The role of CO2 in the genesis of Dabie-type porphyry molybdenum deposits.

Porphyry-type molybdenum deposits, many of which are in China, supply most of the World's molybdenum. Of particular importance are the molybdenum deposits located in the Qinling-Dabie region that are responsible for more than half of China's molybdenum production. A feature that distinguishes this suite of deposits from the better-known Climax and Endako sub-types of porphyry molybdenum deposits is their formation from CO2-rich magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. The role of CO2, if any, in the transport of molybdenum by these fluids, however, is poorly understood. We conducted experiments on the partitioning of molybdenum between H2O-CO2, H2O-NaCl, and H2O-NaCl-CO2 fluids and a felsic melt at 850 °C and 100 and 200 MPa. Here we show that the exsolution of separate (immiscible) brine and vapor leads to the very high brine DMo values needed for efficient extraction of Mo from the magmas forming Dabie-type porphyry molybdenum deposits.

Platelet activation: a promoter for psoriasis and its comorbidity, cardiovascular disease.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a prevalence of 0.14% to 1.99%. The underlying pathology is mainly driven by the abnormal immune responses including activation of Th1, Th17, Th22 cells and secretion of cytokines. Patients with psoriasis are more likely to develop cardiovascular disease (CVD) which has been well recognized as a comorbidity of psoriasis. As mediators of hemostasis and thromboinflammation, platelets play an important part in CVD. However, less is known about their pathophysiological contribution to psoriasis and psoriasis-associated CVD. A comprehensive understanding of the role of platelet activation in psoriasis might pave the path for more accurate prediction of cardiovascular (CV) risk and provide new strategies for psoriasis management, which alleviates the increased CV burden associated with psoriasis. Here we review the available evidence about the biomarkers and mechanisms of platelet activation in psoriasis and the role of platelet activation in intriguing the common comorbidity, CVD. We further discussed the implications and efficacy of antiplatelet therapies in the treatment of psoriasis and prevention of psoriasis-associated CVD.

Risk stratification of postoperative pulmonary complications in elderly patients undergoing lung cancer resection: a propensity score-matched study.

Background: In China, lung cancer mainly affects the elderly population. Surgery remains the standard treatment for lung cancer in elderly patients, however, postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are major contributors to morbidity and mortality following lung resection. This study aimed to identify perioperative predictors of PPCs among elderly patients undergoing pulmonary resection for lung cancer to provide evidence for better prevention and intervention for PPCs. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted with 456 patients (age >65 years) undergoing pulmonary resection for lung cancer in Yunnan, China from January 2016 to March 2019. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to compare preoperative data and clinical characteristics between the PPC and non-PPC groups, followed by binary logistic regression to evaluate predictors of PPCs. Results: Pulmonary complications occurred in 142/456 (31.1%) patients age >65 years, with pneumonia being the most common event (21.7%). Both PSM and binary logistic regression analysis identified American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) class II or those undergoing an open thoracotomy to help prevent the occurrence of PPCs.

Underwater power compensated white light source based on synthetic white laser.

The semiconductor white laser light source is used as a light source for underwater illumination. The required standard color temperature of white light is obtained at the underwater target surface. We studied the power compensation of a synthetic white laser source and its application to underwater illumination. First, the power ratios of the red (638 nm), green (520 nm), and blue (450 nm) lasers at a color temperature of 6500 K were obtained by using chromaticity theory. Next, the three-color and synthetic white laser parameters were obtained with transmission distance, according to the exponential attenuation characteristics of different light in clear water and seawater medium. The three-color laser power at the output was compensated, and the underwater target illumination surface reached the standard 6500 K color temperature of the white laser, improving the illumination. Finally, an experimental system for underwater white laser illumination based on power compensation was established. The errors between experimental and theoretical results of color temperature and illuminance are no more than 0.43% and 22.15%. This power-compensated synthetic white laser light source has both the advantages of long-range underwater detection and the spectral advantages of LED white light sources. The white laser light source meets specific requirements by compensating for power and optimizing white light characteristics for underwater lighting applications.

Disruption of the lung-gut-brain axis is responsible for cortex damage induced by pulmonary exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles.

Increasing evidence shows that gut microbiota is important for host health in response to metal nanomaterials exposure. However, the effect of gut microbiota on the cortex damage caused by pulmonary exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) remains mainly unknown. In this study, a total of 48 adult C57BL/6J mice were intratracheally instilled with 0.6 mg/kg ZnONPs in the presence or absence of antibiotics (ABX) treatment. Besides, 24 mice were treated with or without fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) after the intraperitoneal administration of ABX. Our results demonstrated for the first time that dysbiosis induced by ABX treatment significantly aggravated cortex damage induced by pulmonary exposure to ZnONPs. Such damage might highly occur through the induction of oxidative stress, manifested by the enhancement of antioxidative enzymes and products of lipid peroxidation. However, ferroptosis was not involved in this process. Interestingly, our data revealed that ABX treatment exacerbated the alterations of gut-brain peptides (including Sst, Sstr2, and Htr4) induced by ZnONPs in both gut and cortex tissues. Moreover, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was able to alleviate cerebral cortex damage, oxidative stress, and alterations of gut-brain peptides induced by pulmonary exposure to ZnONPs. The results together indicate that pulmonary exposure to ZnONPs causes cerebral cortex damage possibly via the disruption of the lung-gut-brain axis. These findings not only propose valuable insights into the mechanism of ZnONPs neurotoxicity but also provide a potential therapeutic method against brain disorders induced by pulmonary exposure to ZnONPs. AVAILABILITY OF DATA AND MATERIALS: The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the The corresponding author on reasonable request.

Inhibition of cGAS ameliorates acute lung injury triggered by zinc oxide nanoparticles.

PURPOSE: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) have been widely used in various industrial and biomedical fields. Occupational or accidental inhalation exposure to ZnONPs might lead to acute lung injury (ALI). Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) and stimulator of interferon genes (STING) are critical for the initiation and expansion of inflammation and contribute to tissue injury; however, the role and mechanism of the cGAS-STING pathway in ALI-induced by ZnONPs are unclear. METHODS: Male C57BL/6 J mice were intratracheally injected with ZnONPs (0.6 mg/kg) or mock. The mice were euthanized and the degree of lung injury was determined 3 days after the instillation of ZnONPs. The BEAS-2B cell line was used as a cell model to investigate the cytotoxicity of ZnONPs in vitro. RESULTS: We found that ZnONPs inhalation induced ALI in mice, manifested by exacerbated lung pathological changes, mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress and inflammation. Interestingly, cGAS and STING were activated in the lung tissues of the mice and BEAS-2B lung epithelial cells treated with ZnONPs. More importantly, we illustrated that the cGAS inhibitor RU.521 inhibited the activation of the cGAS-STING pathway, further decreased oxidative stress and inflammation, and led to ameliorated lung injury in mice treated with ZnONPs. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that ZnONPs trigger the activation of the cGAS-STING pathway, which plays an important role in ZnONPs-induced ALI. Inhibition of cGAS with RU.521 mitigates the oxidative stress induced by ZnONPs, suggesting that targeting the cGAS-STING pathway may be a feasible strategy to ameliorate the pulmonary injury caused by nanoparticles.

Intestinal Microbiota-derived Propionic Acid Protects against Zinc Oxide Nanoparticle-induced Lung Injury.

With the rapid development of nanotechnology, the risks of accidental and/or occupational exposure to zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) are increasing. Inhalation of ZnONPs induces metal fume fever in humans and acute lung injury (ALI) in animal models. Although the intestinal microbiota is considered an important modulator of various diseases, the role and mechanism of intestinal microbiota in the pathology of ZnONP-induced ALI are unclear. Herein, we established an intratracheal instillation of a ZnONP-induced ALI mouse model and found that the inhalation of ZnONPs caused ALI along with a perturbation of intestinal flora. Antibiotic cocktail treatment-mediated depletion of intestinal microbiota aggravated ZnONP-induced ALI, and in contrast, fecal microbiota transplantation-mediated restoration of intestinal microbiota exerted the opposite effects. A decrease in short-chain fatty acids, the intestinal microbiota-derived metabolites in the plasma-in particular, acetic acid and propionic acid-occurred after exposure to ZnONPs. It is important to note that supplementation with propionic acid, but not acetic acid, ameliorated ZnONP-induced ALI. We also showed that the source of inflammatory cytokines might partially be the infiltration of macrophages. Supplementation with propionic acid was found to act on macrophages through the receptor GPR43, because knockdown of GPR43 sharply reversed the protective effects of propionic acid during the ZnONP-induced inflammatory response and oxidative stress in both primary alveolar macrophages and RAW 264.7 macrophage cell lines. Altogether, a novel gut-lung axis mechanism is revealed in which intestinal microbiota and their derived metabolite propionic acid play protective roles against ZnONP-induced ALI and suggest that fecal microbiota transplantation and supplementation with propionic acid are potential remedy strategies.

Mapping Local Climate Zones in the Urban Environment: The Optimal Combination of Data Source and Classifier.

The novel concept of local climate zones (LCZs) provides a consistent classification framework for studies of the urban thermal environment. However, the development of urban climate science is severely hampered by the lack of high-resolution data to map LCZs. Using Gaofen-6 and Sentinel-1/2 as data sources, this study designed four schemes using convolutional neural network (CNN) and random forest (RF) classifiers, respectively, to demonstrate the potential of high-resolution images in LCZ mapping and evaluate the optimal combination of different data sources and classifiers. The results showed that the combination of GF-6 and CNN (S3) was considered the best LCZ classification scheme for urban areas, with OA and kappa coefficients of 85.9% and 0.842, respectively. The accuracy of urban building categories is above 80%, and the F1 score for each category is the highest, except for LCZ1 and LCZ5, where there is a small amount of confusion. The Sentinel-1/2-based RF classifier (S2) was second only to S3 and superior to the combination of GF-6 and random forest (S1), with OA and kappa coefficients of 64.4% and 0.612, respectively. The Sentinel-1/2 and CNN (S4) combination has the worst classification result, with an OA of only 39.9%. The LCZ classification map based on S3 shows that the urban building categories in Xi'an are mainly distributed within the second ring, while heavy industrial buildings have started to appear in the third ring. The urban periphery is mainly vegetated and bare land. In conclusion, CNN has the best application effect in the LCZ mapping task of high-resolution remote sensing images. In contrast, the random forest algorithm has better robustness in the band-abundant Sentinel data.

Cannabidiol Inhibits Inflammation Induced by Cutibacterium acnes-Derived Extracellular Vesicles via Activation of CB2 Receptor in Keratinocytes.

Background: Acne is a common inflammatory skin disease, while cannabidiol (CBD) is a representative non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid which has been proved to exert universal anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to explore the effect of CBD on acne inflammation induced by Cutibacterium acnes-derived extracellular vesicles (CEVs) in keratinocytes and reveal the underlying mechanisms. Methods: Normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs) were stimulated by CEVs in the presence of CBD or vehicle. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α levels were examined by RT-PCR and ELISA. The expression of cannabinoid type-2 (CB2) receptor and transient receptor potential vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) was detected by Western blotting. TNF-α levels in the presence of CB2 receptor antagonist (AM630) or TRPV1 antagonist (Capsazepine) were detected by RT-PCR. The activation of MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways and the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 upon CBD treatment were analyzed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence assay, respectively. Results: The expression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α) in CEVs-stimulated NHEKs was suppressed by CBD. CB2 receptor expression was upregulated by CBD, whereas CEVs-promoted TRPV1 expression was downregulated by CBD. AM630 reversed TNF-α levels inhibited by CBD. Capsazepine exerted an inhibitory effect on CEVs-induced inflammation and had synergistic effect with CBD. The phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and NF-κB p65 and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 were induced by CEVs but reduced by CBD. Conclusion: The results indicated that CBD could inhibit inflammation induced by CEVs in NHEKs, which was mediated by activation of CB2 receptor and enhanced by the TRPV1 antagonist, through inactivation of the MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. CBD might be a potential novel strategy for acne treatment in the future.

Recombinant ACE2 protein protects against acute lung injury induced by SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein.

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 infection leads to acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Both clinical data and animal experiments suggest that the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) is involved in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2-induced ALI. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2 and a crucial negative regulator of RAS. Recombinant ACE2 protein (rACE2) has been demonstrated to play protective role against SARS-CoV and avian influenza-induced ALI, and more relevant, rACE2 inhibits SARS-CoV-2 proliferation in vitro. However, whether rACE2 protects against SARS-CoV-2-induced ALI in animal models and the underlying mechanisms have yet to be elucidated. METHODS AND RESULTS: Here, we demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) protein aggravated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI in mice. SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein directly binds and downregulated ACE2, leading to an elevation in angiotensin (Ang) II. AngII further increased the NOX1/2 through AT1R, subsequently causing oxidative stress and uncontrolled inflammation and eventually resulting in ALI/ARDS. Importantly, rACE2 remarkably reversed SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein-induced ALI by directly binding SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein, cleaving AngI or cleaving AngII. CONCLUSION: This study is the first to prove that rACE2 plays a protective role against SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD protein-aggravated LPS-induced ALI in an animal model and illustrate the mechanism by which the ACE2-AngII-AT1R-NOX1/2 axis might contribute to SARS-CoV-2-induced ALI.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Membrane Vesicles from Clinical C. acnes Isolates with Differential Antibiotic Resistance.

Purpose: Cutibacterium acnes (C. acnes) is closely associated with the pathogenesis of acne, and antibiotics targeting C. acnes have been widely used for decades. However, antibiotic resistance has been increasing rapidly. Membrane vesicles (MVs) have been found to play important roles in antibiotic resistance in some bacteria. We aimed to explore the mechanism of antibiotic resistance and the virulence components within C. acnes-derived MVs. Materials and Methods: We isolated clinical C. acnes strains from the lesions of acne patients who were sensitive or resistant to the antibiotics erythromycin and clindamycin. We analyzed the proteome of MVs from four sensitive C. acnes isolates and three resistant isolates by LC-MS/MS. Results: We identified 543 proteins within the MVs of clinical C. acnes strains. Several lipases, NlpC/P60, CAMP factor, and Hta domain protein were detected as virulence factors in the C. acnes-derived MVs. The levels of two lipases and FtsZ were significantly higher in resistant C. acnes-derived MVs compared with sensitive strains (p < 0.05). Conclusion: According to the implications of this study, improper antibiotic use might not only increase antibiotic resistance in C. acnes but could also further alter the cutaneous lipid composition and aggravate host inflammation, thus resulting in worse clinical manifestations in acne patients. This study re-emphasizes that the improper use of antibiotics should be treated more seriously in clinical practice. Furthermore, to combat multidrug resistance in C. acnes, this study suggests that FtsZ inhibitors could be useful.

Receiving sensitivity improvement by wide-spectrum OAM with OTDM and polarization multiplexing in weak atmospheric turbulence.

In this paper, a wide-spectrum orbital angular momentum (OAM) system with a polarization and optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) free-space transmission system is experimentally demonstrated. To enhance the system transmission performance in atmospheric turbulent channel, a wide-spectrum laser and an OAM beam are used. The wide-spectrum laser can be generated by utilizing pumped laser to pump nonlinear fiber, and OAM can be generated with a special light modulator. Furthermore, OTDM and polarization multiplexing methods are used to enhance the communication rate from 4 Gbit/s to 32 Gbit/s. With the use of the wide-spectrum laser and the OAM beam, the receiving scintillation index (SI) can be reduced, and detection sensitivity can be improved. It is the first time a wide-spectrum OAM communication system performance has been studied. It is shown that under weak atmospheric turbulence condition, the SI can be reduced by 38% and the receiving sensitivity can be improved by 3.18 dB via wide-spectrum OAM beams.

Free-space transmission system in a tunable simulated atmospheric turbulence channel using a high-repetition-rate broadband fiber laser.

We demonstrate free-space transmission based on a broadband fiber laser at 16 Gbit/s over a simulated atmospheric turbulence channel. The broadband laser pulse is part of a supercontinuum generated by a homemade picosecond laser based on Raman gain soliton compression pumping a segment of highly nonlinear fiber. The scintillation indices, eye patterns, and bit error rates of transmission based on the broadband laser and a narrow-linewidth laser are compared. The results show a 29.5% reduction in the scintillation index and sensitivity of -28.6 dBm at the forward error correction limit, which has a 2.9 dB improvement compared with the narrow-linewidth system. It is feasible to use broadband lasers as carriers combining optical time division multiplexing as a multiplexing method to improve the communication performance under weak atmospheric turbulent conditions.

Carbocation-forming reactions in dimethyl sulfoxide.

Mesylate derivatives of 3-aryl-3-hydroxy-beta-lactams and thiolactams react in DMSO-d(6) by first-order processes to give alcohol products. Substituent effect studies implicate carbocation intermediates (ion-pairs) that are captured by DMSO-d(6) to give transient oxosulfonium ions. Rapid reaction of the oxosulfonium ions with trace amounts of water leads to the alcohol product and regenerates DMSO-d(6). H(2)(17)O labeling studies show that (17)O is incorporated into the DMSO. The mesylate derivatives of endo- and exo-2-hydroxy-2-phenylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-3-one also react in DMSO-d(6) to give the alcohol products. Ion-pair intermediates that capture DMSO giving unstable oxosulfonium ions are again proposed. Exo-2-phenyl-endo-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptyl trifluoroacetate readily eliminates trifluoroacetic acid in DMSO-d(6) via a cationic mechanism involving loss of the endo-trifluoroacetate leaving group as well as an exo-hydrogen. The O-methyl oxime derivative of alpha-chloro-alpha,alpha-diphenylacetophenone reacts in DMSO-d(6) to give 1-methoxy-2,3-diphenylindole, a product derived from cyclization of a cationic intermediate. A common ion rate suppression provides further evidence for a cationic mechanism. The triflate derivative of pivaloin reacts by a cationic mechanism in DMSO-d(6) to give rearranged products. The rate is even faster than in highly ionizing solvents such as trifluoroethanol or trifluoroacetic acid. 1-Adamantyl mesylate reacts in DMSO-d(6) by a first-order process (Y(OMs) = -4.00) to give a long-lived oxosulfonium ion, 1-Ad-OS(CD(3))(2)(+), which can be characterized spectroscopically. This oxosulfonium ion reacts only slowly with water at elevated temperatures to give 1-adamantanol. DMSO is therefore a viable solvent for k(s), k(C), and k(Delta) cationic processes.