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Abstract Background We aimed to check the efficacy of Emustil (oil in water emulsion) drops on tear film index and ocular surface dynamics in dry environments through protection and relief treatment modalities. Methods The subjects were exposed to a dry environment using a Controlled Environment Chamber (CEC) where the relative humidity (RH) was 5% and the temperature was 21 °C and screened for ocular symptoms, tear osmolarity, ocular surface temperature (OST) and tear production using ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire (OSDI), OcuSense TearLab Osmometer, FLIR System ThermaCAM P620 and Schirmer strips/phenol red test respectively. Tear production was calculated by the Tear Function Index test (TFI). Results The mean tear film osmolarity decreased significantly from 296.8 mOsm/l at 40% RH to 291 mOsm/l at 5%. (p = 0.01). Instillation of Emustil resulted in a significant increase in tear osmolarity in the relief method compared with osmolarity seen at 5% RH when no drop was used. The mean PRT value decreased from 26 ± 9 in normal conditions (40% RH) to 22 ± 4 mm in dry conditions (5% RH). Emustil drops did not induce any significant change in tear production in the PRT test. No significant change was found in OST following exposure to 5% RH. OST did not show a statistically significant change with the emulsion when used for relief (p > 0.05). The mean score of ocular discomfort observed was 70 at 5% RH. Still, the instillation of the oil-in-water emulsion (Emustil) resulted in a noticeable decrease in visual discomfort to 37 (p = 0.00) in protection and 59 in relief (p = 0.05). Emustil drops substantially improved tear film parameters under a desiccating environment, however, tear film parameters respond differently to the management modalities. In the protection method, tear film osmolarity was protected against a dry environment, while in the relief mode, tear production was improved. Conclusion CEC allows for a thorough evaluation of tear film parameters and dry eye treatment protocols in labs, providing greater confidence when applying them to patients. In addition, our study showed that Emustil not only provides protection and relief for dry eyes but also helps to maintain ocular homeostasis in desiccating environments. This indicates a promising potential for improving dry eye treatment protocols.

Background: We aimed to check the efficacy of Emustil (oil in water emulsion) drops on tear film index and ocular surface dynamics in dry environments through protection and relief treatment modalities. Methods: The subjects were exposed to a dry environment using a Controlled Environment Chamber (CEC) where the relative humidity (RH) was 5% and the temperature was 21 °C and screened for ocular symptoms, tear osmolarity, ocular surface temperature (OST) and tear production using ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire (OSDI), OcuSense TearLab Osmometer, FLIR System ThermaCAM P620 and Schirmer strips/phenol red test respectively. Tear production was calculated by the Tear Function Index test (TFI). Results: The mean tear film osmolarity decreased significantly from 296.8 mOsm/l at 40% RH to 291 mOsm/l at 5%. (p = 0.01). Instillation of Emustil resulted in a significant increase in tear osmolarity in the relief method compared with osmolarity seen at 5% RH when no drop was used. The mean PRT value decreased from 26 ± 9 in normal conditions (40% RH) to 22 ± 4 mm in dry conditions (5% RH). Emustil drops did not induce any significant change in tear production in the PRT test. No significant change was found in OST following exposure to 5% RH. OST did not show a statistically significant change with the emulsion when used for relief (p > 0.05). The mean score of ocular discomfort observed was 70 at 5% RH. Still, the instillation of the oil-in-water emulsion (Emustil) resulted in a noticeable decrease in visual discomfort to 37 (p = 0.00) in protection and 59 in relief (p = 0.05). Emustil drops substantially improved tear film parameters under a desiccating environment, however, tear film parameters respond differently to the management modalities. In the protection method, tear film osmolarity was protected against a dry environment, while in the relief mode, tear production was improved. Conclusion: CEC allows for a thorough evaluation of tear film parameters and dry eye treatment protocols in labs, providing greater confidence when applying them to patients. In addition, our study showed that Emustil not only provides protection and relief for dry eyes but also helps to maintain ocular homeostasis in desiccating environments. This indicates a promising potential for improving dry eye treatment protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is limited knowledge on the survival of bacteria on surfaces during postharvest handling of dry products such as onions. Extended survival of microorganisms, coupled with a lack of established and regular, validated cleaning or sanitation methods could enable cross-contamination of these products. The aim of the study was to evaluate the survival of a potential surrogate, Enterococcus faecium, and Salmonella enterica on typical onion handling surfaces, polyurethane (PU), and stainless steel (SS), under low relative humidity. The influence of onion extract on the survival of E. faecium and Salmonella on PU and SS was also investigated. Rifampin-resistant E. faecium NRRL B-2354 and a five-strain cocktail of Salmonella suspended in 0.1% peptone or onion extract were separately inoculated onto PU and SS coupons (2 × 2 cm), at high, moderate, or low (7, 5, or 3 log CFU/cm2) levels. The inoculated surfaces were stored at ∼34% relative humidity and 21°C for up to 84 days. Triplicate samples were enumerated at regular intervals in replicate trials. Samples were enriched when populations fell below the limit of detection by plating (0.48 log CFU/cm2). Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the cell distribution on the coupons. Reductions of E. faecium of less than ∼2 log were observed on PU and SS over 12 weeks at all inoculum levels and with both inoculum carriers. In 0.1% peptone, Salmonella populations declined by 2 to 3 log over 12 weeks at the high and moderate inoculum levels; at the low inoculum level, Salmonella could not be recovered by enrichment at 84 days. Survival of E. faecium and Salmonella was significantly (P

The open-cathode proton exchange membrane fuel cell (OC-PEMFC) is a promising power supply for mobile equipment and the design of the cathode channel structure has a significant effect on its water and thermal management. In this study, a three-dimensional multifield coupled OC-PEMFC single-cell model based on a graphite bipolar plate was used to investigate the performance of three types of cathode channel designs, namely, straight, divergent, and convergent channels, under dry ambient conditions. Under ambient conditions of 10 °C and 35% relative humidity, the divergent channel design exhibits the best performance, with the highest membrane water content and uniformity, even when the ambient temperature is increased. The performance of OC-PEMFCs can be improved by increasing the cathode stoichiometric ratio (CSR) under high-temperature and dry conditions. The divergent channel design has the best output performance under various CSRs. The growth percentage of the water content in the membrane ranges from 5.3 to 8.0%, and the average temperature in the membrane is reduced by 2.78–3.47 °C. Although the performance of the convergent channel design is improved, the uniformity of the water and electricity is significantly reduced. This study also provides guidance for the design of OC-PEMFC graphite bipolar plates.

Drug Delivery Systems (DDS) are frequently operating in a surrounding liquid environment, such as blood in the case of drug-eluting stents or perilymph in the case of cochlear implants. However, there is also a demand for systems with sustained drug release in predominantly dry environments, mostly consisting of ambient air. Examples are the treatment of diseases located in the middle ear or the paranasal sinuses. On the one hand, due to the lack of transportation media, the functionality of a polymer/drug combination for delayed release would be limited in such environments. On the other hand, these environments are generally equipped with mucus membranes. Hence, a somewhat humid surrounding is ensured. In this study, a concept of a hydrogel equipped DDS for drug delivery through the round window membrane is presented, addressing two objectives. First objective is to ensure the drug transport by serving as a diffusion channel. For instance the route to the drug target destination, the round window membrane, can be provided by a hydrogel. The second objective is to ensure the adhesion to the membrane. Two promising approaches are presented in this study: The photo induced immobilisation of PEGDA700, as well as the immobilisation of chitosan on poly(l-lactid) (PLLA). For both approaches PLLA specimen had to be modified with oxygen plasma followed by activation for crosslinking with subsequent immobilisation of the hydrogel. With these methods a layer thickness of at least 5 μm was achieved. All steps were characterized with contact angle measurements. After the immobilization of the hydrogel, the swelling factor, as well as the layer thickness was examined.

Copyright of Egyptian Journal of Agronomy is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The indoor humidity of heated buildings on the Tibetan Plateau can be as low as 5%RH. Indoor air humidification is very important to people's life and health. Due to the low atmospheric pressure on the plateau, the air physical parameters and wet component diffusion characteristics are different from those of standard atmospheric pressure. This paper investigates experimentally the effects of horizontal and vertical wet jets with various initial velocities, pipe diameters, ambient temperatures, and moisture temperatures on the indoor temperature and humidity field. It is shown that low atmospheric pressure will lead to an increase in relative humidity nearly the jet outlet, but the effective moisture delivery distance becomes shorter and the actual moisture load increases. When the same relative humidity is reached, the specific humidity under low atmospheric pressure is about 1.5–2.5 times as that under standard atmospheric pressure. The average relative humidity of jets produced by the ultrasonic humidification source is 10% higher than the evaporative humidification source during the same time. During the actual humidification process, it is necessary to consider the balance between the initial velocity of the jet and the humidification distance and select the jet tube diameter according to the humidification space area. Additionally, choosing a jet with a temperature slightly higher than the ambient temperature can avoid reducing the indoor temperature. This study should be helpful to the plateau humidification jet characteristics and parameter selection. • Parameter changes of low atmospheric pressure and wet jet theoretical analysis. • The effective wet distance becomes shorter and the moisture load is increased. • The specific humidity is higher at low atmospheric pressure than standard pressure. • The balance between jet parameters with wetting area and distance is considered. • Advising the jet wet temperature to be slightly higher than the ambient temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is a sustainable method that has been efficiently applied to achieve machinability improvements with various materials in recent years, such as hardened steels, superalloys, soft metals, and composites. This study is the first to focus on the performance evaluation of MQL and dry milling environments with AISI 1040 steel. The tool wear, cutting temperature, and power consumption were considered as the quality responses while cutting speed, feed rate and machining environment are taken as input parameters. The effects of the influential factors are analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and bar charts. Additionally, Taguchi signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios are utilized in order to determine the optimum parameters for the best quality responses. The results show that the MQL system provides better performance compared to dry milling by reducing the tool wear, cutting temperature, and power consumption. According to the ANOVA results, the cutting environment affects the cutting temperature (37%) and power consumption (94%), while cutting speed has importance effects on the tool wear (74%). A lower cutting speed (100 m/min) and feed rate (0.10 mm/rev) should be selected under MQL conditions to ensure minimum tool wear and power consumption; however, a higher feed rate (0.15 mm/rev) needs to be selected along with a low cutting speed and MQL conditions to ensure better temperatures. A comparative evaluation is carried out on the tool wear, cutting temperature, and power consumption under MQL and dry environments. This investigation is expected to contribute to the current literature, highlighting the superiority of sustainable methods in the milling of industrially important materials.

The application of organic manures as alternatives to reduce the use of mineral fertilisers is considered a good agricultural practice for smallholder farmers. However, the effect of organic manure on soil properties and crop yield depends upon its application rate and its chemical composition. A field experiment was carried out during the 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 seasons at the University of Venda experimental farm (Limpopo Province, South Africa) to determine the effect of three organic manures (cattle, poultry and their 1:1 combination, 20 t/ha) on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) performance, grain yield and selected soil properties under rainfed conditions. Poultry manure produced the highest final infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration followed by cattle manure, their combination and the control in that order. Total nitrogen, calcium, and zinc were significantly different between treatments in the first season while potassium, sodium, and zinc were significantly different in the second season. Manure combination and poultry manure produced the highest organic carbon and available phosphorus, respectively, in both seasons compared to other treatments. Organic manure application had a significant (p

Copyright of Egyptian Journal of Agronomy is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of crop type (dry and flooded environment) on vitamin C, β-carotene and minerals (calcium, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, boron, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), of camucamu content. Vitamins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese and iron by atomic absorption spectrometry, potassium by flame photometry and phosphorous, boron and sulfur by spectrophotometry in wave lengths 725 and 420nm, respectively. Fruit grown in a dry environment showed higher (P<0.05) vitamin C content (13756.79mg 100g-1/dry weight) and generally higher mineral content (calcium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, copper, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium). β-carotene content was not influenced (P>0.05) by different environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inter-annual and seasonal variability in climatic parameters, most importantly rainfall, have potential to cause climate-induced risk in long-term crop production. Short-term field studies do not capture the full nature of such risk and the extent to which modifications to crop, soil and water management recommendations may be made to mitigate the extent of such risk. Crop modeling studies driven by long-term daily weather data can predict the impact of climate-induced risk on crop growth and yield however, the availability of long-term daily weather data can present serious constraints to the use of crop models. To tackle this constraint, two weather generators namely, LARS-WG and MarkSim, were evaluated in order to assess their capabilities of reproducing frequency distributions, means, variances, dry spell and wet chains of observed daily precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature, and solar radiation for the eight locations across cropping areas of Northern Syria and Lebanon. Further, the application of generated long-term daily weather data, with both weather generators, in simulating barley growth and yield was also evaluated. We found that overall LARS-WG performed better than MarkSim in generating daily weather parameters and in 50 years continuous simulation of barley growth and yield. Our findings suggest that LARS-WG does not necessarily require long-term e.g., > 30 years observed weather data for calibration as generated results proved to be satisfactory with > 10 years of observed data except in area with higher altitude. Evaluating these weather generators and the ability of generated weather data to perform long-term simulation of crop growth and yield is an important first step to assess the impact of future climate on yields, and to identify promising technologies to make agricultural systems more resilient in the given region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Forage kochia (Kochia prostrata (L.) Schrad.), also known as prostrate kochia, or prostrate summer cypress is a long-lived, perennial, semi-evergreen, half-shrub well adapted to the temperate, semiarid and arid regions of central Asia and the western U.S. In these areas it has proven to be a valuable forage plant for sheep, goats, camels, cattle, and horses. Forage kochia is a C4 plant that is extremely drought and heat tolerant, in part due to a taproot that can extend up to 6.5m in depth. It is also very salt tolerant and well adapted to some ecosystems dominated by halophytic species. It has been reported to be very productive when grown in soils with salinity electrical conductivity (EC) levels approaching 20dS/m, and capable of persisting at much higher EC levels. Forage kochia''s biomass yield depends upon the subspecies and environment, but reports generally range from 1000 to 1800kg/ha in environments receiving 100–200mm annual precipitation. Studies and practical experience have shown that forage kochia is very palatable and nutritious, especially during the late summer through winter period. Its nutritional characteristics include fall and winter crude protein levels above 70g/kg needed for gestating ruminants. It also has low tannins and oxalates, and has not been reported to be a nitrate accumulator. When fed alone, it has acceptable fiber qualities, but research has shown that it can improve digestion kinetics when in a mixed diet with the low quality grasses as is common during late summer, fall, and winter months. Overall, forage kochia has the potential to improve the sustainability of small ruminant production in semiarid regions that frequently experience extended drought and saline conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Biomecânica is the property of Editora Estacao Liberdade and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: In the low-rainfall areas of much of Africa and Asia, small ruminants represent the principal economic output, contributing a large share of the income of farmers. Animal numbers have increased over the last two decades, driven by a rising demand for animal products and subsidized feed price (e.g. barley, maize). Side effects of this and changing climatic patterns are increasing desertification, resulting in a decline in rangeland resources, which are often insufficient to meet current demand, coupled with a fall in total feed resources due to overgrazing, ploughing of marginal land and soil erosion. Consequently, goats and sheep are facing serious nutrient shortages. These animals often depend on low quality crop residues (e.g. straws, stubbles) and expensive feed supplements. Technical solutions to some of these problems are available, for example the advantageous use of fodder trees, shrubs and cactus has been demonstrated. Conservation through ensiling and the use of feed blocks (FB) gives greater efficiency of use of a wide range of agro-industrial by-products (AGIBPs). But their adoption has been slow, often because of lack of knowledge of the farmers’ problems and expectations. Adaptive research of technologies and management practices are needed, to provide the policy and institutional support for wider adoption of improved production and resource management practices. Some research–development projects based on the farmer participatory approach have resulted in improved crop and livestock technologies being introduced. On-farm surveys and in-depth economic analyses have shown that these pioneer projects have contributed significantly to the welfare of farmers in dry areas. The lesson learned from these projects is that “by working hand-in-hand with rural communities, agricultural researchers and extension specialists, it should be possible to refine and promote technologies and policies that might help ensure sustainable livelihoods and enhance the productive capacity of drylands everywhere”. Success stories of technology transfer projects include the Mashreq and Maghreb project (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas [ICARDA]-coordinated project). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We previously demonstrated that calcium propagation plays a crucial role in epidermal homeostasis when the epidermis was exposed to a dry environment. In the present study, we first demonstrated the intracellular calcium oscillation in cultured human skin keratinocytes. On partial exposure of cultured human keratinocytes to air, a transient increase of intracellular calcium concentration appeared, followed by a wave-like increase in the unexposed keratinocytes, showing oscillations with a frequency that varied from cell to cell. There appeared to be no correlation between the oscillation frequencies in adjacent cells. The increase of calcium concentration did not appear when calcium was removed from the medium or when suramin, a purinergic receptor antagonist, was added. The ATP concentration also increased immediately after keratinocytes were exposed to air. We hypothesize that ATP is secreted from keratinocytes on exposure to air, and induces an increase of intracellular calcium concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Background Many elderly people have chronic xerosis, and frequently experience an exacerbation during winter. Objectives To investigate the barrier state of aged murine skin with or without barrier disruption in a dry environment. Methods Aged and young hairless mice were kept separately in dry and normal conditions for 9 days. Acetone treatment was used to perturb the skin barrier. Skin barrier function was measured as transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and morphological changes in the epidermis were studied by electron microscopy. Results The baseline TEWL was not higher in the dry environment. The number of stratum corneum (SC) layers and the epidermal thickness of aged mice increased in the dry environment. The recovery rate of the aged skin barrier was neither accelerated nor delayed in the dry environment. In the normal environment, aged mice recovered more slowly than young mice. After barrier perturbation in the aged mice, changes in SC layers and in epidermal thickness were similar in the two environments. The secretion and number of lamellar bodies did not differ between the two environments. Conclusions We confirmed that a dry environment induces epidermal proliferation and scaling in both aged and young mice. However, no remarkable difference was found in the skin barrier recovery of aged hairless mice in a dry environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) is a sustainable method that has been efficiently applied to achieve machinability improvements with various materials in recent years, such as hardened steels, superalloys, soft metals, and composites. This study is the first to focus on the performance evaluation of MQL and dry milling environments with AISI 1040 steel. The tool wear, cutting temperature, and power consumption were considered as the quality responses while cutting speed, feed rate and machining environment are taken as input parameters. The effects of the influential factors are analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and bar charts. Additionally, Taguchi signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios are utilized in order to determine the optimum parameters for the best quality responses. The results show that the MQL system provides better performance compared to dry milling by reducing the tool wear, cutting temperature, and power consumption. According to the ANOVA results, the cutting environment affects the cutting temperature (37%) and power consumption (94%), while cutting speed has importance effects on the tool wear (74%). A lower cutting speed (100 m/min) and feed rate (0.10 mm/rev) should be selected under MQL conditions to ensure minimum tool wear and power consumption; however, a higher feed rate (0.15 mm/rev) needs to be selected along with a low cutting speed and MQL conditions to ensure better temperatures. A comparative evaluation is carried out on the tool wear, cutting temperature, and power consumption under MQL and dry environments. This investigation is expected to contribute to the current literature, highlighting the superiority of sustainable methods in the milling of industrially important materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although seasonal changes in humidity are thought to exacerbate various skin diseases, whether these flares can be attributed to prolonged exposure to extremes in environmental humidities has not been studied systematically. We recently showed that prolonged exposure to high versus low humidities induced profound changes in epidermal structure and permeability barrier homeostasis. Therefore, we asked here whether comparable extremes in humidity could initiate not only homeostatic, but also potentially pathophysiologic alterations. We showed first that exposure to low humidity increases epidermal DNA synthesis in normal murine epidermis. Moreover, exposure to a low humidity for 48 h further amplifies the DNA synthetic response to barrier disruption, resulting in marked epidermal hyperplasia. Additionally, exposure to a dry environment for 48 h prior to barrier disruption results in dermal mast cell hypertrophy, degranulation, as well as histologic evidence of inflammation. To demonstrate the role of changes in external moisture on these phenomena, we applied either an occlusive, water-impermeable plastic membrane, Petrolatum, or a nonocclusive humectant, both to nonperturbated and to perturbed skin. All three forms of treatment prevented the epidermal hyperplasia and dermal mast cell hypertrophy and degranulation induced by exposure to low humidity. These studies indicate that (i) exposure to changes in environmental humidity alone induces increased keratinocyte proliferation and markers of inflammation, and (ii) that these changes are attributable to changes in stratum corneum moisture content. Finally, these studies provide evidence that changes in environmental humidity contribute to the seasonal exacerbations/amelioration of cutaneous disorders, such as atopic dermatitis and psoriasis, diseases which are characterized by a defective barrier, epidermal hyperplasia, and inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Dehydration of the stratum corneum leads to sensations and symptoms of 'dry skin' such as skin tightness and itchiness. As these complaints are frequently experienced by airline travellers, the aim of this study was to investigate the changes in skin surface hydration during long distance flights. Methods The study was performed on four healthy Caucasian, and on four Japanese women aged 29-39 years, travelling on long distance flights. They had stopped using skin care products at least 12 h before, and did not apply them during the flights. The air temperature and relative humidity inside the cabin, as well as skin capacitance of the face and forearm of participants, were registered at several time points before and during the flights. Results Relative humidity of the aircraft cabin dropped to levels below 10% within 2 h after take-off and stayed at this value throughout the flight. Skin capacitance decreased rapidly on both the face and forearms with most pronounced changes on the cheeks where it decreased by up to 37%. Conclusion Our results demonstrate that during long distance flights, the aircraft cabin environment leads to a rapid decrease in stratum corneum hydration, an alteration, which probably accounts for the discomfort experienced by long distance aircraft travellers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Pt/SiO x -TiO 2 efficiently decomposes HCHO in low temperature and dry environment. • SiO x -TiO 2 is obtained by adding SiO 2 in synthesis of titanate and ion-exchange. • Silicate and sodium-stabilized Pt are two structural factors for good performance. Development of the environment-tolerant catalyst can contribute to pollutant treatment in extreme environment. In the present work, precursor of the silicate-decorated titania (SiO x -TiO 2) was prepared by incorporating silica into hydrothermal synthesis of TiO 2 nanowire (TNT). After loading Pt nanoparticles by impregnation, the as-prepared catalyst (Pt/SiO x -TiO 2) possessed 7.2 times and 13.6 times the HCHO decomposition rate of Pt/TNT and conventional Pt/TiO 2 , respectively, at the temperature of 30 °C and the relative humidity of ∼5 %. Structure-performance relationship analyses showed that the excellent catalytic performance of Pt/SiO x -TiO 2 was closely related to the presence of silicate and formation of sodium-stabilized Pt nanoparticles. The heterogeneously decorated silicate in Pt/SiO x -TiO 2 had the excellent ability of capturing water from environment and even from HCHO decomposition itself. Consequently, the sodium-stabilized Pt nanoparticles of Pt/SiO x -TiO 2 could be maintained in a wet microenvironment to exhibit the excellent HCHO decomposition performance in low temperature and dry environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitation is a critical variable for comprehending various climate-related research, such as water resources management, flash flood monitoring and forecasting, climatic analyses, and hydrogeological studies, etc. Here, our objective was to evaluate the rainfall estimates obtained from Global Precipitation Mission (GPM), and Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation (GSMaP) constellation over an arid environment like the Sultanate of Oman that is characterized by a complex topography and extremely variable rainfall patterns. Global Satellite-based Precipitation Estimates (GSPEs) can provide wide coverage and high spatial and temporal resolutions, but evaluating their accuracy is a mandatory step before involving them in different hydrological applications. In this paper, the reliability of the Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for the GPM (IMERG) V04 and GSMaP V06 products were evaluated using the reference in-situ rain gauges at sub-daily (e.g., 6, 12, and 18 h) and daily time scales during the period of March 2014–December 2016. A set of continuous difference statistical indices (e.g., mean absolute difference, root mean square error, mean difference, and unconditional bias), and categorical metrics (e.g., probability of detection, critical success index, false alarm ratio, and frequency bias index) were used to evaluate recorded precipitation occurrences. The results showed that the five GSPEs could generally delineate the spatial and temporal patterns of rainfall while they might have over- and under-estimations of in-situ gauge measurements. The overall quality of the GSMaP runs was superior to the IMERG products; however, it also encountered an exaggeration in case of light rain and an underestimation for heavy rain. The effects of the gauge calibration algorithm (GCA) used in the final IMERG (IMERG-F) were investigated by comparison with early and late runs. The IMERG-F V04 product did not show a significant improvement over the early (i.e., after 4 h of rainfall observations) and late (i.e., after 12 h of rainfall observations) products. The results indicated that GCA could not reduce the missed precipitation records considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]