New specimen of Psephoderma alpinum (Sauropterygia, Placodontia) from the Late Triassic of Schesaplana Mountain, Graubünden, Switzerland

Psephoderma alpinum is an armoured, durophagous placodont known from the alpine Late Triassic. Here we present a new, well-preserved isolated skull discovered in the Alplihorn Member (Late Norian–Early Rhaetian) of the Kössen Formation, Schesaplana Mountain, which straddles the Swiss/Austrian border. Micro-computed tomographic (µCT) scanning was used to create an accurate osteological reconstruction of the specimen, the first time this has been conducted for Psephoderma. We thus clarify disputed anatomical features from previous descriptions, such as a lack of a lacrimal and a pineal foramen that is enclosed by the parietal. We also present the first description based on µCT data of the lateral braincase wall, sphenoid region and some cranial nerve canals for Psephoderma, with the location of the hypophyseal seat, cerebral carotid foramina, dorsum sellae, prootic foramen, lacrimal foramen, as well as all dental foramina being described. This specimen represents the first skull of Psephoderma recovered in Switzerland, and features such as poorly-sutured braincase elements and its relatively small size compared to other known specimens may indicate that it was a sub-adult

Europe and the Nation: Austrian EU-Scepticism and Its Contestation

This discussion of EU-scepticism and its contestation in contemporary Austria is based on a qualitative, discourse analytical reading of the country's diverse media over recent years. Focusing in particular on news coverage and readers' letters pertaining to various (perceived) European crises, the analysis draws on the concepts of topoi (or ‘structures of argument’) and deixis (or ‘rhetorical pointing’) to examine the following four thematic foci, around which different positions of EU-scepticism, pragmatism and pro-European counter-discourses are variously formulated and argued over: the role and effects of (global) markets; a spectrum of competing identifications; frameworks of memory and prediction; debates about the EU's institutional structures and different political visions. The internally heterogeneous and strongly contested discursive field thus revealed also demonstrates the uneasy coexistence of various, more or less rigid discourses of national identity with emerging forms of ‘banal Europeanism’. While focused on Austrian data throughout, this analysis also points towards discursive parallels in other parts of the EU and argues for the value of qualitative analyses of EU-scepticism and its counter-discourses to complement existing quantitative studies

Late Cretaceous extension overprinting a steep belt in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Schesaplana, Rätikon, Switzerland and Austria)

The Triassic to Cretaceous sediment succession of the Lechtal Nappe in the western part of the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) has been deformed into large-scale folds and crosscut by thrust and extensional faults during Late Cretaceous (Eoalpine) and Tertiary orogenic processes. The following sequence of deformation is developed from overprinting relations in the field: (D1) NW-vergent folds related to thrusting; (D2) N–S shortening leading to east–west-trending folds and to the formation of a steep belt (Arlberg Steep Zone) along the southern border of the NCA; (D3) E–W to NE–SW extension and vertical shortening, leading to low-angle normal faulting and recumbent “collapse folds” like the Wildberg Syncline. D1 and D2 are Cretaceous in age and predate the Eocene emplacement of the Austroalpine on the Penninic Nappes along the Austroalpine basal thrust; the same is probably true for D3. Finally, the basal thrust was deformed by folds related to out-of-sequence thrusting. These results suggest that the NCA were at least partly in a state of extension during the sedimentation of the Gosau Group in the Late Cretaceous

RNA viruses in the house dust mite Dermatophagoides

12 p.-4 fig.-2 tab.Background: Allergy to house dust mites (HDM), the most important source of indoor allergens worldwide, is diagnosed and treated using natural extracts from cultures that can contain immunoactive components from the HDM microbiome, including mite-infecting viruses. This study aimed to contribute to the discovery and characterization of RNA viruses from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, followed by their detection in different mite-derived sources.Methods: Viruses were assembled after in silico metatranscriptomic analysis of D. pteronyssinus RNA samples, visualized by electron microscopy, and RNA detected by direct RT-PCR or data mining. Mite culture performance was evaluated in vivo.Results: Seven RNA viruses were identified in our laboratory stock colony. Picornavirus-like viral particles were detected in epithelial cells of the digestive system and in fecal pellets. Most of these viruses could be persistently transmitted to an inbred virus-free colony by inoculating fecal material from the stock colony. Upon viral infection, no significant effect could be seen on mite population growth. Transcriptomic screening confirmed the presence of homolog sequences to these viruses in independent laboratory stocks of D. pteronyssinus and in other Astigmata mites. Noteworthy, RNA from most of the viruses could be detected by RT-PCR on house dust samples, reference standards, and/or commercial diagnostic D. pteronyssinus extracts.Conclusions: Our results show that viral infections are common and widespread in D. pteronyssinus, both in natural and culture-based growth conditions. Potential effects on the mites themselves and consequences toward allergenicity in humans whether exposed naturally or after immunotherapy are discussed.Peer reviewedPublisher's versio

Photoresponsive liquid marbles and dry water

Stimuli-responsive liquid marbles for controlled release typically rely on organic moieties that require lengthy syntheses. We report herein a facile, one-step synthesis of hydrophobic and oleophobic TiO2 nanoparticles that display photoresponsive wettability. Water liquid marbles stabilized by these photoresponsive TiO2 particles were found to be stable when shielded from ultraviolet (UV) radiation; however, they quickly collapsed after being irradiated with 302 nm UV light. Oil- and organic-solvent-based liquid marbles could also be fabricated using oleophobic TiO2 nanoparticles and show similar UV-induced collapse. Finally, we demonstrated the formation of the micronized form of water liquid marbles, also known as dry water, by homogenization of the TiO2 nanoparticles with water. The TiO 2 dry water displayed a similar photoresponse, whereby the micronized liquid marbles collapsed after irradiation and the dry water turned from a free-flowing powder to a paste. Hence, by exploiting the photoresponsive wettability of TiO2, we fabricated liquid marbles and dry water that display photoresponse and studied the conditions required for their collapse. © 2014 American Chemical Society.Link_to_subscribed_fulltex

EMI and the Internationalization of Universities, an Overview

This chapter describes the state of the art in the area of internationalization of higher education (IHE) and English-medium instruction (EMI) by setting out the key concepts, research methods and areas of controversy to be addressed in the various chapters of the volume. The first section of the chapter looks broadly at internationalization as a field, outlining the areas of study, and the findings of large-scale surveys as well as identifying the most popular areas of research. second thematic section looks at how internationalization intersects with English-medium instruction, paying particular attention to language policy, the role of English as a lingua franca (ELF), and the teaching and learning of disciplinary content. The section concludes with some recommendations for research and teaching in EMI