One-step synthesis of zerovalent-iron-biochar composites to activate persulfate for phenol degradation.

A novel zerovalen-iron-biochar composite (nZVI/SBC) was synthesized by using FeCl3-laden sorghum straw biomass as the raw material via a facile one-step pyrolysis method without additional chemical reactions (e.g., by NaBH4 reduction or thermochemical reduction). The nZVI/SBC was successfully employed as an activator in phenol degradation by activated persulfate. XRD, SEM, N2 adsorption-desorption and atomic absorption spectrophotometry analysis showed that the nanosized Fe0 was the main component of the 4ZVI/SBC activator, which was a mesopore material with an optimal FeCl3·6H2O/biomass impregnation mass ratio of 2.7 g/g. The 4ZVI/SBC activator showed an efficient degradation of phenol (95.65% for 30 min at 25 °C) with a large specific surface area of 78.669 m2·g-1. The recovery of 4ZVI/SBC activator after the degradation reaction of phenol can be realized with the small amount of dissolved iron in the water. The 4ZVI/SBC activator facilitated the activation of persulfate to degrade phenol into non-toxic CO2 and H2O. The trend of Cl-, SO4 2- and NO3 - affected the removal efficiency of phenol by using the 4ZVI/SBC activator in the following order: NO3 - > SO4 2- > Cl-. The one-step synthesis of the nanosized zerovalent-iron-biochar composite was feasible and may be applied as an effective strategy for controlling organic waste (e.g. phenol) by waste biomass.

[Purification and biochemical function of Astragalus membtanaceus pathogenesis-related protein 10].

Astragalus membranaceus pathogenesis-related protein 10 (AmPR-10) is largely expressed in case of environmental pressure and pathogen invasion. This study aims to explore the biochemical functions of AmPR-10. The dried root of Astragalus membranaceus was mechanically homogenized and extracted by Tris-HCl buffer to obtain its crude extract, which was then purified by anion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography to obtain electrophoretically pure AmPR-10. The nuclease activity of AmPR-10 was tested with different RNAs by detecting the absorption value at 260 nm. The results demonstrated potent nuclease activity toward yeast tRNA, yeast RNA, Poly (A) and Poly (C). The optimum reaction temperature was 50 °C and pH was 7-8. EDTA showed no effect on its activity, while Mg²âº exhibited potent activation effect on the activity, and Co²âº, Ca²âº and Zn²âº manifested moderately inhibition of the activity. Since AmPR-10 had no sequence homology with other known nucleases, AmPR-10 was probably a novel nuclease. The inhibition kinetic data against papain was analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots, and the results showed that the inhibition of papain followed noncompetitive-type kinetics. AmPR-10 played an important role in Astragalus membranaceus defense mechanism against environmental pressure and pathogen invasion, which may be achieved by inhibiting cycteine enzymes activity.

Dimethyl fumarate ameliorates oxidative stress-induced acute kidney injury after traumatic brain injury by activating Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) frequently emerges as a consequential non-neurological sequel to traumatic brain injury (TBI), significantly contributing to heightened mortality risks. The intricate interplay of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of TBI underscores the centrality of the Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway as a pivotal regulator in this context. This study endeavors to elucidate the involvement of the Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in modulating oxidative stress in AKI subsequent to TBI and concurrently explore the therapeutic efficacy of dimethyl fumarate (DMF). A rat model of TBI was established via the Feeney free-fall method, incorporating interventions with varying concentrations of DMF. Assessment of renal function ensued through measurements of serum creatinine and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin. Morphological evaluation of renal pathology was conducted employing quantitative hematoxylin and eosin staining. The inflammatory response was scrutinized by quantifying interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α levels. Oxidative stress levels were discerned through quantification of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase. The apoptotic cascade was examined via the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP deletion labeling assay. Western blotting provided insights into the expression dynamics of proteins affiliated with the Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 pathway and apoptosis. The findings revealed severe kidney injury, heightened oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in the traumatic brain injury model. Treatment with DMF effectively reversed these changes, alleviating oxidative stress by activating the Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, ultimately conferring protection against AKI. Activating Keap1-Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway may be a potential therapeutic strategy for attenuating oxidative stress-induced AKI after TBI.

[Testing immunogenicity of recombinant antibody by surface plasmon resonance].

With the development of bio-technological drugs, drug immunogenicity evaluation has become key factor of clarifying safety and efficacy of these drugs. It has become the focus to establish a stable and reliable evaluation system. Due to the advantages such as continuous real-time monitoring, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) technology has been widely used in bio-technological drugs immunogenicity assessments. Our study applied this technology to detect anti-drug antibody (ADA) of a recombinant human anti-rabies monoclonal antibody NM57 in the sera of 48 volunteers admitted in phase I clinical trials. This method could satisfy the basic requirements of detection of ADA.

Adult onset type 2 familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis with PRF1 c.65delC/c.163C>T compound heterozygous mutations: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Familial hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (FHL) is a primary immunodefici-ency disease caused by gene defects. The onset of FHL in adolescents and adults may lead clinicians to ignore or even misdiagnose the disease. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to detail the clinical features of type 2 FHL (FHL2) with compound heterozygous perforin (PRF1) defects involving the c.163C>T mutation, in addition to correlation analysis and a literature review. CASE SUMMARY: We report a case of a 27-year-old male patient with FHL2, who was admitted with a persistent fever and pancytopenia. Through next-generation sequencing technology of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)-related genes, we found compound heterozygous mutations of PRF1: c.65delC (p.Pro22Argfs*29) (frameshift mutation, paternal) and c.163C>T (p.Arg55Cys) (missense mutation, maternal). Although he did not receive hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, the patient achieved complete remission after receiving HLH-2004 treatment protocol. To date, the patient has stopped taking drugs for 15 mo, is in a stable condition, and is under follow-up observation. CONCLUSION: The delayed onset of FHL2 may be related to the PRF1 mutation type, pathogenic variation pattern, triggering factors, and the temperature sensitivity of some PRF1 mutations. For individual, the detailed reason for the delay in the onset of FHL warrants further investigation.

Micropapillary: A component more likely to harbour heterogeneous EGFR mutations in lung adenocarcinomas.

The micropapillary (MP) subtype has recently been established to be a distinct marker of poor prognosis in lung adenocarcinomas (LACs). According to the 2015 WHO classification system, LAC constituents are required to be precisely reported. T790M mutation and an insertion in exon 20 (E20ins) are associated with EGFR-TKI resistance. A total of 211 LAC patients were involved in this study, and EGFR mutations were determined using an amplification refractory mutation system (ARMS). Sex, smoking history, lymph node status, and clinical stage differed significantly between the EGFR wild type and mutant groups (p < 0.05). The EGFR mutation occurred more frequently in female, non-smokers, ACs with papillary (85.7%) or MP components (91.4%) (p < 0.001). Twenty ACs with naïve T790M or E20ins were microdissected. The AC constituents metastasizing to lymph nodes exhibited a phenotype and EGFR status that was consistent with the primary loci constituents. Glomerulus-like solid components exhibited the same EGFR status as the surrounding T790M-mutated MP components. The MP and glomerulus-like portions in AC tumours exhibited a congenial EGFR status, but the acinar cells with papillary cells were heterogeneous. The naïve T790M mutants, although minor in the MP component, dramatically increased after EGFR-TKI therapy and indicate that the MP components feature intrinsic heterogeneity.

Expression level of CRKL and AXL combined with exon 19 deletion in EGFR and ALK status confer differential prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma subtypes.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a lethal cancer-related disease in population. Adenocarcinoma (AC) is subclassified into several subtypes based on the new classification by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer, American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society in 2011. Correlation between original expression of Crk-like (CRKL) and anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase in diverse histological components of AC and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or ALK status was evaluated by immunohistochemistry and sequencing in present study. A total of 106 cases, including 83 patients (78.3%) with mixed-type ACs, were assessed in the present study using eligible follow-up data. The ACs consisted of 32 acinar, 12 papillary, 5 mucinous, 11 micropapillary and 46 solid-predominant ACs. In total, 69.8% samples were composed of 2 or 3 histological components, with different expression levels of CRKL and AXL. ACs with EGFR mutation had a higher level of AXL expression compared with ACs without mutation (P=0.019). Multivariate survival analysis showed that AC subtypes and EGFR mutation subtypes were significantly associated with the progression-free survival (PFS) time. Acinar AC was the subtype with the most notable PFS time (30.6 months), which was significantly different from the PFS time of papillary, mucinous, micropapillary and solid-predominant ACs (hazard ratio, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.21-0.75; P=0.005). Among the ACs with exon 19 mutation, the median PFS time (28.8 months) of patients with a lower level of AXL protein expression was increased compared with the PFS time of patients with the L858R mutation and wild-type EGFR (9.1 months and 11 months, respectively; P=0.03), whereas no significant difference in ACs with an increased level of AXL expression. However, AC patients with higher level of CRKL expression had better PFS (28.8 months) than patients with the L858R mutation and wild-type EGFR (9.1 months and 11.3 months, respectively). Exon 19 deletion is an important status that is associated with an improved response to conventional chemotherapy. The identification of EGFR mutations combined with CRKL and AXL status may potentially alter the way that lung AC is treated.

Association between the histological subtype of lung adenocarcinoma, EGFR/KRAS mutation status and the ALK rearrangement according to the novel IASLC/ATS/ERS classification.

The present study aimed to investigate the association between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations, anaplastic lymphoma receptor tyrosine kinase (ALK) rearrangements and the morphological characteristics of lung adenocarcinoma (LAC), according to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer/American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Society (IASLC/ATS/ERS) classification in a large group of patients with primary LAC. A total of 200 patients with invasive LAC who had undergone complete resections at the Beijing Chest Hospital (Beijing, China) were randomly selected. The morphology of the samples was reassessed in 5% increments by two pathologists, according to the IASLC/ATS/ERS scheme. EGFR and KRAS mutations were tested by direct DNA sequencing. ALK rearrangements were screened by immunohistochemistry on a Benchmark XT stainer. The data revealed that EGFR and KRAS mutations, and ALK rearrangements were identified in 46.0% (92/200), 9.0% (18/200) and 11.5% (23/200) of the patients, respectively. The EGFR/KRAS mutations and ALK rearrangements were mostly exclusive. However, 1 patient exhibited the coexistence of the EGFR (at exon 20) and KRAS (codon 12) mutations, and another patient exhibited the coexistence of the EGFR mutation (at exon 21) and the ALK gene fusion. EGFR mutations were indicated to be closely associated with the acinar predominant (43/77; 55.8%; P=0.030) and papillary predominant (26/49; 53.1%; P=0.006) subtypes. KRAS mutations were more commonly associated with the solid predominant subtype (9/52; 17.3%; P=0.023) and invasive mucinous LAC (5/10; 50.0%; P=0.004), and less commonly associated with the acinar predominant subtype (1/77; 1.3%; P=0.002). ALK rearrangements more commonly occurred in the solid predominant subtype compared with other subtypes (13/52; 25%; P=0.002), and less commonly occurred in the papillary predominant subtype (1/49; 2.0%; P=0.004). Tumors harboring ALK rearrangements were characterized by signet-ring cell (7/9; 77.8%; P<0.0001) and cribriform (7/12; 58.3%; P<0.0001) patterns. The association between the mutation status and histological subtype in LAC was distinct. The predominant subtype according to the IASLC/ATS/ERS classification provided important information for gene mutations and integrated clinical findings to improve the treatment of LAC patients.

[Clinical and laboratory features of acute monocytic leukemia with B lymphoproliferative disorders].

OBJECTIVE: To identify the clinical and pathological features of acute myeloid leukemia with B lymphoproliferative disorders. METHODS: The characteristics of 3 cases of acute monocytic leukemia with untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia/monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis were reported with literatures review. RESULTS: The patients presented with a history of anemia, bleeding and/or fever. Acute monocytic leukemia was diagnosed by bone marrow morphology, cytochemistry and pathology studies. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry analysis showed a significant population of absolute B-lymphocyte count of > 5×10(9)/L in a patients, similar to that of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. CONCLUSIONS: The association of acute monocytic leukemia and untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia/monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis was a rare event. The abnormal B lymphocytes was likely to be misdiagnosis. Thus, it was important to combine several kinds of laboratory studies, especially flow cytometry to identify this rare disorder.