Zeolite A synthesized from alkaline assisted pre-activated halloysite for efficient heavy metal removal in polluted river water and industrial wastewater

High quality zeolite A was synthesized through a hydrothermal process using alkaline- assisted pre-activated halloysite mineral as the alumina and silica source. The synthesis conditions employed in this study were finely tuned by varying the activating temperature, sodium hydroxide content, water content and Si/A1 ratio. The obtained zeolite A showed excellent adsorption properties for both single metal cation solutions and mixed cation solutions when the concentrations of the mixed cations were comparable with those in polluted natural river water and industrial wastewater. High adsorptive capacities for Ag （123.05 rag/g） and Pb2＋ （227.70 mg/g） were achieved using the synthesized zeolite A. This observation indicates that the zeolite A synthesized from alkaline-assisted pre-activated halloysite can be used as a low-cost and relatively effective adsorbent to purify heavy metal cation polluted natural river water and industrial wastewater.

FBXW7βloss-of-function enhances FASN-mediated lipogenesis and promotes colorectal cancer growth

Continuous de novo fatty acid synthesis is required for the biosynthetic demands of tumor.FBXW7 is a highly mutated gene in CRC,but its biological functions in cancer are not fully characterized.Here,we report that FBXW7β,a FBXW7 isoform located in the cytoplasm and frequently mutated in CRC,is an E3 ligase of fatty acid synthase(FASN).Cancer-specific FBXW7βmutations that could not degrade FASN can lead to sustained lipogenesis in CRC.COP9 signalosome subunit 6(CSN6),an oncogenic marker of CRC,increases lipogenesis via interacting with and stabilizing FASN.Mechanistic studies show that CSN6 associates with both FBXW7βand FASN,and antagonizes FBXW7β’s activity by enhancing FBXW7βautoubiquitination and degradation,which in turn prevents FBXW7β-mediated FASN ubiquitination and degradation,thereby regulating lipogenesis positively.Both CSN6 and FASN are positively correlated in CRC,and CSN6-FASN axis,regulated by EGF,is responsible for poor prognosis of CRC.The EGF-CSN6-FASN axis promotes tumor growth and implies a treatment strategy of combination of orlistat and cetuximab.Patient-derived xenograft experiments prove the effectiveness of employing orlistat and cetuximab combination in suppressing tumor growth for CSN6/FASN-high CRC.Thus,CSN6-FASN axis reprograms lipogenesis to promote tumor growth and is a target for cancer intervening strategy in CRC.

Is there a survival benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy for patients with liver oligometastases from colorectal cancer after curative resection?

Background:Although colorectal oligometastases to the liver can potentially be cured with aggressive local abla-tion,the efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy(ACT)for such metastasis remains unclear.The present study explored the effects of ACT on patients with colorectal liver oligometastases(CLO)after curative resections and aimed to iden-tify patients who could benefit from ACT.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 264 eligible patients with CLO who underwent curative resection between September 1999 and June 2015.Recurrence-free survival(RFS)and overall survival(OS)were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test;prognostic factors were a by Cox regression modeling.Results:Among 264 patients,200(75.8%)patients received ACT and 64(24.2%)did not receive ACT.These two groups did not significantly differ in clinicopathologic characteristics,and had comparable 3-year OS and RFS rates(RFS:42.1%vs.45.7%,P=0.588;OS:69.7%vs.62.7%,P=0.446)over a median follow-up duration of 35.5 months,irrespective of preoperative chemotherapy.ACT markedly improved 3-year OS in high-risk patients with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center clinical risk scores(MSKCC-CRS)of 3-5(68.2%vs.33.8%,P=0.015),but presented no additional benefit in patients with MSKCC-CRS of 0-2(72.2%vs.78.6%,P=0.834).In multivariate analysis,ACT was independently associated with improved OS in patients with MSKCC-CRS of 3-5.Conclusions:ACT might offer a prognostic benefit in high-risk patients with CLOs after curative liver resection,but not in low-risk patients.Therefore,patients’risk status should be determined before ACT administration to optimize postoperative therapeutic strategies.

Safety and efficacy of a modified XELOX adjuvant regimen for patients with operated stage III colon cancer:a Chinese single-center experience

Background:A fixed 8-cycle oxaliplatin and capecitabine(XELOX)regimen has been the standard adjuvant therapy for patients with stage III colon cancer.However,completing the full-cycle of oxaliplatin is often associated with severe neurotoxicity.To spare patients from the toxic effects,without comprising the required efficacy,we evaluated the safety and efficacy of a modified XELOX(mXELOX)adjuvant chemotherapy regimen with 6 cycles of oxaliplatin and a full cycle of capecitabine.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 330 eligible patients with stage III colon cancer who underwent cura-tive tumor resection followed by mXELOX,standard XELOX or unfinished XELOX adjuvant chemotherapy between December 2007 and April 2015.Associated prognostic factors were investigated and their disease-free survival(DFS)and overall survival(OS)rates were also determined and compared among the different regimen groups.Results:Compared with the standard XELOX group,the mXELOX group had lower total incidence rates of neuro-toxicity(39.3%vs.76.2%,P<0.001),leucopenia(53.6%vs.69.8%,P=0.017)and thrombocytopenia(38.1%vs.56.3%,P=0.011).The standard XELOX and mXELOX adjuvant chemotherapy regimens presented with comparable 3-year DFS rates(86.3%vs.89.2%;P=0.838)and 3-year OS rates(92.7%vs.97.6%;P=0.227).Compared to unfinished XELOX chemotherapy,the oncologic benefits of the mXELOX regimen were greater for patients with T4 tumors(3-year DFS:Hazard ratio[HR],2.184;95%confidence interval[CI],1.051-4.540;P=0.036;3-year OS:HR,4.529;95%CI 1.245-16.479;P=0.022)and for high-risk patients(3-year DFS:HR,1.962;95%CI 0.964-3.993;P=0.044;3-year OS:HR,4.193;95%CI 1.182-14.874;P=0.026).Conclusions:The mXELOX adjuvant chemotherapy presented a comparable survival benefit and lower incidence of toxicity than standard XELOX chemotherapy.It could be an alternative treatment for high-risk patients with operated stage III colon cancer.