Observation of a first-order phase transition deep within the vortex-solid region of YBa2Cu3O7

We have investigated the magnetic phase diagram of a fully oxygenated detwinned YBa2Cu3O7 single crystal by means of magneto-caloric and magnetization measurements, and found thermodynamic evidence for a temperature dependent first-order phase-transition line deep within the vortex-solid region. The associated discontinuities in the entropy are apparently proportional to the magnetic flux density, which may hint at a structural transition of the vortex lattice

Approaching Human Dimensions in Lemur Conservation at Lake Alaotra, Madagascar

‘Human dimensions of wildlife management’ is a concept that emerged some 50 years ago and has gained global application. A majority of cases report on human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs), where wildlife is causing problems to an expanding human population or vice versa. In Madagascar, lemurs represent a flagship for conservation. Many lemur taxa are threatened, and conservation is facing increasing challenges due to habitat loss and degradation. The Alaotran gentle lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis) is the only marshland living lemur. Its conservation is particularly challenging due to various conflicting interests of different stakeholder groups. The Alaotra region is the bread basket of Madagascar, producing a majority of inland fish and rice. Here we present a new venue taken by conservation, which is based on a transdisciplinary research approach, participatory modeling, and gaming through role-playing games (RPGs). This holds promise to engage stakeholders from the onset of conservation planning and management, and it is hoped that increased participation will spur ownership and thus reduce conflicts among stakeholders to increase conservation effectiveness to safe Hapalemur alaotrensis from extinction

Low-temperature differential-thermal analysis to measure variations in entropy

We describe how we can precisely measure variations in the entropy S of small solid samples below room temperature, as a function the temperature T or the external magnetic field H, respectively. A simple differential-thermal analysis (DTA) technique allows, in principle, for the measurement of variations in S without any instrumental broadening of the data. The method is particularly well suited for the detection of sharp phase transitions in samples of milligram size

Communities, Teachers, Conservationists -Deconstruction and Reconstruction of Environmental Education in Madagascar

Die Dissertation behandelt in einem interdisziplinären Mixed-Method-Ansatz die Möglichkeiten von Umweltbildung, zu Naturschutz in Madagaskar beizutragen. Die praxisbezogene Fallstudie konzentriert sich hierzu auf Schulen und Dorfgemeinschaften des Alaotra-Sees, und beinhaltet eine umfangreiche Erhebung zu Wissen, Einstellung und Wahrnehmungen natürlicher Ressourcennutzer bezüglich Natur und Naturschutz in der Region, weiterhin die Möglichkeiten und Erfolgsaussichten zur Umsetzung von Umweltbildung in öffentlichen Grundschulen, sowie prägende Lebenserfahrungen aktiver madagassischer Naturschützer. Die Autorin diskutiert abschließend mögliche Schritte, wie Umweltbildung in Madagaskar langfristig zu Biodiversitätserhalt und nachhaltiger Entwicklung beitragen kann.The dissertation takes an interdisciplinary mixed-methods approach to investigate the potential of EE in contributing to conservation in Madagascar. The applied case study therefore focuses on primary schools and communities of Lake Alaotra, and entails a comprehensive survey regarding knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of natural resource users towards nature and conservation in the region, furthermore the drivers and barriers to implement environmental education in public primary schools, as well as significant life experiences of active Malagasy conservationists. The author finally discusses possible measures how environmental education in Madagascar can contribute to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the long run

Environmental education in its infancy at Lake Alaotra, Madagascar

Madagascar is renowned for its unique biodiversity but also for the continuous degradation of its natural environment and its high poverty rate. In order to achieve sustainable development, environmental education has been assigned a key role. In the lake Alaotra region, Madagascar’s most important rice and inland fish production area, primary schools are the sole formal education for the majority of the population. In order to gain an overview on the education of ‘tomorrow’s’ resource users, this study assessed the general state of the school system and of environmental education in particular. The focus was on understanding local definitions of environmental education, its application and local perceptions of environmental problems. Over 50 in - depth interviews were conducted using the Funnel approach with teachers from 18 public primary schools. The interviews were supplemented with focus groups and a participatory problem analysis workshop. Teachers in the Alaotra region provided a different definition of environmental education than the United Nations. Their focus is on social aspects rather than the actual problems of the natural environment, which represents a different point of view than non - governmental organizations (NGOs) from abroad, who are the main promoters of environmental education in the area. This indicates that education for sustainable development might be more suitable in the region than the currently promoted environmental education. When developing educational programs, it is important to include the teachers in the development processes to ensure inclusion of local views and needs. This will increase the probability that such programs are locally meaningful and useful. RÉSUMÉSi Madagascar est réputée pour sa biodiversité unique, elle l’est aussi pour la dégradation de son environnement naturel et son taux de pauvreté élevé. L’éducation à l’environnement est un élément important dans l’accès au développement durable. Dans la région Alaotra qui est le principal producteur de riz et de poissons d’eau douce de Madagascar, l’éducation est dispensée presqu’exclusivement par les écoles primaires pour la majorité de la population limitrophe du lac Alaotra. Pour comprendre globalement l’éducation des futurs utilisateurs des ressources, l’étude a évalué la situation qui prévaut dans le système scolaire en général et celui de l’éducation environnementale en particulier. Les travaux se sont concentrés sur les définitions locales de l’éducation environnementale, sa mise en œuvre et les per­ceptions locales des problèmes environnementaux. Plus de 50 interviews détaillées ont été réalisées avec des enseignants de 18 écoles primaires sous méthode Funnel. Les interviews ont été complétées par des groupes de discussion et un atelier participatif portant sur l’analyse du problème. Les enseignants de la région de l’Alaotra ont énoncé une définition différente de l’éducation environnementale que celle proposée par les Nations Unies. Leur priorité porte davantage sur les aspects sociaux que sur les problèmes de l’environnement naturel lui-même, divergeant ainsi du point de vue des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) étrangères, qui sont actuellement les principaux promoteurs de l’éducation environnementale dans la région. Il apparait ainsi que l’éducation portant sur le développement durable pourrait être plus appropriée que l’éducation environnementale. Lors de l’élaboration des programmes éducatifs, il est donc important d’inclure des enseignants pour veiller à ce que les visions et besoins locaux soient considérés, ce qui donnera plus de chances aux dits programmes de prendre du sens et de servir leur dessein.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide, whose receptor-mediated signalling may be defective in alopecia areata, provides protection from hair follicle immune privilege collapse

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disorder whose pathogenesis involves the collapse of the relative immune privilege (IP) of the hair follicle (HF). Given that vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is an immunoinhibitory neuropeptide released by perifollicular sensory nerve fibres, which play a role in IP maintenance, it may modulate human HF-IP and thus be therapeutically relevant for AA. Objectives: To answer the following questions: Do human HFs express VIP receptors, and does their stimulation protect from or restore experimentally induced HF-IP collapse? Is VIP signalling defective in AA HFs?. Methods: Firstly, VIP and VIP receptor (VPAC1, VPAC2) expression in human scalp HFs and AA skin was assessed. In HF organ culture, we then explored whether VIP treatment can restore and/or protect from interferon-γ-induced HF-IP collapse, assessing the expression of the key IP markers by quantitative (immuno-)histomorphometry. Results: Here we provide the first evidence that VIP receptors are expressed in the epithelium of healthy human HFs at the gene and protein level. Furthermore, VIP receptor protein expression, but not VIP+ nerve fibres, is significantly downregulated in lesional hair bulbs of patients with AA, suggesting defects in VIP receptor-mediated signalling. Moreover, we show that VIP protects the HF from experimentally induced IP collapse in vitro, but does not fully restore it once collapsed. Conclusions: These pilot data suggest that insufficient VIP receptor-mediated signalling may contribute to impairing HF-IP in patients with AA, and that VIP is a promising candidate ‘HF-IP guardian’ that may be therapeutically exploited to inhibit the progression of AA lesions.</p

Tool development to understand rural resource users’ land use and impacts on land type changes in Madagascar

A majority of Madagascar’s rural people depend on the primary sector. The countrie’s agricultural hub, the Alaotra-Mangoro region, is mainly tied to fisheries and rice production. Increasing human population and decreasing output from fisheries and agriculture are pushing the rural resource users further into the protected marshlands. Understanding rural farmers’ decisions can help developing improved management plans to support long-term functioning of (socio-) ecological systems. We present here an example of inter- and transdisciplinary research which uses a participatory modelling approach to develop a shared vision of the Alaotra socio-ecological system. The purpose of this study is to introduce the used gaming approach in detail by documenting the process of co-construction of the Alaotra wetlands’ conceptual model. We then describe how the model is transcribed into a table-top role-playing game that will help researchers and stakeholders alike explore and understand decisions and management strategies. We finally report on first outcomes of the game including land use decisions, reaction to market fluctuation and landscape change. RésuméLa majorité des populations rurales de Madagascar dépendent du secteur primaire. Le centre agricole du pays, la région d'Alaotra-Mangoro, est principalement lié à la pêche et à la production de riz. L'accroissement de la population humaine et la diminution de la production de la pêche et de l'agriculture poussent les utilisateurs des ressources rurales vers les marais protégés. Comprendre les décisions des agriculteurs peut aider à développer de meilleurs plans de gestion pour soutenir le fonctionnement à long terme des systèmes (socio-) écologiques. Nous présentons ici un exemple de recherche interdisciplinaire et transdisciplinaire qui utilise une approche de modélisation participative pour développer une vision partagée du système socio-écologique d'Alaotra. Le but de cette étude est de présenter en détail l'approche des jeux utilisée ici, en documentant le processus de co-construction du modèle conceptuel pour les zones humides d'Alaotra. Nous décrivons ensuite comment le modèle est transcrit dans un jeu de rôle sur plateau qui aidera les chercheurs et les parties prenantes à explorer et à comprendre les décisions et les stratégies de gestion. Nous présentons enfin les premiers résultats du jeu, y compris les décisions d'utilisation des terres, la réponse aux fluctuations du marché et aux changements de paysages