Synthesis and characterization of carboxymethyl cellulose/organic montmorillonite nanocomposites and its adsorption behavior for Congo Red dye

A series of carboxymethyl cellulose/organic montmorillonite （CMC/OMMT） nanocomposites with different weight ratios of carboxymethyl cellulose （CMC） to organic montmorillonite （OMMT） were synthesized under different conditions. The nanocomposites were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared （FT-IR） spectrophotometer, X-ray diffraction （XRD） method, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, scanning electron microscope （SEM）, and thermal gravimetric （TG） analysis. The results showed that the introduction of CMC may have different influences on the physico-chemical properties of OMMT and intercalated-exfoliated nanostructures were formed in the nanocomposites. The effects of different reaction conditions on the adsorption capacity of samples for Congo Red （CR） dye were investigated by controlling the amount ofhexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide （CTAB）, the weight ratio of CMC to OMMT, the reaction time, and the reaction temperature. Results from the adsorption experiment showed that the adsorption capacity of the nanocomposites can reach 171.37 rag/g, with the amount of CTAB being 1.0 cation exchange capacity （CEC） of MMT, the weight ratio of CMC to OMMT being l：l, the reaction time being 6 h, and the reaction temperature being 60~C. The CMC/OMMT nanocomposite can be used as a potential adsorbent to remove CR dye from an aqueous solution.

Novel mutation in the SALL1 gene in a four-generation Chinese family with uraemia:A case report

BACKGROUND Approximately 10%of adults and nearly all children who receive renal replacement therapy have inherited risk factors or are related to genetic factors.In the past,due to the limitations of detection technology and the nonspecific manifestations of uraemia,the etiological diagnosis is unclear.In addition to common monogenic diseases and complex disorders,advanced testing techniques have led to the recognition of more hereditary renal diseases.Here,we report a four-generation Chinese family in which four individuals had a novel SALL1 mutation and presented with uraemia or abnormal urine tests.CASE SUMMARY A 32-year-old man presented with end-stage renal disease with a 4-year history of dialysis.His father and paternal aunt both had a history of unexplained renal failure with haemodialysis,and his 10-year-old daughter presented with proteinuria.The patient had multiple congenital abnormalities,including bilateral overlapping toes,unilateral dysplastic external ears,and sensorineural hearing loss.His family members also presented with similar defects.Genetic testing revealed that the proband carried a novel heterozygous shift mutation in SALL1_exon 2(c.3437delG),and Sanger sequencing confirmed the same mutation in all affected family members.CONCLUSION We report a novel SALL1 exon 2(c.3437delG)mutation and clinical syndrome with kidney disease,bilateral overlapping toes,unilateral dysplastic external ears,and sensorineural hearing loss in a four-generation Chinese family.

Family history of esophageal cancer modifies the association of serum lipids and malignant esophageal lesions:a nested case-control study from the"Endoscopic Screening for Esophageal Cancer in China"trial

Background:The association of lipids and cancer has varied greatly among different cancer types,lipid components and study populations.This study is aimed to investigate the association of serum lipids and the risk of malignant lesions in esophageal squamous epithelium.Methods:In the"Endoscopic Screening for Esophageal Cancer in China"(ESECC)trial,serum samples were collected and tested for total cholesterol(TC),triglycerides,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol at the time of subject enrollment.Cases were defined as malignant esophageal lesions identified by baseline endoscopic examination or by follow-up to May 31,2018.Controls were randomly selected using incidence density sampling in the same cohort.Conditional logistic models were applied to identify the association of serum lipids and the risk of malignant esophageal lesions.Effect modification was evaluated by testing interaction terms of the factor under assessment and these serum lipid indicators.Results:No consistent association between serum lipid levels and esophageal malignant lesions were found in a pooled analysis of 211 cases and 2101 controls.For individuals with a family history of esophageal cancer(EC),high TC,and LDL-C were associated with a significantly increased risk of having malignant lesions(odds ratio[OR]Highvs.Low TC=2.22,95%confidence interval[CI]:1.14-4.35;ORHighvs.Low LDL-C=1.93,95%CI:1.01-3.65).However,a negative association was observed in participants without an EC family history(ORHighvs.Low TC=0.69,95%CI:0.48-0.98,Pinteraction=0.002;ORHighvs.Low LDL-C=0.50,95%CI:0.34-0.76,Pinteraction<0.001).Conclusions:In this study,we found that the association of serum lipids and malignant esophageal lesions might be modified by EC family history.The stratified analysis would be crucial for population-based studies investigating the association of serum lipids and cancer.The mechanism by which a family history of EC modifies this association warrants further investigation.