Fabrication of ternary NiCoMoOx with yolk-shell hollow structure as a positive electrode material for high-performance electrochemical capacitor applications.

Although the fabrication of hollow nanostructures from single and binary transition metal oxides has been accomplished effectively, there still exists a significant challenge in creating advanced hollow morphologies comprising mixed transition metal oxides such as ternary and quaternary compositions. In this context, we have adopted an alternative approach by employing a straightforward self-templating method to synthesize ternary metal molybdate nanomaterials. These materials possess the chemical composition of NiCoMoOx and exhibit a unique nanoporous yolk-shell hollow structure. Commencing with mixed metal-glycerate solid spheres, we have successfully guided the formation of this chemical composition and distinctive yolk-shell hollow sphere architecture through meticulous thermal treatment control. The consistency of our results is confirmed through SEM images. Thanks to their robust structural integrity, advanced internal morphology, and increased surface area, these hierarchical hollow spheres demonstrate remarkable electrochemical performance when utilized as advanced electrode materials for supercapacitors. When serving as electrode materials in supercapacitors, these nanoporous NiCoMoOx yolk-shell hollow spheres deliver a specific capacitance of 1125 F g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1, maintaining an impressive cycling stability of 91.48% even after 5000 cycles. In a hybrid device configuration wherein activated carbon (AC) functions as the negative electrode and NiCoMoOx yolk-shell hollow spheres serve as the positive electrode, exceptional performance is observed. This configuration achieves a substantial specific energy density of 44.67 W h kg-1, alongside a maximum power density of 8000 W kg-1, and exceptional cycling stability of 93.03% even after 5000 cycles.

Validation of OMI-DOAS total ozone column amounts against ground-based measurements at an African equatorial belt site.

The total ozone column amount (TOCA) values from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) derived from OMI/Aura ozone (O3) differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) V003 (OMDOAO3) have been validated against the ground-based TOCA values derived from Dobson and the Norwegian Institute for Air Research UV measurements in Kampala (0.31º N, 32.58º E, 1200 m), Uganda, for the period between 2005 and 2018. Under all-sky conditions, the OMI retrieval algorithm was found to underestimate the TOCA values with mean bias (MnB), root mean square error (RMSE), and correlation coefficient (r) values ranging from about -3.4% to -1.7%, 2.4% to 4.9%, and 0.73 to 0.90, respectively. When only days with a radiation modification factor greater than or equal to 65% were considered, the MnB, RMSE, and r values between TOCA values derived from ground-based and OMI measurements improved, and they ranged from -2.5% to -1.3%, 1.4% to 3.8%, and 0.8 to 0.91, respectively. A good agreement was found between TOCA values derived from Dobson measurements and those derived from OMI satellite measurements with MnB, RMSE, and r values of about -1.8%, 1.4%, and 0.91, respectively. This was due to the fact that Dobson measurements were taken only when the sky was perceived clear. The underestimation of TOCA values by the OMI retrieval algorithm was found to be due mainly to clouds and aerosols.

Testing Fluorescence Lifetime Standards using Two-Photon Excitation and Time-Domain Instrumentation: Fluorescein, Quinine Sulfate and Green Fluorescent Protein.

It is essential for everyone working with experimental science to be certain that their instruments produce reliable results, and for fluorescence lifetime experiments, information about fluorescence lifetime standards is crucial. A large part of the literature on lifetime standards dates back to the 1970s and 1980s, and the use of newer and faster measuring devices may deem these results unreliable. We have tested the three commonly used fluorophores fluorescein, quinine sulfate and green fluorescent protein for their suitability to serve as lifetime standards, especially to be used with two-photon excitation measurements in the time-domain. We measured absorption and emission spectra for the fluorophores to determine optimal wavelengths to use for excitation and detector settings. Fluorescence lifetimes were measured for different concentrations, ranging from 10- 3 - 10- 5 M, as well as for various solvents. Fluorescein was soluble in both ethanol, methanol and sulfuric acid, while quinine sulfate was only soluble in sulfuric acid. Green fluorescent protein was prepared in a commercial Tris-HCl, EDTA solution, and all three fluorophores produced stable lifetime results with low uncertainties. No siginificant variation with concentration was measured for any of the fluorophores, and all showed single-exponential decays. All lifetime measurements were carried out using two-photon excitation and lifetime data was obtained in the time-domain using time-correlated single-photon counting.

Aerosol optical properties in Northern Norway and Svalbard.

We present comparisons between estimates of the aerosol optical thickness and the Ångström exponent in Northern Norway and Svalbard based on data from AERONET (Aerosol Robotic Network) stations at Andenes (69.28°N, 16.01°E, 379 m altitude) and Hornsund (77.00°N, 15.56°E, 10 m altitude) for the period 2008-2013. The five/six-year annual mean values for the aerosol optical thickness at 500 nm τ(500) at Andenes and Hornsund both were 0.09. At Hornsund, there was less variation of the monthly mean value of τ(500) than at Andenes. The annual mean values of the Ångström exponent α at Andenes and Hornsund were 1.29 and 1.34, respectively. At Andenes and Hornsund α was found to be larger than 1.1 in 68% and 84% of the observations, respectively, indicating that fine-mode particles were dominating at both sites. Both sites had a similar aerosol size distribution during summer although one site is in an arctic area while the other site is in a subarctic area.

Chlorophyll a fluorescence lifetime reveals reversible UV-induced photosynthetic activity in the green algae Tetraselmis.

The fluorescence lifetime is a very useful parameter for investigating biological materials on the molecular level as it is mostly independent of the fluorophore concentration. The green alga Tetraselmis blooms in summer, and therefore its response to UV irradiation is of particular interest. In vivo fluorescence lifetimes of chlorophyll a were measured under both normal and UV-stressed conditions of Tetraselmis. Fluorescence was induced by two-photon excitation using a femtosecond laser and laser scanning microscope. The lifetimes were measured in the time domain by time-correlated single-photon counting. Under normal conditions, the fluorescence lifetime was 262 ps, while after 2 h of exposure to UV radiation the lifetime increased to 389 ps, indicating decreased photochemical quenching, likely caused by a damaged and down-regulated photosynthetic apparatus. This was supported by a similar increase in the lifetime to 425 ps when inhibiting photosynthesis chemically using DCMU. Furthermore, the UV-stressed sample was dark-adapted overnight, resulting in a return of the lifetime to 280 ps, revealing that the damage caused by UV radiation is repairable on a relatively short time scale. This reversal of photosynthetic activity was also confirmed by [Formula: see text] measurements.

Validation of ozone monitoring instrument ultraviolet index against ground-based UV index in Kampala, Uganda.

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) overpass solar ultraviolet (UV) indices have been validated against the ground-based UV indices derived from Norwegian Institute for Air Research UV measurements in Kampala (0.31° N, 32.58° E, 1200 m), Uganda for the period between 2005 and 2014. An excessive use of old cars, which would imply a high loading of absorbing aerosols, could cause the OMI retrieval algorithm to overestimate the surface UV irradiances. The UV index values were found to follow a seasonal pattern with maximum values in March and October. Under all-sky conditions, the OMI retrieval algorithm was found to overestimate the UV index values with a mean bias of about 28%. When only days with radiation modification factor greater than or equal to 65%, 70%, 75%, and 80% were considered, the mean bias between ground-based and OMI overpass UV index values was reduced to 8%, 5%, 3%, and 1%, respectively. The overestimation of the UV index by the OMI retrieval algorithm was found to be mainly due to clouds and aerosols.

Aerosol optical properties and precipitable water vapor column in the atmosphere of Norway.

Between February 2012 and April 2014, we measured and analyzed direct solar radiances at a ground-based station in Bergen, Norway. We discovered that the spectral aerosol optical thickness (AOT) and precipitable water vapor column (PWVC) retrieved from these measurements have a seasonal variation with highest values in summer and lowest values in winter. The highest value of the monthly median AOT at 440 nm of about 0.16 was measured in July and the lowest of about 0.04 was measured in December. The highest value of the monthly median PWVC of about 2.0 cm was measured in July and the lowest of about 0.4 cm was measured in December. We derived Ångström exponents that were used to deduce aerosol particle size distributions. We found that coarse-mode aerosol particles dominated most of the time during the measurement period, but fine-mode aerosol particles dominated during the winter seasons. The derived Ångström exponent values suggested that aerosols containing sea salt could have been dominating at this station during the measurement period.

Testing fluorescence lifetime standards using two-photon excitation and time-domain instrumentation: rhodamine B, coumarin 6 and lucifer yellow.

Having good information about fluorescence lifetime standards is essential for anyone performing lifetime experiments. Using lifetime standards in fluorescence spectroscopy is often regarded as a straightforward process, however, many earlier reports are limited in terms of lifetime concentration dependency, solvents and other technical aspects. We have investigated the suitability of the fluorescent dyes rhodamine B, coumarin 6, and lucifer yellow as lifetime standards, especially to be used with two-photon excitation measurements in the time-domain. We measured absorption and emission spectra for the fluorophores to determine which wavelengths we should use for the excitation and an appropriate detector range. We also measured lifetimes for different concentrations, ranging from 10(-2)- 10(-6) M, in both water, ethanol and methanol solutions. We observed that rhodamine B lifetimes depend strongly on concentration. Coumarin 6 provided the most stable lifetimes, with a negligible dependency on concentration and solvent. Lucifer yellow lifetimes were also found to depend little with concentration. Finally, we found that a mix of two fluorophores (rhodamine B/coumarin 6, rhodamine B/lucifer yellow, and coumarin 6/lucifer yellow) all yielded very similar lifetimes from a double-exponential decay as the separate lifetimes measured from a single-exponential decay. All lifetime measurements were made using two-photon excitation and obtaining lifetime data in the time-domain using time-correlated single-photon counting.

Infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus: infectivity in seawater under different physical conditions.

Infectious salmon anemia (ISA) virus (genus Isavirus, family Orthomyxoviridae), present in all major salmon producing countries, is the causative agent for a serious and commercially important disease affecting Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar. Nearly all ISA outbreaks occur in the marine production phase and knowledge about survival time for ISA virions in seawater is crucial for an adequate strategy to combat the disease. To acquire knowledge about this important factor, a study of ISA virus exposed to four different physical conditions was carried out. The virions' survival was tested in sterile seawater, sterile seawater with normal ultraviolet light radiation (UVR), natural seawater, and natural seawater with UVR. During the 72-h experiment both presence of ISA virus RNA and the infectivity of ISA virions were monitored. The result of this study showed that the infectivity of ISA virions is lost within 3 h of exposure to natural seawater or sterile seawater with UVR. However, it was possible to detect ISA virus RNA throughout the experimental period. This indicates that the effect of both UVR and biological activity of natural seawater limits the survival time of ISA virions under normal conditions. The survival time of ISA virions in sterile seawater was less than 24 h. Based on the available literature and the present study it is not very likely that passive horizontal transmission in seawater over long distances can occur. This is due to the following factors: (1) the effect of UVR and biological activity on ISA virions infectivity found in the present study, (2) the speed and dilution effect in seawater currents in salmon farming areas, (3) the temperature during the major outbreak periods, and (4) the need for an infective dose of ISA virions to reach naive Atlantic Salmon.

Comparison of ground-based measurements of solar UV radiation at four sites on the Tibetan Plateau.

We compare results for the UV index (UVI), the total ozone column (TOC), and the radiation modification factor (RMF, being 1 in the absence of clouds and aerosols) at four sites on the Tibetan Plateau. The results were obtained by analyzing ground measurements by multichannel moderate-bandwidth filter instruments for the period July 2008-September 2010, and radiative transfer modeling was used to aid the interpretation of the results. The highest UVI of 20.6 was measured in Tingri (28.7°N; 4335 m). For July, monthly mean UVI values were 14.5 and 12.9 in Tingri and Lhasa (29.7°N; 3683 m), respectively. Generally, the UVI levels in Tingri and Lhasa were higher than in Nagchu (31.5°N; 4510 m) and Linzhi (29.7°N; 2995 m), due to less cloud cover at the former two sites. In 2009, the annual mean UVI and RMF values were 6.8 and 0.7 for Linzhi, 8.8 and 0.92 for Lhasa, 10.5 and 0.92 for Tingri, and 6.7 and 0.7 for Nagchu. Radiative transfer simulations indicate that the latitude difference would correspond to an increase in the UVI of about 0.3 from Nagchu to Tingri; whereas, the altitude difference would correspond to a reduction of about 1.5%, implying that the observed difference is due to the difference in cloud cover. The annual mean TOC values were found to be 260-264 Dobson units (DU) in Lhasa, Linzhi, and Nagchu, and 252 DU in Tingri. TOC values in Lhasa were found to agree within 3% with those derived from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) measurements.

Stokes scattering matrix for human skin.

We use a layered model of normal human skin based on size distributions of polydisperse spherical particles and their complex refractive indices to compute the Stokes scattering matrix at wavelengths in the visible spectral band. The elements of the Stokes scattering matrix are required in a polarized radiative transfer code for a coupled air-tissue system to compute the polarized reflectance and examine how it is dependent on the vertical structure of the inherent optical properties of skin, including the phase matrix. Thus, the elements of the Stokes scattering matrix can be useful for investigating polarization-dependent light propagation in turbid optical media, such as human skin tissue.

Chlorophyll a and NADPH fluorescence lifetimes in the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis (Chlorophyceae) under normal and astaxanthin-accumulating conditions.

In vivo fluorescence lifetimes of chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) were obtained from the green microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis under normal and nutrient-stressed conditions (green stage and red stage, respectively), using two-photon excitation provided by a laser generating pulses in the femtosecond range, and a Leica microscope setup. Analysis of the fluorescence lifetime decay curve revealed two separate lifetime components in all our measurements. A short-lifetime component for chl-a of ~250 ps was completely dominant, contributing more than 90% of overall intensity in both green-stage and red-stage cells. Green-stage cells inhibited by 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethyl-urea (DCMU) displayed a significant chl-a lifetime increase for the short component. However, this was not the case for red-stage cells, in which DCMU inhibition did not significantly affect the lifetime. For green-stage cells, we found a short NADPH (free) lifetime component at ~150 ps to be completely dominating, but for red-stage cells, a longer component (protein bound) at ~3 ns contributed as much as 35% of the total intensity. We hypothesize that the long lifetime component of NADPH is connected to photoprotection in the cells and coupled to production of astaxanthin. DCMU does not seem to affect the fluorescence lifetimes of NADPH.

Mueller matrix measurements and modeling pertaining to Spectralon white reflectance standards.

The full Mueller matrix for a Spectralon white reflectance standard was measured in the incidence plane, to obtain the polarization state of the scattered light for different angles of illumination. The experimental setup was a Mueller matrix ellipsometer, by which measurements were performed for scattering angles measured relative to the normal of the Spectralon surface from -90° to 90° sampled at every 2.5° for an illumination wavelength of 532 nm. Previously, the polarization of light scattered from Spectralon white reflectance standards was measured only for four of the elements of the Muller matrix. As in previous investigations, the reflection properties of the Spectralon white reflectance standard was found to be close to those of a Lambertian surface for small scattering and illumination angles. At large scattering and illumination angles, all elements of the Mueller matrix were found to deviate from those of a Lambertian surface. A simple empirical model with only two parameters, was developed, and used to simulate the measured results with fairly good accuracy.

Mueller matrix measurements of algae with different shape and size distributions.

The full Mueller matrix was measured to obtain the polarization state of the scattered light for a variety of algae with different shapes, wall compositions, sizes, and refractive indices. The experimental setup was a multiple laser Mueller matrix ellipsometer, by which measurements were performed for scattering angles from 16° to 160° sampled at every second degree for wavelengths of 473 nm and 532 nm. Previously, the polarization of light scattered from microalgae was investigated only for a few species, and the Mueller matrix was found to have little variation between the species. In our work a total of 11 algal species were investigated, representing diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophorids, green algae, and a cryptophyte. The selection of species was made to obtain high variability in shape, size, cell wall, and refractive index. As in previous investigations, very small variations were found between species for most of the Mueller matrix elements, but noticeable variations were found for M(11), (M(12)+M(21))/2 and (M(33)+M(44))/2.

Numerical and experimental results for focusing of three-dimensional electromagnetic waves into uniaxial crystals.

We present experimental results for focusing of a three-dimensional electromagnetic wave through a plane interface into two different uniaxial crystals, a positive MgF2 crystal and a negative LiNbO3 crystal. These results are compared with numerical results and good agreement is found, both for intensity distributions in various receiving planes and for the locations of the sagittal and tangential focal planes. The theory is briefly outlined both for the exact solution, which includes extraparaxial geometries and double refraction, and for the paraxial solution, in which double refraction is ignored.

Parameterization of the inherent optical properties of Murchison Bay, Lake Victoria.

Lake Victoria, Africa's largest freshwater lake, suffers greatly from negative changes in biomass of species of fish and also from severe eutrophication. The continuing deterioration of Lake Victoria's ecological functions has great long-term consequences for the ecosystem benefits it provides to the countries bordering its shores. However, knowledge about temporal and spatial variations of optical properties and how they relate to lake constituents is important for a number of reasons such as remote sensing, modeling of underwater light fields, and long-term monitoring of lake waters. Based on statistical analysis of data from optical measurements taken during half a year of weekly cruises in Murchison Bay, Lake Victoria, we present a three-component model for the absorption and a two-component model for the scattering of light in the UV and the visible regions of the solar spectrum along with tests of their ranges of validity. The three-component input to the model for absorption is the chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total suspended materials concentrations, and yellow substance absorption, while the two-component input to the model for scattering is the Chl-a concentration and total suspended materials.

Scattering properties of microalgae: the effect of cell size and cell wall.

The main objective of this work was to investigate how the cell size and the presence of a cell wall influence the scattering properties of the green microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The growth cycle of two strains, one with a cell wall and one without, was synchronized to be in the same growth phase. Measurements were conducted at two different phases of the growth cycle on both strains of the algae. It was found that the shape of the scattering phase function was very similar for both strains at both growth phases, but the regular strain with a cell wall scatters more strongly than the wall-less mutant. It was also found that the mutant strain has a stronger increase in scattering than the regular strain, as the algae grow, and that the scattering from the regular strain is more wavelength dependent than from the mutant strain.

Parameterization and analysis of the optical absorption and scattering coefficients in a western Norwegian fjord: a case II water study.

Based on statistical analyses of optical properties measured during a whole year of monthly cruises in a Norwegian fjord, we constructed a two-component model for the absorption and scattering coefficients for visible light. The input to the model is the concentrations of yellow substance and chlorophyll a. Because of the presence of a significant amount of nonalgal particles in coastal water, we assume that the absorption and scattering coefficients approach constant background values when the concentration of chlorophyll a approaches zero. The model works reasonably for a variety of optical conditions encountered throughout the year, with a possible exception during a bloom of the Emiliania huxleyi algae in June.