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• The process of automation could hinder political trust in government. • The impact results from unemployment, higher down-side risk and lower group participation. • The performance-based legitimacy structure in a developmental state may hinder its political legitimacy when promoting development. • The government should focus more on citizens' trust when pursuing technological development. • Social security is crucial for governance faced with fast technological advancement. The side effects of automation on the economy have been discussed frequently, but little is known regarding its political consequences. This paper examines the causal effect that automation induces on political costs for the local government. By combining the national individual-level panel data of political trust with the prefecture-level robot exposure rate in China, we find that the development of automation would reduce individuals' political trust in the Chinese local government. Furthermore, we explore the channels through which the automation process could affect political trust, namely the risk of unemployment, intensified pessimism about local government, higher downside risk, and declining organization participation. This paper provides empirical evidence for the impact of automation and the source of political legitimacy, emphasizing the crucial role of governments in coping with technological progress and making good use of endogenous creative destruction. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, green, environment-friendly and low-cost effective adsorbents have attracted great attention to remove heavy metal ions (HMIs) from wastewater. Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are widely used as adsorbents to remove HMIs from wastewater. However, GQDs have a low adsorption efficiency and their adsorption effects are not always high enough. Herein, PEI functionalized GQDs (GQDs-PEI) were elaborately prepared for removing Cd2+ ions from wastewater. The mass ratio of GQDs and PEI and the molecular weight of PEI were optimized. The efficacies of GQDs-PEI concentration, Cd2+ ion concentration, pH, and adsorption time were also studied. The GQDs-PEI shows ultrahigh adsorption capacity for Cd2+ ions, with the highest adsorption of 357.1 mg g−1. The results demonstrated that GQDs-PEI can be easily regenerated and has strong adsorption efficiency to remove Cd2+ ions from wastewater, thus opening several opportunities for the use of nanoparticles in environmental science and technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of earth abundant electrocatalysts for high performance hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is highly desirable in energy conversion system. Transition metal phosphide has been exploited to promote electrochemical performance due to its unique heterointerface, outstanding conductivity, and a wide pH range tolerance. Herein, we employ a facile hydrothermal approach to build a heterojunction interface modulated coral-like NiCoP electrocatalyst with favorable crystalline surface, minimal charge transfer resistance, and excellent electron transfer for outstanding HER. In alkaline media, the optimum NiCoP electrocatalyst demonstrates excellent HER performance with an overpotential of 215 mV and Tafel slope of 82 mV dec−1 at 10 mA cm−2. This benefits from the formation of heterojunction with exposed active sites, redistributed electrons and altered coordination environment. The combined experimental results and density functional theory (DFT) investigations demonstrate that heterojunction interfaces are beneficial for lowering the Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption (ΔG H∗), hence boosting HER dynamics process. This study presents a feasible approach for the preparation of low-cost, high-efficiency NiCoP electrocatalysts for HER, which is particularly appealing for practical applications. • Coral-shaped NiCoP electrocatalyst was prepared from one-step hydrothermal method. • NiCoP heterojunctions shows a superior hydrogen evolution reaction than Ni 2 P, Co 2 P. • The favorable (111) crystal plane was exploited to enhance HER performance. • Density functional theory reveals a lowered ΔG H ∗ of heterojunction interfaces to boost HER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are risk factors for hyperuricemia. However, which anthropometric indices can better predict incident hyperuricemia in patients with T2DM remains inconsistent. This study aimed to examine the associations between hyperuricemia and different anthropometric indices in middle-aged and older male patients with T2DM. Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 1447 middle-aged (45—65 years, n = 791) and older (≥ 65 years, n = 656) male patients with T2DM were collected from December 2015 to January 2020 at Shanghai Xinhua Hospital. Hyperuricemia was defined as a serum uric acid level above 7.0 mg/dL. Weight, height, waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC) were measured by trained nurses at visit. Results: The median uric acid level of subjects was 5.6 (interquartile ranges: 4.7—6.7) mg/dl, and 279 (19.3%) were hyperuricemia, with 146 (18.5%) in the middle-aged group, and 133 (20.3%) in the older group. After adjusting for age, duration of T2DM, fasting plasma glucose and insulin, homeostasis model assessment-β, aspartate aminotransferase, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and estimated glomerular filtration rate, body mass index (BMI), WC, HC, and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) were associated with a higher risk of hyperuricemia in both middle-aged and older group (P < 0.05). After further adjusting for BMI and WC, HC still showed a positive relationship with the risk of hyperuricemia (Odds Ratio = 1.51, 95% confidence intervals: 1.06—2.14) in the middle-aged group, but such relationship was not found in the older group. Moreover, according to receiver operating characteristic analysis, the optimal cutoff value was 101.3 cm of HC for hyperuricemia screening in the middle-aged male patients with T2DM. Conclusion: In middle-aged male patients with T2DM, more attention should be paid to HC with the cutoff value of 101.3 cm in clinical practice for early recognition of individuals with a high risk of hyperuricemia for targeted guidance on disease prevention, such as community screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike the previous commonly used strong alkaline solvent sodium hydroxide, we employ an eco-friendly solvent, ethanol, as a solvent for the preparation of ultra-small-sized sulfur quantum dots (SQDs). Ethanol can disperse bulk sulfur and allow sufficient transfer of large-sized sulfur to smaller-sized SQDs through a one-pot synthesis approach. The SQDs obtained from ethanol as the solvent displays superior photoluminescence properties to those in water and sodium hydroxide. By delicately controlling the reaction conditions, including the amount of bulk sulfur, the reaction time, and the proportion of sulfur to oxidizing reagent, highly blue emissive SQDs with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 7.04% with ultra-high stability for several months can be successfully prepared. Furthermore, we found out that the SQDs display a dynamic photoluminescence properties and varied particle sizes as the reaction time increases, which is possibly realized via the etching-aggregation process. Morevoer, the fluorescence of SQDs-72 can be effectively quenched by CoOOH nanosheets and recovered upon addition of ascorbic acid (AA) by consuming CoOOH nanosheets through the redox reaction, leading to fluorescence recovery. Therefore, a fluorescence "off–on" nanosensor for the detection of AA with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.85 μM was constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food packaging films play a vital role in preserving and protecting food. However, due to their non-biodegradability, conventional packaging materials have led to significant environmental pollution. To overcome this hurdle, we have developed safe, innovative, sustainable and biodegradable packaging materials that can effectively extend the shelf life of food. In this study, two types of cellulose materials cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with complementary roles were combined to prepare nanocellulose composite films with high transparency (90.3 %) of a certain thickness (30 ± 0.019 μm) by solution casting method, and their mechanical properties were further optimized by the addition of plasticizer-glycerol (Gly) and cross-linking agent-glutaraldehyde (GA), so as to maintain the strong tensile strength (≈112.60 MPa) and better malleability (4.12 %). In addition, we loaded the natural active agent tea polyphenols (TPs) with different concentrations to study the inhibition effect on E.coli and S.aureus and to simulate food packaging. Finally, we also found that the synthesized nanocellulose composite films can also achieve rapid degradation in a short time through soil burial, water flushing and immersion. The excellent performance demonstrated in this study provides reference value for further replacing petroleum-based materials with biomass materials in the field of food packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistence or recurrence of minimal residual disease (MRD) after chemotherapy predicts relapse of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T (CD19 CAR-T) cells have shown promising responses in B-ALL. However, their role in chemotherapy-refractory MRD-positive B-ALL remains unclear. Here we aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of CD19 CAR-T cells in MRD-positive B-ALL patients. From January 2018, a total of 14 MRD-positive B-ALL patients received one or more infusions of autogenous CD19 CAR-T cells. Among them, 12 patients achieved MRD-negative remission after one cycle of CAR-T infusion. At a median follow-up time of 647 days (range 172–945 days), the 2-year event-free survival rate in MRD-positive patients was 61.2% ± 14.0% and the 2-year overall survival was 78.6 ± 11.0%, which were significantly higher than patients with active disease (blasts ≥ 5% or with extramedullary disease). Moreover, patients with MRD had a lower grade of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) than patients with active disease. However, the peak expansion of CAR-T cells in MRD positive patients showed no statistical difference compared to patients with active disease. Five patients received two or more CAR-T cell infusions and these patients showed a decreased peak expansion of CAR-T cell in subsequent infusions. In conclusion, pre-emptive CD19 CAR-T cell treatment is an effective and safe approach and may confer sustained remission in B-ALL patients with chemotherapy-refractory MRD. The trials were registered at www.chictr.org.cn as ChiCTR-ONN-16009862 (November 14, 2016) and ChiCTR1800015164 (March 11, 2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road extraction from high-resolution remote sensing images has long been a focal and challenging research topic in the field of computer vision. Accurate extraction of road networks holds extensive practical value in various fields, such as urban planning, traffic monitoring, disaster response and environmental monitoring. With rapid development in the field of computational intelligence, particularly breakthroughs in deep learning technology, road extraction technology has made significant progress and innovation. This paper provides a systematic review of deep learning-based methods for road extraction from remote sensing images, focusing on analyzing the application of computational intelligence technologies in improving the precision and efficiency of road extraction. According to the type of annotated data, deep learning-based methods are categorized into fully supervised learning, semi-supervised learning, and unsupervised learning approaches, each further divided into more specific subcategories. They are comparatively analyzed based on their principles, advantages, and limitations. Additionally, this review summarizes the metrics used to evaluate the performance of road extraction models and the high-resolution remote sensing image datasets applied for road extraction. Finally, we discuss the main challenges and prospects for leveraging computational intelligence techniques to enhance the precision, automation, and intelligence of road network extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clodronate-liposomes (Clod-Lip) is an effective candidate drug for treating chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia and immune thrombocytopenic purpura in mice experiments. But its role in hematopoietic recovery after acute myelosuppression is still unknown. We aim to explore the function and underlining mechanisms of Clod-Lip on hematopoietic reconstitution after sublethal dose irradiation in mice. Mice at 8-10 weeks received a total-body sublethal dose γ-irradiation (TBI) and injected with Clod-Lip or PBS-Liposomes (PBS-Lip) every 4 days after TBI. The survival rate of each group was recorded. Flow cytometry was used to analyze changes in hematopoietic stem cells and their progenies in bone marrow. ELISA and RT-qPCR were used for the analysis of hematopoietic regulatory factors. Regarding IL-1β inhibition, 25 mg/kg diacerein or an equal volume of DMSO was intraperitoneally injected into mice every day after TBI. In sublethal dose-irradiated mice, Clod-Lip reduced the survival rate, the total number of bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cells, delayed peripheral blood recovery of red blood cells and platelets. However, it could increase the number of CMP, MEP and myeloid cells, which suggested that Clod-Lip could induce HSC to myeloid differentiation in vivo. We further verified that Clod-Lip may induce myeloid differentiation by bone marrow microenvironmental factor IL-1β. In summary, this study suggested that Clod-Lip may aggravate inhibitor effect of hematopoietic function and promote myeloid differentiation in myelosuppression mice model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous study indicated that co-infusion of cord blood cells may potentially improve the outcome of haploidentical donor (HID) transplantation. In this study, we analyzed the outcomes of patients who underwent HID transplantation supported by cord blood when compared with HLA-matched unrelated donor (URD) transplantation. Starting in 2015, 40 patients with hematopoietic malignancies underwent HID transplantation and 26 patients underwent URD transplantation. Hematopoietic recovery, the incidences of grade II–IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and chronic GVHD was comparable in the two groups. At two year, the relapse risk in HID group was significantly lower than in URD group (RR 4.630; 95%CI, 1.081–19.839; p =.039). Moreover, HID group have prolonged PFS (RR 2.642; 95%CI, 1.046–6.672; p =.040). In conclusion, HID transplantation supported by cord blood results in better outcomes compared with URD transplantation and it might be a favorable alternative to a HLA-matched URD transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeat (IFIT) family, IFIT1/2/3/5, play an important role in different tumors progression. However, the prognosis significance and biological role of IFIT family members in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains unclear. Methods: We obtained the gene expression data and clinical information of 173 AML patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Several databases were used in our study, including GEPIA, MethSurv, STRING, GSCA and GeneMANIA database. Results: The mRNA expression of IFIT1/2/3/5 was elevated in AML patients and had a high ability to distinguish AML from controls based on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC > 0.9). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that higher levels of IFIT2/3/5 expression predict poor prognosis in AML patients. Besides, the DNA methylation analysis suggested that 7 CpG sites of IFIT2, 4 CpG sites of IFIT3 and 10 CpG sites of IFIT5 were significantly associated with the prognosis of AML patients. In addition, IFIT2/3/5 expression was significantly positively associated with the immune cell infiltration and immune checkpoint expression, such as CTLA4, PDCD1, LAG3, and TIGIT. Finally, drug sensitivity analysis revealed that AML patients with high expression of IFIT2/3/5 were resistant to multiple drugs, but sensitive to dasatinib. Conclusion: IFIT family genes might serve as biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and drug sensitivity in AML patients. The activation or blocking of IFIT-related signaling pathways may provide novel insights into immunotherapy for patients with AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanically ground magnetically FeNC/Fe 3 O 4 demonstrated excellent desulfurization efficiency of dibenzothiophene (DBT), easy separation process, and good regeneration performance with an external field, which was certified by theoretical calculation and thermodynamics analysis. [Display omitted] • The FeNC displays a sheet like porous structure which enables efficient adsorption of aromatic sulfur derivatives. Thermodynamics investigation demonstrates a negative value of ΔG, ΔH, ΔS, suggesting that the adsorption is exothermic reaction with spontaneous process. • The FeNC was mechanically ground with Fe 3 O 4 to construct FeNC-700/Fe 3 O 4 adsorbent for DBT adsorption which can be recycled for five successive runs with magnet in a quite easy, economical and eco-friendly manner. Herein, a series of 3D nitrogen doped porous carbon nanomaterials (FeNC) at different pyrolysis temperature were prepared, followed by a mechanical grinding method to construct magnetically nanocomposite (FeNC/Fe 3 O 4) which was demonstrated for the desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) in model oils. The FeNC derived from the pyrolysis of iron salt and nitrogen-doped carbon precursors possess abundant porous structure, which is highly active in the physical adsorption of aromatic sulfur derivatives. Impressively, the as-prepared FeNC-700 are evidenced to yield an excellent desulfurization efficiency (95.1% for 200 ppmw), a remarkable estimated adsorption capacity (25.08 mg S/g for 200 ppmw), and a high selectivity for DBT. Theoretical calculation revealed that the adsorption behaviors towards DBT followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, displays a better fitting coefficient based on Langmuir isotherm equation. The thermodynamics results indicate that adsorption process over FeNC-700 was spontaneous and exothermic reaction since ΔG, ΔH, ΔS, all shows negative signs. Subsequently, the FeNC-700 was mechanically mixed with 20 nm Fe 3 O 4 to produce magnetically nanocomposite (FeNC-700/Fe 3 O 4) for the adsorption of DBT in a simple separation process by external field and can be regenerated five runs without significant weight loss. Therefore, this strategy greatly simplifies the experimental procedure and favors the regeneration of the adsorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The therapeutic use of thiazolidinediones (TZDs) causes unwanted hematological side effects, although the underlying mechanisms of these effects are poorly understood. This study tests the hypothesis that rosiglitazone impairs the maintenance and differentiation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, which ultimately leads to hematological abnormalities. Methods: Mice were fed a rosiglitazone-supplemented diet or a normal diet for 6 weeks. To induce hematopoietic stress, all mice were injected once with 250 mg/kg 5-fluorouracil (5-Fu) intraperitoneally. Next, hematopoietic recovery, hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) subsets, and myeloid differentiation after 5-Fu treatment were evaluated. The adipogenesis induced by rosiglitazone was assessed by histopathology and oil red O staining. The effect of adipocytes on HSPCs was studied with an in vitro co-culture system. Results: Rosiglitazone significantly enhanced bone marrow adipogenesis and delayed hematopoietic recovery after 5-Fu treatment. Moreover, rosiglitazone inhibited proliferation of a granulocyte/monocyte progenitor (GMP) cell population and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) colonies, although the proliferation and mobilization of Lin-c-kit+Sca-1+ cells (LSK) was maintained following hematopoietic stress. These effects could be partially reversed by the selective PPARγ antagonist BADGE. Finally, we demonstrated in a co-culture system that differentiated adipocytes actively suppressed the myeloid differentiation of HSPCs. Conclusion: Taken together, our results demonstrate that rosiglitazone inhibits myeloid differentiation of HSPCs after stress partially by inducing bone marrow adipogenesis. Targeting the bone marrow microenvironment might be one mechanism by which rosiglitazone impairs stress-induced hematopoiesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Transfusional iron overload is of major concern in hematological disease. Iron-overload-related dyserythropoiesis and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related damage to hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function are major setbacks in treatment for such disorders. We therefore aim to investigate the effect of iron overload on hematopoiesis in the patients and explore the role of ROS in iron-induced oxidative damage in hematopoietic cells and microenvironment in vitro. Patients and methods The hematopoietic colony-forming capacity and ROS level of bone marrow cells were tested before and after iron chelation therapy. In vitro, we first established an iron overload model of bone marrow mononuclear cells (BMMNC) and umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSC). ROS level, cell cycle, and apoptosis were measured by FACS. Function of cells was individually studied by Colony-forming cell (CFC) assay and co-culture system. Finally, ROS-related signaling pathway was also detected by Western blot. Results After administering deferoxamine (DFO), reduced blood transfusion, increased neutrophil, increased platelet, and improved pancytopenia were observed in 76.9%, 46.2%, 26.9%, and 15.4% of the patients, respectively. Furthermore, the colony-forming capacity of BMMNC from iron overload patient was deficient, and ROS level was higher, which were partially recovered following iron chelation therapy. In vitro, exposure of BMMNC to ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) for 24 h decreased the ratio of CD34+ cell from 0.91 ± 0.12% to 0.39 ± 0.07%. Excessive iron could also induce apoptosis, arrest cell cycle, and decrease function of BMMNC and UC-MSC, which was accompanied by increased ROS level and stimulated p38MAPK, p53 signaling pathway. More importantly, N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) or DFO could partially attenuate cell injury and inhibit the signaling pathway induced by excessive iron. Conclusions Our study shows that iron overload injures the hematopoiesis by damaging hematopoietic cell and hematopoietic microenvironment, which is mediated by ROS-related signaling proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry was used to monitor crop height in a flooded paddy field. Three multi-rotor UAVs were utilized to conduct flight missions in order to capture RGB (RedGreenBlue) and multispectral images, and these images were analyzed using several different models to provide the best results. Two image sets taken by two UAVs, mounted with RGB cameras of the same resolution and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers of different accuracies, were applied to perform photogrammetry. Two methods were then proposed for creating crop height models (CHMs), one of which was denoted as the M1 method and was based on the Digital Surface Point Cloud (DSPC) and the Digital Terrain Point Cloud (DSPT). The other was denoted as the M2 method and was based on the DSPC and a bathymetric sensor. An image set taken by another UAV mounted with a multispectral camera was used for multispectral-based photogrammetry. A Normal Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) and a Vegetation Fraction (VF) were then extracted. A new method based on multiple linear regression (MLR) combining the NDVI, the VF, and a Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) value for estimating the measured height (MH) of rice was then proposed and denoted as the M3 method. The results show that the M1 method, the UAV with a GNSS receiver with a higher accuracy, obtained more reliable estimations, while the M2 method, the UAV with a GNSS receiver of moderate accuracy, was actually slightly better. The effect on the performance of CHMs created by the M1 and M2 methods is more negligible in different plots with different treatments; however, remarkably, the more uniform the distribution of vegetation over the water surface, the better the performance. The M3 method, which was created using only a SPAD value and a canopy NDVI value, showed the highest coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) for overall MH estimation, 0.838, compared with other combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of toxic organic pollutants commonly detected in the aqueous phase. Traditional biodegradation is inefficient and advanced oxidation technologies are expensive. In the current study, a novel strategy was developed using calcium peroxide (CP) and PAH-degrading bacteria (PDB) to effectively augment PAH degradation by 28.62–59.22%. The PDB consisted of the genera Acinetobacter , Stenotrophomonas, and Comamonas. Applying the response surface model (RSM), the most appropriate parameters were identified, and the predictive degradation rates of phenanthrene (Phe), pyrene (Pyr), and ΣPAHs were 98%, 76%, and 84%, respectively. The constructed mixed system could reduce 90% of Phe and more than 60% of ΣPAHs and will perform better at pH 5–7 and lower salinity. Because PAHs tend to bind to dissolved organic matter (DOM) with larger molecular weights, humic acid (HA) had a larger negative effect on the PAH-degradation efficiency of the CP-PDB mixed system than fulvic acid (FA). The proposed PAH-degradation pathways in the mixed system were based on the detection of intermediates at different times. The investigation constructed and optimized a novel environmental PAH-degradation strategy. The synergistic application of PDB and oxidation was extended for organic contaminant degradation in aqueous environments. [Display omitted] • Single bioremediation strategies for contaminated water are defective. • A novel bacteria/calcium peroxide strategy was optimized. • The mixed system was 28.62–59.22% greater than single systems. • The mixed strategy has a good applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have reported the associations of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) with cytokine release syndrome (CRS), neurotoxic events (NEs) and efficacy after chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for relapsed or refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). We present a retrospective study of 67 patients with R/R B-ALL who received anti-CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, 41 (61.2%) patients received G-CSF (G-CSF group), while 26 (38.8%) did not (non-G-CSF group). Patients had similar duration of grade 3–4 neutropenia between the two groups. The incidences of CRS and NEs were higher in G-CSF group, while no differences in severity were found. Further stratified analysis showed that the incidence and severity of CRS were not associated with G-CSF administration in patients with low bone marrow (BM) tumor burden. None of the patients with low BM tumor burden developed NEs. However, there was a significant increase in the incidence of CRS after G-CSF administration in patients with high BM tumor burden. The duration of CRS in patients who used G-CSF was longer. There were no significant differences in response rates at 1 and 3 months after CAR T-cell infusion, as well as overall survival (OS) between the two groups. In conclusion, our results showed that G-CSF administration was not associated with the incidence or severity of CRS in patients with low BM tumor burden, but the incidence of CRS was higher after G-CSF administration in patients with high BM tumor burden. The duration of CRS was prolonged in G-CSF group. G-CSF administration was not associated with the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Preconditioning before bone marrow transplantation such as irradiation causes vascular endothelial cells damage and promoting the repair of damaged endothelial cells is beneficial for hematopoietic reconstitution. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) regulates vascular permeability. However, PEDF's role in the repair of damaged endothelial cells during preconditioning remains unclear. The purpose of our study is to investigate PEDF's effect on preconditioning-induced damage of endothelial cells and hematopoietic reconstitution. Methods: Damaged endothelial cells induced by irradiation was co-cultured with hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the absence or presence of PEDF followed by analysis of HSC number, cell cycle, colony formation and differentiation. In addition, PEDF was injected into mice model of bone marrow transplantation followed by analysis of bone marrow injury, HSC number and peripheral hematopoietic reconstitution as well as the secretion of cytokines (SCF, TGF-β, IL-6 and TNF-α). Comparisons between two groups were performed by student t-test and multiple groups by one-way or two-way ANOVA. Results: Damaged endothelial cells reduced HSC expansion and colony formation, induced HSC cell cycle arrest and apoptosis and promoted HSC differentiation as well as decreased PEDF expression. Addition of PEDF increased CD144 expression in damaged endothelial cells and inhibited the increase of endothelial permeability, which were abolished after addition of PEDF receptor inhibitor Atglistatin. Additionally, PEDF ameliorated the inhibitory effect of damaged endothelial cells on HSC expansion in vitro. Finally, PEDF accelerated hematopoietic reconstitution after bone marrow transplantation in mice and promoted the secretion of SCF, TGF-β and IL-6. Conclusions: PEDF inhibits the increased endothelial permeability induced by irradiation and reverse the inhibitory effect of injured endothelial cells on hematopoietic stem cells and promote hematopoietic reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coupling effect of P, Ni micro-alloying and thermomechanical processing on the mechanical properties and microstructure evolution of a novel Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Zn-Fe alloy was systematically studied. The results show that, both the P-added and Ni-added alloys exhibit significantly improved formability and strengths due to the changed distribution of multi-scale particles and its effect on recrystallization microstructure. However, when the Ni content reaches 0.1 wt%, unbreakable AlNiFe phase tends to be formed, inducing a strength loss. The formation mechanism of multi-scale particles distribution characteristics and its effects on deformation and recrystallization microstructure of the alloys were deeply discussed. Additionally, the high formability mechanism of P-added and Ni-added alloys have been also put forward. A better understanding of them provides novel visions for the development of Al alloys with high formability. • The addition P, Ni micro-alloying can significantly improve the formability of Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Zn-Fe alloys. • The addition of P, Ni micro-alloying result in different multi-scale particle distribution characteristics in alloys. • Coupling effect of P, Ni micro-alloying and thermomechanical processing was systematically studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epstein‒Barr virus (EBV) is a human herpes virus that is saliva-transmissible and universally asymptomatic. It has been confirmed that more than 90% of the population is latently infected with EBV for life. EBV can cause a variety of related cancers, such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, and Burkitt lymphoma. Currently, many clinical studies have demonstrated that EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and other cell therapies can be safely and effectively transfused to prevent and treat some diseases caused by EBV. This review will mainly focus on discussing EBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes and will touch on therapeutic EBV vaccines and chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy briefly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) is a novel treatment that has produced unprecedented clinical effects in patients with hematological malignancies. Acute adverse events often occur following adoptive immunotherapy. Therefore, a suicide gene is helpful, which is a genetically encoded mechanism that allows selective destruction of adoptively transferred T cells in the face of unacceptable toxicity. RQR8 is a gene that integrates CD34 and CD20 epitopes. In our study, we incorporated the suicide gene RQR8 into CAR-T cells, so it enabled rituximab to eliminate vector/transgene-expressing T cells via antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and complement dependent cytotoxicity. In this work, we explored the functionality of RQR8 CAR-T cells in vitro and in vivo. We believe that RQR8 as a safety switch will make CAR-T cell therapy safer and less costly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel nickel compounds Ni(en) 3 S 2 O 3 ("en" stands for ethylenediamine) are designed. • The Ni(en) 3 S 2 O 3 can be synthesized by easy complexation-precipitation method. • The Ni(en) 3 S 2 O 3 shows good hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalytic performance. A novel kind of nickel compound tris(ethylenediamine) nickel(II) thiosulfate Ni(en) 3 S 2 O 3 ("en" stands for ethylenediamine, C 2 H 8 N 2) for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was reported. The Ni(en) 3 S 2 O 3 crystal can be synthesized via easy complexation-precipitation reaction of Ni2+ complexing ethylenediamine followed by blending thiosulfate, which has the advantages of easy preparation and low cost. The as obtained compounds display high intrinsic catalytic activity with an overpotential of 211 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and Tafel slope value of 133.1 mV/dec in 1 M KOH. The rational design of Ni(en) 3 S 2 O 3 may blaze a new trail for constructing industrial nickel-based electrocatalysts with excellent HER activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have not made significant progress in the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in earlyclinical studies. This lack of progress could be attributed in part to the immunosuppressive microenvironment of AML, such as monocyte-like myeloid-derived suppressor cells (M-MDSCs) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2 cells), which can inhibit the antitumor activity of CAR-T cells. Furthermore, AML cells are usually heterogeneous, and single-target CAR-T cells may not be able to eliminate all AML cells, leading to disease relapse. CD123 and NKG2D ligands (NKG2DLs) are commonly used targets for CAR-T therapy of AML, and M-MDSCs and M2 cells express both antigens. We developed dual-targeted CAR-T (123NL CAR-T) cells targeting CD123 and NKG2DL by various structural optimization screens. Our study reveals that 123NL CAR-T cells eradicate AML cells and selectively target immunosuppressive cells. A highly compact marker/suicide gene, RQR8, which binds targeting epitopes of CD34 and CD20 antigens, was also incorporated in front of the CAR structure. The binding of Rituximab to RQR8 leads to the elimination of 123NL CAR-T cells and cessation of their cytotoxicity. In conclusion, we successfully developed dual effects of 123NL CAR-T cells against tumor cells and immunosuppressive cells, which can avoid target escape and resist the effects of immunosuppressive microenvironment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relapsed or refractory (R/R) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has a poor prognosis. In this study, we evaluated chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy targeting CLL-1 in adults with R/R AML patients. Patients received conditioning chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (500 mg/m2) and fludarabine (30 mg/m2) for 3 days and an infusion of a dose of 1–2 × 106 CAR-T cells/kg. The incidence of dose-limiting toxicity was the primary endpoint. Ten patients were treated, and all developed cytokine release syndrome (CRS); 4 cases were low-grade, while the remaining 6 were considered high-grade CRS. No patient developed CAR-T cell-related encephalopathy syndrome (CRES). Severe pancytopenia occurred in all patients. Two patients died of severe infection due to chronic agranulocytosis. The complete response (CR)/CR with incomplete hematologic recovery (CRi) rate was 70% (n = 7/10). The median follow-up time was 173 days (15–488), and 6 patients were alive at the end of the last follow-up. CAR-T cells showed peak expansion within 2 weeks. Notably, CLL-1 is also highly expressed in normal granulocytes, so bridging hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) may be a viable strategy to rescue long-term agranulocytosis due to off-target toxicity. In conclusion, this study is the first to demonstrate the positive efficacy and tolerable safety of CLL-1 CAR-T cell therapy in adult R/R AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The increase in adipocytes induced by chemotherapeutic drugs may play a negative role in hematopoietic recovery. However, the mechanism underlying adipocyte differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in hematopoietic stress is still unknown. Hence, the involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in adipocyte differentiation under hematopoietic stress was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Methods: The roles of cellular ROS in adipogenesis were investigated in vivo through an adipocyte hyperplasia marrow model under hematopoietic stress induced by arabinosylcytosine (Ara-C) and in vitro via adipocyte differentiation of human MSCs. ROS levels were detected using the CM-H2DCFDA probe and Mito-SOX dye. Adipogenesis was evaluated by histopathology and oil red O staining, whereas detection of mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes and adipogenesis markers was performed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis. Results: ROS were found to play an important role in regulating adipocyte differentiation of MSCs by activating peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ,) while the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine acts through ROS to inhibit adipocyte differentiation. The elevated ROS levels induced by Ara-C were caused by both over-generation of mitochondrial ROS and reduction of antioxidant enzymes (Cu/Zn Superoxide dismutase and catalase). Our findings suggest that a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant could diminish adipocyte differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a comprehensive review of key types of electrocatalysts, namely noble metal, transition metal and metal-free electrocatalysts. The advanced strategies for enhancing the activity and stability of various electrocatalysts were highlighted, and the challenges and prospects for materials design and large-scale production were proposed to accelerate the commercialization process of electrochemical hydrogen evolution. [Display omitted] • An update on versatile types of hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts. • Strategies for enhancing the activity and stability of electrocatalysts. • Challenges and prospects for the design and scale production of electrocatalysts. Hydrogen energy serves as an ideal alternative energy carrier to fossil fuels in the future clean energy system. The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) occurring at the cathode of water electrocatalysis has been considered as a promising approach to produce hydrogen over the past decades due to zero carbon emission. To gain a deep insight into the advanced electrocatalyst, herein, we provide a comprehensive review with an emphasis on the recent state-of-the-art advances of HER electrocatalysts in view of controlling their local electronic structure, creating defect nanostructures, exposing active sites, altering d band center, and constructing heterogeneous structure. Initially, we start with a brief introduction of the fundamental electrocatalytic mechanisms and the critical electrochemical parameters for evaluating HER. Then, we systemically discuss three representative classes of electrocatalysts, comprised of highly active noble-metal including single atom, nanoparticles, and clusters, earth-abundant transition metal such as transition metal sulfides, phosphides, carbides, nitrides, and oxides, and metal-free functional nanomaterials involving different dimensions of carbonaceous nanomaterials, boron nitrogen, and phosphorous non-carbonaceous nanomaterials by adjusting their tunable electronic structures and architectures/morphologies with a particular emphasis on the structure–function relationships. Finally, we point out the current challenges and opportunities in view of achieving highly active and stable electrocatalysts towards practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation and physicochemical properties of starch affect the eating quality of taro corm. This study aims to investigate the accumulation, morphology, and physicochemical properties of starch from inner and outer tissues in the top, middle, and basal parts of taro corm. Structural and morphological observations showed that the inner tissues of the taro corm accumulated more starch, and the middle tissue had moderate amylose content and the largest granule diameter. Starch from different tissues exhibited A-type orthorhombic structure and similar nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum. The relative crystallinity of starch in the middle tissue was higher than that in the top and basal tissues. Compared with middle and basal tissues, starch from top tissue showed higher peak viscosity, pasting time, swelling power and solubility. Compared with the top and basal tissues, the middle tissue of taro corm exhibited higher index of eating quality including smell, texture, and total evaluation score. The results indicated that starches in various spatial parts of taro corm exhibit differences in accumulation, morphology, structure and physicochemical properties that lead to diverse eating qualities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study was conducted on Andosols in a humid subtropical climate. • No-tillage increased soil CO 2 emissions as compared to moldboard plow in Andosols. • Soil organic carbon & CO 2 emissions were significantly & exponentially correlated. • Higher surface soil organic carbon caused higher CO 2 emissions in no-tillage soils. • Higher soil moisture content caused higher CO 2 emissions in no-tillage soils. Characterization of soil carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions can help us to understand the effects of agricultural management on climate change and the ability of soil to sequester atmospheric carbon. However, there is a lack of studies on the effects of tillage and cover crops on soil CO 2 emissions on Andosols in the humid, subtropical climate. The present study aimed to quantify soil CO 2 emissions and identify the factors accounting for CO 2 emissions among no-tillage (NT) and moldboard plow (MP) systems under different cover crop treatments at an experimental site established in 2002 in Kanto, Japan. A split-plot field experiment was conducted from May 2017 to November 2018 comprising two tillage systems (NT and MP) and three cover crops: fallow, hairy vetch (HV), and rye (RY). Higher soil CO 2 daily emissions at 80% of the measurements and significantly greater CO 2 seasonal and annual emissions were observed in the NT system as compared to the MP system. The relationship between CO 2 daily flux and soil temperature was well-described by exponential functions (p < 0.001). Soil volumetric water content (θv) was significantly positively associated with soil CO 2 daily emissions when soil temperature ranged from 10 °C to 20 °C (p < 0.05) and 20 °C to 30 °C (p < 0.01), and the response of soil CO 2 flux to soil temperature and θv was well-described by a multiplicative model (RMSE: 1.2920, R2: 0.7777). Although there was no difference in soil temperature between NT and MP, significantly higher soil θv was found in NT than in MP. In addition, significant exponential correlations were observed between soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and annual CO 2 emissions in four different soil layers (0–2.5 cm, 0–7.5 cm, 0–15 cm, and 0–30 cm). The HV and RY cover crops had a positive effect on SOC stocks. NT increased SOC stocks significantly compared to MP at 0–2.5 cm (p < 0.001) and 0–7.5 cm (p < 0.05) depth while no significant SOC stock difference at 0–15 cm and 0–30 cm depth between NT and MP were observed. These results suggest that surface SOC enrichment and higher soil θv result in higher soil CO 2 emissions in 15-year NT systems on Andosols in the humid, subtropical climate of Kanto, Japan. The carbon sources and their proportions of soil CO 2 emissions require further clarification to properly assess the benefits of NT in soil carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) use multiple mechanisms to constrain both innate and adaptive immune responses to prevent graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), as a heterogeneous population of early myeloid progenitor cells originating from bone marrow, are a naturally occurring immune regulatory population associated with inhibition of ongoing inflammatory responses, indicating their potential for GVHD therapy. There is accumulating evidence that MSCs and MDSCs do not act independently, but rather establish crosstalk. However, the role of MSCs in MDSC expansion and activation in GVHD remains unexplored. In vitro experiments included 2 groups: peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) after mobilization and human umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs (UCB-MSCs) co-cultured with PBMCs. The number and functional difference of MDSCs in PBMCs were determined by flow cytometry. The culture supernatants of co-cultured cells were analyzed to identify cytokines involved in MDSC proliferation. The relationship between MSCs and MDSCs was clarified in GVHD and graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) animal models. In vitro experiments confirmed that UCB-MSCs secreted HLA-G protein to promote and maintain the proliferation of MDSCs in peripheral blood after granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilization, and UCB-MSCs mediated the function of MDSCs to inhibit the proliferation of T cells and promote the proliferation of regulatory T cells. UCB-MSCs overexpressing HLA-G induced MDSC production in recipient mice, improved the ability of MDSCs to suppress T cells and further reduced acute GVHD (aGVHD) symptoms and survival time without influencing GVL effects. UCB-MSCs expanded MDSCs via HLA-G/Ig-like transcript 4, reducing the severity of aGVHD without affecting GVL. The immunosuppressive potential of MSCs for the treatment of aGVHD significantly affects the development of MDSCs, thereby consolidating the position of MSCs in the prevention and treatment of aGVHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disorder characterized by immune-mediated platelet destruction, leading to lower platelet count. Thalidomide is considered as a novel immunomodulatory drug for treating several autoimmune diseases. Whether thalidomide can ameliorate ITP remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the effect of thalidomide on ITP mouse model. ITP mouse model was established through intraperitoneal injection of rat anti-mouse integrin GPIIb/CD41 immunoglobulin. Thalidomide (10, 20 or 50 mg/kg body weight) was intraperitoneally injected into mice followed by antibody injection. Then, peripheral blood and plasma was isolated for analysis of platelet count and the level of IFN-γ and IL-17 in plasma. Meanwhile, spleen was extracted to measure the expression of CD68, a macrophage marker. In addition, macrophage cell line RAW264.7 was cultured and treated with thalidomide followed by analysis of cell viability, apoptosis as well as cell cycle. Thalidomide prevented antiplatelet antibody-mediated platelet destruction in ITP mouse model. Compared with vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline), thalidomide significantly inhibited the secretion of IFN-γ and IL-17 in ITP mouse and reduced the expression of CD68 in spleen. After thalidomide treatment, the cell viability of RAW264.7 cell was significantly reduced and the cell number in S phase was also significantly decreased. In addition, the expression of cyclin E2 was significantly reduced. In conclusion, thalidomide prevents antiplatelet antibody-mediated platelet destruction in ITP mouse possibly through reducing the number of macrophages, suggesting that it might be a novel approach for treating ITP. • Thalidomide prevented antibody-mediated platelet destruction in ITP mice. • Thalidomide reduced level of IFN-γ, IL-17 and CD68 in ITP mice. • Thalidomide reduced RAW264.7 cell viability and cell numbers in S phase. • Thalidomide decreased cyclin E2 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Chemokines and their receptors play crucial roles in the infiltration and drug resistance mechanisms of T-ALL cells. • Chemokine receptors such as CCR4 and CCR8 exert significant effects on both T-ALL cells and immunosuppressive cells. • Chemokines and their receptors exert effects on various cellular components in diverse T-ALL microenvironments. • Further elucidation of chemokine biology may facilitate the development of targeted therapeutics of T-ALL. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a highly heterogeneous and aggressive subtype of hematologic malignancy, with limited therapeutic options due to the complexity of its pathogenesis. Although high-dose chemotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have improved outcomes for T-ALL patients, there remains an urgent need for novel treatments in cases of refractory or relapsed disease. Recent research has demonstrated the potential of targeted therapies aimed at specific molecular pathways to improve patient outcomes. Chemokine-related signals, both upstream and downstream, modulate the composition of distinct tumor microenvironments, thereby regulating a multitude of intricate cellular processes such as proliferation, migration, invasion and homing. Furthermore, the progress in research has made significant contributions to precision medicine by targeting chemokine-related pathways. This review article summarizes the crucial roles of chemokines and their receptors in T-ALL pathogenesis. Moreover, it explores the advantages and disadvantages of current and potential therapeutic options that target chemokine axes, including small molecule antagonists, monoclonal antibodies, and chimeric antigen receptor T-cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been phased out due to their adverse effects, and replaced by the short-chain perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS). However, the long-term impacts of PFBS on human health are unknown. We aimed to investigate the association between prenatal exposure to PFAS, especially PFBS and childhood adiposity at 5 years of age. We conducted a prospective birth cohort study involving 1,140 pregnant women from 2012 to 2017 in Shanghai. Fetal umbilical cord blood was collected at birth. A total of 404 children (196 girls) completed the adiposity measurements using a bioelectrical impedance analysis method and cord plasma PFAS measurements using LC-MS/MS. Multivariable linear models after adjustment for potential confounders were used to evaluate the associations between PFAS and childhood adiposity. The median concentration of PFAS in the cord plasma ranged from 0.05 (PFBS) to 6.74 ng/mL (PFOA). Results of multivariable linear regression found that in girls, PFBS had a significant positive association with waist circumference and waist to height ratio (P -values < 0.05). Girls in the highest tertile of PFBS concentrations had more fat mass, as well as higher body fat percentage, waist circumference, and waist to height ratio compared to those in the lowest tertile. However, girls in the second tertile of PFDoA had lower body fat percentage, waist circumference and fat mass. Adiposity at 5 years of age shows a positive association with prenatal exposure to PFBS in girls. These findings need to be further verified in larger prospective studies. • We conducted a birth cohort study in Shanghai. • Ten PFAS were measured in cord blood to assess prenatal exposure. • A total of 404 children completed both PFAS measurement and adiposity measurement using a bioelectrical impedance analysis method at 5 years old. • High exposure to PFBS may be of concern for childhood adiposity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are newly discovered tubular structures between two distant cells that facilitate the intercellular exchange of signals and components. Recent reports show that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can rescue injured target cells and promote recovery from a variety of stresses via TNT-mediated mitochondrial transfer. In this study, we explored how TNTs form between bone marrow MSCs and endothelial cells (ECs) by using a human umbilical cord vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) model. TNT formation between MSCs and HUVECs could be induced by treating HUVECs with cytarabine (Ara-C), and human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs) could transfer mitochondria to injured HUVECs through TNTs. Mitochondrial transfer from hBMMSCs to HUVECs via TNTs rescued the injured HUVECs by reducing apoptosis, promoting proliferation and restoring the transmembrane migration ability as well as the capillary angiogenic capacity of HUVECs. This study provides novel insights into the cell–cell communication between MSCs and ECs and supports the results of prior studies indicating that ECs promote hematopoietic regeneration. An improved understanding of MSC-EC cross-talk will promote the development of MSC-directed strategies for improving EC function and hematopoietic system regeneration following myelosuppressive and myeloablative injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinct from the traditional synthesis of NiCo 2 O 4 nanoflowers from hydrothermal approach. Herein a facile gas-liquid diffusion method was exploited to prepare NiCo 2 O 4 and Fe-doped NiCo 2 O 4 nanoflower under ambient condition for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The remarkable nanoflowers was generated by diffusing ammonia to the homogeneous solution of cobalt and nickel sulfate salt with slight amount of Fe sulfate salt to form a heterogeneous precipitation, followed by pyrolysis to afford the final product of NiCo 2 O 4 or Fe-doped NiCo 2 O 4. The remarkable feature of NiCo 2 O 4 displays a spherical nanoflower morphology composed of lamellar structure with excellent dispersibility and greatly prompt the electron transfer and enable a high activity. By varying the ratio of Ni to Fe to 9:1, a superior OER performance with overpotential of 256 mV and Tafel slope of 69 mV·dec−1 at 10 mA·cm−2 was obtained. We attribute the superior performance to the excellent gas and ion transport channels due to the unique nanoflower structure as well as the well optimized electronic structure derived from Fe doping. Besides, we tentatively propose a detailed formation process for the formation of this nanoflower structure based on co-precipitation reaction. In conclusion, this approach offers a facile and efficient way for the preparation of high-performance ternary mixed metal oxides nanostructure which enable its large-scale production of OER catalyst. [Display omitted] • Gas-liquid diffusion method for Fe-doped NiCo 2 O 4 synthesis. • The optimized ratio of Fe-doped NiCo 2 O 4 nanoflower displays enhanced OER activity. • A possible formation process of Fe-doped NiCo 2 O 4 is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To evaluate the risk factors and potential diagnostic criteria for pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (CME) in diabetic patients after phacoemulsification. Setting Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Design Prospective nonrandomized study. Methods Diabetic patients were followed for up to 6 months after cataract surgery and examined to evaluate their foveal thickness, macular sensitivity, and corrected distance visual acuity. Multiple statistical analyses were performed to determine risk factors and diagnostic criteria for pseudophakic CME. Results The duration, type of diabetes, stage of diabetic retinopathy, nuclear opalescence grading, glycosylated hemoglobin A 1c (HbA 1c ), and ultrasound time were correlated with the change in foveal thickness and macular sensitivity after cataract surgery. Unsupervised data analysis showed 3 groups of patients as follows: nonpseudophakic CME, level 1 pseudophakic CME, and level 2 pseudophakic CME. Subclinical level 1 patients had a 30% to 40% increase in foveal thickness 1 month postoperatively, while level 2 patients had at least a 40% increase in foveal thickness and a 20% decrease in macular sensitivity. The incidence of clinical pseudophakic CME was 3.2% in diabetic patients as per the diagnostic criteria. The change in macular sensitivity was more consistent and correlated with foveal thickness. Conclusions The duration, severity, type of diabetes, hardness of the lens, and HbA 1c were risks for pseudophakic CME in diabetic patients after cataract surgery. A 40% or more increase in foveal thickness and 20% or more decrease in macular sensitivity offer an objective and reliable diagnostic standard to report pseudophakic CME in diabetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wound infection can induce inflammation and impede wound healing, being a major challenge in wound care management. A household device that can monitor infection in real time, prevent bacterial, and promote wound healing is highly desired but still rarely investigated. In this work, a novel zwitterionic cellulose-based hydrogel that enables continuously real-time monitoring and pro-healing of infected wound is designed. It is based on interpenetrating polymeric networks, including zwitterionic covalent bond network and physical bond network of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) with Ag+ via metal-coordination interactions. When used as a sensing dressing, it is developed to exhibit pH-responsive and temperature-responsive properties for assessment of wound infection. Moreover, Ag+ can be released from carboxyl groups of CMC in response to the decrease of pH, killing bacteria and promoting wound healing. This zwitterionic carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogel sensor opens new avenues for domestic real-time monitoring and pro-healing of infected wound. A zwitterionic carboxymethyl cellulose-based hydrogel possesses antibacterial and multi-sensing properties for infected wounds. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure injury (PI) is a hard-to-heal wound to patients with the limited mobility, especially paralyzed or elderly persons. These patients also commonly suffer from sensation loss or dementia that is unable to indicate symptoms in time, resulting in missing the "golden period" for treatment. Therefore, it is highly required to domestic continously real-time monitoring as well as promoting wound healing of PI. However, no existing device has realized these functions for PI. Herein, we prepare a zwitterionic skin sensor that enables pro-healing as well as domestic real-time monitoring the multi-indicators of PI. To apply for a PI dressing that requires to tolerate patient body weight, organosilicon nanoparticles (OSNPs) are designed as crosslinks in the zwitterionic conductive hydrogel (CH-OSNP), which exhibits pressure-resistant properties (99.81% compression to recovery) as well as anti-bacterial adhesion. Moreover, the CH-OSNP-based skin sensor is developed, and the resultant sensor can be sensitive to stress stimuli even under a long-term constant heavy load, which stimulates the pressure of a PI person lying down. In vivo results show that this sensor can not only promote PI healing, but also continuously monitor and distinguish multiple information, such as exudate, swelling, and infection, to prevent PI from being worsen. This work provides a domestic feasible device to cure and monitor the PI of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular immunotherapy has achieved incremental success in recent years. Varieties of cell products are undergoing fundamental research and clinical trials, among which CAR-T cell therapy is approved for marketing. As research progresses, these cells need to be modified to promote their safety and efficacy. Gene-editing technologies have evolved from RNA interference (RNAi), including small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), to new generations of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription-activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clusters of regularly spaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas9), and delivery methods are widely used. Here, we summarize the ongoing clinical trials and fundamental research for genome editing therapy. Additionally, we highlight existing in vivo delivery systems and their limitations to find a better method to deliver genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most poisonous pollutants, and Cd pollution has become the limiting factor of rice production and quality improvement. Therefore it is of significant importance to monitor Cd toxicity by the detection of Cd contamination in rice with biomarkers. In the present study, sequence-related amplified polymorphism ( SRAP) and physiological and biochemical methods were applied to determine the toxicological effects of Cd stress on rice. RESULTS With increasing Cd concentration and duration, the content of chlorophyll in the two rice varieties W7 and M63 decreased and that of malondialdehyde increased. This tendency was more apparent in M63. The antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and peroxidase both increased significantly compared with controls. SRAP polymerase chain reaction results indicated significant differences between Cd treatments and controls in terms of SRAP profile, as well as genotypic differences. The genomic template stability ( GTS) decreased with increasing Cd concentration and duration. Under the same treatment conditions, the GTS of W7 was higher than that of M63. Comparison analysis revealed that the changes in physiological and biochemical parameters of rice seedlings under Cd stress had a good correlation with the changes in SRAP profile. Furthermore, the changes in SRAP profile showed enhanced sensitivity in the roots of rice seedlings. CONCLUSION The SRAP profile and physiological and biochemical parameters could act as appropriate biomarkers for the measurement of Cd contamination during rice production. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oxidation of aqueous arsenite (As(III)) by As(III)-oxidizing bacteria is known to attenuate the mobilization and toxicity of arsenic, and is regarded as potential method for As(III)-pollution remediation. However, during the interactions between As(III)-oxidizing bacteria and different As(III)-adsorbed soil Fe-minerals, the oxidation and partitioning of solid-phase As(III), as well as the controlling mechanisms, remain unclear. In this study, we therefore incubated three As(III)-adsorbed Fe-minerals with a typical As(III)-oxidizing bacteria (Pseudomonas sp. HN-1) at different pH conditions. After microbial oxidation, the percentage of arsenate (As(V)) was significantly higher at pH 7 (15–94%) and 9 (12–89%) than at pH 4 (6–50%) in all Fe-minerals. Incubation of As(III)-oxidizing bacteria promoted As-immobilization under acidic-conditions but As-mobilization under alkaline-conditions. Arsenic-X-ray adsorption spectroscopy results showed that solid-phase As(V) fraction in goethite, hematite and magnetite was 27–64%, 5–12% and 50–91%, respectively. Compared with the corner-sharing As(III)-adsorption complexes formed on magnetite, the edge-sharing complexes on hematite were significantly more stable towards microbial-oxidation. Additionally, the strong adhesion between strain HN-1 and hematite probably limit bacterial-activity and mobility, thereby inhibiting microbial As(III)-oxidation. Our findings elucidate the controlling mechanisms of microbial As(III)-oxidation in different As(III)-adsorbed Fe-minerals and demonstrate strain HN-1 is an excellent candidate for As(III)-remediation in soils containing goethite and magnetite. [Display omitted] • Microbial oxidation of mineral-adsorbed As(III) is magnetite > goethite > hematite. • Edge-sharing (2 E) As(III) complexes are more stable towards microbial oxidation. • Strong bacterial adhesion to Fe-minerals may inhibit solid-phase As(III)-oxidation. • Strain HN-1 is an excellent candidate for soil As(III)-remediation. • pH is a critical factor controlling the bioremediation of soil As(III) pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron overload, caused by hereditary hemochromatosis or repeated blood transfusions in some diseases, such as beta thalassemia, bone marrow failure and myelodysplastic syndrome, can significantly induce injured bone marrow (BM) function as well as parenchyma organ dysfunctions. However, the effect of iron overload and its mechanism remain elusive. In this study, we investigated the effects of iron overload on the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from a mouse model. Our results showed that iron overload markedly decreased the ratio and clonogenic function of murine HSPCs by the elevation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This finding is supported by the results of NAC or DFX treatment, which reduced ROS level by inhibiting NOX4 and p38MAPK and improved the long-term and multi-lineage engrafment of iron overload HSCs after transplantation. Therefore, all of these data demonstrate that iron overload injures the hematopoiesis of BM by enhancing ROS through NOX4 and p38MAPK. This will be helpful for the treatment of iron overload in patients with hematopoietic dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]