Holocene sea level rise in the western Baltic and the question of isostatic subsidence

Sea level related radiocarbon, palynological and stratigraphical data from sediment cores in the Western Baltic have been tested against the existing sea level curves for the region. The relative sea level rise curves for the beginning of the Holocene show no significant deviations between the Kiel, Mecklenburg und Lübeck Bays and hence do not support the previously reported differences in the averaged regional subsidence rates for this time interval. Local subsidence and upheaval due to salt tectonics probably played a greater role than previously suspected in the region. The sea level possibly stagnated around -28 m during the early Holocene before rising very rapidly to -14 m. The submarine terraces at -30 m and perhaps also at -27 m were formed during the lacustrine phase of the Western Baltic when the water levels were controlled by the main thresholds in the Great Belt

Assessment of technological developments in data analytics for sensor-based and robot sorting plants based on maturity levels to improve Austrian waste sorting plants

Sensor-based and robot sorting are key technologies in the extended value chain of many products such as packaging waste (glass, plastics) or building materials since these processes are significant contributors in reaching the EU recycling goals. Hence, technological developments and possibilities to improve these processes concerning data analytics are evaluated with an interview-based survey. The requirements to apply data analytics in sensor-based sorting are separated into different sections, i.e., data scope or consistency. The interviewed companies are divided into four categories: sorting machine manufacturers, sorting robot manufacturers, recycling plant operators, and sensor technology companies. This paper aims to give novel insights into the degree of implementation of data analytics in the Austrian waste management sector. As a result, maturity models are set up for these sections and evaluated for each of the interview partner categories. Interviewees expressed concerns regarding the implementation such as a perceived loss of control and, subsequently, a supposed inability to intervene. Nevertheless, further comments by the interviewees on the state of the waste management sector conveyed that data analytics in their processes would also be a significant step forward to achieve the European recycling goals

Umweltfreundliches Reinigungs- und Hygienemanagement in Lebensmittelbetrieben

Ziel des Projektes ist es, für Lebensmittel herstellende Unternehmen und vor- und nachgelagerte Unternehmen (Landwirtschaft, Handel) Handlungsanweisungen für – unter Umweltgesichtspunkten – optimierte Strategien zum Reinigungs- und Hygienemanagement zu entwickeln. Dazu wurde eine quantitative Befragung von Lebensmittel herstellenden Unternehmen sowie eine qualitative Befragung von Reinigungs- und Desinfektionsmittelherstellern durchgeführt. Außerdem wurden bei Lebensmittelherstellern Betriebsbesuche und Interviews durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse wurden dokumentiert und für weitere Arbeiten im Projekt berücksichtigt. In Lebensmittel verarbeitenden Betrieben wurden mikrobiologische Hygienekontrollen und Rückstandsuntersuchungen auf Reinigungs- und Desinfektionsmittel vorgenommen. Von fünf besuchten Beispielbetrieben wurden drei für die Darstellung im Leitfaden ausgewählt. Als Grundlage für die Bewertung von kommerziellen Reinigungs- und Desinfektionsmitteln wurde ein Kriterienkatalog mit einem Bewertungsschema für Wirkstoffe erstellt. Dabei wurden auch Substanzbeschreibungen von nicht als konform eingestuften und deshalb unerwünschten Stoffen erarbeitet. Anhand der auch im Bundesverband Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (BÖLW) abgestimmten Kriterien wurden Handelsprodukte bewertet und eine erste FiBL-Liste „Betriebsmittel für die Ökoverarbeitung“ mit konformen Reinigungs- und Desinfektionsmitteln zusammengestellt. Ein Leitfaden mit Merkblatt für „Umweltfreundliches Reinigungs- und Hygienemanagement in Lebensmittelbetrieben“ wurde erarbeitet

Bradyzoite pseudokinase 1 is crucial for efficient oral infectivity of the Toxoplasma gondii tissue cyst.

The tissue cyst formed by the bradyzoite stage of Toxoplasma gondii is essential for persistent infection of the host and oral transmission. Bradyzoite pseudokinase 1 (BPK1) is a component of the cyst wall, but nothing has previously been known about its function. Here, we show that immunoprecipitation of BPK1 from in vitro bradyzoite cultures, 4 days postinfection, identifies at least four associating proteins: MAG1, MCP4, GRA8, and GRA9. To determine the role of BPK1, a strain of Toxoplasma was generated with the bpk1 locus deleted. This BPK1 knockout strain (Δbpk1) was investigated in vitro and in vivo. No defect was found in terms of in vitro cyst formation and no difference in pathogenesis or cyst burden 4 weeks postinfection (wpi) was detected after intraperitoneal (i.p.) infection with Δbpk1 tachyzoites, although the Δbpk1 cysts were significantly smaller than parental or BPK1-complemented strains at 8 wpi. Pepsin-acid treatment of 4 wpi in vivo cysts revealed that Δbpk1 parasites are significantly more sensitive to this treatment than the parental and complemented strains. Consistent with this, 4 wpi Δbpk1 cysts showed reduced ability to cause oral infection compared to the parental and complemented strains. Together, these data reveal that BPK1 plays a crucial role in the in vivo development and infectivity of Toxoplasma cysts