An overview of Sun–Sky Radiometer Observation Network (SONET) measurements in China is presented. Based on observations at 16 distributed SONET sites in China, atmospheric aerosol parameters are ...acquired via standardization processes of operational measurement, maintenance, calibration, inversion, and quality control implemented since 2010. A climatology study is performed focusing on total columnar atmospheric aerosol characteristics, including optical (aerosol optical depth, ÅngstrÖm exponent, fine-mode fraction, single-scattering albedo), physical (volume particle size distribution), chemical composition (black carbon; brown carbon; fine-mode scattering component, coarse-mode component; and aerosol water), and radiative properties (aerosol radiative forcing and efficiency). Data analyses show that aerosol optical depth is low in the west but high in the east of China. Aerosol composition also shows significant spatial and temporal variations, leading to noticeable diversities in optical and physical property patterns. In west and north China, aerosols are generally affected by dust particles, while monsoon climate and human activities impose remarkable influences on aerosols in east and south China. Aerosols in China exhibit strong light-scattering capability and result in significant radiative cooling effects.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding single-stranded RNAs with about 21~23 nucleotides in length, which originate from encoding genes in nucleus. miRNAs play an inhibitory role in gene expression in a ...post-transcriptional level by partially complementary binding to the 3' unstranlated region (UTR) of target mRNAs. Large bodies of evidence have shown that miRNAs were involved in various diseases, such as cancer, infectious diseases, diabetes etc, and rising as critical modulators of pathological processes. Lately, some highlight articles revealed that the altered expression of miRNAs such as miR-1, miR-133, miR-21, miR-208 etc in hearts also contributed to cardiovascular diseases, such as heart ischemia, cardiac hypertrophy, and arrhythmias. Moreover, miRNAs were also identified to regulate heart development. These exciting findings not only improve our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of heart diseases, but also provide a new class of potential molecular targets. miRNAs, for the development of novel agents to treat heart diseases. Here, we summarized the recent discoveries about the role of miRNAs in cardiac physiological and pathological functions, and then discussed about their therapeutic potentials for heart diseases.
Context.
We investigate the use of saliency-map analysis to aid in searches for transient signals, such as fast radio bursts and individual pulses from radio pulsars.
Aims.
Our aim is to demonstrate ...that saliency maps provide the means to understand predictions from machine learning algorithms and can be implemented in pipelines used to search for transient events.
Methods.
We implemented a new deep learning methodology to predict whether any segment of the data contains a transient event. The algorithm was trained using real and simulated data sets. We demonstrate that the algorithm is able to identify such events. The output results are visually analysed via the use of saliency maps.
Results.
We find that saliency maps can produce an enhanced image of any transient feature without the need for de-dispersion or removal of radio frequency interference. The maps can be used to understand which features in the image were used in making the machine learning decision and to visualise the transient event. Even though the algorithm reported here was developed to demonstrate saliency-map analysis, we have detected a single burst event, in archival data, with dispersion measure of 41 cm
−3
pc that is not associated with any currently known pulsar.
Full text
Available for:
FMFMET, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK
Gapless surface states on topological insulators are protected from elastic scattering on nonmagnetic impurities which makes them promising candidates for low-power electronic applications. However, ...for widespread applications, these states should have to remain coherent at ambient temperatures. Here, we studied temperature dependence of the electronic structure and the scattering rates on the surface of a model topological insulator, Bi2Se3, by high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy. We found an extremely weak broadening of the topological surface state with temperature and no anomalies in the state's dispersion, indicating exceptionally weak electron-phonon coupling. Our results demonstrate that the topological surface state is protected not only from elastic scattering on impurities, but also from scattering on low-energy phonons, suggesting that topological insulators could serve as a basis for room-temperature electronic devices.
Full text
Available for:
CMK, CTK, FMFMET, IJS, NUK, PNG, UM
Machine learning (ML), especially deep neural networks, has achieved great success, but many of them often rely on a number of labeled samples for supervision. As sufficient labeled training data are ...not always ready due to, e.g., continuously emerging prediction targets and costly sample annotation in real-world applications, ML with sample shortage is now being widely investigated. Among all these studies, many prefer to utilize auxiliary information including those in the form of knowledge graph (KG) to reduce the reliance on labeled samples. In this survey, we have comprehensively reviewed over 90 articles about KG-aware research for two major sample shortage settings-zero-shot learning (ZSL) where some classes to be predicted have no labeled samples and few-shot learning (FSL) where some classes to be predicted have only a small number of labeled samples that are available. We first introduce KGs used in ZSL and FSL as well as their construction methods and then systematically categorize and summarize KG-aware ZSL and FSL methods, dividing them into different paradigms, such as the mapping-based, the data augmentation, the propagation-based, and the optimization-based. We next present different applications, including not only KG augmented prediction tasks such as image classification, question answering, text classification, and knowledge extraction but also KG completion tasks and some typical evaluation resources for each task. We eventually discuss some challenges and open problems from different perspectives.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate multiple physiological functions; however, the over-accumulation of ROS causes premature aging and/or death and is associated with various inflammatory ...conditions. Nevertheless, there are limited clinical treatment options that are currently available. The good news is that owing to the considerable advances in nanoscience, multiple types of nanomaterials with unique ROS-scavenging abilities that influence the temporospatial dynamic behaviors of ROS in biological systems have been developed. This has led to the emergence of next-generation nanomaterial-controlled strategies aimed at ameliorating ROS-related inflammatory conditions. Accordingly, herein we reviewed recent progress in research on nanotherapy based on ROS scavenging. The underlying mechanisms of the employed nanomaterials are emphasized. Furthermore, important issues in developing cross-disciplinary nanomedicine-based strategies for ROS-based inflammatory conditions are discussed. Our review of this increasing interdisciplinary field will benefit ongoing studies and clinical applications of nanomedicine based on ROS scavenging.
Here, we reviewed recent progress in research on nanotherapy based on ROS scavenging. The underlying mechanisms of the employed nanomaterials are emphasized. Display omitted
•There are vicious cycles between ROS/RNS and inflammatory response.•The latest researches on various kinds of ROS-scavenging nanomaterials.•The systematic classification of ROS-scavenging nanomedicines toward multiple inflammatory diseases.•The challenges to clinical application of ROS-scavenging nanomedicine and the possible solutions.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Objective
To evaluate 3D reconstruction through CT in the measurement of abdominal cavity volume.
Methods
From January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019, 61 patients diagnosed as external abdominal hernia ...were included in this prospective study. Multislice computed tomography (MSCT) was applied to patients scanning, and the images were transferred to post-processing workstation for further analysis. We measured the abdominal cavity volumes using volume rendering (VR) method and diameter rendering (DR) method, and the results were used to test whether there is a correlation between them. In addition, the time required for the measurement was recorded and analyzed.
Results
In this study, we found that there was no significant difference in the abdominal cavity volumes between these two groups (VR vs. DR = 7857.316 ± 2035.786 cm
3
vs. 7967.268 ± 2925.792 cm
3
,
P
> 0.05). Besides, the correlation analysis between the measured values of VR method and DR method showed there was a significant positive correlation (
r
= 0.922,
P
< 0.01). The linear regression equation based on the scatter plot was established as follows:
y
= 0.6417
x
+ 2745,
R
2
= 0.8504. Furthermore, this regression equation was simplified as follows:
y
= 0.64
x
+ 2800,
R
2
= 0.8499. Meanwhile, the time required for measurement of VR was significantly longer than that of DR (VR vs. DR = 64.3 ± 7.1 min vs. 2.6 ± 0.6 min,
P
< 0.01).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the DR method can quickly measure and calculate the abdominal cavity volume, and its accuracy can more suitable for clinical requirement.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors have been a powerful gene delivery vehicle to the retina for basic research and gene therapy. For many of these applications, achieving cell type-specific ...targeting and high transduction efficiency is desired. Recently, there has been increasing interest in AAV-mediated gene targeting to specific retinal bipolar cell types. A 200-bp enhancer in combination with a basal SV40 promoter has been commonly used to target transgenes into ON-type bipolar cells. In the current study, we searched for additional cis-regulatory elements in the mGluR6 gene for improving AAV-mediated transduction efficiency into retinal bipolar cells. Our results showed that the combination of the endogenous mGluR6 promoter with additional enhancers in the introns of the mGluR6 gene markedly enhanced AAV transduction efficiency as well as made the targeting more selective for rod bipolar cells in mice. Furthermore, the AAV vectors with the improved promoter could target to ON bipolar cells with robust transduction efficiency in the parafovea and the far peripheral retina of marmoset monkeys. The improved mGluR6 promoter constructs could provide a valuable tool for genetic manipulation in rod bipolar cells in mice and facilitate clinical applications for ON bipolar cell-based gene therapies.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Nanobelts of Semiconducting Oxides Pan, Zheng Wei; Dai, Zu Rong; Wang, Zhong Lin
Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science),
03/2001, Volume:
291, Issue:
5510
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Ultralong beltlike (or ribbonlike) nanostructures (so-called nanobelts) were successfully synthesized for semiconducting oxides of zinc, tin, indium, cadmium, and gallium by simply evaporating the ...desired commercial metal oxide powders at high temperatures. The as-synthesized oxide nanobelts are pure, structurally uniform, and single crystalline, and most of them are free from defects and dislocations. They have a rectanglelike cross section with typical widths of 30 to 300 nanometers, width-to-thickness ratios of 5 to 10, and lengths of up to a few millimeters. The beltlike morphology appears to be a distinctive and common structural characteristic for the family of semiconducting oxides with cations of different valence states and materials of distinct crystallographic structures. The nanobelts could be an ideal system for fully understanding dimensionally confined transport phenomena in functional oxides and building functional devices along individual nanobelts.
Full text
Available for:
BFBNIB, NMLJ, NUK, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
•A comparative study on the catalytic and sensing performance of the interfacial ZnO/Ag nanocomposites produced by the two different synthesis methods is presented.•We investigate the mechanism that ...accounts for the significant differences in the performance of ZnO/Ag synthesized by polymer network gel method with one-step and two-step synthesis routes; thus opening the road to multifunctional sensing and photocatalytic systems.•Owing to many outstanding capabilities of nanostructured ZnO/Ag material platform, we have selected it as a model system to synthesize a multifunctional nanomaterial, and study the effect of the synthesis method on the characteristic of the produced nanocomposite to demonstrate its potential applicability to several applications critically important for sensing and photocatalytic technology.
Catalytic and sensing performance of ZnO/Ag nanocomposites greatly depends on the synthesis method used for its production, presenting both challenges and opportunities for optimization. A polymer-network gel process is one of the promising techniques that enables cheap and efficient synthesis of photoactive ZnO/Ag nanocomposites. However, the mechanisms responsible for the formation of ZnO/Ag interfaces are not completely understood, and the photocatalytic efficiency of the ZnO/Ag nanocomposites produced by a simple gel process is not sufficient. In this paper we describe a comparative study on the one- and two-step polymer network gel synthesis techniques, and investigate the mechanisms that account for the significant differences in the observed performance of ZnO/Ag produced by these two methods. The ZnO/Ag nanocomposites synthesized by the two-step method exhibit remarkably enhanced photocatalytic efficiency for Methylene blue, Methyl orange, Rhodamine B, Malachite Green and Formaldehyde (HCHO) under UV light irradiation and simulated sunlight. As the gas sensing material, the ZnO/Ag nanocomposites synthesized by the two-step method show the higher sensitivity and better stability and selectivity. The microstructures and optical characteristics of the samples were revealed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, room temperature photoluminescence measurements, and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis. Samples synthesized by the two-step process possess a more uniform dispersion of Ag nanoparticles, a smaller Ag crystallite size, and a narrower bandgap. Chemically, more oxygen vacancies and hydroxyl radicals are present in the samples synthesized by the two-step process. Jointly, these factors favor enhanced photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants, and sensitivities of the sensors.
Full text
Available for:
GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
PDF
