Impact of Donor-Recipient Relationship on Long-Term Outcomes in Living-Related Donor Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the donor-recipient relationship on the long-term outcomes of living-related kidney transplantation (LRKT), a topic that has been previously underreported. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 598 LRKTs performed between 2001 and 2021were analyzed and classified into 5 groups based on the donor-recipient relationship: 228 from mothers (M-to-C), 160 from fathers (F-to-C), 115 from siblings, 55 from spouses, and 40 from offspring. Graft survival, postoperative complications within the first year, serum creatinine (Scr), and hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause graft loss were assessed. RESULTS The overall 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-year graft survival rates were 96.0%, 92.4%, 86.4%, 79.9%, and 69.9%, respectively. The graft survival rate in the sibling group was slightly higher than those in the M-to-C and F-to-C groups, and the differences between the groups were insignificant. The survival rates of grafts donated by spouses and offspring were lower than in other groups, and the incidence of graft loss within the first postoperative year was higher in the offspring group. In comparison to the sibling group, spouse and offspring donations increased the graft loss risk (HR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.6-6.9) and 3.8 (1.7-8.4), respectively, followed by M-to-C and F-to-C donations (HR, 1.9; 95% CI: 1.2-3.4) and 1.8 (1.1-3.1), respectively, which were associated with elevated postoperative Scr levels. CONCLUSIONS Spouse and offspring donations significantly increased the risk of graft loss compared to donations from siblings, followed by M-to-C and F-to-C pairings, which were associated with higher postoperative Scr levels.

Enhancing Efficacy and Safety in Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy for Localized Renal Tuberculosis: The Skirted Continuous Suture Technique.

BACKGROUND Limited research has been conducted on laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for kidney tuberculosis. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the skirted continuous suture technique in laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for localized renal tuberculosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Five patients with kidney tuberculosis underwent standard retroperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy after computed tomography evaluation. The skirted continuous suture technique was utilized during the procedure. This retrospective study analyzed the outcomes of these patients who received treatment between January 2011 and December 2020 at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital and Eighth Medical Center of Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. RESULTS The surgical success rate was 100%. Renal function was well preserved, with a decrease of glomerular filtration rate by 9.6±9.0 ml/min. Only 1 patient experienced postoperative urinous infiltration and lymphatic fistula, while the others did not have any surgical complications. Antituberculous therapy was continued postoperatively, and 1 patient had recurrence during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS The laparoscopic continuous suturing technique offers a reliable and straightforward method for extensively closing incision edges of the renal parenchyma in laparoscopic surgery. It contributes to the improved efficacy and safety of treating localized renal tuberculosis with exceptional application.

Current Trends and Future Directions of Malignancy After kidney Transplantation: A 1970-2022 Bibliometric Analysis.

BACKGROUND Malignancy after kidney transplantation (MKT) remains a leading cause of death in transplant recipients and over the past few decades there have been many reports on this topic. However, the task of extracting crucial information from intricate events poses a significant challenge in guiding clinical work. Hence, bibliometrics was employed to summarize and predict the future in this study. MATERIAL AND METHODS Reviews and articles on MKT were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and were analyzed by the software VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Scimago Graphica, and R package Bibliometrix for bibliometric analysis. RESULTS The analysis considered 5700 publications from 28 647 authors and 4924 institutions across 100 countries, spanning the years 1970-2022. Reference co-citation analysis showed that "renal cell carcinoma", "skin cancer", "post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder" and "COVID-19 vaccine" were research hotspots. Keywords that co-occurred early were "immunosuppressant", "cancer", "Epstein-Barr virus", "squamous cell carcinoma", and "infection", etc., while "impact","risk factor", "outcomes", "mortality", "management" frequently co-occurred later. From 2020 to 2022, newly emerging keywords such as "SARS-CoV-2" and "COVID-19", together with citation bursts for "immune checkpoint inhibitors" and "ipilimumab," were observed. CONCLUSIONS The focus of MKT-related studies has evolved from exploring the spectrum, risk factors, and outcomes of MKT, to examining the pathogenesis, individualized screening, prevention, and treatment, including appropriate use of immune checkpoint inhibitors. Reports of renal transplant recipients infected with SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 have also gained attention since 2019. These suggest that individualized management remains a frontier for research and a future direction in MKT topics.

Remarkably enhanced stereocomplex crystallization of high-molar-mass enantiomeric polylactide blends by adding double-grafted copolymers.

Stereocomplex (SC) crystallization can prominently improve the physico-chemical properties of poly(l-lactide)/poly(d-lactide) (PLLA/PDLA) blends, yielding a novel polylactide (PLA) material. However, the predominant formation of SC crystals in the melt-processing of high-molar-mass (high-MW, >100 kg/mol) enantiomeric PLA blends remains a huge challenge due to the competition between SC crystallization and homocrystallization. Herein, double-grafted copolymer having both PLLA and PDLA side chain has been designed and synthesized as an efficient crystallization promoter for the harvest of SC crystals in the high-MW PLLA/PDLA blends. The results show that, with the addition of such a copolymer, the blends can preferentially crystallize into SC crystals in both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. Promisingly, the SC crystals can be exclusively formed by adding only small amounts (e.g., 0.5 wt%) of the copolymer, without the formation of any homocrystals. This interesting observation can be interpreted by the crucial role of the unique copolymer in suppressing the phase separation of the opposite PLA enantiomers upon melting as an efficient compatibilizer and then encouraging the generation of alternatingly arranged PLLA/PDLA chain clusters favored for SC nucleation and crystal growth. These findings provide new inspiration for the development of high-performance PLA with desirable SC crystallizability.

Using an aromatic amide as nucleating agent to enhance the crystallization and dimensional stability of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanate).

Biosynthesized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) has emerged as a promising biodegradable polymer with a great potential to compete with traditional petroleum-based plastics, however, the poor crystallization ability makes it challenge to transform into high-performance products via common melt-processing methods. Herein, we demonstrate that N,N'-dicyclohexyl-2,6-naphthalenedicarboxamide (TMB) can serve as an efficient nucleating agent to significantly enhance the crystallization and resulting storage stability of PHBHHx. The results indicate that PHBHHx with small amounts of TMB (0.3-0.5 wt%) can crystallize completely even under a rapid cooling rate of 100 °C/min and the isothermal crystallization time is greatly reduced. As a result, the crystallinity of the injection-molded PHBHHx products is increased from 24.5 % to 39.5 %, without secondary crystallization after being stored at room temperature for 6 h. The products exhibit superior dimensional stability and the post-shrinkage can be decreased to as low as 0.1 %. Our work offers a feasible method to develop high-performance PHBHHx materials with remarkably enhanced crystallization ability.

Mind evolutionary algorithm optimization in the prediction of satellite clock bias using the back propagation neural network.

Satellite clock bias is the key factor affecting the accuracy of the single point positioning of a global navigation satellite system. The traditional model back propagation (BP) neural network is prone to local optimum problems. This paper presents a prediction model and algorithm for the clock bias of the BP neural network based on the optimization of the mind evolutionary algorithm (MEA), which is used to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of the BP neural network. The accuracy of the comparison between clock bias data is verified with and without one-time difference processing. Compared with grey model (GM (1,1)) and BP neural network, this paper discusses the advantages and general applicability of this method from different constellation satellites, different atomic clock type satellites, and the amount of modeling data. The accuracy of the grey model (GM(1,1)), BP, and MEA-BP models for satellite clock bias prediction is analyzed and the root mean square error, range difference error, and the mean of the clock bias data compared. The results demonstrate that the prediction accuracy of the three satellites significantly increased after one-time difference processing and that they have good stability. The prediction accuracy of four sessions of 2 h, 3 h, 6 h, and 12 h obtained using the MEA-BP model was better than 0.74, 0.80, 1.12, and 0.87 ns, respectively. The MEA-BP model has a specific degree of improvement in the prediction accuracy of the different sessions. Additionally, the prediction accuracy of different models has a specific relationship with the length of the original modeling sequence, of which BP model is the most affected, and MEABP is relatively less affected by the length of the modeling sequence, indicating that the MEA-BP model has strong anti-interference ability.

Hierarchically Designed Biodegradable Polylactide Particles with Unprecedented Piezocatalytic Activity and Biosafety for Tooth Whitening.

At-home tooth whitening solutions with good efficacy and biosafety are highly desirable to meet the ever-growing demand for aesthetic dentistry. As a promising alternative to the classic peroxide bleaching that may damage tooth enamel and gums, piezocatalysis has been recently proposed to realize non-destructive whitening by toothbrushing with piezoelectrical particles. However, traditional particles either pose potential threats to human health or exhibit low piezoresponse to weak mechanical stimuli in the toothbrushing. Here, biocompatible and biodegradable polylactide particles constructed from interlocking crystalline lamellae have been hierarchically designed as next-generation whitening materials with ultra-high piezocatalytic activity and biosafety. By simultaneously controlling the chain conformation within lamellae and the porosity of such unique lamellae network at the nano- and microscales, the particles possessing unprecedented piezoelectricity have been successfully prepared due to the markedly increased dipole alignment, mechanical deformability, and specific surface area. The piezoelectric output can reach as high as 18.8 V, nearly 50 times higher than that of common solid polylactide particles. Consequently, their piezocatalytic effect can be readily activated by a toothbrush to rapidly clean the teeth stained with black tea and coffee, without causing detectable enamel damage. Furthermore, these particles have no cytotoxicity. This work presents a paradigm for achieving high piezoelectric activity in polylactide, which enables its practical application in tooth whitening.

Galectin-9 contributes to the survival of fully allogeneic skin grafts by modulating effector T cells and Tregs imbalance.

Allogeneic skin transplantation is an important clinical treatment for many diseases. Although Galectin-9 demonstrates multifaceted roles in modulating immune cell homeostasis and inflammation, its precise impact on balancing effector T cells and Tregs during allogeneic skin transplantation remains uncertain. This work was performed to evaluate the modulation of the survival time of allogeneic skin grafts by Gal-9 and to explore the critical mechanism involved in this process. Skin graft transplantation was conducted using C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice. Additionally, the levels of IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17A were measured. Hematoxylin and eosin staining assay was performed to analyze the pathological conditions of skin grafts of experiment mice. The results revealed that Gal-9 noticeably prolonged the survival of the allogeneic skin graft and ameliorated the damage caused by acute immune rejection. Furthermore, Gal-9 resulted in selective reduction of effectors T cells such as Th1, and Th17. Simultaneously, Gal-9 didn't attenuate the protective function for allograft, which alleviated the immune rejection caused by abnormal immune imbalance. Gal-9 exhibited a therapeutic effect on the allogeneic skin graft by selectively reducing CD4+TIM-3+ T effector cells and inducing a shift from a Th1 to an anti-inflammatory Th2 response. Furthermore, Gal-9 did not attenuate the protective function. Our present study may represent a novel therapeutic candidate for modulating effector T cells and Tregs imbalance-based therapy of allograft transplantation.

Novel ultralong and photoactive Bi2Ti4O11/TiO2 heterojunction nanofibers toward efficient textile wastewater treatment.

The elimination of dyes from textile wastewater with a lower carbon footprint is highly contingent on the design of green catalysts. Here, we innovatively developed ultralong one-dimensional Bi2Ti4O11/TiO2 heterojunction nanofibers via electrospinning so as to photocatalytically degrade dyes efficiently and sustainably through the utilisation of renewable solar irradiation. The heterostructured Bi2Ti4O11/TiO2 nanofibers exhibited desirable activity in the visible light region through the slight shift of the absorption edge to a longer wavelength. The Bi2Ti4O11/TiO2 nanofibers calcined at 550 °C had a lower optical band gap (3.08 eV) than that of the pure TiO2 (3.32 eV), as evidenced by their higher photocatalytic degradation kinetics of a model dye (Acid Orange 7) (2.5 times greater than those of pure TiO2). The enhanced visible light photocatalytic performance arose from the formation of both the Bi2Ti4O11/TiO2 heterojunction and the effective separation of photogenerated holes and electrons. The employment of ultralong Bi2Ti4O11/TiO2 heterojunction nanofibers for dye removal/decolourisation under visible light is an efficient, cost effective and sustainable solution, which will provide significant insights for practical textile wastewater treatment in view of practical engineering applications.

LNCRNA XIST Inhibits miR-377-3p to Hinder Th17 Cell Differentiation through Upregulating ETS1.

Background: Th17 cell differentiation is involved in the development and progression of many diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Present study mainly focused on the role of LINC-XIST in Th17 cell differentiation. Methods: The naïve CD4+ T cells were isolated from human whole blood. Cells were cultured under Th17 cell-polarizing condition for 6 days. The expression of LINC-XIST and miR-153-3p was measured by qPCR. The relationship between LINC-XIST, miR-153-3p, and ETS1 was predicted by TargetScan website and authenticated by luciferase reporter assay. ELISA assays were conducted to evaluate the IL-17 concentration. Western blot was utilized to measure the protein expression of ETS1. Th17 cell frequency was examined by flow cytometry. Results: The expression of XIST markedly decreased and miR-153-3p expression markedly increased with Th17 cell differentiation. The mRNA expression of IL-17, IL-17 concentration, and Th17 cell frequency were observably decreased in overexpressed LINC-XIST group. Luciferase reporter assay authenticated that miR-153-5p was directly regulated by LINC-XIST. miR-153-3p inhibitor observably decreased IL-17 concentration, mRNA expression of IL-17, and Th17 cell frequency while si-XIST reversed this impact. ETS1 was confirmed to be regulated by miR-153-5p via luciferase reporter assay. In addition, ETS1 markedly decreased IL-17 mRNA expression, IL-17 concentration, and Th17 cell frequency while miR-153-5p mimic reversed this impact. Conclusion: LNCRNA XIST inhibited miR-377-3p to hinder Th17 cell differentiation through upregulating ETS1.

Engeletin suppresses cervical carcinogenesis in vitro and in vivo by reducing NF-κB-dependent signaling.

Cervical cancer is an aggressive human cancer with poor prognosis among women, and urgently requires effective treatments. Engeletin (ENG, dihydrokaempferol 3-rhamnoside), as a flavanonol glycoside, could be found in various kinds of vegetables and fruits, exerting significant anti-inflammatory biological activities. However, its role in regulating cervical cancer, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms are still unknown. In this study, we found that ENG treatments dose-dependently reduced the proliferation of cervical cancer cells. Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process in cervical cancer was also restrained by ENG using transwell analysis, as evidenced by the significantly reduced migration and invasion. In addition, ENG treatments restricted vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) expression in cervical cancer cells, contributing to the suppression of angiogenesis. Mechanistically, ENG significantly reduced the expression of chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) in cervical cancer cells associated with the blockage of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Moreover, ENG functioned as an inhibitor of NF-κB, which was involved in the repression of angiogenesis. In xenograft model, ENG treatment effectively reduced the tumor volume and weight, accompanied with decreased expression of phosphorylated NF-κB, CCL2 and VEGFA, and showed little influence on the body weight change. Therefore, ENG might be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cervical cancer.

Elamipretide as a potential candidate for relieving cryodamage to human spermatozoa during cryopreservation.

As a technique widely used in assisted reproduction, human spermatozoa cryopreservation makes it possible to conserve functional sperm for a long time, but the impact of cryodamage on sperm during the process could not be ignored. The objective of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of Elamipretide, a novel small mitochondrial targeting short cytoprotective peptide, in attenuating cryodamage during spermatozoa cryopreservation. Semen samples were collected and cryopreserved in freeze solution containing different concentrations (0.0, 0.1, 1, and 10 µM) of Elamipretide. Sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, DNA fragmentation, antioxidant profiles, and acrosome reaction were measured and analyzed. The results showed that supplementation of the freeze media with Elamipretide (1 and 10 µM) significantly improved post-thaw sperm parameters including motility and viability, stability of the plasma membrane, and mitochondria and chromosomes. In addition, by adding Elamipretide, excessive oxidation and acrosome dysfunction in sperm cells undergoing freeze-thaw were also significantly attenuated. Therefore, Elamipretide may be a potential candidate for relieving cryodamage to human spermatozoa during cryopreservation.

Allograft hemorrhage as a manifestation of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia infection in kidney transplant recipients: Case series.

RATIONALE: Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia (CRKP) infections have been a concerning threat, especially in organ transplant patients with very high mortality. Allograft hemorrhage associated with CRKP infection has never been described. PATIENT CONCERNS: A total of 6 recipients tested positive for CRKP were identified in 297 adult kidney transplant recipients who received kidney from donors according to Chinese type donation after cardiac death (DCD) at our center between January 2006 and December 2017. DIAGNOSES: CRKP identification was performed via Vitek 2 system, and the susceptibility was tested by broth microdilution and disk diffusion. Based on the signs of infection and the positive culture, the diagnosis of CRKP infection was established. INTERVENTIONS: Therapy with antibiotic such as including ceftazidime-avibactam or tigecycline and surgical control of primary infection source including allograft nephrectomy and/or thorough debridement was administrated. OUTCOMES: The most striking aspect was that spontaneous recurrent hemorrhage occurred in all the 6 patients. The mortality of CRKP infection in our study was 50%. LESSONS: CRKP infection possibly due to donor-to-recipient transmission in DCD kidney transplants was essentially a necrotic hemorrhagic inflammation and characterized by recurrent hemorrhage and high mortality. The pre-donation screening for CRKP colonization should be mandatory and, if positive, donation should be contraindicated. And, the effective infection source control such as allograft nephrectomy and/or thorough debridement was important to improve outcomes. Further investigation will be required to further characterize the clinical efficacy of new pharmacotherapeutic schemes including ceftazidime-avibactam.

Dedifferentiated Carcinoma of the Endometrium Associated With Low-grade Müllerian Adenosarcoma: A Clinicopathologic Case Report Including the Immunohistochemical and Molecular Profile.

Dedifferentiated carcinoma is defined as undifferentiated carcinoma coexisting with a second component of FIGO grade 1 or 2 endometrioid carcinoma. It is a rare entity with highly aggressive behavior. Dedifferentiated carcinoma combined with another primary uterine tumor is even rarer. We describe a case containing 3 different morphologies comprised of a dedifferentiated carcinoma associated with a low-grade endometrioid carcinoma coexisting with a low-grade Müllerian adenosarcoma. We also used targeted genomic analysis to show all 3 components arise from the same founding clone and identify novel mutations that drive tumor progression.

Outcomes in kidney transplantation with mycophenolate mofetil-based maintenance immunosuppression in China: a large-sample retrospective analysis of a national database.

There is no large data analysis reporting the outcome of Chinese kidney transplant patients using mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). This study analyzed 6719 patients from the Chinese Scientific Registry of Kidney Transplantation using MMF, which included 1153 from donation after cardiac death (DCD), 1271 from donation after brain and cardiac death (DBCD), and 4295 from living donor (LD). Compared with the transplants from deceased donor (DD), better outcomes including 3-year graft survival probabilities (LD = 95.8% vs. DD = 91.3%), incidence of delayed graft function (DGF, LD = 2.4% vs. DD = 17.7%), infection (LD = 10.7% vs. DD = 20.7%), graft loss (LD = 2.3% vs. DD = 6.3), and death (LD = 1.3% vs. DD = 3.2%) were shown in the LD group, with similar incidences of acute rejection (AR, LD = 3.7% vs. DD = 4.7%), hyperuricemia (LD = 21.7% vs. DD = 22.2%) within postoperative 1 year, and serum creatinine (Scr) >133 µmol/l at 1 year (LD = 18.8% vs. DD = 18.6%). Nonsignificant differences were found between the DCD and DBCD group. The 5-year survival of patient and graft in the LD group were 97.5% and 93.0%. Adjusted Cox model for graft loss showed significant associations with DGF [hazard ratio 3.7 (95% CI: 2.4, 5.8)], AR [2.8 (1.7, 4.6)], Scr >133 µmol/l at 1 year [2.6 (1.5, 4.2)], hyperuricemia [2.3 (1.6, 3.3)], and DD [1.6 (1.1, 2.4)].

Efficient Oil/Water Separation Membrane Derived from Super-Flexible and Superhydrophilic Core-Shell Organic/Inorganic Nanofibrous Architectures.

To address the worldwide oil and water separation issue, a novel approach was inspired by natural phenomena to synthesize superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic organic/inorganic nanofibrous membranes via a scale up fabrication approach. The synthesized membranes possess a delicate organic core of PVDF-HFP and an inorganic shell of a CuO nanosheet structure, which endows super-flexible properties owing to the merits of PVDF-HFP backbones, and superhydrophilic functions contributed by the extremely rough surface of a CuO nanosheet anchored on flexible PVDF-HFP. Such an organic core and inorganic shell architecture not only functionalizes membrane performance in terms of antifouling, high flux, and low energy consumption, but also extends the lifespan by enhancing its mechanical strength and alkaline resistance to broaden its applicability. The resultant membrane exhibits good oil/water separation efficiency higher than 99.7%, as well as excellent anti-fouling properties for various oil/water mixtures. Considering the intrinsic structural innovation and its integrated advantages, this core-shell nanofibrous membrane is believed to be promising for oil/water separation, and this facile approach is also easy for scaled up manufacturing of functional organic/inorganic nanofibrous membranes with insightful benefits for industrial wastewater treatment, sensors, energy production, and many other related areas.

CD4+ T Cell Immune Response to VP1 and VP3 in BK Virus Infected Recipients of Renal Transplantation.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of BK virus (BKV) specific cellular immune response in the recipients who have early infection with BKV after renal transplantation. METHODS: The recipients of renal allografts (n = 30) were divided into groups of BK virus nephropathy (BKVN), viruria, and viremia. The BKV load was observed with real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction in urine and blood every three months. The values of serum creatinine (SCr) were detected. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultivated with overlapping peptide pool containing BKV structural proteins VP1, VP2, and VP3, and regulatory proteins large tumor antigen (LT-Ag) and small tumor antigen (st-Ag), to stimulate in vitro specific cellular immunoresponse. Flow cytometry was used to measure the proliferation of CD3+/CD4+/CD8+ T and interferon [INF]-γ/interleukin [IL]-2/tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α T cell subsets. RESULTS: The BKV infection increased SCr values in recipients of renal transplantation. CD4+ T cells were dominant (>90%) in the in vitro cellular immunoresponse to VP1, VP2, VP3, LT-Ag, and st-Ag. At the presence of viremia and BKVN, IL-2/IFN-γ+/TNF-α+ CD4+ T cells showed significantly decreased in vitro cellular immunoresponse to VP1, VP2, and VP3 (p < 0.05), but insignificantly changed to LT-Ag and st-Ag (p > 0.05). For the cases of viruria and viremia, IL-2/IFN-γ+/TNF-α+ CD4+ T cells showed significantly higher in vitro cellular immunoresponse to VP1, VP2, and VP3 than to LT-Ag and st-Ag (p < 0.05). The immunogenicity of VP1 and VP3 was significantly higher than that of VP2 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The BKV infection increases SCr values, and CD4+ T cells are dominant in the in vitro BKV specific cellular immunoresponse in the recipients of renal transplantation. Viremia significantly decreased the immunoresponse to VP1, VP2, and VP3. There is the significantly stronger immunoresponse to VP1 and VP3 when compared with that to VP2, LT-Ag, and st-Ag, suggesting that VP1 and VP3 may be the major targets for the BKV specific immune response.

Superior Antifouling Capability of Hydrogel Forward Osmosis Membrane for Treating Wastewaters with High Concentration of Organic Foulants.

Wastewaters with high concentrations of organic pollutants pose a great challenge for membrane filtration due to their severe fouling propensity. In this study, a hydrogel forward osmosis (FO) membrane is explored for treating wastewaters of high concentration organic pollutants. This FO membrane has an ultrathin hydrogel selective layer, which is highly hydrophilic (water contact angle as low as 18°) and smooth (surface roughness <5 nm). Investigated with typical organic foulants (protein, alginate, humic acid, and oil) of high concentration (2000-20 000 mg/L), this hydrogel FO membrane exhibits remarkably superior antifouling capability, with its water flux decline ratio lower than a quarter that of commercial FO membrane under identical experimental conditions. The foulants on hydrogel membrane surface can be easily removed by simple physical cleaning without any chemical usage. At the same time, this hydrogel FO membrane achieves ∼2 times higher separation efficiency than commercial FO membrane in terms of specific water flux (JW/JS). The antifouling capability and separation efficiency of this FO membrane can be flexibly tailored during selective layer fabrication process. This study opens a new avenue for the treatment of high-strength organic wastewaters by developing a highly antifouling hydrogel-based FO membrane.

Mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoTEMPO improves the post-thaw sperm quality.

Human spermatozoa cryopreservation is an important means of assisted reproductive technology and male fertility preservation. Although this technique is particularly useful, sperm cryopreservation significantly reduces the quality of spermatozoa after freezing and thawing. The objective of the study is to examine the efficacy of mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoTEMPO in improving sperm quality during semen cryopreservation processes. Semen samples were collected and cryopreserved in extenders containing different concentrations (0.0, 0.5, 5, 50, and 500 µM) of MitoTEMPO. Sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential and antioxidant activities were measured and analyzed. The results showed that the addition of MitoTEMPO (5-50 µM) significantly improved post-thaw sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential (P < .05). Meanwhile, antioxidant enzymes activities were enhanced and MDA content were decreased in the group supplemented with MitoTEMPO. In conclusion, mitochondria-targeted antioxidant MitoTEMPO improves the post-thaw sperm quality and antioxidant enzymes profile.