The clinical features and immune responses of asymptomatic individuals infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have not been well described. We studied 37 ...asymptomatic individuals in the Wanzhou District who were diagnosed with RT-PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections but without any relevant clinical symptoms in the preceding 14 d and during hospitalization. Asymptomatic individuals were admitted to the government-designated Wanzhou People's Hospital for centralized isolation in accordance with policy
. The median duration of viral shedding in the asymptomatic group was 19 d (interquartile range (IQR), 15-26 d). The asymptomatic group had a significantly longer duration of viral shedding than the symptomatic group (log-rank P = 0.028). The virus-specific IgG levels in the asymptomatic group (median S/CO, 3.4; IQR, 1.6-10.7) were significantly lower (P = 0.005) relative to the symptomatic group (median S/CO, 20.5; IQR, 5.8-38.2) in the acute phase. Of asymptomatic individuals, 93.3% (28/30) and 81.1% (30/37) had reduction in IgG and neutralizing antibody levels, respectively, during the early convalescent phase, as compared to 96.8% (30/31) and 62.2% (23/37) of symptomatic patients. Forty percent of asymptomatic individuals became seronegative and 12.9% of the symptomatic group became negative for IgG in the early convalescent phase. In addition, asymptomatic individuals exhibited lower levels of 18 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines. These data suggest that asymptomatic individuals had a weaker immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The reduction in IgG and neutralizing antibody levels in the early convalescent phase might have implications for immunity strategy and serological surveys.
A triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) can convert energy in the surrounding environment to electricity. Therefore, in recent years, research related to TENGs has significantly increased owing to its ...simple and low‐cost manufacturing process, high portability, and high efficiency. The principle of the TENG lies in the coupling effect of contact electrification and electrostatic induction. Its output performance is directly proportional to the square of the surface charge density, which is related to friction materials. To increase the output power of a TENG and continuously provide electricity for other electronic equipment, many scholars have conducted detailed studies on the triboelectric properties of materials. Particularly, there has been research interest in the chemical functionalization of TENGs due to their unique advantages, such as high triboelectric charge density, durability, stability, and self‐cleaning properties. This Progress Report highlights the research progress in chemical modification methods for improving the charge density of TENGs, and classifies their modification methods according to their mechanisms. The effects of chemical reaction, surface chemical treatment, and chemical substance doping on the output performance of TENGs are systematically elaborated. Furthermore, the applications of chemically modified TENG in self‐powered sensors and emerging fields, including wearable electronic devices, human‐machine interfaces, and implantable electronic devices, are introduced. Lastly, the challenges faced in the future developments of chemical modification methods are discussed, thereby guiding researchers to the use of chemical modification methods for the improvement of charge density for further exploration.
This work reviews the research progress in chemical modification for improving the charge density of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). The effects of chemical reaction, surface chemical treatment, and chemical substance doping on the output performance of TENGs are systematically elaborated. The applications of chemically modified TENGs in self‐powered sensors and emerging fields are introduced.
Though visualizing perspiration constituents is crucial for physiological evaluation, inadequate material healing and unreliable power supply methods restrict its applications. Herein, a fully ...flexible self‐powered sweat sensor is fabricated from a cellulose‐based conductive hydrogel to address these issues. The hydrogel electrode is composed of a cellulose nanocomposite polymerized in situ with polyaniline and cross‐linked with polyvinyl alcohol/borax. The cellulose nanocomposites furnish the sweat sensor with tensile and electrical self‐healing efficiencies exceeding 95% within 10 s, a stretchability of 1530%, and conductivity of 0.6 S m−1. The sweat sensor quantitatively analyzes Na+, K+, and Ca2+ contents in perspiration, to sensitivities of 0.039, 0.082, and 0.069 mmol–1, respectively, in real time via triboelectric effect and wirelessly transmits the results to a user interface. This fabricated sweat sensor with high flexibility, stability, and analytical sensitivity and selectivity provides new opportunities for self‐powered health monitoring.
A conductive hydrogel, cross‐linked by nanocellulose and polyvinyl alcohol demonstrating a highly efficient self‐healing ability (10 s) and excellent tensile properties (1530%) is developed. By applying it as a flexible electrode in a self‐powered sweat sensor, and innovatively utilizing triboelectricity as the working principle, the concentration of Na+, K+ and Ca2+ in sweat can be efficiently detected in real time.
To develop a new efficient catalyst for contaminant removal and sustainable environment, series Z-scheme WO3/MIL-100(Fe) (MxWy) composites were easily prepared by ball-milling strategy, which were ...affirmed by various characterization techniques. All the as-prepared MxWy composites displayed superior photocatalytic Cr(VI) reduction and photo-Fenton bisphenol A(BPA) degradation performances under LED visible light, in which the M80W120 could accomplish 100% Cr(VI) reduction via photocatalysis treatment within 60 min and 100% BPA degradation with the aid of photo-Fenton process in 20 min. The influences of different initial pH, co-existing foreign ions, low weight organic molecules and H2O2 dosage on photocatalytic/photo-Fenton performances were clarified. Moreover, M80W120 displayed outstanding stability and reusability during five successive cycling experiments on Cr(VI) sequestration and BPA degradation, respectively. Also, the possible degradation pathway of BPA degradation over M80W120 was clarified. Finally, a Z-scheme mechanism was put forward, which was further confirmed by active species capture, photo-deposition of PbO2 along with electron spin-resonance spectroscopy determination. The combination of MIL-100(Fe) and WO3 was confirmed to be an effective strategy for pollutant removal and cleaner production.
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•The WO3/MIL-100(Fe) (MxWy) composites were facilely fabricated by ball-milling.•M80W120 photocatalyst displayed enhanced Cr(VI) sequestration under visible light.•M80W120 exhibited excellent photo-Fenton degradation activity toward bisphenol A.•The bisphenol A degradation pathway during the photo-Fenton process was proposed.•M80W120 displayed good recyclability and reusability.
The effectiveness of control measures to contain coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wanzhou, China was assessed. Epidemiological data were analyzed for 183 confirmed COVID-19 cases and their ...close contacts from five generations of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 throughout the entire COVID-19 outbreak in Wanzhou. Approximately 67.2% and 32.8% of cases were symptomatic and asymptomatic, respectively. Asymptomatic and presymptomatic transmission accounted for 75.9% of the total recorded transmission. The reproductive number was 1.64 (95% confidence interval: 1.16-2.40) for G1-to-G2 transmission, decreasing to 0.31-0.39 in later generations, concomitant with implementation of rigorous control measures. Substantially higher infection risk was associated with contact within 5 d after the infectors had been infected, frequent contact and ≥8 h of contact duration. The spread of COVID-19 was effectively controlled in Wanzhou by breaking the transmission chain through social distancing, extensive contact tracing, mass testing and strict quarantine of close contacts.
Anticancer activities of flavonoids derived from Tephroseris kirilowii (Turcz.) Holub. were evaluated in human cancer cells. We isolated and identified, for the first time, eight flavonoids from T. ...kirilowii and found that three of them (IH: isorhamnetin, GN: genkwanin, and Aca: acacetin) inhibited cell proliferation in a variety of human cancer cell lines. These active flavonoids caused cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and induced apoptosis and autophagy in human breast cancer cells. Molecular docking revealed that these flavonoids dock in the ATP binding pocket of PI3Kγ. Importantly, treatment with these flavonoids decreased the levels of PI3Kγ-p110, phospho-PI3K, phospho-AKT, phospho-mTOR, phospho-p70S6K, and phospho-ULK. Pretreatment with PI3Kγ specific inhibitor AS605240 potentiated flavonoids-mediated inactivation of AKT, mTOR, p70S6K, ULK, and apoptosis. Taken together, these findings represent a novel mechanism by which downregulation of PI3Kγ-p110 and consequent interruption of PI3K/AKT/mTOR/p70S6K/ULK signaling pathway might play a critical functional role in these flavonoids-induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, apoptosis, and autophagy. Our studies provide novel insights into the anticancer activities of selected flavonoids and their potential uses in anticancer therapy.
Non‐contact mode triboelectric nanogenerators effectively avoid physical contact between two triboelectric materials and achieve long‐term reliable operation, providing broad application prospects in ...the field of self‐powered sensing. However, the low surface charge density of triboelectric materials restricts application of contactless sensing. Herein, by controlling Rayleigh Instability deformation of the spinning jet and vapor‐induced phase separation during electrostatic spinning, a polyvinylidene fluoride@Mxene (Ti3C2Tx) composite film with spheres multiple physical network structures is prepared and utilized as the triboelectric material of a self‐powered contactless sensor. The structure of the composite film and high conductivity of Ti3C2Tx provide triboelectric materials with high output performance (charge output and power output up to 128 µC m–2 and 200 µW cm–2 at 2 Hz) and high output stability. The self‐powered contactless sensor shows excellent speed sensitivity (1.175 Vs m–1). Additionally, it could accurately identify the motion states such as running (55 mV), jumping (105 mV), and walking (40 mV) within the range of 70 cm, and present the signals in different pop forms. This work lays a solid foundation for the development and application of high‐performance triboelectric materials, and has guiding significance for the research of self‐powered contactless sensing.
A facile electrostatic spinning method to fabricate PVDF@Mxene composites with spherical multiple physical networks serving as triboelectric materials for a non‐contact triboelectric nanogenerator is developed. This material's architecture exhibits high charge and power output (128 µC m–2 and 200 µW cm–2). In a certain range, it can effectively monitor the human movement status and position in real time.
China once suffered greatly from schistosomiasis japonica, a major zoonotic disease. Nearly 70 years of multidisciplinary efforts have achieved great progress in disease control, with infections in ...both humans and bovines significantly reduced to very low levels. However, reaching for the target of complete interruption of transmission at the country level by 2030 still faces great challenges, with areas of ongoing endemicity and/or re-emergence within previously 'eliminated' regions. The objectives of this study were, by using meta-analytical methods, to estimate the overall prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infections in abundant commensal rodent species in mainland China after the introduction of praziquantel for schistosomiasis treatment in humans and bovines in 1980s. In doing so we thereby aimed to further assess the role of wild rodents as potential reservoirs in ongoing schistosome transmission. Published studies on infection prevalence of S. japonicum in wild rodents in mainland China since 1980 were searched across five electronic bibliographic databases and lists of article references. Eligible studies were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Risks of within and across study biases, and the variations in prevalence estimates attributable to heterogeneities were assessed. The pooled infection prevalence and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with the Freeman-Tukey double arcsine transformation. We identified a total of 37 relevant articles involving 61 field studies which contained eligible data on 8,795 wild rodents across mainland China. The overall pooled infection prevalence was 3.86% (95% CI: 2.16-5.93%). No significant change in the overall pooled prevalence was observed between 1980-2003 (n = 23 studies) and 2004-current (n = 38 studies). However, whilst the estimated prevalence decreased over time in the marshland and lake regions, there was an apparent increase in prevalence within hilly and mountainous regions. Among seven provinces, a significant prevalence reduction was only seen in Jiangsu where most endemic settings are classified as the marshland and lakes. These estimates changed over season, ranging from 0.58% in spring to 22.39% in winter, in association with increases in rodent density. This study systematically analyzed S. japonicum infections in wild rodents from the published literature over the last forty years after the introduction of praziquantel for schistosomiasis treatment in humans and bovines in 1980s. Although numbers of schistosomiasis cases in humans and bovines have been greatly reduced, no such comparable overall change of infection prevalence in rodents was detected. Furthermore, there appeared to be an increase in S. japonicum prevalence in rodents over time within hilly and mountainous regions. Rodents have been projected to become the dominant wildlife in human-driven environments and the main reservoir of zoonotic diseases in general within tropical zones. Our findings thus suggest that it is now necessary to include monitoring and evaluation of potential schistosome infection within rodents, particularly in hilly and mountainous regions, if we are ever to reach the new 2030 elimination goals and to maximize the impact of future public, and indeed One Health, interventions across, regional, national and international scales.
Abstract
The effective acquisition of clean water from atmospheric water offers a potential sustainable solution for increasing global water and energy shortages. In this study, an asymmetric ...amphiphilic surface incorporating self-driven triboelectric adsorption was developed to obtain clean water from the atmosphere. Inspired by cactus spines and beetle elytra, the asymmetric amphiphilic surface was constructed by synthesizing amphiphilic cellulose ester coatings followed by coating on laser-engraved spines of fluorinated ethylene propylene. Notably, the spontaneous interfacial triboelectric charge between the droplet and the collector was exploited for electrostatic adsorption. Additionally, the droplet triboelectric nanogenerator converts the mechanical energy generated by droplets falling into electrical energy through the volume effect, achieving an excellent output performance, and further enhancing the electrostatic adsorption by means of external charges, which achieved a water harvesting efficiency of 93.18 kg/m
2
h. This strategy provides insights for the design of water harvesting system.
Benvitimod cream, a novel synthetic small molecule, was effective in treating mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis. We conducted a phase III clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of ...benvitimod cream in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis.
We randomly assigned 686 patients (2:1:1) to receive 1% benvitimod cream, 0.005% calcipotriol ointment or placebo twice a day for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy end points were the percentage of patients with a 75% or greater reduction from baseline in the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI 75) score and with a score of 0 or 1 in static physician's global assessment (sPGA) at week 12.
The results showed that 50.4% of patients in the benvitimod group achieved PASI 75, which was significantly higher than that in the calcipotriol (38.5%, P < 0.05) and placebo (13.9%, P < 0.05) groups. The proportion of patients achieving an sPGA score 0 or 1 was 66.3% in the benvitimod group and 63.9% in the calcipotriol group, which were both significantly higher than that in the placebo group (34%, P < 0.05). In the long-term follow-up study, 50.8% of patients experienced recurrence. After retreatment with 1% benvitimod, 73.3% of patients achieved an sPGA score of 0 or 1 again at week 52. Adverse events included application site irritation, follicular papules, and contact dermatitis. No systemic adverse reactions were reported.
During this 12-week study, benvitimod cream was demonstrated with high effectiveness and safety in patients with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis.
Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), ChiCTR-TRC-13003259; http://www.chictr.org.cn/showprojen.aspx?proj=6300.
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