TY - JOUR A1 - Özer, Aydan A1 - Scheffler, Christiane T1 - Affinity to host population stimulates physical growth in adult offspring of Turkish migrants in Germany JF - Journal of biological and clinical anthropology JF - Anthropologischer Anzeiger ; Mitteilungsorgan der Gesellschaft für Anthropologie N2 - Because of political conflicts and climate change, migration will be increased worldwide and integration in host societies is a challenge also for migrants. We hypothesize that migrants, who take up the challenge in a new social environment are taller than migrants who do not pose this challenge. We analyze by a questionnaire possible social, nutritional and ethnic influencing factors to body height (BH) of adult offspring of Turkish migrants (n = 82, 39 males) aged from 18 to 34 years (mean age 24.6 years). The results of multiple regression (downward selection) show that the more a male adult offspring of Turkish migrants feels like belonging to the Turkish culture, the smaller he is (95% CI, -3.79, -0.323). Further, the more a male adult offspring of Turkish migrants feels like belonging to the German culture, the taller he is (95% CI, -0.152, 1.738). We discussed it comparable to primates taking up their challenge in dominance, where as a result their body size increase is associated with higher IGF-1 level. IGF-1 is associated with emotional belonging and has a fundamental role in the regulation of metabolism and growth of the human body. With all pilot characteristics of our study results show that the successful challenge of integration in a new society is strongly associated with the emotional integration and identification in the sense of a personal sense of belonging to society. We discuss taller BH as a signal of social growth adjustment. In this sense, a secular trend of BH adaptation of migrants to hosts is a sign of integration. KW - height of Turkish migrants KW - social identification KW - strategic growth adjustments Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1127/anthranz/2018/0825 SN - 0003-5548 VL - 74 IS - 5 SP - 359 EP - 364 PB - Schweizerbart CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zwickel, Theresa A1 - Kahl, Sandra M. A1 - Rychlik, Michael A1 - Müller, Marina E. H. T1 - Chemotaxonomy of Mycotoxigenic Small-Spored Alternaria Fungi BT - Do Multitoxin Mixtures Act as an Indicator for Species Differentiation? JF - Frontiers in microbiology N2 - Necrotrophic as well as saprophytic small-spored Altemaria (A.) species are annually responsible for major losses of agricultural products, such as cereal crops, associated with the contamination of food and feedstuff with potential health-endangering Altemaria toxins. Knowledge of the metabolic capabilities of different species-groups to form mycotoxins is of importance for a reliable risk assessment. 93 Altemaria strains belonging to the four species groups Alternaria tenuissima, A. arborescens, A. altemata, and A. infectoria were isolated from winter wheat kernels harvested from fields in Germany and Russia and incubated under equal conditions. Chemical analysis by means of an HPLC-MS/MS multi-Alternaria-toxin-method showed that 95% of all strains were able to form at least one of the targeted 17 non-host specific Altemaria toxins. Simultaneous production of up to 15 (modified) Altemaria toxins by members of the A. tenuissima, A. arborescens, A. altemata species-groups and up to seven toxins by A. infectoria strains was demonstrated. Overall tenuazonic acid was the most extensively formed mycotoxin followed by alternariol and alternariol mono methylether, whereas altertoxin I was the most frequently detected toxin. Sulfoconjugated modifications of alternariol, alternariol mono methylether, altenuisol and altenuene were frequently determined. Unknown perylene quinone derivatives were additionally detected. Strains of the species-group A. infectoria could be segregated from strains of the other three species-groups due to significantly lower toxin levels and the specific production of infectopyrone. Apart from infectopyrone, alterperylenol was also frequently produced by 95% of the A. infectoria strains. Neither by the concentration nor by the composition of the targeted Altemaria toxins a differentiation between the species-groups A. altemata, A. tenuissima and A. arborescens was possible. KW - small-spored Alternaria fungi KW - Alternaria species-groups KW - Alternaria mycotoxins KW - chemotaxonomy KW - secondary metabolite profiling KW - LC-MS/MS KW - wheat KW - perylene quinone derivatives Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.01368 SN - 1664-302X VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zurell, Damaris A1 - von Wehrden, Henrik A1 - Rotics, Shay A1 - Kaatz, Michael A1 - Gross, Helge A1 - Schlag, Lena A1 - Schäfer, Merlin A1 - Sapir, Nir A1 - Turjeman, Sondra A1 - Wikelski, Martin A1 - Nathan, Ran A1 - Jeltsch, Florian T1 - Home range size and resource use of breeding and non-breeding white storks along a land use gradient JF - Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution N2 - Biotelemetry is increasingly used to study animal movement at high spatial and temporal resolution and guide conservation and resource management. Yet, limited sample sizes and variation in space and habitat use across regions and life stages may compromise robustness of behavioral analyses and subsequent conservation plans. Here, we assessed variation in (i) home range sizes, (ii) home range selection, and (iii) fine-scale resource selection of white storks across breeding status and regions and test model transferability. Three study areas were chosen within the Central German breeding grounds ranging from agricultural to fluvial and marshland. We monitored GPS-locations of 62 adult white storks equipped with solar-charged GPS/3D-acceleration (ACC) transmitters in 2013-2014. Home range sizes were estimated using minimum convex polygons. Generalized linear mixed models were used to assess home range selection and fine-scale resource selection by relating the home ranges and foraging sites to Corine habitat variables and normalized difference vegetation index in a presence/pseudo-absence design. We found strong variation in home range sizes across breeding stages with significantly larger home ranges in non-breeding compared to breeding white storks, but no variation between regions. Home range selection models had high explanatory power and well predicted overall density of Central German white stork breeding pairs. Also, they showed good transferability across regions and breeding status although variable importance varied considerably. Fine-scale resource selection models showed low explanatory power. Resource preferences differed both across breeding status and across regions, and model transferability was poor. Our results indicate that habitat selection of wild animals may vary considerably within and between populations, and is highly scale dependent. Thereby, home range scale analyses show higher robustness whereas fine-scale resource selection is not easily predictable and not transferable across life stages and regions. Such variation may compromise management decisions when based on data of limited sample size or limited regional coverage. We thus recommend home range scale analyses and sampling designs that cover diverse regional landscapes and ensure robust estimates of habitat suitability to conserve wild animal populations. KW - 3D-acceleration sensor KW - biotelemetry KW - Ciconia ciconia KW - home range selection KW - resource selection Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2018.00079 SN - 2296-701X VL - 6 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhivkova, Veselina A1 - Kiecker, Felix A1 - Langer, Peter A1 - Eberle, Jürgen T1 - Crucial role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for the proapoptotic effects of indirubin derivative DKP-073 in melanoma cells JF - Molecular carcinogenesis N2 - Melanoma represents a prime example demonstrating the success of targeted therapy in cancer. Nevertheless, it remained a deadly disease until now, and the identification of new, independent strategies as well as the understanding of their molecular mechanisms may help to finally overcome the high mortality. Both indirubins and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) represent promising candidates. Here, the indirubin derivative DKP-073 is shown to trigger apoptosis in melanoma cells, which is enhanced by the combination with TRAIL and is accompanied by complete loss of cell viability. Addressing the signaling cascade, characteristic molecular steps were identified as caspase-3 activation, downregulation of XIAP, upregulation of p53 and TRAIL receptor 2, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and STAT-3 dephosphorylation. The decisive step, however, turned out to be the early production of ROS already at 1 h. This was proven by antioxidant pretreatment, which completely abolished apoptosis induction and loss of cell viability as well as abrogated all signaling effects listed above. Thus, ROS appeared as upstream of all proapoptotic signaling. The data indicate a dominant role of ROS in apoptosis regulation, and the new pathway may expose a possible Achilles heel of melanoma. KW - apoptosis KW - kinase pathway KW - melanoma KW - stat 3 Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/mc.22924 SN - 0899-1987 SN - 1098-2744 VL - 58 IS - 2 SP - 258 EP - 269 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhao, Liming A1 - Xia, Yan A1 - Wu, Xiao-Yuan A1 - Schippers, Jos H. M. A1 - Jing, Hai-Chun T1 - Phenotypic analysis and molecular markers of leaf senescence JF - Plant Senescence: Methods and Protocols N2 - The process of leaf senescence consists of the final stage of leaf development. It has evolved as a mechanism to degrade macromolecules and micronutrients and remobilize them to other developing parts of the plant; hence it plays a central role for the survival of plants and crop production. During senescence, a range of physiological, morphological, cellular, and molecular events occur, which are generally referred to as the senescence syndrome that includes several hallmarks such as visible yellowing, loss of chlorophyll and water content, increase of ion leakage and cell death, deformation of chloroplast and cell structure, as well as the upregulation of thousands of so-called senescence-associated genes (SAGs) and downregulation of photosynthesis-associated genes (PAGs). This chapter is devoted to methods characterizing the onset and progression of leaf senescence at the morphological, physiological, cellular, and molecular levels. Leaf senescence normally progresses in an age-dependent manner but is also induced prematurely by a variety of environmental stresses in plants. Focused on the hallmarks of the senescence syndrome, a series of protocols is described to asses quantitatively the senescence process caused by developmental cues or environmental perturbations. We first briefly describe the senescence process, the events associated with the senescence syndrome, and the theories and methods to phenotype senescence. Detailed protocols for monitoring senescence in planta and in vitro, using the whole plant and the detached leaf, respectively, are presented. For convenience, most of the protocols use the model plant species Arabidopsis and rice, but they can be easily extended to other plants. KW - Leaf senescence KW - Visible yellowing KW - Chlorophyll KW - Ion leakage KW - Cell death KW - Senescence-associated genes (SAGs) KW - Arabidopsis KW - Rice Y1 - 2018 SN - 978-1-4939-7672-0 SN - 978-1-4939-7670-6 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7672-0_3 SN - 1064-3745 SN - 1940-6029 VL - 1744 SP - 35 EP - 48 PB - Humana Press Inc. CY - Totowa ER - TY - THES A1 - Zhang, Yunming T1 - Understanding the functional specialization of poly(A) polymerases in Arabidopsis thaliana Y1 - 2018 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zhang, Xiaorong A1 - Yarman, Aysu A1 - Erdossy, Julia A1 - Katz, Sagie A1 - Zebger, Ingo A1 - Jetzschmann, Katharina J. A1 - Altintas, Zeynep A1 - Wollenberger, Ulla A1 - Gyurcsanyi, Robert E. A1 - Scheller, Frieder W. T1 - Electrosynthesized MIPs for transferrin BT - Plastibodies or nano-filters? JF - Biosensors and bioelectronics : the principal international journal devoted to research, design development and application of biosensors and bioelectronics N2 - Molecularly imprinted polymer (MP) nanofilrns for transferrin (Trf) have been synthesized on gold surfaces by electro-polymerizing the functional monomer scopoletin in the presence of the protein target or around pre-adsorbed Trf. As determined by atomic force microscopy (AFM) the film thickness was comparable with the molecular dimension of the target. The target (re)binding properties of the electro-synthesized MIP films was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) through the target-binding induced permeability changes of the MIP nanofilms to the ferricyanide redox marker, as well as by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) of the immobilized protein molecules. For Trf a linear concentration dependence in the lower micromolar range and an imprinting factor of similar to 5 was obtained by SWV and SPR. Furthermore, non-target proteins including the iron-free apo-Trf were discriminated by pronounced size and shape specificity. Whilst it is generally assumed that the rebinding of the target or of cross-reacting proteins exclusively takes place at the polymer here we considered also the interaction of the protein molecules with the underlying gold transducers. We demonstrate by SWV that adsorption of proteins suppresses the signal of the redox marker even at the bare gold surface and by SEIRAS that the treatment of the MIP with proteinase K or NaOH only partially removes the target protein. Therefore, we conclude that when interpreting binding of proteins to directly MIP-covered gold electrodes the interactions between the protein and the gold surface should also be considered. KW - Molecularly imprinted polymer KW - Scopoletin KW - Transferrin KW - Protein adsorption KW - Redox marker Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bios.2018.01.011 SN - 0956-5663 SN - 1873-4235 VL - 105 SP - 29 EP - 35 PB - Elsevier CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zabihi, Fatemeh A1 - Graff, Patrick A1 - Schumacher, Fabian A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Hedtrich, Sarah A1 - Haag, Rainer T1 - Synthesis of poly(lactide-co-glycerol) as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer with high loading capacity for dermal drug delivery JF - Nanoscale N2 - Due to the low cutaneous bioavailability of tacrolimus (TAC), penetration enhancers are used to improve its penetration into the skin. However, poor loading capacity, non-biodegradability, toxicity, and in some cases inefficient skin penetration are challenging issues that hamper their applications for the dermal TAC delivery. Here we present poly(lactide-co-glycerol) (PLG) as a water soluble, biodegradable, and biocompatible TAC-carrier with high loading capacity (14.5% w/w for TAC) and high drug delivery efficiencies into the skin. PLG was synthesized by cationic ring-opening copolymerization of a mixture of glycidol and lactide and showed 35 nm and 300 nm average sizes in aqueous solutions before and after loading of TAC, respectively. Delivery experiments on human skin, quantified by fluorescence microscopy and LC-MS/MS, showed a high ability for PLG to deposit Nile red and TAC into the stratum corneum and viable epidermis of skin in comparison with Protopic (R) (0.03% w/w, TAC ointment). The cutaneous distribution profile of delivered TAC proved that 80%, 16%, and 4% of the cutaneous drug level was deposited in the stratum corneum, viable epidermis, and upper dermis, respectively. TAC delivered by PLG was able to efficiently decrease the IL-2 and TSLP expressions in human skin models. Taking advantage of the excellent physicochemical and biological properties of PLG, it can be used for efficient dermal TAC delivery and potential treatment of inflammatory skin diseases. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1039/c8nr05536j SN - 2040-3364 SN - 2040-3372 VL - 10 IS - 35 SP - 16848 EP - 16856 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry CY - Cambridge ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yarman, Aysu T1 - Electrosynthesized Molecularly Imprinted Polymer for Laccase Using the Inactivated Enzyme as the Target JF - Bulletin of the Korean chemical society N2 - The first molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for the recognition of the copper-enzyme laccase was successfully prepared by electropolymerizing scopoletin in the presence of alkaline-inactivated enzyme. Laccase-MIP and the control polymer without laccase (nonimprinted polymer, NIP) were characterized by voltammetry using the redox marker ferricyanide. After electropolymerization, the signals for ferricyanide for both the MIP and the NIP were almost completely suppressed and increased after removal of the target from the polymer layer. Rebinding of both inactivated and active laccase decreased the ferricyanide peak currents to almost equal extent. The relative decrease of signal suppression approached saturation above 10 nM. Furthermore, the surface activity of rebound laccase toward the oxidation of catechol was investigated. The surface activity approached saturation above 10 nM, a value close to the value of the measurements with ferricyanide. Interaction of NIP with laccase brought about a six times smaller signal of catechol oxidation. KW - Molecularly imprinted polymers KW - Biomimetic sensors KW - Laccase KW - Electropolymerization KW - Scopoletin Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/bkcs.11413 SN - 1229-5949 VL - 39 IS - 4 SP - 483 EP - 488 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yannelli, Florencia A. A1 - Karrer, Gerhard A1 - Hall, Rea A1 - Kollmann, Johannes A1 - Heger, Tina T1 - Seed density is more effective than multi-trait limiting similarity in controlling grassland resistance against plant invasions in mesocosms JF - Applied vegetation science : official organ of the International Association for Vegetation Science N2 - QuestionDisturbed areas offer great opportunities for restoring native biodiversity, but they are also prone to invasion by alien plants. Following the limiting similarity hypothesis, we address the question of whether or not similarity of plant functional traits helps developing seed mixtures of native communities with high resistance to invasive species at an early stage of restoration. LocationCentre of Greenhouses and Laboratories Durnast, Technische Universitat Munchen, Freising, Germany. MethodsUsing a system of linear equations, we designed native communities maximizing the similarity between the native and two invasive species according to ten functional traits. We used native grassland plants, two invasive alien species that are often problematic in disturbed areas (i.e., Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Solidago gigantea) and trait information obtained from databases. The two communities were then tested for resistance against establishment of the two invaders separately in a greenhouse experiment. We measured height of the invasive species and above-ground biomass, along with leaf area index, 4 and 8months after sowing respectively. ResultsBoth invasive species were successfully reduced by the native community designed to suppress S. gigantea dominated by small-seeded species. These results could be considered as partial support for the limiting similarity hypothesis. However, given the success of this mixture against both invasive species, suppression was better explained by a seed density effect resulting from the smaller seed mass of the native species included in this mixture. Further, the dominance of a fast-developing competitive species could also contribute to its success. ConclusionsThere was no unequivocal support for the limiting similarity hypothesis in terms of the traits selected. Instead we found that increasing seeding density of native species and selecting species with a fast vegetative development is an effective way to suppress invasive plants during early stages of restoration. If limiting similarity is used to design communities for restoration, early life-history traits should be taken into account. KW - Achillea millefolium KW - Ambrosia artemisiifolia KW - biotic resistance KW - competition KW - density-driven suppression KW - disturbed areas KW - restoration KW - seed mixtures KW - Solidago gigantea Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12373 SN - 1402-2001 SN - 1654-109X VL - 21 IS - 3 SP - 411 EP - 418 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER -