Origin and fluxes of atmospheric REE entering an ombrotrophic peat bog in Black Forest (SW Germany): Evidence from snow, lichens and mosses

The fate of the Rare Earth Elements (REE) were investigated in different types of archives of atmospheric deposition in the Black Forest, Southern Germany: (1) a 70 cm snow pack collected on the domed part of a raised bog and representing 2 months of snow accumulation, (2) a snow sample collected close to the road about 500 m from the peat bog, (3) two species of lichens and (4) a peat profile representing 400 years of peat accumulation as well as a “preanthropogenic” sample and the living moss layer from the top of the core. REE concentrations in peat are significantly correlated to Ti which is a lithogenic conservative element suggesting that REE are immobile in peat bog environments. Snow, lichens and peat samples show similar PAAS (Post Archean Australian Shale) normalized REE distributions suggesting that the complete atmospheric REE signal is preserved in the peat profile. However, the annual flux of REE accumulated by the peat is ca. 10 times greater than that of the bulk winter flux of REE. This difference probably indicates that the REE concentrations in the snowpack are not representative of the average REE flux over the whole year. Despite the pronounced geological differences between this site (granite host-rock) and a previously studied peat bog in Switzerland (limestone host-rock) similar REE distribution patterns and accumulation rates were found at both sites. Given that both sites confirm an Upper Continental Crust signature, the data suggests both sites are influenced by regional and not local, soil-derived lithogenic aerosols

Recent atmospheric Pb deposition at a rural site in southern Germany assessed using a peat core and snowpack, and comparison with other archives

In a peat bog from Black Forest, Southern Germany, the rate of atmospheric Pb accumulation was quantified using a peat core dated by 210Pb and 14C. The most recent Pb accumulation rate (2.5 mg m−2 y−1) is similar to that obtained from a snowpack on the bog surface, which was sampled during the winter 2002 (1 to 4 mg m−2 y−1). The Pb accumulation rates recorded by the peat during the last 25 yr are also in agreement with published values of direct atmospheric fluxes in Black Forest. These values are 50 to 200 times greater than the “natural” average background rate of atmospheric Pb accumulation (20 μg m−2 y−1) obtained using peat samples from the same bog dating from 3300 to 1300 cal. yr B.C. The isotopic composition of Pb was measured in both the modern and ancient peat samples as well as in the snow samples, and clearly shows that recent inputs are dominated by anthropogenic Pb. The chronology and isotopic composition of atmospheric Pb accumulation recorded by the peat from the Black Forest is similar to the chronologies reported earlier using peat cores from various peat bogs as well as herbarium samples of Sphagnum and point to a common Pb source to the region for the past 150 years. In contrast, Pb contamination occurring before 1850 in southwestern Germany, differs from the record published for Switzerland mainly due to the mining activity in Black Forest. Taken together, the results show that peat cores from ombrotrophic bogs can yield accurate records of atmospheric Pb deposition, provided that the cores are carefully collected, handled, prepared, and analysed using appropriate methods

О VII ВСЕРОССИЙСКОЙ НАУЧНО-ПРАКТИЧЕСКОЙ КОНФЕРЕНЦИИ «ИНФЕКЦИОННЫЕ АСПЕКТЫ СОМАТИЧЕСКОЙ ПАТОЛОГИИ У ДЕТЕЙ»

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Микробиота и ее роль при соматических и инфекционных заболеваниях у детей (по материалам ХI Всероссийской Конференции «Инфекционные аспекты соматической патологии у детей»)

In May 2018, the regular annual XI All-Russian Conference «Infectious Aspects of Somatic Pathology in children» was held in Moscow, at which leading experts presented the results of research on this problem. Most of the reports were devoted to the topic of the child's microbiota and its influence on the occurrence and development of infectious and somatic diseases. Changes in the microbial flora are important in the pathogenesis of many diseases.В мае 2018 г. в Москве прошла очередная ежегодная XI Всероссийская Конференция «Инфекционные аспекты соматической патологии у детей», на которой ведущие специалисты представили результаты исследований, посвященных данной проблеме. Большинство сообщений было по теме микробиоты ребенка и ее влиянию на возникновение и развитие инфекционных и соматических заболеваний. Изменениям микробной флоры придается важное значение в патогенезе многих заболеваний

Linking forest cover, soil erosion and mire hydrology to late-Holocene human activity and climate in NW Spain

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (http://www.uk.sagepub.com/aboutus/openaccess.htm).This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Forest clearance is one of the main drivers of soil erosion and hydrological changes in mires, although climate may also play a significant role. Because of the wide range of factors involved, understanding these complex links requires long-term multi-proxy approaches and research on the best proxies to focus. A peat core from NW Spain (Cruz do Bocelo mire), spanning the last ~3000 years, has been studied at high resolution by physical (density and loss on ignition (LOI)), geochemical (elemental composition) and palynological (pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs) analyses. Proxies related to mineral matter fluxes from the catchment (lithogenic tracers, Glomus and Entorrhiza), rainfall (Bromine), mire hydrology (HdV-18), human pressure (Cerealia-type, nitrophilous taxa and coprophilous fungi) and forest cover (mesophilous tree taxa) were the most useful to reconstruct the evolution of the mire and its catchment. Forest clearance for farming was one of the main drivers of environmental change from at least the local Iron Age (~2685 cal. yr BP) onwards. The most intense phase of deforestation occurred during Roman and Germanic times and the late Middle Ages. During these phases, the entire catchment was affected, resulting in enhanced soil erosion and severe hydrological modifications of the mire. Climate, especially rainfall, may have also accelerated these processes during wetter periods. However, it is noteworthy that the hydrology of the mire seems to have been insensitive to rainfall variations when mesophilous forest dominated. Abrupt changes were only detected once intense forest clearance commenced during the Iron Age/Roman transition (~2190 cal. yr BP) phase, which represented a tipping point in catchment's ability to buffer impacts. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of studying ecosystems' long-term trajectories and catchment-wide processes when implementing mire habitat protection measures.This work was funded by the projects CGL2010-20672 (Plan Nacional I+D+i, Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation) and 10PXIB200182PR (General Directorate of I+D, Xunta de Galicia). N Silva-Sánchez and L López-Merino are currently supported by a FPU predoctoral scholarship (AP2010-3264) funded by the Spanish Government and a MINT postdoctoral fellowship funded by the Brunel Institute for the Environment, respectively

Park Systems Atomic Force Microscopes (AFM)

Компания Park Systems – это один из лидеров в области атомно-силовой микроскопии. Их оборудование вобрало в себя самые передовые технологии и почти 30-летний опыт работы в данной сфере. Park Systems представляет два типа АСМ: лабораторного уровня и промышленного уровня. В обоих типах систем используется одинаковая технология производства и элементная база. Наиболее популярными и широко распространенными являются микроскопы лабораторного уровня серии NX. Флагманами данной серии являются АСМ NX10 и NX20 (для анализа малых (до 50 мм) и больших (до 200 мм) образцов соответственно).Park Systems is a global nanometrology equipment company focused on the development, production and sale of the atomic force microscopy systems. This equipment has incorporated the most advanced technology and 20 years’ experience in this field. Park Systems offers a wide number of AFMs that can be used for different jobs: research grade AFMs and industrial grade AFMs. In both types of systems the same production technology and element base are used. The most popular and widespread are the research grade microscopes of the NX series. The flagships of this series are NX10 and NX20 AFMs (for analysis of small (up to 50 mm) and large (up to 200 mm) samples, respectively)

Междисциплинарные проблемы в практике педиатра и инфекциониста

18—19 May 2016 in Moscow hosted the annual IX Sientific-practical conference «Infectious Aspects of Somatic Diseases in Children».18—19 мая 2016 г. в Москве состоялась ежегодная IX научно-практическая конференция «Инфекционные аспекты соматиче- ской патологии у детей»

Редкая форма генерализованной менингококковой инфекции, вызванной Neisseria meningitidis серогруппы W

The article presents current data on the high epidemiological and social significance of meningococcal infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis W in the Russian Federation and abroad. The article contains a review of the literature on the clinical features of the course of generalized forms of meningococcal infection caused by serogroup W. The clinical observation of a rare variant of generalized meningococcal infection with the development of acute epiphyseal osteomyelitis of the distal epiphysis of the right tibia, arthritis of the right ankle joint, right wrist joint, joints of 1-st right toe in an early childhood is described.В статье представлены современные данные о высокой эпидемиологической и социальной значимости менингококковой инфекции, вызванной Neisseria meningitidis W, в Российской Федерации и за рубежом. Статья содержит обзор литературы по клиническим особенностям течения генерализованных форм менингококковой инфекции, вызванной серогруппой W. Дано описание клинического наблюдения редкого варианта генерализованной формы менингококковой инфекции с развитием острого эпифизарного остеомиелита дистального эпифиза правой малой берцовой кости, артрита правого голеностопного сустава, правого лучезапястного сустава, суставов 1 пальца правой стопы у ребенка раннего возраста

Development and refinement of proxy-climate indicators from peats

Peat, especially from acidic mires (bogs), is a natural archive of past environmental change. Reconstructions of past climate from bogs commenced in the 19th Century through examination of visible peat stratigraphy, and later formed the basis for a postglacial climatic scheme widely used in Northwest Europe. Nevertheless, misconceptions as to how bogs grow led to a 50-year lacuna in peat-climate study, before the concept of "cyclic regeneration" in bogs was refuted. In recent decades, research using proxyclimate indicators from bogs has burgeoned. A range of proxies for past hydrological change has been developed, as well as use of pollen, bog oaks and pines and other data to reconstruct past temperatures. Most of this proxy-climate research has been carried out in Northern Europe, but peat-based research in parts of Asia and North America has increased, particularly during the last decade, while research has also been conducted in Australia, New Zealand and South America. This paper reviews developments in proxy-climate reconstructions from peatlands; chronicles use of a range of palaeo-proxies such as visible peat stratigraphy, plant macrofossils, peat humification, testate amoebae and non-pollen palynomorphs; and explains the use of wiggle-match radiocarbon dating and relationship to climate shifts. It details other techniques being used increasingly, such as biomarkers, stable-isotopes, inorganic geochemistry and estimation of dust flux; and points to new proxies under development. Although explicit protocols have been developed recently for research on ombrotrophic mires, it must be recognised that not all proxies and techniques have universal applicability, owing to differences in species assemblages, mire formation, topographic controls, and geochemical characteristics