Novel miscanthus germplasm-based value chains : A Life Cycle Assessment

The OPTIMISC project received funding from the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement No. 289159. In addition, the study was partly supported by a grant from the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg (funding code: 7533-10-5-70) as part of the BBW ForWerts Graduate Programme. We are grateful to Nicole Gaudet for editing the manuscript.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Entwicklungschancen frühgeborener Kinder mit sehr niedrigem Geburtsgewicht : Eine vergleichende unizentrische Beobachtungs - Kohortenstudie an vier- bis sechsjährigen Kindern

Diese Studie untersucht, ob und wie weit bei sehr kleinen Frühgeborenen die einzelnen Teilbereiche der Entwicklung gestört sind. Dazu wurden 64 Frühgeborene mit einem Geburtsgewicht unter 1500g mit einer Kontrollgruppe von 61 Frühgeborenen mit einem Geburtsgewicht größer 1500g bis 2500g verglichen. Zusätzlich wurden aus der Gruppe der kleinen Frühgeborenen dystrophe und eutrophe Kinder hinsichtlich ihrer Entwicklung verglichen. Untersucht wurden Teilbereiche wie neurologische Entwicklung, kognitive Fähigkeiten, Sprache, Wahrnehmung und Wachstum. Dabei wurde die von Esser vorgeschlagene Testbatterie zur Früherkennung von Teilleistungsstörungen in dieser Altersgruppe eingesetzt. Ergänzt wurde diese durch die neurologische Untersuchung nach Touwen, die Überprüfung des Hör- und Sehvermögens sowie der Erhebung der auxiologischen Daten. Die Kinder waren zum Zeitpunkt der Untersuchung vier bis sechs Jahre alt. Die Studie wurde erstellt an der DRK Kinderklinik Siegen, einer Kinderklinik mit 186 Betten und einem angeschlossenen Sozialpädiatrischen Zentrum. Dabei stellte sich die neurologische Entwicklung mit Motorik und Visuomotorik als derjenige Entwicklungsbereich dar, der bei Frühgeborenen besonders störanfällig ist und eine deutliche Korrelation zum Geburtsgewicht zeigt. Dagegen konnte bei der Überprüfung der Intelligenz keine Abhängigkeit vom Geburtsgewicht nachgewiesen werden. Ein Einfluß durch den Sozialstatus ist hier ebenfalls nicht erkennbar. Bei der sprachlichen Entwicklung wird dagegen ein Einfluß des sozialen Umfeldes deutlich. Die Ergebnisse für Konzentration und Gedächtnis sind nicht einheitlich. Insgesamt bestätigt die vorliegende Studie die Hypothese, daß es bei frühgeborenen Kindern häufig zu motorischen Störungen und leichteren neurologischen Auffälligkeiten kommt. Für die zusätzliche Auswertung nach dystrophen und eutrophen Kindern standen nur in der Gruppe der sehr kleinen Frühgeborenen mit hohem Sozialstatus eine ausreichende Anzahl von Fällen zur Verfügung. Nach dem Ergebnis dieser Studie ist in dieser Gruppe die frühkindliche Entwicklung dystropher Frühgeborener gegenüber normotrophen Frühgeborenen nicht beeinträchtigt. Generell läßt sich festhalten, daß bei sehr unreif geborenen Kindern besonders die neuromotorische Entwicklung beobachtet werden muß. Bei Kindern mit ungünstigem sozialen Umfeld ist zusätzlich die kognitive und sprachliche Entwicklung zu fördern.This study investigates if and how far infants of very low birth weight are delayed in their development. 64 preterm infants with a birth weight less than 1500g were compared to a group of 61 preterm infants with a birth weight of 1500g to 2500g. Further small-for-gestational-age infants and were compared to appropriate-for-gestational-age infants, with respect to their development. Items like neurologic development, cognitive abilities, speech, perception and growth were examined. Tests were done using Esser\u27s test method for early diagnosis of disorders in development, as well as the neurologic test of Touwen, by examinating hearing and visual functions and finally by collectiong auxiologic data. The children were four to six years of age at the day of examination. This study was made at the DRK Kinderklinik Siegen, a hospital with 186 places and a Social Pediatric Center attached. The findings show that neurologic development, with motoric and visuomotoric, is indeed the sphere mainly being affected by preterm birth. It clearly correlates to birth weight, whereas intelligence is not influenced by it. Also social status does not have an effect. Development of speech is evidently influenced by social environment. The outcomes for concentration an memory capability are not consistent. All in all the hypothesis that preterm infants frequently show motoric disorders as well as slight neurologic impairments is confirmed by this study. The investigation of small-for-gestational-age infants and appropriate-for-gestational-age infants showed that development of small-for-gestational-age infants is not delayed in early childhood. But it must be observed that only children of very low birth weight and of high social status were compared here. In general it can be said that with very immaturely born infants especially the neurologic development must be observed. Cognitive and linguistic abilities have to be promoted with children living in a disadvantageous social environment

Comparative life cycle assessment of bio-based insulation materials: Environmental and economic performances

Insulation materials decrease the final energy consumption of buildings. In Germany, fossil and mineral insulations dominate the market despite numerous life cycle assessments (LCAs) showing that bio-based insulations can offer environmental benefits. Evaluating the results of such LCAs is, however, complex due to a lack of comparability or costs considered. The objective of this study is comparing bio-based insulations under equal conditions to identify the most environmentally friendly and cost-efficient material. For this purpose, a comparative LCA and life cycle costing (LCC) were conducted from "cradle to grave" for four bio-based and two nonrenewable insulations. The bio-based insulation materials evaluated were wood fiber, hemp fiber, flax, and miscanthus. The nonrenewable insulations were expanded polystyrene (EPS) and stone wool. Key data for the LCA of the bio-based insulations were obtained from preceding thermal conductivity measurements under ceteris paribus conditions. Eighteen environmental impact categories were assessed, and direct costs were cumulated along the life cycle. Results show that the most environmentally friendly bio-based insulation materials were wood fiber and miscanthus. A hotspot analysis found that, for agriculturally sourced insulations, cultivation had the largest environmental impact, and for wood fiber insulation, it was manufacturing. The use phase (including installation) constituted a cost hotspot. The environmental impacts of end-of-life incineration were strongly influenced by the fossil components of the materials. Overall, bio-based insulations were more environmentally friendly than EPS and stone wool in 11 impact categories. The LCC found EPS and miscanthus insulation to be most cost-efficient, yet market integration of the latter is still limited. It can be concluded that miscanthus biomass is an environmentally and economically promising bio-based insulation material. Comparability of the environmental performance of the bio-based insulations was increased by applying the same system boundary and functional unit, the same impact assessment methodology, and the preceding ceteris paribus thermal conductivity measurements

Effects of prolonged darkness and temperature on the lipid metabolism in the benthic diatom Navicula perminuta from the Arctic Adventfjorden, Svalbard

The Arctic represents an extreme habitat for phototrophic algae due to long periods of darkness caused by the polar night (~4 months darkness). Benthic diatoms, which dominate microphytobenthic communities in shallow water regions, can survive this dark period, but the underlying physiological and biochemical mechanisms are not well understood. One of the potential mechanisms for long-term dark survival is the utilisation of stored energy products in combination with a reduced basic metabolism. In recent years, water temperatures in the Arctic increased due to an ongoing global warming. Higher temperatures could enhance the cellular energy requirements for the maintenance metabolism during darkness and, therefore, accelerate the consumption of lipid reserves. In this study, we investigated the macromolecular ratios and the lipid content and composition of Navicula cf. perminuta Grunow, an Arctic benthic diatom isolated from the microphytobenthos of Adventfjorden (Svalbard, Norway), over a dark period of 8 weeks at two different temperatures (0 and 7 °C). The results demonstrate that N. perminuta uses the stored lipid compound triacylglycerol (TAG) during prolonged dark periods, but also the pool of free fatty acids (FFA). Under the enhanced temperature of 7 °C, the lipid resources were used significantly faster than at 0 °C, which could consequently lead to a depletion of this energy reserves before the end of the polar night. On the other hand, the membrane building phospho- and glycolipids remained unchanged during the 8 weeks darkness, indicating still intact thylakoid membranes. These results explain the shorter survival times of polar diatoms with increasing water temperatures during prolonged dark periods

Editorial: Die Dokumentarische Methode in der kindheitspädagogischen Forschung

Das Editorial stellt die Kontur und die Beiträge des Themenhefts zu den dokumentarischen Methoden des Fallarchiv Kindheitspädagogische Forschung vor

Exploration of Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry as a novel tool for insect identification and characterisation

Insect identification and monitoring are essential to a number of diverse fields and settings, seeking to identify and study insect populations to learn more about their place in ecosystems as well as their impact on the environment and other species. The long-established approach to identifying insects is by morphological taxonomy, which utilises taxonomic keys and requires or at least greatly benefits from experience. However, identification based on morphological characteristics can be difficult when facing morphologically indistinguishable species, immature life stages or damaged specimens. Additionally, there is the challenge of processing large sample numbers that are being collected for analysis. New, easy-to-use high-throughput tools, capable of handling a variety of samples in vast amounts and with minimal sample preparation, are still needed and could provide much needed support in the wide array of fields requiring rapid insect identification. This PhD project explored the capabilities of Rapid Evaporative Ionisation Mass Spectrometry (REIMS) and its potential as a new tool for insect identification and characterisation. REIMS utilises an ambient ionisation source, specifically designed to analyse aerosols resulting from thermal disintegration caused by the passage of electricity through the sample of interest. The electric current is applied through diathermy tools and the resulting aerosol evacuated through a tube to the source and subsequently the mass spectrometer. Instead of focusing on the identification of single molecules, pattern recognition is applied to identify unique mass patterns that facilitate classification and consequently sample identification. After the first test using a mixture of wild-trapped arthropod species, successfully generating informative mass spectra, a larger proof-of principle study was conducted, based on 800 adult specimens of different Drosophila species. By analysing the REIMS data using random forest analysis, in addition to principal component and linear discriminant analysis (PCA-LDA), high classification rates were achieved when using test data sets. The results demonstrated the ability of REIMS to distinguish species, even closely related ones, as well as discriminate males and females. Further, the same approach correctly discriminated Drosophila species at the larval stage, where specimens are morphologically highly similar or identical. The next stages of the project focussed on mosquitoes and the use of REIMS to help with population characterisation – using both laboratory reared and semi-wild/trapped specimens. Laboratory reared Anopheles mosquitoes from three sibling species, usually requiring DNA analysis to be distinguished, extended the species separation challenge. Furthermore, the ability of REIMS to separate sample groups according to their age was investigated. Establishing the age profile of a mosquito population is challenging, but potentially useful as it allows prediction of disease transmission intensities and evaluation of disease vector control actions. The resulting models allowed for clear distinction between age groups separated by only 24 h and high classification rates when leaving more distinct gaps between age groups. Further, REIMS analyses of local mosquito specimens were completed, testing the system using wild-caught mosquitoes as well as semi-wild specimens, which had been collected as larvae in the field and raised under changing conditions. While the focus remained on species and age, these data sets possessed far more variability and confounding factors than those based on specimens reared under controlled laboratory conditions. The increased variance provided a powerful way to gauge REIMS suitability as identification device and helped underpin results and findings obtained with laboratory reared insects. The species of over 180 unknown specimens, part of a blinded sample set, were correctly identified at a rate of 94 % using a pre-built model and recognition software. The exploration of the potential of REIMS concluded with preliminary proof-of-principle experiments that focussed not on the insects themselves, but the frass (droppings) they produce. Successful separation of different cricket species using only their faecal matter proved that REIMS could have the potential for insect identification and population monitoring on various levels, whether its adult specimens, immature forms or ‘calling cards’ left behind. Without the need for sample preparation, entomological expertise or perfectly preserved specimens, REIMS offers a novel approach to insect typing and analysis and has considerable potential as a new tool for the field biologist

Der Kanon des Kunsthändlers Jean-Baptiste Pierre Le Brun (1748–1813)

Jean-Baptiste Pierre Le Brun (1748–1813) gehört zu den einflussreichsten und wichtigsten Figuren des Kunsthandels im ausgehenden 18. Jahrhundert. In einer Zeit des gesellschaftlichen und politischen Umbruchs wirkt er in Paris als Kunstkenner, Berater und Museumsexperte. Seine Ausstellungen und Publikationen sind richtungsweisend und beeinflussen die Rezeption niederländischer und deutscher Malerei im 19. Jahrhundert. Diese Arbeit zeichnet Le Bruns Tätigkeit während der Aufklärung, Französischen Revolution und napoleonischen Epoche nach und gewährt Einblicke in den internationalen Kunsthandel und in die Entstehung des öffentlichen Museums in Paris

Perennial rhizomatous grasses: Can they really increase species richness and abundance in arable land?—A meta-analysis

AbstractPerennial rhizomatous grasses (PRG), such as miscanthus and switchgrass, are considered promising lignocellulosic feedstocks. Their cultivation is expected to experience a significant increase in the near future, as it offers a wide range of benefits. For instance, when PRG replace typical annual crops, positive biodiversity impacts are usually anticipated. However, to date, there is no solid, statistically strong evidence for this hypothesis. This study aims to evaluate its validity through a meta‐analysis based on an extensive systematic literature review of research comparing biodiversity attributes in PRG and common annual crops. Dynamics of species richness and abundance in response to PRG cultivation were quantitatively evaluated drawing on 220 paired comparisons from 25 studies. This includes data on five taxonomic groups—arthropods, birds, earthworms, mammals and plants—and three PRG—miscanthus, switchgrass and reed canary grass. The results indicate that biodiversity tends to be higher in PRG cultivations relative to the reference crops, but the initial hypothesis of significantly beneficial impacts could not be confirmed. Trends were specific to the individual taxonomic groups: significantly higher biodiversity was found for plants and small mammals. Positive but insignificant trends were observed for arthropods and birds, while earthworm response was neutral and insignificant. More substantial conclusions could not be drawn, which is mainly due to the low number of studies conducting biodiversity assessments in PRG cultivations that included a comparison with annual crops. In addition, a detailed analysis of the observed responses was impaired by poor reporting of the parameters influencing biodiversity in the studies reviewed, such as planting and crop density, as well as yields. For this reason, we conclude with a call for improved data reporting in biodiversity assessments of PRG cultivations and detail requirements for future biodiversity research