Machine learning and high-throughput computational guided development of high temperature oxidation-resisting Ni-Co-Cr-Al-Fe based high-entropy alloys
Not Available
Tan, Xingru (ORCID:0000000347504145)↗
Engineering topics
Sun, Ting
Publications and source records attributed to Sun, Ting.
Structural Uncertainty in the Sensitivity of Urban Temperatures to Anthropogenic Heat Flux
One key source of uncertainty for weather and climate models is structural uncertainty arising from the fact that these models must simplify or approximate complex physical, chemical, and biological processes that occur in the real world. However, structural uncertainty is rarely examined in the context of simulated effects of anthropogenic heat flux in cities. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with a single-layer urban canopy model, it is found that the sensitivity of urban canopy air temperature to anthropogenic heat flux can differ by an order of magnitude depending on how anthropogenic heat flux is released to the urban environment. Moreover, varying model structures through changing the treatment of roof-air interaction and the parameterization of convective heat transfer between the canopy air and the atmosphere can affect the sensitivity of urban canopy air temperature by a factor of 4. Urban surface temperature and 2-m air temperature are less sensitive to the methods of anthropogenic heat flux release and the examined model structural variants than urban canopy air temperature, but their sensitivities to anthropogenic heat flux can still vary by as much as a factor of 4 for surface temperature and 2 for 2-m air temperature. Our study recommends using temperature sensitivity instead of temperature response to understand how various physical processes (and their representations in numerical models) modulate the simulated effects of anthropogenic heat flux.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Persistent urban heat
Urban surface and near-surface air temperatures are known to be often higher than their rural counterparts, a phenomenon now labeled as the urban heat island effect. However, whether the elevated urban temperatures are more persistent than rural temperatures at timescales commensurate to heat waves has not been addressed despite its importance for human health. Combining numerical simulations by a global climate model with a surface energy balance theory, it is demonstrated here that urban surface and near-surface air temperatures are significantly more persistent than their rural counterparts in cities dominated by impervious materials with large thermal inertia. Further use of these materials will result in even stronger urban temperature persistence, especially for tropical cities. The present findings help pinpoint mitigation strategies that can simultaneously ameliorate the larger magnitude and stronger persistence of urban temperatures.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Advances in the Application and Utility of Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Predictions
The subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) predictive time scale, encompassing lead times ranging from 2 weeks to a season, is at the frontier of forecasting science. Forecasts on this time scale provide opportunities for enhanced application-focused capabilities to complement existing weather and climate services and products. There is, however, a “knowledge–value” gap, where a lack of evidence and awareness of the potential socioeconomic benefits of S2S forecasts limits their wider uptake. To address this gap, here we present the first global community effort at summarizing relevant applications of S2S forecasts to guide further decision-making and support the continued development of S2S forecasts and related services. Focusing on 12 sectoral case studies spanning public health, agriculture, water resource management, renewable energy and utilities, and emergency management and response, we draw on recent advancements to explore their application and utility. These case studies mark a significant step forward in moving from potential to actual S2S forecasting applications. We show that by placing user needs at the forefront of S2S forecast development—demonstrating both skill and utility across sectors—this dialogue can be used to help promote and accelerate the awareness, value, and cogeneration of S2S forecasts. We also highlight that while S2S forecasts are increasingly gaining interest among users, incorporating probabilistic S2S forecasts into existing decision-making operations is not trivial. Nevertheless, S2S forecasting represents a significant opportunity to generate useful, usable, and actionable forecast applications for and with users that will increasingly unlock the potential of this forecasting time scale.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
Relationship between self-efficacy and language proficiency: A meta-analysis
Not Available
Wang, Chuang↗
LincRNA-p21 knockdown enhances radiosensitivity of hypoxic tumor cells by reducing autophagy through HIF-1/Akt/mTOR/P70S6K pathway
Hypoxic conditions are common in solid tumors and have a significant effect on tumor progression, therapeutic and prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are longer than 200 nucleotides and cannot be translated into proteins, which play important roles in some diseases including cancer. Although previous analysis have showed that long intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA)-p21 is hypoxia-responsive and functions as a new regulator of cell cycle, apoptosis and warburg effect in cervical cancer, its biological roles in hypoxic hepatoma and glioma are unknown. In this work, we found that X-ray irradiation or hypoxia treatment elevated lincRNA-p21 expression in SMMC7721 hepatoma and U251MG glioma cells. Knockdown of lincRNA-p21 induced G2/M phase arrest, promoted apoptosis, decreased cell proliferation and motility, and reduced autophagy through HIF-1/Akt/mTOR/P70S6K pathway in hypoxic tumor cells. Our results delineated a novel mechanism of lincRNA-p21 in enhancing hypoxic tumor cell radiosensitivity, which might provide valuable targets for radiation therapy for solid tumors, such as hepatoma and glioma. - Highlights: • LincRNA-p21 is induced by irradiation and hypoxia. • LincRNA-p21 knockdown enhances radiosensitivity via downregulation of autophagy. • LincRNA-p21 knockdown inhibits autophagy by activating Akt/mTOR/P70S6K pathway.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Growth inhibitory effect of KYKZL-1 on Hep G{sub 2} cells via inhibition of AA metabolites and caspase-3 pathway and cell cycle arrest
KYKZL-1, a newly synthesized compound with COX/5-LOX dual inhibition, was subjected to the inhibitory activity test on Hep G{sub 2} growth. We found that KYKZL-1 inhibited the growth of Hep G{sub 2} cells via inducing apoptosis. Further studies showed that KYKZL-1 activated caspase-3 through cytochrome c release from mitochondria and down regulation of Bcl-2/Bax ratio and reduced the high level of COX-2 and 5-LOX. As shown in its anti-inflammatory effect, KYKZL-1 also exhibited inhibitory effect on the PGE{sub 2} and LTB{sub 4} production in Hep G{sub 2} cells. Accordingly, exogenous addition of PGE{sub 2} or LTB{sub 4} reversed the decreases in cell viability. In addition, KYKZL-1 caused cell cycle arrest at the S–G{sub 2} checkpoint via the activation of p21{sup CIP1} protein and down-regulation of cyclin A expression. These data indicate that the growth inhibitory effect of KYKZL-1 is associated with inhibition of AA metabolites and caspase-3 pathway and cell cycle arrest. Combined with our previous findings, KYKZL-1 exhibiting COX/5-LOX inhibition may be a promising potential agent not only for inflammation control but also for cancer prevention/therapy with an enhanced gastric safety profile. - Highlights: • KYKZL-1 is designed to exhibit COX/5-LOX dual inhibition. • KYKZL-1 resulted in apoptosis of Hep G{sub 2} cells. • KYKZL-1 activated caspase-3 through cytochrome c and bcl-2/bax ratio. • KYKZL-1 caused cell cycle arrest via modulation of p21{sup CIP1} and cyclin A level.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Inhibition of inflammatory mediators contributes to the anti-inflammatory activity of KYKZL-1 via MAPK and NF-κB pathway
KYKZL-1, a newly synthesized compound with COX/5-LOX dual inhibition, was subjected to the anti-inflammatory activity test focusing on its modulation of inflammatory mediators as well as intracellular MAPK and NF-κB signaling pathways. In acute ear edema model, pretreatment with KYKZL-1 (p.o.) dose-dependently inhibited the xylene-induced ear edema in mice with a higher inhibition than diclofenac. In a three-day TPA-induced inflammation, KYKZL-1 also showed significant anti-inflammatory activity with inhibition ranging between 20% and 64%. In gastric lesion test, KYKZL-1 elicited markedly fewer stomach lesions with a low index of ulcer as compared to diclofenac in rats. In further studies, KYKZL-1 was found to significantly inhibit the production of NO, PGE{sub 2}, LTB{sub 4} in LPS challenged RAW264.7, which is parallel to its attenuation of the expression of iNOS, COX-2, 5-LOX mRNAs or proteins and inhibition of phosphorylation of p38 and ERK MAPKs and activation of NF-κB. Taken together, our data indicate that KYKZL-1 comprises dual inhibition of COX and 5-LOX and exerts an obvious anti-inflammatory activity with an enhanced gastric safety profile via simultaneous inhibition of phosphorylation of p38 and ERK MAPKs and activation of NF-κB. - Highlights: • KYKZL-1 is designed to exhibit COX/5-LOX dual inhibition. • KYKZL-1 inhibits NO, PGE{sub 2} and LTB{sub 4} and iNOS, COX-2 and 5-LOX mRNAs and MAPKs. • KYKZL-1 inhibits phosphorylation of MAPKs. • KYKZL-1 inactivates NF-κB pathway.
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
Downregulation of miR-210 expression inhibits proliferation, induces apoptosis and enhances radiosensitivity in hypoxic human hepatoma cells in vitro
Hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors and an important contributor to tumor radioresistance. miR-210 is the most consistently and robustly induced microRNA under hypoxia in different types of tumor cells and normal cells. In the present study, to explore the feasibility of miR-210 as an effective therapeutic target, lentiviral-mediated anti-sense miR-210 gene transfer technique was employed to downregulate miR-210 expression in hypoxic human hepatoma SMMC-7721, HepG2 and HuH7 cells, and phenotypic changes of which were analyzed. Hypoxia led to an increased hypoxia inducible factor-1{alpha} (HIF-1{alpha}) and miR-210 expression and cell arrest in the G{sub 0}/G{sub 1} phase in all cell lines. miR-210 downregulation significantly suppressed cell viability, induced cell arrest in the G{sub 0}/G{sub 1} phase, increased apoptotic rate and enhanced radiosensitivity in hypoxic human hepatoma cells. Moreover, apoptosis-inducing factor, mitochondrion-associated, 3 (AIFM3) was identified as a direct target gene of miR-210. AIFM3 downregulation by siRNA attenuated radiation induced apoptosis in miR-210 downregulated hypoxic human hepatoma cells. Taken together, these data suggest that miR-210 might be a potential therapeutic target and specific inhibition of miR-210 expression in combination with radiotherapy might be expected to exert strong anti-tumor effect on hypoxic human hepatoma cells. -- Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer miR-210 downregulation radiosensitized hypoxic hepatoma. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer AIFM3 was identified as a direct target gene of miR-210. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer miR-210 might be a therapeutic target to hypoxic hepatoma.
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE↗