Isotopic methods for non-destructive assessment of carbon dynamics in shrublands under long-term climate change manipulation

1. Long-term climate change experiments are extremely valuable for studying ecosystem responses to environmental change. Examination of the vegetation and the soil should be non-destructive to guarantee long-term research. In this paper, we review field methods using isotope techniques for assessing carbon dynamics in the plant-soil-air continuum, based on recent field experience and examples from a European climate change manipulation network. 2. Eight European semi-natural shrubland ecosystems were exposed to warming and drought manipulations. One field site was additionally exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2. We evaluate the isotope methods that were used across the network to evaluate carbon fluxes and ecosystem responses, including: 1) analysis of the naturally rare isotopes of carbon (13C and 14C) and nitrogen (15N); 2) use of in-situ pulse labelling with 13CO2, soil injections of 13C- and 15N-enriched substrates, or continuous labelling by Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) and 3) manipulation of isotopic composition of soil substrates (14C) in lab-based studies. 3. The natural 14C signature of soil respiration gave insight into a possible long-term shift in the partitioning between the decomposition of young and old soil carbon sources. Contrastingly, the stable isotopes 13C and 15N were used for shorter-term processes, as the residence time in a certain compartment of the stable isotope label signal is limited. The use of labelled carbon-compounds to study carbon mineralization by soil microorganisms enabled to determine the long-term effect of climate change on microbial carbon uptake kinetics and turnover. 4. Based on the experience with the experimental work, we provide recommendations for the application of the reviewed methods to study carbon fluxes in the plant-soil-air continuum in climate change experiments. 13C-labelling techniques exert minimal physical disturbances, however, the dilution of the applied isotopic signal can be challenging. In addition, the contamination of the field site with excess 13C or 14C can be a problem for subsequent natural abundance (14C and 13C) or label studies. The use of slight changes in carbon and nitrogen natural abundance does not present problems related to potential dilution or contamination risks, but the usefulness depends on the fractionation rate of the studied processes

Internationalising Lilith, localising diverse feminist pasts

The 2023 volume of Lilith is the first to be produced under the Managing Editorship of Alison Downham Moore, a global, medical, sexuality and gender historian from Western Sydney University who took over in September 2022 from Alana Piper. While Lilith has always been open to contributors from different world regions and authors working on any geographical or temporal field of historical studies, this volume evinces an enrichment of Lilith’s commitment to diversity and global scope, while still maintaining its important base for emerging scholarship in Australian feminist historical studies. The past year has seen the Lilith Editorial Collective welcome several new members who have contributed to this introduction and shepherded the articles contained in this volume of the journal. We have also farewelled others, including Rachel Caines, Brydie Kosmina, Lauren Samuelsson, Jennifer Caligari, Kate Davison and Michelle Staff, whom we thank heartily for their service. Moore’s editorial stewardship and the new collective bring both a renewed commitment to encouraging underrepresented voices in historical writing, including First Nations voices, providing additional support for scholars with first languages other than English, and extending a new experimental invitation to consider works of scholarship in novel genres of writing for academic journals

Psychosocial Factors in Decision-Making of Patient Eligibility for Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation

Abstract Oncologists specializing in bone marrow transplants (BMT) make daily decisions about appropriate medical candidates for allogeneic BMT based on clinical criteria. It is not clear how, and if, patient eligibility decisions are made based on psychosocial criteria. Although setting limits of patient eligibility based on psychosocial criteria has been researched in solid organ transplantation, data is sparse in BMT. This report focuses on physician responses to a psychosocial survey. An IRB approved survey was mailed to members of the ASBMT (North America) mailing list. Of 704 members, 663 were deemed viable respondents: excluded were non-physician members and physicians specializing in research or not working with allogeneic BMT patients. These surveys were mailed in April 2004. As of 7/6/04, 253 surveys were returned, representing a 38% response rate. Average age of responders was 47 years. Average number of years experience in BMT was 14, with a range of 2–39 years. 17 case vignettes were presented. These vignettes asked whether or not it was appropriate to proceed with allo BMT (assuming an appropriate donor was available) based on a specific psychosocial problem. In virtually every case vignette, at least 10% of respondents stated they would not proceed with allogeneic BMT based on the issues raised in the vignette. In seven case vignettes, the majority of respondents stated that they would recommend not proceeding with BMT. The general theme/construct of these 7 vignettes appears to be ability to comply with treatment plans. Specifically, the following were case vignettes in which the majority of respondents recommended not to proceed with transplant: no caregiver available to assist with the patient post-transplant (do not proceed = 70%); the patient is actively alcoholic (do not proceed = 62%); the patient is non-compliant (do not proceed = 75%); the patient is currently suicidal (do not proceed = 84%); the patient is currently using addictive illicit drugs (do not proceed = 73%); the patient has mild dementia (do not proceed = 55%); the patient cannot pay for the transplant (do not proceed = 52%). Conversely, the following case vignettes were less worrisome to the survey respondents, and in general represented surmountable psychosocial and/or clinical issues. These vignettes included; a history of prior suicidal attempts although not currently suicidal (proceed with transplant = 86%); controlled schizophrenia (proceed with transplant = 83%); daily marijuana use (proceed with transplant = 82%); smokes tobacco (proceed with transplant = 79%); morbid obesity (proceed with transplant = 71%); major depression (proceed with transplant = 84%). These findings underline the importance of post-transplant longitudinal care in determining the ultimate success of an allogeneic BMT, and underscore their importance in patient eligibility decision-making. These findings also illustrate that psychosocial variables play a significant role in determining patient eligibility for allogeneic BMT and that there is no clear-cut consensus on this topic, highlighting the need for ongoing clinical research

Data from: Isotopic methods for non-destructive assessment of carbon dynamics in shrublands under long-term climate change manipulation

1.Long-term climate change experiments are extremely valuable for studying ecosystem responses to environmental change. Examination of the vegetation and the soil should be non-destructive to guarantee long-term research. In this paper, we review field methods using isotope techniques for assessing carbon dynamics in the plant-soil-air continuum, based on recent field experience and examples from a European climate change manipulation network. 2.Eight European semi-natural shrubland ecosystems were exposed to warming and drought manipulations. One field site was additionally exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2. We evaluate the isotope methods that were used across the network to evaluate carbon fluxes and ecosystem responses, including: 1) analysis of the naturally rare isotopes of carbon (13C and 14C) and nitrogen (15N); 2) use of in-situ pulse labelling with 13CO2, soil injections of 13C- and 15N-enriched substrates, or continuous labelling by Free Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) and 3) manipulation of isotopic composition of soil substrates (14C) in lab-based studies. 3.The natural 14C signature of soil respiration gave insight into a possible long-term shift in the partitioning between the decomposition of young and old soil carbon sources. Contrastingly, the stable isotopes 13C and 15N were used for shorter-term processes, as the residence time in a certain compartment of the stable isotope label signal is limited. The use of labelled carbon-compounds to study carbon mineralization by soil microorganisms enabled to determine the long-term effect of climate change on microbial carbon uptake kinetics and turnover. 4.Based on the experience with the experimental work, we provide recommendations for the application of the reviewed methods to study carbon fluxes in the plant-soil-air continuum in climate change experiments. 13C-labelling techniques exert minimal physical disturbances, however, the dilution of the applied isotopic signal can be challenging. In addition, the contamination of the field site with excess 13C or 14C can be a problem for subsequent natural abundance (14C and 13C) or label studies. The use of slight changes in carbon and nitrogen natural abundance does not present problems related to potential dilution or contamination risks, but the usefulness depends on the fractionation rate of the studied processes

Isotopic methods for non-destructive assessment of carbon dynamics in shrublands under long-term climate change manipulation

Long-term climate change experiments are extremely valuable for studying ecosystem responses to environmental change. Examination of the vegetation and the soil should be non-destructive to guarantee long-term research. In this paper, we review field methods using isotope techniques for assessing carbon dynamics in the plant-soil-air continuum, based on recent field experience and examples from a European climate change manipulation network. Eight European semi-natural shrubland ecosystems were exposed to warming and drought manipulations. One field site was additionally exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2. We discuss the isotope methods that were used across the network to evaluate carbon fluxes and ecosystem responses, including: (1) analysis of the naturally rare isotopes of carbon (13C and 14C) and nitrogen (15N); (2) use of in situ pulse labelling with 13CO2, soil injections of 13C- and 15N-enriched substrates, or continuous labelling by free air carbon dioxide enrichment (FACE) and (3) manipulation of isotopic composition of soil substrates (14C) in laboratory-based studies. The natural 14C signature of soil respiration gave insight into a possible long-term shift in the partitioning between the decomposition of young and old soil carbon sources. Contrastingly, the stable isotopes 13C and 15N were used for shorter-term processes, as the residence time in a certain compartment of the stable isotope label signal is limited. The use of labelled carbon-compounds to study carbon mineralisation by soil micro-organisms enabled to determine the long-term effect of climate change on microbial carbon uptake kinetics and turnover. Based on the experience with the experimental work, we provide recommendations for the application of the reviewed methods to study carbon fluxes in the plant-soil-air continuum in climate change experiments. 13C-labelling techniques exert minimal physical disturbances, however, the dilution of the applied isotopic signal can be challenging. In addition, the contamination of the field site with excess 13C or 14C can be a problem for subsequent natural abundance (14C and 13C) or label studies. The use of slight changes in carbon and nitrogen natural abundance does not present problems related to potential dilution or contamination risks, but the usefulness depends on the fractionation rate of the studied processes

14C_RESPIRATION

Values of the 14C signature (natural abundance) of CO2 in soil efflux samples, collected at the Peaknaze site (UK) (Data in Box 2B from Andresen et al., 2018)

13CPLFA_UK

Results of a 13C-CO2 pulse experiment conducted along a gradient of soil moisture at the Clocaenog site (UK). Values correspond to 13C content in different phospholipid-derived fatty-acid methyl esters (FAMEs) extracted from soils after the 13C-pulse (Data in Box 3B from Andresen et al., 2018)