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Soundscapes have played an important role in the design and building of classical Chinese gardens. In Chinese classical poetry, biophonies such as bird calls, and geophonies such as wind, are the preferable sound sources. Although these major sound sources have been categorized and summarized by scholars extensively, little research has been conducted to analyze the physical characteristics and preference matrix of these preferred sound sources. Moreover, the perceived loudness of sound in classical Chinese gardens has received more attention from scholars than acoustic frequency. In this study, we selected 12 sound sources that are most typically present in classical Chinese gardens based on extensive literature research on Chinese classical poetry, and acquired respective audio samples from the BBC’s library of Sound Effects. Through the spectrogram analyses, pitch detection algorithm and LSTM audio classification methods, the sound sources were classified into discrete sound sources with pitch variation and continuous sound sources with spectral characteristics of white noise or pink noise. The reasoning behind the preference for these two types of sound sources was then discussed from physical and mental healing perspectives, which aims to help provide perspectives on the associated implications in the planning of urban green spaces.

T follicular helper (T FH ) cells are specialized effector CD4 + T cells critical to humoral immunity. Whether post-transcriptional regulation has a function in T FH cells is unknown. Here, we show conditional deletion of METTL3 (a methyltransferase catalyzing mRNA N 6 -methyladenosine (m 6 A) modification) in CD4 + T cells impairs T FH differentiation and germinal center responses in a cell-intrinsic manner in mice. METTL3 is necessary for expression of important T FH signature genes, including Tcf7 , Bcl6 , Icos and Cxcr5 and these effects depend on intact methyltransferase activity. m 6 A-miCLIP-seq shows the 3′ UTR of Tcf7 mRNA is subjected to METTL3-dependent m 6 A modification. Loss of METTL3 or mutation of the Tcf7 3′ UTR m 6 A site results in accelerated decay of Tcf7 transcripts. Importantly, ectopic expression of TCF-1 (encoded by Tcf7 ) rectifies T FH defects owing to METTL3 deficiency. Our findings indicate that METTL3 stabilizes Tcf7 transcripts via m 6 A modification to ensure activation of a T FH transcriptional program, indicating a pivotal function of post-transcriptional regulation in promoting T FH cell differentiation. T follicular helper (T FH ) cells are specialized effector CD4 + T cells that are critical in humoral immunity, but the function of post-transcriptional regulation is not clearly defined. Here, the authors demonstrate that RNA methylation is important for T FH effector differentiation and subsequent antibody formation through stabilization of Tcf7 transcripts.

Tibetan Plateau mesoscale convective systems (TP_MCSs) shape regional weather and precipitation, yet their thermodynamical and dynamical background characteristics, and microphysical structures remain poorly understood due to sparse observations. To address this research gap, we integrate a 7‐year TP_MCS database with ERA5 reanalysis and satellite observations to construct vertical profiles, enabling a systematic examination of TP_MCSs' structures. Results reveal distinct stage‐dependent characteristics, with peak convective intensity, the lowest 0°C level, the largest hydrometeor diameters, and maximum rainfall rates during the development stage. TP_MCSs' convection intensity is modulated through coupled thermodynamical (temperature, humidity), dynamical (vertical motion, moisture transport), and microphysical (hydrometeor characteristics) interactions that regulate buoyancy, latent heating, and entrainment processes. Moreover, TP_MCSs' precipitation is governed by competing enhancement (buoyancy, moisture transport) and suppression (dry, cold entrainment) mechanisms. These findings are helpful to improve understanding of TP_MCSs' vertical structure and aid convection parameterization in climate models.

Background Yaks living in the high-altitude hypoxic environment of Tibetan plateau (3600 m) have special gut microbes. However, it is still little research on yak probiotics until now. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to evaluate the growth promoting effect, antioxidant capability, immune effect, and anti-inflammatory ability of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus velezensis isolated from Tibetan yaks in mice model. Results The results showed that the isolated strains supplementation not only improve the growth performance but also increased the length of villus in the small intestine and intestinal digestive enzyme activity. Importantly, we observed that the T-AOC, SOD, and GSH-PX levels were increased and the MDA content was reduced in probiotic-treated mice, which implied that probiotics supplementation can ameliorate the antioxidative activity of mice. The levels of AST and ALT correlated with the hepatic injury were reduced and the levels of AKP, TP, GLB, ALB, Ca, and P were markedly higher than those in the control group. Additionally, mice treated with probiotics exhibited higher serum IgG, IgM and IgA, which can reflect the immune status to some extent. At the same time, the major pro-inflammatory factor TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 were down-regulated and the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was up-regulated compared with the control groups. Conclusions In conclusion, these results demonstrated that Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus velezensis supplementation can increase overall growth performance and ameliorate the blood parameters related to inflammation and immunity of mice.

Fabricating heterostructures with abundant interfaces and delicate nanoarchitectures is an attractive approach for optimizing photocatalysts. Herein, we report the facile synthesis of BiOCl nanoflake/FeOCl nanospindle heterostructures through a solution chemistry method at room temperature. Characterizations, including XRD, SEM, TEM, EDS, and XPS, were employed to investigate the synthesized materials. The results demonstrate that the in situ reaction between the Bi precursors and the surface Cl− of FeOCl enabled the bounded nucleation and growth of BiOCl on the surface of FeOCl nanospindles. Stable interfacial structures were established between BiOCl nanoflakes and FeOCl nanospindles using Cl− as the bridge. Regulating the Bi-to-Fe ratios allowed for the optimization of the BiOCl/FeOCl interface, thereby facilitating the separation of photogenerated carriers and accelerating the photocatalytic degradation of RhB. The BiOCl/FeOCl heterostructures with an optimal composition of 15% BiOCl exhibited ~90 times higher visible-light photocatalytic activity than FeOCl. Based on an analysis of the band structures and reactive oxygen species, we propose an S-scheme mechanism to elucidate the significantly enhanced photocatalytic performance observed in the BiOCl/FeOCl heterostructures.

Photocatalysis plays a vital role in sustainable energy conversion and environmental remediation because of its economic, eco-friendly, and effective characteristics. Nitrogen-rich graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N5) has received worldwide interest owing to its facile accessibility, metal-free nature, and appealing electronic band structure. This review summarizes the latest progress for g-C3N5-based photocatalysts in energy and environmental applications. It begins with the synthesis of pristine g-C3N5 materials with various topologies, followed by several engineering strategies for g-C3N5, such as elemental doping, defect engineering, and heterojunction creation. In addition, the applications in energy conversion (H2 evolution, CO2 reduction, and N2 fixation) and environmental remediation (NO purification and aqueous pollutant degradation) are discussed. Finally, a summary and some inspiring perspectives on the challenges and possibilities of g-C3N5-based materials are presented. It is believed that this review will promote the development of emerging g-C3N5-based photocatalysts for more efficiency in energy conversion and environmental remediation.

The direct hydroxylation of benzene is a green and economical-efficient alternative to the existing cumene process for phenol production. However, the undesired phenol selectivity at high benzene conversion hinders its wide application. Here, we develop a one-pot synthesis of protonated g-C3N4 supporting vanadia catalysts (V-pg-C3N4) for the efficient and selective hydroxylation of benzene. Characterizations suggest that protonating g-C3N4 in diluted HCl can boost the generation of amino groups (NH/NH2) without changing the bulk structure. The content of surface amino groups, which determines the dispersion of vanadia, can be easily regulated by the amount of HCl added in the preparation. Increasing the content of surface amino groups benefits the dispersion of vanadia, which eventually leads to improved H2O2 activation and benzene hydroxylation. The optimal catalyst, V-pg-C3N4-0.46, achieves 60% benzene conversion and 99.7% phenol selectivity at 60 oC with H2O2 as the oxidant.

Metal/oxide interface is of fundamental significance to heterogeneous catalysis because the seemingly “inert” oxide support can modulate the morphology, atomic and electronic structures of the metal catalyst through the interface. The interfacial effects are well studied over a bulk oxide support but remain elusive for nanometer-sized systems like clusters, arising from the challenges associated with chemical synthesis and structural elucidation of such hybrid clusters. We hereby demonstrate the essential catalytic roles of a nanometer metal/oxide interface constructed by a hybrid Pd/Bi 2 O 3 cluster ensemble, which is fabricated by a facile stepwise photochemical method. The Pd/Bi 2 O 3 cluster, of which the hybrid structure is elucidated by combined electron microscopy and microanalysis, features a small Pd-Pd coordination number and more importantly a Pd-Bi spatial correlation ascribed to the heterografting between Pd and Bi terminated Bi 2 O 3 clusters. The intra-cluster electron transfer towards Pd across the as-formed nanometer metal/oxide interface significantly weakens the ethylene adsorption without compromising the hydrogen activation. As a result, a 91% selectivity of ethylene and 90% conversion of acetylene can be achieved in a front-end hydrogenation process with a temperature as low as 44 °C. Metal/oxide interface is of fundamental significance to heterogeneous catalysis. Here, the authors construct a nanometer Pd/Bi 2 O 3 interface by grafting Pd clusters onto Bi 2 O 3 clusters and demonstrate its essential roles in the low-temperature semi-hydrogenation of acetylene.

The new coronavirus disease, COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, continues to affect the world and after more than two years of the pandemic, approximately half a billion people are reported to have been infected. Due to its high contagiousness, our life has changed dramatically, with consequences that remain to be seen. To prevent the transmission of the virus, it is crucial to diagnose COVID-19 accurately, such that the infected cases can be rapidly identified and managed. Currently, the gold standard of testing is polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which provides the highest accuracy. However, the reliance on centralized rapid testing modalities throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has made access to timely diagnosis inconsistent and inefficient. Recent advancements in photonic biosensors with respect to cost-effectiveness, analytical performance, and portability have shown the potential for such platforms to enable the delivery of preventative and diagnostic care beyond clinics and into point-of-need (PON) settings. Herein, we review photonic technologies that have become commercially relevant throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as emerging research in the field of photonic biosensors, shedding light on prospective technologies for responding to future health outbreaks. Therefore, in this article, we provide a review of recent progress and challenges of photonic biosensors that are developed for the testing of COVID-19, consisting of their working fundamentals and implementation for COVID-19 testing in practice with emphasis on the challenges that are faced in different development stages towards commercialization. In addition, we also present the characteristics of a biosensor both from technical and clinical perspectives. We present an estimate of the impact of testing on disease burden (in terms of Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), and Quality-Adjusted Life Days (QALDs)) and how improvements in cost can lower the economic impact and lead to reduced or averted DALYs. While COVID19 is the main focus of these technologies, similar concepts and approaches can be used and developed for future outbreaks of other infectious diseases.

Assimilation of the Advanced Geostationary Radiance Imager (AGRI) clear-sky radiance in a regional model is performed. The forecasting effectiveness of the assimilation of two water vapor (WV) channels with conventional observations for the “21·7” Henan extremely heavy rainfall is analyzed and compared with a baseline test that assimilates only conventional observations in this study. The results show that the 24-h cumulative precipitation forecast by the assimilation experiment with the addition of the AGRI exceeds 500 mm, compared to a maximum value of 532.6 mm measured by the national meteorological stations, and that the location of the maximum precipitation is consistent with the observations. The results for the short periods of intense precipitation processes are that the simulation of the location and intensity of the 3-h cumulative precipitation is also relatively accurate. The analysis increment shows that the main difference between the two sets of assimilation experiments is over the ocean due to the additional ocean observations provided by FY-4A, which compensates for the lack of ocean observations. The assimilation of satellite data adjusts the vertical and horizontal wind fields over the ocean by adjusting the atmospheric temperature and humidity, which ultimately results in a narrower and stronger WV transport path to the center of heavy precipitation in Zhengzhou in the lower troposphere. Conversely, the WV convergence and upward motion in the control experiment are more dispersed; therefore, the precipitation centers are also correspondingly more dispersed.