Cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) system for Refueling an Airplane, and Use for other Mobile or Stationary Applications

Liquid hydrogen (LH2) is used for energy supply for various stationary and mobile applications. Current political and economic developments show the need of storable, decentralized produced, green energy to ensure supply of fuel, heat and power for an adequate price. Hydrogen can be part of the solution for those global problems. Especially LH2 is promising as fuel for mobile applications. It is advantageous because of the high energy density, and therefore is used for space applications since decades. Currently, there are many activities, to transfer the LH2 technology to other applications, e.g. aerospace and trucks

Soil seed bank responses to edge effects in temperate European forests

Aim The amount of forest edges is increasing globally due to forest fragmentation and land-use changes. However, edge effects on the soil seed bank of temperate forests are still poorly understood. Here, we assessed edge effects at contrasting spatial scales across Europe and quantified the extent to which edges can preserve the seeds of forest specialist plants. Location Temperate European deciduous forests along a 2,300-km latitudinal gradient. Time period 2018-2021. Major taxa studied Vascular plants. Methods Through a greenhouse germination experiment, we studied how edge effects alter the density, diversity, composition and functionality of forest soil seed banks in 90 plots along different latitudes, elevations and forest management types. We also assessed which environmental conditions drive the seed bank responses at the forest edge versus interior and looked at the relationship between the seed bank and the herb layer species richness. Results Overall, 10,108 seedlings of 250 species emerged from the soil seed bank. Seed density and species richness of generalists (species not only associated with forests) were higher at edges compared to interiors, with a negative influence of C : N ratio and litter quality. Conversely, forest specialist species richness did not decline from the interior to the edge. Also, edges were compositionally, but not functionally, different from interiors. The correlation between the seed bank and the herb layer species richness was positive and affected by microclimate. Main conclusions Our results underpin how edge effects shape species diversity and composition of soil seed banks in ancient forests, especially increasing the proportion of generalist species and thus potentially favouring a shift in community composition. However, the presence of many forest specialists suggests that soil seed banks still play a key role in understorey species persistence and could support the resilience of our fragmented forests

A cold and fresh ocean surface in the Nordic Seas during MIS 11: Significance for the future ocean

Paleoceanographical studies of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11 have revealed higher-than-present sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the North Atlantic and in parts of the Arctic but lower-than-present SSTs in the Nordic Seas, the main throughflow area of warm water into the Arctic Ocean. We resolve this contradiction by complementing SST data based on planktic foraminiferal abundances with surface salinity changes using hydrogen isotopic compositions of alkenones in a core from the central Nordic Seas. The data indicate the prevalence of a relatively cold, low-salinity, surface water layer in the Nordic Seas during most of MIS 11. In spite of the low-density surface layer, which was kept buoyant by continuous melting of surrounding glaciers, warmer Atlantic water was still propagating northward at the subsurface thus maintaining meridional overturning circulation. This study can help to better constrain the impact of continuous melting of Greenland and Arctic ice on high-latitude ocean circulation and climate

Häufigkeit der schweren Sepsis und des septischen Schock auf Intensivstationen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

Bereits Hippokrates war sich der Gefahr der Sepsis bewusst. Damals noch ein Todesurteil, fordern die Sepsis-Patienten noch heute das medizinische Personal der Krankenhäuser. Hohe Sterblichkeiten, Fallzahlen und Kosten stellen immense Herausforderungen dar. Umso wichtiger sind gute Forschungsergebnisse, um die Sterblichkeit zu senken und die Krankheitsverläufe nachhaltig zu beeinflussen. 2007 konnte erstmalig eine hohe Prävalenz der schweren Sepsis und des septischen Schockes in Deutschland gezeigt werden. Da die Inzidenz nur geschätzt wurde, startete das Kompetenznetz Sepsis im Jahr 2013 die INSEP-Studie. Diese Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit Daten aus Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Am 4. November 2013 litten 20,1 % der beobachteten Patienten an einer schweren Sepsis oder einem septischen Schock. Diese Daten reihen sich im Vergleich zu internationalen Daten im Mittelfeld ein und zeigen einen Anstieg gegenüber den deutschen Daten von 2007. Die Inzidenz während der Studiendauer betrug zwischen 268 und 288 / 100 000 Einwohner, liegt damit über vergleichbaren prospektiven Daten und entspricht etwa retrospektiven Daten. Eine Studie deutscher Abrechnungsdaten zeigte, dass nur 50,7 % der Patienten mit schwerer Sepsis und 74,3 % der Patienten mit septischem Schock auf Intensivstationen behandelt wurden, sodass die wahre Inzidenz bei etwa 500 \ 100 000 Einwohner liegen müsste. Während ihres Krankenhausaufenthalts verstarben 37,6 % der beobachteten Patienten mit einer schweren Sepsis oder einem septischen Schock, 42 % im Zeitraum von 90 Tagen. Die entspricht etwa 1800 Patienten pro Jahr. Basierend auf diesen Daten müssten die schwere Sepsis und der septische Schock als die Haupttodesursache in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern angesehen werden. Die in dieser Arbeit durchgeführten Berechnungen offenbaren einige Probleme in Bezug auf Repräsentativität und Übertragbarkeit. Dennoch erlauben sie die Grundannahme, dass die schwere Sepsis sowohl in der Inzidenz als auch in der absoluten Sterblichkeit in offiziellen Statistiken deutlich unterschätzt wird und verdeutlichen damit die Dringlichkeit weiterer Analysen.Already Hippocrates was aware of the risk of infection and sepsis. At that time a death sentence, the sepsis patients still challenge the medical staff nowadays. High mortality, high case numbers and huge costs are enormous challenges. Even more good research results are needed to reduce mortality and to stop the course of the disease or even to improve it. In 2007, a high prevalence of severe sepsis and septic shock was shown for the first time in Germany. To estimate the incidence of sepsis the Kompetenznetz Sepsis organized the INSEP study in 2013. This thesis deals with the collected data from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. At 4th November 2013, 20.1 % of the observed patients had a severe sepsis or a septic shock. Compared to international data, the case numbers of this study are in the midrange, but show an increased number compared to the German data from 2007. The incidence during the study period was between 268 and 288/100 000 inhabitants, which is a greater number compared to prospective data, but corresponds approx. to retrospective data. An analysis of health insurance company data showed that only 50.7 % of patients with severe sepsis and 74.3 % of patients with septic shock are treated on intensive care units. According to this, the true incidence would be 500 / 100,000 inhabitants. During the hospital stay, 37.6 % of those patients with diagnosed severe sepsis or septic shock die, 42 % over a period of 90 days corresponding to about 1800 deaths per year. Based on these data, severe sepsis and septic shock would have to be considered as the main cause of death in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The evaluation performed in this thesis revealed some issues about representational and transferability. However, they do allow the assumption that severe sepsis is underestimated in official statistics, both in incidence and in absolute mortality and highlighting the urgency of further analysis