Approved immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma: a large-scale meta-analysis and systematic review.

A meta-analysis was performed to assess the benefits and safety profile of approved immune checkpoint inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. Eligible studies were searched from Cochrane, Embase, and PubMed databases based on a well-established strategy. Following the exclusion of ineligible studies, 12 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with control group, immune checkpoint inhibitors were associated with improved ORR (OR 3.03, 95% CI 2.26-4.05, P < 0.00001), SD (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.62-0.95, P = 0.02), OS (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.68-0.83, P < 0.00001), and PFS (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.63-0.87, P < 0.0003). However, no significant differences were observed in DCR (OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.97-1.81, P = 0.07), PD (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.67-1.21, P = 0.48), and all caused any-grade adverse events (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.62-2.39, P = 0. 57), all caused ≥ grade 3 adverse events (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.97-1.25, P = 0.14), treatment-related any-grade adverse events (OR 1.13, 95% CI 0.55-2.32, P = 0.73), and treatment-related ≥ grade 3 events (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.34-1.97, P = 0.65) between the two groups. After subgroup analysis conducted, patients in the immune checkpoint inhibitor group compared with targeted drug group showed significant improvements in OS (HR 0.74, 95% CI 0.66-0.84, P < 0.00001) and PFS (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.61-0.91, P = 0.004). Immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated peculiar benefits in the treatment of HCC with an acceptable safety profile. Compared to targeted drugs, immune checkpoint inhibitors still offer advantages in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, there is still considerable room for further improvement.

Algae-Enhanced Electrospun Polyacrylonitrile Nanofibrous Membrane for High-Performance Short-Chain PFAS Remediation from Water.

As a short-chain PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance), GenX was produced in recent years to replace traditional long-chain PFASs, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). However, GenX turns out to be more toxic than people originally thought, posing health risks as a persistent environmental pollutant. In this research, for the first time, we incorporated chlorella, a single-celled green freshwater microalga that grows worldwide, with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in equal amounts in electrospun nanofibers and studied the capability of the electrospun PAN/Algae bicomponent nanofibrous membrane (ES(PAN/Algae)) to bind and remove GenX from water. The incorporation of algae demonstrated a synergistic effect and significantly improved the GenX removal efficiency of the nanofibrous membrane. The maximum GenX removal capacity reached 0.9 mmol/g at pH 6, which is significantly higher than that of most of the reported GenX adsorbents as well as activated carbon. The GenX removal mechanism was investigated and discussed by using water contact angle, zeta potential, FTIR, and XPS techniques. This research demonstrated the potential to make highly efficient adsorbent/filter materials from common and economic materials to practically remediate short-chain PFASs from various water bodies.

Release efficiencies of potassium permanganate controlled-release biodegradable polymer (CRBP) pellets embedded in polyvinyl acetate (CRBP-PVAc) and polyethylene oxide (CRBP- PEO) for groundwater treatment.

In-situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) is a commonly used method for the remediation of environmental contaminants in groundwater systems. However, traditional ISCO methods are associated with several limitations, including safety and handling concerns, rebound of groundwater contaminants, and difficulty in reaching all areas of contamination. To overcome these limitations, novel Controlled-Release Biodegradable Polymer (CRBP) pellets containing the oxidant KMnO4 were designed and tested. The CRBP pellets were encapsulated in Polyvinyl Acetate (CRBP-PVAc) and Polyethylene Oxide (CRBP-PEO) at different weight percentages, baking temperatures, and time. Their release efficiency was tested in water, soil, and water and soil mixture media. Results showed that CRBP-PVAc pellets with 60 % KMnO4 and baked at 120 °C for 2 min had the highest release percentage and rate across different conditions tested. Natural organic matter was also found to be an important factor to consider for in-field applications due to its potential reducing effect with MnO4-. Overall, the use of CRBP pellets offers an innovative and sustainable solution to remediate contaminated groundwater systems, with the potential to overcome traditional ISCO limitations. These findings suggest that CRBP pellets could provide sustained and controlled release of the oxidant, reducing the need for multiple injections and minimizing safety and handling concerns. This study represents an important step towards developing a new and effective approach for ISCO remediation.

Effects of antennal segments defects on blood-sucking behavior in Aedes albopictus.

After mating, female mosquitoes need a blood meal to promote the reproductive process. When mosquitoes bite infected people and animals, they become infected with germs such as viruses and parasites. Mosquitoes rely on many cues for host selection and localization, among which the trace chemical cues emitted by the host into the environment are considered to be the most important, and the sense of smell is the main way to perceive these trace chemical cues. However, the current understanding of the olfactory mechanism is not enough to meet the needs of mosquito control. Unlike previous studies that focused on the olfactory receptor recognition spectrum to reveal the olfactory mechanism of mosquito host localization. In this paper, based on the observation that mosquitoes with incomplete antennae still can locate the host and complete blood feeding in the laboratory, we proposed that there may be some protection or compensation mechanism in the 13 segments of antennae flagella, and only when the antennae are missing to a certain threshold will it affect the mosquito's ability to locate the host. Through rational-designed behavioral experiments, we found that the 6th and 7th flagellomeres on the Aedes albopictus antenna are important in the olfactory detection of host searching. This study preliminarily screened antennal segments important for host localization of Ae. albopictus, and provided a reference for subsequent cell biology and molecular biology studies on these segments. Meanwhile, the morphology and distribution of sensilla on each antenna flagellomere were also analyzed and discussed in this paper.

Correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms of folate metabolism genes and ethnic distribution in pregnant women.

This retrospective study aims to identify the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) (C677T, A1298C), methionine synthase reductase (MTRR) (A66G) and ethnic distribution characteristics in pregnant women, and to explore the risk correlation with folate metabolism. The demographic data of 8735 pregnant women aged 15 to 47 years were retrospectively analyzed, and peripheral blood samples were collected and tested. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction was applied to determine the genotype and allele frequency of MTHFR C677T, A1298C and MTRR A66G in blood samples. Sperman correlation analysis, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to verify the correlation between SNPs of MTHFR (C677T, A1298C), MTRR (A66G), different ethnic groups and the susceptibility and risk levels of folate metabolism. The relative risk of the SNPs was further determined by calculating the odds ratio (OR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI). The average age of 8735 pregnant women was 28.87 ± 4.20 years old. The evaluation of risk levels for folate metabolism was relative high, including 2296 cases with low risk, 3971 cases with medium risk, and 752 cases with high risk. Among the MTHFR C677T locus, the CC genotype had the highest frequency, MTHFR A1298C locus had the highest frequency of the AA genotype, and MTRR A66G locus had the highest frequency of the AA genotype. The frequency distribution of SNPs in different ethnic groups revealed that the frequency of CT genotype among the MTHFR C677T locus, AA genotype among the MTHFR A1298C locus and the MTRR A66G locus was the highest in Han, Buyi, Miao and Dong ethnic groups. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the Han, Buyi, Miao and other ethnic groups (including Yi, Bai, Zhuang, Chuanqing) had the possibility of increasing the risk levels of folate metabolism. The CC genotype of MTHFR C677T (adjusted OR = 2.46, 95% CI: 2.14-2.84, P < .001) and the AG genotype of MTRR A66G (adjusted OR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.61-2.22, P < .001) were significantly related to the risk levels of folate metabolism, which is an independent risk factor for the susceptibility of folate metabolism.

A case report on the treatment of total placenta increta after transvaginal delivery with integrated traditional Chinese and western medicine.

Placental increta can easily lead to secondary infections in the perinatal period. In severe cases, it can develop into sepsis and endanger the life of the mother. It is a difficult problem in obstetrics. The incidence of placenta increta is increasing due to the continuous increase of a number of related factors, such as cesarean section, uterine cavity surgery, and elderly pregnant women. Currently, various guidelines on the treatment of placenta increta focus recommend hysterectomy. However, with the adjustment of the fertility policy, more and more patients have a strong desire to retain the uterus, and the conservative treatment of placenta increta has become more common worldwide. We report a case study of a patient with a uterine cavity infection due to placenta increta. The report outlines the clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, imaging examinations, pathological examinations, interventional therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine treatment. After vaginal delivery, the woman was diagnosed with placenta increta and uterine cavity infection. After active treatment, the implanted tissue could not be discharged normally, and the complicated infection could not be effectively controlled. After treatment with the Simiao Yongan decoction, the implanted tissue discharged totally. The infection index gradually decreased, the clinical manifestations returned to normal, and the prognosis was good. In this case, Chinese medicine effectively treated the uterine cavity infection caused by placenta increta after vaginal delivery. Thus, these results provide a new diagnosis and treatment choice for placental increta in clinical practice.

[Gene Mutation Types and Ethnic Distribution Characteristic of Thalassemia in Guiyang].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the genetic mutation types and ethnic distribution characteristics of thalassemia in Guiyang. METHODS: The population underwent physical examination, antenatal examination and pre-pregnancy examination in our hospital from January 2019 to November 2019 was selected, and the thalassemia gene was detected by RDB-PCR. RESULTS: Among the 4 572 samples, 346 were positive , and the total carrying rate was 7.57%. The carrying rate of α-thalassaemia gene was 5.42% (248 cases), while ß-thalassemia was 1.99% (91 cases), and α+ß-compound thalassemia was 0.15% (7 cases). α-thalassaemia genotype with the lack of right side -α3.7/αα (52.82%) was the most common, followed by -SEA/αα (25.00%) and -α4.2/αα (10.48%). ß-thalassemia genotype was mainly CD17 (A→T) (51.65%), followed by CD41-42 (-TCTT) (25.27%) and IVS-2-654 (C→T) (12.09%). One case of rare αα/αααanti3.7 and one case of rare HBB:c.-153C>A (-103 C>A) mutation were detected. Among the 346 positive samples, 264 were from the Han nationality and 82 from the ethnic minorities, among which Buyi nationality accounted for the most (35.80%), followed by Miao nationality (20.54%). CONCLUSION: The gene types of thalassemia in Guiyang are complex and varied. The -α3.7/αα is the most common genotype of α-thalassemia, while CD17 (A→T) (51.65%) is the most common genotype of ß-thalassemia. The carrying rate of thalassemia in the Buyi nationality is higher than other nations, it is necessary to carry out regular monitoring and publicity.

Fumaric acid and succinic acid treat gestational hypertension by downregulating the expression of KCNMB1 and TET1.

The present study hypothesized that fumaric acid and succinic acid may exhibit therapeutic effects on gestational hypertension. During pregnancy, estrogen upregulates ten-eleven translocation 1 (TET1) expression, which subsequently increases calcium-activated potassium channel subunit ß1 (KCNMB1) expression. KCNMB1 is associated with hypertension. Fumaric acid and succinic acid are understood to inhibit TET. Therefore, the present study investigated whether fumaric acid and succinic acid exhibit therapeutic effects on gestational hypertension and whether these effects are mediated by TET1 and KCNMB1. Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride was injected into rats to establish a gestational hypertension model. Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) and succinic acid were administrated into rats to treat gestational hypertension. Rats were divided into five groups: i) Control; ii) model; iii) DMF; iv) succinic acid; and v) DMF + succinic acid. Blood pressure was monitored by a noninvasive meter and urinary protein was determined using a urinary protein kit. Placenta pathology was examined by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Compared with the control group, urinary protein and blood pressure in the model group increased significantly. The placental cells in the control group were arranged orderly. However, in the model group, decidual cellular edema of placenta and vacuolar degeneration were observed, and the intervascular membrane was markedly thicker with plenty of fibrin deposition. These results indicate successful establishment of a gestational hypertension model. However, compared with the model group, urinary protein, blood pressure, edema, vacuoles and fibrin deposition were markedly reduced in the DMF, succinic acid and DMF + succinic acid groups. mRNA and protein levels of TET1 and KCNMB1 in placenta were evaluated by immunohistochemical analysis, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The TET1 and KCNMB1 levels in the model group were markedly increased compared with those in the control group. However, compared with the model group, the expression levels were markedly downregulated in the DMF, succinic acid and DMF + succinic acid groups. In conclusion, fumaric acid and succinic acid may treat gestational hypertension by downregulating the expression of KCNMB1 and TET1.

Remediation of GenX from water by amidoxime surface-functionalized electrospun polyacrylonitrile nanofibrous adsorbent.

As a short-chain PFAS, GenX has gained increasing attention in recent years as a hazardous and emerging contaminant in water bodies. However, there is only limited research outcome up to date to address GenX remediation from water. In this research, we investigated amidoxime surface-functionalized PAN nanofibrous material from electrospinning as adsorbent to remove GenX from water. The nanofibrous adsorbent from 10 min treatment of electrospun PAN nanofibrous material in hydroxylamine (ASFPAN10) realized 35% GenX removal from a 100 mg/L aqueous solution at pH = 4 and 0.24 g/L loading after a simple one-time filtration with a GenX removal capacity of ~0.6 mmol/g. The mechanism study indicated that the GenX adsorption on PAN nanofibrous adsorbent could be mainly ascribed to hydrophobic interaction and dipole-dipole interaction between CN and C-F while the GenX adsorption on ASFPAN10 nanofibrous adsorbent could be mainly attributed to coulomb force between positive-charged CN+(OH)-H from ASFPAN10 and negative-charged COO- from GenX. Compared to that of PAN, the more hydrophilic surface of ASFPAN10 facilitated water access to the nanofibrous adsorbent surface and also contributed to the higher GenX removal efficiency. For the first time, this research pointed out a direction to use common economic materials for effective remediation of short-chain PFAS from water bodies especially at relatively high PFAS centration.

Functional Interrelationships of Microorganisms in Iron-Based Anaerobic Wastewater Treatment.

This study explicated the functional activities of microorganisms and their interrelationships under four previously reported iron reducing conditions to identify critical factors that governed the performance of these novel iron-dosed anaerobic biological wastewater treatment processes. Various iron-reducing bacteria (FeRB) and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) were identified as the predominant species that concurrently facilitated organics oxidation and the main contributors to removal of organics. The high organic contents of wastewater provided sufficient electron donors for active growth of both FeRB and SRB. In addition to the organic content, Fe (III) and sulfate concentrations (expressed by Fe/S ratio) were found to play a significant role in regulating the microbial abundance and functional activities. Various fermentative bacteria contributed to this FeRB-SRB synergy by fermenting larger organic compounds to smaller compounds, which were subsequently used by FeRB and SRB. Feammox (ferric reduction coupled to ammonium oxidation) bacterium was identified in the bioreactor fed with wastewater containing ammonium. Organic substrate level was a critical factor that regulated the competitive relationship between heterotrophic FeRB and Feammox bacteria. There were evidences that suggested a synergistic relationship between FeRB and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB), where ferric iron and organics concentrations both promoted microbial activities of FeRB and NFB. A concept model was developed to illustrate the identified functional interrelationships and their governing factors for further development of the iron-based wastewater treatment systems.

Radioactive waste: A review.

The reviewed papers presented here provide a general overview of worldwide radioactive waste-related studies conducted in 2019. The current review includes studies related to safety assessments, decommission and decontamination of nuclear facilities, fusion facilities, and transportation. Further, the review highlights radioactive wastewater decontamination, management solutions for the final disposal of low- and high-level radioactive wastes (LLRW and HLRW), interim storage and final disposal options for spent fuel (SF), and tritiated wastes, with a focus on environmental impacts due to the mobility of radionuclides in the ecosystem, water and soil along with other research progress made in the management of radioactive waste. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The release of radionuclides and their subsequent fate and transport in the environment poses public health concern and has stimulated recent research on the waste management techniques. Seeking a safe and environmental-friendly solution is the current trend for existing and projected inventories of radioactive waste. Significant progress in the field of geological disposal of radioactive waste has been made in the last two decades.

Textiles wastewater treatment technology: A review.

The following is a review of published literature on textile wastewater in 2019. Presented are the sections described for the review: concise introduction on the textiles wastewater, followed by a review of present textile treatment technologies organized by physicochemical, biological, and combined processes. Lastly, a discussion of the future topics is presented. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The discharge of textile dye wastewater represents a serious environmental problem and public health concern. Effluents from textile manufacturing, dyeing, and finishing processes contain high-concentration recalcitrant chemicals that are resistant to biodegradation. The textile wastewater needs environmental-friendly and cost-effective combined treatment process.

Fate of environmental pollutants: A review.

A review of the literature published in 2019 on topics associated with the fate of environmental pollutants is presented. Environmental pollutants covered include pharmaceuticals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and genes, pesticides and veterinary medicines, personal care products and emerging pollutants, PFAS, microplastics, nanomaterials, heavy metals and radionuclides, nutrients, pathogens and indicator organisms, and oil and hydrocarbons. For each pollutant, the occurrence in the environment and/or their fate in engineered as well as natural systems in matrices including water, soil, wastewater, stormwater, runoff, and/or manure is presented based on the published literature. The review includes current developments in understanding pollutants in natural and engineered systems, and relevant physico-chemical processes, as well as biological processes.

Monitoring, sampling, and automated analysis.

A review of the literature published in 2018 on topics related to monitoring, sampling, and automated analysis is presented. The review includes current developments in monitoring, sampling, and analysis of water, wastewater, and groundwater. This review includes the following sections: brief introduction; sample preparation and extraction techniques; real-time, high-frequency, and/or in situ monitoring (microbiological, inorganic, organic, metals, and others); passive monitoring; and the biosensors. In the end, the authors have discussed future of the topic. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Advances in monitoring, sampling and automated analysis of water and wastewater are summarized. Real-time, high-frequency, and in-situ monitoring and analysis of pollutants are summarized. Topics include sample preparation and extraction and passive monitoring, and biosensors for pollutants.

Detoxification of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash by single-mode microwave (MW) irradiation: Addition of urea on the degradation of Dioxin and mechanism.

The detoxification of municipal solid waste incinerator (MSWI) fly ash dioxins urgently requires an effective treatment technology. In this study, we adopted a single-mode microwave (MW)-based pyrolysis to treat MSWI fly ash under N2 atmosphere and further elucidated the main influencing factors, including the chemical inhibitor, for dioxin control. The results show that (1) the detoxification process was optimized with a mass ratio of fly ash to SiC of 1:9, 23.1% (wt%) urea addition and pyrolysis temperature of ˜ 480 °C; (2) the total polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) destruction efficiency and the bioassay-derived 2,3,7,8-TCDD toxic equivalent (Bio-TEQ) removal efficiency reached 98.5% and 97.9%, respectively, accompanied with ˜ 1.3% of the total amount of dioxin being submitted to exhaust gas; (3) the MW-based pyrolysis of urea (133˜300 °C) was favourable for the generation of hot spots as well as the PCDD/F rapid destruction in fly ash. In addition, the leaching toxicity of heavy metals was also partially reduced after MW pyrolysis reactions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report adopting a MW-based pyrolysis to eliminate dioxin in MSWI fly ash with the addition of urea, which is a promising alternative to current methods.

Extended suspect screening strategy to identify characteristic toxicants in the discharge of a chemical industrial park based on toxicity to Daphnia magna.

With an increasing amount of industrial wastewater being discharged and the numerous chemicals existed in, methods to identify toxicants in such complex matrices are urgently needed for source control and quality management. In vivo toxicity to Daphnia magna was evaluated in the effluent of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). An extended suspect screening strategy was performed by bioassay-directed fractionation, accompanied with suspect screening of 228 suspect chemicals in toxic fractions based on their mass characteristics and chromatography characteristics. A toxicity evaluation of the original samples, organic components extracted by solid-phase extraction (SPE) and the filtered samples showed that organic compounds extracted by SPE were the main toxic components. Four of the 26 fractions of the organic extracts exhibited a toxic unit (TU) > 1.0, with hydrophobic organic compounds contributing most to the toxicity. Twenty-eight of the 228 suspects were identified in four toxic fractions, with 53.6% of the suspects elucidated by spectrum interpretation based on mass characteristics and 53.8% more false positive suspects removed based on chromatography characteristics. Finally, 6 pollutants, including imazalil, prometryn, propiconazole, tebuconazole, buprofezin and diazinon, were further confirmed and explained 48.79% of the observed toxicity. With 2.48 times more of the toxicity explained and 90% of the labor saved, the extended suspect screening strategy enabled more efficient and reliable identification compared to traditional quantitative analysis and non-target screening, especially for identification of characteristic toxicants in complex environmental matrices.

Textiles Wastewater Treatment.

A review of the literature published in 2017 on topics related to textiles wastewater treatment is presented. This review includes the following sections: brief introduction of textiles wastewater treatment, review of current treatment technologies categorized into physicochemical, biological, and combined processes. In the end, the authors have discussed future of the topic.

Extended Virtual Screening Strategies To Link Antiandrogenic Activities and Detected Organic Contaminants in Soils.

A tiered screening strategy based on extensive virtual fractionation and elucidation was developed to simplify identification of toxicants in complex environments. In tier1-virtual fractionation, multivariate analysis (MVA) was set up as an alternative of physical fractionation. In tier2-virtual structure elucidation, in-house quantitative structure-retention relationship (QSRR) models and toxicity simulation methods were developed to simplify nontarget identification. The efficiency of the tiered virtual strategy was tentatively verified by soil samples from a chemical park contaminated by antiandrogenic substances. Eight out of 18 sites were detected as antiandrogenic, while none of them exhibited androgenic agonist potencies. Sixty-seven peaks were selected for further identification by MVA, among which over 90% were verified in androgenic fractions in traditional effect-directed analysis (EDA). With 579 tentative structures generated by in silico fragmentation, 74% were elucidated by QSRR and 65% were elucidated by in silico toxicity prediction. All prior peaks were identified at different confidence levels with over 40% of the identified peaks above confidence level 2b, which has been increased over 40% with less than half of the time spent compared to traditional EDA. Such a combination of tiered virtual screening methods provides more efficient and rapid identifications of key toxicants at contaminated sites.