Background Although early diagnosis and management are critical for prognosis of pediatric sepsis, there are no specific diagnostic biomarkers for the hyperinflammatory state and organ dysfunction, important stages of sepsis. Methods We enrolled 129 children with infection into three groups: non‐sepsis infection (33), Sepsis 1.0 (hyperinflammatory state, 67), and Sepsis 3.0 (organ dysfunction, 29). Another 32 children with no infections were included as controls. Serum C‐reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐5, IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, IL‐12p70, IL‐17, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interferon (IFN)‐α, and IFN‐γ were assessed to diagnose the two stages, and their diagnostic capacities were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. We also examined whether combining biomarkers improved diagnostic efficiency. Results Significantly higher CRP, PCT, and IL‐6 levels were detected in the Sepsis 1.0 than the non‐sepsis infection group (p < 0.001). The areas under the curve (AUCs) for diagnosing Sepsis 1.0 were 0.974 (CRP), 0.913 (PCT) and 0.919 (IL‐6). A combination of any two biomarkers increased diagnostic sensitivity to ≥92.54% and specificity to 100.00%. Significantly higher PCT, IL‐8, and IL‐10 levels were found in the Sepsis 3.0 than the Sepsis 1.0 group (p ≤ 0.01), with AUCs for diagnosing Sepsis 3.0 0.807 (PCT), 0.711 (IL‐8), and 0.860 (IL‐10). Combining these three biomarkers increased diagnostic sensitivity to 96.55% and specificity to 94.03%. Conclusion In pediatric sepsis, combining any two of CRP, PCT, and IL‐6 can accurately diagnose the hyperinflammatory state and increase diagnostic specificity. Early diagnosis of organ dysfunction requires a combination of PCT, IL‐8, and IL‐10.

Aiming at the existing problems of poor treatment effect and immersion stability of expansive soils, a slag soil hardener (SSH, developed by Wuhan University, China) was combined with different additives to dispose in this study.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a group of organic compounds such as aromatic, aliphatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons, etc. VOCs are emitted into the atmosphere during the production of adhesives, paints, printing materials, building materials, and their use. Although several removal approaches have been employed to remove VOCs, researchers have not stopped exploring new methods and materials for VOCs treatment. Graphene has recently attracted enormous attention for fundamental research and potential applications due to its large specific surface area, high mechanical strength and flexibility, and good chemical and thermal stability. Here we briefly describe the recent progress in graphene-based materials (GBMs) for applications in VOCs removal. GBMs have been exploited as novel materials in VOC adsorption, membrane separation, and photocatalysis. Although the issues need to be further studied, such as biocompatibility, toxicity, and production at low cost, GBMs are promising for VOC removal, which is the current trends and future perspectives of the field. This mini-review represents the potential of GBMs for VOC treatment.