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Abstract Background Little was known on infection and mortality rates, still less the risk factors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) omicron variant in B‐cell lymphoma patients following CD19 targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR‐T). Aims We performed a retrospective multicenter study and analyzed the details of relapsed/refractory (R/R) B‐cell lymphoma patients who received CD19 targeted CAR‐T heretofore in five cellular immunotherapy centers in China during the omicron wave. Materials & Methods One hundred fifty‐four patients were enrolled in this study. Results Among them, 52 patients (33.8%) were uninfected, 74 patients (48.1) had ambulatory mild disease (including nine patients of asymptomatic infection), 22 patients (14.3%) had moderate disease and six patients (3.9%) had severe disease when data collected up. Three patients with severe disease died from COVID‐19, the death rate was 1.9% for all enrolled patients, and 2.9% for infected patients. We also found that patients over 60 years old or with diabetes mellitus (DM) tend to develop severe disease (p = 0.0057 and p = 0.0497, respectively). Patients had CAR‐T infusion within 6 months also tend to have severe disease (p = 0.0011). In multivariate logistic regression model, CAR‐T infusion within 6 months (relative risk (RR) 40.92; confidence interval (CI) 4.03–415.89; p = 0.002) were associated with significantly higher risk of severe disease. Conclusion Through this study, we conclude that the outcome for B‐cell lymphoma patients following CD19 targeted CAR‐T therapy when facing omicron infection was improved, but aggressive precautionary measures were particularly crucial for patients with high risk factors.

Passive evaporative cooling technology using the building envelope is a crucial measure to mitigate the urban heat island effect. This study aims to enhance the cooling efficiency of the surface of enclosure structures by utilizing volcanic ash, potassium–sodium stone powder, and silica-based mesoporous oxide (SMO) as primary materials. These components are incorporated into the ceramic brick production process to create innovative humidity-controlling ceramic bricks (HCCTs). This study extensively investigates the impact of SMO and the amount of applied glaze on the physical and mechanical characteristics of these HCCTs. Additionally, it examines the water absorption and evaporative cooling properties of the studied materials under optimal substitution conditions. Numerical calculations are used to determine the heat and moisture transfer properties of HCCTs. The results indicate that incorporating 2% SMO and applying 70 g/m2 of glaze results in a moisture absorption capacity of 385 g/m2 and a moisture discharge capacity of 370 g/m2. These conditions also yield a notable flexural strength of 15.2 MPa. Importantly, the HCCTs exhibit significantly enhanced capillary water absorption and water retention capabilities. Increased water absorption reduces surface temperature by 2–3 °C, maintaining the evaporative cooling effect for 20 to 30 h. It is also found that the temperature of HCCTs decreases linearly with increasing water content and porosity, while the temperature difference gradually decreases with thickness. Water migration in HCCTs with greater thickness is notably influenced by gravity, with water moving from top to bottom. Therefore, it is recommended that brick thickness does not exceed 15 mm.

Abstract Background Ibrutinib has revolutionized the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). Both ibrutinib monotherapy and ibrutinib‐based combination therapy are important salvage options for patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) MCL. The real‐world efficacy and safety profile of the two strategies in Chinese patients with R/R MCL remain unclarified. Methods In the present study, data of 121 R/R MCL patients who received either ibrutinib monotherapy (N = 68) or ibrutinib combination therapy (N = 53) in 13 medical centers in China were retrospectively reviewed. Results With a median follow‐up of 20.5 months, the overall response rate was 60.3% versus 84.9% (p = 0.003), complete remission rate was 16.2% versus 43.4% (p

Backgrounds: Ambulatory laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) reduces healthcare cost and increases hospital bed capacity. Currently, there is no consensus on patient selection for ambulatory LC. Evaluation of risk factors for ambulatory discharge is essential. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent LC in our centre throughout 2019 were collected. We evaluated the discharge fitness using the Post-Anaesthetic Discharge Scoring System at 8 h after the operation. The relations between pre-operative variables and dischargeable possibilities were analysed for screening risk factors. Furthermore, we performed a literature review to summarise all published information. Results: Six hundred and forty-one cases were included in this study. American Society of Anaesthesiologist (ASA) grading (odds ratio OR = 0.415, P = 0.001) and leucocytes (OR = 0.80, P < 0.001) significantly predicted the fitness of discharge. ASA contributed to lower activity (P = 0.002) and intake/output (P = 0.006) scores. Leucocytes influence the vital sign (P < 0.001) and pain or post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV) (P < 0.001) scores. The prolonged operation could predict the inabilities of discharge with a cut-off value of 55 min by dropping vital signs (P = 0.011), activity (P < 0.001) and pain or PONV (P = 0.012) scores. Male sex (OR: 1.702, P = 0.010), body mass index (BMI) (OR: 1.087, P = 0.008), leucocytes (OR: 1.075, P = 0.017) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (OR: 1.018, P = 0.003) were predictors for prolonged operation (>55 min). Conclusions: We suggest that pre-operative ASA grading III and leucocytes are risk factors for the fitness of ambulatory discharge after LC and intraoperative time. Male, BMI and CRP predict complicated surgery, and they should be considered preoperatively.

IntroductionRelapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (R/R DLBCL) has poor clinical outcomes when treated with conventional salvage chemotherapy. Monotherapy using zanubrutinib, a selective Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, has achieved modest antitumor effect in R/R DLBCL. Here we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of zanubrutinib plus salvage chemotherapy in R/R DLBCL patients.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed R/R DLBCL patients who were administered with zanubrutinib plus salvage chemotherapy in our center between January, 2019 and December, 2021. Targeted panel sequencing of 11 lymphoma-related genes was performed on 8 patients with poor responses to zanubrutinib-based chemotherapy.Results27 R/R DLBCL patients were enrolled. Median age at this study was 59 years (range, 15-72). The best overall response rate (ORR) was 74.1% and complete remission rate was 33.3%. With a median follow-up of 11 months (range, 1-17), the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.1 months, and the overall survival (OS) was not achieved. The most common grade-3/4 adverse events were neutropenia (70.4%), thrombocytopenia (66.7%), and febrile neutropenia (33.3%). In multivariate analysis, early treatment and overall response after chemotherapy were independent favorable prognostic factors for PFS. Overall response after chemotherapy was an independent favorable factor for OS. Among the 8 patients with poor response to zanubrutinib-based treatment, the majority of patients had NOTCH2 mutations (n=8, 100%) and TP53 mutations (n=7, 87.5%). However, these patients achieved an ORR of 75% at 3 months after CD19-CAR-T cell therapy (including 4 cases of complete remission and 2 cases of partial remission). With a median follow-up of 9 months from CAR-T cell infusion (range, 1-16 months), the median PFS was 14.5 months, and the median OS was not reached. ConclusionWith high efficacy and manageable tolerability, zanubrutinib plus salvage chemotherapy may be a potential treatment option for R/R DLBCL. CAR-T cell therapy may be a priority strategy for these poor responders to BTKi-based treatment.

The pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC) is complicated with impaired intestinal epithelial barrier and imbalanced gut microbiota. Both selenium and probiotics have shown effects in regulating intestinal flora and ameliorating UC. The objective of this study is to investigate the alleviating effects of Selenium-enriched Bifidobacterium longum DD98 (Se-B. longum DD98) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice and explore the underlying mechanism. After treatment of B. longum DD98, Se-B. longum DD98, and sulfasalazine for 3 weeks, the disease severity of UC mice was decreased, with colon lengthened and pathological phenotype improved. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters were also decreased. Thus, Se-B. longum DD98 showed a stronger effect on relieving the aforementioned symptoms caused by DSS-induced colitis. Exploration of the potential mechanism demonstrated that Se-B. longum DD98 showed higher activities to suppress the inflammatory response by inhibiting the activation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), compared to B. longum DD98 and sulfasalazine. Se-B. longum DD98 also significantly improved the intestinal barrier integrity by increasing the expression of tight junction proteins including ZO-1 and occludin. 16S rDNA sequencing analyses showed that Se-B. longum DD98 improved the diversity of the intestinal flora and promoted the abundance of health-benefiting taxa including Lachnospiraceae, Lactobacillaceae, and Prevotellaceae in family level. In conclusion, compared to B. longum DD98 and sulfasalazine, Se-B. longum DD98 showed stronger therapeutic effects on DSS-induced colitis in mice and might be a promising candidate for the treatment of UC.

Wheat powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, Bgt, recently clarified as B. graminis s. str.), is one of the most destructive diseases of wheat. Pm60 is a nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat (NLR) gene that confers race-specific resistance to Bgt. Allelic variants (Pm60, Pm60a, and Pm60b) were found in Triticum urartu and T. dicoccoides, the wild progenitors of wheat. In the present study, we studied the diversity of the Pm60 locus in a large set of wheat germplasm and found 20 tetraploid wheats harboring the Pm60 alleles, which correspond to three novel haplotypes (HapI–HapIII). HapI (Pm60 allele) and HapII (Pm60a allele) were present in domesticated tetraploid wheats, whereas HapIII (Pm60a allele) was identified in wild tetraploid T. araraticum. A sequence comparison of HapII and HapIII revealed that they differed by three SNPs and a GCC deletion. Results of the phylogenetic analysis revealed that HapII was more closely related to the functional haplotype MlIW172. Infection tests showed that HapII-carrying lines display a partial resistance response to Bgt#GH, while HapI was susceptible. Our results provide insights into the genetic evolution of the Pm60 locus and potential valuable alleles for powdery mildew resistance breeding.

Background: Ki-67 is a nuclear protein involved in cell proliferation regulation, and its expression has been widely used as an index to evaluate the proliferative activity of lymphoma. However, its prognostic value for lymphoma is still contradictory and inconclusive. Methods: PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched with identical strategies. The impact of Ki-67 expression on survival with lymphoma and various subtypes of lymphoma was evaluated. The relationship between Ki-67 expression and Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) and Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) was also investigated after the introduction of a CD-20 monoclonal antibody rituximab. Furthermore, we evaluated the association between Ki-67 expression and the clinical-pathological features of lymphoma. Results: A total of 27 studies met the inclusion criteria, which comprised 3902 patients. Meta-analysis suggested that high Ki-67 expression was negatively associated with disease free survival (DFS) (HR = 1.727, 95% CI: 1.159-2.571) and overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.44-2) for lymphoma patients. Subgroup analysis on the different subtypes of lymphoma suggested that the association between high Ki-67 expression and OS in Hodgkin Lymphoma (HR = 1.511, 95% CI: 0.524-4.358) was absent, while high Ki-67 expression was highly associated with worse OS for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (HR = 1.777, 95% CI: 1.463-2.159) and its various subtypes, including NK/T lymphoma (HR = 4.766, 95% CI: 1.917-11.849), DLBCL (HR = 1.457, 95% CI: 1.123-1.891) and MCL (HR = 2.48, 95% CI: 1.61-3.81). Furthermore, the pooled HRs for MCL was 1.981 (95% CI: 1.099-3.569) with rituximab and 3.123 (95% CI: 2.049-4.76) without rituximab, while for DLBCL, the combined HRs for DLBCL with and without rituximab was 1.459 (95% CI: 1.084-2.062) and 1.456 (95% CI: 0.951-2.23) respectively. In addition, there was no correlation between high Ki-67 expression and the clinical-pathological features of lymphoma including the LDH level, B symptoms, tumor stage, extranodal site, performance status and IPI score. Conclusions: This study showed that the prognostic significance of Ki-67 expression varied in different subtypes of lymphoma and in DLBCL and MCL after the introduction of rituximab, which was valuable for clinical decision-making and individual prognostic evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]