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Wildfires and agricultural burning generate seemingly increasing smoke aerosol emissions, impacting societal and natural ecosystems. To understand smoke's effects on climate and public health, we analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution of smoke aerosols, focusing on two major light-absorbing components, namely black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) aerosols. Using NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) instrument aboard NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft, we inferred BC and BrC volume fractions and particle mass concentrations based on spectral absorption provided by the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm with 1–2 h temporal resolution and ∼ 10 km spatial resolution over North America and central Africa. Our analyses of regional smoke properties reveal distinct characteristics for aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 443 nm, spectral single-scattering albedo (SSA), aerosol layer height (ALH), and BC and BrC amounts. Smoke aerosols in North America showed extremely high AOD up to 6, with elevated ALH (6–7 km) and significant BrC components up to 250 mg m -2 along the transport paths, whereas the smoke aerosols in central Africa exhibited stronger light absorption (i.e., lower SSA) and lower AOD, resulting in higher-BC mass concentrations and similar BrC mass concentrations than the cases in North America. Seasonal burning source locations in central Africa, following the seasonal shift in the Intertropical Convergence Zone and diurnal variations in smoke amounts, were also captured. A comparison of retrieved AOD 443 , SSA 443 , SSA 680 , and ALH with collocated AERONET and CALIOP measurements shows agreement with RMSE values of 0.2, 0.03–0.04, 0.02–0.04, and 0.8–1.3 km, respectively. An analysis of the spatiotemporal average reveals distinct geographical characteristics in smoke properties closely linked to burning types and meteorological conditions. Forest wildfires over western North America generated smoke with a small-BC volume fraction of 0.011 and a high ALH with large variability (2.2 ± 1.2 km), whereas smoke from wildfires and agricultural burning over Mexico region shows more absorption and low ALH. Smoke from savanna fires over central Africa had the most absorption, with a high-BC volume fraction (0.015) and low ALH with a small variation (1.8 ± 0.6 km) among the analyzed regions. Tropical forest smoke was less absorbing and had a high variance in ALH. We also quantify the estimation uncertainties related to the assumptions of BC and BrC refractive indices. The MAIAC EPIC smoke properties with BC and BrC volume and mass fractions and assessment of the layer height provide observational constraints for radiative forcing modeling and air quality and health studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires and agricultural burning generate seemingly increasing smoke aerosol emissions, impacting societal and natural ecosystems. To understand smoke's effects on climate and public health, we analyzed the spatiotemporal distribution of smoke aerosols, focusing on two major light-absorbing components, black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) aerosols. Using NASA's Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) instrument aboard the NOAA's Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) spacecraft, we inferred BC and BrC volume fractions and particle mass concentrations based on spectral absorption provided by the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm with 1-2 hours temporal resolution and ~10 km spatial resolution over North America and Central Africa. Our analyses of regional smoke properties reveal distinct characteristics for aerosol optical depth (AOD) at 443 nm, spectral single scattering albedo (SSA), aerosol layer height (ALH), and BC and BrC amounts. Smoke cases in North America show extremely high AOD up to 6, with elevated ALH (6-7 km) and significant BrC components up to 250 mg/m2 along the transport paths, whereas the smoke aerosols in Central Africa exhibited stronger light absorption (i.e., lower SSA) and lower AOD, resulting in higher BC mass concentrations and similar BrC mass concentrations than the cases in North America. Seasonal burning source locations in Central Africa following the seasonal shift of Inter Tropical Convergence Zone and diurnal variations in smoke amounts were also captured. Comparison of retrieved AOD443, SSA443, SSA680, and ALH with collocated AERONET and CALIOP measurements shows agreement with rmse of 0.2, 0.03-0.04, 0.02-0.04, and 0.8-1.3 km, respectively. Analysis of spatiotemporally average reveals distinct geographical characteristics in smoke properties closely linked to burning types and meteorological conditions. Forest wildfires over western North America generated smoke with small BC volume fraction of 0.011 and high ALH with large variability (2.2 ± 1.2 km), whereas smoke from wildfires and agricultural burning over Mexico region shows more absorption and low ALH. Smoke from savanna fires over Central Africa has the most absorption with high BC volume fraction (0.015) and low ALH with small variation (1.8 ± 0.6 km) among the analyzed regions. Tropical forest smoke was less absorbing and had a high variance in ALH. We also quantify the estimation uncertainties related to the assumptions of BC and BrC refractive indices. The MAIAC EPIC smoke properties with BC and BrC volume and mass fractions and assessment of layer height provide observational constraints for radiative forcing modeling and air quality and health studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) are mediators of aerosol–cloud interactions (ACIs), contributing to the largest uncertainties in the understandings of global climate change. We present a novel remote-sensing-based algorithm that quantifies the vertically resolved CCN number concentrations (NCCN) using aerosol optical properties measured by a multiwavelength lidar. The algorithm considers five distinct aerosol subtypes with bimodal size distributions. The inversion used the lookup tables developed in this study, based on the observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network, to efficiently retrieve optimal particle size distributions from lidar measurements. The method derives dry aerosol optical properties by implementing hygroscopic enhancement factors in lidar measurements. The retrieved optically equivalent particle size distributions and aerosol-type-dependent particle composition are utilized to calculate critical diameters using κ -Köhler theory and NCCN at six supersaturations ranging from 0.07 % to 1.0 %. Sensitivity analyses indicate that uncertainties in extinction coefficients and relative humidity greatly influence the retrieval error in NCCN. The potential of this algorithm is further evaluated by retrieving NCCN using airborne lidar from the NASA ObseRvations of Aerosols above CLouds and their intEractionS (ORACLES) campaign and is validated against simultaneous measurements from the CCN counter. The independent validation with robust correlation demonstrates promising results. Furthermore, the NCCN has been retrieved for the first time using a proposed algorithm from spaceborne lidar – Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) – measurements. The application of this new capability demonstrates the potential for constructing a 3D CCN climatology at a global scale, which helps to better quantify ACI effects and thus reduce the uncertainty in aerosol climate forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemophagocytic syndrome is a key point in the pathogenesis of severe forms of multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 in children (MIS-C). The factors associated with hemophagocytosis in patients with MIS-C were assessed in the present study of 94 boys and 64 girls ranging in age from 4 months to 17 years, each of whose HScore was calculated. In accordance with a previous analysis, patients with HScore ≤ 91 (n = 79) and HScore > 91 (n = 79) were compared. Patients with HScore > 91 had a higher frequency of symptoms such as cervical lymphadenopathy, dry cracked lips, bright mucous, erythema/swelling of hands and feet, peeling of fingers, edematous syndrome, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and hypotension/shock. They also had a higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer levels, and a tendency to anemia, thrombocytopenia, and hypofibrinogenemia. They more often needed acetylsalicylic acid and biological treatment and were admitted to ICU in 70.9% of cases. Conclusion: The following signs of severe MIS-C were associated with HScore > 91: myocardial involvement, pericarditis, hypotension/shock, and ICU admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the attribution of climate change to trends in river discharge during six decades from 1955 until 2014 in 12 selected river catchments across six Central Asian countries located upstream of the main rivers. For this purpose, the semi-distributed eco-hydrological model SWIM (Soil and Water Integrated Model) was firstly calibrated and validated for all study catchments. Attributing climate change to streamflow simulation trends was forced by factual (reanalysis) and counterfactual climate data (assuming the absence of anthropogenic influence) proposed in the framework of the ISIMIP (Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project) or ESM without anthropogenic forcing that were firstly tested and then compared. The trend analysis was performed for three variables: mean annual discharge and high flow (Q5) and low flow (Q95) indices. The results show that trends in the annual and seasonal discharge could be attributed to climate change for some of the studied catchments. In the three northern catchments (Derkul, Shagan, and Tobol), there are positive trends, and in two catchments (Sarysu and Kafirnigan), there are negative streamflow trends under the factual climate, which could be attributed to climate change. Also, our analysis shows that the average level of discharge in Murghab has increased during the historical study period due to climate change, despite the overall decreasing trend during this period. In addition, the study reveals a clear signal of shifting spring streamflow peaks in all catchments across the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotopic composition of precipitation in the mountains of four Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) was measured using 908 event-based precipitation samples collected at eight sites in 2019–2021, and 7 monthly samples from Dushanbe (Tajikistan) thereby filling a gap in stable isotope data for the region. Regional and seasonal patterns of δ18O, δD and D-excess were investigated. Local Meteoric Water Lines (LMWL) derived using seven regression methods using both non-weighted and weighted precipitation. It is recommended that the non-weighted Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLSR) and Reduced Major Axis Regression (RMA) methods can be applied across the region except in summer, when the Precipitation-Weighted Least Squares Regression (PWLSR) method is recommended. An atmospheric back trajectory analysis and a mixing model were applied in combination for the first time, using the δ18O, δD and D-excess data, to identify the atmospheric moisture source regions and quantify the relative importance. The main distant sources were the Black and Caspian Seas region, Iran – eastern Mediterranean, and northern Kazakhstan – Siberia. The recycled moisture from the irrigated lower reaches of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, and from the study catchments, accounted for 29–71 % of the atmospheric moisture reaching the observation points. In spring, summer and winter, in the Chon-Kyzyl-Suu catchment, up to 85 % of the precipitation was estimated to be derived from local re-evaporation, most likely from Lake Issyk Kul. These findings highlight the importance of moisture from terrestrial sources, especially irrigated land, in precipitation formation in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isotopic composition of precipitation in the mountains of four Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) was measured using 908 event-based precipitation samples collected at eight sites in 2019-2021, and 7 monthly samples from Dushanbe (Tajikistan) thereby filling a gap in stable isotope data for the region. Regional and seasonal patterns of δ18O, δD and D-excess were investigated. Local Meteoric Water Lines (LMWL) derived using seven regression methods using both non-weighted and weighted precipitation. It is recommended that the non-weighted Ordinary Least Squares Regression (OLSR) and Reduced Major Axis Regression (RMA) methods can be applied across the region except in summer, when the Precipitation-Weighted Least Squares Regression (PWLSR) method is recommended. An atmospheric back trajectory analysis and a mixing model were applied in combination for the first time, using the δ18O, δD and D-excess data, to identify the atmospheric moisture source regions and quantify the relative importance. The main distant sources were the Black and Caspian Seas region, Iran - eastern Mediterranean, and northern Kazakhstan - Siberia. The recycled moisture from the irrigated lower reaches of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers, and from the study catchments, accounted for 29-71% of the atmospheric moisture reaching the observation points. In spring, summer and winter, in the Chon- Kyzyl-Suu catchment, up to 85% of the precipitation was estimated to be derived from local re-evaporation, most likely from Lake Issyk Kul. These findings highlight the importance of moisture from terrestrial sources, especially irrigated land, in precipitation formation in Central Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome associated with COVID-19 in children (MIS-C) is a life-threatening condition that often requires intensive care unit (ICU) admission. The aim of this study was to determine risk factors for severe/life-threatening course of MIS-C. The study included 166 patients (99 boys, 67 girls) aged 4 months–17 years (median 8.2 years). The criterion of severity was the fact of ICU admission. To conduct a comparative analysis, MIS-C patients were divided into two groups: patients hospitalized in the ICU (n = 84, 50.6%) and those who did not need ICU admission (n = 82, 49.4%). Patients with a more severe course of MIS-C were significantly older. They had a higher frequency of signs such as rash, swelling, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, and neurological and respiratory symptoms. Hypotension/shock and myocardial involvement were much more common in patients with severe MIS-C. These patients had a more significant increase in CRP, creatinine, troponin, and D-dimer levels. Additionally, the presence of macrophage activation syndrome was higher in patients admitted to the ICU. Conclusion: Nineteen predictors of severe course of MIS-C were found, out of which hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, D-dimer > 2568 ng/mL, troponin > 10 pg/mL were mainly associated with the probability of being classified as early predictors of severe MIS-C requiring ICU admission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pediatric lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most serious manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in children, determining the outcomes of the disease. There are no standardized treatment protocols for pediatric LN, and the role of biologics has not yet been conclusively defined. Objectives: analyze the safety and efficacy of rituximab biosimilar BCD020 in pediatric patients with lupus nephritis. Methods: in a retrospective cohort study, the data from the case histories of 25 patients with LN (10 boys and 15 girls) with an onset age of 13 (9–16) years, who failed conventional non-biologic treatment or developed corticosteroid dependence/toxicity, were included. The diagnosis was made using Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) classification criteria. Rituximab biosimilar BCD020 was prescribed in a dosage of 375 mg/m2 every week (2–4 infusions) with repeated courses every 6–12 months (2–4 infusions) according to disease activity, B-cell depletion, and IgG levels. The dynamics of clinical and laboratory data, the activity of the disease by SLEDAI, and corticosteroid doses were assessed at the onset and during the rituximab trial. Results: The main patient's characteristics were: Pre-rituximab non-biologic conventional treatment included: cyclophosphamide 15 (60%), MMF 8 (32%), azathioprine 3 (12%), hydroxychloroquine 12 (48%), and pulse therapy of methylprednisolone followed by oral methylprednisolone 25 (100%). The time before rituximab was 7.0 (3.0–24.0) months, and the whole observation period was 7.0 (0; 24) months. The initial pre-rituximab treatment slightly reduced SLEDAI levels and the proportion of patients with LN. A significant reduction of SLEDAI, the anti-dsDNA level, proteinuria, hematuria, C4 complement, ESR, and the median corticosteroid dose by 80% from the initial value, as well as the proportion of patients without corticosteroids, was observed after rituximab administration. Two deaths were observed due to catastrophic SLE with macrophage activation syndrome, accompanied by a severe infection (invasive aspergillosis, n = 2). Three patients developed serious adverse events: pneumonia (n = 2), transient agranulocytosis (n = 1) after the third rituximab infusion, and meningitis, caused by Listeria monocytosis, after the first rituximab infusion. Eight patients received antibacterial treatment for different respiratory infections without hospital admissions. Conclusions: Rituximab biosimilar BCD020 showed effectiveness in LN, whereas previous non-biologic treatment was insufficiently effective. Randomized controlled trials are required to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rituximab and evaluate the benefits when compared with conventional SLE treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the FAO and WHO, half of the world's population (nearly eight billion people) is protein deficient. Protein deficiency is the most important nutritional problem in the world. Proteins can be animal- (meat and offal, fish, milk, eggs) or plant- (cereals, legumes, oilseeds) based, microbiologically synthesized (from yeast and a variety of bacteria), and synthetic or artificial (produced after amino acid synthesis). Animal proteins are the most expensive. The systematic incorporation of alternative proteins in the human diet is becoming increasingly urgent as global meat costs rise. Legumes, cereals, seeds, and nuts can all provide protein to the human body. Microalgae are considered to be an excellent source of functional and biologically active nutrients for human nutritional needs. Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris are the most popular microalgae on the global market today, both of which are marketed as standalone functional foods containing proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Insects, as a source of dietary protein, differ in protein content from 20 to 75%. Investments in plant-based meat companies exceeded $350 million in 2020. The FAO predicts that the market for edible insects will reach $1.2 billion by 2023. All of these alternative protein sources are becoming more popular in the modern food industry for the production of high-protein foods and dietary supplements. This review aims to be a state-of-the-art study of new and potential sources of dietary proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is one of the major medical problems that the modern world is currently facing. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus both result in early disability and death, as well as serious social and financial problems. In some cases, synthetic drugs can be quite effective in the treatment of diabetes, though they have side effects. Plant-derived pharmacological substances are of particular interest. This review aims to study the antidiabetic properties of secondary plant metabolites. Existing review and research articles on the investigation of the antidiabetic properties of secondary plant metabolites, the methods of their isolation, and their use in diabetes mellitus, as well as separate articles that confirm the relevance of the topic and expand the understanding of the properties and mechanisms of action of plant metabolites, were analyzed for this review. The structure and properties of plants used for the treatment of diabetes mellitus, including plant antioxidants, polysaccharides, alkaloids, and insulin-like plant substances, as well as their antidiabetic properties and mechanisms for lowering blood sugar, are presented. The main advantages and disadvantages of using phytocomponents to treat diabetes are outlined. The types of complications of diabetes mellitus and the effects of medicinal plants and their phytocomponents on them are described. The effects of phytopreparations used to treat diabetes mellitus on the human gut microbiota are discussed. Plants with a general tonic effect, plants containing insulin-like substances, plants-purifiers, and plants rich in vitamins, organic acids, etc. have been shown to play an important role in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and the prevention of its complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several cases of skin and central nervous system vasculopathy associated with COVID-19 in children have been published, but the information is rather limited. Our study aimed to describe these cases of vasculitis associated with COVID-19 in children. Methods: In the retrospective-prospective case series study we included information regarding four children with COVID-19-associated vasculitis. In every case, we had a morphological description and the etiology was confirmed via real-time polymerase chain reaction during a tissue biopsy. Results: The most involved systems were skin (4/4), respiratory (3/4), cardiovascular (2/4), nervous (1/4), eye (1/4), kidney (1/4), and inner year (1/4). All patients had increased inflammatory markers and thrombotic parameters (D-dimer). No patient met the criteria for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children. Two patients met polyarteritis nodosa criteria, one met Henoch–Schonlein purpura criteria, and one met unclassified vasculitis criteria. All patients were treated with systemic glucocorticosteroids (two-pulse therapy). Non-biologic DMARDs were prescribed in all cases; 1/4 patients (25%) was treated with intravenous immunoglobuline, and 3/4 (75%) were treated with biologics (etanercept, tocilizumab, and adalimumab). Conclusions: Vasculitis associated with COVID-19 could be a life-threatening condition; SARS-CoV-2 might be a new trigger or etiological agent for vasculitis and other immune-mediated diseases. Further research and collection of similar cases are required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NOAA/NASA Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX‐AQ) experiment was a multi‐agency, inter‐disciplinary research effort to: (a) obtain detailed measurements of trace gas and aerosol emissions from wildfires and prescribed fires using aircraft, satellites and ground‐based instruments, (b) make extensive suborbital remote sensing measurements of fire dynamics, (c) assess local, regional, and global modeling of fires, and (d) strengthen connections to observables on the ground such as fuels and fuel consumption and satellite products such as burned area and fire radiative power. From Boise, ID western wildfires were studied with the NASA DC‐8 and two NOAA Twin Otter aircraft. The high‐altitude NASA ER‐2 was deployed from Palmdale, CA to observe some of these fires in conjunction with satellite overpasses and the other aircraft. Further research was conducted on three mobile laboratories and ground sites, and 17 different modeling forecast and analyses products for fire, fuels and air quality and climate implications. From Salina, KS the DC‐8 investigated 87 smaller fires in the Southeast with remote and in‐situ data collection. Sampling by all platforms was designed to measure emissions of trace gases and aerosols with multiple transects to capture the chemical transformation of these emissions and perform remote sensing observations of fire and smoke plumes under day and night conditions. The emissions were linked to fuels consumed and fire radiative power using orbital and suborbital remote sensing observations collected during overflights of the fires and smoke plumes and ground sampling of fuels. Plain Language Summary: The NOAA/NASA Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX‐AQ) experiment was aimed at understanding how fuel and fire conditions at the point of emission influence the chemistry of smoke, what conditions and processes control the rise of smoke plumes, what happens to smoke as it is distributed in the atmosphere, and how chemical transformation of smoke impacts air quality, weather, and climate downwind. Lessons learned from FIREX‐AQ will also be used to assess and improve the effectiveness of satellites for estimating the emissions from wildfires and prescribed burns and to reduce uncertainties associated with modeling and forecasting of smoke. Here we present an overview of the FIREX‐AQ effort, its motivation and design, with detailed descriptions of the measurements and analyses carried out, their connections to FIREX‐AQ science goals, and the early findings of this exceptionally broad effort to understand fire and its many impacts on the atmosphere. Key Points: This work is an overview of the NOAA/NASA Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX‐AQ) field experimentFIREX‐AQ investigated biomass burning emissions and chemistry and smoke transportFIREX‐AQ was a multi‐platform mission that also utilized fire modeling and satellite detections and validation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research was carried out as part of the preparation "Water Resources" section of the 4th National Communication of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UNFCCC. The article presents extensive information on the current state and changes over a long period of observations of water resources, climate and glaciation in Kyrgyzstan (Syr-Darya and Amu-Darya river basins). The representative rivers were selected as the main objects, which are transboundary between Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. The study aims to assess the inter-annual and intra-annual dynamics of the flow of the rivers for the period from 2020 to 2080, based on the climate projections CMIP5 (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and CMIP6 (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5) (IPCC WG II Report, 2022). The hydrological modeling method in the HBV light and HBV EHT models and the inertial mean annual flow change method were used to estimate changes in water resources. On the rivers of the northern part of the Fergana Valley, the average annual runoff is expected to increase by 1-19%, in the Amudarya river basin (Kyzyl-Suu river) - by 27-64% of the values for 2006-2019. In the Naryn river, water discharge for this period will remain within the current values for 2006-2019. The method of inertial change in the average annual runoff showed an increase in runoff for 2030 and 2040 for all the studied catchment areas by 6-19% of the current values for 2006-2020T. he results of the study are intended for decision-makers on the rational use and long-term planning of water resources under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) are mediators of aerosol-cloud interactions (ACI), contributing to the largest uncertainties in the understandings of global climate change. We present a novel remote sensing-based algorithm that quantifies the vertically-resolved CCN number concentrations (NCCN) using aerosol optical properties measured by a multiwavelength lidar. The algorithm considers five distinct aerosol subtypes with bimodal size distributions. The inversion used the look-up tables developed in this study, based on the observations from the Aerosol Robotic Network to efficiently retrieve optimal particle size distributions from lidar measurements. The method derives dry aerosol optical properties by implementing hygroscopic enhancement factors to lidar measurements. The retrieved optically equivalent particle size distributions and aerosol type dependent particle composition are utilized to calculate critical diameter using the κ-Köhler theory and NCCN at six supersaturations ranging from 0.07% to 1.0%. Sensitivity analyses indicate that uncertainties in extinction coefficients and relative humidity greatly influence the retrieval error in NCCN. The potential of this algorithm is further evaluated by retrieving NCCN using airborne lidar from the NASA ORACLES campaign and validated against simultaneous measurements from the CCN counter. The independent validation with robust correlation demonstrates promising results. Furthermore, the NCCN has been retrieved for the first time using a proposed algorithm from spaceborne lidar - Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) - measurements. The application of this new capability demonstrates the potential for constructing a 3D CCN climatology at a global scale, which help to better quantify ACI effects and thus reduce the uncertainty in aerosol climate forcing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Meaning is an important psychological resource both in situations of accomplishment and in situations of ongoing adversity and psychological crisis. Meaning in life underlies the reasons for staying alive both in everyday and in critical circumstances, fulfilling a buffering function with respect to life adversities. Aim: The aim of the present study was to reveal the role of both meaningfulness, including specific sources of meaning and reasons for living, and meaninglessness (alienation) in patients suffering from profound crisis situations with or without suicidal intentions and behavior. Methods: The sample included 148 patients (all Caucasian) who were referred to a crisis center in Moscow, Russia. Seventy-seven patients (54 females, mean age 32.00 ± 11.98years) reported a current crisis situation in their life but denied suicidal thoughts or behavior. Twenty-nine patients (21 females, mean age 31.55 ± 13.76years) reported suicidal ideations but denied suicidal attempts or self-harming behavior. Forty-two patients (31 females, mean age 30.64 ± 11.38years) had episodes of suicidal attempts or self-harming behavior accompanied by suicidal intentions. There were no significant gender or age differences between groups. Participants completed a number of measures of different aspects of meaning and meaninglessness, well-being, ill-being and psychological resources. For some patients (N = 74), a clinical checklist was completed by their doctors assessing 28 various characteristics associated with the patient’s clinical status. Results and discussion: Meaningfulness and reasons for living were more helpful in distinguishing between reactions to profound crisis situations (suicidal intentions versus non-suicidal behavior) than were measures of wellbeing, ill-being, meaning crisis or personality resources. In both suicidal and non-suicidal crisis patients meaningfulness predicted more positive reasons for living. The relationship between meaningfulness and most reasons for living remained significant after controlling for clinically appraised suicidal “readiness,” acute stress and lack of social support. Self-transcendence was the major specific source of meaning predicting higher reasons for living after adjusting for general meaningfulness. Conclusion: The data cast some light on the psychological meaning of suicide. It follows that prevention efforts are to be focused not on eliminating the factors “pushing” one to suicidal behavior, but rather on supporting inner strengths conducive of a positive decision, to be, through enhancing meaningfulness and reasons for living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to increase the nutritional value of soybean meal while reducing the content of antinutrients by microbial fermentation of soybean meal with a mixed culture of probiotic microorganisms (Bacillus subtilis, Aspergillus niger, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) at two different hydromodules. The addition of microorganisms increased the content of easily digestible protein and amine nitrogen in fermented soybean meal (30:110 and 30:130, hydromodulus soybean meal:water) while decreasing urease activity (hydromodulus 30:110). The positive effect of microbial fermentation on the mineral composition of soybean meal was demonstrated. The ability of microorganisms in the fermentation process to increase the content of protein, essential amino acids, and macro- and microelements in soybean meal while decreasing anti-nutritional factors opens up possibilities for using this technology to advance animal husbandry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2019 Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality (FIREX-AQ) field experiment obtained a diverse set of in situ and remotely sensed measurements before and during a pyrocumulonimbus (pyroCb) event over the Williams Flats fire in Washington State. This unique dataset confirms that pyroCb activity is an efficient vertical smoke transport pathway into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The magnitude of smoke plumes observed in the UTLS has increased significantly in recent years, following unprecedented wildfire and pyroCb activity observed worldwide. The FIREX-AQ pyroCb dataset is therefore extremely relevant to a broad community, providing the first measurements of fresh smoke exhaust in the upper troposphere, including from within active pyroCb cloud tops. High-resolution remote sensing reveals that three plume cores linked to localized fire fronts, burning primarily in dense forest fuels, contributed to four total pyroCb "pulses." Rapid changes in fire geometry and spatial extent dramatically influenced the magnitude, behavior, and duration of pyroCb activity. Cloud probe measurements and weather radar identify the presence of large ice particles within the pyroCb and hydrometers below cloud base, indicating precipitation development. The resulting feedbacks suggest that vertical smoke transport efficiency was reduced slightly when compared with intense pyroCb events reaching the lower stratosphere. Physical and optical aerosol property measurements in pyroCb exhaust are compared with previous assumptions. A large suite of aerosol and gas-phase chemistry measurements sets a foundation for future studies aimed at understanding the composition of smoke plumes lifted by pyroconvection into the UTLS and their role in the climate system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miscanthus is a perennial wild plant that is vital for the production of paper and roofing, as well as horticulture and the development of new high-yielding crops in temperate climates. Chromosome-level assembly of the ancient tetraploid genome of miscanthus chromosomes is reported to provide resources that can link its chromosomes to related diploid sorghum and complex polyploid sugarcane. Analysis of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus showed intense mixing and interspecific hybridization and documented the origin of a high-yielding triploid bioenergetic plant, Miscanthus × giganteus. The Miscanthus genome expands comparative genomics functions to better understand the main abilities of Andropogoneae herbs. Miscanthus × giganteus is widely regarded as a promising lignocellulosic biomass crop due to its high-biomass yield, which does not emit toxic compounds into the environment, and ability to grow in depleted lands. The high production cost of lignocellulosic bioethanol limits its commercialization. The main components that inhibit the enzymatic reactions of fermentation and saccharification are lignin in the cell wall and its by-products released during the pre-treatment stage. One approach to overcoming this barrier could be to genetically modify the genes involved in lignin biosynthesis, manipulating the lignin content and composition of miscanthus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We introduce and evaluate an approach for the simultaneous retrieval of aerosol and surface properties from Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer Classic (AVIRIS‐C) data collected during wildfires. The joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fire Influence on Regional to Global Environments and Air Quality field campaign took place in August 2019, and involved two aircraft and coordinated ground‐based observations. The AVIRIS‐C instrument acquired data from onboard NASA's high altitude ER‐2 research aircraft, coincident in space and time with aerosol observations obtained from the Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) DRAGON mobile platform in the smoke plume downwind of the Williams Flats Fire in northern Washington in August 2019. Observations in this smoke plume were used to assess the capacity of optimal‐estimation based retrievals to simultaneously estimate aerosol optical depth (AOD) and surface reflectance from Visible Shortwave Infrared (VSWIR) imaging spectroscopy. Radiative transfer modeling of the sensitivities in spectral information collected over smoke reveal the potential capacity of high spectral resolution retrievals to distinguish between sulfate and smoke aerosol models, as well as sensitivity to the aerosol size distribution. Comparison with ground‐based AERONET observations demonstrates that AVIRIS‐C retrievals of AOD compare favorably with direct sun AOD measurements. Our analyses suggest that spectral information collected from the full VSWIR spectral interval, not just the shortest wavelengths, enables accurate retrievals. We use this approach to continuously map both aerosols and surface reflectance at high spatial resolution across heterogeneous terrain, even under relatively high AOD conditions associated with wildfire smoke. Key Points: Imaging spectroscopy enables continuous maps of smoke aerosol and surface properties across heterogeneous terrain and dense plumesInformation content analyses reveal sensitivity of imaging spectroscopy to broad aerosol categoriesSpectra from the complete Visible Shortwave Infrared range, including the shortwave infrared regions, contribute to accurate aerosol characterizations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excess biomass of drifting algae and their casting to the Baltic Sea coast imposes a significant environmental burden. The analysis of beach-cast algae showed that the dominant species are macroalgae Ulva sp., Furcellaria lumbricalis, Cladophora sp., and Polysiphonia fucoides. The biomass of Furcellaria and Polysiphonia algae, containing 25.6% and 19.98% sugars, respectively, has the greatest resource potential in terms of obtaining carbohydrates. Fucose, glucose, and galactose were found to be the most common carbohydrates. The lipid content did not exceed 4.3% (2.3–4.3%), while the fatty acid composition was represented by saturated fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, methyloleic, behenic, etc.). The highest content of crude protein was found in samples of macroalgae of the genus Polysiphonia and amounted to 28.2%. A study of the elemental composition of drifting algae revealed that they have a high carbon content (31.3–37.5%) and a low hydrogen (4.96–5.82%), and sulfur (1.75–3.00%) content. Red algal biomass has the most resource potential in terms of biofuel generation, as it has a high number of lipids and proteins that can produce melanoidins during hydrothermal liquefaction, enhancing the fuel yield. The study noted the feasibility of using the biomass of the studied algae taxa to produce polysaccharides and biofuels. The analyses of antioxidant properties, fat content, and fat composition do not provide convincing evidence of the viability of using the aforementioned macroalgae for their production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beneficial properties of algae make them perfect functional ingredients for food products. Algae have a high energy value and are a source of biologically active substances, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and macro- and microelements. They are also rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, proteins, mycosporine-like amino acids, polysaccharides, polyphenols, carotenoids, sterols, steroids, lectins, halogenated compounds, polyketides, alkaloids, and carrageenans. Different extraction parameters are used depending on the purpose and the substances to be isolated. In this study, the following parameters were used: hydromodule 1:10 and an extraction duration of 1–2 h at the extraction temperature of 25–40 °C. A 30–50% solution of ethanol in water was used as an extractant. Algae extracts can be considered as potential natural sources of biologically active compounds with antimicrobial activity and antiviral properties. The content of crude protein, crude fat, and carbohydrates in U. Prolifera, C. racemosa var. peltata (Chlorophyta), S. oligocystum and S. fusiforme (SF-1) was studied. It was found that C. muelleri (Bacillariophyta), I. galbana (Haptophyta), and T. weissflogii (Bacillariophyta) contain about 1.9 times more omega-3 than omega-6 fatty acids. N. gaditana (Ochrophyta), D. salina (Chlorophyta), P. tricornutum (Bacillaryophyta) and I. galbana (Haptophyta) extracts showed inhibitory activity of varying intensities against E. coli or P. aeruginosa. In addition, algae and algae-derived compounds have been proposed to offer attractive possibilities in the food industry, especially in the meat sector, to evolve functional foods with myriad functionalities. Algae can increase the biological activity of food products, while the further study of the structure of compounds found in algae can broaden their future application possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iron-oxide content of dust in the atmosphere and most notably its apportionment between hematite (α -Fe 2 O 3) and goethite (α -FeOOH) are key determinants in quantifying dust's light absorption, its top of atmosphere ultraviolet (UV) radiances used for dust monitoring, and ultimately shortwave dust direct radiative effects (DREs). Hematite and goethite column mass concentrations and iron-oxide mass fractions of total dust mass concentration were retrieved from the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) measurements in the ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) channels. The retrievals were performed for dust-identified aerosol plumes over land using aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the spectral imaginary refractive index provided by the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm over six continental regions (North America, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, and Australia). The dust particles are represented as an internal mixture of non-absorbing host and absorbing hematite and goethite. We use the Maxwell Garnett effective medium approximation with carefully selected complex refractive indices of hematite and goethite that produce mass fractions of iron-oxide species consistent with in situ values found in the literature to derive the hematite and goethite volumetric/mass concentrations from MAIAC EPIC products. We compared the retrieved hematite and goethite concentrations with in situ dust aerosol mineralogical content measurements, as well as with published data. Our data display variations within the published range of hematite, goethite, and iron-oxide mass fractions for pure-mineral-dust cases. A specific analysis is presented for 15 sites over the main dust-source regions. Sites in the central Sahara, Sahel, and Middle East exhibit a greater temporal variability of iron oxides relative to other sites. The Niger site (13.52 ∘ N, 2.63 ∘ E) is dominated by goethite over the Harmattan season with a median of ∼ 2 weight percentage (wt %) of iron oxide. The Saudi Arabia site (27.49 ∘ N, 41.98 ∘ E) over the Middle East also exhibited a surge of goethite content with the beginning of the shamal season. The Sahel dust is richer in iron oxide than Saharan and northern China dust except in summer. The Bodélé Depression area shows a distinctively lower iron-oxide concentration (∼ 1 wt %) throughout the year. Finally, we show that EPIC data allow the constraining of the hematite refractive index. Specifically, we select 5 out of 13 different hematite refractive indices that are widely variable in published laboratory studies by constraining the iron-oxide mass ratio to the known measured values. The provided climatology of hematite and goethite mass fractions across the main dust regions of Earth will be useful for dust shortwave DRE studies and climate modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iron-oxide content of dust in the atmosphere and most notably its apportionment between hematite (α-Fe2O3) and goethite (α-FeOOH) are key determinants in quantifying dust's light absorption, its top of atmosphere UV radiances used for dust monitoring, and ultimately shortwave dust direct radiative effects (DRE). Hematite and goethite column mass concentrations and iron-oxide mass fractions of total dust mass concentration were retrieved from the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC) measurements in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) channels. The retrievals were performed for dust-identified aerosol plumes using aerosol optical depth (AOD) and spectral imaginary refractive index provided by the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm over six continental regions (North America, North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, East Asia, and Australia). The dust particles are represented as an internal mixture of non-absorbing host and absorbing hematite and goethite. We use the Maxwell-Garnett effective medium approximation with carefully selected complex refractive indices of hematite and goethite that produce mass fractions of iron oxides species consistent with in situ values found in the literature to derive the hematite and goethite volumetric/mass concentrations from MAIAC EPIC products. We compared the retrieved hematite and goethite concentrations with in situ dust aerosol mineralogical content measurements, as well as with published data. Our data display variations within the published range of hematite, goethite, and iron-oxide mass fractions for pure mineral dust cases. A specific analysis is presented for 15 sites over the main dust source regions. Sites in the central Sahara, Sahel, and Middle East exhibit a greater temporal variability of iron oxides relative to other sites. Niger site (13.52°N, 2.63°E) is dominated by goethite over Harmattan season with median of ~2 weight percentage (wt.%) of iron-oxide. Saudi Arabia site (27.49°N, 41.98°E) over Middle East also exhibited surge of goethite content with the beginning of Shamal season. The Sahel dust is richer in iron-oxide than Saharan and northern China dust except in Summer. The Bodélé Depression area shows a distinctively lower iron-oxide concentration (~1 wt.%) throughout the year. Finally, we show that EPIC data allow to constrain the hematite refractive index. Specifically, we select 5 out of 13 different number of hematite refractive indices widely variable in published laboratory studies by constraining the iron-oxide mass ratio to the known measured values. Provided climatology of hematite and goethite mass fractions across main dust regions of the Earth will be useful for dust shortwave DRE studies and climate modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since early 2000, NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument has been performing remote sensing retrievals of aerosol optical properties from the polar-orbiting Terra spacecraft. A noteworthy aspect of MISR observations over the ocean is that, for much of the Earth, some of the multi-angle views have contributions from solar reflection by the ocean surface (glint, or glitter), while others do not. Aerosol retrieval algorithms often discard these glint-influenced observations because they can overwhelm the signal and are difficult to predict without knowledge of the (wind-speed-driven) ocean surface roughness. However, theoretical studies have shown that multi-angle observations of a location at geometries with and without reflected sun glint can be a rich source of information, sufficient to support simultaneous retrieval of both the aerosol state and the wind speed at the ocean surface. We are in the early stages of creating such an algorithm. In this paper, we describe our assessment of the appropriate level of parameterization for simultaneous aerosol and ocean surface property retrievals using sun glint. For this purpose, we use generalized nonlinear retrieval analysis (GENRA), an information content assessment (ICA) technique employing Bayesian inference, and simulations from the Ahmad–Fraser iterative radiative transfer code. We find that four parameters are suitable: aerosol optical depth (τ), particle size distribution (expressed as the fine mode fraction f of small particles in a bimodal size distribution), surface wind speed (w), and relative humidity (r , to define the aerosol water content and complex refractive index). None of these parameters define ocean optical properties, as we found that the aerosol state could be retrieved with the nine MISR near-infrared views alone, where the ocean body is strongly absorbing in the open ocean. We also found that retrieval capability varies with observation geometry and that as τ increases so does the ability to determine aerosol intensive optical properties (r and f , while it decreases for w). Increases in w decrease the ability to determine the true value of that parameter but have minimal impact on retrieval of aerosol properties. We explored the benefit of excluding the two most extreme MISR view angles for which radiative transfer with the plane-parallel approximation is less certain, but we found no advantage in doing so. Finally, the impact of treating wind speed as a scalar parameter, rather than as a two-parameter directional wind, was tested. While the simpler scalar model does contribute to overall aerosol uncertainty, it is not sufficiently large to justify the addition of another dimension to parameter space. An algorithm designed upon these principles is in development. It will be used to perform an atmospheric correction with MISR for coincident ocean color (OC) observations by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, also on the NASA Terra spacecraft. Unlike MISR, MODIS is a single-view-angle instrument, but it has a more complete set of spectral channels ideal for determination of optical ocean properties. The atmospheric correction of MODIS OC data can therefore benefit from MISR aerosol retrievals. Furthermore, higher-spatial-resolution data from coincident MISR observations may also improve glint screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large uncertainty in the mineral dust direct radiative effect (DRE) hinders projections of future climate change due to anthropogenic activity. Resolving modeled dust mineral speciation allows for spatially and temporally varying refractive indices consistent with dust aerosol composition. Here, for the first time, we quantify the range in dust DRE at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) due to current uncertainties in the surface soil mineralogical content using a dust mineral-resolving climate model. We propagate observed uncertainties in soil mineral abundances from two soil mineralogy atlases along with the optical properties of each mineral into the DRE and compare the resultant range with other sources of uncertainty across six climate models. The shortwave DRE responds region-specifically to the dust burden depending on the mineral speciation and underlying shortwave surface albedo: positively when the regionally averaged annual surface albedo is larger than 0.28 and negatively otherwise. Among all minerals examined, the shortwave TOA DRE and single scattering albedo at the 0.44–0.63 µ m band are most sensitive to the fractional contribution of iron oxides to the total dust composition. The global net (shortwave plus longwave) TOA DRE is estimated to be within -0.23 to +0.35 W m -2. Approximately 97 % of this range relates to uncertainty in the soil abundance of iron oxides. Representing iron oxide with solely hematite optical properties leads to an overestimation of shortwave DRE by +0.10 W m -2 at the TOA, as goethite is not as absorbing as hematite in the shortwave spectrum range. Our study highlights the importance of iron oxides to the shortwave DRE: they have a disproportionally large impact on climate considering their small atmospheric mineral mass fractional burden (∼2 %). An improved description of iron oxides, such as those planned in the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT), is thus essential for more accurate estimates of the dust DRE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigates the diurnal cycle of dust and dust mixture loading across the global tropics, subtropics, and mid-latitudes by analyzing aerosol extinction and typing profiles observed by the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) lidar aboard the International Space Station. According to the comparison with ground-based and other satellite observations, CATS aerosol and dust and dust mixture loading observations exhibit reasonable quality but significant day–night inconsistency. To account for this day–night inconsistency in CATS data quality, the diurnal variability in dust and dust mixture characteristics is currently examined separately for daytime and nighttime periods. Based on an analysis of variance (ANOVA) analytical framework, pronounced diurnal variations in dust and dust mixture loading are generally uncovered during daytime periods and over terrestrial areas. The current study identifies statistically significant diurnal variability in dust and dust mixture loading over key dust sources, including the Bodélé Depression, the West African El Djouf, Rub' al-Khali desert, and western and southern North America, confirming the previous observation-based findings regarding the diurnal cycle of dust emission and underlying meteorological processes in these regions. Significant seasonal and diurnal variability in dust and dust mixture is identified over the Iraqi and Thar deserts. The identified significant diurnal cycles in dust mixture loading over the vegetated regions in the Amazon and tropical southern Africa are hypothesized to be driven by enhanced dust emission due to wildfires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary productivity (PP) has been recently investigated using remote sensing-based models over quite limited geographical areas of the Red Sea. This work sheds light on how phytoplankton and primary production would react to the effects of global warming in the extreme environment of the Red Sea and, hence, illuminates how similar regions may behave in the context of climate variability. study focuses on using satellite observations to conduct an intercomparison of three net primary production (NPP) models—the vertically generalized production model (VGPM), the Eppley-VGPM, and the carbon-based production model (CbPM)—produced over the Red Sea domain for the 1998–2018 time period. A detailed investigation is conducted using multilinear regression analysis, multivariate visualization, and moving averages correlative analysis to uncover the models’ responses to various climate factors. Here, we use the models’ eight-day composite and monthly averages compared with satellite-based variables, including chlorophyll-a (Chla), mixed layer depth (MLD), and sea-surface temperature (SST). Seasonal anomalies of NPP are analyzed against different climate indices, namely, the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO), the multivariate ENSO Index (MEI), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and the Dipole Mode Index (DMI). In our study, only the CbPM showed significant correlations with NPGO, MEI, and PDO, with disagreements relative to the other two NPP models. This can be attributed to the models’ connection to oceanographic and atmospheric parameters, as well as the trends in the southern Red Sea, thus calling for further validation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since early 2000, NASA's Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument has been performing remote sensing retrievals of aerosol optical properties from the polar orbiting Terra spacecraft. A noteworthy aspect of MISR observations over the ocean is that, for much of the Earth, some of the multi-angle views have contributions from solar reflection by the ocean surface (glint, or glitter), while others do not. Aerosol retrieval algorithms often discard these glint influenced observations because they can overwhelm the signal and are difficult to predict without knowledge of the (wind speed driven) ocean surface roughness. However, theoretical studies have shown that multi-angle observations of a location at geometries with and without reflected sun glint can be a rich source of information, sufficient to support simultaneous retrieval of both the aerosol state and the wind speed at the ocean surface. We are in the early stages of creating such an algorithm. In this manuscript, we describe our assessment of the appropriate level of parameterization for simultaneous aerosol and ocean surface property retrievals using sun glint. For this purpose, we use Generalized Nonlinear Retrieval Analysis (GENRA), an information content assessment (ICA) technique employing Bayesian inference, and simulations from the Ahmad-Fraser iterative radiative transfer code. We find that four parameters are suitable: aerosol optical depth (τ), particle size distribution (expressed as the fine mode fraction f of small particles in a bimodal size distribution), surface wind speed (w), and relative humidity (r, to define the aerosol water content and complex refractive index). None of these parameters define ocean optical properties, as we found that the aerosol state could be retrieved with the nine MISR near-infrared views alone, where the ocean body is black in the open ocean. We also found that retrieval capability varies with observation geometry, and that as τ increases so does the ability to determine aerosol intensive optical properties (r and f, while it decreases for w). Increases in wind speed decrease the ability to determine the true value of that parameter, but have minimal impact on retrieval of aerosol properties. We explored the benefit of excluding the two most extreme MISR view angles for which radiative transfer with the plane parallel approximation is less certain, but found no advantage in doing so. Finally, the impact of treating wind speed as a scalar parameter, rather than as a two parameter directional wind, was tested. While the simpler scalar model does contribute to overall aerosol uncertainty, it is not sufficiently large to justify the addition of another dimension to parameter space. An algorithm designed upon these principles is in development. It will be used to perform an atmospheric correction with MISR for coincident ocean color (OC) observations by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument, also on the NASA Terra spacecraft. Unlike MISR, MODIS is a single view angle instrument, but it has a more complete set of spectral channels ideal for determination of ocean optical properties. The atmospheric correction of MODIS OC data can therefore benefit from MISR aerosol retrievals. Furthermore, higher spatial resolution data from coincident MISR observations may also improve glint screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigates the diurnal cycle of dust loading across the global tropics, sub-tropics, and mid-latitudes by analyzing aerosol extinction and typing profiles observed by the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) lidar aboard the International Space Station. According to the comparison with ground-based and other satellite observations, CATS aerosol and dust loading observations exhibits reasonable quality but significant day-night inconsistency. To account for this day-night inconsistency in CATS data quality, the diurnal variability in dust characteristics are currently examined separately for daytime and nighttime periods. Based on an analysis of variance analytical framework, pronounced diurnal variations in dust loading are generally uncovered during daytime periods and over terrestrial areas. The current study identifies statistically significant diurnal variability in dust loading over key dust sources, including the Bodele Depression, the West African El Djouf, Rub-al Khali Desert, and western and southern North America, confirming the previous observation-based findings regarding the diurnal cycle of dust emission and underlying meteorological processes in these regions. Significant seasonal dust diurnal variability is identified over the Iraqi and Thar deserts. The identified significant diurnal cycles in dust loading over the rainforests in Amazon and tropical southern Africa are hypothesized to be driven by enhanced dust emission due to wildfires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large uncertainty in mineral dust direct radiative effect (DRE) hinders projections of future climate change due to anthropogenic activity. Resolving modelled dust mineral-speciation allows for spatially and temporally varying refractive indices consistent with dust aerosol composition. Here, for the first time, we quantify the range in dust DRE at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) due to current uncertainties in the surface soil mineralogical content using a dust mineral-resolving climate model. We propagate observed uncertainties in soil mineral abundances from two soil mineralogy atlases along with the optical properties of each mineral into the DRE and compare the resultant range with other sources of uncertainty across six climate models. The shortwave DRE responses region-specifically to the dust burden depending on the mineral speciation and underlying shortwave surface albedo; positively when the regionally averaged annual surface albedo is larger than 0.28, and negatively otherwise. Among all minerals examined, the shortwave TOA DRE and single scattering albedo at the 0.44-0.63 µm band are most sensitive to the fractional contribution of iron oxides to the total dust composition. The global net (shortwave plus longwave) TOA DRE is estimated to be within -0.23 to +0.35 W m-2. Approximately 97 % of this range relates to uncertainty in the soil abundance of iron oxides. Representing iron-oxide with solely hematite optical properties leads to an overestimation of shortwave DRE by +0.1 W m-2 at the TOA, as goethite is not as absorbing as hematite in the shortwave spectrum range. Our study highlights the importance of iron oxides to the shortwave DRE: they have a disproportionally large impact on climate considering their small atmospheric mineral mass fractional burden (~2 %). An improved description of iron oxides, such as those planned in the Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation (EMIT), is thus essential for more accurate estimates of the dust DRE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivated by the ongoing debates about the relative contribution of specific North African dust sources to the transatlantic dust transport to the Amazon Basin, the current study integrates a suite of satellite observations into a novel trajectory analysis framework to investigate dust transport from the leading two North African dust sources, namely, the Bodélé depression and El Djouf. In particular, this approach provides observation‐constrained quantification of the dust's dry and wet deposition along its transport pathways and is validated against multiple satellite observations. The current large ensemble trajectory simulations identify favorable transport pathways from the El Djouf across the Atlantic Ocean with respect to seasonal rain belts. The limited potential for long‐range transport of dust from the Bodélé depression is attributed to the currently identified extensive near‐source dust removal primarily by dry and wet deposition during boreal winter and summer, respectively. Plain Language Summary: North African deserts have been reported to export ~200 million tons of dust per year to the tropical Atlantic Ocean, degrading air quality over the Caribbean Islands in boreal summer and supplying nutrients to fertilize the Amazon Rainforest in boreal winter and spring through transatlantic dust transport. It has been assumed that the Bodélé depression is the main contributor to this transatlantic dust transport and Amazonian dust fertilization in boreal winter. However, these claims have not been supported by geochemical analysis. Here, we integrate a suite of satellite observations into a novel trajectory analysis framework to investigate dust transport from the leading two North African dust sources, namely, the Bodélé depression and El Djouf, and provide the first ever observation‐constrained quantification of the dust's dry and wet deposition along its transport pathways. The approach yields the novel observational finding that the El Djouf is the preferred source of intercontinental transport across the Atlantic Ocean rather than the Bodélé depression, bridging the geochemical impact of North African minerals on the Amazon Basin to the specific dust origin. Key Points: The current trajectory simulations quantify observation‐derived dust deposition and capture the observed three‐dimensional dust distributionEl Djouf is the preferred source of the transatlantic dust transport, due to favorable transport pathways with respect to seasonal rain beltsExtensive near‐source dust deposition supports the observed limited potential for long‐range transport of dust from the Bodélé depression [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tracer data have been successfully used for hydrograph separation in glacierized basins. However, in these basins uncertainties of the hydrograph separation are large and are caused by the spatiotemporal variability in the tracer signatures of water sources, the uncertainty of water sampling, and the mixing model uncertainty. In this study, we used electrical conductivity (EC) measurements and two isotope signatures (δ 18O and δ 2H) to label the runoff components, including groundwater, snow and glacier meltwater, and rainfall, in a Central Asian glacierized basin. The contributions of runoff components (CRCs) to the total runoff and the corresponding uncertainty were quantified by two mixing approaches, namely a traditional end-member mixing approach (abbreviated as EMMA) and a Bayesian end-member mixing approach. The performance of the two mixing approaches was compared in three seasons that are distinguished as the cold season, snowmelt season, and glacier melt season. The results show the following points. (1) The Bayesian approach generally estimated smaller uncertainty ranges for the CRC when compared to the EMMA. (2) The Bayesian approach tended to be less sensitive to the sampling uncertainties of meltwater than the EMMA. (3) Ignoring the model uncertainty caused by the isotope fractionation likely led to an overestimated rainfall contribution and an underestimated meltwater share in the melt seasons. Our study provides the first comparison of the two end-member mixing approaches for hydrograph separation in glacierized basins and gives insight into the application of tracer-based mixing approaches in similar basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument has been operational on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra satellite since early 2000, creating an extensive data set of global Earth observations. Here we introduce the latest version of the MISR aerosol products. The level 2 (swath) product, which is reported on a 4.4 km spatial grid, is designated as version 23 (V23) and contains retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol particle property information derived from MISR's multi-angle observations over both land and water. The changes from the previous version of the algorithm (V22) have significant impacts on the data product and its interpretation. The V23 data set is created from two separate retrieval algorithms that are applied over dark water and land surfaces, respectively. Besides increasing the horizontal resolution to 4.4 km compared with the coarser 17.6 m resolution in V22 and streamlining the format and content, the V23 product has added geolocation information, pixel-level uncertainty estimates, and improved cloud screening. MISR data can be obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center at https://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/project/misr/misr%5ftable (last access: 11 October 2019). The version number for the V23 level 2 aerosol product is F13_0023. The level 3 (gridded) aerosol product is still reported at 0.5∘×0.5∘ spatial resolution with results aggregated from the higher-resolution level 2 data. The format and content at level 3 have also been updated to reflect the changes made at level 2. The level 3 product associated with the V23 level 2 product version is designated as F15_0032. Both the level 2 and level 3 products are now provided in NetCDF format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study investigates the diurnal cycle of dust loading across the global tropics, sub-tropics, and mid-latitudes by analyzing aerosol extinction and typing profiles observed by the Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) lidar aboard the International Space Station. According to the comparison with ground-based and other satellite observations, CATS aerosol and dust loading observations exhibits reasonable quality and insignificant day-night inconsistency, thereby supporting the current analysis of dust diurnal cycle using CATS data. Based on an analysis of variance analytical framework, statistically significant diurnal variability in dust loading is identified over key dust sources, including the Bodélé depression, West African El Djouf, Rub-al Khali desert, and western and southern North America, confirming the previous observation-based findings regarding the diurnal cycle of dust emission and underlying meteorological processes in these regions. Insignificant annual mean dust diurnal variability is identified over the Iraqi, Thar, and Taklamakan deserts. The currently identified significant diurnal cycles in dust loading over the rainforests in Amazon and tropical southern Africa, and drylands in South America and the central Australia, are hypothesized to be driven by enhanced dust emission due to wildfires and enhanced katabatic and frontal winds, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument has been operational on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observing System (EOS) Terra satellite since early 2000, creating an extensive data set of global Earth observations. Here we introduce the latest version of the MISR aerosol products. The Level 2 (swath) product, which is reported on a 4.4 km spatial grid, is designated Version 23 (V23) and contains retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) and aerosol particle property information derived from MISR's multi-angle observations over both land and water. The changes from the previous version of the algorithm (V22) have significant impacts on the data product and its interpretation. The V23 data set is created from two separate retrieval algorithms that are applied over dark water and land surfaces, respectively. Besides increasing the horizontal resolution to 4.4 km compared with the coarser 17.6 m resolution in V22, and streamlining the format and content, the V23 product has added geolocation information, pixel-level uncertainty estimates, and improved cloud screening. MISR data can be obtained from the NASA Langley Research Center Atmospheric Science Data Center at https://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/project/misr/misr_table. The version number for the V23 Level 2 aerosol product is F13_0023. The Level 3 (gridded) aerosol product is still reported at 0.5° x 0.5° spatial resolution with results aggregated from the higher-resolution Level 2 data. The format and content at Level 3 have also been updated to reflect the changes made at Level 2. The Level 3 product associated with the V23 Level 2 product version is designated F15_0032. Both the Level 2 and Level 3 products are now provided in NetCDF format. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water tracer data have been successfully used for hydrograph separation in glacierized basins. However, uncertainties in the hydrograph separation are large in these basins, caused by the spatio-temporal variability in the tracer signatures of water sources, the uncertainty of water sampling and the mixing model uncertainty. In this study, we used electrical conductivity (EC) measurements and two isotope signatures (δ18O and δ2H) to label the runoff components, including groundwater, snow and glacier meltwater, and rainfall, in a Central Asia glacierized basin. The contributions of runoff components (CRC) to the total runoff, as well as the corresponding uncertainty, were quantified by two mixing approaches: a traditional end-member mixing approach (TEMMA) and a Bayesian end-member mixing approach. The performance of the two mixing approaches were compared in three seasons, distinguished as cold season, snowmelt season and glacier melt season. Results show that: 1) The Bayesian approach generally estimated smaller uncertainty ranges for the CRC compared to the TEMMA. 2) The Bayesian approach tended to be less sensitive to the sampling uncertainties of meltwater than the TEMMA. 3) Ignoring the model uncertainty caused by the isotope fractionation likely leaded to an overestimated rainfall contribution and an underestimated meltwater share in the melt seasons. Our study provides the first comparison of the two end-member mixing approaches for hydrograph separation in glacierized basins, and gives insights for the application of tracer-based mixing approaches for similar basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deposition of mineral dust into ocean fertilizes ecosystems and influences biogeochemical cycles and climate. In situ observations of dust deposition are scarce, and model simulations depend on the highly parameterized representations of dust processes with few constraints. By taking advantage of satellites' routine sampling on global and decadal scales, we estimate African dust deposition flux and loss frequency (a ratio of deposition flux to mass loading) along the trans‐Atlantic transit using the three‐dimensional distributions of aerosol retrieved by spaceborne lidar (Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization [CALIOP]) and radiometers (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer [MODIS], Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer [MISR], and Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer [IASI]). On the basis of a 10‐year (2007‐2016) and basin‐scale average, the amount of dust deposition into the tropical Atlantic Ocean is estimated at 136‐222 Tg/year. The 65‐83% of satellite‐based estimates agree with the in situ climatology within a factor of 2. The magnitudes of dust deposition are highest in boreal summer and lowest in fall, whereas the interannual variability as measured by the normalized standard deviation with mean is largest in spring (28‐41%) and smallest (7‐15%) in summer. The dust deposition displays high spatial heterogeneity, revealing that the meridional shifts of major dust deposition belts are modulated by the seasonal migration of the intertropical convergence zone. On the basis of the annual and basin mean, the dust loss frequency derived from the satellite observations ranges from 0.078 to 0.100 day‐1, which is lower than model simulations by up to factors of 2 to 5. The most efficient loss of dust occurs in winter, consistent with the higher possibility of low‐altitude transported dust in southern trajectories being intercepted by rainfall associated with the intertropical convergence zone. The satellite‐based estimates of dust deposition can be used to fill the geographical gaps and extend time span of in situ measurements, study the dust‐ocean interactions, and evaluate model simulations of dust processes. Key Points: Multiple satellite data are used to generate a unique 10‐year product of dust deposition into the tropical Atlantic OceanThe dust deposition into the tropical Atlantic Ocean is estimated at 136–222 Tg/year, with large heterogeneity in space and timeThe satellite‐based estimates of dust loss frequency are lower than model simulations by up to factors of 2 to 5 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian dust, primarily emitted from the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, has been reported to reach remote destinations, such as North America. However, the relative contribution of the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts to dust loadings through long-range transport remains unaddressed in any observational study. Here, the climatology of Asian dust activation and potential for transport is investigated using stereo observations of dust sources from the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument combined with observation-initiated trajectory modeling. MISR-derived dust plume top height and dust plume motion vectors confirm the peak of dust activation and transport potential in spring over the Gobi Desert and in both spring and summer over the Taklamakan Desert. The long-range trajectory patterns of Asian dust, including the influence on North America through trans-Pacific transport, are assessed using extensive forward trajectories initiated by MISR dust plume observations. The trajectory analysis reveals latitude-dependent spread of dust trajectories from the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, with Taklamakan dust dominantly affecting to the south of 50 ∘ N and Gobi dust primarily affecting to the north of 50 ∘ N in North America. The Asian dust activation and transport potential exhibit substantial seasonal and interannual variability, motivating future studies on the potential drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conceptualize aerosol radiative transfer processes arising from the hypothetical coupling of a global aerosol transport model and a global numerical weather prediction model by applying the US Naval Research Laboratory Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) and the Navy Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) meteorological and surface reflectance fields. A unique experimental design during the 2013 NASA Studies of Emissions and Atmospheric Composition, Clouds and Climate Coupling by Regional Surveys (SEAC 4 RS) field mission allowed for collocated airborne sampling by the high spectral resolution Lidar (HSRL), the Airborne Multi-angle SpectroPolarimetric Imager (AirMSPI), up/down shortwave (SW) and infrared (IR) broadband radiometers, as well as NASA A-Train support from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), to attempt direct aerosol forcing closure. The results demonstrate the sensitivity of modeled fields to aerosol radiative fluxes and heating rates, specifically in the SW, as induced in this event from transported smoke and regional urban aerosols. Limitations are identified with respect to aerosol attribution, vertical distribution, and the choice of optical and surface polarimetric properties, which are discussed within the context of their influence on numerical weather prediction output that is particularly important as the community propels forward towards inline aerosol modeling within global forecast systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) is a severe life-threatening disease. The place of rituximab in JSLE management is still undefined. The early biologic intervention might improve disease's outcomes. Aim of study To assess the advantages of early rituximab administration compared with late. Material and methods In the retrospective cohort study the information about 36 JSLE patients, whom rituximab biosimilar BCD020 was initiated were included. All patients were divided in two groups: early start of rituximab (less than six months from onset) and late start (more than one year). We compared initial disease characteristics at onset, on the baseline (BL)—start of rituximab and end of the study—(EOS) - 12 months, and treatment characteristics. Results The time gap between early and late rituximab administration was 19 months. There were no differences in disease profile at onset, except higher SLEDAI and MAS frequency in early rituximab group. Baseline differences were: lower C3, C4, higher SLEDAI and oral daily corticosteroids dosage. At the end of the study, patient whom rituximab was prescribed early had more impressive changes in SLEDAI, e.g. 100% of patients decreased SLEDAI, compared with 79% in late rituximab group. The detailed information about disease activity and treatment outcomes in both groups are in the table. There were no differences in adverse events between groups, except more impressive signs of corticosteroid toxicity in group of late rituximab administration. Conclusion Early administration of rituximab biosimilar made it possible to control the JSLE activity faster and reduce the dose of corticosteroids effectively. There were no differences in adverse events, except signs of corticosteroid toxicity in group of late rituximab initiation. This work was financially supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement No. 075–15-2022–301). Ethics The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Saint-Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University (Protocol No1/3 from 11/Jan/2021). There were no violations of patient's rights according to the Declaration of Helsinki. OA03 Table 1. Parameter.  Early start of rituximab (n = 16).  Late start of rituximab (n = 19).  P -value.  Time before rituximab, months  3 (2; 6)  22 (14; 36)  0.00001  SLEDAI, BL, points  22 (15; 26)  10 (6; 16)  0.003  SLEDAI, EOS, points  2 (0; 4)  2 (0; 6)  1.0  SLEDAI changes from BL, points  -18 (-13; -24)  -6 (-14 -14)  0.0006  Patients, improved SLEDAI, %  16 (100)  15 (79)  0.05  SLEDAI changes from BL, %  85 (81; 100)  64 (14; 100)  0.099  Daily corticosteroids, BL, mg/kg  1.0 (0.6; 0.1)  0.3 (0.2; 0.8)  0.027  Daily corticosteroids, EOS, mg/kg  0.1 (0.08; 0.16)  0.1 (0.06; 0.2)  0.842  Median daily corticosteroids change from BL, %  85 (60; 88)  68 (33; 90)  0.436  Improvement in SLEDAI from BL        SLEDAI30  16 (100)  14 (74)  0.027  SLEDAI50  16 (100)  13 (68)  0.014  SLEDAI70  15 (94)  9 (47)  0.004  SLEDAI 90  7 (44)  7 (37)  0.678  SLEDAI100  5 (31)  6 (32)  0.984  Parameter.  Early start of rituximab (n = 16).  Late start of rituximab (n = 19).  P -value.  Time before rituximab, months  3 (2; 6)  22 (14; 36)  0.00001  SLEDAI, BL, points  22 (15; 26)  10 (6; 16)  0.003  SLEDAI, EOS, points  2 (0; 4)  2 (0; 6)  1.0  SLEDAI changes from BL, points  -18 (-13; -24)  -6 (-14 -14)  0.0006  Patients, improved SLEDAI, %  16 (100)  15 (79)  0.05  SLEDAI changes from BL, %  85 (81; 100)  64 (14; 100)  0.099  Daily corticosteroids, BL, mg/kg  1.0 (0.6; 0.1)  0.3 (0.2; 0.8)  0.027  Daily corticosteroids, EOS, mg/kg  0.1 (0.08; 0.16)  0.1 (0.06; 0.2)  0.842  Median daily corticosteroids change from BL, %  85 (60; 88)  68 (33; 90)  0.436  Improvement in SLEDAI from BL        SLEDAI30  16 (100)  14 (74)  0.027  SLEDAI50  16 (100)  13 (68)  0.014  SLEDAI70  15 (94)  9 (47)  0.004  SLEDAI 90  7 (44)  7 (37)  0.678  SLEDAI100  5 (31)  6 (32)  0.984  Open in new tab OA03 Table 1. Parameter.  Early start of rituximab (n = 16).  Late start of rituximab (n = 19).  P -value.  Time before rituximab, months  3 (2; 6)  22 (14; 36)  0.00001  SLEDAI, BL, points  22 (15; 26)  10 (6; 16)  0.003  SLEDAI, EOS, points  2 (0; 4)  2 (0; 6)  1.0  SLEDAI changes from BL, points  -18 (-13; -24)  -6 (-14 -14)  0.0006  Patients, improved SLEDAI, %  16 (100)  15 (79)  0.05  SLEDAI changes from BL, %  85 (81; 100)  64 (14; 100)  0.099  Daily corticosteroids, BL, mg/kg  1.0 (0.6; 0.1)  0.3 (0.2; 0.8)  0.027  Daily corticosteroids, EOS, mg/kg  0.1 (0.08; 0.16)  0.1 (0.06; 0.2)  0.842  Median daily corticosteroids change from BL, %  85 (60; 88)  68 (33; 90)  0.436  Improvement in SLEDAI from BL        SLEDAI30  16 (100)  14 (74)  0.027  SLEDAI50  16 (100)  13 (68)  0.014  SLEDAI70  15 (94)  9 (47)  0.004  SLEDAI 90  7 (44)  7 (37)  0.678  SLEDAI100  5 (31)  6 (32)  0.984  Parameter.  Early start of rituximab (n = 16).  Late start of rituximab (n = 19).  P -value.  Time before rituximab, months  3 (2; 6)  22 (14; 36)  0.00001  SLEDAI, BL, points  22 (15; 26)  10 (6; 16)  0.003  SLEDAI, EOS, points  2 (0; 4)  2 (0; 6)  1.0  SLEDAI changes from BL, points  -18 (-13; -24)  -6 (-14 -14)  0.0006  Patients, improved SLEDAI, %  16 (100)  15 (79)  0.05  SLEDAI changes from BL, %  85 (81; 100)  64 (14; 100)  0.099  Daily corticosteroids, BL, mg/kg  1.0 (0.6; 0.1)  0.3 (0.2; 0.8)  0.027  Daily corticosteroids, EOS, mg/kg  0.1 (0.08; 0.16)  0.1 (0.06; 0.2)  0.842  Median daily corticosteroids change from BL, %  85 (60; 88)  68 (33; 90)  0.436  Improvement in SLEDAI from BL        SLEDAI30  16 (100)  14 (74)  0.027  SLEDAI50  16 (100)  13 (68)  0.014  SLEDAI70  15 (94)  9 (47)  0.004  SLEDAI 90  7 (44)  7 (37)  0.678  SLEDAI100  5 (31)  6 (32)  0.984  Open in new tab [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian dust, primarily emitted from the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts, has been reported to reach remote destinations, such as North America. However, the relative contribution of the Taklamakan and Gobi Deserts to dust loadings through long-range transport remains unaddressed in any observational study. Here, the climatology of Asian dust activation and transport is investigated using stereo observations of dust sources from the Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) instrument combined with observation-initiated trajectory modeling. MISR-derived dust injection height and dust plume motion vectors confirm the peak of dust activation and transport potential in spring over the Gobi Desert and in both spring and summer over the Taklamakan Desert. The long-range transport patterns of Asian dust, including the influence on North America through trans-Pacific transport, are assessed using extensive forward trajectories initiated by MISR dust plume observations. The trajectory analysis reveals latitude-dependent influence of dust from the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts, with Taklamakan dust dominantly affecting to the south of 50° N and Gobi dust primarily affecting to the north of 50° N in North America. The Asian dust activation and transport exhibit substantial seasonal and interannual variability, motivating future studies on the potential drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]