Importance of appropriate selection environments for breeding maize adapted to organic farming systems

Organic farming systems, characterized by special attention to soil fertility, recycling techniques and low external inputs, gained increased significance in recent years. As a consequence, there is a growing demand for varieties adapted to organic and/or low input farming. The objectives of the present study were to (i) compare the testcross performance of segregating maize (Zea mays) populations under established organic (OF) and conventional farming (CF) systems, (ii) determine quantitative genetic parameters decisive for the selection response under OF vs CF conditions, and (iii) draw conclusions for breeding new varieties optimally adapted to OF. Testcross performance of four different material groups of preselected lines (90 lines per group) derived from early European breeding material was assessed under OF and CF in three different geographic regions in Germany in 2008. Grain yields under OF were 3 to 18% lower than under CF in the individual experiments depending on the test region and, to a lesser extent, on the genetic material. On average, grain dry matter yield under OF was 1077 g m-2 compared to 1186 g m-2 under CF. Phenotypic correlations between OF and CF were small or moderate for grain yield in each of the four material groups (0.22 to 0.45), while strong and highly significant correlations were found for dry matter content (0.89 to 0.94). Genotypes with top grain yields under OF often did not show this superiority under CF and vice versa. Despite considerable heterogeneity of the OF test sites, the heritability for grain yield was in the same order of magnitude under OF and CF. It is concluded that test sites managed by OF are indispensable for making maximum progress in developing maize varieties for these conditions

Художественный текст как средство формирования лингвострановедческой компетенции у китайских студентов

Цель статьи - расширить и углубить приемы анализа текста художественного произведения при изучении русского языка как иностранного бакалаврами и магистрами в вузе. Актуальность темы определяется тем, что общее направление в обучении русскому языку как иностранному соответствует установке на то, что образовательная и воспитательная цели преподавания решаются параллельно с коммуникативной, а в достижении их особая роль отводится русской классической литературе. В работе используются методы наблюдения, описания, сопоставления, речевой дистрибуции, языкового и внеязыкового соотнесения. Автор приходит к выводу, что язык художественной литературы образует особую речь, в которой для решения определенных задач автором используются специальные средства языка. Акцент данной статьи сделан на одном из таких средств - художественной детали

Pflegeinterventionen zur Förderung der Adhärenz bei erwachsenen Dialysepatienten: eine Literaturübersicht

Weltweit nehmen chronische Erkrankungen zu und gewinnen somit an Bedeutung. In der Schweiz sind ¾ aller Todesfälle auf chronische Krankheiten zurück-zuführen. Die chronische Niereninsuffizienz gehört in diese Kategorie und benötigt in ihrem Endstadium eine Nierenersatztherapie. Die häufigste Therapieform ist die inter-mittierende Hämodialyse. Der Behandlungsplan der chronischen Niereninsuffizienz ist sehr komplex. Dies erfordert ein striktes Einhalten der Therapie und gewisse Verhal-tensänderungen. Die Nicht-Adhärenz der Dialysebehandlung kann zu schwerwiegen-den Komplikationen führen, erhöht die Hospitalisationsrate und die Mortalität. Eine Verbesserung der Adhärenz kann sich auf den Therapieerfolg auswirken, Morbidität und Mortalität und nicht zuletzt die Kosten senken. Aus diesen Gründen ist es ange-bracht, Adhärenz mit Pflegeinterventionen zu fördern

Valence of cerium ions in selected ternary compounds from the system Ce-Rh-Sn

Over the last years, intermetallic compounds from the system Ce–Rh–Sn have attracted a considerable attention owing to a rich variety of strongly correlated electron phenomena they exhibit. CeRhSn2, Ce5Rh4Sn10, Ce2Rh3Sn5 and Ce3Rh4Sn13 are magnetically ordered heavy fermion systems [1-5]. Interestingly, for Ce3+xRh4Sn13-x (0.2<x<0.6) no sign of Kondo effect and long range magnetic order was found down to the temperature of 0.4 K [5]. In turn, CeRhSn shows non-Fermi liquid-type thermodynamic and transport properties at low temperatures [6-7] accompanied by an intermediate valence state of the Ce ions. Further, for CeRhSn, CeRhSn2 and CeRh2Sn4 spin fluctuations due to the Rh 4d electrons were also suggested [1,7-8]. The possible coexistence of magnetic phenomena originating from Ce and Rh makes the unequivocal interpretation of experimental data for these compounds very difficult. Consequently, a detailed understanding of the very complex physical properties/behavior requires the use of a broad spectrum of experimental methods, including extended thermodynamic and transport measurements as well as careful investigations of electronic structure. For these systems the full characterization of Ce 4f states in regard to their occupancy, localization in a conduction band and hybridization with the other valence band states is crucial for an unambiguous determination of ground state properties and the low energy excitations. Thus, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is here of great use as a bulk probe which is highly sensitive on chemical states of elements. Furthermore, absorption measurements at the Ce LIII edge results in spectra with minimized lifetime broadening, largely unaffected by complicated many-electron final state effects. These spectra can be used to estimate the numbers for the fractional valence of Ce which originates from the strong hybridization between the Ce 4f and the other valence band states related to the valence fluctuation phenomena and/or to the formation of covalent bonds

Migrációs pályák, migráns életutak: közelkép a szerb-magyar határrégióról

A tanulmány a 2010 és 2012 között szerbiai, magyarországi és svájci kutatók közreműködésével lezajlott nemzetközi kutatás eredményeiből kínál ízelítőt. A kutatás középpontjában a Vajdaságból Magyarországra, illetve a volt Jugoszlávia tagköztársaságaiból a Vajdaságba irányuló migráció állt. A vizsgált migrációs folyamatok elemzése során a transznacionális és etnikai migráció elméleti és fogalmi keretére támaszkodtunk. A migráció transznacionális kutatási programja sajátos perspektívát jelent, amely lehetőséget kínál a migrációs folyamatok dinamikájának és a migránsok gyakorlatainak értelmezésére. Ugyanakkor az etnikai migrációelméleti modelljei a migrációban résztvevők motivációinak, a migráció okainak és céljának megértéséhez segít hozzá, s az etnicitása migránsok számára is magyarázó, értelmező keretet kínál migrációs történetük elbeszélésekor. A szerb–magyar határrégióban mozgó, az államhatárt több- kevesebb rendszerességgel átlépő migránsok gyakorlatai egy transznacionális társadalmi térben zajlanak, amelyet e gyakorlatok hoznak létre és termelnek folyamatosan újra,s amelyben források, javak, tárgyak, információk, szimbólumok mozognak, cserélődnek. Tanulmányunkban az e határrégióban mozgó migránsokról, tőkefajtákról és a migrációs hálózatokról nyújtunk rövid áttekintést

Erd-Wurzel-Separation nach dem maschinellen Ausstechen von Ampfer (Rumex obtusifolius)

Labour-intensive manual digging with various sorts of spades or forks is the most common technique to control broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius). Machines for removing roots exist, but are not in use. The process leaves undesired holes in the ground and large quantities of soil have to be removed. An invention for separating the fertile soil from the roots directly in the field and refilling the holes thus created would represent a significant advance. Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART has developed a separation unit to improve the mechanical weeding process. The separator unit consists of three paired rotary brushes (d = 200 mm,l = 250 mm) and an oscillating sieve (surface: 200 x 500 mm, gaps: 15 x 500 mm). In the summer 2011 a self-propelled unit dug out 174 Rumex obtusifolius plants on grassland on the experimental farm in Tänikon. The cleaned soil was used in situ to refill the holes created. The weight of both the excavated and cleaned soil was recorded. A RTK-GPS device enabled the exact position of plants to be located. Three months after treatment, the treaded places had been evaluated. In 160 cases (92 %) where Rumex plants had been removed at the same positions no plants regrew. The used standard adjustment could separate 55 to 80 % of the total excavation, depend on field condition. Disadvantages are the transport of 1.2 kg of soil and root material per plant in average and high efforts on machine construction