Oil sorbents play a very important part in the remediation processes of oil spills. To enhance the oil‐sorption properties and simplify the oil‐recovery process, various advanced oil sorbents and ...oil‐collecting devices based on them have been proposed recently. Here, we firstly discuss the design considerations for the fabrication of oil sorbents and describe recently developed oil sorbents based on modification strategy. Then, recent advances regarding oil sorbents mainly based on carbon materials and swellable oleophilic polymers are also presented. Subsequently, some additional properties are emphasized, which are required by oil sorbents to cope with oil spills under extreme conditions or to facilitate the oil‐collection processes. Furthermore, some oil‐collection devices based on oil sorbents that have been developed recently are shown. Finally, an outlook and challenges for the next generation of oil‐spill‐remediation technology based on oil‐sorbents materials are given.
Hydrophobic and oleophilic sorbent materials are demonstrated as promising candidates for the cleanup of oil spills. An overview of the latest developments and advances in the fabrication of oil sorbents through modification strategy, carbon‐based oil sorbents, and polymer‐based oil sorbents, as well as some smart oil sorbents and oil‐collecting devices based on oil‐sorbent materials are presented.
Aim
The commonly recommended endotracheal tube cuff pressure is 20–30 cmH2O. However, some patients require a cuff pressure of >30 cmH2O to prevent air leakage. The study aims to determine the risk ...factors that contribute to the endotracheal tube cuff pressure of >30 cmH2O to prevent air leakage.
Design
A multi‐centre prospective observational study.
Methods
Eligible patients undergoing mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit of three hospitals between March 2020 and July 2022 were included. The endotracheal tube cuff pressure to prevent air leakage was determined using the minimal occlusive volume technique. The patient demographics and clinical information were collected.
Results
A total of 284 patients were included. Among these patients, 55 (19.37%) patients required a cuff pressure of >30 cmH2O to prevent air leakage. The multivariate logistic regression results revealed that the surgical operation (odds ratio OR: 8.485, 95% confidence interval CI: 1.066–67.525, p = 0.043) was inversely associated with the endotracheal tube cuff pressure of >30 cmH2O, while the oral intubation route (OR: 0.127, 95% CI: 0.022–0.750, p = 0.023) and cuff inner diameter minus tracheal area (OR: 0.949, 95% CI: 0.933–0.966, p < 0.001) were negatively associated with the endotracheal tube cuff pressure of >30 cmH2O. Therefore, a significant number of patients require an endotracheal tube cuff pressure of ＞30 cmH2O to prevent air leakage. Several factors, including the surgical operation, intubation route, and difference between the cuff inner diameter and tracheal area at the T3 vertebra, should be considered when determining the appropriate cuff pressure during mechanical ventilation.
Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a heme enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of L-tryptophan. Functionally, IDO1 has played a pivotal role in cancer immune escape via catalyzing the initial ...step of the kynurenine pathway, and overexpression of IDO1 is also associated with poor prognosis in various cancers. Currently, several small-molecule candidates and peptide vaccines are currently being assessed in clinical trials. Furthermore, the "proteolysis targeting chimera" (PROTAC) technology has also been successfully used in the development of IDO1 degraders, providing novel therapeutics for cancers. Herein, we review the biological functions of IDO1, structural biology and also extensively summarize medicinal chemistry strategies for the development of IDO1 inhibitors in clinical trials. The emerging PROTAC-based IDO1 degraders are also highlighted. This review may provide a comprehensive and updated overview on IDO1 inhibitors and their therapeutic potentials.
Abstract
The first discovered extrasolar worlds—giant, “hot Jupiter” planets on short-period orbits—came as a surprise to solar system–centric models of planet formation, prompting the development of ...new theories for planetary system evolution. The near absence of observed nearby planetary companions to hot Jupiters has been widely quoted as evidence in support of high-eccentricity tidal migration, a framework in which hot Jupiters form further out in their natal protoplanetary disks before being thrown inward with extremely high eccentricities, stripping systems of any close-in planetary companions. In this work, we present new results from a search for transit timing variations across the full 4 yr Kepler data set, demonstrating that at least 12% ± 6% of hot Jupiters have a nearby planetary companion. This subset of hot Jupiters is expected to have a quiescent dynamical history such that the systems could retain their nearby companions. We also demonstrate a ubiquity of nearby planetary companions to warm Jupiters (≥70% ± 16%), indicating that warm Jupiters typically form quiescently. We conclude by combining our results with existing observational constraints to propose an “eccentric migration” framework for the formation of short-period giant planets through postdisk dynamical sculpting in compact multiplanet systems. Our framework suggests that hot Jupiters constitute the natural end stage for giant planets spanning a wide range of eccentricities, with orbits that reach small enough periapses—either from their final orbital configurations in the disk phase or from eccentricity excitation in the postdisk phase—to trigger efficient tidal circularization.
Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) has been recommended as a basic treatment for lupus nephritis (LN) during this decade based on its ability to improve LN-related renal immune-mediated inflammatory lesions. ...As a classical lysosomal inhibitor, HCQ may inhibit lysosomal degradation and disrupt protective autophagy in proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTECs). Therefore, the final renal effects of HCQ on LN need to be clarified.
HCQ was administered on spontaneous female MRL/lpr LN mice with severe proteinuria daily for 4 weeks. Moreover, the MRL/lpr mice with proteinuric LN were subjected to cisplatin-induced or unilateral ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) after 2 weeks of HCQ preadministration.
As expected, HCQ treatment increased the survival ratio and downregulated the levels of serum creatinine in the mice with LN, ameliorated renal lesions, and inhibited renal interstitial inflammation. Unexpectedly, HCQ preadministration significantly increased susceptibility to and delayed the recovery of AKI complicated by LN, as demonstrated by an increase in PTEC apoptosis and expression of the tubular injury marker KIM-1 as well as the retardation of PTEC replenishment. HCQ preadministration suppressed the proliferation of PTECs by arresting cells in G1/S phase and upregulated the expression of cell cycle inhibitors. Furthermore, HCQ preadministration disrupted the PTEC autophagy-lysosomal pathway and accelerated PTEC senescence.
HCQ treatment may increase susceptibility and delay the recovery of AKI complicated by LN despite its ability to improve LN-related renal immune-mediated inflammatory lesions. The probable mechanism involves accelerated apoptosis and inhibited proliferation of PTECs via autophagy-lysosomal pathway disruption and senescence promotion.
A critical challenge in the commercialization of layer‐structured Ni‐rich materials is the fast capacity drop and voltage fading due to the interfacial instability and bulk structural degradation of ...the cathodes during battery operation. Herein, with the guidance of theoretical calculations of migration energy difference between La and Ti from the surface to the inside of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2, for the first time, Ti‐doped and La4NiLiO8‐coated LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cathodes are rationally designed and prepared, via a simple and convenient dual‐modification strategy of synchronous synthesis and in situ modification. Impressively, the dual modified materials show remarkably improved electrochemical performance and largely suppressed voltage fading, even under exertive operational conditions at elevated temperature and under extended cutoff voltage. Further studies reveal that the nanoscale structural degradation on material surfaces and the appearance of intergranular cracks associated with the inconsistent evolution of structural degradation at the particle level can be effectively suppressed by the synergetic effect of the conductive La4NiLiO8 coating layer and the strong TiO bond. The present work demonstrates that our strategy can simultaneously address the two issues with respect to interfacial instability and bulk structural degradation, and it represents a significant progress in the development of advanced cathode materials for high‐performance lithium‐ion batteries.
Ti‐doped and La4NiLiO8‐coated Ni‐rich layered oxide cathodes are synchronously and in situ synthesized with the guidance of theoretical calculations, which exhibit good surficial stability, fast interfacial kinetic behaviors, suppressed inconsistent structural degradation in combination with markedly improved electrochemical performance. This work opens a new avenue of designing simple modification approaches and advanced cathodes for high‐energy lithium‐ion batteries.
In order to improve interfacial adhesion between poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and sisal fibers (SFs), bifunctional monomer bisoxazoline (BO) was introduced into melt‐blending process of fibers reinforced ...PLA composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization. The morphology of fibers and their reinforced PLA composites, thermal, and mechanical properties of the composites were studied. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) results confirmed that PLA was successfully grafted onto the surface of fiber. BO played a hinge‐like role between PLA molecular chains and SFs. The interfacial reaction and the microstructures of the SF‐reinforced PLA composites were investigated by thermal analysis. The cold crystallization temperature of the composites increased by 6.5°C with the addition of 0.6 wt% BO and 20 wt% SF as compared with the composites without BO. Microdebonding test further confirmed that interfacial shear strength of samples with BO increased by more than 30.7% in comparison with unmodified samples. For composites with 20 wt% SF addition, tensile strength and modulus increased by 34% and 10%, respectively, with 1 wt% BO addition. Flexural strength and modulus increased by 25% and 8%, respectively, with the addition of 1.2 wt% BO. Impact strength of 1 wt% BO‐modified composites was 5.1 MPa, which is 17% higher than that of the composites without BO.
Abstract
The formation of hot Jupiters has been a subject of interest in the field of exoplanet science. According to conventional scenarios, these gas giants are believed to form beyond the snow ...line and subsequently migrate inward. Although the early formation history of hot Jupiters is not well understood, they may emerge in resonant chains as a result of disk migration. Here we study the formation of hot Jupiters via the disruption of resonant chains after the gas disk disappears. We perform
N
-body simulations on planetary systems consisting of one gas giant and several super-Earths. The initial configuration involves all neighboring planet pairs being in a 3:2 mean motion resonance. We track the evolution of these resonant chains after the gas disk has vanished. Our results reveal that the resonant chains are prone to instability following the dispersal of the gas disk, with more than 80% of instabilities occurring within 3 million years. Only approximately 4% of resonant chains can survive the dynamical evolution. Notably, we find that resonant chains hosting hot Jupiters are more likely to be unstable compared to those hosting warm Jupiters. Our simulations indicate that 33% ± 4% hot Jupiters and 70% ± 4% warm Jupiters could possess nearby companions. Furthermore, incorporating the effects of general relativity and tidal dissipation increases the isolation of hot Jupiters, resulting in nearby companion occurrence rates of 20% ± 4% for hot Jupiters and 69% ± 6% for warm Jupiters.
The development of the cult of Mount Wutai was a milestone event in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Crucial in that development was a novel depiction of Mañjuśrī, believed to be transmitting the ...deity’s “true visage” (zhenrong). While consensus suggests that the primary new aspect of that depiction is the ethnicity of the attendant for Mañjuśrī’s animal vehicle, it is puzzling that the true visage of a saintly figure is defined externally, by his attendant, rather than internally, within his own stylistic or iconographic configuration. This paper critically re-evaluates arguments and evidence surrounding this issue and argues that the image of the True Visage Mañjuśrī invented at Mount Wutai has specific iconographic features in his own representation. Uncovering the heretofore neglected iconographic specificities provides a more fine-grained understanding of how visual devices contributed to the cult of Mount Wutai, while also bringing renewed thinking about the notion of auspicious images and their replication.
Aims
Nowadays, the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation. Complications such as hypertension, ...diabetes, COPD, cardiovascular disease, and cerebrovascular disease are major risk factors for patients with COVID-19.
Methods
No meta-analysis has explored if or not diabetes related to mortality of patients with COVID-19. Therefore, this meta-analysis first aims to explore the possible clinical mortality between diabetes and COVID-19, analyze if diabetes patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 are exposed to the worst clinical prognostic risk, and to evaluate the reliability of the evidence.
Results
Our results showed a close relationship between diabetes and mortality of COVID-19, with a pooled OR of 1.75 (95% CI 1.31–2.36;
P
= 0.0002). The pooled data were calculated with the fixed effects model (FEM) as no heterogeneity appeared in the studies. Sensitivity analysis showed that after omitting any single study or converting a random effect model to FEM, the main results still held.
Conclusions
Our meta-analysis showed that diabetes increases the mortality of patients with COVID-19. These results indicated the disturbance of blood glucose in the COVID-19 patients. More importantly, this meta-analysis grades the reliability of evidence for further basic and clinical research into the diabetes dysfunction in COVID-19 patients.
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