Characterization of the vertical evolution of urban nocturnal boundary layer by UAV measurements: Insights into relations to cloud radiative effect.

The complex structure of the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) and its impact on air pollution remain poorly understood. In this study, we present in-situ nocturnal flight measurements onboard an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during the wintertime of 2022 at an urban site in Hefei, China. Besides, co-located measurements of radiation intensity and total amount of cloud were conducted. The vertical distribution of temperature, particle number concentration, and relative humidity were obtained to study the structure of NBL and the key factors driving the evolution of the NBL. A multi-layer inversion boundary layer was observed during haze and fog episodes, which affects the vertical diffusion of particles near the surface and leads to a vertical gradient of particle number concentrations. The particle size distribution demonstrates a drastic vertical variation over different sections of the nocturnal boundary layer: homogeneously mixed in the SBL and the RL layer, sharply reduced in the IL. It is found that the temperature and particle number concentration differences between near-surface and at 500 m are highly related to variations of the radiation intensity and the amount of cloud. The decreased cloud cover enhances the surface cooling, creating a shallow NBL with multiple inversion layers, which reinforces the suppression of vertical diffusions and consequently promotes the accumulation of aerosols within the NBL. This reveals an important mechanism for the impact of NBL evolution modulated by cloud radiative effect on the formation of urban haze.

Seco-polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols from Hypericum elodeoides induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MCF-7 cells via oxidative DNA damage.

Four undescribed seco-polyprenylated acylphloroglucinols (seco-PAPs), elodeoidesones A-D (1-4), were characterized from Hypericum elodeoides. Compound 1 represents the 1,6-seco-PAPs with fascinating 5/5 fused ring, while 2-4 possess a 1,2-seco-PAPs skeleton with a five-membered lactone core. Their structures including absolute configurations were established by spectroscopic analyses and quantum chemical computations. A possible biosynthetic pathway of 1-4 from normal PAPs was proposed. All the isolates were investigated for their cytotoxicity against tumor cells. Notably, 1 inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells with the IC50 value of 7.34 µM. Mechanism investigation indicated that 1 induced MCF-7 cells apoptosis by blocking cell cycle at S phase via inducing oxidative DNA damage.

Cytotoxic polyprenylated phloroglucinol derivatives from Hypericum elodeoides Choisy modulating the transactivation of RXRα.

Hyperelodione D (1), an undescribed polyprenylated phloroglucinol derivative possessing 6/6/5/5 fused tetracyclic core, together with hyperelodiones E-F (2-3), two unreported analogues bearing 6/5/5 fused tricyclic structure, were isolated from Hypericum elodeoides Choisy. Their planar structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis (HRESIMS, 1D and 2D NMR) and their absolute configurations were determined by comparison of experimental and calculated ECD data. The cytotoxicity and retinoid X receptor-α (RXRα) related activities of the isolates were evaluated and the plausible biogenetic pathways of 1-3 were proposed.

In Situ Quantitative Observation of Hygroscopic Growth of Single Nanoparticle Aerosol by Surface Plasmon Resonance Microscopy.

Aerosol particle hygroscopicity is an important factor in visibility reduction, cloud formation, radiation forcing, and the global climate. The high number concentration of nanoparticles (defined as particles with diameters below 100 nm) means that their hygroscopic growth abilities and potential contributions to the climate and environment are significant. Therefore, a rapid and accurate in situ analysis method for single nanoparticle hygroscopic growth in an atmospheric environment is important to characterize the effects of the particle's physical and chemical properties in this process. In this work, surface plasmon resonance microscopy with azimuthal rotation illumination (SPRM-ARI) is used to observe the hygroscopic growth and water content of single nanoparticles in situ. The hygroscopic growth results of a single-component nanoparticle are well matched with the extended aerosol inorganic model (E-AIM) results, and the proposed method remains reliable even when the relative humidity (RH) exceeds 90%. For a bicomponent nanoparticle (with NaCl as the primary content), the presence of a component without deliquescence phase transitions under increasing humidity conditions causes the measured data to differ from both the Zdanovskii-Stokes-Robinson (ZSR) model and E-AIM predictions in the low RH range. However, because of their complete liquefaction, the growth factor (GF) variation of the bicomponent nanoparticle is close to the model predictions in the high RH range. Finally, based on the positive correlation between particle volume and the gray intensity of SPRM-ARI, GF values can be obtained from the cube root of the gray intensity and the actual water content of single nanoparticles can then be derived.

Opposing roles of miR-294 and MBNL1/2 in shaping the gene regulatory network of embryonic stem cells.

Alternative pre-mRNA splicing plays important roles in regulating self-renewal and differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, how specific alternative splicing programs are established in ESCs remains elusive. Here, we show that a subset of alternative splicing events in ESCs is dependent on miR-294 expression. Remarkably, roughly 60% of these splicing events are affected by the depletion of Muscleblind-Like Splicing Regulator 1 and 2 (Mbnl1/2). Distinct from canonical miRNA function, miR-294 represses Mbnl1/2 through both posttranscriptional and epigenetic mechanisms. Furthermore, we uncover non-canonical functions of MBNL proteins that bind and promote the expression of miR-294 targets, including Cdkn1a and Tgfbr2, thereby opposing the role of miR-294 in regulating cell proliferation, apoptosis, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Our study reveals extensive interactions between miRNAs and splicing factors, highlighting their roles in regulating cell type-specific alternative splicing and defining gene expression programs during development and cellular differentiation.

Simulation-Based Design and Optimization of Rectangular Micro-Cantilever-Based Aerosols Mass Sensor.

Micro-Cantilever (MCL) is a thin film structure that is applied for aerosol particle mass sensing. Several modifications to the rectangular MCL (length-to-width ratio, slots at the anchor, serrations at its side edges) are made to deduce the role and influence of the shape of rectangular MCL-based aerosol mass sensors and reduce gas damping. A finite element fluid-structure interaction model was used to investigate the performance of MCL. It is found that (I) the mass sensitivity and quality factor decline with the increasing of length-to-width ratio which alters the resonant frequency of the MCL. The optimum conditions, including the length-to-width ratio (σlw = 5) and resonant frequency (f0 = 540.7 kHz) of the MCL, are obtained with the constant surface area (S = 45,000 µm2) in the frequency domain ranging from 0 to 600 kHz. (II) The slots can enhance the read-out signal and bring a small Q factor drop. (III) The edge serrations on MCL significantly reduce the gas damping. The results provide a reference for the design of aerosol mass sensor, which makes it possible to develop aerosol mass sensor with high frequency, sensitivity, and quality.

Facile and Cost-Efficient Synthesis of Quasi-0D/2D ZnO/MoS2 Nanocomposites for Highly Enhanced Visible-Light-Driven Photocatalytic Degradation of Organic Pollutants and Antibiotics.

Nanoscale transition-metal dichalcogenide materials showed promising potential for visible-light responsive photocatalysis. Here, we report our investigations on the synthesis of heterodimensional nanostructures of two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets interspersed with ZnO nanoparticles by using a facile two-step method consisting of sonication-aided exfoliation technique followed by a wet chemical process. The photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposites was examined by studying the degradation of different organic dye pollutants and tetracycline, a common antibiotic, under visible-light irradiation. It is found that within 30 min more than 90 % of the model organic dye was photodegraded by the optimized quasi-0D/2D hybrid nanomaterial. The reaction rate of pollutant degradation is about five and eight times higher than those of the pristine MoS2 naonosheets and P25 photocatalysts, respectively. The outstanding photocatalytic activity of the heterodimensional hybrids can be attributed to a few beneficial features from the synergetic effects. Most importantly, the intimate junction between ZnO and MoS2 facilitates the separation of photogenerated carriers, leading to the enhancement of photocatalytic efficiency. A tentative photocatalytic degradation mechanism was proposed and tested. Overall, the present work provides valuable insights for the exploration of cost-effective nanoscale heterodimensional hybrids constructed from atomically thin layered materials.

Comparative Photothermal Performance among Various Sub-Stoichiometric 2D Oxygen-Deficient Molybdenum Oxide Nanoflakes and In†Vivo Toxicity.

The present study deals with photothermal therapy of solid tumors using different forms of oxygen-deficient sub-stoichiometric two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum oxide nanoflakes (α-MoO3-x ). Upon exfoliation of molybdenum oxide power using fine gridding followed by ultrasonication, bluish green molybdenum oxide (BG α-MoO3 ) was obtained. Oxygen vacancies in BG were generated upon irradiation with an intense xenon lamp. Irradiating the BG for 3 and 5 h, deep blue (B) and olive green (G) oxygen-deficient nanoflakes were obtained respectively. All exhibited high NIR absorption, making these nanomaterials suitable for photothermal therapy. All three forms were functionalized with polypyrrole (PPy@BG, PPy@B, PPy@G) to boost the photothermal stability and transduction efficiency. After functionalization and irradiation with 808 nm laser, the enhancement of temperature for BG, B, G was 50, 65, 52 °C respectively and the corresponding photothermal transduction efficiencies (PTE) were 29.32, 44.42 and 42.00 %. Each of the nanoflakes were found to be highly biocompatible and photostable both in vitro and in vivo. There was substantial decrease in the size of tumors after seven days of treatment on tumor-bearing experimental mice models.

Glucose oxidase assisted visual detection of glucose using oxygen deficient α-MoO3-x nanoflakes.

An optical method is described for the quantitation of glucose by using oxygen-deficient α-MoO3-x nanoflakes. It is based on the use of glucose oxidase (GOx) which produces hydrogen peroxide on oxidation of glucose. Hydrogen peroxide then oxidizes the α-MoO3-x nanoflakes, and this results in a visible color change from blue to colorless. The color change can be measured photometrically at 740 nm. The method has a 68 nM detection limit. Graphical Abstract Mechanism of glucose detection using blue colored oxygen deficient 2D α-MoO3-x nanoflakes. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is formed as a by-product in the conversion of glucose to glucono-1,5-lactone by glucose oxidase (GOx). In the presence of H2O2, the oxygen vacancies in α-MoO3-x nanoflakes are filled up, and this leads to the loss of blue color of the nanoflakes because they are converted back to colorless bulk α-MoO3.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance of ZnO Nanorods Coupled by Two-Dimensional α-MoO3 Nanoflakes under UV and Visible Light Irradiation.

We exploit the utilization of two-dimensional (2D) molybdenum oxide nanoflakes as a co-catalyst for ZnO nanorods (NRs) to enhance their photocatalytic performance. The 2D nanoflakes of orthorhombic α-MoO3 were synthesized through a sonication-aided exfoliation technique. The 2D MoO3 nanoflakes can be further converted to substoichiometric quasi-metallic MoO3-x by using UV irradiation. Subsequently, 1D-2D MoO3 /ZnO NR and MoO3-x /ZnO NR composite photocatalysts have been successfully synthesized. The photocatalytic performances of the novel nanosystems in the decomposition of methylene blue are studied by using UV- and visible-illumination setup. The incorporated 2D nanoflakes show a positive influence on the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO. The obtained rate constant values follow the order of pristine ZnO NR

Full Solution-Processed Synthesis and Mechanisms of a Recyclable and Bifunctional Au/ZnO Plasmonic Platform for Enhanced UV/Vis Photocatalysis and Optical Properties.

The synthesis of noble metal/semiconductor hybrid nanostructures for enhanced catalytic or superior optical properties has attracted a lot of attention in recent years. In this study, a facile and all-solution-processed synthetic route was employed to demonstrate an Au/ZnO platform with plasmonic-enhanced UV/Vis catalytic properties while retaining strengthened luminescent properties. The visible-light response of photocatalysis is supported by localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) excitations while the enhanced performance under UV is aided by charge separation and strong absorption. The enhancement in optical properties is mainly due to local field enhancement effect and coupling between exciton and LSPR. Luminescent characteristics are investigated and discussed in detail. Recyclability tests showed that the Au/ZnO substrate is reusable by cleaning and has a long shelf life. Our result suggests that plasmonic enhancement of photocatalytic performance is not necessarily a trade-off for enhanced near-band-edge emission in Au/ZnO. This approach may give rise to a new class of versatile platforms for use in novel multifunctional and integrated devices.

Advanced testing method to evaluate the performance of respirator filter media.

Filter media for respirator applications are typically exposed to the cyclic flow condition, which is different from the constant flow condition adopted in filter testing standards. To understand the real performance of respirator filter media in the field it is required to investigate the penetration of particles through respirator filters under cyclic flow conditions representing breathing flow patterns of human beings. This article reports a new testing method for studying the individual effect of breathing frequency (BF) and peak inhalation flow rate (PIFR) on the particle penetration through respirator filter media. The new method includes the use of DMA (Differential Mobility Analyzer)-classified particles having the most penetrating particle size, MPPS (at the constant flowrate of equivalent mean inhalation flow rate, MIFR) as test aerosol. Two condensation particle counters (CPCs) are applied to measure the particle concentrations at the upstream and downstream of test filter media at the same time. Given the 10 Hz sampling time of CPCs, close-to-instantaneous particle penetration could be measured. A pilot study was performed to demonstrate the new testing method. It is found that the effect of BF on the particle penetration of test respirator filter media is of importance at all the tested peak inhalation flow rates (PIFRs), which is different from those reported in the previous work.

A Machine Learning Method for Power Prediction on the Mobile Devices.

Energy profiling and estimation have been popular areas of research in multicore mobile architectures. While short sequences of system calls have been recognized by machine learning as pattern descriptions for anomalous detection, power consumption of running processes with respect to system-call patterns are not well studied. In this paper, we propose a fuzzy neural network (FNN) for training and analyzing process execution behaviour with respect to series of system calls, parameters and their power consumptions. On the basis of the patterns of a series of system calls, we develop a power estimation daemon (PED) to analyze and predict the energy consumption of the running process. In the initial stage, PED categorizes sequences of system calls as functional groups and predicts their energy consumptions by FNN. In the operational stage, PED is applied to identify the predefined sequences of system calls invoked by running processes and estimates their energy consumption.

Resting-state functional connectivity predicts impulsivity in economic decision-making.

Increasing neuroimaging evidence suggests an association between impulsive decision-making behavior and task-related brain activity. However, the relationship between impulsivity in decision-making and resting-state brain activity remains unknown. To address this issue, we used functional MRI to record brain activity from human adults during a resting state and during a delay discounting task (DDT) that requires choosing between an immediate smaller reward and a larger delayed reward. In experiment I, we identified four DDT-related brain networks. The money network (the striatum, posterior cingulate cortex, etc.) and the time network (the medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices, etc.) were associated with the valuation process; the frontoparietal network and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex-anterior insular cortex network were related to the choice process. Moreover, we found that the resting-state functional connectivity of the brain regions in these networks was significantly correlated with participants' discounting rate, a behavioral index of impulsivity during the DDT. In experiment II, we tested an independent group of subjects and demonstrated that this resting-state functional connectivity was able to predict individuals' discounting rates. Together, these findings suggest that resting-state functional organization of the human brain may be a biomarker of impulsivity and can predict economic decision-making behavior.

Sexually Dimorphic Response to Hepatic Injury in Newborn Suffering from Intrauterine Growth Restriction.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), when a fetus does not grow as expected, is associated with a reduction in hepatic functionality and a higher risk for chronic liver disease in adulthood. Utilizing early developmental plasticity to reverse the outcome of poor fetal programming remains an unexplored area. Focusing on the biochemical profiles of neonates and previous transcriptome findings, piglets from the same fetus are selected as models for studying IUGR. The cellular landscape of the liver is created by scRNA-seq to reveal sex-dependent patterns in IUGR-induced hepatic injury. One week after birth, IUGR piglets experience hypoxic stress. IUGR females exhibit fibroblast-driven T cell conversion into an immune-adapted phenotype, which effectively alleviates inflammation and fosters hepatic regeneration. In contrast, males experience even more severe hepatic injury. Prolonged inflammation due to disrupted lipid metabolism hinders intercellular communication among non-immune cells, which ultimately impairs liver regeneration even into adulthood. Additionally, Apolipoprotein A4 (APOA4) is explored as a novel biomarker by reducing hepatic triglyceride deposition as a protective response against hypoxia in IUGR males. PPARα activation can mitigate hepatic damage and meanwhile restore over-expressed APOA4 to normal in IUGR males. The pioneering study offers valuable insights into the sexually dimorphic responses to hepatic injury during IUGR.

In vitro particle size distributions in electronic and conventional cigarette aerosols suggest comparable deposition patterns.

INTRODUCTION: Electronic cigarette users ("vapers") inhale aerosols of water, nicotine, and propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG). Aerosol particle sizes should affect deposition patterns in vapers and bystanders. METHODS: Aerosols were generated by a smoking machine and an electronic cigarette filled with 16mg/ml nicotine in aqueous PG or VG solution. A scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS) counted particles of 10-1,000 nm diameters. A single puff experiment counted particles immediately and after aging 10 and 40 s. A steady-state experiment counted particles emitted from a collection chamber, untreated and after desiccation or organic vapor removal. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) human respiratory tract model was used to estimate deposition. Results were compared to similar data from reference cigarettes. RESULTS: Puffs generated peak particle counts at (VG) 180 nm and (PG) 120 nm. Steady-state peaks occurred around 400 nm. Organic vapor removal eliminated small particles and reduced the size and number of large particles. Desiccation reduced the total volume of particles by 70% (VG, small PG) to 88% (large PG). The ICRP model predicted 7%-18% alveolar delivery; 9%-19% venous delivery, mostly in the head; and 73%-80% losses by exhalation. Reference cigarettes generated more particles initially, but were otherwise similar; however, in vivo smoke particle deposition is higher than the model predicts. CONCLUSIONS: Nicotine delivery may depend on vaping technique, particle evolution, and cloud effects. Predicted 10% arterial and 15% venous delivery may describe bystander exposure better than vapers exposure.

Evolving MCDM applications using hybrid expert-based ISM and DEMATEL models: an example of sustainable ecotourism.

Ecological degradation is an escalating global threat. Increasingly, people are expressing awareness and priority for concerns about environmental problems surrounding them. Environmental protection issues are highlighted. An appropriate information technology tool, the growing popular social network system (virtual community, VC), facilitates public education and engagement with applications for existent problems effectively. Particularly, the exploration of related involvement behavior of VC member engagement is an interesting topic. Nevertheless, member engagement processes comprise interrelated sub-processes that reflect an interactive experience within VCs as well as the value co-creation model. To address the top-focused ecotourism VCs, this study presents an application of a hybrid expert-based ISM model and DEMATEL model based on multi-criteria decision making tools to investigate the complex multidimensional and dynamic nature of member engagement. Our research findings provide insightful managerial implications and suggest that the viral marketing of ecotourism protection is concerned with practitioners and academicians alike.

[Analysis of cloud spectral structure characteristics based on cloud profile radar data].

Cloud plays a very important role in the earth-atmosphere system. However, the current climate models are still lacking data about internal fine structure of cloud. And when the traditional passive satellite radiometer is used for remote sense, a plentiful information of the vertical distribution of cloud layer will be lost. For these reasons, NASA proposed the launch project of CloudSat, Whose purpose is to provide the necessary observation, and then allow us to understand better the internal structure of the cloud. CloudSat was successfully launched on April 28, 2006. It carried the first cloud profile radar (CPR) with W band (94 GHz), which can provide continuous and global time sequence vertical structure and characteristics of cloud. In the present paper, using CloudSat satellite data, we analyzed the 8th "Morakot" and 15th " Koppu" typhoon cloud systems. According to the "typhoon" cloud detection results, the radar reflectivity, cloud types and optical thickness successive variation of cloud layer were gotten, which will provide a reference for studying optical properties of typhoon cloud system.

Application of nanotechnology in reversing therapeutic resistance and controlling metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common digestive malignancy across the world. Its first-line treatments applied in the routine clinical setting include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy. However, resistance to therapy has been identified as the major clinical challenge that fails the treatment method, leading to recurrence and distant metastasis. An increasing number of studies have been attempting to explore the underlying mechanisms of the resistance of CRC cells to different therapies, which can be summarized into two aspects: (1) The intrinsic characters and adapted alterations of CRC cells before and during treatment that regulate the drug metabolism, drug transport, drug target, and the activation of signaling pathways; and (2) the suppressive features of the tumor microenvironment (TME). To combat the issue of therapeutic resistance, effective strategies are warranted with a focus on the restoration of CRC cells' sensitivity to specific treatments as well as reprogramming impressive TME into stimulatory conditions. To date, nanotechnology seems promising with scope for improvement of drug mobility, treatment efficacy, and reduction of systemic toxicity. The instinctive advantages offered by nanomaterials enable the diversity of loading cargoes to increase drug concentration and targeting specificity, as well as offer a platform for trying the combination of different treatments to eventually prevent tumor recurrence, metastasis, and reversion of therapy resistance. The present review intends to summarize the known mechanisms of CRC resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and targeted therapy, as well as the process of metastasis. We have also emphasized the recent application of nanomaterials in combating therapeutic resistance and preventing metastasis either by combining with other treatment approaches or alone. In summary, nanomedicine is an emerging technology with potential for CRC treatment; hence, efforts should be devoted to targeting cancer cells for the restoration of therapeutic sensitivity as well as reprogramming the TME. It is believed that the combined strategy will be beneficial to achieve synergistic outcomes contributing to control and management of CRC in the future.

Handedness-sensitive emission of surface plasmon polaritons by elliptical nanohole ensembles.

We report handedness-sensitive surface plasmon polariton (SPP) emission in mirror-symmetric ensembles of elliptical nanoholes made in a thin gold film. It is found by means of rigorous calculations and scanning near-field optical microscopy that SPP excitation direction depends on the direction of circularly polarized illumination E-vector rotation. An analytical model based on anisotropic polarizability of each nanohole is presented. Both the experimental and calculated results are in agreement with Curie's principle, and contribute to better understanding of symmetry in plasmonics.