Nachbauprobleme im Apfelanbau in der Schweiz

Werden Obstbäume wiederholt am gleichen Standort angebaut, zeigen sich häufig Probleme, wie verminderter Wuchs oder verminderter Ertrag. Bodenmüdigkeit und Nachbauprobleme sind im Obstbau schon lange als Ursache dafür bekannt, standen für den Praktiker aber selten im Vordergrund

Population structure of plant-pathogenic Fusarium species in overwintered stalk residues from Bt-transformed and non-transformed maize crops

Bt-transformed maize contains genes from Bacillus thuringiensis encoding for insecticidal crystal proteins. Less insect damage on Bt maize stalks can cause a reduced infection by Fusarium species through plant injuries. This could affect the presence of plant-pathogenic Fusarium species on maize residues which serve as an inoculum source for subsequent crops. We collected overwintered maize stalks of four different Bt maize hybrids and their corresponding non-Bt lines in two consecutive years in a field trial in Germany. Fusarium spp. were isolated from 67% of 648 collected maize stalks. Identification with new multiplex PCR assays showed that F. graminearum, F. avenaceum, and F. proliferatum were the most abundant Fusarium species, isolated from 42%, 26%, and 15% of the stalks, respectively. Species abundances varied between varieties and collection years. No consistent difference was found between Bt and non-Bt stalks. Fusariumgraminearum isolates were subject to a population genetic structure analysis with eight newly developed microsatellites. Significant association of loci and overrepresentation of repeated multilocus haplotypes indicated a substantial asexual component of reproduction, supporting selection of haplotypes. The data suggested selection of particular F. graminearum haplotypes by collection years but not by maize Bt transformation. Haplotypic changes between years caused no divergence in the distribution of alleles, suggesting that gene flow beyond the field scale prevented substructuring. We present evidence for gene flow between our saprophytic F.graminearum population on maize residues and a wheat-pathogenic population from a field 100km distan

A photometric study of the hot exoplanet WASP-19b

Context: When the planet transits its host star, it is possible to measure the planetary radius and (with radial velocity data) the planet mass. For the study of planetary atmospheres, it is essential to obtain transit and occultation measurements at multiple wavelengths. Aims: We aim to characterize the transiting hot Jupiter WASP-19b by deriving accurate and precise planetary parameters from a dedicated observing campaign of transits and occultations. Methods: We have obtained a total of 14 transit lightcurves in the r'-Gunn, IC, z'-Gunn and I+z' filters and 10 occultation lightcurves in z'-Gunn using EulerCam on the Euler-Swiss telescope and TRAPPIST. We have also obtained one lightcurve through the narrow-band NB1190 filter of HAWK-I on the VLT measuring an occultation at 1.19 micron. We have performed a global MCMC analysis of all new data together with some archive data in order to refine the planetary parameters and measure the occultation depths in z'-band and at 1.19 micron. Results: We measure a planetary radius of R_p = 1.376 (+/-0.046) R_j, a planetary mass of M_p = 1.165 (+/-0.068) M_j, and find a very low eccentricity of e = 0.0077 (+/-0.0068), compatible with a circular orbit. We have detected the z'-band occultation at 3 sigma significance and measure it to be dF_z'= 352 (+/-116) ppm, more than a factor of 2 smaller than previously published. The occultation at 1.19 micron is only marginally constrained at dF_1190 = 1711 (+/-745) ppm. Conclusions: We have shown that the detection of occultations in the visible is within reach even for 1m class telescopes if a considerable number of individual events are observed. Our results suggest an oxygen-dominated atmosphere of WASP-19b, making the planet an interesting test case for oxygen-rich planets without temperature inversion.Comment: Published in Astronomy & Astrophysics. 11 pages, 11 figures, 4 table

Engagement of families in ICU from the nursing staff perspective

Background: Family engagement in intensive care units (ICU) is proposed as a way to increase active partnership with patients and move away from paternalism (Burns et al 2018). Family engagement and family-centred care are closely linked to improve the quality of care. The term and practice of ‘family engagement’ is complex but Burns et al (2018) viewed patient and family engagement as a way to achieve family centred care. Promoting family engagement within the ICU setting is recognised as more challenging to nursing practice because of the added emotional aspects for families of acutely ill patients (Brown et al 2015). This research was part of an international collaboration supported by the Family Care in Acute and Critical Illness Research Cluster which is supported by the International Family Nursing Association. This presentation will focus on the findings of the UK aspect of the research. Research Question: How do nurses from one English setting describe their nursing engagement with families of adults admitted in intensive care units? Methods: A social ecological approach (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) was used for this study. Social ecology acknowledges that families are complex groups that interact with other people and their world to provide meaning. Data were collected including demographic information, individual semi-structured qualitative interviews which were transcribed, and a questionnaire ‘Factors That Influence Family Engagement (QFIFE)’ (Hetland, Hickman, McAndrew, & Daly, 2017). One intensive care unit in the South East of England was used for this study. Permanent members of the nursing team were invited to participate. Analysis was undertaken using a statistic package (SPSS version 21) for questionnaire data and a content analysis approach for qualitative data. Ethical approval was gained from the University and Gray Area Project approval from the healthcare organisation. Results: Seven participants completed all aspects of the data collection. All participants rated that family engagement was important. Engagement varied depending of the acuity of the patient with nurses deciding the level of family engagement at a particular point in the patient journey. As the patients’ illness stabilised the involvement of the family was promoted. The family engagement role can be described as observers, encouragers, supporter or active participants in patient care. Staff were particularly concerned about maintaining the safety of the patient during any family activities and developing good communication. Initial analysis suggests that nurses regulate family engagement to ensure safety of patients and to promote recovery. Families need encouragement from ICU nurses to engage in a meaningful way. Building rapport and setting boundaries are skills needed by nurses and families value explanation of care. Conclusions: Family engagement needs careful consideration about the amount and type of activities that are appropriate and safe for families to undertake at a particular point. However, family engagement is seen as positive contribution to the patient recovery journey. This international project will continue to compare and combine results across the world. Consideration of future initiatives to family engagement in ICU will be further outlined

Mid-term report for the CORE Organic II funded project. “Innovative cropping Practices to increase soil health of organic fruit tree orchards” BIO-INCROP

Activities performed in the first part of BIO-INCROP project concern five of the eight main objectives fixed in the project proposal. They are: Evaluation of soil borne pest and pathogens involved in replant disease Role of rhizospheric bacterial and fungal communities in plant health Selection of naturally available resources to increase microbial diversity and biomass Compost and organic amendments Evaluation of biologically active formulates The document reports main research results and shows main items of dissemination activity performed in the first part of the project

Nuclear spin relaxation rates in two-leg spin ladders

Using the transfer-matrix DMRG method, we study the nuclear spin relaxation rate 1/T_1 in the two-leg s=1/2 ladder as function of the inter-chain (J_{\perp}) and intra-chain (J_{|}) couplings. In particular, we separate the q_y=0 and \pi contributions and show that the later contribute significantly to the copper relaxation rate ^{63}(1/T_1) in the experimentally relevant coupling and temperature range. We compare our results to both theoretical predictions and experimental measures on ladder materials.Comment: Few modifications from the previous version 4 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in PR

Formation of runoff at the hillslope scale during intense precipitation

On 60 m² hillslope plots, at 18 mainly grassland locations in Switzerland rain was applied at rates of 50–100 mm/h for between 3 and 6 h. The generated flows were measured, including overland flow, near surface and subsurface flow 0.5–1.3 m below the surface. At some locations less than 2% of the rain flowed down the slope either on or below the surface, whereas at some others more than 90% of the rain ran off. At the majority of sites most runoff was overland flow, though at a few sites subsurface flow, usually via macropores was dominant. Data collected during each of 48 high intensity sprinkling experiments were used to distinguish, which processes were dominant in each experiment. Which dominant and subsidiary processes occurred depended on interactions between infiltration rate, change in soil water storage and drainage of the soil water. These attributes were often not directly linked to parameters usually considered important like vegetation, slope, soil clay content and antecedent soil moisture. Considering the structure of the soil in combination with these attributes, process determination was in many cases fairly straightforward, indicating the possibility of reliably predicting runoff processes at a site. However, at some sites, effects occurred that were not easily recognizable and led to surprising results

A New Analysis of the Exoplanet Hosting System HD 6434

The current goal of exoplanetary science is not only focused on detecting but characterizing planetary systems in hopes of understanding how they formed, evolved, and relate to the Solar System. The Transit Ephemeris Refinement and Monitoring Survey (TERMS) combines both radial velocity (RV) and photometric data in order to achieve unprecedented ground-based precision in the fundamental properties of nearby, bright, exoplanet-hosting systems. Here we discuss HD 6434 and its planet, HD 6434b, which has a M_p*sin(i) = 0.44 M_J mass and orbits every 22.0170 days with an eccentricity of 0.146. We have combined previously published RV data with new measurements to derive a predicted transit duration of ~6 hrs, or 0.25 days, and a transit probability of 4%. Additionally, we have photometrically observed the planetary system using both the 0.9m and 1.0m telescopes at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, covering 75.4% of the predicted transit window. We reduced the data using the automated TERMS Photometry Pipeline, developed to ensure consistent and accurate results. We determine a dispositive null result for the transit of HD 6434b, excluding the full transit to a depth of 0.9% and grazing transit due to impact parameter limitations to a depth of 1.6%Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, 3 tables, accepted to A