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The variables of snow cover extent (SCE), snow cover duration (SCD), and snow albedo (SAL) are primary factors determining the surface energy balance and hydrological response of the cryosphere, influencing snow pack and glacier mass-balance, melt, and runoff conditions. This study examines spatiotemporal patterns and trends in SCE, SCD, and SAL (2000–2016; 16 years) for central Chilean and Argent
Packaging developers in the food industry must consider several, sometimes conflicting, environmental requirements on packaging along with an already complex combination of marketing, logistics and production requirements. Existing methods for the environmental evaluation of packaging either focus on a limited amount of environmental packaging criteria (such as recyclability or renewable content)
The stacked multi-level (SML) klystron modulator topology has been suggested as an alternative to conventional pulse transformer based topologies in an attempt to improve output pulse performance and reduce system size for long pulse applications. In this topology, a power converter chain including a high frequency transformer generates the output pulse in a pulse modulation/demodulation scheme, e
We know now that discs of gas and dust, so-called protoplanetary discs, form planets as side-products of the naturally occurring star formation process throughout the Milky Way. Young, growing planets in such discs are commonly referred to as protoplanets. In about 10\% of the so-far observed stars, this planet formation process leads to the occurrence of giant planets, such as Saturn, Jupiter, or
The depletion of oil reserves and the increasingly stringent European Union regulation of air pollution have forced researchers and manufacturers to search for cleaner and sustainable substitutes to petroleum‐based transportation fuels. Biofuels like small aliphatic alcohols are of increasing interest as alternatives to fossil fuels, as they offer long‐term fuel‐source regenerability. As major adv
HDL is believed to be protective against cardiovascular disease (CVD) via the reverse cholesterol transport and anti-inflammatory actions in the vessel. Apolipoprotein M (apoM) is an apolipoprotein mainly associated with HDL. Recently ApoM was proven tobe the main carrier of Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) in circulation. SIP is a signaling phospholipid involved in the immune system, exerting most o
We report 43 novel genes in the water flea Daphnia pulex encoding 73 predicted neuropeptide and protein hormones as partly confirmed by RT-PCR. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identified 40 neuropeptides by mass matches and 30 neuropeptides by fragmentation sequencing. Single genes encode adipokinetic hormone, allatostatin-A, allatostatin-B, allatotropin, Ala(7)-CCAP, CCHamide, Arg(7)-corazonin, DENam
Both research and policy recognize land systems as fundamental to human life and activities. However, these two perspectives approach land from different ends and it can be difficult to see how studied variables contribute to broader policy goals. In this paper, we argue that there is a need to better select variables to study land systems as social-ecological systems, and to align research more w
Background: Nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neural factor (BDNF) are important for brain function and detectable in the blood. This study explored the longitudinal associations of physical activity and body fat with serum NGF and BDNF in children. Methods: Two waves of measurements were performed 2 years apart in 8- to 11-year-old children, including physical activity using the ActiGra
The shear plate dowel joint (SPDJ) is a novel connection design for use in heavy timber structures. Load transfer between timber members is enabled using a single large diameter dowel and externally glued steel plates. The steel plates are glued to the timber using bond lines of low stiffness and high fracture energy to achieve a uniform shear stress distribution, thus maximizing the load carrying
The aim of this paper is to provide guidance in selecting phosphorus recovery options within the municipal wastewater treatment sector regarding developing countries. This critical review includes a brief contextualization of the resource-oriented sanitation paradigm, the discussion of processes for phosphorus recovery based on methods at full-scale, pilot-scale and laboratory-scale, and a concise
Aim: Vegetation structure is a key determinant of animal diversity and species distributions. The introduction of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) has enabled the collection of massive amounts of point cloud data for quantifying habitat structure at fine resolution. Here, we review the current use of LiDAR‐derived vegetation metrics in diversity and distribution research of birds, a key group f
The study of economic development in African countries is facing a basic problem of lack of reliable data and statistics. These problems of economic data are best addressed under three main categories: design, capacity, and politics. The focus is on gross domestic product (GDP), but the relevance goes beyond GDP statistics because the aggregate of GDP requires economic data on all sectors of the e
The information of water level variations in lakes and reservoirs is essential for many applications such as water resources management. The conventional in-situ measurements of water levels based on gauge station are often rarely available or difficult to be shared to the public especially for lakes in the developing countries and transboundary basins. Satellite altimetry provides an alternative
Nine Ce ii lines have been identified and characterized within the spectral window observed by the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) survey (between λ1.51 and 1.69 μm). At solar metallicities, cerium is an element that is produced predominantly as a result of the slow capture of neutrons (the s-process) during asymptotic giant branch stellar evolution. The Ce ii lines
Semiconductor nanowire (NW) technology has emerged as a key facilitator of novel optoelectronics e.g. solar cells, photodetectors and LEDs. The functional wavelength range of current NW-based photodetectors is typically limited to the visible/near-infrared region. In this work, we present the first ever reported electrical and optical characteristics of longwavelength IR photodetectors based on la
BACKGROUND: Advanced glycation end product is an established risk marker in diabetic vascular disease, but its possible associations with atherosclerosis in a general population are yet to be investigated. We studied the degree of carotid atherosclerosis and its association with skin autofluorescence in an elderly population.METHODS: Carotid ultrasound and skin autofluorescence measurements were p
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic presents great challenges on transmission prevention, and rapid diagnosis is essential to reduce the disease spread. Various diagnostic methods are available to identify an ongoing infection by nasopharyngeal (NPH) swab sampling. However, the procedure requires handling by health care professionals, and therefore limits the application in household and community s
Loess provides a valuable terrestrial record of past environmental conditions, including the dynamics and trajectories of air mass circulation responsible for dust transport. Here we explore variations in the luminescence sensitivity characteristics of sedimentary quartz and feldspar as possible tools for identifying changes in source down a loess-palaeosol sequence (LPS). Luminescence sensitivity
