TY - JOUR A1 - Thomas, Jessica E. A1 - Carvalho, Gary R. A1 - Haile, James A1 - Martin, Michael D. A1 - Castruita, Jose A. Samaniego A1 - Niemann, Jonas A1 - Sinding, Mikkel-Holger S. A1 - Sandoval-Velasco, Marcela A1 - Rawlence, Nicolas J. A1 - Fuller, Errol A1 - Fjeldsa, Jon A1 - Hofreiter, Michael A1 - Stewart, John R. A1 - Gilbert, M. Thomas P. A1 - Knapp, Michael T1 - An ‛Aukward’ tale BT - a genetic approach to discover the whereabouts of the Last Great Auks JF - Genes N2 - One hundred and seventy-three years ago, the last two Great Auks, Pinguinus impennis, ever reliably seen were killed. Their internal organs can be found in the collections of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, but the location of their skins has remained a mystery. In 1999, Great Auk expert Errol Fuller proposed a list of five potential candidate skins in museums around the world. Here we take a palaeogenomic approach to test which—if any—of Fuller’s candidate skins likely belong to either of the two birds. Using mitochondrial genomes from the five candidate birds (housed in museums in Bremen, Brussels, Kiel, Los Angeles, and Oldenburg) and the organs of the last two known individuals, we partially solve the mystery that has been on Great Auk scholars’ minds for generations and make new suggestions as to the whereabouts of the still-missing skin from these two birds. KW - ancient DNA KW - extinct birds KW - mitochondrial genome KW - museum specimens KW - palaeogenomics Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/genes8060164 SN - 2073-4425 VL - 8 IS - 6 SP - 164 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gisder, Sebastian A1 - Schüler, Vivian A1 - Horchler, Lennart L. A1 - Groth, Detlef A1 - Genersch, Elke T1 - Long-Term Temporal Trends of Nosema spp. Infection Prevalence in Northeast Germany BT - Continuous Spread of Nosema ceranae, an Emerging Pathogen of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera), but No General Replacement of Nosema apis JF - Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology N2 - The Western honey bee (Apis mellifera) is widely used as commercial pollinator in worldwide agriculture and, therefore, plays an important role in global food security. Among the parasites and pathogens threatening health and survival of honey bees are two species of microsporidia, Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae. Nosema ceranae is considered an emerging pathogen of the Western honey bee. Reports on the spread of N. ceranae suggested that this presumably highly virulent species is replacing its more benign congener N. apis in the global A. mellifera population. We here present a 12 year longitudinal cohort study on the prevalence of N. apis and N. ceranae in Northeast Germany. Between 2005 and 2016, a cohort of about 230 honey bee colonies originating from 23 apiaries was sampled twice a year (spring and autumn) resulting in a total of 5,600 bee samples which were subjected to microscopic and molecular analysis for determining the presence of infections with N. apis or/and N. ceranae. Throughout the entire study period, both N. apis- and N. ceranae-infections could be diagnosed within the cohort. Logistic regression analysis of the prevalence data demonstrated a significant increase of N. ceranae-infections over the last 12 years, both in autumn (reflecting the development during the summer) and in spring (reflecting the development over winter) samples. Cell culture experiments confirmed that N. ceranae has a higher proliferative potential than N. apis at 27. and 33 degrees C potentially explaining the increase in N. ceranae prevalence during summer. In autumn, characterized by generally low infection prevalence, this increase was accompanied by a significant decrease in N. apis- infection prevalence. In contrast, in spring, the season with a higher prevalence of infection, no significant decrease of N. apis infections despite a significant increase in N. ceranae infections could be observed. Therefore, our data do not support a general advantage of N. ceranae over N. apis and an overall replacement of N. apis by N. ceranae in the studied honey bee population. KW - honey bee KW - Apis mellifera KW - Nosema spp. KW - epidemiology KW - replacement Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2017.00301 SN - 2235-2988 VL - 7 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wolf, Thomas J. A. A1 - Holzmeier, Fabian A1 - Wagner, Isabella A1 - Berrah, Nora A1 - Bostedt, Christoph A1 - Bozek, John A1 - Bucksbaum, Phil A1 - Coffee, Ryan A1 - Cryan, James A1 - Farrell, Joe A1 - Feifel, Raimund A1 - Martinez, Todd J. A1 - McFarland, Brian A1 - Mucke, Melanie A1 - Nandi, Saikat A1 - Tarantelli, Francesco A1 - Fischer, Ingo A1 - Gühr, Markus T1 - Observing Femtosecond Fragmentation Using Ultrafast X-ray-Induced Auger Spectra JF - Applied sciences N2 - Molecules often fragment after photoionization in the gas phase. Usually, this process can only be investigated spectroscopically as long as there exists electron correlation between the photofragments. Important parameters, like their kinetic energy after separation, cannot be investigated. We are reporting on a femtosecond time-resolved Auger electron spectroscopy study concerning the photofragmentation dynamics of thymine. We observe the appearance of clearly distinguishable signatures from thymines neutral photofragment isocyanic acid. Furthermore, we observe a time-dependent shift of its spectrum, which we can attribute to the influence of the charged fragment on the Auger electron. This allows us to map our time-dependent dataset onto the fragmentation coordinate. The time dependence of the shift supports efficient transformation of the excess energy gained from photoionization into kinetic energy of the fragments. Our method is broadly applicable to the investigation of photofragmentation processes. KW - ultrafast dynamics KW - Auger electron spectroscopy KW - photofragmentation KW - photochemistry Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/app7070681 SN - 2076-3417 VL - 7 IS - 7 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tötzke, Christian A1 - Cermak, Jan A1 - Nadezhdina, Nadezhda A1 - Tributsch, Helmut T1 - Electrochemical in-situ studies of solar mediated oxygen transport and turnover dynamics in a tree trunk of Tilia cordata JF - iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry N2 - Platinum electrodes were implanted into the xylem of a lime tree (Tilia cordata) stem and solar- induced electrochemical potential differences of up to 120 mV were measured during the vegetative period and up to 30 mV in winter. The time dependent curves were found to be delayed with respect to solar radiation, sap flow activity, temperature and vapor pressure deficit. A general equation for the potential difference was derived and simplified by analyzing the effect of temperature and tensile strength. The potential determining influence of oxygen concentration on the respective location of the platinum electrode was identified as the principal phenomenon measured. A systematic analysis and investigation of the observed periodic oxygen concentration signals promises new information on sap flow, oxygen diffusion through tree tissues and on oxygen consumption related to the energy turnover in tree tissues. KW - Tree Stems KW - Oxygen Transport KW - Xylem KW - Sap Flow KW - Tree Metabolism KW - Electrical Potential Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor1681-010 SN - 1971-7458 VL - 10 IS - 2 SP - 355 EP - 361 PB - SISEF - The Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology CY - Potenza ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Godess-Riccitelli, Moran T1 - The final end of imagination BT - On the relationship between moral ideal and reflectivity in Immanuel Kant’s Critique of the Power of Judgment JF - Filosofia unisinos N2 - One main quandary that emerges in the context of Immanuel Kant’s moral ideal, The Highest Good, is that on the one hand Kant sets it as a moral demand, that is, as a principle that must be comprehended as an attainable end for man in practice while, on the other hand, it is set as a moral ideal, i.e. as something that cannot be concretized and realized within the empirical world. The main goal of this paper is to argue for the realizability of the moral ideal by means of the principle of reflective judgment as a form of judgment that in fact clarifies human limitation. I assert that the very recognition of this limitation constitutes the possibility for hope in that ideal, or for striving towards it, and that this striving is the only way that the moral ideal can be concretized. I examine man’s recognition of self-limitation as a response to the moral demand to realize the moral ideal and the necessity of the power of imagination for this, used reflectively. KW - culture KW - final end KW - Highest Good KW - hope KW - imagination KW - Kant KW - moral ideal reflective judgment KW - ultimate end Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4013/fsu.2017.182.05 SN - 1519-5023 SN - 1984-8234 VL - 18 IS - 2 SP - 107 EP - 115 PB - Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos CY - São Leopoldo ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Islam, Khan M. S. A1 - Khalil, Mahmoud Abd Elhamid A1 - Maenner, Klaus A1 - Raila, Jens A1 - Rawel, Harshadrai Manilal A1 - Zentek, Jürgen A1 - Schweigert, Florian J. T1 - Lutein Specific Relationships among Some Spectrophotometric and Colorimetric Parameters of Chicken Egg Yolk JF - The journal of poultry science N2 - Lutein is an essential dietary carotenoid with health benefits and is inter alia responsible for the colouration of egg yolk. The relationship between lutein accumulation and egg yolk colouration was therefore studied in more detail. After feeding a low-luteine diet for 21 days, 14 birds (Lohmann brown hens aged 20 weeks) were fed a diet containing marigold (80 mg lutein/kg feed) and 14 other birds were fed a diet containing oleoresin (45 mg lutein/kg feed) for 21 days; for both groups of birds, this feeding period was followed by withdrawal for 21 days. The Roche Yolk Colour Fan (RYCF) score (0 to 15, where higher values denote greater colour intensity; R-2=0.87; P<0.01) and redness (R-2=0.89; P<0.01) increased with increasing lutein content of egg yolk. Total carotenoid content had a poor relationship with lightness (R-2=0.13; P>0.05) and yellowness (R-2=0.12; P>0.05) of the yolk. It may be concluded that increased lutein is potentially responsible for an increased RYCF score and redness (a*), but decreased yellowness (b*) and lightness (L*), of egg yolk. KW - carotenoid KW - HPLC KW - iCheck KW - lutein KW - spectrophotometry KW - yolk Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2141/jpsa.0160065 SN - 1346-7395 VL - 54 SP - 271 EP - 277 PB - Japan Poultry Science Association CY - Tsukuba ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Nuesiri, Emmanuel O. T1 - Feigning Democracy BT - Performing Representation in the UN-REDD Funded Nigeria-REDD Programme JF - Conservation & society N2 - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus the sustainable management of forest and enhancement of carbon stocks (REDD+) is a global climate change mitigation initiative. The United Nations REDD Programme (UN-REDD) is training governments in developing countries, including Nigeria, to implement REDD+. To protect local people, UN-REDD has developed social safeguards including a commitment to strengthen local democracy to prevent an elite capture of REDD+ benefits. This study examines local participation and representation in the UN-REDD international policy board and in the national-level design process for the Nigeria-REDD proposal, to see if practices are congruent with the UN-REDD commitment to local democracy. It is based on research in Nigeria in 2012 and 2013, and finds that local representation in the UN-REDD policy board and in Nigeria-REDD is not substantive. Participation is merely symbolic. For example, elected local government authorities, who ostensibly represent rural people, are neither present in the UN-REDD board nor were they invited to the participatory forums that vetted the Nigeria-REDD. They were excluded because they were politically weak. However, UN-REDD approved the Nigeria-REDD proposal without a strategy to include or strengthen elected local governments. The study concludes with recommendations to help the UN-REDD strengthen elected local government authority in Nigeria in support of democratic local representation. KW - REDD KW - climate change mitigation KW - UN-REDD KW - democracy KW - Nigeria KW - symbolic representation KW - local government Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4103/cs.cs_16_106 SN - 0972-4923 SN - 0975-3133 VL - 15 IS - 4 SP - 384 EP - 399 PB - Medknow publications & media Pvt LTD CY - Mumbai ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Paragas, Erickson M. A1 - Humphreys, Sara C. A1 - Min, Joshua A1 - Joswig-Jones, Carolyn A. A1 - Leimkühler, Silke A1 - Jones, Jeffrey P. T1 - ecoAO BT - a simple system for the study of human aldehyde oxidases role in drug metabolism JF - ACS OMEGA N2 - Although aldehyde oxidase (AO) is an important hepatic drug-metabolizing enzyme, it remains understudied and is consequently often overlooked in preclinical studies, an oversight that has resulted in the failure of multiple clinical trials. AO’s preclusion to investigation stems from the following: (1) difficulties synthesizing metabolic standards due to the chemospecificity and regiospecificity of the enzyme and (2) significant inherent variability across existing in vitro systems including liver cytosol, S9 fractions, and primary hepatocytes, which lack specificity and generate discordant expression and activity profiles. Here, we describe a practical bacterial biotransformation system, ecoAO, addressing both issues simultaneously. ecoAO is a cell paste of MoCo-producing Escherichia coli strain TP1017 expressing human AO. It exhibits specific activity toward known substrates, zoniporide, 4-trans-(N,N-dimethylamino)cinnamaldehyde, O6-benzylguanine, and zaleplon; it also has utility as a biocatalyst, yielding milligram quantities of synthetically challenging metabolite standards such as 2-oxo-zoniporide. Moreover, ecoAO enables routine determination of kcat and V/K, which are essential parameters for accurate in vivo clearance predictions. Furthermore, ecoAO has potential as a preclinical in vitro screening tool for AO activity, as demonstrated by its metabolism of 3-aminoquinoline, a previously uncharacterized substrate. ecoAO promises to provide easy access to metabolites with the potential to improve pharmacokinetic clearance predictions and guide drug development. Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.7b01054 SN - 2470-1343 VL - 2 SP - 4820 EP - 4827 PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Busch, Verena A1 - Klaus, Valentin H. A1 - Penone, Caterina A1 - Schäfer, Deborah A1 - Boch, Steffen A1 - Prati, Daniel A1 - Müller, Jörg A1 - Socher, Stephanie A. A1 - Niinemets, Ülo A1 - Penuelas, Josep A1 - Hölzel, Norbert A1 - Fischer, Markus A1 - Kleinebecker, Till T1 - Nutrient stoichiometry and land use rather than species richness determine plant functional diversity JF - Ecology and evolution N2 - Plant functional traits reflect individual and community ecological strategies. They allow the detection of directional changes in community dynamics and ecosystemic processes, being an additional tool to assess biodiversity than species richness. Analysis of functional patterns in plant communities provides mechanistic insight into biodiversity alterations due to anthropogenic activity. Although studies have consi-dered of either anthropogenic management or nutrient availability on functional traits in temperate grasslands, studies combining effects of both drivers are scarce. Here, we assessed the impacts of management intensity (fertilization, mowing, grazing), nutrient stoichiometry (C, N, P, K), and vegetation composition on community-weighted means (CWMs) and functional diversity (Rao's Q) from seven plant traits in 150 grasslands in three regions in Germany, using data of 6 years. Land use and nutrient stoichiometry accounted for larger proportions of model variance of CWM and Rao's Q than species richness and productivity. Grazing affected all analyzed trait groups; fertilization and mowing only impacted generative traits. Grazing was clearly associated with nutrient retention strategies, that is, investing in durable structures and production of fewer, less variable seed. Phenological variability was increased. Fertilization and mowing decreased seed number/mass variability, indicating competition-related effects. Impacts of nutrient stoichiometry on trait syndromes varied. Nutrient limitation (large N:P, C:N ratios) promoted species with conservative strategies, that is, investment in durable plant structures rather than fast growth, fewer seed, and delayed flowering onset. In contrast to seed mass, leaf-economics variability was reduced under P shortage. Species diversity was positively associated with the variability of generative traits. Synthesis. Here, land use, nutrient availability, species richness, and plant functional strategies have been shown to interact complexly, driving community composition, and vegetation responses to management intensity. We suggest that deeper understanding of underlying mechanisms shaping community assembly and biodiversity will require analyzing all these parameters. KW - biodiversity exploratories KW - fertilization KW - leaf economics KW - mowing KW - nutrient availability KW - nutrient ratios KW - phosphorus KW - plant functional traits KW - plant strategies KW - seed mass Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3609 SN - 2045-7758 VL - 8 IS - 1 SP - 601 EP - 616 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - GEN A1 - Hogan, Barbara A1 - Rasche, Christoph T1 - Emergency Care in Germany being re-assessed Hybrid Medical Care Model Seen As Potential Answer T2 - Eurasian Journal of emergency medicine Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.5152/eajem.2017.00001 SN - 2149-5807 SN - 2149-6048 VL - 16 SP - 47 EP - 47 PB - Aves CY - Sisli ER -