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NIR-activated therapies based on light-responsive drug delivery systems are emerging as a remote-controlled method for cancer precise therapy. In this work, fluorescent dye indocyanine green (ICG)-conjugated and bioactive compound gambogic acid (GA)-loaded polymeric micelles (GA@PEG-TK-ICG PMs) were smoothly fabricated via the self-assembly of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-responsive thioketal (TK)-linked amphiphilic polymer poly(ethyleneglycol)-thioketal-(indocyanine green) (PEG-TK-ICG). The resultant micelles demonstrated increased resistance to photobleaching, enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency, NIR-controlled drug release behavior, preferable biocompatibility, and excellent tumor accumulation performance. Moreover, upon an 808 nm laser irradiation, the micellar photoactive chromophore ICG converted the absorbed optical energy to both hyperthermia for photothermal therapy (PTT) and ROS as the feedback trigger to the micelles for the tumor-specific release of GA, which could serve as not only a chemotherapeutic drug to directly kill tumor cells but also a heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) inhibitor to realize the photothermal sensitization. As a result, an extremely high tumor inhibition rate (97.9%) of mouse 4 T1 breast cancer models was achieved with negligible side effects after the chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy. This NIR-activated nanosystem with photothermal self-sensitization function may provide a feasible option for the effective treatment of aggressive breast cancers.

Background: Variations of serum lipids are closely related to the progression of sepsis, but their value for patients with pyogenic liver abscess (PLA) has rarely been studied. We investigated the variations of serum lipid levels in patients with PLA and its predictive value to the disease.Methods: A total of 328 patients with PLA hospitalized in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2017 to December 2021 were included in this study, 35 (10.67%) in the severe group (SG) and 293 (89.33%) in the non-severe group (nSG). Their clinical records were retrospectively analyzed, and dynamic curves were drawn to clarify the changes of different indicators during the course of disease.Results: HDL-C, LDL-C and Lp(a) in SG were significantly lower than those in nSG (PConclusions: Low TC level on admission is an independent risk factor for the progression of severe illness in PLA patients, with highest predictive value surpassing other clinical indexes routinely measured. Abscess drainage should be performed as soon as possible for patients whose TC continues to decline after medicine treatment.

Radiotherapy (RT) has been viewed as one of the most effective and extensively applied curatives in clinical cancer therapy. However, the radioresistance of tumor severely discounts the radiotherapy outcomes. Here, an innovative supramolecular radiotherapy strategy, based on the complexation of a hypoxia-responsive macrocycle with small-molecule radiosensitizer, is reported. To exemplify this tactic, a carboxylated azocalix[4]arene (CAC4A) is devised as molecular container to quantitatively package tumor sensitizer banoxantrone dihydrochloride (AQ4N) through reversible host-guest interaction. Benefited from the selective reduction of azo functional groups under hypoxic microenvironment, the supramolecular prodrug CAC4A•AQ4N exhibits high tumor accumulation and efficient cellular internalization, thereby significantly amplifying radiation-mediated tumor destruction without appreciable systemic toxicity. More importantly, this supramolecular radiotherapy strategy achieves an ultrahigh sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER) value of 2.349, which is the supreme among currently reported noncovalent-based radiosensitization approach. Further development by applying different radiosensitizing drugs can make this supramolecular strategy become a general platform for boosting therapeutic effect in cancer radiotherapies, tremendously promising for clinical translation.

Photothermal agents (PTAs) based on organic small-molecule dyes emerge as promising theranostic strategy in imaging and photothermal therapy (PTT). However, hydrophobicity, photodegradation, and low signal-to-noise ratio impede their transformation from bench to bedside. In this study, a novel supramolecular PTT formulation by a stimuli-responsive macrocyclic host is prepared to overcome these obstacles of organic small-molecule PTAs. Methods: Sulfonated azocalix[4]arene (SAC4A) was synthesized as a hypoxia-responsive macrocyclic host. Taking IR780 as an example, the supramolecular nanoformulation IR780@SAC4A was constructed by grinding method, and its solubility, photostability, and photothermal conversion were evaluated. The hypoxia tumor-selective imaging and supramolecular PTT of IR780@SAC4A were further evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Results: IR780@SAC4A is capable of enhancing the solubility, photostability, and photothermal conversion of IR780 significantly, which achieve this supramolecular formulation with good imaging-guided PTT efficacy in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the supramolecular PTT strategy is a promising cancer theranostic method. Moreover, this supramolecular approach is applicative to construct kinds of supramolecular PTAs, opening a general avenue for extending smart PTT formulations.

We constructed a novel supramolecular hydrogel by carrying out a coassembly of cisplatin and short naproxen-capped peptides. This procedure boosted the radiosensitization effect of cisplatin by increasing the number of Pt-DNA adducts, arresting the cell cycle, and inhibiting cyclooxygenase-2.

A multi-functional NiMo-ceria-zirconia composite was developed as an anode for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) running on isooctane, a commonly used gasoline surrogate. The anode layer was fabricated on an electrolyte-supported single cell using yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) as the electrolyte and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ as the cathode. Our results indicate that the single NiMo-ceria-zirconia layer possesses a dual-functionality: firstly to internally convert complex hydrocarbons into synthesis gas with a high resistance to coking and secondly to electrochemically oxidize the synthesis gas mixture for electric power generation. Compared with the conventional Ni-YSZ anode single cell, the application of the ceria-zirconia in the anode significantly suppresses carbon deposition and improves the performance stability of the single cell. Furthermore, the addition of Mo in the Ni-ceria-zirconia appears to facilitate a higher degree of sintering for the anode, which increases the electronic conductivity and maximum power density of the single cell. Consequently, at 800 °C the single cell with 5 wt.% Mo in the Ni-ceria-zirconia-based anode displayed a higher maximum power density of 212 mW cm−2 at 0.48 V and significantly enhanced performance stability than the conventional Ni-YSZ anode single cell in the isooctane/air operating mode.

Radiotherapy (RT) combined with chemotherapy remains a dominant therapeutic manner in clinical tumor treatment, which is irreplaceable in a short term. To seek an intrinsic connection of combined chemoradiation therapy and maximize the antitumor efficacy, we developed a reactive oxygen species (ROS)-sensitive nanomicelle drug delivery system based on a self-assembled amphiphilic polymer, hyaluronic acid-graft-poly-(propylene sulfide) (HA-PPS). A chemical radiosensitizer, doxorubicin (DOX), was encapsulated into the core of HA-PPS nanomicelles, constituting the DOX-loaded nanomicelles (HA-PPS@DOX NMs) with a spherical structure of around 205.10 ± 11.33 nm diameter with a narrow polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.135 ± 0.01. When combined with RT, the ROS-sensitive HA-PPS@DOX NMs disintegrated and released great drug cargos, which further enhanced cytotoxicity. Meanwhile, as a radiosensitizer, the released DOX sensitized cancer cells to radiotherapy, which has been confirmed by an enhanced sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER) value of 1.78 contributing to the increased cytotoxicity of concurrent chemoradiation tumor therapy, as evidenced by the improvement of half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50 value) of DOX from 2.316 to 0.8235 μg/mL. Moreover, in vivo studies revealed that HA-PPS@DOX NMs exhibited prolonged circulation time and improved tumor accumulation. Particularly, the released DOX triggered by radiation strengthened radiotherapy sensitization in return. Consequently, these superiorities of HA-PPS@DOX NMs shown by the concurrent chemoradiation tumor therapy resulted in an ideal tumor inhibition rate of 70.4%, thus providing a promising ROS-sensitive nanomedicine for cancer treatment.

Drug-resistant bacterial infections have stolen the spotlight in recent years as stubborn diseases intimidating public health, thus urgently requiring the development of innovative treatment strategies with high antibacterial efficiency and low bacterial resistance. Here, a polymeric antimicrobial with synergistic chemo-photodynamic therapy function is fabricated to combat drug-resistant bacterial infections. In this strategy, polymeric micelles based on amphiphilic poly(aspartic acid)-block-poly(e-caprolactone) (PAsp-b-PCL) are used as nanocarriers to encapsulate a photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in the micellar core, which then undergo silver nanoparticle decoration on the micellar shell through an in situ reduction method. Compared with mono-therapy, the combination of silver nanoparticle decoration and light-activatable PpIX enables the resulting polymeric antimicrobial to exert chemo-photodynamic activity to kill drug-resistant bacteria more potently in vitro. Furthermore, the prepared polymeric antimicrobials with synergistic antibacterial activity show robust eradication efficacy against subcutaneous infections induced by drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a murine model. Therefore, our study provides a simple and potent strategy to realize combination therapy for eradicating drug-resistant bacterial infections.

This paper describes an application of a NiMo-ceria-zirconia (NiMo-CZ) catalyst as a micro-reforming layer for solid oxide fuel cells running on isooctane (i.e., a gasoline surrogate). The catalyst layer was applied on top of a conventional anode supported single cell with a configuration of Ni-yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) anode, YSZ/Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9 bi-layer electrolyte and La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-δ cathode. Our findings show that the application of the novel catalyst layer was an effective way to reform the mixture of isooctane and air into H2 and CO, which facilitated the electrochemical oxidation of complex hydrocarbons at the anode. At 750 °C, the single cell with the micro-reforming layer exhibited a low polarization resistance of 1.36 Ω cm2 and a maximum power density of 405 mW cm−2 in the direct feeding condition of an isooctane/air mixture. At the current density of 500 mA cm−2, the cell voltage presented a fairly low degradation rate of 3.0 mV h−1 during a 12 h stability test. The excellent electrochemical performance suggests the high catalytic activity of the NiMo-CZ catalyst layer for reforming isooctane and suppressing degradation of the single cell in the direct feeding of isooctane/air.

Loess deposits are important archives of past climate change in subtropical China, where long-term terrestrial records are scarce. However, only a few long-term records with reliable dating were reported in Jiangsu Province, where loess deposits in southeastern China were first discovered and designated as the Xiashu Loess. Moreover, the provenance of the Xiashu Loess is still controversial. This study presents the magnetostratigraphy and detrital zircon U–Pb age results of loess deposits at Zhoujiashan in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province. To date, this section (with basal age of approximately 0.88 Ma) may be the oldest loess deposits discovered in southeastern China. Based on the detrital zircon U–Pb ages of the Zhoujiashan section, together with published results of geochemistry, geomorphology, sedimentology, and meteorology, we propose that the Xiashu Loess has two mixed sources. Local materials derived from the Yangtze River Basin (including exposed river/lake beds, floodplains, and mountains) served as a major contributor. The distal eolian dust that originated from the arid areas of North China (including deserts, piedmont alluvial fans, and drylands) played a minor role in the formation process of the Xiashu Loess. The nearly synchronous onset age (approximately 0.88–0.85 Ma) of the Xiashu Loess was attributed to a regional environmental event during the middle Pleistocene transition.

Catalytic reduction by the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction is an efficient way to utilize carbon dioxide and reduce its environmental impact as a greenhouse gas. In this research, an active CuFe/Al 2 O 3 nano powder was developed as a high temperature reforming catalyst for the RWGS reaction. The powder was synthesized by a wet-impregnation method and the copper alloy was uniformly dispersed on the γ-Al 2 O 3 support. At a gas space velocity of 60,000 h −1 , the conversion of carbon dioxide was 42% at 700 °C, which is very close to the equilibrium conversion of 44%. The results indicated excellent reforming activity of the CuFe/Al 2 O 3 catalyst for the high temperature RWGS reaction. In addition, the catalyst was applied in the form of a reforming layer over a conventional Ni-based electrode of a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) for an integrated SOEC-RWGS system. Hydrogen produced from steam electrolysis over the Ni-based cathode can be efficiently utilized to reduce the carbon dioxide by the RWGS reaction over the CuFe/Al 2 O 3 -based reforming layer. In this bilayer design, the reforming layer maintained the high surface area necessary for achieving good reforming activity, while the electrode layer possessed a high degree of sintering to enhance its electrochemical function. A high conversion of carbon dioxide (37% at 700 °C) was obtained in our bilayer SOEC-RWGS system. This promising result suggests the feasibility of the integrated SOEC-RWGS system for an efficient co-electrolysis device.

The release of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and their cross-presentation in dendritic cells (DCs) are crucial for radio-immunotherapy. However, the irradiation resistance of tumor cells usually results in limited TAA generation and release. Importantly, TAAs internalized by DCs are easily degraded in lysosomes, resulting in unsatisfactory extent of TAA cross-presentation. Herein, we developed an antigen-capturing stapled liposome (ACSL) with a robust structure and bioactive surface. The ACSLs captured and transported TAAs from lysosomes to the cytoplasm in DCs, thereby enhancing TAA cross-presentation. L-arginine encapsulated in ACSLs induced robust T cell-dependent antitumor response and immune memory in 4T1 tumor-bearing mice after local irradiation, resulting in significant tumor suppression and an abscopal effect. Replacing L-arginine with radiosensitizers, photosensitizers, and photothermal agents may make ACSL a universal platform for the rapid development of various combinations of anticancer therapies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Neural network is one of the key technologies for deep learning. Experiments on some standard test datasets show that their recognition ability has reached the level of human beings. However, they are extremely vulnerable to adversarial examples, that is, adding some subtle perturbations to the input example can cause the model to give a wrong output with high confidence. In this paper, we propose a non-contact approach based on neural network and adversarial training to recognize the high-speed rail operating environment. We first built the environment dataset and trained neural network models to do the recognition. We found that our model had high prediction accuracy, but with poor security since it was easy to attack our model using Basic Iterative Methods (BIM). To improve its security, we performed adversarial training based on the adversarial training dataset we built. The evaluation experiments indicated that this approach could improve the security of our model at the same time ensuring the prediction accuracy on the original test dataset.

A titanium-doped Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 composite is developed as an anode component of low temperature solid oxide fuel cells running on methane fuel. Crystallographic parameters of (Ce 0.8-x Ti x )Sm 0.2 O 2-δ (0.00 0.8-x Ti x )Sm 0.2 O 2-δ composites are applied to an anode-supported single cell consisting of Ni-(Ce 0.8-x Ti x )Sm 0.2 O 2-δ anode/Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 electrolyte/La 0.6 Sr 0.4 Co 0.2 Fe 0.8 O 3-δ cathode. Catalytic properties of Ni-(Ce 0.8-x Ti x )Sm 0.2 O 2-δ are inspected with the electrochemical performance and performance stability of the cells in dry methane fuel. The cell with Ni-(Ce 0.73 Ti 0.07 )Sm 0.2 O 2-δ (x = 0.07) anode displays a low polarization resistance and an optimum maximum power density (679 mW cm −2 at 600 °C). A performance stability investigation indicates that the cell exhibits a fairly low degradation rate of 3 mV h −1 during a 31 h operation in dry methane. These findings suggest the application potential of the titanium doped Ce 0.8 Sm 0.2 O 1.9 for the anode of solid oxide fuel cells.

This short communication describes a novel MoO2-based cathode and its potential application for solid oxide electrolysis cells. Electrochemical performances of the MoO2-based cathode are investigated with respect to a commercial Ni/YSZ-based cathode for both co-electrolysis (of H2O and CO2) and electrolysis of only CO2 at 750 °C. Under the co-electrolysis mode, the MoO2-based cell and the Ni/YSZ cell show a similar electrochemical performance, while in the CO2 electrolysis mode, the MoO2-based cell demonstrates a much improved electrocatalytic activity compared with the Ni/YSZ cell. This improved electrochemical activity of the MoO2-based cathode under the CO2 electrolysis mode is further investigated by its electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) study. According to our EIS study, the polarization resistance of the MoO2-based cell is 67% lower than that of the Ni/YSZ-based cell under the open circuit potential. A performance stability study indicates that the MoO2-based cell exhibits a relatively low performance degradation under the CO2 electrolysis mode during its 10-h constant voltage test, and low carbon amount (6.6 wt.%) is detected after the performance stability measurement. These findings suggest the advantages of applying the MoO2-based cathode for the CO2 electrolysis.

Electricity is the most commonly used form of energy for artificial lighting in modern society. Despite a rapid growth in the rate of electrification, 9% of electrified Indian households in our six sampled states continued to use kerosene as their primary lighting fuel in 2018. This appears as a puzzle considering the benefits of electric lights. Using a panel survey of rural households in six states in India, we examine why some grid-connected households primarily used kerosene lamps for illumination. We use a logistic regression model to test our hypothesis regarding the relationship between primary lighting choices and electricity quality. The results show that household primary lighting choices are correlated with nighttime duration of electricity service, daytime duration of electricity service, and the number of days without any electricity connection, at the 99% confidence level. Among these three factors, nighttime duration of electricity service has the greatest impact. To further promote the use of electric lights, intensive schemes to improve electricity quality are needed.

Solid fuel combustion is a major cause of household air pollution, a leading environmental health risk factor globally. In India, over 750 million people continue to rely on firewood and other solid fuels for daily cooking. We explore the drivers of adoption and use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), India’s dominant clean cooking fuel. We document strides in LPG ownership using a panel dataset of over 8,500 rural households from six Indian states surveyed in 2015 and 2018 (ACCESS), partially due to India’s flagship clean cooking policy Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). We further demonstrate that the drivers of initial LPG adoption also apply to use. While fuel stacking—using solid fuels and LPG jointly—is pervasive, improved rural incomes and education result in the increased use of clean cooking fuels. After adoption, general LPG customers are predicted to consume on average 93 kilograms of LPG yearly (95% confidence interval (CI): 91–95 kg/year). However, PMUY beneficiaries are predicted to consume 27 kilograms of LPG (95% CI: 24–30 kg/year) less on average than general customers each year, even after controlling for socio-economic differences and years of using LPG. Our findings suggest that additional strategies to accelerate the transition to exclusive LPG use among the 80 million households acquiring LPG through PMUY should aim to improve affordability and increase awareness to realize the full benefits of the Government of India’s investments in cleaner cooking.

Air emissions from power plants can have a significant effect on air quality. However, models used to analyze and project trends in the energy system are not easily coupled with air quality simulation models. Most downscaling approaches use simplistic averaging and “growth in place” methods that do not account for future changes in the pattern of generation due to renewable penetration, nor for important variations in time and space in emissions that have important implications for air quality. For instance, emissions of NOx are strongly correlated with temperature, which is also correlated with conditions favorable for ozone (smog) episodes. This paper presents a new methodology for downscaling electric sector results from the USDOE National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) for input into air quality modeling systems. The downscaling methodology will be used to analyze air quality and resulting health impacts of energy sector transitions, including transportation electrification and increased use of natural gas and renewable sources.

The deactivation of bifunctional Ni/HZSM-5 catalysts is essentially due to the formation of heavy secondary products (i.e., coke) in the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of bio-oil. Coke deposited on the Ni/HZSM-5 catalyst was characterized using analytical techniques, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The type and quantitative distribution of the deposited coke on the Ni/HZSM-5 catalyst were determined by the dissolution of the aluminum–silicate matrix in a hydrofluoric acid solution. The composition of soluble coke was obtained by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) measurements. It is found that coke can be divided into soft coke, hard coke, and graphite at different reaction temperatures. Organic reactants can be transformed into soft coke and hard coke by different chemical reactions, such as alkylation, aromatization, hydrogen transfer, and dehydrogenation. The quantitative distribution between solu...

This short communication describes the performance of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) fueled by directly feeding premium gasoline to the anode without using external reforming. The novel component of the fuel cell that enables such operation is the mixed conductivity of MoO 2 -based anode. Using this anode, a fuel cell demonstrating a maximum power density of 31 mW/cm 2 at 0.45 V was successfully fabricated. Over a 24 h period of operation, the open cell voltage remained stable at ∼0.92 V. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examination of the anode surface pre- and post-testing showed no evidence of coking.

A NiMo–Ce0.5Zr0.5O2-δ (NiMo-CZ) catalyst has been developed for gasoline-fed solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). To apply the catalyst on a button-type single cell, the NiMo-CZ is deposited on top of conventional Ni-yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) anode as a catalytic internal micro-reforming layer. The NiMo-CZ layer is effective in increasing the gasoline conversion and enhancing the yields of both H2 and CO at 750 °C. On the other hand, due to the high mechanical stress induced from the constrained sintering with a thicker catalyst layer, only a limited amount of catalyst (~20 mg) could be applied over the conventional button-type cell, which is not beneficial for enhancing overall cell performances. To overcome this issue, a tubular single cell configuration is adopted that allowed for higher catalyst loadings. By introducing higher catalyst loadings (~80 mg) in the vacant tubular channel of the single cell, the gasoline conversion, H2 yield, and CO yield all improve while cell lifetime increases by 42% compared to the performance of the button-type cell. The results suggest the potential of the NiMo-CZ catalyst for gasoline-fed SOFCs, and it demonstrates the advantage of the tubular single cell configuration for incorporating higher catalyst loadings for internal catalytic fuel reforming.

Tar produced by biomass gasification as a route of renewable energy must be removed before the gas can be used. This study was undertaken using toluene as a model tar compound for evaluating its steam reforming conversion with three Ni-based catalysts, Ni/olivine, Ni–Ce/olivine and Ni–Ce–Mg/olivine. Effects of Ce and Mg promoters on the reaction activity and coke deposition were studied. Overall the performance of Ce and Mg promoted Ni/olivine catalysts is better than that of only Ce promoter and Ni/olivine alone. The experimental results indicate that Ni–Ce–Mg/olivine catalysts could improve the resistance to carbon deposition, enhance energy gases yield and resist 10 ppm H 2 S poison at 100 mL min −1 for up to 400 min. Furthermore, the activity of catalysts was related to the steam/carbon (S/C) ratios; at S/C ratio = 5, T = 790 °C, space velocity = 782 h −1 and t = 2 h, the Ni–Ce–Mg/olivine system yielded 89% toluene conversion, 5.6 L h −1 product gas rate, 62.6 mol% H 2 content and 10% (mol useful gas mol −1 toluene) energy yield. Moreover, at low S/C ratio, it had higher reaction activity and better ability to prevent coking. There is a small amount of carbon deposition in the form of amorphous carbon after 7 h. Various characterization techniques such as XRD, FTIR and thermogravimetric were performed to investigate the coke deposition of Ni/olivine, Ni–Ce/olivine and Ni–Ce–Mg/olivine. It is suggested that 3% Ni-1% Ce-1% Mg/olivine was the most promising catalyst due to its minimum coke amount and the lower activation energy of coke burning.