► It is the first time that a Mg–Al hydrotalcite film is prepared on the Mg alloys of low Al content. ► The environmentally friendly two-step in situ growth method can shorten the formation time to 2
...h. ► This film is very compact and uniform, which can provide effective protection to the AZ31 alloy. ► The film formation mechanism was also proposed based on the
OCP measurement and surface analysis.
In situ growth of Mg–Al hydrotalcite conversion film on AZ31 alloy has been developed by a two-step method. The characteristics of the films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electronic microscope (SEM) observation, electrochemical and immersion tests. The film formation process was proposed based on the open circuit potential (
OCP) measurements and surface analysis. A precursor film with network cracks is first formed and then this film is transformed into a compact and uniform hydrotalcite (Mg
6Al
2(OH)
16CO
3·4H
2O) film after the post treatment. This dense Mg–Al hydrotalcite film can provide effective protection to the AZ31 alloy.
► The status of Al3+ and Mg2+ during the formation of HT was illustrated. ► The effect of the added Al compounds on the formation of HT film was discussed. ► The model for two-step in situ growth of ...Mg–Al HT film on AZ31 has been proposed.
By means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), open circuit potential (OCP) measurement and scanning electronic microscope (SEM), the in situ growth mechanism of the Mg–Al hydrotalcite film has been proposed. The composition and morphology of the films undergo a series of variations during the growth processes. The added Al compounds are a vital contribution to the formation of hydrotalcite. The film formation involves the dissolution of the AZ31 substrate, adsorption of the ions from solution, nucleation of the precursor, followed by the dissolution of Al3+, exchanging of OH− by CO32− and growth of the hydrotalcite film.
Background
More initial clinical node‐positive breast cancer patients achieve axillary pathological complete response (ax‐pCR) after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST). Restaging axillary status and ...performing de‐escalated surgical procedures to replace routine axillary lymph nodes dissection (ALND) is urgently needed. Targeted axillary lymph node biopsy (TLNB) is a novel de‐escalated surgical strategy marking metastatic axillary nodes before NST and targeted dissection and biopsy intraoperatively to tailor individual axillary management.
Methods
This study provided a systematic review and meta‐analysis to evaluate the feasibility and diagnosis accuracy of TLNB. Prospective and retrospective clinical trials on TLNB were searched from Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane. Identification rate (IFR), false‐negative rate (FNR), negative predictive value (NPV), and rate of ax‐pCR were the outcomes of this meta‐analysis.
Results
One thousand nine hundred and twenty patients attempted TLNB, with an overall IFR of 93.5% (95% confidence interval CI 90.1%–96.2%). IFR of three nodal marking methods, namely iodine seeds, clips, and carbon dye, was 95.6% (95% CI 91.2%–98.7%), 91.7% (95% CI 87.3%–95.4%), and 97.1% (95% CI 89.1%–100.0%), respectively. Of them, 847 patients received ALND, with an overall FNR of 5.5% (95% CI 3.3%–8.0%), and NPV ranged from 90.1% to 96.1%. Regression analysis showed that the overlap of targeted and sentinel biopsied nodes might associate with IFRs and FNRs.
Conclusion
TLNB is a novel, less invasive surgical approach to distinguish initial node‐positive breast cancer that achieves negative axillary conversion after NST. It yields an excellent IFR with a low FNR and a high NPV. A combination of preoperative imaging, intraoperative TLNB with SLNB, and postoperative nodal radiotherapy might affect the future treatment paradigm of primary breast cancer with nodal metastases.
Axillary surgeries for node‐positive neoadjuvant breast cancer could be de‐escalated. Targeted lymph node dissection has high feasibility and diagnosis accuracy. A stepwise treatment strategy combining imaging and radiotherapy is recommended.
The long-term functional outcome of discharged patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains unresolved. We aimed to describe a 6-month follow-up of functional status of COVID-19 ...survivors.
We reviewed the data of COVID-19 patients who had been consecutively admitted to the Tumor Center of Union Hospital (Wuhan, China) between 15 February and 14 March 2020. We quantified a 6-month functional outcome reflecting symptoms and disability in COVID-19 survivors using a post-COVID-19 functional status scale ranging from 0 to 4 (PCFS). We examined the risk factors for the incomplete functional status defined as a PCFS > 0 at a 6-month follow-up after discharge.
We included a total of 95 COVID-19 survivors with a median age of 62 (IQR 53-69) who had a complete functional status (PCFS grade 0) at baseline in this retrospective observational study. At 6-month follow-up, 67 (70.5%) patients had a complete functional outcome (grade 0), 9 (9.5%) had a negligible limited function (grade 1), 12 (12.6%) had a mild limited function (grade 2), 7 (7.4%) had moderate limited function (grade 3). Univariable logistic regression analysis showed a significant association between the onset symptoms of muscle or joint pain and an increased risk of incomplete function (unadjusted OR 4.06, 95% CI 1.33-12.37). This association remained after adjustment for age and admission delay (adjusted OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.06-10.81, p = 0.039).
A small proportion of discharged COVID-19 patients may have an incomplete functional outcome at a 6-month follow-up; intervention strategies are required.
The impacts of Cu substitution upon the cycling stability of NaxMO2 (M = Fe, Mn) cathodes are systematically studied. Evidenced by CuO segregation and XPS analysis, the average valence of Mn can ...hardly reach +4, possibly owing to the production of Mn(II). It is proposed that, Cu substitution can efficiently enhance the cycling stability by reducing the content of Mn(III) and suppressing the electrochemical activities of Mn4+/3+ redox couple.
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•Cycling stability of NaxMO2 (M = Cu, Fe, Mn) cathodes are systematically studied.•CuO segregation is evidenced to be associated with the limited valent state of Mn.•Adding Cu2+ actually lower Mn valence by decreasing Mn(III) and generating Mn(II).•Cu2+-substitution may enhance the cycling stability mainly by suppressing Mn(III).
Adding Cu2+ has substantially boosted the practical potentiality of Fe/Mn-based layered cathodes for sodium ion batteries (SIBs) owing to the enhanced stabilities, which were previously ascribed to the raised valence of Mn. Herein, the roles of Cu2+ are verified by investigating Cu2+-substituted materials with the stoichiometry of Na0.5+xCuxFe0.5-xMn(IV)0.5O2. Surprisingly, it is found that Mn valence can hardly reach the expected value (IV) even by adjusting Cu2+ content. For the first time, the separation of CuO, which has been previously detected but rarely explained, is ascribed to the restrained chemical states of Mn. Detailed analyses show that, Mn(II) is generated while Mn(III) is decreased in pace of Cu2+ substitution, actually lowering down the oxidation states of Mn. Moreover, Mn4+/3+ redox can be efficiently restricted by importing Cu2+. Albeit the loss of capacity, the cycling stability is greatly enhanced, achieving a high capacity retention of 92.3% after 200 cycles within 4.2–2.5 V. Therefore, the suppression of Jahn-Teller Mn(III) should be intrinsically responsible for the superior cycling stability after Cu2+ substitution. These findings may present a new sight to probe the roles of Cu in layered NaxMO2 system for the design of advanced cathodes for SIBs.
The autologous anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy LCAR-B38M has been approved for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma in many ...countries across the world under the name ciltacabtagene autoleucel. LEGEND-2 was the first-in-human trial of LCAR-B38M and yielded deep and durable therapeutic responses. Here, we reported the outcomes in LEGEND-2 after a minimal 5-year follow-up.
Participants received an average dose of 0.5 × 10
cells/kg LCAR-B38M in split or single unfractionated infusions after cyclophosphamide-based lymphodepletion therapy. Investigator-assessed response, survival, safety and pharmacokinetics were evaluated.
Seventy-four participants enrolled and had a median follow-up of 65.4 months. The 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 21.0% and 49.1%, with progressive flattening of the survival curves over time. Patients with complete response (CR) had longer PFS and OS, with 5-year rates of 28.4% and 65.7%, respectively. Twelve patients (16.2%) remained relapse-free irrespective of baseline high-risk cytogenetic abnormality and all had normal humoral immunity reconstituted. An ongoing CR closely correlated with several prognostic baseline indices including favorable performance status, immunoglobulin G subtype, and absence of extramedullary disease, as well as a combination cyclophosphamide and fludarabine preconditioning strategy. Sixty-two (83.8%) suffered progressive disease (PD) and/or death; however, 61.1% of PD patients could well respond to subsequent therapies, among which, the proteasome inhibitor-based regimens benefited the most. Concerning the safety, hematologic and hepatic function recovery were not significantly different between non-PD and PD/Death groups. A low rate of second primary malignancy (5.4%) and no severe virus infection were observed. The patients who tested positive for COVID-19 merely presented self-limiting symptoms. In addition, a sustainable CAR T population of one case with persistent remission was delineated, which was enriched with indolently proliferative and lowly cytotoxic CD4/CD8 double-negative functional T lymphocytes.
These data, representing the longest follow-up of BCMA-redirected CAR T-cell therapy to date, demonstrate long-term remission and survival with LCAR-B38M for advanced myeloma.
LEGEND-2 was registered under the trial numbers NCT03090659, ChiCTRONH-17012285.
An efficient and convenient copper-catalyzed method has been developed to achieve direct ortho-C–H/N-H annulation to synthesize phenanthridinones with arynes. This method highlights an emerging ...strategy to transform inert C–H bonds into versatile functional groups in organic synthesis and provides a new way to synthesize phenanthridinone alkaloids efficiently.
Acupuncture is reported to be effective in treating obesity related illnesses, but its mechanism is still unclear. To investigate this mechanism we applied electro-acupuncture (EA) in a mouse model ...of obesity and used RNA-seq to identify molecular consequences. Deletion of the transcription factor STAT5 from neurons (Stat5NKO) led to obesity. Acupuncture, in turn, reduced body weight and the ratio of epididymal white adipose tissue (Epi-WAT) to body weight, and it also decreased plasma concentrations of glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol. In addition, EA increased cold endurance of Stat5NKO obese mice. EA reversed altered gene expressions in the hypothalamus and Epi-WAT, especially in the hypothalamus in Stat5NKO obese mice. This study provides, for the first time, insight into genomic networks of obesity and their modulation by electro-acupuncture, which in turn reveals potential mechanisms that explain acupuncture-induced weight-loss.
•Urine and semen samples were repeatedly collected among 1428 healthy men.•Urinary Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, and Mo showed high within-subject variations.•Higher urinary Zn and Mo levels were ...associated with greater sperm production.•The period of epididymal storage may be the critical window of susceptibility to Zn and Mo.
Essential elements such as iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se), rubidium (Rb), strontium (Sr), and molybdenum (Mo) are necessary for reproductive health. However, their associations with human semen quality remain inconclusive.
To investigate the associations of urinary Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Rb, Sr, and Mo concentrations with semen quality in healthy men screened as potential sperm donors and identify critical windows of susceptibility.
1428 healthy men provided 3766 urine and 6527 semen samples, which were measured for urinary essential element concentrations and sperm quality parameters, respectively. Linear mixed models and cubic spline curves were used to evaluate associations between urinary essential elements and semen quality. Multiple informant models were used to identify potential critical windows of susceptibility.
Linear mixed models and cubic spline curves showed positive dose–response relationships between urinary Zn and sperm concentration and total count and between urinary Mo and total sperm count all False Discovery Rate (FDR) adjusted p-value for trend < 0.05. In the multiple-element linear mixed models, the men in the highest versus lowest quartiles of urinary Zn and Mo had a higher sperm concentration of 17.5% (95% CI: 2.8%, 34.2%; p-value for trend = 0.006) and total sperm count of 18.3% (95% CI: 1.4%, 38.0%; p-value for trend = 0.027), respectively. Urinary Zn was also positively associated with total sperm count in a dose-dependent manner (p-value for trend = 0.036), though the percentile difference in total sperm count between men in the highest and lowest quartile was not statistically significant (16.4%, 95% CI: −1.7%, 37.9%). These associations appeared to be stronger when urinary Zn and Mo were measured at 0–9 days before the date of semen examination (i.e., corresponding to epididymal storage).
Higher urinary Zn and Mo, particularly during the period of epididymal storage, were associated with greater sperm production.
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