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Abstract: Coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) is an established technique for gas-phase thermometry in combustion. In this work, rotational CARS in the dual-broadband approach has been investigated for flame thermometry in the product gas of ethylene/air flames in a wide range of equivalence ratios (0.5< ? <2.5). The nitrogen lines dominated the rotational CARS spectra in the whole equivalence range, but for fuel-lean flames also oxygen lines gave significant spectral contributions. Therefore, the temperature evaluation was based on spectral fitting of both nitrogen and oxygen. Product gas species such as carbon dioxide, water, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen contribute to the non-resonant susceptibility of the gas and influence the nitrogen and oxygen linewidths through collisions. In this work, the main focus was on the influence of these collisions on the nitrogen and oxygen Raman linewidths and consequently the evaluated temperature in the product gas of flames. In the range of studied equivalence ratios with various amounts of different product gas species, the evaluated temperature was raised up to 45K when including broadening from CO2, H2O, and CO on the measured nitrogen and oxygen lines. It was also concluded that H2O was the main contributor in all non-sooting flames. The influence of the non-resonant susceptibility in the spectral evaluation is discussed, and its coupling to the inclusion of the line broadening from product gas species as well. It has thus been shown that line-broadening effects from product gas species are highly important for quantitative rotational CARS thermometry in flames. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Ground vegetation cover, composition and biomass were analyzed at six 7–9-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands 5 years after application of hardened wood ash. Logging residues were collected at the preceding harvest. At each site hardened crushed wood ash of two types, Nymo¨lla and Perstorp, was applied in a randomized block design (n=4). The dose applied was 3 Mg ha−1. The species composition of the ground vegetation has been used as a forest type classification systems. The present study was performed at sites with Vaccinium myrtillus forest type in four climatic zones in Sweden. In one of the climatic zones, the study also included a site fertility gradient with V. myrtillus, grass and herb forest types.The results showed that the effects of crushed wood ash application on the vegetation were limited. The bryophytes showed no visible negative response to the ash application. The presence of Perstorp wood ash appeared to have a significant suppressive effect on the cover of Calluna vulgaris, but only at V. myrtillus sites. The cover of Deschampsia flexuosa was slightly higher after wood ash application at poor V. myrtillus sites. None of the ash types affected the plant community composition significantly at V. myrtillus sites or at the herb site. However, the site with grass type possibly developed a similarity with herb type after application of the Nymo¨lla wood ash. This indicated that wood ash application might improve site fertility. But, since this tendency was limited to one ash type, it also indicates that the chemical composition of the hardened crushed wood ash seemed to be of importance for the vegetation changes, also when doses of the ash were low. The biomass of different field vegetation components was not affected by the ash application. In conclusion, application of hardened wood ash of the types used in our study and in doses up to 3 Mg ha−1 is not likely to decrease species abundance or in any other way affect biodiversity within field or bottom layer vegetation in young Norway spruce stands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Background It has been suggested that the combination of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) with conventional medicine carries a risk of adverse effects. The prevalence of CAM usage among patients in the Swedish emergency department (ED) is unknown. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate CAM use among visiting patients at a Swedish ED. Method A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed between August and October 2016 at an ED in Sweden. The questionnaire included 16 items regarding CAM use, factors associated with CAM use and patient healthcare communication and was distributed to 1600 patients. Results A total of 1029 questionnaires was returned (RR 64.3%). Current CAM use was reported by 7.9%, during the last year by 38.0%, and within lifetime by 72.9%. Factors associated with CAM use were: being a woman, middle-aged, in full-time employment, with secondary education level, higher use of non-prescription drugs and lower use of prescription drugs. Patient healthcare personnel communication about CAM was found to be approximately 5%. Conclusion CAM usage exists among patients visiting Swedish EDs and almost one in ten uses CAM on the same day as the ED visit. CAM usage is associated with demographic factors. However, communication about CAM usage with ED personnel is poor.

Forest management practices can alter soil conditions, affecting the consumption and production processes that control soil methane (CH4) exchange. We studied the short-term effects of thinning, clear-cutting and stump harvesting on the CH4 exchange between soil and atmosphere at a boreal forest site in central Sweden, using an undisturbed plot as the control. Chambers in combination with a high-precision laser gas analyser were used for continuous measurements. Both the undisturbed plot and the thinned plot were net sinks of CH4, whereas the clear-cut plot and the stump harvested plot were net CH4 sources. The CH4 uptake at the thinned plot was reduced in comparison to the undisturbed plot. The shift from sink to source at the clear-cut and stump harvested plots was probably due to a rise in the water table and an increase in soil moisture, leading to lower gas diffusivity and more reduced conditions, which favour CH4 production by archea. Reduced evapotranspiration after harvesting leads to wetter soils, decreased CH4 consumption and increased CH4 production, and should be accounted for in the CH4 budget of managed forests.

Aerosol particle number size distributions and hygroscopic properties were measured at a pasture site in the southwestern Amazon region (Rondonia). The measurements were performed 11 September-14 November 2002 as part of LBA-SMOCC (Large scale Biosphere atmosphere experiment in Amazonia - SMOke aerosols, Clouds, rainfall and Climate), and cover the later part of the dry season (with heavy biomass burning), a transition period, and the onset of the wet period. Particle number size distributions were measured with a DMPS (Differential Mobility Particle Sizer, 3-850nm) and an APS (Aerodynamic Particle Sizer), extending the distributions up to 3.3 µm in diameter. An H-TDMA (Hygroscopic Tandem Differential Mobility Analyzer) measured the hygroscopic diameter growth factors (Gf) at 90% relative humidity (RH), for particles with dry diameters (dp) between 20-440 nm, and at several occasions RH scans (30-90% RH) were performed for 165nm particles. These data provide the most extensive characterization of Amazonian biomass burning aerosol, with respect to particle number size distributions and hygroscopic properties, presented until now. The evolution of the convective boundary layer over the course of the day causes a distinct diel variation in the aerosol physical properties, which was used to get information about the properties of the aerosol at higher altitudes. The number size distributions averaged over the three defined time periods showed three modes; a nucleation mode with geometrical median diameters (GMD) of ~12 nm, an Aitken mode (GMD=61-92 nm) and an accumulation mode (GMD=128-190 nm). The two larger modes were shifted towards larger GMD with increasing influence from biomass burning. The hygroscopic growth at 90% RH revealed a somewhat external mixture with two groups of particles; here denoted nearly hydrophobic (Gf~1.09 for 100 nm particles) and moderately hygroscopic (Gf~1.26). While the hygroscopic growth factors were surprisingly similar over the periods, the number fraction of particles belonging to each hygroscopic group varied more, with the dry period aerosol being more dominated by nearly hydrophobic particles. As a result the total particle water uptake rose going into the cleaner period. The fraction of moderately hygroscopic particles was consistently larger for particles in the accumulation mode compared to the Aitken mode for all periods. Scanning the H-TDMA over RH (30-90% RH) showed no deliquescence behavior. A parameterization of both Gf(RH) and Gf(dp), is given.

Monitoring the changes of ecosystem functioning is pivotal for understanding the global carbon cycle. Despite its size and contribution to the global carbon cycle, Africa is largely understudied in regard to ongoing changes of its ecosystem functioning and their responses to climate change. One of the reasons is the lack of long-term in situ data. Here, we use eddy covariance to quantify the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and its components-gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (R eco ) for years 2010-2022 for a Sahelian semiarid savanna to study trends in the fluxes. Significant negative trends were found for NEE (12.7 ± 2.8 g C m 2  year -1 ), GPP (39.6 ± 7.9 g C m 2  year -1 ), and R eco (32.2 ± 8.9 g C m 2  year -1 ). We found that NEE decreased by 60% over the study period, and this decrease was mainly caused by stronger negative trends in rainy season GPP than in R eco . Additionally, we observed strong increasing trends in vapor pressure deficit, but no trends in rainfall or soil water content. Thus, a proposed explanation for the decrease in carbon sink strength is increasing atmospheric dryness. The warming climate in the Sahel, coupled with increasing evaporative demand, may thus lead to decreased GPP levels across this biome, and lowering its CO 2 sequestration., (© 2024 The Author(s). Global Change Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We analysed the effect of the 2018 European drought on greenhouse gas (GHG) exchange of five North European mire ecosystems. The low precipitation and high summer temperatures in Fennoscandia led to a lowered water table in the majority of these mires. This lowered both carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) uptake and methane (CH 4 ) emission during 2018, turning three out of the five mires from CO 2 sinks to sources. The calculated radiative forcing showed that the drought-induced changes in GHG fluxes first resulted in a cooling effect lasting 15-50 years, due to the lowered CH 4 emission, which was followed by warming due to the lower CO 2 uptake. This article is part of the theme issue 'Impacts of the 2018 severe drought and heatwave in Europe: from site to continental scale'.

The Nordic region was subjected to severe drought in 2018 with a particularly long-lasting and large soil water deficit in Denmark, Southern Sweden and Estonia. Here, we analyse the impact of the drought on carbon and water fluxes in 11 forest ecosystems of different composition: spruce, pine, mixed and deciduous. We assess the impact of drought on fluxes by estimating the difference (anomaly) between year 2018 and a reference year without drought. Unexpectedly, the evaporation was only slightly reduced during 2018 compared to the reference year at two sites while it increased or was nearly unchanged at all other sites. This occurred under a 40 to 60% reduction in mean surface conductance and the concurrent increase in evaporative demand due to the warm and dry weather. The anomaly in the net ecosystem productivity (NEP) was 93% explained by a multilinear regression with the anomaly in heterotrophic respiration and the relative precipitation deficit as independent variables. Most of the variation (77%) was explained by the heterotrophic component. Six out of 11 forests reduced their annual NEP with more than 50 g C m -2 yr -1 during 2018 as compared to the reference year. The NEP anomaly ranged between -389 and +74 g C m -2 yr -1 with a median value of -59 g C m -2 yr -1 . This article is part of the theme issue 'Impacts of the 2018 severe drought and heatwave in Europe: from site to continental scale'.