Construction of hierarchical porous and polydopamine/salicylaldoxime functionalized zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 via controlled etching for uranium adsorption.

Efficient uranium extraction from seawater is critical for the development of the nuclear industry. Herein, a polydopamine/salicylaldoxime decorated hierarchical zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (H-PDA/SA-ZIF-8) is constructed by using a controlled etching process. Benefiting from the combination of PDA/SA and the zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8), as well as a controlled etching process, the H-PDA/SA-ZIF-8 possesses multiaffinity sites, excellent specific surface area (1234.92 m2 g-1), and a hierarchical pore structure. The H-PDA/SA-ZIF-8 exhibits excellent adsorption capacity (Qm = 869.6 mg g-1), selectivity, and reusability in uranium adsorption. The adsorption process of H-PDA/SA-ZIF-8 fits very well with the Langmuir isotherm model and pseudo-second-order models, and the adsorption process equilibrates within 20 min (C0 = 20 mg L-1). Furthermore, the H-PDA/SA-ZIF-8 shows remarkable antibacterial ability. Impressively, the adsorption capacity of H-PDA/SA-ZIF-8 to uranium in natural seawater reaches 6.9 mg g-1 after circulation for 15 days. Therefore, the H-PDA/SA-ZIF-8 is a promising and fascinating material for uranium extraction from natural seawater.

Glymphatic system dysfunction in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia without clinically diagnosed central nervous system infiltration: a novel DTI-ALPS method.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Central nervous system (CNS) infiltration commonly occurs in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Nevertheless, CNS infiltration is rarely detected at the initial diagnosis. The glymphatic system, which regulates cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and interstitial fluid transport, is considered one of the possible routes of CNS infiltration by leukemia cells. In this study, we used diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) method to investigate glymphatic system function and obtained CSF volume using synthetic magnetic resonance imaging (SyMRI) in pediatric ALL without clinically diagnosed CNS infiltration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine ALL and 29 typically developing (TD) children were prospectively recruited (age 4-16 years) in the present study. Group differences in brain volumetric parameters, brain water diffusivities, and the ALPS index were evaluated after controlling for age, gender, and handedness. Furthermore, significant group-different parameters were correlated with clinical information using partial correlations analysis. RESULTS: Lower Dxassoc and ALPS index, and increased CSF volume were found in pediatric ALL (all pFDR-corrected < 0.05). Moreover, the ALPS index was negatively associated with the risk classification (r = - 0.59, pFDR-corrected = 0.04) in pediatric ALL. CONCLUSIONS: Dysfunction of the glymphatic system and accumulation of CSF were presented in pediatric ALL without clinically diagnosed CNS infiltration. These novel findings suggested that the glymphatic system might be essential in the early-stage process of ALL CNS infiltration, which provides a new direction for exploring underlying mechanisms and early detection of pediatric ALL CNS infiltration. KEY POINTS: • Lower Dxassoc and ALPS index, and increased CSF volume were found in pediatric ALL (all pFDR-corrected < 0.05). • The ALPS index was negatively associated with the risk classification (r = -0.59, pFDR-corrected = 0.04) in pediatric ALL. • Dysfunction of the glymphatic system and accumulation of CSF were presented in pediatric ALL without clinically diagnosed CNS infiltration, which suggested that the ALPS index and CSF volume might be promising imaging markers for early detection of pediatric ALL CNS infiltration.

Neural Component Analysis for Key Performance Indicator Monitoring.

The partial least squares (PLS) algorithm is a commonly used key performance indicator (KPI)-related performance monitoring method. To address nonlinear features in the process, this paper proposes neural component analysis (NCA)-PLS, which combines PLS with NCA. (NCA)-PLS realizes all the principles of PLS by introducing a new loss function and a new principal component selection mechanism to NCA. Then, the gradient descent formulas for network training are rederived. NCA-PLS can extract components with large correlations with KPI variables and adopt them for data reconstruction. Simulation tests using a mathematical model and the Tennessee Eastman process show that NCA-PLS can successfully handle nonlinear relationships in process data and that it performs much better than PLS, KPLS, and NCA.

The adjuvanticity of ophiopogon polysaccharide liposome against an inactivated porcine parvovirus vaccine in mice.

In this study, the adjuvant activity of ophiopogon polysaccharide liposome (OPL) was investigated. The effects of OPL on the splenic lymphocyte proliferation of mice were measured in vitro. The results showed that OPL could significantly promote lymphocyte proliferation singly or synergistically with PHA and LPS and that the effect was better than ophiopogon polysaccharide (OP) at most of concentrations. The adjuvant activities of OPL, OP and mineral oil were compared in BALB/c mice inoculated with inactivated PPV in vivo. The results showed that OPL could significantly enhance lymphocyte proliferation, increase the proportion of CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells, improve the HI antibody titre and specific IgG response, and promote the production of cytokines, and the efficacy of OPL was significantly better than that of OP. In addition, OPL significantly improved the cellular immune response compared with oil adjuvant. These results suggested that OPL possess superior adjuvanticity and that a medium dose had the best efficacy. Therefore, OPL can be used as an effective immune adjuvant for an inactivated PPV vaccine.

The Adjuvant Activity of Epimedium Polysaccharide-Propolis Flavone Liposome on Enhancing Immune Responses to Inactivated Porcine Circovirus Vaccine in Mice.

Objectives. The adjuvant activity of Epimedium polysaccharide-propolis flavone liposome (EPL) was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Methods. In vitro, the effects of EPL at different concentrations on splenic lymphocytes proliferation and mRNA expression of IFN-γ and IL-6 were determined. In vivo, the adjuvant activities of EPL, EP, and mineral oil were compared in BALB/c mice through vaccination with inactivated porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) vaccine. Results. In vitro, EPL promoted lymphocytes proliferation and increased the mRNA expression of IFN-γ and IL-6, and the effect was significantly better than EP at all concentrations. In vivo, EPL significantly promoted the lymphocytes proliferation and the secretion of cytokines and improved the killing activity of NK cells, PCV2-specific antibody titers, and the proportion of T-cell subgroups. The effects of EPL were significantly better than EP and oil adjuvant at most time points. Conclusion. EPL could significantly improve both PCV2-specific cellular and humoral immune responses, and its medium dose had the best efficacy. Therefore, EPL would be exploited in an effective immune adjuvant for inactivated PCV2 vaccine.

The activation of Epimedium polysaccharide-propolis flavone liposome on Kupffer cells.

Epimedium polysaccharide-propolis flavone liposome (EPL), a potent immunological pharmaceutical preparation, was investigated for the immunomodulatory activity on Kupffer cells (KCs) in vitro. The results showed that EPL could significantly induce the secretion of chemokines (RANTES and MCP-1), promote the production of nitric oxide and induced nitric oxide synthase, improve the pinocytic and phagocytic activity of KCs, promote the mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-1ß, and enhance the expression of costimulatory molecules (CD11b and CD68) in KCs compared with Epimedium polysaccharide-propolis flavone (EP) at 30-7.5µg/mL. In addition, the abilities of KCs on stimulating lymphocytes proliferation and antigen presenting were significantly enhanced after stimulated with EPL compared with EP. These results suggested that EPL could activate KCs and possessed the stronger immunomodulatory effect, which provided the theoretical basis for further studying the mechanism of EPL on improving the immune response.

Ophiopogon polysaccharide liposome can enhance the non-specific and specific immune response in chickens.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the immune-enhancing activity of ophiopogon polysaccharide liposome (OPL). In non-specific immune response experiment, the phagocytosis and cytokines secretion of peritoneal macrophages in vitro and in vivo were performed. In specific immune response experiment, the activity of OPL was measured on chickens which were vaccinated with Newcastle disease (ND) vaccine and then challenged with ND virus at 49-old-day. The results showed that OPL could significantly promote the phagocytosis of macrophages and induce the secretion of IL-2 and IL-6 in vitro; OPL at high and medium doses could significantly improve the phagocytosic index, promote lymphocyte proliferation, increase the proportion of T lymphocyte subpopulations (CD4(+) and CD8(+)), enhance antibody titer and improve the protective rate in vivo. Moreover, its efficacy was significantly better than ophiopogon polysaccharide (OP). These results indicated that the immune-enhancing activity of OP was significantly improved after encapsulated with liposome.

Preparation and optimization of ophiopogon polysaccharide liposome and its activity on Kupffer cells.

The purpose of this study was to prepare and optimize ophiopogon polysaccharide liposome (OPL), and to improve the immune-enhancing activity of ophiopogon polysaccharide (OP). OPL was prepared and optimized using the methods of reverse-phase evaporation and response surface methodology. The property was evaluated with particle size, zeta potential, and morphology. The results showed that the optimum preparation conditions were: soybean phosphatide to OP ratio of 9.5:1, soybean phospholipid to cholesterol ratio of 8:1, and chloroform to phosphate-buffered saline ratio of 3:1. Subsequently, the immune-enhancing activity of OPL on Kupffer cells (KCs) was performed. The results showed that OPL could significantly promote the phagocytosis of KCs, induce the secretion of nitric oxide, induced nitric oxide synthase, IL-6 and IL-12, and improve the expression of CD80 and CD86 compared with OP at 125-7.813 µg mL(-1). These results indicated that the immune-enhancing activity of OP was significantly improved after encapsulated with liposome. Therefore, liposome would be expected to exploit into a new-type preparation of OP.

Coptis chinensis and Myrobalan (Terminalia chebula) Can Synergistically Inhibit Inflammatory Response In Vitro and In Vivo.

Objectives. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of Coptis chinensis plus myrobalan (CM) in vitro and in vivo. Methods. The inflammation in mouse peritoneal macrophages was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Animal models were established by using ear swelling and paw edema of mouse induced by xylene and formaldehyde, respectively. In vitro, cytotoxicity, the phagocytosis of macrophages, the levels of nitric oxide (NO), induced nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in cell supernatant were detected. In vivo, swelling rate and edema inhibitory rate of ear and paw were observed using CM-treated mice. Results. At 150-18.75 µg·mL(-1), CM had no cytotoxicity and could significantly promote the growth and the phagocytosis of macrophages and inhibit the overproduction of NO, iNOS, TNF-α, and IL-6 in macrophages induced by LPS. In vivo, pretreatment with CM, the ear swelling, and paw edema of mice could be significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner, and the antiedema effect of CM at high dose was better than dexamethasone. Conclusion. Our results demonstrated that Coptis chinensis and myrobalan possessed synergistically anti-inflammatory activities in vitro and in vivo, which indicated that CM had therapeutic potential for the prevention and treatment of inflammation-mediated diseases.