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Under high ambient pressure (5 MPa) and different injection pressures (90, 120, and 150 MPa), a high‐speed imaging technique was carried out to comparatively investigate the macroscopic spray characteristics of diesel with three different types of blended fuel in a constant volume chamber. The oxygenated fuels were n‐butanol (B), pine oil (P), and 2,5‐dimethylfuran (DMF). All their blending ratio with diesel were 20%. Results showed that less viscosity could be improved the spray characteristics of the fuel in the range of experimental conditions. Then, the tested fuels had a longer penetration and a greater spray area with increasing the injection pressure from 90 to 150 MPa. On the other hand, the percentage increases in the mean spray cone angle of D100, B20, P20, and DMF20 were 3%, 4.4%, 2.4%, and 2.9%, respectively. At the same experimental condition, the spray penetrations of DMF20 and P20 were larger than that of D100, but the spray penetration of B20 was basically similar to D100. Besides, the performance of the spray cone angle and spray area were D100 < B20 < P20 < DMF20. In addition, the comprehensive influence was that blending oxygenated fuels would be a benefit for developing fuel atomization and the air–fuel mixture of conventional diesel fuel. There are only very few efforts focused on macroscopic spray characteristics of various oxygenated diesel fuels and perhaps no investigation simultaneously involved in the n‐butanol, pine oil, 2,5‐dimethylfuran, and diesel blended fuels through experimental measurement with the combined effect of fuel property and injection pressure. With that in mind, the objective of this study is seeking to bridge the gap identified in the literature. The investigation confirmed the benefit of oxygenated fuel addition as a useful means to improve spray development which strengthens the combustion more effectively and rapidly.

Fengyun-4B (FY-4B) is the latest Chinese next-generation geostationary meteorological satellite. The Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) aboard FY-4B is equipped with 15 spectral bands, from visible to infrared, suitable for aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval. In this study, an overland AOD retrieval algorithm was developed for the FY-4B AGRI. Considering the large directional variation in the FY-4B AGRI reflectances, a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) database was built, through which to estimate land surface reflectance/albedo. Seasonal aerosol models, based on four geographical regions in China, were developed between 2016 and 2022 using AERONET aerosol products, to improve their applicability to regional distribution differences and seasonal variations in aerosol types. AGRI AODs were retrieved using this new method over China from September 2022 to August 2023 and validated against ground-based measurements. The AGRI, Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI), and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) official land aerosol products were also evaluated for comparison purposes. The results showed that the AGRI AOD retrievals were highly consistent with the AERONET AOD measurements, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.88, root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.14, and proportion that met an expected error (EE) of 65.04%. Intercomparisons between the AGRI AOD and other operational AOD products showed that the AGRI AOD retrievals achieved better performance results than the AGRI, AHI, and MODIS official AOD products. Moreover, the AGRI AOD retrievals showed high spatial integrity and stable performance at different times and regions, as well as under different aerosol loadings and characteristics. These results demonstrate the robustness of the new aerosol retrieval method and the potential of FY-4B AGRI measurements for the monitoring of aerosols with high accuracy and temporal resolutions.

Background Immunotherapy has been confirmed efficient in recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), but its role in the locoregionally advanced setting is undetermined. Previous evidence in non-endemic areas of NPC is also lacking. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of induction chemotherapy plus camrelizumab followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for patients with locoregionally advanced NPC in non-endemic areas. Methods In this phase 2 trial, patients born and living in North China with untreated stage III to IVa NPC were enrolled. All patients received two 21-day cycles of camrelizumab (200 mg) plus docetaxel (75 mg/m 2 ) and cisplatin (75 mg/m 2 ), followed by intensity modulated radiotherapy and concurrent cisplatin (80 mg/m 2 for two 21-day cycles). After CCRT, patients received camrelizumab maintenance for 12 cycles. The primary endpoint was 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rate. Results From February 2021 to September 2023, a total of 57 patients were included for analysis. The objective response rate was 92.8% after induction therapy and 100% after CCRT. With a median follow-up time of 21 months, the 3-year DFS rate was 84%. The 3-year locoregional recurrence-free survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and overall survival rates were 95.8%, 90.9%, and 89.5%, respectively. The most common grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events were leukopenia and neutropenia during induction therapy, and weight loss and lymphopenia during CCRT. Conclusions Induction immunochemotherapy combined with CCRT shows promising antitumor activity with a manageable safety profile in patients with locoregionally advanced NPC from non-endemic areas, which deserves further validation. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04782765.

Gut microbiota have been implicated in the development of many human diseases, including both digestive diseases and non-digestive diseases. In this study, we investigated whether the gut bacteria differed in cervical cancer (CCa) patients compared with healthy controls by 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. Subjects including eight CCa and five healthy controls were included. Microbiota profiles in fecal DNA were characterized by PCR amplification of the 16S rRNA V4 variable region and deep sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq platform. The CCa-associated gut microbiota had an increasing trend in alpha diversity, although statistical significance was not reached. Inter-group variability in community structure by beta diversity analysis showed a clear separation between cancer patients and healthy controls. Gut microbiota profiles were different between patients and controls; namely, the proportions of Proteobacteria phylum was notably higher in patients with CCa (ρ = 0.012). Seven genera differentiated significantly in relative abundance between CCa and controls (all ρ < 0.05), including Escherichia–Shigella, Roseburia, Pseudomonas, Lachnoclostridium, Lachnospiraceae_UCG-004, Dorea and Succinivibrio. The characteristic microbiome in CCa patients was also identified by linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe). The phylum Proteobacteria, and the genus Parabacteroides, Escherichia_Shigells and Roseburia may provide novel potential biomarkers for CCa. Taken together, this is the first study on gut microbiota in patients with CCa, and demonstrated the significantly altered diversity and composition.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) status strongly predicts positive clinical outcomes in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC); however, the potential reasons have not been fully elucidated. Here, we characterized the immune context in HPV+ and HPV− HNSCC by integrating scRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq data. In scRNA-seq data, HPV + HNSCC displayed increased B cells, plasma cells, CD4 + effector T cells, and decreased macrophages and mast cells. This finding was validated using bulk-cell data. Plasma cells predicted improved survival, and macrophages were associated with survival disadvantage. 1403 upregulated and 1877 downregulated differential expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained. Gene Ontology and KEGG enrichment analysis showed these DEGs focused on cytokine-related activity. Transcriptional analysis of B and plasma cells revealed associations between B-cell surface marker FCER2 and improved survival. In vitro assays confirmed the ability of FCER2 to suppress cellular proliferation and migration of HPV + tumors. In conclusion, our analysis revealed a heterogeneous tumor immune environment (TME) for HPV+ and HPV− HNSCC. Further, FCER2 + B cells contribute to antitumor immunity.

Cloud Top Height (CTH) is a fundamental parameter in atmospheric science, critically influencing Earth’s radiation budget and hydrological cycle. Satellite-based passive remote sensing provides the primary means of monitoring CTH on a global scale due to its extensive spatial coverage. However, these passive retrieval techniques often rely on idealized physical assumptions, leading to significant systematic biases. To quantify these biases, this study provides an evaluation of two prominent passive CTH products, i.e., Sentinel-5P (S5P, O2 A-band) and Suomi-NPP (NPP, thermal infrared), by comparing their global data from July 2018 to June 2019 against the active CloudSat/CALIPSO (CC) reference. The results reveal stark and complementary error patterns. For single-layer liquid clouds over land, the products exhibit opposing biases, with S5P underestimating CTH while NPP overestimates it. For ice clouds, both products show a general underestimation, but NPP is more accurate. In challenging two-layer scenes, both retrieval methods show large systematic biases, with S5P often erroneously detecting the lower cloud layer. These distinct error characteristics highlight the fundamental limitations of single-sensor retrievals and reveal the potential to organically combine the advantages of different products to improve CTH accuracy.

Accurately estimating fine ambient particulate matter (PM2.5) is important to assess air quality and to support epidemiological studies. To analyze the spatiotemporal variation of PM2.5 concentrations, previous studies used different methodologies, such as statistical models or neural networks, to estimate PM2.5. However, there is little research on full-coverage PM2.5 estimation using a combination of ground-measured, satellite-estimated, and atmospheric chemical model data. In this study, the linear mixed effect (LME) model, which used the aerosol optical depth (AOD) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), meteorological data, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and elevation data as predictors, was fitted for 2017 over Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH). The LME model was used to calibrate the PM2.5 concentration using the nested air-quality prediction modeling system (NAQPMS) simulated with ground measurements. The inverse variance weighting (IVW) method was used to fuse satellite-estimated and model-calibrated PM2.5. The results showed a strong agreement with ground measurements, with an overall coefficient (R2) of 0.78 and a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 26.44 μg/m3 in cross-validation (CV). The seasonal R2 values were 0.75, 0.62, 0.80, and 0.78 in the spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. The fusion results supplement the lack of satellite estimates and can capture more detailed information than the NAQPMS model. Therefore, the results will be helpful for pollution process analyses and health-related studies.

Adipose tissue inflammation is now considered to be a key process underlying metabolic diseases in obese individuals. However, it remains unclear how adipose inflammation is initiated and maintained or the mechanism by which inflammation develops. We found that microRNA-802 ( Mir802 ) expression in adipose tissue is progressively increased with the development of dietary obesity in obese mice and humans. The increasing trend of Mir802 preceded the accumulation of macrophages. Adipose tissue-specific knockout of Mir802 lowered macrophage infiltration and ameliorated systemic insulin resistance. Conversely, the specific overexpression of Mir802 in adipose tissue aggravated adipose inflammation in mice fed a high-fat diet. Mechanistically, Mir802 activates noncanonical and canonical NF-κB pathways by targeting its negative regulator, TRAF3. Next, NF-κB orchestrated the expression of chemokines and SREBP1, leading to strong recruitment and M1-like polarization of macrophages. Our findings indicate that Mir802 endows adipose tissue with the ability to recruit and polarize macrophages, which underscores Mir802 as an innovative and attractive candidate for miRNA-based immune therapy for adipose inflammation.

A metal–organic framework (MOF) formed between Zn and p‐hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) is synthesized using a solvothermal method. These Zn‐PHBA nanorods, which are inexpensive and suitable for mass production, are added as a flame‐retardant into vinyl resin (430 LV, a material used in marine composites). Data from cone calorimetric test demonstrates that adding the Zn‐PHBA nanorods to 430 LV significantly improves flame retardation and smoke suppression. At a high Zn‐PHBA content of 10.0 wt%, the limiting oxygen index of 430 LV increases from 19.5% to 28.5%, and the material reaches the V‐0 rating in vertical burning tests (UL‐94). Moreover, the tensile and impact strengths of 430 LV containing 10 wt% Zn‐PHBA as flame‐retardant do not deteriorate and are even slightly improved. This work demonstrates that this MOF synthesized by a simple and efficient method may be used to produce nanocomposites with excellent flame retardation and mechanical properties, while keeping the material cost sufficiently low for marine applications. This study focuses on finding an inexpensive MOF, suitable for mass production and seeking a solution for the transformation of nanocomposites from low volume/high cost to high volume/low cost under the premise of excellent flame‐retardant and smoke suppression performance.

Background Nutritional status influences the growth and development of the eyes. However, there are few studies on the association between diet, especially whole grains (WG) consumption, and myopia. The study aimed to evaluate the association between WG intake and myopia prevalence among primary school-age children in China. Methods This cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted between November 2019 and December 2019 included 586 children, aged 6–12 years, attending primary school in Binhai district, Tianjin, China. Ophthalmologic examinations and optometric cycloplegic refraction measurements were conducted. Information was collected on known risks and protective factors for myopia and the consumption of WGs, vegetables, and fruits. This association between the probability of myopia and the proportion of WG consumption (WG proportion was calculated as the mean intake from WG sources divided by total grain intake), adjusted for protective and risk factors, was analysed using crude and multivariable logistic regression. Results Among the study participants, 226/586 (38.57%) children had myopia in at least one eye. WG intake was inversely correlated with the prevalence of myopia. Furthermore, in the multivariate analysis, WG intake of > 50% was identified as a protective factor against myopia after subsequent adjustment for children’s age, sex, parental myopia, near-work activity, screen time, reading and writing habits, visual fatigue, outdoor time, and classroom light environment (all P  < 0.05). Conclusion WG intake (> 50%) was an independent protective factor against myopia. Modifying the form of grains consumed (whole versus refined) could be one of the targets of future public health measures.