Generation and evolution of magma beneath the East Pacific Rise: Constraints from U-series disequilibrium and plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions

Mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) samples from the East Pacific Rise (EPR 12 degrees 50'N) were analyzed for U-series isotopes and compositions of plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions. The Ra-226 and Th-230 excesses are negatively correlated; the Ra-226 excess is positively correlated with Mg# and Sm/Nd, and is negatively correlated with La/Sm and Fe-8; the Th-230 excess is positively correlated with Fe-8 and La/Sm and is negatively correlated with Mg# and Sm/Nd. Interpretation of these correlations is critical for understanding the magmatic process. There are two models (the dynamic model and the "two-porosity" model) for interpreting these correlations, however, some crucial parameters used in these models are not ascertained. We propose instead a model to explain the U-series isotopic compositions based on the control of melt density variation. For melting either peridotite or the "marble-cake" mantle, the FeOt content, Th-230 excess and La/Sm ratio increases and Sm/Nd decreases with increasing pressure. A deep melt will evolve to a higher density and lower Mg# than a shallow melt, the former corresponds to a long residence time, which lowers the Ra-226 excess significantly. This model is supported by the existence of low Ra-226 excesses and high Th-230 excesses in MORBs having a high Fe-8 content and high density. The positive correlation of Ra-226 excess and magma liquidus temperature implies that the shallow melt is cooled less than the deep melt due to its low density and short residence time. The correlations among Fe-8, Ti-8 and Ca-8/Al-8 in plagioclase-hosted melt inclusions further prove that MORBs are formed from melts having a negative correlation in melting depths and degrees. The negative correlation of Ra-226 excess vs. chemical diversity index (standard deviation of Fe-8, Ti-8 and Ca-8/Al-8) of the melt inclusions is in accordance with the influence of a density-controlled magma residence time. We conclude that the magma density variation exerts significant control on residence time and U-series isotopic compositions. (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seasonal changes in the distribution of dissolved organic nitrogen in coastal and open-ocean waters in the North East Pacific: sources and sinks

The distribution of dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and nitrate were determined seasonally (winter, spring and summer) during three years along line P, i.e. an E-W transect from the coast of British Columbia, Canada, to Station P (50degreesN, 145degreesW) in the subarctic North East Pacific Ocean. In conjunction, DON measurements were made in the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Georgia within an estuarine system connected to the NE Pacific Ocean. The distribution of DON at the surface showed higher values of 4-17 muM in the Straits relative to values of 4-10 muM encountered along line P, respectively. Along line P, the concentration of DON showed an inshore-offshore gradient at the surface with higher values near the coast. The equation for the conservation of DON showed that horizontal transport of DON (inshore-offshore) was much larger than vertical physical mixing. Horizontal advection of DON-rich waters from the coastal estuarine system to the NE Pacific Ocean was likely the cause of the inshore-offshore gradient in the concentration of DON. Although the concentration of DON was very variable in space and time, it increased from winter to summer, with an average build up of 4.3 muM in the Straits and 0.7 muM in the NE subarctic Pacific. This implied seasonal DON sources of 0.3 mmol N m(-2) d(-1) at Station P and 1.5 mmol N m(-2) d(-1) in the Straits, respectively. These seasonal DON accumulation rates corresponded to about 15-20% of the seasonal nitrate uptake and suggested that there was a small seasonal build up of labile DON at the surface. However, the long residence times of 180-1560 d indicated that the most of the DON pool in surface waters was refractory in two very different productivity regimes of the NE Pacific. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

The status and characteristics of eutrophication in the Yangtze River (Changjiang) estuary and the adjacent East China Sea, China

Eutrophication has become increasingly serious and noxious algal blooms have been of more frequent occurrence in the Yangtze River Estuary and in the adjacent East China Sea. In 2003 and 2004, four cruises were undertaken in three zones in the estuary and in the adjacent sea to investigate nitrate (NO3-N), ammonium (NH4-N), nitrite (NO2-N), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), dissolved reactive silica (DRSi), dissolved oxygen (DO), phytoplankton chlorophyll a (Chl a) and suspended particulate matter (SPM). The highest concentrations of DIN (NO3-N+NH4-N+NO2-N), SRP and DRSi were 131.6, 1.2 and 155.6 mu M, respectively. The maximum Chl a concentration was 19.5 mg m(-3) in spring. An analysis of historical and recent data revealed that in the last 40 years, nitrate and SRP concentrations increased from 11 to 97 mu M and from 0.4 to 0.95 mu M, respectively. From 1963 to 2004, N:P ratios also increased from 30-40 up to 150. In parallel with the N and P enrichment, a significant increase of Chl a was detected, Chl a maximum being 20 mg m(-3), nearly four times higher than in the 1980s. In 2004, the mean DO concentration in bottom waters was 4.35 mg l(-1), much lower than in the 1980s. In comparison with other estuaries, the Yangtze River Estuary was characterized by high DIN and DRSi concentrations, with low SRP concentrations. Despite the higher nutrient concentrations, Chl a concentrations were lower in the inner estuary (Zones 1 and 2) than in the adjacent sea (Zone 3). Based on nutrient availability, SPM and hydrodynamics, we assumed that in Zones 1 and 2 phytoplankton growth was suppressed by high turbidity, large tidal amplitude and short residence time. Furthermore, in Zone 3 water stratification was also an important factor that resulted in a greater phytoplankton biomass and lower DO concentrations. Due to hydrodynamics and turbidity, the open sea was unexpectedly more sensitive to nutrient enrichment and related eutrophication processes.

荣成基底片麻岩原岩岩石成因及其构造意义

Extensive high to ultrahigh pressure metamorphic rocks are outcropped in the the Dabie-Sulu UHP orogenic belt. Disputes still exist about for protolith nature of metamorphic rocks, petrogenesis, tectonic setting, and influence on upper mantle during the Triassic deep subduction. In this study, a combined study of petrology, geochemistry, isotope geochemistry and zircon chronology was accomplished for high-grade gneisses in the basement of the ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic Rongcheng terrane to reveal protolith nature and petrogenesis of the gneisses and to disucss the magmatic succession along the northern margin of the Yangtze block in Neoproterozoic. Gneisses in the Rongcheng terrane are characterized by negative Nb, Ta, P and Ti anomalies, relatively low Sr/Y ratios and relatively high Ba/La, Ba/Nb and Ba/Zr ratios, mostly displaying geochemical affinity to Phanerozoic volcanic arc. Neoproterozoic protolith ages (0.7 ~ 0.8 Ga) and Paleoproterozoic average crustal residence time (1.92 ~ 2.21 Ga) favour a Yangtze affinity. The gneisses mostly display characteristics of enrichment of LREE, flat heavy rare earth elements (REE) patterns, moderately fractionation between LREE and HREE and slight negative or positive Eu anomalies, probably reflecting that melting took place in the middle to low crust (26 ~ 33 km), where amphibole fractionated from the melts and/or inherited from source material as major mineral phases in the source area. Sr-Nd isotopic composition of the gneisses supports this conclusion. According to εNd(t) and εHf(t) values, the gneisses can be divided into three groups. Gneisses of group I have the highest εNd(t) and εHf(t) values, corresponding to the range of -6 ~ -3 and -2.9 ~ 13.4, respectively. This suggests obvious influx of depleted mantle or juvenile crust in the formation of protoliths. Gneisses of group II have medium εNd(t) (-9 ~ -7) and εHf(t) values (-15.8 ~ -1.4), corresponding to relatively high TDM2(Nd) (1.99 ~ 2.31 Ga) and TDM2(Hf) (1.76 ~ 2.67 Ga) , respectively. This suggests these gneisses were formed by partial melting of Paleoproterozoic crust. Gneisses of group III have the lowest εNd(t) (-15 ~ -10) and εHf(t) values (-15.8 ~ -1.4), corresponding to the largest TDM2(Nd) (1.99 ~ 2.31 Ga) and TDM2(Hf) ( 1.76 ~ 2.67 Ga), respectively. This indicates that gneisses of group III were formed by remelting of Archean crustal material and further demonstrates existence of an Archean basement probably of the Yangtze affinity beneath the Rongcheng terrane. Gneisses of three groups have also certain different geochemical characteristics. Contents of REEs and trace elements reduce gradually from group I to group III. Zirconium saturation temperatures also show similar tendency. Compared to gneisses of group II and group III, gneisses of group I display geochemical feature similar to extensional tectonic setting, having relatively little influence by the source area. Therefore, geochemical characteristics for gneisses of group I can indictate that the protoliths of the Rongcheng gneisses formed in an extensional rifting tectonic setting. This conclusion is supported by the results of eclogites and gabbros previously reported in the Dabie-Sulu orogenic belt. Statistical results of the protolith ages of the Rongcheng gneisses show two age peaks around ~728 Ma and ~783 Ma with an about 50 Ma gap. Extensive magatism in abou 750 Ma along the northern margin of the Yangtze block can hardly be observed in the Rongcheng terrane. This phenomenon likely suggests discontinuous Neoproterozoic magmatism along the northern margin of the Yangtze block.

南海北部大陆边缘盆地深部地热特征用地球动力学演化

This report is a conclusion of the major research outcome during my post-doctoral residence of research and work. Its content covers the researches of the deep thermal characteristic and dynamics evolution beneath the northern margin basin of South China Sea. In this report, the each other action and effect between lithosphere ad mantle convection were regarded by the combine of deep and shallow study, subdivision from whole to part, and pay equal attention to determine the nature and fixed quantity. The investigative method we used in this report is geothermal and gravity methods. By the help of geological model and geophysics modeling, we calculated lithosphere thermal structure, rheology structure and mantle convection. Firstly, the report introduces concisely the purpose and the previous achievement to this research. Then, it analyzed the characteristic of heat flow on South China Sea. The structure of deep temperature and thermal has been calculated in some models of heat generation and conduction. The rock rheology structure also was computed by the relationship between temperature and viscosity. All these calculations were finished under the guidelines of combine with geology and geophysics. Meanwhile, the fields both deep mantle convection and small scale upper mantle convection are computed. Beside, the density and temperature disorder resulted by mantle convection were also computed with the convection field. After these, the report bring the contribution of local field of mantle convection, thermal construct and effective viscosity beneath the northern margin basin of South China Sea. And, base on the tectonic background and evolution feature, this report discussion the evolution mechanism of south China Sea and its northern margin basin. The end of this report, the main conclusion of this research was summarized and brings out.

心理咨询师的心理需要及相关因素的研究

The aim of this research is to explore the tendency of needs and its influential factors in counselors at present time．Three studies were carried out: study 1 was to find out the tendency of needs and the structure of needs in counselors. Study 2 was to compare the needs between counselors and non-counselors, in which 64 subjects were students majored in psychology but they don’t want to counsel.Study 3 was to initially explore the relationships between the tendency of needs and its influential factors. Studies of the 1 and 3 selected 123 counselors. It was found that: 1. The results of EPPS in counselors: according to comparison between original marks, the number of subjects who range first from high to low was: introspection，change，dominance，nurse，order，succor，affinity=autonomy，achievement，endurance，heterosexuality，deference，aggression=exhibition=abasement ; according to means of original marks, the tendency of needs from high to low was: introspection，achievement，nurse，autonomy，change，succor，endurance，dominance，order，affinity，aggression，exhibition，deference，abasement，heterosexuality. The lower one of the counselors were needs of aggression, exhibition，deference，abasement and heterosexuality，the high one are introspection，nurse and change．The most difference was achievement need. 2. Dilemmas had no significantly different effect on the needs of counselors, but sexuality and age affect them in some factors. There were significant differences in the factors of deference, exhibition and nurse among different ages. Counselors married had higher tendency of obedience, autonomy, introspection, nurse and endurance than those unmarried. 3. The results of EPPS in non-counselors: according to comparison between original marks, the number of subjects who range first from high to low was: endurance，order，change=dominance，autonomy= introspection=nurse，affinity，succor，aggression，achievement，heterosexuality，exhibition=abasement，deference; according to original marks’means, the tendency of needs from high to low was: nurse，endurance，achievement，order，introspection，change，autonomy，dominance，affinity，succor，aggression，exhibition，abasement，deference，heterosexuality. The lower one of the counselors were needs of aggression, exhibition，deference，abasement and heterosexuality，the high one were introspection，nurse and change．The most difference was achievement need. 4. There were significant differences in the needs of abasement and introspection between counselors and non-counselors. Male counselors and non-counselors had significant differences in the factor of abasement. Female counselors had higher tendency of succor needs. 5. The differences of childhood traumas and positive life events were not significant. The positive and negative life events themselves had no significant differences, but negative life events had marginal significant difference between the two groups. 6. The marks of counselors were lower than non-counselors in the factors of neuroticism. 7. Counselors and trainees had no significant differences among other needs、childhood traumas、life events、personality and coping styles except in the deference need. 8. The result of multiple estimation of EPQ , CTQ and EPPS were related．Many specific life events were related with the tendency of many needs. As shown in the research, children’s traumas, characteristic and life events may affect needs chiefly. 9. There were close relation between characteristic and childhood traumas in counselors. Especially the subjects with more childhood traumas had higher tendency of psychoticism, neuroticism and introvision. There were few persons with much high scores on the Childhood traumas in the subjects．Their personality characteristics indicate high extrovision and low psychoticism．Their childhood traumas may affect the shape of sound personality． Conclusion: 1. The most important tendency of needs were introspection，nurse and change． 2. The differences of childhood traumas and life events were not significant between counselors and non-counselors. The marks of counselors were higher than non-counselors in the factors of introspection, but lower in the factor of neuroticism． 3. The main influential factors in counselors of needs were childhood traumas、characteristic and life events.

Political participation of non-national residents in Portugal

Em Portugal, novas medidas de participação política têm vindo a ser introduzidas tanto por força da transição para uma sociedade multicultural como pela sua participação na integração política europeia que se direcciona para um novo nível de cidadania. O presente artigo pretende mostrar até que ponto os residentes não-nacionais, de países terceiros e da União Europeia, efectivamente usam os seus novos direitos políticos e participam nos actos eleitorais em Portugal, conferindo-lhes a oportunidade de uma maior integração política no seu Estado de residência. In Portugal, new rules of political participation have been imposed by the transition to a multicultural society, in addition to the European political integration that is currently developing towards a new level of citizenship. This paper intends to show to what extent non-national residents, both from EU and non-EU countries, effectively use their new political rights and participate in the Portuguese electoral acts that give them the opportunity for a wider political integration in their state of residence.

Novos sistemas terapêuticos para administração nasal de fármacos

Projeto de Pós-Graduação/Dissertação apresentado à Universidade Fernando Pessoa como parte dos requisitos para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Ciências Farmacêuticas

A perceção de qualidade de vida do idoso institucionalizado

A institucionalização do idoso é cada vez mais uma realidade constante, o que faz com que a população idosa tenha um peso maior na estrutura etária, quer por necessidades próprias quer por necessidades sentidas pelos seus cuidadores. A fim de darmos resposta aos objetivos delineados; saber qual a perceção dos idosos sobre a Qualidade de vida; conhecer o quão satisfeitos estão os idosos com a sua saúde e conhecer a qualidade de vida dos idosos no domínio físico, psicológico, nas relações sociais e no meio ambiente. Como instrumento de recolha de dados, utilizamos a escala Whoqol-Bref e recolhemos os dados através de uma entrevista a 28 idosos com uma média de idades de 85,5 anos, institucionalizados na Residence Grande Fontaine, na Suíça. Após a colheita de dados, estes foram analisados através do programa informático Microsoft Office Excel 2010 e organizados em gráficos e tabelas. Tendo em conta os parâmetros utilizados pela escala supra referida para avaliação da qualidade de vida, conclui-se que os idosos inquiridos apresentam uma qualidade de vida no nível "Boa". Relativamente à satisfação com a sua saúde os idosos inquiridos apresentavam-se no nível "nem satisfeitos nem insatisfeitos com a mesma". Em relação a avaliação da qualidade de vida no que se refere aos quatro domínios da escala, o domínio com melhor percentagem é do meio ambiente e o domínio com menor classificação refere-se ao domínio das relações sociais.

Rationing Antiretroviral Therapy for HIV/AIDS in Africa: Efficiency, Equity, and Reality

Background: Rationing of access to antiretroviral therapy already exists in sub-Saharan Africa and will intensify as national treatment programs develop. The number of people who are medically eligible for therapy will far exceed the human, infrastructural, and financial resources available, making rationing of public treatment services inevitable. Methods: We identified 15 criteria by which antiretroviral therapy could be rationed in African countries and analyzed the resulting rationing systems across 5 domains: clinical effectiveness, implementation feasibility, cost, economic efficiency, and social equity. Findings: Rationing can be explicit or implicit. Access to treatment can be explicitly targeted to priority subpopulations such as mothers of newborns, skilled workers, students, or poor people. Explicit conditions can also be set that cause differential access, such as residence in a designated geographic area, co-payment, access to testing, or a demonstrated commitment to adhere to therapy. Implicit rationing on the basis of first-come, first-served or queuing will arise when no explicit system is enforced; implicit systems almost always allow a high degree of queue-jumping by the elite. There is a direct tradeoff between economic efficiency and social equity. Interpretation: Rationing is inevitable in most countries for some period of time. Without deliberate social policy decisions, implicit rationing systems that are neither efficient nor equitable will prevail. Governments that make deliberate choices, and then explain and defend those choices to their constituencies, are more likely to achieve a socially desirable outcome from the large investments now being made than are those that allow queuing and queue-jumping to dominate.

Ballineaspigmore and Bishopstown House

Ballineaspig, anglicised Bishopstown, consists of two townlands which are Ballineaspigmore and Ballineaspigbeg. Taken together, both townlands oc­cupy an area identifiable in modern day terms as lying approximately be­tween the old Glasheen National School on the east side and what was, until recently, the University Farm Curraheen Road on the west. A townland is the smallest administrative land division in Ireland. Historians and other scholars are as yet inconclusive about the origins of these divisions. They are certainly as old as the seventeenth century. The townland with which this booklet is concerned is known as Ballineaspigmore. It extends west from the new Regional Hospital at Wilton and includes modern housing estates such as Uam-Var, Benvoirlich and Firgrove. The simplest translation of the townland name is the large land division of the bishop. To clarify a popular misconception, Bishopstown does not derive its name from the fact that in the early eighteenth century a bishop of Cork built his country residence there. The name is much older and can be found in sources dating back to the sixteenth century.

Variability in north temperate dung beetle assemblages at different spatial and temporal scales

This study examined the spatial and temporal variability of dung beetle assemblages across a variety of scales e.g. from the between-pad scale (examining the effects of dung size and type) to larger spatial scales encompassing southern Ireland. Dung beetle assemblage structure as sampled by dung pad cohort samples and dung baited pitfall trapping were compared. Generally, the rank order of abundance of dung beetle species was significantly correlated between pitfall catches and cohort pad samples. Across different dung sizes, in both pitfall catches and cohort pad samples, the relative abundance of species was frequently significantly different, but the rank order of abundance of dung beetle was usually significantly correlated. Considerable variations in pitfall catches at temporal scales of a few days appeared to be closely related to weather conditions and rotational grazing. However, despite considerable variation in absolute abundances between consecutive days of sampling, assemblage structure typically remained very similar. The relationship between dung pad size and dung beetle colonisation was investigated. In field experiments in which pads of different sizes (0.25 L, 0.5 L, 1.0 L and 1.5 L) were artificially deposited, there was a positive relationship between pad size and both biomass and number of beetles colonising dung pads and pitfall traps. In addition, with one exception, the field experiments indicated a general positive relationship between dung pad size and biomass density (dung beetle biomass per unit dung volume). A laboratory experiment indicated that pat residence times of A. rufipes were significantly correlated with dung pad size. Investigation of naturally-deposited cow dung pads in the field also indicated that both larval numbers and densities were significantly correlated with dung pad size. These results were discussed in the context of theory related to aggregation and coexistence of species, and resource utilisation by organisms in ephemeral, patchy resources. The colonisation by dung beetles of dung types from native herbivores (sheep, horse and cow) was investigated in field experiments. There were significant differences between the dung types in the chemical parameters measured, and there were significant differences in abundances of dung beetles colonising the dung types. Sheep dung was typically the preferred dung type. Data from these field experiments, and from published literature, indicated that dung beetle species can display dung type preferences, in terms of comparisons of both absolute and relative abundances. In addition, data from laboratory experiments indicate that both Aphodius larval production and pat residence times tended to be higher in those dung types which were preferred by adult Aphodius in the colonisation experiments. Data from dung-baited pitfall trapping (from this and another study) at several sites (up to 180 km distant) and over a number of years (between 1991 and 1996) were used to investigate spatial and temporal variation in dung beetle assemblage structure and composition (Aphodius, Sphaeridium and Geotrupes) across a range of scales in southern Ireland. Species richness levels, species composition and rank order of abundances were very similar between the assemblages. The temporal variability between seasons within any year exceeded temporal variability between years. DCA ordinations indicated that there was a similar level of variability between assemblage structure from the between-field (~1km) to regional (~180 km) spatial scales, and between year (6 years) temporal scales. At the biogeographical spatial scale, analysis of data from the literature indicated that there was considerable variability at this scale, largely due to species turnover.

A craniometric study of population dynamics and social organisation in the European upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic

The purpose of this study is to explore aspects of social organisation during the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic periods using craniometric data. Different hypotheses were tested using geometric morphometrics, alongside traditional craniometric data. The clustering of individuals from the same site, as well as a correspondence to an isolation-by-distance model—particular in the Mesolithic samples—points to population structure within these groups. Moreover, discontinuities in cranial traits between the early Upper Palaeolithic and later periods could suggest that the Last Glacial Maximum had a disruptive effect on populations in Europe. Differences in social organisation can often result from cultural norms regarding post-marital residence. Such differences can be tested by comparing cranial data to that of geographic information. Greater variation in male cranial traits relative to females, after controlling for location, suggests that the overall pattern of residence during the Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic was one of matrilocality. It has been suggested that coastal occupation was density dependent and these populations show a greater degree of sedentism than their inland counterparts. Moreover, it has been proposed that coastal areas were not continuously occupied until the Late Pleistocene due to spatial restrictions that would adversely affect reproductive opportunities. This study corroborates the pattern seen in cranial traits corresponded with that of a more sedentary population. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that coastal populations are more sedentary than inland populations during these periods. This study adds new information regarding the social dynamics of prehistoric populations in Europe and sheds light on some of the conditions that may have paved the way for the transition to agriculture

Young caregivers in the end-of-life setting: a population-based profile of an emerging group.

PURPOSE: Little is known about young caregivers of people with advanced life-limiting illness. Better understanding of the needs and characteristics of these young caregivers can inform development of palliative care and other support services. METHODS: A population-based analysis of caregivers was performed from piloted questions included in the 2001-2007 face-to-face annual health surveys of 23,706 South Australians on the death of a loved one, caregiving provided, and characteristics of the deceased individual and caregiver. The survey was representative of the population by age, gender, and region of residence. FINDINGS: Most active care was provided by older, close family members, but large numbers of young people (ages 15-29) also provided assistance to individuals with advanced life-limiting illness. They comprised 14.4% of those undertaking "hands-on" care on a daily or intermittent basis, whom we grouped together as active caregivers. Almost as many young males as females participate in active caregiving (men represent 46%); most provide care while being employed, including 38% who work full-time. Over half of those engaged in hands-on care indicated the experience to be worse or much worse than expected, with young people more frequently reporting dissatisfaction thereof. Young caregivers also exhibited an increased perception of the need for assistance with grief. CONCLUSION: Young people can be integral to end-of-life care, and represent a significant cohort of active caregivers with unique needs and experiences. They may have a more negative experience as caregivers, and increased needs for grief counseling services compared to other age cohorts of caregivers.

The effect of hydrogen bonding on the diffusion of water in n-alkanes and n-alcohols measured with a novel single microdroplet method.

While the Stokes-Einstein (SE) equation predicts that the diffusion coefficient of a solute will be inversely proportional to the viscosity of the solvent, this relation is commonly known to fail for solutes, which are the same size or smaller than the solvent. Multiple researchers have reported that for small solutes, the diffusion coefficient is inversely proportional to the viscosity to a fractional power, and that solutes actually diffuse faster than SE predicts. For other solvent systems, attractive solute-solvent interactions, such as hydrogen bonding, are known to retard the diffusion of a solute. Some researchers have interpreted the slower diffusion due to hydrogen bonding as resulting from the effective diffusion of a larger complex of a solute and solvent molecules. We have developed and used a novel micropipette technique, which can form and hold a single microdroplet of water while it dissolves in a diffusion controlled environment into the solvent. This method has been used to examine the diffusion of water in both n-alkanes and n-alcohols. It was found that the polar solute water, diffusing in a solvent with which it cannot hydrogen bond, closely resembles small nonpolar solutes such as xenon and krypton diffusing in n-alkanes, with diffusion coefficients ranging from 12.5x10(-5) cm(2)/s for water in n-pentane to 1.15x10(-5) cm(2)/s for water in hexadecane. Diffusion coefficients were found to be inversely proportional to viscosity to a fractional power, and diffusion coefficients were faster than SE predicts. For water diffusing in a solvent (n-alcohols) with which it can hydrogen bond, diffusion coefficient values ranged from 1.75x10(-5) cm(2)/s in n-methanol to 0.364x10(-5) cm(2)/s in n-octanol, and diffusion was slower than an alkane of corresponding viscosity. We find no evidence for solute-solvent complex diffusion. Rather, it is possible that the small solute water may be retarded by relatively longer residence times (compared to non-H-bonding solvents) as it moves through the liquid.