Pyrite-activated persulfate oxidation and biological denitrification for effluent of biological landfill leachate treatment system.

The feasibility of pyrite as catalysts in the persulfate oxidation and electron donor for subsequent bacterial denitrification was investigated. The results demonstrated that pyrite-activated persulfate oxidation could efficiently degrade the organic matter in the effluent of biological landfill leachate treatment system, and COD removal efficiency of about 45% was achieved at the optimum parameters: pH = 6, pyrite dosage = 9.28 mM, dimensionless oxidant dose = 0.25. Among the dissolved organic matter, hydrophobic dissolved organic carbon (HO DOC), humic acids and building blocks were the main components. After the pyrite-activated persulfate oxidation, humic acids and HO DOC were primarily degraded, followed by building blocks, while low molecular weight neutrals were probably the degradation products. In the subsequent biological process, nitrate reduction was satisfactorily accomplished with autotrophic denitrification as the main pathway. When the influent nitrate concentration was about 180 mg L-1, the effluent nitrate concentration was stable below 20 mg L-1 with the nitrogen removal rate of about 108 mg L-1 d-1. To sum up, the pyrite-activated persulfate oxidation and the following biological denitrification was a feasible application in the effluent of biological landfill leachate treatment system.

Robotic-assisted versus video-assisted lobectomy for resectable non-small-cell lung cancer: the RVlob randomized controlled trial.

Background: The long-term survival and perioperative outcomes of robotic-assisted lobectomy (RAL) and video-assisted lobectomy (VAL) in resectable non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were found to be comparable in retrospective studies, but they have not been investigated in a randomized trial setting. We conducted the RVlob trial to investigate if RAL was non-inferior to VAL in patients with resectable NSCLC. Methods: In this single-center, open-label, and parallel-arm randomized controlled trial conducted in Ruijin Hospital (Shanghai, China) between May 2017 and May 2020, we randomly assigned patients with resectable NSCLC in a 1:1 ratio to receive either RAL or VAL. One of the primary endpoints was 3-year overall survival. Secondary endpoints included 3-year disease-free survival. The Kaplan-Meier approach was used to calculate overall survival and disease-free survival at 3 years. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03134534. Findings: A total of 320 patients were randomized to receive RAL (n = 157) or VAL (n = 163). The baseline characteristics of patients were well balanced between the two groups. After a median follow-up of 58.0 months, the 3-year overall survival was 94.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 91.0-98.3) in the RAL group and 91.5% (95% CI, 87.2-96.0) in the VAL group (hazard ratio [HR] for death, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.33-1.28; P = 0.21); noninferiority of RAL was confirmed according to the predefined margin of -5% (absolute difference, 2.96%; a one-sided 90% CI, -1.39% to ∞; P = 0.0029 for noninferiority). The 3-year disease-free survival was 88.7% (95% CI, 83.6-94.1) in the RAL group and 85.4% (95% CI, 80.0-91.2) in the VAL group (HR for disease recurrence or death, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.50-1.52; P = 0.62). Interpretation: This study is the first randomized trial to show that RAL resulted in non-inferior overall survival compared with VAL in patients with resectable NSCLC. Based on our results, RAL is an equally oncologically effective treatment and can be considered as an alternative to VAL for resectable NSCLC. Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China (82072557), National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFC2500900), Shanghai Municipal Education Commission-Gaofeng Clinical Medicine Grant (20172005, the 2nd round of disbursement), program of Shanghai Academic Research Leader from Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (20XD1402300), Novel Interdisciplinary Research Project from Shanghai Municipal Health Commission (2022JC023), and Interdisciplinary Program of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (YG2023ZD04).

Health-Related Quality of Life Following Robotic-Assisted or Video-Assisted Lobectomy in Patients With Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Results From the RVlob Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted lobectomy (RAL) is increasingly used as an alternative to video-assisted lobectomy (VAL) for resectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there is little evidence of any difference in postoperative health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between these two approaches. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is RAL superior to VAL in improving quality of life in patients with resectable NSCLC? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: We performed a single-center, open-label randomized clinical trial from May 2017 to May 2020 with 320 enrolled patients undergoing RAL or VAL for resectable NSCLC (RVlob trial; NCT03134534). Postoperative pain was evaluated by visual analog score or numeric rating score on postoperative day 1 and at weeks 4, 24, and 48. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30), EORTC Quality of Life Questionnaire in Lung Cancer (QLQ-LC13), and the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire were also administered at weeks 4, 24, and 48 after surgery. RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-seven patients underwent RAL and 163 underwent VAL. The mean pain score of patients after RAL was significantly lower at week 4 (2.097 ± 0.111 vs 2.431 ± 0.108; P = .032). QLQ-C30 and QLQ-LC13 summary scores (P > .05) were similar for both RAL and VAL during the first 48 weeks of follow-up. HRQoL scores assessed with the EQ-5D questionnaire were also comparable between the two groups (P > .05) during the whole study period. INTERPRETATION: Both RAL and VAL showed satisfactory and comparable HRQoL and postoperative pain up to 48 weeks after surgery, despite some minor statistical differences at week 4. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT03134534; URL: www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov.

Therapeutic efficacy of Schistosoma japonicum cystatin on sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy in a mouse model.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial dysfunction is one of the most common complications of multiple organ failure in septic shock and significantly increases mortality in patients with sepsis. Although many studies having confirmed that helminth-derived proteins have strong immunomodulatory functions and could treat inflammatory diseases, there is no report on the therapeutic effect of Schistosoma japonicum-produced cystatin (Sj-Cys) on sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction. METHODS: A model of sepsis-induced myocardial injury was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in mice. Upon CLP operation, each mouse was intraperitoneally treated with 10 µg of recombinant Sj-Cys (rSj-Cys). Twelve hours after CLP, the systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricular were examined by echocardiography. The levels of myoglobin (Mb), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), N-terminal pro-Brain Natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in sera, and the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in cardiac tissues were examined as biomarkers for heart injury. The heart tissue was collected for checking pathological changes, macrophages and pro-inflammatory cytokine levels. To address the signaling pathway involved in the anti-inflammatory effects of rSj-Cys, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88) was determined in heart tissue of mice with sepsis and LPS-stimulated H9C2 cardiomyocytes. In addition, the therapeutic effects of rSj-Cys on LPS-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis were also detected. The levels of M1 biomarker iNOS and M2 biomarker Arg-1 were detected in heart tissue. The pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, and regulatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-ß were measured in sera and their mRNA levels in heart tissue of rSj-Cys-treated mice. RESULTS: After rSj-Cys treatment, the sepsis-induced heart malfunction was largely improved. The inflammation and injury of heart tissue were significantly alleviated, characterized as significantly decreased infiltration of inflammatory cells in cardiac tissues and fiber swelling, reduced levels of Mb, cTnI and NT-proBNP in sera, and MPO activity in heart tissue. The therapeutic efficacy of rSj-Cys is associated with downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) and upregulated regulatory inflammatory cytokines (IL-10 and TGF-ß), possibly through inhibiting the LPS-MyD88 signal pathway. CONCLUSIONS: RSj-Cys significantly reduced sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy and could be considered as a potential therapeutic agent for the prevention and treatment of sepsis associated cardiac dysfunction.

Preventive and therapeutic effects of Trichinella spiralis adult extracts on allergic inflammation in an experimental asthma mouse model.

BACKGROUND: Helminths immunomodulate the host immune system by secreting proteins to create an inhibitory environment as a strategy for survival in the host. As a bystander effect, this balances the host immune system to reduce hypersensitivity to allergens or autoantigens. Based on this, helminth therapy has been used to treat some allergic or autoimmune diseases. As a tissue-dwelling helminth, Trichinella spiralis infection has been identified to have strong immunomodulatory effects; the effective components in the worm have not yet been identified. METHODS: The soluble extracts of T. spiralis adult worms and muscle larvae were used to treat airway inflammation before and after an ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitization/challenge in an OVA-induced asthma mouse model. The therapeutic effects were observed by measuring the level of inflammation in the lungs. RESULTS: The soluble products derived from T. spiralis parasites, especially from adult worms, were able to ameliorate OVA-induced airway inflammatory responses which were associated with reduced eosinophil infiltration, OVA-specific IgE, Th2 cytokine IL-4, and increased IL-10 and TGF-ß. The stimulation of the Treg response may contribute to the alleviated allergic inflammation. CONCLUSIONS: Trichinella spiralis worm extracts stimulate regulatory cytokines that are associated with reduced allergic airway inflammation. The identification of effective components in the adult worm extracts will be a crucial approach for developing a novel therapeutic for allergic and autoimmune diseases.

Rods-on-sphere silica particles for high performance liquid chromatography.

Silica spheres covered with rods perpendicular to the particle surface were prepared by a simple one-pot sol-gel process. Thus prepared rods-on-sphere silica particles possessed core-shell structure. Compared to other core-shell silica particles in which the shell was synthesized by the time-consuming multiple-step layer-by-layer coating technique, the shell of our rods-on-sphere particles was formed by directly grown rods from the silica spheres. The coverage of the rods on the particle surface could be tuned by changing the amount of water in the reaction. The rods on the particle surface increased the surface roughness which may help decreasing the A-term. Therefore, the calcined and modified rods-on-sphere silica particles were packed into stainless steel columns and then assessed for the separation of various samples including small molecules and proteins. In comparison with a commercially available Kromasil column, the pressure of the rods-on-sphere column is much lower under the same separation conditions, while the column efficiency was comparable. The separation results demonstrate that rods-on-sphere silica particles are a type of new and highly promising packing stationary phase for high performance liquid chromatography.