Sixth Cycle Research Articles

Green engineered Mo-CeO2@C nanocomposites for visible light-assisted dye decomposition and microbial apoptosis

The profound contamination of reservoirs triggered by industrial dyes and the growing phenomenon of antibiotic-resistant bacteria present substantial risks to both the environment and human health. Conventional approaches to water treatment and microbiological disinfection can frequently become ineffective, expensive, and detrimental to the environment, and this issue underscores the need for novel materials that possess refined photocatalytic and antibacterial characteristics that thrive efficiently in a setting of visible light. An innovative nanostructured nanocomposite, Mo-CeO2@C, was synthesized using a green chemistry method coupled with Mo-CeO2 nanoparticles and pristine CeO2. The impact of Ce, Mo, and carbon-based nanocomposites has been validated by leveraging XRD, FTIR, UV–vis spectra, and FE-SEM/EDX. The sunlight-mediated photodegradation performance of carbon-based nanocomposite exhibited a superior photodegradation efficiency of 99.5 %, higher than others. The photocatalytic activity of M.B. dye concentration, catalyst dosage, scavenger test, and recyclability were also conducted, which confirm the optimal catalyst loading of 20 mg, dye concentration 40 ppm, and pH 8 with reusability up to sixth cycles. The carbon-coated doped nanocomposite displays superior antibacterial efficacy against gram-positive S. aureus, gram-negative E. coli, and P. vulgaris bacteria in comparison to CeO2 and Mo-doped CeO2. This may be attributed to the combined effects of the generation of reactive oxygen species (R.O.S.) and the intrinsic characteristics of the dopant and carbon matrix. The results of our research emphasize the potential of carbon-based nanoparticles as versatile agents in the realms of environmental rehabilitation and biomedical research. These nanoparticles provide a method to achieve more efficient and resilient solutions in these areas.

Prospective therapeutic studies of disseminated extranodal large B-cell lymphoma including intravascular large B-cell lymphoma.

This study aimed to establish a standard treatment for disseminated extranodal large B-cell lymphoma, including intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (DEN-LBCL/IVL), and to validate the clinical diagnostic criteria we proposed. Between 2006 and 2016, 22 patients were enrolled in a clinical trial conducted by the Hokuriku Hematology Oncology Study Group. The first cycle of chemotherapy consisted of dose-reduced cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) with delayed administration of rituximab. From the second to the sixth cycle, patients received conventional rituximab and CHOP therapy. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), while the secondary endpoints included the complete response (CR) rate and time to treatment failure (TTF). The results showed a CR rate of 73%, a median OS of 65 months, and a median TTF of 45 months. These findings indicate that patients with DEN-LBCL/IVL were effectively treated with our new chemoimmunotherapy regimen. Our clinical diagnostic criteria are useful for identifying patients who require early intervention.

Z-scheme Ag2O/ZnO heterostructure on carbon fibers for efficient photocatalysis of tetracycline

Antibiotics can be transferred from water bodies to soil environment through irrigation, and then enriched in agricultural products, causing larger scale pollution. Due to the ability of antibiotics to inhibit microbial activity, the use of traditional microbial methods is not suitable for treating wastewater containing antibiotics. In nowadays, photocatalytic technology has been widely studied to deeply mineralize low concentration water-soluble pollutants like antibiotics. However, the photocatalytic technology still faces two challenges, namely the difficulty of recovering and reusing powdered catalysts, and the insufficient activity of catalysts. In this work, we designed a Z-scheme Ag2O/ZnO heterostructure in situ grown on large scaled carbon fiber (named CF/ZnO/Ag2O) to enhance the efficiency of photocatalysis of tetracycline (TC) in water. The large-area carbon fiber cloth facilitates the recovery and industrial application of the catalyst, while the Z-scheme heterojunction structure significantly enhances the charge separation efficiency and catalytic performance. The results show that the interface formed by the close contact between ZnO and Ag2O provides an effective channel for charge transfer between them. Compared with existing catalysts, the prepared Z-scheme Ag2O/ZnO photocatalyst not only has higher activity, but also could solve the problem of easy loss and difficult recycling of powdered catalysts in water. Importantly, the efficiency for photocatalysis of tetracycline (TC) over CF/ZnO/Ag2O is about 94.50%, and after sixth cycles, the degradation rate is still 81.32%. The catalyst grows in situ on the surface of carbon fibers and is not easily detached. The degradation pathways of TC, toxicity analysis of intermediates and mechanism of the photocatalysis over CF/ZnO/Ag2O were explored. These characteristics make this catalyst have higher practical application potential and value, especially in improving the biodegradability of antibiotic wastewater and achieving deep purification of wastewater to improve effluent quality.

CoFe bimetallic phosphide fabricated by topological transformation strategy for efficient electrooxidation of benzyl alcohol

Rational design of effective non-precious metallic electrocatalysts is crucial for electrooxidation of benzyl alcohol (BA) producing benzoic acid (BAC). Herein, CoFe bimetallic phosphide (CoFeP-m) with bimetallic synergy, fully exposed active sites, and fast charge transfer was fabricated by topological transformation of CoFe-LDH for the efficient electrooxidation of BA to BAC under mild condition. Under the optimal conditions of starting voltage of 0.7 V vs. Ag/AgCl at 25oC, CoFeP-300 achieved 97.71% transformation of BA and 97.84% BAC's selectivity for 8 h. In addition, CoFeP-300 showed excellent stability which maintained 95.89% transform into BA and 95.37% BAC's selectivity at the sixth cycle.

Green, mild, and rapid plasma synthesis of nitrogen/amino-cofunctionalized MWCNTs-supported Pd catalyst in solution for boosting formic acid dehydrogenation

Developing Pd catalysts with high catalytic activity and stability for formic acid dehydrogenation still remains a great challenge. Herein, a nitrogen/amino-cofunctionalized MWCNTs-supported Pd catalyst (Pd/MWCNTs-AP) was prepared in solution by a green, mild, and fast plasma technology. At 333 K reaction temperature, the turnover frequency (8415 h−1) over Pd/MWCNTs-AP for formic acid dehydrogenation was 1.26 and 5.16 times of those using Sigma-Aldrich Pd/C and thermal reduction prepared Pd/MWCNTs-AH, respectively. Impressively, the activity of Pd/MWCNTs-AP was not reduced during the six reaction cycles. In contrast, after the sixth cycle, the volume of gas produced using Sigma-Aldrich Pd/C decreased to 48 % of the initial volume. The results of structural characterization showed that Pd/MWCNTs-AP possessed ultrasmall-sized Pd, high Pd/C and N/C atomic ratios, and abundant –OH, facilitating the breakage of C–H and O–H bonds in formic acid to produce H and thus H2. Therefore, Pd/MWCNTs-AP exhibited excellent catalytic performance for formic acid dehydrogenation.

Phosphate Removal from Polluted Water via Lanthanum-Modified Sludge Biochar

Biochar has attracted attention for its capability to remove phosphorus (P) from wastewater. However, the poor dispersion and limited adsorption capacity of unmodified biochar prevent its wide usage in water remediation. Herein, sludge biochar was modified using lanthanum nitrate to improve the removal of P from aqueous solutions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to elucidate the modification and adsorption mechanisms of biochar. Furthermore, the adsorption performance of the modified biochar was determined through adsorption kinetics and isotherm model fitting. The results showed that the modification process successfully introduced lanthanum-containing functional groups into biochar and considerably improved the complexation performance and ion-exchange capacity. The maximum experimental adsorption capacity for phosphate was 140.237 mg/g at pH 3.0. The adsorption processes of the modified biochar accorded with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm model, which indicates the successful adsorption of phosphate onto the modified biochar via multilayer adsorption. The adsorption mechanism was dominated by chemisorption, which mainly involved inner-sphere complexation, precipitation, and electrostatic attraction. Meanwhile, the adsorption and desorption experiments demonstrated the satisfying recycling performance of the modified biochar and the 72.3% adsorption capacity retention after the sixth desorption cycle. The dynamic adsorption study revealed that the modified biochar had long sustainable treatment durations of 7.58 and 9.08 h at adsorbent dosages of 1 and 2 g, respectively, which proves the feasibility of using biochar as a cost-effective and efficient adsorbent for phosphate-polluted water.

Incorporation of CO2 in efficient oxazolidinone synthesis at mild condition by covalent triazine framework designed with Ag nanoparticles

We have synthesized a new hybrid material, Ag0@CTFN in which small-sized Ag-nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are anchored on the surface of covalent triazine framework nanosheet (CTFN). Here, CTFN works as the support as well as the capping agent for the small-sized Ag-NPs. Ag0@CTFN has been synthesized in a one pot method where Ag-NPs attach with the nitrogen atoms present in the triazin units. This as synthesized Ag0@CTFN material has been characterized by FTIR, XRD, N2 adsorption desorption analysis, SEM, TEM and XPS analysis. All these characterizations reveal that around 4.97 nm sized Ag-NPs are anchored on the surfaces of layer-like CTFN nanosheets. Ag0@CTFN samples have shown their excellent catalytic activity for the selectively oxazolidinone formation from propargyl alcohol and amine by fixing CO2 under mild reaction condition. Moreover, this is the first report on Ag0@CTFN hybrid material which catalyze the oxazolidinone synthesis by fixing CO2. Again, this catalyst has shown their recyclability for oxazolidinone synthesis reaction up to sixth cycle by keeping their activity almost intact. There is no metal or catalyst leaching noticed up to sixth cycle for this reaction.

A phase Ib, open-label study of add-on therapy with CK0804 in participants with myelofibrosis and suboptimal response to ruxolitinib.

6580 Background: Suboptimal response to JAK2 inhibitor ruxolitinib in patients with myelofibrosis (MF) remains a major unmet medical need. Deregulated inflammatory pathways including CXCR4/CXCR12 axis might limit the therapeutic efficacy of ruxolitinib and contribute to disease progression. In preclinical studies, cord blood-derived, CXCR4 enriched T regulatory cells [CK0804; T-regs] showed ability to suppress inflammatory cytokines playing major role in MF (Huang et al., Cytotherapy, 2023). Methods: This phase Ib study evaluates the safety and activity of up to 6 doses of CK0804 (non-HLA matched, Cryopreserved) T-regs therapy, fixed dose of 100 million cells, added every 28 days to ruxolitinib. Patients with MF on ruxolitinib for ≥12 weeks and stable dose for ≥8 weeks, who have palpable splenomegaly, symptoms, or grade 2 cytopenia are eligible. Primary objective is safety, secondary objective is overall response per IWG-MRT criteria at 24 weeks. Present analysis includes cohort of initial run-in safety phase. Results: Nine patients of median age 68 years (range, 55-84) were enrolled, 44% were males. Median blood counts [range] showed while blood cells 10.6 [3.1-70.4] x10^9/L, hemoglobin 8.8 [7.8-11.5] g/dL, platelets 177 [148-311] x10^9/L. Three patients were transfusion dependent. Median spleen volume was 1449 cubic centimeters (176-5609), 7 patients (78%) had clinically worsening splenomegaly. Median symptoms score (MPN-SAF TSS) was 23 (20-40). Six (67%) had diploid karyotype, 5 (56%) had JAK2 mutation and 8 (89%) had additional no-driver mutations. Median duration of prior ruxolitinib was 35 months (range, 10-132), all patients were on ≥ 10 mg twice daily dose with no dose change throughout the study. Four patients received all six doses of CK0804, three patients have ongoing treatments. One patient experienced infusion reaction to second dose of CK0804 likely due to the excipient dimethylsulfoxide and withdrew consent. One patient died of unrelated cause prior to the infusion 6. There were no nonhematologic or hematologic adverse events. Two transfusion dependent patients who were evaluable for response had decreased monthly need for transfusions by the end of the sixth cycle: 4 to 2.8 units and 1.2 to 0.8 units, respectively. All patients noticed symptoms improvement; median best decline in MPN-SAF TSS was -38% (range, -20% to -71%); with ≥ 50% reduction in 3 patients. One patient achieved ≥ 35% spleen volume reduction at week 12. Longitudinal analysis of markers of inflammation is in progress and will be presented at the conference. Conclusions: This preliminary analysis of run-in phase of study evaluating CXCR4 enriched T regs cell therapy as addition to ruxolitinib shows initial safety with no myelosuppressive adverse events and promising clinical activity. Active enrollment of participants to the expansion cohort is ongoing. Clinical trial information: NCT05423691 .

Integrated membrane packed enzymatic column for the removal of atrazine in wastewater: Experimental, kinetics, breakthrough curves analysis and applicability in real wastewater

The current study explored the performance of a packed bed biocatalytic column equipped with polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membranes and Novoprime base 268 laccase (Lac) for the biotransformation of the recalcitrant herbicide, atrazine (ATZ). Column design parameters: feed concentration (5 mg L −1), flow rate (2 mL min−1) and bed height (14 cm) generated optimum membrane retention (MR) in the fixed bed. A standalone MR system attained >50 % of ATZ retention with a maximum capacity of 170.2 mg g−1 at bed service time of 559 min. Under optimized conditions (50 mg dosage, 5 mg L−1 solution concentration at 25 °C) 66 % degradation efficiency was observed in the laccase-assisted conversion within 24 h. PES-Laccase (PES-Lac) biocatalyst improved the overall degradation efficiency to 86 %, exhibited simple regeneration and satisfactory operational reusability, retaining 46 % activity in the sixth cycle. Overall, the work demonstrated the potential of PES-Lac biocatalytic system to selectively bioremediate ATZ and provided a detailed understanding of the factors influencing its efficiency for applicability in water reclamation.

The effect of carbonized zeolitic imidazolate framework-67 (ZIF-67) support on the reactivity and selectivity of bimetal-catalytic aqueous NO3− reduction

A metallic catalyst, Cobalt N-doped Carbon (Co@NC), was obtained from Zeolitic-Imidazolate Framework-67 (ZIF-67) for efficient aqueous nitrate (NO3−) removal. This advanced catalyst indicated remarkable efficiency by generating valuable ammonium (NH3/NH4+) via an environmentally friendly production technique during the nitrate treatment. Among various metals (Cu, Pt, Pd, Sn, Ru, and Ni), 3.6%Pt–Co@NC exhibited an exceptional nitrate removal, demonstrating a complete removal of 60 mg/L NO3−-N (265 mg/L NO3−) in 30 min with the fastest removal kinetics (11.4 × 10−2 min−1) and 99.5% NH4+ selectivity. The synergistic effect of bimetallic Pt–Co@NC led to 100% aqueous NO3− removal, outperforming the reactivity by bare ZIF-67 (3.67%). The XPS analysis illustrated Co's promotor role for NO3− reduction to less oxidized nitrogen species and Pt's hydrogenation role for further reduction to NH4+. The durability test revealed a slight decrease in NO3− removal, which started from the third cycle (95%) and slowly proceeded to the sixth cycle (80.2%), while NH4+ selectivity exceeded 82% with no notable Co or Pt leaching throughout seven consecutive cycles. This research shed light on the significance of the impregnated Pt metal and Co exposed on the Co@NC surface for the catalytic nitrate treatment, leading to a sustainable approach for the effective removal of nitrate and economical NH4+ production.

Effective removal of organic and inorganic pollutants from abattoir wastewater using magnesium oxide/activated carbon nanocomposites

This study investigated the development and characterization of activated carbon (AC), magnesium oxide (MgO), and a combination of AC and MgO nanocomposite for abattoir wastewater treatment. Activated carbon was derived from Hura crepitans pods, whereas MgO nanoparticles were produced through biosynthesis. Different composite (AC/MgO) ratios (1:1, 1:2, and 2:1) were prepared using a wet impregnation technique. The efficiency of these nanoadsorbents in eliminating heavy metal pollutants were tested through batch adsorption experiments under the influence of the dosage, temperature, and contact time. Various analytical tools were used to characterize the prepared nanoadsorbents. XRD confirmed the formation of a pure MgO periclase phase, indicating a reduction in particle size with the increase in pH. The HRSEM images of the nanocomposites showed porous carbon structures with regular mesopores and spherical MgO nanoparticles. The uniform granules with agglomerated spherical shapes were confirmed by the SAED patterns, suggesting the core/shell structure of MgO from the HRTEM images. Further imaging confirmed the dispersion of carbon and magnesium in the nanocomposites, without the formation of distinct dopant oxides. The specific surface areas were determined as 2.74 m2/g for activated carbon, 27.57 m2/g for MgO, and 40.82 m2/g for activated carbon/MgO, indicating enhanced surface area due to the addition of activated carbon. Batch adsorption studies indicated that the AC/MgO nanocomposite in the 1:2 ratio exhibited the highest pollutant adsorption rate under similar conditions. The adsorption study was calculated by the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir isotherm models. The AC/MgO nanocomposite demonstrated reusability over six cycles, with a slight reduction in removal efficiency from the first cycle (98.05 % for Fe, 96.50 % for Cd, and 94.32 % for Pb) to the sixth cycle (91.10 % for Fe, 86.56 % for Cd, and 84.03 % for Pb). Overall, these findings suggest that AC/MgO nanocomposites can effectively eliminate pollutants from abattoir wastewater.

IMMOBILIZATION OF A MICROBIAL FRUCTOSYLTRANSFERASE ON BIOCHAR AND BIOCHAR FUNCTIONALIZED WITH GLUTARALDEHYDE AIMING AT FRUCTOOLIGOSSACHARIDES PRODUCTION

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are a group of carbohydrates that have fructose units, with a glucose molecule at the end. These are structures that can be found in a wide variety of vegetables, being also produced chemically by the enzymatic transfructosylation reaction of sucrose. The present work aimed at the immobilization of the extracellular FTase enzyme from Aspergillus oryzae-IPT-301 on Eucalyptus biochar and Eucalyptus biochar functionalized with glutaraldehyde, for the enzymatic conversion of sucrose into FOS. Immobilization and reuse tests were carried out and immobilization yield and recovered activity calculated. The immobilization yield (IY) and recovered activity (RA) of the FTase immobilized on biochar were, 10.92% and 77.67%, respectively. The IY and RA of the FTase immobilized on the functionalized biochar were, 22.44% and 96.51%, respectively. The enzyme immobilized on functionalized biochar demonstrated transfructosylation activity for more cycles than the enzyme immobilized on biochar. The use of glutaraldehyde allowed 48% of initial enzymatic activity in the third cycle. Analyzes were conducted up to the sixth cycle, however, only 7% of initial enzymatic activity was achieved in the final cycle. These results suggest that functionalized biochar stands out as a support material for FTase immobilization aiming at FOS production catalyzed on heterogeneous biocatalysts.

Electrosynthesis of nitrate by FeS2-TiO2 heterogeneous nanoparticles supported on 2-methylimidazolium functionalized polypyrrole/graphene oxide

Electrochemical nitrogen oxidation reaction (NOR) acts as a clean and sustainable approach for promisingly replacing the conventional industrial method for producing nitrate. Designing and preparing the effective electrocatalysts for NOR has aroused great research interests. Herein, FeS2-TiO2 heterostructures are well-dispersed on the surface of 2-methylimidazolium functionalized polypyrrole/graphene oxide (2-MeIm/PPy/GO) by the in situ growth due to the ion-exchange and the coordination between the 2-MeIm groups and the metal precursors, which exhibit the excellent NOR electroactivity. The highest NO3– yield by the obtained FeS2-TiO2@2-MeIm/PPy/GO reaches to 137.04 μg h−1 mg-1act. with the maximum Faradic efficiency (FE) of 4.38 % at 2.04 V (vs. RHE), better than most reported electrocatalysts. The good selectivity for producing nitrate is also achieved, but the stability of both the NO3– yield and FE present a trend of rising and then declining in the cyclic test of FeS2-TiO2@2-MeIm/PPy/GO. The irreversible conversion of the electrocatalysts can be confirmed through detailed characterization towards the crystal structures and chemical states of FeS2-TiO2@2-MeIm/PPy/GO after long term NOR test. The electrochemical step of NOR mainly occurs at FeS2, converting the inert N2 to active *NO intermediates. SO42- generated at high NOR potential gradually increase by the oxidation of S element, which can cause the promotion of the NOR performance before the fourth cycle. But along with the disappearance of FeS2 phase, FeS2-TiO2 as the catalytic center is finally irreversibly converted to Fe and S ions doped TiO2, resulting in the sharp drop of both the NO3– yield and FE at the sixth cycle. This work will provide valuable guidance for the designing and preparing NOR electrocatalysts.

Aggressive HER2-Positive Gastric Cancer in a Young Patient, Refractory in Trastuzumab and Progressive with Trastuzumab-Emtansine Treatment

Gastric cancer remains a major global health problem. Gastric cancer is the fifth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. The prognosis of the disease is poor because it is often diagnosed at later stages, especially at HER2-positive. Most patients diagnosed with gastric cancer present with advanced, incurable disease. This report details the case of a 30-year-old male patient diagnosed with metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma. Stage T3 N3 M1, PD-L1 0%, and HER2+.The patient was administered neoadjuvant palliative chemotherapy, eight cycles of FLOT, and the last two cycles of HER-FLOT. The patient constantly had elevated levels of liver enzymes, and therefore, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with biliary stenting was performed. After chemotherapy followed by restaging, the tumor board, based on the findings, decided to remove the primary tumor from this young patient. The operation was performed as a palliative da Vinci-assisted total gastrectomy with lymphadenectomy. Then, trastuzumab monotherapy was prescribed. At that time, the patient's follow-up with PET-CT showed progression with hypermetabolic lymph nodes in the paraaortic and aortocaval regions, as well as left hydronephrosis. As a result, we started the second-line therapy with T-DM1, an antibody-drug conjugate trastuzumab-emtansine (KADCYLA), for five cycles. At the time of receiving the sixth cycle, the patient's condition changed dramatically due to liver and heart problems, pleural effusion, and bleeding. After two years of treatment, all oncological-specific therapies have been ended, and the patient has been put in palliative care to relieve suffering and to support the best possible quality of life. This case underlines the importance of identifying potential therapeutic targets and developing therapies to improve the outcomes of systemic treatment beyond those currently achieved with conventional chemotherapy and targets.

Perioperative Chemotherapy Including Bevacizumab in Potentially Curable Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Long-Term Follow-Up of the ASSO-LM1 Trial.

In 2007, the ASSO-LM1 trial, a multicenter prospective study, was initiated to investigate the resectability (R0) rate following preoperative combination therapy with XELOX and bevacizumab in patients with potentially resectable colorectal liver metastases. Six cycles of systemic therapy were administered preoperatively, although the sixth cycle did not include bevacizumab, resulting in 5 weeks between the last bevacizumab dose and surgery. Treatment with bevacizumab plus XELOX was restarted for another six cycles postoperatively. In total, 43 patients were enrolled in the ASSO-LM1 trial. Eight patients were ineligible for resection due to protocol violation and progression in two patients. The resectability of operated patients was 97% with 34 R0 resections and one R1 resection. Postoperative morbidity occurred in 22% of patients, of which three operative revisions were related to the primary tumor resection. Efficacy results for response in 38 eligible patients confirmed an ORR of 66%, 31% SD and 3% PD according to RECIST. Preoperative grade 3/4 adverse events were 17% diarrhea, 5% HFS and 5% thromboembolic events. Overall survival significantly differed depending upon the fulfillment of adjuvant treatment in curative resected patients (59.1 mo vs. 30.8 mo). In conclusion, the ASSO-LM1 trial is a hypothesis-generating study confirming the prognostic benefits of perioperative therapy with XELOX and bevacizumab in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer confined to the liver.

Utilization of oyster shell nano-hydroxyapatite modified red-brick waste as an environmentally friendly composite filler for Cd(II) and Cr(VI) adsorption: Preparation, property and mechanism

The ongoing process of urbanization in China has led to a growing concern regarding environmental contamination caused by the significant accumulation of construction demolition trash. This study employs the water thermal method to synthesize hydroxyapatite using natural waste oyster shells as the primary raw material. This study explores the use of synthesized hydroxyapatite (O-HA) on building waste red-brick fragments (RBF) for removing cadmium (Cd(II)) and chromium (Cr(VI)) from water. The RBF fillers, both before and after modification, underwent comprehensive characterization using various techniques, including automated analysis of specific surface area and porosity (BET), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In the sixth cycle of purification experiments, the average removal rate of Cd(II) by O-HA-modified red-bricks (O-HA/RBF) could still reach 88.18 %, which was about 20.00 % higher than that of the RBF. However, the removal of Cr(VI) by O-HA/RBF was unsatisfactory at 5.33 %. The adsorption mechanisms of Cd(II) and Cr(VI) were explored by isothermal adsorption tests and adsorption kinetic tests. According to the mechanism analysis, physical adsorption and chemical adsorption were the main reasons for Cd(II) adsorption by O-HA/RBF. This involves ion exchange and surface complexation between calcium ions in O-HA and Cd(II), forming a low-solubility precipitate for effective removal. However, for Cr(VI), physisorption predominantly governs O-HA/RBF, elucidating the limited efficacy in Cr(VI) removal. The cost analysis showed that using O-HA/RBF as filler reduced overall expenses in wetland development, offering promising prospects for engineering applications.

Chemotherapy-related trigeminal and glossopharyngeal nerves neurotoxicity: a cohort study

The association between orofacial neurotoxicity and chemotherapy treatment is still unclear. In this context, the purpose of this study is to relate the orofacial alterations that manifest during antineoplastic pharmacological treatment, highlighting the drugs commonly related to orofacial neuropathy and the adequate instrument to verify the alterations at clinical levels. This prospective cohort study, addressed patients who would start therapy with taxanes, platinum, or related therapy. The collection of signs and symptoms was divided into 3 different times (baseline, second or third cycle of antineoplastic chemotherapy treatment, and sixth cycle). A total of 40 patients were submitted to the application of the Short McGill pain questionnaire and Neutoxicity Induced by Antineoplastics questionnaire (QNIA). To verify sensory alterations in the face, a clinical evaluation was performed with the help of Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments. Taxanes show greater orofacial neurotoxic potential, being associated with sensory alterations assessed by monofilaments (P = .003) and the presence of orofacial pain analyzed by the Short McGill pain questionnaire (P = .001). These medications related to neuropathy in the orofacial region measured through the QNIA, demonstrating a predominantly acute nature (P < .001). It is suggested that chemotherapy may induce neurotoxicity in the orofacial region.

Role of HDL cholesterol in anthracycline-induced subclinical cardiotoxicity: a prospective observational study in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma treated with R-CHOP

ObjectivesAnthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity is a debilitating cardiac dysfunction for which there are no effective treatments, making early prevention of anthracycline-induced subclinical cardiotoxicity (AISC) crucial. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) plays a role...

Optimizing the aldosterone-to-renin ratio cut-off for screening primary aldosteronism based on cardiovascular risk: a collaborative study

ABSTRACT Objectives Aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) based screening is the first step in the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism (PA). However, the guideline-recommended ARR cutoff covers a wide range, from the equivalent of 1.3 to 4.9 ng·dl−1/mIU∙l−1. We aimed to optimize the ARR cutoff for PA screening based on the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Methods Longitudinally, we included hypertensive participants from the Framingham Offspring Study (FOS) who attended the sixth examination cycle and followed up until 2014. At baseline (1995–1998), we used circulating concentrations of aldosterone and renin to calculate ARR (unit: ng·dl−1/mIU∙l−1) among 1,433 subjects who were free of CVD. We used spline regression to calculate the ARR threshold based on the incident CVD. We used cross-sectional data from the Chongqing Primary Aldosteronism Study (CONPASS) to explore whether the ARR cutoff selected from FOS is applicable to PA screening. Results In FOS, CVD risk increased with an increasing ARR until a peak of ARR 1.0, followed by a plateau in CVD risk (hazard ratio 1.49, 95%CI 1.19–1.86). In CONPASS, when compared to essential hypertension with ARR < 1.0, PA with ARR ≥ 1.0 carried a higher CVD risk (odds ratio 2.24, 95%CI 1.41–3.55), while essential hypertension with ARR ≥ 1.0 had an unchanged CVD risk (1.02, 0.62–1.68). Setting ARR cutoff at 2.4 ~ 4.9, 10% ~30% of PA subjects would be unrecognized although they carried a 2.45 ~ 2.58-fold higher CVD risk than essential hypertension. Conclusions The CVD risk-based optimal ARR cutoff is 1.0 ng·dl−1/mIU∙l−1 for PA screening. The current guideline-recommended ARR cutoff may miss patients with PA and high CVD risk. Clinical Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03224312)

Hodgkin transformation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma

Introduction. In rare cases, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)/small lymphocytic lymphoma may transform into Hodgkin lymphoma, with about a hundred cases reported in the literature so far. We present a case of the Hodgkin variant of Richter transformation. Case report. After a one-year watch and wait period, a 60-year-old male with CLL developed B symptoms, generalized lymphadenopathy, and splenomegaly. Upon initial staging (Binet B/Rai 3), he was started on fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (FCR) regimen. After the third cycle of treatment, the right-sided axillary lymphadenopathy persisted and became pain-ful, while the dimensions of the remaining organs affected by the disease decreased. Upon the finalization of the final sixth FCR cycle, the painful right-sided axillary lymphadenopathy persisted (though partially decreasing in size), with the development of local redness and swelling. A biopsy of the residual axillary node was performed, which revealed disease transformation into Hodgkin lymphoma. Upon multislice computed tomography-based staging (IV E clinical stage) and prognostic assessment (unfavorable prognosis), it was decided that the treatment be continued with doxorubicin, vinblastine, dacarbazine (AVD) regimen. The presented patient died two months after the diagnosis of Hodgkin transformation (HT) was established during the initial cycle of AVD. Conclusion. Although CLL is an indolent malignancy, in rare cases of HT, the prognosis is largely dismal. The available treatment strategies demonstrate suboptimal results, although novel immunotherapies may change the landscape of HT therapy in the near future.