Impact of short-term ambient air pollution exposure on the risk of severe COVID-19

Ecological studies suggested a link between air pollution and severe COVID-19 outcomes,while studies accounting for individual-level characteristics are limited.In the present study,we aimed to investigate the impact of short-term ambient air pollution exposure on disease severity among a cohort of 569 laboratory confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to designated hospitals in Zhejiang province,China,from January 17 to March 3,2020,and elucidate the possible biological processes involved using transcriptomics.Compared with mild cases,severe cases had higher proportion of medical conditions as well as unfavorable results in most of the laboratory tests,and manifested higher air pollution exposure levels.Higher exposure to air pollutants was associated with increased risk of severe COVID-19 with odds ratio(OR)of 1.89(95%confidence interval(CI):1.01,3.53),2.35(95%CI:1.20,4.61),2.87(95%CI:1.68,4.91),and 2.01(95%CI:1.10,3.69)for PM_(2.5),PM_(10),NO_(2)and CO,respectively.OR for NO_(2)remained significant in two-pollutant models after adjusting for other pollutants.Transcriptional analysis showed 884 differentially expressed genes which mainly were enriched in virus clearance related biological processes between patients with high and low NO_(2)exposure levels,indicating that compromised immune response might be a potential underlying mechanistic pathway.These findings highlight the impact of shortterm air pollution exposure,particularly for NO_(2),on COVID-19 severity,and emphasize the significance in mitigating the COVID-19 burden of commitments to improve air quality.

Advances of graphdiyne-supported metal catalysts in thermocatalytic reactions

Supported metal catalysts are widely used in the modern chemical industry.The electronic interaction between supports and active components is of great significance for heterogeneous catalysis.Graphdiyne(GDY),a new type of carbon allotrope with sp-hybridized carbon atoms,πconjugate structure,and electron transmission capability,is a promising candidate as catalyst support.Recent years have witnessed the rapid progress of GDY-supported metal catalysts for different catalysis reactions.Considering that most processes in the current chemical industry are thermocatalytic reactions,we herein give an overview about the advances and particular characteristics of GDY-supported catalysts in these reactions.The geometric structure and electronic properties of GDY are first introduced.Then,the synthesis methods for GDY-supported metal catalysts and their applications in thermocatalytic reactions are discussed,in which the effect of electronic interaction on catalytic performance is highlighted.Finally,the current challenges and future directions of GDY-supported metal catalysts for thermocatalysis are proposed.It is expected that this review will enrich our understanding of the advances of GDY as a superior support for metal catalysts in thermocatalytic reactions.

Immunomodulatory and Antiviral Therapy Improved Functional Cure Rate in CHB Patients with High HBsAg Level Experienced NA

Background and Aims:A functional cure,or hepatitis B virus(HBV)surface antigen(HBsAg)loss,is difficult to achieve in patients with hepatitis B virus e antigen(HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B.The HBV vaccine and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF)have been reported to help reduce HBsAg levels and promote HBsAg loss.In this prospective randomized trial,we evaluated HBsAg loss in patients receiving pegylated interferon α2b(PEGIFN-α2b)and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate(TDF),with and without GM-CSF and HBV vaccination.Methods:A total of 287 patients with HBeAg positive chronic hepati-tis B and seroconversion after nucleot(s)ide analog treat-ment were assigned randomly to three treatment groups for 48 weeks,TDF alone(control),PEGIFN-α2b+TDF,and PEGIFN-α2b+TDF+GM-CSF+HBV vaccine.The prima-ry endpoints were the proportions of patients with HBsAg loss and seroconversion at 48 and 72 weeks.Resu/ts:The cumulative HBsAg loss rates in the control,PEGIFN-α2b+TDF,and PEGIFN-α2b+TDF+GM-CSF+HBV vaccine groups at week 48 were 0.0%,28.3%,and 41.1%,respec-tively.The cumulative HBsAg seroconversion rates in these groups at week 48 were 0.0%,21.7%,and 33.9%,respec-tively.Multivariate regression analysis showed that GM-CSF use plus HBV vaccination was significantly associated with HBsAg loss(p=0.017)and seroconversion(p=0.030).Con-clusions:In patients with HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B and seroconversion after nucleot(s)ide analog treatment,immunomodulatory/antiviral treatment regimens effective-ly improved HBsAg loss,and the regimen including GM-CSF and HBV vaccination was most effective.

Enhance gas-separation efficiency of mixed matrix membranes by lamellarly arranged metal-organic polyhedron

Eliminating the nonselective permeation path inside the mixed-matrix membranes(MMMs)is critical for fabrication of gas separation membranes.We demonstrate that by utilizing the phase separation of block copolymers,we are able to introduce metal-organic polyhedrons(MOPs)with precise pore sizes into a polymer matrix and form an ordered layered structure.We also prove that,by arranging MOP cages into a continuous nanosheet-like layer structure,we are able to generate repeated MOP-effective pathways and deplete the MOP-free permeation pathways,thus enhancing the gas-separation efficiency of MMMs.