Efficient Methanol Production on the Dark Side of a Prestellar Core

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array maps of the starless molecular cloud core Ophiuchus/H-MM1 in the lines of deuterated ammonia (ortho-NH2D), methanol (CH3OH), and sulfur monoxide (SO). The dense core is seen in NH2D emission, whereas the CH3OH and SO distributions form a halo surrounding the core. Because methanol is formed on grain surfaces, its emission highlights regions where desorption from grains is particularly efficient. Methanol and sulfur monoxide are most abundant in a narrow zone that follows the eastern side of the core. This side is sheltered from the stronger external radiation field coming from the west. We show that photodissociation on the illuminated side can give rise to an asymmetric methanol distribution but that the stark contrast observed in H-MM1 is hard to explain without assuming enhanced desorption on the shaded side. The region of the brightest emission has a wavy structure that rolls up at one end. This is the signature of Kelvin-Helmholtz instability occurring in sheared flows. We suggest that in this zone, methanol and sulfur are released as a result of grain-grain collisions induced by shear vorticity.Peer reviewe

Evolution of Linked Avirulence Effectors in Leptosphaeria maculans Is Affected by Genomic Environment and Exposure to Resistance Genes in Host Plants

Brassica napus (canola) cultivars and isolates of the blackleg fungus, Leptosphaeria maculans interact in a ‘gene for gene’ manner whereby plant resistance (R) genes are complementary to pathogen avirulence (Avr) genes. Avirulence genes encode proteins that belong to a class of pathogen molecules known as effectors, which includes small secreted proteins that play a role in disease. In Australia in 2003 canola cultivars with the Rlm1 resistance gene suffered a breakdown of disease resistance, resulting in severe yield losses. This was associated with a large increase in the frequency of virulence alleles of the complementary avirulence gene, AvrLm1, in fungal populations. Surprisingly, the frequency of virulence alleles of AvrLm6 (complementary to Rlm6) also increased dramatically, even though the cultivars did not contain Rlm6. In the L. maculans genome, AvrLm1 and AvrLm6 are linked along with five other genes in a region interspersed with transposable elements that have been degenerated by Repeat-Induced Point (RIP) mutations. Analyses of 295 Australian isolates showed deletions, RIP mutations and/or non-RIP derived amino acid substitutions in the predicted proteins encoded by these seven genes. The degree of RIP mutations within single copy sequences in this region was proportional to their proximity to the degenerated transposable elements. The RIP alleles were monophyletic and were present only in isolates collected after resistance conferred by Rlm1 broke down, whereas deletion alleles belonged to several polyphyletic lineages and were present before and after the resistance breakdown. Thus, genomic environment and exposure to resistance genes in B. napus has affected the evolution of these linked avirulence genes in L. maculans

Framing and opinion-forming in German leading media : Empirical media content research through the development and use of data mining software

Diese Arbeit ist eine quantitative Inhaltsanalyse der Nachrichtenartikel (n = 555) von ARD (Tagesschau.de) und ZDF (Heute.de) zum Thema Syrien. Mithilfe einer hierarchischen Clusteranalyse und der anschließenden qualitativen Analyse der Artikelüberschriften und Einleitungssätzen, wurden Frame-Elemente in 28 Clustern kodiert. Aus den Frame-Elementen sind 11 Frames hervorgegangen, von denen zwei ausführlicher in der Diskussion erörtert werden.This Bachelor thesis is a quantitative content analysis of the news articles (n = 555) of ARD (Tagesschau.de) and ZDF (Heute.de) on the subject of Syria. With the help of a hierarchical cluster analysis and the subsequent qualitative analysis of the article headings and opening sentences, frame elements were coded in 28 clusters. The frame elements resulted in 11 frames, two of which are discussed in more detail in the discussion

On the failure of US-strategy in Afghanistan

Vorwort 1.0 Einleitung 1.1 Begründung der Relevanz der Fragestellung 1.2 Begriffliche Definitionen 2.0 Theorie 2.1 Theoretische Ansätze 2.2 Eigener theoretischer Ansatz 2.2.1 Strategie und Strategiefähigkeit 2.2.2 Theoriegeleitete Hypothesen 2.2.3 Operationalisierung zentraler Erklärungsfaktoren 3.0 Methodologie 3.1 Vergleichende Fallstudie 3.2 Methodische Vorgehensweise 4.0 Der us-amerikanische Afghanistankrieg (seit 2001) 4.1 Die nationale Sicherheitsarchitektur der USA 4.2 Die Gesamtstrategie der Exekutive 4.2.1 Die Debatten und Entscheidungen zur Gesamtstrategie unter Bush (2001-2008) 4.2.2 Die Debatten und Entscheidungen zur Gesamtstrategie unter Obama (2008-2012) 4.3 Die einzelnen Teilstrategien in der Praxis 4.3.1 Die militärische Teilstrategie 4.3.2 Die außenpolitische Teilstrategie 4.3.3 Die innenpolitische Teilstrategie 4.3.4 Die ökonomische Teilstrategie 5.0 SchlussfolgerungenWarum verlieren Demokratien in Guerillakriegen? Dieser politisch wie wissenschaftlich relevanten Frage widmet sich die vorliegende Dissertation, indem sie den Afghanistankrieg der USA untersucht. Hierbei wird die Niederlage von Demokratien in Guerillakriegen, worunter das Nichterreichen der politischen Ziele verstanden wird, durch ihren niedrigen Zentralisierungsgrad und, in Folge dessen, mangelnde Strategiefähigkeit erklärt. Praktisch erfolgt die Analyse durch einen Vergleich der Bush- (2001-2008) mit der Obamaperiode (2008-2012). Hierbei steht bei der Untersuchung des Zentralisierungsgrades die Koordination innerhalb der Exekutive, ihre faktischen Kompetenzen in der Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik und die Beziehung Präsident-Kongress vor dem Hintergrund des fragmentierten politischen Systems der USA im Fokus. Bei der Strategiefähigkeit wird beleuchtet, ob die Exekutive eine kohärente Gesamtstrategie für den Afghanistan-Krieg entwerfen und implementieren konnte, wobei die Analyse der Gesamtstrategie auch auf der Ebene der einzelnen konkreten militärischen, außen- und innenpolitischen, sowie der ökonomischen Teilstrategien und deren Abstimmung erfolgt. Schließlich kommt die Arbeit zu dem Schluss, dass das Scheitern der USA im Afghanistankrieg sowohl unter Bush, als auch unter Obama durch ihren niedrigen Zentralisierungsgrad und die daraus resultierende mangelnde Strategiefähigkeit erklärt werden kann. Der vorgeschlagene Erklärungsmechanismus konnte also bestätigt werden. Im Schlussteil werden neben den Ergebnissen der Arbeit und einer politischen Lösungsmöglichkeit für den Afghanistankonflikt Politikempfehlungen für eine Steigerung der Strategiefähigkeit von Demokratien abgegeben. Die Institutionalisierung von Planungskapazitäten ist eine Zukunftsaufgabe, der vor dem Hintergrund komplexer innen- wie außenpolitischer Bedrohungen seitens der Politik und Wissenschaft verstärkte Aufmerksamkeit zukommen sollte.Why democracies lose in guerilla wars? The study gives an answer to this politically and scientifically significant question by analyzing the American Afghanistan War. The research-leading hypothesis is that the failure of democracies in guerilla wars – their incapacity to reach their political goals – can be explained by a low degree of centralization and a resulting loss in strategic capability. In practical terms, the thesis is a comparative case study comparing the Bush- (2001-2008) with the Obama administration (2008-2012). Hereby, the centralization of the political regime is analyzed through a close look at intra-governmental coordination, actual powers of the executive in foreign and security politics, the decision-making process and interrelationship between the President and the Congress. The background lies in the fragmented political system of the United States (,,checks and balances“). Thereafter, a detailed examination of strategic capability is taken through the study of the grand (comprehensive) Afghanistan strategy: How has it taken shape? How has it been implemented? Does it lack coherence? As every grand strategy consists of many strategies, the actual military, political and economical plans in the Afghanistan War are looked at. Also, the problem of coordination between different strategies is taken into consideration. The PhD thesis concludes by stating that the main hypothesis could be proved: In fact, the United States failed in Afghanistan because of their low centralization and resulting problems with strategic capability. As this project aims at a general explanation and solution of the strategic- capability-problem of democracies, the author derives practical suggestions how the planning process resulting in grand strategies could be improved (after outlining a possible peace plan for Afghanistan). In today’s world democracies face numerous strategic challenges and should focus on strengthening their strategic capability

Biodiversity of Duckweed (Lemnaceae) in Water Reservoirs of Ukraine and China Assessed by Chloroplast DNA Barcoding

Monitoring and characterizing species biodiversity is essential for germplasm preservation, academic studies, and various practical applications. Duckweeds represent a group of tiny aquatic plants that include 36 species divided into 5 genera within the Lemnaceae family. They are an important part of aquatic ecosystems worldwide, often covering large portions of the water reservoirs they inhabit, and have many potential applications, including in bioremediation, biofuels, and biomanufacturing. Here, we evaluated the biodiversity of duckweeds in Ukraine and Eastern China by characterizing specimens using the two-barcode protocol with the chloroplast atpH–atpF and psbK–psbI spacer sequences. In total, 69 Chinese and Ukrainian duckweed specimens were sequenced. The sequences were compared against sequences in the NCBI database using BLAST. We identified six species from China (Spirodela polyrhiza, Landoltia punctata, Lemna aequinoctialis, Lemna minor, Lemna turionifera, and Wolffia globosa) and six from Ukraine (S. polyrhiza, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Lemna turionifera, and Wolffia arrhiza). The most common duckweed species in the samples from Ukraine were Le. minor and S. polyrhiza, accounting for 17 and 15 out of 40 specimens, respectively. The most common duckweed species in the samples from China was S. polyrhiza, accounting for 15 out of 29 specimens. La. punctata and Le. aequinoctialis were also common in China, accounting for five and four specimens, respectively. According to both atpH–atpF and psbK–psbI barcode analyses, the species identified as Le. aequinoctialis does not form a uniform taxon similar to other duckweed species, and therefore the phylogenetic status of this species requires further clarification. By monitoring duckweeds using chloroplast DNA sequencing, we not only precisely identified local species and ecotypes, but also provided background for further exploration of native varieties with diverse genetic backgrounds. These data could be useful for future conservation, breeding, and biotechnological applications

Rating the risks of anticoagulant rodenticides in the aquatic environment: a review

Anticoagulant rodenticides are used worldwide to control commensal rodents for hygienic and public health reasons. As anticoagulants act on all vertebrates, risk is high for unintentional poisoning of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. Causative associations have been demonstrated for the unintended poisoning of terrestrial nontarget organisms. However, behavior and fate of anticoagulant rodenticides in the aquatic environment have received minimal attention in the past despite considerable acute toxicity of several anticoagulants to aquatic species such as fish. In light of recent regulatory developments in the European Union concerning rodenticides, we critically review available information on the environmental occurrence, fate, and impact of anticoagulant rodenticides in the aquatic environment and identify potential risks and routes of exposure as well as further research needs. Recent findings of anticoagulant rodenticides in raw and treated wastewater, sewage sludge, estuarine sediments, suspended particulate matter, and liver tissue of freshwater fish in the low ng/L and µg/kg range, respectively, demonstrate that the aquatic environment experiences a greater risk of anticoagulant rodenticide exposure than previously thought. While the anticoagulant’s mechanism of action from the molecular through cellular levels is well understood, substantial data gaps exist regarding the understanding of exposure pathways and potential adverse effects of chronic exposure with multiple active ingredients. Anticoagulants accumulating in aquatic wildlife are likely to be transferred in the food chain, causing potentially serious consequences for the health of wildlife and humans alike

Interlaboratory Comparison of the PV Module Energy Rating Standard IEC 61853-3

The IEC 61853 standard series "Photovoltaic (PV) module performance testing and energy rating" aims to provide a standardized measure for PV module performance, namely the Climate Specific Energy Rating (CSER). An algorithm to calculate CSER is specified in part 3 based on laboratory measurements defined in parts 1 and 2 as well as the climate data set given in part 4. To test the comparability and clarity of the algorithm in part 3, we share the same input data, obtained by measuring a standard photovoltaic module, among different research organizations. Each participant then uses their individual implementations of the algorithm to calculate the resulting CSER values. The initial blind comparison reveals differences of 0.133 (14.7%) in CSER between the ten different implementations of the algorithm. Despite the differences in CSER, an analysis of intermediate results revealed differences of less than 1% at each step of the calculation chain among at least three participants. Thereby, we identify the extrapolation of the power table, the handling of the differences in the wavelength bands between measurement and climate data set, and several coding errors as the three biggest sources for the differences. After discussing the results and comparing different approaches, all participants rework their implementations individually and compare the results two more times. In the third intercomparison, the differences are less than 0.029 (3.2%) in CSER. When excluding the remaining three outliers, the largest absolute difference between the other seven participants is 0.0037 (0.38%). Based on our findings we identified four recommendations for improvement of the standard series.Peer reviewe