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Efficient and environmentally friendly production of high-quality continuous fiber coatings using current preparation methods is highly challenging due to issues such as scale and batch processing restrictions, low deposition rate, high energy consumption, and utilization of multiple environmentally hazardous steps. To address these challenges, we propose a stable and efficient wet chemical deposition coating method for high-throughput online continuous preparation of boron nitride (BN) coatings on ceramic fibers under an ambient environment. Our process involves surface modification, in-situ wet chemical deposition, and heat treatment, and all seamlessly connecting with the ceramic fiber preparation process through continuous stretching. Hydrophilic groups were introduced via surface modification enhancing wettability of the fiber surface with impregnating solution. An in-situ reaction and atom migration improve uniformity and binding of the coating. As a result, outstanding impregnation and adhesion properties are achieved. A comprehensive analysis to evaluate the impact of the BN coatings was conducted, which demonstrates that the BN-coated fibers exhibit a remarkable 36% increase in tensile strength, a 133% increase in fracture toughness, and enhanced temperature resistance of up to 1600 ℃. It provides a secure and efficient platform for cost-effective production of functional and high-quality coatings through targeted surface modification and rapid stretching impregnation.

Abstract Background Small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have great potential as new biomarkers in liquid biopsy. However, due to the limitations of sEVs extraction and component analysis procedures, further clinical applications of sEVs are hampered. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is a commonly used broad-spectrum tumor marker that is strongly expressed in a variety of malignancies. Results In this study, CEA+ sEVs were directly separated from serum using immunomagnetic beads, and the nucleic acid to protein ultraviolet absorption ratio (NPr) of CEA+ sEVs was determined. It was found that the NPr of CEA+ sEVs in tumor group was higher than that of healthy group. We further analyzed the sEV-derived nucleic acid components using fluorescent staining and found that the concentration ratio of double-stranded DNA to protein (dsDPr) in CEA+ sEVs was also significantly different between the two groups, with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 41.67% for the diagnosis of pan-cancer. The AUC of dsDPr combined with NPr was 0.87 and the ACU of dsDPr combined with CA242 could reach 0.94, showing good diagnostic performance for pan-cancer. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the dsDPr of CEA+ sEVs can effectively distinguish sEVs derived from tumor patients and healthy individuals, which can be employed as a simple and cost-effective non-invasive screening technology to assist tumor diagnosis.

Positive temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity (PTCR) materials with low Curie temperature have been paid increasing attention lately. In this study, PTCR materials with a Curie temperature of approximately −15 °C were investigated by La3+ doping Ba0.55Sr0.45TiO3 ceramics. It could be expected to meet the requirements of thermal management systems for low-temperature control. In addition, a trace amount of Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 (BNT) was employed to improve the resistivity and the PTCR performance. A significant PTCR effect was achieved with a high resistivity jump of nearly four orders of magnitude, a high temperature coefficient of ~28.76%/°C, and a narrow transition temperature span of 22 °C in the (Ba0.55Sr0.45)0.99875La0.00125Ti1.01O3-0.0025Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 ceramics. The PTCR enhancement mechanism of BNT is discussed.

Mercury (Hg) emissions from open biomass burning represent one of the largest Hg inputs to the atmosphere, with considerable effects on the atmospheric Hg budget. However, there is currently large uncertainty in the inventory of Hg emissions from open biomass burning in China due to limitations on the coarse resolution of burned area products, rough biomass data, and the unavailability of suitable emission factors (EFs). In this study, we developed high tempo-spatial resolution (30 m) and long time-series (2000–2019) atmospheric Hg emission inventories from open biomass burning using the Global Annual Burned Area Map (GABAM) product, high-resolution biomass map, Landsat-based tree cover datasets as well as local EFs in China. The results showed that the average annual Hg emission from open biomass burning in China amounted to 172.6 kg during 2000–2019, with a range of 63–398.5 kg. The largest Hg emissions were found in cropland (72%), followed by forest (25.9%), and grassland (2.1%). On a regional level, Northeast China (NE) and Southwest China (SW) were the two main contributors, together accounting for more than 60% of total Hg emissions. The temporal distribution of Hg emissions showed that the peaks occurred in 2003 and 2014. This is a comprehensive estimation of Hg emissions from open biomass burning in China by integrating various high-resolution remotely sensed data and nationwide localized EFs, which has important implications for understanding the role of open biomass burning in China in regional and global atmospheric Hg budget.

Ceramic nanofibers with robust mechanical properties, high-temperature resistance, and superior thermal insulation performance are promising thermal insulators used under extreme conditions. However, developing of ceramic fibers with both low solid thermal conductivity (λs) and low infrared radiation thermal conductivity (λr) is still a great challenge. Herein, according to the Ioffe–Regel limit theory, we report a novel SiZrNOC nanofiber membrane (NFM) with a typically amorphous structure by combining the electrospinning method and high-temperature pyrolysis technique in a NH3 atmosphere. The prepared SiZrNOC NFM has a high tensile strength (1.98±0.09 MPa), excellent thermal stability (1100 ℃ in air), and superior thermal insulation performance. The thermal conductivity of SiZrNOC NFM was 0.112 W·m−1·K−1 at 1000 ℃, which is obviously lower than that of the traditional ceramic fiber membranes (> 0.2 W·m−1·K−1 at 1000 ℃). In addition, the prepared SiZrNOC NFM-reinforced SiO2 aerogel composites (SiZrNOCf/SiO2 ACs) exhibited ultralow thermal conductivity of 0.044 W·m−1·K−1 at 1000 ℃, which was the lowest value for SiO2-based aerogel composites ever reported. Such superior thermal insulation performance of SiZrNOC NFMs was mainly due to significant decreasing of solid heat conduction and thermal radiation by the fancy amorphous microstructure and high infrared shielding compositions. This work not only provides a promising high-temperature thermal insulator, but also offers a novel route to develop other high-performance thermal insulating materials.

One-dimensional silicon carbide (SiC) nanomaterials hold great promise for a series of applications, such as nanoelectronic devices, sensors, supercapacitors, and catalyst carriers, attributed to their unique electrical, mechanical, and physicochemical properties. Recent progress in their design and fabrication has led to a deep understanding of the structural evolution and structure–property correlation. Several unique attributes, such as high electron mobility, offer SiC nanomaterials an opportunity in the design of SiC-based sensors with high sensitivity. In this review, a brief introduction to the structure and properties of SiC is first presented, and the latest progress in design and fabrication of one-dimensional SiC nanomaterials is summarized. Then, the sensing applications of one-dimensional SiC nanomaterials are reviewed. Finally, our perspectives on the important research direction and future opportunities of one-dimensional SiC nanomaterial for sensors are proposed.

IntroductionDespite recent developments in our comprehension of how the gut microbiota and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are related. The mycobiome: which is a small but crucial part of the gut microbiota and is involved in hosts’ homeostasis and physiological processes, remained unexplored in SLE.MethodsWe profiled the gut fungal mycobiota based on internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS1) sequencing for the gut microbial DNA from the SLE individuals with lupus nephritis (LN) (n = 23), SLE without LN (n = 26) and healthy controls (n = 14) enrolled in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School.ResultsThe ITS sequencing generated a total of 4.63 million valid tags which were stratified into 4,488 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and identified about 13 phyla and 262 genera. Patients with SLE were characterized with unique fungal flora feature. The fungal microbiomes of the three groups displayed distinct beta diversity from each other. Compared with HC group, the abundance of fungal dysbiosis was reflected in a higher ratio of opportunistic fungi in SLE or LN group, as well as the loss of Rhizopus and Malassezia. The main principal components of the flora between the SLE and LN group were generally consistent. The relative abundance of Vanrija in the fecal fungal community was higher in LN group, while the relative abundance of Fusarium was higher in SLE group. Moreover, our data revealed superior diagnostic accuracy for SLE with the fungal species (e.g. Candida, Meyerozyma). Correlations between gut fungi and clinical parameters were identified by Spearman’s correlation analysis. Interestingly, Aspergillus in SLE patients was positively correlated with ACR, 24 h proteinuria, proteinuria, anti-dsDNA, ANA, and SLEDAI, while Rhizopus was negatively correlated with lymphocytes and Hb. Finally, we successfully cultured the fungi and identified it as Candida glabrata by microscopic observation and mass spectrometry.DiscussionWe first explored the highly significant gut fungal dysbiosis and ecology in patients with SLE, and demonstrated the applicability of fungal species as SLE diagnostic tools, signifying that the gut fungal mycobiome-host interplay can potentially contribute in disease pathogenesis.

ObjectiveLupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most severe organ manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Early identification of renal disease in SLE is important. Renal biopsy is currently recognized as the gold standard for diagnosing LN, however, it is invasive and inconvenient for dynamic monitoring. Urine has been considered more promising and valuable than blood in identifying inflamed kidney tissue. Here, we determine whether the signatures of tRNA-derived small noncoding RNA (tsRNA) in urinary exosomes can serve as novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of LN.MethodstsRNA sequencing was performed in exosome extracted from pooled urine of 20 LN patients and 20 SLE without LN, and the top 10 upregulated tsRNAs were screened as candidate markers of LN. The candidate urinary exosomal tsRNAs were primarily elected by TaqMan probe-based quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) in 40 samples (20 LN and 20 SLE without LN) in the training phase. In the validation phase, selected tsRNAs from the training phase were further confirmed in a larger cohort (54 LN patients and 39 SLE without LN). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy.ResultsUpregulated levels of tRF3-Ile-AAT-1 and tiRNA5-Lys-CTT-1 in the urinary exosomes were observed in LN compared with SLE without LN (P < 0.0001 and P < 0.001) and healthy controls (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01), with the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.777 (95% CI: 0.681-0.874, sensitivity 79.63%, specificity 66.69%) and 0.715 (95% CI: 0.610-0.820, sensitivity 66.96%, specificity 76.92%) for discriminating LN from SLE without LN patients. SLE patients with mild activity and moderate to severe activity had higher levels of urinary exosome derived tRF3-Ile AAT-1 (P = 0.035 and P < 0.001) and tiRNA5-Lys-CTT-1 (P = 0.021 and P < 0.001) compared with patients with no activity. Moreover, bioinformatics analysis revealed that both of the tsRNAs regulate the immune process by modulating metabolism and signal pathway.ConclusionIn this study, we demonstrated that urinary exosome tsRNAs can be served as noninvasive biomarkers for the efficient diagnosis and prediction of nephritis in SLE.

Abstract The urgent need for power transmission is the reason for leading research on the safer operation of high‐voltage cables. These high‐voltage cables are emerging as an efficient technology for underground power transmission. However, the electrochemical corrosion of aluminium (Al) metal sheaths in these cables is a common and challenging degradation process. Herein, the corrosion mechanisms and electrochemical analysis are investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and laboratory‐designed electrochemical characterisation techniques. In the corrosion experiments, the authors evaluated the corrosion rate by measuring the release rate of hydrogen gas and explored the different roles of sodium polyacrylate (NaPA) during the corrosion process. It is found that the complexation reactions between NaPA and Al inhibited corrosion while increased the resistance of the buffer layer. The proposed mechanisms of corrosion in this study can improve the lifespan and sustainability of high‐voltage power transmission.

Sorts of Li-ion batteries (LIB) have been becoming important energy supply and storage devices. As a long-standing obstacle, safety issues are limiting the large-scale adoption of high-energy–density batteries. Strategies covering materials, cell, and package processing have been paid much attention to. Here, we report a flexible sensor array with fast and reversible temperature switching that can be incorporated inside batteries to prevent thermal runaway. This flexible sensor array consists of PTCR ceramic sensors combined with printed PI sheets for electrodes and circuits. Compared to room temperature, the resistance of the sensors soars nonlinearly by more than three orders of magnitude at around 67 °C with a 1 °C/s rate. This temperature aligns with the decomposition temperature of SEI. Subsequently, the resistance returns to normal at room temperature, demonstrating a negative thermal hysteresis effect. This characteristic proves advantageous for the battery, as it enables a lower-temperature restart after an initial warming phase. The batteries with an embedded sensor array could resume their normal function without performance compromise or detrimental thermal runaway.

Abstract The microstructure control of modified asphalt, especially the micro-dispersion of the SBS modifier in the mortar transition zone, is a critical technology for the performance design of modified asphalt. To characterize the micro-dispersive morphology of SBS modifiers, thin-section preparation techniques that can be used to analyze the original microstructure of the asphalt mixture were proposed and introduced in this study. Flexible resin is filled into the mixture at vacuum conditions to ensure accepted sample conditions for preparing thin sections of asphalt mixture. The morphology parameters, including SBS area ratio, box dimension, SBS average particle area and its coefficient of variation, area-weighted average axis ratio, and coefficient of variation, were plotted from fluorescence images to characterize the micro-morphological distribution of the SBS modifier in detail. Results have shown that the area ratio increased with the increase in SBS content, while the box dimension was reduced and the distribution uniformity of the particles decreased. The superfluous SBS modifier in the binder at a too high adding ratio will decrease the value of the box dimension. Lower modification temperature worsened the SBS modifier in the mixture, resulting in a wide range of particle size, higher axis ratio, and higher area ratio. The micro-morphologies of SBS in the asphalt mixture phase varied a lot from the asphalt binder phase. The additional materials of mineral filler and fine aggregate, together with the other heating processes, will significantly influence the swelling state and particle size of the SBS modifier.

Changes in bacteriome composition have a strong association with gastric cancer (GC). However, the relationship between stomach fungal microbiota composition and human host immune factors remains largely unknown. With high-throughput internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) sequencing, we characterized gastric fungal microbiome among the GC (n = 22), matched para-GC (n = 22), and healthy individuals (n = 11). A total of 4.5 million valid tags were generated and stratified into 1,631 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), and 10 phyla and 301 genera were identified. The presence of GC was associated with a distinct gastric fungal mycobiome signature, characterized by a decreased biodiversity and richness and significant differences in fungal composition. In addition, fungal dysbiosis was reflected by the increased ratio of Basidiomycota to Ascomycota and a higher proportion of opportunistic fungi, such as Cutaneotrichosporon and Malassezia, as well as the loss of Rhizopus and Rhodotorula during the progression of cancers. A panel of GC-associated fungi (e.g., Cutaneotrichosporon and Rhodotorula) was found to adequately exhibit diagnostic value. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of cytokines and chemokines were detected and correlated with the specific fungal dysbiosis, indicating the possible mechanism of GC. This study reveals GC-associated mycobiome dysbiosis characterized by altered fungal composition and ecology and suggests that the fungal mycobiome might play a role in the pathogenesis of GC.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common peripheral vascular disease. Secondary pulmonary embolism (PE) caused by DVT leads to substantial patient death. Inflammation has been suggested as a key factor in the pathophysiology of DVT, however, involvement of pyroptosis-related inflammatory factors in DVT formation remains unclear. Here, we proposed that post-transcriptional modification of caspase-1 might be a crucial trigger for enhanced pyroptosis in vascular endothelial cells (VECs), and consequently contributed to severer symptoms in DVT patients. In order to explore the involvement of pyroptosis in DVT, peripheral blood mononuclear cells were collected from 30 DVT patients, and compared with the healthy controls, we found caspase-1 was increased both in mRNA and protein levels. miRNA microarray analysis demonstrated that down-regulated miR-513c-5p was significantly negatively correlated with the expression of caspase-1. In vitro assays suggested that miR-513c-5p overexpression could ameliorate the expression of caspase-1, and thus decreased the production of cleaved gasdermin D (GSDMD) and interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in VECs. The dual-luciferase reporter assay identified direct binding between miR-513c-5p and the 3′ untranslated region of caspase-1 encoding gene. The administration of miR-513c-5p mimics through tail vein injection or caspase-1 inhibitor (vx-765) by intraperitoneal injection remarkably decreased the volume of blood clots in vivo, whereas miR-513c-5p inhibitor aggravated thrombosis formation and this effect was dramatically weakened when treated in combination with vx-765. Collectively, these results revealed that the pyroptosis of VECs induced by decreased miR-513c-5p was involved in DVT progression and indicated a potential therapeutic strategy of targeting the miR-513c-5p/caspase-1/GSDMD signal axis for DVT management.

New observations and updated models now suggest terrestrial ecosystems are net sink of atmospheric mercury (Hg), and the critical constrained process to identify the strengths of terrestrial sink is whether the large amount of Hg stored in vegetation originates from the soil as well as from the atmosphere. In this study, field open top chambers (OTCs) experiments reveal that rice plant can assimilate gaseous elemental mercury (GEM, Hg0) from the atmosphere through stomata, and Hg concentrations in rice leaves, upper and bottom stalks and grains increased with Hg0 levels in air, showing significantly quadratic linear relationships. Coupling field stable isotope soil amendment experiments, atmospheric source of Hg in rice plant is quantified with more than 90% of Hg accumulation in rice aboveground biomass from air and approximately 80% of rice root Hg from soil. Furthermore, elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) exposure led to lower Hg concentration in rice tissues through reduction stomatal conductance of rice leaf, and subsequently impact the capacity of Hg storage in rice aboveground parts from the atmosphere. The findings from experiments provide a foundation for future quantification of atmospheric sink of crops in local and larger scales and comprehensive evaluation atmosphere - terrestrial processes and exposure risks in the global Hg cycling.

ObjectiveDysregulation of transfer RNA (tRNA)-derived small noncoding RNA (tsRNA) signatures in human serum has been found in various diseases. Here, we determine whether the signatures of tsRNAs in serum can serve as biomarkers for diagnosis or prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).MethodsInitially, small RNA sequencing was employed for the screening serum tsRNAs obtained from SLE patients, followed by validation with TaqMan probe-based quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic efficacy. The biological functions of tsRNAs were identified by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) assay.ResultsWe first analyzed tsRNA signatures in SLE serum and identified that tRF-His-GTG-1 was significantly upregulated in SLE serum. The combination of tRF-His-GTG-1 and anti-dsDNA could serve as biomarkers for diagnosing SLE with a high area under the curve (AUC) of 0.95 (95% CI = 0.92–0.99), sensitivity (83.72%), and specificity (94.19%). Importantly, the noninvasive serum tRF-His-GTG-1 could also be used to distinguish SLE with LN or SLE without LN with AUC of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.73–0.88) and performance (sensitivity 66.27%, specificity 96.15%). Moreover, the serum tsRNA is mainly secreted via exosome and can directly target signaling molecules that play crucial roles in regulating the immune system.ConclusionIn this study, it has been demonstrated for the first time that serum tsRNAs can be employed as noninvasive biomarkers for the efficient diagnosis and prediction of nephritis in SLE.

Recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) have low quality when compared with natural or conventional aggregates as the paste adhering to it is the key aspect that affects its functionality. Since the adhering cementitious paste weakens the adhesion between the aggregate and the binder, it becomes a decisive factor in the mechanical behavior of the asphalt mixture. It turns out that enhancing the surface of the aggregate or eliminating the paste attached to the NA (natural aggregate) is crucial for improving interfacial bonding. Therefore, the treatment and evaluation of the RCAs by laboratory testing method were studied in this research to assess their reuse in the asphalt pavement surface coarse layer. With the various techniques for removing paste from the RCA, a combination of three enhancement processes were developed for the effective removal of the cement paste, which are mechanical, chemical, and 400 °C conditioning thermal treatment. The RCAs were first charged in a Los Angeles machine for the mechanical treatment to remove parts of the attached cement. Then they were soaked in two types of acids, namely hydrochloric and sulfuric, with different concentrations to determine the most effective or optimum molarity for about a 48 h soaking duration. Then a 2 h thermal treatment was conducted on the RCA samples. After all the treatments were done, the RCA aggregates were subjected to different types of tests to examine their properties in order to ensure their full potential in terms of their physical, chemical, mineralogical, and surface microstructure characteristics. Based on the experiment design, the study intends to examine the quality of the treated recycled aggregates generated by the combination approach as well as to investigate the optimal acid concentration and type. The results show that the proposed mechanochemical and thermal treatment reinforced the quality of the RCAs when compared to the non-treated samples. Meanwhile, HCl proved to be the optimum compared to H2SO4 in most examinations of the properties. In the end, better chemical qualities were validated, and the RCA qualities were improved.

The precise and visual analysis of solid waste recycling in concrete construction engineering is critical for the development of ecological civilization and for the secure supply of resources. This research makes a bibliometric analysis of the solid waste application in concrete construction engineering from 2000 to 2021 based on the Web of Science. The global bibliometric status, current research focus and future directions were used to indicate the global development of solid waste recycling in concrete construction engineering. The most reused solid wastes and most solid waste productive regions were concluded with this bibliometric analysis. China is far ahead of other countries in solid waste recycling in all aspects and heavy metal is one of the most prominent solid waste themes in China. By analyzing the most studied solid waste, fly ash appears to be the most popular and is widely used; half of the top ten-cited papers are correlated with it.

Mercury fate of sewage irrigation in farmlands deserves attention with increasing scarcity of freshwater resources for agriculture in the worldwide. Soil-air total gaseous mercury (TGM) fluxes from four-sewage and one-fresh water irrigated farmlands were determined simultaneously. During maize-wheat rotation, soil-air TGM fluxes showed patterns of both emission and deposition during different growth stages. It enhanced one-order of magnitude emission with increased Hg contamination from historical sewage irrigation. A linear response relationship of TGM fluxes with soil Hg concentration was found, which showed greater TGM emission potential comparing with those from forest and urban soils. However, the ratio of soil-air TGM flux in daytime to nighttime were 3.94 in maize-season and 3.41 in wheat-season, respectively, which were little related to the change in soil Hg concentration. Furthermore, soil temperature and moisture, ambient-air TGM concentration all effected TGM evasion from sewage-irrigated soils. The data presented here suggest that evasion of TGM from historical sewage irrigation farmlands with high Hg concentrations may be potential hotspots for Hg emission in atmosphere, and it was likely to underestimate Hg emissions from farmlands in existing emissions inventory. Additional regional-investigations and process-level researches are needed to better understand role of sewage irrigation farmlands in local-global Hg-biogeochemical-cycles.

Abstract Background Because patient-derived xenografts (PDXs) are grown in immunodeficient mouse strains, PDXs are regarded as lacking an immune microenvironment. However, whether patients’ immune cells co-exist in PDXs remains uncharacterized. Methods We cultured small pieces of lung PDX tissue in media containing human interleukin-2 and characterized the proliferated lymphocytes by flow cytometric assays with antibodies specific for human immune cell surface markers. Presence of immune cells in PDXs was also determined by immunohistochemical staining. Results Human tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) were cultured from nine of 25 PDX samples (36%). The mean time of PDX growth in immunodeficient mice before obtaining TILs in culture was 113 days (range 63–292 days). The TILs detected in PDXs were predominantly human CD8+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, or CD19+ B cells, depending on cases. DNA fingerprint analysis showed that the TILs originated from the same patients as the PDXs. Further analysis of two PDX-derived CD8+ T cells showed that they were PD-1−, CD45RO+, and either CD62L+ or CD62L−, suggesting they were likely memory T cells. Immunohistochemical staining showed that human T cells (CD8+ or CD4+), B cells (CD19+), and macrophages (CD68+) were present in stroma or intraepithelial cancer structures and that human PD-L1 was expressed in stromal cells. Moreover, the patient-derived immune cells in PDX can be passaged to the F2 generation and may migrate to spleens of PDX-bearing mice. Conclusions Patient-derived immune cells co-exist in early passages of PDXs in some lung cancer PDX models. The CD8+ cells from PDXs were likely memory T cells. These results suggest that PDXs can be used for evaluating the functionality of immune components in tumor microenvironments.

Although numerous studies on heavy metals (HMs) in sediments have been carried out in the East China Sea (ECS), the knowledge on the recent pollution levels of HMs in coastal region remains not well understood due to the rapid developments of urbanization in eastern China. In this study, 23 surface samples and 4 core samples are collected in the inner shelf of the ECS. The average dry-weight concentrations follow the descending order of Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb, Cu, As, Cd, and Hg (103.6 ± 26.0, 42.8 ± 12.4, 37.0 ± 9.1, 34.7 ± 11.1, 19.5 ± 10.3, 15.7 ± 11.6, 0.056 ± 0.017, and 0.041 ± 0.017 μg g−1, respectively). HMs concentrations share a similar spatial distribution pattern of TOC content with a decreasing trend from coastline to outer sea. Additionally, HMs concentrations exhibit a decreasing trend from top to bottom sediments, especially for Hg at the open sites due to the wet and dry deposition of atmospheric Hg besides the riverine inputs. The potential ecological risk indices (PERI) values in coastal sediments were about 2–4 times higher than those in open sea. Although the Hg and Cd concentrations were lower by 2–3 orders of magnitude than those of other six metals, the PERI values of Hg (65.5) and Cd (52.1) were 3–40 times higher than those of others. The hierarchical cluster result is consistent with the PCA result, suggesting that Hg, Cd, and As have similar sources and probably mainly originated from anthropogenic emissions.

BackgroundThe NONO gene is located on chromosome Xq13.1 and encodes a nuclear protein involved in RNA synthesis, transcriptional regulation, and DNA repair. Hemizygous variants in NONO have been reported to cause mental retardation, X-linked, syndromic 34 (MRXS34) in males. Due to the scarcity of clinical reports, the clinical characteristics and mutation spectrum of NONO-related disorder have not been entirely determined.MethodsWe reported a fetus with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, performed a comprehensive genotyping examination, including copy-number variation sequencing and whole-exome sequencing, and screened for the genetic abnormality. We also conducted an in vitro mini-gene splicing assay to demonstrate the predicted deleterious effects of an intronic variant of NONO.ResultsExome sequencing identified a novel intronic variant (c.154 + 9A > G) in intron 4 of the NONO gene (NM_001145408.1). It was predicted to insert 4 bp of intron 4 into the mature mRNA. Minigene assay revealed that the c.154 + 9A > G variant caused the activation of the intronic cryptic splice site and 4 bp insertion (c.154_155ins GTGT) in mature mRNA. Literature review shows that cardiac phenotype, including left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy and congenital heart disease, are consistent features of MRXS34.ConclusionThis study enlarges the mutation spectrum of NONO, further expands hypoplastic left heart syndrome to the phenotype of MRXS34 and points out the importance of intronic sequence analysis and the need for integrative functional studies in the interpretation of sequence variants.

Aged swim bladders from the yellow drum (Protonibea diacanthus) are considered collagen-based functional food with extremely high market value. The structural integrity of collagen may be crucial for its biological functions. In the current study, swim bladders with 25-year-old sequences were collected and found to be basically composed of collagen. Then, thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR) were conducted to evaluate the integrity of the peptide chain and triple helix in the collagen. The structures of microfibers and fiber bundles were revealed with atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electrical microscopy (SEM), and optical spectroscopy. The collagens in the aged swim bladders were found to have similar thermal properties to those of fresh ones, but the relative content of the triple helixes was found to be negatively correlated with aging. The secondary structure of the remaining triple helix showed highly retained characteristics as in fresh swim bladders, and the microfibrils also showed a similar D-period to that of the fresh one. However, the fiber bundles displayed more compact and thick characteristics after years of storage. These results indicate that despite 25 years of aging, the collagen in the swim bladders was still partially retained with structures.

Ferroelectric materials have been applied in the photocatalytic field due to the internal electric field generated by the spontaneous polarisation. In this study, it is found that the ferroelectric BaTiO(3) catalysts exhibit the excellent photocatalytic property and cycle stability under ultrasonic vibration. In addition, the degraded photocatalytic activity after several cycling tests can resurrect if the BaTiO(3) sample is treated by ultrasonic before photocatalytic reaction. The enhanced photocatalytic activity and cycle stability are ascribed to the variational spontaneous polarisation under external strain for ferroelectric materials. Under ultrasonic vibration, the high-frequency alternating strain applied on the BaTiO(3) grain changes the internal polarisation electric field. Due to the fast changing polarisation electric field, there is no enough time to form the depolarisation electric field in the BaTiO(3) grain. Therefore, the effective electric field existed in BaTiO(3) grain is large and can effectively promote the separation the photo-generated electrons/holes; thus improving the photocatalytic activity. It is suggested that ultrasonic vibration is an efficient method to improve the photocatalytic properties and cycle stability of the ferroelectric photocatalysts.

Micro-surfacing (MS), made of emulsified asphalt, is the most commonly used preventive maintenance technology in asphalt pavement. However, the studies on profile features of MS based on aggregate morphology are few. This study evaluated the profile features of MS and its effect on skid resistance. The aggregate morphologies were first characterized and modified emulsified asphalt was prepared. The three-dimensional profile features of four kinds of MS samples were captured by laser texture scanner. Results illustrate that steel slag aggregate can be used to enhance the skid resistance of pavement surface and bring about larger profile indexes than basalt and limestone due to its angularity index and flatness values. Further aging of steel slag to eliminate free calcium oxide (f-CaO) is recommended before being used in pavement surface layer.

The styrene−butadiene−styrene (SBS)-modified asphalt pavement has been in growing demand in the road construction field owing to its workable mechanical property and temperature durability. This paper prepared a penetrative rejuvenator (PR) with waste cooking oil (WCO) and emulsified asphalt, then applied PR on SBS copolymers to investigate its aging and rejuvenating effects in an asphalt binder. After a thin film oven test (TFOT) and ultraviolet (UV) aging of SBS copolymers, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were used to analyse the aged copolymers’ chemical structure. Moreover, both aged and rejuvenated SBS copolymers were added into a fresh asphalt binder to get two kinds of modified asphalt binders, namely, MAAC (modified by aged copolymer) and MARC (modified by rejuvenated copolymer). Aiming to analyse the monomer effect of SBS copolymers in the asphalt binder, the rheological characteristic with dynamic shear rheometer (DSR), chemical structure with FTIR and physical properties with penetration, soft point and ductility tests were investigated using MAAC and MAAC samples. The results showed that rejuvenated SBS copolymer could improve MAAC’s viscoelasticity, but from FTIR spectral analysis, PR resulted in no chemical changes to SBS copolymers. A tough coat which made MAAC of higher stiffness was observed on the copolymer surface after thermal treatment. UV caused evidently negative effects on SBS copolymer because of accelerating oxidation by ozone, which brought about high possibility of cracks during servicing periods of asphalt pavement. In addition, MAAC was inferior in both rheological and physical properties, which reflected the significance and necessity in consideration of alleviating SBS copolymer aging in field.

Anti-PD-1 and anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy has provided a new therapeutic opportunity for treatment of advanced-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, overall objective response rates are approximately 15%–25% in all NSCLC patients who receive anti-PD therapy. Therefore, strategies to overcome primary resistance to anti-PD immunotherapy are urgently needed. We hypothesized that the barrier to the success of anti-PD therapy in most NSCLC patients can be overcome by stimulating the lymphocyte infiltration at cancer sites through locoregional virotherapy. To this end, in this study, we determined combination effects of anti-PD immunotherapy and oncolytic adenoviral vector-mediated tumor necrosis factor-α-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) gene therapy (Ad/E1-TRAIL) or adenoviral-mediated TP53 (Ad/CMV-TP53) gene therapy in syngeneic mice bearing subcutaneous tumors derived from M109 lung cancer cells. Both anti–PD-1 and anti–PD-L1 antibodies failed to elicit obvious therapeutic effects in the M109 tumors. Intratumoral administration of Ad/E1-TRAIL or Ad/CMV-TP53 alone suppressed tumor growth in animals preexposed to an adenovector and bearing subcutaneous tumors derived from M109 cells. However, combining either anti–PD-1 or anti–PD-L1 antibody with these two adenoviral vectors elicited the strongest anticancer activity in mice with existing immunity to adenoviral vectors. Dramatically enhanced intratumoral immune response was detected in this group of combination therapy based on infiltrations of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes and macrophages in tumors. Our results demonstrate that resistance to anti–PD-1 immunotherapy in syngeneic mouse lung cancer can be overcome by locoregional virotherapy.

In this research, the durability of skid resistance during the ice melting process with temperature increasing from −5 °C to 10 °C was characterized by means of a British Pendulum Skid Tester. Four types of pavement surfaces were prepared and tested. The difference between two antiskid layers prepared with bitumen emulsion was the aggregate. The detailed angularity and form 2D index of fine aggregates used for antiskid surfaces, characterized by means of the Aggregate Image Measure System (AIMS) with micro image analysis methods, were then correlated with British Pendulum Number (BPN) values. Results indicate that skid resistance has the lowest value during the ice-melting process. The investigated antiskid layers can increase the surface friction during icy seasons. In icy conditions, the skid resistance behavior first worsens until reaches the lowest value, and then increases gradually with increasing temperature. Results from ice-melting conditions on four investigated pavement surfaces give the same temperature range where there will be lowest skid resistance. That temperature range is from 3 °C to 5 °C. A thicker ice layer will result in a lower skid resistance property and smaller “lowest BPN„.

To determine prevalence of Cyclospora cayetanensis infection in Henan, China, we conducted a study of 11,554 hospital patients. Prevalence was 0.70% (95% confidence interval 0.70% ± 0.15%), with all age groups infected. Most cases were found in the summer. Minor sequence polymorphisms were observed in the 18S rRNA gene of 35 isolates characterized.

This work presents a filled function method based on the filter technique for global optimization. Filled function method is one of the effective methods for nonlinear global optimization, since it can effectively find a better minimizer. Filter technique is applied to local optimization methods for its excellent numerical results. In order to optimize the filled function method, the filter method is employed for global optimizations in this method. A new filled function is proposed first, and then the algorithm and its properties are proved. The numerical results are listed at the end.

Mercury (Hg) emission from coal combustion in China is estimated in this study and its deposition calculated using the Models-3 Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ-Hg) modeling system with meteorological fields calculated by MM5. Three kinds of Hg speciation were included in the models: particle-bound mercury (PHg), gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) and gas oxidized mercury (RGM). Much of the Hg was re leased as RGM from coal combustion in China, accounting for 58.4 - 66.8% of total emissions. The large proportion of RGM in over all Hg emission also led to large Hg deposition. Based on simulations, Hg deposition originating from coal combustion reaches as high as 2 - 6 __g m-2 month-1 in south western China (particularly Guizhou Province), the industrialized and populated regions of east central and coastal China, and Liaoning Province in the northeast.