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Methane and its oxidation product (i. e., CO2) are both greenhouse gases. In the product chain of CO hydrogenation to hydrocarbon reaction, methane is also an unwanted product due to its poor added value. Herein we investigated the effect of structure‐directing agent urotropine on cobalt‐based catalyst supported on Al−O−Zn type carrier and achieved an initial and pioneering exploration of methane‐free CO hydrogenation to hydrocarbon reaction at mild CO conversion range. The catalyst modified by urotropine has a nanoflower micromorphology and can significantly change the reaction performance, almost completely eliminating the ability of the catalyst to inhibit C−C coupling within a mild CO conversion range, that is, it can produce no or less C1−C4 gaseous hydrocarbons, while rich in condensed hydrocarbons (i. e., C5+ hydrocarbon selectivity can reach as high as 92.8 %–100.0 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indium-doped manganese oxide semiconducting substrates were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions of 250–270 °C for 4–10 days to generate nanowires or nanorods. Next, a facile resuspension/freeze-drying route was utilized to fabricate free-standing manganese oxide molecular sieve sponges through the auto-knitting of substrate materials. Compared with undoped manganese oxide substrates, indium doped manganese oxide substrates may generate two new FT-IR bands at 1090–1092 cm−1 and 1026–1028 cm−1, weaken most Raman bands (i.e., 183, 329, 390, 476, 519, and 580 cm−1) except the band at around 640 cm−1, boost the activity of electrocatalytic oxygen reduction over the carbon electrode surface, and enhance electrical conductivity by 3–23 times under synthetic conditions for indium doping. Moreover, the mechanical property of a sponge is positively correlated with the length of the substrate nanowires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia is a significant precursor of PM 2.5 particles and thus contributes to poor air quality in many regions. Furthermore, ammonia concentrations are rising due to the increase of large-scale, intensive agricultural activities, which are often accompanied by greater use of fertilizers and concentrated animal feedlots. Ammonia is highly reactive and thus highly variable and difficult to measure. Satellite-based instruments, such as the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and the Cross-Track Infrared Sounder (CrIS), have been shown to provide much greater temporal and spatial coverage of ammonia distribution and variability than is possible with in situ networks or aircraft campaigns, but the validation of these data is limited. Here we evaluate MUSES (multi-spectra, multi-species, multi-sensors) ammonia retrievals from AIRS and CrIS against ammonia measurements from aircraft in the California Central Valley and in the Colorado Front Range. These are small datasets taken over high-source regions under very different conditions: winter in California and summer in Colorado. Direct comparisons of the surface values of the retrieved profiles are biased very low in California (∼ 40 ppbv) and slightly high in Colorado (∼ 4 ppbv). This bias appears to be primarily due to smoothing error, since applying the instrument operator effectively reduces the bias to zero; even after the smoothing error is accounted for, the average uncertainty at the surface is in the 20 %–30 % range. We also compare 3 years of CrIS ammonia against an in situ network in the Magic Valley in Idaho We show that CrIS ammonia captures both the seasonal signal and the spatial variability in the Magic Valley, although it is biased low here also. In summary, this analysis substantially adds to the validation record but also points to the need for more validation under many different conditions and at higher altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia (NH3) is a key precursor to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and a primary form of reactive nitrogen. The limited number of NH3 observations hinders the further understanding of its impacts on air quality, climate, and biodiversity. Currently, NH3 ground monitoring networks are few and sparse across most of the globe, and even in the most established networks, large spatial gaps exist between sites and only a few sites have records that span longer than a decade. Satellite NH3 observations can be used to discern trends and fill spatial gaps in networks, but many factors influence the syntheses of the vastly different spatiotemporal scales between surface network and satellite measurements. To this end, we intercompared surface NH3 data from the Ammonia Monitoring Network (AMoN) and satellite NH3 total columns from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) in the contiguous United States (CONUS) and then performed trend analyses using both datasets. We explored the sensitivity of correlations between the two datasets to factors such as satellite data availability and distribution over the surface measurement period, as well as agreement within selected spatial and temporal windows. Given the short lifetime of atmospheric ammonia and consequently sharp gradients, smaller spatial windows show better agreement than larger ones except in areas of relatively uniform, low concentrations where large windows and more satellite measurements improve the signal-to-noise ratio. A critical factor in the comparison is having satellite measurements across most of the measurement period of the monitoring site. When IASI data are available for at least 80 % of the days of AMoN's 2-week sampling period within a 25 km spatial window of a given site, IASI NH3 column concentrations and the AMoN NH3 surface concentrations have a correlation of 0.74, demonstrating the feasibility of using satellite NH3 columns to bridge the spatial gaps existing in the surface network NH3 concentrations. Both IASI and AMoN show increasing NH3 concentrations across the CONUS (median: 6.8 %yr-1 versus 6.7 %yr-1) in the last decade (2008–2018), suggesting the NH3 will become a greater contributor to nitrogen deposition. NH3 trends at AMoN sites are correlated with IASI NH3 trends (r = 0.66) and show similar spatial patterns, with the highest increases in the Midwest and eastern US. In spring and summer, increases in NH3 were larger than 10 %yr-1 in the eastern US and Midwest (cropland dominated) and the western US (pastureland dominated), respectively. NH3 hotspots are defined as regions where the IASI NH3 column is larger than the 95th percentile of the 11-year CONUS map (6.7 × 10 15 molec.cm-2), they also experience increasing concentrations over time, with a median of NH3 trend of 4.7 %yr-1. IASI data show large NH3 increases in urban areas (8.1 %yr-1), including 8 of the top 10 most populous regions in the CONUS, where AMoN sites are sparse. A comparison between IASI NH3 concentration trends and state-level NH3 emission trends is then performed to reveal that positive correlations exist in states with strong agricultural NH3 emissions, while there are negative correlations in states with low NH3 emissions and large NOx emissions, suggesting the different roles of emission and partitioning in NH3 increases. The increases in NH3 could have detrimental effects on nearby eco-sensitive regions through nitrogen deposition and on aerosol chemistry in the densely populated urban areas, and therefore they should be carefully monitored and studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low‐power, open‐path gas sensors enable eddy covariance (EC) flux measurements in remote areas without line power. However, open‐path flux measurements are sensitive to fluctuations in air temperature, pressure, and humidity. Laser‐based, open‐path sensors with the needed sensitivity for trace gases like methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) are impacted by additional spectroscopic effects. Corrections for these effects, especially those related to temperature fluctuations, often exceed the flux of gases, leading to large uncertainties in the associated fluxes. For example, the density and spectroscopic corrections arising from temperature fluctuations can be one or two orders of magnitude greater than background N2O fluxes. Consequently, measuring background fluxes with laser‐based, open‐path sensors is extremely challenging, particularly for N2O and gases with similar high‐precision requirements. We demonstrate a new laser‐based, open‐path N2O sensor and a general approach applicable to other gases that minimizes temperature‐related corrections for EC flux measurements. The method identifies absorption lines with spectroscopic effects in the opposite direction of density effects from temperature and, thus, density and spectroscopic effects nearly cancel one another. The new open‐path N2O sensor was tested at a corn (Zea mays L.) field in Southwestern Michigan, United States. The sensor had an optimal precision of 0.1 ppbv at 10 Hz and power consumption of 50 W. Field trials showed that temperature‐related corrections were 6% of density corrections, reducing EC random errors by 20‐fold compared to previously examined lines. Measured open‐path N2O EC fluxes showed excellent agreement with those made with static chambers (m = 1.0 ± 0.3; r2 =.96). More generally, we identified absorption lines for CO2 and CH4 flux measurements that can reduce the temperature‐related corrections by 10–100 times compared to existing open‐path sensors. The proposed method provides a new direction for future open‐path sensors, facilitating the expansion of accurate EC flux measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ciji-Hua'ai-Baosheng II Formula (CHB-II-F) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula, which specifically targets different aspects of chemotherapy-induced adverse effects in patients with cancer. In our clinical application, CHB-II-F significantly alleviated chemotherapy-induced anorexia (loss of appetite) and improved the quality of life for patients with tumor during and after chemotherapy. However, the mechanism of CHB-II-F in alleviation of chemotherapy-induced anorexia remains to be further investigated. Aim of Study: To explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of CHB-II-F on chemotherapy-induced anorexia in the mice model of H22 hepatoma. Materials and Methods: A total of 72 Kunming mice of SPF grade were inoculated subcutaneously with H22 hepatoma cells into the right anterior armpit of the mice. After 1 week of seeding, mice were injected intraperitoneally with a high dose of 5-fluorouracil (200 mg/kg 5-FU) to establish the model of chemotherapy. The mice were randomly divided into six groups: untreated group, 5-FU group, 5-FU plus Yangzheng Xiaoji capsule (YZXJC) group, and three groups of 5-FU plus different concentrations of CHB-II-F. All the mice in each group were treated for 14 days. The body weight, food intake, tumor volume, and tumor weight of mice were measured, and pathological examinations of tumor tissue, stomach, and duodenum were carried out. Expressions of serum Leptin, Neuropeptide Y (NPY), epidermal cell growth factor (EGF), Motilin (MTL), Orexin A (OXA), Gastrin (GAS), Ghrelin, Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and jejunum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were examined. The protein and mRNA levels of proopiomelanocortin (POMC), Orexin receptor 1 (OX1R), neuropeptide Y (NPY), cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript peptide (CART), Agouti gene-related protein (AgRP), Leptin receptor (Ob-R), and Ghrelin receptor (GHSR) were examined in hypothalamus, and the protein levels of substance P (SP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in duodenum were measured. Results: The combination of CHB-II-F and 5-FU could enhance the inhibitory effect of 5-FU on tumor. The tumor inhibition rates of 5-FU group, YZXJC group, CHB-II-F(H) group, CHB-II-F(M) group, and CHB-II-F(L) group were 58.88, 28.08, 54.96, 37.69, and 28.61%, respectively. Compared with untreated group and 5-FU group, CHB-II-F significantly increased the body weight and food intake of tumor-bearing mice; increased the content of NPY, Orexin A, Ghrelin, GAS, MTL, EGF, and PGE2 in serum and the activity of SOD in jejunum; and decreased the content of Leptin in serum and the content of MDA in jejunum. Compared with untreated group and 5-FU group, CHB-II-F also enhanced the expression of OX1R, GHSR, NPY, and AgRP protein and gene and decreased the expression of Ob-R, POMC, and CART protein and gene in hypothalamus of mice, and the gene expression was consistent with the protein expression. In addition, CHB-II-F decreased the expression of 5-HT and SP protein in duodenum. Conclusion: In the murine model of H22 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving chemotherapy, CHB-II-F enhances the inhibitory effect of 5-FU on tumor, significantly improves the pathological injury of gastrointestinal tract caused by chemotherapy, and regulates the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones. It may alleviate chemotherapy-induced anorexia by affecting appetite regulatory factors in the feeding area of hypothalamus central nervous system and peripheral appetite regulatory factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite ammonia (NH3) observations provide unprecedented insights into NH3 emissions, spatiotemporal variabilities and trends, but validation with in situ measurements remains lacking. Here, total columns from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) were intercompared to boundary layer NH3 profiles derived from aircraft‐ and surface‐based measurements primarily in Colorado, USA, in the summer of 2014. IASI‐NH3 version 3 near real‐time data set compared well to in situ derived columns (windows ±15 km around centroid, ±1 h around overpass time) with a correlation of 0.58, a slope of 0.78 ± 0.14 and an intercept of 2.1 × 1015±1.5 × 1015 molecules cm−2. Agreement degrades at larger spatiotemporal windows, consistent with the short atmospheric lifetime of NH3. We also examined IASI version 3R data, which relies on temperature retrievals from the ERA Reanalysis, and a third product generated using aircraft‐measured temperature profiles. The overall agreement improves slightly for both cases, and neither is biased within their combined measurement errors. Thus, spatiotemporal averaging of IASI over large windows can be used to reduce retrieval noise. Nonetheless, sampling artifacts of airborne NH3 instruments result in significant uncertainties of the in situ‐derived columns. For example, large validation differences exist between ascent and descent profiles, and the assumptions of the free tropospheric NH3 profiles used above the aircraft ceiling significantly impact the validation. Because short‐lived species like NH3 largely reside within the boundary layer with complex vertical structures, more comprehensive validation is needed across a wide range of environments. More accurate and widespread in situ NH3 data sets are therefore required for improved validations of satellite products. Plain Language Summary: Ammonia is an important species in the atmosphere that contributes to PM2.5 formation, but it is challenging to measure. The major source of ammonia is agricultural activities. Improving our estimate of ammonia emissions requires widespread and frequent measurements such as those from satellite. To date, satellite‐based ammonia measurements have not been extensively validated, particularly on the scale of individual measurements. We have compared satellite ammonia measurements with those from ground‐based and aircraft measurements and show that satellite measurements are accurate at the scale of an individual pixel. However, we also show that it is important to consider the spatial and temporal differences between the measurement scales (satellite vs. ground‐ and aircraft‐based) in regions where ammonia is concentrated and large sources exist. Improved validations will require advances in airborne ammonia measurement technologies, particularly for the relatively low levels of ammonia that exist above the boundary layer or away from strong sources. Finally, additional airborne‐based measurements are needed to compare to satellite‐based measurements in other regions and seasons to extend these conclusions to a global scale. Key Points: Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer NH3 columns agree well with those derived from boundary layer, in situ measurements with no significant biases at the pixel scaleValidation in a hotspot region shows best agreement at narrow spatiotemporal scales on the order of the pixel size and mean transport timeAdditional accurate, airborne‐based NH3 data sets are critically needed for improved validations across a range of environments [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monthly, high‐resolution (∼2 km) ammonia (NH3) column maps from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) were developed across the contiguous United States and adjacent areas. Ammonia hotspots (95th percentile of the column distribution) were highly localized with a characteristic length scale of 12 km and median area of 152 km2. Five seasonality clusters were identified with k‐means++ clustering. The Midwest and eastern United States had a broad, spring maximum of NH3 (67% of hotspots in this cluster). The western United States, in contrast, showed a narrower midsummer peak (32% of hotspots). IASI spatiotemporal clustering was consistent with those from the Ammonia Monitoring Network. CMAQ and GFDL‐AM3 modeled NH3 columns have some success replicating the seasonal patterns but did not capture the regional differences. The high spatial‐resolution monthly NH3 maps serve as a constraint for model simulations and as a guide for the placement of future, ground‐based network sites. Plain Language Summary: Ammonia (NH3) contributes to the formation of particulate matter, which is known to degrade air quality and human health. The major source of NH3 is from agricultural activities, yet observational constraints on NH3 are limited, particularly at both monthly resolution and high spatial resolution. We have developed high spatial resolution (2 km) satellite maps of NH3 on a monthly scale in the United States. Areas with the highest NH3 are generally very localized with typical length scales of ∼12 km. The seasonal patterns varied dramatically based upon the underlying agricultural activities. These high‐resolution satellite maps can be used as observational constraints on the seasonalities and spatial patterns for modeling of atmospheric NH3. Key Points: High spatial resolution (2 km) maps of NH3 show that hotspots are highly localized with characteristic length scales of ∼12 kmLarge monthly variations of NH3 columns are observed with different seasonality patterns by region and type of agricultural activitiesSatellite NH3 maps provide insights for future ground‐based observational networks and constraints for model NH3 spatiotemporal patterns [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, a simplified iron/spinel catalyst system was adopted as the Fischer–Tropsch to light olefins (FTO) catalyst to rule out disturbances from efficient promoters (e.g., K or combination of S/Na). Supported by regular supports (e.g., Al2O3, carbon, etc.), unpromoted iron catalysts commonly have a maximum C2=–C4= hydrocarbon distribution below 28%. Supported by a composite oxide support (i.e., nominal composition, ZnAl4O7, calcined at 350 °C), our porous, unpromoted iron catalyst exhibits a maximum C2=–C4= hydrocarbon distribution of 40%, achieving a significant increase by ca. 42% in comparison with regular supports. Appropriate lifting of atomic Zn/Fe ratio, as well as, reducing at lower temperature plus mild carburization, both can make a supported iron catalyst more efficient in hindering C–C coupling and producing light olefins. The structure of ZnAl4O7 support remains stable in iron catalysts during CO hydrogenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To rule out disturbances from water‐soluble efficient promoters (e. g., K2O or combination of S/Na), a simplified iron/support catalyst system was employed to investigate novel supports for the catalytic conversion of syngas (CO+H2) to light olefins (FTO). A series of supports with nominal compositions of ZnAl2O4 ⋅ xAl2O3 (x=1, 2, 3) were prepared by coprecipitation and subsequent high temperature calcination at 1200 °C for 24 h to generate partially passivated ZnAl2O4 and Al2O3 phases, through which each formed component of a catalyst may minimize interactions among them and exhibit unique activity. Iron catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness of iron salts over these supports. At a total pressure of ca. 20 bar and a CO conversion of 35 %, a catalyst with a nominal composition of 15 %Fe/85 %(ZnAl2O4 ⋅ 3Al2O3) exhibits a surprising C2=‐C4= hydrocarbon distribution of 58 %, which reaches a huge increase by almost 100 % in comparison with iron catalysts over regular supports (e. g., carbon, gamma‐Al2O3, etc.). This catalyst demonstrates the 1200 °C passivated ZnAl2O4 ⋅ 3Al2O3 as probably the most selective support material for iron‐based FTO catalysts. At CO conversion of 35 %, the contents of ethylene in C2, propylene in C3, and butylene in C4 products achieve extraordinary values of 82 %, 92 %, and 91 %, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile laboratory measurements provide information on the distribution of CH4 emissions from point sources such as oil and gas wells, but uncertainties are poorly constrained or justified. Sources of uncertainty and bias in ground-based Gaussian-derived emissions estimates from a mobile platform were analyzed in a combined field and modeling study. In a field campaign where 1009 natural gas sites in Pennsylvania were sampled, a hierarchical measurement strategy was implemented with increasing complexity. Of these sites, ~ 93% were sampled with an average of 2 transects in < 5 min (standard sampling), ~ 5% were sampled with an average of 10 transects in < 15 min (replicate sampling) and **** 2% were sampled with an average of 20 transects in 15-60 min. For sites sampled with 20 transects, a tower was simultaneously deployed to measure highfrequency meteorological data (intensive sampling). Five of the intensive sampling sites were modeled using large eddy simulation (LES) to reproduce CH4 concentrations in a turbulent environment. The LES output and LES-derived emission estimates were used to compare with the results of a standard Gaussian approach. The LES and Gaussian-derived emission rates agreed within a factor of 2 in all except one case; the average difference was 25 %. A controlled release was also used to investigate sources of bias in either technique. The Gaussian method agreed with the release rate more closely than the LES, underlining the importance of inputs as sources of uncertainty for the LES. The LES was also used as a virtual experiment to determine an optimum number of repeat transects and spacing needed to produce representative statistics. Approximately 10 repeat transects spaced at least 1 min apart are required to produce statistics similar to the observed variability over the entire LES simulation period of 30 min. Sources of uncertainty from source location, wind speed, background concentration and atmospheric stability were also analyzed. The largest contribution to the total uncertainty was from atmospheric variability; this is caused by insufficient averaging of turbulent variables in the atmosphere (also known as random errors). Atmospheric variability was quantified by repeat measurements at individual sites under relatively constant conditions. Accurate quantification of atmospheric variability provides a reasonable estimate of the lower bound for emission uncertainty. The uncertainty bounds calculated for this work for sites with >50 ppb enhancements were 0.05-6.5q (where q is the emission rate) for single-transect sites and 0.5-2.7q for sites with 10C transects. More transects allow a mean emission rate to be calculated with better precision. It is recommended that future mobile monitoring schemes quantify atmospheric variability, and attempt to minimize it, under representative conditions to accurately estimate emission uncertainty. These recommendations are general to mobile-laboratory-derived emissions from other sources that can be treated as point sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction of macroscopic 3D sponges is of great technological importance for various applications. An outstanding challenge is the facile fabrication of sponges with the desirable combination of good stability, high electrical conductivity, and absorption ability. Here free-standing 3D OMS-2 sponges are demonstrated, with various densities, which possess a combination of desirable physical properties including high porosity, robustness, permeability, recyclability, high electrical conductivity, and selective water absorption in preference to oil. Some of these properties have systematic trends with various densities. The stress of the OMS-2 sponge, made by nanowire-based freeze-drying process, is four orders of magnitude higher than that made by calcination-related process. These new materials should find practical applications in environmental, catalysis, sensing, absorption, and energy storage, particularly in the removal of water spill cleanup, and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an intense need for development in the field of hierarchically structured functional materials due to their outstanding and peculiar properties. Herein, three types of hexagonal MnO micro/nano hierarchical architectures were successfully prepared based on a self-assembly approach via a hydrothermal synthesis route at low temperature, which is sparse in the literature. These three types of hexagonal MnO micro/nano hierarchical architectures were constructed from different building block nanostructures. The formation mechanisms are discussed, and the electrochemical performances are investigated. Electrochemical studies show that MnO hierarchical architectures exhibit good specific capacitance and electrochemical stability, making them promising electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, a majority of corrosion inhibitors applying in oilfield mainly consist of organic amine compounds. In order to understand and control the organic amine content of corrosion inhibitors and give full play to corrosion inhibitors effect, it is very important to determine accurately the organic amine content of corrosion inhibitors. In this paper, the amine value of three organic corrosion inhibitors with hydrochloric and ethanol method, high chlorine acid non-aqueous titration method by different acid-base indicators and solvents were contrastively analyzed. The experimental results show that titration end point change is a cute, accurate, and fast with appropriate addition amount of corrosion inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: CO hydrogenation; Fischer Tropsch; light olefins; spinel; iron catalyst CO hydrogenation, Fischer Tropsch, light olefins, spinel, iron catalyst. [Extracted from the article]

Free‐standing 3D OMS‐2 sponges with controlled densities are presented. The 3D OMS‐2 sponges possess a combination of outstanding physical, mechanical, and electrical properties. Moreover, some of these properties have systematic trends with various densities. This study sheds new light on manipulating properties of such sponges through controlling sponge densities. These new materials are promising for various applications such as catalysis, sensing, energy storage, and environmental materials. More information can be found in the Full Paper by Z. Liu, Y. Xing et al. on page 16213. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane and its oxidation product (i. e., CO 2 ) are both greenhouse gases. In the product chain of CO hydrogenation to hydrocarbon reaction, methane is also an unwanted product due to its poor added value. Herein we investigated the effect of structure-directing agent urotropine on cobalt-based catalyst supported on Al-O-Zn type carrier and achieved an initial and pioneering exploration of methane-free CO hydrogenation to hydrocarbon reaction at mild CO conversion range. The catalyst modified by urotropine has a nanoflower micromorphology and can significantly change the reaction performance, almost completely eliminating the ability of the catalyst to inhibit C-C coupling within a mild CO conversion range, that is, it can produce no or less C 1 -C 4 gaseous hydrocarbons, while rich in condensed hydrocarbons (i. e., C 5+ hydrocarbon selectivity can reach as high as 92.8 %-100.0 %)., (© 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Background: Ciji-Hua'ai-Baosheng II Formula (CHB-II-F) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula, which specifically targets different aspects of chemotherapy-induced adverse effects in patients with cancer. In our clinical application, CHB-II-F significantly alleviated chemotherapy-induced anorexia (loss of appetite) and improved the quality of life for patients with tumor during and after chemotherapy. However, the mechanism of CHB-II-F in alleviation of chemotherapy-induced anorexia remains to be further investigated. Aim of Study: To explore the therapeutic effect and mechanism of CHB-II-F on chemotherapy-induced anorexia in the mice model of H 22 hepatoma. Materials and Methods: A total of 72 Kunming mice of SPF grade were inoculated subcutaneously with H 22 hepatoma cells into the right anterior armpit of the mice. After 1 week of seeding, mice were injected intraperitoneally with a high dose of 5-fluorouracil (200 mg/kg 5-FU) to establish the model of chemotherapy. The mice were randomly divided into six groups: untreated group, 5-FU group, 5-FU plus Yangzheng Xiaoji capsule (YZXJC) group, and three groups of 5-FU plus different concentrations of CHB-II-F. All the mice in each group were treated for 14 days. The body weight, food intake, tumor volume, and tumor weight of mice were measured, and pathological examinations of tumor tissue, stomach, and duodenum were carried out. Expressions of serum Leptin, Neuropeptide Y (NPY), epidermal cell growth factor (EGF), Motilin (MTL), Orexin A (OXA), Gastrin (GAS), Ghrelin, Prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ), and jejunum superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were examined. The protein and mRNA levels of proopiomelanocortin (POMC), Orexin receptor 1 (OX1R), neuropeptide Y (NPY), cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript peptide (CART), Agouti gene-related protein (AgRP), Leptin receptor (Ob-R), and Ghrelin receptor (GHSR) were examined in hypothalamus, and the protein levels of substance P (SP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in duodenum were measured. Results: The combination of CHB-II-F and 5-FU could enhance the inhibitory effect of 5-FU on tumor. The tumor inhibition rates of 5-FU group, YZXJC group, CHB-II-F(H) group, CHB-II-F(M) group, and CHB-II-F(L) group were 58.88, 28.08, 54.96, 37.69, and 28.61%, respectively. Compared with untreated group and 5-FU group, CHB-II-F significantly increased the body weight and food intake of tumor-bearing mice; increased the content of NPY, Orexin A, Ghrelin, GAS, MTL, EGF, and PGE 2 in serum and the activity of SOD in jejunum; and decreased the content of Leptin in serum and the content of MDA in jejunum. Compared with untreated group and 5-FU group, CHB-II-F also enhanced the expression of OX1R, GHSR, NPY, and AgRP protein and gene and decreased the expression of Ob-R, POMC, and CART protein and gene in hypothalamus of mice, and the gene expression was consistent with the protein expression. In addition, CHB-II-F decreased the expression of 5-HT and SP protein in duodenum. Conclusion: In the murine model of H22 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) receiving chemotherapy, CHB-II-F enhances the inhibitory effect of 5-FU on tumor, significantly improves the pathological injury of gastrointestinal tract caused by chemotherapy, and regulates the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones. It may alleviate chemotherapy-induced anorexia by affecting appetite regulatory factors in the feeding area of hypothalamus central nervous system and peripheral appetite regulatory factors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Xi, Zhai, Wang, Gong, Fu, Gao, Guo, Li, Wang, Huang, Lu, Zhao, Qian and Wang.)

We report an open-path chirped laser dispersion spectrometer capable of detecting the atmospheric methane concentration above the background using both specular and diffusive reflective surfaces via two distinct operation modes in a stand-off detection configuration. The system is integrated with simultaneous ranging functionality, which enables average concentration measurements for varying optical pathlengths. The system was first tested for accuracy and characterized to achieve sensitivity of 2.9 p p m - m / H z 1/2 and pathlength precision of 0.2 m / H z 1/2 with a controlled release of methane outside the laboratory. The instrument was subsequently field-deployed in the proximity of a natural gas compressor station for fugitive methane detection. The instrument successfully detected methane plumes and narrowed down the location of the plume through multi-path measurement. The field measurements were verified by a co-located reference mobile methane sensor.

The construction of macroscopic 3D sponges is of great technological importance for various applications. An outstanding challenge is the facile fabrication of sponges with the desirable combination of good stability, high electrical conductivity, and absorption ability. Here free-standing 3D OMS-2 sponges are demonstrated, with various densities, which possess a combination of desirable physical properties including high porosity, robustness, permeability, recyclability, high electrical conductivity, and selective water absorption in preference to oil. Some of these properties have systematic trends with various densities. The stress of the OMS-2 sponge, made by nanowire-based freeze-drying process, is four orders of magnitude higher than that made by calcination-related process. These new materials should find practical applications in environmental, catalysis, sensing, absorption, and energy storage, particularly in the removal of water spill cleanup, and beyond., (© 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)