The risk assessment of relapse among newly enrolled participants in methadone maintenance treatment: A group-LASSO based Bayesian network study

BackgroundRelapse is a great barrier to improving the effectiveness of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Participants with different treatment durations could vary in their compliance with MMT, which may lead to different levels of relapse risk. This study aims to identify the risk factors for relapse and assess the relapse risk of MMT participants of different treatment durations.MethodThis retrospective study used data collected from seven MMT clinics in Guangdong Province, China, from January 2010 to April 2017. Newly enrolled participants who received 6 (n = 903) and 12 (n = 710) months of consecutive treatment with complete data were included. We selected significant risk factors for relapse through the group lasso regression and then incorporated them into Bayesian networks to reveal relationships between factors and predict the relapse risk.ResultsThe results showed that participants who received 6-month treatment had a lower relapse rate (32.0%) than those of 12-month treatment (39.0%, P < 0.05). Factors including personal living status and daily methadone dose were only influential to those who received the 6-month treatment. However, age, age at the initial drug use, HIV infection status, sexual behaviors, and continuous treatment days were common factors of both durations. The highest relapse risk for those after the 6-month treatment was inferred as 66.7% while that of the 12-month treatment was 83.3%. Farmers and those who have high accessibility to MMT services may require additional attention.ConclusionIt is necessary to implement targeted interventions and education based on the treatment durations of participants to decrease the relapse rate. Meanwhile, those about HIV/sexually transmitted infection prevention and anti-narcotics should be held in the whole process

Amplified role of potential HONO sources in O3 formation in North China Plain during autumn haze aggravating processes

Co-occurrences of high concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone (O-3) have been frequently observed in haze-aggravating processes in the North China Plain (NCP) over the past few years. Higher O-3 concentrations on hazy days were hypothesized to be related to nitrous acid (HONO), but the key sources of HONO enhancing O-3 during haze-aggravating processes remain unclear. We added six potential HONO sources, i.e., four groundbased (traffic, soil, and indoor emissions, and the NO2 heterogeneous reaction on ground surface (Het(ground))) sources, and two aerosol-related (the NO2 heterogeneous reaction on aerosol surfaces (Het(aerosol)) and nitrate photolysis (Phot(nitrate))) sources into the WRF-Chem model and designed 23 simulation scenarios to explore the unclear key sources. The results indicate that ground-based HONO sources producing HONO enhancements showed a rapid decrease with height, while the NO C OH reaction and aerosol-related HONO sources decreased slowly with height. Photnitrate contributions to HONO concentrations were enhanced with aggravated pollution levels. The enhancement of HONO due to Phot(nitrate) on hazy days was about 10 times greater than on clean days and Phot(nitrate) dominated daytime HONO sources (similar to 30 %-70% when the ratio of the photolysis frequency of nitrate (J(nitrate)) to gas nitric acid (JHNO(3)) equals 30) at higher layers (>800 m). Compared with that on clean days, the Phot(nitrate) contribution to the enhanced daily maximum 8 h averaged (DMA8) O-3 was increased by over 1 magnitude during the haze-aggravating process. Phot(nitrate) contributed only similar to 5% of the surface HONO in the daytime with a J(nitrate) =JHNO(3) ratio of 30 but contributed similar to 30 %-50% of the enhanced O-3 near the surface in NCP on hazy days. Surface O-3 was dominated by volatile organic compound-sensitive chemistry, while O-3 at higher altitudes ( >800 m) was dominated by NOx-sensitive chemistry. Phot(nitrate) had a limited impact on nitrate concentrations (Peer reviewe

Continuous and comprehensive atmospheric observations in Beijing : a station to understand the complex urban atmospheric environment

Peer reviewe

Intestinal B-cells license metabolic T-cell activation in NASH microbiota/antigen-independently and contribute to fibrosis by IgA-FcR signalling

BACKGROUND & AIMS The progression of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) to fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is aggravated by auto-aggressive T cells. The gut-liver axis contributes to NASH, but the mechanisms involved and the consequences for NASH-induced fibrosis and liver cancer remain unknown. We investigated the role of gastrointestinal B cells in the development of NASH, fibrosis and NASH-induced HCC. METHODS C57BL/6J wild-type (WT), B cell-deficient and different immunoglobulin-deficient or transgenic mice were fed distinct NASH diets (for example, choline-deficient high-fat diet, CD-HFD) or chow diet for 6 or 12 months, whereafter NASH, fibrosis, and NASH-induced HCC were assessed and analysed. Specific pathogen-free/germ-free WT and μMT mice (containing B cells only in the gastrointestinal tract) were fed a CD-HFD, and treated with an anti-CD20 antibody, whereafter NASH and fibrosis were assessed. Tissue biopsy samples from patients with NAFL, NASH and cirrhosis were analysed to correlate the secretion of immunoglobulins to clinicopathological features. Flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and scRNA-Seq analysis were performed in liver and gastrointestinal tissue for immune cells in mice and humans. RESULTS Activated intestinal B cells were increased in mouse and human NASH samples and licensed metabolic T-cell activation to induce NASH independently of antigen-specificity and gut microbiota. Genetic or therapeutic depletion of systemic or gastrointestinal B cells prevented or reverted NASH and liver fibrosis. IgA secretion was necessary for fibrosis induction by activating CD11b+CCR2+F4/80+CD11c-FCGR1+ hepatic myeloid cells through an IgA-FcR signalling axis. Similarly, patients with NASH had increased numbers of activated intestinal B-cells and showed a positive correlation between IgA levels and activated FcRγ+ hepatic myeloid cells as well extent of liver fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS Intestinal B cells and the IgA-FcR signalling axis represent potential therapeutic targets for treating NASH. IMPACT AND IMPLICATIONS Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a chronic inflammatory condition on the rise and can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the 3rd most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Currently, there is no effective treatment for this progressive disease that correlates with a marked risk of HCC mortality and carries a substantial healthcare burden. To date, among all the solid tumours, especially in HCC, the incidence and mortality rates are almost the same, making it crucial to find curative treatments for chronic diseases, such as NASH, which highly predispose to tumorigenesis. We have previously shown that NASH is an auto-aggressive condition aggravated, amongst others, by T cells. Therefore, we hypothesized that B cells might have a role in disease induction and progression. Our present work highlights that B cells have a dual role in NASH pathogenesis, being implicated in the activation of auto-aggressive T cells and the development of fibrosis via activation of monocyte-derived macrophages by secreted immunoglobulins (e.g., IgA). Furthermore, we could show that the absence of B cells prevented HCC development. B-cell intrinsic signalling pathways, secreted immunoglobulins, and interactions of B cells with other immune cells are potential targets in combinatorial NASH therapies against inflammation and fibrosis

Metabolism-Associated Epigenetic and Immunoepigenetic Reprogramming in Liver Cancer

Metabolic reprogramming and epigenetic changes have been characterized as hallmarks of liver cancer. Independently of etiology, oncogenic pathways as well as the availability of different energetic substrates critically influence cellular metabolism, and the resulting perturbations often cause aberrant epigenetic alterations, not only in cancer cells but also in the hepatic tumor microenvironment. Metabolic intermediates serve as crucial substrates for various epigenetic modulations, from post-translational modification of histones to DNA methylation. In turn, epigenetic changes can alter the expression of metabolic genes supporting on the one hand, the increased energetic demand of cancer cells and, on the other hand, influence the activity of tumor-associated immune cell populations. In this review, we will illustrate the most recent findings about metabolic reprogramming in liver cancer. We will focus on the metabolic changes characterizing the tumor microenvironment and on how these alterations impact on epigenetic mechanisms involved in the malignant progression. Furthermore, we will report our current knowledge about the influence of cancer-specific metabolites on epigenetic reprogramming of immune cells and we will highlight how this favors a tumor-permissive immune environment. Finally, we will review the current strategies to target metabolic and epigenetic pathways and their therapeutic potential in liver cancer, alone or in combinatorial approaches

Study on Micro-Characteristics of Microbe-Induced Calcium Carbonate Solidified Loess

Microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has outstanding characteristics in solidifying soil, such as good fluidity, ecological environmental protection, adjustable reaction, etc., making it have a good application prospect. As a typical silty clay, the composition of loess is fine, and the microstructure is quite different from that of sand. Previous research has found that the unconfined compressive strength of loess cured by MICP can be increased by nearly four times. In this paper, by comparing the changes of structural characteristics of undisturbed loess before and after MICP solidification, the mechanism of strength improvement of loess after MICP solidification is revealed from the microscopic level. Firstly, the microstructure of loess before and after solidification is tested by scanning electron microscope, and it is found that the skeleton particles of undisturbed loess are granular, and the soil particles coexist in direct contact and indirect contact, and the pores in soil are mainly overhead pores compared with the microstructure of solidified loess, it is found that the surface contact between aggregates increases obviously, and calcium carbonate generated by MICP is adsorbed around the point contact between aggregates, which makes the contact between soil particles change from point contact to surface contact. Then, Pores (Particles) and Cracks Analysis System (PCAS) is used to quantitatively analyze the pores of loess before and after solidification. The results show that the total pore area, the maximum total pore area and porosity of soil samples decrease, and the total number of pores decreases by 13.2% compared with that before MICP solidification, indicating that a part of calcium carbonate produced by MICP reaction accumulates in tiny pores, thus reducing the number of pores. One part is cemented between soil particles, which increases the contact area of particles. Therefore, some pores of loess solidified by MICP are filled and densified, the contact area between soil particles is increased, and the strength of loess under load is obviously improved

Study on Micro-Characteristics of Microbe-Induced Calcium Carbonate Solidified Loess

Microbial-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP) has outstanding characteristics in solidifying soil, such as good fluidity, ecological environmental protection, adjustable reaction, etc., making it have a good application prospect. As a typical silty clay, the composition of loess is fine, and the microstructure is quite different from that of sand. Previous research has found that the unconfined compressive strength of loess cured by MICP can be increased by nearly four times. In this paper, by comparing the changes of structural characteristics of undisturbed loess before and after MICP solidification, the mechanism of strength improvement of loess after MICP solidification is revealed from the microscopic level. Firstly, the microstructure of loess before and after solidification is tested by scanning electron microscope, and it is found that the skeleton particles of undisturbed loess are granular, and the soil particles coexist in direct contact and indirect contact, and the pores in soil are mainly overhead pores compared with the microstructure of solidified loess, it is found that the surface contact between aggregates increases obviously, and calcium carbonate generated by MICP is adsorbed around the point contact between aggregates, which makes the contact between soil particles change from point contact to surface contact. Then, Pores (Particles) and Cracks Analysis System (PCAS) is used to quantitatively analyze the pores of loess before and after solidification. The results show that the total pore area, the maximum total pore area and porosity of soil samples decrease, and the total number of pores decreases by 13.2% compared with that before MICP solidification, indicating that a part of calcium carbonate produced by MICP reaction accumulates in tiny pores, thus reducing the number of pores. One part is cemented between soil particles, which increases the contact area of particles. Therefore, some pores of loess solidified by MICP are filled and densified, the contact area between soil particles is increased, and the strength of loess under load is obviously improved

Coupling Efficiency Assessment of Food–Energy–Water (FEW) Nexus Based on Urban Resource Consumption towards Economic Development: The Case of Shenzhen Megacity, China

The population aggregation and economic development caused by urbanization significantly influence the efficiency of urban resource consumption. However, the coupling interactions between crucial resource consumptions such as food, energy and water (FEW) and urbanization processes within highly urbanized areas has not been well-studied. In this study, we constructed an assessment framework for the coupling efficiency measurement of FEW resource consumptions in 10 administrative districts across Shenzhen megacity during 2012–2020, based on the data envelopment analysis (DEA). This study demonstrated that, from the perspective of the FEW nexus, increasing efficiencies in the energy consumption of most districts improved the municipal FEW efficiency, while more than half of the districts did not achieve water resource efficiencies throughout the period. Concerning regional economic development, 80% of the districts improved coupling FEW efficiencies by 2020, the average values of which were higher for Yantian, Nanshan, Luohu and Dapeng, and lower for Baoan, Longgang and Guangming, with a downtrend only being observed in Guangming. Overall, the value of the coupling FEW efficiency of Shenzhen megacity rose by 35% from 2012 to 2020. Correlation analysis showed that synergistic effects of efficient resource consumption occurred in most districts, and economic urbanization was the main driving factor of regional FEW efficiencies within Shenzhen megacity. This study provides instructive insights into the status of urban resource consumption and suggests that the coordination of FEW management should be further improved by fiscal intervention to maintain economic development with the limited resources available, which would have valuable implications for synergistic FEW governance in megacities in China and elsewhere

VINS-MKF: A Tightly-Coupled Multi-Keyframe Visual-Inertial Odometry for Accurate and Robust State Estimation

State estimation is crucial for robot autonomy, visual odometry (VO) has received significant attention in the robotics field because it can provide accurate state estimation. However, the accuracy and robustness of most existing VO methods are degraded in complex conditions, due to the limited field of view (FOV) of the utilized camera. In this paper, we present a novel tightly-coupled multi-keyframe visual-inertial odometry (called VINS-MKF), which can provide an accurate and robust state estimation for robots in an indoor environment. We first modify the monocular ORBSLAM (Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) to multiple fisheye cameras alongside an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to provide large FOV visual-inertial information. Then, a novel VO framework is proposed to ensure the efficiency of state estimation, by adopting a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) based feature extraction method and parallelizing the feature extraction thread that is separated from the tracking thread with the mapping thread. Finally, a nonlinear optimization method is formulated for accurate state estimation, which is characterized as being multi-keyframe, tightly-coupled and visual-inertial. In addition, accurate initialization and a novel MultiCol-IMU camera model are coupled to further improve the performance of VINS-MKF. To the best of our knowledge, it’s the first tightly-coupled multi-keyframe visual-inertial odometry that joins measurements from multiple fisheye cameras and IMU. The performance of the VINS-MKF was validated by extensive experiments using home-made datasets, and it showed improved accuracy and robustness over the state-of-art VINS-Mono

A New Method for Analyzing the Aero-Optical Effects of Hypersonic Vehicles Based on a Microscopic Mechanism

Aero-optical effects are the key factors that restrict the accuracy of the optical sensors of hypersonic vehicles, and the numerical simulation of aero-optical effects is a powerful tool with which to analyze aero-optical distortion. Most existing research focuses on the simulation analysis of refraction distortion based on the density field at the macro level via the ray-tracing method. In this paper, a method for analyzing aero-optical effects based on the interaction between photons and gas molecules is proposed and can explain the optical distortion and energy dissipation caused by aero-optical effects at the micro level. By establishing a transmission model of photons in turbulence, a simulation method of aero-optical effects based on a microscopic mechanism is designed and breaks through the limitations of a traditional macro method in energy analyses. The optical distortion parameters based on photonics are compared with the physical quantities of traditional aero-optical effects, which verifies the effectiveness of the micro analysis on the macro scale and provides a new idea for studying the microscopic mechanism of aero-optical effects