@article{Koechy2006,
  author    = {K{\"o}chy, Martin},
  title     = {Stochastic time series of daily precipitation for the interior of Israel},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {This contribution describes a generator of stochastic time series of daily precipitation for the interior of Israel from c. 90 to 900 mm mean annual precipitation (MAP) as a tool for studies of daily rain variability. The probability of rainfall on a given day of the year is described by a regular Gaussian peak curve function. The amount of rain is drawn randomly from an exponential distribution whose mean is the daily mean rain amount (averaged across years for each day of the year) described by a flattened Gaussian peak curve. Parameters for the curves have been calculated from monthly aggregated, long-term rain records from seven meteorological stations. Parameters for arbitrary points on the MAP gradient are calculated from a regression equation with MAP as the only independent variable. The simple structure of the generator allows it to produce time series with daily rain patterns that are projected under climate change scenarios and simultaneously control MAP. Increasing within-year variability of daily precipitation amounts also increases among-year variability of MAP as predicted by global circulation models. Thus, the time series incorporate important characteristics for climate change research and represent a flexible tool for simulations of daily vegetation or surface hydrology dynamics.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{RaynaudJondNecandMarcilhacetal.2006,
  author    = {Raynaud, Fabrice and Jond-Necand, Carole and Marcilhac, Anne and F{\"u}rst, Dieter and Benyamin, Yves},
  title     = {Calpain 1-gamma filamin interaction in muscle cells : a possible in situ regulation by PKC-alpha},
  issn      = {1357-2725},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.biocel.2005.09.020},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Calpains are a family of calcium-dependant cysteine-proteases involved in cytoskeleton remodelling and muscle differentiation. In a recent study, we observed the presence of calpain I in the muscle contractile apparatus and specifically in the N1- and N2-fines. This calpain isoform was found to be involved in the degradation of muscle fibres via proteolysis of key proteins in Z-disk and costameric junctions. The goal of this study was to determine whether gamma-filamin - a specific muscle isoform of the filamin family - is a calpain, I substrate and to characterise this interaction. gamma-Filamin is a major muscle architectural protein located in the Z-fine and under the sarcolemmal membrane. This protein is a component of the chain binding the sarcolemma to the sarcomeric structure. In this study, we found that gamma-filamin formed a stable complex in vitro and in cells with calpain I in the absence of calcium stimulation. We also located the binding domains in the C-terminus of gamma-filamin with a cleavage site between serine 2626 and serine 2627 in the hinge 2 region. The catalytic (80 kDa) and regulatory (28 kDa) subunits of calpain I are both involved in high affinity binding at gamma-filamin. Moreover, we showed that phosphorylation of the filamin C- terminus domain by PKC alpha protected gamma-filamin against proteolysis by calpain I in COS cells. Stimulation of PKC activity in myotubes, prevented gamma-filamin proteolysis by calpain and resulted in an increase in myotube adhesion.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BergerWaltersGotthard2008,
  author    = {Berger, Dieter and Walters, R. J. and Gotthard, K.},
  title     = {What limits insect fecundity? : Body size- and temperature-dependent egg maturation and oviposition in a butterfly},
  issn      = {0269-8463},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01392.x},
  year      = {2008},
  abstract  = {* 1. Large female insects usually have high potential fecundity. Therefore selection should favour an increase in body size given that these females get opportunities to realize their potential advantage by maturing and laying more eggs. However, ectotherm physiology is strongly temperature-dependent, and activities are carried out sufficiently only within certain temperature ranges. Thus it remains unclear if the fecundity advantage of a large size is fully realized in natural environments, where thermal conditions are limiting. * 2. Insect fecundity might be limited by temperature at two levels; first eggs need to mature, and then the female needs time for strategic ovipositing of the egg. Since a female cannot foresee the number of oviposition opportunities that she will encounter on a given day, the optimal rate of egg maturation will be governed by trade-offs associated with egg- and time-limited oviposition. As females of different sizes will have different amounts of body reserves, size-dependent allocation trade-offs between the mother"s condition and her egg production might be expected. * 3. In the temperate butterfly Pararge aegeria, the time and temperature dependence of oviposition and egg maturation, and the interrelatedness of these two processes were investigated in a series of laboratory experiments, allowing a decoupling of the time budgets for the respective processes. * 4. The results show that realized fecundity of this species can be limited by both the temperature dependence of egg maturation and oviposition under certain thermal regimes. Furthermore, rates of oviposition and egg maturation seemed to have regulatory effects upon each other. Early reproductive output was correlated with short life span, indicating a cost of reproduction. Finally, large females matured more eggs than small females when deprived of oviposition opportunities. Thus, the optimal allocation of resources to egg production seems dependent on female size. * 5. This study highlights the complexity of processes underlying rates of egg maturation and oviposition in ectotherms under natural conditions. We further discuss the importance of temperature variation for egg- vs. time-limited fecundity and the consequences for the evolution of female body size in insects.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GerloffEliasBaruaMoelichetal.2006,
  author    = {Gerloff-Elias, Antje and Barua, Deepak and M{\"o}lich, Andreas and Spijkerman, Elly},
  title     = {Temperature- and pH-dependent accumulation of heat-shock proteins in the acidophilic green alga Chlamydomonas acidophila},
  issn      = {0168-6496},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1574-6941.2006.00078.x},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Chlamydomonas acidophila, a unicellular green alga, is a dominant phytoplankton species in acidic water bodies, facing severe environmental conditions such as low pH and high heavy metal concentrations. We examined the pH-, and temperature-dependent accumulation of heat-shock proteins in this alga to determine whether heat-shock proteins play a role in adaptation to their environment. Our results show increased heat-shock proteins accumulation at suboptimal pHs, which were not connected with any change in intracellular pH. In comparison to the mesophilic Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, the acidophilic species exhibited significantly higher accumulations of heat-shock proteins under control conditions, indicating an environmental adaptation of increased basal levels of heat-shock proteins. The results suggest that heat- shock proteins might play a role in the adaptation of C. acidophila, and possibly other acidophilic algae, to their extreme environment},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{OesterheltSchmaelzlinSchmittetal.2007,
  author    = {Oesterhelt, Christine and Schm{\"a}lzlin, Elmar and Schmitt, J{\"u}rgen M. and Lokstein, Heiko},
  title     = {Regulation of photosynthesis in the unicellular acidophilic red alga Galdieria sulphuraria},
  doi       = {10.1111/j.1365-313X.2007.03159.x},
  year      = {2007},
  abstract  = {Extremophilic organisms are gaining increasing interest because of their unique metabolic capacities and great biotechnological potential. The unicellular acidophilic and mesothermophilic red alga Galdieria sulphuraria (074G) can grow autotrophically in light as well as heterotrophically in the dark. In this paper, the effects of externally added glucose on primary and secondary photosynthetic reactions are assessed to elucidate mixotrophic capacities of the alga. Photosynthetic O-2 evolution was quantified in an open system with a constant Supply Of CO2 to avoid rapid volatilization of dissolved inorganic carbon at low pH levels. In the presence of glucose, O-2 evolution was repressed even in illuminated cells. Ratios of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (F-v/F-m) and 77 Kfluorescence spectra indicated a reduced photochemical efficiency of photosystem II. The results were corroborated by strongly reduced levels of the photosystem 11 reaction centre protein D1. The downregulation of primary photosynthetic reactions was accompanied by reduced levels of the Calvin Cycle enzyme ribu lose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylaselfoxygenase (Rubisco). Both effects depended on functional sugar uptake and are thus initiated by intracellular rather than extracellular glucose. Following glucose depletion, photosynthetic O-2 evolution of illuminated cells commenced after 15 h and Rubisco levels again reached the levels of autotrophic cells. It is concluded that true mixotrophy, involving electron transport across both photosystems, does not occur in G. sulphuraria 074G, and that heterotrophic growth is favoured over autotrophic growth if sufficient organic carbon is available.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LeimuKoricheva2006,
  author    = {Leimu, Roosa and Koricheva, Julia},
  title     = {A meta-analysis of genetic correlations between plant resistances to multiple enemies},
  issn      = {0003-0147},
  doi       = {10.1086/505766},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Genetic correlations between plant resistances to multiple natural enemies are important because they have the potential to determine the mode of selection that natural enemies impose on a host plant, the structure of herbivore and pathogen communities, and the success of plant breeding for resistance to multiple diseases and pests. We conducted a meta-analysis of 29 published studies of 16 different plant species reporting a total of 467 genetic correlations between resistances to multiple herbivores or pathogens. In general, genetic associations between resistances to multiple natural enemies tended to be positive regardless of the breeding design, type of attacker, and type of host plant. Positive genetic correlations between resistances were stronger when both attackers were pathogens or generalist herbivores and when resistance to different enemies was tested independently, suggesting that generalists may be affected by the same plant resistance traits and that interactions among natural enemies are common. Although the mean associations between resistances were positive, indicating the prevalence of diffuse selection and generalized defenses against multiple enemies, the large variation in both the strength and the direction of the associations suggests a continuum between pairwise and diffuse selection},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{LegallStielBecketal.2007,
  author    = {Legall, Herbert and Stiel, Holger and Beck, Michael and Leupold, Dieter and Gruszecki, Wieslaw I. and Lokstein, Heiko},
  title     = {Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) of pigment-protein complexes : peridinin- chlorophyll a-protein (PCP) of Amphidinium carterae},
  issn      = {0165-022X},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.jbbm.2006.08.005},
  year      = {2007},
  abstract  = {Peridinin-chlorophyll a protein (PCP) is a unique water soluble antenna complex that employs the carotenoid peridinin as the main light-harvesting pigment. In the present study the near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectrum of PCP was recorded at the carbon Kedge. Additionally, the NEXAFS spectra of the constituent pigments, chlorophyll a and peridinin, were measured. The energies of the lowest unoccupied molecular levels of these pigments appearing in the carbon NEXAFS spectrum were resolved. Individual contributions of the pigments and the protein to the measured NEXAFS spectrum of PCP were determined using a "building block" approach combining NEXAFS spectra of the pigments and the amino acids constituting the PCP apoprotein. The results suggest that absorption changes of the pigments in the carbon near K-edge region can be resolved following excitation using a suitable visible pump laser pulse. Consequently, it may be possible to study excitation energy transfer processes involving "optically dark" states of carotenoids in pigment-protein complexes by soft X-ray probe optical pump double resonance spectroscopy (XODR).},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SchmidtkeBellWeithoff2006,
  author    = {Schmidtke, Andrea and Bell, Elanor M. and Weithoff, Guntram},
  title     = {Potential grazing impact of the mixotrophic flagellate Ochromonas sp. (Chrysophyceae) on bacteria in an extremely acidic lake},
  volume    = {28},
  number    = {11},
  publisher = {Oxford University Press},
  address   = {Oxford},
  issn      = {0142-7873},
  doi       = {10.1093/plankt/fbl034},
  pages     = {991 -- 1001},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Flagellates are important bacterial grazers in most planktonic food webs. The prey-size preference of the mixotrophic flagellate, Ochromonas sp. (Chrysophyceae), isolated from an extremely acidic lake, Lake 111 (pH 2.6), was determined using fluorescently labelled microspheres (beads). According to grazing experiments with cultured bacteria, also isolated from Lake 111, the potential grazing impact on Lake 111"s single-celled bacterial production was calculated. Ochromonas sp. ingested the smallest beads offered (0.5 µm diameter) at the highest rate. Ingestion rate declined with increasing bead size. The highest prey volume-specific ingestion was measured for Ochromonas sp. feeding on intermediate-sized beads (1.9 µm). Ingestion rates were low due in part to the large fraction of inactive flagellates observed. According to the bacterial ingestion rate, a mean of 88\% (epilimnion) and 68\% (hypolimnion) of in situ single- celled bacterial production is potentially grazed daily by Ochromonas sp. In the epilimnion of Lake 111, the heterotrophic carbon gain is three times higher than the autotrophic production. Alongside carbon uptake, Ochromonas sp. also benefits from ingesting bacteria through the uptake of phosphorus. A biovolume minimum corresponding to the prey size at which Ochromonas sp. feeds most efficiently occurred in the Lake 111 epilimnetic bacterial community, implying top-down control of the bacterial community by Ochromonas sp.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{HerzschuhKuerschnerMischke2006,
  author    = {Herzschuh, Ulrike and K{\"u}rschner, Harald and Mischke, Steffen},
  title     = {Temperature variability and vertical vegetation belt shifts during the last similar to 50,000 yr in the Qilian Mountains (NE margin of the Tibetan Plateau, China)},
  issn      = {0033-5894},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.yqres.2006.03.001},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {A 13.94-m-long sediment core, collected from a medium-sized lake in the Qilian Mountains (NE Tibetan Plateau, China), was analysed palynologically at 81 horizons. The interpretation of indicator taxa yielded various vertical shifts of the vegetation belts. These palaeovegetation results have been checked with lake surface pollen spectra from 8 takes representing different altitudinal vegetation belts. Our main findings are the following: A short period of the late Marine Isotope Stage 3 (around similar to 46,000 yr ago) was characterized by interglacial temperature conditions with a tree line above its present-day altitude. During the LGM, the vicinity of the lake was not covered by ice but by sparse alpine vegetation and alpine deserts, indicating that the climate was colder by similar to 4-7 degrees C than today Markedly higher temperatures were inferred from higher arboreal pollen frequencies between similar to 13,000 and similar to 7000 yr ago with a Holocene temperature optimum and a maximal Picea-Betula mixed-forest expansion between similar to 9000 and similar to 7000 yr ago, when temperatures exceeded the present-day conditions by at least 1-2 degrees C. Alpine steppes and meadows and sub-alpine shrub vegetation dominated around the lake since the middle Holocene, suggesting that vegetation and climate conditions were exceptionally stable in comparison to previous periods.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{WichmannDeanJeltsch2006,
  author    = {Wichmann, Matthias and Dean, W. R. J. and Jeltsch, Florian},
  title     = {Predicting the breeding success of large raptors in arid southern Africa : a first assessment},
  year      = {2006},
  abstract  = {Raptors are often priorities for conservation efforts and breeding success is a target measure for assessing their conservation status. The breeding success of large raptors in and southern Africa is thought to be higher in years of high rainfall. While this correlation has been found in several studies, it has not yet been shown for data from a wider geographical area. In conservation research, it is important to explore the differences between spatially- separated populations to estimate and to compare their conservation status, and to deduce specific management strategies. Using a theoretical approach, we develop a simplistic model to explain the breeding success-rainfall relationship in large African raptors at larger spatial scales. Secondly, we validate this model and we show that the inclusion of field data leads to consistent predictions. In particular, we recommend that the average size of the 'effective territory' should be included in the relationship between annual rainfall and breeding success of raptors in and southern Africa. Accordingly, we suggest that breeding success is a function of precipitation and inter- nest distance. We present a new measure of territory quality depending on rainfall and territory size. We suggest that our model provides a useful first approach to assess breeding success in large raptors of and southern Africa. However, we strongly emphasise the need to gather more data to further verify our model. A general problem in conservation research is to compare the status of populations assessed in different study areas under changing environmental conditions. Our simplistic approach indicates that this problem can be overcome by using a weighted evaluation of a target measure (i.e. breeding success), taking regional differences into account},
  language  = {en}
}