Using 18O/2H, 3H/3He, 85Kr and CFCs to determine mean residence times and water origin in the Grazer and Leibnitzer Feld groundwater bodies (Austria)

Two groundwater bodies, Grazer Feld and Leibnitzer Feld, with surface areas of 166 and 103 km2 respectively are characterised for the first time by measuring the combination of d18O/d2H, 3H/3He, 85Kr, CFC-11, CFC-12 and hydrochemistry in 34 monitoring wells in 2009/2010. The timescales of groundwater recharge have been characterised by 131 d18O measurements of well and surface water sampled on a seasonal basis. Most monitoring wells show a seasonal variation or indicate variable contributions of the main river Mur (0–30%, max. 70%) and/or other rivers having their recharge areas in higher altitudes. Combined d18O/d2H-measurements indicate that 65–75% of groundwater recharge in the unusual wet year of 2009 was from precipitation in the summer based on values from the Graz meteorological station. Monitoring wells downstream of gravel pit lakes show a clear evaporation trend. A boron–nitrate differentiation plot shows more frequent boron-rich water in the more urbanised Grazer Feld and more frequent nitrate-rich water in the more agricultural used Leibnitzer Feld indicating that a some of the nitrate load in the Grazer Feld comes from urban sewer water. Several lumped parameter models based on tritium input data from Graz and monthly data from the river Mur (Spielfeld) since 1977 yield a Mean Residence Time (MRT) for the Mur-water itself between 3 and 4 years in this area. Data from d18O, 3H/3He measurements at the Wagna lysimeter station supports the conclusion that 90% of the groundwaters in the Grazer Feld and 73% in the Leibnitzer Feld have MRTs of <5 years. Only in a few groundwaters were MRTs of 6–10 or 11–25 years as a result of either a long-distance water inflow in the basins or due to longer flow path in somewhat deeper wells (>20 m) with relative thicker unsaturated zones. The young MRT of groundwater from two monitoring wells in the Leibnitzer Feld was confirmed by 85Kr-measurements. Most CFC-11 and CFC-12 concentrations in the groundwater exceed the equilibration concentrations of modern concentrations in water and are therefore unsuitable for dating purposes. An enrichment factor up to 100 compared to atmospheric equilibrium concentrations and the obvious correlation of CFC-12 with SO4, Na, Cl and B in the ground waters of the Grazer Feld suggest that waste water in contact with CFC-containing material above and below ground is the source for the contamination. The dominance of very young groundwater (<5 years) indicates a recent origin of the contamination by nitrate and many other components observed in parts of the groundwater bodies. Rapid measures to reduce those sources are needed to mitigate against further deterioration of these waters.

Serum ficolin-2 correlates worse than fecal calprotectin and CRP with endoscopic Crohn's disease activity.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Ficolin-2 is an acute phase reactant produced by the liver and targeted to recognize N-acetyl-glucosamine which is present in bacterial and fungal cell walls. We recently showed that ficolin-2 serum levels were significantly higher in CD patients compared to healthy controls. We aimed to evaluate serum ficolin-2 concentrations in CD patients regarding their correlation with endoscopic severity and to compare them with clinical activity, fecal calprotectin, and CRP. METHODS Patients provided fecal and blood samples before undergoing ileo-colonoscopy. Disease activity was scored clinically according to the Harvey-Bradshaw Index (HBI) and endoscopically according to the simplified endoscopic score for CD (SES-CD). Ficolin-2 serum levels and fecal calprotectin levels were measured by ELISA. RESULTS A total of 136 CD patients were prospectively included (mean age at inclusion 41.5±15.4 years, 37.5% females). Median HBI was 3 [2-6] points, median SES-CD was 5 [2-8], median fecal calprotectin was 301 [120-703] μg/g, and median serum ficolin-2 was 2.69 [2.02-3.83] μg/mL. SES-CD correlated significantly with calprotectin (R=0.676, P<0.001), CRP (R=0.458, P<0.001), HBI (R=0.385, P<0.001), and serum ficolin-2 levels (R=0.171, P=0.047). Ficolin-2 levels were higher in CD patients with mild endoscopic disease compared to patients in endoscopic remission (P=0.015) but no difference was found between patients with mild, moderate, and severe endoscopic disease. CONCLUSIONS Ficolin-2 serum levels correlate worse with endoscopic CD activity when compared to fecal calprotectin or CRP.

Neuromonitoring in der Kardioanästhesie

Herzchirurgische Eingriffe sind nicht selten mit neurologischen Komplikationen verbunden. Die Ziele des Neuromonitorings in der Kardioanästhesie liegen in der Vermeidung derartiger Komplikationen, zum Beispiel durch die Detektion zerebraler Ischämien, die Erkennung einer inadäquaten Narkosetiefe oder die Überwachung von neuroprotektiven Maßnahmen. DGAI, DGTHG und SGAR empfehlen für die Herzchirurgie den Einsatz eines prozessierten EEGs bei totalintravenöser Anästhesie, bei tiefem hypothermem Kreislaufstillstand sowie bei Risikopatienten für Awareness. Bei Karotis-Thrombendartektomien wird die Ableitung von somatosensiblen Potenzialen (SSEP) als Verfahren der ersten Wahl angeraten. Falls ein SSEP-Gerät nicht zur Verfügung steht, wird die Anwendung der Nahinfrarotspektroskopie (NIRS) als Verfahren der zweiten Wahl empfohlen, wobei keine allgemein akzeptierten Grenzwerte für eine Shunt-Einlage vorliegen. Motorisch evozierte Potenziale sollten bei Operationen an der thorakalen Aorta descendens abgeleitet werden. Die beteiligten Gesellschaften sprechen sich für den Einsatz von NIRS zur Erkennung einer fehlerhaften Kanülenlage bei der Korrektur angeborener Herzfehler im Kindesalter sowie bei Operationen am Aortenbogen bei Kindern und Erwachsenen aus. Im Sinne einer Expertenmeinung wird die Anwendung von NIRS empfohlen bei Patienten mit stattgehabtem Apoplex, schwerer arterieller Hypertonie, hochgradigen Karotisstenosen sowie bei Herz- oder Lungentransplantationen.

Body weight estimation based on postmortem CT data-validation of a multiplication factor

Postmortem computed tomography (pmCT) is increasingly applied in forensic medicine as a documentation and diagnostic tool. The present study investigated if pmCT data can be used to estimate the corpse weight. In 50 forensic cases, pmCT examinations were performed prior to autopsy and the pmCT data were used to determine the body volume using an automated segmentation tool. PmCT was performed within 48 h postmortem. The body weights assessed prior to autopsy and the body volumes assessed using the pmCT data were used to calculate individual multiplication factors. The mean postmortem multiplication factor for the study cases was 1.07 g/ml. Using this factor, the body weight may be estimated retrospectively when necessary. Severe artifact causing foreign bodies within the corpses limit the use of pmCT data for body weight estimations.

Effect sizes and standardization in neighbourhood models of forest stands: potential biases and misinterpretations

Effects of conspecific neighbours on survival and growth of trees have been found to be related to species abundance. Both positive and negative relationships may explain observed abundance patterns. Surprisingly, it is rarely tested whether such relationships could be biased or even spurious due to transforming neighbourhood variables or influences of spatial aggregation, distance decay of neighbour effects and standardization of effect sizes. To investigate potential biases, communities of 20 identical species were simulated with log-series abundances but without species-specific interactions. No relationship of conspecific neighbour effects on survival or growth with species abundance was expected. Survival and growth of individuals was simulated in random and aggregated spatial patterns using no, linear, or squared distance decay of neighbour effects. Regression coefficients of statistical neighbourhood models were unbiased and unrelated to species abundance. However, variation in the number of conspecific neighbours was positively or negatively related to species abundance depending on transformations of neighbourhood variables, spatial pattern and distance decay. Consequently, effect sizes and standardized regression coefficients, often used in model fitting across large numbers of species, were also positively or negatively related to species abundance depending on transformation of neighbourhood variables, spatial pattern and distance decay. Tests using randomized tree positions and identities provide the best benchmarks by which to critically evaluate relationships of effect sizes or standardized regression coefficients with tree species abundance. This will better guard against potential misinterpretations.

MacroH2A1 Regulation During the Cell Cycle of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

MacroH2A is a core histone variant that plays an important role in the X-inactivation process during differentiation of embryonic stem cells. It has been shown that macroH2A changes in localization during the cell cycle of somatic cells. This study aims to determine how macroH2A changes during the cell cycle of embryonic stem cells. Male and female mouse embryonic stem cells were transfected with a GFP::macroH2A construct and the relationship between macroH2A and the cell cycle was determined using FACS. This study shows that macroH2A is altered during the cell cycle of embryonic stem cells as it is in somatic cells and that in randomly cycling cells, there is a correlation between macroH2A expression and the phases of the cell cycle. High GFP expressing cells are mostly in the G2/M phase and low GFP expressing cells are mostly in the G1 phase. This correlation indicated that macroH2A is replicated with cellular DNA during the S phase resulting in higher expression in the G2/M phase. Future research, such as RT-PCR and differentiation experiments, is needed to further study this relationship and determine whether this change is at the protein or RNA level and how it changes during differentiation.

Income Inequality in the 1990s: Re-Forging a Lost Relationship?

Using data from March Current Population Surveys we find gains from economic growth over the 1990s business cycle (1989-2000) were more equitably distributed than over the 1980s business cycle (1979-1989) using summary inequality measures as well as kernel density estimations. The entire distribution of household size-adjusted income moved upwards in the 1990s with profound improvements for African Americans, single mothers and those living in households receiving welfare. Most gains occurred over the growth period 1993-2000. Improvements in average income and income inequity over the latter period are reminiscent of gains seen in the first three decades after World War II.