Ramsar Policy Brief No. 5. Restoring drained peatlands: A necessary step to achieve global climate goals

Peatlands cover about 400 million hectares (ha), or 3% of the land surface of our planet. Yet they store more carbon, more effectively and for longer periods, than any other ecosystem on land. Intact peatlands also provide essential ecosystem services such as regulating water cycles, purifying water, and supporting a wealth of biodiversity. Since peat is hidden below ground, it is often unrecognised and can be damaged unknowingly. New, large peatland areas are still being discovered including forest-covered peatlands in the tropics. Around 50 million ha of peatlands globally are currently drained and have been transformed to grazing land, forestry land and cropland, used for peat extraction or impacted by infrastructure. These drained peatlands are responsible for approximately 4% (2 Gt CO2 -eq/year) of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Achieving the climate goals of the Paris Agreement requires protection of all remaining intact peatland and rapid restoration of almost all drained peatlands. This will also contribute to delivering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular SDG 6, Target 6.6, on protecting and restoring water related ecosystems and SDG 15, Targets 15.1, on conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, as well as 15.5 on reducing degradation of natural habitats. The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030 provides the opportunity to rapidly scale up efforts

Instrumentation for measurement of cosmic noise at 750, 1225, and 2000 kHz from a rocket Final technical report

Design and performance characteristics of rocketborne instrumentation system to measure radio frequency noise energ

Sexual recombination is a signature of a persisting malaria epidemic in Peru

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of this study was to consider the impact that multi-clone, complex infections have on a parasite population structure in a low transmission setting. In general, complexity of infection (minimum number of clones within an infection) and the overall population level diversity is expected to be minimal in low transmission settings. Additionally, the parasite population structure is predicted to be clonal, rather than sexual due to infrequent parasite inoculation and lack of recombination between genetically distinct clones. However, in this low transmission of the Peruvian Amazon, complex infections are becoming more frequent, in spite of decreasing infection prevalence. In this study, it was hypothesized that sexual recombination between distinct clonal lineages of <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>parasites were altering the subpopulation structure and effectively maintaining the population-level diversity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fourteen microsatellite markers were chosen to describe the genetic diversity in 313 naturally occurring <it>P. falciparum </it>infections from Peruvian Amazon. The population and subpopulation structure was characterized by measuring: clusteredness, expected heterozygosity (H_e), allelic richness, private allelic richness, and linkage disequilibrium. Next, microsatellite haplotypes and alleles were correlated with <it>P. falciparum </it>merozoite surface protein 1 Block 2 (<it>Pf</it>msp1-B2) to examine the presence of recombinant microsatellite haplotypes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The parasite population structure consists of six genetically diverse subpopulations of clones, called "clusters". Clusters 1, 3, 4, and 6 have unique haplotypes that exceed 70% of the total number of clones within each cluster, while Clusters 2 and 5 have a lower proportion of unique haplotypes, but still exceed 46%. By measuring the H_e, allelic richness, and private allelic richness within each of the six subpopulations, relatively low levels of genetic diversity within each subpopulation (except Cluster 4) are observed. This indicated that the number of alleles, and not the combination of alleles, are limited. Next, the standard index of association (I_A^S) was measured, which revealed a significant decay in linkage disequilibrium (LD) associated with Cluster 6, which is indicative of independent assortment of alleles. This decay in LD is a signature of this subpopulation approaching linkage equilibrium by undergoing sexual recombination. To trace possible recombination events, the two most frequent microsatellite haplotypes observed over time (defined by either a K1 or Mad20) were selected as the progenitors and then potential recombinants were identified in within the natural population.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Contrary to conventional low transmission models, this study provides evidence of a parasite population structure that is superficially defined by a clonal backbone. Sexual recombination does occur and even arguably is responsible for maintaining the substructure of this population.</p

Temperature and Salinity Sensitivity of Respiration, Grazing, and Excretion Rates in the Estuarine Eelgrass Sea Hare, Phyllaplysia taylori

Highly dynamic environments such as estuaries are home to organisms accustomed to wide fluctuations in environmental conditions. However, estuarine temperature and salinity conditions are expected to shift with climate change, potentially altering plant and animal physiology and consequently their ecological interactions. Phyllaplysia taylori, a sea hare that lives exclusively in nearshore eelgrass beds in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, is a positive ecological interactor with eelgrass by increasing eelgrass productivity through grazing removal of photosynthesis-blocking epiphytes. The central aim of our study is to understand how increasing temperature and salinity are likely to alter that ecological interaction. First, we determined salinity thresholds for survival of P. taylori at 20 °C (typical summer temperature) for 2 weeks, and found that significant mortality occurs at salinity below 25 ppt. Then, we determined respiration rate, grazing rate, and defecation rate of P. taylori following a crossed 2-week acclimation at typical summer low- and high temperatures (18 and 22 °C) and salinities (27 and 33 ppt). P. taylori respiration and grazing rates were elevated under low salinity and high temperature. To determine how P. taylori responds to very warm and extreme summer temperatures, we measured respiration rates at higher temperatures (26 °C—very warm summer and 30 °C—heat shock) and feeding rates following exposure to the 30 °C heat shock. Irrespective of acclimation salinity, P. taylori acclimated to 18 °C were more sensitive to heat shock, as they had a larger increase in respiration rate at 30 °C, and had reduced feeding rates following the 30 °C exposure, whereas there was no reduction in feeding rate in 22 °C acclimated specimens. This study provides the first data on the salinity and temperature sensitivity and metabolic physiology of P. taylori with relevance to their trophic position in the context of eelgrass ecosystems

Melting-freezing cycles in a relatively sheared pair of crystalline monolayers

The nonequilibrium dynamical behaviour that arises when two ordered two-dimensional monolayers of particles are sheared over each other is studied in Brownian dynamics simulations. A curious sequence of nonequilibrium states is observed as the driving rate is increased, the most striking of which is a sliding state with irregular alternation between disordered and ordered states. We comment on possible mechanisms underlying these cycles, and experiments that could observe them.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, minor changes in text and figures, references adde

Experiences of the Pre and Post Retirement Period of Female Elite Artistic Gymnasts: An Exploratory Study

This study explored retirement experiences of eight, female, former elite artistic gymnasts. Particular attention was afforded to coping strategies employed and dynamics of gymnast’s relationships with significant members of their social support network, in light of identity impact, across the retirement transition period. Retrospective, semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcripts were analysed through content analysis, and represented via pen profiles. Pre-retirement planning emerged as fundamental to the quality of the retirement transition. Keeping in contact with sport was the most frequently cited coping strategy. Social support networks adjusted pre- to post-retirement, identifying parents and partners as the consistent members of these networks across the transition. Findings provide formative recommendations to enhance the post-career education within current lifestyle management programmes, and for the design of a transitional support programme for gymnasts. The study findings may be of relevance for policy and practice in elite sport transitions more generally

Experiences of the Pre and Post Retirement Period of Female Elite Artistic Gymnasts: An Exploratory Study

his study explored retirement experiences of eight, female, former elite artistic gymnasts. Particular attention was afforded to coping strategies employed and dynamics of gymnast’s relationships with significant members of their social support network, in light of identity impact, across the retirement transition period. Retrospective, semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcripts were analysed through content analysis, and represented via pen profiles. Pre-retirement planning emerged as fundamental to the quality of the retirement transition. Keeping in contact with sport was the most frequently cited coping strategy. Social support networks adjusted pre- to post-retirement, identifying parents and partners as the consistent members of these networks across the transition. Findings provide formative recommendations to enhance the post-career education within current lifestyle management programmes, and for the design of a transitional support programme for gymnasts. The study findings may be of relevance for policy and practice in elite sport transitions more generally

Effects of Art Intervention on Pediatric Anxiety and Pain in the Medical Setting

Introduction: Hospitalization and illness can be a painful and stressful time for a child. There may be anxiety over procedures and inpatient stays disrupt normal routines. Previous research found that for pre-school aged children, having parents around, having the help of the hospital staff, and playing an active role in alleviating their fears were the most helpful in reducing anxiety. Another study found that visual creative expressions can be meaningful experiences for young adult cancer survivors. Additionally, there is abundant literature on formal art therapy and its favorable effects on children in the hospital, however, there are fewer studies investigating less standardized “art intervention” in the same population. The purpose of our project was to assess whether art intervention reduces anxiety and pain in inpatient and outpatient pediatric patients.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1224/thumbnail.jp