212 research outputs found
Motivational crowding effects in payments for ecosystem services: Exploring the role of instrumental and relational values
Nature is perceived and valued in many different ways. Often, the types of values that are the most important to people depend on how they cognitively frame desirable human–nature relations. For instance, the value of nature can be seen through a utilitarian lens, for example, as providing ecosystem services for humans. Alternatively, it can also be considered valuable for non-instrumental reasons, for example, for its sacred or spiritual significance. In this paper, we use a framed field experiment to test how people belonging to three distinct communities in Colombia (Indigenous, Afro-Colombian and Campesino) respond to different ways of framing payments for ecosystem services (PES) schemes, so as to assess potential motivational crowding effects of pro-social/intrinsic motivations for forest conservation. The experimental results indicate that crowding-in of intrinsic motivations for forest conservation occurred in participants from the Indigenous community when the PES scheme was framed in a way that highlighted the relational values of the forest. By contrast, motivational crowding-in took place for participants in the framed field experiment from the Campesino community when the PES scheme was introduced in a way that highlighted instrumental values instead. Participants from the Afro-Colombian community did not show the evidence of motivational crowding under either framing. Together, these results suggest that PES schemes that are framed in a way that harmonizes with locally salient human–nature relational models and associated values are more likely to cause motivational crowding-in, and thus encourage the higher rates of environmental conservation, even after payments are discontinued. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article. © 2021 The Authors. People and Nature published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.We would like to acknowledge the Corporaci?n aut?noma regional del Valle del Cauca (CVC), especially Andr?s Carmona and Santiago Mesa, the leaders and community members of Rio Bravo, the Resguardo Nasa Kiwe Embera Cham? (La Delfina) and the Consejo Comunitario Alto y Medio Dagua, without whom this study would not have been possible. We would also like to thank Adriana Bernal and Juan Felipe Ortiz-Riomalo for their insightful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. Funding for this research was provided by the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation in the framework of the Alexander von Humboldt-Professorship endowed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. B.L. and U.P. are supported by the Spanish Government through Mar?a de Maeztu Excellence Accreditation 2018?2022 (Ref. MDM-2017-0714). We would like to acknowledge the Corporación autónoma regional del Valle del Cauca (CVC), especially Andrés Carmona and Santiago Mesa, the leaders and community members of Rio Bravo, the Resguardo Nasa Kiwe Embera Chamí (La Delfina) and the Consejo Comunitario Alto y Medio Dagua, without whom this study would not have been possible. We would also like to thank Adriana Bernal and Juan Felipe Ortiz‐Riomalo for their insightful comments on an earlier draft of this manuscript. Funding for this research was provided by the Alexander von Humboldt‐Foundation in the framework of the Alexander von Humboldt‐Professorship endowed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. B.L. and U.P. are supported by the Spanish Government through María de Maeztu Excellence Accreditation 2018–2022 (Ref. MDM‐2017‐0714)
Magnetodielectric effect and optic soft mode behaviour in quantum paraelectric EuTiO3 ceramics
Infrared reflectivity and time-domain terahertz transmission spectra of
EuTiO3 ceramics revealed a polar optic phonon at 6 - 300K, whose softening is
fully responsible for the recently observed quantum paraelectric behaviour.
Even if our EuTiO3 ceramics show lower permittivity than the single crystal due
to a reduced density and/or small amount of secondary pyrochlore Eu2Ti2O7
phase, we confirmed the magnetic field dependence of the permittivity, also
slightly smaller than in single crystal. Attempt to reveal the soft phonon
dependence at 1.8K on the magnetic field up to 13T remained below the accuracy
of our infrared reflectivity experiment
Antiferrodistortive phase transition in EuTiO3
X-ray diffraction, dynamical mechanical analysis and infrared reflectivity
studies revealed an antiferrodistortive phase transition in EuTiO3 ceramics.
Near 300K the perovskite structure changes from cubic Pm-3m to tetragonal
I4/mcm due to antiphase tilting of oxygen octahedra along the c axis (a0a0c- in
Glazer notation). The phase transition is analogous to SrTiO3. However, some
ceramics as well as single crystals of EuTiO3 show different infrared
reflectivity spectra bringing evidence of a different crystal structure. In
such samples electron diffraction revealed an incommensurate tetragonal
structure with modulation wavevector q ~ 0.38 a*. Extra phonons in samples with
modulated structure are activated in the IR spectra due to folding of the
Brillouin zone. We propose that defects like Eu3+ and oxygen vacancies strongly
influence the temperature of the phase transition to antiferrodistortive phase
as well as the tendency to incommensurate modulation in EuTiO3.Comment: PRB, in pres
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Multiple ethnic origins of mitochondrial DNA lineages for the population of Mauritius
This article reports on the first genetic assessment of the contemporary Mauritian population. Small island nodes such as
Mauritius played a critical role in historic globalization processes and revealing high-resolution details of labour sourcing is
crucial in order to better understand early-modern diaspora events. Mauritius is a particularly interesting case given detailed
historic accounts attesting to European (Dutch, French and British), African and Asian points of origin. Ninety-seven samples
were analysed for mitochondrial DNA to begin unravelling the complex dynamics of the island’s modern population. In
corroboration with general demographic information, the majority of maternal lineages were derived from South Asia
(58.76%), with Malagasy (16.60%), East/Southeast Asian (11.34%) and Sub-Saharan African (10.21%) also making significant
contributions. This study pinpoints specific regional origins for the South Asian genetic contribution, showing a greater
influence on the contemporary population from northern and southeast India. Moreover, the analysis of lineages related to
the slave trade demonstrated that Madagascar and East Asia were the main centres of origin, with less influence from West
Africa
Pro-inflammatory and neurotrophic factor responses of cells derived from degenerative human intervertebral discs to the opportunistic pathogen Cutibacterium acnes
Previously, we proposed the hypothesis that similarities in the inflammatory response observed in acne vulgaris and degenerative disc disease (DDD), especially the central role of interleukin (IL)-1β, may be further evidence of the role of the anaerobic bacterium Cutibacterium (previously Propionibacterium) acnes in the underlying aetiology of disc degeneration. To investigate this, we examined the upregulation of IL-1β, and other known IL-1β-induced inflammatory markers and neurotrophic factors, from nucleus-pulposus-derived disc cells infected in vitro with C. acnes for up to 48 h. Upon infection, significant upregulation of IL-1β, alongside IL-6, IL-8, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 3 (CCL3), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 4 (CCL4), nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), was observed with cells isolated from the degenerative discs of eight patients versus non-infected controls. Expression levels did, however, depend on gene target, multiplicity and period of infection and, notably, donor response. Pre-treatment of cells with clindamycin prior to infection significantly reduced the production of pro-inflammatory mediators. This study confirms that C. acnes can stimulate the expression of IL-1β and other host molecules previously associated with pathological changes in disc tissue, including neo-innervation. While still controversial, the role of C. acnes in DDD remains biologically credible, and its ability to cause disease likely reflects a combination of factors, particularly individualised response to infection
Distress, depression and coping in HLA-B27-associated anterior uveitis with focus on gender differences
Background/aims To evaluate depression, coping with
disease and stress, and the subjective impression of
distress and/or life events as triggers for recurrences in
HLA-B27-associated anterior uveitis (B27-AU), with
attention to gender-specific characteristics.
Methods 171 patients with a history of B27-AU
responded to a postal survey performed between
January 2006 and April 2008 using standardised
psychological questionnaires: Beck Depression Inventory,
Freiburg Questionnaire on Coping with Illness, and Stress
Coping Inventory.
Results Patients with B27-AU differed from healthy
controls showing more depressive symptoms (Beck
Depression Inventory, 31.6%), applying characteristic
disease coping as well as negative stress coping
strategies. Female B27-AU patients tended to react with
depression and male patients to use negative stress
coping strategies. 57.9% of patients believed that
psychological distress was a trigger for relapses, and
34.5% stated specific life events. Together, this group of
patients achieved higher depression scores and used
more negative disease and stress coping styles than
patients without perception of distress.
Conclusion Patients with B27-AU patients exhibited
significant psychopathology concerning depression and
disease coping. Distress and life events were
subjectively suspected to be a trigger. By imparting
knowledge to the patients on probable development of
depressive moods and the role of stress/life events as
trigger for relapses, as well as offering behaviour therapy
to optimise coping, may help patients to cope better
with B27-AU
Dependence of Curie Temperature on the Thickness of Epitaxial (Ga,Mn)As Film
We present the magnetotransport properties of very thin (5 to 15 nm) single
(Ga,Mn)As layers grown by low temperature molecular beam epitaxy. A lower
(Ga,Mn)As thickness limit of 5 nm for the ferromagnetic phase and the
dependence of the Curie temperature on (Ga,Mn)As thickness are determined from
electrical transport measurements. The Curie temperature is determined to be 97
K for the thinnest ferromagnetic sample and is found to decrease for increasing
layer thickness. A carrier density of ~7.1 cm for the 5
nm thick (Ga,Mn)As layer is determined from Hall measurements. Differences
between magnetotransport properties of thick and thin (Ga,Mn)As layers are
observed and discussed.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure
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