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To explore the mechanism of inhibiting spontaneous combustion of coal by mixed gases, the low-temperature oxidation characteristics of coal under different components of mixed gases were analyzed. ESR and FTIR experiments were used to investigate the effects of different gas mixtures on the activity of coal during low-temperature oxidation and the oxidation reaction of coal surface functional groups. The mechanism of chemical oxygen inhibition of mixed gas was studied by density functional theory. The results show that the larger the CO 2 component in the mixed gas, the higher the ability to inhibit coal oxidation. The concentration of free radicals in coal under dry air condition is higher than that under inert mixed gas condition during oxidation heating at 30–230 °C. The oxidation ability of –CH 3 , –OH and oxygen-containing functional groups in the mixed gas reaction is inhibited. Through quantum chemistry calculation, it is found that the mixed gas increases the activation energy of free radicals and reduces the heat release of the reaction. This study provides theoretical reference for coal mine thermal disaster.

The last decade has witnessed the booming of preclinical studies of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in biomedical applications, from therapeutics delivery, imaging diagnostics, to cancer therapies. The synthetic versatility, unique optical and electronic properties, and ease of functionalization make AuNPs an excellent platform for cancer theranostics. This review summarizes the development of AuNPs as contrast agents to image cancers. First, we briefly describe the AuNP synthesis, their physical characteristics, surface functionalization and related biomedical uses. Then we focus on the performances of AuNPs as contrast agents to diagnose cancers, from magnetic resonance imaging, CT and nuclear imaging, fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic imaging to X-ray fluorescence imaging. We compare these imaging modalities and highlight the roles of AuNPs as contrast agents in cancer diagnosis accordingly, and address the challenges for their clinical translation.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a well-documented therapy that has emerged as an effective treatment modality of cancers. PDT utilizes harmless light to activate non- or minimally toxic photosensitizers to generate cytotoxic species for malignant cell eradication. Compared with conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy, PDT is appealing by virtue of the minimal invasiveness, its safety, as well as its selectivity, and the fact that it can induce an immune response. Although local illumination of the cancer lesions renders intrinsic selectivity of PDT, most photosensitizers used in PDT do not display significant tumor tissue selectivity. There is a need for targeted delivery of photosensitizers. The molecular identification of cancer antigens has opened new possibilities for the development of effective targeted therapy for cancer patients. This review provides a brief overview of recent achievements of targeted delivery of photosensitizers to cancer cells by targeting well-established cancer biomarkers. Overall, targeted PDT offers enhanced intracellular accumulation of the photosensitizer, leading to improved PDT efficacy and reduced toxicity to normal tissues.

The sustainable development of autonomous vehicles (AVs) depends on effective collaboration among the government–industry–academia (GIA). Drawing on the Triple Helix theory, this study examines how the GIA interacts within emerging AV ecosystems at the local level. A qualitative research design was employed, including policy reviews and in-depth semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders in Suzhou’s AV ecosystem, to gain a detailed understanding of the collaborations. Our findings revealed three bottlenecks: (1) fragmented governance across administrative districts, which blurs responsibility for infrastructure investment and policy alignment; (2) short-term, project-based industry partnerships that limit knowledge spillovers and marginalize smaller local firms; and (3) limited academic engagement in R&D, despite a strong output in basic research. These factors lock the AV ecosystem into a hybrid configuration between government-led (Triple Helix I) and industry-driven (Triple Helix II) models, constraining sustained innovation. The study argues that to strengthen the AV ecosystem, it is essential to establish a cohesive policy framework, promote cross-sector collaboration, and involve academia more deeply in addressing social, ethical, and regulatory concerns. This paper contributes to the GIA and Triple Helix literature by offering insights into the complexity of collaboration within a rapidly developing AV sector and providing recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of GIA collaborations to foster sustainable AV development.

Effective strategy to mitigate the ongoing pandemic of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) require a comprehensive understanding of humoral responses against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the emerging virus causing COVID-19. The dynamic profile of viral replication and shedding along with viral antigen specific antibody responses among COVID-19 patients started to be reported but there is no consensus on their patterns. Here, we conducted a serial investigation on 21 individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 in two medical centres from Jiangsu Province, including 11 non-severe COVID-19 patients, and 5 severe COVID-19 patients and 5 asymptomatic carriers based on nucleic acid test and clinical symptoms. The longitudinal swab samples and sera were collected from these people for viral RNA testing and antibody responses, respectively. Our data revealed different pattern of seroconversion among these groups. All 11 non-severe COVID-19 patients and 5 severe COVID-19 patients were seroconverted during hospitalization or follow-up period, suggesting that serological testing is a complementary assay to nucleic acid test for those symptomatic COVID-19 patients. Of note, immediate antibody responses were identified among severe cases, compared to non-severe cases. On the other hand, only one were seroconverted for asymptomatic carriers. The SARS-CoV-2 specific antibody responses were well-maintained during the observation period. Such information is of immediate relevance and would assist COVID-19 clinical diagnosis, prognosis and vaccine design.

Ultrasound imaging is routinely used to guide prostate biopsies, yet delineation of tumors within the prostate gland is extremely challenging, even with microbubble (MB) contrast. A more effective ultrasound protocol is needed that can effectively localize malignancies for targeted biopsy or aid in patient selection and treatment planning for organ-sparing focal therapy. This study focused on evaluating the application of a novel nanobubble ultrasound contrast agent targeted to the prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA-targeted NBs) in ultrasound imaging of prostate cancer (PCa) in vivo using a clinically relevant orthotopic tumor model in nude mice. Our results demonstrated that PSMA-targeted NBs had increased extravasation and retention in PSMA-expressing orthotopic mouse tumors. These processes are reflected in significantly different time intensity curve (TIC) and several kinetic parameters for targeted versus non-targeted NBs or LUMASON MBs. These, may in turn, lead to improved image-based detection and diagnosis of PCa in the future.

Growing shipping activities in port areas have generated negative impacts on climate, air quality and human health. To better evaluate the environmental impact of ship emissions, an experimental characterization of air pollution from ships was conducted in Shanghai Port in the summer of 2016. The ambient concentrations of gaseous NO, NO2, SO2 and O3 in addition to fine particulate matter concentrations (PM2.5), particle size distributions and the chemical composition of individual particles from ship emission were continuously monitored for 3 months. Ship emission plumes were visible at the port site in terms of clear peaks in the gaseous species and particulate matter concentrations. The SO2 and vanadium particle numbers were found to correlate best with ship emissions in Shanghai Port. Single-particle data showed that ship emission particles at the port site mainly concentrated in a smaller size range (<0.4 µm), where their number contributions were more important than their mass contributions to ambient particulate matter. The composition of ship emission particles at the port site suggested that they were mostly freshly emitted particles: their mass spectra were dominated by peaks of sulfate, elemental carbon (EC), and trace metals such as V, Ni, Fe and Ca, in addition to displaying very low nitrate signals. The gaseous NOx composition in some cases of plumes showed evidence of atmospheric transformation by ambient O3, which subsequently resulted in O3 depletion in the area. Quantitative estimations in this study showed that ship emissions contributed 36.4 % to SO2, 0.7 % to NO, 5.1 % to NO2, −0.9 % to O3, 5.9 % to PM2.5 and 49.5 % to vanadium particles in the port region if land-based emissions were included, and 57.2 % to SO2, 71.9 % to NO, 30.4 % to NO2, −16.6 % to O3, 27.6 % to PM2.5 and 77.0 % to vanadium particles if land-based emissions were excluded.

Molecular imaging is a non‐invasive imaging method that is widely used for visualization and detection of biological events at cellular or molecular levels. Stimuli‐responsive linkers that can be selectively cleaved by specific biomarkers at desired sites to release or activate imaging agents are appealing tools to improve the specificity, sensitivity, and efficacy of molecular imaging. This review summarizes the recent advances of stimuli‐responsive linkers and their application in molecular imaging, highlighting the potential of these linkers in the design of activatable molecular imaging probes. It is hoped that this review could inspire more research interests in the development of responsive linkers and associated imaging applications. Stimuli‐responsive linkers are appealing tools to improve the specificity, sensitivity, and efficacy of molecular imaging. In this review, the recent examples and progress toward the development of stimuli‐responsive linkers and their application in molecular imaging are systematically summarized, highlighting the potential of these linkers in the design of activatable molecular imaging probes.

Unilateral Nephrectomy is one of the most common treatments for surgical diseases of the kidney but often results in postsurgical acute kidney injury (AKI). In the current study, we aimed to investigate the risk factors for AKI in patients who have received Unilateral Nephrectomy. We retrospectively analysed 528 patients who underwent Unilateral Nephrectomy for different etiologies between January 2013 and December 2018 at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University. We recorded the prevalence and severity of AKI, age, gender, diabetes, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, preoperative renal function, etiology, performed surgically, anaemia, albumin, coagulation, lactate dehydrogenase, nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the predictors of AKI in patients with Unilateral Nephrectomy. Overall, 218 of the 528 patients (41.2%) developed AKI during their hospitalisation. Univariate analysis showed that AKI was significantly associated with gender (male, OR = 1.866, P  = 0.001), overweight (OR = 2.19, P  = 0.0002), and surgical approach (OR = 1.7, P  = 0.018), while multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male gender (OR = 1.953, P  = 0.001), overweight (OR = 2.176, P  = 0.001), and preoperative renal function (OR = 0.507, P  = 0.001) were independent factors for AKI. Regression analysis among different etiologies showed significant differences in postoperative AKI. After Unilateral nephrectomy, AKI is more likely to occur in overweight male patients with normal kidney function. AKI occurred more frequently in patients who are kidney donors, but rarely in those with non-function kidneys.

Protein-templated fragment ligations have been established as a powerful method for the assembly and detection of optimized protein ligands. Initially developed for reversible ligations, the method has been expanded to irreversible reactions enabling the formation of super-additive fragment combinations. Here, protein-induced Mannich ligations are discovered as a biocatalytic reaction furnishing inhibitors of the transcription factor STAT5. STAT5 protein catalyzes multicomponent reactions of a phosphate mimetic, formaldehyde, and 1 H -tetrazoles yielding protein ligands with greatly increased binding affinity and ligand efficiency. Reactions are induced under physiological conditions selectively by native STAT5 but not by other proteins. Formation of ligation products and (auto-)inhibition of the reaction are quantified and the mechanism is investigated. Inhibitors assembled by STAT5 block specifically the phosphorylation of this protein in a cellular model of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), DNA-binding of STAT5 dimers, expression of downstream targets of the transcription factor, and the proliferation of cancer cells in mice. The oncogene STAT5 is involved in cancer cell proliferation. Here, the authors use STAT5 protein to assemble its own small molecule inhibitors via Mannich ligation (three-component-reactions) and show that the resultant ligands can inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells in a mouse model.