"See jälkus tuleb otsekohe lõpetada!" / Heinz Valk

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Valk, Heinz, 1936-

2011-01-01

Artikli autor meenutab, kuidas nõukogude ajal tuli eemaldada kunstinäitustelt nõukogudevaenulikke töid. Heinz Valgu 1976. aasta isiknäitusest Tallinna Kunstihoones, Leonhard Lapini näitusest "Naine-masin" 1977. aastal, Vello Tamme isiknäitusest 1981. aastal

Physics with Big Karl Brainstorming. Abstracts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machner, H.; Lieb, J.

2000-08-01

Before summarizing details of the meeting, a short description of the spectrometer facility Big Karl is given. The facility is essentially a new instrument using refurbished dipole magnets from its predecessor. The large acceptance quadrupole magnets and the beam optics are new. Big Karl has a design very similar as the focussing spectrometers at MAMI (Mainz), AGOR (Groningen) and the high resolution spectrometer (HRS) in Hall A at Jefferson Laboratory with ΔE/E = 10 -4 but at some lower maximum momentum. The focal plane detectors consisting of multiwire drift chambers and scintillating hodoscopes are similar. Unlike HRS, Big Karl still needs Cerenkov counters and polarimeters in its focal plane; detectors which are necessary to perform some of the experiments proposed during the brainstorming. In addition, BIG KARL allows emission angle reconstruction via track measurements in its focal plane with high resolution. In the following the physics highlights, the proposed and potential experiments are summarized. During the meeting it became obvious that the physics to be explored at Big Karl can be grouped into five distinct categories, and this summary is organized accordingly. (orig.)

Nõukogude historiograafia ei ela edasi ainult Venemaal / Olaf Mertelsmann

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Mertelsmann, Olaf, 1969-

2010-01-01

Arvustus: Gräfe, Karl Heinz. Vom Donnerkreuz zum Hakenkreuz. Die baltischen Staaten zwischen Diktatur und Okkupation. (Bulletin für Faschismus- und Weltkriegsforschung, Beihefte 6). Berlin : Edition Organon, 2010

Unsaturated hydraulic properties of xerophilous mosses: towards implementation of moss covered soils in hydrological models

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Voortman, B.R.; Bartholomeus, R.P.; Bodegom, van P.M.; Gooren, H.P.A.; Zee, van der S.E.A.T.M.; Witte, J.P.M.

2014-01-01

Evaporation from mosses and lichens can form a major component of the water balance, especially in ecosystems where mosses and lichens often grow abundantly, such as tundra, deserts and bogs. To facilitate moss representation in hydrological models, we parameterized the unsaturated hydraulic

Equal opportunities group. His mission : accelerating equal opportunities at CERN

CERN Multimedia

Patrice Loïez

2000-01-01

L. to r.: Michel Mayoud, Christine Petit-Jean-Genaz, the Equal Opportunities Officer Sudeshna Datta-Cockerill, Elena Wildner, Anne-Sylvie Cerne, Karl-Heinz Kissler, the Chairman John Ellis and Eva-Maria Groniger-Voss

77 FR 14963 - Special Local Regulation; Moss Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival; O'Leary Lake; Moss Point, MS

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-14

...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Moss Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival; O'Leary Lake; Moss Point, MS..., and persons on navigable waters during the Moss Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival high speed boat... and vessels from safety hazards associated with the Moss Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival high...

Mosses in Radioactive Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marovic, G.; Franic, Z.; Sencar, J.

2008-01-01

Mosses, lichens and perennial plants, all characterized by slow growth, are able to efficiently accumulate different radionuclides from their environment to a much higher degree than other vegetation. Consequently, they are sensitive bio indicators of radioactive contamination for various ecosystems. Results of systematic, long-term measurements of 137Cs activities in mosses for the period 1986-2007 are summarized. The study was conducted in the Radiation Protection Unit of the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health in Zagreb, as a part of an extensive monitoring program of the Croatian environment. In the overall observed period the highest activity concentration of 137Cs deposited by fallout has been recorded in 1986, which is the year of Chernobyl accident, causing peak 137Cs activity concentration in moss of 8800 Bqkg -1 in May 1986. Mean value for period 1986 - 1990 was 3423 Bqkg -1 . For comparison, in the same period mean 137Cs activity concentration in grass was 390 Bqkg -1 . In 1990s, ten year after Chernobyl accident, mean 137Cs activity concentration in moss was 1345 Bqkg -1 , with maximum value of 3940 Bqkg -1 (December 1994). In 2000s, mean 137Cs activity concentration in mosses was 172 Bqkg -1 with maximum value of 955 Bqkg -1 (July 2002). Fitting the measured 137Cs activity concentrations to the theoretical curve (1) the ecological half-life of 137Cs in moss was found to be about 978 days, while in grass was found to be about 126 days in the period 1986 - 1990. The ecological half-life of 137Cs in grass after 1991 was found to be about 2503 days. The ecological half-life of 137Cs in moss is about eight times higher than 137Cs ecological half-life observed in grass in the first period after the Chernobyl accident.(author)

Revisioning the Clinical Relationship: Heinz Kohut and the Viewpoint of Self-Psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Masek, Robert J.

Psychoanalysis is undergoing rapid and remarkable changes in its basic metapsychology, theoretical reflections, and concrete, clinical interventions. Through self-psychology, Heinz Kohut's alternative views on the clinical relationship have contributed to this restructuring of psychoanalysis. Traditionally, mainstream psychoanalysis has viewed the…

[Medical history impressions of Karl Marx 1983].

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, W

1983-12-15

Excerpts of his London era first published on the occasion of the Karl Marx testimonials of 1983 gave rise to extend the memory of the fundamental achievements of Karl Marx to medico-historical aspects. In this case Karl Marx paid special attention to the working and living conditions of the working class and an analysis of his adequate statements and records shows multifarious details which give a research basis also for the history of medicine. Marx and Engels had friendly contacts with several physicians who shared the opinions of the two classics: their way of life is shown in the most important points.

Karl Lagerfeld obidelsja

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2006-01-01

Moekunstnik Karl Lagerfeld kaebas kohtusse raamatu "The Beautiful Fall : Fashion, Genius and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris" autori Alicia Drake'i. Raamat räägib Lagerfeldi noorusajast ja tema konkurentsist moekunstnik Yves Saint Laurent'iga 1970. aastate Pariisis

Evaporation from a sphagnum moss surface

Science.gov (United States)

D.S. Nichols; J.M. Brown

1980-01-01

Peat cores, 45 cm in diameter, were collected from a sphagnum bog in northern Minnesota, and used to measure the effects of different temperatures and water levels on evaporation from a sphagnum moss surface in a growth chamber. Under all conditions, evaporation from the moss surface was greater than that from a free-water surface. Evaporation from the moss increased...

In memoriam : Karl R. Popper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cecilia Tohăneanu

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Dedicated to Karl Popper’s memory, this essay aims at following the echo of his critical rationalism and how it has been received by Mario Bunge, one of the most prominent contemporary philosopher of science – an admirer, later a critic of Popper’s social and political philosophy. The main goal of such an endeavor is to find out where could have been Popper wrong – from Bunge’s view point – and take note of the arguments of both of them, thus hoping to get closer to the truth, as Sir Karl said.

Karl Kello - elukutse olla saarlane / Aare Laine

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Laine, Aare, 1951-

2004-01-01

Kuressaare Kuursaalis näidati kadripäeval nelja Ruta Celma ja Karl Kello kultuuriloolist dokumentaalfilmi : "Narr Jumala kojas" (2000), "Phaetonit otsides" (1999), "Eestlased Lätis" (2004) ja Kalevipoja temaatikat arendav "Küll siis Kalev..." (2004). Filmide operaator on Arvo Vilu. Artikli autor kõneleb Karl Kellost, tema Karja kiriku ja Kaali järve problemaatika arendustest peale filmide ka kirjasõnas

President Ilves andis iseseisvuse taastamise mälestuskivi kunstnik Heinz Valgule / Kristel Peterson

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Peterson, Kristel

2007-01-01

President Toomas Hendrik Ilves andis 20. augustil 2007 Kadriorus kultuuritegelastele korraldatud vastuvõtul Eesti iseseisvuse taastamise mälestuskivi kunstnik Heinz Valgule. Riigipea rõhutas oma kõnes, et 20. augustit tuleks nimetada just iseseisvuse taastamise aastapäevaks ja mitte taasiseseisvumise päevaks

Active moss biomonitoring of trace elements with Sphagnum girgensohnii moss bags in relation to atmospheric bulk deposition in Belgrade, Serbia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anicic, M.; Tasic, M.; Frontasyeva, M.V.; Tomasevic, M.; Rajsic, S.; Mijic, Z.; Popovic, A.

2009-01-01

Active biomonitoring with wet and dry moss bags was used to examine trace element atmospheric deposition in the urban area of Belgrade. The element accumulation capability of Sphagnum girgensohnii Russow was tested in relation to atmospheric bulk deposition. Moss bags were mounted for five 3-month periods (July 2005-October 2006) at three representative urban sites. For the same period monthly bulk atmospheric deposition samples were collected. The concentrations of Al, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were determined by instrumental neutron activation analyses and atomic absorption spectrometry. Significant accumulation of most elements occurred in the exposed moss bags compared with the initial moss content. High correlations between the elements in moss and bulk deposits were found for V, Cu, As, and Ni. The enrichment factors of the elements for both types of monitor followed the same pattern at the corresponding sites. - Accumulated trace elements in the moss Sphagnum girgensohnii reflect atmospheric deposition

Karl Rawer’s life and scientific achievements*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. W. Reinisch

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This laudation is given in honor of the 90th birthday of Prof. Karl Rawer. The ionosphere was discovered during Karl Rawer’s life, and he has dedicated his life to the exploration of this part of Earth’s environment. The horrible events of world wars I and II shaped his early life, but they also launched his career as one of the eminent geophysical scientists of the twentieth century.

Cesium contamination of mosses in county Vas, Hungary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golya, I.; Sebestyen, R.

1993-01-01

Two species of mosses were examined to assess radiocesium contamination of Vas county, and to analyse some aspects of mosses for use as indicator of radioactive contamination. Experimental results demonstrated that the distribution of contamination in a given region could be characterized by the cesium contamination of mosses. Sampling sites should be selected with special attention paid to spots with high contamination. Regression analysis proved that the contamination of mosses originated from Chernobyl fallout. (author) 4 refs.; 2 figs

Karl Ristikivi prantsuse keeles

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2003-01-01

29. ja 30. mail Tallinna Kirjanike Majas ja 31. mail Tartu Kirjanduse Majas esinevad näitlejad Ene Rämmeld ja Claude Merlin Karl Ristikivi luulekavaga "Inimese teekond" (tõlkija Tarah Montbélialtz). Vt. ka Looming, 2003, nr. 6, lk. 953

German visits to CERN

CERN Multimedia

2007-01-01

State secretary to Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Frieder Meyer-Krahmer, with CERN's Director-General Robert Aymar.On 21 February, Professor Frieder Meyer-Krahmer, State Secretary to Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research, came to CERN. He visited the ALICE and ATLAS experiments and the computing centre before meeting the CERN's Director-General, some German physicists and members of the top management. The Minister of Science, Research and the Arts of the Baden-Württemberg regional government, Peter Frankenberg, and CERN's Director-General, Robert Aymar, signing an agreement on education. In the background: Sigurd Lettow, CERN's Director of Finance and Human Resources, and Karl-Heinz Meisel, Rector of the Fachhochschule Karlsruhe. The Minister of Science, Research and the Arts of the Baden-Württemberg regional government, Prof. Peter Frankenberg, visited CERN on 23 February. He was accompanied by the Rector of the Fachhochschule Karlsruhe, Prof. Karl-Heinz Meisel, and b...

Tolerance to environmental desiccation in moss sperm.

Science.gov (United States)

Shortlidge, Erin E; Rosenstiel, Todd N; Eppley, Sarah M

2012-05-01

• Sexual reproduction in mosses requires that sperm be released freely into the environment before finding and fertilizing a receptive female. After release from the male plant, moss sperm may experience a range of abiotic stresses; however, few data are available examining stress tolerance of moss sperm and whether there is genetic variation for stress tolerance in this important life stage. • Here, we investigated the effects of environmental desiccation and recovery on the sperm cells of three moss species (Bryum argenteum, Campylopus introflexus, and Ceratodon purpureus). • We found that a fraction of sperm cells were tolerant to environmental desiccation for extended periods (d) and that tolerance did not vary among species. We found that this tolerance occurs irrespective of ambient dehydration conditions, and that the addition of sucrose during dry-down improved cell recovery. Although we observed no interspecific variation, significant variation among individuals within species in sperm cell tolerance to environmental desiccation was observed, suggesting selection could potentially act on this basic reproductive trait. • The observation of desiccation-tolerant sperm in multiple moss species has important implications for understanding bryophyte reproduction, suggesting the presence of a significant, uncharacterized complexity in the ecology of moss mating systems. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

Saage tuttavaks : Elisabeth ja Karl von Hoerschelmann / Mai Levin

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Levin, Mai, 1942-

2004-01-01

Kuraator M. Levin kuni 10. X 2004 Adamson-Ericu muuseumis avatud näitusest "Tuntud ja tundmatud Elisabeth von Rosendorff-Hoerschelmann ja Karl von Hoerschelmann". Enamik töid on kunstnike laste Konstantin Hoerschelmanni ja Anna Röder-Hoerschelmanni omand. Elisabeth Rosendorff (1898-1984) sündis Virumaal Maidlas eesti perekonnas, Karl von Hoerschelmann (1899-1951) Sevastoopolis saksa perekonnas

Inclusion bodies in loggerhead erythrocytes are associated with unstable hemoglobin and resemble human Heinz bodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Basile, Filomena; Di Santi, Annalisa; Caldora, Mercedes; Ferretti, Luigi; Bentivegna, Flegra; Pica, Alessandra

2011-08-01

The aim of this study was to clarify the role of the erythrocyte inclusions found during the hematological screening of loggerhead population of the Mediterranean Sea. We studied the erythrocyte inclusions in blood specimens collected from six juvenile and nine adult specimens of the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, from the Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas. Our study indicates that the percentage of mature erythrocytes containing inclusions ranged from 3 to 82%. Each erythrocyte contained only one round inclusion body. Inclusion bodies stained with May Grünwald-Giemsa show that their cytochemical and ultrastructure characteristics are identical to those of human Heinz bodies. Because Heinz bodies originate from the precipitation of unstable hemoglobin (Hb) and cause globular osmotic resistance to increase, we analyzed loggerhead Hb using electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography to detect and quantitate Hb fractions. We also tested the resistance of Hb to alkaline pH, heat, isopropanol denaturation, and globular osmosis. Our hemogram results excluded the occurrence of any infection, which could be associated with an inclusion body, in all the specimens. Negative Feulgen staining indicated that the inclusion bodies are not derived from DNA fragmentation. We hypothesize that amino acid substitutions could explain why loggerhead Hb precipitates under normal physiologic conditions, forming Heinz bodies. The identification of inclusion bodies in loggerhead erythrocytes allow us to better understand the haematological characteristics and the physiology of these ancient reptiles, thus aiding efforts to conserve such an endangered species. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc., A Wiley Company.

[Karl Sudhoff].

Science.gov (United States)

Kästner, Ingrid

2013-01-01

In 1914, from 6th May to 18th October, the International Exposition of book Industry and Graphic Arts (BUGRA) took place in Leipzig, then the world capital of books. Karl Sudhoff, director of the Leipzig Institute of the History of Medicine, was appointed by the executive committee of the BURGA to organize the special exhibition "Three Millennia of Graphic Arts in the Service of Science". The paper shows, following Sudhoff's own descriptions and new archival sources, the conceptual design and the contents of this exposition set up by Sudhoff.

Major and trace elements in Sphagnum moss from four southern German bogs, and comparison with available moss monitoring data

OpenAIRE

KEMPTER HEIKE; KRACHLER MICHAEL; SHOTYK W.; ZACCONE CLAUDIO

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present concentrations of an array of major and trace elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sr, Th, Tl, U, V, Zn) in living Sphagnum mosses from four southern German bogs and compare them with moss monitoring data of the respective regions. To do this, Sphagnum mosses were collected in Upper Bavaria (Oberbayern, OB) and the Northern Black Forest (Nordschwarzwald, NBF). Surfaces of Sphagnum carpets were marked with plastic mesh and, one year la...

Kuninganna Kristiina ning kunungas Karl XI : rootsiaegsed portreed raekojas = Queen Christina and King Karl XI : portraits of the Swedish period in the Town Hall / Pia Ehasalu

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Ehasalu, Pia, 1964-

2004-01-01

Kuninganna Kristiina portreest lapsena (1638). Arvatav autor: Rootsi tolleaegne õuekunstnik Jacob Heinrich Elbfas või tema töökoda. Rootsi kuninga Karl XI noorpõlveportreest (1670). Autor: Karl XI õuekunstnik David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl (1628-1698)

Feeling our way into empathy: Carl rogers, Heinz Kohut, and Jesus.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodman, G

1991-09-01

Throughout their academic careers Carl Rogers and Heinz Kohut developed two contrasting definitions of empathy that influenced the ways in which both men sought to help their clients cope with emotional suffering. These two different understandings of empathy are contrasted to each other and finally compared with the understanding of empathy demonstrated in the teachings and actions of Jesus. It is hoped that through studying these ancient religious narratives we might be able to recover a deeper meaning of empathy.

Træk af en ung Karl Marx

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ziegler, Magnus Møller

2018-01-01

Det kritiske program, som var Karl Marx' bidrag til både tænkningen og den revolutionære bevægelse, tog sit udgangspunkt i det filosofiske miljø, der dominerede i Tyskland i 1840'erne.......Det kritiske program, som var Karl Marx' bidrag til både tænkningen og den revolutionære bevægelse, tog sit udgangspunkt i det filosofiske miljø, der dominerede i Tyskland i 1840'erne....

Terrestrial mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric POPs pollution: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmens, H.; Foan, L.; Simon, V.; Mills, G.

2013-01-01

Worldwide there is concern about the continuing release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) into the environment. In this study we review the application of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of POPs. Examples in the literature show that mosses are suitable organisms to monitor spatial patterns and temporal trends of atmospheric concentrations or deposition of POPs. These examples include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The majority of studies report on PAHs concentrations in mosses and relative few studies have been conducted on other POPs. So far, many studies have focused on spatial patterns around pollution sources or the concentration in mosses in remote areas such as the polar regions, as an indication of long-range transport of POPs. Very few studies have determined temporal trends or have directly related the concentrations in mosses with measured atmospheric concentrations and/or deposition fluxes. - Highlights: ► Terrestrial mosses are suitable organisms to monitor deposition of POPs. ► They provide a good indication of spatial patterns and temporal trends. ► Mosses have been used as biomonitors of PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs dioxins and furans. ► Few studies have assessed the relationship between concentrations in air and mosses. - Mosses are suitable biomonitors of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

'Doing theology as though nothing had happened' – reading Karl ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

'Doing theology as though nothing had happened' – reading Karl Barth's confessional theology in Zimbabwe today? ... This article will attempt to argue that this theology can contribute to the Reformed theology in present day Zimbabwe. It will therefore attempt to introduce the confessional theology of Karl Barth to ...

Karl Marx 1864 og forsigtighedsprincippet

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Czeskleba-Dupont, Rolf

2015-01-01

Artiklen analyserer divergerende versioner af den tekst, som Karl Marx efter dannelsen af den 1.Internationale Arbejderassociation i London september 1864 har oversat fra sit engelske original (Inaugural Address...), der udkom i november, til en tysk version med overskriften 'Manifest an die...

Plant, Microbiome, and Biogeochemistry: Quantifying moss-associated N fixation in Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Stuart, J.; Mack, M. C.; Holland Moritz, H.; Fierer, N.; McDaniels, S.; Lewis, L.

2017-12-01

The future carbon (C) sequestration potential of the Arctic and boreal zones, currently the largest terrestrial C sink globally, is linked to nitrogen (N) cycling and N availability vis-a-vis C accumulation and plant species composition. Pristine environments in Alaska have low anthropogenic N deposition (<1 kg N ha-1 yr-1), and the main source of new N to these ecosystems is through previously overlooked N-fixation from microbial communities on mosses. Despite the importance of moss associated N-fixation, the relationship between moss species, microbial communities, and fixation rates remains ambiguous. In the summer of 2016, the fixation rates of 20 moss species from sites around both Fairbanks and Toolik Lake were quantified using 15N2 incubations. Subsequently, the microbial community and moss genome of the samples were also analyzed by collaborators. The most striking result is that all sampled moss genera fixed N, including well-studied feather mosses such as Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi as well as less common but ecologically relevant mosses such as Aulacomnium spp., Dicranum spp., Ptilium crista-castrensis, and Tomentypnum nitens. Across all samples, preliminary fixation rates ranged from 0.004-19.994 µg N g-1 moss d-1. Depending upon percent cover, moss-associated N fixation is the largest input of new N to the ecosystem. Given this, linking variation in N-fixation rates to microbial and moss community structures can be helpful in predicting future trends of C and N cycling in northern latitudes. Vegetation changes, alterations in downstream biogeochemical N processes, and anthropogenic N deposition could all interact with or alter moss associated N-fixation, thereby changing ecosystem N inputs. Further elucidation of the species level signal in N-fixation rates and microbial community will augment our knowledge of N cycling in northern latitudes, both current and future.

Use of pioneer mosses for the revegetation of bare mineral sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Campeau, S. [Bryophyta Technologies Inc., Lambton, PQ (Canada); Quinty, F. [Planirest Environnement Inc., St-Charles-de-Bellechasse, PQ (Canada)

2006-07-01

Abandoned sand and gravel pits in boreal regions often consist of poor, depleted substrates that are only slowly colonized by plants. Soil compaction and the lack of readily available topsoil can retard the establishment of seedlings during restoration activities. The use of native mosses and lichens in restoration activities has not yet been fully assessed. However, mosses and lichens play an important role in boreal ecosystems, and are readily adapted to poor soil and harsh climates. This paper presented the results of a series of 3 experiments conducted to accelerate the colonization of mosses in soils contaminated by mineral disturbances. Experiments were conducted on (1) a forest road embankment, (2) an abandoned gravel pit, and (3) an abandoned section of a sand and gravel quarry. Two species of moss were used, namely Polytrichum piliferum and Polytrichum juniperum. Moss fragments were collected from moss colonies in the Foret Montmorency and reintroduced into the experimental plots. A straw erosion blanket was used, and phosphorus was applied in the first 2 experiments. A protective cover consisting of wood cellulose fibre mulch was used for the third experiment. The experiment was conducted over a period of 4 years. Results indicated that all the mosses were slow to establish themselves on the experimental plots, which resulted in lower than expected plant cover over the first 2 growing seasons observed. The combined use of straw mulch and phosphorus fertilizer improved moss establishment. However, the moss cover continued to increase during the third and fourth years of the experiment, which suggested that mulch types used during the experiment may need to be improved. Sources of moss diaspores may need to be reconsidered, as large donor sites for pioneer mosses are not easily located. It was concluded that moss communities are an important component of boreal regions. Further research is needed to understand the appropriate conditions for propagating moss

Dynamic Moss Observed with Hi-C

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Caroline; Winebarger, Amy; Morton, Richard; Savage, Sabrina

2014-01-01

The High-resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C), flown on 11 July 2012, has revealed an unprecedented level of detail and substructure within the solar corona. Hi-C imaged a large active region (AR11520) with 0.2-0.3'' spatial resolution and 5.5s cadence over a 5 minute period. An additional dataset with a smaller FOV, the same resolution, but with a higher temporal cadence (1s) was also taken during the rocket flight. This dataset was centered on a large patch of 'moss' emission that initially seemed to show very little variability. Image processing revealed this region to be much more dynamic than first thought with numerous bright and dark features observed to appear, move and disappear over the 5 minute observation. Moss is thought to be emission from the upper transition region component of hot loops so studying its dynamics and the relation between the bright/dark features and underlying magnetic features is important to tie the interaction of the different atmospheric layers together. Hi-C allows us to study the coronal emission of the moss at the smallest scales while data from SDO/AIA and HMI is used to give information on these structures at different heights/temperatures. Using the high temporal and spatial resolution of Hi-C the observed moss features were tracked and the distribution of displacements, speeds, and sizes were measured. This allows us to comment on both the physical processes occurring within the dynamic moss and the scales at which these changes are occurring.

Using devitalized moss for active biomonitoring of water pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debén, S.; Fernández, J.A.; Carballeira, A.; Aboal, J.R.

2016-01-01

This paper presents the results of an experiment carried out for the first time in situ to select a treatment to devitalize mosses for use in active biomonitoring of water pollution. Three devitalizing treatments for the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica were tested (i.e. oven-drying at 100 °C, oven-drying with a 50-80-100 °C temperature ramp, and boiling in water), and the effects of these on loss of material during exposure of the transplants and on the accumulation of different heavy metals and metalloids were determined. The suitability of using devitalized samples of the terrestrial moss Sphagnum denticulatum to biomonitor aquatic environments was also tested. The structure of mosses was altered in different ways by the devitalizing treatments. Devitalization by boiling water led to significantly less loss of material (p < 0.01) than the oven-drying treatments. However, devitalization by oven-drying with a temperature ramp yielded more stable results in relation to both loss of material and accumulation of elements. With the aim of standardizing the moss bag technique, the use of F. antipyretica devitalized by oven-drying with a temperature ramp is recommended, rather than other devitalization treatments or use of S. denticulatum. - Highlights: • Devitalization treatments of the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica were tested. • Loss of material during the exposure and accumulation of contaminants were evaluated. • The use of mosses devitalized by oven-drying with a temperature ramp is recommended. • The use of Sphagnum denticulatum as biomonitor of aquatic environments is not suitable. - Selection of a devitalization treatment as a contribution for standardizing moss bag technique.

COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON MOSSES FOR AIR POLLUTION ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Osondu

2012-08-16

Aug 16, 2012 ... research works by Kovacs et al. and Rovinsky et al., (1993) have shown that mosses have proved to be better bio-indicators of pollution because they are more sensitive to atmospheric pollution. The usefulness of mosses in determining heavy metal concentrations in different geographical areas has been ...

Constructing Marxism: Karl Kautsky and the French Revolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nygaard, Bertel

2009-01-01

Karl Kautsky's writings on the French Revolution were crucial to the construction not only of the Marxist interpretation of the Revolution, which was perhaps the most important reference point for the historiography of that event during the 20th century, but even of Marxism itself as a comprehens......Karl Kautsky's writings on the French Revolution were crucial to the construction not only of the Marxist interpretation of the Revolution, which was perhaps the most important reference point for the historiography of that event during the 20th century, but even of Marxism itself...

Contact allergy to oak moss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bernard, Guillaume; Gimenéz-Arnau, Elena; Rastogi, Suresh Chandra

2003-01-01

In addition to pure synthetic fragrance materials several natural extracts are still in use in the perfume industry. Among them oak moss absolute, prepared from the lichen Evernia prunastri (L.) Arch., is considered a major contact sensitizer and is therefore included in the fragrance mix used...... for diagnosing perfume allergy. The process of preparing oak moss absolute has changed during recent years and, even though several potential sensitizers have been identified from former benzene extracts, its present constituents and their allergenic status are not clear. In the study reported here, we applied...

Karl Ove Knausgaard's My Struggle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schmitt, Arnaud; Kjerkegaard, Stefan

2016-01-01

In this study of Karl Ove Knausgaard’s My Struggle, the authors theorize what paratextual information does to one’s reading, especially in autobiography informed literature. Although My Struggle can be read both as memoir and novel, and even as autofiction, Knausgaard is aiming at a higher truth...

Oak moss extracts in the diagnosis of fragrance contact allergy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Jeanne Duus; Heydorn, Siri; Menné, Torkil

2002-01-01

Oak moss absolute is one of the eight ingredients of the fragrance mix (FM) used for diagnosing perfume allergy. Oak moss absolute is an extract prepared from the lichen Evernia prunastri growing on oak trees. It has been shown that the oak moss patch test material from one producer contained resin...

The use of mosses in air pollution monitoring in Estonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liiv, S.; Eensaar, A. [Academy of Sciences of Estonia, Tallinn (Estonia). Tallinn Botanic Garden

1995-12-31

Mosses Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens have been proposed as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metals. These mosses are wide-used in biomonitoring studies in Scandinavia as well as in other Nordic countries. Some methodical problems of bryoindication, e.g. other factors than the adsorption of precipitation which influence element concentrations in mosses have been studied in Scandinavia as well. Methodical study for determining the intrasite, local variability in Estonia was started in 1991. Despite of the used uniform methodics in sampling, cleaning, digesting and chemical analysing of moss samples in the same laboratory there is high variability of the content of elements at the reference area. There are many reasons for this variability - errors from instrumental procedures (analytical steps in chemical analysing), biological deviation, etc. In this article the results of the methodical study of intrasite variability of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and V in mosses at reference areas of different deposition level in Estonia are presented. The intrasite variability of elemental content in mosses at the reference areas is taken into account in mapping the territorial distribution of the content of elements in mosses, samples of which were collected during the joint Finnish-Estonian-Russian biomonitoring project in 1992 in a more dense network compared with the 1989 and 1990 national moss surveys in Estonia in order to describe more accurately the pollution situation in highly polluted north-eastern Estonia

The use of mosses in air pollution monitoring in Estonia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liiv, S; Eensaar, A [Academy of Sciences of Estonia, Tallinn (Estonia). Tallinn Botanic Garden

1996-12-31

Mosses Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens have been proposed as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metals. These mosses are wide-used in biomonitoring studies in Scandinavia as well as in other Nordic countries. Some methodical problems of bryoindication, e.g. other factors than the adsorption of precipitation which influence element concentrations in mosses have been studied in Scandinavia as well. Methodical study for determining the intrasite, local variability in Estonia was started in 1991. Despite of the used uniform methodics in sampling, cleaning, digesting and chemical analysing of moss samples in the same laboratory there is high variability of the content of elements at the reference area. There are many reasons for this variability - errors from instrumental procedures (analytical steps in chemical analysing), biological deviation, etc. In this article the results of the methodical study of intrasite variability of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn and V in mosses at reference areas of different deposition level in Estonia are presented. The intrasite variability of elemental content in mosses at the reference areas is taken into account in mapping the territorial distribution of the content of elements in mosses, samples of which were collected during the joint Finnish-Estonian-Russian biomonitoring project in 1992 in a more dense network compared with the 1989 and 1990 national moss surveys in Estonia in order to describe more accurately the pollution situation in highly polluted north-eastern Estonia

[Heinz von zur Mühlen. Auf den Spuren einiger revlaer Firmen und Familien] / Paul Kaegbein

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kaegbein, Paul

2007-01-01

Arvustus: Heinz von zur Mühlen. Auf den Spuren einiger revlaer Firmen und Familien. In : Buch und Bildung im Baltikum. Münster : LIT, 2005, lk. 527-541. Pika tänava majade omanikest alates 17. sajandist - perekonnad Koch, Meyer, Kluge, Ströhm, Wassermann, Glehn, Eggers, Koppelson, Weiss. Nii loob autor pildi Tallinna "firmade ajaloost"

Distribution of trace elements in moss biomonitors near Mumbai

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakrabortty, S.; Paratkar, G.T.; Jha, S.K.; Puranik, V.D.

2004-01-01

Elemental composition of mosses from Mahabaleshwar, a remote hill station near Mumbai was measured. Trace element profiles of two different species of mosses were compared. Chemical analysis for washed and unwashed moss samples was done using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (EDXRF) and Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) techniques in an attempt to understand the variation. The comparative concentration of Al, Sr , Zn and Rb in both the mosses reflected the order of abundance of metal in the soil. The enrichment factor of Pb, was found more in Pinnatella alopccuroides than the other one whereas enrichment factor of Cr was more in Pterobryopsis flexiceps compared to Pinnatella alopccuroides. So they can be preferentially used as bioindicators for respective elements. (author)

Investigation of metal ions sorption of brown peat moss powder

Science.gov (United States)

Kelus, Nadezhda; Blokhina, Elena; Novikov, Dmitry; Novikova, Yaroslavna; Chuchalin, Vladimir

2017-11-01

For regularities research of sorptive extraction of heavy metal ions by cellulose and its derivates from aquatic solution of electrolytes it is necessary to find possible mechanism of sorption process and to choice a model describing this process. The present article investigates the regularities of aliovalent metals sorption on brown peat moss powder. The results show that sorption isotherm of Al3+ ions is described by Freundlich isotherm and sorption isotherms of Na+ i Ni2+ are described by Langmuir isotherm. To identify the mechanisms of brown peat moss powder sorption the IR-spectra of the initial brown peat moss powder samples and brown peat moss powder samples after Ni (II) sorption were studied. Metal ion binding mechanisms by brown peat moss powder points to ion exchange, physical adsorption, and complex formation with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups.

[Heinz von zur Mühlen. Paul Johansen und die Sogenannten Undeutschen in Reval/Tallinn] / Paul Kaegbein

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kaegbein, Paul

2008-01-01

Arvustus: Heinz von zur Mühlen. Paul Johansen und die Sogenannten Undeutschen in Reval/Tallinn. - Nordosteuropa als Geschichtsregion. Helsinki : Aue-Stiftung :; Lübeck : Schmidt-Römhild, 2006. lk. 103-111. Paul Johanseni lähim töökaaslane kirjeldab teose "Deutsch und Undeutsch im mittelalterlichen und frühneuzeitlichen Reval" valmimist

Mozart, Karl Barth, og den kristne troslæren

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Nils Holger

2010-01-01

En diskussion af Karl Barths teologiske brug af W.A.Mozart i den kirchliche Dogmatik med kontekstuel inddragelse af en til en vis grad tilsvarende overordnet diskussion af Mozart, skrevet af en samtidig musiker, den fremtrædende Mozart-dirigent Ferenc Fricsay. ......En diskussion af Karl Barths teologiske brug af W.A.Mozart i den kirchliche Dogmatik med kontekstuel inddragelse af en til en vis grad tilsvarende overordnet diskussion af Mozart, skrevet af en samtidig musiker, den fremtrædende Mozart-dirigent Ferenc Fricsay. ...

Karl Marx and the Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Shifferd, K. D.

1972-01-01

Implications from Karl Marx's concept of nature are explored. Serving as a frame of reference for the fight against pollution, the Marxian philosophy provides a kind of systems analysis of the origins and dynamics of pollution at the level of society and a set of conceptual tools and attitudes for unmasking the claims of industry. (BL)

Chemical and structural characterization of copper adsorbed on mosses (Bryophyta)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

González, Aridane G., E-mail: aridaneglez@gmail.com [GET (Géosciences Environnement Toulouse) UMR 5563CNRS, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, F-31400 Toulouse (France); Jimenez-Villacorta, Felix [Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales Madrid, CSIC, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Beike, Anna K. [Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Rosenstein 1, 70191 Stuttgart (Germany); Reski, Ralf [Plant Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); BIOSS—Centre for Biological Signalling Studies, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); FRIAS—Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, 79104 Freiburg (Germany); Adamo, Paola [Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Via Università 100, 80055 Naples (Italy); Pokrovsky, Oleg S. [GET (Géosciences Environnement Toulouse) UMR 5563CNRS, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, F-31400 Toulouse (France); BIO-GEO-CLIM Laboratory, Tomsk State University, Tomsk (Russian Federation); Institute of Ecological Problems of the North, Russian Academy of Science, Arkhangelsk (Russian Federation)

2016-05-05

Highlights: • Cu{sup 2+} was adsorbed on four mosses used in moss-bag pollution monitoring technique. • Thermodynamic approach was used to model Cu speciation based on XAS results. • All studied mosses have ∼4.5 O/N atoms at ∼1.95 Å around Cu likely in a pseudo-square geometry. • Cu(II)-carboxylates and Cu(II)-phosphoryls are the main moss surface binding groups. • Moss growing in batch reactor yielded ∼20% of Cu(I) in the form of Cu–S(CN) complexes. - Abstract: The adsorption of copper on passive biomonitors (devitalized mosses Hypnum sp., Sphagnum denticulatum, Pseudoscleropodium purum and Brachythecium rutabulum) was studied under different experimental conditions such as a function of pH and Cu concentration in solution. Cu assimilation by living Physcomitrella patents was also investigated. Molecular structure of surface adsorbed and incorporated Cu was studied by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). Devitalized mosses exhibited the universal adsorption pattern of Cu as a function of pH, with a total binding sites number 0.05–0.06 mmolg{sub dry}{sup −1} and a maximal adsorption capacity of 0.93–1.25 mmolg{sub dry}{sup −1} for these devitalized species. The Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) fit of the first neighbor demonstrated that for all studied mosses there are ∼4.5 O/N atoms around Cu at ∼1.95 Å likely in a pseudo-square geometry. The X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) analysis demonstrated that Cu(II)-cellulose (representing carboxylate groups) and Cu(II)-phosphate are the main moss surface binding moieties, and the percentage of these sites varies as a function of solution pH. P. patens exposed during one month to Cu{sup 2+} yielded ∼20% of Cu(I) in the form of Cu–S(CN) complexes, suggesting metabolically-controlled reduction of adsorbed and assimilated Cu{sup 2+}.

Chemical and structural characterization of copper adsorbed on mosses (Bryophyta)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

González, Aridane G.; Jimenez-Villacorta, Felix; Beike, Anna K.; Reski, Ralf; Adamo, Paola; Pokrovsky, Oleg S.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Cu 2+ was adsorbed on four mosses used in moss-bag pollution monitoring technique. • Thermodynamic approach was used to model Cu speciation based on XAS results. • All studied mosses have ∼4.5 O/N atoms at ∼1.95 Å around Cu likely in a pseudo-square geometry. • Cu(II)-carboxylates and Cu(II)-phosphoryls are the main moss surface binding groups. • Moss growing in batch reactor yielded ∼20% of Cu(I) in the form of Cu–S(CN) complexes. - Abstract: The adsorption of copper on passive biomonitors (devitalized mosses Hypnum sp., Sphagnum denticulatum, Pseudoscleropodium purum and Brachythecium rutabulum) was studied under different experimental conditions such as a function of pH and Cu concentration in solution. Cu assimilation by living Physcomitrella patents was also investigated. Molecular structure of surface adsorbed and incorporated Cu was studied by X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS). Devitalized mosses exhibited the universal adsorption pattern of Cu as a function of pH, with a total binding sites number 0.05–0.06 mmolg dry −1 and a maximal adsorption capacity of 0.93–1.25 mmolg dry −1 for these devitalized species. The Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) fit of the first neighbor demonstrated that for all studied mosses there are ∼4.5 O/N atoms around Cu at ∼1.95 Å likely in a pseudo-square geometry. The X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) analysis demonstrated that Cu(II)-cellulose (representing carboxylate groups) and Cu(II)-phosphate are the main moss surface binding moieties, and the percentage of these sites varies as a function of solution pH. P. patens exposed during one month to Cu 2+ yielded ∼20% of Cu(I) in the form of Cu–S(CN) complexes, suggesting metabolically-controlled reduction of adsorbed and assimilated Cu 2+ .

[Heinz von zur Mühlen. Das Bürgertum Fordert Blut. Ein Bolschewistiches Flugblatt von 1918] / Paul Kaegbein

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kaegbein, Paul

2007-01-01

Arvustus: Heinz von zur Mühlen. Das Bürgertum Fordert Blut. Ein Bolschewistiches Flugblatt von 1918. In : Ostseeprovinzen, baltische Staaten und das Nationale. Münster : LIT, 2005, lk. 403-414. 1918. aastast pärit lendlehest, mille käekirja järgi otsustades on kirjutanud Viktor Kingissepp

Mosses, a necessary step for perennial plant dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chiaffredo, M. [MCK Environnement (France); Denayer, F.O. [Faculte des Sciences Pharmaceutiques de Lille, Laboratoire de Botanique et de Cryptogamie (France)

2004-07-01

Green roofs have the potential to fulfill the requirements of several important ecological functions such as regulating rainwater; creating surfaces of ecological compensation; reducing the greenhouse effect,; improving air quality and reducing noise pollution. This paper described the advantages of both intensive and extensive green roof systems. Intensive green roofs refer to those in which a real garden is planted with bushes and possibly trees. A significant depth of substrate is needed in intensive green roofs, leading to higher construction and maintenance costs. Extensive green roofs refer to those in which rustic drought resistant plants are planted in only a shallow layer of substrate. Extensive green roofs do not require fertilization or watering and do not require much upkeep. Observations at a terraced and waterproofed roof that was planted 15 years ago showed that mosses and sedum grow well in gravel without human intervention. This paper reviewed the important ecological role that mosses play in terms of carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation, effects on vascular plants, water relations and soil stabilization. It was concluded that mosses are well suited for lands where colonization is particularly difficult. Mosses were shown to be among the first colonizers of mineral soils. Moss mats reduce substrate temperature fluctuations and moisture loss, while contributing to pedogenesis and plant succession. They also grow successfully in harsh environments, and can tolerate repeated cycles of drought and rehydration. 34 refs.

Terrestrial mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric POPs pollution: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Harmens, H; Foan, L; Simon, V; Mills, G

2013-02-01

Worldwide there is concern about the continuing release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) into the environment. In this study we review the application of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of POPs. Examples in the literature show that mosses are suitable organisms to monitor spatial patterns and temporal trends of atmospheric concentrations or deposition of POPs. These examples include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The majority of studies report on PAHs concentrations in mosses and relative few studies have been conducted on other POPs. So far, many studies have focused on spatial patterns around pollution sources or the concentration in mosses in remote areas such as the polar regions, as an indication of long-range transport of POPs. Very few studies have determined temporal trends or have directly related the concentrations in mosses with measured atmospheric concentrations and/or deposition fluxes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The resilience and functional role of moss in boreal and arctic ecosystems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Turetsky, Merritt; Bond-Lamberty, Benjamin; Euskirchen, Eugenie S.; Talbot, Julie; Frolking, Steve; McGuire, A. David; Tuittila, Eeva-Stiina

2012-08-24

Mosses in boreal and arctic ecosystems are ubiquitous components of plant communities, represent an important component of plant diversity, and strongly influence the cycling of water, nutrients, energy and carbon. Here we use a literature review and synthesis as well as model simulations to explore the role of moss in ecological stability and resilience. Our literature review of moss community responses to disturbance showed all possible responses (increases, decreases, no change) within most disturbance categories in boreal and arctic regions. Our modeling simulations suggest that loss of moss within northern plant communities will reduce soil carbon accumulation primarily by influencing decomposition rates and soil nitrogen availability. While two models (HPM and STM-TEM) showed a significant effect of moss removal, results from the Biome-BGC and DVM-TEM models suggest that northern, moss-rich ecosystems would need to experience extreme perturbation before mosses were eliminated. We highlight a number of issues that have not been adequately explored in moss communities, such as functional redundancy and singularity, relationships between response and effect traits, phenotypical plasticity in traits, and whether the effects of moss on ecosystem processes scale with local abundance. We also suggest that as more models explore issues related to ecological resilience, issues related to both parameter and conceptual uncertainty should be addressed: are the models more limited by uncertainty in the parameterization of the processes included or by what is not represented in the model at all? It seems clear from our review that mosses need to be incorporated into models as one or more plant functional types, but more empirical work is needed to determine how to best aggregate species.

Mosses in Ohio wetlands respond to indices of disturbance and vascular plant integrity

Science.gov (United States)

Stapanian, Martin A.; Schumacher, William; Gara, Brian; Viau, Nick

2016-01-01

We examined the relationships between an index of wetland habitat quality and disturbance (ORAM score) and an index of vascular plant integrity (VIBI-FQ score) with moss species richness and a moss quality assessment index (MQAI) in 45 wetlands in three vegetation types in Ohio, USA. Species richness of mosses and MQAI were positively associated with ORAM and VIBI-FQ scores. VIBI-FQ score was a better predictor of both moss species richness and MQAI than was either ORAM score or vegetation type. This result was consistent with the strict microhabitat requirements for many moss species, which may be better assessed by VIBI-FQ than ORAM. Probability curves as a function of VIBI-FQ score were then generated for presence of groups of moss species having the same degree of fidelity to substrate and plant communities relative to other species in the moss flora (coefficients of conservatism, CCs). Species having an intermediate- or high degree of fidelity to substrate and plant communities (i.e., species with CC ≥ 5) had a 50% probability of presence (P50) and 90% probability of presence (P90) in wetlands with intermediate- and high VIBI-FQ scores, respectively. Although moss species richness, probability of presence of species based on CC, and MQAI may reflect wetland habitat quality, the 95% confidence intervals around P50 and P90 values may be too wide for regulatory use. Moss species richness, MQAI, and presence of groups of mosses may be more useful for evaluating moss habitat quality in wetlands than a set of “indicator species.”

The resilience and functional role of moss in boreal and arctic ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Turetsky, M.; Bond-Lamberty, B.; Euskirchen, E.S.; Talbot, J. J.; Frolking, S.; McGuire, A.D.; Tuittila, E.S.

2012-01-01

Mosses in northern ecosystems are ubiquitous components of plant communities, and strongly influence nutrient, carbon and water cycling. We use literature review, synthesis and model simulations to explore the role of mosses in ecological stability and resilience. Moss community responses to disturbance showed all possible responses (increases, decreases, no change) within most disturbance categories. Simulations from two process-based models suggest that northern ecosystems would need to experience extreme perturbation before mosses were eliminated. But simulations with two other models suggest that loss of moss will reduce soil carbon accumulation primarily by influencing decomposition rates and soil nitrogen availability. It seems clear that mosses need to be incorporated into models as one or more plant functional types, but more empirical work is needed to determine how to best aggregate species. We highlight several issues that have not been adequately explored in moss communities, such as functional redundancy and singularity, relationships between response and effect traits, and parameter vs conceptual uncertainty in models. Mosses play an important role in several ecosystem processes that play out over centuries – permafrost formation and thaw, peat accumulation, development of microtopography – and there is a need for studies that increase our understanding of slow, long-term dynamical processes.

The resilience and functional role of moss in boreal and arctic ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Turetsky, M R; Bond-Lamberty, B; Euskirchen, E; Talbot, J; Frolking, S; McGuire, A D; Tuittila, E-S

2012-10-01

Mosses in northern ecosystems are ubiquitous components of plant communities, and strongly influence nutrient, carbon and water cycling. We use literature review, synthesis and model simulations to explore the role of mosses in ecological stability and resilience. Moss community responses to disturbance showed all possible responses (increases, decreases, no change) within most disturbance categories. Simulations from two process-based models suggest that northern ecosystems would need to experience extreme perturbation before mosses were eliminated. But simulations with two other models suggest that loss of moss will reduce soil carbon accumulation primarily by influencing decomposition rates and soil nitrogen availability. It seems clear that mosses need to be incorporated into models as one or more plant functional types, but more empirical work is needed to determine how to best aggregate species. We highlight several issues that have not been adequately explored in moss communities, such as functional redundancy and singularity, relationships between response and effect traits, and parameter vs conceptual uncertainty in models. Mosses play an important role in several ecosystem processes that play out over centuries - permafrost formation and thaw, peat accumulation, development of microtopography - and there is a need for studies that increase our understanding of slow, long-term dynamical processes. © 2012 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2012 New Phytologist Trust.

Karl Marx: Critique as Emancipatory Practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Celikates, R.; de Boer, K.; Sonderegger, R.

2012-01-01

Critique of philosophy, critique of religion, critique of politics, critique of political economy - there is almost no sphere of modern society of which Karl Marx’s theory does not offer a critique. This makes it all the more necessary to investigate whether these different critiques possess any

Elemental atmospheric pollution assessment via moss-based measurements in Portland, Oregon

Science.gov (United States)

Demetrios Gatziolis; Sarah Jovan; Geoffrey Donovan; Michael Amacher; Vicente Monleon

2016-01-01

Mosses accumulate pollutants from the atmosphere and can serve as an inexpensive screening tool for mapping air quality and guiding the placement of monitoring instruments. We measured 22 elements using 346 moss samples collected across Portland, Oregon, in December 2013. Our objectives were to develop citywide maps showing concentrations of each element in moss and...

Kirjavahetus Kaarel Robert Pustaga / Karl Ast Rumor

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Rumor, Karl, pseud., 1886-1971

2009-01-01

Kirjavahetus Rio de Janeiros elava Karl Ast Rumori ja New Yorgis elava Kaarel Robert Pusta vahel Eesti kongressi kokkukutsumise vajalikkuse, väliseesti ühingute ja nõukogude, ajakirjanduse ning üldise poliitilise olukorra teemadel

Imaging MOSS tomographic system for H-1NF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glass, F.; Howard, J.

1999-01-01

A tomographic diagnostic utilising the Modulated Optical Solid-State spectrometer (MOSS) is planned for the H-1NF stellarator at the ANU. It is designed to create two-dimensional temperature or velocity maps of a poloidal cross-section of the high temperature plasma of H-1NF. The introduction of the MOSS spectrometers has enabled the development of several diagnostics to be used on the H-1NF stellerator. The MOSS spectrometer allows calculations of the plasma temperature and bulk velocity based on a line-integrated measurement of light emitted from electronic transitions within the plasma. A tomographic system utilising a rotatable multi-view ring apparatus and spatial multiplexing through a MOSS spectrometer is currently being developed. The ring apparatus is placed inside the H-1NF vessel and encircles the plasma. Multiple line-of-sight views collect light through a poloidal cross-section of the plasma and the emitted light is coupled into large core optical fibres. The transmitted light, via the optical fibre bundle, is then imaged through a large aperture MOSS spectrometer and onto another optical fibre array. Each fibre is then fed into a photomultiplier tube for signal detection. Characterisation of the properties of the lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) crystal used for modulation in the MOSS spectrometer is being undertaken to account for ray divergence in the imaging system. Tomographic techniques enable the construction of a temperature or velocity map of the poloidal cross-section. Rotating the ring apparatus to a new viewing position for the next pulse of plasma should allow an accurate picture to be built up based on the reproducibility of the plasma pulses. It is expected that initial testing of the system will begin in May when H-1NF begins operations at 0.5 Telsa field strength

Use of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of trace elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinnes, E.

2000-01-01

Some basic facts about the use of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric trace element deposition are reviewed, and advantages and limitations of this approach are discussed, largely on the basis of experience from regular use of this technique in Norway over the last 20 years. Topics discussed include different versions of the moss technique, mechanisms and efficiencies of trace element uptake, conversion of concentrations in moss to bulk deposition rates, and contribution from sources other than air pollution to the elemental composition of different elements. Suggestions are presented for further work in order to extend the use of mosses as biomonitors. (author)

Nitrogen concentrations in mosses indicate the spatial distribution of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in Europe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmens, H.; Norris, D.A.; Cooper, D.M.; Mills, G.; Steinnes, E.; Kubin, E.; Thoeni, L.; Aboal, J.R.; Alber, R.; Carballeira, A.; Coskun, M.; De Temmerman, L.; Frolova, M.; Gonzalez-Miqueo, L.

2011-01-01

In 2005/6, nearly 3000 moss samples from (semi-)natural location across 16 European countries were collected for nitrogen analysis. The lowest total nitrogen concentrations in mosses ( 2 = 0.91) linear relationship was found between the total nitrogen concentration in mosses and measured site-specific bulk nitrogen deposition rates. The total nitrogen concentrations in mosses complement deposition measurements, helping to identify areas in Europe at risk from high nitrogen deposition at a high spatial resolution. - Highlights: → Nitrogen concentrations in mosses were determined at ca. 3000 sites across Europe. → Moss concentrations were compared with EMEP modelled nitrogen deposition. → The asymptotic relationship for Europe showed saturation at ca. 15 kg N ha -1 y -1 . → Linear relationships were found with measured nitrogen deposition in some countries. → Moss concentrations complement deposition measurements at high spatial resolution. - Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in Europe.

Karl Konrad Grass jumalainimeste uurijana / Alar Laats

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Laats, Alar

2006-01-01

Karl Konrad Grass oli 19. sajandil Dorpati keiserliku ülikooli usuteaduskonna Uue Testamendi õppejõud, kes tegeles hobi korras idakristluse (vene sektid) uurimisega. Tema peateoseks on uurimus "Die russischen Sekten". Ettekanne konverentsil 15.-16. aprill 2005. a.

A DIMENSÃO ECLESIAL DOS SACRAMENTOS SEGUNDO KARL RAHNER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Francisco Taborda

1976-01-01

Full Text Available Escrever sobre Karl Rahner já deixou de ser moda. Por isso mesmo vale a pena tentá-lo. Ultrapassados o entusiasmo novidadeiro e o ardor sectário, o estudo do teólogo alemão pode ser muito mais frutuo-so à reflexão teológica. Indubitavelmente — tenha-se sobre ele a opinião que for — Karl Rahner marcou profundamente a teologia católica, de cuja renovação entre os anos 50 e 70 de nosso século foi u m dos mais importantes fautores.

An Assesment on the Three Worlds Theories of Karl Popper and Jürgen Habermas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vildan İyigüngör

2015-11-01

Full Text Available In this study, it is aimed to outline “three world theories” of Karl Popper and Jürgen Habermas comparatively. In this context, it is also aimed to assess Habermas’ critics as “positivist” to Karl Popper who is an opponent to positivism inside it and his abstraction on the “three world theory” under the influence of Karl Popper. The differences between their opinions stem from their main arguments about the methodology of natural and social sciences.

Genetic transformation of moss plant | Jing | African Journal of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Thus, in recent times mosses such as Physcomitrella patens, Funaria hygrometrica, Ceratodon purpureus, and Tortula ruralis are being developed for genetic engineering studies. Recently, the finding of efficient homologous recombination of P. patens and yeast and murine cells could be comparable. So, the moss, P.

Effects of volume change on the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of Sphagnum moss

Science.gov (United States)

Golubev, V.; Whittington, P.

2018-04-01

Due to the non-vascular nature of Sphagnum mosses, the capitula (growing surface) of the moss must rely solely on capillary action to receive water from beneath. Moss subsides and swells in accordance with water table levels, an effect called "mire-breathing", which has been thought to be a self-preservation mechanism, although no systematic studies have been done to demonstrate exactly how volume change affects hydrophysical properties of moss. In this study, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (Kunsat) and water content of two different species of Sphagnum moss were measured at different compression rates, up to the maximum of 77%. The findings show that the Kunsat increases by up to an order of magnitude (10×) with compression up to a certain bulk density of the moss, after which higher levels of compression result in lowered unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. This was coupled with an increase in soil water retention with increased compression. The increase of the Kunsat with compression suggests that the mire-breathing effect should be considered a self-preservation mechanism to provide sufficient amount of water to growing moss in times of low water availability.

Using devitalized moss for active biomonitoring of water pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Debén, S; Fernández, J A; Carballeira, A; Aboal, J R

2016-03-01

This paper presents the results of an experiment carried out for the first time in situ to select a treatment to devitalize mosses for use in active biomonitoring of water pollution. Three devitalizing treatments for the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica were tested (i.e. oven-drying at 100 °C, oven-drying with a 50-80-100 °C temperature ramp, and boiling in water), and the effects of these on loss of material during exposure of the transplants and on the accumulation of different heavy metals and metalloids were determined. The suitability of using devitalized samples of the terrestrial moss Sphagnum denticulatum to biomonitor aquatic environments was also tested. The structure of mosses was altered in different ways by the devitalizing treatments. Devitalization by boiling water led to significantly less loss of material (p treatments. However, devitalization by oven-drying with a temperature ramp yielded more stable results in relation to both loss of material and accumulation of elements. With the aim of standardizing the moss bag technique, the use of F. antipyretica devitalized by oven-drying with a temperature ramp is recommended, rather than other devitalization treatments or use of S. denticulatum. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Metal and proton adsorption capacities of natural and cloned Sphagnum mosses.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Aridane G; Pokrovsky, Oleg S; Beike, Anna K; Reski, Ralf; Di Palma, Anna; Adamo, Paola; Giordano, Simonetta; Angel Fernandez, J

2016-01-01

Terrestrial mosses are commonly used as bioindicators of atmospheric pollution. However, there is a lack of standardization of the biomonitoring preparation technique and the efficiency of metal adsorption by various moss species is poorly known. This is especially true for in vitro-cultivated moss clones, which are promising candidates for a standardized moss-bag technique. We studied the adsorption of copper and zinc on naturally grown Sphagnum peat moss in comparison with in vitro-cultivated Sphagnum palustre samples in order to provide their physico-chemical characterization and to test the possibility of using cloned peat mosses as bioindicators within the protocol of moss-bag technique. We demonstrate that in vitro-grown clones of S. palustre exhibit acid-base properties similar to those of naturally grown Sphagnum samples, whereas the zinc adsorption capacity of the clones is approx. twice higher than that of the samples from the field. At the same time, the field samples adsorbed 30-50% higher amount of Cu(2+) compared to that of the clones. This contrast may be related to fine differences in the bulk chemical composition, specific surface area, morphological features, type and abundance of binding sites at the cell surfaces and in the aqueous solution of natural and cloned Sphagnum. The clones exhibited much lower concentration of most metal pollutants in their tissues relative to the natural samples thus making the former better indicators of low metal loading. Overall, in vitro-produced clones of S. palustre can be considered as an adequate, environmentally benign substitution for protected natural Sphagnum sp. samples to be used in moss-bags for atmospheric monitoring. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The use of mosses as environmental metal pollution indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Aceto, Maurizio; Abollino, Ornella; Conca, Raffaele; Malandrino, Mery; Mentasti, Edoardo; Sarzanini, Corrado

2003-01-01

The possibility of using mosses as environmental indicators of metal pollution has been investigated. Mosses of the species Bryum argenteum were collected from different parts of Piedmont (Italy), ranging from highly polluted areas to nearly uncontaminated mountain areas. Periodical samplings were planned in every site on a monthly base, in order to check variations of metal uptake throughout one year; correlations with pluviometric and thermal patterns were investigated for all sampling stations. On every moss sample 20 elements, ranging from major (K, P, Al, Ca, Fe and Mg) to minor (Mn, Na, Ti and Zn) and trace (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Ni, Pb and Sr), were quantitatively determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry or graphite furnace-atomic absorption spectrometry, depending on the needed sensitivity. Statistical analyses, carried out with principal component analysis and cluster analysis methods, revealed that a good correlation exists between metal content in mosses and pollution degree in the areas sampled.

Sensitivity of the xerophytic moss Syntrichia caninervis to chronic simulated nitrogen deposition

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yuanming

2016-04-01

Biological soil crusts, complex of cyanobacteira, fungi, lichens and mosses, are common in dryland area and act as important elements of these ecosystems. Syntrichia caninervis is the dominant species in moss crusts in many desert ecosystems. Increasing N deposition has lead to great changes in community structure and function in the desert ecosystem worldwide. However, it is unclear how moss crusts respond to increased atmospheric N deposition, especially in term of growth and physiological parameters. The population and individual growth, and physiological responses of S. caninervis to six different doses of simulated N deposition (0, 0.3, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 3.0 g N m-2 a-1) over three years were studied. Simulated N deposition in the Gurbantunggut Desert affected growth and physiological indices of the xerophytic moss S.caninervis. Low N addition increased individual plant length and leaf size. High N addition was detrimental to almost all growth characteristics monitored, although moss abundance was increased. The photosynthesis-related indices were moderately increased at low N addition rates and significantly decreased by high N addition. Changes in osmotic adjustment substance concentrations and activities of antioxidant enzymes facilitated protection of leaf cells from oxidative damage under N addition. Low rates of N additiondid not significantly affect, and may even stimulate growth and physiological activity of moss crusts. However, high rates of N addition decreased moss vitality and might affect the function of moss crusts. Moss crusts are sensitive to N addition and greater attention should be paid to protection of such kinds of biological complexes in desert ecosystems under increasing N deposition. Key words: antioxidant enzyme, chlorophyll, fluorescence, nitrogen deposition, osmotic substance, Syntrichia caninervis

Nitrogen concentrations in mosses indicate the spatial distribution of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in Europe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harmens, H., E-mail: hh@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW (United Kingdom); Norris, D.A., E-mail: danor@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW (United Kingdom); Cooper, D.M., E-mail: cooper@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW (United Kingdom); Mills, G., E-mail: gmi@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW (United Kingdom); Steinnes, E., E-mail: Eiliv.Steinnes@chem.ntnu.no [Department of Chemistry, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim (Norway); Kubin, E., E-mail: Eero.Kubin@metla.fi [Finnish Forest Research Institute, Kirkkosaarentie 7, 91500 Muhos (Finland); Thoeni, L., E-mail: lotti.thoeni@fub-ag.ch [FUB-Research Group for Environmental Monitoring, Alte Jonastrasse 83, 8640 Rapperswil (Switzerland); Aboal, J.R., E-mail: jesusramon.aboal@usc.es [University of Santiago de Compostela, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology, 15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Alber, R., E-mail: Renate.Alber@provinz.bz.it [Environmental Agency of Bolzano, 39055 Laives (Italy); Carballeira, A., E-mail: alejo.carballeira@usc.es [University of Santiago de Compostela, Faculty of Biology, Department of Ecology, 15782 Santiago de Compostela (Spain); Coskun, M., E-mail: coskunafm@yahoo.com [Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Biology, 17100 Canakkale (Turkey); De Temmerman, L., E-mail: ludet@var.fgov.be [Veterinary and Agrochemical Research Centre, Tervuren (Belgium); Frolova, M., E-mail: marina.frolova@lvgma.gov.lv [Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Agency, Riga (Latvia); Gonzalez-Miqueo, L., E-mail: lgonzale2@alumni.unav.es [Univ. of Navarra, Irunlarrea No 1, 31008 Pamplona (Spain)

2011-10-15

In 2005/6, nearly 3000 moss samples from (semi-)natural location across 16 European countries were collected for nitrogen analysis. The lowest total nitrogen concentrations in mosses (<0.8%) were observed in northern Finland and northern UK. The highest concentrations ({>=}1.6%) were found in parts of Belgium, France, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. The asymptotic relationship between the nitrogen concentrations in mosses and EMEP modelled nitrogen deposition (averaged per 50 km x 50 km grid) across Europe showed less scatter when there were at least five moss sampling sites per grid. Factors potentially contributing to the scatter are discussed. In Switzerland, a strong (r{sup 2} = 0.91) linear relationship was found between the total nitrogen concentration in mosses and measured site-specific bulk nitrogen deposition rates. The total nitrogen concentrations in mosses complement deposition measurements, helping to identify areas in Europe at risk from high nitrogen deposition at a high spatial resolution. - Highlights: > Nitrogen concentrations in mosses were determined at ca. 3000 sites across Europe. > Moss concentrations were compared with EMEP modelled nitrogen deposition. > The asymptotic relationship for Europe showed saturation at ca. 15 kg N ha{sup -1} y{sup -1}. > Linear relationships were found with measured nitrogen deposition in some countries. > Moss concentrations complement deposition measurements at high spatial resolution. - Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in Europe.

"Fire Moss" Cover and Function in Severely Burned Forests of the Western United States

Science.gov (United States)

Grover, H.; Doherty, K.; Sieg, C.; Robichaud, P. R.; Fulé, P. Z.; Bowker, M.

2017-12-01

With wildfires increasing in severity and extent throughout the Western United States, land managers need new tools to stabilize recently burned ecosystems. "Fire moss" consists of three species, Ceratodon purpureus, Funaria hygrometrica, and Bryum argentum. These mosses colonize burned landscapes quickly, aggregate soils, have extremely high water holding capacity, and can be grown rapidly ex-situ. In this talk, I will focus on our efforts to understand how Fire Moss naturally interacts with severely burned landscapes. We examined 14 fires in Arizona, New Mexico, Washington, and Idaho selecting a range of times since fire, and stratified plots within each wildfire by winter insolation and elevation. At 75+ plots we measured understory plant cover, ground cover, Fire Moss cover, and Fire Moss reproductive effort. On plots in the Southwest, we measured a suite of soil characteristics on moss covered and adjacent bare soil including aggregate stability, shear strength, compressional strength, and infiltration rates. Moss cover ranged from 0-75% with a mean of 16% across all plots and was inversely related to insolation (R2 = .32, p = stability and infiltration rates as adjacent bare ground. These results will allow us to model locations where Fire Moss will naturally increase postfire hillslope soil stability, locations for targeting moss restoration efforts, and suggest that Fire Moss could be a valuable tool to mitigate post wildfire erosion.

Renaissance der KMU in einer globalisierten Wirtschaft : Beiträge zu den Rencontres de St-Gall 1998

OpenAIRE

1998-01-01

Rückblick auf 50 Jahre Rencontres de St-Gall / Review of 50 years Rencontres de St-Gall Karl-Heinz Schmidt Leistungsdifferenzierung als Gegenstand internationaler Forschungskooperation - 50 Jahre Rencontres de St-Gall 17 Thema A: Deregulierung und Branchenentwicklung in der Dienstleistungsgesellschaft / Topic A: Deregulation and the prospects of sectors in the service society Leo W. Chini Die betriebswirtschaftlichen Effekte der von der EU induzierten »Deregulier...

Märkmeid uusima Preisi tsensuuriinstruktsiooni kohta / Karl Marx

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Marx, Karl

2000-01-01

Preisi uue (1841. aasta) tsensuuriinstruktsiooni tõusikliku vaimu vastuolust vana (1818. aasta) tsensuurimääruse ratsionalismiga. Moraali ja religiooni vastuolust. Vt. ka Ain Kaalepi artiklit "Veel Karl Marxist ja tsensuurist

Recent Nitrogen Deposition In Poland Monitored With The Moss Pleurozium Schreberi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kapusta Paweł

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In this study, atmospheric deposition of nitrogen was determined for Poland by moss biomonitoring. Nitrogen content was measured in the moss Pleurozium schreberi (Willd. ex Brid. Mitt. sampled in 2010 from 320 sites evenly distributed throughout the country. Mosses (green parts contained an average 1.56% nitrogen. The result places Poland among the European countries most polluted by airborne nitrogen. The highest nitrogen concentrations were found in mosses from the central and southern parts of the country, and the lowest in samples from some eastern and northern regions. Multiple regression showed that this variability was due mostly to nitrogen emissions from agricultural and industrial areas (moss nitrogen was positively associated with the consumption of mineral nitrogen fertilizers and the magnitude of particulate pollution. Some details of the spatial variability of the nitrogen data indicate that local and regional point sources of pollution (e.g., chemical plants played an important role in shaping the nitrogen deposition pattern

Large-Scale Influences on the Genesis of Tropical Cyclone Karl (2010)

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, K.; Bosart, L. F.

2012-12-01

The events leading up to the genesis of Tropical Cyclone (TC) Karl (2010) provides a unique opportunity to examine the continuing problem of understanding tropical cyclogenesis. The PRE-Depression Investigation of Cloud-systems in the Tropics (PREDICT) field campaign allowed for detailed investigation of the tropical disturbance that served as the precursor to TC Karl as it progressed westward through the Caribbean Sea. The purpose of this presentation is to examine the evolution of the pre-Karl disturbance using both common synoptic-scale analyses as well as statistically-based equatorial wave analyses, focusing on where these analyses complement and enhance each other. One of the major factors in the initial spin-up of the pre-Karl tropical disturbance is a surge of southerly and westerly winds from northern South America on 8-10 September 2010. As the surge entered the Caribbean on 9 September, it aided in the formation of a nearly closed earth-relative cyclonic circulation near the southern Leeward Islands. This circulation weakened late on 10 September and remained weak through 13 September before increased organization led to TC genesis on 14 September. This southerly wind surge can be traced to a well-defined surge of anomalously cold air and enhanced southerly winds originating in the lee of the Argentinian Andes over a week prior. While the temperature anomalies wash out prior to reaching the equator, anomalous low-level winds progress into Colombia and Venezuela, where topography aids in turning the southerly winds eastward. An investigation of the pre-Karl environment utilizing wavenumber-frequency filtering techniques also suggests that the initial spin-up of pre-Karl can be associated with the active phase of a convectively coupled Kelvin wave (CCKW). The observed formation of the nearly closed cyclonic circulation on 10 September is well timed with the passage of anomalous westerly winds along and behind the convectively active phase of a CCKW. These

Moss-cyanobacteria associations as biogenic sources of nitrogen in boreal forest ecosystems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kathrin eRousk

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The biological fixation of atmospheric nitrogen (N is a major pathway for available N entering ecosystems. In N-limited boreal forests, a significant amount of N2 is fixed by cyanobacteria living in association with mosses, contributing up to 50 % to the total N input. In this review, we synthesize reports on the drivers of N2 fixation in feather moss-cyanobacteria associations to gain a deeper understanding of their role for ecosystem-N-cycling. Nitrogen fixation in moss-cyanobacteria associations is inhibited by N inputs and therefore, significant fixation occurs only in low N-deposition areas. While it has been shown that artificial N additions in the laboratory as well as in the field inhibit N2 fixation in moss-cyanobacteria associations, the type, as well as the amounts of N that enters the system, affect N2 fixation differently. Another major driver of N2 fixation is the moisture status of the cyanobacteria-hosting moss, wherein moist conditions promote N2 fixation. Mosses experience large fluctuations in their hydrological status, undergoing significant natural drying and rewetting cycles over the course of only a few hours, especially in summer, which likely compromises the N input to the system via N2 fixation. Perhaps the most central question, however, that remains unanswered is the fate of the fixed N2 in mosses. The cyanobacteria are likely to leak N, but whether this N is transferred to the soil and if so, at which rates and timescales, is unknown. Despite our increasing understanding of the drivers of N2 fixation, the role moss-cyanobacteria associations play in ecosystem-N-cycling remains unresolved. Further, the relationship mosses and cyanobacteria share is unknown to date and warrants further investigation.

Airborne chemical elements in Spanish moss

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shacklette, H.T.; Connor, J.J.

1973-01-01

Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides L.), collected from its geographic range in Southern United States, was analyzed for 38 chemical elements in 123 samples. Analyses of Spanish moss samples collected at rural, residential, highway, and industrial locations reflected significant differences in concentrations of metals. Samples from industrial and highway locations are characterized as containing greater-than-average amounts of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, nickel, and vanadium. The high levels of lead found in some samples from highway locations are especially noteworthy. Many samples from sites near the seashore contained greater-than-average amounts of sodium that is thought to have been derived from ocean spray. Samples from rural locations commonly contain low concentrations of the metal usually associated with industrial or urban activity but may contain large amounts of the elements that are ordinary constituents of soil dust. Four of six samples containing detectable amounts of tin were collected within 50 miles of the only tin smelter in the United States; this result suggests that elemental analyses of Spanish moss samples can provide an economical and rapid method of estimating the kind and relative degree of local atmospheric metal pollution.

Monitoring of heavy metal concentrations in home outdoor air using moss bags

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivera, Marcela; Zechmeister, Harald; Medina-Ramon, Mercedes; Basagana, Xavier; Foraster, Maria; Bouso, Laura; Moreno, Teresa; Solanas, Pascual; Ramos, Rafael; Koellensperger, Gunda; Deltell, Alexandre; Vizcaya, David

2011-01-01

One monitoring station is insufficient to characterize the high spatial variation of traffic-related heavy metals within cities. We tested moss bags (Hylocomium splendens), deployed in a dense network, for the monitoring of metals in outdoor air and characterized metals' long-term spatial distribution and its determinants in Girona, Spain. Mosses were exposed outside 23 homes for two months; NO 2 was monitored for comparison. Metals were not highly correlated with NO 2 and showed higher spatial variation than NO 2 . Regression models explained 61-85% of Cu, Cr, Mo, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn and 72% of NO 2 variability. Metals were strongly associated with the number of bus lines in the nearest street. Heavy metals are an alternative traffic-marker to NO 2 given their toxicological relevance, stronger association with local traffic and higher spatial variability. Monitoring heavy metals with mosses is appealing, particularly for long-term exposure assessment, as mosses can remain on site many months without maintenance. - Research highlights: → Moss bags can be used to measure the metal's long-term spatial distribution within cities. → Heavy metals in mosses are not highly correlated with ambient NO 2 concentrations. → Heavy metals show higher spatial variation and association with traffic than NO 2 . → Bus lines in the nearest street explain 75-85% of Mo, Cr, Sb, Sn and Cu variability. → Moss bags are useful for long-term at home exposure assessment in epidemiological studies. - The long-term spatial distribution of heavy metals, measured with moss bags, is mainly determined by proximity to bus lines.

Cellulose and Lignin Carbon Isotope Signatures in Sphagnum Moss Reveal Complementary Environmental Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Loisel, J.; Nichols, J. E.; Kaiser, K.; Beilman, D. W.; Yu, Z.

2016-12-01

The carbon isotope signature (δ13C) of Sphagnum moss is increasingly used as a proxy for past surface wetness in peatlands. However, conflicting interpretations of these carbon isotope records have recently been published. While the water film hypothesis suggests that the presence of a thick (thin) water film around hollow (hummock) mosses leads to less (more) negative δ13C values, the carbon source hypothesis poses that a significant (insignificant) amount of CH4 assimilation by hollow (hummock) mosses leads to more (less) negative δ13C values. To evaluate these competing mechanisms and their impact on moss δ13C, we gathered 30 moss samples from 6 peatlands in southern Patagonia. Samples were collected along a strong hydrological gradient, from very dry hummocks (80 cm above water table depth) to submerged hollows (5 cm below water surface). These peat bogs have the advantage of being colonized by a single cosmopolitan moss species, Sphagnum magellanicum, limiting potential biases introduced by species-specific carbon discrimination. We measured δ13C from stem cellulose and leaf waxes on the same samples to quantify compound-specific carbon signatures. We found that stem cellulose and leaf-wax lipids were both strongly negatively correlated with moss water content, suggesting a primary role of water film thickness on carbon assimilation. In addition, isotopic fractionation during wax synthesis was greater than for cellulose. This offset decreases as conditions get drier, due to (i) a more effective carbon assimilation, or (ii) CH4 uptake through symbiosis with methanotrophic bacteria within the leaves of wet mosses. Biochemical analysis (carbohydrates, amino acids, hydrophenols, cutin acids) of surface moss are currently being conducted to characterize moss carbon allocation under different hydrological conditions. Overall, this modern calibration work should be of use for interpreting carbon isotope records from peatlands.

Balti Maailmanõukogu aktsioonid Helsingis 1975 / Karl Laantee

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Laantee, Karl, 1927-2007

2006-01-01

1975. a. Helsingis peetud Euroopa Julgeoleku ja Koostöö Konverentsi Balti delegatsiooni liikme Karl Laantee tekst, mille ta esitas 4. augustil 1975 Balti Maailmanõukogu pressikonverentsil "Continental"hotellis Stockholmis Rootsi Eestlaste Esinduse pressiinfona

Sphagnum mosses : Masters of efficient N-uptake while avoiding intoxication

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fritz, Christian; Lamers, Leon P.M.; Riaz, Muhammed; van den Berg, Leon J.L.; Elzenga, Theo J.T.M.

2014-01-01

Peat forming Sphagnum mosses are able to prevent the dominance of vascular plants under ombrotrophic conditions by efficiently scavenging atmospherically deposited nitrogen (N). N-uptake kinetics of these mosses are therefore expected to play a key role in differential N availability, plant

Monitoring of heavy metal concentrations in home outdoor air using moss bags

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rivera, Marcela, E-mail: arivera@creal.ca [Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology CREAL, Barcelona (Spain); Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Barcelona (Spain); Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain); CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) (Spain); Zechmeister, Harald [University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria); Medina-Ramon, Mercedes; Basagana, Xavier [Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology CREAL, Barcelona (Spain); Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Barcelona (Spain); CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) (Spain); Foraster, Maria [Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology CREAL, Barcelona (Spain); Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Barcelona (Spain); Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain); CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) (Spain); Bouso, Laura [Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology CREAL, Barcelona (Spain); Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Barcelona (Spain); CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) (Spain); Moreno, Teresa [Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona (Spain); Solanas, Pascual; Ramos, Rafael [Research Unit, Family Medicine, Girona, Jordi Gol Institute for Primary Care Research (IDIAP Jordi Gol), Catalan Institute of Health, Catalunya (Spain); Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Girona (Spain); Koellensperger, Gunda [University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (Austria); Deltell, Alexandre [Polytechnic School, GREFEMA, University of Girona (Spain); Vizcaya, David [Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology CREAL, Barcelona (Spain); Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM-Hospital del Mar), Barcelona (Spain); Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona (Spain); CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Publica (CIBERESP) (Spain)

2011-04-15

One monitoring station is insufficient to characterize the high spatial variation of traffic-related heavy metals within cities. We tested moss bags (Hylocomium splendens), deployed in a dense network, for the monitoring of metals in outdoor air and characterized metals' long-term spatial distribution and its determinants in Girona, Spain. Mosses were exposed outside 23 homes for two months; NO{sub 2} was monitored for comparison. Metals were not highly correlated with NO{sub 2} and showed higher spatial variation than NO{sub 2}. Regression models explained 61-85% of Cu, Cr, Mo, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn and 72% of NO{sub 2} variability. Metals were strongly associated with the number of bus lines in the nearest street. Heavy metals are an alternative traffic-marker to NO{sub 2} given their toxicological relevance, stronger association with local traffic and higher spatial variability. Monitoring heavy metals with mosses is appealing, particularly for long-term exposure assessment, as mosses can remain on site many months without maintenance. - Research highlights: > Moss bags can be used to measure the metal's long-term spatial distribution within cities. > Heavy metals in mosses are not highly correlated with ambient NO{sub 2} concentrations. > Heavy metals show higher spatial variation and association with traffic than NO{sub 2}. > Bus lines in the nearest street explain 75-85% of Mo, Cr, Sb, Sn and Cu variability. > Moss bags are useful for long-term at home exposure assessment in epidemiological studies. - The long-term spatial distribution of heavy metals, measured with moss bags, is mainly determined by proximity to bus lines.

MOSS spectroscopic camera for imaging time resolved plasma species temperature and flow speed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michael, Clive; Howard, John

2000-01-01

A MOSS (Modulated Optical Solid-State) spectroscopic camera has been devised to monitor the spatial and temporal variations of temperatures and flow speeds of plasma ion species, the Doppler broadening measurement being made of spectroscopic lines specified. As opposed to a single channel MOSS spectrometer, the camera images light from plasma onto an array of light detectors, being mentioned 2D imaging of plasma ion temperatures and flow speeds. In addition, compared to a conventional grating spectrometer, the MOSS camera shows an excellent light collecting performance which leads to the improvement of signal to noise ratio and of time resolution. The present paper first describes basic items of MOSS spectroscopy, then follows MOSS camera with an emphasis on the optical system of 2D imaging. (author)

MOSS spectroscopic camera for imaging time resolved plasma species temperature and flow speed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Michael, Clive; Howard, John [Australian National Univ., Plasma Research Laboratory, Canberra (Australia)

2000-03-01

A MOSS (Modulated Optical Solid-State) spectroscopic camera has been devised to monitor the spatial and temporal variations of temperatures and flow speeds of plasma ion species, the Doppler broadening measurement being made of spectroscopic lines specified. As opposed to a single channel MOSS spectrometer, the camera images light from plasma onto an array of light detectors, being mentioned 2D imaging of plasma ion temperatures and flow speeds. In addition, compared to a conventional grating spectrometer, the MOSS camera shows an excellent light collecting performance which leads to the improvement of signal to noise ratio and of time resolution. The present paper first describes basic items of MOSS spectroscopy, then follows MOSS camera with an emphasis on the optical system of 2D imaging. (author)

Controls on moss evaporation in a boreal black spruce forest

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijmans, M.M.P.D.; Arp, W.J.; Chapin, F.S.

2004-01-01

[1] Mosses are an important component of the boreal forest, but little is known about their contribution to ecosystem carbon, water, and energy exchange. We studied the role of mosses in boreal forest evapotranspiration by conducting two experiments in a black spruce forest in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Reconstructing temporal trends in heavy metal deposition: Assessing the value of herbarium moss samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shotbolt, L. [Geography Department, Queen Mary, University of London, London, E1 4NS (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: l.shotbolt@qmul.ac.uk; Bueker, P. [Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: pb25@york.ac.uk; Ashmore, M.R. [Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD (United Kingdom)]. E-mail: ma512@york.ac.uk

2007-05-15

The use of the herbarium moss archive for investigating past atmospheric deposition of Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb was evaluated. Moss samples from five UK regions collected over 150 years were analysed for 26 elements using ICP-MS. Principal components analysis identified soil as a significant source of Ni and As and atmospheric deposition as the main source of Pb and Cu. Sources of Zn and Cd concentrations were identified to be at least partly atmospheric, but require further investigation. Temporal and spatial trends in metal concentrations in herbarium mosses showed that the highest Pb and Cu levels are found in Northern England in the late 19th century. Metal concentrations in herbarium moss samples were consistently higher than those in mosses collected from the field in 2000. Herbarium moss samples are concluded to be a useful resource to contribute to reconstructing trends in Pb and Cu deposition, but not, without further analysis, for Cd, Zn, As and Ni. - Herbarium moss samples can contribute to the reconstruction of past heavy metal deposition.

Reconstructing temporal trends in heavy metal deposition: Assessing the value of herbarium moss samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shotbolt, L.; Bueker, P.; Ashmore, M.R.

2007-01-01

The use of the herbarium moss archive for investigating past atmospheric deposition of Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb was evaluated. Moss samples from five UK regions collected over 150 years were analysed for 26 elements using ICP-MS. Principal components analysis identified soil as a significant source of Ni and As and atmospheric deposition as the main source of Pb and Cu. Sources of Zn and Cd concentrations were identified to be at least partly atmospheric, but require further investigation. Temporal and spatial trends in metal concentrations in herbarium mosses showed that the highest Pb and Cu levels are found in Northern England in the late 19th century. Metal concentrations in herbarium moss samples were consistently higher than those in mosses collected from the field in 2000. Herbarium moss samples are concluded to be a useful resource to contribute to reconstructing trends in Pb and Cu deposition, but not, without further analysis, for Cd, Zn, As and Ni. - Herbarium moss samples can contribute to the reconstruction of past heavy metal deposition

Effects of storage temperature on the physiological characteristics and vegetative propagation of desiccation-tolerant mosses

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Yuewei; Zhao, Yunge

2018-02-01

Mosses, as major components of later successional biological soil crusts (biocrusts), play many critical roles in arid and semiarid ecosystems. Recently, some species of desiccation-tolerant mosses have been artificially cultured with the aim of accelerating the recovery of biocrusts. Revealing the factors that influence the vegetative propagation of mosses, which is an important reproductive mode of mosses in dry habitats, will benefit the restoration of moss crusts. In this study, three air-dried desiccation-tolerant mosses (Barbula unguiculata, Didymodon vinealis, and Didymodon tectorum) were hermetically sealed and stored at five temperature levels (0, 4, 17, 25, and 30 °C) for 40 days. Then, the vegetative propagation and physiological characteristics of the three mosses were investigated to determine the influence of storage temperature on the vegetative propagation of desiccation-tolerant mosses and the mechanism. The results showed that the vegetative propagation of the three mosses varied with temperature. The most variation in vegetative propagation among storage temperatures was observed in D. tectorum, followed by the variation observed in B. unguiculata. In contrast, no significant difference in propagation among temperatures was found in D. vinealis. The regenerative capacity of the three mosses increased with increasing temperature from 0 to 17 °C, accompanied by a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) content, and decreased thereafter. As the temperature increased, the chlorophyll and soluble protein contents increased in B. unguiculata but decreased in D. vinealis and D. tectorum. As to storage, the MDA and soluble sugar contents increased after storage. The MDA content of the three mosses increased at each of the investigated temperatures by more than 50 % from the initial values, and the soluble sugar content became higher than before in the three mosses. The integrity of cells and cell membranes is likely the most important factor influencing the

First data of Iberian Nematomorpha, with redescription of Gordius aquaticus Linnaeus, G. plicatulus Heinze, Gordionus wolterstorffii (Camerano) and Paragordius tricuspidatus (Dufour)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Villalobos, de Leonor Cristina; Ribera, Ignacio; Bilton, David T.

2001-01-01

Four species of Nematomorpha are recorded from NE Spain, representing the first reliable data on the group in the Iberian peninsula. Gordius aquations Linnaeus, 1758, G. plicatulus Heinze, 1937, Gordionus wolterstorffii (Camerano, 1888) and Paragordius tricuspidatus (Dufour, 1828) are redescribed

Inter-species and intra-annual variations of moss nitrogen utilization: Implications for nitrogen deposition assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yu-Ping; Liu, Xue-Yan; Sun, Xin-Chao; Song, Wei; Zheng, Xu-Dong; Li, Rui; Liu, Cong-Qiang

2017-11-01

Moss nitrogen (N) concentrations and natural 15 N abundance (δ 15 N values) have been widely employed to evaluate annual levels and major sources of atmospheric N deposition. However, different moss species and one-off sampling were often used among extant studies, it remains unclear whether moss N parameters differ with species and different samplings, which prevented more accurate assessment of N deposition via moss survey. Here concentrations, isotopic ratios of bulk carbon (C) and bulk N in natural epilithic mosses (Bryum argenteum, Eurohypnum leptothallum, Haplocladium microphyllum and Hypnum plumaeforme) were measured monthly from August 2006 to August 2007 at Guiyang, SW China. The H. plumaeforme had significantly (P < 0.05) lower bulk N concentrations and higher δ 13 C values than other species. Moss N concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in warmer months than in cooler months, while moss δ 13 C values exhibited an opposite pattern. The variance component analyses showed that different species contributed more variations of moss N concentrations and δ 13 C values than different samplings. Differently, δ 15 N values did not differ significantly between moss species, and its variance mainly reflected variations of assimilated N sources, with ammonium as the dominant contributor. These results unambiguously reveal the influence of inter-species and intra-annual variations of moss N utilization on N deposition assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring of Antarctic moss ecosystems using a high spatial resolution imaging spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Malenovsky, Zbynek; Lucieer, Arko; Robinson, Sharon; Harwin, Stephen; Turner, Darren; Veness, Tony

2013-04-01

The most abundant photosynthetically active plants growing along the rocky Antarctic shore are mosses of three species: Schistidium antarctici, Ceratodon purpureus, and Bryum pseudotriquetrum. Even though mosses are well adapted to the extreme climate conditions, their existence in Antarctica depends strongly on availability of liquid water from snowmelt during the short summer season. Recent changes in temperature, wind speed and stratospheric ozone are stimulating faster evaporation, which in turn influences moss growing rate, health state and abundance. This makes them an ideal bio-indicator of the Antarctic climate change. Very short growing season, lasting only about three months, requires a time efficient, easily deployable and spatially resolved method for monitoring the Antarctic moss beds. Ground and/or low-altitude airborne imaging spectroscopy (called also hyperspectral remote sensing) offers a fast and spatially explicit approach to investigate an actual spatial extent and physiological state of moss turfs. A dataset of ground-based spectral images was acquired with a mini-Hyperspec imaging spectrometer (Headwall Inc., the USA) during the Antarctic summer 2012 in the surroundings of the Australian Antarctic station Casey (Windmill Islands). The collection of high spatial resolution spectral images, with pixels about 2 cm in size containing from 162 up to 324 narrow spectral bands of wavelengths between 399 and 998 nm, was accompanied with point moss reflectance measurements recorded with the ASD HandHeld-2 spectroradiometer (Analytical Spectral Devices Inc., the USA). The first spectral analysis indicates significant differences in red-edge and near-infrared reflectance of differently watered moss patches. Contrary to high plants, where the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) represents an estimate of green biomass, NDVI of mosses indicates mainly the actual water content. Similarly to high plants, reflectance of visible wavelengths is

Mosses accumulate heavy metals from the substrata of coal ash

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vukojević Vanja

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Plants that are able to accumulate and tolerate extraordinarily high concentrations of heavy metals (hyperaccumulators can be used for phytoremediation (removal of contaminants from soils or phytomining (growing a crop of plants to harvest the metals. Two moss species, Bryum capillare Hedw. and Ceratodon purpureus Hedw., were tested as potential phytoremedies under in vivo conditions on a coal ash disposal site in the surroundings of Obrenovac (NW Serbia. The content of various heavy metals (iron, manganese zinc, lead, nickel, cadmium, and copper in the mosses and substrata were investigated over a period of three years. Iron and zinc were found to have the highest concentration in the mosses.

Immobilization of Lead from Pb-Contaminated Soil Amended with Peat Moss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seul-Ji Lee

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Immobilization of lead (Pb using soil amendments can reduce Pb toxicity and bioavailability in soil. This study evaluated Pb immobilization in a Pb-contaminated soil by using peat moss through various tests. The Pb-contaminated soil (2000 mg Pb·kg−1 was amended with 1%, 5%, and 10% of peat moss to immobilize Pb in the soil. The immobilization properties of Pb in the contaminated soil were evaluated by a column leaching experiment, a microcosm test, and a batch incubation test. Peat moss significantly reduced the Pb leaching in all of the experiments and more effectively reduced mobility and toxicity of Pb in the column leaching and microcosm tests than bioavailability in the batch incubation test. The immobilized lead from the soils amended with 1%, 5%, and 10% of peat moss was 37.9%, 87.1%, and 95.4% from the column leaching test, 18.5%, 90.9%, and 96.4% from the microcosm test, and 2.0%, 36.9%, and 57.9% from the NH4NO3 extraction method, respectively, indicating that peat moss can be effectively used for the remediation of Pb-contaminated soil.

Assessment of Antarctic moss health from multi-sensor UAS imagery with Random Forest Modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Turner, Darren; Lucieer, Arko; Malenovský, Zbyněk; King, Diana; Robinson, Sharon A.

2018-06-01

Moss beds are one of very few terrestrial vegetation types that can be found on the Antarctic continent and as such mapping their extent and monitoring their health is important to environmental managers. Across Antarctica, moss beds are experiencing changes in health as their environment changes. As Antarctic moss beds are spatially fragmented with relatively small extent they require very high resolution remotely sensed imagery to monitor their distribution and dynamics. This study demonstrates that multi-sensor imagery collected by an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) provides a novel data source for assessment of moss health. In this study, we train a Random Forest Regression Model (RFM) with long-term field quadrats at a study site in the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica and apply it to UAS RGB and 6-band multispectral imagery, derived vegetation indices, 3D topographic data, and thermal imagery to predict moss health. Our results suggest that moss health, expressed as a percentage between 0 and 100% healthy, can be estimated with a root mean squared error (RMSE) between 7 and 12%. The RFM also quantifies the importance of input variables for moss health estimation showing the multispectral sensor data was important for accurate health prediction, such information being essential for planning future field investigations. The RFM was applied to the entire moss bed, providing an extrapolation of the health assessment across a larger spatial area. With further validation the resulting maps could be used for change detection of moss health across multiple sites and seasons.

Production of greenhouse-grown biocrust mosses and associated cyanobacteria to rehabilitate dryland soil function

Science.gov (United States)

Antoninka, Anita; Bowker, Matthew A.; Reed, Sasha C.; Doherty, Kyle

2016-01-01

Mosses are an often-overlooked component of dryland ecosystems, yet they are common members of biological soil crust communities (biocrusts) and provide key ecosystem services, including soil stabilization, water retention, carbon fixation, and housing of N2 fixing cyanobacteria. Mosses are able to survive long dry periods, respond rapidly to precipitation, and reproduce vegetatively. With these qualities, dryland mosses have the potential to be an excellent dryland restoration material. Unfortunately, dryland mosses are often slow growing in nature, and ex situ cultivation methods are needed to enhance their utility. Our goal was to determine how to rapidly produce, vegetatively, Syntrichia caninervis and S. ruralis, common and abundant moss species in drylands of North America and elsewhere, in a greenhouse. We manipulated the length of hydration on a weekly schedule (5, 4, 3, or 2 days continuous hydration per week), crossed with fertilization (once at the beginning, monthly, biweekly, or not at all). Moss biomass increased sixfold for both species in 4 months, an increase that would require years under dryland field conditions. Both moss species preferred short hydration and monthly fertilizer. Remarkably, we also unintentionally cultured a variety of other important biocrust organisms, including cyanobacteria and lichens. In only 6 months, we produced functionally mature biocrusts, as evidenced by high productivity and ecosystem-relevant levels of N2 fixation. Our results suggest that biocrust mosses might be the ideal candidate for biocrust cultivation for restoration purposes. With optimization, these methods are the first step in developing a moss-based biocrust rehabilitation technology.

Karl A. Gschneidner Jr (1930–2016)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecharsky, Vitalij K.

2016-01-01

Presented here is the obituary for Karl Albert Gschneidner Jr. He died on 27 April 2016. Nicknamed Mr Rare Earth, he holds an unparalleled place as the renowned authority in just about every aspect related to the science, technology and history of a very special family of elements — the rare earths.

Methane oxidation associated to submerged brown-mosses buffers methane emissions from Siberian polygonal peatlands

Science.gov (United States)

Liebner, Susanne; Zeyer, Josef; Knoblauch, Christian

2010-05-01

study gives first evidence for MAMO in submerged brown-mosses and in the oligotrophic polygonal peatlands of the Lena Delta. It shows that MAMO might effectively reduce methane fluxes to the atmosphere also in Arctic GHG emission hot spots. References: [1] Zhang, T., Barry, R.G., Knowles, K., Heginbottom, J.A., and Brown, J. (1999) Statistics and characteristics of permafrost and ground-ice distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. Polar Geography 23(2): 132-154 [2] Schuur, E.A.G., Bockheim, J., Candell, J.G., Euskirchen, E., Field, C.B., Goryachkin, S.V., Hagemann, S., Kuhry, P., Lafleur, P.M., Lee, H., Mazhitova, G., Nelson, F.E., Rinke, A., Romanovsky, V., Shiklomanov, N., Tarnocai, C., Venevsky, S., Vogel, J., and Zimov, S. (2008) Vulnerability of Permafrost Carbon to Climate Change: Implications for the Global Carbon Cycle. BioScience 58 (8): 701-714 [3] Denman, K.L., Brasseur G., Chidthaisong A., Ciais, P., Cox, P.M., Dickinson, R.E., Hauglustaine, D., Heinze, C., Holland, E., Jacob, D., Lohmann, U., Ramachandran, S., da Silva Dias, P.L., Wofsy, S.C., and Zhang, X. (2007) Couplings Between Changes in the Climate System and Biogeochemistry. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M.Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA [4] Wuebbles, J., and Hayhoe, K. (2002) Atmospheric methane and global change. Earth-Science Reviews 57: 177-210 [5] Sachs, T., Wille, C., Boike, J., and Kutzbach, L. (2008) Environmental controls on ecosystem-scale CH4 emission from polygonal tundra in the Lena River Delta, Siberia. Journal of Geophysical Research 113: G00A03 [6] Wille, C., Kutzbach, L., Sachs, T., Wagner, D., and Pfeiffer, E.M. (2008) Methane emissions from Siberian arctic polygonal tundra: Eddy covariance measurements and

Characterization of freshwater mosses as indicators of radioactive contamination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaugelin-Seiller, K.

1994-01-01

The necessity of indicators of freshwater contamination has developed the interest for aquatic mosses. From a fundamental point of view, studying the influence of some biotic and abiotic factors has permitted to better know the mechanisms of radionuclides accumulation by these bryophytes. From a radioecological point of view, simulating real cases of water contamination has allowed to give results a very interesting representativeness. The use of mosses as bio-indicators was applied for two in situ experiments, the results of which have been interpreted from those obtained in laboratory. Finally, an approach by a mathematical model has showed that it is possible to have, in a middle term, an evaluation tool of freshwater contamination, based on the radionuclides concentrations measured in aquatic mosses. (author). refs., 57 figs., 24 tabs

Using essential oils to control moss and liverwort in containers

Science.gov (United States)

Nabil Khadduri

2011-01-01

Liverwort and moss are economically significant weeds across a range of US container production sites, including forest seedling greenhouse culture in the Pacific Northwest. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of essential oils, or distilled plant extracts, in controlling liverwort and moss container weeds over three seasons of trials. When applied at the...

Air pollution studies in Bulgaria using the moss biomonitoring technique, NAA and AAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marinova, S.; Karadzhinova, A.G.; Yurukova, L.; Frontas'eva, M.V.; Strelkova, L.P.; Marinov, A.; Steinnes, E.

2009-01-01

The moss biomonitoring technique was used to study trace element atmospheric deposition in four areas of Bulgaria (the western Thracian-Rhodope, the eastern Thracian-Rhodope, the south-eastern and the northern central regions) during the European moss survey in 2005. A total of 41 elements (Na, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rd, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Tb, Dy, Tm, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Pb, Th, and U) were determined by instrumental epithermal Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS) in 97 samples of terrestrial moss. The moss species used was Hypnum cupressiforme. Principal component analysis (factor analysis)was used to identify and characterize different pollution sources and to point out the most polluted areas. The interpretation of the factor analysis findings points to natural crust, marine, and vegetation components as well as to anthropogenic sources: ferrous (Plovdiv, Haskovo) and non-ferrous industries (Plovdiv, Kardzhali, Burgas); and central heating stations (Plovdiv, Haskovo, Stara Zagora, Burgas). Comparison of the medians of the elemental concentrations in moss samples collected in Bulgaria with those in the Balkan and other European countries reveals that the Balkan countries show considerably higher concentrations of most elements in moss than observed in other European countries where moss sampling has been employed

Filling the interspace—restoring arid land mosses: source populations, organic matter, and overwintering govern success

Science.gov (United States)

Condon, Lea; Pyke, David A.

2016-01-01

Biological soil crusts contribute to ecosystem functions and occupy space that could be available to invasive annual grasses. Given disturbances in the semiarid shrub steppe communities, we embarked on a set of studies to investigate restoration potential of mosses in sagebrush steppe ecosystems. We examined establishment and growth of two moss species common to the Great Basin, USA: Bryum argenteum and Syntrichia ruralis from two environmental settings (warm dry vs. cool moist). Moss fragments were inoculated into a third warm dry setting, on bare soil in spring and fall, both with and without a jute net and with and without spring irrigation. Moss cover was monitored in spring seasons of three consecutive years. Both moss species increased in cover over the winter. When Bryum received spring irrigation that was out of sync with natural precipitation patterns, moss cover increased and then crashed, taking two seasons to recover. Syntrichia did not respond to the irrigation treatment. The addition of jute net increased moss cover under all conditions, except Syntrichia following fall inoculation, which required a second winter to increase in cover. The warm dry population of Bryum combined with jute achieved on average 60% cover compared to the cool moist population that achieved only 28% cover by the end of the study. Differences were less pronounced for Syntrichia where moss from the warm dry population with jute achieved on average 51% cover compared to the cool moist population that achieved 43% cover by the end of the study. Restoration of arid land mosses may quickly protect soils from erosion while occupying sites before invasive plants. We show that higher moss cover will be achieved quickly with the addition of organic matter and when moss fragments originate from sites with a climate that is similar to that of the restoration site.

Vortex rings from Sphagnum moss capsules

Science.gov (United States)

Whitaker, Dwight; Strassman, Sam; Cha, Jung; Chang, Emily; Guo, Xinyi; Edwards, Joan

2010-11-01

The capsules of Sphagnum moss use vortex rings to disperse spores to suitable habitats many kilometers away. Vortex rings are created by the sudden release of pressurized air when the capsule ruptures, and are an efficient way to carry the small spores with low terminal velocities to heights where they can be carried by turbulent wind currents. We will present our computational model of these explosions, which are carried out using a 2-D large eddy simulation (LES) on FLUENT. Our simulations can reproduce the observed motion of the spore clouds observed from moss capsules with high-speed videos, and we will discuss the roles of bursting pressure, cap mass, and capsule morphology on the formation and quality of vortex rings created by this plant.

Reconstructing temporal trends in heavy metal deposition: assessing the value of herbarium moss samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Shotbolt, L; Büker, P; Ashmore, M R

2007-05-01

The use of the herbarium moss archive for investigating past atmospheric deposition of Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd and Pb was evaluated. Moss samples from five UK regions collected over 150 years were analysed for 26 elements using ICP-MS. Principal components analysis identified soil as a significant source of Ni and As and atmospheric deposition as the main source of Pb and Cu. Sources of Zn and Cd concentrations were identified to be at least partly atmospheric, but require further investigation. Temporal and spatial trends in metal concentrations in herbarium mosses showed that the highest Pb and Cu levels are found in Northern England in the late 19th century. Metal concentrations in herbarium moss samples were consistently higher than those in mosses collected from the field in 2000. Herbarium moss samples are concluded to be a useful resource to contribute to reconstructing trends in Pb and Cu deposition, but not, without further analysis, for Cd, Zn, As and Ni.

1st Karl Schwarzschild Meeting on Gravitational Physics

CERN Document Server

Kaminski, Matthias; Mureika, Jonas; Bleicher, Marcus

2016-01-01

These proceedings collect the selected contributions of participants of the First Karl Schwarzschild Meeting on Gravitational Physics, held in Frankfurt, Germany to celebrate the 140th anniversary of Schwarzschild's birth. They are grouped into 4 main themes: I. The Life and Work of Karl Schwarzschild; II. Black Holes in Classical General Relativity, Numerical Relativity, Astrophysics, Cosmology, and Alternative Theories of Gravity; III. Black Holes in Quantum Gravity and String Theory; IV. Other Topics in Contemporary Gravitation. Inspired by the foundational principle ``By acknowledging the past, we open a route to the future",  the week-long meeting, envisioned as a forum for exchange between scientists from all locations and levels of education, drew participants from 15 countries across 4 continents. In addition to plenary talks from leading researchers, a special focus on young talent was provided, a feature underlined by the Springer Prize for the best student and junior presentations.

Some Educational Implications of Karl Marx's Communism

Science.gov (United States)

Hellerich, Gert

1970-01-01

According to the expressed ideas of Karl Marx, education should be viewed as a means to develop a person's whole potential and to make him a better human being. It is his contention that in a capitalist society, the educational process causes misery and exists solely to further entrench the power of the rich. (CK)

Kinase inhibition by the Jamaican ball moss, Tillandsia recurvata L.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Henry I C; Watson, Charah T; Badal, Simone; Toyang, Ngeh J; Bryant, Joseph

2012-10-01

This research was undertaken in order to investigate the inhibitory potential of the Jamaican ball moss, Tillandsia recurvata against several kinases. The inhibition of these kinases has emerged as a potential solution to restoring the tight regulation of normal cellular growth, the loss of which leads to cancer cell formation. Kinase inhibition was investigated using competition binding (to the ATP sites) assays, which have been previously established and authenticated. Four hundred and fifty one kinases were tested against the Jamaican ball moss extract and a dose-response was tested on 40 kinases, which were inhibited by more than 35% compared to the control. Out of the 40 kinases, the Jamaican ball moss selectively inhibited 5 (CSNK2A2, MEK5, GAK, FLT and DRAK1) and obtained Kd(50)s were below 20 μg/ml. Since MEK5 and GAK kinases have been associated with aggressive prostate cancer, the inhibitory properties of the ball moss against them, coupled with its previously found bioactivity towards the PC-3 cell line, makes it promising in the arena of drug discovery towards prostate cancer.

Using Moss to Detect Fine-Scaled Deposition of Heavy Metals in Urban Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Jovan, S.; Donovan, G.; Demetrios, G.; Monleon, V. J.; Amacher, M. C.

2017-12-01

Mosses are commonly used as bio-indicators of heavy metal deposition to forests. Their application in urban airsheds is relatively rare. Our objective was to develop fine-scaled, city-wide maps for heavy metals in Portland, Oregon, to identify pollution "hotspots" and serve as a screening tool for more effective placement of air quality monitoring instruments. In 2013 we measured twenty-two elements in epiphytic moss sampled on a 1km x1km sampling grid (n = 346). We detected large hotspots of cadmium and arsenic in two neighborhoods associated with stained glass manufacturers. Air instruments deployed by local regulators measured cadmium concentrations 49 times and arsenic levels 155 times the state health benchmarks. Moss maps also detected a large nickel hotspot in a neighborhood near a forge where air instruments later measured concentrations 4 times the health benchmark. In response, the facilities implemented new pollution controls, air quality improved in all three affected neighborhoods, revision of regulations for stained glass furnace emissions are underway, and Oregon's governor launched an initiative to develop health-based (vs technology-based) regulations for air toxics in the state. The moss maps also indicated a couple dozen smaller hotspots of heavy metals, including lead, chromium, and cobalt, in Portland neighborhoods. Ongoing follow-up work includes: 1) use of moss sampling by local regulators to investigate source and extent of the smaller hotspots, 2) use of lead isotopes to determine origins of higher lead levels observed in moss collected from the inner city, and 3) co-location of air instruments and moss sampling to determine accuracy, timeframe represented, and seasonality of heavy metals in moss.

The effects of drying following heat shock exposure of the desert moss Syntrichia caninervis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Shu-Jun; Liu, Chun-Jiang; Jiang, Ping-An; Cai, Wei-Min; Wang, Yan

2009-03-15

Desert mosses are components of biological soil crusts (BSCs) and their ecological functions make assessment and protection of these mosses a high-ranking management priority in desert regions. Drying is thought to be useful for desert mosses surviving heat shock. In this study, we investigated the role of drying by monitoring the responses of physiological characters and asexual reproduction in the typical desert moss Syntrichia caninervis. Heat significantly decreased chlorophyll content and weakened rapid recovery of photochemical activity, and increased carotenoid content and membrane permeability. Lethal temperatures significantly destroyed shoot regeneration potential. In comparison with heat alone, drying significantly increased protonema emergence time and depressed protonema emergence area. Drying combined with heat accelerated water loss, followed by a decrease of photosynthetic activity. Drying had different influences on membrane permeability at different temperatures. When moss leaves were subjected to a combined stress of drying and heat shock, photosynthesis was maintained mainly due to the effects of drying on physiological activity although the cellular morphological integrity was affected. Drying caused opposing effects on moss physiological and reproductive characteristics. On the one hand, drying caused a positive synergistic effect with heat shock when the temperature was below 40 degrees C. On the other hand, drying showed antagonism with heat shock when the moss was subjected to temperatures higher than 40 degrees C. These findings may help in understanding the survival mechanism of dessert mosses under heat shock stress which will be helpful for the artificial reconstruction of BSCs.

The effects of drying following heat shock exposure of the desert moss Syntrichia caninervis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Shujun; Liu Chunjiang; Jiang Pingan; Cai Weimin; Wang Yan

2009-01-01

Desert mosses are components of biological soil crusts (BSCs) and their ecological functions make assessment and protection of these mosses a high-ranking management priority in desert regions. Drying is thought to be useful for desert mosses surviving heat shock. In this study, we investigated the role of drying by monitoring the responses of physiological characters and asexual reproduction in the typical desert moss Syntrichia caninervis. Heat significantly decreased chlorophyll content and weakened rapid recovery of photochemical activity, and increased carotenoid content and membrane permeability. Lethal temperatures significantly destroyed shoot regeneration potential. In comparison with heat alone, drying significantly increased protonema emergence time and depressed protonema emergence area. Drying combined with heat accelerated water loss, followed by a decrease of photosynthetic activity. Drying had different influences on membrane permeability at different temperatures. When moss leaves were subjected to a combined stress of drying and heat shock, photosynthesis was maintained mainly due to the effects of drying on physiological activity although the cellular morphological integrity was affected. Drying caused opposing effects on moss physiological and reproductive characteristics. On the one hand, drying caused a positive synergistic effect with heat shock when the temperature was below 40 deg. C. On the other hand, drying showed antagonism with heat shock when the moss was subjected to temperatures higher than 40 deg. C. These findings may help in understanding the survival mechanism of dessert mosses under heat shock stress which will be helpful for the artificial reconstruction of BSCs

Moss Biomonitoring as a Tool for Radiological Exposure Assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barisic, D.; Vekic, B.; Kusan, V.; Spiric, Z.; Frontasyeva, M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide an insight into the Atmospheric Deposition of Airborne Radionuclides in Croatia by using the Moss Biomonitoring Technique. Moss samples were collected during the summer of 2010, from 161 locations in Croatia evenly distributed across the entire country. Sampling was performed in accordance with the LRTAP Convention - ICP Vegetation protocol and sampling strategy of the European Programme on Biomonitoring of Heavy Metal Atmospheric Deposition. In addition to the comprehensive qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses of all samples collected determined by NAA, ICP-AES and AAS, 22 out of 161 moss samples were subjected to gamma-spectrometric analyses for assessing activity of the naturally occurring radionuclides. The activities of 40K, 232Th, 137Cs, 226Ra and 238U were determined by using a low background HPGe detector system coupled with an 8192-channel CANBERRA analyzer. The detector system was calibrated using gamma mixed standards supplied by Eckert and Ziegler (Analytics USA). Preliminary research results on the Atmospheric Deposition of Airborne Radionuclides in Croatia by using the Moss Biomonitoring Technique confirm that it may serve as a valuable tool for Radiological Exposure Assessment. This research has the potential for simple, accurate, reliable and affordable environmental radiation control.(author)

Reduced content of chloroatranol and atranol in oak moss absolute significantly reduces the elicitation potential of this fragrance material.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersen, Flemming; Andersen, Kirsten H; Bernois, Armand; Brault, Christophe; Bruze, Magnus; Eudes, Hervé; Gadras, Catherine; Signoret, Anne-Cécile J; Mose, Kristian F; Müller, Boris P; Toulemonde, Bernard; Andersen, Klaus Ejner

2015-02-01

Oak moss absolute, an extract from the lichen Evernia prunastri, is a valued perfume ingredient but contains extreme allergens. To compare the elicitation properties of two preparations of oak moss absolute: 'classic oak moss', the historically used preparation, and 'new oak moss', with reduced contents of the major allergens atranol and chloroatranol. The two preparations were compared in randomized double-blinded repeated open application tests and serial dilution patch tests in 30 oak moss-sensitive volunteers and 30 non-allergic control subjects. In both test models, new oak moss elicited significantly less allergic contact dermatitis in oak moss-sensitive subjects than classic oak moss. The control subjects did not react to either of the preparations. New oak moss is still a fragrance allergen, but elicits less allergic contact dermatitis in previously oak moss-sensitized individuals, suggesting that new oak moss is less allergenic to non-sensitized individuals. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reproductive output of mosses under experimental warming on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island, maritime Antarctica

OpenAIRE

Casanova-Katny, A.; Torres-Mellado, G. A.; Eppley, S. M.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Mosses dominate much of the vegetation in the Antarctic, but the effect of climatic change on moss growth and sexual reproduction has scarcely been studied. In Antarctica, mosses infrequently produce sporophytes; whether this is due to physiological limitation or an adaptive response is unknown. We studied the effect of experimental warming (with Open Top Chambers, OTCs) on sporophyte production on Fildes Peninsula, King George Island for four moss species (Bartramia patens, Henne...

Peatland water repellency: Importance of soil water content, moss species, and burn severity

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, P. A.; Lukenbach, M. C.; Kettridge, N.; Petrone, R. M.; Devito, K. J.; Waddington, J. M.

2017-11-01

Wildfire is the largest disturbance affecting peatlands, with northern peat reserves expected to become more vulnerable to wildfire as climate change enhances the length and severity of the fire season. Recent research suggests that high water table positions after wildfire are critical to limit atmospheric carbon losses and enable the re-establishment of keystone peatland mosses (i.e. Sphagnum). Post-fire recovery of the moss surface in Sphagnum-feathermoss peatlands, however, has been shown to be limited where moss type and burn severity interact to result in a water repellent surface. While in situ measurements of moss water repellency in peatlands have been shown to be greater for feathermoss in both a burned and unburned state in comparison to Sphagnum moss, it is difficult to separate the effect of water content from species. Consequently, we carried out a laboratory based drying experiment where we compared the water repellency of two dominant peatland moss species, Sphagnum and feathermoss, for several burn severity classes including unburned samples. The results suggest that water repellency in moss is primarily controlled by water content, where a sharp threshold exists at gravimetric water contents (GWC) lower than ∼1.4 g g-1. While GWC is shown to be a strong predictor of water repellency, the effect is enhanced by burning. Based on soil water retention curves, we suggest that it is highly unlikely that Sphagnum will exhibit strong hydrophobic conditions under field conditions.

Kes oli rännumees Karl Feyerabend? / Urmas Sutrop

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Sutrop, Urmas, 1956-

2001-01-01

Feyerabend, Karl. Kosmopolitische Wanderungen durch Preussen, Curland, Liefland, Litthauen, Vollhynien, Podolien und Schlesien, in der jahren 1795 bis 1798. In Briefen an einen Freund. Bd. 3. 1801. Eestile on pühendatud reisiraamatu 40. kiri

Radiocesium accumulation in mosses from highlands of Serbia and Montenegro: chemical and physiological aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dragovic, S.; Nedic, O.; Stankovic, S.; Bacic, G.

2004-01-01

The aim of this work was (i) to determine the activity levels of 137 Cs in mosses from highland ecosystems of Serbia and Montenegro, (ii) to find out if radiocesium is associated with essential biomacromolecules, and (iii) to investigate 137 Cs distribution among intracellular compartments. It was found that biomolecules of mosses do not bind significant amounts of radiocesium (2.3-3.3% of the absorbed 137 Cs), a behavior that was independent of the moss species. Cellular fractionation of mosses showed that membranes are the primary 137 Cs-binding sites at the cellular level. They contained 26.1-43.1% of the initial radiocesium activity. It seems that 137 Cs-binding molecules in different mosses are of similar chemical nature, and their distribution between various cellular compartments is not species specific

Concentration and vertical distribution of plutonium and americium in Italian mosses and lichens

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, G.; Desideri, D.; Guerra, F.; Meli, M.A.; Testa, C.

1997-01-01

The plutonium and americium concentration and vertical distribution in some Italian mosses and lichens have been determined. The 239,240 Pu, 238 Pu and 241 Am concentration ranges in tree trunk lichens 0.83-1.87, 0.052-0.154 and 0.180-0.770 Bq/kg, respectively. The corresponding values in tree mosses are higher and more scattered ranging from 0.321 to 4.96, from 0.029 to 0.171 and from 0.200 to 1.93 Bq/kg. The mean 238 Pu/ 239,240 Pu and 241 Am/ 239,240 Pu ratios are 0.088±0.037 and 0.38 ± 0.13 in lichens and 0.091±0.072 and 0.54±0.16 in tree mosses. The Pu and Am concentrations are relatively low in terrestrial mosses. The 239,240 Pu, 238 Pu and 241 Am vertical distributions in a terrestrial moss core (Neckera Crispa) collected near Urbino (central Italy) show an exponential decrease with the height. On the contrary the 241 Am vertical distribution in another terrestrial moss core (Sphagnum Compactum) collected in the Alps (northern Italy) shows an interesting peak at 16 cm which corresponds to the deposition of fallout from the nuclear weapon tests in 1960's. The 241 Am movement upward and downward in the moss core is also studied. The results show once again that both mosses and lichens are very effective accumulators of Pu and Am and that they can be used as good biological indicators of the radionuclide airborne pollution from nuclear facilities and nuclear weapon tests. They can play a very important role in cycling naturally or artificially enhanced radionuclides in the atmosphere over long time scales. (author)

International Commercial Contracts, by Giuditta Cordero Moss. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lando, Ole

2015-01-01

Review of: Giuditta Cordero Moss, International Commercial Contracts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. XV + 329 pages. ISBN: 9781107684713......Review of: Giuditta Cordero Moss, International Commercial Contracts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014. XV + 329 pages. ISBN: 9781107684713...

International Workshop on Current Problems in Condensed Matter

CERN Document Server

Current Problems in Condensed Matter

1998-01-01

This volume contains the papers presented at the International Workshop on the Cur­ rent Problems in Condensed Matter: Theory and Experiment, held at Cocoyoc, More­ los, Mexico, during January 5-9, 1997. The participants had come from Argentina, Austria, Chile, England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, and the USA. The presentations at the Workshop provided state-of-art reviews of many of the most important problems, currently under study, in condensed matter. Equally important to all the participants in the workshop was the fact that we had come to honor a friend, Karl Heinz Bennemann, on his sixty-fifth birthday. This Festschrift is just a small measure of recognition of the intellectualleadership of Professor Bennemann in the field and equally important, as a sincere tribute to his qualities as an exceptional friend, college and mentor. Those who have had the privilege to work closely with Karl have been deeply touched by Karl's inquisitive scientific mind as well as by bis k...

Air Pollution with Heavy Metals and Radionuclides in Slovakia Studied by the Moss Biomonitoring Technique

CERN Document Server

Florek, M; Mankovska, B; Oprea, K; Pavlov, S S; Steinnes, E; Sykora, I

2001-01-01

Applying the moss biomonitoring technique to air pollution studies in Slovakia, heavy metals, rare-earth elements, actinides (U and Th) were determined in 86 moss samples from the European moss survey 2000 by means of epithermal neutron activation analysis at the IBR-2 reactor (Dubna). Such elements as In, Cu, Cd, Hg and Pb were determined by AAS in the Forest Research Institute, Zvolen (Slovakia). The results of measurement of the natural radionuclides ^{210}Pb, ^{7}Be, ^{137}Cs and ^{40}K in 11 samples of moss are also reported. A comparison with the results from moss surveys 1991 and 1995 revealed previously unknown tendencies of air pollution in the examined areas.

Unexpected diversity in mosses on walls of modern buildings

OpenAIRE

Hofbauer, Wolfgang; Forrest, Laura L.; Hollingsworth, Michelle L.; Rennebarth, Thorsten; Breuer, Klaus

2014-01-01

Previous investigations of the first colonizers of modern building surfaces, especially of external thermal insulation compound system (ETICS), revealed that after a certain while certain mosses may be found amongst them. Usually fungal and algal colonizers are faster, but after only a few years, moss growth may start if conditions are favorable. The primary aim of the project between the "Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE)" and the Fraunhofer-Institute for Building Physics IBP was to obta...

The Power of Prevention: Dr. Karl Augustus Menninger.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillogly, Robert R.

1993-01-01

This issue's "Voices of Pioneers" segment features the work of Karl Menninger, pre-eminent psychiatrist, and his contributions to prison reform, mental health, and child care systems. Notes many of Menninger's books and writings, including relevant quotes throughout the article. Also describes Menninger's concern over the plight of…

Karl Kolbenheyer (1841–1901 – teacher, naturalist, tourist

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Stefan Witold Alexandrowicz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Karl Kolbenheyer was born on May 28, 1841 in Bielsko. After attending a lower secondary school in Cieszyn, he began studies in classical languages (Greek and Latin at universities in Vienna and Jena, then he worked as a teacher in lower secondary schools in Lewocza, Cieszyn, and Bielsko. The research he undertook included botanical studies, measurements of absolute elevation, and meteorological observations in the Western Beskids as well as in the Tatra Mountains. The results of the studies were printed in German, Austrian, Polish, and Hungarian publications. He found species of plants not known earlier to exist in the area of Cieszyn and Bielsko. The measurements of elevations he made of characteristic points of landscape (more than 500 were used for cartographic purposes. From 1866 on, he was a member of Physiographic Commission of Kraków Scientific Society, and later of the Academy of Arts and Sciences, which financially supported his field work. Karl Kolbenheyer was one of the founders of the Beskidenverein – a German tourist organisation – and managed its branch in Bielsko. He prepared two tourist guides: the guide to Tatra Mountains – Die hohe Tatra (ten editions, and to the Beskids – Führer durch die Beskiden… (two editions. These guides contributed to the remarkable propagation of tourism. Karl Kolbenheyer died on February 1, 1901, and was buried at the Old Evangelical Cemetery in Bielsko.

Karl Timoleon v. Neff / Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Vogel von Vogelstein, Carl Christian, 1788-1868

2004-01-01

"Ruskii Bibliofil", 1912, nr. 4, lk. 34; fotol tekst: "Piano di Sorrento, Villa Pisani, 20. Juli 1843". Neffi käega kirjutatud: "Karl Timoleon v. Neff geboren in Pühs in Estland im Jahre 1804 d. 2. October"

Distribution pattern of 137Cs in carpets of the forest-moss Pleurozium schreiberi

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattsson, S.; Liden, K.

1974-11-01

The accumulation, retention and internal cycling of the fallout radionuclide 137 Cs (physical half-life = 30.2 a) has been studied in forest moss (Pleurozium schreberi) collected in southern Sweden (56.4 deg N, 14.3 deg E) during the period 1961-1973. The highest 137 Cs-concentrations have been found in the green top parts of the living plants. The study shows that a dominating part of the deposited 137 Cs is available for transport from dying to growing parts of the plants. The elimination of 137 Cs from living moss-plants as well as from dead modd during the period 1968-1973 can be characterized by the same mean residence time, (4 +- 1)a. The radionuclide 137 Cs and the naturally occurring stable element potassium show different behaviour in the moss vegetation, so that the 137 Cs/K-ratio is higher by a factor of approximately 2 in the dead parts of the moss than in the living parts. The vertical distribution of 137 Cs in the moss-covered ground has been studied down to a dry-mass depth of about 100 kg m -2 and can theoretically be described by a model which was earlier empirically deduced for lichen-covered ground (Mattsson, 1972). The relative penetration of 137 Cs is around five times higher in the ground covered by moss-carpets than in the ground covered by lichen-carpets. During the period 1969-1973, the total amount of 137 Cs retained in the moss-carpet was found to be 64.2 +- 2.2 nCi m -2 . (author)

Characterization and speciation of mercury in mosses and lichens from the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Jun-Juan; Liu, Cheng-Bin; Zhang, Qing-Hua; Fu, Jian-Jie; Yang, Rui-Qiang; Shi, Jian-Bo; Cai, Yong; Jiang, Gui-Bin

2017-06-01

The accumulation and species of mercury (Hg) in mosses and lichens collected from high-altitude Tibetan Plateau were studied. The altitudes of the sampling sites spanned from 1983 to 5147 m, and a total of 130 mosses and 52 lichens were analyzed. The total mercury (THg) contents in mosses and lichens were in the ranges of 13.1-273.0 and 20.2-345.9 ng/g, respectively. The average ratios of methylmercury (MeHg) in THg in mosses and lichens were 2.4 % (0.3-11.1 %) and 2.7 % (0.4-9.6 %), respectively, which were higher than those values reported in other regions. The contents of THg in both mosses and lichens were not correlated with the THg in soils (p > 0.05). The lipid contents displayed a significantly positive correlation with concentrations of MeHg in mosses (r = 0.461, p Tibetan Plateau.

Karl Raimund Popper: Problem Neopositivistik dan Teori Kritis Falsifikasi

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M. Syamsul Huda

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Karl Popper once criticizes the positivistic paradigm by means of what he calls the theory of falsification. To him, the positivistic paradigm constitutes a failure simply because it cannot distinguish between science and prude science, that is, between empirical method and non-empirical method. In the scientific knowledge, empirical science, mathematics and logic must be differentiated, something that the positivistic paradigm has failed to do. This paradigm furthermore, did not have a clear picture what logic-based science is, empirical knowledge and psychology of knowledge. It also fails to properly understand knowledge that springs from tradition, emotion, authority and so forth. All positivistic paradigms such as that of Karl Max’s Historicism, Freud’s theory of Psycho Analysis, Adler’s theory of Individual Analysis and Newton’s theory of Gravitation fall into this trap of failure.

Monitoring of heavy metal load - by mosses or rain water chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruoho-Airola, T. [Finnish Meteorological Inst., Helsinki (Finland); Maekelae, K. [National Board of Waters and the Environment, Helsinki (Finland)

1995-12-31

The deposition of heavy metals is usually determined from precipitation chemistry but the moss technique has been increasingly used, particularly in the Nordic countries. Some international monitoring programmes, e.g. UN/ECE Integrated Monitoring, give them as alternative methods. However, their comparability has not been sufficiently determined. This study compares the two monitoring methods for Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn, which have different sources. The metal industry is an important source of Pb and Cd emissions. Long- range transport as well as traffic and local emissions are also important sources for Pb. The use of fertilizers and fossil fuels also result in Cd emissions. Cu and Zn are emitted from metal industries and local sources. Unlike Pb and Cd, Cu and Zn are essential elements for living organisms. Cu and Zn are needed in many enzymes and Zn in proteins. Mosses are thought to take all their nutrients from the air. The deposition of heavy metals is also effectively retained by mosses and may be used to indicate levels of heavy metal deposition. In northern countries the mosses are isolated from air (and therefore also from deposition) by snow in winter. In this study both the bulk deposition of the whole year (later `total deposition`) and the bulk deposition of the snow-free period (later `bare ground deposition`) are compared to the metal concentrations in mosses. (author)

Monitoring of heavy metal load - by mosses or rain water chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruoho-Airola, T [Finnish Meteorological Inst., Helsinki (Finland); Maekelae, K [National Board of Waters and the Environment, Helsinki (Finland)

1996-12-31

The deposition of heavy metals is usually determined from precipitation chemistry but the moss technique has been increasingly used, particularly in the Nordic countries. Some international monitoring programmes, e.g. UN/ECE Integrated Monitoring, give them as alternative methods. However, their comparability has not been sufficiently determined. This study compares the two monitoring methods for Pb, Cd, Cu and Zn, which have different sources. The metal industry is an important source of Pb and Cd emissions. Long- range transport as well as traffic and local emissions are also important sources for Pb. The use of fertilizers and fossil fuels also result in Cd emissions. Cu and Zn are emitted from metal industries and local sources. Unlike Pb and Cd, Cu and Zn are essential elements for living organisms. Cu and Zn are needed in many enzymes and Zn in proteins. Mosses are thought to take all their nutrients from the air. The deposition of heavy metals is also effectively retained by mosses and may be used to indicate levels of heavy metal deposition. In northern countries the mosses are isolated from air (and therefore also from deposition) by snow in winter. In this study both the bulk deposition of the whole year (later `total deposition`) and the bulk deposition of the snow-free period (later `bare ground deposition`) are compared to the metal concentrations in mosses. (author)

Karl Schwarzschild and the professionalization of astrophysics. (German Title: Karl Schwarzschild und die Professionalisierung der Astrophysik)

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt-Kaler, Theodor

Professionalization is characteristic for physics and astronomy since 1830, and forms the basis for their rapid evolution in the 20th century. Karl Schwarzschild's contributions to professionalization of astronomy are presented: the introduction of course lectures in a repeating cycle, a permanent astrophysical laboratory, a tight connection between teaching and research, simulations and suggestions for astronomy at high schools and for the training of high school teachers, an interest in international organisation, and the initiative and planning of a southern observatory.

Three Göttingen lectures by Karl Schwarzschild, 1904-1905. (German Title: Drei Göttinger Vorlesungen Karl Schwarzschilds 1904-1905)

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt-Kaler, Theodor

Karl Schwarzschild (1873-1916), perhaps the most eminent astronomer of his time, was professor at Göttingen University from 1901 to 1909. Three of his lectures from the years 1904 to 1906 are available in the form of copy-books written by his students Arnold Kohlschütter (1883-1969) and Max Born (1882-1970). Here, an overview of these lectures is given.

Further promotion of the use of mosses and lichens for studies of atmospheric deposition of trace elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinnes, Eiliv

2001-01-01

Some recent and ongoing studies related to the use of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric metal deposition are briefly reviewed. Issues discussed in particular are the conversion of concentration in moss to absolute deposition values, introduction of a second-generation ICP-MS instrument for moss analysis, determination of stable lead isotope ratios in mosses for source apportionment, and temporal trends of lead and cadmium deposition in Norway. A novel nuclear technique for the determination of fluorine in mosses surrounding an aluminium smelter is presented. (author)

hts 63_4_ vanwyk natie karl barth 2007 _outeur

African Journals Online (AJOL)

p1243322

Karl Barth's dogmatics is a theology of the Second Article of the Creed .... his theology: • According to Barth, ethics is the teaching of God's command (Gebot). ...... Americanism in the form of religious show business is threatening to destroy our ...

Active Moss Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Trace Element Deposition in Belgrade Urban Area using ENAA and AAS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anicic, M.; Tasic, M.; Tomasevic, M.; Rajsic, S.; Frontasyeva, M. V.; Strelkova, L. P.; Steinnes, E.

2007-01-01

Active biomonitoring of air quality in Belgrade, Serbia, was performed using the moss Sphagnum girgensohnii. Moss bags were exposed in parallel with and without irrigation respectively for four consecutive 3-month periods at three urban sites. Twenty-nine elements were determined in the exposed moss samples by ENAA and three (Cu, Cd, and Pb) by AAS. The relative accumulation factor (RAF) was greater than 1 for the majority of elements. Elements such as Cl, K, Rb and Cs, however, leached from the moss tissue during the exposure time. For all exposure periods, higher uptake in the irrigated moss bags was evident for Al, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, Sr, Pb, and Cd

Beryllium-7 and 210Pb atmospheric deposition measured in moss and dependence on cumulative precipitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krmar, M.; Mihailović, D.T.; Arsenić, I.; Radnović, D.; Pap, I.

2016-01-01

This paper focuses on analysis of the time series of 7 Be and 210 Pb activity measured in moss, and the amount, as well as duration of precipitation, to gain a better understanding of the possible relationships between airborne radionuclide deposition and precipitation. Here we consider whether the amount of these airborne radionuclides in moss samples is a cumulative measure of radionuclide deposition and decay, and a new approach for analyses of the relationships between precipitation and moss activity concentrations is suggested. Through these analyses it was shown that comparison of cumulative activity measured at one location using moss, normalized by values of cumulative amount or duration of precipitation, showed different regimes of airborne radionuclide deposition. - Graphical abstract: Correlation between cumulative activity of 7 Be and 210 Pb measured in moss samples normalized by the cumulative precipitation. - Highlights: • Use of mosses in measurement of airborne radionuclides deposition was investigated • Prior work indicated 7 Be and 210 Pb activities were not correlated with precipitation • This is unusual since radionuclides moss tissues depends on depositional fluxes. • A new method for study of 7 Be and 210 Pb depositional dynamics was developed • Different seasonal regimes of 7 Be deposition are more noticeable in new technique

The Wartime Success of Karl Shapiro's V-Letter

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oostdijk, D.M.

2006-01-01

The American soldier-poet Karl Shapiro won the Pulitzer Prize for V-Letter and Other Poems (1944), making him an instant celebrity. The volume was written while he was stationed in Australia and New Guinea during World War II. Shaprio sent the completed poems to his fiancée, Evalyn Katz, who edited

Kõne EV aastapäeva aktusel / Karl Altau

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Altau, Karl Stephen, 1959-

2006-01-01

Läti kirikus peetud Eesti Vabariigi aastapäeva aktusel rääkis Karl Altau Ühendatud Balti Ameerika Komitee nimel kommunismi ohvrite mälestussamba ehitamise alustamisest Washingtoni kesklinna 2006. aastal, koostööst kõigi baltlaste vahel ja võimalusest annetada, üleskutsest toetada Valgevene rahvast teel demokraatiale

Twee vroeë reaksies van Gereformeerde kant op Karl Barth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. J. Engelbrecht

1986-06-01

Full Text Available In 1919 het die eerste uitgawe van die epogmakende “Romerbrief” van Karl Barth verskyn. Van die tweede druk in 1922 sê hy dat “kein Stein mehr auf dem andem” gelaat is nie. So opspraakwekkend was hierdie boek dat in 1929 die 5de druk van die tweede, radikaal-hersiene uitgawe verskyn het. Intussen het nog ander werke van Barth en selfs oor Barth verskyn. 0ns noem o.a. sy Der Christ in der Gesellschaft (1920; Das Wort Gottes und die Theologie (1924; Vom Christlichen Leben (1926; Auferstehung der Toten (2. Aufl. 1927, sy preke saam met Eduard Thurneysen Komm Schopfer Geist, (Dritt Aufl., 7-9 Tausend(! 1926. Maar 1927 was veral belangrik vanweë die verskyning van Barth se eerste Dogmatiekboek: “Die Christliche Dogmatik im Entwurf. 1 Die Lehre vom Worte Gottes. Prolegomena zur Christlichen Dogmatik” . Voor dié datum het dwarsoor die wêreld, maar ook in Nederland wye reaksie op sy teologie ontstaan. In 1926 skryf Max Strauch sy “Theologie Karl Barth’s”, terwyl Haitjema in Nederland ook in 1926 sy Barth boek die lig laat sien (Prof. dr. Th. L. Haitjema, Karl Barth, Wageningen 1926. Ander Nederlanders wat gereageer het, was drr. A. H. de Hartog, V. Hepp, Ph. Kohnstamm en di. D. Tromp en 0. Noordmans.

Karl Popper at ninety: Highlights of a lifelong intellectual quest

Science.gov (United States)

Selleri, Franco; van der Merwe, Alwyn

1991-12-01

On the occasion of his ninetieth birthday, Karl Popper's lifelong pursuit of answers in several areas of scientific and philosophical thinking is briefly traced, mainly with reference to excerpts from his own writings.

Some epistemology ́s elements of Social Science by Karl PopperAlguns elementos da Epistemolgia da Ciências Sociais de Karl Popper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julio Cesar Rodrigues Pereira

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This article discusses the main elements of the epistemology of human sciences of Karl Popper. It was organized as follows. First, we positioned ourselves in the Popper-Adorno controversy. Then weestablished the parameters of discussion, particularly in regards to the idea of “scientific explanation”. Some elements of Popper’s Theory of Knowledge are then analyzed. The final part discusses thescientific parameters of Social Sciences.Este artigo discute os principais elementos da epistemologia das ciências humanas de Karl Popper. Foi organizado como segue. Em primeiro lugar, nos posionamos sobre a  polêmica Popper-Adorno. Então, nós estabelecemos os parâmetros de discussão, nomeadamente no que respeita a idéia de "explicação científica". A seguir são analisados alguns elementos da Teoria do Conhecimento de Popper. A parte final discute os parâmetros científicos de Ciências Sociais

L’empathie comme outil herméneutique du soi: Note sur Paul Ricœur et Heinz Kohut

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Michel Dupuis

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Le bref texte que Paul Ricœur consacre en 1986 à la psychanalyse développée par Heinz Kohut révèle une réinterprétation phénoménologique à la fois du contenu et des fonctions de l'empathie, au total considérée comme un véritable outil à l'œuvre dans l'herméneutique du soi. La vision kohutienne de la constitution du soi et du processus thérapeutique analytique produit une espèce de “dé-sentimentalisation” de l'empathie, en soulignant le rôle crucial du transfert intersubjectif, fort à distance de la théorie (freudienne solipsiste de l'ego.The short text published in 1986 by Paul Ricoeur about Heinz Kohut's psychoanalysis of the self reveals a phenomenological reinterpretation of the content and the functions of empathy, finally considered as an effective tool of the hermeneutics of the self. Kohut's model of constitution of the self and of the therapeutic analytical process produces a kind of “de-sentimentalization” of empathy, pointing to the crucial role of intersubjective transfer, far from a (Freudian solipsistic theory of the ego.

Immunity in the moss Physcomitrella patens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bressendorff, Simon

model system, we identify and create targeted knock out of nine Physcomitrella homologs of defense related Arabidopsis genes. The knock-out lines are assessed for altered immune responses to a range of different pathogens. We find that at least one Physcomitrella mitogen activated protein kinase (MPK...... molecular patterns (MAMPs) including fungal chitin and bacterial MAMPs. The knock out of PpMPK4A renders the moss more susceptible to the pathogenic fungi Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria brassicicola and fails to accumulate several defense related transcripts and ROS production upon treatment with fungal...... to MAMP-triggered immunity, and the moss may use other signaling components to respond to abiotic stresses. In addition, a Physcomitrella knock-out of a homolog of the autophagy related gene ATG5 provides the first analysis of autophagy in non-vascular plants. PpATG5 knock-out mutants show clear signs...

Marine Gradients of Halogens in Moss Studied by Epithermal Neutron Activation Analysis

CERN Document Server

Frontasyeva, M V

2002-01-01

Epithermal neutron activation analysis is known to be a powerful technique for the simultaneous study of chlorine, bromine and iodine in environmental samples. In this paper it is shown to be useful to elucidate marine gradients of these elements. Examples are from a transect study in northern Norway where samples of the feather moss Hylocomium splendens were collected at distances 0-300 km from the coastline. All three elements decreased exponentially as a function of distance from the ocean in the moss samples, strongly indicating that atmospheric supply from the marine environment is the predominant source of these elements to the terrestrial ecosystem. These results are compared with similar data for surface soils along the same gradients. Comparison is also made with previous data for halogens in moss in Norway obtained by conventional NAA and covering similar transects in other geographical regions. The Cl/Br and Br/I ratios in moss showed a regular change distance from the ocean in all transects, and h...

Evaluation of Species Richness of Acrocarpous Mosses in Imphal District, Manipur, India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Govindapyari

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Mosses are remarkably successful colonizer on the variety of habitats. They can survive in extreme environmental conditions where only a few other plants grow. The main attributes of mosses are compact growth form, ability to retain moisture, ectohydric nature, poikilohydry and low growing habit. The occurrence of a particular species may reflect the microclimate of the locality. The present study reveals 75 species of acrocarpous mosses belonging to 23 genera and nine families from Imphal district which is an urban site of tropical climate. The most frequently occurring family is observed to be Pottiaceae with 28 species and 11 genera. The genus Bryum with 13 species is found to have highest number of species followed by Fissidens and Physcomitrium. Splachnobryum sp. and Bryum argenteum are found to be distributed on the nitrophilous substrata. It seems that changing climatic conditions and pollution are restricting the sexual reproduction and subsequently the genetic variability and adaptability in the moss taxa.

[Chemical-nutritional characterization of the moss Spagnum magellanicum].

Science.gov (United States)

Villarroel, Mario; Biolley, Edith; Yáñez, Enrique; Peralta, Rosario

2002-12-01

The goal of the present study was to know the chemical characteristics of the moss Sphagnum magellanicum (S.M.) growing in the southern part of Chile, spreading approximately. in a geographic area of 500.000 Has. Very few antecedents are reported in the literature concerning the functional properties of this resource, with the exception of the water absorption and holding capacity. Many of the industrial or agricultural uses of this moss are strongly related with this characteristic. Looking for other alternatives of utilization, it has been planned its incorporation to staple foods as a source of dietary fiber. But first it is necessary to know its chemical characteristics Representative samples of this material were submitted to different chemical analysis such as proximal analysis, fractional fiber analysis and anti nutrient factors.. Results of those analysis show the high amount of dietary fiber founded in this resource (77%), higher than reported data for other traditional fiber sources such as lupin bran, rice hull, barley hull, oat bran, etc. Finally it is important emphasize the absence of antinutrient factor in this moss, that could make feasible its use for human nutrition.

Glyco-engineering for biopharmaceutical production in moss bioreactors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva L. Decker

2014-07-01

Full Text Available The production of recombinant biopharmaceuticals (pharmaceutical proteins is a strongly growing area in the pharmaceutical industry. While most products to date are produced in mammalian cell cultures, namely CHO cells, plant-based production systems gained increasing acceptance over the last years. Different plant systems have been established which are suitable for standardization and precise control of cultivation conditions, thus meeting the criteria for pharmaceutical production.The majority of biopharmaceuticals comprise glycoproteins. Therefore, differences in protein glycosylation between humans and plants have to be taken into account and plant-specific glycosylation has to be eliminated to avoid adverse effects on quality, safety and efficacy of the products.The basal land plant Physcomitrella patens (moss has been employed for the recombinant production of high-value therapeutic target proteins (e.g., Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, Complement Factor H, monoclonal antibodies, Erythropoietin. Being genetically excellently characterized and exceptionally amenable for precise gene targeting via homologous recombination, essential steps for the optimization of moss as a bioreactor for the production of recombinant proteins have been undertaken.Here, we discuss the glyco-engineering approaches to avoid non-human N- and O-glycosylation on target proteins produced in moss bioreactors.

Assessing the recovery potential of alpine moss-sedge heath: Reciprocal transplants along a nitrogen deposition gradient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armitage, Heather F.; Britton, Andrea J.; Woodin, Sarah J.; Wal, Rene van der

2011-01-01

The potential of alpine moss-sedge heath to recover from elevated nitrogen (N) deposition was assessed by transplanting Racomitrium lanuginosum shoots and vegetation turfs between 10 elevated N deposition sites (8.2-32.9 kg ha -1 yr -1 ) and a low N deposition site, Ben Wyvis (7.2 kg ha -1 yr -1 ). After two years, tissue N of Racomitrium shoots transplanted from higher N sites to Ben Wyvis only partially equilibrated to reduced N deposition whereas reciprocal transplants almost matched the tissue N of indigenous moss. Unexpectedly, moss shoot growth was stimulated at higher N deposition sites. However, moss depth and biomass increased in turfs transplanted to Ben Wyvis, apparently due to slower shoot turnover (suggested to result partly from decreased tissue C:N slowing decomposition), whilst abundance of vascular species declined. Racomitrium heath has the potential to recover from the impacts of N deposition; however, this is constrained by the persistence of enhanced moss tissue N contents. - Alpine moss-sedge heath, dominated by Racomitrium lanuginosum, from across the UK has the potential to recover from the impacts of N pollution; however, this is constrained by persistence of enhanced moss tissue N contents.

Assessing the recovery potential of alpine moss-sedge heath: Reciprocal transplants along a nitrogen deposition gradient

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Armitage, Heather F., E-mail: h.armitage@abdn.ac.u [Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH (United Kingdom); Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU (United Kingdom); Britton, Andrea J. [Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH (United Kingdom); Woodin, Sarah J. [Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU (United Kingdom); Wal, Rene van der [Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES), School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU (United Kingdom)

2011-01-15

The potential of alpine moss-sedge heath to recover from elevated nitrogen (N) deposition was assessed by transplanting Racomitrium lanuginosum shoots and vegetation turfs between 10 elevated N deposition sites (8.2-32.9 kg ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1}) and a low N deposition site, Ben Wyvis (7.2 kg ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1}). After two years, tissue N of Racomitrium shoots transplanted from higher N sites to Ben Wyvis only partially equilibrated to reduced N deposition whereas reciprocal transplants almost matched the tissue N of indigenous moss. Unexpectedly, moss shoot growth was stimulated at higher N deposition sites. However, moss depth and biomass increased in turfs transplanted to Ben Wyvis, apparently due to slower shoot turnover (suggested to result partly from decreased tissue C:N slowing decomposition), whilst abundance of vascular species declined. Racomitrium heath has the potential to recover from the impacts of N deposition; however, this is constrained by the persistence of enhanced moss tissue N contents. - Alpine moss-sedge heath, dominated by Racomitrium lanuginosum, from across the UK has the potential to recover from the impacts of N pollution; however, this is constrained by persistence of enhanced moss tissue N contents.

KARL RAHNER, UM INQUIETO TEÓLOGO ECUMÊNICO

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Mario de França Miranda

2004-01-01

Full Text Available O artigo apresenta, em grandes linhas, o pensamento ecumênico de Karl Rahner. No novo contexto aberto pelo Concílio Vaticano II, este teólogo defronta-se com as dificuldades de cunho sociocultural, doutrinário e institucional, que dividem as Igrejas cristãs. Enfatizando a centralidade da fé em Jesus Cristo, vivida com autenticidade, pleiteia uma única Igreja Católica, na qual estejam presentes, com sua rica diversidade, as demais Igrejas. Suas reflexões se revelam pertinentes para as Igrejas cristãs na América Latina. ABSTRACT: This article presents Karl Rahner’s ecumenical views. With the new context introduced by the Vatican Council II, Rahner faces the social-cultural, doctrinal and institutional difficulties dividing the Christian Churches. Rahner emphasizes the centrality of faith in Jesus Christ lived with authenticity, and proposes one Catholic Church in which the other Churches may be present with their rich diversity. His reflections are revealed as pertinent to the Christian Churches in Latin America

Moss and lichen cover mapping at local and regional scales in the boreal forest ecosystem of central Canada

Science.gov (United States)

Rapalee, G.; Steyaert, L.T.; Hall, F.G.

2001-01-01

Mosses and lichens are important components of boreal landscapes [Vitt et al., 1994; Bubier et al., 1997]. They affect plant productivity and belowground carbon sequestration and alter the surface runoff and energy balance. We report the use of multiresolution satellite data to map moss and lichens over the BOREAS region at a 10 m, 30 m, and 1 km scales. Our moss and lichen classification at the 10 m scale is based on ground observations of associations among soil drainage classes, overstory composition, and cover type among four broad classes of ground cover (feather, sphagnum, and brown mosses and lichens). For our 30 m map, we used field observations of ground cover-overstory associations to map mosses and lichens in the BOREAS southern study area (SSA). To scale up to a 1 km (AVHRR) moss map of the BOREAS region, we used the TM SSA mosaics plus regional field data to identify AVHRR overstory-ground cover associations. We found that: 1) ground cover, overstory composition and density are highly correlated, permitting inference of moss and lichen cover from satellite-based land cover classifications; 2) our 1 km moss map reveals that mosses dominate the boreal landscape of central Canada, thereby a significant factor for water, energy, and carbon modeling; 3) TM and AVHRR moss cover maps are comparable; 4) satellite data resolution is important; particularly in detecting the smaller wetland features, lakes, and upland jack pine sites; and 5) distinct regional patterns of moss and lichen cover correspond to latitudinal and elevational gradients. Copyright 2001 by the American Geophysical Union.

Gravity regulation in tuber-bearing moss Leptobryum pyriforme (Hedw.) Wilson

Science.gov (United States)

Lobachevska, Oksana

Considerable number of moss species is propagated asexually, and asexual reproduction is the key factor of their life strategy and effective mechanism of rapid population and attaching plants to habitats with great environmental fluctuations (Velde et al., 2001; Frey, Kűrshner, 2010). It has been shown for the first time for gravisensitive species Leptobryum pyriforme (Hedw.) Wilson that the development of propagules as organs of vegetative reproduction and accumulation of nutrient substances is gravidependent phenomenon. L. pyriforme differs from other moss species in higher growth and development rate. In darkness the greatest bundle of gravisensitive negatively gravitropic filaments (above 50 filaments) of both caulonemal and chloronemal type arised from 1 protonemal ball of moss. Perhaps, it is caused by high protonema gravisensitivity and morphogenetic effectiveness of gravitation force. It has been shown that propagules of L. pyriforme are formed much faster in darkness and their number is twice higher than on light. After five-day clinorotation of the L. pyriforme turfs the number of propagules is lower in darkness compared to gravistimulated turfs and higher than on the light. Thus, vegetative reproduction of L. pyriforme is the gravidependent process and gravitation force has stimulating influence on the formation of propagula. In L. pyriforme rhizoid tubers from round to oval (93-116 x ({) } (x) 120-148 muμm) are formed from 5-6 big cells (70 x ({) } (x) 80 muμm). Due to small capsules, L{it pyriforme }does not have a lot of big spores which are spread to insignificant distances, the mass formation of brood organs promotes moss survival and its preservation. The results of investigation prove the participation of rhizoids and rhizoid tubers as imperceptible but important phase of vital cycle of moss species - settlers in realization of vital tolerance strategy to extreme conditions of temporarily available habitats: due to rapid method of spatial

Karl Marx, un periodista en la Era del Capital. Apuntes para una investigación

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Espinoza Pino, Mario

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The aim of this article is to criticize the traditional representation of Karl Marx’s journalistic works, usually forgotten by a misleading canon that assumes his articles only as a minor work. One of the problems of this traditional conception is that it dissociates his theoretical and economic contributions from the historical development of the author’s thought (and also from its material roots. We will try to point the importance of Karl Marx’s mature journalism in two areas: in the construction of the central concepts of his critic against the capitalist mode of production (surplus value, a multilineal historical perspective, a global description of the world market, etc. and in the production of political cartographies to intervene in the class conflict. This article poses several hypothesis and tentative affirmations about Karl Marx’s journalism that may serve as a point of departure for a critical research.El objetivo de este artículo es criticar la representación tradicional del trabajo periodístico de Karl Marx, habitualmente olvidado por un canon engañoso que sólo asume sus artículos al precio de convertirlos en una obra menor. Uno de los problemas de esta concepción tradicional es que disocia sus contribuciones teóricas y económicas del desarrollo histórico del pensamiento del autor (y también de sus raíces materiales. Intentaremos señalar la importancia del periodismo maduro de Karl Marx en dos áreas: en la construcción de los conceptos centrales de su crítica contra el capitalismo (plusvalor, un enfoque histórico multilineal, una descripción global del mercado mundial, etc. y en la producción de cartografías políticas para intervenir en el conflicto de clases. Este artículo plantea varias hipótesis y afirmaciones tentativas sobre el periodismo de Karl Marx que pueden servir como punto de partida de una investigación crítica.

Influence of canopy drip on the indicative N, S and δ15N content in moss Hypnum cupressiforme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skudnik, Mitja; Jeran, Zvonka; Batič, Franc; Simončič, Primož; Lojen, Sonja; Kastelec, Damijana

2014-01-01

Samples of Hypnum cupressiforme were collected at two types of site in forest areas: within the forest stand and within forest openings, and analyzed for N and S concentrations and δ 15 N. Mosses sampled within forest openings reflect the atmospheric N deposition; however, no influence of throughfall N deposition on the N in the moss that was sampled within the forest stand was found, nor was any influence of S deposition on the S in the moss found. For the N and S concentrations in the mosses sampled within forest openings, the within-site variability was comparable to the between-site variability, and for the δ 15 N, the within-site variability was lower than the between-site. The results showed that a short distance ( 15 N content in moss on atmospheric deposition. • Moss sampled within forest openings reflect the atmospheric N but not S deposition. • Higher N and S content was found in mosses sampled in areas within the forest stand. • Metadata describing the boundary condition of moss sampling location is important. - H. cupressiforme reflects the atmospheric deposition of N but not S; a distance less than 1 m between the sampling site and the nearest tree crown increases the N and S concentrations in the moss

Historical consciousness and existential awareness in Karl Barth\\'s ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Karl Barth's hermeneutic legacy prolonged Western Christian tradition, especially influenced by Hegelian philosophy of history. This led to Barth's “theological exegesis” instead of a historic-critical exegesis. In a preceding article Barth's understanding of the notion “hermeneutic circle” is discussed against the background of ...

The natural depuration rate of 137Cs radionuclides in a lichen and moss species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Topcuoglu, S.; Dawen, A.M. van; Gungor, N.

1995-01-01

Caesium-137 concentrations in lichen and moss samples have been studied for calculations of natural depuration rates. The lichen and moss species were collected from the same trees in western and eastern Black Sea region during the periods of 1987-1992 and 1990-1993, respectively. The natural depuration rates are estimated at biological half-lives. The pattern of depuration results represented by a single component for each non-vascular plant. The biological half-lives of 137 Cs in a lichen and moss samples (Xanthoria parietina and Leucodon immersus) are estimated to be 5.86 and 10.9 months, respectively. This work set supports the view that radioactivity monitoring in lichens can be a more useful monitor than mosses to determine the lasting effect of radioactive fallout. (author)

Natural radionuclides and 137Cs in moss and lichen in eastern Serbia

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Čučulović Ana

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of radionuclides determination in moss (Homolothecium sp., Hypnum Cupressiforme sp., and Brachythecium sp. and lichen (Cladonia sp. sampled in the region of Eastern Serbia during 1996-2010. The activities in moss are in the range of 100-500 Bq/kg d. w. for 40K, and 5-50 Bq/kg d. w. for 226Ra and 232Th, while the “soil-to-moss” transfer factors are 0.45 for 40K, 3 for 226Ra, and 0.3 for 232Th. The spatial distribution of the 137Cs activities is highly non-uniform; some values reach 500 Bq/kg d. w., with less than 10% of the samples, mainly the ones taken prior to 2000, with the activity above 1000 Bq/kg d. w. The variations in the content of natural radionuclides among the moss species are not significant. The frequency pattern of the activities of natural radionuclides in lichen is similar to the one in moss, but the activities in lichen are to some extent lower. The mean activity of 137Cs in lichen is below 400 Bq/kg d. w. The mean activities of 7Be in moss and lichen sampled in 2006 and 2008 are in the range of 41-122 Bq/kg d. w., with pronounced variations between the sampling sites.

Karl Ristikivi rändav Arkaadia / Janika Kronberg, Brita Melts

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Kronberg, Janika, 1963-

2012-01-01

Artikkel jälgib Arkaadia-motiivi arengut Karl Ristikivi loomingus, toetudes nii autori poolt läbikäidud maastikele kui ka kunstikriitiku ja teoreetiku Simon Schama töödele. Käsitletakse ka Arkaadia motiivi Euroopa kultuuriloos

Detection, isolation, and characterization of acidophilic methanotrophs from Sphagnum mosses.

Science.gov (United States)

Kip, Nardy; Ouyang, Wenjing; van Winden, Julia; Raghoebarsing, Ashna; van Niftrik, Laura; Pol, Arjan; Pan, Yao; Bodrossy, Levente; van Donselaar, Elly G; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Jetten, Mike S M; Damsté, Jaap S Sinninghe; Op den Camp, Huub J M

2011-08-15

Sphagnum peatlands are important ecosystems in the methane cycle. Methane-oxidizing bacteria in these ecosystems serve as a methane filter and limit methane emissions. Yet little is known about the diversity and identity of the methanotrophs present in and on Sphagnum mosses of peatlands, and only a few isolates are known. The methanotrophic community in Sphagnum mosses, originating from a Dutch peat bog, was investigated using a pmoA microarray. A high biodiversity of both gamma- and alphaproteobacterial methanotrophs was found. With Sphagnum mosses as the inoculum, alpha- and gammaproteobacterial acidophilic methanotrophs were isolated using established and newly designed media. The 16S rRNA, pmoA, pxmA, and mmoX gene sequences showed that the alphaproteobacterial isolates belonged to the Methylocystis and Methylosinus genera. The Methylosinus species isolated are the first acid-tolerant members of this genus. Of the acidophilic gammaproteobacterial strains isolated, strain M5 was affiliated with the Methylomonas genus, and the other strain, M200, may represent a novel genus, most closely related to the genera Methylosoma and Methylovulum. So far, no acidophilic or acid-tolerant methanotrophs in the Gammaproteobacteria class are known. All strains showed the typical features of either type I or II methanotrophs and are, to the best of our knowledge, the first isolated (acidophilic or acid-tolerant) methanotrophs from Sphagnum mosses.

Using of Hylocomium Splendeus moss as radiation bio indicator in Libya

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mansour, M.H.; Elshames, E.E.; Biri, Y.M.; Kikli, A.A.

2007-01-01

Since 1982, environmental surveillance of radioactivity, around the 10 MW swimming pool reactor at the Renewable Energies and Water Distillation Research Centre (REWDRC), Libya, has been carried out by measuring aerosol, fallout on plan sheet, water samples, soil and vegetation.Recently, Hylocomium Splendeus moss, which is abundant within the vicinity area of REWDRC and its surrounding, has been used as radiation bio indicator for radioactive contamination measurements by using gamma spectroscopy technique.The data obtained from the moss samples collected from the studied area showed significant values of Cs-137 and K-40, while soil and grass samples collected from the same area showed negligible value of Cs-137. The data in study indicated that moss sample could be used as environmental surveillance tool to assess the impact of radioactivity in the environment

Update on Development of the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) Instrument for In Situ Geochronology

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Barbara A.; Li, Z.-H.; Miller, J. S.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Clegg, S. M.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Swindle, T. D.; Wiens, R. C.

2013-01-01

Absolute dating of planetary samples is an essential tool to establish the chronology of geological events, including crystallization history, magmatic evolution, and alteration. We are addressing this challenge by developing the Potassium (K) -- Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE), building on previous work to develop a K-Ar in situ instrument. KArLE ablates a rock sample, determines the K in the plasma state using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), measures the liberated Ar using quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS), and relates the two by the volume of the ablated pit using laser confocal microscopy (LCM). Our goal is for the KArLE instrument to be capable of determining the age of several kinds of planetary samples to address a wide range of geochronolgy problems in planetary science.

Gravitropism in caulonemata of the moss Pottia intermedia

Science.gov (United States)

Chaban, C. I.; Kern, V. D.; Ripetskyj, R. T.; Demkiv, O. T.; Sack, F. D.

1998-01-01

The gravitropism of caulonemata of Pottia intermedia is described and compared with that of other mosses. Spore germination produces primary protonemata including caulonemata which give rise to buds that form the leafy moss plant, the gametophore. Primary caulonemata are negatively gravitropic but their growth and the number of filaments are limited in the dark. Axenic culture of gametophores results in the production of secondary caulonemata that usually arise near the leaf base. Secondary protonemata that form in the light are agravitropic. Secondary caulonemata that form when gametophores are placed in the dark for several days show strong negative gravitropism and grow well in the dark. When upright caulonemata are reorientated to the horizontal or are inverted, upward bending can be detected after 1 h and caulonemata reach the vertical within 1-2 d. Clear amyloplast sedimentation occurs 10-15 minutes after horizontal placement and before the start of upward curvature. This sedimentation takes place in a sub-apical zone. Amyloplast sedimentation also takes place along the length of upright and inverted Pottia protonemata. These results support the hypothesis that amyloplast sedimentation functions in gravitropic sensing since sedimentation occurs before gravitropism in Pottia and since the location and presence of a unique sedimentation zone is conserved in all four mosses known to gravitropic protonomata.

Heinz Werner: His Life, Ideas, and Contributions to Developmental Psychology in the First Half of the 20th Century.

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Ostler, Teresa

2016-01-01

The author provides an overview of Heinz Werner's life and contributions to the field of developmental psychology during the first half of the 20th century. She focuses on his early work in Vienna and Munich as well as his tenure at the Psychological Institute in Hamburg, up through the time when he became a named Professor in Psychology at Clark University. Recognized as one of the founders of developmental psychology, Heinz Werner worked in the areas of perceptual development, comparative psychology, and symbol formation. Versatile in rigorous experimental methodologies, and in observational and phenomenological methodologies, Werner's approach to development stood in contrast to other approaches of development, both past and current. For Werner, development was a heuristic, a way of looking at processes in a variety of domains, including ontogeny, phylogeny, microgenesis, biology, developmental psychopathology, neuropsychology, and comparative psychology. Werner viewed development as proceeding from a state of relative globality and lack of differentiation to a state of increasing differentiation, articulation, and hierarchical integration, but he also stressed that individuals can function at different developmental levels under different times and conditions. Werner's holistic, organismic, comparative, and contextual approach to development transcended interdisciplinary boundaries, allowing him to study the interrelatedness between thought, language, feeling, perception, and culture.

Ideal i realnost : Karl von Gershelman - poet-hudozhnik / Mai Levin

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Levin, Mai, 1942-

2005-01-01

Eesti päritolu kunstniku Elisabeth Rosendorff-Hoerschelmanni (1898-1984) ja Eestiga seotud kunstniku ja kirjaniku Karl von Hoerschelmanni (1899-1951) elust ja loomingust. 2004. a. augustis-oktoobris oli kunstnike tööde näitus Adamson-Ericu muuseumis

The nature and consequence of Karl Marx's skin disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Shuster, S

2008-01-01

From an analysis of the original correspondence, it has been possible to establish that Karl Marx's incapacitating skin disease was hidradenitis suppurativa, not 'boils' as was universally assumed at the time and since; the psychological effect of this illness on the man and his work appears to have been considerable.

Hannah Arendt and Karl Jaspers: The Time of Friendship

Science.gov (United States)

Nixon, Jon

2016-01-01

This paper provides an introduction to the enduring friendship between Hannah Arendt and Karl Jaspers. It shows how their intellectual development as public educators was sustained by their ongoing dialogue which flourished not in spite of but because of their huge differences of circumstance and personality. This friendship between two renowned…

New methods reveal oldest known fossil epiphyllous moss: Bryiidites utahensis gen. et sp. nov. (Bryidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Barclay, Richard S; McElwain, Jennifer C; Duckett, Jeffrey G; van Es, Maarten H; Mostaert, Anika S; Pressel, Silvia; Sageman, Bradley B

2013-12-01

Epiphyllous bryophytes are a highly characteristic feature of many humid tropical forest ecosystems. In contrast to the extensive fossil record for the leaves of their host plants, the record is virtually nonexistent for the epiphylls themselves, despite a fossil record for mosses that begins in the Middle Carboniferous Period, 330 million years ago. Epifluorescence optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were employed to investigate an intimate association between a newly discovered epiphyllous moss and a Lauraceae plant host from the middle Cretaceous. We describe the oldest fossil specimen of an epiphyllous moss, Bryiidites utahensis gen. et sp. nov., identified from an individual specimen only 450 µm long, situated on an approximately one millimeter square fossil leaf fragment. The moss epiphyll is exquisitely preserved as germinating spores and short-celled protonemata with transverse and oblique cross-walls closely matching those of extant epiphyllous mosses on the surface of the plant-leaf hosts. The extension of the epiphyll record back to the middle Cretaceous provides fossil evidence for the appearance of epiphyllous mosses during the diversification of flowering plants, at least 95 million years ago. It also provides substantive evidence for a tropical maritime climate in central North America during the middle Cretaceous.

Moss and vascular plant indices in Ohio wetlands have similar environmental predictors

Science.gov (United States)

Stapanian, Martin A.; Schumacher, William; Gara, Brian; Adams, Jean V.; Viau, Nick

2016-01-01

Mosses and vascular plants have been shown to be reliable indicators of wetland habitat delineation and environmental quality. Knowledge of the best ecological predictors of the quality of wetland moss and vascular plant communities may determine if similar management practices would simultaneously enhance both populations. We used Akaike's Information Criterion to identify models predicting a moss quality assessment index (MQAI) and a vascular plant index of biological integrity based on floristic quality (VIBI-FQ) from 27 emergent and 13 forested wetlands in Ohio, USA. The set of predictors included the six metrics from a wetlands disturbance index (ORAM) and two landscape development intensity indices (LDIs). The best single predictor of MQAI and one of the predictors of VIBI-FQ was an ORAM metric that assesses habitat alteration and disturbance within the wetland, such as mowing, grazing, and agricultural practices. However, the best single predictor of VIBI-FQ was an ORAM metric that assessed wetland vascular plant communities, interspersion, and microtopography. LDIs better predicted MQAI than VIBI-FQ, suggesting that mosses may either respond more rapidly to, or recover more slowly from, anthropogenic disturbance in the surrounding landscape than vascular plants. These results supported previous predictive studies on amphibian indices and metrics and a separate vegetation index, indicating that similar wetland management practices may result in qualitatively the same ecological response for three vastly different wetland biological communities (amphibians, vascular plants, and mosses).

The Impact of Moss Species and Biomass on the Growth of Pinus sylvestris Tree Seedlings at Different Precipitation Frequencies

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Babs M. Stuiver

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Boreal forests are characterized by an extensive moss layer, which may have both competitive and facilitative effects on forest regeneration. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate how variation in moss species and biomass, in combination with precipitation frequency, affect Pinus sylvestris seedling growth. We found that moss species differed in their effects on seedling growth, and moss biomass had negative effects on seedlings, primarily when it reached maximal levels. When moss biomass was maximal, seedling biomass decreased, whereas height and above- relative to below-ground mass increased, due to competition for light. The effect that moss biomass had on seedling performance differed among the moss species. Hylocomium splendens and Polytrichum commune reduced seedling growth the most, likely because of their taller growth form. Seedlings were not adversely affected by Sphagnum girgensohnii and Pleurozium schreberi, possibly because they were not tall enough to compete for light and improved soil resource availability. Reduced precipitation frequency decreased the growth of all moss species, except P. commune, while it impaired the growth of seedlings only when they were grown with P. commune. Our findings suggest that changes in moss species and biomass, which can be altered by disturbance or climate change, can influence forest regeneration.

Beryllium-7 and {sup 210}Pb atmospheric deposition measured in moss and dependence on cumulative precipitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krmar, M., E-mail: krmar@df.uns.ac.rs [Faculty of Science, Physics Department, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 4, Novi Sad (Serbia); Mihailović, D.T.; Arsenić, I. [Faculty of Agriculture, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, Novi Sad (Serbia); Radnović, D. [Faculty of Science, Biology Department, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 4, Novi Sad (Serbia); Pap, I. [Faculty of Agriculture, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 8, Novi Sad (Serbia)

2016-01-15

This paper focuses on analysis of the time series of {sup 7}Be and {sup 210}Pb activity measured in moss, and the amount, as well as duration of precipitation, to gain a better understanding of the possible relationships between airborne radionuclide deposition and precipitation. Here we consider whether the amount of these airborne radionuclides in moss samples is a cumulative measure of radionuclide deposition and decay, and a new approach for analyses of the relationships between precipitation and moss activity concentrations is suggested. Through these analyses it was shown that comparison of cumulative activity measured at one location using moss, normalized by values of cumulative amount or duration of precipitation, showed different regimes of airborne radionuclide deposition. - Graphical abstract: Correlation between cumulative activity of {sup 7}Be and {sup 210}Pb measured in moss samples normalized by the cumulative precipitation. - Highlights: • Use of mosses in measurement of airborne radionuclides deposition was investigated • Prior work indicated {sup 7}Be and {sup 210}Pb activities were not correlated with precipitation • This is unusual since radionuclides moss tissues depends on depositional fluxes. • A new method for study of {sup 7}Be and {sup 210}Pb depositional dynamics was developed • Different seasonal regimes of {sup 7}Be deposition are more noticeable in new technique.

Bringing back the rare - biogeochemical constraints of peat moss establishment in restored cut-over bogs

Science.gov (United States)

Raabe, Peter; Blodau, Christian; Hölzel, Norbert; Kleinebecker, Till; Knorr, Klaus-Holger

2016-04-01

In rewetted cut-over bogs in north-western Germany and elsewhere almost no spontaneous recolonization of hummock peat mosses, such as Sphagnum magellanicum, S. papillosum or S. rubellum can be observed. However, to reach goals of climate protection every restoration of formerly mined peatlands should aim to enable the re-establishment of these rare but functionally important plant species. Besides aspects of biodiversity, peatlands dominated by mosses can be expected to emit less methane compared to sites dominated by graminoids. To assess the hydrological and biogeochemical factors constraining the successful establishment of hummock Sphagnum mosses we conducted a field experiment by actively transferring hummock species into six existing restoration sites in the Vechtaer Moor, a large peatland complex with active peat harvesting and parallel restoration efforts. The mosses were transferred as intact sods in triplicate at the beginning of June 2016. Six weeks (mid-July) and 18 weeks later (beginning of October) pore water was sampled in two depths (5 and 20 cm) directly beneath the inoculated Sphagnum sods as well as in untreated control plots and analysed for phosphate, ferrous iron, ammonia, nitrate and total organic carbon (TOC). On the same occasions and additionally in December, the vitality of mosses was estimated. Furthermore, the increment of moss height between July and December was measured by using cranked wires and peat cores were taken for lab analyses of nutrients and major element inventories at the depths of pore water sampling. Preliminary results indicate that vitality of mosses during the period of summer water level draw down was strongly negatively related to plant available phosphate in deeper layers of the residual peat. Furthermore, increment of moss height was strongly negatively related to TOC in the upper pore waters sampled in October. Concentration of ferrous iron in deeper pore waters was in general significantly higher beneath

Chernobyl-derived radiocesium in mosses in the Black Sea area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Topcuoglu, S.; Bulut, A.M.; Gueven, K.C.; Sauer, E.

1993-01-01

Radiocesium ( 134 Cs and 137 Cs) activity levels in mosses from the Black Sea area, northern Turkey, are reported following the Chernobyl accident during the period of 1989-1991. The cesium radionuclides were detected and measured in all the samples but other long-lived radionuclides such as 144 Ce and 106 Ru were measured in only one sample. The present data support the fact that radioactivity monitoring in mosses can be useful to determine the lasting effect of radioactive contamination. (author) 13 refs.; 1 fig.; 2 tabs

Moss and soil contributions to the annual net carbon flux of a maturing boreal forest

Science.gov (United States)

Harden, J.W.; O'Neill, K. P.; Trumbore, S.E.; Veldhuis, H.; Stocks, B.J.

1997-01-01

We used input and decomposition data from 14C studies of soils to determine rates of vertical accumulation of moss combined with carbon storage inventories on a sequence of burns to model how carbon accumulates in soils and moss after a stand-killing fire. We used soil drainage - moss associations and soil drainage maps of the old black spruce (OBS) site at the BOREAS northern study area (NSA) to areally weight the contributions of each moderately well drained, feathermoss areas; poorly drained sphagnum - feathermoss areas; and very poorly drained brown moss areas to the carbon storage and flux at the OBS NSA site. On this very old (117 years) complex of black spruce, sphagnum bog veneer, and fen systems we conclude that these systems are likely sequestering 0.01-0.03 kg C m-2 yr-' at OBS-NSA today. Soil drainage in boreal forests near Thompson, Manitoba, controls carbon storage and flux by controlling moss input and decomposition rates and by controlling through fire the amount and quality of carbon left after burning. On poorly drained soils rich in sphagnum moss, net accumulation and long-term storage of carbon is higher than on better drained soils colonized by feathermosses. The carbon flux of these contrasting ecosystems is best characterized by soil drainage class and stand age, where stands recently burned are net sources of CO2, and maturing stands become increasingly stronger sinks of atmospheric CO2. This approach to measuring carbon storage and flux presents a method of scaling to larger areas using soil drainage, moss cover, and stand age information.

The Reference Process and the Philosophy of Karl Popper.

Science.gov (United States)

Neill, S. D.

1985-01-01

Two aspects of Karl Popper's philosophy are applied to reference process: process is viewed as series of problem-solving situations amenable to analysis using Popper's problem-solving schema. Reference interview is analyzed in context of Popper's postulate that books contain autonomous world of ideas existing apart from mind of knower. (30…

Architecture and Art Regulations for Karl Marx Street

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alla Mironenko

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The architecture and art regulations for Karl Marx Street and adjoining territories have been worked out for the Committee for town planning of the Irkutsk city administration. Basic provisions: facades of buildings and structures, outdoor advertising and information facilities, artistic illumination of buildings, elements of land improvements. The main principle is to preserve historical appearance and to create a contemporary and comfortable environment.

Reflections on Sven-Eric Liedman’s Marx-Biography “A World to Win: The Life and Works of Karl Marx”

OpenAIRE

Christian Fuchs

2018-01-01

The English translation of Sven-Eric Liedman’s Marx-biography A World to Win: The Life and Works of Karl Marx was published two weeks before Marx’s bicentenary. This article presents reflections on Liedman’s book and asks how one should best write biographically about Marx. The paper compares Liedman’s biography to the Marx-biographies written by Jonathan Sperber (Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life) and Gareth Stedman-Jones (Karl Marx: Greatness and Illusion). A biography is a way of repeat...

Dehydration protection provided by a maternal cuticle improves offspring fitness in the moss Funaria hygrometrica.

Science.gov (United States)

Budke, Jessica M; Goffinet, Bernard; Jones, Cynthia S

2013-05-01

In bryophytes the sporophyte offspring are in contact with, nourished from, and partially surrounded by the maternal gametophyte throughout their lifespan. During early development, the moss sporophyte is covered by the calyptra, a cap of maternal gametophyte tissue that has a multilayered cuticle. In this study the effects on sporophyte offspring fitness of removing the maternal calyptra cuticle, in combination with dehydration stress, is experimentally determined. Using the moss Funaria hygrometrica, calyptra cuticle waxes were removed by chemical extraction and individuals were exposed to a short-term dehydration event. Sporophytes were returned to high humidity to complete development and then aspects of sporophyte survival, development, functional morphology, and reproductive output were measured. It was found that removal of calyptra cuticle under low humidity results in significant negative impacts to moss sporophyte fitness, resulting in decreased survival, increased tissue damage, incomplete sporophyte development, more peristome malformations, and decreased reproductive output. This study represents the strongest evidence to date that the structure of the calyptra cuticle functions in dehydration protection of the immature moss sporophyte. The investment in a maternal calyptra with a multilayered cuticle increases offspring fitness and provides a functional explanation for calyptra retention across mosses. The moss calyptra may represent the earliest occurance of maternal protection via structural provisioning of a cuticle in green plants.

The Urban Moss Flora of the Çankırı City (NW, Turkey

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Azize YAVUZ

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The mosses found in the urban area of Çankırı city was investigated at five zones depending on the human activities. Two hundreds and thirty five specimens were randomly collected in sampling locations within the zones. As a result of the identification, 66 taxa were recorded. The results were compared with the explored urban floras of the other countries. Data on life forms, frequency of occurrence, presence of sporophytes, habitats and substrata preferences of the mosses were discussed. Detailed topographical features including slope, aspect and altitude analysis of the study area were illustrated and taxa occurrence was evaluated based on these properties. Chi-square analysis revealed that 45 moss species of 235 were correlated with the categorical variables at 0.05 significance level. Moss taxa occurrence within the urban area was mainly correlated with life forms and gametophyte structures, respectively.

Plutonium and americium concentrations and vertical profiles in some Italian mosses used as bioindicators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Testa, C.; Desideri, D.; Meli, M.A.; Guerra, F.; Degetto, S.; Jia, G.; Gerdol, R.

1998-01-01

We have examined the uptake of actinide elements Am and Pu by different species of lichen and moss collected in two locations (Urbino, Central Italy; Alps region, North-east Italy). Plutonium and americium were separated and determined by extraction chromatography, electrodeposition and alpha-spectrometry. This paper summarizes our results with a special emphasis on the vertical profiles of these actinides in two different species of mosses. Several 1-2 cm depth sections were obtained and dated by 210 Pb method. A typical peak for 239,240 Pu and 241 Am was found in the very old moss species ('Sphagnum Compactum') at a depth corresponding to the period 1960-1970 which was the period characterized by the maximum nuclear weapon tests. In a younger moss species ('Neckeria Crispa') no peak was observed and the regression curves showed that Am is more mobile than 239,240 Pu and 238 Pu. (author)

Restoration of floodplain meadows: Effects on the re-establishment of mosses

Science.gov (United States)

Wolski, Grzegorz J.; Harnisch, Matthias; Otte, Annette; Bomanowska, Anna; Donath, Tobias W.

2017-01-01

Vascular plants serve as target species for the evaluation of restoration success as they account for most of the plant species diversity and vegetation cover. Although bryophytes contribute considerably to the species diversity of meadows, they are rarely addressed in restoration projects. This project is a first step toward making recommendations for including mosses in alluvial floodplain restoration projects. The opportunity to assess the diversity and ecological requirements of mosses on floodplain meadows presented itself within the framework of a vegetation monitoring that took place in 2014 on meadows located along the northern Upper Rhine. In this area, large-scale meadow restoration projects have taken place since 1997 in both the functional and fossil floodplains. Other studies have shown that bryophytes are generally present in green hay used in restoration, providing inadvertent bryophyte introduction. We compared bryophyte communities in donor and restored communities and correlated these communities with environmental variables—taking into account that the mosses on the restoration sites possibly developed from green hay. This analysis provided insights as to which species of bryophytes should be included in future restoration projects, what diaspores should be used, and how they should be transferred. Data on bryophyte occurrence were gathered from old meadows, and from restoration sites. We found distinct differences in bryophyte composition (based on frequency) in restored communities in functional flood plains compared to donor communities. Generally, restoration sites are still characterized by a lower species-richness, with a significantly lower occurrence of rare and red listed species and a lower species-heterogeneity. In conclusion, our research establishes what mosses predominate in donor and restored alluvial meadows along the northern Upper River, and what microsite conditions favour particular species. This points the way to deliberate

Bags with oven-dried moss for the active monitoring of airborne trace elements in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giordano, S.; Adamo, P.; Monaci, F.; Pittao, E.; Tretiach, M.; Bargagli, R.

2009-01-01

To define a harmonized methodology for the use of moss and lichen bags as active monitoring devices of airborne trace elements in urban areas, we evaluated the element accumulation in bags exposed in Naples in different spring weather conditions for 6- and 12-weeks. Three different pre-exposure treatments were applied to moss and lichen materials: water-washing, acid-washing and oven-drying. During the different exposure periods in the Naples urban environment the moss accumulated always higher amounts of elements (except Hg) than lichens and the element accumulation increased during wetter weather and higher PM 10 conditions. The oven pre-treatment did not substantially modify the morphology and element composition of moss and the exposure in bags of this material for 6-weeks was sufficient to detect the pattern of airborne trace elements. - A 6-week exposure with oven-dried moss bags resulted a suitable approach to evaluate airborne trace elements in a Mediterranean urban environment.

Den første Karl Gustav-krig 1657-58

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olden-Jørgensen, Sebastian

2008-01-01

Artiklen diskuterer den første Karl Gustav-krig i forskellige persketiver og konkluderer, at krigen ikke bør opfattes som et dårligt forberedt og uigennemtænkt forsøg på dansk revanche inden for rammerne af en nordisk rivalisering, men snarere som  en velovervejet satsning og et led i den dansk-s...

Karl Popper and Jean Piaget: A Rationale for Constructivism

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Harlow, Steve; Cummings, Rhoda; Aberasturi, Suzanne M.

2006-01-01

The current faddish use of the term constructivism has taken on as many different definitions as the number of people attempting to define it. This essay clarifies the meaning of constructivism through an examination of Karl Popper's and Jean Piaget's theories. The authors provide a rationale for the use of Popper's paradigm of "Three Worlds" and…

Karl Marx as a Social Scientist and Utopian Dreamer.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevenson, James A.

The central paradox of Karl Marx's work is his belief that the vision of mankind leaving inequality and scarcity behind is attainable. The idea that human alienation, inequality, and need could be rendered obsolete by a future communist society of abundance is a significant failing in Marx's thought. It is at the same time the critical element in…

Mosses new to Hong Kong (4)

OpenAIRE

So, M.L.

1995-01-01

Sixteen moss species - Eurhynchium asperisetum (C. Muell.) Tak.; Rhynchostegium pallidifolium (Mitt.) Jaeg.; Bryum argenteum Hedw.; Bryum caespiticium Hedw.; Bryum capillare Hedw.; Platyhynidium riarioides (Hedw.) Dix.; Dicranella varia (Hedw.) Schimp.;Entodon virudulus Card.; Fissidens strictulus C. Muell.; Ectropothecium obtusulum (Card.) Iwats.; Caduciella guangdongensis Enroth.; Plagiomnium cuspidatum (Hedw.) T. Kop.; Plagiomnium vesicatum (Besch.) T. Kop.; Pyrrhobryum spiniforme (Hedw.) ...

Heavy metal accumulation by Mosses as affected by roadside pollutants

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Farhad Hasan Aziz

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Mosses sampling were collected from 10 sites within the Erbil governorate in October 2015 during dry condition. The samples were air dried and crushed to fine particulates using rotary, then after the heavy metals concentration were determined by XRF spectrophotometer (Sky Instrument Genius. Location Map of selected mosses distribution were made. The results revealed that the mean values of Pb was 52.25mg/kg, of Hg was 0.01mg/kg, of Mn was 162.8mg/kg, of Fe was 1.655%, Cu was 8.27mg/kg, Zn was 162mg/kg, Ti was 851.1mg/kg, Co was 6.28mg/kg, Ni was 57.57mg/kg, As was 6.84mg/kg, Se was 0.19mg/kg and Cr was 9.73mg/kg. The statistical results indicated that there were significant difference (P<0.05 between sites and mosses species. The data obtained in this study was compared with that of WHO standards, the results revealed that the concentration of studied heavy metals were less than of WHO standards.

Spatio-temporal patterns of Cu contamination in mosses using geostatistical estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, Anabela; Figueira, Rui; Sousa, António Jorge; Sérgio, Cecília

2012-01-01

Several recent studies have reported temporal trends in metal contamination in mosses, but such assessments did not evaluate uncertainty in temporal changes, therefore providing weak statistical support for time comparisons. Furthermore, levels of contaminants in the environment change in both space and time, requiring space-time modelling methods for map estimation. We propose an indicator of spatial and temporal variation based on space-time estimation by indicator kriging, where uncertainty at each location is estimated from the local distribution function, thereby calculating variability intervals for comparison between several biomonitoring dates. This approach was exemplified using copper concentrations in mosses from four Portuguese surveys (1992, 1997, 2002 and 2006). Using this approach, we identified a general decrease in copper contamination, but spatial patterns were not uniform, and from the uncertainty intervals, changes could not be considered significant in the majority of the study area. - Highlights: ► We estimated copper contamination in mosses by spatio-temporal kriging between 1992 and 2006. ► We determined local distribution functions to define variation intervals at each location. ► Significance of temporal changes is assessed using an indicator based on uncertainty interval. ► There is general decrease in copper contamination, but spatial patterns are not uniform. - The contamination of copper in mosses was estimated by spatio-temporal kriging, with determination of uncertainty classes in the temporal variation.

Restoring sedges and mosses into frost heaving iron fens, San Juan Mountains, Colorado

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R.A. Chimner

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Rare iron fens in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado are frequently in poor condition due to mining, roads and ditches, which have left much of the fen completely bare of vegetation. Natural revegetation is slow to occur in the bare areas because of severe frost heave in the cold mountain climate. Therefore, experimental revegetation plots were conducted in a factorial design with mulching and no mulching, crossed with moss diaspores, sedge transplants, and moss and sedge combined. Mulching influenced surface soil temperatures by reducing the midday highs and increasing the night-time lows, which decreased the frequency and amount of frost heave. Peat moisture also modified frost heave, with the greatest frost heaving occurring near 75 % peat moisture content (water table 10–20 cm below the surface and the least when soils were either wetter or drier. Moss survival was dependent on mulch, with no moss surviving in plots without mulch. Mulching also increased sedge transplant survival. In summary, mulching significantly increased the success of vegetation restoration efforts for frost heave areas in mountain fens.

Determination of the water content in tetra-ammonium uranyl tricarbonate by the Karl Fischer reagent method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisti, C.; Grigoletto, T.

1990-08-01

Two methods are compared for the determination of water content in tetra-ammonium uranyl tricarbonate by the Karl Fischer reagent method. In the first method it is Known that the carbonate reacts stoichiometrically with the iodine content of the Karl Fischer reagent in the same way it reacts with the water (mole of apparent H 2 O per mole of carbonate is produced). In this case, the carbonate content in the sample is determined and a suitable correction is applied to take into account the apparent water results. In the second method it is performed an extraction of the moisture by adding methanol to the sample in an independent flask. After the decantation, an aliquot of the clear supernatant methanol is taken for the determination of water content by the Karl Fischer reagent method. (author) [pt

Reflections on Sven-Eric Liedman’s Marx-Biography “A World to Win: The Life and Works of Karl Marx”

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Christian Fuchs

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The English translation of Sven-Eric Liedman’s Marx-biography A World to Win: The Life and Works of Karl Marx was published two weeks before Marx’s bicentenary. This article presents reflections on Liedman’s book and asks how one should best write biographically about Marx. The paper compares Liedman’s biography to the Marx-biographies written by Jonathan Sperber (Karl Marx: A Nineteenth-Century Life and Gareth Stedman-Jones (Karl Marx: Greatness and Illusion. A biography is a way of repeating a person’s life, works and age in a process of reconstruction and retelling. The question that arises is how to write a biography as a dialectical text. Sven-Eric Liedman: A World to Win: The Life and Works of Karl Marx. London: Verso, London, 2018. 768 pages., £35.00 hbk. ISBN 9781786635044

Seasonal comparison of moss bag technique against vertical snow samples for monitoring atmospheric pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Salo, Hanna; Berisha, Anna-Kaisa; Mäkinen, Joni

2016-03-01

This is the first study seasonally applying Sphagnum papillosum moss bags and vertical snow samples for monitoring atmospheric pollution. Moss bags, exposed in January, were collected together with snow samples by early March 2012 near the Harjavalta Industrial Park in southwest Finland. Magnetic, chemical, scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), K-means clustering, and Tomlinson pollution load index (PLI) data showed parallel spatial trends of pollution dispersal for both materials. Results strengthen previous findings that concentrate and slag handling activities were important (dust) emission sources while the impact from Cu-Ni smelter's pipe remained secondary at closer distances. Statistically significant correlations existed between the variables of snow and moss bags. As a summary, both methods work well for sampling and are efficient pollutant accumulators. Moss bags can be used also in winter conditions and they provide more homogeneous and better controlled sampling method than snow samples. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The potential value of the seaweed Ceylon moss (Gelidium amansii) as an alternative bioenergy resource.

Science.gov (United States)

Wi, Seung Gon; Kim, Hyun Joo; Mahadevan, Shobana Arumugam; Yang, Duck-Joo; Bae, Hyeun-Jong

2009-12-01

Sea weed (Ceylon moss) possesses comparable bioenergy production potential to that of land plants. Ceylon moss has high content of carbohydrates, typically galactose (23%) and glucose (20%). We have explored the possibility of sodium chlorite in Ceylon moss pretreatment that can ultimately increase the efficiency of enzymatic saccharification. In an acidic medium, chlorite generates ClO(2) molecules that transform lignin into soluble compounds without any significant loss of carbohydrate content and this procedure is widely used as an analytical method for holocellulose determination. Sodium chlorite-pretreated samples resulted in glucose yield up to 70% with contrast of only 5% was obtained from non-pretreated samples. The efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis is significantly improved by sodium chlorite pretreatment, and thus sodium chlorite pretreatment is potentially a very useful tool in the utilisation of Ceylon moss biomass for ethanol production or bioenergy purposes.

Reduced content of chloroatranol and atranol in oak moss absolute significantly reduces the elicitation potential of this fragrance material

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Flemming; Andersen, Kirsten H; Bernois, Armand

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: Oak moss absolute, an extract from the lichen Evernia prunastri, is a valued perfume ingredient but contains extreme allergens. OBJECTIVES: To compare the elicitation properties of two preparations of oak moss absolute: 'classic oak moss', the historically used preparation, and 'new o...

Further promotion of the use of mosses and lichens for studies of atmospheric deposition of trace elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinnes, E.

1999-01-01

This paper presents a brief survey of biomonitoring work carried out in the author's laboratory during more than 20 years using nuclear and non-nuclear techniques for the determination of over 50 elements. A major part of this work concerns large-scale deposition surveys in Norway and elsewhere using the moss Hylocomium splendens. However, considerable efforts have also been spent on intercalibration of different species of mosses and lichens and transformation of concentrations in moss to absolute deposition rates. Experience from this intercalibration work as well as from the calibration of moss reference samples may be of particular importance to the present co-ordinated research project. (author)

Invited review: climate change impacts in polar regions: lessons from Antarctic moss bank archives.

Science.gov (United States)

Royles, Jessica; Griffiths, Howard

2015-03-01

Mosses are the dominant plants in polar and boreal regions, areas which are experiencing rapid impacts of regional warming. Long-term monitoring programmes provide some records of the rate of recent climate change, but moss peat banks contain an unrivalled temporal record of past climate change on terrestrial plant Antarctic systems. We summarise the current understanding of climatic proxies and determinants of moss growth for contrasting continental and maritime Antarctic regions, as informed by 13C and 18O signals in organic material. Rates of moss accumulation are more than three times higher in the maritime Antarctic than continental Antarctica with growing season length being a critical determinant of growth rate, and high carbon isotope discrimination values reflecting optimal hydration conditions. Correlation plots of 13C and 18O values show that species (Chorisodontium aciphyllum / Polytrichum strictum) and growth form (hummock / bank) are the major determinants of measured isotope ratios. The interplay between moss growth form, photosynthetic physiology, water status and isotope composition are compared with developments of secondary proxies, such as chlorophyll fluorescence. These approaches provide a framework to consider the potential impact of climate change on terrestrial Antarctic habitats as well as having implications for future studies of temperate, boreal and Arctic peatlands. There are many urgent ecological and environmental problems in the Arctic related to mosses in a changing climate, but the geographical ranges of species and life-forms are difficult to track individually. Our goal was to translate what we have learned from the more simple systems in Antarctica, for application to Arctic habitats. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Trace element similarity groups in north Florida Spanish moss: evidence for direct uptake of aerosol particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheline, J.; Akselsson, R.; Winchester, J.W.

1976-02-20

The elemental composition of 10 samples of Spanish moss Tillandsia usneoides L. collected mainly in forested areas near Tallahassee, Florida, has been compared to the composition of the ambient aerosol particle background in the forest measured as a function of particle size. For forest samples, moss composition is similar to the composition of aerosol particles greater than about 0.5-..mu..m diameter for the elements S, Cl, Ti, V, Fe, Ni, Zn, Br, Pb, and possibly Cu. Elements relatively enriched in the moss fall into two groups, K, Rb, Zr and Ca, Sr, Mn, based on detailed association patterns. No evidence is found for an enrichment, relative to the ambient aerosol, of pollution-derived elements Pb, Br, V, and Ni, although those elements are found at higher concentrations in moss samples from locations nearer roadways or oil-fired power plants. The moss appears to have potential value as an indicator of time average aerosol composition for particles of greater than or equal to 0.5 ..mu..m, except for the enriched elements, which may have longer biological retention times. (auth)

Endemism in the moss flora of North America.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Benjamin E; Shaw, Blanka; Shaw, A Jonathan

2016-04-01

Identifying regions of high endemism is a critical step toward understanding the mechanisms underlying diversification and establishing conservation priorities. Here, we identified regions of high moss endemism across North America. We also identified lineages that contribute disproportionately to endemism and document the progress of efforts to inventory the endemic flora. To understand the documentation of endemic moss diversity in North America, we tabulated species publication dates to document the progress of species discovery across the continent. We analyzed herbarium specimen data and distribution data from the Flora of North America project to delineate major regions of moss endemism. Finally, we surveyed the literature to assess the importance of intercontinental vs. within-continent diversification for generating endemic species. Three primary regions of endemism were identified and two of these were further divided into a total of nine subregions. Overall endemic richness has two peaks, one in northern California and the Pacific Northwest, and the other in the southern Appalachians. Description of new endemic species has risen steeply over the last few decades, especially in western North America. Among the few studies documenting sister species relationships of endemics, recent diversification appears to have played a larger role in western North America, than in the east. Our understanding of bryophyte endemism continues to grow rapidly. Large continent-wide data sets confirm early views on hotspots of endemic bryophyte richness and indicate a high rate of ongoing species discovery in North America. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

Effect of crustose lichen on soil CO2 efflux in sphagnum moss regime of tundra, west Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Y.; Park, S. J.; Suzuki, R.; Lee, B. Y.

2017-12-01

Increasing ambient temperatures across the Arctic have induced changes in plant extent and phenology, degradation of permafrost, snow depth and covered extent, decomposition of soil organic matter, and subsequently, soil carbon emission to the atmosphere. However, there is fully not understood on the effect of crustose lichen on soil CO2 emission to the atmosphere. Although the spores of lichen are spread by wind and animals, the crustose lichen is infected to the only sphagnum moss widely distributed in the Arctic, and is terminally killed the moss. Here, we report the research findings on the soil CO2 efflux-measurement with forced diffusion (FD) chamber system that is continuously monitored in sphagnum moss regime of west Alaska for the growing season of 2016. The environmental parameters (e.g., soil temperature and moisture) were measured at intact and infected sphagnum moss regime. The FD chamber is measured at an interval of 10-min and 30-min, which is not significant difference between both intervals (R2 = 0.94; n = 1360; RMSE = 0.043; p sphagnum moss, and 0.27(0.47), 0.45(0.17), 0.50(0.22), and 0.31(0.49) in intact sphagnum moss, respectively. This finding demonstrates that 1) soil CO2 in infected sphagnum moss is one of atmospheric CO2 source in June and July, and 2) soil CO2 efflux is not significant difference between both regimes for August and September of 2016.

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939 e Karl Köller (1857-1944 e a descoberta da anestesia local Sigmund Freud (1856-1939 y Karl Köller (1857-1944 y el Descubrimiento de la anestesia local Sigmund Freud (1856-1939 and Karl Köller (1857-1944 and the Discovery of local anesthesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Almiro dos Reis Jr

2009-04-01

Full Text Available JUSTIFICATVA E OBJETIVOS: O entendimento por vezes admitido de que Sigmund Freud teve a intuição de utilizar a cocaína como anestésico local para intervenções cirúrgicas, ou mesmo de que ele tenha tido algum papel na descoberta da anestesia local não é verídico. Os objetivos das pesquisas de Freud eram outros e o verdadeiro realizador da descoberta foi Karl Köller, sobre o que há argumentos irrefutáveis. Diante desses fatos, tem importância histórica o conhecimento correto da questão. CONTEÚDO: O texto refere-se às propriedades há muito conhecidas da cocaína. Recorda dados pessoais, atividades profissionais e científicas de Sigmund Freud e de Karl Köller. Apresenta as pesquisas de Freud sobre efeitos fisiopatológicos observados com a cocaína. Expõe as razões das duras críticas recebidas por Freud diante de conceitos por ele emitidos. Descreve a súbita, porém consciente e justificada idéia de Karl Köller de estudar cientificamente a cocaína como anestésico local em animais e seres humanos. Indica como foram realizadas as pesquisas pioneiras que culminaram com a descoberta da anestesia local por Köller e as duas exposições sobre esta, feitas em Viena. Relata a primeira intervenção cirúrgica oftalmológica sob anestesia local. Comprova a imediata difusão pelo mundo da descoberta que marcou o início da anestesia locorregional. Comenta numerosos documentos comprobatórios da prioridade de Köller na descoberta. Finalmente, menciona as numerosas homenagens recebidas por Köller em várias partes do mundo. CONCLUSÕES: A anestesia locorregional foi iniciada por Karl Köller em 1884, quando ele provou a possibilidade de praticar intervenções cirúrgicas oftalmológicas sem dor utilizando a cocaína como anestésico local. Sigmund Freud realizou muitas pesquisas sobre a cocaína, mas não participou diretamente do importantíssimo feito.JUSTIFICATIVA Y OBJETIVOS: Los que a veces se cree de que Sigmund Freud tuvo

Gravity-induced buds formation from protonemata apical cells in the mosses

Science.gov (United States)

Kyyak, Natalia; Khorkavtsiv, Yaroslava

The acceleration of moss protonemata development after the exit it to light from darkness is important gravidependent morphogenetic manifestation of the moss protonemata. The accelerated development of mosses shows in transformation of apical protonemata cells into the gametophores buds (Ripetskyj et al., 1999). In order to establish, that such reaction on gravitation is general property of gravisensity species, or its typical only for single moss species, experiments with the following moss species - Bryum intermedium (Ludw.) Brig., Bryum caespiticium Hedw., Bryum argenteum Hedw., Dicranodontium denudatum (Brid.) Britt. were carried out. All these species in response to influence of gravitation were capable to form rich bunches of gravitropical protonemata in darkness, that testified to their gravisensity. After the transference of Petri dishes with gravitropical protonemata from darkness on light was revealed, that in 3 of the investigated species the gametophores buds were absent. Only B. argenteum has reacted to action of gravitation by buds formation from apical cells of the gravitropical protonemata. With the purpose of strengthening of buds formation process, the experiments with action of exogenous kinetin (in concentration of 10 (-6) M) were carried out. Kinetin essentially stimulated apical buds formation of B. argenteum. The quantity of apical buds has increased almost in three times in comparison with the control. Besides, on separate stolons a few (3-4) buds from one apical cell were formed. Experimentally was established, that the gametophores buds formation in mosses is controlled by phytohormones (Bopp, 1985; Demkiv et al., 1991). In conditions of gravity influence its essentially accelerated. Probably, gravity essentially strengthened acropetal transport of phytohormones and formation of attractive center in the protonemata apical cell. Our investigations have allowed to make the conclusion, that gravi-dependent formation of the apical buds is

Der Briefwechsel zwischen Alexander von Humboldt und Karl Ernst von Baer

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Thomas Schmuck

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Zusammenfassung Der kurze, nicht vollständig erhaltene Briefwechsel zwischen Alexander von Humboldt und Karl Ernst von Baer behandelt sehr verschiedene Themen: Politik, Kriegsgefahr, den Wissenschaftsbetrieb, Auszeichnungen und Tagungen, Embryologie und Cholera. Gemeinsam mit Briefen und Reden ergibt sich dabei ein differenziertes Bild der Beurteilung der beiden Wissenschaftler durch den jeweils anderen. Während Baer sich als Bewunderer Humboldts erweist, erscheint umgekehrt Humboldts Einschätzung Baers als ambivalent. Abstract The short, not completely preserved correspondence between Alexander von Humboldt and Karl Ernst von Baer deals with a wide range of subjects: politics and the danger of war, academic activities, scientific awards and conferences, aspects of embryology and the cholera. Letters to third persons and speeches, together with the correspondence between Humboldt and Baer show a differentiated pattern of mutual appraisal: While Baer always remained an admirer of the elder naturalist, Humboldt’s estimation was characterized by ambivalence.

Lidar - nesbõvshajasja estonskaja "nokia" / Karl Rebane ; interv. Julia Rodina

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Rebane, Karl, 1926-2007

2006-01-01

Eesti NSV teadlaste poolt välja töötatud laserseade lidar, seadme ehitamisest, töötamise põhimõttest ja kasutusvaldkonnast. Akadeemik Karl Rebase sõnul ei oleks sellise ulatusega Läänemere saastamist juhtunud, kui Eestil oleks normaalne ökoloogilise kontrolli süsteem. Poliitikute suhtumisest kodumaise teaduse arengusse

The first survey of airborne trace elements at airport using moss bag technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuković, Gordana; Urošević, Mira Aničić; Škrivanj, Sandra; Vergel, Konstantin; Tomašević, Milica; Popović, Aleksandar

2017-06-01

Air traffic represents an important way of social mobility in the world, and many ongoing discussions are related to the impacts that air transportation has on local air quality. In this study, moss Sphagnum girgensohnii was used for the first time in the assessment of trace element content at the international airport. The moss bags were exposed during the summer of 2013 at four sampling sites at the airport 'Nikola Tesla' (Belgrade, Serbia): runway (two), auxiliary runway and parking lot. According to the relative accumulation factor (RAF) and the limit of quantification of the moss bag technique (LOQ T ), the most abundant elements in the samples were Zn, Na, Cr, V, Cu and Fe. A comparison between the element concentrations at the airport and the corresponding values in different land use classes (urban central, suburban, industrial and green zones) across the city of Belgrade did not point out that the air traffic and associated activities significantly contribute to the trace element air pollution. This study emphasised an easy operational and robust (bio)monitoring, using moss bags as a suitable method for assessment of air quality within various microenvironments with restriction in positioning referent instrumental devices.

Karl Valentin’s Illogical Subversion: issues arising from Karl Valentin’s Das Aquarium and Liesl Karlstadt’s Verein der Katzenfreund

OpenAIRE

Wilson, Mike; Double, Oliver

2003-01-01

Valentin Ludwig Fey was born on 4 June 1882 in the Munich suburb of Au, effectively the only child of an artisan-class family – his sister and two brothers all died in early childhood before Valentin Ludwig was even six months old. Valentin himself only narrowly survived a childhood encounter with diptheria (all of which, perhaps unsurprisingly, contributed to his ever-increasing hypochondria1), but he went on to become Karl Valentin, arguably the most famous German comedian and cabaret perfo...

Development of the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) Instrument for In Situ Geochronology

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Barbara A.; Li, Z.-H.; Miller, J. S.; Brinckerhoff, W. B.; Clegg, S. M.; Mahaffy, P. R.; Swindle, T. D.; Wiens, R. C.

2012-01-01

Absolute dating of planetary samples is an essential tool to establish the chronology of geological events, including crystallization history, magmatic evolution, and alteration. Traditionally, geochronology has only been accomplishable on samples from dedicated sample return missions or meteorites. The capability for in situ geochronology is highly desired, because it will allow one-way planetary missions to perform dating of large numbers of samples. The success of an in situ geochronology package will not only yield data on absolute ages, but can also complement sample return missions by identifying the most interesting rocks to cache and/or return to Earth. In situ dating instruments have been proposed, but none have yet reached TRL 6 because the required high-resolution isotopic measurements are very challenging. Our team is now addressing this challenge by developing the Potassium (K) - Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE) under the NASA Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program (PIDDP), building on previous work to develop a K-Ar in situ instrument [1]. KArLE uses a combination of several flight-proven components that enable accurate K-Ar isochron dating of planetary rocks. KArLE will ablate a rock sample, determine the K in the plasma state using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), measure the liberated Ar using quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS), and relate the two by the volume of the ablated pit using an optical method such as a vertical scanning interferometer (VSI). Our preliminary work indicates that the KArLE instrument will be capable of determining the age of several kinds of planetary samples to +/-100 Myr, sufficient to address a wide range of geochronology problems in planetary science.

Assessment of 210Po deposition in moss species and soil around coal-fired power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nita Salina Abu Bakar; Ahmad Saat

2013-01-01

In the present study, the depositions of 210 Po were assessed in the surface soil and some mosses species found in the area around coal fired power plant using radiochemical deposition and alpha spectrometry counting system. The purposes of the study were to determine activity concentrations of 210 Po in mosses and surface soil collected around coal-fired power plant in relation to trace the potential source of 210 Po and to identify most suitable moss species as a bio-indicator for 210 Po deposition. In this study, different species of mosses, Orthodontium imfractum, Campylopus serratus and Leucobryum aduncum were collected in May 2011 at the area around 15 km radius from Tanjung Bin coal-fired power plant located in Pontian, Johor. The 210 Po activity concentrations in mosses and soil varied in the range 102 ± 4 to 174 ± 8 Bq/kg dry wt. and 37 ± 2 to 184 ± 8 Bq/kg dry wt., respectively. Corresponding highest activity concentration of 210 Po observed in L. aduncum, therefore, this finding can be concluded this species was the most suitable as a bio-indicator for 210 Po deposition. On the other hand, it is clear the accumulation of 210 Po in mosses might be supplied from various sources of atmospheric deposition such as coal-fired power plant operation, industrial, plantation, agriculture and fertilizer activities, burned fuel fossil and forest; and other potential sources. Meanwhile, the main source of 210 Po in surface soil is supplied from the in situ deposition of radon decay and its daughters in the soil itself. (author)

The 2016 Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry Conference in Bonn.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Christa E; Thimm, Dominik; Baringhaus, Karl-Heinz

2017-01-05

Pushing the frontiers of medicinal chemistry: Christa Müller, Dominik Thimm, and Karl-Heinz Baringhaus look back at the events of the 2016 Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry (FiMC) Conference held in Bonn, Germany. The report highlights the themes & talks in the annual conference hosted by the Joint Division of Medicinal Chemistry of the German Pharmaceutical Society (DPhG) and German Chemical Society (GDCh). It is also an invitation to the 2017 conference in Bern, Switzerland this February 12-15. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biomonitoring of 210Po and 210Pb using lichens and mosses around coal-fired power plants in Western Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sert, Emel; Ugur, Aysun; Ozden, Banu; Sac, Mueslim Murat; Camgoez, Berkay

2011-01-01

Mosses and lichens are useful biological indicators of environmental contamination for a variety of metals and radionuclides of both natural and artificial origin. These plants lack a well-developed root system and rely largely on atmospheric deposition for nourishment. Therefore in the study, different lichens (Cladonia convoluta, Cladonia foliacea) and mosses (Homalothecium sericeum, Hypnum lacunosum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Tortella tortuosa, Didymodon acutus, Syntrichia ruralis, Syntrichia intermedia, Pterogonium graciale, Isothecium alopecuroides, Pleurochatae squarrosa) were collected around the Yatagan (Mugla), Soma (Manisa), Seyitoemer - Tuncbilek (Kuetahya) coal-fired power plants and investigated for potential use as biomonitors for 210 Po and 210 Pb deposition. While the activity concentrations of 210 Po and 210 Pb in lichens are in the ranges of 151 ± 7-593 ± 21 and 97 ± 5-364 ± 13 Bq kg -1 , for mosses the ranges for 210 Po and 210 Pb are 124 ± 5-1125 ± 38 and 113 ± 4-490 ± 17 Bq kg -1 , respectively. In the study, the moss samples were observed to accumulate more 210 Po and 210 Pb compared to lichens. While the most suitable biomonitor was a moss species (H. lacunosum) for Yatagan (Mugla), it was another moss species (S. intermedia) for Soma (Manisa) and Seyitoemer - Tuncbilek (Kuetahya) sites. 210 Po concentrations were found higher than 210 Pb concentrations at the all sampling stations. - Highlights: → Lichens and mosses have been used as biomonitors of 210Po and 210Pb deposition. → The morphology of lichens and mosses does not vary with seasons. → Lichens and mosses retain and accumulate pollutants deposited from the atmosphere. → Canopy is an important factor causing differences in the concentrations of radionuclides.

Tänapäeva tantsuteatri mitu palet / Heili Einasto, Karl Toepfer

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Einasto, Heili

2015-01-01

Vestlus San Jose ülikooli professori Karl Toepferiga nüüdisaegsest Eesti tantsuteatrist - I. Tuksami "Vassilissa", E. Tubina ja M Kesleri "Kratt", T. Olleski jt. "HTK", G. Reynoldsi ja S. Stubbsi "Gatsby", N. Rota ja G. Madia "La Dolce Vita", A. Toikka "Faust"

MOSSES AND LICHENS – BIOINDICATORS OF HEAVY METALS POLLUTION OF FOREST ECOSYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BEGU A.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available This study is a comparative investigation of the content of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn and Cr in mosses and lichens recorded in ten deciduous forests in the Republic of Moldova included in a transnational grid (16x16 km of forest monitoring throughout Europe. The content of heavy metals doesn’t differ significant by depending on the location of studied forest ecosystems. The trends of larger accumulation are observed near the local stationary and mobile sources of pollution. Mosses were confirmed as good indicators of air pollution with heavy metals to forest ecosystems located near sources of pollution and lichens show good bio-indicators particularities for background pollution. The good correlation between the concentrations of moss and lichen were Cr, Cu and Ni, and the low correlation between Pb and Zn, which are considered to be metals which are amenable to long-distance dispersal.

Identifying the change in atmospheric sulfur sources in China using isotopic ratios in mosses

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Hua-Yun; Tang, Cong-Guo; Xiao, Hong-Wei; Liu, Xue-Yan; Liu, Cong-Qiang

2009-08-01

A considerable number of studies on rainwater sulfur isotopic ratios (δ34Srain) have been conducted to trace sulfur sources at a large number of sites in the past. If longitudinal studies on the isotope composition of precipitation sulfate were conducted, it is possible to relate that to changes in sulfur emissions. But direct measurement needs considerable labor and time. So, in this study, sulfur isotopic ratios in rainwater and mosses were analyzed at Guiyang and Nanchang to evaluate the possibility of using mosses as a substitute for rainwater. We found that present moss sulfur isotopic ratios were comparable to those of present rainwater. Additionally, we investigated the changes of atmospheric sulfur sources and sulfur concentrations using an isotopic graphic analysis at five industrial cities, two forested areas, and two remote areas in China. Mosses in industrial cities show a wide range of δ34S values, with the highest occurring at Chongqing (+3.9‰) and the lowest at Guiyang (-3.1‰). But as compared to those in forested and remote areas, δ34S values of mosses in all the five industrial cities are lower. On the basis of isotopic comparisons between past rainwater (reported in the literature) and present mosses, in the plot of δ34Smoss versus δ34Srain, six zones indicating different atmospheric sulfur change are separated by the 1:1 line and δ34S values of potential sulfur sources. Our results indicate that atmospheric sulfur pollution in most of the industrial cities decreased, while at the two forested areas, no significant changes were observed, and a new anxiousness coming from new energy sources (e.g., oil) appeared in some cities. Studies on the change of ambient SO2 concentrations support these results.

Management and Profile of Rape Victims attending the Karl Bremer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Setting: The study was conducted at the rape centre at the Karl Bremer Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. To describe the frequency of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in rape victims, all consecutive patients who presented to the rape centre over the one-year period from 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 were included ...

Werner Karl Heisenberg (1901-1976)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kvasnica, J.

1992-01-01

The life's career of Werner Karl Heisenberg is described with emphasis on his creative development and cooperation with many other prominent physicists in the field of the quantum theory of atoms. In 1925, Heisenberg modified Bohr's quantum rule; in 1927 he formulated the uncertainty principle which puts some restrictions on the simultaneous determination of the position and momentum. In 1928, Heisenberg set up the quantum theory of ferromagnetism, which still underlies all theories of magnetic properties of substances. Soon after Chadwick's discovery of the neutron (1932), Heisenberg introduced the concept of the isospin - he interpreted the proton and the neutron as one particle (nucleon) in two charge states. Heisenberg's professional and pedagogical activities during and after the 2nd world war are also described. (Z.S.). 5 refs

Detection, Isolation, and Characterization of Acidophilic Methanotrophs from Sphagnum Mosses ▿ †

Science.gov (United States)

Kip, Nardy; Ouyang, Wenjing; van Winden, Julia; Raghoebarsing, Ashna; van Niftrik, Laura; Pol, Arjan; Pan, Yao; Bodrossy, Levente; van Donselaar, Elly G.; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Jetten, Mike S. M.; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.; Op den Camp, Huub J. M.

2011-01-01

Sphagnum peatlands are important ecosystems in the methane cycle. Methane-oxidizing bacteria in these ecosystems serve as a methane filter and limit methane emissions. Yet little is known about the diversity and identity of the methanotrophs present in and on Sphagnum mosses of peatlands, and only a few isolates are known. The methanotrophic community in Sphagnum mosses, originating from a Dutch peat bog, was investigated using a pmoA microarray. A high biodiversity of both gamma- and alphaproteobacterial methanotrophs was found. With Sphagnum mosses as the inoculum, alpha- and gammaproteobacterial acidophilic methanotrophs were isolated using established and newly designed media. The 16S rRNA, pmoA, pxmA, and mmoX gene sequences showed that the alphaproteobacterial isolates belonged to the Methylocystis and Methylosinus genera. The Methylosinus species isolated are the first acid-tolerant members of this genus. Of the acidophilic gammaproteobacterial strains isolated, strain M5 was affiliated with the Methylomonas genus, and the other strain, M200, may represent a novel genus, most closely related to the genera Methylosoma and Methylovulum. So far, no acidophilic or acid-tolerant methanotrophs in the Gammaproteobacteria class are known. All strains showed the typical features of either type I or II methanotrophs and are, to the best of our knowledge, the first isolated (acidophilic or acid-tolerant) methanotrophs from Sphagnum mosses. PMID:21724892

The interactive effects of temperature and moisture on nitrogen fixation in two temperate-arctic mosses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rousk, Kathrin; Pedersen, Pia Agerlund; Dyrnum, Kristine

2017-01-01

fixation in mosses under controlled conditions have rarely been investigated separately, rendering the interactive effects of the two climatic factors on N2 fixation unknown. Here, we tested the interactive effects of temperature and moisture on N2 fixation in the two most dominant moss species...

Trace element content and molecular biodiversity in the epiphytic moss Leptodon smithii: two independent tracers of human disturbance.

Science.gov (United States)

Spagnuolo, Valeria; Terracciano, Stefano; Giordano, Simonetta

2009-03-01

This paper focuses on chemical composition of the epiphytic moss Leptodon smithii, gathered on Quercus ilex bark, assessed in seven sites located in urban and extra-urban/remote areas of southern Italy, a poorly surveyed geographic area. The concentrations of Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn in moss tissue are generally more abundant in moss gathered in the urban sites; among extra-urban/remote sites Valle delle Ferriere showed the highest metal concentrations, mostly related to an industrial activity occurred in the past. L. smithii chemistry seems influenced by airborne dust locally enhanced by erosion phenomena, long-range transport of pollutants and marine aerosols. Element content in moss is compared with genetic variability of L. smithii estimated in the same sites. Pearson's correlation coefficient between gene diversity and total element load (r=-0.851; p=0.03) suggests that anthropogenic pressure, determining habitat disturbance and fragmentation, leads both to genetic impoverishment consequent to population shrink, and to a higher accumulation in moss tissues, as a consequence of increased airborne major/trace elements. Thus, the coupled evaluation of chemical composition in mosses and gene diversity may prove a useful tool to highlight environmental disturbance in a gradient of land use.

Determination and spatial distribution of 137Cs in soils, mosses and lichens near Kavanayen, Venezuela

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LaBrecque, J.J.; Cordoves, P.R.

2007-01-01

The activity of 137 Cs was determined in soils, mosses, lichens and other vegetation along the Caruay River and near the town of Kavanayen. The range of values for the soils was from -1 of 137 Cs (our detection limit) to 14.1 Bq x kg -1 . The range of 137 Cs activities in the mosses ranged from 9.9 to 17.9 Bq x kg -1 with a mean value of 13.4±4 Bq x kg -1 ; all the moss samples were found along the river. While the 137 Cs activities in the lichens ranged from 9.1 to 29.8 Bq x kg -1 ; the two values along the river were about three factors higher than the one near Kavanayen. It was concluded that the 137 Cs activities in the soils, mosses and lichens are much higher along the river in respect to the nearby town of Kavanayen

Moss bags as sentinels for human safety in mercury-polluted groundwaters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cesa, Mattia; Nimis, Pier Luigi; Buora, Clara; Lorenzonetto, Alberta; Pozzobon, Alessandro; Raris, Marina; Rosa, Maria; Salvadori, Michela

2014-05-01

An equation to estimate Hg concentrations of monitoring, (3) comparing the performances of two populations of moss collected from different sites, and (4) assessing the environmental impact of Hg contamination on a small river. The main factors affecting Hg uptake in the field were-as expected-water concentration and time of exposure, even though the uptake kinetics in the field were slightly different from those which were previously observed in the lab, since the redox environmental conditions influence the solubility of cationic Fe, which is a negative competitor of Hg(2+). The equation was improved by including the variable 'dissolved oxygen concentration'. A numerical parameter depending on the moss collection site was also provided, since the differences in uptake efficiency were observed between the two populations tested. Predicted Hg concentrations well fitted the values measured in situ (approximately ±50%), while a notable underestimation was observed when the equation was used to predict Hg concentration in a neighbouring river (-96%), probably due to the organic pollution which hampers metal uptake by mosses.

Antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts of some moss species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karpiński Tomasz M.

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: For centuries, mosses have been used in traditional medicine due to their antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral activities. Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts obtained from 12 moss species: Brachythecium albicans, Bryum argenteum, Ceratodon purpureus, Dicranum scoparium, Dryptodon pulvinatus, Orthotrichum anomalum, Oxyrrhynchium hians, Plagiomnium undulatum, Polytrichum juniperinum, P. piliferum, Schistidium crassipilum, and Syntrichia ruralis. Methods: The antimicrobial activity of extracts was investigated against three Gram(+ bacteria (Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus pyogenes and two Gram(- bacteria (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, using the agar disc-diffusion method. Results: The high activity against all investigated bacteria was determined for extracts of D. pulvinatus, P. undulatum, B. argenteum, S. crassipilum, O. anomalum (mean inhibition zone: 11.3-13.1 mm and to a lesser extent in the case of D. scoparium (8.3 mm. Extracts from P. juniperinum and P. piliferum showed activity only against Gram-positive bacteria, with an inhibition zone from 7.3 to 9.7 mm. Four species: B. albicans, C. purpureus, O. hians, and S. ruralis had not antibacterial properties. Conclusions: The obtained results indicate that mosses could be a significant source of antibacterial agents. For the first time, we presented antibacterial activity of ethanolic extracts from S. crassipilum and O. anomalum.

Active Sphagnum girgensohnii Russow Moss Biomonitoring of an Industrial Site in Romania: Temporal Variation in the Elemental Content.

Science.gov (United States)

Culicov, Otilia A; Zinicovscaia, Inga; Duliu, O G

2016-05-01

The moss-bag transplant technique was used to investigate the kinetics of the accumulation of 38 elements in Sphagnum girgensohni moss samples in the highly polluted municipality of Baia Mare, Romania. The moss samples collected from the unpolluted Vitosha Mountain Natural Reserve, Bulgaria, were analyzed after 1, 2, 3, and 4 months of exposure, respectively. The ANOVA method was used to assay the statistical significance of the observed changes in elemental content, as determined by neutron activation analysis. The content of Zn, Se, As, Ag, Cd, and Sb increased steadily, while that of physiologically active K and Cl, as well as Rb and Cs, decreased exponentially. The study showed that an adequate application of the moss transplant technique in an urban environment should consider the exposure time as a critical parameter, since particular elements are depleted in the moss at sites with high atmospheric loading of metals.

Keim, Karl-Dieter, Das Fenster zum Raum : Traktat über die Erforschung sozialräumlicher Transformation / [rezensiert von] Helmut Klüter

OpenAIRE

Klüter, Helmut

2009-01-01

Rezensiertes Werk: Keim, Karl-Dieter: Das Fenster zum Raum : Traktat über die Erforschung sozialräumlicher Transformation / Karl-Dieter Keim. - Opladen : Leske + Budrich, 2003. - 171 S. : graph. Darst. - (Lehrtexte : Sozialwissenschaften) ISBN 3-8100-4050-9

Historical and current use of spanish moss as a monitor of atmospheric trace metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Whitten, M.L.; Mossler, M.A.; Kosalwat, P.; Newman, J.R. [KBN Engineering and Applied Sciences, Inc., Gainesville, FL (United States)

1995-12-31

Spanish moss (Tillandsia usnesoides) is an epiphytic member of the pineapple family, Historically, tissue levels in this plant have illustrated the elevated concentration of lead near well traveled roads, as well as nickel and tin in the vicinity of battery fabrication or smelting facilities, respectively. From a survey of Spanish moss plants growing throughout the Southeast, mercury at or slightly above the limit of detection was present in eight of 128 samples. Five of these samples were collected in Florida. As part of a biomonitoring project, Spanish moss was collected from 1991 to 1993 around a waste-to-energy facility in Lake County, Florida, After three years, the percentage of Spanish moss samples which contained detectable levels of arsenic and cadmium decreased over time. Lead was detected in all samples collected throughout the monitoring period, but the mean concentration decreased from 3.7 mg/kg on a dry weight basis (1991) to 1.4 mg/kg (1993). This trend in lead levels may indicate clearance that is occurring due to the discontinuation of leaded gasoline. The percentage of moss samples containing mercury above the limit of detection increased from 67% (1991) to 97% (1993); however, mean concentrations do not support a trend in increasing concentration of this element (0.30 mg/kg on a fresh weight basis in 1991 vs. 0.19 mg/kg in 1993). Apparently, atmospheric metal concentrations are not increasing in the vicinity of the facility at this time.

Sphagnum mosses from 21 ombrotrophic bogs in the athabasca bituminous sands region show no significant atmospheric contamination of "heavy metals".

Science.gov (United States)

Shotyk, William; Belland, Rene; Duke, John; Kempter, Heike; Krachler, Michael; Noernberg, Tommy; Pelletier, Rick; Vile, Melanie A; Wieder, Kelman; Zaccone, Claudio; Zhang, Shuangquan

2014-11-04

Sphagnum moss was collected from 21 ombrotrophic (rain-fed) peat bogs surrounding open pit mines and upgrading facilities of Athabasca bituminous sands in Alberta (AB). In comparison to contemporary Sphagnum moss from four bogs in rural locations of southern Germany (DE), the AB mosses yielded lower concentrations of Ag, Cd, Ni, Pb, Sb, and Tl, similar concentrations of Mo, but greater concentrations of Ba, Th, and V. Except for V, in comparison to the "cleanest", ancient peat samples ever tested from the northern hemisphere (ca. 6000-9000 years old), the concentrations of each of these metals in the AB mosses are within a factor of 3 of "natural, background" values. The concentrations of "heavy metals" in the mosses, however, are proportional to the concentration of Th (a conservative, lithophile element) and, therefore, contributed to the plants primarily in the form of mineral dust particles. Vanadium, the single most abundant trace metal in bitumen, is the only anomaly: in the AB mosses, V exceeds that of ancient peat by a factor of 6; it is therefore enriched in the mosses, relative to Th, by a factor of 2. In comparison to the surface layer of peat cores collected in recent years from across Canada, from British Columbia to New Brunswick, the Pb concentrations in the mosses from AB are far lower.

Phototolerance of lichens, mosses and higher plants in an alpine environment: analysis of photoreactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Heber, U; Bilger, W; Bligny, R; Lange, O L

2000-11-01

Adaptation to excessive light is one of the requirements of survival in an alpine environment particularly for poikilohydric organisms which in contrast to the leaves of higher plants tolerate full dehydration. Changes in modulated chlorophyll fluorescence and 820-nm absorption were investigated in the lichens Xanthoria elegans (Link) Th. Fr. and Rhizocarpon geographicum (L.) DC, in the moss Grimmia alpestris Limpr. and the higher plants Geum montanum L., Gentiana lutea L. and Pisum sativum L., all collected at altitudes higher than 2000 m above sea level. In the dehydrated state, chlorophyll fluorescence was very low in the lichens and the moss, but high in the higher plants. It increased on rehydration in the lichens and the moss, but decreased in the higher plants. Light-induced charge separation in photosystem II was indicated by pulse-induced fluorescence increases only in dried leaves, not in the dry moss and dry lichens. Strong illumination caused photodamage in the dried leaves, but not in the dry moss and dry lichens. Light-dependent increases in 820-nm absorption revealed formation of potential quenchers of chlorophyll fluorescence in all dehydrated plants, but energy transfer to quenchers decreased chlorophyll fluorescence only in the moss and the lichens, not in the higher plants. In hydrated systems, coupled cyclic electron transport is suggested to occur concurrently with linear electron transport under strong actinic illumination particularly in the lichens because far more electrons became available after actinic illumination for the reduction of photo-oxidized P700 than were available in the pool of electron carriers between photosystems II and I. In the moss Grimmia, but not in the lichens or in leaves, light-dependent quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence was extensive even under nitrogen, indicating anaerobic thylakoid acidification by persistent cyclic electron transport. In the absence of actinic illumination, acidification by ca. 8% CO2 in

Dalle pagine della Fackel agli Ultimi giorni dell’umanità. Karl Kraus e la guerra

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo Morello

2014-06-01

Full Text Available From Fackel’s pages to The Last Days of Mankind. Karl Kraus and the War. Between 1915 and the end of the war, Karl Kraus, an Austrian intellectual who had made political satire and criticism of journalistic language, engages in a fierce battle against the inhumanity and cruelty of war. On the pages of Fackel, a magazine published by him for over thirty years, from 1899 to 1936, he gathers many texts that then come together in the tragedy of the Last Days of Mankind, a great work, dripping horror, which seeks to represent the unrepresentable.

Interactive effects of moss-dominated crusts and Artemisia ordosica on wind erosion and soil moisture in Mu Us sandland, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yongsheng; Bu, Chongfeng; Mu, Xingmin; Shao, Hongbo; Zhang, Kankan

2014-01-01

To better understand the effects of biological soil crusts (BSCs) on soil moisture and wind erosion and study the necessity and feasibility of disturbance of BSCs in the Mu Us sandland, the effects of four treatments, including moss-dominated crusts alone, Artemisia ordosica alone, bare sand, and Artemisia ordosica combined with moss-dominated crusts, on rainwater infiltration, soil moisture, and annual wind erosion were observed. The major results are as follows. (1) The development of moss-dominated crusts exacerbated soil moisture consumption and had negative effects on soil moisture in the Mu Us sandland. (2) Moss-dominated crusts significantly increased soil resistance to wind erosion, and when combined with Artemisia ordosica, this effect became more significant. The contribution of moss-dominated crusts under Artemisia ordosica was significantly lower than that of moss-dominated crusts alone in sites where vegetative coverage > 50%. (3) Finally, an appropriate disturbance of moss-dominated crusts in the rainy season in sites with high vegetative coverage improved soil water environment and vegetation succession, but disturbance in sites with little or no vegetative cover should be prohibited to avoid the exacerbation of wind erosion.

Karl Julius Lohnert - an unknown astronomer, experimental psychologist and teacher (German Title: Karl Julius Lohnert - ein unbekannter Astronom, experimenteller Psychologe und Lehrer)

Science.gov (United States)

Schmadel, Lutz D.; Guski-Leinwand, Susanne

2011-08-01

Karl Julius Lohnert (1885-1944) with his double biography as astronomer and psychologist is hardly known in both fields. As a student of astronomy in Heidelberg, Lohnert discovered a couple of minor planets and he dedicated one to his PhD supervisor, the famous Leipzig professor for philosophy, Wilhelm Wundt. This connection is discussed for the first time almost one century after the naming of (635) Vundtia. The paper elucidates some biographical stations of Lohnert.

Heavy metal and nitrogen concentrations in mosses are declining across Europe whilst some “hotspots” remain in 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmens, H.; Norris, D.A.; Sharps, K.; Mills, G.; Alber, R.; Aleksiayenak, Y.; Blum, O.; Cucu-Man, S.-M.; Dam, M.; De Temmerman, L.; Ene, A.; Fernández, J.A.; Martinez-Abaigar, J.; Frontasyeva, M.; Godzik, B.; Jeran, Z.

2015-01-01

In recent decades, naturally growing mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and nitrogen. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. In 2010, the lowest concentrations of metals and nitrogen in mosses were generally found in northern Europe, whereas the highest concentrations were observed in (south-)eastern Europe for metals and the central belt for nitrogen. Averaged across Europe, since 1990, the median concentration in mosses has declined the most for lead (77%), followed by vanadium (55%), cadmium (51%), chromium (43%), zinc (34%), nickel (33%), iron (27%), arsenic (21%, since 1995), mercury (14%, since 1995) and copper (11%). Between 2005 and 2010, the decline ranged from 6% for copper to 36% for lead; for nitrogen the decline was 5%. Despite the Europe-wide decline, no changes or increases have been observed between 2005 and 2010 in some (regions of) countries. - Highlights: • In 2010, heavy metal and nitrogen concentrations in mosses were determined at up to 4400 sites across Europe. • Moss concentrations complement deposition measurements at high spatial resolution. • For most metals, concentrations in mosses have significantly declined since 1990. • Heavy metal pollution remains high in (South-)eastern Europe. • Nitrogen pollution remains high in the central European belt. - Heavy metal pollution remains high particularly in (south-)eastern Europe, whereas nitrogen pollution remains high in the central belt of Europe

Atmospheric Deposition of Heavy Metals in Serbia Studied by Moss Biomonitoring, Neutron Activation Analysis and GIS Technology

CERN Document Server

Frontasyeva, M V; Kumar, M; Matavuly, M; Pavlov, S S; Radnovic, D; Steinnes, E

2002-01-01

The results of a pilot study on atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other trace elements using the moss biomonitoring technique in the northern part of Serbia and some areas of Bosnia are presented. Samples of Hypnum cupressiforme along with some other moss types were collected at 92 sites during the summer of 2000. A total of 44 elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis using epithermal neutrons. The observed levels of Cu, Zn, As, Ag, Cd, In, Sb, etc. in the area surrounding the town of Bor (Serbia) are comparable to those reported from similar industrial areas in other countries such as the Copper Basin in Poland and the South Urals of Russia. In the same region the maximum Se and Mo concentrations are the highest ever recorded in biomonitoring studies using mosses. High median concentrations of Fe and Ni in Serbian mosses are associated with a crustal component as apparent from factor analysis of the moss data. This component could be a result of windblown soil dust (most ...

Alles Leben ist Problemlösen: Zum 100. Geburtstag von Karl Raimund Popper

OpenAIRE

Kirchgässner, Gebhard

2002-01-01

Karl Popper wäre im Juli 2002 hundert Jahre alt geworden. Prof. Dr. Gebhard Kirchgässner würdigt den politischen Philosophen, der als bedeutendster Wissenschaftstheoretiker des 20. Jahrhunderts gilt.

Karl Marx:"Er waart een spook door Europa" door Bart Tromp

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ir.ing Ruud Thelosen

2011-01-01

In dit in 2006 verschenen boekje van prof. Sociologie Bart Tromp, die zelf in 2007 overleed, worden niet alleen belangrijke stukken van de hand van Karl Marx zelf weergegeven, maar ook een grondige biografie en een inleiding om het belang van Marx ook voor de actualiteit te benadrukken.

Atmospheric deposition of heavy metals in Serbia studied by moss biomonitoring, neutron activation analysis and GIS technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frontas'eva, M.V.; Galinskaya, T.E.; Pavlov, S.S.; Kumar, M.; Matavuly, M.; Radnovic, D.; Steinnes, E.

2002-01-01

The results of a pilot study on atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other trace elements using the moss biomonitoring technique in the northern part of Serbia and some areas of Bosnia are presented. Samples of Hypnum cupressiforme along with some other moss types were collected at 92 sites during the summer of 2000. A total of 44 elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis using epithermal neutrons. The observed levels of Cu, Zn, As, Ag, Cd, In, Sb, etc. in the area surrounding the town of Bor (Serbia) are comparable to those reported from similar industrial areas in other countries such as the Copper Basin in Poland and the South Urals of Russia. In the same region the maximum Se and Mo concentrations are the highest ever recorded in biomonitoring studies using mosses. High median concentrations of Fe and Ni in Serbian mosses are associated with a crustal component as apparent from factor analysis of the moss data. This component could be a result of windblown soil dust (most of the samples were taken from agricultural regions) or deposition of ash from coal-burning power stations. Some specific elements such as Cl and V may originate from known industrial sources, but at certain places high values in the moss samples are suspected to be associated with fires in oil refineries damaged during the 1999 NATO military action

pupil initiatives in urban nature trail development: pmb moss

African Journals Online (AJOL)

.ritzburg is provided. Negotiations and procedures initiated by standard 9 pupils in stimulating authorities and the public to recog~ nise the need for urban trail development and metropolitan open space. (MOSS) are outlined. long-tenn ...

Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Northern Vietnam: Hanoi and Thainguyen case study using the moss biomonitoring technique, INAA and AAS.

Science.gov (United States)

Viet, Hung Nguyen; Frontasyeva, Marina Vladimirovna; Thi, Thu My Trinh; Gilbert, Daniel; Bernard, Nadine

2010-06-01

The moss technique is widely used to monitor atmospheric deposition of heavy metals in many countries in Europe, whereas this technique is scarcely used in Asia. To implement this international reliable and cheap methodology in the Asian countries, it is necessary to find proper moss types typical for the Asian environment and suitable for the biomonitoring purposes. Such a case study was undertaken in Vietnam for assessing the environmental situation in strongly contaminated areas using local species of moss Barbula indica. The study is focused on two areas characterized by different pollution sources: the Hanoi urban area and the Thainguyen metallurgical zone. Fifty-four moss samples were collected there according to standard sampling procedure adopted in Europe. Two complementary analytical techniques, atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), were used for determination of elemental concentrations in moss samples. To characterize the pollution sources, multivariate statistical analysis was applied. A total of 38 metal elements were determined in the moss by the two analytical techniques. The results of descriptive statistics of metal concentration in moss from the city center and periphery of Hanoi determined by AAS are presented. The similar results for moss from Thainguyen province determined by INAA and AAS are given also. A comparison of mean elemental concentrations in moss of this work with those in different environmental conditions of other authors provides reasonable information on heavy metal atmospheric deposition levels. Factor loadings and factor scores were used to identify and apportion contamination sources at the sampling sites. The values of percentage of total of factors show two highly different types of pollution in the two examined areas-the Hanoi pollution composition with high portion of urban-traffic activity and soil dust (62%), and the one of Thainguyen with factors related to industrial

The role of sample preparation in interpretation of trace element concentration variability in moss bioindication studies

Science.gov (United States)

Migaszewski, Z.M.; Lamothe, P.J.; Crock, J.G.; Galuszka, A.; Dolegowska, S.

2011-01-01

Trace element concentrations in plant bioindicators are often determined to assess the quality of the environment. Instrumental methods used for trace element determination require digestion of samples. There are different methods of sample preparation for trace element analysis, and the selection of the best method should be fitted for the purpose of a study. Our hypothesis is that the method of sample preparation is important for interpretation of the results. Here we compare the results of 36 element determinations performed by ICP-MS on ashed and on acid-digested (HNO3, H2O2) samples of two moss species (Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi) collected in Alaska and in south-central Poland. We found that dry ashing of the moss samples prior to analysis resulted in considerably lower detection limits of all the elements examined. We also show that this sample preparation technique facilitated the determination of interregional and interspecies differences in the chemistry of trace elements. Compared to the Polish mosses, the Alaskan mosses displayed more positive correlations of the major rock-forming elements with ash content, reflecting those elements' geogenic origin. Of the two moss species, P. schreberi from both Alaska and Poland was also highlighted by a larger number of positive element pair correlations. The cluster analysis suggests that the more uniform element distribution pattern of the Polish mosses primarily reflects regional air pollution sources. Our study has shown that the method of sample preparation is an important factor in statistical interpretation of the results of trace element determinations. ?? 2010 Springer-Verlag.

The Psychology of Thinking, Animal Psychology, and the Young Karl Popper

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ter Hark, M.R.M.

2004-01-01

In the 1920s, Karl Popper wrote two large manuscripts on psychology that he never published. in his autobiography, Unended Quest, he attempts to reduce the importance of his work in psychology as much as possible, and in his philosophical work he is an antipsychologist. However, in this article, it

Natural and anthropogenic radioactivity of feedstuffs, mosses and soil in the Belgrade environment, Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grdović Svetlana

2010-01-01

Full Text Available By gamma spectroscopic measurement a content of natural radio-nuclides (40K, 238U, 226Ra, 232Th and 137Cs was determined in samples of soil, alfalfa, maize and moss on six sites in the surroundings of Belgrade. Natural radionuclides in the soil were at the level characteristic for Serbia, whereas a relatively high level of activity of 137Cs (around 30 Bq kg-1 was determined. On the other hand, in plant samples mostly used as feed (such as alfalfa and maize the concentration of natural radio-nuclide activity and 137Cs was relatively low, i.e. below the range of detection. The content of natural radio-nuclides in moss was within the standard range of values specific for Serbia. However, the activity level of 137Cs in moss gathered from the wider area around Belgrade, was high, the highest measured level being in the Avala-Zuce area (158-221 Bq kg-1. Our results show that this radio-nuclide is still present in the living environment of Belgrade even 20 years after the Chernobyl disaster, and that moss is a good indicator of living environment 137Cs contamination.

Kapitalismus versus Marktwirtschaft. Karl Marx und Fernand Braudel

OpenAIRE

Faber, Malte; Petersen, Thomas

2018-01-01

Since the beginning of the finance crisis, the notion of capitalism and the adjective capitalistic are more and more employed in public discourse without making an attempt to define it. In contrast, the concept of market economy is less used. We try in this paper to differentiate both concepts by going back to the approaches by Karl Marx (1818-1883) and Fernand Braudel (1902-1985). Marx does not use the term capitalism but only capitalistic production, while Braudel argues on the basis of a w...

Karl Nagel : Pain things = Pain things / Eha Komissarov

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Komissarov, Eha, 1947-

2007-01-01

Maali- ja videokunstnik Karl Nagelist kui probleemsest nüüdisaegsest kunstnikust, kes võtab provokatiivseid positsioone ideoloogiate ja poliitika küsimustes. Tema kunstnikupositsioon keerleb terrorismi, fašismi ja natsionalismi ümber, dissidendi positsioonile asununa on ta käsitlenud surma ja vägivalla teemat (Tšetšeenia sõda) ja üritanud sõna võtta ka kodanikuvabaduste laiendamise nimel. Sotsiaalse tegelikkuse ja kunsti vastandlikkuse küsimuses on ta võtnud nulltoleratsi taotleva seisukoha, võrdlemata kunsti tegelikkusega

Heavy Metals and Trace Elements Atmospheric Deposition Studies in Tula Region Using Moss Biomonitors Technique

CERN Document Server

Ermakova, E V; Steinnes, E

2002-01-01

For the first time the moss biomonitors technique was used in air pollution studies in Tula Region (Central Russia), applying NAA, AAS. Moss samples were collected at 83 sites in accordance with the sampling strategy adopted in European projects on biomonitoring atmospheric deposition. A wide set of trace elements in mosses was determined. The method of epithermal neutron activation at IBR-2 reactor of FLNP JINR has made it possible to identify 33 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Th, U) in the large-scale concentration range - from 10000 ppm for K to 0,001 ppm for Tb and Ta. Cu, Cd and Pb were determined by the flame AAS in the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology. Using the graphical technique and principal component analysis allowed to separate plant, crustal and general pollution components in the moss. The obtained data will be used for constructing coloured maps of the distribution of elements over t...

USING A MICRO-UAV FOR ULTRA-HIGH RESOLUTION MULTI-SENSOR OBSERVATIONS OF ANTARCTIC MOSS BEDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Lucieer

2012-07-01

Full Text Available This study is the first to use an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV for mapping moss beds in Antarctica. Mosses can be used as indicators for the regional effects of climate change. Mapping and monitoring their extent and health is therefore important. UAV aerial photography provides ultra-high resolution spatial data for this purpose. We developed a technique to extract an extremely dense 3D point cloud from overlapping UAV aerial photography based on structure from motion (SfM algorithms. The combination of SfM and patch-based multi-view stereo image vision algorithms resulted in a 2 cm resolution digital terrain model (DTM. This detailed topographic information combined with vegetation indices derived from a 6-band multispectral sensor enabled the assessment of moss bed health. This novel UAV system has allowed us to map different environmental characteristics of the moss beds at ultra-high resolution providing us with a better understanding of these fragile Antarctic ecosystems. The paper provides details on the different UAV instruments and the image processing framework resulting in DEMs, vegetation indices, and terrain derivatives.

Comparative Studies on Mosses for Heavy Metals Pollution ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The sources of these heavy metals were discovered to include: vehicular emission and incineration of domestic wastes and the heavy metals from these sources were discovered to pose severe toxicological risks to the environment and human health. Samples of mosses were collected at eight different locations in each ...

Assessment of species-specific and temporal variations of major, trace and rare earth elements in vineyard ambient using moss bags.

Science.gov (United States)

Milićević, Tijana; Aničić Urošević, Mira; Vuković, Gordana; Škrivanj, Sandra; Relić, Dubravka; Frontasyeva, Marina V; Popović, Aleksandar

2017-10-01

Since the methodological parameters of moss bag biomonitoring have rarely been investigated for the application in agricultural areas, two mosses, Sphagnum girgensohnii (a species of the most recommended biomonitoring genus) and Hypnum cupressiforme (commonly available), were verified in a vineyard ambient. The moss bags were exposed along transects in six vineyard parcels during the grapevine season (March‒September 2015). To select an appropriate period for the reliable 'signal' of the element enrichment in the mosses, the bags were simultaneously exposed during five periods (3 × 2 months, 1 × 4 months, and 1 × 6 months). Assuming that vineyard is susceptible to contamination originated from different agricultural treatments, a wide range of elements (41) were determined in the moss and topsoil samples. The mosses were significantly enriched by the elements during the 2-month bag exposure which gradually increasing up to 6 months, but Cu and Ni exhibited the noticeable fluctuations during the grapevine season. However, the 6-month exposure of moss bags could be recommended for comparative studies among different vineyards because it reflects the ambient pollution comprising unpredictable treatments of grapevine applied during the whole season. Although higher element concentrations were determined in S. girgensohnii than H. cupressiforme, both species reflected the spatio-temporal changes in the ambient element content. Moreover, the significant correlation of the element (Cr, Cu, Sb, and Ti) concentrations between the mosses, and the same pairs of the elements correlated within the species, imply the comparable use of S. girgensohnii and H. cupressiforme in the vineyard (agricultural) ambient. Finally, both the moss bags and the soil analyses suggest that vineyard represents a dominant diffuse pollution source of As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Fe, and V. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using NLDAS-2 for initializing integrated watershed models: Model spin-up for the AirMOSS Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS) investigation has been developed for high-resolution in time and space root-zone soil moisture and carbon estimation. AirMOSS will build an ultra-high frequency (UHF) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that has the capability to penetr...

78 FR 23843 - Special Local Regulations; Moss Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival; Robertson Lake & O'Leary...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-23

...-AA08 Special Local Regulations; Moss Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival; Robertson Lake & O'Leary... Festival high speed boat races. Entry into, transiting or anchoring in this area is prohibited to all... Rockin' the Riverfront Festival; Robertson Lake & O'Leary Lake; Moss Point, MS. (a) Location. The...

Mosses Are Better than Leaves of Vascular Plants in Monitoring Atmospheric Heavy Metal Pollution in Urban Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yanbin; Fan, Miao; Hu, Ronggui; Zhao, Jinsong; Wu, Yupeng

2018-05-29

Mosses and leaves of vascular plants have been used as bioindicators of environmental contamination by heavy metals originating from various sources. This study aims to compare the metal accumulation capabilities of mosses and vascular species in urban areas and quantify the suitability of different taxa for monitoring airborne heavy metals. One pleurocarpous feather moss species, Haplocladium angustifolium , and two evergreen tree species, Cinnamomum bodinieri Osmanthus fragrans , and substrate soil were sampled in the urban area of different land use types in Wuhan City in China. The concentrations of Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, V, Pb, and Zn in these samples were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The differences of heavy metals concentration in the three species showed that the moss species was considerably more capable of accumulating heavy metals than tree leaves (3 times to 51 times). The accumulated concentration of heavy metals in the moss species depended on the metal species and land use type. The enrichment factors of metals for plants and the correlations of metals in plants with corresponding metals in soil reflected that the accumulated metals in plants stemmed mostly from atmospheric deposition, rather than the substrate soil. Anthropogenic factors, such as traffic emissions from automobile transportation and manufacturing industries, were primarily responsible for the variations in metal pollutants in the atmosphere and subsequently influenced the metal accumulation in the mosses. This study elucidated that the moss species H. angustifolium is relatively more suitable than tree leaves of C. bodinieri and O. fragrans in monitoring heavy metal pollution in urban areas, and currently Wuhan is at a lower contamination level of atmospheric heavy metals than some other cities in China.

Biomonitoring chromium III or VI soluble pollution by moss chlorophyll fluorescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yang-Er; Mao, Hao-Tian; Ma, Jie; Wu, Nan; Zhang, Chao-Ming; Su, Yan-Qiu; Zhang, Zhong-Wei; Yuan, Ming; Zhang, Huai-Yu; Zeng, Xian-Yin; Yuan, Shu

2018-03-01

We systematically compared the impacts of four Cr salts (chromic chloride, chromic nitrate, potassium chromate and potassium bichromate) on physiological parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence in indigenous moss Taxiphyllum taxirameum. Among the four Cr salts, K 2 Cr 2 O 7 treatment resulted in the most significant decrease in photosynthetic efficiency and antioxidant enzymes, increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), and obvious cell death. Different form the higher plants, although hexavalent Cr(VI) salt treatments resulted in higher accumulation levels of Cr and were more toxic than Cr(III) salts, Cr(III) also induced significant changes in moss physiological parameters and chlorophyll fluorescence. Our results showed that Cr(III) and Cr(VI) could be monitored distinguishably according to the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) fluorescence of sporadic purple and sporadic lavender images respectively. Then, the valence states and concentrations of Cr contaminations could be evaluated according to the image of maximum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and the quantum yield of PSII electron transport (ΦPSII). Therefore, this study provides new ideas of moss's sensibility to Cr(III) and a new method to monitor Chromium contaminations rapidly and non-invasively in water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moss-nitrogen input to boreal forest soils

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rousk, Kathrin; Jones, Davey; DeLuca, Thomas

2014-01-01

Cyanobacteria living epiphytically on mosses in pristine, unpolluted areas fix substantial amounts of atmospheric nitrogen (N) and therefore represent a primary source of N in N-limited boreal forests. However, the fate of this N is unclear, in particular, how the fixed N2 enters the soil and bec...... and that transfer of N to the soil is not facilitated by fungal hyphae....

Aquatic mosses as a monitoring tool for 137Cs contamination in streams and rivers--a field study from central southern Norway

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hongve, D.; Brittain, J.E.; Bjoernstad, H.E.

2002-01-01

Mosses are frequently used as biomonitors for trace element pollution in the aquatic environment. The purpose of this study was to assess their usefulness as a tool in monitoring and in regional surveys of radioactive contamination. Specimens of the aquatic mosses, Fontinalis antipyretica and F. dalecarlica, were transplanted from non-contaminated areas to streams and rivers in the Norwegian Jotunheimen Mountains and neighbouring lowland areas that had received radioactive fallout after the Chernobyl accident. Equilibrium concentrations of 137 Cs in the exposed mosses were reached after a few weeks. Two series from 20 streams in 1994 and 1996 show linear correlations between activities in water and moss samples and biomagnification ratios of 10 4 -10 5 . We conclude that mosses are better suited for monitoring purposes than water samples, because they provide values integrated over weeks while the radioactivity in surface waters can be subject to rapid variations according to hydrological events. The activity concentrations in aquatic mosses can be easily measured with good precision even when aqueous concentrations are below the limit of detection. Use of aquatic mosses also reduces the logistic problems of transporting large volumes of water, especially in areas inaccessible by road

New moss species with gravitropic protonemata

Science.gov (United States)

Lobachevska, O. V.

Gravitropism of 30 moss species was analysed at different stages of development: germination of spores, protonemata, gametophore and sporophyte formation. Spores were sowed in sterile conditions from the closed capsules on 1 % bactoagar with 0,2 % glucose and cultivated in the dark in vertically oriented petri dishes. In the same conditions fragments of protonemata and gametophores were grown being transferred aseptically from sterile cultures of spores germinated in controled light conditions. To assess gravity sensitivity the dishes were kept upright for 7 10 days in darkness and then 90o turned. After 20 h gravistimulation the angles of apical cell gravity bending were determined. The amount of amyloplasts and their distribution during growth and spatial reorientation of sporophytes selected from nature samples on different stages of species-specific capsule formation were analyzed after JK2J staining. The gravitropic sensing was established in 7 new moss species only. The general traits of all such species were the ark-like cygneous seta bending and inclined, to pendulous, capsules. JK2J staining of young isolated sporophytes has shown, that twisting and bending of seta as well as the spatial capsule reorientation result from the changes of distribution of amyloplasts in the direction of gravitropic growth or caused by their lateral sedimentation. In the dark protonemata of investigated mosses grew upwards on agar surface giving rise to bundles of negatively gravitropic stolons in 7-10 days. During germination at first negatively gravitropic primary chloronema and then positively gravitropic primary rizoid appeared. In 3 days, however, the growth of all primary filaments was negatively gravitropic. In Dicranella cerviculata majority of primary filaments were negatively gravitropic from the very beginning. After 20 h gravistimulation of protonemata of different moss species the following mean values of gravity bending (degrees) were established: Leptobryum

Towards the methodological optimization of the moss bag technique in terms of contaminants concentrations and replicability values

Science.gov (United States)

Ares, A.; Fernández, J. A.; Carballeira, A.; Aboal, J. R.

2014-09-01

The moss bag technique is a simple and economical environmental monitoring tool used to monitor air quality. However, routine use of the method is not possible because the protocols involved have not yet been standardized. Some of the most variable methodological aspects include (i) selection of moss species, (ii) ratio of moss weight to surface area of the bag, (iii) duration of exposure, and (iv) height of exposure. In the present study, the best option for each of these aspects was selected on the basis of the mean concentrations and data replicability of Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn measured during at least two exposure periods in environments affected by different degrees of contamination. The optimal choices for the studied aspects were the following: (i) Sphagnum denticulatum, (ii) 5.68 mg of moss tissue for each cm-2 of bag surface, (iii) 8 weeks of exposure, and (iv) 4 m height of exposure. Duration of exposure and height of exposure accounted for most of the variability in the data. The aim of this methodological study was to provide data to help establish a standardized protocol that will enable use of the moss bag technique by public authorities.

Assessment of radionuclides (uranium and thorium) atmospheric pollution around Manjung district, Perak using moss as bio-indicator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arshad, Nursyairah, E-mail: nursyairah1990@gmail.com; Hamzah, Zaini; Wood, Ab. Khalik [Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam Selangor (Malaysia); Saat, Ahmad [Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam Selangor (Malaysia); Institute of Science, Universiti Teknologi MARA, 40450, Shah Alam Selangor (Malaysia)

2016-01-22

Bio-monitoring method using mosses have been widely done around the world and the effectiveness has been approved. Mosses can be used to assess the levels of atmospheric pollution as mosses pick up nutrients from the atmosphere and deposition retaining many trace elements. In this study, the deposition of two radionuclides; uranium (U) and thorium (Th) around Manjung districts have been evaluated using Leucobryum aduncum as bio-monitoring medium. The samples were collected from 24 sampling sites covering up to 40 km radius to the North, North-East and South-East directions from Teluk Rubiah. The concentrations of U and Th in moss samples were analysed using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Spectrometer. The concentrations of Th are in the range of 0.07-2.09 mg/kg. Meanwhile, the concentrations of U in the moss are in the range of 0.03-0.18 mg/kg. The Enrichment Factor (EF) was calculated to determine the origin of the radionuclides distributions. Other than that, the distribution maps were developed to observe the distribution of the radionuclides around the study area.

Moss antheridia are desiccation tolerant: Rehydration dynamics influence sperm release in Bryum argenteum.

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, Lloyd R; McLetchie, D Nicholas; Greenwood, Joshua L; Eppley, Sarah M

2016-05-01

Free-living sperm of mosses are known to be partially desiccation tolerant. We hypothesized that mature moss antheridia should also tolerate desiccation and that rehydration to partial turgor (prehydration) or rehydration to full turgor (rehydration) before immersion in water is required for full recovery from any damaging effects of prior desiccation. Bryum argenteum (silvery-thread moss) was grown in continuous culture for several months, produced mature perigonia (clusters of antheridia), and these were subjected to a slow rate of drying (∼36 h from full turgor to desiccation) and equilibration with 50% relative humidity. Perigonia were prehydrated (exposed to a saturated atmosphere) or rehydrated (planted upright in saturated media) for 0, 45, 90, 135, 180, and 1440 min, then immersed in sterile water. Time to first sperm mass release, number of antheridia releasing sperm masses, and the integrity of the first sperm mass released were assessed. Rehydration of dried antheridia for at least 3 h before immersion in water resulted in antheridia functioning similar to control undried antheridia. Compared with rehydration, prehydration was not effective in the recovery of antheridia from desiccation. For the first time, moss antheridia are shown to be fully desiccation tolerant at a functional level, capable of releasing fully functional sperm following a slow drying event provided the antheridia are allowed to rehydrate at least 3 h before immersion in water. © 2016 Botanical Society of America.

78 FR 9866 - Special Local Regulation; Moss Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival; Robertson Lake & O'Leary...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-12

... 1625-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Moss Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival; Robertson Lake & O... Riverfront Festival high speed boat races. Entry into, transiting or anchoring in this area is prohibited to... Point Rockin' the Riverfront Festival; Robertson Lake & O'Leary Lake; Moss Point, MS. (a) Location. The...

Antifungal and antibacterial effects of some acrocarpic mosses ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

of the number of microorganism affected. Tortella tortuosa (Hedw.) Limpr. only has effect on Candida albicans ATCC 16231 strain. All the results were compared with standard antibiotic discs, ketoconazole (50 ìg), ampicillin (10 ìg), eritromycin (15 ìg) and vancomycin (30 ìg). Key words: Moss, acrocarpous, antimicrobial ...

Proposal for a test using aquatic mosses for the radioecological control of the environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baudin-Jaulent, Y.; Descamps, B.

1985-01-01

Field experiments demonstrated that a test using aquatic mosses (bags made of plastic netting and containing a small amount of moss) could be considered for the radioecological monitoring of a uranium mining complex. This test has the required qualities: easy operation, reliability and low cost. It also makes it possible to assess inorganic pollution due, for instance, to heavy metals, or organic pollution by products such as chlorinated compounds [fr

Karl Barth's definition of church in politics and culture: Growth points ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The article describes briefly Karl Barth's views on church, its role in politics and how it relates to culture. This is done by identifying the way in which the church participates in the social realm through its relationship with the State. The historic religious question asks whether there is a natural mutual-determining relationship ...

Biomonitoring of {sup 210}Po and {sup 210}Pb using lichens and mosses around coal-fired power plants in Western Turkey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sert, Emel, E-mail: emel.sert@mail.ege.edu.tr [Ege University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 35100 Bornova, Izmir (Turkey); Ugur, Aysun, E-mail: aysun.ugur@ege.edu.tr [Ege University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 35100 Bornova, Izmir (Turkey); Ozden, Banu, E-mail: banu.ozden@ege.edu.tr [Ege University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 35100 Bornova, Izmir (Turkey); Sac, Mueslim Murat, E-mail: muslum.murat.sac@ege.edu.tr [Ege University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 35100 Bornova, Izmir (Turkey); Camgoez, Berkay, E-mail: berkay.camgoz@ege.edu.tr [Ege University, Institute of Nuclear Sciences, 35100 Bornova, Izmir (Turkey)

2011-06-15

Mosses and lichens are useful biological indicators of environmental contamination for a variety of metals and radionuclides of both natural and artificial origin. These plants lack a well-developed root system and rely largely on atmospheric deposition for nourishment. Therefore in the study, different lichens (Cladonia convoluta, Cladonia foliacea) and mosses (Homalothecium sericeum, Hypnum lacunosum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Tortella tortuosa, Didymodon acutus, Syntrichia ruralis, Syntrichia intermedia, Pterogonium graciale, Isothecium alopecuroides, Pleurochatae squarrosa) were collected around the Yatagan (Mugla), Soma (Manisa), Seyitoemer - Tuncbilek (Kuetahya) coal-fired power plants and investigated for potential use as biomonitors for {sup 210}Po and {sup 210}Pb deposition. While the activity concentrations of {sup 210}Po and {sup 210}Pb in lichens are in the ranges of 151 {+-} 7-593 {+-} 21 and 97 {+-} 5-364 {+-} 13 Bq kg{sup -1}, for mosses the ranges for {sup 210}Po and {sup 210}Pb are 124 {+-} 5-1125 {+-} 38 and 113 {+-} 4-490 {+-} 17 Bq kg{sup -1}, respectively. In the study, the moss samples were observed to accumulate more {sup 210}Po and {sup 210}Pb compared to lichens. While the most suitable biomonitor was a moss species (H. lacunosum) for Yatagan (Mugla), it was another moss species (S. intermedia) for Soma (Manisa) and Seyitoemer - Tuncbilek (Kuetahya) sites. {sup 210}Po concentrations were found higher than {sup 210}Pb concentrations at the all sampling stations. - Highlights: > Lichens and mosses have been used as biomonitors of 210Po and 210Pb deposition. > The morphology of lichens and mosses does not vary with seasons. > Lichens and mosses retain and accumulate pollutants deposited from the atmosphere. > Canopy is an important factor causing differences in the concentrations of radionuclides.

Understanding the Relationships Between Lightning, Cloud Microphysics, and Airborne Radar-derived Storm Structure During Hurricane Karl (2010)

Science.gov (United States)

Reinhart, Brad; Fuelberg, Henry; Blakeslee, Richard; Mach, Douglas; Heymsfield, Andrew; Bansemer, Aaron; Durden, Stephen L.; Tanelli, Simone; Heymsfield, Gerald; Lambrigtsen, Bjorn

2013-01-01

This study explores relationships between lightning, cloud microphysics, and tropical cyclone (TC) storm structure in Hurricane Karl (16 September 2010) using data collected by the NASA DC-8 and Global Hawk (GH) aircraft during NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) experiment. The research capitalizes on the unique opportunity provided by GRIP to synthesize multiple datasets from two aircraft and analyze the microphysical and kinematic properties of an electrified TC. Five coordinated flight legs through Karl by the DC-8 and GH are investigated, focusing on the inner-core region (within 50km of the storm center) where the lightning was concentrated and the aircraft were well coordinated. GRIP datasets are used to compare properties of electrified and nonelectrified inner-core regions that are related to the noninductive charging mechanism, which is widely accepted to explain the observed electric fields within thunderstorms. Three common characteristics of Karl's electrified regions are identified: 1) strong updrafts of 10-20ms21, 2) deep mixed-phase layers indicated by reflectivities.30 dBZ extending several kilometers above the freezing level, and 3) microphysical environments consisting of graupel, very small ice particles, and the inferred presence of supercooled water. These characteristics describe an environment favorable for in situ noninductive charging and, hence, TC electrification. The electrified regions in Karl's inner core are attributable to a microphysical environment that was conducive to electrification because of occasional, strong convective updrafts in the eyewall.

Millisele õpetajale kingiksite imerohu? / Karl Martin Sinijärv, Vahur Keller, Kaarel Tarand ... [jt.

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2010-01-01

Küsimusele vastavad: Eesti kirjanike liidu esimees Karl Martin Sinijärv, nuku- ja noorsooteatri lavastaja Vahur Keller, Sirbi peatoimetaja Kaarel Tarand, kirjanik Andrus Kivirähk, ajakirjanik Juhani Püttsepp

Spatially valid data of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and nitrogen derived by moss surveys for pollution risk assessments of ecosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Schröder, Winfried; Nickel, Stefan; Schönrock, Simon; Meyer, Michaela; Wosniok, Werner; Harmens, Harry; Frontasyeva, Marina V; Alber, Renate; Aleksiayenak, Julia; Barandovski, Lambe; Carballeira, Alejo; Danielsson, Helena; de Temmermann, Ludwig; Godzik, Barbara; Jeran, Zvonka; Karlsson, Gunilla Pihl; Lazo, Pranvera; Leblond, Sebastien; Lindroos, Antti-Jussi; Liiv, Siiri; Magnússon, Sigurður H; Mankovska, Blanka; Martínez-Abaigar, Javier; Piispanen, Juha; Poikolainen, Jarmo; Popescu, Ion V; Qarri, Flora; Santamaria, Jesus Miguel; Skudnik, Mitja; Špirić, Zdravko; Stafilov, Trajce; Steinnes, Eiliv; Stihi, Claudia; Thöni, Lotti; Uggerud, Hilde Thelle; Zechmeister, Harald G

2016-06-01

For analysing element input into ecosystems and associated risks due to atmospheric deposition, element concentrations in moss provide complementary and time-integrated data at high spatial resolution every 5 years since 1990. The paper reviews (1) minimum sample sizes needed for reliable, statistical estimation of mean values at four different spatial scales (European and national level as well as landscape-specific level covering Europe and single countries); (2) trends of heavy metal (HM) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in moss in Europe (1990-2010); (3) correlations between concentrations of HM in moss and soil specimens collected across Norway (1990-2010); and (4) canopy drip-induced site-specific variation of N concentration in moss sampled in seven European countries (1990-2013). While the minimum sample sizes on the European and national level were achieved without exception, for some ecological land classes and elements, the coverage with sampling sites should be improved. The decline in emission and subsequent atmospheric deposition of HM across Europe has resulted in decreasing HM concentrations in moss between 1990 and 2010. In contrast, hardly any changes were observed for N in moss between 2005, when N was included into the survey for the first time, and 2010. In Norway, both, the moss and the soil survey data sets, were correlated, indicating a decrease of HM concentrations in moss and soil. At the site level, the average N deposition inside of forests was almost three times higher than the average N deposition outside of forests.

Spatial analysis of trace elements in a moss bio-monitoring data over France by accounting for source, protocol and environmental parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Lequy, Emeline; Saby, Nicolas P A; Ilyin, Ilia; Bourin, Aude; Sauvage, Stéphane; Leblond, Sébastien

2017-07-15

Air pollution in trace elements (TE) remains a concern for public health in Europe. For this reasons, networks of air pollution concentrations or exposure are deployed, including a moss bio-monitoring programme in Europe. Spatial determinants of TE concentrations in mosses remain unclear. In this study, the French dataset of TE in mosses is analyzed by spatial autoregressive model to account for spatial structure of the data and several variables proven or suspected to affect TE concentrations in mosses. Such variables include source (atmospheric deposition and soil concentrations), protocol (sampling month, collector, and moss species), and environment (forest type and canopy density, distance to the coast or the highway, and elevation). Modeled atmospheric deposition was only available for Cd and Pb and was one of the main explanatory variables of the concentrations in mosses. Predicted soil content was also an important explanatory variable except for Cr, Ni, and Zn. However, the moss species was the main factor for all the studied TE. The other environmental variables affected differently the TE. In particular, the forest type and canopy density were important in most cases. These results stress the need for further research on the effect of the moss species on the capture and retention of TE, as well as for accounting for several variables and the spatial structure of the data in statistical analyses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Symplasmic and apoplasmic transport inside feather moss stems of Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens.

Science.gov (United States)

Sokolowska, K; Turzanska, M; Nilsson, M-C

2017-11-10

The ubiquitous feather mosses Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens form a thick, continuous boundary layer between the soil and the atmosphere, and play important roles in hydrology and nutrient cycling in tundra and boreal ecosystems. The water fluxes among these mosses and environmental factors controlling them are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate whether feather mosses are capable of internal transport and to provide a better understanding of species-specific morphological traits underlying this function. The impacts of environmental conditions on their internal transport rates were also investigated. Cells involved in water and food conduction in P. schreberi and H. splendens were identified by transmission electron microscopy. Symplasmic and apoplasmic fluorescent tracers were applied to the moss stems to determine the routes of internal short- and long-distance transport and the impact of air humidity on the transport rates. Symplasmic transport over short distances occurs via food-conducting cells in both mosses. Pleurozium schreberi is also capable of apoplasmic internal long-distance transport via a central strand of hydroids. These are absent in H. splendens. Reduced air humidity significantly increased the internal transport of both species, and the increase was significantly faster for P. schreberi than for H. splendens. Pleurozium schreberi and Hylocomium splendens are capable of internal transport but the pathway and conductivity differ due to differences in stem anatomy. These results help explain their varying desiccation tolerance and possibly their differing physiology and autecology and, ultimately, their impact on ecosystem functioning. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Changes to dryland rainfall result in rapid moss mortality and altered soil fertility

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Sasha C.; Coe, Kirsten K.; Sparks, Jed P.; Housman, David C.; Zelikova, Tamara J.; Belnap, Jayne

2012-01-01

Arid and semi-arid ecosystems cover ~40% of Earth’s terrestrial surface, but we know little about how climate change will affect these widespread landscapes. Like many drylands, the Colorado Plateau in southwestern United States is predicted to experience elevated temperatures and alterations to the timing and amount of annual precipitation. We used a factorial warming and supplemental rainfall experiment on the Colorado Plateau to show that altered precipitation resulted in pronounced mortality of the widespread moss Syntrichia caninervis. Increased frequency of 1.2 mm summer rainfall events reduced moss cover from ~25% of total surface cover to fertility. Mosses are important members in many dryland ecosystems and the community changes observed here reveal how subtle modifications to climate can affect ecosystem structure and function on unexpectedly short timescales. Moreover, mortality resulted from increased precipitation through smaller, more frequent events, underscoring the importance of precipitation event size and timing, and highlighting our inadequate understanding of relationships between climate and ecosystem function in drylands.

Spatial and temporal variation in isotopic composition of atmospheric lead in Norwegian moss

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosman, K.J.R.; Ly, C.; Steinnes, E.

1998-01-01

Earlier studies using moss as a biomonitor of pollution have shown that long-range transport is a major source of pollution in Norway. Until now, the origin of these pollutants has been inferred from concentration measurements of various elements in moss and the climatology at each sampling site. Lead isotopes provide an opportunity to identify the sources and to quantify the contribution of each. This preliminary study reports measurements of lead isotopes in moss from selected sites along the full extent of Norway that reveal significant spatial and temporal variations. There are significant north-south trends that differ at coastal and inland sites and differ between sampling periods (1974--1994). These variations reflect the changing contributions from the different source regions as the regulation of pollution from automobiles and industry takes effect. Identifiable sources are the U.K. and possibly France, which is noticeable at coastal sites; western Europe at the southern end; and eastern Europe and Russia influencing the inland and northernmost sites

Efficacy of Moss as a Bioindicator of Heavy Metals When Controlling for Microbial Variables

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, K. M.; Atkinson, D. B.

2017-12-01

Interest in pollution has lead to the use of plants as indicators of particulate levels, acting as a cheaper, more widely dispersed resource than human manufactured alternatives. These biomonitors could provide accurate, current data across cities and in localized regions once the mechanism of accumulation is fully understood. One possible variable that could affect the efficacy of mosses as bioindicators of heavy metal absorption is the microbial colonies that thrive on the surface of these non vascular plants. Each micro organism has shown variance in absorption of heavy metals, leading to the question how much do the colonies contribute to measured variation? For this experiment samples of living mosses were collected from different trees in a region, each showing a different set of organisms growing on them. Measurements of cadmium were taken from a portion of the first samples, and second samples will be taken after dosing the rest of the living samples in a lab environment over time. Two of the mosses are being treated to limit microbial growth to compare to samples from the same tree. We hypothesize that there will be a significant difference either from one tree's absorption to the next, or between mosses from the same tree with limited growth due to the variation of microbial influence.

The history of the peat manufacturing industry in The Netherlands : peat moss litter and active carbon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karel, Erwin; Gerding, Michiel; De Vries, Gerben

This article describes the development of three major forms of peat processing by the manufacturing industry in The Netherlands since the last quarter of the 19th century. At a time when peat as a fuel was gradually being replaced by coal, the first form was the peat moss litter industry. Peat moss

PROTECTED SPECIES OF MOSSES IN THE URBAN AREA OF ŁÓDŹ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Staniaszek-Kik

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The paper presents of protected moss species which occur within the administrative boundaries of the city of Łódź. Łódź is the second largest city of Poland with regard to population. It is located close to the geographical centre of the country. Distribution of 27 species has been presented in the aspect of their occurrence in four structural-functional zones. The most frequent species in the study area are: Dicranum scoparium, Pleurozium schreberi, Pseudoscleropodium purum and Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus. The large number of protected mosses were noted in suburbs on lowered urbanization pressure area.

Sphagnum mosses--masters of efficient N-uptake while avoiding intoxication.

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, Christian; Lamers, Leon P M; Riaz, Muhammad; van den Berg, Leon J L; Elzenga, Theo J T M

2014-01-01

Peat forming Sphagnum mosses are able to prevent the dominance of vascular plants under ombrotrophic conditions by efficiently scavenging atmospherically deposited nitrogen (N). N-uptake kinetics of these mosses are therefore expected to play a key role in differential N availability, plant competition, and carbon sequestration in Sphagnum peatlands. The interacting effects of rain N concentration and exposure time on moss N-uptake rates are, however, poorly understood. We investigated the effects of N-concentration (1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 µM), N-form ((15)N-ammonium or nitrate) and exposure time (0.5, 2, 72 h) on uptake kinetics for Sphagnum magellanicum from a pristine bog in Patagonia (Argentina) and from a Dutch bog exposed to decades of N-pollution. Uptake rates for ammonium were higher than for nitrate, and N-binding at adsorption sites was negligible. During the first 0.5 h, N-uptake followed saturation kinetics revealing a high affinity (Km 3.5-6.5 µM). Ammonium was taken up 8 times faster than nitrate, whereas over 72 hours this was only 2 times. Uptake rates decreased drastically with increasing exposure times, which implies that many short-term N-uptake experiments in literature may well have overestimated long-term uptake rates and ecosystem retention. Sphagnum from the polluted site (i.e. long-term N exposure) showed lower uptake rates than mosses from the pristine site, indicating an adaptive response. Sphagnum therefore appears to be highly efficient in using short N pulses (e.g. rainfall in pristine areas). This strategy has important ecological and evolutionary implications: at high N input rates, the risk of N-toxicity seems to be reduced by lower uptake rates of Sphagnum, at the expense of its long-term filter capacity and related competitive advantage over vascular plants. As shown by our conceptual model, interacting effects of N-deposition and climate change (changes in rainfall) will seriously alter the functioning of Sphagnum peatlands.

Sphagnum Mosses - Masters of Efficient N-Uptake while Avoiding Intoxication

Science.gov (United States)

Fritz, Christian; Lamers, Leon P. M.; Riaz, Muhammad; van den Berg, Leon J. L.; Elzenga, Theo J. T. M.

2014-01-01

Peat forming Sphagnum mosses are able to prevent the dominance of vascular plants under ombrotrophic conditions by efficiently scavenging atmospherically deposited nitrogen (N). N-uptake kinetics of these mosses are therefore expected to play a key role in differential N availability, plant competition, and carbon sequestration in Sphagnum peatlands. The interacting effects of rain N concentration and exposure time on moss N-uptake rates are, however, poorly understood. We investigated the effects of N-concentration (1, 5, 10, 50, 100, 500 µM), N-form (15N - ammonium or nitrate) and exposure time (0.5, 2, 72 h) on uptake kinetics for Sphagnum magellanicum from a pristine bog in Patagonia (Argentina) and from a Dutch bog exposed to decades of N-pollution. Uptake rates for ammonium were higher than for nitrate, and N-binding at adsorption sites was negligible. During the first 0.5 h, N-uptake followed saturation kinetics revealing a high affinity (Km 3.5–6.5 µM). Ammonium was taken up 8 times faster than nitrate, whereas over 72 hours this was only 2 times. Uptake rates decreased drastically with increasing exposure times, which implies that many short-term N-uptake experiments in literature may well have overestimated long-term uptake rates and ecosystem retention. Sphagnum from the polluted site (i.e. long-term N exposure) showed lower uptake rates than mosses from the pristine site, indicating an adaptive response. Sphagnum therefore appears to be highly efficient in using short N pulses (e.g. rainfall in pristine areas). This strategy has important ecological and evolutionary implications: at high N input rates, the risk of N-toxicity seems to be reduced by lower uptake rates of Sphagnum, at the expense of its long-term filter capacity and related competitive advantage over vascular plants. As shown by our conceptual model, interacting effects of N-deposition and climate change (changes in rainfall) will seriously alter the functioning of Sphagnum peatlands

Armouring facility? Nuclear-weapon and reactor reseach at the Kaiser-Wilhelm Institute for Physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hachtmann, R.; Walker, M.

2005-01-01

The Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics is best known as the place where Werner Heisenberg worked on nuclear weapons for Hitler. Although this is essentially true, there is more to the story. At the start of World War II this institute was taken over by the German Army Ordnance to be the central, but not exclusive site for a research project into the economic and military applications of nuclear fission. The Army physicist Kurt Diebner was installed in the institute as its commissarial director. Heisenberg was affiliated with the institute as an advisor at first, and became the director in 1942. Heisenberg and his colleagues, including in particular Karl-Heinz Hoecker, Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker, and Karl Wirtz, worked on nuclear reactors and isotope separation with the clear knowledge that these were two different paths to atomic bombs [Atombomben]. However, they were clearly ambivalent about what they were doing. New documents recently returned from Russian archives shed new light on this work and the scientists' motivations. (orig.)

Psicología profunda y salvación ensayo de antropología teológica

OpenAIRE

Meneses Quintana, Orlando

2013-01-01

Eugen Drewermann hace recurso del psicoanálisis en su teología, y saca las consecuencias de tal mediación en materia dogmática, moral y eclesiológica. La investigación reconstruye los fundamentos de su interpretación, en los trabajos de Carl Jung y Sören Kierkegaard, presenta los lineamientos de su tipología de la neurosis como relación inauténtica con Dios, y finalmente sigue los desarrollos que al respecto elaboran los teólogos Francois Varone y Karl-Heinz Menke, puntualizando la importanci...

Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) and Karl Köller (1857-1944) and the discovery of local anesthesia.

Science.gov (United States)

dos Reis, Almiro

2009-01-01

The understanding, occasionally recognized, that Sigmund Freud had the intuition to use cocaine as local anesthetic for surgical procedures, or even that he played any role in the discovery of local anesthesia is not true. The objective of Freud's studies were different, and based in irrefutable evidence, Karl Köller was the real inventor of local anesthesia. In face of those facts, proper knowledge of this historically important subject is due. This report refers to the long-known properties of cocaine. It also remembers personal data, and the professional and scientific activities of Sigmund Freud and Karl Köller. It presents Freud's researches on the pathophysiological effects of cocaine. It exposes the reasons for the harsh criticism of Freud's concepts. It describes the sudden, but conscious and justified, idea of Karl Köller to study scientifically the use of cocaine as a local anesthetic in animals and humans. It indicates how those pioneering studies, that culminated with the discovery of local anesthesia by Köller and two presentations in Vienna on the subject, were done. It also reports the first ophthalmologic surgery under local anesthesia. It shows the immediate dissemination throughout the world of the discovery that marked the beginning of regional blocks. It comments several documents corroborating the role of Köller in this discovery. And, finally, it mentions the numerous homages received by Köller in different areas of the world. COCLUSIONS: Regional block was introduced by Karl Köller in 1884, when he demonstrated the feasibility of performing painless ophthalmologic surgeries by using cocaine as a local anesthetic. Sigmund Freud studied cocaine extensively, but he did not have direct participation in this important discovery.

Karl Menningu (ja iseenese) päästmiseks / Ants Hein

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Hein, Ants, 1952-

2008-01-01

Vastuseks Karin Hallas-Murula arvustusele "Maja, mis on sümbol" (Sirp, 2007, 5. X, lk. 13) ja Mait Väljase arvustusele "Iseolemise algus arhitektuuris" (Maja, 2008, nr. 1, lk. 86-87) oma 2007. a. ilmunud raamatust "Maja kui sümbol : Eesti Üliõpilaste Seltsi hoone Tartus" kohta. Georg Hellati ja Karl Menningu osalusest EÜS-i hoone sünniloos. Frank Lloyd Wrightist kui võimalikust eeskujuandjast

Lead accumulation within nuclei of moss leaf cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skaar, H; Ophus, E; Gullvag, B M

1973-01-19

Mosses were cultivated in a greenhouse and watered once a day for three weeks with a series of lead acetate solutions providing concentrations of 100-10,000 ppm of lead. Electron micrographs revealed electron-dense inclusions in the cells of lead-treated samples. Within the nuclei of leaf cells we repeatedly found electron-dense particles and damage to the nuclear membrane. Analysis confirmed that the electron-dense particles found within the nuclei contained lead. The findings that lead is incorporated into the nuclei of lead-polluted moss cells agree with previous findings of lead inclusions within the nuclei of tubular cells from the kidneys of lead poisoned men and animals. The binding of lead within the nuclear membrane as a non-diffusible complex has been suggested as the mechanism whereby the cytoplasmic concentration of diffusible lead substances within the cell can be kept below a level that would otherwise be toxic to the mitochondrial and other lead-sensitive functions of the cytoplasm. 13 references, 2 figures, 1 table.

Roosna-Alliku mõisa häärber / Karl Kolopka, Nele Rohtla, Johann Schultz

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kolopka, Karl

2004-01-01

12 ill.; peahoone ehitati Johann Schultzi kavandite järgi, siseinterjööri ilmestava Louis XVI stiilis stukitöö tegi Karl Kolopka, häärber restaureeriti Nele Rohtla (OÜ Mõisaprojekt) suunamisel

Lichens and mosses as monitors of industrial activity associated with uranium mining in northern Ontario, Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nieboer, E.; Boileau, L.J.R.; Beckett, P.J.; Lavoie, P.; Padovan, D.

1982-01-01

Strong linear regressions (P < 0.001) were observed between background concentrations of iron and titanium in lichens and mosses. For these same samples, the Fe/Ti content ratio was remarkably constant: 8.7 +- 1.8 for fifty-four lichen samples and 10.5 +- 1.5 for thirty-eight mosses. The Fe/Ti concentration ratio for cryptogams collected near uranium mine-exhaust vents accurately reflected the values of this same ratio for the rocks characterising the local ore body. Plant samples exhibiting the largest levels of Fe and Ti also had high mineral ash contents. The various associations and observations reported were interpreted as evidence that particulate trapping is an important elemental accumulation mechanism for lichens and mosses. (author)

The Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE): In Situ Geochronology for Planetary Robotic Missions

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Barbara

2016-01-01

The Potassium (K) - Argon (Ar) Laser Experiment (KArLE) will make in situ noble-gas geochronology measurements aboard planetary robotic landers and roverss. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is used to measure the K abun-dance in a sample and to release its noble gases; the evolved Ar is measured by mass spectrometry (MS); and rela-tive K content is related to absolute Ar abundance by sample mass, determined by optical measurement of the ablated volume. KArLE measures a whole-rock K-Ar age to 10% or better for rocks 2 Ga or older, sufficient to resolve the absolute age of many planetary samples. The LIBS-MS approach is attractive because the analytical components have been flight proven, do not require further technical development, and provide complementary measurements as well as in situ geochronology.

Atmospheric deposition of trace elements around Ulan Bator city studied by moss and lichen biomonitoring technique and INAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ganbold, G.; Gehrbish, Sh.; Tsehndehehkhuu, Ts.; Gundorina, S.F.; Frontas'eva, M.V.; Ostrovnaya, T.M.; Pavlov, S.S.

2005-01-01

For the first time the moss and lichen biomonitoring technique has been applied to air pollution in Mongolia (Ulan-Bator, the capital city). INAA at the IBR-2 reactor has made it possible to determine the content of 35 elements in moss and lichen biomonitors. Samples collected at sites located 10-15 km from the center of Ulan-Bator were analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) using epithermal neutrons. The mosses (Rhytidium rugosum, Thuidium abietinum, Entodon concinnus) and lichens (Cladonia stellaris, Parmelia separata) were used to study the atmospheric deposition of trace elements. It was shown that the suggested types of mosses could be used as suitable biomonitors to estimate the concentration levels of heavy metals and trace elements in Ulan-Bator atmospheric deposition. The results are compared to the data of atmospheric deposition of some European countries

Biogeomorphic relationships between slope processes and globular Grimmia mosses in Haleakala's Crater (Maui, Hawai’i)

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Francisco L.

2010-04-01

Globular mosses were found in Haleakala's crater (Maui) at five locations between 2175 and 2725 m; the highest-altitude site, with abundant epilithic mosses growing on alkali-olivine basalt outcrops and a large mossball population, was studied. Mossballs form when moss cushions are dislodged from rocks but continue growing unattached to substrate; detachment agents include rainsplash, desiccation, wind, frost, and disturbance by birds (dark-rumped petrels) that burrow nests under outcrops, or by goats. When loosened, moss polsters are transported down steep (26-34°) slopes by different geomorphic processes, including frost—mainly needle ice—activity, runoff, and wind. Mossballs contained two species, Grimmia trichophylla Grev. and Grimmia torquata Drumm., growing separately or commingled. Weight, size, and various shape indices were determined for 260 specimens. Shape and size were correlated; larger mosses become less spheroidal because heavier specimens are less disturbed by needle ice, remaining immobile for increasingly longer time periods, thus becoming flattened. Distance of downslope transport from source rockwalls was measured for 330 specimens; 83% shifted ≤ 100 cm, but only ˜ 5% had moved > 200-839 cm. Heavier mossballs moved short distances, thus ˜ 88% of all biomass remained within 200 cm from outcrops. Substrate soils were compared with those within globoids; surface site soils were much coarser than mossball grains. Twelve substrate samples had, on average, 21.3% gravel (≥ 2 mm), 6.1% fines (≤ 0.063 mm) and 2.1% organic matter; in contrast, 12 mossballs contained particles measured ≤ 0.25 mm. Such fine texture, along with abundant organic matter contributed by moss growth, generates greater water-storage capacity in globoids (˜ 310%) than in site soils (16.8%); this is ecologically significant for mossball development and survival during drought periods. This area is frequently subjected to freezing temperatures, while fog interception

O marxismo antidogmático de Karl Korsch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nildo Viana

2013-06-01

Full Text Available O presente artigo tematiza o marxismo de Karl Korsch, focalizando seu caráter não dogmático. A partir de um resgate do caráter crítico e revolucionário do marxismo de Marx, Korsch realiza uma crítica radical ao revisionismo e leninismo. Para tal, ele não só resgata o verdadeiro caráter da dialética marxista e da concepção materialista da história, como exige a coerência dessa concepção ao defender o princípio de aplicação dela a si mesma. Assim ele lança as bases de um marxismo não dogmático, para o qual é o vínculo com o proletariado que mostra o caráter do marxismo e não ideologias petrificadas. Abstract: This article thematizes Marxism of Karl Korsch, focusing on its non dogmatic. From a rescue of criticality and revolutionary Marxism of Marx, Korsch performs a radical critique of revisionism and Leninism. To do so, he not only rescues the true character of Marxist dialectics and materialist conception of history, as this concept requires consistency in defending the principle of applying it to herself. So he lays the foundations of a non-dogmatic Marxism, to which is the bond with the proletariat that shows the character of Marxism and not petrified ideologies. Key words: Marxism, dogmatism, criticism, historical materialism, dialectical.

Air pollution studies in Macedonia using the moss biomonitoring technique, NAA, AAS and GIS technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barandovski, L.; Urumov, V.; Cekova, M.; Frontas'eva, M.V.; Pavlov, S.S.; Stafilov, T.; Steinnes, E.

2006-01-01

For the first time the moss biomonitoring technique was applied to air pollution studies in the Republic of Macedonia, in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula. Samples of the terrestrial mosses Hypnum cupressiforme, Campothecium lutescens, and Homolothecium sericium were collected in September-October 2002 in accordance with the sampling strategy of the European moss survey programme. The sampling network included 73 sites evenly distributed over the territory of the country. A total of 43 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Hg, Pb, Th, and U) were determined by instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis and flame

Validating modelled data on major and trace element deposition in southern Germany using Sphagnum moss

Science.gov (United States)

Kempter, Heike; Krachler, Michael; Shotyk, William; Zaccone, Claudio

2017-10-01

Sphagnum mosses were collected from four ombrotrophic bogs in two regions of southern Germany: Upper Bavaria (Oberbayern, OB) and the Northern Black Forest (Nordschwarzwald, NBF). Surfaces of Sphagnum carpets were marked with plastic mesh and, one year later, plant matter was harvested and productivity determined. Major and trace element concentrations (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sr, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, Zn) were determined in acid digests using sector field ICP-MS. Up to 12 samples (40 × 40 cm) were collected per site, and 6-10 sites investigated per bog. Variation in element accumulation rates within a bog is mostly the result of the annual production rate of the Sphagnum mosses which masks not only the impact of site effects, such as microtopography and the presence of dwarf trees, but also local and regional conditions, including land use in the surrounding area, topography, etc. The difference in productivity between peat bogs results in distinctly higher element accumulation rates at the NBF bogs compared to those from OB for all studied elements. The comparison with the European Monitoring and Evaluation Program (EMEP; wet-only and total deposition) and Modelling of Air Pollutants and Ecosystem Impact (MAPESI; total deposition) data shows that accumulation rates obtained using Sphagnum are in the same range of published values for direct measurements of atmospheric deposition of As, Cd, Cu, Co, Pb, and V in both regions. The accordance is very dependent on how atmospheric deposition rates were obtained, as different models to calculate the deposition rates may yield different fluxes even for the same region. In future studies of atmospheric deposition of trace metals, both Sphagnum moss and deposition collectors have to be used on the same peat bog and results compared. Antimony, however, shows considerable discrepancy, because it is either under-estimated by Sphagnum moss or over-estimated by both atmospheric deposition

Assessment of trace metal air pollution in Paris using slurry-TXRF analysis on cemetery mosses.

Science.gov (United States)

Natali, Marco; Zanella, Augusto; Rankovic, Aleksandar; Banas, Damien; Cantaluppi, Chiara; Abbadie, Luc; Lata, Jean -Christophe

2016-12-01

Mosses are useful, ubiquitous accumulation biomonitors and as such can be used for biomonitoring surveys. However, the biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution can be compromised in urban contexts if the targeted biomonitors are regularly disturbed, irregularly distributed, or are difficult to access. Here, we test the hypothesis that cemeteries are appropriate moss sampling sites for the evaluation of air pollution in urban areas. We sampled mosses growing on gravestones in 21 urban and peri-urban cemeteries in the Paris metropolitan area. We focused on Grimmia pulvinata (Hedwig) Smith, a species abundantly found in all studied cemeteries and very common in Europe. The concentration of Al, As, Br, Ca, Ce, Cl, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mn, Ni, V, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sr, Ti, and Zn was determined by a total reflection X-ray fluorescence technique coupled with a slurry sampling method (slurry-TXRF). This method avoids a digestion step, reduces the risk of sample contamination, and works even at low sample quantities. Elemental markers of road traffic indicated that the highest polluted cemeteries were located near the highly frequented Parisian ring road and under the influence of prevailing winds. The sites with the lowest pollution were found not only in the peri-urban cemeteries, adjoining forest or farming landscapes, but also in the large and relatively wooded cemeteries located in the center of Paris. Our results suggest that (1) slurry-TXRF might be successfully used with moss material, (2) G. pulvinata might be a good biomonitor of trace metals air pollution in urban context, and (3) cemetery moss sampling could be a useful complement for monitoring urban areas. Graphical abstract We tested the hypothesis that cemeteries are appropriate moss sampling sites for the evaluation of air pollution in urban areas. We sampled 110 moss cushions (Grimmia pulvinata) growing on gravestones in 21 urban and peri-urban cemeteries in the Paris metropolitan area. The concentration of 20

Using an epiphytic moss to identify previously unknown sources of atmospheric cadmium pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donovan, Geoffrey H.; Jovan, Sarah E.; Gatziolis, Demetrios; Burstyn, Igor; Michael, Yvonne L.; Amacher, Michael C.; Monleon, Vicente J.

2016-01-01

Urban networks of air-quality monitors are often too widely spaced to identify sources of air pollutants, especially if they do not disperse far from emission sources. The objectives of this study were to test the use of moss bio-indicators to develop a fine-scale map of atmospherically-derived cadmium and to identify the sources of cadmium in a complex urban setting. We collected 346 samples of the moss Orthotrichum lyellii from deciduous trees in December, 2013 using a modified randomized grid-based sampling strategy across Portland, Oregon. We estimated a spatial linear model of moss cadmium levels and predicted cadmium on a 50 m grid across the city. Cadmium levels in moss were positively correlated with proximity to two stained-glass manufacturers, proximity to the Oregon–Washington border, and percent industrial land in a 500 m buffer, and negatively correlated with percent residential land in a 500 m buffer. The maps showed very high concentrations of cadmium around the two stained-glass manufacturers, neither of which were known to environmental regulators as cadmium emitters. In addition, in response to our findings, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality placed an instrumental monitor 120 m from the larger stained-glass manufacturer in October, 2015. The monthly average atmospheric cadmium concentration was 29.4 ng/m"3, which is 49 times higher than Oregon's benchmark of 0.6 ng/m"3, and high enough to pose a health risk from even short-term exposure. Both stained-glass manufacturers voluntarily stopped using cadmium after the monitoring results were made public, and the monthly average cadmium levels precipitously dropped to 1.1 ng/m"3 for stained-glass manufacturer #1 and 0.67 ng/m"3 for stained-glass manufacturer #2. - Highlights: • Bio-indicators are a valid method for measuring atmospheric pollutants • We used moss to map atmospheric cadmium in Portland, Oregon • Using a spatial linear model, we identified two stained

The role of Sphagnum mosses in the methane cycling of a boreal mire.

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Larmola, Tuula; Tuittila, Eeva-Stiina; Tiirola, Marja; Nykänen, Hannu; Martikainen, Pertti J; Yrjälä, Kim; Tuomivirta, Tero; Fritze, Hannu

2010-08-01

Peatlands are a major natural source of atmospheric methane (CH4). Emissions from Sphagnum-dominated mires are lower than those measured from other mire types. This observation may partly be due to methanotrophic (i.e., methane-consuming) bacteria associated with Sphagnum. Twenty-three of the 41 Sphagnum species in Finland can be found in the peatland at Lakkasuo. To better understand the Sphagnum-methanotroph system, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) all these Sphagnum species support methanotrophic bacteria; (2) water level is the key environmental determinant for differences in methanotrophy across habitats; (3) under dry conditions, Sphagnum species will not host methanotrophic bacteria; and (4) methanotrophs can move from one Sphagnum shoot to another in an aquatic environment. To address hypotheses 1 and 2, we measured the water table and CH4 oxidation for all Sphagnum species at Lakkasuo in 1-5 replicates for each species. Using this systematic approach, we included Sphagnum spp. with narrow and broad ecological tolerances. To estimate the potential contribution of CH4 to moss carbon, we measured the uptake of delta13C supplied as CH4 or as carbon dioxide dissolved in water. To test hypotheses 2-4, we transplanted inactive moss patches to active sites and measured their methanotroph communities before and after transplantation. All 23 Sphagnum species showed methanotrophic activity, confirming hypothesis 1. We found that water level was the key environmental factor regulating methanotrophy in Sphagnum (hypothesis 2). Mosses that previously exhibited no CH4 oxidation became active when transplanted to an environment in which the microbes in the control mosses were actively oxidizing CH4 (hypothesis 4). Newly active transplants possessed a Methylocystis signature also found in the control Sphagnum spp. Inactive transplants also supported a Methylocystis signature in common with active transplants and control mosses, which rejects hypothesis 3. Our

El racionalismo crítico de Karl Popper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luis María Delio Machado

2015-10-01

Full Text Available El presente artículo, pretende acercar algunos de los aspectos más importantes del pensamiento de uno de los filósofos más destacados de nuestro tiempo: Sir Karl Popper. Su presencia atraviesa nuestro siglo, presentándose como una de las voces visionarias y anticipadoras que se alzaron críticamente, contra toda actitud o acción que estuviese fundada en lo dogmático y que tuviese como finalidad, el olvido o la superación del individuo, aunque dicho olvido estuviese "justificado" por oraculares "bienes o fines superiores". (... 

[Karl Marx and the Malthusian theory of population].

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Jaggi, S

1985-06-01

An analysis of the works of Karl Marx is presented in order to demonstrate the importance of the population factor. The author contends that population growth is a critical factor in Marx's theory of the progressive impoverishment of the working class. However, because of his reluctance to acknowledge the value of the Malthusian contribution, Marx focused his analysis of the labor force under capitalism on the demand for workers and neglected the supply side, which is determined by the growth of population. The author concludes that Marxist theory would have benefited from greater consideration of Malthusian theory.

Analysis of mosses along Sarp-Samsun highway in Turkey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koz, B. [Giresun University, Department of Biology, 28049 Giresun (Turkey); Cevik, U. [Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Physics, 61080 Trabzon (Turkey)], E-mail: ugurc@ktu.edu.tr; Ozdemir, T. [Giresun University, Department of Biology, 28049 Giresun (Turkey); Duran, C. [Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Chemistry, 61080 Trabzon (Turkey); Kaya, S. [Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Physics, 61080 Trabzon (Turkey); Gundogdu, A. [Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Chemistry, 61080 Trabzon (Turkey); Celik, N. [Karadeniz Technical University, Department of Physics, 61080 Trabzon (Turkey)

2008-05-01

The elemental analysis of mosses along Sarp-Samsun highway in Turkey was determined using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence method. A radioisotope excited X-ray fluorescence analysis using the method of multiple standard additions is applied for the elemental analysis of mosses. An annular 50 mCi {sup 241}Am radioactive source and annular 50 mCi {sup 55}Fe radioactive source were used for excitation of characteristic K X-rays. An Si(Li) detector which has a 147 eV full width at half maximum for 5.9 keV photons was used for intensity measurements. A qualitative analysis of spectral peaks showed that the samples contained phosphates, potassium, calcium, titanium, iron, strontium, tin and barium. Since this study is the elemental analysis along the highway, one can expect to detect Pb. Due to the detection limit of EDXRF, elements were analyzed with Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) for Pb. Evaluation of these elements with their potential hazards for ecology and human is briefly discusse000.

Analysis of mosses along Sarp-Samsun highway in Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koz, B.; Cevik, U.; Ozdemir, T.; Duran, C.; Kaya, S.; Gundogdu, A.; Celik, N.

2008-01-01

The elemental analysis of mosses along Sarp-Samsun highway in Turkey was determined using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence method. A radioisotope excited X-ray fluorescence analysis using the method of multiple standard additions is applied for the elemental analysis of mosses. An annular 50 mCi 241 Am radioactive source and annular 50 mCi 55 Fe radioactive source were used for excitation of characteristic K X-rays. An Si(Li) detector which has a 147 eV full width at half maximum for 5.9 keV photons was used for intensity measurements. A qualitative analysis of spectral peaks showed that the samples contained phosphates, potassium, calcium, titanium, iron, strontium, tin and barium. Since this study is the elemental analysis along the highway, one can expect to detect Pb. Due to the detection limit of EDXRF, elements were analyzed with Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) for Pb. Evaluation of these elements with their potential hazards for ecology and human is briefly discussed

Taxonomy Icon Data: moss [Taxonomy Icon

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available moss Physcomitrella patens subsp. patens. Physcomitrella_patens_subsp_patens_L.png Physcomitrella_patens..._subsp_patens_NL.png Physcomitrella_patens_subsp_patens_S.png Physcomitrella_patens_subsp_patens..._NS.png http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Physcomitrella+patens+subsp%2e+patens%2e&t...=L http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Physcomitrella+patens+subsp%2e+patens...%2e&t=NL http://biosciencedbc.jp/taxonomy_icon/icon.cgi?i=Physcomitrella+patens+subsp%2e+patens%2e&t

Gibberellin influence on the morphogenesis of the moss Bryum argenteum Hedw. in in vitro conditions

OpenAIRE

Sabovljević Aneta; Sabovljević Marko; Grubišić D.

2010-01-01

The moss Bryum argenteum Hedw. was treated with gibberellins as well as some inhibitors of gibberellin biosynthesis in order to investigate their influence on B. argenteum morphogenesis. Generally, gibberellins have not been chemically identified in bryophytes, while other groups of classical phytohormones (auxins, cytokinins, abscisic acid and ethylene) have been chemically identified in these plants. The in vitro culture of the moss Bryum argenteum was established from sterilized spores. Th...

Cravity modulation of the moss Tortula modica branching

Science.gov (United States)

Khorkavtsiv, Yaroslava; Kit, Nadja

Among various abiotic factors the sensor system of plants constantly perceives light and gravitation impulses and reacts on their action by photo- and gravitropisms. Tropisms play fundamental part in ontogenesis and determination of plant forms. Essentially important question is how light initiating phototropic bending modulates gravitropism. In contrast to flower plants, red light is phototropically active for mosses, and phytochromic system controls initiation of apical growth, branching and photomorphogenesis of mosses. The aim of this investigation was to analyse cell branching of protonemata Tortula modica Zander depending on the direction of light and gravitation vector. The influence of light and gravitation on the form of protonemal turf T. modica, branching and the angle of lateral branches relative to axis of mother cell growth has been investigated. As moss protonemata is not branched in the darkness, light is necessary for branching activation. Minimally low intensity of the red light (0.2 mmol (.) m (-2) ({) .}sec (-1) ) induced branching without visual display of phototropic growth. It has been established that unidirectional action of light and gravitation intensifies branching, and, on the contrary, perpendicularly oriented vectors of factors weaken branches formation. Besides, parallel oriented vectors initiated branching from both cell sides, but oppositely directed vectors initiated branching only from one side. Clinostate rotation the change of the vector gravity and causes uniform cell branching, hence, light and gravitation mutually influence the branching system form of the protonemata cell. It has been shown that the angle of lateral branches in darkness does not depend on the direction of light and gravitation action. After lighting the local growth of the cell wall took place mainly under the angle 90 (o) to the axes of mother cell growth. Then the angle gradually decreased and in 3-4 cell divisions the lateral branch grew under the angle

Atmospheric Deposition of Trace Elements Around Ulan-Bator City Studied by Moss and Lichen Biomonitoring Technique and INAA

CERN Document Server

Ganbold, G; Gundorina, S F; Frontasyeva, M V; Ostrovnaya, T M; Pavlov, S S; Tsendeekhuu, T

2005-01-01

For the first time the moss and lichen biomonitoring technique has been applied to air pollution in Mongolia (Ulan-Bator, the capital city). INAA at the IBR-2 reactor has made it possible to determine the content of 35 elements in moss and lichen biomonitors. Samples collected at sites located 10-15 km from the center of Ulan-Bator were analyzed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) using epithermal neutrons. The mosses (\\textit{Rhytidium rugosum}, \\textit{Thuidium abietinum}, \\textit{Entodon concinnus}) and lichens (\\textit{Cladonia stellaris}, \\textit{Parmelia separata}) were used to study the atmospheric deposition of trace elements. It was shown that the suggested types of mosses could be used as suitable biomonitors to estimate the concentration levels of heavy metals and trace elements in Ulan-Bator atmospheric deposition. The results are compared to the data of atmospheric deposition of some European countries.

Radioactivity measurements in moss (Hypnum cupressiforme) and lichen (Cladonia rangiformis) samples collected from Marmara region of Turkey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Belivermis, Murat, E-mail: belmurat@istanbul.edu.t [Istanbul University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 34134 Vezneciler, Istanbul (Turkey); Cotuk, Yavuz, E-mail: cotukyav@istanbul.edu.t [Istanbul University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, 34134 Vezneciler, Istanbul (Turkey)

2010-11-15

The present study was conducted to compare the {sup 137}Cs, {sup 40}K, {sup 232}Th, and {sup 238}U activity concentrations in epigeic moss (Hypnum cupressiforme) and lichen (Cladonia rangiformis). The activity levels in 37 moss and 38 lichen samples collected from the Marmara region of Turkey were measured using a gamma spectrometer equipped with a high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. The activity concentrations of {sup 137}Cs, {sup 40}K, {sup 232}Th, and {sup 238}U in the moss samples were found to be in the range of 0.36-8.13, 17.1-181.1, 1.51-6.17, and 0.87-6.70 Bq kg{sup -1} respectively, while these values were below detection limit (BDL)-4.32, 16.6-240.0, 1.32-6.47, and BDL-3.57 Bq kg{sup -1} respectively in lichen. The average moss/lichen activity ratios of {sup 137}Cs, {sup 40}K, {sup 232}Th, and {sup 238}U were found to be 1.32 {+-} 0.57, 2.79 {+-} 1.67, 2.11 {+-} 0.82, and 2.19 {+-} 1.02, respectively. Very low {sup 137}Cs concentrations were observed in moss and lichen samples compared to soil samples collected from the same locations in a previous study. Seasonal variations of the measured radionuclide activities were also examined in the three sampling stations.

The psychology of thinking, animal psychology, and the young Karl Popper.

Science.gov (United States)

Ter Hark, Michel

2004-01-01

In the 1920s, Karl Popper wrote two large manuscripts on psychology that he never published. In his autobiography, Unended Quest, he attempts to reduce the importance of his work in psychology as much as possible, and in his philosophical work he is an antipsychologist. However, in this article, it is argued that Popper's early psychology has been pivotally important for the development of his philosophy. In particular, it is shown that Popper's views on psychology underwent a radical shift, one that paved the way for his characteristic deductive stance in philosophy. Popper's views shifted from an inductive and associationistic psychology toward a noninductive psychology of problem solving. Tracing the historical background of Popper's early work reveals how he integrated various parts of the psychology of Karl Groos into his analysis of the childish phenomenon of dogmatic thinking and how he shortly after appropriated various elements of the animal psychology of Hans Volkelt and Herbert Jennings in his biological approach to (dogmatic) thinking. In the monumental works of Otto Selz, however, Popper finally found the roots of a noninductive and biological approach to the growth of individual and scientific knowledge. Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Molecular and morphological characterisation of two species of the genus Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003 (Ceratomyxidae) from the gall-bladder of Liza saliens (Risso) off Tunisian coasts of the Mediterranean.

Science.gov (United States)

Thabet, Aouatef; Tlig-Zouari, Sabiha; Al Omar, Suliman Y; Mansour, Lamjed

2016-07-01

During examination of some species of the family Mugilidae, two coelozoic myxozoans were observed in the gall-bladder of the leaping mullet, Liza saliens (Risso). Spore morphology allowed us to allocate them to the genus Ellipsomyxa Køie, 2003, one of which is described here as new. Ellipsomyxa kalthoumi n. sp. was observed forming globular pseudoplasmodia and free spores floating in the bile. Mature spores are ellipsoidal, measuring 13-21 × 10-15 (17.2 × 13.2) µm and possessing two equal spherical polar capsules, 5-6 (5.5) µm in diameter, opening subterminally in opposite directions, with nine polar filament coils. Morphological data and molecular analysis of the small subunit rDNA sequences helped identify this parasite as a new species of Elliposmyxa. The second species identified as E. mugilis (Sitjà-Bobadilla & Alvarez-Pellitero, 1993) has oval spores with rounded ends, measuring 10-11 × 7-9 (10.5 × 8.0) µm and possessing two polar subspherical capsules, 2.7-3.0 (2.8) µm in diameter, opening subterminally in opposite directions. Spore morphometry and molecular study of the small subunit (SSU) of the rRNA gene identified this species as E. mugilis described from the same host in the Western Mediterranean off Spain. Phylogenetic analysis revealed Elliposmyxa as a monophyletic clade and showed that E. mugilis, E. syngnathi Køie & Karlsbakk, 2009, E. adlardi Whipps & Font, 2012 and E. gobii Køie, 2003 group in a subclade containing the Tunisian isolate of E. mugilis whereas E. kalthoumi n. sp. appears in a second subclade together with four Australian species, E. maniliensis Heiniger & Adlard, 2014, E. apogoni Heiniger & Adlard, 2014, E. nigropunctatis Heiniger & Adlard, 2014 and E. arothroni Heiniger & Adlard, 2014.

A survey of natural terrestrial and airborne radionuclides in moss samples from the peninsular Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Wattanavatee, Komrit; Krmar, Miodrag; Bhongsuwan, Tripob

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to determine the activity concentrations of natural terrestrial radionuclides ( 238 U, 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K) and airborne radionuclides ( 210 Pb, 210 Pb ex and 7 Be) in natural terrestrial mosses. The collected moss samples (46) representing 17 species were collected from 17 sampling localities in the National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries of Thailand, situated in the mountainous areas between the northern and the southern ends of peninsular Thailand (∼7-12 °N, 99-102 °E). Activity concentrations of radionuclides in the samples were measured using a low background gamma spectrometer. The results revealed non-uniform spatial distributions of all the radionuclides in the study area. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis revealed two distinct origins for the studied radionuclides, and furthermore, the Pearson correlations were strong within 226 Ra, 232 Th, 238 U and 40 K as well as within 210 Pb and 210 Pb ex , but there was no significant correlation between these two groups. Also 7 Be was uncorrelated to the others, as expected due to different origins of the airborne and terrestrial radionuclides. The radionuclide activities of moss samples varied by moss species, topography, geology, and meteorology of each sampling area. The observed abnormally high concentrations of some radionuclides probably indicate that the concentrations of airborne and terrestrial radionuclides in moss samples were directly related to local geological features of the sampling site, or that high levels of 7 Be were most probably linked with topography and regional NE monsoonal winds from mainland China. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Karl Popper's Quantum Ghost

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Shields, William

2004-05-01

Karl Popper, though not trained as a physicist and embarrassed early in his career by a physics error pointed out by Einstein and Bohr, ultimately made substantial contributions to the interpretation of quantum mechanics. As was often the case, Popper initially formulated his position by criticizing the views of others - in this case Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. Underlying Popper's criticism was his belief that, first, the "standard interpretation" of quantum mechanics, sometimes called the Copenhagen interpretation, abandoned scientific realism and second, the assertion that quantum theory was "complete" (an assertion rejected by Einstein among others) amounted to an unfalsifiable claim. Popper insisted that the most basic predictions of quantum mechanics should continue to be tested, with an eye towards falsification rather than mere adding of decimal places to confirmatory experiments. His persistent attacks on the Copenhagen interpretation were aimed not at the uncertainty principle itself and the formalism from which it was derived, but at the acceptance by physicists of an unclear epistemology and ontology that left critical questions unanswered. In 1999, physicists at the University of Maryland conducted a version of Popper's Experiment, re-igniting the debate over quantum predictions and the role of locality in physics.

Activity concentrations of 137Cs and 40K in mosses from spas in Eastern Serbia

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Čučulović Ana

2012-01-01

Full Text Available With the aim of detecting the presence of radionuclides in moss samples in eastern Serbia, 129 samples of mosses were collected from 2000 to 2010 in the region of the spas: Sokobanja, Banja Jošanica and Gamzigradska banja. The data obtained show that 137Cs was present in all of the 129 samples from 3 sampling areas and 15 sampling localities and in 20 moss taxa. This indicates that pollution with this radionuclide resulting from the Chernobyl accident still exists. Changes in the average activity concentrations of 40K are within measurement error limits, while for 137Cs changes in the average activity concentrations are more noticeable, i.e. they have decreased with time. [Acknowledgments. This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia, project code III 43009.

Polonium (²¹⁰Po), uranium (²³⁴U, ²³⁸U) isotopes and trace metals in mosses from Sobieszewo Island, northern Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Boryło, Alicja; Nowicki, Waldemar; Olszewski, Grzegorz; Skwarzec, Bogdan

2012-01-01

The activity of polonium (210)Po and uranium (234)U, (238)U radionuclides, as well as trace metals in mosses, collected from Sobieszewo Island area (northern Poland), were determined using the alpha spectrometry, AAS (atomic absorption spectrometry) and OES-ICP (atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma). The concentrations of mercury (directly from the solid sample) were determined by the cold vapor technique of CV AAS. The obtained results revealed that the concentrations of (210)Po, (234)U, and (238)U in the two analyzed kinds of mosses: schrebers big red stem moss (Pleurozium schreberi) and broom moss (Dicranum scoparium) were similar. The higher polonium concentrations were found in broom moss (Dicranum scoparium), but uranium concentrations were relatively low for both species of analyzed mosses. Among the analyzed trace metals the highest concentration in mosses was recorded for iron, while the lowest for nickel, cadmium and mercury. The obtained studies showed that the sources of polonium and uranium isotopes, as well as trace metals in analyzed mosses are air city contaminations transported from Gdańsk and from existing in the vicinity the phosphogypsum waste heap in Wiślinka (near Gdańsk).

The Contribution of Mosses to the Complex Pattern of Diurnal and Seasonal Metabolism the wet Coastal Tundra Ecosystems Near Barrow Alaska.

Science.gov (United States)

Zona, D.; Oechel, W.; Hastings, S.; Oberbauer, S.; Kopetz, I.; Ikawa, H.

2006-12-01

Despite the abundance and importance bryophytes in the Alaskan Arctic tundra there is relatively little information on the role of these plants in determining the CO2 fluxes of Arctic tundra and, in particular, the environmental controls and climate change sensitivities of current and future photosynthesis in Arctic mosses. Studies in the tundra biome during the IBP program implicated high light together with high temperature as causes of decreases in photosynthesis in arctic mosses. Several authors have reported midday depression of moss photosynthesis due to high irradiance, even under optimum temperature and fully hydrated conditions. The focus of this study is to understand the role of Sphagnum ssp. mosses of various species, the dominant moss in the Alaska coastal wet Tundra on the total ecosystem carbon exchange throughout the season and in particular soon after snowmelt when the ecosystem is a carbon source. Our hypothesis is that the ecosystem carbon source activity during this critical period may be a result of sensitivity of mosses to light and photoinhibition in the absence of the protective canopy layer of vascular plants. In this study we measured daily courses of photosynthesis and fluorescence in the moss layer and we compare it to the total ecosystem carbon fluxes determined by the eddy covariance technique. The measurements were conducted in wet coastal tundra from June 2006, right after the snow melt, to August 2006 in the Biological Experimental Observatory (BEO) in Barrow, Alaska. The photosynthesis in the moss layer was found to be strongly inhibited when the radiation exceeded 800 ìmol m-2 s-1. Mosses remained fully hydrated throughout the season, precluding drying as a cause of decreased photosynthesis. Dark-adapted fluorescence measurements (Fv/Fm) showed a relatively low value (0.6) right after the snow melt, and remained fairly stable throughout the season. This low value was previously reported as characteristic of photoinhibited

USA presidendi üks peamisi nõunikke Karl Rove lahkub ametist / Kaivo Kopli

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kopli, Kaivo

2007-01-01

1993. aastast praeguse USA presidendi George B. Bushiga koos töötanud Karl Rove lahkub ametist perekonna huvides. K. Rove on uurimise all olnud seoses CIA agendi Valerie Plame'i paljastamisega, Senati komitee kuulas teda üle kaheksa föderaalprokuröri vallandamise uurimise raames

Unsaturated hydraulic properties of Sphagnum moss and peat reveal trimodal pore-size distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Weber, Tobias K. D.; Iden, Sascha C.; Durner, Wolfgang

2017-01-01

In ombrotrophic peatlands, the moisture content of the vadose zone (acrotelm) controls oxygen diffusion rates, redox state, and the turnover of organic matter. Whether peatlands act as sinks or sources of atmospheric carbon thus relies on variably saturated flow processes. The Richards equation is the standard model for water flow in soils, but it is not clear whether it can be applied to simulate water flow in live Sphagnum moss. Transient laboratory evaporation experiments were conducted to observe evaporative water fluxes in the acrotelm, containing living Sphagnum moss, and a deeper layer containing decomposed moss peat. The experimental data were evaluated by inverse modeling using the Richards equation as process model for variably-saturated flow. It was tested whether water fluxes and time series of measured pressure heads during evaporation could be simulated. The results showed that the measurements could be matched very well providing the hydraulic properties are represented by a suitable model. For this, a trimodal parametrization of the underlying pore-size distribution was necessary which reflects three distinct pore systems of the Sphagnum constituted by inter-, intra-, and inner-plant water. While the traditional van Genuchten-Mualem model led to great discrepancies, the physically more comprehensive Peters-Durner-Iden model which accounts for capillary and noncapillary flow, led to a more consistent description of the observations. We conclude that the Richards equation is a valid process description for variably saturated moisture fluxes over a wide pressure range in peatlands supporting the conceptualization of the live moss as part of the vadose zone.

Similar diversity of Alphaproteobacteria and nitrogenase gene amplicons on two related Sphagnum mosses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastasia eBragina

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Sphagnum mosses represent a main component in ombrotrophic wetlands. They harbor a specific and diverse microbial community with essential functions for the host. To understand extend and degree of host specificity, Sphagnum fallax and S. angustifolium, two phylogenetically closely related species, which show distinct habitat preference with respect to the nutrient level, were analyzed by a multifaceted approach. Microbial fingerprints obtained by PCR-SSCP (single-strand conformation polymorphism using universal, group-specific and functional primers were highly similar. Similarity was confirmed for colonization patterns obtained by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH coupled with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM: Alphaproteobacteria were the main colonizers inside the hyaline cells of Sphagnum leaves. A deeper survey of Alphaproteobacteria by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing reveals a high diversity with Acidocella, Acidisphaera, Rhodopila and Phenylobacterium as major genera for both mosses. Pathogen defense and nitrogen fixation are important functions of Sphagnum-associated bacteria, which are fulfilled by microbial communities of both Sphagna in a similar way. NifH libraries of Sphagnum-associated microbial communities were characterized by high diversity and abundance of Alphaproteobacteria but contained also diverse amplicons of other taxa, e.g. Cyanobacteria, Geobacter and Spirochaeta. Statistically significant differences between the microbial communities of both Sphagnum species could not be discovered in any of the experimental approach. Our results show that the same close relationship, which exists between the physical, morphological and chemical characteristics of Sphagnum mosses and the ecology and function of bog ecosystems, also connects moss plantlets with their associated bacterial communities.

Vertical profiles of 239(240)Pu, 238Pu and 241Am in some peculiar Italian mosses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Testa, C.; Desideri, D.; Guerra, F.; Meli, M.A.; Roselli, C.; Jia, G.; Degetto, S.

2000-01-01

During the last two years the Urbino University and the Padua ICTIMA CNR were working on a special radioecological program having the aim to study the Pu and Am retention behaviour in different species of mosses growing in two Italian regions (Urbino, Central Italy, 450 m a.s.l. and Alps region, Northern Italy, 1500 m a.s.l.). 239,240 Pu, 238 Pu and 241 Am were separated and determined by extraction chromatography, electroplating and alpha spectrometry; 242 Pu and 243 Am were used as the yield tracers. The paper summarizes the results dealing with the vertical profiles of the radionuclides in three different species of mosses. Several 1-2 cm high sections were obtained and dated by 210 Pb determination. Typical concentration peaks for Pu and Am were found for very old moss species ('Sphagnum Compactum' and 'Sphagnum Nemoreum') at a depth corresponding to the early 1960's which is the period characterized by the maximum nuclear weapon tests. In more recent moss species ('Neckeria Crispa') no peak was observed and the regression curves showed that Am is more mobile than Pu. (author)

The coastal environment affects lead and sodium uptake by the moss Hypnum cupressiforme used as an air pollution biomonitor.

Science.gov (United States)

Renaudin, Marie; Leblond, Sébastien; Meyer, Caroline; Rose, Christophe; Lequy, Emeline

2018-02-01

Several studies suggest that potential competition exists between marine cations and heavy metals for binding sites on the cell wall of mosses. This competition would impact the heavy metal concentration measured in mosses by biomonitoring programs, which may underestimate air pollution by heavy metals in a coastal environment. In the present study, we aim to identify possible mechanisms affecting lead uptake by mosses in a coastal environment, specifically, the competition between lead (Pb 2+ ) and sodium (Na + ) for binding sites in Hypnum cupressiforme (Hc). We also compared the response of continental and coastal Hc populations to Pb 2+ exposure by immersing the moss samples in artificial solutions that comprised six experimental treatments and subsequently locating and quantifying Pb 2+ and Na + using the sequential elution technique and X-ray microanalyses with a scanning electron microscope. We demonstrated that high concentrations of Pb 2+ prevented Na + from binding to the cell wall. We also examined the effect of the salt acclimation of Hc on Pb 2+ and Na + accumulation. Coastal Hc populations accumulated more Na and less Pb than continental Hc populations in all treatments. Moreover, our results showed treatment effects on the intra/extracellular distribution of Na + , as well as site. This feedback on the influence of salt stress tolerance on Pb 2+ uptake by mosses requires further study and can be investigated for other heavy metals, leading to a better use of mosses as biomonitoring tools. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using mosses as biomonitors to study trace element emissions and their distribution in six different volcanic areas

Science.gov (United States)

Arndt, Julia; Calabrese, Sergio; D'Alessandro, Walter; Planer-Friedrich, Britta

2017-09-01

Volcanoes emit SO2, CO2, and H2S, but also trace elements gases and particles such as As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Sb. Active moss bag biomonitoring, an easy to apply and low budget method, was used to determine trace element release from volcanic areas of different geological context and climates. Exposure height variations (0.7-1.6 m above ground) due to different availability of natural tie points did not affect the results. Accumulation was linear for exposure durations from three days to nine weeks, so values were comparable by normalization to moss exposure time. Uncovered moss bags showed higher accumulation than co-exposed covered ones because of additional dust and wet deposition while washout by rain was negligible. The selection of a specific moss significantly affected element accumulation with moss of lower shoot compactness accumulating more. For all volcanic areas, highest accumulation was found for S (1-1000 μmol·(g·d)- 1), followed by Fe and Mg (0.1-10 μmol·(g·d)- 1), Sr, Ba, Pb, Cr, Li (10- 4-10- 1 μmol·(g·d)- 1), then Co, Mo and the volatile elements As, Sb, Se, Tl, Bi (10- 6-10- 2 μmol·(g·d)- 1). For most elements, open conduit volcanoes (Etna, Stromboli, Nyiragongo) showed higher moss accumulation rates than more quiescent hydrothermal areas (Vulcano > Nisyros > Yellowstone National Park) and a correlation of S, Fe, and Pb from eruptive ash and lava emissions. For some volatile elements (S, As, Se), higher accumulation was observed within fumarolic fields compared to crater rims of open conduit volcanoes which is a relevant information for risk assessment of tourist exposure to volcanic gases.

Air pollution studies in central Russia (Tver and Yaroslavl regions) using the moss biomonitoring technique and neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ermakova, E.V.; Frontas'eva, M.V.; Pavlov, S.S.; Povtorejko, E.A.; Steinnes, E.; Cheremisina, Ye.N.

2003-01-01

Data of 34 elements, including heavy metals, halogens, rare-earth elements, U, and Th in 140 moss samples, collected in central Russia (Tver and Yaroslavl regions and the northern part of Moscow Region) in 2000-2002, are presented. Factor analysis with VARIMAX rotation was applied to identify possible sources of the elements determined in the mosses. The seven resulting factors represent crust, vegetation and anthropogenic components in the moss. Some of the factors were interpreted as being associated with ferrous smelters (Fe, Zn, Sb, Ta); combination of non-ferrous smelters and other industries (Mn, Co, Mo, Cr, Ni, W); an oil-refining plant, and oil combustion at the thermal power plant (V, Ni). The geographical distribution patterns of the factor scores are also presented. The dependency equations of elemental content in mosses versus distance from the source are derived

Use of aquatic mosses for monitoring artificial radionuclides downstream of the nuclear power plant of Bugey (River Rhone, France)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Brottet, D.

1994-01-01

The detection of radionuclides in water, downstream of nuclear installations located on river banks, is often very difficult notably because of their low concentrations. Thus the use of biological indicators is an interesting process to detect radioactive contamination of an aquatic ecosystem. From 1986 to 1990, artificial radionuclides were measured in freshwater mosses sampled downstream of the nuclear power station of Bugey. These field data on the whole, have shown a comparatively good qualitative and quantitative relationship between radioactive composition of liquid waste and radionuclides detected in mosses. In other respects, the results showed up a relatively clear hierarchical structure in the affinity of the different radionuclides for the mosses. To specify these relations, mesh bags containing allochtonous mosses were immersed at four stations downstream of the power plant and regularly sampled during a 10-h waste discharge period. (author)

Air Pollution Studies in Central Russia (Tver and Yaroslavl Regions) Using the Moss Biomonitoring Technique and Neutron Activation Analysis

CERN Document Server

Ermakova, E V; Pavlov, S S; Povtoreiko, E A; Steinnes, E; Cheremisina, Ye N

2003-01-01

Data of 34 elements, including heavy metals, halogens, rare-earth elements, U, and Th in 140 moss samples, collected in central Russia (Tver and Yaroslavl regions and the northern part of Moscow Region) in 2000-2002, are presented. Factor analysis with VARIMAX rotation was applied to identify possible sources of the elements determined in the mosses. The seven resulting factors represent crust, vegetation and anthropogenic components in the moss. Some of the factors were interpreted as being associated with ferrous smelters (Fe, Zn, Sb, Ta); combination of non-ferrous smelters and other industries (Mn, Co, Mo, Cr, Ni, W); an oil-refining plant, and oil combustion at the thermal power plant (V, Ni). The geographical distribution patterns of the factor scores are also presented. The dependency equations of elemental content in mosses versus distance from the source are derived.

Interaction between the moss Physcomitrella patens and Phytophthora : a novel pathosystem for live-cell imaging of subcellular defence

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Overdijk, Elysa J R; DE Keijzer, Jeroen; DE Groot, Deborah; Schoina, Charikleia; Bouwmeester, K.; Ketelaar, Tijs; Govers, Francine

Live-cell imaging of plant-pathogen interactions is often hampered by the tissue complexity and multicell layered nature of the host. Here, we established a novel pathosystem with the moss Physcomitrella patens as host for Phytophthora. The tip-growing protonema cells of this moss are ideal for

Karl pearson the scientific life in a statistical age

CERN Document Server

Porter, Theodore M

2010-01-01

Karl Pearson, founder of modern statistics, came to this field by way of passionate early studies of philosophy and cultural history as well as ether physics and graphical geometry. His faith in science grew out of a deeply moral quest, reflected also in his socialism and his efforts to find a new basis for relations between men and women. This biography recounts Pearson's extraordinary intellectual adventure and sheds new light on the inner life of science. Theodore Porter's intensely personal portrait of Pearson extends from religious crisis and sexual tensions to metaphysical and even m

Wie is die sondaar? Die beskouing van Karl Barth

OpenAIRE

F. J. van Zyl

1994-01-01

Who is the sinner? The view of Karl Barth The previous article dealt with Barth’s view of the knowledge and real essence of sin, while this one focus on his view of the human being as sinner. In accordance with his christological approach to all theological matters, Barth presents us with a description of the image and character of the sinner as mirrored by the obedient suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross in the place of all sinners of all times - past, present and future. Th...

Epistemological anarchism of Paul Karl Feyerabend and medical education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andréia Patrícia Gomes

Full Text Available The thoughts of the philosopher Paul Karl Feyerabend brought important contributions to the debate on Science in the 20th century. Most recently his views about non-existence of a single method for doing science have been employed to rethink science education and propose the use of multiple methods for effective teaching-learning process. This article employs the theoretical framework of the author expressed in the book Against Method, 1977, about the epistemological anarchism and the methodological pluralism and uses it in the contemporary discussion of medical education.

Tim, Jan Lucas ja Karl Robert - vennad üheks kuuks / Maris Laurits

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Laurits, Maris

2009-01-01

Rakvere Teatri suvelavastuse "Vennad Lõvisüdamed" kaks Karli osatäitjat Jan Lucas Videvik ja Tim Leesnurm ning Joonatani osatäitja Karl Robert Saaremäe tegid Loksal Kaldmaa talus ratsasõiduproove. Üllar Saaremäe lavastuse "Vennad Lõvisüdamed" (Astrid Lindgreni samanimelise jutustuse järgi) esietendus on 11. juunil Rakvere teatri taga aias

Fluoride injury symptoms in epiphytic lichens and mosses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leblanc, F; Comeau, G; Rao, D N

1971-01-01

This study was conducted in Arvida, Quebec, where volatile fluorides and HF are released into the atmosphere from an aluminum factory. Lichen and moss-bearing bark discs, cut out from trees in an unpolluted area, were fixed in groups of six in rectangular wooden boards. All discs were photographed in color as well as in black and white. Fifteen sites, in addition to a control site were selected in different directions from the factory. At each site two boards were fixed with nails in a vertical position at a height of 8-10 m on a tree. One board was removed after 4 months exposure and the other after 12 months. The lichens and mosses exposed in control and polluted areas were compared with respect to their color, external morphology, plasmolysis in algal cells, loss of green color, and nature of reactions towards neutral red and 2,3,5-triphenyl-2h-tetrazolium chloride (ttc), absorption spectra of chlorophyll, and fluoride concentration. Results indicate that f-pollution affects moisture balance, causes chlorophyll damage, and produces other symptoms of injury which could lead to ultimate death of these organisms.

SURRENDER TO LIFE - A Systematic Theological Analysis of Human Kenosis in Karl Rahner’s Thoughts, with Reference to Ignatian Spirituality

OpenAIRE

Røsok, Ingvild

2011-01-01

In this thesis I have investigated the transcendental theology of Karl Rahner, in order to find a theological basis for understanding the concept of kenosis as a following of Christ. Ignatian spirituality was then explored to deepen the understanding and to point to the consequences of such an understanding of kenosis. The research question was: How do the transcendental theology and the Ignatian spirituality of Karl Rahner contribute to an understanding of kenosis as a following of Christ?

Bacteriohopanepolyol signatures as markers for methanotrophic bacteria in peat moss

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Winden, J.F.; Talbot, H.M.; Kip, N.; Reichart, G.J.; Pol, A.; McNamara, N.P.; Jetten, M.S.M.; Op den Camp, H.J.M.; Sinninghe Damsté, J.S.

2012-01-01

Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are bacterial biomarkers with a likely potential to identify present and past methanotrophic communities. To unravel the methanotrophic community in peat bogs, we report the BHP signatures of type I and type II methanotrophs isolated from Sphagnum mosses and of an

[Management of functional sterility using clomiphene and cyclophenyl at the Karl-Marx-Stadt District Hospital Gynecologic Clinic].

Science.gov (United States)

Neubert, S; Melzer, H

1977-01-01

We report on 39 barren patients suffering from anovulatory cycle disturbances or corpus luteum inadequacies. Them were given treatment in the Gynecological Hospital of Karl-Marx-Stadt County at Karl-Marx-Stadt in the past few years and were administered Clomiphendihydrogencitrate or Cyclophenyl to provoke ovulation. Before and during therapy, the total of estrogenes and pregnanediol were determined in the 24h-urine every two days. The clinical data and the results of the hormone investigations were analysed, and an attempt was made to derive a forecast from the estrogene and pregnanediol secretion so as to be able to form an opinion on the positive or negative result of the treatment.

Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Europe estimated by moss analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruehling, Aa. [Swedish Environmental Research Inst., Lund (Sweden). Dept. of Ecology

1995-12-31

Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Europe including 21 countries was monitored in 1990-1992 by the moss technique. This technique is based on the fact that the concentrations of heavy metals in moss are closely correlated to atmospheric deposition. This was the first attempt to map heavy metal deposition in this large area. The objectives of the project were to characterise qualitatively and quantitatively the regional atmospheric deposition pattern of heavy metals in background areas in Europe, to indicate the location of important heavy metal pollution sources and to allow retrospective comparisons with similar studies. The present survey is a follow-up of a joint Danish and Swedish project in 1980 and an extended survey in 1985 within the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers. In Sweden, heavy-metal deposition was first mapped on a nation-wide scale in 1968-1971 and 1975. (author)

Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Europe estimated by moss analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruehling, Aa [Swedish Environmental Research Inst., Lund (Sweden). Dept. of Ecology

1996-12-31

Atmospheric heavy metal deposition in Europe including 21 countries was monitored in 1990-1992 by the moss technique. This technique is based on the fact that the concentrations of heavy metals in moss are closely correlated to atmospheric deposition. This was the first attempt to map heavy metal deposition in this large area. The objectives of the project were to characterise qualitatively and quantitatively the regional atmospheric deposition pattern of heavy metals in background areas in Europe, to indicate the location of important heavy metal pollution sources and to allow retrospective comparisons with similar studies. The present survey is a follow-up of a joint Danish and Swedish project in 1980 and an extended survey in 1985 within the framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers. In Sweden, heavy-metal deposition was first mapped on a nation-wide scale in 1968-1971 and 1975. (author)

Studies on sphagnum peat. III. A quantitative study on the carbohydrate constituents of sphagnum mosses and sphagnum peat

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Theander, O

1954-01-01

A qualitative and a quantitative investigation of the carbohydrates in two sphagnum mosses and five samples of sphagnum peat of different age and degree of huminosity has been performed. The two mosses investigated showed no significant differences. Samples of very different age but with the same degree of physical huminosity were very similar, indicating that the chief changes occur at the top of the bog and/or are determined by the conditions at the start of the humification. The total amount of carbohydrates was about 90% of the organic material in the mosses and about 65% and 35% in peats with a degree of huminosity of 3-4 and 6-7 respectively. Of the constituent sugars, fructose which occurred in the mosses, was completely absent in the peat. Another sugar, which occurs in nature as a furanoside, arabinose, disappeared almost completely during the humification. The uronic acids and galactose decreased faster, while ylose and glucose decreased at about the same rate as the total carbohydrates. Mannose and probably also rhamnose are the most stable components and accumulate during the humification. The polysaccharides in mosses and peat seem to constitute a very complex mixture. The presence of a fructan in the living moss, of a polyuronide (pectin) and a large amount of more complex polysaccharides built up of galactose, xylose, rhamnose and uronic acids is indicated. The glucose, the most important constituent, probably occurs chiefly as cellulose, the presence of which has been demonstrated by other workers. Finally the behaviour of mannose during the humification indicates the presence of a stable mannan. There is no evidence of polysaccharides formed by microorganisms in the peat.

Tangled history of the European uses of Sphagnum moss and sphagnol.

Science.gov (United States)

Drobnik, Jacek; Stebel, Adam

2017-09-14

Sphagnum mosses and peat could have been utilized as wound dressings for centuries, however reliable data on this subject are ambiguous; sometimes even no distinction between peat moss (Sphagnum spp.) and peat is made or these terms become confused. The first scientific account on surgical use of peat comes from 1882: a peat digger who successfully, by himself and in the way unknown to the then medicine, cured an open fracture of his forearm with peat. The peat, and very soon the peat moss itself (which is the major constituent of peat) drew attention of the 19th-century surgeons. We search for reliable information on: (1) inspirations for Sphagnum usage for medical purposes and its beginnings in the 19th century, (2) substances or products named sphagnol and their connections with (1); (3) on the origin of this name, (4) and on the occurrence of this name in medical sources. We have identified and studied published sources on the uses of peat-based and Sphagnum-based preparations and products of any processing level (including herbal stock, distillate, isolated pure or impure active principle, or a mixture of such) in surgery, pharmacy or cosmetics. A special attention was paid to the name sphagnol, which appeared many a time, in more than one context since 1899. Source publications were critically analysed from the taxonomical, pharmacognostical and ethnopharmacological points of view. Gathered data were cross-checked with the modern knowledge of the biologically active principles of Sphagnum and the prospects of their medical use. The application of peat in surgery started 1882. The use of peat moss as dressings was developed in the 1880's. It returned to surgical practice during WW1. The name sphagnol has two meanings: (1) A chemical substance isolated from the cell walls of Sphagnum mosses in 1899. A post-1950 research showed it to be a mixture of phenols dominated by sphagnum acid. (2) A product of dry distillation of peat contains solid and liquid fractions

[Development of child neuropsychiatry at the Karl Marx University of Leipzig].

Science.gov (United States)

Gebelt, H

1978-05-01

The development of pedoneuropsychiatry at the University of Leipzig is marked by the opening in 1926 of the first "Department of Pedopsychiatric Observation", the establishment of the Clinic of Pedoneuropsychiatry as an independent unit of the Department of Medicine, Karl Marx University, and the setting up in 1976 of a Chair of Pedoneuropsychiatry. Paul Schröder's and R. A. Pfeifer's services to their university are particularly appreciated.

Using an epiphytic moss to identify previously unknown sources of atmospheric cadmium pollution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Donovan, Geoffrey H., E-mail: gdonovan@fs.fed.us [USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station, 620 SW Main, Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205 (United States); Jovan, Sarah E., E-mail: sjovan@fs.fed.us [USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station, 620 SW Main, Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205 (United States); Gatziolis, Demetrios, E-mail: dgatziolis@fs.fed.us [USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station, 620 SW Main, Suite 400, Portland, OR 97205 (United States); Burstyn, Igor, E-mail: igor.burstyn@drexel.edu [Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Nesbitt Hall, 3215 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Michael, Yvonne L., E-mail: ylm23@drexel.edu [Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Nesbitt Hall, 3215 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Amacher, Michael C., E-mail: mcamacher1@outlook.com [USDA Forest Service, Logan Forest Sciences Laboratory, 860 North 1200 East, Logan, UT 84321 (United States); Monleon, Vicente J., E-mail: vjmonleon@fs.fed.us [USDA Forest Service, PNW Research Station, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331 (United States)

2016-07-15

Urban networks of air-quality monitors are often too widely spaced to identify sources of air pollutants, especially if they do not disperse far from emission sources. The objectives of this study were to test the use of moss bio-indicators to develop a fine-scale map of atmospherically-derived cadmium and to identify the sources of cadmium in a complex urban setting. We collected 346 samples of the moss Orthotrichum lyellii from deciduous trees in December, 2013 using a modified randomized grid-based sampling strategy across Portland, Oregon. We estimated a spatial linear model of moss cadmium levels and predicted cadmium on a 50 m grid across the city. Cadmium levels in moss were positively correlated with proximity to two stained-glass manufacturers, proximity to the Oregon–Washington border, and percent industrial land in a 500 m buffer, and negatively correlated with percent residential land in a 500 m buffer. The maps showed very high concentrations of cadmium around the two stained-glass manufacturers, neither of which were known to environmental regulators as cadmium emitters. In addition, in response to our findings, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality placed an instrumental monitor 120 m from the larger stained-glass manufacturer in October, 2015. The monthly average atmospheric cadmium concentration was 29.4 ng/m{sup 3}, which is 49 times higher than Oregon's benchmark of 0.6 ng/m{sup 3}, and high enough to pose a health risk from even short-term exposure. Both stained-glass manufacturers voluntarily stopped using cadmium after the monitoring results were made public, and the monthly average cadmium levels precipitously dropped to 1.1 ng/m{sup 3} for stained-glass manufacturer #1 and 0.67 ng/m{sup 3} for stained-glass manufacturer #2. - Highlights: • Bio-indicators are a valid method for measuring atmospheric pollutants • We used moss to map atmospheric cadmium in Portland, Oregon • Using a spatial linear model, we identified two

Atmospheric Pb and Ti accumulation rates from Sphagnum moss: dependence upon plant productivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Kempter, H; Krachler, M; Shotyk, W

2010-07-15

The accumulation rates of atmospheric Pb and Ti were obtained using the production rates of Sphagnum mosses collected in four ombrotrophic bogs from two regions of southern Germany: Upper Bavaria (Oberbayern, OB) and the Northern Black Forest (Nordschwarzwald, NBF). Surfaces of Sphagnum carpets were marked with plastic mesh and one year later the production of plant matter was harvested. Metal concentrations were determined in acid digests using sector field ICP-MS employing well established analytical procedures. Up to 12 samples (40 x 40 cm) were collected per site, and 6-10 sites were investigated per bog. Variations within a given sampling site were in the range 2.3-4x for Pb concentrations, 1.8-2.5x for Ti concentrations, 3-8.3x for Pb/Ti, 5.6-7.8x for Pb accumulation rates, and 2.3-6.4x for Ti accumulation rates. However, the median values of these parameters for the sites (6-10 per bog) were quite consistent. The mosses from the bogs in NBF exhibited significantly greater productivity (187-202 g m(-2) a(-1)) compared to the OB peat bogs (71-91 g m(-2) a(-1)), and these differences had a pronounced effect on the Pb and Ti accumulation rates. Highly productive mosses showed no indication of a "dilution effect" of Pb or Ti concentrations, suggesting that more productive plants were simply able to accumulate more particles from the air. The median rates of net Pb accumulation by the mosses are in excellent agreement with the fluxes obtained by direct atmospheric measurements at nearby monitoring stations in both regions (EMEP and MAPESI data).

Dependence on epiphytic bacteria for freezing protection in an Antarctic moss, Bryum argenteum.

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, James A

2016-02-01

Mosses are the dominant flora of Antarctica, but their mechanisms of survival in the face of extreme low temperatures are poorly understood. A variety of Bryum argenteum from 77° S was previously shown to have strong ice-pitting activity, a sign of the presence of ice-binding proteins (IBPs) that mitigate freezing damage. Here, using samples that had been stored at -25(o) C for 10 years, it is shown that much if not all of the activity is due to bacterial ice-binding proteins secreted on the leaves of the moss. Sequencing of the leaf metagenome revealed the presence of hundreds of genes from a variety of bacteria (mostly Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes) that encode a domain (DUF3494) that is associated with ice binding. The frequency of occurrence of this domain is one to two orders of magnitude higher than it is in representative mesophilic bacterial metagenomes. Genes encoding 42 bacterial IBPs with N-terminal secretion signals were assembled. There appears to be a commensal relationship in which the moss provides sustenance to the bacteria in return for freezing protection. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Determination of heavy metal deposition in the county of Obrenovac (Serbia using mosses as bioindicators II: Cadmium (CD, cobalt (CO, and chromium (CR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vukojević V.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the deposition of three heavy metals (Cd, Co and Cr in the county of Obrenovac (Serbia is determined using four moss taxa (Bryum argenteum, Bryum capillare, Brachythecium sp. and Hypnum cupressiforme as bioindicators. Distribution of average heavy metal content in all mosses in the county of Obrenovac is presented in maps, while long term atmospheric deposition (in the mosses Bryum argenteum and B. capillare and short term atmospheric deposition (in the mosses Brachythecium sp. and Hypnum cupressiforme are discussed and in tables. Areas of the highest contaminations are highlighted.

Determination of heavy metal deposition in the county of Obrenovac (Serbia using mosses as bioindicators, IV: Manganese (Mn, Molybdenum (Mo, and Nickel (Ni

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vukojević V.

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, the deposition of three heavy metals (Mn, Mo, and Ni in the county of Obrenovac (Serbia in four moss taxa (Bryum argenteum, Bryum capillare, Brachythecium sp., and Hypnum cupressiforme is presented. The distribution of average heavy metal content in all mosses in the county of Obrenovac is presented on maps, while the long-term atmospheric deposition (in the mosses Bryum argenteum and B. capillare and short term atmospheric deposition (in the mosses Brachythecium sp. and Hypnum cupressiforme are discussed and given in tabular form. Areas of the highest contaminations are highlighted.

Determination of heavy metal deposition in the county of Obrenovac (Serbia using mosses as bioindicators: I. Aluminum (Al, arsenic (As, and boron (B

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabovljević M.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available In the present study, the deposition of three heavy metals (Al, As and B in the county of Obrenovac (Serbia is determined using four moss taxa (Bryum argenteum, Bryum capillare, Brachythecium sp., and Hypnum cupressiforme as bioindicators. Distribution of average heavy metal content in all mosses in the county of Obrenovac is presented in maps, while long-term atmospheric deposition (in the mosses Bryum argenteum and B. capillare and short-term atmospheric deposition (in the mosses Brachythecium sp. and Hypnum cupressiforme are discussed and given in tables. Areas of the highest contaminations are highlighted.

Determination of heavy metal deposition in the county of Obrenovac (Serbia using mosses as bioindicators, III: Copper (Cu, Iron (Fe and Mercury (Hg

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sabovljević M.

2007-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, the deposition of three heavy metals (Cu, Fe and Hg in four moss taxa (Bryum argenteum, Bryum capillare, Brachythecium sp. and Hypnum cupressiforme in the county of Obrenovac (Serbia is presented. The distribution of average heavy metal content in all mosses in the county of Obrenovac is presented on maps, while long-term atmospheric deposition (in the mosses Bryum argenteum and B. capillare and short-term atmospheric deposition (in the mosses Brachythecium sp. and Hypnum cupressiforme are discussed and given in a table. Areas of the highest contaminations are highlighted.

[Results of school inspections in the county of Karl-Marx-Stadt (author's transl)].

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, J

1978-10-01

Within the Health Protection in Childhood and Adolescence Research Project a hygienic inspection questionnaire was designed for schools. To test this questionnaire, 248 schools in 11 districts of the county of Karl-Marx-Stadt were inspected. From the ascertainments made, several instances are cited to point out the priorities of school hygiene.

Karl Marx and the Paris Commune of 1871: Tracing Traditions of Critical Pedagogy

Science.gov (United States)

McGray, Robert

2014-01-01

In 1871, citizens of the war torn arrondissements of Paris, in the face of traumatic political and military turmoil, established a new local form of government. The Paris Commune, as this government became known as in the English world, attracted attention for its alternative political-economic organization. One notable commentator was Karl Marx…

Pupil initiatives in urban nature trail development: PMB MOSS and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A brief background to Greenbelt and urban nature trail development in Pietermaritzburg is provided. Negotiations and procedures initiated by standard 9 pupils in stimulating authorities and the public to recognise the need for urban trail development and metropolitan open space (MOSS) are outlined. long-term ...

Biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution by moss bags: Discriminating urban-rural structure in a fragmented landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Capozzi, F; Giordano, S; Di Palma, A; Spagnuolo, V; De Nicola, F; Adamo, P

2016-04-01

In this paper we investigated the possibility to use moss bags to detect pollution inputs - metals, metalloids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) - in sites chosen for their different land use (agricultural, urban/residential scenarios) and proximity to roads (sub-scenarios), in a fragmented conurbation of Campania (southern Italy). We focused on thirty-nine elements including rare earths. For most of them, moss uptake was higher in agricultural than in urban scenarios and in front road sites. Twenty PAHs were analyzed in a subset of agricultural sites; 4- and 5-ringed PAHs were the most abundant, particularly chrysene, fluoranthene and pyrene. Overall results indicated that investigated pollutants have a similar spatial distribution pattern over the entire study area, with road traffic and agricultural practices as the major diffuse pollution sources. Moss bags proved a very sensitive tool, able to discriminate between different land use scenarios and proximity to roads in a mixed rural-urban landscape. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gibberellin influence on the morphogenesis of the moss Bryum argenteum Hedw. in in vitro conditions

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Sabovljević Aneta

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The moss Bryum argenteum Hedw. was treated with gibberellins as well as some inhibitors of gibberellin biosynthesis in order to investigate their influence on B. argenteum morphogenesis. Generally, gibberellins have not been chemically identified in bryophytes, while other groups of classical phytohormones (auxins, cytokinins, abscisic acid and ethylene have been chemically identified in these plants. The in vitro culture of the moss Bryum argenteum was established from sterilized spores. The apical shoots of untreated gametophytes grown in vitro were used to investigate the influence of different substances on secondary protonema and on the growth and multiplication of the gametophytes. B. argenteum reacts differently to the growth regulators applied. Both gibberellins applied in vitro (GA3 and GA7 have a positive effect on B. argenteum morphogenesis. Shoot multiplication was negatively affected by three tested growth retardants (ancymidol, BX-112 and chlorocholine chloride, while these substances did not have such strong effects on the moss protonema development.

Pollutant deposition impacts on lichens, mosses, wood and soil in the Athabasca oil sands area

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauls, R.W.; Abboud, S.A.; Turchenek, L.W.

1996-01-01

A study was conducted to monitor the accumulation and impact on the environment of emissions from oil sands processing plants. SO 2 , H 2 S, NO x and hydrocarbon concentrations in the air were monitored. Syncrude Canada Ltd. conducted surveys to determine elemental levels in lichens and mosses. The objective of the study was to monitor the pattern of accumulation of emissions by oil sand plants in, and their effects on, lichens and mosses, and examine changes in wood induced by soil acidity. The moss, lichen and wood samples were analyzed for total elemental content. Soils were analyzed for pH, soluble sulphate and other properties related to soil acidity and soil composition. Little or no evidence was found to indicate that wood tissue chemistry has been affected by atmospheric deposition of substances originating from oil sands plants. These results led to the inference that no large changes in soil acidity have resulted from oil sands plant emissions either. 66 refs., 21 tabs., 124 figs

The present-day level of long-living artificial radionuclides content in mosses, lichens and needles of Siberia areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strakhovenko, V.D.; Sukhorukov, F.V.; Shcherbov, B.L.

2005-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to estimate the present-day level of long-living artificial radionuclides activity in lichen-moss cover and needles in the Siberia region. During the expeditionary activities (1995-2004) the Lichen cover mosses and needles were sampled in the Ust'-Ordinsky and Aginsky Buryatsky autonomous regions, Altai area, Republic of Altai, Novosibirsk Region, the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous region. The identical species of lichen, mosses. needles were collected from Siberia (lichens - Cladonia, Evernia, Usnea, Parmeli; mosses - Polytrichum, Hylocomium, Pleurozium, Sphagnum; needles - Pinaceae). It was collected 6 and more lichen species from each of 18 sample sites, more than 3 Moss species from 7 sample sites, and in place of coniferous trees joint growth (a pine, a cedar, a fir, a fur-tree and a larch). The needles were selected from all trees and thus were divided into one-year-old and many-year old. The samples were analyzed in the Laboratory of Trace Elements Geochemistry and Ecogeochemistry of the UIGGM, Novosibirsk, using special sample preparation and analysis techniques. The content of 137 Cs were determined by gamma-spectrometry (analyst Stepin A.S.), 90 Sr by beta-radiometry with a radiochemical sample preparation (analyst Makeover I.V.). The data reported are evidence that a present-day level of radioactive contamination in moss-lichen cover and needles of Siberia areas corresponds to this of global background, expect for northern area of Siberia (YNAD) for which hyperactivity are determined for the each of three components. Radiocesium concentration in one-year old needles reflects a level of atmospheric intake only for accidents, for other cases the condition of current needles reflects basically radionuclide level established as the result of dynamic balance between root intake and annual biogenic abscission of needles. (author)

Efficient biolistic transformation of the moss Physcomitrella patens

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šmídková, Markéta; Holá, M.; Angelis, Karel

2010-01-01

Roč. 54, č. 4 (2010), s. 777-780 ISSN 0006-3134 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA521/04/0971; GA AV ČR IBS5038304; GA MŠk 1M0505; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06004 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : Helios biolistic gun * moss protonemal tissue * particle size Subject RIV: EI - Biotechnology ; Bionics Impact factor: 1.582, year: 2010

High incidence of deformity in aquatic turtles in the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bell, Barbara [Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Spotila, James R [Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Drexel University, 3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (United States); Congdon, Justin [Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Drawer E., Aiken, SC (United States)

2006-08-15

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is subject to pollution from multiple sources. We studied development of snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) and painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) embryos from the refuge from 2000 through 2003. Mean annual deformity rate of pooled painted turtle clutches over four years ranged from 45 to 71%, while that of snapping turtle clutches ranged from 13 to 19%. Lethal deformities were more common than minor or moderate deformities in embryos of both species. Adult painted turtles had a higher deformity rate than adult snapping turtles. Snapping turtles at JHNWR had high levels of PAH contamination in their fat. This suggests that PAHs are involved in the high level of deformities. Other contaminants may also play a role. Although the refuge offers many advantages to resident turtle populations, pollution appears to place a developmental burden on the life history of these turtles. - This paper presents findings on the prevalence of developmental abnormalities in turtles at a national wildlife refuge that have direct relevance to studies on the effects of contamination on development and morphology of vertebrates.

High incidence of deformity in aquatic turtles in the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, Barbara; Spotila, James R.; Congdon, Justin

2006-01-01

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is subject to pollution from multiple sources. We studied development of snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) and painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) embryos from the refuge from 2000 through 2003. Mean annual deformity rate of pooled painted turtle clutches over four years ranged from 45 to 71%, while that of snapping turtle clutches ranged from 13 to 19%. Lethal deformities were more common than minor or moderate deformities in embryos of both species. Adult painted turtles had a higher deformity rate than adult snapping turtles. Snapping turtles at JHNWR had high levels of PAH contamination in their fat. This suggests that PAHs are involved in the high level of deformities. Other contaminants may also play a role. Although the refuge offers many advantages to resident turtle populations, pollution appears to place a developmental burden on the life history of these turtles. - This paper presents findings on the prevalence of developmental abnormalities in turtles at a national wildlife refuge that have direct relevance to studies on the effects of contamination on development and morphology of vertebrates

Monitoring Heavy Metal Contents with Sphagnum Junghuhnianum Moss Bags in Relation to Traffic Volume in Wuxi, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Rong; Yan, Yun; Zhou, Xiaoli; Wang, Yanan; Fang, Yanming

2018-02-22

Despite its small size, a moss bag can reveal the different temporal and spatial deposition patterns of pollutants at a particular site; therefore, researchers can use moss bags to determine pollution sources and to put forward strategies for pollution control. Although the use of moss bags to monitor atmospheric pollution has been widely reported in Europe, there are few such empirical studies in China. Thus, in this study, bags containing the moss Sphagnum junghuhnianum were used to assess the concentrations of heavy metals (chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), vanadium (V), and zinc (Zn)) at five sampling sites (four roads and a forest park) during the summer and winter of 2012. According to the relative accumulation factor (RAF) and contamination factor (CF) results, pollution in winter was heavier than that in summer, and Cr was found to be the most contaminating, having the highest mean CF. There was a significant positive correlation ( p heavy metals (Cr, Cu, and V) in winter, whereas a significant positive correlation ( p heavy metal elements (Cr, Pb, V, and Zn) in summer, indicating a close relationship between heavy metal contents and traffic volume. Although there was substantial variation in the concentrations of the five heavy metals in the moss bags, significant correlations between heavy metals suggested that the contaminants originated from a common source, namely vehicle emissions. The results demonstrated that the four roads were subject to different degrees of pollution depending on the volume of traffic using each road. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that traffic volume is a major reason for heavy metal pollution.

Alternative substrates to the sphagnum moss in the acclimatization of arundina graminifolia “alba”(Orchidaceae)

OpenAIRE

Ana Paula Zandoná; Ricardo Tadeu de Faria; Alessandro Borini Lone; Rodrigo Thibes Hoshino

2014-01-01

The Arundina graminifolia, is popularly known as bamboo orchid, by having their stems quite extensive. It is widely used in the business landscape, with a very rustic plant. Sphagnum moss is the most widely used substrate in the acclimatization of orchids, but environmental issues have led to an increase in the search for alternative substrates. The objective of this study was to evaluate substrates that can replace all or part of the use of sphagnum moss on the acclimatization of A. graminif...

Development of calibration factors of moss (Hylocomium splendens); Utvikling av kalibreringsfaktorer for mose (Hylocomium splendens)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berg, T

1996-01-01

The present paper relates to atmospheric deposition of trace elements in Norway. These elements are mapped geographically in every fifth year by analysing bio-monitored mosses. This is a part of an original Scandinavian monitoring program which gradually expanded to other parts of Europe. In 1995, 32 countries participated in the program. The investigation of mosses in Norway has also been used as a basis for the development of special environment indicators for monitoring atmospheric long-range transported heavy metals. 9 refs., 1 fig.

Karl Korsch e a Comuna de Paris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano Cavini Martorano

2011-03-01

Full Text Available

Apesar de haver escrito uma extensa obra que ainda vem sendo editada no seu país natal, o marxista alemão Karl Korsch é praticamente desconhecido no Brasil – exceção feita a alguns poucos pesquisadores. Além da recente edição brasileira de seu importante trabalho Marxismo e filosofia (Editora UFRJ, e de alguns outros textos e artigos que podem ser encontrados em diferentes sites, o acesso ao conjunto de sua obra ainda é bastante difícil.

Nitrogen Addition Exacerbates the Negative Effects of Low Temperature Stress on Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism in Moss

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Bin-Yang Liu

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Global environmental changes are leading to an increase in localized abnormally low temperatures and increasing nitrogen (N deposition is a phenomenon recognized worldwide. Both low temperature stress (LTS and excess N induce oxidative stress in plants, and excess N also reduces their resistance to LTS. Mosses are primitive plants that are generally more sensitive to alterations in environmental factors than vascular species. To study the combined effects of N deposition and LTS on carbon (C and N metabolism in moss, two moss species, Pogonatum cirratum subsp. fuscatum, and Hypnum plumaeforme, exposed to various concentrations of nitrate (KNO3 or ammonium (NH4Cl, were treated with or without LTS. C/N metabolism indices were then monitored, both immediately after the stress and after a short recovery period (10 days. LTS decreased the photosystem II (PSII performance index and inhibited non-cyclic photophosphorylation, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase, and glutamine synthetase activities, indicating damage to PSII and reductions in C/N assimilation in these mosses. LTS did not affect cyclic photophosphorylation, sucrose synthase, sucrose-phosphate synthase, and NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase activities, suggesting a certain level of energy and C skeleton generation were maintained in the mosses to combat LTS; however, LTS inhibited the activity of glycolate oxidase. As predicted, N supply increased the sensitivity of the mosses to LTS, resulting in greater damage to PSII and a sharper decrease in C/N assimilation. After the recovery period, the performance of PSII and C/N metabolism, which were inhibited by LTS increased significantly, and were generally higher than those of control samples not exposed to LTS, suggesting overcompensation effects; however, N application reduced the extent of compensation effects. Both C and N metabolism exhibited stronger compensation effects in H. plumaeforme than in P. cirratum subsp. fuscatum. The

Interaction between the moss Physcomitrella patens and Phytophthora: a novel pathosystem for live-cell imaging of subcellular defence.

Science.gov (United States)

Overdijk, Elysa J R; DE Keijzer, Jeroen; DE Groot, Deborah; Schoina, Charikleia; Bouwmeester, Klaas; Ketelaar, Tijs; Govers, Francine

2016-08-01

Live-cell imaging of plant-pathogen interactions is often hampered by the tissue complexity and multicell layered nature of the host. Here, we established a novel pathosystem with the moss Physcomitrella patens as host for Phytophthora. The tip-growing protonema cells of this moss are ideal for visualizing interactions with the pathogen over time using high-resolution microscopy. We tested four Phytophthora species for their ability to infect P. patens and showed that P. sojae and P. palmivora were only rarely capable to infect P. patens. In contrast, P. infestans and P. capsici frequently and successfully penetrated moss protonemal cells, showed intracellular hyphal growth and formed sporangia. Next to these successful invasions, many penetration attempts failed. Here the pathogen was blocked by a barrier of cell wall material deposited in papilla-like structures, a defence response that is common in higher plants. Another common response is the upregulation of defence-related genes upon infection and also in moss we observed this upregulation in tissues infected with Phytophthora. For more advanced analyses of the novel pathosystem we developed a special set-up that allowed live-cell imaging of subcellular defence processes by high-resolution microscopy. With this set-up, we revealed that Phytophthora infection of moss induces repositioning of the nucleus, accumulation of cytoplasm and rearrangement of the actin cytoskeleton, but not of microtubules. © 2016 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2016 Royal Microscopical Society.

Laparoscopic insertion of the Moss feeding tube.

Science.gov (United States)

Albrink, M H; Hagan, K; Rosemurgy, A S

1993-12-01

Placement of enteral feeding tubes is an important part of a surgeon's skill base. Surgical insertion of feeding tubes has been performed safely for many years with very few modifications. With the recent surge in interest and applicability of other laparoscopic procedures, it is well within the skills of the average laparoscopic surgeon to insert feeding tubes. We describe herein a simple technique for the insertion of the Moss feeding tube. The procedure described has a minimum of invasion, along with simplicity, safety, and accuracy.

Using an epiphytic moss to identify previously unknown sources of atmospheric cadmium pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Donovan, Geoffrey H; Jovan, Sarah E; Gatziolis, Demetrios; Burstyn, Igor; Michael, Yvonne L; Amacher, Michael C; Monleon, Vicente J

2016-07-15

Urban networks of air-quality monitors are often too widely spaced to identify sources of air pollutants, especially if they do not disperse far from emission sources. The objectives of this study were to test the use of moss bio-indicators to develop a fine-scale map of atmospherically-derived cadmium and to identify the sources of cadmium in a complex urban setting. We collected 346 samples of the moss Orthotrichum lyellii from deciduous trees in December, 2013 using a modified randomized grid-based sampling strategy across Portland, Oregon. We estimated a spatial linear model of moss cadmium levels and predicted cadmium on a 50m grid across the city. Cadmium levels in moss were positively correlated with proximity to two stained-glass manufacturers, proximity to the Oregon-Washington border, and percent industrial land in a 500m buffer, and negatively correlated with percent residential land in a 500m buffer. The maps showed very high concentrations of cadmium around the two stained-glass manufacturers, neither of which were known to environmental regulators as cadmium emitters. In addition, in response to our findings, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality placed an instrumental monitor 120m from the larger stained-glass manufacturer in October, 2015. The monthly average atmospheric cadmium concentration was 29.4ng/m(3), which is 49 times higher than Oregon's benchmark of 0.6ng/m(3), and high enough to pose a health risk from even short-term exposure. Both stained-glass manufacturers voluntarily stopped using cadmium after the monitoring results were made public, and the monthly average cadmium levels precipitously dropped to 1.1ng/m(3) for stained-glass manufacturer #1 and 0.67ng/m(3) for stained-glass manufacturer #2. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Wenping; Liu, Shuguang; Dong, Wenjie; Liang, Shunlin; Zhao, Shuqing; Chen, Jingming; Xu, Wenfang; Li, Xianglan; Barr, Alan; Andrew Black, T; Yan, Wende; Goulden, Mike L; Kulmala, Liisa; Lindroth, Anders; Margolis, Hank A; Matsuura, Yojiro; Moors, Eddy; van der Molen, Michiel; Ohta, Takeshi; Pilegaard, Kim; Varlagin, Andrej; Vesala, Timo

2014-06-26

The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP that vascular plants can because of its much lower photosynthetic capacity. Here, based on eddy covariance measurements, we show that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between these two plant functional types has never been explicitly included when estimating regional GPP in the boreal region, resulting in a substantial overestimation. The magnitude of this overestimation could have important implications regarding a change from a current carbon sink to a carbon source in the boreal region. Moss abundance, associated with ecosystem disturbances, needs to be mapped and incorporated into GPP estimates in order to adequately assess the role of the boreal region in the global carbon cycle.

Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Wenping; Liu, Shuguang; Dong, Wenjie; Liang, Shunlin; Zhao, Shuqing; Chen, Jingming; Xu, Wenfang; Li, Xianglan; Barr, Alan; Black, T. Andrew; Yan, Wende; Goulden, Michael; Kulmala, Liisa; Lindroth, Anders; Margolis, Hank A.; Matsuura, Yojiro; Moors, Eddy; van der Molen, Michiel; Ohta, Takeshi; Pilegaard, Kim; Varlagin, Andrej; Vesala, Timo

2014-01-01

The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP that vascular plants can because of its much lower photosynthetic capacity. Here, based on eddy covariance measurements, we show that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between these two plant functional types has never been explicitly included when estimating regional GPP in the boreal region, resulting in a substantial overestimation. The magnitude of this overestimation could have important implications regarding a change from a current carbon sink to a carbon source in the boreal region. Moss abundance, associated with ecosystem disturbances, needs to be mapped and incorporated into GPP estimates in order to adequately assess the role of the boreal region in the global carbon cycle.

FRM-II research neutron source commissioned; Eroeffnung der Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz - FRM-II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anon.

2004-07-01

On March 2, 2004, the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz research neutron source (FRM-II) generated neutrons for the first time. This marked the most important step on the way to using FRM-II for scientific purposes. On this occasion, this unique research facility in the world was dedicated in a ceremony attended by approximately 1000 representatives of politics, industry, and science. The keynote speaker, Federal Minister of the Interior Otto Schily; Bavarian Minister President Edmund Stoiber; Professor Claus Weyrich (Member of the Executive Board of Siemens AG); Dr. Thomas Goppel (Bavarian State Minister for Science, Research, and Arts); Professor Wolfgang A. Herman (President of the Technical University of Munich); Hannelore Gabor (2nd Mayor of the host municipality of Garching); and Professor Winfried Petry (Scientific Director of FRM-II) underlined the great importance of FRM-II for science, research, medicine, and technology. FRM-II will not only fill the 'neutron gap', but create extremely brilliant working conditions thanks to its considerably higher neutron flux compared to that of its predecessor, the legendary Atomic Egg. After the first conceptual design studies starting in 1980, the ground breaking ceremony in August 1996, and the third partial permit issued at Easter of 2003, a unique tool is now available for modern science and for medical and technical applications. (orig.) [German] Am 2. Maerz 2004 hat die Forschungs-Neutronenquelle Heinz Maier-Leibnitz (FRM-II) erstmals Neutronen erzeugt. Damit war der wichtigste Schritt erreicht, der den Weg zur wissenschaftlichen Nutzung des FRM-II einleitet. Aus diesem Anlass wurde unter Teilnahme von rund 1 000 Vertretern aus Politik, Wirtschaft und Wissenschaft diese weltweit einmalige Forschungseinrichtung eroeffnet und ihrer Bestimmung uebergeben. Die Festredner, Bundesinnenminister Otto Schily, der bayerische Ministerpraesident Edmund Stoiber, Professor Claus Weyrich (Mitglied des Vorstands der Siemens AG), Dr

Moss as Indicator of Heavy Metals Pollution in Kano Municipality ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

MBI

2015-09-23

Sep 23, 2015 ... Metals accumulation was determined in moss specie funaria hygrometrica collected from industrial and neighbouring residential .... of Lead in street dust to index its pollution in. Kano municipality. Spectrum journal, 1: 94-. 97. Sharada. Bompai. City campus Kano municipal. Zoo Road. 0. 5. 10. 15. 20. 25. 30.

Biocrust-forming mosses mitigate the impact of aridity on soil microbial communities in drylands: observational evidence from three continents.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel; Maestre, Fernando T; Eldridge, David J; Bowker, Matthew A; Jeffries, Thomas C; Singh, Brajesh K

2018-04-02

Recent research indicates that increased aridity linked to climate change will reduce the diversity of soil microbial communities and shift their community composition in drylands, Earth's largest biome. However, we lack both a theoretical framework and solid empirical evidence of how important biotic components from drylands, such as biocrust-forming mosses, will regulate the responses of microbial communities to expected increases in aridity with climate change. Here we report results from a cross-continental (North America, Europe and Australia) survey of 39 locations from arid to humid ecosystems, where we evaluated how biocrust-forming mosses regulate the relationship between aridity and the community composition and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi in dryland ecosystems. Increasing aridity was negatively related to the richness of fungi, and either positively or negatively related to the relative abundance of selected microbial phyla, when biocrust-forming mosses were absent. Conversely, we found an overall lack of relationship between aridity and the relative abundance and richness of microbial communities under biocrust-forming mosses. Our results suggest that biocrust-forming mosses mitigate the impact of aridity on the community composition of globally distributed microbial taxa, and the diversity of fungi. They emphasize the importance of maintaining biocrusts as a sanctuary for soil microbes in drylands. © 2018 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2018 New Phytologist Trust.

Effects of sand burial and wind disturbances on moss soil crusts in a revegetated area of the Tennger Desert, Northern China

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, R. L.; Li, X. R.; Liu, L. C.; Gao, Y. H.

2012-04-01

Sand burial and wind are two predominant natural disturbances in the desert ecosystems worldwide. However, the effects of sand burial and wind disturbances on moss soil crusts are still largely unexplored. In this study, two sets of experiments were conducted separately to evaluated the effects of sand burial (sand depth of 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 mm) and wind blowing (wind speed of 0.2, 3, 6 and 9ms-1) on ecophysiological variables of two moss soil crusts collected from a revegetated area of the Tengger Desert, Northern China. Firstly, the results from the sand burial experiment revealed that respiration rate was significantly decreased and that moss shoot elongation was significantly increased after burial. In addition, Bryum argenteum crust showed the fastest speed of emergence and highest tolerance index, followed by Didymodon vinealis crust. This sequence was consistent with the successional order of the two moss crusts that happened in our study area, indicating that differential sand burial tolerance explains their succession sequence. Secondly, the results from the wind experiment showed that CO2 exchange, PSII photochemical efficiency, photosynthetic pigments, shoot upgrowth, productivity and regeneration potential of the two moss soil crust mentioned above were all substantially depressed. Furthermore, D. vinealis crust exhibited stronger wind resistance than B. argenteum crust from all aspects mentioned above. And this is comparison was identical with their contrasting microhabitats with B. argenteum crust being excluded from higher wind speed microsites in the windward slopes, suggesting that the differential wind resistance of moss soil crusts explains their microdistribution pattern. In conclusion, the ecogeomorphological processes of moss soil crusts in desert ecosystems can be largely determined by natural disturbances caused by sand burial and wind blowing in desert ecosystems.

Effects of sand burial on dew deposition on moss soil crust in a revegetated area of the Tennger Desert, Northern China

Science.gov (United States)

Jia, Rong-liang; Li, Xin-rong; Liu, Li-chao; Pan, Yan-xia; Gao, Yan-hong; Wei, Yong-ping

2014-11-01

Sand burial and dew deposition are two fundamental phenomena profoundly influencing biological soil crusts in desert areas. However, little information is available regarding the effects of sand burial on dew deposition on biological soil crusts in desert ecosystems. In this study, we evaluated the effects of sand burial at depths of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 mm on dew formation and evaporation of three dominant moss crusts in a revegetated area of the Tengger Desert (Northern China) in 2010. The results revealed that sand burial significantly decreased the amount of dew deposited on the three moss crust types by acting as a semi-insulator retarding the dew formation and evaporation rates. The changes in surface temperature cannot fully explain the variations of the formation and evaporation rates of dew by moss crusts buried by sand. The extension of dew retention time was reflected by the higher dew ratios (the ratio of dew amount at a certain time to the maximum value in a daily course) in the daytime, and may to some extent have acted as compensatory mechanisms that diminished the negative effects of the reduction of dew amount induced by sand burial of moss crusts. The resistances to reduction of dewfall caused by sand burial among the three moss crusts were also compared and it was found that Bryum argenteum crust showed the highest tolerance, followed by crusts dominated by Didymodon vinealis and Syntrichia caninervis. This sequence corresponds well with the successional order of the three moss crusts in the revegetated area, thereby suggesting that resistance to reduction of dewfall may act as one mechanism by which sand burial drives the succession of moss crusts in desert ecosystems. This side effect of dew reduction induced by sand burial on biological soil crusts should be considered in future ecosystem construction and management of desert area.

Assessment of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other elements in Belgrade using the moss biomonitoring technique and neutron activation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Anicić, Mira; Frontasyeva, Marina V; Tomasević, Milica; Popović, Aleksandar

2007-06-01

This study aimed at assessing atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other elements using the moss genera Brachythecium sp. (B. rutabulum and B. salebrosum) and Eurhynchium sp. (E. hians and E. striatum) collected in autumn 2004 in the urban area of Belgrade. The concentrations of 36 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Tb, Dy, Hf, Ta, W, Hg, Th, U) were determined in moss and local topsoil samples by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The concentration of elements in moss positively correlated to those obtained for topsoil. High enrichment factors for As, Zn, Mo, Br, Sb, Se, Hg and Cl, calculated to continental crust composition, gave an evidence for anthropogenic impact on urban area, mainly due to intensive vehicular traffic and fossil fuel combustion. The concentration of elements in moss, characteristic for fossil fuel combustion, obtained in this study were substantially lower than in the previous investigation (2000) conducted in the area of Belgrade. The level of concentrations for V, Cr, Ni, and As in moss from this study correlated to those measured for neighboring countries, and were several times higher than the base-level data from low polluted areas. The level of accumulated elements in both investigated moss genera were similar and all studied species could be combined for biomonitoring purposes in urban areas.

Assessment of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other elements in Belgrade using the moss biomonitoring technique and neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anicic, M.; Tomasevic, M.; Frontas'eva, M.V.; Popovic, A.

2006-01-01

The study aimed at assessing atmospheric deposition of heavy metals and other elements using the moss genera Brachythecium sp. (B. rutabulum and B. salebrosum) and Eurhynchium sp. (E. hians and E. striatum) collected in autumn 2004 in the urban area of Belgrade. The concentrations of 36 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Tb, Dy, Hf, Ta, W, Hg, Th, U) were determined in moss and local topsoil samples by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The concentration of elements in moss positively correlated to those obtained for topsoil. High enrichment factors for As, Zn, Mo, Br, Sb, Se, Hg, and Cl, calculated to continental crust composition, gave an evidence for anthropogenic impact on urban area, mainly due to intensive vehicular traffic and fossil fuel combustion. The concentrations of elements in moss, characteristic for fossil fuel combustion, obtained in this study, were substantially lower than in the previous investigation (2000) conducted in the area of Belgrade. The level of concentrations for V, Cr, Ni, and As in moss from this study correlated to those measured for neighboring countries, and were several times higher than the base-level data from low polluted areas. The level of accumulated elements in both investigated moss genera were similar and all studied species could be combined for biomonitoring purposes in urban areas

Human radiation studies: Remembering the early years: Oral history of biochemist William D. Moss, conducted November 30, 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-09-01

This report is a transcript of an interview with William D. Moss by representatives of the US DOE Office of Human Radiation Experiments. Mr. Moss was selected for this interview because of his work at Los Alamos National Laboratory concerning analytical methods in the chemical determination of plutonium in biological materials. After a brief biographical sketch, Mr. Moss relates his understanding of how occupational exposure limits were determined for the Manhattan Project, how data from those workers who were exposed to plutonium was collected and analyzed, how the experiments were planned and data was gathered from plutonium or polonium injections in man, how problems with analytical procedures compounded health physics aspects of the project, and problems remaining in the interpretation of these data

Trends of atmospheric deposition of trace elements in Macedonia studied by the moss biomonitoring technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Barandovski, Lambe; Frontasyeva, Marina V; Stafilov, Trajče; Sajn, Robert; Pavlov, Sergey; Enimiteva, Vangelica

2012-01-01

In 2002 and 2005 the moss biomonitoring technique was applied to air pollution studies in the Republic of Macedonia in the framework of the International Cooperative Programme on Effects of Air Pollution on Natural Vegetation and Crops under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE-ICP Vegetation) Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP). In August 2005 samples of the terrestrial mosses Homolothecium lutescens and Hypnum cupressiforme were collected at 72 sites evenly distributed over the territory of the country, in accordance with the sampling strategy of the European moss survey programme. A total of 41 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Cd, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy Hf, Ta, W, Hg, Pb, Th, and U) were determined by instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. Principal component analysis was used to identify and characterize different pollution sources. Distributional maps were prepared to point out the regions most affected by pollution and to relate this to known sources of contamination. A few areas, as in 2002, are experiencing particular environmental stress: Veles, Skopje, Tetovo, Radoviš and Kavadarci-Negotino, whereas the agricultural regions in the south, south-west, and south-east show median European values for most elements of mainly pollution origin. A significant increase in the content of Ni is noticed in the 2005 moss survey compared with 2002, due to the increased production of the ferro-nickel smelter in Kavadarci. A higher content of Cd, Hg, and Pb in 2005 relative to 2002 can be explained by pollution from the lead-zinc smelter in Veles, as well as the pollution that comes from the open slag waste dump of this smelter. Protection activities on the dump of slag from the former ferrochromium smelter located near Tetovo resulted in a lower content of Cr in the 2005 moss

Richness and epiphytic mosses cover variation on ironwood trees (Parrotia persica Pojark trunks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyedeh Rahimeh Yavarynik

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This research was conducted to determination and assess changes in richness and cover of epiphytic mosses on ironwood trees(Parrotia persica Pojark trunks along trunk elevation and slope aspect gradients, in lowland and protected forest of Natural Resource College of Tarbiat Modares University (Parts of western limit of Noor forest reserved. To do this, a number of 20 individual of ironwood trees with a diamerter higher than 40 cm were selected randomly in the study area. A rectangle with 40*30 cm in two geographical directions (Northern and Southern, in 4 height classes (from 0 to 160cm on the trunks was sampled and related characteristics were recorded. Results of floristic study showed that presence of 17 epiphytic mosses species and the endemic species Palamocladium euchloron among the species with highest presence and Brachytheciaceae family with 7 species were the most important taxa and family in the forest. Richness and cover percentage of epiphytic mosses had the highest averages in northern and lower parts of the trees trunk, this could be due to higher moisture in northern direction and lower parts of the trunk. Result of the study, well clarified the changes of distribution and abundance of the most important forest elements in relationship changes of geographical situation of Parrotia persica trunks.

Oxidation of atmospheric molecular tritium in plant leaves, lichens and mosses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ichimasa, Michiko; Ichimasa, Yusuke; Yagi, Yoshimi; Ko, Rinkei [Ibaraki Univ., Mito (Japan). Faculty of Science; Suzuki, Masatomo; Akita, Yasukazu

1989-12-01

The oxidation of atmospheric molecular tritium (HT) in vegetation was determined by in vitro experiments for pine needles, pine bark, lichens attached to pine trees, taken from a coastal pine forest in Ibaraki prefecture and comparison of such measurements was made with those in soil. The oxidation of HT in pine needles was extremely low, being only about 1/40000 that in the surface soil of a pine forest, whereas its oxidation in pine bark with a lichen was almost 1000-7000 times higher than that in pine needles. HT oxidation in pine bark, a lichen and a moss was determined in each case under light and dark conditions and was found to be essentially the same. All mosses and lichens examined in the present study were found to have unusually high levels of HT oxidation whether their habitat was tree or ground surface. (author).

Oxidation of atmospheric molecular tritium in plant leaves, lichens and mosses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichimasa, Michiko; Ichimasa, Yusuke; Yagi, Yoshimi; Ko, Rinkei; Suzuki, Masatomo; Akita, Yasukazu.

1989-01-01

The oxidation of atmospheric molecular tritium (HT) in vegetation was determined by in vitro experiments for pine needles, pine bark, lichens attached to pine trees, taken from a coastal pine forest in Ibaraki prefecture and comparison of such measurements was made with those in soil. The oxidation of HT in pine needles was extremely low, being only about 1/40000 that in the surface soil of a pine forest, whereas its oxidation in pine bark with a lichen was almost 1000-7000 times higher than that in pine needles. HT oxidation in pine bark, a lichen and a moss was determined in each case under light and dark conditions and was found to be essentially the same. All mosses and lichens examined in the present study were found to have unusually high levels of HT oxidation whether their habitat was tree or ground surface. (author)

Response of photosynthetic carbon gain to ecosystem retrogression of vascular plants and mosses in the boreal forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Bansal, Sheel; Nilsson, Marie-Charlotte; Wardle, David A

2012-07-01

In the long-term absence of rejuvenating disturbances, forest succession frequently proceeds from a maximal biomass phase to a retrogressive phase characterized by reduced nutrient availability [notably nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)] and net primary productivity. Few studies have considered how retrogression induces changes in ecophysiological responses associated with photosynthetic carbon (C) gain, and only for trees. We tested the hypothesis that retrogression would negatively impact photosynthetic C gain of four contrasting species, and that this impact would be greater for vascular plants (i.e., trees and shrubs) than for non-vascular plants (i.e., mosses). We used a 5,000-year-old chronosequence of forested islands in Sweden, where retrogression occurs in the long-term absence of lightning-ignited wildfires. Despite fundamental differences in plant form and ecological niche among species, vascular plants and mosses showed similar ecophysiological responses to retrogression. The most common effects of retrogression were reductions in photosynthesis and respiration per unit foliar N, increases in foliar N, δ(13)C and δ(15)N, and decreases in specific leaf areas. In contrast, photosynthesis per unit mass or area generally did not change along the chronosequence, but did vary many-fold between vascular plants and mosses. The consistent increases in foliar N without corresponding increases in mass- or area-based photosynthesis suggest that other factor(s), such as P co-limitation, light conditions or water availability, may co-regulate C gain in retrogressive boreal forests. Against our predictions, traits of mosses associated with C and N were generally highly responsive to retrogression, which has implications for how mosses influence ecosystem processes in boreal forests.

Atmospheric trace metal pollution in the Naples urban area based on results from moss and lichen bags

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giordano, S.; Adamo, P.; Sorbo, S.; Vingiani, S.

2005-01-01

The results of trace element content analysed in Sphagnum capillifolium and Pseudevernia furfuracea exposed in bags in 1999 are reconsidered to evaluate the reliability of moss and lichen transplants to detect urban trace element atmospheric pollution, using Naples as a case example. After 4 months' exposure, trace element concentrations were at least twice as high as the pre-exposure values and in general higher in Sphagnum than in Pseudevernia. Moss samples were enriched in the following order: As = Cu > Mo > Pb > V > Co > Cr > Zn; lichen samples in the order: Mo > Cu > As = Co = Ni > V > Pb. Based on the calculation of a cumulative load factor, all sites located along the coast had higher trace element loads compared to sites in the hilly inland area. Complementary SEM, TEM and EDS observations showed, despite significant damage to tissue and cell integrity, the recurrent presence of particulate matter in moss and lichen, indicating the considerable presence of dust in the urban atmosphere which, according to chemical composition, may be due both to anthropogenic and natural sources such as volcanic rock and soil and sea salts. - Despite significant damage to tissue and cell integrity, moss and lichen in bags efficiently intercept airborne trace elements

The contribution of mosses to the carbon and water exchange of artic ecosystems: quantification and relationships with system properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Douma, J.C.; Wijk, van M.T.; Lang, S.I.; Shaver, G.R.

2007-01-01

Water vapour and CO2 exchange were measured in moss-dominated vegetation using a gas analyser and a 0.3 × 0.3 m chamber at 17 sites near Abisko, Northern Sweden and 21 sites near Longyearbyen, Svalbard, to quantify the contribution of mosses to ecosystem level fluxes. With the help of a simple

Comparative use of lichens, mosses and tree bark to evaluate nitrogen deposition in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boltersdorf, Stefanie H.; Pesch, Roland; Werner, Willy

2014-01-01

To compare three biomonitoring techniques for assessing nitrogen (N) pollution in Germany, 326 lichen, 153 moss and 187 bark samples were collected from 16 sites of the national N deposition monitoring network. The analysed ranges of N content of all investigated biomonitors (0.32%–4.69%) and the detected δ 15 N values (−15.2‰–1.5‰), made it possible to reveal species specific spatial patterns of N concentrations in biota to indicate atmospheric N deposition in Germany. The comparison with measured and modelled N deposition data shows that particularly lichens are able to reflect the local N deposition originating from agriculture. - Highlights: • We investigated N pollution with the help of bioindicators in Germany. • The N load was monitored with lichens, mosses and bark by tissue N content. • Main source of N pollution was revealed by tissue δ 15 N values. • Particularly the N content and δ 15 N in lichens reflected agriculture-related N deposition. - First nationwide comparison of lichens, mosses and tree bark to assess the N deposition in Germany by analysing N content and δ 15 N values

Armouring facility? Nuclear-weapon and reactor reseach at the Kaiser-Wilhelm Institute for Physics; Eine Waffenschmiede? Kernwaffen- und Reaktorforschung am Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut fuer Physik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hachtmann, R. (ed.); Walker, M.

2005-07-01

The Kaiser Wilhelm Institute for Physics is best known as the place where Werner Heisenberg worked on nuclear weapons for Hitler. Although this is essentially true, there is more to the story. At the start of World War II this institute was taken over by the German Army Ordnance to be the central, but not exclusive site for a research project into the economic and military applications of nuclear fission. The Army physicist Kurt Diebner was installed in the institute as its commissarial director. Heisenberg was affiliated with the institute as an advisor at first, and became the director in 1942. Heisenberg and his colleagues, including in particular Karl-Heinz Hoecker, Carl Friedrich von Weizsaecker, and Karl Wirtz, worked on nuclear reactors and isotope separation with the clear knowledge that these were two different paths to atomic bombs [Atombomben]. However, they were clearly ambivalent about what they were doing. New documents recently returned from Russian archives shed new light on this work and the scientists' motivations. (orig.)

In Situ Dating Experiments of Igneous Rocks Using the KArLE Instrument: A Case Study for Approximately 380 Ma Basaltic Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Cho, Yuichiro; Cohen, Barbara A.

2018-01-01

We report new K-Ar isochron data for two approximately 380 Ma basaltic rocks, using an updated version of the Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment (KArLE). These basalts have K contents comparable to lunar KREEP basalts or igneous lithologies found by Mars rovers, whereas previous proof-of-concept studies focused primarily on more K-rich rocks. We continue to measure these analogue samples to show the advancing capability of in situ K-Ar geochronology. KArLE is applicable to other bodies including the Moon or asteroids.

Air Pollution Studies in Central Russia (Tula Region) Using Moss Biomonitoring Technique, NAA and AAS

CERN Document Server

Ermakova, E V; Steinnes, E

2002-01-01

For the first time the moss biomonitoring technique has been applied to air pollution monitoring in Central Russia (Tula Region). Moss samples were collected from 83 sites in accordance with the sampling strategy of European projects on biomonitoring of atmospheric deposition. Neutron activation analysis (NAA) at the IBR-2 reactor has made it possible to determine the concentration of 33 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Th, U) over a large concentration range (from 10000 mg/kg for K to 0.001 mg/kg for Tb and Ta). In addition to NAA, flame AAS (atomic absorption spectrometry) was applied to determine the concentration of Cd, Cu and Pb. Factor analysis was applied to determine possible sources of elements detected in the investigated mosses. Eight factors were identified. The geographical distribution of factor scores is presented. The interpretation of the factor analysis findings points to natural as well as anthr...

[Heavy metals contents and Hg adsorption characteristics of mosses in virgin forest of Gongga Mountain].

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Peng; Yang, Yong-Kui; He, Lei; Wang, Ding-Yong

2008-06-01

Seven main moss species in the Hailuogou virgin forest of Gongga Mountain were sampled to determine their heavy metals (Hg, Cr, Cd, Ni, Pb, Cu, Mn, Zn and Fe) content, and two widely distributed species, Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt. and Racomitrium laetum Besch., were selected to study their Hg adsorption characteristics. The results showed that the heavy metals contents in the mosses were lower than the background values in Europe and America, except that the Cd had a comparable value, which indicated that the atmosphere in study area was not polluted by heavy metals and good in quality. The Hg adsorption by P. schreberi and R. laetum was an initiative and rapid process, with the equilibrium reached in about two hours, and could be well fitted by Freundlich and Langmuir equations. Based on Langmuir equation, the maximum Hg adsorption capacities of P. schreberi and R. laetum were 15.24 and 8.19 mg x g(-1), respectively, suggesting that the two mosses had a good capacity of Hg adsorption, and could be used as the bio-monitors of atmospheric Hg pollution.

Dust is the dominant source of "heavy metals" to peat moss (Sphagnum fuscum) in the bogs of the Athabasca Bituminous Sands region of northern Alberta.

Science.gov (United States)

Shotyk, William; Bicalho, Beatriz; Cuss, Chad W; Duke, M John M; Noernberg, Tommy; Pelletier, Rick; Steinnes, Eiliv; Zaccone, Claudio

2016-01-01

Sphagnum fuscum was collected from twenty-five ombrotrophic (rain-fed) peat bogs surrounding open pit mines and upgrading facilities of Athabasca Bituminous Sands (ABS) in northern Alberta (AB) in order to assess the extent of atmospheric contamination by trace elements. As a control, this moss species was also collected at a bog near Utikuma (UTK) in an undeveloped part of AB and 264km SW of the ABS region. For comparison, this moss was also collected in central AB, in the vicinity of the City of Edmonton which is approximately 500km to the south of the ABS region, from the Wagner Wetland which is 22km W of the City, from Seba Beach (ca. 90km W) and from Elk Island National Park (ca. 45km E). All of the moss samples were digested and trace elements concentrations determined using ICP-SMS at a commercial laboratory, with selected samples also analyzed using instrumental neutron activation analysis at the University of Alberta. The mosses from the ABS region yielded lower concentrations of Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Tl, and Zn compared to the moss from the Edmonton area. Concentrations of Ni and Mo in the mosses were comparable in these two regions, but V was more abundant in the ABS samples. Compared with the surface vegetation of eight peat cores collected in recent years from British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick, the mean concentrations of Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl and Zn in the mosses from the ABS region are generally much lower. In fact, the concentrations of these trace elements in the samples from the ABS region are comparable to the corresponding values in forest moss from remote regions of central and northern Norway. Lithophile element concentrations (Ba, Be, Ga, Ge, Li, Sc, Th, Ti, Zr) explain most of the variation in trace metal concentrations in the moss samples. The mean concentrations of Th and Zr are greatest in the moss samples from the ABS region, reflecting dust inputs to the bogs from open pit mines, aggregate

Karl Marx in One Lesson (1818-1883). Series on Public Issues No. 6.

Science.gov (United States)

Pejovich, Steve

This booklet, one of a series intended to apply economic principles to major social and political issues of the day, starts from the premise that Marxism is a threat to our way of life and offers a critique of fundamental components of the social movement Marx created. The first of six subsections focuses on sources of influence on Karl Marx…

Mosses of d’Entrecasteaux group & Louisiade Archipelago, Papua, New Guinea

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bartram, Edwin B.

1960-01-01

The moss collections made by L. J. Brass in connection with the 5th, Archbold Expedition to New Guinea to New Guinea in 1956 to the islands off the eastern tip of Papua comprise 166 numbers representing 87 species as outlined in the following list. Three species are described as new and 22 preceeded

Characterization of freshwater mosses as indicators of radioactive contamination; Caracterisation de mousses dulcaquicoles comme indicateurs de contamination radioactive

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beaugelin-Seiller, K

1994-12-16

The necessity of indicators of freshwater contamination has developed the interest for aquatic mosses. From a fundamental point of view, studying the influence of some biotic and abiotic factors has permitted to better know the mechanisms of radionuclides accumulation by these bryophytes. From a radioecological point of view, simulating real cases of water contamination has allowed to give results a very interesting representativeness. The use of mosses as bio-indicators was applied for two in situ experiments, the results of which have been interpreted from those obtained in laboratory. Finally, an approach by a mathematical model has showed that it is possible to have, in a middle term, an evaluation tool of freshwater contamination, based on the radionuclides concentrations measured in aquatic mosses. (author). refs., 57 figs., 24 tabs.

Molecular phylogeny and systematic revision of the pleurocarpous moss genus Plagiothecium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wynns, Justin Thomas

A systematic investigation of the pleurocarpous moss genus Plagiothecium Bruch & Schimp. was performed as a part of the author’s PhD study at the University of Copenhagen. Plagiothecium is mostly a well-defined genus, but the species limits and the interspecific relationships are poorly understood...

Problematizing the "Taken for Granted" in Educational Issues: Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci, and Michel Foucault.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Jie

This paper explores how educators would raise different questions about educational issues by using Karl Marx's framework, Antonio Gramsci's conception, and Michel Foucault's notions, respectively. First, the paper compares the historical perspectives of Marx and Foucault. Marx concludes that history is a progressive linear production and that…

Peatland restoration in Canada by the sphagnum moss layer transfer method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rochefort, L.; Boismenu, C. [Laval Univ., Quebec City, PQ (Canada). Dept. de Phytologie, Peatland Ecology and Research Group; Quinty, F. [SNC-Lavalin, Montreal, PQ (Canada)

2009-04-01

This article described a peatland restoration approach that has received international recognition for restoring the ecological functions of cutover sphagnum dominated peatlands. The Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) conducted a long-term study at the Bois-des-Bel (BDB) peatland site in Quebec to restore plant composition to a peat accumulating ecosystem. The sphagnum moss layer transfer restoration method includes 5 obligatory steps and one optional. These include planning; surface preparation; plant collection and spreading; straw mulch spreading; blocking drainage ditches; and fertilization if needed. Variable moisture conditions throughout the restoration site contribute to the spatial variability in the development of the sphagnum layer. The site has been monitored each year since its restoration. sphagnum cover reached 60 per cent in the restored zone in 2005, a value close to the range of sphagnum cover found in natural sites. In addition, a new moss layer has developed with an average of 25 cm in thickness. 27 refs., 4 figs.

New results from air pollution studies in Bulgaria (moss survey 2000-2001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stamenov, J.; Jovchev, M.; Vachev, B.

2002-01-01

New results of moss survey 2000 of systematic study of air pollution with heavy metals and other toxic elements in Bulgaria are reported. The moss samples collected at 103 sites in Bulgaria, along the borders with Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey were analyzed by instrumental activation analysis using epithermal neutrons (ENAA) at the IBR-2 pulsed fast reactor for a wide set of elements including heavy metals and rare earth elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Sm, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Th, and U). The results obtained are consistent with the mean European values for most of elements. The principle component analysis is applied to distinguish heavy and light crust elements and vegetation ones from those of anthropogenic origin

New Results from Air Pollution Studies in Bulgaria (Moss Survey 2000-2001)

CERN Document Server

Stamenov, J N; Vachev, B; Gueleva, E; Yurukova, L; Ganeva, A; Mitrikov, M; Antonov, A; Srentz, A; Varbanov, Z; Batov, I V; Damov, K; Marinova, E; Frontasyeva, M V; Pavlov, S S; Strelkova, L P

2002-01-01

New results of moss survey 2000 of systematic study of air pollution with heavy metals and other toxic elements in Bulgaria are reported. The moss samples collected at 103 sites in Bulgaria, along the borders with Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey were analyzed by instrumental activation analysis using epithermal neutrons (ENAA) at the IBR-2 pulsed fast reactor for a wide set of elements including heavy metals and rare earth elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Mo, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, La, Sm, Tb, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Au, Th, and U). The results obtained are consistent with the mean European values for most of elements. The principle component analysis is applied to distinguish heavy and light crust elements and vegetation ones from those of anthropogenic origin.

Evolution of niche preference in Sphagnum peat mosses.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Matthew G; Granath, Gustaf; Tahvanainen, Teemu; Pouliot, Remy; Stenøien, Hans K; Rochefort, Line; Rydin, Håkan; Shaw, A Jonathan

2015-01-01

Peat mosses (Sphagnum) are ecosystem engineers-species in boreal peatlands simultaneously create and inhabit narrow habitat preferences along two microhabitat gradients: an ionic gradient and a hydrological hummock-hollow gradient. In this article, we demonstrate the connections between microhabitat preference and phylogeny in Sphagnum. Using a dataset of 39 species of Sphagnum, with an 18-locus DNA alignment and an ecological dataset encompassing three large published studies, we tested for phylogenetic signal and within-genus changes in evolutionary rate of eight niche descriptors and two multivariate niche gradients. We find little to no evidence for phylogenetic signal in most component descriptors of the ionic gradient, but interspecific variation along the hummock-hollow gradient shows considerable phylogenetic signal. We find support for a change in the rate of niche evolution within the genus-the hummock-forming subgenus Acutifolia has evolved along the multivariate hummock-hollow gradient faster than the hollow-inhabiting subgenus Cuspidata. Because peat mosses themselves create some of the ecological gradients constituting their own habitats, the classic microtopography of Sphagnum-dominated peatlands is maintained by evolutionary constraints and the biological properties of related Sphagnum species. The patterns of phylogenetic signal observed here will instruct future study on the role of functional traits in peatland growth and reconstruction. © 2014 The Author(s). Evolution © 2014 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Correlations between physicochemical properties of PAHs and their distribution in soil, moss and reindeer dung at Ny-Alesund of the Arctic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang Zhen; Ma Xindong; Na Guangshui; Lin Zhongsheng [National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023 (China); Ding Qian [Environmental Science and Engineering College, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026 (China); Yao Ziwei, E-mail: zwyao@nmemc.gov.c [National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian 116023 (China)

2009-11-15

Concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil, moss and reindeer dung collected at Ny-Alesund of the Arctic were measured to investigate their accumulation trends and distribution in the three compartments. Compared with the other regions, the proportions of 2 + 3 ring PAHs to the total PAHs were higher, whereas the proportions of 5 + 6 ring PAHs were lower in the three compartments at Ny-Alesund. Significant log/log-linear relationship was observed between the sub-cooled liquid vapor pressure (p{sub L}{sup o}) and the soil/moss quotient (Q{sub SM}). The relation was similar to the relationship between the gas/particle partition coefficient (K{sub P}) and p{sub L}{sup o} of PAHs, implying Q{sub SM} would be a 'mirror image' of K{sub P}. Excellent log/log-linear relationships were observed between Q{sub SM} and K{sub OA} as well as between the moss/dung quotient (Q{sub MD}) and K{sub OW}. The results presented here indicate the physicochemical properties are suitable for characterizing the distribution of PAHs in soil, moss and reindeer dung. - The physicochemical properties of PAHs are suitable for characterizing their distribution in soil, moss and reindeer dung.

Monitoring Heavy Metal Contents with Sphagnum Junghuhnianum Moss Bags in Relation to Traffic Volume in Wuxi, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rong Hu

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Despite its small size, a moss bag can reveal the different temporal and spatial deposition patterns of pollutants at a particular site; therefore, researchers can use moss bags to determine pollution sources and to put forward strategies for pollution control. Although the use of moss bags to monitor atmospheric pollution has been widely reported in Europe, there are few such empirical studies in China. Thus, in this study, bags containing the moss Sphagnum junghuhnianum were used to assess the concentrations of heavy metals (chromium (Cr, copper (Cu, lead (Pb, vanadium (V, and zinc (Zn at five sampling sites (four roads and a forest park during the summer and winter of 2012. According to the relative accumulation factor (RAF and contamination factor (CF results, pollution in winter was heavier than that in summer, and Cr was found to be the most contaminating, having the highest mean CF. There was a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05 between traffic volume and concentration for three heavy metals (Cr, Cu, and V in winter, whereas a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05 was observed between traffic volume and concentrations for four heavy metal elements (Cr, Pb, V, and Zn in summer, indicating a close relationship between heavy metal contents and traffic volume. Although there was substantial variation in the concentrations of the five heavy metals in the moss bags, significant correlations between heavy metals suggested that the contaminants originated from a common source, namely vehicle emissions. The results demonstrated that the four roads were subject to different degrees of pollution depending on the volume of traffic using each road. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that traffic volume is a major reason for heavy metal pollution.

The cellular wall role of different mosses species in Cs 137 sorption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sobchenko, V.A.; Khramchenkova, O.M.; Perevolockij, A.N.

2001-01-01

In studying experiment with live and modified mosses (Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt., Dicranum polysetum Sw., Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) B.S.G. and Ptilium crista-castrensis (Hedw.) De Not.) had shown the cellular wall main role in Cs 137 sorption

Differentiating moss from higher plants is critical in studying the carbon cycle of the boreal biome

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuan, Wenping; Liu, Shuguang; Dong, Wenjie

2014-01-01

The satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), which is used for estimating gross primary production (GPP), often includes contributions from both mosses and vascular plants in boreal ecosystems. For the same NDVI, moss can generate only about one-third of the GPP...... that vascular plants can because of its much lower photosynthetic capacity. Here, based on eddy covariance measurements, we show that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between these two plant functional types has never been explicitly included when estimating regional GPP in the boreal region, resulting...

Karl Polanyi et les monnaies modernes : un réexamen

OpenAIRE

Blanc , Jérôme

2006-01-01

Karl Polanyi a établi une célèbre distinction entre "all purpose money", caractéristiques des sociétés modernes, et "special purpose money", caractéristiques des sociétés anciennes. C'est la conception polanyienne des monnaies modernes qui est critiquée dans ce texte : non seulement elle conduit à considérer que les sociétés modernes ne connaissent pas de "special purpose money", mais en plus elle ne permet pas de renouveler la conception courante de la monnaie (sous-entendu moderne) qui en f...

Long-Term Air Pollution and Traffic Noise Exposures and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tzivian, Lilian; Dlugaj, Martha; Winkler, Angela; Weinmayr, Gudrun; Hennig, Frauke; Fuks, Kateryna B; Vossoughi, Mohammad; Schikowski, Tamara; Weimar, Christian; Erbel, Raimund; Jöckel, Karl-Heinz; Moebus, Susanne; Hoffmann, Barbara

2016-09-01

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) describes the intermediate state between normal cognitive aging and dementia. Adverse effects of air pollution (AP) on cognitive functions have been proposed, but investigations of simultaneous exposure to noise are scarce. We analyzed the cross-sectional associations of long-term exposure to AP and traffic noise with overall MCI and amnestic (aMCI) and nonamnestic (naMCI) MCI. At the second examination of the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall study, cognitive assessment was completed in 4,086 participants who were 50-80 years old. Of these, 592 participants were diagnosed as having MCI (aMCI, n = 309; naMCI, n = 283) according to previously published criteria using five neuropsychological subtests. We assessed long-term residential concentrations for size-fractioned particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides with land use regression, and for traffic noise [weighted 24-hr (LDEN) and night-time (LNIGHT) means]. Logistic regression models adjusted for individual risk factors were calculated to estimate the association of environmental exposures with MCI in single- and two-exposure models. Most air pollutants and traffic noise were associated with overall MCI and aMCI. For example, an interquartile range increase in PM2.5 and a 10 A-weighted decibel [dB(A)] increase in LDEN were associated with overall MCI as follows [odds ratio (95% confidence interval)]: 1.16 (1.05, 1.27) and 1.40 (1.03, 1.91), respectively, and with aMCI as follows: 1.22 (1.08, 1.38) and 1.53 (1.05, 2.24), respectively. In two-exposure models, AP and noise associations were attenuated [e.g., for aMCI, PM2.5 1.13 (0.98, 1.30) and LDEN 1.46 (1.11, 1.92)]. Long-term exposures to air pollution and traffic noise were positively associated with MCI, mainly with the amnestic subtype. Tzivian L, Dlugaj M, Winkler A, Weinmayr G, Hennig F, Fuks KB, Vossoughi M, Schikowski T, Weimar C, Erbel R, Jöckel KH, Moebus S, Hoffmann B, on behalf of the Heinz Nixdorf Recall study

Tissue N content and 15N natural abundance in epilithic mosses for indicating atmospheric N deposition in the Guiyang area, SW China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xueyan; Xiao Huayun; Liu Congqiang; Li Youyi; Xiao Hongwei

2008-01-01

Tissue N contents and δ 15 N signatures in 175 epilithic mosses were investigated from urban to rural sites in Guiyang (SW China) to determine atmospheric N deposition. Moss N contents (0.85-2.97%) showed a significant decrease from the urban area (mean = 2.24 ± 0.32%, 0-5 km) to the rural area (mean = 1.27 ± 0.13%, 20-25 km), indicating that the level of N deposition decreased away from the urban environment, while slightly higher N contents re-occurred at sites beyond 30 km, suggesting higher N deposition in more remote rural areas. Moss δ 15 N ranged from -12.50 per mille to -1.39 per mille and showed a clear bimodal distribution (-12 per mille to -6 per mille and -5 per mille to -2 per mille ), suggesting that there are two main sources for N deposition in the Guiyang area. More negative δ 15 N (mean = -8.87 ± 1.65 per mille ) of urban mosses mainly indicated NH 3 released from excretory wastes and sewage, while the less negative δ 15 N (from -3.83 ± 0.82 per mille to -2.48 ± 0.95 per mille ) of rural mosses were mainly influenced by agricultural NH 3 . With more negative values in the urban area than in the rural area, the pattern of moss δ 15 N variation in Guiyang was found to be opposite to cities where N deposition is dominated by NO x -N. Therefore, NH x -N is the dominant N form deposited in the Guiyang area, which is supported by higher NH x -N than NO x -N in local atmospheric deposition. From the data showing that moss is responding to NH x -N/NO x -N in deposition it can be further demonstrated that the variation of moss δ 15 N from the Guiyang urban to rural area was more likely controlled by the ratio of urban-NH x /agriculture-NH x than the ratio of NH x -N/NO x -N. The results of this study have extended knowledge of atmospheric N sources in city areas, showing that urban sewage discharge could be important in cities co-generic to Guiyang

Effect of Water Content Components on Desiccation and Recovery in Sphagnum Mosses

Science.gov (United States)

Hájek, Tomáš; Beckett, Richard P.

2008-01-01

Background and Aims The basic parameters of water relations were measured in Sphagnum mosses. The relationships of these parameters to the photosynthetic response to desiccation and the ecology of these mosses were then tested. Methods The water relations parameters of six Sphagnum species (mosses typical of wet habitats) and Atrichum androgynum (a moss more typical of mesophytic conditions) were calculated from pressure–volume isotherms. Photosynthetic properties during and after moderate desiccation were monitored by chlorophyll fluorescence. Key Results When desiccated, the hummock-forming species S. fuscum and S. magellanicum lost more water before turgor started dropping than other sphagna inhabiting less exposed habitats (73 % compared with 56 % on average). Osmotic potentials at full turgor were similar in all species, with an average value of −1·1 MPa. Hummock sphagna had clearly more rigid cell walls than species of wet habitats (ε = 3·55 compared with 1·93 MPa). As a result, their chlorophyllous cells lost turgor at higher relative water contents (RWCs) than species of wet habitats (0·61 compared with 0·46) and at less negative osmotic potentials (–2·28 compared with −3·00 MPa). During drying, ΦPSII started declining earlier in hummock species (at an RWC of 0·65 compared with 0·44), and Fv/Fm behaved similarly. Compared with other species, hummock sphagna desiccated to −20 or −40 MPa recovered more completely after rehydration. Atrichum androgynum responded to desiccation similarly to hummock sphagna, suggesting that their desiccation tolerance may have a similar physiological basis. Conclusions Assuming a fixed rate of desiccation, the higher water-holding capacities of hummock sphagna will allow them to continue metabolism for longer than other species. While this could be viewed as a form of ‘desiccation avoidance’, hummock species also recover faster than other species during rehydration, suggesting that they have higher

A contribuição de Karl Polanyi para a sociologia do desenvolvimento rural The contribution of Karl Polanyi for the rural development sociology

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Sergio Schneider

2011-08-01

Full Text Available O ensaio aborda a importância da redescoberta do pensamento de Karl Polanyi e de sua crítica à "sociedade de mercado" na retomada dos estudos e debates sobre o desenvolvimento (rural. Após uma apresentação geral do quadro teórico e analítico de Polanyi, buscamos utilizar seus conceitos para interpretar a dinâmica da mercantilização dos meios de vida e das formas sociais de trabalho e produção no espaço rural, bem como dos sistemas agroalimentares no capitalismo contemporâneo. Com base nestas proposições, refletimos sobre o papel dos atores sociais e das instituições nos processos de mudança social em geral e os de desenvolvimento rural em particular. Finalizamos, propondo algumas potencialidades dessa abordagem para os estudos sobre desenvolvimento rural no Brasil.The essay deals with the importance of the rediscovery of Karl Polanyi's thinking and of his criticism of the "market society" in resuming (rural development studies and debates. Following an overall presentation of Polanyi's theoretical and analytical framework, we look for using his concepts to interpret the commoditization dynamics of the rural livelihoods and the social forms of labor and production in the rural space, as well as the commoditization of the agri-food systems in the contemporary capitalism. Based on these statements, we reflect about the role of social actors and institutions in the processes of social change at large and of rural development in particular. And, finally, we propose some potentialities of this approach for the rural development studies in Brazil.

Identification guide to Nordic aphids associated with mosses, horsetails and ferns (Bryophyta, Equisetophyta, Polypodiophyta (Insecta, Hemiptera, Aphidoidea

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Anders Christian Albrecht

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Keys and diagnoses of North European aphids (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea associated with mosses, horsetails and ferns are given, based on fresh and freeze-dried material. Numerous externally visible and thus informative characters, that are absent in cleared, slide-mounted specimens, such as body shape colours, wax coating and pattern etc., are utilized. Most of the species are illustrated by photographs of live specimens and drawings. Root-feeding species living in the moss layer or otherwise often present in moss samples are also included, even if their hosts were spermatophytes. The combination of colour images and diagnoses, utilizing easily observed characters, allows the identification of a large number of species already in the field, and many more at home with the aid of a stereo microscope. Host plant relationships and association with ants are summarised, including new records. Brief accounts on aphid life cycles, freeze-drying preparation techniques, etc. are also given to support the use of the keys.

Air Pollution Study in the Republic of Moldova Using Moss Biomonitoring Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Zinicovscaia, Inga; Hramco, Constantin; Duliu, Octavian G; Vergel, Konstantin; Culicov, Otilia A; Frontasyeva, Marina V; Duca, Gheorghe

2017-02-01

Moss biomonitoring using the species Hypnum cupressiforme (Hedw.) and Pleurocarpous sp was applied to study air pollution in the Republic of Moldova. A total of 41 elements (Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Sr, Zr, Cd, Sb, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Tm, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Pb, Th, and U) were determined by instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry. Principal component analysis was used to identify and characterize different pollution sources. Geographical distribution maps were prepared to point out the regions most affected by air pollution and relate this to potential sources of contamination. Median values of the elements studied were compared with data from the European moss biomonitoring program. The cities of Chisinau and Balti were determined to experience particular environmental stress.

Residential heating contribution to level of air pollutants (PAHs, major, trace, and rare earth elements): a moss bag case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Vuković, Gordana; Aničić Urošević, Mira; Pergal, Miodrag; Janković, Milan; Goryainova, Zoya; Tomašević, Milica; Popović, Aleksandar

2015-12-01

In areas with moderate to continental climates, emissions from residential heating system lead to the winter air pollution peaks. The EU legislation requires only the monitoring of airborne concentrations of particulate matter, As, Cd, Hg, Ni, and B[a]P. Transition metals and rare earth elements (REEs) have also arisen questions about their detrimental health effects. In that sense, this study examined the level of extensive set of air pollutants: 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 41 major elements, trace elements, and REEs using Sphagnum girgensohnii moss bag technique. During the winter of 2013/2014, the moss bags were exposed across Belgrade (Serbia) to study the influence of residential heating system to the overall air quality. The study was set as an extension to our previous survey during the summer, i.e., non-heating season. Markedly higher concentrations of all PAHs, Sb, Cu, V, Ni, and Zn were observed in the exposed moss in comparison to the initial values. The patterns of the moss REE concentrations normalized to North American Shale Composite and Post-Archean Australian Shales were identical across the study area but enhanced by anthropogenic activities. The results clearly demonstrate the seasonal variations in the moss enrichment of the air pollutants. Moreover, the results point out a need for monitoring of air quality during the whole year, and also of various pollutants, not only those regulated by the EU Directive.

Stable isotopes and Antarctic moss banks: Plants and soil microbes respond to recent warming on the Antarctic Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Royles, Jessica; Amesbury, Matthew; Ogée, Jérôme; Wingate, Lisa; Convey, Peter; Hodgson, Dominic; Griffiths, Howard; Leng, Melanie; Charman, Dan

2014-05-01

The Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming regions on Earth, with air temperature increases of as much as 3°C recorded since the 1950s. However, the longer-term context of this change is limited and existing records, largely relying on ice core data, are not suitably located to be able to trace the spatial signature of change over time. We are working on a project exploiting stable isotope records preserved in moss peat banks spanning 10 degrees of latitude along the Antarctic Peninsula as an archive of late Holocene climate variability. Here we present a unique time series of past moss growth and soil microbial activity that has been produced from a 150 year old moss bank at Lazarev Bay, Alexander Island (69°S), a site at the southern limit of significant plant growth in the Antarctic Peninsula region. These moss banks are ideal archives for palaeoclimate research as they are well-preserved by freezing, generally monospecific, easily dated by radiocarbon techniques, and have sufficiently high accumulation rates to permit decadal resolution. We use accumulation rates, cellulose δ13C and fossil testate amoebae to show that growth rates, assimilation and microbial productivity rose rapidly in the 1960s, consistent with temperature change, although recently may have stalled, concurrent with other evidence. The increase in biological activity is unprecedented in the last 150 years. Along with work completed on Signy Island (60°S), in the South Orkney Islands, in which we used carbon isotope evidence to show recent climate-related enhancement of CO2 assimilation and peat accumulation rates in Antarctica, the observed relationships between moss growth, microbial activity and climate suggests that moss bank records have the potential to test the regional expression of temperature variability shown by instrumental data on the Antarctic Peninsula over centennial to millennial timescales, by providing long-term records of summer growth conditions

Atmospheric pollution assessment with mosses in Western Rhodopes, Bulgaria

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Gana Gecheva

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The moss analysis technique was applied to monitor 10 heavy metals and toxic elements deposition. Our study was the first attempt to assess spatial patterns in a border mountain region (area 8732 km2 with a low population density and high proportion of protected territories. The obtained results did not correlate to the results from areas with low air pollution and could be linked to the impact of old and open mines.

Atmospheric transport of urban-derived NHx: Evidence from nitrogen concentration and δ15N in epilithic mosses at Guiyang, SW China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Xueyan; Xiao Huayun; Liu Congqiang; Li Youyi; Xiao Hongwei

2008-01-01

Nitrogen concentration and δ 15 N in 175 epilithic moss samples were investigated along four directions from urban to rural sites in Guiyang, SW China. The spatial variations of moss N concentration and δ 15 N revealed that atmospheric N deposition is dominated by NH x -N from two major sources (urban sewage NH 3 and agricultural NH 3 ), the deposition of urban-derived NH x followed a point source pattern characterized by an exponential decline with distance from the urban center, while the agricultural-derived NH x was shown to be a non-point source. The relationship between moss N concentration and distance (y = 1.5e -0.13x + 1.26) indicated that the maximum transporting distance of urban-derived NH x averaged 41 km from the urban center, and it could be determined from the relationship between moss δ 15 N and distance [y = 2.54 ln(x) - 12.227] that urban-derived NH x was proportionally lower than agricultural-derived NH x in N deposition at sites beyond 17.2 km from the urban center. Consequently, the variation of urban-derived NH x with distance from the urban center could be modeled as y = 56.272e -0.116x - 0.481 in the Guiyang area. - Tissue N concentration and δ 15 N in epilithic mosses may be indicators for atmospheric transport of urban-derived NH x

Estimation of element deposition derived from road traffic sources by using mosses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zechmeister, H.G.; Hohenwallner, D.; Riss, A.; Hanus-Illnar, A.

2005-01-01

Sixty moss samples were taken along transects of nine roads in Austria. The concentrations of 17 elements in four moss species were determined. There was a high correlation between several elements like Cu/Sb (0.906), Ni/Co (0.897) or Cr/V (0.898), indicating a common traffic-related source. Enrichment factors were calculated, showing highest enrichment levels for: Cr, Mo, Sb, Zn, As, Fe, V, Cu, Ni, and Co. For these elements, road traffic has to be assumed as a source, which is confirmed by a significant negative correlation of the concentrations in mosses to the distance from the road for most of these metals. The rate of decrease followed a log-shaped curve at most of the investigated transects, although the decline cannot be explained by a single model. Multiple regression analysis highlighted traffic density, distance from and elevation of the road as the most influencing factors for the deposition of the investigated elements. Heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) and light duty vehicles (LDVs) showed different patterns. A comparison of sites likely to be influenced by traffic emissions with average values for the respective regions showed no significant differences for road distances of more than 250 m. Nevertheless, at heavily frequented roads, raised deposition of some elements was found even at a distance of 1000 m. - Cr, Mo, Sb, Zn, As, Fe, V, Cu, Ni, and Co were identified as road traffic emissions and were mainly deposited within a distance of 250 m from major roads

Experimental study of 22Na fixation and decontamination by a fresh water moss: Platyhypnidium riparioides (Hedw). Dix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foulquier, L.

1976-01-01

In investigating possible applications of radioecology research to sanitation control, the 22 Na uptake by a fresh-water moss: Platyhypnidium riparioides is examined. A silty/sandy sediment retains at most only 5% of the 22 Na introduced in the water. In case of radioactive discharge, the 22 Na remains essentially in solution in the water. Radioelement uptake by the mosses occurs rapidly, and an equilibrium condition is very quickly established with the water activity level. The concentration factor ranges from the 1.4 to 2 [fr

Was the 4th largest Danish Lake (Mossø) once much larger?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristiansen, Søren Munch; Søe, Niels Emil; Kroon, Aart

actions, antecedent topography and lake level changes on the Holocene development of the present-day Danish lake, Mossø. A variety of methods were used: coring, intensive profile digging and remote sensing, geophysical mapping by seismic reflection and electromagnetic induction, and dating by radiocarbon...

Reconstructing historical trends of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon deposition in a remote area of Spain using herbarium moss material

Science.gov (United States)

Foan, L.; Sablayrolles, C.; Elustondo, D.; Lasheras, E.; González, L.; Ederra, A.; Simon, V.; Santamaría, J. M.

2010-08-01

Herbarium mosses from 1879-1881, 1973-1975 and 2006-2007 were used to investigate the historical changes of atmospheric deposition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) at a remote site in Northern Spain. Natural abundance of nitrogen and carbon isotopes was also measured in order to assess the evolution of emissions from anthropogenic sources. Nitrogen and PAH concentrations as well as δ 13C and δ 15N ratios were significantly higher in 19th century samples compared to present century samples. Moreover, PAH distribution varied over the centuries, with the trend towards enrichment in light PAHs. The carbon, nitrogen and PAH concentrations measured in the mosses tally with the historical evolution of anthropogenic emissions in the area, mainly influenced by changes in economic activities, domestic heating and road traffic density. Mosses provided by herbaria seem to offer the possibility of studying long-term temporal evolution of atmospheric PAH deposition.

Sphagnum moss as a growing media constituent: some effects of harvesting, processing and storage

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S. Kumar

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The Sphagnum material used in horticulture so far has been harvested manually, and most of the available data about Sphagnum properties have been obtained from this material. A question that remains unanswered is how changes during harvesting and processing, as well as the use of mechanical methods, affect the important properties of Sphagnum moss as a growing media constituent. Some of the effects have been evaluated in Sphagnum farming projects in Germany during the past ten years, and are described in this article. Different possibilities for drying, screening and cleaning the Sphagnum material are described. The results obtained indicate that Sphagnum moss can be dried and processed using mechanical methods without negative impacts on its quality as a growing media constituent.

The Rejectability of Karl Popper: Why Popper's Ideas Have Had So Little Influence on Social Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, Tyrrell; Swann, Joanna

2003-01-01

Addresses the question of why Karl Popper's work has been disregarded or rejected for educational improvement and suggests a series of impediments to an acceptance of Popper's ideas. Outlines a set of principle which if adopted as a basis for practice could lead to significant improvement. (EV)

AirMOSS P-Band Radar Retrieval of Subcanopy Soil Moisture Profile

Science.gov (United States)

Tabatabaeenejad, A.; Burgin, M. S.; Duan, X.; Moghaddam, M.

2013-12-01

Knowledge of soil moisture, as a key variable of the Earth system, plays an important role in our under-standing of the global water, energy, and carbon cycles. The importance of such knowledge has led NASA to fund missions such as Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) and Airborne Microwave Observatory of Subcanopy and Subsurface (AirMOSS). The AirMOSS mission seeks to improve the estimates of the North American Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) by providing high-resolution observations of the root zone soil moisture (RZSM) over regions representative of the major North American biomes. AirMOSS flies a P-band SAR to penetrate vegetation and into the root zone to provide estimates of RZSM. The flights cover areas containing flux tower sites in regions from the boreal forests in Saskatchewan, Canada, to the tropical forests in La Selva, Costa Rica. The radar snapshots are used to generate estimates of RZSM via inversion of a scattering model of vegetation overlying soils with variable moisture profiles. These retrievals will be used to generate a time record of RZSM, which will be integrated with an ecosystem demography model in order to estimate the respiration and photosynthesis carbon fluxes. The aim of this work is the retrieval of the moisture profile over AirMOSS sites using the collected P-band radar data. We have integrated layered-soil scattering models into a forest scattering model; for the backscattering from ground and for the trunk-ground double-bounce mechanism, we have used a layered small perturbation method and a coherent scattering model of layered soil, respectively. To estimate the soil moisture profile, we represent it as a second-order polynomial in the form of az2 + bz + c, where z is the depth and a, b, and c are the coefficients to be retrieved from radar measurements. When retrieved, these coefficients give us the soil moisture up to a prescribed depth of validity. To estimate the unknown coefficients of the polynomial, we use simulated

Mida kujutab endast IB õppekava? / Toomas Kruusimägi, Anu Parts, Karl Hendrik Thomson ; intervjueerinud Raivo Juurak

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Kruusimägi, Toomas, 1962-

2010-01-01

Uuest rahvusvahelisest International Baccalaureate'i (IB) õppekavast ja selle rakendamisest Tallinna Inglise Kolledži 11. klassis alates möödunud aastast räägivad kooli direktor Toomas Kruusimägi, õppedirektor Anu Parts ning õpilane Karl Hendrik Thomson

Kernaspekte van die kennissosiologie van Karl Mannheim

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A. D. Louw

1985-03-01

Full Text Available The author deals with certain crucial aspects of the sociology of knowledge of Karl Mannheim in view of the fact that he finds that the increase, worldwide, of interest in ideological difficulties in South Africa can fruitfully be dealt with in terms of this form of sociology. This is justified in part by Mannheim's viewpoint that thought is a function of human existence, and this function emanates from needs based on social factors. He traces Mannheim's use of the term ideology (in Sociology, culminating With the Idea that “the birth and death of ideology depends on certain social, economic and 'ecological' factors”. Subsequently he deals with a whole line of aspects of the sociology of knowledge as expounded by Mannheim, culminating in the idea that shifts in views with regard to lifeview and underlying values take place when there is a rapid upward (vertical mobility, leading to uncertainties and a lack of trust in established values.

Karl Marx and Liberation Theology: Dialectical Materialism and Christian Spirituality in, against, and beyond Contemporary Capitalism

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Peter McLaren

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper explores convergences and discrepancies between liberation theology and the works of Karl Marx through the dialogue between one of the key contemporary proponents of liberation theology, Peter McLaren, and the agnostic scholar in critical pedagogy, Petar Jandrić. The paper briefly outlines liberation theology and its main convergences with the works of Karl Marx. Exposing striking similarities between the two traditions in denouncing the false God of money, it explores differences in their views towards individualism and collectivism. It rejects shallow rhetorical homologies between Marx and the Bible often found in liberation theology, and suggests a change of focus from seeking a formal or Cartesian logical consistency between Marxism and Christianity to exploring their dialectical consistency. Looking at Marxist and Christian approaches to morality, it outlines close links between historical materialism and questions of value. It concludes that the shared eschaton of Marxism and the Christianity gives meaning to human history and an opportunity to change it.

Study on accumulation mechanism of Cu and Pb in moss, Scopelophila cataractae, by micro-XRF imaging and XAFS analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshii, Yuichi; Nakai, Izumi; Hokura, Akiko; Abe, Tomoko; Itouga, Misao; Sakakibara, Hitoshi; Terada, Yasuko

2011-01-01

Scopelophila cataractae is known as a 'copper moss'. It is known as a peculiar moss which can accumulate high level of metals (Cu, Pb, etc.) in its plant body. This moss is expected as a material to collect metals from water. In this study, gametophyte's leaf of the moss was examined by μ-XRF imaging, and Cu K-edge and Pb L 1 -, L 3 -edge XAFS analyses to reveal the accumulation behavior of Cu and Pb. μ-XRF imaging was carried out utilizing X-ray microbeam at BL37XU, SPring-8 from the undulator source, and at BL-4A, Photon Factory KEK from the bending magnet. The results have revealed that Cu and Pb were accumulated on the cell wall of the leaf, and especially at the stereid cells of midrib. It was found that Cu-XANES spectra of the leaf were similar to that of copper(II) acetate, a reference substance. On the other hand, Pb XANES spectra of the leaf were similar to that of a reference, lead(II) stearate. These results suggested that these metals were bound to oxygen of carboxyl group in the plant. Consequently, it is assumed that Cu and Pb could be bound to acidic sugar which is a component of its cell wall such as pectic acid, polygalacturonic acid and others. Furthermore, to compare with other heavy-metal accumulating moss (Scopelophila ligulata and Sphagnum palustre), their gametophyte's leaves were also examined by μ-XRF imaging. S. ligulata accumulated Pb in its stereid cells of midlib, while S. palustre accumulated Pb in its hyaline cells. (author)

El Marx de Dussel: Notas acerca de la recepción dusseliana de la obra teórica de Karl Marx The Marx of Dussel: Notes on dusselian receipt of the theoretical work of Karl Marx

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Flavio Hernán Teruel

2010-06-01

Full Text Available A partir de su exilio en México, a mediados de la década del setenta del siglo pasado, Enrique Dussel se entrega a la tarea de "leer seria y directamente" la obra teórica de Karl Marx producida entre los años 1857 y 1882. Al cabo de diez semestres de arduo trabajo, el resultado es una interpretación novedosa de las cuatro redacciones de El Capital. En efecto, ante los ojos de Dussel la obra maestra de Karl Marx se revela no solo como un tratado de economía sino antes bien como uno de antropología y ética. Marx, afirma Dussel, "deconstruye la economía capitalista críticamente y la reconstruye antropológica y éticamente". Asimismo, Dussel descubre que la producción teórica de Marx quedó inconclusa y, sobre todo, abierta a futuros desarrollos. Para el filósofo mendocino es necesario, en nuestro tiempo, no solo reinterpretar la totalidad de la obra de Marx sino también continuar su labor teórica, en especial desde América Latina, para el estudio del capitalismo periférico latinoamericano. Nuestro interés es indicar aquellos elementos que constituyen lo novedoso en la interpretación dusseliana de la obra teórica de Marx.From his exile in Mexico in the mid seventies of last century, Enrique Dussel is given the task of "reading seriously and directly" the theoretical work of Karl Marx produced between 1857 and 1882. After ten semesters of hard work, the result is a novel interpretation of the four drafts of The Capital. Indeed, in the eyes of Dussel, the masterpiece of Karl Marx is revealed not only as an economic treatise but rather as an anthropology and ethics. Marx "capitalist economy critically deconstructs and reconstructs anthropological and ethically". Moreover, Dussel finds that the theoretical yield of Marx was inconclusive and, above all, open to future developments. For the philosopher is needed in our time, not only reinterpret the whole work of Marx but also to continue his theoretical work, especially from Latin

Transplants of aquatic mosses as biomonitors of metals released by a mine effluent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figueira, Rui; Ribeiro, Teresa

2005-01-01

Transplants of the aquatic moss Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. were used to assess the contamination of an industrial effluent discharge on a river located in south Portugal. The sampling program was run for 2 years, using a newly developed transplant device in ten stations, and the elements analysed were Cu, Zn, Pb, Fe, Ni, Ca, K, and Mg. An increase of water contamination by Cu, Zn was detected, and to a lesser extent, Pb. The increase was verified in the extra and intracellular moss fraction, especially for soluble Cu in the first 4 km after the discharge point, and also for particulate metal at the first station after the discharge. The effects of metal contamination could be related to changes in the intracellular concentrations of Mg, indicating possible stress effects. - Effects of metal contamination could be related to changes in intracellular concentrations of Mg

DNA molecular markers in mosses and their use for the characterization of a Sphagnum palustre clone, for its exploitation as a passive contaminant sensor

OpenAIRE

Crespo Pardo, David

2015-01-01

The control of the air quality is often assessed by the use of terrestrial mosses. However, due to the lack of standardization in the used techniques, the comparison between the available studies is difficult. My PhD thesis was related to the European project FP7-Mossclone. The aim of this project is the development of a standardized method for biomonitoring the level of atmospheric pollution through the use of a devitalized moss clone of Sphagnum palustre, using the moss bags technique. My p...

PCA and multidimensional visualization techniques united to aid in the bioindication of elements from transplanted Sphagnum palustre moss exposed in the Gdańsk City area.

Science.gov (United States)

Astel, Aleksander; Astel, Karolina; Biziuk, Marek

2008-01-01

During the last decades, a technique for assessing atmospheric deposition of heavy elements was developed based on the principle that samples of moss are able to accumulate elements and airborne particles from rain, melting snow and dry deposition. Despite a broad interest in bioindication there are still ongoing works aimed at the preparation of a standard procedure allowing for a comparison of research carried out in various areas. This is why the comparison of living and dry moss of the same species and growth site seems to be interesting, logical and promising. A most reliable approach seems to be the application of bioindication connected with multivariate statistics and efficient visualization techniques in the interpretation of monitoring data. The aim of this study was: (i) to present cumulative properties of transplanted Sphagnum palustre moss with differentiation into dry and living biomaterial; (ii) to determine and geographically locate types of pollution sources responsible for a structure of the monitoring data set; (iii) to visualize geographical distribution of analytes in the Gdańsk metropolitan area and to identify the high-risk areas which can be targeted for environmental hazards and public health. A six month air pollution study based on Sphagnum palustre bioindication is presented and a simplified procedure of the experiment is given. The study area was located at the mouth of the Vistula River on the Baltic Sea, in Gdańsk City (Poland). Sphagnum palustre was selected for research because of its extraordinary morphological properties and its ease in being raised. The capability of dry and living moss to accumulate elements characteristic for anthropogenic and natural sources was shown by application of Principal Component Analysis. The high-risk areas and pollution profiles are detected and visualized using surface maps based on Kriging algorithm. The original selection of elements included all those that could be reliably determined by

Ecological half-life of 137Cs in mosses and lichens in the Ordu province, Turkey by Cevik and Celik

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cevik, Ugur; Celik, Necati

2009-01-01

Twenty-one years after the Chernobyl accident, lichen and moss samples were collected from the Ordu province, which was already chosen for a related study some years ago. It was observed that 137 Cs activity concentration ranged from 31 to 469 Bq kg -1 in the moss and from 132 to 1508 Bq kg -1 in the lichen samples. The decrease of the activity concentrations in the present measurements (2007) relative to those in 1997 (over a period of 10 y) indicated ecological half-lives between 1.8 and 10.4 y for the moss and between 2.1 and 13.7 y for the lichen samples. It was observed that 137 Cs was still eminent in the area studied. Moreover, 40 K activity concentrations and K element concentrations were measured and their relationships were discussed

Treatment of waste waters with peat moss

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coupal, B; Lalancette, J M

1976-01-01

Waste waters containing heavy metals such as Hg, Cd, Zn, Cu, Fe, Ni, Cr/sup 6 +/, Cr/sup 3 +/, Ag, Pb, Sb or cyanide, phosphates and organic matters such as oil, detergents and dyes can be treated efficiently after a crude settling by contacting with peat moss. Chromium, as Cr/sup 6 +/, can be eliminated in one step from a starting solution of low turbidity to give effluent containing less than 10 ppb of Cr/sup 6 +/ and less than 40 ppb of Cr/sup 3 +/. The characteristics and performances of a contacting machine of 20,000 gal/day capacity for the treatment of industrial waste waters are reported.

Air Pollution Studies in the Republic of Udmurtia, Russian Federation, using Moss Biomonitoring and INAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pankratova, Yu. S.; Frontasyeva, M. V.; Pavlov, S. S.; Berdnikov, A. A.

2007-01-01

The concentrations of 36 elements were determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis in 79 moss samples, collected in the southern part of the Republic of Udmurtia, Russian Federation, in the period 2005-2006. A factor analysis was applied to determine possible pollution sources over the territory. The seven resulting factors represent a natural and anthropogenic origin of the elemental deposition in Udmurt moss. Some of the factors are interpreted as being associated with the industry factor (W, Mo, Cr, Zn); chemical weapon destruction (As is the component of lewisite; Na is used for detoxication of lewisite). The results are compared to the data of atmospheric deposition of some regions of Russia and European countries

Karl Marx e a Revolução Russa

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Angelo Segrillo

Full Text Available Resumo O artigo analisa a visão de Karl Marx sobre a possibilidade de ocorrência da revolução na Rússia. Inicialmente concentrando suas esperanças nos países da Europa Ocidental, onde o capitalismo estava mais desenvolvido, com o fracasso das revoluções de 1948 e da Comuna de Paris, Marx se volta para as possibilidades de revolução a partir do Leste, da Rússia, até ali considerada o bastião da reação. Suas ideias são expostas em correspondência com os próprios revolucionários russos. Essa trajetória intelectual de Marx é descrita a partir de seus próprios escritos.

A literatura e o cinema como novo medium artístico: Hanns Heinz Ewers e O estudante de Praga (1913

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Michael Korfmann

2008-11-01

Full Text Available The Student from Prague  (1913 is considered to be the first  film d’art produced in Germany. The film is based on a script by Ha nns Heinz Ewers, writer and ardent advocate of this new medium. With roots in German romantic ism, particularly in regard to motifs in the works by E.T.A. Hoffmann and Adelbert von Chamisso, The Student from Prague explored the optical possibilities offered by the doppelganger character. This literary framework supports the plot, gives credibility to the movie and contribut es to the acceptance of films as an art medium. It also marks the rise of German cinema on an international level, which reached its peak in the 1920s with the movement known as ‘German expressionism’. 

Moss Pathogenesis-Related-10 protein enhances resistance to Pythium irregulare in Physcomitrella patens and Arabidopsis thaliana

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Alexandra eCastro

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Plants respond to pathogen infection by activating signaling pathways leading to the accumulation of proteins with diverse roles in defense. Here, we addressed the functional role of PpPR-10, a pathogenesis-related (PR-10 gene, of the moss Physcomitrella patens, in response to biotic stress. PpPR-10 belongs to a multigene family and encodes a protein twice the usual size of PR-10 proteins due to the presence of two Bet v1 domains. Moss PR-10 genes are differentially regulated during development and inoculation with the fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Specifically, PpPR-10 transcript levels increase significantly by treatments with elicitors of Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum, spores of B. cinerea, and the defense hormone salicylic acid. To characterize the role of PpPR-10 in plant defense against pathogens, we conducted overexpression analysis in P. patens and in Arabidopsis thaliana. We demonstrate that constitutive expression of PpPR-10 in moss tissues increased resistance against the oomycete Pythium irregulare. PpPR-10 overexpressing moss plants developed less symptoms and decreased mycelium growth than wild type plants. In addition, PpPR-10 overexpressing plants constitutively produced cell wall depositions in protonemal tissue. Ectopic expression of PpPR-10 in Arabidopsis resulted in increased resistance against P. irregulare as well, evidenced by smaller lesions and less cellular damage compared to wild type plants. These results indicate that PpPR-10 is functionally active in the defense against the pathogen P. irregulare, in both P. patens and Arabidopsis, two evolutionary distant plants. Thus, P. patens can serve as an interesting source of genes to improve resistance against pathogen infection in flowering plants.

Atmospheric metal deposition in France: Estimation based on moss analysis. First results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galsomies, L.; Letrouit-Galinou, M.A.; Avnaim, M.; Duclaux, G.; Deschamps, C.; Savanne, D.

2000-01-01

The aim of this programme set up by University Pierre and Marie Curie-Paris VI and ADEME (French Agency for the Environment and Energy Management) is to obtain information on the atmospheric deposition of 36 elements (most being heavy metals) all over France, using 5 common mosses as bioaccumulators: Pleurozium schreberi, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum cupressiforme, Scleropodium purum and Thuidium tamariscinum. Sampling was performed in 1996 from April to November thanks to 43 collectors. One sample of moss at least has been collected in 512 sites distributed over France, with an average density of one site each 1000 km 2 . Procedures for sampling, drying, cleaning, sorting are strictly codified based on Scandinavian guidelines. Analyses are performed according to two procedures: ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma, Mass Spectrometry) for Pb, Ni specialty and INAA (instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis for other elements. Data concerning As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Pb. Ni, V, Zn will be incorporated into the 1995-1996 European Programme 'Atmospheric Heavy Metal Deposition in Europe - estimation based on moss analysis' coordinated by the Nordic Council. The analyses are in progress, but preliminary results from Ile-de-France have been achieved for 34 elements in INAA. A preliminary study has shown that interspecies calibration could be possible for some heavy metals and that saturation effects in one species could be present when the intercalibration between species is not possible. Such a programme is made possible thanks to the financial support of the French Ministry of Environment and ADEME and with the active cooperation of several national organisations, especially the Laboratory Pierre Sue (CNRS-CEA). (author)

Nitrogen multitemporal monitoring through mosses in urban areas affected by mud volcanoes around Mt. Etna, Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonanno, Giuseppe

2013-10-01

Nitrogen emissions were assessed by using mosses as bioindicators in a densely inhabited area affected by mud volcanoes. Such volcanoes, locally called Salinelle, are phenomena that occur around Mt. Etna (Sicily, Italy), and are interpreted as the surface outflow of a hydrothermal system located below Mt. Etna, which releases sedimentary fluids (hydrocarbons and Na-Cl brines) along with magmatic gases (mainly CO2 and He). To date, N emissions from such mud volcanoes have been only quantitatively assessed, and no biomonitoring campaigns are reported about the cumulative effects of these emissions. This study analyzed N concentrations in moss, water and soil samples, collected in a 4-year monitoring campaign. The bryophyte Bryum argenteum, a species widely adopted in surveys of atmospheric pollution, was used as a biological indicator. N concentrations in biomonitors showed relatively low values in the study sites. However, the results of this study suggest that N emissions from Salinelle may have an impact on surrounding ecosystems because N values in moss and water showed a significant correlation. N oxides, in particular, contribute to acidification of ecosystems, thus multitemporal biomonitoring is recommended, especially in those areas where N emitting sources are anthropogenic and natural.

Moss cushions facilitate water and nutrient supply for plant species on bare limestone pavements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kaj Sand; Hammer, Kathrine

2012-01-01

declined by the -0.36 power of cushion diameter, and were not significantly different from -0.50 for the square root function previously predicted for the increasing thickness of the boundary layer, with greater linear dimensions for smooth flat objects at low wind velocities. Size dependence vanished...... richness, and evaluated duration of plant activity during desiccation as a function of ground area, for a large collection of moss cushions. We found that lower evaporation and higher water storage contributed equally to extending the desiccation period with increasing cushion size. Evaporation rates......Dense moss cushions of different size are distributed across the bare limestone pavements on Øland, SE Sweden. Increasing cushion size is predicted to physically protect and improve performance and colonization by vascular plants. Therefore, we tested water balance, phosphorus supply, and species...

A Conversation with Karl K. Turekian

Science.gov (United States)

Turekian, Karl K.; Cochran, J. Kirk

2012-01-01

Editors' Note Each year, the editorial board invites a distinguished member of the oceanographic community to contribute a prefatory chapter; this year, we were delighted when Karl Turekian, Sterling Professor of Geology and Geophysics at Yale, accepted our invitation. Over the course of a long and productive career, Dr. Turekian has pursued his interests in marine and atmospheric geochemistry by using natural radioactive and radiogenic isotopes to study Earth's evolution and the impacts of global change. He has also directed both the Center for the Study of Global Change at Yale and the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies. In this interview, conducted by his former student Kirk Cochran, Dr. Turekian tells the story of his early career and discusses some of the major scientific challenges and opportunities faced along the way. His personal account of the rise of geochemistry is a charming story of how chance events and personalities impact scientific careers. His technical insight into the future of this field is illuminating, particularly for scientific outsiders who appreciate the central role of geochemistry in discerning and understanding patterns of global change. Craig A. Carlson and Stephen J. Giovannoni, Editors [Figure: see text

Description of a new moss frog from the south-western Cape (Anura ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A new species of moss frog, genus Arthroleptella, is described from the Kleinrivier mountains of the south-western Cape. It is morphologically indistinguishable from the other three species in the area. The four Cape species are allopatric, each has a unique male advertisement call, and preliminary molecular data shows ...

Comparative radiocarbon dating of terrestrial plant macrofossils and aquatic moss from the ice-free corridor of western Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacDonald, G.M.; Beukens, R.P.; Kieser, W.E.; Vitt, D.H.

1987-09-01

In order to assess the reliability of aquatic moss for radiocarbon dating, /sup 14/C analyses were performed on a stratigraphic series of terrestrial plant macrofossils and samples of Drepanocladus crassicostatus from a small, hard-water lake (pH = 8.2) in the ice-free corridor of Alberta. All /sup 14/C dating was done by using accelerator mass spectrometry. Mazama Ash provided an independent chronological control. The aquatic bryophyte samples consistently produced /sup 14/C ages significantly older than the terrestrial macrofossils. The relation between the radiocarbon dates from the macrofossils and the moss was not linear, and age differences ranged from approximately 1400 to 6400 yr. The /sup 14/C content of D. crassicostatus growing in the lake at present was less than 85% modern. Despite the apparent inability to take up /sup 14/C-deficient carbon by the direct incorporation of bicarbonate, the bryophytes clearly do not provide reliable material /sup 14/C dating. The /sup 14/C deficiency of aquatic mosses may be explained by the generation of /sup 14/C-deficient CO/sub 2/ through isotopic exchange, the formation of CO/sub 2/ from bicarbonate by chemical processes, and metabolic CO/sub 2/ production. These results demonstrate the potential unreliability of /sup 14/C dates from aquatic mosses and raise serious concerns about the deglaciation dates from the ice-free corridor that were obtained from aquatic Drepanocladus.

Mosses as an integrating tool for monitoring PAH atmospheric deposition: comparison with total deposition and evaluation of bioconcentration factors. A year-long case-study.

Science.gov (United States)

Foan, Louise; Domercq, Maria; Bermejo, Raúl; Santamaría, Jesús Miguel; Simon, Valérie

2015-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) atmospheric deposition was evaluated at a remote site in Northern Spain using moss biomonitoring with Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) Schimp., and by measuring the total deposition fluxes of PAHs. The year-long study allowed seasonal variations of PAH content in mosses to be observed, and these followed a similar trend to those of PAH fluxes in total deposition. Generally, atmospheric deposition of PAHs is greater in winter than in summer, due to more PAH emissions from domestic heating, less photoreactivity of the compounds, and intense leaching of the atmosphere by wet deposition. However, fractionation of these molecules between the environmental compartments occurs: PAH fluxes in total deposition and PAH concentrations in mosses are correlated with their solubility (r=0.852, pPAH fluxes can be estimated with moss biomonitoring data if the bioconcentration or 'enriching' factors are known. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High Throughput Sequencing to Detect Differences in Methanotrophic Methylococcaceae and Methylocystaceae in Surface Peat, Forest Soil, and Sphagnum Moss in Cranesville Swamp Preserve, West Virginia, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Evan; Nolan, Edward J.; Dillard, Zachary W.; Dague, Ryan D.; Semple, Amanda L.; Wentzell, Wendi L.

2015-01-01

Northern temperate forest soils and Sphagnum-dominated peatlands are a major source and sink of methane. In these ecosystems, methane is mainly oxidized by aerobic methanotrophic bacteria, which are typically found in aerated forest soils, surface peat, and Sphagnum moss. We contrasted methanotrophic bacterial diversity and abundances from the (i) organic horizon of forest soil; (ii) surface peat; and (iii) submerged Sphagnum moss from Cranesville Swamp Preserve, West Virginia, using multiplex sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA (V3 region) gene amplicons. From ~1 million reads, >50,000 unique OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units), 29 and 34 unique sequences were detected in the Methylococcaceae and Methylocystaceae, respectively, and 24 potential methanotrophs in the Beijerinckiaceae were also identified. Methylacidiphilum-like methanotrophs were not detected. Proteobacterial methanotrophic bacteria constitute Sphagnum moss) or co-occurred in both Sphagnum moss and peat. This study provides insights into the structure of methanotrophic communities in relationship to habitat type, and suggests that peat and Sphagnum moss can influence methanotroph community structure and biogeography. PMID:27682082

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION OF MAJOR AND TRACE ELEMENTS IN THE GREATER AND LESSER CAUCASUS MOUNTAINS STUDIED BY THE MOSS TECHNIQUE AND NEUTRON ACTIVATION ANALYSIS

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S. Shetekauri

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The method of moss biomonitoring of atmospheric deposition of trace elements was applied for the first time in the western Caucasus Mountains to assess the environmental situation in this region. The sixteen moss samples have been collected in 2014 summer growth period along altitudinal gradients in the range of altitudes from 600 m to 2665 m. Concentrations of Na, Mg, Al, Cl, K, Ca, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Mo, Cd, I, Sb, Ba, La, Sm, W, Au, and U determined by neutron activation analysis in the moss samples are reported. A comparison with the data for moss collected in Norway (pristine area was carried out.  Multivariate statistical analysis of the results was used for assessment pollution sources in the studied part of the Caucasus. The increase in concentrations of most of elements with rising altitude due to gradually disappearing vegetation cover and wind erosion of soil was observed. A comparison with the available data for moss collected in the Alps at the same altitude (~ 2500 m was performed.

"Problem of generations": Origins, content and continuing relevance of Karl Mannheim’s article

OpenAIRE

Kuljić Todor

2007-01-01

The article presents a brief history of the concept of generations. It focuses on Karl Mannheim’s article "Problems of Generations" (1928), its social origins and theoretical content. Mannheim’s role was crucial in 20th century development of the (new) concept of generation. In order to understand the problem of social (historical) generations and evaluate Mannheim’s position within the concept’s development, several points are discussed in more detail: the history of the concept of "generati...

Active moss biomonitoring applied to an industrial area in Romania: variation of element contents with the height of exposure site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Culicov, O.; Yurukova, L.; Mocanu, R.; Frontasyeva, V.; Sarbu, C.

2007-01-01

Neutron activation analysis and the moss-bag transplant technique were used to investigate the variation of element contents with the height of the exposure site of Sphagnum girgensohnii samples in the strongly polluted town of Baia Mare, Romania, according to a novel sampling design. Moss collected from the background area in Moscow region, Russia, was hanged in bags at 3 locations spread within an area of one square kilometre, and analyzed after 4 months of exposure. At each location a number of 15 samples were suspended at 6 different levels above the ground: 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 m. A total of 35 elements were determined by NAA at IBR-2 reactor in Dubna, Russia. Discriminant Analysis allowed depicting the differences between the accumulation patterns of moss at different levels of exposure and at various locations. The concentration of only twenty four and twenty five elements of thirty five provided sufficient information to enable classification rules to be developed for identifying moss samples according with their height of exposure and location, respectively. The most discriminant elements have the F values (indicating the statistical significance in the discrimination between groups) descending in the following order: K, Rb, Sb, Cs, Zn, Cl for the location model and Ca, Cd, As, Sr, Ba, Cl for the height model. A good agreement have been observed between the groups obtained by applying Discriminant Analysis and the origin of the samples. A small number of elements are significant for the separation of moss-bags by height in individual locations. The parameter ?variation in concentration by height? is less significant than the parameter ? variation in concentration by location?

Effects of leaf hair points of a desert moss on water retention and dew formation: implications for desiccation tolerance.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Ye; Zhang, Yuan Ming

2012-05-01

Leaf hair points (LHPs) are important morphological structures in many desiccation-tolerant mosses, but study of their functions has been limited. A desert moss, Syntrichia caninervis, was chosen for examination of the ecological effects of LHPs on water retention and dew formation at individual and population (patch) levels. Although LHPs were only 4.77% of shoot weight, they were able to increase absolute water content (AWC) by 24.87%. The AWC of samples with LHPs was always greater than for those without LHPs during dehydration. The accumulative evaporation ratio (AER) showed an opposite trend. AWC, evaporation ratio and AER of shoots with LHPs took 20 min longer to reach a completely dehydrated state than shoots without LHPs. At the population level, dew formation on moss crusts with LHPs was faster than on crusts without LHPs, and the former had higher daily and total dew amounts. LHPs were able to improve dew amounts on crusts by 10.26%. Following three simulated rainfall events (1, 3 and 6 mm), AERs from crusts with LHPs were always lower than from crusts without LHPs. LHPs can therefore significantly delay and reduce evaporation. We confirm that LHPs are important desiccation-tolerant features of S. caninervis at both individual and population levels. LHPs greatly aid moss crusts in adapting to arid conditions.

Kaks maastikuvaadet Karl Otto Gerhard von Kügelgenilt: romantismi kaja biidermeierlikus sarmis = Two Landscape Views by Otto Gerhard von Kügelgen: Echo of Romanticism in Biedermeier Charm / Kadi Polli

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

Polli, Kadi, 1973-

2011-01-01

2010. aastal Frankfurdis H. W. Fichteri kunstigaleriis müüki tulnud kümnest kunstiteosest, sh. Eesti Kunstimuuseumi poolt omandatud kahest Karl Otto Gerhard von Kügelgeni tööst. Franz Gerhard von Kügelgeni noorema poja Karl Otto Gerhard von Kügelgeni elust, loomingust ja tema akvarellidest "Perekond Vinni mõisas" ja "Rändur metsas"

Reference test methods for total water in lint cotton by Karl Fischer Titration and low temperature distillation

Science.gov (United States)

In a study of comparability of total water contents (%) of conditioned cottons by Karl Fischer Titration (KFT) and Low Temperature Distillation (LTD) reference methods, we demonstrated a match of averaged results based on a large number of replications and weighing the test specimens at the same tim...

Tissue N content and {sup 15}N natural abundance in epilithic mosses for indicating atmospheric N deposition in the Guiyang area, SW China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Xueyan [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)], E-mail: liuxueyan@vip.skleg.cn; Xiao Huayun [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002 (China)], E-mail: xiaohuayun@vip.skleg.cn; Liu Congqiang [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002 (China); Li Youyi; Xiao Hongwei [State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002 (China); Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049 (China)

2008-09-15

Tissue N contents and {delta}{sup 15}N signatures in 175 epilithic mosses were investigated from urban to rural sites in Guiyang (SW China) to determine atmospheric N deposition. Moss N contents (0.85-2.97%) showed a significant decrease from the urban area (mean = 2.24 {+-} 0.32%, 0-5 km) to the rural area (mean = 1.27 {+-} 0.13%, 20-25 km), indicating that the level of N deposition decreased away from the urban environment, while slightly higher N contents re-occurred at sites beyond 30 km, suggesting higher N deposition in more remote rural areas. Moss {delta}{sup 15}N ranged from -12.50 per mille to -1.39 per mille and showed a clear bimodal distribution (-12 per mille to -6 per mille and -5 per mille to -2 per mille ), suggesting that there are two main sources for N deposition in the Guiyang area. More negative {delta}{sup 15}N (mean = -8.87 {+-} 1.65 per mille ) of urban mosses mainly indicated NH{sub 3} released from excretory wastes and sewage, while the less negative {delta}{sup 15}N (from -3.83 {+-} 0.82 per mille to -2.48 {+-} 0.95 per mille ) of rural mosses were mainly influenced by agricultural NH{sub 3}. With more negative values in the urban area than in the rural area, the pattern of moss {delta}{sup 15}N variation in Guiyang was found to be opposite to cities where N deposition is dominated by NO{sub x}-N. Therefore, NH{sub x}-N is the dominant N form deposited in the Guiyang area, which is supported by higher NH{sub x}-N than NO{sub x}-N in local atmospheric deposition. From the data showing that moss is responding to NH{sub x}-N/NO{sub x}-N in deposition it can be further demonstrated that the variation of moss {delta}{sup 15}N from the Guiyang urban to rural area was more likely controlled by the ratio of urban-NH{sub x}/agriculture-NH{sub x} than the ratio of NH{sub x}-N/NO{sub x}-N. The results of this study have extended knowledge of atmospheric N sources in city areas, showing that urban sewage discharge could be important in cities co

[Anorexia nervosa in light of Karl Jaspers and Erich Fromm's ideas and social constructivism--hypotheses and thoughts].

Science.gov (United States)

Talarczyk, Małgorzata

2012-01-01

The point of the article is to analyse and reflect on certain symptoms of anorexia nervosa in light of Karl Jaspers and Erich Fromm's ideas and social constructivism. Contemplating the disorder in view of the philosophical ideas mentioned earlier, the author analyses such aspects of patients as: functioning on the verge of life and death, the paradoxical struggle to escape from freedom in search of independence, as well as various understandings and descriptions of anorexia in consideration of social constructivism. The author shares thoughts and poses hypotheses, trying to view anorexia in light of selected philosophical and psychological ideas, which in their general assumptions were not concerned with defining nor analysing anorexia nervosa. In view of Karl Jaspers' ideas, the author focuses on the so called 'limit-situations', in the ideas of Erich Fromm she takes notice in "Escape from Freedom" to new relations. Finally in the light of social constructivism the author focuses on the cultural context.

Volume Measurements of Laser-generated Pits for In Situ Geochronology using KArLE (Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment)

Science.gov (United States)

French, R. A.; Cohen, B. A.; Miller, J. S.

2014-01-01

The Potassium-Argon Laser Experiment( KArLE), is composed of two main instruments: a spectrometer as part of the Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) method and a Mass Spectrometer (MS). The LIBS laser ablates a sample and creates a plasma cloud, generating a pit in the sample. The LIBS plasma is measured for K abundance in weight percent and the released gas is measured using the MS, which calculates Ar abundance in mols. To relate the K and Ar measurements, total mass of the ablated sample is needed but can be difficult to directly measure. Instead, density and volume are used to calculate mass, where density is calculated based on the elemental composition of the rock (from the emission spectrum) and volume is determined by pit morphology. This study aims to reduce the uncertainty for KArLE by analyzing pit volume relationships in several analog materials and comparing methods of pit volume measurements and their associated uncertainties.

The effect of moisture content on the thermal conductivity of moss and organic soil horizons from black spruce ecosystems in interior alaska

Science.gov (United States)

O'Donnell, J. A.; Romanovsky, V.E.; Harden, J.W.; McGuire, A.D.

2009-01-01

Organic soil horizons function as important controls on the thermal state of near-surface soil and permafrost in high-latitude ecosystems. The thermal conductivity of organic horizons is typically lower than mineral soils and is closely linked to moisture content, bulk density, and water phase. In this study, we examined the relationship between thermal conductivity and soil moisture for different moss and organic horizon types in black spruce ecosystems of interior Alaska. We sampled organic horizons from feather moss-dominated and Sphagnum-dominated stands and divided horizons into live moss and fibrous and amorphous organic matter. Thermal conductivity measurements were made across a range of moisture contents using the transient line heat source method. Our findings indicate a strong positive and linear relationship between thawed thermal conductivity (Kt) and volumetric water content. We observed similar regression parameters (?? or slope) across moss types and organic horizons types and small differences in ??0 (y intercept) across organic horizon types. Live Sphagnum spp. had a higher range of Kt than did live feather moss because of the field capacity (laboratory based) of live Sphagnum spp. In northern regions, the thermal properties of organic soil horizons play a critical role in mediating the effects of climate warming on permafrost conditions. Findings from this study could improve model parameterization of thermal properties in organic horizons and enhance our understanding of future permafrost and ecosystem dynamics. ?? 2009 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.

Micro-relief distribution of major mosses in ice-free areas along the Soya Coast, the Syowa Station area, East Antarctica

OpenAIRE

Okitsu,Susumu; Imura,Satoshi; Ayukawa,Eri

2004-01-01

Micro-relief distribution of five major mosses, Pottia heimii, Ceratodon purpureus, Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Grimmia lawiana and Bryum argenteum, in the ice-free areas along the Soya Coast, continental part of East Antarctica have been compared. Those five mosses showed three different types of micro-relief distribution, at three different types of sites: mounds, slopes and hollows. Pottia heimii and Ceratodon purpureus prevailed on mound sites mixed with cyanobacteria. In dryer mound environm...

Adaptations of lowland jungle mosses to anthropogenic environments in Guyana

OpenAIRE

Kuc, Marian

2000-01-01

Sixteen lowland jungle mosses growing in anthropogenic habitats at Santa and The Bell - Ituni localities on the Demerara River in Guyana were examined in detail with the aim of detecting any features which would indicate their adaptations to new habitats. Amounts of chlorophyll in leaf cells, protective coloration, alterations in leaf morphology, characteristics of old stems, rhizoid tomentum and fertility are considered as the most pronounced adaptive features of these species to new localit...

Spatiotemporal distribution of airborne elements monitored with the moss bags technique in the Greater Thriasion Plain, Attica, Greece.

Science.gov (United States)

Saitanis, C J; Frontasyeva, M V; Steinnes, E; Palmer, M W; Ostrovnaya, T M; Gundorina, S F

2013-01-01

The well-known moss bags technique was applied in the heavily polluted Thriasion Plain region, Attica, Greece, in order to study the spatiotemporal distribution, in the atmosphere, of the following 32 elements: Na, Al, Cl, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Co, Zn, As, Se, Br, Sr, Mo, Sb, I, Ba, La, Ce, Sm, Tb, Dy, Yb, Hf, Ta, Hg, Th, and U. The moss bags were constituted of Sphagnum girgensohnii materials. The bags were exposed to ambient air in a network of 12 monitoring stations scattered throughout the monitoring area. In order to explore the temporal variation of the pollutants, four sets of moss bags were exposed for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Instrumental neutral activation analysis was used for the determinations of the elements. The data were analyzed using the Pearson correlations, the partial redundancy analysis, and the biplot statistical methods. Some pairs of elements were highly correlated indicating a probable common source of origin. The levels of the measured pollutants were unevenly distributed throughout the area and different pollutants exhibited different spatial patterns. In general, higher loads were observed in the stations close to and within the industrial zone. Most of the measured elements (e.g., Al, Ca, Ni, I, Zn, Cr, and As) exhibited a monotonic accumulation trend over time. Some elements exhibited different dynamics. The elements Mn, Mo, and Hg showed a decreasing trend, probably due to leaching and/or volatilization processes over time. Na and Br initially showed an increasing trend during the winter and early spring periods but decreased drastically during the late warm period. The results further suggest that the moss bags technique would be considered valuable for the majority of elements but should be used with caution in the cases of elements vulnerable to leaching and/or volatilization. It also suggests that the timing and the duration of the exposure of moss materials should be considered in the interpretation of the results.

Karl Popper: antes y después de Kyoto

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Zanotti, Gabriel

1999-06-01

Full Text Available Not available.En su último libro sobre Karl Popper, Mariano Artigas plantea una hermenéutica revolucionaria: muestra que la ética de Popper es el fundamento de su epistemología, y que el fundamento de esa ética está lejos del «conjeturalismo» que suele atribuirse a Popper. Artigas analiza qué significa en Popper la «fe irracional en la razón» y utiliza, como fuente inédita, el dramático relato que hace Popper de su relación con W. W. Bartley, por primera vez, en Kyoto, en 1992. Sea cual fuere la opinión del lector, el libro de Artigas divide la hermenéutica de Popper en un antes y un después.

Wie is die sondaar? Die beskouing van Karl Barth

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F. J. van Zyl

1994-01-01

Full Text Available Who is the sinner? The view of Karl Barth The previous article dealt with Barth’s view of the knowledge and real essence of sin, while this one focus on his view of the human being as sinner. In accordance with his christological approach to all theological matters, Barth presents us with a description of the image and character of the sinner as mirrored by the obedient suffering and death of Jesus Christ on the cross in the place of all sinners of all times - past, present and future. The price that God paid in surrendering his only Son to such suffering, indicates the enormous guilt and baseness of every sinner. Every human being is utterly insolvent and can only be delivered from sin through God’s graceful remission of siru

Antagonistic effects of drought and sand burial enable the survival of the biocrust moss Bryum argenteum in an arid sandy desert

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R. Jia

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Biocrust moss is an essential soil surface bio-cover. It can represent the latest succession stage among the diverse range of surface-dwelling cryptogams (e.g., cyanobacteria, green algae, and lichen, which are also referred to as biocrusts, and it can make a major contribution to soil stability and fertility in many arid sandy desert ecosystems. The soil surface represents a very large ecological niche that is poikilohydric in nature. Biocrust moss is therefore highly susceptible to drought and sand burial, which are two ubiquitous stressors in arid sandy deserts. However, little information is available regarding the mechanism by which biocrust moss can survive and flourish in these habitats when stressed simultaneously by the two stressors. The combined effects of drought and sand burial were evaluated in a field experiment using the predominant biocrust moss, Bryum argenteum Hedw., in the Tengger Desert, China. Drought was simulated by applying distilled water in three artificial rainfall regimes at 8-day intervals in spring and autumn: 4 and 6 mm (average rainfall, control, 2 and 3 mm (double drought, and 1 and 1.5 mm (4-fold drought, respectively. The effect of sand burial was determined by applying six treatments, i.e., sand depths of 0 (control, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 10 mm. The four parameters of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, regeneration potential, and shoot upgrowth were evaluated in the moss. It was found that the combined effects of drought and sand burial did not exacerbate the single negative effects of the four parameters tested. Drought significantly ameliorated the negative effects of deep-sand burial on the retention of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, and the regeneration potential of B. argenteum. Sand burial diminished and even reversed the negative effects of drought on the maintenance of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, and regeneration potential

Antagonistic effects of drought and sand burial enable the survival of the biocrust moss Bryum argenteum in an arid sandy desert

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Jia, Rongliang; Zhao, Yun; Gao, Yanhong; Hui, Rong; Yang, Haotian; Wang, Zenru; Li, Yixuan

2018-02-01

Biocrust moss is an essential soil surface bio-cover. It can represent the latest succession stage among the diverse range of surface-dwelling cryptogams (e.g., cyanobacteria, green algae, and lichen, which are also referred to as biocrusts), and it can make a major contribution to soil stability and fertility in many arid sandy desert ecosystems. The soil surface represents a very large ecological niche that is poikilohydric in nature. Biocrust moss is therefore highly susceptible to drought and sand burial, which are two ubiquitous stressors in arid sandy deserts. However, little information is available regarding the mechanism by which biocrust moss can survive and flourish in these habitats when stressed simultaneously by the two stressors. The combined effects of drought and sand burial were evaluated in a field experiment using the predominant biocrust moss, Bryum argenteum Hedw., in the Tengger Desert, China. Drought was simulated by applying distilled water in three artificial rainfall regimes at 8-day intervals in spring and autumn: 4 and 6 mm (average rainfall, control), 2 and 3 mm (double drought), and 1 and 1.5 mm (4-fold drought), respectively. The effect of sand burial was determined by applying six treatments, i.e., sand depths of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 10 mm. The four parameters of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, regeneration potential, and shoot upgrowth were evaluated in the moss. It was found that the combined effects of drought and sand burial did not exacerbate the single negative effects of the four parameters tested. Drought significantly ameliorated the negative effects of deep-sand burial on the retention of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, and the regeneration potential of B. argenteum. Sand burial diminished and even reversed the negative effects of drought on the maintenance of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, and regeneration potential. Although drought and sand

Specificities of Sightseeing Foot Tour Arrangement for History Related Street with Regard to Karl Marx Street in the Town of Irkutsk

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Kulakov, A. I.; Shishkanov, V. S.

2017-11-01

The paper is devoted to the preparation of an innovative foot itinerary for tourists in Karl Marx Street in the town of Irkutsk. Methodology on preparation of sightseeing tours has been analysed by the authors. The analysis of the methodology has facilitated selecting the criteria to classify the excursions as well as the criteria for assessing and shortlisting the objects for excursion exposure. Some chosen criteria being used in tour arrangement and certain specificities of tour preparation have been revealed which are characteristic particularly for Karl Marx Street as a history-related one. It is also proved in the paper that the itinerary prepared for tourists is in full correspondence with the key innovation objectives in tourism.

Naised käsu korras firmade juhatusse! Jah või ei? / Kairi Alt, Aveli Kippari, Karl Koort... [jt.

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2011-01-01

Küsimusele vastavad Columbus IT Partner Eesti AS personalijuht Kairi Alt, Stele ja Riveli omanik Aveli Kippari, AS Panaviatic'i turundusjuht Karl Koort, OÜ Tarkvara Tehnoloogia Arenduskeskuse tegevjuht Indrek Vainu, AS PricewaterhouseCoopers auditiosakonna direktor Eva Jansen, Kalev Chocolate Factory tootmisjuht Hardo Reinike

North American origin and recent European establishments of the amphi-Atlantic peat moss Sphagnum angermanicum.

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Stenøien, Hans K; Shaw, A Jonathan; Shaw, Blanka; Hassel, Kristian; Gunnarsson, Urban

2011-04-01

Genetic and morphological similarity between populations separated by large distances may be caused by frequent long-distance dispersal or retained ancestral polymorphism. The frequent lack of differentiation between disjunct conspecific moss populations on different continents has traditionally been explained by the latter model, and has been cited as evidence that many or most moss species are extremely ancient and slowly diverging. We have studied intercontinental differentiation in the amphi-Atlantic peat moss Sphagnum angermanicum using 23 microsatellite markers. Two major genetic clusters are found, both of which occur throughout the distributional range. Patterns of genetic structuring and overall migration patterns suggest that the species probably originated in North America, and seems to have been established twice in Northern Europe during the past 40,000 years. We conclude that similarity between S. angermanicum populations on different continents is not the result of ancient vicariance and subsequent stasis. Rather, the observed pattern can be explained by multiple long-distance dispersal over limited evolutionary time. The genetic similarity can also partly be explained by incomplete lineage sorting, but this appears to be caused by the short time since separation. Our study adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that Sphagnum, constituting a significant part of northern hemisphere biodiversity, may be more evolutionary dynamic than previously assumed. © 2010 The Author(s). Evolution© 2010 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

Guidelines for biomonitoring persistent organic pollutants (POPs), using lichens and aquatic mosses – A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augusto, Sofia; Máguas, Cristina; Branquinho, Cristina

2013-01-01

During the last decades, awareness regarding persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has become a cutting-edge topic, due to their toxicity, bioaccumulation and persistency in the environment. Monitoring of PCDD/Fs and PAHs in air and water has proven to be insufficient to capture deposition and effects of these compounds in the biota. To overcome this limitation, environmental biomonitoring using lichens and aquatic mosses, have aroused as promising tools. The main aim of this work is to provide a review of: i) factors that influence the interception and accumulation of POPs by lichens; ii) how lichens and aquatic bryophytes can be used to track different pollution sources and; iii) how can these biomonitors contribute to environmental health studies. This review will allow designing a set of guidelines to be followed when using biomonitors to assess environmental POP pollution. -- Highlights: •We've reviewed the use of lichens and mosses as POP biomonitors. •We've discussed the factors that influence accumulation of POPs in lichens. •We've shown how biomonitors have been used to track pollution sources. •We've designed guidelines for the use of biomonitors to assess POP pollution. -- This review fulfils the lack of knowledge regarding the use of lichens and aquatic mosses as biomonitors of POPs, providing a set of guidelines to be followed

Atmospheric deposition study in the area of Kardzhali lead-zinc plant based on moss analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hristozova, G.; Marinova, S.; Strelkova, L.P.; Goryajnova, Z.; Frontas'eva, M.V.; Stafilov, T.

2015-01-01

For the first time the moss biomonitoring technique was used to assess the environmental situation in the area affected by the lead-zinc plant as one of the most hazardous enterprises in Bulgaria. 77 Hypnum cupressiforme moss samples were collected in the Kardzhali municipality in the summer and autumn of 2011. The concentrations of a total of 47 elements were determined by means of instrumental epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Multivariate statistics was applied to characterize the sources of elements detected in the samples. Four groups of elements were found. In comparison to the data averaged for the area outside of the town, the atmospheric deposition loads for the elements of industrial origin in Kardzhali, where the smelter chimney is located, were found to be much higher. Median levels of the measured concentrations of the most toxic metals (Pb, Zn, Cd, As, Cu, In, Sb) were extremely high in this hot spot when compared to the median Bulgarian cross-country data from the 2010-2011 European moss survey. GIS technology was used to produce element distribution maps illustrating deposition patterns of element pollutants in the study area. The results obtained contribute to the Bulgarian environmental research used to study and control the manufacturing processes of the lead-zinc plant in the town of Kardzhali.

Vita biografica vs. Vita biologica. la questione dell’anthropos in Karl Löwith

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Gambardella, Fabiana

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This work focuses on Karl Löwith’s anthropology. Despite the great number of anthropological studies carried out at the beginning of 20th Century and aimed at describing human nature by means of natural science (biology, ethology, zoology, Löwith elaborates an anthropology based on the concept of biographical life. Man is not a simple living being, he is also an unnatural being that produces himself through the relationship with the other within a shared world.

Atmospheric pollution with copper around the copper mine and flotation, 'Buchim', Republic of Macedonia, using biomonitoring moss and lichen technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balabanova, Biljana; Bacheva, Katerina; Shajn, Robert; Stafilov, Trajche

2009-01-01

This paper has studied the atmospheric pollution with copper due to copper mining and flotation 'Buchim' near Radovish, Republic of Macedonia. The copper ore and ore tailings continually are exposed to open air, which occur winds carry out the fine particles in to atmosphere. Moss (Hyloconium splendens and Pleurozium schrebery) and lichen (Hypogymnia physodes and Parmelia sulcata) samples were used for biomonitoring the possible atmospheric pollution with copper in the mine vicinity. Moss and lichen samples were digested by using of microwave digestion system and copper was analyzed by atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICPAES). The obtained values for the content of copper in moss and lichen samples were statistically processed using the nonparametric and parametric analysis. Maps of areal deposition of copper show an increase content of copper in the vicinity of mine, but long distance distribution of this element is not established yet.

Bringing the economy back in: Hannah Arendt, Karl Marx, and the politics of capitalism

OpenAIRE

İnce, Onur Ulaş

2016-01-01

This article engages with the question of how to construct modern economic relations as an object of political theorizing by placing Hannah Arendt's and Karl Marx's writings in critical conversation. I contend that the political aspect of capitalism comes into sharpest relief less in relations of economic exploitation than in moments of expropriation that produce and reproduce the conditions of capitalist accumulation. To develop a theoretical handle on expropriation and thereby on the politi...

Mosses as indicators of the air pollution by radionuclides in urban areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todorovic, D.; Popovic, D.; Ajtic, J.; Todorovic, D.)

2007-01-01

The paper presents preliminary results on the contents of radionuclides in mosses exposed to air pollution in central urban area (a Belgrade city park). Activity of natural and anthropogenic radionuclides ( 40 K, 210 Pb, 137 Cs, 7 Be) was determined on two HPGe detectors (Canberra, relative efficiency 20% and 23%) by standard gamma spectrometry. (author) [sr

The 'Big Karl' magnetic spectrometer - studies of the 103Ru transition nucleus with (d,p) and (p,d) reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huerlimann, W.

1981-04-01

The paper describes the structure and characteristics of the spectrometer and its application in a study of the 102 Ru(d,p) 103 Ru and 104 Ru(p,d) 103 Ru reactions. The study is structured as follows: To begin with the theoretical fundamentals, ion-optical characteristics and layout of BIG KARL are described. Field measurements and analyses carried out on the magnets of the spectrometer are described as well as the functioning of the 'Ht correction coils' used here for the first time to prevent faulty imaging. Chapter IV then describes methods employed so far to optimize resolution for large aperture angles of the spectrometer. Finally, chapter V investigates the 103 Ru transition nucleons on the basis of the 102 Ru(d,p) 103 RU and 104 Ru(p,d) 103 Ru transfer reactions measured in BIG KARL. (orig./HSI) [de

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the CAM epiphyte Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides, Bromeliaceae) and its comparative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Poczai, Péter; Hyvönen, Jaakko

2017-01-01

Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is an epiphytic bromeliad widely distributed throughout tropical and warm temperate America. This plant is highly adapted to extreme environmental conditions. Striking features of this species include specialized trichomes (scales) covering the surface of its shoots aiding the absorption of water and nutrients directly from the atmosphere and a specific photosynthesis using crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM). Here we report the plastid genome of Spanish moss and present the comparison of genome organization and sequence evolution within Poales. The plastome of Spanish moss has a quadripartite structure consisting of a large single copy (LSC, 87,439 bp), two inverted regions (IRa and IRb, 26,803 bp) and short single copy (SSC, 18,612 bp) region. The plastid genome had 37.2% GC content and 134 genes with 88 being unique protein-coding genes and 20 of these are duplicated in the IR, similar to other reported bromeliads. Our study shows that early diverging lineages of Poales do not have high substitution rates as compared to grasses, and plastid genomes of bromeliads show structural features considered to be ancestral in graminids. These include the loss of the introns in the clpP and rpoC1 genes and the complete loss or partial degradation of accD and ycf genes in the Graminid clade. Further structural rearrangements appeared in the graminids lacking in Spanish moss, which include a 28-kb inversion between the trnG-UCC-rps14 region and 6-kb in the trnG-UCC-psbD, followed by a third <1kb inversion in the trnT sequence.

3rd Karl Schwarzschild Meeting - Gravity and the Gauge/Gravity Correspondence

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Nicolini, Piero; Kaminski, Matthias; Mureika, Jonas; Bleicher, Marcus

2018-01-01

The Karl Schwarzschild Meeting 2017 (KSM2017) has been the third instalment of the conference dedicated to the great Frankfurter scientist, who derived the first black hole solution of Einstein's equations about 100 years ago. The event has been a 5 day meeting in the field of black holes, AdS/CFT correspondence and gravitational physics. Like the two previous instalments, the conference continued to attract a stellar ensemble of participants from the world's most renowned institutions. The core of the meeting has been a series of invited talks from eminent experts (keynote speakers) as well as the presence of plenary research talks by students and junior speakers.

Sir Karl Popper and his philosophy of physics

Science.gov (United States)

Jammer, Max

1991-12-01

The eminent mathematical physicist Sir Hermann Bondi once said: “There is no more to science than its method, and there is no more to its method than Popper has said.” Indeed, many regard Sir Karl Raimund Popper the greatest philosopher of science in our generation. Much of what Popper “has said” refers to physics, but physicists, generally speaking, have little knowledge of what he has said. True, Popper's philosophy of science and, in particular, his realistic interpretation of quantum mechanics deviates considerably from the generally accepted doctrine. But as Popper, rightly I think, points out, it is precisely the proliferation of divergent theories which promotes the growth of scientific knowledge; it would be a danger for physics if physicists were dogmatically tied to a single theory or would not test their theory against alternatives. It is for this purpose that, on the occasion of the nonagenarian celebration of Popper's birthday, the present essay has been written.

KARL: A Knowledge-Assisted Retrieval Language. Presentation visuals. M.S. Thesis Final Report, 1 Jul. 1985 - 31 Dec. 1987

Science.gov (United States)

Dominick, Wayne D. (Editor); Triantafyllopoulos, Spiros

1985-01-01

A collection of presentation visuals associated with the companion report entitled KARL: A Knowledge-Assisted Retrieval Language, is presented. Information is given on data retrieval, natural language database front ends, generic design objectives, processing capababilities and the query processing cycle.

Readers and academic reading of Karl Marx (São Paulo, 1958-1964

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Lidiane Soares Rodrigues

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Ideas, books and concepts of Karl Marx and various Marxist authors was incorporated into scientific and cultural institutions. It is one of the political sphere importation into the academic implying sense of speed in relation to its origins and gave to Marxism, through the practices of the agents of this transfer, support for their preservation, dissemination and transformation. Concurrently, there is the incorporation of these lines to the required reading of the humanities and the repertoire of cultivated layers. Examination of appropriations that academic and cultured elites made of Marx, situate them (such work and such elites, institutionally. This is what this article does. Arguing that the legitimacy of the uses of a tradition result not only of their intrinsic value, but the work oriented agents interested in it, is elected an exemplary experience for research. This article looks at two university groups initially focused on the study of Karl Marx's work, made in the late 1950. It begins by proposing a collective biography, the reading program and the various uses they made of them. To refine the analysis and proof the advocated method selects for vertical take, within a group (the first one and a discipline (sociology, two contrasting trajectories (Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Octavio Ianni and various forms Marxism (theoretical and empirical / dominant and dominated. Finally, it discusses the profits propitiated to have operated with three concepts of cultural sociology: habitus, « field » and « patterns of intention » – taken from the works of Pierre Bourdieu and Michael Baxandall.

Bacteriohopanepolyol signatures as markers for methanotrophic bacteria in peat moss

Science.gov (United States)

van Winden, Julia F.; Talbot, Helen M.; Kip, Nardy; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Pol, Arjan; McNamara, Niall P.; Jetten, Mike S. M.; Op den Camp, Huub J. M.; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

2012-01-01

Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are bacterial biomarkers with a likely potential to identify present and past methanotrophic communities. To unravel the methanotrophic community in peat bogs, we report the BHP signatures of type I and type II methanotrophs isolated from Sphagnum mosses and of an extreme acidophilic verrucomicrobial methanotroph. A type I Methylovulum-like strain (M200) contains a remarkable combination of BHPs, including a complete suite of mono-unsaturated aminobacteriohopanepentol, -tetrol and -triol. The Methylomonas-like strain (M5) mainly produces aminobacteriohopanepentol, characteristic for type I methanotrophs, and the Methylosinus-like strain (29) contains both aminobacteriohopanetetrol and aminobacteriohopanetriol, typical for a type II methanotroph. The type II methanotroph Methylocella palustris and the verrucomicrobial Methylacidiphilum fumariolicum strain SolV primarily produce aminotriol, which is also produced by many other bacteria. In Sphagnum mosses and underlying peat from a peat bog from Moorhouse, UK, the only detectable BHPs indicative of methanotrophs are aminobacteriohopanepentol (aminopentol) and aminobacteriohopanetetrol (aminotetrol), although both are relatively low in abundance compared to other BHPs. Aminopentol serves as a marker for type I methanotrophs, while aminotetrol may reflect the presence of both type I and type II methanotrophs. The similar quantities of aminotetrol and aminopentol indicate that the methanotrophic community in Sphagnum peat probably consist of a combination of both type I and type II methanotrophs, which is in line with previously published pmoA-based micro-array results.

Karl Heinrich Ulrichs: First Theorist of Erotic Age Orientation.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Diederik F

2017-01-01

The nomination of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825-1895) as the first theorist of homosexuality may be placed in the oblique light of his eligibility for the nomination as the first theorist of erotic age orientation. In Ulrichs's pamphlets, "man-manly" homosexuality emerged as a particular age orientation, with a subsequent typological breakdown that, importantly, blended gender orientation and age orientation. Into the early 20th century, erotic age orientation remained bound up with the classification and emancipation of what here was demarcated as Urningsliebe. Ulrichs's pioneering and shifting comments on age eventually fed into his legal model of consenting adults in private. They also provide a starting point for the historical understanding of the trope of "grooming pedophile" as it, arguably, crossfaded with that of the "seducing homosexual" after the latter's depsychiatricization across the Western world.

Immuno and affinity cytochemical analysis of cell wall composition in the moss Physcomitrella patens

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Elizabeth A. Berry

2016-03-01

Full Text Available In contrast to homeohydric vascular plants, mosses employ a poikilohydric strategy for surviving in the dry aerial environment. A detailed understanding of the structure, composition, and development of moss cell walls can contribute to our understanding of not only the evolution of overall cell wall complexity, but also the differences that have evolved in response to selection for different survival strategies. The model moss species Physcomitrella patens has a predominantly haploid lifecycle consisting of protonemal filaments that regenerate from protoplasts and enlarge by tip growth, and leafy gametophores composed of cells that enlarge by diffuse growth and differentiate into several different types. Advantages for genetic studies include methods for efficient targeted gene modification and extensive genomic resources. Immuno and affinity cytochemical labeling were used to examine the distribution of polysaccharides and proteins in regenerated protoplasts, protonemal filaments, rhizoids, and sectioned gametophores of P. patens. The cell wall composition of regenerated protoplasts was also characterized by flow cytometry. Crystalline cellulose was abundant in the cell walls of regenerating protoplasts and protonemal cells that developed on media of high osmolarity, whereas homogalacturonan was detected in the walls of protonemal cells that developed on low osmolarity media and not in regenerating protoplasts. Mannan was the major hemicellulose detected in all tissues tested. Arabinogalactan proteins were detected in different cell types by different probes, consistent with structural heterogeneity. The results reveal developmental and cell type specific differences in cell wall composition and provide a basis for analyzing cell wall phenotypes in knockout mutants.

Simple Modification of Karl-Fischer Titration Method for Determination of Water Content in Colored Samples

OpenAIRE

Eva Tavčar; Erika Turk; Samo Kreft

2012-01-01

The most commonly used technique for water content determination is Karl-Fischer titration with electrometric detection, requiring specialized equipment. When appropriate equipment is not available, the method can be performed through visual detection of a titration endpoint, which does not enable an analysis of colored samples. Here, we developed a method with spectrophotometric detection of a titration endpoint, appropriate for moisture determination of colored samples. The reaction takes p...

Soluble carbohydrate content variation in Sanionia uncinata and Polytrichastrum alpinum, two Antarctic mosses with contrasting desiccation capacities

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Paz Zúñiga-González

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cryptogamic vegetation dominates the ice-free areas along the Antarctic Peninsula. The two mosses Sanionia uncinata and Polytrichastrum alpinum inhabit soils with contrasting water availability. Sanionia uncinata grows in soil with continuous water supply, while P. alpinum grows in sandy, non-flooded soils. Desiccation and rehydration experiments were carried out to test for differences in the rate of water loss and uptake, with non-structural carbohydrates analysed to test their role in these processes. RESULTS: Individual plants of S. uncinata lost water 60 % faster than P. alpinum; however, clumps of S. uncinata took longer to dry than those of P. alpinum (11 vs. 5 h, respectively. In contrast, rehydration took less than 10 min for both mosses. Total non-structural carbohydrate content was higher in P. alpinum than in S. uncinata, but sugar levels changed more in P. alpinum during desiccation and rehydration (60-50 % when compared to S. uncinata. We report the presence of galactinol (a precursor of the raffinose family for the first time in P. alpinum. Galactinol was present at higher amounts than all other non-structural sugars. CONCLUSIONS: Individual plants of S. uncinata were not able to retain water for long periods but by growing and forming carpets, this species can retain water the longest. In contrast individual P. alpinum plants required more time to lose water than S. uncinata, but as moss cushions they suffered desiccation faster than the later. On the other hand, both species rehydrated very quickly. We found that when both mosses lost 50 % of their water, carbohydrates content remained stable and the plants did not accumulate non-structural carbohydrates during the desiccation prosses as usually occurs in vascular plants. The raffinose family oligosaccarides decreased during desiccation, and increased during rehydration, suggesting they function as osmoprotectors.

[Experiences and results in hypertension screening in women between 20 and 65 years of age in Karl-Marx-City].

Science.gov (United States)

Voigt, G; Börker, G; Edelmann, S; Hartung, A; Hartung, G; Heyne, S; Töpfer, V

1980-11-15

From 1975 to 1979 in the district of the City of Karl-Marx-Stadt 91,130 females at the age between 20 and 65 years were summoned to a gynaecologico-cardiological mass examination which was supported by computer. 56,460 females underwent the examination. According to the WHO-criteria two measurements of blood pressure were carried out, when increased blood pressure was present a third one and a fourth one by an examination group. A diagnostic standard programme was used. In the second measurement of blood pressure we established 19.8% of patients with hypertension and 28.6% patients with borderline values. 52.8% of the hypertensions were known. Of 10,685 females with known or established hypertension 10.1% underwent an optimum therapy. On the basis of these results a programme for the fight against hypertension was developed for the county Karl-Marx-Stadt.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the CAM epiphyte Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides, Bromeliaceae and its comparative analysis.

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Péter Poczai

Full Text Available Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides is an epiphytic bromeliad widely distributed throughout tropical and warm temperate America. This plant is highly adapted to extreme environmental conditions. Striking features of this species include specialized trichomes (scales covering the surface of its shoots aiding the absorption of water and nutrients directly from the atmosphere and a specific photosynthesis using crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM. Here we report the plastid genome of Spanish moss and present the comparison of genome organization and sequence evolution within Poales. The plastome of Spanish moss has a quadripartite structure consisting of a large single copy (LSC, 87,439 bp, two inverted regions (IRa and IRb, 26,803 bp and short single copy (SSC, 18,612 bp region. The plastid genome had 37.2% GC content and 134 genes with 88 being unique protein-coding genes and 20 of these are duplicated in the IR, similar to other reported bromeliads. Our study shows that early diverging lineages of Poales do not have high substitution rates as compared to grasses, and plastid genomes of bromeliads show structural features considered to be ancestral in graminids. These include the loss of the introns in the clpP and rpoC1 genes and the complete loss or partial degradation of accD and ycf genes in the Graminid clade. Further structural rearrangements appeared in the graminids lacking in Spanish moss, which include a 28-kb inversion between the trnG-UCC-rps14 region and 6-kb in the trnG-UCC-psbD, followed by a third <1kb inversion in the trnT sequence.

Comments on the paper 'A novel 3D wavelet-based filter forvisualizing features in noisy biological data', by Moss et al.

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Luengo Hendriks, Cris L.; Knowles, David W.

2006-02-04

Moss et al.(2005) describe, in a recent paper, a filter thatthey use to detect lines. We noticed that the wavelet on which thisfilter is based is a difference of uniform filters. This filter is anapproximation to the second derivative operator, which is commonlyimplemented as the Laplace of Gaussian (or Marr-Hildreth) operator (Marr&Hildreth, 1980; Jahne, 2002), Figure 1. We have compared Moss'filter with 1) the Laplace of Gaussian operator, 2) an approximation ofthe Laplace of Gaussian using uniform filters, and 3) a few common noisereduction filters. The Laplace-like operators detect lines by suppressingimage features both larger and smaller than the filter size. The noisereduction filters only suppress image features smaller than the filtersize. By estimating the signal to noise ratio (SNR) and mean squaredifference (MSD) of the filtered results, we found that the filterproposed by Moss et al. does not outperform the Laplace of Gaussianoperator. We also found that for images with extreme noise content, linedetection filters perform better than the noise reduction filters whentrying to enhance line structures. In less extreme cases of noise, thestandard noise reduction filters perform significantly better than boththe Laplace of Gaussian and Moss' filter.

First report of modern pollen deposition in moss polsters in a semiarid area of Bahia, Brazil

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Daiane Alves dos Santos

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Recent studies have shown that pollen analyses of natural substrates can produce data valuable for understanding the local pollen productivity and dispersal, deposition, and preservation potential of pollen grains. In this study, we aimed to acquire novel information about the dynamics and preservation of pollen in Caatinga environment through the palynological study of moss polsters. Samples of moss polsters in soil (MPS and on rock (MPR were collected from the Canudos Biological Station in the Bahia State (Brazil and subjected to standard chemical treatments for the extraction of pollen residues. In total, 372 pollen types were recorded from the samples of which the taxonomical affinity of 140 was determined. The most represented families were Fabaceae (23 pollen types/16.42% and Asteraceae (12 pollen types/8.57%. The MPS samples had a higher pollen concentration (21,042.04 pollen grains/cm² than the MPR samples (7,829.35 pollen grains/cm². On the other hand, the MPR samples had a greater diversity (68.26% of the identified pollen types. Qualitative analysis showed that the plants of shrub and subshrub habits had the greatest representation among the pollen types (35.0%. Overall, moss polsters proved to be excellent natural air pollen collectors in Caatinga environment, provided they had moist microhabitats for their development.

Holocene climate variability revealed by oxygen isotope analysis of Sphagnum cellulose from Walton Moss, northern England

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Daley, T. J.; Barber, K. E.; Street-Perrott, F. A.; Loader, N. J.; Marshall, J. D.; Crowley, S. F.; Fisher, E. H.

2010-07-01

Stable isotope analyses of Sphagnum alpha-cellulose, precipitation and bog water from three sites across northwestern Europe (Raheenmore, Ireland, Walton Moss, northern England and Dosenmoor, northern Germany) over a total period of 26 months were used to investigate the nature of the climatic signal recorded by Sphagnum moss. The δ18O values of modern alpha-cellulose tracked precipitation more closely than bog water, with a mean isotopic fractionation factor αcellulose-precipitation of 1.0274 ± 0.001 (1 σ) (≈27‰). Sub-samples of isolated Sphagnum alpha-cellulose were subsequently analysed from core WLM22, Walton Moss, northern England yielding a Sphagnum-specific isotope record spanning the last 4300 years. The palaeo-record, calibrated using the modern data, provides evidence for large amplitude variations in the estimated oxygen isotope composition of precipitation during the mid- to late Holocene. Estimates of palaeotemperature change derived from statistical relationships between modern surface air temperatures and δ18O precipitation values for the British Isles give unrealistically large variation in comparison to proxies from other archives. We conclude that use of such relationships to calibrate mid-latitude palaeo-data must be undertaken with caution. The δ18O record from Sphagnum cellulose was highly correlated with a palaeoecologically-derived index of bog surface wetness (BSW), suggesting a common climatic driver.

[From Paul Flechsig to the Paul Flechsig Institute for Brain Research. Development of brain research at the Karl Marx University].

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Leibnitz, L; Werner, L; Schober, W; Brauer, K

1977-04-01

A review is given on the development of the brain research institute of the Karl-Marx-University of Leipzig during the directorates of Paul Flechsig (1883-1920), Richard Arwed Pfeifer (1925-1957), and Wolfgang Wünscher (1957-1971).

Determination of water in nuclear materials by means of the Karl Fischer method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, W.; Rocha, S.M.R.; Atalla, L.T.; Abrao, A.

1987-06-01

Karl Fischer Method was adapted for water determination in uranium coumpounds and substances of nuclear interest, by using a comercial equipment. The experimental conditions for the analysis of U 3 O 8 , UO 3 , UO 2 , UF 4 KFnHF and (NH 4 ) 4 UO 2 (CO 3 ) 3 were established. The influence of the agitation and contact time between sample and solvent, of the sample weight, of the reaction end point determination and of the sample granulometry on the precision and accuracy of results was also studied. (Author) [pt

Spatial Co-Registration of Ultra-High Resolution Visible, Multispectral and Thermal Images Acquired with a Micro-UAV over Antarctic Moss Beds

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Darren Turner

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In recent times, the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs as tools for environmental remote sensing has become more commonplace. Compared to traditional airborne remote sensing, UAVs can provide finer spatial resolution data (up to 1 cm/pixel and higher temporal resolution data. For the purposes of vegetation monitoring, the use of multiple sensors such as near infrared and thermal infrared cameras are of benefit. Collecting data with multiple sensors, however, requires an accurate spatial co-registration of the various UAV image datasets. In this study, we used an Oktokopter UAV to investigate the physiological state of Antarctic moss ecosystems using three sensors: (i a visible camera (1 cm/pixel, (ii a 6 band multispectral camera (3 cm/pixel, and (iii a thermal infrared camera (10 cm/pixel. Imagery from each sensor was geo-referenced and mosaicked with a combination of commercially available software and our own algorithms based on the Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT. The validation of the mosaic’s spatial co-registration revealed a mean root mean squared error (RMSE of 1.78 pixels. A thematic map of moss health, derived from the multispectral mosaic using a Modified Triangular Vegetation Index (MTVI2, and an indicative map of moss surface temperature were then combined to demonstrate sufficient accuracy of our co-registration methodology for UAV-based monitoring of Antarctic moss beds.

Reference method for total water in lint cotton by automated oven drying combined with volumetric Karl Fischer titration

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In a preliminary study to measure total water in lint cotton we demonstrated that volumetric Karl Fischer Titration of moisture transported by a carrier gas from an attached small oven is more accurate than standard oven drying in air. The objective of the present study was to assess the measuremen...

Information Systems Foundations - Karl Popper's third world

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Craig McDonald

2002-11-01

Full Text Available The various information professions have matured separately over the years, developing different bodies of theory and practice to meet their evolving purposes and needs. A problem arises however, when different information professions address the same knowledge domain and there is no explicit correspondence between the conceptual structures embedded independently in each. In this situation, a knowledge worker involved in the domain is faced with a range of possibly incompatible structures presented in different forms by a range of information professions. This is a common problem that is being exacerbated by the explosion in information production and the widening access to information distribution technology, notably the World Wide Web. Information Systems now need to combine the best of what the information professions in a domain have to offer the domain’s knowledge workers. This paper examines the problem by exploring one of the foundations of the information disciplines - Karl Popper’s 3 Worlds theory, applying it to a case study and suggesting that the Information Systems discipline alone has a sufficiently broad agenda to integrate the various Informatics themes needed to support today’s knowledge workers.

EDITORIAL: From reciprocal space to real space in surface science From reciprocal space to real space in surface science

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Bartels, Ludwig; Ernst, Karl-Heinz

2012-09-01

This issue is dedicated to Karl-Heinz Rieder on the occasion of his 70th birthday. It contains contributions written by his former students and colleagues from all over the world. Experimental techniques based on free electrons, such as photoelectron spectroscopy, electron microscopy and low energy electron diffraction (LEED), were foundational to surface science. While the first revealed the band structures of materials, the second provided nanometer scale imagery and the latter elucidated the atomic scale periodicity of surfaces. All required an (ultra-)high vacuum, and LEED illustrated impressively that adsorbates, such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen or oxygen, can markedly and periodically restructure surfaces from their bulk termination, even at pressures ten orders of magnitude or more below atmospheric. Yet these techniques were not generally able to reveal atomic scale surface defects, nor could they faithfully show adsorption of light atoms such as hydrogen. Although a complete atom, helium can also be regarded as a wave with a de Broglie wavelength that allows the study of surface atomic periodicities at a delicateness and sensitivity exceeding that of electrons-based techniques. In combination, these and other techniques generated insight into the periodicity of surfaces and their vibrational properties, yet were limited to simple and periodic surface setups. All that changed with the advent of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) roughly 30 years ago, allowing real space access to surface defects and individual adsorbates. Applied at low temperatures, not only can STM establish a height profile of surfaces, but can also perform spectroscopy and serve as an actuator capable of rearranging individual species at atomic scale resolution. The direct and intuitive manner in which STM provided access as a spectator and as an actor to the atomic scale was foundational to today's surface science and to the development of the concepts of nanoscience in general. The

Mineral content in Sphagnum mosses from ombrotrophic bogs of southwestern Poland: pattern in species and elements

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Bronisław Wojtuń

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Major elements (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe were analyzed in 11 Sphagnum species from ombrotrophic bogs in southwestern Poland. The material included species from wet to dry microsites. The highest levels of elements were recorded for S. lindbergii, whereas S. balticum and S. cuspidatum were poorest in elements. The microhabitat gradient from hummock to hollow species is clearly reflected by decreasing concentrations of Ca and Mg, and increasing concentration of Na. Phosphorus, K and N were much more enriched into moss tissues than the remaining elements. These three nutrients were also accumulated in the upper green parts of mosses, while the concentrations of Na and Fe were higher in the bottom brown parts. There were no differences in Ca and Mg between the green and brown segments.

The politics of psychiatry and the vicissitudes of faith circa 1950: Karl Stern's psychiatric novel.

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Burston, Daniel

2015-01-01

Karl Stern, MD (1906-1975) was the author of The Pillar of Fire (1951) and three nonfiction books on psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and religion. His novel, Through Dooms of Love (1960), written with the assistance of his friend and admirer Graham Greene, covers a number of topics that were to psychiatric theory, treatment, and research at mid-century, and reflects several features of his own personal and professional vicissitudes. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Psychoanalysis, science and the seductive theory of Karl Popper.

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Grant, Don C; Harari, Edwin

2005-06-01

To present a critique of the ideas of Karl Popper, the philosopher of science, whose depiction of psychoanalysis as a pseudoscience is often used to justify attacks on psychoanalysis. Published sources are used to provide a brief intellectual biography of Popper, a summary of his concept of science and a summary of criticisms of Popper's view of science. His depiction of psychoanalysis and Freud's reply are presented. Clinical, experimental and neurobiological research which refutes Popper's view is summarized. There is a vast scholarly published work critical of Popper's falsifiability criterion of science. Less recognized is Popper's misunderstanding and misrepresentation of psychoanalysis; his argument against it is logically flawed and empirically false. Even if Popper's theory of science is accepted, there is considerable clinical, experimental and neurobiological research in psychoanalysis which meets Popper's criterion of science. Attacks on psychoanalysis based on Popper's theory of science are ill-founded and reflect inadequate scholarship.

The origin of art according to Karl von den Steinen

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Pierre Déléage

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Based on a study of the custom, adopted by ethnologists in the early 20th century, of asking Amerindians of Lowland South America to do drawings in pencil in their notebooks, I explore three forgotten fragments of the history of thinking: the intense debates on the origin of ornaments, opposing an evolutionist and a materialist approach at the end of the 19th century; the theories on the origin of figuration, which I show date back to the important work of Karl von den Steinen regarding the populations of central Brazil; and the publications of ethnologists’ portraits drawn by Indians of the lowlands of South America, a little-known tradition of reverse anthropology serving as a counterpoint to the study of the reception of Amerindian art in Western ethnological literature.

Radiation induced processes in moss cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doehren, R. v.

1975-01-01

The moss F.h. shows apical growth in the protonema cells which spread radially from the spor. Every apical daughter cell during the state of 'Caulonema' and just before in the state of 'Caulonema Primanen' initiates cell division as soon as more than twice the length of the mother cell is reached. All this allows to follow radiation effects in single cells conveniently. UV irradiation on the range of 254 nm and 280 nm delivered at different parts of the cell area delays cell division markedly may suppress it, and is able to stop the process of growing in relation to the delivered dose and to the irradiated area as well. In case of irradiation of the area next to where the membrane is just being formed - that is to say next to the phragmoplast - the new membrane will be wrongly oriented. In particular giant cells are occurring in the case of nucleus irradiation during early prophase. (orig./GSE) [de

Preliminary enviromagnetic comparison of the moss, lichen, and filter fabric bags to air pollution monitoring

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Hanna Salo

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Air quality and anthropogenic air pollutants are usually investigated by passive biomonitoring which utilizes native species. Active biomonitoring, instead, refers to the use of transplants or bags in areas lacking native species. In Finland, the standardized moss bag technique SFS 5794 is commonly applied in active monitoring but there is still need for simpler and labor-saving sample material even on international scale. This article focuses on a preliminary comparison of the usability and collection efficiency of bags made of moss Sphagnum papillosum, lichen Hypogymnia physodes, and filter fabric (Filtrete™ in active biomonitoring of air pollutants around an industrial site in Harjavalta, SW Finland. The samples are analyzed with magnetic (i.e. magnetic susceptibility, isothermal remanent magnetization, hysteresis loop and hysteresis parameters methods highly suitable as a first-step tool for pollution studies. The results show that the highest magnetic susceptibility of each sample material is measured close to the industrial site. Furthermore, moss bags accumulate more magnetic material than lichen bags which, on the contrary, perform better at further distances. Filter fabric bags are tested only at 1 km sites indicating a good accumulation capability near the source. Pseudo-single-domain (PSD magnetite is identified as the main magnetic mineral in all sample materials and good correlations are found between different bag types. To conclude, all three materials effectively accumulate air pollutants and are suitable for air quality studies. The results of this article provide a base for later studies which are needed in order to fully determine a new, efficient, and easy sample material for active monitoring.