Multilayer Graphene Nanoshells from Biomass for Fast-Charge, Long-Cycle-Life and Low-Temperature Li-Ion Anodes.

Graphene nanoshells (MGNS) were prepared from cellulose, a sustainable biopolymer. Different sizes/morphologies were obtained by simply changing the metal catalyst salt in the synthesis. The MGNS were shown to reversibly cycle Li-ions by an intercalation mechanism similar to graphite.

Synergistic Enhancement of Li-O Battery Capacity and Cycle Life Using Carbon Nanochain/Multiwall Carbon Nanotube Composites.

Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) Li-O cathodes can achieve high gravimetric capacity. However, the macropores of these cathodes require a relatively large mass of electrolyte to fill, resulting in lower true gravimetric and volumetric capacities. Here we report a simple method to incorporate a mesoporous material, carbon nanochains (CNCs), into the macropores of MWCNTs, resulting in composite cathodes that fully utilize their pore structure to store LiO product.

Natural History of Primary Retroperitoneal Extra-Visceral Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumors (PEC): A Study from Transatlantic and Australasian Retroperitoneal Sarcoma Working Group (TARPSWG).

Background: Perivascular epithelioid cell tumors (PEComa) are a rare family of mesenchymal tumors that include several subtypes. There are very limited data describing the natural history of patients with extra-visceral retroperitoneal PEComas of the retroperitoneum. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical features, treatment patterns, outcomes, and diagnostic challenges of primary extra-visceral retroperitoneal or abdominopelvic PEComa over the past decade.

Effect of HLA restriction on racial and ethnic disparities in access to immune therapies for advanced synovial sarcoma.

Purpose: Synovial sarcoma (SS) is aggressive with poor outcomes. Cellular therapies are now FDA-approved for advanced disease, but are restricted to certain HLA-A*02 alleles. We estimate eligibility for cellular therapies by race and ethnicity.

Lasting Impacts of Wildfire Retardant on Phosphorus Storage and Downstream Transport in a Rocky Mountain Stream.

Aerial application of fire retardants is a critical tool in wildland fire suppression but can impact aquatic ecosystems if accidentally misapplied into watercourses. However, exceedingly few studies have documented actual water quality impacts of such misapplications. Here, we explore the short- and longer-term effects of an operational misapplication of PHOS-CHEK LC95A into a Rocky Mountain stream on (a) water quality, (b) streambed storage and release potential of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), (c) its downstream transport, and (d) effects on periphyton productivity.

Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: Treatment Landscape and Innovations for an Ultra-Rare Sarcoma.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an ultra-rare sarcoma with a paucity of data on best practices for management. Pathogenic translocations involving the YAP or TAZ genes lead to constitutive activation of TEAD and TEAD-associated pathways. As our understanding of the molecular drivers of EHE has advanced, investigational treatment strategies have shifted away from cytotoxic chemotherapy toward more targeted approaches.

Genomic Characterization of Chondrosarcoma Reveals Potential Therapeutic Targets.

Purpose: Chondrosarcomas are rare cancers of cartilage with limited systemic therapy options. To identify potential therapeutic targets, this study investigated the molecular and immune landscape of three chondrosarcoma subtypes using a large database of clinical-grade sequencing results.

Methods: Deidentified records from patients with a histologic diagnosis of conventional, dedifferentiated, or mesenchymal chondrosarcoma sequenced by the Tempus xT DNA assay were included.

Sustainable Conversion of Biomass to Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Nanochains.

The conversion of biochar, the low value byproduct of pyrolysis bio-oil production from biomass multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon nanochains (CNCs), is reported. It is shown that biomass can be converted to long (>30 µm) carbon nanotubes with an anomalously deep (>280 nm) stacked-cup structure. A mechanism of the transformation that is consistent with previously reported graphitization of biochar, a "non-graphitizable" carbon, is proposed, suggesting the molten metal catalyst is absorbed into the biochar by capillary action, forming graphene walls as it percolates through pore structure.

Thick film formation on Li-O cathodes - breaking the true capacity barrier.

The theoretical energy density of Li-O batteries is more than an order of magnitude larger than the current generation of Li-ion batteries. However, their practical performance is far less, in part due to their low true capacities, that is, capacity including the mass of the typically porous active material, electrolyte in the pores and the LiO discharge product. This is further limited by the particulate nature of the product, yielding a theoretical maximum packing density of 74%, impacting both gravimetric and volumetric capacities.

Electro-driven direct lithium extraction from geothermal brines to generate battery-grade lithium hydroxide.

As Li-ion batteries are increasingly being deployed in electric vehicles and grid-level energy storage, the demand for Li is growing rapidly. Extracting lithium from alternative aqueous sources such as geothermal brines plays an important role in meeting this demand. Electrochemical intercalation emerges as a promising Li extraction technology due to its ability to offer high selectivity for Li and its avoidance of harsh chemical regenerants.

A Phase I Study of FHD-609, a Heterobifunctional Degrader of Bromodomain-Containing Protein 9, in Patients with Advanced Synovial Sarcoma or SMARCB1-Deficient Tumors.

Purpose: FHD-609, a potent, selective, heterobifunctional degrader of bromodomain-containing protein 9 (BRD9), was evaluated for treating patients with advanced synovial sarcoma or SMARCB1-deficient tumors.

Patients And Methods: In this multinational, open-label, phase I study (NCT04965753), patients received FHD-609 intravenously at escalating doses either twice weekly (5-80 mg; n = 40) or once weekly (40-120 mg; n = 15).

Results: Fifty-five patients received FHD-609 for a median of 43 days.

Early, precise, and safe clinical evaluation of the pharmacodynamic effects of novel agents in the intact human tumor microenvironment.

Drug development is systemically inefficient. Research and development costs for novel therapeutics average hundreds of millions to billions of dollars, with the overall likelihood of approval estimated to be as low as 6.7% for oncology drugs.

Exacerbation of CMV and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections Following PD-1 Blockade for HIV-Associated Kaposi Sarcoma.

Blockade of the co-inhibitory receptor PD-1 enhances antitumor responses by boosting the function of antigen-specific T cells. Although rare, PD-1 blockade in patients with cancer can lead to exacerbation of infection-associated pathology. Here, we detail the case of a 38-year-old man who was enrolled in a clinical trial for assessment of the safety and activity of anti-PD-1 therapy for Kaposi sarcoma in people with HIV well-controlled on antiretroviral therapy.

Reclassification of a spindle cell sarcoma after identification of a TFG-ROS1 fusion: A case demonstrating the clinical benefit of next-generation sequencing in sarcoma.

Background: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) are rare mesenchymal soft tissue sarcomas that often present diagnostic challenges due to their wide and varied morphology. A subset of IMTs have fusions involving ALK or ROS1. The role of next-generation sequencing (NGS) for classification of unselected sarcomas remains controversial.

Incidence and Presenting Characteristics of Angiosarcoma in the US, 2001-2020.

Importance: Angiosarcoma is an aggressive vascular malignant neoplasm presenting either as a primary or secondary cancer, often arising after radiotherapy or in the context of preexisting lymphedema. Comprehensive data describing its incidence and presentation patterns are needed.

Objective: To describe the incidence, presenting characteristics, and change over time of angiosarcoma in the US.

Treatment Access for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor in Predominantly Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Importance: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is a rare cancer treated with the tyrosine kinase inhibitors imatinib mesylate or sunitinib malate. In general, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), access to these treatments is limited.

Objective: To describe the demographic characteristics, treatment duration, and survival of patients with GIST in LMICs treated with imatinib and sunitinib through The Max Foundation programs.

Afamitresgene autoleucel for advanced synovial sarcoma and myxoid round cell liposarcoma (SPEARHEAD-1): an international, open-label, phase 2 trial.

Background: Afamitresgene autoleucel (afami-cel) showed acceptable safety and promising efficacy in a phase 1 trial (NCT03132922). The aim of this study was to further evaluate the efficacy of afami-cel for the treatment of patients with HLA-A*02 and MAGE-A4-expressing advanced synovial sarcoma or myxoid round cell liposarcoma.

Methods: SPEARHEAD-1 was an open-label, non-randomised, phase 2 trial done across 23 sites in Canada, the USA, and Europe.

Osteosarcoma in Pediatric and Adult Populations: Are Adults Just Big Kids?

Malignant bone tumors are commonly classified as pediatric or adolescent malignancies, and clinical trials for these diseases have generally focused on these populations. Of primary bone cancers, osteosarcoma is among the most common. Osteosarcoma has a bimodal age distribution, with the first peak occurring in patients from 10 to 14 years old, and the second peak occurring in patients older than 65, with about 25% of cases occurring in adults between 20 and 59 years old.

Toll-Like Receptor 4 Agonist Injection With Concurrent Radiotherapy in Patients With Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma: A Phase 1 Nonrandomized Controlled Trial.

Importance: Metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) have limited systemic therapy options, and immunomodulation has not yet meaningfully improved outcomes. Intratumoral (IT) injection of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) agonist glycopyranosyl lipid A in stable-emulsion formulation (GLA-SE) has been studied as immunotherapy in other contexts.

Objective: To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and immunomodulatory effects of IT GLA-SE with concurrent radiotherapy in patients with metastatic STS with injectable lesions.

Secondary Breast Angiosarcoma After a Primary Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: A Retrospective Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Database.

Objectives: Angiosarcoma is a rare complication of breast-conserving therapy. This study evaluated the change in incidence between 1992 and 2016 of secondary breast angiosarcoma (SBA) in patients with a history of breast cancer and the impact of management strategies for the original breast carcinoma on angiosarcoma treatment.

Methods: Breast cancer and angiosarcoma cases were abstracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Result (SEER) database.

Incidence, demographics, and survival of malignant hemangioendothelioma in the United States.

Background: Malignant hemangioendothelioma is an endothelial cancer with heterogeneous clinical behavior that can range from indolent to aggressive, of which the majority are epithelioid (EHE). Its incidence and demographics have not been previously well defined in a large cohort.

Methods: This retrospective analysis used the US Cancer Statistics National Program of Cancer Registries - Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (SEER) combined database to identify patients in the US newly diagnosed with hemangioendothelioma between the years of 2001 and 2017 (n = 1986).

A Retrospective Multi-Institutional Cohort Analysis of Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes in Dedifferentiated Chondrosarcoma.

Background: Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (DDCS) is a rare subset of chondrosarcoma. It is an aggressive neoplasm characterized by a high rate of recurrent and metastatic disease with overall poor outcomes. Systemic therapy is often used to treat DDCS; however, the optimal regimen and timing are not well defined, with current guidelines recommending following osteosarcoma protocols.