ALBERT

Description: It is firmly established in the hydrologic literature that flooding depends on both antecedent watershed wetness and precipitation. One could phrase this relationship as “heavy precipitation does not necessarily lead to high stream discharge”, but rarely do studies directly affirm this statement. We have observed several non-hydrologists mistake trends in heavy precipitation as a proxy for trends in riverine flooding. If the relationship between heavy precipitation and high discharge was more often explicitly presented, heavy precipitation may less often be misinterpreted as a proxy for discharge. In this paper, we undertake such an analysis for 390 watersheds across the contiguous U.S. We found that 99th percentile precipitation only results in 99th percentage discharge 36 % of the time. However, when conditioned on soil moisture from the Variable Infiltration Capacity model, 62 % of 99th percentile precipitation results in 99th percentile discharge during wet periods and only 13 % during dry periods. When relating trends in heavy precipitation to hydrologic response, precipitation data should, therefore, be segregated based on concurrent soil moisture. Taking this approach for climate predictions, we found that CMIP-5 atmosphere–ocean global circulation model (AOGCM) simulations for a RCP 6.0 forcing project increases in concurrence of greater than median soil wetness and extreme precipitation in the northern United States and a decrease in the south, suggesting northern regions could see an increase in very high discharges while southern regions could see decreases despite both regions having an increase in extreme precipitation. While the actual outcome is speculative given the uncertainties of the AOGCM’s, such an analysis provides a more sophisticated framework from which to evaluate the output as well as historic climate data.

Description: Probabilistic event attribution (PEA) is an important tool for assessing the contribution of climate change to extreme weather events. Here, PEA is applied to explore the climate attribution of recent extreme heat events in California’s Central Valley. Heat waves have become progressively more severe due to increasing relative humidity and nighttime temperatures, which increases the health risks of exposed communities, especially Latino farmworkers and other socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Using a superensemble of simulations with the Hadley Centre Regional Model (HadRM3P), we find that (1) simulations of the hottest summer days during the 2000s were twice as likely to occur using observed levels of greenhouse gases than in a counterfactual world without major human activities, suggesting a strong relationship between heat extremes and the increase in human emissions of greenhouse gases, (2) detrimental impacts of heat on public health-relevant variables, such as the number of days above 40 °C, can be quantified and attributed to human activities using PEA, and (3) PEA can serve as a tool for addressing climate justice concerns of populations within developed nations who are disproportionately exposed to climate risks.

Description: Extreme weather events are a significant cause of loss of life and livelihoods, particularly in vulnerable countries and communities in Africa. Such events or their probability of occurring may be, or are, changing due to climate change with consequent changes in the associated risks. To adapt to, or to address loss and damage from, this changing risk we need to understand the effects of climate change on extreme weather events and their impacts. The emerging science of probabilistic event attribution can provide scientific evidence about the contribution of anthropogenic climate change to changes in risk of extreme events. This research has the potential to be useful for climate change adaptation, but there is a need to explore its application in vulnerable developing countries, particularly those in Africa, since the majority of existing event attribution studies have focused on mid-latitude events. Here we explain the methods of, and implications of, different approaches to attributing extreme weather events in an African context. The analysis demonstrates that different ways of framing attribution questions can lead to very different assessments of change in risk. Crucially, defining the most appropriate attribution question to ask is not a science decision but one that needs to be made in dialogue with those stakeholders who will use the answers. This is true of all attribution studies but may be particularly relevant in a tropical context, suggesting that collaboration between scientists and policy-makers is a priority for Africa.

Description: We develop a methodology with which to assess the effects of policy instruments on the long-term abatement and costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies for coal power plants. Using an expert elicitation, historical data on the determinants of technological change in energy, values from the engineering literature, and demand estimates from an integrated assessment model, we simulate ranges of outcomes between 2025 and 2095. We introduce probability distributions of all important parameters and propagate them through the model to generate probability distributions of electricity costs, abatement costs, and CO 2 avoided over time. Carbon pricing has larger effects than R&D and subsidies. But much of the range of outcomes is driven by uncertainty in other parameters, such as capital costs and returns to scale. Availability of other low carbon technologies, particularly bioenergy with CCS affects outcomes. Subsidies have the biggest impacts when they coincide with expanding manufacturing scale of CCS components. Our results point to 4 parameters for which better information is needed for future work informing technology policy to address climate change: capital costs, demonstration plants, growth constraints, and knowledge spillovers among technologies.

Description: The complexation reactions between K + , Na + , and La 3+ cations and the macrocyclic ligand dibenzo-18-crown-6 (DB18C6) were studied in acetionitrile (AN)-dimethylformamide (DMF) binary mixtures. Also, the complexation of K + and Na + in 50% ethanol (EtOH)-50% DMF and 50% EtOH-50% AN binary mixtures was studied. The conductivity data show that the stochiometry of all the complexes is 1: 1. A non-linear behavior was observed for the log K f variation vs. composition of binary solvent, which was discussed in terms of heteroselective solvation and solvent-solvent interactions in binary solutions. It was found that the stability order of the complexes changes with composition of the mixed solvents. The stability sequence for AN-DMF (25 and 50 mol % DMF) solutions and pure AN at 25°C is [K(DB18C6)] + 〉 [Na(DB18C6)] + 〉 [La(DB18C6)] 3+ . However, at 75 mol % DMF it changes to [Na(DB18C6)] + 〉 [K(DB18C6)] + 〉 [La(DB18C6)] 3+ . The thermodynamical values (Δ H c po , Δ S c po ) for these complexation reactions were determined from the temperature dependence of the stability constants. The thermodynamics of the complexation reactions is affected by the nature and composition of the mixed solvents.

Description: A single theoretical model for calculating heat conductivity coefficients is presented. The model is based on the mobility of ions and takes into account the characteristics of individual solvated ions and properties of the solvent. The model allows us to obtain heat conductivity coefficients for solutions of individual electrolytes and their mixtures in aqueous and non-aqueous solvents.

Description: Density (ρ) and viscosity (η) of aqueous hippuric acid (HA) solutions containing LiCl and MnCl 2 · 4H 2 O have been studied at 303.15 K in order to understand volumetric and viscometric behavior of these systems. Apparent molar volume (φ v ) of salts were calculated from density data and fitted to Massons relation and partial molar volumes (φ v 0 ) at infinite dilution were determined. Relative viscosity data has been used to determine viscosity A and B coefficients using Jones-Dole relation. Partial molar volume and viscosity coefficients have been discussed in terms of ion-solvent interactions and overall structural fittings in solution.

Description: The carboxyl-terminated polysiloxane (CTP) was successfully synthesized from amine-terminated polysiloxane and succinic anhydride and characterized by the 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR spectroscopy. The complexes of lanthanide ions (Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ , and Dy 3+ ) with CTP were prepared and show excellent fluorescence properties. Narrow-width red or green fluorescence was observed under UV irradiation, indicating the successful coordination and the presence of the intra-molecular energy transfer process. For the functionalized polysiloxane, the coordination number is hard to be confirmed due to polysiloxane excellent flexibility. In order to investigate the coordination number and structure of these products, the carboxyl-functionalized disiloxane (CFD) and luminescent materials on its basis (CFD-Ln) were synthesized and their coordination structure was confirmed by IR, fluorescence spectroscopy and XPS. Through the qualitative comparison between the CFD-Ln and CTP-Ln, the coordination structure of the CTP-Ln material was elucidated.

Description: The effect of the structure of benzimidazoles on their chromatographic retention on octadecyl silica gel from an aqueous acetonitrile eluent was studied. One- and many-parameter correlation equations were obtained by linear regression analysis, and their prognostic potential in determining the retention factors of benzimidazoles under study was analyzed.

Description: The structure and properties of nickelabenzene complex were examined by the Modified Perdew-Wang Exchange and Correlation method (mpw1pw91). The para -substitutions effect on the structure, frontier orbital energies, aromaticity and electronic spectra has been studied. Nucleus independent chemical shift (NICS) values show that these species are aromatic. Time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) was used to calculate the energy, oscillator strength and absorption maxima wavelength (λ max ) of various electronic transitions and their nature within molecules.

Description: Coefficients of the three-parameter polynomial equation of states are determined from experimental data on the ( p , ρ, T , x ) relationship for water-aliphatic alcohol (methanol, ethanol, and n -propanol) mixtures in the liquid and vapor phases and in the supercritical state: expansions of compressibility factor Z = p / RT ρ m into series in powers of reduced density ω = ρ m /ρ mcr ; reduced temperature τ = T/T cr and composition x (as the mole fraction of alcohol), \(Z = p/RT\rho _m = 1 + \sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^m {\sum\nolimits_{j = 0}^n {\sum\nolimits_{k = 0}^s {a_{ijk} \omega ^i \tau ^{ - j} x^k ;} } } p = RT\rho _m = [1 + \sum\nolimits_{i = 1}^m {\sum\nolimits_{j = 0}^n {\sum\nolimits_{k = 0}^s {a_{ijk} \omega ^i \tau ^{ - j} x^k } } ]} \) . The mean percentage errors of the calculated pressure values relative to the experimental values are 2% (liquid phase), 0.7% (vapor phase), and 0.5% (supercritical fluid).

Description: Acoustic parameters such as isentropic compressibility, βs, intermolecular free length, Lf, apparent molar volume (ϕ v ), solvation number, Sn, viscosity B coefficients of Jones-Dole equation etc., have been evaluated from the measured values of ultrasonic velocity, density and viscosity for the solutions of lanthanum(III) chloride in d-glucose (dextrose)-water mixed solvent system of various proportions at 303.15 K temperature and atmospheric pressure. The results are discussed in the light of ion-solvent interactions and the structural effect of the solute on the solvent in the solution.

Description: Monolythic medium-polar capillary columns based on pentaerythritol tetraacrylate were optimized for separation of peptides. The synthesis temperature and time, the fraction of monomer in the initial polymerization mixture, and the nature of alcohol contained in the complex porogen were chosen as optimization parameters. The highest efficiency was attained for columns obtained with 33 and 34% monomer at a polymerization time of 75 min and a temperature of 75°C. The columns with the optimum structure were effective in separation of a model mixture of five peptides. The sensitivity of the method was 200 ng of peptide per column.

Description: A study of metastable zone width (MSZW) and nucleation parameters for a cooling crystallization of DL-malic acid-water system is described in this paper. Experimental determination of the MSZW was performed using a laser method in order to carry out the estimation of nucleation parameters. Measured MSZWs can be affected by a variety of parameters, such as cooling rate, saturation temperature, agitation rate, and so on. In this work, the MSZWs were found to decrease with an increase of saturation temperature, and levels of agitation, while it increased with an increase of cooling rate. Two classical theoretical approaches, Nyvlt’s approach and self-consistent Nyvlt-like approach were used to analyze the experimental data on MSZWs.

Description: The conversion of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD) in diluted aqueous solutions at different absorbed doses of ionizing radiation using the 60 Co source is studied. The radiochemical yield of TCDD conversion is (0.3–1.5) × 10 −5 molecules/100 eV for solutions with 0.2–2 μg/L TCDD in open cells and 2.4 × 10 −5 molecules/100 eV for air-sparged 2 μg/L TCDD solutions. It is demonstrated that the absorbed dose of ionizing radiation (25 kGy) lowers the TCDD concentration in oxygen-containing aqueous solutions virtually to zero.

Description: The interactions of L-phenylalanine and L-tryptophan with nicotinic acid and uracyl in an aqueous buffer solution at pH 7.35 were studied by IR spectroscopy. The contributions of various functional groups to the complexation of aromatic amino acids with heterocyclic ligands were determined from the IR spectra of the starting substances and their mixtures.

Description: Thermal effects of the complexation of cobalt(II) ions with L-histidine at 298.15 K and several values of the ionic strength against the background of KNO3 are determined by means of direct calorimetry. The standard thermodynamic characteristics of the reactions of complexation in the aqueous solution have been calculated.

Description: A procedure for dispersing the single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) for preparing stable suspensions with high concentrations of individual nanotubes in various alcohols was described. The obtained suspensions were studied by Raman spectroscopy. The solubility of the single-walled carbon nanotubes in alcohols was found to depend on the concentration of cholic acid. The ethanol-surfactant mixture was shown to be the best solvent for all alkanol-cholic acid mixtures (0.018 mol/kg) under study used for preparing time-stable suspensions of single-walled carbon nanotubes. The dissolving ability of aliphatic alcohols was found to decrease in the series: ethanol-isopropanol- tert -butanol-butanol-propanol.

Description: Future bitumen production in the Athabasca Oil Sands, one of the largest remaining reserves of petroleum on the planet, is a key factor in global climate policy and politics. Climate warming in the Athabasca River Basin (ARB) has the potential to limit future streamflow availability for aquatic ecosystem needs, as well as for water withdrawals in oil sands mining operations. This study applies the land surface model IBIS and the hydrological routing algorithm THMB, with forced output from CMIP5 global climate models, to examine the response of streamflow in the ARB to climate change this century. In comparison to the small impact of water withdrawals on streamflow, climate change impacts are projected to be the primary driver of future low flow occurrences. Although winter flows are most sensitive to water withdrawals under the historical hydroclimatological regime, future climate change is projected to increase winter flows and decrease summer flows instead, with the frequency of summer low flows projected to rise by up to 85 % in the highest future emissions scenario by the end of the century. A decline in water availability due to more frequent low flows could interrupt oil sands water withdrawals and subsequent daily bitumen production for an additional 2–3 months each year by mid-century. Adaptation to climate warming in the ARB will need to recognize these changing seasonal patterns of flow in order to maintain available flows for ecological needs and water withdrawals.

Description: Recent trends in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have raised the concern that climate change could increase flooding risks and property damage. However, a major challenge in attributing and projecting changes in disaster risk is that damage is influenced not only by the physical climate hazard, but also by non-climatic factors that shape exposure and vulnerability. Recent assessments of integrated disaster risk have been hampered by the paucity of literature analyzing local-scale interactions between hazard, exposure and vulnerability in the historical record. Here we develop an integrated empirical analysis of historical flood damage that emphasizes spatial and temporal heterogeneity in flood hazard, economic exposure and social vulnerability. Using the Midwestern United States as a testbed, we show that annual property damage from flooding is projected to increase by 13 to 17.4 % over the next two decades. At the state level, over half of the increase is driven by projected growth in housing units. However, at the county level, the dominant factor causing future damage varies, emphasizing the value of a fully integrated, spatially and temporally resolved approach to assessing flooding risk and control strategies.

Description: Religious beliefs, an important element of culture, influence adaptation to climate change. Less understood is how changing beliefs shape the adaptive capacity of communities responding to climate change. In the last century sub-Saharan Africa has experienced a transformation in beliefs. Since 1900 Christians have increased 70-fold while in rural areas Traditional Beliefs and associated Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) continue to influence the lived practices of vulnerable rural communities. Using two case studies of rural communities in Malawi (Bolero) and Zambia (Monze) we explore how Christianity and Traditional beliefs (and associated TEK) co-exist and assess if, and how, holding multiple belief systems affects climate-sensitive livelihood practices of food production. In Bolero we observed a lack of tensions between belief systems with Traditional leaders and elders noting the flexibility of adhering to both belief systems. In Monze however, basing livelihood decisions on the practice of rain-rituals resulted in strong tensions. In both communities elders noted their concern of how changing beliefs affect adherence to TEK management practices. We find that culture and beliefs play an important role in adaptive capacity but are not static. In the context of changing beliefs, adaptive capacity will be influenced by how different belief systems co-exist and how epistemological and intergenerational frictions are negotiated. As climate services become the focus of research and government interventions in vulnerable regions, avoiding culturally and economically expensive mal-adaptation will require giving attention to the complexity and dynamism of changing religious landscapes.

Description: ZnO and 0, 5, and 10 mol % Fe-doped ZnO–TiO 2 nanopowders were synthesized by the sol–gel Pechini method. The successful synthesis of coupled ZnO–TiO 2 nanopowders was evident by XRD. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the Fe ions were well incorporated into the ZnO–TiO 2 crystal lattice. The photocatalytic degradation of anionic surfactant (linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LABS), was investigated in aqueous solution using ZnO and Fe-doped ZnO–TiO 2 nanoparticles. The degradation was studied under different conditions such as the Fe 3+ concentration, amount of photocatalyst, irradiation time, pH, initial concentration and presence of electron acceptor. The results showed that photocatalytic degradation of LABS was strongly influenced by these parameters. The best conditions for the photocatalytic degradation of LABS were obtained. It is found that under UV light irradiation, Fe-doping of ZnO–TiO 2 increases the efficiency of its photocatalytic activity in degradation of LABS than pure ZnO and ZnO–TiO 2 .

Description: The interaction of Ni(II) and Cu(II) with ethyl 4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-6-methyl-2-oxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyrimidine- 5-carboxylate [Ligand 1], 4-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenol [Ligand 2], and 2-(3-phenylamino- 4,5-dihydro-1,2-oxazol-5-yl)phenol [Ligand 3] have been studied by spectrophotometric technique at 0.01 M ionic strength and 28°C in 70% dioxane—water mixture. The data obtained were used to estimate the stability constant of these ligands. Spectrophotometric investigation of Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes with these ligands shows 1: 1 complex formation. The formation of complexes has been studied by Job’s variation method. The values of conditional stability constants of Cu(II) complexes are greater than the corresponding Ni(II) complexes. The greater value of stability constant of Cu(II) complexes may be due to the fact of more stable nature of Cu(II). The value of stability constant of Cu(II)—Ligand 2 complex is greater than that of Cu(II)–Ligand 1 and Cu(II)–Ligand 3. The same of Ni(II)–Ligand 3 complex is greater than that of Ni(II)–Ligand 1 and Ni(II)–Ligand 2.

Description: A constant pressure ab initio technique is applied in order to study the structural response of magnesium fluoride (MgF 2 ) under the hydrostatic pressure up to 800 GPa. The orthorhombic-to-tetragonal phase transformation of MgF 2 is obtained at 720 GPa. This phase transition is also analyzed from the total energy and enthalpy calculations, and it is found that this phase change should occur around 260 GPa. As far as we know, this tetragonal phase has not been obtained in any previous studies.

Description: Climate-related extreme weather events can result in the loss of drinking water access. We assessed the relative vulnerability of 3143 United States (U.S.) counties to loss of drinking water access due to droughts, floods, and cyclones. Five vulnerability assessment models from the literature were compared, each differing in the aggregation method used to combine the three determinants of vulnerability (V) – exposure (E), sensitivity (S), and adaptive capacity (AC). Exposure scores were calculated using historical occurrence data, sensitivity scores were determined from the intrinsic resilience of the drinking water technologies, and adaptive capacity scores were calculated from nine socioeconomic indicators. Our results showed that models V  =  E  +  S  +  AC and V  =  E  +  S – AC were the same, as were models V  =  E  ×  S  ×  AC and V  =  E  ×  S  ÷  AC . Between these two model forms (form 1: V  =  E  +  S  +  AC and V  =  E  +  S – AC ; form 2: V  =  E  ×  S  ×  AC and V  =  E  ×  S  ÷  AC ), scores from one model form could be used to predict scores from the second model form, with R-squared values ranging from 0.61 to 0.82 depending on the extreme weather event type. A fifth model, V  = ( E – AC ) ×  S was not found to correlate with any of the other four models. We used V  =  E  +  S  +  AC as our reference model as this resulted in a more uniform distribution of counties in each of the five intervals of vulnerability. Comparing the vulnerability scores identified the counties with greatest vulnerability to losing access to drinking water due to floods, droughts, and cyclones. Our results can be used to inform evidence-based decisions such as allocation of resources and implementation of adaptation strategies.

Description: Implementing an effective climate policy is one of the main challenges for the future. Curbing greenhouse gas emissions can prevent future irreversible impacts of climate change. Climate policy is therefore crucial for present and future generations. Nonetheless, one may wonder whether future economic and social development could be harmed by climate policy. This paper addresses this question by examining recent developments in international climate policy and considering different levels of cooperation that may arise in light of the outcomes of the Conference of the Parties held in Doha. The paper analyses how various climate policy scenarios would enhance sustainability and whether there is a trade-off between climate policy and economic development and social cohesion. This is done by using a new comprehensive indicator, the FEEM Sustainability Index (FEEM SI), which aggregates several economic, social, and environmental indicators. The FEEM SI is built into a recursive-dynamic computable general equilibrium model of the world economy, thus offering the possibility of projecting all indicators into the future and of delivering a perspective assessment of sustainability under different future climate policy scenarios. We find that the environmental component of sustainability improves at the regional and world level thanks to the implementation of climate policies. Overall sustainability increases in all scenarios since the economic and social components are affected negatively yet marginally. This analysis does not include explicitly climate change damages and this may lead to underestimating the benefits of policy actions. If the USA, Canada, Japan and Russia did not contribute to mitigating emissions, sustainability in these countries would decrease and the overall effectiveness of climate policy in enhancing global sustainability would be offset.

Description: This study provides the first attempt in quantifying the uncertainties in future urban climate projections due to regional climate models and metropolitan-scale urban planning scenarios. Targeted for the 2050s Augusts in Tokyo, Japan, dynamical downscaling simulations are conducted using two regional climate models, the WRF and NHRCM models, both downscaled from the global climate model MIROC5 under the RCP4.5 scenario. Both regional climate models are coupled with appropriate urban canopy models to accurately evaluate the urban climate. The projected 10-year mean temperature increases for the 2050s Augusts in the central Tokyo are roughly 2.4 °C and 2.2 °C, for the WRF and NHRCM models, respectively, with a roughly 0.2 °C difference between the two. Urban scenario experiments with the WRF model indicate that the compact city urban scenario can reduce the August mean temperature of surrounding residential areas by 0.4 °C, while the dispersed city scenario can increase the temperature by 0.1 °C. On the other hand, impact of urban scenarios on the temperature increase in central Tokyo is comparative or less than the surrounding areas. The impacts of urban scenario and regional climate model differences are larger in nighttime than in daytime, but are at most 0.6 °C. The results indicate that the uncertainties with the regional climate models and urban scenario are significantly less than those in emission scenarios or global climate model projections.

Description: The liquid–solid catalytic reaction of epichlorohydrin and sodium butyrate with tetrabutylammonium bromide as a phase transfer catalyst was studied in this paper. The shrinking core model was applied. The analysis of the reaction based on the kinetic model showed a reaction-controlled regime at temperatures varying from 90 to 100°C. The exterior diffusivity was removed between 300 and 400 rpm. The internal diffusivity was removed when the particle size was 2 × 10 –4 m. Reaction rate constants were calculated at different temperatures. The correlation was obtained when the proposed kinetic model was applied to all the experimental data for predictive evaluations and the activation energy was 37.01 kJ mol –1 .

Description: Based on the synthesis of hydroxyapatite (HA) with different morphologies, such as nanorod-like, flower-like and sphere-like assembled HA nanorods, a new strategy has been developed for the removal of heavy metal ions such as Pb 2+ , Cu 2+ , Mn 2+ , Zn 2+ . The dependence of removal efficiency on the morphology and the suspended concentration of trapping agent, the removal time and selectivity were evaluated and discussed. The experimental results proved that the removal capacity of flower-like assembled HA nanorods (NAFL-HA) was the best, and the maximum removal ratio for Pb 2+ ion was 99.97%. The mechanism of Pb 2+ removal was studied in detail, noting that some metal ions were completely incorporated into hydroxyapatitie to produce Pb-HA. It reveals that the metal ions capture by HA is mainly controlled by sample surface adsorption and co-precipitation, which are directly controlled by sample morphology.

Description: A way of determining the cation exchange capacity of montmorillonite by simultaneous thermal analysis is developed using as an example the bentonites of the 10th Khutor deposit (Republic of Khakassia) and the Vodopadnyi area (Sakhalin Island). A correlation is established between the cation exchange capacity of smectite and its weight loss upon heating in the range of dehydration; the enthalpy of dehydration of montmorillonite; and the weight loss and the enthalpy of thermal dissociation of ethylene glycol contained in the interlayer space of the mineral’s crystal structure. These data open up new possibilities for determining the cation exchange capacity of montmorillonite, the most important technological indicator of the natural clay nanomineral.

Description: While the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is continuously improving its communication, visualisation has taken a back seat to more pressing issues. The consequence is a set of IPCC imagery where our understanding of perception remains empirically unchallenged. The visual design (defined in this study as the method, technique, and style used to create a visual) directly affects perception and yet, we know very little about how people intuitively respond to visuals depicting climate science. This study examines the perception of four images from the IPCC summary report for policymakers and two open sourced infographics. Using a group-administered study we found the visual design to have a significant impact on a novice readers ability to associate relevant words with an image. While the visuals part of the summary for policymakers educed a sense of confidence, a well-designed infographic left readers feeling less confident. The veneer of legitimacy associated with IPCC visuals is because they look scientific, whereas infographic images were found to look less serious. We acknowledge the accessibility of an infographic but urge IPCC authors to use it with caution, as any negative impact on scientific credibility is an unwanted feature in IPCC communication.

Description: Freshwater ecosystems in many parts of the world have been severely affected by past management practices that have altered the volume, timing and quality of water flows and caused a decline in their ecological health. Some of these systems are also experiencing the negative impacts of climate change. Adaptation to climate change and the continual need to address existing ecological damage poses ongoing challenges for freshwater managers. In this paper we propose and discuss a Catchment Assessment Framework (CAF) that is used to evaluate existing and potential freshwater management actions, such as riparian revegetation and habitat connectivity, for their adaptation potential. The CAF was developed as a tool for prioritizing low risk climate change adaptation options in Australian catchment management. The CAF enables catchment managers and technical experts to assess management actions against seven inter-related criteria to provide a holistic assessment: relevance to the catchment; climate change adaptation potential, including potential for maladaptation and benefit under different climate scenarios; ecosystem service benefits; compatibility with other actions; implementation constraints; socio-economic consequences; and a risk assessment. It was developed and applied by assessing nine management options with stakeholders in three catchments within the Murray-Darling Basin in south-eastern Australia. We found that while management options are undertaken as a response to existing degradation, they can be used as building blocks for a climate change adaptation strategy that considers a range of different but complementary measures to better manage climate-related risk. The CAF enables practitioners to assess the advantages of a range of adaptation options and to subject them to their wider decision making and management planning.

Description: This paper compares projections over the twenty-first century of SO 2 , BC, and OC emissions from three technologically detailed, long-term integrated assessment models. The character of the projections and the response of emissions due to a comprehensive climate policy are discussed focusing on the sectoral level. In a continuation of historical experience, aerosol and precursor emissions are increasingly decoupled from carbon dioxide emissions over the twenty-first century due to a combination of emission controls and technology shifts over time. Implementation of a comprehensive climate policy further reduces emissions, although there is significant variation in this response by sector and by model: the response has many similarities between models for the energy transformation and transportation sectors, with more diversity in the response for the building and industrial sectors. Much of these differences can be traced to specific characteristics of reference case end-use and supply-side technology deployment and emissions control assumptions, which are detailed by sector.

Description: Household flood management measures can significantly reduce the risk from flooding. Understanding the factors that influence the uptake of measures has important implications for the design of measures to induce people to take charge of risk mitigation. We investigate the impact of flood action groups in communities in Scotland on the uptake of four measures: insurance, flood warnings, sandbags and floodgates applying regression analysis using a cross-sectional survey ( n  = 124). The groups were formed in response to the threat from flooding in those communities, and offer information and training on household flood management measures. We use the theoretical framework of Protection Motivation Theory, and compare uptake of the measures before and after the foundation of the flood action groups, as well as in the near future. The models show positive adoption effects for flood warnings, floodgates and to an extent for insurance, and a positive correlation with increased confidence of implementing and belief in the effectiveness of the measures. The effect is significant if specific information on the measures was provided, indicating the importance of tailored content. We conclude that appropriately designed flood action groups can be a cost-effective way of increasing the uptake of household flood management measures.

Description: Research reveals that liberals and conservatives in the United States diverge about their beliefs regarding climate change. We show empirically that political affiliation also matters with respect to climate related risks such as flooding from hurricanes. Our study is based on a survey conducted 6 months after Superstorm Sandy in 2012 of over 1,000 residents in flood-prone areas in New York City. Democrats’ perception of their probability of suffering flood damage is significantly higher than Republicans’ and they are also more likely to invest in individual flood protection measures. However, 50% more Democrats than Republicans in our sample expect to receive federal disaster relief after a major flood. These results highlight the importance of taking into account value-based considerations in designing disaster risk management policies.

Description: A 2030 climate and energy policy framework was endorsed by the European Council in 2014. The main elements are a binding 40 % greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target compared to 1990, a renewable energy share of 27 %, and an energy savings target of at least 27 % by 2030. In this paper, we assess the impact of these targets on the European land use, land use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector using a Europe focused global land use model linked with a detailed forest management model. We show that implementing a 40 % GHG emission reduction target by 2030 may only have a small negative impact on the domestic LULUCF sink if the additional biomass demand for energy is mostly met through ligno-cellulosic energy crops rather than forest removals. However, if the increased biomass demand were met through higher rates of forest harvest removals, a more negative impact on the LULUCF sink could be expected.

Description: Transboundary river basins face significant threats from climate change, with the need for adaptation widely noted. In this paper we develop a theoretically-rooted indicator-based evaluation framework to identify transboundary river basins where the need for adaptation support is pronounced and prioritize where attention is best placed. The framework combines indicators which capture the broad level potential to adapt (adaptive capacity) and the actual preparedness for adaptation (adaptation readiness) at the level of transboundary institutions. Adaptive capacity and adaptation readiness have not previously been evaluated and compared within a single framework, and by combining them we gain a more comprehensive and nuanced basis for characterising and evaluating the adaptation landscape and diagnosing opportunities and constraints for adaptation. We apply the framework to 42 transboundary basins in Mediterranean Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, which account for 15 % of global transboundary river basins, are home to over 550 million people, and cover 8 % of Earth’s total land area. We find: 1) There is widespread need for improving national and transboundary institutional support for adaptation spanning basins of various economic, physical, and demographic characteristics; 2) Many transboundary basins in Africa have low adaptive capacity, but were found to have high readiness to begin adapting if resources were available; and 3) Improved coverage of River Basin Organisations and treaties with mandates to recognise and respond actively to climate change would underpin adaptation efforts across basins.

Description: By 15 December 2015, 187 countries had submitted their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) summarising their climate actions after 2020 in the context of the Paris Agreement. We used a unified framework to assess the mitigation components of INDCs covering 105 countries (representing approximately 91 % of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2012) with a special focus on the G20 economies. We estimated the required reduction effort by comparing the greenhouse gas emission targets implied by the INDCs with the projected levels resulting from current mitigation policies. The resulting projected global reduction effort amounts to approximately 4–6 GtCO 2 eq by 2030, of which the G20 economies are responsible for the largest share, in particular Brazil, China, the EU, and the United States. Despite these reductions, the global and G20 emission level is still projected to be higher in 2030 than it was in 2010. We compared the ambition levels of individual INDCs by analysing various indicators. Our analysis shows, for instance, that INDCs imply that greenhouse gas emissions of Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Korea peak before 2025, and of China, India and South Africa by 2030 or later.

Description: A fourteen-constant graphic scheme is proposed for evaluating the thermodynamic properties of branched paraffin hydrocarbons. Absolute entropy S f, 298 gas of 159 alkanes, of which 157 alkanes have yet to be studied experimentally, are calculated using 105 experimental data S f, 298 K, gas for alkanes CН 4 –С 32 Н 66 .

Description: The effect the degree of hydration has on optical and electrophysical properties of water/AOT/ n -hexane system is studied. It is found that AOT reverse micelles form aggregates whose dimensions grow along with the degree of hydration and temperature. Aggregation enhances their electrical conductivity and shifts the UV spectrum of AOT reverse emulsions to the red region. Four states of water are found in the structure of AOT reverse micelles.

Description: The content of oxygen in Ca 1− x Pr x MnO 3−δ ( x = 0.1) material with perovskite-like structure is determined at 750–950°C and oxygen partial pressures in the gas phase from 3 × 10 −6 to 0.55 atm. The regions of existence of orthorhombic, tetragonal, and cubic structural modifications are determined. The equilibrium constants, enthalpies, and entropies of reactions of the formation of defects are determined, allowing us to describe the experimental δ ( \({p_{{O_2}}}\) , Т ) dependences accurately and calculate the concentrations of manganese ions. It is shown that a change in Ca 0.9 Pr 0.1 MnO 3–δ structure has a considerable effect on the thermodynamic functions of reactions of the formation of defects.

Description: The complex rose-like inorganic templates assembled by the ZnO/ZnO 2 hybrid nanosheets have been constructed with hydrogen peroxide as an additive to control the structure of a precursor. The surface morphologies of the inorganic templates can be controlled by varying the reaction time and the amount of hydrogen peroxide. The process of the precursor growth takes a dissolution-growth route under hydrothermal conditions. The chemical composition of the precursor is determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman analyses, indicating the existence of peroxide in the precursor. Combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data, the ZnO/ZnO 2 hybrid precursor is proposed to act as an inorganic template for the growth of secondary crystal structures. The dandelion-like ZnO crystal is fabricated by using rose-like peroxide precursor as the inorganic template. The structural evolution of hierarchical ZnO crystal is studied by monitoring the influence of the reaction time.

Description: The process of butene-1 isomerization in the presence of two groups of samples of zeolite-containing catalyst (ZCC) that earlier participated in the traditional and oxidative catalytic cracking of vacuum gasoil is investigated. It is established that the nature of the reaction mixture and conditions of the cracking process are key factors in forming the acidic and basic properties of the catalyst. It is shown that the highest activity in the butene-1 isomerization into cis -/ trans -butene-2 is demonstrated by ZCC samples that participated in the oxidative catalytic cracking (oxycracking). It is suggested that the enhanced catalytic activity of this group of ZCC samples was related to the availability of acid–base centers in the form of radical-like oxygen along with protic- and aprotic-type acidic centers in the structure of the oxidative compaction products.

Description: Heats of solution of crystalline α-aminobutyric acid in water and in aqueous solutions of potassium hydroxide at 298.15 K are measured by means of direct calorimetry. Standard enthalpies of formation of the amino acid and products of its dissociation in an aqueous solution are calculated.

Description: The optimized geometries and interaction energies of the intermolecular heterodimers of coronene with o -, m -, and p -dimethylbenzenes (xylenes) calculated by DFT in the PBE0 and B97D functionals were compared. The applicability of coronene as a model for qualitative assessment of the interaction of mononuclear aromatic compounds with the graphite surface was demonstrated. The necessity of including long-range dispersion interactions in DFT calculations of the dimerization energies of aromatic systems was shown. The sorption enthalpies of p - and m -xylenes were shown to be almost equal irrespective of the conditions of the chromatographic experiment. The preferred sorption of p - over m -xylene on graphite is solely due to the entropy factor.

Description: The phosphine oxidation reaction with oxygen in alcohol solutions of copper (I, II) halides is studied. Kinetic parameters, intermediates, and by-products are studied by means of NMR 31 Р-, IR-, UV-, and ESR- spectroscopy; and by magnetic susceptibility, redox potentiometry, gas chromatography, and elemental analysis. A reaction mechanism is proposed, and the optimum conditions are found for the reaction of oxidative alkoxylation phosphine.

Description: The effect the conditions of thermal treatment have on a specific surface and the number of primary adsorption centers is studied. The relationship between changing adsorption characteristics and changes in the structure of nanofibrous aluminum oxide is considered.

Description: Three morphologies of ZnO nanomaterials (ZnO-hand grenade, ZnO-rod and ZnO-particle) were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. The as prepared ZnO nanomaterials were used as photoelectrodes to fabricate dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Of the three samples, ZnO-particle displays the highest photovoltaic conversion efficiency which can be attributed to the high surface area to absorb light more efficiently. Intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS), and intensity-modulated voltage spectroscopy (IMVS) indicate that ZnO-rod provides superior electron transfer kinetics: fast electron transfer and long electron lifetimes with suppressed recombination.

Description: The thermodynamic characteristics of sorption of 24 organic compounds of various classes from the gas phase on the binary stationary phase based on polyethylene glycol 400 and permethylated β-cyclodextrin were determined. The influence of geometrical structure and optical activity of organic compounds on the possibility of forming sorbate–macrocycle complexes was examined. It was found that the studied stationary phase shows the enantioselectivity towards low-polar terpenes under the conditions of gas chromatography.

Description: A new effect leading to the slowing of recombination in a weakly nonideal ion plasma is considered. The solvation of ions is included in the explanation of the results from studying a gas discharge afterglow in a fluorine atmosphere. It is shown that recombination in such a system is slowed in comparison to the standard relationships for ideal plasma. The formation and composition of cluster ions in such a medium are considered. The relationship between the variation in the kinetics of recombination and the course of the process according to a complicated mechanism with the intermediate formation of metastable cluster pairs is established. A quantitative model is built and a formula allowing us to describe the recombination rate over a wide range of parameters of the medium is obtained. It is shown that the proposed model is in good agreement with the experimental data.

Description: The solubility of lead oxide in NaOH + (20%)Na 2 CO 3 and NaOH + (40%)Na 2 CO 3 melts was studied by the isothermal saturation method. The model mechanisms of dissolution were considered. The thermodynamic parameters were calculated.

Description: Using a variety theoretical approaches within the Debye, Davidson–Cole, and Forsman models, and an approach based on the Dissado–Hill theory, dielectric spectra of 2,3-butanediol in the temperature range of 298 to 423 K are analyzed. It is shown that the dielectric spectra of 2,3-butanediole are described by the Davidson–Cole equation, and the β DC parameter depends strongly on temperature. The spectrum of dielectric relaxation of 2,3-butanediol within the Debye theory is presented as the sum of two areas of dispersion, and conclusions are drawn regarding possible mechanisms of dispersion responsible for the obtained fields. The relaxation times of 2,3-butanediol, calculated using different equations describing the nonlinear behavior of relaxation times, are compared. The dipole moments of clusters are obtained for the first time using the Dissado–Hill cluster model, and a preliminary analysis of them is performed.

Description: The volume ratios in acetonitrile–ethyl acetate (90 : 10, 95 : 5), acetonitrile–isopropanol–ethyl acetate (70 : 15 : 15, 80 : 5 : 15), and isopropanol–1-butanol (50 : 50) mixtures were determined. Their mixing with water (1 : 1) and storage at–10°C led to partitioning into two immiscible liquid phases without formation of the ice phase. The mixtures were shown to be useful as hydrophilic extractants in low-temperature liquidliquid extraction of phenol from aqueous solutions.

Description: The model that considers the nonideality of aqueous solutions of electrolytes with allowance for independent contributions of hydration of ions of various types and electrostatic interactions was substantiated using the cluster ion model. The empirical parameters in the model equations were found to be the hydrophilic and hydrophobic hydration numbers of ions in the standard state and the dispersion of their distribution over the stoichiometric coefficients. A mathematically adequate description of the concentration dependences of the osmotic coefficients and average ion activity coefficients of electrolytes was given for several systems. The difference in the rate of the decrease in the hydrophilic and hydrophobic hydration numbers of ions leads to extremum concentration dependences of the osmotic coefficients, which were determined by other authors from isopiestic data for many electrolytes and did not find explanation.

Description: Large-scale data from digital infrastructure, like mobile phone networks, provides rich information on the behavior of millions of people in areas affected by climate stress. Using anonymized data on mobility and calling behavior from 5.1 million Grameenphone users in Barisal Division and Chittagong District, Bangladesh, we investigate the effect of Cyclone Mahasen, which struck Barisal and Chittagong in May 2013. We characterize spatiotemporal patterns and anomalies in calling frequency, mobile recharges, and population movements before, during and after the cyclone. While it was originally anticipated that the analysis might detect mass evacuations and displacement from coastal areas in the weeks following the storm, no evidence was found to suggest any permanent changes in population distributions. We detect anomalous patterns of mobility both around the time of early warning messages and the storm’s landfall, showing where and when mobility occurred as well as its characteristics. We find that anomalous patterns of mobility and calling frequency correlate with rainfall intensity ( r  = .75, p  〈 0.05) and use calling frequency to construct a spatiotemporal distribution of cyclone impact as the storm moves across the affected region. Likewise, from mobile recharge purchases we show the spatiotemporal patterns in people’s preparation for the storm in vulnerable areas. In addition to demonstrating how anomaly detection can be useful for modeling human adaptation to climate extremes, we also identify several promising avenues for future improvement of disaster planning and response activities.

Description: This paper analyses the response of alcohol thermometers in relation to the departure from linearity and the choice of the calibration points. The result is that alcohol thermometers are affected by large departures that reach a maximum (i.e. −6 °C) at 50 °C ambient temperature. This may have caused a severe bias in early records, when alcohol thermometers were popular, especially during the Little Ice Age. Choosing a lower temperature for the upper point, calibration may substantially reduce this bias. Examples are given with thermometers in use in the 17th and 18th centuries. A careful correction of long series is necessary to avoid misleading climate interpretations.

Description: Drinking water in much of Asia, particularly in coastal and rural settings, is provided by a variety of sources, which are widely distributed and frequently managed at an individual or local community level. Coastal and near-inland drinking water sources in South and South East (SSE) Asia are vulnerable to contamination by seawater, most dramatically from tropical cyclone induced storm surges. This paper assesses spatial vulnerabilities to salinisation of drinking water sources due to meteorological variability and climate change along the (ca. 6000 km) coastline of SSE Asia. The risks of increasing climatic stresses are first considered, and then maps of relative vulnerability along the entire coastline are developed, using data from global scale land surface models, along with an overall vulnerability index. The results show that surface and near-surface drinking water in the coastal areas of the mega-deltas in Vietnam and Bangladesh-India are most vulnerable, putting more than 25 million people at risk of drinking ‘saline’ water. Climate change is likely to exacerbate this problem, with adverse consequences for health, such as prevalence of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. There is a need for identifying locations that are most at risk of salinisation in order for policy makers and local officials to implement strategies for reducing these health impacts. To counter the risks associated with these vulnerabilities, possible adaptation measures are also outlined. We conclude that detailed and fine scale vulnerability assessments may become crucial for planning targeted adaptation programmes along these coasts.

Description: Changes in the seasonal timing of recurring biological events are considered to be a major component of the global “fingerprint” of climate change. One effect of these changes is that ecologically important seasonal species interactions could become desynchronised as a result of these shifts (i.e. phenological mismatching), leading to reductions in fitness for some or all of the organisms concerned. One important, but unresolved, issue is the extent to which variations in voltinism (the number of generations a population of a species produces per year) may serve to exacerbate, or confer resilience to, the effects of seasonal shifts. Univoltine organisms (those with one generation per year) will always suffer the deleterious consequences of phenological mismatch, whereas multivoltine species are likely to experience at least some relief from these negative effects in generations that occur later in the season. Conversely, univoltine species will experience continual selection to adapt to changing seasonality, whereas multivoltine species will experience reduced or no selection during those generations that occur later in the season. Here, we present a new theoretical model to explore the population consequences of scenarios of changing seasonality and varying voltinism in clonal species. We find that organisms that undergo multiple generations per year show greater resilience to phenological mismatching in the spring and adapt better to changing seasonality, because of the recovery of population size and genetic diversity after each spring mismatching event. These results have clear implications for management and conservation of populations that are threatened by the effects of mismatch.

Description: This paper examines the dynamics of energy investments and clean energy Research and Development (R&D) using a scenario-based modeling approach. Starting from the global scenarios proposed in the RoSE model ensemble experiment, we analyze the dynamics of investments under different assumptions regarding economic and population growth as well as availability of fossil fuel resources, in the absence of a climate policy. Our analysis indicates that economic growth and the speed of income convergence across countries matters for improvements in energy efficiency, both via dedicated R&D investments but mostly through capital-energy substitution. In contrast, fossil fuel prices, by changing the relative competitiveness of energy sources, create an economic opportunity for radical innovation in the energy sector. Indeed, our results suggest that fossil fuel availability is the key driver of investments in low carbon energy innovation. However, this innovation, by itself, is not sufficient to induce emission reductions compatible with climate stabilization objectives.

Description: A recent Climatic Change paper suggests a relationship between climatic change in the 7th century BCE and the fall of the Assyrian Empire. However, available archaeological and textual evidence does not support the hypothesis that Assyria was overpopulated during this time and for that reason susceptible to outbreaks of drought. Besides long-term climatic variation, inter-annual variability in crops has always been very high in the dry farming areas of Upper Mesopotamia. To cope with this uncertainty, the local population developed several strategies (e.g. storage of agricultural surpluses in granaries and artificial irrigation in river valleys). Finally, slave prices, known to have declined during times of famine, were relatively stable during the entire century suggesting absence of prolonged periods of food shortage.

Description: Floods are caused by a number of interacting factors, making it remarkably difficult to explain changes in flood hazard. This paper reviews the current understanding of historical trends and variability in flood hazard across Australia. Links between flood and rainfall trends cannot be made due to the influence of climate processes over a number of spatial and temporal scales as well as landscape changes that affect the catchment response. There are also still considerable uncertainties in future rainfall projections, particularly for sub-daily extreme rainfall events. This is in addition to the inherent uncertainty in hydrological modelling such as antecedent conditions and feedback mechanisms. Research questions are posed based on the current state of knowledge. These include a need for high-resolution climate modelling studies and efforts in compiling and analysing databases of sub-daily rainfall and flood records. Finally there is a need to develop modelling frameworks that can deal with the interaction between climate processes at different spatio-temporal scales, so that historical flood trends can be better explained and future flood behaviour understood.

Description: This paper analyzes public discourse on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) as it is portrayed in the media and examines how this influences effective and equitable outcomes of REDD+ in Nepal. It draws on analysis of articles in three national newspapers and interviews with radio and newspaper journalists, governmental and non-governmental stakeholders, and technical experts. Findings show that REDD+ coverage has been limited in the Nepalese print media and overall reporting on REDD+ has declined over time. The discourse is currently dominated by a small number of experts and development project implementers who portray REDD+ optimistically as an opportunity to benefit from carbon markets, while contributing to sustainable forest management. There was limited representation of the interests and concerns of marginalized groups and local communities in the public debate, thus underplaying the complexities and challenges of REDD+ development and implementation in Nepal. While the absence of debate on potential negative impacts can be explained partly by the dominance of optimistic voices in the media, it was also attributed to journalists’ limited access to independent knowledge and understanding of the issue. The resulting lack of balanced information in the public domain could undermine both the effectiveness of REDD+ implementation and its equitable outcome.

Description: Traditional definitions of seasonality are insufficient to reflect changes associated with a swiftly changing climate. Regional changes in season onset and length using surface based metrics are well documented, but hemispheric assessments using tropospheric metrics has received little attention. The long-term average of six-hourly analyses of temperature on isobaric surfaces, provided by the Twentieth Century Reanalysis Project, is separated here into quartiles to determine climatologic seasonal end dates. Annual season end dates are defined as the date when the 5-day moving average rose above (winter and spring) or fell below (summer and fall) the long term mean. Climatic season end dates fall between meteorological and astronomical season end dates. The length of summer has increased by an average of 13 days and the length of winter has decreased by an average of 20 days, which are more substantial seasonal changes than previous studies. These changes in season length have occurred largely within the past 36 years, corresponding to most aggressive anthropogenic climate change. Results show that the planetary boundary layer is warming at nearly twice the rate of the free troposphere. The spatial distribution of warming suggests that topographically induced weather systems are collocated with maxima or minima in free tropospheric and boundary layer temperature slope. Furthermore, regions of greatest ensemble spread are not collocated with relative maxima or minima in free troposphere or boundary layer temperature slope. This improved assessment of seasonal transitions is useful to climatologists, agricultural land managers, and scientists interested in seasonally driven biology, hydrology and biogeochemical processes.

Description: Large-scale infrastructure networks are vulnerable to climate change. Their operation involves public and private actors under complex legislative and market regulations. We analyze climate adaptation of railway infrastructure, based on an in-depth case study of the German railway system. The case includes a unique set of qualitative interviews with key players of operating and regulative organizations, as well as a document study. Our analysis crucially extends previous technology-oriented research on the railway sector by applying core insights and categories from the actor-centered institutionalism. We trace observed obstacles for a climate resilient railway system and adaptation decisions back to deeper causes, in particular political priorities and values. Moreover, diverging perceptions and the competition among different actors hamper adaptation. On the other hand, single actors who display a great willingness to act are able to make use of unclear responsibilities to integrate adaptation concerns into existing institutions. Our research suggests that changes in technical standards and in economic regulation support adaptation of infrastructure systems.

Description: In this study the possible impact of climate change on the occurrence of the Cercospora leaf spot disease (CLS) in sugar beet, triggered by the fungus Cercospora beticola sacc. , and its regional differentiation in Southwest Germany was analyzed by means of the forecasting model CERCBET1. The model projects the day of the year (DOY) when 1 %, 50 % and 100 % of the fields in the region are potentially infested by C ercospora L eaf S pot disease (CLS1, CLS50 and CLS100). To run the disease model the data of the RE gional climate MO del REMO were used. The possible impact of climate change on the occurrence was studied comparing three time windows: baseline period ‘ B ′ (1971–2000), medium-term period ‘ K ‘ (2021–2050), long-term period ‘ L ‘ (2071–2100). In addition the ontogenesis of the young sugar beet plants was simulated using a leaf-growth model. The results of CERCBET1 and the leaf-growth model were compared to draw conclusions whether CLS potentially would occur in a different leaf stage. The dates of completion of the 20- and 40-leaf stage (B20 and B40) therefore were examined. The simulation results indicate an earlier CLS occurrence as well as an accelerated leaf growth due to the projected climate change. The disease might occur in earlier growth stages of the sugar beet plants. A possible consequence of the earlier CLS occurrence could be an increasing number of necessary fungicide applications also regarding the prolonged growing season. For period L, especially, projections are difficult to make due to the uncertainties of the archived breeding progress, particularly regarding the breeding for resistance, the development of fungicides and the future socio-economic development.

Description: Despite the importance of coffee as a globally traded commodity and increasing concerns about risks associated with climate change, there is virtually no information about the effects of rising atmospheric [CO 2 ] on field-grown coffee trees. This study shows the results of the first 2 years of an innovative experiment. Two commercial coffee cultivars (Catuaí and Obatã) were grown using the first free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) facility in Latin America (ClimapestFACE). Plants of both cultivars maintained relatively high photosynthetic rates, water-use efficiency, increased growth and yield under elevated [CO 2 ]. Harvestable crop yields increased 14.6 % for Catuaí and 12.0 % for Obatã. Leaf N content was lower in Obatã (5.2 %) grown under elevated [CO 2 ] than under ambient [CO 2 ]; N content was unresponsive to elevated [CO 2 ] in Catuaí. Under elevated [CO 2 ] reduced incidence of leaf miners ( Leucoptera coffeella ) occurred on both coffee cultivars during periods of high infestation. The percentage of leaves with parasitized and predated mines increased when leaf miner infestation was high, but there was no effect of elevated [CO 2 ] on the incidence of natural enemies. The incidence of rust ( Hemileia vastatrix ) and Cercospora leaf spot ( Cercospora coffeicola ) was low during the trial, with maximum values of 5.8 and 1 %, respectively, and there was no significant effect of [CO 2 ] treatments on disease incidence. The fungal community associated with mycotoxins was not affected by the treatments.

Description: Wetter et al. ( 2014 ; hereinafter W14) conclude that western Europe experienced significantly higher temperatures in AD 1540 compared to all other years in the instrumental record, including the summer heat waves of 2003 and 2010 (Schär et al. 2004 ; Barriopedro et al. 2011 ). Based on 300+ first-hand documentary weather reports, the authors argue that large parts of Europe were hit by an unprecedented, 11-month-long, ‘Megadrought’ in 1540 exceeding all recorded and reconstructed levels, and falling outside the probability range of state-of-the-art palaeoclimate model simulations. Despite compiling, transforming and interpreting an exceptional pool of documentary evidence, W14 neglected to systematically analyse the existing collection of European tree ring-based climate reconstructions. An independent comparison of their findings from societal entries against natural proxy archives, however, would have been beneficial. For example, Pauling et al. ( 2006 ), already identified low precipitation amounts in 1540 derived mainly from tree-ring analyses, a study not cited in W14. In this reply we look into some of the tree-ring data available back to 1540 and before, and demonstrate that W14’s conclusion regarding the inability of natural proxy archives to record climate extremes is not defensible.

Description: To investigate climate variability in Asia during the last millennium, the spatial and temporal evolution of summer (June–July–August; JJA) temperature in eastern and south-central Asia is reconstructed using multi-proxy records and the regularized expectation maximization (RegEM) algorithm with truncated total least squares (TTLS), under a point-by-point regression (PPR) framework. The temperature index reconstructions show that the late 20th century was the warmest period in Asia over the past millennium. The temperature field reconstructions illustrate that temperatures in central, eastern, and southern China during the 11th and 13th centuries, and in western Asia during the 12th century, were significantly higher than those in other regions, and comparable to levels in the 20th century. Except for the most recent warming, all identified warm events showed distinct regional expressions and none were uniform over the entire reconstruction area. The main finding of the study is that spatial temperature patterns have, on centennial time-scales, varied greatly over the last millennium. Moreover, seven climate model simulations, from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5), over the same region of Asia, are all consistent with the temperature index reconstruction at the 99 % confidence level. Only spatial temperature patterns extracted as the first empirical orthogonal function (EOF) from the GISS-E2-R and MPI-ESM-P model simulations are significant and consistent with the temperature field reconstruction over the past millennium in Asia at the 90 % confidence level. This indicates that both the reconstruction and the simulations depict the temporal climate variability well over the past millennium. However, the spatial simulation or reconstruction capability of climate variability over the past millennium could be still limited. For reconstruction, some grid points do not pass validation tests and reveal the need for more proxies with high temporal resolution, accurate dating, and sensitive temperature signals, especially in central Asia and before AD 1400.

Description: Climate change impact on the agricultural sector is expected to be significant and extensive in Sub-Saharan Africa, where projected increase in temperature and changes in precipitation patterns could determine sensible reductions in crop yields and concerns for food security achievement. This study presents a multi-model approach to analysing climate change impacts and associated risks for staple food crops in Nigeria. Previous attempts to evaluate climate change impacts in Nigeria had mainly focused on a reduced number of crops, with analysis limited to single experimental fields or specific areas, and in many cases considering only a limited number of climate models. In this work, crop simulation models implemented in the DSSAT-CSM software were used to evaluate climate change impacts on crop production in different Agro-Ecological Zones, considering multiple combinations of soils and climate conditions, varieties and crop management. The climate impact assessment was made using an ensemble of future climate projections, to include uncertainty related to climate projections. Even if precipitations could increase in most parts of Nigeria, this is not likely to offset the crop yield reduction due to the increase in temperatures, particularly over the medium-term period (2050), with yield decreases projected especially for cereals. The short-term effects are more uncertain and yields for cassava and millet might actually increase by 2020. Moreover, yield reductions are only partially mitigated by the direct effect of increased CO 2 atmospheric concentration enhancing crop yield. In both periods and for all crops, there is a higher risk that crop yields may fall below the actual risk threshold.

Description: Phase equilibria in the cross sections of isothermal-isobaric sections of the phase diagram of four-component iodine-potassium iodide-water-propyl alcohol are investigated at 298.15 K and pressure of 101325 Pa. It is shown that a three-phase equilibrium of the eutonic type occurs in the cross sections containing (I) 10 and (II) 30 wt % of propyl alcohol, and two three-phase equilibria of the monotectic type are found in cross section II. It is shown that the solid phases of saturated solutions in the investigated cross sections are potassium iodide and crystalline iodine. The compositions of the mixed solvents with the strongest iodine dissolving ability relative to individual solvents are established.

Description: The effect of ultraviolet irradiation with a wavelength of 390 nm on the evaporation of droplets of the homologous series of alcohols ( n -propanol, n -butanol, n -pentanol, n -heptanol, n -octanol, and n -decanol) at 10, 30, 50, 100, and 200 mm Hg in an atmosphere of dry nitrogen is studied. The values of the evaporation rate of alcohols are calculated with and without irradiation. Starting from n -pentanol, the rate of evaporation grows strongly for droplets of higher alcohols under the effect of low-power irradiation not associated with the heating of the evaporating droplets of alcohols. The obtained results are analyzed by comparing them to experimental data on neutron scattering by alcohols. It is shown that free convection must be considered in order to describe the evaporation process. Expressions of different authors for describing this effect are analyzed.

Description: A composite photocatalyst (La/TiO 2 /AC) has been prepared by supporting photoactive La-doped TiO 2 (La/TiO 2 ) on activated carbon (AC) via hydrolysis of tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OC 4 H 9 ) 4 ) with La(NO 3 ) 3 · 6H 2 O and Ti(OC 4 H 9 ) 4 as precursors in the presence of activated carbon. The prepared photocatalysts were characterized by BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of the obtained photocatalysts under UV light are estimated by measuring the degradation rate of methylene orange in aqueous solution. The effect of La-doped content on the photocatalytic activity was studied and the result revealed that 0.2 mol % La/TiO 2 /AC exhibited highest photoactivity. In addition, the recyclability of the prepared photocatalyst was also confirmed, the photocatalytic activity of La/TiO 2 /AC remains about 86.5% of its activity as-prepared after being used four times. The photocatalyst therefore may be used as effective catalyst in photooxidation reactions and potentially applied for the treatment of water contaminated by organic pollutants.

Description: A brief description of a solution of the problem on electron diffraction analysis using the potential procedure for nonrigid molecules with large-amplitude motions along several symmetric internal coordinates was given. The efficiency of the approach was demonstrated for determination of the equilibrium geometry of the 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene molecule with three equivalent internal rotation coordinates of NO 2 groups. The results of the electron diffraction experiment and quantum-chemical calculation at the MP2( full )/ cc -pVTZ level were considered along with the vibrational spectra of 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene and a planar equilibrium D 3 h symmetry conformation for the molecule was found reliably for the first time. The geometrical parameters of the molecule were determined ( r e , the bond lengths are given in Å, the angles in deg): CC 1.387(2), CN 1.474(4), NO 1.220(1), CH 1.072(31), ONO 125.8(2), CC(H)C 116.6(3), HCC* 121.7(1), CC(N)C* 123.4(3), NCC* 118.3(1), and CNO* 117.1(1); the asterisk marks the dependent parameters.

Description: Kinetics and mechanism of 4-nitrophenol (4NP) ozonation in the presence of ZnO nanocatalyst were investigated by kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. A mechanism for catalytic ozonation of 4NP with ZnO nanocatalyst was suggested and the rate constants of each step were obtained. It was shown that the simulated kinetics data are in good agreement with experimental data. By using the obtained mechanism and kinetics parameters, the effect of initial concentrations of ozone, 4NP and nanocatalyst on the rate of ozonation was studied.

Description: WO 3 , SiO 2 , TiO 2 /Ti composites are fabricated and studied by means of X-ray diffraction analysis and X-ray photoelectron and IR spectroscopy. It is established that the surface of an oxide coating contains up to 2% of tungsten in the composition of WO 3 , SiO 2 , and TiO 2 , along with carbon compounds. Data on the catalytic activity of SiO 2 , TiO 2 /Ti and WO 3 , SiO 2 , TiO 2 /Ti composites in ethanol dehydration are obtained. In the case of WO 3 , SiO 2 , TiO 2 /Ti composites, the degree of conversion and the selectivity of ethanol transformation into ethylene at 480°C reaches 97%.

Description: Nanocomposite sensors containing CeO 2 clusters on the surface of In 2 O 3 and SnO 2 crystals were synthesized. The structure of these systems was determined by Raman spectroscopy. In the CeO 2 nanoclusters deposited on In 2 O 3 crystals, the Ce-O vibration frequency was 462 cm −1 and did not depend on the CeO 2 concentration. The Raman spectra of the clusters deposited on SnO 2 crystals contained two peaks of Ce-O vibrations with frequencies of 462 and 470 cm −1 . It was concluded that the peak at 470 cm −1 showed itself at low CeO 2 concentrations in the composite (1–3 wt %) and its intensity quickly decreased as the CeO 2 concentration increased; this peak was attributed to the CeO 2 clusters that directly contact the SnO 2 crystals and contain dissolved Sn +4 . It was shown that when CeO 2 was deposited on In 2 O 3 , the In +3 ions were not transferred into the deposited CeO 2 clusters because of the difference between the charges and valences of the metal ions in the substrate and clusters; the mean size of the clusters was 9 nm. The relationship between the structure of the CeO 2 nanoclusters and their influence on sensor effects was discussed.

Description: Although the role of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration [CO 2 ] on plant growth and fecundity is widely acknowledged as important within the scientific community; less research is available regarding the impact of [CO 2 ] on secondary plant compounds, even though such compounds can play a significant role in human health. At present, Artemisia annua , an annual plant species native to China, is widely recognized as the primary source of artemesinin used in artemesinin combination therapies or ACTs. ACTs, in turn, are used globally for the treatment of simple Plasmodium falciparum malaria, the predominant form of malaria in Africa. In this study, artemesinin concentration was quantified for multiple A. annua populations in China using a free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) system as a function of [CO 2 ]-induced changes both in situ and as a function of the foliar ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N). The high correlation between artemesinin concentration and C:N allowed an historical examination of A. annua leaves collected at 236 locations throughout China from 1905 through 2009. Both the historical and experimental data indicate that increases in artemesinin foliar concentration are likely to continue in parallel with the ongoing increase in atmospheric [CO 2 ]. The basis for the [CO 2 ]-induced increase in artemesinin is unclear, but could be related to the carbon: nutrient hypothesis of Bryant et al. ( 1983 ). Overall, these data provide the first evidence that historic and projected increases in atmospheric [CO 2 ] may be associated with global changes in artemesinin chemistry, potentially allowing a greater quantity of drug available for the same area of cultivation.

Description: It is banal to say that different beliefs provide the basis for different conceptions of the good and diverse ways of life, the protection of which will seem to many to be paramount as a matter of justice. But what happens when those beliefs are about global processes of the magnitude of those involved in climate change, with the scale of their implications? How, and to what extent, should the diversity of local beliefs about factors relevant to climate change be factored into a normative response to the challenges it poses? This article is framed in response to the companion piece ‘Local perceptions in climate change debates’, which presents detailed contrasts between such beliefs in Peru and the South Tyrol. Focusing on perceptions of the nature/culture relationship as an example, I contrast ‘globalist’ and ‘localist’ normative responses to evidence of such diversity in belief. Both are limited, to the extent that they dwell on the fair treatment of beliefs. I argue that normatively speaking, what is crucial is not accommodating diversity in belief – as if beliefs about the factors implicated in climate change were on a par with other beliefs about the nature of the good – but acknowledging the requirement to make ‘thick’ commitments about which such beliefs are most adequate. Alongside their fascinating contributions in other respects, anthropological findings can be crucial in this one. They will help furnish the kind of understanding of human/nature relations on which a political philosophy of climate change must depend.

Description: Farmers may choose to apply nitrogen fertilizer at a rate that exceeds the average ex post agronomically optimal rate when the yield response to nitrogen varies across growing seasons. Negative environmental consequences such as nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emissions and/or water pollution can result when all the applied nitrogen is not needed by the crop. Here we consider a nonlinear market instrument targeting farmers’ nitrogen use, and by solving for the optimal nitrogen reduction using a model of expected utility of farm profits, we evaluate the induced N 2 O emission reductions that are consistent with the instrument introduced. The market instrument is nonlinear because of the expected nonlinear relationship between N 2 O and nitrogen application rates. Our simulations show that, in cases where farmers apply N at rates which exceed recommendations and the N 2 O response is likely to be non-linear, payments will induce participation in the program and will have a significant impact on both expected and actual N 2 O emissions without significantly harming expected or actual yields. Failure to consider this nonlinearity would deviate the attention away from N 2 O pollution because it would require large N reductions (and crop yields) to achieve equivalent N 2 O abatement.

Description: A monthly water-balance model is used with CRUTS3.1 gridded monthly precipitation and potential evapotranspiration (PET) data to examine changes in global water deficit (PET minus actual evapotranspiration) for the Northern Hemisphere (NH) for the years 1905 through 2009. Results show that NH deficit increased dramatically near the year 2000 during both the cool (October through March) and warm (April through September) seasons. The increase in water deficit near 2000 coincides with a substantial increase in NH temperature and PET. The most pronounced increases in deficit occurred for the latitudinal band from 0 to 40°N. These results indicate that global warming has increased the water deficit in the NH and that the increase since 2000 is unprecedented for the 1905 through 2009 period. Additionally, coincident with the increase in deficit near 2000, mean NH runoff also increased due to increases in P. We explain the apparent contradiction of concurrent increases in deficit and increases in runoff.

Description: The aim of this study is to characterize rainfall patterns in a vast transition zone between the Amazon and the Cerrado Biomes. The analysis is focused on annual and seasonal tendencies, mainly about the onset and offset of the rainy season, its length and shifts. More than 200 Rain Gauges (RGs) were analyzed in the study area using Pettitt’s and Mann-Kendall’s non-parametric tests allied to a Linear Regression Analysis over the period 1971–2010. The onset and offset dates of the rainy season and its duration are also identified for 89 RGs. Pettitt’s test indicates ruptures in 16 % of the rainfall time series while Mann-Kendall’s monthly test indicates that 45 % of the RGs had negative trends, mainly in the transition seasons (spring and austral autumn). Linear Regression Analysis indicates negative trends in 63 % of the time series concomitant to the rainy season onset and offset analysis, which confirmes a delay for the onset of the rainy season in 76 % of the RGs and a premature demise for 84 % of the RGs. Identification of the tendencies for rainy season duration indicates that the rainy season has become shorter at 88 % of the RGs. There were recurring patterns in the results displaying drier conditions in RGs localized in deforested areas opposed to forested locations.

Description: A growing body of research indicates that opinions about long-term climate change and other natural resource issues can be significantly affected by current weather conditions (e.g., outside air temperature) and other highly contingent environmental cues. Although increased severity and frequency of droughts is regarded as a likely consequence of anthropogenic climate change, little previous research has attempted to relate the experience of drought with public attitudes about water supply or water-related climate change issues. For this study, a large set ( n  = 3,163) of public survey data collected across nine states of the southern United States was spatio-temporally linked with records of short-term (~12 weeks) and long-term (~5 years) drought condition at the level of each respondent’s zip code. Multivariate ordinal logistic regression models that included numerous other independent variables (environmental ideology, age, gender, education, community size, residency duration, and local annual precipitation) indicated highly significant interactions with long-term drought condition, but showed no significant effect from short-term drought condition. Conversely, attitudes about water-related climate change showed highly significant interactions with short-term drought, with weaker to no effects from long-term drought. While the finding of significant effects from short-term drought condition on opinions about future drought is broadly consistent with previous public opinion research on climate change, the finding of water supply attitudes being more responsive to longer term drought condition is, to our knowledge, a novel result. This study more generally demonstrates the methodological feasibility and applied importance of accounting for local drought condition when public opinion information is used to evaluate outreach programs for water conservation and climate change.

Description: Winter tourism is the main source of income and the driving force of local development in many mountain areas. However, in recent years, the industry has been identified as being extremely vulnerable to future climate change. Although the Pyrenees has the largest ski area in Europe after the Alps, there are few detailed climate change vulnerability assessments on the ski resorts based in this region. This paper analyzes the vulnerability of the Pyrenean ski resorts to projected changes in the snowpack under various future climate scenarios. In addition, the study analyzes the sustainability of the snowmaking systems to offset the climate variability of natural snow cover. On average, the study predicts a shorter ski-season length, especially in low-altitude ski resorts in a moderate climate change scenario and for all ski resorts in a more intensive climate change scenario. However, a significant regional variability has been identified for the projected impacts at very short geographical distances within the studied area. Moreover, this paper shows that snowmaking cannot completely solve the problem for all ski resorts in the Pyrenees, as the measure can only act as a robust adaptation strategy in the region provided climate change is limited to +2 °C snowmaking.

Description: The brown planthopper Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) is a major rice insect pest in China and other Asian countries. This study assessed a potential northward shift in the overwintering boundaries and changes in the overwintering areas and voltinism of this planthopper species in China in response to global warming. Temperature data generated by 15 Global Circulation Models (GCMs) from 2010 to 2099 were employed to analyze the planthopper’s overwintering boundaries and overwintering areas in conjunction with three Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES). Planthopper voltinism from 1961 to 2050 was analyzed in scenario A2 using degree-day models with projections from the regional circulation model (RCM) Providing Regional Climates for Impacts Studies (PRECIS). In both analyses, 1961–1990 served as the baseline period. Both the intermittent and constant overwintering boundaries were projected to shift northward; these shifts were more pronounced during later time periods and in scenarios A2 and A1B. The intermittent overwintering area was modeled to increase by 11, 24 and 44 %, and the constant overwintering area, by 66, 206 and 477 %, during the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s, respectively. Planthopper voltinism will increase by 〈0.5, 0.5–1.0 and 1.0–1.4 generations in northern, central and southern China, respectively, in 2021–2050. Our results suggest that the brown planthopper will overwinter in a much larger region and will produce more generations under future climate warming scenarios. As a result, the planthopper will exert an even greater threat to China’s rice production in the future.

Description: This contribution looks at those Small Island Developing States that are doomed to disappear due to anthropogenic climate change. The citizens of these states will not only lose their physical homeland but also their social structure and cultural community. The focus here is on cultural loss. While its subjective importance is easy to grasp, it is harder to see cultural loss as a matter of justice. This paper first presents an account of why cultural loss is often seen as merely unfortunate but not unjust. Against these worries, the paper argues that we have a right that no one threatens our social bases of self-respect and that societal cultures are one important base of self-respect. The discussion concludes that anthropogenic climate change affects peoples’ rights with regard to the cultural dimension and that therefore adaptation efforts ought to protect the social bases of self-respect of those climate refugees whose physical, political, and cultural existence is threatened by our inability to keep emissions below safe levels.

Description: The binding affinities of the tetra-tetrazole macrocycle to organic contaminants were studied using density function theory (DFT) at B3LYP/6-31G( d , p ) level after the basis set superior error (BSSE). The host molecule shows the binding affinity to the guest molecules owing to the formation of the hydrogen bonds. Based on the B3LYP/6-31G( d ) optimized geometries, the electronic spectra of the complexes were calculated using INDO/CIS method. The first absorption bands in the electronic spectra of most of the complexes, compared with that of the host, are red-shifted. The chemical shifts of the carbon atoms with sp 3 hybridization in the host, calculated at B3LYP/6-31G( d ) level, are basically shifted upwards. The complex formed by the host and acrolein exhibits the aromaticity although the host shows the anti-aromaticity.

Description: The thermodynamic properties of new classes of compounds, particularly scandium trihalides ScF 3 , ScCl 3 , ScBr 3 , and ScI 3 , are added to the IVTANTHERMO software package. A critical analysis and processing of the entire array of primary data available in the literature is performed. An equation approximating the temperature dependence of heat capacity in the temperature range 298.15- T m (K) is derived for each crystalline scandium trihalide. The resulting equations C p po ( T ) for the solid state and the data for the liquid phase are used to calculate the thermodynamic functions of entropy, the reduced Gibbs free energies, and the enthalpy increments. Both the experimental data available in literature and the missing estimated thermodynamic data are used in calculations. The error of the recommended values is estimated in all cases. In the first part of this work, we describe the thermodynamic properties of ScF 3 and ScI 3 used as the reference data for calculating the thermodynamic functions of ScCl 3 and ScBr 3 , for which experimental data are either very scarce or missing altogether. The resulting data are added to the database of the IVTANTHERMO software package.

Description: An analysis of conditions for chromatographic separation of quercetin and (+)-catechin based on experimental data and using the equations of an asymptotic model of sorption dynamics for substances characterized by convex isotherms of sorption is presented. The effects of the equilibrium (distribution coefficient) and kinetic (diffusion coefficient) factors on the dynamics of the sorption of flavonoids by ordered mesoporous material of the MCM-41 type and its composites with grafted organosilane groups is considered. The effects of kinetic and equilibrium parameters on the broadening of adsorption fronts is demonstrated with allowance for the inner and outer diffusion limitations of the sorption process.

Description: Dispersion interactions in He 2 , Ne 2 , and Ar 2 dimers are investigated using the explicitly correlated method CCSD(F12)(T) with numerical quadratures. The obtained energies of interaction agree well with the results from highly accurate CCSD(T) calculations described in works in which sets of bonded functions are used. It is shown that in order to attain high accuracy in estimating energies of interaction, the exponential parameter of Slater-type geminals in the CCSD(F12)(T) method must be optimized. The higher accuracy of the values of C 6 asymptotic coefficients found using the CCSD(F12)(T) method instead of the conventional CCSD(T) approach is established, demonstrating the importance of considering short-range electron correlation effects in asymptotic regions of potential surfaces where the interaction between atoms is of a long-range dispersion nature.

Description: The phase equilibria in the NaCl-KCl-NH 4 Cl-H 2 O system at 50°C were studied. Sodium chloride was shown to destroy the limited compositions of (K,NH 4 )Cl and (NH 4 ,K)Cl solid solutions. As the NaCl content increased, the solid solutions of the limited series on the line of monovariant equilibria of (K,NH 4 )Cl and (NH 4 ,K)Cl with saturated solutions degenerated and the triply saturated solution with the individual salt components NaCl, KCl, and NH 4 Cl was in nonvariant equilibrium.

Description: Temperature dependences of the heat capacities of cobalt manganites LaM 2 II CoMnO 6 (M II = Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba) are investigated by means of dynamic calorimetry in the temperature range of 298.15–673 K. It is established that cobalt manganites display λ-like effects on the C p po ∼ f ( T ) curve, which are likely to be related to the type II phase transitions. Equations for the temperature dependence of the heat capacity of cobalt manganites are derived from the experimental data with allowance for phase transition temperatures. The values of C p po ( T ) and thermodynamic functions H po ( T ) − H po (298.15), S po ( T ), and Φ xx ( T ) are calculated.

Description: The light emitting diodes with the structure of ITO/ m -MTDATA(20 nm)/NPB(10 nm)/CBP BCzVBi ( x , nm, 10%)/CBP(3 nm)/CBP: Ir(ppy) 3 : DCJTB(10 nm, 8 and 1%)/Bphen(30 nm)/Cs 2 CO 3 : Ag 2 O (2 nm, 20%)/Al (100 nm) employing phosphorescence sensitization and fluorescence doping, were manufactured. The performance of the devices was studied by adjusting the thickness of fluorescence dopant layer ( x = 15, 20, 25, and 30). The best performance was achieved when its thickness was 25 nm. The device has the maximum luminance of 20260 cd/m 2 at applied voltage of 14 V and the maximum current efficiency of 11.70 cd/A at 7 V. The device displays a continuous change of color from yellow to white. The CIE coordinates change from (0.49, 0.48) to (0.32, 0.39) when the driving voltage is varied from 5 to 15 V.

Description: The quinaldinium salt possessing electron withdrawing (-COOEt) groups was condensed with squaric acid giving the quinaldine based symmetrical squaraine dye. Effect of electron withdrawing group on near infrared absorption of the squaraine dye has been studied. Results showed that electron withdrawing group shifts bathochromically the absorption wavelength of squaraine dye by 31 nm when compared with the unsubstituted dye. Computational studies were performed in order to understand the charge transfer and red shift and later have been attributed to the increased biradicaloid character.

Description: Calcium oxide (CaO) and tin oxide (SnO 2 ) with nanodimension have attracted significant attention as effective chemosorbents for toxic compounds. Hydrothermal method was used for the synthesis of highly porous CaO-SnO 2 nanocomposites by using sodium dodecylsulfate surfactant as a templating agent. Effect of concentration of surfactant as well as its critical micelle concentration (CMC) on the particle size of the nanocomposites was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to determine the crystal phases of these nanocomposites and particle size and morphology was identified by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM/EDX) respectively. Furthermore thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques were also used to characterize the CaO-SnO 2 nanocomposites.

Description: The statistical adsorption of the chloro- and nitroderivatives of aniline on carbon fabric UVIS-AK was studied. The sorption isotherms of anilines on carbon fabric and coals were constructed at room temperature and a comparative analysis of their sorption activity was performed. The sorption isotherms were linearized in the coordinates of the Langmuir and Dubinin-Radushkevich equations. The main sorption parameters were calculated: the characteristic adsorption energies of anilines, changes in the Gibbs energies, monolayer capacities, and sorption equilibrium constants.