Coral reef socio-ecological systems analysis & restoration

Restoration strategies for coral reefs are usually focused on the recovery of bio-physical characteristics. They seldom include an evaluation of the recovery of the socio-ecological and ecosystem services features of coral reef systems. This paper proposes a conceptual framework to address both the socio-ecological system features of coral reefs with the implementation of restoration activity for degraded coral reefs. Such a framework can lead to better societal outcomes from restoration activities while restoring bio-physical, social and ecosystem service features of such systems. We first developed a Socio Ecological System Analysis Framework, which combines the Ostrom Framework for analyzing socio-ecological systems and the Kittinger et al. human dimensions framework of coral reefs socio-ecological systems. We then constructed a Restoration of Coral Reef Framework, based on the most used and recent available coral reef restoration literature. These two frameworks were combined to present a Socio-Ecological Systems & Restoration Coral Reef Framework. These three frameworks can be used as a guide for managers, researchers and decision makers to analyze the needs of coral reef restoration in a way that addresses both socio-economic and ecological objectives to analyze, design, implement and monitor reef restoration programs.European Commission Erasmus Mundus programme Future Earth Coastsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Scottish economy [March 1999]

This section presents long and short term forecasts for the quarterly growth rates of Scottish manufacturing (Division D of the 1992 SIC) output

The Scottish economy [January 2000]

This section presents short-term forecasts for the quarterly growth rates of Scottish manufacturing (Division D of the 1992 SIC) output and annual growth rates are also included

Five-loop epsilon expansion for O(n)xO(m) spin models

We compute the Renormalization Group functions of a Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson Hamiltonian with O(n)x O(m) symmetry up to five-loop in Minimal Subtraction scheme. The line n^+(m,d), which limits the region of second-order phase transition, is reconstructed in the framework of the epsilon=4-d expansion for generic values of $m$ up to O(epsilon^5). For the physically interesting case of noncollinear but planar orderings (m=2) we obtain n^+(2,3)=6.1(6) by exploiting different resummation procedures. We substantiate this results re-analyzing six-loop fixed dimension series with pseudo-epsilon expansion, obtaining n^+(2,3)=6.22(12). We also provide predictions for the critical exponents characterizing the second-order phase transition occurring for n>n^+.Comment: 23 pages, 1 figure. Two misprints are corrected in Tables VII and VII

Why does making connections through resilience indicators matter?

The year 2015 saw the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Paris Agreement. These landmark UN agreements both characterise and present the opportunity for developing integrated responses and coherence to the challenges bridging development, humanitarian, climate and disaster risk reduction areas. This chapter will provide examples of experiences and best practices from the international arena that identify how approaches to SDGs, Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Management (DRM), and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) are juxtaposed, and the policy instruments currently in place that address SDG, DRR and CCA activities and actions. The text will consider opportunities for developing a concept of resilience that integrates SDG, DRR and CCA frameworks in response to global challenges, thereby constituting a development continuum instead of a series of independent and isolated phenomena. It will also identify and characterise opportunities for synergies across the different domains for community and sector vulnerability at local, national and international scales through integrated reporting across agreements

Identifying interactions for Sustainable Development Goal implementation in Ireland

EPA Research Report. Prepared for the Environmental Protection Agency by MaREI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, Environmental Research Institute, University College Cor

Characterisation of a mural cell network in the murine pituitary gland

The anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary are composed of endocrine cells, as well as vasculature and supporting cells, such as folliculostellate cells. Folliculostellate cells form a network with several postulated roles in the pituitary, including production of paracrine signalling molecules and cytokines, coordination of endocrine cell hormone release, phagocytosis, and structural support. Folliculostellate cells in rats are characterised by expression of S100B protein, and in humans by glial fibrillary acid protein. However, there is evidence for another network of supporting cells in the anterior pituitary that has properties of mural cells, such as vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes. The present study aims to characterise the distribution of cells that express the mural cell marker platelet derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ) in the mouse pituitary and establish whether these cells are folliculostellate. By immunohistochemical localisation, we determine that approximately 80% of PDGFRβ+ cells in the mouse pituitary have a non‐perivascular location and 20% are pericytes. Investigation of gene expression in a magnetic cell sorted population of PDGFRβ+ cells shows that, despite a mostly non‐perivascular location, this population is enriched for mural cell markers but not enriched for rat or human folliculostellate cell markers. This is confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The present study concludes that a mural cell network is present throughout the anterior pituitary of the mouse and that this population does not express well‐characterised human or rat folliculostellate cell markers

Use of a prolactin-Cre/ROSA-YFP transgenic mouse provides no evidence for lactotroph transdifferentiation after weaning, or increase in lactotroph/somatotroph proportion in lactation

In rats, a shift from somatotroph dominance to lactotroph dominance during pregnancy and lactation is well reported. Somatotroph to lactotroph transdifferentiation and increased lactotroph mitotic activity are believed to account for this and associated pituitary hypertrophy. A combination of cell death and transdifferentiation away from the lactotroph phenotype has been reported to restore non-pregnant pituitary proportions after weaning. To attempt to confirm that a similar process occurs in mice, we generated and used a transgenic reporter mouse model (prolactin (PRL)-Cre/ROSA26-expression of yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP)) in which PRL promoter activity at any time resulted in permanent, stable, and highly specific EYFP. Triple immunochemistry for GH, PRL, and EYFP was used to quantify EYFP+ve, PRL−ve, and GH+ve cell populations during pregnancy and lactation, and for up to 3 weeks after weaning, and concurrent changes in cell size were estimated. At all stages, the EYFP reporter was expressed in 80% of the lactotrophs, but in fewer than 1% of other pituitary cell types, indicating that transdifferentiation from those lactotrophs where reporter expression was activated is extremely rare. Contrary to expectations, no increase in the lactotroph/somatotroph ratio was seen during pregnancy and lactation, whether assessed by immunochemistry for the reporter or PRL: findings confirmed by PRL immunochemistry in non-transgenic mice. Mammosomatotrophs were rarely encountered at the age group studied. Individual EYFP+ve cell volumes increased significantly by mid-lactation compared with virgin animals. This, in combination with a modest and non-cell type-specific estrogen-induced increase in mitotic activity, could account for pregnancy-induced changes in overall pituitary size

Bisphenol A Effects on Gonadotroph Function:Disruption of Pituitary Cell-Cell Communication?

International audienc