Characterization Techniques of Polymer Aging: From Beginning to End.

Polymers have been widely applied in various fields in the daily routines and the manufacturing. Despite the awareness of the aggressive and inevitable aging for the polymers, it still remains a challenge to choose an appropriate characterization strategy for evaluating the aging behaviors. The difficulties lie in the fact that the polymer features from the different aging stages require different characterization methods. In this review, we present an overview of the characterization strategies preferable for the initial, accelerated, and late stages during polymer aging. The optimum strategies have been discussed to characterize the generation of radicals, variation of functional groups, substantial chain scission, formation of low-molecular products, and deterioration in the polymers' macro-performances. In view of the advantages and the limitations of these characterization techniques, their utilization in a strategic approach is considered. In addition, we highlight the structure-property relationship for the aged polymers and provide available guidance for lifetime prediction. This review could allow the readers to be knowledgeable of the features for the polymers in the different aging stages and provide access to choose the optimum characterization techniques. We believe that this review will attract the communities dedicated to materials science and chemistry.

Highly Stable Pt/CeO2 Catalyst with Embedding Structure toward Water-Gas Shift Reaction.

Strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) has been extensively studied in heterogeneous catalysis because of its significance in stabilizing active metals and tuning catalytic performance, but the origin of SMSI is not fully revealed. Herein, by using Pt/CeO2 as a model catalyst, we report an embedding structure at the interface between Pt and (110) plane of CeO2, where Pt clusters (∼1.6 nm) are embedded into the lattice of ceria within 3-4 atomic layers. In contrast, this phenomenon is absent in the CeO2(100) support. This unique geometric structure, as an effective motivator, triggers more significant electron transfer from Pt clusters to CeO2(110) support accompanied by the formation of interfacial structure (Ptδ+-Ov-Ce3+), which plays a crucial role in stabilizing Pt nanoclusters. A comprehensive investigation based on experimental studies and theoretical calculations substantiates that the interfacial sites serve as the intrinsic active center toward water-gas shift reaction (WGSR), featuring a moderate strength CO activation adsorption and largely decreased energy barrier of H2O dissociation, accounting for the prominent catalytic activity of Pt/CeO2(110) (a reaction rate of 15.76 molCO gPt-1 h-1 and a turnover frequency value of 2.19 s-1 at 250 °C). In addition, the Pt/CeO2(110) catalyst shows a prominent durability within a 120 h time-on-stream test, far outperforming the Pt/CeO2(100) one, which demonstrates the advantages of this embedding structure for improving catalyst stability.

Smooth muscle α-actin missense variant promotes atherosclerosis through modulation of intracellular cholesterol in smooth muscle cells.

AIMS: The variant p.Arg149Cys in ACTA2, which encodes smooth muscle cell (SMC)-specific α-actin, predisposes to thoracic aortic disease and early onset coronary artery disease in individuals without cardiovascular risk factors. This study investigated how this variant drives increased atherosclerosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Apoe-/- mice with and without the variant were fed a high-fat diet for 12 weeks, followed by evaluation of atherosclerotic plaque formation and single-cell transcriptomics analysis. SMCs explanted from Acta2R149C/+ and wildtype (WT) ascending aortas were used to investigate atherosclerosis-associated SMC phenotypic modulation. Hyperlipidemic Acta2R149C/+Apoe-/- mice have a 2.5-fold increase in atherosclerotic plaque burden compared to Apoe-/- mice with no differences in serum lipid levels. At the cellular level, misfolding of the R149C α-actin activates heat shock factor 1, which increases endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis and intracellular cholesterol levels through increased HMG-CoA reductase (HMG-CoAR) expression and activity. The increased cellular cholesterol in Acta2R149C/+ SMCs induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and activates PERK-ATF4-KLF4 signaling to drive atherosclerosis-associated phenotypic modulation in the absence of exogenous cholesterol, while WT cells require higher levels of exogenous cholesterol to drive phenotypic modulation. Treatment with the HMG-CoAR inhibitor pravastatin successfully reverses the increased atherosclerotic plaque burden in Acta2R149C/+Apoe-/- mice. CONCLUSION: These data establish a novel mechanism by which a pathogenic missense variant in a smooth muscle-specific contractile protein predisposes to atherosclerosis in individuals without hypercholesterolemia or other risk factors. The results emphasize the role of increased intracellular cholesterol levels in driving SMC phenotypic modulation and atherosclerotic plaque burden.

Hymenobacter endophyticus sp. nov., isolated from wheat leaf tissue.

A bacterium, designated strain ZK17L-C2T, was isolated from the leaf tissues of wheat (Triticum aestivum) collected in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, PR China. It is aerobic, non-motile, Gram-negative, rod-shaped and red-to-pink in colour. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain ZK17L-C2T belonged to the genus Hymenobacter and was most closely related to Hymenobacter rigui KCTC 12533T (98.68 %) and Hymenobacter metallilatus 9PBR-2T (98.19 %). Digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain ZK17L-C2T and these two type strains were 26.6 and 26.5 %, and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values were 84.9 and 84.8 %, respectively; these values are lower than the proposed and generally accepted species boundaries for dDDH and ANI. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain ZK17L-C2T was 59.4 mol%. It can grow at pH 5.5-7.5 and 15-30 °C, which is different from the closely related type strains. The major fatty acids of strain ZK17L-C2T were iso-C15 : 0, C16 : 0 and C18 : 0. Overall, the results from biochemical, chemical taxonomy and phylogenetic analyses indicate that strain ZK17L-C2T (=CGMCC 1.19373T=KCTC 92184 T) represents a new species of the genus Hymenobacter, for which the name Hymenobacter endophyticus sp. nov. is proposed.

Electrochemical determination of benomyl using MWCNTs interspersed graphdiyne as enhanced electrocatalyst.

Graphdiyne (GDY) has attracted a lot of interest in electrochemical sensing application with the advantages of a large conjugation system, porous structure, and high structure defects. Herein, to further improve the sensing effect of GDY, conductive MWCNTs were chosen as the signal accelerator. To get a stable composite material, polydopamine (PDA) was employed as connecting bridge between GDY and MWCNTs-NH2, where DA was firstly polymerized onto GDY, followed by covalently linking MWCNTs-NH2 with PDA through Michael-type reaction. The formed GDY@PDA/MWCNTs-NH2 composite was then explored as an electrochemical sensor for benomyl (Ben) determination. GDY assists the adsorption and accumulation of Ben molecules to the sensing surface, while MWCNTs-NH2 can enhance the electrical conductivity and electrocatalytic activity, all of which contributing to the significantly improved performance. The proposed sensor displays an obvious oxidation peak at 0.72 V (vs. Hg|Hg2Cl2) and reveals a wide linear range from 0.007 to 10.0 µM and a low limit of detection (LOD) of 1.8 nM (S/N = 3) toward Ben detection. In addition, the sensor shows high stability, repeatability, reproducibility, and selectivity. The feasibility of this sensor was demonstrated by detecting Ben in apple and cucumber samples with a recovery of 94-106% and relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 2.3% (n = 5). A sensitive electrochemical sensing platform was reported for benomyl (Ben) determination based on a highly stable GDY@PDA/MWCNTs-NH2 composite.

[Research progress of the regulation of orphan nuclear receptors on chronic liver diseases].

The development of chronic liver disease can be promoted by excessive fat accumulation, dysbiosis, viral infections and persistent inflammatory responses, which can lead to liver inflammation, fibrosis and carcinogenesis. An in-depth understanding of the etiology leading to chronic liver disease and the underlying mechanisms influencing its development can help identify potential therapeutic targets for targeted treatment. Orphan nuclear receptors (ONRs) are receptors that have no corresponding endogenous ligands to bind to them. The study of these ONRs and their biological properties has facilitated the development of synthetic ligands, which are important for investigating the effective targets for the treatment of a wide range of diseases. In recent years, it has been found that ONRs are essential for maintaining normal liver function and their dysfunction can affect a variety of liver diseases. ONRs can influence pathophysiological activities such as liver lipid metabolism, inflammatory response and cancer cell proliferation by regulating hormones/transcription factors and affecting the biological clock, oxidative stress, etc. This review focuses on the regulation of ONRs, mainly including retinoid related orphan nuclear receptors (RORs), pregnane X receptor (PXR), leukocyte cell derived chemotaxin 2 (LECT2), Nur77, and hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (HNF4α), on the development of different types of chronic liver diseases in different ways, in order to provide useful references for the therapeutic strategies of chronic liver diseases based on the regulation of ONRs.

Regulating Degradation Pathways of Polymers by Radical-Triggered Luminescence.

Understanding the radical behaviours during polymer degradation is beneficial to unveil and regulate the degradation pathways of polymers to achieve a sustainable polymer development. However, it is a long-standing challenge to study radical behaviours owing to the ultra-short lifetime of the transient radicals generated during the polymer degradation. In this contribution, we have proposed the radical-triggered luminescence to monitor the radical behaviours during polymer degradation without/with the addition of inorganic additives. It was disclosed that the pure polymers showed a single sigmoidal dynamic curve from peroxy radicals (ROO⋅) emissions, leading to the exponential proliferation for the degradation evolution. Alternatively, the degradation pathways with the addition of additives, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) with positively charged Al centers, could be modulated into a double sigmoidal dynamics, involving the main product of alkoxy radicals (RO⋅) with the activation energy of 40.2 kJ/mol and a small amount of ROO⋅ with 76.3 kJ/mol, respectively. Accordingly, the polymers with the additive-regulated pathways could exhibit prominently anti-degradation behaviours. This work is beneficial for the deep understanding of the radical mechanisms during polymer degradation, and for the rational design of anti-degradation polymers.

A Carbon-Negative Hydrogen Production Strategy: CO2 Selective Capture with H2 Production.

We reported a strategy of carbon-negative H2 production in which CO2 capture was coupled with H2 evolution at ambient temperature and pressure. For this purpose, carbonate-type Cux Mgy Fez layered double hydroxide (LDH) was preciously constructed, and then a photocatalysis reaction of interlayer CO3 2- reduction with glycerol oxidation was performed as driving force to induce the electron storage on LDH layers. With the participation of pre-stored electrons, CO2 was captured to recover interlayer CO3 2- in presence of H2 O, accompanied with equivalent H2 production. During photocatalysis reaction, Cu0.6 Mg1.4 Fe1 exhibited a decent CO evolution amount of 1.63 mmol g-1 and dihydroxyacetone yield of 3.81 mmol g-1 . In carbon-negative H2 production process, it showed an exciting CO2 capture quantity of 1.61 mmol g-1 and H2 yield of 1.44 mmol g-1 . Besides, this system possessed stable operation capability under simulated flu gas condition with negligible performance loss, exhibiting application prospect.

Resistance of Acta2R149C/+ mice to aortic disease is associated with defective release of mutant smooth muscle α-actin from the chaperonin-containing TCP1 folding complex.

Pathogenic variants of the gene for smooth muscle α-actin (ACTA2), which encodes smooth muscle (SM) α-actin, predispose to heritable thoracic aortic disease. The ACTA2 variant p.Arg149Cys (R149C) is the most common alteration; however, only 60% of carriers have a dissection or undergo repair of an aneurysm by 70 years of age. A mouse model of ACTA2 p.Arg149Cys was generated using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to determine the etiology of reduced penetrance. Acta2R149C/+ mice had significantly decreased aortic contraction compared with WT mice but did not form aortic aneurysms or dissections when followed to 24 months, even when hypertension was induced. In vitro motility assays found decreased interaction of mutant SM α-actin filaments with SM myosin. Polymerization studies using total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy showed enhanced nucleation of mutant SM α-actin by formin, which correlated with disorganized and reduced SM α-actin filaments in Acta2R149C/+ smooth muscle cells (SMCs). However, the most prominent molecular defect was the increased retention of mutant SM α-actin in the chaperonin-containing t-complex polypeptide folding complex, which was associated with reduced levels of mutant compared with WT SM α-actin in Acta2R149C/+ SMCs. These data indicate that Acta2R149C/+ mice do not develop thoracic aortic disease despite decreased contraction of aortic segments and disrupted SM α-actin filament formation and function in Acta2R149C/+ SMCs. Enhanced binding of mutant SM α-actin to chaperonin-containing t-complex polypeptide decreases the mutant actin versus WT monomer levels in Acta2R149C/+ SMCs, thus minimizing the effect of the mutation on SMC function and potentially preventing aortic disease in the Acta2R149C/+ mice.

Gaseous Arsenic Capture in Flue Gas by CuCl2-Modified Halloysite Nanotube Composites with High-Temperature NOx and SOx Resistance.

Gaseous arsenic emitted from coal combustion flue gas (CCFG) causes not only severe contamination of the environment but also the failure of selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalysts in power plants. Development of inexpensive and effective adsorbents or techniques for the removal of arsenic from high-temperature CCFG is crucial. In this study, halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) at low price were modified with CuCl2 (CuCl2-HNTs) through ultrasound assistance and applied for capturing As2O3(g) in simulated flue gas (SFG). Experiments on arsenic adsorption performance, adsorption mechanism, and adsorption energy based on density functional theory were performed. Modification with CuCl2 clearly enhanced the arsenic uptake capacity (approximately 12.3 mg/g) at 600 °C for SFG. The adsorbent exhibited favorable tolerance to high concentrations of NOx and SOx. The As2O3(III) was oxidized and transformed into As2O5(V) on the CuCl2-HNTs. The Al-O bridge had the highest adsorption energy for the O end of the As-O group (-2.986 eV), and the combination formed between arsenic-containing groups and aluminum was stable. In addition, the captured arsenic could be stabilized in the sorbent at high temperature, making it possible to use the sorbent before the SCR system. This demonstrates that CuCl2-HNTs is a promising sorbent for arsenic oxidation and removal from CCFG.

Geraniol relieves mycoplasma pneumonia infection-induced lung injury in mice through the regulation of ERK/JNK and NF-κB signaling pathways.

BACKGROUND: Pneumonia is a serious pediatric lung injury disease caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae) with increasing global prevalence every year. The WHO has reported that nearly 19% of children die due to pneumonia worldwide. OBJECTIVE: The present research was conducted to discover the ameliorative properties of geraniol against M. pneumoniae-provoked pneumonia in mice through the modulation of inflammatory responses. METHODOLOGY: The pneumonia was provoked in the male Swiss albino mice via infecting animals with 100 µl of M. pneumoniae for 2 days and supplemented concurrently with 20 mg/kg of geraniol for 3 days. 100 mg/kg of azithromycin was used as a standard drug. The nitric oxide (NO) level and MPO activity were measured using kits. The SOD activity, GSH, and MDA levels were studied using standard methods. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) study was performed to examine the M. pneumoniae DNA load. The inflammatory cytokines status was assessed by assay kits. The ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and NF-κB expressions were studied by reverse-transcription (RT-PCR). The lung tissues were analyzed microscopically to investigate the histological alterations. RESULTS: Geraniol treatment effectively reduced lung weight, NO level, and MPO activity in the pneumonia mice. The total cells and M. pneumoniae DNA load were also decreased by the geraniol. The SOD activity and GSH level were improved and MDA was decreased by the geraniol treatment. The IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, and TGF status were appreciably depleted by the geraniol in the pneumonia mice. Geraniol also suppressed the ERK1/2 and NF-κB expressions in the lung tissues. Histological findings also suggest the therapeutic roles of geraniol against pneumonia in mice. CONCLUSION: In summary, our results proved the beneficial roles of geraniol against the M. pneumoniae-provoked pneumonia. Geraniol could be a hopeful therapeutic agent to treat pneumonia in the future.

Layered double hydroxide-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction: identification and tailoring of active sites, and superaerophobic nanoarray electrode assembly.

The electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical half-cell reaction for hydrogen production via water electrolysis. However, the practical OER suffers from sluggish kinetics and thus requires efficient electrocatalysts. Transition metal-based layered double hydroxides (LDHs) represent one of the most active classes of OER catalysts. An in-depth understanding of the activity of LDH based electrocatalysts can promote further rational design and active site regulation of high-performance electrocatalysts. In this review, the fundamental understanding of the structural characteristics of LDHs is demonstrated first, then comparisons and in-depth discussions of recent advances in LDHs as highly active OER catalysts in alkaline media are offered, which include both experimental and computational methods. On top of the active site identification and structural characterization of LDHs on an atomic scale, strategies to promote the OER activity are summarised, including doping, intercalation and defect-making. Furthermore, the concept of superaerophobicity, which has a profound impact on the performance of gas evolution electrodes, is explored to enhance LDHs and their derivatives for a large scale OER. In addition, certain operating standards for OER measurements are proposed to avoid inconsistency in evaluating the OER activity of LDHs. Finally, several key challenges in using LDHs as anode materials for large scale water splitting, such as the issue of stability and the adoption of membrane-electrode-assembly based electrolysers, are emphasized to shed light on future research directions.

Variants of Unknown Significance in Genes Associated with Heritable Thoracic Aortic Disease Can Be Low Penetrant "Risk Variants".

Thoracic aortic aneurysms leading to acute aortic dissections are a preventable cause of premature deaths if individuals at risk can be identified. Individuals with early-onset aortic dissections without a family history or syndromic features have an increased burden of rare genetic variants of unknown significance (VUSs) in genes with pathogenic variants for heritable thoracic aortic disease (HTAD). We assessed the role of VUSs in the development of disease using both in vitro enzymatic assays and mouse models. VUSs in LOX and MYLK identified in individuals with acute aortic dissections were assayed to determine whether they disrupted enzymatic activity. A subset of VUSs reduced enzymatic activity compared to the wild-type proteins but less than pathogenic variants. Additionally, a Myh11 variant, p.Arg247Cys, which does not cause aortic disease in either humans or mice, was crossed with the Acta2-/- mouse, which has aortic enlargement with age while Acta2+/- mice do not. Acta2+/-Myh11R247C/R247C mice have aortic dilation by 3 months of age without medial degeneration, indicating that two variants not known to cause disease do lead to aortic enlargement in combination. Furthermore, the addition of Myh11R247C/R247C to the Acta2-/- mouse model accelerates aortic enlargement and increases medial degeneration. Therefore, our results emphasize the need for a classification system for variants in Mendelian genes that goes beyond the 5-tier system of pathogenic, likely pathogenic, VUS, likely benign, and benign, and includes a designation for low-penetrant "risk variants" that trigger disease either in combination with other risk factors or in a stochastic manner.

Three-Dimensional Fluorescent Imaging to Identify Multi-Paths in Polymer Aging.

It is of great significance to disclose the diverse aging pathways for polymers under multiple factors, so as to predict and control the potential aging evolution. However, the current methods fail to distinguish multiple pathways (multi-paths) of polymer aging due to the lack of spatiotemporal resolution. In this work, using polyimide as a model polymer, the hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amino groups from the polyimide aging process were labeled using specific fluorescent probes through boron-oxygen, imine, and thiourea linkages, respectively. When the excitation and emission wavelengths of each fluorescent probe were controlled, the multi-paths in polyimide aging can be visualized individually and simultaneously in three-dimensional fluorescent images. The overall aging process under hydrothermal treatment was destructured into the pyrolysis and hydrolysis pathways. Three-dimensional dynamic studies discovered that the increased humidity, along with the decreased oxygen content, could hamper the pyrolysis reaction and accelerate the hydrolysis reaction, leading to severe degradation of the overall polyimide aging. More importantly, the oxygen showed a higher regulation coefficient in accelerating the pyrolysis reaction, than the water vapor in motivating the hydrolysis reactions. Such a multidimensional identification methodology is able to guide the long-term use of polymers and control their aging process to a harmless direction in advance by tuning the contents of oxygen and water vapor.

An ethylene-hypersensitive methionine sulfoxide reductase regulated by NAC transcription factors increases methionine pool size and ethylene production during kiwifruit ripening.

Ethylene plays an important role in regulating fruit ripening by triggering dynamic changes in expression of ripening-associated genes, but the functions of many of these genes are still unknown. Here, a methionine sulfoxide reductase gene (AdMsrB1) was identified by transcriptomics-based analysis as the gene most responsive to ethylene treatment in ripening kiwifruit. The AdMsrB1 protein exhibits a stereospecific activity toward the oxidative stress-induced R enantiomer of methionine sulfoxide (MetSO), reducing it to methionine (Met). Stable overexpression of AdMsrB1 in kiwifruit significantly increased the content of free Met and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), the immediate precursor of ethylene, and increased ethylene production. Dual-luciferase assays indicated that the AdMsrB1 promoter was not directly upregulated by ethylene treatment but was modulated by two ethylene-inducible NAM/ATAF/CUC transcription factors (AdNAC2 and AdNAC72) that bind directly to the AdMsrB1 promoter. Overexpression of AdNAC72 in kiwifruit not only enhanced AdMsrB1 expression, but also increased free Met and ACC content and ethylene production rates. This finding establishes an unexpected regulatory loop that enhances ethylene production and the concentration of its biosynthetic intermediates.

Establishment and validation of a prediction model for the probability of malignancy in solid solitary pulmonary nodules in northwest China.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To construct a prediction model of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), to predict the possibility of malignant SPNs in patients aged 15-85 years in northwest China for clinical diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making. METHODS: The features of SPNs were assessed by multivariate logistic regression, followed by visualization using a nomogram. Hosmer lemeshow was applied to evaluate the fitting degree of the model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was identified to determine the discriminative ability of the model. RESULTS: Lobulation, spiculation, pleural-tag, carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase, and total serum protein were independent predictors of malignant pulmonary nodules (p < .05). Lobulation (100 points) scored the highest in the nomogram, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic was 0.805 (p > .05). The area under curve (AUC) of the modeling and validation groups using logistic regression were 0.859 (95% CI, 0.805-0.903) and 0.823 (95% CI, 0.738-0.890), respectively. Moreover, the AUC of our model was higher than that of the Mayo model, VA model, and Peking University (AUC 0.823 vs. 0.655 vs. 0.603 vs. 0.521). CONCLUSION: Our prediction model is more suitable for predicting the possibility of malignant SPNs in northwest China, and can be calculated using a nomogram to determine further treatments.

Copper-catalyzed ortho-selective direct sulfenylation of N-aryl-7-azaindoles with disulfides.

A copper-catalyzed direct C-H chalcogenation of N-aryl-azaindoles with disulfides is described. This transformation was performed using Earth abundant Cu(OAc)2 as a catalyst, benzoic acid as an additive, air as a terminal oxidant, and readily available diaryl and dialkyldisulfides (or diselenide) as chalcogenation reagents. High functional group tolerance and excellent regioselectivity are demonstrated by the efficient preparation of a wide range of ortho-sulfenylation-7-azaindoles.

Comprehensive analysis of the safety of semaglutide in type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of the SUSTAIN and PIONEER trials.

The PIONEER and SUSTAIN serial trials are designed to assess the efficacy outcomes with semaglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes, but are not powered to assess various safety outcomes. We sought to assess the risk of semaglutide in leading to various serious adverse events (SAEs) in patients with type 2 diabetes. Studies eligible for inclusion were the PIONEER and SUSTAIN trials of semaglutide. We conducted meta-analysis to generate pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Meta-analysis was performed using both random-effects and fixed-effects model to evaluate the robustness of pooled results. We implemented subgroup analysis according to drug dosages and routes of administration and type of comparators. Twenty-one trials were included. Semaglutide versus control significantly reduced total SAEs (RR 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.97; I2 = 0) and atrial fibrillation (RR 0.69, 95% CI 0.50-0.95; I2 = 0), but significantly increased deep vein thrombosis (RR 3.66, 95% CI 1.09-12.25; I2 = 0) and diarrhoea (RR 2.66, 95% CI 1.19-5.95; I2 = 0). Semaglutide had no significant effects on 248 other kinds of SAEs. No statistically significant subgroup effects were observed. Semaglutide has a good safety profile in general and reduces atrial fibrillation by 31%, but increases diarrhoea by 166% and deep vein thrombosis by 266%. These findings may guide that semaglutide should be preferred or avoided in T2D patients with specific susceptibility factors.

Synergistic effects of Fe-Mn binary oxide for gaseous arsenic removal in flue gas.

High-efficient and economic sorbents are highly desired for arsenic (As) emission control in flue gas from coal-fired power plant. A series of Fe-Mn binary oxides were prepared by a facile method, and their behaviors for gaseous arsenic removal in flue gas were investigated. The binary oxide exhibited a remarkable synergistic effect for arsenic removal compared with Mn or Fe monometallic oxide. The possible effects of CO2, NO, SO2, and O2 on the removal performance were also studied. The adsorption ability was excellent and stable in simulated flue gas conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high-performance liquid chromatography atomic fluorescence spectroscopy (HPLC-AFS) coupling system were applied to analyze the species of surface-adsorbed arsenicals and soluble arsenicals. It was confirmed that the good sorption performance resulted from oxidation of As2O3 (As(III)) to As2O5 (As(V)) by Mn oxide and followed by efficient adsorption of As(V) on Fe oxide. Considering the toxicity of pentavalent arsenicals is lower than trivalent arsenicals, the oxidation of arsenic compounds can not only enhance its removal capacity but also decrease the toxicity of arsenicals after capture.

The effects of stereotactic body radiotherapy on peripheral natural killer and CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Both natural killer (NK) and CD3+CD56+natural killer T (NKT)-like cells play critical roles in the antitumor response. This study aimed to explore the effects of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) on peripheral NK and NKT-like cells in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to identify possible surface markers on these cells that correlate with the prognosis. METHODS: Twenty-five HCC patients were prospectively enrolled in our study, and 10 healthy individuals were served as healthy controls. Flow cytometry was used to determine the counts and the percentages of peripheral NK and NKT-like cells, cells with certain receptors, and cells with intracellular interferon-γ and TNF-α secretion at different time points, including time points of prior to SBRT, at post-SBRT, and 3-month and 6-month after treatment. The Kaplan-Meier method with the log-rank test was applied for survival analysis. RESULTS: The peripheral NKT-like cells was increased at post-SBRT. Meanwhile, elevated levels of inhibitory receptors and reduced levels of activating receptors of NK cells were also observed in NK cells at post-SBRT, but the levels was not significantly different at 3-month and 6-month as compared with the baseline levels. Lower percentage of NKp30+NK cells before SBRT and higher percentage of CD158b+NK cells after SBRT were associated with poor progression-free survival. In addition, higher percentage of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells was associated with a higher overall survival rate in HCC patients. CONCLUSIONS: SBRT has an apparent effect on both peripheral NK and CD3+CD56+NKT-like cells. Lower percentage of NKp30+NK cells before SBRT and higher percentage of CD158b+NK cells after SBRT are correlated with poor patients' PFS. Higher percentage of CD3+CD56+ NKT-like cells is associated with higher OS in HCC patients.