31325 research outputs found
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Morphological and molecular assessment of muscle metacercariae infecting tench Tinca tinca from fish farms and wild populations in Germany
No full textFish can be infected with metacercariae (the final larval stage) of different species of potentially zoonotic digenetic trematodes (flukes). The fish-borne zoonotic trematodes thus compromise food safety and present a major threat for human health. Reducing the risk of human infections requires careful assessment and accurate taxonomic identification of these parasites. Here, we analysed metacercariae in muscle tissue of tench ( Tinca tinca ), sampled between March and September 2022 from three fish farms and three natural waterbodies in Germany. Whenever possible, we combined morphological and molecular data from the very same individual metacercariae using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (cox1) and nuclear internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) for species identification. Three morphotypes of metacercariae were found in the muscle of tench, corresponding to the trematode species Pseudamphistomum truncatum Rudolphi, 1819 (Opisthorchiidae), Hysteromorpha triloba Rudolphi, 1819 (Diplostomidae), and Paracoenogonimus ovatus Katsurada, 1914 (Cyathocotylidae). The high prevalence of metacercariae of P. truncatum and P. ovatus , both with zoonotic potential, poses a risk for human infections if undercooked or raw tench is consumed.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB) im Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. (3473)Peer Reviewe
Monolithically Integrated GaAs Nanoislands on CMOS-Compatible Si Nanotips Using GS-MBE
No full textThe monolithic integration of III-V semiconductors with silicon (Si) is a critical step toward advancing optoelectronic and photonic devices. In this work, we present GaAs nanoheteroepitaxy (NHE) on Si nanotips using gas-source molecular beam epitaxy (GS-MBE). We discuss the selective growth of fully relaxed GaAs nanoislands on complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible Si(001) nanotip wafers. Nanotip wafers were fabricated using a state-of-the-art 0.13 μm SiGe Bipolar CMOS pilot line on 200 mm wafers. Our investigation focuses on understanding the influence of the growth conditions on the morphology, crystalline structure, and defect formation of the GaAs islands. The morphological, structural, and optical properties of the GaAs islands were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution X-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. For samples with less deposition, the GaAs islands exhibit a monomodal size distribution, with an average effective diameter ranging between 100 and 280 nm. These islands display four distinct facet orientations corresponding to the {001} planes. As the deposition increases, larger islands with multiple crystallographic facets emerge, accompanied by a transition from a monomodal to a bimodal growth mode. Single twinning is observed in all samples. However, with increasing deposition, not only a bimodal size distribution occurs, but also the volume fraction of the twinned material increases significantly. These findings shed light on the growth dynamics of nanoheteroepitaxial GaAs and contribute to ongoing efforts toward CMOS-compatible Si-based nanophotonic technologies.This research was funded by the by German Research Foundation (DFG-Grant No: 428250328 and 471105220). M.S. thanks the European Regional Development Fund ERDF (project number 1.8/15).German Research FoundationEuropean Regional Development Fund ERDFPeer Reviewe
Annual ribwort plantain and alfalfa mixtures enhance forage accumulation and reduce nitrate
No full textNitrate (NO3) leaching from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivation in autumn and sustaining high forage accumulation under dry conditions is a serious problem in farming. In this study, mixtures of alfalfa and ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) had agronomic advantages for forage accumulation compared to corresponding mixtures of alfalfa and a grass species (meadow fescue [Festuca pratensis Hudson]). The ribwort plantain and alfalfa mixtures accumulated twice as much forage as the reference mixtures with meadow fescue. Most of the forage accumulation was accounted for ribwort plantain due to poor initial alfalfa development. Ribwort plantain suppressed alfalfa and all weed species from as early as July and continued increasing forage accumulation until early autumn. At the same time, ribwort plantain contributed more than meadow fescue to a reduction in NO3‐N. Significantly lower NO3‐N shares in the soil were observed, on average, in mixtures with ribwort plantain and alfalfa in the 0.6‐ to 1.2‐m soil depths in autumn. Due to the inhibition of nitrification by ribwort plantain, NH4‐N was present in the soil solution of the sandy soil at the trial site to a greater extent in autumn compared to alfalfa and the mixtures with meadow fescue. Due to the highly competitive power of ribwort plantain, it should only be sown in mixtures with alfalfa at seed rates of 100 germinating seeds m−2.Plain Language Summary: Nitrate (NO3) leaching from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivation in autumn and sustaining high forage accumulation under dry conditions is a serious problem in farming. In this study, mixtures of alfalfa and ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) had agronomic advantages for forage accumulation compared to corresponding mixtures of alfalfa and a grass species (meadow fescue [Festuca pratensis Hudson]). The ribwort plantain and alfalfa mixtures accumulated twice as much forage as the reference mixtures with meadow fescue. Most of the forage accumulation was accounted for ribwort plantain due to poor initial alfalfa development. Ribwort plantain suppressed alfalfa and all weed species from as early as July and continued increasing forage accumulation until early autumn. At the same time, ribwort plantain contributed more than meadow fescue to a reduction in NO3‐N. Significantly lower NO3‐N shares in the soil were observed, on average, in mixtures with ribwort plantain and alfalfa.eip‐agri Agriculture & Innovation—Rural development 2014‐2020 for Operational Groups (in the sense of EU Art 56 of Reg. 1305/2013)Dresden University of Applied SciencesPeer Reviewe
A systematic narrative review of the research evidence of the impact of intersectionality on service engagement and help-seeking across different groups of women, trans women, and non-binary individuals experiencing homelessness and housing exclusion
No full textBackground: Women with experience of homelessness face severe health inequalities, with their average age at death being nearly half that of the general population. Recent research emphasises the compound challenges women with homeless experiences face in seeking help,accessing and engaging with support services, but we know little about the influence of different intersectional dimensions on their support access and experiences. The paper aims to review the evidence and critically engage with the impact of gender/sex, race, ethnicity, age, disability, class/poverty, migration status, religion, pregnancy/maternity and sexual orientation on women’s homelessness trajectories and engagement with services. Methods: We conducted a systematic narrative review of studies in 2023 investigating the impact of intersectional dimensions on women, trans women, and non-binary individuals with experiences of homelessness’ engagement with services and help-seeking. Primary qualitative, quantitative or mixed method research, written in English and published after 2010, was included. Narrative methods were utilised in the synthesis and analysis of the research. Results: The search identified 4109 articles after deduplication from which 52 were included for review. The findings highlighted intersectional experiences in help-seeking and engagement across housing, healthcare, the police, social services, and voluntary organisations. The women, trans women and non-binary individuals included in the studies reported a range of barriers, stigma, and discrimination, often rooted in systematic and intersectional disadvantage which delayed or prevented help-seeking and recovery. Conclusion: The review investigates the multiple challenges faced by women, trans women and non-binary individuals with experiences of homelessness, highlighting systemic and intersectional disadvantages which impinge on their agency. Changes in policy and practice are recommended to develop more effective person-centred, culturally and gender-sensitive approaches that can transform intersectional dimensions into strengths, empowering women and improving their recovery and engagement with services.Peer Reviewe
Melting down the number of variables for the inclusion problem for pattern languages and logspace-decidability of determinism of regular languages
No full textDiese Dissertation untersucht insgesamt drei Themengebiete: Die Konstruktion eines deterministischen 2-Zähler-Automaten mit Eingabe zur Simulation einer universellen Turing-Maschine mit Eingabe. Die im Vergleich zu früheren Arbeiten tiefer gehende Untersuchung des Inklusionproblems für löschende und nicht-löschende Patternsprachen. Und das Entscheidungsproblem, ob eine Sprache deterministisch regulär ist, wenn diese in der Form als deterministischer endlicher Automat, nicht-deterministischer endlicher Automat oder regulärer Ausdruck gegeben ist.This dissertation examines a total of three subject areas: The construction of a deterministic 2-counter-automaton with input for simulating a universal Turing machine with input. The more in depth investigation of the inclusion problem for erasing and nonerasing pattern languages in comparison to preceding publications. And the problem of deciding whether a language is deterministic regular if it is given in the form of a deterministic finite automaton, a nondeterministic finite automaton or a regular expression
Unveiling the Effects of Crop Rotation on Cropland Soil pH Mapping: A Remote Sensing-Based Soil Sample Grouping Strategy
No full textCrop rotation affects soil pH by disturbing H + production and consumption within soil–crop systems, primarily through fertilization, irrigation, cropping, and harvest. Studies have shown that crop rotation improves soil organic matter prediction. However, simply incorporating crop rotation may not significantly improve soil pH prediction, because the spatial variability in soil pH is lower and the way crop rotation influences pH is different. To quantify the extent to which crop rotation improves soil pH mapping, we introduced the strategy of grouping soil samples by crop rotation and modeling separately. We chose a typical multiple-cropping region suffering soil acidification in Southern China, where the complex crop rotation was mapped by Sentinel-1/2 time series and a legend featuring three main systems (i.e., paddy, vegetable, and orchard) and nine subsystems. This crop rotation map was then combined with other variables to derive multiple combinations and predict soil pH. Based on the best combination, we further assessed the grouping strategy. The results showed that simply incorporating crop rotation in one joint model was useful but could not obtain the expected accuracy, with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 0.66 and an R 2 of 0.36. The individual statistical accuracies were quite low for the vegetable and orchard rotations, with an RMSE of 0.77/0.70 and an R 2 of 0.30/−0.04. Grouping soil samples by crop rotation significantly enhanced soil pH predictability with a decrease in the RMSE of 15% and an increase in the R 2 of 53%. The results proved that grouping by crop rotation can fit and optimize the sub-models after learning the characteristics of the rotation subsamples, offering a way for improving digital mapping of soil pH over heterogeneous agricultural landscapes.This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 42171271 and 42401331), the open project of State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China, the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (No. EUAL-2024-03), Hebei Natural Science Foundation (No. D2024403075), the National Statistical Science Research Project (2024LY051), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFD150130), the Guiding Funds of Centra l Government for Supporting the Development of the Local Science and Technology (236Z4201G), and the Doctoral Research Start-up Fund Project of Hebei GEO University (No. BQ2024042).National Natural Science Foundation of Chinaopen project of State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern ChinaInstitute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesHebei Natural Science FoundationNational Statistical Science Research ProjectNational Key Research and Development Program of ChinaGuiding Funds of Centra l Government for Supporting the Development of the Local Science and TechnologyDoctoral Research Start-up Fund Project of Hebei GEO UniversityPeer Reviewe
Mediating Protest: Gezi Resistance and the Evolving Ecology of Video Activism in Turkey
No full textThis article traces the development of video activism in Turkey over the past two decades, focusing on its transformation during and after the 2013 Gezi Park protests. Situating video activism as a form of radical media, it examines how activists have used digital recording technologies to document protests, amplify marginalized voices, and contest dominant narratives. Drawing on interviews with members of eight activist collectives, the article maps the evolving practices, ethics, and internal dynamics of video activism, paying close attention to tensions between visibility and security and between participation and professionalism. The Gezi protests marked a turning point, expanding video activism into a decentralized, diverse, and participatory field. In the aftermath, while collective structures weakened due to increasing repression and shrinking protest spaces, the use of video as a tool for testimony, expression, and archiving has continued to evolve. New actors, forms, and platforms have emerged, transforming video activism from a specialized practice into a broader, more diffuse form of engagement. This article argues that video activism remains a significant mode of mediated resistance, reflecting the challenges and the evolving potential of visual intervention in an ever-changing political landscape.This research received no external funding.Peer Reviewe
Was Menschen im neuen Mittelschichtsmilieu in ihren Freundschaften suchen
No full textThe publication of this work was supported by the Open Access Publication Fund of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.Freundschaften haben große Bedeutung im Leben vieler Menschen, und sie werden im Zuge gesellschaftlichen Wandels noch bedeutsamer. Das Buch untersucht, was Menschen im post-traditionalen neuen Mittelschichtsmilieu in ihren Freundschaften suchen, was sie dort finden und welche Rolle das Geschlechterverhältnis dabei spielt. Eine zentrale These lautet, dass Freundschaften hier als Gegenideologie zu den Leiden an und in der Arbeit sowie in der Liebe imaginiert werden
Pore-Opening and Ion-Conduction Mechanism in Channelrhodopsins C1C2, ChR2, and iChloC by Computational Electrophysiology and Constant-pH Simulations
No full textChannelrhodopsins (ChRs) are photoreceptors that function as light-gated ion channels. Over the last two decades, they have become essential tools in optogenetics, enabling precise manipulation of neurons, neural circuits, and animal behavior through light. Although structural studies have provided important mechanistic insights into channelrhodopsins, a detailed understanding of their ion conduction mechanism and selectivity was proven to be challenging due to difficulties in experimentally resolving open-state structures. Here, we employed molecular dynamics (MD)-based computational electrophysiology and constant-pH simulations to obtain the fully open states of three different ChRs. A significant number of spontaneous K + , Na + , and Ca 2+ permeation events were observed in the cation-conducting C1C2 and ChR2, as well as Cl – permeations in the anion-conducting iChloC. Analyses of the ion binding sites and hydration profiles provided key insights into ion selectivity. Our study presents a robust computational framework for establishing the fully open-state structures of channelrhodopsins, laying the groundwork for the rational engineering of ion selectivity and conductivity.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 10.13039/501100001659Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft 10.13039/501100001659Peer Reviewe