Embryogenesis in microspore culture of Vitis subspecies

Embryoid structures showing epidermal layers have been regenerated from isolated Vitis microspores. Experiments were carried out on 8 genotypes of Vitis including different donor plant growth conditions, chilling of microspores (4 °C), heat shock (35 °C) and colchicine exposure (10, 25 and 50 mg/l) as induction treatments and incubation of the cultures on 87 different solid and liquid NN and LS media. The reactions of the cultured microspores included enlargement and thickening of the exine, formation of microcalli, calli, globular proembryos and embryoid structures displaying cell differentiation. Callus formation took place mainly on solid LS media with 3 % or 12 % sucrose, whereas most of the embryoids developed on NN media with 3 % sucrose. Both, callus and embryoid formation, were promoted by colchicine treatment. 8 months after transfer of calli and embryoids to subculture media, 4 embryoids still showed cell proliferation

Die Corona-Pandemie

Zusammenfassung Die Covid-19-Pandemie hat zu radikalen Eingriffen in die Gesundheitsversorgung und das soziale Leben geführt, deren Effizienz und Angemessenheit aktuell immer stärker ins Zentrum von Auseinandersetzungen rückt. In diesem Sammelband reflektieren und kommentieren ausgewiesene Wissenschaftler/innen und Fachleute verschiedenster Disziplinen den Umgang mit der Pandemie. Thematisiert werden u.a. die Stellungnahmen nationaler Ethikkommissionen, die Triage-Problematik, die Vertretbarkeit von Eingriffen in Grundfreiheiten, die soziale Isolation Betroffener, der Umgang mit religiösen und spirituellen Bedürfnissen sowie tiefer liegende soziale Veränderungen in der Krise. Es wird damit ein wichtiger Beitrag zur Aufarbeitung der Corona-Krise geleistet. Mit Beiträgen von Maria Berghofer, Alois Birklbauer, Nadine Brühwiler, Barbara Derler, Stefan Dinges, Gerhard Falzberger, Eckhard Frick SJ, Isabella Guanzini, Karin Gubisch, Hartmann Jörg Hohensinner, Gerhard Hundsdorfer, Ulrich H.J. Körtner, Wolfgang Köle, Wolfgang Kröll, Martin M. Lintner, Univ.-Prof. Manfred Novak, Jochen Ostheimer, Sabine Petritsch, Brigitte Pichler, Gerhard Pichler, Johann Platzer, Franz Ploner, Regina Polak, Simon Romagnoli, Michael Rosenberger, Walter Schippinger, Christoph Seidl, Martina Schmidhuber, Eberhard Schockenhoff, Detlev Schwarz, Martin Splett, Willibald J. Stronegger, Jean-Daniel Strub, Christa Tax, Arnika Thonhofer, Andreas Valentin, Stephan Winter, Univ.-Prof. Werner Wolbert. Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic has led to radical interventions in healthcare and social life, the efficiency and appropriateness of which are now increasingly at the centre of controversy. In this volume, renowned scientists, academics and experts from a wide range of disciplines reflect and comment on how to deal with the pandemic. Among other things, the following topics are discussed: the statements of national ethics committees, the issue of triage, the acceptability of interventions in fundamental freedoms, the social isolation of those affected, the handling of religious and spiritual needs as well as deeper social changes during the crisis. Overall, this publication makes an important contribution to the resolution of the coronavirus crisis. With contributions by Maria Berghofer, Alois Birklbauer, Nadine Brühwiler, Barbara Derler, Stefan Dinges, Gerhard Falzberger, Eckhard Frick SJ, Isabella Guanzini, Karin Gubisch, Hartmann Jörg Hohensinner, Gerhard Hundsdorfer, Ulrich H.J. Körtner, Wolfgang Köle, Wolfgang Kröll, Martin M. Lintner, Univ.-Prof. Manfred Novak, Jochen Ostheimer, Sabine Petritsch, Brigitte Pichler, Gerhard Pichler, Johann Platzer, Franz Ploner, Regina Polak, Simon Romagnoli, Michael Rosenberger, Walter Schippinger, Christoph Seidl, Martina Schmidhuber, Eberhard Schockenhoff, Detlev Schwarz, Martin Splett, Willibald J. Stronegger, Jean-Daniel Strub, Christa Tax, Arnika Thonhofer, Andreas Valentin, Stephan Winter, Univ.-Prof. Werner Wolbert

Effect of probe energy and competing pathways on time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy signals: ring-opening reaction of 1,3-cyclohexadiene

The ring-opening dynamics of 1,3-cyclohexadiene (CHD) following UV excitation is studied using a model based on quantum molecular dynamics simulations with the ab-initio multiconfigurational Ehrenfest (AI-MCE) method coupled to the Dyson orbital approach for photoionisation cross sections. Time-dependent photoelectron spectra are calculated for probe photon energies in the range 2-15 eV. The calculations demonstrate the value of universal high-energy probes, capableof tracking the full photochemical dynamics of the molecule, as well as the benefit of more selective, lower-energy probes. The predicted signal, especially with the universal probes, becomes highly convoluted due to the contributions from multiple reaction paths, rendering interpretationdifficult unless complementary measurements and theoretical comparisons are available

Excited-State Electronic Structure with Configuration Interaction Singles and Tamm–Dancoff Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory on Graphical Processing Units

Excited-state calculations are implemented in a development version of the GPU-based TeraChem software package using the configuration interaction singles (CIS) and adiabatic linear response Tamm–Dancoff time-dependent density functional theory (TDA-TDDFT) methods. The speedup of the CIS and TDDFT methods using GPU-based electron repulsion integrals and density functional quadrature integration allows full ab initio excited-state calculations on molecules of unprecedented size. CIS/6-31G and TD-BLYP/6-31G benchmark timings are presented for a range of systems, including four generations of oligothiophene dendrimers, photoactive yellow protein (PYP), and the PYP chromophore solvated with 900 quantum mechanical water molecules. The effects of double and single precision integration are discussed, and mixed precision GPU integration is shown to give extremely good numerical accuracy for both CIS and TDDFT excitation energies (excitation energies within 0.0005 eV of extended double precision CPU results)

REMARKS TO THE CURRENT DISCUSSION ABOUT BIOENERGY –BIOENERGY FOR THE PUBLIC AND/ OR FOR THE AGRICULTURAL OR RURAL AREAS ONLY ?

An energy system that is based on the use of renewable energy resources must be service –oriented and should be able to cover the varying energy demands. Moreover it must be flexible and cost effective by using on optimal mix of predominantly renewable energy sources. Agriculture will play an important role in the future if an optimal mix between food/feed production and energy plant production could be found. The present examples in the world to gain agricultural land for energy plants on the expenses of forests is going into the wrong direction. The cost intensive investments at present performed in Europe for biofuel and bioenergy production will certainly influence prices for crops and biomass supply. In this paper, strategies are questioned and discussed if the goals of the EU-commission to replace substantial parts of the fossile energy demands by bioenergy supply is feasible and can be realistic. As an example for a national agricultural situation, Austria, as am member of the PBBA, has elaborated a study about the timely development how much of the arable land can be utilized in the period between 2005 and 2020 for various bioenergy sources .The results demonstrate that, at the maximum , agriculture can only supply about 22 % of the total arable land for additional bioenergy as biofuel and biogas without interfering the national self food/feed supply and the protection of the sensible environment and emission situation. Finally, recent University research studies are presented about new processes to achieve a better and more efficient use of cereal and maize straw for biogas production already performed in the present 358 local biogas plants in Austria