Characterisation and calibration of low-cost PM sensors at high temporal resolution to reference-grade performance.

Particulate Matter (PM) low-cost sensors (LCS) present a cost-effective opportunity to improve the spatiotemporal resolution of airborne PM data. Previous studies focused on PM-LCS-reported hourly data and identified, without fully addressing, their limitations. However, PM-LCS provide measurements at finer temporal resolutions. Furthermore, government bodies have developed certifications to accompany new uses of these sensors, but these certifications have shortcomings. To address these knowledge gaps, PM-LCS of two models, 8 Sensirion SPS30 and 8 Plantower PMS5003, were collocated for one year with a Fidas 200S, MCERTS-certified PM monitor and were characterised at 2 min resolution, enabling replication of certification processes, and highlighting their limitations and improvements. Robust linear models using sensor-reported particle number concentrations and relative humidity, coupled with 2-week biannual calibration campaigns, achieved reference-grade performance, at median PM2.5 background concentration of 5.5 µg/m3, demonstrating that, with careful calibration, PM-LCS may cost-effectively supplement reference equipment in multi-nodes networks with fine spatiotemporality.

Topological examination of the bacteriophage lambda S holin by EPR spectroscopy.

The S protein from bacteriophage lambda is a three-helix transmembrane protein produced by the prophage which accumulates in the host membrane during late gene expression. It is responsible for the first step in lysing the host cell at the end of the viral life cycle by multimerizing together to form large pores which permeabilize the host membrane to allow the escape of virions. Several previous studies have established a model for the assembly of holin into functional holes and the manner in which they pack together, but it is still not fully understood how the very rapid transition from monomer or dimer to multimeric pore occurs with such precise timing once the requisite threshold is reached. Here, site-directed spin labeling with a nitroxide label at introduced cysteine residues is used to corroborate existing topological data from a crosslinking study of the multimerized holin by EPR spectroscopy. CW-EPR spectral lineshape analysis and power saturation data are consistent with a three-helix topology with an unstructured C-terminal domain, as well as at least one interface on transmembrane domain 1 which is exposed to the lumen of the hole, and a highly constrained steric environment suggestive of a tight helical packing interface at transmembrane domain 2.

Author Correction: Long-term field comparison of multiple low-cost particulate matter sensors in an outdoor urban environment.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Cellular mRNA export factor UAP56 recognizes nucleic acid binding site of influenza virus NP protein.

Influenza A virus nucleoprotein (NP) is a structural component that encapsulates the viral genome into the form of ribonucleoprotein complexes (vRNPs). Efficient assembly of vRNPs is critical for the virus life cycle. The assembly route from RNA-free NP to the NP-RNA polymer in vRNPs has been suggested to require a cellular factor UAP56, but the mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we characterized the interaction between NP and UAP56 using recombinant proteins and showed that UAP56 features two NP binding sites. In addition to the UAP56 core comprised of two RecA domains, we identified the N-terminal extension (NTE) of UAP56 as a previously unknown NP binding site. In particular, UAP56-NTE recognizes the nucleic acid binding region of NP. This corroborates our observation that binding of UAP56-NTE and RNA to NP is mutually exclusive. Collectively, our results reveal the molecular basis for how UAP56 acts on RNA-free NP, and provide new insights into NP-mediated influenza genome packaging.

Long-term field comparison of multiple low-cost particulate matter sensors in an outdoor urban environment.

Exposure to ambient particulate matter (PM) air pollution is a leading risk factor for morbidity and mortality, associated with up to 8.9 million deaths/year worldwide. Measurement of personal exposure to PM is hindered by poor spatial resolution of monitoring networks. Low-cost PM sensors may improve monitoring resolution in a cost-effective manner but there are doubts regarding data reliability. PM sensor boxes were constructed using four low-cost PM micro-sensor models. Three boxes were deployed at each of two schools in Southampton, UK, for around one year and sensor performance was analysed. Comparison of sensor readings with a nearby background station showed moderate to good correlation (0.61 < r < 0.88, p < 0.0001), but indicated that low-cost sensor performance varies with different PM sources and background concentrations, and to a lesser extent relative humidity and temperature. This may have implications for their potential use in different locations. Data also indicates that these sensors can track short-lived events of pollution, especially in conjunction with wind data. We conclude that, with appropriate consideration of potential confounding factors, low-cost PM sensors may be suitable for PM monitoring where reference-standard equipment is not available or feasible, and that they may be useful in studying spatially localised airborne PM concentrations.

City Scale Particulate Matter Monitoring Using LoRaWAN Based Air Quality IoT Devices.

Air Quality (AQ) is a very topical issue for many cities and has a direct impact on citizen health. The AQ of a large UK city is being investigated using low-cost Particulate Matter (PM) sensors, and the results obtained by these sensors have been compared with government operated AQ stations. In the first pilot deployment, six AQ Internet of Things (IoT) devices have been designed and built, each with four different low-cost PM sensors, and they have been deployed at two locations within the city. These devices are equipped with LoRaWAN wireless network transceivers to test city scale Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) coverage. The study concludes that (i) the physical device developed can operate at a city scale; (ii) some low-cost PM sensors are viable for monitoring AQ and for detecting PM trends; (iii) LoRaWAN is suitable for city scale sensor coverage where connectivity is an issue. Based on the findings from this first pilot project, a larger LoRaWAN enabled AQ sensor network is being deployed across the city of Southampton in the UK.

The anti-bacterial effect of an electrochemical anti-fouling method intended for the protection of miniaturised oceanographic sensors.

An electrochemical anti-fouling method, based upon the generation of chlorine from seawater, was applied to a proprietary design of Lab on a Chip conductivity, temperature and dissolved oxygen sensor. The method was evaluated using PCR after a six-week field trial in which it significantly reduced the burden of bacterial biofouling.