Light Weight Aggregates made from Dredged Harbour Sediments

Goal  

Annually, 400.000 m₃ harbour sediments are dredged to maintain the water depth in the harbours of Bremen and Bremerhaven. The sediment contains organic and inorganic pollutants and hence is deposited on a landfill. Because of the limited capacity of that landfill alternative treatment techniques are investigated. This study aims to evaluate the production of Light Weight Aggregates (LWA) from harbour sediments with respect to the product quality and environmental aspects of the use of the LWA.     

Antimicrobial screening of Mentha piperita essential oils

Essential oils of peppermint Mentha piperita L. (Lamiaceae), which are used in flavors, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals, were investigated for their antimicrobial properties against 21 human and plant pathogenic microorganisms. The bioactivity of the oils menthol and menthone was compared using the combination of in vitro techniques such as microdilution, agar diffusion, and bioautography. It was shown that all of the peppermint oils screened strongly inhibited plant pathogenic microorganisms, whereas human pathogens were only moderately inhibited. Chemical compositions of the oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. Using the bioautography assay, menthol was found to be responsible for the antimicrobial activity of these oils.     

THE EFFECT OF NITROGEN SOURCES ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF SALAD ROCKET GROWN IN DIFFERENT MONTHS OF THE YEAR

The effects of months of the year and nitrogen (N) sources on salad rocket (Eruca sativa Mill.) yield, quality, and nitrate accumulation was investigated during the years 2002 and 2003. In both years, seeds were sown on the first day of April, May, June, July, August and September. Three different nitrogen sources were used: farmyard (cattle) manure (100 tonnes·ha^?1), calcium nitrate [Ca(NO₃)₂]-15.5% N (150 kg N·ha^?1) and ammonium sulfate [(NH₄)₂SO₄)]-21% N (150 kg N·ha^?1). Yield, leaf color, dry matter, vitamin C and total glucosinolate content and nitrate accumulation was assessed. Growing months affected all the assessed parameters significantly both years, with the exception of hue angle in 2003, whereas nitrogen source only influenced yield and nitrate accumulation in 2003. In both years the highest yield was obtained in April, but vitamin C and total glucosinolate contents were higher during summer months, and leaves were slightly darker colored. Chemical fertilizers increased the yield compared to farmyard manure; however, they also increased nitrate accumulation slightly, without any significant difference between them. Nitrate accumulation never exceeded 300 mg kg^?1 fresh weight (FW), which is well below the acceptable daily intake of 3.7 mg nitrate per kg^?1 bodyweight set by European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food.     

日粮蛋白水平对圩猪生长性能、肉质和血清生化指标的影响

【目的】探讨不同蛋白水平日粮对圩猪生长性能、肉质和血清生化指标的影响,确定圩猪适宜的蛋白质营养水平。【方法】选用平均体质量约为35kg的健康圩猪24头,按照公母比例1∶1的原则随机分为3个处理组,每组8个重复,采用种猪自动饲喂系统饲喂,耗料和体质量实时自动记录。试验期共分为2个阶段(生长期:35~60kg;肥育期:60~80kg)饲养,1,2,3组生长期粗蛋白水平分别为180,160和140g/kg,肥育期粗蛋白水平分别为160,140和120g/kg。3个处理组除粗蛋白水平不同外,其他营养水平基本一致。试验结束时,对全部试猪前腔静脉采血以进行血液生化指标与部分内分泌激素浓度的测定,同时每组选取4头体质量相近的公猪屠宰,测定其屠宰性能和肉质。【结果】在育肥阶段,日粮中粗蛋白含量最少的试验3组料体质量比极显著高于1组和2组(P<0.01)。除屠宰后24h肉样的pH值和亮度(L)值外,各组间肉质性状差异均不显著(P>0.05),1组屠宰后24h的pH值显著低于2组(P<0.05),而L值显著高于2组(P<0.05);1组的肌苷酸含量显著高于2组(P<0.05),不饱和脂肪酸和单不饱和脂肪酸含量极显著高于3组(P<0.01),但均与2组差异不显著(P>0.05)。随着日粮蛋白水平的降低,血清尿素氮浓度下降,3组血清尿素氮浓度显著低于试验1组和2组(P<0.05),血清甲状腺素T3浓度显著高于2组(P<0.05)。【结论】在日粮消化能水平为12.77MJ/kg时,圩猪生长期和肥育期日粮粗蛋白水平均以140g/kg为宜。     

水盐胁迫对沙枣幼苗叶绿素荧光参数和色素含量的影响

在不同水分和盐分胁迫条件下测定2个种源沙枣的叶绿素含量、叶绿素荧光参数Fv/Fm和Fv/F0的变化。结果表明:随着胁迫的增加,2个种源的沙枣叶绿素含量、Fv/Fm和Fv/F0都表现出先增加后降低的趋势;在水分梯度为50%~55%和盐分梯度为0.1 mol/L时2个种源的叶绿素含量、Fv/Fm和Fv/F0值分别达到最大值;随胁迫时间增加,水分胁迫下包头种源叶绿素含量下降幅度比赤峰种源高出29.28%,而Fv/Fm值和Fv/F0值最大改变量分别为赤峰种源的1.25倍和6.62倍;盐分胁迫下包头种源沙枣的叶绿素含量下降幅度比赤峰种源高出25.26%,而Fv/Fm值和Fv/F0值最大改变量分别为赤峰种源的2.38倍和3.05倍。这说明水分和盐分胁迫对包头种源沙枣的叶绿素含量及其荧光参数的影响高于对赤峰种源的影响。     

魔芋新品种———清江花魔芋

 ‘清江花魔芋’是恩施州魔芋研究中心从武陵山区地方魔芋种质资源中通过系统选择育成, 产量324115 kg/ hm² , 干魔芋含葡甘露聚糖5114 % , 鲜魔芋含干物质1714 % , 全生育期125 d 左右, 较抗白绢病和抗软腐病, 比目前主栽品种增产10212 % , 成为了恩施州及武陵山区魔芋产业发展的主导品种。     

西藏雅鲁藏布大峡谷国家级自然保护区生态评价

以雅鲁藏布大峡谷国家级自然保护区作为研究对象,从生物多样性保护、景观生态状况改善、教育科研价值、生态旅游价值4个方面,选取多样性、稀有性、代表性、自然性、适宜性、脆弱性、人类威胁7项I级评价指标,部分I级评价指标又分别构成Ⅱ级和Ⅲ级评价指标层,建立保护区生态评价层次结构模型,运用层次分析法对生态评价因子进行等级化处理,确定各评价指标的权重,计算各生态评价因子的评价指数.结果表明:准则层中生物多样性保护的制约性最强,景观生态状况改善次之,生态旅游价值最弱.从指标层各指标对目标层的贡献来看,多样性最大,稀有性、自然性、代表性次之,适宜性、人类威胁再次之,脆弱性最小.最后,得出雅鲁藏布大峡谷国家级自然保护区森林生态系统的综合评价指数(CEI)为0.945 l,说明该保护区森林生态系统的生态质量很好,具有极高的保护价值.     

Expert opinion based modelling of the risk of human infection with H5N1 through the consumption of poultry meat in Germany

According to current scientific opinion the risk of human infection with H5N1 via preparation and consumption of poultry meat is negligible.This opinion has not yet been challenged by a formal risk assessment, due to the lack of empirical data. We have developed a scenario pathway model as a conceptual framework for a formal assessment of the H5N1 risk to humans through consumption of poultry meat and parameterise the model using information derived from expert opinions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the notion of an overall negligible risk via the oral infection route is consistent with ad hoc data and expert opinions on the relevant parameters of the model.The model is mainly based on expert opinion. A stochastic Monte-Carlo simulation was conducted which took into consideration (amongst others) the exposure and infection of chicken (broiler and layer), turkeys, ducks and geese, the probabilities of detection prior to slaughter, virus survival and contamination during slaughter, as well as during the cutting and preparation of meat in commercial plants and in private households, respectively. The empirical consumption pattern for poultry meat in Germany was taken into account in the simulation.The results show that the risk for the individual consumer is practically zero whereas up to 23 cases per year in Germany might occur if the upper (more pessimistic) ranges of the expert opinions apply.The finding of a low but non-negligible risk to the population is discussed in relation to the epidemiological information available from recent outbreaks in South East Asia.     

Anaerobic co‐digestion of perennials: Methane potential and digestate nitrogen fertilizer value

Co‐digestion of crop biomass improves the traditional manure‐based biogas yield due to an increased content of easily degradable carbon compounds. In this study, the methane potential of three perennials (grass, legumes, and grass+legume) was determined using various amounts together with animal manure. The nitrogen (N) mineralization dynamics in soil and the N‐fertilizer value of the derived digestates were subsequently tested in both a soil incubation study and a pot experiment with spring barley. Digestion of all tested perennials together with a manure‐based inoculum increased the cumulative methane yield four to five times compared to digestion of the inoculum alone, with the highest increases observed with pure grass. However, the methane potential decreased along with increasing grass biomass concentration. In the plant pot experiment, all tested digestates increased barley shoot biomass by 40–170%, to an extent statistically comparable to mineral N fertilizer. However, the application of the digestate originating from fermentation with pure grass resulted in lower plant growth and a more fluctuating soil mineral N content throughout the incubation study compared to the other digestates. Considering the high dry matter and methane yield ha^?1, the possibility to substitute mineral N fertilizer inputs by leguminous biological N₂ fixation capacity, and the digestate fertilizer value, the integration of grass–legume mixtures or sole legumes into anaerobic digestion systems as co‐substrate for manure seems to be promising. This could furthermore contribute to the diversification of cropping systems for bioenergy production.     

Isolation and characterization of a Mn(II)-oxidizing Bacillus strain from the demosponge Suberites domuncula

In this study we demonstrate that the demosponge Suberites domuncula harbors a Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium, a Bacillus strain, termed BAC-SubDo-03. Our studies showed that Mn(II) stimulates bacterial growth and induces sporulation. Moreover, we show that these bacteria immobilize manganese on their cell surface. Comparison of the 16S rDNA sequence allowed the grouping of BAC-SubDo-03 to the Mn-precipitating bacteria. Analysis of the spore cell wall revealed that it contains an Mn(II)-oxidizing enzyme. Co-incubation studies of BAC-SubDo-03 with 100 μM MnCl(2) and >1 μM of CuCl(2) showed an increase in their Mn(II)-oxidizing capacity. In order to prove that a multicopper oxidase-like enzyme(s) (MCO) exists in the cell wall of the S. domuncula-associated BAC-SubDo-03 Bacillus strain, the gene encoding this enzyme was cloned (mnxG-SubDo-03). Sequence alignment of the deduced MCO protein (MnxG-SubDo-03) revealed that the sponge bacterium clusters together with known Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria. The expression of the mnxG-SubDo-03 gene is under strong control of extracellular Mn(II). Based on these findings, we assume that BAC-SubDo-03 might serve as a Mn reserve in the sponge providing the animal with the capacity to detoxify Mn in the environment. Applying the in vitro primmorph cell culture system we could demonstrate that sponge cells, that were co-incubated with BAC-SubDo-03 in the presence of Mn(II), show an increased proliferation potential.