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BIOMEX (BIOlogy and Mars EXperiment) is an ESA/Roscosmos space exposure experiment housed within the exposure facility EXPOSE-R2 outside the Zvezda module on the International Space Station (ISS). The design of the multiuser facility supports-among others-the BIOMEX investigations into the stability and level of degradation of space-exposed biosignatures such as pigments, secondary metabolites, and cell surfaces in contact with a terrestrial and Mars analog mineral environment. In parallel, analysis on the viability of the investigated organisms has provided relevant data for evaluation of the habitability of Mars, for the limits of life, and for the likelihood of an interplanetary transfer of life (theory of lithopanspermia). In this project, lichens, archaea, bacteria, cyanobacteria, snow/permafrost algae, meristematic black fungi, and bryophytes from alpine and polar habitats were embedded, grown, and cultured on a mixture of martian and lunar regolith analogs or other terrestrial minerals. The organisms and regolith analogs and terrestrial mineral mixtures were then exposed to space and to simulated Mars-like conditions by way of the EXPOSE-R2 facility. In this special issue, we present the first set of data obtained in reference to our investigation into the habitability of Mars and limits of life. This project was initiated and implemented by the BIOMEX group, an international and interdisciplinary consortium of 30 institutes in 12 countries on 3 continents. Preflight tests for sample selection, results from ground-based simulation experiments, and the space experiments themselves are presented and include a complete overview of the scientific processes required for this space experiment and postflight analysis. The presented BIOMEX concept could be scaled up to future exposure experiments on the Moon and will serve as a pretest in low Earth orbit.
Predictions of marine ice-sheet behaviour require models able to simulate grounding-line migration. We present results of an intercomparison experiment for plan-view marine ice-sheet models. Verification is effected by comparison with approximate analytical solutions for flux across the grounding line using simplified geometrical configurations (no lateral variations, no buttressing effects from lateral drag). Perturbation experiments specifying spatial variation in basal sliding parameters permitted the evolution of curved grounding lines, generating buttressing effects. The experiments showed regions of compression and extensional flow across the grounding line, thereby invalidating the boundary layer theory. Steady-state grounding-line positions were found to be dependent on the level of physical model approximation. Resolving grounding lines requires inclusion of membrane stresses, a sufficiently small grid size (<500 m), or subgrid interpolation of the grounding line. The latter still requires nominal grid sizes of <5 km. For larger grid spacings, appropriate parameterizations for ice flux may be imposed at the grounding line, but the short-time transient behaviour is then incorrect and different from models that do not incorporate grounding-line parameterizations. The numerical error associated with predicting grounding-line motion can be reduced significantly below the errors associated with parameter ignorance and uncertainties in future scenarios.
Membranes of eukaryotic cells contain high lipid-order sterol-rich domains that are thought to mediate temporal and spatial organization of cellular processes. Sterols are crucial for execution of cytokinesis, the last stage of cell division, in diverse eukaryotes. The cell plate of higher-plant cells is the membrane structure that separates daughter cells during somatic cytokinesis. Cell-plate formation in Arabidopsis relies on sterol- and DYNAMIN-RELATED PROTEIN1A (DRP1A)-dependent endocytosis. However, functional relationships between lipid membrane order or lipid packing and endocytic machinery components during eukaryotic cytokinesis have not been elucidated. Using ratiometric live imaging of lipid order-sensitive fluorescent probes, we show that the cell plate of Arabidopsis thaliana represents a dynamic, high lipid-order membrane domain. The cell-plate lipid order was found to be sensitive to pharmacological and genetic alterations of sterol composition. Sterols co-localize with DRP1A at the cell plate, and DRP1A accumulates in detergent-resistant membrane fractions. Modifications of sterol concentration or composition reduce cell-plate membrane order and affect DRP1A localization. Strikingly, DRP1A function itself is essential for high lipid order at the cell plate. Our findings provide evidence that the cell plate represents a high lipid-order domain, and pave the way to explore potential feedback between lipid order and function of dynamin-related proteins during cytokinesis.
In der Philosophie des 20. Jahrhunderts wird deutlich, dass es in Frankreich und in Deutschland voneinander abweichende Sichtweisen auf die Frage gibt, ob der Mensch eine "Sonderstellung" in der Dynamik des biologischen und geschichtlichen Lebens genießt. Während sich in Deutschland die Tradition eines anthropologischen Denkens neu formiert, ist in Frankreich eine scharfe Skepsis gegenüber dem Erbe des Humanismus charakteristisch. Die Beiträge dieses zweisprachigen Buches untersuchen diese deutsch-französische Konstellation von Fragen und Autoren, und aktualisieren die Reflexion auf die (Grenzen der) Singularität des Menschen.
Aus dem Inhalt dieser Ausgabe: BEITRÄGE: Tania Ünlüdag-Puschnerat: "Wir sind keine bloße Söldnerarmee." Cromwells Revolutionsarmee 1645-49 Peter Blastenbrei: Literaten und Soldaten. Die Militärkritik der deutschen Aufklärung (Teil 1) PROJEKTE: Gabriele Haug-Moritz: "Geschwinde Welt". Krieg und öffentliche Kommunikatrion 1542-1554 Iris Becker: Militär und Aufklärung - Die Rolle der Soldatenbibliotheken im militärischen Bildungs- und Reformprozess Stephan Schwenke: Stadt und Militär - Armee und Bevölkerung. Untersuchungen zu hessischen Festungs- und Garnisonsstädten Malte Prietzel: Mittelalterliche Kriegsgeschichte als Kulturgeschichte Ewa Herfordt/Heidi Mehrkens: Frankreich und Deutschland im Krieg. Zur Kulturgeschichte der europäischen "Erbfeindschaft" Kieron Kleinert: Dialog oder Konfrontation? Der Rat der Stadt Leipzig - sein Verhältnis zu Universität und Garnison BERICHTE: Norbert Winnige: Protokoll der Mitgliederversammlung des AMG Stefan Kroll: Tagungsbericht: Militär und Religiosität in der Frühen Neuzeit Gerhard Sälter: Legislationspraxis in der Vormoderne. Bericht über die 5. Tagung des APO REZENSIONEN: Sascha Möbius: Constantin Hruschka, Kriegsführung und Geschichtsschreibung im Spätmittelalter. Eine Untersuchung zur Chronistik der Konzilszeit, Köln et al. 2001 Uwe Tresp: Stephan Selzer, Deutsche Söldner im Italien des Trecento, Tübingen: Niemeyer, 2001 Matthias Franz: Söldnerleben am Vorabend des Dreißigjährigen Krieges, hrsg. und bearbeitet von Holger Th. Gräf. Mit Beiträgen von Sven Externbrink und Ralf Pröve, Marburg a. d. Lahn 2000 Thomas Fuchs: Was ist Militärgeschichte?, hrsg. von Thomas Kühne und Benjamin Ziemann in Verbindung mit dem Arbeitskreis Mili-tärgeschichte e. V. und dem Institut für soziale Bewegungen der Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Paderborn, München, Wien, Zürich: Ferdinand Schöningh 2000
Portal alumni
(2014)
Die Beliebtheit von Medienberufen ist ungebrochen. Das zeigt sich unter anderem an der Zahl der Studieninteressierten. So haben sich allein in diesem Jahr mehr als 1 500 junge Leute auf einen der 44 Plätze für den Studiengang Medienwissenschaft an der Universität Potsdam beworben. Nach ihrem erfolgreichen Abschluss allerdings konkurrieren die Absolventen am Arbeitsmarkt mit Tausenden Abgängern anderer Hochschulen aus Film-, Medien- und Kommunikationsstudiengängen. Das sind allein in der Region Berlin-Brandenburg jährlich etwa 1 500. Doch nach jahrzehntelangem Boom der Medienbranche hat sich der Arbeitsmarkt im vergangenen Jahrzehnt drastisch verändert. Konjunkturkrise, Kursrückgänge und rückläufige Werbeinvestitionen schwächten die Medien deutlich. Es folgten daraus schlechte Gewinnergebnisse, Einsparungen und Personalreduzierung, insbesondere bei den Printmedien. Die Insolvenz der Frankfurter Rundschau oder die Einstellung der Financial Times Deutschland sind nur zwei eklatante Beispiele. Auf der anderen Seite boomt der dynamische Online-Markt aufgrund des veränderten Nutzerverhaltens insbesondere der jungen Generation, die ihre Informationen zunehmend aus Internet, Apps und sozialen Netzwerken gewinnen. Die Berufsaussichten für all Jene, die „Irgendwas mit Medien“ studieren wollen sind zwar aufgrund des Arbeitsmarktes schwieriger geworden, sie sind aber dennoch vielfältig. Guter Journalismus wird weiterhin benötigt und auch Öffentlichkeitsarbeiter sind gefragt. Darüber hinaus stehen Absolventen der Kommunikationswissenschaften die Türen in die Medienplanung oder in der Markt- und Meinungsforschung offen. Und nicht zuletzt sind Experten in der Online-Branche gefragt. Portal alumni hat sich in diesem Jahr dafür interessiert, welche Karrierewege Absolventen der der Universität Potsdam in Medienberufen bisher gegangen sind. Dabei zeigt sich, dass auch hier die Wege selten linear verlaufen und berufliche Erfolge sich keineswegs leicht einstellten.
„Wir alle treffen Entscheidungen im Leben, aber letztendlich treffen unsere Entscheidungen uns.“
(2020)
„Wir alle treffen Entscheidungen im Leben, aber letztendlich treffen unsere Entscheidungen uns.“
So erging es den Herausgebern, nachdem sie sich dazu entschlossen hatten, Lehrveranstaltungen an der Universität Potsdam anzubieten, die sich mit dem Medium „Computerspiel“ beschäftigen sollten – und damit auf überraschend große Resonanz stießen. Das Resultat ist vorliegendes Handbuch. Es möchte Eltern, LehrerInnen und MultiplikatorInnen exemplarische Einblicke in die vielschichtigen Welten dieses Phänomens vermitteln. Bei den AutorInnen der Beiträge handelt es sich um EnthusiastInnen aus der Computerspielbranche sowie um videospielbegeisterte SozialarbeiterInnen, KulturwissenschaftlerInnen und LehrerInnen.
ArcticBeach v1.0
(2022)
In the Arctic, air temperatures are increasing and sea ice is declining, resulting in larger waves and a longer open water season, all of which intensify the thaw and erosion of ice-rich coasts. Climate change has been shown to increase the rate of Arctic coastal erosion, causing problems for Arctic cultural heritage, existing industrial, military, and civil infrastructure, as well as changes in nearshore biogeochemistry. Numerical models that reproduce historical and project future Arctic erosion rates are necessary to understand how further climate change will affect these problems, and no such model yet exists to simulate the physics of erosion on a pan-Arctic scale. We have coupled a bathystrophic storm surge model to a simplified physical erosion model of a permafrost coastline. This Arctic erosion model, called ArcticBeach v1.0, is a first step toward a physical parameterization of Arctic shoreline erosion for larger-scale models. It is forced by wind speed and direction, wave period and height, sea surface temperature, all of which are masked during times of sea ice cover near the coastline. Model tuning requires observed historical retreat rates (at least one value), as well as rough nearshore bathymetry. These parameters are already available on a pan-Arctic scale. The model is validated at three study sites at 1) Drew Point (DP), Alaska, 2) Mamontovy Khayata (MK), Siberia, and 3) Veslebogen Cliffs, Svalbard. Simulated cumulative retreat rates for DP and MK respectively (169 and 170 m) over the time periods studied at each site (2007-2016, and 1995-2018) are found to the same order of magnitude as observed cumulative retreat (172 and 120 m). The rocky Veslebogen cliffs have small observed cumulative retreat rates (0.05 m over 2014-2016), and our model was also able to reproduce this same order of magnitude of retreat (0.08 m). Given the large differences in geomorphology between the study sites, this study provides a proof-of-concept that ArcticBeach v1.0 can be applied on very different permafrost coastlines. ArcticBeach v1.0 provides a promising starting point to project retreat of Arctic shorelines, or to evaluate historical retreat in places that have had few observations.
Exploring, exploiting and evolving diversity of aquatic ecosystem models: a community perspective
(2015)
Here, we present a community perspective on how to explore, exploit and evolve the diversity in aquatic ecosystem models. These models play an important role in understanding the functioning of aquatic ecosystems, filling in observation gaps and developing effective strategies for water quality management. In this spirit, numerous models have been developed since the 1970s. We set off to explore model diversity by making an inventory among 42 aquatic ecosystem modellers, by categorizing the resulting set of models and by analysing them for diversity. We then focus on how to exploit model diversity by comparing and combining different aspects of existing models. Finally, we discuss how model diversity came about in the past and could evolve in the future. Throughout our study, we use analogies from biodiversity research to analyse and interpret model diversity. We recommend to make models publicly available through open-source policies, to standardize documentation and technical implementation of models, and to compare models through ensemble modelling and interdisciplinary approaches. We end with our perspective on how the field of aquatic ecosystem modelling might develop in the next 5-10 years. To strive for clarity and to improve readability for non-modellers, we include a glossary.
The effects of climate and topography on soil physico-chemical and microbial parameters were studied along an extensive latitudinal climate gradient in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile (26 degrees-38 degrees S). The study sites encompass arid (Pan de Azucar), semiarid (Santa Gracia), mediterranean (La Campana) and humid (Nahuelbuta) climates and vegetation, ranging from arid desert, dominated by biological soil crusts (biocrusts), semiarid shrubland and mediterranean sclerophyllous forest, where biocrusts are present but do have a seasonal pattern to temperate-mixed forest, where biocrusts only occur as an early pioneering development stage after disturbance. All soils originate from granitic parent materials and show very strong differences in pedogenesis intensity and soil depth. Most of the investigated physical, chemical and microbiological soil properties showed distinct trends along the climate gradient. Further, abrupt changes between the arid northernmost study site and the other semi-arid to humid sites can be shown, which indicate non-linearity and thresholds along the climate gradient. Clay and total organic carbon contents (TOC) as well as Ah horizons and solum depths increased from arid to humid climates, whereas bulk density (BD), pH values and base saturation (BS) decreased. These properties demonstrate the accumulation of organic matter, clay formation and element leaching as key-pedogenic processes with increasing humidity. However, the soils in the northern arid climate do not follow this overall latitudinal trend, because texture and BD are largely controlled by aeolian input of dust and sea salts spray followed by the formation of secondary evaporate minerals. Total soil DNA concentrations and TOC increased from arid to humid sites, while areal coverage by biocrusts exhibited an opposite trend. Relative bacterial and archaeal abundances were lower in the arid site, but for the other sites the local variability exceeds the variability along the climate gradient. Differences in soil properties between topographic positions were most pronounced at the study sites with the mediterranean and humid climate, whereas microbial abundances were independent on topography across all study sites. In general, the regional climate is the strongest controlling factor for pedogenesis and microbial parameters in soils developed from the same parent material. Topographic position along individual slopes of limited length augmented this effect only under humid conditions, where water erosion likely relocated particles and elements downward. The change from alkaline to neutral soil pH between the arid and the semi-arid site coincided with qualitative differences in soil formation as well as microbial habitats. This also reflects non-linear relationships of pedogenic and microbial processes in soils depending on climate with a sharp threshold between arid and semi-arid conditions. Therefore, the soils on the transition between arid and semi-arid conditions are especially sensitive and may be well used as indicators of long and medium-term climate changes. Concluding, the unique latitudinal precipitation gradient in the Coastal Cordillera of Chile is predestined to investigate the effects of the main soil forming factor - climate - on pedogenic processes.