Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (334)
- Conference Proceeding (194)
- Part of a Book (38)
- Book (29)
- Moving Images (26)
- Working Paper (18)
- Other (10)
- Master's Thesis (2)
- Bachelor Thesis (1)
- Course Material (1)
Language
- English (657) (remove)
Keywords
- physiotherapy (6)
- Danube (4)
- Public Health (4)
- manual therapy (4)
- nutritional footprint (4)
- performing artists (4)
- selenium (4)
- Amino acid (3)
- COVID-19 (3)
- Energy (3)
Institute
- Fakultät WiSo (363)
- Fakultät AuL (188)
- Fakultät IuI (46)
- Institut für Management und Technik (30)
- Institut für Duale Studiengänge (23)
- Institut für Kommunikationsmanagement (4)
- Fakultät MKT (2)
- Institut für Musik (1)
- Präsidium Hochschule Osnabrück (1)
SimBO is a flexible framework for optimizing discrete event-driven simulations (DES) using sequential optimization algorithms. While specifically designed for Bayesian Optimization (BO) in the context of DES, SimBO can be applied to any black-box problem with other optimization algorithms. The framework consists of four encapsulated components - the black-box problem, the sequential optimization algorithm, a database for experiment configuration and results, and a web-based graphical user interface - that communicate via well-defined interfaces. Each component can be run in different environments, allowing for cooperation between different hardware- and software configurations. In our research context, SimBO’s architecture enabled BO algorithms to be run on a high-performance cluster with GPU support, while the simulation is executed on a local Windows machine using the Simio simulation software. The framework’s flexibility also makes it suitable for evolving from a research-focused tool to a production-ready, cloud-based optimization tool for modern algorithms.
The excitement sparked by the emergence of AI open platforms has encountered significant scrutiny from educators and educational planners, who have raised valid concerns about issues such as plagiarism, testing protocols, and the authenticity of content submitted by students. While these concerns are timely and crucial, it's essential not to overlook other pressing issues that often go unnoticed in the lived educational experience of learners, particularly within the field of social sciences. This paper aims to advocate for a humanistic approach with a focus on education in the generative AI Era.
Semi-natural grasslands (SNGs) are an essential part of European cultural landscapes. They are an important habitat for many animal and plant species and offer a variety of ecological functions. Diverse plant communities have evolved over time depending on environmental and management factors in grasslands. These different plant communities offer multiple ecosystem services and also have an effect on the forage value of fodder for domestic livestock. However, with increasing intensification in agriculture and the loss of SNGs, the biodiversity of grasslands continues to decline. In this paper, we present a method to spatially classify plant communities in grasslands in order to identify and map plant communities and weed species that occur in a semi-natural meadow. For this, high-resolution multispectral remote sensing data were captured by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in regular intervals and classified by a convolutional neural network (CNN). As the study area, a heterogeneous semi-natural hay meadow with first- and second-growth vegetation was chosen. Botanical relevés of fixed plots were used as ground truth and independent test data. Accuracies up to 88% on these independent test data were achieved, showing the great potential of the usage of CNNs for plant community mapping in high-resolution UAV data for ecological and agricultural applications.
Farmland bird populations are in a deep crisis across Europe. Agri-environment schemes (AES) were implemented by the European Union to stop and reverse the general decline of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. In Germany, flower strips are one of the most common AES. Establishing high-quality perennial wildflower strips (WFS) with species-rich native forb mixtures from regional seed propagation is a recent approach, for which the effectiveness for birds has not yet been sufficiently studied. We surveyed breeding birds and vegetation on 40 arable fields with WFS (20 with single and 20 with aggregated WFS) and 20 arable fields lacking WFS as controls across Saxony-Anhalt (Germany). Additionally, vegetation composition, WFS quantity and landscape structure (e.g. distance to nearest woody element) were considered in our analyses. All WFS were established with species-rich native seed mixtures (30 forbs) in agricultural practice as AES. Arable fields with WFS had a higher species richness and territory density of birds than controls, confirming the effectiveness of this AES. A forb-rich vegetation was the main driver promoting birds. Flower strip quantity at the landscape level had positive effects only on bird densities, but also single WFS achieved benefits. A short distance from WFS to woody elements increased total bird species richness. However, the density of farmland birds, which are target species of these AES, were negatively affected by the proximity and proportion of woody elements in the vicinity. The effect of the proportion of non-intensively used open habitats and overall habitat richness was unexpectedly low in the otherwise intensively farmed landscape. Species-rich perennial WFS significantly promoted breeding birds. Successful establishment of WFS, resulting in high-quality habitats, a high flower strip quantity as well as implementation in open landscapes were shown to maximise the effectiveness for restoring declining and AES target farmland birds.
Green roofs can mitigate negative environmental effects of urban densifcation to some extent, but they are often covered by species-poor Sedum mixtures with a low value for biodiversity. By combining a habitat template and a seedprovenance approach, we review the suitability of plant species from regionally occurring dry sandy grasslands (Koelerio-Corynophoretea) for extensive roof greening in northwestern Germany. Since 2015, we have studied the effects of species introduction on vegetation dynamics on experimental mini-roofs. Treatments included sowing seeds of regional native origin in two densities (1 g and 2 g/m2) and the transfer of raked material from an ancient dry grassland area classifed as Natura 2000 site. The applied raked material contained diaspores of 27 vascular plant species (including seven threatened species) and vegetative fragments of grasslandspecifc mosses and lichens. Since 2018, we have tested more species-rich seed mixtures in a large-scale experiment on a roof of 500 m2 with different engineered green-roof substrates and layering. In 2019, a green roof of 10,200 m2 was established in cooperation with a local enterprise to support regional native biodiversity.
In this chapter, we summarise the most important results of our studies and discuss how to support regional native biodiversity on green roofs.
Methods: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT). Searches were conducted in five electronic databases. Studies were selected if they included patients with NP over 18 years old treated with aerobic exercise (AE) (e.g., cycling, running, hiking, and walking). The main outcome of interest was pain intensity. Qualitative and quantitative data were extracted. The risk of bias (RoB) was determined using the Cochrane RoB Tool-2 and the overall certainty of the evidence with the GRADE recommendations.
Results: Out of 21,585 initial records screened, a total of six individual studies published in ten manuscripts were included. There was a great heterogeneity between protocols, comparisons, and studies’ results (different magnitudes and directions). When looking at the effect of aerobic exercise versus control groups or other interventions on pain intensity measured with the VAS, not statistically (nor clinical) significant differences between aerobic exercise and control groups (MD [95%CI] 5.16 mm [-6.38, 16.70]) were identified. The combined effect of AE plus other interventions seems to be effective. Strength exercise obtained better effects than aerobic exercises (MD [95%CI]: -11.34 mm [-21.6, -1.09]).
Conclusions: Aerobic exercise presented positive results to reduce pain intensity, and improving disability, and physical and emotional functioning. However, the evidence is restricted, low quality, and heterogeneous.
Methods: The searches were conducted on five electronic databases. RCTs or CTs with patients over 18 years old of both sexes with OFP diagnoses were targeted. The intervention of interest was AE (i.e., walking, cycling, and running), compared to any other conservative and non-conservative therapy. The primary outcome was pain intensity. Risk of bias (RoB) was done with the Cochrane RoB tool (RoB 2). The overall certainty of the evidence was evaluated with GRADE.
Results: Out of 21,585 initial records found in the initial database search, only one study (reported on three manuscripts) was included. The diagnosis of interest was headache plus temporomandibular disorders (TMD). Three treatment groups (strengthening (Str) exercise + manual therapy (MT) (G1); AE + MT + Str exercises (G2); AE (G3)) were compared. The main outcome was pain; the secondary outcomes included disability, strength, anxiety, and quality of life. The combined treatment (AE+MT+Str exercises) had the strongest effect to decrease pain and headache intensity in patients with OFP (SMD: 9.99 [95%CI: 7.19, 12.80].
Conclusions: a multimodal treatment strategy achieved the greatest positive effects on pain and other outcomes in the short/medium term. AE seems to be an important component of this strategy. However, the scientific evidence supporting AE’s isolated effect is limited, indicating a research gap in this scientific field.
1. Flower strips are a fundamental part of agri-environment schemes (AESs) introduced by the European Union to counteract the loss of biodiversity and related ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. Although vegetation composition of the strips is essential for most fauna groups, comprehensive studies analysing vegetation development and influencing factors are rare.
2. From 2017 to 2019, we investigated the vegetation composition of 40 perennial wildflower strips (WFSs) implemented in 2015 or 2016, and 20 cereal fields without WFS across Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. We analysed environmental factors on plot (cover of grasses, shading, soil fertility) and four landscape-scale levels (habitat diversity, proportion of WFS and open habitats). The provision of nectar and pollen resources was estimated by the newly developed Pollinator Feeding Index (PFI). All strips had been implemented by farmers as AES with species- rich seed mixtures comprising 30 native forbs.
3. In all study years, forb species richness, cover and related nectar and pollen supply were much higher on WFSs than on controls, confirming the effectiveness of this AES. Although sown native forbs contributed the most to the high PFI values, spontaneously established forbs expanded the total range of species considerably, especially in winter and spring. While sown forb communities remained similar over time, spontaneous forbs showed a higher species turnover. Altogether, shading and grass cover had the greatest negative effect on the performance of the sown forbs. Landscape variables had only minor effects and were inconsistent in their importance across scale levels and years.
4. Synthesis and applications. Successfully established perennial wildflower strips (WFSs) sown with species-rich native seed mixtures provided a forb-rich and diverse vegetation throughout the AES funding period of 5 years. By supplying feeding resources for pollinators under various landscape situations, WFSs have significant potential to promote farmland biodiversity and related ecosyste services. We recommend the mandatory use of species-rich wildflower mixtures for perennial flower strips and to avoid their creation in heavily shaded field edges. Advisory services for farmers are necessary to prevent failures in WFS implementation and management and to improve their ecological effectiveness.
Green roofs are known to mitigate the negative effects of urban consolidation by offering diverse ecosystem functions compared to non-vegetated roofs. However, the support for native biodiversity might be improved by using native plant species. In a mesocosm experiment, we studied the suitability of three commercial green-roof growth substrates for the establishment of 27 native plant species from dry sandy grasslands of northwestern Germany over the course of four years. The substrates were mineral-based, but differed in the layering of organic matter. Total establishment rates reached 44–59% in Year 4, indicating the general suitability of the substrates. During the first weeks after seeding, with light irrigation, the vascular plant cover was greater in the similar substrates Zincolit® Plus (Z) and Zincolit® Plus-Leicht (ZL) with their compost-based organic mulch layers than in the substrate Sedumteppich (ST) with its organic matter evenly admixed with the mineral aggregates. In Years 2 and 3, however, the vascular plant cover was greater in the ST substrate, likely due to the better availability of water and nutrients from the organic matter compared to the dry surface-mulch layer variants Z and ZL. After severe drought events, the decline in plant cover was more pronounced in the ST substrate, likely representing a trade-off between lush growth and a susceptibility to drought. An indicator-species analysis revealed differences in species composition between the ST and Z/ZL substrates. Annual plant species were indicators of the ST substrate. Perennials, such as Thymus pulegioides and Achillea millefolium, were typical of the Z and ZL substrates. In addition to the general suitability of the tested standard substrates for target species establishment, the study indicated that a combination of different layers of substrate components resulted in different vegetation patterns that may have a positive effect on green-roof biodiversity.
Are natural floods accelerators for streambank vegetationdevelopment in floodplain restoration?
(2021)
Riverbanks are very dynamic habitats for riparian vegetation strongly influenced byfluvial and geomorphic processes. This habitat type was severely reduced in the pastby river straightening and bank stabilisation. Restoration and establishment of newfloodplain streams promote this habitat, but a directed succession to later stages wasobserved many times. Our study aimed to analyse whether the often observeddirected succession of the streambank vegetation after restoration implementationcould be reversed by a natural flood along a newly created floodplain stream. Weinvestigated the effects of a natural flood in 2013 and different prerestorationconditions on species development in the riparian zone. Vegetation was studiedalong 12 transects in four different sections from 2011 to 2014. Species composi-tion differed strongly between the sections. Species richness was lowest in a newlydug steep section with high morphological dynamics and highest on wider flatstreambanks. Changes during the years reflecting different hydrological eventsvaried between sections. The high natural flood in 2013 reduced the cover of theherb layer and increased bare ground, which led in most sections to a loss of non-target species. Total target species richness did not change due to the natural flood,while target species showed a high turnover rate. In the following year, however,the flood‐induced development of species composition, in general, was reversed.Natural floods changed abiotic and biotic conditions along the streambank, but theydid not accelerate ecological restoration towards predefined target ecosystems.However, they were necessary to preserve the needed dynamic vegetation changesand species turnover to hinder the succession to later stages dominated by a fewspecies. Our study shows that riparian vegetation near the streambank can bemonitored most effectively in cross‐profile transects, both in the long‐term andevent‐related.
Establishment of calcareous grassland on ex-arable fields by introducing target species is one of the most frequently used methods to restore the species assemblages of this highly endangered habitat type. The present study evaluates the long-term success of calcareous grassland restoration on former arable land in the vicinity of one of the oldest nature reserves in Bavaria, the “Garchinger Heide”. The restoration experiment combined different measures like topsoil removal, transfer of freshly cut seed-containing hay and additional sowing to the following variants in a 21-year experiment: (1) No topsoil removal, no hay transfer (control), (2) no topsoil removal with immediate hay transfer, (3) topsoil removal with immediate hay transfer and (4) topsoil removal with hay transfer 10 years after the start of restoration. Eleven Red List species which had not been transferred successfully were additionally sown after 9 to 19 years. Due to a limited availability of seeds, sowing of these species was mainly restricted to areas with topsoil removal, where better establishment was expected due to low vegetation cover. Five rare species with abundant seed production were also sown to plots without topsoil removal and hay transfer. The nature reserve served both as the donor area of the target species and as the reference to evaluate restoration success. Regarding aboveground biomass and total vegetation cover, greatest similarity to the donor site was observed on plots without topsoil removal. In contrast, the highest numbers of target species occurred on plots with topsoil removal, hay transfer and additional sowing. Similarity in species composition between restoration sites and the reference area increased over time, but species composition of restored sites did not fully reflect the reference after 21 years. One reason for the remaining dissimilarity was probably that topsoil removal favored stress tolerant species which were less common on the mature and more fine-grained soils of the nature reserve. Plots without topsoil removal still differed from the reference by their high vegetation cover and a significantly higher proportion of mesophytic grassland species. The study also showed that 19 Red List species were successfully established on the former arable fields, eight of them presumably by sowing. Nevertheless, various other rare species have not been observed yet. Results on functional traits characterizing environmental adaptation and reproduction also underlined the differences between restoration plots and the reference site. Our study presents a ʽdynamic restoration approachʼ where managers evaluated the original factorial treatments after a decade and modified them by additional treatments where development was sub-optimal. Such additional treatments may have confounded the experimental design, but from a management perspective proved to be a promising option to establish species rich grassland of high conservation value with a reasonable expenditure of time.
Within the frame of the EU Common Agricultural Policy, most countries subsidise the establishment and maintenance of perennial flower strips on arable land within Agri-Environmental Schemes to provide foraging habitats and refuges for wildlife.
In a replicated field experiment, we studied the effects of different types of seed mixtures on the establishment and maintenance of perennial flower strips on fertile arable land in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany over seven years. The seed mixtures were commonly applied within recent Common Agricultural Policy funding periods: (1) a low-diversity cultivar standard seed mixture (CULTIVAR), (2) a high-diversity cultivar and native plant mixture (MIX), and (3) a high-diversity native plant mixture (WILDFLOWER). All plots were mulched every year in March and at the beginning of August.
The low success of CULTIVAR triggered the massive encroachment of spontaneously established perennial grasses. In MIX, too, cultivars have disappeared after the first year. Both wildflower variants were successful in maintaining a high cover of sown perennial native forbs and a high ratio of established sown species, even after seven years. WILDFLOWER always tended to show better values than MIX. Furthermore, spontaneously establishing species began to spread their cover in MIX in the fifth year, with a very strongly increasing tendency, whereas in WILDFLOWER cover of spontaneously immigrating species stayed satisfyingly low.
Using native wildflowers to establish perennial wildflower strips was very effective in maintaining high species diversity within the Agri-Environmental Schemes funding period of five years and beyond. WILDFLOWER was especially successful. On the other hand, CULTIVAR failed completely. On fertile soils in regions with rather low yearly precipitation, mulching twice a year supported the maintenance of perennial wildflower strips.
Extensive green roofs (EGRs) offer several beneficial ecosystem services for sustainable urban development. However, most standard green roofs have been designed with species-poor plant mixtures containing non-native species. Aiming to increase the nature conservation values of EGRs, we developed and tested a vascular plant seed mixture including regionally occurring native sandy dry grassland species in experimental miniature roofs in Northwestern Germany (temperate oceanic climate) over 4 years. We tested the mixture at two seed densities (1 and 2 g/m2). Additionally, we tested seeding at 1 g/m2 and introducing raked plant material collected from an ancient dry grassland. The total establishment rates of sown species reached 92–96% in the first year, but dropped to 40–60% in the last 2 years, with the highest values for the plots with raked material. Twenty-four additional species (11 vascular, 7 lichen, and 6 moss species, including 7 red-list species) typical of sandy dry grasslands were introduced through the raked material. Vascular plants reached 60–70% cover in the second year. Severe drought periods in the third and the fourth year led to a strong decline of vascular plant cover then. As this cover was higher in the plots with raked material, we assume facilitative effects through the well-developed cryptogam layer containing a mix of pleurocarpous and acrocarpous mosses and lichens. Spontaneously establishing acrocarpous mosses in sown plots did not seem to provide this same function. We conclude that EGRs designed with regionally occurring sandy dry grassland plant species and especially the application of raked plant material from ancient grassland is a fruitful approach to increase the value of green roofs for native phytodiversity.
Diet can influence healthy aging through anti- or proinflammatory effects, partly by modulating the gut microbiome composition. This study investigated the relationships between the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), the gut microbiome, and nutritional status in elderly individuals. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 114 home-dwelling individuals aged over 70 years. The Energy-adjusted DII (E-DII) was calculated from 3-day food diaries, and blood samples were taken to measure micronutrient status, glucose, and lipid metabolism. Body composition was assessed using bioimpedance, and fecal gut microbiome composition was analyzed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The participants were categorized into maintaining an anti-inflammatory diet (AD) and a pro-inflammatory diet (PD) based on the median E-DII score. The associations of E-DII groups with blood markers and microbial diversity and composition were examined using the analysis of covariance, permutational analysis of variance, and multivariate linear models. Results: The AD (n = 57, 76 ± 3.83 years) and PD (n = 57, 75 ± 5.21 years) groups were similar in age but differed in sex distribution, with a higher proportion of females in the AD group (p = 0.02). When compared to the PD group and adjusted for sex, the AD group had a lower body mass index, fat mass, fasting insulin level, HOMA-IR (Homeostasis Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance), fasting triglycerides, and serum uric acid concentration (all p < 0.05), with higher concentrations of high-density lipoprotein, red-blood-cell folate (RBC), and Omega-3 index (all p < 0.05). While the microbial diversity and composition did not differ between the DII groups, folate concentrations were negatively associated with Agathobacter and positively associated with Bacteroides abundance (both q = 0.23). Lower uric acid concentrations were associated with a higher abundance of Bifidobacterium (q = 0.09) and lower abundance of Phocaeicola (q = 0.11). Discussion: The study suggests that following an anti-inflammatory diet is associated with improved nutritional status in the elderly. Dietary blood markers, rather than E-DII, were found to be associated with the gut microbiome, suggesting a potential link between the microbiome and changes in nutritional markers independent of diet. Further studies are needed to explore the causal relationship between dietary inflammatory potential, gut microbiome, and healthy aging.
Advances in high-throughput DNA sequencing have propelled research into the human microbiome and its link to metabolic health. We explore microbiome analysis methods, specifically emphasizing metabolomics, how dietary choices impact the production of microbial metabolites, providing an overview of studies examining the connection between enterotypes and diet, and thus, improvement of personalized dietary recommendations. Acetate, propionate, and butyrate constitute more than 95% of the collective pool of short-chain fatty acids. Conflicting data on acetate’s effects may result from its dynamic signaling, which can vary depending on physiological conditions and metabolic phenotypes. Human studies suggest that propionate has overall anti-obesity effects due to its well-documented chemistry, cellular signaling mechanisms, and various clinical benefits. Butyrate, similar to propionate, has the ability to reduce obesity by stimulating the release of appetite-suppressing hormones and promoting the synthesis of leptin. Tryptophan affects systemic hormone secretion, with indole stimulating the release of GLP-1, which impacts insulin secretion, appetite suppression, and gastric emptying. Bile acids, synthesized from cholesterol in the liver and subsequently modified by gut bacteria, play an essential role in the digestion and absorption of dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins, but they also interact directly with intestinal microbiota and their metabolites. One study using statistical methods identified primarily two groupings of enterotypes Bacteroides and Ruminococcus. The Prevotella-dominated enterotype, P-type, in humans correlates with vegetarians, high-fiber and carbohydrate-rich diets, and traditional diets. Conversely, individuals who consume diets rich in animal fats and proteins, typical in Western-style diets, often exhibit the Bacteroides-dominated, B-type, enterotype. The P-type showcases efficient hydrolytic enzymes for plant fiber degradation but has limited lipid and protein fermentation capacity. Conversely, the B-type features specialized enzymes tailored for the degradation of animal-derived carbohydrates and proteins, showcasing an enhanced saccharolytic and proteolytic potential. Generally, models excel at predictions but often struggle to fully elucidate why certain substances yield varied responses. These studies provide valuable insights into the potential for personalized dietary recommendations based on enterotypes
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the enabler for new innovations in several domains. It allows the connection of digital services with physical entities in the real world. These entities are devices of different categories and sizes range from large machinery to tiny sensors. In the latter case, devices are typically characterized by limited resources in terms of computational power, available memory and sometimes limited power supply. As a consequence, the use of security algorithms requires of them to work within the limited resources. This means to find a suitable implementation and configuration for a security algorithm, that performs properly on the device, which may become a challenging task. On the other side, there is the desire to protect valuable assets as strong as possible. Usually, security goals are recorded in security policies, but they do not consider resource availability on the involved device and its power consumption while executing security algorithms. This paper presents an IoT security configuration tool that helps the designer of an IoT environment to experiment with the trade-off between maximizing security and extending the lifetime of a resource constrained IoT device. The tool is controlled with high-level description of security goals in the form of policies. It allows the designer to validate various (security) configurations for a single IoT device up to a large sensor network.
Reconnection of floodplains to rivers to enhance fluvial dynamics is a favored method of floodplain restoration in Europe. It is believed that the restoration of hydrological conditions of the floodplain facilitates natural dispersal of target species, and hence the reestablishment, of typical plant communities. The aim of our study was to investigate whether floodplain target species could reach restoration sites via hydrochorous dispersal. We analyzed seed inflow from the river and seed dispersal in different sectors of a new watercourse in the Danube floodplain. Seeds were captured using 27 seed traps during three sampling periods of 3 weeks each from summer 2011 to spring 2012. After germination seedlings were identified, we detected a total of almost 39,000 seeds of 176 species, including 80 target species of riparian habitats. We found significant differences between seasons (most seeds in autumn/winter) and between stream sectors. Fewer seeds came in from the Danube (2,800 seeds) than were transported within the floodplain. Several new floodplain target species were detected, which had not been found in the aboveground vegetation or soil seed bank before the start of the restoration. Seeds of nonnative species did not disperse further than approximately 1 km. Our results indicated that hydrochorous seed dispersal from upstream habitats along the new watercourse was important for the establishment of target species and hence for the success of floodplain restoration. Technical water diversion weirs must be traversable for seeds, and small donor sectors upstream might enhance the reestablishment of target vegetation along new sectors downstream.
In urban areas, open space including brownfields often became rare due to increasing urbanisation. Urban brownfields can be important for biodiversity, but especially brownfields in early successional stages seem to be refused by urban residents due to their sparse vegetation and less aesthetic appearance. The aim of this study was to revegetate a young demolition site in the city core of Osnabrück, Germany and thereby to support native plant diversity and aesthetic values. We developed two seed mixtures of native plant species and tested them in a large-scale field experiment over two growing seasons.
Both seed mixtures developed towards structurally diverse and flower-rich vegetation. Establishment rates of sown species were consistently larger than 75%. Revegetation of the predominantly bare anthropogenically transformed soil by introduced species occurred fast. Vascular plant cover and vegetation height were higher on sown plots than in controls, but did not differ between the seed mixtures. Seeding did not increase plant species richness and did not reduce the establishment of a potentially invasive non-native plant species. The cover of Red-List species from the spontaneous vegetation was significantly higher in control plots. Our results indicate that not all aims can be reached on one restoration site. It has to be discussed if it is better to invest a restoration budget for measures aiming to increase acceptance of endangered pioneer plant species from the spontaneous vegetation or to introduce more attractive and more competitive species of later successional stages.
Species dispersal, establishment, and assembly are crucial stages of the life history of plants, and clear understanding ofthe governing forces and rules that shape species composition in a particular community is vital for successful ecologicalrestoration. In this article, we focus on five aspects of seed dispersal and plant establishment, which should be consideredduring habitat restoration actions. In the first two sections, we discuss the success of spontaneous dispersal and establishmenton restoration based on either spatial dispersal or local seed banks. In the third section, we assess the possibilities ofspecies introduction and assisted dispersal. In the fourth section, we introduce some possibilities for the improvement ofestablishment success of spontaneously dispersed or introduced species. Finally, we highlight issues influencing long-termpersistence and sustainability of restored habitats, related to the alteration of management type and intensity, climate change,and spread of non-native species. With the present article, we introduce the special issue entitled “Seed dispersal and soil seedbanks – promising sources for ecological restoration” containing 15 papers by 62 authors from 10 countries arranged in theabovementioned five topics.
Soil seed banks have a high potential for vegetation re-establishment in restoration projects. We studied the soil seed bank in an oxbow system of a disconnected floodplain of the Danube River in Southern Germany. The aim of the study was to analyze if floodplain target species were still present in the seed bank after more than 150 years of embankment and disconnection from fluvial dynamics. In this context we investigated seed density, seed bank species richness and species composition in four broad habitat types with and without water-level fluctuations during the time of embankment (permanent water, fluctuating water, reed bed, hardwood floodplain forest). In addition, the similarity between seed bank and above-ground vegetation in these habitat types was studied in order to predict the success of future restoration measures. In total, 124 vascular plant species were determined in the seed bank samples. More than 50 % (66 species) were target species typical for floodplain habitats and 26 of these target species were lost or very rare in the above-ground vegetation. The four habitat types differed significantly in mean seed density and mean species richness. Mean species richness and the number of target species in the seed bank as well as the mean seed density were greatest in the habitats with fluctuating water level whereas mean seed density was much lower in the parts with more or less stable conditions like permanently standing water and hardwood floodplain forest. Sørensen similarity between seed bank and above-ground vegetation was very low in habitats with more or less stable water levels and desirable floodplain target species were very rare or completely absent. Our results indicate that the soil seed bank can be an important seed reservoir for the ecological restoration of floodplain plant communities especially for habitats with unstable environmental conditions during the period of disconnection. Restoration of water level dynamics is important to maintain the seed bank of populations of floodplain target species.
The break-up of the Soviet Union in 1991 triggered cropland abandonment on a continental scale, which in turn ledto carbon accumulation on abandoned land across Eurasia. Previous studies have estimated carbon accumulationrates across Russia based on large-scale modelling. Studies that assess carbon sequestration on abandoned land basedon robust field sampling are rare. We investigated soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks using a randomized samplingdesign along a climatic gradient from forest steppe to Sub-Taiga in Western Siberia (Tyumen Province). In total, SOCcontents were sampled on 470 plots across different soil and land-use types. The effect of land use on changes in SOCstock was evaluated, and carbon sequestration rates were calculated for different age stages of abandoned cropland.While land-use type had an effect on carbon accumulation in the topsoil (0–5 cm), no independent land-use effectswere found for deeper SOC stocks. Topsoil carbon stocks of grasslands and forests were significantly higher thanthose of soils managed for crops and under abandoned cropland. SOC increased significantly with time sinceabandonment. The average carbon sequestration rate for soils of abandoned cropland was 0.66 Mg C ha1yr1(1–20 years old, 0–5 cm soil depth), which is at the lower end of published estimates for Russia and Siberia. Therewas a tendency towards SOC saturation on abandoned land as sequestration rates were much higher for recentlyabandoned (1–10 years old, 1.04 Mg C ha1yr1) compared to earlier abandoned crop fields (11–20 years old,0.26 Mg C ha1yr1). Our study confirms the global significance of abandoned cropland in Russia for carbonsequestration. Our findings also suggest that robust regional surveys based on a large number of samples advancemodel-based continent-wide SOC prediction.
German farmers are required by law to regularly self-assess the welfare of their animals. The project Q Check is aiming at developing a system that will assist farmers to objectively assess animal health and welfare in dairy cows. For this reason, a quarterly report will be compiled from animal-based key indicators to give an overview of the on-farm situation. The anonymised and aggregated reports can also be used for national animal welfare monitoring: Continuous collection of these key indicators enables the summary and publication of figures reflecting the current animal health and welfare status and progressions at federal state and at national level. Q Check is based on four data recording and analysis systems, which are already established in Germany and implemented on a national level. Out of these systems, the most suitable indicators to describe herd health have been selected by 215 experts within a twostage Delphi study. In addition, over 50 face-to-face interviews with stakeholders related to the German dairy sector have been performed in order to take into account the socio-scientific point of view. To complete the process, the selected indicators are currently being checked against mass data and hence tested for suitability regarding monitoring purposes. An automatic farm-specific evaluation of animal health, based on verified indicators, will provide support to farmers in fulfilling their legal requirements and in identifying weak points on the individual farms. A benchmarking system will be set up which will allow tracking the individual herd health indicators in the same farm in their course over time and compared with similar farms. These routinely provided horizontal and vertical statistics will facilitate targeted intervention and support objectified management decisions, implying that dairy farmers can benefit in several respects. In the course of the project, new tools for determining the risk of ketosis in the scope of milk recording will also be validated and implemented at national level to enhance monitoring of this major disease complex. The results of these nationwide, systematic investigations will contribute substantially to objectifying the discussion about the health and welfare situation of dairy cows.
Dairy farming has been the subject of public debate on animal welfare for a number of years now. Animal welfare discussions on dairy farming often include the demand for more nature connectedness in this area. This study focuses on the divergent perspectives of consumers and scientists on the importance of more nature connectedness for animal welfare strategies in German dairy farming. Within Europe, Germany is the main producer of cow’s milk and an important industry in many rural areas in Germany is dairy farming. The insights presented are based on qualitative interviews with dairy farming and livestock researchers from Germany and Austria. A key finding of this study is that we need to look more closely at the actual content of nature claims in animal welfare debates. The scientists interviewed tend to see idealized conditions in animal welfare discussions with images of nature which in fact seldom lead to improved conditions in dairy farming and, even then, only to a limited extent. The scientists interviewed rate calls for more nature connectedness in dairy farming from the nonagricultural public as anti-modern, complexity-reducing, and normative. Nevertheless, some of the scientists interviewed did have valuable insights into the nonagricultural public’s criticism of dairy farming practices. These scientists argued, however, that animal welfare needs to differentiate between nature connectedness and the innate needs of cattle when it comes to animal welfare strategies. An important conclusion of the study is that more discussion formats are needed to promote the exchange of ideas between different social groups attempting to understand animal welfare in dairy farming.
Restoring depleted soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of arable land to remove carbon from the atmosphere and offset fossil fuel emissions is a promising strategy for the mitigation of climate change. In agroecosystems conservational tillage practices and the abandonment of formerly plowed fields (ex-arable land) are shown to have the highest potential to sequester SOC. Nevertheless reported sequestration rates vary and the effects of environmental site conditions remain poorly understood. Our results are based on a meta-analysis of 273 paired SOC estimates from 65 publications which included only mineral soils from the temperate zone. SOC stocks of ex-arable grasslands with an average of 14 years since abandonment were 18% larger compared to the SOC of arable land. Likewise, SOC stocks of never-plowed grassland plots were 11% larger than the SOC stocks of abandoned fields. The average sequestration rate was 0.72 t C ha− 1 yr− 1. Semi-arid and sub-humid climate as well as low initial SOC stocks positively affected proportional SOC gains suggesting that the recovery of carbon stocks is not limited by low primary production. Therefore, the northward shift of cultivation areas in the temperate zone will lead to the abandonment of soils with high SOC recovery potential. However, if native soils are opened up elsewhere to compensate for yield losses due to abandonment the surplus of SOC in ex-arable land can easily be overcompensated by cultivation losses.
Despite the high significance of the Western Siberian grain belt for crop production in Russia, its weed communities are largely unknown. In this region spring wheat is grown on fertile Chernozem soils with large field sizes but land-use intensity per area is low compared to Central Europe. By usin a randomized sampling design we studied arable weed assemblages in the northern forest-steppe zone of Tyumen region on 99 within-field sampling plots of 100 m² size. Surprisingly, with average of 9.8 ± 3.8 species 100 m-2 species richness was low when compared with low-input farming in Central Europe and did not differ between areas of different land-use intensity. Against expectations species composition was not predominantly controlled by soil characteristics and climate, most likely due to short natural gradients. Instead, management factors such as fertilization and tillage intensity seemed to be important factors. Except for two species the Tyumen weed flora consisted mainly of species that are widespread throughout the temperate zone. We found only 10 species with an origin or core area in North Asia or Eastern Europe. The species pool was generally small and with 26% the proportion of non-native spe cies (archaeophytes) was low, when compared to Central European weed communities. Given that weed communities with higher species richness are described from neighboring Bashkiria, we conclude that arable land-use intensity in Tyumen region is high enough to reduce community species richness within arable fields estimated by a randomized sampling design. Since measured soil nutrient values did not affect species richness, herbicide use is most likely the crucial management factor. Furthermore, species-richness was vitally restricted by the small species pool. The low proportion of thermophilous arable weed species that originate from the Mediterranean or Middle-Eastern area and contribute signif icantly to the Central European weed diversity indicate that climatic dispersal limitations may be re sponsible for the small number of weed species in the Tyumen flora. An additional constraint was the short history of arable farming in Western Siberia, where considerable arable land use was started only by the end of the 17th century.
Between Ekaterinburg and Nowosibirsk, in the Western Siberian grain belt, spring wheat is grown on fertileChernozem soils. Field and farm sizes are large but the land-use intensity per area is low compared to CentralEurope. Fertilizers and pesticides are applied only in low to moderate quantities and yields range between 10and 20 dt ha-1 . We studied the arable weed flora in the northern forest steppe zone of Tyumen region using arandomized sampling design. Surprisingly, the species richness was only moderate, on average 9.8 ± 3.8species per 100 m². Compared to weed communities of Bashkiria (Southern Ural) and less intensively usedarable land of Central Europe these numbers are rather low. Moreover, most of the recorded species werecosmopolitans or widely distributed throughout the temperate zone. We suggest that the land use intensitywas high enough to reduce the density of a number of weed species in a way that they were not registered byour random sampling design. The limited conservational value of the weed vegetation of large grain fields inTyumen leads to the conclusion that if intensification of land use is unavoidable, it should be directed to arableland and not to ex-arable land or ancient grassland, which is of higher conservation value.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 around 45 million hectares
of arable land became abandoned across Russia. Our study focused on the recovery
potential and conservation value of grassland vegetation on ex-arable land in the Tyumen
region of the Western Siberian grain belt. We compared ex-arable grasslands of different
successional stages with ancient grasslands as reference for the final stage of succession
along a climatic gradient from the pre-taiga to the forest steppe zone. Plant community
composition and species richness of ex-arable land clearly developed towards reference
sites over time, but even after 24 years of abandonment, the grassland vegetation had not
totally recovered. The c-diversity of vascular plants was slightly higher on ex-arable land
than in ancient grasslands but the mean a-diversity was still moderately lower. A significant proportion of the vegetation of ex-arable land still consisted of ruderal and mesic
grassland species and the number and cover of meadow-steppe species was significantly
lower than in ancient grasslands. Grazing and time since abandonment positively affected
the reestablishment of target grassland species, whereas it was negatively affected by the
cover of grasses. In contrast to ex-arable land, the conservation value of arable land is only
modest. Therefore, future intensification of land use is most likely less harmful if directed
to existing arable land. Re-cultivation of ex-arable land and grassland improvement operations such as seeding of competitive grass species are major threats for the biodiversity of secondary grasslands on ex-arable land in the forest steppe zone of Western Siberia.
Ecological restoration of an urban demolition site through introduction of native forb species
(2020)
Urban brownfields can provide habitats for endangered native plant species but may also support invasive non native species. The aim of our study was to develop and test different measures for the ecological restoration of an urban brownfield. We aimed to enhance native plant species richness by seeding two native forb seed mix tures containing 25 (HD-mixture) and 13 species (LD-mixture), respectively, without affecting spontaneously colonizing plant species of nature conservation value. Additionally, we tested the effects of species introduction and mowing on the establishment of invasive non-native plant species, woody species development, and per ennial grass dominance.
With establishment rates of 84% (HD) and 92% (LD) in the first study year and about 60% for both seed mixtures in the fourth year, species introduction was successful and led to rapid re-vegetation of the formerly bare brownfield. Although seeding did not result in increased species richness using either seed mixture, the dominance of perennial grasses was significantly reduced by the establishment of forb species from the HD mixture. Overall, we observed the spontaneous establishment of ten plant species of conservation value; seeding affected these species only temporarily, in the second year. Seeding (with either seed mixture) and mowing both resulted in reduced cover of woody species and a lower frequency of the invasive non-native Robinia pseudoa cacia.
Our study demonstrated the high nature conservation value of dry and nutrient-poor urban brownfields for spontaneously occurring threatened plant species. Further studies have to evaluate if the reduced cover of grasses and woody species through introduction of site-specific native forb species might increase these sites’ aesthetic value and broader acceptance of brownfields by urban residents.
World-wide, the degradation and destruction of both natural and traditionally used semi-natural ecosystems is drastically increasing. Unfortunately, commercial seed mixtures, consisting of non-native species and genetically uniform cultivars, are widely used in grassland restoration, often with negative effects on biodiversity. Therefore, native species should be used in the ecological restoration of natural and semi-natural vegetation. This book compiles results from recent studies presented at a Special Session “Native seed production and use in restoration projects”, which was organised during the 8th European Conference on Ecological Restoration in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
The authors review the ecological and genetic aspects of seed propagation and species introduction both from a European and an American perspective, and discuss implications for the development of seed zones and for native seed production. Examples from different countries focus on native seed production in practice, and suggest different approaches for the certification of seed provenance.
Best practice examples from Europe and the United States are used to indicate the advantages of using native seeds for ecological restoration of grasslands, field margins and sagebrush steppe. Finally, this volume also provides guidelines for the successful implementation of restoration projects for local authorities, landscape planners and NGOs in order to bridge gaps between research and practice.
This study identifies and evaluates factors for success in innovation work in the Bavarian dairy farming industry. The research is based on an analysis of innovation system theories and a comparison with innovation work in the Dutch dairy sector. Dutch dairy farming is characterized by high productivity and technical efficiency at the farm level. Moreover, important developments in dairy farming have originated in the Netherlands. Therefore, this study delves into the systemic background of the successful innovation work in the Netherlands and makes a comparison with Bavaria. The main result of this study is that innovation work in the Bavarian dairy farming sector is lacking in two respects: end-user (farmer) integration and within-sector cooperation.
After foundation of the Wadden Sea National Park, grazing and artificial drainage was ceased or reduced on large areas of the salt marshes at the Schleswig-Holstein mainland coast (Northern Germany). The effect of grazing cessation versus intensive and moderate grazing on vegetation diversity was studied on small (plant species richness on plots between 0.01 and 100 m2) and large scale (vegetation type richness per hectare) over 18 to 20 years by analysing data from long-term monitoring programs. Plant species richness and vegetation type richness increased strongly over time in all management regimes, because grazing-sensitive species increased first in ungrazed marshes and later dispersed to and established in intensively grazed marshes. Dominance of the tall, late-successional grass Elymus athericus on 7% to 52% of all moderately and ungrazed (primarily high marsh) plots led to a decrease in species richness. After 18 to 20 years, species richness was highest in moderately and intensively grazed high marshes. Differences were significant only on small plots of up to 4 m2. On the large scale, vegetation type richness in the low marsh was higher without grazing, while no differences were found in the high marsh. Our results indicate that grazing effects differ between spatial scales and that different spatial scales have to be considered for monitoring and evaluation of vegetation diversity in salt marshes. To conserve vegetation diversity on all scales, a large-scale mosaic of different management regimes should be maintained.
A floodplain-restoration project along the Danube between Neuburg and Ingolstadt (Germany) aims to bring back water and sediment dynamic to the floodplain. The accompanied long-term monitoring has to document the changes in biodiversity related to this new dynamics. Considerations on and results of the vegetation monitoring concept are documented in this paper. In a habitat rich ecosystem like a floodplain different habitats (alluvial forest, semi-aquatic/aquatic sites) have different demands on the sampling methods.
Therefore, different monitoring designs (preferential, random, systematic, stratified random and transect sampling) are discussed and tested for their use in different habitat types of the floodplain. A stratified random sampling is chosen for the alluvial forest stands, as it guarantees an equal distribution of the monitoring plots along the main driving factors, i.e. influence of water. The parameters distance to barrage, ecological flooding, height above thalweg and distance to the new floodplain river are used for stratifying and the plots are placed randomly into these strata, resulting in 117 permanent plots. Due to small changes at the semi-aquatic/aquatic sites a transect sampling was chosen. Further, a rough stratification (channel bed, river bank adjacent floodplain) was implemented, which was only possible after the start of the restoration project. To capture the small-scale changes due to the restoration measures on the vegetation, 99 additional plots completed the transect sampling. We conclude that hetereogenous study areas need different monitoring approaches, but, later on, a joint analysis must be possible.
Using eye-tracking, this study investigates fixation duration of students viewing pictures of pigs, which systematically vary in the facial expression of the pig and in the barn setting. The aim of this study is to analyze which picture elements are viewed and for how long, as well as how fixation times vary with a change of the expression of the pig and the barn type. The results show clear effects of picture composition: pig expression and pen type affect fixation durations of different areas of interest with the influence of the pig being considerably larger. Face regions are viewed longer in the “happy” pig, while floor/bedding and the eyes are viewed longer in pictures showing the “unhappy” pig which might be a hint for infor-mation search. The power of facial expressions, also for the depiction of farm animals, is a new finding of this paper, which might be of importance when select-ing agricultural pictures for different purposes.
This research project focused on the consumers' acceptance of a newly developed apple in order to encourage the purchase behavior in the supermarket. It was enriched with selenium via biofortification in order to address the undersupply with the trace element in the German population. The study included online surveys and a market test in food retail. The results were used as preparation for the design of a marketable apple product. In the online pretest, the most popular apple cultivars, the most popular health benefits of selenium, as well as the respondents' preferences for the name of the new apple: Selstar® were detected. These results were included in an online survey which encompassed n=1042 interviews from German households. The sample was recruited according to national representative distribution of age groups, gender, and regions. The results show that the majority of the respondents were not sure what exactly selenium is and what it is used or needed for. Therefore, the product package included information about the health benefits of selenium, for e.g. the immune system. The stepwise approach of the research and the implementation of the results helped the targeted navigation of the market launch of the Selstar®.
Background: Singers belong to the group of professional voice users with the highest demands regarding voice quality and vocal load. Thus, they also have a high risk of developing a voice disorder, which in return has major impact on their ability to work. Besides voice disorders caused by organic changes, there are functional voice disorders caused by, e.g., a hypertonia of the larynx, shoulder and neck muscles or insufficient breathing patterns. In these cases, physiotherapy can be one component of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.
The purpose of this presentation is, based on anatomical considerations and current evidence, to inform about and demonstrate physiotherapy techniques for treating singers with functional voice disorders.
Approach of Presentation: A case from a special physiotherapy outpatient clinic for vocalists will be described. Based on this example, information on the evidence of physiotherapy approaches for functional voice disorders will be provided. Afterwards, some practical hands-on techniques will be demonstrated for participants to try.
Content of Presentation: This workshop will focus on the physiotherapy treatment for a vocalist with functional voice disorders. The vocalist experienced changed pitch and hypertonia in both the muscles of the shoulder-neck region and the extrinsic laryngeal muscles. Paralaryngeal manual techniques, in addition to posture and breathing exercises, will be demonstrated with the purpose of mobilizing the larynx and relaxing the hypertonic muscles.
Conclusions and Practical Relevance: This workshop highlights the special potential of physical therapy in the treatment of functional voice disorders in singers.
Oleamide is used as a lubricant in the manufacturing and application of polypropylene (PP) medical devices. Samples of PP were prepared with 0, 1500, and 15 000 ppm oleamide content as lubricant. The samples were either left non-sterile, sterilized with ethylene oxide (ETO), γ-radiation (γ) or autoclaved (A) and stored for up to 4 weeks. To determine the oleamide bulk-to-surface distribution depending on sterilization method and storage time an extraction method and a washing technique were applied. The oleamide content was determined by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and compared with the coefficient of friction (COF). The COF dependent on the measured lubricant content at the surface. The content of lubricant on the surface depends on the type of sterilization: ETO increased the lubricant content to some extent, γ-sterilization and autoclaving reduced it. After storage, no migration of the lubricant to the surface could be detected.
The biennial plant Gentianella bohemica is a subendemic of the Bohemian Massif, where it occurs in seminatural grasslands. It has become rare in recent decades as a result of profound changes in land use. Using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) fingerprint data, we investigated the genetic structure within and among populations of G. bohemica in Bavaria, the Czech Republic, and the Austrian border region. The aim of our study was (1) to analyze the genetic structure among populations and to discuss these findings in the context of present and historical patterns of connectivity and isolation of populations, (2) to analyze genetic structure among consecutive generations (cohorts of two consecutive years), and (3) to investigate relationships between intrapopulational diversity and effective population size (Ne) as well as plant traits. (1) The German populations were strongly isolated from each other (pairwise FST= 0.29–0.60) and from all other populations (FST= 0.24–0.49). We found a pattern of near panmixis among the latter (FST= 0.15–0.35) with geographical distance explaining only 8% of the genetic variance. These results were congruent with a principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) and analysis using STRUCTURE to identify genetically coherent groups. These findings are in line with the strong physical barrier and historical constraints, resulting in separation of the German populations from the others. (2) We found pronounced genetic differences between consecutive cohorts of the German populations (pairwise FST= 0.23 and 0.31), which can be explained by local population history (land use, disturbance). (3) Genetic diversity within populations (Shannon index, HSh) was significantly correlated with Ne (RS= 0.733) and reflected a loss of diversity due to several demographic bottlenecks. Overall, we found that the genetic structure in G. bohemica is strongly influenced by historical periods of high connectivity and isolation as well as by marked demographic fluctuations in declining populations.
15 δ N signals in plant and soil material integrate over a number of biogeochemical processes
related to nitrogen (N) and therefore provide information on net effects of multiple
processes on N dynamics. In general little is known in many grassland restoration projects
on soil–plant N dynamics in relation to the restoration treatments. In particular, 15 δ N signals
may be a useful tool to assess whether abiotic restoration treatments have produced the
desired result. In this study we used the range of abiotic and biotic conditions provided
by a restoration experiment to assess to whether the restoration treatments and/or plant
functional identity and legume neighborhood affected plant 15 δ N signals. The restoration
treatments consisted of hay transfer and topsoil removal, thus representing increasing
restoration effort, from no restoration measures, through biotic manipulation to major
abiotic manipulation. We measured 15 δ N and %N in six different plant species (two nonlegumes and four legumes) across the restoration treatments. We found that restoration
treatments were clearly reflected in 15 δ N of the non-legume species, with very depleted
15 δ N associated with low soil N, and our results suggest this may be linked to uptake of
ammonium (rather than nitrate). The two non-legume species differed considerably in their
15 δ N signals, which may be related to the two species forming different kinds of mycorrhizal
symbioses. Plant 15 δ N signals could clearly separate legumes from non-legumes, but our
results did not allow for an assessment of legume neighborhood effects on non-legume
15 δ N signals. We discuss our results in the light of what the 15 δ N signals may be telling
us about plant–soil N dynamics and their potential value as an indicator for N dynamics in
restoration.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to determine the motor function of the abdominal muscles in singers with and without functional voice disorders and to examine them for possible differences. Additionally, the breathing behaviour and posture control was investigated.
Study Design
Observational study.
Methods:
Female subjects (n = 20) with differing levels of professional competence were used to provide the data for analysis. By using the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI) the grade of dysphonia could be measured, and the subjects were organized in groups. The change of muscle thickness of the M. transversus abdominis (TVA) and the M. obliquus internus abdominis (OIA) during different singing tasks was measured by using ultrasound. The subjects were then asked to perform the Abdominal Hollowing Test (AHT) with the STABILIZER. Finally, the subjects were all filmed while singing. The videos recordings of the singing sessions were analysed by an independent clinical expert regarding breathing and secondary motor activities (SMA). For the statistical analysis, the Mann-Whitney-U Test and the Chi-Square-Test was mainly used.
Results:
The results showed a significantly thinner TVA in the group with dysphonia in comparison to the group without dysphonia. Ultrasound measurements showed significantly higher changes of muscle thickness of the TVA during singing tasks in the group with dysphonia. Regarding the AHT there was a significant difference between the two groups. The group with dysphonia was not able to increase the pressure by 15mmHg. Furthermore, the healthy subjects demonstrated abdominal breathing, while the group with dysphonia present with thoracic breathing. Additionally, it was noted that the subjects with dysphonia showed a higher level of associated movements especially at and/or on the lumbar spine, cervical spine and the left arm and shoulder.
Conclusion:
Differences in TVA-recruitment, breathing behaviour and secondary motor activities while singing were found. This study sparks new ideas for neuromusculoskeletal assessments and therapy.
Key Words
Transversus abdominis, Abdominal muscles, Dysphonia, Ultrasound, Singing voice, Singers
rationale: Musculoskeletal problems are widespread in performing artists and are due to the special demands of instrument playing, singing or dancing. Additionally, various other factors might contribute to performance-related musculoskeletal problems. In order to provide a specific physiotherapeutic management for performing artists, it is important to gain information about the performing art, the individual (biomechanical) demands and contributing factors. The subjective examination is the basis of the clinical reasoning process and the hypothesis forming, which is important for goal setting in further clinical examination and biomechanical analysis. In the present protocol, the subjective examination consists of a questionnaire based section and an interview based section and is part of the evaluation process of the neuromusculoskeletal examination of a performing artist specific reference laboratory.
purpose: The aim of this study was to develop a standardized protocol for an interview based subjective examination of performing artists with musculoskeletal problems. The results of this section of the subjective examination will be combined with the results of the questionnaire based subjective examination , in order to gather as much relevant information as possible to specifically address the individual’s musculoskeletal health status.
methods: A common physiotherapeutic recording of findings which addresses the relevant questions of the subjective examination of musculoskeletal problems was used. In order to adapt the anamnesis to performing-related musculoskeletal problems, questions specific to instrument playing, singing and dancing were selected on the basis of a literature search and the expertise of the research group.
results: The protocol is based on the five aspects of clinical practice described by Maitland and the Musculoskeletal Clinical Translation Framework by Mitchell et al. (2017) .The performing art specific questions especially address (1) performing art specific considerations including style, genre, education and professional level, practice habits, repertoire, and external factors, e.g. concert conditions, (2) performing art specific physical and psychosocial contributing factors, and (3) performing art specific activities which trigger the musculoskeletal problems and help to form hypotheses for the following clinical examination. Individual tracks lead through the subjective examination so that irrelevant questions are skipped depending on the kind of musculoskeletal problem and the performing art practiced by the individual client.
conclusions: A pretest of this standardized anamnesis protocol is ongoing in a special physiotherapy clinic for performing artists since spring 2022. In an iterative approach, the protocol will be continuously improved based on patient feedback and clinical considerations.
The aim of this European interprofessional Health Informatics (HI) Summer School was (i) to make advanced healthcare students familiar with what HI can offer in terms of knowledge development for patient care and (ii) to give them an idea about the underlying technical and legal mechanisms. According to the students’ evaluation, interprofessional education was very well received, problem-based learning focussing on cases was rated positively and the learning goals were met. However, it was criticised that the online material provided was rather detailed and comprehensive and could have been a bit overcharging for beginners. These drawbacks were obviously compensated by the positive experience of working in international and interprofessional groups and a generally welcoming environment.
During recent decades, many studies have shown that the successful restoration of species-rich grasslands is often seed-limited because of depleted seed banks and limited seed dispersal in modern fragmented landscapes. In Europe, commercial seed mixtures, which are widely used for restoration measures, mostly consist of species and varieties of non-local provenance. The regional biodiversity of a given landscape, however, can be preserved only when seeds or plants of local provenance are used in restoration projects. Furthermore, the transfer of suitable target species of local provenance can strongly enhance restoration success.
We review and evaluate the success of currently used near-natural methods for the introduction of target plant species (e.g. seeding of site-specific seed mixtures, transfer of fresh seed-containing hay, vacuum harvesting, transfer of turves or seed-containing soil) on restoration sites, ranging from dry and mesic meadows to floodplain grasslands and fens. Own data combined with literature findings show species establishment rates during the initial phase as well as the persistence of target species during long-term vegetation development on restoration sites.
In conclusion, our review indicates that seed limitation can be overcome successfully by most of the reviewed measures for species introduction. The establishment of species-rich grasslands is most successful when seeds, seed-containing plant material or soil are spread on bare soil of ex-arable fields after tilling or topsoil removal, or on raw soils, e.g. in mined areas. In species-poor grasslands without soil disturbance and on older ex-arable fields with dense weed vegetation, final transfer rates were the lowest. For future restoration projects, suitable measures have to be chosen carefully from case to case as they differ considerably in costs and logistic effort. Long-term prospects for restored grassland are especially good when management can be incorporated in agricultural systems.
The aim of this study is to assess the development of plant species diversity and species composition
over a seven-year period in two calcareous grasslands abandoned for nearly 20 years and to find out
which factors influence vegetation dynamics. In the Abava River valley, Latvia, different calcareous
grasslands were studied, one on the south-west facing slope and another on the north-east facing slope.
Vegetation analyses on permanent plots showed that dry calcareous grasslands can be resistant to deterioration for a long period of time – succession was slower than reported in many cases for Central and
Western Europe. None of the studied communities showed a decrease neither in total species number
recorded per community nor in average species richness per plot. Vascular plant species richness even
increased by 3–4 species per 1-m² plot in the grassland on the south-west facing slope. An unexpected
result of the research was that Calamagrostis epigeios did not expand in this grassland. This fact can be
explained by the influence of disturbances (drought, tree cutting) and local differences in soil parameters
and topography. In parts of the north-east exposed grassland, with deeper soils and better water availability, species diversity (Shannon index) decreased significantly in areas overgrown by Aegopodium
podagraria.
Background and Aims
Early identification of nerve lesions and associated neuropathic pain in spine-related pain disorders is important for tailored treatment. Management may consist of surgical intervention for compressive neural lesions.
With a growing waitlist for public surgical outpatient clinics in Western Australia and wait times exceeding the recommended wait time for initial assessment (Category 1 – assessment within 1 months, Category 2 within 3 months, category 3 within 12 months), a call to support new models of care has been made1, including the evaluation and expansion of workforce models supporting advanced skills in allied health.1
An Advanced Scope Physiotherapy (ASP) led Neurosurgery Spinal Clinic operates at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Western Australia. The ASPs (2FTE) examine patients from the neurosurgery waitlist for their suitability for spinal surgery. Recommendation of either further investigation and possible assessment by a neurosurgeon or appropriate non-surgical management of the patients’ pain condition is suggested. Patient assessment is conducted either ‘in person’ at the hospital or via telehealth due to the remoteness of some rural patients. Patient cases are discussed with a neurosurgery consultant on a weekly basis. The aim of this project is to evaluate the ASP service in the year 2022.
Method
A retrospective descriptive analysis of patient data captured in 2022 was performed.
Results
In 2022, 1337 new patient referrals were managed plus 267 follow-ups from the previous year. Category 1 patients (n=81) waited on average 31 days for their first appointment, Category 2 patients (n=394) waited 76 days and Category 3 patients (n=854) waited 376 days.
287 (18%) referrals were discharged without physical assessment of the patient (DNA, cancellations, declined). Of the 1317 patients physically assessed by the ASPs (57%) were discharged directly after assessment, for 290 patients (22%) their outcome was still pending at time of analysis (March 2023) and 281 (22%) patients were referred for review with a neurosurgeon. Of the 229 patients assessed by a neurosurgeon (including patients from 2022), 103 patients (45%) were offered surgery, 52 (23%) were not offered surgery, 46 ( 20%) patients had to be reviewed, and for the remaining (n=18) their outcome was unknown.
Conclusion
Of the 1604 patients managed in the Neurosurgery Spinal Clinic, only 17% needed to see a neurosurgeon. The conversion rate to surgery of 45% is higher compared to an estimated 5%-10% in a non-triaged clinic.
The ASP model of care has proved invaluable to (i) provide access of patient care within the recommended wait times (ii) optimize neurosurgeons’ time, (iii) educate patients and, in case of non-suitability for surgery, advise and refer them for alternative appropriate management.
Relevance for Patient Care
The Advanced Scope Physiotherapy model of care at the Neurosurgery Spinal Clinic allows timely assessment of patients with spine-related disorders and supports targeted management of their condition.
Ethical Permissions
This project is registered as a Quality Improvement Project at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (QI35728) and as per the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research was exempt from review by the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Human Research and Ethics Committee
References
1Sustainable Health Review (2019). Sustainable Health Review: Final report to the Western Australian Government of Health, Western Australia
Workshop: “‘Sciatica’: neuropathic or not and does it matter? Outcomes from a NeuPSIG working group”
(2023)
The identification of neuropathic pain in persons with spine-related leg pain is important as this information guides treatment and management, including self-management. The NeuPSIG neuropathic pain grading system was developed to assist clinicians and researchers in determining whether patients have neuropathic pain and the level of confidence associated with that decision. Based on clinical and laboratory examination findings, patients are classified as having no neuropathic pain, possible, probable or definite neuropathic pain. Whereas this grading system works nicely in people with systemic neuropathies where sensory findings and diagnostic tests are mostly present, its application in patients with spine-related leg pain, particular in radicular pain, can be challenging. For example, in the absence of sensory changes and MRI findings, patients with radicular pain would at best reach a classification of possible neuropathic pain according to the current neuropathic pain grading system.
In this presentation I will explain the adaptations to the neuropathic pain grading system for spine-related leg pain recommended by the NeuPSIG working group. I will demonstrate its application in clinical practice using case studies and provide clarity for how the system can be incorporated in clinical trials. This will be an interactive session with audience participation.
Purpose
Sedentary behaviour (SED) and low level of physical activity (PA) might be associated with the development or worsening of pain. Still, studies assessing physical behaviours by accelerometry in individuals with orofacial pain are limited. This study aims to assess whether women with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) present different patterns of physical behaviours in days with (DWP) or without pain (DWoP).
Methods
Twenty-nine out of forty-four women (mean age 29.21 sd 7.96) were diagnosed with TMD and monitored over seven days using a thigh-worn accelerometer. DWP was determined when subjects presented pain in one of the craniocervical regions (head, jaw and neck) with intensity of at least 3 in the numerical rating scale. To be considered a DWoP, the individual presented less than 3 points in the three regions. Daily time-use compositions were described in terms of SED in short (<30 min) and long (≥30 min) bouts, light PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and time-in-bed. Isometric log-ratios (ilr) were calculated to express the ratio of time-in-bed to time spent awake, SED relative to LPA and MVPA, SED in short relative to long bouts, and LPA relative to MVPA. Differences between DWP and DWoP were examined using MANOVA, followed by univariate post-hoc tests of pairwise differences.
Results
During DWP, women with TMD spent more time in SED in short (239 min) and long bouts (419 min), less time in LPA (245 min), MVPA (68 min), and in bed (468 min) compared with DWoP (235, 378, 263, 70 and 493 min, respectively). The MANOVA showed that all sets of ilrs did not differ statistically (ηp2 = 0.19, p = 0.25). Still, the post-hoc tests showed a trend that time spent SED relative to LPA and MVPA was larger in DWP than in DWoP (Cohen’s d = 0.36, p = 0.05).
Conclusions
Women with TMD did not show different patterns of physical behaviours in DWP or DWoP. However, there is a trend of more sedentary behaviour and less physical activity in DWP compared to DWoP. Future studies should consider other pain intensity cut-offs, isolated pain locations, and larger sample sizes to confirm these results.
Nostalgia is a construct that, even when rooted in lived experiences, serves the ultimate purpose of creating a desired sense of world. Fundamental cognitive competencies, including memory and imagination, are utilized by the nostalgic subject to fulfill a need for narrative coherence. A temporal or spatial distance is necessary for the occurrence of a nostalgic episode, which can be conceptualized as a “had been” state of being, as direct access to the experience is often impossible. Nostalgia may thus be viewed as a tool for sense-making rather than solely as a yearning for the past. The nostalgic narrative form is a construct that permits human subjects to comprehend their existence in the world while drawing upon their roots. These tools for sense-making serve as bridges between past experiences and current conditions. Ultimately, nostalgic identity is not just about longing for the past but also about utilizing the past as a resource for navigating the labyrinths of the present. Analyses are conducted to examine the medium of music video at three levels - auditory, visual, and linguistic - in order to investigate the strategies and techniques employed by the Iranian diaspora to create nostalgic narratives. Samples of original pieces and renditions are contrasted in order to identify elements of nostalgic narrativity. Drawing on empirical research, it is argued that the unity of a music video arises from the integration of separate layers of sensory and conceptual inputs that have been composed towards an affective resonance and narrative coherence.
Background: Multilingual children with suspected SLCN are often overlooked or their needs not accurately differentiated regarding the necessity of language support or therapy. The purpose of the study was to conceptualize, carry out and evaluate a local language support (LS) project within linguistically and culturally diverse (LCD) families and its effects on all collaborating participants.
Methods: Eight SLT students and one lecturer took part in the LS-project, alongside equivalent numbers of family liaison personnel. Students visited more than 10 young children aged between 2-6 years, and for each child 10 weekly home visits were carried out. Language enhancement was documented, several case studies with children and interviews with five liaison personnel conducted.
Results: All SLT students perceived changes in the behaviour and communication of participating children. Children in the case studies developed from pre-verbal to verbal means of communication and family liaison personnel reported positive changes alongside parental wishes to continue the support.
Conclusion: Local language support projects with LCD families can lead to positive differences regarding their children's communication development and better inclusion in mainstream society. SLT students benefit from working with LCD families and their collaborative support together with family liaison personnel, and vice versa.
Learning Outcomes: To differentiate the influence of language enhancement vs. formalized SLT therapy. To enhance the relationship with LCD clientele and collaboration with liaison personnel in SLCN settings. To incorporate life-long learning and intercultural sensitization.
In modern times, closed-loop control systems (CLCSs) play a prominent role in a wide application range, from production machinery via automated vehicles to robots. CLCSs actively manipulate the actual values of a process to match predetermined setpoints, typically in real time and with remarkable precision. However, the development, modeling, tuning, and optimization of CLCSs barely exploit the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). This paper explores novel opportunities and research directions in CLCS engineering, presenting potential designs and methodologies incorporating AI. Combining these opportunities and directions makes it evident that employing AI in developing and implementing CLCSs is indeed feasible. Integrating AI into CLCS development or AI directly within CLCSs can lead to a significant improvement in stakeholder confidence. Integrating AI in CLCSs raises the question: How can AI in CLCSs be trusted so that its promising capabilities can be used safely? One does not trust AI in CLCSs due to its unknowable nature caused by its extensive set of parameters that defy complete testing. Consequently, developers working on AI-based CLCSs must be able to rate the impact of the trainable parameters on the system accurately. By following this path, this paper highlights two key aspects as essential research directions towards safe AI-based CLCSs: (I) the identification and elimination of unproductive layers in artificial neural networks (ANNs) for reducing the number of trainable parameters without influencing the overall outcome, and (II) the utilization of the solution space of an ANN to define the safety-critical scenarios of an AI-based CLCS.
Stainless steel made to rust: a robust water-splitting catalyst with benchmark characteristics
(2015)
The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is known as the efficiency-limiting step for the electrochemical cleavage of water mainly due to the large overpotentials commonly used materials on the anode side cause. Since Ni–Fe oxides reduce overpotentials occurring in the OER dramatically they are regarded as anode materials of choice for the electrocatalytically driven water-splitting reaction. We herewith show that a straightforward surface modification carried out with AISI 304, a general purpose austenitic stainless steel, very likely, based upon a dissolution mechanism, to result in the formation of an ultra-thin layer consisting of Ni, Fe oxide with a purity >99%. The Ni enriched thin layer firmly attached to the steel substrate is responsible for the unusual highly efficient anodic conversion of water into oxygen as demonstrated by the low overpotential of 212 mV at 12 mA cm−2 current density in 1 M KOH, 269.2 mV at 10 mA cm−2 current density in 0.1 M KOH respectively. The Ni, Fe-oxide layer formed on the steel creates a stable outer sphere, and the surface oxidized steel samples proved to be inert against longer operating times (>150 ks) in alkaline medium. In addition Faradaic efficiency measurements performed through chronopotentiometry revealed a charge to oxygen conversion close to 100%, thus underpinning the conclusion that no “inner oxidation” based on further oxidation of the metal matrix below the oxide layer occurs. These key figures achieved with an almost unrivalled-inexpensive and unrivalled-accessible material, are among the best ever presented activity characteristics for the anodic water-splitting reaction at pH 13.
Soil versus foliar iodine fertilization as a biofortification strategy for field-grown vegetables
(2015)
Iodine (I) biofortification of vegetables by means of soil and foliar applications was investigated in field experiments on a sandy loam soil. Supply of iodine to the soil in trial plots fertilized with potassium iodide (KI) and potassium iodate directly before planting (0, 1.0, 2.5, 7.5, and 15 kg I ha-1) increased the iodine concentration in the edible plant parts. The highest iodine accumulation levels were observed in the first growing season: In butterhead lettuce and kohlrabi the desired iodine content [50–100 μg I (100 g FM)-1] was obtained or exceeded at a fertilizer rate of 7.5 kg IO3--I ha-1 without a significant yield reduction or impairment of the marketable quality. In contrast, supplying KI at the same rate resulted in a much lower iodine enrichment and clearly visible growth impairment. Soil applied iodine was phytoavailable only for a short period of time as indicated by a rapid decline of CaCl2-extractable iodine in the top soil. Consequently, long-term effects of a one-time iodine soil fertilization could not be observed. A comparison between the soil and the foliar fertilization revealed a better performance of iodine applied aerially to butterhead lettuce, which reached the desired iodine accumulation in edible plant parts at a fertilizer rate of 0.5 kg I--I ha-1. In contrast, the iodine content in the tuber of sprayed kohlrabi remained far below the targeted range. The results indicate that a sufficient spreading of iodine applied on the edible plant parts is crucial for the efficiency of the foliar approach and leafy vegetables are the more suitable target crops. The low iodine doses needed as well as the easy and inexpensive application may favor the implementation of foliar sprays as the preferred iodine biofortification strategy in practice.
Iodine biofortification of butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa)viafoliar sprays was investigated infield trials, focusing on assessing the influence of the time and application method. The iodine (I)concentrations in the edible plant parts increased when potassium iodide (KI) and potassiumiodate (KIO3) solutions were sprayed at doses up to 0.25 kg I ha–1on different dates close to har-vest. Crop yield and marketable quality were not significantly affected by I treatments. A greaterefficacy of KI was frequently observed and probably related to its lower point of deliquescenceand smaller anion size in comparison with KIO3. KI sprays on butterhead lettuce at different timesof the day resulted in a higher I enrichment when applied at 11:00 and 15:00 h. The diurnal varia-tion in I uptake may reflect the impact of fluctuating climatic conditions at the time of application.Iodine treatments at different application dates near harvest led to an increasing I concentrationin the vegetable produce that could be related to the rising shoot fresh mass and leaf area.When KI and KIO3were sprayed simultaneously with commercial calcium fertilizers, fungicidesor insecticides, I accumulation in butterhead lettuce was not negatively affected or in some caseseven significantly enhanced. The results show that foliar sprays of KI and KIO3are an effectivemethod to biofortify butterhead lettuce with I and this approach may easily be implemented as aroutine method in commercial cultivation.
The present study investigates consumers’ acceptance of Se-biofortified apples, as well as Se health and nutrition claims that have been approved by the European Commission. Despite indications that such statements are more likely to be accepted if the carrier product itself has a healthy image, unprocessed fruits biofortified with Se have not been investigated in this context yet. Apples as the most frequently-consumed type of fresh fruit in Germany may offer the potential to improve the Se status of consumers when the produce is enriched with Se. Therefore, an online survey of 356 German adults was conducted to analyze different aspects that could affect the perception of and preference for the proposed product concept by consumers. The findings indicate a moderate acceptance of Se-biofortified apples, as well as of Se health and nutrition claims among the participants. Additional information about beneficial health effects of Se had a significant impact on consumer acceptance. People who regularly eat convenience food and prefer to buy apples at supermarkets were particularly attracted by the product idea. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate good prospects for a successful introduction of Se-rich apples in the German food market, if the produce is advertised with approved health and nutrition claims.
In the organic production of pot grown basil, yield depressions and quality impairments are often observed. During the early development stage, cotyledons become chlorotic and necrotic. Subsequently, fungal diseases such as botrytis occur. One possible reason for this problem could be the high concentration of ammonium in the growing media released by the mineralization of organic fertilizers. Therefore, a fertilization trial was carried out to investigate the effect of ammonium (NH4+) on basil in comparison to nitrate (NO3-). The experiment included different NH4+-N/NO3--N ratios (100/0, 50/50 and 0/100) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in the nutrient solution (8, 12 and 16 mmol N L‑1). Plants were cultivated in a peat substrate and fertilized with a nutrient solution which, in addition to the different N sources, contained equal concentrations of a base fertilizer as well as the nitrification inhibitor DMPP. Furthermore, an organic fertilization treatment was realized. Basil fertilized solely with NH4+ showed a diminished growth in comparison to well-developed plants receiving NO3- as N source. Germination rate, plant height and fresh matter yield were significantly reduced by NH4+ nutrition. Similar results occur in the organic treatment where the NH4+ concentration rose up to 350 mg NH4+-N L‑1 substrate at the beginning of the cultivation period. Along with a reduction in biomass production, chlorotic cotyledons were observed. These effects might have been caused by NH4+. When N mineralization declined and NH4+ was largely converted to NO3-, plants exhibited improved growth. Within the mineral N treatments, rising NO3- concentration and NO3--N/NH4+-N ratio promoted plant height and reduced plant compactness due to an increased internode elongation. At the end of the experiment, the NO3- content in basil shoots was highest in the organic treatment and lowest with NH4+ as the sole N source. The best herb quality in terms of plant compactness, turgidity and healthiness of cotyledons was observed when basil was fertilized with ammonium nitrate.
Biomechanical analyses are capable of capturing and evaluating human motions. In addition to the major biomechanical fields of kinetics and kinematics, electromyography (EMG) provides a reliable way to analyse neuromuscular activities, e.g. inter- and intramuscular coordination or fatigue behavior. Based on these parameters it is possible to conclude to clinically relevant parameters such as motor control, muscular coordination or compensation strategies with different loads. In addition to this, EMG can be used in treatment itself, e.g. biofeedback-training with an EMG is an effective and evidenced based tool to improve neuromuscular control. The purpose of this workshop is to show the advantages of implementing EMG in performing artists´ health and to demonstrate additional therapy and diagnostic options.
This workshop briefly introduces the theoretical principles of EMG and the clinical applications in the context of performing artists´ health. It explains why EMG provides an additional value in the clinical reasoning process and supports the therapist, but decision making in the clinical reasoning process should never be based on EMG solely.
In the further course of the workshop the use of EMG in diagnostics and therapy (biofeedback) with performing artists is practically demonstrated and discussed with the participants.
Approach of Presentation:
1. Short presentation: introduction and understanding of EMG (educational objective 1)
2. Short case presentation of a performing artist to introduce EMG in the field of performing artists´ health and clinical reasoning (educational objective 2)
3. Interactive practical demonstration (diagnosis and biofeedback-training) as the central part of the workshop. Questions and comments will be discussed directly throughout the group (educational objective 3)
Clinical Significance:
EMG based functional neuromuscular diagnostics and biofeedback-training provides both the therapist as well as the performing artist with additional value in their clinical work.
Educational Objectives:
At the end of the workshop, the participants will be able to…
1. understand and describe the basic principles of EMG
2. understand and describe the importance of EMG in the context of performing artists´ health, physical therapy and clinical reasoning
3. use EMG on performing artists in the performance process
Biofortified apples seem to be a suitable produce. In this study, different selenium forms and application levels were applied to the two apple varieties ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Jonagold’, grown in the years 2017 and 2018 in order to increase the selenium uptake within a typical Western diet. It was shown that the biofortification, which was performed as a foliar application implemented in usual calcium fertilization, led to significantly increased selenium contents in the fruits. Furthermore, biofortification affected the total phenolic content (TPC), the polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO), as well as the antioxidant activity (AOA), the latter measured with the two well-known assays Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity Assay (TEAC) and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity Assays (ORAC). The varying selenium forms and application levels showed a differing influence on the parameters mentioned before. Higher fertilizer levels resulted in higher selenium accumulation. It was found that PPO activity fluctuates less in biofortified apples. With regard to TPC, selenate led to higher amounts when compared to the untreated controls and selenite resulted in lower TPC. AOA analysis showed no clear tendencies as a result of the selenium biofortification. In the case of ‘Jonagold’, a higher AOA was generally measured when being biofortified, whereas, in the case of ‘Golden Delicious’, only one form of application led to higher AOA. Additionally, differences in the amount of major phenolic compounds, measured with High Performance Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn), were observed, depending on the conditions of the biofortification and the variety.
Bamboo is an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional materials in mechanical engineering such as steel or aluminium. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world. Instead of releasing CO2 during the manufacturing process, bamboo absorbs CO2 as it grows.
In addition to the sustainability aspect, bamboo tubes also offer excellent properties as a lightweight construction material, which have been optimised through evolution. Bamboo tubes have high strength and stiffness at low weight when used as tension-compression bars or bending beams. Bamboo has strong, high-density fibres at the boundary area, where bending stresses are greatest. Towards the inside, where the stresses are lower, the bamboo becomes porous to optimise weight. This, together with knots arranged in regular intervals, counteracts buckling.
In mobile applications such as cars and bicycles, lightweight construction is sought for energy efficiency reasons. Because of its excellent lightweight properties, the project investigated whether bamboo could be used in mobile, automotive or agricultural engineering. For example, a bamboo bicycle frame has been developed with the aim to be as light as possible. There are bamboo bicycles on the market, but they can only be made one at a time by hand. The bamboo tubes are joined together and functional elements such as the bottom bracket and headset are integrated by wrapping them in resin-impregnated natural or carbon fibres. This makes the joints very heavy. A different approach is taken here: the bamboo tubes are drilled out slightly to achieve a defined internal diameter, and then short aluminium tubes are glued into the bamboo canes from the inside. To prevent the cane from breaking in the circumferential direction, i.e. perpendicular to the fibre direction, the bamboo tubes are wrapped in a thin layer of natural or carbon fibre impregnated with synthetic resin. The aluminium tubes and functional elements are welded or soldered together beforehand.
The design of the bicycle frame, i.e. the dimensioning of the bamboo tubes and joints, was based on extensive bending and tensile tests to determine the strength properties of the natural material bamboo. The bonding between the bamboo cane and the aluminium tube was also investigated experimentally. Finally, several prototype bicycle frames were made and tested for durability according to DIN-EN-14764. The frames passed the tests.
The result is a bamboo bicycle that is manufactured with standardised connectors and joints. The assembly concept developed allows both fully automated and semi-automated series production of bamboo bicycles.
Selenium and iodine are essential micronutrients for humans. They are often deficient in food supply due to low phytoavailable concentrations in soil. Agronomic biofortification of food
crops is one approach to overcome micronutrient malnutrition. This study focused on a pre-launch exploration of German consumers’ willingness to purchase selenium- and/or iodine-biofortified apples. For this purpose, an online survey was carried out. In this context, consumers were asked to choose their most preferred apple product from a set card of product alternatives in a discrete choice experiment (DCE). The multinomial logit model results demonstrated that German consumers’ have a particular preference for iodine-biofortified apples. Furthermore, apple choice was mainly influenced by price, health claims, and plastic-free packaging material. Viewed individually, selenium did not exert an effect on product choice whereas positive interactions between both micronutrients exist.
Notable parts of the population in Europe suffer from allergies towards apples. To address this health problem, the analysis of the interactions of relevant allergens with other substances such as phenolic compounds is of particular importance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlations between the total phenolic content (TPC), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, antioxidant activity (AOA), and the phenolic compound profile and the content of the allergenic protein Mal d 1 in six apple cultivars. It was found that the PPO activity and the content of individual phenolic compounds had an influence on the Mal d 1 content. With regard to the important constituents, flavan-3-ols and phenolic acids, it was found that apples with a higher content of chlorogenic acid and a low content of procyanidin trimers and/or epicatechin had a lower allergenic potential. This is probably based on the reaction of phenolic compounds (when oxidized by the endogenous PPO) with proteins, thus being able to change the conformation of the (allergenic) proteins, which further corresponds to a loss of antibody recognition. When apples were additionally biofortified with selenium, the composition of the apples, with regard to TPC, phenolic profile, AOA, and PPO, was significantly affected. Consequently, this innovative agronomic practice seems to be promising for reducing the allergenic potential of apples.
Background
Spinach is a nitrogen (N) demanding crop with a weekly N uptake of up to 60 kg ha–1. Consequently, a high N supply is required, which can temporarily lead to high quantities of nitrate (NO3–) being at risk of leaching.
Aims
The objective of this study was to develop a N fertilization approach to reduce the risk of NO3– leaching in field-grown spinach production without adversely affecting crop yield and quality at an early and late harvest stage.
Methods
Ten fertilization trials were conducted to compare different base fertilization rates and splits of top dressings. For top dressings, granulated fertilizers or foliar sprays were used. In a further treatment, N supply was reduced by withholding the second top dressing of 50–70 kg ha−1.
Results
Nitrate concentration at risk of leaching was considerably reduced by decreasing the base fertilizer rate as well as by splitting the top dressing. However, at an early harvest stage, total aboveground dry mass was reduced by, on average, 6% by these measures across all seasons. In contrast, at a later harvest stage, spinach was less affected by the fertilizer schedule. Urea foliar sprays proved to be insufficient in promoting plant growth and caused leaf necrosis. A reduced N supply led to impaired plant growth and yellowish leaves in both spring and winter.
Conclusions
Base N fertilization of spinach is only required in spring, but not in other seasons. Despite slight yield reduction, the top dressing should be split to reduce the risk of NO3− leaching after an early harvest.
In open-field vegetable production, high quantities of soil mineral nitrogen (Nmin) and N-rich crop residues often remain in the field at harvest. After the harvest of crops in autumn, this N can lead to considerable nitrate (NO3−) losses during the subsequent winter leaching period. In four field trials, different tillage depths (3–4, 10, 30 cm) and dates (early autumn, late autumn, early spring) were investigated to reduce N losses after growing spinach in the autumn. In a further treatment, the nitrification inhibitor 3,4-Dimethylpyrazole phosphate (DMPP) was directly applied to the crop residues. Potential N losses were calculated by a balance sheet approach based on Nmin concentration (0–90 cm), measured N mineralization and N uptake by catch crops. By postponing the tillage date from early to late autumn or spring, resprouting spinach stubbles acted as a catch crop, reducing N losses by up to 61 kg ha−1. However, if the spinach biomass collapsed, the N losses increased by up to 33 kg ha−1 even without tillage. The application of DMPP as well as the tillage depth were less effective. Overall, postponing tillage to spring seems to be the most promising approach for reducing N losses during the off-season.
Studies on nutrition have historically concentrated on food-shortages and over-nutrition. The physiological states of feeling hungry or being satiated and its dynamics in food choices, dietary patterns, and nutritional behavior, have not been the focus of many studies. Currently, visual analytic using easy-to-use tooling offers applicability in a wide-range of disciplines. In this interdisciplinary pilot-study we tested a novel visual analytic software to assess dietary patterns and food choices for greater understanding of nutritional behavior when hungry and when satiated. We developed software toolchain and tested the hypotheses that there is no difference between visual search patterns of dishes 1) when hungry and when satiated and 2) in being vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Results indicate that food choices can be deviant from dietary patterns but correlate slightly with dish-gazing. Further, scene perception probably could vary between being hungry and satiated. Understanding t he complicated relationship between scene perception and nutritional behavioral patterns and scaling up this pilot-study to a full-study using our introduced software approaches is indispensable.
Design knowledge on smart glasses-based systems is scarce. Utilizing literature analysis on software development publications, insights from the design and implementation of four smart glasses-based systems and expert interviews, we elicited 16 design principles to provide guidance in the development of future service support systems. Heuristic Theorizing is an abductive Design Science Research method, hitherto far too little known or little noticed, which was applied to conduct the research. We contribute to theory and practice with applicable design principles to support the development of smart glasses-based systems. Phenomena known to have an impact on the adoption of smart glasses are addressed by these design principles.
The energy transition involves various challenges. One key aspect is the decentralization of power generation, which requires new actors. In order to integrate these into the system in the best possible way, there are various approaches e.g. in cooperation in citizens' initiatives or cooperatives (Dorniok, 2016).
Cooperation in general can enable the implementation of certain business models or can increase profitability by the exploitation of economies of scale (Skovsgaard & Jacobsen, 2017; Theurl, 2010). Synergy effects result from the utilization of know-how, different technologies or resources of the partners involved to complement the own competencies and services (Eggers & Engelbrecht, 2005; Sander, 2009). Cooperation exists in various industries and enable the participating companies to compensate their size-related resource deficits (Glaister & Buckley, 1996; Todeva & Knoke, 2005). This creates the opportunity to develop innovations, open up new markets, exploit newly created economies of scale and share costs and risks (Franco & Haase, 2015). In agriculture, cooperation in the form of cooperatives have been of essential importance for a long time, especially with the aim of exploiting synergy effects (Bareille et al., 2017). In the field of renewable energy development, cooperation in form of citizen cooperatives make a significant contribution to the participation of citizens in political, social and financial aspects of the energy transition (Huybrechts & Mertens, 2014). Energy cooperatives are frequently discussed as a potential actor in the energy transition and are increasingly being established to advance the common interests of stakeholders. For example, the joint operation of decentralized power generation plants can involve new actors in the energy transition through regional cooperation (Walk, 2014).
Existing biogas plants in Germany need new business models after the 20-year Renewable Energy Sources Act feed-in tariff expires. For continued operation, a business model innovation is needed, which can be realized based on the different technical utilization pathways. Cooperation can have a significant impact on the profitability of the different business models, especially by exploiting synergy effects (Karlsson et al., 2019). In addition, cooperation can help to ensure that existing plants continue to operate at all.
Currently, the most widespread use of biogas in Germany is in the coupled generation of electricity and heat. Additionally, there is the possibility of upgrading biogas to biomethane or biogenic hydrogen path (Mertins & Wawer, 2022).
Different options for cooperative business models that exist in the biogas utilization pathways are presented. The focus is on explaining the advantages of a joint approach compared to single-farm business models and identifying the relevant actors. Subsequently, drivers and barriers for the different cooperative business models are identified and classified based on 20 semi-structured interviews with plant operators in the administrative district of Osnabrück. The aim is to identify drivers and barriers for cooperative post-EEG operation. As a result, political instruments are to be found that make it possible to involve relevant actors and thus stimulate the best possible continued operation from the point of view of the energy system. The results are structured according to the PESTEL analysis. This assigns drivers and barriers to the categories political, economic, sociocultural, technological, ecological and legal (Kaufmann, 2021). The analysis of the interviews is supplemented and validated by a literature review.
Drivers and barriers for cooperative business models are manifold and can vary mainly depending on the plant and the operator.
Drivers
• Political
o Promotion of renewable energies: reduce dependence on fossil (Russian) fuels
• Economic
o Expectation of synergies (information sharing, shared risk, economies of scale)
o Planning security (fixed supply or purchase contracts)
o Access to new markets (not accessible by single-farm business models)
o Cost savings by sharing infrastructure, technology
o Positive return expectation
• Sociocultural
o Motivating, innovative environment
o Lowers barriers to participation in new markets
o Target-oriented partnerships
o Better use of capacities and strengths
o Strengthening regional value creation
• Technological
o Economies of scale (efficiency)
o Available, mature technology
o Storable, transportable gas
o Well-developed infrastructure
• Ecological
o Increase in plant efficiency
o Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions
o Promotion of the circular economy by utilization of organic waste and agricultural residues
o Improving soil quality (fermentation residues as fertilizer)
Barriers
• Political
o Competition to other renewable energies
• Economic
o Uncertainty about future development of energy markets
o Disagreements between the cooperation partners
o Lack of flexibility due to longer-term contractual obligations
o Allocation of profits
• Sociocultural
o Cooperation with current competitor
o Cultural differences and lack of trust
o Acceptance by the general public (e.g. overproduction of maize)
• Technological
o Different technology that is difficult to combine
o Data protection
• Ecological
o Competition for agricultural land
o Use of monocultures
o Emissions from plant
o Pollution from transport
• Legal
o Legal requirements and regulations
o Unfavorable regulatory environment, e.g. long permitting process
One finding is that uncertainty is a major barrier for plant operators. This includes uncertainty about regulatory frameworks and political requirements, as well as about the general development of the energy markets. In addition, social factors such as lack of reliability and disagreement about revenue sharing are a potential barrier. A key driver for the implementation of cooperative business models is the expectation of synergy effects. In addition, operators are driven by a positive expectation of returns and the responsibility for securing the energy supply in times of crisis.
The drivers identified can now be used to develop strategies to advance cooperative business models. In particular, synergy effects should be exploited so that operators can benefit from cooperation. The advantages can also be highlighted and communicated to increase acceptance among the general public. Another important step is to reduce the barriers discussed above. In order to reduce social barriers in particular, it may be advisable to include an external partner in the cooperation, such as a municipal utility that operates an upgrading plant and concludes purchase agreements with the individual partners. In addition, it would be politically expedient to provide the operators with a clear framework for the future in order to reduce uncertainties. As a further aspect, knowledge transfer on new technologies and markets should take place.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and human-machine interaction (HMI) are two keywords that usually do not fit embedded applications. Within the steps needed before applying AI to solve a specific task, HMI is usually missing during the AI architecture design and the training of an AI model. The human-in-the-loop concept is prevalent in all other steps of developing AI, from data analysis via data selection and cleaning to performance evaluation. During AI architecture design, HMI can immediately highlight unproductive layers of the architecture so that lightweight network architecture for embedded applications can be created easily. We show that by using this HMI, users can instantly distinguish which AI architecture should be trained and evaluated first since a high accuracy on the task could be expected. This approach reduces the resources needed for AI development by avoiding training and evaluating AI architectures with unproductive layers and leads to lightweight AI architectures. These resulting lightweight AI architectures will enable HMI while running the AI on an edge device. By enabling HMI during an AI uses inference, we will introduce the AI-in-the-loop concept that combines AI's and humans' strengths. In our AI-in-the-loop approach, the AI remains the working horse and primarily solves the task. If the AI is unsure whether its inference solves the task correctly, it asks the user to use an appropriate HMI. Consequently, AI will become available in many applications soon since HMI will make AI more reliable and explainable.
Osnabrück’s so called “Green Fingers” – eleven landscape corridors reaching from the inner city into the region – structure the regional metropolis’ urban pattern. They supply the city centre with fresh air, serve as recreational destinations for the city’s inhabitants and provide space for close to the city agriculture and forestry. First defined in 1926, the Green Fingers have since been part of various planning documents and programs. However, these open spaces have been diminished bit by bit over time. The city’s growing need for land to build on had its impact just like the development of major traffic routes. On the one hand a lively debate has emerged: the Green Finger’s qualities, their ecological, aesthetical and cultural significance become increasingly important. Yet on the other hand decision makers still tend to put greenfield building activity first. A lot of efforts in striving for inner development are undermined by the ever growing demand for space. The urban sprawl continues, although various kinds of sanctuaries have been added to the urban and landscape planners’ equipment. The growing urban framework with its semidetached and single family houses does not come to a halt.
HRM processes are increasingly AI-driven, and HRM supports the general digital transformation of companies’ viable competitiveness. This paper points out possible positive and negative effects on HRM, workplaces, and workersorganizations along the HR processes and its potential for competitive advantage in regard to managerial decisions on AI implementation regarding augmentation and automation of work.
A systematic literature review that includes 62 international journals across different disciplines and contains top-tier academic and German practitioner journals was conducted. The literature analysis applies the resource-based view (RBV) as a lens through which to explore AI-driven HRM as a potential source of organizational capabilities.
The analysis shows four ambiguities for AI-driven HRM that might support sustainable company development or might prevent AI application: job design, transparency, performance and data ambiguity. A limited scholarly discussion with very few empirical studies can be stated. To date, research has mainly focused on HRM in general, recruiting, and HR analytics in particular.
The four ambiguities’ context-specific potential for capability building in firms is indicated, and research avenues are developed.
This paper critically explores AI-driven HRM and structures context-specific potential for capability building along four ambiguities that must be addressed by HRM to strategically contribute to an organization’s competitive advantage.
Chitin is an abundant waste product from shrimp and mushroom industries and as such, an appropriate secondary feedstock for biotechnological processes. However, chitin is a crystalline substrate embedded in complex biological matrices, and, therefore, difficult to utilize, requiring an equally complex chitinolytic machinery. Following a bottom-up approach, we here describe the step-wise development of a mutualistic, non-competitive consortium in which a lysine-auxotrophic Escherichia coli substrate converter cleaves the chitin monomer N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) into glucosamine (GlcN) and acetate, but uses only acetate while leaving GlcN for growth of the lysine-secreting Corynebacterium glutamicum producer strain. We first engineered the substrate converter strain for growth on acetate but not GlcN, and the producer strain for growth on GlcN but not acetate. Growth of the two strains in co-culture in the presence of a mixture of GlcN and acetate was stabilized through lysine cross-feeding. Addition of recombinant chitinase to cleave chitin into GlcNAc2, chitin deacetylase to convert GlcNAc2 into GlcN2 and acetate, and glucosaminidase to cleave GlcN2 into GlcN supported growth of the two strains in co-culture in the presence of colloidal chitin as sole carbon source. Substrate converter strains secreting a chitinase or a β-1,4-glucosaminidase degraded chitin to GlcNAc2 or GlcN2 to GlcN, respectively, but required glucose for growth. In contrast, by cleaving GlcNAc into GlcN and acetate, a chitin deacetylase-expressing substrate converter enabled growth of the producer strain in co-culture with GlcNAc as sole carbon source, providing proof-of-principle for a fully integrated co-culture for the biotechnological utilization of chitin.
DIGI4Teach - Handbook
(2023)
One of the important outputs of our DIGI4Teach consortium is this Handbook, which consists of two parts. Part A contains an analysis of the most important descriptive research results conducted within the DIGI4Teach Erasmus+ project regarding the use of digital technology in teaching economic disciplines in partner countries. Part B contains twelve case studies from different areas of economics and business (accounting, finance, marketing, tourism and trade) that were prepared using various digital tools and they can be freely used in classes or other forms of education.
High levels of meat consumption are increasingly being criticised for ethical, environmental, and social reasons. Plant-based meat substitutes have been with reservations identified as healthy sources of protein in comparison to meat. This alternative offers several social, environmental, and probably health benefits, and it may play a role in reducing meat consumption. However, there has been a lack of research on how specific meat substitute attributes can influence consumers to replace or partially replace meat in their diets. Research has demonstrated that, in many countries, consumers are highly attached to meat. They consider it to be an essential and integral element of their daily diet. For the consumers that are not interested in vegan or vegetarian alternatives to meat, so-called meathybrids could be a low-threshold option for a more sustainable food consumption behaviour. In meathybrids, only a fraction of the meat product (e.g., 20% to 50%) is replaced with plant-based proteins. In this paper, the results of an online survey with 500 German consumers are presented with a focus on preferences and attitudes relating to meathyrids. The results show that more than fifty percent of consumers substitute meat at least occasionally. Thus, approximately half of the respondents reveal an eligible consumption behaviour with respect to sustainability and healthiness to a certain degree. Regarding the determinants of choosing either meathybrid or meat, it becomes evident that the highest effect is exerted by the health perception. The healthier meathybrids are perceived, the higher is the choice probability. Thus, this egoistic motive seems to outperform altruistic motives, like animal welfare or environmental concerns, when it comes to choice for this new product category.
Current discussions about the concept of nutritional sustainability show a high complexity of this topic leading to many different definitions. Regarding communication issues of nutritional sustainability between actors of food chains this complexity should be reduced. One opportunity to tackle these challenges of reducing complexity might be the concept of ingredient branding. Therefore, the aim of this mini-review is the identification of conditions for ingredient branding application as a communication strategy for nutritional sustainability which might overcome challenges in communicating the complexity between the different stakeholders of supply chains. In doing so, the specific case of agrifood chains is discussed based on the selected characteristics of globalization, increasing consumer demands, foods incorporating credence attributes and price. Along the agrifood chain, a sourcing strategy reflecting nutritional and sustainable aspects might lead to an ingredient branding strategy implying a brand policy for a special ingredient within the final product which is an important component but cannot be clearly recognized by the user. A “nutritional sustainability inside” strategy should reflect the multifaceted information along the agrifood chain and should be based on standardized criteria for nutritional sustainability.
Functional foods are still of increasing interest among the scientific community. Based on the extensive literature about functional foods, four main research areas can be identified: functional food innovation (1); the scientific background of the health benefits of functional foods (2); the regulation of functional foods (3); and consumer acceptance of functional foods (4). These research areas are not detached from each other, and each presents a consumer perspective. Although multifaceted studies focus on consumer acceptance of functional foods, literature regarding a structured framework of the determinants of functional food acceptance is limited. The aim of this review is to provide the reader with an overview of the recent literature on consumer attitudes towards functional foods and with an extensive structured framework of the determinants of functional food acceptance and their intertwined relationships. The scientific literature discusses a plethora of determinants of consumer acceptance of functional foods. These determinants can be categorized into consumer and market attributes, which show interwoven relationships with each other. On the one hand, consumer attributes are widely discussed in the literature, while on the other hand structured analyses of the market perspective are inadequately represented. Additionally, the ongoing development of new scientific findings regarding health benefits of different functional ingredients leads to a large amount of new functional food products in the market. Consequently, the research area of functional foods and in particular consumer acceptance of functional food innovation will remain an important research field in the coming years.
Convergence processes are based on the activity of distinct industry sectors showing cross-industry collaborations. The aim of this paper is to analyze cross-industry collaborations between the food and pharmaceutical sectors in the convergence area of functional foods. Selected companies from food (Nestlé/Danone) and pharmaceutical (Martek/Bayer HealthCare) sectors are analyzed using the determinants of motivation and industrial scope. The analysis shows that food companies are more active in cross-industry collaborations than pharmaceutical companies. The latter are more active at the front-end of the value chain focusing on research and development, and delivering their ingredients to food companies that due to their higher expertise in consumer marketing launch the products. While the first cross-industry collaborations were based on an exploration motivation, those that follow focus on exploitation. Acquisitions and licensing agreements are dominant in inside-out and outside-in processes, whereas strategic alliances and joint ventures are based on a coupled process between the food and pharmaceutical sectors.
The aim of this paper is to advance the research on innovation at the pharma-nutrition interface by analysing the three steps of science, technology and market convergence in the area of probiotics using a life cycle perspective. Results from a bibliometric analysis drawing upon 8245 scientific publications, 2082 patents and 1357 news reports focussing on product launch announcements from 1990 up to 2009 indicate that the proposed curve shapes of the life cycles in the theory based framework can be transferred to the case of probiotics. There is a time shift considering the life cycles showing the same activities of the industrial sectors at different moments of time. The food sector dominates the field of probiotics by driving science, technology and market convergence showing earlier activities in scientific publications, patents as well as product launches, while presenting a higher clockspeed between the different life cycle phases. While the food sector dominates product launches for food products containing probiotics, the pharmaceutical sector dominates the product launches of the supplement market. In addition, a clear trend towards industry convergence can be identified by the growing number of cross-industry activities.
The relevance of cross-industry innovation has increased in recent decades with a growing number of inter-industry fields emerging on the borderline between formerly distinct industries. The aim of this paper is to analyse industry convergence in four probiotics innovation value chains based on the following indicators: cross-industry relationships along the innovation value chain as well as knowledge, technological, regulatory and competence convergence. In so doing, the study delivers a framework of indicators for scrutinising industry convergence processes. In order to identify industry convergence, we analyse companies in the converging area of foods and drugs based on products containing the four bacteria strains: Lactobacillus caseii DN 114001, Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Hence, the commercial availability of the strains on the market serves as a selection criterion. Altogether 12 companies stemming from four industrial backgrounds, food and agriculture (5), pharmaceutics (5), chemistry (1) and personal care (1), as well as one research organisation are identified. Cross-industry relationships occur along the innovation value chains of the four strains. Clear signs of knowledge and technological convergence are found as companies are not only publishing and patenting in the usual area of their own industrial field but also in the area of other industrial fields. Companies with different industrial backgrounds show activities in obtaining health claims indicating regulatory convergence. Companies' competence bases seem to converge as companies with different industrial backgrounds are involved in acquisitions, licencing agreements and strategic alliances (competence convergence). We contribute to the existing body of literature by assessing industry convergence from an innovation value chain perspective with a set of indicators reflecting the intensity of industry convergence. This framework of indicators stemming from literature has not yet been used in a combined comprehensive analysis. Furthermore, we tried to show the characteristics of strategic types driving industry convergence in probiotics.
What determines ingredient awareness of consumers? : A study on ten functional food ingredients
(2014)
Given the importance of consumer awareness of functional food ingredients for healthy food choices, the aim of this study is to explore consumers’ ingredient awareness and the determinants which influence the awareness about functional food ingredients.
A sample of 200 German consumers was interviewed via CATI (computer aided telephone interview) during September 2011. The participants have been asked about their specific awareness regarding to ten functional food ingredients. Likewise, determinants like health status and health motivation have been assessed and their influence on the construct “consumers’ ingredient awareness” has been tested by employing structural equation modeling.
The study shows that consumers’ ingredient awareness varies throughout the sample. Overall it can be stated, that 19% of consumer awareness about functional food ingredients is explained through the described model based on the following predictors: age, educational level, health status, health motivation and information strategies. Among these factors, consumers’ health motivation seems to have the highest relevance to explain consumer awareness. But also the determinants information strategies as well as the education show a significant influence on consumers’ ingredient awareness. As health motivation shows the highest impact on consumers’ ingredient awareness this study underlines the importance of prevention propensity for healthy food choices.
In the past few years, studies have been carried out to record and analyse the consumer behaviour of manual dishwashing. Manual dishwashing in households is performed in many ways that influence the use of resources. Furthermore, knowledge has been gained on the basis of experiments on how to optimize the use of resources in manual dishwashing. Optimization here means achieving the best possible cleaning performance with a minimum input of resources. This experimental knowledge, combined with the experience of everyday life, was transferred into Best Practice Tips.
The aim of this study is to verify whether it is possible to save resources while applying these Best Practice Tips in comparison with the consumers' previous behaviour.
In a laboratory study, 53 consumers from Europe (23 Germans, 30 other Europeans) were asked to apply the Best Practice Tips while washing up 12 place settings of dishes. The data gained were compared with that of previous studies recording consumers' everyday behaviour while washing up the same amount of dishes. The sample consisted of 113 European consumers and the sample of the second study consisted of 60 Europeans.
On average, the 53 test participants applying the Best Practice Tips used around 60% less water, 70% less energy and 30% less detergent compared with the average everyday behaviour the other subjects used. Additionally, they achieved a slightly better cleaning result. An evaluation questionnaire showed that the Best Practice Tips were, in general, highly accepted; however, some concerns were given about their exact application in everyday life. Because of the wide variation of washing-up habits and resource consumption among individuals, the confidence intervals of the studies are rather large. The results should therefore be seen as tendencies on how resource savings are possible when people are trained how to optimize resources in manual dishwashing. Nevertheless, this study should be the basis for further ones in which the learning is verified in everyday life and over a longer period of time.
Currently, soil nutrient analysis involves two separate processes for soil sampling and nutrient analysis: 1. field soil sampling and 2. laboratory analysis. These two - separate - main work processes are combined and conceptualised for a mobile field laboratory so that soil sampling and analysis can be carried out simultaneously in the field. The module-based field laboratory "soil2data" can carry out these two main work processes in parallel and consists of 5 different task-specific modules that build on each other: app2field, field2soil, app2liquid, liquid2data and data2app. The individual modules were designed and built for the sub-process steps and adapted to the special features of the mobile field laboratory "soil2data". The biggest advantage is that the analysis results are available immediately, and a fertiliser recommendation can be generated instantly. For further analyses, the results are stored in the data cloud. The soil material remains in the field. In the ongoing project "Prototypes4soil2data", the mobile field laboratory soil2data is being further developed into a prototype with a modular structure.
While developing traffic-based cognitive enhancement technology (CET), such as bike accident prevention systems, it can be challenging to test and evaluate them properly. After all, the real-world scenario could endanger the subjects’ health and safety. Therefore, a simulator is needed, preferably one that is realistic yet low cost. This paper introduces a way to use the video game Grand Theft Auto V (GTA V) and its sophisticated traffic system as a base to create such a simulator, allowing for the safe and realistic testing of dangerous traffic situations involving cyclists, cars, and trucks. The open world of GTA V, which can be explored on foot and via various vehicles, serves as an immersive stand-in for the real world. Custom modification scripts of the game give the researchers control over the experiment scenario and the output data to be evaluated. An off-the-shelf bicycle equipped with three sensors serves as a realistic input device for the subject’s movement direction and speed. The simulator was used to test two early-stage CET concepts enabling cyclists to sense dangerous traffic situations, such as trucks approaching from behind the cyclist. Thus, this paper also presents the user evaluation of the cycling simulator and the CET used by the subjects to sense dangerous traffic situations. With the knowledge of the first iteration of the user-centered design (UCD) process, this paper concludes by naming improvements for the cycling simulator and discussing further research directions for CET that enable users to sense dangerous situations better.
Evaporation from growing media significantly contributes to increasing the humidity in greenhouses. The effects of a pine bark mulch cover on substrate evaporation was evaluated with different pot experiments. The obtained data have been tested within the water balance model HYDRUS-1D, which was originally developed for mineral soils. Objective of this study was to test the performance of HYDRUS-1D to describe evaporation in plant containers and to evaluate the effect of pine bark as cover layer or layers within growing media. Application of pine bark in combination with peat substrate reduced evaporation up to 50% depending on position, thickness of mulch layer and water content of the substrate. The highest reduction in evaporation was measured in a dry substrate which is covered with 4 cm pine bark. The HYDRUS-1D model describes evaporation from growing media in combination with layers of pine bark correctly as long as hysteresis of the water retention curve and vapor flow is considered in the model.
Knowledge of the small-scale nutrient status of a field is an important basis for decision-making when it comes to optimising the fertiliser use in crop production. Currently, the traditional method involves soil sampling in the field and soil sample analysis in the laboratory as two separate working processes.
The previous research project "soil2data" developed a mobile field laboratory for different carrier vehicles. In the follow-up project "prototypes4soil2data", the results of soil2data are further developed. A mixed soil sample is collected during the drive on the field. The soil sample is then wet-chemically prepared and analysed. The overall soil sampling and analysis process is divided into the following process steps: soil sampling planning, soil sampling, soil preparation, soil analysis and data management. The process steps are modified for the mobile field laboratory and the process steps run in parallel. The new soil extraction method is based on official German methods (VDLUFA) to ensure the interoperability of the analysis results with the VDLUFA fertiliser recommendations. An innovative key component is the NUTRISTAT analysis module (lab-on-chip with ISFET measurement technology). It can measure pH, the nutrients NO3-, H2PO4-, K+ and the electrical conductivity. In addition to the advantages of rapid data availability and no need to transport soil material to the laboratory, it provides a future basis for new application, e.g. verification of current results in the field during soil sampling with existing results or dynamic adjustment of soil sampling during work in the field.
Aims and Objectives:
Preventive home visits are a low-threshold counselling and support approach. They have been reported to achieve heterogeneous effects. However, preventive home visits have the potential to reduce the risk of becoming dependent on long-term care. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of preventive home visits as a nursing intervention on health-related quality of life of older people in a longitudinal survey and to develop recommendations for which target groups preventive home visits have the highest benefit. The sample consisted of 75 people, aged between 65 and 85, who were able to understand and speak German, had not yet been eligible for benefits from the long-term care insurance and lived in the municipality under study.
Methodological Design and Justification:
A quantitative longitudinal study in order to investigate the effects of preventive home visits.
Ethical Issues and Approval:
There were no ethical concerns. Accordingly, ethical approval was granted.
Research Methods, Results and Conclusions:
The health-related quality of life was recorded four times between 01/2017 and 08/2020 with the Short-Form- Health- Survey- 12 and analysed using descriptive statistics. Results reveal that the physical health status cannot be easily influenced over a short period of time. The main effect, however, is that preventive home visits have a significant positive effect on the mental health status. The main topics during the home visits were mobility, nutrition and social participation. Increased knowledge and motivation for preventive behaviour extended the autonomy of older people. Accordingly, preventive home visits can support a self-determined life in a familiar environment. The results of the present study show that preventive home visits as a nursing intervention in rural areas are successful. In Germany, preventive home visits have not yet been implemented on a regular basis. In order to do so, a general definition of the concept is needed. Preventive home visits should be officially included in the regular health care services in Germany.
This report summarizes and discusses the development, main achievements and overall progress of The Interprofessional European eHealth Programme in Higher Education (eHealth4all@EU) project. The project evolved through a strong partnership between members of the consortium, grounding its activities on previous initiatives like TIGER and taking them one step further while looking into the digital health competencies required by graduate students working in health and care and providing teaching approaches and other initiatives to extend further a set of core competencies: Health Information Systems Interoperability, Data Security and Privacy and Data Analytics. Although the project activities underwent during the pandemic period, a condition that forced reorganization and adaptation of the workplan, the main initiatives like the identification of significant areas of interest for digital health competencies and related relevant teaching methods that foster active learning paved the way for the construction of learning content structured around a syllabus aimed at distance learning and faceto- face learning moments developed with the intent for reuse and fostering the development of these set of competences in future Health Professionals. To this purpose, we are convinced that grounding steps have been taken with these eHealth4All@EU activities and initiatives.
IO6 is a report of the evaluation of the online courses and Summer School. The project plan of eHealth4all@EU guides the evaluation. The aim of the evaluation is to present the strengths and developing parts of the project. The main evaluation themes are eHealth, inter-professional education, and problem-based learning. For the funder’s perspective, evaluation focusing themes of digital support, lifelong learning, an active citizen, and the future. Evaluation of the project assign around all these themes and will find out students’ and teachers’ feelings of satisfaction, efficiency, and quality of the learning experience.
In September 2022, the interprofessional European Summer School on the topic “Information in Healthcare – From Data to Knowledge” was held at the University of Porto. This Summer School included the topics Interoperability, Data Protection and Security and Data Analytics and consisted of an online preparation phase and an attendance phase in Porto. The didactic concept involved problem-based learning using a case study. A variety of course materials were developed and used to achieve the learning objectives. There are plans to continue the Summer School concept at participating institutions in the future, starting with a Spring School 2023 in Osnabrück.
Interoperability, Data Protection and Security and Data Analytics are of high relevance for the future of eHealth and interprofessional care. Three online courses were therefore designed and delivered for these topics, all of which followed the same structure. A variety of materials were developed and different tools for knowledge transfer, communication and collaboration were used.
Problem-based learning (PBL) has become established as a successful didactic approach far beyond the field of medicine. Although there is no single concept of PBL, there is agreement on its objectives and implementation. Of central importance is the case that supports autonomous and reflective learning. Even before COVID-19, digital methods were used in traditional PBL. These served to support, for example, the provision of learning materials. As a result of university closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, technical solutions were made available at an unprecedented speed, which made it possible to implement the different requirements of traditional PBL in a digital PBL (DPBL). The present study results based on two scoping reviews demonstrated that PBL can be implemented digitally and that different digital methods, both asynchronous and synchronous, are available for the different steps. They show that DPBL not only leads to comparable student performance, but can also develop further competences, e.g. digital communication. With the findings, a concept for the implementation of DPBL as well as recommendations for the further development of DPBL are available.
The University of Eastern Finland was the responsible partner of IO1: European eHealth Education: Policy and Practice Review. The aim of this intellectual output was to customize and validate the already existing international health informatics recom-mendations. Based on that the aim was also to describe the priorities of core compe-tencies and learning outcomes particularly in the fields addressed by this project. The methods used were a scoping review and focus group interviews. The aim of the scoping review was to explore how education in health informatics (HI) has been taught by evaluating the existing international frameworks and reported ed-ucations in HI. The scoping review was conducted based on the instructions of Joanna Briggs Institute to find English language publications published between 2016 and 2020. All publications found in the bibliographical database MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus and Web of Sciences were included. The results indicated that education in HI is essential to everyone, and everyone needs skills and knowledge in both technical and non-technical skills in HI. Education in HI should be introduced already in the first year of the education and with time increase the knowledge to a more advanced level. The teaching methods can vary between lectures in class to a more hybrid method. The aim of the online focus group interview was to investigate the needs of HI compe-tencies in health care. To achieve the answers, two main questions were used as a base of the interview. The first question focused on how knowledge and competencies in health informatics could contribute to improving health care. The second question focused on which HI competencies are seen as important to learn and how to achieve them. Online focus group interviews were conducted in each of the three countries. The interviews were done the own languages (German, Portuguese, and Finnish) and later summarized and translated to English. The focus group interviews concluded that there are challenges and possibilities in health informatics. It also highlighted the com-petencies seen as important to have in daily working life. For example, skills in appli-cations in patient care, knowledge in IT-background and IT related management are considered important.
A structured hospital discharge management process can lead to a smoother transition to aftercare. In practice, providing continuity of nursing care after a stationary hospital stay is accompanied by numerous challenges. The presented study aims to point out the use cases and requirements for an IT system supporting the diverse tasks of the participating actors. Within the scope of a multi-method research design, the authors conducted and analysed stakeholder interviews, a shadowing, a systematic literature search and statutes in order to gain the presented results. This publication presents 37 requirements, grouped to 14 use cases. A process model in BPMN visualises the discharge management process. Further, the authors derived implications for practice and research. These can be used for the development, classification and assessment of IT systems. Therefore, this publication provides a significant contribution to the development of socio-technical systems within the health care domain.
In this paper, we introduce a framework to identify domain specific use cases for smart glasses in the domain of logistics services. We further present and evaluate our framework through its application in a single case study in a wholesale warehouse. We contribute to theory and practice by presenting an approach to identify, define and describe application scenarios for the adoption of smart glasses in the logistics domain, and by enriching the current body of knowledge on digitalization, service support systems and wearables. Therefore, our research falls into line with the second topic. We directly address current challenges in logistics, one of Germany’s major economic sectors, regarding the implementation of new or advanced services with smart glasses. The presented case study is embedded in the digitalization project Glasshouse. The processes of two logistics services providers are the main research subjects in this project. In contrast to this, we focus on a third logistic service provider in this paper, to evaluate the transferability of our findings.
Objectives: Among varied challenges of COVID-19, challenges in food and nutrition security world-over are critical. We compared the nutritional policy responses in India and Germany since both countries differ on the Human Development Index, yet both have committed to the G20 common policy response to COVID-19, besides the comparability of two large and heterogeneously populated countries, both having democratic governments.
Methods: Policy research publications were reviewed using qualitative meta-policy approach. We used comparative case-study. Recent food and nutrition policies of G20 nations of India and Germany were evaluated.
Results: India has primarily targeted her public distribution system and Germany has primarily targeted her food markets in order to manage the food and nutrition security in response to COVID-19. Both countries are coordinating additional associated nutritional policies, policies and strategies to effect an integrated sectoral approach to COVID-19 management. Both are using corrective measures of the process management strategies as well. However, the Indian management of micronutrient security for her population has over COVID-19 times acerbated and the German loan management to nutrition and agricultural small-scale industry appears to be functioning sub-optimally.
Conclusions: Our analysis indicates both India and Germany have responded to COVID-19 in a timely and appropriate manner regarding the food and nutrition security measures. Even so not all measures employed to tackle COVID-19 food and nutrition security have been effectively implemented, It appears, that both countries are using integrated policy in their nutrition and food security response to COVID-19.
Primary Liver Cancers : Connecting the Dots of Cellular Studies and Epidemiology with Metabolomics
(2023)
Liver cancers are rising worldwide. Between molecular and epidemiological studies, a research gap has emerged which might be amenable to the technique of metabolomics. This review investigates the current understanding of liver cancer’s trends, etiology and its correlates with existing literature for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and hepatoblastoma (HB). Among additional factors, the literature reports dysfunction in the tricarboxylic acid metabolism, primarily for HB and HCC, and point mutations and signaling for CCA. All cases require further investigation of upstream and downstream events. All liver cancers reported dysfunction in the WNT/β-catenin and P13K/AKT/mTOR pathways as well as changes in FGFR. Metabolites of IHD1, IDH2, miRNA, purine, Q10, lipids, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, acylcarnitine, 2-HG and propionyl-CoA emerged as crucial and there was an attempt to elucidate the WNT/β-catenin and P13K/AKT/mTOR pathways metabolomically.
The development of augmented reality glasses is still ongoing and faces barriers in diffusion and concerns about their impact on users, organizations and society. The study aims to find sufficient solutions for this struggling digital innovation and to provide guidance for the implementation of augmented reality glasses in design-oriented projects. During a 3-year consortium research, acceptance and privacy have been identified as major phenomena that influence the adoption of augmented reality glasses in the logistics domain. To forge ahead digital innovation research, the focus of the presented research lies on the diffusion of this technology with design knowledge for the development of augmented reality glasses-based systems. Evidence and artifacts contribute to the still limited knowledge of system design based on augmented reality glasses from a domain-specific instantiation and an implementation framework.