Ferns and flowering plants of the former military training area Oranienbaumer Heide

Die Ergebnisse umfangreicher floristischer Kartierungen von Farn- und Blütenpflanzen auf dem ehemaligen Truppenübungsplatz Oranienbaumer Heide in den Jahren 2008 bis 2010 werden vorgestellt. Dabei wird vor allem auf naturschutzfachlich wertgebende Pflanzenarten fokussiert. Die Oranienbaumer Heide zählt heute aufgrund ihrer Nutzungsgeschichte, der Überschneidung kontinentaler und subatlantischer Verbreitungsareale sowie vielfältiger Standortbedingungen zu den artenreichsten Gebieten in Sachsen-Anhalt. Durch umfangreiche Literaturrecherchen sowie über die Auswertung historischen Kartenmaterials konnten die Nutzungsgeschichte des Gebietes sowie die historische Flora seit Beginn des 18. Jahrhunderts, zumindest in Teilen, rekonstruiert werden. Die Recherchen ergaben unter anderem, dass über einen langen Zeitraum ein Kontinuum an mehr oder weniger großen Offenflächen (Heiden, Magerrasen) im Gebiet vorhanden war. Eine Auswertung historischer Daten zu Pflanzenfunden für die Oranienbaumer Heide hat ergeben, dass ein großer Teil der schon früher für das Gebiet bekannt gewesenen Flora auch heute noch vorzufinden ist. Nur 18 Taxa konnten seit 1990 nicht wieder nachgewiesen werden. Insgesamt wurden für die Oranienbaumer Heide über 800 Pflanzenarten erfasst, darunter 74 Arten der Roten Liste des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt (FRANK et al. 2004), 38 Arten der Roten Liste Deutschlands (KORNECK et al. 1996) und 22 Arten nach Bundesartenschutzverordnung (BArtSchV 2005). Viele der im Untersuchungsgebiet naturschutzfachlich wertgebenden Pflanzenarten kommen darüber hinaus in außergewöhnlich großen Populationen vor.This study presents results of extensive floristic mapping of ferns and flowering plants from 2008 to 2010 on the former military training area „Oranienbaumer Heide“. It is focused on plant species with a high value for nature conservation. The investigation area Oranienbaumer Heide belongs to the most species-rich territories in Saxony-Anhalt because of the history of landuse, the overlap of continental and subatlantic distribution areas as well as varied site conditions. The history of land use as well as the flora of the area since the beginning of the 18th century could partly be reconstructed due to extensive literature research as well as the interpretation of old maps. A continuum of more or less large grasslands and heathlands over a long lasting period can be concluded. Most plants known to occur in the area Oranienbaumer Heide in the past can be found even today. Only 18 taxa known up to 1990 could not be reconfirmed. There is a total number of more than 800 plant species, among them 74 species of the Red List of Saxony-Anhalt (FRANK et al. 2004) and 38 species of the Red List of Germany (KORNECK et al. 1996) as well as 22 species which are protected by law (BArtSchV 2005). Many species with high value for nature conservation occur in extraordinary large populations in the investigated area

Comparing phonological and orthographic cues in the treatment of word retrieval disorders in aphasia

This paper examines the effects of phonological and orthographic cues on spoken naming in aphasia. The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between the effects of phonological and orthographic cues and the underlying functional language impairment and to identify the mechanisms by which the cues have their effects within a neurolinguistic word-processing model (Patterson & Shewell, 1987). We present the results from six anomic participants with chronic aphasia using a case-series design. Both effects of a single application and of multiple applications of cues were assessed, as were both immediate and delayed effects

Free-range grazing by large herbivores in degraded large-scale dry sandy grassland-heathland ecosystems

Free-range grazing by large herbivores combined with one-time mowing of over-aged heathlands offers an excellent management tool to maintain and enhance biodiversity in degraded large scale, low productive, semi-open dry sandy grassland-heathland ecosystems. Grazing improves habitat quality, supports typical species communities and represses invasive species

Treatment of sentence production in German agrammatism: a multiple single case study

This multiple single case intervention study focusses on the production of non-canonical sentences with seven agrammatic participants. Cross-over training involved the production of object relative clauses, i.e. syntactically complex sentences and relying on higher nodes in the syntactic tree and object derived who-questions, i.e. less complex sentences and relying on lower nodes. The investigation evaluates individual structure specific effects, generalized effects for sentence structures of the same movement type and different movement type. Individual results, unambiguously attributable to the intervention are reported and discussed within two accounts of treatment of agrammatic sentence production, the Tree-Pruning-Hypotheses (TPH) and the Complexity-Account-Treatment-Efficacy (CATE)

A cross-linguistic data bank for oral picture naming in Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Russian, Spanish, and Swedish (PEDOI)

The well established effect of word frequency on adult's picture naming performance is now called into question. This is particularly true for variables which are correlated with frequency, as is the case of age of word acquisition. Since the work of there is growing agreement among researchers to confer an important role in lexical access to this variable. Indeed, it has been shown () that for normal English-speaking adults only the variables 'age-of-acquisition' and 'name agreement' are independent predictors of naming success among the various variables considered. However, when brain-damaged subjects with and without degenerative pathologies are studied, word frequency and word length as well as concept familiarity all give significant effects (; ; ). Finally, it has been suggested that the production of specific error types may be related to such variables. According to the production of semantic errors is specifically affected by 'imageability' and in the recent study by 'age of acquisition' predicts (frank) word finding difficulties

Wissenschaftliche Grundlagen zum Strategiediskurs für einen nachhaltigen Pflanzenbau

Für den rationalen gesellschaftlichen Diskurs zur Lösung der vielfältigen Zielkonflikte auf dem Weg zu einem nachhaltigen Pflanzenbausind wissenschaftliche Fakten über die Beziehungen zwischen den Zielen unabdingbar. Daher hat die Gesellschaft für Pflanzenbauwissen-schaften wissenschaftliche Befunde zu den Themenbereichen Biodiversität, Klimarelevanz und Klimaresilienz, Nährstoffmanagement,Pflanzenschutz, Bodenschutz und Produktion nachwachsender Rohstoffe zusammengestellt und den bestehenden Forschungsbedarfidentifiziert. Nach einem Executive Summary, das die Befunde schlaglichtartig darstellt, werden die Themenbereiche im Einzelnen ausgeführt. Ziel dieses Papiers ist nicht, Empfehlungen für die politische Entscheidungsfindung abzugeben, sondern die öffentliche Diskussiondurch Bereitstellung von Sachinformationen zu unterstützen.Scientific facts about the relationships between the goals are indispensable for the rational social discourse on solving the various conflict-ing goals on the way to sustainable crop production. Therefore, the German Society for Agronomy has compiled scientific findings on thetopics of biodiversity, climate relevance and climate resilience, nutrient management, crop protection, soil protection and production ofrenewable raw materials, and identified the existing need for research. After an executive summary that highlights the findings, the subjectareas are explained in detail. The purpose of this paper is not to make recommendations for policy-making, but to support the publicdebate by providing factual information

Socioeconomic Differences in SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination in Germany: A Seroepidemiological Study After One Year of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign

Objective: To evaluate the socioeconomic patterns of SARS-CoV-2 antigen contacts through infection, vaccination or both (“hybrid immunity”) after 1 year of vaccination campaign.Methods: Data were derived from the German seroepidemiological Corona Monitoring Nationwide study (RKI-SOEP-2; n = 10,448; November 2021–February 2022). Combining serological and self-report data, we estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination, basic immunization (at least two SARS-CoV-2 antigen contacts through vaccination and/or infection), and three antigen contacts by education and income.Results: Low-education groups had 1.35-times (95% CI 1.01–1.82) the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to high-education groups. COVID-19 vaccination (at least one dose) and basic immunization decreased with lower education and income. Low-education and low-income groups were less likely to have had at least three antigen contacts (PR low vs. high education: 0.74, 95% CI 0.65–0.84; PR low vs. high income: 0.66, 95% CI 0.57–0.77).Conclusion: The results suggest a lower level of protection against severe COVID-19 for individuals from low and medium socioeconomic groups. Pandemic response and vaccination campaigns should address the specific needs and barriers of these groups

Effects of Lycopene on the Initial State of Atherosclerosis in New Zealand White (NZW) Rabbits

BACKGROUND: Lycopene is the main carotenoid in tomatoes, where it is found in high concentrations. Strong epidemiological evidence suggests that lycopene may provide protection against cardiovascular diseases. We therefore studied the effects of lycopene on diet-induced increase in serum lipid levels and the initiation of atherosclerosis in New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The animals, divided into four groups of 9 animals each, were fed either a standard diet, a high-cholesterol diet containing 0.5% cholesterol, a high-cholesterol diet containing placebo beadlets, or a high-cholesterol diet plus 5 mg/kg body weight/day of lycopene (in the form of lycopene beadlets), for a period of 4 weeks. We found significantly elevated lycopene plasma levels in the animal group treated with lycopene beadlets. Compared to the high-cholesterol and the placebo group, this was associated with a significant reduction of 50% in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol serum levels in the lycopene group. The amount of cholesteryl ester in the aorta was significantly decreased by lycopene. However, we did not observe a significant decrease in the extent of aortic surface lipid accumulation in the lycopene group. In addition, no differences in the intima-media thickness among groups were observed. Endothelial-dependent and endothelial-independent vasodilation in isolated rabbit aortic and carotid rings did not differ among any of the animal groups. CONCLUSIONS: Lycopene supplementation for 4 weeks increased lycopene plasma levels in the animals. Although we found strongly reduced total and LDL cholesterol serum levels as well as significantly lower amounts of cholesteryl ester in the aortae in the lycopene-treated group, no significant differences in initial lesions in the aortae were detected