The Application of DNA Barcodes for the Identification of Marine Crustaceans from the North Sea and Adjacent Regions

During the last years DNA barcoding has become a popular method of choice for molecular specimen identification. Here we present a comprehensive DNA barcode library of various crustacean taxa found in the North Sea, one of the most extensively studied marine regions of the world. Our data set includes 1,332 barcodes covering 205 species, including taxa of the Amphipoda, Copepoda, Decapoda, Isopoda, Thecostraca, and others. This dataset represents the most extensive DNA barcode library of the Crustacea in terms of species number to date. By using the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), unique BINs were identified for 198 (96.6%) of the analyzed species. Six species were characterized by two BINs (2.9%), and three BINs were found for the amphipod species Gammarus salinus Spooner, 1947 (0.4%). Intraspecific distances with values higher than 2.2% were revealed for 13 species (6.3%). Exceptionally high distances of up to 14.87% between two distinct but monophyletic clusters were found for the parasitic copepod Caligus elongatus Nordmann, 1832, supporting the results of previous studies that indicated the existence of an overlooked sea louse species. In contrast to these high distances, haplotype-sharing was observed for two decapod spider crab species, Macropodia parva Van Noort & Adema, 1985 and Macropodia rostrata (Linnaeus, 1761), underlining the need for a taxonomic revision of both species. Summarizing the results, our study confirms the application of DNA barcodes as highly effective identification system for the analyzed marine crustaceans of the North Sea and represents an important milestone for modern biodiversity assessment studies using barcode sequence

Decomposing wage discrimination in Germany and Austria with counterfactual densities

Using income and other individual data from EU-SILC for Germany and Austria, we analyze wage discrimination for three break-ups: gender, sector of employment, and country of origin. Using the method of Machado and Mata [2005] the discrimination over the whole range of the wage distribution is estimated. Significance of results is checked via confidence interval estimates along the lines of Melly [2006]. To narrow down the extent of discrimination both basic decomposition possibilities are compared. The economies of Germany and Austria appear structurally very similar. Especially the institutional setting of the labor markets seem to be closely comparable. One would, therefore, expect to find similar levels and structures of wage discrimination. Our findings deviate from this conjecture significantly.Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Serie

ICONE14-89289 A 3D BWR CORE MODEL WITHIN THE GRS ANALYSIS SIMULATOR ATLAS

ABSTRACT The paper describes the application of the ATLAS simulator environment and the coupled three dimensional (3D) neutron-kinetics and thermal-hydraulics system code QUABOX/CUBBOX-ATHLET for a boiling water reactor (BWR) plant transient. A turbine trip (TT) transient is simulated and analyzed once with the 3D core model and once with the point kinetics (PK) model using data generated on the basis of the 3D calculations by the kinetics data generation system SIGMAS developed in GRS. The comparison shows a very good agreement, which is an important precondition for performing transient analyses with an on-line switch from PK to 3D calculation for a BWR plant transient within the ATLAS simulator. INTRODUCTION Complex transient and accident conditions of nuclear power plants (NPP) require modern simulation techniques. Simulation environments like the Analysis Simulator ATLAS [1,2] developed by GRS and based on the thermo-fluid dynamic system code ATHLE