Cold Ground Research Articles

A Dynamic Monitoring Framework for Spring Low-Temperature Disasters Affecting Winter Wheat: Exploring Environmental Coercion and Mitigation Mechanisms

Abstract: The implementation of real-time dynamic monitoring of disaster formation and severity is essential for the timely adoption of disaster prevention and mitigation measures, which in turn minimizes disaster-related losses and safeguards agricultural production safety. This study establishes a low-temperature disaster (LTD) monitoring system based on machine learning algorithms, which primarily consists of a module for identifying types of disasters and a module for simulating the evolution of LTDs. This study firstly employed the KNN model combined with a piecewise function to determine the daily dynamic minimum critical temperature for low-temperature stress (LTS) experienced by winter wheat in the Huang-Huai-Hai (HHH) region after regreening, with the fitting model’s R2, RMSE, MAE, NRMSE, and MBE values being 0.95, 0.79, 0.53, 0.13, and 1.716 × 10−11, respectively. This model serves as the foundation for determining the process by which winter wheat is subjected to LTS. Subsequently, using the XGBoost algorithm to analyze the differences between spring frost and cold damage patterns, a model for identifying types of spring LTDs was developed. The validation accuracy of the model reached 86.67%. In the development of the module simulating the evolution of LTDs, the XGBoost algorithm was initially employed to construct the Low-Temperature Disaster Index (LTDI), facilitating the daily identification of LTD occurrences. Subsequently, the Low-Temperature Disaster Process Accumulation Index (LDPI) is utilized to quantify the severity of the disaster. Validation results indicate that 79.81% of the test set samples exhibit a severity level consistent with historical records. An analysis of the environmental stress-mitigation mechanisms of LTDs reveals that cooling induced by cold air passage and ground radiation are the primary stress mechanisms in the formation of LTDs. In contrast, the release of latent heat from water vapor upon cooling and the transfer of sensible heat from soil moisture serve as the principal mitigation mechanisms. In summary, the developed monitoring framework for LTDs, based on environmental patterns of LTD formation, demonstrates strong generalization capabilities in the HHH region, enabling daily dynamic assessments of the evolution and severity of LTDs.

On the Margins of Language, on the Margins of Truth: Rethinking French Horror through the faux-documentaire

In the 2021 special issue of French Screen Studies , guest editor Maxime Bey-Rozet articulates how Horror Studies in French cinema remains an understudied field—but one that is nevertheless starting to gain traction. My article adds to this small but growing scholarship by bringing into the conversation a (sub-)genre not mentioned in the issue—the faux-documentaire . Trickery and fakery are used to imitate documentary evidence and style, in the margins between “truth” and “fiction”. Yet, in imitating the documentary genre, the faux-documentaire here also imitates the Hollywood style of found footage films such as The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sánchez, 1999). To make this claim, this article considers two found footage faux-documentaires by French director Fabien Delage: Cold Ground (2017) and 3:15AM (2018, an anthology that Delage contributed to and starred in).

Modern air, englacial and permafrost temperatures at high altitude on Mt Ortles (3905 m a.s.l.), in the eastern European Alps

Abstract. The climatic response of mountain permafrost and glaciers located in high-elevation mountain areas has major implications for the stability of mountain slopes and related geomorphological hazards, water storage and supply, and preservation of palaeoclimatic archives. Despite a good knowledge of physical processes that govern the climatic response of mountain permafrost and glaciers, there is a lack of observational datasets from summit areas. This represents a crucial gap in knowledge and a serious limit for model-based projections of future behaviour of permafrost and glaciers. A new observational dataset is available for the summit area of Mt Ortles, which is the highest summit of South Tyrol, Italy. This paper presents a series of air, englacial, soil surface and rock wall temperatures collected between 2010 and 2016. Details are provided regarding instrument types and characteristics, field methods, and data quality control and assessment. The obtained data series are available through an open data repository (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8330289, Carturan et al., 2023). In the observed period, the mean annual air temperature at 3830 m a.s.l. was between −7.8 and −8.6 ∘C. The most shallow layers of snow and firn (down to a depth of about 10 m) froze during winter. However, melt water percolation restored isothermal conditions during the ablation season, and the entire firn layer was found at the melting pressure point. Glacier ice is cold, but only from about 30 m depth. Englacial temperature decreases with depth, reaching a minimum of almost −3 ∘C close to the bedrock, at 75 m depth. A small glacier located at 3470 m a.s.l., close to the summit of Mt Ortles, was also found in cold conditions down to a depth of 9.5 m. The mean annual ground surface temperature was negative for all but one monitored sites, indicating cold ground conditions and the existence of permafrost in nearly all debris-mantled slopes of the summit. Similarly, the mean annual rock wall temperature was negative at most monitored sites, except the lowest one at 3030 m a.s.l. This suggests that the rock faces of the summit are affected by permafrost at all exposures.

Accidental

The awkwardly bulbous woodcock hunkers down in our backyard, bobs the cold ground with a beak like a staff that scares up dinner. Not supposed to be here, we think, but here is where it finds us, our faces at windows, books in hands, trying to locate its name and its way. Is there any lyric in it, is what we want to know. Is there any blessing to be had.

Modeling of solar-assisted ground-coupled heat pumps with or without batteries in remote high north communities

Many subarctic communities rely entirely on fossil fuels for their energy needs. Solar-assisted ground-coupled heat pumps (SAGCHP) can be a solution to integrate renewable energy sources into their energy portfolios. However, it is currently unknown how such systems could operate in the context of the high North (cold ground, extreme mismatch between insolation and heating need, electricity from diesel). The objective of the paper is to develop a detailed model of a SAGCHP heating a house in Nunavik (Quebec, Canada) in order to gain a better understanding of its potential and limitations. The solar assistance is provided by PVs. Simulations with and without electric storage (batteries) were run. A complex tradeoff between four different modes of operation was obtained depending on the conditions of the system at each time step. For the test case, results show that the ground experiences a weak long-term thermal depletion partly compensated solar energy, but that a significant portion of the PV power production is preferably used by the compressor or stored in batteries rather than stored in the ground as heat. Over ten years, the SAGCHP system reduced fuel consumption respectively by 38.2% (without a battery) and 59.1% (with a battery).

Investigation of heat transfer processes at a full-scale object in a fruit and vegetable storage with a natural cold ground accumulator

This article studies the heat exchange processes between the natural cold of outdoor air and the soil battery in an experimental setup. In addition, the temperature field temperature between the surface of a reinforced concrete pipe with a diameter of d = 300 mm and the soil mass, the heat transfer coefficient, and the Fourier number were calculated and graphs were obtained. The accepted theoretical dependences for describing the processes of conductive heat transfer of a ground cold accumulator differ by 10-15% from the experimental data obtained on a physical model for various Fourier numbers.

A novel system for aircraft cabin heating based on a vapor compression system and heat recovery from engine lubricating oil

At present, the cabin heating of aircraft mainly depends on engine bleed air, which results in large power loss from the engine. To address this problem, a new system coupling the vapor compression system and lubricating oil system to recover heat from the lubricating oil to heat the cabin is proposed based on the design concept of the integrated thermal management of aircraft. To investigate the feasibility and efficiency of the new system, an experimental system was established, and performance experiments were conducted under cold ground weather (5, 0 and –5 °C), which was simulated in an environmental chamber. The lubricating oil temperature was kept at approximately 45 °C, and heat was recovered from the lubricating oil at 0 and –5 °C but not at 5 °C. The experimental results and thermodynamic analyses indicate that when the lubricating oil system works rather than being closed, the heating time needed for the cabin temperature to reach 25 °C is shortened from 494 s to 121 and 363 s, the compression ratio of the compressor is reduced from 7.65 to 2.81 and 3.73, the heating coefficient of performance is raised from 3.46 to 6.87 and 5.27, and the system exergy efficiency is improved from 22.9% to 33.2% and 32.8%. Therefore, the proposed system can be treated as feasible, efficient, and promising.

Stephen Foster and the Slavery Question

Stephen Foster and the Slavery Question

Trek to Triumph

I was screaming in the stairwell of my home, holding a dead baby. The air was so thick that I could barely breathe. Tears were racing down my face as her twin sister, Zola, was screeching at the top of her lungs. “WHY LORD, don't take my baby!” Every emotion, every word, and every second after that moment felt black. All the sweet memories from just eight days of being able to hold her, kiss her, and love her fell in a black pit along with the dreams I had for my life. As I looked down at my sweet Zaina, I could not help but see at that moment that we were the same—lifeless. I rode to the hospital in the front of the ambulance while EMS performed CPR on her in the back. I kept repeating “breathe baby, please, just choose to live,” hoping that she would hear me and fight for her life. As the double doors to the emergency room swung open, the doctor took one look at her, and I could tell it was not good. My knees gave out and I fell onto the floor. It was so cold. There was nothing left that I could do. As I struggled to gather the strength to pick myself up from the cold ground, I realized something: nothing that could happen to me for the rest of my life is worse than this. Nothing is worse than losing a child. This was my biggest fear, and I was staring face-to-face with it at age twenty-three.

Memorials and the Mine Disaster in Monongah, West Virginia: From Trauma to an Italian Global Memoryscape

Memorials and the Mine Disaster in Monongah, West Virginia: From Trauma to an Italian Global Memoryscape

Effect The Addition Different Concentrations of Sodium Triphosphate and Sodium Lactate on The Microbial Count of Cold Ground Beef Meat

This study was conducted in the laboratories of Al-Musaib Technical College, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University with the aim of studying the effect of adding sodium triphosphate salts at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% and sodium lactate at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% on the microbial count of ground beef and cooled for 24 hours at a temperature at 4 C. The results of the study indicated an increase in the rate of the total count of bacteria, psychrophilic bacteria, coliforms, yeasts and molds in all ground meat samples, not treated with salt, than the permissible limits. As samples of ground meat not treated with trisodium and sodium lactate salts recorded the highest rate in the total Count of bacteria after 24 hours of cold storage at 4 ° C, when they reached 6.544 CFU The Count of these bacteria decreased by increasing the concentration of salts, so the minimal count of bacteria was at a concentration of 2% when adding both salts of sodium triphosphate and sodium lactate together as 3.426 CFU. also found a clear reduction in the count of Psychrophilic bacteria at a concentration of 2% for both salts as recorded the last treatment rate 2.127 CFU It is the minimal count compared to the other treatments, while the control treatments recorded the highest count 6.400 CFU. Also, the addition of different concentrations of sodium triphosphate and sodium lactate led to a gradual decrease in the counts of coliform bacteria, with an increase in the salt concentration, as it reached 1.204 CFU At aconcentration of 2%, while the control treatment was recorded 6.431 CFU It is a the highest value. Also there is a significant difference was found (P <0.05). In the count of yeasts and molds, which were significantly decreased by increasing the concentration of both salts, as they were 1.079 CFU In the last treatment, while the highest count recorded since reached 4.361 CFU When salts are not added. This is a clear indication of the existence of a synergistic action of these salts to reduce the increasing counts of bacteria, yeasts and molds by inhibiting these microbial species with increased concentration.

Climate Response in Tree-Rings of Sawara Cypress [Chamaecyparis pisifera (Siebold &amp; Zucc.) Endl.] in Poland

Sawara cypress [Chamaecyparis pisifera (Siebold &amp; Zucc.) Endl.] is originally from Japan. It was introduced to Europe in the latter half of the 19th century (in England and Holland in 1861, and in Poland in 1864). The aim of this study was to examine the influence of climatic conditions on tree-ring width among Sawara cypress populations growing in Poland. Additionally, other indicators determining the growth-climate relationship for the studied tree species were investigated such as false rings, missing rings, or frost rings. Five stands of Sawara cypress from northwestern and central Poland were selected for study. Samples were taken from 97 trees, using Pressler borers at breast-height. Tree-ring widths were measured down to 0.01 mm. Climatic data came from weather stations located the nearest to the study plots. Tree-ring width in the studied populations of Sawara cypress varies (from 1.94 to 4.47 mm). The oldest Sawara cypresses grow in Glinna Arboretum and are nearly 130 years old. The youngest ones grow in Rogów Arboretum (67 years old) and Wirty Arboretum (58 years old). Ten regional pointer years, including six negative and four positive ones, were determined for local chronologies. Negative pointer years were associated with the occurrence of cold winters and water shortages in summer. Positive pointer years are mostly periods with a warm winter season, early and warm spring, and with high precipitation totals during summer months. Correlation and response function analysis corroborates the results yielded by pointer year analysis. False rings carry an additional information on pluvial conditions in the summer period, and frost rings are an aid in dating dendrochronological series and indicate the occurrence of both very cold winters and persistent ground frost occurrences in the spring period. In comparison to native conifers, the Sawara cypress can be regarded as a fast-growing species. The knowledge of acclimatization, growth rate, and growth-climate relationship may be useful, especially in the time of a rapidly changing climate, increasing human impact, and highly intensified invasion of insect and fungal species attacking native forest-forming taxa.

Permafrost Biases Climate Signals in δ18Otree-ring Series from a Sub-Alpine Tree Stand in Val Bever/Switzerland

During recent decades, stable oxygen isotopes derived from tree-ring cellulose (δ18OTRC) have been frequently utilised as the baseline for palaeoclimatic reconstructions. In this context, numerous studies take advantage of the high sensitivity of trees close to their ecological distribution limit (high elevation or high latitudes). However, this increases the chance that indirect climatic forces such as cold ground induced by permafrost can distort the climate-proxy relationship. In this study, a tree stand of sub-alpine larch trees (Larix decidua Mill.) located in an inner alpine dry valley (Val Bever), Switzerland, was analysed for its δ18OTRC variations during the last 180 years. A total of eight L. decidua trees were analysed on an individual base, half of which are located on verified sporadic permafrost lenses approximately 500 m below the expected lower limit of discontinuous permafrost. The derived isotope time series are strongly dependent on variations in summer temperature, precipitation and large-scale circulation patterns (geopotential height fields). The results demonstrate that trees growing outside of the permafrost distribution provide a significantly stronger and more consistent climate-proxy relationship over time than permafrost-affected tree stands. The climate sensitivity of permafrost-affected trees is analogical to the permafrost-free tree stands (positive and negative correlations with temperature and precipitation, respectively) but attenuated partly leading to a complete loss of significance. In particular, decadal summer temperature variations are well reflected in δ18OTRC from permafrost-free sites (r = 0.62, p &lt; 0.01), while permafrost-affected sites demonstrate a full lack of this dependency (r = 0.30, p &gt; 0.05). Since both tree stands are located just a few meters away from one another and are subject to the same climatic influences, discrepancies in the isotope time series can only be attributed to variations in the trees’ source water that constraints the climatic fingerprints on δ18OTRC. If the two individual time series are merged to one local mean chronology, the climatic sensitivity reflects an intermediate between the permafrost-free and –affected δ18OTRC time series. It can be deduced, that a significant loss of information on past climate variations arises by simply averaging both tree stands without prior knowledge of differing subsurface conditions.

ОРГАНИЧЕСКОЕ ВЕЩЕСТВО В ТЕРМАЛЬНЫХ И ХОЛОДНЫХ ПОДЗЕМНЫХ И ПОВЕРХНОСТНЫХ ВОДАХ КОНТИНЕНТАЛЬНОЙ ЧАСТИ ЮГА ДАЛЬНЕГО ВОСТОКА (КИСЛОРОДСОДЕРЖАЩИЕ СОЕДИНЕНИЯ)

This article presents the composition and molecular weight distribution of medium volatility oxygen-containing organic compounds in the thermal, cold ground and surface waters of the continental part of the Far East south. Using the method of capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, it is found 71 oxygen-containing compounds in thermal waters, belonging to 10 homologous series, and in cold ground and surface waters – 36 compounds, belonging to 7 homologous series. Their relative content in the medium volatility organic matter composition is about 55% in thermal waters and about 45% in cold ground and surface waters. Esters, carboxylic acids and aldehydes are widespread in hot waters. These compounds are widely produced in the biosphere and are probably of biogenic origin. The features of the carboxylic acids and aldehydes molecular weight distribution (the predominance of homologues with an even number of carbon atoms in the molecule) also show their biogenic genesis. The formation of ethers can as well be associated with the oxidation of organic matter in water-bearing rocks, and aromatic and nitrogen-containing components – with thermogenic processes occurring in hydrothermal systems. Esters, steroids and ketones also reach their maximum relative concentrations in cold waters. Steroids predominate in the oxygen-containing organic compounds composition in cold ground and surface waters where the carboxylic acids distribution is insignificant. Among the revealed compounds, in thermal waters there are some components – indicators of technogenic pollution. These are the compounds containing a tert-butyl group and DETA. However, their share in the composition of medium volatility organic matter is insignificant.

Factors Affecting Corrosion Rate in Reinforced Concrete Manholes

There are approximately 600,000 reinforced concrete manholes for communications owned by NTT in Japan. Reinforced concrete sometimes degrades and the reinforcing bars (rebar) are exposed on the surface. When rebar is exposed, corrosion progresses and the structural strength of the manhole degrades. Basically, there is a high level of humidity inside the manhole chamber, and this facilitates the corrosion of the rebar. Since the rebar in the ceiling plays an important role in maintaining the strength of the entire manhole, NTT conducts inspection and repair especially for the exposed rebar in the ceiling. In this study, the corrosion rate of the rebar exposed in manholes is investigated based on exposure tests and experiments using atmospheric corrosion monitoring (ACM) sensors. The environmental factors contributing to the corrosion rate are also investigated.In order to simulate exposed rebar, we conducted an exposure test in which rebar samples were installed in the manhole ceiling. The rebar was installed in multiple manholes for 1 year, and the corrosion rate of the reinforcing bar was calculated from the weight change due to corrosion.The results show that the rebar corrosion rate in the manhole in which dew condensation was generated on the ceiling tended to be high. The product of corrosion, a crystalline compound, was identified by X-ray diffraction, and Magnetite was mainly detected. Since Magnetite easily develops over long exposure to a wet environment, the existence of corrosion due to dew condensation was confirmed. Although Goethite and Lepidocrocite were identified through X-ray diffraction, Akaganeite that forms in the presence of chloride was not observed.As shown in Fig. 1, the temperature and humidity inside the manhole chamber, the temperature of the ceiling, and the temperature of the soil immediately above the manhole were measured. From the temperature and humidity in the manhole chamber, the dew point temperature, which is the threshold for dew condensation on an object, i.e., the ceiling in this case, was calculated.As the results in Fig. 2 show, in winter, the cold ground temperature was transmitted through the soil and concrete lowering the ceiling temperature of the manhole. Meanwhile, the temperature in the manhole chamber was relatively warm. This resulted in the ceiling temperature becoming lower than the dew point temperature.To clarify the relationship among the dew point temperature, amount of dew condensation, and corrosion rate, experiments were conducted using an ACM sensor. The ACM sensor comprises Fe, Ag, and an insulator separating the two metals. When water droplets are formed on the sensor surface, Fe is eluted through corrosion. The emitted electrons undergo the following reaction at the surface of Ag: O2 + 2H2O + 4e- → 4OH-. The e- in the reaction equation is measured as the current. The measured current corresponds to the amount of eluted Fe. Therefore, the corrosiveness can be evaluated using the current value. An acrylic box, in which the temperature can be controlled using flowing cooling water, was prepared inside the thermostat. We attached the ACM sensor to the box to generate a temperature difference between the ACM sensor temperature and the air temperature. Based on the temperature difference between the ACM sensor temperature and the dew point temperature calculated from the air temperature (approximately 15℃) and humidity (approximately 98%), several patterns of results were obtained.When the temperature difference (dew point temperature – ACM sensor temperature) is less than 0.5 ℃, dew condensation is not visually apparent as represented in Fig. 3 (left), but a weak current is observed. This current is not caused by dew condensation but by a water film formed in a high humidity environment. In the high humidity manhole, it can be said that the environment facilitates corrosion of iron through the water film even if there is no visible dew condensation. When the temperature difference is greater than approximately 0.8℃, the corrosion current rapidly increases as shown in Fig. 4. As the corrosion current increases rapidly, the surface of the ACM sensor becomes covered in mist and dew condenses on the surface of the ACM sensor as shown in Fig. 3 (Right). Due to this, dew condensation is generated when the temperature difference exceeds approximately 0.8℃, and corrosion seems to be promoted. Since dew condensation repeatedly forms, the iron ion concentration in the vicinity of the rebar is kept low, so the corrosion rate increases due to the dew condensation. Figure 1

The Geochemistry of the Mineral Waters and Hydrogenic Sediments of the Antonovsky Hydrosulfuric Mineral Spring, Sakhalin Island

Original data on the isotope and chemical compositions of mineral springs, cold ground and surface waters, as well as hydrogenic deposits of the Antonovsky manifestation of hydrosulfuric mineral waters (the coast of the Tatar Strait, Sakhalin Island), are presented. The data on the contents of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in ground and surface waters, as well as the volumetric activity of radon and rare-earth elements are obtained for the first time. Based on automatic monitoring of the physical parameters of the mineral water, its hydrogeological characteristics are determined and balneological properties are assessed. It is found that the mineral waters of the spring are weakly alkaline, hydrocarbonic–chloride calcium–sodium with total dissolved solids (TDS) of up to 1 g/L. According to the isotope data, the genesis of the waters is atmospheric and the circulation time is less than 60 years. The gas composition is dominated by nitrogen of atmospheric genesis (δ15N = 0.0). High contents of organic carbon (Corg = 56.6 mg/L) are explained by the processes of interaction between groundwater and organic matter in water-bearing rocks. When organic matter is decomposed in the presence of sulfates and without access to oxygen, hydrosulfuric acid is released, producing several intermediate and stable sulfur compounds in hydrogenic sediments and bacterial mats. Elemental, sulfide, and sulfate forms of sulfur have been detected in the bottom sediments and in the new formations of the mineral spring, using electron microscopy. The interaction of waters with organic matter of rocks plays a significant role in the formation of the elemental composition of hydrogenic and biogenic deposits of the Antonovsky hydrosulfuric mineral spring and their enrichment with such metals as Zn, Ge, As, Sr, Ba, U, and Th. One characteristic feature of the mineral waters is the presence of a markedly pronounced positive europium anomaly, which is typical of waters with low Eh values.

A rock-glacier – pond system (NW Italian Alps): Soil and sediment properties, geochemistry, and trace-metal bioavailability

Rock-glacier sediment transfer and ice melting can impact surface waters located downstream. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the influence of rock-glacier dynamics on the geochemical, hydrochemical, and ecological characteristics of adjacent impounded surface waters. In the Col d'Olen area (Long-Term Ecological Research site, NW Italian Alps), an intact rock glacier terminates into a pond and solute-enriched waters originating from the rock glacier flow into the pond through a subsurface hydrological window. In this study, we performed geophysical and ground surface temperature measurements. Moreover, we sampled soils and sediments in different compartments of the investigated rock-glacier - pond system and we further sampled benthic invertebrates in the pond. Cold ground thermal regime, ground-ice presence, and coarse debris cover on the rock glacier together with its lithology (serpentinites) influence the rock-glacier geochemistry and ecology with respect to surrounding areas. Pond geochemistry is affected by transfer of trace-metal-enriched fine-grained debris and meltwaters from the rock glacier. Enhanced bioavailability of serpentinite-associated trace metals was proved, with concentrations of Ni and Cr in benthic invertebrates up to 384 and 110 mg kg−1 d.w., respectively, potentially exerting toxic effects on pond biota. The advancing movement of the rock glacier not only has delivered sediments to the pond, but it has progressively filled the valley depression where the pond is located, creating a dam that could have modified the level of impounded water. This process likely constituted a sediment trap in which serpentinitic rock-glacier sediments could be deposited at the pond bottom, with related geochemical and ecological implications. This study illustrates the importance of rock glaciers in influencing the characteristics of downstream freshwater bodies and highlights the need to improve our knowledge about climate-change-related impacts of rock-glacier dynamics on alpine headwaters.

ГЕОХИМИЯ МИНЕРАЛЬНЫХ ВОД И ГИДРОГЕННЫХ ОТЛОЖЕНИЙ АНТОНОВСКОГО СЕРОВОДОРОДНОГО МИНЕРАЛЬНОГО ИСТОЧНИКА (О. САХАЛИН)

Original data on the isotopic and chemical composition of mineral waters, cold ground and surface waters, as well as hydrogenic deposits of the Antonovsky manifestation of hydrogen sulfide mineral waters (the coast of the Tatar Strait, Sakhalin Island) are provided in the article. For the first time, data on the content of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in groundwaters and surface waters, the volumetric activity of radon and the rare-earth elements as well were obtained. Based on automatic monitoring of the physical parameters of the waters, their hydrogeological characteristics were determined and balneological properties were assessed. It has been determined that the mineral waters of the spring are weakly alkaline, hydrocarbonate-chloride calcium-sodium, with TDS of up to 1 g/l. According to isotope data, the genesis of waters is atmospheric, and the circulation time is less than 60 years. The gas composition is dominated by nitrogen of atmospheric genesis (δ15N = 0.0). High contents of organic carbon (Corg. = 56.6 mg/l) are explained by the processes of interaction of groundwaters with organic matter of water-bearing rocks. When organic matter decomposes in the presence of sulfates and without oxygen, hydrogen sulfide is released, giving rise to a number of intermediate and stable sulfur compounds in hydrogenic sediments and bacterial mats. Elemental, sulfide and sulfate forms of sulfur have been determined in the bottom sediments as well as new formations of the mineral spring, using electron microscopy. The interaction of waters with organic matter of rocks plays a significant role in the formation of the elemental composition of hydrogenic and biogenic deposits of the Antonovsky hydrogen sulphide mineral spring and their enrichment with such metals as Zn, Ge, As, Sr, Ba, U, and Th as well. A characteristic feature of mineral waters is the presence of a pronounced positive europium anomaly, which is typical for waters with low Eh values.

So Many

It’s not just the dead that rattle like dry leavesacross stone cold ground, moving at the wind’s will.The living, too, blown by chance and choice,scrape along the pavement. Men, mostly,thirty, forty, fifty, most don’t make sixty.Never got the hang of it, work, wife, family.Had a job once, had several.Had a girl once, had several,had a truck, a car, a flatscreen. Good money,roofing, paving, lobstering.Then came the accident, the back ache,the break-up, the heart ache,the not showing up on time, one time too many.And everything returned to the dust from which it came,scattered in the wind, never to reassemble.Then beer became the boon companion,whiskey, a shelter, hundred proof,against empty days and sleepless nights,against racing thoughts, sweaty palms,against boredom, loss, loneliness.So it begins, the wandering,like dry leaves blown in autumn,from shelter to ER to detox,from library to park to soup kitchen.Until it ends in an alley, in a ditch,in a room at Motel 6.So many moving at the wind’s willacross stone cold ground,gathered like sighs on the shore,waiting for the boatman to carry them overthe river of forgetting,Only to begin again.

Effect of rosemary extract on microbial growth, pH, color, and lipid oxidation in cold plasma-processed ground chicken patties

Effects of adding 1% rosemary extract were determined on the microbial growth and quality characteristics of ground chicken breast patties treated with in-package dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD) cold plasma (CP). Chicken patties were CP-treated at 70 kV for 180 s. Total plate counts (TPC), pH, color, and lipid oxidation (LPO) were measured at time 0 and day 5 of storage. ANOVA showed that there were no three-way (rosemary*CP*storage) interactions and no rosemary*CP interaction (P > 0.05) regardless of measured variable, indicating that rosemary extract has the same effects on CP treated patties as on non-CP treated samples regardless of storage. Adding rosemary extract resulted in reduced microbial growth, LPO, and L* values and increased pH, a*, and b* values in both CP treated and non-CP treated patties. In conclusion, rosemary is a promising additive for maintaining microbial quality and controlling LPO in CP-processed meat.