Impact of Air Pollutants on Lung Function and Inflammatory Response in Asthma in Shanghai

Objective Air pollution is a leading public health issue.This study investigated the effect of air quality and pollutants on pulmonary function and inflammation in patients with asthma in Shanghai.Methods The study monitored 27 asthma outpatients for a year,collecting data on weather,patient self-management[daily asthma diary,peak expiratory flow(PEF)monitoring,medication usage],spirometry and serum markers.To explore the potential mechanisms of any effects,asthmatic mice induced by ovalbumin(OVA)were exposed to PM_(2.5).Results Statistical and correlational analyses revealed that air pollutants have both acute and chronic effects on asthma.Acute exposure showed a correlation between PEF and levels of ozone(O_(3))and nitrogen dioxide(NO_(2)).Chronic exposure indicated that interleukin-5(IL-5)and interleukin-13(IL-13)levels correlated with PM_(2.5)and PM_(10)concentrations.In asthmatic mouse models,exposure to PM_(2.5)increased cytokine levels and worsened lung function.Additionally,PM_(2.5)exposure inhibited cell proliferation by blocking the NF-κB and ERK phosphorylation pathways.Conclusion Ambient air pollutants exacerbate asthma by worsening lung function and enhancing Th2-mediated inflammation.Specifically,PM_(2.5)significantly contributes to these adverse effects.Further research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms by which PM_(2.5)impacts asthma.

Boric Acid-Assisted Pyrolysis for High-Loading Single-Atom Catalysts to Boost Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Zn-Air Batteries

The emerging of single-atom catalysts(SACs)offers a great opportunity for the development of advanced energy storage and conversion devices due to their excellent activity and durability,but the actual mass production of high-loading SACs is still challenging.Herein,a facile and green boron acid(H_(3)BO_(3))-assisted pyrolysis strategy is put forward to synthesize SACs by only using chitosan,cobalt salt and H_(3)BO_(3)as precursor,and the effect of H_(3)BO_(3)is deeply investigated.The results show that molten boron oxide derived from H_(3)BO_(3)as ideal high-temperature carbonization media and blocking media play important role in the synthesis process.As a result,the acquired Co/N/B tri-doped porous carbon framework(Co-N-B-C)not only presents hierarchical porous structure,large specific surface area and abundant carbon edges but also possesses high-loading single Co atom(4.2 wt.%),thus giving rise to outstanding oxygen catalytic performance.When employed as a catalyst for air cathode in Zn-air batteries,the resultant Co-N-B-C catalyst shows remarkable power density and long-term stability.Clearly,our work gains deep insight into the role of H_(3)BO_(3)and provides a new avenue to synthesis of high-performance SACs.

Data-Driven Deep Learning for OTFS Detection

Recently,orthogonal time frequency space(OTFS)was presented to alleviate severe Doppler effects in high mobility scenarios.Most of the current OTFS detection schemes rely on perfect channel state information(CSI).However,in real-life systems,the parameters of channels will constantly change,which are often difficult to capture and describe.In this paper,we summarize the existing research on OTFS detection based on data-driven deep learning(DL)and propose three new network structures.The presented three networks include a residual network(ResNet),a dense network(DenseNet),and a residual dense network(RDN)for OTFS detection.The detection schemes based on data-driven paradigms do not require a model that is easy to handle mathematically.Meanwhile,compared with the existing fully connected-deep neural network(FC-DNN)and standard convolutional neural network(CNN),these three new networks can alleviate the problems of gradient explosion and gradient disappearance.Through simulation,it is proved that RDN has the best performance among the three proposed schemes due to the combination of shallow and deep features.RDN can solve the issue of performance loss caused by the traditional network not fully utilizing all the hierarchical information.

糖尿病玻璃体性状特点及其与增殖性糖尿病视网膜病变的关系

糖尿病患者体内持续的高血糖及相应的病理状态不仅会导致糖尿病视网膜病变(DR),也会影响玻璃体代谢,导致糖尿病玻璃体病变。由于玻璃体与视网膜在解剖位置上毗邻,因此糖尿病玻璃体病变与DR在发生发展方面相互促进,特别是玻璃体后脱离(PVD)和玻璃体劈裂等玻璃体视网膜界面的改变,为纤维血管增殖膜的生长提供了支架,并与玻璃体切割术(PPV)术中操作密切相关。本文整理了糖尿病患者玻璃体结构及胶原交联产物改变、玻璃体视网膜界面改变及其与增殖性糖尿病视网膜病变(PDR)关系的相关研究,旨在深入了解糖尿病玻璃体病变,为DR的研究和治疗、PPV手术方案的制定等提供参考。

Towards Practical Application of Li-S Battery with High Sulfur Loading and Lean Electrolyte:Will Carbon-Based Hosts Win This Race?

As the need for high-energy–density batteries continues to grow, lithium-sulfur(Li–S) batteries have become a highly promising next-generation energy solution due to their low cost and exceptional energy density compared to commercially available Li-ion batteries. Research into carbon-based sulfur hosts for Li–S batteries has been ongoing for over two decades, leading to a significant number of publications and patents.However, the commercialization of Li–S batteries has yet to be realized. This can be attributed, in part, to the instability of the Li metal anode. However, even when considering just the cathode side, there is still no consensus on whether carbon-based hosts will prove to be the best sulfur hosts for the industrialization of Li–S batteries. Recently, there has been controversy surrounding the use of carbon-based materials as the ideal sulfur hosts for practical applications of Li–S batteries under high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte conditions. To address this question, it is important to review the results of research into carbon-based hosts, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and provide a clear perspective. This review systematically evaluates the merits and mechanisms of various strategies for developing carbon-based host materials for high sulfur loading and lean electrolyte conditions. The review covers structural design and functional optimization strategies in detail, providing a comprehensive understanding of the development of sulfur hosts. The review also describes the use of efficient machine learning methods for investigating Li–S batteries. Finally, the outlook section lists and discusses current trends, challenges, and uncertainties surrounding carbon-based hosts, and concludes by presenting our standpoint and perspective on the subject.

A Novel RFID Localization Approach to Smart Self-Service Borrowing and Returning System

The misreading problem of a passive ultra-high-frequency(UHF)radio frequency identification(RFID)tag is a frequent problem arising in the field of librarianship.Unfortunately,existing solutions are something inefficient,e.g.,extra resource requirement,inaccuracy,and empiricism.To this end,under comprehensive analysis on the passive UHF RFID application in the librarianship scenario,a novel and judicious approach based on RFID localization is proposed to address such a misreading problem.Extensive simulation results show that the proposed approach can outperform the existing ones and can be an attractive candidate in practice.

Data analysis guidelines for single‑cell RNA‑seq in biomedical studies and clinical applications

The application of single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq)in biomedical research has advanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of disease and provided valuable insights into new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.With the expansion of capacity for high-throughput scRNA-seq,including clinical samples,the analysis of these huge volumes of data has become a daunting prospect for researchers entering this field.Here,we review the workflow for typical scRNA-seq data analysis,covering raw data processing and quality control,basic data analysis applicable for almost all scRNA-seq data sets,and advanced data analysis that should be tailored to specific scientific questions.While summarizing the current methods for each analysis step,we also provide an online repository of software and wrapped-up scripts to support the implementation.Recommendations and caveats are pointed out for some specific analysis tasks and approaches.We hope this resource will be helpful to researchers engaging with scRNA-seq,in particular for emerging clinical applications.

Application of next-generation sequencing in thalassemia screening:A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To evaluate the value of next-generation sequencing(NGS)in the prevention and management of thalassemia.Methods:A systematic search was performed in eight databases including China Biomedical Literature Database,Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure,Chinese Scientific Journals Database,Wanfang database,PubMed,EMBASE,Web of Science,and Cochrane Library from the inception to 1 June 2022.Stata 17.0 and Review Manager 5.4 were used for the meta-analysis.Results:Nine studies containing 14794 participants were included in the meta-analysis.Compared with the routine genetic testing(including Gap-PCR and reverse dot blot),NGS had higher detection rates in screening thalassemia(RR 1.22,95%CI 1.13-1.31,P<0.01),particularly for theα-thalassaemia mutation carriers(RR 1.24,95%CI 1.07-1.44,P<0.01).However,no significant difference was found in the screening ofβ-thalassemia(RR 1.10,95%CI 0.99-1.23,P>0.05).Conclusions:Compared with routine genetic testing,NGS had a higher detection rate in general,particularly in the detection ofα-thalassemia.

Energy-Efficient Computation Offloading and Resource Allocation in Fog Computing for Internet of Everything

With the dawning of the Internet of Everything(IoE) era, more and more novel applications are being deployed. However, resource constrained devices cannot fulfill the resource-requirements of these applications. This paper investigates the computation offloading problem of the coexistence and synergy between fog computing and cloud computing in IoE by jointly optimizing the offloading decisions, the allocation of computation resource and transmit power. Specifically, we propose an energy-efficient computation offloading and resource allocation(ECORA) scheme to minimize the system cost. The simulation results verify the proposed scheme can effectively decrease the system cost by up to 50% compared with the existing schemes, especially for the scenario that the computation resource of fog computing is relatively small or the number of devices increases.

Signal Path Reckoning Localization Method in Multipath Environment

In the wireless localization application, multipath propagation seriously affects the localization accuracy. This paper presents two algorithms to solve the multipath problem. Firstly, we improve the Line of Possible Mobile Device(LPMD) algorithm by optimizing the utilization of the direct paths for single-bound scattering scenario. Secondly, the signal path reckoning method with the assistance of geographic information system is proposed to solve the problem of localization with multi-bound scattering paths. With the building model's idealization, the proposed method refers to the idea of ray tracing and dead reckoning. According to the rule of wireless signal reflection, the signal propagation path is reckoned using the measurements of emission angle and propagation distance, and then the estimated location can be obtained. Simulation shows that the proposed method obtains better results than the existing geometric localization methods in multipath environment when the angle error is controlled.

A Case of COPD with Left Endobronchial Hamartoma by Bronchoscopic Intervention

Objective: Exploration for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with branched air lumen hamartoma by bronchoscoptic treatment. Material and Method: An old man was referred to our hospital with shortness of breath for many years. Clinical evidence emphysema on respiratory examination, lung function and chest X-ray gave rise to concern. He was diagnosed as COPD and treated with ICS + LABA. But the shortness of breath is still existed. Initial assessment by CT suggested a left lower lobe collapse. Then bronchoscope identified a solid abnormality in main left bronchus. The pathology showed a benign neoplasm. Because of intolerance of operation, the patient was treated by brochoscopic intervention. The endoscopic intervention included resection by electrosurgical snare, electrocautery, argon plasma coagulation (APC). Result: After intervention, the neoplasm was partly removed and the pathological result was endobrochial hematoma. After treatment, the patient’s panting had taken a turn for the better. After one month later, the patient’s lung function improved a lot. Conclusion: In conclusion, endobronchial hamartomas are one of benign neoplasms. It can cause persistent bronchial obstruction and recurrent pneumonias. In this case, invasive endoscopic treatment provides an excellent outcome.

美国蔓越莓的创新运用

近些年来快消饮食新品的发布越来越多地反映了消费者对健康目标的整体诉求。一些令人眼前一亮的产品形式、原料以及风味的组合给消费者带来了更多个性化体验及益处。美国特色食品协会以及Mintel的报道指出,在过去的两年间,特色食品市场的市值增长9.8%,达到了 1487亿美元,远超其他类型食品3.1%的增长速度。

Discussion on the Improvement of Technical Safety Scheme Compilation for Hazardous and Ultrahazardous Projects

This paper reviews the summary and analysis of special technical safety schemes for hazardous and ultrahazardous activities,supported by housing scaffolding,installation,and dismantling of outer wall attached tower crane,deep foundation pit with supporting structure,municipal bridge box girder formwork support,as well as grooved Larsen steel sheet pile,which are commonly seen in recent years,so as to enhance the pertinence,rationality,and economy of the special program to strengthen safety.

Long-Distance Pipe Jacking in Complex Urban Geological Environment

A steel underground pipeline with a diameter of 2.4 m and a total length of 3,617 m(plate thickness of 26 mm)has been constructed in a city in central Hubei,and the engineering,procurement,and construction(EPC)project has been lifted from the upstream channel to supplement water to the downstream lake inside the city.Through preliminary geological survey data,site topographic and geomorphic survey,urban construction,as well as the requirements of the construction party,the preliminary arrangement of working wells and receiving wells as well as the selection and customization of pipe jacking machines have been proposed.Frequency conversion motor and remote monitoring technology are adopted for geotechnical change and long-distance pipe jacking.Through detailed survey,the rock and soil change section as well as gradual change conditions have been determined,the accuracy of construction mechanics calculation and construction operation control have improved,the basis and analysis basis are provided,and some experiences in construction operation are summarized.

Adsorption Chronopotentiometric Determination of Aluminum in Drinking Waters by Cupferron

A novel and very sensitive electroanalytical method, based on the adsorption chronopotentiometry in the presence of cupferron, was developed for the determination of trace levels of aluminum. The working linear range is 2x10(-9)-9x10(-7) mol/L and the detection limit is 1x10(-9) mol/L. It has been successfully applied to the determination of Al in various drinking-water samples.

Integrating evolutionary genomics of forest trees to inform future tree breeding amid rapid climate change

Global climate change is leading to rapid and drastic shifts in environmental conditions,posing threats to biodiversity and nearly all life forms worldwide.Forest trees serve as foundational components of terrestrial ecosystems and play a crucial and leading role in combating and mitigating the adverse effects of extreme climate events,despite their own vulnerability to these threats.Therefore,understanding and monitoring how natural forests respond to rapid climate change is a key priority for biodiversity conservation.Recent progress in evolutionary genomics,driven primarily by cutting-edge multi-omics technologies,offers powerful new tools to address several key issues.These include precise delineation of species and evolutionary units,inference of past evolutionary histories and demographic fluctuations,identification of environmentally adaptive variants,and measurement of genetic load levels.As the urgency to deal with more extreme environmental stresses grows,understanding the genomics of evolutionary history,local adaptation,future responses to climate change,and conservation and restoration of natural forest trees will be critical for research at the nexus of global change,population genomics,and conservation biology.In this review,we explore the application of evolutionary genomics to assess the effects of global climate change using multi-omics approaches and discuss the outlook for breeding of climate-adapted trees.

Design of manganese ion coated Prussian blue nanocarrier for the therapy of refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma based on a comprehensive analysis of ferroptosis regulators from clinical cases

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma(DLBCL)is a prevalent human malignancy,and understanding its biology will help identify problems in refractory patients and customize alternative therapies for them.We found that DLBCL can be stratified into two independent subtypes with different clinical characteristics and outcomes by consensus clustering of expression of ferroptosis regulatory genes,which proves that ferroptosis is effective in treating refractory cases.In this work,we constructed a novel ferroptosis nanocarrier(PBPMn@PEG)by coating Prussian blue nanoparticles with manganese ions and encapsulating them with poly(ethyleneglycol).The low efficiency of the Fenton reaction of Prussian blue nanoparticles can be improved greatly by manganese coating,and can effectively generate hydroxyl radicals,and induce ferroptosis of lymphoma cells(SU-DHL-10 cells)by down-regulating ferroptosis suppressor genes and up-regulating ferroptosis driver genes.It also induces effective cell apoptosis,which is synergistic with ferroptosis for DLBCL therapy.In vivo experiments also prove that PBPMn@PEG achieved a better anti-tumor effect by up-regulating COX2,HO-1/hemeoxygenase-1(HMOX1),and NADPH oxidase-4(NOX4),and downregulating FSP1 and GPX4,with lower biotoxicity.As a novel and potential DLBCL drug carrier,our discovery served as a foundation for the treatment of the refractory DLBCL by inducing ferroptosis for DLBCL treatment in addition to the therapeutic effect of drugs.

向隅:“第一个来到延安的专业音乐家”——向延生先生访谈

艺工(下称“艺”):在纪念毛泽东同志《在延安文艺座谈会上的讲话》(以下简称《讲话》)发表80周年之际,《艺术评论》编辑部委托我对您进行访谈。想请您回忆一下,您父亲向隅先生是如何从一位专业音乐家转变为革命音乐家的,以及《讲话》前后他的工作、创作的变化。能否请您先谈谈向隅先生是怎么走上音乐道路的?

南海北部琼东南海域活动冷泉流场特征初探

冷泉是甲烷流体运移的一种重要地质过程.作为一种重要的温室气体,海底冷泉处渗漏的甲烷流体,对全球气候变化具有重要的影响.因此,冷泉流场的研究对于冷泉地质过程和全球气候变化都具有重要的意义.本研究基于PIV(particle image velocimetry)技术,对南海琼东南海域新发现的活动冷泉视频资料进行了活动冷泉的流速流场的模拟定量研究.研究区活动冷泉的释放有两种形式:一种是天然气水合物分解形成甲烷气泡,缓慢地逸散至海水;另一种则是含甲烷流体从喷口快速喷发形成羽状流.PIV计算的结果显示,活动冷泉羽状流流场运动方向整体向上,内部为复杂的湍流,其流线呈现出蜿蜒的形态,冷泉羽状流的运动方向与流速大小均随时间的改变而改变.尽管存在一定的系统误差,但PIV计算的结果仍然是可信的,并且具有低成本、速度快、分辨率高等独特的优势.与热液流场相比,冷泉流场的研究程度相对较低,未来需要更多的工作来定量描述冷泉流场,并分析冷泉流场的变化规律.

Highly sensitive up-conversion phosphor for optical thermometry:CaLaAl3O7:Er3+/Yb3+

Herein,we reported Er^3+/Yb^3+co-doped CaLaAl3O7 up-conversion phosphors synthesized via solid state reaction,which was further explored as a new optical thermometry.The luminescent properties of Er^3+or Er^3+/Yb^3+doped CaLaAl3O7 phosphor was studied in detail.The two-photon process for the green emissions of Er^3+were confirmed by the power-dependent luminescence.The up-conversion optical temperature sensing performances of the Er^3+/Yb^3+-codoped CaLaAl3O7 phosphor were investigated based on the FIR technique.The maximum sensitivity of this phosphor can reach about 0.00345 K-1 at 453 K,which reveals this phosphor can be a promising candidate for optical thermometry devices.