The prognostic value of Forkhead box P3 regulatory T cells in biliary tract cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to explore the value of tumor-infiltrating Forkhead box P3(FoxP3+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) in evaluating the prognosis of biliary tract cancer. METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched using 2 computers: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The vocabulary and syntax were adapted according to the database. Two researchers independently selected the studies, collected information, and assessed the risk of bias. The Meta-analysis was performed using STATA 17.0, and HR and its corresponding 95% CI were used to evaluate the correlation between FoxP3+ Tregs and the overall survival of patients with biliary tract cancer. In addition, the quality of the included studies was evaluated. RESULTS: Ten articles were included in this study. The results of the meta-analysis showed that patients with high FoxP3+ Tregs infiltration had worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.34,95% CI 1.16 to 1.71; P < .001). Subgroup analysis of gallbladder carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma showed that the high infiltration of FoxP3+ Tregs was significantly correlated with the OS of the former (HR = 1.55,95% CI 1.11 to 2.00; P < .001), but not with the OS of the latter (HR = 1.00,95% CI 0.62 to 1.38; P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis reveals that high infiltration of FoxP3 + Tregs is significantly associated with reduced overall survival in gallbladder carcinoma, endorsing their use as a prognostic biomarker for this subtype. In contrast, no significant prognostic correlation was identified for FoxP3+ Tregs in cholangiocarcinoma, indicating the need for subtype-specific evaluation of their prognostic relevance in biliary tract cancers.

Temperature Distribution of Vessel Tissue by High Frequency Electric Welding with Combination Optical Measure and Simulation.

In clinical surgery, high frequency electric welding is routinely utilized to seal and fuse soft tissues. This procedure denatures collagen by electrothermal coupling, resulting in the formation of new molecular crosslinks. It is critical to understand the temperature distribution and collagen structure changes during welding in order to prevent thermal damage caused by heat generated during welding. In this study, a method combining optical measurement and simulation was presented to evaluate the temperature distribution of vascular tissue during welding, with a fitting degree larger than 97% between simulation findings and measured data. Integrating temperature distribution data, strength test data, and Raman spectrum data, it is discovered that optimal parameters exist in the welding process that may effectively prevent thermal damage while assuring welding strength.

Removal of cadmium and tetracycline by lignin hydrogels loaded with nano-FeS: Nanoparticle size control and content calculation.

Cadmium (Cd) and tetracycline (TC) cause serious environmental risks. Nanomaterials have been extensively applied for environmental remediation. The size and content of nanoparticles directly affect the removal of contaminants. However, size regulation and quantitative determination of nanoparticles cannot be easily realized. In this study, hydrogels with different polymerization degrees were prepared by adjusting the contents of acrylamide (AM) and sodium lignosulfonate polymeric monomers. Ferrous sulfide (FeS) nanoparticles of different sizes were synthesized in situ within the hydrogels. The nanoparticle size decreased from 600 to 200 nm with increasing hydrogel polymerization degree, and an incomplete crystalline state was observed at the highest polymerization degree. By combining energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) images with the maximum between-class variance (Otsu) method, the content of nanoparticles was calculated to be 7.81%, 15.05%, 22.62%, 27.10%, 21.97%, and 23.95%. The distribution state of FeS compounds was also obtained. A low polymerization degree resulted in high FeS dispersal, and a high polymerization degree affected the uniformity distribution based on irregular ion diffusion. The obtained nanocomposites with different polymerization degrees were applied to the removal of Cd and TC in water. The removal capacity for both contaminants revealed a trend of initially increasing and then decreasing. The initial increase was related to the increasing content and decreasing size of the FeS nanoparticles, while the following decrease was due to the decreasing content and incomplete crystallization of the FeS nanoparticles. Overall, changing the proportion of polymeric monomers is an effective way to regulate particle size, and the Otsu method combined with EDS mapping images is a feasible method for calculating the content of nanoparticles.

Adsorption mechanism of two pesticides on polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics: DFT calculations and particle size effects.

Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) microplastics (MPs), as carriers, can bind with pesticides, which propose harmful impacts to aqueous ecosystems. Meanwhile, carbofuran and carbendazim (CBD), two widely used carbamate pesticides, are toxic to humans because of the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity. The interaction between two MPs and two pesticides could start in farmland and be maintained during transportation to the ocean. Herein, the adsorption behavior and mechanism of carbofuran and carbendazim (CBD) by PE and PP MPs were investigated via characterization and density functional theory (DFT) simulation. The adsorption kinetic and thermodynamic data were best described by pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Freundlich models. The adsorption behaviors of individual carbofuran/CBD on both MPs were very similar. The CBD adsorption rate and capacity of PE and PP MPs were higher than those of carbofuran. This phenomenon explained the lower negative effects of DOM (oxalic acid, glycine (Gly)) on CBD adsorption relative to those of carbofuran. The presence of oxalic acid and Gly decreased the PE adsorption by 20.40-48.02% and the PP adsorption by 19.27-42.11%, respectively. It indicated the significance of DOM in carbofuran cycling. The adsorption capacities were negatively correlated with MPs size, indicating the importance of specific surficial area. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy before and after adsorption suggested that the adsorption process did not produce any new covalent bond. Instead, intermolecular van der Waals forces were one of the primary adsorption mechanisms of carbofuran and CBD by MPs, as evidenced by DFT calculations. Based on the zeta potential, the electrostatic interaction explained the higher adsorption CBD by MPs than carbofuran.

Removal of cadmium from wastewater by magnetic zeolite synthesized from natural, low-grade molybdenum.

Zeolite has a high adsorption capacity for heavy metals, but it is difficult to separate from the medium because of its small particle size. In this study, magnetic zeolite was synthesized from natural, low-grade molybdenum ore by adding nano ferroferric oxide (saturation magnetization 83.43 emu/g) directly in the hydrothermal synthesis process, which was used to adsorb cadmium from wastewater. The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the nano ferroferric oxide was adhered to the surface of the zeolite to make it magnetic. The vibrating sample magnetometer showed that the larger the amount of nano ferroferric oxide added, the higher the saturation magnetization of the magnetic zeolite. The saturation magnetization of the magnetic zeolite with a loading proportion of 25% was 18.18 emu/g with a specific surface area of 459.8 m2/g. The adsorption experiments showed that when the pH value is greater than 4, the adsorption capacity of magnetic zeolite is high and stable, and the theoretical maximum adsorption capacity is 204.2 mg Cd/g. Na+ and Ca2+ have different inhibitory functions on the adsorption capacity. The mapping graphs showed that cadmium is captured by the magnetic zeolite after contact with cadmium, and XRD confirmed the presence of cadmium oxide in the magnetic zeolite after adsorption, XPS and EDS results indicated that ion exchange is one of the main mechanisms of cadmium adsorption by magnetic zeolites, and electrostatic adsorption may also have a contribution.

Occurrence and distribution of natural and synthetic progestins, androgens, and estrogens in soils from agricultural production areas in China.

The occurrence of biologically potent sex hormones in agricultural soils is of growing concern due to their ability to disrupt the endocrine systems of aquatic organisms after being transported to surface waters via runoff. This study, therefore, examined the large-scale occurrence of 34 natural and synthetic sex hormones (13 progestins, 16 androgens, and 5 estrogens) in soils from 7 provinces and 1 municipality in China. The target sex hormones were detected in 99.3% of the soil samples, indicating their widespread occurrence in most agricultural areas. Additionally, seven synthetic progestins were detected in soils for the first time. The total concentration of the 34 sex hormones (Σsex hormones) in the sampled soils ranged from below the method detection limit to 23.7 ng/g (mean of 4.72 ± 4.07 ng/g), with androgens and progestins being the most dominant hormone groups. Significant correlations were observed among the concentrations of Σestrogens, Σandrogens, and Σprogestins (r = 0.117-0.433, p < 0.001), suggesting similar sources of sex hormones. The mean concentration of Σsex hormones varied considerably across the selected provinces/municipality. Notably, the annual slaughter of poultry and swine (R2 = 0.75-0.88), female population (R2 = 0.57-0.58), and soil organic carbon content (R2 = 0.20-0.55) in each province were significantly correlated with the concentrations or mean concentrations of Σsex hormones, Σestrogens, or Σprogestins. This finding implies that these parameters contributed to the occurrence and distribution of sex hormones in the studied soils. Finally, risk quotients for some sex hormones exceeded 0.01, indicating medium or high risks to agroecosystems. This study highlights the importance of designing an optimal manure fertilization strategy in order to mitigate the risks posed by sex hormones in agroecosystems.

Aggregation kinetics of diesel soot nanoparticles in artificial and human sweat solutions: Effects of sweat constituents, pH, and temperature.

Soot nanoparticles (SNPs) are airborne contaminants that could potentially penetrate skin, but their aggregation after contact with sweat may lower their health risks. This study investigated SNP aggregation kinetics in 4 artificial sweat standards and 21 human sweat samples. Effects of sweat inorganic (NaCl, Na2HPO4, and NaH2PO4) and organic (L-histidine, lactic acid, and urea) constituents, pH, temperature, and concentrations were examined. Results showed that SNP aggregation rates in 4 standards followed American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC) > British Standard (EN) > International Standard Organization (ISO) pH 5.5 > ISO pH 8.0, and could be described by the Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (DLVO) theory. The aggregation rates increased with concentrations of SNPs, inorganic salts, L-histidine, and lactic acid, decreased with increasing pH and concentration of urea, and were weakly influenced by temperature. Systematic characterizations revealed SNP adsorption for organic sweat constituents. SNPs aggregated rapidly to ∼1000 nm in AATCC, but remained stable in ISO pH 8.0 and > 14/21 human sweat fluids over 20 min. The SNP aggregation rates correlated negatively with pH (r = -0.531*) and |ζ potential| (r = -0.464*) of human sweat samples. Sweat evaporation could promote aggregation of SNPs, hence lowering their potential harm via dermal exposure.

Bacterial community composition and function succession under aerobic and anaerobic conditions impacts the biodegradation of 17ß-estradiol and its environmental risk.

The widespread detection of 17ß-estradiol (E2) in the environment has become an emerging concern worldwide due to its endocrine disrupting effects. This work focuses on the aerobic and anaerobic biodegradations of E2 in various sedimentary environments with different availabilities of electron acceptors, including O2, NO3-, Fe3+, SO42-, or HCO3-. The highest removal efficiency (98.9%) and shortest degradation half-life of E2 (t1/2 = 5.0 d) were achieved under aerobic condition, followed by nitrate-reducing, ferric-reducing, sulfate-reducing and methanogenic conditions. We propose four different degradation pathways of E2 based on the metabolites identified under various redox conditions. Although most of E2 was effectively removed under aerobic condition, the potential environmental risk still needs to be considered due to the residual estrogenic activity induced by estrone (E1) formation. The endocrine-disrupting activities, as indicated by estradiol equivalent (EEQ) values, were related to E2 degradation rate and metabolite formation. We further analyzed the succession of bacterial community compositions and functions using Illumina HiSeq sequencing and Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt). The findings herein evidenced that bacterial community compositions and metabolic functions associated with different redox conditions impact the biodegradation of E2 and its endocrine-disrupting activity. This knowledge will be useful in predicting the environmental fates of estrogenic hormones in various sedimentary environments and aid in establishing appropriate strategies for eliminating potential environmental risks.

Relative roles of H-atom transfer and electron transfer in the debromination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers by palladized nanoscale zerovalent iron.

The relative significance of H-atom transfer versus electron transfer in the dehalogenation of halogenated organic compounds (HOCs) in bimetallic systems has long been debated. In this study, we have investigated this question through the case study of the debromination of 2, 2', 4, 4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47). The debromination rates of isomer products of BDE-47 by palladized nano zero-valent iron (n-ZVI/Pd) in the same reactor were compared. The results confirmed a shift in the debromination pathway of BDE-47 when treated with unpalladized nano zero-valent iron (n-ZVI) vs. treatment with n-ZVI/Pd. Study showed that BDEs could be rapidly debrominated in a palladium-H2 system, and the debromination pathway in this system is the same as that in the n-ZVI/Pd system. These results suggest that the H-atom species adsorbed on the surface of palladium are responsible for the enhanced reaction rates and the shift of the debromination pathway in the n-ZVI/Pd system. The Mulliken charges, calculated with density functional theory, on bromine atoms of PBDEs were directly correlated with the susceptibility to the e-transfer pathway in the n-ZVI system and inversely correlated with the susceptibility to the H-transfer pathway in n-ZVI/Pd system. These experimentally verified correlations in BDE-47 permit the prediction of the dominant debromination pathway in other BDEs.

Solubilization of 4,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether under combined TX-100 and cosolvents.

This paper is focused on the selection of cosolvents in the remediation of contaminated soils. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of Triton X-100 (TX-100) and different cosolvents on the solubilization behavior of 4,4'-dibromodiphenyl ether (BDE-15) and the washing of BDE-15 from a contaminated soil. (1)H NMR spectroscopies were used to elucidate the interactions among TX-100, cosolvents, and BDE-15 in aqueous micellar solution. Results showed that the solubility of BDE-15 was enhanced by the observed synergism among TX-100, BDE-15, and cosolvents, and the TX-100/dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) system exhibited the best performance in the solubilization of BDE-15. Similar synergism was further evidenced in the washing of BDE-15 from a contaminated soil. With 10 % (v/v) DMSO and 6.4 mM TX-100 solution added, considerable synergistic effect was achieved in TX-100/DMSO system, leading to the highest removal efficiency (92.9 %) of BDE-15 from the soil, relative to that of 67.3 % with TX-100 alone at the same concentration.

Determination of decabrominated diphenyl ether in soils by Soxhlet extraction and high performance liquid chromatography.

This study described the development of a method based on Soxhlet extraction combining high performance liquid chromatography (Soxhlet-HPLC) for the accurate detection of BDE-209 in soils. The solvent effect of working standard solutions in HPLC was discussed. Results showed that 1:1 of methanol and acetone was the optimal condition which could totally dissolve the BDE-209 in environmental samples and avoid the decrease of the peak area and the peak deformation difference of BDE-209 in HPLC. The preliminary experiment was conducted on the configured grassland (1 µ g/g) to validate the method feasibility. The method produced reliable reproducibility, simulated soils (n = 4) RSD 1.0%, and was further verified by the analysis e-waste contaminated soils, RSD range 5.9-11.4%. The contamination level of BDE-209 in burning site was consistent with the previous study of Longtang town but lower than Guiyu town, and higher concentration of BDE-209 in paddy field mainly resulted from the long-standing disassembling area nearby. This accurate and fast method was successfully developed to extract and analyze BDE-209 in soil samples, showing its potential use for replacing GC to determinate BDE-209 in soil samples.