Weak ENSO Asymmetry Due to Weak Nonlinear Air–Sea Interaction in CMIP5 Climate Models

State-of-the-art climate models have long-standing intrinsic biases that limit their simulation and projection capabilities. Significantly weak ENSO asymmetry and weakly nonlinear air-sea interaction over the tropical Pacific was found in CMIP5 （Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, Phase 5） climate models compared with observation. The results suggest that a weak nonlinear air-sea interaction may play a role in the weak ENSO asymmetry. Moreover, a weak nonlinearity in air-sea interaction in the models may be associated with the biases in the mean climate--the cold biases in the equatorial central Pacific. The excessive cold tongue bias pushes the deep convection far west to the western Pacific warm pool region and suppresses its development in the central equatorial Pacific. The deep convection has difficulties in further moving to the eastern equatorial Pacific, especially during extreme El Nifio events, which confines the westerly wind anomaly to the western Pacific. This weakens the eastern Pacific El Nifio events, especially the extreme E1 Nifio events, and thus leads to the weakened ENSO asymmetry in climate models. An accurate mean state structure （especially a realistic cold tongue and deep convection） is critical to reproducing ENSO events in climate models. Our evaluation also revealed that ENSO statistics in CMIP5 climate models are slightly improved compared with those of CMIP3. The weak ENSO asymmetry in CMIP5 is closer to the observation. It is more evident in CMIP5 that strong ENSO activities are usually accompanied by strong ENSO asymmetry, and the diversity of ENSO amplitude is reduced.

Western Pacific Warm Pool and ENSO Asymmetry in CMIP3 Models

Theoretical and empirical studies have suggested that an underestimate of the ENSO asymmetry may be accompanied by a climatologically smaller and warmer western Pacific warm pool. In light of this suggestion, simulations of the tropical Pacific climate by 19 Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 3 （CMIP3） climate models that do not use flux adjustment were evaluated. Our evaluation revealed systematic biases in both the mean state and ENSO statistics. The mean state in most of the models had a smaller and warmer warm pool. This common bias in the mean state was accompanied by a common bias in the simulated ENSO statistics： a significantly weak asymmetry between the two phases of ENSO. Moreover, despite the generally weak ENSO asymmetry simulated by all models, a positive correlation between the magnitude of the bias in the simulated warm-pool size and the magnitude of the bias in the simulated ENSO asymmetry was found. These findings support the suggested link between ENSO asymmetry and the tropical mean state--the climatological size and temperature of the warm pool in particular. Together with previous studies, these findings light up a path to improve the simulation of the tropical Pacific mean state by climate models： enhancing the asymmetry of ENSO in the climate models.

Structural sensitivity of heterogeneous catalysts for sustainable chemical synthesis of gluconic acid from glucose

Gluconic acid and its derivatives have been widely used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Conventional processes that involve the conversion of glucose into gluconic acid via fermentation present several technological shortcomings as they involve energy-intensive wastewater treatment and complex enzyme separation. Greener oxidation processes over heterogeneous metal catalysts have attracted increasing attention worldwide. Au-, Pt-and Pd-based heterogeneous catalysts have been extensively used for the chemical oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid. Bimetallic catalysts synthesized by adding either noble or inexpensive metals have also presented excellent performance for the oxidations of glucose. In particular, particle size, which has been recognized as the most important factor that affect catalytic performances, could be rationally tuned by changing the types of support and ligand as well as the synthesis conditions. In this perspective review, we summarize and critically discuss the recent advances in the structural design of mono-and bimetallic catalysts for the oxidation of glucose in aqueous media. Furthermore, the challenges of developing catalysts for the green synthesis of gluconic acid have been highlighted. This review provides alternative insights for designing effective catalytic materials for the catalytic oxidation of bio-derived oxygenates over heterogeneous catalysts.

Meeting report:a hard look at the state of enamel research

The Encouraging Novel Amelogenesis Models and Ex vivo cell Lines （ENAMEL） Development workshop was held on 23 June 2017 at the Bethesda headquarters of the National institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research （NIDCR）. Discussion topics included model organisms, stem cells/cell lines, and tissues/3D cell culture/organoids. Scientists from a number of disciplines, representing institutions from across the United States, gathered to discuss advances in our understanding of enamel, as well as future directions for the field.

Suppression of a spontaneous dust density wave by modulation of ion streaming

Synchronization of a self-excited dust density wave has been experimentally investigated in a strongly coupled dusty plasma.A dust density wave of frequency^78 Hz is spontaneously generated from the dust void boundary due to the ion streaming instability.The electric field in the dust void region is measured,and the electric field force and ion drag force on the dust particles at the void boundary are estimated to explain the mechanism of spontaneous dust density wave excitation.Synchronization occurring through the suppression mechanism is observed by modulating the ion streaming by applying an external sinusoidal signal to the dust void.At sufficiently high modulation amplitude,the onset of period-doubling bifurcation is observed.Fast Fourier transform spectral analysis is done using time-series data obtained from high-speed video imaging.The van der Pol equation with a force term is used to correlate the observed suppression phenomena.

Analysis of electron energy distribution function in a magnetically filtered complex plasma

The electron energy distribution function （EEDF） for a magnetically filtered dusty plasma is studied in a dusty double plasma device where the electron energy can be varied from 0.15 eV to ～ 2.8 eV and plasma density from 10 6 cm-3 to 10 9cm-3 . The characteristics of EEDF for these ranges of plasma parameters are investigated in a pristine plasma as well as in a dusty plasma. The results show that in the presence of dust, there is a drastic modification in EEDF patterns in a plasma with higher electron temperature and density than those in a low temperature and low density plasma produced by the magnetic filter.

K-P-Burgers equation in negative ion-rich relativistic dusty plasma including the effect of kinematic viscosity

The stationary solution is obtained for the K–P–Burgers equation that describes the nonlinear propagations of dust ion acoustic waves in a multi-component, collisionless, un-magnetized relativistic dusty plasma consisting of electrons, positive and negative ions in the presence of charged massive dust grains. Here, the Kadomtsev–Petviashvili(K–P) equation, threedimensional(3D) Burgers equation, and K–P–Burgers equations are derived by using the reductive perturbation method including the effects of viscosity of plasma fluid, thermal energy, ion density, and ion temperature on the structure of a dust ion acoustic shock wave(DIASW). The K–P equation predictes the existences of stationary small amplitude solitary wave,whereas the K–P–Burgers equation in the weakly relativistic regime describes the evolution of shock-like structures in such a multi-ion dusty plasma.

Nonlinear ion-acoustic solitary waves in an electron-positron-ion plasma with relativistic positron beam

The propagation characteristics of nonlinear ion–acoustic（IA） solitary waves（SWs） are studied in thermal electron–positron–ion plasma considering the effect of relativistic positron beam. Starting from a set of fluid equations and using the reductive perturbation technique, we derive a Korteweg–de Vries（KdV） equation which governs the evolution of weakly nonlinear IA SWs in relativistic beam driven plasmas. The properties of the IA soliton are studied, and it is shown that the presence of relativistic positron beam significantly modifies the characteristics of IA solitons.

Magnetic-Bottle and Velocity-Map Imaging Photoelectron Spectroscopy of APS-(A=C14H10 or Anthracene):Electron Structure,Spin-Orbit Coupling of APS,and Dipole-Bound State of APS-

Gaseous dibenzo-7-phosphanorbornadiene P-sulfide anions APS （A C14H10 or anthracene） were generated via electrospray ionization, and characterized by magnetic-bottle photoelec- tron spectroscopy, velocity-map imaging （VMI） photoelectron spectroscopy, and quantum chemical calculations. The electron affinity （EA） and spin-orbit （SO） splitting of the APS＂ radical are determined from the photoelectron spectra and Franck-Condon factor simulations to be EA （2.62-4-0.05） eV and SO splitting （43-4-7） meV. VMI photoelectron images show strong and sharp peaks near the detachment threshold with an identical electron kinetic energy （eKE） of 17.9 meV at three different detachment wavelengths, which are therefore assigned to autodetachment from dipole-bound anion states. The B3LYP/6-31＋＋G（d,p） calculations indicate APS has a dipole moment of 3.31 Debye, large enough to support a dipole-bound electron.

Surface charge induced tuning of electrical properties of CVD assisted graphene and functionalized graphene sheets

We demonstrate a new approach to tune the electrical properties of graphene and functionalized graphene. Graphene was synthesized using thermal chemical vapour deposition(TCVD) method on copper foil using precursor gas acetylene and co-catalyst H2 gas. TCVD assisted graphene was successfully transferred onto a silicon wafer. Transferred graphene sheet was then functionalized to prepare graphene oxide(GO) and reduced graphene oxide(rGO). Different surface charge carbon nanoparticles, e.g. carbon nanoparticle with net positive charge and carbon nanoparticle with net negative charge were then immobilized on transferred graphene and functionalized graphene sheets. The functionalized graphene and charge mobilized functionalized graphene were characterized by Uv–vis spectroscopy,Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. After immobilization of carbon nanomaterials, the ac electrical conductivity was found to increase due to enhancement of the surface charge, electron density, and mobility. It was observed that negative surface charge immobilized graphene and functionalized graphene show higher conductivity. Thus, the electrical property of graphene and functionalized graphene can be tuned by surface modification with different surface charge carbon nanomaterials.

Sequence-Defined Nanotubes Assembled from IR780-Conjugated Peptoids for Chemophototherapy of Malignant Glioma

Near-infrared(NIR)laser-induced phototherapy through NIR agents has demonstrated the great potential for cancer therapy.However,insufficient tumor killing due to the nonuniform heat or cytotoxic singlet oxygen(1 O2)distribution over tumors from phototherapy results in tumor recurrence and inferior outcomes.To achieve high tumor killing efficacy,one of the solutions is to employ the combinational treatment of phototherapy with other modalities,especially with chemotherapeutic agents.In this paper,a simple and effective multimodal therapeutic system was designed via combining chemotherapy,photothermal therapy(PTT),and photodynamic therapy(PDT)to achieve the polytherapy of malignant glioma which is one of the most aggressive tumors in the brain.IR-780(IR780)dye-labeled tube-forming peptoids(PepIR)were synthesized and self-assembled into crystalline nanotubes(PepIR nanotubes).These PepIR nanotubes showed an excellent efficacy for PDT/PTT because the IR780 photosensitizers were effectively packed and separated from each other within crystalline nanotubes by tuning IR780 density;thus,a self-quenching of these IR780 molecules was significantly reduced.Moreover,the efficient DOX loading achieved due to the nanotube large surface area contributed to an efficient and synergistic chemotherapy against glioma cells.Given the unique properties of peptoids and peptoid nanotubes,we believe that the developed multimodal DOX-loaded PepIR nanotubes in this work offer great promises for future glioma therapy in clinic.

Peptoid-based hierarchically-structured biomimetic nanomaterials: Synthesis, characterization and applications

Peptoids(or poly-N-substituted glycines)are a promising class of bioinspired sequence-defined polymers due to their highly efficient synthesis,high chemical stability,enzyme hydrolysis resistance,and biocompatibility.By tuning the side chain chemistry of peptoids,it allows for precise control over sequences and achieving a large side-chain diversity.Due to these unique features,in the last several years,many amphiphilic peptoids were designed as highly tunable building blocks for the preparation of biomimetic nanomaterials with well-defined hierarchical structures and desired functionalities.Herein,we provide an overview of the recent achievements in this area by dividing them into the following three aspects.First,mica-and silica-templated peptoid selfassembly are summarized.The presence of inorganic substrates provides the guarantee of investigating their selfassembly mechanisms and interactions between peptoids and substrates using nanoscale characterization techniques,particularly in situ atomic force microscopy(AFM)and AFMbased dynamic force spectroscopy(AFM-DFS).Second,solution-phase self-assembly of peptoids into nanotubes and nanosheets is presented,as well as their self-repair properties.Third,the applications of peptoid-based nanomaterials are outlined,including the construction of catalytic nanomaterials as a template and cytosolic delivery as cargoes.

2020 roadmap on pore materials for energy and environmental applications

Porous materials have attracted great attention in energy and environment applications,such as metal organic frameworks(MOFs),metal aerogels,carbon aerogels,porous metal oxides.These materials could be also hybridized with other materials into functional composites with superior properties.The high specific area of porous materials offer them the advantage as hosts to conduct catalytic and electrochemical reactions.On one hand,catalytic reactions include photocatalytic,p ho toe lectrocatalytic and electrocatalytic reactions over some gases.On the other hand,they can be used as electrodes in various batteries,such as alkaline metal ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors.So far,both catalysis and batteries are extremely attractive topics.There are also many obstacles to overcome in the exploration of these porous materials.The research related to porous materials for energy and environment applications is at extremely active stage,and this has motivated us to contribute with a roadmap on ’porous materials for energy and environment applications’.

Kadomtsev–Petviashvili(KP) Burgers Equation in Dusty Negative Ion Plasmas:Evolution of Dust-Ion Acoustic Shocks

We study the nonlinear propagation of dust-ion acoustic(DIA) shock waves in an un-magnetized dusty plasma which consists of electrons, both positive and negative ions and negatively charged immobile dust grains. Starting from a set of hydrodynamic equations with the ion thermal pressures and ion kinematic viscosities included, and using a standard reductive perturbation method, the Kadomtsev–Petviashivili–Burgers(K-P-Burgers) equation is derived, which governs the evolution of DIA shocks. A stationary solution of the K-P-Burgers equation is obtained and its properties are analysed with different plasma number densities, ion temperatures and masses. It is shown that a transition from shocks with negative potential to positive one occurs depending on the negative ion concentration in the plasma and the obliqueness of propagation of DIA waves.

In situ preparation of visible-light-driven carbon quantum dots/NaBiO3 hybrid materials for the photoreduction of Cr(Ⅵ)

In this study,different carbon quantum dots(CQDs)/NaBiO3 hybrid materials were synthesized as photocatalysts to effectively utilize visible light for the photocatalytic degradation of contaminants effectively.These hybrid materials exhibit an enhanced photocatalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium(Cr(Ⅵ))in the aqueous medium.Zero-dimensional nanoparticles of CQDs were embedded within the two-dimensional NaBiO3 nanosheets by the hydrothermal process.Compared with that of the pure NaBiO3 nanosheets,the photocatalytic performance of the hybrid catalysts was significantly high and 6 wt.%CQDs/NaBiO3 catalyst exhibited better photocatalytic performance.We performed the first-principles density functional theory calculations to study the interfacial properties of pure NaBiO3 nanosheets and hybrid photocatalysts,and confirmed the CQDs played an important role in the CQDs/NaBiO3 composites.The experimental results indicated that the enhanced reduction of Cr(Ⅵ)was probably due to the high loading of CQDs(electron acceptor)on NaBiO3,which made NaBiO3 nanomaterials to respond in visible light and significantly improved their electron-hole separation efficiency.

Molecular recognition and specificity of biomolecules to titanium dioxide from molecular dynamics simulations

Titania(TiO_(2))is used extensively in biomedical applications;efforts to boost the biocompatibility of TiO_(2) include coating it with the titania binding hexamer,RKLPDA.To understand the binding mechanism of this peptide,we employ molecular dynamics simulations enhanced by metadynamics to study three amino acids present in the peptide—arginine(R),lysine(K),and aspartate(D),on four TiO2 variants that have different degrees of surface hydroxyl groups.

Modulation of the electronic states of perovskite SrCrO3 thin films through protonation via low-energy hydrogen plasma implantation approaches

Hydrogenation of transition metal oxides offers a powerful platform to tailor physical functionalities as well as for potential applications in modern electronic technologies.An ideal nondestructive and efficient hydrogen incorporation approach is important for the realistic technological applications.We demonstrate the proton injection on SrCro3 thin films via an efficient low-energy hydrogen plasma implantation experiments,without destroying the original lattice framework.Hydrogen ions accumu-late largely at the interfacial regions with amorphous character which extend about one-third of the total thickness.The Hx.SrCro3(HSCO)thin films appear like exfoliated layers which however retain the fully strained state with distorted perovskite structure.Proton doping induces the change of Cr oxidation state from Cr^4+to Cr^3+in HSCO thin films and a transition from metallic to insulat-ing phase.Our investigations suggest an attractive platform in manipulating the electronic phases in proton-based approaches and may offer a potential peeling off strategy for nanoscale devices through low-energy hydrogen plasma implantation approaches.