Phylogeny of the genus Percus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) – nuclear genes and the basal splits

The phylogeny of the western Mediterranean genus Percus s.l. (Coleoptera, Carabidae) was analysed using partial DNA sequences of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene (865 bp). All 18 species of Percus s.l. with exception of P. espagnoli from the Balearic Islands were included. Phylogenetic analysis using the Maximum likelihood method reveals that the genus splits into three groups. The French Percus villai stands on its own. The Tyrrhenian species of Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and the Italian mainland form the second group. Within this group, the phylogenetic relationships are not resolved. The third group includes Percus plicatus from Mallorca and the species of the subgenus Pseudopercus from the Iberian Peninsula. These results indicate that the subgenus Percus s.str. is paraphyletic. The split of Pseudopercus and P. plicatus probably occurred with the separation of the Balearic islands from the Iberian peninsula (20million years ago) or by the flooding of the Mediterranean after the Messinian salinity crisis (5.3 million years ago). Based on these assumptions, the divergence rate of the 28S gene can be estimated as being at 0.22–0.27% or at 0.99–1.01% per million years

Different behaviour of mitochondrial and nuclear markers: introgression and the evolutionary history of Chrysocarabus (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

Phylogenetic analyses of Chrysocarabus taxa using different markers result in different phylogenetic trees. In particular, the mitochondrial gene tree contradicts the results of morphological and inbreeding studies. Two very different haplotypes of Carabus splendens Olivier, 1790 do not form a clade within this phylogenetic tree. We have earlier proposed that contradictory results are due to introgression. To verify our hypothesis, we analysed the internal transcribed spacer 2. No substitutions were observed in these nuclear sequences between the individuals of Carabus splendens, which contain the different mitochondrial haplotypes in question. The differences in the gene trees based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequences can be explained with at least two introgression events

Synthesis of Single Atom Based Heterogeneous Platinum Catalysts: High Selectivity and Activity for Hydrosilylation Reactions

Catalytic hydrosilylation represents a straightforward and atom-efficient methodology for the creation of C-Si bonds. In general, the application of homogeneous platinum complexes prevails in industry and academia. Herein, we describe the first heterogeneous single atom catalysts (SACs), which are conveniently prepared by decorating alumina nanorods with platinum atoms. The resulting stable material efficiently catalyzes hydrosilylation of industrially relevant olefins with high TON (≈105). A variety of substrates is selectively hydrosilylated including compounds with sensitive reducible and other functional groups (N, B, F, Cl). The single atom based catalyst shows significantly higher activity compared to related Pt nanoparticles

Early neurone loss in Alzheimer’s disease: cortical or subcortical?

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder where the distribution of pathology throughout the brain is not random but follows a predictive pattern used for pathological staging. While the involvement of defined functional systems is fairly well established for more advanced stages, the initial sites of degeneration are still ill defined. The prevailing concept suggests an origin within the transentorhinal and entorhinal cortex (EC) from where pathology spreads to other areas. Still, this concept has been challenged recently suggesting a potential origin of degeneration in nonthalamic subcortical nuclei giving rise to cortical innervation such as locus coeruleus (LC) and nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM). To contribute to the identification of the early site of degeneration, here, we address the question whether cortical or subcortical degeneration occurs more early and develops more quickly during progression of AD. To this end, we stereologically assesses neurone counts in the NbM, LC and EC layer-II in the same AD patients ranging from preclinical stages to severe dementia. In all three areas, neurone loss becomes detectable already at preclinical stages and is clearly manifest at prodromal AD/MCI. At more advanced AD, cell loss is most pronounced in the NbM > LC > layer-II EC. During early AD, however, the extent of cell loss is fairly balanced between all three areas without clear indications for a preference of one area. We can thus not rule out that there is more than one way of spreading from its site of origin or that degeneration even occurs independently at several sites in parallel

Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft in Sachsen: Statusbericht 2013: Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft - Statusbericht 2013 zum Stand der Entwicklung der Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft im Freistaat Sachsen

Der Statusbericht 2013 bietet einen Überblick zur wirtschaftlichen Bedeutung sowie volkswirtschaftlichen Einordnung der Land- und Ernährungswirtschaft in Sachsen. Die Bruttowertschöpfung der Land- und Forstwirtschaft stieg 2012 auf 1.103 Mio. €. Zusammen mit dem Ernährungsgewerbe wurde eine Bruttowertschöpfung von rd. 2,1 Mrd. € erzielt. Das ist ein Anteil von 2,4 % an der gesamten Wertschöpfung Sachsens. Darüber hinaus bestehen zahlreiche Verflechtungen zwischen der Landwirtschaft und deren vor- und nachgelagerten Bereichen. Zusammengefasst unter der Bezeichnung Agrarbusiness konnten mind. 78.500 Beschäftigte (d. h. jeder 25. sächsische Arbeitsplatz) diesem Bereich zugeordnet werden und damit mehr als doppelt so viel wie den Wirtschaftszweigen Maschinenbau (38.440 Erwerbstätige) und Fahrzeugbau (27.583 Erwerbstätige)

Chromosomes are predominantly located randomly with respect to each other in interphase human cells

To test quantitatively whether there are systematic chromosome–chromosome associations within human interphase nuclei, interchanges between all possible heterologous pairs of chromosomes were measured with 24-color whole-chromosome painting (multiplex FISH), after damage to interphase lymphocytes by sparsely ionizing radiation in vitro. An excess of interchanges for a specific chromosome pair would indicate spatial proximity between the chromosomes comprising that pair. The experimental design was such that quite small deviations from randomness (extra pairwise interchanges within a group of chromosomes) would be detectable. The only statistically significant chromosome cluster was a group of five chromosomes previously observed to be preferentially located near the center of the nucleus. However, quantitatively, the overall deviation from randomness within the whole genome was small. Thus, whereas some chromosome–chromosome associations are clearly present, at the whole-chromosomal level, the predominant overall pattern appears to be spatially random

Postwachstum und Raumentwicklung : Denkanstöße für Wissenschaft und Praxis

Dieses von Mitgliedern des Arbeitskreises "Postwachstumsökonomien" (2016 - 2020) der ARL verfasste Positionspapier ordnet die internationale Postwachstumsdebatte ein und diskutiert ihre Relevanz für die Raumentwicklung und die raumwissenschaftliche Forschung. Neben sektoralen Zugängen und Befunden werden konkrete Vorschläge zur Postwachstumsorientierung in Planung, Forschung und Lehre gemacht. Dabei wird zwischen kurzfristig erreichbaren Veränderungen und mittel- bis langfristig auszulegenden Maßnahmen unterschieden

Early neurone loss in Alzheimer’s disease: cortical or subcortical?

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a degenerative disorder where the distribution of pathology throughout the brain is not random but follows a predictive pattern used for pathological staging. While the involvement of defined functional systems is fairly well established for more advanced stages, the initial sites of degeneration are still ill defined. The prevailing concept suggests an origin within the transentorhinal and entorhinal cortex (EC) from where pathology spreads to other areas. Still, this concept has been challenged recently suggesting a potential origin of degeneration in nonthalamic subcortical nuclei giving rise to cortical innervation such as locus coeruleus (LC) and nucleus basalis of Meynert (NbM). To contribute to the identification of the early site of degeneration, here, we address the question whether cortical or subcortical degeneration occurs more early and develops more quickly during progression of AD. To this end, we stereologically assesses neurone counts in the NbM, LC and EC layer-II in the same AD patients ranging from preclinical stages to severe dementia. In all three areas, neurone loss becomes detectable already at preclinical stages and is clearly manifest at prodromal AD/MCI. At more advanced AD, cell loss is most pronounced in the NbM > LC > layer-II EC. During early AD, however, the extent of cell loss is fairly balanced between all three areas without clear indications for a preference of one area. We can thus not rule out that there is more than one way of spreading from its site of origin or that degeneration even occurs independently at several sites in parallel