Changes in runoff time series in Thuringia, Germany – Mann-Kendall trend test and extreme value analysis

Qualified knowledge about the impacts of climate change on hydrology is needed for the derivation of adaptation measures in the water sector. As temperature and precipitation time series in Thuringia, Germany of the last 50 years reveal that the climate is becoming warmer and drier in summer and wetter in winter, the question of changes in runoff time series arises. In the presented study, simple robust analysis approaches to detect changes in runoff characteristics are applied. A selection of 19 anthropogenically undisturbed Thuringian catchments with daily runoff time series of up to 78 years without gaps, covering different landscapes and climatic conditions in Thuringia, is made. Indicators of mean, high, and low runoff in the hydrological year, winter and summer are derived and tested for trends, using the non-parametric Mann-Kendall trend test. To analyze the impact of significant lag-1 autocorrelation (AR) in the series, a prior removal of AR from the series before testing for trend (trend-free-pre-whitening) is performed. Results show that removal of AR has only minor influence on test results and is therefore considered as not necessary. Mean flow and high flow indicators in annual and winter time frame show increasing trends, escpecially in catchments in the higher regions of Thuringia like the Thuringian forest. In summer, all indicators show decreasing trends, especially in the drier central and northern Thuringian basin area. In order to assess changes in floods, 8 gauges, covering the 50-year time period 1949–1999, are selected. Annual maximum flow series are derived for the hydrological year, winter and summer. After fitting of 8 theoretical distributions to the samples by the method of L-moments, 3 goodness-of-fit tests are applied. Flood quantiles for the return periods 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 years are calculated from means of well fitted distributions for all gauges. To analyze change in flood values, the relative difference of flood quantiles in 2 time periods, 1949–1979 (TP 1) and 1969–1999 (TP 2), with respect to the whole time period 1949–1999 are calculated. Results show that flood values have increased in the later time period in annual and winter time frame and have decreased in summer

MinDFul: Using double links for stabilizing mmWave wireless channels for application to autonomous vehicles and augmented reality

Applications that require short-range ultra-high bitrate communication, such as cable removal in virtual reality games and communication between autonomous vehicles, are examining solutions such as millimetre wave wireless (mmWave). When using mmWave, steerable directional antennas are used to mitigate the severe signal power attenuation common with high frequencies. Nonetheless, even small movements in the user device can cause a sudden drop in data-rate down (even to 0 bits/s) making mmWave channels unstable and unusable. To make the channel more stable for the aforementioned applications, which are vulnerable due to frequent blockages and fast movement, we designed and developed a robust solution based on a double link mmWave system. We duplicate the radio transceivers (RT) of a user device (UD) to increase the probability of finding line of sight to an access point (AP) representing the other side of the communication channel. The AP selects one RT of the UD for communication, based on continuous measurement of quality compared to the channel of the other RT. This concept was implemented in a laboratory environment and evaluated using a series of controlled experiments. The experiments serve to validate that using double links is feasible, and is considerably more robust and it can double the link utilization, compared to only using one mmWave link. These results show great promise for the concept, by demonstrating that using multiple mmWave links yields ultra-high bit-rate wireless communication with no disruption, even in the presence of blockages and mobility

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization on terpene emission and content of Artemisia annua L.

Plant roots interact with a wide variety of rhizospheric microorganisms, including bacteria and the symbiontic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The mycorrhizal symbiosis represents a series of complex feedbacks between plant and fungus regulated by their physiology and nutrition. Despite the widespread distribution and ecological significance of AM symbiosis, little is known about the potential of AM fungi to affect plant VOC metabolism. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether colonization of plant roots by AM fungi and associated soil microorganisms affects VOC emission and content of Artemisia annua L. plants (Asteraceae). Two inoculum types were evaluated: one consisted of only an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus species (Glomus spp.), and the other was a mixture of different Glomus species and associated soil bacteria. Inoculated plants were compared with non-inoculated plants and with plants supplemented with extra phosphorus (P) to obtain plants of the same size as mycorrhizal plants, thus excluding potentially-confounding mycorrhizal effects on shoot growth. VOC emissions of Artemisia annua plants were analyzed by leaf cuvette sampling followed by off-line measurements with pre-concentration and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Measurements of CO2 and H2O exchanges were conducted simultaneously. Several volatile monoterpenes were identified and characterized from leaf emissions of Artemisia annua L. by GC-MS analysis. The main components identified belong to different monoterpene structures: alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, camphor, 1,8-cineole, limonene, and artemisia ketone. A good correlation between monoterpene leaf concentration and leaf emission was found. Leaf extracts included also several sesquiterpenes. Total terpene content and emission was not affected by AM inoculation with or without bacteria, while emission of limonene and artemisia ketone was stimulated by this treatment. No differences were found among treatments for single monoterpene content, while accumulation of specific sesquiterpenes in leaves was altered in mycorrhizal plants compared to control plants. Growth conditions seemed to have mainly contributed to the outcome of the symbiosis and influenced the magnitude of the plant response. These results highlight the importance of considering the below-ground interaction between plant and soil for estimating VOC emission rates and their ecological role at multitrophic level

Impacts of climate change on the water regime of the Inn River basin – extracting adaptation-relevant information from climate model ensembles and impact modelling

The Inn River basin is a highly relevant study region in terms of potential hydrological impacts of climate change and cross boundary water management tasks in the Alpine Space. Regional analyses in this catchment were performed within the EU co-funded project AdaptAlp. Objective of the study was to gain scientifically based knowledge about impacts of climate change on the water balance and runoff regime for the Inn River basin, this being fundamental for the derivation of adaptation measures. <br><br> An ensemble of regional climate projections is formed by combinations of global and regional climate models on the basis of both statistical and bias-corrected dynamical downscaling procedures. Several available reference climate datasets for the study region are taken into account. As impact model, the process-oriented hydrological model WaSiM-ETH is set up. <br><br> As expected, regional climate projections indicate temperature increases for the future in the study area. Projections of precipitation change are less homogenous, especially regarding winter months, though most indicate a decrease in the summer. Hydrological simulation results point towards climate induced changes in the water regime of the study region. The analysis of hydrological projections at both ends of the ensemble bandwidth is a source of adaptation relevant information regarding low-flow and high-flow conditions. According to a "drought-prone scenario", mean monthly low flow could decrease up to −40% in the time frame of 2071–2100. A "high-flow-increase-scenario" points towards an increase in mean monthly high flow in the order of +50% in the winter, whilst showing a decrease in autumn

Requirement for the heart-type fatty acid binding protein in cardiac fatty acid utilization

Nonenzymatic cytosolic fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) are abundantly expressed in many animal tissues with high rates of fatty acid metabolism. No physiological role has been demonstrated for any FABP, although these proteins have been implicated in transport of free long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs) and protection against LCFA toxicity. We report here that mice lacking heart-type FABP (H-FABP) exhibit a severe defect of peripheral (nonhepatic, non-fat) LCFA utilization. In these mice, the heart is unable to efficiently take up plasma LCFAs, which are normally its main fuel, and switches to glucose usage. Altered plasma levels of LCFAs, glucose, lactate and beta-hydroxybutyrate are consistent with depressed peripheral LCFA utilization, intensified carbohydrate usage, and increased hepatic LCFA oxidation; these changes are most pronounced under conditions favoring LCFA oxidation. H-FABP deficiency is only incompletely compensated, however, causing acute exercise intolerance and, at old age, a localized cardiac hypertrophy. These data establish a requirement for H-FABP in cardiac intracellular lipid transport and fuel selection and a major role in metabolic homeostasis. This new animal model should be particularly useful for investigating the significance of peripheral LCFA utilization for heart function, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure