TY - JOUR A1 - Vater, Aline A1 - Moritz, Steffen A1 - Roepke, Stefan T1 - Does a narcissism epidemic exist in modern western societies? BT - Comparing narcissism and self-esteem in East and West Germany JF - PLOS ONE N2 - Narcissism scores are higher in individualistic cultures compared with more collectivistic cultures. However, the impact of sociocultural factors on narcissism and self-esteem has not been well described. Germany was formerly divided into two different social systems, each with distinct economic, political and national cultures, and was reunified in 1989/90. Between 1949 and 1989/90, West Germany had an individualistic culture, whereas East Germany had a more collectivistic culture. The German reunification provides an exceptional opportunity to investigate the impact of sociocultural and generational differences on narcissism and self-esteem. In this study, we used an anonymous online survey to assess grandiose narcissism with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) and the Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) to assess grandiose and vulnerable aspects of narcissism, and self-esteem with the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) in 1,025 German individuals. Data were analyzed according to age and place of birth. Our results showed that grandiose narcissism was higher and self-esteem was lower in individuals who grew up in former West Germany compared with former East Germany. Further analyses indicated no significant differences in grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism or self-esteem in individuals that entered school after the German reunification (≤ 5 years of age in 1989). In the middle age cohort (6–18 years of age in 1989), significant differences in vulnerable narcissism, grandiose narcissism and self-esteem were observed. In the oldest age cohort (> 19 years of age in 1989), significant differences were only found in one of the two scales assessing grandiose narcissism (NPI). Our data provides empirical evidence that sociocultural factors are associated with differences in narcissism and self-esteem. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0188287 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 13 IS - 1 PB - Public Library of Science CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wolf, Isabell Ann-Cathrin A1 - Gilles, Maria A1 - Peus, Verena A1 - Scharnholz, Barbara A1 - Seibert, Julia A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Krumm, Bertram A1 - Rietschel, Marcella A1 - Deuschle, Michael A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Impact of prenatal stress on mother-infant dyadic behavior during the still-face paradigm JF - Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation : the official journal of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA.BPD) and Dachverband Dialektisch Behaviorale Therapie (DDBT) N2 - Background: Mother-infant interaction provides important training for the infant’s ability to cope with stress and the development of resilience. Prenatal stress (PS) and its impact on the offspring’s development have long been a focus of stress research, with studies highlighting both harmful and beneficial effects. The aim of the current study was to examine the possible influence of both psychological stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity during pregnancy with mother-child dyadic behavior following stress exposure. Methods: The behavior of 164 mother-infant dyads during the still-face situation was filmed at six months postpartum and coded into three dyadic patterns: 1) both positive, 2) infant protesting-mother positive, and 3) infant protesting-mother negative. PS exposure was assessed prenatally according to psychological measures (i.e., psychopathological, perceived and psychosocial PS; n = 164) and HPA axis activity measures (maternal salivary cortisol, i.e., cortisol decline and area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg); n = 134). Results: Mother-infant dyads in both the high- and low-stress groups showed decreasing positive and increasing negative dyadic behavior in the reunion episode, which is associated with the well-known “still-face” and “carry-over” effect. Furthermore, mother-infant dyads with higher psychosocial PS exhibited significantly more positive dyadic behavior than the low psychosocial PS group in the first play episode, but not in the reunion episode. Similarly, mother-infant dyads with high HPA axis activity (i.e. high AUCg) but steeper diurnal cortisol decline (i.e. cortisol decline) displayed significantly less negative behavior in the reunion episode than dyads with low HPA axis activity. No significant results were found for psychopathological stress and perceived stress. Conclusions: The results suggest a beneficial effect of higher psychosocial PS and higher prenatal maternal HPA axis activity in late gestation, which is in line with “stress inoculation” theories. KW - Prenatal stress KW - Face-to-face still-face paradigm KW - Resilience KW - Psychosocial stress KW - Cortisol Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-018-0078-8 SN - 2051-6673 VL - 5 PB - BioMed Central CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bukowski, Alexandra R. A1 - Schittko, Conrad A1 - Petermann, Jana S. T1 - The strength of negative plant-soil feedback increases from the intraspecific to the interspecific and the functional group level JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - One of the processes that may play a key role in plant species coexistence and ecosystem functioning is plant-soil feedback, the effect of plants on associated soil communities and the resulting feedback on plant performance. Plant-soil feedback at the interspecific level (comparing growth on own soil with growth on soil from different species) has been studied extensively, while plant-soil feedback at the intraspecific level (comparing growth on own soil with growth on soil from different accessions within a species) has only recently gained attention. Very few studies have investigated the direction and strength of feedback among different taxonomic levels, and initial results have been inconclusive, discussing phylogeny, and morphology as possible determinants. To test our hypotheses that the strength of negative feedback on plant performance increases with increasing taxonomic level and that this relationship is explained by morphological similarities, we conducted a greenhouse experiment using species assigned to three taxonomic levels (intraspecific, interspecific, and functional group level). We measured certain fitness-related aboveground traits and used them along literature-derived traits to determine the influence of morphological similarities on the strength and direction of the feedback. We found that the average strength of negative feedback increased from the intraspecific over the interspecific to the functional group level. However, individual accessions and species differed in the direction and strength of the feedback. None of our results could be explained by morphological dissimilarities or individual traits. Synthesis. Our results indicate that negative plant-soil feedback is stronger if the involved plants belong to more distantly related species. We conclude that the taxonomic level is an important factor in the maintenance of plant coexistence with plant-soil feedback as a potential stabilizing mechanism and should be addressed explicitly in coexistence research, while the traits considered here seem to play a minor role. KW - Arabidopsis thaliana Col-0 KW - home-away effect KW - intraspecific diversity KW - morphological similarities KW - dissimilarities of plants KW - plant-soil (belowground) interactions KW - species coexistence KW - taxonomic levels KW - trait measurements Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3755 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 8 IS - 4 SP - 2280 EP - 2289 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Küçükgöze, Gökhan A1 - Leimkühler, Silke T1 - Direct comparison of the four aldehyde oxidase enzymes present in mouse gives insight into their substrate specificities JF - PLOS ONE N2 - Mammalian aldehyde oxidases (AOXs) are molybdo-flavoenzymes which are present in many tissues in various mammalian species, including humans and rodents. Different species contain a different number of AOX isoforms. In particular, the reasons why mammals other than humans express a multiplicity of tissue-specific AOX enzymes is unknown. In mouse, the isoforms mAOX1, mAOX3, mAOX4 and mAOX2 are present. We previously established a codon-optimized heterologous expression systems for the mAOX1-4 isoforms in Escherichia coli that gives yield to sufficient amounts of active protein for kinetic characterizations and sets the basis in this study for site-directed mutagenesis and structure-function studies. A direct and simultaneous comparison of the enzymatic properties and characteristics of the four enzymes on a larger number of substrates has never been performed. Here, thirty different structurally related aromatic, aliphatic and N-heterocyclic compounds were used as substrates, and the kinetic parameters of all four mAOX enzymes were directly compared. The results show that especially mAOX4 displays a higher substrate selectivity, while no major differences between mAOX1, mAOX2 and mAOX3 were identified. Generally, mAOX1 was the enzyme with the highest catalytic turnover for most substrates. To understand the factors that contribute to the substrate specificity of mAOX4, site-directed mutagenesis was applied to substitute amino acids in the substrate-binding funnel by the ones present in mAOX1, mAOX3, and mAOX2. An increase in activity was obtained by the amino acid exchange M1088V in the active site identified to be specific for mAOX4, to the amino acid identified in mAOX3. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191819 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 13 IS - 1 PB - Public Library of Science CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lara, Mark J. A1 - Nitze, Ingmar A1 - Grosse, Guido A1 - Martin, Philip A1 - McGuire, A. David T1 - Reduced arctic tundra productivity linked with landform and climate change interactions JF - Scientific reports N2 - Arctic tundra ecosystems have experienced unprecedented change associated with climate warming over recent decades. Across the Pan-Arctic, vegetation productivity and surface greenness have trended positively over the period of satellite observation. However, since 2011 these trends have slowed considerably, showing signs of browning in many regions. It is unclear what factors are driving this change and which regions/landforms will be most sensitive to future browning. Here we provide evidence linking decadal patterns in arctic greening and browning with regional climate change and local permafrost-driven landscape heterogeneity. We analyzed the spatial variability of decadal-scale trends in surface greenness across the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska (similar to 60,000 km(2)) using the Landsat archive (1999-2014), in combination with novel 30 m classifications of polygonal tundra and regional watersheds, finding landscape heterogeneity and regional climate change to be the most important factors controlling historical greenness trends. Browning was linked to increased temperature and precipitation, with the exception of young landforms (developed following lake drainage), which will likely continue to green. Spatiotemporal model forecasting suggests carbon uptake potential to be reduced in response to warmer and/or wetter climatic conditions, potentially increasing the net loss of carbon to the atmosphere, at a greater degree than previously expected. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20692-8 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dai, Xiaolin A1 - Mate, Diana M. A1 - Glebe, Ulrich A1 - Garakani, Tayebeh Mirzaei A1 - Körner, Andrea A1 - Schwaneberg, Ulrich A1 - Böker, Alexander T1 - Sortase-mediated ligation of purely artificial building blocks JF - Polymers N2 - Sortase A (SrtA) from Staphylococcus aureus has been often used for ligating a protein with other natural or synthetic compounds in recent years. Here we show that SrtA-mediated ligation (SML) is universally applicable for the linkage of two purely artificial building blocks. Silica nanoparticles (NPs), poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) are chosen as synthetic building blocks. As a proof of concept, NP-polymer, NP-NP, and polymer-polymer structures are formed by SrtA catalysis. Therefore, the building blocks are equipped with the recognition sequence needed for SrtA reaction-the conserved peptide LPETG-and a pentaglycine motif. The successful formation of the reaction products is shown by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-ToF MS), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The sortase catalyzed linkage of artificial building blocks sets the stage for the development of a new approach to link synthetic structures in cases where their synthesis by established chemical methods is complicated. KW - sortase-mediated ligation KW - enzymes KW - block copolymers KW - nanoparticles Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10020151 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 10 IS - 2 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krapf, Diego A1 - Marinari, Enzo A1 - Metzler, Ralf A1 - Oshanin, Gleb A1 - Xu, Xinran A1 - Squarcini, Alessio T1 - Power spectral density of a single Brownian trajectory BT - what one can and cannot learn from it JF - New journal of physics : the open-access journal for physics N2 - The power spectral density (PSD) of any time-dependent stochastic processX (t) is ameaningful feature of its spectral content. In its text-book definition, the PSD is the Fourier transform of the covariance function of X-t over an infinitely large observation timeT, that is, it is defined as an ensemble-averaged property taken in the limitT -> infinity. Alegitimate question is what information on the PSD can be reliably obtained from single-trajectory experiments, if one goes beyond the standard definition and analyzes the PSD of a single trajectory recorded for a finite observation timeT. In quest for this answer, for a d-dimensional Brownian motion (BM) we calculate the probability density function of a single-trajectory PSD for arbitrary frequency f, finite observation time T and arbitrary number k of projections of the trajectory on different axes. We show analytically that the scaling exponent for the frequency-dependence of the PSD specific to an ensemble of BM trajectories can be already obtained from a single trajectory, while the numerical amplitude in the relation between the ensemble-averaged and single-trajectory PSDs is afluctuating property which varies from realization to realization. The distribution of this amplitude is calculated exactly and is discussed in detail. Our results are confirmed by numerical simulations and single-particle tracking experiments, with remarkably good agreement. In addition we consider a truncated Wiener representation of BM, and the case of a discrete-time lattice random walk. We highlight some differences in the behavior of a single-trajectory PSD for BM and for the two latter situations. The framework developed herein will allow for meaningful physical analysis of experimental stochastic trajectories. KW - power spectral density KW - single-trajectory analysis KW - probability density function KW - exact results Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aaa67c SN - 1367-2630 VL - 20 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Goodwin, Guillaume C. H. A1 - Mudd, Simon M. A1 - Clubb, Fiona J. T1 - Unsupervised detection of salt marsh platforms BT - a topographic method JF - Earth surface dynamics N2 - Salt marshes filter pollutants, protect coastlines against storm surges, and sequester carbon, yet are under threat from sea level rise and anthropogenic modification. The sustained existence of the salt marsh ecosystem depends on the topographic evolution of marsh platforms. Quantifying marsh platform topography is vital for improving the management of these valuable landscapes. The determination of platform boundaries currently relies on supervised classification methods requiring near-infrared data to detect vegetation, or demands labour-intensive field surveys and digitisation. We propose a novel, unsupervised method to reproducibly isolate salt marsh scarps and platforms from a digital elevation model (DEM), referred to as Topographic Identification of Platforms (TIP). Field observations and numerical models show that salt marshes mature into subhorizontal platforms delineated by subvertical scarps. Based on this premise, we identify scarps as lines of local maxima on a slope raster, then fill landmasses from the scarps upward, thus isolating mature marsh platforms. We test the TIP method using lidar-derived DEMs from six salt marshes in England with varying tidal ranges and geometries, for which topographic platforms were manually isolated from tidal flats. Agreement between manual and unsupervised classification exceeds 94% for DEM resolutions of 1 m, with all but one site maintaining an accuracy superior to 90% for resolutions up to 3 m. For resolutions of 1 m, platforms detected with the TIP method are comparable in surface area to digitised platforms and have similar elevation distributions. We also find that our method allows for the accurate detection of local block failures as small as 3 times the DEM resolution. Detailed inspection reveals that although tidal creeks were digitised as part of the marsh platform, unsupervised classification categorises them as part of the tidal flat, causing an increase in false negatives and overall platform perimeter. This suggests our method may benefit from combination with existing creek detection algorithms. Fallen blocks and high tidal flat portions, associated with potential pioneer zones, can also lead to differences between our method and supervised mapping. Although pioneer zones prove difficult to classify using a topographic method, we suggest that these transition areas should be considered when analysing erosion and accretion processes, particularly in the case of incipient marsh platforms. Ultimately, we have shown that unsupervised classification of marsh platforms from high-resolution topography is possible and sufficient to monitor and analyse topographic evolution. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-6-239-2018 SN - 2196-6311 SN - 2196-632X VL - 6 IS - 1 SP - 239 EP - 255 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Roder, Phillip A1 - Hille, Carsten T1 - Local tissue manipulation via a force- and pressure-controlled AFM micropipette for analysis of cellular processes JF - Scientific reports N2 - Local manipulation of complex tissues at the single-cell level is challenging and requires excellent sealing between the specimen and the micromanipulation device. Here, biological applications for a recently developed loading technique for a force-and pressure-controlled fluidic force microscope micropipette are described. This technique allows for the exact positioning and precise spatiotemporal control of liquid delivery. The feasibility of a local loading technique for tissue applications was investigated using two fluorescent dyes, with which local loading behaviour could be optically visualised. Thus, homogeneous intracellular distribution of CellTracker Red and accumulation of SYTO 9 Green within nuclei was realised in single cells of a tissue preparation. Subsequently, physiological micromanipulation experiments were performed. Salivary gland tissue was pre-incubated with the Ca2+-sensitive dye OGB-1. An intracellular Ca2+ rise was then initiated at the single-cell level by applying dopamine via micropipette. When pre-incubating tissue with the nitric oxide (NO)-sensitive dye DAF-FM, NO release and intercellular NO diffusion was observed after local application of the NO donor SNP. Finally, local micromanipulation of a well-defined area along irregularly shaped cell surfaces of complex biosystems was shown for the first time for the fluidic force microscope micropipette. Thus, this technique is a promising tool for the investigation of the spatiotemporal effects of locally applied substances in complex tissues. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-24255-9 SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Goychuk, Igor T1 - Sensing magnetic fields with magnetosensitive ion channels JF - Sensors N2 - Magnetic nanoparticles are met across many biological species ranging from magnetosensitive bacteria, fishes, bees, bats, rats, birds, to humans. They can be both of biogenetic origin and due to environmental contamination, being either in paramagnetic or ferromagnetic state. The energy of such naturally occurring single-domain magnetic nanoparticles can reach up to 10-20 room k(B)T in the magnetic field of the Earth, which naturally led to supposition that they can serve as sensory elements in various animals. This work explores within a stochastic modeling framework a fascinating hypothesis of magnetosensitive ion channels with magnetic nanoparticles serving as sensory elements, especially, how realistic it is given a highly dissipative viscoelastic interior of living cells and typical sizes of nanoparticles possibly involved. KW - magnetic nanoparticles KW - ion channels KW - viscoelastic effects and anomalous diffusion KW - non-exponential statistics KW - influence of weak magnetic fields on living systems Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/s18030728 SN - 1424-8220 VL - 18 IS - 3 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fuchs, Matthias A1 - Grosse, Guido A1 - Strauss, Jens A1 - Günther, Frank A1 - Grigoriev, Mikhail N. A1 - Maximov, Georgy M. A1 - Hugelius, Gustaf T1 - Carbon and nitrogen pools in thermokarst-affected permafrost landscapes in Arctic Siberia JF - Biogeosciences N2 - Ice-rich yedoma-dominated landscapes store considerable amounts of organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) and are vulnerable to degradation under climate warming. We investigate the C and N pools in two thermokarst-affected yedoma landscapes - on Sobo-Sise Island and on Bykovsky Peninsula in the north of eastern Siberia. Soil cores up to 3m depth were collected along geomorphic gradients and analysed for organic C and N contents. A high vertical sampling density in the profiles allowed the calculation of C and N stocks for short soil column intervals and enhanced understanding of within-core parameter variability. Profile-level C and N stocks were scaled to the landscape level based on landform classifications from 5 m resolution, multispectral RapidEye satellite imagery. Mean landscape C and N storage in the first metre of soil for Sobo-Sise Island is estimated to be 20.2 kg C m(-2) and 1.8 kg N m(-2) and for Bykovsky Peninsula 25.9 kg C m(-2) and 2.2 kg N m(-2). Radiocarbon dating demonstrates the Holocene age of thermokarst basin deposits but also suggests the presence of thick Holoceneage cover layers which can reach up to 2 m on top of intact yedoma landforms. Reconstructed sedimentation rates of 0.10-0.57 mm yr(-1) suggest sustained mineral soil accumulation across all investigated landforms. Both yedoma and thermokarst landforms are characterized by limited accumulation of organic soil layers (peat). We further estimate that an active layer deepening of about 100 cm will increase organic C availability in a seasonally thawed state in the two study areas by similar to 5.8 Tg (13.2 kg C m(-2)). Our study demonstrates the importance of increasing the number of C and N storage inventories in ice-rich yedoma and thermokarst environments in order to account for high variability of permafrost and thermokarst environments in pan-permafrost soil C and N pool estimates. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-953-2018 SN - 1726-4170 SN - 1726-4189 VL - 15 IS - 3 SP - 953 EP - 971 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sauermann, Antje A1 - Höhle, Barbara T1 - Word order in German child language and child-directed speech BT - a corpus analysis on the ordering of double objects in the German middlefield JF - Glossa: A Journal of General Linguistics N2 - We report two corpus analyses to examine the impact of animacy, definiteness, givenness and type of referring expression on the ordering of double objects in the spontaneous speech of German-speaking two- to four-year-old children and the child-directed speech of their mothers. The first corpus analysis revealed that definiteness, givenness and type of referring expression influenced word order variation in child language and child-directed speech when the type of referring expression distinguished between pronouns and lexical noun phrases. These results correspond to previous child language studies in English (e.g., de Marneffe et al. 2012). Extending the scope of previous studies, our second corpus analysis examined the role of different pronoun types on word order. It revealed that word order in child language and child-directed speech was predictable from the types of pronouns used. Different types of pronouns were associated with different sentence positions but also showed a strong correlation to givenness and definiteness. Yet, the distinction between pronoun types diminished the effects of givenness so that givenness had an independent impact on word order only in child-directed speech but not in child language. Our results support a multi-factorial approach to word order in German. Moreover, they underline the strong impact of the type of referring expression on word order and suggest that it plays a crucial role in the acquisition of the factors influencing word order variation. KW - German KW - word order KW - corpus study KW - language acquisition KW - information structure KW - referring expression Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5334/gjgl.281 SN - 2397-1835 VL - 3 IS - 1 PB - Ubiquity Press LTD CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Taffarello, Denise A1 - Srinivasan, Raghavan A1 - Samprogna Mohor, Guilherme A1 - Bittencourt Guimaraes, Joao Luis A1 - Calijuri, Maria do Carmo A1 - Mendiondo, Eduardo Mario T1 - Modeling freshwater quality scenarios with ecosystem-based adaptation in the headwaters of the Cantareira system, Brazil JF - Hydrology and earth system sciences : HESS N2 - Although hydrologic models provide hypothesis testing of complex dynamics occurring at catchments, fresh-water quality modeling is still incipient at many subtropical headwaters. In Brazil, a few modeling studies assess freshwater nutrients, limiting policies on hydrologic ecosystem services. This paper aims to compare freshwater quality scenarios under different land-use and land-cover (LULC) change, one of them related to ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), in Brazilian headwaters. Using the spatially semi-distributed Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, nitrate, total phosphorous (TP) and sediment were modeled in catchments ranging from 7.2 to 1037 km(2). These head-waters were eligible areas of the Brazilian payment for ecosystem services (PES) projects in the Cantareira water supply system, which had supplied water to 9 million people in the Sao Paulo metropolitan region (SPMR). We considered SWAT modeling of three LULC scenarios: (i) recent past scenario (S1), with historical LULC in 1990; (ii) current land-use scenario (S2), with LULC for the period 2010-2015 with field validation; and (iii) future land-use scenario with PES (S2 + EbA). This latter scenario proposed forest cover restoration through EbA following the river basin plan by 2035. These three LULC scenarios were tested with a selected record of rainfall and evapotranspiration observed in 2006-2014, with the occurrence of extreme droughts. To assess hydrologic services, we proposed the hydrologic service index (HSI), as a new composite metric comparing water pollution levels (WPL) for reference catchments, related to the grey water footprint (greyWF) and water yield. On the one hand, water quality simulations allowed for the regionalization of greyWF at spatial scales under LULC scenarios. According to the critical threshold, HSI identified areas as less or more sustainable catchments. On the other hand, conservation practices simulated through the S2 + EbA scenario envisaged not only additional and viable best management practices (BMP), but also preventive decision-making at the headwaters of water supply systems. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4699-2018 SN - 1027-5606 SN - 1607-7938 VL - 22 IS - 9 SP - 4699 EP - 4723 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Heidler, Maria-Dorothea A1 - Salzwedel, Annett A1 - Jöbges, Michael A1 - Lück, Olaf A1 - Dohle, Christian A1 - Seifert, Michael A1 - von Helden, Andrea A1 - Hollweg, Wibke A1 - Völler, Heinz T1 - Decannulation of tracheotomized patients after long-term mechanical ventilation - results of a prospective multicentric study in German neurological early rehabilitation hospitals JF - BMC Anesthesiology N2 - Background: In the course of neurological early rehabilitation, decannulation is attempted in tracheotomized patients after weaning due to its considerable prognostic significance. We aimed to identify predictors of a successful tracheostomy decannulation. Methods: From 09/2014 to 03/2016, 831 tracheotomized and weaned patients (65.4 +/- 12.9 years, 68% male) were included consecutively in a prospective multicentric observation study. At admission, sociodemographic and clinical data (e.g. relevant neurological and internistic diseases, duration of mechanical ventilation, tracheotomy technique, and nutrition) as well as functional assessments (Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R), Early Rehabilitation Barthel Index, Bogenhausener Dysphagia Score) were collected. Complications and the success of the decannulation procedure were documented at discharge. Results: Four hundred seventy patients (57%) were decannulated. The probability of decannulation was significantly negatively associated with increasing age (OR 0.68 per SD = 12.9 years, p < 0.001), prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation (OR 0.57 per 33.2 days, p < 0.001) and complications. An oral diet (OR 3.80; p < 0.001) and a higher alertness at admission (OR 3.07 per 7.18 CRS-R points; p < 0.001) were positively associated. Conclusions: This study identified practically measurable predictors of decannulation, which in the future can be used for a decannulation prognosis and supply optimization at admission in the neurological early rehabilitation clinic. KW - Mechanical ventilation KW - Tracheostomy KW - Decannulation KW - Prognosis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12871-018-0527-3 SN - 1471-2253 VL - 18 PB - BMC CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Senczuk, Gabriele A1 - Havenstein, Katja A1 - Milana, Valentina A1 - Ripa, Chiara A1 - De Simone, Emanuela A1 - Tiedemann, Ralph A1 - Castiglia, Riccardo T1 - Spotlight on islands BT - on the origin and diversification of an ancient lineage of the Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus in the western Pontine Islands JF - Scientific reports N2 - Groups of proximate continental islands may conceal more tangled phylogeographic patterns than oceanic archipelagos as a consequence of repeated sea level changes, which allow populations to experience gene flow during periods of low sea level stands and isolation by vicariant mechanisms during periods of high sea level stands. Here, we describe for the first time an ancient and diverging lineage of the Italian wall lizard Podarcis siculus from the western Pontine Islands. We used nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences of 156 individuals with the aim of unraveling their phylogenetic position, while microsatellite loci were used to test several a priori insular biogeographic models of migration with empirical data. Our results suggest that the western Pontine populations colonized the islands early during their Pliocene volcanic formation, while populations from the eastern Pontine Islands seem to have been introduced recently. The inter-island genetic makeup indicates an important role of historical migration, probably due to glacial land bridges connecting islands followed by a recent vicariant mechanism of isolation. Moreover, the most supported migration model predicted higher gene flow among islands which are geographically arranged in parallel. Considering the threatened status of small insular endemic populations, we suggest this new evolutionarily independent unit be given priority in conservation efforts. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-33326-w SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Vidal-Garcia, Marta A1 - Bandara, Lashi A1 - Keogh, J. Scott T1 - ShapeRotator BT - an R tool for standardized rigid rotations of articulated three-dimensional structures with application for geometric morphometrics JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - The quantification of complex morphological patterns typically involves comprehensive shape and size analyses, usually obtained by gathering morphological data from all the structures that capture the phenotypic diversity of an organism or object. Articulated structures are a critical component of overall phenotypic diversity, but data gathered from these structures are difficult to incorporate into modern analyses because of the complexities associated with jointly quantifying 3D shape in multiple structures. While there are existing methods for analyzing shape variation in articulated structures in two-dimensional (2D) space, these methods do not work in 3D, a rapidly growing area of capability and research. Here, we describe a simple geometric rigid rotation approach that removes the effect of random translation and rotation, enabling the morphological analysis of 3D articulated structures. Our method is based on Cartesian coordinates in 3D space, so it can be applied to any morphometric problem that also uses 3D coordinates (e.g., spherical harmonics). We demonstrate the method by applying it to a landmark-based dataset for analyzing shape variation using geometric morphometrics. We have developed an R tool (ShapeRotator) so that the method can be easily implemented in the commonly used R package geomorph and MorphoJ software. This method will be a valuable tool for 3D morphological analyses in articulated structures by allowing an exhaustive examination of shape and size diversity. KW - articulation KW - morphology KW - motion correction KW - multi-modular morphology Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4018 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 8 IS - 9 SP - 4669 EP - 4675 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tutu, Anthony Osei A1 - Steinberger, Bernhard A1 - Sobolev, Stephan Vladimir A1 - Rogozhina, Irina A1 - Popov, Anton A. T1 - Effects of upper mantle heterogeneities on the lithospheric stress field and dynamic topography JF - Solid earth N2 - The orientation and tectonic regime of the observed crustal/lithospheric stress field contribute to our knowledge of different deformation processes occurring within the Earth's crust and lithosphere. In this study, we analyze the influence of the thermal and density structure of the upper mantle on the lithospheric stress field and topography. We use a 3-D lithosphere–asthenosphere numerical model with power-law rheology, coupled to a spectral mantle flow code at 300 km depth. Our results are validated against the World Stress Map 2016 (WSM2016) and the observation-based residual topography. We derive the upper mantle thermal structure from either a heat flow model combined with a seafloor age model (TM1) or a global S-wave velocity model (TM2). We show that lateral density heterogeneities in the upper 300 km have a limited influence on the modeled horizontal stress field as opposed to the resulting dynamic topography that appears more sensitive to such heterogeneities. The modeled stress field directions, using only the mantle heterogeneities below 300 km, are not perturbed much when the effects of lithosphere and crust above 300 km are added. In contrast, modeled stress magnitudes and dynamic topography are to a greater extent controlled by the upper mantle density structure. After correction for the chemical depletion of continents, the TM2 model leads to a much better fit with the observed residual topography giving a good correlation of 0.51 in continents, but this correction leads to no significant improvement of the fit between the WSM2016 and the resulting lithosphere stresses. In continental regions with abundant heat flow data, TM1 results in relatively small angular misfits. For example, in western Europe the misfit between the modeled and observation-based stress is 18.3°. Our findings emphasize that the relative contributions coming from shallow and deep mantle dynamic forces are quite different for the lithospheric stress field and dynamic topography. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-649-2018 SN - 1869-9510 SN - 1869-9529 VL - 9 IS - 3 SP - 649 EP - 668 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pitzen, Valentin A1 - Askarzada, Sophie A1 - Gräf, Ralph A1 - Meyer, Irene T1 - CDK5RAP2 Is an Essential Scaffolding Protein of the Corona of the Dictyostelium Centrosome JF - Cells N2 - Dictyostelium centrosomes consist of a nucleus-associated cylindrical, three-layered core structure surrounded by a corona consisting of microtubule-nucleation complexes embedded in a scaffold of large coiled-coil proteins. One of them is the conserved CDK5RAP2 protein. Here we focus on the role of Dictyostelium CDK5RAP2 for maintenance of centrosome integrity, its interaction partners and its dynamic behavior during interphase and mitosis. GFP-CDK5RAP2 is present at the centrosome during the entire cell cycle except from a short period during prophase, correlating with the normal dissociation of the corona at this stage. RNAi depletion of CDK5RAP2 results in complete disorganization of centrosomes and microtubules suggesting that CDK5RAP2 is required for organization of the corona and its association to the core structure. This is in line with the observation that overexpressed GFP-CDK5RAP2 elicited supernumerary cytosolic MTOCs. The phenotype of CDK5RAP2 depletion was very reminiscent of that observed upon depletion of CP148, another scaffolding protein of the corona. BioID interaction assays revealed an interaction of CDK5RAP2 not only with the corona markers CP148, gamma-tubulin, and CP248, but also with the core components Cep192, CP75, and CP91. Furthermore, protein localization studies in both depletion strains revealed that CP148 and CDK5RAP2 cooperate in corona organization. KW - centrosome KW - centriole KW - Dictyostelium KW - microtubules KW - mitosis Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/cells7040032 SN - 2073-4409 VL - 7 IS - 4 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krasotkina, Anna A1 - Götz, Antonia A1 - Höhle, Barbara A1 - Schwarzer, Gudrun T1 - Perceptual narrowing in speech and face recognition BT - Evidence for intra-individual cross-domain relations JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - During the first year of life, infants undergo perceptual narrowing in the domains of speech and face perception. This is typically characterized by improvements in infants' abilities in discriminating among stimuli of familiar types, such as native speech tones and same-race faces. Simultaneously, infants begin to decline in their ability to discriminate among stimuli of types with which they have little experience, such as nonnative tones and other-race faces. The similarity in time-frames during which perceptual narrowing seems to occur in the domains of speech and face perception has led some researchers to hypothesize that the perceptual narrowing in these domains could be driven by shared domain-general processes. To explore this hypothesis, we tested 53 Caucasian 9-month-old infants from monolingual German households on their ability to discriminate among non-native Cantonese speech tones, as well among same-race German faces and other-race Chinese faces. We tested the infants using an infant-controlled habituation-dishabituation paradigm, with infants' preferences for looking at novel stimuli versus the habituated stimuli (dishabituation scores) acting as indicators of discrimination ability. As expected for their age, infants were able to discriminate between same-race faces, but not between other-race faces or non-native speech tones. Most interestingly, we found that infants' dishabituation scores for the non-native speech tones and other-race faces showed significant positive correlations, while the dishabituation scores for non-native speech tones and same-race faces did not. These results therefore support the hypothesis that shared domain-general mechanisms may drive perceptual narrowing in the domains of speech and face perception. KW - perceptual narrowing KW - perceptual reorganization KW - other-race effect KW - face perception KW - speech perception KW - habituation Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01711 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - van Velzen, Ellen A1 - Gaedke, Ursula T1 - Reversed predator-prey cycles are driven by the amplitude of prey oscillations JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - Ecoevolutionary feedbacks in predator-prey systems have been shown to qualitatively alter predator-prey dynamics. As a striking example, defense-offense coevolution can reverse predator-prey cycles, so predator peaks precede prey peaks rather than vice versa. However, this has only rarely been shown in either model studies or empirical systems. Here, we investigate whether this rarity is a fundamental feature of reversed cycles by exploring under which conditions they should be found. For this, we first identify potential conditions and parameter ranges most likely to result in reversed cycles by developing a new measure, the effective prey biomass, which combines prey biomass with prey and predator traits, and represents the prey biomass as perceived by the predator. We show that predator dynamics always follow the dynamics of the effective prey biomass with a classic 1/4-phase lag. From this key insight, it follows that in reversed cycles (i.e., -lag), the dynamics of the actual and the effective prey biomass must be in antiphase with each other, that is, the effective prey biomass must be highest when actual prey biomass is lowest, and vice versa. Based on this, we predict that reversed cycles should be found mainly when oscillations in actual prey biomass are small and thus have limited impact on the dynamics of the effective prey biomass, which are mainly driven by trait changes. We then confirm this prediction using numerical simulations of a coevolutionary predator-prey system, varying the amplitude of the oscillations in prey biomass: Reversed cycles are consistently associated with regions of parameter space leading to small-amplitude prey oscillations, offering a specific and highly testable prediction for conditions under which reversed cycles should occur in natural systems. KW - coevolution KW - ecoevolutionary dynamics KW - predator-prey dynamics KW - top-down control Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4184 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 8 IS - 12 SP - 6317 EP - 6329 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schönemann, Eric A1 - Laschewsky, Andre A1 - Rosenhahn, Axel T1 - Exploring the long-term hydrolytic behavior of zwitterionic polymethacrylates and polymethacrylamides JF - Polymers N2 - The hydrolytic stability of polymers to be used for coatings in aqueous environments, for example, to confer anti-fouling properties, is crucial. However, long-term exposure studies on such polymers are virtually missing. In this context, we synthesized a set of nine polymers that are typically used for low-fouling coatings, comprising the well-established poly(oligoethylene glycol methylether methacrylate), poly(3-(N-2-methacryloylethyl-N,N-dimethyl) ammoniopropanesulfonate) (sulfobetaine methacrylate), and poly(3-(N-3-methacryamidopropyl-N,N-dimethyl)ammoniopropanesulfonate) (sulfobetaine methacrylamide) as well as a series of hitherto rarely studied polysulfabetaines, which had been suggested to be particularly hydrolysis-stable. Hydrolysis resistance upon extended storage in aqueous solution is followed by H-1 NMR at ambient temperature in various pH regimes. Whereas the monomers suffered slow (in PBS) to very fast hydrolysis (in 1 M NaOH), the polymers, including the polymethacrylates, proved to be highly stable. No degradation of the carboxyl ester or amide was observed after one year in PBS, 1 M HCl, or in sodium carbonate buffer of pH 10. This demonstrates their basic suitability for anti-fouling applications. Poly(sulfobetaine methacrylamide) proved even to be stable for one year in 1 M NaOH without any signs of degradation. The stability is ascribed to a steric shielding effect. The hemisulfate group in the polysulfabetaines, however, was found to be partially labile. KW - polyzwitterions KW - stability KW - polymer degradation KW - hydrolysis KW - polysulfobetaine KW - polysulfabetaine KW - anti-fouling materials Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10060639 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 10 IS - 6 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ehrlich, Elias A1 - Gaedke, Ursula T1 - Not attackable or not crackable BT - How pre- and post-attack defenses with different competition costs affect prey coexistence and population dynamics JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - It is well-known that prey species often face trade-offs between defense against predation and competitiveness, enabling predator-mediated coexistence. However, we lack an understanding of how the large variety of different defense traits with different competition costs affects coexistence and population dynamics. Our study focusses on two general defense mechanisms, that is, pre-attack (e.g., camouflage) and post-attack defenses (e.g., weaponry) that act at different phases of the predator—prey interaction. We consider a food web model with one predator, two prey types and one resource. One prey type is undefended, while the other one is pre- or post-attack defended paying costs either by a higher half-saturation constant for resource uptake or a lower maximum growth rate. We show that post-attack defenses promote prey coexistence and stabilize the population dynamics more strongly than pre-attack defenses by interfering with the predator's functional response: Because the predator spends time handling “noncrackable” prey, the undefended prey is indirectly facilitated. A high half-saturation constant as defense costs promotes coexistence more and stabilizes the dynamics less than a low maximum growth rate. The former imposes high costs at low resource concentrations but allows for temporally high growth rates at predator-induced resource peaks preventing the extinction of the defended prey. We evaluate the effects of the different defense mechanisms and costs on coexistence under different enrichment levels in order to vary the importance of bottom-up and top-down control of the prey community. KW - coexistence KW - competition-defense trade-off KW - defense against predation KW - functional response KW - indirect facilitation KW - predator-prey cycles Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4145 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 8 IS - 13 SP - 6625 EP - 6637 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Poltrock, Silvana A1 - Chen, Hui A1 - Kwok, Celia A1 - Cheung, Hintat A1 - Nazzi, Thierry T1 - Adult learning of novel words in a non-native language BT - Consonants, Vowels, and Tones JF - Frontiers in psychology KW - word learning KW - minimal pairs KW - non-native speech perception KW - tones KW - adults Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01211 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Georgiev, Vasil N. A1 - Grafmüller, Andrea A1 - Bléger, David A1 - Hecht, Stefan A1 - Kunstmann, Sonja A1 - Barbirz, Stefanie A1 - Lipowsky, Reinhard A1 - Dimova, Rumiana T1 - Area increase and budding in giant vesicles triggered by light BT - behind the scene JF - Advanced science N2 - Biomembranes are constantly remodeled and in cells, these processes are controlled and modulated by an assortment of membrane proteins. Here, it is shown that such remodeling can also be induced by photoresponsive molecules. The morphological control of giant vesicles in the presence of a water-soluble ortho-tetrafluoroazobenzene photoswitch (F-azo) is demonstrated and it is shown that the shape transformations are based on an increase in membrane area and generation of spontaneous curvature. The vesicles exhibit budding and the buds can be retracted by using light of a different wavelength. In the presence of F-azo, the membrane area can increase by more than 5% as assessed from vesicle electrodeformation. To elucidate the underlying molecular mechanism and the partitioning of F-azo in the membrane, molecular dynamics simulations are employed. Comparison with theoretically calculated shapes reveals that the budded shapes are governed by curvature elasticity, that the spontaneous curvature can be decomposed into a local and a nonlocal contribution, and that the local spontaneous curvature is about 1/(2.5 mu m). The results show that exo- and endocytotic events can be controlled by light and that these photoinduced processes provide an attractive method to change membrane area and morphology. KW - azobenzene KW - lipid membranes KW - molecular dynamics KW - photoswitch KW - vesicles Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.201800432 SN - 2198-3844 VL - 5 IS - 8 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Clahsen, Harald A1 - Paulmann, Silke A1 - Budd, Mary-Jane A1 - Barry, Christopher T1 - Morphological encoding beyond slots and fillers BT - an ERP study of comparative formation in English JF - PLoS one N2 - One important organizational property of morphology is competition. Different means of expression are in conflict with each other for encoding the same grammatical function. In the current study, we examined the nature of this control mechanism by testing the formation of comparative adjectives in English during language production. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded during cued silent production, the first study of this kind for comparative adjective formation. We specifically examined the ERP correlates of producing synthetic relative to analytic comparatives, e.g. angriervs. more angry. A frontal, bilaterally distributed, enhanced negative-going waveform for analytic comparatives (vis-a-vis synthetic ones) emerged approximately 300ms after the (silent) production cue. We argue that this ERP effect reflects a control mechanism that constrains grammatically-based computational processes (viz. more comparative formation). We also address the possibility that this particular ERP effect may belong to a family of previously observed negativities reflecting cognitive control monitoring, rather than morphological encoding processes per se. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0199897 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 13 IS - 7 PB - PLoS CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Filipovic, Vilim A1 - Gerke, Horst H. A1 - Filipovic, Lana A1 - Sommer, Michael T1 - Quantifying subsurface lateral flow along sloping horizon boundaries in soil profiles of a hummocky ground moraine JF - Vadose zone journal N2 - Subsurface lateral flow in hillslope soils depends on lower permeability or texture-contrasting soil horizons. In the arable hummocky soil landscape, erosion processes caused glacial till appearance closer to the soil surface at upslope positions. The objective of this work was to quantify the potential for subsurface lateral flow depending on the erosion-affected spatial hydropedological complexity. The eroded Haplic Luvisol profile was studied due to the presence of a relatively dense C horizon that varied in depth, thickness, and sloping angle. A two-dimensional numerical modeling and sensitivity analysis for the saturated hydraulic conductivity (K-s) of the C horizon and the depth to C horizon (i.e., soil solum thickness) was performed for rainstorms in 2011 and 2012 using HYDRUS-2D. A K-s value of <2.5 cm d(-1) for the C horizon was required for lateral flow initiation. Lateral flow was (i) increasing with decreasing solum thickness, indicating an erosion-induced feedback on subsurface lateral flow, and (ii) dependent on the soil moisture regime prior to rainstorms. The effect of lateral flow on the movement of a conservative tracer was simulated in the form of a "virtual experiment". Simulation scenarios revealed only a relatively small lateral shift of the tracer plume caused by a local decoupling of water (already lateral) from subsequent tracer movement (still vertical). Longer term simulations suggested that, for the present conditions, lateral flow was limited mostly to occasional summer storm events. Even without considering preferential flow contribution to lateral flow, highly complex hydropedologic interactions are present in erosion-affected heterogeneous soil profiles. Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2017.05.0106 SN - 1539-1663 VL - 17 IS - 1 PB - Soil Science Society of America CY - Madison ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Totz, Sonja Juliana A1 - Löber, Jakob A1 - Totz, Jan Frederik A1 - Engel, Harald T1 - Control of transversal instabilities in reaction-diffusion systems JF - New journal of physics : the open-access journal for physics N2 - In two-dimensional reaction-diffusion systems, local curvature perturbations on traveling waves are typically damped out and vanish. However, if the inhibitor diffuses much faster than the activator, transversal instabilities can arise, leading from flat to folded, spatio-temporally modulated waves and to spreading spiral turbulence. Here, we propose a scheme to induce or inhibit these instabilities via a spatio-temporal feedback loop. In a piecewise-linear version of the FitzHugh-Nagumo model, transversal instabilities and spiral turbulence in the uncontrolled system are shown to be suppressed in the presence of control, thereby stabilizing plane wave propagation. Conversely, in numerical simulations with the modified Oregonator model for the photosensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction, which does not exhibit transversal instabilities on its own, we demonstrate the feasibility of inducing transversal instabilities and study the emerging wave patterns in a well-controlled manner. KW - traveling waves KW - control KW - transversal instabilities Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/aabce5 SN - 1367-2630 VL - 20 PB - IOP Publ. Ltd. CY - Bristol ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kwanbunjan, Karunee A1 - Panprathip, Pornpimol A1 - Phosat, Chanchira A1 - Chumpathat, Noppanath A1 - Wechjakwen, Naruemon A1 - Puduang, Somchai A1 - Auyyuenyong, Ratchada A1 - Henkel, Ina A1 - Schweigert, Florian J. T1 - Association of retinol binding protein 4 and transthyretin with triglyceride levels and insulin resistance in rural thais with high type 2 diabetes risk JF - BMC Endocrine Disorders N2 - Background: Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP4), a protein secreted by adipocytes and bound in plasma to transthyretin (TTR), has been associated with obesity, the early phase of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationship between RBP4, TTR, triglyceride (TG) and type 2 diabetes risk in rural Thailand. Results: RBP4 and TTR levels, as well as homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values, were significantly elevated among subjects with high triglyceride levels (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, p < 0.05, respectively). Triglyceride levels correlated with RBP4 (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) and TTR (r= 0.26, p < 0.01) levels, as well as HOMA-IR values (r= 0.16, p < 0.05). After adjustment for age and gender, the risk of hypertriglyceridemia was 3.7 times greater (95% Cl =1.42 -9.73, p = 0.008) in the highest RBP4 tertile as compared to the lowest tertile. Similarly, the highest TTR and HOMA-IR tertiles had greater risk of hypertriglyceridemia at 3.5 (95% Cl = 1.30-9.20, p = 0.01) and 3.6 (95% CI = 1.33- 9.58, p = 0.01) times higher than the respective lowest tertiles. The correlation between TTR and blood glucose was statistically significant (r 0.18, p < 0.05), but not found this relationship in RBP4. Conclusions: The associations of RBP4 and TTR with hypertriglyceridemia and insulin resistance may have important implications for the risk of heart disease and stroke. KW - RBP4 KW - TTR KW - HOMA-IR KW - Hypertriglyceridemia KW - Type 2 diabetes Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-018-0254-2 SN - 1472-6823 VL - 18 PB - BMC CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Casado, Mathieu A1 - Landais, Amaelle A1 - Picard, Ghislain A1 - Münch, Thomas A1 - Laepple, Thomas A1 - Stenni, Barbara A1 - Dreossi, Giuliano A1 - Ekaykin, Alexey A1 - Arnaud, Laurent A1 - Genthon, Christophe A1 - Touzeau, Alexandra A1 - Masson-Delmotte, Valerie A1 - Jouzel, Jean T1 - Archival processes of the water stable isotope signal in East Antarctic ice cores JF - The Cryosphere : TC ; an interactive open access journal of the European Geosciences Union N2 - The oldest ice core records are obtained from the East Antarctic Plateau. Water isotopes are key proxies to reconstructing past climatic conditions over the ice sheet and at the evaporation source. The accuracy of climate reconstructions depends on knowledge of all processes affecting water vapour, precipitation and snow isotopic compositions. Fractionation processes are well understood and can be integrated in trajectory-based Rayleigh distillation and isotope-enabled climate models. However, a quantitative understanding of processes potentially altering snow isotopic composition after deposition is still missing. In low-accumulation sites, such as those found in East Antarctica, these poorly constrained processes are likely to play a significant role and limit the interpretability of an ice core's isotopic composition. By combining observations of isotopic composition in vapour, precipitation, surface snow and buried snow from Dome C, a deep ice core site on the East Antarctic Plateau, we found indications of a seasonal impact of metamorphism on the surface snow isotopic signal when compared to the initial precipitation. Particularly in summer, exchanges of water molecules between vapour and snow are driven by the diurnal sublimation-condensation cycles. Overall, we observe in between precipitation events modification of the surface snow isotopic composition. Using high-resolution water isotopic composition profiles from snow pits at five Antarctic sites with different accumulation rates, we identified common patterns which cannot be attributed to the seasonal variability of precipitation. These differences in the precipitation, surface snow and buried snow isotopic composition provide evidence of post-deposition processes affecting ice core records in low-accumulation areas. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-12-1745-2018 SN - 1994-0416 SN - 1994-0424 VL - 12 IS - 5 SP - 1745 EP - 1766 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hodgkins, Suzanne B. A1 - Richardson, Curtis J. A1 - Dommain, Rene A1 - Wang, Hongjun A1 - Glaser, Paul H. A1 - Verbeke, Brittany A1 - Winkler, B. Rose A1 - Cobb, Alexander R. A1 - Rich, Virginia I. A1 - Missilmani, Malak A1 - Flanagan, Neal A1 - Ho, Mengchi A1 - Hoyt, Alison M. A1 - Harvey, Charles F. A1 - Vining, S. Rose A1 - Hough, Moira A. A1 - Moore, Tim R. A1 - Richard, Pierre J. H. A1 - De la Cruz, Florentino B. A1 - Toufaily, Joumana A1 - Hamdan, Rasha A1 - Cooper, William T. A1 - Chanton, Jeffrey P. T1 - Tropical peatland carbon storage linked to global latitudinal trends in peat recalcitrance JF - Nature Communications N2 - Peatlands represent large terrestrial carbon banks. Given that most peat accumulates in boreal regions, where low temperatures and water saturation preserve organic matter, the existence of peat in (sub)tropical regions remains enigmatic. Here we examined peat and plant chemistry across a latitudinal transect from the Arctic to the tropics. Near-surface low-latitude peat has lower carbohydrate and greater aromatic content than near-surface high-latitude peat, creating a reduced oxidation state and resulting recalcitrance. This recalcitrance allows peat to persist in the (sub)tropics despite warm temperatures. Because we observed similar declines in carbohydrate content with depth in high-latitude peat, our data explain recent field-scale deep peat warming experiments in which catotelm (deeper) peat remained stable despite temperature increases up to 9 degrees C. We suggest that high-latitude deep peat reservoirs may be stabilized in the face of climate change by their ultimately lower carbohydrate and higher aromatic composition, similar to tropical peats. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-06050-2 SN - 2041-1723 VL - 9 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ronasi, Golnoush A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Zimmermann, Malte T1 - Language and Arithmetic BT - a failure to find cross cognitive domain semantic priming between exception phrases and subtraction or addition JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - We examined cross-domain semantic priming effects between arithmetic and language. We paired subtractions with their linguistic equivalent, exception phrases (EPs) with positive quantifiers (e.g., "everybody except John") while pairing additions with their own linguistic equivalent, EPs with negative quantifiers (e.g., "nobody except John"; Moltmann, 1995). We hypothesized that EPs with positive quantifiers prime subtractions and inhibit additions while EPs with negative quantifiers prime additions and inhibit subtractions. Furthermore, we expected similar priming and inhibition effects from arithmetic into semantics. Our design allowed for a bidirectional analysis by using one trial's target as the prime for the next trial. Two experiments failed to show significant priming effects in either direction. Implications and possible shortcomings are explored in the general discussion. KW - cross-domain priming KW - language KW - arithmetic KW - information integration KW - cognitive module Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01524 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Cestnik, Rok A1 - Rosenblum, Michael T1 - Inferring the phase response curve from observation of a continuously perturbed oscillator JF - Scientific reports N2 - Phase response curves are important for analysis and modeling of oscillatory dynamics in various applications, particularly in neuroscience. Standard experimental technique for determining them requires isolation of the system and application of a specifically designed input. However, isolation is not always feasible and we are compelled to observe the system in its natural environment under free-running conditions. To that end we propose an approach relying only on passive observations of the system and its input. We illustrate it with simulation results of an oscillator driven by a stochastic force. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32069-y SN - 2045-2322 VL - 8 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lehr, Christian A1 - Dannowski, Ralf A1 - Kalettka, Thomas A1 - Merz, Christoph A1 - Schröder, Boris A1 - Steidl, Jörg A1 - Lischeid, Gunnar T1 - Detecting dominant changes in irregularly sampled multivariate water quality data sets JF - Hydrology and earth system sciences : HESS N2 - Time series of groundwater and stream water quality often exhibit substantial temporal and spatial variability, whereas typical existing monitoring data sets, e.g. from environmental agencies, are usually characterized by relatively low sampling frequency and irregular sampling in space and/or time. This complicates the differentiation between anthropogenic influence and natural variability as well as the detection of changes in water quality which indicate changes in single drivers. We suggest the new term "dominant changes" for changes in multivariate water quality data which concern (1) multiple variables, (2) multiple sites and (3) long-term patterns and present an exploratory framework for the detection of such dominant changes in data sets with irregular sampling in space and time. Firstly, a non-linear dimension-reduction technique was used to summarize the dominant spatiotemporal dynamics in the multivariate water quality data set in a few components. Those were used to derive hypotheses on the dominant drivers influencing water quality. Secondly, different sampling sites were compared with respect to median component values. Thirdly, time series of the components at single sites were analysed for long-term patterns. We tested the approach with a joint stream water and groundwater data set quality consisting of 1572 samples, each comprising sixteen variables, sampled with a spatially and temporally irregular sampling scheme at 29 sites in northeast Germany from 1998 to 2009. The first four components were interpreted as (1) an agriculturally induced enhancement of the natural background level of solute concentration, (2) a redox sequence from reducing conditions in deep groundwater to post-oxic conditions in shallow groundwater and oxic conditions in stream water, (3) a mixing ratio of deep and shallow groundwater to the streamflow and (4) sporadic events of slurry application in the agricultural practice. Dominant changes were observed for the first two components. The changing intensity of the first component was interpreted as response to the temporal variability of the thickness of the unsaturated zone. A steady increase in the second component at most stream water sites pointed towards progressing depletion of the denitrification capacity of the deep aquifer. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4401-2018 SN - 1027-5606 SN - 1607-7938 VL - 22 IS - 8 SP - 4401 EP - 4424 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krupkova, Olga A1 - Sadowska, Aleksandra A1 - Kameda, Takuya A1 - Hitzl, Wolfgang A1 - Hausmann, Oliver Nic A1 - Klasen, Jürgen A1 - Wuertz-Kozak, Karin T1 - p38 MaPK Facilitates crosstalk Between endoplasmic reticulum stress and IL-6 release in the intervertebral Disc JF - Frontiers in Immunology N2 - Degenerative disc disease is associated with increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the intervertebral disc (IVD). However, it is not completely clear how inflammation arises in the IVD and which cellular compartments are involved in this process. Recently, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) has emerged as a possible modulator of inflammation in age-related disorders. In addition, ER stress has been associated with the microenvironment of degenerated IVDs. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of ER stress on inflammatory responses in degenerated human IVDs and associated molecular mechanisms. Gene expression of ER stress marker GRP78 and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-1 beta, and TNF-alpha was analyzed in human surgical IVD samples (n = 51, Pfirrmann grade 2-5). The expression of GRP78 positively correlated with the degeneration grade in lumbar IVDs and IL-6, but not with IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha. Another set of human surgical IVD samples (n = 25) was used to prepare primary cell cultures. ER stress inducer thapsigargin (Tg, 100 and 500 nM) activated gene and protein expression of IL-6 and induced phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. Both inhibition of p38 MAPK by SB203580 (10 mu M) and knockdown of ER stress effector CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP) reduced gene and protein expression of IL-6 in Tg-treated cells. Furthermore, the effects of an inflammatory microenvironment on ER stress were tested. TNF-alpha (5 and 10 ng/mL) did not activate ER stress, while IL-1 beta (5 and 10 ng/mL) activated gene and protein expression of GRP78, but did not influence [Ca2+](i) flux and expression of CHOP, indicating that pro-inflammatory cytokines alone may not induce ER stress in vivo. This study showed that IL-6 release in the IVD can be initiated following ER stress and that ER stress mediates IL-6 release through p38 MAPK and CHOP. Therapeutic targeting of ER stress response may reduce the consequences of the harsh microenvironment in degenerated IVD. KW - intervertebral disc KW - inflammation KW - endoplasmic reticulum stress KW - p38 MAPK KW - CHOP KW - GADD153 KW - GRP78 KW - IL-6 Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.01706 SN - 1664-3224 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Münch, Thomas A1 - Laepple, Thomas T1 - What climate signal is contained in decadal- to centennial-scale isotope variations from Antarctic ice cores? JF - Climate of the past : CP N2 - Ice-core-based records of isotopic composition are a proxy for past temperatures and can thus provide information on polar climate variability over a large range of timescales. However, individual isotope records are affected by a multitude of processes that may mask the true temperature variability. The relative magnitude of climate and non-climate contributions is expected to vary as a function of timescale, and thus it is crucial to determine those temporal scales on which the actual signal dominates the noise. At present, there are no reliable estimates of this timescale dependence of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Here, we present a simple method that applies spectral analyses to stable-isotope data from multiple cores to estimate the SNR, and the signal and noise variability, as a function of timescale. The method builds on separating the contributions from a common signal and from local variations and includes a correction for the effects of diffusion and time uncertainty. We apply our approach to firn-core arrays from Dronning Maud Land (DML) in East Antarctica and from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). For DML and decadal to multi-centennial timescales, we find an increase in the SNR by nearly 1 order of magnitude (similar to 0.2 at decadal and similar to 1.0 at multi-centennial scales). The estimated spectrum of climate variability also shows increasing variability towards longer timescales, contrary to what is traditionally inferred from single records in this region. In contrast, the inferred variability spectrum for WAIS stays close to constant over decadal to centennial timescales, and the results even suggest a decrease in SNR over this range of timescales. We speculate that these differences between DML and WAIS are related to differences in the spatial and temporal scales of the isotope signal, highlighting the potentially more homogeneous atmospheric conditions on the Antarctic Plateau in contrast to the marine-influenced conditions on WAIS. In general, our approach provides a methodological basis for separating local proxy variability from coherent climate variations, which is applicable to a large set of palaeoclimate records. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-14-2053-2018 SN - 1814-9324 SN - 1814-9332 VL - 14 IS - 12 SP - 2053 EP - 2070 PB - Copernicus Gesellschaft mbH CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Graf, Lukas A1 - Moreno-de-las-Heras, Mariano A1 - Ruiz, Maurici A1 - Calsamiglia, Aleix A1 - García-Comendador, Julián A1 - Fortesa, Josep A1 - López-Tarazón, José A. A1 - Estrany, Joan T1 - Accuracy assessment of digital terrain model dataset sources for hydrogeomorphological modelling in small mediterranean catchments JF - Remote sensing N2 - Digital terrain models (DTMs) are a fundamental source of information in Earth sciences. DTM-based studies, however, can contain remarkable biases if limitations and inaccuracies in these models are disregarded. In this work, four freely available datasets, including Shuttle Radar Topography Mission C-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SRTM C-SAR V3 DEM), Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer Global Digital Elevation Map (ASTER GDEM V2), and two nationwide airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR)-derived DTMs (at 5-m and 1-m spatial resolution, respectively) were analysed in three geomorphologically contrasting, small (3–5 km2) catchments located in Mediterranean landscapes under intensive human influence (Mallorca Island, Spain). Vertical accuracy as well as the influence of each dataset’s characteristics on hydrological and geomorphological modelling applicability were assessed by using ground-truth data, classic geometric and morphometric parameters, and a recently proposed index of sediment connectivity. Overall vertical accuracy—expressed as the root mean squared error (RMSE) and normalised median deviation (NMAD)—revealed the highest accuracy for the 1-m (RMSE = 1.55 m; NMAD = 0.44 m) and 5-m LiDAR DTMs (RMSE = 1.73 m; NMAD = 0.84 m). Vertical accuracy of the SRTM data was lower (RMSE = 6.98 m; NMAD = 5.27 m), but considerably higher than for the ASTER data (RMSE = 16.10 m; NMAD = 11.23 m). All datasets were affected by systematic distortions. Propagation of these errors and coarse horizontal resolution caused negative impacts on flow routing, stream network, and catchment delineation, and to a lower extent, on the distribution of slope values. These limitations should be carefully considered when applying DTMs for catchment hydrogeomorphological modelling. KW - digital terrain models KW - DTM vertical accuracy KW - DTM comparison KW - hydrogeomorphological modelling KW - Mediterranean catchments Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10122014 SN - 2072-4292 VL - 10 IS - 12 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brune, Sascha A1 - Williams, Simon E. A1 - Müller, R. Dietmar T1 - Oblique rifting: the rule, not the exception JF - Solid earth N2 - Movements of tectonic plates often induce oblique deformation at divergent plate boundaries. This is in striking contrast with traditional conceptual models of rifting and rifted margin formation, which often assume 2-D deformation where the rift velocity is oriented perpendicular to the plate boundary. Here we quantify the validity of this assumption by analysing the kinematics of major continent-scale rift systems in a global plate tectonic reconstruction from the onset of Pangea breakup until the present day. We evaluate rift obliquity by joint examination of relative extension velocity and local rift trend using the script-based plate reconstruction software pyGPlates. Our results show that the global mean rift obliquity since 230 Ma amounts to 34 degrees with a standard deviation of 24 degrees, using the convention that the angle of obliquity is spanned by extension direction and rift trend normal. We find that more than similar to 70 % of all rift segments exceeded an obliquity of 20 degrees demonstrating that oblique rifting should be considered the rule, not the exception. In many cases, rift obliquity and extension velocity increase during rift evolution (e.g. Australia-Antarctica, Gulf of California, South Atlantic, India-Antarctica), which suggests an underlying geodynamic correlation via obliquity-dependent rift strength. Oblique rifting produces 3-D stress and strain fields that cannot be accounted for in simplified 2-D plane strain analysis. We therefore highlight the importance of 3-D approaches in modelling, surveying, and interpretation of most rift segments on Earth where oblique rifting is the dominant mode of deformation. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/se-9-1187-2018 SN - 1869-9510 SN - 1869-9529 VL - 9 IS - 5 SP - 1187 EP - 1206 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Skinner, Christopher J. A1 - Coulthard, Tom J. A1 - Schwanghart, Wolfgang A1 - Van De Wiel, Marco J. A1 - Hancock, Greg T1 - Global sensitivity analysis of parameter uncertainty in landscape evolution models JF - Geoscientific model development : an interactive open access journal of the European Geosciences Union N2 - The evaluation and verification of landscape evolution models (LEMs) has long been limited by a lack of suitable observational data and statistical measures which can fully capture the complexity of landscape changes. This lack of data limits the use of objective function based evaluation prolific in other modelling fields, and restricts the application of sensitivity analyses in the models and the consequent assessment of model uncertainties. To overcome this deficiency, a novel model function approach has been developed, with each model function representing an aspect of model behaviour, which allows for the application of sensitivity analyses. The model function approach is used to assess the relative sensitivity of the CAESAR-Lisflood LEM to a set of model parameters by applying the Morris method sensitivity analysis for two contrasting catchments. The test revealed that the model was most sensitive to the choice of the sediment transport formula for both catchments, and that each parameter influenced model behaviours differently, with model functions relating to internal geomorphic changes responding in a different way to those relating to the sediment yields from the catchment outlet. The model functions proved useful for providing a way of evaluating the sensitivity of LEMs in the absence of data and methods for an objective function approach. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-11-4873-2018 SN - 1991-959X SN - 1991-9603 VL - 11 IS - 12 SP - 4873 EP - 4888 PB - Copernicus CY - Göttingen ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Coesfeld, Jacqueline A1 - Anderson, Sharolyn J. A1 - Baugh, Kimberly A1 - Elvidge, Christopher D. A1 - Schernthanner, Harald A1 - Kyba, Christopher C. M. T1 - Variation of Individual Location Radiance in VIIRS DNB Monthly Composite Images JF - Remote sensing N2 - With the growing size and use of night light time series from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite Day/Night Band (DNB), it is important to understand the stability of the dataset. All satellites observe differences in pixel values during repeat observations. In the case of night light data, these changes can be due to both environmental effects and changes in light emission. Here we examine the stability of individual locations of particular large scale light sources (e.g., airports and prisons) in the monthly composites of DNB data from April 2012 to September 2017. The radiances for individual pixels of most large light emitters are approximately normally distributed, with a standard deviation of typically 15-20% of the mean. Greenhouses and flares, however, are not stable sources. We observe geospatial autocorrelation in the monthly variations for nearby sites, while the correlation for sites separated by large distances is small. This suggests that local factors contribute most to the variation in the pixel radiances and furthermore that averaging radiances over large areas will reduce the total variation. A better understanding of the causes of temporal variation would improve the sensitivity of DNB to lighting changes. KW - artificial light at night KW - light pollution KW - night lights KW - VIIRS DNB Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10121964 SN - 2072-4292 VL - 10 IS - 12 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schultze, Christiane A1 - Schmidt, Bernd T1 - Ring-closing-metathesis-based synthesis of annellated coumarins from 8-allylcoumarins JF - Beilstein journal of organic chemistry N2 - 8-Allylcoumarins are conveniently accessible through a microwave-promoted tandem Claisen rearrangement/Wittig olefination/cyclization sequence. They serve as a versatile platform for the annellation of five- to seven-membered rings using ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM). Furano-, pyrano-, oxepino- and azepinocoumarins were synthesized from the same set of precursors using Ru-catalyzed double bond isomerizations and RCM in a defined order. One class of products, pyrano[2,3-f]chromene-2,8-diones, were inaccessible through direct RCM of an acrylate, but became available from the analogous allyl ether via an assisted tandem catalytic RCM/allylic oxidation sequence. KW - coumarins KW - heterocycles KW - isomerization KW - olefin metathesis KW - ruthenium Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3762/bjoc.14.278 SN - 1860-5397 VL - 14 SP - 2991 EP - 2998 PB - Beilstein-Institut zur Förderung der Chemischen Wissenschaften CY - Frankfurt, Main ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Fischer, Martin H. A1 - Shaki, Samuel T1 - Repeating Numbers Reduces Results: Violations of the Identity Axiom in Mental Arithmetic JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Even simple mental arithmetic is fraught with cognitive biases. For example, adding repeated numbers (so-called tie problems, e.g., 2 + 2) not only has a speed and accuracy advantage over adding different numbers (e.g., 1 + 3) but may also lead to under-representation of the result relative to a standard value (Charras et al., 2012, 2014). Does the tie advantage merely reflect easier encoding or retrieval compared to non-ties, or also a distorted result representation? To answer this question, 47 healthy adults performed two tasks, both of which indicated under-representation of tie results: In a result-to-position pointing task (Experiment 1) we measured the spatial mapping of numbers and found a left-bias for tie compared to non-tie problems. In a result-to-line-length production task (Experiment 2) we measured the underlying magnitude representation directly and obtained shorter lines for tie-compared to non-tie problems. These observations suggest that the processing benefit of tie problems comes at the cost of representational reduction of result meaning. This conclusion is discussed in the context of a recent model of arithmetic heuristics and biases. KW - AHAB KW - cognitive bias KW - mental arithmetic KW - numerical cognition KW - operational momentum KW - SNARC KW - tie problems Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02453 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 9 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Marrucci, Monica A1 - Zeilinger, Gerold A1 - Ribolini, Adriano A1 - Schwanghart, Wolfgang T1 - Origin of Knickpoints in an Alpine Context Subject to Different Perturbing Factors, Stura Valley, Maritime Alps (North-Western Italy) JF - Geosciences N2 - Natural catchments are likely to show the existence of knickpoints in their river networks. The origin and genesis of the knickpoints can be manifold, considering that the present morphology is the result of the interactions of different factors such as tectonic movements, quaternary glaciations, river captures, variable lithology, and base-level changes. We analyzed the longitudinal profiles of the river channels in the Stura di Demonte Valley (Maritime Alps) to identify the knickpoints of such an alpine setting and to characterize their origins. The distribution and the geometry of stream profiles were used to identify the possible causes of the changes in stream gradients and to define zones with genetically linked knickpoints. Knickpoints are key geomorphological features for reconstructing the evolution of fluvial dissected basins, when the different perturbing factors affecting the ideally graded fluvial system have been detected. This study shows that even in a regionally small area, perturbations of river profiles are caused by multiple factors. Thus, attributing (automatically)-extracted knickpoints solely to one factor, can potentially lead to incomplete interpretations of catchment evolution. KW - knickpoint KW - river longitudinal profile KW - Maritime Alps Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8120443 SN - 2076-3263 VL - 8 IS - 12 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bormann, Helge A1 - de Brito, Mariana Madruga A1 - Charchousi, Despoina A1 - Chatzistratis, Dimitris A1 - David, Amrei A1 - Grosser, Paula Farina A1 - Kebschull, Jenny A1 - Konis, Alexandros A1 - Koutalakis, Paschalis A1 - Korali, Alkistis A1 - Krauzig, Naomi A1 - Meier, Jessica A1 - Meliadou, Varvara A1 - Meinhardt, Markus A1 - Munnelly, Kieran A1 - Stephan, Christiane A1 - de Vos, Leon Frederik A1 - Dietrich, Jörg A1 - Tzoraki, Ourania T1 - Impact of Hydrological Modellers’ Decisions and Attitude on the Performance of a Calibrated Conceptual Catchment Model BT - Results from a ‘Modelling Contest’ JF - Hydrology N2 - In this study, 17 hydrologists with different experience in hydrological modelling applied the same conceptual catchment model (HBV) to a Greek catchment, using identical data and model code. Calibration was performed manually. Subsequently, the modellers were asked for their experience, their calibration strategy, and whether they enjoyed the exercise. The exercise revealed that there is considerable modellers’ uncertainty even among the experienced modellers. It seemed to be equally important whether the modellers followed a good calibration strategy, and whether they enjoyed modelling. The exercise confirmed previous studies about the benefit of model ensembles: Different combinations of the simulation results (median, mean) outperformed the individual model simulations, while filtering the simulations even improved the quality of the model ensembles. Modellers’ experience, decisions, and attitude, therefore, have an impact on the hydrological model application and should be considered as part of hydrological modelling uncertainty. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/hydrology5040064 SN - 2306-5338 VL - 5 IS - 4 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Puppe, Daniel A1 - Wanner, Manfred A1 - Sommer, Michael T1 - Data on euglyphid testate amoeba densities, corresponding protozoic silicon pools, and selected soil parameters of initial and forested biogeosystems JF - Data in brief N2 - The dataset in the present article provides information on protozoic silicon (Si) pools represented by euglyphid testate amoebae (TA) in soils of initial and forested biogeosystems. Protozoic Si pools were calculated from densities of euglyphid TA shells and corresponding Si contents. The article also includes data on potential annual biosilicification rates of euglyphid TA at the examined sites. Furthermore, data on selected soil parameters (e.g., readily-available Si, soil pH) and site characteristics (e.g., soil groups, climate data) can be found. The data might be interesting for researchers focusing on biological processes in Si cycling in general and euglyphid TA and corresponding protozoic Si pools in particular. KW - Silicon cycling KW - Biogenic silica KW - Terrestrial biogeosystems KW - Biosilicification KW - Euglyphida Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2018.10.164 SN - 2352-3409 VL - 21 SP - 1697 EP - 1703 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lu, Yong-Ping A1 - Reichetzeder, Christoph A1 - Prehn, Cornelia A1 - von Websky, Karoline A1 - Slowinski, Torsten A1 - Chen, You-Peng A1 - Yin, Liang-Hong A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Yang, Xue-Song A1 - Adamski, Jerzy A1 - Hocher, Berthold T1 - Fetal serum metabolites are independently associated with Gestational diabetes mellitus JF - Cellular physiology and biochemistry : international journal of experimental cellular physiology, biochemistry and pharmacology N2 - Background/Aims: Gestational diabetes (GDM) might be associated with alterations in the metabolomic profile of affected mothers and their offspring. Until now, there is a paucity of studies that investigated both, the maternal and the fetal serum metabolome in the setting of GDM. Mounting evidence suggests that the fetus is not just passively affected by gestational disease but might play an active role in it. Metabolomic studies performed in maternal blood and fetal cord blood could help to better discern distinct fetal from maternal disease interactions. Methods: At the time of birth, serum samples from mothers and newborns (cord blood samples) were collected and screened for 163 metabolites utilizing tandem mass spectrometry. The cohort consisted of 412 mother/child pairs, including 31 cases of maternal GDM. Results: An initial non-adjusted analysis showed that eight metabolites in the maternal blood and 54 metabolites in the cord blood were associated with GDM. After Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) procedure and adjustment for confounding factors for GDM, fetal phosphatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C 32:1 and proline still showed an independent association with GDM. Conclusions: This study found metabolites in cord blood which were associated with GDM, even after adjustment for established risk factors of GDM. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study demonstrating an independent association between fetal serum metabolites and maternal GDM. Our findings might suggest a potential effect of the fetal metabolome on maternal GDM. (c) 2018 The Author(s) Published by S. Karger AG, Basel KW - Gestational diabetes KW - Metabolomics KW - Phosphatidylcholine acyl-alkyl C 32:1 KW - Proline Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1159/000487119 SN - 1015-8987 SN - 1421-9778 VL - 45 IS - 2 SP - 625 EP - 638 PB - Karger CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lukan, Tjaša A1 - Machens, Fabian A1 - Coll, Anna A1 - Baebler, Špela A1 - Messerschmidt, Katrin A1 - Gruden, Kristina T1 - Plant X-tender BT - an extension of the AssemblX system for the assembly and expression of multigene constructs in plants JF - PLOS ONE N2 - Cloning multiple DNA fragments for delivery of several genes of interest into the plant genome is one of the main technological challenges in plant synthetic biology. Despite several modular assembly methods developed in recent years, the plant biotechnology community has not widely adopted them yet, probably due to the lack of appropriate vectors and software tools. Here we present Plant X-tender, an extension of the highly efficient, scar-free and sequence-independent multigene assembly strategy AssemblX, based on overlap-depended cloning methods and rare-cutting restriction enzymes. Plant X-tender consists of a set of plant expression vectors and the protocols for most efficient cloning into the novel vector set needed for plant expression and thus introduces advantages of AssemblX into plant synthetic biology. The novel vector set covers different backbones and selection markers to allow full design flexibility. We have included ccdB counterselection, thereby allowing the transfer of multigene constructs into the novel vector set in a straightforward and highly efficient way. Vectors are available as empty backbones and are fully flexible regarding the orientation of expression cassettes and addition of linkers between them, if required. We optimised the assembly and subcloning protocol by testing different scar-less assembly approaches: the noncommercial SLiCE and TAR methods and the commercial Gibson assembly and NEBuilder HiFi DNA assembly kits. Plant X-tender was applicable even in combination with low efficient homemade chemically competent or electrocompetent Escherichia coli. We have further validated the developed procedure for plant protein expression by cloning two cassettes into the newly developed vectors and subsequently transferred them to Nicotiana benthamiana in a transient expression setup. Thereby we show that multigene constructs can be delivered into plant cells in a streamlined and highly efficient way. Our results will support faster introduction of synthetic biology into plant science. Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190526 SN - 1932-6203 VL - 13 IS - 1 PB - Public Library of Science CY - San Fransisco ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Giulbudagian, Michael A1 - Yealland, Guy A1 - Hönzke, S. A1 - Edlich, A. A1 - Geisendörfer, Birte A1 - Kleuser, Burkhard A1 - Hedtrich, Sarah A1 - Calderon, Marcelo T1 - Breaking the Barrier BT - potent anti-inflammatory activity following efficient topical delivery of etanercept using thermoresponsive nanogels JF - Theranostics N2 - Topical administration permits targeted, sustained delivery of therapeutics to human skin. Delivery to the skin, however, is typically limited to lipophilic molecules with molecular weight of < 500 Da, capable of crossing the stratum corneum. Nevertheless, there are indications protein delivery may be possible in barrier deficient skin, a condition found in several inflammatory skin diseases such as psoriasis, using novel nanocarrier systems. Methods: Water in water thermo-nanoprecipitation; dynamic light scattering; zeta potential measurement; nanoparticle tracking analysis; atomic force microscopy; cryogenic transmission electron microscopy; UV absorption; centrifugal separation membranes; bicinchoninic acid assay; circular dichroism; TNF alpha binding ELISA; inflammatory skin equivalent construction; human skin biopsies; immunohistochemistry; fluorescence microscopy; western blot; monocyte derived Langerhans cells; ELISA Results: Here, we report the novel synthesis of thermoresponsive nanogels (tNG) and the stable encapsulation of the anti-TNFa fusion protein etanercept (ETR) (similar to 150 kDa) without alteration to its structure, as well as temperature triggered release from the tNGs. Novel tNG synthesis without the use of organic solvents was conducted, permitting in situ encapsulation of protein during assembly, something that holds great promise for easy manufacture and storage. Topical application of ETR loaded tNGs to inflammatory skin equivalents or tape striped human skin resulted in efficient ETR delivery throughout the SC and into the viable epidermis that correlated with clear anti-inflammatory effects. Notably, effective ETR delivery depended on temperature triggered release following topical application. Conclusion: Together these results indicate tNGs hold promise as a biocompatible and easy to manufacture vehicle for stable protein encapsulation and topical delivery into barrier-deficient skin. KW - thermoresponsive-nanogel KW - topical KW - anti-inflammatory therapy KW - etanercept KW - skin equivalents Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.21668 SN - 1838-7640 VL - 8 IS - 2 SP - 450 EP - 463 PB - Ivyspring International Publisher CY - Lake haven ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Blanchard, Gilles A1 - Hoffmann, Marc A1 - Reiss, Markus T1 - Early stopping for statistical inverse problems via truncated SVD estimation JF - Electronic journal of statistics N2 - We consider truncated SVD (or spectral cut-off, projection) estimators for a prototypical statistical inverse problem in dimension D. Since calculating the singular value decomposition (SVD) only for the largest singular values is much less costly than the full SVD, our aim is to select a data-driven truncation level (m) over cap is an element of {1, . . . , D} only based on the knowledge of the first (m) over cap singular values and vectors. We analyse in detail whether sequential early stopping rules of this type can preserve statistical optimality. Information-constrained lower bounds and matching upper bounds for a residual based stopping rule are provided, which give a clear picture in which situation optimal sequential adaptation is feasible. Finally, a hybrid two-step approach is proposed which allows for classical oracle inequalities while considerably reducing numerical complexity. KW - Linear inverse problems KW - truncated SVD KW - spectral cut-off KW - early stopping KW - discrepancy principle KW - adaptive estimation KW - oracle inequalities Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1214/18-EJS1482 SN - 1935-7524 VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - 3204 EP - 3231 PB - Institute of Mathematical Statistics CY - Cleveland ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Blanchard, Gilles A1 - Carpentier, Alexandra A1 - Gutzeit, Maurilio T1 - Minimax Euclidean separation rates for testing convex hypotheses in R-d JF - Electronic journal of statistics N2 - We consider composite-composite testing problems for the expectation in the Gaussian sequence model where the null hypothesis corresponds to a closed convex subset C of R-d. We adopt a minimax point of view and our primary objective is to describe the smallest Euclidean distance between the null and alternative hypotheses such that there is a test with small total error probability. In particular, we focus on the dependence of this distance on the dimension d and variance 1/n giving rise to the minimax separation rate. In this paper we discuss lower and upper bounds on this rate for different smooth and non-smooth choices for C. KW - Minimax hypothesis testing KW - Gaussian sequence model KW - nonasymptotic minimax separation rate Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1214/18-EJS1472 SN - 1935-7524 VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - 3713 EP - 3735 PB - Institute of Mathematical Statistics CY - Cleveland ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kolora, Sree Rohit Raj A1 - Weigert, Anne A1 - Saffari, Amin A1 - Kehr, Stephanie A1 - Walter Costa, Maria Beatriz A1 - Spröer, Cathrin A1 - Indrischek, Henrike A1 - Chintalapati, Manjusha A1 - Lohse, Konrad A1 - Doose, Gero A1 - Overmann, Jörg A1 - Bunk, Boyke A1 - Bleidorn, Christoph A1 - Grimm-Seyfarth, Annegret A1 - Henle, Klaus A1 - Nowick, Katja A1 - Faria, Rui A1 - Stadler, Peter F. A1 - Schlegel, Martin T1 - Divergent evolution in the genomes of closely related lacertids, Lacerta viridis and L. bilineata, and implications for speciation JF - GigaScience N2 - Background Lacerta viridis and Lacerta bilineata are sister species of European green lizards (eastern and western clades, respectively) that, until recently, were grouped together as the L. viridis complex. Genetic incompatibilities were observed between lacertid populations through crossing experiments, which led to the delineation of two separate species within the L. viridis complex. The population history of these sister species and processes driving divergence are unknown. We constructed the first high-quality de novo genome assemblies for both L. viridis and L. bilineata through Illumina and PacBio sequencing, with annotation support provided from transcriptome sequencing of several tissues. To estimate gene flow between the two species and identify factors involved in reproductive isolation, we studied their evolutionary history, identified genomic rearrangements, detected signatures of selection on non-coding RNA, and on protein-coding genes. Findings Here we show that gene flow was primarily unidirectional from L. bilineata to L. viridis after their split at least 1.15 million years ago. We detected positive selection of the non-coding repertoire; mutations in transcription factors; accumulation of divergence through inversions; selection on genes involved in neural development, reproduction, and behavior, as well as in ultraviolet-response, possibly driven by sexual selection, whose contribution to reproductive isolation between these lacertid species needs to be further evaluated. Conclusion The combination of short and long sequence reads resulted in one of the most complete lizard genome assemblies. The characterization of a diverse array of genomic features provided valuable insights into the demographic history of divergence among European green lizards, as well as key species differences, some of which are candidates that could have played a role in speciation. In addition, our study generated valuable genomic resources that can be used to address conservation-related issues in lacertids. KW - sister species KW - PacBio and Illumina KW - de novo hybrid assembly KW - transcripts KW - noncoding RNA KW - zinc fingers KW - positive selection KW - UV response KW - inversions KW - gene flow Y1 - 2018 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/gigascience/giy160 SN - 2047-217X VL - 8 IS - 2 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER -