Microwave plasma torch desorption ionization mass spectrometry for chemical characterization of aromatic secondary organic aerosol.

Benzene and toluene, primarily emitted from vehicle exhaust, are common volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These aromatic compounds in the atmosphere undergo further photooxidation to form secondary organic aerosol (SOA), which are a primary factor in haze weather. Aromatic SOA is more difficult to detect by traditional detection methods.

A comparative study for organophosphate triesters and diesters in mice via oral gavage exposure: Tissue distribution, excreta elimination, metabolites and toxicity.

Organophosphate triesters (tri-OPEs) and diesters (di-OPEs) may threaten human health through dietary intake, whereas little information is available about their fate in mammals. Herein, mice exposure experiments were carried out through gavage with six tri-OPEs and six di-OPEs, respectively. The residual levels of di-OPEs in mice were generally higher than those of tri-OPEs.

-Unique Gene Is Important for Fungal Appressorial Penetration, Invasive Hyphal Extension, and Virulence in Rice Blast Fungi.

Species-unique genes that encode specific proteins and have no homologs in other species play certain roles in the evolution of species and adaptations to external environments. Nevertheless, the biological roles of unique genes in plant pathogenic fungi remain largely unknown. Here, four -unique genes (-), which were highly expressed during the early infection stages, were functionally characterized in the rice blast fungus Subcellular localization assays revealed that Mug1, Mug2, and Mug4 were localized to the cytoplasm and that Mug3 was localized into the nuclei.

Visualizing the Habenula Using 3T High-Resolution MP2RAGE and QSM: A Preliminary Study.

Background And Purpose: The habenula is a key node in the regulation of emotion-related behavior. Accurate visualization of the habenula and its reliable quantitative analysis is vital for the assessment of psychiatric disorders. To obtain high-contrast habenula images and allow them to be compatible with clinical applications, this preliminary study compared 3T MP2RAGE and quantitative susceptibility mapping with MPRAGE by evaluating the habenula segmentation performance.

Response of ocean acidification to atmospheric carbon dioxide removal.

Artificial CO removal from the atmosphere (also referred to as negative CO emissions) has been proposed as a potential means to counteract anthropogenic climate change. Here we use an Earth system model to examine the response of ocean acidification to idealized atmospheric CO removal scenarios. In our simulations, atmospheric CO is assumed to increase at a rate of 1% per year to four times its pre-industrial value and then decreases to the pre-industrial level at a rate of 0.

Occurrence differences of hexachlorobutadiene and chlorobenzenes in road dust and roadside soil media in an industrial and residential mixed area in Eastern China.

The road dust and roadside soil can act as both sinks and sources of hexachlorobutadiene (HCBD) and chlorobenzenes (CBzs), but comparative research on these two adjacent media is extremely limited. In this study, HCBD and CBzs were simultaneously analyzed in road dust and roadside soil samples from an area containing both industrial factories and residential communities in Eastern China. The road dust there was found to have 2-6 times higher contents of HCBD (mean 1.

Automatic Video Analysis Framework for Exposure Region Recognition in X-Ray Imaging Automation.

The deep learning-based automatic recognition of the scanning or exposing region in medical imaging automation is a promising new technique, which can decrease the heavy workload of the radiographers, optimize imaging workflow and improve image quality. However, there is little related research and practice in X-ray imaging. In this paper, we focus on two key problems in X-ray imaging automation: automatic recognition of the exposure moment and the exposure region.

Prediction of Phase State of Secondary Organic Aerosol Internally Mixed with Aqueous Inorganic Salts.

In the presence of inorganic salts, secondary organic aerosol (SOA) undergoes liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), liquid-solid phase separation, or a homogeneous phase in ambient air. In this study, a regression model was derived to predict aerosol phase separation relative humidity (SRH) for various organic and inorganic mixes. The model implemented organic physicochemical parameters (i.

An automated ASPECTS method with atlas-based segmentation.

Background And Purpose: As a simple and reliable systematic method to evaluate the early ischemic changes in the blood supply region of the middle cerebral artery of patients with ischemic stroke, the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score (ASPECTS) can be used for rapid semi-quantitative evaluation of ischemic lesions, which is helpful to select potential candidates for intravenous and intra-arterial therapies, determine the thrombolytic effect and long-term prognosis. This method mainly relies on doctors' visual observation. However, due to different levels of doctor's experience, the poor inter-reader agreement may result in errors in the final ASPECTS.

Simulation-guided engineering of an enzyme-powered three dimensional DNA nanomachine for discriminating single nucleotide variants.

Single nucleotide variants (SNVs) are important both clinically and biologically because of their profound biological consequences. Herein, we engineered a nicking endonuclease-powered three dimensional (3D) DNA nanomachine for discriminating SNVs with high sensitivity and specificity. Particularly, we performed a simulation-guided tuning of sequence designs to achieve the optimal trade-off between device efficiency and specificity.

Heterogeneous Photo-oxidation of SO in the Presence of Two Different Mineral Dust Particles: Gobi and Arizona Dust.

The impact of authentic mineral dust particles sourced from the Gobi Desert (GDD) on the kinetic uptake coefficient of SO was studied under varying environments (humidity, O, and NO) using both an indoor chamber and an outdoor chamber. There was a significant increase in the kinetic uptake coefficient of SO (γ) for GDD particles under UV light compared to the value (γ) under dark conditions at various relative humidities (RH) ranging from 20% to 80%. In both the presence and the absence of O and NO, γ and γ greatly increased with increasing RH.

Prediction of delivery of organic aerosols onto air-liquid interface cells in vitro using an electrostatic precipitator.

To better characterize biological responses to atmospheric organic aerosols, the efficient delivery of aerosol to in vitro lung cells is necessary. In this study, chamber generated secondary organic aerosol (SOA) entered the commercialized exposure chamber (CULTEX® Radial Flow System Compact) where it interfaced with an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) (CULTEX® Electrical Deposition Device) and then deposited on a particle collection plate. This plate contained human lung cells (BEAS-2B) that were cultured on a membrane insert to produce an air-liquid interface (ALI).