Measurements of greenhouse gases and related tracers at Bialystok tall tower station in Poland

Quasi-continuous, in-situ measurements of atmospheric CO2, O2/N2, CH4, CO, N2O, and SF6 have been performed since August 2005 at the tall tower station near Bialystok, in Eastern Poland, from five heights up to 300 m. Besides the in-situ measurements, flask samples are filled approximately weekly and measured at Max-Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry for the same species and, in addition, for H2, Ar/N2 and the stable isotopes 13C and 18O in CO2. The in-situ measurement system was built based on commercially available analysers: a LiCor 7000 for CO2, a Sable Systems "Oxzilla" FC-2 for O2, and an Agilent 6890 gas chromatograph for CH4, CO, N2O and SF6. The system was optimized to run continuously with very little maintenance and to fulfill the precision requirements of the CHIOTTO project. The O2/N2 measurements in particular required special attention in terms of technical setup and quality assurance. The evaluation of the performance after more than three years of operation gave overall satisfactory results, proving that this setup is suitable for long term remote operation with little maintenance. The precision achieved for all species is within or close to the project requirements. The comparison between the in-situ and flask sample results, used to verify the accuracy of the in-situ measurements, showed no significant difference for CO2, O2/N2, CH4 and N2O, and a very small difference for SF6. The same comparison however revealed a statistically significant difference for CO, of about 6.5 ppb, for which the cause could not be fully explained. From more than three years of data, the main features at Bialystok have been characterized in terms of variability, trends, and seasonal and diurnal variations. CO2 and O2/N2 show large short term variability, and large diurnal signals during the warm seasons, which attenuate with the increase of sampling height. The trends calculated from this dataset, over the period August 2005 to December 2008, are 2.02±0.46 ppm/year for CO2 and -23.2±2.5 per meg/year for O2/N2. CH4, CO and N2O show also higher variability at the lower sampling levels, which in the case of CO is strongly seasonal. Diurnal variations in CH4, CO and N2O mole fractions can be observed during the warm season, due to the periodicity of vertical mixing combined with the diurnal cycle of anthropogenic emissions. We calculated increase rates of 10.1±4.4 ppb/year for CH4, (-8.3)±5.3 ppb/year for CO and 0.67±0.08 ppb/year for N2O. SF6 shows only few events, and generally no vertical gradients, which suggests that there are no significant local sources. A weak SF6 seasonal cycle has been detected, which most probably is due to the seasonality of atmospheric circulation. SF6 increased during the time of our measurement at an average rate of 0.29±0.01 ppt/year

Where to begin? The best publications for newcomers to ethnopharmacology

Have you ever tried to enter a new field of research or to get a basic overview? Of course, we all have. However, where does one begin when entering a new field of research? This mini-review offers a concise (and certainly not comprehensive) overview on the fast-evolving field of ethnopharmacology. Based on a survey in which researchers provided feedback on the publications they find most relevant in the field and an assessment of what publications have been particularly relevant in the field, this paper offers a review of the 30 best papers and books for newcomers in the field. They cover the relevant areas within ethnopharmacology and give examples from all the core regions where ethnopharmacological research is being conducted. Different and sometimes contrasting approaches and theoretical frameworks are included, as well as publications reviewing important methods. With this, basic knowledge on related fields such as ethnobotany, anthropology, fieldwork methods and pharmacognosy is also incorporated. This paper is an invitation to explore fundamental aspects of the field and to understand the particular challenges faced by researchers newly entering this multi- and transdisciplinary field, and to provide them with examples of particularly stimulating research

In-situ measurements of oxygen, carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases from Ochsenkopf tall tower in Germany

We present 2.5 years (from June 2006 to December 2008) of in-situ measurements of CO2, O2, CH4, CO, N2O and SF6 mixing ratios sampled from 23, 90 and 163m above ground on the Ochsenkopf tower in the Fichtelgebirge range, Germany (50?0104900 N, 11?4803000 E, 1022ma.s.l.). In addition to the in-situ measurements, flask samples are taken at Ochsenkopf at approximately weekly intervals and are subsequently analysed for the mixing ratios of the same species, as well as H2, and the stable isotopes, ?13C, ?18O in CO2. The in-situ measurements of CO2 and O2 from 23m show substantial diurnal variations that are modulated by biospheric fluxes, combustion of fossil fuels, and by diurnal changes in the planetary boundary layer height. Measurements from 163m exhibit only very weak diurnal variability, as this height (1185ma.s.l.) is generally above the nocturnal boundary layer. CH4, CO, N2O and SF6 show little diurnal variation even at 23m owing to the absence of any significant diurnal change in the fluxes and the absence of any strong local sources or sinks. From the in-situ record, the seasonal cycles of the gas species have been characterized and the multi-annual trends determined. Because the record is short, the calculation of the trend is sensitive to inter-annual variations in the amplitudes of the seasonal cycles. However, for CH4 a significant change in the growth-rate was detected for 2006.5–2008.5 as compared with the global mean from 1999 to 2006 and is consistent with other recent observations of a renewed increasing global growth rate in CH4 since the beginning of 2007

Surface mucous as a source of genomic DNA from Atlantic billfishes (Istiophoridae) and swordfish (Xiphiidae)

Procedures for sampling genomic DNA from live billfishes involve manual restraint and tissue excision that can be difficult to carry out and may produce stresses that affect fish survival. We examined the collection of surface mucous as a less invasive alternative method for sourcing genomic DNA by comparing it to autologous muscle tissue samples from Atlantic blue marlin (Makaira nigricans), white marlin (Tetrapturus albidus), sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus), and swordfish (Xiphias gladius). Purified DNA from mucous was comparable to muscle and was suitable for conventional polymerase chain reaction, random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis, and mitochondrial and nuclear locus sequencing. The nondestructive and less invasive characteristics of surface mucous collection may promote increased survival of released specimens and may be advantageous for other marine fish genetic studies, particularly those involving large live specimens destined for release

State education as high-yield investment: human capital theory in European policy discourse

Human Capital Theory has been an increasingly important phenomenon in economic thought over the last 50 years. The central role it affords to education has become even more marked in recent years as the concept of the ‘knowledge economy’ has become a global concern. In this paper, the prevalence of Human Capital Theory within European educational policy discourse is explored. The paper examines a selection of policy documents from a number of disparate European national contexts and considers the extent to which the ideas of Human Capital Theory can be seen to be influential. In the second part of the paper, the implications of Human Capital Theory for education are considered, with a particular focus on the possible ramifications at a time of economic austerity. The paper argues that Human Capital Theory risks offering a diminished view of the person, a diminished view of education, but that with its sole focus on economic goals leaves room for educationists and others to argue for the educational, social, and moral values it ignores, and for the conception of the good life and good society it fails to mention