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Nina Springer

Other affiliations: Södertörn University
Bio: Nina Springer is an academic researcher from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. The author has contributed to research in topics: Journalism & Political science. The author has an hindex of 13, co-authored 29 publications receiving 813 citations. Previous affiliations of Nina Springer include Södertörn University.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results show that commenters are driven by social-interactive motives to participate in journalism, and to discuss with other users, however, the data suggest that commenters do not obtain cognitive gratifications to the desired extent.
Abstract: User comments allow ‘annotative reporting’ by embedding users’ viewpoints within an article's context, providing readers with additional information to form opinions, which can potentially enhance deliberative processes. But are these the only reasons why people comment on online news and read these comments? This study examines factors that motivate, or demotivate and constrict, such participation by surveying nearly 650 commenters, lurkers, and non-users in Germany. From a normative perspective, the results are ambivalent. The results show that commenters are driven by social-interactive motives to participate in journalism, and to discuss with other users. However, the data suggest that commenters do not obtain cognitive gratifications to the desired extent. Presumably, their exchange is socially and not deliberatively motivated. Reading comments is fuelled by both cognitive and entertainment motives, but regression analyses show that the entertainment dimension − a dimension that is not usually consid...

166 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, 75 female journalists who work or have worked in Germany, India, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States of America reveal that they face rampant online gendered discrimination.
Abstract: In-depth interviews with 75 female journalists who work or have worked in Germany, India, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America reveal that they face rampant online gendered ...

132 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: These organisms, together with Desulfobulbus propionicus, represent a phylogenetic subgroup among members of the delta subclass of Proteobacteria, and necessitate the establishment of new genera and species for these two strains.
Abstract: The glycolate-oxidizing, sulfate-reducing bacterium strain PerGlyS and the syntrophically glycolate-oxidizing bacterium strain FIGIyR were studied with respect to their phylogenetic relationships on the basis of in vitro amplification and direct sequencing of 16S rRNA-encoding DNA. Strain PerGlyS clustered with representatives of the δ subclass of the class Proteobacteria, close to “Desulforhopalus vacuolatus” but sufficiently distinct to preclude its assignment to this genus. These organisms, together with Desulfobulbus propionicus, represent a phylogenetic subgroup among members of the δ subclass of Proteobacteria. Strain FIGIyR was found to cluster with the gram-positive bacteria with low-G+C DNA, and Desulfitobacterium dehalogenans and Desulfotomaculum orientis are its closest relatives. Other species of the genus Desulfotomaculum are phyloge-netically only moderately closely related to these organisms. These results necessitate the establishment of new genera and species for these two strains. Strain PerGlyS was designated the type strain of Desulfofustis glycolicus gen. nov., sp. nov., and strain FIGIyR was designated the type strain of Syntrophobotulus glycolicus gen. nov., sp. nov.

79 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The isolation of a halotolerant, Fe(III)-reducing, Gram-negative bacterium from surface sediments of the Sippewisset marsh in Woodshole (USA) revealed that the newly isolated strain is closely related to the previously isolated strain BrY.

78 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: New species names, Brachybacterium alimentarium and B. tyrofermentans, are proposed for two coryneform bacteria isolated from the surfaces of Gruyère and Beaufort cheeses, which are similar in their biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics but distinct from previously described bacteria.
Abstract: New species names, Brachybacterium alimentarium and Brachybacterium tyrofermentans, are proposed for two coryneform bacteria isolated from the surfaces of Gruyere and Beaufort cheeses. These two species are similar in their biochemical and chemotaxonomic characteristics but distinct from previously described bacteria. The most distinctive characteristics are the presence of meso-diaminopimelic acid-containing peptidoglycan with a D-GIU-D-ASP interpeptide bridge and the presence of erythritol teichoic acids that contain diaminoglucuronic acid (an uncommon substituent). The menaquinone pattern of these organisms is unique among coryneform bacteria. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments revealed that the level of hybridization between the two organisms is 15%, which indicates that they are distinct species. Despite the unique biochemical characteristics of these bacteria, a 16S rRNA sequence comparison revealed that they are unquestionably related to Brachybacterium faecium, Brachybacterium nesterenkovii, and Brachybacterium conglomeratum. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments performed with these three species, B. alimentarium, and B. tyrofermentans revealed that the levels of complementarity ranged from 11 to 38%, values that are similar to the values obtained for Brachybacterium strains described previously. With the inclusion of B. alimentarium and B. tyrofermentans the genus Brachybacterium becomes somewhat heterogeneous with respect to chemotaxonomic characteristics.

76 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion by John Zaller (1992) as discussed by the authors is a model of mass opinion formation that offers readers an introduction to the prevailing theory of opinion formation.
Abstract: Originally published in Contemporary Psychology: APA Review of Books, 1994, Vol 39(2), 225. Reviews the book, The Nature and Origins of Mass Opinion by John Zaller (1992). The author's commendable effort to specify a model of mass opinion formation offers readers an introduction to the prevailing vi

3,150 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: S syntrophically fermenting bacteria synthesize ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation and reinvest part of the ATP-bound energy into reversed electron transport processes, to release the electrons at a redox level accessible by the partner bacteria and to balance their energy budget.
Abstract: Fatty acids and alcohols are key intermediates in the methanogenic degradation of organic matter, e.g., in anaerobic sewage sludge digestors or freshwater lake sediments. They are produced by classical fermenting bacteria for disposal of electrons derived in simultaneous substrate oxidations. Methanogenic bacteria can degrade primarily only one-carbon compounds. Therefore, acetate, propionate, ethanol, and their higher homologs have to be fermented further to one-carbon compounds. These fermentations are called secondary or syntrophic fermentations. They are endergonic processes under standard conditions and depend on intimate coupling with methanogenesis. The energetic situation of the prokaryotes cooperating in these processes is problematic: the free energy available in the reactions for total conversion of substrate to methane attributes to each partner amounts of energy in the range of the minimum biochemically convertible energy, i.e., 20 to 25 kJ per mol per reaction. This amount corresponds to one-third of an ATP unit and is equivalent to the energy required for a monovalent ion to cross the charged cytoplasmic membrane. Recent studies have revealed that syntrophically fermenting bacteria synthesize ATP by substrate-level phosphorylation and reinvest part of the ATP-bound energy into reversed electron transport processes, to release the electrons at a redox level accessible by the partner bacteria and to balance their energy budget. These findings allow us to understand the energy economy of these bacteria on the basis of concepts derived from the bioenergetics of other microorganisms.

1,749 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
28 Sep 1996-Nature
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that some microorganisms found in soils and sediments are able to use humic substances as an electron acceptor for the anaerobic oxidation of organic compounds and hydrogen.
Abstract: HUMIC substances are heterogeneous high-molecular-weight organic materials which are ubiquitous in terrestrial and aquatic environments. They are resistant to microbial degradation1 and thus are not generally considered to be dynamically involved in microbial metabolism, especially in anoxic habitats. However, we show here that some microorganisms found in soils and sediments are able to use humic substances as an electron acceptor for the anaerobic oxidation of organic compounds and hydrogen. This electron transport yields energy to support growth. Microbial humic reduction also enhances the capacity for microorganisms to reduce other, less accessible electron acceptors, such as insoluble Fe(III) oxides, because humic substances can shuttle electrons between the humic-reducing microorganisms and the Fe(III) oxide. The finding that microorganisms can donate electrons to humic acids has important implications for the mechanisms by which microorganisms oxidize both natural and contaminant organics in anaerobic soils and sediments, and suggests a biological source of electrons for humics-mediated reduction of contaminant metals and organics.

1,651 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
Ralf Conrad1
TL;DR: It is completely unclear how important microbial diversity is for the control of trace gas flux at the ecosystem level, and different microbial communities may be part of the reason for differences in trace gas metabolism, e.g., effects of nitrogen fertilizers on CH4 uptake by soil; decrease of CH4 production with decreasing temperature.

1,622 citations