Assessing changes in global fire regimes

PAGES, Past Global Changes, is funded by the Swiss Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences and supported in kind by the University of Bern, Switzerland. Financial support was provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation award numbers 1916565, EAR-2011439, and EAR-2012123. Additional support was provided by the Utah Department of Natural Resources Watershed Restoration Initiative. SSS was supported by Brigham Young University Graduate Studies. MS was supported by National Science Centre, Poland (grant no. 2018/31/B/ST10/02498 and 2021/41/B/ST10/00060). JCA was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 101026211. PF contributed within the framework of the FCT-funded project no. UIDB/04033/2020. SGAF acknowledges support from Trond Mohn Stiftelse (TMS) and University of Bergen for the startup grant ‘TMS2022STG03’. JMP participation in this research was supported by the Forest Research Centre, a research unit funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia I.P. (FCT), Portugal (UIDB/00239/2020). A.-LD acknowledge PAGES, PICS CNRS 06484 project, CNRS-INSU, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, University of Bordeaux DRI and INQUA for workshop support.Background The global human footprint has fundamentally altered wildfire regimes, creating serious consequences for human health, biodiversity, and climate. However, it remains difficult to project how long-term interactions among land use, management, and climate change will affect fire behavior, representing a key knowledge gap for sustainable management. We used expert assessment to combine opinions about past and future fire regimes from 99 wildfire researchers. We asked for quantitative and qualitative assessments of the frequency, type, and implications of fire regime change from the beginning of the Holocene through the year 2300. Results Respondents indicated some direct human influence on wildfire since at least ~ 12,000 years BP, though natural climate variability remained the dominant driver of fire regime change until around 5,000 years BP, for most study regions. Responses suggested a ten-fold increase in the frequency of fire regime change during the last 250 years compared with the rest of the Holocene, corresponding first with the intensification and extensification of land use and later with anthropogenic climate change. Looking to the future, fire regimes were predicted to intensify, with increases in frequency, severity, and size in all biomes except grassland ecosystems. Fire regimes showed different climate sensitivities across biomes, but the likelihood of fire regime change increased with higher warming scenarios for all biomes. Biodiversity, carbon storage, and other ecosystem services were predicted to decrease for most biomes under higher emission scenarios. We present recommendations for adaptation and mitigation under emerging fire regimes, while recognizing that management options are constrained under higher emission scenarios. Conclusion The influence of humans on wildfire regimes has increased over the last two centuries. The perspective gained from past fires should be considered in land and fire management strategies, but novel fire behavior is likely given the unprecedented human disruption of plant communities, climate, and other factors. Future fire regimes are likely to degrade key ecosystem services, unless climate change is aggressively mitigated. Expert assessment complements empirical data and modeling, providing a broader perspective of fire science to inform decision making and future research priorities.Peer reviewe

Measurement of the Tau Lepton Polarisation at LEP2

A first measurement of the average polarisation P_tau of tau leptons produced in e+e- annihilation at energies significantly above the Z resonance is presented. The polarisation is determined from the kinematic spectra of tau hadronic decays. The measured value P_tau = -0.164 +/- 0.125 is consistent with the Standard Model prediction for the mean LEP energy of 197 GeV.A first measurement of the average polarisation Pτ of tau leptons produced in e + e − annihilation at energies significantly above the Z resonance is presented. The polarisation is determined from the kinematic spectra of tau hadronic decays. The measured value Pτ=−0.164±0.125 is consistent with the Standard Model prediction for the mean LEP energy of 197 GeV.A first measurement of the average polarisation P_tau of tau leptons produced in e+e- annihilation at energies significantly above the Z resonance is presented. The polarisation is determined from the kinematic spectra of tau hadronic decays. The measured value P_tau = -0.164 +/- 0.125 is consistent with the Standard Model prediction for the mean LEP energy of 197 GeV

PSYKISK OHÄLSA, ETT VÄXANDE PROBLEM BLAND UNGA : En kvantitativ studie om ungdomars psykiska hälsa i Västmanland

Psykisk ohälsa är ett globalt ökande folkhälsoproblem bland den unga befolkningen och i synnerhet bland flickor. Det har blivit allt vanligare att barn och unga söker vård för besvär som huvudvärk, magont, oro och ångest, men även för allvarligare former av psykisk ohälsa som depression har ökat. Detta belyser ett behov av insatser som ämnar främja barn och ungas psykiska hälsa. Stress har synliggjorts som en orsak till den ökade psykiska ohälsan. Således är syftet med denna studie att undersöka förekomst, könsskillnader samt potentiella samband mellan stress och psykisk ohälsa, i form av psykosomatiska besvär och depressiva symptom, bland ungdomar i Västmanlands län. Sekundärdata från enkätundersökningen Liv och Hälsa Ung 2012 användes och studien genomfördes med en kvantitativ ansats. Känsla av sammanhang (KASAM) och krav-kontroll-stödmodellen användes som två teoretiska verktyg för att förstå sambandet mellan stress och psykisk ohälsa. Resultatet visar att psykosomatiska besvär, depressiva symptom och stress är vanligt förekommande bland ungdomar i Västmanland, med överrepresentation bland flickor. Det finns också signifikanta samband mellan att ofta vara stressad och ökade psykosomatiska besvär respektive depressiva symptom. En slutsats som kan dras är att stress och psykisk ohälsa är ett utbrett problem bland ungdomar i Västmanland och i synnerhet bland flickor. Mental illness is a worldwide growing public health problem among the young population and particularly among girls. It has become increasingly common for children and young people seeking care for health problems such as headaches, stomach pain, worry and anxiety, but also more serious forms of mental illness such as depression have increased. This highlights the need for interventions that intend to promote children's and young people's mental health. Stress, mainly school-related, has been highlighted as a cause for the increase in mental illness. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence, gender differences and the potential relation between stress and mental illness, in the form of psychosomatic problems and depressive symptoms, among adolescents in Västmanland. Secondary data from the Survey of Adolescent Life in Västmanland 2012 was used and the study was performed using a quantitative approach. Sense of coherence (SOC) and demand- control-support model was used as two theoretical tools to understand the relation between stress and mental illness. The results show that psychosomatic problems, depressive symptoms and stress are common among adolescents in Västmanland, where girls are overrepresented in all respects. The results also show significant relations between often being stressed and increased psychosomatic problems and depressive symptoms. One conclusion that can be drawn is that stress and mental illness is a widespread problem among young people in Västmanland and especially among girls.

Ensamstående - men inte ensam : E-klubbsmodell för professionella

Det här examensarbetet ingår i projektet E-clubbing. Syftet med projektet är att skapa en modell för uppbyggnad av en e-klubb, som professionella inom social- och hälsovårdssektorn kan använda för att erbjuda resursförstärkande stöd för olika målgrupper. Med denna modell kan professionella främja hälsa, välbefinnande och delaktighet hos kunder. Kundens behov och intressen är en av de viktigaste faktorerna att beakta vid uppbyggnad av en e-klubb. Detta examensarbete fokuserar särskilt på ensamstående småbarnsföräldrar och kartläggning av deras stödbehov samt redan tillgängliga tjänster. Utgående från detta görs en e-klubbsmodell upp, vars syfte är att genom kamratstöd erbjuda stöd i vardagen för hela familjen samt stärka föräldraskapet. Frågeställningarna i examensarbetet är: Hurdant stöd är ensamstående småbarnsföräldrar i behov av? Hur kan man utgående från ensamstående småbarnsföräldrars behov bygga upp en e-klubb som stöder hela familjen? Vad behöver man som professionell ta i beaktande då man bygger upp en e-klubb? Examensarbetet bygger på tjänstedesign och baserar sig på redan befintlig forskning och litteratur. Arbetet har resulterat i både en modell för professionella och i en e-klubbsmodell för ensamstående småbarnsföräldrar. Det kan konstateras att det finns behov av virtuella tjänster för svenskspråkiga och av material kring hur man kan använda sig av dessa tjänster som professionell inom social- och hälsovårdssektorn.Tämä opinnäytetyö on osa E-clubbing-hanketta. Hankkeen tavoite on kehittää sosiaali- ja terveysalan ammattilaisille malli e-kerhon rakentamisen tueksi, jonka avulla he voivat tarjota voimavaroja vahvistavaa tukea eri asiakasryhmille. Tämän mallin avulla ammattilaiset voivat parantaa asiakkaiden terveyttä, hyvinvointia sekä osallisuutta. Yksi tärkeimmistä asioista e-kerhoa rakennettaessa on asiakkaan tarpeiden ja kiinnostusten huomiointi. Tämä opinnäytetyö keskittyy erityisesti pienten lasten yksinhuoltajavanhempiin, sekä heidän tuen tarpeiden, että olemassa olevien tukimuotojen selvittämiseen. Selvityksen tuloksen perusteella rakennetaan e-kerhomalli. E-kerhon tavoite on vertaistuen avulla tarjota tukea arkeen koko perheelle, sekä vahvistaa vanhemmuutta. Opinnäytetyön tutkimuskysymykset ovat: Millaista tukea pienten lasten yksinhuoltajavanhemmat tarvitsevat? Miten pienten lasten yksinhuoltajavanhempien tarpeista lähtien voi rakentaa e-kerhon, joka tukee koko perhettä? Mitä ammattilaisena tulee ottaa huomioon e-kerhoa rakentaessa? Opinnäytetyö on rakennettu palvelumuotoilun avulla, ja perustuu olemassa olevaan kirjallisuuteen sekä tutkimuksiin. Opinnäytetyön tuloksena on malli ammattilaisille ja e-kerhomalli pienten lasten yksinhuoltajavanhemmille. Työn päätelmänä on, että tarve vastaaviin ruotsinkielisiin virtuaalipalveluihin on olemassa. Sosiaali- ja terveysalan ammattilaisilla on myös tarvetta materiaalille virtuaalista palveluntarjontaa ajatellen.This thesis is a part of the E-clubbing project. The intention with the project is to create a model for making an e-club, which professionals in health and social care can use to provide strengthening support for different target groups. Through this model professionals can improve the health, wellbeing and participation of their customers. One of the most important elements when creating an e-club is taking into account the customers’ needs and interests. The focus for this thesis is on single parents of young children, their need for support and on clarifying already available services. Based on this an e-club model will be created. The intention with this is to provide everyday support for the whole family and to strengthen the parenthood. The research questions of this thesis are: What kind of support do single parents of young children need? From single parents’ point of view, how is it possible to create an e-club that supports the whole family? What do you as a professional need to consider when you make an e-club? This thesis builds on service design and is based on already existing research and literature. The results of this work are a model for professionals and an e-club model for single parents of young children. There is a need for virtual services for Swedish speaking people and a need for more knowledge about how to use virtual services in health and social care

The woman cries, the man criticizes : A gender critical text- and content analysis concerning male and female emergency reporting

Den här studien undersöker om det kan utrönas skillnader, och om så är fallet, i vad dessa skillnader består i, mellan manligt och kvinnligt skriftspråk i katastrofjournalistik med avseende på diskoteksbranden i Göteborg 1998 och tsunamikatastrofen 2004.    Dessa händelser valdes med utgångspunkt av att de liknar varandra, inte bara i att de faller under katastrofjournalistik, utan för att de båda krävde ett stort antal svenska dödsoffer och genom detta haft djupgående påverkan på det svenska samhället. Studiens empiri består av 78 nyhetsartiklar från Dagens Nyheteroch Svenska Dagbladet, vilka genererats med hjälp av databasen Retriever. Dessa har sedan undersökt noga genom text- och innehållsanalys med både kvantitativa och kvalitativa inslag.    Resultatet av studien visade att det i materialet fanns språkmässiga skillnader mellan könen. De kvinnliga journalisterna tenderade att använda fler pronomen i sina texter och att beskriva händelserna mer detaljrikt än männen. Dessutom tenderade nyhetstexterna som författats av kvinnor att vara mer emotionella och innehålla fler ord än de som författats av män, samtidigt som meningslängden i deras artiklar var kortare än männens.This study is aiming to investigate if there is a detectable difference, and if so, what characterizes that difference, between female and male written language in news reports from two catastrophic events that have had great impact on the Swedish society, namely the disco fire in Gothenburg in 1998 and the tsunami that hit the Bay of Bengal in 2004.   For the purpose of the investigation, 78 articles were pulled from the Swedish newspapers Dagens Nyheterand Svenska Dagbladet, with help by the newspaper search engine Retriever. Those articles were then closely examined through the use of both qualitative and quantitative content analysis.    The study showed that there were some differences to be found in the language use of female and male journalists concerning the two news events. Some of these differences being that the female reporters both tended to use more pronouns in their texts, and too describe events in more detail than their male colleagues. Other features that set female and male articles apart, were that female texts tended to contain more words than male texts at the same time as being more emotionally orientated. Articles by female writers also tended to be divided into shorter sentences than articles by male writers

Cardiovascular and renal disease in the adolescent guinea pig after chronic placental insufficiency

OBJECTIVE:The aim of this study was to determine the long-term effects of chronic placental insufficiency on the metabolic state and organ structure in the fetal and adolescent guinea pig. STUDY DESIGN: The maternal uterine artery was ligated at day 28–30 to reduce placental function and restrict fetal growth. Whole body and tissue weights and plasma metabolites were determined at 60 days of gestation and 8 weeks of age; tissue structure was determined at the latter age in restricted and control offspring. RESULTS: Fetal growth restriction increased fibrosis in the heart and kidneys (P < .05), increased aortic wall thickening (P < .01), reduced the number of glomeruli in the kidneys (P < .05), and increased the plasma urea and chloride in adolescent offspring. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that diseases in the heart, aorta, and kidneys that result from an adverse prenatal environment are evident at adolescence and may contribute to subsequent adult disease.Todd A. Briscoe, Alexandra E. Rehn, Sandra Dieni, Jhodie R. Duncan, Mary E. Wlodek, Julie A. Owens and Sandra M. Ree

Engendering (in)security in peace support operations

This article contributes towards ongoing debates on gender, security and post-conflict studies. Its focus is on the activities of male peace-keepers and their gendered relations with women and girls. Against the backdrop of the peacekeeping economies in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone, we focus on the consequences of male peacekeepers’ construction and enactment of masculinity (and masculinities) on the security of local women. We conclude by suggesting that a deeper understanding of gender relations and security in peacekeeping contexts is necessary for any policy intervention in post-conflict setting