Nonadenomatous thymic unencapsulated parathyroid tissue as a cause of persistent primary hyperparathyroidism

Primary hyperparathyroidism may be caused by ectopic intrathymic parathyroid adenomas or hyperplastic parathyroid glands. The association of the ectopic inferior parathyroid glands and the thymus is due to their common embryologic origin from the third pharyngeal pouch. We report a case of primary hyperparathyroidism due to an unusual pathologic parathyroid gland formation: nonadenomatous thymic unencapsulated parathyroid tissue. Two unsuccessful neck exploration revealed only two normal parathyroid glands within the cervical area. Radiologic imaging studies failed to localize an ectopic parathyroid adenoma. Mediastinal exploration and thymectomy showed one small focus of unencapsulated hypercellular parathyroid tissue expanding peripherally along the septa of thymic adipose tissue. The hyperparathyroidism resolved with the surgical procedure.     

Experiments on modeling jumplike changes in the power in order to determine damage to VVÉR fuel elements

Central Institute of Nuclear Research, Academy of Sciences of the German Democratic Republic. Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 67, No. 1, pp. 49–51, July, 1989.     

Modelling the dynamics of landscape transformations and population growth in the highlands of Ethiopia using remote-sensing data

This study models landscape transformations and settlement dynamics in a highland area of Ethiopia over a 56 year period (1957–2013). The analyses were performed using aerial photographs, satellite images, and field data. The remotely sensed images were geometrically and radiometrically corrected. Visual interpretation of aerial photographs and supervised classification of multispectral satellite images using the maximum likelihood algorithm were chosen for land-cover mapping. The population size was estimated by counting the houses on the aerial photographs and on the high-resolution images, and by direct census. The overall trend showed an increase of cropland and a decrease of other types of land cover. Landscape transformation rates recently slowed down due to ownership and policy restrictions. The average cropland holding size per family has decreased from 2.6 to 1.1 ha due to the exponential growth of the population. The relationship between settlement and cropland expansion is statistically significant. Models of logistic growth were fitted to the cropland area, and models of exponential and logistic growth to the population development to estimate the carrying capacity. The concomitant increase of population and the decrease of cropland per head resulted in a shortage of food and energy, highlighting the importance of policy decisions on land management.     

Erfassen von Ursache-Wirkungs-Beziehungen in Flusslandschaften: Vermittlung von Systemwissen in Schulen als Beitrag für ein nachhaltiges Flussgebietsmanagement

A scientific understanding of the processes at work in river landscapes represents an important basis for including the local populace in effective and sustainable river landscape management. By conveying system-based knowledge to students, these future inhabitants and users of river landscapes will be better able to recognize contexts and connections, understand project-related decisions and policies, and support sustainable planning efforts. As such, in October 2012 the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research started the “FlussAu:WOW!” project, part of the “Sparkling Science” research program. In the project, scientists work together with the students from two upper-level high-school classes over a period of two years, investigating research questions on river landscape management. The scientific goal of the project is to create a set of indicators to represent the functionality of floodplains. In the first school year, the researchers worked on key questions together with the students in workshops, performed field surveys and analyzed the results of fieldwork. In the subsequent discussions, the researchers constantly pointed out the complex interrelations at work in river-floodplain systems. Students’ knowledge was evaluated in pre-project and post-project tests. The analysis of the pre-tests revealed major knowledge gaps on questions concerning river landscape management, e.g. on factors that place major pressures on these regions. A comparison between the pre- and post-tests confirmed a significant improvement in the students’ factual knowledge after the first year; however, the post-project tests only showed a coupling of that knowledge with a recognition of cause-and-effect relations in sporadic cases. Beyond factual knowledge, it is above all a grasp of the interconnections between individual system elements that serves as an essential basis of education. Interactive, modern approaches are critical to conveying interdisciplinary knowledge. As part of the “FlussAu:WOW!” project, in the second school year system-based learning is implemented with the help of innovative modeling and simulation software. In both the pre- and post-tests, questions on the students’ interests revealed a high level of motivation to join in the research, and considerable interest in questions concerning nature and the environment. As a result, by the end of the first school year the cooperation between researchers, educators and students had already made a valuable contribution to sustainable river landscape management.     

Grundlagen markscheiderischer B?schungsbeobachtungen

In the following contribution the basics of mine surveying activities concerning slope monitoring, the legal framework and relevant technical standards are discussed. Surveying point stabilization methods as well as net configurations are shown.     

Die strompreisorientierte Disposition im Tagebau

In order to reduce the current electricity costs of production, operational activities in the Garzweiler open pit mine, which cause a standstill in the continuous production, should be carried out during periods of high electricity prices. The aim of this work is to describe the operational actions which are temporally movable and to specify the electricity-price-oriented planning in the open pit mine. Case studies of operational standstills have shown that the fluctuations of electricity prices have been well utilized within the planning period.