The persistent inflammation in COPD: is autoimmunity the core mechanism?

COPD poses a significant global public health challenge, primarily characterised by irreversible airflow restriction and persistent respiratory symptoms. The hallmark pathology of COPD includes sustained airway inflammation and the eventual destruction of lung tissue structure. While multiple risk factors are implicated in the disease's progression, the underlying mechanisms remain largely elusive. The perpetuation of inflammation is pivotal to the advancement of COPD, emphasising the importance of investigating these self-sustaining mechanisms for a deeper understanding of the pathogenesis. Autoimmune responses constitute a critical mechanism in maintaining inflammation, with burgeoning evidence pointing to their central role in COPD progression; yet, the intricacies of these mechanisms remain inadequately defined. This review elaborates on the evidence supporting the presence of autoimmune processes in COPD and examines the potential mechanisms through which autoimmune responses may drive the chronic inflammation characteristic of the disease. Moreover, we attempt to interpret the clinical manifestations of COPD through autoimmunity.

A Se-induced heterostructure electrode with polymetallic-CoNiFe towards high performance supercapacitors.

Rational regulation of electrode materials with high conductivity and unexceptionable cycling stability is crucial to meet the requirements of high-performance supercapacitors (SCs). Herein, a hierarchical porous kebab-like heterostructure (CoNiFe-Se) is prepared by a facile solvothermal reaction and selenization step. Both experimental and computational results demonstrate that incorporating Se via hydrothermal reaction contributes to modulating the morphology and electronic structure of transition metal carbonate hydroxides. The heterostructured electrode with abundant active sites composed of electroactive polymetallic-CoNiFe imparts excellent charge storage. Additionally, the unique structure of CoNiFe-Se with its heterogeneous interface, oxygen vacancies and cavities improves electrochemical activity, accelerates electron transfer and suppresses the volume expansion during the cycling. As a result, the CoNiFe-Se exhibits excellent electrochemical performance of 5040 mF cm-2 at 1 mA cm-2 and long-term durability with 85.7% retained capacitance after 10 000 cycles. Interestingly, an integrated asymmetric supercapacitor performs well for energy storage. This finding opens a new avenue for developing transition metal carbonate hydroxides using selenization strategies in the field of SCs.

Mussel-Inspired, Underwater Self-Healing Ionoelastomers Based on α-Lipoic Acid for Iontronics.

Weak adhesion and lack of underwater self-healability hinder advancing soft iontronics particularly in wet environments like sweaty skin and biological fluids. Mussel-inspired, liquid-free ionoelastomers are reported based on seminal thermal ring-opening polymerization of a biomass molecule of α-lipoic acid (LA), followed by sequentially incorporating dopamine methacrylamide as a chain extender, N,N'-bis(acryloyl) cystamine, and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulphonyl) imide (LiTFSI). The ionoelastomers exhibit universal adhesion to 12 substrates in both dry and wet states, superfast self-healing underwater, sensing capability for monitoring human motion, and flame retardancy. The underwater self-repairabilitiy prolongs over three months without deterioration, and sustains even when mechanical properties greatly increase. The unprecedented underwater self-mendability benefits synergistically from the maximized availability of dynamic disulfide bonds and diverse reversible noncovalent interactions endowed by carboxylic groups, catechols, and LiTFSI, along with the prevented depolymerization by LiTFSI and tunability in mechanical strength. The ionic conductivity reaches 1.4 × 10-6 -2.7 × 10-5 S m-1 because of partial dissociation of LiTFSI. The design rationale offers a new route for creating a wide range of LA- and sulfur-derived supramolecular (bio)polymers with superior adhesion, healability, and other functionalities, and thus has technological implications for coatings, adhesives, binders and sealants, biomedical engineering and drug delivery, wearable and flexible electronics, and human-machine interfaces.

Introducing a multimodal perspective to emotional variables in second language acquisition education: Systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis.

A systemic functional theory applied to multimodal discourse analysis (SF-MDA) is related to the theoretical and practical meaning extraction from the data showing how multiple semiotic resources are used in different modes of discourse ranging from textual, printed, and electronic texts to visual language and those existing alive as embedded in reality. In the present paper, we provide an introduction to the SF-MDA approach and then justify how it can benefit the second language acquisition (SLA) domain and more specifically the exploration of L2 affective variables. We will show how the SF-MDA approach fits in with the complexity and dynamic systems theory (CDST), and is capable of revealing the nuances of the developmental nature of the affective variables involved in language learning. The exemplary works of research in the SLA domain using the SF-MDA approach are reviewed here as well as those exploring L2 affective variables. The further benefits of this approach will be emphasized at the end along with the implications it can have for the CDST-led line of research in applied linguistics.

Predicting Response of Severe Aplastic Anemia to Rabbit-Antithymocyte Immunoglobulin Based Immunosuppressive Therapy Combined With Eltrombopag.

Addition of eltrombopag (E-PAG) to intensive immunosuppressive therapy (IST) contributes to restoring hematopoiesis in patients with severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Used at relatively low doses in the East Asian population, the efficacies of E-PAG and the predictors for efficacy are not clear. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study to analyze the efficacy and the possible predicting factors at 6 months in 58 adult SAA patients with rabbit ATG-based IST and E-PAG. The response rate and complete response rate at 6 months were 76% and 21%, respectively. The baseline reticulocyte percentage [area under a curve (AUC)=0.798, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.640-0.956, P=0.006], absolute reticulocyte count (ARC) (AUC =0.808, 95%CI 0.647-0.970, P=0.004), red cell distribution width - coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) (AUC=0.722, 95%CI 0.494-0.950, P=0.040), and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) (AUC=0.706, 95%CI 0.522-0.890, P=0.057) were highly predictive of response at 6 months. The tipping values of reticulocyte percentage, ARC, RDW-CV, and ALC were 0.45%, 7.36×109/L, 11.75%, and 1.06×109/L, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of reticulocyte percentages were 81.6% and 66.7%; ARC were 86.8% and 66.7%, RDW-CV were 94.7% and 55.6%; ALC were 55.3% and 88.9%. At a median follow-up of 15.5 months, the 2-year cumulative overall survival was 92%. The baseline reticulocyte percentage, ARC, RDW-CV, and ALC were potential factors in predicting a favorable effect of rabbit-ATG based IST plus E-PAG in SAA patients of East Asia (ChiCTR2100045895). Clinical Trial Registration: http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=125480&htm=4, identifier ChiCTR2100045895.

Measurement of 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol in hair can be used in the diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.

7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) and cholesterol (CHOL) are biomarkers of Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), a congenital autosomal recessive disorder characterized by elevated 7-DHC level in patients. Hair samples have been shown to have great diagnostic and research value, which has long been neglected in the SLOS field. In this study, we sought to investigate the feasibility of using hair for SLOS diagnosis. In the presence of antioxidants (2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol and triphenylphosphine), hair samples were completely pulverized and extracted by micro-pulverized extraction in alkaline solution or in n-hexane. After microwave-assisted derivatization with N,O-Bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide, the analytes were measured by GC-MS. We found that the limits of determination for 7-DHC and CHOL were 10 ng/mg and 8 ng/mg, respectively. In addition, good linearity was obtained in the range of 50-4000 ng/mg and 30-6000 ng/mg for 7-DHC and CHOL, respectively, which fully meets the requirement for SLOS diagnosis and related research. Finally, by applying the proposed method to real hair samples collected from 14 healthy infants and two suspected SLOS patients, we confirmed the feasibility of hair analysis as a diagnostic tool for SLOS. In conclusion, we present an optimized and validated analytical method for the simultaneous determination of two SLOS biomarkers using human hair.

The Interplay of English as a Foreign Language Learners' Interest, Self-Efficacy, and Involvement.

Founded on the advent of Positive Psychology in recent decades, the learners' involvement has been a critical issue since the origin of teaching and learning despite it being quickly developed in previous decades. The enhancement of motivational aspects like self-efficacy and interest appears to have a high impact on learners' success and achievement. Although both constructs are extensively investigated in various subjects, their association between and the learners' involvement in the process of language learning have not been taken into account so far. This review intended to scrutinize the association among students' self-efficacy, their academic interest, and their involvement. It is significant to pinpoint that the current review can help educational administrations, professional improvement centers, and policymakers to consider the above-mentioned issues in the progression of language education to develop their involvement.

A reliable tool for detecting 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol in human plasma and its use in diagnosis of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome is a birth defect caused by the deficiency of 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase in cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, which leads to accumulation of 7-dehydrocholesterol and reduction of cholesterol in body fluids. To effectively diagnose Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome and monitor therapy, a reliable method for simultaneous detection of 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol is needed. METHODS: In the presence of antioxidants (2,6-ditert-butyl-4-methylphenol and triphenylphosphine), 50 µL of human plasma were hydrolyzed at 70℃ for 40 min with 1 M potassium hydroxide in 90% ethanol, and then 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol were extracted by 600 µL of n-hexane for three times. After microwave-assisted derivatization with 70 µL of N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide at 460 W for 3 min, the analytes were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. RESULTS: The limits of detection were 100 ng/mL for 7-dehydrocholesterol and 300 ng/mL for cholesterol. Good linearity was obtained in the range of 1-600 µg/mL for 7-dehydrocholesterol and 10-600 µg/mL for cholesterol, which completely covered the biochemical levels of Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome patients that have been reported. CONCLUSION: A time-saving and accurate gas chromatography with mass spectrometry based method was developed for the determination of 7-dehydrocholesterol and cholesterol in human plasma, which also serves as a useful tool for Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome diagnosis, treatment, and research.

Formation control of nonholonomic unmanned ground vehicles via unscented Kalman filter-based sensor fusion approach.

This paper investigates the formation control of nonholonomic unmanned ground vehicles via unscented Kalman filter-based sensor fusion approach. According to the kinematic model of single unmanned ground vehicle, the formation model of multiple unmanned ground vehicles is established. Note that the physical leader is considered instead of a virtual leader, which is more realistic. The formation control problem is converted to the stability problem of an error dynamic system. An asymptotic stability condition of the error dynamic system is derived by designing an appropriate Lyapunov function. The leader-following formation is well formed through designing effective control vectors and utilizing unscented Kalman filter-based state estimation algorithm for each follower. Some simulation examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed formation control algorithm.

Design and analysis of a performance monitoring system for a seed metering device based on pulse width recognition.

To realize real-time and accurate performance monitoring of large- and medium-sized seed metering devices, a performance monitoring system was designed for seed metering devices based on LED visible photoelectric sensing technology and a pulse width recognition algorithm. Through an analysis of the of sensing component pointing characteristics and seed motion characteristics, the layout of the sensing components and critical photoelectric sensing system components was optimized. Single-grain seed metering devices were employed as monitoring objects, and the pulse width thresholds for Ekangmian-10 cotton seeds and Zhengdan-958 corn seeds were determined through pulse width threshold calibration experiments employed at different seed metering plate rotational speeds. According to the seeding quantity monitoring experiments, when the seed metering plate rotational speed ranged from 28.31~35.71 rev/min, the accuracy reached 98.41% for Ekangmian-10 cotton seeds. When the seed metering plate rotational speed ranged from 13.78~19.39 rev/min, the seeding quantity monitoring accuracy reached 98.19% for Zhengdan-958 corn seeds. Performance monitoring experiments revealed that the qualified seeding quantity monitoring accuracy of cotton precision seed metering devices, missed seeding quantity monitoring accuracy, and reseeding quantity monitoring accuracy could reach 98.75%, 94.06%, and 91.30%, respectively, within a seeding speed range of 8~9 km/h. This system meets the requirements of real-time performance monitoring of large- and medium-sized precision seed metering devices, which helps to improve the operational performance of seeding machines.

Corrigendum: Autophagy Promotes Cigarette Smoke-Initiated and Elastin-Driven Bronchitis-Like Airway Inflammation in Mice.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.594330.].

Autophagy Promotes Cigarette Smoke-Initiated and Elastin-Driven Bronchitis-Like Airway Inflammation in Mice.

Cigarette smoke (CS)-induced macrophage activation and airway epithelial injury are both critical for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), while the eventual functions of autophagy in these processes remain controversial. We have recently developed a novel COPD mouse model which is based on the autoimmune response sensitized by CS and facilitated by elastin. In the current study, we therefore utilized this model to investigate the roles of autophagy in different stages of the development of bronchitis-like airway inflammation. Autophagic markers were increased in airway epithelium and lung tissues, and Becn+/- or Lc3b-/- mice exhibited reduced neutrophilic airway inflammation and mucus hyperproduction in this COPD mouse model. Moreover, treatment of an autophagic inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA) either during CS-initiated sensitization or during elastin provocation significantly inhibited the bronchitis-like phenotypes in mice. Short CS exposure rapidly induced expression of matrix metallopeptidase 12 (MMP12) in alveolar macrophages, and treatment of doxycycline, a pan metalloproteinase inhibitor, during CS exposure effectively attenuated the ensuing elastin-induced airway inflammation in mice. CS extract triggered MMP12 expression in cultured macrophages, which was attenuated by autophagy impairment (Becn+/- or Lc3b-/-) or inhibition (3-MA or Spautin-1). These data, taken together, demonstrate that autophagy mediates both the CS-initiated MMP12 activation in macrophages and subsequent airway epithelial injury, eventually contributing to development COPD-like airway inflammation. This study reemphasizes that inhibition of autophagy as a novel therapeutic strategy for CS-induced COPD.

[Clinical Characteristics and Bone Marrow Histopathology Features in Essential Thrombocythaemia Patients with Different Gene Mutation in China].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical characteristics, laboratorial and bone marrow pathological features of primary thrombocytopenia (ET) patients with different mutations of CALR, JAK2 and MPL genes. METHODS: The chinical data of 120 cases of ET in Jiangsu provincial people's hospital/ The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2015 to December 2017 were collected and analyzed, including 76 cases with JAK2 gene mutation, 40 cases with CALR gene mutation, 2 cases with MPL gene mutations, 2 cases without gene mutation. RESULTS: Among the ET patients, compared with the JAK2 gene mutation, CALR gene mutation showed statistically significant deareament of white blood cells and hemoglobin (P=0.001, P=0.01) and the male platelets in CALR group showed significant increament (P=0.04). Fourthermore, the average number of megakaryocytes and its cluster numbers in each hight power field of vision showed statistically significant decreament in CALR group as compared with JAK2 group (P=0.001, P=0.001), and thrombotic events in CALR group were signicantly lower than those in JAK2 group (7.5% vs 18.4%) (P=0.03). CONCLUSION: Mutations of CALR, JAK2 have different clinical characteristics and blood pathological changes of Chinese ET patients, and their clinical significance is worth to explore.

Overexpression of RAD51B predicts a preferable prognosis for non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death. The majority of patients are diagnosed at an incurable advanced stage with poor prognosis. A recent study associated the methylation of homologous recombination genes with expression of immune checkpoints in lung squamous cell carcinoma. However, the correlation between them remains unclear. In our study, we propose that RAD51B, a repair gene in the homologous recombination process, which is noticed to be a key player in the maintenance of chromosome integrity and in sensing DNA damage, can act as an independent factor affecting the prognosis of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Univariate analysis showed that overexpression of RAD51B is statistically significant correlated with better prognosis (P=0.013). Further, the multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the morbidity of patients with high expression of RAD51B was decreased by 26% compared to those with low expression (HR=0.74, 95%CI: 0.59-0.93), especially for the patients with squamous cell carcinoma (HR=0.68, 95%CI: 0.51-0.90). In conclusion, RAD51B in mRNA level can be an important indicator to decide the prognosis of NSCLC and its overexpression predicts a preferable prognosis for NSCLC. Our results serve as a foundation for the investigation of the role of RAD51B in NSCLC, which may lead to potential therapeutic innovations.

Do Amplitudes of Water Level Fluctuations Affect the Growth and Community Structure of Submerged Macrophytes?

Submerged macrophytes are subjected to potential mechanical stresses associated with fluctuating water levels in natural conditions. However, few experimental studies have been conducted to further understand the effects of water level fluctuating amplitude on submerged macrophyte species and their assemblages or communities. We designed a controlled experiment to investigate the responses of three submerged macrophyte species (Hydrilla verticillata, Ceratophyllum demersum and Elodea nuttallii) and their combinations in communities to three amplitudes (static, ± 30 cm, ± 60 cm) of water level fluctuations. Results showed that water level fluctuating amplitude had little effects on the community performance and the three tested species responded differently. H. verticillata exhibited more growth in static water and it was negatively affected by either of the water level fluctuations amplitude, however, growth parameters of H. verticillata in two fluctuating water level treatments (i.e., ± 30 cm, ± 60 cm) were not significantly different. On the other hand, the growth of C. demersum was not significantly correlated with different amplitude treatments. However, it became more abundant when water levels fluctuated. E. nuttallii was inhibited by the two fluctuating water level treatments, and was less in growth parameters compared to the other species especially in water level fluctuating conditions. The inherent differences in the adaptive capabilities of the tested species indicate that C. demersum or other species with similar responses may be dominant species to restore submerged macrophyte communities with great fluctuating water levels. Otherwise, H. verticillata, E. nuttallii or other species with similar responses could be considered for constructing the community in static water conditions.

[The effect of two methods guided fluid therapy to the patient undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of central venous blood oxygen saturation (ScvO2) and venous-arterial PCO2 (P(cv-a)CO2) guided fluid therapy on tissue perfusion, gastrointestinal function recovering and outcome of the patients who undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery. METHODS: Forty patients undergoing open gastrointestinal surgery were randomly divided into 2 groups (n = 20 each): ScvO2 guided fluid therapy (group S) and P(cv-a) CO2 guided fluid therapy (group P). All the patients were infused 10 ml/kg lactated Ringer's (LR) solution before anesthesia induction, they were all also given a continuous lactated Ringer's (LR) solution's infusion at the speed of 2 ml·kg(-1)·h(-1) during the operation. While, 6%HES 130/0.4 (free flex 6%HES 130/0.4, Fresenius Kabi) infusion was different between the 2 groups, when the patients of group S's central venous blood oxygen saturation < 75% or venous-arterial PCO2 in the patients of P group ≥6 mm Hg, then infused 6%HES 130/0.4. Arterial and central venous blood gas analyses were performed every 20 minutes after skin incision, measure the venous and arterial lactate value, and record the anal exhaust time after surgery, postoperative complications and mortality in 28 days. RESULTS: Compared with group S, the arterial lactate value in T4 (after operation began 80 min) were significantly decreased in group P (P = 0.013), and venous lactate value in T5 (after operation began 100 min) were also lower (P = 0.044), other lactate value were not different (P > 0.05) . The anal exhaust time was not different between the two groups (P = 0.673). All the patients were survival, and there were no obvious postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Compared to group S, there was a transient improvement in tissue perfusion in group P, but there were no difference in complications and mortality.