bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ground heating and methane oxidation processes at shallow depth in Terre Calde di Medolla (Italy): Observations and conceptual model
Authors: Capaccioni Bruno , Tassi Franco , Cremonini Stefano , Sciarra Alessandra , Vaselli Orlando 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe toponym “Terre Calde di Medolla” (literally, “Warm Earths of Medolla”) refers to a farming area, located near the town of Modena (Emilia‐Romagna region, northern Italy), which has always been known by the local population for the relatively high temperatures of the soil. This phenomenon is particularly evident in wintertime when the snow cover over this area rapidly melts. A detailed investigation, carried out after the devastating 2012 Emilia earthquake that affected this area, showed soil temperatures up to 44°C, i.e., 20–25°C above the local background value, together with diffuse soil fluxes of CH4 (0–2432 g × m−2 × d−1) and minor, though significant, CO2 (0–1184 g × m−2 × d−1), especially from subcircular (a few meters in diameter) zones. Ground heating and gas seepage appear spatially correlated, thus suggesting a close relationship between the two phenomena. The anomalous high ground temperature is not associated with an anomalous geothermal gradient or with the uprising of deep‐seated hot fluids. According to the lateral and vertical distributions of the temperatures as well as the chemical and isotopic compositions of the soil gases, the most reliable explanation is the exothermic oxidation of diffusely uprising biogenic methane at very shallow levels (<1 m). Such a process occurs in the presence of free oxygen and methanotrophic bacteria and can then explain (i) the observed ground heating up, (ii) the diffuse emission from the soil of CO2 characterized by an extremely negative isotopic (13C/12C) signature, and (iii) the lack of diffuse and low CH4 fluxes. According to these hypotheses, the heating phenomena affecting the shallow groundwater and the ground surface, as described by several witnesses in the area of the May–June 2012 Emilia earthquake, could be related to either a coseismic or postseismic onset of new areas affected by CH4 seepage or an increase in preexisting CH4 fluxes.
Ground heating and methane oxidation processes at shallow depth in Terre Calde di Medolla (Italy): Numerical modeling
Authors: Nespoli Massimo , Todesco Micol , Capaccioni Bruno , Cremonini Stefano 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe area known as Terre Calde (literally “hot lands”) in the plain of the Po River (Italy) is well known for unusual ground temperatures, and up to now, the cause o/f the heating has not been fully investigated. These higher‐than‐average temperatures are commonly associated with diffuse methane seepage. A detailed study of shallow stratigraphy, temperature profile, and associated gas concentrations and flow rates recently suggested that the observed anomaly could be related to the exothermic oxidation of biogenic methane, possibly rising from a shallow peat layer. In this work, a porous media flow simulator (Transport of Unsaturated Groundwater and Heat 2) was applied to verify a conceptual model of this phenomenon. The model describes a layered system, with a shallow unsaturated zone, where methane is continuously supplied along the base and heat is generated as a result of its oxidation above the water table. To mimic the oxidation process, heat sources are placed within the layer where oxidation takes place, and the heat generation is computed as a function of methane flux entering the layer. Numerical simulations were carried out imposing different methane flow rates along the base of the model. The simulations also explored the efficiency of methane oxidation, considering different heat generation rates and accounting for seasonal effects. The good match between observed and simulated temperature profiles suggests that the main features of the process are captured by the model and that the conceptual model devised on the base of available data is plausible from a physical point of view.
Thirteen years of observations on biomass burning organic tracers over Chichijima Island in the western North Pacific: An outflow region of Asian aerosols
Authors: Verma Santosh Kumar , Kawamura Kimitaka , Chen Jing , Fu Pingqing , Zhu Chunmao 
Published: April 2015

AbstractEast Asia is the world's greatest source region for the emission of anthropogenic aerosols and their precursors due to the rapid industrialization and intensive biomass burning (BB) activities. BB emits specific organic tracers such as levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan, which are produced by pyrolysis of cellulose and hemicellulose and then transported downwind to the western North Pacific by westerly winds. Here we present long‐term observations of BB tracers over the remote Chichijima Island in the western North Pacific (WNP) from 2001 to 2013. Elevated concentrations of BB tracers by an order of magnitude were found in midautumn to midspring with winter maxima, which are strongly involved with the atmospheric transport by westerly winds from the Asian continent to the WNP, as supported by backward trajectory analyses. Throughout the observations, we found an increase in the averaged concentrations of BB tracers from 2006 to 2013, which is mainly caused by enhanced BB events in Asian urban and rural areas, as supported by enhanced fire/hot spots in East Asia via satellite images. We also found that the period of the high concentrations was prolonged from 2006 to 2013. Comparison between monthly averaged concentrations of BB tracers and backward air mass trajectories clearly demonstrates that the winter/spring maxima over Chichijima are involved with the seasonal shifting of atmospheric circulation followed by downwind transport of BB aerosols to the WNP. High abundances of BB tracers over the WNP indicate that BB‐laden air masses can be transported to remote marine environments.
A multistatic and multifrequency novel approach for specular meteor radars to improve wind measurements in the MLT region
Authors: Stober G. , Chau J. L. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractSpecular meteor radars (SMRs) have become a widely used tool to observe horizontal winds at the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT). Typically 30 to 120 min mean winds are obtained assuming horizontal homogeneity of the observed area (i.e., few hundreds of kilometer radius). The quality of the measured wind velocity vector depends on the number of detected meteors per altitude and time bins. In order to improve the wind measurements of typical SMRs, here we propose a multistatic and multifrequency approach that consists mainly on adding GPS synchronized receiving stations with interferometric capabilities to existing SMRs. Compared to typical SMRs operating in a monostatic mode, our new approach called MMARIA (Multistatic and Multifrequency Agile Radar for Investigations of the Atmosphere) allows us to (a) increase the number of meteors using the same transmitter (by more than 70%), (b) increase the altitudinal coverage by 5–10 km higher depending on the geometry used, and (c) derive the horizontal wind field in the observed volume by relaxing the assumption of homogeneity. The latter result is facilitated by having common volume observations from at least two different viewing angles. We show the feasibility of these three goals from measurements at two different frequencies using a MMARIA configuration between Juliusruh and Kühlungsborn in northern Germany.
Identifying the source region of plasmaspheric hiss
Authors: Laakso Harri , Santolik Ondrej , Horne Richard , Kolmasová Ivana , Escoubet Philippe , Masson Arnaud , Taylor Matthew 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThe presence of the plasmaspheric hiss emission around the Earth has been known for more than 50 years, but its origin has remained unknown in terms of source location and mechanism. The hiss, made of whistler mode waves, exists for most of the time in the plasmasphere and is believed to control the radiation belt surrounding the Earth which makes its understanding very important. This paper presents direct observational evidence that the plasmaspheric hiss originates in the equatorial region of the plasmaspheric drainage plumes. It shows that the emissions propagate along the magnetic field lines and away from the equator in the plumes but toward the equator at lower L shells inside the plasmasphere. The observations also suggest that the hiss waves inside the plasmasphere are absorbed as they cross the equator.
Impact of the dynamical core on the direct simulation of tropical cyclones in a high‐resolution global model
Authors: Reed K. A. , Bacmeister J. T. , Rosenbloom N. A. , Wehner M. F. , Bates S. C. , Lauritzen P. H. , Truesdale J. E. , Hannay C. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of the dynamical core on the simulation of tropical cyclone (TC) frequency, distribution, and intensity. The dynamical core, the central fluid flow component of any general circulation model (GCM), is often overlooked in the analysis of a model's ability to simulate TCs compared to the impact of more commonly documented components (e.g., physical parameterizations). The Community Atmosphere Model version 5 is configured with multiple dynamics packages. This analysis demonstrates that the dynamical core has a significant impact on storm intensity and frequency, even in the presence of similar large‐scale environments. In particular, the spectral element core produces stronger TCs and more hurricanes than the finite‐volume core using very similar parameterization packages despite the latter having a slightly more favorable TC environment. The results suggest that more detailed investigations into the impact of the GCM dynamical core on TC climatology are needed to fully understand these uncertainties.
Giant lacustrine pockmarks with subaqueous groundwater discharge and subsurface sediment mobilization
Authors: Reusch Anna , Loher Markus , Bouffard Damien , Moernaut Jasper , Hellmich Franziska , Anselmetti Flavio S. , Bernasconi Stefano M. , Hilbe Michael , Kopf Achim , Lilley Marvin D. , Meinecke Gerrit , Strasser Michael 
Published: April 2015

AbstractSubsurface fluid flow in oceans and lakes affects bathymetric morphology, sediment distribution, and water composition. We present newly discovered giant lacustrine pockmarks in Lake Neuchâtel (up to 160 m diameter and 30 m deep) that rank among the largest known pockmarks in lakes. Our multidisciplinary study reveals ~60 m of suspended sediment inside a pockmark. The sediment suspension is 2.6° warmer and isotopically lighter in δ18OH2O by 1.5‰ than the ambient lake water, documenting currently active fluid flow by karstic groundwater discharge from the Jura Mountain front into the Swiss Plateau hydrological system. Strikingly, the levees of the pockmarks comprise subsurface sediment mobilization deposits representing episodic phases of sediment expulsion during the past. They strongly resemble subsurface fluid flow features in the marine realm. Comparable processes are expected to also be relevant for other carbonate‐dominated mountain front ranges, where karstic groundwater discharges into lacustrine or marine settings.
Crustal structure of the eastern Borborema Province, NE Brazil, from the joint inversion of receiver functions and surface wave dispersion: Implications for plateau uplift
Authors: Luz Rosana M. N. , Julià Jordi , do Nascimento Aderson F. 
Published: April 2015

AbstractWe investigate the crustal structure of the Borborema Province of NE Brazil by developing 44 S wave velocity‐depth profiles from the joint inversion of receiver functions and fundamental mode, Rayleigh wave group velocities. The Borborema Province is located in the northeasternmost corner of the South American continent and represents a portion of a larger Neoproterozoic mobile belt that formed during the Brasiliano‐Pan African orogeny. Extensional processes in the Mesozoic—eventually leading to the separation of Africa and South America—left a number of aborted rift basins in the continental interiors, and episodes of diffuse intraplate volcanism and uplift marked the evolution of the Province after continental breakup. Our velocity‐depth profiles reveal the existence of two crustal types in the Province: (i) the thin crustal type, which consists of 30–32.5 km thick crust, with an upper layer of 3.4–3.6 km/s overlying a lower layer of 3.7–3.8 km/s and (ii) the thick crustal type, which consists of a 35–37.5 km thick crust, with velocities between 3.5 and 3.9 km/s down to ∼30 km depth and a gradational increase in velocity (VS≥4.0 km/s) down to upper mantle depths. The crustal types correlate well with topography, with the thick crustal type being mainly found in the high‐standing southern Borborema Plateau and the thin crustal type being mostly found in the low‐lying Sertaneja depression and coastal cuestas. Interestingly, the thin crustal type is also observed under the elevated topography of the northern Plateau. We argue that the thick crustal type is rheologically strong and not necessarily related to postbreakup mantle processes, as it is commonly believed. We propose that extensional processes in the Mesozoic stretched portions of the Brasiliano crust and formed the thin crustal type that is now observed in the regions of low‐lying topography, leaving the rheologically strong thick crust of the southern Plateau at higher elevations. The crust making the northern Plateau would have thinned and subsided during Mesozoic extension as part of a greater Sertaneja depression, to then experience uplift in the Cenozoic and achieve its present elevation.
Evaluating the impact of allergic rhinitis on quality of life among Thai students
Authors: Sapsaprang Siwaporn , Setabutr Dhave , Kulalert Prapasri , Temboonnark Panipak , Poachanukoon Orapan 
Published: April 2015

BackgroundThe prevalence of allergic rhinitis (AR) in Thailand continues to rise. We report the prevalence and evaluate its impact upon quality of life (QoL) in students on a metropolitan campus.MethodsFrom March 2013 to February 2014, 222 students from Thammasat University Medical School were evaluated using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Questionnaire (ISAAC) questionnaire and the rhinoconjunctivitis QoL questionnaire (Rcq‐36) to assess subjective symptoms. Those students with clinical symptoms of AR underwent skin prick testing (SPT) using 5 common allergens found in Thailand. The association between AR and QoL was then determined using a paired t test.ResultsA total of 222 students were enrolled in the study; 86 (38.7%) were men. There were 183 (81.9%) students with AR symptoms and 130 (71.4%) students with positive results for SPT. The students’ QoL as defined by the Rcq‐36 revealed a significant worsening in students who self‐reported rhinitis symptoms within the past 12 months. Compared to the non‐AR group, in those with AR, eye symptoms were significantly more common.ConclusionThe prevalence of AR at a college campus was 58.5%. The presence of rhinitis symptoms was the highest predictor of the presence of AR, with 67.7% having subsequent positive SPT. Students with AR had poorer scores in every dimension of QoL as defined by the Rcq‐36 when compared to their non‐AR counterparts. Educational performances among the 2 groups were unaffected.
Supersymmetry after the Higgs
Authors: Nath Pran 
Published: April 2015

A brief review is given of the implications of a 126 GeV Higgs boson for the discovery of supersymmetry. Thus a 126 GeV Higgs boson is problematic within the Standard Model because of vacuum instability pointing to new physics beyond the Standard Model. The problem of vacuum stability is overcome in the SUGRA GUT model but the 126 GeV Higgs mass implies that the average SUSY scale lies in the several TeV region. The largeness of the SUSY scale relieves the tension on SUGRA models since it helps suppress flavor changing neutral currents and CP violating effects and also helps in extending the proton life time arising from baryon and lepton number violating dimension five operators. The geometry of radiative breaking of the electroweak symmetry and fine tuning in view of the large SUSY scale are analyzed.Consistency with the Brookhaven result is discussed. It is also shown that a large SUSY scale implied by the 126 GeV Higgs boson mass allows for light gauginos (gluino, charginos, neutralinos) and sleptons. These along with the lighter third generation squarks are the prime candidates for discovery at RUN II of the LHC. Implication of the 126 GeV Higgs boson for the direct search for dark matter is discussed. Also discussed are the sparticles mass hierarchies and their relationship with the simplified models under the Higgs boson mass constraint.
Novel phase inversion process for symmetric membrane formation through thermal quenching of polymer solution in same solvent
Authors: Chang Hsu‐Hsien , Beltsios Konstantinos G. , Yu Hsuan‐Fu , Wu Yu‐Hsuan , Cheng Liao‐Ping 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTA new and useful form of phase inversion for the formation of porous polymeric membranes is presented herein. As in the case of thermally induced phase separation (TIPS), this new form involves only two components (polymer and solvent) and a thermal quench; here the quench is accomplished via immersion in a cold bath of the micromolecular component (solvent) of the dope. Ιn terms of a fixed‐pressure two‐component phase diagram the quench is a non‐vertical one. We will refer to the new method as cold‐solvent induced phase separation (CIPS). In the present work we study mainly the poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl alcohol)/1,3‐propanediol system which leads to bi‐continuous structures stemming from a combination of liquid‐liquid demixing and crystallization. In addition, we compare with the case of the Nylon‐l2/formic acid system that we have briefly considered before and study further herein; the consequences of the TIPS to CIPS shift of method are different for the two systems, and the two situations are representative of two general possibilities. We also report general properties such as porosity, tensile strength, water permeation flux, and crystallinity of the produced poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl alcohol) membranes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42282.
In situ synthesis of cabbage like polyaniline@hydroquinone nanocomposites and electrochemical capacitance investigations
Authors: Chen Chunnian , Fan Wei , Zhang Qi , Ma Ting , Fu Xuwang , Wang Zhongbing 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTA Cabbage like polyaniline@hydroquinone composite microsphere was synthesized using in situ polymerization and the electrochemical performance was investigated. The core template, p‐benzoquinone, is demonstrated working as an oxidizing agent for the in situ polymerization of PANI, and to be reduced to 1, 4‐hydroquinone after reaction. The morphology and microstructure of samples were examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscope, X‐ray photoelectron spectrometer, thermo gravimetric, and Fourier transform infrared spectra. The cyclic voltammetry, impedance and galvanostatic charge/discharge analysis demonstrates that PANI contributes electronic conductive channels for hydroquinone, and hydroquinone works as a pseudocapacitance component. The prepared PANI@hydroquinone nanocomposite exhibits brilliant electrochemical properties of a specific capacitance of 126.0 F g−1 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 and enhanced stability of about 85.1% of initial capacitance retained after 500 cycles scanning at a current density of 1 A g−1. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42290.
Cation‐Tuned Stimuli‐Responsive and Optical Properties of Supramolecular Hydrogels
Authors: Yamanaka Masamichi , Yanai Kazushige , Zama Yusuke , Tsuchiyagaito Junko , Yoshida Masaru , Ishii Ayumi , Hasegawa Miki 
Published: April 2015

AbstractHierarchical self‐assembly of an amphiphilic tris‐urea in aqueous media is shown. A mixture of the amphiphilic tris‐urea and an alkaline solution gave a viscous solution composed of fibrous aggregates. This viscous solution transformed into supramolecular hydrogels, which are capable of hierarchically organizing into higher‐order aggregates in response to several cationic triggers. The resulting supramolecular hydrogels were relatively stiff and their storage moduli attained over 103 Pa. The stimuli‐responsive and optical properties of the resulting hydrogels were influenced by the cationic trigger. Proton and calcium ion triggers gave pH‐ and chemical stimuli‐responsive hydrogels, respectively. A terbium ion trigger also provided a highly luminescent hydrogel through energy transfer from the tris‐urea to terbium.
Simultaneous determination of ascaridole, p‐cymene and α‐terpinene in rat plasma after oral administration of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. by GC‐MS
Authors: Hu Xiaoqian , Chu Yang , Ma Gang , Li Wei , Wang Xiangyang , Mo Hongmei , Yin Qihui , Guo Jiahua , Ma Xiaohui , Zhou Shuiping 
Published: April 2015

AbstractA sensitive and reliable GC‐MS method was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of ascaridole, p‐cymene and α‐terpinene in rat plasma using naphthalene as internal standard. The plasma samples were extracted with ethyl acetate. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a HP‐5MS capillary analytical column (30 m × 0.25 mm, 0.25 µm) and detection was performed on a quadrupole mass spectrometer detector operated under selected ion monitoring mode. The method showed excellent linearity over the investigated concentration range (r > 0.99) with the limit of quantitation down to 50, 10 and 5 ng/mL for ascaridole, p‐cymene and α‐terpinene, respectively. The intra‐day and inter‐day precisions (RSD) were <11.3%, and the accuracy was between 90.7 and 113.8%. The method was successfully applied to investigate the pharmacokinetics of Chenopodium ambrosioides L. following oral administration to rats. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of Diaryl Sulfones at Room Temperature: Cu‐Catalyzed Cross‐Coupling of Arylsulfonyl Chlorides with Arylboronic Acids
Authors: Hu Feng , Lei Xiangyang 
Published: April 2015

AbstractAn efficient and convenient method for the synthesis of diaryl sulfones was developed through the Cu‐catalyzed cross‐couplings of arylsulfonyl chlorides and arylboronic acids at room temperature in open air. This method is characterized by the use of inexpensive and readily available catalyst and substrates, mild reaction conditions, wide functionality tolerance, short reaction times for most substrates, and moderate to good yields.
Adamantane‐Based Wide‐Bandgap Host Material: Blue Electrophosphorescence with High Efficiency and Very High Brightness
Authors: Gu Yu , Zhu Liping , Li Yifan , Yu Ling , Wu Kailong , Chen Tianheng , Huang Manli , Wang Feng , Gong Shaolong , Ma Dongge , Qin Jingui , Yang Chuluo 
Published: April 2015

AbstractAn adamantane‐based host material, namely, 4‐{3‐[4‐(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)phenyl]adamantan‐1‐yl}benzonitrile (CzCN‐Ad), was prepared by linking an electron‐donating carbazole unit and an electron‐accepting benzonitrile moiety through an adamantane bridge. In this approach, two functional groups were attached to tetrahedral points of adamantane to construct an “sp3” topological configuration. This design strategy endows the host material with a high triplet energy of 3.03 eV due to the disruption of intramolecular charge transfer. Although CzCN‐Ad has a low molecular weight, the rigid nonconjugated adamantane bridge results in a glass transition temperature of 89 °C. These features make CzCN‐Ad suitable for fabricating blue phosphorescent organic light‐emitting diodes (PhOLEDs). The devices based on sky‐blue phosphor bis[(4,6‐difluorophenyl)pyridinato‐N,C2′](picolinato)iridium(III) (FIrpic) achieved a high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 24.1 %, which is among the best results for blue PhOLEDs ever reported. Furthermore, blue PhOLEDs with bis(2,4‐difluorophenylpyridinato)‐tetrakis(1‐pyrazolyl)borate iridium(III) (FIr6) as dopant exhibited a maximum EQE of 14.2 % and a maximum luminance of 34 262 cd m−2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the highest luminance ever reported for FIr6‐based PhOLEDs.