This article explores the significant advancements in Short-Range Correlation (SRC) research enabled by the latest Chinese nuclear physics facilities-CSR at HIRFL, HIAF, SHINE, and the upcoming EicC. ...These facilities introduce cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, addressing existing challenges and broadening the scope for SRC studies. By providing detailed insights into the capabilities and expected contributions of each facility, the paper highlights China’s emerging role in the global nuclear physics landscape. The collaborative potential, alongside complementary global efforts, positions these facilities to deeply influence our understanding of nuclear matter’s fundamental properties and interactions.
Although exposure to cigarette smoking and air pollution is common, the current prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is unknown in the Chinese adult population. We conducted the ...China Pulmonary Health (CPH) study to assess the prevalence and risk factors of COPD in China.
The CPH study is a cross-sectional study in a nationally representative sample of adults aged 20 years or older from ten provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities in mainland China. All participants underwent a post-bronchodilator pulmonary function test. COPD was diagnosed according to 2017 Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria.
Between June, 2012, and May, 2015, 57 779 individuals were invited to participate, of whom 50 991 (21 446 men and 29 545 women) had reliable post-bronchodilator results and were included in the final analysis. The overall prevalence of spirometry-defined COPD was 8·6% (95% CI 7·5–9·9), accounting for 99·9 (95% CI 76·3–135·7) million people with COPD in China. Prevalence was higher in men (11·9%, 95% CI 10·2–13·8) than in women (5·4%, 4·6–6·2; p<0·0001 for sex difference) and in people aged 40 years or older (13·7%, 12·1–15·5) than in those aged 20–39 years (2·1%, 1·4–3·2; p<0·0001 for age difference). Only 12·0% (95% CI 8·1–17·4) of people with COPD reported a previous pulmonary function test. Risk factors for COPD included smoking exposure of 20 pack-years or more (odds ratio OR 1·95, 95% CI 1·53–2·47), exposure to annual mean particulate matter with a diameter less than 2·5 μm of 50–74 μg/m3 (1·85, 1·23–2·77) or 75 μg/m3 or higher (2·00, 1·36–2·92), underweight (body-mass index <18·5 kg/m2; 1·43, 1·03–1·97), sometimes childhood chronic cough (1·48, 1·14–1·93) or frequent cough (2·57, 2·01–3·29), and parental history of respiratory diseases (1·40, 1·23–1·60). A lower risk of COPD was associated with middle or high school education (OR 0·76, 95% CI 0·64–0·90) and college or higher education (0·47, 0·33–0·66).
Spirometry-defined COPD is highly prevalent in the Chinese adult population. Cigarette smoking, ambient air pollution, underweight, childhood chronic cough, parental history of respiratory diseases, and low education are major risk factors for COPD. Prevention and early detection of COPD using spirometry should be a public health priority in China to reduce COPD-related morbidity and mortality.
Ministry of Health and Ministry of Science and Technology of China.
Catalytic microspheres: A general approach is demonstrated for the facile preparation of mesoporous metal oxide microspheres loaded with noble metal nanoparticles (see TEM image in the picture). ...Among 18 oxide/noble metal catalysts, TiO2/0.1 mol % Pd microspheres showed the highest turnover frequency in NaBH4 reduction of 4‐nitrophenol (see picture).
•A potential mechanism of vermicompost on strawberry growth is proposed.•Vermicompost is a new type of bio-organic fertilizer.•Vermicompost has positive effects on growth and yield of ...strawberry.•Vermicompost improves photosynthetic parameters and enhances resistance of agrosystems.•Vermicompost increases soil enzymatic activity and microbial biomass.
Vermicompost (VC) is thought to improve soil quality and plant yield. However, the effect and mechanism of VC on strawberry growth and quality are not well known. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of VC on the morphological and physiological indexes of strawberry and on the microbial properties of soil and to analyze the potential mechanisms of VC on the growth and development of strawberry. A pot experiment was conducted in a randomized design under solar greenhouse conditions. The treatments were six different volumetric ratios of VC to soil: 100% soil (control, CK); 10% VC + 90% soil (VC10); 20% VC + 80% soil (VC20); 30% VC + 70% soil (VC30); 40% VC + 60% soil (VC40); 50% VC + 50% soil (VC50). In this study, VC not only increased growth attributes such as biomass production, plant height and leaf area but also improved fruit yield, mean fruit weight, and the contents of soluble sugar and vitamin C. Notably, chlorophyll content and net photosynthetic rate increased significantly at the white fruit stage. Additionally, 20% and 30% VC addition dramatically improved superoxide dismutase activity and reduced malondialdehyde content. We also found significant improvements in soil microbial and enzyme activity, cation exchange capacity and root activity with the application of VC compared with the control. Overall, VC had a positive effect on strawberry growth and quality, which was attributed to increases in photosynthesis rate, free radical scavenging, and soil enzymatic activity.
A series of novel ZnO/CuO n-n heterojunction photocatalysts were synthesized with a microwave assisted method. The structures, morphologies, optical properties, and chemical states of these prepared ...photocatalysts were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The results indicated that the crystalline structures and morphologies of ZnO and ZnO/CuO are both quasi-sphere shape wurtzite structures. The photocatalytic activities of ZnO/CuO heterojunction were evaluated by the degradation of Acid Orange 7 under simulated solar light irradiation. The results indicated that the ZnO/CuO n-n heterojunctions all have higher photocatalytic activities than the pure ZnO and the ZnO/CuO(2) sample with 2% of CuO exhibits the highest performance for degradation of Acid Orange 7. These could be due to the effective enhancement of electron-hole separation and weaken charge transfer resistance in ZnO/CuO n-n heterojunction, as indicated by their photoluminescences, the electrochemical impedance spectra, and photocurrent responses. Finally, Z-scheme electron transfer mechanism was proposed as the major photocatalytic mechanism of ZnO/CuO materials.
Abstract
T follicular helper (T
FH
) cells are specialized effector CD4
+
T cells critical to humoral immunity. Whether post-transcriptional regulation has a function in T
FH
cells is unknown. Here, ...we show conditional deletion of METTL3 (a methyltransferase catalyzing mRNA
N
6
-methyladenosine (m
6
A) modification) in CD4
+
T cells impairs T
FH
differentiation and germinal center responses in a cell-intrinsic manner in mice. METTL3 is necessary for expression of important T
FH
signature genes, including
Tcf7
,
Bcl6
,
Icos
and
Cxcr5
and these effects depend on intact methyltransferase activity. m
6
A-miCLIP-seq shows the 3′ UTR of
Tcf7
mRNA is subjected to METTL3-dependent m
6
A modification. Loss of METTL3 or mutation of the
Tcf7
3′ UTR m
6
A site results in accelerated decay of
Tcf7
transcripts. Importantly, ectopic expression of TCF-1 (encoded by
Tcf7
) rectifies T
FH
defects owing to METTL3 deficiency. Our findings indicate that METTL3 stabilizes
Tcf7
transcripts via m
6
A modification to ensure activation of a T
FH
transcriptional program, indicating a pivotal function of post-transcriptional regulation in promoting T
FH
cell differentiation.
Abstract The vascular grafts prepared by electrospinning often have relatively small pores, which limit cell infiltration into the grafts and hinder the regeneration and remodeling of the grafts into ...neoarteries. To overcome this problem, macroporous electrospun polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with thicker fibers (5–6 μm) and larger pores (∼30 μm) were fabricated in the present study. In vitro cell culture indicated that macrophages cultured on thicker-fiber scaffolds tended to polarize into the immunomodulatory and tissue remodeling (M2) phenotype, while those cultured on thinner-fiber scaffolds expressed proinflammatory (M1) phenotype. In vivo implantation by replacing rat abdominal aorta was performed and followed up for 7, 14, 28 and 100 d. The results demonstrated that the macroporous grafts markedly enhanced cell infiltration and extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion. All grafts showed satisfactory patency for up to 100 days. At day 100, the endothelium coverage was complete, and the regenerated smooth muscle layer was correctly organized with abundant ECM similar to those in the native arteries. More importantly, the regenerated arteries demonstrated contractile response to adrenaline and acetylcholine-induced relaxation. Analysis of the cellularization process revealed that the thicker-fiber scaffolds induced a large number of M2 macrophages to infiltrate into the graft wall. These macrophages further promoted cellular infiltration and vascularization. In conclusion, the present study confirmed that the scaffold structure can regulate macrophage phenotype. Our thicker-fiber electrospun PCL vascular grafts could enhance the vascular regeneration and remodeling process by mediating macrophage polarization into M2 phenotype, suggesting that our constructs may be a promising cell-free vascular graft candidate and are worthy for further in vivo evaluation.
Obesity, which is characteristic by chronic inflammation, is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation in adipose tissues. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is increased in adipose tissue of ...obese state and is known to be strongly associated with chronic inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ER stress on adipokine secretion in obese mice and explore the potential mechanisms. In this study, we found high-fat diet induced-obesity contributed to strengthened ER stress and triggered chronic inflammation in adipose tissue. Chemical chaperones, 4-PBA and TUDCA, modified metabolic disorders and decreased the levels of inflammatory cytokines in obese mice fed a high-fat diet. The alleviation of ER stress is in accordance with the decrease of free cholesterol in adipose tissue. Furthermore chemical chaperones suppress NF-κB activity in adipose tissue of obese mice in vivo. In vitro studies showed IKK/NF-κB may be involved in the signal transduction of adipokine secretion dysfunction induced by ER stress. The present study revealed the possibility that inhibition of ER stress may be a novel drug target for metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity. Further studies are now needed to characterize the initial incentive of sustained ER stress in obese.
Roxadustat is an oral hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor that stimulates erythropoiesis and regulates iron metabolism. Additional data are needed regarding the effectiveness and ...safety of roxadustat as compared with standard therapy (epoetin alfa) for the treatment of anemia in patients undergoing dialysis.
In a trial conducted in China, we randomly assigned (in a 2:1 ratio) patients who had been undergoing dialysis and erythropoiesis-stimulating agent therapy with epoetin alfa for at least 6 weeks to receive roxadustat or epoetin alfa three times per week for 26 weeks. Parenteral iron was withheld except as rescue therapy. The primary end point was the mean change in hemoglobin level from baseline to the average level during weeks 23 through 27. Noninferiority of roxadustat would be established if the lower boundary of the two-sided 95% confidence interval for the difference between the values in the roxadustat group and epoetin alfa group was greater than or equal to -1.0 g per deciliter. Patients in each group had doses adjusted to reach a hemoglobin level of 10.0 to 12.0 g per deciliter. Safety was assessed by analysis of adverse events and clinical laboratory values.
A total of 305 patients underwent randomization (204 in the roxadustat group and 101 in the epoetin alfa group), and 256 patients (162 and 94, respectively) completed the 26-week treatment period. The mean baseline hemoglobin level was 10.4 g per deciliter. Roxadustat led to a numerically greater mean (±SD) change in hemoglobin level from baseline to weeks 23 through 27 (0.7±1.1 g per deciliter) than epoetin alfa (0.5±1.0 g per deciliter) and was statistically noninferior (difference, 0.2±1.2 g per deciliter; 95% confidence interval CI, -0.02 to 0.5). As compared with epoetin alfa, roxadustat increased the transferrin level (difference, 0.43 g per liter; 95% CI, 0.32 to 0.53), maintained the serum iron level (difference, 25 μg per deciliter; 95% CI, 17 to 33), and attenuated decreases in the transferrin saturation (difference, 4.2 percentage points; 95% CI, 1.5 to 6.9). At week 27, the decrease in total cholesterol was greater with roxadustat than with epoetin alfa (difference, -22 mg per deciliter; 95% CI, -29 to -16), as was the decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (difference, -18 mg per deciliter; 95% CI, -23 to -13). Roxadustat was associated with a mean reduction in hepcidin of 30.2 ng per milliliter (95% CI, -64.8 to -13.6), as compared with 2.3 ng per milliliter (95% CI, -51.6 to 6.2) in the epoetin alfa group. Hyperkalemia and upper respiratory infection occurred at a higher frequency in the roxadustat group, and hypertension occurred at a higher frequency in the epoetin alfa group.
Oral roxadustat was noninferior to parenteral epoetin alfa as therapy for anemia in Chinese patients undergoing dialysis. (Funded by FibroGen and FibroGen China Medical Technology Development; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02652806.).
Highlights
N-Ti
3
C
2
@CNT microspheres are successfully synthesized by the simple spray drying and one-step pyrolysis.
Within the microsphere, MXene nanosheets intimately interact with CNTs ...constructing porous and highly conductive network, which can provide strong immobilization for polysulfides.
N-Ti
3
C
2
@CNT microsphere/S cathode shows highly cycling stability in lithium-sulfur battery.
Herein, N-Ti
3
C
2
@CNT microspheres are successfully synthesized by the simple spray drying method. In the preparation process, HCl-treated melamine (HTM) is selected as the sources of carbon and nitrogen. It not only realizes in situ growth of CNTs on the surface of MXene nanosheets with the catalysis of Ni, but also introduces efficient N-doping in both MXene and CNTs. Within the microsphere, MXene nanosheets interconnect with CNTs to form porous and conductive network. In addition, N-doped MXene and CNTs can provide strong chemical immobilization for polysulfides and effectively entrap them within the porous microspheres. Above-mentioned merits enable N-Ti
3
C
2
@CNT microspheres to be ideal sulfur host. When used in lithium–sulfur (Li–S) battery, the N-Ti
3
C
2
@CNT microspheres/S cathode delivers initial specific capacity of 927 mAh g
−1
at 1 C and retains high capacity of 775 mAh g
−1
after 1000 cycles with extremely low fading rate (FR) of 0.016% per cycle. Furthermore, the cathode still shows high cycling stability at high C-rate of 4 C (capacity of 647 mAh g
−1
after 650 cycles, FR 0.027%) and high sulfur loading of 3 and 6 mg cm
−2
for Li–S batteries.
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