Aluminium tolerance in barley （Hordeum vulgare L.）： physiological mechanisms, genetics and screening methods

Aluminium （Al） toxicity is one of the major limiting factors for barley production on acid soils. It inhibits root cell division and elongation, thus reducing water and nutrient uptake, consequently resulting in poor plant growth and yield. Plants tolerate Al either through external resistance mechanisms, by which Al is excluded from plant tissues or internal tolerance mechanisms, conferring the ability of plants to tolerate Al ion in the plant symplasm where Al that has permeated the plas- malemma is sequestered or converted into an innocuous form. Barley is considered to be most sensitive to Al toxicity among cereal species. Al tolerance in barley has been assessed by several methods, such as nutrient solution culture, soil bioassay and field screening. Genetic and molecular mapping research has shown that Al tolerance in barley is controlled by a single locus which is located on chromosome 4H. Molecular markers linked with Al tolerance loci have been identified and validated in a range of diverse populations. This paper reviews the （1） screening methods for evaluating Al tolerance, （2） genetics and （3） mechanisms underlying Al tolerance in barley.     

A Comparison of Three Approaches to Electronic Media Diaries

This project compared the richness of reporting and reflection of three approaches to electronic media diaries. For 1 week, 145 students were randomly assigned to keep daily diaries about their media use and perceptions of media content using one of three methods: (a) a traditional daily journaling approach conducted online, (b) an experience sampling method (ESM) approach that combined daily journaling with multiple daily message prompts, and (c) an approach that combined online peer-group discussion with online daily journaling. The goal was to determine if the supplementary diary activities yielded more detailed, emotive, and cognitive responses. Diary content was analyzed using traditional manual content analysis and linguistic software. Results indicated that the ESM condition elicited less cognitive- and affective-oriented language than the other conditions. The group discussion condition evidenced some advantage over the diary-only group in terms of number of media channels and specific content mentioned.     

Using Mnemonics in Teaching Statistics

This article advocates the use of mnemonics as an aid to learning statistics. Some examples are supplied and others sought.     

Crocodiles,Fancy Dress and Zebra Rock Souvenirs: Triathlon the Katherine Way

Embedded in the sport of triathlon is an uneasy relationship between the independence and individualism fostered by the nature of the sport and the sporting collectivism needed to safely stage triathlons, establish accepted measures of high performance and secure government, media and Olympic recognition. This tension is highlighted in remote locations where local identities and recreational communities tend to present stronger forces in the shaping of triathlon practice than the sport’s governing institutions and its rules and regulations. Katherine, a landlocked town in Australia’s Northern Territory situated approximately 300 km from Darwin, offers a colourful and useful example of the divergent priorities of sporting and local recreational communities. This paper draws on interviews, newsletters, cuttings and triathlon ephemera as well as scholarship regarding sports clubs and social capital, the process of sportification, and the potential role of the natural and built environment in shaping local sporting practice. It examines the rise and fall of organized triathlon in Katherine and proposes that the rule of triathlon law gained only a temporary and tenuous hold most likely due to the strength of geo-spatially defined recreational identities and practices.     

The key factors affecting Grade 5 achievement in Laos: emerging policy issues

In this study, the authors employed a multilevel analysis procedure to examine the key pupil- and school-level factors that influenced reading and mathematics achievement among Grade 5 primary school pupils in Laos. The data for this study were collected in 2007 as part of a major project (known as Laos Grade 5 Survey) that sought to examine the quality of education offered in primary schools in Laos. Results show that pupil’s age, school resources and learning materials such as pencils, erasers and exercise books are important factors in the prediction of achievement in reading and mathematics at Grade 5 level in Laos. From the results of the analyses, several policy suggestions have been made to improve the facets of education that seem to be worthy of action.