Foliar application of selenium and gibberellins reduce cadmium accumulation in soybean by regulating interplay among rhizosphere soil metabolites, bacteria community and cadmium speciation.

Both selenium (Se) and gibberellins (GA3) can alleviate cadmium (Cd) toxicity in plants. However, the application of Se and GA3 as foliar spray to against Cd stress on soybean and its related mechanisms have been poorly explored. Herein, this experiment evaluated the effects of Se and GA3 alone and combined application on soybean rhizosphere microenvironment, Cd accumulation and growth of soybean seedlings. The results revealed that both Se and GA3 can effectively decrease the accumulation of Cd in soybean seedlings. Foliar application of Se, GA3 and their combination reduced Cd contents in soybean seedlings respectively by 21.70 %, 27.53 % and 45.07 % when compared with the control treatment, suggest a synergistic effect of Se and GA3 in decreasing Cd accumulation. Se and GA3 also significantly increased diversity and abundance of the metabolites in rhizosphere, which consequently played an important role in shaping rhizosphere bacteria community and improve rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties of Cd contaminated soil, as well as decreased the Cd available forms contents but enhance the immobilized form levels. Overall, this study affords a novel approach on mitigating Cd accumulation in soybean seedlings which is attributed to Se and GA3 regulated interplay among rhizosphere soil metabolites, bacteria community and cadmium speciation.

Structure Evolution of Iron (Hydr)oxides under Nanoconfinement and Its Implication for Water Treatment.

In the development of nanoenabled technologies for large-scale water treatment, immobilizing nanosized functional materials into the confined space of suitable substrates is one of the most effective strategies. However, the intrinsic effects of nanoconfinement on the decontamination performance of nanomaterials, particularly in terms of structural modulation, are rarely unveiled. Herein, we investigate the structure evolution and decontamination performance of iron (hydr)oxide nanoparticles, a widely used material for water treatment, when confined in track-etched (TE) membranes with channel sizes varying from 200 to 20 nm. Nanoconfinement drives phase transformation from ferrihydrite to goethite, rather than to hematite occurring in bulk systems, and the increase in the nanoconfinement degree from 200 to 20 nm leads to a significant drop in the fraction of the goethite phase within the aged products (from 41% to 0%). The nanoconfinement configuration is believed to greatly slow down the phase transformation kinetics, thereby preserving the specific adsorption of ferrihydrite toward As(V) even after 20-day aging at 343 K. This study unravels the structure evolution of confined iron hydroxide nanoparticles and provides new insights into the temporospatial effects of nanoconfinement on improving the water decontamination performance.

Rivaroxaban for the treatment of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with thrombosis in a patient undergoing artificial hip arthroplasty: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Anticoagulation treatment after lower limb surgery is one of the key methods to avoid thrombosis, and low-molecular-weight heparin is the treatment that is most frequently used in clinical practice. But one uncommon side effect of low-molecular-weight heparin is heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), which can develop into thrombosis if not caught early or managed incorrectly. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case of a patient who underwent hip arthroplasty and experienced thrombocytopenia due to HIT on the 9th d following the application of low-molecular-weight heparin anticoagulation. We did not diagnose HIT in time and applied 1 unit of platelets to the patient, which led to thrombosis. Luckily, the patient recovered following effective and timely surgery and treatment with rivaroxaban. CONCLUSION: Patients using low-molecular-weight heparin after lower limb surgery need to have their platelet counts regularly checked. If HIT develops, platelet treatment should be given with caution.

[Efficacy and Safety of Decitabine Combined with Modified CAG Regimen in Patients Aged ≥ 70 Years with Newly Diagnosed Acute Myeloid Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of decitabine combined with modified CAG regimen (D-CAG regimen) in patients aged ≥70 years with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: The clinical data of 59 AML patients (≥70 years old) who were newly diagnosed and treated in the Hematology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from November 2010 to June 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 59 AML patients, 28 were males and 31 were females, with a median age of 74 (70-86) years. The complete remission (CR) rate was 69.4% (34/49), and the median duration of CR was 10.7 (0.6-125.4) months after 2 courses of D-CAG treatment. According to the British Medical Research Council (MRC) classification, there was only one patient in the favorable-risk group, and the CR rate was 71.8% (28/39) in the intermediate-risk group, and 55.6% (5/9) in the adverse-risk group, respectively. There was no statistical difference in the CR rate between the intermediate-risk and adverse-risk group. Referring to ELN 2017 genetic risk classification, CR rate was 88.2% (15/17) in the favorable-risk group, 45.5% (5/11) in the intermediate-risk group, and 66.7% (14/21) in the adverse-risk group. There was no significant difference in CR rate between the favorable-risk and adverse-risk categories, but both were significantly higher than that in the intermediate-risk group (P <0.05). Next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis showed that 11 gene mutations with a frequency of more than 10%, including TET2 mutation (35.6%), ASXL1 mutation (30.5%), NPM1 mutation (28.8%), FLT3-ITD mutation (27.1%), DNMT3A mutation (22.0%), IDH1 mutation (15.3%), CEBPA single mutation (13.6%), TP53 mutation (13.6%), IDH2 mutation (11.9%), RUNX1 mutation (11.9%), and NRAS mutation (10.2%). There were no statistical differences in mutation frequency of these 11 genes between CR group and non-CR group. Compared with normal karyotypes, patients with complex karyotypes were more likely to develop TP53 mutations (P <0.001), while FLT3-ITD and DNMT3A mutations were more likely to occur in patients with normal karyotypes (P =0.04, P =0.047). The median follow-up, overall survival (OS), and event-free survival (EFS) of all the patients was 11.7 (1.5-128.2) months, 12.3 (1.5-128.2) months, and 8.5 (1.5-128.2) months, respectively. The median OS and EFS of CR patients were 19.8 and 13.3 months, respectively, which were significantly longer than 6.4 and 5.7 months in patients experiencing treatment failure (P < 0.001, P =0.009). In regard to genes with mutation frequency >10%, there were no statistical differences in CR rate, median OS, and median EFS between mutated and wild-type patients by Chi-square test and survival analysis. Univariate analysis showed that age, hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, cytogenetics and CR were factors affecting prognosis, while multivariate analysis showed that only CR failure was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS. The major adverse reactions to D-CAG regimen were grade 3-4 myelosuppression, pulmonary infection, and fever (infection focus was not identified). CONCLUSION: D-CAG regimen is safe and effective in the treatment of AML patients ≥70 years old, and can partially improve the prognosis of elderly and high-risk patients.

3D microscope image acquisition method based on zoom objective.

Microscopy is being pursued to obtain richer and more accurate information, and there are many challenges in imaging depth and display dimension. In this paper, we propose a three-dimensional (3D) microscope acquisition method based on a zoom objective. It enables 3D imaging of thick microscopic specimens with continuous adjustable optical magnification. The zoom objective based on liquid lenses can quickly adjust the focal length, to expand the imaging depth and change the magnification by adjusting the voltage. Based on the zoom objective, an arc shooting mount is designed to accurately rotate the objective to obtain the parallax information of the specimen and generate parallax synthesis images for 3D display. A 3D display screen is used to verify the acquisition results. The experimental results show that the obtained parallax synthesis images can accurately and efficiently restore the 3D characteristics of the specimen. The proposed method has promising applications in industrial detection, microbial observation, medical surgery, and so on.

Self-Assembled BODIPY Nanoparticles for Near-Infrared Fluorescence Bioimaging.

In vivo optical imaging is an important application value in disease diagnosis. However, near-infrared nanoprobes with excellent luminescent properties are still scarce. Herein, two boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY) molecules (BDP-A and BDP-B) were designed and synthesized. The BODIPY emission was tuned to the near-infrared (NIR) region by regulating the electron-donating ability of the substituents on its core structure. In addition, the introduction of polyethylene glycol (PEG) chains on BODIPY enabled the formation of self-assembled nanoparticles (NPs) to form optical nanoprobes. The self-assembled BODIPY NPs present several advantages, including NIR emission, large Stokes shifts, and high fluorescence quantum efficiency, which can increase water dispersibility and signal-to-noise ratio to decrease the interference by the biological background fluorescence. The in vitro studies revealed that these NPs can enter tumor cells and illuminate the cytoplasm through fluorescence imaging. Then, BDP-B NPs were selected for use in vivo imaging due to their unique NIR emission. BDP-B was enriched in the tumor and effectively illuminated it via an enhanced penetrability and retention effect (EPR) after being injected into the tail vein of mice. The organic nanoparticles were metabolized through the liver and kidney. Thus, the BODIPY-based nanomicelles with NIR fluorescence emission provide an effective research basis for the development of optical nanoprobes in vivo.

Accelerated Reinforcement of Calcareous sand via Biomineralization with Aluminum Ion Flocculant.

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) is an immensely growing technique that utilizes the metabolic pathways of bacteria to form calcite precipitation throughout the soil matrix, leading to improve geotechnical engineering properties. However, the excessive number of treatments limited the application of MICP for strengthening calcareous sand. To reduce the number of treatments and develop efficiencies, this paper investigates the optimized treatment protocol of adding aluminum ion flocculants to the cementing solution to accelerate the curing rate of the MICP and its effect. The results show that adding a certain concentration of AlCl3 to the cementing solution can resulted in a rapid increase in strength of the calcareous sand column. When 0.02 M aluminum chloride was added to the cementing solution, the unconfined compressive strength of the sand column reached 827 kPa after three treatments, and it reached 2 MPa after five treatments, while the control group needed to be treated 10 and 15 times, respectively, to reach equivalent strengths. In this paper, the unconfined compressive strength of the sand column formed using the proposed method was 27-40 times that of the control group at the same calcium carbonate content. The presented experimental approach can be used as a tool to design the treatment protocol for the engineering application of MICP-reinforced calcareous sand in practice.

Two fully automated data-driven 3D whole-breast segmentation strategies in MRI for MR-based breast density using image registration and U-Net with a focus on reproducibility.

Presence of higher breast density (BD) and persistence over time are risk factors for breast cancer. A quantitatively accurate and highly reproducible BD measure that relies on precise and reproducible whole-breast segmentation is desirable. In this study, we aimed to develop a highly reproducible and accurate whole-breast segmentation algorithm for the generation of reproducible BD measures. Three datasets of volunteers from two clinical trials were included. Breast MR images were acquired on 3 T Siemens Biograph mMR, Prisma, and Skyra using 3D Cartesian six-echo GRE sequences with a fat-water separation technique. Two whole-breast segmentation strategies, utilizing image registration and 3D U-Net, were developed. Manual segmentation was performed. A task-based analysis was performed: a previously developed MR-based BD measure, MagDensity, was calculated and assessed using automated and manual segmentation. The mean squared error (MSE) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between MagDensity were evaluated using the manual segmentation as a reference. The test-retest reproducibility of MagDensity derived from different breast segmentation methods was assessed using the difference between the test and retest measures (Δ2-1), MSE, and ICC. The results showed that MagDensity derived by the registration and deep learning segmentation methods exhibited high concordance with manual segmentation, with ICCs of 0.986 (95%CI: 0.974-0.993) and 0.983 (95%CI: 0.961-0.992), respectively. For test-retest analysis, MagDensity derived using the registration algorithm achieved the smallest MSE of 0.370 and highest ICC of 0.993 (95%CI: 0.982-0.997) when compared to other segmentation methods. In conclusion, the proposed registration and deep learning whole-breast segmentation methods are accurate and reliable for estimating BD. Both methods outperformed a previously developed algorithm and manual segmentation in the test-retest assessment, with the registration exhibiting superior performance for highly reproducible BD measurements.

Recent Progress in Phase Regulation, Functionalization, and Biosensing Applications of Polyphase MoS2.

The disulfide compounds of molybdenum (MoS2 ) are layered van der Waals materials that exhibit a rich array of polymorphic structures. MoS2 can be roughly divided into semiconductive phase and metallic phase according to the difference in electron filling state of the 4d orbital of Mo atom. The two phases show completely different properties, leading to their diverse applications in biosensors. But to some extent, they compensate for each other. This review first introduces the relationship between phase state and the chemical/physical structures and properties of MoS2 . Furthermore, the synthetic methods are summarized and the preparation strategies for metastable phases are highlighted. In addition, examples of electronic and chemical property designs of MoS2 by means of doping and surface modification are outlined. Finally, studies on biosensors based on MoS2 in recent years are presented and classified, and the roles of MoS2 with different phases are highlighted. This review offers references for the selection of materials to construct different types of biosensors based on MoS2 , and provides inspiration for sensing performance enhancement.

Patterns and Trends of the Mortality From Bone Cancer in Pudong, Shanghai: A Population-Based Study.

Introduction: The burden of cancer-related mortality of common malignancies has been reported worldwide. However, whether bone cancer (BC), as a highly aggressive and heterogeneous group of rare cancers, followed a similar or distinct epidemiological pattern during such process remains largely unknown. We aimed to analyze the mortality and the temporal trends of BC in relation to gender, age, and premature death in Shanghai, China. Methods: We conducted a population-based analysis of the mortality data of BC in Shanghai Pudong New Area (PNA) from 2005 to 2020. The epidemiological characteristics and long-term trends in crude mortality rates (CMRs), age-standardized mortality rates worldwide (ASMRWs), and rate of years of life lost (YLL) was analyzed using the Joinpoint regression program. The demographic and non-demographic factors affecting the mortality rate were evaluated by the decomposition method. Results: There are 519 BC-specific deaths accounting for 0.15% of all 336,823 deaths and 0.49% of cancer-specific death in PNA. The CMR and ASMRW of BC were 1.15/105 person-year and 0.61/105 person-year, respectively. The YLL due to premature death from BC was 6,539.39 years, with the age group of 60-69 years having the highest YLL of 1,440.79 years. The long-term trend of CMR, ASMRW, and YLL rate significantly decreased by -5.14%, -7.64%, and -7.27%, respectively, per year (all p < 0.05) in the past 16 years. However, the proportion of BC-specific death within the total cancer-specific death dropped to a plateau without further improvement since 2016, and a remarkable gender and age disparity was noticed in the observed reduction in mortality. Specifically, the elderly benefited less but accounted for a larger percentage of BC population in the last decades. Although the overall mortality of BC decreased, there was still a significant upward trend toward an increased mortality rate caused by the aging of the BC patients. Conclusion: Our study provides novel insights on the epidemiological characteristics and longitudinal dynamics of BC in a fast urbanization and transitioning city. As a rare disease affecting all ages, the burden of BC among the elderly emerged to form an understudied and unmet medical need in an aging society.

[Influence of Serum TGF-ß1 and EGFR Levels on the Therapeutic Effect of High-Dose AraC in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Based on the Decision Curve].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influence of serum levels of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the therapeutic effect of high-dose cytarabine (HD-AraC) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: 98 patients with AML treated in our hospital from January 2019 to June 2020 were selected as the research subjects, all patients were treated with HD-AraC for 1 course of treatment every week. The effect of 2 groups were evaluated during after one course of treatment and divided into effective group and ineffective group, statistical table of baseline data was designed, the baseline data of 2 groups were counted in detail, the baseline data and serum levels of TGF-ß1 and EGFR of 2 groups were compared, Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the levels of serum TGF-ß1, EGFR and the therapeutic effect of HD-AraC in patients with AML, the value of serum TGF-ß1 and EGFR levels in predicting the therapeutic effect of HD-AraC in AML patients was analyzed based on ROC curve and decision curve. RESULTS: After 1 course of treatment, among the 98 patients, 26 cases had complete remission, 38 cases had partially remission and 34 cases no remission, the total effective rate was 65.31% (64/98); after comparing data of 2 groups, Logistic regression analysis showed that the overexpression of serum EGFR before treatment might be a risk factor for the ineffective treatment of HD-AraC in AML patients (OR>1, P<0.05), overexpression of serum TGF-ß1 before treatment might be a protective factor for the ineffective treatment of HD-AraC in AML patients (OR<1, P<0.05); the ROC curve results showed that the AUC of serum EGFR and TGF-ß1 before treatment in predicting the risk of ineffective HD-AraC treatment in AML patients were >0.70, which had certain predictive value. The decision curve results showed that in the threshold range of 0.15-044, the prediction model combined with serum EGFR and TGF-ß1 levels in predicting the net benefit rate of HD-AraC treatment in AML patients was better than that of serum EGFR or serum TGF-ß1 alone. CONCLUSION: The levels of serum TGF-ß1 and EGFR affect the therapeutic effect of HD-AraC in patients with AML and increase the risk of ineffective treatment, serum TGF-ß1 and EGFR can be used to predict the risk of ineffective HD-AraC treatment in AML patients, and the combined prediction of net benefit rate is higher.

[Influence of Serum TGF-ß1 and EGFR Levels on the Therapeutic Effect of High-Dose AraC in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Based on the Decision Curve].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influence of serum levels of transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on the therapeutic effect of high-dose cytarabine (HD-AraC) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). METHODS: 98 patients with AML treated in our hospital from January 2019 to June 2020 were selected as the research subjects, all patients were treated with HD-AraC for 1 course of treatment every week. The effect of 2 groups were evaluated during after one course of treatment and divided into effective group and ineffective group, statistical table of baseline data was designed, the baseline data of 2 groups were counted in detail, the baseline data and serum levels of TGF-ß1 and EGFR of 2 groups were compared, Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between the levels of serum TGF-ß1, EGFR and the therapeutic effect of HD-AraC in patients with AML, the value of serum TGF-ß1 and EGFR levels in predicting the therapeutic effect of HD-AraC in AML patients was analyzed based on ROC curve and decision curve. RESULTS: After 1 course of treatment, among the 98 patients, 26 cases had complete remission, 38 cases had partially remission and 34 cases no remission, the total effective rate was 65.31% (64/98); after comparing data of 2 groups, Logistic regression analysis showed that the overexpression of serum EGFR before treatment might be a risk factor for the ineffective treatment of HD-AraC in AML patients (OR>1, P<0.05), overexpression of serum TGF-ß1 before treatment might be a protective factor for the ineffective treatment of HD-AraC in AML patients (OR<1, P<0.05); the ROC curve results showed that the AUC of serum EGFR and TGF-ß1 before treatment in predicting the risk of ineffective HD-AraC treatment in AML patients were >0.70, which had certain predictive value. The decision curve results showed that in the threshold range of 0.15-044, the prediction model combined with serum EGFR and TGF-ß1 levels in predicting the net benefit rate of HD-AraC treatment in AML patients was better than that of serum EGFR or serum TGF-ß1 alone. CONCLUSION: The levels of serum TGF-ß1 and EGFR affect the therapeutic effect of HD-AraC in patients with AML and increase the risk of ineffective treatment, serum TGF-ß1 and EGFR can be used to predict the risk of ineffective HD-AraC treatment in AML patients, and the combined prediction of net benefit rate is higher.

Stabilization of lead and cadmium in soil by sulfur-iron functionalized biochar: Performance, mechanisms and microbial community evolution.

Sulfur-iron functionalized biochar (BC-Fe-S) was designed by simultaneously supporting Fe2O3 nanoparticles and grafting sulfur-containing functional groups onto biochar to stabilize Pb and Cd in soil. The BC-Fe-S exhibited excellent stabilization performance for Pb and Cd with fast kinetic equilibrium within 5 days associating with pseudo-second-order model. The bioavailable-Pb and -Cd contents decreased by 59.22% and 70.28% with 3% BC-Fe-S treatment after 20 days of remediation. Speciation transformation analysis revealed that the increase of stabilization time and BC-Fe-S dosage with appropriate soil moisture and pH promoted toxicities decrease of Pb and Cd with transformation of labile fractions to more steady fractions. The labile fractions of Pb and Cd decreased by 12.22% and 16.21% with 3% BC-Fe-S treatment, and transformed to the residual speciation. Meanwhile, wetting-drying and freezing-thawing aging did not markedly alter the bioavailability of Pb and Cd, proving that the BC-Fe-S holds promise for stabilization of Pb and Cd in varying environmental conditions. 16S rRNA sequencing analysis demonstrated that the BC-Fe-S significantly improved diversity and composition of microbial community, especially increasing the relative abundance of heavy metal-resistant bacteria. Overall, these results suggested BC-Fe-S as a high-performance and environmental-friendly amendment with stability to remediate heavy metals polluted soil.

Risk of migraine contributed by genetic polymorphisms of ANKDD1B gene: a case-control study based on Chinese Han population.

Early studies have indicated that the risk of migraine is contributed by both genetic and environmental factors. We aimed to evaluate the association between the risk of migraine and genetic polymorphisms in the ANKDD1B gene in a large sample of Chinese Han populations. A total of 882 patients with MO and 1,784 age-matched controls were recruited. A list of 12 tag SNPs located within the ANKDD1B gene region was genotyped. Distributions of SNP genotypes and alleles between patients and controls were examined to investigate the associations between the risk of migraine and genetic polymorphisms. The GTEx database was used to examine the effects of the significant SNPs on gene expressions. A stop-gain SNP, rs34358, was discovered to be significantly related with the risk of migraine (χ2 = 25.02, P = 5.66 × 10-7). The A allele of this SNP was significantly associated with a decreased risk of migraine (OR [95% CI] = 0.73 [0.65-0.83]). A dose-dependent pattern was identified in the genotypic analyses. The OR with 95% confidence interval for genotype AA versus GG was 0.55 [0.42-0.72], while for AG versus GG it was 0.74 [0.62-0.88]. Further bioinformatics analysis showed multiple significant signals (20 out of 47) for the association between SNP rs34358 and gene expression levels of ANKDD1B. In conclusion, we have provided population-based evidence for the association between genetic polymorphisms of the ANKDD1B gene and the risk of migraine. A protein-truncating variant was significantly associated with a decreased risk of migraine in the samples recruited from the Chinese Han population.

hsa­miR­429 targets CBX8 to promote cell apoptosis in diffuse large B­cell lymphoma.

Diffuse large B­cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non­Hodgkin lymphoma worldwide. Several studies have indicated that Homo sapiens (hsa)­microRNA (miR)­429 exerts a tumor­suppressive effect on a variety of malignant tumors. To the best of our knowledge, the molecular function and mechanism of action of hsa­miR­429 in DLBCL have not been evaluated to date. The present study demonstrated that the expression of hsa­miR­429 in DLBCL cells was significantly reduced. hsa­miR­429 inhibited the proliferation of the DLBCL cell lines, SUDHL­4 and DB, and promoted apoptosis. A dual luciferase reporter assay was used to demonstrate that chromobox 8 (CBX8) was the target gene of hsa­miR­429. Overexpression of CBX8 promoted the proliferation of SUDHL­4 and DB cells and inhibited apoptosis, thereby playing a cancer­promoting role. Transfection of hsa­miR­429 mimic into DB cells overexpressing CBX8 antagonized the effect of CBX8 on the proliferation of DB cells. Moreover, the apoptotic rate was increased in DB cells overexpressing CBX8 and transfected with hsa­miR­429 mimic, while the proportion of cells in the G2/M phase was significantly reduced. These results demonstrated the antagonistic effect of hsa­miR­429 on the oncogenic function of CBX8. Therefore, in DLBCL, the tumor suppressor effect of hsa­miR­429 may be achieved by targeted downregulation of CBX8, suggesting that hsa­miR­429 may be used as a diagnostic marker and a potential nucleic acid drug for DLBCL. CBX8 may also represent an effective therapeutic target for DLBCL.

Gulosibacter sediminis sp. nov., isolated from Indian Ocean marine sediment.

A novel Gram-stain-positive, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain YIM M12148T, was isolated from a marine sediment sample collected from the Indian Ocean. The strain grew optimally at 28 °C, pH 8.0 and in the presence of 1-3 % (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain YIM M12148T belongs to the genus Gulosibacter, with the highest sequence similarity to Gulosibacter faecalis NBRC 15706T (96.12 %). The cell-wall sugars of strain YIM M12148T were rhamnose, ribose, glucose and mannose. The predominant isoprenoid quinones were MK-8 and MK-9. The polar lipids consisted of major amounts of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unknown phospholipid and one unknown lipid. Major fatty acids (>5 % of the total) of the novel isolate were anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C13 : 0 and anteiso-C13 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain YIM M12148T was 67.15 mol%. On the basis of genotypic and phenotypic data, it is apparent that strain YIM M12148T represents a novel species of the genus Gulosibacter, for which the name Gulosibacter sediminis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM M12148T (=KCTC 29660T=DSM 29154T).

Antiangiogenesis Combined with Inhibition of the Hypoxia Pathway Facilitates Low-Dose, X-ray-Induced Photodynamic Therapy.

X-ray-induced photodynamic therapy (XPDT) is overwhelmingly superior in treating deep-seated cancers. However, limitations remain, owing to a combination of the poor scintillation performance of the nanoscintillator, low energy transfer efficiency of the therapeutic nanoplatform, and hypoxic environment presented in the tumor tissue. Collectively, these reduce the curative effect of XPDT. Here, we report a highly efficient, low-dose XPDT realized by systematic optimization from scintillation efficiency, nanoplatform structure, to therapeutic approach. We developed a biocompatible, codoped CaF2 nanoscintillator that emitted sufficiently green radioluminescence that was bright enough to be seen by the naked eye. Using dendrimers as a framework, we built a nanoplatform featuring a dual-core-satellite architecture, which enabled both procedurally and spatially separate dual-loading of therapeutic agents. This strategy allowed for the fabrication of a combined XPDT and antiangiogenic therapy, resulting in a therapeutic system capable of simultaneous tumor attacks. After exposure to ultralow dose radiation, XPDT resulted in marked tumor reduction while the antiangiogenic drug effectively blocked tumor vascularization exacerbated by XPDT-mediated hypoxia, rendering a pronounced synergy effect. This system also showed high biosafety, as the agents adopted had been used clinically and both Ca and F elements were widespread in the human body. Taken together, the findings presented here provided a reference for the construction of complex, multiloading architecture in coordination with structural complexity and functional diversification. This work provided a safer and more robust application of the combined XPDT and antiangiogenesis in future clinical treatment settings.

[Expression and Clinical Significance of CD73 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients with NPM1 Mutation].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of CD73 in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with NPM1 mutant and wild-type, and to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy and prognosis of CD73 to the AML patients. METHODS: 160 patients with AML treated in our hospital from June 2015 to June 2019 were enrolled, and 40 non-AML bone marrow samples from healthy people were selected as controls during the same period. The expression of CD73 in healthy people, NPM1 mutation and NPM1 wild-type AML patients were compared, and the relationship between the expression of CD73 and its clinicopathological characteristics, as while as efficacy in AML patients were analyzed. The patients were followed up, and the influence of CD73 to the prognosis of different AML patients was analyzed. RESULTS: The positive expression rate of CD73 in AML patients (23.75%) was significantly higher than that in the healthy control group (0.62%), and the positive expression rate of CD73 in AML patients with NPM1 mutation (74.75%) was significantly higher than that with NPM1 wild-type (25.51%) (both P<0.001). AML patients with CD73 positive expression was associated with age, FAB typing, disease risk classification, and NPM1 gene mutation (both P<0.05). The overall survival rate of AML patients with NPM1 gene mutation was 75.98%, which was significantly higher than the patients with NPM1 wild-type (34.68%)(P<0.001), the median survival time of AML patients with NPM1 gene mutation in the CD73+ group was 21 months, which was significantly longer than the patients in the CD73- group (11 months)(P<0.001), the median survival time of AML patients with NPM1 wild-type in the CD73+ group was 13 months, which was significantly shorter than the patients in the CD73- group (18 months) (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: The expression of CD73 was increased in AML patients with NPM1 gene mutation, and CD73 showed different prognostic significance in AML patients with different NPM1 gene mutation. The combination of clinicopathologic features, CD73 expression and NPM1 gene in AML patients is helpful to determine their prognosis and guide the formulation of relevant treatment plans.

Analysis of Health Service Utilization and its Influencing Factors among Patients with Pneumoconiosis in China.

Pneumoconiosis, an interstitial lung disease that occurs from breathing in certain kinds of damaging dust particles, is a major occupational disease in China. Patients diagnosed with occupational pneumoconiosis can avail of free medical treatment, whereas patients without a diagnosis of occupational diseases cannot not claim free medical treatment in most provinces from the government before 2019. This study aimed to analyze the priority of medical facility selection and its influencing factors among patients with pneumoconiosis. A total of 1,037 patients with pneumoconiosis from nine provinces in China were investigated. The health service institutions most frequently selected by the patients were county-level hospitals (37.5%). The main reason for the choice was these hospitals' close distance to the patients' homes (47.3%). The factors for the choice of health care institutions were living in the eastern region ( OR = 2.91), living in rural areas ( OR = 2.10), silicosis diagnosis ( OR = 2.44), employment in private enterprises ( OR = 2.91), smoking ( OR = 2.69), and quit smoking ( OR = 3.98). The diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation therapy of pneumoconiosis should be enhanced in primary medical institutions.