The estimation of aboveground biomass and nutrient pools of understorey plants in closed Norway spruce forests and on clearcuts

The estimation model PhytoCalc allows a non-destructive quantification of dry weight and nutrient pools of understorey plants in forests by using the relationship between species biomass, cover and mean shoot length. The model has been validated with independent samples in several German forest types and can be a useful tool in forest monitoring. However, in open areas within forests (e.g. clearcuts), the current model version underestimates biomass and produces unreliable nutrient pool estimations. Thus, tissue density, as approximated by leaf dry matter content (LDMC), is systematically higher under high light compared to low light conditions. We demonstrate that the ratio of LDMC under clearcut conditions to LDMC under forest conditions can be used to adjust the PhytoCalc model to clearcut conditions. We investigated the LDMC ratio of five exemplary species commonly occurring on clearcuts. Integrating the square of the ratio as a correction factor improved estimates of biomass to more than 70% fit between observations and predictions. Results also suggest this ratio can be used to correct nutrient concentrations modelled in PhytoCalc, which tend to be overestimated in clearcuts. As morphological groups of plant species exhibit significantly different ratios, we advise using group-specific correction factors for clearcut adjustments in the future

Forest ecosystem research in Hainich National Park (Thuringia) : first results on flora and vegetation in stands with contrasting tree species diversity

A floristic description is presented of the study sites of the Research Training Group “The role of biodi-versity for biogeochemical cycles and biotic interactions in temperate deciduous forests”. To investi-gate different aspects of plant biodiversity in Hainich National Park (Thuringia), deciduous forest stands with low, medium and high canopy tree species diversity were compared. The results of species richness and forest communities show that the research sites are characterised by a typical central European forest flora. Greater vascular plant species richness occurs with higher diversity of tree species. Six of altogether twelve research sites are assigned to the beech forest alliance (Galioodorati-Fagion), the second half belongs to the oak-hornbeam forest alliance (Carpinionbetuli). Suballiances within the Galioodorati-Fagion in the study area include the Galio-Fagetum and the Hordelymo-Fagetum. All Carpinionbetuli relevées are assigned to the suballiance Stellario-Carpinetum

Wir kämpfen uns da zusammen durch : Bildungserfolg junger Aussiedlerinnen

Der Betrag beleuchtet adoleszente Entwicklungsprozesse einer spezifischen Migrantinnengruppe, der Aussiedlerinnen. Die innerethnische Peergroup wird in ihrer identitätsstiftenden Bedeutung für die Gruppe der bildungserfolgreichen jungen Aussiedlerinnen charakterisiert. Die Gemeinsamkeit der Peergroup beruht im Sinne des kollektiven Gedächtnisses auf geteilten Erinnerungen und gemeinsamem Erleben. In den der Gruppe eigenen Sprachschöpfungen zwischen Her kunftssprache und Zweitsprache wird die Kreativität der Peergroup sichtbar. Ausgehend von den Peergroups können sich die jungen Aussiedlerinnen der Mehrheitsgesellschaft und ihren Anforderungen öffnen.Educational Success of Young Female Resettlers Developmental processes in adolescence of a specific group of female migrants coming from the former Soviet Union are described. The stabilising function of the inner ethnic peer group is discussed. The cohesion of the peer group is based in the collective memory of shared experiences. The creativity of the peer group lies in neologisms, a combination of their mother tongue and the language of the host country. With the backing of their peer group the young migrants can open up to the host culture

Wir kämpfen uns da zusammen durch: Bildungserfolg junger Aussiedlerinnen

"Der Betrag beleuchtet adoleszente Entwicklungsprozesse einer spezifi schen Migrantinnengruppe, der Aussiedlerinnen. Die innerethnische Peergroup wird in ihrer identitätsstiftenden Bedeutung für die Gruppe der bildungserfolgreichen jungen Aussiedlerinnen charakterisiert. Die Gemeinsamkeit der Peergroup beruht im Sinne des kollektiven Gedächtnisses auf geteilten Erinnerungen und gemeinsamem Erleben. In den der Gruppe eigenen Sprachschöpfungen zwischen Her kunftssprache und Zweitsprache wird die Kreativität der Peergroup sichtbar. Ausgehend von den Peergroups können sich die jungen Aussiedlerinnen der Mehrheitsgesellschaft und ihren Anforderungen öffnen." (Autorenreferat)"Developmental processes in adolescence of a specifi c group of female migrants coming from the former Soviet Union are described. The stabilising function of the inner ethnic peer group is discussed. The cohesion of the peer group is based in the collective memory of shared experiences. The creativity of the peer group lies in neologisms, a combination of their mother tongue and the language of the host country. With the backing of their peer group the young migrants can open up to the host culture." (author's abstract

Juvenile female ethnic German immigrants - academic achievement in seclusion. Qualitative study - report on a research project

Die vorgestellte Studie widmet sich der Frage, "auf welchem Fundament der Bildungserfolg junger Aussiedlerinnen [aus Russland und Kasachstan] aufbaut." Dazu begleitet die Autorin ein Jahr lang junge Frauen zwischen 18 und 20, die die gymnasiale Oberstufe besuchen. "Im letzten Schuljahr vor dem Abitur [führt sie] dreimal im Abstand von jeweils vier Monaten eineinhalbstündige Gespräche, in denen die jungen Mädchen über die Migrationserfahrung, über ihre familiäre und schulische Situation, ihre Freizeitgestaltung ebenso wie ihre Lebensziele [sprechen]." In den Gesprächen lassen sich "drei Säulen... ausmachen, die maßgeblich den Schul- und Bildungserfolg der jungen Aussiedlerinnen tragen": Die enge familiäre Bindung, das Vorbild der Mütter, sowie die gegenseitige Unterstützung in der Peergroup. Dabei haben "innerethnische Freundschaften... einen höheren Stellenwert als interkulturelle Freundschaften und bilden ein haltendes Netzwerk, das in hohem Maße identitätsstiftend wirkt." (DIPF/Orig./Un

Importance of overnight parameters to predict Sea Breeze on Long Island

The sea breeze is a phenomenon frequently impacting Long Island, New York, especially during the spring and early summer, when land surface temperatures can exceed ocean temperatures considerably. The sea breeze influences daily weather conditions by causing a shift in wind direction and speed, limiting the maximum temperature, and occasionally serving as a trigger for precipitation and thunderstorms. Advance prediction of the presence or absence of the sea breeze for a certain location on a given day would therefore be beneficial to weather forecasters. To forecast sea breeze occurrence based on the previous night's weather conditions, we used a novel algorithm called the $D$-Basis. We analyzed sea breeze data from a recent four year period (2017-2020) at a single weather station several miles inland from the coast. High or constant station pressure, high or constant dew point, and onshore wind from the previous night were found to be strong predictors of sea breeze formation the following day. The accuracy of the prediction was around 74\% for June 2020. Unlike other prediction methods which involve the comparison of sea surface and land surface temperatures in near real time, our prediction method is based on the parameters from the prior night, allowing it to potentially aid in advanced forecasting of the sea breeze.Comment: 17 Figures, 12 Table

Gait rehabilitation machines based on programmable footplates

BACKGROUND: Gait restoration is an integral part of rehabilitation of brain lesioned patients. Modern concepts favour a task-specific repetitive approach, i.e. who wants to regain walking has to walk, while tone-inhibiting and gait preparatory manoeuvres had dominated therapy before. Following the first mobilization out of the bed, the wheelchair-bound patient should have the possibility to practise complex gait cycles as soon as possible. Steps in this direction were treadmill training with partial body weight support and most recently gait machines enabling the repetitive training of even surface gait and even of stair climbing. RESULTS: With treadmill training harness-secured and partially relieved wheelchair-mobilised patients could practise up to 1000 steps per session for the first time. Controlled trials in stroke and SCI patients, however, failed to show a superior result when compared to walking exercise on the floor. Most likely explanation was the effort for the therapists, e.g. manually setting the paretic limbs during the swing phase resulting in a too little gait intensity. The next steps were gait machines, either consisting of a powered exoskeleton and a treadmill (Lokomat, AutoAmbulator) or an electromechanical solution with the harness secured patient placed on movable foot plates (Gait Trainer GT I). For the latter, a large multi-centre trial with 155 non-ambulatory stroke patients (DEGAS) revealed a superior gait ability and competence in basic activities of living in the experimental group. The HapticWalker continued the end effector concept of movable foot plates, now fully programmable and equipped with 6 DOF force sensors. This device for the first time enables training of arbitrary walking situations, hence not only the simulation of floor walking but also for example of stair climbing and perturbations. CONCLUSION: Locomotor therapy is a fascinating new tool in rehabilitation, which is in line with modern principles of motor relearning promoting a task-specific repetitive approach. Sophisticated technical developments and positive randomized controlled trials form the basis of a growing acceptance worldwide to the benefits or our patients

Adaptation intraspécifique à l'habitat: Comment la capacité de germination des graines des plantes herbacées change-t-elle en function des conditions environnementales dans les savanes Ouest Africaines

Knowledge about the herbaceous layer in relation to environmental factors in West African savannas is still scarce. Early life-cycle events like germination of the herbaceous species are of special interest, as these stages can play critical roles in establishing of the plants and determine population and community dynamics. We aim to assess intraspecific differences in the germinability of herbaceous savanna species with respect to environmental conditions to reveal adaptations in this early life cycle stage. The study was conducted in the Sudanian savanna of Burkina Faso in West Africa. We collected seeds of two annual herbs (Chamaecrista mimosoides, Spermacoce stachydea) along a climatic gradient from different habitats and land use types and conducted germination experiments under equal conditions in climate chambers. For both species several environmental factors showed a significant impact on the germination rates. While higher precipitation caused an increase in the germination rate only for S. stachydea, habitat conditions had a significant influence for both species. Intermediate habitats with balanced soil moisture caused an enhancement of the germination success. Moreover shrub cover had a positive effect on the germinability of C. mimosoides, whereas the germinability of S. stachydea decreased due to an increasing herbaceous cover. The study showed that certain environmental factors are able to modify the intraspecific variability of the germinability trait, which might affect the establishment of the species populations.Les connaissances sur la strate herbacée en relation avec les facteurs environnementaux dans les savanes Ouest africaines sont encore rares. Les événements précoces du cycle biologique, comme la germination des espèces herbacées, présentent un intérêt particulier, car ces stades peuvent jouer un rôle crucial dans l'établissement des plantes et être déterminant dans la dynamique des populations et des communautés. Notre objectif est d'évaluer les différences intraspécifiques dans la capacité de germination des espèces herbacées de savane selon les conditions environnementales afin de révéler les adaptations à ce stade précoce du cycle biologique. L'étude a été menée dans la savane soudanienne du Burkina Faso en Afrique de l'Ouest. Nous avons collecté des graines de deux espèces herbacées annuelles (Chamaecrista mimosoides, Spermacoce stachydea) le long d'un gradient climatique en fonction de différents types d’habitats et d'utilisation du terres. Nous avons ensuite mené des expériences de germination dans des conditions identiques à celles des savanes en utilisant des chambres climatiques. Pour les deux espèces, plusieurs facteurs environnementaux ont eu un impact significatif sur les taux de germination. Alors que les fortes précipitations n'ont provoqué une augmentation du taux de germination que pour S. stachydea, les conditions d'habitat quant à eux, ont eu une influence significative sur les deux espèces. Les habitats intermédiaires avec une humidité du sol équilibrée ont permis d'améliorer le succès de la germination. De plus, le taux de recouvrement des arbustes a eu un effet positif sur la germination de C. mimosoides, tandis que la capacité de germination de S. stachydea diminue avec l’augmentation du taux de recouvrement des herbacées. L'étude a montré que certains facteurs environnementaux sont capables de modifier la variabilité intraspécifique du trait de germination, ce qui pourrait affecter l'établissement de la population des espèces

Pedagogical Relationships in Digitised Adult Education

With the COVID-19 pandemic the education sector is facing major new challenges and opportunities, e.g., changes in the pedagogical relationships between teachers and learners. Various publications have already inquired into the importance of pedagogical relationships in primary and secondary education, but not in adult education. Therefore, a closer look should now be taken at pedagogical relationships in adult education and their impact on successful teaching – both in the analogue and the digital realm. The person-centred approach as well as the approach of professional proximity and distance are relevant concepts in this field. From the perspective of person-centred pedagogy, respectful interaction with one another and the facilitation of an equal dialogue between teachers and learners are of great importance. The relevance of relationships between teachers and learners in adult education should not be underestimated – also with regard to enabling successful relationship building in distance learning

Storage-ring measurement of the hyperfine induced 47Ti18+(2s 2p 3P0 -> 2s2 1S0) transition rate

The hyperfine induced 2s 2p 3P0 > 2s2 1S0 transition rate AHFI in berylliumlike 47Ti18+ was measured. Resonant electron-ion recombination in a heavy-ion storage ring was employed to monitor the time dependent population of the 3P0 state. The experimental value AHFI=0.56(3)/s is almost 60% larger than theoretically predicted.Comment: 4 pages. 3 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Physical Review Letter