bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An efficient approach to modulate the coordination number of yttrium ions for diverse network formation
Authors: Park Jiwon , Koo Jin Young , Choi Hee Cheul
Published: June 2019

Hidden role of water! It acts as a key to determine the coordination number of yttrium by controlling the active ligand concentration.
A two-fold 3D interpenetrating cyanido-bridged network based on the octa-coordinated [Mo(CN)8]4− building block
Authors: Heczko Michał , Sumińska Ewa , Sieklucka Barbara , Nowicka Beata
Published: June 2019

By varying the reaction conditions, three CN-bridged coordination polymers of different dimensionalities and topologies are obtained from the same building blocks.
Molecular-scale thermally activated fractures in methane hydrates: a molecular dynamics study
Authors: Sveinsson Henrik Andersen , Malthe-Sørenssen Anders
Published: June 2019

Cage by cage slow fracture initiation in methane hydrates is consistent with a thermal activation model.
The mechanism for nitrogenase including all steps
Authors: Siegbahn Per E. M.
Published: June 2019

Nitrogen in the air is turned into biologically useful ammonia by the nitrogenase enzyme. The leading member of this group has a cofactor with one molybdenum and seven irons linked together by sulfurs. The structure that binds N2 has a triply protonated carbide and a rotated homocitrate. Both these structural changes are necessary for the activation.
Designing a novel red to near-infrared persistent phosphor CaMgGe2O6:Mn2+,Sm3+based on a vacuum referred binding energy diagram
Authors: Ye Qiangfei , Wang Yuhua , Guo Haijie , Zhou Xufeng , Feng Peng , Ding Songsong
Published: June 2019

We constructed an empirical energy level scheme of the CaMgGe2O6:Ln2+/Ln3+phosphors and improved the persistent luminescent properties of the sample, which the persistence duration was three times that of the red commercial phosphor Y2O2S:Eu3+.
From achiral to helical bilayer self-assemblies of a 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triphenol-grafted polyanionic cluster: countercation and solvent modulation
Authors: Liu Danjinkun , Zhang Guohua , Gao Bo , Li Bao , Wu Lixin
Published: June 2019

An organic-component grafted polyanionic cluster performs assembly structures from regular head to tail bilayer to inverse helical packing upon solvent polarity and counterions.
Design principle of half-sandwich type erbium single-ion magnets through crystal field engineering: a combined magnetic and electronic structure study
Authors: Meng Yin-Shan , Yang Mu-Wen , Xu Ling , Xiong Jin , Hu Ji-Yun , Liu Tao , Wang Bing-Wu , Gao Song
Published: June 2019

In this work, we demonstrated the design principle for high-performance erbium-based single-ion magnets (SIMs) by comparing two half-sandwich type erbium complexes.
Indium concentration fluctuations in InGaN/GaN quantum wells
Authors: Michałowski Paweł Piotr , Grzanka Ewa , Grzanka Szymon , Lachowski Artur , Staszczak Grzegorz , Plesiewicz Jerzy , Leszczyński Mike , Turos Andrzej
Published: June 2019

Secondary ion mass spectrometry measurements can provide specific information on In fluctuations in InGaN quantum wells.
Cell sorting actuated by a microfluidic inertial vortex
Authors: Pritchard Robyn H. , Zhukov Alexander A. , Fullerton James N. , Want Andrew J. , Hussain Fred , la Cour Mette F. , Bashtanov Mikhail E. , Gold Richard D. , Hailes Anthony , Banham-Hall Edward , Rogers Salman Samson
Published: June 2019

Vortex-actuated cell sorting: a new cell sorter, based on a transient microfluidic vortex generated by a thermal vapour bubble.
Saccharin guanidination via facile three-component “two saccharins-one dialkylcyanamide” integration
Authors: Dubovtsev Alexey Yu. , Ivanov Daniil M. , Dabranskaya Uladzislava , Bokach Nadezhda A. , Kukushkin Vadim Yu.
Published: June 2019

Novel three-component “two saccharins-one dialkylcyanamide” integration.
Substrate-switched dual functionalization of alkenes: catalyst-free synthetic route for β-hydroxy and β-keto thioethers
Authors: Badsara Satpal Singh , Singh Pratibha , Choudhary Rakhee , Bai Rekha , Sharma Mahesh C.
Published: June 2019

A substrate-controlled dual functionalization of alkenes under catalyst-free and solvent-free conditions to provide β-hydroxy thioethers and β-keto thioethers is described.
Autoregenerative redox nanoparticles as an antioxidant and glycation inhibitor for palliation of diabetic cataracts
Authors: Zhou Yurui , Li Lu , Li Shenghui , Li Shufei , Zhao Miao , Zhou Qinghong , Gong Xiaoqun , Yang Jin , Chang Jin
Published: June 2019

The autoregenerative redox PEG-PLGA coating CeO2 nanoparticles can effectively protect lens epithelial cells from oxidative stress and restrain α-crystallin glycation and crosslinking, thereby alleviating diabetic cataracts.
The geometry of hexagonal boron nitride clusters in the initial stages of chemical vapor deposition growth on a Cu(111) surface
Authors: Liu Zhong-Qiang , Dong Jichen , Ding Feng
Published: June 2019

In the initial stages of chemical vapor deposition on a Cu(111) surface, one-dimensional Bn–1Nn (N-rich environment) or BnNn–1 (B-rich) chains first appear, and they transform to two-dimensional sp2 networks or h-BN islands at a critical size of 13.
Proteinase-sculptured 3D-printed graphene/polylactic acid electrodes as potential biosensing platforms: towards enzymatic modeling of 3D-printed structures
Authors: Manzanares-Palenzuela Carmen Lorena , Hermanova Sona , Sofer Zdenek , Pumera Martin
Published: June 2019

We exploit the biodegradability of polylactic acid to sculpt 3D-printed surfaces at the micro- and nanoscale. Graphene/polylactic acid electrodes were activated by selective enzyme-guided cleavage of polylactic acid fragments at the surface.
Low-dimensional perovskite nanoplatelet synthesis using in situ photophysical monitoring to establish controlled growth
Authors: Do Mai , Kim Irene , Kolaczkowski Matthew A. , Kang Jun , Kamat Gaurav A. , Yuan Zhenghao , Barchi Nicola S. , Wang Lin-Wang , Liu Yi , Jurow Matthew J. , Sutter-Fella Carolin M.
Published: June 2019

CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets are synthesized with fine control over size, thickness and optical properties. In situ photoluminescence measurements are used to optimize platelet growth.
Encapsulation of lipophilic fragrance by polymerization of the intermediate aqueous phase of an oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double emulsion
Authors: Stasse Margot , Ribaut Tiphaine , Schmitt Véronique , Héroguez Valérie
Published: June 2019

This paper deals with the encapsulation of lipophilic compounds in an oil-in-water-in-oil (O/W/O) double emulsion.
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) derived nanogels demonstrated thermosensitive self-assembly and GSH-triggered drug release for efficient tumor Therapy
Authors: Chen Jiaojiao , Wu Ming , Veroniaina Hanitrarimalala , Mukhopadhyay Subhankar , Li Juequan , Wu Ziheng , Wu Zhenghong , Qi Xiaole
Published: June 2019

Recently, interest in stimuli-responsive core–shell nanogels as drug delivery systems for tumor therapy has increased.
The synthesis, self-assembly and pH-responsive fluorescence enhancement of an alternating amphiphilic copolymer with azobenzene pendants
Authors: Wu Jiacheng , Xu Binbin , Liu Zhenghui , Yao Yuan , Zhuang Qixin , Lin Shaoliang
Published: June 2019

In this work, a novel alternating amphiphilic copolymer (AAC) P(EG4-a-NAzoOMe) with azobenzene pendants can selfassemble into large compound micelles, and it features fantastic pH-enhanced aggregate induced emission property.
LED-induced controlled radical polymerization with an in situ bromine–iodine transformation and block polymerization combined with ring-opening polymerization using one organocatalyst
Authors: Li Feifei , Yang Wanting , Li Mengmeng , Lei Lin
Published: June 2019

Organocatalysts were employed in LED-induced controlled radical polymerization, sequentially combined with ring-opening polymerization to obtain copolymers using one organocatalyst.
Fabrication of PP hollow fiber membraneviaTIPS using environmentally friendly diluents and its CO2degassing performance
Authors: Yan Su-Ying , Wang Yu-Jie , Mao Heng , Zhao Zhi-Ping
Published: June 2019

A PP membrane preparedviaTIPS using CO/SO as environmentally friendly binary diluents to remove low-concentration CO2from RO effluent water.
In situsynthesis of Ni/NiO composites with defect-rich ultrathin nanosheets for highly efficient biomass-derivative selective hydrogenation
Authors: Wang Yunan , Cao Feng , Lin Weiwei , Zhao Fengyu , Zhou Jun , Li Song , Qin Gaowu
Published: June 2019

Synergism of geometric construction and electronic regulation: numerous Ni nanoparticles combined with defect-rich ultrathin NiO nanosheets for efficient hydrogenation.
The application of CeO2-based materials in electrocatalysis
Authors: Wang Jianda , Xiao Xiao , Liu Yong , Pan Kunming , Pang Huan , Wei Shizhong
Published: June 2019

Several studies on electrocatalytic materials have made substantial progress, and it is essential to enhance the catalytic activity of these materials.
Origin of the heat-induced improvement of catalytic activity and stability of MnOx electrocatalysts for water oxidation
Authors: Abrashev Miroslav V. , Chernev Petko , Kubella Paul , Mohammadi Mohammad Reza , Pasquini Chiara , Dau Holger , Zaharieva Ivelina
Published: June 2019

Heat-induced optimization of the internal charge mobility of Mn oxides improves their electrocatalytic properties and greatly extends their operation time.
Wafer-scale and patternable synthesis of NbS2 for electrodes of organic transistors and logic gates
Authors: Choi Yongsuk , Bark Hunyoung , Kang Boseok , Lee Myeongjae , Kim BongSoo , Lee Sungjoo , Lee Changgu , Cho Jeong Ho
Published: June 2019

We developed a patternable synthesis method of wafer-scale NbS2, which can be applied for the fabrication of source and drain electrodes of p- and n-type organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and logic gates.
LncRNA XIST enhanced TGF-β2 expression by targeting miR-141-3p to promote pancreatic cancer cells invasion
Authors: Sun Jianmin , Zhang Yubao
Published: June 2019

The level of expression of long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) X-inactive specific transcript (XIST) is up-regulated in pancreatic cancer (PC). However, the role of XIST in PC and the underlying mechanism are still unknown. The present study aimed to elucidate how XIST participates in PC and its potential target, miR-141-3p. We detected the XIST expression in PC tissues and cells by qRT-PCR. Cell proliferation was measured using a CCK8 kit, and the migration and invasion of cells was measured by Transwell assay. Silencing XIST and miR-141-3p was performed with transfection by Lipofectamine kit. Binding assay was conducted by luciferase reporter assay. Protein expression was examined by Western blot. These results indicate that (i) XIST is highly expressed in tumor tissues while miR-141-3p is down-regulated. (ii) Silencing XIST inhibits the pancreatic cell proliferation, migration and invasion. (iii) MiR-141-3p inhibitor alleviates the inhibitory effect by siXIST in PC cell lines. (iv) MiR-141-3p directly interacts with XIST and also negatively regulates transforming growth factor-β 2 (TGF-β2) expression. (v) Overexpression of XIST attenuates the inhibition of TGF-β2 expression by miR-141-3p. The conclusion, is that XIST could promote proliferation, migration and invasion of PC cells via miR-141-5p/TGF-β2 axis.
Higenamine inhibits IL-1β-induced inflammation in human nucleus pulposus cells
Authors: Bai Xiaoliang , Ding Wenyuan , Yang Sidong , Guo Xiaohui
Published: June 2019

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a natural progression of the aging process associated with inflammation. Higenamine, a plant-based alkaloid, has been identified to possess various pharmacological properties, including anti-inflammatory activity. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the role of higenamine in interleukin (IL)-1β-induced inflammation in human nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). The results showed that higenamine improved cell viability in IL-1β-induced NPCs. The IL-1β-dependent up-regulation of inflammatory molecules including inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and IL-6 was attenuated by higenamine in NPCs. The increased productions of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-3 and MMP-13), as well as a disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs (ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5) were significantly mitigated by higenamine treatment. Furthermore, we also found that higenamine suppressed the IL-1β-induced activation of NF-κB signaling pathway in NPCs. In conclusion, the present study proved that higenamine exhibited anti-inflammatory activity against IL-1β-induced inflammation in NPCs via inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway. These results suggested that higenamine might be a therapeutic agent for the treatment of IDD.
Effects of ZnO magnetron sputtering on surface charge and flashover voltage of oil‐impregnated paper
Authors: Du Boxue , Jiang Jinpeng , Li Jin , Zhu Wenbo
Published: June 2019

With the aim of exploring an alternative method of nano‐doping in cellulose paper and improving flashover strength of oil‐impregnated paper, radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering method is introduced into the structural modification of insulating paper for converter transformers. In this experiment, insulating paper was treated with ZnO sputtering for 0, 7.5, 15 and 30 min, respectively. The surface morphology of dry paper was observed with a scanning electron microscope. The bonding mode of sputtered ZnO particles with cellulose matrix was investigated via attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR‐IR) spectroscopy and mechanical property of the sputtered samples were studied. Surface and volume conductivities of the oil‐impregnated sputtered paper were measured. Moreover, the charge dissipation characteristics of sputtered insulating paper was investigated by means of surface potential decay. In addition, trap distribution and carrier mobility of specimen were further obtained. Finally, the DC flashover strength were tested. The results showed that ZnO magnetron sputtering had a distinct influence on the structure of the insulating paper, resulting in the formation of hydrogen bond and chemical bond and an increase of the surface and volume conductivities. ZnO sputtering was found to decrease the initial potential and accelerate charge decay. Moreover, appropriate sputtering enhanced the surface flashover strength.
Robust transmission constrained unit commitment: a column merging method
Authors: Li Xuan , Zhai Qiaozhu , Guan Xiaohong
Published: June 2019

With the rapid integration of power sources with uncertainty, robustness must be carefully considered in the transmission constrained unit commitment (TCUC) problem. The overall computational complexity of the robust TCUC methods is closely related to the vertex number of the uncertainty set. The vertex number is further associated with: (i) the period number in the scheduling horizon, (ii) the number of nodes with uncertain power injections. In this study, a column merging method (CMM) is proposed to reduce the computational burden by merging the uncertain nodes, while still guaranteeing the robustness of the solution. By the CMM, the transmission constraints are modified, with the parameters obtained based on an analytical solution of a uniform approximation problem, so that the computational time for obtaining the modified constraints is negligible. The CMM is applied under a greedy‐algorithm‐based framework, where the number of merged nodes and the approximation error can be well balanced. The CMM is designed as a preprocessing tool to improve the solution efficiency for robust TCUC problems and is compatible with many solution methods (like two‐stage and multi‐stage robust optimisation methods). Numerical tests show the method is effective.
Combination of modified U‐Net and domain adaptation for road detection
Authors: Dong Ming , Zhao Xiangmo , Fan Xing , Shen Chao , Liu Zhanwen
Published: June 2019

Road detection is one of the crucial tasks for scene understanding in autonomous driving. Recently, methods based on deep learning had rapidly grown and addressed this task excellently, because they can extract more abundant features. In this study, the authors consider the visual road detection problem as a classification for each pixel of the given image, which is road or non‐road. There is complex illumination encounter in traffic applications, so that the detection model has poor adaptability. They address this problem by proposing a deep network architecture, which combines the network U‐Net‐prior and domain adaptation model (DAM). U‐Net‐prior is a modified segmentation network which integrates location prior and shape prior into U‐Net. DAM is a model for reducing the gap between training images and test images, which is optimised in adversarial learning to make the features extracted from different datasets close to each other. They validate the effectiveness of each component of the algorithm, and compare the overall architecture with other state‐of‐the‐art methods, and the results show that the architecture achieves top accuracies with the shortest run time in monocular‐vision‐based methods, simultaneously, compared with the methods based on other sensors, the architecture also achieves a competitive result.
Limiting magnetic field for minimal deformation of a magnetized neutron star
Authors: Gomes R. O. , Pais H. , Dexheimer V. , Providência C. , Schramm S.
Published: June 2019

Aims. In this work, we study the structure of neutron stars under the effect of a poloidal magnetic field and determine the limiting largest magnetic field strength that induces a deformation such that the ratio between the polar and equatorial radii does not exceed 2%. We consider that, under these conditions, the description of magnetic neutron stars in the spherical symmetry regime is still satisfactory.

Methods. We described different compositions of stars (nucleonic, hyperonic, and hybrid) using three state-of-the-art relativistic mean field models (NL3ωρ, MBF, and CMF, respectively) for the microscopic description of matter, all in agreement with standard experimental and observational data. The structure of stars was described by the general relativistic solution of both Einstein’s field equations assuming spherical symmetry and Einstein-Maxwell’s field equations assuming an axi-symmetric deformation.

Results. We find a limiting magnetic moment on the order of 2 × 1031 Am2, which corresponds to magnetic fields on the order of 1016 G at the surface and 1017 G at the center of the star, above which the deformation due to the magnetic field is above 2%, and therefore not negligible. We show that the intensity of the magnetic field developed in the star depends on the equation of state (EoS), and, for a given baryonic mass and fixed magnetic moment, larger fields are attained with softer EoS. We also show that the appearance of exotic degrees of freedom, such as hyperons or a quark core, is disfavored in the presence of a very strong magnetic field. As a consequence, a highly magnetized nucleonic star may suffer an internal conversion due to the decay of the magnetic field, which could be accompanied by a sudden cooling of the star or a gamma ray burst.
Probing gaseous halos of galaxies with radio jets
Authors: Krause Martin G. H. , Hardcastle Martin J. , Shabala Stanislav S.
Published: June 2019

Context.Gaseous halos play a key role in understanding inflow, feedback, and the overall baryon budget in galaxies. Literature models predict transitions of the state of the gaseous halo between cold and hot accretion, winds, fountains, and hydrostatic halos at certain galaxy masses. Since luminosities of radio AGN are sensitive to halo densities, any significant transition would be expected to show up in the radio luminosities of large samples of galaxies. The LOw Frequency ARray (LOFAR) Two-Metre Sky Survey (LoTSS) has identified a galaxy stellar mass scale, 1011 M⊙, above which the radio luminosities increase disproportionately.

Aims.We investigate if radio luminosities of galaxies, especially the marked rise at galaxy masses around 1011 M⊙, can be explained with standard assumptions regarding jet powers, scaling between black hole mass and galaxy mass, and gaseous halos.

Methods.Based on observational data and theoretical constraints, we developed models for the radio luminosity of radio AGN in halos under infall, galactic wind, and hydrostatic conditions. We compared these models to LoTSS data for a large sample of galaxies in the mass range between 108.5 M⊙and 1012 M⊙.

Results.Under the assumption that the same characteristic upper limit to jet powers known from high galaxy masses holds at all masses, we find the maximum radio luminosities for the hydrostatic gas halos to lie close to the upper envelope of the distribution of the LOFAR data. The marked rise in radio luminosity at 1011 M⊙is matched in our model and is related to a significant change in halo gas density around this galaxy mass, which is a consequence of lower cooling rates at a higher virial temperature. Wind and infall models overpredict the radio luminosities for small galaxy masses and have no particular steepening of the run of the radio luminosities predicted at any galaxy mass.

Conclusions.Radio AGN could have the same characteristic Eddington-scaled upper limit to jet powers in galaxies of all masses in the sample if the galaxies have hydrostatic gas halos in phases when radio AGN are active. We find no evidence of a change of the type of galaxy halo with the galaxy mass. Galactic winds and quasi-spherical cosmological inflow phases cannot frequently occur at the same time as powerful jet episodes unless the jet properties in these phases are significantly different from what we assumed in our model.
The low-frequency break observed in the slow solar wind magnetic spectra
Authors: Bruno R. , Telloni D. , Sorriso-Valvo L. , Marino R. , De Marco R. , D’Amicis R.
Published: June 2019

Fluctuations of solar wind magnetic field and plasma parameters exhibit a typical turbulence power spectrum with a spectral index ranging between ∼5/3 and ∼3/2. In particular, at 1 AU, the magnetic field spectrum, observed within fast corotating streams, also shows a clear steepening for frequencies higher than the typical proton scales, of the order of ∼3 × 10−1 Hz, and a flattening towards 1/f at frequencies lower than ∼10−3 Hz. However, the current literature reports observations of the low-frequency break only for fast streams. Slow streams, as observed to date, have not shown a clear break, and this has commonly been attributed to slow wind intervals not being long enough. Actually, because of the longer transit time from the Sun, slow wind turbulence would be older and the frequency break would be shifted to lower frequencies with respect to fast wind. Based on this hypothesis, we performed a careful search for long-lasting slow wind intervals throughout 12 years of Wind satellite measurements. Our search, based on stringent requirements not only on wind speed but also on the level of magnetic compressibility and Alfvénicity of the turbulent fluctuations, yielded 48 slow wind streams lasting longer than 7 days. This result allowed us to extend our study to frequencies sufficiently low and, for the first time in the literature, we are able to show that the 1/f magnetic spectral scaling is also present in the slow solar wind, provided the interval is long enough. However, this is not the case for the slow wind velocity spectrum, which keeps the typical Kolmogorov scaling throughout the analysed frequency range. After ruling out the possible role of compressibility and Alfvénicity for the 1/f scaling, a possible explanation in terms of magnetic amplitude saturation, as recently proposed in the literature, is suggested.
Assessment of the dust sources over Central and Southwest Asia with emphasis on the Sistan dust storms
Authors: Rashki Alireza , Kaskaoutis Dimitris
Published: June 2019

Central and Southwest (SW) Asia are usually suffered by dust events of various intensity due to extended arid/desert regions and, therefore, the statistical evaluation of the dust activity and sources over the region has received an increasing interest. This study analyses the characteristics of the dust events and their sources over the Central and Southwest Asia from 2002 to 2018, based on meteorological observations at stations in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, combined with Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 10 km × 10 km derived from MODIS and a new 1-km high resolution algorithm. The dust events are classified based on visibility recordings and WMO codes, as dusty days (vis<10 km) and dust storms for visibility below 1 km. In general, the highest frequency of the dust storms is observed in the Sistan Basin, Iran and around the deserts of southern Afghanistan, while the dust-plume pathways have a distinct north-to-south pattern, from Central Asia to SW Asia and the Arabian Sea. Trend analysis in the Deep Blue MODIS AOD retrievals shows positive AOD trends over large parts of the Central Asia and negative over the Southwest Asia and Sistan. High resolution (1-km) AODs indicated that some parts of the Hamoun ephemeral lakes and the eastern part of the Sistan basin are the most active hotspot areas for dust emissions.
The regime of Aerosol Optical Depth and Ångström exponent over Central and South Asia
Authors: Floutsi Athina Avgousta , Korras Carraca Marios Bruno , Matsoukas Christos , Hatzianastassiou Nikos , Biskos George
Published: June 2019

Central and South Asia are regions of particular interest for studying atmospheric aerosols, being among the largest sources of desert dust aerosols globally. In this study we use the newest collection (C061) of MODIS - Aqua aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 550 nm and Ångström exponent (a) at 412/470 nm over the 15-year period between 2002 and 2017, providing the longest analyzed dataset for this region. According to our results, during spring and summer, high aerosol load (AOD up to 1.2) consisting of coarse desert dust particles, as indicated by a values as low as 0.15, is observed over the Taklamakan, Thar and Registan deserts and the region between the Aral and Caspian seas. The dust load is much lower during winter and autumn (lower AOD and higher a values compared to the other seasons). The interannual variation of AOD and a suggests that the dust load exhibits large decreasing trends (AOD slopes down to -0.22, a slopes up to 0.47 decade-1) over the Thar desert and large increasing trends between the Aral and Caspian seas (AOD and a slopes up to 0.23 decade-1 and down to -0.61 decade-1, respectively.) The AOD data are evaluated against AERONET surface-based measurements. Generally, MODIS and AERONET data are in good agreement with a correlation coefficient (R) equal to 0.835.
Large-scale dust event in East Asia, as revealed by the Himawari-8 DUST RGB, lidar network observations, and field survey
Authors: Kai Kenji , Minamoto Yuki , Nakamura Kotaro , Wang Minrui , Kawai Kei , Ohara Kazuma , Noda Jun , Maki Teruya , Davaanyam E. , Sugimoto Nobuo
Published: June 2019

A large-scale dust event occurred in East Asia during early May 2017, and transported dust was measured all over Japan. We performed an analysis of the entire dust event using multiple sources: a local ceilometer measurement, measurements from an optical particle counter in the Gobi Desert (Dalanzadgad, Mongolia), a study of Dust RGB imagery obtained from Himawari-8, lidar measurements from Japan, and meteorological data. Our results show that three extratropical low pressure systems occurred consecutively in Mongolia and generated dust storms in the Gobi Desert. Remarkably, the Dust RGB imagery shows both the occurrence and the transportation of the dust, and was able to detect two dust outbreaks in the Horqin Sandy Land of Northern China and their transportation to eastern Japan; this shows that the Horqin Sandy Land was one of the source regions of this dust event.
CALIPSO Recordings and Categorization of Atmospheric Aerosols over the Urmia Lake
Authors: Ghomashi Fatemeh , Khalesifard Hamid R.
Published: June 2019

The Urmia Lake is suffering from a severe drought scenario that started in recent decades. The lake has lost almost 88% of its surface area in comparison to its value in 1995. This has left a bed of salt around the lake, that has the potential to disperse a significant amount of aerosols (dust and salt) into the atmosphere. We use the recordings of the CALIPSO satellite to investigate the optical parameters of atmospheric aerosols over the Urmia Lake. For this purpose, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the particulate depolarization ratio (PDR) at 532 nm have been selected from the whole available recordings of the CALIPSO. To distinguish between the atmospheric particles which are originating from the lake bed and those that are transported from the surrounding sources to the lake area, the PDR has been categorized for two altitude ranges, i.e., from the ground level up to 2 km above the mean sea level (amsl) and above 3 km amsl. Investigating the variations of the PDR at these two altitude ranges, provides information about the type of atmospheric particles at different times of the year. Although it is not easy to distinguish between the transported dust layers and atmospheric particles from the lake bed, it seems that the Urmia Lake is mostly active in the driest times of the year, i.e., June to October. Also, it seems that the particles which are originating from the lake, are mostly dry salt particles, where their corresponding PDR is 0.16 ± 0.05.
A Decade of CALIPSO Observations of Asian and Saharan Dust Properties near Source and Transport Regions
Authors: Omar Ali
Published: June 2019

The lidar on the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) mission, makes robust measurements of dust and has generated a length of record that is significant both seasonally and inter-annually. We exploit this record to determine a multi-year climatology of the properties of Asian and Saharan dust, in particular seasonal optical depths, layer frequencies, and layer heights of dust gridded in accordance with the Level 3 data products protocol between 2006 and 2016. The data are screened using standard CALIPSO quality assurance flags, cloud aerosol discrimination (CAD) scores, overlying features and layer properties. To evaluate the effects of transport on small-scale phenomena such as morphology, vertical extent and size of the dust layers, we compare probability distribution functions of the layer integrated volume depolarization ratios, geometric depths and integrated attenuated color ratios near the source to the same distributions in the far field or transport region. To evaluate the uncertainty in the lidar ratios, we compare the values computed from dust layers overlying opaque water clouds, considered accurate, with the constant lidar ratio value used in the CALIOP algorithms for dust
Aerosol layer heights above Tajikistan during the CADEX campaign
Authors: Hofer Julian , Althausen Dietrich , Abdullaev Sabur F. , Nazarov Bakhron I. , Makhmudov Abduvosit N. , Baars Holger , Engelmann Ronny , Ansmann Albert
Published: June 2019

Mineral dust influences climate and weather by direct and indirect effects. Surrounded by dust sources, Central Asian countries are affected by atmospheric mineral dust on a regular basis. Climate change effects like glacier retreat and desertification are prevalent in Central Asia as well. Therefore, the role of dust in the climate system in Central Asia needs to be clarified and quantified. During the Central Asian Dust EXperiment (CADEX) first lidar observations in Tajikistan were conducted. Long-term vertically resolved aerosol measurements were performed with the multiwavelength polarization Raman lidar PollyXT from March 2015 to August 2016 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. In this contribution, a climatology of the aerosol layer heights is presented, which was retrieved from the 18-month lidar measurements. Automatic detection based on backscatter coefficient thresholds were used to retrieve the aerosol layer heights and yield similar layer heights as manual layer height determination. The significant aerosol layer height has a maximum in summer and a minimum in winter. The highest layers occurred in spring, but in summer uppermost layer heights above 6 km AGL are frequent, too.
Electrostatic charging of wind-blown dust and implications on dust transport
Authors: Toth Joseph R. , Rajupet Siddharth , Squire Henry , Volbers Blaire , Zhou Jùn , Li Xie , Sankaran R. Mohan , Lacks Daniel J.
Published: June 2019

It is well known that electric fields occur in wind-blown dust, due to the triboelectric charging of particles as they collide. Triboelectric charging, or contact electrification, is a poorly understood and complex phenomenon. It is especially important in granular systems, as the high surface-to-volume ratio can lead to the build-up of large amounts of charge. A particularly surprising effect, which is important in dust systems, is that charge transfer occurs in systems of a single composition, such that there is a particle-size dependent polarity of the particles. Here, we use a combined experimental and theoretical approach to elucidate the electrostatic charging that occurs during dust storms, and the effects of this electrostatic charging on dust transport. We create laboratory-scale wind-blown dust systems, and study the electrostatic charging. We find that larger particles tend to charge positive and to stay at or near the sand bed, while smaller particles tend to charge negative and get lofted to higher elevations. This self-segregating of charged particles would lead to electric fields within a dust storm. Our results show that electric fields then increase the dust transport by more easily lofting charged particles.
Modelling mineral dust in the Central Asian region
Authors: Heinold Bernd , Tegen Ina
Published: June 2019

In Central Asia, climate and air quality are largely affected by local and long-travelled mineral dust. For the last century, the area has experienced severe land-use changes and water exploitation producing new dust sources. Today global warming causes rapid shrinking of mountain glaciers with yet unknow consequences for dust and its climate effects. Despite the importance for a growing population, only little is known about sources, transport pathways and properties of Central Asian dust. A transport study with a global aerosol-climate model is undertaken to investigate the life cycle of mineral dust in Central Asia for the period of a remote-sensing campaign in Tajikistan in 2015–2016. An initial evaluation with sun photometer measurements shows reasonable agreement for the average amount of dust, but a significant weakness of the model in reproducing the seasonality of local dust with maximum activity in summer. Source apportionment reveals a major contribution from Arabia throughout the year in accordance with observations. In the model, local sources mainly contribute in spring and autumn while summer-time dust production is underestimated. The results underline the importance of considering long-range transport and, locally, a detailed representation of atmospheric dynamics and surface characteristics for modelling dust in Central Asia.
Asian and Saharan dust from a chemical/mineralogical point of view: differences and similarities from bulk and single particle measurements
Authors: Kandler Konrad , Scheuvens Dirk
Published: June 2019

This paper combines a review on the importance of dust composition with respect to numerous atmospheric impacts with field measurements performed in African and Central Asian dust. In the review part, the most important dust components and their relevance for certain processes are outlined. Typical compositions from bulk measurements for African and Asian dust are presented. Generally the local variation in composition can be higher than the differences between Asian and African dust and their according specific sources. While similar general results are available from individual particle analyses, these investigations add important information on mixing state and homogeneity of composition. Atmospheric aging of mineral dust is observed globally, depending on transport distances from the sources and transport environment. As an illustration, comparative field measurements of African and Asian dust deposition are presented.
Impact of the Aral Sea Syndrome - the Aralkum as a Man-Made Dust Source
Authors: Opp Christian , Groll Michael , Semenov Oleg , Vereshagina Natalya , Khamzina Asia
Published: June 2019

Ground based dust monitoring is an important tool for the long-term monitoring of aeolian sediment transport in Central Asia as it provides valuable insights into the spatial and temporal dynamics of dust deposition as well as grants access to the transported material for further analyses. Between 2006 and 2012 such a monitoring was carried out in the Turan lowland to analyze the effects of the newly formed Aralkum. The detected spatial and temporal dust deposition variability was significant and encourages further studies. The dust deposition increased over time, which correlates with a decreasing trend in precipitation, increasing wind speeds and a shift towards northern winds. More than 50% of all dust samples collected exceed the health based deposition threshold and the most intense dust storm events reached ground level deposition rates of up to 150 g/m2 per hour. This study showed the impact of the Aralkum, but also that the Kyzylkum is a far more active dust source. With regard to climate change and an increasing aridity in the region it can be expected that the aeolian dust transport will continue to increase, making a wide-spread monitoring program even more important.
Variations of aerosol optical thickness, water vapor and Ångström parameter over the semi-arid zone of Tajikistan
Authors: Abdullaev Sabur F. , Maslov Vladimir A. , Nazarov Bahron I. , Minikulov Nasridin Kh. , Djuraev Abdugani M.
Published: June 2019

The article describes the results of measurements that were carried out systematically during 2010-2017 at the AERONET station in Dushanbe. The data on the changes of aerosol optical thickness (AOT), moisture content and Ångström parameter are described. The seasonal and annual variations of these quantities were analyzed. The regularities of repeatability histograms as statistical characteristics of the atmospheric parameters were studied.
Pollution of potentially toxic metals in urban road dust in Dushanbe (Tajikistan)
Authors: Nazriddinzoda Khasan , Udachin Valery , Blinov Ivan , Shtenberg Mikhail , Aminov Pavel , Udachin Nikolay
Published: June 2019

Heavy metal contamination in the road dust due to traffic in the capital city of Tajikistan was investigated. Concentrations of potentially toxic elements (Ba, Cu, Cd, Co, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn and As) in particle size of 63 μm were analyzed. The highest potentially toxic element concentration was Zn (312 mg/kg), whereas the lowest was Co (5.3 mg/kg).The biggest contribution to road dust is atmospheric deposition due to metal traffic density makes slight contribution to heavy metal contamination. According to the calculation on enrichment factor (EF), heavy metals decrease in the order of Sb>Cd>As>Cu>Zn>Pb. The Dushanbe city road dust particles are potentially influenced by minimum three sources of metals including: urban sources (vehicles traffic, etc.); industrial sources (cement, reinforcement plant, etc.); geogenic sources (soils, dusts, rock weathering, etc.).
Dust impacts on radiative effects of black carbon aerosol in Central Asia
Authors: Tegen Ina , Heinold Bernd
Published: June 2019

The radiative effect of mineral dust and black carbon aerosol are investigated with aerosolclimate model simulations with fixed sea surface temperatures as boundary condition. The semi-direct effects of the absorbing aerosol are assessed as the residual between the total direct radiative effect and the instantaneous direct radiative effect of the aerosol species. For Central Asia the presence of mineral dust aerosol below a black carbon aerosol layer enhances the positive radiative effect of the black carbon aerosol.
Exotic airborne bacteria identified in urban resuspended dust by next generation sequencing
Authors: Kováts Nora , Horváth Eszter , Hubai Katalin , Hoffer András , Jancsek-Turóczi Beatrix , Fekete Csaba
Published: June 2019

The airborne transport of bacteria is a well-known phenomenon, making it possible to exchange species between ecosystems, but it also provides a tool for spreading of pathogenic microorganisms. As part of a large-scale study, microbial community of inhalable and respirable fractions (PM1-10) of resuspended dust collected in Budapest (Hungary) has been characterised by culture-independent next generation sequencing (NGS) of variable 16S rRNA gene regions. Apart from common, mostly ubiqituos soil and organic material-dwelling bacteria, exotic airborne species have been identified, such as Variovorax ginsengisoli, previously isolated from Korean ginseng fields or Exiguobacterium sibiricum, isolated from the Siberian permafrost.
Analysis of Persian Oak (Quercus Brantii Lindl)’s Spectral- Temporal Behaviour Under the Stresses of Water Deficiency and Dust Particles
Authors: Boloorani Ali Darvishi , Ranjbareslamloo Soghra , Mirzaie Saham , Bahrami Hossein Ali , Mirzapour Fardin , Abbaszadeh Tehrani Nadia
Published: June 2019

Persian oak (Quercus Brantii Lindl) is the most abundant tree species in Zagros mountain range that is affected by western dust storms and harsh droughts in recent years. The lack of spectral-temporal information about these trees has caused limitations on the usage of remote sensing images to make a synoptic estimation of damages caused by dust storms and drought. The objective of this research is to analyse the spectral-temporal behaviour of Persian oak under the stress of water deficiency and dust storms. The aim is to improve the competitive abilities of experts on modelling the stress of water deficiency and dust storms on trees using remote sensing images. For the purpose of this experimental investigation, a greenhouse laboratory has been built. Analysis of the experiments was carried out using 54 two-year-old oak tree seedlings; Fieldspec-3-ADD; and wind tunnel at the greenhouse of the faculty of agriculture of the Tarbiat Modares University in 2016. Results show that the water stress could be modelled much better using geometrical indices extracted from continuum removed spectrum. Area and the depth were best indices. Water stress has been modelled better that dust stress.
Seltene Ursache eines akuten Koronararterienverschlusses mit ST-Hebungsinfarkt der Hinterwand und präklinischer Reanimation
Authors: Miljak Tomislav , Lohrengel Kristina , Rupp Wolfgang
Published: June 2019

Anamnese Die 59-jährige Patientin wurde bei Kammerflimmern präklinisch reanimiert. Nach Wiederherstellung des Spontankreislaufs zeigte das vom Notarzt noch vor Ort abgeleitete EKG einen akuten ST-Hebungsinfarkt der Hinterwand.

Untersuchungen und Diagnose In der Akutkoronarangiografie war das rechte Kranzgefäß vollständig verschlossen. Nach intrakoronarer Gabe von Nitroglyzerin kam es zu einer kompletten Reperfusion ohne relevante Stenose.

Therapie und Verlauf Auf die Implantation eines Koronarstents wurde verzichtet. Nach kontrollierter Hypothermie und 68-stündiger Beatmung konnte die Patientin ohne persistierendes neurologisches Defizit extubiert werden. Am 6. Tag erfolgte die Implantation eines Defibrillators. 2 Wochen nach dem Ereignis wurde die Patientin in gutem Allgemeinzustand entlassen.

Folgerung Vor Ballondilatation und/oder Stentimplantation wird – auch bei akuten Koronarsyndromen – die routinemäßige intrakoronare Gabe von Nitroglyzerin empfohlen. Nach Koronarspasmus-bedingtem, überlebtem plötzlichem Herztod sollte wegen des hohen Rezidivrisikos eine Defibrillatorimplantation (AICD) erfolgen.
Dermal fibrosarcoma in a Cashmere goat
Authors: Schoiswohl Julia , Lambacher Bianca , Klang Andrea , Krametter-Frötscher Reinhild
Published: June 2019

Fibrosarcomas are malignant tumors of the connective tissue, which are
characterized by proliferation of fibroblasts. Most of these tumors are
localized subcutaneously and cause different symptoms depending on their
location. The case report describes a dermal tumor on the outside of the pinna
in a 7-year-old female Cashmere goat. The tumor was surgically removed and
histopathological examination revealed a low grade fibrosarcoma. Although tumors
are rare in ruminants because of the animals’ short lifespan (age of
slaughtering in most cases < 24 months) in modern production processes, they
should be considered as a differential diagnosis.
Semiquantitative Glukosemessungen in Katzenharnproben und in mit Harn verklumpter Einstreu
Authors: Zeugswetter Florian K. , Sperk Nadine
Published: June 2019

Gegenstand und Ziel Harnglukosemessungen sind eine beschriebene Alternative zur Therapieüberwachung unkooperativer diabetischer Katzen. Die primären Ziele dieser Studie waren die Untersuchung der diagnostischen Genauigkeit von 5 kommerziell erhältlichen Harnteststreifen, die Neubewertung der Glukosenachweismethode in mit Harn verklumpter Einstreu nach Schaer sowie die Validierung einer Katzentoilette mit Sammelbehälter.

Material und Methoden Insgesamt 93 Urinproben wurden mit Harnteststreifen von 5 Marken untersucht. Berechnet wurden die Korrelationen mit einer Laborreferenzmethode und die diagnostische Genauigkeit zur Diagnose einer pathologischen Glukosurie > 1,48 mmol/l sowie von Werten ≥ 13,9 mmol/l (therapeutisch entscheidender Grenzwert). Darüber hinaus wurden 10 Katzenstreu, eine Katzentoilette, 2 Desinfektionsmittel, 2 Katzenkloreiniger und 2 Katzenstreudeos für den Einsatz beim häuslichen Monitoring getestet.

Ergebnisse Die Korrelation der Harnteststreifenergebnisse mit den Referenzwerten war mäßig (rSP = 0,633) bis gut (rSP = 0,846). Die Sensitivität und Spezifität der untersuchten Harnteststreifen zur Diagnose einer pathologischen Glukosurie betrug 0,7–1 bzw. 0,94–1. Werte ≥ 13,9 mmol/l wurden mit einer Sensitivität von 0,65–1 und einer Spezifität von 0,97–1 erkannt. Vier Einstreu, ein Teststreifen sowie ein wasserstoffperoxidhaltiges Desinfektionsmittel verursachten falsch positive Farbreaktionen. Die Messung aus mit Harn verklumpter Einstreu reduzierte die Glukosekonzentration in Abhängigkeit von den verwendeten Teststreifen und der Einstreu um median 70–77 %. Das Einbringen der Harnproben in die Katzentoilette und die unmittelbare Messung aus dem Sammelbehälter führten zu keiner Verfälschung der Messwerte.

Schlussfolgerung und klinische Relevanz Nicht alle Harnglukoseteststreifen eignen sich zur alternativen Überwachung der Insulintherapie diabetischer Katzen. Positive Farbreaktionen bei physiologischem Harn sind bei Verwendung von Harnteststreifen mit hoher analytischer Sensitivität (1,1 mmol/l), bestimmter Einstreu und wasserstoffperoxidhaltiger Desinfektionsmittel möglich. Messungen aus dem Sammelbehälter der Katzentoilette sind den Messungen aus verklumpender Einstreu vorzuziehen.