| 1. |
- Bentham, James, et al.
(författare)
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A century of trends in adult human height
- 2016
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - : eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 5
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Being taller is associated with enhanced longevity, and higher education and earnings. We reanalysed 1472 population-based studies, with measurement of height on more than 18.6 million participants to estimate mean height for people born between 1896 and 1996 in 200 countries. The largest gain in adult height over the past century has occurred in South Korean women and Iranian men, who became 20.2 cm (95% credible interval 17.5–22.7) and 16.5 cm (13.3– 19.7) taller, respectively. In contrast, there was little change in adult height in some sub-Saharan African countries and in South Asia over the century of analysis. The tallest people over these 100 years are men born in the Netherlands in the last quarter of 20th century, whose average heights surpassed 182.5 cm, and the shortest were women born in Guatemala in 1896 (140.3 cm; 135.8– 144.8). The height differential between the tallest and shortest populations was 19-20 cm a century ago, and has remained the same for women and increased for men a century later despite substantial changes in the ranking of countries.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Hopfner, M., et al.
(författare)
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Validation of MIPAS ClONO2 measurements
- 2007
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Ingår i: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1680-7316 .- 1680-7324. ; 7, s. 257-281
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Altitude profiles of ClONO2 retrieved with the IMK (Institut fur Meteorologie und Klimaforschung) science-oriented data processor from MIPAS/Envisat (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding on Envisat) mid-infrared limb emission measurements between July 2002 and March 2004 have been validated by comparison with balloon-borne (Mark IV, FIRS2, MIPAS-B), airborne (MIPAS-STR), ground-based (Spitsbergen, Thule, Kiruna, Harestua, Jungfraujoch, Izana, Wollongong, Lauder), and spaceborne (ACE-FTS) observations. With few exceptions we found very good agreement between these instruments and MIPAS with no evidence for any bias in most cases and altitude regions. For balloon-borne measurements typical absolute mean differences are below 0.05 ppbv over the whole altitude range from 10 to 39 km. In case of ACE-FTS observations mean differences are below 0.03 ppbv for observations below 26 km. Above this altitude the comparison with ACE-FTS is affected by the photochemically induced diurnal variation of ClONO2. Correction for this by use of a chemical transport model led to an overcompensation of the photochemical effect by up to 0.1 ppbv at altitudes of 30-35 km in case of MIPAS-ACE-FTS comparisons while for the balloon-borne observations no such inconsistency has been detected. The comparison of MIPAS derived total column amounts with ground-based observations revealed no significant bias in the MIPAS data. Mean differences between MIPAS and FTIR column abundances are 0.11 +/- 0.12 x 10(14) cm(-2) (1.0 +/- 1.1%) and -0.09 +/- 0.19 x 10(14) cm(-2) (-0.8 +/- 1.7%), depending on the coincidence criterion applied. chi(2) tests have been performed to assess the combined precision estimates of MIPAS and the related instruments. When no exact coincidences were available as in case of MIPAS-FTIR or MIPAS-ACE-FTS comparisons it has been necessary to take into consideration a coincidence error term to account for chi(2) deviations. From the resulting chi(2) profiles there is no evidence for a systematic over/underestimation of the MIPAS random error analysis.
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| 4. |
- Tinetti, Giovanna, et al.
(författare)
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The EChO science case
- 2015
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Ingår i: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 40:2-3, s. 329-391
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The discovery of almost two thousand exoplanets has revealed an unexpectedly diverse planet population. We see gas giants in few-day orbits, whole multi-planet systems within the orbit of Mercury, and new populations of planets with masses between that of the Earth and Neptune-all unknown in the Solar System. Observations to date have shown that our Solar System is certainly not representative of the general population of planets in our Milky Way. The key science questions that urgently need addressing are therefore: What are exoplanets made of? Why are planets as they are? How do planetary systems work and what causes the exceptional diversity observed as compared to the Solar System? The EChO (Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory) space mission was conceived to take up the challenge to explain this diversity in terms of formation, evolution, internal structure and planet and atmospheric composition. This requires in-depth spectroscopic knowledge of the atmospheres of a large and well-defined planet sample for which precise physical, chemical and dynamical information can be obtained. In order to fulfil this ambitious scientific program, EChO was designed as a dedicated survey mission for transit and eclipse spectroscopy capable of observing a large, diverse and well-defined planet sample within its 4-year mission lifetime. The transit and eclipse spectroscopy method, whereby the signal from the star and planet are differentiated using knowledge of the planetary ephemerides, allows us to measure atmospheric signals from the planet at levels of at least 10(-4) relative to the star. This can only be achieved in conjunction with a carefully designed stable payload and satellite platform. It is also necessary to provide broad instantaneous wavelength coverage to detect as many molecular species as possible, to probe the thermal structure of the planetary atmospheres and to correct for the contaminating effects of the stellar photosphere. This requires wavelength coverage of at least 0.55 to 11 mu m with a goal of covering from 0.4 to 16 mu m. Only modest spectral resolving power is needed, with R similar to 300 for wavelengths less than 5 mu m and R similar to 30 for wavelengths greater than this. The transit spectroscopy technique means that no spatial resolution is required. A telescope collecting area of about 1 m(2) is sufficiently large to achieve the necessary spectro-photometric precision: for the Phase A study a 1.13 m(2) telescope, diffraction limited at 3 mu m has been adopted. Placing the satellite at L2 provides a cold and stable thermal environment as well as a large field of regard to allow efficient time-critical observation of targets randomly distributed over the sky. EChO has been conceived to achieve a single goal: exoplanet spectroscopy. The spectral coverage and signal-to-noise to be achieved by EChO, thanks to its high stability and dedicated design, would be a game changer by allowing atmospheric composition to be measured with unparalleled exactness: at least a factor 10 more precise and a factor 10 to 1000 more accurate than current observations. This would enable the detection of molecular abundances three orders of magnitude lower than currently possible and a fourfold increase from the handful of molecules detected to date. Combining these data with estimates of planetary bulk compositions from accurate measurements of their radii and masses would allow degeneracies associated with planetary interior modelling to be broken, giving unique insight into the interior structure and elemental abundances of these alien worlds. EChO would allow scientists to study exoplanets both as a population and as individuals. The mission can target super-Earths, Neptune-like, and Jupiter-like planets, in the very hot to temperate zones (planet temperatures of 300-3000 K) of F to M-type host stars. The EChO core science would be delivered by a three-tier survey. The EChO Chemical Census: This is a broad survey of a few-hundred exoplanets, which allows us to explore the spectroscopic and chemical diversity of the exoplanet population as a whole. The EChO Origin: This is a deep survey of a subsample of tens of exoplanets for which significantly higher signal to noise and spectral resolution spectra can be obtained to explain the origin of the exoplanet diversity (such as formation mechanisms, chemical processes, atmospheric escape). The EChO Rosetta Stones: This is an ultra-high accuracy survey targeting a subsample of select exoplanets. These will be the bright "benchmark" cases for which a large number of measurements would be taken to explore temporal variations, and to obtain two and three dimensional spatial information on the atmospheric conditions through eclipse-mapping techniques. If EChO were launched today, the exoplanets currently observed are sufficient to provide a large and diverse sample. The Chemical Census survey would consist of > 160 exoplanets with a range of planetary sizes, temperatures, orbital parameters and stellar host properties. Additionally, over the next 10 years, several new ground- and space-based transit photometric surveys and missions will come on-line (e.g. NGTS, CHEOPS, TESS, PLATO), which will specifically focus on finding bright, nearby systems. The current rapid rate of discovery would allow the target list to be further optimised in the years prior to EChO's launch and enable the atmospheric characterisation of hundreds of planets.
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| 5. |
- Parreiras, Lucas S., et al.
(författare)
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Engineering and two-stage evolution of a lignocellulosic hydrolysate-tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain for anaerobic fermentation of xylose from AFEX pretreated corn stover
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The inability of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to ferment xylose effectively under anaerobic conditions is a major barrier to economical production of lignocellulosic biofuels. Although genetic approaches have enabled engineering of S. cerevisiae to convert xylose efficiently into ethanol in defined lab medium, few strains are able to ferment xylose from lignocellulosic hydrolysates in the absence of oxygen. This limited xylose conversion is believed to result from small molecules generated during biomass pretreatment and hydrolysis, which induce cellular stress and impair metabolism. Here, we describe the development of a xylose-fermenting S. cerevisiae strain with tolerance to a range of pretreated and hydrolyzed lignocellulose, including Ammonia Fiber Expansion (AFEX)-pretreated corn stover hydrolysate (ACSH). We genetically engineered a hydrolysate-resistant yeast strain with bacterial xylose isomerase and then applied two separate stages of aerobic and anaerobic directed evolution. The emergent S. cerevisiae strain rapidly converted xylose from lab medium and ACSH to ethanol under strict anaerobic conditions. Metabolomic, genetic and biochemical analyses suggested that a missense mutation in GRE3, which was acquired during the anaerobic evolution, contributed toward improved xylose conversion by reducing intracellular production of xylitol, an inhibitor of xylose isomerase. These results validate our combinatorial approach, which utilized phenotypic strain selection, rational engineering and directed evolution for the generation of a robust S. cerevisiae strain with the ability to ferment xylose anaerobically from ACSH.
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| 6. |
- Farnocchia, Davide, et al.
(författare)
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The Second International Asteroid Warning Network Timing Campaign: 2005 LW3
- 2023
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Ingår i: The Planetary Science Journal. - : Institute of Physics (IOP). - 2632-3338. ; 4:11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Earth close approach of near-Earth asteroid 2005 LW3 on 2022 November 23 represented a good opportunity for a second observing campaign to test the timing accuracy of astrometric observation. With 82 participating stations, the International Asteroid Warning Network collected 1046 observations of 2005 LW3 around the time of the close approach. Compared to the previous timing campaign targeting 2019 XS, some individual observers were able to significantly improve the accuracy of their reported observation times. In particular, U.S. surveys achieved good timing performance. However, no broad, systematic improvement was achieved compared to the previous campaign, with an overall negative bias persisting among the different observers. The calibration of observing times and the mitigation of timing errors should be important future considerations for observers and orbit computers, respectively.
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| 7. |
- Jiang, L., et al.
(författare)
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Kinetics of the Oxidation Modification Process of CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO Slag : [CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO体系钢渣的氧化改质动力学研究]
- 2018
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Ingår i: Cailiao Daobao/Materials Review. - : Cailiao Daobaoshe/ Materials Review. - 1005-023X. ; 32:2, s. 650-656, 671
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An investigation of mineralogical phases in industrial slag transferred from non-magnetic to magnetic substances was carried out in this study, aiming at extraction of superfluous wustite and stabilization of free lime and free periclase. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were employed to investigate the mineralogy and phase distribution. Wet magnetic separation was conducted to determine the recovery rate of iron. The thermodynamic and kine-tic calculations for the oxidation of steel slag in a CaO-SiO2-FeO-MgO system were also performed, and the results were compared with a CaO-SiO2-FeO system. XRD analysis and SEM-EDS observation confirmed the conversion from non-magnetic wustite to magnetite spinel (magnetite/magnesioferrite) after oxidation. Magnetic separation experiment indicated that the optimal oxidation temperature is 1 100℃, which coincided well with the thermodynamic calculations. The addition of periclase had a significant influence on the formation of spinel and leaded to the presence of spinel under a partial pressure of oxygen range log10(PO2)=4.3 (correspon-ding to air). The oxidation process of steel slag could be divided into three steps: initial incubation, chemical reaction and diffusion.
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| 8. |
- Liu, C, et al.
(författare)
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The study of dissolution kinetics of K2SO4 crystal in aqueous ethanol solutions with a statistical rate theory
- 2004
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Ingår i: Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering. - 1004-9541 .- 2210-321X. ; 12, s. 128-130
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dissolution kinetics of K2SO4 crystal in aqueous ethanol solutions was studied on-line with ion selective electrode. The concentration of K2SO4 was calculated from the determined electromotive force in which the activity coefficient of components in the liquid phase was calculated with the Pitzer equation. Dissolution kinetic parameters in the modified statistical rate theory were regressed. The correlation results show that dissolution rate of K2SO4 is slower in aqueous ethanol solutions than that in aqueous solutions. The two most important reasons are as follows: (1) The solubility Of K2SO4 in aqueous ethanol solutions is lower than that in aqueous solutions, which causes a decrease of the driving force of mass transfer. (2) The process of surface reaction Of K2SO4 became slower due to the addition of ethanol, so that the whole process is mainly dominated by the surface reaction instead of mass transfer.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Phongpreecha, T., et al.
(författare)
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Adsorption of Lignin β-O-4 Dimers on Metal Surfaces in Vacuum and Solvated Environments
- 2019
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Ingår i: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2168-0485. ; :2, s. 2667-2678
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Lignin hydrogenolysis has recently been studied extensively as it was shown to result in high monomer yields. Most of these reactions were conducted in liquid solvents, which have shown large impacts on product types and yields. Because adsorption is the first step to any heterogeneous catalyst reactions, this work aims to understand how solvent affects lignin adsorption on Ni(111) and Cu(111) surfaces. To achieve this, density functional theory calculations were employed to investigate β-O-4 lignin dimer (a model compound) adsorption conformations in both vacuum and liquid ethanol. In vacuum, it was found that lignin prefers to adsorb strongly on Ni(111) and weakly on Cu(111) with both aromatic rings parallel to the surface. Solvated adsorption was modeled using both implicit and explicit models. It was found that an explicit model is required to accurately describe the lignin-solvent interactions. With the explicit solvation model, it was predicted that the lignin dimer adsorbs on a Ni(111) surface but not on Cu(111). Furthermore, to circumvent the computationally expensive liquid interface calculations, a thermodynamic cycle method was developed to quickly estimate the solvated lignin dimer adsorption energy from the gas phase adsorption energy and the solvation energies. This model quantifies the effects from the solvent on lignin dimer adsorption, including the contributions from the lignin-solvent and the solvent-metal interactions, and suggests how to design both catalyst and solvent to tune lignin adsorption.
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