Sub-debris melt rates on southern Inylchek Glacier, central Tian Shan

Melt rates of glacier surfaces are strongly influenced by the existence of a debris cover. Dependent on thickness and other physical parameters the debris layer can enhance or reduce ablation as compared to bare ice conditions. Supraglacial moraines appear very frequently on Central Asian glaciers, highly affecting water yield from these high mountain regions. In summer 2005, a network of 22 ablation stakes was drilled into locations with varying debris thicknesses on Southern Inylchek glacier in the central Tian Shan. Mean ablation rates varied from 2.8 to 6.7 cm/d, strongly correlated with moraine thickness. Parallel observation of air temperature allowed the application of a simple degree-day approach and the calculation of ablation rates. Efforts to improve calculations of melt rates by incorporating relative air humidity to account for latent heat fluxes failed. This proves that air temperature is already a very good melt indicator. Ice albedo measurements show that reflectivity might be controlled by the occurrence of evaporation or condensation, but this topic needs further investigation

Glaciological results of the 2005 expedition to Inylchek Glacier, Central Tian Shan

Like many other glaciers in Central Asia, Southern Inylchek glacier in the Kyrgyz Tian Shan is covered by supraglacial moraine, which drastically influences melt rates and complicates the estimation of ablation. The quantification of sub-debris melt from simple parameters is still an unsolved problem, but also essential to predict future yield from high mountains. Snow cover and glacier ice are the main water storages for the surrounding arid lowlands and a better understanding of ablation processes is the prerequisite for a sustainable water resources management. Another interesting feature of Southern Inylchek glacier is the existence of an ice dammed lake in a tributary valley, which is drained regularly by outburst floods. Improvements in predicting these floods would lower the risk potential for the downstream population. The main objectives of a group of glaciologists which participated in an expedition to the glacier in 2005 were to investigate melt rates on debris covered glacier parts and to quantify the ice flux into the glacier lake. The results of their field experiments are reported in this paper

Ansiedlung seltener Ackerwildkräuter auf einem Öko-Betrieb des südlichen Frankenjura

Die anhaltende Gefährdung zahlreicher Arten der Segetalflora ist in Deutschland gut dokumentiert. Neben Schutzbemühungen gibt es neuerdings auch Überlegungen und Initiativen zur Ansiedlung gefährdeter Ackerwildkräuter. Flächen mit ökologischem Getreidebau eignen sich hierfür aufgrund reduzierter Stickstoffdüngung und des Verzichts auf Unkrautvernichtungsmittel grundsätzlich. Von 2007 bis 2011 wurde auf einer Fläche eines Bio-Betriebs auf dem südlichen Frankenjura ein Tastversuch zur Wiederansiedlung von sieben gefährdeten Segetalarten durchgeführt. Der Zusammenhang zwischen Keimraten im Labor und der Etablierung im Feld war gering und von Art zu Art verschieden. Die Arten Consolida regalis, Melampyrum arvense, Buglossoides arvensis und Phleum paniculatum konnten erfolgreich angesiedelt werden. Die Etablierung von Allium vineale, Valerianella dentata und Neslia paniculata hingegen gelang nicht. Damit konnte die grundsätzliche Eignung der gewählten Verfahren für vier von sieben Arten gezeigt werden. Bevor jedoch eine Beratungsempfehlung gegeben werden kann, sind noch Fragen hinsichtlich der Fruchtfolgegestaltung, der Saatzeitpunkte und Saatdichten und des Managements von Getreide als Deckfrucht zu klären

Political healing in East Asian international relations: what, why and how

the opening article of this collection serves as an invitation to academics and practitioners of international relations to rethink and transform, not merely observe and contain, long-standing conflicts in East Asia and beyond. traditionally such conflicts, and the violence that has emerged around them, have been understood through the lens of dichotomous frameworks associated with Westphalian modernity. We need alternative paradigms in East Asian political discourse to think and do differently. Here, we contribute to this effort by examining how East Asian medical thought and practice can facilitate political healing in the region. The use of medical analogies and metaphors is not uncommon in academic and policy discussions, and our approach underscores terminologies and thought processes that resonate with many in the region. East Asian medicine (EAM) is rooted in daoist yin/yang dialectics and the concept of qi, both of which stress attention to balance, ontological parity and inter-connectedness. It offers inspiration for a creative analytical approach, metaphorical imagination and normative inspiration to diagnose ongoing confrontations. Despite apparent divisions, we propose that ongoing conflicts can be treated as ailments afflicting a shared political body

Nitrogen Budgets and Soil Nitrogen Stocks of Organic and Conventional Cropping Systems: Trade-Off between Efficiency and Sustainability of Nitrogen Use

Organic and conventional cropping systems differ in the nature and amounts of nitrogen (N) inputs, which may affect efficiency and sustainability of N use. In the DOK (bio-Dynamic, bio-Organic, Konventionell) field experiment, organic and conventional cropping systems have been compared since 1978 at two fertilization levels. Nitrogen inputs via manure and/or mineral fertilizers, and N exports from plots with harvested products have throughout been recorded. For all treatments, N outputs with harvests have exceeded the inputs with fertilizers. Over the past years, symbiotic N2 fixation by soybean and clover grown in the trial has additionally been assessed, indicating average annual inputs of about 100 kg ha-1 yr-1 of N fixed from the atmosphere. Soil surface budgets opposing N inputs via fertilization, symbiotic fixation, seeds and deposition to N outputs via harvested products have been computed at the plot level for the duration from 1985 to 2012. The resulting balances range from negative values of about -20 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (where outputs exceed the sum of said N inputs) to surpluses of about +50 kg N ha-1 yr-1. The budget based N use efficiency (NUE; N output via harvested products divided by sum of N inputs) in the case of negative balances suggests irrationally high NUE (>100%), while positive balances are related to lower NUE for treatments with inputs exceeding outputs. Negative balances, however, indicate soil N mining, while surpluses point to a risk of N losses, and/or N accumulation in the soil. Estimation of soil N stock changes based on yearly total N concentration measurements in the topsoil layer is currently ongoing. Preliminary results suggest that soil N stocks in the topsoil decreased under all treatments more than expected from the N balance, and that positive N balances are needed to maintain topsoil N stocks. An increase in soil N concentration was observed in none of the treatments. In conclusion, the results indicate an efficiency-sustainability trade-off. Treatments with a higher NUE lose more soil stock N than those with a lower NUE. Treatments with lower NUE indicate higher N losses from the studied crop-topsoil system. Sustainable soil N management in addition to organic fertilizer inputs might at this site require reduced soil tillage. The significance of N contained in deeper soil layers, and deep rooting crops in recovering leached N should as well be investigated

Ethical TradeForum: Fairness and social responsibility trade concepts in the North

Papers presented at the BioFach 2009 Congress; the session was moderated by Otto Schmid of the Research Institute of Organic Agricultur

Symbiotische N2 Fixierung und N–Bilanz von Soja unter Be-rücksichtigung der N-Rhizodeposition im DOK Versuch

Symbiotic N2 fixation (Nfix) and N-balance was determined from organic and conven-tional grown soybean in the DOK experiment (Switzerland). Nfix was calculated i) based solely on soybean aboveground N (AGN) and ii) additionally taking into account belowground N (BGN), comprising N in physical roots and N rhizodeposition. Nfix was averagely two times higher considering AGN and BGN, ranging from 22 g N m-2 (conventional manure) to 37 g N m-2 (conventional mineral). N balances were positive in all treatments, but with 2 – 7 g N m-2 based on AGN solely comparatively small. These values were exceeded fourfold when considering BGN ranging from 13 g N m-2 (conventional manure) to 21 g N m-2 (organic and conventional mineral)

Viral promoters can initiate expression of toxin genes introduced into Escherichia coli

BACKGROUND: The expression of recombinant proteins in eukaryotic cells requires the fusion of the coding region to a promoter functional in the eukaryotic cell line. Viral promoters are very often used for this purpose. The preceding cloning procedures are usually performed in Escherichia coli and it is therefore of interest if the foreign promoter results in an expression of the gene in bacteria. In the case molecules toxic for humans are to be expressed, this knowledge is indispensable for the specification of safety measures. RESULTS: We selected five frequently used viral promoters and quantified their activity in E. coli with a reporter system. Only the promoter from the thymidine kinase gene from HSV1 showed no activity, while the polyhedrin promoter from baculovirus, the early immediate CMV promoter, the early SV40 promoter and the 5' LTR promoter from HIV-1 directed gene expression in E. coli. The determination of transcription start sites in the immediate early CMV promoter and the polyhedrin promoter confirmed the existence of bacterial -10 and -35 consensus sequences. The importance of this heterologous gene expression for safety considerations was further supported by analysing fusions between the aforementioned promoters and a promoter-less cytotoxin gene. CONCLUSION: According to our results a high percentage of viral promoters have the ability of initiating gene expression in E. coli. The degree of such heterologous gene expression can be sufficient for the expression of toxin genes and must therefore be considered when defining safety measures for the handling of corresponding genetically modified organisms

Glaciological results of the 2005 expedition to Inylchek Glacier, Central Tian Shan

Like many other glaciers in Central Asia, Southern Inylchek glacier in the Kyrgyz Tian Shan is covered by supraglacial moraine, which drastically influences melt rates and complicates the estimation of ablation. The quantification of sub-debris melt from simple parameters is still an unsolved problem, but also essential to predict future yield from high mountains. Snow cover and glacier ice are the main water storages for the surrounding arid lowlands and a better understanding of ablation processes is the prerequisite for a sustainable water resources management. Another interesting feature of Southern Inylchek glacier is the existence of an ice dammed lake in a tributary valley, which is drained regularly by outburst floods. Improvements in predicting these floods would lower the risk potential for the downstream population. The main objectives of a group of glaciologists which participated in an expedition to the glacier in 2005 were to investigate melt rates on debris covered glacier parts and to quantify the ice flux into the glacier lake. The results of their field experiments are reported in this paper