Improving plasma sterilization by constructing a plasma photocatalytic system with a needle array corona discharge and Au plasmonic nanocatalyst

Efficient sterilization by a plasma photocatalytic system(PPS)requires strong synergy between plasma and photocatalyst to inactivate microorganisms while suppressing the formation of secondary pollutants.Here,we report that a PPS constructed from a needle array corona discharge and Au/TiO2plasmonic nanocatalyst could remarkably improve the sterilization of Escherichia coli(E.coli)and alleviate formation of the discharge pollutant O3.At 6 kV,the combination of corona discharge and Au/TiO2achieves sterilization efficiency of 100%within an exposure time of 5 min.At 5 kV and an exposure time of 8 min,the presence of Au/TiO2improves sterilization efficiency of the corona discharge from 73%to 91%and reduces the O3concentration from 0.38 to 0.04 ppm,whereas the presence of TiO2reduces the sterilization efficiency and O3concentration to 66%and 0.17 ppm,respectively.The Au/TiO2in the PPS enables a uniform corona discharge,enhances the interaction between plasma,E.coli and nanocatalysts,and suppresses the formation of O3.Further,the Au/TiO2can be excited by ultraviolet-visible light emitted from the plasma to generate electron-hole pairs,and thus contributes to the formation of reactive radicals and the oxidative inactivation of E.coli.The PPS constructed from a needle array corona discharge and Au-based plasmonic nanocatalyst provides a promising approach for developing high-efficiency sterilization techniques.

Up-regulation of Let-7a Expression Induces Gastric Carcinoma Cell Apoptosis In Vitro

Objective To investigate effect of let-7a gene over-expression on apoptosis of gastric cancer cell lines SGC-7901. Methods The stable let-7a gene over-expressing SGC-7901 cells,SGC-7901/let-7a cells,were established using shRNA lentiviral vector methods. Real-time RT-PCR analysis was used to evaluate the expression level of let-7a mRNA. Cells apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry. Results RT-PCR analysis revealed let-7a expression in SGC-7901/let-7a cells was significantly increased. Cellular apoptosis assay showed that over-expression of let-7a could increase apoptosis of SGC-7901 cells(P=0.002). Conclusion Up-regulating let-7a expression promoted apoptosis in SGC-7901 cells.

Experimental and MD simulation of 3-dodecyloxypropanamine and 3-tetradecyloxypropylamine adsorbed onto quartz(101) surface

In this paper,two surfactants,3-dodecyloxypropanamine(DOPA) and 3-tetradecyloxypropylamine(TOPA),were synthesized and used as collectors in the quartz micro-flotation in the laboratory.Microflotation tests,FT-IR,XPS measurements,and ab initio Molecular Dynamics(MD) simulations were conducted to research DOPA,TOPA,and dodecylamine(DDA)'s adsorption mechanisms onto quartz(101)surfaces.The results of micro-flotation show that the adsorption of DOPA and TOPA onto quartz surface is more robust than that of DDA.The zeta-potential result shows that the DOPA/TOPA was adsorbed on quartz through electrostatic attraction.Then,MD simulation adsorption models were built to compare the computational properties of the three surfactants,such as the radial distribution function,and the interaction energies between the collectors and the quartz cleavage surface.The interaction energies of surfactants(RNH_(3)^(+) or RNH_(2)) on the quartz surface explained why the pH range of DOPA/TOPA is wider than that of DDA.XPS analyses and MD simulations confirmed that DOPA bonded with the(101) surface of quartz through three types of hydrogen bonds between the-NH_(2) of DOPA and the O atom of quartz.The hydrogen bonds of type A and type C were the most likely type and more potent than those of type B.

A Climatological Perspective on Extratropical Synoptic-Scale Transient Eddy Activity Response to Western Pacific Tropical Cyclones

An observational study focusing on the contribution of tropical cyclones(TCs)that form over the western North Pacific(WNP)to the synoptic-scale transient eddy activity(STEA)over the North Pacific during the boreal autumn and early winter in the period 1979–2019 is presented in this paper.Statistical results show that WNP TCs entering the midlatitudinal North Pacific provide significant positive effects on the pentad mean strength of STEA,which is primarily concentrated over the Kuroshio/Oyashio Extensions(KOE)and regions from east of Japan to 160°W in the lower and midto-upper troposphere,respectively.TC intensity is highly indicative of the subsequent STEA with a correlation coefficient of 0.37/0.33/0.45 at 300 hPa/500 hPa/850 hPa exceeding the 99%confidence level for the period 1979–2019.The strength of STEA in the upper troposphere associated with TCs presents a more significant linear growth with TC intensity than that at the mid-to-lower levels after the cyclones enter the KOE region,suggesting that the impact of TCs on STEA gradually increases with height.Further analyses reveal that the contribution of TCs accounts for 4%–6%of the total STEA change over the KOE region during the late autumn and early winter.In addition,the influence of TCs on STEA experienced an interdecadal decrease from the early 2000 s through the early 2010 s.

3D MoS_(2) foam integrated with carbon paper as binder-free anode for high performance sodium-ion batteries

Molybdenum sulfide(MoS_(2))with well-designed porous structure has the potential to be great electrode materials in sodium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity and abundant resource,however,hindered by its intrinsic low conductivity and stability.Herein,MoS_(2) with 3 D macroporous foam structure and high conductivity was obtained through SiO_(2) templates and integrated with carbon paper(3 D FMoS_(2)/CP).It has showed superior specific capacity(225 m A h g^(-1),0.4–3 V)and cycling stability(1000 cycles)at high rate(2000 m A g^(-1)),with a low decay rate(0.033%per cycle)in sodium-ion batteries.The excellent electrochemical performance may originate from its unique integrated structure:3 D MoS_(2) macropores providing high surface area and abundant transfer channels while carbon paper enhancing the conductivity of MoS_(2) and avoiding unnecessary side reactions brought by binder addition.

A real-world study of immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced triple-negative breast cancer

Background:Triple-negative breast cancer(TNBC)is the most aggressive type of breast cancer.Immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)have been widely used to treat various tumors and have changed the landscape of tumor management,but the data from real-world studies of ICIs for TNBC treatment remain limited.The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ICIs in the treatment of patients with advanced TNBC in a real-world setting and to explore possible correlates.Methods:The clinical data of advanced TNBC patients who received ICI treatment in the Chinese People's Liberation Army(PLA)General Hospital were collected.Treatment responses,outcomes and adverse events(AEs)were assessed.Results:Eighty-one patients were included in the study.The confirmed objective response rate(ORR)was 32.1%,and the disease control rate(DCR)was 64.2%.The median progression-free survival(PFS)was 4.2 months,and the median overall survival(OS)was 11.0 months.PFS and OS were longer in patients who achieved clinical benefit from ICIs and shorter in patients who received later-line ICIs and higher levels of inflammation;specifically,patients with higher TILs had longer PFS.Overall AEs were tolerable.Conclusions:ICIs are effective in the treatment of advanced TNBC,and the adverse reactions are tolerable.A panel of biomarkers including LDH,ALP,and bNLR were identified to predict the efficacies of ICIs in TNBC treatment.

尿源性卵泡刺激素用于促排卵治疗的临床疗效、安全性与经济性:基于102 061个体外受精周期的多中心回顾性队列研究

目的:探讨尿源性卵泡刺激素(uFSH)与重组卵泡刺激素(rFSH)在控制性促排卵中的有效性、安全性和费用差异。方法:本研究是一项回顾性队列研究。数据来自全国16家生殖中心,所收集周期的取卵时间为2015年5月1日至2018年6月30日,使用uFSH(uFSH组)或rFSH(rFSH组)作为起始促性腺激素(Gn)进行控制性促排卵,并使用体外受精(IVF)和(或)卵母细胞胞质内单精子注射进行受精的新鲜周期。由于同一患者可多次接受IVF周期治疗且在同一中心内进行的周期间不独立,故使用广义估计方程进行多因素分析,纳入调整的变量包括年龄、体质指数、抗苗勒管激素水平、不孕原因、促排卵方案、受精方式、移植胚胎数、Gn使用天数。结果:本研究共纳入102 061个新鲜周期进行分析。在有效性方面,当控制不平衡的基线特征后,与rFSH组相比,uFSH组的高获卵数(定义为获卵数>15个)率显著降低(促性腺激素释放激素激动剂方案: OR=0.642, P<0.01;促性腺激素释放激素拮抗剂方案: OR=0.556, P=0.001)。对比于rFSH组,无论激动剂方案还是拮抗剂方案,uFSH组每移植周期的临床妊娠率和每移植周期的活产率均显著增加( OR=1.179、1.169, P均<0.01)。在安全性方面,多因素分析结果显示,在激动剂方案中,与rFSH组相比,uFSH组中重度卵巢过度刺激综合征(OHSS)的发生率显著降低( OR=0.644, P=0.002);在所有方案中,uFSH组与rFSH组的异位妊娠率和多胎妊娠率差异均不显著( P=0.890、0.470)。在费用方面,与rFSH组相比,uFSH组的人均Gn总花费降低( P<0.01),rFSH组的预计成本为6 734元,uFSH组为3 880元。 结论:对于接受控制性促排卵的患者,uFSH相对于rFSH在安全性和经济性方面更有优势。

Real-Time Avatar Pose Transfer and Motion Generation Using Locally Encoded Laplacian Offsets

We propose a human avatar representation scheme based on intrinsic coordinates,which are invariant to isometry and insensitive to human pose changes,and an efficient pose transfer algorithm that can utilize this representation to reconstruct a human body geometry following a given pose.Such a pose transfer algorithm can be used to control the movement of an avatar model in virtual reality environments following a user's motion in real time.Our proposed algorithm consists of three main steps.First,we recognize the user's pose and select a template model from the database who has a similar pose;then,the intrinsic Laplacian offsets encoded in local coordinates are used to reconstruct the human body geometry following the template pose;finally,the morphing between the two poses is generated using a linear interpolation.We perform experiments to evaluate the accuracy and efficiency of our algorithm.We believe our proposed system is a promising human modeling tool that can be used in general virtual reality applications.

Technical feasibility study of an onshore ballast water treatment system

To fulfill the requirements of Guidelines forapproval of ballast water management system(G8),a setof onshore ballast water treatment equipment utilizingmicro-pore ceramic filtration(MPCF)and UV radiation(MPCF&UV)system was designed and set up with amaximum flow rate of 80 m^(3)·h^(-1).Technical feasibilities ofMPCF&UV system were evaluated in three areas:removalefficiencies of indicator organism and oceanic bacteria,perdurability of a ceramic filter,and application on nativeseawater.The results showed that no indicator organism(Dunaliella)or oceanic bacteria was detected aftertreatment of 20 L MPCF and UV radiation at 1.3×10^(4)μW·s·cm^(-2).A 20 L ceramic filter can run continuouslyfor 5.3 h at the flow rate of 15 m3·h-1 before itspressure drop up to 0.195 MPa.The removal percentage oftotal plankton amounts were 91.9%at a flow rate of70 m^(3)·h^(-1)by 80 L MPCF and UV radiation at 1.3×10^(4)μW·s·cm^(-2).

Energy modeling and data structure framework for Sustainable Human-Building Ecosystems （SHBE）- a review

This paper contributes an inclusive review of scientific studies in the field of sustainable human building ecosystems （SHBEs）. Reducing energy consumption by making buildings more energy efficient has been touted as an easily attainable approach to promoting carbon-neutral energy societies. Yet, despite significant progress in research and technology development, for new buildings, as energy codes are getting more stringent, more and more technologies, e.g., LED lighting, VRF systems, smart plugs, occupancy-based controls, are used. Nevertheless, the adoption of energy efficient measures in buildings is still limited in the larger context of the developing countries and middle income/low-income population. The objective of Sustainable Human Building Ecosystem Research Coordination Network （SHBE-RCN） is to expand synergistic investigative podium in order to subdue barriers in engineering, architectural design, social and economic perspectives that hinder wider application, adoption and subsequent performance of sustainable building solutions by recognizing the essential role of human behaviors within building-scale ecosystems. Expected long-term outcomes of SHBE-RCN are collaborative ideas for transformative technologies, designs and methods of adoption for future design, construction and operation of sustainable buildings.

Touchable cell biophysics property recognition platforms enable multifunctional blood smart health care

As a crucial biophysical property,red blood cell(RBC)deformability is pathologically altered in numerous disease states,and biochemical and structural changes occur over time in stored samples of otherwise normal RBCs.However,there is still a gap in applying it further to point-of-care blood devices due to the large external equipment(high-resolution microscope and microfluidic pump),associated operational difficulties,and professional analysis.Herein,we revolutionarily propose a smart optofluidic system to provide a differential diagnosis for blood testing via precise cell biophysics property recognition both mechanically and morphologically.Deformation of the RBC population is caused by pressing the hydrogel via an integrated mechanical transfer device.The biophysical properties of the cell population are obtained by the designed smartphone algorithm.Artificial intelligence-based modeling of cell biophysics properties related to blood diseases and quality was developed for online testing.We currently achieve 100%diagnostic accuracy for five typical clinical blood diseases(90 megaloblastic anemia,78 myelofibrosis,84 iron deficiency anemia,48 thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura,and 48 thalassemias)via real-world prospective implementation;furthermore,personalized blood quality(for transfusion in cardiac surgery)monitoring is achieved with an accuracy of 96.9%.This work suggests a potential basis for next-generation blood smart health care devices.