Lessons Learnt From Ragweed and Birch Studies

Here we review some of the most important aspects of recent work on Ragweed (Ambrosia) and birch (Betula) concerning: 1) sources, 2) trends & phenology and 3) dispersion and transformation. Sources: At Northern latitudes the birch fraction in forests usually exceeds 50% of all broadleaved trees and the abundance of birch decreases with latitude from 5%-20% in many mid-latitude regions and down to 0%-2% in more southern areas. Birches are also commonly found in small woodlands or planted as ornamental trees in urban areas. Ragweeds are herbaceous weed species that are associated with areas of disturbance. Ragweed is native to North America, but considered an invasive species in Europe, Australia and China. In Europe, the four main centres are: The Pannonian Plain, Ukraine, The Po Valley (Italy) and the Rhone Valley (France). Trends & Phenology: Birch pollen seasons have started earlier during the last decades. This trend appears have decreased during recent years despite increasing spring temperatures. Ragweed tends to experience less change in flowering date as ragweed flowering depends on photoperiod. Ragweed is increasing its distribution in Europe, but airborne concentrations of ragweed pollen are not universally increasing, e.g. due to control measures or pest attacks. Dispersion & transformation: The beginning of the birch pollen season is often heralded by episodes of Long Distance Transport (LDT) from the south. Similar LDT episodes are intermittently seen for ragweed, which can reach as far north as Scandinavia. Humidity and air pollution can modify pollen grains during atmospheric transport. This can cause a change in allergenic potential of the pollen grain and is a direction for future research including the effect of co-exposure of air pollution and the transformation of aeroallergens

All Purpose Mobile GPS

The aim of the All Purpose Mobile GPS (The System) is to create a GPS tracking device that can accurately record location and calculate velocity, distance traveled and elevation change even when the satellite signal is lost. This data can later overlay on existing internet-based maps illustrating a trip to oneself or others. The portable tracker consumes very little power achieving several days’ worth of power in a single charge. A solar cell provides a quick battery boost in a pinch. SD Card storage increases compatibility with computers and other forms of data transfer. Data processing, such as viewing the route on a map, occurs on a computer after the completed data logging

Deep Well Pump Seal

Lifewater International, a Christian non-profit, trains locals to repair water well hand pumps in various third world countries. It would be beneficial to retrofit difficult-to-repair hand pumps with a locally-made pump cylinder such as HydroMission\u27s SlapShot . The majority of the components in the SlapShot can be easily obtained in rural third world villages. However, the thick leather gaskets required to seal the water cylinder during the pumping operation are imported. These thick leather gaskets are expensive, and when they fail, this results in pumps being out of commission for extended periods of time. Lifewater has presented this problem to a team of three undergraduate mechanical engineering students at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with the goal of being able to locally source and manufacture an adequate seal to replace the current thick leather seal

An Abbreviated Method for the Quality Control of Pollen Counters

We present an abbreviated method for conducting large scale quality control (QC) exercises over limited time periods, which was used for examining the proficiency of technicians involved in the electronic Pollen Information Network (ePIN). The goal was for technicians to have their analysis skills evaluated at least twice: (1) by having at least one of their slides successfully checked by other counters in the ePIN network and (2) by successfully examining at least one additional slide from other sites. Success was judged as a relative difference (RDif %) ≤ 30% between the two daily average pollen concentrations. A total of 21 sites participated in the ePIN QC exercise. All of the results for total pollen had RDif % 30%, three for Betula and two for Poaceae pollen. Of these, three were slides containing < 40 pollen/m3 daily average and two were for sites that had microscopes with small fields of view and examined < 10% of the slide surface. More than 80% of the participants had at least two slides successfully checked by someone else in the network, and all of the participants had one slide successfully examined. The latter is comparable to a traditional ring test where only one slide is sent to participating sites. The method described here enabled a large number of technicians to be examined in a short period of time and represents a viable alternative to other approaches that can take many months to complete

A Working Paper*: Quality of Life of Rural Nebraskans: How are they Doing and What is in the Future?

TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................. i INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 METHODOLOGY AND RESPONDENT PROFILE....................................... 2 FINDINGS ................................................................................................ 4 Global Well-Being (Figure 1)............................... 4 Change in the Modern World (Figure 2)...............................6 Personal Well-Being............................... 6 Availability of Services and Amenities (Figure 3)............................ 8 Dissatisfaction with Services and Amenities (Figure 4)........................... 9 Dissatisfaction with Services/Amenities by Region (Figure 5)...................... 10 Dissatisfaction with Services/Amenities by Community Size (Figure 6)............ 12 Dissatisfaction with Services/Amenities by Income Level (Figure 7)............... 13 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................ 1

The Worldwide Spread, Success, and Impact of Ragweed (Ambrosia spp.)

The Ambrosia species represent one of the most problematic groups of invasive weeds around the world. The ease with which they are introduced and spread in new countries, their generalist ecological requirements, and functional traits facilitate their invasion and subsequent naturalization in new areas. All of these aspects contribute to increasing their global social and economic impact, which is mostly related to pollen allergy. Here we analyze available scientific publications about Ambrosia artemisiifolia, A. psilostachya, A. tenuifolia, and A. trifida, with the aim of defining the current level of knowledge and summarizing important data that are currently scattered throughout the literature. Specifically, we analyzed the following: (1) their current global distribution and current stage of invasion; (2) traits and requirements promoting their introduction, reproductive success, and adaptation to climate and environment in the nonnative range; as well as (3) current knowledge about allergens and elements increasing their impact

LGBTQ migration, social isolation and distress:Liberation, care and loneliness

‘Pathways between LGBTQ migration, social isolation and mental distress’, is a research project that ran from September 2020 – September 2022. It was a collaboration between researchers from the Centre for Transforming Sexuality and Gender at the University of Brighton and the Brighton-based LGBTQ mental health charity, MindOut. The research was funded by UK Research and Innovation via the Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health Research Network, hosted at University College London.The project aimed to understand the significance of LGBTQ people’s migration histories and how they shape their experiences of mental health, loneliness/belonging and social isolation/inclusion. The project looked at both international and intra-national displacement and relocation, where sexuality and/or gender identity were factors in the move to Brighton. This report presents the findings from this project, which were collected through in-depth interviews and creative methods. These included the participants annotating maps of Brighton and drawing representations of their migratory journeys