bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reassessing the concept of the ‘Neolithic’ in the Jomon of Western Japan
Authors: Kaner Simon , Ishikawa Takeshi
Published: June 2014

The concept of the Mesolithic/Neolithic transition is difficult to apply in the Japanese archipelago. The earliest pottery usage occurs in late Palaeolithic contexts. Holocene foragers lived in stable, permanent village settlements and constructed large scale monuments, and the first real ‘agriculture’ arrived as part of a cultural package which also included metallurgy. This paper will examine the use of the term ‘Neolithic’ in the history of Japanese archaeology, with particular emphasis on what happened in the western part of the archipelago in the latter part of the Jomon period (c. 5000 BC – c. 500 BC). Recent investigations in Kyushu and Western Honshu are leading to a re-assessment of the nature of Jomon culture and society in this region, traditionally considered to have ‘lagged behind’ the more developed societies of the eastern part of the archipelago, expressed in part through much lower population densities.
Mesolithic heritage in early Neolithic burial rituals and personal adornments
Authors: Lenneis Eva
Published: June 2014

Some burial rituals such as cremation or the use of colorants, especially ochre, have old roots in the preceding Mesolithic and even in the Palaeolithic. The evidence for these old rituals is more dense in central or western Europe than in south east Europe, whence most of the new Neo- lithic ideas came. Among the personal adornments a small amount of snail-shell ornaments, stag tusks, tusks of wild boar and pendants made from antler are of special interest. People wearing these very traditional, old adornments are generally equipped with precious ‘new’ things such as Spondylus, ceramics, adzes etc, and therefore show them as high status people in early Neolithic society.
Digging the Neolithic stamp-seals of SE Europe from archaeological deposits, texts and mental constructs
Authors: Prijatelj Agni
Published: June 2014

The article presents the archaeological and experimental data on the Neolithic stamp- seals from phenomenological perspective. An alternative view to their production, consumption and symbolic values is proposed by employing concepts of affordances, constraints, icons, indexes and symbols. It is argued that the stamp-seal motifs probably conveyed specific information, while objects were included in various networks of meaning. Similar importance is given to the fact that the stamp seals probably evolved a secondary mode of use.
‘Sheep are your mother’: Rhyta and the interspecies politics in the Neolithic of the eastern Adriatic
Authors: Mlekuž Dimitrij
Published: June 2014

This paper explores the relations between humans and animals through material culture, or more specifically, four-footed vessels also called rhyta (sing. rhyton). I want to suggest that rhyta are not merely artistic representations of something or some kind of cult paraphernalia, but that they embody effective social agency. I place them in the context of human-animal or interspecies politics in the Neolithic of the eastern Adriatic.
Phase and chemical composition analysis of pigments used in Cucuteni Neolithic painted ceramics
Authors: Constantinescu Bogdan , Bugoi Roxana , Pantos Emmanuel , Popovici Dragomir
Published: June 2014

Two analytical methods – 241Am-based X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Synchrotron Radiation X-ray Diffraction (SR-XRD) – were used to investigate the elemental and mineralogical composition of pigments which decorate some Cucuteni Neolithic ceramic sherds. Local hematite and local calcite were the main components for red and white pigments, respectively. For black pigments, iron oxides (e.g. magnetite) were used. They were often mixed with manganese oxides (e.g. jacobsite), which originated from Iacobeni manganese minerals deposits on the Bistrita River. Taking into account the results of the experiments, several conclusions regarding manufacturing procedures employed, and potential trade routes during the Neolithic were drawn.
The Lengyel culture settlement in Bučany (preliminary report on pottery processing)
Authors: Pažinová Noémi
Published: June 2014

The paper presents the preliminary results of the numerous ceramic finds from the Lengyel Culture settlement, excavated between 1979 and 1981, with a circular object, probably of cult nature, in Bučany, county Trnava, Slovakia. The analysis focuses on a statistical method of numerical coding that simplifies working with huge data files and helps by exact description and classification of the finds. The starting pointing of this approach is recognition of connections and relations (in typological and decorated respects) of the ceramic material. The most suitable comparisons could be found in material from Neolithic sites of south-west Slovakia, Moravia and Austria.
Jomon pottery: cord-imitating decoration
Authors: Zhushchikhovskaya Irina
Published: June 2014

The paper discusses the decoration of pottery of the Neolithic Jomon culture (Japanese Archipelago, 13600–900 BC). The comb-impressed pattern produced by various kinds of cord or rope stamps is considered as the ‘calling card’ of Jomon pottery from the earliest cultural periods to the latest. Another kind of decoration recognized recently uses the cord not as a patterning tool, but as an essential motif of decorative composition. High relief elements imitate cordage forms and structures – knots, loops, hanging cord, net, etc. This kind of decoration corresponds to the pottery of Mid-dle Jomon period (3500–2500 BC) sites located in northern and north-eastern Honshu and southern Hokkaido. It is supposed that the introduction of images of real material object into the field of decorative art was reasoned by the meaning of cord and cordage as cultural signs during the Middle Jomon period. Interesting parallels to some cordage structures reconstructed on Middle Jomon pottery decoration are well known in traditional Japanese culture of VI–XX cc. Analytical interpretation of this resemblance may became the subject of special research.
When did the ‘Neolithic package’ reach Lepenski Vir? Radiometric and faunal evidence
Authors: Borić Dušan , Dimitrijević Vesna
Published: June 2014

A recent dating program on animal bone samples from Lepenski Vir, along with faunal and various archaeometric analyses, allows us to suggest a new stratigraphic and chronological sequence for the Mesolithic-Neolithic site of Lepenski Vir in the north-central Balkans. In this paper, we particularly focus on the question of the introduction of domesticates to this site. By directly dating bones of domestic animals from the preserved faunal assemblage of Lepenski Vir, we show when the full ‘Neolithic package’ reached the site and interpret the character of this transformation.
Middle and Late Holocene hunter-gatherers in East Central Europe: changing paradigms of the ‘non-Neolithic’ way of life
Authors: Nowak Marek
Published: June 2014

According to traditional views, the main reason for ‘demesolithisation’ in East Central Europe was the spread of the Neolithic oecumene, particularly from c. 4000 BC. Simultaneously, the disintegrated Late Mesolithic world gradually underwent typological unification, and finally reached the stage that is sometimes described as pre-Neolithic. However, we definitely have to bear in mind that as a matter of fact we deal only with the ‘history’ of archaeological artefacts that are treated as typical attributes of hunter-gatherers. The analyses of chronological, technological, settlement, economic, and social data referring to foragers of East Central Europe demonstrate that the quantitative decrease and changes of their archaeological attributes in the fifth, fourth, and third millennia were not connected with a profound reorientation of their spatial and ideological existence. It was rather a continuation of previous patterns, even though territories settled by farming societies were steadily growing in size. The final disappearance of Central European hunter-gatherers – but only in a strictly typological dimension – took place in the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age.
Funerary rites in a Neolithic nomad community in Southeastern Arabia: the case of al-Buhais 18
Authors: De Beauclair Roland
Published: June 2014

Al-Buhais 18 is a Neolithic site in the United Arab Emirates. It consists of a graveyard with more than 420 individuals, an ancient spring, and a campsite. It is interpreted as a central place for a group of mobile herders in the 5th millennium BC. More than 24 000 ornamental objects have been found, many of them in a secure funerary context, making it possible to reconstruct ornamental ensembles, and shedding light on specific rules concerning the way jewellery was worn by different sub-groups of the population. Based on these observations, some hypotheses are developed on the intentions and beliefs structuring mortuary practices and the role of jewellery within these rites. Finally, questions of continuity and change in mortuary practices can be addressed by comparing al-Buhais 18 with other, younger, sites in the region.
The Stonehenge Riverside Project: exploring the Neolithic landscape of Stonehenge
Authors: Parker Pearson Mike , Pollard Joshua , Richards Colin , Thomas Julian , Tilley Chris , Welham Kate
Published: June 2014

The Stonehenge Riverside Project is a collaborative enterprise directed by six academics from five UK universities, investigating the place of Stonehenge within its contemporary landscape. In this contribution, a series of novel approaches being employed on the project are outlined, before the results of investigations at the Greater Stonehenge Cursus, Woodhenge, the Cuckoo Stone and Durrington Walls are discussed.
Imprints of the Neolithic mind – clay stamps from the Republic of Macedonia
Authors: Naumov Goce
Published: June 2014

The presence and unusual structure of clay stamps found in Neolithic settlements often give rise to multiple interpretations to define their character. The small dimensions and specific shape of the stamps suggests that these portable objects were important in the social relations and visual communication between members within the same community and, possibly, more distant communities. The definite patterns distinguishe their function in maintaining the visual traditions of the populations inhabiting southeastern Europe. They had an important role in building the Neolithic image modularity, so that they fitted into the comprehensive decorative structure of Neolithic iconography, and the patterns present on the stamps are related to several aspects of Neolithic material culture from the Balkans and Anatolia. This homogeneity of patterns indicates that they were actively included in the transposition of cognition into visual metaphors.
Colour, form, animals and deception in the ice age
Authors: Petru Simona
Published: June 2014

Vision is the main sense through which we observe and recognise the outside world. Humans are among the few mammals with trichromatic vision, which is important for food procurement and evading predators. For better hunting success, ice age people camouflaged themselves as animals. It is possible that without such an ability for deception, symbolic thought would never have evolved. Because vision is so important to humans, visual forms of the transmission of information emerged early in the history of modern humans, and today we call them Palaeolithic art. Colour and form are the principal elements of this art, but because of the lost context, we are unable to understand completely what they meant to ice age artists.
Holocene paleoclimatic and paleohydrological changesin the Sárrét basin, NW Hungary
Authors: Sümegi Pál , Gulyás Sándor , Persaits Gergő
Published: June 2014

According to detailed sedimentological and paleontological analyses carried out on samples taken from the Sárrét–Nádasdladány core-profile, a complete environmental history of a neotectonic depression was drawn. The sequence is composed of fluvial-lacustrine and marshland deposits which started to accumulate during the Late Glacial and culminated at the beginning of the Holocene. The highly characteristic changes in the biofacies were linked to changes in the lithofacies within this sequence. A transition in the dominance of moving water species, observable initially in lacustrine species preferring well-lit, well-oxygenated conditions was observed. Eventually, the littoral and eutrophic lacustrine species, as well as marsh-dwellers, became dominant in the profile, marking the emergence of uniform peat land in the Sárrét Basin.
Vlasac revisited: formation processes, stratigraphy and dating
Authors: Borić Dušan , French Charles , Dimitrijević Vesna
Published: June 2014

Since 2006, new excavations of the Mesolithic-Neolithic site of Vlasac in the Danube Gorges of the north-central Balkans have been under way. Excavations made across the surviving preserved portion of the site provide a unique opportunity for a re-evaluation of previous conclusions about the stratigraphy, chronology and the character of occupation at this classic site of the Lepenski Vir culture. Our revision work is contributing to new knowledge about formation processes at the site, its absolute dating, complex interplay of different mortuary practices and the nature of Mesolithic-Neolithic transformation in the region as a whole. Some aspects of these research efforts are presented in the paper.
Settlements, landscape and palaeoclimate dynamics on the Ižica floodplain of the Ljubljana Marshes
Authors: Budja Mihael , Mlekuž Dimitrij
Published: June 2014

In this paper we present the results of the radiocarbon dating of organic sediments from palaeochannels we have mapped by LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imagery on the Ižica floodplain. We point out that the palaeochannels and the settlement structures at Maharski prekop site are contemporaneous. We hypothesise that the episodes in past river behaviour on the Ljubljana Marshes correspond with climate anomalies in European palaeoclimate records in the Holocene.
Phylogeography of Y chromosomal haplogroups as reporters of Neolithic and post-Neolithic population processes in the Mediterranean area
Authors: Pompei Fiorenza , Cruciani Fulvio , Scozzari Rosaria , Novelletto Andrea
Published: June 2014

The phylogeny of the human Y chromosome as defined by unique event polymorphisms is being worked out in fine detail. The emerging picture of the geographic distribution of different branches of the evolutionary tree (haplogroups), and the possibility of genetically dating their antiquity, are important tools in the reconstruction of major peopling, population resettlement and demographic expansion events. In the last 10 000 years many such events took place, but they are so close together in time that the populations that experienced them carry Y chromosomal types which can hardly be distinguished genetically. Nevertheless, under some circumstances, one can detect departures from the model of a major dispersal of people over much of the territory, as classically claimed for the European Neolithic. The results of three studies of haplogroups relevant for Southern European populations are discussed. These analyses seem to resolve the signal of recent post-Neolithic events from the noise of the main East-to-West Palaeolithic/early Neolithic migrations. They also confirm that, provided an appropriate level of resolution is used, patterns of diversity among chromosomes which originated outside Europe may often be recognized as the result of discontinuous processes which occurred within Europe.
Playgrounds helping to heal traumatized children
Authors: Jones, EdD, CTRS David B.
Published: June 2014

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Emergency management 2.0: Integrating social media in emergency communications
Authors: Jafarzadeh, JD R. Sabra
Published: June 2014

Social media services have changed the way we communicate and analyze information. Through social media services, individuals can exchange information with large groups of people in real time. Furthermore, web-enabled cellular devices have made social media services accessible to significant portions of the population at all times. Moreover, because mobile infrastructure is more resilient than other modes of communication, it is the likely mode of communication during an emergency or disaster. As such, local emergency management agencies should incorporate social media tools into their communication plans to effectively communicate with the public and to obtain an enhanced level of situational awareness during an emergency or disaster. Many local emergency management agencies are unaware of the benefits of using social media tools and have false notions about the liabilities associated with social media discourse. By educating themselves about social media services, local emergency management agencies will find that social media services are an accessible resource that should be integrated within their existing communication plans.
Impact of a multidisciplinary disaster response exercise
Authors: Cook, PhD David J. , Nazir, MBBS, MPH Niaman , Skalacki, BA Marta , Grube, MA Carole Dale , Choi, PhD, MPH Won S.
Published: June 2014

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a week-long, full-scale training exercise in Kansas on multidisciplinary disaster responders from health and public safety.Design and setting: Design was structured on phase I (1 to 3 days of classroom training) and phase II (32-hour hands-on collaborative response to a simulated disaster with multiple scenarios). Prospective survey data gathered information from participants in six exercise tracks of Command, Disaster Medicine, Emergency Operations Center, Fire Rescue, Law Enforcement, and Public Information Officer.Subjects: Three hundred ninety-two multidisciplinary participants voluntarily enrolled through a continuing education registration mechanism, and all completed the exercise.Interventions: Surveys were completed at preclassroom (90 percent completion rate), postclassroom (81 percent), and postdisaster simulation at 6 months after exercise (33-76 percent).Main outcome measures: Four primary outcome measures were planned before the exercise began.Results: Since September 11, 2001, one-third of participants attended one or two similar trainings. Fire rescue participants reported lowest levels of new course content, and disaster medicine the highest. Ninety-five percent of participants reported that personal training goals were met. There were increases in substantial confidence levels in self, agency, the south central state region, and the state to respond to disasters. The least amount of confidence increase was in the state’s ability.Conclusions: Full-scale exercises require considerable time, resources, and funding; however, they offer attainment/enhancement of skills with immediate application in a team-oriented, practical setting, and this experience is invaluable when responding to real disasters caused by environmental forces, emerging infections, or terrorist events.
Radiological dispersal events within urban environments: A general method of measuring the economic impacts
Authors: Munfakh, MS Antoine N. , Smith, PhD David A. , Holt, PhD Daniel T. , Kloft, PhD Leonard J. , Unger, PhD Eric J. , Slagley, PhD Jeremy M.
Published: June 2014

A radiological dispersal device (or dirty bomb) is an affordable, feasible, and economically devastating option for terrorists. By using an input-output modeling technique, the authors present a general method to assess economic impacts resulting from the use of such a device that will aid researchers, government planners, officials, and key stakeholders. The authors extended previous efforts that focused only on direct effects, exploring the indirect and induced effects as well. In applying the method to the case of a mid-sized city, the authors quantified the area within the city with the largest impact, the central business district. More specifically, the detonation of a dirty bomb in this city’s central business district would cost approximately $1.4 billion and impact 860 firms in 270 distinct industries. In addition, approximately 18,000 people would be unemployed immediately following the attack, with an additional 113,000 people affected by the shift in the local economy as a result of indirect and induced effects.
A spatially accurate incident reporting system during the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill disaster
Authors: Kent, PhD Joshua D. , Dokka, PhD Roy K.
Published: June 2014

Disaster response to incidents such as the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill requires rapid access to comprehensive, consumable, and actionable data. Providing effective situation awareness requires data collection methodologies capable of account for the inherent spatial and temporal characteristics of the incident. However, data collection is often encumbered by complex technologies that require specialized knowledge for use. Consequently, these requirements can impede the effectiveness of disaster response. To compensate for these challenges, an easy-to-use and spatially accurate incident reporting system was designed for responders tasked with identifying the location and extent of oil infiltration within marshes and bays of south Louisiana following the disaster. This workflow was assembled around a Global Positioning System (GPS)-enabled digital camera capable of receiving positioning corrections from GPS reference networks. Images depicting oiled beaches, habitats, and wildlife were automatically georeferenced and displayed using common geographic data visualization applications. Whether uploaded to data servers or printed, the imagery was shared across a wide audience, fostering collaboration among all response agencies.
The shifting paradigms of a profession: Calming conflicts between homeland security and emergency management
Authors: Martin, PhD, CEM, CFM Daniel W.
Published: June 2014

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Increasing preparedness for water utilities, local health departments, and first responders
Authors: Casson, PhD, PE, BCEE Leonard W. , Morley, PhD Candidate Kevin M. , States, PhD Stanley J. , Watson, MD, MPH John C. , Roberson, PE J. Alan
Published: June 2014

A training program was developed by the American Water Works Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with financial support from the United States Environmental Protection Agency to bring together water utility personnel, their public health counterparts involved with epidemiology and outbreak investigation, and first responders. The objective of this training program was to help facilitate working relationships between each of the invited groups and to improve communication to better prepare for potential incidents involving physical destruction of critical water treatment and distribution facilities and/or potential intentional contamination of the public drinking water supply. This 2-day workshop was delivered in eight locations in the United States between 2004 and 2006. Representatives from 142 of the largest water utilities and 186 different public health departments received this training. In total, more than 550 individuals attended the 2-day workshop training series.The outcomes of this training program were numerous, and several important lessons were learned about how to develop, improve, and maintain relationships and communication between utilities, public health personnel, and first responders. These relationships and improved communication will allow these groups to better respond, remediate, and return utilities to normal operation following an incident.
Applying a community resilience framework to examine household emergency planning and exposure-reducing behavior among residents of Louisiana’s industrial corridor
Authors: Reams, PhD Margaret A. , Lam, PhD Nina S. N. , Cale, PhD Tabitha M. , Hinton, MS Corrinthia M.
Published: June 2014

Residents facing environmental hazards can take steps to reduce their exposure risks, and these actions may be considered adaptations that can enhance the overall resilience of communities. Applying concepts from social-ecological resilience theory, the authors examine emergency planning and exposure-reducing behaviors among residents of the upper Industrial Corridor of Louisiana and explore the extent to which the behaviors are associated with key theoretical influences on community resilience: exposure, vulnerability, and the “adaptive capacity” of residents. The behaviors of interest are adoption of a household emergency plan in the case of acute exposure events (like chemical spills), and limiting outdoor activities in response to Air Quality Index reports, thus potentially reducing chronic exposure risks. Statistical analyses indicate that adaptive behaviors are associated both with greater exposure to hazards and confidence in one’s knowledge and ability to reduce exposure risks. Thus, the study yields evidence that “adaptive capacity” is particularly relevant to understanding and encouraging household emergency planning. Residents who believe that they are well-informed about risk-reducing strategies, regardless of education or income, were found to be more likely to have adopted these measures. Evidence that knowledge and confidence levels are linked to adaptive behaviors is good news for those working in public education and outreach programs, as these are attitudes and skills that can be nurtured. While factors associated with exposure and vulnerability to hazards are difficult to change, knowledge of risk-reducing strategies and confidence in one’s abilities to reduce exposure risks can be improved through well-designed public education efforts.
Local hazard mitigation plans: A preliminary estimation of state-level completion from 2004 to 2009
Authors: Jackman, PhD Andrea M. , Beruvides, PhD, PE Mario G.
Published: June 2014

According to the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 and subsequent federal policy, local governments are required to have a Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) written and approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be eligible for federal mitigation assistance. This policy took effect on November 1, 2004. Using FEMA’s database of approved HMPs and US Census Bureau’s 2002 Survey of Local Governments, it is estimated that 3 years after the original deadline, 67 percent of the country’s active local governments were without an approved HMP. A follow-up examination in 2009 of the eight states with the lowest completion percentages did not indicate significant improvement following the initial study and revealed inconsistencies in plan completion data over time. The completion percentage varied greatly by state and did not appear to follow any expected pattern such as wealth or hazard vulnerability that might encourage prompt completion of a plan. Further, the results indicate that ~92 percent of the approved plans were completed by a multijurisdictional entity, which suggests single governments seldom complete and gain approval for plans. Based on these results, it is believed that state-level resolution is not adequate for explaining the variation of plan completion, and further study at the local level is warranted.
Building community resilience to disasters through a community-based intervention: CART© applications
Authors: Pfefferbaum, PhD, MPH Rose L. , Pfefferbaum, MD, JD Betty , Van Horn, PhD Richard L. , Neas, PhD Barbara R. , Houston, PhD J. Brian
Published: June 2014

The Communities Advancing Resilience Toolkit (CART)©* is a community-driven, publicly available, theory-based, and evidence-informed community intervention designed to build community resilience to disasters and other adversities. Based on principles of participatory action research, CART applications contribute to community resilience by encouraging and supporting community participation and cooperation, communication, self-awareness, and critical reflection. The primary value of CART lies in its ability to stimulate analysis, collaboration, skill building, resource sharing, and purposeful action. In addition to generating community assessment data, CART can be used as a vehicle for delivering other interventions and creating sustainable capacity within communities. Two models for CART implementation are described.
Aqueous phase oligomerization of methyl vinyl ketone through photooxidation – Part 1: Aging processes of oligomers
Authors: Renard P. , Siekmann F. , Salque G. , Smaani A. , Demelas C. , Coulomb B. , Vassalo L. , Ravier S. , Temime-Roussel B. , Voisin D. , Monod A.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) represents a substantial part of organic aerosol, which affects climate and human health. It is now accepted that one of the important pathways of SOA formation occurs via aqueous phase chemistry in the atmosphere. Recently, we have shown in a previous study (Renard et al., 2013) the mechanism of oligomerization of MVK (methyl vinyl ketone), and suggested that unsaturated water soluble organic compounds (UWSOC) might efficiently form SOA in wet aerosol particles, even for weakly soluble ones like MVK. The atmospheric relevance of these processes is explored by means of process model studies (in a companion paper). In the present study we investigate the aging of these aqueous phase MVK-oligomers (Part 1). We compared aqueous phase composition and SOA composition after nebulization, mainly by means of UPLC-ESI-MS and AMS, respectively. Both instruments match and show similar trend of oligomer formation and aging. The SMPS analysis performed on the nebulized solutions allow to quantify these SOA and to measure their mass yields. We have highlighted in the current study that MVK •OH-oxidation undergoes kinetic competition between functionalization and oligomerization. The SOA composition and its evolution highly depend on the precursor initial concentration. We determined the threshold of MVK concentration, i.e. 2 mM, from which oligomerization prevails over functionalization. Hence, at these concentrations, •OH-oxidation of MVK forms oligomers that are SV-OOA, with low O / C and high f43. Oligomers are then fragmented, via unidentified intermediates that have the properties of LV-OOA which then end into succinic, malonic and oxalic diacids. For lower initial MVK concentrations, the oligomerization is not the major process, and functionalization dominates, resulting in small carbonyls, dicarbonyls and mainly monoacids. The aging of these oligomers could be an explanation for the presence of a part of the diacids observed in aerosol.
Single particle characterization using the soot particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS)
Authors: Lee A. K. Y. , Willis M. D. , Healy R. M. , Onasch T. B. , Abbatt J. P. D.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Understanding the impact of atmospheric black carbon (BC) containing particles on human health and radiative forcing requires knowledge of the mixing state of BC, including the characteristics of the materials with which it is internally mixed. In this study, we demonstrate for the first time the capabilities of the Aerodyne Soot-Particle Aerosol Mass Spectrometer equipped with a light scattering module (LS-SP-AMS) to examine the mixing state of refractory BC (rBC) and other aerosol components in an urban environment (downtown Toronto). K-means clustering analysis was used to classify single particle mass spectra into chemically distinct groups. One resultant cluster is dominated by rBC mass spectral signals (C1+ to C5+) while the organic signals fall into a few major clusters, identified as hydrocarbon-like organic aerosol (HOA), oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA), and cooking emission organic aerosol (COA). A nearly external mixing is observed with small BC particles only thinly coated by HOA (∼28% by mass on average), while over 90% of the HOA-rich particles did not contain detectable amounts of rBC. Most of the particles classified into other inorganic and organic clusters were not significantly associated with BC. The single particle results also suggest that HOA and COA emitted from anthropogenic sources were likely major contributors to organic-rich particles with low to mid-range aerodynamic diameter (dva). The similar temporal profiles and mass spectral features of the organic clusters and the factors from a positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis of the ensemble aerosol dataset validate the conventional interpretation of the PMF results.
On direct passive microwave remote sensing of sea spray aerosol production
Authors: Savelyev I. B. , Anguelova M. D. , Frick G. M. , Dowgiallo D. J. , Hwang P. A. , Caffrey P. F. , Bobak J. P.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. This study addresses and attempts to mitigate persistent uncertainty and scatter among existing approaches for determining the rate of sea spray aerosol production by breaking waves in the open ocean. The new approach proposed here utilizes passive microwave emissions from the ocean surface, which are known to be sensitive to surface roughness and foam. Direct, simultaneous, and collocated measurements of the aerosol production and microwave emissions were collected on-board FLoating Instrument Platform (FLIP) in deep water ∼150 km off the coast of California over a period of ∼4 days. Vertical profiles of coarse-mode aerosol (0.25–23.5 μm) concentrations were measured with a forward scattering spectrometer and converted to surface flux using dry deposition and vertical gradient methods. Back trajectory analysis of Northeast Pacific meteorology verified the clean marine origin of the sampled air mass over at least 5 days prior to measurements. Vertical and horizontal polarization surface brightness temperatures were measured with a microwave radiometer at 10.7 GHz frequency. Data analysis revealed a strong sensitivity of the brightness temperature polarization difference to the rate of aerosol production. An existing model of microwave emission from the ocean surface was used to determine the empirical relationship and to attribute its underlying physical basis to microwave emissions from surface roughness and foam within active and passive phases of breaking waves. A possibility of and initial steps towards satellite retrievals of the sea spray aerosol production are briefly discussed in concluding remarks.
Cloud shadow speed sensor
Authors: Fung V. , Bosch J. L. , Roberts S. W. , Kleissl J.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Changing cloud cover is a major source of solar radiation variability and poses challenges for the integration of solar energy. A compact and economical system is presented that measures cloud shadow motion vectors to estimate power plant ramp rates and provide short-term solar irradiance forecasts. The cloud shadow speed sensor (CSS) is constructed using an array of luminance sensors and a high-speed data acquisition system to resolve the progression of cloud passages across the sensor footprint. An embedded microcontroller acquires the sensor data and uses a cross-correlation algorithm to determine cloud shadow motion vectors. The CSS was validated against an artificial shading test apparatus, an alternative method of cloud motion detection from ground-measured irradiance (linear cloud edge, LCE), and a UC San Diego sky imager (USI). The CSS detected artificial shadow directions and speeds to within 15° and 6% accuracy, respectively. The CSS detected (real) cloud shadow directions and speeds with average weighted root-mean-square difference of 22° and 1.9 m s−1 when compared to USI and 33° and 1.5 m s−1 when compared to LCE results.
Aggregates reduce transport distance of soil organic carbon: are our balances correct?
Authors: Hu Y. , Kuhn N. J.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. The effect of soil erosion on global carbon cycling, especially as a source or sink for greenhouse gases, has been the subject of intense debate. The controversy arises mostly from the lack of information on the fate of eroded soil organic carbon (SOC) whilst in-transit from the site of erosion to the site of longer-term deposition. Solving this controversy requires an improved understanding of the transport distance of eroded SOC, which is principally related to the settling velocity of sediment fractions that carry the eroded SOC. Although settling velocity has already been included in some erosion models, it is often based on mineral particle size distribution. For aggregated soils, settling velocities are affected by their actual aggregate size rather than by mineral particle size distribution. Aggregate stability is, in turn, strongly influenced by SOC. In order to identify the effect of aggregation of source soil on the transport distance of eroded SOC, and its susceptibility to mineralization after transport and temporary deposition, a rainfall simulation was carried out on a silty loam. Both the eroded sediments and undisturbed soil were fractionated into six different size classes using a settling tube apparatus according to their settling velocities. Weight, SOC concentration and instantaneous respiration rates were measured for each of the six class fractions. Our results indicate that: (1) 41% of the eroded SOC was transported with coarse aggregates that would be likely re-deposited down eroding hillslopes, rather than with fine particles likely transferred to water courses; (2) erosion was prone to accelerate the mineralization of eroded SOC, and thus might contribute more CO2 to the atmosphere than current estimates which often ignore potential effects of aggregation; (3) preferential deposition of SOC-rich coarse aggregates potentially causes an increase of SOC remaining in the colluvial system and a reduction of SOC flux to the alluvial or aquatic system. These findings identify a potential error of overestimating net erosion-induced carbon sink effects, and thus add an additional factor to consider when improving our current understanding of SOC erosion and deposition on hillslopes.
A high-resolution global dataset of topographic index values for use in large-scale hydrological modelling
Authors: Marthews T. R. , Dadson S. J. , Lehner B. , Abele S. , Gedney N.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. Modelling land surface water flow is of critical importance for simulating land-surface fluxes, predicting runoff and water table dynamics and for many other applications of Land Surface Models. Many approaches are based on the popular hydrology model TOPMODEL, and the most important parameter of this model is the well-knowntopographic index. Here we present new, high-resolution parameter maps of the topographic index for all ice-free land pixels calculated from hydrologically-conditioned HydroSHEDS data sets using the GA2 algorithm. At 15 arcsec resolution, these layers are 4× finer than the resolution of the previously best-available topographic index layers, the Compound Topographic Index of HYDRO1k (CTI). In terms of the largest river catchments occurring on each continent, we found that in comparison to our revised values, CTI values were up to 20% higher in e.g. the Amazon. We found the highest catchment means were for the Murray-Darling and Nelson-Saskatchewan rather than for the Amazon and St. Lawrence as found from the CTI. We believe these new index layers represent the most robust existing global-scale topographic index values and hope that they will be widely used in land surface modelling applications in the future.
Multi-channel IR sensor system for determination of oil degradation
Authors: Bley T. , Pignanelli E. , Schütze A.
Published: June 2014

Abstract. A miniaturized infrared (IR) multi-channel sensor system was realized to determine chemical oil degradation, e.g., oxidation, increasing water content. Different artificially aged oil samples (synthetic motor oil, mineral hydraulic oil and ester-based hydraulic fluid) were prepared by oxidative degradation at elevated temperatures or addition of water, and characteristic degradation features in the IR spectrum were detected using FTIR spectroscopy. In addition, the absorption behavior of water contaminated synthetic motor oil was analyzed with increasing temperature. To determine the influence of different degradation effects on the measurement results the sensor system was characterized with the various oil samples. The system uses a reference channel to suppress the effect of decreasing transmission over the entire spectrum caused, e.g., by increasing soot content in the oil or contamination of the optical path.
The Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal (PQS) Stimulates Chemotaxis of Polymorphonuclear Neutrophils
Authors: Hänsch Gertrud M. , Prior Birgit , Brenner-Weiss Gerald , Obst Ursula , Overhage Joerg
Published: June 2014

Cross-talk between bacteria and mammalian cells is increasingly recognized as an important factor, especially during chronic infections. In particular, the interaction of extracellular bacterial signaling molecules with cells of the innate immune response is of special interest. In this context, we investigated whether the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) which is a quorum sensing molecule produced by bacteria and participates in biofilm formation and virulence has any influence on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), the cells of the “first line defense” against bacterial infections. We found that PQS did not enhance the bactericidal activity of PMN and did not induce apoptosis at concentrations up to 100 μM. However, PQS stimulated chemotaxis of PMN in doses of 10-100 μM. This PQS-dependent chemotaxis could be inhibited with SB203580 which blocks MAPkinase p38, suggesting a signaling pathway similar to AHL-12 induction. Using bacterial cell culture supernantants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa wild-type cells and a PQS-deficient mutant strain support the in vivo relevance of these findings. Since PQS is produced in the early phase of biofilm formation, PMN infiltration could be timely enough to eradicate bacteria before biofilm formation is completed, which confers the bacteria with a relative resistance to host defense mechanisms.
Oral anticoagulation and vitamin K deficiency
Authors: Eichinger S.
Published: June 2014

A 61-year old woman with atrial fibrillation developed macrohaematuria during anticoagulant treatment with a direct oral factor Xa inhibitor for stroke prevention. Abnormal results of coagulation assays were first interpreted as an effect of the anticoagulant. However, upon further testing diagnosis of vitamin K deficiency was established. After vitamin K supplementation, coagulation tests normalized and macrohaematuria disappeared. Treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics for urinary tract infection was finally established as a rare cause for vitamin K deficiency in the patient.
HPTLC Method for Simultaneous Determination of Piperine, Embeline, and Carvone in the Ayurvedic Formulation Catpusphadhya Churna
Authors: Jain Kajal L , Patel Rakesh K , Patel Hardik P
Published: June 2014

Churnas are an important group of formulations used by traditional physicians to treat various types of diseases. The principle of using a churna is based on the fact that the therapeutic value of most substances greatly increases when they are reduced to a very fine state of subdivision. Catpusphadhya churna, as per the Ayurvedic system of Indian medicine, is used for acute rheumatoid arthritis. In the present study, an attempt was made to develop an HPTLC method for the quantitative determination of piperine, embeline, and carvone in a laboratory-prepared formulation. Raw materials used in formulations were obtained from two different suppliers and were subjected to methanol extractions by using a Soxhlet apparatus. Piperine, embeline, and carvone were quantified in the extracts by using HPTLC. The detection and quantification were performed at 254 nm. The formulation contained 2.35% (w/w) of piperine, 4.86% (w/w) of embeline, and 1.48% (v/w) of carvone. Linearity studies indicated that piperine, embeline, and carvone were in the linear ranges, while the recovery studies revealed a recovery of 99.32% (w/w) of piperine, 101.82% (w/w) of embeline, and 100.09% (v/w) of carvone, thus proving the accuracy of the analysis. The developed HPTLC method resolved and quantified piperine, embeline, and carvone effectively, so it could be an important method for the QC of polyherbal formulations.
Simultaneous Determination of Atorvastatin Calcium and Olmesartan Medoxomil in a Pharmaceutical Formulation by Reversed Phase High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography, and UV Spectrophotometric Methods
Authors: Soni Hiral , Kothari Charmy , Khatri Deepak , Mehta Priti
Published: June 2014

Validated RP-HPLC, HPTLC, and UV spectrophotometric methods have been developed for the simultaneous determination of atorvastatin calcium (ATV) and olmesartan medoxomil (OLM) in a pharmaceutical formulation. The RP-HPLC separation was achieved on a Kromasil C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm particle size) using 0.01 M potassium dihydrogen o-phosphate (pH 4 adjusted with o-phosphoric acid)–acetonitrile (50 + 50, v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min. Quantification was achieved by UV detection at 276 nm. The HPTLC separation was achieved on precoated silica gel 60F254 plates using chloroform–methanol–acetonitrile (4 + 2 + 4, v/v/v) mobile phase. Quantification was achieved with UV detection at 276 nm. The UV-Vis spectrophotometric method was based on the simultaneous equation method that involves measurement of absorbance at two wavelengths, i. e., 255 nm (λmax of OLM) and 246.2 nm (λmax of ATV) in methanol. All three methods were validated as per International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The proposed methods were simple, precise, accurate, and applicable for the simultaneous determination of ATV and OLM in a marketed formulation. The results obtained by applying the proposed methods were statistically analyzed and were found satisfactory.
Separation and Preconcentration of Trace Amounts of Rhodium Using a Dispersive Liquid–Liquid Microextraction Method and Its Determination by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
Authors: Mirrahimi Fateme , Taher Mohammad Ali
Published: June 2014

A sensitive and selective method for the determination of low levels of rhodium (Rh) in environmental samples is needed. In the proposed method, an extracting solvent with a lower toxicity and density than the other solvents typically used in dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction was used to extract trace amounts of Rh from aqueous samples. Rh ions were complexed with 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol in the pH range of 3.2–4.7 and extracted with dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction. The type and volume of the extracting solvent and dispersive solvent, centrifugation time, pH, amount of the chelating agent, and sample ionic strength were carefully studied. Under the optimal conditions, the LOD and RSD were 0.36 ng/mL (3Sb/m, n = 7) and ±2.0% (n = 7), respectively. The calibration curve was linear in the range of 4.0–800 ng/mL. The method was applied to the determination of Rh in well and tap water, and spiked recoveries were in the range of 96–103.7%.