The EDGE2 protocol: Advancing the prioritisation of Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species for practical conservation action

The conservation of evolutionary history has been linked to increased benefits for humanity and can be captured by phylogenetic diversity (PD). The Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered (EDGE) metric has, since 2007, been used to prioritise threatened species for practical conservation that embody large amounts of evolutionary history. While there have been important research advances since 2007, they have not been adopted in practice because of a lack of consensus in the conservation community. Here, building from an interdisciplinary workshop to update the existing EDGE approach, we present an “EDGE2” protocol that draws on a decade of research and innovation to develop an improved, consistent methodology for prioritising species conservation efforts. Key advances include methods for dealing with uncertainty and accounting for the extinction risk of closely related species. We describe EDGE2 in terms of distinct components to facilitate future revisions to its constituent parts without needing to reconsider the whole. We illustrate EDGE2 by applying it to the world’s mammals. As we approach a crossroads for global biodiversity policy, this Consensus View shows how collaboration between academic and applied conservation biologists can guide effective and practical priority-setting to conserve biodiversity

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

The occurrence of two strains of barley yellow mosaic virus in England

Een aantal isolaten van het gerstegeelmozaïekvirus, afkomstig van verschillende plaatsen in Engeland, werden met elkaar vergeleken. Uit de resultaten, verkregen met ELISA, goudmerking en mechanische overdracht, kan worden geconcludeerd, dat tenminste twee stammen van het virus in Engeland voorkomen. Deze stammen zijn, wat betreft de wijze van overdracht en de serologische eigenschappen, gelijk aan die welke in de Duitse Bondsrepubliek zijn beschreven.Peer reviewe

Experimental Setup for Neutron Lifetime Measurements with a Large Gravitational Trap at Low Temperatures

International audienceCurrently the most accurate measurements of neutron lifetime are being performed at the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute with ultracold neutrons (UCNs) stored in a gravitational trap. A modified setup with a large gravitational trap and cooling to 10–15 K is presented. The results of measurements of temperature dependence of UCN losses in collisions with walls, which were coated with a perfluorinated grease (Fomblin UT 18), at 300–77 K, are detailed. The probable heat inflow to the trap is estimated, and the feasibility of cooling to indicated temperatures in experiments with the modified setup is demonstrated