A thermosensitive Pickering gel emulsion with a high oil-water ratio for long-term X-ray imaging and permanent embolization of arteries.

Iodized oil has an excellent X-ray imaging effect, but it shows poor embolization performance. When used as an embolic agent, it is easily washed off by the blood flow and eliminated from the body. Therefore, it is essential to use iodized oil in combination with solid embolic agents such as gelatin sponge or to perform multiple embolization procedures to achieve the therapeutic effect. In the present study, a poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)-co-acrylic acid (PNCAA) temperature-sensitive nanogel was synthesized by emulsion polymerization; the nanogel was then emulsified with iodized oil to prepare a thermosensitive iodized oil Pickering gel emulsion (TIPE). The oil-water (O/W) ratio of an O/W emulsion system can reach 4 : 6. When injected into the body, TIPE transforms into a nonflowing coagulated state at physiological temperature; the iodized oil is locked in the emulsion structure, thereby achieving local embolization and continuous imaging effects, which not only retain the X-ray imaging effect of the iodized oil but also improve its embolization effect. Subsequently, we further evaluated renal artery embolization in a normal rabbit renal artery model, and the results showed that TIPE shows a long-term conformal embolization performance and excellent long-term X-ray imaging ability.

Papillary thyroid cancer organoids harboring BRAFV600E mutation reveal potentially beneficial effects of BRAF inhibitor-based combination therapies.

BACKGROUNDS: Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), which is often driven by acquired somatic mutations in BRAF genes, is the most common pathologic type of thyroid cancer. PTC has an excellent prognosis after treatment with conventional therapies such as surgical resection, thyroid hormone therapy and adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy. Unfortunately, about 20% of patients develop regional recurrence or distant metastasis, making targeted therapeutics an important treatment option. Current in vitro PTC models are limited in representing the cellular and mutational characteristics of parental tumors. A clinically relevant tool that predicts the efficacy of therapy for individuals is urgently needed. METHODS: Surgically removed PTC tissue samples were dissociated, plated into Matrigel, and cultured to generate organoids. PTC organoids were subsequently subjected to histological analysis, DNA sequencing, and drug sensitivity assays, respectively. RESULTS: We established 9 patient-derived PTC organoid models, 5 of which harbor BRAFV600E mutation. These organoids have been cultured stably for more than 3 months and closely recapitulated the histological architectures as well as mutational landscapes of the respective primary tumors. Drug sensitivity assays of PTC organoid cultures demonstrated the intra- and inter-patient specific drug responses. BRAFV600E inhibitors, vemurafenib and dabrafenib monotherapy was mildly effective in treating BRAFV600E-mutant PTC organoids. Nevertheless, BRAF inhibitors in combination with MEK inhibitors, RTK inhibitors, or chemotherapeutic agents demonstrated improved efficacy compared to BRAF inhibition alone. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that patient-derived PTC organoids may be a powerful research tool to investigate tumor biology and drug responsiveness, thus being useful to validate or discover targeted drug combinations.

Study on the effect of Cr(VI) removal by stimulating indigenous microorganisms using molasses.

Molasses have a prominent effect on the bioremediation of Cr(VI) contaminated groundwater. However, its reaction mechanism is not detailed. In this paper, the removal of Cr(VI) with different carbon sources was compared to explore the effect and mechanism of the molasses. The addition of molasses can completely remove 25 mg/L Cr(VI), while the removal efficiency by glucose or emulsified vegetable oil was only 20%. Molasses could rapidly stimulate the reduction of Cr(VI) by indigenous microorganisms and weakened the toxicity on bacteria. The average removal rate of Cr(VI) was 0.42 mg/L·h, 10 times that of glucose system. Compared with glucose, molasses can remediate Cr(VI) at a higher concentration (50 mg/L), and the carbohydrate acted as microbial nutrients. Direct and indirect reduction acted together, the Fe(II) content in the aquifer medium increased from 1.7% to 4.7%. The addition of molasses extract into glucose system could increased the removal rate of Cr(VI) by 2-3 times, and the ions of molasses had no significant effect on the reduction. Excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectra and electrochemical analysis proved that the molasses contained humic acid-like substances, which had the ability of electron shuttle and improved the reduction rate of Cr(VI). In the process of bioreduction, the composition of molasses changed and the electron transport capacity increased from 104.2 to 446.5 µmol/(g C), but these substances could not be used as electron transport media to continuously enhance the reduction effect. This study is of great significance to fully understand the role and application of molasses.

Two probable cases of mastoiditis in a cemetery from the Warring States to Han Dynasty (475 BCE-220 CE) in Qufu, Shandong Province, China.

In modern clinical medical practice, middle-ear infection is a frequently reported condition. If untreated, persistent inflammation caused by infection may lead to perforation of the mastoid process or other portions of the temporal bone. When the middle-ear abscess penetrates the surrounding bone and invades the mastoid process, it causes mastoiditis. Abnormal osseous fistulae were observed on the temporal bones of individuals M137 and M199, which were unearthed in Qufu Olympic Sports Center Cemetery in Qufu City, Shandong Province, and date to the Warring States to the Han Dynasty (475 BCE-220 CE). Microscopic observation and CBCT were used to examine the lesions. A differential diagnosis suggests that the lesions were related to mastoiditis, and based on reference studies, burial information, and paleopathological observation, pollution in the living environment and poor living conditions may be potential factors that caused individuals M137 and M199 to suffer from mastoiditis. The two examples from Qufu are the earliest reported cases of mastoiditis from China; however, infections in the middle ear often go unnoticed in archaeological samples.

Sorption of uranium(VI) using oxime-grafted ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-5.

A new sorbent for uranium(VI) has been developed by functionalizing ordered mesoporous carbon CMK-5 with 4-acetophenone oxime via thermally initiated diazotization. The sorption of U(VI) ions onto the functionalized CMK-5 (Oxime-CMK-5) was investigated as a function of sorbent dosage, pH value, contact time, ionic strength and temperature using batch sorption techniques. The results showed that U(VI) sorption onto Oxime-CMK-5 was strongly dependent on pH, but to a lesser extent, on ionic strength. Kinetic studies revealed that the sorption process achieved equilibrium within 30 min and followed a pseudo-first-order rate equation. The isothermal data correlated with the Langmuir model better than the Freundlich model. Thermodynamic data indicated the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the process. Under current experimental conditions, a maximum U(VI) sorption capacity was found to be 65.18 mg/g. Quantitative recovery of uranium was achieved by desorbing the U(VI)-loaded Oxime-CMK-5 with 1.0 mol/L HCl and no significant decrease in U(VI) sorption capability of Oxime-CMK-5 was observed after five consecutive sorption-desorption cycles. The sorption study performed in a simulated nuclear industry effluent demonstrated that the new sorbent showed a desirable selectivity for U(VI) ions over a range of competing metal ions.

Solid phase extraction of uranium(VI) onto benzoylthiourea-anchored activated carbon.

A new solid phase extractant selective for uranium(VI) based on benzoylthiourea anchored to activated carbon was developed via hydroxylation, amidation and reaction with benzoyl isothiocyanate in sequence. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and total element analysis proved that benzoylthiourea had been successfully grafted to the surface of the activated carbon, with a loading capacity of 1.2 mmol benzoylthiourea per gram of activated carbon. The parameters that affect the uranium(VI) sorption, such as contact time, solution pH, initial uranium(VI) concentration, adsorbent dose and temperature, have been investigated. Results have been analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm; the former was more suitable to describe the sorption process. The maximum sorption capacity (82 mg/g) for uranium(VI) was obtained at experimental conditions. The rate constant for the uranium sorption by the as-synthesized extractant was 0.441 min(-1) from the first order rate equation. Thermodynamic parameters (DeltaH(0)=-46.2 kJ/mol; DeltaS(0)=-98.0 J/mol K; DeltaG(0)=-17.5 kJ/mol) showed the adsorption of an exothermic process and spontaneous nature, respectively. Additional studies indicated that the benzoylthiourea-anchored activated carbon (BT-AC) selectively sorbed uranyl ions in the presence of competing ions, Na(+), Co(2+), Sr(2+), Cs(+) and La(3+).