The Innovation最新文献

The development of advanced nuclear energy systems, known for their cleanliness and sustainability, is a key strategy for achieving a low-carbon energy transition. Liquid metal (LM)-powered advanced nuclear energy systems demonstrate sustainability and environmental friendliness, as well as being irreplaceable in specific areas. This paper charts a comprehensive scene of applications, challenges, and prospects of LMs in advanced nuclear energy (fusion and fission). First, next-generation fission reactors that use LM coolants, such as sodium or lead, are currently under design and construction. However, the coupling mechanisms of multiphase and multiphysics interactions remain unresolved due to various challenges, including corrosion and lead-water interactions. Second, the exploration of new LM-cooled reactors should emphasize sustainable development while ensuring basic performance. Lastly, the unique properties of LMs, including efficient energy transport and tritium breeding, position them as crucial materials in fusion system design. However, surface characteristics and the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effect remain major technical challenges. LMs have already left their mark in nuclear energy and are expected to be an effective solution to overcoming the energy crisis.

Effective data visualization is crucial for researchers, revealing patterns, trends, and insights that might otherwise remain hidden. Integrating related visualizations can reveal correlations and relationships that are not evident when analyzing datasets separately. Despite increasing demand, there is a shortage of general tools to seamlessly combine diverse datasets to create complex visual representations. The aplot package addresses this by allowing users to independently create subplots and assemble them into a cohesive composite figure. It automatically reorders datasets for coordinate consistency, removing the need for manual adjustment. This modular approach simplifies the creation of complex visualizations, allowing customization to meet specific needs. Aplot's versatility is ideal for integrating multi-omics datasets and analytical results for biological insights. The package is freely available on CRAN at https://cran.r-project.org/package=aplot, offering researchers a powerful tool for enhanced data exploration and visualizing workflows.

Human mucosal immunization is expected to afford protection against infection and reduce transmission by generating anti-infective immunity at the mucosal entry site of viruses and bacteria. Nasal or oral administration has the advantage of being needle free and self-administered, thereby improving compliance and coverage of large populations. In China, the experience of COVID-19 has promoted substantial efforts in the development of nasal vaccinations in the general health protection strategy. The hurdles we are facing in the development of mucosal vaccines, however, come from the still limited knowledge of the mechanisms controlling mucosal immunity in different anatomical locations and in response to different pathogens/vaccines. Identifying and filling the knowledge gaps in order to develop effective and safe mucosal immunization strategies requires global collaboration, not only at the scientific level but, most importantly, by engaging public and private health organizations, governments, and regulatory authorities. We have highlighted here some of the crucial issues in mucosal immunization and provided suggestions for the way forward toward a global preparedness effort to prevent infectious diseases and ensure vaccine equity.

Viral hepatitis poses a significant global health burden, with chronic hepatitis B and C causing about 1 million annual deaths from liver cancer and cirrhosis. Over 1.5 million new hepatitis C virus (HCV) cases arise yearly, especially among vulnerable groups like American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). Despite effective direct-acting antivirals, early HCV diagnosis remains challenging, particularly in resource-limited settings. Current two-step testing methods are costly and prone to patient dropout. Point-of-care (POC) HCV antigen (Ag) testing offers a promising early detection approach, but no US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved POC test meets the sensitivity and specificity needed for low viral loads. To address this, we developed a fully automated bioluminescence-based POC assay using a cascade-based signal amplification strategy. Evaluated on 71 AI/AN samples, it showed 97% sensitivity, 94% specificity, and 96% accuracy. This technology can improve health equity by enabling accessible and reliable HCV testing for disproportionately affected populations.