Article
Critical Care Medicine
Eilise M. Ryan, Pranvera Sadiku, Patricia Coelho, Emily R. Watts, Ailiang Zhang, Andrew J. M. Howden, Manuel A. Sanchez-Garcia, Martin Bewley, Joby Cole, Brian J. McHugh, Wesley Vermaelen, Bart Ghesquiere, Peter Carmeliet, Giovanny Rodriguez Blanco, Alex Von Kriegsheim, Yolanda Sanchez, William Rumsey, James F. Callahan, George Cooper, Nicholas Parkinson, Kenneth Baillie, Doreen A. Cantrell, John McCafferty, Gourab Choudhury, Dave Singh, David H. Dockrell, Moira K. B. Whyte, Sarah R. Walmsley
Summary: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by persistent airway inflammation and impaired macrophage function. This study found that COPD alveolar macrophages (AMs) and peripheral monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) exhibit metabolic deficiencies and impairments in redox balance. Activation of the NRF2 pathway can rescue these defects and improve macrophage function in COPD.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Stephanie A. Christenson, Benjamin M. Smith, Mona Bafadhel, Nirupama Putcha
Summary: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health problem that leads to high morbidity, mortality, and healthcare utilization. Its main causes are exposure to harmful particles, such as tobacco smoke and pollutants. Recent research has shown that various factors throughout the life course increase the risk of developing COPD. Innovations in omics and imaging techniques have provided greater understanding of the disease's pathophysiology, potentially leading to advancements in its prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This review focuses on recent advances in the epidemiology, pathophysiology, imaging, diagnosis, and treatment of COPD.
Article
Oncology
Yanqiong Liu, Qiulian Wu, Fuyong Zhang, Xue Qin
Summary: This study provides evidence for the first time that the NRF2 gene rs6721961 variation is a potential genetic marker for susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
CANCER CELL INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Shuang Zhao, Tianyu Song, Yue Gu, Yihua Zhang, Siyi Cao, Qing Miao, Xiyue Zhang, Hongshan Chen, Yuanqing Gao, Lei Zhang, Yi Han, Hong Wang, Jun Pu, Liping Xie, Yong Ji
Summary: The study suggests that H2S alleviates liver damage by activating Keap1 S-sulfhydration and promoting the activation of Nrf2, leading to increased expression of antioxidant proteins, which may have potential therapeutic benefits for liver diseases.
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
John V. Fahy, Richard M. Locksley
Summary: Smoking leads to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Some COPD patients exhibit elevated levels of eosinophil cells, indicating type 2 inflammation, and blocking this inflammation can enhance their lung health.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Knut Sindre Molmen, Daniel Hammarstrom, Gunnar Slettalokken Falch, Morten Grundtvig, Lise Koll, Marita Hanestadhaugen, Yusuf Khan, Rafi Ahmad, Bente Malerbakken, Tore Jorgen Rodolen, Roger Lien, Bent R. Ronnestad, Truls Raastad, Stian Ellefsen
Summary: Despite the well-known pathophysiologies associated with COPD, resistance training led to improvements in lower-limb muscle strength, muscle mass, muscle quality, and endurance performance in COPD subjects, resembling or exceeding responses seen in healthy controls. These findings highlight the largely unrecognized responsiveness of COPD patients to resistance training and suggest it as a potent measure to relieve disease-related impairments.
JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Marija Gredic, Isabel Blanco, Gabor Kovacs, Zsuzsanna Helyes, Peter Ferdinandy, Horst Olschewski, Joan Albert Barbera, Norbert Weissmann
Summary: This article summarizes the pathophysiology and treatment options for PH in COPD patients, pointing out that current research still does not fully understand its underlying mechanisms, and some of the treatment methods tested in clinical settings have not been effective. Preclinical studies have proposed some treatment approaches.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Wenting Jian, Huigai Ma, Dingming Wang, Peng Yang, Mengbi Jiang, Yu Zhong, Xiang Long, Jingjing Jiang, Yuan Gong
Summary: This study demonstrates that omaveloxolone exerts significant cardioprotective effects in treating sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qian Zeng, Tingting Zhou, Feiyan Zhao, Dayan Xiong, Bin He, Qingzhong Hua, Miao Lin, Lang Deng, Xiaoxue Sang, Weixi Xie, Jia Chen, Zun Wang, Lu Ren, Ziqiang Luo, Xiaoting Huang, Wei Liu, Siyuan Tang
Summary: Bergenin can alleviate pulmonary fibrosis by relieving oxidative stress, reducing extracellular matrix deposition, and inhibiting the formation of myofibroblasts. Furthermore, a regulatory loop between p62 and Nrf2 is formed, which is important for the therapeutic effects of bergenin on pulmonary fibrosis.
Article
Critical Care Medicine
Jeffrey T-J Huang, Erin Cant, Holly R. Keir, Alun K. Barton, Elena Kuzmanova, Morven Shuttleworth, Jennifer Pollock, Simon Finch, Eva Polverino, Mathieu Bottier, Alison J. Dicker, Amelia Shoemark, James D. Chalmers
Summary: This study investigated the sputum microbiome and proteome in patients with bronchiectasis, COPD, and the COPD-bronchiectasis association, proposing five endotypes with differential inflammatory, mucin, and microbiological features. The key traits related to the COPD-bronchiectasis association include neutrophilic inflammation, differential mucin expression, and Gram-negative infection.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF RESPIRATORY AND CRITICAL CARE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Xinzhu Yi, Yanjun Li, Haiyue Liu, Xiaomin Liu, Junhao Yang, Jingyuan Gao, Yuqiong Yang, Zhenyu Liang, Fengyan Wang, Dandan Chen, Lingwei Wang, Weijuan Shi, David C. L. Lam, Martin R. Stampfli, Paul W. Jones, Rongchang Chen, Zhang Wang
Summary: The airway resistome in COPD patients is associated with the inflammatory endotype, and there are distinct resistome profiles based on neutrophilic or eosinophilic inflammation. Different bacterial species, host pathways, and inflammatory markers are associated with these resistome profiles.
MICROBIOLOGY SPECTRUM
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Shengqiang Li, Zhen Lei, Meng Zhao, Yonghao Hou, Di Wang, Xingli Xu, Xiaowen Lin, Jingxin Li, Shuhai Tang, Jingui Yu, Tao Meng
Summary: Propofol can reduce myocardial I/R injury by activating PKC/NRF2 pathway, leading to increased antioxidant enzyme expression and decreased levels of lactate dehydrogenase and creatine kinase-MB.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Daniela Maria Tanase, Alina Georgiana Apostol, Claudia Florida Costea, Claudia Cristina Tarniceriu, Ionut Tudorancea, Minela Aida Maranduca, Mariana Floria, Ionela Lacramioara Serban
Summary: Arterial hypertension is a prevalent disease characterized by increased incidence and heterogeneous pathophysiology. Oxidative stress plays an important role in its development, with excessive levels causing vascular cell damage and promoting hypertension. Transcription factors such as Nrf2 mediate antioxidant response pathways and provide protection.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuan-yuan Wei, Hui-ru Wang, Yi-meng Fan, Jin-hua Gu, Xiu-ying Zhang, Xu-hao Gong, Zhi-hui Hao
Summary: The study evaluated the effect and underlying mechanism of GDK aqueous extract in alleviating acute liver injury caused by CCl4. The results showed that GDK effectively inhibited liver damage and restored the structure and function of the liver. It achieved this by suppressing liver fibrosis, blocking the NFicB pathway, inhibiting hepatic inflammatory response, reducing oxidative stress, inhibiting ferroptosis, and alleviating hepatocyte injury caused by CCl4. In conclusion, this study provides insights into the potential complex mechanism of GDK against acute liver injury.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Peter J. Barnes
Summary: Patients with COPD exhibit increased oxidative stress in their lungs, which can be caused by external factors such as smoking and air pollution, as well as internal factors such as inflammation. Oxidative stress plays a major role in driving the pathology of COPD, leading to chronic inflammation, cellular senescence, impaired autophagy, and reduced repair mechanisms. Antioxidants may be effective in modifying the disease progression of COPD.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Kaitao Meng, Qingqing Wu, Shaodan Ma, Wen Chen, Kunlun Wang, Jun Li
Summary: Driven by UAV's advantages, the existing ISAC system is expected to be revolutionized, but the focus on exploring both functionalities at the same time may ignore practical requirements. Therefore, we propose a new IPSAC mechanism to provide a more flexible trade-off between sensing and communication. By optimizing the UAV trajectory, user association, target sensing selection, and transmit beamforming, while meeting the requirements, we maximize the system achievable rate. Our proposed designs are validated to be effective and unveil a more flexible trade-off over benchmark schemes.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Tianyu Liu, Guangchi Zhang, Miao Cui, Changsheng You, Qingqing Wu, Shaodan Ma, Wei Chen
Summary: In this article, a dual-UAV-enabled data collection system is proposed, where one UAV collects data from sensor nodes and the other UAV relays the data to a fusion center. An optimization problem is formulated to minimize the completion time of the data collection task by jointly optimizing transmit power, bandwidth, and trajectories. The channels between UAVs and SNs, as well as UAVs and FC, are modeled using an accurate Rician fading channel model. An efficient algorithm is proposed to solve the nonconvex optimization problem. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in achieving higher communication efficiency and reducing task completion time.
IEEE INTERNET OF THINGS JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Jijun Wang, Yuhua Chen, Yaxing Wei, Yan Li, Fangyuan Li, Bingzhen Li, Qingqing Wu, Jinlong Zhao
Summary: In recent years, the increasing electromagnetic pollution has had a negative impact on people's health, emphasizing the importance of developing efficient microwave absorbers. This study presents a novel absorbing material composed of polymer gel-derived porous carbon decorated with rare earth compounds (Ce (CO3) OH). The composite exhibits excellent microwave absorption performance, with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of -47.67 dB and an effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 5.52 GHz at a thickness of 2.2 mm, covering the Ku band. The high-efficiency microwave absorption is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of dipole polarization, defect polarization, and interfacial polarization. This research not only provides new insights into designing superior absorber materials but also lays a foundation for their practical applications.
FRONTIERS IN CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yongqing Sun, Man Zhang, Shirui Chen, Wangjian Zhang, Yue Zhang, Shaofei Su, Enjie Zhang, Lijuan Sun, Kai Yang, Jingjing Wang, Wentao Yue, Qingqing Wu, Ruixia Liu, Chenghong Yin
Summary: Limited evidence shows that there is an association between ambient temperature and blood pressure levels of pregnant women. A study conducted in China found that exposure to cold temperatures in the second and third trimesters increased the risk of high blood pressure and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, especially among women aged 35 and older or from North China. Overall, the second and third trimesters are the critical periods for the impact of ambient temperature on blood pressure and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Telecommunications
Yu Lei, Yifan Liu, Qingqing Wu, Xiaojun Yuan, Jin Ning, Bin Duo
Summary: This letter discusses an air-ground communication system using multiple intelligent omni-surfaces (IOSs) to assist an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in communicating with multiple users. The goal is to optimize users' scheduling, IOSs' phase shifts, and UAV's trajectory to maximize the minimum average expected achievable rate. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer non-convex problem with tightly coupled optimization variables, which is difficult to solve optimally. An efficient algorithm based on block coordinate descent (BCD) and successive convex approximation (SCA) methods is proposed to obtain a suboptimal solution. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed scheme compared to benchmark schemes.
IEEE COMMUNICATIONS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Telecommunications
Xusheng Zhu, Wen Chen, Zhendong Li, Qingqing Wu, Jun Li
Summary: In this study, a novel quadrature spatial scattering modulation (QSSM) transmission technique based on millimeter wave systems is investigated. The transmitter generates two orthogonal beams to target candidate scatterers in the channel and carry the real and imaginary parts of the conventional signal. The maximum likelihood (ML) detector is used at the receiver to recover the received beams and signals. The closed-form average bit error probability (ABEP) expression and asymptotic ABEP expression of the QSSM scheme are derived and verified through Monte Carlo simulations, demonstrating its improved performance compared to traditional spatial scattering modulation.
IEEE COMMUNICATIONS LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yuan Guo, Yang Liu, Qingqing Wu, Qingjiang Shi, Yang Zhao
Summary: This study proposes a novel double-faced active (DFA)-RIS structure to overcome the defects of double-fading loss and confined-to-half-space coverage. The DFA-RIS is used to enhance secrecy performance by jointly designing access point (AP)'s beamforming and DFA-RIS configuration to maximize sum secrecy rate (SR). The optimization problem is solved using majorization-minimization (MM) and penalty dual decomposition (PDD) methods. Numerical results verify the convergence and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and demonstrate the superiority of the DFA-RIS architecture in enhancing communication security.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xingzhou Yang, Songjun Hou, Meiling Su, Qian Zhan, Hanjun Zhang, Sergio M. Quintero, Xiaodong Liu, Junyang Liu, Wenjing Hong, Juan Casado, Qingqing Wu, Colin J. Lambert, Yonghao Zheng
Summary: It is found that the transport properties of a series of fluorene derivatives can be tuned by controlling the degree of localization of certain orbitals, leading to a significant enhancement in conductance. This new understanding of the role of radicals in single-molecule junctions opens up a novel design strategy for single-molecule-based spintronic devices.
JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tingting Chen, Juan Wang, Min Li, Qingqing Wu, Shuna Cui
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the anti-metastatic effect and molecular mechanism of genistein on cervical cancer cells. Using an integrated strategy, it was found that genistein significantly downregulated genes in the focal adhesion pathway and demonstrated anti-proliferative and anti-metastatic activity in HeLa cells. Genistein also inhibited the activation and gene expression of FAK and paxillin, as well as vimentin and beta-catenin protein expression and Snail and Twist gene expression.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Xiu-Ling Li, Qingqing Wu, Tengfei Wang, Lingyan Zhang, Xianmeng Wu, Yu Zhang, Wan Liang, Xiaoyong Du, Xiao-Lei Liu, Xiang Zhou, Bang Liu
Summary: We investigated the genetic basis and key genes related to sexual maturity by measuring serum testosterone content and analysing testis tissue sections of Large White (LW) and Tongcheng (TC) boars at an immature age. We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in testis development and found that some candidate genes were under positive selection. These findings enhance our understanding of the genetic basis for testicular maturation and have implications for improving boar reproductive traits through molecular breeding.
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yapeng Zhao, Qingqing Wu, Wen Chen, Celimuge Wu, H. Vincent Poor
Summary: This article introduces a method to improve the performance of federated learning (FL) in AirComp by using intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS). By designing multiple communication rounds to minimize the optimality gap of the loss function, this long-term design strategy achieves higher test accuracy in FL than the conventional isolated design approach.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Yanan Ma, Ming Li, Yang Liu, Qingqing Wu, Qian Liu
Summary: This paper investigates the design problem of dual-functional active RIS in RIS-enhanced multiuser multiple-input single-output systems, and proposes a DF-ARIS architecture that can simultaneously achieve reflection and transmission functionalities. Efficient iterative algorithms and optimization techniques are developed to address the non-convexity problem. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed architecture and algorithms in extending signal coverage and enhancing service quality.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Rongkun Jiang, Zesong Fei, Shihan Huang, Xinyi Wang, Qingqing Wu, Shiwei Ren
Summary: In this paper, a channel estimation method for reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted wireless communication systems is proposed. By exploiting the sparsity of RIS-related channels, compressed channel estimation and data transmission are achieved through the use of non-uniformly spaced comb-type pilots. Two enhanced whale optimization algorithm (EWOA)-based approaches are proposed to optimize the pilot positions and powers for minimizing the mutual coherence of the measurement matrix. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods over benchmark schemes.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VEHICULAR TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhixin Chen, Jie-Ren Deng, Songjun Hou, Xinya Bian, Jacob L. Swett, Qingqing Wu, Jonathan Baugh, Lapo Bogani, G. Andrew D. Briggs, Jan A. Mol, Colin J. Lambert, Harry L. Anderson, James O. Thomas
Summary: Since the early days of quantum mechanics, it has been known that electrons have wave-particle duality. In this study, we demonstrate that electron transmission remains phase-coherent in molecular porphyrin nanoribbons connected to graphene electrodes. This opens up new avenues for studying quantum coherence in molecular electronic and spintronic devices.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhixing Lu, Songjun Hou, Rongjian Lin, Jie Shi, Qingqing Wu, Shiqiang Zhao, Luchun Lin, Chun Tang, Yang Yang, Colin J. Lambert, Wenjing Hong
Summary: In this study, semimetallic transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) 1T-WTe2 were used as electrodes to fabricate WTe2/metalated tetraphenyl-porphyrin (M-TPP)/WTe2 junctions via van der Waals interaction. Compared to chemically bonded Au/M-TPP/Au junctions, the conductance of these M-TPP van der Waals molecular junctions was enhanced by 736%. Moreover, the WTe2/M-TPP/WTe2 junctions exhibited a tunable conductance range of 10^(-3.29) to 10^(-4.44) G through single-atom control, recording the widest tunable range of conductance for M-TPP molecular junctions. This work demonstrates the potential of two-dimensional TMDCs in constructing highly tunable and conductive molecular devices.
