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The Tibetan Plateau (TP) plays a key role in the regional environment and global climate change; however, the lack of vertical observations of atmospheric species, such as HONO and O3, hinders a deeper understanding of the atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC) on the TP. In this study, we conducted multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) measurements at Nam Co, the central TP, to observe the vertical profiles of aerosol, water vapor (H2O), NO2, HONO and O3 from May to July 2019. In addition to NO2 mainly exhibiting a Gaussian shape with the maximum value appearing at 300=-400 m, the other four species all showed an exponential shape and decreased with the increase in height. The maximum values of monthly averaged aerosol (0.17 km−1) and O3 (66.71 ppb) occurred in May, H2O (3.68 × 1017 molec. cm−3) and HONO (0.13 ppb) appeared in July, and NO2 (0.39 ppb) occurred in June at the 200–400 m layer. H2O, HONO and O3 all exhibited a multi-peak pattern, and aerosol appeared to have a bi-peak pattern for its averaged diurnal variations. The averaged vertical profiles of OH production rates from O3 and HONO all exhibited an exponential shape decreasing with the increase in height, with maximum values of 2.61 and 0.49 ppb h−1 at the bottom layer, respectively. The total OH production rate contributed by HONO and O3 on the TP was obviously larger than that in low-altitude areas. In addition, source analysis was conducted for HONO and O3 at different height layers. The heterogeneous reaction of NO2 on wet surfaces was a significant source of HONO. The maximum values of HONO/NO2 appeared when H2O concentrations were approximately 1.0 × 1017 molec. cm−3 and aerosol concentrations were larger than 0.15 km−1 below 1.0 km. The maximum values were usually accompanied by H2O concentrations of 1.0–2.0 × 1017 molec. cm−3 and aerosol concentrations greater than 0.02 km−1 at 1.0–2.0 km. O3 was potentially sourced from the South Asian subcontinent and Himalayas through long-range transport. Our results contribute to the new understanding of vertical distribution of atmospheric components and explain the strong AOC on the TP.

​​​​​​​This study compares aerosol mixing-state parameters obtained via simultaneous measurements using DMA–CCNC, H(/V)TDMA, and DMA–SP2, shedding light on the impacts of primary aerosol emissions and secondary aerosol (SA) formation. The analysis reveals significant variations in mixing-state parameters among different techniques, with VTDMA and DMA–SP2 indicating that non-volatile particles mainly stem from black carbon (BC)-containing aerosols, while a substantial proportion of nearly hydrophobic aerosols originates from fossil fuel combustion and biomass-burning emissions. Synthesizing the results, some nearly hydrophobic BC-free particles were found to be cloud condensation nuclei (CCN)-inactive under the measured supersaturated conditions, likely from fossil fuel combustion emissions, while others were CCN-active, linked to biomass-burning emissions. Moreover, BC-containing aerosols emitted from fossil fuel combustion exhibit more external mixing with other aerosol components compared to those from biomass burning. Secondary nitrate and organic aerosol formation significantly affect aerosol mixing states, enhancing aerosol hygroscopicity and volatility while reducing heterogeneity among techniques. The study also highlights distinct physical properties of two resolved secondary organic aerosol factors, hinting at their formation through different mechanisms. These findings underscore the importance of comparing aerosol mixing states from different techniques as a tool for understanding aerosol physical properties from different sources and their responses to SA formation, as well as aiding in the exploration of SA formation mechanisms.

We present direct measurements of biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC)-induced nitrate radical (NO3) reactivity (kVOC) through the diel cycle in the suburban, temperate forest of Rambouillet near Paris (France). The data were obtained in a 6-week summer period in 2022 as part of the Atmospheric ChemistRy Of the Suburban foreSt (ACROSS) campaign. kVOC was measured in a small (700 m2) clearing mainly at a height of 5.5 m above ground level but also at 40 m (for 5 d and nights). At nighttime, mean values (and 25th–75th percentile ranges) of knightVOC(5.5m) = (0.24-0.06+0.32) s−1 and knightVOC(40m) = (0.016-0.007+0.018) s−1 indicate a significant vertical gradient and low NO3 reactivity above the canopy, whereas knightVOC(5.5 m) showed peak values of up to 2 s−1 close to the ground. The strong vertical gradient in NO3 reactivity could be confirmed by measurements between 0 and 24 m on one particular night characterized by a strong temperature inversion and is a result of the decoupling of air masses aloft from the ground- and canopy-level sources of BVOCs (and nitric oxide, NO). No strong vertical gradient was observed in the mean daytime NO3 reactivity, with kdayVOC(5.5m) = (0.12 ± 0.04) s−1 for the entire campaign and kdayVOC(40m) = (0.07 ± 0.02) s−1 during the 5 d period. Within the clearing, the fractional contribution of VOCs to the total NO3 loss rate coefficient (ktot, determined by photolysis, reaction with NO and VOCs) was 80 %–90 % during the night and ∼ 50 % during the day. In terms of chemical losses of α-pinene below canopy height in the clearing, we find that at nighttime hydroxyl radicals (OH) and ozone (O3) dominate, with NO3 contributing “only” 17 %, which decreases further to 8.5 % during the day. Based on measured OH, measured O3, and calculated NO3 concentrations, the chemical lifetime of BVOCs at noon is about 1 h and is likely to be longer than timescales of transport out of the canopy (typically of the order of minutes), thus significantly reducing the importance of daytime in-canopy processing. Clearly, in forested regions where sufficient nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) is available, the role of NO3 and OH as initiators of BVOC oxidation is not strictly limited to nighttime and daytime, respectively, as often implied in e.g. atmospheric chemistry textbooks.

Abstract The oxidation of phenolic compounds is one of the most important reactions prevalent in various biological processes, often explicitly coupled with proton transfers (PTs). Quantitative descriptions and molecular-level understanding of these proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions have been challenging. This work reports a direct observation of PCET in photodetachment (PD) photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) of hydrogen-bonded phenolic (ArOH) nitrate (NO3 −) complexes, in which a much slower rising edge provides a spectroscopic signature to evidence PCET. Electronic structure calculations unveil the PCET processes to be isomer-specific, occurred only in those with their HOMOs localized on ArOH, leading to charge-separated transient states ArOH•+ ·NO3 − triggered by ionizing phenols while simultaneously promoting PT from ArOH•+ to NO3 −. Importantly, this study showcases that gas-phase PD-PES is a generic means enabling to identify PCET reactions with explicit structural and binding information.

Non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) in the marine atmosphere have been studied extensively due to their important roles in regulating atmospheric chemistry and climate. However, very little is known about the distribution and sources of NMHCs in the lower atmosphere over the marginal seas of China. Herein, we characterized the atmospheric NMHCs (C2–C5) in both the coastal cities and the marginal seas of China in the spring of 2021, with a focus on identifying the sources of NMHCs in the coastal atmosphere. The NMHCs in urban atmospheres, especially alkanes, were significantly higher compared to those in the marine atmosphere, suggesting that terrestrial NMHCs may be an important reservoir/source in the marine atmosphere. A significant correlation was observed between the alkane concentrations and the distances from sampling sites to the nearest land or retention of air mass over land, indicating that alkanes in the marine atmosphere are largely influenced by terrestrial inputs through air mass transport. For alkenes, a greater impact from oceanic emissions was determined due to the lower terrestrial concentrations, short atmospheric lifetime, and substantial sea-to-air fluxes of alkenes compared to alkanes (489 ± 454 vs. 129 ± 106 nmol m−2 d−1). As suggested by the positive matrix factorization, terrestrial inputs contributed to 89 % of alkanes and 69.6 % of alkenes in Chinese marginal seas, subsequently contributing to 84 % of the ozone formation potential associated with C2–C5 NMHCs. These findings underscore the significance of terrestrial outflow in controlling the distribution and composition of atmospheric NMHCs in the marginal seas of China.

During the period of April and May 2022, Shanghai implemented city-wide static management measures to control the spread of the Omicron variant. Compared to the lockdown in early 2020, the static management in 2022 occurred during the high-ozone season and lasted for a longer duration. It can be considered a “large-scale field experiment” to study the response of ambient ozone levels to emission reductions. During this period, we conducted comprehensive observations at Fudan University, Jiangwan Campus, in the northeast corner of Shanghai. Similar experiments were also conducted during the same period in 2020 and 2021. Despite the significant reduction of approximately 30 % in VOCs and around 50 % in NO2 due to static management in 2022, the average ozone level increased by nearly 23 % compared to 2020 and 2021. This suggests that the reduction in ozone precursors and other pollutants did not lead to a corresponding decrease in ozone concentrations as expected. Cluster analysis of diurnal patterns of ozone concentration revealed four distinct types of diurnal ozone variations. Cluster 3 and cluster 4, with high ozone levels, experienced significant increases in their shares during static management, ultimately leading to an overall increase in average ozone levels in 2022. According to the observation-based model (OBM) simulation analysis, the average peak concentrations of OH, HO2, and RO2 in 2022 were estimated to be 5.1×106, 4.7×108, and 2.6×108 molec.cm-3, respectively, representing an increase of about 30 % compared to the levels in 2020 and 2021. Although HONO photolysis was the main contributor to the primary source of ROx radicals, the radical-cycling process remained dominant for the overall production of ROx radicals. Due to a significant decrease in NO2 concentration relative to VOCs, the average VOC / NO2 ratio increased from 1.6 in 2020 to 3.0 in 2022, which is also reflected in the radical cycling. The ratio of OH radical propagation (OH + VOCs) to termination (OH + NO2) was 2.37, higher than 1.18 in 2020 and 1.78 in 2021, indicating that the different reduction proportions of precursors led to a higher VOC / NO2 ratio, strengthening the radical cycling. The differential reduction in precursor VOCs and NO2 levels due to static management is the underlying cause of the increase in ozone concentration in Shanghai.

Micro-/nano-motors (MNMs) or swimmers are minuscule machines that can convert various forms of energy, such as chemical, electrical, or magnetic energy, into motion. These devices have attracted significant attention owing to their potential application in a wide range of fields such as drug delivery, sensing, and microfabrication. However, owing to their diverse shapes, sizes, and structural/chemical compositions, the development of MNMs faces several challenges, such as understanding their structure-function relationships, which is crucial for achieving precise control over their motion within complex environments. In recent years, machine learning techniques have shown promise in addressing these challenges and improving the performance of MNMs. Machine learning techniques can analyze large amounts of data, learn from patterns, and make predictions, thereby enabling MNMs to navigate complex environments, avoid obstacles, and perform tasks with higher efficiency and reliability. This review introduces the current state-of-the-art machine learning techniques in MNM research, with a particular focus on employing machine learning to understand and manipulate the navigation and locomotion of MNMs. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities in this field and suggest future research directions.

Atmospheric particles can impact cloud formation and play a critical role in regulating cloud properties. However, particle characteristics at the single-particle level and their ability to act as ice-nucleating particles (INPs) over the marine atmosphere are poorly understood. In this study, we present micro-spectroscopic characterizations and ice nucleation properties of particles collected during a cruise from South Korea to Antarctica in 2019. Most of the samples were dominated by fresh sea salt, aged sea salt, and sea salt mixed with sulfate particles, with total number percentages ranging from 48 % to 99 % over the western Pacific and the Southern Ocean. The mixing-state index of the particle population ranged from 50 % to 95 % over the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere. Multiphase processes on sea salt particles resulted in chlorine deficiency. This selective aging process made the marine particle population more externally mixed. Ice nucleation onset conditions primarily for the deposition mode were measured and the investigated particles showed diverse ice nucleation abilities. The fresh sea salt particles with organic coatings exhibited the highest ice nucleation ability at a relative humidity with respect to ice as low as 121 %. The sea salt mixed sulfate particle was enriched in INPs by a factor of 1.9. Aging processes affected both the mixing state of the particles and their ice nucleation abilities. Our analysis shows that assuming an internally mixed particle population in the marine atmosphere can lead to errors of several orders of magnitude in predicting ice nucleation rates.

Abstract Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has been treated via injectable hydrogels and biomaterial patches invented using tissue engineering advancements over the past decade. Yet the curative potential of injectable hydrogels and stem cells is limited. Here, we propose the development of an injectable and conductive hydrogel composed of oxidised macromolecular hyaluronic acid and chitosan-grafted aniline tetramer polymeric components. In an attempt to enhance the therapeutic potential of AMI therapy, mesenchymal stem cells derived from human umbilical cord blood (HUCB-MSC) have been integrated into the formulation of a conductive hydrogel. For reliable connection to the beating hearts, the hydrogel exhibited suitable adhesive properties. Hydrogel’s potent biocompatibility was determined by in vitro investigations of cell viability and proliferation of NRCMs and H9C2 cardiomyocytes. After myocardial injection, longer HUCB-MSCs survival length, cardiac functioning, and histology in SD rat myocardium were demonstrated, greatly associated by up-regulation and downregulation of cardiac-related relative gene expressions of angiogenic factors and inflammatory factors, respectively. The injectable hydrogel that contained HUCB-MSCs substantially enhanced the therapeutic benefits, indicating a potentially beneficial therapeutic approach to AMI therapy.

Organic aerosol (OA) is a significant constituent of urban particulate matter (PM), and molecular markers therein provide information on the sources and formation mechanisms. With the in situ measurement of over 70 OA molecular markers in a summer month at a bihourly resolution, this study focused on the temporal variations in representative markers and dynamic source contributions to OA at an urban site in Hong Kong SAR (HK). The levels of secondary OA (SOA) markers were markedly elevated (p < 0.05) in the short-duration cases with continental and coastal air relative to those in the most common marine air, and the primary markers primarily contained local characteristics. The troughs showed the enhancements of many SOA markers (p < 0.05), which appeared to be related to the high relative humidity. The diurnal patterns of 2-methyltetrols varied in differed cases, and their aqueous formation at night seemed plausible, particularly in the presence of troughs. Eight sources were identified for the organic matter in submicron PM (PM1-OM). Despite being an urban site, the mean SOA contribution (66.1 ± 10.5 %), primarily anthropogenic, was significant. Anthropogenic SOA dominated in the cases with continental and coastal air and in the early afternoon. Local cooking and vehicle emissions became predominant in the case of marine air without troughs. Even averaged over the study period in this summer month with the prevalence of marine air, primary cooking emissions contributed up to 44.2 % to PM1-OM in the early evening. The study highlighted the need to control regional anthropogenic SOA and local cooking emissions to mitigate PM pollution in HK.

While aqueous-phase processing is known to contribute to the formation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs), the specific pathways involved remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to characterize the NOCs present in both pre-fog aerosols and fog water collected at a suburban site in northern China. Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry was utilized to analyze the molecular composition of NOCs in both negative and positive modes of electrospray ionization (ESI− and ESI+). In both pre-fog aerosols and fog water samples, NOCs constituted a significant portion, accounting for over 60 % of all assigned formulas in ESI− and more than 80 % in ESI+. By comparing the molecular composition of NOCs originating from biomass burning, coal combustion, and vehicle emissions, we identified that 72.3 % of NOCs in pre-fog aerosols were attributed to primary anthropogenic sources (pNOCs), while the remaining NOCs were categorized as secondary NOCs formed within the aerosols (saNOCs). Unique NOCs found in fog water were classified as secondary NOCs formed within the fog water (sfNOCs). Through a comprehensive “precursor–product pair” screening involving 39 reaction pathways, we observed that the nitration reaction, the amine pathway, and the intramolecular N-heterocycle pathway of NH3 addition reactions contributed 43.6 %, 22.1 %, and 11.6 % of saNOCs, respectively. In contrast, these pathways contributed 26.8 %, 28.4 %, and 29.7 % of sfNOCs, respectively. This disparity in formation pathways is likely influenced by the diverse precursors, the aqueous acidity, and the gas-phase species partitioning. Correspondingly, saNOCs were found to contain a higher abundance of carbohydrate-like and highly oxygenated compounds with two nitrogen atoms compared to pNOCs. Conversely, sfNOCs exhibited a higher content of lipid-like compounds with fewer oxygen atoms. These results underscore the distinct secondary processes contributing to the diversity of NOCs in aerosols and fog water, which may lead to their different climate effects.

Large uncertainties persist within current biomass burning (BB) inventories, and the choice of these inventories can substantially impact model results when assessing the influence of BB aerosols on weather and climate. We evaluated discrepancies among BB emission inventories by comparing carbon monoxide (CO) and organic carbon (OC) emissions from seven major BB regions globally between 2013 and 2016. Mainstream bottom-up inventories, including the Fire INventory from NCAR 1.5 (FINN1.5) and Global Fire Emissions Database version 4s (GFED4s), along with the top-down inventories Quick Fire Emissions Dataset 2.5 (QFED2.5) and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer (VIIRS-)based Fire Emission Inventory version 0 (VFEI0), were selected for this study. Global CO emissions range from 252 to 336 Tg, with regional disparities reaching up to a 6-fold difference. Dry matter is the primary contributor to the regional variation in CO emissions (50 %–80 %), with emission factors accounting for the remaining 20 %–50 %. Uncertainties in dry matter often arise from biases in calculating bottom fuel consumption and burned area, influenced by vegetation classification methods and fire detection products. In the tropics, peatlands contribute more fuel loads and higher emission factors than grasslands. At high latitudes, increased cloud fraction amplifies the discrepancy in estimated burned area (or fire radiative power) by 20 %. The global OC emissions range from 14.9 to 42.9 Tg, exhibiting higher variability than CO emissions due to the corrected emission factors in QFED2.5, with regional disparities reaching a factor of 8.7. Additionally, we applied these BB emission inventories to the Community Atmosphere Model version 6 (CAM6) and assessed the model performance against observations. Our results suggest that the simulations based on the GFED4s agree best with the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT-)retrieved CO. While comparing the simulation with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET) aerosol optical depth (AOD), our results reveal that there is no global optimal choice for BB inventories. In the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, using GFED4s and QFED2.5 can better capture the AOD magnitude and diurnal variation. In equatorial Asia, GFED4s outperforms other models in representing day-to-day changes, particularly during intense burning. In Southeast Asia, we recommend using the OC emission magnitude from FINN1.5 combined with daily variability from QFED2.5. In the Southern Hemisphere, the latest VFEI0 has performed relatively well. This study has implications for reducing the uncertainties in emissions and improving BB emission inventories in further studies.

Abstract Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), a kind of gram-negative pathogenic bacteria, are causative agents of severe infections, such as lower respiratory tract infections in children and cancers. Detecting low levels of P. aeruginosa in clinical samples in an easy-to-operate manner is highly desired but still poses a problem. Herein, we established a target recognition-initiated allosteric probe-based multiple signal amplification strategy for sensitive detection of P. aeruginosa in a wash-free way. This approach involves the allosteric probe’s accurate recognition and binding to target P. aeruginosa, leading to subsequent multiple-cycle amplification. Afterward, the amplified products were translated to induce the aggregation of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), resulting in color variations. The utilization of the allosteric probe, which is integrated with the aptamer sequences, enables wash-free detection of P. aeruginosa. Taking the merit of multiple signal amplification process, the suggested method showed a strong linear response to the extracted P. aeruginosa within a concentration range of 10–105 cfu/mL, with a low limit of detection for individual P. aeruginosa detection. The proposed technique has considerable clinical promise for early disease diagnosis because to its high sensitivity and wash-free simplicity.

Ketone compounds are important neutral aroma components in heated cigarette smoke, and which play a significant role in the taste of heated cigarettes. In order to analyze the content of ketone aroma components in heated cigarette smoke, a method of gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) was established for the simultaneous quantitative determination of 28 kinds of ketone aroma substances. A tube furnace was used to heat the cigarette core material, and the ketone aroma components in the smoke were captured by the solvent absorption method. The ketone aroma capture device can realize the release and capture of flue gas under different atmospheres and multi-gradient temperatures. The method was verified through limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), repeatability experiment and spike recovery experiment. The heated cigarettes with different flavors were heated and their smoke were captured by using the tube furnace heating-organic solvent absorption method. After heating and capturing, 1 mL of smoke absorption liquid was taken and filtered through a 0.22 µm organic filter, then the sample was continuously injected 6 times to the chromatographic instrument to measure the content of ketone compounds in the smoke absorption liquid, and this step was repeated for 6 days, finally the intra-day and inter-day RSDs of 28 kinds of ketone substances were calculated. With the above detected amount as the benchmark, a mixed standard solution of 28 kinds of ketone flavor substances was added to the smoke absorption liquid, in which the amount of each ketone substance added was 50%, 100% and 200%, respectively, the recovery rate for each ketone was calculated. The results showed that the LODs and LOQs of 28 kinds of ketone compounds are 0.65-2.77 μg/L and 2.18-9.24 μg/L, respectively, the recovery rate is 81.88%-119.32%, and the intra-day precision is 0.04%-3.51% (n=6), the inter-day precision is 0.11%-3.36% (n=6). The analytical method can meet the requirements of quantitative analysis and effectively distinguish dihydro-β-ionone/geranylacetone and farnesyl acetone/farnesylacetone. This method was used to detect ketone aroma substances in the smoke of 27 heated cigarettes with different flavor. The results showed that the total content of ketones is different in the smoke of different heated cigarettes with different flavor, and the content of some ketones varies greatly, which gives the heated cigarette different flavor. This method may conduct in-depth analysis of tobacco products and is of great significance to the development of new tobacco products.

There are thousands of volatile organic compound (VOC) species in ambient air, while existing techniques can only detect a small part of them (approximately several hundred). The large number of unmeasured VOCs prevents us from understanding the photochemistry of ozone and aerosols in the atmosphere. The major sources and photochemical effects of these unmeasured VOCs in urban areas remain unclear. The missing VOC reactivity, which is defined as the total OH reactivity of the unmeasured VOCs, is a good indicator for constraining the photochemical effect of unmeasured VOCs. Here, we identified the dominant role of anthropogenic emission sources in the missing VOC reactivity (accounting for up to 70 %) by measuring missing VOC reactivity and tracer-based source analysis in a typical megacity in China. Omitting the missing VOC reactivity from anthropogenic emissions in model simulations will remarkably affect the diagnosis of sensitivity regimes for ozone formation, overestimating the degree of VOC-limited regimes by up to 46 %. Therefore, a thorough quantification of missing VOC reactivity from various anthropogenic emission sources is urgently needed for constraints of air quality models and the development of effective ozone control strategies.

A series of flavonol derivatives containing piperidine sulfonamide were designed and synthesized. The EC50 values for the curative of tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) by Z6 and Z22 were 108.2 and 102.7 μg/mL, respectively, outperforming the control agent ningenmycin (NNM) with an EC50 value of 253.8 μg/mL. Additionally, the EC50 values for the protective activity of Z6 and Z21 were 100.9 and 123.2 μg/mL, respectively, also surpassing the control agent NNM with an EC50 value of 203.7 μg/mL. Microscale thermophoresis (MST) and molecular docking test showed that Z6 bound well with tobacco mosaic virus coat protein (TMV-CP). The biological safety test showed that Z6 had almost no effect on seed germination and seedling growth. After treatment with Z6, the chlorophyll content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in tobacco leaves increased, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content decreased. Therefore, Z6 has a high probability as a potential antiviral agent.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is known for its aggressive nature and poor prognosis, with currently no effective treatment available. Research has shown that introducing fluorinated functional groups into different parts of natural product quinoline significantly affects its anti-tumor activity. Therefore, this study synthesized the trifluoromethyl quinoline derivative FKL296 to investigate its anti-tumor effect on GBM and reveal its mechanism of action. In vitro and in vivo studies have shown that FKL296 effectively inhibitd the growth of GBM and is relatively safe and low toxicity, whice also induced cell apoptosis and autophagy. Additionally, protein kinase profiling and molecular docking analyses have revealed a strong binding affinity between FKL296 and SGK1. Cellular thermal shift assay experiments have confirmed the targeting of SGK1 by FKL296 and its role in enhancing SGK1 stability. Bioinformatics analysis and pathway validation indicated that FKL296 targeted SGK1 and inhibited autophagy in tumor cells through the mTOR/FOXO3a signaling pathway. In summary, FKL296 may become a promising drug for the treatment of GBM.

In this study, the regeneration of waste activated carbon by the synergic combination of ultrasonication and persulfate treatment was explored. The regeneration efficiencies achieved with sonication and persulfate, both in combination and separately, were assessed from a sample’s ability to adsorb ofloxacin before and after regeneration. The introduction of persulfate increased the regeneration rate by 4–5% over that of ultrasound alone, and the regeneration rate increased from 40.95 % to 45.71 % upon increasing the persulfate dosage from 1 to 10 mmol/L. Furthermore, the regeneration rate was found to be largely unaffected by pH. The specific surface area of the activated carbon regenerated by the combined technology was 527 m2/g, which was 37 m2/g higher than that for ultrasonic regeneration alone, further demonstrating the utility of the combined approach. In summary, combined ultrasonication/persulfate regeneration provides a practical and cost-effective method for the reuse of waste activated carbon.

Radix Rehmanniae (RR) has three processing forms in clinical practice, including fresh Radix Rehmanniae (FRR), raw Radix Rehmanniae (RRR), and processed Radix Rehmanniae (PRR). However, the sensory criterion, “black as lacquer and sweetness as candy”, which was traditionally used to evaluate the quality of PRR, have not been fully elucidated. In this study, the mechanism of chemical transformation based on oligosaccharide hydrolysis, crosslinking coloring, and Maillard reactions was explored to clarify the observed changes in appearance and flavor. The physicochemical properties of different processed RR products were characterized. Besides, “sweetness as candy” was explained by oligosaccharides hydrolysis, and “black as lacquer” can attribute to crosslinking coloring and Maillard reactions. Importantly, this study provided the first evidence for the existence of crosslinking coloring reaction during the processing of RR. In conclusion, our results unveiled the scientific basis of the sensory attributes “black as lacquer and sweetness as candy” in PRR, offering valuable insights for enhancing quality control of PRR.

Electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) holds the promise of both overcoming the greenhouse effect and synthesizing a wealth of chemicals. Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction toward carbon-containing products, including C1 products (carbon monoxide, formic acid, etc), C2 products (ethylene, ethanol, etc.) and multi-carbon products (e.g., n-propanol), provides beneficial fuel and chemicals for industrial production. The complexity of the multi-proton transfer processes and difficulties of C-C coupling in electrochemical CO2 reduction toward multi-carbon(C2+) products have attracted increasing concerns on the design of catalysts in comparison with those of C1 products. In this paper, we review the main advances in the syntheses of multi-carbon products through electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction in recent years, introduce the basic principles of electrocatalytic CO2RR, and detailly elucidate two widely accepted mechanisms of C-C coupling reactions. Among abundant nanomaterials, copper-based catalysts are outstanding catalysts for the preparation of multi-carbon chemicals in electrochemical CO2RR attributing to effective C-C coupling reactions. Regarding the different selectivity of multi-carbon chemicals but extensively applied copper-based catalysts, we classify and summarize various Cu-based catalysts through separating diverse multi-carbon products, where the modification of spatial and electronic structures is beneficial to increase the coverage of CO or lower the activation energy barrier for forming C-C bond to form the key intermediates and increase the production of multi-carbon products. Challenges and prospects involving the fundamental and development of copper-based catalysts in electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction are also proposed.