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Background: Studies had suggested increased risk of death of residents was associated with typhoons, particularly coastal regions. However, these findings ignored the impact of inland typhoons on the health of residents, especially the indirect death risk caused by typhoons. This study aimed to investigate the acute death risk of residents during inland typhoon Lekima in Jinan, further identify vulnerable populations and areas. Methods: We selected the daily death from 11 to 27th August 2019 in Jinan as case period, and conducted a time-stratified case-crossover design to match the contemporaneous data from 2016 to 2018 as control period. We used the generalized linear Poisson models to estimate the related effects of death risk during typhoon Lekima and lag days. Results: During the Lekima typhoon month, there were 3,366 deaths occurred in Jinan. Compared to unexposed periods, the acute death risk of non-accidental diseases (especially circulatory diseases), female and the older adults increased significantly in the second week after the typhoon. The maximum significant effect of circulatory disease deaths, female and older adult deaths were appeared on lag9, lag9, and lag13 respectively. And the typhoon-associated RR were 1.19 (95%CI:1.05,1.34), 1.28 (95%CI:1.08,1.52), and 1.22 (95%CI:1.06,1.42) respectively. The acute death risk of residents living in TQ and CQ increased significantly on Lag2 and Lag6 after the typhoon, respectively, while those living in LX, LC, HY, JY, and SH occurred from Lag 8 to Lag 13 after the typhoon. LC lasted the longest days. Conclusions: Typhoons would increase the vulnerability of residents living in Jinan which mainly occurred from the seventh day after the typhoon. Residents suffering from non-accidental diseases (circulatory diseases), female and the older adults were more vulnerable. The vulnerability of TQ and CQ occurred on Lag2 and Lag6 after typhoon Lekima, respectively, and the other areas except ZQ and PY occurred from Lag 8 to Lag 13. LC lasted the longest duration. Our findings emphasized the importance of the emergency response, which would help policymakers to identify vulnerable regions and populations accurately during typhoons and formulate the emergency response plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A study about parameters influencing solar energy received by greenhouse. • Comparison of the captured global solar radiation in the six shapes of greenhouse in winter. • The optimal orientation for greenhouses at different latitudes. • The E-W orientation sawtooth greenhouse per square meter to save heating costs 46.2$/(m2 swason). In this study, we calculated the amount of global solar radiation captured by the greenhouses at different latitudes. The energy can be used to heat the greenhouses in winter, hence reducing the consumption of fossil energy for greenhouse heating. A script developed in Matlab was used to calculate the captured amount of global solar radiation from 1 November to 1 March of the next year for all the selected greenhouse shapes. The mathematical model of the greenhouse global solar radiation is applicable not only to different regions of the world but also to other types of buildings. This analysis compared six typical greenhouse shapes commonly found in southern China (even span, uneven span, ellipse, arch, sawtooth, and vinery) to select the most suitable type for maximum solar radiation capture. The latitudes ranged from 20° N to 30.6° N. In addition, we considered the orientation of the greenhouse and calculated the cost savings per square meter regarding greenhouse heating in winter. The results showed that sawtooth captured the highest amount of global solar radiation in winter at all latitudes. E-W orientation greenhouses captured the maximum amount of global solar radiation in winter at all latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur accurate determination plays a vital role in the evaluation of coal quality. In this work, double-pulse laser-induced breakdown (DP-LIBS) in a helium atmosphere was presented and applied in the sulfur concentration quantification of coal. The ablation plasma generated from the sample surface by the first laser (Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm, 50 mJ per pulse) was re-excited orthogonally by the second laser pulse (Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm, 120 mJ per pulse). The intensity of sulfur spectral lines has been enhanced with DP-LIBS and the interference from O I 926.6 has been weakened in the helium atmosphere. The calibration curves of S I 921.3 nm, S I 922.8 nm and S I 923.8 nm have been established for 10 coal samples with S concentration ranging from 0.28 wt% to 4.01 wt%. The best result was achieved with R2 = 0.992, LoD = 0.038 wt%, and RMSECV = 0.143 wt%. The overall results adequately demonstrate that DP-LIBS combined with a helium atmosphere has excellent analytical performance for sulfur determination in coal and enormous potential for on-line detection in the coal industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have established that proteinase- activated receptor 2 (PAR2) activation protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury (MI/RI). However, the role of PAR2 deficiency in MI/RI remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of PAR2 deficiency on cardiomyocyte apoptosis and to clarify the potential molecular mechanisms for its protective effect against MI/RI. Using a mouse model of MI/RI, cardiac function was evaluated by echocardiography, infarct size was assessed by triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, and myocardial cell apoptosis was measured by terminal deoxynucleotide transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling staining. Annexin V/propidium iodide staining, and expression of Bcl-2 and cleaved PARP were determined to assess apoptosis in myocardial H9c2 cells exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury-simulating MI/RI. Phosphorylated ERK1/2, JNK, and p38 MAPK protein expression levels were analyzed by western blotting. The findings indicated that PAR2 deficiency markedly reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis in the MI/RI mouse model, as well as in myocardial H9c2 cells exposed to H/R. Furthermore, PAR2 knockdown clearly prevented phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK in myocardial H9c2 cells. The results revealed that PAR2 deficiency alleviated MI/RI-associated apoptosis by inhibiting phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and JNK. Therefore, targeted PAR2 silencing may be a potential therapeutic approach for alleviation of MI/RI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have received increasing attention in the field of photoredox catalysis, mainly due to the advantages of the highly porous nanostructure and tunable semiconducting properties. Thus, the essential roles of photocatalysis by MOF can be conventionally optimized toward addressing the environment and energy issues. In this review, the fundamental of the photocatalytic MOF is initially discussed. A range of the solar-driven applications by photocatalytic MOF are highlighted, including water contamination degradation, water splitting, CO 2 reduction and organosynthesis. In each chapter, a series of systematic investigations is presented, also involving a few recent results and unique phenomena that bestowed by the photocatalytic MOFs. The future prospects and challenges to use MOFs for each photocatalysis application are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

H 2 S is a detrimental impurity that must be removed for upgrading biogas to biomethane. H 2 S removal selectivity over CO 2 employing catalytic oxidative absorption method and its influence factors were studied in this work. The desulfurization experiments were performed in a laboratory apparatus using EDTA-Fe as the catalyst and metered mixture of 60% (v/v) CH 4 , 33% (v/v) CO 2 and 2000–3000 ppmv H 2 S balanced by N 2 as the simulated biogas. It was found that for a given catalytic oxidative desulfurization system, it exists a critical pH, at which desulfurization selectivity achieves the highest. It was also observed that desulfurization selectivity increased along with the increase of chelated iron concentration, gas flow rate, and ratio of gas flow rate to liquid flow rate (G/L). This demonstrated that high selectivity and high efficiency for biogas desulfurization could both be achieved through optimizing these parameters. Specific to the desulfurization system of this work, when the gas flow rate was set as 1.1 L/min, after optimizing the above mentioned parameters, i.e. EDTA-Fe concentration of 0.084 mol/L, absorption solution pH of 7.8, and G/L of 55, the desulfurization selectivity factor reached 142.1 with H 2 S removal efficiency attained 96.7%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising for catalysis, adsorption, separation, etc. owing to unprecedented combination of the large surface area, high crystallinity, tunable pore size, and unique molecular architecture of COFs. Just because of the above-mentioned merits, COFs can be ideal support for quite a few kinds of small materials with unstable nature, such as nanoparticles, ions, quantum dots, single atoms and so on. With COF support, those species can not only exist stably, but also readily be applied in various fields. Herein, the recent advances in the design and synthesis of COF-support hybrids for various applications are presented. Also, future research directions and perspectives are discussed for the development of efficient COF-support hybrid materials. [Display omitted] • Introduce the effect on the nanomaterial with modification of COFs. • Describe the application and development of COF-loaded metal nanoparticles, metal ions and compounds in recent COF reports. • Briefly Describe the possible development direction of COF-based hybrids in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The structure and dynamics of cellular solidification fronts produced during the directional solidification of dilute binary alloys are studied by phase-field simulations. A quantitative phase-field model in conjunction with a multi-scale simulation algorithm allows us to simulate arrays with 10–40 cells in three dimensions on time scales that are long enough to allow for a significant reorganization of the array. We analyze the geometry of the complex two-phase structure (mushy zone) and extract the fraction of solid and the connectivity of the two phases as a function of depth. We find a transition from stable arrays at high values of the crystalline anisotropy to unsteady arrays at low anisotropy that continuously exhibit tip splitting and cell elimination events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The design of efficient, non-precious metal electrocatalysts is still the hot topic for water oxidation. However, the reported transition metal-based electrocatalysts usually exhibit far lower activity, compared with precious metals. In this work, we report the excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance of Mo x C-FeNi@ NC (NC, nitrogen-doped carbon) by a simple pyrolytic method. To reach the current density of 10 mA cm−2, Mo x C-FeNi@NC only needs a low overpotential of 306 mV. Surprisingly, the Mo x C-FeNi@NC even showed lower overpotential than those of noble metal oxides, e.g. RuO 2 (~320 mV), IrO 2 /C (360 mV). The excellent OER activity is mainly ascribed to the unique FeNi electron configuration, efficient electron transfer and higher surface area. Compared with FeCo and CoNi, FeNi alloy possesses half-filling *π3d electron configuration, leading to suitable adsorption for OH−; and Mo x C has effectively improved electrical conductance of Mo x C-FeNi@NC, thus greatly improving the OER reaction kinetics. This work provides an earth-abundant, efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation. Image 1 • Mo x C-alloy@NC shows a lower overpotential than RuO 2 and IrO 2 /C. • The half-filling *π3d orbit of FeNi favors for appropriate adsorption for OH−. • The improved electrical conductance by Mo x C improves OER kinetics. • This work provides an efficient, earth-abundant electrocatalyst for water oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A narrow bandgap BaTaO 2 N photocatalyst was utilized to Z-scheme water splitting. • Surface modification using Cr 2 O 3 inhibited reverse reactions effectively. • H 2 and O 2 are evolved from H 2 O under argon at nearly atmospheric pressure. • The efficiency of producing H 2 from H 2 O containing redox couples was improved. • A design concept for photocatalytic green H 2 production was demonstrated. The present work demonstrates a Z-scheme overall water splitting (ZOWS) system for the photocatalytic production of H 2 capable of operating under Ar at near-atmospheric pressure using a narrow-bandgap Zr-doped BaTaO 2 N photocatalyst. Reverse reactions are suppressed in this system as a consequence of a surface modification of the Pt-loaded, Zr-doped BaTaO 2 N (Pt/BaTaO 2 N:Zr) photocatalyst with Cr 2 O 3. The introduction of a Cr 2 O 3 shell was found to effectively inhibit the reduction of [Fe(CN) 6 ]3- that otherwise competes with the H 2 evolution reaction, resulting in an improved apparent quantum yield of 1.1 % at 420 nm. By combining this H 2 evolution photocatalyst with an O 2 evolution photocatalyst based on BiVO 4 , ZOWS was achieved at near-atmospheric pressure with a solar-to-hydrogen energy conversion efficiency of 0.08 %. This work demonstrates the importance of suppressing reverse reactions during ZOWS at atmospheric pressure and provides valuable guidance for the design and construction of practical green H 2 production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic water splitting is an ideal means of producing hydrogen in a sustainable manner, and developing highly efficient photocatalysts is a vital aspect of realizing this process. The photocatalyst Y2Ti2O5S2 (YTOS) is capable of absorbing at wavelengths up to 650 nm and exhibits outstanding thermal and chemical durability compared with other oxysulfides. However, the photocatalytic performance of YTOS synthesized using the conventional solid‐state reaction (SSR) process is limited owing to the large particle sizes and structural defects associated with this synthetic method. Herein, we report the synthesis of YTOS particles by a flux‐assisted technique. The enhanced mass transfer efficiency in the flux significantly reduced the preparation time compared with the SSR method. In addition, the resulting YTOS showed improved photocatalytic H2 and O2 evolution activity when loaded with Rh and Co3O4 co‐catalysts, respectively. These improvements are attributed to the reduced particle size and enhanced crystallinity of the material as well as the slower decay of photogenerated carriers on a nanosecond to sub‐microsecond time range. Further optimization of this flux‐assisted method together with suitable surface modification is expected to produce high‐quality YTOS crystals with superior photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photocatalytic water splitting is an ideal means of producing hydrogen in a sustainable manner, and developing highly efficient photocatalysts is a vital aspect of realizing this process. The photocatalyst Y2Ti2O5S2 (YTOS) is capable of absorbing at wavelengths up to 650 nm and exhibits outstanding thermal and chemical durability compared with other oxysulfides. However, the photocatalytic performance of YTOS synthesized using the conventional solid‐state reaction (SSR) process is limited owing to the large particle sizes and structural defects associated with this synthetic method. Herein, we report the synthesis of YTOS particles by a flux‐assisted technique. The enhanced mass transfer efficiency in the flux significantly reduced the preparation time compared with the SSR method. In addition, the resulting YTOS showed improved photocatalytic H2 and O2 evolution activity when loaded with Rh and Co3O4 co‐catalysts, respectively. These improvements are attributed to the reduced particle size and enhanced crystallinity of the material as well as the slower decay of photogenerated carriers on a nanosecond to sub‐microsecond time range. Further optimization of this flux‐assisted method together with suitable surface modification is expected to produce high‐quality YTOS crystals with superior photocatalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tobacco smoke is a complex mixture consisting of hundreds of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, which may cause many diseases once inhaled. Among these toxic substances, radioactive and non-radioactive heavy metals present great health concerns to both active and passive smokers. However, conventional methodologies for characterizing heavy metals in smoke require intensive and time-consuming preparation procedures, and thus prevent their on-line applications. We report here a portable laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (PLIBS) device for on-line detection of radioactive and non-radioactive heavy metals in tobacco smoke with ultra-high sensitivity. Two local cigarette brands were investigated, and a number of heavy metals were detected. In particular, several radioactive metals show very strong atomic emissions, and a limit of detection down to parts per trillion was obtained by single-shot PLIBS. The linear dependencies of their spectral intensities on the smoke concentrations were revealed, suggesting that the PLIBS is a promising tool for high-throughput and quantitative analysis of heavy metals in tobacco smoke. Tobacco emission dynamics were also investigated, and the results suggest the potential applications of the PLIBS in smoke risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate the acute effect of extreme cold weather on circulatory disease mortality of older adults in Jinan, with individual and regional-scale characteristics as subgroup analyses to further identify vulnerable populations. This study contained the death data of Jinan from 2011 to 2020 (Nov–Mar). A time-stratified case-crossover method was used to estimate the effects of extreme cold weather and lags 0–8 days, controlling for holiday and relative humidity. To evaluate the impact of different durations and thresholds of extreme cold weather, we considered 4 cold day and 12 cold wave definitions Our results showed an increase in circulatory disease deaths under several definitions. The number of older adults died of circulatory diseases totaled 92,119 during the study period. In the definitions of cold day, the maximum significant effect ranging from 1.08 (95% CI: 1.03,1.14) to 1.13 (95% CI: 1.04,1.24) and appeared on Lag5 or Lag6. In the definitions of cold wave, the maximum significant effect ranging from 1.07 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.12) to 1.14 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.25). The cold effect is mainly attributable to cold day rather than an added effect related to the duration. Our research confirmed that extreme cold weather had a stronger impact on women [maximum effects with an OR of 1.21 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.36) in P1, 1.19 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.36) in M12)], and the effect gradient increased with age. Our findings support the evidence on the impact of extreme cold weather on circulatory disease mortality and provide a basis for policymakers to select target groups to develop policies and reduce the public health burden. • Extreme cold weather increased the death risk of older adults from circulatory diseases. • The cold effect on death risk of circulatory diseases was mainly attribute to "main effect". • Maximum significant estimates mostly appeared on the Lag5 or Lag6. • Stronger effect estimates were observed in women, and the effect gradient of vulnerability increased with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and the second leading cause of cancer‐related deaths after lung cancer. Metastasis of the central nervous system is a terrible event for breast cancer patients, affecting their survival and quality of life. Compared with hormone receptor‐positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2‐negative breast cancer patients, brain metastases are more likely to affect patients with triple‐negative breast cancer and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2‐positive breast cancer. The treatment of breast cancer has improved greatly in the last two decades. However, brain metastases from breast cancer remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Patients with breast cancer brain metastasis have been in an inferior position due to the lack of clinical research in this field, and they are often explicitly excluded from almost all clinical trials. The occurrence and progression of brain metastases will result in severe cognitive impairment and adverse physical consequences, so we must have a good understanding of the molecular mechanisms of breast cancer brain metastasis. In this article, we have retrieved the latest literature of molecules and pathways associated with breast cancer brain metastasis, summarized common therapy strategies, and discussed the prospects and clinical implications of targeting the molecules involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Y2Ti2O5S2 (YTOS), an oxysulfide material, has attracted attention as a photocatalyst due to its optical absorption at wavelengths up to 650 nm, and its ability to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. However, the performance of YTOS in photocatalytic water splitting has remained low. One important factor accounting for this poor activity is the absence of highly efficient active sites. Surface modification with oxygen‐evolution co‐catalysts is indispensable for enhancing the activity and durability of non‐oxide narrow‐bandgap photocatalysts. Herein, we report the preparation of cobalt oxide (Co3O4)‐loaded YTOS for photocatalytic oxygen evolution. The Co3O4 co‐catalyst was loaded by thermal decomposition of cobalt nitrate. The as‐obtained sample showed significantly enhanced activity in the oxygen evolution reaction compared with unmodified or IrO2‐loaded YTOS. Transient absorption spectroscopy revealed that the Co3O4 co‐catalyst captured holes and promoted charge separation, which accounted for the enhanced activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The imagery captured by cameras provides important information for wildlife research and conservation. Deep learning technology can assist ecologists in automatically identifying and processing imagery captured from camera traps, improving research capabilities and efficiency. Currently, many general deep learning architectures have been proposed but few have evaluated their applicability for use in real camera trap scenarios. Our study constructed the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park wildlife dataset (NTLNP dataset) for the first time and compared the real-world application performance of three currently mainstream object detection models. We hope this study provides a reference on the applicability of the AI technique in wild real-life scenarios and truly help ecologists to conduct wildlife conservation, management, and research more effectively. Camera traps are widely used in wildlife surveys and biodiversity monitoring. Depending on its triggering mechanism, a large number of images or videos are sometimes accumulated. Some literature has proposed the application of deep learning techniques to automatically identify wildlife in camera trap imagery, which can significantly reduce manual work and speed up analysis processes. However, there are few studies validating and comparing the applicability of different models for object detection in real field monitoring scenarios. In this study, we firstly constructed a wildlife image dataset of the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park (NTLNP dataset). Furthermore, we evaluated the recognition performance of three currently mainstream object detection architectures and compared the performance of training models on day and night data separately versus together. In this experiment, we selected YOLOv5 series models (anchor-based one-stage), Cascade R-CNN under feature extractor HRNet32 (anchor-based two-stage), and FCOS under feature extractors ResNet50 and ResNet101 (anchor-free one-stage). The experimental results showed that performance of the object detection models of the day-night joint training is satisfying. Specifically, the average result of our models was 0.98 mAP (mean average precision) in the animal image detection and 88% accuracy in the animal video classification. One-stage YOLOv5m achieved the best recognition accuracy. With the help of AI technology, ecologists can extract information from masses of imagery potentially quickly and efficiently, saving much time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Sub-10-nm silver colloid is prepared by organic electrolysis. • The Nano-silver colloid can be stably dispersed under harsh conditions. • Cytotoxicity is evaluated by FDA/PI double staining and MTT colorimetry. Silver nanoparticles with smaller scales tend to exhibit higher cytotoxicity. In the present work, a mild electrolytic synthesis procedure is proposed and implemented for the preparation of sub-10-nm silver colloids in polarity organic solvent media by using the nonionic polymer as a stabilizer. The synthesized silver nanoparticles can be stably dispersed in salt, acid, and alkali dispersion media. The cell viability and cytotoxicity are investigated by fluorescein diacetate/propidium iodide double staining and thiazolium blue colorimetry in vitro. Under concentration-gradient and time-gradient tests, the synthesized silver nanoparticles exhibit significant cytotoxicity against the human hepatocellular carcinoma cells of HepG2 and the human non-small cell lung cancer cells of A549 at the exposure dose of 1.6 and 2.0 ug mL−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shexiang Tongxin Dropping Pill (STDP) is a well-known compound preparation used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating cardiovascular diseases. Bufadienolides are the major active compounds of toad venom and are the key to the seven medicinal herbs that comprise STDP. In this study, a reliable and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the quantitative determination of nine bufadienolides (bufalin, gamabufotalin, resibufogenin, marinobufagin, arenobufagin, desacetylcinobufagin, telocinobufagin, hellebrigenin, and hellebrigenol) in rat plasma and tissues (heart and liver). The chromatography column used was a Waters ACQUITY UPLC HSS-T3 column with gradient elution using mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile–water (0.1% formic acid added) at a flow rate of 0.25 mL/min. This method passed the methodological validation of plasma and tissues and was successfully applied to pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies after oral administration of STDP in healthy and ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) rats. This indicated that most bufadienolides were well absorbed and quickly distributed in the heart and liver. The area-under-the-curve (AUC) (0−t) of most analytes increased in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, most of the tested components showed lower plasma and higher tissue concentrations in I/R rats than in healthy rats. The above results on the oral pharmacokinetics and tissue distribution may be helpful for the clinical application of STDP. • A reliable UPLC-MS/MS method was developed to quantify nine bufadienolides of STDPs in rat plasma and tissues. • Most bufadienolides of STDP are absorbed into the plasma and quickly distributed to the heart and liver. • Bufadienolides from STDP had lower plasma and higher tissue concentrations in I/R rats than in healthy rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) in aquatic environment usually carry hazardous matters, including toxic heavy metals. Quantification of heavy metals in MPs is crucial for the comprehensive understanding of their ecotoxicology in field environment. However, conventional methods for heavy metal determination either are applicable only to bulk/collective samples or require strict operation environment. Here we demonstrated that laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a robust tool for the characterization of heavy metals in single MPs. Single-particle LIBS selects individual MPs with specific sizes (down to tens of microns), shapes, and morphologies and analyzes simultaneously multiple elements in milliseconds without sample pretreatment. In addition to the elaborate optical design, we also used stretched thin polyethylene film as a substrate, which significantly suppress the matrix interference to the particles' spectra. The single particle LIBS was demonstrated to be a quantitative analytical method, and was applied to heavy metal analysis of the MPs collected in the seawaters of the Beibu Gulf of China. Positive correlation between the spectral intensities and the local marine pollutions as well as significant heterogeneity in the elemental compositions were observed. The results demonstrate that single-particle LIBS is a promising method for MPs characterization and is suitable for studying pollutant transportation by using MPs as vectors. Unlabelled Image • Rapid quantification of heavy metals in single MPs by a single laser shot. • Significant heterogeneities in heavy metals contents are observed in field MPs. • Positive correlation (r > 0.99) seen between metal contents in MPs and environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemia reperfusion (IR) can lead to acute kidney injury and can be complicated by acute lung injury, which is one of the leading causes of acute kidney injury-related death. Peptidyl arginine deiminase-4 (PAD4) is a member of the PAD enzyme family and plays a critical role in inflammatory reactions and neutrophil extracellular trap formation in a variety of pathological conditions. It has been reported that PAD4 inhibition can protect certain organs from ischemic injury. In this study, we aimed to understand the mode of action of PAD4 in renal ischemia-reperfusion-mediated acute lung injury. Bilateral renal pedicle occlusion was induced for 30 min followed by reperfusion for 24 h. A specific inhibitor of PAD4, GSK484, was delivered via intraperitoneal injection to alter the PAD4 activity. The pulmonary PAD4 expression, pulmonary impairment, neutrophil infiltration, Cit-H3 expression, neutrophil extracellular trap formation, inflammatory cytokine secretion, and pulmonary apoptosis were analyzed. We found that renal ischemia reperfusion was associated with pulmonary pathological changes and increases in neutrophil infiltration, neutrophil extracellular trap formation, and inflammatory cytokine secretion in the lungs of the recipient animals. Suppression of PAD4 by GSK484 reduced remote lung injury by mitigating neutrophil infiltration, neutrophil extracellular trap formation, apoptosis, and inflammatory factor secretion. Our findings demonstrate that specific PAD4 inhibition by GSK484 may be an effective strategy to attenuate distant lung injury complicating renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The visible-light activity of BMO/MIL-125 is improved by dye photosensitization and high electron transfer and separation efficiency • MIL-125 favors for electron transfer and separation. • Dye photosensitization improves the visible-light activity of BMO/MIL-125. • This work can help us in deep understand the photochemical reaction. It is desirable to reveal and in deep understand interface charge transfer behavior that is a crucial process in photochemical reaction. Herein, we mainly investigate the electron transfer behavior on the Bi 2 MoO 6 /titanium metal-organic framework (BMO/MIL-125) interface. It is found that on the BMO/MIL-125 hybrid interface, MIL-125 can favor for fluent electron transfer. Compared with BMO, BMO/MIL-125 hybrid has an improved visible-light activity due to an improved charge separation. Moreover, BMO/MIL-125 has a higher BET area (106.5 m2 g-1), compared with BMO (16.6 m2 g-1), which can provide more active sites. The visible-light degradation activity of BMO/MIL-125 is 1.83 and 16.26 times as high as that of BMO and MIL-125, respectively. Dye photosensitization and higher electron transfer and separation efficiency are the two main reasons for the improved degradation performance. This work can help us well understand the interface electron transfer behavior in a photochemical reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-elemental analysis of particulate matters is highly desirable for the identification of their emission sources. However, the traditional techniques for single particle analysis usually require time-consuming sample preparation procedures. We report here a system that combines bright-field microscopy with laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), allowing rapid and multi-elemental analysis of single particles. The improved throughput of the system was benefited from the use of ultra-thin polyethylene films for particle immobilization such that their spectra were collected successively. The simple composition of the films avoided their interferences in the particles' LIBS spectra. Moreover, the small thickness of the films allowed their rapid vaporization during laser ablation such that the plasma emissions from the particles were not quenched by their substrates. The performances of the system were demonstrated by studying the heterogeneity in particles' compositions and discriminating dust particles with very similar chemicals, suggesting that it is a promising tool for environmental risk assessment. Image 1 • Use of films for particle immobilization mitigated shockwave effects. • Simple composition of polyethylene film avoided substrate interferences. • Small thickness of the film prevented the quenching of LIBS signals by the film. • Multivariate analysis was used to discriminate particles with very close constituents. • Particle mixtures with various ratios can be well predicted by their spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The leakage vortex after the double squealer tip attaches the wall well. • For high blowing ratio one leg of counter rotating vortex pair is depressed. • High density ratio promote film attachment but shorten the film trace length. • Rotation strengthens the passage vortex and aggravates the film deflection. The performance of the suction side tip region film cooling under rotating condition is investigated by numerical simulation methods in this paper. In the simulation, three classical types of tip structures, including flat tip, double squealer tip and single squealer tip, are chosen to investigate tip structure effects. The effects of blowing ratios, density ratios and rotating Reynolds numbers (Ro) are analyzed. The results showed that the film performance on the suction side tip region is mainly influenced by the tip leakage vortex and the passage vortex: the tip structure changes the flow field greatly. The leakage flow in the double squealer tip results attaches the suction side wall best. For high blowing ratio results one leg of the counter rotating vortex pair (CRVP) is compressed and swept off the wall. The other one is pushed onto the wall achieving the better film coverage. Similarly one leg of CRVP dominates the jet flow at the near hole exit region for low density coolant results. But for the downstream film cooling the low density coolant has better performance. Rotation changes the mainstream stricture. The passage vortex is strengthened as the Ro increases. So the film deflection becomes more and more obvious. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospinning using biocompatible polymer scaffolds, seeded with or without stem cells, is considered a promising technique for producing fibrous scaffolds with therapeutic possibilities for ischemic heart disease. However, no optimal scaffolds for treating ischemic heart disease have been identified thus far. In the present study, it was evaluated whether electrospun silk fibroin (SF)-blended poly(L-lactic acid-co-ε-caprolactone) [P(LLA-CL)] scaffolds that were seeded with cluster of differentiation 117 (c-kit)+ bone marrow (BM) cells may serve a protective role in cardiac remodeling following myocardial infarction (MI). Mechanical characteristics and cytocompatibility were compared between SF/P(LLA-CL) and P(LLA-CL) electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds in vitro. It was observed that MI led to a significant increase of the c-kit+ BM cell subpopulation in mice. Magnetic activated cell sorting was performed to harvest the c-kit+ cell population from the BM of mice following MI. c-kit+ BM cells were seeded on SF/P(LLA-CL) and P(LLA-CL) electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds. Results indicated that SF/P(LLA-CL) electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds were superior to P(LLA-CL) electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds in improving c-kit+ BM cell proliferation. Additionally, compared with pure SF/P(LLA-CL) electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds, SF/P(LLA-CL) scaffolds seeded with c-kit+ BM cells resulted in lower levels of MI markers and reduced infarct size, leading to greater global heart function improvement in vivo. The findings of the present study indicated that SF/P(LLA-CL) electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds seeded with c-kit+ BM cells exert a protective effect against MI and may be a promising approach for cardiac regeneration after ischemic heart disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) photosensitizers are proposed replacements for their inorganic counterparts in solar‐to‐fuel conversion via photoelectrochemical water splitting. However, intense charge recombination, primarily because of surface defects, limits the use of PCN in PEC systems. Now, photoanodes are designed by coating PCN films onto highly conductive yttrium‐doped zinc oxide (Y:ZnO) nanorods (NRs) serving as charge collectors. The generation of charge carriers can therefore be promoted by this type II alignment. The charge collectors would be kept nearby for charge separation and transport to be used in the interfacial redox reactions. The photocurrent density of the polymer electrode is improved to 0.4 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode in a Na2SO4 electrolyte solution under AM 1.5 illumination. The result reveals a more than 50‐fold enhancement over the PCN films achieved by powder; the efficiency can be preserved at 95 % for 160 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Polymeric carbon nitride (PCN) photosensitizers are proposed replacements for their inorganic counterparts in solar‐to‐fuel conversion via photoelectrochemical water splitting. However, intense charge recombination, primarily because of surface defects, limits the use of PCN in PEC systems. Now, photoanodes are designed by coating PCN films onto highly conductive yttrium‐doped zinc oxide (Y:ZnO) nanorods (NRs) serving as charge collectors. The generation of charge carriers can therefore be promoted by this type II alignment. The charge collectors would be kept nearby for charge separation and transport to be used in the interfacial redox reactions. The photocurrent density of the polymer electrode is improved to 0.4 mA cm−2 at 1.23 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode in a Na2SO4 electrolyte solution under AM 1.5 illumination. The result reveals a more than 50‐fold enhancement over the PCN films achieved by powder; the efficiency can be preserved at 95 % for 160 minutes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New branched conjugated derivatives with two benzotriazole groups as well as a linear analog containing one benzotriazole segment used as corrosion inhibitors for copper in 3.5 wt% sodium chloride solution containing 90 vol% water and 10 vol% ethanol solvents at 298 K were synthesized. It is shown that the corrosion of copper is inhibited more efficiently by the branched inhibitors. The adsorption mechanism on copper surface was analyzed by Langmuir isotherm and various spectral characterizations, and the results suggest a primary chemisorption adsorption on copper surface. Molecular modeling was performed. Photo and thermal stabilities of the studied inhibitors were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Metadherin (MTDH) is overexpressed in some malignancies and enhances drug resistance; however, its role in gastric cancer (GC) and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we explore the mechanism by which MTDH induces drug resistance in GC. Methods: We analysed the level of MTDH in GC and adjacent normal gastric mucosal tissues by real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR). We also analysed the level of autophagy by western blot analysis, confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy after MTDH knockdown and overexpression, and examined fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance by Cell Counting Kit-8 at the same time. Finally, GC patient-derived xenograft tumours were used to demonstrate 5-FU resistance. An AMPK pathway inhibitor was applied to determine the molecular mechanisms of autophagy. Results: MTDH expression was significantly increased in the GC specimens compared with that in the adjacent normal gastric mucosal tissues. Further study showed a positive correlation between the expression level of MTDH and 5-FU resistance. MTDH overexpression in MKN45 cells increased the levels of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and promoted 5-FU resistance, while inhibition of MTDH showed the opposite result. The simultaneous inhibition of autophagy and overexpression of MTDH decreased the levels of P-gp and inhibited 5-FU resistance. Moreover, MTDH induced AMPK phosphorylation, regulated ATG5 expression, and finally influenced autophagy, suggesting that MTDH may activate autophagy via the AMPK/ATG5 signalling pathway. Our findings reveal a unique mechanism by which MTDH promotes GC chemoresistance and show that MTDH is a potential target for improved chemotherapeutic sensitivity and GC patient survival. Conclusions: MTDH-stimulated cancer resistance to 5-FU may be mediated through autophagy activated by the AMPK/ATG5 pathway in GC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of dimethyl sulfide (CH 3 SCH 3 ) is significant for protection of environmental atmosphere and safety of industrial and agricultural production. A tunable laser absorption spectroscopy (TLAS)-based dimethyl sulfide sensor, employing a 5 m hollow waveguide (HWG) as a gas cell and a 3.37 μm, continuous-wave, DFB, room temperature interband cascade laser (ICL), is reported. Wavelength modulation spectroscopy second harmonic normalized by the first harmonic (WMS 2f/1f) technique is used to retrieve the concentration of dimethyl sulfide with high sensitivity. The sensor has a mass of ∼5 kg and consumes ∼50 W of electrical power. The sensor performance evaluation shows that it has a sensitivity of 20 ppb with time resolution of 1s, a rapid rise time and fall time of ∼27 s and ∼25 s and a measurement precision of 21 ppb. Furthermore, an Allan deviation analysis shows that the detection limit can reach 2.8 ppb for a 125 s averaging time. Overall, the reported sensor can be applied to environmental monitoring, industrial production and the biomedicine field for dimethyl sulfide detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sensitive carbon disulfide (CS 2 ) sensor based on wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) in the mid-infrared fingerprint region was reported. The strong band spectrum of carbon disulfide's combination band ( ν 1 + ν 3), near 2177.6 cm −1 , was used in the sensor. To enable WMS for wideband spectrum, a parameter of Spectral Discrimination ( SD ) was defined and used as a criterion for optimizing the modulation index, which was finally determined to be around 0.8 instead of 2.2 commonly used for an isolated line spectrum. And the second harmonic signal was processed with empirical mode decomposition (EMD) algorithm to distinguish and remove the optical fringes buried in the detected signal. The sensor performances were tested by implementing a set of CS 2 concentration experiments. The results showed that the sensor response linearity was 0.999 and the relative measuring error was less than 1%. The sensitivity, i. e. 3σ detection limit, was as low as 60 ppb with integration time of 240 s with optical path length of 5 m, corresponding to absorbance of 3 × 10 −5 . Overall, benefiting from strong fingerprint absorption and methods of applying WMS to wideband spectrum, the sensor is promising for both environmental and industrial CS 2 detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultrahigh-resolution mid-infrared absorption spectrum of methyl mercaptan (CH 3 SH) was recorded and analyzed in the region of 2945–2953 cm -1 , where the strong ν 2 -band is located. Benefitting from the high-resolution of tunable laser absorption spectrometry (TLAS) with a distributed feedback interband cascade laser (DFB-ICL), 12-strong and 27-weak air-broadened absorption peaks belonging to the ν 2 -band of CH 3 SH were assigned with resolution of better than 2.24×10 -5 cm -1 (~26 fm/670 kHz) and absorption cross section precision of 2.0%, at temperature of 298.15 K and pressure of 1 atm. For further description of the assigned transitions, the spectral line parameters and cross sections of these absorption peaks versus pressure were investigated. These ultrahigh resolution air-broadened spectra can be used as reference data for CH 3 SH remote sensing and absolute spectral measurement applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Pruritus, also known as itch, is a common, unpleasant sensation that can be difficult to treat. Frequently, chronic itch is associated with the development of neuropathic pain resulting from nerve injury or insult. Previous studies have shown the involvement of spinal microglia in the development of neuropathic pain, but their role in chronic pruritus is unclear. Methods: For this study, we constructed a model of chronic pruritus in mice using repeated applications of 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) and showed prolonged scratching behavior in treated mice that continued for at least 7 d after the final DNFB treatment. Results:Scratching was accompanied by activation of spinal microglia and both were reduced by an inhibitor of microglial activity. We also showed that microglial activation entailed increased signaling in the p38 MAPK pathway, and treatment with a p38 inhibitor reduced scratching in DNFB-treated mice. We also examined the role of fractalkine/CX3CR1 signaling in the development of DNFB-induced pruritus and showed that intrathecal administration of antiserum against either CX3CR1or FKN inhibited p38 activity and decreased scratching. Conclusion:Our results suggest that microglia are involved in pruritus induced by DNFB via FKN/CX3CR1/p38MAPK pathways similar to those participating in the development of neuropathic pain. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urate in the fingernails of gout patients and healthy volunteers was successfully detected by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with ultraviolet (UV) in our previous research. This study aimed to further investigate whether nail urate could be a proxy for the burden of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals deposits in gout. To this end, we conducted a study in two parts. Firstly, we successfully detected urate in the nail by HPLC–UV and evaluated nail urate concentrations in control subjects and patients with gout. As expected, we found that levels of nail urate were significantly higher in patients with gout than in healthy controls, and the nail urate level was significantly correlated with the volume of MSU crystals deposits measured by dual-energy CT (DECT). Secondly, we found that nail urate can reflect changes in urate levels in the body during urate lowering therapy through a 3-month follow-up study. Our results provide the possibility of quantification of urate in human fingernails as a non-invasive alternative for assessing MSU crystals deposits in gout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angiopoietin-like-4 (ANGPTL4) is reported to mediate proteinuria in some types of glomerulonephropathy. However, the mechanism underlying the effect on podocytes of ANGPTL4 under pathologic conditions in diabetic nephropathy (DN) is unclear. We investigated the role of ANGPTL4 in the pathogenesis of DN. In DN rats, elevated ANGPTL4 expression was associated with increased proteinuria, glomerular hypertrophy, and ultrastructural changes in podocytes. In vitro , hyperglycemia induced the upregulation of ANGPTL4, which led to activation of integrin-β1/FAK signaling with increased apoptosis of podocytes and actin cytoskeleton derangement. These pathological changes were reversed by transfection with a lentivirus expressing short hairpin RNA against integrin-β1 or an ANGPTL4-neutralizing antibody in vitro. Furthermore, supplementation with the sialic acid precursor ManNAc reversed these pathological changes and conferred renoprotection in a mouse model of DN. Our findings suggest that ANGPTL4 mediates high glucose-induced loss of podocytes by modulating their detachment and apoptosis in vivo and in vitro. This study deepens our understanding of the mechanisms of podocyte loss in DN and shows targeting ANGPTL4-related signaling has therapeutic potential for DN. • ANGPTL4 expression is upregulated in high glucose-induced podocytes. • Increased ANGPTL4 expression is associated with a hyperglycemia induced podocytes damage. • ANGPTL4 induces podocytes damage via the integrinβ1/FAK pathway under high glucose. • Sialic acid precursor N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) has renoprotective effects against DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-absorption effect seriously affects the accuracy of the quantitative analysis in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), confining the further development of the technology. In this study, three laser wavelengths at ultraviolet (355 nm), visible light (532 nm), and infrared (1064 nm) were selected to study the influence of laser wavelength on self-absorption effect in LIBS. The effect of the laser wavelength on the spectral stability was also investigated. The results showed that when the wavelength was 1064 nm compared with the wavelength of 355 nm and 532 nm, the full widths at half maximum (FWHMs) of aluminum (Al) I 396.2 nm were reduced by 39 % and 23 %, the FWHM of potassium (K) I 766.5 nm were reduced by 58 % and 22 %. In addition, the laser wavelength was also closely related to the stability of the spectral intensity. In comparison with the laser wavelengths of 532 nm and 1064 nm, the best spectral repeatability occurred when the laser wavelength was 355 nm. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of the K I 766.5 nm was only 2.5 %. The results indicate that laser wavelength affects the self-absorption effect and spectral stability of LIBS, which means selecting an appropriate laser wavelength can reduce self-absorption and improve stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emission Spectroscopy: Amplified Emissions Spectroscopy for Sensing Applications (Ann. The theme of amplified emission, which involves complicated chemical reactions and physical processes, such as spontaneous emission, stimulation, and variation of potential energy surface is visualized here. As reviewed in article number 1900210 by Zhenhui Du and co-workers, it potentially indicates the amplified emission spectroscopy developing to a new generation of promising analytical techniques and remote sensing. [Extracted from the article]

Amplified emission spectroscopy is promising for applications of qualitative and quantitative sensing of elements and their states. This technique has the characteristics of a narrow spectral line, high spectral resolution, and high signal‐to‐noise ratio. Recently, this technology has advanced tremendously with progress in excitation methods, that is, resonance multiphoton absorption and filamentation with ultrafast lasers. The mechanism, conditions, excitation, signal processing, and applications of amplified emission spectroscopy are reviewed herein. In particular, the different formation patterns of the amplified emission spectra produced by an ultrafast laser are analyzed in detail. In addition, a brief introduction is given to the existing applications of amplified emission. Finally, both a conclusion and a perspective of the future for amplified emission are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a mid-infrared dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3, DMS) sensor based on tunable laser absorption spectroscopy with a distributed feedback interband cascade laser to measure DMS in the atmosphere. Different from previous work, in which only DMS was tested and under pure nitrogen conditions, we measured DMS mixed by common air to establish the actual atmospheric measurement environment. Moreover, we used tunable laser absorption spectroscopy with spectral fitting to enable multi-species (i.e., DMS, CH4, and H2O) measurement simultaneously. Meanwhile, we used empirical mode decomposition and greatly reduced the interference of optical fringes and noise. The sensor performances were evaluated with atmospheric mixture in laboratory conditions. The sensor's measurement uncertainties of DMS, CH4, and H2O were as low as 80 ppb, 20 ppb, and 0.01% with an integration time 1 s, respectively. The sensor possessed a very low detection limit of 9.6 ppb with an integration time of 164 s for DMS, corresponding to an absorbance of 7.4 × 10−6, which showed a good anti-interference ability and stable performance after optical interference removal. We demonstrated that the sensor can be used for DMS measurement, as well as multi-species atmospheric measurements of DMS, H2O, and CH4 simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]