Advances in Research on Soil Moisture by Microwave Remote Sensing in China

Soil moisture is an important factor in global hydrologic circulation and plays a significant role in the research of hydrology, climatology, and agriculture. Microwave remote sensing is less limited by climate and time, and can measure in large scale. With these characteristics, this technique becomes an effective tool to measure soil moisture. Since the 1980s, Chinese researchers have investigated the soil moisture using microwave instruments. The active re- mote sensors are characteristic of high spatial resolution, thus with launch of a series of satellites, active microwave remote sensing of soil moisture will be emphasized. The passive microwave remote sensing of soil moisture has a long research history, and its retrieval algorithms were developed well, so it is an important tool to retrieve large scale moisture information from satellite data in the future.

Remotely Activated Nanoparticles for Anticancer Therapy

Cancer has nowadays become one of the leading causes of death worldwide.Conventional anticancer approaches are associated with different limitations.Therefore,innovative methodologies are being investigated,and several researchers propose the use of remotely activated nanoparticles to trigger cancer cell death.The idea is to conjugate two different components,i.e.,an external physical input and nanoparticles.Both are given in a harmless dose that once combined together act synergistically to therapeutically treat the cell or tissue of interest,thus also limiting the negative outcomes for the surrounding tissues.Tuning both the properties of the nanomaterial and the involved triggering stimulus,it is possible furthermore to achieve not only a therapeutic effect,but also a powerful platform for imaging at the same time,obtaining a nano-theranostic application.In the present review,we highlight the role of nanoparticles as therapeutic or theranostic tools,thus excluding the cases where a molecular drug is activated.We thus present many examples where the highly cytotoxic power only derives from the active interaction between different physical inputs and nanoparticles.We perform a special focus on mechanical waves responding nanoparticles,in which remotely activated nanoparticles directly become therapeutic agents without the need of the administration of chemotherapeutics or sonosensitizing drugs.

A Comparison of Cloud Layers from Ground and Satellite Active Remote Sensing at the Southern Great Plains ARM Site

Using the data collected over the Southern Great Plains ARM site from 2006 to 2010, the surface Active Remote Sensing of Cloud （ARSCL） and CloudSat-CALIPSO satellite （CC） retrievals of total cloud and six specified cloud types [low, midlow （ML）, high-mid-low （HML）, mid, high-mid （HM） and high] were compared in terms of cloud fraction （CF）, cloud-base height （CBH）, cloud-top height （CTH） and cloud thickness （CT）, on different temporal scales, to identify their respective advantages and limitations. Good agreement between the two methods was exhibited in the total CF. However, large discrepancies were found between the cloud distributions of the two methods at a high （240-m） vertical grid spacing. Compared to the satellites, ARSCL retrievals detected more boundary layer clouds, while they underestimated high clouds. In terms of the six specific cloud types, more low- and mid-level clouds but less HML- and high-level clouds were detected by ARSCL than by CC. In contrast, the ARSCL retrievals of ML- and HM-level clouds agreed more closely with the estimations from the CC product. Lower CBHs tended to be reported by the surface data for low-, ML- and HML-level clouds; however, higher CTHs were often recorded by the satellite product for HML-, HM- and high-level clouds. The mean CTs for low- and ML-level cloud were similar between the two products; however, the mean CTs for HML-, mid-, HM- and high-level clouds from ARSCL were smaller than those from CC.

THE ANALYSIS OF REMOTE SENSING IMAGES FOR ACTIVE FAULTS AND EARTHQUAKES IN CHINA

The Landsat image information has recently been widely applied to structural geology, especially to the analysis of lineaments, owing to their macroscopic, visual and comprehensive features. The images will be more effective when applied to the interpretation of active faults. Active faults are widely ditributed in China. Much attention has been paid to the study of active faults both in China and abroad. There is certain controversy concerning the implication of the term "active fault". Strictly speaking, the term should refer only to the faults that are still active in the present day. However, the term also usually refers to the faults which have been active continually or intermittently from the Quaternary (or the end of Tertiary) to the present day. We propose that the tones and the configurations of features on Landsat images are the principal keys to the interpretation of active faults. The faults, which display the most prominent

Magnetogenetics: remote non-invasive magnetic activation of neuronal activity with a magnetoreceptor

Current neuromodulation techniques such as optogenetics and deep-brain stimulation are transforming basic and translational neuroscience. These two neuro- modulation approaches are, however, invasive since surgical implantation of an optical fiber or wire electrode is required. Here, we have invented a non-invasive magnetogenetics that combines the genetic targeting of a mag- netoreceptor with remote magnetic stimulation. The noninvasive activation of neurons was achieved by neuronal expression of an exogenous magnetoreceptor, an iron-sulfur cluster assembly protein 1 （Iscal）. In HEK-293 cells and cultured hippocampal neurons expressing this magnetoreceptor, application of an external magnetic field resulted in membrane depolarization and calcium influx in a reproducible and reversible manner, as indicated by the ultrasensitive fluorescent calcium indicator GCaMP6s.Moreover, the magnetogenetic control of neuronal activity might be dependent on the direction of the magnetic field and exhibits on-response and off-response patterns for the external magnetic field applied. The activation of this magnetoreceptor can depolarize neurons and elicit trains of action potentials, which can be triggered repetitively with a remote magnetic field in whole-cell patch-clamp recording. In transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans expressing this magnetoreceptor in myo-3-specific muscle cells or mec-4- specific neurons, application of the external magnetic field triggered muscle contraction and withdrawal behavior of the worms, indicative of magnet-dependent activation of muscle cells and touch receptor neurons, respectively. The advantages of magnetogenetics over optogenetics are its exclusive non-invasive, deep penetration, long-term continuous dosing, unlimited accessibility, spatial uniformity and relative safety. Like optogenetics that has gone through decade-long improvements, magnetogenetics, with continuous modification and maturation, will reshape the current landscape of neuromodulation toolboxes and will have a broad range of applications to basic and translational neuroscience as well as other biological sciences. We envision a new age of magnetogenetics is coming.

Beyond 1,4-addition of in-situ generated(aza-)quinone methides and indole imine methides

The conjugate addition of in-situ generated(aza-)quinone methides(QMs)and indole imine methides(IIMs)emerged as a powerful protocol to access densely functionalized benzenes and indoles.Hydroxybenzyl alcohols,aminobenzhydryl alcohols,and varied indolylmethanols served as most effective precursors for the in-situ generation of such reactive species under acid conditions.The relevant propargylic alcohol has proven to be an elegant precursor to generate the propargylic-QMs and-IIMs via the acid promoted dehydration process,thus enabling diverse challenging remote activation to proceed conjugate1,6-and 1,8-additions.Moreover,the heteroarene has proven to be workable to transfer the LUMO of the p-QMs and 2-IIMs,thus inducing the remote nucleophilic dearomative additions.The conjugate additions of(aza-)p-QMs and varied IIMs has made significant contribution in the field of remote activation chemistry in past decade.This review summarizes the latest advances of the remote conjugate additions of the in-situ generated QMs and IIMs.