Associations of atmospheric teleconnections with wintertime extratropical cyclones over East Asia and Northwest Pacific

Extratropical cyclones (ETCs) over East Asia and Northwest Pacific are identified and tracked by applying an objective algorithm to the 850-hPa relative vorticity fields from the ERA-Interim reanalysis. A total of 2866 ETCs originating at the western side of the date line have been identified in the extended November-March winters from 1979 to 2018. The ETC tracks are counted and visualized using a hexagonal tessellation rather than the regular longitude-latitude grids. Two generalized linear models (GLMs), Poisson regression model and Gamma regression model, are firstly applied to investigate the associations of wintertime ETCs with three atmospheric teleconnection patterns. The West Pacific (WP) pattern and the Pacific/North American (PNA) pattern are more responsible for the meridional variability of ETC activities in the North Pacific, while the influence of the Polar/Eurasia pattern on ETC activities is negligible. Results of composite analysis are qualitatively consistent with that of regression analysis. Composite maps of differences of jet stream, thermal gradient and mid-tropospheric baroclinicity in the positive and negative phases of teleconnection patterns also support the close associations of ETC activities with WP and PNA teleconnection patterns

Harnessing dislocation motion using an electric field

Dislocations, line defects in crystalline materials, play an essential role in the mechanical[1,2], electrical[3], optical[4], thermal[5], and phase transition[6] properties of these materials. Dislocation motion, an important mechanism underlying crystal plasticity, is critical for the hardening, processing, and application of a wide range of structural and functional materials[1,7,8]. For decades, the movement of dislocations has been widely observed in crystalline solids under mechanical loading[9-11]. However, the goal of manipulating dislocation motion via a non-mechanical field alone remains elusive. Here, we present real-time observations of dislocation motion controlled solely by an external electric field in single-crystalline zinc sulfide (ZnS). We find that 30{\deg} partial dislocations can move back and forth depending on the direction of the electric field, while 90{\deg} partial dislocations are motionless. We reveal the nonstoichiometric nature of dislocation cores using atomistic imaging and determine their charge characteristics by density functional theory calculations. The glide barriers of charged 30{\deg} partial dislocations, which are lower than those of 90{\deg} partial dislocations, further decrease under an electric field, explaining the experimental observations. This study provides direct evidence of dislocation dynamics under a non-mechanical stimulus and opens up the possibility of modulating dislocation-related properties

Sophora flavescens-Astragalus mongholicus herb pair in the progression of hepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma: a possible mechanisms and relevant therapeutic substances

BackgroundBoth Sophora flavescens (SF) and Astragalus mongholicus (AM) are known for their anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and anticancer activities. However, the efficacy, multi-target mechanisms, and therapeutic substances of SF-AM herb pair on the progression of hepatitis-cirrhosis-hepatocellular carcinoma hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear.PurposeTo investigate the efficacy, mechanisms, and potential therapeutic substances of SF-AM herb pair in the progression of hepatitis-cirrhosis-HCC.MethodsFirstly, diethylnitrosamine was used to establish the hepatitis-cirrhosis-HCC model. HE staining and non-targeted metabolomics were used to evaluate the efficacy of SF-AM herb pair. Subsequently, the absorbed components of SF-AM herb pair in the plasma of rats were determined through HPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis. Flow cytometry, Western blot, and qRT-PCR were then employed to assess CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related proteins, and their corresponding mRNAs. Simultaneously, the efficacy and mechanism of SF-AM herb pair on HCC were confirmed by in vitro experiments. Finally, Pearson correlation analysis was performed between pharmacodynamic indicators and in vivo components to identify the potential therapeutic substances of SF-AM herb pair.ResultsSF-AM herb pair can alleviate the pathological damage and reverse metabolic abnormalities in hepatitis, cirrhosis, and HCC rats, particularly during the hepatitis and cirrhosis stages. Pharmacological researches have demonstrated that SF-AM herb pair can increase the proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes, inhibit the expression of PI3K, Akt, p-Akt, NF-κB p65, NF-κB pp65, and Bcl-2, as well as increase the expression of IκBα, Bax, and cleaved caspase-3. These findings suggest that SF-AM herb pair has the ability to enhance immunity, anti-inflammation and promote apoptosis. Cell experiments have shown that SF-AM herb pair can inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cell and regulate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Moreover, 23 absorbed prototypical components and 53 metabolites of SF-AM herb pair were identified at different stages of HCC rats. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that matrine, cytisine, wogonoside, and isoastragaloside are potential therapeutic substances in SF-AM herb pair for the prevention and treatment of hepatitis, cirrhosis, and HCC.ConclusionIn summary, this study revealed the efficacy, mechanisms, and potential therapeutic substances of SF-AM herb pair in the hepatitis-cirrhosis-HCC axis and provided a reference for its clinical application

The Influence of Five Teleconnection Patterns on Wintertime Extratropical Cyclones over Northwest Pacific

Extratropical cyclones (ETCs) over the Northwest Pacific are identified and tracked by applying an objective tracking algorithm to the 6-h time interval relative vorticity fields from the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data. A total of 2145 ETCs in the November-February winters for the period of 1979-2018 were identified. First, by comparing the ETC track densities in the two periods 1979-1998 and 1999-2018, a significant difference in ETC track density was detected over the Japan Sea, Japan, and North Pacific. Next, the influence of five teleconnection patterns, the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Western Pacific (WP), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific/North American (PNA), and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) on the ETC track density was investigated by using composite analysis and correlation analysis. WP, NAO, and PDO patterns contributed more to the interannual variability of ETC track density, and higher cyclone densities usually occur in the negative phase of these teleconnection patterns. In contrast, the effects of ENSO and PNA were relatively weak. Finally, a Poisson generalized linear regression model for the ETC counts with respect to the five teleconnection indices was also developed for the purpose of linking all the teleconnection patterns with ETC activities over Northwest Pacific; and the Bayesian model averaging (BMA) procedure was used for model selection in the statistical modeling. The influence of the five teleconnection patterns on ETC track density was also verified in the regression model. The predicted winter ETC counts agreed well with the historical records during 1979-2018 over the Northwest Pacific

Study on the Effect of Rock Mass Structure on CO₂ Transient Fissure Excavation

As a new rock breaking method, CO2 transient cracking has been widely used in rock excavation projects in recent years. However, in the actual construction process, there are often situations where the fracturing effect varies due to different rock mass structures. Through theoretical analysis and on-site cracking tests, this article studies the effect of CO2 transient cracking under the control of different rock mass structures. The results show that: (1) the dynamic compressive strength of rock directly determines the number and range of dynamic impact fractures; the original fractures of rock mass and those caused by dynamic impact in the first stage jointly determine the effect of high-pressure gas expansion in the second stage. (2) The arrangement of holes along the strata is conducive to the action of high-pressure expanding gas along the soft structural plane in the rock mass, which is conducive to the fracturing of the rock mass; the amount of crack formation is small, but the influence range is large. (3) The cracking effect of carbon dioxide transient cracking applied to massive rock mass is better than that of monolithic rock mass, while the cracking effect of layered rock mass with soil interlayer is poor. The research results are of great significance for improving the effectiveness of carbon dioxide transient-induced cracking excavation and guiding actual construction

Mindfulness-based Intervention & Second Language Anxiety

Here is the raw data for our article (The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on second language anxiety among students: A meta-analysis).</p

Effects of different nitrogen/phosphorus ratios on the growth and metabolism of microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus cultured in the mixed wastewater from primary settling tank and sludge thickener

Microalgae has great potential in wastewater treatment and resource utilization, but few studies have explored the impact mechanism of pollutants on its biochemical compositions. In this study, the effects of different ratios of nitrogen to phosphorus (N/P) on microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus grown in the mixed wastewater from primary settling tank (PSW) and sludge thickener (STW) were investigated. The optimum N/P ratio for the growth of S. obliquus was determined by nutrient utilization rates and the growth curve. On this basis, the effects of different N/P ratios on its biochemical compositions were explored, and reasons were further analyzed by proteomics. Results showed that at N/P=18, the growth of S. obliquus was optimal (OD680=2.34). And dry weight, lipid production, and chlorophyll-a accumulation were highest (1.70 g·L-1, 0.49 g·L-1, 7.43 mg·L-1), whereas protein production was lowest (0.10 g·L-1). Proteomic results showed that the metabolic activities of S. obliquus cells were the most active at N/P=18. Productivity processes were involved in protein up-regulation, producing more energy. Furthermore, lipid metabolism and fatty acid synthesis pathways were strengthened. The ribosome synthesis activity was significantly enhanced, but the protein content was low, which might attribute to the energy generated by the production activity for other activities

Low-temperature conversion of Fe-rich sludge to KFeS2 whisker: a new flocculant synthesis from laboratory scale to pilot scale

Herein, a KFeS2 whisker was formed in mass production at a low temperature, with waste cold-rolling sludge as Fe source, which exhibited good performance in the removal of Zn/Ni from real electroplating effluent. At laboratory scale, KFeS2 was generated at 80 °C by the hydrothermal method, and KFeS2 whisker grew radially with the extension of the reaction time. This method was applied at pilot scale, where a similar KFeS2 whisker was also produced with waste cold-rolling sludge as Fe source, and a residual brownish supernatant was observed after the reaction and then completely recycled in the next round for KFeS2 synthesis. After recycling five times, the produced KFeS2 whisker did not change. The drying and storage of KFeS2 have also been verified. Freeze drying and vacuum drying were applicable, whereas air drying was not profitable. Moreover, the efficiency of Zn/Ni removal using undried KFeS2 was similar to that of dried KFeS2. The efficiencies of Zn/Ni removal using KFeS2 were apparently higher those of common reagents for wastewater treatment

Optimization of operating conditions in the biological enzymes for efficient waste activated sludge dewatering

The sludge dewaterability is essential for waste activated sludge (WAS) treatment and disposal in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The biological enzyme conditioning process is a promising method to enhance the dewaterability of WAS. In this study, the optimal conditions in terms of pH, temperature, bio-enzyme dosage, and treatment time for five kinds of biological enzymes (α-amylase, cellulase, acidic protease, neutral protease, and alkaline protease) were investigated. Among them, α-amylase and neutral protease showed good performance in conditional optimization experiments. After biological enzyme conditioning, the sludge supernatant of proteins, polysaccharides, and SCOD contents increased. The sludge water content (Wc) decreased, while the capillary suction time (CST) increased. The optimal conditions for α-amylase were pH 6, 45 ℃ of temperature, 30 mg/g TSS of dosage, and 3 h of treatment time, under which the lowest Wc can reach 68.67%. The optimal conditions for neutral protease were pH 6.5, 40 ℃ of temperature, 30 mg/g TSS of dosage, and 2 h of treatment time, under which the lowest Wc can reach 69.82%. Using biological enzymes is an environmentally friendly conditioning process for efficient WAS dewatering. The optimization of operating conditions in the biological enzymes conditioning process may be beneficial to WAS dewatering and further disposal in actual WWTPs