the past 6.5 yr at the Institute of Hematology and People's Hospital, Peking University. The cumulative incidence of all epileptic seizure complications was 7.1%. Of the 79 transplant patients who had epileptic seizures, 3 (3.8%) experienced a seizure during the conditioning stage, 52 (65.8%) between day 0 and day 100, 20 (25.3%) from day 100 to the first year, and 4 (5.1%) after the first year. Multivariate regression analysis identified the age of the recipient as (≤18 yr) (p < 0.001), donor type (p = 0.004), graft versus host disease (a GVHD) (p = 0.018), and hyponatremia (p = 0.003) as independent risk factors for epileptic seizures among allo-HSCT patients. The median survival time of patients with epileptic seizures was 246 d after transplantation (ranging between 18 and 2170 d). Survival after one yr and 6.5 yr was significantly reduced in patients who developed epileptic seizure complications compared with those who did not (57.2% vs. 75.7% at one yr, p = 0.015, and 31.1% vs. 71.4% at five yr, p < 0.001). Of the 79 patients who experienced epileptic seizure complications, 53.2% died (n = 42). The survival rate of these patients was relatively low, and cerebrovascular disorders or central nervous system infection-related epileptic seizures usually resulted in a high mortality and poor prognosis. A patient transplantation age which is younger than 18 yr, related mismatched transplants, a GVHD, and hyponatremia are risk factors for epileptic seizures in allo- HSCT recipients. Epileptic seizures among allo- HSCT patients are associated with a poor prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed a study to investigate the profile of donor lymphocyte infusion ( DLI)-associated acute graft-versus-host disease ( GVHD) in haploidentical T-cell-replete hematopoietic stem cell transplantation ( HSCT). A total of 124 patients receiving modified DLI after haploidentical T-cell-replete HSCT were enrolled. The cumulative incidence of DLI-associated acute GVHD was 53.2% for grades II- IV and 28.4% for grades III- IV. The duration of GVHD prophylaxis after DLI was the only risk factor for DLI-associated grades III- IV acute GVHD (p < 0.05). The cumulative incidence of grades III- IV acute GVHD in patients with prophylaxis more than six, four to six, two to four, and <2 wk were 9.3%, 14.4%, 31.6%, and 49.5%, respectively (p = 0.018). Furthermore, DLI-associated grades III- IV acute GVHD was the only risk factor for overall survival (p = 0.038, OR = 2.869) and transplant-related mortality (p = 0.018, OR = 3.296) but not a risk factor for relapse after DLI (p = 0.840). This study confirms for the first time that the duration of GVHD prophylaxis after DLI is the only risk factor for the development of grades III- IV acute GVHD. Donor lymphocyte infusion with prophylaxis more than six wk was associated with a lower incidence of grades III- IV acute GVHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric materials are sensitive to lattice strain, which is always related with their macroscopic properties. Therefore, it is of scientific significance to improve piezocatalytic performance by strain engineering and clarify the underlying mechanism. Herein, BaTiO3 (BTO) powder is fabricated by a solid‐state reaction and ball‐milling is employed to induce lattice strain in BTO. By prolonging ball‐milling time, the lattice strain increases, leading to an enhancement of tetragonality and piezocatalytic performance of BTO. The strain‐engineered BTO exhibited an excellent piezocatalytic activity, with a degradation rate constant k of ∼0.03 min−1 and a H2 evolution rate of 0.899 mmol g−1 h−1, which are 3 and 3.52 times those of the strain‐free one, respectively. The enhanced piezocatalytic performance can be ascribed to the improved piezoelectricity, piezoelectric polarization and adsorption activities for O2, OH and H of the strain‐engineered BTO. This work not only provides a simple and general method to improve piezocatalytic performance by strain engineering, but also unveils the enhancement mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 123 consecutive patients with advanced-stage, acute leukemia undergoing HSCT from HLA-identical sibling donors were analyzed. A G- CSF-primed DLI was planned within day 60 post-transplantation before hematologic relapse was diagnosed. Fifty of the 123 individuals received prophylactic DLI, and 73 individuals received no prophylactic treatment. The incidence of grades II- IV acute graft-versus-host disease ( GVHD) was 17% for patients receiving DLI and 23% for patients not receiving DLI (p = 0.35). The incidence of chronic GVHD was 38% for patients receiving DLI and 17% for patients not receiving DLI (p = 0.021). The two-yr cumulative incidence of relapse was significantly lower in patients who received prophylactic DLI (46%) compared with patients who did not receive prophylactic DLI (66%) (p = 0.02). The three-yr probability of overall survival was higher in patients who received prophylactic DLI (36%) than in patients who did not receive prophylactic DLI (11%) (p = 0.001). The leukemia-free survival was also higher in patients who received prophylactic DLI (29%) than in patients who did not receive prophylactic DLI (9%) (p = 0.001). Our comparisons suggest that the prophylactic use of DLI can significantly increase survival of patients with advanced-stage, acute leukemia who receive HLA-identical sibling HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huo M-R, Xu L-P, Li D, Liu D-H, Liu K-Y, Chen H, Han W, Chen Y-H, Wang Y, Wang J-Z, Zhang X-H, Zhao X-Y, Huang X-J. The effect of HLA disparity on clinical outcome after HLA-haploidentical blood and marrow transplantation. Clin Transplant 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399-0012.2011.01499.x. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Abstract: The relative importance of various human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci has not been established for unmanipulated HLA-mismatched/haploidentical transplantation. To address this question, we analyzed the impact of HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DRB3, HLA-DRB4, and HLA-DRB5 on the outcome of HLA-haploidentical transplantation. Four hundred and eighty-one donor-recipient pairs were fully typed before transplantation. In univariate analysis, HLA-B mismatch not only demonstrated significant adverse effects on acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and transplant-related mortality but also was associated with reduced overall survival and leukemia-free survival (LFS). In multivariate analysis, HLA-B mismatch remained the independent risk factor for acute GVHD and transplant-related mortality. The high risk of disease and the female donor were found to be significant factors for reduced overall survival and LFS. Furthermore, multiple mismatch of the HLA locus was found to have no synergistic adverse effect on outcomes. Our results suggest that prospective matching of patients and donors for HLA-B antigen in the unshared HLA haplotype is warranted for HLA-mismatched/haploidentical transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regulatory T cells ( Tregs) maintain transplantation tolerance and suppress graft-versus-host disease ( Gv HD) in humans. We monitored 17 subjects with acute GvHD to determine whether Treg frequency correlates with acute GvHD. We found the percent of CD4+ CD25− CD69+ Tregs decreases when acute GvHD develops and increases after acute GvHD is controlled. We next sequentially studied 50 subjects receiving conventional allotransplants. We show a high frequency and increased numbers of CD4+ CD25− CD69+ Tregs are associated with a reduced risk of acute GvHD. We also show that CD4+ CD25− CD69+ Treg numbers increase substantially early after allografts and that a low percent of CD4+ CD25− CD69+ Tregs is associated with an increased risk of acute Gv HD. Reconstitution of Tregs early post-transplant is associated with less acute GvHD. These data imply that CD4+ CD25− CD69+ Tregs are a novel subset of regulatory T cells that may protect against acute GvHD after allotransplants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhao X-S, Liu K-Y, Liu D-H, Xu L-P, Chen H, Huang X-J. Potential immunosuppressive function of plasma indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase in patients with aGVHD after allo-HSCT. Clin Transplant 2011: 25: E304-E311. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Given the function of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) in the induction of immune tolerance as a T-cell inhibitor, we investigated whether plasma IDO levels correlate with the biological activity of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Plasma levels of IDO were monitored by ELISA in 147 samples from 65 patients who fulfilled the diagnostic histopathological and/or clinical criteria of aGVHD and 16 episodes of infection after allo-HSCT. Elevated plasma IDO levels were associated with occurrence of infection or mild aGVHD (grade I-II). Most patients with grade III-IV aGVHD had relatively low levels of IDO compared to those with mild aGVHD or infection. Responses of aGVHD to immunosuppressive therapy were associated with a decrease in IDO levels in the majority of patients with mild aGVHD, whereas secondary infection was characterized by persistent or increased IDO levels after treatment. Although plasma IDO levels may indicate the severity and outcome of aGVHD and point to appropriate therapies through its function in immune tolerance, it is not aGVHD specific and may not be a distinguishing biomarker of aGVHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: To examine the effect of a 14-membered ring macrolide on airway mucus hypersecretion in rats treated with LPS. Methods: Mucus hypersecretion in rat airways was induced by intratracheal instillation of LPS. Rats treated with or without LPS were administered roxithromycin (1–10 mg/kg), josamycin (10 mg/kg) or amoxicillin (40 mg/kg), orally for 4 days. Expression of Muc5ac, nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases p38 and ERK1/2 in bronchial epithelium were detected by RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry or western blotting. Mucins, IL-1β, IL-8 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α in BAL fluid were assayed by enzyme-linked lectin assay and ELISA. Results: LPS significantly induced the expression of Muc5ac mRNA and protein in bronchial epithelium, increased the release of mucins, IL-1β, IL-8 and TNF-α, and increased neutrophil numbers in BAL. Moreover, LPS increased staining for NF -κB in the cytoplasm as well as nuclear translocation of NF -κB in airway epithelial cells. Upregulated expression of Muc5ac mRNA correlated positively with NF -κB activation and the levels of cytokines ( P < 0.05). Roxithromycin (5 and 10 mg/kg) significantly attenuated bronchial Muc5ac expression and NF -κB nuclear translocation stimulated by LPS, and reduced neutrophil numbers, mucins and inflammatory cytokines in BAL ( P < 0.05). However, LPS-stimulated expression of p38 and ERK1/2 in airway epithelium was not affected by roxithromycin. Josamycin and amoxicillin had no effects on Muc5ac expression, NF -κB activation or cytokine release. Conclusions: Roxithromycin inhibits the pulmonary inflammatory response and airway mucus hypersecretion induced by LPS. The inhibitory effect of roxithromycin on airway mucus hypersecretion may be mediated through reduction of NF -κB activation, neutrophil infiltration and release of inflammatory cytokines in the lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background.In our clinical practice, we have observed a high incidence of locoregional failure in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the buccal mucosa. We analyze our treatment results of this cancer and compare these results with those in the literature. We intend to define the pattern and incidence of failure of buccal cancer and provide information for the design of a better multimodality treatment. Methods.During the period from 1983 through 2003, 121 previously untreated patients with M0 stage SCC of the buccal mucosa were treated with a curative intent at our hospital. Twenty-seven patients received surgery alone, 36 had radiotherapy alone, and 58 underwent surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy. Results.The 5-year locoregional control, overall survival, and cause-specific survival rates for all patients were 36.3%, 34.3%, and 36.9%, respectively. The locoregional recurrence rate was 57% for all patients, with 80% occurring in the primary site alone. Patients with T1–2N0 disease who received surgery alone still had a high local recurrence incidence of 41%. For patients with locally advanced disease, surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy achieved better overall survival and locoregional control rates than surgery alone or radiotherapy alone. T classification was the only prognostic factor affecting locoregional control and survival in the surgery alone group, whereas N classification and skin invasion predicted a poorer survival for the surgery plus postoperative radiotherapy group. Conclusions.SCC of the buccal mucosa is an aggressive cancer with a high locoregional failure rate even in patients with T1–2N0 disease. Possible reasons include inadequate treatment and an intrinsically aggressive nature. Postoperative radiotherapy has resulted in a better locoregional control rate for patients with T3–4 or N+ disease and should also be considered for patients with T1–2N0 disease for whom adjuvant therapy after radical surgery currently is not recommended by most guidelines. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck27: XXX–XXX, 2005 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Inside Cover Picture shows three‐dimensionally extended host electrodes, which drastically enhance the sensitivities of non‐enzymatic hydrogen peroxide sensing by two orders of magnitude. These nanorods not only offer a greatly enlarged sensing area and fast charge‐transport channels, but they also significantly enhance the hydrophilicity of the electrode. More details can be found in the Full Paper by S.‐Y. Lu and co‐workers on page 552 in Issue 4, 2016 (DOI: 10.1002/celc.201500524). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Three New Triterpenoid Saponins From Ardisia Crenata," by Dai-Lin Liu, Nai-Li Wang, Xue Zhang and Xin-Sheng Yao in a 2011 issue is presented.