Amount, distribution and composition of large microplastics in typical agricultural soils in Northern Germany.

The pollution of the aquatic and terrestrial environment with plastics is a fast growing phenomenon with potential threats to the functioning of ecosystems and organisms therein as well as for human well-being. So far, research activities have mainly focused on the occurrence of microplastics (MP) in marine habitats, while little is known about their distribution and composition in the terrestrial environment. Agricultural practices such as fertilization, mulching or ensilage make agriculture a likely path for MP into the environment.

Walking Without Awareness.

Pedestrians are commonly engaged in other activities while walking. The current study assesses (1) whether pedestrians are sufficiently aware of their surroundings to successfully negotiate obstacles in a city, and (2) whether various common walking practices affect awareness of obstacles and, or, avoidance behavior. To this end, an obstacle, i.

Traffic management: Assessing various countermeasures to improve detection failure of changes in speed limit signals.

Under certain circumstances, drivers fail to notice changes in electronic speed limits. A video-based study was performed to reveal which countermeasures would improve drivers' ability to detect changes in electronic speed limits. Countermeasures included leaving electronic signs blank prior to a speed limit change and adding motion signals by means of flashing amber lights or a wave.

[Many adults with congenital heart disease are lost to follow up].

Objective: Identification of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) who were lost to cardiological follow-up.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Method: Adults with CHD and not under cardiological follow-up were asked via a nationwide publicity campaign to contact the CONCOR (CONgenital CORvitia) project group.

Peroxisome formation requires the endoplasmic reticulum channel protein Sec61.

In peroxisome formation, models of near-autonomous peroxisome biogenesis with membrane protein integration directly from the cytosol into the peroxisomal membrane are in direct conflict with models whereby peroxisomes bud from the endoplasmic reticulum and receive their membrane proteins through a branch of the secretory pathway. We therefore reinvestigated the role of the Sec61 complex, the protein-conducting channel of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in peroxisome formation. We found that depletion or partial inactivation of Sec61 in yeast disables peroxisome formation.