Correlation of SARS-CoV-2 in Wastewater and Individual Testing Results in a Jail, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Institution-level wastewater-based surveillance was implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, including in carceral facilities. We examined the relationship between COVID-19 diagnostic test results of residents in a jail in Atlanta, Georgia, USA (average population ≈2,700), and quantitative reverse transcription PCR signal for SARS-CoV-2 in weekly wastewater samples collected during October 2021‒May 2022. The jail offered residents rapid antigen testing at entry and periodic mass screenings by reverse transcription PCR of self-collected nasal swab specimens. We aggregated individual test data, calculated the Spearman correlation coefficient, and performed logistic regression to examine the relationship between strength of SARS-CoV-2 PCR signal (cycle threshold value) in wastewater and percentage of jail population that tested positive for COVID-19. Of 13,745 nasal specimens collected, 3.9% were COVID-positive (range 0%-29.5% per week). We observed a strong inverse correlation between diagnostic test positivity and cycle threshold value (r = -0.67; p<0.01). Wastewater-based surveillance represents an effective strategy for jailwide surveillance of COVID-19.

Genome characterisation and comparative analysis of Schaalia dentiphila sp. nov. and its subspecies, S. dentiphila subsp. denticola subsp. nov., from the human oral cavity.

BACKGROUND: Schaalia species are primarily found among the oral microbiota of humans and other animals. They have been associated with various infections through their involvement in biofilm formation, modulation of host responses, and interaction with other microorganisms. In this study, two strains previously indicated as Actinomyces spp. were found to be novel members of the genus Schaalia based on their whole genome sequences. RESULTS: Whole-genome sequencing revealed both strains with a genome size of 2.3 Mbp and GC contents of 65.5%. Phylogenetics analysis for taxonomic placement revealed strains NCTC 9931 and C24 as distinct species within the genus Schaalia. Overall genome-relatedness indices including digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), and average nucleotide/amino acid identity (ANI/AAI) confirmed both strains as distinct species, with values below the species boundary thresholds (dDDH < 70%, and ANI and AAI < 95%) when compared to nearest type strain Schaalia odontolytica NCTC 9935 T. Pangenome and orthologous analyses highlighted their differences in gene properties and biological functions compared to existing type strains. Additionally, the identification of genomic islands (GIs) and virulence-associated factors indicated their genetic diversity and potential adaptive capabilities, as well as potential implications for human health. Notably, CRISPR-Cas systems in strain NCTC 9931 underscore its adaptive immune mechanisms compared to strain C24. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, strain NCTC 9931T (= ATCC 17982T = DSM 43331T = CIP 104728T = CCUG 18309T = NCTC 14978T = CGMCC 1.90328T) represents a novel species, for which the name Schaalia dentiphila subsp. dentiphila sp. nov. subsp. nov. is proposed, while strain C24T (= NCTC 14980T = CGMCC 1.90329T) represents a distinct novel subspecies, for which the name Schaalia dentiphila subsp. denticola. subsp. nov. is proposed. This study enriches our understanding of the genomic diversity of Schaalia species and paves the way for further investigations into their roles in oral health. SIGNIFICANCE: This research reveals two Schaalia strains, NCTC 9931 T and C24T, as novel entities with distinct genomic features. Expanding the taxonomic framework of the genus Schaalia, this study offers a critical resource for probing the metabolic intricacies and resistance patterns of these bacteria. This work stands as a cornerstone for microbial taxonomy, paving the way for significant advances in clinical diagnostics.

Asymmetric and Chemoselective Iridium Catalyzed Hydrogenation of Conjugated Unsaturated Oxime Ethers.

Research on the chemoselective metal-catalyzed hydrogenation of conjugated π-systems has mostly been focussed on enones. Herein, we communicate the understudied asymmetric hydrogenation of enimines catalyzed by N,P-iridium complexes and chemoselective toward the alkene. A number of enoxime ethers underwent hydrogenation smoothly to yield the desired products in high yield and stereopurity (up to 99 % yield, up to 99 % ee). No hydrogenation of the C=N π-bond was observed under the applied reaction conditions (20 bar H2, rt, DCM). It was demonstrated that the chiral oxime ether could be hydrolyzed into the ketone with complete preservation of the installed stereogenity at the α-carbon. At last, a binding mode of the substrate to the active iridium catalyst and the consequence for the stereoselective outcome was proposed.

Comparison of rabbit ATLG and ATG for GVHD prophylaxis in hematological malignancies with haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Rabbit anti-human T lymphocyte globulin (ATLG) and anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) are commonly used for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Yet, their efficacy and safety have seldom been compared in hematological malignancies with haploidentical HSCT. A retrospective analysis with 28 ATLG (total dosage, 20-30 mg/kg) and 18 ATG (total dosage, 8-10 mg/kg) patients were performed. The cumulative incidences of chronic GVHD and relapse were comparable between both groups. ATLG showed a trend towards a lower acute GVHD incidence (28.6% vs. 44.4%, P = 0.242) and 3-year non-relapse mortality (10.7% vs. 27.8%, P = 0.160), and had a significantly higher 3-year overall survival (OS, 64.3% vs. 33.3%, P = 0.033) and GVHD-free and relapse-free survival (GRFS, 32.1% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.045) compared with ATG. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated ATLG was independently associated with a favorable OS (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16-0.86, P = 0.020) and GRFS (HR = 0.51, 95%CI: 0.26-1.00, P = 0.051). Furthermore, ATLG had a lower risk of fever (25.0% vs. 61.1%, P = 0.014) and hemorrhage cystitis (7.1% vs. 38.9%, P = 0.008) than ATG-T. In conclusion, ATLG confers more survival benefit and a better safety profile than ATG and can be used in hematological malignancies with haploidentical HSCT. Prospective designed trials with a larger sample size are warranted to confirm the results in the future.

Molecular Dynamics Simulation of the Interaction within the Carboxymethyl Cellulose-Modified Montmorillonite Lamellae at Aggressive CuCl2 Concentrations.

To elucidate the degradation mechanism of the CMC-modified MMT composite at aggressive Cu2+ concentrations, large scale molecular dynamics simulation was conducted for CuCl2 concentrations ranging from 0 to 800 mM. Both CMC and MMT followed the Langmuir isotherm for Cu2+ adsorption, and the adsorption capacity of CMC (8.75 mmol/g) was much higher than that of MMT (0.83 mmol/g). Despite the CMC mass ratio being only 4.1%, it adsorbed up to 34.3% of the total adsorbed Cu2+. The Cu2+ attraction ability hierarchy of oxygen-containing functional groups in the CMC is as follows: carboxylic oxygens > alcoholic oxygens > carbinolic oxygens > bridging oxygens > glucose oxygens. Carboxyls were the most effective in chelating and complexing with Cu2+, and they could be intentionally added in artificially synthesized polymer-MMT composites for Cu2+ containment. Formation of the Cu2+ cation bridge between CMC and MMT at aggressive CuCl2 concentrations contributed to the transition of CMC density distribution from unimodality to bimodality and enhanced resistance of polymer elution. As the CuCl2 concentration increased, the stoichiometric ratio between the chelated Cu2+ and carboxylic oxygens increased from 1:2 to 1:1, suggesting the evolution of the Cu2+ chelation mechanism.

Monitoring of copper adsorption on biochar using spectral induced polarization method.

Copper contaminant generated from mining and industrial smelting poses potential risks to human health. Biochar, as a low-energy and cost-effective biomaterial, holds value in Cu remediation. Spectral Induced Polarization (SIP) technique is employed in this study to monitor the Cu remediation processes of by biochar in column experiments. Cation exchange at low Cu2+ concentrations and surface complexation at high Cu2+ concentrations are identified as the major mechanisms for copper retention on biochar. The normalized chargeability (mn) from SIP signals linearly decreased (R2 = 0.776) with copper retention under 60 mg/L Cu influent; while mn linearly increases (R2 = 0.907, 0.852) under high 300 and 700 mg/L Cu influents. The characteristic polarizing unit sizes (primarily the pores adsorbing Cu2+) calculated from Schwartz equation match well with experimental results by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). It is revealed that Cu2+ was driven to small pores (∼3 µm) given high concentration gradient (influent Cu2+ concentration of 700 mg/L). Comparing to activated carbon, biochar is identified as an ideal adsorbent for Cu remediation, given its high adsorption capacity, cost-effectiveness, carbon-sink ability, and high sensitivity to SIP responses - the latter facilitates its performance assessment.

GPX3-Mediated Oxidative Stress Affects Pyrimidine Metabolism Levels in Stomach Adenocarcinoma via the AMPK/mTOR Pathway.

Background: Amino acid metabolism, including ATP production, nucleotide synthesis, and redox homeostatic processes, are associated with proliferation and differentiation of tumor cells. This study aimed to identify novel prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets of amino acid metabolism-related genes for stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD). Methods: RNA sequencing transcriptome data in the TCGA-STAD (training set) and GTEx datasets (validation set) were used. The LIMMA R program enabled the differentially expressed amino acid metabolism-related genes (AAMRGs) to be found. A prognostic risk score model based on clinical phenotypic features was built using LASSO regression and step multi-Cox analyses. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to find potential molecular pathways associated with STAD. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to evaluate pyrimidine metabolism. Cultured STAD cells assessed the proliferation of STAD and upregulation of GPX3 expression by CCK8 and flow cytometry. Transwell and wound healing assays assessed the impact of GPX3 on invasion and migration of STAD cells. Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to measure changes in pyrimidine metabolism-related markers and active molecules involved in the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. Results: Three AAMRGs, DNMT1, F2R, and GPX3, could independently predict the course of STAD. Pyrimidine metabolism appeared to be significantly associated with these by GSEA and clustering analyses. Pyrimidine metabolism was negatively correlated with GPX3. Functional studies using an overexpressed GPX3 plasmid showed an enhanced migration and invasion of STAD cells as well as the expression of genes associated with pyrimidine metabolism and the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway. By using a CAD siRNA, it was found that that GPX3 affected 5-fluorouracil resistance during de novo synthesis of pyrimidine through the CAD-UMPS signaling axis. Conclusions: GPX3 which regulates the level of pyrimidine metabolism through the AMPK/mTOR pathway was found to be closely associated with STAD. Our findings demonstrate GPX3 is a reliable biomarker for the prognosis of amino acid metabolism and a probable target for STAD therapy.

Comprehensive analysis of the prognosis and biological significance of RORß in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Recent studies have shown that abnormal expression of the core circadian clock gene, retinoic acid-related orphan receptor ß (RORß ), is closely associated with the occurrence and progression of various malignant tumors. However, the expression and function of RORß in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remains unclear. Here, we comprehensively investigated the altered expression, clinical significance, prognostic value, and biological functions of RORß in HNSC, as well as its correlation with changes in the tumor immune microenvironment. We found that RORß expression was decreased in HNSC and 19 other cancers. Low RORß expression was significantly associated with tumor size, clinical stage, and survival time in HNSC patients, indicating that it may have diagnostic and prognostic value in HNSCC. Epigenetic analysis showed that the promoter methylation level of RORß was significantly higher in HNSCC compared to adjacent noncancerous tissues. Furthermore, RORß hypermethylation was significantly associated with low expression levels of RORß and poor prognosis in HNSCC patients (p < 0.05). Enrichment analysis found that RORß was involved in immune system regulation and T-cell activation, as well as the PI3K/AKT and ECM receptors interaction pathways. In vitro assays revealed that RORß regulated the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of HNSCC cells. Additionally, we found that RORß expression was significantly correlated with changes in the tumor immune microenvironment, suggesting it may affect prognosis by regulating immune infiltration in HNSC patients. Therefore, RORß may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HNSCC patients.

Genome characterization and taxonomy of Actinomyces acetigenes sp. nov., and Actinomyces stomatis sp. nov., previously isolated from the human oral cavity.

BACKGROUND: Actinomyces strains are commonly found as part of the normal microflora on human tissue surfaces, including the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, and female genital tract. Understanding the diversity and characterization of Actinomyces species is crucial for human health, as they play an important role in dental plaque formation and biofilm-related infections. Two Actinomyces strains ATCC 49340 T and ATCC 51655 T have been utilized in various studies, but their accurate species classification and description remain unresolved. RESULTS: To investigate the genomic properties and taxonomic status of these strains, we employed both 16S rRNA Sanger sequencing and whole-genome sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq X Ten platform with PE151 (paired-end) sequencing. Our analyses revealed that the draft genome of Actinomyces acetigenes ATCC 49340 T was 3.27 Mbp with a 68.0% GC content, and Actinomyces stomatis ATCC 51655 T has a genome size of 3.08 Mbp with a 68.1% GC content. Multi-locus (atpA, rpoB, pgi, metG, gltA, gyrA, and core genome SNPs) sequence analysis supported the phylogenetic placement of strains ATCC 51655 T and ATCC 49340 T as independent lineages. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH), average nucleotide identity (ANI), and average amino acid identity (AAI) analyses indicated that both strains represented novel Actinomyces species, with values below the threshold for species demarcation (70% dDDH, 95% ANI and AAI). Pangenome analysis identified 5,731 gene clusters with strains ATCC 49340 T and ATCC 51655 T possessing 1,515 and 1,518 unique gene clusters, respectively. Additionally, genomic islands (GIs) prediction uncovered 24 putative GIs in strain ATCC 49340 T and 16 in strain ATCC 51655 T, contributing to their genetic diversity and potential adaptive capabilities. Pathogenicity analysis highlighted the potential human pathogenicity risk associated with both strains, with several virulence-associated factors identified. CRISPR-Cas analysis exposed the presence of CRISPR and Cas genes in both strains, indicating these strains might evolve a robust defense mechanism against them. CONCLUSION: This study supports the classification of strains ATCC 49340 T and ATCC 51655 T as novel species within the Actinomyces, in which the name Actinomyces acetigenes sp. nov. (type strain ATCC 49340 T = VPI D163E-3 T = CCUG 34286 T = CCUG 35339 T) and Actinomyces stomatis sp. nov. (type strain ATCC 51655 T = PK606T = CCUG 33930 T) are proposed.

HNOXPred: a web tool for the prediction of gas-sensing H-NOX proteins from amino acid sequence.

SUMMARY: HNOXPred is a webserver for the prediction of gas-sensing heme-nitric oxide/oxygen (H-NOX) proteins from amino acid sequence. H-NOX proteins are gas-sensing hemoproteins found in diverse organisms ranging from bacteria to eukaryotes. Recently, gas-sensing complex multi-functional proteins containing only the conserved amino acids at the heme centers of H-NOX proteins, have been identified through a motif-based approach. Based on experimental data and H-NOX candidates reported in the literature, HNOXPred is created to automate and facilitate the identification of similar H-NOX centers across systems. The server features HNOXSCORES scaled from 0 to 1 that consider in its calculation, the physicochemical properties of amino acids constituting the heme center in H-NOX in addition to the conserved amino acids within the center. From user input amino acid sequence, the server returns positive hits and their calculated HNOXSCORES ordered from high to low confidence which are accompanied by interpretation guides and recommendations. The utility of this server is demonstrated using the human proteome as an example. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: The HNOXPred server is available at https://www.hnoxpred.com. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Identification of putative regulatory single-nucleotide variants in NTN1 gene associated with NSCL/P.

Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCL/P) is a common polygenetic disease. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified NTN1 gene as a high-priority candidate of NSCL/P, the comprehensive genetic architecture of NTN1 weren't yet known. Thus, this study aimed to determine full-scale genetic variants of NTN1 for NSCL/P in Chinese Han people. Initially, targeted sequencing of NTN1 gene was performed on 159 NSCL/P patients to identify susceptible single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with NSCL/P. Then, association analysis and burden analysis were separately used to validate the common variants and rare variants identified among large size of samples (1608 NSCL/P cases and 2255 controls). Additionally, NSCL/P subtype association analysis was applied to elucidate the etiology discrepancy of non-syndromic cleft lip with palate (NSCLP) and non-syndromic cleft lip only (NSCLO). Lastly, bioinformatics analysis was performed to annotate and prioritize candidate variants. We found 15 NSCL/P-associated SNPs including rs4791774 (P = 1.10E-08, OR = 1.467, 95% CI: 1.286~1.673) and rs9788972 (P = 1.28E-07, OR = 1.398, 95% CI : 1.235~1.584) originally detected by previous GWASs in Chinese Han ancestry. Four NSCLO risk-associated SNPs and eight specific NSCLP associated SNPs were found. Three SNPs (rs4791331, rs4791774 and rs9900753) were predicted to locate at regulatory region of NTN1. Our study validated the association between NTN1 gene and pathogenesis of NSCL/P and reinforced the hypothesis that NSCLP have a different etiology from NSCLO. We also identified three putative regulatory SNPs in NTN1 gene.

A comparative study of the cognitive load of basic-level category, superordinate category and subordinate category.

Some cognitive linguists (Rosch et al. Cognit Psychol 8:382-439, 1976; Ungerer and Schmid An introduction to cognitive linguistics, Pearson Education Limited, London, England, 2006) believe the basic level category has cognitive economy because the basic level category allows obtaining the maximum amount of information about an item with the lowest cognitive effort. Whether it is also true for L2 learners has not been verified so far. This study examined whether Chinese English learners' cognitive load of basic level category is lower than that of superordinate category and subordinate category. The eye movement data, including that of total duration of fixations, total number of fixations, duration of first fixation, and average duration of fixations, generated by 31 Chinese English learners while reading sentences with different levels of category words, were collected and analyzed. The results showed that Chinese English learners' cognitive load of the basic level category was the lowest. This study provides cross-linguistic experimental evidence for the basic level category theory, and also shows the cognitive economy of basic level categories is an intrinsic psychological property, no matter whether it is the first language or the second language that the readers use.

Deep unsupervised adversarial domain adaptation for underwater source range estimation.

In this study, an underwater source range estimation method based on unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) is proposed. In contrast to traditional deep-learning frameworks using real-world data, UDA does not require labeling of the measured data, making it more practical. First, a classifier based on a deep neural network is trained with labeled simulated data generated using acoustic propagation models and, then, the adaptive procedure is applied, wherein unlabeled measured data are employed to adjust an adaptation module using the adversarial learning algorithm. Adversarial learning is employed to alleviate the marginal distribution divergence, which reflects the difference between the measured and theoretically computed sound field, in the latent space. This divergence, caused by environmental parameter mismatch or other unknown corruption, can be detrimental to accurate source localization. After the completion of the adaptive procedure, the measured and simulated data are projected to the same space, eliminating distribution discrepancy, which is beneficial for source localization tasks. Experimental results show that range estimation based on UDA outperforms the match-field-processing method under four scenarios of few snapshots, few array elements, low signal-to-noise ratio, and environmental parameter mismatch, verifying the robustness of the method.

Four-Dimensional Printing and Shape Memory Materials in Bone Tissue Engineering.

The repair of severe bone defects is still a formidable clinical challenge, requiring the implantation of bone grafts or bone substitute materials. The development of three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting has received considerable attention in bone tissue engineering over the past decade. However, 3D printing has a limitation. It only takes into account the original form of the printed scaffold, which is inanimate and static, and is not suitable for dynamic organisms. With the emergence of stimuli-responsive materials, four-dimensional (4D) printing has become the next-generation solution for biological tissue engineering. It combines the concept of time with three-dimensional printing. Over time, 4D-printed scaffolds change their appearance or function in response to environmental stimuli (physical, chemical, and biological). In conclusion, 4D printing is the change of the fourth dimension (time) in 3D printing, which provides unprecedented potential for bone tissue repair. In this review, we will discuss the latest research on shape memory materials and 4D printing in bone tissue repair.

Harnessing the Potential of Non-Apoptotic Cell Death Processes in the Treatment of Drug-Resistant Melanoma.

Melanoma is a highly malignant skin cancer that is known for its resistance to treatments. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the study of non-apoptotic cell death, such as pyroptosis, ferroptosis, necroptosis, and cuproptosis. This review provides an overview of the mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in non-apoptotic cell death in melanoma. This article explores the interplay between various forms of cell death, including pyroptosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, and cuproptosis, as well as apoptosis and autophagy. Importantly, we discuss how these non-apoptotic cell deaths could be targeted as a promising therapeutic strategy for the treatment of drug-resistant melanoma. This review provides a comprehensive overview of non-apoptotic processes and gathers recent experimental evidence that will guide future research and eventually the creation of treatment strategies to combat drug resistance in melanoma.

A Comprehensive Review on Silk Fibroin as a Persuasive Biomaterial for Bone Tissue Engineering.

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) utilizes a special mix of scaffolds, cells, and bioactive factors to regulate the microenvironment of bone regeneration and form a three-dimensional bone simulation structure to regenerate bone tissue. Silk fibroin (SF) is perhaps the most encouraging material for BTE given its tunable mechanical properties, controllable biodegradability, and excellent biocompatibility. Numerous studies have confirmed the significance of SF for stimulating bone formation. In this review, we start by introducing the structure and characteristics of SF. After that, the immunological mechanism of SF for osteogenesis is summarized, and various forms of SF biomaterials and the latest development prospects of SF in BTE are emphatically introduced. Biomaterials based on SF have great potential in bone tissue engineering, and this review will serve as a resource for future design and research.

Monitoring the remediation of groundwater polluted by MSW landfill leachates by activated carbon and zeolite with spectral induced polarization technique.

The municipal solid waste (MSW) landfill in Hangzhou, China utilized zeolite and activated carbon (AC) as permeable reactive barrier (PRB) fill materials to remediate groundwater contaminated with MSW leachates containing ammonium, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and heavy metals. The spectral induced polarization (SIP) technique was chosen for monitoring the PRB because of its sensitivity to pore fluid chemistry and mineral-fluid interface composition. During the experiment, authentic groundwater collected from the landfill site was used to permeate two columns filled with zeolite and AC, and the SIP responses were measured at the inlet and outlet over a frequency range of 0.01-1000 Hz. The results showed that zeolite had a higher adsorption capacity for COD (7.08 mg/g) and ammonium (9.15 mg/g) compared to AC (COD: 2.75 mg/g, ammonium: 1.68 mg/g). Cation exchange was found to be the mechanism of ammonium adsorption for both zeolite and AC, while FTIR results indicated that π-complexation, π-π interaction, and electrostatic attraction were the main mechanisms of COD adsorption. The Cole-Cole model was used to fit the SIP responses and determine the relaxation time (τ) and normalized chargeability (mn). The calculated characteristic diameters of zeolite and AC based on the Schwarz equation and relaxation time (τ) matched the pore sizes observed from SEM and MIP, providing valuable information on contaminant distribution. The mn of zeolite was positively linear with adsorbed ammonium (R2 = 0.9074) and COD (R2 = 0.8877), while the mn of AC was negatively linear with adsorbed ammonium (R2 = 0.8192) and COD (R2 = 0.7916), suggesting that mn could serve as a surrogate for contaminant saturation. The laboratory-based real-time non-invasive SIP results showed good performance in monitoring saturation and provide a strong foundation for future field PRB monitoring.

Can Translation Equivalents in L1 Activated by L2 Produce Homophonic Interference: An Eye Movement Study of Cross-Language Lexical Activation in Chinese English Learners.

This study used an eye-tracking method to examine whether Chinese translation equivalents activated by English prime words can continue to activate their Chinese homophones. With 30 English prime words, and 60 Chinese target words as materials, the experiment used a Tobii eye-tracking device to collect data from 30 university students while completing an English-Chinese lexical semantic-judgment task, aimed at investigating whether (1) when Chinese English learners see the English words, they can activate the homophones of Chinese translation equivalents; and (2) there is a word frequency effect in cross-language lexical activation, i.e., Chinese translation equivalents with different word frequencies have different effects on the activation speed. Compared with low-frequency Chinese translation equivalents, high-frequency Chinese equivalents can facilitate the activation faster and easier. The two research hypotheses were confirmed on several eye movement indicators, supporting the cross-language lexical activation as well as word-frequency effect of Chinese translation equivalents. This is also the first verification of cross-language dual-link lexical activation which engage both semantics and phonology, indicating that L2-L1 semantic activation has strong stability for further phonological activation.

Retrieval of refractive index of ultrafine single particle using hygroscopic growth factor obtained by high sensitive surface plasmon resonance microscopy.

When exposed to different relative humidities (RHs), the optical properties of atmospheric aerosols will change because of changes in the aerosol particle size and complex refractive index (RI), which will affect haze formation and global climate change. The potential contributions of ultrafine particles to the atmospheric optical characteristics and to haze spreading cannot be ignored because of their high particle number concentrations and strong diffusibility; measurement of the optical properties of wet ultrafine particles is thus highly important for environmental assessment. Therefore, a surface plasmon resonance microscopy with azimuthal rotation illumination (SPRM-ARI) system is designed to determine the RIs of single particle aerosols with diameters of less than 100 nm in the hygroscopic growth process. Measurements are taken using mixed single particles with different mass ratios. The RIs of mixed single aerosols at different RHs are retrieved by measuring the scattering light intensity using the SPRM-ARI system and almost all the RIs of the bicomponent particles with different mass ratios decrease with increasing water content under high RH conditions. Finally, for each of the bicomponent particles, the maximum standard deviations for the retrieved RI values are only 2.06×10-3, 3.08×10-3 and 3.83×10-3, corresponding to the NaCl and NaNO3 bicomponent particles with a 3:1 mass ratio at 76.0% RH, the NaCl and glucose particles with a 1:3 mass ratio at 89.0% RH, and the NaCl and OA particles with a 1:1 mass ratio at 78.0% RH, respectively; these results indicate that the high-sensitivity SPRM-ARI system can measure the RI effectively and accurately.

Review on recent progress in on-line monitoring technology for atmospheric pollution source emissions in China.

Emissions from mobile sources and stationary sources contribute to atmospheric pollution in China, and its components, which include ultrafine particles (UFPs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other reactive gases, such as NH3 and NOx, are the most harmful to human health. China has released various regulations and standards to address pollution from mobile and stationary sources. Thus, it is urgent to develop online monitoring technology for atmospheric pollution source emissions. This study provides an overview of the main progress in mobile and stationary source monitoring technology in China and describes the comprehensive application of some typical instruments in vital areas in recent years. These instruments have been applied to monitor emissions from motor vehicles, ships, airports, the chemical industry, and electric power generation. Not only has the level of atmospheric environment monitoring technology and equipment been improving, but relevant regulations and standards have also been constantly updated. Meanwhile, the developed instruments can provide scientific assistance for the successful implementation of regulations. According to the potential problem areas in atmospheric pollution in China, some research hotspots and future trends of atmospheric online monitoring technology are summarized. Furthermore, more advanced atmospheric online monitoring technology will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of atmospheric pollution and improve environmental monitoring capacity.