The efficiency of supersonic combustion is largely dependent on inlet and injection parameters. Additional energy input is required in some off-design conditions, and nanosecond discharge actuation ...can be a solution. In the present study, a phenomenological model of a nanosecond-pulsed surface dielectric barrier discharge (NS-SDBD) actuator was developed to analyze the combustion enhancement effect for a supersonic combustor with transverse H2 injection. A seven-reaction H2–air combustion model was adopted for the numerical simulation. Dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) was employed to acquire temperature perturbation in spatial and temporal domains. The results show that the actuator provides additional temperature-increment and species transportation through compression waves. The combustion enhancement effect is mainly attributed to the flow perturbation in the shear layer, which promotes the turbulent diffusion of fuel. Given the same power input, the combustion efficiency at the shockwave reflection point is increased by 17.5%, and the flame height is increased by 15.4% at its maximum.
Abstract The helical-axial multiphase mixed-transport pump fails due to gas blocking caused by gas-liquid separation caused by cavitation under complex conditions with high gas volume fraction. This ...is an urgent engineering problem that needs to be addressed in the application of this pump. In order to simulate the flow structure characteristics in the channel, two types of non-uniform inflow boundary conditions were introduced. The bubble structure, velocity, and pressure under different inflow conditions were compared and analyzed, and the variation patterns affected by non-uniform boundary conditions were obtained. At the same time, the internal flow characteristics and mechanisms of multiphase mixed-transport pump are analyzed based on the velocity changes at the inlet of the impeller and the pressure fluctuations at the outlet of the guide vanes, leading to the intensification of gas-liquid separation and eventually the development of gas blocking. Research has shown that through programmatic control of the inlet boundary conditions, a linear change in inlet pressure has a more significant effect on the intensification of gas-liquid separation in the flow channel of the mixed-transport pump than a sinusoidal change, ultimately leading to significant performance failure when generating gas blocking. The research conclusion provides reference value for solving gas blocking in engineering applications of helical-axial multiphase mixed-transport pump.
The pandemic of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a major global health threat. Epidemiological studies suggest that bats (
) are the natural zoonotic reservoir for SARS-CoV-2. However, the host ...range of SARS-CoV-2 and intermediate hosts that facilitate its transmission to humans remain unknown. The interaction of coronavirus with its host receptor is a key genetic determinant of host range and cross-species transmission. SARS-CoV-2 uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as the receptor to enter host cells in a species-dependent manner. In this study, we characterized the ability of ACE2 from diverse species to support viral entry. By analyzing the conservation of five residues in two virus-binding hotspots of ACE2 (hotspot 31Lys and hotspot 353Lys), we predicted 80 ACE2 proteins from mammals that could potentially mediate SARS-CoV-2 entry. We chose 48 ACE2 orthologs among them for functional analysis, and showed that 44 of these orthologs-including domestic animals, pets, livestock, and animals commonly found in zoos and aquaria-could bind the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and support viral entry. In contrast, New World monkey ACE2 orthologs could not bind the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and support viral entry. We further identified the genetic determinant of New World monkey ACE2 that restricts viral entry using genetic and functional analyses. These findings highlight a potentially broad host tropism of SARS-CoV-2 and suggest that SARS-CoV-2 might be distributed much more widely than previously recognized, underscoring the necessity to monitor susceptible hosts to prevent future outbreaks.
Aconitum plants have been widely used in China for thousands of years. Recent evidences indicate that aconitine, the main active ingredient of Aconitum, has immunomodulatory properties that might be ...useful for treating autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. In this study, we conducted a pilot study to explore the effect and mechanisms of aconitine on the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus.
A pristane-induced murine model was used. The pristane-induced mice were treated with aconitine (25, 75 μg kg−1 d−1, po) for 9 weeks. Every three weeks, proteinuria was detected to monitor the kidney damage and blood was collected to measure serum levels of autoantibodies, besides the kidney pathological examination. The major B cell activating factor and major pro-inflammatory mediators, PGE2, IL-17a and IL-6, were also detected.
We found that aconitine significantly improved the mouse health, decreased the elevated blood leukocyte counts, reduced the serum level of anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibody, greatly ameliorated renal histopathologic damage and reduced IgG deposit in glomerular. Furtherly, the levels of PGE2, IL-17a and IL-6, were found to have decreased in aconitine treated mice.
We have demonstrated that aconitine can inhibit the progression of disease and ameliorate the pathologic lesion of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Immunotherapy is a practical therapeutic approach in breast cancer (BRCA), and the role of FLI1 in immune regulation has gradually been unveiled. However, the specific role of FLI1 in BRCA was ...conflicted; thus, additional convincing evidence is needed.
We explored the upstream regulation of FLI1 expression via summary data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) analysis and ncRNA network construction centering on FLI1 using BRCA genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) and DNA methylation quantitative trait loci (mQTLs) from the blood and a series of in silico analyses, respectively. We illuminated the downstream function of FLI1 in immune regulation by integrating a series of analyses of single-cell RNA sequence data (scRNA-seq).
We verified a causal pathway from FLI1 methylation to FLI1 gene expression to BRCA onset and demonstrated that FLI1 was downregulated in BRCA. FLI1, a transcription factor, served as myeloid and T cells' communication regulator by targeting immune-related ligands and receptor transcription in BRCA tissues. We constructed a ceRNA network centering on FLI1 that consisted of three LncRNAs (CKMT2-AS1, PSMA3-AS1, and DIO3OS) and a miRNA (hsa-miR-324-5p), and the expression of FLI1 was positively related to a series of immune-related markers, including immune cell infiltration, biomarkers of immune cells, and immune checkpoints.
Low-methylation-induced or ncRNA-mediated downregulation of FLI1 is associated with poor prognosis, and FLI1 might regulate the tumor immune microenvironment via a cell-type-specific target genes manner in BRCA.
A simple electrochemical and self-assembly method was adopted for the fabrication of superhydrophobic spongelike nanostructured TiO2 surfaces with markedly controllable adhesion. Water adhesion ...ranging from ultralow (5.0 μN) to very high (76.6 μN) can be tuned through adjusting the nitro cellulose dosage concentrations. The detailed experiments and analyses have indicated that the significant increase of adhesion by introducing nitrocellulose is ascribed to the combination of hydrogen bonding between the nitro groups and the hydroxyl groups at the solid/liquid interfaces and the disruption of the densely packed hydrophobic 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (PTES) molecule. A mechanism has been proposed to explain the formation of superhydrophobic TiO2 films with distinct adhesion.
To improve the transformer vibration analysis accuracy, a numerical vibration model of transformer, including the damping effect, is proposed in the paper. According to power transformer structure, ...the Rayleigh damping model is used to indicate the transformer damping effect. The damping coefficients can be got by analyzing and testing the transformer structure. The modal measurement system of the prototype is constructed and tested to improve and verify the modal analysis method, which can be used to analyze the engineering power transformer that the modal measurement should not be achieved. According to the Rayleigh damping parameters, the vibration and noise of damped and undamped transformers are calculated respectively. Then the effect of the damping on the vibration and noise can be obtained. At last, the vibration and noise of the transformer were tested and compared with the analytic results. Comprehensive analysis shows that the analysis results considering damping can be improved, and are closer to the measured results.
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.
Asthma is a common chronic airway disease worldwide. Despite its large population size, China has had no comprehensive study of the national prevalence, risk factors, and management of asthma. We ...therefore aimed to estimate the national prevalence of asthma in a representative sample of the Chinese population.
A representative sample of 57 779 adults aged 20 years or older was recruited for the national cross-sectional China Pulmonary Health (CPH) study using a multi-stage stratified sampling method with parameters derived from the 2010 census. Ten Chinese provinces, representative of all socioeconomic settings, from six geographical regions were selected, and all assessments were done in local health centres. Exclusion criteria were temporary residence, inability to take a spirometry test, hospital treatment of cardiovascular conditions or tuberculosis, and pregnancy and breastfeeding. Asthma was determined on the basis of a self-reported history of diagnosis by a physician or by wheezing symptoms in the preceding 12 months. All participants were assessed with a standard asthma questionnaire and were classed as having or not having airflow limitation through pulmonary function tests before and after the use of a bronchodilator (400 μg of salbutamol). Risk factors for asthma were examined by multivariable-adjusted analyses done in all participants for whom data on the variables of interest were available. Disease management was assessed by the self-reported history of physician diagnosis, treatments, and hospital visits in people with asthma.
Between June 22, 2012, and May 25, 2015, 57 779 participants were recruited into the CPH study. 50 991 (21 446 men and 29 545 women) completed the questionnaire survey and had reliable post-bronchodilator pulmonary function test results and were thus included in the final analysis. The overall prevalence of asthma in our sample was 4·2% (95% CI 3·1–5·6), representing 45·7 million Chinese adults. The prevalence of asthma with airflow limitation was 1·1% (0·9–1·4), representing 13·1 million adults. Cigarette smoking (odds ratio OR 1·89, 95% CI 1·26–2·84; p=0·004), allergic rhinitis (3·06, 2·26–4·15; p<0·0001), childhood pneumonia or bronchitis (2·43, 1·44–4·10; p=0·002), parental history of respiratory disease (1·44, 1·02–2·04; p=0·040), and low education attainment (p=0·045) were associated with prevalent asthma. In 2032 people with asthma, only 28·8% (95% CI 19·7–40·0) reported ever being diagnosed by a physician, 23·4% (13·9–36·6) had a previous pulmonary function test, and 5·6% (3·1–9·9) had been treated with inhaled corticosteroids. Furthermore, 15·5% (11·4–20·8) people with asthma reported at least one emergency room visit and 7·2% (4·9–10·5) at least one hospital admission due to exacerbation of respiratory symptoms within the preceding year.
Asthma is prevalent but largely undiagnosed and undertreated in China. It is crucial to increase the awareness of asthma and disseminate standardised treatment in clinical settings to reduce the disease burden.
National Key R&D Program of China, Ministry of Science and Technology of China; the Special Research Foundation for Public Welfare of Health, Ministry of Health of China; the Chinese National Research Program for Key Issues in Air Pollution Control; and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Frequent offshore oil leakage accidents and large quantities of oily-wastewater produced in industry and daily life bring huge challenges to global water purification. The adaptability and stability ...of organogels as adsorbent materials have shown wide application prospects in the field of oil-water separation. Herein, the organogels displayed stable hydrophobic/lipophilic properties with high absorption ability (1200 wt./wt%), efficient sorption of multiple emulsions (>99.0%), and good reusability. More importantly, the organogels were successfully assembled with 2D/3D substrates to achieve excellent sorption capacity (102.5 g/g) and recycling performance (50 cycles). The gel-carbon black assembled on MS (GCB-MS) sorbent with excellent photothermal conversion performance, and can rapidly heat the surface to 70.4 °C under 1.0 sunlight radiation (1.0 kW/m2) and achieved an ultra-high sorption capacity of about 103 g/g for viscous crude oil. Meanwhile, the GCB-MS was combined with a pump to build continuous oil spill cleaning equipment to achieve a super-fast cleanup rate of 6.83 g/min. The developed hydrophobic organogels had been expanded unprecedentedly to realize the comprehensive treatment of oily-wastewater in complex environments, including layered oils, emulsions, and viscous crude oil spill, which provided an effective path for the comprehensive treatment of oily wastewater in complex environments.
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•Hydrophobic organogels exhibit excellent emulsion adsorption efficiency (>99.0%) and recyclability.•Hydrophobic gel coated porous substrates to achieve highly hydrophobic and oleophilic ability.•Gel-coating strategies demonstrate broad applicability for 2D or 3D substrates.•Assembling materials realizes on-demand remediation of various oily wastewater.•Composite sponge shows continuous, high-speed treatment of viscous crude oil spill.
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