A Century of Synthetic Fertilizer: 1909-2009

This year marks a centenary of the synthetic fertilizer industry. German chemists, Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch, in 1909 demonstrated their industrial process for the manufacture of ammonia. The achievement won them accolades including Nobel Prizes. The output of their Haber-Bosch process can be used for either peace or war, agriculture or munitions, and the rapid adoption by Germany of this industrial process is credited with prolonging WW1. Most of the synthetic nitrogenous fertilizer of the past century, and right up to the present, has been manufactured using the Haber-Bosch process. The use of synthetic fertilizers has led to significant negative environmental outcomes. Rudolf Steiner was an early voice against chemical agriculture. Steiner's Agriculture Course of 1924 led to the development and world-wide proliferation of Bio-dynamic Agriculture, a farming system which has always championed the biological fixation of nitrogen by soil micro-organisms. This paper identifies ten key differences between biological and Haber-Bosch chemical fixation of nitrogen

Das Forschungskolleg Geriatrie der Robert Bosch Stiftung—: wissenschaftlich geriatrischer Nachwuchs aus deutscher Sicht

Zusammenfassung: Die derzeit noch gültigen medizinischen Kurrikula entsprechen nur zum Teil den durch die demografischen Veränderungen entstandenen neuen Bedürfnissen. Insbesondere erhält die Geriatrie nicht die Aufmerksamkeit, die ihr durch das Altern der Bevölkerung zukommt. Dies gilt für Deutschland, aber ebenso für die Schweiz und Österreich sowie zahlreiche weitere europäische Länder. Die Robert Bosch Stiftung mit ihrem Ziel, die sozialen Bedingungen zu verbessern und die wissenschaftliche Kompetenz durch innovative Projekte zu fördern, engagiert sich auch in der Verbesserung der Situation der alternden Bevölkerung. Angesichts der Defizite in der akademischen Nachwuchsförderung in Geriatrie initiierte die Robert Bosch Stiftung ein Forschungskolleg Geriatrie zur Förderung des akademischen geriatrischen Nachwuchses. Auf Seiten der Geriatrie wurde das Projekt initial von fünf, jetzt von sieben Zentren getragen. Das Forschungskolleg will junge Medizinerinnen und Mediziner für eine wissenschaftlich-akademische Karriere in Geriatrie gewinnen. Zu diesem Zweck werden zwei Formen von Stipendien vergeben. Ein so genanntes Early Career-Stipendium an Ärzte am Anfang ihrer Weiterbildung für zwei Jahre und eine Mid Career-Stipendium für ein Jahr an Ärztinnen und Ärzte mit wissenschaftlicher Erfahrung, die an einem Wechsel in die Geriatrie interessiert sind. Ziel ist, Kompetenz in klinischer Forschung und Lehre in geriatrischer Medizin zu entwickeln. Die Leiter der beteiligten Zentren sind unmittelbar für die Betreuung der Stipendiaten des Forschungskollegs verantwortlich. Ein Wissenschaftlicher Beirat unterstützt die Robert Bosch Stiftung bei der Auswahl der Kandidaten und begleitet das Programm sowie die einzelnen Stipendiaten. Zum gegenwärtigen Zeitpunkt werden durch das Forschungskolleg zehn Stipendiaten gefördert. Mit dem Forschungskolleg Geriatrie leistet die Robert Bosch Stiftung einen unschätzbaren Beitrag zur Förderung der akademischen geriatrischen Medizin in Deutschlan

Kajian Aksiologi tentang Kontribusi dan Kontroversi Pemanfaatan Amonia dari Proses Haber-Bosch

The purpose of this article is to conduct an axiological study of the Haber-Bosch process. The Haber-Bosch process had both contributions and controversies early on in its discovery. The study in writing this article uses a literature review which consists of selecting the topic to be reviewed, searching and selecting articles related to the topic, analyzing and synthesizing the literature, and organizing the writing. The literature reviewed relates to the main themes, namely the Haber-Bosch process, the use of Haber-Bosch products, and axiological studies on Haber-Bosch products. The results of the axiological study show that: 1) The breakthrough from Haber-Bosch related to ammonia production provides benefits for the sustainability of the agricultural sector and the survival of European society. In the current context, the Haber-Bosch process has both theoretical and practical uses. 2) On the other hand, the Haber-Bosch process is used by Haber to maintain the supply of gunpowder and manufacture toxic gases used as chemical weapons that killed hundreds of thousands of people. This certainly shows something unethical and shows a scientific paradoxaxiology; Haber; Bosch; Ammoni

Mass and Mission: Enacting God\u27s Mission in the Christian Assembly Today

(Excerpt) I doubt that I need to underscore the ferment surrounding the matters that are the theme of this year\u27s Institute: worship and mission. The practice of worship in our congregations has become fragmented by multiple and competing proposals for what should happen when we gather. As a teacher of worship, the questions and discussions I encounter day by day reveal a general distrust of conventional liturgical practice and a genuine hunger for something-anything-that will engage and enliven people at worship in our time and place. There is no simple and direct approach to matters of worship-this is what we do, this is where it comes from, this is what is means, this is how to do it-with people lining up to receive authoritative pronouncements. There is real engagement with fundamental questions and a willingness to consider the value of our historic liturgical inheritance, but there is less and less common practice or shared experience of worship to draw on and little consensus about which direction to head

Taxonomical notes on the genus Chaetomitrium (Hookeriaceae, Musci) of Borneo

Taxonomical notes on the species of Chaetomitrium (Hookeriaceae, Musci) os the Borneo Island were provided, along with the reports of our own specimens from the island. Two new species, Chaetomitrium darnaedii H. Akiy. From East Kalimantan and C. maryatii H. Akiy. & M. Suleiman from Sabah were described. Chaetomitrium everetii Mitt. Ex Dix. and C. cucullatum Dix. Are newly reduced to synonyms of C. orthorrhynchum (Dozy & Molk.) Bosch & Sande Lac. and C. leptopoma (Schwaegr.) Bosch & Sande Lac. Respectively. Chaetomitrium elmeri Broth. Was firstly reported from the Borneo. Keys to the twelve species were also presented

O canto de anúncio de Hyla atlantica Caramaschi & Velosa, 1996, com considerações sobre sua posição taxonômica (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)

The advertisement call of Hyla atlantica is described upon specimens from the Municipality of Ituberá, Bahia, Brazil. The call comprises four to eight notes. Call duration 0.19-0.44s, and note duration 12-22.37ms. Two spectral bandwidths (harmonics) are distinct. The lowest-pitched harmonic ranges from 0.68-1.90kHz, and the highest from 2-3.68kHz. Overall dominant frequencies 0.84-1.28kHz (fundamental frequency), with exception of four calls (3.25%) in which values reached 2.18-2.53 kHz. Comparisons of the advertisement calls of H. atlantica and H. punctata resulted in two different suppositions in respect to the taxonomic status of the former. The overall analysis of the literature indicated that the calls of H. atlantica and H. punctata from Manaus (Amazonas, Brazil), Santa Cecilia (Ecuador), and Puerto Almacén (Bolivia) are similar, which does not support H. atlantica as a valid species. In a complementary analysis, using recordings of the call of H. punctata available on commercial digital media from Bolivia and French Guiana, and another from Maranhão (Brazil), significant differences between the calls of H. atlantica and H. punctata were obtained, which lead to the conclusion that may exist at least three distinct species involved: H. atlantica from Bahia (Brazil); H. punctata from northern South America (Manaus/Amazonas and Maranhão, Brazil; Ecuador; French Guiana; Suriname); and a third species from Bolivia (type locality of H. p. rubrolineata), Acre (Brazil), and Chacoan Argentina. The latter hypothesis is more congruent with the geographic distribution of the samples analyzed, and also with the current taxonomic positions of the taxa involved.O canto de anúncio de Hyla atlantica é descrito a partir de espécimes do Município de Ituberá, Bahia, Brasil. O canto compreende quatro a oito notas. Amplitude de duração do canto 0,19-0,44s; tempo de duração da nota 12-22,37ms. Duas faixas espectrais (harmônicos) são distintas. Harmônico de freqüência mais baixa 0,68-1,90kHz; harmônico de freqüência mais alta 2-3,68kHz. Freqüência dominante 0,84-1,28kHz (freqüência fundamental), com exceção de quatro cantos (3,25%), nos quais há valores que alcançam 2,18-2,53kHz. Comparações dos cantos de H. atlantica e H. punctata resultaram em duas suposições diferentes quanto à posição taxonômica de H. atlantica. A análise da literatura indicou que os cantos de H. atlantica e H. punctata de Manaus (Amazonas, Brasil), Santa Cecília (Equador) e Puerto Almacén (Bolívia) são similares, o que não suporta H. atlantica como espécie válida. Em análises complementares, utilizando gravações do canto de H. punctata da Bolívia e Guiana Francesa, disponíveis em mídia digital comercial, e outra do Maranhão (Brasil), observaram-se diferenças significativas entre os cantos de H. atlantica e H. punctata, o que levou à conclusão que podem existir ao menos três espécies distintas envolvidas: H. atlantica da Bahia (Brasil); H. punctata do norte da América do Sul (Manaus/Amazonas e Maranhão, Brasil; Equador; Guiana Francesa; Suriname); e uma terceira espécie da Bolívia (localidade-tipo de H. p. rubrolineata), Acre (Brasil) e Chaco Argentino. A última hipótese é mais congruente com a distribuição geográfica das amostras analisadas e igualmente com as posições taxonômicas correntes dos táxons envolvidos

Study of heat and mass transfer applications in the field of engineering by using OpenFOAM

The aim of the project is to study OpenFOAM software and establish a well-based guide of standard and complex heat and mass transfer applications in engineering. OpenFOAM is a free, open source CFD software package. By being open, OpenFOAM offers users complete freedom to customise and extend its existing functionality. On the other hand, OpenFOAM offers a quick start user guide and there also is little available documentation and several examples. Thus, the project intends to: - Prepare an introductory and complete user guide to OpenFOAM with solved standard heat and mass transfer applications to the beginners, specially bachelor students ‐ Numerical simulation of complex heat and mass transfer applications in engineering with OpenFOAM in two‐ and three‐dimensional problems ‐ Practice in developing engineering projects by combining technical work with economic and environmental aspectsThe main tasks to be carried out in this project will be to: - Edit problems solved with OpenFOAM including explanations and detailed considerations in order to prepare a guide for new learners, specially bachelor students - Work in the study and analysis of heat and mass transfer simulations involving real engineering problems - Determine feasibility of the engineering project to be carried out - Study the socio-economics aspects in fluid dynamics applications solved by numerical simulation and fields of interest - Results analysi