Einfluss von Methaneinträgen auf die Hydrochemie des Münsterländer Kiessandzuges

The Münsterländer Kiessandzug, a Quaternary trench structure, forms an important groundwater reservoir and is of great importance for the regional drinking water supply in north-west Germany (“Münsterland”). Since 2004, the Ruhr-University Bochum has been investigating the Aldruper Mark, evaluating the quantitative and qualitative potential for drinking water abstraction in the area. Due to intensive agricultural utilisation, a high nitrate influx into groundwater is expected. Therefore, this study was focused on contamination of groundwater with nitrate as well as on the nitrate degradation capacity of the sediments. However, present analyses show low nitrate concentrations and a reductive groundwater environment. To find the causes of these reducing conditions, it is necessary to examine the geological and hydrochemical situation with respect to the environment and the substratum of the investigated area: the MünsterländerCretaceous basin is underlain by Carboniferous sand- and mudstones which are degasing methane to some extent. This methane was detected in deep observation wells in the second aquifer of the Münsterländer Kiessandzug. In its central area, low concentrations of nitrate as well as low sulphate concentrations and positive δ³⁴S_sulfate-isotope data indicate active sulphate reduction is occurring in the groundwater. Furthermore, a corresponding sulphide content was found in these Quaternary soils (“secondary pyrite”). An input of methane in the aquifer is discussed as a possible reason for sulphate reduction in the deep aquifer.     

Emergence of dengue hemorrhagic fever in French Antilles. 3 initial fatal cases in Guadeloupe

BACKGROUND: Two outbreaks of dengue hemorrhagic fever occurred in Guadeloupe (French West Indies) in successive epidemics in 1994 and 1995. The first outbreak was caused by DEN-2 virus and the second by DEN-1. CASE REPORTS: Seven life-threatening infections (WHO grade 3/4) were identified. Three previously healthy adults (including two brothers) died. Autopsy reports (2 patients) disclosed hemorrhagic serous effusions, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and in one case a spontaneous spleen rupture. DISCUSSION: Dengue fever is an emerging disease. Its severe hemorrhagic form tends to an uprising incidence and can no longer be considered a disease limited to children in Far-Eastern Asia. Fatalities may occur very suddenly and unexpectedly, even in optimal health care settings, in healthy adults living or travelling in endemic areas, notably the Caribbean.     

Chemische Charakterisierung von thermisch belastetem Holz: Bestimmung des Acetylgruppengehalts und FTIR-Spektroskopie

Ohne ZusammenfassungFür die Bereitstellung der ATR-Messeinheit wird Herrn Weihs (Fa. Resultec) und für die Überlassung des Probenmaterials Herrn Lingens herzlich gedankt.     

A high-fat diet induces and red wine counteracts endothelial dysfunction in human volunteers

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with atherogenesis and oxidative stress in humans. In rat and rabbit blood vessels, wine polyphenol antioxidants induce vascular relaxationin vitro through the NO-cGMP pathway. To assess the effect of a regular high-fat diet (HFD) and moderate red wine consumption on endothelial function (EF), a study was performed in healthy male volunteers. EF was measured as flow-mediated dilatation of the brachial artery, employing high-resolution ultrasound after an overnight fast. Other clinical and biochemical parameters related to EF were also measured. Six volunteers received a control diet, rich in fruits and vegetables (27% calories as fat) and five volunteers received an HFD (39.5% calories as fat). Measurements were done twice on each volunteer: after a period of 30 d with diet plus 240 mL of red wine/d, and after a period of 30 d with diet, without wine. In the absence of wine, there is a reduction of EF with HFD when compared to the control diet (P=0.014). This loss of EF is not seen when both diets are supplemented with wine for 30 d (P=0.001). Plasma levels ofn−3 fatty acids (R ²=0.232,P=0.023) and lycopene (R ²=0.223,P=0.020) show a positive correlation with individual EF measurements, but they do not account for the significant differences observed among dietary groups or after wine supplementation. These results help elucidate the deleterious effect of a high-fat diet and the protective role of wine, n−3 fatty acids and dietary antioxidants in cardiovascular disease.     

Induction of eating in newly hatched chicks.

Conducted 3 experiments to investigate stimulus factors in the induction of eating and pecking in 128 newly hatched chickens. In Exp I, a combination of preexposure to a pecking-induction stimulus and the movement of that stimulus had eating-inducing properties equivalent to those of exposure to a flock of free-feeding birds. Exp II confirmed and refined that result, but also demonstrated that the placement and direction of the inducer stimulus was of considerable importance. Exp III showed that food reinforcement was not a necessary condition for the induction and maintenance of pecking. It is concluded that (a) the presence of appropriate stimulation is a partial explanation of social facilitation effects in eating and (b) pecking induction can be considered a distinct behavioral phenomenon. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Irradiance for skew rays incident upon a trough-like solar collector of arbitrary shape

A formula is derived for the irradiance at the base of a trough-like solar concentrator for rays incident at any arbitrary angle upon the curved sides of the concentrator. Two angles are required to specify the direction of the incoming rays. It is shown that one of the angles, θ, enters the expression for the irradiance only through the multiplicative factor cos θ and therefore plays the role of the obliquity factor associated with cosine of the angle of incidence for a flat plate collector.     

Reservoir performance of the Geysers Field

The Geysers Field, located in Northern California, has an installed generating capacity of 502 MWe. Total withdrawal rate is approximately 8-5 million lb/h of steam from 95 wells. Four new generating plants are currently under construction, which will bring the installed capacity to 908 MWe by 1979.The reservoir rock consists of naturally fractured graywacke, a very competent rock with low interstitial porosity and permeability. The reservoir contains dry steam with an initial pressure of approximately 514 psia at sea level datum. Static pressure gradient is that of saturated steam to the total depths of wells drilled to date.The initial development at The Geysers Field occurred in an area which has two shallow dry steam anomalies. Recent studies have shown that the steam in these anomalies is being fed through fractures connecting them with the deeper regional fracture system.Development of the regional system has created two distinct pressure sinks. The larger of the two pressure sinks is in the oldest and most developed portion of the field. This sink has grown larger with the addition of new production capacity. There is no pressure interference between the two sinks, but pressure interference between wells in a given pressure sink is very rapid. Pressure behavior at observation wells in these sinks resembles an ideal single-phase system with constant pressure boundaries.The expansion of the field has been the result of continued exploratory drilling and testing of new step-out wells. Based on the successful exploratory wells drilled to date, it is estimated that the generating capacity of The Geysers could reach 1800 MW by the mid-1980s.     

Effect on wettability of the topography and oxidation state of biaxially oriented poly(propylene) film

Surface topography and surface chemistry heterogeneity are widely accepted as causes of contact angle hysteresis. Contact angle hysteresis occurs on essentially all industrial polymer films. Four unmodified and flame-treated biaxially oriented poly(propylene) (BOPP) films produced from the same poly(propylene) base resin, but differing in surface topography and orientation, were characterized by measurement of the advancing and receding contact angles of water and diiodomethane, by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Contact angle hysteresis was much larger on flame-treated samples than on untreated samples even though some of the untreated films have significantly different topography at the nanoscale.     

Bestimmung der phenolischen Hydroxylgruppen in Ligninen und Ligninfraktionen durch Aminolyse und FTIR-Spektroskopie

The quantitative analysis of phenolic OH groups is of interest for the characterization of isolated lignins when evaluating the extent to which lignin has been changed. While aminolysis is a very accurate if elaborate chemical method, the evaluation of the aliphatic and aromatic IR ester bands of acetylated lignins at 1745 and 1765 cm^?1 permits a quick, easy and reliable determination of the phenolic hydroxyl groups. The excellent correlation between the two methods was proved for 35 different lignins and lignin fractions of different molecular weights.