We co-organised The 12th International Symposium on Buckwheat in Laško, Slovenia on August 20-27, 2013. The Symposium was organized by Fagopyrum - Slovenian Association for Buckwheat Promotion; University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Biology Department; The Education Centre Piramida Maribor; Slovenian Academy of Science and Arts; The Association of Food and Nutrition Professionals of Northeastern Slovenia; Thermana Laško; and Rangus Milling Company. More than 200 buckwheat researchers, agronomists, restaurant keepers, millers and other professionals from 14 countries, Czech Republic, China, Finland, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxemburg, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland joined the activities of the Symposium.
B.01 Organiser of a scientific meeting
COBISS.SI-ID: 268325888This paper exposes a new methodological approach to solve the problem of intercalibrating river quality national methods when a common metric is lacking and most of the countries share the same Water Framework Directive (WFD) assessment method. We provide recommendations for similar works in future concerning the assessment of ecological accuracy and highlight the importance of a good common ground to make feasible the scientific work beyond the intercalibration. The approach herein presented was applied to highly seasonal rivers of the Mediterranean Geographical Intercalibration Group for the Biological Quality Element Macrophytes. The Mediterranean Group of river macrophytes involved seven countries and two assessment methods with similar acquisition data and assessment concept: the Macrophyte Biological Index for Rivers (IBMR) for Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain, and the River Macrophyte Index (RMI) for Slovenia This multi-step approach to the intercalibration was endorsed by the WFD Regulatory Committee.
F.11 Development of a new service
COBISS.SI-ID: 2976591Acta Biologica Slovenica (former Biološki vestnik) is Slovene scientific journal, which has been publishing for more than half of the century. It published peer reviewed papers from the field of biology twice a year. Biological library distribute the journal to 188 institutions in Slovenia and worldwide, receiving other scientific journals for exchange.
C.05 Editorial board of a national magazine
Silicon (Si) is an important structural element that can accumulate at high concentrations in grasses and sedges, and therefore Si structures might affect the optical properties of the leaves. Redundancy analysis shows the significant roles of the different near-surface silicified leaf structures (e.g., prickle hairs, cuticle, epidermis), phytoliths and Si contents, which explain the majority of the reflectance and transmittance spectra variability. The amount of explained variance differs between mature and developing leaves. The transmittance spectra are also significantly affected by chlorophyll a content and calcium levels in the leaf tissue. The differences between the reflected and transmitted light indicate that silicified leaf structures influence internal light gradients that might also affect photosynthesis as well as it may be of significance in plant-insect or herbivores relationship.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 2959183Optimisation of the concentrations of essential mineral elements in staple grain diet and reduction in non-essential and potentially toxic elements would considerably alleviate mineral malnutrition and improve the health of humans. Triticum aestivum was biofortified with Zn and/or Se to determine the changes across 36 elements in the grain. In comparison to grain from non-biofortified plants, Zn fertilisation increased the grain Zn, Ca, and Mo concentrations, whereas the foliar application of Se only increased the grain Se concentrations. Double biofortification (combined Zn fertilisation and foliar Se) was more effective for the increased Se concentrations in the grain, in comparison to the Se-only biofortified plants, with the grain Zn, Ca and Mo concentrations remained at the same levels as those for the Zn-only biofortified plants. Except for Ba, Br and Rb, the concentrations of the elements analysed were below the detection limits. Double biofortification might be a feasible strategy to efficiently coordinate the mineral quality of wheat grain, although the considerable concentrations of other essential and non-essential elements should not be neglected.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 2824783