Rational design of Co nano-dots embedded three-dimensional graphene gel as multifunctional sulfur cathode for fast sulfur conversion kinetics

Lithium-sulfur(Li-S)batteries hold great promises to serve as next-generation energy storage devices because of their high theoretical energy density and environmental benignity.However,the shuttle effect of the soluble lithium polysulfides(LiPS)and intrinsic insulating nature of sulfur lead to low sulfur utilization and coulombic efficiency,leading to poor cycling performance.The impeded charge transportation and retard LiPS catalytic conversion also endows the Li-S batteries with sluggish redox reaction,leading to unsatisfied rate capability.In this study,Co-based MOF material ZIF-67 is used as the precursor to prepare Co nano-dots decorated three-dimensional graphene aerogel as sulfur immobilizer.This porous architecture establishes a highly conductive interconnected framework for fast charge/mass transportation.The exposed Co nano-dots serve as active sites to strongly trap LiPS,which endows CoNDs@G with low decomposition energy barrier for fast LiPS conversion reaction and promote the completely Li2 S catalytic transformation.Li-S cells based on the Co-NDs@G cathode exhibits excellent cyclability and a high capacity retention rate of 91.1%in 100 cycles.This strategy offers a new direction to design sulfur immobilizer for accelerated LiPS conversion kinetics of Li-S batteries.

Mpox(formerly monkeypox):pathogenesis,prevention,and treatment

In 2022,a global outbreak of Mpox(formerly monkeypox)occurred in various countries across Europe and America and rapidly spread to more than 100 countries and regions.The World Health Organization declared the outbreak to be a public health emergency of international concern due to the rapid spread of the Mpox virus.Consequently,nations intensified their efforts to explore treatment strategies aimed at combating the infection and its dissemination.Nevertheless,the available therapeutic options for Mpox virus infection remain limited.So far,only a few numbers of antiviral compounds have been approved by regulatory authorities.Given the high mutability of the Mpox virus,certain mutant strains have shown resistance to existing pharmaceutical interventions.This highlights the urgent need to develop novel antiviral drugs that can combat both drug resistance and the potential threat of bioterrorism.Currently,there is a lack of comprehensive literature on the pathophysiology and treatment of Mpox.To address this issue,we conducted a review covering the physiological and pathological processes of Mpox infection,summarizing the latest progress of anti-Mpox drugs.Our analysis encompasses approved drugs currently employed in clinical settings,as well as newly identified small-molecule compounds and antibody drugs displaying potential antiviral efficacy against Mpox.Furthermore,we have gained valuable insights from the process of Mpox drug development,including strategies for repurposing drugs,the discovery of drug targets driven by artificial intelligence,and preclinical drug development.The purpose of this review is to provide readers with a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge on Mpox.

Rapid identification of full-length genome and tracing variations of monkeypox virus in clinical specimens based on mNGS and amplicon sequencing

The monkeypox virus(MPXV)has triggered a current outbreak globally.Genome sequencing of MPXV and rapid tracing of genetic variants will benefit disease diagnosis and control.It is a significant challenge but necessary to optimize the strategy and application of rapid full-length genome identification and to track variations of MPXV in clinical specimens with low viral loads,as it is one of the DNA viruses with the largest genome and the most AT-biased,and has a significant number of tandem repeats.Here we evaluated the performance of metagenomic and amplicon sequencing techniques,and three sequencing platforms in MPXV genome sequencing based on multiple clinical specimens of five mpox cases in Chinese mainland.We rapidly identified the full-length genome of MPXV with the assembly of accurate tandem repeats in multiple clinical specimens.Amplicon sequencing enables cost-effective and rapid sequencing of clinical specimens to obtain high-quality MPXV genomes.Third-generation sequencing facilitates the assembly of the terminal tandem repeat regions in the monkeypox virus genome and corrects a common misassembly in published sequences.Besides,several intra-host single nucleotide variations were identified in the first imported mpox case.This study offers an evaluation of various strategies aimed at identifying the complete genome of MPXV in clinical specimens.The findings of this study will significantly enhance the surveillance of MPXV.

Characterization of whole genomes from recently emerging Mpox cases in several regions of China,2023

Dear Editor,Mpox(formerly known as monkeypox)is a zoonotic disease caused by infection with the monkeypox virus(MPXV).Mpox cases have been sporadic over the past few decades,with outbreaks occurring in only a limited number of countries,primarily as a result of imported cases(El Eid et al.,2022;Tan and Gao,2022).

Molecular Evolution of Protein Sequences and Codon Usage in Monkeypox Viruses

The monkeypox virus(mpox virus,MPXV)epidemic in 2022 has posed a significant public health risk.Yet,the evolutionary principles of MPXV remain largely unknown.Here,we examined the evolutionary patterns of protein sequences and codon usage in MPXV.We first demonstrated the signal of positive selection in OPG027,specifically in the CladeⅠlineage of MPXV.Subsequently,we discovered accelerated protein sequence evolution over time in the variants responsible for the 2022 outbreak.Furthermore,we showed strong epistasis between amino acid substitutions located in different genes.The codon adaptation index(CAI)analysis revealed that MPXV genes tended to use more non-preferred codons compared to human genes,and the CAI decreased over time and diverged between clades,with CladeⅠ>Ⅱa andⅡb-A>Ⅱb-B.While the decrease in fatality rate among the three groups aligned with the CAI pattern,it remains unclear whether this correlation was coincidental or if the deoptimization of codon usage in MPXV led to a reduction in fatality rates.This study sheds new light on the mechanisms that govern the evolution of MPXV in human populations.

Differential Transcriptional Responses in Corneal and Lung Epithelial Cells to Seasonal Influenza With Potential Function of LGALS9

Seasonal flu,primarily caused by influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 subtype viruses or influenza B viruses,is the most prevalent respiratory tract infection globally and leads to substantial morbidity andmortality annually.Despite the influenza virus being initially recognized as a respiratory pathogenwithwell-characterized transmission through respiratory droplets,its impact on the ocular epithelium and associated gene expression remains relatively unexplored.In this study,we investigated the transcriptional profiles of immortalized human corneal epithelial cells(HCE-S)and A549 human lung epithelial cells infected with H1N1 and H3N2 influenza virus.In comparison with A549 cells,a reduced number of differentially expressed geneswas observed in HCE-S upon influenza virus infection.Specifically,there was a significant upregulation of the genes IFI44L and OAS1,along with lower release of the CCL5/RANTES protein.Notably,our findings revealed uniquely upregulated LGALS9(encoding galectin-9)in HCE-S following infection with the 2009 pandemic H1N1 virus.Furthermore,targeted knockdown of LGALS9 in these cells resulted in a measurable decrease in viral infection,highlighting its role in the cellular responses to influenza virus and suggesting a novel avenue for antiviral therapy.Overall,our findings provide insight into the distinct mechanisms of influenza virus interactions with different epithelial cells and underscore the importance of studying the ocular surface in understanding influenza pathogenesis.

Genomic Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Dominance of XBB Replacement — China, January–June 2023

Introduction:In the first half of 2023,a global shift was observed towards the predominance of XBB variants.China faced a significant epidemic between late 2022 and early 2023 due to Omicron subvariants BA.5.2 and BF.7.This study aims to depict the evolving variant distribution among provincial-level administrative divisions(PLADs)in China and explore the factors driving the predominance of XBB replacement.Methods:Sequences from local and imported coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)cases recorded between January 1 and June 30,2023,were included.The study analyzed the changing distribution of viral variants and assessed how the prior dominance of specific variants,XBB subvariants,and imported cases influenced the prevalence of the XBB replacement variant.Results:A total of 56,486 sequences were obtained from local cases,and 8,669 sequences were from imported cases.Starting in April,there was a shift in the prevalence of XBB from imported to local cases,with varying dominance among PLADs.In PLADs previously high in BF.7,the rise of XBB was delayed.A positive correlation was found between XBB proportions in imported cases from January to March and local cases in April.The distribution pattern of XBB subvariants differed between local and imported cases within the same PLAD.No significant differences were noted in the replacement rates of XBB subvariants.Conclusions:The timing of XBB dominance differed among various PLADs in China in the first half of 2023,correlating closely with the prevalence of XBB variants among imported cases.

合成生物基己二腈新方法及其反应物和反应路径的理性设计

针对己二腈传统生产工艺存在的污染环境、安全隐患大及原料不可持续等问题,提出以5-羟甲基糠醛为原料,通过呋喃二甲腈合成与转化反应制备生物基己二腈的新方法.采用吉布斯自由能、原子利用率、本质安全指数三参量表征反应的热力学可行性、原子经济性及本质安全性.构建化学反应的三参量综合评价体系,通过"三参量差"判据计算,得到该反应体系适宜的氮载体为离子液体型羟胺盐,氢载体为甲酸;反应路径为5-羟甲基糠醛和离子液体型羟胺盐制呋喃二甲腈反应集成及其进一步和甲酸制己二腈反应集成.通过多反应集成,可以明显减小"三参量差"值,接近理想化学反应.理性设计的合成生物基己二腈新方法具有绿色和安全特征,建立的反应三参量综合评价体系具有通用性.

The First Imported Case of Monkeypox in the Mainland of China—Chongqing Municipality,China,September 16,2022

Monkeypox is a zoonotic viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus(MPXV),and historically,all outbreaks have been linked to Africa;however,monkeypox has been posing an alarming challenge to the world in 2022(1)as approximately 60,000 cases have been reported in more than 100 nations and regions worldwide(2).Currently,many cases of monkeypox were identified in many nonendemic countries outside of Central and West Africa,and human-to-human transmission has occurred frequently,especially among men who have sex with men(MSM)presenting new clinical symptoms similar to syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections(3).

Development of two multiplex real-time PCR assays for simultaneous detection and differentiation of monkeypox virus IIa,IIb,and I clades and the B.1 lineage

An ongoing multi-country outbreak of monkeypox was reported in May 2022 with several deaths,affecting 107 countries of all six World Health Organization(WHO)regions.The WHO has declared the current monkeypox outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.It is,thus,necessary to rapidly and accurately detect and distinguish different monkeypox virus(MPXV)clades.We designed primers and probes based on the alignment of 138 complete genomes of poxviruses.In Panel 1,we mixed one pair of primers and three probes to detect and differentiate the MPXV Western Africa(IIa,IIb clade)and Congo Basin(I clade)and other orthopoxviruses.In Panel 2,we mixed one pair of primers and two probes to detect the 2022 MPXV(B.1 lineage and its descendant lineages).In addition,we tested the specificity and sensitivity of the assay using real-time PCR.In Panel 1,the assay reproducibly identified various concentrations of two plasmids of the monkeypox virus,whereas other orthopoxviruses did not cross-react.In Panel 2,the probe annealed well to MPXV B.1 and showed the expected linearity.These two multiple real-time assays are inclusive and highly specific for identifying different clades of MPXV.

Evolutionary analysis and lineage designation of SARS-CoV-2 genomes

The pandemic due to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),has caused immense global disruption.With the rapid accumulation of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences,however,thousands of genomic variants of SARSCoV-2 are now publicly available.To improve the tracing of the viral genomes’evolution during the development of the pandemic,we analyzed single nucleotide variants(SNVs)in 121,618 high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomes.We divided these viral genomes into two major lineages(L and S)based on variants at sites 8782 and 28144,and further divided the L lineage into two major sublineages(L1 and L2)using SNVs at sites 3037,14408,and 23403.Subsequently,we categorized them into 130 sublineages(37 in S,35 in L1,and 58 in L2)based on marker SNVs at 201 additional genomic sites.This lineage/sublineage designation system has a hierarchical structure and reflects the relatedness among the subclades of the major lineages.We also provide a companion website(www.covid19evolution.net)that allows users to visualize sublineage information and upload their own SARS-CoV-2 genomes for sublineage classification.Finally,we discussed the possible roles of compensatory mutations and natural selection during SARS-CoV-2’s evolution.These efforts will improve our understanding of the temporal and spatial dynamics of SARS-CoV-2’s genome evolution.

The use of SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses from bats and pangolins to polarize mutations in SARS-Cov-2

Dear Editor,The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has become a global pandemic.The SARS-CoV-2 genome has a similarity of 96.2%to that of RaTG13,a bat SARS-CoV-2-related coronavirus detected in Rhinolophus affinis(Paraskevis et al.,2020;Zhou et al.,2020).The SARS-CoV-2 genome also has 85.5%−92.4%sequence similarity to SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses from Malayan pangolins that have been seized in anti-smuggling operations in southern China(Guangdong-Pangolin(GD-Pangolin-CoV)and Guangxi-Pangolin(GX-Pangolin-CoV)genomes)(Liu et al.,2019;Lam et al.,2020).

First Imported Case of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariant BA.5—Shanghai Municipality,China,May 13,2022

On April 27,2022,an international flight KL857 from Amsterdam,the Netherlands arrived at Pudong International Airport,Shanghai Municipality.Passengers were transferred to the quarantine hotel for a routine 14-day medical observation in Songjiang District and regularly tested for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).One of the passengers(a 37-year-old Chinese male)was reported positive and diagnosed as a mild case on April 29.The case set out from Uganda(flight KL535)on April 25 and transferred at Amsterdam,the Netherlands on April 26 and Seoul,the Republic of Korea(KL857)on April 27.The patient has been vaccinated in four doses against coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)(Beijing Institute of Biological Products Co.,Ltd)in China and Uganda.After diagnosis,he was transferred to Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center for treatment.He recovered after treatment and was discharged on May 12.

Genomic Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2—China,September 26,2022 to January 29,2023

Introduction:The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)has generated 2,431 variants over the course of its global transmission over the past 3 years.To better evaluate the genomic variation of SARS-CoV-2 before and after the optimization of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)prevention and control strategies,we analyzed the genetic evolution branch composition and genomic variation of SARS-CoV-2 in both domestic and imported cases in China(the data from Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan,China were not included)from September 26,2022 to January 29,2023.Methods:Analysis of the number of genome sequences,sampling time,dynamic changes of evolutionary branches,origin,and clinical typing of SARS-CoV-2 variants submitted by 31 provincial-level administrative divisions(PLADs)and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps(XPCC)was conducted to assess the accuracy and timeliness of SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance.Results:From September 26,2022 to January 29,2023,20,013 valid genome sequences of domestic cases were reported in China,with 72 evolutionary branches.Additionally,1,978 valid genome sequences of imported cases were reported,with 169 evolutionary branches.The prevalence of the Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 in both domestic and imported cases was consistent with that of international epidemic variants.Conclusions:This study provides an overview of the prevalence of Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2 in China.After optimizing COVID-19 prevention and control strategies,no novel Omicron variants of SARSCoV-2 with altered biological characteristics or public health significance have been identified since December 1,2022.

Surveillance and Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Variant Importation—China,January–June 2022

Introduction:The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)Omicron variant is the dominant circulating strain worldwide.To assess the importation of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the mainland of China during the Omicron epidemic,the genomic surveillance data of SARS-CoV-2 from imported coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)cases in the mainland of China during the first half of 2022 were analyzed.Methods:Sequences submitted from January to July 2022,with a collection date before June 30,2022,were incorporated.The proportions of SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as the relationships between the origin and destination of each Omicron imported case were analyzed.Results:4,946 sequences of imported cases were submitted from 27 provincial-level administrative divisions(PLADs),and the median submission interval was within 1 month after collection.In 3,851 Omicron sequences with good quality,1 recombinant(XU)and 4 subvariants under monitoring(BA.4,BA.5,BA.2.12.1,and BA.2.13)were recorded,and 3 of them(BA.4,BA.5,and BA.2.12.1)caused local transmissions in the mainland of China later than that recorded in the surveillance.Omicron subvariants dominated in the first half of 2022 and shifted from BA.1 to BA.2 then to BA.4 and BA.5.The percentage of BA.2 in the imported SARS-CoV-2 surveillance data was far higher than that in the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data(GISAID).The imported cases from Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,China,accounted for 32.30%of Omicron cases sampled,and 98.71%of them were BA.2.Conclusions:The Omicron variant showed the intra-Omicron evolution in the first half of 2022,and all of the Omicron subvariants were introduced into the mainland of China multiple times from multiple different locations.

First Imported Case of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Subvariant BA.4-Guangdong Province,China,May 4,2022

On April 29,2022,a flight arrived at Baiyun International Airport,Guangzhou City,Guangdong Province,and departed from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport,Netherlands.After the first test of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2)nucleic acid at the Baiyun International Airport,all passengers were admitted to a quarantine hotel for a routine 14-day medical observation.On April 30,one of the passengers(a 20-year-old Chinese female)was reported positive for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),and then a nasopharyngeal swab sample was immediately retested on May 1 and reported positive.

Perspective on the application of genome sequencing for monkeypox virus surveillance

Monkeypox virus(MPXV),a DNA virus belonging to the Orthopoxvirus genus,causes a self-limiting zoonotic disease known as mpox.The human monkeypox infection was first recorded in a 9-month-old child in the Republic of Congo in the 1970s(Ladnyj et al.,1972).For a long time,mpox was mainly prevalent in the humid forests of Central Africa and parts of West Africa(Kabugae and El Zowalaty,2019).In recent years,MPXV has been spread to other countries through trade and travel.In 2003,a group of rare pets carrying MPXV was exported from Africa to the United States,and an outbreak of animal-to-human transmission occurred(Di Giulio and Eckburg,2004).In 2018,two cases of mpox were confirmed in travelers from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and one case was confirmed in Israel(Vaughan et al.,2018;Erez et al.,2019).Then,in 2019,one case was confirmed in Singapore(Ng et al.,2019).The outbreak of mpox in multiple non-endemic countries in North America and Europe started in May 2022(WHO,2022b).On July 23,2022,the WHO declared MPXV a Public Health Emergency of International Concern(PHEIC)(WHO,2022a).As of March 5,2023,86,309 confirmed mpox cases have been reported from 107 countries/regions worldwide(WHO,2023).In the mainland of China,the first imported case was confirmed by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention(Zhao et al.,2022),making this the fifth confirmed mpox infection in China.Neglected zoonotic mpox has been restricted in Africa but now it is back in the spotlight worldwide(Tan and Gao,2022).

A review of occluded objects detection in real complex scenarios for autonomous driving

Autonomous driving is a promising way to future safe,efficient,and low-carbon transportation.Real-time ac-curate target detection is an essential precondition for the generation of proper following decision and control signals.However,considering the complex practical scenarios,accurate recognition of occluded targets is a major challenge of target detection for autonomous driving with limited computational capability.To reveal the overlap and difference between various occluded object detection by sharing the same available sensors,this paper presents a review of detection methods for occluded objects in complex real-driving scenarios.Considering the rapid development of autonomous driving technologies,the research analyzed in this study is limited to the recent five years.The study of occluded object detection is divided into three parts,namely occluded vehicles,pedes-trians and traffic signs.This paper provided a detailed summary of the target detection methods used in these three parts according to the differences in detection methods and ideas,which is followed by the comparison of advantages and disadvantages of different detection methods for the same object.Finally,the shortcomings and limitations of the existing detection methods are summarized,and the challenges and future development prospects in this field are discussed.

Facile cyclic ammonium salt with the smallest size for high performance electric double layer capacitors

The smallest cyclic ammonium salt reported to date, N,N-dimethylpyrrolidinium tetrafluoroborate (P11-BF4), was successively synthesized using a synthesis route without metal ions and halogen ions, then investigated as the electrolyte with Propylene carbonate in EDLCs. The electrochemical characteristics of EDLCs assembled by 1 mol/L P11-BF4/PC paired with activated carbon electrodes were compared to traditional electrolytes. P11-BF4 has proven to have superior voltage resistance by using cyclic voltammetry and constant current charge-discharge testing. Moreover, P11-BF4 exhibits a more brilliant rate performance due to its high conductivity. These results demonstrate that P11-BF4 is an ideal electrolyte to improve the energy density and power density of supercapacitors.

Synthesis of magnetic Pb/Fe_(3)O_(4)/SiO_(2) and its catalytic activity for propylene carbonate synthesis via urea and 1,2-propylene glycol

To facilitate the recovery of Pb/SiO_(2) catalyst,magnetic Pb/Fe_(3)O_(4)/SiO_(2) samples were prepared separately by emulsification,sol-gel and incipient impregnation methods.The catalyst samples were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction and N_(2) adsorption-desorption,and their catalytic activity was investigated in the reaction for synthesizing propylene carbonate from urea and 1,2-propylene glycol.When the gelatin was applied in the preparation of Fe_(3)O_(4) at 60℃ and the pH value was controlled at 4 in the preparation of Fe_(3)O_(4)/SiO_(2),the Pb/Fe_(3)O_(4)/SiO_(2) sample shows good catalytic activity and magnetism.Under the reaction conditions of a reaction temperature of 180℃,reaction time of 2h,catalyst percentage of 1.7 wt-% and a molar ratio of urea to PG of 1∶4,the yield of propylene carbonate attained was 87.7%.