A proposal on methodology and data evaluation in the investigation of pesticide spray application

Zur Untersuchung der Applikationsqualität bei der Ausbringung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln in Pflanzenbeständen werden Belagsmessungen durchgeführt. Wegen des hohen Arbeitsaufwandes wird die angelagerte Stoffmenge häufig mit Hilfe von Sammelproben untersucht. Das ist zwar arbeits­sparend, reduziert aber Informationsgehalt und Aussagekraft stark, weil eine Bewertung der Streubreite der Belagsmassen nicht möglich ist. Bei Dokumentation der Entnahmepositionen und Messung des Initialbelags auf jedem einzelnen Zielobjekt kann sowohl die Häufigkeitsverteilung der Belagsmassen als auch deren räumliche Verteilung beschrieben werden. An Stelle der üblicher­weise als Kenngröße von Belagsmessungen herangezo­genen mittleren Belagsmasse wird als Kennwert der Anteil von Zielobjekten vorgeschlagen, der Belagsmassen kleiner als 3% oder 5% vom Nominalaufwand (kg/10 000m2 Behandlungsfläche) aufweist. Unter der Annahme, dass Befall zuerst auf schwach belegten Zielobjekten auftritt, erscheint dieser Parameter aussagekräftiger als der Mittelwert, der insbesondere bei großer Variabilität sehr stark von einzelnen Werten abhängig ist.    Spray deposits are investigated in order to describe the application quality in canopies. Such measurements are labour and time consuming and researchers often prefer to investigate bulk samples. This reduces workload and costs but leads to a loss of information because it is not possible to describe the variability of deposits. It is recommended to document the sampling position of each individual sampling unit which in addition enables to describe the spatial distribution of the deposits. It is common to calculate the mean deposit as characteristic parameter. Instead of the mean we propose to use the proportion of targets with deposits lower than 3% or 5% of the nominal dose (kg/10 000m2). This value seems to be more appropriate because efficacy occurs on individual targets.   &nbsp

Conversion of the PS complex as LHC proton pre-injector

CERNs Large Hadron Collider (LHC) [1][2] will be supplied with protons from the injector chain Linac2-PS Booster (PSB)-PS-SPS (Fig. 1). The required transverse beam brilliance (intensity/emittance) is almost twice that of current PS beams and the LHC bunch spacing of 25 ns must be impressed on the beam before its transfer to the SPS. The scheme involves new RF harmonics in the PSB and the PS, an increase of the PSB energy, and two-batch filling of the PS. After a successful test of the main ingredients, a project for converting the PS complex was launched in 1994. Major additions are (i) h=1 RF systems in the PSB, (ii) upgrading of the PSB main magnet supply from 1 to 1.4 GeV operation, (iii) new magnets, septa, power supplies, kicker pulsers for the PSB-PS beam transfer, (iv) 40 and 80 MHz systems in the PS, (v) beam profile measurement devices with improved resolution. A significant part of the effort is being provided by TRIUMF under the Canada-CERN co-operation agreement on the LHC

RANTES/CCL5 and Risk for Coronary Events: Results from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg Case-Cohort, Athero-Express and CARDIoGRAM Studies

BACKGROUND: The chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted)/CCL5 is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in mice, whereas less is known in humans. We hypothesised that its relevance for atherosclerosis should be reflected by associations between CCL5 gene variants, RANTES serum concentrations and protein levels in atherosclerotic plaques and risk for coronary events. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a case-cohort study within the population-based MONICA/KORA Augsburg studies. Baseline RANTES serum levels were measured in 363 individuals with incident coronary events and 1,908 non-cases (mean follow-up: 10.2±4.8 years). Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, metabolic factors and lifestyle factors revealed no significant association between RANTES and incident coronary events (HR [95% CI] for increasing RANTES tertiles 1.0, 1.03 [0.75-1.42] and 1.11 [0.81-1.54]). None of six CCL5 single nucleotide polymorphisms and no common haplotype showed significant associations with coronary events. Also in the CARDIoGRAM study (>22,000 cases, >60,000 controls), none of these CCL5 SNPs was significantly associated with coronary artery disease. In the prospective Athero-Express biobank study, RANTES plaque levels were measured in 606 atherosclerotic lesions from patients who underwent carotid endarterectomy. RANTES content in atherosclerotic plaques was positively associated with macrophage infiltration and inversely associated with plaque calcification. However, there was no significant association between RANTES content in plaques and risk for coronary events (mean follow-up 2.8±0.8 years). CONCLUSIONS: High RANTES plaque levels were associated with an unstable plaque phenotype. However, the absence of associations between (i) RANTES serum levels, (ii) CCL5 genotypes and (iii) RANTES content in carotid plaques and either coronary artery disease or incident coronary events in our cohorts suggests that RANTES may not be a novel coronary risk biomarker. However, the potential relevance of RANTES levels in platelet-poor plasma needs to be investigated in further studies

RANTES/CCL5 and risk for coronary events: Results from the MONICA/KORA Augsburg case-cohort, Athero-express and CARDIoGRAM studies

Background: The chemokine RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted)/CCL5 is involved in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease in mice, whereas less is known in humans. We hypothesised that its relevance for atherosclerosis should be reflected by associations between CCL5 gene variants, RANTES serum concentrations and protein levels in atherosclerotic plaques and risk for coronary events. Methods and Findings: We conducted a case-cohort study within the population-based MONICA/KORA Augsburg studies. Baseline RANTES serum levels were measured in 363 individuals with incident coronary events and 1,908 non-cases (mean follow-up: 10.2±

Models for the runoff from a glaciated catchment area using measurements of environmental isotope contents

For several years, in the glaciated catchment area of the Rofenache (Oetztal Alps, Austria), measurements have been made of the environmental isotopes 2H, 180 and 3H in precipitation, snow and ice samples and in the runoff. Furthermore, the electrolytic conductivity of runoff samples was measured and tracing experiments were made with fluorescent dyes. From core samples drilled in the accumulation area of the Vernagtferner, the gross beta activity was investigated and compared with the data from 2H, 3H and 180 analyses and the data from mass balance studies. It is shown that the annual net balance from previous years can be recovered on temperate glaciers using environmental isotope techniques. From the diurnal variations of the 2H and 3H contents and the electrolytic conductivity, the following proportions in the runoff of the Vernagtferner catchment area were obtained during a 24-hour interval at a time of strong ablation (August 1976): about 50% ice meltwater, 25% direct runoff of firn and snow meltwater, and 7% of mineralized groundwater. The rest of the runoff consists of non- mineralized meltwater seeping from the glacier body. The annual variations of the 2H and 3H contents in the runoff of the glaciated catchment area permit conclusions on the time sequence of the individual ablation periods, and on the residence time, on the basis of model concepts. The residence times of approximately 100 days or four years, respectively, are obtained from the decrease in the 2H content at the end of the ablation period and from the variation of the 3H content in the winter discharge

Die Staatsverwaltung der Grosselǧūqen und Ḫōrazmšāhs (1038 - 1231) : eine Untersuchung nach Urkundenformularen der Zeit

von Heribert Hors