Bioaerosols in the atmosphere: A comprehensive review on detection methods, concentration and influencing factors.

In the past few decades, especially since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the effects of atmospheric bioaerosols on human health, the environment, and climate have received great attention. To evaluate the impacts of bioaerosols quantitatively, it is crucial to determine the types of bioaerosols in the atmosphere and their spatial-temporal distribution. We provide a concise summary of the online and offline observation strategies employed by the global research community to sample and analyze atmospheric bioaerosols. In addition, the quantitative distribution of bioaerosols is described by considering the atmospheric bioaerosols concentrations at various time scales (daily and seasonal changes, for example), under various weather, and different underlying surfaces. Finally, a comprehensive summary of the reasons for the spatiotemporal distribution of bioaerosols is discussed, including differences in emission sources, the impact process of meteorological factors and environmental factors. This review of information on the latest research progress contributes to the emergence of further observation strategies that determine the quantitative dynamics of public health and ecological effects of bioaerosols.

Simulated depolarization ratios for dust and smoke at laser wavelengths: implications for lidar application.

Polarization measurements have been widely used to detect aerosol properties by remote sensing in recent decades. To better understand the polarization characteristics of aerosols by lidar, the numerically exact T-matrix method was used to simulate the depolarization ratio (DR) of dust and smoke aerosols at typical laser wavelengths in this study. The results show that the DRs of dust and smoke aerosols have obviously different spectral dependences. Moreover, the ratio of DRs at two wavelengths has an obvious linear relationship with the microphysical properties of aerosols, including aspect ratio, effective radius and complex refractive index. At short wavelengths, we can use it to invert the absorption characteristics of particles, further improving the detection ability of lidar. Comparing the simulation results of different channels, DR, (color ratio) CR and (lidar ratio) LR have a good logarithmic fitting relationship at 532 nm and 1064 nm, which helps to classify the aerosol types. On this basis, a new inversion algorithm, "1ß+1α+2δ", was presented. By this algorithm, the backscattering coefficient (ß), extinction coefficient (α), DR (δ) at 532 nm and 1064 nm can be used to expand the range of inversion and compare lidar data with different configurations to obtain more extensive optical characteristics of aerosols. Our study enhances the application of laser remote sensing in aerosol observations more accurately.

What part of the brain is involved in graphic design thinking in landscape architecture?

Graphic design thinking is a key skill for landscape architects, but little is known about the links between the design process and brain activity. Based on Goel's frontal lobe lateralization hypothesis (FLLH), we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan the brain activity of 24 designers engaging in four design processes-viewing, copy drawing, preliminary ideas, and refinement-during graphic design thinking. The captured scans produced evidence of dramatic differences between brain activity when copying an existing graphic and when engaging in graphic design thinking. The results confirm that designs involving more graphic design thinking exhibit significantly more activity in the left prefrontal cortex. These findings illuminate the design process and suggest the possibility of developing specific activities or exercises to promote graphic design thinking in landscape architecture.

Engineering a family 27 carbohydrate-binding module into an Aspergillus usamii ß-mannanase to perfect its enzymatic properties.

A family 27 carbohydrate-binding module of a Thermotoga maritima ß-mannanase (TmCBM27) was chosen from the carbohydrate-active enzyme database by computer-aided design, possessing the lowest binding free energy with mannopentaose. To improve the enzymatic properties of a glycoside hydrolase family 5 ß-mannanase from Aspergillus usamii (AuMan5A), two fusion ß-mannanases, AuMan5A-F-M and AuMan5A-R-M, were designed by fusing a TmCBM27 into its C-terminus linked with a flexible peptide F (GGGGS)3 and rigid peptide R (EAAAK)3. Two fusion enzyme genes, Auman5A-F-m and Auman5A-R-m, were constructed as designed theoretically by overlapping PCR. Then, Auman5A and two fusion genes were expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115. Three recombinant ß-mannanases, reAuMan5A, reAuMan5A-F-M and reAuMan5A-R-M, were purified to homogeneity with specific activities of 230.6, 153.3 and 241.7 U/mg. The temperature optimum of reAuMan5A-R-M was 70°C, identical with that of reAuMan5A, while its thermostability and melting temperature (Tm) reached 68°C and 74.9°C, being 8.0°C and 8.4°C higher than those of the latter, respectively. Additionally, the Km values of reAuMan5A-R-M, towards locust bean gum, konjac gum and guar gum, significantly decreased to 0.9, 1.9 and 2.5 mg/mL from 1.7, 3.8 and 4.2 mg/mL of reAuMan5A, while its kcat/Km (catalytic efficiency) values increased to 287.8, 163.7 and 84.4 mL/mg⋅s from 171.2, 97.6 and 56.0 mL/mg⋅s of the latter, respectively. These results verified that the fusion of a TmCBM27 into the C-terminus of AuMan5A mediated by (EAAAK)3 linker contributed to its improved thermostability and catalytic efficiency.

[Correlation between superior enzymatic properties of ß-mannanase AuMan5A/Af and its residue Asp(320)].

OBJECTIVE: AuMan5A is a glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 5 ß-mannanase from Aspergillus usamii. To improve its enzymatic properties, we have previously constructed a mutant with loop substitution, AuMan5A/Af, by substituting a loop of seven residues (316KSPDGGN322) in its substrate binding groove with the corresponding region (PSPNDHF) of A. fumigatus GH family 5 ß-mannanase. To reveal the correlation between the superior enzymatic properties of AuMan5A/Af and its residue Asp320, site-directed mutagenesis was used to obtain a new mutant enzyme AuMan5A/Af(D320G). METHODS: Using megaprimer PCR method, we constructed a new mutant-encoding gene, Auman5A/Af(D320G) by mutating an Asp320 -encoding codon GAC of Auman5A/Af into a Gly320 -encoding GGT. Then, Auman5A/Af(D320G) was extracellularly expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115, and the enzymatic properties of the expressed product were analyzed. RESULTS: Analytical results indicated that the optimal and melting temperature of AuMan5A/Af(D320G) was 70.0 degrees C and 71.5 degrees C, repectively, higher than those of AuMan5A (T(opt) = 65.0 degrees C, T(m) = 64.5 degrees C) and lower than those of AuMan5A/Af (T(opt) = 75.0 degrees C, T(m) =76.6 degrees C); its half-life at 70.0 degrees C was 40 min, 10 min longer than that of AuMan5A but greatly shorter than 480 min of AuMan5A/Af. Besides, its specific activity was 2.7 fold and 0.3 fold that of AuMan5A and AuMan5A/Af, respectively, and its catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(m)) was 3.9 fold and 0.3 fold that of AuMan5A and AuMan5A/Af. CONCLUSION: The mutation of ASP320 into Gly320 greatly affected the temperature characteristics and catalytic activity of AuMan5A/Af, demonstrating that Asp320 plays an improtant role in temperature characteristics, specific activity and catalytic efficiency improving of AuMan5A after loop substitution.

Influence of optical forces on nonlinear optical frequency conversion in nanoscale waveguide devices.

We theoretically investigate the influence of optical gradient forces on nonlinear frequency conversion in a typical nanoscale optomechanical system, which consists of two parallel, suspended waveguides. The waveguides deform with the input power and the phase-matching wavelength changes along the waveguides. Utilizing the spread of deformations collectively allows phase matching over a wider range of pump wavelengths. The third harmonic phase-matching wavelength shift can be as large as 3.6 nm/mW when the waveguide length is 100 µm and the initial gap is 150 nm. It is analogous to chirping the poling period of quasi-phase-matched devices to extend their bandwidths, and allows broad third harmonic to be generated for uses such as biological spectroscopy. Finally, we discuss the conversion efficiency and the optimal phase-matching wavelength with a single-frequency pump.