Hyaluronic acid Hydrogels Hybridized with Au-Triptolide Nanoparticle for Intra-articular targeted multi-therapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Triptolide (TP) is a DMARD highly effective in patients with RA. Hyaluronic acid (HA) hydrogels loaded RGD-attached gold nanoparticles containing TP were synthesized to alleviate the toxicity and increase therapeutic specificity. The hydrogels can be applied for targeted photothermal-chemo therapy, and in vivo imaging of RA. Heat was locally generated at the inflammation site after degradation of HA chains due to near-infrared resonance (NIR) irradiation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and TP was released. Administration of the hybrid hydrogels containing low dosage of TP combined with NIR irradiation alleviated arthritic conditions and improved the inflamed joint in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. In vitro effect of the hydrogel was mediated through decrease of phosphorylation of mTOR and its substrate, p70S6K1, thus inhibiting mTOR pathway.

Preparation Method of Iron Oxyhydroxide Nanosheets for Treating Organic Dyes

Considering the promoted purification requirement for industry sewage, the discharge of azo dye wastewater will have a serious impact on the environment, iron oxyhydroxide nanosheets were designed and prepared, and the purification effects and application conditions were investigated in this work. We have used its structural advantages to perform adsorption tests on Congo red (CR). It found that it has very excellent properties. It has strong adsorption capacity for Congo red under the condition of low dosage and no adjustment of PH. By employing iron oxyhydroxide nanosheets with optimized molar ratio of reducing agent to Fe, it was found that the adsorption efficiency increase in the removal percentage for CR from industry sewage could be achieved at the large specific surface area and pore volume of B-Fe Nanosheets.

Extra-Low Dosage Graphene Oxide Cementitious Nanocomposites: A Nano- to Macroscale Approach

The impact of extra-low dosage (0.01% by weight of cement) Graphene Oxide (GO) on the properties of fresh and hardened nanocomposites was assessed. The use of a minimum amount of 2-D nanofiller would minimize costs and sustainability issues, therefore encouraging the market uptake of nanoengineered cement-based materials. GO was characterized by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Raman spectroscopy. GO consisted of stacked sheets up to 600 nm × 800 nm wide and 2 nm thick, oxygen content 31 at%. The impact of GO on the fresh admixtures was evaluated by rheology, flowability, and workability measurements. GO-modified samples were characterized by density measurements, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis, and compression and bending tests. Permeability was investigated using the boiling-water saturation technique, salt ponding test, and Initial Surface Absorption Test (ISAT). At 28 days, GO-nanocomposite exhibited increased density (+14%), improved compressive and flexural strength (+29% and +13%, respectively), and decreased permeability compared to the control sample. The strengthening effect dominated over the adverse effects associated with the worsening of the fresh properties; reduced permeability was mainly attributed to the refining of the pore network induced by the presence of GO.

Genomic and clinical findings in myeloid neoplasms with PDGFRB rearrangement

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor B (PDGFRB) gene rearrangements define a unique subgroup of myeloid and lymphoid neoplasms frequently associated with eosinophilia and characterized by high sensitivity to tyrosine kinase inhibition. To date, various PDGFRB/5q32 rearrangements, involving at least 40 fusion partners, have been reported. However, information on genomic and clinical features accompanying rearrangements of PDGFRB is still scarce. Here, we characterized a series of 14 cases with a myeloid neoplasm using cytogenetic, single nucleotide polymorphism array, and next-generation sequencing. We identified nine PDGFRB translocation partners, including the KAZN gene at 1p36.21 as a novel partner in a previously undescribed t(1;5)(p36;q33) chromosome change. In all cases, the PDGFRB recombination was the sole cytogenetic abnormality underlying the phenotype. Acquired somatic variants were mainly found in clinically aggressive diseases and involved epigenetic genes (TET2, DNMT3A, ASXL1), transcription factors (RUNX1 and CEBPA), and signaling modulators (HRAS). By using both cytogenetic and nested PCR monitoring to evaluate response to imatinib, we found that, in non-AML cases, a low dosage (100–200 mg) is sufficient to induce and maintain longstanding hematological, cytogenetic, and molecular remissions.

Dramatic improvement of segmental Zoster Paresis by late-onset antiviral therapy

Focal paresis secondary to Herpes zoster (HZ) is a rare neurological complication and should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of acute weakness with corresponding dermatomal rashes. In this case report, we illustrate an 84-year-old male patient, who presented with focal upper extremity weakness following HZ on right C4-8 dermatome. After clinical and electrophysiological evaluations, segmental zoster paresis was diagnosed. Although antiviral medication(oral brivudine) had been administered previously, oral valacyclovir and low dosage methylprednisolone were initiated. In the following 2 months interval, a progressive and dramatic recovery in extremity weakness and neuropathic pain were achieved. The clinical course of this patient may give substantial perspectives regarding the clinical evaluation of similar cases.

High Cod and Turbidity Removal in The Treatment of Polluted Pond Water Using Low Dosage of Pineapple Leaf Coagulant: A Preliminary Study

Coagulation process using low dosage of plant-based coagulant to remove high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity is important for water treatment. This study presents the treatment of pond water using plant-based pineapple leaf coagulant to achieve high COD and turbidity removal. The coagulation was performed using a jar test experiment of pond water at different pH followed by different dosages of pineapple leaf coagulant. It was found that the highest COD and turbidity removal ranged between 94.1 – 94.6 % and 88.3 – 88.4 % at pH 8 respectively, using low dosage (50 mg L-1) of pineapple leaf coagulant. The final COD and turbidity values ranged between 7.3 – 8.0 mg L-1 and 17.7 – 17.8 formazin turbidity unit (FTU) respectively, which are lower compared with results from other studies that used high dosage coagulants. Moreover, the final pH, COD, turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), and total suspended solid (TSS) values of the treated pond water were below the standard limits set by the National Water Quality Standards for Malaysia (NWQSM) class IIB, which represents water bodies suitable for recreational use with body contact (DOE, 2016). Therefore, it is expected that the newly-formulated waste utilisation of pineapple leaf coagulant can reduce the usage of chemical coagulants and can further be used for different types of water.

Integrated Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Impact of Photodynamic Therapy on Cerebrovascular Endothelial Cells

Blood vessels in the brain tissue form a compact vessel structure and play an essential role in maintaining the homeostasis of the neurovascular system. The low dosage of photodynamic intervention (PDT) significantly affects the expression of cellular biomarkers. To understand the impact of photodynamic interventions on cerebrovascular endothelial cells, we evaluated the dosage-dependent impact of porfimer sodium-mediated PDT on B.END3 cells using flow cytometer, comet assay, RNA sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. To examine whether PDT can induce disorder of intracellular organelles, we did not observe any significance damage of DNA and cellular skeleton. Moreover, expression levels of cellular transporters-related genes were significantly altered, implying the drawbacks of PDT on cerebrovascular functions. To address the potential molecular mechanisms of these phenotypes, RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were employed to identify critical genes and pathways among these processes. The gene ontology (GO) analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) identified 15 hub genes, highly associated with cellular mitosis process (CDK1, CDC20, MCM5, MCM7, MCM4, CCNA2, AURKB, KIF2C, ESPL1, BUB1B) and DNA replication (POLE2, PLOE, CDC45, CDC6). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) reveals that TNF-α/NF-κB and KRAS pathways may play a critical role in regulating expression levels of transporter-related genes. To further perform qRT-PCR assays, we find that TNF-α/NF-κB and KRAS pathways were substantially up-regulated, consistent with GSEA analysis. The current findings suggested that a low dosage of PDT intervention may be detrimental to the homeostasis of blood-brain barrier (BBB) by inducing the inflammatory response and affecting the expression of surface biomarkers.