What is marine biodiversity? Towards common concepts and their implications for assessing biodiversity status

Biodiversity' is one of the most common keywords used in environmental sciences, spanning from research to management, nature conservation, and consultancy. Despite this, our understanding of the underlying concepts varies greatly, between and within disciplines as well as among the scientists themselves. Biodiversity can refer to descriptions or assessments of the status and condition of all or selected groups of organisms, from the genetic variability, to the species, populations, communities, and ecosystems. However, a concept of biodiversity also must encompass understanding the interactions and functions on all levels from individuals up to the whole ecosystem, including changes related to natural and anthropogenic environmental pressures. While biodiversity as such is an abstract and relative concept rooted in the spatial domain, it is central to most international, European, and national governance initiatives aimed at protecting the marine environment. These rely on status assessments of biodiversity which typically require numerical targets and specific reference values, to allow comparison in space and/or time, often in association with some external structuring factors such as physical and biogeochemical conditions. Given that our ability to apply and interpret such assessments requires a solid conceptual understanding of marine biodiversity, here we define this and show how the abstract concept can and needs to be interpreted and subsequently applied in biodiversity assessments

Arbeitsmarkt-Projektion 2010: Die Krise wird deutliche Spuren hinterlassen

Nach vergleichsweise geringen Änderungen der Erwerbstätigkeit und der Arbeitslosigkeit im Jahr 2009 wird sich die Lage auf dem Arbeitsmarkt im Jahr 2010 spürbar verschlechtern. Angesichts noch schwacher Wachstumserwartungen wird die Zahl der Entlassungen zunehmen, denn die aktuelle Unterauslastung des Personals ist kostspielig und nicht dauerhaft durchzuhalten. Dieser Kurzbericht skizziert mögliche Entwicklungen am Arbeitsmarkt für die Jahre 2009 und 2010

DPI-ELISA: a fast and versatile method to specify the binding of plant transcription factors to DNA in vitro

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>About 10% of all genes in eukaryote genomes are predicted to encode transcription factors. The specific binding of transcription factors to short DNA-motifs influences the expression of neighbouring genes. However, little is known about the DNA-protein interaction itself. To date there are only a few suitable methods to characterise DNA-protein-interactions, among which the EMSA is the method most frequently used in laboratories. Besides EMSA, several protocols describe the effective use of an ELISA-based transcription factor binding assay e.g. for the analysis of human NFκB binding to specific DNA sequences.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We provide a unified protocol for this type of ELISA analysis, termed DNA-Protein-Interaction (DPI)-ELISA. Qualitative analyses with His-epitope tagged plant transcription factors expressed in <it>E. coli </it>revealed that EMSA and DPI-ELISA result in comparable and reproducible data. The binding of <it>At</it>bZIP63 to the C-box and <it>At</it>WRKY11 to the W2-box could be reproduced and validated by both methods. We next examined the physical binding of the C-terminal DNA-binding domains of <it>At</it>WRKY33, <it>At</it>WRKY50 and <it>At</it>WRKY75 to the W2-box. Although the DNA-binding domain is highly conserved among the WRKY proteins tested, the use of the DPI-ELISA discloses differences in W2-box binding properties between these proteins. In addition to these well-studied transcription factor families, we applied our protocol to <it>At</it>BPC2, a member of the so far uncharacterised plant specific Basic Pentacysteine transcription factor family. We could demonstrate binding to GA/TC-dinucleotide repeat motifs by our DPI-ELISA protocol. Different buffers and reaction conditions were examined.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We successfully applied our DPI-ELISA protocol to investigate the DNA-binding specificities of three different classes of transcription factors from <it>Arabidopsis thaliana</it>. However, the analysis of the binding affinity of any DNA-binding protein to any given DNA sequence can be performed <it>via </it>this method. The DPI-ELISA is cost efficient, less time-consuming than other methods and provides a qualitative and quantitative readout. The presented DPI-ELISA protocol is accompanied by advice on trouble-shooting, which will enable scientists to rapidly establish this versatile and easy to use method in their laboratories.</p

Prognose 2010/2011: Der Arbeitsmarkt schließt an den vorherigen Aufschwung an

Die Wirtschaftskrise hinterließ ihre Spuren am Arbeitsmarkt, aber weniger tief als erwartet. Das umfangreiche Halten der Arbeitskräfte ließ befürchten, die 2010 einsetzende konjunkturelle Erholung werde ein 'jobless growth' sein und wirkungslos am Arbeitsmarkt vorbeigehen. Dem ist nicht so, jedenfalls nicht auf gesamtwirtschaftlicher Ebene - obgleich die Beschäftigung deutlich schwächer wächst als das BIP. Im ersten Halbjahr 2010 ist die sozialversicherungspflichtige Beschäftigung saisonbereinigt um 250.000 gestiegen und die Arbeitslosigkeit um 180.000 gesunken. Dieser Kurzbericht zeigt, wie sich die Entwicklung im Jahr 2011 fortsetzen wird

The Minus-End-Directed Kinesin OsDLK Shuttles to the Nucleus and Modulates the Expression of Cold-Box Factor 4

The transition to terrestrial plants was accompanied by a progressive loss of microtubule minus-end-directed dynein motors. Instead, the minus-end-directed class-XIV kinesins expanded considerably, likely related to novel functions. One of these motors, OsDLK (Dual Localisation Kinesin from rice), decorates cortical microtubules but moves into the nucleus in response to cold stress. This analysis of loss-of-function mutants in rice indicates that OsDLK participates in cell elongation during development. Since OsDLK harbours both a nuclear localisation signal and a putative leucin zipper, we asked whether the cold-induced import of OsDLK into the nucleus might correlate with specific DNA binding. Conducting a DPI-ELISA screen with recombinant OsDLKT (lacking the motor domain), we identified the Opaque2 motif as the most promising candidate. This motif is present in the promoter of NtAvr9/Cf9, the tobacco homologue of Cold-Box Factor 4, a transcription factor involved in cold adaptation. A comparative study revealed that the cold-induced accumulation of NtAvr9/Cfp9 was specifically quelled in transgenic BY−2 cells overexpressing OsDLK-GFP. These findings are discussed as a working model, where, in response to cold stress, OsDLK partitions from cortical microtubules at the plasma membrane into the nucleus and specifically modulates the expression of genes involved in cold adaptation

Entwicklung des Arbeitsmarktes 2010: Die Spuren der Krise sind noch länger sichtbar

Im Jahr 2009 stagnierte die Erwerbstätigkeit und die Arbeitslosigkeit stieg um 'nur' 160.000 Personen - trotz des Einbruchs der wirtschaftlichen Aktivität um 5 Prozent. Inzwischen ist eine leichte wirtschaftliche Erholung eingetreten, die jedoch risikobelastet bleibt. Damit stellt sich die Herausforderung, bislang erhaltene Beschäftigung möglichst zu sichern, aber auch Anpassungen zuzulassen, damit sich weder obsolete Strukturen noch die entstandene Arbeitslosigkeit verfestigen. Die Arbeitsmarktprojektion des IAB zeigt, wie sich Arbeitsangebot, Arbeitsnachfrage und Unterbeschäftigung im Jahr 2010 voraussichtlich entwickeln

Neue Arbeitsmarktprognose 2011: Rekorde und Risiken

Nach der internationalen Krise 2008/2009 hat sich die Wirtschaft in Deutschland rasch und nachhaltig erholt. Binnen anderthalb Jahren haben die wichtigsten Arbeitsmarktzahlen ihr Vorkrisenniveau erreicht. Doch auch die Risiken häufen sich, nicht nur infolge der Katastrophe in Japan: Die Finanzkrise hat immense Probleme bei der Bonität einiger EU-Mitgliedsländer verursacht oder aufgedeckt. Ebenfalls zugenommen hat die Inflationsgefahr, auch weil die Unruhen in Nordafrika Ölpreissteigerungen auslösen. Der Kurzbericht zeigt, wie sich in diesem Umfeld der Arbeitsmarkt im Jahr 2011 voraussichtlich entwickeln wird

PCN94 - Cost-effectiveness and preference for follow-up scenarios following breast cancer

OBJECTIVES: About one in every eight women in The Netherlands develops breast cancer. Every year, 11,000 new cases are registered and about 3500 women die of breast cancer. Prognosis after primary treatment for patients with breast cancer is improving. This leads to an increased number of patients in follow-up, which leads to increased workload. One of the main goals of follow-up is to improve the survival of patients. This study aims to determine a more individualized follow-up by modelling costeffectiveness of various follow-up scenarios and by determining individual preferences by using a discrete choice experiment (DCE). METHODS: A discrete-event state-transition model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of all scenarios for all patient groups. In addition, a discrete choice experiment (DCE) was designed to establish patient preferences. The DCE incorporated three process attributes (duration of follow-up, frequency and type of consult) and data were collected in a sample of 125 breast cancer patients. Patients had to complete all 18 choice sets that were generated from the three attributes. RESULTS: The modelling study revealed recommendations for follow-up in different age categories. Patients younger than 40 and patients with unfavorable tumor characteristics (>3 lymph nodes, tumor size >2 cm) can benefit from a more intensive follow-up of five or possibly ten years. Patients older than 40 but younger than 70 years old sometimes benefit from a more intensive follow-up; e.g. when younger than 50 and tumor size >2 cm. The DCE, however, showed that patients chose maximum levels of follow-up independent from age and their individual clinical risk profile. Duration of follow-up and type of consult (either hospital visit or telephone) weighted approximately 0.43 and 0.50 respectively. The frequency of follow-up (either once or twice a year) was least important (0.07). CONCLUSIONS: The model showed that follow-up may be individualized according to risk profile and age. However, patients preferred long and intensive follow-up strategies after breast cancer treatment. Taking into account individual patient preferences it may be recommended to reduce the frequency of follow-up to once a year. The service delivery by nurse practioners is well appreciated and another means for improving cost-effective follow-up

Projektion 2009: Arbeitsmarkt im Sog der Rezession

Die deutsche Wirtschaft befindet sich derzeit in der schärfsten Rezession seit Bestehen der Bundesrepublik und der rapide Rückgang der Auftragseingänge ist noch nicht zum Stillstand gekommen. Wie stehen nun die Zeichen für den Arbeitsmarkt? Die Tiefe der Krise, aber auch das Konjunkturprogramm und der demografiebedingte Rückgang des Arbeitsangebots - für die es in dieser Kumulation keine Beispiele in der jüngeren deutschen Wirtschaftsgeschichte gibt - beeinflussen das Verhalten der Wirtschaftsakteure. In dieser Zeit neuer Herausforderungen und Unsicherheiten skizziert der Kurzbericht mögliche Entwicklungen auf dem Arbeitsmarkt für das Jahr 2009. In seiner aktuellen Projektion rechnet das IAB mit einem jahresdurchschnittlichen Rückgang des realen BIP um 2 3/4 Prozent in der mittleren Variante und um 3 1/2 Prozent in der unteren Variante