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Langya virus (LayV) was recently detected in patients with acute pneumonic diseases in China. Genome alignment indicated that LayV is a type of zoonotic henipavirus (HNV) that might also infect domestic animals. Previous studies revealed that HNVs mainly use ephrin-B1, ephrin-B2, or ephrin-B3 as cell receptors and the attachment glycoprotein (G) is the host cell receptor-binding protein. However, the LayV receptor remains unknown. Here, we present the 2.77 Å crystal structure of the LayV G C-terminal domain (CTD). We show that the LayV G protein CTD possesses a similar architecture as the Mojiang virus (MojV) G protein but is markedly different from the Nipah virus (NiV), Hendra virus (HeV), and Cedar virus (CedV) G proteins. Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments indicate that LayV G does not bind ephrin-B proteins. Steric hindrance may prevent interactions between LayV G and ephrin-B. Our data might facilitate drug development targeting LayV. [Display omitted] • The LayV G CTD structure shares a high folding similarity with other HNV G CTDs • Ephrin-B2 binds NiV G CTD with a stronger affinity than CedV G CTD • Ephrin-B proteins do not bind to the LayV G CTD and MojV G CTD • Steric hindrance and surface potential of LayV G CTD may hinder ephrin-B binding Receptor binding of henipavirus (HNV) attachment glycoprotein (G) is the first step of HNV host cell invasion. Wang et al. present the LayV G C-terminal domain structure and show through structural docking and SPR binding analysis that LayV G cannot bind ephrin-B receptors of other HNVs like NiV and CedV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The erodibility factor is an essential parameter in the WRF-Chem model that determines the amount of dust emission. However, current models that use erodibility data are assumed static and lack sufficient characterization of dust source regions' highly heterogeneous and dynamic nature. This results in significant errors and uncertainties in the dust simulation. To address this issue, we propose a new approach that involves developing a physically based erodibility dataset using soil moisture, vegetation coverage, soil texture, and land use data. This new dataset covers the entire globe with a 1 km resolution, which can represent dust sources in finer detail. The results of the dust simulations indicated that the new dataset considerably improved the model's overall performance. The evaluation results showed that the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of PM10 simulated with the new erodibility data was reduced by 32.4%, and the correlation coefficient (R) was increased by 82.4% compared to the default data. Additionally, the simulated spatial distribution of aerosol optical depth (AOD) is closer to that of the satellite AOD product. Our new data provide a more accurate description of the erodibility of dust source regions, refine the parameterization of dust emissions in the model, and ultimately improve dust prediction. • A new approach developing erodibility dataset that involves a physically based using remote sensing and soil texture data. • The new data have higher spatial heterogeneity and more realistic representation of dust source distribution. • The new erodibility data significantly improved the simulation of WRF-Chem on dust loading, dust concentration and distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultraconserved elements (UCEs) encoding noncoding RNAs serve as important regulators in cancer biology. Until now, the role of the UCE uc.189 in human cancers remains undefined and the clinical significance of uc.189 in esophageal cancers remains unknown. This study was to identify the prognostic value of uc.189 expression in esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of uc.189 in matched cancerous tissues and adjacent noncancerous tissues from 152 patients with ESCC. The correlation of uc.189 with clinicopathological features and prognosis were also analyzed. The expression of uc.189 was significantly higher in human ESCC compared with the adjacent noncancerous tissues (122/152, 80.3%, p < 0.01), and the high level of uc.189 expression was significantly correlated with invasion of the tumor (p = 0.009), advanced clinical stage (p = 0.000), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.000), and poor prognosis. High expression of uc.189 might reflect poor prognosis of ESCC and indicate a potential diagnostic target in ESCC patients. Uc.189 might be considered as a novel molecule involved in ESCC progression, which provides a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • GP treatment has a beneficial effect on MAFLD induced by the MCD diet. • MCD diet up-regulates the expression of Cd36 through NF kappa-B signaling pathway. • GP proliferates Faecalibaculum in the intestinal microbial fermentation stage. • GP has a significant effect on bile acid metabolic pathways. Previous studies have shown that garlic polysaccharides (GP) can protect the liver, but its mechanism is unclear. We are interested in whether it can alleviate metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). The MAFLD mice model was established by Methionine-choline deficiency (MCD) diet induction. The experimental group was established by feeding with GP by gavage. The liver protective effect of GP and its possible mechanism were studied by means of microscopic examination, biochemical analysis, quantitative analysis of mRNA, metabolome, and gut microbiota analysis. GP treatment had a beneficial effect on hepatic injury and fat accumulation. Serum metabolome and gut microbiota analysis results indicate that GP had a significant proliferative effect on Faecalibaculum. In addition, GP also had a substantial impact on bile acid metabolic pathways. These findings provide new insights into the pathogenesis of MAFLD and provide further evidence for the potential use of GP as an alternative functional ingredient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, the surface solar radiation data from 1960 to 2000 gathered from 40 weather stations over China were reexamined, and the relationship of long-term trends of the solar radiation and climate factors were analyzed. The results indicate that the surface solar radiation in most regions of China begins to increase after 1990. Decreases in cirrus and cirrostratus clouds, which account for a larger percentage of the total cloud amount over China, have an important contribution to the increasing trend of the surface solar radiation. Further examination of the surface water vapor changes reveals that the surface solar radiation negatively correlates with the near surface water vapor in most region of China, and this negative correlation is more pronounced in higher latitudes of China where the atmosphere is compared to regions in southern China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The sensible and latent heat fluxes during the transition season over the western Tibetan Plateau from the NCEP-1 (NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis 1), AR-II (NCEP-DOE Reanalysis 2) and ERA40 reanalysis datasets were compared and analyzed. The results show that the phase change in soil moisture has a significant effect on the sensible and latent heat fluxes over the western Tibetan Plateau (TP) due to the freezing–thawing processes during the transition from the dry to the wet period. The uncertainties in the sensible and latent heat fluxes over the western TP are quite high in the reanalysis data, and depend largely on the success of the soil moisture simulations in the models. Improving the hydrological process simulations in the land-surface models in seasonally frozen ground and in the active frozen soil layer may be an effective way of enhancing the reliability of the surface heat fluxes from the reanalysis data over the Tibetan Plateau. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Lightning network data can record lightning information (including location, intensity, and frequency) with high temporal resolution. Such data can provide a useful supplement to radar observations, which are limited in temporal and spatial coverage. It has been previously reported that in convective weather systems, the correlation between cloud-to-ground lightning and radar reflectivity is strong, which suggests the possibility of improving convection forecasting through assimilating lightning data. In this study, the benefits of assimilating lightning data are demonstrated by a series of experiments using data from a strong convection event that occurred in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces, China, on 5 June 2009. Using a simple assumed relationship between flash density and reflectivity in the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) system, the lightning data were first converted into 3D lightning-proxy radar reflectivity, which was subsequently assimilated using the physical initialization method to adjust model variables (i.e., vertical velocity, specific humidity and specific cloud water content). For this case, the results show that convection forecasting is improved by assimilation of the lightning-proxy reflectivity using the physical initialization method. There was a significant improvement in the prediction of reflectivity, and this was maintained for about 3 h. Assimilating multi-time lightning data with assimilation cycles can further improve forecasting accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate drift occurs in most general circulation models (GCMs) as a result of incomplete physical and numerical representation of the complex climate system, which may cause large uncertainty in sensitivity experiments evaluating climate response to changes in external forcing. To solve this problem, we propose a piecewise-integration method to reduce the systematic error in climate sensitivity studies. The observations are firstly assimilated into a numerical model by using the dynamic relaxation technique to relax to the current state of atmosphere, and then the assimilated fields are continuously used to reinitialize the simulation to reduce the error of climate simulation. When the numerical model is integrated with changed external forcing, the results can be split into two parts, background and perturbation fields, and the background is the state before the external forcing is changed. The piecewise-integration method is used to continuously reinitialize the model with the assimilated field, instead of the background. Therefore, the simulation error of the model with the external forcing can be reduced. In this way, the accuracy of climate sensitivity experiments is greatly improved. Tests with a simple low-order spectral model show that this approach can significantly reduce the uncertainty of climate sensitivity experiments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The objective of land data assimilation is to merge multi-source observations into the dynamics of land surface model for improving the estimation of land surface states. We have developed a land data assimilation system for China's land territory. In this system, the Common Land Model and Simple Biosphere Model 2 are used to simulate land surface processes. The radiative transfer models of thawed and frozen soil, snow, lake, and vegetation are used as observation operators to transfer model predictions into estimated brightness temperatures. A Monte-Carlo based sequential filter, the ensemble Kalman filter, is implemented as data assimilation method to integrate modeling and observation. The system is capable of assimilating passive microwave remotely sensed data such as special sensor microwave/imager (SSM/I), TRMM microwave imager (TMI), and advanced microwave scanning radiometer enhanced for EOS (AMSR-E) and the conventional in Situ measurements of soil and snow. A spatiotemporally consistent assimilated dataset for soil moisture, soil temperature, snow and frozen soil, with a spatial resolution of 0.25 degree and temporal resolution of one hour, has been produced. This paper introduces the development of Chinese land data assimilation system and the progress made on data assimilation algorithms, land surface modeling, microwave remote sensing of land surface hydrological variables, and the preparation of atmospheric forcing data. The distinct characteristics and challenges of developing land data assimilation system and the perspectives for future development are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]