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The aerosol–planetary boundary layer (PBL) interaction was proposed as an important mechanism to stabilize the atmosphere and exacerbate surface air pollution. Despite the tremendous progress made in understanding this process, its magnitude and significance still have large uncertainties and vary largely with aerosol distribution and meteorological conditions. In this study, we focus on the role of aerosol vertical distribution in thermodynamic stability and PBL development by jointly using micropulse lidar, sun photometer, and radiosonde measurements taken in Beijing. Despite the complexity of aerosol vertical distributions, cloud-free aerosol structures can be largely classified into three types: well-mixed, decreasing with height, and inverse structures. The aerosol–PBL relationship and diurnal cycles of the PBL height and PM2.5 associated with these different aerosol vertical structures show distinct characteristics. The vertical distribution of aerosol radiative forcing differs drastically among the three types, with strong heating in the lower, middle, and upper PBL, respectively. Such a discrepancy in the heating rate affects the atmospheric buoyancy and stability differently in the three distinct aerosol structures. Absorbing aerosols have a weaker effect of stabilizing the lower atmosphere under the decreasing structure than under the inverse structure. As a result, the aerosol–PBL interaction can be strengthened by the inverse aerosol structure and can be potentially neutralized by the decreasing structure. Moreover, aerosols can both enhance and suppress PBL stability, leading to both positive and negative feedback loops. This study attempts to improve our understanding of the aerosol–PBL interaction, showing the importance of the observational constraint of aerosol vertical distribution for simulating this interaction and consequent feedbacks.

Aerosol–cloud interaction (ACI) is complex and difficult to be well represented in current climate models. Progress on understanding ACI processes, such as the influence of aerosols on water cloud droplet formation, is hampered by inadequate observational capability. Hitherto, high-resolution and simultaneous observations of diurnal aerosol loading and cloud microphysical properties are challenging for current remote-sensing techniques. To overcome this conundrum, we introduce the dual-field-of-view (FOV) high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL) for simultaneously profiling aerosol and water cloud properties, especially water cloud microphysical properties. Continuous observations of aerosols and clouds using this instrument, verified by the Monte Carlo simulation and coincident observations of other techniques, were conducted to investigate the interactions between aerosol loading and water cloud microphysical properties. A case study over Beijing highlights the scientific potential of dual-FOV HSRL to become a significant contributor to the ACI investigations. The observed water cloud profiles identify that due to air entrainment its vertical structure is not perfectly adiabatic, as assumed by many current retrieval methods. Our ACI analysis shows increased aerosol loading led to increased droplet number concentration and decreased droplet effective radius—consistent with expectations—but had no discernible increase on liquid water path. This finding supports the hypothesis that aerosol-induced cloud water increase caused by suppressed rain formation can be canceled out by enhanced evaporation. Thus, these observations obtained from the dual-FOV HSRL constitute substantial and significant additions to understanding ACI process. This technique is expected to represent a significant step forward in characterizing ACI.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) can cause secondary brain changes, leading to hypomyelination in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Some studies have shown that notch signaling pathway activation can regulate oligodendrocyte maturation and myelination. The aim of this study was to investigate whether inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway can alleviate hypomyelination in the dlPFC caused by SCI. Moreover, we further investigated whether the changes in myelination in the dlPFC are associated with neuropathic pain following SCI. We established a mouse model of SCI and observed the changes in mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to analyze the changes in myelination in the dlPFC. The results indicated the existence of a relationship between activation of the Notch signaling pathway and hypomyelination in the dlPFC and confirmed the existence of a relationship between hypomyelination in the dlPFC and decreases in mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia thresholds. In conclusion, these results suggested that the Notch signaling pathway is activated after SCI, leading to hypomyelination in the dlPFC, and that DAPT can inhibit the Notch signaling pathway and improve mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia thresholds. Our findings provide a new target for the treatment of neuropathic pain caused by SCI.

Ischemic stroke (IS) affects 11 million people annually, posing substantial clinical and economic burdens. Current therapies remain limited by time sensitivity and variable efficacy, necessitating novel biomarkers. We developed a multi-omics framework to investigate senescence-associated gene regulation in IS. After normalizing GSE22255 and GSE58294 datasets, we systematically identified aging-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Functional annotation via Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) and machine learning-driven Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified core genetic signatures validated in the GSE16561 cohort. Key regulators underwent single-gene profiling, immune microenvironment evaluation, and transcriptional network analysis. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) confirmed bioinformatics findings. We identified 132 senescence-related DEGs, with PTGS2 emerging as a key biomarker. Pathway analyses revealed significant NF-κB, HIF-1, and TGF-β signaling pathway activation. CIBERSORT-based immune profiling showed altered lymphocyte/macrophage ratios in IS patients. Drug-gene interaction analysis identified nine therapeutic compounds, including etodolac targeting NFE2L2 and PTGS2. A strong positive correlation ( r  = 0.72, p  < 0.001) between NFE2L2 and PTGS2 expression was observed. This study establishes senescence-related genes as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for IS, particularly through NFE2L2-PTGS2 interactions, providing a foundation for developing immunomodulatory and targeted therapies.

Background: Epidemiologic evidence for a causative association between black carbon (BC) and health outcomes is limited. Objectives: We estimated associations and exposure—response relationships between acute respiratory inflammation in schoolchildren and concentrations of (BC) and participate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) in ambient air before and during the air pollution intervention for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Methods: We measured exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) as an acute respiratory inflammation biomarker and hourly mean air pollutant concentrations to estimate and PM2.5 exposure. We used 1,581 valid observations of 36 subjects over five visits in 2 years to estimate associations of eNO with BC and PM2.5 according to generalized estimating equations with polynomial distributedlag models, controlling for body mass index, asthma, temperature, and relative humidity. We also assessed the relative importance of and PM2.5 with two-pollutant models. Results: Air pollution concentrations and eNO were clearly lower during the 2008 Olympics. BC and PM2.5 concentrations averaged over 0—24 hr were strongly associated with eNO, which increased by 16.6% [95% confidence interval (CI), 14.1-19.2%] and 18.7% (95% CI, 15.0-22.5%) per interquartile range (IQR) increase in BC (4.0 μg/m³) and PM2.5 (149 μg/m³), respectively. In the two-pollutant model, estimated effects of were robust, but associations between PM2.5 and eNO decreased with adjustment for We found that eNO was associated with IQR increases in hourly concentrations up to 10 hr after exposure, consistent with effects primarily in the first hours after exposure. Conclusions: Recent exposure to BC was associated with acute respiratory inflammation in schoolchildren in Beijing. Lower air pollution levels during the 2008 Olympics also were associated with reduced eNO.

At present, the types of pollutants in wastewater are more and more complicated, however, the multifunctional membrane materials are in short supply. To prepare a membrane with both high efficient oil-in-water emulsion separation performance and photocatalytic degradation performance of organic dyes, the bifunctional separation membrane was successfully prepared by electrostatic spinning technology of PVDF/PEMA and in situ deposition of anatase TiO2 nanoparticles containing Ti3+ and oxygen vacancies (Ov). The prepared composite membrane has excellent hydrophilic properties (WCA = 15.65), underwater oleophobic properties (UOCA = 156.69), and photocatalytic performance. These composite membranes have high separation efficiency and outstanding anti-fouling performance, the oil removal efficiency reaches 98.95%, and the flux recovery rate (FRR) reaches 99.19% for soybean oil-in-water emulsion. In addition, the composite membrane has outstanding photocatalytic degradation performance, with 97% and 90.2% degradation of RhB and AG-25 under UV conditions, respectively. Several oil-in-water separation and dye degradation experiments show that the PVDF composite membrane has excellent reuse performance. Based on these results, this study opens new avenues for the preparation of multifunctional reusable membranes for the water treatment field.

Using a CIMEL Sun photometer, we conducted continuous observations over the urban area of Shanghai (31°14′N, 121°32′E) from 18 April 2007 to 31 January 2009. The aerosol optical depth (AOD), Angstrom wavelength exponent, single scattering albedo (ω0), and aerosol particle size distribution were derived from the observational data. The monthly mean AOD reached a maximum value of 1.20 in June and a minimum value of 0.43 in January. The monthly averaged Angstrom wavelength exponent reached a minimum value of 1.15 in April and a maximum value of 1.41 in October. The frequencies of the AOD and Angstrom wavelength exponent presented lognormal distributions. The averaged ω0 at 550 nm was 0.94 throughout the observation period, indicating that the aerosols over Shanghai are composed mainly of scattering particles. The concentrations of coarse mode and accumulation mode aerosols over Shanghai were highest in spring compared with other seasons, especially for those particles with radii between 1.0 and 2.0 μm. The median radius of monthly averaged accumulation mode aerosols increased with increasing AOD, and fine particles accounted for the majority of the aerosol volume concentration. The ratios of the monthly averaged volume concentration of accumulation mode and coarse mode aerosols (Vf/Vc) were over 0.6 for all months studied and reached up to 1.94 in August. The volumes of the two modes changed with AOD, but their correlations presented different sensitivities, that is, the volume concentration of accumulation mode aerosols was more sensitive to variations in AOD than that of coarse mode aerosols. The aerosol volume concentration decreased with increasing ω0, indicating that the higher the volume concentration of aerosols, the higher the absorption in particle extinction properties. The increase in absorption was caused primarily by secondary species coated on black carbon (BC) and primary organic carbon (POC) particles. Key Points A CIMEL sun photometer conducted continuous observations in the urban area The characteristics of AOD, AE, SSA, size distribution, etc. was revealed The results present significant implications for research on climate forcing

Glioma is the most aggressive intracranial malignancy and is associated with poor survival rates and limited quality of life, impairing neuropsychological function and cognitive competence in survivors. The Proteasome Subunit Alpha Type-5 (PSMA5) is a multicatalytic proteinase complex that has been linked with tumor progression but is rarely reported in glioma. This study investigates the expression pattern, prognostic characteristics, and potential biological functions of PSMA5 in glioma. PSMA5 was significantly overexpressed in 28 types of cancer when compared to normal tissue. Furthermore, elevated levels of PSMA5 were observed in patients with wild-type isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and exhibited a positive correlation with tumor grade. It was also found to be a standalone predictor of outcomes in glioma patients. Additionally, inhibiting PSMA5-induced cell cycle arrest may provide a therapeutic option for glioma.

An efficient and convenient protocol for the synthesis of 2H-chromenones has been developed. In the presence of tBuOK in DMF, good to excellent yields of various chromenones were obtained from the corresponding salicylaldehydes and arylacetonitriles. No protection of inert gas atmosphere is required here.

Cirrus clouds play a significant role in the Earth's energy balance and in the hydrological cycle of the atmosphere. Here, a high-performance Micro Pulse Lidar was continuously used to investigate cirrus cloud formation and characteristics at Ali (32.50°N, 80.08°E; 4279 m), in the western Tibetan Plateau from 25 July to 23 September 2016, a time frame that spanned the prevalence and degeneration period of the Asian summer monsoon (ASM). The cirrus clouds frequently occurred with sharp fluctuations in the vertical distribution from 8 to 14 km above ground level (AGL) during the ASM period. In contrast, cirrus clouds were remarkably reduced and consistently existed near 10 km in September, when the ASM began subsiding due to the lack of a driving force that triggers ice formation. Approximately half of the cirrus clouds were caused by deep convective activity during the ASM period, which held one-third of total cirrus clouds during the whole measurement period. These anvil cirrus clouds have a liquid origin and are characterised by optically thicker clouds with Cloud Optical Depth values greater than 0.2, high depolarisation ratios and high lidar ratios. These observations indicate that, in agreement with other studies at mid-latitudes and in the Arctic, liquid origin cirrus could be associated with thicker, larger and more complex nonspherical ice crystals in comparison to in situ formed cirrus. Cold perturbations were responsible for the formation and evolution of the remaining two-thirds of cirrus clouds. These clouds were mostly associated with in situ formation of ice crystals, in the slow updrafts in the tropical transition layer over the Tibetan Plateau.