Dynamics of CD4+ T-Cells and Neutralizing Antibody Responses to Three Consecutive Doses of Inactivated COVID-19 Vaccines in PLWH.

Background: Comprehensive characterization of safety and immune responses to vaccines is crucial for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 among people living with HIV (PLWH). This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T-cell subsets and neutralizing antibody after three consecutive doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines (BBIBP-CorV) among PLWH. Methods: The blood samples were collected from 165 PLWH, including 66 PLWH in the 3-month interval between the second and third dose (cohort 1) and 99 PLWH in the 5-month interval (cohort 2). Blood collection for immunogenicity analysis was performed at 1-month post-2nd vaccination, pre-3rd vaccination, and within 2-month post-3rd vaccination. Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test was applied to compare the SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T cell subsets and neutralizing antibody level at different time points. The relationship among CD4+ T-cells, Tregs subpopulations and SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody level were evaluated with Spearman non-parametric correlation test. Results: No serious adverse reactions were found among PLWH. After two-dose or three-dose inactivated COVID-19 vaccination, the absolute counts of CD4+ T-cells and Tregs subpopulations (CD4+CD25HighCD127Low Tregs, CD45RA+ rTregs and CD45RO+ eTregs) increased in two cohorts. Satisfactory SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody responses to the third-dose vaccination were found in two cohorts, including significantly enhanced neutralizing antibody level and high neutralizing antibody seroconversion rate. In addition, SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibody level were positively associated with the absolute counts of CD4+ T-cells and Tregs subpopulations as well as the frequency of CD45RO+ eTregs in PLWH after three doses of vaccinations. Conclusion: The three doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccination were both safe and effective to increase SARS-CoV-2-specific CD4+ T-cells and neutralizing antibody in two PLWH cohorts with different inoculation intervals.

Extending the dosing interval of COVID-19 vaccination leads to higher rates of seroconversion in people living with HIV.

Introduction: Vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is an effective way of protecting individuals from severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, immune responses to vaccination vary considerably. This study dynamically assessed the neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses to the third dose of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine administered to people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV; PLWH) with different inoculation intervals. Methods: A total of 171 participants were recruited: 63 PLWH were placed in cohort 1 (with 3-month interval between the second and third doses), while 95 PLWH were placed in cohort 2 (with 5-month interval between the second and third doses); 13 individuals were enrolled as healthy controls (HCs). And risk factors associated with seroconversion failure after vaccination were identified via Cox regression analysis. Results: At 6 months after the third vaccination, PLWH in cohort 2 had higher NAb levels (GMC: 64.59 vs 21.99, P < 0.0001) and seroconversion rate (68.42% vs 19.05%, P < 0.0001). A weaker neutralizing activity against the SARSCoV-2 Delta variant was observed (GMT: 3.38 and 3.63, P < 0.01) relative to the wildtype strain (GMT: 13.68 and 14.83) in both cohorts. None of the participants (including HCs or PLWH) could mount a NAb response against Omicron BA.5.2. In the risk model, independent risk factors for NAb seroconversion failure were the vaccination interval (hazed ration [HR]: 0.316, P < 0.001) and lymphocyte counts (HR: 0.409, P < 0.001). Additionally, PLWH who exhibited NAb seroconversion after vaccination had fewer initial COVID-19 symptoms when infected with Omicron. Discussion: This study demonstrated that the third vaccination elicited better NAb responses in PLWH, when a longer interval was used between vaccinations. Since post-vaccination seroconversion reduced the number of symptoms induced by Omicron, efforts to protect PLWH with risk factors for NAb seroconversion failure may be needed during future Omicron surges. Clinical trial registration: https://beta.clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05075070, identifier NCT05075070.

Synergistic effects of rice husk biochar and aerobic composting for heavy oil-contaminated soil remediation and microbial community succession evaluation.

Soil petroleum pollution is an urgent problem in modern society, which seriously threatens the ecological balance and environmental safety. Aerobic composting technology is considered economically acceptable and technologically feasible for the soil remediation. In this study, the combined experiment of aerobic composting with the addition of biochar materials was conducted for the remediation of heavy oil-contaminated soil, and treatments with 0, 5, 10 and 15 wt% biochar dosages were labeled as CK, C5, C10 and C15, respectively. Conventional parameters (temperature, pH, NH4+-N and NO3--N) and enzyme activities (urease, cellulase, dehydrogenase and polyphenol oxidase) during the composting process were systematically investigated. Remediation performance and functional microbial community abundance were also characterized. According to experimental consequences, removal efficiencies of CK, C5, C10 and C15 were 48.0%, 68.1%, 72.0% and 73.9%, respectively. The comparison with abiotic treatments corroborated that biostimulation rather than adsorption effect was the main removal mechanism during the biochar-assisted composting process. Noteworthy, the biochar addition regulated the succession process of microbial community and increased the abundance of microorganisms related to petroleum degradation at the genus level. This work demonstrated that aerobic composting with biochar amendment would be a fascinating technology for petroleum-contaminated soil remediation.

High-Performance Mach-Zehnder Modulator Based on Thin-Film Lithium Niobate with Low Voltage-Length Product.

Electro-optic modulators (EOMs) based on a thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic integration platform play a crucial role in loading electrical signals onto optical signals. In this paper, we proposed on-chip EOMs operating at two commercially available wavelengths of 850 and 1550 nm and successfully demonstrated rather low voltage-length products (V π ·Ls) of 0.78 V·cm and 1.29 V·cm, respectively. Additionally, the EOM working at 1550 nm exhibits the capability of 3-dB electro-optic (E-O) bandwidth beyond 40 GHz due to the limitation of our test conditions. This study is quite helpful for understanding EOM structures in a TFLN platform, as well as the fabrication of high-performance and multifunctional EOM devices.

Rapid high-fidelity T 2 * mapping using single-shot overlapping-echo acquisition and deep learning reconstruction.

PURPOSE: To develop and evaluate a single-shot quantitative MRI technique called GRE-MOLED (gradient-echo multiple overlapping-echo detachment) for rapid T 2 * $$ {T}_2^{\ast } $$ mapping. METHODS: In GRE-MOLED, multiple echoes with different TEs are generated and captured in a single shot of the k-space through MOLED encoding and EPI readout. A deep neural network, trained by synthetic data, was employed for end-to-end parametric mapping from overlapping-echo signals. GRE-MOLED uses pure GRE acquisition with a single echo train to deliver T 2 * $$ {T}_2^{\ast } $$ maps less than 90 ms per slice. The self-registered B0 information modulated in image phase was utilized for distortion-corrected parametric mapping. The proposed method was evaluated in phantoms, healthy volunteers, and task-based FMRI experiments. RESULTS: The quantitative results of GRE-MOLED T 2 * $$ {T}_2^{\ast } $$ mapping demonstrated good agreement with those obtained from the multi-echo GRE method (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.991 and 0.973 for phantom and in vivo brains, respectively). High intrasubject repeatability (coefficient of variation <1.0%) were also achieved in scan-rescan test. Enabled by deep learning reconstruction, GRE-MOLED showed excellent robustness to geometric distortion, noise, and random subject motion. Compared to the conventional FMRI approach, GRE-MOLED also achieved a higher temporal SNR and BOLD sensitivity in task-based FMRI. CONCLUSION: GRE-MOLED is a new real-time technique for T 2 * $$ {T}_2^{\ast } $$ quantification with high efficiency and quality, and it has the potential to be a better quantitative BOLD detection method.

Free-breathing and instantaneous abdominal T2 mapping via single-shot multiple overlapping-echo acquisition and deep learning reconstruction.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a real-time abdominal T2 mapping method without requiring breath-holding or respiratory-gating. METHODS: The single-shot multiple overlapping-echo detachment (MOLED) pulse sequence was employed to achieve free-breathing T2 mapping of the abdomen. Deep learning was used to untangle the non-linear relationship between the MOLED signal and T2 mapping. A synthetic data generation flow based on Bloch simulation, modality synthesis, and randomization was proposed to overcome the inadequacy of real-world training set. RESULTS: The results from simulation and in vivo experiments demonstrated that our method could deliver high-quality T2 mapping. The average NMSE and R2 values of linear regression in the digital phantom experiments were 0.0178 and 0.9751. Pearson's correlation coefficient between our predicted T2 and reference T2 in the phantom experiments was 0.9996. In the measurements for the patients, real-time capture of the T2 value changes of various abdominal organs before and after contrast agent injection was realized. A total of 33 focal liver lesions were detected in the group, and the mean and standard deviation of T2 values were 141.1 ± 50.0 ms for benign and 63.3 ± 16.0 ms for malignant lesions. The coefficients of variance in a test-retest experiment were 2.9%, 1.2%, 0.9%, 3.1%, and 1.8% for the liver, kidney, gallbladder, spleen, and skeletal muscle, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Free-breathing abdominal T2 mapping is achieved in about 100 ms on a clinical MRI scanner. The work paved the way for the development of real-time dynamic T2 mapping in the abdomen. KEY POINTS: • MOLED achieves free-breathing abdominal T2 mapping in about 100 ms, enabling real-time capture of T2 value changes due to CA injection in abdominal organs. • Synthetic data generation flow mitigates the issue of lack of sizable abdominal training datasets.

A prediction model for COVID-19 liver dysfunction in patients with normal hepatic biochemical parameters.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with liver dysfunction (LD) have a higher chance of developing severe and critical disease. The routine hepatic biochemical parameters ALT, AST, GGT, and TBIL have limitations in reflecting COVID-19-related LD. In this study, we performed proteomic analysis on 397 serum samples from 98 COVID-19 patients to identify new biomarkers for LD. We then established 19 simple machine learning models using proteomic measurements and clinical variables to predict LD in a development cohort of 74 COVID-19 patients with normal hepatic biochemical parameters. The model based on the biomarker ANGL3 and sex (AS) exhibited the best discrimination (time-dependent AUCs: 0.60-0.80), calibration, and net benefit in the development cohort, and the accuracy of this model was 69.0-73.8% in an independent cohort. The AS model exhibits great potential in supporting optimization of therapeutic strategies for COVID-19 patients with a high risk of LD. This model is publicly available at https://xixihospital-liufang.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp/.

Pseudo multi-shot EPI for geometric distortion improvement.

Conventional EPI uses an RF for excitation and prolonged echo train to sample k-space, while off-resonance and T2 * decay effects cause by magnetic susceptibility variation accumulate within each echo, leading to geometric distortion. Multi-shot EPI methods, which divide k space into segments, can shorten the effective echo spacing and reduce the distortion on EPI images. But multiple shots cost longer scan time and render susceptibility to motion. In this study, we propose a new "multi-shot" EPI method termed pseudo multi-shot EPI (pmsEPI), in which phase-encoding lines are segmented as in multi-shot EPI but collected within a single shot. With the magnetization divided into different pathways via interleaved excitation instead of refocusing in a single long echo train, the total phase error accumulation is reduced in each segmented acquisition, thereby improving distortion of the resultant EPI image. The performance of the pmsEPI method is demonstrated by phantom and in vivo brain experiments on 3T scanner. The experimental results show that the distortion displacements of pmsEPI acquisition compared to conventional EPI decrease by 50% with two pseudo shots and 66% with three pseudo shots, validating the ability of the method to obtain images with reduced distortion in a single shot, despite magnetization splitting may induce more than 40% SNR loss and minor artifacts. Specifically, the ability of pmsEPI in diffusion-weighted imaging with different trajectory options is highlighted, and the flexibility is demonstrated in a single-shot blip up and down acquisition.

Highly stretchable, self-healing elastomer hydrogel with universal adhesion driven by reversible cross-links and protein enhancement.

Engineered hydrogels with excellent mechanical properties and multi-functionality have great potential as soft electronic skins, tissue substitutes and flexible robotic joints. However, it has been a challenge to construct multifunctional hydrogels, especially when integrating high stretchability, toughness and strength, low hysteresis, good self-healing and adhesion abilities into a hydrogel system simultaneously. Here, we successfully developed a structural hydrogel composed of a reversible covalently cross-link-based poly-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)acrylamide (PHEMAA) network and available plastically deformable casein micelles. Such a design enabled the reversible covalent cross-links and casein micelles to enhance energy dissipation and toughen the PHEMAA/casein hybrid hydrogel synergistically. More importantly, the hydrogel could respond to the imposed strains reversibly by cross-link and micelle deformation induced-network reconstitution, which led to low hysteresis of the hydrogels. The recoverable gel networks still exhibited their effects on energy dissipation at the stress-focused area, endowing the hydrogels with fatigue resistance. As a result, the hydrogels exhibited a compressive strength of 36.5 MPa, high stretchability (1460%), high toughness (∼5.98 MJ m-3), low hysteresis (<30%) and fatigue resistance with almost completely overlapped hysteresis curves during 10 loading cycles. In addition, the introduction of casein micelles and reversible covalent bonding endowed the elastomer hydrogels with high adhesivity, self-healing abilities and biocompatibility.

Interfacial engineered iron oxide nanoring for T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging-guided magnetothermal-chemotherapy.

Due to no penetration depth limitation, low cost, and easy control, magnetic nanoparticles mediated magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) has shown great potential in experimental and clinal treatments of various diseases. However, the low heating conversion efficiencies and short circulation times are major drawback for most existing magnetic-thermal materials. Additionally, single MHT treatment always leads to resistance and recurrence. Herein, a highly efficient magnetic-thermal conversion, ferrimagnetic vortex nanoring Fe3O4 coated with hyaluronic acid (HA) nanoparticles (Fe3O4@HA, FVNH NPs) was firstly constructed. Additionally, the doxorubicin (DOX) was successfully enclosed inside the FVNH and released remotely for synergetic magnetic-thermal/chemo cancer therapy. Due to the ferrimagnetic vortex-domain state, the ring shape Fe3O4 displays a high specific absorption rate (SAR) under an external alternating magnetic field (AMF). Additionally, antitumor drug (DOX) can be encapsulated inside the single large hole of FVNH by the hyaluronic acid (HA) shell and quickly released in response the tumor acidic microenvironments and AMF. What's more, the non-loaded FVNH NPs show good biocompatibility but high cytotoxicity after loading DOX under AMF. Furthermore, the synthesized FVNH can efficiently reduce the transverse relaxation time and enhance negative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The impressive in vivo systemic therapeutic efficacy of FVNH was also proved in this work. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that the synthesized FVNH NPs offer the promise of serving as multifunctional theranostic nanoplatforms for medical imaging-guided tumor therapies.

Diagnostic Potential of the Serum lncRNAs HOTAIR, BRM and ICR for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely associated with the initiation, progression, metastasis, and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). They could therefore serve as markers for the early diagnosis and for the prognosis of HCC patients. METHODS: This was an observational prospective cohort study. A total of 101 participants were included, comprising patients with HCC (n = 61), liver cirrhosis (LC) (n = 20), or healthy controls (HC) (n = 20). The baseline characteristics of participants in each group were compared. Serum levels of the lncRNAs HOTAIR, BRM and ICR were determined in each group by reverse transcription and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Correlations between the serum levels of the three lncRNAs and multiple clinical parameters were analysed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic potential for HCC of each lncRNA individually, or in combination with AFP. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to evaluate the accuracy of these lncRNAs for predicting the outcome and survival of HCC patients. RESULTS: The serum levels of HOTAIR, BRM and ICR were significantly higher in HCC patients compared to LC patients and healthy subjects. The HOTAIR level was positively correlated to tumour-node metastasis (TNM), Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage, extrahepatic metastasis, vascular invasion, portal vein tumour thrombus (PVTT), and tumour size. The BRM level was positively associated with TNM stage, BCLC stage, vascular invasion, PVTT, and tumour size, while the ICR level was positively correlated with PVTT. A combination of the three lncRNAs and AFP showed the highest diagnostic accuracy for HCC, with an AUC of 0.998, sensitivity of 98.4%, and specificity of 100.0%. This combination showed a better diagnostic accuracy than the individual lncRNAs or AFP alone. Serum levels of the HOTAIR and ICR lncRNAs decreased significantly following surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Serum levels of the HOTAIR, BRM and ICR lncRNAs are potential prognostic markers for HCC. Upregulation of HOTAIR, BRM and ICR may facilitate early diagnosis and indicate poor prognosis for HCC. These lncRNAs could potentially serve as therapeutic targets for HCC. Combination of the three lncRNAs with AFP may increase the diagnostic accuracy for HCC. Further studies in larger cohorts of patients are needed to validate these findings.

Serum CHI3L1 as a Biomarker for Non-invasive Diagnosis of Liver Fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis is the early pathological manifestation of various chronic liver diseases (including schistosomiasis, alcoholic, viral, nonalcoholic, fatty liver, etc.), which can progress to cirrhosis and even liver cancer. Out of the 7.7 billion world population, approximately 2 billion individuals have evidence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection; of these, 350 to 400 million suffer from chronic HBV infection, accounting for about 5% of the global population. The global prevalence of hepatitis C is 3%. These figures indicate that liver fibrosis is quite common. METHODS: 98 patients with liver fibrosis were included in this study. The serum chitinase-3 Like Protein-1 (CHI3L1) level was measured by the double antibody Sandwich ELISA method. RESULTS: Serum levels of CHI3L1 were significantly different between no-fibrosis and fibrosis groups (P < 0.01). There was a strong correlation between the levels of CHI3L1, elastometry, hyaluronan, CIV (P < 0.01) and age and sex, TBIL, DBIL, ALB, AST, ALT, GGT, ALP, PLT, LN, PIINP, FIB-4, and APRI (P < 0.05). The expression of CHI3L1 was different from fibrosis grades S1, S3, and S4 (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). The expression of CHI3L1 was significantly different between F1 and F4 (P < 0.05). Serum CHI3L1 expression level can be a valuable metric for diagnosing liver fibrosis, with an AUC value of 0.812. Out of the 98 patients who had undergone liver puncture, 79 patients (30.38%) had ALT ≤ 2ULN. CONCLUSIONS: The expression level of serum CHI3L1 was significantly higher in patients with liver fibrosis than that in patients without liver fibrosis. The expression levels of serum CHI3L1 were different in different grades of liver fibrosis and increased with the severity of liver fibrosis. Serum CHI3L1 can distinguish early stage (S1) of liver fibrosis from late stage (S3-4) of liver fibrosis. Serum CHI3L1 combined with HA is even more effective in the diagnosis of S2-4 hepatic fibrosis. The diagnostic efficacy of serum CHI3L1 in patients with ALT ≤ 2ULN was better than that of the other non-invasive diagnostic models.

Low Unsaturated Fatty Acids Level in the Vertebral Bone Marrow of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis: A Pilot 2D iDQC-MRS on 3.0 T Study.

BACKGROUND: Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) of bone marrow play a critical role in osteoporosis. However, it is difficult to resolve the UFA, especially in the presence of trabecular bone, using conventional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) methods. PURPOSE: To preliminarily compare the bone marrow fatty acids (FAs) composition in the presence of trabecular bone of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) and healthy controls (HC). STUDY TYPE: Prospective. SUBJECTS: Total thirty-six postmenopausal women were recruited with CT-confirmed PMOP (n = 19) and HC (n = 17). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCES: A 3 T scanner. Localized 2D intermolecular double-quantum coherence-based MRS (iDQC-MRS). ASSESSMENT: In addition to the conventional water and fat peaks, another four crossing peaks of the FAs were well resolved from the L4 vertebral bone marrow using iDQC-MRS technique: allylic methylene (2.0 ppm), terminal methylene (2.2 ppm), diallylic methylene (2.7 ppm), and olefinic (5.3 ppm). The monounsaturated fatty acids (MOFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were then calculated. STATISTICAL TESTS: Differences between PMOP and HC were investigated using the analysis of a t-test, and the relationships were investigated using regression analysis. RESULTS: MOFAs and PUFAs fractions were significantly lower in the PMOP group compared to the HC group. In contrast, the saturated FAs fraction is significantly higher in the PMOP group. Additionally, decreased PUFAs, MOFAs were moderately negatively correlated with the volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in the PMOP group. Furthermore, increased SFAs in PMOP were strongly associated with vBMD. DATA CONCLUSION: Using spectra resolution enhanced 2D iDQC-MRS technique, we observed low unsaturated FAs levels in the vertebral bone marrow of the PMOP patients. The reduced unsaturated FAs levels in PMOP may be associated with dysfunction of the balance between osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 1.

Applications of phase change materials in smart drug delivery for cancer treatment.

Phase change materials (PCMs) are materials that are stimulated by the external enthalpy change (temperature) to realize solid-liquid and liquid-solid phase transformation. Due to temperature sensitivity, friendly modification, and low toxicity, PCMs have been widely used in smart drug delivery. More often than not, the drug was encapsulated in a solid PCMs matrix, a thermally responsive material. After the trigger implementation, PCMs change into a solid-liquid phase, and the loading drug is released accordingly. Therefore, PCMs can achieve precise release control with different temperature adjustments, which is especially important for small molecular drugs with severe side effects. The combination of drug therapy and hyperthermia through PCMs can achieve more accurate and effective treatment of tumor target areas. This study briefly summarizes the latest developments on PCMs as smart gate-keepers for anti-tumor applications in light of PCMs becoming a research hot spot in the nanomedicine sector in recent years.

Single-shot multi-parametric mapping based on multiple overlapping-echo detachment (MOLED) imaging.

Multi-parametric quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (mqMRI) allows the characterization of multiple tissue properties non-invasively and has shown great potential to enhance the sensitivity of MRI measurements. However, real-time mqMRI during dynamic physiological processes or general motions remains challenging. To overcome this bottleneck, we propose a novel mqMRI technique based on multiple overlapping-echo detachment (MOLED) imaging, termed MQMOLED, to enable mqMRI in a single shot. In the data acquisition of MQMOLED, multiple MR echo signals with different multi-parametric weightings and phase modulations are generated and acquired in the same k-space. The k-space data is Fourier transformed and fed into a well-trained neural network for the reconstruction of multi-parametric maps. We demonstrated the accuracy and repeatability of MQMOLED in simultaneous mapping apparent proton density (APD) and any two parameters among T2, T2*, and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in 130-170 ms. The abundant information delivered by the multiple overlapping-echo signals in MQMOLED makes the technique potentially robust to system imperfections, such as inhomogeneity of static magnetic field or radiofrequency field. Benefitting from the single-shot feature, MQMOLED exhibits a strong motion tolerance to the continuous movements of subjects. For the first time, it captured the synchronous changes of ADC, T2, and T1-weighted APD in contrast-enhanced perfusion imaging on patients with brain tumors, providing additional information about vascular density to the hemodynamic parametric maps. We expect that MQMOLED would promote the development of mqMRI technology and greatly benefit the applications of mqMRI, including therapeutics and analysis of metabolic/functional processes.

Determinants and Incidence of Chronic Kidney Disease with Tenofovir- Based Antiretroviral Therapy Regimens: A Cohort Study in HIV-Infected Adults in South China.

BACKGROUND: The data of the impact of tenofovir (TDF) on kidney damage in Chinese HIV-1 infected patients are limited. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to evaluate the incidence and risk factors of stage 3 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and rapid kidney function decline (RKFD) among Chinese HIV-1 infected patients starting with a TDF-based regimen. METHODS: We enrolled 797 TDF-initiated HIV-1-infected patients in a Chinese cohort. Kidney dysfunctions were defined as stage 3 CKD (eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 during follow-up) and RKFD (eGFR decline > 10 mL/min/1.73 m2/year). A linear mixed-effects model was used to quantify the average eGFR change per 48 weeks. A generalized estimating equation regression analysis was conducted to determine the risk factors associated with renal dysfunction. The method of multiple imputations was used to reduce the bias caused by missing data. RESULTS: In this retrospective study, 14 (2%) patients experienced stage 3 CKD, and 272 (34%) individuals experienced RKFD during a median of 26 (IQR, 4-78; maximum 325) weeks follow-up period. The mean loss in eGFR per 48 weeks increased consistently over time, from -2.59 mL/min/1.73 m2 before 48 weeks to -17.61 mL/min/1.73 m2 after 288 weeks. For every 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 increase of eGFR, the risk of RKFD increased by 29% (95%CI: 18%, 40%). Each 10 years older and every 10 mL/min/1.73 m2 higher in baseline eGFR, the risk of stage 3 CKD increased to 1.56 (95% CI: 1.00, 2.43) and decreased by 65% (95% CI: 48%, 76%), respectively. Anemia and higher viral load were significantly associated with RKFD. The results were robust across a range of multiple imputation analyses. CONCLUSION: TDF-associated CKD is rare in HIV-1 infected Chinese adults. Longer TDF-exposed patients are more likely to have renal dysfunction, especially those with older age, anemia, lower baseline eGFR, and higher viral load.

Biochar amendment of aerobic composting for the effective biodegradation of heavy oil and succession of bacterial community.

Soil pollution caused by petroleum pollutants from production trade activities in petroleum-related factories contributes serious threat to the environment and human health. Composting is technically-feasible and cost-effective in the biodegradation of heavy oil pollutants. This composting experiment was developed with four rice husk biochar (RHB) concentrations of 0 wt% (CK), 5 wt% (S1), 10 wt% (S2) and 15 wt% (S3) for the degradation of heavy oil. The results showed that RHB amendment could strengthen the degradation performance of heavy oil, and the degradation efficiencies for CK, S1, S2 and S3 were 59.67%, 65.00%, 73.29% and 74.82%, respectively. Microbial community succession process was investigated through high-throughput sequencing technology, and the RHB addition regulated bacterial community succession and further effectively facilitated the biodegradation of heavy oil in composting. This study substantiated that biochar materials-amended aerobic composting would be a promising strategy for the biodegradation of petroleum pollutants.

Evaluation of key microbial community succession and enzyme activities of nitrogen transformation in pig manure composting process through multi angle analysis.

This experiment aimed to investigate changes in enzyme activity, microbial succession, and nitrogen conversion caused by different initial carbon-to-nitrogen ratios of 25:1, 35:1 and 20:1 (namely CK, T1 and T2) during pig manure composting. The results showed that the lower carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (T2) after composting retained 19.64 g/kg of TN which was more than 16.74 and 17.32 g/kg in treatments of CK and T1, respectively, but excessive conversion of ammonium nitrogen to ammonia gas resulted in nitrogen loss. Additional straw in T1 could play the role as a bulking agent. After composting, TN in T1 retained the most, and TN contents were 63.51 %, 67.34 % and 56.24 % in CK, T1 and T2, respectively. Network analysis indicated that many types of microorganisms functioned as a whole community at various stages of nitrogen cycle. This study suggests that microbial community structure modification might be a good strategy to reduce ammonium nitrogen loss.

Camrelizumab-induced anaphylactic shock in an esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patient: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Camrelizumab (SHR-1210), an immune checkpoint inhibitor, is clinically used as a therapeutic option for various types of tumors. However, reports of adverse reactions associated with camrelizumab are gradually increasing. Anaphylactic shock due to camrelizumab has not been reported previously, until now. We report here, for the first time, a case of anaphylactic shock associated with camrelizumab in a patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. CASE SUMMARY: An 84-year-old male esophageal cancer patient received radiotherapy and chemotherapy 11 years ago. He was diagnosed with advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma with liver metastasis (TxN1M1) and received the first immunotherapy (camrelizumab 200 mg/each time, once every 3 wk) dose in December 2020, with no adverse reactions. Three weeks later, a generalized rash was noted on the chest and upper limbs; palpitations and breathing difficulties with a sense of dying occurred 10 min after the patient had been administered with the second camrelizumab therapy. Electrocardiograph monitoring revealed a 70 beats/min pulse rate, 69/24 mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa) blood pressure, 28 breaths/min respiratory rate, and 86% pulse oximetry in room air. The patient was diagnosed with anaphylactic shock and was managed with intravenous fluid, adrenaline, dexamethasone sodium phosphate, calcium glucosate, and noradrenaline. Approximately 2 h after treatment, the patient's anaphylactic shock symptoms had been completely relieved. CONCLUSION: Due to the widespread use of camrelizumab, attention should be paid to anti-programmed cell death 1 antibody therapy-associated hypersensitivity or anaphylactic shock.