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Abstract Copper (Cu)-based catalysts show promise for electrocatalytic CO2 reduction (CO2RR) to multi-carbon alcohols, but thermodynamic constraints lead to competitive hydrocarbon (e.g., ethylene) production. Achieving selective ethanol production with high Faradaic efficiency (FE) and current density is still challenging. Here we show a multivalent Cu-based catalyst, Cu-2,3,7,8-tetraaminophenazine-1,4,6,9-tetraone (Cu-TAPT) with Cu2+ and Cu+ atomic ratio of about 1:2 for CO2RR. Cu-TAPT exhibits an ethanol FE of 54.3 ± 3% at an industrial-scale current density of 429 mA cm−2, with the ethanol-to-ethylene ratio reaching 3.14:1. Experimental and theoretical calculations collectively unveil that the catalyst is stable during CO2RR, resulting from suitable coordination of the Cu2+ and Cu+ with the functional groups in TAPT. Additionally, mechanism studies show that the increased ethanol selectivity originates from synergy of multivalent Cu sites, which can promote asymmetric C–C coupling and adjust the adsorption strength of different carbonaceous intermediates, favoring hydroxy-containing C2 intermediate (*HCCHOH) formation and formation of ethanol.

Abstract Coordination cages have been widely reported to bind a variety of guests, which are useful for chemical separation. Although the use of cages in the solid state benefits the recycling, the flexibility, dynamicity, and metal-ligand bond reversibility of solid-state cages are poor, preventing efficient guest encapsulation. Here we report a type of coordination cage-integrated solid materials that can be swelled into gel in water. The material is prepared through incorporation of an anionic FeII 4L6 cage as the counterion of a cationic poly(ionic liquid) (MOC@PIL). The immobilized cages within MOC@PILs have been found to greatly affect the swelling ability of MOC@PILs and thus the mechanical properties. Importantly, upon swelling, the uptake of water provides an ideal microenvironment within the gels for the immobilized cages to dynamically move and flex that leads to excellent solution-level guest binding performances. This concept has enabled the use of MOC@PILs as efficient adsorbents for the removal of pollutants from water and for the purification of toluene and cyclohexane. Importantly, MOC@PILs can be regenerated through a deswelling strategy along with the recycling of the extracted guests.

Abstract Upcycling of CO2 into fuels by virtually unlimited solar energy provides an ultimate solution for addressing the substantial challenges of energy crisis and climate change. In this work, we report an efficient nanostructured Ru/MnOx catalyst composed of well-defined Ru/MnO/Mn3O4 for photo-thermal catalytic CO2 hydrogenation to CH4, which is the result of a combination of external heating and irradiation. Remarkably, under relatively mild conditions of 200 °C, a considerable CH4 production rate of 166.7 mmol g−1 h−1 was achieved with a superior selectivity of 99.5% at CO2 conversion of 66.8%. The correlative spectroscopic and theoretical investigations suggest that the yield of CH4 is enhanced by coordinating photon energy with thermal energy to reduce the activation energy of reaction and promote formation of key intermediate COOH* species over the catalyst. This work opens up a new strategy for CO2 hydrogenation toward CH4.

This study introduces an advanced ensemble methodology employing lightweight neural network models for identifying severe convective clouds from FY-4B geostationary meteorological satellite imagery. We have constructed a FY-4B based severe convective cloud dataset by a combination of algorithms and expert judgment. Through the ablation study of a model ensembling combination of multiple specialized lightweight architectures—ENet, ESPNet, Fast-SCNN, ICNet, and MobileNetV2—the optimal EFNet (ENet- and Fast-SCNN-based network) not only achieves real-time processing capabilities but also ensures high accuracy in severe weather detection. EFNet consistently outperformed traditional, heavier models across several key performance indicators: achieving an accuracy of 0.9941, precision of 0.9391, recall of 0.9201, F1 score of 0.9295, and computing time of 18.65 s over the test dataset of 300 images (~0.06 s per 512 × 512 pic). ENet shows high precision but misses subtle clouds, while Fast-SCNN has high sensitivity but lower precision, leading to misclassifications. EFNet’s ensemble approach balances these traits, enhancing overall predictive accuracy. The ensemble method of lightweight models effectively aggregates the diverse strengths of the individual models, optimizing both speed and predictive performance.

In the field of remote sensing image analysis, the issue of cloud interference in high-resolution images has always been a challenging problem, with traditional methods often facing limitations in addressing this challenge. To this end, this study proposes an innovative solution by integrating radiative feature analysis with cutting-edge deep learning technologies, developing a refined cloud segmentation method. The core innovation lies in the development of FFASPPDANet (Feature Fusion Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling Dual Attention Network), a feature fusion dual attention network improved through atrous spatial convolution pooling to enhance the model’s ability to recognize cloud features. Moreover, we introduce a probabilistic thresholding method based on pixel radiation spectrum fusion, further improving the accuracy and reliability of cloud segmentation, resulting in the “FFASPPDANet+” algorithm. Experimental validation shows that FFASPPDANet+ performs exceptionally well in various complex scenarios, achieving a 99.27% accuracy rate in water bodies, a 96.79% accuracy rate in complex urban settings, and a 95.82% accuracy rate in a random test set. This research not only enhances the efficiency and accuracy of cloud segmentation in high-resolution remote sensing images but also provides a new direction and application example for the integration of deep learning with radiative algorithms.

In the atmospheric system of Mars, vertical interactions are crucial, yet quantitative studies addressing this issue remain scarce. Based on simulations using the Mars PCM-LMDZ, we present the first frequency-domain quantitative analysis of the vertical interactions among Martian atmospheric dust, zonal circulation, and the migrating diurnal tide (DW1), employing Partial Directed Coherence (PDC) techniques to quantify the strength of associations between different variables. Our findings reveal a chain of influence where sub-seasonal-scale dust signals in the troposphere, through the Doppler effect of middle atmospheric zonal winds, transmit modulated energy to the DW1 in the upper mesosphere, thereby facilitating interlayer atmospheric interactions. The radiative heating from dust activities enhances the residual mean meridional circulation, which, under the influence of the Coriolis force, further accelerates the westerlies. Although gravity wave activity also contributes to the acceleration of the westerlies, its forcing generally remains below 5 m/s, which is relatively weak compared to the impact of intense dust activities in the warm scenario experiments (approximately 20 m/s). Overall, this study quantifies the interactions among atmospheric layers by means of PDC technology and analytically demonstrates how dust energy is transferred to mesospheric tides by shaping the zonal winds in between.

Mars atmospheric dynamics are crucial for understanding its climate and weather patterns, especially over plateaus. Previous studies have explored localized atmospheric heating mechanisms over Mars plateaus only to a little extent. The local atmospheric heating dynamics over the Tharsis plateau, especially during global dust storms (GDSs), have not been quantitatively analyzed before. Based on reanalysis datasets, our analysis reveals that the central highlands of Tharsis experience ~130 K diurnal temperature fluctuations, driven by intense daytime convective activity. Surface temperature and near-surface air temperatures show fluctuations approximately 25 K and 20 K higher than those at similar latitudes, respectively. We quantify a super-adiabatic lapse rate around noon that suggests strong atmospheric instability, previously unquantified in this region. By dusk, the atmosphere stabilizes, presenting a homogenized condition. At aphelion, sensible heating and adiabatic terms control the atmospheric heating, while, at perihelion, radiative and sensible heating predominate. Notably, the onset of GDS significantly alters this dynamic, reducing the ground–air temperature gap from 17 K to 5 K and enhancing diabatic heating (adiabatic cooling) in the mid-to-lower (mid-to-upper) troposphere, with increases in radiative components up to 60 W/m2.

Furfuryl ethers have been considered to be a promising fuel additive. One step reduction etherification of furfural over supported Pd catalysts provides a facile way for the preparation of furfuryl ether. However, the preparation of a reusable Pd catalyst for reductive etherification remains to be a great challenge. In this study, a series of SiO2 supported Pd catalysts with particle size ranging from 2.2 nm to 28 nm were prepared. Their textural properties and catalytic performance in furfural reductive etherification have been systematically studied. The results herein shed light on the particle size effect on the competition between hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis of CO in furfural over Pd surface. We found out that Pd nanoparticles larger than 3 nm are preferred for one step reductive etherification. Based on this finding, we prepared a Pd/ZSM-5 bifunctional catalyst comprising Pd nanoparticles larger than 3 nm and decreased acidity in presence of amino organosilane, which served as a bifunctional catalyst succeeding in one-pot synthesis of ether via reductive-etherification and direct-etherification. This strategy showed significant advantage in efficiently converting furfuryl acohol, a major side-product, into ether, while suppressing the undesired side-reactions.

Abstract The Martian atmospheric waves perturbation Datasets (MAWPD) version 2.0 is the first observation-based climatology dataset of Martian atmospheric waves. It contains climatology-gridded temperature, gravity waves, and tides spanning the whole Martian year. MAWPD uses the Data INterpolating Empirical Orthogonal Functions method (DINEOF) reconstruction method for data assimilation with the observational data from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS), Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN), Mars Pathfinder (MP), Mars Phoenix Lander (MPL), Mars Exploration Rover (MER) and Mars Express (MEX) temperature retrievals. The dataset includes gridded fields of temperature (Level 1 data) as well as the physical quantities of GWs (Level 2 data, amplitude, and potential energies), SPWs and tides (Level 2 data, amplitude, and phase). The MAWPD, based entirely on multiple reliable observations, provides climatological background atmospheric information of temperature and wave disturbances on Mars. The dataset is not only useful for observation-based scientific studies concerning Martian atmospheric waves, e.g., circulation, dust storms, and wave excitation mechanism, but also for cross-validating with model-based datasets or model results.

In view of the defects in the previous detection of cuaminosulfate, which only focused on the analysis of copper ions, there is currently no analysis method available to determine the actual state of cuaminosulfate as chelated or bound. In order to investigate the dissipation and terminal residues in soil and watermelon of cuaminosulfate for food safety and environmental risk, a highly effective technique was developed to detect cuaminosulfate residues in watermelon and soil, and field experiments were conducted in China. After single-factor experiments, residual cuaminosulfate in samples was extracted by pure water, purified using a liquid–liquid approach combined with a dispersive solid-phase extraction, and detected by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The Box–Behnken design (BBD) study was used to find the optimal solutions for the time of liquid–liquid purification, the amount of extraction solvent, and the amounts of cleanup sorbents for the analytical method. The average recovery of the method was in the range of 80.0% to 101.1%, the average relative standard deviation (RSD) was 5.3–9.9%, and the detection limit was lower than 0.05 mg/kg. The BBD study not only improved the extraction rate of the method, but also saved time and was operated easily. The final residues of cuaminosulfate in watermelon at different sampling intervals were all lower than 0.05 mg/kg under field conditions. The cuaminosulfate in soils dissipated following exponential kinetics, with half-life values in the range of 9.39 to 12.58 days, which varied by different locations. Based on the validated method, food safety residues and soil residues can be determined rapidly and accurately.

Abstract Extreme events have become more frequent in the Northern Hemisphere mid‐latitudes in recent decades, hugely impacting the ecosystem and society. The quasi‐resonance amplification (QRA) of planetary waves is considered one of the dynamic mechanisms leading to extreme weather. However, the specific impact of resonant waves caused by QRA on surface heat extremes is still an open issue. Here we show that the QRA of planetary waves leading to heat extremes is closely related to double jets, accompanied by the enhancement of atmospheric blocking and the weakening of planetary wave escaping into the stratosphere. Our results illustrate the important role of mid‐latitude planetary waves with zonal wavenumber m = 6–8 caused by QRA in the increasingly frequent heat waves in recent years, as it can increase the coverage area and occurrence frequency of heat extremes in mid‐latitudes and show a significant impact on preferred regions, especially in Eurasia.

Background: Right ventricular (RV) function is a major prognostic factor in patients with cardiopulmonary disease. Effective medical therapies are available for left heart failure, but they are usually less effective or even ineffective in right heart failure. Here, we tested the hypothesis that LCZ696 (sacubitril/valsartan) can attenuate pressure overload-induced RV remodeling by inhibiting pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4). Methods: Adult male C57 mice were subjected to transverse aortic constriction (TAC), pulmonary artery constriction (PAC), or sham surgery. Bioinformatics analysis was used to screen for common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between TAC and PAC. Chemical compounds targeting DEGs were predicted by molecular docking analysis. Effects of LCZ696 on PAC-induced RV remodeling and the associated PDK4-related mechanisms were investigated. Results: We found 60 common DEGs between PAC and TAC, and Pdk4 was one of the downregulated DEGs. From 47 chemical compounds with potential cardiovascular activity and PDK4 protein binding ability, we selected LCZ696 to treat PAC-induced RV remodeling because of its high docking score for binding PDK4. Compared with vehicle-treated PAC mice, LCZ696-treated mice had significantly smaller RV wall thickness and RV diameters, less myocardial fibrosis, lower expression of PDK4 protein, and less phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β (p-GSK3β). In PAC mice, overexpression of Pdk4 blocked the inhibitory effect of LCZ696 on RV remodeling, whereas conditional knockout of Pdk4 attenuated PAC-induced RV remodeling. Conclusions: Pdk4 is a common therapeutic target for pressure overload-induced left ventricular and RV remodeling, and LCZ696 attenuates RV remodeling by downregulating Pdk4 and inhibiting PDK4/p-GSK3β signal.

Anthocyanins are widespread water-soluble pigments in the plant kingdom. Anthocyanin accumulation is activated by the MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) protein complex. In Arabidopsis, the R2R3-MYB transcription factor PAP1 activates anthocyanin biosynthesis. While prior research primarily focused on seedlings, seeds received limited attention. This study explores PAP1’s genome-wide target genes in anthocyanin biosynthesis in seeds. Our findings confirm that PAP1 is a positive regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis seeds. PAP1 significantly increased anthocyanin content in developing and mature seeds in Arabidopsis. Transcriptome analysis at 12 days after pollination reveals the upregulation of numerous genes involved in anthocyanin accumulation in 35S:PAP1 developing seeds. Chromatin immunoprecipitation and dual luciferase reporter assays demonstrate PAP1’s direct promotion of ten key genes and indirect upregulation of TT8, TTG1, and eight key genes during seed maturation, thus enhancing seed anthocyanin accumulation. These findings enhance our understanding of PAP1’s novel role in regulating anthocyanin accumulation in Arabidopsis seeds.

Background: Severe heart failure refractory to conventional therapy requires alternative treatment modalities. Surgical ventricular reconstruction (SVR) has been used to reverse cardiac remodeling in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients with large left ventricular (LV) aneurysm, however, residual LV remodeling and dysfunction remain postoperatively. It is unclear whether SVR recovers response to drug treatment and whether the sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor dapagliflozin (DAPA) reverses residual LV remodeling after SVR. Methods: Adult male C57 mice were subjected to MI or sham surgery. Four-week later, MI mice with LV aneurysm underwent modified SVR or second open-chest sham operation and were randomized to DAPA or vehicle for four-week. Cardiac remodeling, LV function, and the underlying mechanisms were evaluated by echocardiography, invasive LV hemodynamic measurements, mRNA sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis. Results: SVR significantly decreased LV volume; increased myocardial strain, LV pressure change rates and end-systolic elastance; and decreased heart-to-body weight ratio and myocardial fibrosis. However, significant residual cardiac remodeling remained. DAPA significantly attenuated residual cardiac remodeling and improved LV function in SVR mice but did not have curative effects in non-SVR mice. Of the 1532 genes differentially expressed in SVR and MI mice, 1037 were associated with cardiac metabolism; Src, Crebbp, Fn1, Grb2, and Mapk14 were the top 5 hub genes. Unlike sham surgery, MI upregulated those 5 genes, and treatment with SVR + DAPA normalized their expression. Conclusions: SVR restores therapeutic response in the post-MI heart with large LV aneurysm, and DAPA attenuates residual cardiac remodeling after SVR by normalizing some cardiac metabolism-related hub genes.

When vortex electromagnetic waves propagate through a turbulent atmosphere, the amplitude and phase of the electromagnetic waves are disturbed, creating the scintillation effect. According to the scintillation index of vortex waves, a new method of retrieving the turbulent refraction structure parameter was proposed using a genetic algorithm, and the feasibility of this method was verified by simulated experiments. The numerical results showed that the inversed value obtained by the genetic algorithm was close to the real parameter when the turbulent inner scale and outer scale were fixed. However, there was a gap between the inversed value and the real parameter when only the turbulent outer scale was fixed. These results suggest that vortex wave data can be used for turbulent refraction structure parameter inversion, and they provide new research directions for atmospheric remote sensing.

The risks posed by chemicals in the environment are typically assessed on a substance-by-substance basis, often neglecting the effects of mixtures. This may lead to an underestimation of the actual risk. In our study, we investigated the effects of three commonly used pesticides—imidacloprid (IMI), cycloxaprid (CYC), and tebuconazole (TBZ)—both individually and in combination, using various biomarkers to assess their impact on daphnia. Our findings indicated that the order of toxicity, from highest to lowest, was TBZ, IMI, and CYC, as determined by acute toxicity as well as reproduction. The effects of the ITmix (IMI and TBZ) and CTmix (CYC and TBZ) combinations on immobilization and reproduction were evaluated by MIXTOX, revealing a higher risk of immobilization at low concentrations for ITmix. The effect on reproduction differed depending on the ration of pesticides in the mixture, with synergism observed, which may be caused mainly by IMI. However, CTmix showed antagonism for acute toxicity, with the effect on reproduction depending upon the composition of the mixture. The response surface also exhibited a switch between antagonism and synergism. Additionally, the pesticides extended the body length and inhibited the development period. The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) content was also significantly induced at different dosage points in both the single and combination groups, indicating changes in the metabolic capabilities of detoxifying enzymes and target site sensitivity. These findings highlight the need for more attention to be focused on the effects of pesticide mixtures.

Leaf senescence is the final stage of leaf development and is essential for storage properties and crop productivity. WRKY transcription factors have been revealed to play crucial roles in several biological processes during plant growth and development, especially in leaf senescence. However, the functions of Brassica napus WRKY transcription factors in leaf senescence remain unclear. In the present study, Bna.A07.WRKY70, one paralogue of Brassica napus WRKY70, was cloned from the B. napus cultivar “Zhongshuang11 (ZS11)”. We found that Bna.A07.WRKY70 contains a highly conserved WRKY domain and is most closely related to Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY70. The subcellular localization and transcriptional self-activation assays indicated that Bna.A07.WRKY70 functions as a transcription factor. Meanwhile, RT-qPCR and promoter-GUS analysis showed that Bna.A07.WRKY70 is predominantly expressed in the leaves of B. napus and rosette leaves of A. thaliana. In addition, our results demonstrated that ectopic expression of Bna.A07.WRKY70 in A. thaliana wrky70 mutants could restore the senescence phenotypes to wild-type levels. Consistently, the expression levels of three senescence-related marker genes of wrky70 mutants were restored to wild-type levels by ectopic expression of Bna.A07.WRKY70. These findings improve our understanding of the function of Bna.A07.WRKY70 in B. napus and provide a novel strategy for breeding the new stay-green cultivars in rapeseed through genetic manipulation.

The prognosis of cardiorenal dysfunction induced by diabetes mellitus (DM), which belongs to cardiorenal syndrome type 5, is poor and its pathogenesis remains elusive. We have reported that CX3CL1 exacerbated heart failure and direct inhibition of CX3CL1 improved cardiac function. Emerging evidence supports that CX3CL1 is involved in renal impairment. Here we attempt to clarify whether CX3CL1 might be a therapeutic target for cardiorenal dysfunction in diabetes. We found that cardiac and renal CX3CL1 protein levels were significantly increased in both streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice and in non-obese diabetic mice, and that hyperglycemia led to persistent CX3CL1 expression in the heart and kidneys even after it was controlled by insulin. In cultured cardiac and renal cells, soluble CX3CL1 accelerated mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis via activation of the RhoA/ROCK1-Bax signaling pathway and promoted fibrosis through cellular phenotypic trans-differentiation mediated by the TGF-β/Smad pathway. In the two diabetic mouse models, knockout of CX3CL1 receptor CX3CR1 or treatment with an CX3CL1 neutralizing antibody significantly improved cardiorenal dysfunction by inhibiting apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and fibrosis. Moreover, sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor canagliflozin significantly downregulated cardiac and renal CX3CL1 expression and improved cardiorenal dysfunction. These findings indicate that CX3CL1 could be a new therapeutic target for diabetes-induced cardiorenal dysfunction.

Abstract Background Group B streptococcus (GBS)-induced invasive disease is a major cause of illness and death among infants aged under 90 days in China; however, invasive GBS infection remains unknown in China. We aimed to describe the serotype and genotype distributions of early-onset disease (EOD) and late-onset disease (LOD), and to show the clinical correlations among various GBS serotypes and genotypes obtained from infants with invasive GBS infections. Methods Between June 1, 2016 and June 1, 2018, 84 GBS strains were collected from patients younger than 90 days at seven Chinese hospitals. Clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. GBS serotyping was conducted and multi-locus sequence typing was performed. Results Serotypes Ia, Ib, II, III, and V were detected. Serotype III (60.71%) was the most common, followed by Ia (16.67%) and Ib (14.29%). Intrapartum temperature ≥ 37.5 °C, chorioamnionitis, and mortality were noted in 28.57, 42.86, and 28.57% of patients with serotype Ia, respectively, and these rates were higher than those in patients with serotypes Ib and III (P = 0.041, P = 0.031, and P = 0.023, respectively). The incidence of respiratory distress was lower (P = 0.039) while that of purulent meningitis was higher (P = 0.026) in the serotype III group. Eighteen sequence types were detected among isolates, and ST17 [42.86% (36/84)] was the most prevalent. Conclusions GBS isolates belonging to serotypes Ia, Ib, and III are common in southern mainland China, and ST17 is highly prevalent. Differences were found in the clinical manifestations of invasive GBS disease induced by serotypes Ia and III.

Hydrogen production by electrocatalytic water splitting is limited by the sluggish evolution kinetics of low value-oxygen. Here, authors show concurrent electrolytic productions of H2 and glycerol oxidation to formate by utilizing Ni-Mo-N/CFC electro-catalyst as both anodic and cathodic catalysts.

Given the key role of bees as indicators for environmental assessment, residues in bees and bee products have attracted great interest. In this regard, an improved, highly sensitive method for quantifying the insecticide pyriproxyfen and its four metabolites (4′-OH-Pyr, DPH-Pyr, 2-OH-PY, 4′-OH-POP) in honeybees, larvae, and bee products (honey, pollen, royal jelly and wax) should be established. For this purpose, we used ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry for rapid quantification (≤5 min). Recoveries for various matrices ranged from 73.77% to 114.97%, with satisfactory intra-day and inter-day precision (relative standard deviations of 0.03–8.61% and 0.10–7.25%, respectively). The results demonstrated excellent linearity (R2 > 0.9903) with a limit of quantification of 1 μg/kg for six different matrices. We collected and analyzed 597 samples (honey, bees and wax) from four major beekeeping areas in China. Only 47 of these samples contained residues of pyriproxyfen and two of its metabolites (2-OH-PY, 4′-OH-Pyr), and high levels of contamination were found in bee samples (2–739 μg/kg), with substantive accumulation in wax (levels were 9.49% higher than in other samples). The result demonstrate that the method provides a reliable and convenient means of monitoring pyriproxyfen and its metabolites in bee products for better product quality, human health, and international commercial competition and also lays a foundation for risk assessment of potential pyriproxyfen contamination in China.

Backgrounds: Our previous work revealed that AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell migration in vitro by phosphorylating PDZ and LIM domain 5 (Pdlim5). As metformin is an AMPK activator, we used a mouse vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) line and a Myh11-cre-EGFP mice to investigate whether metformin could inhibit the migration of VSMCs in vitro and in a wire-injury model in vivo. It is recognized that VSMCs contribute to the major composition of atherosclerotic plaques. In order to investigate whether the AMPK–Pdlim5 pathway is involved in the protective function of metformin against atherosclerosis, we utilized ApoE−/− male mice to investigate whether metformin could suppress diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis by inhibition of VSMC migration via the AMPK–Pdlim5 pathway.Methods: The mouse VSMC cell line was exogenously transfected wild type, phosphomimetic, or unphosphorylatable Pdlim5 mutant before metformin exposure. Myh11-cre-EGFP mice were treated with saline solution or metformin after these were subjected to wire injury in the carotid artery to study whether metformin could inhibit the migration of medial VSMCs into the neo-intima. In order to investigate whether the AMPK–Pdlim5 pathway is involved in the protective function of metformin against atherosclerosis, ApoE−/− male mice were divided randomly into control, streptozocin (STZ), and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetes mellitus; STZ+HFD together with metformin or Pdlim5 mutant carried the adenovirus treatment groups.Results: It was found that metformin could induce the phosphorylation of Pdlim5 and inhibit cell migration as a result. The exogenous expression of phosphomimetic S177D-Pdlim5 inhibits lamellipodia formation and migration in VSMCs. It was also demonstrated that VSMCs contribute to the major composition of injury-induced neointimal lesions, while metformin could alleviate the occlusion of the carotid artery. The data of ApoE−/− mice showed that increased plasma lipids and aggravated vascular smooth muscle cell infiltration into the atherosclerotic lesion in diabetic mice were observed Metformin alleviated diabetes-induced metabolic disorders and atherosclerosis and also reduced VSMC infiltration in atherosclerotic plaques, while the Pdlim5 phospho-abolished mutant that carried adenovirus S177A-Pdlim5 undermines the protective function of metformin.Conclusions: The activation of the AMPK–Pdlim5 pathway by metformin could interrupt the migratory machine of VSMCs and inhibit cell migration in vitro and in vivo. The maintenance of AMPK activity by metformin is beneficial for suppressing diabetes-accelerated atherosclerosis.

The 2019–20 Australian bushfire produced strong plumes that carried massive quantities of gases and aerosols through the tropopause into the stratosphere. The 2019 El Niño and a rare sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) in the Southern Hemisphere (SH) that occurred in austral spring 2019 caused reduced precipitation in eastern Australia, which caused the strongest bushfire in history in terms of area and disaster degree. High-intensity bushfires triggered chemical reactions, including the rapid secondary formation of formic acid (FA). The strong intensity of the bushfire and the isolated environment allowed their impacts to be well detected. We identified the most active bushfire period (December 30–January 1) and its impacts on atmospheric components. The trajectory and lifetime of bushfire plumes were analysed to reveal the bushfire process and most active period. Based on multiple satellite and reanalysis products, unique variations in atmospheric components were identified and attributed to three main factors: bushfire development period, stratospheric heating mechanism and rapid secondary formation of FA. The bushfire gradually increased in intensity from June, reached its most active period from December 30–January 1, and then weakened. The bushfire development period caused delays in the plumes and peak values of gases (CO, SO2, FA and ozone) and temperature. The diurnal cycle, particle concentration and time restricted the total radiative forcing of aerosols and gases, which prevented a high rate of temperature increase similar to that of gas input from plumes. The strong intensity of the bushfire caused rapid secondary formation of FA, which caused a sharp increase in FA production from December 30–January 1.

Developing robust catalysts for direct synthesis of light olefins from syngas remains a challenge. Here, the authors report a novel bifunctional catalyst composed of ZnCr binary oxide and low-Si AlPO-18 zeolite which exhibits enhanced CO conversion and selectivity to C2-C4 olefins under mild reaction conditions.

Spin-orbit coupling is interesting for fundamental understanding of spin transport and quench dynamics. Here the authors demonstrate spin-current generation and its relaxation in spin-orbit-coupled Bose-Einstein condensates of Rb atoms in different spin states.

Nanocrystalline Ti−Beta zeolite with high hydrophilicity and a Ti−rich exterior was successfully prepared via a dissolution–recrystallization method. With the post−treatment of tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAOH) solution at elevated temperature, the Si and Ti species within the Ti−Beta matrix were partially dissolved and recrystallized on the outer surface of crystals, resulting in the Ti−rich exterior and higher hydrophilicity, which improved the accessibility of the active Ti sites and the enrichment of H2O2. Simultaneously, some of the closed Ti(OSi)4 species were transformed to more active open Ti(OSi)3OH or Ti(OSi)2(H2O)2(OH)2 species. The modified Ti−Beta zeolite exhibited greatly enhanced catalytic performance in the epoxidation of cyclohexene in comparison to the parent Ti−Beta.

There were continuous positive Arctic Oscillation index (AOI) and large-scale weather and climate anomalies in the Northern Hemisphere in the winter and spring of 2019/2020, and the relationship between these anomalies is an important issue for subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) predictability. This study shows that an AOI event with splitting characteristics occurred in the Northern Hemisphere and that there was a gap between the periods in event, which has not been observed in any of the 12 previous positive AOI events. The 3 stages of upward propagating planetary wave (UPPW) variation caused the gap between the periods. First, in early November, the westerly flow from the troposphere to the stratosphere weakened, resulting in persistent weak UPPWs that allowed a strong polar vortex to form. Then, the two strong UPPWs in January and early February caused the original westerlies to decelerate and induced warming in the lower stratosphere. However, the UPPWs caused only moderate changes in the geopotential height and temperature due to the strong polar vortex that had formed in the previous stage. This moderate AOI decline resulted in the conditions that divided the positive event into two periods. Finally, the low-level westerlies became stronger and strengthened the UPPWs into the stable stratosphere, which ended the second positive AOI period in late March. The role of zonal circulation anomalies (ZCA) in the upper stratosphere as metrics of and intermediates in UPPW-AO interactions is revealed in this study. The typical ZCA development mode was identified by statistical analysis and a composite treatment based on eight historical positive AOI events. In this mode, when strong UPPWs occur and lead to the consequent propagation of the ZCA from the stratosphere to the troposphere, the geopotential height field in the lower troposphere changes away from a typical AO mode; eventually, the AOI becomes abnormal. The temperature anomaly and ZCA produced in the two positive AOI periods during the winter and spring of 2019/2020 led to increasing precipitation in the eastern polar region, northern Asia, and areas along 60°N latitude.

The tropical region is a key area for the interaction between the stratosphere and troposphere. The strong convective activity in the troposphere produces a series of gravity wave activities, which result in strong and widespread turbulence over the region. Therefore, studying the turbulent activity in the western Pacific is essential for understanding the characteristics of atmospheric disturbance over this region, which has the world’s most complex circulation system. In this paper, we explore the characteristics of atmospheric turbulence distribution over Guam in this region, and the Thorpe sorting method is used to study one-second resolution radiosonde data from the US. On the basis of the background field and local instability, the turbulence generation mechanism is discussed in detail. Results show that the US high-resolution balloon data are efficacious for tropospheric turbulence retrieval but increasingly affected by instrument noise as altitude increases. It is also found that there is a strong turbulent mixing band caused by both shear instability and static instability near the tropopause, where the turbulence activity is markedly enhanced and characterized by annual oscillation, reaching the maximum from July to September.

In this study, sensors mounted on a new type of round-trip airborne flat-floating sounding system (RTAFSS) were used to obtain the observation data of the three stages of "rising, flat-floating and falling". This new sounding method has a good application prospect. We performed spectrum analysis on the normalized temperature fluctuation, and the vertical wavenumber spectrum from the rising and falling stages and the horizontal wavenumber spectrum from the flat-floating stage were obtained. This is the first time the complete gravity wave spectrum characteristics were obtained from three consecutive stages: rising, flat-floating and falling. The results show that the gravity wave spectrum of the three stages can be well obtained by RTAFSS. For the horizontal wavenumber spectrum, the spectral slope is basically around −2, and the difference in the spectral structure of the horizontal wave number spectrum may be due to the intermittent turbulent activity and the variable intensity of the gravitational wave during its propagation. This study aims to make experimental exploration of the spectrum characteristics of gravity waves by this new type of observation data. It is expected to reveal the spectrum characteristics of horizontal wavenumber in the stratosphere region of China, providing a theoretical basis for spectrum analysis in a wider space–time range after further network observation of RTAFSS.

Using a set of near space high-resolution balloon data released in Hami, Xinjiang, we explored the spectral characteristics of temperature fluctuations and three-dimensional wind field fluctuations. As different from previous studies, which were based on radiosondes, we have increased the height range of spectral analysis to the stratosphere (38 km), which can explore the variation of spectral features with altitude, and can analyze higher wavenumber regions. The results show that horizontal wind field disturbances are isotropic, meridional and zonal winds have relatively consistent spectral structures, while vertical wind fluctuations have completely different spectral structures, which cannot be explained by the existing “universal spectrum” theory. The observed spectrum of horizontal wind field can be explained well by the “wind-shifting” theory. The ratio of spectral kinetic energy to potential energy is approximately constant only in the high wavenumber region but it varies at different height intervals. This study is a necessary extension of the observation for the characteristics of the vertical wavenumber spectrum in northwestern China, and it is also an experimental observation of spectral characteristics using radiosonde data at higher altitudes.

Based on a new type of sensor mounted on a near-space balloon released in Hami, Xinjiang, the Thorpe method was used to analyze turbulence. The method was applied for the first time to northwest China (the mid-latitude region), and almost no radiosonde data above 40 km have been used to study turbulence hitherto. The feasibility of analyzing turbulence characteristics using radiosonde data based on the Beidou positioning system by the Thorpe method was thus verified. The distribution characteristics of turbulence scale, turbulence intensity, and turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate, and the turbulence diffusion coefficient, were analyzed and discussed. The relationship between turbulence fraction, turbulence intensity, and stratified instability was also investigated. The results show that over 35 km, the influence of instrument noise on turbulence detection is significantly enhanced, which lead to an overestimation of turbulence in that region. The turbulence fraction was defined to reflect the degree of turbulence internal mixing, which is closely related to atmospheric instability. It was found that when the turbulence fraction reached 60%−80%, the turbulence reached its strongest intensity, and when the turbulence fraction exceeded 80%, the turbulence could not be maintained and began to decay.