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Introduction: Trophoblast development is a crucial event in placentation and pregnancy complications but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Thus, we aimed at investigating the role of DiO2 in trophoblast cell line decisions and assessing its placental villous expression in early recurrent miscarriage (ERM) patients.Methods: The placental villous expression of DiO2 was determined with immunofluorescence. Cell proliferation was measured with the CCK8 kit while cell-cycle and apoptosis were studied with flow-cytometry. Cell migration and invasion were measured with wound-healing and transwell assays, respectively. Gene expression was then assessed with RT-qPCR and western blotting.Results: DiO2 is expressed in the CTB, PCT, DCT and STB of the placenta. Its overexpression arrested trophoblast cell line proliferation at the G1 phase of the cell-cycle by downregulating cyclin-D1 and PCNA, while promoting apoptosis via increased caspase-3 activity and inhibition of the AKT and ERK1/2 signaling pathways. Also, it augmented trophoblast cell line migration and invasion via the upregulation of N-cadherin, vimentin, fascin-1, twist-1 and other epithelial-mesenchymal transition genes. DiO2 knockdown elicited the opposite effects. Surprisingly, each of these effects of DiO2 manipulation was not mediated by thyroid hormone metabolism. Assessment of the ERM placental villi revealed a downregulation of DiO2, N-cadherin, vimentin, fascin-1 and twist-1. The expression of E-cadherin remained unchanged in these placentae.Discussion: During placentation, DiO2 may inhibit trophoblast proliferation while facilitating their differentiation into an invasive phenotype; and that its downregulation may contribute to the shallow trophoblast invasion that precedes ERM. Hence, DiO2 is a potential therapeutic target against ERM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction and operation of water conservancy projects changes the original flow regimes of rivers, and thus disturbs the habitat conditions of aquatic organisms. As an important aquatic living resource, fish is sensitive to the flow changes of the river, especially in the important periods such as spawning seasons. Existing studies indicates that flow regimes are effective stimulus for the fish spawning. In this study, an identification algorithm composed of three times of denoising is proposed to identify those rises with a certain magnitude and duration, which are deemed to be effective for spawning stimulus. Characteristic parameters including the number of the flood processes in the spawning season, the duration of each flood, and the growth rate of rising are statistically analyzed for the identified processes. The application on the upper reaches of the Yellow River in China, where almost no human intervention occurs, indicates that there indeed are some regularity for the flow regimes in the spawning season, even in different hydrological years. 4–6 times of floods composing a flow rising process is in need, and each of them should last for about 11 days. The desired daily growth rate is around 60 m3/(s·d) for the studied case. Such results are conductive for reservoir operation and the management of the river. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gypenosides from heat-processed Gynostemma pentaphyllum has the effect of reduced lipids and lost weight in obese mice with high-fat diet. • Lipomics revealed that gypenosides in heat-processed Gynostemma pentaphyllum significantly attenuated liver metabolites in hyperlipidemic mice, especially ceramide and lysophosphatidylcholine. • The liver participates in the regulation of lipid metabolism by heat-processed Gynostemma pentaphyllum saponin. The mechanism may be related to lipid synthesis, catabolism and metabolism. In traditional Chinese medicine, Gynostemma pentaphyllum (G. pentaphyllum) is widely used to treat conditions associated with hyperlipidemia, and its therapeutic potential has been demonstrated in numerous studies. However, the mechanism of lipid metabolism in hyperlipidemic by G. pentaphyllum , especially heat-processed G. pentaphyllum is not yet clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of gypenosides from heat-processed G. pentaphyllum (HGyp) in hyperlipidemic mice by means of a lipidomics. The content of the major components of HGyp was determined by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS). An animal model of hyperlipidaemia was constructed using C57BL/6J mice fed with high-fat diet. HGyp was also administered at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, all for 12 weeks. Serum parameters were measured, histological sections were prepared and liver lipidome analysis using UPLC-MS coupled with multivariate statistical analysis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blotting were used to analyze the genes and proteins associated with lipid lowering in HGyp. HGyp reduced body weight, serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and hepatic lipid accumulation in hyperlipidemic obese mice. To explore specific changes in lipid metabolism in relation to HGyp administration, lipid analysis of the liver was performed. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) score plots showed that HGyp altered lipid metabolism in HFD mice. In particular, fatty acids (FA), triglycerides (DG), TG and ceramides (CER) were significantly altered. Eleven lipids were identified as potential lipid biomarkers, namely TG (18:2/20:5/18:2), TG (18:2/18:3/20:4), DG (18:3/20:0/0:0), Cer (d18:1/19:0), Cer (d16:1/23:0), Ceramide (d18:1/9Z-18:1), PS (19:0/18:3), PS (20:2/0:0), LysoPC (22:5), LysoPE (0:0/18:0), PE (24:0/16:1). Western blot and qRT-PCR analysis showed that these metabolic improvements played a role by down-regulating genes and proteins related to fat production (SREBP1, ACC1, SCD1), up-regulating genes and proteins related to lipid oxidation (CPTA1, PPARα) and lipid transport decomposition in the bile acid pathway (LXRα, PPARγ, FXR, BSEP). The lipid-lowering effect of gypenosides from heat-processed G. pentaphyllum is regulate lipid homeostasis and metabolism. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most striking feature of the solar energy is its intermittency and instability resulting from environmental influence. Hydropower can be an ideal choice to compensate photovoltaic (PV) power since it is easy to adjust and responds rapidly with low cost. This study proposed a long-term multi-objective optimization model for integrated hydro/PV power system considering the smoothness of power output process and the total amount of annual power generation of the system simultaneously. The PV power output is firstly calculated by hourly solar radiation and temperature data, which is then taken as the boundary condition for reservoir optimization. For hydropower, due to its great adjustable capability, a month is taken as the time step to balance the simulation cost. The problem dimension is thus reduced by decoupling hydropower and PV power in time scales. The modified version of Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) is adopted to optimize the multi-objective problem. The proposed model was applied to the Longyangxia hydro/PV hybrid power system in Qinghai province of China, which is supposed to be the largest hydro/PV hydropower station in the world. The results verified that the hydropower is an ideal compensation resource for the PV power in nature, especially in wet years, when the solar radiation decreases due to rainfalls while the water resource is abundant to be allocated. The power generation potential is provided for different hydrologic years, which can be taken to evaluate the actual operations. The proposed methodology is general in that it can be used for other hydro/PV power systems than those studied here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High dimensionality in real-world multi-reservoir systems greatly hinders the application and popularity of evolutionary algorithms, especially for systems with heterogeneous units. An efficient hierarchical optimization framework is presented for search space reduction, determining the best water distributions, not only between cascade reservoirs, but also among different types of hydropower units. The framework is applied to the Three Gorges Project (TGP) system and the results demonstrate that the difficulties of multi-reservoir optimization caused by high dimensionality can be effectively solved by the proposed hierarchical method. For the day studied, power output could be increased by 6.79 GWh using an optimal decision with the same amount of water actually used; while the same amount of power could be generated with 2.59 × 10 7 m 3 less water compared to the historical policy. The methodology proposed is general in that it can be used for other reservoir systems and other types of heterogeneous unit generators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using glassy carbon electrodes (GCE) as working electrodes, Pd nanodendrites have been prepared on a large scale by one-step electrodeposition, without any seed or surfactant, just with the assistance of ethylenediamine. The formation of Pd nanostructures is closely associated with their growth conditions, such as applied potential, electrolyte and its concentration, and electrodeposition time. It is found that Pd nanocrystals are preferential growing along the (111) directions during the electrolysis process. The as-prepared Pd dendrites have large electroactive surface area and exhibit high electrocatalytic ability towards methanol oxidation, which can be used as a better potential candidate for application in direct fuel cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The silk gland is an important organ in silkworm as it synthesizes silk proteins and is critical to spinning. The genomic DNA content of silk gland cells dramatically increases 200–400 thousand times for the larval life span through the process of endomitosis. Using in vitro culture, DNA synthesis was measured using BrdU labeling during the larval molt and intermolt periods. We found that the cell cycle of endomitosis was activated during the intermolt and was inhibited during the molt phase. The anterior silk gland, middle silk gland, and posterior silk gland cells asynchronously exit the endomitotic cycle after day 6 in 5th instar larvae, which correlated with the reduced expression of the cell cycle-related cdt1, pcna, cyclin E, cdk2 and cdk1 mRNAs in the wandering phase. Additional starvation had no effect on the initiation of silk gland DNA synthesis of the freshly ecdysed larvae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the rapid development of the global economy, there are more need to and reliance on the mineral resource. How to realize the effective management and the reasonable exploitation of the mineral resource in our country is the problem needing resolving urgently. The appearance and development of 3S technology offer the basis and method to solve this problem. The following paper, through the description of 3S technology, sets up the mineral resource verification system model on the basis of 3S technology, which offers a platform to manage and reasonably exploit the mineral resource. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, four new luminescent silver(I) sulfonate complexes with PPh3, namely Ag(L1)(PPh3)2 (1), Ag(L2)(PPh3)3 (2), [Ag2(L3)(PPh3)4(H2O)]·1.5CH3CN·0.5H2O (3) and [Ag4(L4)(PPh3)10]·8H2O (4), where L1=p-toluenesulfonate, L2=1-naphthalenesulfonate, L3=3-carboxylate-4-hydroxybenzenesulfonate, L4=1, 3, 6, 8-pyrenetetrasulfonate and PPh3=triphenylphosphine, have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. Compounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 adopt discrete structures rather than polymeric structures. Compounds 1 and 2 show mononuclear structures while 3 and 4 are dinuclear and tetranuclear molecules, respectively. Moreover the numbers of PPh3 molecules coordinating to one silver center are two or three. The photoluminescent properties of 1, 2 and 3 are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The construction and operation of large-scale reservoirs changes the flow regimes downstream, and thus has negative impact on the aquatic organisms. As an important indicator species, fish is sensitive to flow regimes, which provide stimulus for physiological activity, such as spawning and immigration. On the other hand, the grid-connected large-scale hydropower stations often carry out multiple functions, such as power generation, peak shaving, flood control, and navigation, involving multiple subjects including power plant, power grid, etc. In this study, a multi-objective optimization model is proposed considering the power generation requirement of the power plant, the firm power requirement of the power grid, and the ecological requirement of the fish spawning downstream, simultaneously. The flow regimes is firstly identified and characterized, and the reservoir discharge similar to the natural status is preferred. The proposed model is solved by Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), and applied to a large-scale reservoir in planning on the upper reaches of the Yellow River in China, where the spawning ground of the plateau cold water fishes will be influenced. The results indicate that the proposed methodology can achieve some balance among different objectives from different subjects, and can be generalized to other large-scale reservoirs that has great impact on the flow regimes downstream. • Considering fish spawning requirement in seasonal hydropower scheduling problem based on characteristics of flow regimes. • Multi-objective optimization maximizing firm power, power generation, and ecological requirement simultaneously. • The proposed method was applied to a real-world reservoir being built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effective flow rising processes for fish-spawning stimuli were identified. • Indices were defined for the flow rising processes in terms of fish habitats. • Results indicate both fish spawning and hydropower generation can be optimized. • The proposed method was applied to a real-world reservoir being built in China. Various studies have shown that stream flow regimes play a significant role in fish spawning stimuli. Stream flows have been altered by reservoir operations around the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. In this study, the flow rising processes most effective for fish spawning stimuli are identified, and their quantitative characteristics are then represented by a set of hydrological indices. Based on a quantitative ecological scoring method describing the statistical similarity between the reservoir release and the natural flow regime, a multi-objective optimization model considering hydropower generation and fish habitat protection is proposed and then solved by the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II). The proposed methodology is applied to a large-scale reservoir on the upper reaches of the Yellow River in China. The statistics of these indices verify the regulations on the flow rising processes in fish spawning seasons via reservoir operation in different hydrological years. The Pareto Front derived from the multi-objective optimization indicates that it is possible to both improve the local ecology and increase hydropower generation profits using the method proposed herein on the basis of proper understanding of the effective flow process required by fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A cloud chamber with a diameter of 1.0 m and a height of 7.5 m was constructed to study the acoustic defogging effect. • Sound waves with low frequencies (<50 Hz) and high sound pressure levels (>125 dB) had a more significant effect on fog removal than their counterparts. • Two mechanisms for low-frequency sound wave fog removal existed in different frequency bands: (1) collision and dissipation and (2) evaporation and dissipation. • The feasibility of acoustic fog removal technology was verified with various advantages. Scholars have previously shown that sound waves can promote the collision and growth of cloud droplets. To determine the optimal acoustic parameters for fog removal, a cloud chamber with a diameter of 1.0 m and a height of 7.5 m was constructed in this study. The effects of low-frequency (<100 Hz) sound waves on the dispersion of dense fog at different sound pressure levels (SPLs) were studied and compared with those of traditional hygroscopic salt. Experiments showed that low-frequency sound waves can effectively promote the collision and growth of droplet particles in the cloud chamber and accelerate the evolution process of droplets in the cloud chamber. Moreover, sound waves with relatively low frequencies (<50 Hz) and high sound pressure levels (>125 dB) have a highly significant effect; the low-frequency sound waves defogging effect is better than that of traditional artificial defogging with hygroscopic salts. Importantly, experiments indicated that there are two mechanisms for low-frequency sound waves fog removal in different frequency bands: (1) the collision and dissipation mechanism under the action of 40 Hz sound waves and (2) the evaporation and dissipation mechanism under the action of 25 Hz sound waves. The results of this study objectively verify the feasibility of sound waves fog removal technology. Considering its advantages of low cost, no chemical pollution production, strong mobility, and good environmental adaptability, sound waves defogging has broad application potential in the field of artificial fog removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ApoEb is a zebrafish homologous to mammalian ApoE , whose deficiency would lead to lipid metabolism disorders (LMDs) like atherosclerosis. We attempted to knock out the zebrafish ApoEb , then establish a zebrafish model with LMD. ApoEb was knocked out using the CRISPR/Cas9 system, and the accumulation of lipids was confirmed by Oil Red O staining, confocal imaging, and lipid measurements. The lipid-lowering effects of simvastatin (SIM), ezetimibe (EZE) and Xuezhikang (XZK), an extract derived from red yeast rice, were evaluated through in vivo imaging in zebrafish larvae. In the ApoEb mutant, significant vascular lipid deposition occurred, and lipid measurement performed in the whole-body homogenate of larvae and adult plasma showed significantly increased lipid levels. SIM, EZE and XZK apparently relieved hyperlipidemia in ApoEb mutants, and XZK had a significant inhibitory effect on the recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages. In this study, an LMD model has been established in ApoEb mutant zebrafish. We suggest that this versatile model could be applied in studying hypercholesterolemia and related vascular pathology in the context of early atherosclerosis, as well as the physiological function of ApoE. [Display omitted] • ApoEb knockout supplemented with high-fat diet makes a lipid metabolism disorder model in zebrafish. • Both simvastatin and ezetimibe significantly relieve intravascular lipid accumulation in the ApoEb deficient zebrafish model. • Xuezhikang may prevent atherosclerosis through both lipid-lowering effect and its inhibitory effect on inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new hydroanthraquinone derivative, 6- O -demethyl-4-dehydroxyaltersolanol A ( 1 ), and two new azaphilones, 8,11-didehydrochermesinone B ( 6 ) and (7 S )-7-hydroxy-3,7-dimethyl-isochromene-6,8-dione ( 8 ), along with five known analogues ( 2–5 and 7 ), were isolated from the culture broth of Nigrospora sp. YE3033, an endophytic fungus obtained from Aconitum carmichaeli . Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic analyses. Biological activity test indicated that compounds 1 – 3 , and 7 exhibited the inhibitory effects on influenza viral strain of A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) with the IC 50 values of 2.59, 8.35, 7.82, and 0.80 μg/mL, respectively, while the low cytotoxicity of 7 with the CC 50 value of 184.75 μg/mL, displaying a promising potential of 7 in the development of anti-influenza A virus drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Well-defined Pd nanochains were quickly synthesized by a simple one-pot wet-chemical reduction method. [•] OP-10 is used as a growth directing agent for the formation of the Pd nanochains. [•] The Pd nanochains displayed the enhanced electrocatalytic performance for formic acid oxidation in acidic media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Well-defined flower-like Pt arrays were prepared via one-step electrodeposition, assisted with urea as a growth directing agent. [•] This method is simple, facile, and controllable, without using any template, seed or surfactant. [•] The Pt arrays show an enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward ethylene glycol and methanol oxidation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• An index CT is proposed to characterize the third dimension of clouds, such as thickness. • CT has higher correlation than CF with CRE for both GHI and DNI. • CF has higher correlation than CT with CRE for DFI regardless of whether the sun is obscured. A detailed analysis of the effect of clouds on irradiance yields insights into the interaction between clouds and radiation and the precise forecasting of short-term solar radiation. Existing research has mainly focused on the impact of the cloud fraction (CF), i.e., the area distribution of clouds, on radiation. However, three-dimensional cloud information, such as the cloud thickness, also significantly affects solar radiation. This study proposes an innovative index based on the luminance of clouds in all-sky images (ASIs) to characterize the three-dimensional information of clouds, namely, CT, which is usually omitted in the binarization of ASIs. By using two-year synchronous ground irradiance and ASI observation data, the relationship between CT and the cloud radiative effect (CRE) is studied for different types of clouds under two situations, the sun being obscured and unobscured by clouds. The comparison with the commonly used CF indicates that CT has the same or higher negative correlation with the CRE of global horizontal irradiance. Moreover, the correlation between CT and CF with the CREs of direct normal irradiance (DNI) and diffuse irradiance (DFI) is explored in detail. The results indicate that CT has a more negative correlation with the CRE of DNI than that of CF when the sun is obscured, particularly for altocumulus clouds. A detailed discussion indicates that cloud radiative enhancement effects mainly occur under cumulus clouds with a minimum distance between the clouds and the sun (CSMD) of less than three solar radii, but cirrus clouds and altocumulus clouds can also induce cloud radiative enhancement effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Flow rising process stimulating spawning is identified by proposed Algorithm (FIA). • Fish-oriented indicators are defined to describe the rising processes features quantitatively. • Applied on the upper reaches of the Yellow River. • 4˜6 times of flow rising occur in spawning season; each lasts for about 11 days. • Daily average flow in rising process should be about 30% higher than daily mean. Various studies have proven that the flow rising processes play a significant role in the fish spawning stimulus. Instead of seizing the flow rise as an integrated process consisting of a flow rising edge and falling edge, the current publication focus on the daily flow. It is necessary to identify the effective flow rising process to learn the flow feature and guide the water resources management. In this study, a Fluctuation Identification Algorithm (FIA) is proposed based on the identification of flow rising and falling edges with only three parameters in total. On the strength of those identified flow rising processes, a group of fish-oriented indicators are defined to describe the features of the rising, including the number of the rising processes in the whole spawning season, the average duration of each rising process, the daily average flow in the flow rising processes, the average flow rising ratio, the average flow increment, and the average growth rate of the flow rising processes in the spawning season. The application on the upper reaches of the Yellow river over recent 10 years verifies the validity of the proposed Fluctuation Identification Algorithm. The statistics of those indicators indicates the regularities of the flow rising processes in the fish spawning seasons in different hydrological years, which helps the ecological protection in the water resources development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple, facile, green, and controlled one-step electrodeposition method was developed for preparation of well-defined urchin-like Pd nanoparticles on a glassy carbon electrode, using nitrite ions as the growth directing agent. No any organic solvent, template, surfactant, seed, or complex apparatus was involved. The as-prepared Pd nanostructures had “clean” surfaces because of the surfactant-free formation process. The obtained Pd deposits were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The experimental parameters including deposition potential, the dosage of H 2 PdCl 4 and nitrite ions, and deposition time were investigated in details. The urchin-like Pd nanoparticles demonstrated better tolerance, enhanced electrocatalytic activity, and superior stability toward methanol oxidation in alkaline media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Plasma amino acids levels were measured in first-onset treatment-naïve depressed patients (n=26) and healthy controls (n=25) using a mass spectrometry-based method. One of the major findings was that a logistic regression model constructed from tryptophan, glutamine and cysteine discriminated depressed subjects from controls with a receiver-operating-characteristic curve integral of 0.90. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Four new complexes, namely [CuL(IN)2(H2O)2] · 4H2O (1), [CuL2(H2O)]Cl2 · 5H2O (2), [CuL2(H2O)](NO3)2 · H2O (3) and [CuL2]SO4 · 8H2O (4), where IN=isonicotinate anion, were obtained from self-assembly of the corresponding copper(II) salts with 1,1′-(1,4-butanediyl)bis(imidazole) (L), and their structures were determined by X-ray diffraction method. In complex 1, each copper(II) cation is six-coordinated by two water molecules and four nitrogen atoms from two L molecules and two isonicotinate anions. Each L molecule coordinates to two copper(II) cations, acting as a bridging ligand. The copper(II) cations are bridged by L to form an infinite zigzag chain structure. In complexes 2 and 3, the copper(II) cation is five-coordinated by one water molecule and four nitrogen atoms from four L molecules. In 4 the copper(II) cation is four-coordinated by four nitrogen atoms from four L molecules. Copper(II) cations are bridged by L ligands to form infinite (4,4) networks that contain 44-membered rings in 2, 3 and 4. No interpenetration occurs in 2 and 3, while in 4 two (4,4) networks are interpenetrated in parallel fashion to form a layer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Fibrosis is the most common complication from chronic diseases, and yet no therapy capable of mitigating its effects is available. Our goal is to unveil specific signaling regulating the fibrogenic process and to identify potential small molecule candidates that block fibrogenic differentiation of fibro/adipogenic progenitors. We performed a large-scale drug screen using muscle-resident fibro/adipogenic progenitors from a mouse model expressing EGFP under the Collagen1a1 promotor. We first confirmed that the EGFP was expressed in response to TGFβ1 stimulation in vitro. Then we treated cells with TGFβ1 alone or with drugs from two libraries of known compounds. The drugs ability to block the fibrogenic differentiation was quantified by imaging and flow cytometry. From a two-rounds screening, positive hits were tested in vivo in the mice model for the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (mdx mice). The histopathology of the muscles was assessed with picrosirius red (fibrosis) and laminin staining (myofiber size). From the in vitro drug screening, we identified 21 drugs and tested 3 in vivo on the mdx mice. None of the three drugs significantly improved muscle histopathology. The in vitro drug screen identified various efficient compounds, none of them strongly inhibited fibrosis in skeletal muscle of mdx mice. To explain these observations, we hypothesize that in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, in which fibrosis is a secondary event due to chronic degeneration and inflammation, the drugs tested could have adverse effect on regeneration or inflammation, balancing off any positive effects and leading to the absence of significant results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cloud chamber experiments to study sound wave action on cloud droplet agglomeration. • Obtained direct evidence of acoustic agglomeration of cloud droplets. • At 35–100 Hz, threshold sound pressure level (SPL) for agglomeration is 114–121 dB. • For a fixed SPL, agglomeration effect is most notable under frequency of 50–65 Hz. • At a set sound frequency, agglomeration effect is more significant under higher SPL. Acoustic agglomeration refers to the group effect of micro-particle groups in a strong sound field, which promotes relative motion among the particles, leading to the rapid agglomeration of the particle groups. The existing theoretical and experimental research on acoustic agglomeration is focused on solid particles such as soot particles and aerosols, and the acoustic agglomeration of micron-scale cloud droplets has not been intensively investigated. In this study, a cloud with an average particle size of ~10 μm is generated in a cloud chamber at room temperature, and a series of acoustic agglomeration experiments of cloud droplets under the action of sound waves with a frequency and sound pressure level (SPL) of 35–100 Hz and 112–122 dB, respectively, are conducted to examine the impact law of the sound waves with different frequencies and SPLs on the cloud droplet size spectrum. At a constant sound frequency, the agglomeration effect of the cloud droplets is more pronounced under the action of sound waves with a higher SPL. Under a constant SPL, the agglomeration effect is the most notable when the sound frequency ranges from 50 to 65 Hz. The threshold SPL for the effective agglomeration ranges from 114 to 121 dB when the sound frequency is 35–100 Hz, and the threshold SPL gradually increases with the sound frequency. The findings can clarify the effect of the sound waves in promoting cloud condensation and provide guidance to develop atmospheric intervention technologies based on strong sound waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Schiff base copper(II) complex N , N ′-bis(2′-hydroxyphenylacetone)-o-ethanediamine] copper (II) (M1) has been synthesized and characterized by single X-ray crystallography. The cytotoxicity of complex M1 was evaluated against HeLa, LoVo, A549, A549/cis cancer cell lines, and the normal cell lines LO2 and HUVEC, by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazoyl-2-yl)2,5-diphenyltetrazoliumbromide) assays. The IC 50 (50% inhibition concentrations) is in the range of 5.13–11.68 μM, which is somewhat lower than cisplatin on the basis of platinum molar concentration. Furthermore, anticancer mechanistic studies showed that the complex M1 inhibited cell proliferation by blocking DNA synthesis and then acted on nuclear division of HeLa cells over time. Moreover, M1 increased intracellular ROS (Reactive oxygen species) levels in a dose-dependent manner. Western blot analysis indicated M1 dramatically decrease c-Myc transcription factor and KLF5 (Krüppel-like factor 5) protein expression levels in HeLa. M1 did not inhibit proteasomal activity. Finally, M1 induced DNA damages and activated the DNA damage repair pathways. A new copper complex M1 { N , N ′-bis(2′-hydroxyphenylacetone)-o-ethanediamine] copper (II)} showed potentially good inhibition activity to A549/cis cells and less toxicity than cisplatin in LO2 and HUVEC cells. And complex M1 inhibited cell proliferation by blocking DNA synthesis and then acted on nuclear division of HeLa cells over time. Unlabelled Image • X-ray structure of a new copper(II) complex is determined. • The complex showed potentially good inhibition activity to A549/cis cells. • The complex inhibited cell proliferation by blocking DNA synthesis. • The complex dramatically decreases c-Myc transcription factor levels in HeLa. • The complex also dramatically decreases Krüppel-like factor 5 levels in HeLa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]