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Single-mode-no-core-single-mode (SNS) optical fiber structures have valuable potential to encapsulate as high-precision temperature sensors, due to their great sensitivity. This paper is to improve the temperature sensitivity of SNS fibers by studying the parameters of fiber length, diameter, and refractive index of the seal liquid. Transmission spectra of the fibers are given in both aspects of experiment and numerical simulation. We find that using a slim no-core fiber section sealed with liquid of high refractive index can effectively improve the sensitivity, while the choice of fiber length mainly affects the width of transmission peak. The results may contribute to the development of high-sensitivity optic temperature sensor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic recycling is critical for dematerializing of plastics. It has a profound implication on decoupling economic growth from environmental pressure and advancing waste plastic governance domestically and internationally while identifying drivers that might improve decoupling. In this study, plastic consumption and recycling patterns are presented, and the factors influencing the acceleration of dematerialization subsequent to the ban were investigated in the G7 countries and China. The results show that plastic consumption increases from 7.60 million metric tons (mt) to 12.60 mt between 2017 and 2019, and subsequently rapidly decreases to 6.84 mt in 2020. The plastic recycling rate drastically decreased by 21.3% in 2017, and decreased slightly from 2017 to 2020, at an annual rate of 2.9% on average. China's ban shocked the decoupling trends, which showed resilience and motivated the development of robust plastic recycling, and the global recycling transformation pattern accelerated the dematerialization of plastics. Decoupling performances of the G7 and China gradually stabilized in 2019, and all the countries were strongly decoupled in 2020, although decoupling index (DI) fluctuates from 2017 to 2020. Among the recycling-trading drivers, the improvement of waste plastic quality in recycling contributes more to decoupling, the recycling rate shows a more negative decoupling effect on China before the ban, and the population effect is weak relative to other influencing factors. The factors revealed the mechanism of decoupling of plastic consumption in the recycling-trading process, and the recyclability improvement in terms of plastic quality is important for dematerialization. [Display omitted] • G7 and China showed resilience to strong decoupling after the China's ban. • Improved IPAT method is proposed to study the factors influencing decoupling. • Decomposition of dematerialization factors quantifies the decoupling effect. • Plastics recycling quality primarily contributes to achieving decoupling. • Recycling rate adversely affects decoupling of China and population effect is weak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies found cDC1s to be protective in early stage anti-GBM disease through Tregs, but pathogenic in late stage Adriamycin nephropathy through CD8+ T cells. Flt3 ligand is a growth factor essential for cDC1 development and Flt3 inhibitors are currently used for cancer treatment. We conducted this study to clarify the role and mechanisms of effects of cDC1s at different time points in anti-GBM disease. In addition, we aimed to utilize drug repurposing of Flt3 inhibitors to target cDC1s as a treatment of anti-GBM disease. We found that in human anti-GBM disease, the number of cDC1s increased significantly, proportionally more than cDC2s. The number of CD8+ T cells also increased significantly and their number correlated with cDC1 number. In XCR1-DTR mice, late (day 12–21) but not early (day 3–12) depletion of cDC1s attenuated kidney injury in mice with anti-GBM disease. cDC1s separated from kidneys of anti-GBM disease mice were found to have a pro-inflammatory phenotype (i.e. express high level of IL-6, IL-12 and IL-23) in late but not early stage. In the late depletion model, the number of CD8+ T cells was also reduced, but not Tregs. CD8+ T cells separated from kidneys of anti-GBM disease mice expressed high levels of cytotoxic molecules (granzyme B and perforin) and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IFN-γ), and their expression reduced significantly after cDC1 depletion with diphtheria toxin. These findings were reproduced using a Flt3 inhibitor in wild type mice. Therefore, cDC1s are pathogenic in anti-GBM disease through activation of CD8+ T cells. Flt3 inhibition successfully attenuated kidney injury through depletion of cDC1s. Repurposing Flt3 inhibitors has potential as a novel therapeutic strategy for anti-GBM disease. • cDC1s are pathogenic in anti-GBM disease through activating CD8+ T cells. • Flt3 inhibitor depleted cDC1s selectively, resulting in attenuation of kidney injury. • Flt3 inhibition is a novel therapy for anti-GBM disease, with accelerated translational potential through drug repurposing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing need to measure respiratory rate (RR) in a variety of applications, including in clinical and occupational settings, as well as during physical exercises. Fiber optic sensors (FOSs) is an attractive solution for wearable RR monitoring because of their small size, multiplexing capability, chemical inertness, and immunity to electromagnetic fields. Here, we review recent advances in FOSs for breath monitoring. We presented the sensing mechanisms of state-of-the-art sensors and analyze their advantages and disadvantages. We classified recently reported FOSs based on sensing principles and then critically analyze the strengths and weaknesses of representative recent works. Finally, we summarized the challenges and future prospects of breath FOSs, with the aim of applying them to real applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are a newly identified heterogeneous family of innate immune cells. We conducted this study to investigate the frequency of circulating ILC subsets in various chronic kidney diseases (CKD). In DN, the proportion of total ILCs and certain ILC subgroups increased significantly. Positive correlations between proportion of total ILCs, ILC1s and body mass index, glycated hemoglobin were observed in DN. In LN, a significantly increased proportion of ILC1s was found in parallel with a reduced proportion of ILC2s. The proportions of total ILCs and ILC1s were correlated with WBC count and the level of C3. In all enrolled patients, the proportion of total ILCs and ILC1s was significantly correlated with the levels of ACR and GFR. In the present study, the proportion of circulating ILC subsets increased significantly in various types of CKD and correlated with clinico-pathological features, which suggests a possible role for ILCs in CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]