The Fate of Pyrogenic Carbon in Boreal Forest Soils

Wildfires are common in the circumpolar region and are expected to become more frequent with climate change. These fires lead to the formation of pyrogenic carbon (PyC) as a by-product of incomplete combustion of vegetation biomass. After PyC enters the soil, its more labile fractions get decomposed and mineralized on a relatively short timescale, but a relevant fraction of PyC is highly aromatic and condensed, thus more resistant to biotic and abiotic decomposition. These components can remain in the soil for millennia, finally compensating the wildfire carbon emissions and acting as an atmospheric carbon sink. Further, translocation, physical-chemical altering, and content of PyC in soils can be driven by soil texture, permafrost, and translocation due to steepness. The aim of this master’s thesis is to provide a detailed investigation of the main drivers controlling the translocation and physicalchemical altering of PyC stored in soil organic carbon fractions along two Canadian landscape gradients, one in the South Slave Lake Region, (AB and NWT) and one in the Inuvik Region (NWT). The applied methods comprehend soil organic carbon fractionation by size and density, diffuse reflectance infra-red Fourier transformation spectroscopy (DRIFT), chemothermal oxidation at 375 °C (CTO-375) and benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCA) analysis. Results highlighted that soils from the Inuvik Region, which are affected by continuous permafrost conditions, lower pH, and greater clay content, store more SOC and PyC than soils from the South Slave Lake Region, which are affected by sporadic permafrost conditions and a pH > 6 due to carbonates. The higher SOC and PyC stocks and concentrations in the soils of the Inuvik Region were attributable to the continuous permafrost conditions and higher soil moisture content, which likely reduce the decomposition rate and bury soil organic matter at greatest depths through cryoturbation, protecting trapped soil organic carbon from physical and chemical alteration. Further, also DRIFT analysis suggests a higher potential SOC cycling in the South Slave Lake Region, for both the bulk samples and SOC fractions, because of the lower aliphatic/aromatic and cellulose/lignin ratios, despite no difference for the organic layer and the particulate organic matter fraction were found. Differences in SOC and PyC quantities along the landscape gradients only partially correlate with differences in steepness. Indeed, the homogeneous distribution of SOC and PyC in the South Slave Lake Region correlates with smooth differences in height between top and bottom of the catena and with the sporadic permafrost conditions, while the 50 m difference in height between top and bottom of the catena in the Inuvik Region, together with continuous permafrost conditions, likely cause a transport of SOC and PyC along the catena and in greater soil depths. The analysis of PyC quality at each landscape position and depth revealed that more physical-chemical altered PyC is not necessarily found at the bottom of the catenae, which is attributable to the protection of also more labile structures by permafrost. The proportion of SOC and PyC in soil fractions revealed a higher stability and resistance against decomposition in case of association with silt and clay, and sand and aggregates, whereas protection against decomposition was lower if SOC and PyC were found in association with particulate organic matter. Further, the association of soil carbon with specific fractions is attributable also to the soil texture, and thus to the extent to which each fraction contributes to the bulk soil. Thus, permafrost can be considered as the most relevant driver of both translocation and physical-chemical altering of PyC in boreal forest soils, while soil texture drives its association with specific soil fractions (all of which exhibit a different ability to stabilize carbon in soils), and differences in steepness only partially explain the translocation of PyC along landscape gradients

Should oil trading companies possess their own tankers ?

The purpose of this report is to understand if it would make sense for oil trading companies to purchase and operate oil tankers. The report begins by defining the current concept of trading. In fact, trade is defined as the action of buying and selling goods. The concept has evolved from prehistoric times to today where the trade industry involves millions of transactions completed each day. Moreover, the current report provides an overview of commodity trading in Switzerland and Geneva, which are popular for their commodity trading sector as Geneva is home to the oil trading industry. This project provides a snapshot of the crude oil sector with details about historical and current trends from different parts of the world such as in the United States, where oil production has been increasing drastically over the last years, or in Asia, where the demand for oil is constantly growing. Furthermore, information on key traders of the oil industry in terms of oil traded volume is established. Then, the report exposes the shipping market by looking at five different types of tankers shipped by oil trading companies and the most commonly used oil routes. Further, the profitability of each tanker under a time charter party is analyzed by comparing both capital and operating costs with freight rates. It is observed that smaller tankers were more profitable in 2012 and 2013 than larger tankers. Moreover, it results that operating and financial costs are fairly predictable and stable, while freight rates have the specificity of being volatile and unpredictable. Furthermore, it is discussed how major oil trading companies relate to shipping in terms of tanker ownership. Generally, oil traders don’t purchase oil tankers but prefer to charter them through time charter. It is also discovered that oil trading companies are slightly heading to a medium asset strategy as their fixed assets increase constantly. Moreover, the report discusses the differences between purchasing a tanker in the second hand market or in the new building market. Finally, it is explained that oil tankers provide optionality in terms of time, location and lot size

HAEMODYNAMIC EFFECTS OF TRANSIENT ATRIOVENTRICULAR DISSOCIATION IN GENERAL ANAESTHESIA

SUMMARY Isorhythmic atrioventricular dissociation occurs frequently under general anaesthesia but is rarely recognized without continuous electrocardiographic monitoring. Since this arrhythmia was observed in about 50 per cent of the cases during the onset of the neuromuscular blocking action of alcuronium or pancuronium during halothane anaesthesia, the opportunity was taken to investigate the haemodynamic parameters during atrioventricular dissociation. In nine patients the haemodynamic parameters during atrioventricular dissociation as compared to sinus rhythm were characterized by an absence of significant differences in cardiac rate, by a mean lowering in arterial mean pressure of 14 per cent and by a mean decrease in cardiac output of 15 per cent. The calculated peripheral resistance remained unaltere

Italienisches in der Walsermundart Bosco Gurins

Die These dieser Diplomarbeit ist es, dass der Sprachkontakt des Walser Sprachinseldialekts Bosco Gurin mit der italienischen Umgebungssprache zu Interferenzen im Sprachsystem geführt hat. Als Interferenz bezeichne ich den Einfluss eines Sprachsystems auf ein anderes, das mit diesem im Kontakt steht. Die Sprachinsel Bosco Gurin ist im 13. Jahrhundert von alemannischen Siedlerinnen und Siedlern gegründet worden, welche im Zuge der Walserwanderungen aus dem Oberwallis auswanderten und entlegene Bergregionen südlich und nördlich der Alpen besiedelten. Der Walserdialekt Bosco Gurins steht somit seit Jahrhunderten im Kontakt mit dem italienischen Standard und der Tessiner Mundart – letztere gehört dem lombardischen Dialektverbund an. Aus einer umfassenden Analyse des Sprachsystems ergibt sich, dass der Grund für Wortentlehnungen im historischen und politischen Kontext zu suchen sind: die vielen Entlehnungen in der Behörden- und Schulsprache resultieren etwa daraus, dass die einzige Amtssprache im Kanton Tessin das Italienische ist. Im Weiteren konnte sich hier, abgetrennt vom deutschen Sprachraum, auch Archaisches erhalten, etwa im Wortgut oder im umfassenden Gebrauch der Genitivformen. Die Walser Mundarten gehören dem südalemannischen Dialektverbund an und weisen viele höchstalemannische Kriterien vor. Typische Strukturen des höchstalemannischen Dialektverbunds gehören zur sog. Romania Submersa, etwa die Palatalisierung, die Passivumschreibung mit "kommen" anstatt "werden", die Stellungssyntax des mehrteiligen Prädikats im konjunktional eingeleiteten Nebensatz und die Flektiertheit des prädikativen Adjektivs. Manches, das typisch für das Höchstalemannische ist, zeigt eine stärkere Ausprägung in den südlichen Walserkolonien und somit auch in Bosco Gurin. Es ist anzunehmen, dass die Sprachkontaktsituation dazu beigetragen hat, sowohl die Romania Submersa als auch Archaisches zu erhalten oder auch zu verstärken. Dies gilt beispielsweise für die Erhaltung der ursprünglichen Endsilbenvokale und die weitverbreitete Verwendung der Diminutivsuffixe "-ti", "-tli", "-elti". In manchen Bereichen des Sprachsystems zeigen sich in Bosco Gurin eigenständige Entwicklungen, die sich auch in anderen südlichen Walsersprachinseln wiederfinden; z.B. die Grammatikalisierung des enklitischen Subjektpronomen und die pronominale Subjektverdoppelung. Hierzu hat der Sprachkontakt zum Italienischen beigetragen. Eine Interferenz der italienischsprachigen Umgebungssprache zeigt sich zudem in mittels Adverbien eingeleiteten Hauptsätzen und im Gebrauch der Präpositionen nach Italienischem Muster. Diese Diplomarbeit beinhaltet somit eine umfassende Analyse des Sprachsystems des Basismundart Bosco Gurins und dessen Analyse unter der Perspektive der Sprachkontakt- und der Sprachinselforschung unter Berücksichtigung der Besiedlungs- und Forschungsgeschichte sowie der geopolitischen Situation

Improved Postoperative Kneeling Ability in Posterior Stabilized Total Knee Arthroplasty with Medialised Dome-Patella Resurfacing: A Retrospective Comparative Outcome Analysis.

OBJECTIVES This investigation aimed to evaluate if the modifications to prosthesis designs improve patients' clinical and functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), with a special focus on pain and kneeling ability. METHODS Retrospective and comparative analysis of consecutive patients who were treated with posterior stabilized TKA using two different prostheses designs (single surgeon, single vendor). Group 1 received a traditional design TKA (PFC Sigma; DePuy, Inc., Warsaw, IN) with conventional dome-patella resurfacing and group 2 received a modern design implant (Attune; DePuy, Inc., Warsaw, IN), with medialised dome-patella resurfacing. Functional outcome (range of motion: ROM) and the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) were collected preoperatively, at 4-6 weeks and 12 months following surgery. RESULTS Ninety-nine participants were included. Of these, 30 received traditional design implants, and 69 the modern design knee implants. The comparison between the two implants showed a statistically significant increased total OKS and kneeling ability in the modern design cohort at 1-year follow-up compared to the traditional design cohort (p < 0.01). In the modern design group, 53% (N=37) could kneel easily or with little difficulty, compared to 30% (N=9) in the traditional design group. No statistically significant differences in ROM or the OKS pain component were seen. CONCLUSION The incorporation of a medialized dome-patella in modern knee implant design may offer advantages over traditional designs, as seen in improved total OKS and kneeling ability at one-year follow-up. Further research with larger cohorts is needed to confirm these findings and explore the broader impact of implant design changes on patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Clinical Study, Level III

Exacerbation of erythropoietic protoporphyria by hyperthyroidism

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a hereditary disorder caused by deficiency of ferrochelatase, the last enzyme in the heme biosynthetic pathway. The majority of EPP patients present with a clinical symptom of painful phototoxicity. Liver damage, the most serious complication of EPP, occurs in <5% of the patients. This report describes a case of an EPP patient who complained of worsening cutaneous symptoms, nervousness, and insomnia. Laboratory tests showed highly increased protoporphyrin concentration in erythrocytes and elevated serum transaminases that are indicative of EPP-related liver damage. The subsequent finding of decreased serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and increased free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) concentrations, as well antibodies against both thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and TSH receptors, led to the diagnosis of Graves' disease. The patient received 500MBq of radioiodine (I131). Three months after the radioactive iodine therapy, the thyroid volume was reduced to 30% of pretherapeutic volume. Although the patient was slightly hypothyroidic, his liver enzymes returned to normal, his erythrocytic protoporphyrin concentration dropped fivefold, and his skin symptoms improved dramatically. The coexistence of Graves' disease and EPP is a statistically rare event as, besides our patient, there was one additional case reported in the literature. Although the exact mechanism whereby Graves' disease interacts with EPP is yet to be explored, we recommend testing thyroid function in EPP patients with liver complication to exclude hyperthyroidism as a potential caus