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Background: Although omalizumab has shown success in treating chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) patients unresponsive to antihistamines, the exact mechanism of action and predictive markers of response remain unclear. Purpose: The aim of this study was to examine the correlation between baseline levels of biomarkers and clinical parameters with omalizumab response and response rate in patients with CSU. Methods: This retrospective study included 82 adult CSU patients who received omalizumab 300mg every 4 weeks for 16 weeks between January 2022 and December 2023. Treatment response was assessed using UAS7 and DLQI scores at baseline and weeks 4, 8, 12, and 16. Responders were defined as patients achieving UAS7 < 7, with early and late responders categorized based on response within or after 4 weeks, respectively. Baseline clinical features and laboratory biomarkers were compared between responders and non-responders. Results: The overall response rate was 71.95% (59/82), with 23 early responders and 36 late responders. Responders had significantly lower baseline UAS7 (median: 28 vs 35, P < 0.01), DLQI (median: 8 vs 15, P < 0.001), and IL-17 levels (median: 0.53 vs 1.26 pg/mL, P < 0.001) compared to non-responders. Baseline UAS7 > 31, DLQI > 9.5, and IL-17 > 0.775 pg/mL predicted non-response with sensitivities of 78.26%, 100%, and 78.26%, and specificities of 67.8%, 59.32%, and 72.88%, respectively. ASST positivity and comorbid allergic diseases were associated with early response (P < 0.05). Adverse events were reported in 6.09% of patients, including mild injection site reactions and transient urticaria exacerbation, not requiring treatment discontinuation. Conclusion: This study suggests that omalizumab is an effective and safe treatment option for antihistamine-refractory CSU. Baseline UAS7, DLQI, ASST status, serum total IgE levels, and IL-17 may serve as potential predictors of omalizumab response. Notably, ASST positivity and comorbid allergic diseases were associated with an early response to treatment. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual patient characteristics when predicting the likelihood and timing of response to omalizumab in CSU.
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This study reports the successful synthesis of flame-retardant and smoke-suppressing epoxy resin (EP) via bio-based polyelectrolyte flame retardants. Herein, a novel polyelectrolyte flame retardant was prepared from chitosan (CS) and hexa-(4-carboxyl-phenoxy)-cyclotriphosphazene (HCPCP) by acid-base neutralization reaction, which the HCPCP was synthesized with hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and methyl p-hydroxybenzoate (MP) by nucleophilic substitution reaction. The combined effect of the addition on the flame retardant, smoke suppression and mechanical properties of EP samples were systematically investigated. The presence of this bio-based polyelectrolyte provided excellent smoke suppression and flame-retardant properties of the prepared EP. Among them, the peak heat release rate (PHRR), peak smoke production rate (PSPR) and total smoke production (TSP) of EP/9wt%3CS-HCPCP composite (the ratio of CS to HCPCP was 3: 7, and the dosage was 9â¯wt%) were reduced by 45.42â¯%, 41.66â¯% and 22.56â¯%, respectively. In addition, the EP/CS-HCPCP composites showed a 207.80â¯% enhancement in char residue compared to pure EP. These results suggest a green and cost-effective strategy for the production of flame-retardant, drip-proof and smoke-suppressed EP composites.
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NH3 emissions from industrial sources and possibly future energy production constitute a threat to human health because of their toxicity and participation in PM2.5 formation. Ammonia selective catalytic oxidation to N2 (NH3-SCO) is a promising route for NH3 emission control, but the mechanistic origin of achieving high N2 selectivity remains elusive. Here we constructed a highly N2-selective CuO/TiO2 catalyst and proposed a CuOx dimer active site based on the observation of a quadratic dependence of NH3-SCO reaction rate on CuOx loading, ac-STEM, and ab initio thermodynamic analysis. Combining this with the identification of a critical N2H4 intermediate by in situ DRIFTS characterization, a comprehensive N2H4-mediated reaction pathway was proposed by DFT calculations. The high N2 selectivity originated from the preference for NH2 coupling to generate N2H4 over NH2 dehydrogenation on the CuOx dimer active site. This work could pave the way for the rational design of efficient NH3-SCO catalysts.
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Amônia , Oxirredução , Amônia/química , Catálise , Nitrogênio/química , Cobre/químicaRESUMO
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the vacuum drying process for sludge drying, with a focus on optimizing energy efficiency and emission control. The study used both lab-scale static and pilot-scale vacuum drying systems to test various parameters like vacuum levels, heat source temperatures, and sludge thicknesses. The results indicated that optimal drying conditions were achieved at a vacuum level of -0.06 MPa, a heat temperature of 140 °C, and a sludge thickness of 3.4 mm, where the drying rate reaches 0.13278 g·g-1·min-1. The study underscores the significant influence of vacuum level, temperature, and sludge thickness on drying rates. The Page model was used to analyze drying kinetics, elucidating how changes in these parameters affect drying characteristics. Furthermore, the study also examined the pollutant emissions and energy efficiency at the pilot scale. It found that high vacuum environments could efficiently dry sludge using low-temperature heat source, leading to average energy consumption per unit evaporation of 3020.29 kJ/kg, which is lower compared to traditional methods. By harnessing low-grade industrial waste heat, this can be further reduced to 875.76 kJ/kg. This study offers valuable insights for sustainable sludge management systems, highlighting the environmental and economic benefits of vacuum drying technology. The detailed experimental approach and thorough analysis make a significant contribution to the field of the sludge drying.
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High-frequency signals like vibration and acoustic emission are crucial for condition monitoring, but their high sampling rates challenge data acquisition, especially for online monitoring. Our research developed a novel method for condition identification in undersampled signals using a modified convolutional neural network integrated with a signal enhancement approach. A frequency-domain filtering is applied to suppress similar sidebands and obtain more discriminative features of different conditions, followed by an interpolation-based upsampling in the time domain to restore the signal length and strengthen the low-frequency harmonic information. Enhanced signals are converted into two-dimensional grayscale images for neural network analysis. Tested on bearing datasets and real-world data from regenerative thermal oxidizer lift valve leakage, our method effectively extracts features from low-frequency signals, achieving over 95% fault identification accuracy.
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Although gene loss is common in evolution, it remains unclear whether it is an adaptive process. In a survey of seven major mangrove clades that are woody plants in the intertidal zones of daily environmental perturbations, we noticed that they generally evolved reduced gene numbers. We then focused on the largest clade of Rhizophoreae and observed the continual gene set reduction in each of the eight species. A great majority of gene losses are concentrated on environmental interaction processes, presumably to cope with the constant fluctuations in the tidal environments. Genes of the general processes for woody plants are largely retained. In particular, fewer gene losses are found in physiological traits such as viviparous seeds, high salinity, and high tannin content. Given the broad and continual genome reductions, we propose the May-Wigner theory (MWT) of system stability as a possible mechanism. In MWT, the most effective solution for buffering continual perturbations is to reduce the size of the system (or to weaken the total genic interactions). Mangroves are unique as immovable inhabitants of the compound environments in the land-sea interface, where environmental gradients (such as salinity) fluctuate constantly, often drastically. Extending MWT to gene regulatory network (GRN), computer simulations and transcriptome analyses support the stabilizing effects of smaller gene sets in mangroves vis-à-vis inland plants. In summary, we show the adaptive significance of gene losses in mangrove plants, including the specific role of promoting phenotype innovation and a general role in stabilizing GRN in unstable environments as predicted by MWT.
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Redes Reguladoras de Genes , Genoma , Perfilação da Expressão Gênica , PlantasRESUMO
Hand-wrist radiography is the most common and accurate method for evaluating children's bone age. To reduce the scattered radiation of radiosensitive organs in bone age assessment, we designed a small X-ray instrument with radioprotection function by adding metal enclosure for X-ray shielding. We used a phantom operator to compare the scattered radiation doses received by sensitive organs under three different protection scenarios (proposed instrument, radiation personal protective equipment, no protection). The proposed instrument showed greater reduction in the mean dose of a single exposure compared with radiation personal protective equipment especially on the left side which was proximal to the X-ray machine (≥80.0% in eye and thyroid, ≥99.9% in breast and gonad). The proposed instrument provides a new pathway towards more convenient and efficient radioprotection.
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Proteção Radiológica , Criança , Humanos , Doses de Radiação , Raios X , Radiografia , Proteção Radiológica/métodos , Fluoroscopia , Imagens de FantasmasRESUMO
Whole-genome duplication (WGD), or polyploidy, events are widespread and significant in the evolutionary history of angiosperms. However, empirical evidence for rediploidization, the major process where polyploids give rise to diploid descendants, is still lacking at the genomic level. Here we present chromosome-scale genomes of the mangrove tree Sonneratia alba and the related inland plant Lagerstroemia speciosa. Their common ancestor has experienced a whole-genome triplication (WGT) approximately 64 million years ago coinciding with a period of dramatic global climate change. Sonneratia, adapting mangrove habitats, experienced extensive chromosome rearrangements post-WGT. We observe the WGT retentions display sequence and expression divergence, suggesting potential neo- and sub-functionalization. Strong selection acting on three-copy retentions indicates adaptive value in response to new environments. To elucidate the role of ploidy changes in genome evolution, we improve a model of the polyploidization-rediploidization process based on genomic evidence, contributing to the understanding of adaptive evolution during climate change.
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Genoma , Genômica , Genoma/genética , Plantas/genética , Cromossomos , Genoma de Planta/genética , Poliploidia , Evolução Molecular , Filogenia , Duplicação GênicaRESUMO
Nypa fruticans (Wurmb), a mangrove palm species with origins dating back to the Late Cretaceous period, is a unique species for investigating long-term adaptation strategies to intertidal environments and the early evolution of palms. Here, we present a chromosome-level genome sequence and assembly for N. fruticans. We integrated the genomes of N. fruticans and other palm family members for a comparative genomic analysis, which confirmed that the common ancestor of all palms experienced a whole-genome duplication event around 89 million years ago, shaping the distinctive characteristics observed in this clade. We also inferred a low mutation rate for the N. fruticans genome, which underwent strong purifying selection and evolved slowly, thus contributing to its stability over a long evolutionary period. Moreover, ancient duplicates were preferentially retained, with critical genes having experienced positive selection, enhancing waterlogging tolerance in N. fruticans. Furthermore, we discovered that the pseudogenization of Early Methionine-labelled 1 (EM1) and EM6 in N. fruticans underly its crypto-vivipary characteristics, reflecting its intertidal adaptation. Our study provides valuable genomic insights into the evolutionary history, genome stability, and adaptive evolution of the mangrove palm. Our results also shed light on the long-term adaptation of this species and contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics in the palm family.
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Arecaceae , Arecaceae/genética , GenômicaRESUMO
The traditional method of preparing graphene will cause serious environmental pollution, and the combustion of polymer materials will seriously harm people's health. In this paper, a Cu-MOF-coated graphene composite flame retardant (G@Cu-MOF) rich in flame retardant elements such as B and N was synthesized through green mechanical ball milling method. Flame retardants reduce the threat to the environment and people's lives and property. After adding 6 wt% G@Cu-MOF, the peak heat release rate, total heat release rate, CO production and CO2 production of epoxy resin (EP) composite samples decreased by 55, 14, 59, and 55%, respectively. This type of Cu-MOF releases incombustible gases such as boron trifluoride (BF3) and ammonia (NH3) during combustion, diluting the concentration of combustible gases and producing copper borate in the condensed phase. Cu2+ is reduced to Cu, and boron compounds are converted into boron oxides. The thermal conductivity of graphene can reduce the temperature of the matrix, and has good flame retardancy. It synergistically acts with Cu-MOF to promote the formation of high-quality residual char, and can significantly inhibit the heat and smoke release of EP. It plays a role in flame retardancy and protecting the substrate from fire. This study provides a new approach for preparing graphene hybrid flame retardants through mechanical ball milling, in order to improve the flame retardancy of EP and suppress the release of smoke and toxic gases.
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Retardadores de Chama , Grafite , Humanos , Fumaça , Cobre , GasesRESUMO
Mangrove species are broadly classified as true mangroves and mangrove associates. The latter are amphibious plants that can survive in the intertidal zone and reproduce naturally in terrestrial environments. Their widespread distribution and extensive adaptability make them ideal research materials for exploring adaptive evolution. In this study, we de novo assembled two genomes of mangrove associates (the allotetraploid Barringtonia racemosa (2n = 4x = 52) and diploid Barringtonia asiatica (2n = 2x = 26)) to investigate the role of allopolyploidy in the evolutionary history of mangrove species. We developed a new allotetraploid-dividing tool Allo4D to distinguish between allotetraploid scaffold-scale subgenomes and verified its accuracy and reliability using real and simulated data. According to the two subgenomes of allotetraploid B. racemosa divided using Allo4D, the allopolyploidization event was estimated to have occurred approximately one million years ago (Mya). We found that B. racemosa, B. asiatica, and Diospyros lotus shared a whole genome duplication (WGD) event during the K-Pg (Cretaceous-Paleozoic) period. K-Pg WGD and recent allopolyploidization events contributed to the speciation of B. racemosa and its adaptation to coastal habitats. We found that genes in the glucosinolates (GSLs) pathway, an essential pathway in response to various biotic and abiotic stresses, expanded rapidly in B. racemosa during polyploidization. In summary, this study provides a typical example of the adaptation of allopolyploid plants to extreme environmental conditions. The newly developed tool, Allo4D, can effectively divide allotetraploid subgenomes and explore the evolutionary history of polyploid plants, especially for species whose ancestors are unknown or extinct.
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Genoma de Planta , Tetraploidia , Genoma de Planta/genética , Evolução Molecular , Rhizophoraceae/genética , Poliploidia , Filogenia , Evolução BiológicaRESUMO
Background: Although dupilumab is an effective treatment approach for chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) in some cases, its effectiveness and safety in CAD have not been sufficiently assessed. Purpose: Evaluation of the effectiveness and safety of dupilumab in patients with recalcitrant CAD was performed. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of CAD patients treated with dupilumab. Data regarding demographics were collected, and disease severity scores were assessed using the following: Clinical Severity Score of CAD (CSS-CAD), Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool (ADCT), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and Numeric Rating Scale (NRS)-itch scores. Results: After 12 weeks of treatment, there was a significant decrease in disease severity scores of 16 CAD patients. Only one patient achieved a good response and most of the patients (62.5%, 10/16) had no significant symptom improvement after 4 weeks of treatment. However, after 12 weeks of treatment, 43.75% (7/16) of the patients reached excellent response (>75% improvement of CSS-CAD), 31.25% (5/16) good response (50%-75% improvement of CSS-CAD), 6.25% (1/16) partial response (25%-50% improvement of CSS-CAD), and only 18.75% (3/16) no response (<25% improvement of CSS-CAD). One patient complained of injection site reaction at the first injection. Conclusion: This study supports dupilumab as an effective and safe treatment option for patients with recalcitrant CAD. Patients may require at least 4 weeks of treatment before the partial response is noted.
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Mangroves are adapted to intertidal zones, which present extreme environmental conditions. WRKYs are among the most prominent transcription factors (TFs) in higher plants and act through various interconnected networks to regulate responses to multiple abiotic stressors. Here, based on omic data, we investigated the landscape and evolutionary patterns of WRKYs in the main mangrove genus Avicennia. We found that both the number and the proportion of TFs and WRKYs in Avicennia species exceeded their inland relatives, indicating a significant expansion of WRKYs in Avicennia. We identified 109 WRKY genes in the representative species Avicennia marina. Comparative genomic analysis showed that two recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) events played a critical role in the expansion of WRKYs, and 88% of Avicennia marina WRKYs (AmWRKYs) have been retained following these WGDs. Applying comparative transcriptomics on roots under experimental salt gradients, we inferred that there is high divergence in the expression of WGD-retained AmWRKYs. Moreover, we found that the expression of 16 AmWRKYs was stable between freshwater and moderately saline water but increased when the trees were exposed to high salinity. In particular, 14 duplicates were retained following the two recent WGD events, indicating potential neo- and sub-functionalization. We also found that WRKYs could interact with other upregulated genes involved in signalling pathways and natural antioxidant biosynthesis to enhance salt tolerance, contributing to the adaptation to intertidal zones. Our omic data of the WRKY family in A. marina broadens the understanding of how a TF family relates to the adaptive evolution of mangroves. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42995-023-00177-y.
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The pretreatment of cathode material before leaching is crucial in the spent lithium-ion battery hydro-metallurgical recycling. Here research demonstrates that in-situ reduction pretreatment could dramatically improve the leaching efficiencies for valuable metals from cathodes. Specifically, calcination under 600 °C without oxygen using alkali treated cathode can induce in-situ reduction and collapse of oxygen framework, which is ascribed to the carbon inherently contained in the sample and promote the following efficient leaching without external reductants. The leaching efficiencies of Li, Mn, Co and Ni can remarkably reach 100%, 98.13%, 97.27% and 97.37% respectively. Characterization methods, such as XRD, XPS and SEM-EDS, were employed and revealed that during in-situ reduction, high valence metals such as Ni3+, Co3+, Mn4+ can be effectively reduced to lower valence states, conducive to subsequent leaching reactions. Moreover, leaching processes of Ni, Co and Mn fit well with the film diffusion control model, and the reaction barrier is in accordance with the order of Ni, Co and Mn. In comparison, it is observed that Li was leached with higher efficiency regardless of the various pretreatments. Lastly, an integral recovery process has been proposed and economic assessment demonstrates that in-situ reduction pretreatment increases the benefit with a negligible cost increase.
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Lítio , Metais , Fontes de Energia Elétrica , Reciclagem , EletrodosRESUMO
Industrial development is an essential foundation of the national economy, but the industry is also the largest source of air pollution, of which power plants, iron and steel, building materials, and other industries emit large amounts of pollutants. Therefore, the Chinese government has promulgated a series of stringent emission regulations, and it is against this backdrop that research into air pollution control technologies for key industrial sectors is in full swing. In particular, during the 13th Five-Year Plan, breakthroughs have been made in pollution control technology for key industrial sectors. A multi-pollutant treatment technology system of desulfurization, denitrification, and dust collection, which applies to key industries such as power plants, steel, and building materials, has been developed. High-performance materials for the treatment of different pollutants, such as denitrification catalysts and desulfurization absorbers, were developed. At the same time, multi-pollutant synergistic removal technologies for flue gas in various industries have also become a hot research topic, with important breakthroughs in the synergistic removal of NOx, SOx, and Hg. Due to the increasingly stringent emission standards and regulations in China, there is still a need to work on the development of multi-pollutant synergistic technologies and further research and development of synergistic abatement technologies for CO2 to meet the requirements of ultra-low emissions in industrial sectors.
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Poluentes Atmosféricos , Poluição do Ar , Poluentes Ambientais , Poluentes Atmosféricos/análise , Poluição do Ar/prevenção & controle , Poluição do Ar/análise , China , AçoRESUMO
The synthesis of atomically precise semiconductors Ag-S clusters is a subject of intense research interest, yet the formation mechanism of such nanoclusters remains obscure due to their uncontrolled fast nucleation process in solution. Herein, we have investigated the reaction mechanism responsible for {Ag32S3} nucleation using UV, ESI-MS, NMR and SCXRD analyses. Triphenylphosphorus sulfide (PPh3S) was surprisingly found to slow down the kinetic process of the cluster nucleation. Furthermore, a key precursor [Ag2(Ph3PîS)4]2+ was captured, which was attacked by Agn(CîCBut)m and traces of water to generate {Ag32S3}. This mechanism provides valuable new insights into the synthesis of inorganic magic-size clusters.
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Microplastics have been considered a new type of pollutant in the marine environment and have attracted widespread attention worldwide in recent years. Plastic particles with particle size less than 5â mm are usually defined as microplastics. Because of their similar size to plankton, marine organisms easily ingest microplastics and can threaten higher organisms and even human health through the food chain. Most of the current studies have focused on the investigation of the abundance of microplastics in the environment. However, due to the limitations of analytical methods and instruments, the number of microplastics in the environment can easily lead to overestimation or underestimation. Microplastics in each environment have different detection techniques. To investigate the current status, hot spots, and research trends of microplastics detection techniques, this review analyzed the papers related to microplastics detection using bibliometric software CiteSpace and COOC. A total of 696 articles were analyzed, spanning 2012 to 2021. The contributions and cooperation of different countries and institutions in this field have been analyzed in detail. This topic has formed two main important networks of cooperation. International cooperation has been a common pattern in this topic. The various analytical methods of this topic were discussed through keyword and clustering analysis. Among them, fluorescent, FTIR and micro-Raman spectroscopy are commonly used optical techniques for the detection of microplastics. The identification of microplastics can also be achieved by the combination of other techniques such as mass spectrometry/thermal cracking gas chromatography. However, these techniques still have limitations and cannot be applied to all environmental samples. We provide a detailed analysis of the detection of microplastics in different environmental samples and list the challenges that need to be addressed in the future.
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Poluentes Ambientais , Poluentes Químicos da Água , Humanos , Microplásticos , Plásticos , Poluentes Químicos da Água/análise , Bibliometria , Monitoramento AmbientalRESUMO
Graphdiyne is a two-dimensional carbon nanomaterial synthesized artificially in 2010. Its outstanding performance is considered to have great potential in different fields. This article summarizes the work of graphdiyne in the sensing field by literature summary and bibliometrics analysis. The development of graphdiyne in the field of sensing has gone through a process from theoretical calculation to experimental verification. Especially in the last three years, there has been very rapid development. The theoretical calculations suggest that graphdiyne is an excellent gas sensing material, but there is little experimental evidence in this direction. On the contrary, graphdiyne has been widely reported in the field of electrochemical sensing. At the same time, graphdiyne can also be used as a molecular switch for DNA sequencing. Fluorescent sensors based on graphdiyne have also been reported. In general, the potential of graphdiyne in sensing still needs to be explored. Current research results do not show that graphdiyne has irreplaceable advantages in sensing. The bibliometric analysis used in this review also provides cooperative network analysis and co-citation analysis on this topic. This provides a reference for the audience wishing to undertake research on the topic. In addition, according to the analysis, we also listed the direction that which this field deserves attention in the future.
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Grafite , Materiais Inteligentes , Bibliometria , Carbono/química , Grafite/químicaRESUMO
Genomic studies are now poised to explore whole communities of species. The ~70 species of woody plants that anchor the coastal ecosystems of the tropics, collectively referred to as mangroves, are particularly suited to this exploration. In this study, we de novo sequenced the whole genomes of 32 mangroves, which we combined with other sequences of 30 additional species, comprising almost all mangroves globally. These community-wide genomic data will be valuable for ecology, evolution and biodiversity research. While the data revealed 27 independent origins of mangroves, the total phylogeny shows only modest increases in species number, even in coastal areas of active speciation, suggesting that mangrove extinction is common. A possible explanation for common extinction is the frequent sea-level rises and falls (SLRs and SLFs) documented in the geological record. Indeed, near-extinctions of species with extremely small population size (N) often happened during periods of rapid SLR, as revealed by the genome-wide heterozygosity of almost all mangroves. Reduction in N has possibly been further compounded by population fragmentation and the subsequent accumulation of deleterious mutations, thus pushing mangroves even closer to extinction. Crucially, the impact of the next SLR will be exacerbated by human encroachment into these mangrove habitats, potentially altering the ecosystems of tropical coasts irreversibly.
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Ecossistema , Florestas , Genoma , Humanos , Filogenia , PlantasRESUMO
The mass production and application of graphene have gradually expanded from academic research to industrial applications, which will inevitably lead to graphene entering the soil actively and passively. Therefore, the relationship between graphene and the pedosphere has attracted a lot of attention in the last decade. The most important question is whether graphene will harm soil health. Fortunately, the evidence is that graphene can alter soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities to some extent, but not dramatically. On this basis, the role of graphene in soil has been investigated in all directions. This review summarizes the literature on the relationship between graphene and soils. Topics include remediation and sensing of soil using graphene materials, the effects of graphene on soil, and the effects of graphene in soil on plant growth. At the same time, this review also uses bibliometrics to review the history of the topic. The number of papers published each year, participating countries, participating institutions and important articles were analyzed in detail. Finally, based on the published literature, we described the future perspectives of graphene and the pedosphere.