Study on Preparation of Low Heat High Belite Clinker from Waste Mortar and Its Modification.

In order to realize low energy consumption in cement and the recycling of solid waste, the phase composition and structure of waste mortar used to prepare a high belite cement clinker, instead of some other raw materials, have here been investigated, and the belite was activated by doping with SO3. The results show that a good high belite cement clinker can be obtained using waste mortar, limestone, coal gangue, iron powder, or iron correction raw materials combined at 1350 °C for half an hour. The addition of SO3 greatly increased the strength of the clinker in the early phase, and overall, the ratio of calcium to silicon in belite became higher, and more Al2O3 entered the belite; however, the generation of C3S was inhibited somewhat, and the content of C4AF also increased. This study offers guidance for the application of waste mortar and the activation of belite, which offers huge environmental and economic benefits.

Occurrence of quinolones in cultured fish from Shandong Province, China and their health risk assessment.

The residue levels of 6 quinolones in 160 cultured fish samples from Shandong Province, China were investigated using UPLC-MS/MS. The detection rate was 43.1% and enrofloxacin had the highest detection rate as well as the highest residue concentration. The violation rates were 2.50% for the sum of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin and 1.25% for ofloxacin. Among the 9 fish species, quinolone contamination problems should receive more attention in Carp, Grass carp, Crucian and Catfish. The health risk assessment showed that when calculated by the maximum concentration, the estimated daily intakes (EDIs) of Carp, Grass carp and Crucian for the high consumption group accounted for more than 10% of the acceptable daily intakes (ADIs), indicating that a large intake of these fish species might pose a potential health risk and health risk monitoring of quinolones in cultured fish should be continually performed.

Hydration and Properties of Cement in the Belite-Ye'elimite-Ternesite System.

Energy consumption and carbon emissions are lower in the production of belite-ye'elimite-ternesite (C2S-C4A3$-C5S2$, BYT) clinker than Portland cement (PC) clinker. BYT cement can combine the early strength of CSA cements and the durability of belite cements. X-ray diffraction, mercury intrusion porosimetry, isothermal conduction calorimetry and scanning electron microscope were conducted to investigate the hydration process of BYT cement. The hydration products of BYT cement include mainly ettringite, strätlingite and some amorphous AH3 (aluminum hydroxide). Ternesite did prove an early reactivity in BYT cement. The reaction of ternesite with AH3 occurs on the surface of ternesite. Ternesite delays the second heat flow peak of ye'elimite. The strength of BYT cement containing 10% ternesite in the prepared clinker exceeds that of other cement at all ages.

Kinetics and Mechanism of Ternesite Formation from Dicalcium Silicate and Calcium Sulfate Dihydrate.

The kinetics and mechanism of ternesite formation (calcium sulfosilicate, Ca5(SiO4)2SO4, C5S2$) were investigated by studying the reaction between beta-dicalcium silicate (ß-C2S) and calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO4∙2H2O). Mineralogical composition development was monitored using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and backscattered scanning electron microscopy (BSEM) coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Ternesite can form in the 1100 to 1200 °C range by the solid-phase reaction of ß-C2S and CaSO4. The formation of ternesite is favored by increasing the sintering temperature or extending the sintering time. The solid-phase reaction is carried out by diffusion of CaSO4 to ß-C2S. The kinetics equation of ternesite is consistent with three-dimensional diffusion models (3-D model, D3 model or Jander model). The equation of the D3 model is 1 - 2α/3 - (1 - α)2/3 = kt. On the basis of the Arrhenius equation, the activation energy of ternesite is 239.8 kJ/mol.

Preclinical Evaluation of CD64 As a Potential Target For CAR-T-cell Therapy For Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

The relapsed and refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients receiving traditional chemotherapies have poor survival rate. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-modified T cells have demonstrated remarkable effectiveness against some malignancies. However, most of CAR-Ts targeting the candidate proteins on AML cells induce hematopoietic cell suppression. Because of extensive heterogeneity among different types of AML, it is essential to expand the choice of target antigen for the CAR-T treatment of AML. CD64 (FcγRI) is a transmembrane protein with broad expression on various types of AML cells, especially monocytic AML cells, but it is absent on hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and most of nonmonocytes. Here, we found that some types of AML patients showed the homogeneous high-level expression of CD64. So, we created a CAR-T targeting CD64 (64bbz) and further verified its high efficiency for eradicating CD64+AML cells. In addition, 64bbz showed no cytotoxicity to HSCs. Overall, we developed a new treatment option for AML by using CD64 CAR-T cells while avoiding ablation of HSCs.

Homogeneously high expression of CD32b makes it a potential target for CAR-T therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have been used to treat patients with refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). However, approximately 50% of patients do not respond to this therapy. To improve the clinical outcome of these patients, it is necessary to develop strategies with other optimal targets to enable secondary or combinational CAR-T cell therapy. By screening a panel of surface antigens, we found that CD32b (FcγRIIb) was homogeneously expressed at high site density on tumor cells from CLL patients. We then developed a second-generation CAR construct targeting CD32b, and T cells transduced with the CD32 CAR efficiently eliminated the CD32b+ Raji leukemic cell line in vitro and in a mouse xenograft model. Furthermore, CD32b CAR-T cells showed cytotoxicity against primary human CLL cells that were cultured in vitro or transplanted into immunodeficient mice. The efficacy of CD32b CAR T cells correlated with the CD32b density on CLL cells. CD32b is not significantly expressed by non-B hematopoietic cells. Our study thus identifies CD32b as a potential target of CAR-T cell therapy for CLL, although further modification of the CAR construct with a safety mechanism may be required to minimize off-target toxicity.

Donor-Derived CD7 Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells for T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: First-in-Human, Phase I Trial.

PURPOSE: Patients with relapsed or refractory T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (r/r T-ALL) have few options and poor prognosis. The aim was to assess donor-derived anti-CD7 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell safety and efficacy in patients with r/r T-ALL. METHODS: In this single-center, phase I trial, we administered anti-CD7 CAR T cells, manufactured from either previous stem-cell transplantation donors or new donors, to patients with r/r T-ALL, in single infusions at doses of 5 × 105 or 1 × 106 (±30%) cells per kilogram of body weight. The primary end point was safety with efficacy secondary. RESULTS: Twenty participants received infusions. Adverse events including cytokine release syndrome grade 1-2 occurred in 90% (n = 18) and grade 3-4 in 10% (n = 2), cytopenia grade 3-4 in 100% (n = 20), neurotoxicity grade 1-2 in 15% (n = 3), graft-versus-host disease grade 1-2 in 60% (n = 12), and viral activation grade 1-2 in 20% (n = 4). All adverse events were reversible, except in one patient who died through pulmonary hemorrhage related to fungal pneumonia, which occurred at 5.5 months, postinfusion. Ninety percent (n = 18) achieved complete remission with seven patients proceeding to stem-cell transplantation. At a median follow-up of 6.3 months (range, 4.0-9.2), 15 remained in remission. CAR T cells were still detectable in five of five patients assessed in month 6, postinfusion. Although patients' CD7-positive normal T cells were depleted, CD7-negative T cells expanded and likely alleviated treatment-related T-cell immunodeficiency. CONCLUSION: Among 20 patients with r/r T-ALL enrolled in this trial, donor-derived CD7 CAR T cells exhibited efficient expansion and achieved a high complete remission rate with manageable safety profile. A multicenter, phase II trial of donor-derived CD7 CAR T cells is in progress (NCT04689659).

Treatment of basilar artery stenosis with an Apollo balloon-expandable stent: a single-centre experience with 61 consecutive cases.

Stent placement for basilar artery (BA) stenosis remains a technical and clinical challenge. This retrospective study introduces the experience with the Apollo balloon-expandable stent (BES) for patients with symptomatic BA stenosis in a single centre in China. Sixty one patients who had undergone intervention for severe symptomatic BA stenosis between May 2012 and September 2018 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent angioplasty and stenting with an Apollo BES and were followed-up continuously. The technical success rate was 100%. During the procedure, there was no vessel rupture or dissection. Two patients died due to perforator occlusion. One patient developed vasospasm with no symptoms. The rate of complications during the procedure was 4.91% (3/61). BA stent-related stroke or death rates were 4.9% at 30 days (3/61), 6.6% at 3 months (4/61), and 6.6% (4/61) at 6 months. One patient had stent occlusion at 6 months with no symptoms. Restenosis was found in five patients with degrees of restenosis greater than ≥ 50% without any symptoms. In this study, the Apollo BES appeared to be feasible for BA stenosis. Our experience may be valuable for reducing the number of complications. However, further study is needed.

Evaluation of trace metals and rare earth elements in mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria collected from Shandong Province, China, and its potential risks to human health.

This study provided the primary data of selected trace elements and rare earth elements from 120 samples of mantis shrimp Oratosquilla oratoria (O. oratoria) caught from three sites in the Shandong Province, China and evaluated the potential health risk of shrimp consumption from this region. The calculation of estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ) and total target hazard quotient (TTHQ) showed that the contents of all target TREs were below respective permitted limits recommended by China, with the exceptions of Cd and iAs levels. In addition to pollution, results indicated that TREs concentrations in O. oratoria were also impacted by characteristics of O. oratoria. The distribution patterns of REEs in O. oratoria did not differ from those in the sediment and other marine organisms, following the abundance rule. Consumption of O. oratoria from Shandong Province is potentially harmful to human health due to high levels of Cd and iAs.

Fluoride in tea from Shandong Province, China and exposure assessment.

In this study fluoride in 170 tea samples from Shandong province (China) was determined using a selective ion electrode. The fluoride concentrations ranged from 31.2 to 338 mg/kg with an average of 119 mg/kg. The mean fluoride concentrations were 164, 121, 98.7 and 96.8 mg/kg, which corresponded to Pu'erh tea, green tea, oolong tea and black tea, respectively. Moreover, 4.7% of the analysed samples exceed the legal limit of 200 mg/kg recommended by China. The estimated daily intake of fluoride via drinking tea for an adult was between 0.655 and 1.07 mg/person/day, which were lower than the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake value of 3.5 mg/person/day set by the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People's Republic of China. In future, maintaining a surveillance programme to monitor the trend of fluoride in tea is necessary for food safety and human health.

Pollution characteristics and chronic health risk assessment of metals and metalloids in ambient PM2.5 in Licheng District, Jinan, China.

PM2.5 samples were collected at the Wangsheren primary school site in Licheng District of Jinan, China, during 2016. Eleven metals and metalloids including Al, As, Be, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb and Se in PM2.5 were measured by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy. The annual average mass concentration of PM2.5 was found to be 88.7 µg m-3. The highest PM2.5 concentrations were obtained during the heating seasons of winter and spring. The concentrations of metals and metalloids in PM2.5 were in a descending order of Al, Pb, Mn, As, Se, Cr, Sb, Ni, Cd, Hg and Be. The enrichment factors showed that Pb, Mn, As, Se, Cr, Sb, Ni, Cd, Hg originated from anthropogenic sources. Factor analysis indicated that the main sources of the metals were coal combustion dust, soil dust, metallurgical industry, brake abrasion of vehicles and other mixed sources. Coal combustion dust was the primary source of metal pollution in PM2.5. Non-carcinogenic risks associated with exposure through the respiratory system were between 6.30 × 10-4 and 7.62 × 10-1, which were lower than the safe limit (1). The carcinogenic risks of Cr, As and Cd were 3.17 × 10-5, 1.52 × 10-5, 2.22 × 10-6, respectively, which were higher than the precautionary criterion (10-6/year). This study indicates that the air pollution of PM2.5 is of public health concern in Licheng District of Jinan, particularly related to potential carcinogenic metals of As, Cr and Cd. Intervention action is needed to reduce the emission sources of these elements, especially coal combustion in winter heating season.

Occurrence, dietary exposure, and health risk estimation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in grilled and fried meats in Shandong of China.

There is a lack of information regarding the quantitative determination and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in grilled and fried meat products in Shandong Province of China. The aim of this work was firstly to detect the contamination levels of 15 PAHs in 52 grilled and fried meats consumed by the population of Shandong Province, China. In brief, concentrations of the sum of 15 PAHs in individual samples were ranged from 8.23 to 341 µg/kg with a mean contamination level of 63.3 µg/kg. Moreover, the factors for the formation of PAHs in these samples have been identified and analyzed. One grilled meat sample exceeded the maximum limits of 2 and 12 µg/kg set for BaP and PAH4 by the European Union. For a further step, the mean dietary exposures for total PAHs from grilled and fried meat products were estimated to be 120 and 74.8 ng/kg bw/day, respectively. Finally, the health risk estimation was performed using the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR) approach. The obtained values of four groups were all lower than 10-4, indicating a slight potential carcinogenic risk of consumer health. This study was the first attempt to provide baseline information of potential health risk of dietary exposure of PAH-containing grilled and fried meats, which could be useful for health management of the local consumers.

Dynamic spatiotemporal analysis of indigenous dengue fever at street-level in Guangzhou city, China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the spatiotemporal clustering and socio-environmental factors associated with dengue fever (DF) incidence rates at street level in Guangzhou city, China. METHODS: Spatiotemporal scan technique was applied to identify the high risk region of DF. Multiple regression model was used to identify the socio-environmental factors associated with DF infection. A Poisson regression model was employed to examine the spatiotemporal patterns in the spread of DF. RESULTS: Spatial clusters of DF were primarily concentrated at the southwest part of Guangzhou city. Age group (65+ years) (Odd Ratio (OR) = 1.49, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.13 to 2.03), floating population (OR = 1.09, 95% CI = 1.05 to 1.15), low-education (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 1.01 to 1.16) and non-agriculture (OR = 1.07, 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.11) were associated with DF transmission. Poisson regression results indicated that changes in DF incidence rates were significantly associated with longitude (ß = -5.08, P<0.01) and latitude (ß = -1.99, P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that social-environmental factors may play an important role in DF transmission in Guangzhou. As geographic range of notified DF has significantly expanded over recent years, an early warning systems based on spatiotemporal model with socio-environmental is urgently needed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of dengue control and prevention.

One Health in China.

As a result of rapid economic growth over the previous three decades, China has become the second largest economy worldwide since 2010. However, as a developing country with the largest population, this rapid economic growth primarily based on excessive consumption and waste of resources. Thus, China has been facing particularly severe ecological and environmental problems in speeding up industrialization and urbanization. The impact of the health risk factors is complex and difficult to accurately predict. Therefore, it is critical to investigate potential threats in the context of the human-animal-environment interface to protect human and animal health. The "One Health" concept recognizes that human health is connected to animal and environmental health. This review primarily discusses specific health problems in China, particularly zoonoses, and explains the origin and development of the One Health approach, as well as the importance of a holistic approach in China.

Residual levels of rare earth elements in freshwater and marine fish and their health risk assessment from Shandong, China.

The total concentrations of rare earth elements (ΣREE) were quantified in 251 samples from 10 common species of freshwater and marine fish in seventeen cities of Shandong, China. ΣREE obtained from the freshwater fish ranged from 34.0 to 37.9ngg(-1) (wet weight) and marine fish from 12.7 to 37.6ngg(-1). The ratio of LREE to HREE was 13.7:1 and 10:1 for freshwater and marine fish, respectively. This suggests that freshwater fish exhibit greater REE concentrations than marine fish and the biological effects of LREE are higher than HREE. Results revealed a similar REE distribution pattern between those fish and coastal sediments, abiding the "abundance law". The health risk assessment demonstrated the EDIs of REEs in fish were significantly lower than the ADI, indicating that the consumption of these fish presents little risk to human health.

Protective effect of fluvastatin on influenza virus infection.

Statins are 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors and have pleiotropic effects. It has been suggested that statins may be a potential treatment during the next influenza pandemic. In a previous study we found that a statin/caffeine combination protects BALB/c mice against Influenza A, subtypes haemagglutinin type 5 and neuraminidase type 1 (H5N1), H3N2 and H1N1 infection. The effect of statins alone on influenza virus infection, however, is not known. In this study, it was investigated whether fluvastatin is capable of inhibiting influenza A virus replication in vitro. The results demonstrated that the synthesis of viral RNA and protein was affected by fluvastatin treatment. Virus production was markedly reduced when fluvastatin was administered simultaneously with the virus; however, a greater inhibition was observed when fluvastatin was added following viral adsorption. The selectivity index [SI; 50% cytotoxic concentration (CC50)/50% inhibition concentration (IC50)], however, was only 21. It was further demonstrated that fluvastatin protects host cells against influenza-induced inflammation by reducing the production of tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin 8 and interferon γ. In conclusion, the results demonstrated that fluvastatin exerted a minor inhibitory effect on influenza virus infection, which involved anti-inflammatory activities.

Prediction of H7N9 epidemic in China.

BACKGROUND: In March 2013, human cases of infection with a novel A (H7N9) influenza virus emerged in China. The epidemic spread quickly and as of 6 May 2013, there were 129 confirmed cases. The purpose of this study was to analyze the epidemiology of the confirmed cases, determine the impacts of bird migration and temperature changes on the H7N9 epidemic, predict the future trends of the epidemic, explore the response patterns of the government and propose preventive suggestions. METHODS: The geographic, temporal and population distribution of all cases reported up to 6 May 2013 were described from available records. Risk assessment standard was established by analysing the temperature and relative humidity records during the period of extensive outbreak in three epidemic regions in eastern China, including Shanghai, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. Risk assessment maps were created by combining the bird migration routes in eastern China with the monthly average temperatures from May 1993 to December 2012 nationwide. RESULTS: Among the confirmed cases, there were more men than women, and 50.4% were elderly adults (age >61 years). The major demographic groups were retirees and farmers. The temperature on the days of disease onset was concentrated in the range of 9°C-19°C; we defined 9°C-19°C as the high-risk temperature range, 0°C-9°C or 19°C-25°C as medium risk and <0°C or >25°C as low risk. The relative humidity on the days of disease onset ranged widely from 25% to 99%, but did not correlate with the incidence of infection. Based on the temperature analysis and the eastern bird migration routes, we predicted that after May, the high-risk region would move to the northeast and inland, while after September, it would move back to north China. CONCLUSIONS: Temperature and bird migration strongly influence the spread of the H7N9 virus. In order to control the H7N9 epidemic effectively, Chinese authorities should strengthen the surveillance of migrating birds, increase poultry and environmental sampling, improve live poultry selling and husbandry patterns and move from a "passive response pattern" to an "active response pattern" in focused preventive measures.

Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a statin/caffeine combination against H5N1, H3N2 and H1N1 virus infection in BALB/c mice.

The development of novel antiviral drugs is necessary for the prevention and treatment of a potential avian influenza pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel statin/caffeine combination against H5N1, H3N2 and H1N1 virus infection in a murine model. In H5N1-, H3N2- and H1N1-infected BALB/c mice, 50mug statin/200mug caffeine effectively ameliorated lung damage and inhibited viral replication and was at least as effective as oseltamivir and ribavirin. The statin/caffeine combination also appeared to be more effective when administered preventatively rather than as treatment. These findings provide justification for further research into this novel antiviral formulation.