From ‘It rarely happens’ to ‘It’s worse for men’ : dispelling misconceptions about sexual violence against men and boys in conflict and displacement

Sexual violence against men and boys in conflict and displacement has garnered increasing attention over the past decade and has been recognised in UN Security Resolution 2467. Despite increased evidence and understanding of the issue, myths and misconceptions nevertheless abound. The authors of this article – practitioners and academics with extensive experience in the field – aim to dispel ten of the most common misconceptions that we have encountered, and to highlight the current evidence base regarding sexual violence against men and boys in humanitarian settings. We argue that just as there is no universal experience of sexual violence for women and girls, there is no universal experience for men and boys, or for nonbinary people. In order to address the complexities of these experiences, a survivor-centred, intersectional approach is needed

Field-based stable isotope analysis of carbon dioxide by mid-infrared laser spectroscopy for carbon capture and storage monitoring

A newly developed isotope ratio laser spectrometer for CO2 analyses has been tested during a tracer experiment at the Ketzin pilot site (northern Germany) for CO2 storage. For the experiment, 500 tons of CO2 from a natural CO2 reservoir was injected in supercritical state into the reservoir. The carbon stable isotope value (δ13C) of injected CO2 was significantly different from background values. In order to observe the breakthrough of the isotope tracer continuously, the new instruments were connected to a stainless steel riser tube that was installed in an observation well. The laser instrument is based on tunable laser direct absorption in the mid-infrared. The instrument recorded a continuous 10 day carbon stable isotope data set with 30 min resolution directly on-site in a field-based laboratory container during a tracer experiment. To test the instruments performance and accuracy the monitoring campaign was accompanied by daily CO2 sampling for laboratory analyses with isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). The carbon stable isotope ratios measured by conventional IRMS technique and by the new mid-infrared laser spectrometer agree remarkably well within analytical precision. This proves the capability of the new midinfrared direct absorption technique to measure high precision and accurate real-time stable isotope data directly in the field. The laser spectroscopy data revealed for the first time a prior to this experiment unknown, intensive dynamic with fast changing δ13C values. The arrival pattern of the tracer suggest that the observed fluctuations were probably caused by migration along separate and distinct preferential flow paths between injection well and observation well. The short-term variances as observed in this study might have been missed during previous works that applied laboratory-based IRMS analysis. The new technique could contribute to a better tracing of the migration of the underground CO2 plume and help to ensure the long-term integrity of the reservoir

Long-term and high-temporal-resolution δ¹³C-CO₂ in a salt mine

An isotope ratio mid-infrared laser spectrometer (Delta Ray, Thermo Scientific, Bremen, Germany) for measurement of CO2 concentrations and its stable isotope ratios of 13C/12C as well as 18O/16O was placed in a salt mine at a depth of approximately 600 m below ground. A location, where diffusive contributions of mantle CO2 were suspected and historically evident, was chosen for long-term measurements over several weeks from September, 24 to October, 26 of 2019