Testing effects of pesticides on macroinvertebrate communities in outdoor stream mesocosms using carbaryl as example test item

Abstract Background In mesocosms, the fate and effects of chemicals can be investigated under more realistic conditions than in laboratory-scale experiments and most mesocosm studies for higher-tier risk assessment are conducted in lentic test systems. However, particularly for the assessment of EPT taxa (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera) and gammarids (Amphipoda), which are considered to be ecologically vulnerable macroinvertebrates, lotic systems seem to be more appropriate. Within this pilot study, eight newly constructed stream mesocosms were tested for their suitability in the effect assessment of plant protection products (PPP). By using the insecticide carbaryl as an example test item, five concentrations without replicates were tested under a worst case exposure scenario and three stream mesocosms served as controls. Results 15 out of the 51 invertebrate taxa found during the study belonged to EPT taxa, while the common lotic amphipod Gammarus sp. (G. pulex and G. roesili) was the most dominant taxa. Estimation of minimum detectable differences based on mean abundances and variance of taxa in the eight mesocosms before application indicate that for five arthropoda taxa and two non-arthropoda taxa, an analysis of effects would have probably would have been possible in a typical test design for a higher-tier study with more test units. Five of these taxa were typical stream taxa, i.e. mayflies, caddisflies and gammarids. With respect to the effects of carbaryl, multivariate analysis (principal response curve) indicates long-term effects on the macroinvertebrates community over several weeks for the highest carbaryl concentration (120 µg a.i./L). Potential effects were observed for the amphipod Gammarus sp., the mayfly Ephemera danica and the caddisfly family Limnephilidae. Conclusions Through this study it was shown that the stream mesocosms provided suitable habitats for potential sensitive and vulnerable taxa, including those typical for lotic systems. To enable a reliable statistical analysis of the effects within the higher-tier ecological risk assessment, the number of stream mesocosms needs to be enhanced. In addition, colonisation and sampling should be improved to increase the number of taxa with sufficiently high abundances for evaluation

S. pombe CLASP needs dynein, not EB1 or CLIP170, to induce microtubule instability and slows polymerization rates at cell tips in a dynein-dependent manner

The Schizosaccharomyces pombe CLIP170-associated protein (CLASP) Peg1 was identified in a screen for mutants with spindle formation defects and a screen for molecules that antagonized EB1 function. The conditional peg1.1 mutant enabled us to identify key features of Peg1 function. First, Peg1 was required to form a spindle and astral microtubules, yet destabilized interphase microtubules. Second, Peg1 was required to slow the polymerization rate of interphase microtubules that establish end-on contact with the cortex at cell tips. Third, Peg1 antagonized the action of S. pombe CLIP170 (Tip1) and EB1 (Mal3). Fourth, although Peg1 resembled higher eukaryotic CLASPs by physically associating with both Mal3 and Tip1, neither Tip1 nor Mal3 was required for Peg1 to destabilize interphase microtubules or for it to associate with microtubules. Conversely, neither Mal3 nor Tip1 required Peg1 to associate with microtubules or cell tips. Consistently, while mal3.Δ and tip1.Δ disrupted linear growth, corrupting peg1 (+) did not. Fifth, peg1.1 phenotypes resembled those arising from deletion of the single heavy or both light chains of fission yeast dynein. Furthermore, all interphase phenotypes arising from peg1 (+) manipulation relied on dynein function. Thus, the impact of S. pombe CLASP on interphase microtubule behavior is more closely aligned to dynein than EB1 or CLIP170

The Fission Yeast Kinetochore Component Spc7 Associates with the EB1 Family Member Mal3 and Is Required for Kinetochore–Spindle Association

A critical aspect of mitosis is the interaction of the kinetochore with spindle microtubules. Fission yeast Mal3 is a member of the EB1 family of microtubule plus-end binding proteins, which have been implicated in this process. However, the Mal3 interaction partner at the kinetochore had not been identified. Here, we show that the mal3 mutant phenotype can be suppressed by the presence of extra Spc7, an essential kinetochore protein associated with the central centromere region. Mal3 and Spc7 interact physically as both proteins can be coimmunoprecipitated. Overexpression of a Spc7 variant severely compromises kinetochore–microtubule interaction, indicating that the Spc7 protein plays a role in this process. Spc7 function seems to be conserved because, Spc105, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae homolog of Spc7, identified by mass spectrometry as a component of the conserved Ndc80 complex, can rescue mal3 mutant strains

Verfahren zum Betrieb eines Fahrerassistenzsystems und Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens

Barrois B, Beuter N, Hahn M, et al. Verfahren zum Betrieb eines Fahrerassistenzsystems und Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens. 2010.Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren zum Betrieb eines Fahrerassistenzsystems mit einer Mehrzahl von Sensoren (R, K) und eine Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens.$A Erfindungsgemäß wird anhand von Sensordaten der Sensoren (R, K) eine Komplexität einer von den Sensoren (R, K) erfassten Verkehrssituation bestimmt und in Abhängigkeit von der bestimmten Komplexität der Verkehrssituation und/oder in Abhängigkeit von den Sensordaten zumindest eines Sensors (R, K) für jeden Sensor (R, K) eine Zuverlässigkeit für dessen Sensordaten ermittelt

Verfahren zur Detektion und Verfolgung von Objekten in Bildsequenzen

Barrois B, Beuter N, Hahn M, et al. Verfahren zur Detektion und Verfolgung von Objekten in Bildsequenzen. 09.09.2010.Die Erfindung betrifft ein Verfahren zur Detektion und Verfolgung von Objekten in Bildsequenzen, wobei anhand einer Bilderfassungsvorrichtung zumindest zwei Bilder stereoskopisch erfasst und verarbeitet werden und anhand eines Filters eine Schätzung und/oder Vorhersage eines Objektzustands ausgeführt wird. Erfindungsgemäß werden Zustandsdaten des Objekts dreidimensional verarbeitet, wobei eine erste horizontale Koordinate (x) und eine zweite vertikale Koordinate (y) einer Position des Objekts ermittelt werden und eine dritte Koordinate (z-1) aus einem Kehrwert einer Entfernung des Objekts zu der Bilderfassungsvorrichtung gebildet wird