PD Rating Research Articles

Platinum and Palladium Accumulation in Edible Mushroom Boletus aereus Bull. Growing in Unpolluted Soils of Sicily Region (Italy).

Human exposure to certain metals occurs indirectly through diet. This study was conducted to determine the content of Pt and Pd in fruiting bodies of Boletus aereus Bull. collected from several wooded areas of Sicily with different substrates (sedimentary and volcanic) with limited anthropogenic influence. Determinations were performed by coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) to quantify Pt and Pd. The concentrations of investigated Pt and Pd in mushroom samples ranged from 0.31 to 3.09 ng g-1 for palladium and 0.21 to 4.22 ng g-1 for platinum. The results of the present study suggest that commonly consumed Boletus aereus mushrooms do not accumulate significant levels of Pt and Pd as demonstrated by bioconcentration factor (BCF) values, and their content is lower than in other food products. Additionally, based on the calculated daily intake rates of Pt and Pd, it can be concluded that occasional consumption of fruiting bodies of B. aereus collected in Sicily is safe. The proposed methodological approach appears to be fully adequate for the reliable quantification of Pt and Pd. The data obtained in this investigation confirm that mushrooms are probative of a significant portion of the total exposure to PGEs due to the diet.

Two-Dimensional Lanthanide Metal-Organic Frameworks as a Platform for Sensing Pollutant and Nitrophenols Reduction.

The discharge of harmful and toxic pollutants in water is destroying the ecosystem balance and human being health at an alarming rate. Therefore, the detection and removal of water pollutants by using stable and efficient materials are significant but challenging. Herein, three novel lanthanide metal-organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs), [La(L)(DMF)2(H2O)2]·H2O (LCUH-104), [Nd(L)(DMF)2(H2O)2]·H2O (LCUH-105), and [Pr(L)(DMF)2(H2O)2]·H2O (LCUH-106) [H3L = 5-(4-(tetrazol-5-yl)phenyl)isophthalic acid (H3TZI)] were solvothermally constructed and structurally characterized. In the three Ln-MOFs, dinuclear metallic clusters {Ln2} were connected by deprotonated tetrazol-containing dicarboxylate TZI3- to obtain a 2D layered framework with a point symbol of {42·84}·{46}. Their excellent chemical and thermal stabilities were beneficial to carry out fluorescence sensing and achieve the catalytic nitrophenols (NPs) reduction. Especially, the incorporation of the nitrogen-rich tetrazole ring into their 2D layered frameworks enables the fabrication of Pd nanocatalysts (Pd NPs@LCUH-104/105/106) and have dramatically enhanced catalytic activity by using the unique metal-support interactions between three Ln-MOFs and the encapsulating palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs). Specifically, the reduction of NPs (2-NP, 3-NP, and 4-NP) in aqueous solution by Pd NPs@LCUH-104 exhibits exceptional conversion efficiency, remarkable rate constants (k), and outstanding cycling stability. The catalytic rate of Pd NPs@LCUH-104 for 4-NP is nearly 8.5 times more than that of Pd/C (wt 5%) and its turnover frequency value is 0.051 s-1, which indicate its excellent catalytic activity. Meanwhile, LCUH-105, as a multifunctional fluorescence sensor, exhibited excellent fluorescence detection of norfloxacin (NFX) (turn on) and Cr2O72- (turn off) with high selectivity and sensitivity at a low concentration, and the corresponding fluorescence enhancement/quenching mechanism has also been systematically investigated through various detection means and theoretical calculations.

#3493 INCIDENCE, PREVALENCE, DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE, AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES OF PERITONEAL DIALYSIS IN A TERTIARY MEDICAL CENTER IN THE PHILIPPINES

Abstract Background and Aims Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) has emerged as a global public health burden. As one of the treatment options for CKD-5, peritoneal dialysis is underutilized, accounting for only 11% of the global distribution of renal replacement therapy (RRT). In the Philippines, PD accounts for only 4.2% [1] of all dialysis. This is perplexing because PD has several advantages over hemodialysis including better survival in the first few years of RRT, better survival of PD to HD than HD to PD [2], more cost-effective [3], can be done at home without sophisticated equipment, and feasible in remote areas. This study aims to characterize the incidence, prevalence, demographic profile, and clinical outcomes of the PD patients in our center to uncover strengths, weaknesses, and roadblocks for a stronger “PD First” program in the Philippines. Method Descriptive retrospective chart review of 146 PD patients of the Southern Philippines Medical Center from January 2018 to September 2022. Results There were a total of 146 adult patients enrolled to the PhilHealth PD Z-package from January 2018 to September 2022. Majority of the patients were aged 50-59 years old (20%), followed by 40-49 years old (19%), and 60-69 years old (19%), mostly male (57%). Predominant etiology of CKD-5 was Chronic Glomerulonephritis (41%), followed by Diabetic Nephropathy (30%), and Hypertensive Nephrosclerosis (19%). Incidence rate of PD was 44%, 22%, and 41% for 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively. The prevalence rate of PD was 64%, 56%, and 59% for 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively. The PD peritonitis rate was 1.25, 0.4, 0.24, and 0.3 episodes per patient year in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively. Out of the 146 PD patients, 41 (28%) are still on active PD, 1 (0.07%) underwent Kidney Transplantation, 38 (26%) had PD Technique Failure from peritonitis and catheter malfunction, and 66 (46%) expired due to death at home, sepsis, and acute coronary syndrome. Among those who expired, 22 (33%) were PD First and 44 (67%) were shifted from HD. There was a significant difference in the primary outcomes between those who were PD First and shifted from HD, with a p-value of 0.048. Conclusion PD First is infrequently practiced in our center. There is a significant difference in the number of those who were PD First, and those who were shifted from HD. There is a higher rate of mortality among those who were shifted from HD to PD compared to those who were PD First. PD-peritonitis is the number one cause of PD Technique Failure followed by issues with the PD Catheter. To improve the mortality rate of our CKD-5 patients, it is recommended to do PD First, rather than HD to PD, while awaiting transplant.

Improved Palladium Extraction from Spent Catalyst Using Ultrasound-Assisted Leaching and Sulfuric Acid–Sodium Chloride System

This paper presents a process for efficiently recovering palladium (Pd) from spent Pd/Al2O3 catalysts used for hydrogenation reactions, using ultrasound-assisted leaching (UAL). A system composed of H2SO4 and NaCl was investigated under ultrasound-enhanced conditions and compared to regular leaching methods to demonstrate the superiority of UAL. Single-factor experiments were conducted to determine the optimal conditions for leaching, which included an ultrasound power of 200 W, a liquid–solid ratio of 5:1, a leaching time of 1 h, a leaching temperature of 60 °C, H2SO4 concentration of 60%, and 0.1 mol of NaCl. The leaching rate under these conditions was found to be 99%. Additionally, kinetic analysis of the UAL process showed that the apparent activation energy of the Pd leaching reaction was 28.7 kJ/mol, and it was found that Pd leaching from spent catalysts was controlled by diffusion. The tailings were analyzed by SEM, revealing that during ultrasonic leaching, the specific surface area of the spent catalyst increased, the mass transfer rate of the solution was accelerated, the passivation film on the surface of the spent catalyst was peeled off, and a new reaction interface was formed. This improved the leaching rate of Pd and provided a new approach to efficiently leach precious metals such as Pd from spent catalysts.

Pd-M (M = Ni, Co) Bimetallic Catalysts with Tunable Composition for Highly Efficient Electrochemical Formic Acid Oxidation

Bimetallic Pd-based catalysts for formic acid oxidation (FAO) are one of the most promising anode materials for the next generation of direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFC). It is imperative to develop a simple strategy for preparing efficient, stable, and clean nanoparticle catalysts. Herein, we prepared a series of Pd, PdNi, and PdCo nanoparticle catalysts using the nanoparticle beam composite deposition system, which revealed good catalytic activity and stability in the process of FAO. The incorporation of Ni or Co prevents the adsorption of active intermediates and the accumulation of toxic intermediates in the process of FAO. Therefore, more Pd active centers can be used to decompose formic acid directly by dehydrogenation. The results indicate that PdNi-2 (Pd0.9Ni0.1) and PdCo-3 (Pd0.89Co0.11) catalysts exhibit the optimal catalytic performance, with the mass activity of 1491.5 A g−1Pd and 1401.7 A g−1Pd, respectively, which is 2.1 and 2 times that of the pure Pd sample. By optimizing the rate of Pd to transition metal M (Ni, Co), a high-performance Pd-based catalyst was obtained through their synergistic effect, which provides a new approach for designing efficient anode catalysts for DFAFCs.

Spatiotemporal Assembly and Immigration of Heterotrophic and Anammox Bacteria Allow a Robust Synergy for High-Rate Nitrogen Removal.

The novel partial denitrification-driven anammox (PD/A) is an energy-efficient method for nitrogen removal from wastewater. However, its stability and efficiency are impeded by the competition between heterotrophic denitrifying bacteria and relatively slow-growing anammox bacteria. In this study, a PD/A granular sludge system was developed, which achieved a nitrogen removal efficiency of 94% with 98% anammox contribution, even as the temperature dropped to 9.6 °C. Analysis of bacterial activity in aggregates of different sizes revealed that the largest granules (>2.0 mm) exhibited the highest anammox activity, 2.8 times that of flocs (<0.2 mm), while the flocs showed significantly higher nitrite production rates of PD, more than six times that of the largest granules. Interestingly, fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed a nest-shaped structure of PD/A granules. The Thauera genus, a key contributor to PD, was highly enriched at the outer edge, providing substrate nitrite for anammox bacteria inside the granules. As temperature decreased, the flocs transformed into small granules to efficiently retain anammox bacteria. This study provides multidimensional insights into the spatiotemporal assembly and immigration of heterotrophic and autotrophic bacteria for stable and high-rate nitrogen removal.

Rapid Correction of Turbidity and CDOM Interference on Three-Dimensional Fluorescence Spectra of Live Algae Based on Deep Learning

In natural aquatic environments, the existence of colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), suspended particles, and colloids can cause scattering and reflection of light and even emit fluorescence itself. Such interference negatively impacts algal fluorescence, further making it unreliable to measure the algal concentration using three-dimensional excitation–emission matrix (3D-EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy. In this study, we proposed a novel algal fluorescence anti-interference network (AFAI-Net) based on a convolutional neural network. The main procedure of this model can be divided into two parts: (1) to quickly determine if there is an interference of CDOM or turbidity in the detected algal samples; (2) to correct the interfered samples and output the fluorescent components of the algae. We trained the model using the 3D-EEMs of pure algal samples (non-interfered) and mixed samples of algae and CDOM or turbidity (interfered); as a result, the well-trained model achieved a total classification accuracy of 96.82%, and the RMSE of CDOM and turbidity removal fitting effects were 0.2274 and 0.3423, respectively. Compared with the non-negative weighted least squares (NNLS) regression analysis method, using the CNN model for CDOM correction resulted in 13.11%, 0.65%, and 5.69% reductions in the average deviation rate for PD, PG, and CM, respectively. Furthermore, the spectra corrected by the model predicted algal densities that were closer to the true algal densities. This study provides a new way to remove non-algal factors that affect algal fluorescence spectra in water bodies, which is beneficial to monitoring eutrophication and red tide in aquatic systems.

Ethylenediamine functionalized waste polyethylene terephthalate-derived metal-organic framework for adsorption of palladium ions from aqueous solutions

The recovery of palladium metal is essential in order to meet its growing global demand and also to address water pollution crisis. Herein, MIL-101(Cr)/ED was fabricated from waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and modified using ethylenediamine (ED) to retrieve divalent palladium (Pd(II)) metal ions from aqueous environment. The successful grafting of ED moieties onto MIL-101(Cr) was established by the appearance of broad bands at around 2800–3300 cm−1 on the Fourier transform infrared spectrum which was supported by the increase in binding energy using density functional theory. The adsorption experiments revealed that higher Pd(II) ion intake occurred using 30 mg of MIL-101(Cr)/ED in acidic media of pH = 3.0. The data fit better on the Langmuir isotherm with the correlation coefficient (R2) 0.9089. At 25 °C, the MIL-101(Cr)/ED achieved a substantial enhancement in the intake capacities of 454.2 mg.g−1. Kinetics data demonstrated to comply with pseudo-second order, achieving a rapid rate of Pd(II) adsorption by the MIL-101(Cr)/ED in less than 3 min given by the rate constant k2 = 0.02065 g.mg−1.min−1. The MIL-101(Cr)/ED has high affinity for Pd(II) ions as more than 80% removal was achieved even in presence of other ions. These observations revealed the potential utilization of MIL-101(Cr)/ED as an adsorbent to efficiently extract Pd(II) ions from wastewater.

Process and mechanism of enhanced HCl leaching of platinum group metals from waste three-way catalysts by Li2CO3 calcination pretreatment

Recovery of platinum group metals (PGMs) from waste three-way catalysts (TWCs) was usually achieved by dissolving them in an acid solution. However, their dissolution requires the addition of oxidizing agents such as Cl2 and aqua regia, which could cause high environmental risks. Therefore, the development of new methods without the addition of oxidant agents will contribute to the green recovery of PGMs. In this paper, the process and mechanism of PGMs recovery from waste TWCs by Li2CO3 calcination pretreatment-HCl leaching were studied in detail, and molecular dynamics calculations were performed for the formation processes of Pt, Pd, and Rh complex oxides. The results showed that the leaching rates of Pt, Pd, and Rh could reach about 95%, 98%, and 97%, respectively, under the optimal conditions. Li2CO3 calcination pretreatment cannot only oxidize Pt, Pd, and Rh metals to HCl-soluble Li2PtO3, Li2PdO2, and Li2RhO3, but also remove the carbon accumulation in waste TWCs and open the wrapping of PGMs by the substrate and Al2O3 coating. The embedding of Li and O atoms in metallic Pt, Pd, and Rh is an interacting embedding process. Although the Li atoms are faster than O, O will accumulate on the metal surface first before embedding.

Effect of Crystal Planes of Pd and the Structure of Interfacial Water on the Electrocatalytic Hydrogenation of Alkynes to Alkenes

Efficient electrochemical semi-hydrogenation (ECSH) of alkynes to alkenes is a promising alternative to traditional thermal semi-hydrogenation. Mechanistic understanding of crystal plane-dependent ECSH performance is extremely important for the subsequent catalyst design. Here, we investigate the role of low-index Pd(hkl) surfaces, including Pd (100), (111), and (110) planes, in ECSH of alkynes. As a result, alkyne conversion rate and alkene selectivity of Pd(hkl) surfaces follow the order of Pd (100) > Pd (111) > Pd (110). In situ Raman spectroscopic evidence indicates that the Pd (100) plane effectively enhances the formation of K+ ion hydrated water and two-coordinated hydrogen-bonded water to accelerate semi-hydrogenation rate and improve alkene selectivity, respectively. The order of the ability to regulate the interfacial water structure is ideally consistent with that of ECSH performance on Pd(hkl) surfaces. Pd nanocubes enclosed by the (100) surface exhibit excellent ECSH activity, alkene selectivity, and cycling stability. These findings demonstrate that the interfacial water structure is crystal plane-dependent, which is the determining factor for ECSH.

Responses to first-line systemic therapies in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with TERT promoter mutations.

589 Background: The treatment landscape of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has made significant advances with the use of oral multikinase inhibitors and immunotherapy-containing regimens. However, there is minimal data with regards to which biomarkers may predict treatment responses in this population. The increased use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has identified the most frequent mutations in HCC, including TERT promoter mutations which are found in up to 65% of patients. With the high frequency of these mutations, additional studies are needed to investigate their associations with treatment outcomes. Methods: Our team performed a retrospective study to determine the association between TERT promoter mutations in HCC and responses to first-line systemic therapies. All patients in this study underwent NGS testing on tumor tissue or peripheral blood samples. Responses to treatment were determined by imaging at least 6 weeks after the start of systemic therapy. Results: There were 128 HCC patients included in this study with TERT promoter mutations found in 72 patients (56.3%). All patients received first-line therapy with either an immunotherapy-based regimen or oral multikinase inhibitor monotherapy (lenvatinib or sorafenib). When looking at responses to all first-line therapies, patients with TERT promoter mutations were found to have significantly higher rates of disease progression (PD) compared to those without TERT promoter mutations (34.7% vs 17.9%, p = 0.04). In addition, when stratifying responses by type of systemic therapy, the TERT promoter-mutated population had notably higher rates of PD with immunotherapy regimens compared to patients without TERT mutations (34.6% vs 10.8%, p = 0.01). In contrast, there was no significant difference in rates of PD with oral multikinase inhibitor monotherapy between TERT mutated and TERT non-mutated individuals (35% vs 31.6%, p = 1). See table for further details. Conclusions: In this study, HCC patients with TERT promoter mutations were found to have significantly higher rates of PD to first-line therapies and, specifically, immunotherapy-containing regimens. Given the prevalence of these mutations in the HCC population, further investigation is needed to clarify this association and its impact on patient survival.[Table: see text]

Colloidally Engineered Pd and Pt Catalysts Distinguish Surface- and Vapor-Mediated Deactivation Mechanisms

Noble metal-based catalysts are ubiquitous because of their high activity and stability. However, they irreversibly deteriorate over time especially in high-temperature applications. In these conditions, sintering is the main reason for deactivation, and understanding how sintering occurs gives the opportunity to mitigate these detrimental processes. Previous studies successfully distinguished between two fundamental sintering modes, namely, particle migration and coalescence (PMC) and Ostwald ripening (OR). However, differentiation between surface- and vapor-mediated Ostwald ripening processes has not been demonstrated yet, even though it is crucial information to tune metal/support interactions and stabilize catalysts. Here, we demonstrate that surface- and vapor-mediated ripening occur in two distinct regimes of temperature with some overlap using Pt and Pd catalysts prepared from colloidal nanocrystals as precursors. By either co-impregnating the two metal nanocrystals on the same grain of alumina support or by physically mixing powders of the two distinct metal catalysts, we tune the intermetal particle distance between nanometers and micrometers. We then use methane complete oxidation as a reporter reaction that occurs at higher rates on pure Pd and lower rates on alloyed Pd/Pt catalysts to trace the movement of Pt in the system. Aging the catalysts at different temperatures allows us to reveal that Pt initially sinters by surface-mediated ripening until ∼750 °C, but at temperatures above 800 °C, vapor-mediated ripening by PtO2 becomes the main sintering mechanism. This work demonstrates how colloidal catalysts allow unique insights into the working and deactivation mechanisms of supported systems.

The burden of Parkinson’s disease in the Middle East and North Africa region, 1990–2019: results from the global burden of disease study 2019

BackgroundParkinson’s disease (PD) remains a common disabling progressive neurodegenerative disorder. We aimed to report the prevalence, death and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to PD in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and its 21 countries by age, sex and socio-demographic index (SDI), between 1990 and 2019.MethodsPublicly available data on the burden of PD in the MENA countries were retrieved from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 project. The results are presented with age-standardised numbers and rates per 100,000 population, along with their corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs).ResultsIn 2019, PD had an age-standardised point prevalence of 82.6 per 100,000 population in MENA and an age-standardised death rate of 5.3, which have increased from 1990 to 2019 by 15.4% and 2.3%, respectively. In 2019, the age-standardised DALY rate of PD was 84.4, which was 0.9% higher than in 1990. The highest and lowest age-standardised DALY rates of PD in 2019 were found in Qatar and Kuwait, respectively. Also in 2019, the highest number of prevalent cases and number of DALYs were found in the 75–79 age group for both sexes. In 2019, females in MENA had an overall higher DALY rate. Furthermore, from 1990 to 2019 the burden of PD generally decreased with increasing socio-economic development, up to an SDI of around 0.4, and then increased with higher levels of SDI.ConclusionAn upward trend was observed in the point prevalence of PD over the last three decades. This highlights the need to allocate more resources for research. Furthermore, properly equipped healthcare services are needed for the increasing number of patients with PD.

One-Pot Au@Pd Dendritic Nanoparticles as Electrocatalysts with Ethanol Oxidation Reaction

The one-pot synthesis strategy of Au@Pd dendrites nanoparticles (Au@Pd DNPs) was simply synthesized in a high-temperature aqueous solution condition where cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) acted as a reducing and capping agent at a high temperature. The Au@Pd DNPs with highly monodisperse were shown in high yields by the Au:Pd rate. The nanostructure and optical and crystalline properties of the Au@Pd DNPs were characterized by UV–vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction. The Au@Pd DNPs showed an efficient electrochemical catalytic performance rate toward the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) due to their nanostructures and Au:Pd rate.

Intensity of Cyclophosphamide-Based Bridging Regimens before BCMA-Directed CAR-T Therapy

INTRODUCTION: Patients receiving autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapies targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) for multiple myeloma (MM) may require bridging therapy before CAR-T infusion to maintain some level of disease control. Many bridging regimens used in MM include alkylating agents such as cyclophosphamide (Cy), for example V(T)D-PACE, DCEP, or modified hyperCVAD. However, there is no consensus around the optimal choice or chemotherapy dose intensity of such bridging regimens. METHODS: We performed a single-center analysis of all instances of bridging therapy before planned autologous BCMA CAR-T during a 5-year period ending March 2022. We classified bridging regimens into three cohorts: (1) IV dose-dense Cy (IV_ddCy) with inpatient IV Cy every 12-24 hours and mesna support per modified hyperCVAD protocol (Narayan 2020); (2) Weekly_Cy, with weekly oral/IV Cy; and (3) No_Cy, where Cy was not used in bridging. Demographic and disease-related characteristics at time of T-cell collection, as well as post-CAR-T outcomes for patients who received CAR-T, were compared using Fisher's and Kruskal-Wallis testing. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: There were 69 discrete instances of bridging therapy among 63 unique patients, 89% of whom were previously Cy-exposed. Of these 69 instances, 38% involved IV_ddCy (n=26), 33% involved Weekly_Cy (n=23), and 29% involved No_Cy (n=20). Dexamethasone was used in most instances (88%, n=61) while 12% of instances incorporated radiation (n=8). Age, number of prior lines, triple-class refractory status, presence of high-risk cytogenetics, serum levels of paraprotein or involved light chains, bone marrow plasma cell burden, presence of renal dysfunction, rates of ≥PR to bridging, and rates of PD to bridging were similar between cohorts. However, extramedullary disease (EMD) was borderline more common with IV_ddCy (26%, n=6) than with Weekly_Cy (5%, n=1) (p=0.06). IV_ddCy bridging was associated with a higher total Cy exposure than Weekly_Cy: median 2100 vs 615 mg/m2 (p<0.01). All 10 instances of bridging without subsequent CAR-T were due to manufacturing failures. Among 59 instances of bridging followed by CAR-T, there were no significant differences in vein-to-vein intervals: 45 days with IV_ddCy, 39 days with Weekly_Cy, and 46 days with No_Cy. There were no differences in rates of CRS or ICANS. However, platelet recovery took longer with IV_ddCy than Weekly_Cy (median 64.0 vs 40 days, p=0.02). Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.3-not reached [NR]) with IV_ddCy versus 12.5 months (95% CI 9.4-NR) with Weekly_Cy (Figure 1A, p = 0.19). Median overall survival (OS) was 15.3 months (95% CI 9.2-NR) with IV_ddCy versus 29.5 months (95% CI 28.6-NR) with Weekly_Cy (Figure 1B, p = 0.01). DISCUSSION: In our retrospective analysis, patients bridged with IV_ddCy versus Weekly_Cy had comparable measures of MM burden. IV_ddCy bridging did not significantly prolong vein-to-vein intervals but was associated with delayed platelet recovery, perhaps related to a total median Cy exposure over 3 times that of Weekly_Cy. Importantly, IV_ddCy was associated with worsened OS despite comparable values for most markers of disease aggressiveness (apart from EMD). Study limitations include small sample size as well as confounding from unmeasured markers of MM aggressiveness among patients who were deemed to have required IV_ddCy bridging. However, our analysis suggests that intensive inpatient chemotherapy-based bridging regimens may not offer advantages over weekly Cy-containing regimens for most patients with MM who require pre-CAR-T bridging therapy. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Effectiveness and safety of herbal medicine Ukgansan for clinical symptoms in Parkinson's disease: A pilot, randomized, assessor-blinded clinical trial.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disease in which patients are suffering various symptoms. Previous experimental studies suggested that herbal medicine Ukgansan (UGS) could be beneficial for PD. The aim of this pilot clinical trial was to evaluate the efficacy of UGS for improving clinical symptoms in patients with PD. Sixty patients with idiopathic PD were randomly assigned to receive either UGS plus acupuncture or acupuncture alone for 6 weeks. During the trial, all anti-parkinsonian medications were maintained. Subjects were evaluated for various clinical assessments of PD, including the Movement Disorder Society-Sponsored Revision of the Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) and the 39-item Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), until 12 weeks. In MDS-UPDRS between the groups, no significant time x group interaction was found. In the subgroup analysis of participants with anxiety, a significant time x group interaction was found in the PDQ-39 domain of mobility (P = 0.007), activities of daily living (P = 0.042), and the PDQ-39 summary index (P = 0.048). In addition, post-hoc analysis in participants with anxiety showed a significant decrease in the domains of mobility (P = 0.001) and activities of daily living (P = 0.013) at week 7. There were no adverse events associated with UGS. The additional administration of UGS has the potential to significantly improve the quality of life of PD patients with anxiety. In order to create more definitive evidence, clinical trials with more rigorous methodologies should be conducted in future. http://cris.nih.go.kr, identifier: KCT0003444.

Efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus transarterial chemoembolization in intermediate to advanced hepatocellular carcinoma patients: A prospective, multi-center, real-world study.

ObjectiveCamrelizumab is a newly developed program-death receptor one inhibitor; the real-world evidence about its application in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment is lacking. Therefore, this prospective, multi-center, real-world study evaluated the efficacy and safety of camrelizumab plus transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) in treating intermediate-to-advanced HCC patients.MethodsThis study consecutively enrolled 101 intermediate to advanced HCC patients. All patients received camrelizumab-based treatment within 30 days of the perioperative period of the TACE operation. The primary outcome was progression-free survival (PFS), and the secondary effects were overall survival (OS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and AEs.ResultsSpecifically, the median PFS was 9.7 (95% confidence interval: 7.4–12.0) months, with a 1-year PFS rate of 30.6%. Meanwhile, the median OS was not reached (NR) yet, with a 1-year OS rate of 61.9%. Besides, the CR, PR, SD, and PD rates were 12.8%, 44.9%, 29.5%, and 12.8%, respectively. The ORR and DCR were 57.7% and 87.2%, respectively. More cycles of camrelizumab were independently correlated with prolonged PFS (hazard ratio (HR): 0.415, P = 0.002), whereas longer intervals between camrelizumab administration and TACE were independently associated with unfavorable PFS (HR: 1.873, P = 0.032). The incidence of total AEs was 90.1%; most AEs were grade 1 (20.8%), grade 2 (28.7%) and grade 3 (37.6%), while only 3 (3.0%) patients had grade 4 AEs.ConclusionThe camrelizumab plus TACE regimen is effective and safe, indicating its potential to serve as a promising treatment choice for intermediate to advanced HCC patients.

Efficient and selective adsorption of Au(III) and Pd(II) by trimesoyl chloride-crosslinked polyethyleneimine

It is a clear and present problem to separate precious metals from metallurgical wastewater selectively. In this study, an adsorbent is prepared via polyethyleneimine crosslinked by trimesoyl chloride (TMC@PEI), and then used to adsorb Au(III) and Pd(II). TMC@PEI has excellent and stable adsorption properties for Au(III) at pH = 1–9. TMC@PEI exhibits faster adsorption rate for Pd(II) than Au(III). Adsorption equilibrium time of Au(III) and Pd(II) at 10 mg/L are 20 min and 15 min, respectively. The maximum adsorption capacity of TMC@PEI for Au(III) and Pd(II) are 953.98 mg/g and 369.05 mg/g, respectively. In addition, TMC@PEI shows outstanding ions selectivity and reusability for Au(III) and Pd(II) adsorption. The adsorption of Au(III) by TMC@PEI is an endothermic process, while the adsorption of Pd(II) is an exothermic process. Adsorption kinetics of Au(III) and Pd(II) by TMC@PEI is suitable for pseudo second-order kinetic model. There exist electrostatic adsorption, redox reaction and chelation during adsorption of Au(III) by TMC@PEI. Adsorption of Pd(II) by TMC@PEI is accompanied by chelation.

Association of Concurrent Olfactory Dysfunction and Probable Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder with Early Parkinson's Disease Progression.

ABSTRACTBackgroundParkinson's disease (PD), with either rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) or olfactory dysfunction (OD), has been associated with disease progression. However, there is currently heterogeneity in predicting prognosis.ObjectivesTo identify whether the concurrent presence of OD and probable RBD (pRBD) in PD (Dual hit in PD, PD‐DH) is associated with disease progression.MethodsWe included 420 patients with de novo PD from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative: 180 PD only (PD), 82 PD with OD (PD‐OD), 94 PD with pRBD (PD‐pRBD), and 64 PD with both OD and pRBD (PD‐DH). Participants underwent motor and nonmotor evaluations, dopamine transporter imaging, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) assessment. Data were analyzed with generalized estimating equations and Cox proportional hazards analysis.ResultsThe PD‐DH subtype was associated with higher scores and faster progression rates in Movement Disorder Society–Unified PD Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS) Parts II and III. Also, patients in PD‐DH group had faster deterioration in nonmotor symptoms, including MDS‐UPDRS Part I score, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Hopkins Verbal Learning Test–Revised, Wechsler Memory Scale‐Third edition (WMS‐III) Letter Number Sequencing score, Symbol Digit Modalities Test, and Scales for Outcomes in PD–Autonomic scores, with all P values <0.002. Moreover, the PD‐DH subtype had a higher mild cognitive impairment risk (hazard ratio = 1.756, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.132–2.722; P = 0.012), faster decline in caudate standard uptake values (β = −0.03, 95% CI = −0.06 to −0.008, P = 0.012), and CSF α‐synuclein levels (β = −77, 95% CI = −149 to −5, P = 0.034) than the PD group.ConclusionCoexisting pRBD and OD in patients with PD may be associated with faster progressions in motor measurements and in cognitive and autonomic symptoms, indicating PD‐DH as a more aggressive subtype for PD.

Direct Recycle Palladium from Spent Automotive Catalyst to Carbon-Supported Palladium

In this research, a simple and economical process based on hydrometallurgy is developed to directly recycle platinum group metals from spent automotive catalysts to synthesize carbon supported platinum-group metals catalysts. Spent automotive catalysts are firstly leached by HCl+H2O2 system, resulting in Pd chloro-complexes. The optimized leaching rates of Pd and Rh are 97.99 ± 2.64% and 87.70 ± 1.23%, respectively. Then Pd precursor is separated from the leaching solution by precipitation, which can remove most impurities. The Pd precursor or Pd chloro-complexes solution can be used to synthesize carbon supported catalysts directly via an ethylene glycol reduction method. The samples are characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, EDS, and ICP-OES. 2–4 nm Pd/C are successfully synthesized using recycled Pd. The recycled Pd/C exhibits excellent long-term stability, with no activity loss in the homemade depolarized electrolyser after 150 h of 100 mA cm−2 electrolysis. The electrochemical tests indicate that the recycled Pd/C samples are not inferior to Pd/C prepared from (NH4)2PdCl4 reagent.