Abundance of diatom cells in sediments from the Okhotsk and Bering Seas and the Northwest Pacific Ocean

The present investigation was targeted at diatom composition studies in the surface sediments (0-1 cm) sampled in the Sea of Okhotsk and the northwest Pacific in the depth range from 130 to 6110 m. The taxonomic analysis, as well as the quantitative (the diatom cell abundance per sediment dry weight unit) content and ecological group definition, was applied. Ten diatom taxa are the main body (80-100%) of the diatom assemblages: Bacterosira bathyomphala, Chaetoceros spp. (spores), Actinocyclus curvatulus, Thalassiosira latimarginata (group), T. antarctica (spores), Neodenticula seminae, Rhizosolenia hebetata f. hiemalis, Thalassiothrix longissima, Coscinodiscus marginatus, Coscinodiscus oculus iridis. The relative content of these species reflects the sedimentation conditions for different parts of the sea: the shelf, the continental slope, the open sea, and the ocean. The highest diatom content (45.6.3-60.0 mln per g of dry weight) was found for the surface sediments in the central part of the Sea of Okhotsk and the continental slope of western Kamchatka.

Development, Characterization, and Application of a Cadmium-Selective Microelectrode for the Measurement of Cadmium Fluxes in Roots of Thlaspi Species and Wheat1

A Cd2+-selective vibrating microelectrode was constructed using a neutral carrier-based Cd ionophore to investigate ion-transport processes along the roots of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and two species of Thlaspi, one a Zn/Cd hyperaccumulator and the other a related nonaccumulator. In simple Cd(NO3)2 solutions, the electrode exhibited a Nernstian response in solutions with Cd2+ activities as low as 50 nm. Addition of Ca2+ to the calibration solutions did not influence the slope of the calibration curve but reduced the detection limit to a solution activity of 1 μm Cd2+. Addition of high concentrations of K+ and Mg2+ to the calibration solution to mimic the ionic composition of the cytoplasm affected neither the slope nor the sensitivity of the electrode, demonstrating the pH-insensitive electrode's potential for intracellular investigations. The electrode was assayed for selectivity and was shown to be at least 1000 times more selective for Cd2+ than for any of those potentially interfering ions tested. Flux measurements along the roots of the two Thlaspi species showed no differences in the pattern or the magnitude of Cd2+ uptake within the time frame considered. The Cd2+-selective microelectrode will permit detailed investigations of heavy-metal ion transport in plant roots, especially in the area of phytoremediation.

The viruses in all of us: characteristics and biological significance of human endogenous retrovirus sequences.

Human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) are very likely footprints of ancient germ-cell infections. HERV sequences encompass about 1% of the human genome. HERVs have retained the potential of other retroelements to retrotranspose and thus to change genomic structure and function. The genomes of almost all HERV families are highly defective. Recent progress has allowed the identification of the biologically most active family, HTDV/HERV-K, which codes for viral proteins and particles and is highly expressed in germ-cell tumors. The demonstrable and potential roles of HTDV/HERV-K as well as of other human elements in disease and in maintaining genome plasticity are illustrated.

Lonnie Holley exploration and analysis of his artworks in two settings : the yard and the museum

The contemporary artist, Lonnie Holley, creates assemblage sculptures using found objects that he then places in his multi-layered yard art environment. With the rise in prestige of folk art, many art galleries and museums have displayed the works of Holley, removing them from the yard art environment and placing them in the gallery setting. This paper addresses how meaning changes when the context of Holley’s artworks changes.

National Parliaments and their Role in European Integration: The EU’s Democratic Deficit in Times of Economic Hardship and Political Insecurity. Bruges Political Research Paper 28/2013

The article describes and assesses the role of national parliaments in EU legislation considering the reforms introduced by the Lisbon Treaty. This is closely connected with the understanding and (political) application of the principle of subsidiarity. After an analysis of the possibilities and limitations of the relevant legal regulations in the post-Lisbon age, alternative ways for participation of national legislators on the European level are being scrutinized and proposed. The issue of democratic legitimization is also interconnected with the current political reforms being discussed in order to overcome the Euro Crisis. Finally, the authors argue that it does not make sense to include national parliaments in the existing legislative triangle of the EU, but instead to promote the creation of a new kind of supervisory body.