Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a subtype of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) characterized by the presence of nasal polyps (NP) in the paranasal mucosa. Despite the complex etiology, NP is believed to result from chronic inflammation. The long-term aftermath of the type 2 response is responsible for symptoms seen in NP patients, i.e. rhinorrhea, hyposmia, and nasal obstruction. Immune cellular tolerogenic mechanisms, particularly CD4 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells (Tregs), are crucial to curtail inflammatory responses. Current evidence suggests impaired Treg activity is the main reason underlying the compromise of self-tolerance, contributing to the onset of CRSwNP. There is compelling evidence that tumor necrosis factor 2 (TNFR2) is preferentially expressed by Tregs, and TNFR2 is able to identify the most potent suppressive subset of Tregs. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-TNFR2 interaction plays a decisive role in the activation and expansion of Tregs. This review summarizes current understanding of Tregs biology, focusing on the discussion of the recent advances in the study of TNF-TNFR2 axis in the upregulation of Treg function as a negative feedback mechanism in the control of chronic inflammation. The role of dysregulation of Tregs in the immunopathogenesis of CRSwNP will be analyzed. The future perspective on the harnessing Tregs-mediated self-tolerant mechanism in the management of CRSwNP will be introduced.
Areca nut (Areca catechu L.) is commonly consumed as a chewing food in the Asian region. However, the investigations into the components of areca nut are limited. In this study, we have developed an approach that combines mass spectrometry with feature-based molecular network to explore the chemical characteristics of the areca nut. In comparison to the conventional method, this technique demonstrates a superior capability in annotating unknown compounds present in areca nut. We annotated a total of 52 compounds, including one potential previously unreported alkaloid, one carbohydrate, and one phenol and confirmed the presence of 7 of them by comparing with commercial standards. The validated method was used to evaluate chemical features of areca nut at different growth stages, annotating 25 compounds as potential biomarkers for distinguishing areca nut growth stages. Therefore, this approach offers a rapid and accurate method for the component analysis of areca nut.
The observation of WWγ production in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV with an integrated luminosity of 138 fb^{-1} is presented. The observed (expected) significance is 5.6 (5.1) standard deviations. Events are selected by requiring exactly two leptons (one electron and one muon) of opposite charge, moderate missing transverse momentum, and a photon. The measured fiducial cross section for WWγ is 5.9±0.8(stat)±0.8(syst)±0.7(modeling) fb, in agreement with the next-to-leading order quantum chromodynamics prediction. The analysis is extended with a search for the associated production of the Higgs boson and a photon, which is generated by a coupling of the Higgs boson to light quarks. The result is used to constrain the Higgs boson couplings to light quarks.
A search is reported for near-threshold structures in the J/ψJ/ψ invariant mass spectrum produced in proton-proton collisions at sqrt[s]=13 TeV from data collected by the CMS experiment, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 135 fb^{-1}. Three structures are found, and a model with quantum interference among these structures provides a good description of the data. A new structure is observed with a local significance above 5 standard deviations at a mass of 6638_{-38}^{+43}(stat)_{-31}^{+16}(syst) MeV. Another structure with even higher significance is found at a mass of 6847_{-28}^{+44}(stat)_{-20}^{+48}(syst) MeV, which is consistent with the X(6900) resonance reported by the LHCb experiment and confirmed by the ATLAS experiment. Evidence for another new structure, with a local significance of 4.7 standard deviations, is found at a mass of 7134_{-25}^{+48}(stat)_{-15}^{+41}(syst) MeV. Results are also reported for a model without interference, which does not fit the data as well and shows mass shifts up to 150 MeV relative to the model with interference.
The first search for scalar leptoquarks produced in τ-lepton-quark collisions is presented. It is based on a set of proton-proton collision data recorded with the CMS detector at the LHC at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 138 fb^{-1}. The reconstructed final state consists of a jet, significant missing transverse momentum, and a τ lepton reconstructed through its hadronic or leptonic decays. Limits are set on the product of the leptoquark production cross section and branching fraction and interpreted as exclusions in the plane of the leptoquark mass and the leptoquark-τ-quark coupling strength.
The development of Pt-based catalysts for use in fuel cells that meet performance targets of high activity, maximized stability, and low cost remains a huge challenge. Herein, we report a nitrogen (N)-doped high-entropy alloy (HEA) electrocatalyst that consists of a Pt-rich shell and a N-doped PtCoFeNiCu core on a carbon support (denoted as N-Pt/HEA/C). The N-Pt/HEA/C catalyst showed a high mass activity of 1.34 A mgPt-1 at 0.9 V for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in rotating disk electrode (RDE) testing, which substantially outperformed commercial Pt/C and most of the other binary/ternary Pt-based catalysts. The N-Pt/HEA/C catalyst also demonstrated excellent stability in both RDE and membrane electrode assembly (MEA) testing. Using operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements and theoretical calculations, we revealed that the enhanced ORR activity of N-Pt/HEA/C originated from the optimized adsorption energy of intermediates, resulting in the tailored electronic structure formed upon N-doping. Furthermore, we showed that the multiple metal-nitrogen bonds formed synergistically improved the corrosion resistance of the 3d transition metals and enhanced the ORR durability.
The rapid growth of population and economy has led to an increase in urban air pollutants, greenhouse gases, energy shortages, environmental degradation, and species extinction, all of which affect ecosystems, biodiversity, and human health. Atmospheric pollution sources are divided into direct and indirect pollutants. Through analysis of the sources of pollutants, the self-functioning of different plants can be utilized to purify the air quality more effectively. Here, we explore the absorption of greenhouse gases and particulate matter in cities as well as the reduction of urban temperatures by plants based on international scientific literature on plant air pollution mitigation, according to the adsorption, dust retention, and transpiration functions of plants. At the same time, it can also reduce the occurrence of extreme weather. It is necessary to select suitable tree species for planting according to different plant functions and environmental needs. In the context of tight urban land use, the combination of vertical greening and urban architecture, through the rational use of plants, has comprehensively addressed urban air pollution. In the future, in urban construction, attention should be paid to the use of heavy plants and the protection and development of green spaces. Our review provides necessary references for future urban planning and research.
A search for dark matter in events with a displaced nonresonant muon pair and missing transverse momentum is presented. The analysis is performed using an integrated luminosity of 138 fb^{-1} of proton-proton (pp) collision data at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV produced by the LHC in 2016-2018. No significant excess over the predicted backgrounds is observed. Upper limits are set on the product of the inelastic dark matter production cross section σ(pp→A^{'}→χ_{1}χ_{2}) and the decay branching fraction B(χ_{2}→χ_{1}μ^{+}μ^{-}), where A^{'} is a dark photon and χ_{1} and χ_{2} are states in the dark sector with near mass degeneracy. This is the first dedicated collider search for inelastic dark matter.
The first evidence for the Higgs boson decay to a Z boson and a photon is presented, with a statistical significance of 3.4 standard deviations. The result is derived from a combined analysis of the searches performed by the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations with proton-proton collision datasets collected at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) from 2015 to 2018. These correspond to integrated luminosities of around 140 fb^{-1} for each experiment, at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. The measured signal yield is 2.2±0.7 times the standard model prediction, and agrees with the theoretical expectation within 1.9 standard deviations.
Quasireal photons exchanged in relativistic heavy ion interactions are powerful probes of the gluonic structure of nuclei. The coherent J/ψ photoproduction cross section in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions is measured as a function of photon-nucleus center-of-mass energies per nucleon (W_{γN}^{Pb}) over a wide range of 40x (≈6×10^{-5}) gluons being probed in a heavy nucleus. The observed energy dependence is not predicted by current quantum chromodynamic models.
Ferroptosis, characterized by iron-dependent cell death, has recently emerged as a critical defense mechanism against microbial infections. The present study aims to investigate the involvement of exosomes in the induction of ferroptosis and the inhibition of bacterial infection in crustaceans. Our findings provide compelling evidence for the pivotal role of exosomes in the immune response of crustaceans, wherein they facilitate intracellular iron accumulation and activate the ferroptotic pathways. Using RNA-seq and bioinformatic analysis, we demonstrate that cytochrome P450 (CYP) can effectively trigger ferroptosis. Moreover, by conducting an analysis of exosome cargo proteins, we have identified the participation of six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 in the regulation of hemocyte ferroptotic sensitivity. Subsequent functional investigations unveil that six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of prostate 4 enhances cellular Fe2+ levels, thereby triggering Fenton reactions and accelerating CYP-mediated lipid peroxidation, ultimately culminating in ferroptotic cell death. Additionally, the Fe2+-dependent CYP catalyzes the conversion of arachidonic acid into 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, which activates the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor. Consequently, the downstream target of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, cluster of differentiation 36, promotes intracellular fatty acid accumulation, lipid peroxidation, and ferroptosis. These significant findings shed light on the immune defense mechanisms employed by crustaceans and provide potential strategies for combating bacterial infections in this species.
The transferability and clinical value of genetic risk scores (GRSs) across populations remain limited due to an imbalance in genetic studies across ancestrally diverse populations. Here we conducted a multi-ancestry genome-wide association study of 156,319 prostate cancer cases and 788,443 controls of European, African, Asian and Hispanic men, reflecting a 57% increase in the number of non-European cases over previous prostate cancer genome-wide association studies. We identified 187 novel risk variants for prostate cancer, increasing the total number of risk variants to 451. An externally replicated multi-ancestry GRS was associated with risk that ranged from 1.8 (per standard deviation) in African ancestry men to 2.2 in European ancestry men. The GRS was associated with a greater risk of aggressive versus non-aggressive disease in men of African ancestry (P = 0.03). Our study presents novel prostate cancer susceptibility loci and a GRS with effective risk stratification across ancestry groups.
Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott (family Fabaceae Juss.) also called pagoda tree, is widely planted in northern China in landscape plantings, for erosion control and forestry. In recent years, symptoms of branch dieback were observed on S. japonicum in the southern part of Xinjiang province, China. From 2019 to 2022, in total ca. 1000 ha area was surveyed in Korla (41.68°N, 86.06°E), Bohu (41.95°N, 86.53°E) and Alaer (41.15°N, 80.29°E). Typical symptoms were observed in 70% of the surveyed branches. To identify the cause, we collected 50 symptomatic branches. Symptoms were initially observed on green current-year twigs, which turned grayish white in color. In the later stages of disease development, a large number of nacked black conidia formed under epidermis of perennial branches, causing visible black protrusions (pycnidia) on branch surface. The disease occurred throughout the entire growing season of S. japonicum. Symptoms also occurred on the inflorescence, fruit, and twigs. In some cases, infection resulted in tree mortality. Isolations were made from the margin between healthy and diseased tissues. Small pieces were excised, surface disinfested (75% ethanol 30 s, 1% NaClO solution 5 mins), cut into pieces (5 to 10 mm2), and incubated on PDA medium at 28℃ for 3 days. A total of 16 isolates (GH01-GH16) with similar colony morphology were obtained. The colonies were initially white, gradually turning to olive-green on the surface and black on the underside after 7 days. Microscopically, the conidia were aseptate, 1-septate, two-septate, and muriform, 2.6-4.5 × 2.9-27.6 μm (n=50). Pycnidia ranged in size from 120.2 to 135.5 × 112.4 to 118.6 µm (n=20). Those morphological characters matched the descriptions of Neoscytalidium dimidiatum (previously N. novaehollandiae) (Alizadeh et al. 2022; Pavlic et al. 2008). For molecular identification, genomic DNA of GH01-GH16 were extracted from fresh mycelia. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS), large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (LSU), and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-α) gene were amplified using the primer sets ITS1/ITS4 (White 1990), LRoR/LR5 (Vilgalys and Hester 1990) and EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn 1999). The sequences were deposited in GenBank (accession No. OP379832, OQ096643-OQ096657 for ITS, OP389048, OQ127403-OQ127417 for LSU, and OQ136617, OQ586044-OQ586058 for EF1-α). The ITS sequence had 100% identity (505/505 bp) to MT362600. Similarly, the LSU and EF1-α sequences were found to be identical to MW883823 (100%, 821/821 bp) and KX464763(99%, 256/258 bp), respectively. Pathogenicity was tested on one-year-old healthy S. japonicum seedlings. Spores of representative isolate GH01 were produced on PDA by incubating for 7-days at 28℃. Conidia were washed with sterile water. Five trees were inoculated with 1 × 106 conidia/ml conidial suspensions and five trees were sprayed with sterile water. All trees were covered with plastic bags for 24 h and kept at 25°C in a greenhouse. Signs and symptoms were similar to those observed in field collections one month after inoculation, while no symptoms occurred on the controls. The original fungus was successfully reisolated from the inoculated trees and was identified as N. dimidiatum following the methods described above. N. dimidiatum has been reported in many Asian country such as Malaysia, India, Turkey, and Iran(Akgül et al. 2019; Alizadeh et al. 2022; Khoo et al. 2023; Salunkhe et al. 2023). To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. dimidiatum associated with branch dieback of S. japonicum in China. Our findings have expanded the host range of N. dimidiatum in China and provides a theoretical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
Industrialization and overpopulation have polluted aquatic environments with significant impacts on human health and wildlife. The main pollutants in urban sewage are nitrogen, phosphorus, heavy metals and organic pollutants, which need to be treated with sewage, and the use of aquatic plants to purify wastewater has high efficiency and low cost. However, the effectiveness and efficiency of phytoremediation are also affected by temperature, pH, microorganisms and other factors. The use of biochar can reduce the cost of wastewater purification, and the combination of biochar and nanotechnology can improve the efficiency of wastewater purification. Some aquatic plants can enrich pollutants in wastewater, so it can be considered to plant these aquatic plants in constructed wetlands to achieve the effect of purifying wastewater. Biochar treatment technology can purify wastewater with high efficiency and low cost, and can be further applied to constructed wetlands. In this paper, the latest research progress of various pollutants in wastewater purification by aquatic plants is reviewed, and the efficient treatment technology of wastewater by biochar is discussed. It provides theoretical basis for phytoremediation of urban sewage pollution in the future.
We present an observation of photon-photon production of τ lepton pairs in ultraperipheral lead-lead collisions. The measurement is based on a data sample with an integrated luminosity of 404 μb^{-1} collected by the CMS experiment at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair of sqrt[s_{NN}]=5.02 TeV. The γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-} process is observed for τ^{+}τ^{-} events with a muon and three charged hadrons in the final state. The measured fiducial cross section is σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-})=4.8±0.6(stat)±0.5(syst) μb, where the second (third) term corresponds to the statistical (systematic) uncertainty in σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-}) in agreement with leading-order QED predictions. Using σ(γγ→τ^{+}τ^{-}), we estimate a model-dependent value of the anomalous magnetic moment of the τ lepton of a_{τ}=0.001_{-0.089}^{+0.055}.
In response to the growing concern for environmental pollution, two lanthanide compounds {[Ln(L)(H2O)]·4H2O}n (where Ln = Tb and Gd, H3L = 1-amino-2,4,6-benzene tricarboxylic acid) were synthesized using a -NH2 modified ligand and systematically characterized. Both compounds exhibit remarkable fluorescence response, adsorption of CrO42- ions, and photocatalytic degradation properties, as well as exceptional acid-base and thermal stability. Remarkably, the pH-dependent 1-Tb exhibits exceptional performance as a fluorescent probe for detecting Fe3+ and CrO42-/Cr2O72- ions in aqueous solutions, while also serving as a ratiometric fluorescent probe for the detection of Cr3+, offering rapid response, high sensitivity, selectivity, and recoverability advantages in application. Moreover, 1-Tb exhibits excellent detection capabilities and displays effective adsorption of CrO42- ions, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 230.71 mg/g. On the other hand, 1-Gd exhibits superior performance compared to 1-Tb in the photocatalytic degradation of antibiotics. The degradation mechanism is further elucidated by conducting experiments with DFT theoretical calculations.
Traditional picture books for children come with colourful images and a multitude of elements to attract attention and increase the reading interest of typical-developing (TD) children. However, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are less capable of filtering out unimportant elements in pictures and focusing on social items (e.g., human faces). This study proposed that the removal of background and less important elements in the pictures of children's storybooks could facilitate better attention and enhance children with ASD's focus on the main object and thus the intended meaning of the storybook. We adopted pictures from a well-known children's book and modified them by removing the inessential background elements. Then, ASD children with intellectual disabilities (ASD+ID) (n = 40), children with ID (n = 38) and TD (n = 40) were asked to view the original and modified pictures in an eye-tracking experiment, respectively. Additionally, brain activation of ASD+ID participants (n = 10) was recorded as they were viewing those pictures in an fMRI scan. Eye-tracking found that ASD+ID children viewed the modified pictures with significantly longer average fixations, fewer fixations, fewer saccades, and higher fixation/saccade duration ratio. Contrary to the original pictures, no significant differences were found among ASD+ID, ID only and TD. Especially, ASD+ID group showed highly similar visual patterns to the TD participants when viewing the modified pictures and particularly focusing on the main character in the pictures. Additional fMRI evidence on ASD+ID group also revealed that modified pictures were associated with enhanced activation in bilateral fusiform gyri as compared to those from original pictures, which might suggest increased visual attention. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed in light of our findings.
TNFR2 is a surface marker of highly suppressive subset of CD4+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in humans and mice. This study examined the TNFR2 expression by Tregs of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients and healthy controls. The proliferation, migration, survival of TNFR2+ Tregs, and association with clinicopathological characteristics were assessed. The expression levels of selected cytokines were also determined. The results demonstrated that in both peripheral blood (PB) (10.45 ± 5.71%) and tumour microenvironment (TME) (54.38 ± 16.15%) of NPC patients, Tregs expressed TNFR2 at noticeably greater levels than conventional T cells (Tconvs) (3.91 ± 2.62%, p 0.05), the proportions of PB and TME TNFR2+ Tregs in NPC patients showed more proliferative, higher migration capacity, and better survival ability, as compared to those in healthy controls. Furthermore, TNFR2+ Tregs from NPC patients expressed significantly higher amounts of IL-6 (p = 0.0077), IL-10 (p = 0.0001), IFN-γ (p = 0.0105) and TNF-α (p
Tumours do not exist in isolation from the organism; their growth, proliferation, motility, and immunosuppressive response are intricately connected to the tumour's microenvironment. As tumour cells and the microenvironment coevolve, an inflammatory microenvironment ensues, propelling the phenomenon of inflammation-cancer transformation-an idea proposed by modern medicine. This review aims to encapsulate the array of representative factors within the tumour's inflammatory microenvironment, such as interleukins (IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IL-1β), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Moreover, drawing upon research in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and pharmacology, we explore the delicate interplay between these factors and tumour-associated inflammatory cells: tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs) and dendritic cells (DCs). By analyzing the tumour-promoting effects of these entities, we delve into the connotations of Academician Tong Xiao-lin's novel model of "state-target differentiation" and its application in the diagnosis and treatment of tumours. Our aim is to enhance the precision and targeting of tumour treatment in clinical practice. Delving deeper into our understanding of tumour pathogenesis through the lens of modern medicine, we discern the key etiology and pathogenesis throughout the entire developmental stage of tumours, unveiling the evolutionary patterns of Chinese Medicine (CM) states: heat state → phlegm state → stagnation state → deficiency state. Building upon this foundation, we devised a state-regulating formula. Simultaneously, drawing on pharmacological research in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), we meticulously identified a range of targeted drugs that effectively modulate the aforementioned tumour-related mediators. This comprehensive strategy-a harmonious integration of state identification, target recognition, and simultaneous regulation-aims to elevate clinical efficacy. The fusion of TCM with Western medicine in tumour treatment introduces novel dimensions to the precise and refined application of TCM in clinical practice.
The dependence of the ratio between the B_{s}^{0} and B^{+} hadron production fractions, f_{s}/f_{u}, on the transverse momentum (p_{T}) and rapidity of the B mesons is studied using the decay channels B_{s}^{0}→J/ψϕ and B^{+}→J/ψK^{+}. The analysis uses a data sample of proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment in 2018 and corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 61.6 fb^{-1}. The f_{s}/f_{u} ratio is observed to depend on the B p_{T} and to be consistent with becoming asymptotically constant at large p_{T}. No rapidity dependence is observed. The ratio of the B^{0} to B^{+} meson production fractions, f_{d}/f_{u}, is also measured, for the first time in proton-proton collisions, using the B^{0}→J/ψK^{*0} decay channel. The result is found to be within 1 standard deviation of unity and independent of p_{T} and rapidity, as expected from isospin invariance.