Peripheral T cell immune repertoire is associated with the outcomes of acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

Systematic immune responses have been identified in patients with acute spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). T cells have been established to participate in central nervous system damage and repair following brain injury. However, their contribution to the prognosis of patients with ICH remains to be elucidated. In this study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 45 patients with acute spontaneous ICH (<24 h from symptom onset). Our results exposed significant negative correlations between hematoma volume/white blood cell (WBC) density and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score. Contrastingly, lymphocyte density was negatively correlated with hematoma volume and positively correlated with GCS score. Moreover, flow cytometry determined that ICH activated T cells despite their proportion being lower in blood. Afterward, immune repertoire sequencing (IR-seq) revealed a significant decrease in VJ, VDJ usage, and TCR clonotypes in ICH patients. Finally, variations in the complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) amino acid (aa) were also detected in ICH patients. This study reveals the occurrence of peripheral T-cell diminishment and activation in response to acute hematoma. ICH lesion also alters the T cell receptor (TCR) immune repertoire, which is associated with patient prognosis.

Improved H2O2 Electrosynthesis on S-doped Co-N-C through Cooperation of Co-S and Thiophene S.

Co-N-C based catalysts have emerged as a prospective alternative for H2O2 electrosynthesis via a selective 2e- oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, conventional Co-N-C with Co-N4 configurations usually exhibits low selectivity toward 2e- ORR for H2O2 production. In this study, the S-doped Co-N-C (Co-N-C@S) catalysts were designed and synthesized for enhancing the electrosynthesis of H2O2, and their S doping levels and species were tuned to investigate their relationship with the H2O2 yield. The results showed that the S doping greatly enhanced the activity and selectivity of Co-N-C@S for H2O2 production. The optimal Co-N-C@S(12) displayed a high H2O2 production rate of 395 mmol gcat-1 h-1, H2O2 selectivity of 76.06%, and Faraday efficiency of 91.66% at 0.2 V, which were obviously better than those of Co-N-C (H2O2 production rate of 44 mmol gcat-1 h-1, H2O2 selectivity of 26.63%, and Faraday efficiency of 17.37%). Moreover, the Co-N-C@S(12) based electron-Fenton system displayed effective rhodamine B (RhB) removal, significantly outperforming the Co-N-C-based system. Experimental results combined with density functional theory unveiled that the enhanced performance of Co-N-C@S(12) stemmed from the combined effect of Co-S and thiophene S, which jointly enhanced electron density of the Co center, reduced the desorption energy of the *OOH intermediate, and then promoted the production of H2O2.

[Carbon Loss During Preparation and Aging of Sludge Livestock Manure Biochars].

Biochar has high carbon stability and is a good carbon sequestration material. Sludge biochar is rich in inorganic minerals, which would provide enrichment in the preparation process of pyrolysis, affecting its carbon sequestration capacity in practice. In this study, municipal sludge biochar (SZB), pharmaceutical sludge biochar (YCB), and chicken manure biochar (JFB) were prepared under the pyrolysis process at 500, 600, and 700℃, respectively, and their aging process in soil for 70-100 years was simulated. The physicochemical properties and the carbon loss calculation of the biochars were determined using elemental analysis, FTIR, XRF, ICP, and XRD. The results demonstrated that the type and mass fraction of endogenous minerals in the biochars determined their carbon loss during pyrolysis. Ca and Mg were the main carbon-protecting minerals, whereas Fe may have reduced the carbon stability of the sludge biochars and therefore increased the carbon loss. For the aging process, the stability of the endogenous carbon in the biochars played a major role in its carbon loss, whereas the endogenous minerals played a supporting role. These findings elucidated the effect of the stability of endogenous carbon and the composition of mineral components on the carbon loss of biochars, which may provide references for soil carbon sequestration using sludge and chicken manure biochar.

Highly efficient peroxymonosulfate activation on Fe-N-C catalyst via the collaboration of low-coordinated Fe-N structure and Fe nanoparticles for enhanced organic pollutant degradation.

Supporting Fe catalysts on N doped carbon (Fe-N-C) renders a promising way towards peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation for water decontamination, but constructing high-efficiency Fe-N-C remains challenging due to the insufficient understanding of the structure-performance relationship. Herein, the N doped carbon nanotube supported Fe catalysts (Fe-NCNT) were prepared towards PMS activation for organic pollutants removal, in which the Fe-N coordination number and Fe species were tuned through changing the pyrolysis temperature to study their roles in PMS activation. Results showed increasing the pyrolysis temperature converted the Fe-N4 structure in Fe-NCNT to low-coordinated Fe-N3 structure and produced Fe nanoparticles (FeNP, encapsulated in carbon). The Fe-NCNT with Fe-N3 and FeNP exhibited a remarkably high specific activity (0.119 L min-1 m-2), which was 1.8 times higher than that of Fe-NCNT with only Fe-N4 and obviously outperformed those of the state-of-the-art PMS activators. The low-coordinated structure and FeNP promoted the PMS reduction on Fe2+ of Fe-Nx for •OH and SO4•- production, which served as major oxidants for pollutants degradation. The experimental results and theoretical calculation corroborated the low-coordinated structure and FeNP jointly enhanced the PMS adsorption and electron density on Fe center, which accelerated electron transfer from Fe center to PMS for radical production.

The efficacy and safety of conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization combined with PD-1 inhibitor and anti-angiogenesis tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment for patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: a real-world comparative study.

Aim: We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (cTACE) sequentially combined with systemic treatment by programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor and anti-angiogenesis tyrosine kinase inhibitor (Anti-angiogenesis TKI) in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and methods: One hundred and forty-seven advanced HCC patients who received PD-1 inhibitors and TKIs as first-line systemic treatment between August 2019 and April 2021 were collected retrospectively. Fifty-four patients were finally included and divided into cTACE and no-cTACE groups, according to whether cTACE treatment was performed within 8 weeks before systemic treatment. The tumor objective response ratio (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse events (AEs) were compared between the groups. Significant factors affecting PFS and OS were determined by Cox regression. Results: Thirty-one patients received cTACE followed by systemic treatment and 23 patients received systemic treatment only. The ORRs of the cTACE group were 48.4% (after two cycles of systemic treatment) and 51.6% (after four cycles of systemic treatment), while those of the no-cTACE group were only 17.4% and 21.7%. cTACE patients also had a longer median PFS (11.70 vs. 4.00 months, P = 0.031) and median OS (19.80 vs. 11.6 months, P = 0.006) than no-cTACE patients. Regression analyses indicated that cTACE therapy and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status were independent risk factors for PFS and OS. AEs by type were similar between the cTACE and no-cTACE groups, except for liver function injury, which was more common among cTACE patients. Fourteen patients suffered with grade 1-2 of rash in 21 patients with objective response, while only 10 patients suffered with rash in 33 patients without objective response, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) was 4.382 (1.297-14.803). Conclusions: The combination of cTACE and PD-1 inhibitors and anti-angiogenesis TKIs as therapy significantly improved markers of treatment efficacy, including ORR, PFS, and OS, in unresectable HCC patients, while no more serious AEs recorded in this population compared to those receiving systemic treatment alone. Skin rash might be a predict factor to the efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors and TKI treatment.

Compound Heterozygous COX20 Variants Impair the Function of Mitochondrial Complex IV to Cause a Syndrome Involving Ophthalmoplegia and Visual Failure.

The cytochrome c oxidase 20 (COX20) gene encodes a protein with a crucial role in the assembly of mitochondrial complex IV (CIV). Mutations in this gene can result in ataxia and muscle hypotonia. However, ophthalmoplegia and visual failure associated with COX20 mutation have not been examined previously. Moreover, the mechanism causing the phenotype of patients with COX20 variants to differ from that of patients with mutations in other genes impairing CIV assembly is unclear. In this investigation, the aim was to assess the relation between COX20 variants and CIV assembly. We performed detailed clinical, physical, and biochemical investigations of affected individuals. Western blotting, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, and blue native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis were used to analyze the expression level of COX20 and oxidative phosphorylation. A Seahorse XF Cell Mito Stress Test and enzymatic activity analysis were performed to evaluate mitochondrial function. Whole-exome sequencing revealed the same compound heterozygous mutations (c.41A > G and c.222G > T, NM_198076) in COX20 in two siblings. This is the first description of ophthalmoplegia and visual failure associated with COX20 variants. In vitro analysis confirmed that the COX20 protein level was significantly decreased, impairing the assembly and activity of CIV in patients' fibroblast. Overexpression of COX20 using a transduced adenovirus partially restored the function of the patients' fibroblasts. Early-onset complex movement disorders may be closely related to COX20 variants. Our results broaden the clinical phenotypes of patients with COX20 variants showing ophthalmoplegia and visual failure. Additionally, dysfunction of COX20 protein can impair the assembly and activity of CIV.

Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Protects SH-SY5Y Cells From Rotenone-Induced Toxicity by Suppressing Mitochondrial Apoptosis.

Objective: Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder worldwide. Mitochondrial dysfunction is suspected as one of the pathogenic mechanisms of PD. Growth/differentiation Factor-15 (GDF15) has been reported to affect mitochondrial function in PD. However, the relationship between mitochondrial function and GDF15 induction has not been explained well. Hence, we aimed to reveal the effect of GDF15 induction on SH-SY5Y cells with rotenone toxicity, a cell model of PD. Methods: SH-SY5Y cells were exposed to 1 µM rotenone as a PD model. Cells were transfected with a GDF15-overexpression plasmid and empty vector. We then analyzed the expression level of GDF15, BCL-2/BAX, P53, PGC1-α, α-syn, and TH in GDF15-overexpressing cells by western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The cytotoxicity of rotenone was measured by CCK-8 assays. Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometric and TUNEL assays. The effect of GDF15 on oxidative stress and mitochondrial function was revealed using DCFH-DA, mito-SOX, and JC-10 assays and a Seahorse XF Cell Mito Stress Test. Results: GDF15 protected rotenone-treated SH-SY5Y cells from toxicity by preserving mitochondrial function and decreasing apoptosis, during which GDF15 might function by influencing PGC1α through the regulation of p53. In addition, GDF15 overexpression could improve Akt and mTOR phosphorylation, leading to PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway activation. However, these protective effects were eliminated when cells were treated with the PI3K/Akt specific inhibitor LY294002. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that GDF15 can protect mitochondrial function and inhibit apoptosis in SH-SY5Y cells after exposure to rotenone by upregulating PGC1α via p53. These properties might comprise its anti-apoptotic effects, mediated by the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy plus dystonia caused by the mitochondrial ND1 gene m.4160 T > C mutation.

BACKGROUND: Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a common mitochondrial disease. More than 30 variants in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been previously described in LHON. However, the pathogenicity of some variants remains unclear. Herein, we report a 19-year-old boy presenting unique LHON plus dystonia syndrome with the rare m.4136A > G and m.4160 T > C variants and elucidate the molecular pathomechanisms of the m.4160 T > C mutation. METHODS: We performed clinical, molecular genetic analysis, and biochemical investigation in the patient's different tissues and cybrid cell lines. RESULTS: The optical coherence tomography (OCT) and optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) of the patient showed typical pathological changes-a significant decrease in the 17 thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and the ganglion cell complex (GCC). Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) found noteworthy abnormal signals in the basal ganglia region. The genetic analysis revealed that the m.4160 T > C variant was heteroplasmic in the blood (80.2%), urine sediment (90.8%), and oral mucosal (81.7%) samples of the patient. In contrast, the m.4136A > G variant was homoplasmic in all available tissues. Biochemical and bioenergetic investigations showed decreased mitochondrial protein levels and mitochondrial respiration deficiency in cybrid cells harboring these variants. CONCLUSIONS: This research provided more comprehensive data to help gain insight into the pathogenicity of the m.4160 T > C variant and broaden our view on the LHON plus phenotype.

Transforming radical to non-radical pathway in peroxymonosulfate activation on nitrogen doped carbon sphere for enhanced removal of organic pollutants: Combined effect of nitrogen species and carbon structure.

Carbon induced non-radical based peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation has exhibited several advantages over radical process for eliminating organic pollutants in complicated water matrices. However, the relationship between configuration and composition of carbon and non-radical mechanism, which is important for designing high-efficiency carbon catalysts, remains elusive. In this work, the nitrogen doped carbon spheres (NCSs) with superior PMS activation ability were prepared from low-cost chitosan via two-step hydrothermal carbonization-pyrolysis method for organic pollutants removal. The carbon structure and nitrogen species of NCSs were tuned via changing hydrothermal temperature to explore their correlation with their PMS catalytic mechanism. Results showed hydrothermal carbonization boosted the content of pyridinic N, graphitic N and sp2-hybrided carbon (CC) in NCS, which significantly enhanced its catalytic performance and collaboratively promoted the catalytic mechanism switch from radical-dominant (SO4•- and •OH) to non-radical-dominant (surface-mediated electron transfer (SMET) and 1O2) process. The NCS with most pyridinic N and CC performed best, whose catalytic activity was 10.4 times higher than that without hydrothermal carbonization. The pyridinic N and CC enhanced the SMET process through strengthening PMS adsorption capacity and facilitating the electron migration from pollutant to PMS, respectively, while graphitic N triggered PMS oxidation on its neighboring electron-deficient C to produce 1O2.

USP25 inhibition ameliorates Alzheimer's pathology through the regulation of APP processing and Aß generation.

Down syndrome (DS), or trisomy 21, is one of the critical risk factors for early-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), implicating key roles for chromosome 21-encoded genes in the pathogenesis of AD. We previously identified a role for the deubiquitinase USP25, encoded on chromosome 21, in regulating microglial homeostasis in the AD brain; however, whether USP25 affects amyloid pathology remains unknown. Here, by crossing 5×FAD AD and Dp16 DS mice, we observed that trisomy 21 exacerbated amyloid pathology in the 5×FAD brain. Moreover, bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgene-mediated USP25 overexpression increased amyloid deposition in the 5×FAD mouse brain, whereas genetic deletion of Usp25 reduced amyloid deposition. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that USP25 promoted ß cleavage of APP and Aß generation by reducing the ubiquitination and lysosomal degradation of both APP and BACE1. Importantly, pharmacological inhibition of USP25 ameliorated amyloid pathology in the 5×FAD mouse brain. In summary, we identified the DS-related gene USP25 as a critical regulator of AD pathology, and our data suggest that USP25 serves as a potential pharmacological target for AD drug development.

Total flavonoids of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) improve MC903-induced atopic dermatitis-like lesions.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) is popularly used as a herbal medicine and food additive in the world. Total flavonoids of Hippophae rhamnoides (TFH) are reported to have anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activities. AIM: The effects of TFH on atopic dermatitis (AD)-like lesions induced by MC903 in mice was elucidated in the study. METHODS: To induce AD-like lesions, MC903 was adopted to apply repeatedly on the left ear in C57BL/6 mice. After induction of AD-like lesions, 0.5% and 1% TFH cream was applied topically on ears of mice once a day for 8 days. The degree of skin lesions was evaluated by macroscopical and histological methods. Expressions of filaggrin (FLG) was evaluated by Western blotting. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was adopted to detect the mRNA expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL-4), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in skin lesions. In vitro, Cytokine Antibody Arrays were performed to measure production of cytokines in IFN-γ/TNF-α-treated HaCaT cells, Western blotting was employed to detect the expressions of p-NF-κB, p-ERK and p-P38. RESULTS: Topical application of TFH significantly improved the severity of dermatitis by inhibiting the infiltration of mast cell, increasing expression of FLG, decreasing the expressions of TNF-α, IL-4, IFN-γ and TSLP in skin lesions. TFH decreased the levels of IL-1α, IL-1ß, IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1, MCP-3, macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-BB, thymus and activation regulated chemokine (TARC) in the supernatants of the HaCaT cells treated by IFN-γ/TNF-α. Furthermore, expressions of p-NF-κB, p-ERK and p-P38 were also decreased by TFH administration with dose dependent manner in HaCaT cells treated by IFN-γ/TNF-α. CONCLUSIONS: Topical application of TFH improved AD-like lesions in mice induced by MC903. Which exerted the effects of anti-inflammation and repairing skin barrier by regulating Th1/Th2 balance. This finding indicates that TFH is a novel potential agent for the external treatment of AD.

Comprehensive identification and expression analysis of CRY gene family in Gossypium.

BACKGROUND: The cryptochromes (CRY) are specific blue light receptors of plants and animals, which play crucial roles in physiological processes of plant growth, development, and stress tolerance. RESULTS: In the present work, a systematic analysis of the CRY gene family was performed on twelve cotton species, resulting in 18, 17, 17, 17, and 17 CRYs identified in five alloteraploid cottons (Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. tomentosum, G. mustelinum and G. darwinii), respectively, and five to nine CRY genes in the seven diploid species. Phylogenetic analysis of protein-coding sequences revealed that CRY genes from cottons and Arabidopsis thaliana could be classified into seven clades. Synteny analysis suggested that the homoeolog of G. hirsutum Gh_A02G0384 has undergone an evolutionary loss event in the other four allotetraploid cotton species. Cis-element analysis predicated the possible functions of CRY genes in G. hirsutum. RNA-seq data revealed that Gh_D09G2225, Gh_A09G2012 and Gh_A11G1040 had high expressions in fiber cells of different developmental states. In addition, the expression levels of one (Gh_A03G0120), 15 and nine GhCRY genes were down-regulated following the PEG, NaCl and high-temperature treatments, respectively. For the low-temperature treatment, five GhCRY genes were induced, and five were repressed. These results indicated that most GhCRY genes negatively regulate the abiotic stress treatments. CONCLUSION: We report the structures, domains, divergence, synteny, and cis-elements analyses systematically of G. hirsutum CRY genes. Possible biological functions of GhCRY genes in differential tissues as well as in response to abiotic stress during the cotton plant life cycle were predicted.

Metabolic reprogramming in astrocytes results in neuronal dysfunction in intellectual disability.

Astrocyte aerobic glycolysis provides vital trophic support for central nervous system neurons. However, whether and how astrocytic metabolic dysregulation contributes to neuronal dysfunction in intellectual disability (ID) remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate a causal role for an ID-associated SNX27 mutation (R198W) in cognitive deficits involving reshaping astrocytic metabolism. We generated SNX27R196W (equivalent to human R198W) knock-in mice and found that they displayed deficits in synaptic function and learning behaviors. SNX27R196W resulted in attenuated astrocytic glucose uptake via GLUT1, leading to reduced lactate production and a switch from homeostatic to reactive astrocytes. Importantly, lactate supplementation or a ketogenic diet restored neuronal oxidative phosphorylation and reversed cognitive deficits in SNX27R196W mice. In summary, we illustrate a key role for astrocytic SNX27 in maintaining glucose supply and glycolysis and reveal that altered astrocytic metabolism disrupts the astrocyte-neuron interaction, which contributes to ID. Our work also suggests a feasible strategy for treating ID by restoring astrocytic metabolic function.

Profiling biotoxicities of hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid with human embryonic stem cell-based assays.

Hexafluoropropylene oxide trimer acid (HFPO-TA), an emerging replacement of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), has recently been reported to be a potential environmental contaminant. Due to the similar structure to PFOA, HFPO-TA may cause comparable adverse effects on human health. Therefore, evaluating the toxic profiles of HFPO-TA has become an urgent task. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxicity and hepatoxicity of HFPO-TA using human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-based assays. Results showed that HFPO-TA reduced hESCs' viability in a dose dependent manner, and the calculated IC50 for 24, 48 and 72 hr were 222.8, 167.4, and 80.6 µmol/L, respectively. Significant intracellular ROS accumulation and mitochondrion membrane potential reduction were detected with HFPO-TA exposure, and increased apoptotic/necrotic cells were also observed in high dose of HFPO-TA treated group. Moreover, HFPO-TA at noncytotoxic concentrations also significantly impaired the functions of induced hepatocytes by diminishing cell glycogen storage ability and deregulating specific functional genes. Transcriptome sequencing analysis identified a set of hepatic associated biological processes responding to HFPO-TA exposure. PPAR was the most significantly enriched pathway. Genes including FGA, FGB, FGG, AHSG, HRG, ITIH2, ALB were characterized as hub genes by cytoHubba plug-in. These data indicated that HFPO-TA is a potential hepatotoxicant, and may not be a safe replacement for PFOA.

Hydrothermal carbonation carbon-based photocatalysis under visible light: Modification for enhanced removal of organic pollutant and novel insight into the photocatalytic mechanism.

Hydrothermal carbonation carbon (HTCC) is emerging as a promising alternative for photocatalytic removal of contaminants from water. However, the catalytic activity of HTCC is limited by its poor charge transfer ability, and its photocatalytic mechanism remains unclear. Herein, a unique photosensitization-like mechanism was firstly found on Fe modified HTCC (Fe-HTCC) derived from glucose for effective removal of organic pollutants. Under visible light illumination, the organic pollutant coordinated with Fe-HTCC enabled electrons transfer from its highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) to conduction band (CB) of Fe-HTCC, which not only oxidized pollutant itself, but also generated oxygen-centered radical for reducing O2 into O2•- towards pollutant removal. The degradation kinetic constant of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) over Fe-HTCC was about 1024.4 and 20.5 times higher than that of HTCC and g-C3N4, respectively. The enhanced performance of Fe-HTCC was originated from dual role of Fe modification: one is to boost the electron-deficient C sites which prefer to coordinate with amino or hydroxyl of pollutants; the other is to enhance the linkage of discrete polyfuran chains in Fe-HTCC for effective electron transfer from pollutant to Fe-HTCC. This work provides new insight into the synthesis and mechanism of HTCC-based high-efficiency photocatalyst for water decontamination.

Confining peroxymonosulfate activation in carbon nanotube intercalated nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide membrane for enhanced water treatment: The role of nanoconfinement effect.

Coupling membrane filtration with peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation is promising to overcome the selectivity-permeability trade-off in membrane-based water treatment. However, the PMS catalytic efficiency of membrane still needs improvement to offset the insufficient reaction time during filtration process. Herein, an oxidized carbon nanotube intercalated nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide (NRGO-OCNT) membrane with PMS activation function was firstly designed and prepared, which confined PMS activation in membrane interlayer for enhanced water treatment. The influence of confinement scale on membrane performance was studied through changing the OCNT intercalation ratio. Under the optimal confinement condition, the NRGO-OCNT membrane filtration integrated with PMS activation (MFPA) could realize 100% 4-chlorophenol removal at a high permeate flux of 290.2 L m-2 h-1 bar-1 (retention time of only 0.36 s), whose performance was 2.8, 1.7 and 5.0 times higher than that of filtration alone, NRGO MFPA (excessive confinement) and NRGO-OCNT powder-based batch reaction (no confinement), respectively. Moreover, NRGO-OCNT MFPA preferentially removed smaller-sized organics which easily entered and diffused in confined interlayer. The outstanding performance of NRGO-OCNT MFPA was owing to the nanoconfinement effect in appropriate confined interspacing, where the mass transfer rate of reactants was greatly boosted for enhanced generation of SO4- and OH towards pollutant.

Genomic Insights Into the Genetic Structure and Natural Selection of Mongolians.

Mongolians dwell at the Eastern Eurasian Steppe, where is the agriculture and pasture interlaced area, practice pastoral subsistence strategies for generations, and have their own complex genetic formation history. There is evidence that the eastward expansion of Western Steppe herders transformed the lifestyle of post-Bronze Age Mongolia Plateau populations and brought gene flow into the gene pool of Eastern Eurasians. Here, we reported genome-wide data for 42 individuals from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of North China. We observed that our studied Mongolians were structured into three distinct genetic clusters possessing different genetic affinity with previous studied Inner Mongolians and Mongols and various Eastern and Western Eurasian ancestries: two subgroups harbored dominant Eastern Eurasian ancestry from Neolithic millet farmers of Yellow River Basin; another subgroup derived Eastern Eurasian ancestry primarily from Neolithic hunter-gatherers of North Asia. Besides, three-way/four-way qpAdm admixture models revealed that both north and southern Western Eurasian ancestry related to the Western Steppe herders and Iranian farmers contributed to the genetic materials into modern Mongolians. ALDER-based admixture coefficient and haplotype-based GLOBETROTTER demonstrated that the former western ancestry detected in modern Mongolian could be recently traced back to a historic period in accordance with the historical record about the westward expansion of the Mongol empire. Furthermore, the natural selection analysis of Mongolians showed that the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) region underwent significantly positive selective sweeps. The functional genes, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and lactase persistence (LCT), were not identified, while the higher/lower frequencies of derived mutations were strongly correlated with the genetic affinity to East Asian/Western Eurasian populations. Our attested complex population movement and admixture in the agriculture and pasture interlaced area played an important role in the formation of modern Mongolians.

Prediction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Response to Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization: A Real-World Study Based on Non-Contrast Computed Tomography Radiomics and General Image Features.

OBJECTIVE: To construct a predictive model of short-term response and overall survival for transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) treatment in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients based on non-contrast computed tomography (NC-CT) radiomics and clinical features. METHODS: Ninety-four HCC patients who underwent CT scanning 1 week before the first TACE treatment were retrospectively recruited and divided randomly into a training group (n = 47) and a validation group (n = 47). NC-CT radiomics data were extracted using MaZda software, and the compound model was calculated from radiomics and clinical features by logistic regression. The performance of the different models was compared by examining the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). The prediction of prognosis was evaluated using survival analysis. RESULTS: Thirty NC-CT radiomic features were extracted and analyzed. The compound model was formed using four NC-CT run-length matrix (RLM) features and general image features, which included the maximum diameter (cm) of the tumor and the number of tumors (n). The AUCs of the model for TACE response were 0.840 and 0.815, whereas the AUCs of the six-and-twelve grade were 0.754 and 0.750 in the training and validation groups, respectively. HCC patients were divided into two groups using the cutoff value of the model: a group in which the TACE-response led to good survival and a group in which TACE-nonresponse caused poor prognosis. CONCLUSION: Radiomic features from NC-CT predicted TACE-response. The compound model generated by NC-CT radiomics and clinical features is effective and directly predicts TACE-response and overall survival. The model may be used repeatedly and is easy to operate.