Gluema korupensis (Sapotaceae), a new tree species from Korup National Park, Cameroon

Gluema korupensis Burgt (Sapotaceae), a new species from the southern part of Korup National Park in Cameroon, is described and illustrated. In total 176 trees 2 25 cm in stem diam. were found. The tree from which the holotype was collected was 42 m high and 125 cm in diam.; the largest tree was 238 cm in diam. The seeds are dispersed ballistically and sometimes by water

ISU ADVANCE Annual Report, Year 4: April 2009–April 2010

Over our four years, ISU ADVANCE has become Iowa State’s most prominent vehicle to recruit, retain, and advance women and women of color in STEM faculty positions. We are known for a well-managed network, innovative research, and an integrated approach to change. We work within departments using a Collaborative Transformation approach to improve the work environment for all faculty members. Our program identifies cultures, practices, and structures that enhance or hinder the careers of ISU faculty, and works with faculty and administrators to transform university policies, practices, and academic culture in pursuit of a diverse and vibrant faculty in STEM disciplines.

ISU ADVANCE Annual Report, Year 3: May 2008–March 2009

ISU ADVANCE has become Iowa State’s most prominent vehicle to recruit, retain, and advance women and women of color in STEM faculty positions. We are known for a well managed network, innovative research, and an integrated approach to change. We work within departments using a Collaborative Transformation approach to improve the work environment for all faculty members. Our program identifies cultures, practices, and structures that enhance or hinder the careers of ISU faculty, and works with faculty and administrators to transform university policies, practices, and academic culture in pursuit of a diverse and vibrant faculty in STEM disciplines.

Architektura a ideologie. Výchovné instituce Adolfa Hitlera v protektorátu Čechy a Morava a v Říšské župě Sudety

This article examines the architecture of the Nazi regime in two occupied cities of Czechoslovakia, Praha/Prag and Jihlava/Iglau (the latter being one of the traditionally German-speaking island in the bohemia country), and focuses specifically on the process by which Hitler youth organisations (Hitlerjugend) in case of ‘education’ and indoctrination of youth were or were not successfully established in these cities. As comparison, he takes the political-administrative centres of the Sudeten Reichsgau, Ústí/Aussig, Opava/Troppau, Karlovy Vary/Karlsbad and Liberec/Reichenberg. Drawing on Czech and German archive materials, the extensive body of modern analytical literature, and propagandist literature from the period studied, the author examines the extent to which architecture served as a projection screen for Fascist propaganda in the Occupied Eastern territories. He describes the role played by the Reichsstelle für Raumordnung and shows how the Reich’s propagandist objectives came to be reflected in a high specific typology and stylistic lexicon/configuration for the architecture of Hitler youth hostels and homes He examines the process by which these organisations were powerful implanted into the space of occupied Czechoslovakia (and Sudeten) too, a topic that has not yet been addressed in (art) history too. The building projects developed for the Protectorate (published here for the first time) and managed by the Reich’s Hitler Youth Leadership in Berlin (Kulturamt, Reichsjugendführung, RJF, Abteilung HJ) reveal the ties that existed between the construction authorities in the Reich and the Protectorate, including the Planning Committee for the City of Prague. The author asks how many German and Czech architects participated for their own profit in the Nazi system, and for future research raises the hitherto taboo question of guilt and collaboration with the Nazis and the perception of this phenomenon in art history, i.e. the measure of active cooperation of not just German but also Czech architects who contributed to the planning and implementation of projects and thereby unequivocally had a hand in consolidating the totalitarian regime and de facto in the forced „Germanification” of their own people under occupation.

Climatic drivers of hourly to yearly tree radius variations along a 6°C natural warming gradient

Climate affects the timing, rate and dynamics of tree growth, over time scales ranging from seconds to centuries. Monitoring how a tree's stem radius varies over these time scales can provide insight into intra-annual stem dynamics and improve our understanding of climate impacts on tree physiology and growth processes. Here, we quantify the response of radial conifer stem size to environmental fluctuations via a novel assessment of tree circadian cycles. We analyze four years of sub-hourly data collected from 56 larch and spruce trees growing along a natural temperature gradient of ∼6 °C in the central Swiss Alps. During the growing season, tree stem diameters were greatest at mid-morning and smallest in the late evening, reflecting the daily cycle of water uptake and loss. Along the gradient, amplitudes calculated from the stem radius cycle were ∼50% smaller at the upper site (∼2200 m a.s.l.) relative to the lower site (∼800 m a.s.l.). We show changes in precipitation, temperature and cloud cover have a substantial effect on typical growing season diurnal cycles; amplitudes were nine times smaller on rainy days (>10 mm), and daily amplitudes are approximately 40% larger when the mean daily temperature is 15–20 °C than when it is 5–10 °C. We find that over the growing season in the sub-alpine forests, spruce show greater daily stem water movement than larch. However, under projected future warming, larch could experience up to 50% greater stem water use, which may severely affect future growth on already dry sites. Our data further indicate that because of the confounding influences of radial growth and short-term water dynamics on stem size, conventional methodology probably overstates the effect of water-linked meteorological variables (i.e. precipitation and relative humidity) on intra-annual tree growth. We suggest future studies use intra-seasonal measurements of cell development and consider whether climatic factors produce reversible changes in stem diameter. These study design elements may help researchers more accurately quantify and attribute changes in forest productivity in response to future warming.

Modeling tree water deficit from microclimate: an approach to quantifying drought stress

Tree water deficit estimated by measuring water-related changes in stem radius (DeltaW) was compared with tree water deficit estimated from the output of a simple, physiologically reasonable model (DeltaW(E)), with soil water potential (Psi(soil)) and atmospheric vapor pressure deficit (VPD) as inputs. Values of DeltaW were determined by monitoring stem radius changes with dendrometers and detrending the results for growth, We followed changes in DeltaW and DeltaW(E) in Pinus sylvestris L. and Quercus pubescens Willd. over 2 years at a dry site (2001-2002; Salgesch, Wallis) and in Picea abies (L.) Karst. for 1 year at a wet site (1998; Davos, Graubuenden) in the Swiss Alps. The seasonal courses of DeltaW in deciduous species and in conifers at the same site were similar and could be largely explained by variation in DeltaW(E). This finding strongly suggests that DeltaW, despite the known species-specific differences in stomatal response to microclimate, is mainly explained by a combination of atmospheric and soil conditions. Consequently, we concluded that trees are unable to maintain any particular DeltaW. Either Psi(soil) or VPD alone provided poorer estimates of AWthan a model incorporating both factors. As a first approximation of DeltaW(E), Psi(soil) can be weighted so that the negative mean Psi(soil) reaches 65 to 75% of the positive mean daytime VPD over a season (Q. pubescens: similar to65%, P abies: similar to70%, P sylvestris: similar to75%). The differences in DeltaW among species can be partially explained by a different weighting of Psi(soil) against VPD. The DeltaW of P. sylvestris was more dependent on Psi(soil) than that of Q. pubescens, but less than that of P. abies, and was less dependent on VPD than that of P. abies and Q. pubescens. The model worked well for P. abies at the wet site and for Q. pubescens and P. sylvestris at the dry site, and may be useful for estimating water deficit in other tree species.

Reformverlierer an der Basler Universität des 15. Jahrhunderts oder: die verhinderte Definitionsmacht der Juristen

Shortly after the founding of the University of Basel (1460), there was a reform conflict that was sparked by the election of the Rector and the question oft he future leadership of the University. A group of mostly aristocratic and honorable lawyers (being verified prosopographically in the article), supported of influential people of the city of Basel, tried to introduce an Italian constitution modeled after the Law-University of Bologna contrary to the habits north of the Alps. The plan failed, and the group was made reform losers, because the universities of the German speaking countries had developed into ‚Four-Faculties-Universities‘ with regularly changing leadership, in which the faculty of arts frequentially and financially set the tone. To compensate the Basel University, the first in the Empire, created an ordo differencie in which the different social ranks of University attendees already noticed in practice were also laid down by statute.

Life-long growth of Quercus ilex L. at natural CO2 springs acclimates sulphur, nitrogen and carbohydrate metabolism of the progeny to elevated pCO2

The aim of the present study was to analyse whether offspring of mature Quercus ilex trees grown under life-long elevated pCO2 show alterations in the physiological response to elevated pCO2 in comparison with those originating from mature trees grown at current ambient pCO2. To investigate changes in C- (for changes in photosynthesis, biomass and lignin see Polle, McKee & Blaschke Plant, Cell and Environment 24, 1075–1083, 2001), N-, and S-metabolism soluble sugar, soluble non-proteinogenic nitrogen compounds (TSNN), nitrate reductase (NR), thiols, adenosine 5′-phosphosulphate (APS) reductase, and anions were analysed. For this purpose Q. ilex seedlings were grown from acorns of mother tree stands at a natural spring site (elevated pCO2) and a control site (ambient pCO2) of the Laiatico spring, Central Italy. Short-term elevated pCO2 exposure of the offspring of control oaks lead to higher sugar contents in stem tissues, to a reduced TSNN content in leaves, and basipetal stem tissues, to diminished thiol contents in all tissues analysed, and to reduced APS reductase activity in both, leaves and roots. Most of the components of C-, N- and S-metabolism including APS reductase activity which were reduced due to short-term elevated pCO2 exposure were recovered by life-long growth under elevated pCO2 in the offspring of spring oaks. Still TSNN contents in phloem exudates increased, nitrate contents in lateral roots and glutathione in leaves and phloem exudates remained reduced in these plants. The present results demonstrated that metabolic adaptations of Q. ilex mother trees to elevated pCO2 can be passed to the next generation. Short- and long-term effects on source-to-sink relation and physiological and genetic acclimation to elevated pCO2 are discussed.

Führungskompetenz: Selbst- und Fremdwahrnehmung weiblicher und männlicher Führungskräfte

Bisherige Forschung belegt konsistent, dass das soziale Image einer erfolgreichen Führungskraft eine höhere Korrelation mit der Beschreibung eines typischen Mannes als mit der einer typischen Frau aufweist. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde die Selbst- und Fremdwahrnehmung von personen- und aufgabenorientierten Führungsfähigkeiten aus der Sicht von 177 deutschen Führungskräften erfragt. Deren geschlechtsstereotype Fremdwahrnehmung von Führungskompetenz zeigt sich darin, dass Frauen im Vergleich zu Führungskräften im allgemeinen seltener aufgabenorientierte und häufiger personenorientierte Fähigkeiten zugeschrieben werden. Darüber hinaus wird weiblichen Führungskräften eine besonders ausgeprägte personenorientierte Führungskompetenz zugesprochen. Gleichzeitig wurde eine androgynere Sicht von Führung zum Ausdruck gebracht, indem kaum in der zugeschriebenen Wichtigkeit personen- und aufgabenorientierter Fähigkeiten für Frauen und Männer unterschieden wurde. Die weiblichen und männlichen Führungskräfte beschrieben sich hinsichtlich der beiden Arten von Führungsfähigkeiten in ähnlicher Weise als kompetent, weibliche Führungskräfte betonten die Bedeutung personenorientierter Fähigkeiten für ihre eigene Person.

3' end processing of mouse histone pre-mRNA: evidence for additional base-pairing between U7 snRNA and pre-mRNA.

We have analysed the extent of base-pairing interactions between spacer sequences of histone pre-mRNA and U7 snRNA present in the trans-acting U7 snRNP and their importance for histone RNA 3' end processing in vitro. For the efficiently processed mouse H4-12 gene, a computer analysis revealed that additional base pairs could be formed with U7 RNA outside of the previously recognised spacer element (stem II). One complementarity (stem III) is located more 3' and involves nucleotides from the very 5' end of U7 RNA. The other, more 5' located complementarity (stem I) involves nucleotides of the Sm binding site of U7 RNA, a part known to interact with snRNP structural proteins. These potential stem structures are separated from each other by short internal loops of unpaired nucleotides. Mutational analyses of the pre-mRNA indicate that stems II and III are equally important for interaction with the U7 snRNP and for processing, whereas mutations in stem I have moderate effects on processing efficiency, but do not impair complex formation with the U7 snRNP. Thus nucleotides near the processing site may be important for processing, but do not contribute to the assembly of an active complex by forming a stem I structure. The importance of stem III was confirmed by the ability of a complementary mutation in U7 RNA to suppress a stem III mutation in a complementation assay using Xenopus laevis oocytes. The main role of the factor(s) binding to the upstream hairpin loop is to stabilise the U7-pre-mRNA complex. This was shown by either stabilising (by mutation) or destabilising (by increased temperature) the U7-pre-mRNA base-pairing under conditions where hairpin factor binding was either allowed or prevented (by mutation or competition). The hairpin dependence of processing was found to be inversely related to the strength of the U7-pre-mRNA interaction.

Limited Correlation between Expansin Gene Expression and Elongation Growth Rate

The aim of this work was to study the role of the cell wall protein expansin in elongation growth. Expansins increase cell wall extensibility in vitro and are thought to be involved in cell elongation. Here, we studied the regulation of two tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum cv Moneymaker) expansin genes,LeExp2 and LeExp18, in rapidly expanding tissues. LeExp2 was strongly expressed in the elongation zone of hypocotyls and in the faster growing stem part during gravitropic stimulation. LeExp18 expression did not correlate with elongation growth. Exogenous application of hormones showed a substantial auxin-stimulation of LeExp2 mRNA in etiolated hypocotyls and a weaker auxin-stimulation ofLeExp18 mRNA in stem tissue. Analysis of transcript accumulation revealed higher levels of LeExp2 andLeExp18 in light-treated, slow-growing tissue than in dark-treated, rapidly elongating tissue. Expansin protein levels and cell wall extension activities were similar in light- and dark-grown hypocotyl extracts. The results show a strong correlation between expansin gene expression and growth rate, but this correlation is not absolute. We conclude that elongation growth is likely to be controlled by expansin acting in concert with other factors that may limit growth under some physiological conditions.

Entre la democracia, el liberalismo, el clientelismo y el populismo : Dilemas del peronismo en la Argentina 'democrática'

El presente articulo analiza las principales transformaciones experimentadas por la identidad política peronista desde los años iniciales de la 'transición a la democracia' hasta la actualidad. En la primera parte reconstruye, a través de las páginas de la revista Unidos, los debates suscitados al interior del peronismo en la década del 80 alrededor de las relaciones y tensiones entre la tradición nacional-popular, el socialismo y la democracia. En la segunda sección se pregunta por las continuidades y rupturas experimentadas por la identidad peronista en los 90, apuntando a captar bajo qué formas seguía presente esta identidad en un contexto marcado por el neoliberalismo y el clientelismo. Finalmente, en la última sección se aventuran algunas hipótesis sobre la recomposición del peronismo bajo el liderazgo kirchnerista en el periodo posterior a la crisis social y política de 2001