Soil microbial diversity in agriculture : Responses to land-use and extreme weather events

Land-use intensification of agricultural soils and increased occurrence and intensity of extreme weather events like drought periods are two of the main threats responsible for soil biodiversity declines. These changes in soil biodiversity can alter ecosystem functions performed especially by soil microbial communities that could further contribute to those threats. Microbial diversity is an essential key for the understanding of ecosystem functioning, however the diversity of functions performed by soil microorganisms and how they are linked to ecosystem functions like carbon cycling remain largely unexplored. The aim of this thesis was to understand how the taxonomic and functional diversity of soil microorganisms in agriculture are influenced by agricultural land-use intensification and extreme weather events, specifically short-term drought. Thus, a combination of field experiments across Europe and glasshouse experiments along with different molecular methods, specifically high-throughput sequencing-based omics approaches was used. Different land-use types (grassland and agricultural soils) affected soil microbial communities, particularly their response in relation to soil organic matter degradation. It was found that crop management practices, i.e., crop residue incorporation promoted gene expression in these soils, particularly in agricultural soils. These findings support the notion that careful land-use practices have the potential to mitigate losses of soil organic carbon in traditionally carbon depleted soils and can thereafter promote the functioning of soil microorganisms. Further, interactive effects of long-term agricultural management and short-term drought on the communities of plant-associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) were studied. Organic and conventional long-term farming systems influenced the taxonomic composition of AMF, while the effects on their diversity were negligible. No effect of short-term drought on the diversity and composition of AMF was found. To further explore how short-term drought influence the functional diversity of soil microorganisms in agricultural soils, particularly on the gene level, functional genetic diversity was assessed. By studying the diversity of extracellular enzymes related to soil organic matter degradation, it was found that functional and taxonomic gene composition significantly differed between European agricultural fields (Sweden, Germany, and Spain). However, the effect of short-term drought was only observed in Germany. These results indicate that soil microorganisms are differently adjusted to short-term drought, either due to (a) regional adaptations of microorganisms to already dry environments or (b) differences in soil physicochemical properties like soil organic carbon content, as it has the potential to buffer drought effects. Finally, the short-term drought also affected the response of soil microbial communities in these soils, especially in their gene expression towards degrading soil organic matter. Altogether, these findings show that soil microorganisms respond differently to agricultural land-use intensification and extreme weather events such as drought. Careful land-use practices like the incorporation of crop residues, specific farming systems and increased levels of soil organic carbon have the potential to mitigate the negative effects of drought on soil health and soil microorganisms. Moreover, these findings demonstrate the importance of studying microbial responses to drought at different diversity levels, with the necessity to link taxonomic and functional diversity to soil ecosystem functions

Monitoring the success of the integration of contemporary art practices in elementary art curriculum [Observación del éxito de la integración de las prácticas de arte contemporáneo en el plan de estudios de arte elemental]

Abstract: Monitoring, knowledge and understanding of contemporary art influence thinking and empathy of the individual with the environment in which they live. In elementary school, students learn about contemporary art, by solving artistic tasks arising from the situation of contemporary art. Contemporary arts enable students to understand the environment, the time and the conditions in which we live.In action research, which was based on elements of traditional empirical-analytical research, the qualitative methodology of pedagogical research was used, namely, a causal non-experimental method. On a sample of 55 pupils (n = 55), aged between 13 and 14 years, the attitudes to art, their knowledge of art, thinking, and attitude towards contemporary art were determined. We used the unstructured interview. The findings showed that students’ artworks are associated with everyday life, and they interpret these artworks according to their own experience.Keywords: contemporary art, students, understanding, interpretation; Resumen:La observación, el conocimiento y la comprensión del arte contemporáneo influyen en el pensamiento y la empatía del individuo con el entorno en el que vive. En la escuela primaria, los estudiantes aprenden sobre el arte contemporáneo, al resolver tareas artísticas que surgen de la situación del arte contemporáneo. Las artes contemporáneas permiten a los estudiantes comprender el entorno, el tiempo y las condiciones en que vivimos.En esta investigación-acción, que se basó en elementos de la investigación empírica-analítica tradicional, se utilizó la metodología cualitativa de la investigación pedagógica, es decir, un método causal no experimental. En una muestra de 55 alumnos (n = 55), con edades comprendidas entre 13 y 14 años, se determinaron las actitudes hacia el arte, su conocimiento del arte, el pensamiento y la actitud hacia el arte contemporáneo. Usamos la entrevista no estructurada. Los hallazgos mostraron que las obras de arte de los estudiantes se asocian con la vida cotidiana e interpretan estas obras de acuerdo con su propia experiencia.Palabras clave: arte contemporáneo, estudiantes, comprensión, interpretación

Utjecaj suvremene umjetnosti na kreativnost dvanaestogodišnjaka

This paper presents the outcomes of a study aimed at verifying the impact of contemporary fine arts on the creativity of twelve-year-old pupils. In the study, a proven creativity test was used, which was applied in the initial and final measurement of the quasi experiment on a sample of 75 twelve-year-olds (N = 75). The results indicate the positive effect of quality contemporary fine art practices on the development of artistic creativity in twelve-year-olds, specifically, in as many as five of the six factors of artistic creativity. This is why art education teachers should be made more aware of the positive effects of contemporary art on the practice of teaching arts.ovom radu predstavljeni su ishodi istraživanja kojim se nastojalo potvrditi utjecaj suvremene likovne umjetnosti na kreativnost dvanaestogodišnjih učenika. U ovome je istraživanju korišten verificirani test kreativnosti u inicijalnom i završnom mjerenju kvazieksperimenta koji je proveden na uzorku od 75 dvanaestogodišnjaka. Rezultati pokazuju pozitivni učinak kvalitetnih praksi suvremene likovne umjetnosti na razvoj umjetničke kreativnosti posebno dvanaestogodišnjaka, u čak pet od šest čimbenika umjetničke kreativnosti. Zbog ove činjenice trebalo bi više razvijati svijest učitelja umjetnosti o pozitivnim učincima suvremene umjetnosti na praksu poučavanja umjetnosti

KNOWLEDGE AND IDENTIFICATION OF DIFFERENT ARTISTIC PRACTICES

With its ambient, interesting and dynamic use of materials, alternative views of materials and objects, with its playfulness and affecting different senses contemporary fine art can be very interesting for art-educational work. Due to its complexity, however, it suffers from misunderstanding, retreat, and last but not least also fears both among teachers and learners. With the present article we wish to present a broader view of basic school pupils of fine art both historically and contemporarily. We wished to determine what views students have of contemporary artistic practices and to what extent they know fine art. The results obtained with guided interviews and worksheets indicate that students are not well informed about contemporary and historical artistic practices. They nevertheless demonstrate great openness, curiosity and relaxation, willingness to get to know these practices deeper under proper guidance of the teacher and also to become enthusiastic about them

Manifest Hypothyrosis Diagnosed prior to an Extensive Surgery

Overt hypothyroidism is a rare condition that can result in severe intraoperative and postoperative complications. Preoperative detection and management is essential for safe anesthesia. If possible, surgery should be postponed until thyroid function tests normalize. We present a patient with severe untreated hypothyroidism that was detected only on preoperative anesthetic evaluation. Key diagnostic features of hypothyroidism as well as optimal preoperative management are described

Manifestna hipotiroza, odkrita pred obsežnim načrtovanim operativnim posegom

Overt hypothyroidism is a rare condition that can result in severe intraoperative and postoperative complications. Preoperative detection and management is essential for safe anesthesia. If possible, surgery should be postponed until thyroid function tests normalize. We present a patient with severe untreated hypothyroidism that was detected only on preoperative anesthetic evaluation. Key diagnostic features of hypothyroidism as well as optimal preoperative management are described.Ni abstrakta

The effect of hot days on occupational heat stress in the manufacturing industry: implications for workers' well-being and productivity

Climate change is expected to exacerbate heat stress at the workplace in temperate regions, such as Slovenia. It is therefore of paramount importance to study present and future summer heat conditions and analyze the impact of heat on workers. A set of climate indices based on summer mean (Tmean) and maximum (Tmax) air temperatures, such as the number of hot days (HD: Tmax above 30 °C), and Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) were used to account for heat conditions in Slovenia at six locations in the period 1981–2010. Observed trends (1961–2011) of Tmean and Tmax in July were positive, being larger in the eastern part of the country. Climate change projections showed an increase up to 4.5 °C for mean temperature and 35 days for HD by the end of the twenty-first century under the high emission scenario. The increase in WBGT was smaller, although sufficiently high to increase the frequency of days with a high risk of heat stress up to an average of a third of the summer days. A case study performed at a Slovenian automobile parts manufacturing plant revealed non-optimal working conditions during summer 2016 (WBGT mainly between 20 and 25 °C). A survey conducted on 400 workers revealed that 96% perceived the temperature conditions as unsuitable, and 56% experienced headaches and fatigue. Given these conditions and climate change projections, the escalating problem of heat is worrisome. The European Commission initiated a program of research within the Horizon 2020 program to develop a heat warning system for European workers and employers, which will incorporate case-specific solutions to mitigate heat stress.The work was supported by the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Action (Project number 668786: HEATSHIELD)