Boosting the photothermal performance of vacancy-rich MoSe2-x nanoflowers for photoacoustic imaging guided tumor chemo-photothermal therapy.

Due to the relatively low photo-thermal conversion efficiency and poor tumor targeting capacity, phototheranostic nanoagents encounter some challenges in cancer photothermal therapy. To address this problem, in the current research we developed vacancy-rich MoSe2-x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) nanoflowers (MNFs) with molecular 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) as the activity target, which could be used as a novel phototheranostic nanoagent in the photoacoustic imaging guided chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy. This selenium-deficient structure endows MNFs with high photothermal conversion efficiency (41.7%) due to the strong localized surface plasmon resonances. Besides, the surface linked 2-DG molecules and the flower-like morphology in the nanoagents promoted the targeting effect (active and passive), thus facilitating the efficient concentration of the nanoagents within the tumor site. Both in vitro and in vivo anti-tumor experiments have demonstrated the high synergistic efficacy promoted by MNFs and complete tumor eradication with lower administration dosages could be achieved. This rational design of nanoparticles not only provided the paradigm of high therapeutic efficacy of a chemo-photothermal protocol for precise cancer theranostics, but also expanded the scope of nanomedical applications using semiconductor-based nanoplatforms through well-defined designing of their microstructures and physiochemical properties.

Continuous liquid fermentation of pretreated waste activated sludge for high rate volatile fatty acids production and online nutrients recovery.

Raw sludge was pretreated, and the separated sludge liquid was used as substrate in a continuous operated up-flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor to produce volatile fatty acids (VFAs). The highest VFA productivity of continuous fermentation with sludge liquid at an organic loading rate (OLR) of 10.0 kg COD/m3/d was about 5.0-fold and 4.0-fold higher than batch and semi-continuous fermentation with pretreated sludge slurry, respectively. Moreover, the liquid fermentation with an OLR of 10.0 kg COD/m3/d consumed the least energy, which was about 10.57% and 12.12% of batch and semi-continuous sludge fermentation, respectively. When combined with online nitrogen and phosphorus recovery, VFA production further increased by 20.67% and struvite recovery efficiency reached 1.98  ±â€¯â€¯0.28 g/g PO43-. The process showed high VFA production, low energy consumption and good nutrients recovery by continuous liquid anaerobic fermentation, significantly increasing the economic potential of VFA production from waste activated sludge.

Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharide activates nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) and induces cytokine production via Toll-like receptors.

This study was designed to investigate the mechanism of macrophage activation by the Sargassum fusiforme polysaccharide (SFPS). As a result, SFPS significantly enhanced cytokines and nitric oxide (NO) productions in peritoneal macrophages, and stimulated macrophages to produce the cytokines and NO through the induction of their genes expression. The pretreatment of peritoneal macrophages with special antibodies [Toll-like receptors (TLRs) antibody] significantly blocked SFPS-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and NO production. Furthermore, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a specific inhibitor of NF-κB, effectively suppressed SFPS-induced TNF-α and interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß) secretion in peritoneal macrophages, indicating that SFPS stimulated macrophages to produce cytokines through the NF-κB pathway and the result was further confirmed by the experiment of Western blotting (WB) and confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). Taken together, these results suggest that SFPS-mediated induction of cytokines and NO production in macrophages is mediated, at least in part, by TLRs/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Unilateral linear capillaritis: two unusual Chinese cases.

Unilateral linear capillaritis (ULC) is a rare special variation of pigmented purpuric dermatosis (PPD), which is characterized clinically by linear or segmental distribution of pigmented purpuric macules located predominantly on the lower extremities and showing a favorable prognosis. In this case report, we describe two unusual cases of ULC, in one male and one female patient, with unilateral lesions involving the upper extremities that loosely follow the dermatome lines. Biopsy results revealed a common histopathology feature to PPD without heavy band-like infiltration in the upper dermis. On review 20 months after the onset, the eruptions of Patient 1 had spontaneously faded from parts of the affected area. Meanwhile, after a period of 18 months post onset, the eruptions of Patient 2 had became less visible after treatment with PUVA for 2 months, leaving a faded pigmentation.