showing 9 related works from this author
Effects of climate change and land use intensification on regional biological soil crust cover and composition in southern Africa
2022
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) form a regular and relevant feature in drylands, as they stabilize the soil, fix nutrients, and influence water cycling. However, biocrust forming organisms have been shown to be dramatically vulnerable to climate and land use change occurring in these regions. In this study, we used Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data of biocrust-dominated pixels (NDVIbiocrust) obtained from hyperspectral and LANDSAT-7 data to analyse biocrust development over time and to forecast future NDVIbiocrust development under different climate change and livestock density scenarios in southern Africa. We validated these results by analysing the occurrence and compo…
Screening of herbal extracts for TLR2- and TLR4-dependent anti-inflammatory effects.
2018
Herbal extracts represent an ample source of natural compounds, with potential to be used in improving human health. There is a growing interest in using natural extracts as possible new treatment strategies for inflammatory diseases. We therefore aimed at identifying herbal extracts that affect inflammatory signaling pathways through toll-like receptors (TLRs), TLR2 and TLR4. Ninety-nine ethanolic extracts were screened in THP-1 monocytes and HeLa-TLR4 transfected reporter cells for their effects on stimulated TLR2 and TLR4 signaling pathways. The 28 identified anti-inflammatory extracts were tested in comparative assays of stimulated HEK-TLR2 and HEK-TLR4 transfected reporter cells to dif…
Microanalytical methods for in-situ high-resolution analysis of rock varnish at the micrometer to nanometer scale
2015
Abstract A wide range of analytical techniques were used to investigate rock varnish from different locations (Negev, Israel; Knersvlakte, South Africa; Death Valley and Mojave Desert, California): a 200 nm-femtosecond laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS), an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA), focused ion beam (FIB) slicing, and scanning transmission X-ray microscopy–near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (STXM–NEXAFS). This combination enables comprehensive high-spatial-resolution analysis of rock varnish. Femtosecond LA-ICP-MS and EPMA were used for quantitative determination of element concentrations. In-situ measurements were conducte…
Aerosol Health Effects from Molecular to Global Scales.
2017
Poor air quality is globally the largest environmental health risk. Epidemiological studies have uncovered clear relationships of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter (PM) with adverse health outcomes, including mortality by cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Studies of health impacts by aerosols are highly multidisciplinary with a broad range of scales in space and time. We assess recent advances and future challenges regarding aerosol effects on health from molecular to global scales through epidemiological studies, field measurements, health-related properties of PM, and multiphase interactions of oxidants and PM upon respiratory deposition. Global modeling combined with epide…
Geochemical insights into the relationship of rock varnish and adjacent mineral dust fractions
2020
Abstract Rock varnishes are μm-thin, dark, manganese(Mn)-rich crusts that accrete in the order of few μm/ka on weathering-resistant lithologies. Although these crusts can form in all climates, they are best known in arid to semi-arid settings. Aeolian dust is understood as a major contributor to the distinct trace metal and REE enrichments in rock varnish. However, the exact proportions of abiotic and biotic formation mechanisms that may explain the oxidation-reactions of Mn2+ to Mn4+, present as Mn oxyhydroxides in the varnish, are still a matter of ongoing debate. We present here the first systematic study of trace element enrichment processes between the uppermost layer of the varnish se…
Fresh water, marine and terrestrial cyanobacteria display distinct allergen characteristics.
2017
During the last decades, global cyanobacteria biomass increased due to climate change as well as industrial usage for production of biofuels and food supplements. Thus, there is a need for thorough characterization of their potential health risks, including allergenicity. We therefore aimed to identify and characterize similarities in allergenic potential of cyanobacteria originating from the major ecological environments. Different cyanobacterial taxa were tested for immunoreactivity with IgE from allergic donors and non-allergic controls using immunoblot and ELISA. Moreover, mediator release from human FceR1-transfected rat basophilic leukemia (RBL) cells was measured, allowing in situ ex…
Bioaerosols in the Earth system: Climate, health, and ecosystem interactions
2016
Abstract Aerosols of biological origin play a vital role in the Earth system, particularly in the interactions between atmosphere, biosphere, climate, and public health. Airborne bacteria, fungal spores, pollen, and other bioparticles are essential for the reproduction and spread of organisms across various ecosystems, and they can cause or enhance human, animal, and plant diseases. Moreover, they can serve as nuclei for cloud droplets, ice crystals, and precipitation, thus influencing the hydrological cycle and climate. The sources, abundance, composition, and effects of biological aerosols and the atmospheric microbiome are, however, not yet well characterized and constitute a large gap i…
Daytime formation of nitrous acid at a coastal remote site in Cyprus indicating a common ground source of atmospheric HONO and NO
2016
Abstract. Characterization of daytime sources of nitrous acid (HONO) is crucial to understand atmospheric oxidation and radical cycling in the planetary boundary layer. HONO and numerous other atmospheric trace constituents were measured on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus during the CYPHEX campaign (CYPHEX = CYprus PHotochemical EXperiment) in summer 2014. Average volume mixing ratios of HONO were 35 pptv (±25 pptv) with a HONO/NOx ratio of 0.33, which was considerably higher than reported for most other rural and urban regions. Diel profiles of HONO showed peak values in the late morning (60±28 pptv around 09:00 local time), and persistently high mixing ratios during daytime (45±18 pptv…
Characterization and differentiation of rock varnish types from different environments by microanalytical techniques
2017
© 2017 Elsevier B.V. We investigated rock varnishes collected from several locations and environments worldwide by a broad range of microanalytical techniques. These techniques were selected to address the challenges posed by the chemical and structural complexity within the micrometer- to nanometer-sized structures in these geological materials. Femtosecond laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (fs LA-ICP-MS), scanning transmission X-ray microscopy-near edge X-ray adsorption fine structure spectroscopy (STXM-NEXAFS) in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of focused ion beam (FIB) ultra-thin (100–200 nm) sections, conventional and polarization microscop…