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Land‐use intensification drives changes in microbial communities and the soil functions they regulate, but the mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood as land use can affect soil communities both directly (e.g. via changes in soil fertility) and indirectly (e.g. via changes in plant inputs). The speed of microbial responses is also poorly understood. For instance, whether it is long‐term legacies or short‐term changes in land‐use intensity that drive changes in microbial communities. To address these topics, we measured multiple microbial functions, bacterial and fungal biomass and abiotic soil properties at two time intervals 3 years apart. This was performed in 150 grassland sites differing greatly in management intensity across three German regions. Observed changes in microbial soil properties were related to both long‐term means and short‐term changes in: abiotic soil properties, land‐use intensity, community abundance‐weighted means of plant functional traits and plant biomass properties in regression and structural equation models. Plant traits, particularly leaf phosphorus, and soil pH were the best predictors of change in soil microbial function, as well as fungal and bacterial biomass, while land‐use intensity showed weaker effects. Indirect legacy effects, in which microbial change was explained by the effects of long‐term land‐use intensity on plant traits, were important, thus indicating a time lag between plant community and microbial change. Whenever the effects of short‐term changes in land‐use intensity were present, they acted directly on soil microorganisms. Synthesis. The results provide new evidence that soil communities and their functioning respond to short‐term changes in land‐use intensity, but that both rapid and longer time‐scale responses to changes in plant functional traits are at least of equal importance. This suggests that management which shapes plant communities may be an effective means of managing soil communities and the functions and services they provide.

Additional file 1: Supplementary Figure 1. Ordinary least squares regression between forest structural parameters of 124 forest plots from the Biodiversity Exploratories (calibration sites). Supplementary Figure 2. Comparison between observed and predicted data based on subsets of the Biodiversity Exploratories plots. Supplementary Figure 3. Procedure of forest inventory plot selection for the extrapolation of ecosystem service indicators. Supplementary Figure 4. Averages and 95% confidence intervals for the initial set of predictors (forest structural and abiotic parameters) calculated for the final set of 53 forest types. Supplementary Figure 5. Principal components space based on the forest structural and compositional parameters and abiotic parameters. Supplementary Figure 6.: Predicted levels of ecosystem service indicators for the 53 most dominant forest types in Germany. Supplementary Table 1. List of ecosystem service indicators with corresponding categories and unit of measurement. Supplementary Table 2. Coefficients of ecosystem service models based on forest structural and compositional parameters and abiotic parameters. Supplementary Table 3. Number of forest inventory plots used to predict potential ecosystem service supply across Germany.

1.Rapid growth of the world's human population has increased pressure on landscapes to deliver high levels of multiple ecosystem services, including food and fibre production, carbon storage, biodiversity conservation and recreation. However, we currently lack general principles describing how to achieve this landscape multifunctionality. 2.We combine theoretical simulations and empirical data on 14 ecosystem services measured across 150 grasslands in three German regions. In doing so, we investigate the circumstances under which spatial heterogeneity in a driver of ecosystem functioning (an ‘ecosystem‐driver,’ e.g. the presence of keystone species, land‐use intensification or habitat types) increases landscape‐level ecosystem multifunctionality. 3.Simulations based on theoretical data demonstrated that relationships between heterogeneity and landscape multifunctionality are highly variable and can range from non‐significant to strongly positive. Despite this variability, we could identify criteria under which heterogeneity‐landscape multifunctionality relationships were most strongly positive: this happened when multiple ecosystem services responded contrastingly (both positively and negatively) to an ecosystem‐driver. 4.These findings were confirmed using empirical data, which showed that heterogeneity in land‐use intensity promoted landscape multifunctionality in cases where functions with both positive (e.g. plant biomass) and negative (e.g. flower cover) responses to land use intensification were included. For example, the simultaneous provisioning of ecosystem functions related to forage production (generally profiting from land‐use intensification), biodiversity conservation and recreation (generally decreasing with land‐use intensification) was highest in landscapes consisting of sites varying in land‐use intensity. 5.Synthesis and applications. Our findings show that there are general principles governing landscape multifunctionality. A knowledge of these principles may support land management decisions. For example, knowledge of relationships between ecosystem services and their drivers, such as land use type, can help estimate the consequences of increasing or decreasing heterogeneity for landscape‐level ecosystem service supply, although interactions between landscape units (e.g. the movement of pollinators) must also be considered.

Phosphorus (P) is next to nitrogen (N) an essential nutrient for all living organisms. In contrast to N from volatile species are known, P cannot be replenished from the atmosphere. Phosphorus is primarily derived from mineral deposits, which will be depleted in the future. Therefore, a better management of P cycle is mandatory. Soil microbial biomass not only immobilizes P, but itself is an important source of nutrients because of its fast turnover. The importance of organic P (Po) is well-known, but still the quantitative significance of soil microbial P (Pmic) in the P cycle is rather unclear. Thus, the objectives were to elucidate whether the abiotic and biotic variables controlling Pmic concentrations in soil are the same for forests and grasslands. Moreover, to assess the effect of region and land-use management on Pmic concentrations in forest and grassland soils as mediated by the controlling variables. In three regions of Germany, Schwäbische Alb (ALB), Hanich-Dün (HAI) and Schorfheide-Chorin (SCH), forest and grassland plots (each n = 150) were studied differing in plant diversity and land-use management. Using structural equation models, organic carbon is the profound driver of plant diversity effects on Pmic in grasslands. For both forest and grassland, regional differences in Pmic attributable to differing environmental conditions (pH, soil moisture) were found. Analysing the three regions separately, neither tree species identity nor management (managed vs. near-natural) had significant effects on Pmic concentrations in forest soils. Although, for 2014 differences in cutting (HAI) and land-use (SCH) were found, in grassland soil, generally, Pmic seems to be insensitive to management (fertilization or harvesting). Also, there are no differences between soil type, excepted Histotols in SCH. Consequently, variables controlling Pmic in soil tend to show variance and regional alterations in controlling variables are more important for Pmic in soil than those induced by management. From plants and microbes in natural environments the preferred source of P is inorganic ortho-phosphate. Organic P contributes to 30 – 50 % of total P concentrations. In order to overcome the deficiency of P limitation, plants and microorganisms developed strategies to contribute to the transformation of Po to Pi by synthesizing enzymes capable of hydrolysing Po. During the enzymatic hydrolysis of Po and of pyrophosphate, oxygen (O) atoms from ambient water are incorporated into the released Pi. Incubating one soil sample of the ALB with waters differing in the O isotope composition (δ18OSW) in laboratory and using a linear regression of released Pi (δ18OPi) values on δ18OSW values in soil water the total biological O incorporation into Pi during the incubation could be quantified. Enzymatic hydrolysis associated with equilibrium fractionation dominated (> 90 % of the total biological O incorporation) in contrast to kinetic isotopic fractionation. Hence, this allowed to perform measurements of actual enzyme activity in contrast to conventional potential enzyme activity., Für alle Lebensformen stellt Phosphor (P) neben Stickstoff (N) einen essentiellen Nährstoff dar. Im Gegensatz zu N kann P allerdings nicht über die Atmosphäre zurückgewonnen werden. In Hinblick auf vorhergesagte Erschöpfung der P‐Ressourcen, sind die Kenntnisse der P‐Transformationsprozesse im Boden daher von entscheidender Bedeutung. Die Bedeutung von organisch-gebundenem P (Po) ist sehr gut erforscht, aber immer noch ist die quantitative Stellung von mikrobiell gebundenem P (Pmic) im Boden innerhalb des P-Kreislaufs unklar. Mikrobielle Biomasse im Boden immobilisiert P zwar, ist aber gleichzeitig eine wichtige Nährstoffquelle durch die hohe Umsatzrate. Daher war das Ziele dieser Studie, herauszufinden, ob die abiotischen und biotischen Variablen im Boden, welche Pmic kontrollieren, im Grünland und Wald gleich sind. Außerdem sollte der Effekt von Region (Standort) und Landnutzung (Grünland: Düngung, Mahd, Beweidung; Wald: Baumbestand, Forstmanagement) untersucht werden. Dafür wurden in drei Regionen in Deutschland, in der Schwäbischen Alb (ALB), im Hainich-Dün (HAI) und in der Schorfheide-Chorin (SCH), jeweils 150 Wald- und 150 Grünlandflächen, die sich in Pflanzendiversität und Landnutzung unterscheiden, beprobt. Mittels Structural Equation Modellierung konnte organisch-gebundener Kohlenstoff als fundierter Treiber für Pmic im Grünland herauskristallisiert werden. Regionale Unterschiede für Pmic bedingt durch unterschiedliche Umweltbedingungen (u. a. pH, Bodenfeuchte) konnten sowohl für Wald- als auch für Grünlandflächen gemessen werden. Analysiert man die drei Regionen jedoch separat, haben auf den Waldflächen weder Baumbestand noch Forstmanagement (bewirtschaftet vs. naturbelassen) einen signifikanten Einfluss auf Pmic im Boden. Obwohl 2014 bei einer wiederholten Messung von Pmic Unterschiede in der Grünlandnutzung bei Mahdanzahl (im HAI) und Landnutzung (in SCH) berechnet wurden, scheint Pmic im Grünland eher unempfindlich gegenüber der Landnutzung (Düngung, Beweidung, Mahd). Auch in Abhängigkeit des Bodentyps wurden mit Ausnahme des Histosols keine Unterschiede gefunden. Demzufolge neigen zwar die Einflussvariablen auf Pmic Varianzen aufzuzeigen, regionale Unterschiede der Einflussvariablen scheinen aber einen größeren Einfluss auf Pmic im Boden zu haben als jene, die aufgrund von Landnutzungsmanagement entstehen. Die wichtigste Form des P ist das ortho-Phosphat (Pi), da es direkt von Mikroorganismen und Pflanzen aufgenommen werden kann. Im Boden aber liegt Po anteilig von 30 – 50 % des Gesamt-P vor. Um Defizite der P-Limitierung zu kompensieren haben Pflanzen und Mikroorganismen Strategien entwickelt. Eine Möglichkeit ist Pi-Freisetzung via Gleichgewichtsfraktionierung. Hierbei erfolgt in Abhängigkeit der Temperatur ein intra‐zellulärer Austausch aller vier Sauerstoff-(O)‐Atome zwischen Phosphat und Wasser – die Pyrophosphatase. Die zweite Möglichkeit ist eine kinetische Fraktionierung. Hierbei erfolgt der Austausch extra‐zellulär. Speziellen Enzyme, sogenannte Phosphatasen, spalten durch Hydrolyse von Phosphorsäureestern pflanzenverfügbares Pi ab. Während dieser enzymatischen Hydrolyse von Po und Pyrophosphat werden O-Atome des Umgebungswassers in das freigesetzte Pi eingebaut. In einem Laborversuch konnte dieser Austausch an naturnahem Boden (ohne Zusatz von Substraten) nachgewiesen werden. Hierfür wurde ein Boden aus der ALB mit Wasser unterschiedlicher O-Isotopie (δ18OSW) inkubiert und mittels einer Regression zwischen der O-Isotopie des gewonnenen Pi (δ18OPi) und der δ18OSW der biologische Einbau von O zu δ18OPi während der Inkubation quantifiziert. Dabei dominierte die enzymatische Hydrolyse mit der Gleichgewichtsfraktionierung (> 90 % des gesamten biologischen Einbaus) gegenüber der kinetischen Fraktionierung. Der Einbau von O‐Atomen aus dem Umgebungswasser in das Pi ist enzymgesteuert und somit von der Enzymaktivität abhängig. Normalerweise ist über Substratapplikationen nur die potentielle Enzymaktivität messbar. Durch den Einsatz von markiertem Wasser mit 18O lassen sich durch Messung aber auch Rückschlusse auf die aktuelle Enzymaktivität ziehen.

Management intensity modifies soil properties, e.g., organic carbon (Corg) concentrations and soil pH with potential feedbacks on plant diversity. These changes might influence microbial P concentrations (Pmic) in soil representing an important component of the P cycle. Our objectives were to elucidate whether abiotic and biotic variables controlling Pmic concentrations in soil are the same for forests and grasslands, and to assess the effect of region and management on Pmic concentrations in forest and grassland soils as mediated by the controlling variables. In three regions of Germany, Schwäbische Alb, Hanich-Dün, and Schorfheide-Chorin, we studied forest and grassland plots (each n = 150) differing in plant diversity and land-use intensity. In contrast to controls of microbial biomass carbon (Cmic), Pmic was strongly influenced by soil pH, which in turn affected phosphorus (P) availability and thus microbial P uptake in forest and grassland soils. Furthermore, Pmic concentrations in forest and grassland soils increased with increasing plant diversity. Using structural equation models, we could show that soil Corg is the profound driver of plant diversity effects on Pmic in grasslands. For both forest and grassland, we found regional differences in Pmic attributable to differing environmental conditions (pH, soil moisture). Forest management and tree species showed no effect on Pmic due to a lack of effects on controlling variables (e.g., Corg). We also did not find management effects in grassland soils which might be caused by either compensation of differently directed effects across sites or by legacy effects of former fertilization constraining the relevance of actual practices. We conclude that variables controlling Pmic or Cmic in soil differ in part and that regional differences in controlling variables are more important for Pmic in soil than those induced by management., Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science, 181 (2), ISSN:1436-8730, ISSN:0044-3263, ISSN:1522-2624

The proceedings of chemical structure descriptors for structure-activity studies is proposed. These descriptors are based on the set of properties distributed in a topological space (molecular graph). It dominates perceptions of empirical descriptors or of autocorrelation descriptors from physical properties of atoms, for instance, of electronegativities, polarisations or volumes of chemical groups. The choice between these different methods is determined by the type of interactions of chemical compound with the receptor. By means of pattern recognition techniques you can make a classification of molecules on the base of the activity features. As well we obtaine fuzzy results with 75–95% probabilities only

Characterization of spatial and temporal variation in grassland productivity and nutrition is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem function. Although within-site heterogeneity in soil and plant properties has been shown to be relevant for plant community stability, spatiotemporal variability in these factors is still understudied in temperate grasslands. Our study aimed to detect if soil characteristics and plant diversity could explain observed small-scale spatial and temporal variability in grassland productivity, biomass nutrient concentrations, and nutrient limitation. Therefore, we sampled 360 plots of 20 cm × 20 cm each at six consecutive dates in an unfertilized grassland in Southern Germany. Nutrient limitation was estimated using nutrient ratios in plant biomass. Absolute values of, and spatial variability in, productivity, biomass nutrient concentrations, and nutrient limitation were strongly associated with sampling date. In April, spatial heterogeneity was high and most plots showed phosphorous deficiency, while later in the season nitrogen was the major limiting nutrient. Additionally, a small significant positive association between plant diversity and biomass phosphorus concentrations was observed, but should be tested in more detail. We discuss how low biological activity e.g., of soil microbial organisms might have influenced observed heterogeneity of plant nutrition in early spring in combination with reduced active acquisition of soil resources by plants. These early-season conditions are particularly relevant for future studies as they differ substantially from more thoroughly studied later season conditions. Our study underlines the importance of considering small spatial scales and temporal variability to better elucidate mechanisms of ecosystem functioning and plant community assembly., Plant Ecology, 217 (7), ISSN:1385-0237, ISSN:1573-5052

Bacillus cereus frequently causes food poisoning or nosocomial diseases. Vegetative cells express the novel surface metalloproteinase camelysin (casein-cleaving metalloproteinase) during exponential growth on complex, peptide-rich media. Camelysin is strongly bound to the cell surface and can be solubilized only by detergents or butanol. Camelysin spontaneously migrates from the surface of intact bacterial cells to preformed liposomes. The complete sequence of the camelysin-encoding gene, calY , was determined by reverse PCR on the basis of the N-terminal sequence and some internal tryptic cleavage peptides. The calY gene codes for a polypeptide of 21.569 kDa with a putative signal peptide of 27 amino acids (2.513 kDa) preceding the mature protein (19.056 kDa). Although the predicted amino acid sequence of CalY does not exhibit a typical metalloprotease consensus sequence, high-pressure liquid chromatography-purified camelysin contains one zinc ion per protein molecule. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time-of-flight mass spectrometry and tryptic peptide mass fingerprinting confirmed the identity of this zinc-binding protein as CalY. Disruption of the calY gene results in a strong decrease in the cell-bound proteolytic activity on various substrates.

Global change, especially land‐use intensification, affects human well‐being by impacting the delivery of multiple ecosystem services (multifunctionality). However, whether biodiversity loss is a major component of global change effects on multifunctionality in real‐world ecosystems, as in experimental ones, remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed biodiversity, functional composition and 14 ecosystem services on 150 agricultural grasslands differing in land‐use intensity. We also introduce five multifunctionality measures in which ecosystem services were weighted according to realistic land‐use objectives. We found that indirect land‐use effects, i.e. those mediated by biodiversity loss and by changes to functional composition, were as strong as direct effects on average. Their strength varied with land‐use objectives and regional context. Biodiversity loss explained indirect effects in a region of intermediate productivity and was most damaging when land‐use objectives favoured supporting and cultural services. In contrast, functional composition shifts, towards fast‐growing plant species, strongly increased provisioning services in more inherently unproductive grasslands.

‘Early–late’ bimetallic complexes of the type [(acac) 3 M–OCCo 3 (CO) 9 ] (M=Zr ( 1 ), Hf ( 2 )) are formed in reactions between (acac) 3 MCl and NaCo(CO) 4 . These complexes exhibit a remarkable stability. They were characterized by their IR, 1 H- and 13 C-NMR spectra. The crystal structure of 1 was determined.

Phthalimidomethyl and phenoxymethyl as well as corresponding acetyl cobalt tetracarbonyls (1-4) were prepared and characterized. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction molecular structure of 1 (the first X-ray structure of an alkylcobalt tetracarbonyl with a pure organic alkyl group) was determined. The equilibrium constants of the equilibria 1 half arrow pointing right over half arrow pointing left 2 and 3 half arrow pointing right over half arrow pointing left 4 were determined at 20-60 and 20-40 degrees C, respectively

(η5-C5H5)2M[Co(CO)4]2 (MTi, Zr) complexes were prepared by alkane elimination from the corresponding metallocene diorganyls and HCo(CO)4 or by salt elimination from metallocene dihalides and Na[Co(CO)4]. (Ph2N)2Ti[Co(CO)4]2 was obtained from (Ph2N)4Ti and HCo(CO)4.

From the synthetic point of view the fast developing fields of medicine and biology offer new opportunities for the design of very effective drugs with high selectivity. Especially in the field of anticancer therapy many efforts have been made to deliver drugs to specific tissues. Sugar substituted porphyrin compounds, bile acid conjugates, and pH-sensitive immunoliposomes are only some examples. Although there are many different approaches to exploit biomolecules as shuttles only a start has been made. Since the targeting of a drug is a very complex process, a successful design of a new compound has to consider chemical as well as biological aspects and requires a multidisciplinary cooperation with physicians and biologists. Three interesting concepts are evaluated exemplarily: antibodies, molecules with binding affinity to hormone receptors, and bile acids. The main issues are: selection of the drug and the carrier, ways of linking the pharmacological active compound to the biomolecule, the optimal way of linking the drug to the spacer, and cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and drug resistance.

This report continues our work on new compounds which consist of three functional parts--a transport fragment, a spacer and a biologically active 'drug' component. Here cholic acid functions as the transport fragment, linked via an alkyl spacer to a carboplatin analog, representing the drug (carbo-ChAPt-Fig. 1). We describe the synthesis and characterization of the series of complexes [Pt(Cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylato)(diamine)], [diamine=CholCOO(CH(2))(n)CH(CH(2)NH(2))(2) and THP(CH(2))(n)CH-(CH(2)NH(2))(2), n=4, 6, 8, 11]. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis and NMR-measurements. Cytostatic activity data are given. In general, the cytostatic activity is similar to that of the parent compound and is strongly influenced by the length of the alkyl chain spacer separating the drug and transport fragments, the ones with long chain spacers being more toxic than the parent complexes. Preliminary investigations indicate the ability of the ChAPt to break resistance of tumor cells against common platinum tumor drugs, e.g. cisplatin. They are effective even on cell lines that have developed resistance to other drugs such as cis- and carboplatin. They are more cytotoxic so they are potentially effective at lower dose concentrations. The mode of cell death was examined by trypan-blue exclusion test and DNA gelelectrophoresis. Typical fragmentation of DNA was observed and the cells were still able to exclude trypan-blue.

Time series analysis is a powerful method for analysing scanned measuring quantities. A computer program and some applications are described.

The conformations of alkylcobalt tricarbonyl tertiary phosphine complexes, ROC(O)CH2Co(CO)3L (L = PPh3; R = Me, Et, n-Pr, i-Pr, s-Bu, t-Bu, c-Hex (two modifications), CH2Ph, (S)-{[EtOC(O)]CH(Me)}, (1S,2R,5S)-menthyl, (1R,2S,5R)-menthyl; L = P(1S,2S,5R-menthyl)Ph2, R = i-Pr), have been studied in crystalline phases by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The geometries of the complexes are of a trigonal-bipyramidal type with the non-carbonyl ligands in the two axial positions. We find that the (chiral) conformations of the alkyl ligand and the phosphine group develop concertedly.