Growth and reproduction in the Antarctic brooding bivalve Adacnarca nitens (Philobryidae) from the Ross Sea

We present information on the reproductive biology, population structure, and growth of the brooding Antarctic bivalve Adacnarca nitens Pelseneer 1903, from the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Individuals ranging from 0.85 to 6.00 mm were found attached to a hydrozoan colony. This species shows low fecundity and large egg size, common to other brooding species. The minimum size at which oogenesis was detected was 2.3 mm and the minimum size at which brooding was evident was 3.9 mm. Embryos of a full range of developmental stages were brooded simultaneously in females. The population showed a log–normal distribution and results suggest non-periodic reproduction with continuous embryonic development. The reproductive traits of A. nitens are discussed in the context of circum-Antarctic species distribution and limitations to dispersal in brooding benthic invertebrates.     

Destruction of diphenylarsine chloride (CLARK I) with activated ozone

The new technology of Plasmazon® uses the extremely strong oxidation of radicals to break up the compocunds of organic connections, e.g. chemical warfare agents like Clark I. In making a comparison of oxidation to normal ozone, the factor of the Plasmazon® -technology is available up to 10³. The investigation in an experimental test shows that it is possible to destroy the warfare agent character of Clark I. As the possibility of a large-lot application this technology is the method of choice for other chemical or biological warfare agents.     

Alterations in the breeding habitats for two endangered raptor species along the Sava River basin, Croatia

Changes in habitat suitable for breeding of two sympatric raptor species (Haliaeetus albicilla and Aquila pomarina) were analysed along one of the most important breeding sites in Croatia for both species. The habitat suitability modelling was used to assess the influence of forestry practice during 2000-2006 using the known data on nesting places along research area. The four most important variables for lesser spotted eagle were elevation, distance from the nearest pasture, vertical distance to the nearest channel network and broadleaved forest placement (second axis from the principal component analysis of the enhanced vegetation index (EVI) index of MODIS images; November-March). The variables where white-tailed eagles showed greatest shift from overall habitat characteristics in the research area were broadleaved forest (second axis from the principal component analysis of the EVI index), height above the sea level, distance from the small settlements, vertical distance to channel network - all with negative loadings. The results clearly reveal the disproportion of suitable forests for raptors that were cut down in comparison to maturation of suitable forests.     

The role of electromagnetic potentials in the evolutionary dynamics of ecosystems

It is discussed that the electromagnetic potential can cause the emergence of the coherent structures that in view of their coherence, openness and non-linearity, are able to self-organize and form various hierarchical levels of ecosystems. In the meantime the electromagnetic potential is also the physical agent acting as a messenger in these coherent structures. So it plays the task of reducing the number of independent microstates of a coherent system, becoming a candidate for implementing the concept of negentropy. Electromagnetic potential is shown to be essential for the self-organization and the time evolution of ecosystems, providing the mechanism for their non-locality, complexity and self-consistency (self-maintaining).     

Analysis of brood sex ratios: implications of offspring clustering

Generalized linear models (GLMs) are increasingly used in modern statistical analyses of sex ratio variation because they are able to determine variable design effects on binary response data. However, in applying GLMs, authors frequently neglect the hierarchical structure of sex ratio data, thereby increasing the likelihood of committing 'type I' error. Here, we argue that whenever clustered (e.g., brood) sex ratios represent the desired level of statistical inference, the clustered data structure ought to be taken into account to avoid invalid conclusions. Neglecting the between-cluster variation and the finite number of clusters in determining test statistics, as implied by using likelihood ratio-based L²-statistics in conventional GLM, results in biased (usually overestimated) test statistics and pseudoreplication of the sample. Random variation in the sex ratio between clusters (broods) can often be accommodated by scaling residual binomial (error) variance for overdispersion, and using F-tests instead of L²-tests. More complex situations, however, require the use of generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs). By introducing higher-level random effects in addition to the residual error term, GLMMs allow an estimation of fixed effect and interaction parameters while accounting for random effects at different levels of the data. GLMMs are first required in sex ratio analyses whenever there are covariates at the offspring level of the data, but inferences are to be drawn at the brood level. Second, when interactions of effects at different levels of the data are to be estimated, random fluctuation of parameters can be taken into account only in GLMMs. Data structures requiring the use of GLMMs to avoid erroneous inferences are often encountered in ecological sex ratio studies.     

Finger and hand protection on circular table and panel saws

Several hundred accidents involving the use of circular saws and resulting in injury, to hands or fingers occur each year in Germany.In the presented project, new approaches for the prevention of hand injuries and for the contactless detection of fingers are being investigated for comprehensive protection on circular saws. The basic principles can be applied to other machines with manual loading and/or unloading. This paper describes several principles to distinct human skin and wood and a safety guard that prevents touching the rotating blade. In a first approach a reliable protective device with functional diversity has been developed using a passive infrared sensor in combination with a capacitive field sensor. Second the distinction between skin and wood or other material is done by dedicated kind of spectral analysis in the near infrared region. With a kind of light curtain the intrusion into the dangerous zone near the blade can be prevented.The safety guard protects the operator’s hand within 50 ms. The forces of the protective system peak at no more than 120 N. We are presenting a complete strategy for such different tasks as cutting wedges, stopped cutting and hidden cutting, which have a very high odds ratio.     

Sulfur recirculation for increased electricity production in Waste-to-Energy plants

Sulfur recirculation is a new technology for reducing boiler corrosion and dioxin formation. It was demonstrated in full-scale tests at a Waste to Energy plant in Göteborg (Sweden) during nearly two months of operation. Sulfur was recirculated as sulfuric acid from the flue gas cleaning back to the boiler, thus creating a sulfur loop.The new technology was evaluated by extensive measurement campaigns during operation under normal conditions (reference case) and operation with sulfur recirculation. The chlorine content of both fly ash and boiler ash decreased and the sulfur content increased during the sulfur recirculation tests. The deposit growth and the particle concentration decreased with sulfur recirculation and the dioxin concentration (I-TEQ) of the flue gas was reduced by approximately 25%. Sulfuric acid dew point measurements showed that the sulfuric acid dosage did not lead to elevated SO₃ concentrations, which may otherwise induce low temperature corrosion.In the sulfur recirculation corrosion probe exposures, the corrosion rate decreased for all tested materials (16Mo3, Sanicro 28 and Inconel 625) and material temperatures (450 °C and 525 °C) compared to the reference exposure. The corrosion rates were reduced by 60–90%. Sulfur recirculation prevented the formation of transition metal chlorides at the metal/oxide interface, formation of chromate and reduced the presence of zinc in the corrosion products. Furthermore, measured corrosion rates at 525 °C with sulfur recirculation in operation were similar or lower compared to those measured at 450 °C material temperature in reference conditions, which corresponds to normal operation at normal steam temperatures. This implies that sulfur recirculation allows for higher steam data and electricity production without increasing corrosion.