Investigations on the population ecology and the population control of the Common earwig Forficula auricularia (Linnaeus) in vineyards of the Palatinate

Der Gemeine Ohrwurm Forficula auricularia (Linnaeus) wurde bisher im Weinbau als natürlicher Gegenspieler verschiedener Rebschädlinge zu den Nützlingen gezählt. Etwa seit 2005 verursacht er aufgrund stark ansteigender Individuenzahlen verbreitet Schäden in pfälzischen Rebanlagen. Zu den Primärschäden zählen das An- und Ausfressen von faulen und vorgeschädigten Beeren, starke Kot­ablagerungen im Stielgerüst sowie die Übertragung von Pathogenen. Ein möglicher negativer Einfluss des in Stresssituationen aus der Abdominaldrüse ausgestoßenen und auch im Kot vorhandenen benzochinonhaltigen Abwehrsekretes auf die Weinqualität wird zurzeit analysiert. Sekundär können die hohen Individuendichten von Ohrwürmern am gesamten Rebstock die Pflege- und Erntemaßnahmen stören. Diese Schäden führen beim Erzeuger zu einer Qualitätsminderung des Weines. Beim Verbraucher verursachen die hohen Individuenansammlungen in den geernteten Trauben einen negativen Eindruck. Aufgrund der beschriebenen Problematik wurde im Mai 2007 ein durch den Forschungsring des Deutschen Weinbaus (FDW) finanziertes Forschungsprojekt am Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum Rheinpfalz in Neustadt an der Weinstraße begonnen. Bis 2010 sollen offene Fragen zur Populationsökologie und Populationsbiologie des Gemeinen Ohrwurms in Rebanlagen geklärt und Strategien zu seiner Befallsregulierung entwickelt werden. Primäres Ziel der Arbeit ist es, die lagenweise hohen Populationsdichten auf ein für die weinbauliche Praxis akzeptables Maß zu reduzieren. Ein weiterer wichtiger Projektpunkt war die Aufklärung des Entwicklungszyklus von F. auricularia speziell in Rebanlagen. Am Rebstamm wurden die Individuen mit einer speziell entwickelten Lebendfalle aus Bambusröhren erfasst, die in Vortests die höchste Fangeffektivität von 4 Fallentypen erreichte. Die auf der Bodenoberfläche aktiven Ohrwürmer wurden mit Barberfallen aufgenommen.The Common earwig has been classified as a beneficial predator in vineyards. Amongst others the insect feeds on grape pests like different tortricids. In recent years within many regions of the viticultural area of the Palatinate the individual densities increased to an extremely high level. Earwigs may cause direct damages such as contamination of the grapes with faeces, eroded berries and transfer of pathogens. The chemical agent 2-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone, released from the abdominal glands while earwigs are menaced and likewise contained in faeces, may have a negative influence on the wine quality. All these facts constitute a quality downslide by winegrowers. The high number of earwigs in the grapes after harvesting causes a negative image by consumers. This study was carried out to investigate possible relations between the population dynamics of earwigs and specific environmental conditions in vineyards. The main focus of the research project is to test chemical, ecological and biological strategies to reduce the population densities. Another important point of survey was to study the life cycle of earwigs especially in vineyards. For sampling purposes in the trunk zone a special life trap out of bamboo tubes has been developed. This type of trap showed the highest catch rate of the four trapping types tested. For the monitoring of ground dwelling earwigs pitfall traps were used

CAPS facilitates filling of the rapidly releasable pool of large dense-core vesicles

Calcium-activator protein for secretion (CAPS) is a cytosolic protein that associates with large dense-core vesicles and is involved in their secretion. Mammals express two CAPS isoforms, which share a similar domain structure including a Munc13 homology domain that is believed to be involved in the priming of secretory vesicles. A variety of studies designed to perturb CAPS function indicate that CAPS is involved in the secretion of large dense-core vesicles, but where in the secretory pathway CAPS acts is still under debate. Mice in which one allele of the CAPS-1 gene is deleted exhibit a deficit in catecholamine secretion from chromaffin cells. We have examined catecholamine secretion from chromaffin cells in which both CAPS genes were deleted and show that the deletion of both CAPS isoforms causes a strong reduction in the pool of rapidly releasable chromaffin granules and of sustained release during ongoing stimulation. We conclude that CAPS is required for the adequate refilling and/or maintenance of a rapidly releasable granule pool

Morphological and Immunohistochemical Changes After Corneal Cross-Linking

Purpose: To present light and electron microscopic as well as immunohistochemical findings after corneal cross-linking (CXL). Methods: Six keratoconus corneas after CXL, 12 keratoconus corneas without CXL, and 7 normal corneas were examined by light microscopy, indirect immunohistochemistry using antibodies against proapoptotic BAX, antiapoptotic survivin, and BCL-2, and anti-smooth muscle actin and, in part, by transmission electron microscopy. Direct immunofluorescence with 4'6-diamidino-2-phenylindole was performed to analyze keratocytes/area in the anterior, middle, posterior, peripheral, and central corneal stroma. Results: The period between CXL and keratoplasty ranged from 5 to 30 months. All keratoconus corneas showed the typical histological changes. Increased proapoptotic BAX expression and/or antiapoptotic survivin expression were noticed in keratocytes and endothelium in 2 keratoconus specimens after CXL. Smooth muscle actin was only observed in subepithelial scar tissue of 2 keratoconus corneas without CXL. Keratoconus corneas after CXL revealed a significant reduction in keratocyte counts in the entire cornea (P = 0.003) compared with keratoconus corneas without CXL and normal corneas. This difference was because of a loss of keratocytes in the anterior (P = 0.014) and middle (P = 0.024) corneal stroma. Keratocytes in CXL corneas were reduced in the center (P = 0.028) and the periphery (P = 0.047). Conclusions: CXL in human keratoconus can cause considerable morphologic corneal changes up to 30 months postoperatively. Especially noteworthy is a long-lasting, maybe permanent, keratocyte loss in the anterior and middle corneal stroma involving the central and peripheral cornea. As long-term corneal damage after CXL is of genuine concern, particular care should be taken to perform this procedure only in accordance with investigational protocols

Penggambaran superhero pada tokoh Deadpool dalam film Deadpool

Deadpool merupakan film superhero yang diproduksi oleh Marvel Studio pada tahun 2016. Film ini menceritakan sosok superhero yang memiliki sisi lain dari superhero pada umumnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk melihat bagaimana tanda-tanda penggambaran superhero pada tokoh Deadpool dalam film Deadpool. Superhero merupakan sosok yang memiliki kekuatan diluar nalar manusia dan mereka selalu menutupi identitasnya. Metode analisis semiotika Charles Sanders Pierce digunakan untuk meneliti tanda penggambaran pada tokoh Deadpool dalam film Deadpool. Melalui tanda-tanda yang muncul dalam film Deadpool, peneliti menemukan bahwa menjadi superhero tidak harus menjadi sosok yang sempurna baik fisik maupun sifatnya. Selain itu film ini mempertegas bahwa menjadi superhero hanya membutuhkan kemauan yang kuat, jiwa kepahlawanan yang besar dan usaha yang maksimal

Two distinct secretory vesicle–priming steps in adrenal chromaffin cells

The calcium-dependent activator proteins for secretion, CAPS1 and CAPS2, facilitate syntaxin opening during synaptic vesicle priming

CMS physics technical design report : Addendum on high density QCD with heavy ions

Peer reviewe

Vesicle Pools: Lessons from Adrenal Chromaffin Cells

The adrenal chromaffin cell serves as a model system to study fast Ca2+-dependent exocytosis. Membrane capacitance measurements in combination with Ca2+ uncaging offers a temporal resolution in the millisecond range and reveals that catecholamine release occurs in three distinct phases. Release of a readily releasable (RRP) and a slowly releasable (SRP) pool are followed by sustained release, due to maturation, and release of vesicles which were not release-ready at the start of the stimulus. Trains of depolarizations, a more physiological stimulus, induce release from a small immediately releasable pool of vesicles residing adjacent to calcium channels, as well as from the RRP. The SRP is poorly activated by depolarization. A sequential model, in which non-releasable docked vesicles are primed to a slowly releasable state, and then further mature to the readily releasable state, has been proposed. The docked state, dependent on membrane proximity, requires SNAP-25, synaptotagmin, and syntaxin. The ablation or modification of SNAP-25 and syntaxin, components of the SNARE complex, as well as of synaptotagmin, the calcium sensor, and modulators such complexins and Snapin alter the properties and/or magnitudes of different phases of release, and in particular can ablate the RRP. These results indicate that the composition of the SNARE complex and its interaction with modulatory molecules drives priming and provides a molecular basis for different pools of releasable vesicles

Lytic granule exocytosis at immune synapses: lessons from neuronal synapses

Regulated exocytosis is a central mechanism of cellular communication. It is not only the basis for neurotransmission and hormone release, but also plays an important role in the immune system for the release of cytokines and cytotoxic molecules. In cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), the formation of the immunological synapse is required for the delivery of the cytotoxic substances such as granzymes and perforin, which are stored in lytic granules and released via exocytosis. The molecular mechanisms of their fusion with the plasma membrane are only partially understood. In this review, we discuss the molecular players involved in the regulated exocytosis of CTL, highlighting the parallels and differences to neuronal synaptic transmission. Additionally, we examine the strengths and weaknesses of both systems to study exocytosis