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New therapeutic targets and drugs are urgently needed to halt the fibrosing process in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). SHR‐1906 is a novel fully humanized monoclonal antibody against the connective tissue growth factor, which plays an essential role in the genesis of IPF. We assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PKs), and immunogenicity of single dose SHR‐1906 in healthy participants. This was a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, dose‐escalation, phase I study. Twelve healthy participants for each dose level were enrolled to receive single ascending doses of SHR‐1906 intravenously (1.5, 6, 12, 20, 30, and 45 mg/kg) or placebo and followed for 71 days. The primary end points were safety and tolerability. Treatment‐related treatment‐emergent adverse events occurred in 25 participants (46.3%) in the SHR‐1906 group and 11 (61.1%) in the placebo group. No serious adverse events occurred. Over the dose range investigated, the geometric mean clearance was 0.14–0.63 mL/h/kg, the geometric mean volume of distribution at steady‐state was 47.4–75.5 mL/kg, and the terminal elimination half‐life was 51.9–349 h. SHR‐1906 showed nonlinear PKs. The peak concentration increased in a dose‐proportional manner, whereas the area under the concentration–time curve showed a greater than dose‐proportional increase. Anti‐drug antibodies of SHR‐1906 were detected in nine of 54 participants (16.7%). A single dose of SHR‐1906 up to 45 mg/kg demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile in healthy participants. The PKs and immunogenicity of SHR‐1906 were evaluated, supporting further clinical development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetism of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) induced by 70 keV 12C+ ion implantation was investigated by using electron spin resonance (ESR) and theoretical simulations of the electronic structure of defective graphite using spin-polarized density functional theory. The results indicate that defects produced by 12C+ ion implantation can induce magnetic moments which are localized since a L1 line is observed at a fixed resonance field, independent of the angle between the field and the c axis of the HOPG sample. The angle and temperature dependence of the ESR spectra indicates that extrinsic carriers are induced in the implanted layer, and they may have an exchange interaction with local spins to produce a single asymmetric L1 line of the implanted sample. The consistent results given by the ESR spectra and the theoretical simulations of the electronic structure of defective graphite provide a clear explanation for the magnetic order in 12C+ ion-implanted HOPG. The defects produced by the implantation induce local magnetic moments in the sample. Due to the interaction between the local spins and the extrinsic carriers, the local magnetic moments may be coupled through the mediation of itinerant carriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the theory of resilience, an eco-economic resilience coefficient model was proposed, and the regional eco-economic resilience of Changzhi City in 2001-2006 was analyzed. In the City, the ecological footprint was increased from 8.6569 · 106 hm2 in 2001 to 19.8190 · 106 hm2 in 2006. The ecological footprint of energy was 1/2 or more of the regional ecological footprint, and its increasing rate was decreasing and lower than that of regional economic growth. The eco-economic resilience coefficient of the City decreased from 0.80 in 2002 to 0.10 in 2006. Relative to economic growth, the demand for natural resources was decreasing. To achieve the sustainable development of Changzhi City, some countermeasures including readjusting industrial structure, changing habitant consumption patterns, increasing regional ecological capacity, decreasing the increasing rate of ecological footprint, and strengthening regional eco-economic resilience were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New therapeutic targets and drugs are urgently needed to halt the fibrosing process in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). SHR-1906 is a novel fully humanized monoclonal antibody against the connective tissue growth factor, which plays an essential role in the genesis of IPF. We assessed the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PKs), and immunogenicity of single dose SHR-1906 in healthy participants. This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation, phase I study. Twelve healthy participants for each dose level were enrolled to receive single ascending doses of SHR-1906 intravenously (1.5, 6, 12, 20, 30, and 45 mg/kg) or placebo and followed for 71 days. The primary end points were safety and tolerability. Treatment-related treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 25 participants (46.3%) in the SHR-1906 group and 11 (61.1%) in the placebo group. No serious adverse events occurred. Over the dose range investigated, the geometric mean clearance was 0.14-0.63 mL/h/kg, the geometric mean volume of distribution at steady-state was 47.4-75.5 mL/kg, and the terminal elimination half-life was 51.9-349 h. SHR-1906 showed nonlinear PKs. The peak concentration increased in a dose-proportional manner, whereas the area under the concentration-time curve showed a greater than dose-proportional increase. Anti-drug antibodies of SHR-1906 were detected in nine of 54 participants (16.7%). A single dose of SHR-1906 up to 45 mg/kg demonstrated a favorable tolerability profile in healthy participants. The PKs and immunogenicity of SHR-1906 were evaluated, supporting further clinical development., (© 2023 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.)

Anthracene, among the 16 US EPA polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is a typical low molecular weight environmental contaminant, which gains concern on its biodegradation under hypersaline condition. In this study, an anthracene-degrading bacterial strain was isolated from highly saline petroleum-contaminated soil. Based on its physiological, biochemical characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, the bacteria was preliminary identified and named as Martelella sp. AD-3. The strain was able to utilize anthracene as sole carbon source for growth and the degradation occurred under broad salinities (0.1% to 10%) and varying pHs (6.0 to 10.0). The optimized degradation conditions were initial concentration 25 mg x L(-1), culture temperature 30 degrees C, pH 9.0 and salinity 3%. And 94.6% of anthracene was degraded by strain AD-3 under the optimal conditions within 6 days. Degenerate primers design was performed with a reported dioxygenase alpha subunit homologous gene. A length of 307 bp fragment of the partial dioxygenase gene sequences (GenBank accession: JF823991.1) was amplified by nested PCR. The clones amino acid sequence from strain AD-3 showed 95% identity to that of the partial naphthalene dioxygenase large-subunit from Marinobacter sp. NCE312 (AF295033). The results lay a foundation for the further study of molecular mechanism involved in the PAHs biodegradation by strain AD-3.

Based on the theory of resilience, an eco-economic resilience coefficient model was proposed, and the regional eco-economic resilience of Changzhi City in 2001-2006 was analyzed. In the City, the ecological footprint was increased from 8.6569 x 10(6) hm2 in 2001 to 19.8190 x 10(6) hm2 in 2006. The ecological footprint of energy was 1/2 or more of the regional ecological footprint, and its increasing rate was decreasing and lower than that of regional economic growth. The eco-economic resilience coefficient of the City decreased from 0.80 in 2002 to 0.10 in 2006. Relative to economic growth, the demand for natural resources was decreasing. To achieve the sustainable development of Changzhi City, some countermeasures including readjusting industrial structure, changing habitant consumption patterns, increasing regional ecological capacity, decreasing the increasing rate of ecological footprint, and strengthening regional eco-economic resilience were proposed.

Background & Objective: The blood of the patients with malignant tumors is in hypercoagulable state; its correlation to tumor migration evokes more and more attentions. Protein Z (PZ), a newly found anti-coagulation factor, is a vitamin K-dependent plasma protein which is synthesized by the liver. Its structure is very similar to the vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors, such as FXII, FIX, FX, and protein C, but its physiologic function and clinical significance are unclear. The alteration of PZ level correlates with the increased risk of coagulating abnormality-caused diseases, but its alteration in solid tumors is seldom reported. This study was to explore clinical significance of PZ and the correlation of PZ level to FXII:C; FIX:C and FX:C levels in malignant tumors., Methods: Plasma levels of PZ, FXII:C, FIX:C, FX:C, and FX:Ag of 80 patients with malignant tumors (MT group) and 80 healthy donors (control group) were detected; their correlations were analyzed., Results: The level of PZ was significantly lower in MT group than in control group [(1 210.89+/-251.13) ng/ml vs. (2,378.83+/-429.51) ng/ml, P<0.01], but the levels of FXII:C, FX:C, and FX:Ag were significantly higher in MT group than in control group [(162.42+/-36.57)% vs. (114.78+/-28.96)%, (120.27+/-33.96)% vs. (79.23+/-19.46)%, and (133.66+/-35.51)% vs. (93.0+/-17.73)%, P<0.01]. The levels of FIX:C were (119.86+/-56.38)% in MT group, and (109.21+/-36.46)% in control group (P>0.05). The level of PZ was negatively correlated with the levels of FXII:C; FX:C, and FX:Ag (P<0.01), but had no correlation with the level of FIX:C (P>0.05). The level of PZ was significantly lower in stage III-IV (locally advanced stage-advanced stage) patients than in stage II patients [(998.32+/-117.72) ng/ml vs. (1,326.69+/-245.70) ng/ml, P<0.01], but the levels of FXII:C, FX:C, and FX:Ag were significantly higher in stage III-IV patients than in stage II patients [(206.76+/-28.63)% vs. (136.09+/-26.80)%, (162.53+/-32.92)% vs. (101.89+/-23.44)%, (168.03+/-25.97)% vs. (105.41%+/-13.86)%, P<0.01]., Conclusions: PZ level is obviously decreased in the patients with malignant tumors, and negatively correlated with FXII:C, FX:C, and FX:Ag. PZ level descends along with the progression of malignant tumors, and maybe a poor prognostic factor of malignant tumors.