Occurrence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Sweden: higher infection prevalence in southern species

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has caused worldwide declines in amphibian populations. While Bd is widespread in southern and central Europe, its occurrence and distribution in northernmost Europe is mostly unknown. We surveyed for Bd in breeding anurans in Sweden by sampling 1917 amphibians from 101 localities and 3 regions in Sweden (southern, northern and central). We found that Bd was widespread in southern and central Sweden, occurring in all 9 investigated species and in 45.5% of the 101 localities with an overall prevalence of 13.8%. No infected individuals were found in the 4 northern sites sampled. The records from central Sweden represent the northernmost records of Bd in Europe. While the proportion of sites positive for Bd was similar between the southern and central regions, prevalence was much higher in the southern region. This was because southern species with a distribution mainly restricted to southernmost Sweden had a higher prevalence than widespread generalist species. The nationally red-listed green toad Bufotes variabilis and the fire-bellied toad Bombina bombina had the highest prevalence (61.4 and 48.9%, respectively). Across species, Bd prevalence was strongly positively, correlated with water temperature at the start of egg laying. However, no individuals showing visual signs of chytridiomycosis were found in the field. These results indicate that Bd is widespread and common in southern and central Sweden with southern species, breeding in higher temperatures and with longer breeding periods, having higher prevalence. However, the impact of Bd on amphibian populations in northernmost Europe remains unknown

Early social pedagogical support system to families of children with Down syndrome

Maģistra darba mērķis ir noteikt agrīna sociālpedagoģiska atbalsta nozīmīgumu ģimenēm, kurās ir bērns ar Dauna sindromu, nodrošinot bērna tālāko attīstību un ģimenes un bērna iekļaušanos sabiedriskajās norisēs. Darbā izvērtēti nepieciešamie atbalsta pakalpojumi ģimenēm agrīnā bērna vecumposmā, atrodot iespējas atbalsta realizācijai Latvijā. Tiek teorētiski pētīta ārzemju un Latvijas pieredze agrīna sociālpedagoģiska atbalsta jomā un izstrādāti ieteikumi darbam ar ģimeni. Balstoties uz pētījuma jautājuma padziļinātu izpēti, tiek secināts, ka agrīnā atbalsta pasākumi Latvijā ir nepietiekami un agrīna sociālpedagoģiska atbalsta sistēma, kas tiek iztirzāta maģistra darba pēdējā nodaļā kā rekomendācijas modeļa izveidei, atspoguļo, kāds agrīnais atbalsts ir būtisks, lai veicinātu ģimeņu socializāciju ilgtspējīgā sabiedrībā.The main goal of Master Thesis is to define necessity and meaning of early social-pedagogical support for families of children with Down's syndrome. Recommendations for early support have been made, based on interviews of different respondents from different areas - families of child with Down's Syndrome. Different services of early child and family support in child's early age have been evaluated and also theoretical reaserch of experience of foreign countries and Latvia according to early social-pedagogical support have been made. Based on Master's thesis research question and in-depth studies it is concluded, that the earl support system in Latvia is insufficient. Early social-pedagogical support system, which is discussed in last chapter of Master Thesis, is made as recommendations of improvement in future

MEFISTO An electric field instrument for BepiColombo/MMO

International audienceMEFISTO, together with the companion instrument WPT, are planning the first-ever in situ measurements of the electric field in the magnetosphere of planet Mercury. The instruments have been selected by JAXA for inclusion in the BepiColombo/MMO payload, as part of the Plasma Wave Investigation coordinated by Kyoto University. The magnetosphere of Mercury was discovered by Mariner 10 in 1974 and will be studied further by Messenger starting in 2011. However, neither spacecraft did or will measure the electric field. Electric fields are crucial in the dynamics of a magnetosphere and for the energy and plasma transport between different regions within the magnetosphere as well as between the magnetosphere and the surrounding regions. The MEFISTO instrument will be capable of measuring electric fields from DC to 3 MHz, and will thus also allow diagnostics of waves at all frequencies of relevance to the Hermean magnetosphere. MEFISTO is a double-probe electric field instrument. The double-probe technique has strong heritage and is well proven on missions such as Viking, Polar, and Cluster. For BepiColombo, a newly developed deployment mechanism is planned which reduces the mass by a factor of about 5 compared to conventional mechanisms for 15 m long booms. We describe the basic characteristics of the instrument and briefly discuss the new developments made to tailor the instrument to flight in Mercury orbit

The MEFISTO and WPT electric field sensors of the plasma wave investigation on the BepiColombo Mio spacecraft

Abstract This paper describes the design of MEFISTO (Mercury Electric Field In-Situ Tool) and WPT (Wire Probe Antenna) electric field sensors for Plasma Wave Investigation (PWI) on the BepiColombo Mio spacecraft (Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, MMO). The two sensors will enable the first observations of electric fields, plasma waves and radio waves in and around the Hermean magnetosphere and exosphere. MEFISTO and WPT are dipole antennas with 31.6 m tip-to-tip length. Each antenna element has a spherical probe at each end of the wire (15 m length). They are extended orthogonally in the spin plane of the spacecraft and enable measurements of the electric field in the frequency range of DC to 10 MHz by the connection to two sets of receivers, EWO for a lower frequency range and SORBET for higher frequencies. In the initial operations after the launch (20 Oct. 2018), we succeeded to confirm the health of both antennas and to release the launch lock of the WPT. After Mercury orbit insertion planned at the end of 2025, both sensors will be fully deployed and activate full operations of the PWI electric field measurements