310 research outputs found
People and jaguars: New insights into the role of social factors in an old conflict
Throughout its range in Latin America, the jaguar Panthera onca is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation, and by conflict as a result of coexistence with people. This Near Threatened species is a top predator, and is often illegally hunted. Understanding people's attitudes and perceptions and the factors that could influence them is crucial for the conservation of this species. In this study we assess how knowledge, attitudes and perceptions among people in northern Argentina regarding jaguars vary depending on their level of education, age and occupation. We interviewed 810 people living in and around 10 protected areas in northern Argentina. Positive perceptions and attitudes towards the jaguar were associated with economic benefits that people may receive from the species' presence, such as income from tourism. Unexpectedly, higher levels of formal education were not associated with more positive attitudes and perceptions. Negative attitudes and perceptions towards the species were determined by fear; people see jaguars as a threat to their lives. This study shows that the socio-economic factors that affect the level of tolerance towards jaguars are not related only to economic losses. Our findings provide information for the design, implementation and evaluation of jaguar conservation projects in Argentina.Fil: Caruso, María Flavia. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina. Jaguares En El Límite; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; ArgentinaFil: Perovic, Pablo Gastón. Jaguares En El Límite; Argentina. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; ArgentinaFil: Tálamo, Andrés. Universidad Nacional de Salta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Trigo, Carolina Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Salta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Andrade Díaz, María S.. Universidad Nacional de Salta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Marás, Gustavo Arnaldo. Universidad Nacional de Salta; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales. Museo de Ciencias Naturales. Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA; ArgentinaFil: Saravia, Diego. Universidad Nacional de Salta; ArgentinaFil: Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio. University of Oxford; Reino Unido. The Recanati-Kaplan Centre; Reino Unido. Born Free Foundation; Reino UnidoFil: Altrichter, Mariana. Prescott college; Estados Unido
Action research and democracy
This contribution explores the relationship between research and learning democracy. Action research is seen as being compatible with the orientation of educational and social work research towards social justice and democracy. Nevertheless, the history of action research is characterized by a tension between democracy and social engineering. In the social-engineering approach, action research is conceptualized as a process of innovation aimed at a specific Bildungsideal. In a democratic approach action research is seen as research based on cooperation between research and practice. However, the notion of democratic action research as opposed to social engineering action research needs to be theorized. So called democratic action research involving the implementation by the researcher of democracy as a model and as a preset goal, reduces cooperation and participation into instruments to reach this goal, and becomes a type of social engineering in itself. We argue that the relationship between action research and democracy is in the acknowledgment of the political dimension of participation: ‘a democratic relationship in which both sides exercise power and shared control over decision-making as well as interpretation’. This implies an open research design and methodology able to understand democracy as a learning process and an ongoing experiment
Foodways in transition: food plants, diet and local perceptions of change in a Costa Rican Ngäbe community
Background
Indigenous populations are undergoing rapid ethnobiological, nutritional and socioeconomic transitions while being increasingly integrated into modernizing societies. To better understand the dynamics of these transitions, this article aims to characterize the cultural domain of food plants and analyze its relation with current day diets, and the local perceptions of changes given amongst the Ngäbe people of Southern Conte-Burica, Costa Rica, as production of food plants by its residents is hypothesized to be drastically in recession with an decreased local production in the area and new conservation and development paradigms being implemented.
Methods
Extensive freelisting, interviews and workshops were used to collect the data from 72 participants on their knowledge of food plants, their current dietary practices and their perceptions of change in local foodways, while cultural domain analysis, descriptive statistical analyses and development of fundamental explanatory themes were employed to analyze the data.
Results
Results show a food plants domain composed of 140 species, of which 85 % grow in the area, with a medium level of cultural consensus, and some age-based variation. Although many plants still grow in the area, in many key species a decrease on local production–even abandonment–was found, with much reduced cultivation areas. Yet, the domain appears to be largely theoretical, with little evidence of use; and the diet today is predominantly dependent on foods bought from the store (more than 50 % of basic ingredients), many of which were not salient or not even recognized as ‘food plants’ in freelists exercises. While changes in the importance of food plants were largely deemed a result of changes in cultural preferences for store bought processed food stuffs and changing values associated with farming and being food self-sufficient, Ngäbe were also aware of how changing household livelihood activities, and the subsequent loss of knowledge and use of food plants, were in fact being driven by changes in social and political policies, despite increases in forest cover and biodiversity.
Conclusions
Ngäbe foodways are changing in different and somewhat disconnected ways: knowledge of food plants is varied, reflecting most relevant changes in dietary practices such as lower cultivation areas and greater dependence on food from stores by all families. We attribute dietary shifts to socioeconomic and political changes in recent decades, in particular to a reduction of local production of food, new economic structures and agents related to the State and globalization
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Partitioning the effects of habitat loss hunting and climate change on the endangered Chacoan peccary
Aim: Land-use change and overexploitation are major threats to biodiversity, and cli mate change will exert additional pressure in the 21st century. Although there are strong interactions between these threats, our understanding of the synergistic and compensatory effects on threatened species' range geography remains limited. Our aim was to disentangle the impact of habitat loss, hunting and climate change on spe cies, using the example of the endangered Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri). Location: Gran Chaco ecoregion in South America.
Methods: Using a large occurrence database, we integrated a time-calibrated species distribution model with a hunting pressure model to reconstruct changes in the distri bution of suitable peccary habitat between 1985 and 2015. We then used partitioning analysis to attribute the relative contribution of habitat change to land-use conver sion, climate change and varying hunting pressure.
Results: Our results reveal widespread habitat deterioration, with only 11% of the habitat found in 2015 considered suitable and safe. Hunting pressure was the strong est single threat, yet most habitat deterioration (58%) was due to the combined, rather than individual, effects of the three drivers we assessed. Climate change would have led to a compensatory effect, increasing suitable habitat area, yet this effect was ne gated by the strongly negative and interacting threats of land-use change and hunting.
Main Conclusions: Our study reveals the central role of overexploitation, which is often neglected in biogeographic assessments, and suggests that addressing overex ploitation has huge potential for increasing species' adaptive capacity in the face of climate and land-use change. More generally, we highlight the importance of jointly assessing extinction drivers to understand how species might fare in the 21st century. Here, we provide a simple and transferable framework to determine the separate and joint effects of three main drivers of biodiversity loss.Fil: Torres, Ricardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal ; Argentina.Fil: Kuemmerle, Tobias. Humboldt-University Berlin. Integrative Research Institute for Transformations in Human Environment Systems. Geography Department; AlemaniaFil: Baumann, Matthias. Humboldt-University. Geography Department; Alemania.Fil: Romero Muñoz, Alfredo. Humboldt University. Geography Departament; Alemania. University of British Columbia. Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES); Canada. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research. Department Computational Landscape Ecology; Alemania. Transformations of Human-Environment Systems (IRI THESys). Integrative Research Institute; AlemaniaFil: Altrichter, Mariana. IUCN SSC Peccary Specialist Group; Suiza. Prescott College. Environmental Studies; Estados UnidosFil: Boaglio, Gabriel Ivan. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Cabral, Hugo. Universidade Estadual Paulista. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal; Brasil. Instituto de Investigación Biológica del Paraguay; ParaguayFil: Camino, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro de Ecología del Litoral. Laboratorio de Biología de la Conservación; ArgentinaFil: Campos Kraver, Juan M. University of Florida. College of Veterinary Medicine & Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences; Estados UnidosFil: Giordano, Anthony. Society for the Preservation of Endangered Carnivores and their International Ecological Study (S.P.E.C.I.E.S); Estados Unidos. University of Los Angeles. Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. Center for Tropical Research; Estados UnidosFil: Cartes, José L. Guyra Paraguay, Parque del Río; ParaguayFil: Cuéllar, Rosa L. Fundación para la Conservación del Bosque Chiquitano; BoliviaFil: Decarre, Julieta. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: Gallegos, Marcelo. Provincia de Salta. Secretaría de Ambiente; ArgentinaFil: Lizárraga, Leónidas. Administración De Parques Nacionales. Dirección Regional Noroeste. Salta; Argentina.Fil: Maffei, Leonardo. Biósfera Consultores Ambientales, Lima, Perú.Fil: Neris, Nora N. Secretaria del Ambiente; ParaguayFil: Quiroga, Verónica. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Inst. de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA – CONICET), Centro de Zoología Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Saldivar, Silvia. ITAIPU Binacional. Dirección de Coordinación. División de Áreas Protegidas; ParaguayFil: Tamburini, Daniela Maria. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales. Centro de Ecología y Recursos Naturales Renovables; Argentin
Review of Large Carnivore Conservation: Integrating Science and Policy in the North American West
The management and conservation of large carnivores is of worldwide concern and is as much about human values, interactions, and governance as carnivore biology. Susan Clark and Murray Rutherford continue their work on coexisting with large carnivores ( Clark et al. 2005 ) with a new edited volume Large Carnivore Conservation: Integrating Science and Policy in the North American West . Large Carnivore Conservation that expands on the same themes as their previous work with case studies from Arizona to the Yukon. While focusing on the North American West, Clark and Rutherford hope to provide a holistic approach to carnivore management in general
Tolerance induction through early feeding to prevent food allergy in infants with eczema (TEFFA): rationale, study design, and methods of a randomized controlled trial
BACKGROUND: Up to 8% of all children in industrialized countries suffer from food allergies, whereas children with atopic eczema are affected considerably more frequently. In addition, the type and starting time of weaning foods seem to influence the development of food allergies. However, data from interventional studies on weaning are controversial. The aim of this randomized-controlled clinical trial is to investigate, whether an early introduction of hen's egg (HE), cow's milk (CM), peanut (PN), and hazelnut (HN) in children with atopic eczema can reduce the risk for developing food allergies in the first year of life. METHODS: This is a protocol for a randomized, placebo controlled, double blind, single-center clinical trial. One hundred fifty infants with atopic eczema at 4-8 months of age will be randomized in a 2:1 manner into an active group that will receive rusk-like biscuit powder with HE, CM, PN, and HN (initially approximately 2 mg of each food protein) for 6-8 months or a placebo group, whose participants will receive the same rusk-like biscuit powder without HE, CM, PN, and HN on a daily basis. During the interventional period, the amount of allergens in the study product will be increased three times, each after 6 weeks. All study participants who are sensitized to HE, CM, PN, or HN at the end of the interventional period will undergo an oral food challenge to the respective food in a further visit. Primary endpoint is IgE-mediated food allergy to at least one of the four foods (HE, CM, PN or HN) after 6-8 months of intervention (i.e., at around 1 year of age). Secondary endpoints include multiple food allergies, severity of eczema, wheezing, and sensitization levels against food allergens. DISCUSSION: This clinical trial will assess whether an early introduction of allergenic foods into the diet of children with atopic eczema can prevent the development of food allergies. This trial will contribute to update food allergy prevention guidelines. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00016770 . Registered on 09 January 2020
IgE Mediated Autoallergy against Thyroid Peroxidase – A Novel Pathomechanism of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria?
Chronic spontaneous urticaria (csU), which is characterized by recurrent episodes
of mast cell-driven wheal and flare-type skin reactions, is often associated with
elevated total IgE levels and thyroid autoimmunity. We speculate that some csU
patients express IgE autoantibodies against thyroid antigens such as thyroid
peroxidase (TPO), which could bind to skin mast cells and induce their
activation.We developed and used a site-directed human IgE capture ELISA to quantify
IgE-anti-TPO. We used this assay and investigated csU patients
(n = 478) and healthy control subjects
(n = 127) for IgE-anti-TPO and then assessed
IgE-anti-TPO-positive and -negative csU patients for clinical and serological
differences. ( = 61%, IgE-anti-TPO:
median 6.67, interquartile range 5.39–8.24). IgE-anti-TPO-positive and
-negative csU patients had very similar distributions of age and gender as well as
disease activity and duration. IgE-anti-TPO-positive csU patients exhibited
significantly higher IgG-anti-TPO levels and lymphocyte counts as well as
decreased C4 complement levels.Our findings show that a sizeable subgroup of csU patients expresses IgE
antibodies against thyroid peroxidase. These autoantibodies could cause
“autoallergic” mast cell activation, a novel pathomechanism of chronic
spontaneous urticaria
The gap between educational research and practice: A literature review, symposium, and questionnaire
Tolerance induction through non-avoidance to prevent persistent food allergy (TINA) in children and adults with peanut or tree nut allergy: rationale, study design and methods of a randomized controlled trial and observational cohort study
BACKGROUND: Peanuts (PN) and tree nuts (TN) are among the most frequent elicitors of food allergy and can lead to life-threatening reactions. The current advice for allergic patients is to strictly avoid the offending food independently of their individual threshold level, whereas sensitized patients without allergic symptoms should frequently consume the food to avoid (re-)development of food allergy. The aim of this trial is to investigate (I) whether the consumption of low allergen amounts below the individual threshold may support natural tolerance development and (II) to what extent regular allergen consumption in sensitized but tolerant subjects prevents the (re-)development of PN or TN allergy. METHODS: The TINA trial consisting of (part I) a randomized, controlled, open, parallel group, single-center, superiority trial (RCT), and (part II) a prospective observational exploratory cohort study. Children and adults (age 1-67 years) with suspected or known primary PN and/or TN allergy will undergo an oral food challenge (OFC) to determine their clinical reactivity and individual threshold. In the RCT, 120 PN or TN allergic patients who tolerate ≥100 mg of food protein will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to consumption of products with low amounts of PN or TN on a regular basis or strict avoidance for 1 year. The consumption group will start with 1/100 of their individual threshold, increasing the protein amount to 1/50 and 1/10 after 4 and 8 months, respectively. The primary endpoint is the clinical tolerance to PN or TN after 1 year assessed by OFC. In the cohort study, 120 subjects sensitized to PN and/or TN but tolerant are advised to regularly consume the food and observed for 1 year. The primary endpoint is the maintenance of clinical tolerance to PN and/or TN after 1 year assessed by challenging with the former tolerated cumulative dose. DISCUSSION: This clinical trial will help to determine the impact of allergen consumption versus avoidance on natural tolerance development and whether the current dietary advice for PN or TN allergic patients with higher threshold levels is still valid. Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register; ID: DRKS00016764 (RCT), DRKS00020467 (cohort study). Registered on 15 January 2020, http://www.drks.de
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