CEAC (oral semustine, etoposide, cytarabine and cyclophosphamide) vs BEAM (carmustine, etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan) conditioning regimen of autologous stem cell transplantation for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: a post-hoc, propensity score-matched, cohort study in Chinese patients.

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a salvage therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). We have developed a novel conditioning regimen called CEAC (oral semustine 250 mg/m2 d-6, etoposide 300 mg/m2 d-5 ~ d-2, cytarabine 500 mg/m2 d-5 ~ d-2, and cyclophosphamide 1200 mg/m2 d-5 ~ d-2) In lymphoma patients in China. Here, we conducted a study to compare the conventional BEAM regimen with the CEAC regimen in 110 DLBCL patients. Propensity-score matching was performed in a 1:4 ratio (22 patients received BEAM and 88 received CEAC). Our results showed no significant difference in the overall response rate (95% vs 97%, P = 1.000) and complete response rate (66% vs 73%, P = 0.580) between the two cohorts. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS), 5-year overall survival (OS), and 5-year cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) for all patients were 72% (95% CI 62%-82%), 92% (95% CI 86%-97%), and 29% (95% CI 17%-38%), respectively. There was no significant difference in the 5-year PFS (80% vs 70%, P = 0.637), 5-year OS (95% vs 91%, P = 0.496), and 5-year CIR (20% vs 30%, P = 0.733) between cohorts. In terms of safety, the CEAC cohort had a lower incidence rate of grade 1-2 gastrointestinal hemorrhage (P = 0.023) and severe nausea (P = 0.007) compared with the BEAM cohort. In conclusion, the CEAC regimen seems to be a suitable alternative to the BEAM regimen for ASCT in DLBCL patients.

Pediatric chemotherapy versus allo-HSCT for adolescent and adult Philadelphia chromosome-negative ALL in first complete remission: a meta-analysis.

Pediatric-inspired chemotherapy significantly improves survival for adolescent and adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, the benefits over allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remain unclear. To compare clinical outcomes between pediatric-inspired chemotherapy and allo-HSCT in consolidation therapy of adolescent and adult Philadelphia chromosome-negative (Ph-neg) ALL in first complete remission (CR1), related studies from MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials updated to July 2022 were searched. A total of 13 relevant trials including 3161 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Compared with allo-HSCT, pediatric-inspired chemotherapy achieved better OS (hazard risk (HR), 0.53; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.41 to 0.68) and DFS (HR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48 to 0.86), with a significant reduction in NRM (risk ratio (RR), 0.30; 95% CI, 0.18 to 0.51), but no difference in the relapse rate (RR, 1.13; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.39). When only studies based on intention-to-treat analysis were included, pediatric-inspired chemotherapy consistently conferred a survival advantage. In subgroup analyses, patients with baseline high-risk features demonstrated similar OS and DFS between pediatric-style chemotherapy and allo-HSCT, while pediatric-style chemotherapy had an OS and DFS advantage in standard-risk subgroup. Particularly, patients with positive minimal residual disease (MRD) achieved better OS and DFS if proceeded to allo-HSCT.

Impact of a novel prognostic model on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation outcomes in patients with CMML.

Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell malignancy, and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is the only curable treatment. The outcomes after transplant are influenced by both disease characteristics and patient comorbidities. To develop a novel prognostic model to predict the post-transplant survival of CMML patients, we identified risk factors by applying univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression to a derivation cohort. In multivariable analysis, advanced age (hazard ratio [HR] 3.583), leukocyte count (HR 3.499), anemia (HR 3.439), bone marrow blast cell count (HR 2.095), and no chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD; HR 4.799) were independently associated with worse survival. A novel prognostic model termed ABLAG (Age, Blast, Leukocyte, Anemia, cGVHD) was developed and the points were assigned according to the regression equation. The patients were categorized into low risk (0-1), intermediate risk (2, 3), and high risk (4-6) three groups and the 3-year overall survival (OS) were 93.3% (95%CI, 61%-99%), 78.9% (95%CI, 60%-90%), and 51.6% (95%CI, 32%-68%; p < .001), respectively. In internal and external validation cohort, the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of the ABLAG model were 0.829 (95% CI, 0.776-0.902) and 0.749 (95% CI, 0.684-0.854). Compared with existing models designed for the nontransplant setting, calibration plots, and decision curve analysis showed that the ABLAG model revealed a high consistency between predicted and observed outcomes and patients could benefit from this model. In conclusion, combining disease and patient characteristic, the ABLAG model provides better survival stratification for CMML patients receiving allo-HSCT.

Exosome Marker Proteins of Tumor-Associated Fibroblasts and Exosome-Derived miR-92a-3p Act as Potential Biomarkers for Liver Cancer.

Many recent studies have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) in exosomes can be absorbed by nearby or distant cells, and the abnormal expression of these exosomal miRNAs is associated with most pathological progresses. In this study, we explored the diagnostic value of exosome marker proteins and exosome-derived miR-92a-3p in liver cancer. The clinicopathological data of 60 patients with liver cancer admitted to Tanghan Gongren Hospital from October 2017 to October 2019 were collected. Tumor tissue and adjacent tissue were collected during surgery. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot were used to detect the expression levels of miR-92a-3p in exosomes of fibroblasts and tumor tissue, and exosome marker proteins. In liver cancer tissue and fibroblast exosomes, the expression of miR-92a-3p was significantly increased. The receiver operator characteristic curve of the expression level of miR-92a-3p in exosomes and tissue showed that the area under the curve was 0.906 and 0.911, respectively. HSP70 and CD63 were highly expressed in the tissue of liver cancer and fibroblast exosomes. miR-92a-3p was positively correlated with HSP70 and CD63 in the exosomes of liver cancer fibroblasts. In addition, miR-92a-3p and exosome marker proteins (HSP70 and CD63) were highly expressed in tumors with a diameter greater than 5 cm, and were higher in liver cancer patients with BCLC stage B/C. Tumor fibroblast-derived exosome marker proteins and miR-92a-3p have good diagnostic value in liver cancer, indicating that they may be new diagnostic markers for liver cancer.

Identification of key gene networks related to the freezing resistance of apricot kernel pistils by integrating hormone phenotypes and transcriptome profiles.

BACKGROUND: Apricot kernel, a woody oil tree species, is known for the high oil content of its almond that can be used as an ideal feedstock for biodiesel production. However, apricot kernel is vulnerable to spring frost, resulting in reduced or even no yield. There are no effective countermeasures in production, and the molecular mechanisms underlying freezing resistance are not well understood. RESULTS: We used transcriptome and hormone profiles to investigate differentially responsive hormones and their associated co-expression patterns of gene networks in the pistils of two apricot kernel cultivars with different cold resistances under freezing stress. The levels of auxin (IAA and ICA), cytokinin (IP and tZ), salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA and ILE-JA) were regulated differently, especially IAA between two cultivars, and external application of an IAA inhibitor and SA increased the spring frost resistance of the pistils of apricot kernels. We identified one gene network containing 65 hub genes highly correlated with IAA. Among these genes, three genes in auxin signaling pathway and three genes in brassinosteroid biosynthesis were identified. Moreover, some hub genes in this network showed a strong correlation such as protein kinases (PKs)-hormone related genes (HRGs), HRGs-HRGs and PKs-Ca2+ related genes. CONCLUSIONS: Ca2+, brassinosteroid and some regulators (such as PKs) may be involved in an auxin-mediated freezing response of apricot kernels. These findings add to our knowledge of the freezing response of apricot kernels and may provide new ideas for frost prevention measures and high cold-resistant apricot breeding.

Evolution of different rice ecotypes and genetic basis of flooding adaptability in Deepwater rice by GWAS.

BACKGROUND: Rice is the world's second largest food crop and accelerated global climate change due to the intensification of human activities has a huge impact on rice. Research on the evolution of different rice ecotypes is essential for enhancing the adaptation of rice to the unpredictable environments. RESULTS: The sequencing data of 868 cultivated and 140 wild rice accessions were used to study the domestication history and signatures of adaptation in the distinct rice ecotypes genome. The different populations had formed distinct rice ecotypes by phylogenetic analyses and were domesticated independently in the two subspecies of rice, especially deepwater and upland rice. The domestication history of distinct rice ecotypes was confirmed and the four predicted admixture events mainly involved gene flow between wild rice and cultivated rice. Importantly, we identified numerous selective sweeps that have occurred during the domestication of different rice ecotypes and one candidate gene (LOC_Os11g21804) for deepwater based on transcriptomic evidence. In addition, many regions of genomic differentiation between the different rice ecotypes were identified. Furthermore, the main reason for the increase in genetic diversity in the ecotypes of xian (indica) rice was the high proportion of alternative allele frequency in new mutations. Genome-wide association analysis revealed 28 QTLs associated with flood tolerance which contained 12 related cloned genes, and 20 candidate genes within 13 deepwater QTLs were identified by transcriptomic and haplotype analyses. CONCLUSIONS: These results enhanced our understanding of domestication history in different rice ecotypes and provided valuable insights for genetic improvement and breeding of rice in the current changing environments.

Identification and construction of a 13-gene risk model for prognosis prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma patients.

We attempted to screen out the feature genes associated with the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients through bioinformatics methods, to generate a risk model to predict the survival rate of patients. Gene expression information of HCC was accessed from GEO database, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained through the joint analysis of multi-chip. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of DEGs indicated that the enrichment was mainly displayed in biological processes such as nuclear division. Based on TCGA-LIHC data set, univariate, LASSO, and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted on the DEGs. Then, 13 feature genes were screened for the risk model. Also, the hub genes were examined in our collected clinical samples and GEPIA database. The performance of the risk model was validated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curves. While its universality was verified in GSE76427 and ICGC (LIRI-JP) validation cohorts. Besides, through combining patients' clinical features (age, gender, T staging, and stage) and risk scores, univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that the risk score was an effective independent prognostic factor. Finally, a nomogram was implemented for 3-year and 5-year overall survival prediction of patients. Our findings aid precision prediction for prognosis of HCC patients.

Effect of Throat Pack Placement on the Incidence of Sore Throat and Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Septorhinoplasty Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Advances in surgical and anesthetic techniques have led to a growing interest in performing procedures at ambulatory surgery centers. However, procedures involving the oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal region may lead to the ingestion of blood, which can lead to postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). To date, limited studies have largely failed to demonstrate the benefits of oropharyngeal throat packing. OBJECTIVES: The authors aimed to investigate whether throat packing during elective septorhinoplasty increases the incidence of postoperative throat pain and assess its effects on PONV. METHODS: A randomized, prospective, single-blinded study was performed on 101 patients undergoing elective septorhinoplasty who received oropharyngeal throat packing vs no packing to compare the incidence of PONV and throat pain in the immediate postoperative period in addition to postoperative day (POD) 1 and 2. RESULTS: The incidence and severity of postoperative throat pain were significantly greater in patients receiving throat packs in the immediate postoperative period and on POD 1. Significant differences in throat pain and incidence between the 2 groups diminished by POD 2. Patients having received throat packs also demonstrated a higher utilization of opioids in postanesthesia care unit. The incidence of PONV did not significantly differ between the 2 cohorts at any point of observations. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study largely agree with previous data that throat packs may contribute to postoperative throat pain while not significantly altering the incidence of PONV. Considering these data, we do not recommend routine utilization of throat packing during elective septorhinoplasty.

Platelet transcriptome profiles provide potential therapeutic targets for elderly acute myelocytic leukemia patients.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults, with a median age of 68 in clinical diagnosis. About 60% patients are over 60 years old. There are various treatment options for AML patients. But for elderly patients, the complete remission rates are disappointing due to genetic, molecular, and age-related factors. Development of next-generation sequencing technologies makes it possible to seek individual strategies for patients in different ages. This study analyzed transcriptome profiles in platelets of AML patients in different ages for the first time. METHODS: Platelet RNA sequencing in AML of ten elderly and seven young patients were performed with Illumina TruSeq Stranded mRNA library Prep Kit and Illumina HiSeq4000 sequencing instrument. With the FASTQ sequencing data obtained, statistical analyses between elderly with young AML patients were analyzed by R program. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed via R package clusterProfiler. TOP 10 down-regulated/up-regulated genes in elderly patients compared to young patients were selected with the threshold of |L2FC| > 2 and padj ≤ 0.0001. The down-regulated gene ATF4 was chosen by GSEA analysis and ROC analysis with AUC > 0.95. RESULTS: We found 3059 genes with differential transcript levels (GDTLs) in AML patients of different age. Among them, 2048 genes are down-regulated and 651 genes are up-regulated in elderly patients. We found that gene transcript profiles in elderly patients is obviously different from those in young patients, including a collection of down-regulated genes related to proteins processing in endoplasmic reticulum and immunity. We further identified that genes of pathway in cancer and mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, involved in natural immunity and metabolism, are significantly down-regulated in elderly patients. Among all screened genes with decreased transcript levels, we believe that activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4) is a biomarker indicating different chemotherapy strategies for elderly patients. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, gene transcript profiles are different in platelets of elderly and young AML patients. And ATF4 can be a useful biomarker indicating different chemotherapy strategies for AML patients with different ages.

miR-9-5p facilitates hepatocellular carcinoma cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting ESR1.

The study aimed to explore the relationship between miR-9-5p and ESR1, and clarify the underlying functional mechanism in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Expression data including miRNAs and mRNAs of HCC downloaded from TCGA database were processed for differential analysis, and corresponding clinical data were collected for survival analysis to identify the target miRNA miR-9-5p. Bioinformatics databases were applied for predicting downstream target mRNAs of miR-9-5p. qRT-PCR was used to evaluate expression of miR-9-5p. Western blot was used to detect protein expression of ESR1. MTT, wound healing assay and Transwell assay were used to detect HCC cell proliferation, migration and invasion, respectively. Dual-luciferase reporter gene assay was used to identify the targeting relationship between miR-9-5p and ESR1. Research suggested that miR-9-5p was highly expressed in HCC cells but ESR1 was poorly expressed. Overexpression of miR-9-5p could improve the proliferation, invasion and migration of cells. Dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that ESR1 was the downstream target of miR-9-5p in HCC. Overexpression of miR-9-5p markedly reduced ESR1 mRNA and protein levels in HCC cells, whereas inhibition of miR-9-5p expression produced the contrary results. Silencing ESR1 could noticeably reverse the effect of miR-9-5p knockdown on the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells. As an oncogene, miR-9-5p fostered the proliferation, migration and invasion of HCC cells by targeting and inhibiting ESR1 expression.

Preparation of Fraxetin Long Circulating Liposome and Its Anti-enteritis Effect.

This study sought to improve the oral bioavailability and enhance the anti-enteritis effect of fraxetin by incorporating it into long circulating liposomes (F-LC-Lipo). The optimal formulation of F-LC-Lipo was obtained via orthogonal design. The particle size, morphology, encapsulation efficiency, stability, and anti-enteritis effect of F-LC-Lipo were evaluated. The particle size of F-LC-Lipo was 166.65 ± 8.75 nm with entrapment efficiency (EE) of 92.18 ± 0.17%. The release rate in different dissolution media (pH 1.2 HCl, DDW, and pH 7.4 PBS) was significantly higher than that of fraxetin solution. Compared with the free fraxetin solution, F-LC-Lipo increased oral bioavailability of fraxetin by 4.43 times (443%). More importantly, F-LC-Lipo could improve the levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1ß), IL-6, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), C-reactive protein (CRP), prostaglandin E2 (PEG2), and IL-10 in rats with enteritis. Overall, these results suggested that LC-Lipo may serve as a potential carrier for improving the solubility and oral bioavailability of fraxetin as well as improving its enteritis effect.

Fluorochromic polymer films containing ultrasmall silver nanoclusters.

Fluorochromic materials that change their emission properties in response to their environment are of interest for the development of sensors, optical data storage and light-emitting materials. A thermally fluorochromic elastic polymer film that exhibits remarkable fluorochromism (from red to yellow) and enhancement of fluorescence intensity after thermal treatment (>120 °C) is designed by the incorporation of silver nanoclusters. The thermal treatment also leads to a significant increase of quantum yield and fluorescence lifetime. It is found that the thermo-induced etching on larger silver nanoclusters generates smaller silver nanoclusters. This simple and efficient size-tuning process in solid state is responsible for the thermo-fluorochromism and enhancement of fluorescence emission from silver nanoclusters. Such a thermo-fluorochromic polymer material is finally demonstrated to be useful for thermo-printing. This material illustrates a new way to make smart optical materials, particularly for potential applications in optical data storage and soft OLED display.

Fluorochromic polymeric elastomer film containing copper nanoclusters in response to multistimuli.

Smart chromic elastomers exhibiting multistimuli responsiveness are of interest with regard to the development of sensors, optical data storage, and smart wearable devices. We report a new design of Cu nanoclusters (Cu NCs) containing polymeric elastomer film, showing reversible fluorescence ON/OFF when subjected to organic solvents (e.g. ethanol, methanol and tetrahydrofuran), and heating/cooling cycles at temperatures lower than 80 °C. Different from the solvato-responsiveness of Cu NCs in solution state, organic solvents increase nonradiative decay and quench fluorescence emission in the solid polymer matrix. It is deduced that lower temperatures (<80 °C) increase reversible nonradiative decay, while higher temperatures (>80 °C) trigger an irreversible change of the aggregation state of Cu NCs in the elastomer film. A strong oxidizer (e.g. H2O2) irreversibly quenches the fluorescence emission and changes its color (under sunlight) from light green to blue, by oxidizing Cu NCs to Cu2+ ions. This Cu NC-containing elastomer film illustrates a new pathway to the fabrication of multi-responsive smart optical materials, particularly for potential applications in optical data storage (e.g. thermo-printing), and multistimuli-responsive elastomeric sensors integrated into wearable devices.

A Novel Negative Pressure Isolation Device for Aerosol Transmissible COVID-19.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic creates a need to protect health care workers (HCWs) from patients undergoing aerosol-generating procedures which may transmit the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Existing personal containment devices (PCDs) may protect HCWs from respiratory droplets but not from potentially dangerous respiratory-generated aerosols. We describe a new PCD and its aerosol containment capabilities. The device ships flat and folds into a chamber. With its torso drape and protective arm sleeves mounted, it provides contact, droplet, and aerosol isolation during intubation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Significantly improved ergonomics, single-use workflow, and ease of removal distinguish this device from previously published designs.

Maximum Spread of Droplet Impacting onto Solid Surfaces with Different Wettabilities: Adopting a Rim-Lamella Shape.

Experimental and theoretical investigations are presented for the maximum spread factor (ßm) of an impacting droplet onto solid surfaces with contact angle hysteresis. Experiments were conducted with deionized water on six surfaces with different wettabilities. The examined Weber number ( We) falls between 10-1 and 103. A new energetic model adopting a rim-lamella shape is proposed to better represent the droplet shape at the maximum spread. The dynamic contact angle at the maximum spread (θßm) is introduced in the model to account for the curvature of the surrounding rim induced by surface wettabilities. A lamella-rim thickness ratio κ ≈ AWe- B ( A, B > 0) is utilized successfully to depict the droplet shape at different We in a unifying manner. Comprehensive evaluations of the model demonstrate that the theoretical prediction can well recover the features of the experimental observations. The L2-error analysis demonstrates the improvement of the proposed model in predicting ßm for a wide range of We = 10-1 to 103: the calculated errors are smaller than 8% for all six surfaces. Moreover, the proposed model can also be applied to predict energy conversion/dissipation during the droplet spreading process and the effects of surface wettability on ßm in a reasonable manner. The variation of the percentage of the surface energy and viscous dissipation is consistent with that in previous simulations. The weakness of the current model for predicting ßm at extremely low Weber number ( We < 1) is also explained.

Genome survey sequencing and genetic background characterization of yellow horn based on next-generation sequencing.

Yellowhorn (Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge) is an important wood oil tree species, with high ornamental and medicinal value. Nevertheless, genomic information of yellowhorn is currently unavailable. Here, for the first time, we conducted a genome survey of two yellowhorn cultivars, Zhongshi 4 and Zhongshi 9, which had distinct differences on the phenotype and drought resistance, to obtain knowledge on the genomic information by next generation sequencing (NGS). Meanwhile, its genome size was estimated using flow cytometry. As a result, the whole genome survey of Zhongshi 4 and Zhongshi 9 generated 34.40 and 39.55 GB sequence data. The genome size of Zhongshi 4 and Zhongshi 9 estimated were about 536.58 Mb and 569.52 Mb, which were closed to results of flow cytometry. The heterozygosity rates were calculated to be 0.75% and 0.89%, and the repeat rates were 60.08% and 62.00%. These reads were assembled into 1024,373 and 885,404 contigs with a N50 length of 1005 bp and 1219 bp, respectively, which were further assembled into 714,369 and 686,128 scaffolds with scaffold N50 length of ~ 1963 bp and ~ 1938 bp, total length of 386,915 Kb and 391,904 Kb. These results indicated that there was little difference in genome size and complexity among different cultivars. In addition, 63137 and 65271 high-quality genomic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers in Zhongshi 4 and Zhongshi 9 were generated. We suggest that the technologies combining Illumina and PacBio, assisted by Hi-C and matching assemble software should be used to one of two yellowhorn cultivars genome sequencing. The result will help to design whole genome sequencing strategies for yellowhorn, and provided a large amount of gene resources for further excavation and utilization of yellowhorn.

Comparison on treatment strategy for chemical cleaning wastewater: Pollutants removal, process design and techno-economic analysis.

Chemical cleaning wastewater (CCW) usually consists of pickling wastewater (PW) and alkaline cleaning wastewater (ACW), and the strategy of separate treatment or combined treatment affects pollutant removal efficiency and cost. In this study, separate and combined treatment of real PW and ACW generated from an on-site cleaning campaign were investigated. A neutralization - fluoride removal - coagulation - oxidation process was constructed for PW and mixed wastewater (MW) treatment, and operational conditions of each process were optimized. The optimal mixing ratio of PW and ACW in the primary neutralization tank was 3:7, which obtained a near neutral pH, efficient chromaticity and turbidity removal and good settling performance. The neutralized MW and PW were both adjusted pH to 9.5 to precipitate metal ions as hydroxides. After fluoride precipitated as CaF2, the fluoride removal rates of MW and PW were both 99.9%, respectively, and polyaluminum chloride was dosed to improve the settleability of CaF2. Then sodium hypochlorite oxidization was employed to remove NH3-N and soluble COD. Techno-economic analysis based on pilot-scale tests showed that separate treatment of PW and ACW obtained better effluent quality than combined treatment. The total cost of combined treatment (37.44 $/m3) was greatly higher than that of separate treatment of PW and ACW (18.20 $/m3). This study proposed a cost-effective strategy for CCW treatment, and suggested that neutralization with acidic or alkaline wastewater should be systematically considered for technical and economic feasibility.

Identification of AUXIN RESPONSE FACTOR gene family from Prunus sibirica and its expression analysis during mesocarp and kernel development.

BACKGROUND: Auxin response factors (ARFs) in auxin signaling pathway are an important component that can regulate the transcription of auxin-responsive genes involved in almost all aspects of plant growth and development. To our knowledge, the comprehensive and systematic characterization of ARF genes has never been reported in Prunus sibirica, a novel woody biodiesel feedstock in China. RESULTS: In this study, we identified 14 PsARF genes with a perfect open reading frame (ORF) in P. sibirica by using its previous transcriptomic data. Conserved motif analysis showed that all identified PsARF proteins had typical DNA-binding and ARF domain, but 5 members (PsARF3, 8 10, 16 and 17) lacked the dimerization domain. Phylogenetic analysis of the ARF proteins generated from various plant species indicated that ARFs could be categorized into 4 major groups (Class I, II, III and IV), in which all identified ARFs from P. sibirica showed a closest relationship with those from P. mume. Comparison of the expression profiles of 14 PsARF genes in different developmental stages of Siberian apricot mesocarp (SAM) and kernel (SAK) reflected distinct temporal or spatial expression patterns for PsARF genes. Additionally, based on the expressed data from fruit and seed development of multiple plant species, we identified 1514 ARF-correlated genes using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). And the major portion of ARF-correlated gene was characterized to be involved in protein, nucleic acid and carbohydrate metabolic, transport and regulatory processes. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, we systematically and comprehensively analyzed the structure, expression pattern and co-expression network of ARF gene family in P. sibirica. All our findings provide theoretical foundation for the PsARF gene family and will pave the way for elucidating the precise role of PsARF genes in SAM and SAK development.

Fludarabine and cytarabine versus high-dose cytarabine in consolidation treatment of t(8; 21) acute myeloid leukemia: A prospective, randomized study.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients with t(8;21) aberration often have favorable outcomes, however, relapse still occurs in 30-40% patients, with only 50-60% of patients with t(8;21) AML cured with regimens containing high-dose cytarabine (HD-Ara-C). To evaluate the effects of fludarabine and cytarabine (FA) consolidation therapy for t(8;21) AML patients, a prospective randomized study was performed. A total of 45 patients with t(8;21) AML after achieving complete remission (CR) were randomly assigned to receive four course consolidation with FA (n = 23) or HD-Ara-C (n = 22). Our study showed that at 36-months, relapse-free survival (RFS) was 81.73% in the FA arm and 50.73% in the HD-Ara-C arm (P = 0.04), overall survival (OS) was 91.1% and 48.4% (P = 0.01) in the FA arm and in the HD-Ara-C arm respectively; whereas cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) was 18.27% and 47.39%, in the FA arm and in the HD-Ara-C arm respectively (P = 0.05). In our study, treatment with FA, MRD2 status (reduction ≥ 3-log) and absence of c-kit mutations were identified as independent prognostic factors for lower risk of relapse, improved RFS and OS. We also found RFS for patients without c-kit mutations was 100% in FA arm, and 57.8% in HD-Ara-C arm at 36 months (P = 0.005); OS of both groups at 36 months was 100% and 51.4%, respectively (P = 0.004), suggesting a benefit of consolidation therapy with FA for t(8;21) AML patients, especially, those without c-kit mutations (Clinicaltrials.org ID NCT# 02024308). Am. J. Hematol. 92:12-17, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Treatment of chemical cleaning wastewater and cost optimization by response surface methodology coupled nonlinear programming.

The real alkaline cleaning wastewater (ACW) was treated by a process consisting of neutralization, NaClO oxidation and aluminum sulfate (AS) coagulation, and a novel response surface methodology coupled nonlinear programming (RSM-NLP) approach was developed and used to optimize the oxidation-coagulation process under constraints of relevant discharge standards. Sulfuric acid neutralization effectively removed chemical oxygen demand (COD), surfactant alkylphenol ethoxylates (OP-10) and silicate at the optimum pH of 7.0, with efficiencies of 62.3%, >82.7% and 94.2%, respectively. Coagulation and adsorption by colloidal hydrated silica formed during neutralization were the major removal mechanisms. NaClO oxidation achieved almost complete removal of COD, but was ineffective for the removal of surfactant OP-10. AS coagulation followed by oxidation can efficiently remove OP-10 with the formation of Si-O-Al compounds. The optimum conditions for COD ≤100 mg/L were obtained at hypochlorite to COD molar ratio of 2.25, pH of 10.0 and AS dosage of 0.65 g Al/L, with minimum cost of 9.58 $/m3 ACW. This study shows that the integrative RSM-NLP approach could effectively optimize the oxidation-coagulation process, and is attractive for techno-economic optimization of systems with multiple factors and threshold requirements for response variables.