A novel potential cause of extreme precipitation in the northwest China.

The northwest China is a climate change-sensitive and ecologically vulnerable area. Under the backdrop of global warming, this region exhibits clear characteristics of warming and wetting. In recent years, the causes of climate change in the northwest China has become a widely-focused topic.

Dark-Channel Soft-Constrained and Object-Perception-Enhanced Deep Dehazing Networks Used for Road Inspection Images.

Haze seriously affects the visual quality of road inspection images and contaminates the discrimination of key road objects, which thus hinders the execution of road inspection work. The basic assumptions of the classical dark-channel prior are not suitable for road images containing light-colored lane lines and vehicles, while typical deep dehazing networks lack physical model interpretability, and they focus on global dehazing effects, neglecting the preservation of object features. For this reason, this paper proposes a Dark-Channel Soft-Constrained and Object-Perception-Enhanced Deep Dehazing Network (DCSC-OPE-Net) for the information recovery of road inspection images.

Warming and Wetting will continue over the Tibetan Plateau in the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways.

We have used bias-corrected data from CMIP6 models to drive a regional climate model and project climate on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) in the 21st century. Changes in two background fields, namely, 2-meter air temperature and total precipitation, were analyzed. The results show that the WRF simulations capture the terrain effect that cannot be represented in low-resolution models.

South Asian black carbon is threatening the water sustainability of the Asian Water Tower.

Long-range transport of black carbon from South Asia to the Tibetan plateau and its deposition on glaciers directly enhances glacier melt. Here we find South Asian black carbon also has an indirect effect on the plateau's glaciers shrinkage by acting to reduce the water supply over the southern Tibetan plateau. Black carbon enhances vertical convection and cloud condensation, which results in water vapor depletion over the Indian subcontinent that is the main moisture flux source for the southern Tibetan plateau.

Temperature Induced Dimensional Tuning and Anomalous Deformation of Micro/Nanopores.

Artificial nanopores have become a common toolbox in nanotechnologies, with dimension and geometry as predominant factors. Most fabrication technologies determine the pore size beforehand, but few exist that enable size-tuning post-manufacturing. In this work, we reported a type of ion track etched micro/nanopores on uniaxially drawn PET foils that enable irreversible thermal shrinkage, thus tuning the pore dimensions by increasing ambient temperatures.

Contribution of South Asian biomass burning to black carbon over the Tibetan Plateau and its climatic impact.

This study used a regional climate-chemistry transport model, WRF-Chem v3.9.1, to evaluate the impact of South Asian biomass burning on black carbon (BC) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and its climatic effects for an entire year.

Investigation of black carbon climate effects in the Arctic in winter and spring.

Black carbon (BC) exerts a potential influence on climate, especially in the Arctic, where the environment is very sensitive to climate change. Therefore, the study of climate effects of BC in this region is particularly important. In this study, numerical simulations were performed using the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) in the Arctic in winter and spring for two years to investigate the atmospheric BC causing changes in surface radiation, meteorology, and atmospheric stability.

Bioinspired Dual-Responsive Nanofluidic Diodes by Poly-l-lysine Modification.

A smart nanofluidic device attracts attention as it enables to control the physicochemical properties and transportation phenomena, by using stimuli-responsive materials. This work reports a bioinspired modification of a conical ion track-etched polyethylene terephthalate nanopore surface by coating a layer of poly-l-lysine (PLL), which is a commonly used coating in biotechnology to achieve a dual-responsive nanofluidic channel by pH or temperature. The rectification of ionic transportation can be reversed by assembling PLL because of the change of surface bonds from the carboxyl to amine group.

Investigating air pollutant concentrations, impact factors, and emission control strategies in western China by using a regional climate-chemistry model.

In this study, in situ observations were conducted for six criteria air pollutants (PM, PM, SO, NO, CO, and O) at 23 sites in western China for 1 year. Subsequently, the detailed Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) results for the pollutants were determined. The WRF-Chem model provided a clear perspective on the spatiotemporal distribution of air pollutants.

Critical contribution of south Asian residential emissions to atmospheric black carbon over the Tibetan plateau.

Black carbon (BC) over the Tibetan Plateau (TP), both in the air and deposited on the surface of snow and ice, has been shown to accelerate the retreat of mountain glaciers. Previous study indicated that South Asian anthropogenic emissions primarily contributed to atmospheric loading of BC over the TP, it is essential to further identify the major sector in South Asia and provide guidance for potential mitigation strategies. In this study, the regional atmospheric chemistry model WRF-Chem was run for an entire year.

Geometry-on-demand fabrication of conductive microstructures by photoetching and application in hemostasis assessment.

Photo-corrosion is a common phenomenon observed in the photocatalytic semiconductor materials, which can seriously harm the photoelectric properties and performances in the energy applications. However, in this paper, we demonstrated that the photo-corrosion effects can be used for the microfabrication of conductive structures on a photocatalytic film like zinc oxide (ZnO), named as "photoetching". Our results demonstrated that microstructures can be prepared within seconds with a precision at an order of tens of micrometers using our current devices.

Nitrogen Speciation and Isotopic Composition of Aerosols Collected at Himalayan Forest (3326 m a.s.l.): Seasonality, Sources, and Implications.

Nitrogenous aerosols are ubiquitous in the environment and thus play a vital role in the nutrient balance as well as the Earth's climate system. However, their abundance, sources, and deposition are poorly understood, particularly in the fragile and ecosensitive Himalayan and Tibetan Plateau (HTP) region. Here, we report concentrations of nitrogen species and isotopic composition (δN) in aerosol samples collected from a forest site in the HTP (i.

Spatiotemporal variations of air pollutants in western China and their relationship to meteorological factors and emission sources.

We have carried out a comprehensive analysis of six air pollutants (particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM) and less than 10 μm (PM), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO), nitrogen dioxide (NO), and ozone (O)) in western China, including the spatiotemporal characteristics of air pollutants, their relationship with meteorological factors and emission sources, and the efficiency of emission control strategies for the region. Based hourly observations at 23 sites in western China from June 2016 to May 2017, concentrations of most pollutants were higher outside the Tibetan Plateau, lowest in summer and highest in winter, the exception being O.

Carbonaceous aerosol characteristics on the Third Pole: A primary study based on the Atmospheric Pollution and Cryospheric Change (APCC) network.

Carbonaceous aerosols (CAs) scatter and absorb incident solar radiation in the atmosphere, thereby influencing the regional climate and hydrological cycle, particularly in the Third Pole (TP). Here, we present the characteristics of CAs at 19 observation stations from the Atmospheric Pollution and Cryospheric Change network to obtain a deep understanding of pollutant status in the TP. The organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) concentrations decreased noticeably inwards from outside to inland of the TP, consistent with their emission load and also affected by transport process and meteorological condition.

Linking atmospheric pollution to cryospheric change in the Third Pole region: current progress and future prospects.

The Tibetan Plateau and its surroundings are known as the Third Pole (TP). This region is noted for its high rates of glacier melt and the associated hydrological shifts that affect water supplies in Asia. Atmospheric pollutants contribute to climatic and cryospheric changes through their effects on solar radiation and the albedos of snow and ice surfaces; moreover, the behavior and fates within the cryosphere and environmental impacts of environmental pollutants are topics of increasing concern.

Vital contribution of residential emissions to atmospheric fine particles (PM) during the severe wintertime pollution episodes in Western China.

To mitigate severe wintertime pollution events in Western China, identifying the source of atmospheric fine particles with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM) is a crucial step. In this study, we first analyzed the meteorological and emission factors that caused a considerable increase in the PM concentration in December 2016.

Characteristics and sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in atmospheric aerosols in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

The Kathmandu Valley in the foothills of the Himalayas, where the capital city of Nepal is located, has one of the most serious air pollution problems in the world. In this study, total suspended particle (TSP) samples collected over a year (April 2013-March 2014) in the Kathmandu Valley were analyzed for determining the concentrations of 15 priority particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The TSP and PAH concentrations were extremely high, with annual average concentration being 199±124μg/m(3) and 155±130ng/m(3), respectively, which are comparable to those observed in Asian cities such as Beijing and Delhi.