Beetles (Coleoptera) of Peru: A Survey of the Families. Scarabaeoidea

The 1042 species of Scarabaeoidea known to occur in Peru are listed with their taxonomic placement in families, subfamilies, and tribes

First experiences with a novel farmer citizen science approach: crowdsourcing participatory variety selection through on-farm triadic comparisons of technologies (TRICOT)

Rapid climatic and socio-economic changes challenge current agricultural R&D capacity. The necessary quantum leap in knowledge generation should build on the innovation capacity of farmers themselves. A novel citizen science methodology, triadic comparisons of technologies or tricot, was implemented in pilot studies in India, East Africa, and Central America. The methodology involves distributing a pool of agricultural technologies in different combinations of three to individual farmers who observe these technologies under farm conditions and compare their performance. Since the combinations of three technologies overlap, statistical methods can piece together the overall performance ranking of the complete pool of technologies. The tricot approach affords wide scaling, as the distribution of trial packages and instruction sessions is relatively easy to execute, farmers do not need to be organized in collaborative groups, and feedback is easy to collect, even by phone. The tricot approach provides interpretable, meaningful results and was widely accepted by farmers. The methodology underwent improvement in data input formats. A number of methodological issues remain: integrating environmental analysis, capturing gender-specific differences, stimulating farmers' motivation, and supporting implementation with an integrated digital platform. Future studies should apply the tricot approach to a wider range of technologies, quantify its potential contribution to climate adaptation, and embed the approach in appropriate institutions and business models, empowering participants and democratizing science

Diversity, host specialization, and geographic structure of filarial nematodes infecting Malagasy bats

We investigated filarial infection in Malagasy bats to gain insights into the diversity of these parasites and explore the factors shaping their distribution. Samples were obtained from 947 individual bats collected from 52 sites on Madagascar and representing 31 of the 44 species currently recognized on the island. Samples were screened for the presence of micro-and macro-parasites through both molecular and morphological approaches. Phylogenetic analyses showed that filarial diversity in Malagasy bats formed three main groups, the most common represented by Litomosa spp. infecting Miniopterus spp. (Miniopteridae); a second group infecting Pipistrellus cf. hesperidus (Vespertilionidae) embedded within the Litomosoides cluster, which is recognized herein for the first time from Madagascar; and a third group composed of lineages with no clear genetic relationship to both previously described filarial nematodes and found in M. griveaudi, Myotis goudoti, Neoromicia matroka (Vespertilionidae), Otomops madagascariensis (Molossidae), and Paratriaenops furculus (Hipposideridae). We further analyzed the infection rates and distribution pattern of Litomosa spp., which was the most diverse and prevalent filarial taxon in our sample. Filarial infection was disproportionally more common in males than females in Miniopterus spp., which might be explained by some aspect of roosting behavior of these cave-dwelling bats. We also found marked geographic structure in the three Litomosa clades, mainly linked to bioclimatic conditions rather than host-parasite associations. While this study demonstrates distinct patterns of filarial nematode infection in Malagasy bats and highlights potential drivers of associated geographic distributions, future work should focus on their alpha taxonomy and characterize arthropod vectors

Citizen science breathes new life into participatory agricultural research : A review

Participatory research can improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and scope of research processes, and foster social inclusion, empowerment and sustainability. Yet despite four decades of agricultural research institutions exploring and developing methods for participatory research, it has never become mainstream in the agricultural technology development cycle. Citizen science promises an innovative approach to participation in research, using the unique facilities of new digital technologies, but its potential in agricultural research participation has not been systematically probed. To this end, we conducted a critical literature review. We found that citizen science opens up four opportunities for creatively reshaping research: i) new possibilities for interdisciplinary collaboration, ii) rethinking configurations of socio-computational systems, iii) research on democratization of science more broadly, and iv) new accountabilities. Citizen science also brings a fresh perspective on the barriers to institutionalizing participation in the agricultural sciences. Specifically, we show how citizen science can reconfigure cost-motivation-accountability combinations using digital tools, open up a larger conceptual space of experimentation, and stimulate new collaborations. With appropriate and persistent institutional support and investment, citizen science can therefore have a lasting impact on how agricultural science engages with farming communities and wider society, and more fully realize the promises of participation

Human plague: An old scourge that needs new answers

Yersinia pestis, the bacterial causative agent of plague, remains an important threat to human health. Plague is a rodent-borne disease that has historically shown an outstanding ability to colonize and persist across different species, habitats, and environments while provoking sporadic cases, outbreaks, and deadly global epidemics among humans. Between September and November 2017, an outbreak of urban pneumonic plague was declared in Madagascar, which refocused the attention of the scientific community on this ancient human scourge. Given recent trends and plague’s resilience to control in the wild, its high fatality rate in humans without early treatment, and its capacity to disrupt social and healthcare systems, human plague should be considered as a neglected threat. A workshop was held in Paris in July 2018 to review current knowledge about plague and to identify the scientific research priorities to eradicate plague as a human threat. It was concluded that an urgent commitment is needed to develop and fund a strong research agenda aiming to fill the current knowledge gaps structured around 4 main axes: (i) an improved understanding of the ecological interactions among the reservoir, vector, pathogen, and environment; (ii) human and societal responses; (iii) improved diagnostic tools and case management; and (iv) vaccine development. These axes should be cross-cutting, translational, and focused on delivering context-specific strategies. Results of this research should feed a global control and prevention strategy within a “One Health” approach

Design considerations for the Australian alps

Design in the Australian Alps provides a unique challenge for professionals, possibly more so than in urban environments such as Melbourne or Sydney. Professionals must accommodate an uncompromising environment and one of the oldest and rarest landscapes on earth while providing solutions for a highly contemporary and questioning society. This paper offers an understanding of considerations for the realisation of projects in the Australian Alps through an explanation of this landscape, climate change and pertinent design issues

The aesthetic value of a mountain landscape: A study of the Mt. Everest Trek

Among the most revered landscapes are those in mountain areas. However, the 'mountain' is an idealised western construct; where one's aesthetic understanding and appraisal of them predicates judgement. In Nepal, western exploration and appreciation of the Mt. Everest (i.e. Chomolungma) region is a recent development; commencing mid-twentieth century. This study investigates 10 landscapes found along the Mt. Everest Trek to identify the aesthetic value foreign tourists and local residents place on these mountain environments in 2002-2003. Fifty-three Australian tourists and 73 Sherpa evaluated 68 photographs that represented each landscape from which mean ratings, photo correlations and respondent perceptions of observed imagery were linked to a semantic differential scale. The study identified that the aesthetic value of landscapes found along the Mt. Everest Trek consists of a specific phenomenological structure. Yet, this structure is not limited to bio-physical features (e.g. mountains, trees) but also include concepts (e.g. wilderness) and emotion (e.g. excitement); all of which are discussed in terms of four aesthetic dimensions

Placemaking as good practice

This chapter describes a process (i.e. placemaking) and the principles one may use when attempting to transform existing and new settings into positive contributions within the urban environment. It does this by introducing a number of early approaches intended to improve the \u27setting\u27 in which people live. Following this introduction, I will give a brief conceptual framing of placemaking and highlight the source of inspiration for the chapter\u27s concluding placemaking principles. A detailed discussion of placemaking and its attributes leads to a series of concluding remarks that are intended to fully embrace the process of placemaking and to guard against token efforts when attempting to develop good urban places