Introduction of crop rotation and rice straw application in a former flooded rice system and their impact on the microbial community in bulk soil and the rhizosphere of <em>Zea mays</em>

Rice is one of the most important staple foods The constant flooding of rice fields results in anoxic conditions in soil, providing an optimal habitat for methane producing Archaea. The produced methane is the main substrate for methanotrophic bacteria that oxidize it to carbon dioxide (CO2) and therefore represent a methane sink within rice fields. To decrease water consumption and minimize methane emissions, an altered crop rotation by introducing plants such as maize cultivated under upland conditions, is considered. However previous studies observed, that such crop rotation promotes the development of desiccation cracks and due to that a leaching of carbon and nitrogen, whereby an increase emission of nitrous oxide was also observed. To prevent these losses, rice straw can be applied as mulch to conserve the soil moisture content and stabilize soil aggregates. How the microbial community response on the introduction of crop rotation and straw application is a central question in this thesis. Furthermore, the analysis of microbial community could indicate whether a combination of these two agricultural management practises solve the problem of high methane emissions. We analysed the microbial communities in rice fields in comparison to rice-maize crop rotation soils. The microbial community of paddy soil is well studied and characterized by an appearance of methanogens and methanotrophs. We additionally focussed on the rice phyllosphere and could isolated methanotrophs that are potentially able to consume methane emitted by rice plants. To have a closer look at the impact of crop rotation on bacteria, archaea and fungi, we analysed the microbial communities during maize cultivation in rice monoculture soils, rice-maize crop rotation soils and, as a control, in a maize monoculture soils, via amplicon sequencing. This revealed that microbial communities in crop rotation soils have a higher similarity to those in rice soils than in maize soil. However, differences between the communities in rice soils compared to crop rotation soils were mainly due to a depletion of anaerobic microbes in crop rotation soils. We investigated the active straw degrading bacterial and fungal community in detail in a crop rotation soil by applying highly labelled 13C-rice straw to the bulk soil and rhizosphere of maize. The results showed that straw degradation was performed by aerobic microorganisms in crop rotation soil, which underwent a clear temporal succession. In the rhizosphere we detected partly different microorganisms as labelled than in bulk soil, indicating that host plant specific taxa benefit from straw in the rhizosphere. Nevertheless, the lower label intensity in the rhizosphere indicates that rhizosphere organisms use straw as additional carbon source with lower efficiency besides the rhizodeposits. To investigate specifically the root exudate consuming microorganisms in the rhizosphere, we conducted a labelling experiment of maize with 13CO2 and subsequent phospholipid fatty acid stable isotope probing. The results confirm that the addition of straw impacts the uptake of root exudates. Obviously, a simultaneous use of root exudates and straw takes place, because straw addition results in a decreased uptake of root exudates. This thesis provides evidence that the introduction of crop rotation leads to an altered microbial community in bulk soil and in the rhizosphere of maize. The depletion of methanogens leads to the assumption that a crop rotation of rice, followed by maize, and straw addition during the dry season is a promising strategy to reduce methane emissions

Formative Needs Assessment Evaluation of Nontraditional Student-Parents at a Private 4-Year University

Nontraditional student-parents compose approximately one-quarter of the student body on college and university campuses. Student-parents face unique challenges, have unique needs, and graduate at lower rates than other nontraditional students. Yet many campuses, like the local study site, focus support on traditional students. The purpose of this formative evaluation was to assess the needs of student-parents in their persistence to graduation at a private 4-year university in the Southeastern United States. Astin’s I-E-O model was the conceptual framework used to identify student-parents’ characteristics (input), services needed (environment), and intended outcomes. A basic qualitative design and interviews yielded narrative data from nine participants who were purposefully selected and attended a Regional Academic Center. Descriptive and pattern coding by research question was the approach to data analysis. Key findings were that nontraditional student-parents needed mentorship, convenience and scheduling, financial assistance, and marketed services. Implications of the evaluation were that nontraditional student-parents valued existing support services but needed additional and modified services. Recommendations included offering more hybrid or asynchronous courses, increasing assistance and scholarships, and creating a mentor program, childcare facilities in the library or research centers, and orientation programs specifically for student-parents. Recommendations were presented in an evaluation report for campus stakeholders to review and decide about services for which to seek funding and develop programming. Offering services focused on student-parents may lead to higher graduation rates at the local study site and affiliated regional sites

La gouvernance d'entreprise face au respect de la vie privée des salariés

The notion of governance seems to cover themes close to the term "to govern", of the grip of decision and the evaluation.It represents all the organs and the rules of decision, information (transparency) and supervision allowing the legal successors and the partners of a company, to see their respected interests and their voices in the functioning of this one.The governance of company proposes a new conception of the process of decision, granting all its place to the dialogue between the stakeholders.The union representative intervenes in this sense, indeed, he has a mission of claiming (for example concerning the increase in salaries), he is the interlocutor of the labor union(syndicate) with the employer, he negotiates with the latter the standards of the company (agreements and collective labor agreements)Framed by laws assuring the essential transparency, the governance of company would be in theory the way to assure at best the multiple interests of the actors concerned (employees and employers).It is the reason why it seemed convenient to draw a parallel between the exercise of the governance of company by the concerned actors and the respect for private life of the employees.The governance of company can be limited by the respect for private life of the employees.It is about a fundamental law, proclaimed by the law, registered in the bill of rights of 1948 (article 12), the European Convention on Human Rights and fundamental liberties (article 8), on the article 9 of the Civil code and on the article 226-1 of the Penal code.The components of the private life were not the object of a definition or a restrictive enumeration to avoid limiting the protection to the only legal forecasts. The courts applied the principle of this protection, in the right to life sentimental and in the family life, in the secret concerning the health, concerning the secret of the residence and the place of residence, and concerning the right(law) for the image.La notion de gouvernance semble recouvrir des thèmes proches du terme «gouverner», de la prise de décision et de l’évaluation.La gouvernance d’entreprise propose une nouvelle conception du processus de décision, accordant toute sa place à la concertation entre les parties prenantes. Le délégué syndical intervient dans ce sens, en effet, il a une mission de revendication (par exemple concernant la hausse des salaires), il est l’interlocuteur du syndicat auprès de l’employeur, il négocie avec ce dernier les normes de l’entreprise (accords et conventions collectives)Encadrée par des lois assurant l'indispensable transparence, la gouvernance d'entreprise serait théoriquement le moyen d'assurer au mieux les intérêts multiples des acteurs concernés (salariés et employeurs).C’est la raison pour laquelle il parait opportun de faire un parallèle entre l’exercice de la gouvernance d’entreprise par les acteurs concernés et le respect de la vie privée des salariés.Ce parallèle entre vie privée et gouvernance de l’entreprise a notamment été mis en exergue avec l’affaire Novartis (6 octobre 2004).L’entreprise Novartis a mis en place en 1999 un code de bonne conduite pour rappeler certains principes éthiques, seulement ce texte a été complété en juillet 2004 par de surprenantes dispositions jugées attentatoires à la vie privée des salariés par le Tribunal de Nanterre. Ce code de conduite demande notamment aux salariés de Novartis " qu'ils consacrent tout leur temps et toute leur attention au travail de Novartis pendant les heures de travail habituelles... Le temps requis pour une occupation extérieure peut générer une baisse de la productivité ". En outre, le groupe estime que "le temps requis pour une occupation extérieure, qu'elle soit de type gouvernemental, politique ou bénévole, peut générer une baisse de la productivité et de l'efficacité d'un collaborateur créant ainsi un conflit d'intérêts" Aussi Novartis exige également " une autorisation préalable " de la direction pour ce type d'activités.Le tribunal des référés de Nanterre va rendre une décision qui va porter en outre sur le fond en jugeant que ces " alinéas sont susceptibles de nuire à la santé mentale des salariés et portent atteinte à la vie privée ".La direction ne fera finalement pas appel et soumettra au Comité de groupe ainsi qu'au comité d’hygiène, de sécurité et des conditions de travail une nouvelle version de son code éthique.La gouvernance d’entreprise peut donc être limitée par le respect de la vie privée des salariés.La vie privée est l'ensemble des activités d'une personne qui relève de son intimité par opposition à la vie publique.Il parait plus juste de mentionner un "droit à l'intimité de la vie privée".En effet, il s’agit d’un droit fondamental, proclamé par la loi, inscrit dans la déclaration des droits de l'homme de 1948 (article 12), la Convention européenne des Droits de l’Homme et des libertés fondamentales (article 8), à l’article 9 du Code civil et à l’article 226-1 du Code Pénal.Les composantes de la vie privée n'ont pas fait l'objet d'une définition ou d'une énumération limitative afin d'éviter de limiter la protection aux seules prévisions légales. Les tribunaux ont appliqué le principe de cette protection, au droit à la vie sentimentale et à la vie familiale, au secret relatif à la santé, au secret de la résidence et du domicile, et au droit à l'image. Par ailleurs, il convient de préciser que c’est le contrat de travail qui détermine les règles, obligations et devoirs de chacune des parties (l’employeur et le salarié), il ne peut concerner que le temps passé au travail.Des circonstances extérieures à la vie professionnelle et tenant à la vie privée du salarié ne peuvent être prises en considération, sauf si elles affectent la relation salariale

Preliminary Assessment of the Application of the LIFE Model in Barangay Salman, Ampatuan

This paper contains some initial positive results of farmer surveys assessing lifestyle, economic, and social effects from the application of the model in one case study site—Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao. These are interim results rather than final as the project is ongoing within an action research framework. The paper merely aims to describe changes that are occurring in the spirit of making a preliminary judgement about the impact of applying the LIFE extension model that was described in Vock et al. (this issue). If the impact would be found to be negligible or negative, a total rethink of the model would be required. It is not a “final” assessment of the whole project, or even a final assessment of impacts at that particular site. The assessment involved primary data collection through personal farmer interviews. This paper combines economic and sociological parameters. This continues a theme of the project which is to maintain a joint socioeconomic perspective whenever possible. Economic impacts from applying the extension model were found to be positive and these translated strongly into lifestyle changes with respect to matters such as health, education, food, and shelter

Pengaruh Pemberian Pupuk NPK dan Kompos Kulit Kopi Terhadap Pertumbuhan dan Hasil Tanaman Kentang (Solanum Tuberosum L.)

Kentang merupakan salah satu komoditas penting dan mendapat prioritas untuk dikembangkan karena bernilai ekonomi tinggi serta mempunyai potensi untuk mendukung diversifikasi pangan, namun produksinya masih tergolong rendah karena masih belum optimal penggunaan teknologi budidaya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh pemberian pupuk NPK dan kompos kulit kopi terhadap pertumbuhan dan hasil tanaman kentang. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Kampung Tingkem Bersatu Kecamatan Bukit Kabupaten Bener Meriah dengan ketinggian tempat 1300 m dpl. Bahan utama yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah bibit tanaman kentang varietas Granola, pupuk NPK dan kompos kulit kopi. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan acak kelompok (RAK) faktorial dengan dua faktor yaitu faktor pupuk NPK (N) yang terdiri dari empat taraf (0, 1, 1,5 dan 2 ton/ha) dan faktor kompos kulit kopi (K) yang terdiri dari tiga taraf (0, 15 dan 20 ton/ha). Hasil penelitian menunjukkan terdapat interaksi yang sangat nyata pada pemberian NPK dengan kompos kulit kopi terhadap tinggi tanaman umur 30 HST dan bobot umbi tanaman sampel, berinteraksi nyata terhadap tinggi tanaman umur 45 HST dan indeks panen. Pemberian pupuk NPK secara tunggal berpengaruh nyata terhadap bobot umbi tanaman sampel dan berpengaruh sangat nyata terhadap tinggi tanaman umur 30 HST, 45 HST dan 60 HST, kandungan klorofil, jumlah umbi, bobot umbi perplot dan indeks panen. Pemberian kompos kulit kopi secara tunggal berpengaruh sangat nyata terhadap kandungan klorofil dan berpengaruh nyata terhadap bobot umbi perplot. Interaksi antara pupuk NPK dosis 2 ton/ha dan kompos kulit kopi dosis 20 ton/ha memberikan hasil terbaik terhadap tinggi tanaman umur 30 HST dan bobot umbi perplot

NOUVELLES TECHNOLOGIES DE L'INFORMATION ET DE LA COMMUNICATION, NOUVELLES LECTURES, NOUVEAUX ÉCRITS - POUR UNE CARACTÉRISATION DU GENRE DU DOCUMENT NUMÉRIQUE

Current technologies have enabled knowledge to along pathways that go beyond pluralistic patterns of traditional broadcasting. To improve the indexing and searching in this area, many methods are aimed at overdetermine papers published as a set of metadata. The gendre issue is part of the more global problem of classification of semiotic products and aims to provide elements that could improve research methods and techniques of manipulation.This thesis suggest to highlight discriminating features that could identify the types of digital documents. Ultimately, this should lead to improved search tools and indexing documents. It is organized into four parts. But first, a section introduces the concepts used thoughout the development, it shall determine the epistemological environment and methodologies chosen. The first part of the thesis makes a "flattering" of the concept of document and proceeds with his analysis, particularly in terms of scanning and changing practices that it brings. Three levels were selected as relevant: the technological aspect, witch relates to object (shape), its semiotic consistency, dependent on the interpretation of the subjects (the bottom) and the pragmatic target is it to say that revolve around the actions and justify its existence (it works). One defined the object of study, the second part of the thesis makes a "state of arts" of gender. After tracing the evolution of ideas that the concept of gender has developed over time, were identified three trends that seem to illustrate just as many ways to approach the semiotic object. The third part finally dressed the gendre issue, trying to find items relevant to a closer look operation of the dialectic between "being digital document", "subjects interpretants" and "practices" related. The goal here is to identify discriminating features that could identify the types of digital documents. Gender is thus analyzed:- context as a priori, that to say as a world of expectations of a community, in which case it is a "context of reference" subjects;- buildings as a reading course content, where the "context of actions" provides the defining elements in the formation of a meaning;- as a posteriori description of a document analysis, in this case, the "object context".The fourth section provides an exemplification and discussion of these ideas on a corpus of digital documents. The target application is here. This is to examine the possibility of developing tools for automatic recognition of gendres.Les technologies actuelles ont permis aux savoirs de se développer en suivant des voies pluralistes qui dépassent les schémas de diffusion traditionnelle. Pour améliorer l’indexation et la recherche dans ce nouvel espace, de nombreuses méthodes visent à surdéterminer les documents publiés d’un ensemble de métadonnées. La question du genre s’inscrit dans la problématique plus générale du classement des productions sémiotiques et vise à donner les éléments qui pourraient améliorer les méthodes de recherche et les techniques de manipulation. Cette thèse se propose de mettre en évidence des traits discriminants qui permettraient d’identifier les genres des documents numériques. À terme, cela devrait déboucher sur une amélioration des outils de recherche et d’indexation documentaire. Elle est organisée en quatre parties, avec en préambule, une section relative aux concepts utilisés tout au long des développements. Cette section fixe le cadre épistémologique ainsi que les méthodologies choisies. La première partie de la thèse effectue une « mise à plat » de la notion de document et procède à son analyse, particulièrement sous l’angle de la numérisation et de la modification des pratiques qu’elle amène. Trois niveaux ont été retenus comme pertinents : l’aspect technologique, qui se rattache à l’objet (sa forme), sa consistance sémiotique, dépendante de l’interprétation faite par les sujets (son fond) et la visée pragmatique, c’est-à-dire les actions qui s’articulent autour et qui justifient son existence (son fonctionnement). Une fois l’objet d’étude délimité, la deuxième partie de la thèse procède à un « état de l’art » de la question du genre. Après avoir retracé l’évolution des conceptions que la notion de genre a connu au fil du temps, ont été dégagées trois tendances qui semblent illustrer tout autant de manières d’aborder l’objet sémiotique. La troisième partie aborde enfin la question du genre, en cherchant à y trouver des éléments pertinents pour un regard plus opératoire de la dialectique entre « l’objet document numérique », les « sujets interprétants » et les « pratiques » qui s’y rapportent. L’ambition ici est de dégager des traits discriminants qui permettraient d’identifier les genres des documents numériques

Cardiomyocyte-specific inactivation of thyroid hormone in pathologic ventricular hypertrophy: an adaptative response or part of the problem?

Recent studies in various rodent models of pathologic ventricular hypertrophy report the re-expression of deiodinase type 3 (D3) in cardiomyocytes. D3 inactivates thyroid hormone (T3) and is mainly expressed in tissues during development. The stimulation of D3 activity in ventricular hypertrophy and subsequent heart failure is associated with severe impairment of cardiac T3 signaling. Hypoxia-induced signaling appears to drive D3 expression in the hypertrophic cardiomyocyte, but other signaling cascades implicated in hypertrophy are also capable of stimulating transcription of the DIO3 gene. Many cardiac genes are transcriptionally regulated by T3 and impairment of T3 signaling will not only reduce energy turnover, but also lead to changes in gene expression that contribute to contractile dysfunction in pathologic remodeling. Whether stimulation of D3 activity and the ensuing local T3-deficiency is an adaptive response of the stressed heart or part of the pathologic signaling network leading to heart failure, remains to be established

The MOBIOS+: A FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) database for Mindanao's terrestrial biodiversity

Due to its complex geological history and the emergence of various biogeographic regions, the Philippines boasts an extraordinary array of flora and fauna. This unique combination has contributed to the country’s exceptional density of terrestrial species, making it amongst the highest in the world. Mindanao, in the southern part of the Philippines, is the second largest group of islands and supports high levels of endemism and proportion of threatened species. However, consolidated biodiversity records and information remain unavailable for the region. The primary goal of the Mindanao Open Biodiversity Information (MOBIOS+) database is to address these substantial data deficiencies by compiling contemporary biodiversity information from the 21st century. This initiative seeks to enhance our comprehension of biodiversity trends in Mindanao over temporal and spatial dimensions, while also creating an openly-accessible database. The database we present here is the first of its kind and currently the most comprehensive attempt to establish the largest consolidated database for Mindanao biodiversity, based on publicly available literature. With its vast collection of biodiversity data, this database will prove to be a valuable resource for advancing biodiversity research and analysis. It will further facilitate the identification of species and areas that require immediate conservation prioritisation and action, addressing the urgent challenges posed by our rapidly changing planet.The MOBIOS+ database is the first attempt to create a massive FAIR database aiming to collate biodiversity records from published literature in the Mindanao faunal region, south of the Philippines. The database currently includes 12,813 georeferenced specimen occurrences representing 1,907 unique taxa across 10 animal classes inhabiting the terrestrial and freshwater environments of Mindanao faunal region. We made all georeferenced specimen occurrences available in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) platform