Engineering robust and transparent dual-crosslinked hydrogels for multimodal sensing without conductive additives.

Conductive hydrogels are pivotal for the advancement of flexible sensors, electronic skin, and healthcare monitoring systems, facilitating transformative innovations. However, issues such as inadequate intrinsic compatibility, mismatched mechanical properties, and limited stability curtail their potential, resulting in compromised device efficacy and performance degradation. In this research, we engineered functional hydrogels featuring a dual-crosslinked network composed of (PA/PVA)-P(AM-AA) to address these challenges. This design eliminates the need for conductive additives, thereby enhancing intrinsic compatibility. Notably, the hydrogels exhibit exceptional mechanical properties, with high tensile strength (∼700 %), Young's modulus (∼5.33 MPa), increased strength (∼2.46 MPa) and toughness (∼6.59 MJ m-3). They also achieve a compressive strength of âˆ¼7.33 MPa at 80 % maximal compressive strain and maintain about 89 % transparency. Moreover, flexible sensors derived from these hydrogels demonstrate enhanced multimodal sensing capabilities, including temperature, strain, and pressure detection, enabling precise monitoring of human movements. The integration of multiple hydrogels into a three-dimensional sensor array facilitates detailed spatial pressure distribution mapping. By strategically applying dual-crosslinked network engineering and eliminating conductive additives, we have streamlined the design and manufacturing of hydrogels to meet the rising demand for high-performance wearable sensors.

Progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus: a pediatric case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM) is a rare and life-threatening autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. So far, only ten cases of PERM have been reported in children worldwide, including the one in this study. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of an 11-year-old boy with PERM with an initial presentation of abdominal pain, skin itching, dysuria, urinary retention, truncal and limb rigidity, spasms of the trunk and limbs during sleep, deep and peripheral sensory disturbances, and dysphagia. A tissue-based assay using peripheral blood was positive, demonstrated by fluorescent staining of mouse cerebellar sections. He showed gradual and persistent clinical improvement after immunotherapy with intravenous immunoglobulin, steroids, plasmapheresis and rituximab. CONCLUSIONS: We summarized the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with PERM and performed a literature review of pediatric PERM to raise awareness among pediatric neurologists. A better comprehension of this disease is required to improve its early diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.

An Analytical Protocol for Detecting Antibody Titer Levels in Serum/Saliva by Indirect Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA).

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detects qualitatively and quantitatively the presence of antibodies or antigens in a sample. Due to its simplicity, high sensitivity, and user-friendliness, the test is widely used in laboratory research, clinical diagnoses, and food testing. This chapter describes the indirect semiquantitative ELISA protocol used to monitor antibody levels in animals and analyze the titer levels of specific antibodies against a target antigen in serum and saliva.

Polyketides from the mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium robsamsonii HNNU0006.

Seven polyketides, including an undescribed depsidone (1) and six previously reported 3,6,8-trihydroxy-1-methylxanthone (2), 7-hydroxy-2-(2-hydroxypropyl)-5-methylchromone (3), methyl3-chloro-6-hydroxy-2-(4-hy-droxy-2-methoxy-6-methylphenoxy)-4- methoxybenzoate (4), xylarianin A (5), 4,5-dihydroxy-6-(6'-methylsalicyloxy)-2-hydro-xymethyl-2-cyclohexen-1-one (6) and alternariol (7), have been isolated from cultures of the mangrove-derived fungus Penicillium robsamsonii HNNU0006. The structure of compound 1 was elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis and X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, all the compounds were evaluated their cytotoxic activities, and compounds 1 and 7 showed weak cytotoxicity against two cell lines Vero and A549 with IC50 values ranging from 95.6 and 296.5 µM, relative to the positive control Etoposide phosphate with IC50 values of 24.5 and 18.7 µM, respectively.

Randomized Phase II Trial of Immunotherapy-Based Total Neoadjuvant Therapy for Proficient Mismatch Repair or Microsatellite Stable Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer (TORCH).

PURPOSE: To assess whether the integration of PD-1 inhibitor with total neoadjuvant therapy (iTNT) can lead to an improvement in complete responses (CRs) and favors a watch-and-wait (WW) strategy in patients with proficient mismatch repair or microsatellite stable (pMMR/MSS) locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective, multicenter, randomized, open-label, phase II trial using a pick-the-winner design. Eligible patients with clinical T3-4 and/or N+ rectal adenocarcinoma were randomly assigned to group A for short-course radiotherapy (SCRT) followed by six cycles of consolidation immunochemotherapy with capecitabine and oxaliplatin and toripalimab or to group B for two cycles of induction immunochemotherapy followed by SCRT and the rest four doses. Either total mesorectal excision or WW was applied on the basis of tumor response. The primary end point was CR which included pathological CR (pCR) after surgery and clinical CR (cCR) if WW was applicable, with hypothesis of an increased CR of 40% after iTNT compared with historical data of 25% after conventional TNT. RESULTS: Of the 130 patients enrolled, 121 pMMR/MSS patients were evaluable (62 in group A and 59 in group B). At a median follow-up of 19 months, CR was achieved at 56.5% in group A and 54.2% in group B. Both groups fulfilled the predefined statistical hypothesis (P < .001). Both groups reported a pCR rate of 50%. Respectively, 15 patients in each group underwent WW and remained disease free. The most frequent grade 3 to 4 toxicities were thrombocytopenia and neutropenia. Patients in group A had higher rate of cCR (43.5% v 35.6%) at restaging and lower rate of grade 3 to 4 thrombocytopenia (24.2% v 33.9%) during neoadjuvant treatment. CONCLUSION: The iTNT regimens remarkably improved CR rates in pMMR/MSS LARC compared with historical benchmark with acceptable toxicity. Up-front SCRT followed by immunochemotherapy was selected for future definitive study.

Nephroprotective effects of Aralia taibaiensis in a high-fat diet-streptozotocin rat model of diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) has emerged as the foremost cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) globally. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress plays a critical role in DN progression. Triterpenoid saponin from Aralia taibaiensis (sAT) has been reported to possess anti-diabetic and anti-oxidant effects. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of sAT on DN treatment and elucidate potential underlying mechanisms. A high-fat diet (HFD) and Streptozotocin (STZ) were employed to induce DN in male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats which were subsequently treated with varying concentrations of sAT for 8 weeks. Our findings reveal that different doses of sAT significantly mitigated hyperglycemia, reduced urinary albumin excretion, and decreased plasma creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels in DN rats. Moreover, sAT administration improved body weight, alleviated renal fibrosis and histopathological changes in the diabetic kidneys. Notably, sAT treatment partially restored increased Bax expression and decreased Bcl-2 expression. Additionally, sAT inhibited ER stress-related proteins, including GRP78, p-PERK, ATF4 and CHOP in kidneys of DN rats. These results suggest that sAT ameliorated experimental diabetic nephropathy, at least in part, through ER stress pathway. These findings provide a scientific basis for the potential development of sAT as a therapeutic agent for DN treatment.

The roles of dietary polyphenols at crosstalk between type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease in ameliorating oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction via PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in which senile plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are crucially involved in its physiological and pathophysiological processes. Growing animal and clinical studies have suggested that AD is also comorbid with some metabolic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and therefore, it is often considered brain diabetes. AD and T2DM share multiple molecular and biochemical mechanisms, including impaired insulin signaling, oxidative stress, gut microbiota dysbiosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction. In this review article, we mainly introduce oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction and explain their role and the underlying molecular mechanism in T2DM and AD pathogenesis; then, according to the current literature, we comprehensively evaluate the possibility of regulating oxidative homeostasis and mitochondrial function as therapeutics against AD. Furthermore, considering dietary polyphenols' antioxidative and antidiabetic properties, the strategies for applying them as potential therapeutical interventions in patients with AD symptoms are assessed.

A meta-analysis of the effects of transnasal high-flow oxygen therapy in gastrointestinal endoscopy.

Purpose: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the clinical effects of using transnasal high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) and conventional oxygen therapy (COT) in patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from 2004 to April 2024 to collect relevant studies on the application of HFNC in patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy. Multiple Chinese and English databases, including China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, Web of Science, PubMed, and Cochrane Library, were searched systematically for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies. RevMan 5.4 software was utilized for conducting the network meta-analysis. Results: A total of 12 RCTs involving 3,726 patients were included. Meta-analysis results showed that HFNC reduced the incidence of hypoxemia and improved the minimum oxygen saturation (SpO2) compared with COT [odds ratio (OR) = 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.29-0.53], [mean difference (MD) = 4.07, 95% CI: 3.14-5.01], and the difference was statistically significant. However, the baseline SpO2 levels and incidence of hypercapnia were not statistically significantly different between the HFNC and COT groups [MD = -0.21, 95% CI: -0.49-0.07]; [OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 0.95-2.15]. In terms of procedure time, the difference between HFNC and COT was not statistically significant, and subgroup analyses were performed for the different types of studies, with standard deviation in the gastroscopy group (MD = 0.09, 95% CI: -0.07-0.24) and the endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography group (MD = 0.36, 95% CI: -0.50-1.23). The results demonstrated a significant reduction in the adoption of airway interventions in the HFNC group compared to the COT group (OR = 0.16, 95% CI: 0.05-0.53), with a statistically significant difference; this result was consistent with those of the included studies. Conclusion: The application of HFNC improves the incidence of hypoxemia, enhances oxygenation, and reduces airway interventions during gastrointestinal endoscopy. However, HFNC does not significantly affect baseline SpO2, hypercapnia, or procedure time. The limitations of this study must be acknowledged, and further high-quality studies should be conducted to validate these findings.

Unlocking the chemical environment of nitrogen in perovskite-type oxides.

Nitrogen (N) doping of perovskite-type oxides is an effective method for enhancing their photocatalytic performance. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of the doped N species are essential for a deeper understanding of the catalytic activity enhancement mechanism. However, examining the N environment in perovskite-type oxides, particularly in the bulk, using conventional analytical techniques, such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), is challenging. In this study, we propose a new analytical technique, advanced temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) up to 1600 °C, to complement the conventional methods. TPD can quantify all N species in bulk oxides. Moreover, it facilitates chemical speciation of N environments, such as substitutional and interstitial N species. This is verified by XPS, CHN elemental analysis, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier-transform spectroscopy. This study demonstrates the feasibility of advanced TPD as a new analytical method that offers comprehensive information on the N species within N-doped oxide materials at the bulk level.

Response of PM2.5 chemical composition to the emission reduction and meteorological variation during the COVID-19 lockdown.

PM2.5 is a main atmospheric pollutant with various sources and complex chemical compositions, which are influenced by various factors, such as anthropogenic emissions (AE) and meteorological conditions (MC). MC have a significant impacts on variations in atmospheric pollutant; therefore, emission reduction policies and ambient air quality are non-linearly correlated, which hinders the accurate assessment of the effectiveness of control measures. In this study, we conducted online observations of PM2.5 and its chemical composition in Hohhot, China, from December 1, 2019, to February 29, 2020, to investigate how the chemical compositions of PM2.5 respond to the variations in AE and MC. Moreover, the random forest (RF) model was used to quantify the contributions of AE and MC to PM2.5 and its chemical composition during severe hazes and the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period. During the clean period, MC reduced PM2.5 concentrations by 124%, while MC incresed PM2.5 concentrations by 49% during severe pollution episode. Inorganic aerosols (SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+) showed the strongest response to MC. MC significantly contributed to PM2.5 (36%), SO42- (32%), NO3- (29%), NH4+ (28%), OC (22%), and SOC (17%) levels during pollution episodes. From the pre-lockdown to lockdown period, AE (MC) contributed 52% (48%), 81% (19%), 48% (52%), 68% (32%), 59% (41%), and 288% (-188%) to the PM2.5, SO42-, NO3-, NH4+, OC, and SOC reductions, respectively. The variations in MC (especially the increase in relative humidity) rapidly generated meteorologically sensitive species (SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+), which led to severe winter pollution. This study provides a reference for assessing the net benefits of emission reduction measures for PM2.5 and its chemical compositions.

Chikusetsu Saponin IVa liposomes modified with a retro-enantio peptide penetrating the blood-brain barrier to suppress pyroptosis in acute ischemic stroke rats.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic strategies for acute ischemic stroke were faced with substantial constraints, emphasizing the necessity to safeguard neuronal cells during cerebral ischemia to reduce neurological impairments and enhance recovery outcomes. Despite its potential as a neuroprotective agent in stroke treatment, Chikusetsu saponin IVa encounters numerous challenges in clinical application. RESULT: Brain-targeted liposomes modified with THRre peptides showed substantial uptake by bEnd. 3 and PC-12 cells and demonstrated the ability to cross an in vitro blood-brain barrier model, subsequently accumulating in PC-12 cells. In vivo, they could significantly accumulate in rat brain. Treatment with C-IVa-LPs-THRre notably reduced the expression of proteins in the P2RX7/NLRP3/Caspase-1 pathway and inflammatory factors. This was evidenced by decreased cerebral infarct size and improved neurological function in MCAO rats. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate that C-IVa-LPs-THRre could serve as a promising strategy for targeting cerebral ischemia. This approach enhances drug concentration in the brain, mitigates pyroptosis, and improves the neuroinflammatory response associated with stroke.

Disulfidptosis-Related LncRNA Signatures for Prognostic Prediction in Kidney Renal Clear Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION BACKGROUND: Disulfidptosis is a prevalent apoptotic mechanism, intrinsically linked to cancer prognosis. However, the specific involvement of disulfidptosis-related long non-coding RNA (DRLncRNAs) in Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) remains incompletely understood. This study aims to elucidate the potential prognostic significance of disulfidptosis-related LncRNAs in KIRC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Expression profiles and clinical data of KIRC patients were retrieved from the TCGA database to discern differentially expressed DRLncRNAs correlated with overall survival. Cox univariate analysis, Lasso Regression, and Cox multivariate analysis were used to construct a clinical prediction model. RESULTS: Six signatures, namely FAM83C.AS1, AC136475.2, AC121338.2, AC026401.3, AC254562.3, and AC000050.2, were established to evaluate overall survival (OS) in the context of Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) in this study. Survival analysis and ROC curves demonstrated the strong predictive performance of the associated signature. The nomogram exhibited accurate prognostic predictions for overall patient survival, offering substantial clinical utility. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that risk signals were enriched in various immune-related pathways. Furthermore, the risk features exhibited significant correlations with immune cells, immune function, immune cell infiltration, and immune checkpoints. CONCLUSION: This study has unveiled, for the first time, six disulfdptosis-related LncRNA signatures, laying a solid foundation for enhanced and precise prognostic predictions in KIRC.

A review on the advancement in photocatalytic degradation of poly/perfluoroalkyl substances in water: Insights into the mechanisms and structure-function relationship.

Poly/perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent organic pollutants and ubiquitous in aquatic environment, which are hazardous to organisms and human health. Several countries and regions have taken actions to regulate or limit the production and emission of some PFAS. Even though a series of water treatment technologies have been developed for removal of PFAS to eliminate their potential adverse effects, the removal and degradation performance are usually unsatisfactory. Photocatalytic degradation of PFAS is considered as one of the most effective approaches due to the mild operation conditions and environmental friendliness. This review systematically summarized the recent advances in photocatalytic degradation of PFAS based on heterogeneous photocatalysts, including TiO2-, Ga2O3-, In2O3-, ZnO-, Bi-based, and others. Overall, two mainly degradation mechanisms were involved, including photo-oxidation (involving the holes and oxidative radicals) and photo-reduction types (by e- and reductive radicals). The band structures of the photocatalysts, degradation pathways, structure-function relationship, and impacting factors were further discussed to elucidate the essential reasons for the enhanced degradation of PFAS. Furthermore, the review identified the major knowledge gaps to solve the issues of photocatalysis in real application. This paper also propounded several strategies to promote the design and optimization of high-efficient photocatalysts, and meet the challenges to remove PFAS through photodegradation technologies.

Cold atmospheric plasma in combination with laser therapy provides a window for the treatment of hyperproliferative skin disease.

Modern medical understanding suggests that hyperproliferative skin diseases (HSDs) are complex syndromes characterized by localized hypertrophy or hyperplasia and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Various treatments, including systemic and topical pharmacotherapy, laser interventions, photodynamic therapy, and surgery, have been proposed for managing HSDs. However, challenges such as wound healing and recurrence after laser treatment have hindered the effectiveness of laser therapy. To overcome these challenges, we conducted a study combining laser therapy with cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) for the treatment of HSDs. Seven patients with different forms of HSDs, who had not responded well to conventional treatments, were enrolled in the study. These HSDs included cases of erythroplasia of Queyrat, pyoderma gangrenosum, keloids and hypertrophic scars, cellulitis, cutaneous lichen planus, and verruca vulgaris. Laser therapy was performed to remove the hyperplastic skin lesions, followed immediately by daily CAP treatment. The results were promising, with all patients successfully treated and no recurrence observed during the follow-up periods. The combined application of CAP and laser therapy proved to be an effective and complementary strategy for managing HSDs. This innovative approach provide evidence for addressing the limitation of laser therapy by utilizing CAP to promote wound healing and mitigate inflammatory responses. Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR2300069993).

Self-assembled monovalent lipidated mannose ligand as a standalone nanoadjuvant.

Subunit vaccines require an immunostimulant (adjuvant) and/or delivery system to induce immunity. However, currently, available adjuvants are either too dangerous in terms of side effects for human use (experimental adjuvants) or have limited efficacy and applicability. In this study, we examined the capacity of mannose-lipopeptide ligands to enhance the immunogenicity of a vaccine consisting of polyleucine(L15)-antigen conjugates anchored to liposomes. The clinically tested Group A Streptococcus (GAS) B-cell epitope, J8, combined with universal T helper PADRE (P) was used as the antigen. Six distinct mannose ligands were incorporated into neutral liposomes carrying L15PJ8. While induced antibody titers were relatively low, the ligand carrying mannose, glycine/lysine spacer, and two palmitic acids as liposomal membrane anchoring moieties (ligand 3), induced significantly higher IgG titers than non-mannosylated liposomes. The IgG titers were significantly enhanced when positively charged liposomes were employed. Importantly, the produced antibodies were able to kill GAS bacteria. Unexpectedly, the physical mixture of only ligand 3 and PJ8 produced self-assembled nanorods that induced antibody titers as high as those elicited by the lead liposomal formulation and antigen adjuvanted with the potent, but toxic, complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). Antibodies produced upon immunization with PJ8 + 3 were even more opsonic than those induced by CFA + PJ8. Importantly, in contrast to CFA, ligand 3 did not induce observable adverse reactions or excessive inflammatory responses. Thus, we demonstrated that a mannose ligand, alone, can serve as an effective vaccine nanoadjuvant.

Molecular transmission network analysis of newly diagnosed HIV-1 infections in Nanjing from 2019 to 2021.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the molecular transmission networks and transmitted drug resistance (TDR) patterns among individuals newly diagnosed with HIV-1 in Nanjing. METHODS: Plasma samples were collected from newly diagnosed HIV patients in Nanjing between 2019 and 2021. The HIV pol gene was amplified, and the resulting sequences were utilized for determining TDR, identifying viral subtypes, and constructing molecular transmission network. Logistic regression analyses were employed to investigate the epidemiological characteristics associated with molecular transmission clusters. RESULTS: A total of 1161 HIV pol sequences were successfully extracted from newly diagnosed individuals, each accompanied by reliable epidemiologic information. The analysis revealed the presence of multiple HIV-1 subtypes, with CRF 07_BC (40.57%) and CRF01_AE (38.42%) being the most prevalent. Additionally, six other subtypes and unique recombinant forms (URFs) were identified. The prevalence of TDR among the newly diagnosed cases was 7.84% during the study period. Employing a genetic distance threshold of 1.50%, the construction of the molecular transmission network resulted in the identification of 137 clusters, encompassing 613 nodes, which accounted for approximately 52.80% of the cases. Multivariate analysis indicated that individuals within these clusters were more likely to be aged ≥ 60, unemployed, baseline CD4 cell count ≥ 200 cells/mm3, and infected with the CRF119_0107 (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the analysis of larger clusters revealed that individuals aged ≥ 60, peasants, those without TDR, and individuals infected with the CRF119_0107 were more likely to be part of these clusters. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the high risk of local HIV transmission and high TDR prevalence in Nanjing, especially the rapid spread of CRF119_0107. It is crucial to implement targeted interventions for the molecular transmission clusters identified in this study to effectively control the HIV epidemic.

The bacterial patterns suggesting the dynamic features of tick-associated microorganisms in hard ticks.

BACKGROUND: Ticks are blood-feeding significant arthropods that can harbour various microorganisms, including pathogens that pose health risks to humans and animals. Tick-symbiont microorganisms are believed to influence tick development, but the intricate interactions between these microbes and the relationships between different tick-borne microorganisms remain largely unexplored. RESULTS: Based on 111 tick pool samples presenting questing and engorged statuses including 752 questing tick and 1083 engorged tick from cattle and goats, which were collected in two types of geographic landscape (semi-desert and alpine meadow). We observed significant variations in the composition of tick-borne microorganisms across different environments and blood-engorgement statuses, with a pronounced divergence in symbionts compared to environmental bacteria. Metabolic predictions revealed over 90 differential pathways for tick-borne microorganisms in distinct environments and more than 80 metabolic variations in response to varying blood engorgement statuses. Interestingly, nine pathways were identified, particularly related to chorismate synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. Moreover, microbial network relationships within tick-borne microorganism groups were highly distinct across different environments and blood-engorgement statuses. The microbial network relationships of symbionts involve some pathogenic and environmental microorganisms. Regression modelling highlighted positive correlations between the Coxiella symbiont and related pathogens, while some environmental bacteria showed strong negative correlations with Coxiella abundance. We also identified commensal bacteria/pathogens in bacterial cooccurrence patterns. Furthermore, we tested pathogenic microorganisms of each tick sample analysis revealed that 86.36% (1601/1855) of the tick samples carried one or more pathogenic microorganisms, The total carrier rate of bacterial pathogens was 43.77% ((812/1855). Most blood samples carried at least one pathogenic microorganism. The pathogens carried by the ticks have both genus and species diversity, and Rickettsia species are the most abundant pathogens among all pathogens. CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore that the bacterial pattern of ticks is dynamic and unstable, which is influenced by the environment factors and tick developmental characteristics.

Microstructure and Texture Evolution in Cold-Rolled and Annealed Oxygen-Free Copper Sheets.

Commercial oxygen-free copper sheets were cold-rolled with reduction rates ranging from 20% to 87% and annealed at 400, 500 and 600 °C. The microstructure and texture evolution during the cold-rolling and annealing processes were studied using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The results show that the deformation textures of {123}<634> (S), {112}<111> (Copper) and {110}<112> (Brass) were continuously enhanced with the increase in cold-rolling reduction. The orientations along the α-oriented fiber converged towards Brass, and the orientation density of ß fiber obviously increased when the rolling reduction exceeded 60%. The recrystallization texture was significantly affected by the cold-rolling reduction. After 60% cold-rolling reduction, Copper and S texture components gradually decreased, and the {011}<511> recrystallization texture component formed with the increase in annealing temperature. After 87% cold-rolling reduction, a strong Cube texture formed, and other textures were inhibited with the increase in annealing temperature. The strong Brass and S deformation texture was conducive to the formation of a strong Cube annealing texture. The density of the annealing twin boundary decreased with the increase in annealing temperature, and more annealing twin boundaries formed in the oxygen-free copper sheets with the increase in cold-rolling reduction.

Efficacy of chidamide maintenance therapy versus autologous stem cell transplantation versus observation as a post-remission choice in the survival of adult patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma: Post hoc analysis of a prospective, multicenter, phase 2 study in China.

In this prospective, multicenter, Phase 2 clinical trial (NCT02987244), patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) who had responded to first-line chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin or epirubicin, vincristine or vindesine, etoposide, and prednisone (Chi-CHOEP) were treated by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) or with chidamide maintenance or observation. A total of 85 patients received one of the following interventions: ASCT (n = 15), chidamide maintenance (n = 44), and observation (n = 26). estimated 3 PFS and OS rates were 85.6%, 80.8%, and 49.4% (P = 0.001). The two-year OS rates were 85.6%, 80.8%, and 69.0% (P = 0.075).The ASCT and chidamide maintenance groups had significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) than the observation group (P = 0.001, and P = 0.01, respectively). The overall survival (OS) differed significantly between the chidamide maintenance group and the observation group ( P = 0.041). The multivariate and propensity score matching analyses for PFS revealed better outcomes in the subjects in the chidamide maintenance than observation groups (P = 0.02). The ASCT and chidamide maintenance groups had significant survival advantages over the observation group. In the post-remission stage of the untreated PTCL patients, single-agent chidamide maintenance demonstrated superior PFS and better OS than observation. Our findings highlight the potential benefit of chidamide in this patient subset, warranting further investigation through larger prospective trials. Clinical trial registration: clinicaltrial.gov, NCT02987244. Registered 8 December 2016, http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02987244 .