Natural and Chernobyl-caused radioactivity in mushrooms,mosses and soil-samples of defined biotops in SW Bavaria

Summary Different mushrooms, mosses and corresponding soil samples have been collected mainly from two sites in the alpine region of southwestern Bavaria. At the end of the growthseason, September 1986, gamma spectroscopic analysis showed that the moss-, mould, and needle-layer contained considerably more ¹³⁴Cs and ¹³⁷Cs activity per unit fresh weight than eight different species of mushroom. These two isotopes were carried into the biotop mainly as a consequence of the Chernobyl accident. ¹³¹J could not be found any more in the samples ca. 5–6 months after the catastrophe. The activity of the cesium isotopes decreased with increasing soil depth. In the mushrooms the activity was relatively high in Xerocomus badius and surprisingly low in Boletus edulis; samples of the latter and of Cantharellus cibarius collected in September 1985 (before the accident) and kept deep frozen contained almost identical amounts of ¹³⁷Cs as those collected from August to October 1986. Mushrooms contained considerably more of the natural isotope ⁴⁰K than the needlelayers and the soil samples in the neighbourhood. In all mushrooms except Xerocomus badius the activity of ⁴⁰K was generally higher than the ¹³⁷Cs activity. The results indicate that except Xerocomus badius the analyzed mushrooms do not actively take up Cs from the soil, in contrast to K.     

Effects of fungal pretreatment and steam explosion pretreatment on enzymatic saccharification of plant biomass

The effects of consecutive treatments by a lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium and by steam explosion for the enzymatic saccharification of plant biomass were studied experimentally, and the optimal operational conditions for obtaining the maximum saccharification were evaluated. Beech wood-meal was treated by the fungus for 98 days and then by high steam temperatures of 170-230 degrees C with steaming times of 0-10 min. The treatment of the wood-meal by fungus prior to steam explosion enhanced the saccharification of wood-meal. The treated wood-meal was separated into holo-cellulose, water soluble material, methanol soluble lignin, and Klason lignin. The saccharification decreased linearly with the increase in the amount of Klason lignin. It was estimated by the equation for the saccharification of exploded wood-meal expressed as a function of steam temperature and steaming time that the maximum saccharification of wood-meal was obtained by consecutive treatments such as fungal treatment for 28 days and then steam explosion at a steam temperature of 215 degrees C and a steaming time of 6.5 min. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Changes of intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma in relation to the passage of atmospheric fronts and environmental contamination

Effects of atmospheric frontal passages on intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma are statistically investigated to show the meteorotropism of this disease. Changes in IOP caused by frontal passages are evident; the response is not identical in all the patients near the day of the passage of a warm front, while on the third day following the passage of the front a well pronounced drop in IOP occurs. Anomalous increases of IOP over several months' duration occurred in the years 1986–7. This finding is explained in relation to the hypothesis of environmental contamination in Central Europe by radioactive cesium nuclides due to the Chernobyl accident.     

Alcohol fermentation of enzymatic hydrolysate of exploded rice straw by Pichia stipitis

The xylose in an enzymatic hydrolysate of steam-exploded rice straw was not consumed by Pichia stipitis until the glucose was almost exhausted. A diauxic lag of 2 to 3 h in both cell growth and ethanol production occurred as metabolism switched from glucose to xylose utilization. Ethanol production was maximal [6 g ethano/l from 15 g reducing sugars/l (78% theoretical yield)] at an aeration rate of 0.2 vol/vol. min.The author was with the Department of Chemical Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa 920, Japan, but is now with the Engineering Biosciences Research Center, Cater-Mattil Hall, The Texas A&M University System, College Station, Texas 77843-2476, USA.     

国家公园农户对野生动物肇事保险购买意愿及其影响因素——以大熊猫国家公园为例

国家公园内人与野生动物冲突严重,建立野生动物肇事保险机制是减缓冲突的重要举措。以大熊猫国家公园周边社区为例,分析建立国家公园以及农户风险偏好对野生动物肇事保险购买意愿的影响,并探讨冲突程度和制度信任的中介效应。研究结果表明建立国家公园显著增加了农户野生动物肇事保险购买意愿,而农户风险偏好对保险购买意愿会产生负向显著影响。冲突程度和制度信任是重要的中介变量,冲突程度和制度信任均对农户保险购买意愿产生正向显著影响。建立国家公园显著增加了人与野生动物冲突严重程度,进而对保险购买意愿产生正向影响。此外,建立国家公园显著降低了农户制度信任,进而对保险购买意愿产生负向影响。农户风险偏好对野生动物肇事损失程度产生正向显著影响,进而对保险购买意愿产生正向影响。农户风险偏好对制度信任影响并不显著。基于此,研究提出吸纳社会资本参与,拓宽野生动物肇事保险资金来源,开展社区共管、地役权补偿等措施提升社区信任以及建立基于农户自主防护行为的野生动物肇事保险机制等政策建议。     

Biodynamics model for operator head injury in stand-up lift trucks

Biodynamics and injury potential of operators in stand-up rider lift truck accidents have been investigated with a special focus on head injury. An anthropomorphic test device (ATD) model was used as an operator surrogate in computer simulations of off-the-dock (OTD) and tip-over (TO) accidents. The biomechanical model representing the ATD was developed based on rigid body segments, and then combined with a rigid body truck model in the accident simulations. The operator compartment of the truck model was enclosed with a rear door. The computed kinematics are in agreement with the results of previous experimental testing. A 2D finite element model of the head was created to compute head impact decelerations in the sagittal plane. Values of the head injury criterion for the TO cases were computed from the model and shown to compare favourably with experimental values. The results advance the state of knowledge concerning injury potential in TO and OTD accidents and simulation models for such accidents.     

The Shift-Work Accident Rate is More Related to the Shift Type than to Shift Rotation

The current study investigated the accident rates across morning, late, and night shifts in rotating shift-workers employed in two different shift rotations at the same steel work factory. A retrospective analysis has been performed of accident data (N = 578) over a 5-year period (2003 through 2007) of 730 male shift-workers employed in either a clockwise (mean age of the workers 38.1 ± SD 9.8 years) or counterclockwise rotation (mean age 38.0 ± SD 10.1 years) with comparable work conditions. The overall accident rate across the 24-h day was not significantly different between clockwise and counterclockwise shift rotation. In both shift-work rotations, morning shifts as opposed to night shifts exhibited a significantly higher accident rate. There was no significant difference between late shifts and morning or night shifts in either shift rotation. The increased accident rate in the morning shift at this steel factory could be related to the early starting time of the shift and to this shift being more labor intensive in both shift rotations. These findings suggest that work-related factors must be considered in addition to shift-work schedules when investigating accident rates in rotating shift-workers.     

The Collins’ monster,a spinous suspension-feeding lobopodian from the Cambrian Burgess Shale of British Columbia

Lobopodians, a paraphyletic group of rare but morphologically diverse Palaeozoic vermiform animals bearing metameric appendages, are key to the origin of extant panarthropods. First discovered in 1983 on Mount Stephen (Yoho National Park, British Columbia), the Cambrian (Wuliuan) Burgess Shale lobopodian nicknamed ‘Collins’ monster’ is formally described as Collinsovermis monstruosus gen. et sp. nov. A formal systematic treatment of the comparable and poorly known lobopodian Acinocricus stichus from Utah is also provided. The body of Collinsovermis is plump and compact but shows the diagnostic suspension-feeding characters of luolishaniid lobopodians. It possesses 14 contiguous pairs of lobopods, lacking space between them. The 6 anterior pairs are elongate, adorned with about 20 pairs of long and slightly curved ventral spinules arranged in a chevron-like pattern. These appendages terminate in a pair of thin claws and their dorsal surfaces are covered in minute spines or setae. The 8 posterior lobopod pairs, which attach to a truncated body termination, are stout and smooth, each terminated by a single strong recurved claw. Each somite bears a pair of dorsal spines; somites 4 and posteriad bear an additional median spine. The spines on somites 1–3 are much shorter than the spines on the remaining somites. The head is short, bears a terminal mouth and a pair of antenniform outgrowths, and is covered by an oblong sclerite. Collinsovermis, plus Collinsium and Acinocricus, are found to comprise a sub-group of stout luolishaniid lobopodians with remarkably long spinules on the front lobopods, interpreted here as a clade (Teratopodidae fam. nov.) This clade is distinct from both the comparatively slenderer Luolishania and a sub-group composed of Facivermis and Ovatiovermis lacking body sclerites. Luolishaniids were mostly sessile forerunners of arthropods that had coupled efficient suspension-feeding devices and, as in Collinsovermis, strong defensive or deterrent features.