Natural products(NPs), including traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), have been long and widely used in the prevention and treatment of central nervous system(CNS) diseases by virtue of their abundant sources, diverse s...Natural products(NPs), including traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), have been long and widely used in the prevention and treatment of central nervous system(CNS) diseases by virtue of their abundant sources, diverse structures, and novel activities.In this review article, we intend to summarize and discuss the situation or status of the clinical employments or trials of the NPs and their derivatives with CNS activities. NPs that have been extensively studied in preclinical research in recent years are also included. The compounds presented in this review are classified according to their indications and followed by details such as natural sources, possible biological mechanisms, and development status, while a considerable proportion of them are found in TCM. In addition, some drug combinations with synergistic effects are also mentioned. According to their impressive therapeutic effects and novel chemical structures, NPs are not only effective therapeutic remedies in clinic, but also lead compounds for structural modification, which indicate that nature brings new avenues to the therapy of CNS diseases.展开更多
Exploring lightweight microwave attenuation materials with strong and tunable wideband microwave absorption is highly desirable but remains a significant challenge. Herein, three-dimensional （3D） porous hybrid compo...Exploring lightweight microwave attenuation materials with strong and tunable wideband microwave absorption is highly desirable but remains a significant challenge. Herein, three-dimensional （3D） porous hybrid composites consisting of NiFe nanoparticles embedded within carbon nanocubes decorated on graphene oxide （GO） sheets （NiFe@C nanocubes@GO） as high-performance microwave attenuation materials have been rationally synthesized. The 3D porous hybrid composites are fabricated by a simple method, which involves one-step pyrolysis of NiFe Prussian blue analogue nanocubes in the presence of GO sheets. Benefiting from the unique structural features that exhibit good magnetic and dielectric losses as well as a proper impedance match, the resulting NiFe@C nanocubes@GO composites show excellent microwave attenuation ability. With a minimum reflection loss （RL） of -51 dB at 7.7 GHz at a thickness of 2.8 mm and maximum percentage bandwidth of 38.6% for RL 〈 -10 dB at a thickness of 2.2 mm, the NiFe@C nanocubes@GO composites are superior to the previously reported state-of-the-art carbon-based microwave attenuation materials.展开更多
AIM: To understand the expression of latent and lytic genes of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) and to explore the relationship between EBV-encoded genes and development of EBVaGC ...AIM: To understand the expression of latent and lytic genes of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) and to explore the relationship between EBV-encoded genes and development of EBVaGC at molecular level, METHODS: One hundred and seventy-two gastric carcinoma tissues and 172 corresponding para-carcinoma tissues were tested for EBV genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-Southern blotting. EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) 1 of the PCR positive specimens was detected by in situ hybridization (ISH). Gastric carcinomas with positive EBER1 signals were classified as EBVaGCs. RT-PCR and Southern hybridization were applied to the detection of expression of nuclear antigen (EBNA) promoters (Qp, Wp and Cp), EBNA 1 and EBNA 2, latent membrane proteins (LMP) 1, 2A and 2B and lytic genes (immediate early genes BZLF1 and BRLF1, early genes BARF1 and BHRF1, late genes BcLF1 and BLLF1) in EBVaGCs. RESULTS: Eleven EBV positive samples existed in gastric carcinoma tissues (6.39%). No EBV positive sample was found in corresponding para-carcinoma tissues. The difference between EBV positivity in carcinoma tissues and corresponding para-carcinoma tissues was significant (x2 = 9.0909, P = 0.0026). Transcripts of Qp and EBNA1 were detected in all the 11 EBVaGCs, while both Wp and Cp were silent. EBNA2, LMP1 and LMP2B mRNA were absent in all the cases, while LMP2A mRNA was detected in 4 of the 11 cases. Of the 11 EBVaGCs, 7 exhibited BcLFl transcripts and 2 exhibited BHRF1 transcripts. The transcripts of BZLF1 and BARF1 were detected in 5 cases, respectively. No BLLF1 and BRLF mRNA were detected. CONCLUSION: The latent pattern of EBV in gastric carcinoma corresponds to the latency I/II. Some lytic infection genes are expressed in EBVaGCs tissues. BARF1 and BHRF1 genes may play an important role in tumorigenesis of gastric carcinoma.展开更多
Thanks to the fast improvement of the computing power and the rapid development of the computational chemistry and biology,the computer-aided drug design techniques have been successfully applied in almost every stage...Thanks to the fast improvement of the computing power and the rapid development of the computational chemistry and biology,the computer-aided drug design techniques have been successfully applied in almost every stage of the drug discovery and development pipeline to speed up the process of research and reduce the cost and risk related to preclinical and clinical trials.Owing to the development of machine learning theory and the accumulation of pharmacological data, the artificial intelligence(AI) technology, as a powerful data mining tool, has cut a figure in various fields of the drug design, such as virtual screening,activity scoring, quantitative structure-activity relationship(QSAR) analysis, de novo drug design, and in silico evaluation of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity(ADME/T) properties. Although it is still challenging to provide a physical explanation of the AI-based models, it indeed has been acting as a great power to help manipulating the drug discovery through the versatile frameworks. Recently, due to the strong generalization ability and powerful feature extraction capability,deep learning methods have been employed in predicting the molecular properties as well as generating the desired molecules,which will further promote the application of AI technologies in the field of drug design.展开更多
A symmetrical Fe2O3/BaCO3 hexagonal cone structure having a height of 10 um and an edge length of -4um is reported, obtained using a common solvothermal process and a mirror growth process. Focused ion beam and high-r...A symmetrical Fe2O3/BaCO3 hexagonal cone structure having a height of 10 um and an edge length of -4um is reported, obtained using a common solvothermal process and a mirror growth process. Focused ion beam and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques revealed that α-Fe2O3 was the single crystal feature present. Ba ions contributed to the formation of symmetrical structures exhibited in the final composites. Subsequently, porous magnetic symmetric hexagonal cone structures were used to study the observed intense electromagnetic wave interference. Electromagnetic absorption performance studies at 2-18 GHz indicated stronger attenuation electromagnetic wave ability as compared to other shapes such as spindles, spheres, cubes, and rods. The maximum absorption frequency bandwidth was at 7.2 GHz with a coating thickness d = 1.5 mm. Special structures and the absence of BaCO3 likely played a vital role in the excellent electromagnetic absorption properties described in this research.展开更多
Hydrogels exhibit potential applications in smart wearable devices because of their exceptional sensitivity to various external stimuli.However,their applications are limited by challenges in terms of issues in biocom...Hydrogels exhibit potential applications in smart wearable devices because of their exceptional sensitivity to various external stimuli.However,their applications are limited by challenges in terms of issues in biocompatibility,custom shape,and self-healing.Herein,a conductive,stretchable,adaptable,self-healing,and biocompatible liquid metal GaInSn/Ni-based composite hydrogel is developed by incorporating a magnetic liquid metal into the hydrogel framework through crosslinking polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)with sodium tetraborate.The excellent stretchability and fast self-healing capability of the PVA/liquid metal hydrogel are derived from its abundant hydrogen binding sites and liquid metal fusion.Significantly,owing to the magnetic constituent,the PVA/liquid metal hydrogel can be guided remotely using an external magnetic field to a specific position to repair the broken wires with no need for manual operation.The composite hydrogel also exhibits sensitive deformation responses and can be used as a strain sensor to monitor various body motions.Additionally,the multifunctional hydrogel displays absorption-dominated electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding properties.The total shielding performance of the composite hydrogel increases to~62.5 dB from~31.8 dB of the pure PVA hydrogel at the thickness of 3.0 mm.The proposed bioinspired multifunctional magnetic hydrogel demonstrates substantial application potential in the field of intelligent wearable devices.展开更多
To solve the electromagnetic pollution,herein,a CoFe_(2)O_(4)/C/PANI composite was developed by a green route,which was constructed with spinel of metal oxide,graphitized carbon and conductive polymer composites.Benef...To solve the electromagnetic pollution,herein,a CoFe_(2)O_(4)/C/PANI composite was developed by a green route,which was constructed with spinel of metal oxide,graphitized carbon and conductive polymer composites.Benefiting from the designable interfaces and increased dipoles,the microwave dielectric response capability can be boosted significantly and resulted in the enhanced microwave absorbing performance.As revealed by the reflection loss curve,the minimum reflection loss(RLmin) reached-51.81 dB at 12.4 GHz under a matched thickness of 2.57 mm.At 2.5 mm,the effective absorbing band covered 8.88 GHz,suggesting the desirable wideband feature.In our case,the method of utilization of a novel green way to fabricate multiple-component EM absorber can be a promising candidate for high-performance EM absorber.展开更多
It was found that the steel plate in the composite plate in the WJ-8 fastener used in high speed rail is rusty. The objective of this study is to test the zinc coating of the steel plate. A literature review was condu...It was found that the steel plate in the composite plate in the WJ-8 fastener used in high speed rail is rusty. The objective of this study is to test the zinc coating of the steel plate. A literature review was conducted to identify the zinc coating techniques, and the companies that can provide different coating service was identified. A salt fog chamber was built that was in compliance with the ANSI B117 code, and the steel plates that were coated by the identified companies were tested using the salt fog chamber. The results indicated that the coating technique that had the best performance in preventing corrosion was the Greenkote plates with passivation. The galvanized option had the roughest coating layer, and it was the most reactive in the salt water solution. This makes it non-ideal for the dynamic rail environment because the increased friction of the plate could damage the supports, especially during extreme temperatures that would cause the rail to expand or contract. Greenkote with Phosphate and ArmorGalv also provided increased corrosion prevention with a smooth, strong finish, but it had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote with ELU passivation. The ArmorGalv sample had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote samples. This may not be a weakness in the ArmorGalv process;rather, it likely was the result of this particular sample not having the added protection of a colored coating.展开更多
We conducted a randomized,open-label,parallel-controlled,multicenter trial on the use of Shuanghuanglian(SHL),a traditional Chinese patent medicine,in treating cases of COVID-19.A total of 176 patients received SHL by...We conducted a randomized,open-label,parallel-controlled,multicenter trial on the use of Shuanghuanglian(SHL),a traditional Chinese patent medicine,in treating cases of COVID-19.A total of 176 patients received SHL by three doses(56 in low dose,61 in middle dose,and 59 in high dose)in addition to standard care.The control group was composed of 59 patients who received standard therapy alone.Treatment with SHL was not associated with a difference from standard care in the time to disease recovery.Patients with 14-day SHL treatment had significantly higher rate in negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 in nucleic acid swab tests than the patients from the control group(93.4%vs.73.9%,P=0.006).Analysis of chest computed tomography images showed that treatment with high-dose SHL significantly promoted absorption of inflammatory focus of pneumonia,which was evaluated by density reduction of inflammatory focus from baseline,at day 7(mean difference(95%CI),−46.39(−86.83 to−5.94)HU;P=0.025)and day 14(mean difference(95%CI),−74.21(−133.35 to−15.08)HU;P=0.014).No serious adverse events occurred in the SHL groups.This study illustrated that SHL in combination with standard care was safe and partially effective for the treatment of COVID-19.展开更多
Although advances in wireless technologies such as miniature and wearable electronics have improved the quality of our lives,the ubiquitous use of electronics comes at the expense of increased exposure to electromagne...Although advances in wireless technologies such as miniature and wearable electronics have improved the quality of our lives,the ubiquitous use of electronics comes at the expense of increased exposure to electromagnetic(EM)radiation.Up to date,extensive efforts have been made to develop high-performance EM absorbers based on synthetic materials.However,the design of an EM absorber with both exceptional EM dissipation ability and good environmental adaptability remains a substantial challenge.Here,we report the design of a class of carbon heterostructures via hierarchical assembly of graphitized lignocellulose derived from bamboo.Specifically,the assemblies of nanofibers and nanosheets behave as a nanometer-sized antenna,which results in an enhancement of the conductive loss.In addition,we show that the composition of cellulose and lignin in the precursor significantly influences the shape of the assembly and the formation of covalent bonds,which affect the dielectric response-ability and the surface hydrophobicity(the apparent contact angle of water can reach 135°).Finally,we demonstrate that the obtained carbon heterostructure maintains its wideband EM absorption with an effective absorption frequency ranging from 12.5 to 16.7 GHz under conditions that simulate the real-world environment,including exposure to rainwater with slightly acidic/alkaline pH values.Overall,the advances reported in this work provide new design principles for the synthesis of high-performance EM absorbers that can find practical applications in real-world environments.展开更多
Wide field-of-view(FOV)optics are essential components in many optical systems,with applications spanning imaging,display,sensing,and beam steering.Conventional refractive wide FOV optics often involve multiple stacke...Wide field-of-view(FOV)optics are essential components in many optical systems,with applications spanning imaging,display,sensing,and beam steering.Conventional refractive wide FOV optics often involve multiple stacked lenses,resulting in large size and weight as well as high cost.Metasurface lenses or metalenses promise a viable solution to realizing wide FOV optics without complex lens assembly.We review the various architectures of wide FOV metalenses,elucidate their fundamental operating principles and design trade-offs,and quantitatively evaluate and contrast their imaging performances.Emerging applications enabled by wide FOV metasurface optics are also discussed.展开更多
Rational designing of one-dimensional(1D)magnetic alloy to facilitate electromagnetic(EM)wave attenuation capability in low-frequency(2-6 GHz)microwave absorption field is highly desired but remains a significant chal...Rational designing of one-dimensional(1D)magnetic alloy to facilitate electromagnetic(EM)wave attenuation capability in low-frequency(2-6 GHz)microwave absorption field is highly desired but remains a significant challenge.In this study,a composite EM wave absorber made of a FeCoNi medium-entropy alloy embedded in a 1D carbon matrix framework is rationally designed through an improved electrospinning method.The 1D-shaped FeCoNi alloy embedded composite demonstrates the high-density and continuous magnetic network using off-axis electronic holography technique,indicating the excellent magnetic loss ability under an external EM field.Then,the in-depth analysis shows that many factors,including 1D anisotropy and intrinsic physical features of the magnetic medium-entropy alloy,primarily contribute to the enhanced EM wave absorption performance.Therefore,the fabricated EM wave absorber shows an increasing effective absorption band of 1.3 GHz in the low-frequency electromagnetic field at an ultrathin thickness of 2 mm.Thus,this study opens up a new method for the design and preparation of high-performance 1D magnetic EM absorbers.展开更多
Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a pandemic with no specific drugs and high fatality.The most urgent need is to find effective treatments.We sought to determine whether hydroxychloroquine(HCQ)application may reduc...Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a pandemic with no specific drugs and high fatality.The most urgent need is to find effective treatments.We sought to determine whether hydroxychloroquine(HCQ)application may reduce the death risk of critically ill COVID-19 patients.In this retrospective study,we included 550 critically ill COVID-19 patients who need mechanical ventilation in Tongji Hospital,Wuhan,from February 1,2020 to April 4,2020.All 550 patients received comparable basic treatments including antiviral drugs and antibiotics,and 48 of them were treated with oral HCQ treatment(200 mg twice a day for 7–10 days)in addition to the basic treatments.Primary endpoint is fatality of patients,and inflammatory cytokine levels were compared between HCQ and non-hydroxychloroquine(NHCQ)treatments.We found that fatalities are 18.8%(9/48)in HCQ group,which is significantly lower than 47.4%(238/502)in the NHCQ group(P<0.001).The time of hospital stay before patient death is 15(10–21)days and 8(4–14)days for the HCQ and NHCQ groups,respectively(P<0.05).The levels of inflammatory cytokine IL-6 were significantly reduced from 22.2(8.3–118.9)pg mL–1 at the beginning of the treatment to 5.2(3.0–23.4)pg mL–1(P<0.05)at the end of the treatment in the HCQ group but there is no change in the NHCQ group.These data demonstrate that addition of HCQ on top of the basic treatments is highly effective in reducing the fatality of critically ill patients of COVID-19 through attenuation of inflammatory cytokine storm.Therefore,HCQ should be prescribed as a part of treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients,with possible outcome of saving lives.展开更多
Materials that can absorb electromagnetic(EM)wave have garnered increased attention in recent years due to their potential to mitigate the ever increasing environmental pollution by EM waves.Thanks to recent advances ...Materials that can absorb electromagnetic(EM)wave have garnered increased attention in recent years due to their potential to mitigate the ever increasing environmental pollution by EM waves.Thanks to recent advances in micro/nanofabrication,a variety of magnetic metal-based EM absorbers have been reported.The design and synthesis of EM absorbers that exhibit efficient and wide-band absorption at small thicknesses,however,remains elusive.Here we report the design of fibrous nanostructures consisting of magnetic iron(Fe)nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes(CNTs),which exhibits a wide-band EM absorption(3.8 GHz)while maintain the thickness at 1.2 mm.In our work,we created a novel core-shell structure by immersing the highly fibrous CNT-Fe structure into solid-state silicon(SiO)matrix.Finally,the SiO-coated CNT-Fe structures exhibit good stability against air-induced oxidation and acid corrosion while maintaining high EM absorption.Overall,the results reported in this study present new avenues to absorb EM from ambient air.We believe that our work elevates the utility of EM absorbers to real-world applications such as anti-acid and oxidation ability.展开更多
The study evaluates the feasibility of running passenger train service from Las Vegas, NV on the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), to Barstow, on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) track, to Mojave on UPRR track aga...The study evaluates the feasibility of running passenger train service from Las Vegas, NV on the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), to Barstow, on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) track, to Mojave on UPRR track again, and to Lancaster connecting Metrolink to their destinations in Southern California. In this study, the railroad infrastructure was inventoried and issues related to running the passenger service were identified. Passenger train operation was evaluated based on the Rail Traffic Controller (RTC) simulation model. The performance measures of passenger trains including travel time, overall delay and average speed are analyzed. The uncertainty in freight flow and its impact on providing the passenger service is addressed by conducting a sensitivity analysis. The conclusion is that the existing railroad infrastructure is sufficient to provide a passenger train service from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. From an operational perspective, the passenger train is not expected to influence freight trains’ performance on the existing railroads. When freight train flows are increased to 50%, the influence of passenger train service on the freight operation is still minimal. This study recommends restoring a platform at the Las Vegas Station. At the Mojave Station, special care should be given on running the passenger trains where there is no direct railroad connection from BNSF to UPRR. Platforms and walkways require construction at the Lancaster Station for transferring passengers between the Metrolink trains and X-Train. Transferring the passenger train at this station involves stopping the train on mainline and coordinating the operations between different railroads.展开更多
A fundamental challenge that arises in biomedicine is the need to characterize compounds in a relevant cellular context in order to reveal potential on-target or offtarget effects.Recently,the fast accumulation of gen...A fundamental challenge that arises in biomedicine is the need to characterize compounds in a relevant cellular context in order to reveal potential on-target or offtarget effects.Recently,the fast accumulation of gene transcriptional profiling data provides us an unprecedented opportunity to explore the protein targets of chemical compounds from the perspective of cell transcriptomics and RNA biology.Here,we propose a novel Siamese spectral-based graph convolutional network(SSGCN)model for inferring the protein targets of chemical compounds from gene transcriptional profiles.Although the gene signature of a compound perturbation only provides indirect clues of the interacting targets,and the biological networks under different experiment conditions further complicate the situation,the SSGCN model was successfully trained to learn from known compound-target pairs by uncovering the hidden correlations between compound perturbation profiles and gene knockdown profiles.On a benchmark set and a large time-split validation dataset,the model achieved higher target inference accuracy as compared to previous methods such as Connectivity Map.Further experimental validations of prediction results highlight the practical usefulness of SSGCN in either inferring the interacting targets of compound,or reversely,in finding novel inhibitors of a given target of interest.展开更多
The synthesis of methacrylic acid from biomass-derived itaconic acid is a green route,for it can get rid of the dependence on fossil resource.In order to solve the problems on this route such as use of a preciousmetal...The synthesis of methacrylic acid from biomass-derived itaconic acid is a green route,for it can get rid of the dependence on fossil resource.In order to solve the problems on this route such as use of a preciousmetal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali,we prepared a series of hydroxyapatite catalysts by an ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal method and evaluated their catalytic performance.The results showed that the ionic liquid[Bmim]BF_(4) can affect the crystal growth of hydroxyapatite,provide fluoride ion for fluorination of hydroxyapatite,and adjust the surface acidity and basicity,morphology,textural properties,crystallinity,and composition of hydroxyapatite.The[Bmim]BF4 dosage and hydrothermal temperature can affect the fluoride ion concentration in the hydrothermal system,thus changing the degree of fluoridation of hydroxyapatite.High fluoride-ion concentration can lead to the formation of CaF_(2) and thus significantly decrease the catalytic performance of hydroxyapatite.The hydrothermal time mainly affects the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on the c axis,leading to different catalytic performance.The suitable conditions for the preparation of this fluoridized hydroxyapatite are as follows:a mass ratio of[Bmim]BF4 to calcium salt=0.2:1,a hydrothermal time of 12 h,and a hydrothermal temperature of 130℃.A maximal methacrylic acid yield of 54.7%was obtained using the fluoridized hydroxyapatite under relatively mild reaction conditions(250℃ and 2 MPa of N_(2))in the absence of a precious-metal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali.展开更多
Dear Editor,Great progress has been made using artificial intelligence(AI) techniques in learning knowledge from biomedical databases in recent years, revolutionizing the study of many fields, such as protein structur...Dear Editor,Great progress has been made using artificial intelligence(AI) techniques in learning knowledge from biomedical databases in recent years, revolutionizing the study of many fields, such as protein structure prediction and protein design(Madani et al., 2023). However, there is massive biomedical knowledge not curated in the form of structured data but hidden in primary scientific literature.展开更多
基金supported by Special Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences for strategic pilot technology (XDA12040105)National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China (81703338)
文摘Natural products(NPs), including traditional Chinese medicine(TCM), have been long and widely used in the prevention and treatment of central nervous system(CNS) diseases by virtue of their abundant sources, diverse structures, and novel activities.In this review article, we intend to summarize and discuss the situation or status of the clinical employments or trials of the NPs and their derivatives with CNS activities. NPs that have been extensively studied in preclinical research in recent years are also included. The compounds presented in this review are classified according to their indications and followed by details such as natural sources, possible biological mechanisms, and development status, while a considerable proportion of them are found in TCM. In addition, some drug combinations with synergistic effects are also mentioned. According to their impressive therapeutic effects and novel chemical structures, NPs are not only effective therapeutic remedies in clinic, but also lead compounds for structural modification, which indicate that nature brings new avenues to the therapy of CNS diseases.
基金This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Nos. 51102278, 51672049, 51602154 and 11575085）, Start-up Grant of Fudan University （No. JIJH2021001）, the Aeronautics Science Foundation of China （No. 2014ZF52072） and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions （PAPD）.
文摘Exploring lightweight microwave attenuation materials with strong and tunable wideband microwave absorption is highly desirable but remains a significant challenge. Herein, three-dimensional （3D） porous hybrid composites consisting of NiFe nanoparticles embedded within carbon nanocubes decorated on graphene oxide （GO） sheets （NiFe@C nanocubes@GO） as high-performance microwave attenuation materials have been rationally synthesized. The 3D porous hybrid composites are fabricated by a simple method, which involves one-step pyrolysis of NiFe Prussian blue analogue nanocubes in the presence of GO sheets. Benefiting from the unique structural features that exhibit good magnetic and dielectric losses as well as a proper impedance match, the resulting NiFe@C nanocubes@GO composites show excellent microwave attenuation ability. With a minimum reflection loss （RL） of -51 dB at 7.7 GHz at a thickness of 2.8 mm and maximum percentage bandwidth of 38.6% for RL 〈 -10 dB at a thickness of 2.2 mm, the NiFe@C nanocubes@GO composites are superior to the previously reported state-of-the-art carbon-based microwave attenuation materials.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No 30371618
文摘AIM: To understand the expression of latent and lytic genes of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in EBV-associated gastric carcinoma (EBVaGC) and to explore the relationship between EBV-encoded genes and development of EBVaGC at molecular level, METHODS: One hundred and seventy-two gastric carcinoma tissues and 172 corresponding para-carcinoma tissues were tested for EBV genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-Southern blotting. EBV-encoded small RNA (EBER) 1 of the PCR positive specimens was detected by in situ hybridization (ISH). Gastric carcinomas with positive EBER1 signals were classified as EBVaGCs. RT-PCR and Southern hybridization were applied to the detection of expression of nuclear antigen (EBNA) promoters (Qp, Wp and Cp), EBNA 1 and EBNA 2, latent membrane proteins (LMP) 1, 2A and 2B and lytic genes (immediate early genes BZLF1 and BRLF1, early genes BARF1 and BHRF1, late genes BcLF1 and BLLF1) in EBVaGCs. RESULTS: Eleven EBV positive samples existed in gastric carcinoma tissues (6.39%). No EBV positive sample was found in corresponding para-carcinoma tissues. The difference between EBV positivity in carcinoma tissues and corresponding para-carcinoma tissues was significant (x2 = 9.0909, P = 0.0026). Transcripts of Qp and EBNA1 were detected in all the 11 EBVaGCs, while both Wp and Cp were silent. EBNA2, LMP1 and LMP2B mRNA were absent in all the cases, while LMP2A mRNA was detected in 4 of the 11 cases. Of the 11 EBVaGCs, 7 exhibited BcLFl transcripts and 2 exhibited BHRF1 transcripts. The transcripts of BZLF1 and BARF1 were detected in 5 cases, respectively. No BLLF1 and BRLF mRNA were detected. CONCLUSION: The latent pattern of EBV in gastric carcinoma corresponds to the latency I/II. Some lytic infection genes are expressed in EBVaGCs tissues. BARF1 and BHRF1 genes may play an important role in tumorigenesis of gastric carcinoma.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21210003 and 81230076 to H.J., 81773634 to M.Z. and 81430084 to K.C.)the “Personalized Medicines-Molecular Signature-based Drug Discovery and Development”, Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA12050201 to M.Z.)+1 种基金National Key Research & Development Plan (2016YFC1201003 to M.Z.)the National Basic Research Program (2015CB910304 to X.L.)
文摘Thanks to the fast improvement of the computing power and the rapid development of the computational chemistry and biology,the computer-aided drug design techniques have been successfully applied in almost every stage of the drug discovery and development pipeline to speed up the process of research and reduce the cost and risk related to preclinical and clinical trials.Owing to the development of machine learning theory and the accumulation of pharmacological data, the artificial intelligence(AI) technology, as a powerful data mining tool, has cut a figure in various fields of the drug design, such as virtual screening,activity scoring, quantitative structure-activity relationship(QSAR) analysis, de novo drug design, and in silico evaluation of absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion and toxicity(ADME/T) properties. Although it is still challenging to provide a physical explanation of the AI-based models, it indeed has been acting as a great power to help manipulating the drug discovery through the versatile frameworks. Recently, due to the strong generalization ability and powerful feature extraction capability,deep learning methods have been employed in predicting the molecular properties as well as generating the desired molecules,which will further promote the application of AI technologies in the field of drug design.
文摘A symmetrical Fe2O3/BaCO3 hexagonal cone structure having a height of 10 um and an edge length of -4um is reported, obtained using a common solvothermal process and a mirror growth process. Focused ion beam and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy techniques revealed that α-Fe2O3 was the single crystal feature present. Ba ions contributed to the formation of symmetrical structures exhibited in the final composites. Subsequently, porous magnetic symmetric hexagonal cone structures were used to study the observed intense electromagnetic wave interference. Electromagnetic absorption performance studies at 2-18 GHz indicated stronger attenuation electromagnetic wave ability as compared to other shapes such as spindles, spheres, cubes, and rods. The maximum absorption frequency bandwidth was at 7.2 GHz with a coating thickness d = 1.5 mm. Special structures and the absence of BaCO3 likely played a vital role in the excellent electromagnetic absorption properties described in this research.
基金the financial supports from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(52231007,51725101,11727807,22088101,52271167)the Shanghai Excellent Academic/Technological Leaders Program(19XD1400400)+4 种基金the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(973 Project Nos.2018YFA0209100 and 2021YFA1200600)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2022JCCXHH09)the Foundation for University Youth Key Teachers of Henan Province(2020GGJS170)the Support Program for Scientific and Technological Innovation Talents of Higher Education in Henan Province(21HASTIT004)Key Research Project of Zhejiang Lab(No.2021PE0AC02)。
文摘Hydrogels exhibit potential applications in smart wearable devices because of their exceptional sensitivity to various external stimuli.However,their applications are limited by challenges in terms of issues in biocompatibility,custom shape,and self-healing.Herein,a conductive,stretchable,adaptable,self-healing,and biocompatible liquid metal GaInSn/Ni-based composite hydrogel is developed by incorporating a magnetic liquid metal into the hydrogel framework through crosslinking polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)with sodium tetraborate.The excellent stretchability and fast self-healing capability of the PVA/liquid metal hydrogel are derived from its abundant hydrogen binding sites and liquid metal fusion.Significantly,owing to the magnetic constituent,the PVA/liquid metal hydrogel can be guided remotely using an external magnetic field to a specific position to repair the broken wires with no need for manual operation.The composite hydrogel also exhibits sensitive deformation responses and can be used as a strain sensor to monitor various body motions.Additionally,the multifunctional hydrogel displays absorption-dominated electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding properties.The total shielding performance of the composite hydrogel increases to~62.5 dB from~31.8 dB of the pure PVA hydrogel at the thickness of 3.0 mm.The proposed bioinspired multifunctional magnetic hydrogel demonstrates substantial application potential in the field of intelligent wearable devices.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.51407134 and 51801001)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No.ZR2019YQ24)+6 种基金the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Nos.2016M590619 and 2016M601878)the Provincial Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi (No.2019GY-197)the Qingchuang Talents Induction Program of Shandong Higher Education Institution (Research and Innovation Team of Structural Functional Polymer Composites)support from The Thousand Talents PlanThe World-Class University and DisciplineThe Taishan Scholar’s Advantageous and Distinctive Discipline Program of Shandong ProvinceThe World-Class Discipline Program of Shandong Province。
文摘To solve the electromagnetic pollution,herein,a CoFe_(2)O_(4)/C/PANI composite was developed by a green route,which was constructed with spinel of metal oxide,graphitized carbon and conductive polymer composites.Benefiting from the designable interfaces and increased dipoles,the microwave dielectric response capability can be boosted significantly and resulted in the enhanced microwave absorbing performance.As revealed by the reflection loss curve,the minimum reflection loss(RLmin) reached-51.81 dB at 12.4 GHz under a matched thickness of 2.57 mm.At 2.5 mm,the effective absorbing band covered 8.88 GHz,suggesting the desirable wideband feature.In our case,the method of utilization of a novel green way to fabricate multiple-component EM absorber can be a promising candidate for high-performance EM absorber.
文摘It was found that the steel plate in the composite plate in the WJ-8 fastener used in high speed rail is rusty. The objective of this study is to test the zinc coating of the steel plate. A literature review was conducted to identify the zinc coating techniques, and the companies that can provide different coating service was identified. A salt fog chamber was built that was in compliance with the ANSI B117 code, and the steel plates that were coated by the identified companies were tested using the salt fog chamber. The results indicated that the coating technique that had the best performance in preventing corrosion was the Greenkote plates with passivation. The galvanized option had the roughest coating layer, and it was the most reactive in the salt water solution. This makes it non-ideal for the dynamic rail environment because the increased friction of the plate could damage the supports, especially during extreme temperatures that would cause the rail to expand or contract. Greenkote with Phosphate and ArmorGalv also provided increased corrosion prevention with a smooth, strong finish, but it had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote with ELU passivation. The ArmorGalv sample had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote samples. This may not be a weakness in the ArmorGalv process;rather, it likely was the result of this particular sample not having the added protection of a colored coating.
基金This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2020YFC0841400)Tongji Hospital Clinical Research Project(Nos.XXGZBDYJ009 and 2019YBKY019).
文摘We conducted a randomized,open-label,parallel-controlled,multicenter trial on the use of Shuanghuanglian(SHL),a traditional Chinese patent medicine,in treating cases of COVID-19.A total of 176 patients received SHL by three doses(56 in low dose,61 in middle dose,and 59 in high dose)in addition to standard care.The control group was composed of 59 patients who received standard therapy alone.Treatment with SHL was not associated with a difference from standard care in the time to disease recovery.Patients with 14-day SHL treatment had significantly higher rate in negative conversion of SARS-CoV-2 in nucleic acid swab tests than the patients from the control group(93.4%vs.73.9%,P=0.006).Analysis of chest computed tomography images showed that treatment with high-dose SHL significantly promoted absorption of inflammatory focus of pneumonia,which was evaluated by density reduction of inflammatory focus from baseline,at day 7(mean difference(95%CI),−46.39(−86.83 to−5.94)HU;P=0.025)and day 14(mean difference(95%CI),−74.21(−133.35 to−15.08)HU;P=0.014).No serious adverse events occurred in the SHL groups.This study illustrated that SHL in combination with standard care was safe and partially effective for the treatment of COVID-19.
基金the startup fund of the Ohio State University(OSU)OSU Sustainability Institute Seed Grant+2 种基金OSU Institute for Materials Research Kickstart Facility Grantthe National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31971740)the Science and technology project of Jiangsu Province(BE2018391).
文摘Although advances in wireless technologies such as miniature and wearable electronics have improved the quality of our lives,the ubiquitous use of electronics comes at the expense of increased exposure to electromagnetic(EM)radiation.Up to date,extensive efforts have been made to develop high-performance EM absorbers based on synthetic materials.However,the design of an EM absorber with both exceptional EM dissipation ability and good environmental adaptability remains a substantial challenge.Here,we report the design of a class of carbon heterostructures via hierarchical assembly of graphitized lignocellulose derived from bamboo.Specifically,the assemblies of nanofibers and nanosheets behave as a nanometer-sized antenna,which results in an enhancement of the conductive loss.In addition,we show that the composition of cellulose and lignin in the precursor significantly influences the shape of the assembly and the formation of covalent bonds,which affect the dielectric response-ability and the surface hydrophobicity(the apparent contact angle of water can reach 135°).Finally,we demonstrate that the obtained carbon heterostructure maintains its wideband EM absorption with an effective absorption frequency ranging from 12.5 to 16.7 GHz under conditions that simulate the real-world environment,including exposure to rainwater with slightly acidic/alkaline pH values.Overall,the advances reported in this work provide new design principles for the synthesis of high-performance EM absorbers that can find practical applications in real-world environments.
基金Funding support was provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,the Defense Sciences Office(DSO)Programs:EXTREME Optics and Imaging(EXTREME)under Agreement No.HR00111720029the Enhanced Night Vision in Eyeglass Form(ENVision)under Agreement No.HR001121S0013.
文摘Wide field-of-view(FOV)optics are essential components in many optical systems,with applications spanning imaging,display,sensing,and beam steering.Conventional refractive wide FOV optics often involve multiple stacked lenses,resulting in large size and weight as well as high cost.Metasurface lenses or metalenses promise a viable solution to realizing wide FOV optics without complex lens assembly.We review the various architectures of wide FOV metalenses,elucidate their fundamental operating principles and design trade-offs,and quantitatively evaluate and contrast their imaging performances.Emerging applications enabled by wide FOV metasurface optics are also discussed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51725101,11727807,51672050,61790581,22088101)the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(973 Project Nos.2018YFA0209102 and 2021YFA1200600)Infrastructure and Facility Construction Project of Zhejiang Laboratory.
文摘Rational designing of one-dimensional(1D)magnetic alloy to facilitate electromagnetic(EM)wave attenuation capability in low-frequency(2-6 GHz)microwave absorption field is highly desired but remains a significant challenge.In this study,a composite EM wave absorber made of a FeCoNi medium-entropy alloy embedded in a 1D carbon matrix framework is rationally designed through an improved electrospinning method.The 1D-shaped FeCoNi alloy embedded composite demonstrates the high-density and continuous magnetic network using off-axis electronic holography technique,indicating the excellent magnetic loss ability under an external EM field.Then,the in-depth analysis shows that many factors,including 1D anisotropy and intrinsic physical features of the magnetic medium-entropy alloy,primarily contribute to the enhanced EM wave absorption performance.Therefore,the fabricated EM wave absorber shows an increasing effective absorption band of 1.3 GHz in the low-frequency electromagnetic field at an ultrathin thickness of 2 mm.Thus,this study opens up a new method for the design and preparation of high-performance 1D magnetic EM absorbers.
基金Supported in part by projects from Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2020YFC0844500)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31130031), Emergency Project Fund of Chinese Academy of Sciences (2020YJFK0105)Chinese Academy of Engineering and Ma Yun Foundation (2020-CMKYGG-05).
文摘Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a pandemic with no specific drugs and high fatality.The most urgent need is to find effective treatments.We sought to determine whether hydroxychloroquine(HCQ)application may reduce the death risk of critically ill COVID-19 patients.In this retrospective study,we included 550 critically ill COVID-19 patients who need mechanical ventilation in Tongji Hospital,Wuhan,from February 1,2020 to April 4,2020.All 550 patients received comparable basic treatments including antiviral drugs and antibiotics,and 48 of them were treated with oral HCQ treatment(200 mg twice a day for 7–10 days)in addition to the basic treatments.Primary endpoint is fatality of patients,and inflammatory cytokine levels were compared between HCQ and non-hydroxychloroquine(NHCQ)treatments.We found that fatalities are 18.8%(9/48)in HCQ group,which is significantly lower than 47.4%(238/502)in the NHCQ group(P<0.001).The time of hospital stay before patient death is 15(10–21)days and 8(4–14)days for the HCQ and NHCQ groups,respectively(P<0.05).The levels of inflammatory cytokine IL-6 were significantly reduced from 22.2(8.3–118.9)pg mL–1 at the beginning of the treatment to 5.2(3.0–23.4)pg mL–1(P<0.05)at the end of the treatment in the HCQ group but there is no change in the NHCQ group.These data demonstrate that addition of HCQ on top of the basic treatments is highly effective in reducing the fatality of critically ill patients of COVID-19 through attenuation of inflammatory cytokine storm.Therefore,HCQ should be prescribed as a part of treatment for critically ill COVID-19 patients,with possible outcome of saving lives.
基金the funding support from the startup fund of the Ohio State University(OSU),OSU Sustainability Institute Seed Grant,and OSU Institute for Materials Research Kickstart Facility Grantthe National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31971740)+1 种基金Science and technology project of Jiangsu Province(BE2018391)the Open Fund from Henan University of Science and technology。
文摘Materials that can absorb electromagnetic(EM)wave have garnered increased attention in recent years due to their potential to mitigate the ever increasing environmental pollution by EM waves.Thanks to recent advances in micro/nanofabrication,a variety of magnetic metal-based EM absorbers have been reported.The design and synthesis of EM absorbers that exhibit efficient and wide-band absorption at small thicknesses,however,remains elusive.Here we report the design of fibrous nanostructures consisting of magnetic iron(Fe)nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes(CNTs),which exhibits a wide-band EM absorption(3.8 GHz)while maintain the thickness at 1.2 mm.In our work,we created a novel core-shell structure by immersing the highly fibrous CNT-Fe structure into solid-state silicon(SiO)matrix.Finally,the SiO-coated CNT-Fe structures exhibit good stability against air-induced oxidation and acid corrosion while maintaining high EM absorption.Overall,the results reported in this study present new avenues to absorb EM from ambient air.We believe that our work elevates the utility of EM absorbers to real-world applications such as anti-acid and oxidation ability.
文摘The study evaluates the feasibility of running passenger train service from Las Vegas, NV on the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR), to Barstow, on the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) track, to Mojave on UPRR track again, and to Lancaster connecting Metrolink to their destinations in Southern California. In this study, the railroad infrastructure was inventoried and issues related to running the passenger service were identified. Passenger train operation was evaluated based on the Rail Traffic Controller (RTC) simulation model. The performance measures of passenger trains including travel time, overall delay and average speed are analyzed. The uncertainty in freight flow and its impact on providing the passenger service is addressed by conducting a sensitivity analysis. The conclusion is that the existing railroad infrastructure is sufficient to provide a passenger train service from Las Vegas to Los Angeles. From an operational perspective, the passenger train is not expected to influence freight trains’ performance on the existing railroads. When freight train flows are increased to 50%, the influence of passenger train service on the freight operation is still minimal. This study recommends restoring a platform at the Las Vegas Station. At the Mojave Station, special care should be given on running the passenger trains where there is no direct railroad connection from BNSF to UPRR. Platforms and walkways require construction at the Lancaster Station for transferring passengers between the Metrolink trains and X-Train. Transferring the passenger train at this station involves stopping the train on mainline and coordinating the operations between different railroads.
文摘A fundamental challenge that arises in biomedicine is the need to characterize compounds in a relevant cellular context in order to reveal potential on-target or offtarget effects.Recently,the fast accumulation of gene transcriptional profiling data provides us an unprecedented opportunity to explore the protein targets of chemical compounds from the perspective of cell transcriptomics and RNA biology.Here,we propose a novel Siamese spectral-based graph convolutional network(SSGCN)model for inferring the protein targets of chemical compounds from gene transcriptional profiles.Although the gene signature of a compound perturbation only provides indirect clues of the interacting targets,and the biological networks under different experiment conditions further complicate the situation,the SSGCN model was successfully trained to learn from known compound-target pairs by uncovering the hidden correlations between compound perturbation profiles and gene knockdown profiles.On a benchmark set and a large time-split validation dataset,the model achieved higher target inference accuracy as compared to previous methods such as Connectivity Map.Further experimental validations of prediction results highlight the practical usefulness of SSGCN in either inferring the interacting targets of compound,or reversely,in finding novel inhibitors of a given target of interest.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(21978066)Basic Research Program of Hebei Province for Natural Science Foundation and Key Basic Research Project(18964308D)the Key Program of Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province(B2020202048).
文摘The synthesis of methacrylic acid from biomass-derived itaconic acid is a green route,for it can get rid of the dependence on fossil resource.In order to solve the problems on this route such as use of a preciousmetal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali,we prepared a series of hydroxyapatite catalysts by an ionic liquid-assisted hydrothermal method and evaluated their catalytic performance.The results showed that the ionic liquid[Bmim]BF_(4) can affect the crystal growth of hydroxyapatite,provide fluoride ion for fluorination of hydroxyapatite,and adjust the surface acidity and basicity,morphology,textural properties,crystallinity,and composition of hydroxyapatite.The[Bmim]BF4 dosage and hydrothermal temperature can affect the fluoride ion concentration in the hydrothermal system,thus changing the degree of fluoridation of hydroxyapatite.High fluoride-ion concentration can lead to the formation of CaF_(2) and thus significantly decrease the catalytic performance of hydroxyapatite.The hydrothermal time mainly affects the growth of hydroxyapatite crystals on the c axis,leading to different catalytic performance.The suitable conditions for the preparation of this fluoridized hydroxyapatite are as follows:a mass ratio of[Bmim]BF4 to calcium salt=0.2:1,a hydrothermal time of 12 h,and a hydrothermal temperature of 130℃.A maximal methacrylic acid yield of 54.7%was obtained using the fluoridized hydroxyapatite under relatively mild reaction conditions(250℃ and 2 MPa of N_(2))in the absence of a precious-metal catalyst and a corrosive homogeneous alkali.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(T2225002,82273855)Lingang Laboratory(LG202102-01-02)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFC3400504)。
文摘Dear Editor,Great progress has been made using artificial intelligence(AI) techniques in learning knowledge from biomedical databases in recent years, revolutionizing the study of many fields, such as protein structure prediction and protein design(Madani et al., 2023). However, there is massive biomedical knowledge not curated in the form of structured data but hidden in primary scientific literature.
