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Herein, an enhanced coagulation model is proposed in which zeolite is used as a crystal nucleus to promote flocs. The zeolite is prepared from fly ash by microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and specific surface area and pore size analysis (BET) characterization confirmed the successful synthesis of ZFA, and improved the surface properties. Thus, the adsorption capacity of ZFA as crystal nucleus was improved, which enabled it to achieve better results in the process of enhanced coagulation. Compared with those of conventional coagulation, the oil content and SS removal rate of ZFA-enhanced coagulation increased by 85% and 44%, respectively. Compared with that of CFA-enhanced coagulation, the oil removal efficiency increased by 4%, and the SS removal efficiency increased by 9%. The optimal conditions of ZFA-enhanced coagulation were as follows: ZFA dosage of 100 mg/L, pH value of 5-8, ZFA particle size range of 60-75 μm, temperature of 40-50 ℃, and precipitation time of 30 min.

Low-profile angle-stable spacer Zero-P is claimed to reduce the morbidity associated with traditional plate and cage construct (PCC). Both Zero-P and PCC could achieve comparable mid- and long-term clinical and radiological outcomes in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). It is not clear whether Zero-P can reduce the incidence of adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), especially in multi-segmental fusion. This study aimed to test the effect of fusion level with Zero-P versus with PCC on adjacent-segment biomechanics in ACDF. A three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of an intact C2-T1 segment was built and validated. Six single- or double-level instrumented conditions were modeled from this intact FE model using Zero-P or the standard PCC. The biomechanical responses of adjacent segments at the cephalad and caudal levels of the operation level were assessed in terms of range of motion (ROM), stresses in the endplate and disc, loads in the facets. When comparing the increase of adjacent-segment motion in single-level PCC fusion versus Zero-P fusion, a significantly larger increase was found in double-level fusion condition. The fold changes of PCC versus Zero-P of intradiscal and endplate stress, and facet load at adjacent levels in the double-level fusion spine were significantly larger than that in the single-level fusion spine during the sagittal, the transverse, and the frontal plane motion. The increased value of biomechanical features was greater at above segment than that at below. The fold changes of PCC versus Zero-P at adjacent segment were most notable in flexion and extension movement. Low-profile device could decrease adjacent segment biomechanical burden compared to traditional PCC in ACDF, especially in double-level surgery. Zero-P could be a good alternative for traditional PCC in ACDF. Further clinical/in vivo studies will be necessary to explore the approaches selected for this study is warranted.

PDF file, 348KB, Figure S1. Synergy between PI3K and HDAC pathway inhibition. Figure S2. CUDC-907 increases acetylation of histone H3 in cultured cancer cells. Figure S3. CUDC-907 increases tubulin acetylation in cultured cancer cells. Figure S4. CUDC-907 increases p53 acetylation in cultured cancer cells. Figure S5. CUDC-907 increases p21 levels in cultured cancer cells. Figure S6. CUDC-907 induces the accumulation of activated caspases-3 and -7. Figure S7. CUDC-907 induces the accumulation of annexin V binding sites. Figure S8. CUDC-907 induces a G2/M cell cycle arrest. Figure S9. CUDC-907 is orally bioavailable and shows intratumoral accumulation.

Purpose: Given that histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are known to induce multiple epigenetic modifications affecting signaling networks and act synergistically with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors, we developed a strategy to simultaneously inhibit HDACs and PI3K in cancer cells.Experimental Design: We constructed dual-acting inhibitors by incorporating HDAC inhibitory functionality into a PI3K inhibitor pharmacophore. CUDC-907, a development candidate selected from these dual inhibitors, was evaluated in vitro and in vivo to determine its pharmacologic properties, anticancer activity, and mechanism of action.Results: CUDC-907 potently inhibits class I PI3Ks as well as classes I and II HDAC enzymes. Through its integrated HDAC inhibitory activity, CUDC-907 durably inhibits the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway and compensatory signaling molecules such as RAF, MEK, MAPK, and STAT-3, as well as upstream receptor tyrosine kinases. CUDC-907 shows greater growth inhibition and proapoptotic activity than single-target PI3K or HDAC inhibitors in both cultured and implanted cancer cells.Conclusions: CUDC-907 may offer improved therapeutic benefits through simultaneous, sustained disruption of multiple oncogenic signaling networks. Clin Cancer Res; 18(15); 4104–13. ©2012 AACR.

Background Schistosomiasis is one of the most contagious parasitic diseases affecting humans; however, glomerular injury is a rare complication mainly described with Schistosoma mansoni infection. We report a case of membranous nephropathy associated with Schistosoma japonicum infection in a Chinese man. Case presentation A 51-year-old Chinese male with a long history of S. japonicum infection presented to the hospital with a slowly progressing severe lower limb edema and foaming urine for over 5 months. Serum S. japonicumantigen test was positive and immunohistochemistry showed that the glomeruli were positive for the antigens. The renal pathologic diagnosis was stage III membranous nephropathy. The patient was treated with glucocorticoid, praziquantel, and an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor. The edema in both lower limbs disappeared within 2 weeks, but his renal function declined progressively and proteinuria persisted after 5 months of therapy. Conclusions Different classes of schistosomal glomerulopathy have completely different clinical manifestation and prognosis. Therefore, efforts should focus on alleviating symptoms, prevention, and early detection. S. japonicumassociated with membranous nephropathy may show a good curative effect and prognosis. However, it is necessary to monitor the renal function in such patients.

Relationship between urban diversity and urban vitality is imperative for guiding better design in urban development, although existing frameworks are not able to efficiently examine the relationship at multiple scales. In this article, we propose a new framework to integrate nighttime light (NTL) imagery and multisource urban data into multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) models to examine the varying relationship between diversity and vitality across space and time. NTL is used as a proxy for urban nighttime vitality. Public transport, taxi transit, and points of interest data are used to derive three aspects of urban diversity indices: ridership diversity, spatial interaction diversity, and built environment diversity. By comparing the models in holiday and nonholiday weeks in Shenzhen, China, the NTL-based vitality proxy was found to be strongly correlated with the urban diversity indices, given by the satisfactory goodness of fit (r-squared = 0.9) of the MGWR models. The spatially varying relationships between diversity indices and nighttime vitality were observed and patterns discussed. The analysis of the coefficients revealed the importance of stable public transport and fluctuating taxi trips for nighttime vitality. The new index proposed for the diversity of spatial interaction (DSI) is a strong indicator for nighttime vitality, adding to existing vitality indicators. Furthermore, this study found that DSI and density of catering have less temporal variation, indicating their robustness in measuring nighttime vitality. This study provided empirical insights into how nighttime vitality is related to urban diversity, demonstrating new applications of NTL for intracity studies.