Kidney targeting and modulating macrophage polarization through AMPK signaling: Therapeutic mechanism of berberine in uric acid nephropathy.

Uric acid nephropathy (UAN), caused by a common metabolic disorder resulting from hyperuricemia (HUA), has an increasing incidence. Previous studies have shown that berberine (BBR) has clear urate-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects in UAN mice, but its mechanism needs to be further clarified. Therefore, Potassium Oxonate (PO) combined with hypoxanthine (HX) induced UAN mice model and MSU induced THP-1 cells polarization model were adopted to investigate the mechanism of BBR on UAN in terms of tissue distribution and molecular pharmacology. Study unveiled that BBR was first found to bind to red blood cells (RBCs), which were recognized and phagocytosed by monocytes, then recruited by the injured kidney. Subsequently, BBR was enriched and functional in damaged kidney. The results of in vivo experiments revealed that, BBR reduced UA, BUN, CRE levels as well as the release of TNF-α, IL-1ß, IL-18 and IL-6, and alleviated renal injury in UAN mice, as consistent with previous studies. Additionally, BBR decreased MCP-1 expression, while diminishing macrophage infiltration and decreasing M1 proportion as determined by RT-qPCR. In vitro experiments, demonstrated that MSU promoted inflammatory polarization of THP-1 cells, while BBR reduced synthesis of inflammatory factors and inhibited MSU-induced inflammatory polarization. These effects of BBR were dependent on AMPK activation along with indirect inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway mediated. However, the anti-inflammatory and macrophage polarization regulation effects of BBR were completely reversed upon administration of Compound C, an AMPK inhibitor. Therefore, BBR ameliorated kidney injury via regulating macrophage polarization through AMPK, which has therapeutic potential for UAN patients.

[Exploration of cancer biological characteristics in people with different five movements and six climates constitution based on pan-cancer Bulk RNA-Seq].

According to the theory of five movements and six climates, the innate constitution plays a crucial role in determining the underlyingpa thological mechanisms of diseases later in life. Previous studies have demonstrated a close association between the constitution, as defined by the theory of five movements and six climates, and the development of various types of tumors. Furt hermore,the tumorsubtype determined by the constitution has prognostic implications. This highlights the potential of utilizing the fivemovements and six climates theory to guide the implementation of precision medicine strategies in thefield of oncology. However, no resear ch has yet been conducted to investigate the use of this theory in guiding the development of tumor molecular classification and precisi onmedicine strategies. The objective of this research is to uncover the biological characteristics of each constitution within a pancanc ercohort and identify potential anti-tumor drugs that are applicable to patients with different constitutional types. By doing so, we aimto c ontribute to the establishment of a precision medicine strategy for tumors derived from the original concepts of traditional Chi nesemedicine(TCM). In this study, we obtainedpan-cancer Bulk RNA-Seq data from UCSC Xena, GWAS cohort data from the UKBiobank, and cis-eQTLs data from eQ TLGen and GTEx V8. We employed machine learning methods to screen for hub genes associated with each constitution. Subsequently, we utilized informatics tools to explore the biological characteristics of each constitut iondefined by the theory of five movements and six bioclimates. Further, potential anti-tumor drugs suitable for patients with differen tconstitutional types were identified through mendelian randomization, molecular docking, and drug-like prediction techniques. Withinthe pan-cancer cohort, significant differences were observed among different constitutions in terms of progression-free interval, biological f unctions, immune cell abundance, tumor drug sensitivity, and immunotherapy response. These findings suggest that the five movements and six climates theory can guide tumor molecular classification and the development of precision medicine strategies. Moreover,the biological characteristics inherent to each constitution partially shed light on the scientific implications of Chinese medicinetheories, offering a fresh perspective towards clinical cancer treatment. Through molecular docking and drug-like prediction, several po tential anti-tumor drugs such as 17-beta-estradiol, serotonin, trans-resveratrol, and linoleic acid were identified. Overall, the util izationof multi-omics approaches pro vides a powerful tool to unravel the scientific foundations of TCM theories. The elucidation of themu lti-omics features associated witheach constitution in tumors serves as the basis for applying the five movements and six climates theoryto tumor molecular classification and the development of precision medicine strategies.

Battling Salmonella enteritidis infections: integrating proteomics and in vivo assessment of Galla Chinensis tannic acid.

Salmonella infections pose a significant threat to animal and human health. Phytochemicals present a potential alternative treatment. Galla chinensis tannic acid (GCTA), a hydrolyzable polyphenolic compound, inhibits bacterial growth and demonstrates potential as an alternative or supplement to antibiotics to prevent Salmonella infections. However, little is known about the antimicrobial mechanism of GCTA against Salmonella. Here, we revealed 456 differentially expressed proteins upon GCTA treatment, impacting pathways related to DNA replication, repair, genomic stability, cell wall biogenesis, and lipid metabolism using TMT-labeled proteomic analysis. TEM analysis suggested altered bacterial morphology and structure post-treatment. A Salmonella-infected-mouse model indicated that GCTA administration improved inflammatory markers, alleviated intestinal histopathological alterations, and reduced Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) colonization in the liver and spleen of Salmonella-infected mice. The LD50 of GCTA was 4100 mg/kg with an oral single dose, vastly exceeding the therapeutic dose. Thus, GCTA exhibited antibacterial and anti-infective activity against S. Enteritidis. Our results provided insight into the molecular mechanisms of these antibacterial effects, and highlights the potential of GCTA as an alternative to antibiotics.

Zanubrutinib delays selinexor resistance evolution in biopsy sample-derived primary central nervous system lymphoma models.

Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) is a rare and aggressive lymphoma of the brain with poor prognosis. The scarcity of cell lines established using PCNSL makes it difficult to conduct preclinical studies on new drugs. We aimed to explore the effect of selinexor combined with zanubrutinib in PCNSL using established PCNSL cells and an orthotopic PCNSL model. Primary PCNSL cells were successfully cultured. Selinexor inhibited proliferation, induced G1 phase arrest, and promoted apoptosis, however, induced drug resistance in PCNSL. Selinexor combined with zanubrutinib had a synergistic effect on PCNSL and prevented the onset of selinexor resistance in PCNSL by inhibiting AKT signaling. Moreover, selinexor combined with zanubrutinib notably slowed tumor growth and prolonged survival compared to that of the control. Overall, the addition of zanubrutinib to selinexor monotreatment had a synergistic effect in vitro and prolonged survival in vivo.

Prenatal and postnatal early life exposure to greenness and particulate matter of different size fractions in relation to childhood rhinitis - A multi-center study in China.

The impact of early life exposure to residential greenness on childhood rhinitis and its interaction with particulate matter (PM) of different size fractions remain inconsistent. Herein, we recruited 40,486 preschool children from randomly selected daycare centers in 7 cities in China from 2019 to 2020, and estimated exposure to residential greenness by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) with a 500 m buffer. Exposure to ambient PM (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10) was evaluated using a satellite-based prediction model (daily, at a resolution of 1 km × 1 km). By mixed-effect logistic regression, NDVI values during pregnancy, in the first (0-1 year old) and the second (1-2 years old) year of life were negatively associated with lifetime rhinitis (LR) and current rhinitis (CR) (P < 0.001). PM in the same time windows was associated with increased risks of LR and CR in children, with smaller size fraction of PM showing greater associations. The negative associations between prenatal and postnatal NDVI and LR and CR in preschool children remained robust after adjusting for concomitant exposure to PM, whereas the associations of postnatal NDVI and rhinitis showed significant interactions with PM. At lower levels of PM, postnatal NDVI remained negatively associated with rhinitis and was partly mediated by PM (10.0-40.9 %), while at higher levels of PM, the negative associations disappeared or even turned positive. The cut-off levels of PM were identified for each size fraction of PM. In conclusion, prenatal exposure to greenness had robust impacts in lowering the risk of childhood rhinitis, while postnatal exposure to greenness depended on the co-exposure levels to PM. This study revealed the complex interplay of greenness and PM on rhinitis in children. The exposure time window in prenatal or postnatal period and postnatal concomitant PM levels played important roles in influencing the associations between greenness, PM and rhinitis.

Innate lymphoid cell subsets in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cholangitis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune liver disease characterized by destructive lymphocytic cholangitis and specific anti-mitochondrial antibodies. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) have been reported to play a role in liver homeostasis and autoimmunity. METHODS: We evaluated the features of peripheral ILC1s and ILC3 in patients with PBC and hepatic ILC1 and ILC3 in two different PBC mouse models (dominant-negative transforming growth factor-beta receptor II [dnTGFßRII] and 2-octynoic acid-bovine serum albumin [2OA-BSA]). RESULTS: A total of 115 patients and 18 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Decreased circulating ILC1/3s were observed in early-stage PBC patients, and the numbers of ILC1/3s were negatively correlated with specific parameters and the proportion of T-helper (Th) 1 and Th17 cells. Reduced numbers of ILC1s were observed in PBC mouse models with different etiologies. ILC1-deficient mice had more severe hepatic inflammation after inducing the 2OA-BSA model. Continuous low-dose injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) reduced ILC1 levels in mice, consistent with the lower level of ILC1s in PBC patients with high LPS (> 50 ng/mL), and aggravated hepatic lymphocyte infiltration. CONCLUSION: Patients with PBC had decreased ILC1s, which were negatively correlated with CD4+ T cells. Deficient ILC1 populations led to disease exacerbations in mice. Our results indicated that ILC1s may participate in the pathogenesis of PBC.

Fano resonance in molecular junctions of spin crossover complexes.

In this paper, we introduce a novel molecular switch paradigm that integrates spin crossover complexes with the Fano resonance effect. Specifically, by performing density-functional theory calculations, the feasibility of achieving Fano resonance using spin crossover complexes is demonstrated in our designed molecular junctions using the complex {Fe[H2B(pz)2]2[Bp(bipy)]} [pz = 1-pyrazolyl, Bp(bipy) = bis(phenylethynyl)(2,2'-bipyridine)]. It is further revealed that the Fano resonance, particularly the Fano dip, is most prominent in the junction with cobalt tips among all the schemes, together with the spin-filtering effect. Most importantly, this junction of cobalt tips is able to exhibit three distinct conductance states, which are controlled by the modulation of Fano resonance due to the spin-state transition of the complex and the applied gate voltage. Such a molecular switch paradigm holds potential for applications in logic gates, memory units, sensors, thermoelectrics, and beyond.

Heterojunctions of Mercury Selenide Quantum Dots and Halide Perovskites with High Lattice Matching and Their Photodetection Properties.

Heterojunction semiconductors have been extensively applied in various optoelectronic devices due to their unique carrier transport characteristics. However, it is still a challenge to construct heterojunctions based on colloidal quantum dots (CQDs) due to stress and lattice mismatch. Herein, HgSe/CsPbBrxI3-x heterojunctions with type I band alignment are acquired that are derived from minor lattice mismatch (~1.5%) via tuning the ratio of Br and I in halide perovskite. Meanwhile, HgSe CQDs with oleylamine ligands can been exchanged with a halide perovskite precursor, acquiring a smooth and compact quantum dot film. The photoconductive detector based on HgSe/CsPbBrxI3-x heterojunction presents a distinct photoelectric response under an incident light of 630 nm. The work provides a promising strategy to construct CQD-based heterojunctions, simultaneously achieving inorganic ligand exchange, which paves the way to obtain high-performance photodetectors based on CQD heterojunction films.

Two-dimensional monolayer C5-10-16: a metallic carbon allotrope as an anode material for high-performance sodium/potassium-ion batteries.

Carbonaceous materials are promising candidates as anode materials for non-lithium-ion batteries (NLIBs) due to their appealing properties such as good electrical conductivity, low cost, and high safety. However, graphene, a classic two-dimensional (2D) carbon material, is chemically inert to most metal atoms, hindering its application as an electrode material for metal-ion batteries. Inspired by the unique geometry of a four-penta unit, we explore a metallic 2D carbon allotrope C5-10-16 composed of 5-10-16 carbon rings. The C5-10-16 monolayer is free from any imaginary frequencies in the whole Brillouin zone. Due to the introduction of a non-sp2 hybridization state into C5-10-16, the extended conjugation of π-electrons is disrupted, leading to the enhanced surface activity toward metal ions. We investigate the performance of C5-10-16 as the anode for sodium/potassium-ion batteries by using first-principles calculations. The C5-10-16 sheet has high theoretical specific capacities of Na (850.84 mA h g-1) and K (743.87 mA h g-1). Besides, C5-10-16 exhibits a moderate migration barrier of 0.63 (0.32) eV for Na (K), ensuring rapid charging/discharging processes. The average open-circuit voltages of Na and K are 0.33 and 0.62 V, respectively, which are within the voltage acceptance range of anode materials. The fully sodiated (potassiated) C5-10-16 shows tiny lattice expansions of 1.4% (1.3%), suggesting the good reversibility. Moreover, bilayer C5-10-16 significantly affects both the adsorption strength and the mobility of Na or K. All these results show that C5-10-16 could be used as a promising anode material for NLIBs.

Greenness and its composition and configuration in association with allergic rhinitis in preschool children.

BACKGROUND: Few studies focus on the associations of green space composition and configuration with children's allergic rhinitis (AR). METHODS: A multi-center population-based cross-sectional study was performed in 7 cities in mainland of China between 2019 and 2020, recruiting 36,867 preschool children. Information on the current AR symptoms and demographics were collected by questionnaire. Exposure to residential greenness was estimated by Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI, 1000 m buffer) around the residences. Greenness composition was estimated in 3 main categories: forest, grassland, shrubland. Configuration of each category and total greenness (a spatial resolution of 10 m × 10 m) was estimated by 6 landscape pattern metrics to quantify their area, shape complexity, aggregation, connectivity, and patch density. Exposure to daily ambient particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10, a spatial resolution of 1 km × 1 km) was estimated. Multilevel logistic regression models were applied to analyze the associations of greenness and its composition and configuration with AR, and mediation effects by PMs were examined by mediation analysis models. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-reported current AR in preschool children was 33.1%. Two indicators of forest, Aggregation Index of forest patches (AIforest) (odds ratio (OR):0.92, 95% Confidential Interval (CI): 0.88-0.97), and Patch Cohesion of forest (COHESIONforest) (OR: 0.93, 95% CI:0.89-0.98) showed significantly negative associations with AR symptoms. Mediation analyses found the associations were partially mediated by PMs. Age, exclusive breastfeed duration and season were the potential effect modifiers. The associations varied across seven cities. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the inverse associations of the aggregation and connectivity of forest patches surrounding residence addresses with AR symptoms. Since the cross-sectional study only provides associations rather than causation, further studies are needed to confirm our results as well as the underlying mechanisms.

Impact of climate zones and seasons on indoor airborne microbial communities: Insights from a comprehensive analysis.

Bacteria and fungi are ubiquitous throughout built environments and are suspended in the air, potentially affecting human health. However, the impacts of climate zones on the diversity, structure, and stochastic assembly of indoor airborne microbes remain unknown. This study comprehensively analyzed indoor airborne microbes across five climate zones in China during the summer and winter using high-throughput sequencing. The diversity and structure of indoor airborne communities vary across climatic zones. A random forest model was used to identify biomarkers in different climate zones. The results showed no relationship between the biomarkers and their rankings in mean relative abundance. The Sloan neutral model fitting results indicated that the impact of climate zones on the stochastic process in the assembly of indoor airborne microbes was considerably more important than that of seasons. Additionally, the influence of seasons on the diversity, structure, and stochastic assembly process of indoor airborne microbes differed among different climate zones. The diversity, structure, and stochastic assembly processes of bacteria present distinctive outcomes in climate zones and seasons compared with those of fungi. Overall, these findings indicate that customized strategies are necessary to manage indoor airborne microbial communities in each climate zone, season, and for specific microbial species.

Boosting Potassium Adsorption and Diffusion Performance of Carbon Anodes for Potassium-Ion Batteries via Topology and Curvature Engineering: From KT-Graphene to KT-CNTs.

We propose a two-dimensional carbon allotrope (named KT-graphene) by incorporating kagome and tetragonal lattices consisting of trigonal, quadrilateral, octagonal, and dodecagonal rings. The introduction of non-hexagonal rings can give rise to the localized electronic states that improve the chemical reactivity toward potassium, making KT-graphene a high-performance anode material for potassium-ion batteries. It shows a high theoretical capacity (892 mAh g-1), a low diffusion barrier (0.33 eV), and a low average open-circuit voltage (0.51 V). The presence of electrolyte solvents is propitious to boost the K-ion adsorption and diffusion capabilities. Moreover, one-dimensional nanotubes (KT-CNTs), rolled up by the KT-graphene sheet, are metallic regardless of the tube diameter. As the curvature increases, KT-CNTs exhibit significantly increased surface activity, which can promote the electron-donating ability of K. Furthermore, the curvature effect greatly enhances the efficiency of K diffusion on the inner surface compared to that on the outer surface.

scRNA-seq revealed high stemness epithelial malignant cell clusters and prognostic models of lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the sole causes of death in lung cancer patients. This study combined with single-cell RNA-seq analysis to identify tumor stem-related prognostic models to predict the prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma, chemotherapy agents, and immunotherapy efficacy. mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) was determined by One Class Linear Regression (OCLR). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected by limma package. Single-cell RNA-seq analysis in GSE123902 dataset was performed using Seurat package. Weighted Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was built by rms package. Cell differentiation ability was determined by CytoTRACE. Cell communication analysis was performed by CellCall and CellChat package. Prognosis model was constructed by 10 machine learning and 101 combinations. Drug predictive analysis was conducted by pRRophetic package. Immune microenvironment landscape was determined by ESTIMATE, MCP-Counter, ssGSEA analysis. Tumor samples have higher mRNAsi, and the high mRNAsi group presents a worse prognosis. Turquoise module was highly correlated with mRNAsi in TCGA-LUAD dataset. scRNA analysis showed that 22 epithelial cell clusters were obtained, and higher CSCs malignant epithelial cells have more complex cellular communication with other cells and presented dedifferentiation phenomenon. Cellular senescence and Hippo signaling pathway are the major difference pathways between high- and low CSCs malignant epithelial cells. The pseudo-temporal analysis shows that cluster1, 2, high CSC epithelial cells, are concentrated at the end of the differentiation trajectory. Finally, 13 genes were obtained by intersecting genes in turquoise module, Top200 genes in hdWGCNA, DEGs in high- and low- mRNAsi group as well as DEGs in tumor samples vs. normal group. Among 101 prognostic models, average c-index (0.71) was highest in CoxBoost + RSF model. The high-risk group samples had immunosuppressive status, higher tumor malignancy and low benefit from immunotherapy. This work found that malignant tumors and malignant epithelial cells have high CSC characteristics, and identified a model that could predict the prognosis, immune microenvironment, and immunotherapy of LUAD, based on CSC-related genes. These results provided reference value for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of LUAD.

Discovery of 2,8-dihydroxyadenine in HUA patients with uroliths and biomarkers for its associated nephropathy.

Currently, it is acknowledged that gout is caused by uric acid (UA). However, some studies have revealed no correlation between gout and UA levels, and growing evidence suggests that 2,8-dihydroxyadenine (2,8-DHA), whose structural formula is similar to UA but is less soluble, may induce gout. Hence, we hypothesized that uroliths from hyperuricemia (HUA) patients, which is closely associated with gout, may contain 2,8-DHA. In this study, 2,8-DHA in uroliths and serum of HUA patients were determined using HPLC. Moreover, bioinformatics was used to investigate the pathogenic mechanisms of 2,8-DHA nephropathy. Subsequently, a mouse model of 2,8-DHA nephropathy established by the gavage administration of adenine, as well as a model of injured HK-2 cells induced by 2,8-DHA were used to explore the pathogenesis of 2,8-DHA nephropathy. Interestingly, 2,8-DHA could readily deposit in the cortex of the renal tubules, and was found in the majority of these HUA patients. Additionally, the differentially expressed genes between 2,8-DHA nephropathy mice and control mice were found to be involved in inflammatory reactions. Importantly, CCL2 and IL-1ß genes had the maximum degree, closeness, and betweenness centrality scores. The expressions of CCL2 and IL-1ß genes were significantly increased in the serum of 24 HUA patients with uroliths, indicating that they may be significant factors for 2,8-DHA nephropathy. Further analysis illustrated that oxidative damage and inflammation were the crucial processes of 2,8-DHA renal injury, and CCL2 and IL-1ß genes were verified to be essential biomarkers for 2,8-DHA nephropathy. These findings revealed further insights into 2,8-DHA nephropathy, and provided new ideas for its diagnosis and treatment.

High tunneling electroresistance in ferroelectric tunnel junctions based on two-dimensional α-In2Se3/MoTe2 van der Waals heterostructures.

Ferroelectric polarization-controlled band alignment can be realized in van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs), which can be used to create new types of ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs). In this work, we design six probable configurations of two-dimensional vdWHs based on a two-dimensional α-In2Se3 ferroelectric material which has two opposite polarization states P↑ and P↓, and the semiconductor MoTe2. First-principles calculations show robust ferroelectric polarization-controlled switching behavior between the high conductance state in configuration AA-P↓ and the low conductance state in configuration AA-P↑ in the most stable AA stacked vdWHs. Based on this vdWH, a two-dimensional transverse FTJ with AA-P↓ or AA-P↑ as the tunneling barrier and (In0.5Sn0.5)2Se3 monolayers (n-type doped) as electrodes is designed. The tunneling electroresistance ratio of the FTJs at the Fermi level reaches 1.22 × 104% when the tunneling barrier contains two repeating units N = 2 and can be greatly increased by increasing the thickness of the ferroelectric layer. Analysis of the work function, charge redistribution, and local density of states is performed to interpret the above phenomena. The findings suggest the great potential of the AA stacked α-In2Se3/MoTe2 vdWH in the design of high-performance FTJs and application in high-density non-volatile memory devices.

Modification of Food Allergy on the Associations between Early Life Exposure to Size-Specific Particulate Matter and Childhood Allergic Rhinitis.

Previous studies have reported the association between particulate matter (PM) and childhood allergic rhinitis (AR). However, it is unclear whether food allergy (FA) modifies the PM-AR association. We aimed at evaluating the effect of the modification of FA on PM-AR association in preschool children. We adopted a cross-sectional study and conducted a questionnaire survey among preschool children aged 3-6 years in 7 cities in China from June 2019 to June 2020 to collect information on AR and FA. We used a combination of multilevel logistic regression and restricted cubic spline functions to quantitatively assess whether FA modifies the associations between size-specific PM exposure (1 × 1 km) and the risk of AR. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for AR among the children with FA as per a 10 µg/m3 increase in early life PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were significantly higher than the corresponding ORs among the children without FA [e.g., OR: 1.58, 95% CI: (1.32, 1.90) vs 1.29, 95% CI: (1.18, 1.41), per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM1]. The interactions between FA and size-specific PM exposure and their effects on AR were statistically significant (all p-int < 0.001). FA, as an important part of the allergic disease progression, may modify the PM-AR association in preschool children.

Two-dimensional graphene+ as an anode material for calcium-ion batteries with ultra-high capacity: a first-principles study.

Multivalent-ion batteries have garnered significant attention due to their high energy density, low cost, and superior safety. Calcium-ion batteries (CIBs) are regarded as the next-generation energy storage systems for their abundant natural resources and bivalent characteristics. However, the absence of high-performance anode materials poses a significant obstacle to the progress of battery technology. Two-dimensional (2D) Dirac materials have excellent conductivity and abundant active sites, rendering them promising candidates as anode materials. A novel 2D Dirac material known as "graphene+" has been theoretically reported, exhibiting prominent properties including good stability, exceptional ductility, and remarkable electronic conductivity. By using first-principles calculations, we systematically investigate the performance of graphene+ as an anode material for CIBs. Graphene+ exhibits an ultra-high theoretical capacity (1487.7 mA h g-1), a small diffusion barrier (0.21 eV), and a low average open-circuit voltage (0.51 V). Furthermore, we investigate the impact of the electrolyte solvation on the performance of Ca-ion adsorption and migration. Upon contact with electrolyte solvents, graphene+ exhibits strong adsorption strength and rapid migration of Ca-ions on its surface. These results demonstrate the promising potential of graphene+ as a high-performance anode material for CIBs.

Intrauterine and early postnatal exposures to submicron particulate matter and childhood allergic rhinitis: A multicity cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: Airborne particulate matter pollution has been linked to occurrence of childhood allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the relationships between exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter ≤1 µm (PM1) during early life (in utero and first year of life) and the onset of childhood AR remain largely unknown. This study aims to investigate potential associations of in utero and first-year exposures to size-segregated PMs, including PM1, PM1-2.5, PM2.5, PM2.5-10, and PM10, with childhood AR. METHODS: We investigated 29286 preschool children aged 3-6 years in 7 Chinese major cities during 2019-2020 as the Phase II of the China Children, Families, Health Study. Machine learning-based space-time models were utilized to estimate early-life residential exposure to PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 at 1 × 1-km resolutions. The concentrations of PM1-2.5 and PM2.5-10 were calculated by subtracting PM1 from PM2.5 and PM2.5 from PM10, respectively. Multiple mixed-effects logistic models were used to assess the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of childhood AR associated with per 10-µg/m3 increase in exposure to particulate air pollution during in utero period and the first year of life. RESULTS: Among the 29286 children surveyed (mean ± standard deviation, 4.9 ± 0.9 years), 3652 (12.5%) were reported to be diagnosed with AR. Average PM1 concentrations during in utero period and the first year since birth were 36.3 ± 8.6 µg/m3 and 33.1 ± 6.9 µg/m3, respectively. Exposure to PM1 and PM2.5 during pregnancy and the first year of life was associated with an increased risk of AR in children, and the OR estimates were higher for each 10-µg/m3 increase in PM1 than for PM2.5 (e.g., 1.132 [95% CI: 1.022-1.254] vs. 1.079 [95% CI: 1.014-1.149] in pregnancy; 1.151 [95% CI: 1.014-1.306] vs. 1.095 [95% CI: 1.008-1.189] in the first year of life). No associations were observed between AR and both pre- and post-natal exposure to PM1-2.5, indicating that PM1 rather than PM1-2.5 contributed to the association between PM2.5 and childhood AR. In trimester-stratified analysis, childhood AR was only found to be associated with exposure to PM1 (OR = 1.077, 95% CI: 1.027-1.128), PM2.5 (OR = 1.048, 95% CI: 1.018-1.078), and PM10 (OR = 1.032, 95% CI: 1.007-1.058) during the third trimester of pregnancy. Subgroup analysis suggested stronger PM-AR associations among younger (<5 years old) and winter-born children. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal and postnatal exposures to ambient PM1 and PM2.5 were associated with an increased risk of childhood AR, and PM2.5-related hazards could be predominantly attributed to PM1. These findings highlighted public health significance of formulating air quality guideline for ambient PM1 in mitigating children's AR burden caused by particulate air pollution.

Risk evaluation of venue types and human behaviors of COVID-19 outbreaks in public indoor environments: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Despite increasing vaccination rates, the incidence of breakthrough infections with COVID-19 has increased due to the continued emergence of new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Therefore, Non-pharmaceutical interventions remain the most effective measures for coping with the ever-changing pandemic. The lifting of compulsory interventions has made individuals primary responsibility for their own health, which highlights the importance of increasing awareness of the infection risk from the environment in which they live and their individual behaviors. We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Scopus on April 17, 2023, for all studies reporting COVID-19 outbreaks in public indoor venues. The study outcome was the attack rate. A total of 42 studies, which included cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, and case studies, reporting data on 1951 confirmed cases in 64 COVID-19 outbreaks satisfied the meta-analysis and were included in the review. A random-effect model was used in the meta-analysis, and subgroup analyses were conducted to investigate factors affecting attack rates. We found a strong level of evidence (p < 0.01) supporting a higher pooled attack rate in recreation-related venues (0.44, 95% CI: 0.30 to 0.60) than in work-related venues (0.21, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.27). Compared to those outbreaks without that, outbreaks with high-intensity exercise, vocalization, contact behavior, or close body proximity had a higher attack rate of 0.51, 0.55, 0.33, and 0.39, respectively. Further studies suggest that different attack rates across different types of settings may be the result of heterogeneity in exposed people's behaviors. There were significant heterogeneities that may limit the interpretation of connections between influencing factors and outbreak outcomes. The identification of key behaviors that may contribute to transmission risk, and their correlation with venue type, has important implications for the development of future public health interventions and individual prevention strategies for respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

Light-induced pure spin current in carbon hexagonal-connected zigzag graphene nanoribbons via magnetic field modulation.

Pure spin current, exhibiting no Joule heat and self-powered characteristics, has recently attracted intensive attention. Here, through first-principles calculations and symmetry analysis, we propose a new method to generate photoelectric pure spin current in carbon hexagonal connected three zigzag graphene nanoribbons (ZGNRs) via magnetic field modulation. Specifically, a device with centro-symmetry is designed, which consists of three ZGNRs using two carbon hexagons as connectors ('2-C6'). When the edge spin states of the three ZGNRs from left to right are modulated to AFM-AFM-AFM or FM-AFM-FM by magnetic fields, excellent pure spin currents are obtained which are independent of the photon energy and the angle of the linearly polarized light. However, when the edge spin states are FM-FM-FM orderly, the photocurrent is nearly zero and can be neglected. Analysis show that the first two spin magnetic structures own the spatial inversion antisymmetric spin density which is the origin of stable pure spin currents, while the FM-FM-FM structure owns Cs symmetric spin density, leading to the nearly zero photocurrent. Our findings provide a scheme for obtaining pure spin currents by changing the spin states of the graphene nanoribbons via magnetic field modulation, which is of great importance for the design of spintronic devices.