Mutual activation between ferrate and calcium sulfite for surface water pre-treatment and ultrafiltration membrane fouling control

In this work, ferrate (Fe(VI)) and calcium sulfite (CaSO₃) were combined to treat surface water for improving ultrafiltration (UF) performance. During the pre-treatment process, the Fe(VI) and CaSO₃ activated each other and a variety of active species (Fe(V), Fe(IV), OH, SO₄^-, ¹O₂, etc.) were generated. All of the five fluorescent components were effectively eliminated to different extents. With Fe(VI)/CaSO₃ = 0.05/0.15 mM, the dissolved organic carbon and UV₂₅₄ reduced by 44.33 % and 50.56 %, respectively. After UF, these values were further decreased with the removal rate of 50.27 % and 70.79 %. In the UF stage, the terminal J/J₀ increased to 0.42 from 0.17, with the reversible and irreversible fouling decreased by 67.08 % and 79.45 % at most. The membrane pore blocking was significantly mitigated, as well as the foulants deposition on membrane surfaces was decreased to some extent. The complete blocking was altered to standard blocking and intermediate blocking, the volume when entering cake filtration was also delayed slightly. The extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory was employed to judge the interface fouling behavior, and the results indicated that the foulants became more hydrophilic, as well as the adhesion trend between foulants and membrane surface was weakened. Overall, these results provide a theoretical foundation for the practical application of the combined Fe(VI)/CaSO₃-UF process in surface water purification.

Proteotoxic stress disrupts epithelial integrity by inducing MTOR sequestration and autophagy overactivation

Macroautophagy/autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved degradation system, serves to clear intracellular components through the lysosomal pathway. Mounting evidence has revealed cytoprotective roles of autophagy; however, the intracellular causes of overactivated autophagy, which has cytotoxic effects, remain elusive. Here we show that sustained proteotoxic stress induced by loss of the RING and Kelch repeat-containing protein C53A5.6/RIKE-1 induces sequestration of LET-363/MTOR complex and overactivation of autophagy, and consequently impairs epithelial integrity in C. elegans. In C53A5.6/RIKE-1-deficient animals, blocking autophagosome formation effectively prevents excessive endosomal degradation, mitigates mislocalization of intestinal membrane components and restores intestinal lumen morphology. However, autophagy inhibition does not affect LET-363/MTOR aggregation in animals with compromised C53A5.6/RIKE-1 function. Improving proteostasis capacity by reducing DAF-2 insulin/IGF1 signaling markedly relieves the aggregation of LET-363/MTOR and alleviates autophagy overactivation, which in turn reverses derailed endosomal trafficking and rescues epithelial morphogenesis defects in C53A5.6/RIKE-1-deficient animals. Hence, our studies reveal that C53A5.6/RIKE-1-mediated proteostasis is critical for maintaining the basal level of autophagy and epithelial integrity.Abbreviations: ACT-5: actin 5; ACTB: actin beta; ALs: autolysosomes; APs: autophagosomes; AJM-1: apical junction molecule; ATG: autophagy related; C. elegans: Caenorhabditis elegans; CPL-1: cathepsin L family; DAF: abnormal dauer formation; DLG-1: Drosophila discs large homolog; ERM-1: ezrin/radixin/moesin; EPG: ectopic P granule; GFP: freen fluorescent protein; HLH-30: helix loop helix; HSP: heat shock protein; LAAT-1: lysosome associated amino acid transporter; LET: lethal; LGG-1: LC3, GABARAP and GATE-16 family; LMP-1: LAMP (lysosome-associated membrane protein) homolog; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; NUC-1: abnormal nuclease; PEPT-1/OPT-2: Peptide transporter family; PGP-1: P-glycoprotein related; RAB: RAB family; RIKE-1: RING and Kelch repeat-containing protein; SLCF-1: solute carrier family; SQST-1: sequestosome related; SPTL-1: serine palmitoyl transferase family.

Insights into olation reaction-driven coagulation and adsorption: A pathway for exploiting the surface properties of biochar

In this study, characterization of biochar for the efficient removal of cadmium was investigated. Biochar has a specific distribution of functional groups on its surface and has a natural electronegativity. Using carbonate as an olation reagent, the biochar coagulates with the olation reaction products. The maximum removal capacity reached 430.4 mg/g at pH = 4 (Langmuir Fit). Carbonate hydrolyzed on the surface of biochar, Cd2+ in solution undergoes olation with OH- and forms specially structured nanochains that are positively charged on the surface. The biochar with electronegativity on the surface coagulates with the cadmium hydroxide nanochains, and the cadmium-containing colloid formed by electrostatic attraction settles rapidly and removed. The biochar's re-flocculation performance was consistent, and the loadings could be changed to effectively remove cadmium while keeping the pH neutral at equilibrium.

Enhancing ultrafiltration of algal-rich water using ferrate activated with sodium percarbonate: Foulants variation, membrane fouling alleviation, and collaborative mechanism

Ultrafiltration (UF) is a reliable method to treat algal-rich water, whereas severe membrane fouling has impeded its actual application. To improve UF performance and alleviate membrane fouling resulted by algal foulants, a novel strategy coupling ferrate (Fe(VI)) and sodium percarbonate (SPC) was proposed. During the coupling process, Fe(VI) was activated by SPC to generate high-valent Fe intermediates (Fe(V) and Fe(IV)), which played a crucial role in high-efficiency oxidation for algal foulants, and the in-situ formed Fe(III) particles decomposed by Fe(VI) also enhanced the coagulation and adsorption capacity to the coupling system. Under the triple effects of coagulation, adsorption and oxidation, the algal foulants were efficiently eliminated. The zeta potential increased from -32.70 mV to -6.56 mV at most, the particle size was significantly enlarged, and the generated flocs possessed a great settleability. The morphology, viability, and integrity of algae cells were effectively maintained. The dissolved organic matters and fluorescent organics were efficiently removed, as well as macromolecular organics were reduced into lower molecular weight components. With the collaborative effect of Fe(VI) and SPC, the terminal specific flux was increased from 0.29 to 0.92, and the reversible and irreversible fouling resistances were reduced by 98.5% and 69.4%, individually. The surface functional groups were changed, and the dominant mechanisms were also converted to pore blocking from cake layer filtration. Overall, the experimental results would provide some new thoughts in actual production for algal-rich water treatment and UF membrane fouling alleviation.

Investigation of membrane fouling and mechanism induced by extracellular organic matter during long-term exposure to pharmaceuticals and personal care products

This study investigated ultrafiltration membrane fouling by extracellular organic matter (EOM) and the mechanism operating during long-term exposure to pharmaceuticals and personal care products. The results indicated that carbamazepine and diclofenac in algal-laden water altered the filtration flux and membrane fouling by EOM. Exposure to low-concentration carbamazepine (0.25 μg/L) improved the filtration flux and the total (R_tot) and reversible fouling resistance (R_c), whereas the filtration flux and R_tot and R_c were reduced when EOM was used during long-term exposure to high carbamazepine concentrations (>1 μg/L). Both R_tot and R_c were increased when algae were exposed to 0.25 μg/L diclofenac, whereas the filtration flux and R_tot and R_c were alleviated when algae were exposed to >1 μg/L diclofenac. Moreover, carbamazepine and diclofenac (0.25 μg/L - 1000 μg/L) in water enhanced the irreversible fouling resistance (R_b) when ultrafiltration was used to treat algal-laden waters. The mechanism indicated that membrane fouling induced by standard blocking was transformed to complete blocking when EOM was exposed to high levels of carbamazepine (>0.25 μg/L) in the initial filtration process, whereas cake layer formation played an important role during the later filtration process; with low carbamazepine levels (0.25 μg/L), standard blocking of EOM was dominant during the entire filtration process. The membrane fouling mechanism also changed when algal-laden waters were exposed to diclofenac, the membrane fouling was transformed from complete blocking to standard blocking when DFC was present in the initial filtration process, whereas cake layer formation exerted an important role during the late filtration process. This research provides important information on the long-term risks caused by pharmaceutical and personal care products and potential threats to membrane treatment.

Effects of UV/Fe(II)/sulfite pre-treatment on NOM-enhanced Ca2+ scaling during nanofiltration treatment: Fouling mitigation, mechanisms, and correlation analysis of membrane resistance

This study was aimed to evaluate the effects of a pre-treatment involving sulfite (S(IV)) synergistically activated by ultraviolet (UV)/Fe(II) on natural organic matter (NOM)-enhanced Ca²⁺ scaling during nanofiltration treatment. Based on the variations in the physicochemical properties and correlation analyses of irreversible resistance, the intrinsic fouling mechanisms were revealed from two aspects: bulk crystallization (interaction between NOM and inorganic ions) and surface crystallization (morphology of surface crystallization and a change in the Ca²⁺ concentration in the scaling layer). Furthermore, the degradation contribution rates of different free radicals during the UV/Fe(II)/S(IV) (UFS) treatment process were evaluated. During the reactions in the UFS, three free radicals (SO·-4, OH^·- and e- aq) were generated, and in-situ Fe(III) was formed in-situ. The carboxyl groups of the NOM were attacked by the free radicals, resulting in decreased of carboxyl concentration and density. In addition, the bond between Ca²⁺ and NOM weakened, and hydrophobic (HPO) substances were mineralized. However, the Fe(III) formed in-situ was active and electropositive, competing with Ca²⁺ for the complexation active sites on the NOM. The synergy effect of bulk crystallization and surface crystallization led to a significant decrease in the particle size of feed solution. The crystal size and roughness of membrane surface also decreased, which was conducive to reducing the membrane irreversible resistance. Correlation analysis revealed that the HPO ratio, carboxyl density and particle size (> 100 nm) ratio were effective characterization parameters for predicting irreversible resistance. This study not only provides guidance for alleviating membrane fouling caused by NOM-enhanced Ca²⁺ scaling during the nanofiltration process, but also presents the rationality of irreversible resistance during nanofiltration process and various indicators with strong linear correlation.

Effect of peroxydisulfate oxidation catalyzed with ordered mesoporous carbons on controlling ultrafiltration membrane fouling by algal organic matter

As typical ordered mesoporous carbons (OMCs) materials, CMK-3 and CMK-8 were proposed for catalyzing peroxydisulfate (PDS), and the OMCs/PDS process was combined with membrane filtration to remove algal extracellular organic matter and mitigate membrane fouling. The CMK-3/PDS process achieved substantial reduction of dissolved organic carbon and UV₂₅₄, followed by CMK-8/PDS. The degradation behavior of fluorescent organics demonstrated the superior performance of OMCs/PDS, while the decomposition of high molecular weight (MW) compounds and generation of lower MW organics were observed. Generally, CMK-3 possessed higher catalytic activity on PDS compared with CMK-8 and powdered activated carbon. The CMK-3/PDS process distinctly decreased the fouling resistances for polyether sulfone and polyvinylidene fluoride membranes, with the reversible resistance reduced by 59.5-83.2% and irreversible resistance declined by 71.7-73.0%. In the meanwhile, CMK-3/PDS prolonged the volumes to the transition period, and postponed the cake layer's generation. The characterization of the membrane morphologies and chemical compositions also showed effective alleviation of fouling. The generated SO₄^-, OH, O₂^- and ¹O₂ as major active oxidation species provided radical as well as non-radical reaction ways for pollutants removal. Overall, our study provides some new ideas for membrane-based combined water purification processes.

Degradation of iopamidol by UV365/NaClO: Roles of reactive species, degradation mechanism, and toxicology

The degradation of iopamidol (IPM) was investigated using a UV₃₆₅/NaClO system. The reactive species (HO·, ClO·, ozone, Cl·, and Cl₂^-·) in the system were identified, and the changing trends of the percentage contributions of these reactive species to IPM removal under various conditions were systematically evaluated. The results showed that ClO· and HO· played the most significant roles in the apparent pseudo-first-order rate constants of IPM degradation (k_obs, min^-1) in the control experiment, and their percentage contributions to k_obs were 41.31% and 34.45%, respectively. In addition, Cl· and Cl₂^-· together contributed 22% to the k_obs. Furthermore, the contribution of ozone to the IPM removal could be neglected. The concentrations of these species increased significantly when the concentration of NaClO was increased from 50 µM to 200 µM, while the percentage contribution of ClO· to k_obs was greatly increased. The concentrations and percentage contributions of HO· and ClO· decreased significantly as the solution pH increased from 5 to 9, with Cl₂^-· playing a greater role in the degradation of IPM under alkaline conditions. While Cl^- or HCO₃^-/CO₃^2- significantly promoted the generation of Cl₂^-· or CO₃^-·, neither had an obvious effect on k_obs, suggesting that Cl₂^-· and CO₃^-· should have a certain reactivity with IPM. Compared with that of Cl₂^-·, the percentage contribution of ClO· and Cl· to k_obs was more likely to be inhibited by NOM. In addition, the organic and inorganic oxidation products of IPM were detected. The oxidation mechanisms of IPM degradation in the UV₃₆₅/NaClO system, such as the H-extraction reaction, deiodination, substitution reaction, amide hydrolysis, and amine oxidation, were proposed according to the obtained 15 organic products. No effect on acute toxicity towards Vibrio fischeri and Photobacterium phosphoreum was detected during the oxidation of IPM by the UV₃₆₅/NaClO system. Furthermore, the engineering feasibility of the oxidation system was demonstrated, by the effective degradation of IPM in actual water. However, HOI rapidly accumulated during the removal of IPM in the UV₃₆₅/NaClO system, which poses certain environmental risks and will needs to be investigated.

CuO@carbon nanofiber as an efficient peroxymonosulfate catalyst for mitigation of organic matter fouling in the ultrafiltration process

Persulfate oxidation has been increasingly integrated with membrane separation for water purification, whereas the oxidizing ability of persulfate is relatively limited, and appropriate activation methods are urgently required. In this work, a novel catalyst of carbon nanofiber (CNF) supported CuO (CuO@CNF) was synthesized for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation. The micro-morphology showed that CuO nanoparticles were well dispersed on the CNF support, which solved the agglomeration problem of nanoparticles and improved the catalytic ability. Furtherly, PMS oxidation activated by CuO@CNF was proposed as a pre-processing means for improving ultrafiltration (UF) water purification efficiency and mitigating membrane fouling. The prepared CuO@CNF was more efficient than individual CNF and CuO in activating PMS for the reduction of various typical natural organic matter, improving permeation flux, and mitigating membrane fouling. The fouling control efficiencies were also verified by characterizing the membrane surface functional groups. The CuO@CNF catalyst could signally promote the oxidative capacity by generating a series of reactive oxygen species, thus enhancing the removal of organics with varying species and molecular weight ranges in surface water. With respect to the fouling condition, the specific permeation flux after filtration was improved from 0.25 to 0.61, with the removal rate of reversible fouling resistance reached 89.6%. The fouling mechanism was apparently altered, with both standard and complete blocking dominated throughout the filtration process. The findings are beneficial for the development of new strategies to improve membrane-based water purification efficiency.

In Situ Chemical Modification with Zwitterionic Copolymers of Nanofiltration Membranes: Cure for the Trade-Off between Filtration and Antifouling Performance

Breaking the trade-off between filtration performance and antifouling property is critical to enabling a thin-film nanocomposite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membrane for a wide range of feed streams. We proposed a novel design route for TFC NF membranes by grafting well-defined zwitterionic copolymers of [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]dimethyl-(3-sulfopropyl)ammonium hydroxide (SBMA) and 2-aminoethyl methacrylate hydrochloride (AEMA) on the polyamide surfaces via an in situ surface chemical modification process. The successful grafting of a zwitterionic copolymer imparted the modified NF membranes with better surface hydrophilicity, a larger actual surface area (i.e., nodular structures), and a thinner polyamide layer. As a result, the water permeability of the modified membrane (i.e., TFC-10) was triple that of the pristine TFC membrane while maintaining high Na₂SO₄ rejection. We further demonstrated that the TFC-10 membrane possessed exceptional antifouling properties in both static adsorption tests and three cycles of dynamic protein and humic acid fouling tests. To recap, this work provides valuable insights and strategies for the fabrication of TFC NF membranes with simultaneously enhanced filtration performance and antifouling property.

[Construction of prediction model combined dual-energy CT quantitative parameters and conventional CT features for assessing the Ki-67 expression levels in invasive breast cancer]

Objective: To develop a model combined with dual-energy CT quantitative parameters and conventional CT features for evaluating the expression level of Ki-67 in invasive breast cancer. Methods: A total of 191 patients with histologically confirmed invasive breast cancer in Lishui Central Hospital from March 2019 to December 2020, were retrospectively enrolled, all of them were females, aged from 25 to 77 (53.2±11.3) years. All patients underwent preoperative non-contrast chest and contrast-enhanced Dual energy CT scans, and the normalized iodine concentration (NIC) of lesions on arterial and venous phase, spectral curve slope (λ_HU), and normalized effective atomic number (nZ_eff) were measured and calculated, and their conventional CT characteristics were assessed. According to the results of immunohistochemistry (IHC), the patients were divided into Ki-67 high expression group (n=129 patients) and low expression group (n=62 patients) level. The differences in clinical data, conventional CT characteristics and dual-energy CT quantitative parameters between the two groups were analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) curve was conducted to assess the efficacy of each individual model and joint model in evaluating Ki-67 expression levels, and the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were calculated, respectively. Results: In the analysis of CT features, the longest diameter, shape and enhancement pattern of the tumor were significantly difference between the two groups (all P<0.05). The NIC, nZ_eff on the arterial phase and NIC, nZ_eff and λ_HU [M(Q₁,Q₃)] on the venous phase were higher in the high Ki-67 expression group compared to the low expression group [0.13 (0.12, 0.16) vs 0.11 (0.08, 0.14), 0.71 (0.70, 0.75) vs 0.70 (0.67, 0.72), 0.40 (0.32, 0.48) vs 0.23 (0.17, 0.32), 3.10 (2.58, 3.63) vs 2.86 (2.19, 3.48), 0.88 (0.85, 0.92) vs 0.85 (0.84, 0.86), all P<0.05]. The logistic regression model, which integrated significant conventional CT features and dual-energy CT quantitative parameters, demonstrated the highest diagnostic performance for assessing Ki-67 expression levels, with an AUC of 0.924, sensitivity of 88.37%, specificity of 83.87%, and accuracy of 86.91%; the AUC of the dual-energy CT parameter model was 0.908, sensitivity of 82.17%, specificity of 88.71%, and accuracy of 84.29%. Though the diagnostic efficacy was no significant difference (P=0.238), both models showed superior to the conventional CT feature model (all P<0.001). Conclusion: A dual-energy CT quantitative parameter combined with a conventional CT feature model was successfully constructed, which has a good evaluation performance on the expression level of Ki-67 in invasive breast cancer.

Circulating myeloid-derived suppressors cells correlate with clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes undergoing neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy in non-small cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Myeloid-derived suppressors cells (MDSCs) are heterogeneous immunosuppressive cells, closely related to the development, efficacy and prognosis in various tumors. The relationship between clinicopathological characteristics, efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy (NCIO) and circulating MDSCs in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was investigated in this study.

METHODS

This study analyzed the clinical data of patients diagnosed at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Beijing Chest Hospital from November 2020 to August 2021. MDSCs and T cells subgroups were measured in fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) at baseline. Flow cytometry was used to detect MDSCs and T cells subgroups.

RESULTS

A total of 78 patients with NSCLC and 20 patients with benign nodule underwent direct surgery. 23 patients with NSCLC scheduled to accept NCIO before surgery. NSCLC had elevated levels of total MDSCs, PMN-MDSCs and M-MDSCs compared to patients with benign nodule. MDSCs subgroups were correlated to the pTNM stage in NSCLC patients. The frequency of total MDSCs were moderately positively correlated with regulatory T cells (Tregs)(r = 0.3597, P < 0.01) and negatively correlated with CD4 + T cells(r = 0.2714, P < 0.05). The baseline levels of total MDSCs, PMN-MDSCs and Tregs in pCR patients were significantly decreased than those of non-pCR patients (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Circulating MDSCs were increased in NSCLC patients. MDSC subgroups were related to pTNM stage in NSCLC patients. Total MDSCs were positively correlated with Tregs levels and negatively correlated with CD4 + T cells in peripheral blood. The level of MDSCs and Tregs in peripheral blood may have potential value in predicting pathological response in NSCLC.

[Role and mechanism of Vγ4 T cells in impaired wound healing of rapamycin-induced full-thickness skin defects in mice]

Objective: To investigate the role and mechanism of Vγ4 T cells in impaired wound healing of rapamycin-induced full-thickness skin defects in mice. Methods: The experimental research methods were applied. Eighty-six C57BL/6J male mice (hereinafter briefly referred to as wild-type mice) aged 8-12 weeks were selected for the following experiments. Vγ4 T cells were isolated from axillary lymph nodes of five wild-type mice for the following experiments. Intraperitoneal injection of rapamycin for 42 mice was performed to establish rapamycin-treated mice model for the following experiments. Eighteen wild-type mice were divided into normal control group without any treatment, trauma only group, and trauma+CC chemokine ligand 20 (CCL20) inhibitor group according to the random number table (the same grouping method below), with 6 mice in each group. The full-thickness skin defect wound was made on the back of mice in the latter two groups (the same wound model below), and mice in trauma+CCL20 inhibitor group were continuously injected subcutaneously with CCL20 inhibitor at the wound edge for 3 days after injury. Another 6 rapamycin-treated mice were used to establish wound model as rapamycin+trauma group. On post injury day (PID) 3, the epidermal cells of the skin tissue around the wound of each trauma mice were extracted by enzyme digestion, and the percentage of Vγ4 T cells in the epidermal cells was detected by flow cytometry. In normal control group, the epidermal cells of the normal skin tissue in the back of mice were taken at the appropriate time point for detection as above. Five wild-type mice were used to establish wound models. On PID 3, the epidermal cells were extracted from the skin tissue around the wound. The cell populations were divided into Vγ4 T cells, Vγ3 T cells, and γδ negative cells by fluorescence-activated cell sorter, which were set as Vγ4 T cell group, Vγ3 T cell group, and γδ negative cell group (with cells in each group being mixed with B16 mouse melanoma cells), respectively. B16 mouse melanoma cells were used as melanoma cell control group. The expression of interleukin-22 (IL-22) mRNA in cells of each group was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), with the number of samples being 6. Thirty rapamycin-treated mice were used to establish wound models, which were divided into Vγ4 T cell only group and Vγ4 T cell+IL-22 inhibitor group performed with corresponding injections and rapamycin control group injected with phosphate buffer solution (PBS) immediately after injury, with 10 mice in each group. Another 10 wild-type mice were taken to establish wound models and injected with PBS as wild-type control group. Mice in each group were injected continuously for 6 days. The percentage of wound area of mice in the four groups was calculated on PID 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 after injection on the same day. Six wild-type mice and 6 rapamycin-treated mice were taken respectively to establish wound models as wild-type group and rapamycin group. On PID 3, the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-22 and CCL20 in the peri-wound epidermis tissue of mice in the two groups were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The Vγ4 T cells were divided into normal control group without any treatment and rapamycin-treated rapamycin group. After being cultured for 24 hours, the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-22 of cells in the two groups were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively, with the number of samples being 6. Data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, one-way analysis of variance, Bonferroni method, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results: The percentage of Vγ4 T cells in the epidermal cells of the skin tissue around the wound of mice in trauma only group on PID 3 was 0.66% (0.52%, 0.81%), which was significantly higher than 0.09% (0.04%, 0.14%) in the epidermal cells of the normal skin tissue of mice in normal control group (Z=4.31, P<0.01). The percentages of Vγ4 T cells in the epidermal cells of the skin tissue around the wound of mice in rapamycin+trauma group and trauma+CCL20 inhibitor group on PID 3 were 0.25% (0.16%, 0.37%) and 0.24% (0.17%, 0.35%), respectively, which were significantly lower than that in trauma only group (with Z values of 2.27 and 2.25, respectively, P<0.05). The mRNA expression level of IL-22 of cells in Vγ4 T cell group was significantly higher than that in Vγ3 T cell group, γδ negative cell group, and melanoma cell control group (with Z values of 2.96, 2.45, and 3.41, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with that in wild-type control group, the percentage of wound area of mice in rapamycin control group increased significantly on PID 1-6 (P<0.01), the percentage of wound area of mice in Vγ4 T cell+IL-22 inhibitor group increased significantly on PID 1 and PID 3-6 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with that in rapamycin control group, the percentage of wound area of mice in Vγ4 T cell only group decreased significantly on PID 1-6 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with that in Vγ4 T cell only group, the percentage of wound area of mice in Vγ4 T cell+IL-22 inhibitor group increased significantly on PID 3-6 (P<0.05 or P<0.01). On PID 3, compared with those in wild-type group, the expression levels of IL-22 protein and mRNA (with t values of -7.82 and -5.04, respectively, P<0.01) and CCL20 protein and mRNA (with t values of -7.12 and -5.73, respectively, P<0.01) were decreased significantly in the peri-wound epidermis tissue of mice in rapamycin group. After being cultured for 24 hours, the expression levels of IL-22 protein and mRNA in Vγ4 T cells in rapamycin group were significantly lower than those in normal control group (with t values of -7.75 and -6.04, respectively, P<0.01). Conclusions: In mice with full-thickness skin defects, rapamycin may impair the CCL20 chemotactic system by inhibiting the expression of CCL20, leading to a decrease in the recruitment of Vγ4 T cells to the epidermis, and at the same time inhibit the secretion of IL-22 by Vγ4 T cells, thereby slowing the wound healing rate.

[Consensus of experts on the medical risk prevention for the patients with cardiovascular diseases during dental treatment (2022 edition)]

With the aging process of population in the society, the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in China is increasing continuously and the number of dental patients with CVD is increasing gradually too. Due to the lack of guidelines for dental patients with CVD in our country, how to implement standardized preoperative evaluation and perioperative risk prevention remains a problem to be solved for dentists at present. The present expert consensus was reached by combining the clinical experiences of the expert group of the Fifth General Dentistry Special Committee, Chinese Stomatological Association and respiratory and cardiology experts in diagnosis and treatment for CVD patients, and by systematically summarizing the relevant international guidelines and literature regarding the relationship between CVD and oral diseases and the diagnosis and treatment of dental patients with heart failure, hypertension and antithrombotic therapy. The consensus aims to provide, for the dental clinicians, the criteria on diagnosis and treatment of CVD in dental patients in China so as to reduce the risk and complications, and finally to improve the treatment levels of dental patients with CVD in China.

[Pretreatment evaluation of 18F-FDG PET-CT in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinical value of pretreatment ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxy glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT) in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma. Methods: Eighty-one patients with pathologically confirmed extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma and pretreatment with PET-CT scan in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from August 2006 to December 2017 were enrolled in the study. The clinical, follow-up and imaging data were analyzed retrospectively. The relationship between maximum standard uptake value (SUV_max) and prognosis were evaluated by Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman rank correlation analysis. Results: Among the 81 patients, 98.8% (80/81) were upper aerodigestive tract (UAT) involved. Lesions at extra-UAT sites were detected in 7 cases, involving parotid gland (n=1), breast (n=1), spleen (n=1), pancreas (n=1), skin and subcutaneous soft tissue (n=1), muscle (n=1), lung (n=2) and bone (n=3). Lymph node involvement were demonstrated in 33 cases. All of the lesions had increased uptake of PET, the median SUV_max was 8.6. PET-CT changed staging in 15 cases, and 12 cases were adjusted treatment methods. 21 cases were changed radiotherapy target because of PET-CT. The 1-, 2-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 88.7% and 80.3% while 1-, 2-year overall survival (OS) rates were 97.2% and 94.4% respectively. The median SUV_max of patients with local lymph nodes involvement was significantly higher than those without local lymph nodes involvement (P=0.007). The SUV_max was positively associated with Ann Arbor stage (r=0.366, P=0.001), lactate dehydrogenase (r=0.308, P=0.005) and Ki-67 level (r=0.270, P=0.017). The SUV_max was inversely associated with lymphocyte count (r=-0.324, P=0.003) and hemoglobin content (r=-0.225, P=0.043). Conclusions: Extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma predominantly occurs in extra-nodal organs, mainly in the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, with marked FDG-addiction. Compared with conventional imaging, ¹⁸F-FDG PET-CT is sensitive and comprehensive in detecting extra-nodal NK/T-cell lymphoma involvement, assisting in accurate clinical staging and treatment planning. Pretreatment SUV_max is potential for prognosis evaluation since it is correlated with prognostic factors.