864 research outputs found
Molecular mechanisms of adaptation of the moderately halophilic bacterium Halobacillis halophilus to its environment
The capability of osmoadaptation is a prerequisite of organisms that live in an environment with changing salinities. Halobacillus halophilus is a moderately halophilic bacterium that grows between 0.4 and 3 M NaCl by accumulating both chloride and compatible solutes as osmolytes. Chloride is absolutely essential for growth and, moreover, was shown to modulate gene expression and activity of enzymes involved in osmoadaptation. The synthesis of different compatible solutes is strictly salinity- and growth phase-dependent. This unique hybrid strategy of H. halophilus will be reviewed here taking into account the recently published genome sequence. Based on identified genes we will speculate about possible scenarios of the synthesis of compatible solutes and the uptake of potassium ion which would complete our knowledge of the fine-tuned osmoregulation and intracellular osmolyte balance in H. halophilus
Perspectives for Germany's scientific-technological cooperation with Subsaharan Africa
The future of European-Chinese raw material supply chains: three scenarios for 2030 and their implications
When it comes to being supplied with raw materials, Europe faces a number of challenges. These include the diversification of European supply chains, the implementation of effective sustainability standards, and the reduction of strategic dependencies on China. What will European-Chinese raw material supply chains look like in 2030? This paper outlines three possible scenarios, illustrating the combined effects of different political and socio-economic developments and the impact they could have on European-Chinese supply chains. It aims to help political actors gain a deeper understanding of possible future trajectories and map out appropriate policy strategies in response to different scenarios. (author's abstract
Perspektiven fĂĽr die wissenschaftlich-technologische Zusammenarbeit Deutschlands mit Subsahara-Afrika: Potenzialanalyse
"Die vorliegende Arbeit ĂĽber Perspektiven fĂĽr die wissenschaftlich-technologische Zusammenarbeit
(WTZ) Deutschlands mit Subsahara-Afrika ist im Rahmen einer Studie entstanden,
mit der das Bundesministerium fĂĽr Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) das Deutsche
Institut fĂĽr Entwicklungspolitik (DIE) Ende 2005 beauftragt hat.
Ausgangspunkt für die Studie war das Interesse des BMBF, mögliche Kooperationspartner
der deutschen WTZ in Subsahara-Afrika zu ermitteln. Mit der zunehmenden Internationalisierung
von Wissenschaft und Forschung und den Herausforderungen des globalen Wandels
werden Wissenschafts- und Forschungskooperationen mit Entwicklungsländern auch
für Deutschland immer wichtiger. Dabei steht neben der Erschließung neuer Märkte und
Forschungsstandorte zur Stärkung der eigenen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit das Interesse im
Vordergrund, über Wissenschafts- und Forschungszusammenarbeit zur Lösung globaler
Probleme beizutragen. Afrika hatte auf dem G8-Gipfel in Gleneagles im Juli 2005 hohe
politische Priorität. Auch auf dem kommenden Gipfel in Heiligendamm im Frühjahr 2007
wird die Kooperation mit Afrika auf der Agenda stehen. Bereits in Gleneagles haben sich
die Minister der G8-Staaten darauf verständigt, die Zusammenarbeit mit Subsahara-Afrika
in den Bereichen Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie zu intensivieren.
Da das BMBF vorrangig auf Basis bilateraler WTZ-Abkommen mit internationalen Partnern
kooperiert, ist es Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit, diejenigen Länder in Subsahara-
Afrika zu identifizieren, die das größte Potenzial bieten, um als Partner in Wissenschaft
und Forschung fĂĽr Deutschland interessant zu sein. Die wissenschaftliche Leistungs- und
die wirtschaftliche Zukunftsfähigkeit hatte dementsprechend Vorrang vor entwicklungspolitischen
Zielsetzungen. SĂĽdafrika wird in der Analyse nicht explizit betrachtet, da zwischen
dem BMBF und SĂĽdafrika bereits ein WTZ-Abkommen besteht. Die Arbeit schlieĂźt
mit dem Vorschlag von fĂĽnf Eckpunkten fĂĽr eine neue Kooperationsstrategie des BMBF
mit Subsahara-Afrika.
Die Untersuchung ist quantitativ und qualitativ angelegt. Neben der Analyse vorhandener
Daten und Literatur wurden Gespräche mit deutschen Akteuren der WTZ und der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit
(EZ) gefĂĽhrt. Zielkatalog und Analyserahmen stellten die Arbeit
vor methodische Herausforderungen. Zum einen ist die systematische Erfassung sämtlicher
relevanter Kennzahlen in Hinblick auf die Interessen aller deutschen WTZ-Akteure
unmöglich. Zum anderen ist es aus der hier eingenommenen Makroperspektive nicht möglich,
die Qualität der vorhandenen Bildungs- und Forschungsinfrastruktur sowie die politischen
Entwicklungen in einzelnen Ländern hinreichend einzuschätzen. Auch die Kooperationsbereitschaft
möglicher Partnerländer kann nicht abgebildet werden.
So konnte es lediglich das Ziel sein, ein grobes Bild der Bildungs- und Forschungslandschaft
Subsahara-Afrikas zu zeichnen. Die Ergebnisse sind als Impuls fĂĽr eine intensive
Diskussion mit relevanten Experten in Deutschland und Afrika zu verstehen und bedĂĽrfen
weiterer intensiver PrĂĽfung vor Ort. Allen Interviewpartnern sei an dieser Stelle noch einmal
herzlich gedankt. Ein besonderer Dank geht auch an Julia Ellinger, die die Arbeit gekĂĽrzt
und in die vorliegende Form gebracht hat." [Autorenreferat
Hemp Waste as a Substrate for Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) and Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Rearing
The article processing charge was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) – 491192747 and the Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.The proper treatment of cannabis agricultural wastes can reduce the environmental impact of its cultivation and generate valuable products. This study aimed to test the potential of cannabis agricultural wastes as a substrate for the rearing of black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) and yellow mealworms (MW). In the case of BSFL, replacing the fibre component (straw) in the substrate with the hemp waste can increase the nutritional value of the substrate and led to bigger larvae. The bigger larvae had lower P and Mg, and higher Fe and Ca. Crude protein also varied based on the size of larvae and/or the content of protein in the initial substrate, which was boosted by replacing straw with hemp material. No other cannabinoids than cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabigerolic acid (CBGA), and cannabidiol (CBD) were found in significant amounts in the larvae. In the case of MW, the larvae grew less on the hemp material in comparison to wheat bran. Replacing wheat bran with the hemp material led to smaller larvae with higher Ca, Fe, K, and crude protein content, but lower Mg and P values. No cannabinoids were detected in the MW fed with the hemp material.Peer Reviewe
Publisher Correction: Sex-dimorphic genetic effects and novel loci for fasting glucose and insulin variability
Physical Properties of Substrates as a Driver for Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) Larvae Growth
The growth and nutritional profile of the black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) is usually investigated and compared when the larvae feed on substrates that differ in the chemical composition as well as physical properties. This study compares BSFL growth on substrates that differ primarily in physical properties. This was achieved by using various fibres in the substrates. In the first experiment, two substrates with 20% or 14% chicken feed were mixed with three fibres (cellulose, lignocellulose, or straw). In the second experiment, the growth of BSFL was compared with a 17% chicken feed substrate that additionally contained straw with different particle sizes. We show that the substrate texture properties values did not influence the BSFL growth, but the bulk density of the fibre component did. The substrate mixed with cellulose led to higher larvae growth over time in comparison to substrates with higher bulk density fibres. BSFL grown on the substrate mixed with cellulose reached their maximum weight in 6 days instead of 7. Neither the fibres nor the nutrient level changed the crude protein content of BSFL and the values ranged between 33.5% and 38.3%, but an interaction between the fibre and nutrient level was observed. The size of straw particles in the substrates influenced the BSFL growth and led to a 26.78% difference in Ca concentration, a 12.04% difference in Mg concentration, and a 35.34% difference in P concentration. Our findings indicate that the BSFL-rearing substrates can be optimised by changing the fibre component or its particle size. This can improve the survival rate, reduce the cultivation time needed to reach the maximum weight, and alter the chemical composition of BSFL.German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF)Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinPeer Reviewe
Investigating the Potential Role of Ecological Validity on Change-Detection Memory Tasks and Distractor Processing in Younger and Older Adults
Cognitive performance is often found to be lower in older adults, especially when the task requires memory, executive functions, or selective attention. But this alleged deterioration may have been overestimated in the past due to ecologically invalid testing. To verify this possible misjudgment here we compared age-related memory performance in a typical, abstract computer task to a paper-pencil test with a real-world map and to an even more realistic task that took place in a real room with everyday objects. Retention and response intervals differed between the tasks as they had to be adjusted to the different settings. Twenty-seven younger (19–29 years old) and twenty-three older participants (61–77 years old) took part in the study. As expected younger participants outperformed the older ones in the computer task. However, although older adults’ performance was better in both more realistic tasks, the delta to the young remained the same as in the computer task. Hence, these results do not support the general notion that older adults would profit from more realistic test scenarios. On the other hand, performance in a clinical screening task correlated only with the performance in the real world task suggesting that this task reflected the general cognitive status of participants better than the more abstract tasks. Finally, it was observed that the presence of task-irrelevant distractor items actually helped older adults to improve their performance in the paper pencil task arguing against the assumption of a general age-related impairment of inhibition. In sum, the present results show that age-related changes in memory are neither simply explained by reduced abilities to deal with abstract computer tasks nor by disturbed inhibition processes
Die Zukunft europäisch-chinesischer Rohstofflieferketten: drei Szenarien für das Jahr 2030 - und was sich daraus ergibt
Die kĂĽnftige Rohstoffversorgung Europas ist mit einer Reihe von Herausforderungen verbunden. Dazu gehören die Diversifizierung europäischer Lieferketten, die UmÂsetÂzung effektiver Nachhaltigkeitsstandards und nicht zuletzt der Abbau strategischer Abhängigkeiten von China. Wie werden im Jahr 2030 die europäisch-chinesiÂschen Rohstofflieferketten aussehen? Dazu werden im Folgenden drei Szenarien durchÂgespielt. Sie können politischen Akteuren helfen, plausible Vorstellungen von der Zukunft zu gewinnen und mögliche Entwicklungen gedanklich voneinander abÂzuÂgrenzen. Die Szenarien zeigen, welche Effekte politische wie sozio-ökonomische Faktoren auf die europäisch-chinesischen Lieferketten haben und wie sich europäische Akteure darauf einstellen können. (Autorenreferat
Flexibility of Epichlorohydrin Production—Increasing Profitability by Demand Response for Electricity and Balancing Market
The increasing share of variable renewable energies in the power grid is an incentive to explore demand response strategies. Chlor-alkali processes are high potential candidates, according to previous publications. Within Germany’s chemical industry, chlorine production accounts for approximately 20% of electricity use and could play a significant role in power grid stabilisation on the consumer end. This study focuses on the feasibility of load flexibilisation in epichlorohydrin plants, with the second biggest estimated demand response potential for chlorine-based products in Germany. A plant model with allyl chloride storage was created based on real data and literature values. Results from this model, spot market and balancing power prices, and future electricity market scenarios were used in a mixed-integer linear optimisation. We find that benefits from demand response can be generated as soon as additional power and storage volume is provided. The composition of provided types of balancing power bids follows the price trend on the market. Additionally, the computation time could be lowered significantly by running the scenarios in parallel. The results encourage a practical validation of the flexibility of epichlorohydrin production.BMWK,0350013A, Verbundvorhaben: ChemEFlex - Umsetzbarkeitsanalyse zur Lastflexibilisierung elektrochemischer Verfahren in der Industrie; Teilvorhaben: Modellierung der Chlor-Alkali-Elektrolyse sowie anderer Prozesse und deren Bewertung hinsichtlich Wirtschaftlichkeit und möglicher Hemmniss
- …