Refine
Year of publication
- 2011 (2047) (remove)
Document Type
- Article (1322)
- Doctoral Thesis (289)
- Monograph/Edited Volume (165)
- Review (96)
- Postprint (67)
- Conference Proceeding (29)
- Other (21)
- Master's Thesis (15)
- Part of Periodical (13)
- Preprint (9)
Language
Keywords
- Deutschland (17)
- Bürgerschaft (16)
- Germany (16)
- Integration (16)
- International Politics (16)
- Internationale Politik (16)
- Migration (16)
- Politische Theorie (16)
- Afghanistan (15)
- Friedens- und Konfliktforschung (14)
Institute
- Institut für Biochemie und Biologie (242)
- Institut für Physik und Astronomie (187)
- Institut für Chemie (176)
- Institut für Geowissenschaften (141)
- Institut für Romanistik (141)
- Wirtschaftswissenschaften (104)
- Department Psychologie (79)
- Sozialwissenschaften (73)
- MenschenRechtsZentrum (72)
- WeltTrends e.V. Potsdam (70)
Ostracod shells in surface sediments from Ulungur Lake (Xinjiang, China) belong mainly to Limnocythere inopinata as the dominant species, and Candona neglecta and Darwinula stevensoni as accompanying, less abundant taxa. Shells of an additional nine species were recorded only sporadically. The three most abundant ostracods have wide tolerance ranges in terms of salinity, substrate and water depth. The similarly recorded bivalve Pisidium subtruncatum, and the gastropods Gyraulus chinensis and Radix auricularia belong to the most tolerant representatives of the genera. The bivalve and gastropods, in addition to the ostracod assemblage, reflect the fact that Ulungur Lake has experienced strong lake level and salinity variations due to water withdrawal in the catchment and the counteracting diversion of river waters to the lake in recent decades. The substrate in Ulungur Lake is typically fine-grained, apart from the delta region of the Ulungur River channel, which is marked by relatively coarse-grained detrital sediments barren of ostracod shells. This channel was created 40 years ago to divert water to Ulungur Lake and support its local fisheries and recreational facilities. A reassessed Holocene ostracod record from the lake shows that a significantly higher salinity and lower lake level existed in the early Holocene before 6.0 ka in response to the regional climate. In contrast, a higher lake level and lowest salinity is inferred for the late Holocene period between ca. 3.6 and 1.3 ka before present. Afterwards, the lake level declined and salinity increased in response to regional moisture reduction, although conditions similar to the early Holocene lake status were not re-established. Our surface-sediment-derived data provide a baseline for analysis of future environmental variations due to global climate change and regional water management.
In order to provide probabilistic projections of the future evolution of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), we calibrated a simple Stommel-type box model to emulate the output of fully coupled three-dimensional atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCMs) of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP). Based on this calibration to idealised global warming scenarios with and without interactive atmosphere-ocean fluxes and freshwater perturbation simulations, we project the future evolution of the AMOC mean strength within the covered calibration range for the lower two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) until 2100 obtained from the reduced complexity carbon cycle-climate model MAGICC 6. For RCP3-PD with a global mean temperature median below 1.0 degrees C warming relative to the year 2000, we project an ensemble median weakening of up to 11% compared to 22% under RCP4.5 with a warming median up to 1.9 degrees C over the 21st century. Additional Greenland meltwater of 10 and 20 cm of global sea-level rise equivalent further weakens the AMOC by about 4.5 and 10 %, respectively. By combining our outcome with a multi-model sea-level rise study we project a dynamic sea-level rise along the New York City coastline of 4 cm for the RCP3-PD and of 8 cm for the RCP4.5 scenario over the 21st century. We estimate the total steric and dynamic sea-level rise for New York City to be about 24 cm until 2100 for the RCP3-PD scenario, which can hold as a lower bound for sea-level rise projections in this region, as it does not include ice sheet and mountain glacier contributions.
We present climatic consequences of the Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) using the coupled climate model CLIMBER-3 alpha, which contains a statistical-dynamical atmosphere and a three-dimensional ocean model. We compare those with emulations of 19 state-of-the-art atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (AOGCM) using MAGICC6. The RCPs are designed as standard scenarios for the forthcoming IPCC Fifth Assessment Report to span the full range of future greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations pathways currently discussed. The lowest of the RCP scenarios, RCP3-PD, is projected in CLIMBER-3 alpha to imply a maximal warming by the middle of the 21st century slightly above 1.5 degrees C and a slow decline of temperatures thereafter, approaching today's level by 2500. We identify two mechanisms that slow down global cooling after GHG concentrations peak: The known inertia induced by mixing-related oceanic heat uptake; and a change in oceanic convection that enhances ocean heat loss in high latitudes, reducing the surface cooling rate by almost 50%. Steric sea level rise under the RCP3-PD scenario continues for 200 years after the peak in surface air temperatures, stabilizing around 2250 at 30 cm. This contrasts with around 1.3 m of steric sea level rise by 2250, and 2 m by 2500, under the highest scenario, RCP8.5. Maximum oceanic warming at intermediate depth (300-800 m) is found to exceed that of the sea surface by the second half of the 21st century under RCP3-PD. This intermediate-depth warming persists for centuries even after surface temperatures have returned to present-day values, with potential consequences for marine ecosystems, oceanic methane hydrates, and ice-shelf stability. Due to an enhanced land-ocean temperature contrast, all scenarios yield an intensification of monsoon rainfall under global warming.
Since the legend of the ancient Marathon run, the risk of endurance exercise-induced cardiovascular damage or sudden cardiac death is discussed. In recent studies, the exercise-induced increases in cardiac biomarkers in endurance athletes as well as acute alterations in cardiac function and cardiovascular abnormalities have been reported. As elevations of the cardiac biomarkers troponin and BM) have been observed frequently for the vast majority of athletes after Marathon runs or strenuous exercise bouts followed by a decrease within a short period, a physiological reaction rather than a pathologicial cause is presumed. Also a transient decrease of cardiac function demonstrated by newer echocardiographic techniques (tissue Doppler or speckle tracking imaging, 3D echocardiography) after strenuous exercise often termed "cardiac fatigue" should not be considered necessarily as pathologic, as cardiac function also depends on hemodynamic load and heart rate. Furthermore, exercise-induced changes in cardiac function did not correlate with exercise-induced increases in cardiac biomarkers in most studies. The functional cardiac alterations can also be detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after Marathon runs. However, no signs of acute or chronic myocardial damage have been demonstrated in MRI studies in cardiovascular healthy athletes after running a Marathon, although especially in older athletes undetected cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease or myocardial necrosis or fibrosis can be present. hi conclusion, according to recent studies. there seems to be a lack of evidence to support endurance exercise-induced cardiac damage in the healthy heart which is adapted tostrenous exercise by regular endurance training. Nevertheless, as running a Marathon results in a high cardiac load, a sufficient endurance training period as well as a preparticipation or regular medical screening to exclude relevant congenital or aquired cardiovascular diseases is recommended from a sports cardiology perspective to exclude relevant congenital or acquired cardiovascular diseases
According to the results of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents (KiGGS) published in 2009, only 5% to 8% of the 15-17-year-old adolescents reach the current recommendations on health-enhancing physical activity This result (besides others in the survey) rests on data measured with the 25-item physical activity questionnaire for children and adolescents (MoMo-AFB). The present study compares two different methods of assessing physical activity with the purpose of testing the validity of the MoMo-AFB self-report. First, we measured the physical activity status of 73 15 to 18-year-old pupils (32 boys and 41 girls) over seven days via objective accelerometry (ActiGraph GT1M), then the pupils completed the MoMo-AFB for the same (previous) period. Results show that using the MoMo-AFB leads to higher levels of self-reported physical activity than measuring it with accelerometers. Furthermore, only the MoMo-AFB subscale MVPA (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity), that uses two single items to decide whether the health-enhancing physical activity recommendation is reached or failed, corresponds statistically significantly with the accelerometry data. For all other subscales (e.g. school- or leisure time activity), we found no agreement. Further research, first of all on the measurement quality of the MoMo-AFB but also on the physical (in)activity status of children and adolescents, is needed.
Functional hybrid materials on the basis of inorganic hosts and ionic liquids (ILs) as guests hold promise for a virtually unlimited number of applications. In particular, the interaction and the combination of properties of a defined inorganic matrix and a specific IL could lead to synergistic effects in property selection and tuning. Such hybrid materials, generally termed ionogels, are thus an emerging topic in hybrid materials research. The current article addresses some of the recent developments and focuses on the question why silica is currently the dominating matrix used for (inorganic) ionogel fabrication. In comparison to silica, matrix materials such as layered simple hydroxides, layered double hydroxides, clay-type substances, magnetic or catalytically active solids, and many other compounds could be much more interesting because they themselves may carry useful functionalities, which could also be exploited for multifunctional hybrid materials synthesis. The current article combines experimental results with some arguments as to how new, advanced functional hybrid materials can be generated and which obstacles will need to be overcome to successfully achieve the synthesis of a desired target material.
The synthesis of Co-NPs and Mn-NPs by microwave-induced decomposition of the metal carbonyls Co-2(CO)(8) and Mn-2(CO)(10), respectively, yields smaller and better separated particles in the functionalized IL 1-methyl-3-(3-carboxyethyl)-imidazolium tetrafluoroborate [EmimCO(2)H][BF4] (1.6 +/- 0.3 nm and 4.3 +/- 1.0 nm, respectively) than in the non-functionalized IL 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate [Bmim][BF4]. The particles are stable in the absence of capping ligands (surfactants) for more than six months although some variation in particle size could be observed by TEM.
A parameterization for the motion of ice-shelf fronts on a Cartesian grid in finite-difference land-ice models is presented. The scheme prevents artificial thinning of the ice shelf at its edge, which occurs due to the finite resolution of the model. The intuitive numerical implementation diminishes numerical dispersion at the ice front and enables the application of physical boundary conditions to improve the calculation of stress and velocity fields throughout the ice-sheet-shelf system. Numerical properties of this subgrid modification are assessed in the Potsdam Parallel Ice Sheet Model (PISM-PIK) for different geometries in one and two horizontal dimensions and are verified against an analytical solution in a flow-line setup.
This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different wood vermicompost application rates on some soil physical and chemical properties as well as on growth parameters of a grass seed mixture (RSM 7.2.1) in tertiary sand contaminated with coal spoil. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse over a period of 42 days. Soil was mixed with vermicompost at ratios of 0.0, 3.0, 12.5, and 25.0% and sown with the grass seed mixture. Soil samples and plant material were analyzed to determine the effect of different vermicompost application rates on the physical and chemical properties. Results revealed that the physical and chemical properties of the soil improved with increasing application rates of vermicompost. In addition, soil treated with vermicompost showed significant increases in fresh-and dry-matter yields of the grass, as well as enhanced uptake of nutrients by the grass. This indicated that treatment of contaminated soils with vermicompost may be beneficial for reclamation processes by facilitating revegetation of disturbed areas.
The selection of 'good' pictures has increasingly become a crucial factor when transmitting news to the recipients. Every day thousands of events are happening and millions of pictures are taken. By choosing photographs for newspapers and magazines, photographic editorial departments want to attract the recipients' attention, evoke emotions and get them to read their stories. But what exactly is a good picture that meets these expectations? Which criteria are decisive for selecting pictures and what effects of this selection can be measured on the recipients' side?
This article presents the results of a research project carried out at the University of Erfurt in 2008 and conducted in collaboration with the German weekly magazine stern. It deals with the selection and impact of press photography by introducing the concept 'photo news factors'. Applying the traditional news value theory to pictures, photo news factors are defined as selection criteria that, on the part of the communicator, decide whether the press photos are worth publishing. Furthermore, they are assumed to exert an influence on the intensity of attention that a picture arouses.
Background: Low birthweight is an independent risk factor of glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes in later life. Genetically determined insulin resistance and subsequently impaired glucose uptake might explain both reduced fetal growth and elevated blood glucose. The glucose transporter 1 (GLUT!) plays an important role for fetal glucose uptake as well as for maternal-fetal glucose transfer, and it has been associated with insulin resistance in adults. The present study hypothesized that the common fetal GLUT1 XbaI polymorphism might reduce fetal insulin sensitivity and/or glucose supply in utero, thus affecting fetal blood glucose and fetal growth.
Methods: A genetic association study was conducted at the obstetrics department of the Charite University Hospital, Berlin, Germany. 119.1 white women were included after delivery, and all newborns were genotyped for the GLUT1 XbaI polymorphism. Total glycosylated hemoglobin was quantified, serving as a surrogate of glycemia during the last weeks of pregnancy.
Results: The analysis of this large population showed no significant differences in fetal glycosylated hemoglobin or birthweight for the different fetal GLUT1 XbaI genotypes. Only newborns carrying the mutated allele show the previously published inverse association between birthweight and glycosylated hemoglobin.
Conclusions: The results suggest that there is no prenatal effect of the fetal GLUT1 XbaI polymorphism on fetal insulin sensitivity, intrauterine fetal glucose supply or fetal growth. However, the polymorphism seems to modulate the inverse interaction between birthweight and fetal glycemia.
Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) as well as chronic renal failure are associated with a huge mortality/morbidity. However, so far no drugs have been approved for the treatment of acute kidney failure and only a few for the treatment of chronic kidney disease (CKD). We analysed the effect of SLV 338, a neutral endopeptidase (NEP)/endothelin converting enzyme (ECE)-inhibitor in animal models of acute kidney failure as well as chronic renal failure.
Methods: Acute renal failure was induced in male Wistar rats by uninephrectomy and clamping of the remaining kidney for 55 minutes. SLV338 (total dose: 4.9 mg/kg) or vehicle was continuously infused for 2 hours (starting 20 minutes prior to clamping). Sham operated animals served as controls. Plasma creatinine was measured at baseline and day 2 and 8 after renal ischemia-reperfusion.
Hypertensive renal damage was induced in male Sprague Dawley rats by nitric oxide deficiency using L-NAME (50 mg/kg per day, added to drinking water for 4 weeks). One group was treated over the same time period with SLV338 (30 mg/kg per day, mixed with food). Systolic blood pressure was monitored weekly. At study end, urine and blood samples were collected and kidneys were harvested.
Results: Acute renal ischemia-reperfusion caused a 5-fold plasma creatinine elevation (day 2), which was significantly attenuated by more than 50 % in animals treated with SLV338 (p < 0.05). Renal failure was accompanied by a 67 % mortality in vehicle-treated rats, but only 20 % after SLV338 treatment (p = 0.03 compared to sham controls).
Chronic L-NAME administration caused hypertension, urinary albumin excretion, glomerulosclerosis, renal arterial remodelling, and renal interstitial fibrosis. Treatment with SLV338 did not significantly affect blood pressure, but abolished renal tissue damage (interstitial fibrosis, glomerulosclerosis, renal arterial remodelling (p < 0.05 versus L-NAME group in each case).
Conclusions: The dual ECE/NEP inhibitor SLV338 preserves kidney function and reduces mortality in severe acute ischemic renal failure. Moreover, combined ECE/NEP inhibition prevents hypertensive renal tissue damage in a blood pressure independent manner in L-NAME-treated rats.
Biomarkers for the prediction of mortality and morbidity in patients with renal replacement therapy
(2011)
The mortality of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on dialysis remains high despite great improvement of dialysis technologies in the past decades.
These patients die due to infectious diseases (mainly sepsis), cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and, in particular, sudden cardiac death. End stage renal disease is a complex condition, where the failure of kidney function is accompanied by numerous metabolic changes affecting almost all organ systems of the human body. Many of the biomarker characteristics of the individually affected organ systems have been associated with adverse outcomes. These biomarkers are different in patients with ESRD compared to the general population in the prediction of morbidity and mortality. Biomarker research in this field should aim to identify patients at risk for the different disease entities.
Traditional biomarkers such as CRP, BNP, and troponins as well as new biomarkers such as fetuin, CD 154, and relaxin were analyzed in patients on dialysis. We will include observational as well as prospective clinical trials in this review. Furthermore, we will also discuss proteomics biomarker studies. The article assess the potential diagnostic value of different biomarkers in daily clinical practice as well as their usefulness for clinical drug development in end stage renal disease patients.
Greenland ice sheet model parameters constrained using simulations of the Eemian Interglacial
(2011)
Using a new approach to force an ice sheet model, we performed an ensemble of simulations of the Greenland Ice Sheet evolution during the last two glacial cycles, with emphasis on the Eemian Interglacial. This ensemble was generated by perturbing four key parameters in the coupled regional climate-ice sheet model and by introducing additional uncertainty in the prescribed "background" climate change. The sensitivity of the surface melt model to climate change was determined to be the dominant driver of ice sheet instability, as reflected by simulated ice sheet loss during the Eemian Interglacial period. To eliminate unrealistic parameter combinations, constraints from present-day and paleo information were applied. The constraints include (i) the diagnosed present-day surface mass balance partition between surface melting and ice discharge at the margin, (ii) the modeled present-day elevation at GRIP; and (iii) the modeled elevation reduction at GRIP during the Eemian. Using these three constraints, a total of 360 simulations with 90 different model realizations were filtered down to 46 simulations and 20 model realizations considered valid. The paleo constraint eliminated more sensitive melt parameter values, in agreement with the surface mass balance partition assumption. The constrained simulations resulted in a range of Eemian ice loss of 0.4-4.4m sea level equivalent, with a more likely range of about 3.7-4.4m sea level if the GRIP delta O-18 isotope record can be considered an accurate proxy for the precipitation-weighted annual mean temperatures.
Acyclic diene metathesis a versatile tool for the construction of defined polymer architectures
(2011)
Two decades have passed since the metathesis polymerisation of alpha,omega-dienes was successfully demonstrated by the group of Wagener and the term acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerisation was coined. Since then, the advances of metathesis chemistry have allowed to expand the scope of this versatile polymerisation reaction that nowadays finds applications in different fields, such as polymer, material, or medicinal chemistry. This critical review provides an insight into the historical aspects of ADMET and a detailed overview of the work done to date applying this versatile polymerisation reaction (221 references).
Gold(III) bromide is a suitable catalyst for the stereoselective cyclization of 2-C-malonyl carbohydrates to the anomeric center under retention of one ester group. Reopening of the lactones with alcohols in the presence of TMSOTf affords allyl, propargyl and benzyl glycosides with high alpha-selectivity.
The new pi-conjugated 1,2,3-triazol-1,4-diyl fluoroionophore 1 generated via Cu(I) catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition shows high fluorescence enhancement factors (FEF) in the presence of Na+ (FEF = 58) and K+ (FEF = 27) in MeCN and high selectivity towards K+ under simulated physiological conditions (160 mM K+ or Na+, respectively) with a FEF of 2.5 for K+.
Control over molecular architectures obtained via ADMET polymerization is limited by the step-growth nature of this technique. A new approach to this polycondensation method is described allowing for the synthesis of diblock and star-shaped polymers with molecular weight control by using the selectivity of olefin cross-metathesis between acrylates and terminal olefins.
We have localized TACC to the microtubule-nucleating centrosomal corona and to microtubule plus ends. Using RNAi we proved that Dictyostelium TACC promotes microtubule growth during interphase and mitosis. For the first time we show in vivo that both TACC and XMAP215 family proteins can be differentially localized to microtubule plus ends during interphase and mitosis and that TACC is mainly required for recruitment of an XMAP215-family protein to interphase microtubule plus ends but not for recruitment to centrosomes and kinetochores. Moreover, we have now a marker to study dynamics and behavior of microtubule plus ends in living Dictyostelium cells. In a combination of live cell imaging of microtubule plus ends and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments of GFP-alpha-tubulin cells we show that Dictyostelium microtubules are dynamic only in the cell periphery, while they remain stable at the centrosome, which also appears to harbor a dynamic pool of tubulin dimers.
Background Athlete's heart as an adaptation to long-time and intensive endurance training can vary considerably between individuals. Genetic polymorphisms in the cardiological relevant insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) signalling pathway seem to have an essential influence on the extent of physiological hypertrophy.
Objective Analysis of polymorphisms in the genes of IGF1, IGF1 receptor (IGF1R) and the negative regulator of the cardiac IGF1 signalling pathway, myostatin (MSTN), and their relation to left ventricular mass (LVM) of endurance athletes.
Methods In 110 elite endurance athletes or athletes with a high amount of endurance training (75 males and 35 females) and 27 male controls, which were examined by echocardiographic imaging methods and ergometric exercise-testing, the genotypes of a cytosine-adenine repeat polymorphism in the promoter region of the IGF1 gene and a G/A substitution at position 3174 in the IGF1R gene were determined. Additionally, a mutation screen of the MSTN gene was performed.
Results The polymorphisms in the IGF1 and the IGF1R gene showed a significant relation to the LVM for male (IGF1: p=0.003; IGF1R: p=0.01), but not for female athletes. The same applies to a previously unnoticed polymorphism in the 1 intron of the MSTN gene, whose deletion allele (AAA -> AA) appears to increase the myostatic effect (p=0.015). Moreover, combinations of the polymorphisms showed significant synergistic effects on the LVM of the male athletes.
Conclusions The authors' results argue for the importance of polymorphisms in the IGF1 signalling pathway in combination with MSTN on the variant degree of physiological hypertrophy of male athletes.
Influence of tyrosine-derived moieties and drying conditions on the formation of helices in gelatin
(2011)
The single and triple helical organization of protein chains strongly influences the mechanical properties of gelatin-based materials. A chemical method for obtaining different degrees of helical organization in gelatin is covalent functionalization, while a physical method for achieving the same goal is the variation of the drying conditions of gelatin solutions. Here we explored how the introduction of desaminotyrosine (DAT) and desaminotyrosyl tyrosine (DATT) linked to lysine residues of gelatin influenced the kinetics and thermodynamic equilibrium of the helicalization process of single and triple helices following different drying conditions. Drying at a temperature above. the helix-to-coil transition temperature of gelatin (T > T-c, called nu(short)) generally resulted in gelatins with relatively lower triple helical content (X-c,X-t = 1-2%) than lower temperature drying (T < T-c, called nu(long)) (X-c,X-t = 8-10%), where the DAT(T) functional groups generally disrupted helix formation. While different helical contents affected the thermal transition temperatures only slightly, the mechanical properties were strongly affected for swollen hydrogels (E = 4-13 kPa for samples treated by nu(long) and E = 120-700 kPa for samples treated by nu(short)). This study shows that side group functionalization and different drying conditions are viable options to control the helicalization and macroscopic properties of gelatin-based materials.
Ex situ collections in botanic gardens have great potential in contributing to the conservation of rare plants. However, little is known about the effects of cultivation on the genetic diversity and fitness of garden populations, about genetic changes due to unconscious selection and potential adaptation to the artificial conditions. We compared the genetic variability and fitness of the rare, short-lived perennial Cynoglossum officinale from 12 botanic gardens and five natural populations in Germany. Genetic variability was assessed with eight nuclear microsatellites. Plants were grown in a common garden and performance was measured over 2 years. Mean genetic diversity was very similar in botanic garden and natural populations. However, four of the garden populations exhibited no genetic variability at all. Moreover, the genetic diversity of garden populations decreased with increasing duration of cultivation, indicating genetic drift. Plant performance from natural and garden populations in terms of growth, flowering and seed production was similar and in garden populations only seed mass was strongly related to genetic diversity. Several lines of evidence indicated genetic changes in garden populations in response to cultivation. Seed dormancy was strongly reduced in garden populations, and in response to nutrient addition garden plants increased the size of their main inflorescence, while wild plants increased the number of inflorescences. These changes could be maladaptive in nature and reduce the suitability of garden populations as a source for reintroductions. We suggest that botanic gardens should pay more attention to the problem of potential genetic changes in their plant collections.
Identifying the chemical mechanisms behind soil carbon bound in organo-mineral complexes is necessary to determine the degree to which soil organic carbon is stabilized belowground. Analysis of delta C-13 and delta N-15 isotopic signatures of stabilized OM fractions along with soil mineral characteristics may yield important information about OM-mineral associations and their processing history. We anlayzed the delta C-13 and delta N-15 isotopic signatures from two organic matter (OM) fractions along with soil mineral proxies to identify the likely binding mechanisms involved. We analyzed OM fractions hypothesized to contain carbon stabilized through organo-mineral complexes: (1) OM separated chemically with sodium pyrophosphate (OM(PY)) and (2) OM occluded in micro-structures found in the chemical extraction residue (OM(ER)). Because the OM fractions were separated from five different soils with paired forest and arable land use histories, we could address the impact of land use change on carbon binding and processing mechanisms. We used partial least squares regression to analyze patterns in the isotopic signature of OM with established mineral and chemical proxies indicative for certain binding mechanisms. We found different mechanisms predominate in each land use type. For arable soils, the formation of OM(PY)-Ca-mineral associations was identified as an important OM binding mechanism. Therefore, we hypothesize an increased stabilization of microbial processed OM(PY) through Ca2+ interactions. In general, we found the forest soils to contain on average 10% more stabilized carbon relative to total carbon stocks, than the agricultural counter part. In forest soils, we found a positive relationship between isotopic signatures of OM(PY) and the ratio of soil organic carbon content to soil surface area (SOC/SSA). This indicates that the OM(PY) fractions of forest soils represent layers of slower exchange not directly attached to mineral surfaces. From the isotopic composition of the OM(ER) fraction, we conclude that the OM in this fraction from both land use types have undergone a different pathway to stabilization that does not involve microbial processing, which may include OM which is highly protected within soil micro-structures.
Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) constitute a substantial part of cellular proteomes. late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are mostly predicted to be IDPs associated with dehydration tolerance in many plant, animal and bacterial species. Their functions, however, are largely unexplored and also their structure and interactions with potential target molecules have only recently been experimentally investigated in a small number of proteins. Here, we report on the structure and interactions with membranes of the Pfam LEA_1 protein LEA18 from the higher plant Arabidopsis thaliana. This functionally uncharacterized positively charged protein specifically aggregated and destabilized negatively charged liposomes. Isothermal titration calorimetry showed binding of the protein to both charged and uncharged membranes. LEA18 alone was largely unstructured in solution. While uncharged membranes had no influence on the secondary structure of LEA18, the protein partially folded into beta-sheet structure in the presence of negatively charged liposomes. These data suggest that LEA18 does not function as a membrane stabilizing protein, as suggested for other LEA proteins. Instead, a possible function of LEA18 could be the composition-dependent modulation of membrane stability, e.g., during signaling or vesicle-mediated transport.
Stimuli-responsive macromolecules (i.e., pH-, thermo-, photo-, chemo-, and bioresponsive polymers) have gained exponential importance in materials science, nanotechnology, and biotechnology during the last two decades. This chapter describes the usefulness of this class of polymer for preparing smart surfaces (e.g., modified planar surfaces, particles surfaces, and surfaces of three-dimensional scaffolds). Some efficient pathways for connecting these macromolecules to inorganic, polymer, or biological substrates are described. In addition, some emerging bioapplications of smart polymer surfaces (e.g., antifouling surfaces, cell engineering, protein chromatography, tissue engineering, biochips, and bioassays) are critically discussed.
Despite the fact that the loss of a species from a community has the potential to cause a dramatic decline in biodiversity, for example through cascades of secondary extinctions, little is known about the factors contributing to the extinction risk of any particular species. Here we expand earlier modeling approaches using a dynamic food-web model that accounts for bottom-up as well as top-down effects. We investigate what factors influence a species' extinction risk and time to extinction of the non-persistent species.
We identified three basic properties that affect a species' risk of extinction. The highest extinction risk is born by species with (1) low energy input (e.g. high trophic level), (2) susceptibility to the loss of energy pathways (e.g. specialists with few prey species) and (3) dynamic instability (e.g. low Hill exponent and reliance on homogeneous energy channels when feeding on similarly sized prey).
Interestingly, and different from field studies, we found that the trophic level and not the body mass of a species influences its extinction risk. On the other hand, body mass is the single most important factor determining the time to extinction of a species, resulting in small species dying first. This suggests that in the field the trophic level might have more influence on the extinction risk than presently recognized.
How ecological communities react to species extinctions is a long-standing yet current question in ecology. The species constituting the basic units of ecosystems interact with each other forming complex networks of trophic relationships and the characteristics of these networks are highly important for the consequences of species extinction. Here we take a more general approach and analyze a broad range of network characteristics and their role in determining food web susceptibility to secondary extinctions. We extend previous studies, that have focused on the consequences of topological and dynamical food web parameters for food web robustness, by also defining network-wide characteristics depending on the relationships between the distribution of species body masses and other species characteristics. We use a bioenergetic dynamical model to simulate realistically structured model food webs that differ in their structural and dynamical properties as well as their size structure. In order to measure food web robustness we calculated the proportion of species going secondarily extinct. A multiple regression analysis was then used to fit a general model relating the proportion of species going secondarily extinct to the measured food web properties. Our results show that there are multiple factors from all three groups of food web characteristics that affect food web robustness. However, we find the most striking effect was related to the body mass abundance relationship which points to the importance of body mass relationships for food web stability.
The loss of species from ecological communities can unleash a cascade of secondary extinctions, the risk and extent of which are likely to depend on the traits of the species that are lost from the community. To identify species traits that have the greatest impact on food web robustness to species loss we here subject allometrically scaled, dynamical food web models to several deletion sequences based on species' connectivity, generality, vulnerability or body mass. Further, to evaluate the relative importance of dynamical to topological effects we compare robustness between dynamical and purely topological models. This comparison reveals that the topological approach overestimates robustness in general and for certain sequences in particular. Top-down directed sequences have no or very low impact on robustness in topological analyses, while the dynamical analysis reveals that they may be as important as high-impact bottom-up directed sequences. Moreover, there are no deletion sequences that result, on average, in no or very few secondary extinctions in the dynamical approach. Instead, the least detrimental sequence in the dynamical approach yields an average robustness similar to the most detrimental (non-basal) deletion sequence in the topological approach. Hence, a topological analysis may lead to erroneous conclusions concerning both the relative and the absolute importance of different species traits for robustness. The dynamical sequential deletion analysis shows that food webs are least robust to the loss of species that have many trophic links or that occupy low trophic levels. In contrast to previous studies we can infer, albeit indirectly, that secondary extinctions were triggered by both bottom-up and top-down cascades.
The most common management practices in European grasslands are grazing by livestock and mowing for silage and hay. Grazing and mowing differ in their potential effects on plant gene flow and resulting population genetic structure. After assessing its breeding system, we investigated the effect of land use on the population genetic structure in the common grassland plant Veronica chamaedrys using 63 study populations on meadows, mown pastures and pastures in three regions in Germany, the so-called Biodiversity Exploratories. We determined plant density and analysed the genetic diversity, differentiation and small-scale genetic structure using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. The breeding system of V chamaedrys turned out as self-incompatible and outcrossing. Its genetic diversity did not differ among land-use types. This may be attributed to large population sizes and the strong dispersal ability of the species, which maintains genetically diverse populations not prone to genetic drift. Genetic differentiation among populations was low (overall F(ST) = 0.075) but significant among the three regions. Land use had only weak effects on population differentiation in only one region. However, land use affected small-scale genetic structure suggesting that gene flow within plots was more restricted on meadows than on mown and unmown pastures. Our study shows that land use influences genetic structure mainly at the small scale within populations, despite high gene flow.
Many plant populations are adapted to their local environment. Reciprocal transplant experiments in the field and in the experimental garden allow for studying different aspects of local adaptation. However, usually only one of these approaches is used. We applied both experimental approaches to study the role of spatial scale and soil conditions for local adaptation in the perennial herb Inula hirta. We reciprocally sowed seeds and transplanted juvenile plants among six field sites from two regions and, in the garden, among pots with soil from each field site. We recorded germination percentage, survival percentage, number of stems and plant height in all experiments. We also recorded above- and below-ground biomass, flowering percentage and the number of flower heads in the garden. No population-specific local adaptation was detected in germination, survival, flowering percentages or in the number of flower heads. At the regional scale in the field, however, the performance of local transplants was higher than the performance of foreign transplants by 10% and 7% in the two regions, respectively. Similarly, when grown in the garden in soil from the more basic and nutrient-poorer region, plant height and aboveground biomass of local transplants were higher than the corresponding values for foreign transplants by 31% and 112%, respectively. Congruent evidence for local adaptation from the juvenile-transplant experiments in field and garden suggests that soil conditions represent an important factor of local adaptation in I. hirta. Overall, our results show that both spatial scale and soil conditions play an important role for local adaptation in I. hirta. Moreover, we underline the importance of combining field and garden experiments to reveal factors affecting local adaptation in plants.
We analyze a general class of difference operators H(epsilon) = T(epsilon) + V(epsilon) on l(2)((epsilon Z)(d)), where V(epsilon) is a one-well potential and epsilon is a small parameter. We construct formal asymptotic expansions of WKB-type for eigenfunctions associated with the low lying eigenvalues of H(epsilon). These are obtained from eigenfunctions or quasimodes for the operator H(epsilon), acting on L(2)(R(d)), via restriction to the lattice (epsilon Z)(d).
Background: In addition to the canonical subject-verb-object (SVO) word order, German also allows for non-canonical order (OVS), and the case-marking system supports thematic role interpretation. Previous eye-tracking studies (Kamide et al., 2003; Knoeferle, 2007) have shown that unambiguous case information in non-canonical sentences is processed incrementally. For individuals with agrammatic aphasia, comprehension of non-canonical sentences is at chance level (Burchert et al., 2003). The trace deletion hypothesis (Grodzinsky 1995, 2000) claims that this is due to structural impairments in syntactic representations, which force the individual with aphasia (IWA) to apply a guessing strategy. However, recent studies investigating online sentence processing in aphasia (Caplan et al., 2007; Dickey et al., 2007) found that divergences exist in IWAs' sentence-processing routines depending on whether they comprehended non-canonical sentences correctly or not, pointing rather to a processing deficit explanation. Aims: The aim of the current study was to investigate agrammatic IWAs' online and offline sentence comprehension simultaneously in order to reveal what online sentence-processing strategies they rely on and how these differ from controls' processing routines. We further asked whether IWAs' offline chance performance for non-canonical sentences does indeed result from guessing. Methods Procedures: We used the visual-world paradigm and measured eye movements (as an index of online sentence processing) of controls (N = 8) and individuals with aphasia (N = 7) during a sentence-picture matching task. Additional offline measures were accuracy and reaction times. Outcomes Results: While the offline accuracy results corresponded to the pattern predicted by the TDH, IWAs' eye movements revealed systematic differences depending on the response accuracy. Conclusions: These findings constitute evidence against attributing IWAs' chance performance for non-canonical structures to mere guessing. Instead, our results support processing deficit explanations and characterise the agrammatic parser as deterministic and inefficient: it is slowed down, affected by intermittent deficiencies in performing syntactic operations, and fails to compute reanalysis even when one is detected.
Background: Athletes may differ in their resting metabolic rate (RMR) from the general population. However, to estimate the RMR in athletes, prediction equations that have not been validated in athletes are often used. The purpose of this study was therefore to verify the applicability of commonly used RMR predictions for use in athletes. Methods: The RMR was measured by indirect calorimetry in 17 highly trained rowers and canoeists of the German national teams (BMI 24 +/- 2 kg/m(2), fat-free mass 69 +/- 15 kg). In addition, the RMR was predicted using Cunningham (CUN) and Harris-Benedict (HB) equations. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was calculated to test for differences between predicted and measured RMR (alpha = 0.05). The root mean square percentage error (RMSPE) was calculated and the Bland-Altman procedure was used to quantify the bias for each prediction. Results: Prediction equations significantly underestimated the RMR in males (p < 0.001). The RMSPE was calculated to be 18.4% (CUN) and 20.9% (HB) in the entire group. The bias was 133 kcal/24 h for CUN and 202 kcal/24 h for HB. Conclusions: Predictions significantly underestimate the RMR in male heavyweight endurance athletes but not in females. In athletes with a high fat-free mass, prediction equations might therefore not be applicable to estimate energy requirements. Instead, measurement of the resting energy expenditure or specific prediction equations might be needed for the individual heavyweight athlete.
Coastal uplift and tsunami effects associated to the 2010 M(w)8.8 Maule earthquake in Central Chile
(2011)
On February 27, 2010 at 03:34:08 AM an M(w)8.8 earthquake, with epicenter located off Cobquecura (73.24 degrees W; 36.29 degrees S), severely hit Central Chile. The tsunami waves that followed this event affected the coastal regions between the cities of Valparaiso and Valdivia, with minor effects as far as Coquimbo. The earthquake occurred along the subduction of the Nazca oceanic plate beneath the South American plate. Coseismic coastal uplift was estimated through observations of bleached lithothamnioids crustose coralline algae, which were exposed after the mainshock between 34.13 degrees S and 38.34 degrees S, suggesting the latitudinal distribution of the earthquake rupture. The measured coastal uplift values varied between 240 +/- 20 cm at sites closer to the trench along the western coast of the Arauco peninsula and 15 +/- 10 cm at sites located farther east. A maximum value of 260 +/- 50 cm was observed at the western coast of Santa Maria Island, which is similar to the reported uplift associated with the 1835 earthquake at Concepcion. Land subsidence values on the order of 0.5 m to 1 m evidenced a change in polarity and position of the coseismic hinge at 110-120 km from the trench. In four sites along the coast we observed a close match between coastal uplift values deduced from bleached lithothamnioids algae and GPS measurements. According to field observations tsunami heights reached ea. 14 m in the coastal area of the Maule Region immediately north of the epicenter, and diminished progressively northwards to 4-2 m near Valparaiso. Along the coast of Cobquecura, tsunami height values were inferior to 2-4 m. More variable tsunami heights of 6-8 m were measured at Dichato-Talcahuano and Tirua-Puerto Saavedra, in the Biobio and Arauco regions, respectively, to the south of the epicenter. According to eyewitnesses, the tsunami reached the coast between 12 to 20 and 30 to 45 minutes in areas located closer and faraway from the earthquake rupture zone, respectively. Destructive tsunami waves arrived also between 2.5 and 4.5 hours after the mainshock, especially along the coast of the Biobio and Arauco regions. The tsunami effects were highly variable along the coast, as a result of geomorphological and bathymetric local conditions, besides potential complexities induced by the main shock.
Novel fluorescent nanosensors, based on a naphthyridine receptor, have been developed for the detection of guanosine nucleotides, and both their sensitivity and selectivity to various nucleotides were evaluated. The nanosensors were constructed from polystyrene nanoparticles functionalized by (N-(7-((3-aminophenyl) ethynyl)-1,8-naphthyridin- 2-yl) acetamide) via carbodiimide ester activation. We show that this naphthyridine nanosensor binds guanosine nucleotides preferentially over adenine, cytosine, and thymidine nucleotides. Upon interaction with nucleotides, the fluorescence of the nanosensor is gradually quenched yielding Stern-Volmer constants in the range of 2.1 to 35.9mM(-1). For all the studied quenchers, limits of detection (LOD) and tolerance levels for the nanosensors were also determined. The lowest (3 sigma) LOD was found for guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) and it was as low as 150 ng/ml. In addition, we demonstrated that the spatial arrangement of bound analytes on the nanosensors' surfaces is what is responsible for their selectivity to different guanosine nucleotides. We found a correlation between the changes of the fluorescence signal and the number of phosphate groups of a nucleotide. Results of molecular modeling and zeta-potential measurements confirm that the arrangement of analytes on the surface provides for the selectivity of the nanosensors. These fluorescent nanosensors have the potential to be applied in multi-analyte, array-based detection platforms, as well as in multiplexed microfluidic systems.
Point-of-care testing (POCT) systems which allow for a sensitive, quantitative detection of protein markers are extremely useful for the early detection and therapy progress monitoring of cancer. However, currently commercially available POCT devices are mainly limited to the qualitative detection of protein markers. In this study we demonstrate the successive miniaturization of a sensitive and fast assay for the quantitative detection of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) using a well established and clinically approved homogeneous time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay technology (TRACE (R)) on a commercial plate-reader system (KRYPTOR (R)). Regarding the initial requirements for the development of POCT devices we applied a 30-fold assay volume reduction (150 mu L to 5 mu L) to achieve a reasonable lab-on-a-chip volume and a 24-fold and 120-fold excitation pulse energy reduction to achieve reasonable pulse energies for low-cost miniature excitation sources. Due to highly efficient optimization of key POCT parameters our miniaturized PSA assay achieved a 30% increased sensitivity and a 2-fold improved limit of detection compared to the standard plate-reader method. Our results demonstrate the successful implementation of key parameters for a significant miniaturization and for cost reduction in the clinically approved KRYPTOR (R) platform for protein detection. The technological alterations required are easy-to-implement and can be immediately adapted for more than 30 diagnostic protein markers already available for the KRYPTOR (R) platform. These features strongly recommend our assay format to be utilized in innovative, sensitive, quantitative POCT of protein markers.
We address the problem of Finite Model Computation (FMC) of first-order theories and show that FMC can efficiently and transparently be solved by taking advantage of a recent extension of Answer Set Programming (ASP), called incremental Answer Set Programming (iASP). The idea is to use the incremental parameter in iASP programs to account for the domain size of a model. The FMC problem is then successively addressed for increasing domain sizes until an answer set, representing a finite model of the original first-order theory, is found. We implemented a system based on the iASP solver iClingo and demonstrate its competitiveness by showing that it slightly outperforms the winner of the FNT division of CADE's 2009 Automated Theorem Proving (ATP) competition on the respective benchmark collection.
1. New patterns and trends in land use are becoming increasingly evident in Europe's heavily modified landscape and else whereas sustainable agriculture and nature restoration are developed as viable long-term alternatives to intensively farmed arable land. The success of these changes depends on how soil biodiversity and processes respond to changes in management. To improve our understanding of the community structure and ecosystem functioning of the soil biota, we analyzed abiotic variables across 200 sites, and biological variables across 170 sites in The Netherlands, one of the most intensively farmed countries. The data were derived from the Dutch Soil Quality Network (DSQN), a long-term monitoring framework designed to obtain ecological insight into soil types (STs) and ecosystem types (ETs).
2. At the outset we describe STs and biota, and we estimate the contribution of various groups to the provision of ecosystem services. We focused on interactive effects of soil properties on community patterns and ecosystem functioning using food web models. Ecologists analyze soil food webs by means of mechanistic and statistical modelling, linking network structure to energy flow and elemental dynamics commonly based on allometric scaling.
3. We also explored how predatory and metabolic processes are constrained by body size, diet and metabolic type, and how these constraints govern the interactions within and between trophic groups. In particular, we focused on how elemental fluxes determine the strengths of ecological interactions, and the resulting ecosystem services, in terms of sustenance of soil fertility.
4. We discuss data mining, food web visualizations, and an appropriate categorical way to capture subtle interrelationships within the DSQN dataset. Sampled metazoans were used to provide an overview of below-ground processes and influences of land use. Unlike most studies to date we used data from the entire size spectrum, across 15 orders of magnitude, using body size as a continuous trait crucial for understanding ecological services.
5. Multimodality in the frequency distributions of body size represents a performance filter that acts as a buffer to environmental change. Large differences in the body-size distributions across ETs and STs were evident. Most observed trends support the hypothesis that the direct influence of ecological stoichiometry on the soil biota as an independent predictor (e.g. in the form of nutrient to carbon ratios), and consequently on the allometric scaling, is more dominant than either ET or ST. This provides opportunities to develop a mechanistic and physiologically oriented model for the distribution of species' body sizes, where responses of invertebrates can be predicted.
6. Our results highlight the different roles that organisms play in a number of key ecosystem services. Such a trait-based research has unique strengths in its rigorous formulation of fundamental scaling rules, as well as in its verifiability by empirical data. Nonetheless, it still has weaknesses that remain to be addressed, like the consequences of intraspecific size variation, the high degree of omnivory, and a possibly inaccurate assignment to trophic groups.
7. Studying the extent to which nutrient levels influence multitrophic interactions and how different land-use regimes affect soil biodiversity is clearly a fruitful area for future research to develop predictive models for soil ecosystem services under different management regimes. No similar efforts have been attempted previously for soil food webs, and our dataset has the potential to test and further verify its usefulness at an unprecedented space scale.
Quantification of total cell abundance is one of the most fundamental parameters in the exploration of subsurface life. Despite all recent advances in molecular techniques, this parameter is usually determined by fluorescence microscopy. In order to obtain reliable and reproducible results, it is important not just to focus on the actual cell enumeration but also to consider the entire chain of processing. Starting with the retrieval of the sample, over subsampling and sample processing to the final step of fluorescence microscopy, there are many potential sources of contamination that have to be assessed and, if possible, avoided. Because some degree of sample contamination will always occur, it is necessary to employ some form of contamination control. Different tracers are available, each one with its specific advantages and drawbacks. In many cases, the problems arise not after the sample has arrived in a well-equipped laboratory with highly trained personnel, but much earlier at the drill site or in a field camp. In this review, I discuss the different aspects of cell enumeration in subsurface sediment, evaluating every step in the long process chain.
The present study investigated whether visual and kinesthetic stimuli are stored as multisensory or modality-specific representations in unimodal and crossmodal working memory tasks. To this end, angle-shaped movement trajectories were presented to 16 subjects in delayed matching-to-sample tasks either visually or kinesthetically during encoding and recognition. During the retention interval, a secondary visual or kinesthetic interference task was inserted either immediately or with a delay after encoding. The modality of the interference task interacted significantly with the encoding modality. After visual encoding, memory was more impaired by a visual than by a kinesthetic secondary task, while after kinesthetic encoding the pattern was reversed. The time when the secondary task had to be performed interacted with the encoding modality as well. For visual encoding, memory was more impaired, when the secondary task had to be performed at the beginning of the retention interval. In contrast, memory after kinesthetic encoding was more affected, when the secondary task was introduced later in the retention interval. The findings suggest that working memory traces are maintained in a modality-specific format characterized by distinct consolidation processes that take longer after kinesthetic than after visual encoding.
New global maps of the five inner midsize icy saturnian satellites, Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea, have been constructed in three colors (UV, Green and near-IR) at resolutions of 1 km/pixel. The maps reveal prominent global patterns common to several of these satellites but also three major color features unique to specific satellites or satellite subgroups. The most common features among the group are first-order global asymmetries in color properties. This pattern, expressed on Tethys, Dione and Rhea, takes the form of a similar to 1.4-1.8 times enhancement in redness (expressed as IR/UV ratio) of the surface at the center of the trailing hemisphere of motion, and a similar though significantly weaker IR/UV enhancement at the center of the leading hemisphere. The peak in redness on the trailing hemisphere also corresponds to a known decrease in albedo. These double hemispheric asymmetries are attributable to plasma and E-ring grain bombardment on the trailing and leading hemispheres, respectively, for the outer three satellites Tethys, Dione and Rhea, whereas as E-ring bombardment may be focused on the trailing hemisphere of Mimas due to its orbital location interior to Enceladus. The maps also reveal three major deviations from these basic global patterns. We observe the previously known dark bluish leading hemisphere equatorial band on Tethys but have also discovered a similar band on Mimas. Similar in shape, both features match the surface patterns expected for irradiation of the surface by incident MeV electrons that drift in a direction opposite to the plasma flow. The global asymmetry on Enceladus is offset similar to 40 degrees to the west compared to the other satellites. We do not consider Enceladus in detail here, but the global distribution of bluish material can be shown to match the deposition pattern predicted for plume fallback onto the surface (Kempf, S., Beckmann, U., Schmidt, S. [2010]. Icarus 206, 446-457. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2009.09.016). E-ring deposition on Enceladus thus appears to mask or prevent the formation of the lenses and hemispheric asymmetries we see on the other satellites. Finally, we observe a chain of discrete bluish splotches along the equator of Rhea. Unlike the equatorial bands of Tethys and Mimas, these splotches form a very narrow great circle <= 10-km wide (north-to-south) and appear to be related to surface disruption, exposing fresh, bluish ice on older crater rims. This feature is unique to Rhea and may have formed by impact onto its surface of orbiting material.
The Dead Sea Transform (DST) is a major left-lateral strike-slip fault that accommodates the relative motion between the African and Arabian plates, connecting a region of extension in the Red Sea to the Taurus collision zone in Turkey over a length of about 1100 km. The Dead Sea Basin (DSB) is one of the largest basins along the DST. The DSB is a morphotectonic depression along the DST, divided into a northern and a southern sub-basin, separated by the Lisan salt diapir. We report on a receiver function study of the crust within the multidisciplinary geophysical project, DEad Sea Integrated REsearch (DESIRE), to study the crustal structure of the DSB. A temporary seismic network was operated on both sides of the DSB between 2006 October and 2008 April. The aperture of the network is approximately 60 km in the E-W direction crossing the DSB on the Lisan peninsula and about 100 km in the N-S direction. Analysis of receiver functions from the DESIRE temporary network indicates that Moho depths vary between 30 and 38 km beneath the area. These Moho depth estimates are consistent with results of near-vertical incidence and wide-angle controlled-source techniques. Receiver functions reveal an additional discontinuity in the lower crust, but only in the DSB and west of it. This leads to the conclusion that the internal crustal structure east and west of the DSB is different at the present-day. However, if the 107 km left-lateral movement along the DST is taken into account, then the region beneath the DESIRE array where no lower crustal discontinuity is observed would have lain about 18 Ma ago immediately adjacent to the region under the previous DESERT array west of the DST where no lower crustal discontinuity is recognized.