Tropicalisation of temperate seagrass meadows in Western Australia: Predicting the impact of tropical herbivorous fishes on temperate seagrass meadows

Rising sea temperatures through climate change produce shifts in the distribution of tropical species to temperate regions, a process termed “tropicalisation”. The poleward expansion of tropical herbivores into temperate seagrass meadows is predicted to increase grazing pressure and alter ecosystem services and processes in these seagrass systems. This study attempted to examine the effects of tropicalisation on temperate seagrass meadows along the western coast of Australia, where the increasing abundance of tropical consumers such as the herbivorous Siganus fuscescens has already been documented. Through the assessment of fish assemblages in seagrass meadows and the grazing levels on seagrass in 2001 and 2016/17, as well as in situ and mesocosm feeding preference experiments, this study attempted to estimate the grazing rates and impact that the growing abundance of S. fuscescens may have in temperate seagrass meadows. Shifts in the grazing rates on seagrass between 2001 and 2016/17 were inconsistent, varying between seagrass species and location. Based on observational data on the bites on seagrass leaves, rates of consumption increased for Posidonia sinuosa while no similar pattern was found for Posidonia australis. This was despite an apparent greater consumption on P. australis compared to P. sinuosa in 2001, and the minimal amount of grazing on tethered seagrass. The higher observed level of P. sinuosa consumption in 2016/17 is likely explained by the changed herbivorous fish species composition, even though no fish were clearly observed feeding on seagrass in the current study. The tropical herbivore S. fuscescens was more abundant in 2016/17 that 2001, although abundances were patchy and no fish was observed feeding on seagrass. The higher level of P. sinuosa consumption in 2016/17, compared to 2001, supports the prediction that with increasing abundances in temperate seagrass ecosystems, tropical herbivores will enhance the consumption of seagrass. However, seagrass consumption is likely to be strongly influenced by the availability of macroalgae which were shown as the preferred food sources. Feeding trials in mesocosms were compromised by the large number of deaths and the limited grazing on natural food sources by S. fuscescens, suggesting that the population in the Perth region is susceptible to adverse handling and husbandry effects. To maximise the survival rate of captured fish, the fishing and handling procedures were altered to adapt to the ongoing observations in the response of fish to handling in the field or in the mesocosm facilities. Lesson learned from the capture, handling and husbandry of S. fuscescens in feeding trials in the current study will hopefully provide greater success for feeding preference experiments in the future. The sampling program initiated in 2001 and repeated in 2016/17 provides base-line data and the opportunity to monitor and track the shift in abundances of tropical herbivores and resultant increases in grazing rates to test the above predictions. The consequences of tropicalisation will depend on the variety of abiotic and biotic factors, including the fish assemblages in the area, the abundance of tropical species, the availability of food, and the feeding preferences that invading species will develop in response to the changed environmental conditions

Self-assembling polycations for gene delivery: Effects of polymer structure and environmental pH

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden innovative polymerische Vektoren, die für die Durchführung von Gentransfers entwickelt gewesen sind, vorgestellt. Hierbei richtete sich der besondere Akzent auf den Zusammenhang zwischen Struktur und Funktion sowohl aus physikalisch-chemischen als auch biologischen Blickpunkten. Zuerst wurden die für eine Transfektion relevanten Unterschiede von klassischen Vektoren mit hohem und niedrigem Verzweigungsgrad - PEI und PLL - unter alternierenden pH-Bedingungen von Krebsgewebe untersucht. Weiter wurde strukturelles Design für siRNA-Transfer auf Basis von PEG-PCL-PEI, einem multi-funktionellen selbst-assoziierenden ABC-Konstrukt, mit Betonung der Wichtigkeit der gesamten Hydrophilie-Lipophilie-Bilanz für effiziente Stilllegung der Genfunktion vorgeschlagen. Für Transport und Zustellung von DNA wurde ein neuer niedermolekularer diblock pDMAEMA-Abkömmling synthetisiert und charakterisiert, wonach der Vektor sich als effizient und geringfügig toxisch erwiesen hat. Der Zusammenhang zwischen pHEMA-Gehalt und Flexibilität der Polymerkette konnte mittels Dynamischer Simulation (MD) aufgeklärt werden. Die Besonderheiten zu thermodynamischen Aspekten von Polymer-DNA Bindung, die an die Glaspunkttemperatur (Tg) gekoppelt zu sein scheinen, wurden mittels ITC beobachtet. Sowohl die MD als auch die ITC- Methodiken lieferten neue Informationen zum Cargo-Carrier- Selbstorganisationsprozess in Lösung, welche wichtig in Bezug auf die Transfektionsleistung der Diblock-Copolymere sind

EXPLORING ELEMENTARY TEACHERS’ PRACTICES WITH RESPONSE TO IWBS

The purpose of this study is to examine how American elementary public school teachers perceive and use interactive whiteboards (IWBs). The qualitative case study method was used for this study. Nine teachers were selected for this study and the IWBs usage for at least a year was used as the criteria. Data were collected through 2 Skype or phone interviews and teachers’ lesson plan snapshots. As the results of the research, various themes on teachers’ experiences emerged. The results show that participants have positive attitudes towards IWBs and consider them helpful. However, teachers also stated about the need for additional planning time, professional development, technology support, and technology upgrades

Energiaülekandesond kui vahend morfoloogiast ja struktuurist tingitud fluoresentsi kustutamise uurimiseks haruldaste muldmetallidega dopeeritud nanoluminofoorides

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsioone.Uute vähidiagnostika meetodite arendamine on moodsa meditsiini üks põhilisi uurimisvaldkondi. Sügaval paiknevate vähirakkude fluorestsentskuva võib osutuda toimivaks mitteinvasiivseks diagnostikameetodiks. Fluorestsentskuva realiseerimiseks on välja pakutud mitmeid potentsiaalselt sobivaid materjale. Suurt huvi pakuvad haruldaste muldmetallidega dopeeritud nanoosakesed, mis on orgaaniliste luminofooride ja kvantpunktidega võrreldes parema bioloogilise sobivusega ning samas ka foto- ja termostabiilsemad. Paraku nende fluorestsentsomadused vajavad viimistlemist. Põhiprobleemiks on fluorestsentsi kustutamine, mis konkureerib kiirgusliku protsessiga. Et pakkuda välja lahendusi sellele probleemile, tuleb esmalt selgitada selle päritolu ja põhjused. Käesolev töö ongi pühendatud fluorestsentsi kustutamise põhjuste väljaselgitamisele haruldaste muldmetallidega dopeeritud nanoosakestes. Selleks arendati välja nn energiaülekandesondi meetod, mille abil näidati, et fluorestsentsi kustutamist põhjustavad peamiselt vesilahusest pärinevad veemolekulid ja –OH rühmad, mis on märkimisväärses koguses jaotunud üle kogu nanoosakese ruumala, paiknedes tõenäoliselt mesopoorides, mis tekivad materjali kristallisatsiooni käigus.The development of novel methods for cancer diagnostics is one of the major focus areas for modern medicine. Fluorescence deep tumor imaging may be an efficient non-invasive diagnostics technique. A number of materials suggested to be potential candidates for fluorescence imaging agents. Rare-earth doped nanoparticles are of great interest of this respect, as they are more biocompatible than traditional organic phosphors and quantum dots, photo- and thermally stable. However, the fluorescence properties of these materials need further improvement. The main problem to be overcome in this respect is fluorescence quenching, which competes with the emission process. In order to be able to suggest a way to reduce quenching, one needs to study its causes and origin. This work is devoted to the study of origin of the fluorescence quenching in the rare-earth doped nanoparticles. For this, a so-called energy transfer probing technique was developed. By means of this tool it has been shown that the main source of fluorescence quenching is a significant amount of water molecules and –OH groups, originating from the solvent and distributed in the volume of the nanoparticles, mainly in mesopores formed during the material crystallization

Galactic cosmic ray currents and magnetic field irregularity degree in high-speed solar wind streams

Currents of galactic cosmic rays (GCR) obtained by global survey method are analyzed. The cases of almost total disappearance of GCR currents are compared with the results of direct measurements of the solar wind parameters. The conclusion is made on a restricted application of the convective-diffusive mechanism of the GCR modulation by the solar wind during the occurrence of stationary and regular magnetic fields in the interplanetary medium

Yearbook of Organic Farming in the Czech Republic 2009

The yearbook brings summary of situation on field of organic farming, production, sale, distribution, consumption, promotion, education and research in the Czech Republic. The total acreage of organically farmed land at 31. 12. 2009 had increased to 398,407 ha, which represents 9,38 % of total agricultural land in CZ. Acreage under conversion had reached 26 % (i.e. 103,964 ha). This means the biggest yearly increase in the whole history of OF development (i.e. an increase of 56,775 ha)

Gaining experience of creative activity in the process of bachelor vocational education

Рассматриваются вопросы содержания и организации проектной, творческой деятельности студентов как условия повышения качества профессиональной подготовки будущих педагогов-дизайнеровThe article treats of the problems of content and organization of students’ project creative work as an essential prerequisite of enhancing the quality of preparation of would-be design teachers

THE STRUCTURE OF MUSCULAR ACTMTY IN CYCLIC LOCOMOTIONS

non

Factors Facilitating and Hindering Deep-Level Collaboration Between Subject and Language Teachers in the Estonian CLIL Context

Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) has been employed in Estonia and worldwide for decades. This methodology involves teaching academic subjects in a foreign or second language and enables learners to develop their subject knowledge, language skills and cognitive abilities. Oftentimes, both subject teachers and language teachers are involved in CLIL instruction, and its efficiency depends on collaboration between the educators. The study aims at pinpointing the factors that facilitate or hinder deep-level cross-curricular teacher collaboration in the Estonian CLIL context as well as the outcomes of such collaboration. The interviews with in-service teachers (12) who had taken part in a CLIL tandem teaching project allowed for the identification of 26 facilitators distributed across 7 levels (structural, personal, organisational, CLIL-, group-, process- and guidance-related) and 13 barriers distributed across 4 levels (structural, personal, organisational and group-related). The teachers perceived the collaboration as beneficial to them and their pupils, and the factors facilitating it were mentioned more frequently than hindering ones at all levels except the organisational one. Therefore, the findings of this study suggest that the organisational level barriers should be primarily addressed while designing deep-level collaborative experiences for teachers.Keywords: co-teaching, teacher tandem, levels of collaboration, content and language integrated learnin

Environmental Education: The Case of International Double Master Diploma in Tourism between Russian and French Universities

International audienceNorthern oriental territories of Russia are characterised by some non exploited high potential of tourism of nature in the specific context of the little territorial development, the needs of diversification of the economic activities at the local level, under the process of regional integration with Asia, the exploitation of mineral ressources, and the global warming. Tourism is considered one of the key economic branch to develop. According to the policy issues of the North-Eastern Federal University of the Repubic of Sakha (Yakutia) to support the economic development, the creation of double diploma programs with the foreign universities is essential due to the need of best practice application and to insufficiency of local competences in this field . The joint master curriculum in tourism and environment built with Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University of France aims to train the future specialists of touristic development of the territory of Yakutia. The questions of distance learning and TIC as well as the integration of the environment and the nature fixing contents structuring the curriculum constitute the key-points of joint master program. The study was conducted within the scientific project of the Russian science Foundation No. 15-18-20047 "Landscape Ontology: semantics, semiotics, and geographic modeling