Southern Ocean Action Plan (2021-2030) in support of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development

In 2017, the United Nations proclaimed a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (hereafter referred to as the UN Ocean Decade) from 2021 until 2030 to support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health. To achieve this ambitious goal, this initiative aims to gather ocean stakeholders worldwide behind a common framework that will ensure ocean science can fully support countries in creating improved conditions for sustainable development of the world’s oceans. The initiative strives to strengthen the international cooperation needed to develop the scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society at the global scale. Based on the recommendations in the Implementation Plan of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Version 2.0, July 2021), the Southern Ocean community engaged in a stakeholder - oriented process to develop the Southern Ocean Action Plan. The Southern Ocean process engaged a broad community, which includes the scientific research community, the business and industry sector, and governance and management bodies. As part of this global effort, the Southern Ocean Task Force identified the needs of the Southern Ocean community to address the challenges related to the unique environmental characteristics and governance structure of the Southern Ocean. Through this community-driven process, we identified synergies within the Southern Ocean community and beyond in order to elaborate an Action Plan that provides a framework for Southern Ocean stakeholders to formulate and develop tangible actions and deliverables that support the UN Ocean Decade vision. Through the publication of this Action Plan, the Southern Ocean Task Force aims to mobilise the Southern Ocean community and inspire all stakeholders to seek engagement and leverage opportunities to deliver innovative solutions that maintain and foster the unique conditions of the Southern Ocean. This framework provides an initial roadmap to strengthen links between science, industry and policy, as well as to encourage internationally collaborative activities in order to address existing gaps in our knowledge and data coverage

Valuating Nutritive Value of Alfalfa with Meadow Fescue Varieties for Optimal Quality in Dairy Production Systems

Presented at 2020 Virtual Cornell Nutrition ConferenceDairy forage production in New York State is unique because over 85% of alfalfa sown in the state is done in combination with a perennial grass. Introducing a grass species into the alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stand can increase the neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), an important forage quality to support high milk production yields. Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) (MF) has recently been reintroduced into the United States, offering an opportunity for a high-quality grass to be mixed with alfalfa stands intended for dairy cow forage. The objective of this study was to achieve the highest possible quality for the grass, whilst maintaining a 20-30% grass mixture. Nineteen meadow fescue varieties, almost all developed in Europe, were sown in pure stands and evaluated for forage quality and the rate of change in quality during spring growth. Meadow fescue varieties also were sown with alfalfa on a range of dairy farms throughout New York State to evaluate their compatibility with alfalfa and to assess differences in nutritive value among varieties in the various regions.Department of Animal Scienc

Meadow Fescue Grass Varieties for Optimal Forage Quality in Dairy Production Systems

Achieving optimal forage quality on dairy farms is key towards supporting high milk production. In New York State, over 85% of alfalfa sown is done in combination with a perennial grass, a unique practice in dairy production systems. Inter-seeding a grass species into the alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stand can increase the neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD), an important forage quality to support high milk production yields. Meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis) (MF), a grass species originally from northern Europe and well established as a high-quality forage for lactating dairy cows, has recently been reintroduced into the United States. The objective of this study was to achieve the highest possible quality at harvest for the grass at the optimum harvest date for alfalfa, and to compare over the two growing seasons of 2020 and 2021. Pure stands of nineteen meadow fescue varieties were evaluated for forage quality and the rate of change in quality during spring growth

Automated feedback on the structure of hypothesis tests

Hypothesis testing is a challenging topic for many students in introductory university statistics courses. In this paper we explore how automated feedback in an Intelligent Tutoring System can foster students’ ability to carry out hypothesis tests. Students in an experimental group (N = 163) received elaborate feedback on the structure of the hypothesis testing procedure, while students in a control group (N = 151) only received verification feedback. Immediate feedback effects were measured by comparing numbers of attempted tasks, complete solutions, and errors between the groups, while transfer of feedback effects was measured by student performance on follow-up tasks. Results show that students receiving elaborate feedback solved more tasks and made fewer errors than students receiving only verification feedback, which suggests that students benefited from the elaborate feedback

A genetic epidemiology study of congenital adrenal hyperplasia in Italy

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD-CAH) is an autosomal recessive disorder affecting steroidogenesis, due to mutations in CYP21A2 (6p21.3). 21OHD-CAH neonatal screening is based on 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP) serum levels, showing high type I error rate and low sensitivity to mild CAH forms. Here, we used an epidemiological approach, which estimates the allelic frequency (q) of an autosomal recessive disorder using the proportion of homozygous patients, the mutational spectrum and the inbreeding coefficient in a sample of affected individuals. We applied this approach to 2 independent Italian cohorts of patients with both clinical and molecular diagnosis of 21OHD-CAH from mainland Italy (N\u2009=\u2009240) and Sardinia (N\u2009=\u200953). We inferred q estimates of 2.87% and 1.83%, corresponding to a prevalence of 1/1214 and 1/2986, respectively. CYP21A2 mutational spectra were quite discrepant between the 2 cohorts, with V281L representing 74% of all the mutations detected in Sardinia vs 37% in mainland Italy. These findings provide an updated fine-grained picture of 21OHD-CAH genetic epidemiology in Italy and suggest the need for a screening approach suitable to the detection of the largest number of clinically significant forms of CAH