The Concept of Cooperative Automation in Cars: Results from the Experiment Overtaking on Highways

As the interaction between human and machine continues to change, due to the increase of system functionalities, a concept of human-car cooperation covering the effects of this change has been developed. Proceeding from this concept, an initial analysis of the actual human-car interaction including the wishes of today’s drivers will be the main subject of this paper. An experimental design, based on the concept of cooperation and preliminary studies, was developed. First results on the quality of cooperation, situational awareness and trust indicate the concept’s profound adaptableness to future human-car interactions

Starting the Cascade: An exploration into the progressive international normalization of gay rights in The Netherlands, South Africa, Argentina, France, and the United States

HonorsUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162610/1/ebiester.pd

Neutropic Infections With Special Reference to Equine Encephalomyelitis

In many instances a given infectious disease common to one species has its counterpart in other host species. Some infections are host specific while others are not. In Table I it will be noted that human Pasteurellosis is the type representative of a number of similar infections in other species. In the case of Brucellosis, the three main types of Brucella organisms are capable of infecting at least five species of hosts

Mercury Accumulation in Marine Sediments: A Comparison of an Upwelling Area and Two Large River Mouths

Understanding marine mercury (Hg) biogeochemistry is crucial, as the consumption of Hg-enriched ocean fish is the most important pathway of Hg uptake in humans. Although ocean sediments are seen as the ultimate Hg sink, marine sediment studies on Hg accumulation are still rare. In this context, studying Hg behavior in the marine environment, especially in upwelling environments, is of particular interest due to its importance in these great upwelling regions for the global fishery. There are contradictory statements about the fate of Hg in upwelling regions. Some studies have suggested high biotic reduction of oxidized Hg and gaseous elemental mercury evasion to the atmosphere. More recent work has suggested that in upwelling regions, where productivity is high, evasion of gaseous elemental mercury is diminished due to scavenging and sedimentation of Hg by organic particles. In this study, we compared Hg concentrations and accumulation rates in the past ∼4,300 and 19,400 years derived from sediment cores collected in the Peruvian upwelling region (Peru Margin) and compared them with those of two other cores collected from the sediment fan of the Amazon and a core from the Congo Basin, which is influenced by both seasonal coastal upwelling and discharge from the river. Median Hg concentrations were higher at the Peru Margin (90.7 μg kg–1) and in the Congo Basin (93.4 μg kg–1) than in the Amazon Fan (35.8 μg kg–1). The average Hg accumulation rates in sediments from the Peru Margin (178 μg m–2 yr–1) were factors of ∼4 and ∼39 times higher than those from the Congo Basin (46.7 μg m–2 yr–1) and Amazon Fan (4.52 μg m–2 yr–1), respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) of the geochemical data set reveals that Amazon Fan sediments are strongly influenced by the deposition of terrestrial material, which is of less importance in the Congo Basin and of minor importance in Peru Margin sediments. Accordingly, Hg export to sediments in upwelling areas largely surpasses that in fans of large rivers that drain large terrestrial catchments. The high Hg accumulation rates in the sediments from the upwelling area and the minor influence of terrestrial Hg fluxes there suggest that atmospheric-derived Hg in upwelling areas is effectively exported to the sediments through scavenging by organic particles

Halogens in pore water of peat bogs – the role of peat decomposition and dissolved organic matter

Halogens are strongly enriched in peat and peatlands and such they are one of their largest active terrestrial reservoir. The enrichment of halogens in peat is mainly attributed to the formation of organohalogens and climatically controlled humification processes. However, little is known about release of halogens from the peat substrate and the distribution of halogens in the peat pore water. In this study we have investigated the distribution of chlorine, bromine and iodine in pore water of three pristine peat bogs located in the Magellanic Moorlands, southern Chile. Peat pore waters were collected using a sipping technique, which allows in situ sampling down to a depth greater than 6m. Halogens and halogen species in pore water were determined by ion-chromatography (IC) (chlorine) and IC-ICP-MS (bromine and iodine). Results show that halogen concentrations in pore water are 15–30 times higher than in rainwater. Mean concentrations of chlorine, bromine and iodine in pore water were 7–15 mg l^−1, 56–123 μg l^−1, and 10–20 μg l^−1, which correspond to mean proportions of 10–15%, 1–2.3% and 0.5–2.2% of total concentrations in peat, respectively. Organobromine and organoiodine were the predominant species in pore waters, whereas chlorine in pore water was mostly chloride. Advection and diffusion of halogens were found to be generally low and halogen concentrations appear to reflect release from the peat substrate. Release of bromine and iodine from peat depend on the degree of peat degradation, whereas this relationship is weak for chlorine. Relatively higher release of bromine and iodine was observed in less degraded peat sections, where the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was also the most intensive. It has been concluded that the release of halogenated dissolved organic matter (DOM) is the predominant mechanism of iodine and bromine release from peat

Influence of the laser position in laser-assisted WAAM process on weld bead shape and surface properties

The lateral use of the laser in laser-assisted WAAM processes, resulting in a directional dependence, can influence the bead shape and the bead surface. The influence of the laser position on the weld bead is investigated. Beads with different laser positions are applied and the height and width as well as the waviness of the beads are evaluated. In addition, claddings are welded and the waviness is measured. The waviness along the beads ranges from 8.77 to 34.66 µm, and no significant correlation with the welding direction could be determined. For the bead shape, the differences in height range from 3.54 to 3.90 mm and in width from 8.20 to 8.89 mm. Based on the results, a dependence on the laser position for surface properties and weld bead shape becomes clear

Historische Buchbestände zum Themengebiet "Bibelwissenschaft und Ideengeschichte" in der Universitäts- und Forschungsbibliothek Erfurt/Gotha

Der Beitrag beschreibt die für die Geschichte der Bibelwissenschaft relevanten älteren Buchbestände der Universität- und Forschungsbibliothek Erfurt/Gotha. Die hauptsächliche Absicht der Darstellung ist es, Benutzerinnen und Benutzern eine erste Übersicht und Informationsquelle über Kataloge und Bestände zur Verfügung zu stellen

Role of formation and decay of seston organic matter in the fate of methylmercury within the water column of a eutrophic lake

Anoxic microniches in sinking particles in lakes have been identified as important water phase production zones of monomethylmercury (MeHg). However, the production and decay of MeHg during organic matter (OM) decomposition in the water column and its relation to the total Hg concentration in seston are poorly understood. We investigated total Hg and MeHg in relation to chemical changes in sinking seston and hydrochemical settings in a small and shallow (12 m deep) eutrophic lake during phytoplankton blooms from April to November 2019. The results show that MeHg proportions reach up to 22 % in seston in oxygen super saturation at the water surface and highest values (up to 26 %) at the oxic–suboxic redox boundary. MeHg concentrations were highest in May and November when algal biomass production was low and seston were dominated by zooplankton. Biodilution of MeHg concentrations could not be observed in the months of the highest algal biomass production; instead, MeHg and THg concentrations in seston were comparatively high. During suboxic OM decomposition and with decreasing redox potential (Mn and nitrate reduction), the concentration and proportion of MeHg in seston strongly decreased (&lt;0.5 %), whereas total Hg concentrations show a 3.8- to 26-fold increase with water depth. Here, it remains unclear to which extent biodilution on the one hand and OM decomposition on the other alter the MeHg and THg concentration in seston. Changes in OM quality were most intense within or slightly below the redox transition zone (RTZ). The concentrations of MeHg and THg in seston from the RTZ were comparable to those found in the sediment trap material which integrated the changes in seston composition during the entire sampling period, suggesting that changes in the MeHg and THg content in the hypolimnion below the RTZ are comparatively small. Our study suggests that, in shallow eutrophic lakes, the water phase formation and decomposition of MeHg is intense and controlled by the decomposition of algal biomass and is, assumedly, largely disconnected from Hg methylation in sediments, similar to what has been observed in deep oligotrophic lakes.</p

Peat decomposition records in three pristine ombrotrophic bogs in southern Patagonia

Ombrotrophic bogs in southern Patagonia have been examined with regard to paleoclimatic and geochemical research questions but knowledge about organic matter decomposition in these bogs is limited. Therefore, we examined peat humification with depth by Fourier Transformed Infrared (FTIR) measurements of solid peat, C/N ratio, and &amp;delta;&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C and &amp;delta;&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N isotope measurements in three bog sites. Peat decomposition generally increased with depth but distinct small scale variation occurred, reflecting fluctuations in factors controlling decomposition. C/N ratios varied mostly between 40 and 120 and were significantly correlated (&lt;i&gt;R&lt;/i&gt;&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; &gt; 0.55, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.01) with FTIR-derived humification indices. The degree of decomposition was lowest at a site presently dominated by &lt;i&gt;Sphagnum&lt;/i&gt; mosses. The peat was most strongly decomposed at the driest site, where currently peat-forming vegetation produced less refractory organic material, possibly due to fertilizing effects of high sea spray deposition. Decomposition of peat was also advanced near ash layers, suggesting a stimulation of decomposition by ash deposition. Values of &amp;delta;&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C were 26.5 &amp;plusmn; 2&amp;permil; in the peat and partly related to decomposition indices, while &amp;delta;&lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N in the peat varied around zero and did not consistently relate to any decomposition index. Concentrations of DOM partly related to C/N ratios, partly to FTIR derived indices. They were not conclusively linked to the decomposition degree of the peat. DOM was enriched in &lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C and in &lt;sup&gt;15&lt;/sup&gt;N relative to the solid phase probably due to multiple microbial modifications and recycling of N in these N-poor environments. In summary, the depth profiles of C/N ratios, &amp;delta;&lt;sup&gt;13&lt;/sup&gt;C values, and FTIR spectra seemed to reflect changes in environmental conditions affecting decomposition, such as bog wetness, but were dominated by site specific factors, and are further influenced by ash deposition and possibly by sea spray input