Impact of cell wall polysaccharide modifications on the performance of Pichia pastoris: novel mutants with enhanced fitness and functionality for bioproduction applications.

BACKGROUND: Pichia pastoris is a widely utilized host for heterologous protein expression and biotransformation. Despite the numerous strategies developed to optimize the chassis host GS115, the potential impact of changes in cell wall polysaccharides on the fitness and performance of P. pastoris remains largely unexplored. This study aims to investigate how alterations in cell wall polysaccharides affect the fitness and function of P. pastoris, contributing to a better understanding of its overall capabilities. RESULTS: Two novel mutants of GS115 chassis, H001 and H002, were established by inactivating the PAS_chr1-3_0225 and PAS_chr1-3_0661 genes involved in ß-glucan biosynthesis. In comparison to GS115, both modified hosts exhibited a looser cell surface and larger cell size, accompanied by faster growth rates and higher carbon-to-biomass conversion ratios. When utilizing glucose, glycerol, and methanol as exclusive carbon sources, the carbon-to-biomass conversion rates of H001 surpassed GS115 by 10.00%, 9.23%, and 33.33%, respectively. Similarly, H002 exhibited even higher increases of 32.50%, 12.31%, and 53.33% in carbon-to-biomass conversion compared to GS115 under the same carbon sources. Both chassis displayed elevated expression levels of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and human epidermal growth factor (hegf). Compared to GS115/pGAPZ A-gfp, H002/pGAPZ A-gfp showed a 57.64% higher GFP expression, while H002/pPICZα A-hegf produced 66.76% more hegf. Additionally, both mutant hosts exhibited enhanced biosynthesis efficiencies of S-adenosyl-L-methionine and ergothioneine. H001/pGAPZ A-sam2 synthesized 21.28% more SAM at 1.14 g/L compared to GS115/pGAPZ A-sam2, and H001/pGAPZ A-egt1E obtained 45.41% more ERG at 75.85 mg/L. The improved performance of H001 and H002 was likely attributed to increased supplies of NADPH and ATP. Specifically, H001 and H002 exhibited 5.00-fold and 1.55-fold higher ATP levels under glycerol, and 6.64- and 1.47-times higher ATP levels under methanol, respectively, compared to GS115. Comparative lipidomic analysis also indicated that the mutations generated richer unsaturated lipids on cell wall, leading to resilience to oxidative damage. CONCLUSIONS: Two novel P. pastoris chassis hosts with impaired ß-1,3-D-glucan biosynthesis were developed, showcasing enhanced performances in terms of growth rate, protein expression, and catalytic capabilities. These hosts exhibit the potential to serve as attractive alternatives to P. pastoris GS115 for various bioproduction applications.

Natural lignocellulosic kapok fiber/MXene constructed hydrogel evaporators for high efficiency solar steam generation.

Solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) is a green and sustainable technique for desalination. Hydrogel composite evaporators have been widely used for SDIE, but it is still challenging for the hydrogel evaporators to achieve uniform distribution of the light absorbing nanomaterials and at the same time possess satisfactory evaporation rate, durability and environmental applicability. We developed a 3D hydrogel evaporator with an asymmetric structure for high-efficiency SDIE. Natural kapok fibers, an important lignocellulosic plant fiber with a hollow structure, are decorated with MXene nanosheets for construction of one-dimensional photothermal conversion network. The top composite hydrogel serves as the light-absorption layer where MXene-modified kapok fibers are evenly dispersed in PVA hydrogel, while the bottom PVA hydrogel with an oriented structure acts as water delivery path. The evaporator exhibits a high solar evaporation rate and efficiency (2.49 kg·m-2·h-1 and 91.5 %, respectively) under one sun irradiation (1 kW·m-2). Even in a high salinity brine, emulsion and corrosive solutions, the evaporator can work normally with a slightly decreased evaporation rate. The 3D hydrogel evaporator with long-term stability and durability shows promising applications in purification of seawater and different waste water.

Development of a 5-mRNAsi-related gene signature to predict the prognosis of colon adenocarcinoma.

Aim: To create a prognosis model based on mRNA-based stem index (mRNAsi) for evaluating the prognostic outcomes of colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). Background: Generation of heterogeneous COAD cells could be promoted by the self-renewal and differentiation potential of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Biomarkers contributing to the development of COAD stem cells remained to be discovered. Objective: To develop and validate an mRNAsi-based risk model for estimating the prognostic outcomes of patients suffering from COAD. Methods: Samples were collected from Rectal Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-READ) PanCancer Atlas datasets, The Cancer Genome Atlas Colon Adenocarcinoma (TCGA-COAD), and the GSE87211 dataset. MRNAsi was calculated by one-class logistic regression (OCLR) algorithm. Under the criterion of correlation greater than 0.4, genes related to mRNAsi were screened and clustered. Meanwhile, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between molecular subtypes were identified to establish a risk model. According to the median risk score value for immunotherapy and results from immune cell infiltration and clinicopathological analyses, clusters and patients were divided into high-RiskScore and low-RiskScore groups. Cell apoptosis and viability were detected by flow cytometer and Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, respectively. Results: A negative correlation between mRNAsi and clinical stages was observed. Three clusters of patients (C1, C2, and C3) were defined based on a total of 165 survival-related mRNAsi genes. Specifically, C1 patients had greater immune cell infiltration and a poorer prognosis. A 5-mRNAsi-gene signature (HEYL, FSTL3, FABP4, ADAM8, and EBF4) served as a prediction index for COAD prognosis. High-RiskScore patients had a poorer prognosis and higher level of immune cell infiltration. In addition, the five genes in the signature all showed a high expression in COAD cells. Knocking down HEYL promoted COAD cell apoptosis and inhibited viability. Conclusion: Our mRNAsi risk model could better predict the prognosis of COAD patients.

Nanofiber Composite Reinforced Organohydrogels for Multifunctional and Wearable Electronics.

Composite organohydrogels have been widely used in wearable electronics. However, it remains a great challenge to develop mechanically robust and multifunctional composite organohydrogels with good dispersion of nanofillers and strong interfacial interactions. Here, multifunctional nanofiber composite reinforced organohydrogels (NCROs) are prepared. The NCRO with a sandwich-like structure possesses excellent multi-level interfacial bonding. Simultaneously, the synergistic strengthening and toughening mechanism at three different length scales endow the NCRO with outstanding mechanical properties with a tensile strength (up to 7.38 ± 0.24 MPa), fracture strain (up to 941 ± 17%), toughness (up to 31.59 ± 1.53 MJ m-3) and fracture energy (up to 5.41 ± 0.63 kJ m-2). Moreover, the NCRO can be used for high performance electromagnetic interference shielding and strain sensing due to its high conductivity and excellent environmental tolerance such as anti-freezing performance. Remarkably, owing to the organohydrogel stabilized conductive network, the NCRO exhibits superior long-term sensing stability and durability compared to the nanofiber composite itself. This work provides new ideas for the design of high-strength, tough, stretchable, anti-freezing and conductive organohydrogels with potential applications in multifunctional and wearable electronics.

Association between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and risk of different pathological types of lung cancer: a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Many epidemiological studies have shown that idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a risk factor for lung cancer (LC), but these studies do not provide direct evidence of a causal association between the two diseases. We investigated the causal association between IPF and different pathological types of LC based on the Mendelian randomization (MR) study. METHODS: The genome-wide association study (GWAS) data of IPF and LC were obtained from the latest published articles, and instrumental variables (IVs) for analysis were obtained after screening and eliminating the confounders. MR Analysis was carried out with the help of random effects inverse variance weighting (re-IVW), MR-egger, and weighted median method, and a comprehensive sensitivity test was conducted. RESULTS: The results of re-IVW analysis showed that IPF may increase the risk of lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) (OR = 1.045, 95% CI 1.011 to 1.080, P = 0.008). In addition, no causal relationship was found between IPF and overall LC (OR = 0.977, 95% CI 0.933 to 1.023, P = 0.32), lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) (OR = 0.967, 95% CI 0.903 to 1.036, P = 0.345) and small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) (OR = 1.081, 95% CI 0.992 to 1.177, P = 0.074). A comprehensive sensitivity analysis ensured the reliability of the study. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, from the perspective of genetic association, we found that IPF is an independent risk factor for LUSC and may increase the risk of LUSC, but no such causal relationship was found in LUAD and SCLC.

Stretchable, durable and asymmetrically wettable nanofiber composites with unidirectional water transportation capability for temperature sensing.

The one-way transportation of liquids plays an important role in smart and wearable electronics. Here, we report an asymmetric nanofibrous membrane (ANM) with unidirectional water transport (UWT) capability by integrating one superhydrophilic MXene/Chitosan/Polyurethane (PU) nanofiber membrane (MCPNM) and one ultrathin hydrophobic PU/Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) layer with a "bead-on-string" structure. The UWT performance shows long-term stability and can be well maintained during the cyclic stretching, abrasion and ultrasonic washing tests. The ANM exhibits negative temperature coefficient and is served as a temperature sensor to monitor the temperature variation of the environment, which can provide efficient alarm signals in a hot or cold condition. When attached on person's skin, the ANM displays a unique anti-gravity UWT behavior. The stretchable, wearable and multi-functional nanofibrous composite membrane with an asymmetric wettability shows potential applications in flexible and wearable electronics, health monitoring, etc.

Surgical therapy and survival in young patients with stage I-II hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is regarded as a high-mortality cancer, but the effectiveness of surgical strategies for young patients with early-stage HCC remains controversial. We aimed to analyze the survival in young patients with stage I-II HCC who underwent different kinds of surgical treatments. Methods: Overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were compared among patients aged 18-45 years with stage I-II HCC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (2004-2013) who underwent local tumor destruction (LTD), wedge or segmental resection (WSR), lobectomy resection (LR), liver transplantation (LT), or non-surgery. Univariate and multivariate analyses and Kaplan-Meier method were used to examine the OS and CSS of the patients. A stratification analysis of CSS was also conducted among the subgroups. Results: Data from 664 patients were extracted. The median survival time was 46 months. In the multivariate analysis of OS, compared with non-surgery, LTD [hazard ratio (HR), 0.37; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25-0.54; P<0.0001], LR (HR, 0.29; 95% CI: 0.19-0.45; P<0.0001), and WSR (HR, 0.26; 95% CI: 0.17-0.39; P<0.0001) had better outcomes, and LT had the best survival benefit (HR, 0.24; 95% CI: 0.16-0.36; P<0.0001), which was similar to CSS. In the stratification analysis, compared with the non-surgery group, among patients with chemotherapy, LT reduced the risk of CSS by 64% (HR, 0.36; 95% CI: 0.19-0.66; P interaction=0.0004). Conclusions: Surgery offers a survival benefit compared with non-surgery for young patients with stage I-II HCC. LT is associated with better survival than WSR, LR, and LTD.

First-line treatments for patients with advanced ALK gene rearrangements in NSCLC: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials to determine the optimal clinical choice of first-line therapy for patients with ALK receptor tyrosine kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). METHODS: Clinical trials in patients with histologically confirmed ALK gene rearrangement NSCLC, that included ALK inhibitors as first-line therapy, were identified using database searches. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the efficacy and safety of the included first-line treatments. RESULTS: Nine trials with 2,407 patients were included for analyses. Lorlatinib was better than brigatinib for progression-free survival (PFS) (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.63, 0.98). In subgroup analyses, lorlatinib exhibited the highest probability of best PFS ranking in patients with or without baseline brain metastases (38% and 80%, respectively); brigatinib had the highest probability of best PFS ranking among Asian patients (47%). Alectinib offered the highest survival advantage (57% probability), while lorlatinib was likely to be the best treatment for an objective response (41% probability). Alectinib displayed the highest probability of being ranked lowest for grade ≥3 adverse events (86%). CONCLUSIONS: Lorlatinib was associated with the best PFS overall, and was suitable for patients with or without brain metastases. Brigatinib was associated with the best PFS in Asian patients.

The Prognostic Value of Serum Apolipoprotein A-I Level and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio in Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis.

Background: Colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) is a high degree of malignancy with rapid disease progression and has a poor prognosis. Both serum apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) play key roles in anti-inflammation and antitumor. This study is aimed at evaluating the implication of serum ApoA-I level in combination with NLR in the prognosis of CRLM. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the serum ApoA-I level and NLR in 237 patients with CRLM. Cox regression analyses were used to identify the independent prognostic significance of these indicators. Kaplan-Meier method and Log-rank test were applied to compute overall survival (OS). Both the ApoA-I and NLR were divided into three levels, according to their medians. A risk-stratified prediction model was established to evaluate the prognosis of patients with CRLM. The ROC curve AUC values were applied to evaluate the capability of the model. Results: Higher levels of ApoA-I and lower NLR were strongly associated with prolonged OS (Log-rank test, P < 0.05). The patients were then grouped into three queues according to the ApoA-I level and NLR. There was a crucial diversity in the OS (P < 0.001) between the high-risk (ApoA - I ≤ 1.03 g/L and NLR > 3.24), medium-risk (ApoA - I > 1.03 g/L or NLR ≤ 3.24) and low-risk groups (ApoA - I > 1.03 g/L and NLR ≤ 3.24). The AUC value of the prediction model (AUC = 0.623, 95% CI: 0.557-0.639, P = 0.001) was higher than other individual indicators (including ApoA-I, NLR, cT classification, and cN classification). Additionally, the association of the prediction model and cTN classification (AUC = 0.715, 95% CI: 0.606-0.708, P < 0.001) was better than the model and cTN classification alone. Conclusion: The combination of ApoA-I level and NLR could be a prognostic indicator for CRLM.

Mechanically robust Janus nanofibrous membrane with asymmetric wettability for high efficiency emulsion separation.

Water pollution caused by oil leakage or oily sewage has seriously threatened the ecological environment and human health. It remains a tough task for scientists to develop versatile materials to purify different kinds of oily wastewater. In this study, we propose a facile "carbon nanotubes (CNTs) decoration and nanofibrous membrane integration" method to prepare a mechanical robust Janus membrane (JM) composed of a superhydrophilic nanofiber composite layer and a hydrophobic nanofiber composite layer. The asymmetric wettability can be controlled by tuning the thickness of the hydrophobic layer. The nanofiber composite in both two layers possesses a core-shell structure, guaranteeing the excellent flexibility and stretchability of the JM. In addition, the strong interfacial compatibility between the two layers ensures the stability and durability of the JM even after multiple stretching. More importantly, the JM could realize on-demand separation of different kinds of oily wastewater with high separation flux and separation efficiency, including oil/water mixtures with different oil densities, oil-in-water emulsions and water-in-oil emulsions. Furthermore, the JM exhibits cycling stability and long-term serviceability for the emulsion separation. The mechanically robust and stretchable JM has promising applications in purification of various oil contaminated wastewater.

Interface-engineered reduced graphene oxide assembly on nanofiber surface for high performance strain and temperature sensing.

Conductive polymer nanofiber composites (CPNCs) based wearable sensing electronics have aroused great attention of scientists in recent years. However, it is still difficult to obtain CPNCs with good water proof, excellent durability, and multiple sensing performance. Herein, we develop a multifunctional CPNC with a wrinkled reduced graphene oxide (RGO) shell and polymer nanofiber core, which is prepared by ultrasonication induced decoration of RGO onto the pre-stretched polyurethane (PU) nanofibers, followed by the release of the strain. The RGO assembly with a wrinkled structure not only greatly increases the surface roughness and thus the hydrophobicity but also enhances the strain sensing sensitivity (with a gauge factor of 154.8 in the strain range of 85%-100%) of the nanofibrous membrane. The obtained CPNC strain sensor also shows excellent sensing durability (over 1000 cycles) and can be used for body motion monitoring. The CPNC shows a negative temperature coefficient effect, which holds promising applications in high performance temperature sensors.

Flexible, superhydrophobic and multifunctional carbon nanofiber hybrid membranes for high performance light driven actuators.

Recently, a series of super-hydrophobic materials have been prepared and efforts have been made to further expand their applications, especially in electronics and smart actuators. However, it remains challenging to develop light weight, flexible and super-hydrophobic materials integrating multifunctionalities such as superior photothermal conversion, corrosion resistance, and controllable actuation. Herein, a superhydrophobic and multi-responsive carbon nanofiber (CNF) hybrid membrane with an outstanding photo-thermal effect is fabricated by electrospinning the mixture of polyacrylonitrile and nickel acetylacetonate, followed by two step heat treatment and subsequent fluorination. The superhydrophobic CNF hybrid membrane with outstanding anti-corrosion and self-cleaning performance can float on the water surface spontaneously, thus effectively reducing the motion resistance. The light driven actuation with controllable movement can be achieved by adjusting the laser irradiated location, in which the localized absorption of light is transformed into thermal energy, and hence an imbalanced surface tension is created. The multifunctional hybrid membrane also opens up an arena of applications such as freestanding flexible electronics, drug delivery, and environmental protection.

Superhydrophobic, mechanically durable coatings for controllable light and magnetism driven actuators.

Although some groundbreaking work has proved the feasibility of non-contact Marangoni propulsion generated by combination of the superhydrophobicity and photothermal effect, there are still challenges including the strong interfacial adhesion, multifunctional structural design and superior durability. In this paper, a simple two-step spraying method is used to prepare superhydrophobic and multi-functional fluorinated acidified carbon nanotubes (F-ACNTs)/Fe3O4 nanoparticles/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) coatings. The introduction of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and F-ACNTs not merely improve the surface roughness but also endow the coating with the outstanding magnetic property and photothermal conversion performance. The PDMS can reduce the surface energy and also improve the interfacial adhesion between the nanofillers and the substrate (the filter paper). The superhydrophobicity can be maintained when the material experiences abrasion, near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation and acid treatment, exhibiting outstanding durability. The highly stable superhydrophobic coating introduces a thin layer of air to decrease the drag force between the filter paper and the water surface, and can be used for controlled self-propelled light-driven motion and magnetic-driven motion. The movement can be manipulated by adjusting the direction of the incident NIR light and magnetic field. In particular, the superhydrophobic and superoleophilic coating based actuators can be easily driven to the oil-contaminated area on the water surface by using a magnet for high efficiency oil removal. This work provides a simple and universal strategy for developing intelligent and multi-responsive actuators possessing promising applications in various fields such as environmental protection, micro-robots and biomedicine.

Comprehensive TCM treatments combined with chemotherapy for advanced non-small cell lung cancer: A randomized, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who underwent chemotherapy. DESIGN: This was a prospective, open-label, randomized controlled trial. NSCLC patients at stage IIIA, IIIB, or IV were randomly assigned to either TCM plus chemotherapy or chemotherapy alone. The comprehensive TCM treatment consisted of Kang Ai injection, herbal decoction, and Zhenqifuzheng capsules. The primary endpoint was quality of life (QOL) measured by the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Lung version 4.0. The secondary endpoints were chemotherapy completion rate, tumor response, and adverse events. All assessments were done at baseline, the third week, and the sixth week. RESULTS: Thirty-nine participants were randomly assigned to the treatment group and 36 to the control group. The QOL scores were significantly improved in the treatment group compared with those of the control group in social well-being (cycle 1, P = .048; cycle 2, P = .015), emotional well-being (cycle 1, P = .047; cycle 2, P = 4.29E-05), and functional well-being (cycle 1, P = .030; cycle 2, P = .003), while the QOL scores in the above 3 domains declined in the control group (P < .05). Both groups had a decline in the physical well-being score (cycle 1, P = .042; cycle 2, P = .017) and lung cancer symptom score (cycle 1, P = .001; cycle 2, P = .001) after 2 courses of intervention. The deterioration in physical well-being and lung cancer symptoms was noticeably smaller in the treatment group (P < .05). There were significant differences between the 2 groups in social well-being, emotional well-being, functional well-being, lung cancer symptom domain, and the total score (P < .05). Patients in the treatment group had a significantly lower incidence of platelet reduction than the control group (P = .028) after 2 cycles of treatment. No significant difference in nonhematological adverse events (AEs) was observed. CONCLUSION: This study illustrated that comprehensive TCM treatment could promote the QOL of NSCLC patients, alleviate symptoms, and reduce the AEs caused by chemotherapy, verifying the synergistic and attenuating effects of TCM in NSCLC patients undergoing chemotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (www.chictr.org.cn): ChiCTR-TRC-13003637.

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patient With Microsatellite Stability and BRAFV600E Mutation Showed a Complete Metabolic Response to PD-1 Blockade and Bevacizumab: A Case Report.

A vast majority of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with microsatellite stability (MSS) or proficient mismatch repair (pMMR) are refractory to immunotherapeutic strategies. The current research focusses on the combined treatment strategies for identification and optimization in order to improve the efficacy of immunotherapy among patients with microsatellite stability (MSS), who account for the majority of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) cases. mCRC patients harboring MSS and the BRAFV600E mutation show a worse prognosis and barely benefit from immunotherapy. In this report, we discuss the case of a mCRC patient with MSS and BRAFV600E mutation, who exhibited significant response to the combined treatment with nivolumab and bevacizumab, and has been exhibiting a progression-free survival (PFS) of more than 17 months. Our findings indicate that combined anti-angiogenic therapy can improve the efficacy of immunotherapy, which results in the prolong survival of the patient. This is a case report on MSS and BRAFV600E colorectal cancer which presents with a response to immunotherapy and anti-angiogenic therapy.

Polyvinylpyrrolidone Assisted Preparation of Highly Conductive, Antioxidation, and Durable Nanofiber Composite with an Extremely High Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Effectiveness.

With booming development of electronics, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials based on conductive polymer composites (CPCs) have received increasing attention. However, it remains challenging to develop flexible and lightweight CPCs with excellent stretchability, breathability, durability, and high EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE). Here, we propose a facile polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) assisted preparation of highly electrically conductive and durable nanofiber composites for high performance EMI shielding. The PVP layer could not only greatly enhance the interfacial interaction between the Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) and hence the mechanical properties (both tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation at break) of the polymer nanofiber membrane but also forms a protection layer preventing the AgNPs from oxidizing. The electrical conductivity of the nanofiber composite can reach up to 245.7 ± 30.6 S/cm, which is, to a large degree, maintained after cyclic stretching, abrasion, and ultrasonic washing. In addition, the nanofiber composite exhibits excellent breathability, antibacterial, and Joule heating performance. When used as the EMI shielding material, the nanofiber composite shows an extremely high SE and SSE of ∼96.9 dB and 169.7 dB cm3/g, respectively, and EMI shielding performance possesses outstanding stability and durability. This multifunctional nanofibrous composite membrane exhibits promising applications in wearable electronics.

Carbon nanofiber based superhydrophobic foam composite for high performance oil/water separation.

Oil spill has now been a serious environmental issue, threatening the aquatic ecosystems and even human living environment. It is still challenging to develop absorbents for efficient oil/water emulsion separation and clean-up of viscous crude oil. Here, we propose a facile method to fabricate flexible and superhydrophobic foam composites for high efficiency oil/water separation under different complex environment. Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with a hollow structure are decorated uniformly onto the skeleton of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) foam with a strong interfacial adhesion. CNFs could not only enhance the surface roughness and thus the hydrophobicity but also be served as numerous capillary tubes, improving the oil adsorption and oil/water separation performance. More importantly, the CNFs network with a strong light absorption endows the foam with superior photo-thermal conversion capability. The obtained foam composite possesses excellent corrosion resistance and can adsorb various kinds of oil with different densities. The foam composite is able to separate the oil from the emulsion with a relatively high separation efficiency. The material surface temperature is able to quickly increase under the light irradiation, which can significantly reduce the oil viscosity and hence achieve the rapid clean-up of the crude oil floating on water surface.

The contemporary trend in worsening prognosis of pancreatic acinar cell carcinoma: A population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Primary acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) is a rare exocrine tumor of the pancreas with unclear clinical characteristics. Our goal was to determine the incidence and update the clinical characteristics and outcomes of ACC. METHODS: Through the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we identified 252 patients with the latest diagnosis of ACC (2004-2016). The age-adjusted incidence (AAI) was calculated using the SEER*Stat Software version 8.3.6. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to draw survival curves and differences among them were compared by the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards models were used to evaluate factors that had independent predictive effects on the overall survival. RESULTS: The AAI of pancreatic ACC was on the rise with the mean age at diagnosis of 63.79±14.79 years. Most patients (15.9%) had poorer differentiated tumors. The patients presented with distant stage were 54.4% compared with 53.1% between 1988 and 2003. The 1-, 2-, and 5-years survival rates for pancreatic ACC patients were 53.5%, 34.6%,17.5%, respectively (compared with 78.5%, 67.0%, and 42.8%, between 1988 and 2003). The multivariate COX analysis showed that the patient's age, surgery, chemotherapy, and summary stage, but not marital status were independent prognosis factors for ACC. CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic ACC is a highly malignant tumor with an increasing incidence in recent years. The rate of distant metastasis is increasing and the survival rate is worse than in the past, suggesting that it may require more aggressive treatment and follow-up. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are all effective treatments, but prospective studies are still needed to verify them.

Flexible and Superhydrophobic Composites with Dual Polymer Nanofiber and Carbon Nanofiber Network for High-Performance Chemical Vapor Sensing and Oil/Water Separation.

Polymer nanofiber composites with superhydrophobicity are promising for the chemical vapor sensing or oil/water separation, but it remains challenging to develop superhydrophobic, anticorrosive, and durable nanofiber composites that can achieve both the organic solvent vapor detection and oil (organic solvent)/water separation with high separation flux and excellent recyclability. Here, a flexible, stretchable, and superhydrophobic/superoleophilic nanofiber composite membrane with excellent photothermal conversion performance is fabricated by decorating carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with a hollow structure onto the polyurethane nanofibers and subsequent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) modification. The combination of CNFs and PDMS greatly improves the membrane's tensile strength and Young's modulus without sacrificing its stretchability. The dual polymer nanofiber and CNF network are beneficial to the chemical vapor or liquid diffusion into the membrane and thus can be used for high-performance chemical vapor sensing and oil/water separation. The nanofiber composite is responsive to different organic vapors with a low detection limit and good selectivity. Also, the material can achieve fast oil/water separation with the oil (dichloromethane) permeate flux as high as 6577.3 L m-2 h-1. In addition, the separation flux and efficiency remain stable during the 30 separated oil/water separation tests, exhibiting excellent recyclability.

Primary Resistance to Brigatinib in a Patient with Lung Adenocarcinoma Harboring ALK G1202R Mutation and LIPI-NTRK1 Rearrangement.

PURPOSE: Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors have transformed the management of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with ALK gene rearrangement. This paper reports a new resistance mechanism to a second-generation ALK inhibitor, brigatinib. CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old woman who had no history of smoking was diagnosed with stage IVa (T2bN2M1b) lung adenocarcinoma. After the first-line chemotherapy failed, the patient received crizotinib due to the presence of EML4-ALK fusion by next-generation sequencing (NGS). The patient had disease progression after 8 months on crizotinib, and a second NGS identified the ALK G1202R resistance mutation. Therefore, she was switched to brigatinib. After only 53 days of treatment with brigatinib, the patient developed a new 1.6×1.2 cm lesion in the mediastinal lymph node. A third NGS testing revealed a new form of NTRK rearrangement (LIPI-NTRK1). The patient died 16 months after diagnosis. CONCLUSION: This paper provides new insights into the primary resistance to brigatinib in NSCLC patients carrying ALK G1202R mutation. The new fusion form of NTRK rearrangement was detected, which may provide potential treatment options after brigatinib resistance.