Leibniz Institute Research Articles

Measurement report: Rocket-borne measurements of large ions in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere – detection of meteor smoke particles

Abstract. We present mass spectroscopic in situ data from rocket flights of two improved ion mass spectrometers in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere region. The instruments were optimized to detect large ions with a mass-to-charge ratio (m/z, mass) of up to m/z 2000 and 20 000 respectively, for analysis of meteor smoke particles. The flights were performed in the framework of the polar mesospheric winter echo (PMWE) campaigns, initiated and coordinated by the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP), to investigate polar mesospheric winter radar echoes in Andøya (Norway) in 2018 and 2021. Both flights were successful and allowed the mass number and chemical composition of charged meteor smoke particles to be investigated. We found a complex and diverse composition of positively and negatively charged molecules and particles within our mass range in a region that is notoriously difficult to get mass spectroscopic data from. While at altitudes below 85 km we observed negatively charged particles of up to several thousands of atomic mass units, above this altitude we found possible building blocks of these large particles that form right after their ablation from the parent meteorite material. In the first flight we detected no positively charged particles above m/z 100 and a difficult-to-interpret signal for negatively charged particles beyond our mass range of m/z 2000. In the second flight, however, we detected positively charged particles between around m/z 180 and 350 and a number of different negatively charged particles up to m/z 5500. Due to the very large mass range of m/z 20 000 used in the second flight and the subsequent lower mass resolution, unambiguous mass identification is not possible. A particular interesting pattern was found at 80.8 km of a compound that seems to double its mass around m/z 225, 450, 900 and 1800. Comparing our findings to proposed meteor smoke particle compounds by other authors, our observations would be consistent with magnetite, fayalite and forsterite. However, other possible compounds cannot be excluded.

Advancing Statistical Methodologies for Composite Phenotype Analysis in Genome-Wide Association Studies

Genome wide association studies (GWAs) have revolutionized our understanding of the genetic basis of complex traits by linking specific genetic variants to phenotypes. However, the analysis of composite phenotypes derived from multiple interrelated variables presents unique challenges, particularly in maintaining statistical power and interpretability. Conventional approaches often analyze each trait independently at a single time point, potentially neglecting the underlying correlations and developmental dynamics across different growth stages, which could significantly enhance the detection power of genetic associations. This study presents a novel statistical approach that combines phenotypic data from different plant developmental stages using a compressed linear mixed model (CLMM) to efficiently link the genotypes to phenotypes. The CLMM offers computational efficiency by leveraging dimensionality reduction and data compression techniques, making it suitable for analyzing large-scale GWAs datasets. This capability is crucial given the rapidly growing volume of genomic data. The data used in this study was obtained from Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK)-Gatersleben, Germany, database. It includes maize phenomic data and 50K SNPs data for 262 maize inbred lines. The modelling was done in R-statistical software following the guidelines of the Gapit tool. Plant growth was assessed at three time points: 11, 26 and 42 days after sowing (DAS). The models were compared using Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Information Criterion (BIC). The results showed that the model based incorporating plant volume, plant height, and plant surface area provided a better fit to the data compared to the models based on plant volume and plant surface area or plant height and plant volume. This is evidenced by lower AIC value of 1967.630 and BIC value of 1999.870 for the model incorporating three phenotypic traits (plant volume, Height and Surface area), compared to the AIC of 2008.560 and BIC of 2040.795 and AIC of 2312.930 for the model based on two phenotypic traits (plant volume and surface area) and BIC of 2351.321 for the for the model based on two phenotypic traits (plant height and volume). In the GWAs analysis, the results showed that the model incorporating three phenotypic traits (plan volume, height and area) detected the highest number of SNPs, with a total of 22 SNPs identified, compared to 11 SNPs detected using the model based on two phenotypic traits (plant surface area and volume) and 9 SNPs for the model based on two phenotypic traits (plant height and volume) across all growth stages considered. These findings suggest that combining traits to generate composite phenotypes in GWAS across different growth time points provides a robust framework that enhances the detection of genetic associations while preserving the biological relevance of the relationships between traits. This approach has significant implications for future GWAS, particularly in the study of complex traits, where understanding the interplay of multiple phenotypic variables is crucial for unraveling the genetic basis of complex traits.

Late-Stage C–H Deuteration of Organic Compounds via Ligand-Enabled Palladium-Catalyzed Hydrogen Isotope Exchange

Manuel van Gemmeren was born in Madrid (Spain) and raised in both Spain and Germany. After studying chemistry at the Albert-Ludwigs University in Freiburg until 2010, he conducted his doctoral studies in the lab of Prof. Benjamin List and obtained his doctorate in 2014 (summa cum laude). Subsequently, he joined the group of Prof. Rubén Martín for postdoctoral studies. From 2016 onwards, he established his independent research group at the University of Münster. In 2022, he joined the Otto Diels Institute of Organic Chemistry at Kiel University as a tenured professor of organic chemistry. Research in the van Gemmeren lab focusses on the development of novel synthetic methods, typically based on Pd-catalyzed C–H activation, that enable challenging transformations to proceed with catalyst-controlled reactivity and selectivity.Matthias Beller was born 1962 in Gudensberg (Germany) and studied chemistry at the University of Göttingen, Germany, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1989 in the group of Prof. L.-F. Tietze. As recipient of a Liebig scholarship, he subsequently spent one year studying with Prof. K. B. Sharpless at MIT, USA. From 1991 to 1995 he worked in industry. He then moved to the Technical University of München as a professor of inorganic chemistry. In 1998, he relocated to Rostock to head the Institute for Organic Catalysis, which in 2006 became the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis. The work of his group has been published in nearly 1150 original publications and reviews, and over 150 patent applications have been filed.

First report of squash vein yellowing virus naturally infecting cucumber, squash and melon in Jordan.

Plant viruses are major restrictive pathogens to cucurbits production in Jordan. During field surveys conducted in September 2022 in the main cucurbit growing areas (desert area, Jordan Valley, and highlands), virus-like symptoms such as vein clearing, mosaic patterns, interveinal chlorosis, and fruit malformation were observed, in the presence of high whitefly populations (Bemisia tabaci MEAM1, Mdanat et al., 2022). A total of 80 leaf samples from different species [48 cucumber (Cucumis sativus), 11 squash (Cucurbita pepo), 14 melon (Cucumis melo) and 7 watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)], including 70 symptomatic and 10 asymptomatic samples, were collected for further investigations. Total RNA and DNA were extracted using RNeasy and DNeasy plant mini kit (QIAGEN), respectively, and molecular detection against an array of cucurbit-infecting viruses was conducted using protocols available in the literature (Suppl. Table). Squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV; Potyviridae, Ipomovirus) was detected in combination with other cucurbit-infecting viruses, in 10 of 70 symptomatic samples with primers (SqYVV-v4762; SqYVV-c5512) targeting a portion of the cylindrical inclusion (CI) gene (Hernandez et al., 2021), including 3 cucumber, 4 squash and 3 melon samples, however, it was not detected in watermelon. Among other RNA viruses, cucumber green mottle mosaic virus, cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus, cucurbit aphid-borne yellows virus, cucumber vein yellowing virus, and cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus were detected in 9, 34, 7, 18, and 23 samples, respectively. The DNA viruses, squash leaf curl virus and watermelon chlorotic stunt virus, were detected in 36 and 30 samples. None of the detected viruses were present in asymptomatic samples. All 80 samples were negative for watermelon mosaic virus and tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus. Cloning (pGEM T-Easy Vector; Promega), sequencing, and BLASTn analysis of 4 CI-specific cloned amplicons (~ 0.75 kb, GenBank Acc no. PP908660-PP908663) confirmed the identification of SqVYV, with highest BLASTn identity of ~91% and ~99% to isolates ESF3 from USA (MW584342) and SqVYV-IL from Israel (KT721735), respectively. To reconstruct the complete genome sequence of the SqVYV isolate from Jordan, total RNA from a pool of squash and melon plants was used to construct a cDNA library with the Illumina DNA Prep kit, which was sequenced on a NextSeq2000 instrument as paired reads (2x150 bp) at Leibniz Institute DSMZ, to generate 18,723,252 total reads. Bioinformatic analysis in Geneious (Biomatters) resulted in the assembly of a single genome sequence of 9,831 nt (GenBank Acc. no. PP916052), covered by 83,995 reads, with mean coverage of 1,197 (Geneious mapper, 10% maximum mismatches per read). The complete genome sequence and the deduced polyprotein sequence shared over 99% identity with SqVYV-IL from Israel. Mechanical inoculation of 10 cucumber (cv. Giant Global) and 10 squash (cv. Lebanese) plants with inoculum from infected cucumber, resulted in vein clearing and mosaic symptoms, after three weeks from inoculation, while no symptoms were observed in the six negative controls. Symptomatic plants were confirmed by PCR to be infected by SqVYV as described earlier. In this study, we report the occurrence of SqVYV for the first time in cucurbit crops in Jordan. SqVYV has been reported to cause large economic losses in cucurbits in USA and Israel, posing a major threat to watermelon growers (Adkins et al., 2007; 2008 a & b; 2013; Reingold et al., 2016; Webster et al., 2013). Our findings should encourage further studies on the incidence and prevalence of SqVYV in cucurbit and non-cucurbit crops, including weeds, to understand its epidemiology in Jordan, including its natural host range.

Nonsubstitutable Consumption Growth Risk

Standard applications of the consumption-based asset pricing model assume that goods and services within the nondurable consumption bundle are substitutes. We estimate substitution elasticities between different consumption bundles and show that households cannot substitute energy consumption by consumption of other nondurables. As a consequence, energy consumption affects the pricing function as a separate factor. Variation in energy consumption betas explains a large part of the premia related to value, investment, and operating profitability. For example, value stocks are typically more energy intensive than growth stocks and thus riskier, because they suffer more from the oil supply shocks that also affect households. This paper was accepted by Lukas Schmid, finance. Funding: C. Schlag gratefully acknowledges research and financial support from the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE. Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01269 .

Setting up a Research Data Repository Based on Invenio RDM

Setting up a research data repository is a time-consuming task. Learning from others who went a similar way can be very helpful. For that reason we want to share our own experience. This article is based on the lessons learned while setting up a repository based on Invenio RDM at the Leibniz Institute for the German Language (IDS) in Mannheim between March 2022 and September 2023. We explain our decisions and steps taken on the way. Even though our requirements differ from other institutions’ we are confident that this description can be helpful to others. We mostly worked with language data, still the basic considerations are as valid and relevant to all areas within the Digital Humanities and beyond. This article is neither intended to convince you to set up your own repository nor to do the opposite. It should, however, help you to make your own informed decisions.

The influence of soybean rhizobia on the agricultural seeds sowing qualities

To grow high and stable yields with good product quality, it is very important to receive timely, full-fledged and friendly shoots of optimal density. Therefore, the problem of stimulating, or inhibiting, seed germination and the processes occurring in them occupies an important place in modern crop production. The method of pre-sowing seed treatment with rhizobia is one of the promising technological measures that ensure an increase in yield and quality of crop production. The staff of the Laboratory of Biological Research of the Federal State Budgetary Budgetary Institution of the Federal Research Institute of Soy conducted a study of the possibility of stimulating germination and disinfection of soybean seeds, lupin, vigna, wheat, barley using pure Sinorhizobium fredii crops. The work used collectible strains of rhizobia, which showed an abundant growth of bacterial mass on the nutrient medium of the MRC. The standard strain was S. fredii 5851 from the collection of microorganisms and cell cultures of the Leibniz Institute (DSMZ), Germany. In variants with strains, stable stimulating and healing effects were observed. As a result of a scientific experiment, it was found that, on average, in variants with S. fredii strains, germination increased by 37%, the length of seedlings – by 224%, the raw weight of seedlings – by 23% compared with the control (without treatment with strains). S. fredii strains BB-49, SB-39, SB-43, TB-422, TB-488, TB-490, TB-496, 062 maximally stimulated the process of germination of agricultural seeds.

An annotated catalogue of the type specimens of Phasmatodea deposited at the Zoological Museum Hamburg (ZMH).

We here present an updated and annotated catalogue of the stick and leaf insect (Phasmatodea) types currently housed in the Zoological Museum Hamburg (ZMH), part of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB). We found a total of 305 type specimens, belonging to 130 species. This includes 110 primary types (45 holotypes, 13 lectotypes, 52 syntypes) and 195 paratypes and paralectotypes. Most of the species were described by Redtenbacher, others come from Zompro, Brunner von Wattenwyl, Weidner and others. We provide updated information on the taxonomy of all species. This catalogue will represent an important resource for future taxonomic work on the group.

The Christoph Schubart Decapod Collections

Abstract Christoph D. Schubart is remembered as an outstanding carcinologist who left behind an enormous scientific legacy and a huge collaborative network with scientists from all over the world. Throughout his career, Christoph was also able to compile an extremely valuable crustacean collection, including physical specimens, DNA extracts, and tissues of many thousands of specimens. After his sudden death in early 2023, these valuable collections have been transferred from the University of Regensburg to the Leibniz Institute of Biodiversity Change (LIB). Molecular samples are now housed at the LIB Biobank in Bonn (ZFMK), and the physical specimens are deposited at the LIB Crustacea Collection in Hamburg (ZMH). The collections include marine (70%), freshwater (25%) and terrestrial (5%) material from all over the world. A preliminary list of the taxa potentially included in the collections is provided herein, which includes approximately 375 genera, 104 families, nine orders, and two crustacean classes. This note aims to provide the first insights into the Schubart collections and to encourage the scientific community to use this resource extensively, preserving the scientific legacy of Christoph Schubart, thus inspiring new emerging questions on decapod research.

Report on the Academic Round Table, 30 April 2024, New York City: Freedom of Online Communication Across Transatlantic Borders

Abstract The Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans Bredow Institute (HBI), the Columbia Global Freedom of Expression and the UNESCO Chair on Freedom of Communication and Information co-hosted an academic workshop in New York City on 30 April 2024. European and US experts examined the current state of freedom of expression on digital platforms on both sides of the Atlantic. The round table took place as part of the Year of Science 2024 in Germany. To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the German Basic Law (‘Grundgesetz’), this Year of Science has ‘Freedom’ as its central theme. This provided an excellent opportunity to examine the various understandings of freedom as it relates to communication rights and free speech between the US and Europe. The full extent of mutual learning opportunities remains untapped, and the practical implications are vast.

Natural allelic variation confers diversity in the regulation of flag leaf traits in wheat

Flag leaf (FL) dimension has been reported as a key ecophysiological aspect for boosting grain yield in wheat. A worldwide winter wheat panel consisting of 261 accessions was tested to examine the phenotypical variation and identify quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) with candidate genes influencing FL morphology. To this end, four FL traits were evaluated during the early milk stage under two growing seasons at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research. The results showed that all leaf traits (Flag leaf length, width, area, and length/width ratio) were significantly influenced by the environments, genotypes, and environments × genotypes interactions. Then, a genome-wide association analysis was performed using 17,093 SNPs that showed 10 novel QTNs that potentially play a role in modulating FL morphology in at least two environments. Further analysis revealed 8 high-confidence candidate genes likely involved in these traits and showing high expression values from flag leaf expansion until its senescence and also during grain development. An important QTN (wsnp_RFL_Contig2177_1500201) was associated with FL width and located inside TraesCS3B02G047300 at chromosome 3B. This gene encodes a major facilitator, sugar transporter-like, and showed the highest expression values among the candidate genes reported, suggesting their positive role in controlling flag leaf and potentially being involved in photosynthetic assimilation. Our study suggests that the detection of novel marker-trait associations and the subsequent elucidation of the genetic mechanism influencing FL morphology would be of interest for improving plant architecture, light capture, and photosynthetic efficiency during grain development.

Cloud micro- and macrophysical properties from ground-based remote sensing during the MOSAiC drift experiment.

In the framework of the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate Polarstern expedition, the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research, Leipzig, Germany, operated the shipborne OCEANET-Atmosphere facility for cloud and aerosol observations throughout the whole year. OCEANET-Atmosphere comprises, amongst others, a multiwavelength Raman lidar, a microwave radiometer, and an optical disdrometer. A cloud radar was operated aboard Polarstern by the US Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program. These measurements were processed by applying the so-called Cloudnet methodology to derive cloud properties. To gain a comprehensive view of the clouds, lidar and cloud radar capabilities for low- and high-altitude observations were combined. Cloudnet offers a variety of products with a spatiotemporal resolution of 30 s and 30 m, such as the target classification, and liquid and ice microphysical properties. Additionally, a lidar-based low-level stratus retrieval was applied for cloud detection below the lowest range gate of the cloud radar. Based on the presented dataset, e.g., studies on cloud formation processes and their radiative impact, and model evaluation studies can be conducted.

The Doppler wind, temperature, and aerosol RMR lidar system at Kühlungsborn, Germany – Part 1: Technical specifications and capabilities

Abstract. This paper describes the technical specifications of the extensions made to the middle-atmospheric lidar facility at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Kühlungsborn, Germany (54.12° N, 11.77° E). The upgrade complements the existing daylight-capable Rayleigh–Mie–Raman (RMR) temperature lidar with a nighttime-only RMR wind–temperature lidar. The new system comprises an independent lidar with laser, telescopes, and detectors, which is synchronized with and adapted to the (old) temperature lidar. As a result, with the combination of RMR lidars the atmosphere is probed with three (vertical and tilted) beams. This work intends to highlight the recent innovations in the construction of a Doppler–Rayleigh lidar system using the single-edge iodine-cell technique, which allows for the simultaneous measurement of wind, temperature, and aerosols. We will detail supporting subsystems that allow for a high degree of lidar automation and concisely provide key technical information about the system that will support readers in the development of additional RMR wind–temperature lidar systems. We show an example of time-resolved temperature and wind soundings reaching up to ∼ 90 km. These data agree well with ECMWF-IFS profiles between 35 and ∼ 50 km but show a much larger variability above. In the companion article, we will present the algorithm design and uncertainty budgets associated with the data processing chain.

Luteibacter mycovicinus sp. nov., a yellow-pigmented gammaproteobacterium found as an endohyphal symbiont of endophytic Ascomycota.

We isolated and described a yellow-pigmented strain of bacteria (strain 9143T), originally characterized as an endohyphal inhabitant of an endophytic fungus in the Ascomycota. Although the full-length sequence of its 16S rRNA gene displays 99 % similarity to Luteibacter pinisoli, genomic hybridization demonstrated <30 % genomic similarity between 9143T and its closest named relatives, further supported by average nucleotide identity results. This and related endohyphal strains form a well-supported clade separate from L. pinisoli and other validly named species including the most closely related Luteibacter rhizovicinus. The name Luteibacter mycovicinus sp. nov. is proposed, with type strain 9143T (isolate DBL433), for which a genome has been sequenced and is publicly available from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC TSD-257T) and from the Leibniz Institute DSMZ (DSM 112764T). The type strain reliably forms yellow colonies across diverse media and growth conditions (lysogeny broth agar, King's Medium B, potato dextrose agar, trypticase soy agar and Reasoner's 2A (R2A) agar). It forms colonies readily at 27 °C on agar with a pH of 6-8, and on salt (NaCl) concentrations up to 2 %. It lacks the ability to utilize sulphate as a sulphur source and thus only forms colonies on minimal media if supplemented with alternative sulphur sources. It is catalase-positive and oxidase-negative. Although it exhibits a single polar flagellum, motility was only clearly visible on R2A agar. Its host range and close relatives, which share the endohyphal lifestyle, are discussed.

Market Liquidity and Competition Among Designated Market Makers

Do competition and incentives offered to designated market makers (DMMs) improve market liquidity? We employ data from NYSE Euronext Paris to show that exogenous changes in contract design lead to significant decreases in quoted and effective spreads. In particular, market liquidity increases the most for stocks with the largest increase in competition among DMMs. Our analysis shows that competition among DMMs is an important aspect of contract design, along with elements such as rebates and requirements. This paper was accepted by Kay Giesecke, finance. Funding: M. G. Subrahmanyam thanks the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for generous financial support via the Anneliese Maier Award. L. Pelizzon thanks the Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE for financially sponsoring this research and Italian Ministry for University and Research [MIUR–2017RSMPZZ]. This work was also supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [Grant 329107530]. Supplemental Material: The Internet Appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01801 .

First report of strawberry polerovirus 1 in strawberry in Italy.

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) was introduced in Sicily (Italy) in the 1930s in the small town of Maletto, on the slopes of Etna volcan, where it's currently cultivated in a total area of 30 ha. The French cv. 'Madame Moutot', appreciated for its unique flavor and intense fragrance, was there propagated vegetatively and after decades, the distinctive 'Etna ecotype' originated by adaptation to the peculiar environmental conditions of the area (Milella et al., 2006). In May 2023, in a 0.5 ha "Etna ecotype" strawberry field, virus-like symptoms were observed in approximately 50% of the plants. Symptoms included severe dwarfing, leaf cupping and chlorotic spotting which lead to decline of infected plants. To investigate the etiology of the disease, leaf samples were collected from eight symptomatic plants for analysis by High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS). To this aim, total RNAs were extracted by using the RNeasy PowerPlant Kit (Qiagen, Germany). The RNAs were pooled, depleted of ribosomal RNA (QIAseq FastSelect; Qiagen), and a library was prepared according to the Illumina DNA Prep Kit. Sequencing on a NextSeq2000 instrument at Leibniz Institute DSMZ (Braunschweig, Germany) generated 31,149,784 of paired-end reads (150 nt), which were further analyzed in Geneious Prime version 2023.2 (Biomatters) using a custom workflow for virus discovery and genome assembly. Analysis of the assembled contigs by local BLASTn and BLASTp alignments against a custom plant virus database of NCBI nuclear-core (NC) reference sequences assigned a number of contigs to accession NC_025435, strawberry polerovirus 1 (SPV-1). Reconstruction of the virus genome by assembly of contigs and reads alignment resulted in a nearly complete genome sequence of SPV-1 (GenBank Acc. No. OR989958) showing by BLASTn 98.69% identity to the SPV-1 NC reference sequence, and 98.99 % identity with an isolate from the Czech Republic (GenBank Acc. OL421571). To confirm the presence of SPV-1 in each sample, RT-PCR using specific primers designed in this study SPV-1-CP-1F (5'-TCGAGATACGTCTAGAACTGCAA-3') and SPV-1-CP-1R (5'-GAGAGGCCCCTTCTACCTATTTG-3') targeting the entire 623 bp coat protein (CP) gene was performed. Amplicons of the expected size were obtained in five samples and Sanger-sequenced. The resulting sequences shared 99.85% - 100% of identity to the HTS - derived sequence (GenBank Acc. No. OR989958) through BLASTn analysis. Strawberry mottle virus (SMoV), strawberry mild yellow edge virus (SMYEV) and strawberry crinkle virus (SCV) were detected in the same library in addition to SPV-1 and then confirmed by RT-PCR using specific primers (Martin & Tzanetakis 2013). Strawberry polerovirus 1, related to the genus Polerovirus in the family Solemoviridae, was first reported in strawberries in Canada (Xiang et al. 2015) and was thereafter detected in the United States (Thekke-Veetil & Tzanetakis 2016), Argentina (Luciani et al. 2016), and Nepal (Kuwak et al. 2022). To date, the virus has been reported in Europe only in the Czech Republic (Franova et al. 2021). To our knowledge, this is the first report of SPV-1 in strawberry plants in Italy. Although the correlation between SPV-1 and strawberry decline (SD) is still uncertain (Xiang et al. 2015) transmission of the virus via aphids has recently been demonstrated (Franova et al. 2021). Our report let to hypothesize that its dissemination in Europe can be considered as increasing.

3D wind observations with a compact mobile lidar based on tropo- and stratospheric aerosol backscatter

Abstract. We present the first measurements of simultaneous horizontal and vertical winds using a new lidar system developed at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Kühlungsborn, Germany (54.12° N, 11.77° E), for the concept of Vertical And Horizontal COverage by LIdars (VAHCOLI). We describe the technical details of a multi-field-of-view (MFOV) upgrade, which allows the measurement of wind dynamics in the transition region from microscale to mesoscale (103–104 m). The method was applied at the edge of a developing high-pressure region, covering altitudes between 3 and 25 km. Comparisons between the lidar measurements and data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) show excellent agreement for the meridional wind component along the north beam of the lidar, which is better than 0.30±0.33 m s−1, while along the south beam, a higher deviation with -0.93±0.73 m s−1 is observed. Measurements of vertical wind show a significant underestimation of this component by ECMWF. Comparison of Aeolus winds to the lidar winds projected to the Aeolus viewing direction shows good agreement, with results better than -0.12±3.31 m s−1. The capability of the MFOV lidar to explore small-scale asymmetries in the wind field is shown by a comparison of the north and south field of view, where we observe a wind asymmetry in the meridional winds, which is also present in ECMWF but underestimated by a factor of approximately 4.

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Improves the Colonization of Titanium with Primary Human Osteoblasts: An In Vitro Study.

Several studies have shown that cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) treatment can favourably modify titanium surfaces to promote osteoblast colonization. The aim of this study was to investigate the initial attachment of primary human osteoblasts to plasma-treated titanium. Micro-structured titanium discs were treated with cold atmospheric plasma followed by the application of primary human osteoblasts. The microwave plasma source used in this study uses helium as a carrier gas and was developed at the Leibniz Institute for Surface Modification in Leipzig, Germany. Primary human osteoblasts were analyzed by fluorescence and cell biological tests (alkaline phosphatase activity and cell proliferation using WST-1 assay). The tests were performed after 4, 12, and 24 h and showed statistically significant increased levels of cell activity after plasma treatment. The results of this study indicate that plasma treatment improves the initial attachment of primary human osteoblasts to titanium. For the first time, the positive effect of cold atmospheric plasma treatment of micro-structured titanium on the initial colonization with primary human osteoblasts has been demonstrated. Overall, this study demonstrates the excellent biocompatibility of micro-structured titanium. The results of this study support efforts to use cold atmospheric plasmas in implantology, both for preimplantation conditioning and for regeneration of lost attachment due to peri-implantitis.

Usability of CEFR Companion Volume scales for the development of an analytic rating scale for academic integrated writing assessment

"Successful academic writing from sources requires a broad range of competencies. When writing from sources, students are expected to mine source texts for relevant ideas, present these ideas with precision and in necessary depth, have efficient paraphrasing skills and the knowledge of proper source attribution. In order to assess the combination of these skills in writing and to provide diagnostic feedback to the learners, there is a need to design a rating scale where the required skills are operationalized in separate criteria (Knoch 2011). However, this endeavour may be challenging due to the complex nature of the academic integrated writing construct. This article describes the process of analytic rating scale development in the context of German higher education (HE). We address the issues of construct complexity and the operationalization of the construct elements in rating scale criteria by a combination of theory-based, descriptor-based, empirical, and intuitive approaches to scale development (e.g., Chan, Chihiro and Taylor 2015; Kuiken and Vedder 2021), with a particular focus on the usability of relevant scales from the CEFR Companion Volume (CEFR/CV; Council of Europe 2020). Besides the CEFR scales, we also explore the usability of existing scales for integrated writing and relevant taxonomies (e.g., Keck 2006; Shi 2004). Finally, we present qualitative insights of intuitive expert judgement from a workshop with four content experts who trialled and refined the first draft of the rating scale. The ensuing validation of the rating scale is, however, beyond the scope of this paper and the mixed-methods validation study will be reported elsewhere. The rating scale development reported here was part of the DFG-funded research project Modelling of academic integrated linguistic competencies, conducted at the University of Bremen and the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education in Frankfurt. The project aim was to evaluate the academic-linguistic preparedness of students taking up English-medium studies in Germany by employing authentic integrated writing tasks and valid assessment procedures. The article offers insights into challenges and critical considerations when developing CEFR-based rating scales for integrated writing, focusing on valid rating criteria, bands, and adapting existing descriptors. "

Challenging old microbiological treasures for natural compound biosynthesis capacity.

Strain collections are a treasure chest of numerous valuable and taxonomically validated bioresources. The Leibniz Institute DSMZ is one of the largest and most diverse microbial strain collections worldwide, with a long tradition of actinomycetes research. Actinomycetes, especially the genus Streptomyces, are renowned as prolific producers of antibiotics and many other bioactive natural products. In light of this, five Streptomyces strains, DSM 40971T, DSM 40484T, DSM 40713T, DSM 40976T, and DSM 40907T, which had been deposited a long time ago without comprehensive characterization, were the subject of polyphasic taxonomic studies and genome mining for natural compounds based on in vitro and in silico analyses. Phenotypic, genetic, and phylogenomic studies distinguished the strains from their closely related neighbors. The digital DNA-DNA hybridization and average nucleotide identity values between the five strains and their close, validly named species were below the threshold of 70% and 95%-96%, respectively, determined for prokaryotic species demarcation. Therefore, the five strains merit being considered as novel Streptomyces species, for which the names Streptomyces kutzneri sp. nov., Streptomyces stackebrandtii sp. nov., Streptomyces zähneri sp. nov., Streptomyces winkii sp. nov., and Streptomyces kroppenstedtii sp. nov. are proposed. Bioinformatics analysis of the genome sequences of the five strains revealed their genetic potential for the production of secondary metabolites, which helped identify the natural compounds cinerubin B from strain DSM 40484T and the phosphonate antibiotic phosphonoalamide from strain DSM 40907T and highlighted strain DSM 40976T as a candidate for regulator-guided gene cluster activation due to the abundance of numerous "Streptomyces antibiotic regulatory protein" (SARP) genes.