Skeletal analysis and comparison of bog bodies from Northern European peat bogs

Although numerous bodies were deposited in Western European bogs in the past centuries, few were found and underwent archeological analysis. No studies comparing skeletal structure and mineralization of bog bodies from different ages have been performed to this day. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze and compare skeletal features and specifics of the human remains of three bog bodies from the Iron and Middle Ages found in Northern European peat bogs. Demineralization due to the acidic environment in peat bogs was comparably pronounced in all three bodies. Still, the macroscopic state of skeletal preservation was excellent. In addition to contact radiography, we used peripheral quantitative computed tomography to measure cortical bone mineral density. The conservation of skeletal three-dimensional microstructural elements was assessed by high-resolution microcomputed tomography analysis. These techniques revealed severe differences in bone mineral density and enabled us to determine handedness in all three bodies. Additionally, unique skeletal features like intravital bone lesions, immobilization osteoporosis, and Harris lines were found. A deformity of the left femoral head was observed which had the typical appearance of an advanced stage of Legg–Calve–Perthes disease. This study gives detailed insight into the skeletal microstructure and microarchitecture of 800- to 2,700-year-old bog bodies. Skeletal analysis enables us to draw conclusions not only concerning changes in the acidic environment of the bog, but also serves as a diagnostic tool to unravel life circumstances and diseases suffered by humans in the Iron and Middle Ages.     

Environmental implications of urbanization and lifestyle change in China: Ecological and Water Footprints

Since the open door policy in 1978 China has undergone enormous economic and social changes making China to be one of the largest economies and consumers of resources in the world. The pronounced differences in income and lifestyles especially between urban and rural China were also part of China's economic rebirth.This paper explores current trajectories and scenarios for urbanization and lifestyle changes and other important socio-economic trends in China. The implications of these changes are analysed for Beijing in particular and then compared to China for the year 2020. These changes by 2020 are modelled using input–output analysis in combination with the Ecological Footprint and Water Footprint.     

The attractiveness fragment—AFLP analysis of local adaptation and sexual selection in a caeliferan grasshopper, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chorthippus biguttulus</Emphasis>

Genetic variability among males is a necessary precondition for the evolution of female choice based on indirect genetic benefits. In addition to mutations and host–parasite cycles, migration of locally adapted individuals offers an explanation for the maintenance of genetic variability. In a previous study, conducting a reciprocal transplant experiment on a grasshopper, Chorthippus biguttulus, we found that environmental conditions significantly influenced not only body condition but also an important trait of male calling song, the amplitude of song. Although not significant, all other analysed physical and courtship song traits and attractiveness were superior in native than in transferred males. Thus, we concluded that local adaptation has a slight but consistent influence on a range of traits in our study populations, including male acoustic attractiveness. In our present study, we scanned male grasshoppers from the same two populations for amplification fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) loci connected with acoustic attractiveness to conspecific females. We found greater differences in allele frequencies between the two populations, for some loci, than are expected from a balance between drift and gene flow. These loci are potentially connected with locally adapted traits. We examined whether these alleles show the proposed genotype environment interaction by having different associations with attractiveness in the two populations. One locus was significantly related to sexual attractiveness; however, this was independent of the males’ population affiliation. Future research on the evolution of female choice will benefit from knowledge of the underlying genetic architecture of male traits under intraspecific sexual selection, and the ‘population genomics’ approach can be a powerful tool for revealing this structure.     

Amine reclaiming technologies in post-combustion carbon dioxide capture

Amine scrubbing is the most developed technology for carbon dioxide (CO₂) capture. Degradation of amine solvents due to the presence of high levels of oxygen and other impurities in flue gas causes increasing costs and deterioration in long term performance, and therefore purification of the solvents is needed to overcome these problems. This review presents the reclaiming of amine solvents used for post combustion CO₂ capture (PCC). Thermal reclaiming, ion exchange, and electrodialysis, although principally developed for sour gas sweetening, have also been tested for CO₂ capture from flue gas. The three technologies all have their strengths and weaknesses, and further development is needed to reduce energy usage and costs. An expected future trend for amine reclamation is to focus on process integration of the current reclaiming technologies into the PCC process in order to drive down costs.     

Identification of oxidized TNT metabolites in soil samples of a former ammunition plant

Water extracts of soil samples of the former ammunition plant “Tanne” near Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Lower Saxony, Germany, were investigated for highly polar oxidized 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) metabolites. 0.4 to 9.0 mg/kg dry soil 2,4,6-trinitrobenzoic acid (TNBA) and 5.8 to 544 mg/kg dry soil 2-amino-4,6-dinitrobenzoic acid (2-ADNBA) were found. In addition to the oxidized metabolites, TNT, 4- and 2-aminodinitrotoluene (4- and 2-ADNT), and 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) were extractable with water. Most interestingly, in one sample, 2-ADNBA represented the main contaminant. The origin of the oxidized nitroaromatics is unknown at this time. They might be generated chemically or photochemically. Furthermore, a biological synthesis seems possible.     

让我们在联合国可持续发展委员会第9次会议上作出些有特色的事情来!

虽然能源是经济与社会发展的核心,但能源的生产、运输和使用是造成许多地方、国家和全球层次上重大环境问题的根源.联合国环境规划署正通过其所属的能源与环境合作中心(UCCEE)积极对待这些问题.     

Abschätzung biogener Kohlenwasserstoff-Emissionen

A procedure for the estimation of hydrocarbon emissions caused by deciduous forests, coniferous forests, mixed forests, agricultural areas and grassland is described. Here, the hydrocarbons are divided into three groups: isoprene, monoterpenes and other biogenic-emitted, volatile organic compounds. The emissions are calculated for a summer day in the eastern part of Germany using a land use data base. The spatial distribution of the emissions is represented as well as the variation of the emissions in the course of the summer day. The estimation of the emissions reveals that the daily amount of biogenic hydrocarbon emissions during the summer can have the same magnitude as the anthropogenic hydrocarbon emissions.     

Endocrine disrupting nonyl- and octylphenol in infant food in Germany: considerable daily intake of nonylphenol for babies

Nonylphenol and octylphenol are persistent endocrine disrupters that are priority substances of the European Union Water Framework Directive. Their presence in the environment has caused increasing concern about their impact to human health. Infants are more sensitive to hormonal impacts of environmental chemicals than adults. The results of the present study indicate that nonylphenol is ubiquitous in foodstuffs for babies and toddlers commercially available in Germany, while octylphenol could only be determined in 80% of all food samples. The daily intakes based on consumption studies in μg nonylphenol kg⁻¹ body weight per day for high consumers in the baby category (0.23-0.65 μg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹) were relatively high. This could lead to a higher risk especially for babies.     

Incorporation of in silico biodegradability screening in early drug development—a feasible approach?

Introduction  

The concentration of a pharmaceutical found in the environment is determined by the amount used by the patient, the excretion and metabolism pattern, and eventually by its persistence. Biological degradation or persistence of a pharmaceutical is experimentally tested rather late in the development of a pharmaceutical, often shortly before submission of the dossier to regulatory authorities.