Radon—Ein neuer analytischer Ansatz zur “In-situ-Bestimmung” der Gasleitf?higkeit von B?den

Vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt ein neuartiges Verfahren zur “In-situ-Bestimmung” der Gasleitf?higkeit von B?den. Es bedient sich des natürlich vorkommenden, radioaktiven Edelgases Radon. Hierbei wird in einer Me?kammer, die auf dem Boden aufsitzt, die H?he der Radonexhalation registriert. Sie ist u. a. direkt von der Gasleitf?higkeit des Bodens abh?ngig. Da das Verfahren zerst?rungsfrei arbeitet. er?ffnen sich eine Vielzahl von Applikationsm?glichkeiten, wie z. B. Beobachtungen befahrungsbedingter Strukturver?nderungen w?hrend und nach Holzerntema?nahmen sowie Untersuchungen zur Regeneration strukturell ver?nderter B?den. Dies kann beliebig oft und zu beliebigen Zeitpunkten am identischen Bodenausschnitt geschehen. The paper describes a new analytical tool for the “in situ” measurement of the gas permeability of soils. It uses on the exhalation of the redioactive rare gas radon. A chamber covering a certain surface area on the ground registers the amount of radon exhald. One of the factors, which directly controls the exhalation rate is the gas permeability. As this is a non-destructive method several possibilities for applications arise, as for example observation and analysis of changes in soil structure during and after regular timber harvesting, i.e. such caused by forest machines, as well as investigations about the regeneration of damaged sites. These investigations can be repeated as often as desired, at any time and, moreover, on the identical spot.     

Using model scenarios to predict and evaluate forest-management impacts on soil base saturation at landscape level

Silviculture, forest conversion and technical tools of ecosystem management, such as forest liming, display their effects at the landscape level. Therefore their planning and control should take place at the same scale. The primary objective of this work was to assess soil chemical properties and their changes in relationship to ecosystem management, especially forest conversion and forest liming. We calculated scenario models, based on regression analysis, which allow such an examination in the context of understanding landscape processes which can be expected to operate in the sampling region. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was used to predict soil chemical attributes (base saturation, pH, C/N content and stock, exchangeable stocks of Ca and Mg) as indicators of site stability or off-site effects of forest ecosystems such as effects on clean drinking water from forested watersheds. Because of space limitations, in this paper only the modelling results of base saturation are presented. Base saturation was used as an integrative example for other soil chemical properties. The transformation of measurements to the regional scale, i.e., the regionalization, was calculated for the forested parts of two test regions in the Black Forest on the basis of measured chemical properties of 90–150 soil profiles per test region. The models have a spatial resolution of 50×50 m, which is a spatial scale relevant for forestry practice and forest management. Topographic variables (e.g., elevation, aspect, slope gradient, and slope length), the stratigraphic classification of the geologic substrate, stand characteristics from forest inventory data, and finally technical information about forest liming were the auxiliary variables (secondary site properties) that provided indirect information about base saturation and were available for the whole forested area of the test regions. Base saturation could be predicted with an accuracy of ~50–70% (in terms of the multiple R²) by using these properties as predictor variables in multiple linear regression analyses. The explained proportion of variance was unexpectedly high considering the high geomorphological heterogeneity of the two test regions. Based upon the regionalization models, it was possible to establish scenarios showing the landscape-related effects on base saturation that may be achieved by forest conversion towards a higher proportion of forests with broad-leaved mixed stands and by forest liming. These scenarios allow the interactions between several influencing factors and management strategies and the impacts on the target variable to be synoptically judged. Thus the presented regionalization models achieve the role of decision support tools for the planning of forest management at the landscape level. They allow an assessment of the environmental effects of forest management strategies in terms of site sustainability or preservation of water resources in forested catchments.     

Identification and quantification of astaxanthin esters in shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and in a microalga (Haematococcus pluvialis) by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry using negative ion atmospheric pressure chemical ionization

Negative ion liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry [negative ion LC-(APCI)MS] was used for the identification of astaxanthin esters in extracts of commercial shrimp (Pandalus borealis) and dried microalga (Haematococcus pluvialis) samples. A cleanup step using a normal phase solid phase extraction (SPE) cartridge was applied prior to analysis. Recovery experiments with astaxanthin oleate as model compound proved the applicability of this step (98.5 +/- 7.6%; n = 4). The assignment of astaxanthin esters in negative ion LC-(APCI)MS was based on the detection of the molecular ion (M*-) and the formation of characteristic fragment ions, resulting from the loss of one or two fatty acids. Quantification of individual astaxanthin esters was performed using an astaxanthin calibration curve, which was found to be linear over the required range (1-51 micromol/L; r2 = 0.9996). Detection limits, based on the intensity of M*-, a signal-to-noise ratio of 3:1, and an injection volume of 20 microL, were estimated to be 0.05 microg/mL (free astaxanthin), 0.28 microg/mL (astaxanthin-C16:0), and 0.78 microg/mL (astaxanthin-C16:0/C16:0), respectively. This LC-(APCI)MS method allows for the first time the characterization of native astaxanthin esters in P. borealis and H. pluvialis without using time-consuming isolation steps with subsequent gas chromatographic analyses of fatty acid methyl esters. The results suggest that the pattern of astaxanthin-bound polyunsaturated fatty acids of P. borealis does not reflect the respective fatty acid pattern found in triacylglycerides. Application of the presented LC-(APCI)MS technique in common astaxanthin ester analysis will forestall erroneous xanthophyll ester assignment in natural sources.     

Carotenoids and carotenoid esters in potatoes (Solanum tuberosum L.): new insights into an ancient vegetable

The carotenoid pattern of four yellow- and four white-fleshed potato cultivars (Solanum tuberosum L.), common on the German market, was investigated using HPLC and LC(APCI)-MS for identification and quantification of carotenoids. In each case, the carotenoid pattern was dominated by violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which were present in different ratios, whereas neoxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, and beta,beta-carotene generally are only minor constituents. In contrast to literature data, antheraxanthin was found to be the only carotenoid epoxide present in native extracts. The total concentration of the four main carotenoids reached 175 microg/100 g, whereas the sum of carotenoid esters accounted for 41-131 microg/100 g. Therefore, carotenoid esters are regarded as quantitatively significant compounds in potatoes. For LC(APCI)-MS analyses of carotenoid esters, a two-stage cleanup procedure was developed, involving column chromatography on silica gel and enzymatic cleavage of residual triacylglycerides by lipases. This facilitated the direct identification of several potato carotenoid esters without previous isolation of the compounds. Although the unequivocal identification of all parent carotenoids was not possible, the cleanup procedure proved to be highly efficient for LC(APCI)-MS analyses of very low amounts of carotenoid esters.     

Real-space observation of molecular motion induced by femtosecond laser pulses

Femtosecond laser irradiation is used to excite adsorbed CO molecules on a Cu110 surface; the ensuing motion of individual molecules across the surface is characterized on a site-to-site basis by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy. Adsorbate motion both along and perpendicular to the rows of the Cu110 surface occurs readily, in marked contrast to the behavior seen for equilibrium diffusion processes. The experimental findings for the probability and direction of the molecular motion can be understood as a manifestation of strong coupling between the adsorbates' lateral degrees of freedom and the substrate electronic excitation produced by the femtosecond laser radiation.     

The ecoresponsive genome of Daphnia pulex

We describe the draft genome of the microcrustacean Daphnia pulex, which is only 200 megabases and contains at least 30,907 genes. The high gene count is a consequence of an elevated rate of gene duplication resulting in tandem gene clusters. More than a third of Daphnia's genes have no detectable homologs in any other available proteome, and the most amplified gene families are specific to the Daphnia lineage. The coexpansion of gene families interacting within metabolic pathways suggests that the maintenance of duplicated genes is not random, and the analysis of gene expression under different environmental conditions reveals that numerous paralogs acquire divergent expression patterns soon after duplication. Daphnia-specific genes, including many additional loci within sequenced regions that are otherwise devoid of annotations, are the most responsive genes to ecological challenges.     

Phytochemical changes induced by different nitrogen supply forms and radiation levels in two leafy Brassica species

The effect of three different nitrogen (N) supply forms differing in their ammonium-to-nitrate (NH(4):NO(3)) ratio (100% NH(4), 50% NH(4) + 50% NO(3), 100% NO(3)) under three different levels of daily photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) (low, 5.0; medium, 6.8; high, 9.0 mol m(-2) day(-1)) on a range of desirable health-promoting phytochemicals in Brassica rapa subsp. nipposinica var. chinoleifera and Brassica juncea was determined. The 100% NH(4) supply under medium PAR levels led to the highest concentration of glucosinolates based on a low nitrogen/sulfur ratio as well as high levels of carotenoids in the leaves of both Brassica species. However, the 100% NH(4) supply under low and medium PAR levels resulted in low concentrations of flavonoids based on high N concentration in the leaves. Thus, the data provided here have strong implications for crop management strategies aimed at optimizing both the concentration and composition of a range of phytochemicals.     

Der Einfluß von Dieselkraftstoff auf die Aggregatstabilität,den Plastizitätsindex und das Scherverhalten unterschiedlicher Bodenmaterialien

The effect of Diesel fuel on stability of aggregates, plasticity index and shear strength of two soil materials The influence of Diesel fuel contamination on mechanical properties of soil are investigated with regard to the retreatment of materials after a cleaning process. Following aspects are examined in laboratory tests: waterstability of aggregates, plasticity index and shear strength parameter. The used soil materials are mixed samples of a Luvisol (=Bt) and a tidal influenced alluvial clay sediment of a Gley (=Klei). The aggregate stability of Bt material is rising at increasing Diesel fuel contaminations due to a hydrophob effect on the surfaces of the aggregates. This influence cannot be shown for clay material. On the other hand the plasticity index shows a decrease for low Diesel fuel contaminations, because the Diesel fuel acts directly to the particle surfaces. At increasing contaminations these effects are overlayed by increasing viscosity and shear strength of water and Diesel fuel phases or emulsions. The increase in stability of aggregates is not evident in a shear box test. The Diesel fuel shows no influence to angle of internal friction for both investigated materials. On the other hand there is an effect to the cohesion. This phenomenon could be explicated with above mentioned increase in cohesion due to an increase in shear strength and viscosity of a two phase system.     

Identification and quantification of zeaxanthin esters in plants using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry

It has been suggested that lutein and zeaxanthin may decrease the risk for age-related macular degeneration. Surprisingly, oleoresins rich in zeaxanthin are not yet available on the market. Several authors have reported enhanced stability of esterified xanthophylls, so plants containing zeaxanthin esters were investigated to establish valuable sources for the production of durable oleoresins. Liquid chromatography-atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry [LC-(APCI)MS] was used to unequivocally identify zeaxanthin esters of a standard mixture and in several plant extracts. Zeaxanthin esters were quantified on the basis of their respective molecular masses using zeaxanthin for calibration; total zeaxanthin was determined after saponification of aliquots of the extracts. Thus, dried wolfberries (Lycium barbarum), Chinese lanterns (Physalis alkekengi), orange pepper (Capsicum annuum), and sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) proved to be valuable zeaxanthin ester sources. The present LC-MS method allows for an even more detailed analysis of zeaxanthin esters than reported previously.