[en] A detailed analysis of springtime ozone outbreaks in South/Southwest China is presented in this paper, providing an insight into a regional photochemical and climate problem. A major ozone episode in 2013 was the first ever in April and the worst in Hong Kong up to 2018, measuring a peak ozone concentration of 293 μg m⁻³. This multi-day, ozone pollution was evidenced by similar conditions in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), and an even more severe episode in Kunming (Yunnan) in Southwest China. Concurrently, widespread air temperature composite anomalies of up to about + 4°K were observed in the region, particularly during 6Z (14:00 local time). The global annual geopotential height anomaly implied increased atmospheric stability and inhibited dispersion—consistent with global warming impacts for the region. Backward trajectories, satellite observations, and transport model simulations characterized the biomass burning sources. Results indicated that activities in Indochina, South and Southwest China, and Africa were the main sources in South China while those in Burma dominated Southwest China. The close succession of outbreaks from west to east (Kunming, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong) suggests an eastward transport of ozone and precursors.

[en] Tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) has emerged as a powerful analytical tool for measuring chemical images with nanometre spatial resolution. In this paper, the application of TERS to study differentiation of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with 14 nm spatial resolution is demonstrated by the measurement of a mixture of two different types of SWCNTs as the model sample. The results demonstrate that TERS is a viable tool for the detection and localization of different SWCNTs and amorphous carbon in mixed SWCNTs based on the spectral differences in the radial breathing mode and the D bands.

[en] Tip-enhanced Raman mapping is a powerful, emerging technique that offers rich chemical information and high spatial resolution. Currently, most of the successes in tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) measurements are based on the inverted configuration where tips and laser are approaching the sample from opposite sides. This results in the limitation of measurement for transparent samples only. Several approaches have been developed to obtain tip-enhanced Raman mapping in reflection mode, many of which involve certain customisations of the system. We have demonstrated in this work that it is also possible to obtain TERS nano-images using an upright microscope (top-illumination) with a gold-coated Si atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilever without significant modification to the existing integrated AFM/Raman system. A TERS image of a single-walled carbon nanotube has been achieved with a spatial resolution of ∼ 20-50 nm, demonstrating the potential of this technique for studying non-transparent nanoscale materials.

[en] We report on an application of gas-kinetic BGK scheme to the computation of turbulent compressible convection in the stellar interior. After incorporating the Sub-grid Scale (SGS) turbulence model into the BGK scheme, we tested the effects of numerical parameters on the quantitative relationships among the thermodynamic variables, their fluctuations and correlations in a very deep, initially gravity-stratified stellar atmosphere. Comparison indicates that the thermal properties and dynamic properties are dominated by different aspects of numerical models separately. An adjustable Deardorff constant in the SGS model c_μ.25 and an amplitude of artificial viscosity in the gas-kinetic BGK scheme C₂ = 0 are appropriate for the current study. We also calculated the density-weighted auto- and cross-correlation functions in Xiong's turbulent stellar convection theory based on which the gradient type of models of the non-local transport and the anisotropy of the turbulence were preliminarily studied. No universal relations or constant parameters were found for these models. (research papers)

[en] Purpose: To measure nasopharyngeal carcinoma tumor volume based on magnetic resonance images using a validated semiautomated measurement methodology and correlate tumor volume with TNM T classification. Methods and Materials: The study population consisted of 206 consecutive nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients who had magnetic resonance imaging staging scans. Tumor volume was measured using a semisupervised knowledge-based fuzzy clustering algorithm. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to TNM T classification. The difference in tumor volumes among the various TNM T-classification groups was examined. Results: The mean tumor volume in each T-classification group is as follows: T1, 8.6 mL ± 5.0 (standard deviation [SD]); T2, 18.1 mL ± 8.1 (SD); T3, 25.8 mL ± 14.1 (SD); and T4, 36.2 mL ± 18.9 (SD). The mean tumor volume increased significantly with advancing T classification (p < 0.0001). Tumor volume in a more advanced T group was significantly larger than that in an adjacent early T group (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Validated magnetic resonance imaging-based tumor volume shows positive correlation between tumor volume and advancing T-classification groups. It may be possible to incorporate tumor volume as an additional prognostic factor into the existing TNM system