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This review analyzes the potential role and long-term effects of field perennial polycultures (mixtures) in agricultural systems, with the aim of reducing the trade-offs between provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. First, crop rotations are identified as a suitable tool for the assessment of the long-term effects of perennial polycultures on ecosystem services, which are not visible at the single-crop level. Second, the ability of perennial polycultures to support ecosystem services when used in crop rotations is quantified through eight agricultural ecosystem services. Legume-grass mixtures and wildflower mixtures are used as examples of perennial polycultures, and compared with silage maize as a typical crop for biomass production. Perennial polycultures enhance soil fertility, soil protection, climate regulation, pollination, pest and weed control, and landscape aesthetics compared with maize. They also score lower for biomass production compared with maize, which confirms the trade-off between provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. However, the additional positive factors provided by perennial polycultures, such as reduced costs for mineral fertilizer, pesticides, and soil tillage, and a significant preceding crop effect that increases the yields of subsequent crops, should be taken into account. However, a full assessment of agricultural ecosystem services requires a more holistic analysis that is beyond the capabilities of current frameworks.
This review analyzes the potential role and long-term effects of field perennial polycultures (mixtures) in agricultural systems, with the aim of reducing the trade-offs between provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. First, crop rotations are identified as a suitable tool for the assessment of the long-term effects of perennial polycultures on ecosystem services, which are not visible at the single-crop level. Second, the ability of perennial polycultures to support ecosystem services when used in crop rotations is quantified through eight agricultural ecosystem services. Legume-grass mixtures and wildflower mixtures are used as examples of perennial polycultures, and compared with silage maize as a typical crop for biomass production. Perennial polycultures enhance soil fertility, soil protection, climate regulation, pollination, pest and weed control, and landscape aesthetics compared with maize. They also score lower for biomass production compared with maize, which confirms the trade-off between provisioning and regulating ecosystem services. However, the additional positive factors provided by perennial polycultures, such as reduced costs for mineral fertilizer, pesticides, and soil tillage, and a significant preceding crop effect that increases the yields of subsequent crops, should be taken into account. However, a full assessment of agricultural ecosystem services requires a more holistic analysis that is beyond the capabilities of current frameworks.
Die teilweise sehr kurzfristig notwendige Reaktion auf Veränderungen erfordert von Unternehmen ein hohes Maß an Flexibilität und Reaktionsgeschwindigkeit. Anwendungssystemarchitekturen, die im Wesentlichen aus alten und selbst entwickelten Systemen bestehen, erfüllen häufig diese Anforderungen nicht. Investitionsmittel für neue Software sind jedoch begrenzt, daher müssen Prioritäten in der Ablösung von Altsystemen gesetzt werden. Eine effiziente Analysemethode zur Planung der Erneuerung der Anwendungssystemlandschaft stellt die Wandlungsfähigkeitsanalyse dar. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt Vorgehen und Ergebnisse am Beispiel eines international tätigen Automobilzulieferers.
In order to initiate more research on the role of reading motivation during the initial stages of learning to comprehend texts, we developed the Reading Motivation Questionnaire for Elementary Students (RMQ-E). The sample comprised 1497 elementary students in Grades 1-3. By means of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, three factors were determined: Curiosity, involvement and competition. The three-factor structure of the RMQ-E was found to be invariant across grade levels (scalar invariance) and across female and male students (strict invariance). As was anticipated, students in higher grades and male students were lower in curiosity and involvement than students in lower grades and female students. Whereas competitive reading motivation did not differ across grade levels, it was higher for boys than for girls. Moreover, the contributions of involvement and competition to reading amount and reading competence were in accordance with the hypotheses. The predictive validity of curiosity, however, was not confirmed.
Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are potent neurotoxins produced by bacteria, which inhibit neurotransmitter release, specifically in their physiological target known as motor neurons (MNs). For the potency assessment of BoNTs produced for treatment in traditional and aesthetic medicine, the mouse lethality assay is still used by the majority of manufacturers, which is ethically questionable in terms of the 3Rs principle. In this study, MNs were differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells based on three published protocols. The resulting cell populations were analyzed for their MN yield and their suitability for the potency assessment of BoNTs. MNs produce specific gangliosides and synaptic proteins, which are bound by BoNTs in order to be taken up by receptor-mediated endocytosis, which is followed by cleavage of specific soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive-factor attachment receptor (SNARE) proteins required for neurotransmitter release. The presence of receptors and substrates for all BoNT serotypes was demonstrated in MNs generated in vitro. In particular, the MN differentiation protocol based on Du et al. yielded high numbers of MNs in a short amount of time with high expression of BoNT receptors and targets. The resulting cells are more sensitive to BoNT/A1 than the commonly used neuroblastoma cell line SiMa. MNs are, therefore, an ideal tool for being combined with already established detection methods.
The development of speaking competence is widely regarded as a central aspect of second language (L2) learning. It may be questioned, however, if the currently predominant ways of conceptualising the term fully satisfy the complexity of the construct: Although there is growing recognition that language primarily constitutes a tool for communication and participation in social life, as yet it is rare for conceptualisations of speaking competence to incorporate the ability to inter-act and co-construct meaning with co-participants. Accordingly, skills allowing for the successful accomplishment of interactional tasks (such as orderly speaker change, and resolving hearing and understanding trouble) also remain largely unrepresented in language teaching and assessment. As fostering the ability to successfully use the L2 within social interaction should arguably be a main objective of language teaching, it appears pertinent to broaden the construct of speaking competence by incorporating interactional competence (IC). Despite there being a growing research interest in the conceptualisation and development of (L2) IC, much of the materials and instruments required for its teaching and assessment, and thus for fostering a broader understanding of speaking competence in the L2 classroom, still await development. This book introduces an approach to the identification of candidate criterial features for the assessment of EFL learners’ L2 repair skills. Based on a corpus of video-recorded interaction between EFL learners, and following conversation-analytic and interactional-linguistic methodology as well as drawing on basic premises of research in the framework of Conversation Analysis for Second Language Acquisition, differences between (groups of) learners in terms of their L2 repair conduct are investigated through qualitative and inductive analyses. Candidate criterial features are derived from the analysis results. This book does not only contribute to the operationalisation of L2 IC (and of L2 repair skills in particular), but also lays groundwork for the construction of assessment scales and rubrics geared towards the evaluation of EFL learners’ L2 interactional skills.
Children’s motor competence is known to have a determinant role in learning and engaging later in complex motor skills and, thus, in physical activity. The development of adequate motor competence is a central aim of physical education, and assuring that pupils are learning and developing motor competence depends on accurate assessment protocols. The MOBAK 1 test battery is a recent instrument developed to assess motor competence in primary physical education. This study used the MOBAK 1 to explore motor competence levels and gender differences among 249 (Mage = 6.3, SD = 0.5 years; 127 girls and 122 boys) Grade 1 primary school Portuguese children. On independent sample t tests, boys presented higher object movement motor competence than girls (boys: M = 5.8, SD = 1.7; girls: M = 4.0, SD = 1.7; p < .001), while girls were more proficient among self-movement skills (girls: M = 5.1, SD = 1.8; boys: M = 4.3, SD = 1.7; p < .01). On “total motor competence,” boys (M = 10.3, SD = 2.6) averaged one point ahead of girls (M = 9.1, SD = 2.9). The percentage of girls in the first quartile of object movement was 18.9%, while, for “self movement,” the percentage of boys in the first quartile was almost double that of girls (30.3% and 17.3%, respectively). The confirmatory model to test for construct validity confirmed the assumed theoretical two-factor structure of MOBAK 1 test items in this Portuguese sample. These results support the MOBAK 1 instrument for assessing motor competence and highlighted gender differences, of relevance to intervention efforts.
The Pathological Narcissism Inventory (PNI) is a multidimensional measure for assessing grandiose and vulnerable features in narcissistic pathology. The aim of the present research was to construct and validate a German translation of the PNI and to provide further information on the PNI's nomological net. Findings from a first study confirm the psychometric soundness of the PNI and replicate its seven-factor first-order structure. A second-order structure was also supported but with several equivalent models. A second study investigating associations with a broad range of measures (DSM Axis I and II constructs, emotions, personality traits, interpersonal and dysfunctional behaviors, and well-being) supported the concurrent validity of the PNI. Discriminant validity with the Narcissistic Personality Inventory was also shown. Finally, in a third study an extension in a clinical inpatient sample provided further evidence that the PNI is a useful tool to assess the more pathological end of narcissism.
This study aimed to determine the specific physical and basic gymnastics skills considered critical in gymnastics talent identification and selection as well as in promoting men’s artistic gymnastics performances. Fifty-one boys from a provincial gymnastics team (age 11.03 ± 0.95 years; height 1.33 ± 0.05 m; body mass 30.01 ± 5.53 kg; body mass index [BMI] 16.89 ± 3.93 kg/m²) regularly competing at national level voluntarily participated in this study. Anthropometric measures as well as the men’s artistic gymnastics physical test battery (i.e., International Gymnastics Federation [FIG] age group development programme) were used to assess the somatic and physical fitness profile of participants, respectively. The physical characteristics assessed were: muscle strength, flexibility, speed, endurance, and muscle power. Test outcomes were subjected to a principal components analysis to identify the most representative factors. The main findings revealed that power speed, isometric and explosive strength, strength endurance, and dynamic and static flexibility are the most determinant physical fitness aspects of the talent selection process in young male artistic gymnasts. These findings are of utmost importance for talent identification, selection, and development.