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AbstractClimate change may force organisms to adapt genetically or plastically to new environmental conditions. Invasive species show remarkable potential for rapid adaptation. The ovoviviparous New Zealand mud snail (NZMS),Potamopyrgus antipodarum, has successfully established across Europe with two clonally reproducing mitochondrial lineages since its arrival in the first half of the 19th century. Its remarkable variation in shell morphology was shown to be fitness relevant. We investigated the effects of temperature on shell morphology across 11 populations from Germany and the Iberian Peninsula in a common garden across three temperatures. We analyzed size and shape using geometric morphometrics. For both, we compared reaction norms and estimated heritabilities. For size, the interaction of temperature and haplotype explained about 50% of the total variance. We also observed more genotype by environment interactions indicating a higher degree of population differentiation than in shape. Across the three temperatures, size followed the expectations of the temperature‐size rule, with individuals growing larger in cold environments. Changes in shape may have compensated for changes in size affecting space for brooding embryos. Heritability estimates were relatively high. As indicated by the very low coefficients of variation for clonal repeatability (CVA), they can probably not be compared in absolute terms. However, they showed some sensitivity to temperature, in haplotype t more so than in z, which was only found in Portugal. The lowCVAvalues indicate that genetic variation among European populations is still restricted with a low potential to react to selection. A considerable fraction of the genetic variation was due to differences between the clonal lineages. The NZMS has apparently not been long enough in Europe to accumulate significant genetic variation relevant for morphological adaptation. As temperature is obviously not the sole factor influencing shell morphology, their interaction will probably not be a factor limiting population persistence under a warming climate in Europe.

Abstractβ-Glucanase has received great attention in recent years regarding their potential biotechnological applications and antifungal activities. Herein, the specific objectives of the present study were to purify, characterize and immobilize β-glucanase from Aspergillus niger using covalent binding and cross linking techniques. The evaluation of β-glucanase in hydrolysis of different lignocellulosic wastes with subsequent bioethanol production and its capability in biocontrol of pathogenic fungi was investigated. Upon nutritional bioprocessing, β-glucanase production from A. niger EG-RE (MW390925.1) preferred ammonium nitrate and CMC as the best nitrogen and carbon sources, respectively. The soluble enzyme was purified by (NH4)2SO4, DEAE-Cellulose and Sephadex G200 with 10.33-fold and specific activity of 379.1 U/mg protein. Tyrosyl, sulfhydryl, tryptophanyl and arginyl were essential residues for enzyme catalysis. The purified β-glucanase was immobilized on carrageenan and chitosan with appreciable yield. However, the cross-linked enzyme exhibited superior activity along with remarkable improved thermostability and operational stability. Remarkably, the application of the above biocatalyst proved to be a promising candidate in liberating the associate lignocellulosic reducing sugars, which was utilized for ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The purified β-glucanase revealed an inhibitory effect on the growth of two tested phytopathogens Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium digitatum.

Endocrinological research on wild animals inhabiting remote areas has been hampered by the need to store plasma samples at subzero temperatures. In an attempt to remedy this logistical issue, we here investigate the use of ethanol as an alternative to freezing for the preservation of steroid and indoleamine hormones in avian plasma. Known quantities of the steroids 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT), testosterone, 17beta-estradiol, corticosterone, and the indoleamine melatonin were added to a stripped pool of chicken plasma. Samples were either immediately frozen at -40 degrees C, or treated with pure ethanol. Ethanol-treated samples were either immediately frozen, or-to simulate storage conditions at various field locations-left sitting at room temperature for one to two months, or incubated at 36 degrees C for one month before all treatment groups were frozen at -40 degrees C. All samples were then analyzed by radioimmunoassay. For DHT and estradiol there were no differences among treatment groups suggesting that ethanol-treatment is as effective as immediate freezing in preserving plasma steroid concentrations. For testosterone, corticosterone and melatonin ethanol-treated samples differed significantly from immediately frozen samples suggesting that caution is needed when comparing absolute concentrations of hormones between samples preserved in different ways. However, differences among ethanol-treated samples in general were small, demonstrating the feasibility of this preservation method in the field at remote locations.

Most of the world’s mountain glaciers have been retreating for more than a century in response to climate change. Glacier retreat is evident on all continents, and the rate of retreat has accelerated during recent decades. Accurate, spatially explicit information on the position of glacier margins over time is useful for analyzing patterns of glacier retreat and measuring reductions in glacier surface area. This information is also essential for evaluating how mountain ecosystems are evolving due to climate warming and the attendant glacier retreat. Here, we present a non-comprehensive spatially explicit dataset showing multiple positions of glacier fronts since the Little Ice Age (LIA) maxima, including many data from the pre-satellite era. The dataset is based on multiple historical archival records including topographical maps; repeated photographs, paintings, and aerial or satellite images with a supplement of geochronology; and own field data. We provide ESRI shapefiles showing 728 past positions of 94 glacier fronts from all continents, except Antarctica, covering the period between the Little Ice Age maxima and the present. On average, the time series span the past 190 years. From 2 to 46 past positions per glacier are depicted (on average: 7.8).

AbstractA common control strategy for the production of recombinant proteins in Pichia pastoris using the alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) promotor is to separate the bioprocess into two main phases: biomass generation on glycerol and protein production via methanol induction. This study reports the establishment of a soft sensor for the prediction of biomass concentration that adapts automatically to these distinct phases. A hybrid approach combining mechanistic (carbon balance) and data‐driven modeling (multiple linear regression) is used for this purpose. The model parameters are dynamically adapted according to the current process phase using a multilevel phase detection algorithm. This algorithm is based on the online data of CO2 in the off‐gas (absolute value and first derivative) and cumulative base feed. The evaluation of the model resulted in a mean relative prediction error of 5.52% and R² of .96 for the entire process. The resulting model was implemented as a soft sensor for the online monitoring of the P. pastoris bioprocess. The soft sensor can be used for quality control and as input to process control systems, for example, for methanol control.

Little is known about the validity of repeated 24-h dietary recalls (24-HDR) as a measure of total energy intake (EI) in young children. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of proxy-reported EI by comparison with total energy expenditure (TEE) measured by the doubly labeled water (DLW) technique.The agreement between EI and TEE was investigated in 36 (47.2% boys) children aged 4-10 years from Belgium and Spain using subgroup analyses and Bland-Altman plots. Low-energy-reporters (LER), adequate-energy-reporters (AER) and high-energy-reporters (HER) were defined from the ratio of EI over TEE by application of age- and sex-specific cut-off values.There was good agreement between means of EI (1500 kcal/day) and TEE (1523 kcal/day) at group level though in single children, i.e. at the individual level, large differences were observed. Almost perfect agreement between EI and TEE was observed in thin/normal weight children (EI: 1511 kcal/day; TEE: 1513 kcal/day). Even in overweight/obese children the mean difference between EI and TEE was only -86 kcal/day. Among the participants, 28 (78%) were classified as AER, five (14%) as HER and three (8%) as LER.Two proxy-reported 24-HDRs were found to be a valid instrument to assess EI on group level but not on the individual level.