[Progress in treatment of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors for bladder cancer]

Because of the limited effect of traditional treatment methods such as surgical treatment, radiotherapy and chemotherapy,the emergence of immunotherapy has brought new hope for the treatment of patients with bladder cancer. As an immune checkpoint inhibitor, programmed death receptor 1/programmed death receptor-ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitor has shown good anti-tumor activity and safety in the treatment of advanced bladder cancer, and has been recommended for advanced bladder cancer as second-line treatment by NCCN guidelines. PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor for the treatment of bladder cancer has covered the first-line and second-line treatment, as well as maintenance therapy after first-line chemotherapy of locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer, adjuvant and neoadjuvant therapy of muscle-invasive bladder cancer, treatment of high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer failed by Bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine perfusion, and bladder preservation therapy of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Some of related studies have achieved certain results, and some are in progress, both of which need to be further examined. Maybe it can provide new guidance and ideas for clinical treatment of bladder cancer.

[A clinical analysis of 123 cases of primary empty sella]

Objective: This study was conducted to analyze the clinical characteristics and pituitary function of patients with primary empty sella (PES). Methods: The clinical data from 123 hospitalized adult patients with PES from January 2010 to May 2016 were retrospectively studied. Results: (1) The average age of the 123 (male 43, female 80) PES patients was (59.2±13.6) years (ranging 24-92 years), among whom 61% patients were in the age group between 50-69 years. (2) The symptoms of the patients included fatigue (56.1%), headache (34.1%), nausea and vomiting (17.9%), gonadal dysfunction (17.1%), visual disturbance (5.7%) and hypopituitarism crisis (3.3%). (3) Hypopituitarism was found in 66 of the 123 patients. Among them, 36.6%, 31.7% and 17.1% were central hypoadrenalism, hypogonadism, and hypothyroidism, respectively.The percentage of hypopituitarism in complete PES was significantly higher than that in partial PES (P<0.05). (4) Sixteen patients were concomitant with other autoimmune diseases including 11 patients with Graves' disease and 2 with Cushing's syndrome due to adrenal adenoma. Conclusions: The incidence of hypopituitarism in PES was 53.7%, in which the pituitary-adrenal axis hypofunction was more common. An overall evaluation of the pituitary function was essential for the patients who had headache and fatigue, or with suspected PES. The patients with hypopituitarism should be given hormone replacement therapy in time and followed up afterword.

One-dimensional single-crystalline bismuth oxide micro/nanoribbons: morphology-controlled synthesis and luminescent properties

Based on a facile vapor-phase transport method without any catalyst and template, one-dimensional single-crystalline bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) micro/nanoribbons were fabricated on silicon substrates in large quantities and morphology-controlled fabrication of Bi2O3 was achieved from a single precursor. The widths of Bi2O3 ribbons varied from 0.2 to 20 microm depending on the deposition temperatures. The thickness was in the range of 0.1-2 microm and the length reached several hundred micrometers and even millimeter range. The detailed composition and structural analysis confirmed the single-crystalline nature of alpha-Bi2O3 micro/nanoribbons with monoclinic structure. The photoluminescence spectrum of a single Bi2O3 ribbon showed a broadband emission from 450 to 750 nm in the visible region, consisting two peaks located at 589 and 697 nm which were primarily originated from the impurity ions and crystal defects. A self-catalyzed vapor-solid model was proposed to account for the growth mechanism of Bi2O3 ribbons with different morphologies.

Removal of arsenate from aqueous solution by nanocrystalline Mg/Al layered double hydroxide: sorption characteristics, prospects, and challenges

Removal of arsenate (As(V)) from aqueous solution using both nanocrystalline and coprecipitated Mg/Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) was examined under different sorption/desorption conditions. The surface area, pore volume, and pore size of the nanocrystalline LDH were significantly higher than those of the coprecipitated LDH, thus resulting in a higher As(V) sorption maximum than the coprecipitated LDH. The calculated activation energy (E(a)) value was 24.7 kJ/mol, suggesting the occurrence of anion exchange process for As(V) removal by the nanocrystalline LDH. The predominance of anion exchange process was further supported by the investigation of ionic strength effect, and XRD and FTIR analyses. The effect of aqueous matrix on As(V) sorption by the nanocrystalline LDH was found to increase in the order of nitrate < silica < sulfate < carbonate < phosphate. Regeneration study showed that a secondary sorption mechanism might occur concurrently for the As(V) sorption by nanocrystalline LDH besides the predominant anion exchange process. Prospects and challenges for practical application of the nanocrystalline LDH were also discussed in the latter part of this study.

Mechanistic and thermodynamic studies of oxyanion sorption by various synthetic Mg/Al layered double hydroxides

In this study, Mg/Al layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were investigated for their potential in scavenging several harmful oxyanions from aqueous solution. LDHs could effectively remove oxyanions and the selectivity of LDHs was governed by both the valencies and the ionic radii of the oxyanions. LDHs prepared by the fast coprecipitation with hydrothermal treatment (FCHT) method and sol-gel with solvothermal treatment method (SGST) had higher oxyanion (i.e. arsenate) removal efficiency than those prepared by the conventional routes, owing to their lower carbonate content, higher surface area, larger pore volume, larger pore size, and nanocrystalline characteristic. The sorption of arsenate by FCHT-LDH was found primarily due to anion exchange mechanism and might involve a secondary sorption mechanism. The negative DeltaG degrees for arsenate sorption confirmed the spontaneity of the removal process. The positive values of DeltaH degrees and DeltaS degrees provided further evidence of the anion exchange process in the removal mechanism.

Growth mechanism of tubular ZnO formed in aqueous solution

Tubular ZnO microstructural arrays were fabricated by a hydrothermal decomposition method. The dependence of the morphologies on the growth time and temperature was investigated in detail. An experiment was carried out to determine the mechanism of tubular ZnO formation. Our results showed that ZnO microtubes originated from an ageing process from ZnO microrods at a lower temperature (compared to the temperature when hydrothermal deposition of ZnO microrods was dominant) due to the preferential chemical dissolution of the metastable Zn-rich (0001) polar surfaces. A growth model was proposed based on the coexistence of hydrothermal deposition and dissolution of ZnO in the fabrication process.

TEM and STEM analysis on heat-treated and in vitro plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite/Ti-6Al-4V composite coatings

A cogent understanding of the microstructure, and indeed nano-structure, of hydroxyapatite (HA) and the interface between Ti-6Al-4V and HA is crucial to its appropriateness as a biomaterials. This paper reports the analysis of plasma-sprayed HA/Ti-6Al-4V composites by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to elucidate the intricate nature of the materials following plasma spray processing and in vitro evaluation. The novel Ti-6Al-4V/HA composite coating, with approximately 48 wt% HA, had demonstrated attractive tensile adhesion strength (approximately 28 MPa) and improved Young's modulus (approximately 55 GPa). Experimental results demonstrated that amorphous calcium phosphate and fine HA grains were formed during rapid splat solidification in the as-sprayed composite coatings. Small Ti-6Al-4V grains were observed adjacent to the amorphous calcium phosphate. The coatings were further heat treated at 600 degrees C for 6 h, and significant crystallisation of the amorphous calcium phosphate phase took place. However, complete crystallisation was not achieved at this temperature, as the coatings invariably contained a small amount of amorphous calcium phosphate phase in some local regions. After immersion in simulated body fluid for 2 weeks and 10 weeks, TEM and STEM confirmed that the interfaces inside the coating maintained good microstructural integrity.

A new ceramide from the basidiomycete Russula cyanoxantha

A new phytosphingosine-type ceramide (1) was isolated along with nine other compounds-5alpha,8alpha-epidioxy(22E,24R)-ergosta-6,22-dien-3beta-ol, 5alpha,8alpha-epidioxy-(24S)-ergosta-6-en-3beta-ol, (24S)-ergosta-7-ene-3beta,5alpha,6beta-triol, (22E,24R)-ergosta-7,22-dien-3beta,5alpha,6beta-triol, inosine, adenine, L-pyroglutamic acid, fumaric acid, and D-allitol from the ethanol and chloroform/methanol extract of the fruiting bodies of the basidiomycete Russula cyanoxanotha (Schaeff.) Fr. The structure of (1) was established as (2S,3S,4R,2'R)-2-(2'-hydroxytetracosanoylamino) octadecane-1,3,4-triol by means of spectroscopic and chemical methods.

Distribution and histochemical characteristics of mast cells in stroma of the cervix squamous cell carcinoma

The distribution and histochemical characteristics of mast cells in the stroma of cervical squamous cell carcinoma were investigated using different staining methods of alcian blue-safranin, berberine sulphate and toluidine blue. The findings suggest that mast cells in the stroma of the squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix might contain a glycosaminoglycan different from that of typical connective tissue mast cell (CTMC) and mucosal mast cell (MCC). They thus, might be a specific subset of mast cells though sharing some of the staining properties of both CTMC and MMC. In the cervical carcinoma in situ, mast cells were distributed closely around the tumor or the involved glands with great density and the number was significantly higher than that of the invasive carcinoma (P < 0.01). In invasive carcinoma, mast cells were mainly distributed in the deep stroma and the stroma around the tumor, only a few in the stroma within the tumor (P < 0.01). The significance of mast cell reaction in the stroma of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix is discussed.