Indian Bt cotton varieties do not affect the performance of cotton aphids.

Cotton varieties expressing Cry proteins derived from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) are grown worldwide for the management of pest Lepidoptera. To prevent non-target pest outbreaks and to retain the biological control function provided by predators and parasitoids, the potential risk that Bt crops may pose to non-target arthropods is addressed prior to their commercialization. Aphids play an important role in agricultural systems since they serve as prey or host to a number of predators and parasitoids and their honeydew is an important energy source for several arthropods. To explore possible indirect effects of Bt crops we here examined the impact of Bt cotton on aphids and their honeydew. In climate chambers we assessed the performance of cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover (Hemiptera: Aphididae) when grown on three Indian Bt (Cry1Ac) cotton varieties (MECH 12, MECH 162, MECH 184) and their non-transformed near isolines. Furthermore, we examined whether aphids pick up the Bt protein and analyzed the sugar composition of aphid honeydew to evaluate its suitability for honeydew-feeders. Plant transformation did not have any influence on aphid performance. However, some variation was observed among the three cotton varieties which might partly be explained by the variation in trichome density. None of the aphid samples contained Bt protein. As a consequence, natural enemies that feed on aphids are not exposed to the Cry protein. A significant difference in the sugar composition of aphid honeydew was detected among cotton varieties as well as between transformed and non-transformed plants. However, it is questionable if this variation is of ecological relevance, especially as honeydew is not the only sugar source parasitoids feed on in cotton fields. Our study allows the conclusion that Bt cotton poses a negligible risk for aphid antagonists and that aphids should remain under natural control in Bt cotton fields

Biologists meet statisticians: A workshop for young scientists to foster interdisciplinary team work

Life science and statistics have necessarily become essential partners. The need to plan complex, structured experiments, involving elaborated designs, and the need to analyse datasets in the era of systems biology and high throughput technologies has to build upon professional statistical expertise. On the other hand, conducting such analyses and also developing improved or new methods, also for novel kinds of data, has to build upon solid biological understanding and practise. However, the meeting of scientists of both fields is often hampered by a variety of communicative hurdles - which are based on field-specific working languages and cultural differences. As a step towards a better mutual understanding, we developed a workshop concept bringing together young experimental biologists and statisticians, to work as pairs and learn to value each others competences and practise interdisciplinary communication in a casual atmosphere. The first implementation of our concept was a cooperation of the German Region of the International Biometrical Society and the Leibnitz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (short: DSMZ), Braunschweig, Germany. We collected feedback in form of three questionnaires, oral comments, and gathered experiences for the improvement of this concept. The long-term challenge for both disciplines is the establishment of systematic schedules and strategic partnerships which use the proposed workshop concept to foster mutual understanding, to seed the necessary interdisciplinary cooperation network, and to start training the indispensable communication skills at the earliest possible phase of education

Trust-Building in Peer-to-Peer Carsharing: Design Case Study for Algorithm-Based Reputation Systems

Peer-to-peer sharing platforms become increasingly important in the platform economy. From an HCI-perspective, this development is of high interest, as those platforms mediate between different users. Such mediation entails dealing with various social issues, e.g., building trust between peers online without any physical presence. Peer ratings have proven to be an important mechanism in this regard. At the same time, scoring via car telematics become more common for risk assessment by car insurances. Since user ratings face crucial problems such as fake or biased ratings, we conducted a design case study to determine whether algorithm-based scoring has the potential to improve trust-building in P2P-carsharing. We started with 16 problem-centered interviews to examine how people understand algorithm-based scoring, we co-designed an app with scored profiles, and finally evaluated it with 12 participants. Our findings show that scoring systems can support trust-building in P2P-carsharing and give insights how they should be designed

An experimental design applied to vineyards for identifying spatially and temporally variable crop parameters

Harvesting uniform batches of grapes is required to optimize must quality as one prerequisite for premium wine production. The definition of sub-units of vineyards based on within-field variation allows unitbased vineyard management during cultivation and harvest. Essential for such vineyard management is the definition of sub-units that correspond with uniform batches of quality parameters of the fruit (e.g. berry residual sugar, anthocyanin content) at harvest time or with physiological parameters measuring the vine during berry development until ripeness. The definition requires geo-referenced sampling and parameter analysis, usually in combination with interpolation and kriging methods employed to describe spatial vineyard variation.In an attempt to develop an assay for within-variation in vineyards physiological parameters assessed through chlorophyll fluorescence measurements and leaf temperature were assessed at bloom, veraison and post veraison in a randomized block design in two vineyards of Lower Austria. A statistical model based on a repeated measurement ANOVA was developed and showed suitability for the detection and monitoring of vineyard variability throughout the vegetation period based on the maximum quantum yield of photosystem II (Fv/Fm), the maximum leaf temperature (maxTleaf) and malic acid. These parameters allow the prospective classification of sub-units according to the vine’s vitality and may be adopted for scientific experimentation and for practical viticulture.

HISPANISMO EN ÁFRICA SUBSAHARIANA MÁS ALLÁ DE LA COLONIA: UNA APROXIMACIÓN A LA LITERATURA HISPANO-CAMERUNESA1

Guinea Ecuatorial como pregunta abierta: hacia el diálogo entre nuestras otredade

Trust your guts: fostering embodied knowledge and sustainable practices through voice interaction

Despite various attempts to prevent food waste and motivate conscious food handling, household members find it difficult to correctly assess the edibility of food. With the rise of ambient voice assistants, we did a design case study to support households’ in situ decision-making process in collaboration with our voice agent prototype, Fischer Fritz. Therefore, we conducted 15 contextual inquiries to understand food practices at home. Furthermore, we interviewed six fish experts to inform the design of our voice agent on how to guide consumers and teach food literacy. Finally, we created a prototype and discussed with 15 consumers its impact and capability to convey embodied knowledge to the human that is engaged as sensor. Our design research goes beyond current Human-Food Interaction automation approaches by emphasizing the human-food relationship in technology design and demonstrating future complementary human-agent collaboration with the aim to increase humans’ competence to sense, think, and act

Left atrial versus bi-atrial maze operation using intraoperatively cooled-tip radiofrequency ablation in patients undergoing open-heart surgery Safety and efficacy

AbstractObjectivesWe sought to determine whether limited left atrial Maze surgery encircling each of the pulmonary veins, using cooled-tip radiofrequency (RF) ablation, is as effective as the bi-atrial approach?BackgroundThe original Cox/Maze operation effectively restores sinus rhythm (SR) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Ablation procedures aimed at eliminating pulmonary vein foci have produced promising short-term success.MethodsThis was a prospective analysis of patients with chronic AF undergoing open-heart surgery in addition to the Maze operation, using intraoperatively cooled-tip RF ablation either in the left atrium alone (group A) or in both atria (group B).ResultsPatients in group A (n = 21) and group B (n = 49) did not differ in terms of their baseline characteristics. Concomitant open-heart surgical procedures included mitral valve replacement (3 vs. 25), mitral valve plasty (0 vs. 2), mitral and aortic valve replacement (1 vs. 1), aortic valve replacement (4 vs. 6) and coronary artery bypass grafting (13 vs. 15) in groups A and B, respectively. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 50 months. The overall cumulative rates of SR were 82% in group A and 75% in group B, without a statistically significant difference (p = 0.571). Bi-atrial contraction was revealed in 92.3% of patients in SR in group A and in 79.2% in group B. The cumulative survival rates were 90.5% in group A and 77.9% in group B (p = 0.880).ConclusionsA left or bi-atrial Maze operation using intraoperatively cooled-tip RF ablation can safely be combined with open-heart surgery. A left atrial Maze procedure seems to be as effective as the bi-atrial procedure and restores SR in 82% of patients

Mechanism of how augmin directly targets the γ-tubulin ring complex to microtubules

Microtubules (MTs) must be generated from precise locations to form the structural frameworks required for cell shape and function. MTs are nucleated by the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC), but it remains unclear how γ-TuRC gets to the right location. Augmin has been suggested to be a γ-TuRC targeting factor and is required for MT nucleation from preexisting MTs. To determine augmin's architecture and function, we purified Xenopus laevis augmin from insect cells. We demonstrate that augmin is sufficient to target γ-TuRC to MTs by in vitro reconstitution. Augmin is composed of two functional parts. One module (tetramer-II) is necessary for MT binding, whereas the other (tetramer-III) interacts with γ-TuRC. Negative-stain electron microscopy reveals that both tetramers fit into the Y-shape of augmin, and MT branching assays reveal that both are necessary for MT nucleation. The finding that augmin can directly bridge MTs with γ-TuRC via these two tetramers adds to our mechanistic understanding of how MTs can be nucleated from preexisting MTs