Tuning the electronic metal-carbon interactions in Lignin-based carbon-supported ruthenium-based electrocatalysts for enhanced hydrogen evolution reactions

Ruthenium (Ru) nanoparticles dispersed on carbon support are promising electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) due to strong electronic metal-carbon interactions (EMCIs). Defects engineering in carbon supports is an effective strategy to adjust EMCIs. We prepared nitrogen/sulfur co-doped carbon supported Ru nanoparticles (Ru@N/S-LC) using sodium lignosulfonate and urea as feedstocks. Intrinsic S dopants from sodium lignosulfonate create rich S defects, thus enhancing the EMCIs within Ru@N/S-LC, leading a faster electron transfer between Ru nanoparticles and N/S-LC compared with N-doped carbon supported Ru nanoparticles (Ru@N-CC). The resulting Ru@N/S-LC exhibits an enhanced work function and a down-shifted d-band center, inducing stronger electron capturing ability and weaker hydrogen desorption energy than Ru@N-CC. Ru@N/S-LC requires only 7 and 94 mV overpotential in acidic medium and alkaline medium to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were utilized to clarify the impact of sulfur (S) doping and the mechanism underlying the notable catalytic activity of Ru@N/S-LC. This study offers a perspective for utilizing the natural dopants of biomass to adjust the EMCIs for electrocatalysts.

Study of association between corneal shape parameters and axial length elongation during orthokeratology using image-pro plus software

BACKGROUND

The aim was to validate the correlation between corneal shape parameters and axial length growth (ALG) during orthokeratology using Image-Pro Plus (IPP) 6.0 software.

METHODS

This retrospective study used medical records of myopic children aged 8-13 years (n = 104) undergoing orthokeratology. Their corneal topography and axial length were measured at baseline and subsequent follow-ups after lens wear. Corneal shape parameters, including the treatment zone (TZ) area, TZ diameter, TZ fractal dimension, TZ radius ratio, eccentric distance, pupil area, and pupillary peripheral steepened zone(PSZ) area, were measured using IPP software. The impact of corneal shape parameters at 3 months post-orthokeratology visit on 1.5-year ALG was evaluated using multivariate linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

ALG exhibited significant associations with age, TZ area, TZ diameter, TZ fractal dimension, and eccentric distance on univariate linear regression analysis. Multivariate regression analysis identified age, TZ area, and eccentric distance as significantly correlated with ALG (all P < 0.01), with eccentric distance showing the strongest correlation (β = -0.370). The regressive equation was y = 1.870 - 0.235a + 0.276b - 0.370c, where y represents ALG, a represents age, b represents TZ area, and c represents eccentric distance; R2 = 0.27). No significant relationships were observed between the TZ radius ratio, pupillary PSZ area, and ALG.

CONCLUSIONS

IPP software proves effective in capturing precise corneal shape parameters after orthokeratology. Eccentric distance, rather than age or the TZ area, significantly influences ALG retardation.

[Clinical analysis of lung adenocarcinoma with epidermal growth factor receptor mutation transformed into sarcoma]

Objective: To analyze the clinical data of a case of lung adenocarcinoma with Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) resistance transforming into sarcoma, and to conduct a literature review to improve the understanding of the resistance mechanism. Histological transformation is a unique form of acquired resistance of EGFR-TKIs in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Thereinto, the transformation of small cell carcinoma is more common, and the transformation of sarcoma is rarely reported. Methods: Clinicopathological data on the treatment process, pathological features, and clinical outcome of the patient with EGFR-TKIs-resistance lung adenocarcinoma transforming into sarcoma were collected. The literature was reviewed to analyze the pathogenetic mechanism for sarcomatoid carcinoma or sarcoma transformation after drug resistance of adenocarcinoma, as well as the clinical characteristics of the patients and the corresponding therapeutic schemes. Results: We reported a patient with lung adenocarcinoma who developed EGFR-T790M mutation after first-line treatment with icotinib and sarcoma transformation after second-line treatment with almonertinib. Chemotherapy, radioactive particle implantation, antiangiogenic therapy and immunotherapy were followed, but the results were unsatisfactory. There was no report of EGFR-TKIs-resistant lung adenocarcinoma transforming into sarcoma. Among the 14 reports of adenocarcinoma transforming into sarcomatoid carcinoma, 8 cases had EGFR mutation, 3 cases had ALK mutation, 2 cases had ROS1 mutation, and 1 case had no asscoiated sensitive mutation. The median survival of 14 patients with adenocarcinoma transforming to sarcomatoid carcinoma was only 3 months. Conclusions: Sarcoma transformation can be one of the forms of drug resistance in patients with lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR-TKIs. The prognosis of patients with adenocarcinoma after transformation into sarcoma is poor.

Ginkgo Leaf-Derived Carbon Supports for the Immobilization of Iron/Iron Phosphide Nanospheres for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Iron/iron phosphide nanospheres supported on ginkgo leaf-derived carbon (Fe&FeP@gl-C) are prepared using a post-phosphidation approach, with varying amounts of iron (Fe). The activity of the catalysts in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) outperforms iron/iron carbide nanospheres supported on ginkgo leaf-derived carbon (Fe&Fex C@gl-C), due to enhanced work function, electron transfer, and Volmer processes. The d-band centers of Fe&FeP@gl-C-15 move away from the Fermi level, lowering the H2 desorption energy and accelerating the Heyrovsky reaction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the hydrogen-binding free energy |ΔGH* | value is close to zero for the Fe&FeP@gl-C-15 catalyst, showing a good balance between Volmer and Heyrovsky processes. The Fe&FeP@gl-C-15 catalyst shows excellent hydrogen evolution performance in 0.5 m H2 SO4 , driving a current density of 10 mA cm-2 at an overpotential of 92 mV. Notably, the Fe&FeP@gl-C-15 catalyst outperforms a 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst, with a smaller overpotential required to drive a higher current density above 375 mA cm-2 .

Hyperon Polarization along the Beam Direction Relative to the Second and Third Harmonic Event Planes in Isobar Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The polarization of Λ and Λ[over ¯] hyperons along the beam direction has been measured relative to the second and third harmonic event planes in isobar Ru+Ru and Zr+Zr collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV. This is the first experimental evidence of the hyperon polarization by the triangular flow originating from the initial density fluctuations. The amplitudes of the sine modulation for the second and third harmonic results are comparable in magnitude, increase from central to peripheral collisions, and show a mild p_{T} dependence. The azimuthal angle dependence of the polarization follows the vorticity pattern expected due to elliptic and triangular anisotropic flow, and qualitatively disagrees with most hydrodynamic model calculations based on thermal vorticity and shear induced contributions. The model results based on one of existing implementations of the shear contribution lead to a correct azimuthal angle dependence, but predict centrality and p_{T} dependence that still disagree with experimental measurements. Thus, our results provide stringent constraints on the thermal vorticity and shear-induced contributions to hyperon polarization. Comparison to previous measurements at RHIC and the LHC for the second-order harmonic results shows little dependence on the collision system size and collision energy.

[Short term clinical observation of keratoconus treated with stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty combined with corneal collagen cross-linking]

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of Femtosecond laser-assisted stromal lenticule addition keratoplasty (SLAK) combined with corneal collagen cross-linking (CXL) in the treatment of middle and advanced Keratoconus. Methods: It was a retrospective case series study. Data of 23 cases (24 eyes) of keratoconus treated with femtosecond laser-assisted SLAK combined with CXL in Laser Vision Centre of Xi'an No.1 Hospital from September 2020 to June 2022 were collected, including 16 males and 7 females, aged (23.69±5.18) years. The thickness, diopter number and diameter of the donor corneal stromal lens were assessed. uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and diopter were recorded before and 1, 3, and 6 months after surgery. Sirius 3D fault corneal topography instrument to measure flat simulated keratometry (Kf), steep simulated keratometry (Ks) and the difference between them (ΔK), as well as central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal high-order aberration. Results: Six months after surgery, CCT (454.83±50.01) μm were significantly higher than before (384.92±35.45) μm (P<0.05). Six months after surgery, UCVA (1.41±0.32) was significantly lower than before (1.11±0.33)(P<0.05). Six months after surgery, spherical diopter [(-15.73±7.89) D], Kf [(56.82±4.76) D] and Ks [(61.00±4.70) D] were significantly higher than before [(-12.08±5.99) D, (53.55±4.95) D, (58.65±5.10) D] (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in BCVA, column mirror degree and higher order aberrations before and 6 months after surgery(P>0.05). No corneal stromal lens folds, melting and displacement were observed in all eyes during the follow-up period, and no corneal opacity or immune rejection was observed. Conclusions: femtosecond laser-assisted SLAK combined with CXL can significantly increase the corneal thickness of keratoconus and has good effectiveness. In addition, six months of postoperative follow-up of patients showed no significant changes in BCVA and high-order aberrations in the 6 mm central diameter of the cornea, and no postoperative adverse reaction were found in all eyes, indicating that the operation has certain safety.

Fabrication of Z-scheme Bi7O9I3/g-C3N4 heterojunction modified by carbon quantum dots for synchronous photocatalytic removal of Cr (Ⅵ) and organic pollutants

Chromium(VI) (Cr(VI)), a highly toxic metal ion, generally co-exists with organic pollutants in industrial effluents. The clean and effective technology for water purification is an imperative issue but still a challenging task. A series of Bi₇O₉I₃/g-C₃N₄ (BOI/CN) composites modified by lignin-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) were fabricated by hydrothermal method and applied for synchronous photocatalytic removal of Cr (Ⅵ) and levofloxacin (LEV). With the modification of CQDs in BOI/CN heterojunction, the 0.5-CQD/BOI/CN photocatalyst (0.5% content of CQDs) exhibited stronger light-harvesting capacity, more efficient charge separation, and faster electron transfer. Compared to those of BOI (51.2%), CN (36.8%), and BOI/CN (74.4%), the photoreduction efficiency of Cr(VI) reached up to 100% by 0.5-CQD/BOI/CN under 60 min of light irradiation, together with 94.8% degradation efficiency of LEV. The degradation of LEV was dominantly controlled by active species (•OH and •O₂^-) identified by electron paramagnetic resonance analysis and free radical trapping experiments. The intermediates of LEV were determined by LC-MS and the possible degradation pathway was speculated in combination with density functional theory calculation, involving defluorination, decarboxylation, quinolone rings opening, and piperazine moieties oxidation reactions. This work provides an advanced strategy for the fabrication of high-efficiency CQDs-based Z-scheme photocatalysts for environmental remediation.

Rituximab Chimeric Anti-CD20 Monoclonal Antibody Therapy for Relapsed Indolent Lymphoma: Half of Patients Respond to a Four-Dose Treatment Program

PURPOSE

The CD20 antigen is expressed on more than 90% of B-cell lymphomas. It is appealing for targeted therapy, because it does not shed or modulate. A chimeric monoclonal antibody more effectively mediates host effector functions and is itself less immunogenic than are murine antibodies.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a multiinstitutional trial of the chimeric anti-CD20 antibody, IDEC-C2B8. Patients with relapsed low grade or follicular lymphoma received an outpatient treatment course of IDEC-C2B8 375 mg/m2 intravenously weekly for four doses.

RESULTS

From 31 centers, 166 patients were entered. Of this intent-to-treat group, 48% responded. With a median follow-up duration of 11.8 months, the projected median time to progression for responders is 13.0 months. Serum antibody levels were sustained longer after the fourth infusion than after the first, and were higher in responders and in patients with lower tumor burden. The majority of adverse events occurred during the first infusion and were grade 1 or 2; fever and chills were the most common events. Only 12% of patients had grade 3 and 3% grade 4 toxicities. A human antichimeric antibody was detected in only one patient.

CONCLUSION

The response rate of 48% with IDEC-C2B8 is comparable to results with single-agent cytotoxic chemotherapy. Toxicity was mild. Attention needs to be paid to the rate of antibody infusion, with titration according to toxicity. Further investigation of this agent is warranted, including its use in conjunction with standard chemotherapy.

Collision-System and Beam-Energy Dependence of Anisotropic Flow Fluctuations

Elliptic flow measurements from two-, four-, and six-particle correlations are used to investigate flow fluctuations in collisions of U+U at sqrt[s_{NN}]=193  GeV, Cu+Au at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200  GeV and Au+Au spanning the range sqrt[s_{NN}]=11.5-200  GeV. The measurements show a strong dependence of the flow fluctuations on collision centrality, a modest dependence on system size, and very little if any, dependence on particle species and beam energy. The results, when compared to similar LHC measurements, viscous hydrodynamic calculations, and trento model eccentricities, indicate that initial-state-driven fluctuations predominate the flow fluctuations generated in the collisions studied.

Clinical feasibility of deep learning-based automatic head CBCT image segmentation and landmark detection in computer-aided surgical simulation for orthognathic surgery

The purpose of this ambispective study was to investigate whether deep learning-based automatic segmentation and landmark detection, the SkullEngine, could be used for orthognathic surgical planning. Sixty-one sets of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were automatically inferred for midface, mandible, upper and lower teeth, and 68 landmarks. The experimental group included automatic segmentation and landmarks, while the control group included manual ones that were previously used to plan orthognathic surgery. The qualitative analysis of segmentation showed that all of the automatic results could be used for computer-aided surgical simulation. Among these, 98.4% of midface, 70.5% of mandible, 98.4% of upper teeth, and 93.4% of lower teeth could be directly used without manual revision. The Dice similarity coefficient was 96% and the average symmetric surface distance was 0.1 mm for all four structures. With SkullEngine, it took 4 minutes to complete the automatic segmentation and an additional 10 minutes for a manual touchup. The results also showed the overall mean difference between the two groups was 2.3 mm for the midface and 2.4 mm for the mandible. In summary, the authors believe that automatic segmentation using SkullEngine is ready for daily practice. However, the accuracy of automatic landmark digitization needs to be improved.

[Association between self-reported gingival bleeding and prevalent hypertension among adults in a cross-sectional study in Zhejiang province]

Objective: To explore the association between self-reported gingival bleeding and prevalent hypertension among adults in Zhejiang with a cross-sectional study. Methods: After excluding participants with self-reported, physician-diagnosed heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and those who never or rarely brush their teeth at baseline study, 48 625 participants aged 30-79 in the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study from Tongxiang, Zhejiang were included for the final analysis. Three multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) for the associations of self-reported gingival bleeding with prevalent hypertension. Results: The mean age of women was (51.2±9.2) years, and 42.9% of participants had prevalent hypertension. The percentage of self-reported frequent gingival bleeding was 6.56% (95%CI: 6.38%-6.75%), significantly higher among women (8.08%, 95%CI: 7.82%-8.35%) than among men (4.36%, 95%CI: 4.12%-4.60%) (P<0.001). After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, behavioral lifestyle, sleep duration, BMI, waist circumference, snoring, in comparison with men whose gingivae never or rarely bleed while brushing teeth, the odds ratio (95%CI) of hypertension for those with occasional, and frequent gingival bleeding were 1.04 (0.96-1.12) and 1.18 (1.02-1.37), respectively (trend P =0.038). The corresponding figures for women were 0.96 (0.91-1.02) and 0.95 (0.86-1.05), respectively (trend P=0.344). Conclusion: Frequent gingival bleeding was positively associated with prevalent hypertension among men.

Triple-emission nitrogen and boron co-doped carbon quantum dots from lignin: Highly fluorescent sensing platform for detection of hexavalent chromium ions

Considering that hexavalent chromium ions (Cr⁶⁺) with high toxicity poses a huge threat to human health and the ecological environment, constructing a rapid and accurate sensing platform is of great significance in detecting the toxic substance. The novel nitrogen and boron co-doped carbon quantum dots (N, B-CQDs) from lignin are synthesized as fluorescent sensors for the detection of Cr⁶⁺. The synthetic processes involve the acid hydrolysis step followed by the hydrothermal treatment step. Lignin is firstly depolymerized by cleaving ether bonds in the acidolysis, and N, B-CQDs are consequently formed by the aromatic re-fusion of lignin nanoparticles in the hydrothermal process. The lignin-derived N, B-CQDs show triple emission of purple, blue and green fluorescence under the excitation of 300, 330, and 490 nm, respectively. The triple-emission N, B-CQDs are applied for the triple-channel detection of Cr⁶⁺, which exhibit highly sensitive and selective fluorescence quenching for Cr⁶⁺ with good linearity (R² ≤ 0.996) and very low limit of detection as 0.054, 0.049, and 0.077 μM under the excitation of 300, 330 and 490 nm, respectively. The utilization of renewable lignin as CQDs-based fluorescent sensors opens a new avenue for the rapid and accurate detection of Cr⁶⁺ through a multichannel sensing platform.

Search for the Chiral Magnetic Effect via Charge-Dependent Azimuthal Correlations Relative to Spectator and Participant Planes in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=200 GeV

The chiral magnetic effect (CME) refers to charge separation along a strong magnetic field due to imbalanced chirality of quarks in local parity and charge-parity violating domains in quantum chromodynamics. The experimental measurement of the charge separation is made difficult by the presence of a major background from elliptic azimuthal anisotropy. This background and the CME signal have different sensitivities to the spectator and participant planes, and could thus be determined by measurements with respect to these planes. We report such measurements in Au+Au collisions at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of 200 GeV at the Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider. It is found that the charge separation, with the flow background removed, is consistent with zero in peripheral (large impact parameter) collisions. Some indication of finite CME signals is seen in midcentral (intermediate impact parameter) collisions. Significant residual background effects may, however, still be present.

Preparation of Citric Acid-Sewage Sludge Hydrochar and Its Adsorption Performance for Pb(II) in Aqueous Solution

In order to seek the value-added utilization method of sewage sludge and develop low-cost and high-efficient adsorbents, a hydrochar was prepared by the co-hydrothermal carbonization of sewage sludge and citric acid and then characterized. The differences in Pb(II) adsorption performance between the citric acid–sewage sludge hydrochars (AHC) and the hydrochar prepared solely from sewage sludge (SSHC) were also investigated. When citric acid dose ratio (mass ratio of citric acid to dry sewage sludge) is 0.1, the obtained hydrohcar (AHC0.1) has the highest specific surface area (59.95 m²·g⁻¹), the most abundant oxygen-containing functional groups, the lowest pH_pzc (5.43), and the highest equilibrium adsorption capacity for Pb(II). The maximum adsorption capacity of AHC0.1 for Pb(II) is 60.88 mg·g⁻¹ (298 K), which is approximately 1.3 times that of SSHC. The potential mechanisms can be electrostatic attraction, co-precipitation, complexation, and cation-π interaction. It was demonstrated that by incorporating citric acid into the hydrothermal carbonization, resource utilization of sewage sludge can be accomplished effectively.

Facile and green preparation of solid carbon nanoonions via catalytic co-pyrolysis of lignin and polyethylene and their adsorption capability towards Cu(ii)

Carbon nanomaterials, such as carbon nanoonions (CNOs), possess promising applications in various fields. There are urgent demands to synthesize carbon nanomaterials from a green and renewable carbon source. In this study, solid CNOs with relatively uniform size distribution (with diameters of about 30–50 nm), abundant structure defects and oxygen-containing surface functional groups (such as –OH and –COOH) are developed from co-pyrolysis of lignin (LG) and polyethylene (PE) in the presence of Ni-based catalysts. The type of catalyst, the concentration of catalyst and catalytic co-pyrolysis temperature play important roles in the morphologies and properties of CNOs as confirmed by TEM and SEM. Furthermore, the produced CNOs can act as a low-cost and highly-efficient adsorbent to remove Cu(ii) from aqueous solution according to a homogeneous monolayer, chemical action-dominated, endothermic and spontaneous process. The theoretical maximum adsorption capacity of CNOs calculated from the Langmuir model is 100.00 mg g⁻¹. Surface deposition, complexation, π electron–cation interaction and electrostatic interaction are responsible for the adsorption of Cu(ii) using the prepared CNOs.

Solid carbon nanoonions with relatively uniform size distribution, abundant structure defects and oxygen-containing surface functional groups can be prepared from lignin with the introduction of polyethylene and Ni-based catalysts.

Investigation on the effect of different additives on anaerobic co-digestion of corn straw and sewage sludge: Comparison of biochar, Fe3O4, and magnetic biochar

The co-digestion of corn straw and sewage sludge with different additives (biochar, magnetic biochar, Fe₃O₄) were investigated. The highest cumulative methane yield of 245.15 mL/g VS_added was obtained with the Fe₃O₄ addition ratio of 5 g/kg, which was 60.47% higher than that of the control run (without additives). The lag phase time was shortened from 5.46 to 3.82 days with a biochar dosage of 5 g/kg. The performance of Fe₃O₄ on methane production from the co-digestion process was better than that of the biochar and magnetic biochar. The direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) was enhanced with regard to the increased concentration of acetic acid and decreased concentration of propionic acid. Microbial community analysis showed that the Geobacter and Methanosarcina were selectively enriched on the surface of Fe₃O₄, promoting the DIET and acetoclastic methanogenesis pathway. The cost-benefit analysis proved that the strategy of recycling Fe₃O₄ additive has the best economic benefit.

[Association between sleep duration and activity of daily living in the elderly aged 65 years and older in China]

Objective: To investigate the association between sleep duration and activity of daily living (ADL) in the elderly aged 65 years and older in China. Methods: A total of 11 247 subjects aged 65 and above were included in the Chinese Elderly Health Factors Tracking Survey from March 29, 2005 to April 8, 2019. Self-made questionnaire was used to collect the data of population sociological characteristics, health status and disease status. ADL status was assessed by basic activities of daily living. The association between sleep duration and ADL impairment was assessed by Cox proportional risk regression model. The dose-response relationship between sleep duration and ADL impairment was analyzed using restricted cubic spline function. Results: The age of the subjects was (79±10) years, including 5 793(51.5%) females. The incidence of ADL impairment was 33.3% (3 747/11 247). Subjects were divided into short, medium, and long sleep groups according to sleep duration of fewer than seven hours, seven to eight hours, or more than eight hours. The number of short, medium and long sleepers was 2 974 (26.4%), 4 922 (43.8%) and 3 351(29.8%), respectively. The intermediate sleep group had the lowest incidence of impaired ADL (4.98/100 person-years). Cox proportional risk regression model analysis showed that: taking the intermediate sleep group as reference, after adjustment of gender, age, marital status, educational level, place of residence, living with family, smoking, drinking, exercise, frequency of fruit consumption, vegetable intake frequency, sleep quality, factors such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, the long sleep time increased the risk of impaired ADL [HR (95%CI): 1.148 (1.062-1.241)]. Subgroup analysis showed a weak positive multiplicative interaction between sleep duration and age [HR (95%CI): 1.004 (1.000-1.009)], but no multiplicative interaction between sleep duration and sex [HR(95%CI): 0.948 (0.870-1.034)]. Longer sleep duration increased the risk of ADL impairment in women [HR (95%CI): 1.195 (1.074-1.329)], but not in men [HR (95%CI): 1.084 (0.966-1.217)]. Longer sleep duration increased the risk of ADL impairment in people aged 80 years and older [HR (95%CI): 1.185 (1.076-1.305)], but not in people younger than 80 years [HR (95%CI): 1.020 (0.890-1.169)]. There was a non-linear dose-response relationship between sleep duration and ADL damage (P=0.007), and the risk of ADL damage was lowest when sleep duration was 7.5 h. Conclusion: Sleep duration was positively correlated with the risk of ADL impairment in the elderly in a nonlinear dose-response relationship.

Measurement of the Sixth-Order Cumulant of Net-Proton Multiplicity Distributions in Au+Au Collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=27, 54.4, and 200 GeV at RHIC

According to first-principle lattice QCD calculations, the transition from quark-gluon plasma to hadronic matter is a smooth crossover in the region μ_{B}≤T_{c}. In this range the ratio, C_{6}/C_{2}, of net-baryon distributions are predicted to be negative. In this Letter, we report the first measurement of the midrapidity net-proton C_{6}/C_{2} from 27, 54.4, and 200 GeV Au+Au collisions at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC). The dependence on collision centrality and kinematic acceptance in (p_{T}, y) are analyzed. While for 27 and 54.4 GeV collisions the C_{6}/C_{2} values are close to zero within uncertainties, it is observed that for 200 GeV collisions, the C_{6}/C_{2} ratio becomes progressively negative from peripheral to central collisions. Transport model calculations without critical dynamics predict mostly positive values except for the most central collisions within uncertainties. These observations seem to favor a smooth crossover in the high-energy nuclear collisions at top RHIC energy.

Green Synthesis of Tunable Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots from Lignin and Their Application in Anti-Counterfeit Printing

Lignin converted to carbon quantum dots (CQDs) attracts tremendous attention for large-scale production of carbon nanomaterials and value-added disposal of biomass wastes (such as the black liquor from pulping industry and the residue from hydrolysis of biomass). The green synthesis of lignin-derived CQDs is reported via a facile two-step method with the adjustment of acid additives containing N or S. The resulting series of CQDs exhibit bright fluorescence in gradient colors from blue to yellowish green, among which the N, S co-doped CQDs with the addition of 2,4-diaminobenzene sulfonic acid show an optimal fluorescence quantum yield (QY) of 30.5%. The red-shift photoluminescence emission behaviors of these CQDs can be attributed to the increased graphitization degree and reduced optical energy band gaps (2.47 → 2.17 eV) with regard to the incorporation of various heteroatoms. The improved fluorescence QYs are consistent with the variation trend of the increased N/C content in the CQDs. The yellowish green-emissive CQDs with bright fluorescence, strong water solubility, and excellent chemical stability perform well in anti-counterfeiting printing. The promising and sustainable approach for the synthesis of tunable fluorescent CQDs exhibits the value-added utilization of lignin for the fluorescence ink production.

Carbon nanotubes/Al2O3 composite derived from catalytic reforming of the pyrolysis volatiles of the mixture of polyethylene and lignin for highly-efficient removal of Pb(ii)

In the present study, the coked catalysts derived from catalytic reforming of the pyrolysis volatiles of polyethylene (PE), lignin (LG) and their mixture were developed as low-cost and environmentally-friendly carbon materials-containing composites to remove heavy metal ions from aqueous solution. The composites were thoroughly characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD, TGA and FT-IR and then their adsorption capability towards Pb(ii) was investigated. It is found that curved cone-shape carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with abundant structural defects and O-containing surface functional groups, such as C–O, C Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> O and –OH, can be obtained from the catalytic reforming of the mixture of PE and LG. The CNT-containing catalyst composite presents a superior adsorption capability towards Pb(ii) when it is employed in Pb(ii) removal. Adsorption isotherm and adsorption kinetics studies show that the adsorption process can be well simulated by the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order model, demonstrating that the adsorption is subjected to a homogeneous and chemical process. The calculated maximum adsorption capacity is as high as 146.08 mg g⁻¹, which is much higher than most of the adsorbents reported. Moreover, thermodynamic analysis reveals that the adsorption is spontaneous and endothermic. Accordingly, the used catalyst from the catalytic reforming can be developed as a low-cost and highly-efficient adsorbent.

The coked catalysts derived from catalytic reforming of the pyrolysis volatiles of polyethylene, lignin and their mixture were developed as low-cost and high-efficient carbon materials-containing composites to remove heavy metal ions from water.

[Clinical characteristics of epidermal growth factor receptor-mutated advanced adenocarcinoma transformed into small-cell lung cancer]

Objective: To explore the clinicopathological characteristics and genomic characteristics of four patients with epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)-mutated advanced adenocarcinoma transformed into small-cell lung cancer. Methods: Four cases of EGFR-mutated advanced adenocarcinoma of the lung transformed into small-cell lung cancer were studied by clinical data, pathological morphology, immunohistochemistry and gene detection. Result: EGFR-mutated adenocarcinoma of the lung was heterogeneous in clinical and genomic profiles, of ten characterized by RB1, TP53 and PIK3CA mutations. Its transformation into small-cell lung cancer was a particularly aggressive mechanism of drug resistance, but the machanisms were not clear NSE and other tumor indicators had low diagnostic value for transformation. Conclusions: EGFR-mutated adenocarcinoma of the lung transformed into small-cell lung cancer was one of the reasons for EGFR resistance with avery poor prognosis.

[Sensitivity and specificity of nucleic acid testing in close contacts of COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou]

Objective: To analyze the sensitivity and specificity of SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid testing in 20 348 close contacts of COVID-19 cases in different prevention and control stages in Guangzhou and to provide scientific evidence for optimizing epidemic response strategies. Methods: A total of 20 348 close contacts of COVID-19 cases in Guangzhou were traced between February 21 and September 22,2020. All the close contacts were tested for the nucleic acid of SARS-CoV-2. The sensitivity and specificity of nucleic acid testing and diagnosis in the different prevention and control stages were compared. Results: In 20 348 close contacts, 12 462 were males (61.24%), the median (P₂₅,P₇₅) of age of them was 31.0 years (23.0,43.0), the median number (P₂₅,P₇₅) of nucleic acid testing for them was 2.0 (1.0,3.0), and the median (P₂₅,P₇₅) of their quarantine days was 12.0 (8.0,13.0) days, respectively. A total of 256 COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the close contacts after seven nucleic acid tests. In the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 7^th nucleic acid testing, the sensitivity and specificity were 69.14% and 99.99% (177 cases confirmed), 89.84% and 99.99% (230 cases confirmed), 97.27% and 99.99% (249 cases confirmed), and 100.00% and 99.98%, respectively. In the three stages of COVID-19 prevention and control in China: domestic case stage, imported case stage, and imported case associated local epidemic stage, the sensitivity of the 1^st nucleic acid testing was 70.68%, 68.00% and 67.35%, and the specificity was 99.98%, 100.00% and 100.00%, respectively. Conclusions: The sensitivity of nucleic acid testing in the close contacts at the different stages were consistent with slight decrease, which might be related to the increased proportion of asymptomatic infections in the late stage of epidemic prevention and control with COVID-19 in Guangzhou. It is suggested to give three nucleic acid tests to improve the sensitivity and reduce false negative risk.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals the inhibition of reproduction in rice brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens, after silencing the gene of MagR (IscA1)

MagR (IscA1) is a member of the iron-sulphur cluster assembly proteins, which plays vital roles in many physiological processes, such as energy metabolism, electron transfer, iron homeostasis, heme biosynthesis and physiologically magnetic response. Its deletion leads to the loss of mitochondrial DNA, inactivation of iron-sulphur proteins and abnormal embryonic development in organisms. However, the physiological roles of MagR in insects are unclear. This study characterized the effects and molecular regulatory mechanism of MagR gene silencing on the reproduction of brachypterous female adults of Nilaparvata lugens. After silencing the MagR gene using RNAi approach, the duration of reproductive period was shortened and the fecundity and hatchability reduced significantly. A total of 479 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified for female adults after 2 days of dsRNA injection through RNA-sequencing technology, including 352 significantly upregulated DEGs and 127 significantly downregulated DEGs, among which 44 DEGs were considered the key genes involved in the effects of NlMagR silencing on the reproduction, revealing the regulatory mechanism of MagR at RNA transcription level and providing a new strategy for the control of N. lugens.

Prediction of methane production from co-digestion of lignocellulosic biomass with sludge based on the major compositions of lignocellulosic biomass

In the present study, the simplex lattice mixture design method was adopted to design the artificial biomass with different ratios of three major components (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin). The methane yield from the co-digestion of the artificial/ natural biomass (corn stover, wheat stover, rice straw, and peanut stalk) samples with the mixed sludge at the mixture ratio of 1:1 based on total solid (TS) content was recorded for 50 days. The original mathematical prediction models for estimating the cumulative methane production, maximum methane production rate, and lag phase time were established based on the experimental results from the co-digestion of artificial biomass with sludge. To investigate the influence of the structural features of biomass and interactions among the components of biomass which contributing to the inhibition of methane production, the macroscopic factor (MF) was proposed. The mathematical models which revealed the relationship between MF and the methane production parameters were developed by the combination of the prediction results from the original mathematical prediction model and experimental results from the co-digestion of natural biomass with sludge. Modification of the original mathematical prediction models was carried out by considering MF. After modification, the relative error (RE) and root mean square error (RMSE) of the prediction model for cumulative methane production were declined from 19.00 to 30.18% and 42.38 mL/g VS_added to that of - 1.93~7.14% and 4.36 mL/g VS_added, respectively.

Dual innervation of the mylohyoid muscle by the trigeminal and hypoglossal nerves: A case report

During the routine dissection of a cadaveric specimen, the left mylohyoid muscle was found to be innervated by both the trigeminal and hypoglossal nerves. This variation was found unilaterally. To our knowledge this dual innervation of the mylohyoid muscle is an extremely rare variation. The possibility of these variants may lead to clinical consequences such as anesthesia failure and iatrogenic injury during surgical procedures in this region. We discuss this anatomical variation and possible developmental etiologies.

Catalytic hydrogenolysis of lignin in ethanol/isopropanol over an activated carbon supported nickel-copper catalyst

Lignin is the renewable and abundant source of aromatics on earth, and the depolymerization of lignin provides significant potential for producing valuable monophenols. In this work, catalytic hydrogenolysis of organosolv poplar lignin (OPL) in ethanol/isopropanol solvent over monometallic and bimetallic nonprecious catalysts was investigated. Ni/C and a series of NiCu/C catalyst with different Cu loadings were prepared and applied for depolymerization of OPL. The highest yield of phenolic monomers was 63.4 wt% achieved over the Ni₁₀Cu₅/C catalyst at 270 °C without external H₂. The introduction of Cu in catalysts further promoted the hydrogen donor process of ethanol/isopropanol solvent and facilitated the cleavage of lignin linkages, resulting in the decreased molecular weight of bio-oil. The possible lignin dimer type structures, such as diphenylethane (β-1) type, phenylcoumaran (β-5) type, and pinoresinol (β-β) type structures, were proposed and identified by MALDI-TOF MS, giving a better understanding of the NiCu/C catalyzed lignin depolymerization.

Coked Ni/Al2O3 from the catalytic reforming of volatiles from co-pyrolysis of lignin and polyethylene: preparation, identification and application as a potential adsorbent

Preparation of novel C–Ni/Al₂O₃ composite from the catalytic reforming of volatiles from co-pyrolysis of lignin and polyethylene and its adsorption application.

[Association between snoring and hypertension among Zhejiang adults in a cross sectional study]

Objective: To explore the association between snoring and prevalent hypertension among adults in Zhejiang with a cross-sectional study. Methods: After excluding participants with self-reported, physician-diagnosed heart diseases, stroke and cancer at baseline study, 56 728 participants aged 30-79 in the China Kadoorie Biobank study from Tongxiang, Zhejiang were included for the final analysis. Three multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the ORs for the associations of snoring with prevalent hypertension. Results: The proportion of participants who snored frequently, snored sometimes, and never snored were 24.55%, 23.94%, and 51.51%, respectively. The corresponding figures of males were 32.40%, 26.55%, and 41.05%, respectively. The corresponding figures of females were 19.00%, 22.08%, and 58.92%, respectively (P<0.001). After adjusted socio-demographic factors, behavioral lifestyle, BMI, waist circumference, and sleep duration etc., in comparison with participants who never snored, the odds ratios (95%CI) of hypertension for those who snored frequently and snored sometimes were 1.17 (1.12-1.23) and 1.12 (1.07-1.18), respectively. The effects of snoring on hypertension were statistically significantly different between women and men, participants who were central obese and those who were not, and between premenopausal and post-menopausal women. Conclusion: Snoring was associated positively with hypertension among adults. The effect of snoring on prevalent hypertension were obvious, especially among people, being female, being central obese, and being premenopausal.

A critical review on VOCs adsorption by different porous materials: Species, mechanisms and modification methods

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have attracted world-wide attention regarding their serious hazards on ecological environment and human health. Industrial processes such as fossil fuel combustion, petrochemicals, painting, coatings, pesticides, plastics, contributed to the large proportion of anthropogenic VOCs emission. Destructive methods (catalysis oxidation and biofiltration) and recovery methods (absorption, adsorption, condensation and membrane separation) have been developed for VOCs removal. Adsorption is established as one of the most promising strategies for VOCs abatement thanks to its characteristics of cost-effectiveness, simplicity and low energy consumption. The prominent progress in VOCs adsorption by different kinds of porous materials (such as carbon-based materials, oxygen-contained materials, organic polymers and composites is carefully summarized in this work, concerning the mechanism of adsorbate-adsorbent interactions, modification methods for the mentioned porous materials, and enhancement of VOCs adsorption capacity. This overview is to provide a comprehensive understanding of VOCs adsorption mechanisms and up-to-date progress of modification technologies for different porous materials.

Temperature sensitivity of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) performance of Ce-TiO2 in the presence of SO2

Cerium titanate catalyst (Ce-TiO₂) is competitive as a substitute for the commercial SCR (selective catalytic reduction) catalysts VO₅-WO₂/TiO₂ due to its high SCR activity and excellent redox performance. The reaction mechanisms of Ce-TiO₂ at 180 °C, 240 °C, and 300 °C in the presence of SO₂ were systematically studied regarding the evolution of the SCR activity, quantitative analysis of sulfate compounds, and comprehensive identification of the fresh and poisoned catalysts. The results demonstrated that NO conversion at 180 °C in the presence of SO₂ is highly sensitive to the formation of cerium sulfates/sulfites, limiting the reactivity of NH₄⁺ adsorbed on SO Brønsted acid sites and inhibiting the E-R reaction pathway. At 240 °C, the degradation of NO conversion was commenced by the cumulative influence of cerium sulfates/sulfites. With the increase of the reaction temperature to 300 °C, the NO conversion is gradually immune to the formation of cerium sulfates in spite of the great amount of cerium sulfates deposited on the deeper interior of CeO₂. The high SCR activity of the Ce-TiO₂ catalyst in the presence of SO₂ at a higher reaction temperature might be ascribed to the synergistic catalysis between surface cerium sulfates and bulk CeO₂, where surface cerium sulfates act as acid sites for the adsorption of NH₃ and the bulk CeO₂ acts as the redox sites. The reaction mechanisms of the Ce-TiO₂ catalyst in the presence of SO₂ at different temperatures are proposed as the two reaction routes.

Rapid and equipment-free detection of Phytophthora capsici using lateral flow strip-based recombinase polymerase amplification assay

Phytophthora capsici is an important oomycete pathogen that causes devastating diseases in various crops. Methods for the rapid detection of P. capsici are important for disease control and eradication programmes. Here, we developed an assay based on lateral flow strip-based recombinase polymerase amplification (LF-RPA) for the rapid and equipment-free detection of P. capsici. The specific primers and a probe were designed using the sequence of Ypt1, and the optimal assay conditions were 40°C for 20 min. The specificity of the assay was verified using closely related oomycetes and fungal species, and its detection limit was 10 pg of genomic DNA. In combination with a simple DNA extraction method, the LF-RPA assay enabled detection of P. capsici in diseased pepper samples without specialized equipment within 30 min. Consequently, the LF-RPA assay developed in this study enables rapid and equipment-free detection of P. capsici and has potential for further development as a diagnostic kit for application in the field or in resource-limited laboratories. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: We developed a novel assay based on lateral flow strip-based recombinase polymerase amplification (LF-RPA) for the rapid and equipment-free detection of Phytophthora capsici. In combination with a simple DNA extraction method, the LF-RPA assay detected P. capsici in field samples without specialized equipment within 30 min. The assay has potential for further development as a diagnostic kit for application in the field or in resource-limited laboratories.

ZB transposon and chicken vasa homologue (Cvh) promoter interact to increase transfection efficiency of primordial germ cells in vivo

1. In order to increase the efficiency of generating transgenic chicken, this trial focused on two points: primordial germ cells (PGCs）transfection in vivo and a germline-specific promoter.2. In order to transfect PGCs in vivo, two plasmids (pZB-CAG-GFP, pCMV-ZB）were co-injected into chicken embryos via the subgerminal cavity at Hamburger and Hamilton (HH) stage 2-3 or via blood vessel at HH stage 13-14. Results showed that the percentage of GFP+ embryos, viability and hatching rate of embryos injected at HH stage 13-14 were significantly higher than that at HH stage 2-3.3. Two plasmid transposon systems were used for chicken embryo micro-injections. The donor plasmid, with a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene, was mediated by the ZB transposon. The helper plasmid was a transposase expression vector driven by the promoter of the chicken vasa homologue (Cvh) gene or Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter. Results showed that 60.98% of gonads in Cvh group expressed GFP, which was 52.50% higher than seen in the CMV group. Only gonad tissue from the Cvh group showed any GFP signal, whereas both gonads and other tissues in the CMV group showed green fluorescence.4. The data suggested that ZB transposon-mediated gene transfer was efficient for transfecting PGCs in vivo; the Cvh promoter drove the transposase gene specifically in the germline and increased the efficiency of germline transmission. Blood vessels injection at HH stage 13-14 may be a more efficient route for PGCs transfection in vivo.

Vaccinia-based oncolytic immunotherapy Pexastimogene Devacirepvec in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma after sorafenib failure: a randomized multicenter Phase IIb trial (TRAVERSE)

Pexastimogene devacirepvec (Pexa-Vec) is a vaccinia virus-based oncolytic immunotherapy designed to preferentially replicate in and destroy tumor cells while stimulating anti-tumor immunity by expressing GM-CSF. An earlier randomized Phase IIa trial in predominantly sorafenib-naïve hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) demonstrated an overall survival (OS) benefit. This randomized, open-label Phase IIb trial investigated whether Pexa-Vec plus Best Supportive Care (BSC) improved OS over BSC alone in HCC patients who failed sorafenib therapy (TRAVERSE).

129 patients were randomly assigned 2:1 to Pexa-Vec plus BSC vs. BSC alone. Pexa-Vec was given as a single intravenous (IV) infusion followed by up to 5 IT injections. The primary endpoint was OS. Secondary endpoints included overall response rate (RR), time to progression (TTP) and safety.

A high drop-out rate in the control arm (63%) confounded assessment of response-based endpoints. Median OS (ITT) for Pexa-Vec plus BSC vs. BSC alone was 4.2 and 4.4 months, respectively (HR, 1.19, 95% CI: 0.78–1.80; p = .428). There was no difference between the two treatment arms in RR or TTP. Pexa-Vec was generally well-tolerated. The most frequent Grade 3 included pyrexia (8%) and hypotension (8%). Induction of immune responses to vaccinia antigens and HCC associated antigens were observed.

Despite a tolerable safety profile and induction of T cell responses, Pexa-Vec did not improve OS as second-line therapy after sorafenib failure. The true potential of oncolytic viruses may lie in the treatment of patients with earlier disease stages which should be addressed in future studies.

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01387555

Relationship between neuronal network architecture and naming performance in temporal lobe epilepsy: A connectome based approach using machine learning

Impaired confrontation naming is a common symptom of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The neurobiological mechanisms underlying this impairment are poorly understood but may indicate a structural disorganization of broadly distributed neuronal networks that support naming ability. Importantly, naming is frequently impaired in other neurological disorders and by contrasting the neuronal structures supporting naming in TLE with other diseases, it will become possible to elucidate the common systems supporting naming. We aimed to evaluate the neuronal networks that support naming in TLE by using a machine learning algorithm intended to predict naming performance in subjects with medication refractory TLE using only the structural brain connectome reconstructed from diffusion tensor imaging. A connectome-based prediction framework was developed using network properties from anatomically defined brain regions across the entire brain, which were used in a multi-task machine learning algorithm followed by support vector regression. Nodal eigenvector centrality, a measure of regional network integration, predicted approximately 60% of the variance in naming. The nodes with the highest regression weight were bilaterally distributed among perilimbic sub-networks involving mainly the medial and lateral temporal lobe regions. In the context of emerging evidence regarding the role of large structural networks that support language processing, our results suggest intact naming relies on the integration of sub-networks, as opposed to being dependent on isolated brain areas. In the case of TLE, these sub-networks may be disproportionately indicative naming processes that are dependent semantic integration from memory and lexical retrieval, as opposed to multi-modal perception or motor speech production.

Assessment of the energy recovery potential of waste Photovoltaic (PV) modules

Global exponential increase in levels of Photovoltaic (PV) module waste is an increasing concern. The purpose of this study is to investigate if there is energy value in the polymers contained within first-generation crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV modules to help contribute positively to recycling rates and the circular economy. One such thermochemical conversion method that appeals to this application is pyrolysis. As c-Si PV modules are made up of glass, metal, semiconductor and polymer layers; pyrolysis has potential not to promote chemical oxidation of any of these layers to help aid delamination and subsequently, recovery. Herein, we analysed both used polymers taken from a deconstructed used PV module and virgin-grade polymers prior to manufacture to determine if any properties or thermal behaviours had changed. The calorific values of the used and virgin-grade Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulant were found to be high, unchanged and comparable to that of biodiesel at 39.51 and 39.87 MJ.Kg⁻¹, respectively. This result signifies that there is energy value within used modules. As such, this study has assessed the pyrolysis behaviour of PV cells and has indicated the energy recovery potential within the used polymers found in c-Si PV modules.

Abstract P2-14-18: Achiveing rapid intrao-operative diagnosis during breast cancer surgery using high-reloution full-field optical coherence imaging and dynamic cell imaging

Background: Intraoperative pathological diagnosis such as frozen section and imprint cytology is not routinely recommended in clinical practice because of time and accuracy concerns. Full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) is a new optical imaging technique that could generate sectioning tomogram from fresh tissue and provide depiction of the morphological structure and pathological changes in minutes without conventional tissue preparation, slicing, and staining, and dynamic cell imaging (DCI) added the viability information of cells/tissue, which could be more important in cancer diagnosis. This study was to evaluate the feasibility and diagnostic value of FF-OCT and DCI in breast lesions and lymph node specimens during breast cancer surgery.

Methods: We evaluated normal breast tissue, benign breast lesions, breast cancer and axillary lymph node specimens from 107 patients using FF-OCT and DCI. After the optical assessment, the tissue was paraffin embedded and sent to conventional H&E diagnosis. The similar layer of OCT and H&E images were compared and diagnostic criteria were generated. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity by two trained surgeons without pathology diagnosis experience were evaluated.

Results: A total of 194 specimens were examined, including 143 breast tissue(101 malignant and 42 benign/normal) and 51 lymph nodes(26 metastatic and 25 non-metastatic). On FF-OCT and DCI, normal morphological structures such as adipose, collagen, mammary ducts, and lobules in breast tissue and lymphoid follicle and hilum in lymph nodes were easily recognized. Breast cancer characteristics on H&E imaging correspond to collagen distortion, focal hypointensity, micro-calcification, clustered or linear lively cells et etc on FF-OCT or DCI, which could also be easily distinguished. We included the previously mentioned features to build diagnosis criteria for cancer on FF-OCT and DCI. The average acquisition time is 14±11 minutes. The sensitivity and specificity for breast cancer diagnosis were 92.1% and 94.3% respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for lymph node involvement were 92.3% and 84% respectively.

Conclusion: The time- and tissue-saving optical imaging technique yielded high accuracy that was comparable to that of traditional intraoperative and postoperative pathological diagnosis in breast cancer and lymph node metastasis. These results implied the promising application in the intraoperative evaluation and possible decrease of the re-excision rate for breast cancer surgery.

Citation Format: Yang H, Zhang S, Guo J, Xie F, Tong F, Cao Y, Liu P, Zhou B, Cheng L, Liu M, Wang S, Peng Y, Wang C, Yang Y, Ma Y, Chen D, Shen D, Wang S. Achiveing rapid intrao-operative diagnosis during breast cancer surgery using high-reloution full-field optical coherence imaging and dynamic cell imaging [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-14-18.

Abstract P3-03-43: Incorporation of MSKCC nomogram to guide the application of intra-operative sentinel lymph node frozen section evaluation in patients with early breast cancer

Background and Objectives:

Although de-escalation of axillary surgery becomes more popular, axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) is still the standard care for sentinel lymph node(SLN) positive patients not meeting the criteria of ACOSOG Z0011 in many hospitals, and frozen section (FS) of SLN is one of the valuble intra-operative assesments to avoid axilla re-operation although it was controversial due to accuracy and efficiency concerns. This study was to assess the performance of selective use of frozen section evaluation guided by MSKCC lymph node metastasis risk prediction nomogram to optimize the proceudure to be more accurate and cost effective.

Methods:

Surgical pathology records of consecutive 2582 biopsies in 2552 patients breast cancer patients from 2011 to 2017 were reviewed, intra-operative frozen section diagnosis were compared to post-operative paraffin reports. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and FNR for different MSKCC risk, the axilla re-operation rate with or without FS and the number needed to treat (NNT) to avoid second ALND was also analyzed.

Results:

The sensitivity, specificity, and FNR of FS were 84.7%, 99.9%, and 15.3% respectively. The axilla re-operation rates were significantly decreased if FS was done(4.7%±0.4% with FS versus 35.8%±5.8% without FS, P&lt;0.001). The estimated axilla re-operation rate without FS was positively correlated with MSKCC risk(r=0.99, P&lt;0.001), while NNT to avoid second ALND by FS were negatively correlated with MSKCC risk(r=-0.98, P&lt;0.001). When patients were divided into four groups according to quartile MSKCC risk, the axilla re-excisional rates were 18.4%, 25.1%, 38.7%, 58.7% without FS, while 4.8%, 3.2%, 5.6%, 3.2% with FS, and NNT correspondingly decreased from 7.3, 4.5, 3.0 to 1.8. An decision-making algorithm for application of FS was proposed.

Conclusion:

Stratified decision-making algorithm based on MSKCC prediction model improved the efficiency of FS to avoid axilla re-operatioin in patients undergoing sentinel lymph node biopsy. We recommend FS be restricted to patients with MSKCC risk higher than 0.5 who do not meet ACOSOG Z0011 criteria.

Citation Format: Yang H, Wang S, Shen D, Cao Y, Tong F, Chen D, Liu P, Peng Y. Incorporation of MSKCC nomogram to guide the application of intra-operative sentinel lymph node frozen section evaluation in patients with early breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-03-43.

Sulfation effect of Ce/TiO2 catalyst for the selective catalytic reduction of NOx with NH3: mechanism and kinetic studies

Ceria-based catalysts are competitive substitutes for the commercial SCR catalysts due to their high SCR activity and excellent redox performance. For a better understanding of the SO₂ poisoning mechanism over ceria-based catalysts, the sulfation effect of the Ce/TiO₂ catalyst on the SCR activity over a wide reaction temperature range was systematically studied via comprehensive characterizations, in situ DRIFT studies and kinetic studies. The results demonstrated that the NO conversion at 150 °C is significantly inhibited by the formation of cerium sulfites/sulfates due to the inhibited redox properties and excessive adsorption of NH₃, which restrict the dissociation of NH₃ to NH₂, resulting in a much lower reaction rate of E–R reaction over the sulfated Ce/TiO₂ catalyst. With the increase in the reaction temperature, the reaction rate of the E–R reaction significantly increased due to the improved redox properties and weakened adsorption of NH₃. Moreover, the rate of the C–O reaction over the sulfated Ce/TiO₂ catalysts is obviously lower than that of the fresh Ce/TiO₂ catalyst. The promotion of NO conversion over the sulfated catalyst at 330 °C is attributed to both the increase in the reaction rate of E–R reaction and the inhibition of the C–O reaction.

After sulfation treatment, low-temperature SCR activity is severely inhibited due to the much lower reaction rate of E–R reaction.