Early on-treatment plasma interleukin-18 as a promising indicator for long-term virological response in patients with HIV-1 infection

Background and aimsIt is necessary to identify simple biomarkers that can efficiently predict the efficacy of long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART) against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), especially in underdeveloped countries. We characterized the dynamic changes in plasma interleukin-18 (IL-18) and assessed its performance as a predictor of long-term virological response.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of HIV-1-infected patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial with a follow-up of 144  weeks of ART. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to evaluate plasma IL-18. Long-term virological response was defined as HIV-1 RNA <20 copies/mL at week 144.ResultsAmong the 173 enrolled patients, the long-term virological response rate was 93.1%. Patients with a long-term virological response had significantly lower levels of week 24 IL-18 than non-responders. We defined 64  pg./mL, with a maximum sum of sensitivity and specificity, as the optimal cutoff value of week 24 IL-18 level to predict long-term virological response. After adjusting for age, gender, baseline CD4+ T-cell count, baseline CD4/CD8 ratio, baseline HIV-1 RNA level, HIV-1 genotype and treatment strategy, we found that lower week 24 IL-18 level (≤64 vs. >64 pg./mL, a OR 19.10, 95% CI: 2.36–154.80) was the only independent predictor of long-term virological response.ConclusionEarly on-treatment plasma IL-18 could act as a promising indicator for long-term virological response in patients with HIV-1 infection. Chronic immune activation and inflammation may represent a potential mechanism; further validation is necessary

Hollow mesoporous silica supported PtIr bimetal catalysts for selective hydrogenation of phenol: significant promotion effect of iridium

Selective hydrogenation of phenol is of great significant for the production of Nylon 6. Herein, highly efficient and stable Ir promoted Pt catalysts for the hydrogenation of phenol are prepared by deposition of Pt-Ir nanoparticles onto hollow mesoporous silica spheres (HMSs) through a facile wet-impregnation and H-2 reduction method. The obtained PtIr/HMS catalyst with Ir/Pt molar ratio of 0.1 shows a highest hydrogenation rate of 4255 mmol h(-1) gPt(-1) with cyclohexanone selectivity of 85% at 50 degrees C and 0.5 MPa of pH(2), which is 3 times and 8.6 times higher than that of the mono Pt/HMS catalyst and commercial Pt catalyst, respectively. The trace addition of Ir promoter essentially contributes to the enhanced hydrogenation activity by improving the metal dispersion of Pt nanoparticles and promoting the charge transfer between the Pt and Ir. This work provides an effective protocol in developing high performance catalysts for phenol hydrogenation under mild reaction conditions

Biological Invasion Data Gaps in China: Examples of Distribution, Inventories, and Impact

The impact of invasive alien species (IAS) on nature and society is increasing globally. It is crucial to utilize information systems for evidence-based management, enabling the assessment and supporting survey and control actions. However, the lack of accessible and comprehensive baseline IAS data often impedes the ability to prioritize and allocate resources efficiently. Despite the increased public awareness of biological invasions in China over the past decades, the critical importance of data requirements has not been fully recognized, leading to gaps in available data. Here, we outline the key data demands for the management of biological invasions and highlight the current lack of high-quality data for invasion management in China, and critically assess data gaps in IAS distribution, inventory, and impact. Additionally, we propose a conceptual framework to illustrate the data requirements throughout the invasion management process, along with indicators to assess data quality within three dimensions: relevance, resolution, and reliability

Analysis on Current Situation of Yunnan’s Demand Response and Research on Improvement Methods

Abstract At present, the implementation of DSM fails to effectively alleviate the seasonal and periodic power shortage in Yunnan Province, and it is still dominated by the active regulation of power grid companies, lacking of market-oriented mechanism. Based on the experience of Jiangsu and Shandong Province in demand response, this paper puts forward several problems in Yunnan Province, such as the lack of basis for formulating demand response subsidy price, the platform construction has not yet realized the power data access of main power users, the implementation of demand response is imperfect and lacks market-oriented mechanism. On this basis, improvement methods are proposed, including distinguishing the capital sources of peak shaving and valley filling demand response, promoting the construction, development and operation and maintenance of the demand response platform of Yunnan energy investment group, and actively organizing enterprises to apply for DSM demonstration enterprises and products in the industrial field.</jats:p

Resonance and antiresonance characteristics in linearly delayed Maryland model

The Maryland model is a critical theoretical model in quantum chaos. This model describes the motion of a spin-1/2 particle on a one-dimensional lattice under the periodical disturbance of the external delta-function-like magnetic field. In this work, we propose the linearly delayed quantum relativistic Maryland model (LDQRMM) as a novel generalization of the original Maryland model and systematically study its physical properties. We derive the resonance and antiresonance conditions for the angular momentum spread. The “characteristic sum” is introduced in this paper as a new measure to quantify the sensitivity between the angular momentum spread and the model parameters. In addition, different topological patterns emerge in the LDQRMM. It predicts some additions to the Anderson localization in the corresponding tight-binding systems. Our theoretical results could be verified experimentally by studying cold atoms in optical lattices disturbed by a linearly delayed magnetic field.</jats:p