Spätfolgen des Steinkohlenbergbaus in Südlimburg/Niederlande: Bestandsaufnahme und Prognosen

Das niederländische Wirtschaftsministerium hat 2014 eine umfassende Studie über alle zukünftig noch sicherheitlich relevanten Themenbereiche des Nachbergbaus für das Südlimburger Steinkohlenrevier beauftragt. Der Bergbau wurde hier bis 1974 stillgelegt; der Grubenwasseranstieg ist aber aufgrund der hydraulischen Verbindungen zu dem erst in 1992 stillgelegten Aachener Steinkohlenrevier noch nicht abgeschlossen. Der Auftrag wurde an ein deutsch/niederländisches Projektteam vergeben, das sowohl detaillierte Kenntnisse der regionalen Hydrogeologie besitzt als auch eine Bearbeitung von Fragestellungen im Zusammenhang mit Risiken durch bergbauliche Hinterlassenschaften auf dem aktuellen Stand der Technik und nach neuesten Forschungsergebnissen gewährleisten konnte. Auf der Grundlage einer umfassenden Bestandsaufnahme sowie einem regionalen Grundwassermodell wurden eine Risikobewertung vorgenommen und Konzepte für Maßnahmen und ein Monitoring erarbeitet. Die Studie wurde Ende 2016 veröffentlicht; der vorliegende Beitrag liefert eine Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen.The Ministerie van Economische Zaken (EZ) of the Netherlands in 2014 initiated the project „Na-ijlende gevolgen steenkolenwinning Zuid-Limburg“ and commissioned a comprising study considering all future safety aspects with respect to the potential consequences of the former hard coal exploitation in South Limburg. The coal mines were abandoned until 1974; due to hydraulic connections to the Aachen mining district, that was abandoned in 1992, the rise of the mine water has not finished yet. The study was assigned to a German-Dutch project group with comprising references of the regional Hydrogeology as well as excellent expertise in all questions regarding risks from mining relicts. Based on a comprising inventory and a regional groundwater model a risk assessment was carried out and a concept for measures and monitoring elaborated. The study was published in 2016; the paper in hand provides a summary of the results and recommendations

A Multi-Platform Flow Device for Microbial (Co-) Cultivation and Microscopic Analysis

Novel microbial cultivation platforms are of increasing interest to researchers in academia and industry. The development of materials with specialized chemical and geometric properties has opened up new possibilities in the study of previously unculturable microorganisms and has facilitated the design of elegant, high-throughput experimental set-ups. Within the context of the international Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition, we set out to design, manufacture, and implement a flow device that can accommodate multiple growth platforms, that is, a silicon nitride based microsieve and a porous aluminium oxide based microdish. It provides control over (co-)culturing conditions similar to a chemostat, while allowing organisms to be observed microscopically. The device was designed to be affordable, reusable, and above all, versatile. To test its functionality and general utility, we performed multiple experiments with Escherichia coli cells harboring synthetic gene circuits and were able to quantitatively study emerging expression dynamics in real-time via fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the device provides a unique environment for the cultivation of nematodes, suggesting that the device could also prove useful in microscopy studies of multicellular microorganisms

Spätfolgen des Steinkohlenbergbaus in Südlimburg/Niederlande: Bestandsaufnahme und Prognosen

Das niederländische Wirtschaftsministerium hat 2014 eine umfassende Studie über alle zukünftig noch sicherheitlich relevanten Themenbereiche des Nachbergbaus für das Südlimburger Steinkohlenrevier beauftragt. Der Bergbau wurde hier bis 1974 stillgelegt; der Grubenwasseranstieg ist aber aufgrund der hydraulischen Verbindungen zu dem erst in 1992 stillgelegten Aachener Steinkohlenrevier noch nicht abgeschlossen. Der Auftrag wurde an ein deutsch/niederländisches Projektteam vergeben, das sowohl detaillierte Kenntnisse der regionalen Hydrogeologie besitzt als auch eine Bearbeitung von Fragestellungen im Zusammenhang mit Risiken durch bergbauliche Hinterlassenschaften auf dem aktuellen Stand der Technik und nach neuesten Forschungsergebnissen gewährleisten konnte. Auf der Grundlage einer umfassenden Bestandsaufnahme sowie einem regionalen Grundwassermodell wurden eine Risikobewertung vorgenommen und Konzepte für Maßnahmen und ein Monitoring erarbeitet. Die Studie wurde Ende 2016 veröffentlicht; der vorliegende Beitrag liefert eine Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse und Empfehlungen.The Ministerie van Economische Zaken (EZ) of the Netherlands in 2014 initiated the project „Na-ijlende gevolgen steenkolenwinning Zuid-Limburg“ and commissioned a comprising study considering all future safety aspects with respect to the potential consequences of the former hard coal exploitation in South Limburg. The coal mines were abandoned until 1974; due to hydraulic connections to the Aachen mining district, that was abandoned in 1992, the rise of the mine water has not finished yet. The study was assigned to a German-Dutch project group with comprising references of the regional Hydrogeology as well as excellent expertise in all questions regarding risks from mining relicts. Based on a comprising inventory and a regional groundwater model a risk assessment was carried out and a concept for measures and monitoring elaborated. The study was published in 2016; the paper in hand provides a summary of the results and recommendations

Arthroscopic localization of the ulnar nerve behind the medial capsule is unreliable

Purpose: Ulnar nerve injury is the most common neurologic complication of elbow arthroscopy. The purpose of this cadaveric study was to quantify the ability of surgeons to locate the ulnar nerve behind the posteromedial capsule during elbow arthroscopy using sole arthroscopic vision. Methods: Twenty-one surgeons were asked to pin the ulnar nerve at the medial gutter and the posteromedial compartment using arthroscopic visualization of the medial capsule only. Pinning of the ulnar nerve was performed from extra-articular. Then, the cadaveric specimens were dissected and the shortest distances between the pins and ulnar nerve measured. Results: Median pin-to-nerve distances at the medial gutter and posteromedial compartment were 0 mm (interquartile range [IQR], 0-3 mm) and 2 mm (IQR, 0-6 mm), respectively. The ulnar nerve was pinned by 11/21 surgeons (52%) at the medial gutter, and 7/21 surgeons (33%) at the posteromedial compartment. Three of 21 surgeons (14%) pinned the ulnar nerve at both the medial gutter and the posteromedial compartment. Surgeon's experience and operation volume did not affect these outcomes (P >.05). Conclusions: Surgeons' ability to locate the ulnar nerve behind the posteromedial capsule using sole arthroscopic visualization, without external palpation, is poor. We recommend to proceed carefully when performing arthroscopic procedures in the posteromedial elbow, and identify and mobilize the ulnar nerve prior to any posteromedial capsular procedures

Fluorescent nematodes observed in the flow device.

<p>A) Nematodes floating over the wells while the chamber is filled with liquid. The fluorescent oesophagus in the front side of the nematode is clearly visible. B) Nematode trapped in a well filled with fluorescent <i>E. coli</i> cells after removing the liquid from the chamber. C) Next day: A nematode after consuming all fluorescent bacteria from the well, resulting in observable fluorescence in the nematode intestine.</p

Co-cultivation of cells separated by a microsieve.

<p>Increase of GFP expression of inducible cells on the sieve after inoculation of inducer cells below. Graph plotted with the image analysis and processing tool ImageJ. The x-axis corresponds to time and the y-axis shows the detected GFP signal (in arbitrary units). Below: a number of representative images of the microsieve. The time points at which the images were taken are indicated with an asterisk.</p

Overview of the BioBrick parts used.

*<p>co-cultivated with RFP containing BioBrick part as control for leakage.</p

Oscillating GFP expression observed in microdish wells.

<p>Fluorescent <i>E. coli</i> cells in the wells of the microdish showing variations in signal strength over time. The graph depicts variations plotted with the image analysis and processing tool ImageJ. The x-axis represents time, and the y-axis represents fluorescence (in arbitrary units and with a variance of maximally 0.01 for the normalised data of 5 wells). Below the graph are microscopic images of fluorescent bacteria in the cultivation chip wells at different intervals using identical illumination conditions and CCD camera exposure times. The time points at which the images were taken are indicated with an asterisk.</p