Longitudinal heterogeneity of two prereservoirs in the Harz mountains (Germany)

The understanding of longitudinal heterogeneity in pre-reservoirs is crucial for the development of a sophisticated monitoring program which shall be able to represent the water bodies in a resource efficient way. The present study was conducted at two prereservoirs in the Harz mountains (Germany), the Rappbode and Hassel pre-reservoirs which are connected to the largest drinking water reservoir in Germany (Rappbode reservoir). Analyzed were the routine monitoring data from the bi-weekly sampling of the inflow and the outflow of the water bodies. Additionally, in summer 2012, two sampling campaigns of the transects were conducted (6 sampling points per pre-reservoir). Focus was laid on the heterogeneity of major ions, nutrients and dissolved metals, algae (chlorophyll concentration) and CO2 and CH4 concentrations. A further field of investigation was the emission of these GHG from the pre-reservoirs, using a floating chamber during the transect sampling campaigns. It was found out that the current monitoring program represents the pre-reservoir considerably well. However, a heterogeneous distribution of the algae was discovered, making it not suitable for the representation of the reservoirs if only a few spots are sampled. Ebullition fluxes were recognized in the transition zone of the pre-reservoirs, contributing to an emission of the GHG to the atmosphere. The findings of this study confirm the use of the inflow and outflow of the reservoirs as routine spots but to for an extensive and more precise conclusion a more sustainable way in the monitoring should be found.POPULAR SCIENCE SUMMARY Water reservoirs make up a considerable amount of fresh water bodies in our landscapes and their importance flood protection, drinking water production, recreation etc. increases. Reservoirs show characteristics of both streams and lakes; the inflow zone is still very similar to a stream because the water has a higher flow velocity so that particulate matter is transported along with it and a higher nutrient availability is found. In the transition zone the water is already flowing with a decreased velocity and particles will settle. The deep water zone close to the dam, the lacustrine zone, mainly shows characteristics of a lake with very low water movement, long residence times and a low concentration of dissolved nutrients. In some cases pre-reservoirs are installed in front of larger water reservoirs to act as buffers, especially if the downstream reservoir is used for drinking water abstraction and a high water quality is required. For the collection of long term data sets, a monitoring program is set up which provides information on the behavior and processes in the reservoirs. In this study two pre-reservoirs in the Harz mountains (Germany) have been investigated with two major research questions in mind. First, data from the relatively new monitoring program of the Hassel- and Rappbode pre-reservoirs were analyzed to see how well the current routine monitoring spots at the inflow and outflow of the reservoirs represent the reservoir even though heterogeneous conditions can be expected as I described above. A second research question dealt with the emission of greenhouse gases from the two reservoirs. As greenhouse gases are known to be a great contributor to climate change, the emission coming from water bodies receives more and more attention in the field of natural sciences. The results show that for many parameters the inflow and the outflow are representing the reservoir well because the change between these two points is considerably small. However, the biological parameters (chlorophyll distribution) is very heterogeneous and no conclusions about the chlorophyll distribution can be drawn from the routine monitoring. The greenhouse gas emissions of the reservoirs showed that the reservoirs are both emitters of methane. It was even possible to document methane bubbles (ebullition). These bubbles move from the sediment and while reaching the water surface the very high point emission of the gas can be documented. For carbon dioxide a net drawdown was found but as we sampled during the day and photosynthesis required carbon dioxide a diurnal sampling has to be conducted before it can be identified if the reservoirs are sinks or sources of carbon dioxide. To have a proficient and sustainable monitoring of the water reservoirs in the Harz mountains, it is important to understand if the current undertakings to monitor the water bodies are representable. As this study started to analyze the long term data collection which seems to be appropriate at the current sampling points, future data sets can be build up on that

Inter-annual ciliate distribution variation within the late stratification oxycline in a monomictic lake, Lake Alchichica (Mexico)

Deep stratified tropical water bodies pass through prolonged periods of meta-hypolimnetic anoxia, and ciliates might play a very important role in the plankton community budget there. We analysed changes in the composition and biomass of the ciliate assemblage and other microbial loop components throughout the oxycline just at the end of stratification in a warm-monomictic lake, Lake Alchichica, Mexico (four samplings: 2006-2008, 2010); the results were compared with those obtained from another lake from the re- gion, La Preciosa, sampled in 2010. Bacteria, autotrophic picoplankton (APP) and flagellates were analysed using epifluorescence microscopy. Ciliates were evaluated either in DAPI stained samples (looking for pigmented organelles and/or ingested phototrophs) or in quantitative protargol stain (QPS) permanent preparations, where they were identified at the genus or species level. The end of the stratification period in Lake Alchichica was characterized by almost uniform heterotrophic picoplankton (HPP) numbers (106 cells mL–1 ) throughout the water column. Meanwhile, APP showed epilimnetic and/or metalimnetic maxima of 105 cells mL–1 followed by an order of magnitude drop in the hypolimnion. A very important peak (105 cells mL–1 ) of the autotrophic or mixotrophic flagellate Pyramimonas sp. was observed repeatedly above and within the oxycline of Lake Alchichica. Ciliate biomass maxima were found around the oxycline and in the above-bottom layer. The top of the oxycline was dominated by Euplotes spp. and Spirostomum teres fine- to coarse-filter feeders (feeding upon APP, nanodiatoms and algae). Raptorial haptorids (in particular, Phialina sp.) were the second most important group, generally occupying the layer below euplotids, followed by Holophrya and Prorodon facultative anaer- obic prostomes. Sometimes, strictly anaerobic Caenomorpha sp. was found to be important in the anoxic hypolimnion. Minute pi- coplankton feeding species (both APP and heterotrophic bacteria feeders) were important throughout the water column: in the epilimnion, vorticellids (2006-2008) or scuticociliates (2010) dominated. Typically, the scuticociliate maximum was located in the oxycline and/or above the bottom. Some microaerophilic species were isolated; thus, their identification could be carried out. However, the apparent polymorphic ciliate life cycles were not described completely, and the species composition was only estimated: two dom- inant species (SC 1 - Cristigera-like and SC 2 - Cyclidim-like) covered nearly the total scuticociliate biomass. Strictly anaerobic scu- ticociliates were not isolated but observed in the deepest layers of the lake (bacteria symbiotic Isocyclidium globosum and Cristigera sp.). Significant statistical relation within the ciliate distribution and environmental variables was not confirmed due to unique species composition in the respective years. However, general trends in the distribution of ciliates on a species level were observed. Scutic- ociliates, including two important tentatively identified species, did not present unambiguous ecological position, and the study of their live cycle should be the next step in investigations

Large-scale analyses of common and rare variants identify 12 new loci associated with atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation affects more than 33 million people worldwide and increases the risk of stroke, heart failure, and death. Fourteen genetic loci have been associated with atrial fibrillation in European and Asian ancestry groups. To further define the genetic basis of atrial fibrillation, we performed large-scale, trans-ancestry meta-analyses of common and rare variant association studies. The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) included 17,931 individuals with atrial fibrillation and 115,142 referents; the exome-wide association studies (ExWAS) and rare variant association studies (RVAS) involved 22,346 cases and 132,086 referents. We identified 12 new genetic loci that exceeded genome-wide significance, implicating genes involved in cardiac electrical and structural remodeling. Our results nearly double the number of known genetic loci for atrial fibrillation, provide insights into the molecular basis of atrial fibrillation, and may facilitate the identification of new potential targets for drug discovery

Image processing and land-cover change analysis in the tri-national frontier of Madre de Dios (Peru), Acre (Brazil), and Pando (Bolivia) - MAP: an increasing demand for data standardization

A remote sensing database was constructed to analyze land cover change in the MAP region of Southwestern Amazonia. This database provides baseline observations to measure land cover changes in response to new road construction and paving in the region. Landsat (TM and ETM+) data for the MAP region across a period of 20 years (1986-2006) was obtained to evaluate land cover change. The image season was the austral winter, specifically July, with cloud-free images as temporally close as possible given the large geographic area. Climatic variability among image dates determined the exact image month and day to acquire each scene. The Landsat data were radiometrically calibrated, geometrically registered, normalized for precipitation differences (when necessary), and mosaicked. This database was constructed with in collaboration with the Universidad Amazonica de Pando (UAP); Universidade Federal do Acre (UFAC); Universidad Nacional Amazonica de Madre de Dios (UNAMAD) and University of Florida (UF). This paper highlights the need for institutional collaboration, data and method of remote sensing standardization across the tri-national boundary.Pages: 8176-818

Regional Deforestation Trends within Local Realities: Land-Cover Change in Southeastern Peru 1996–2011

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Tradizione e stile. ATTI DEL II CONVEGNO INTERNAZIONALE DI STUDI sul tema LA MUSICA SACRA IN AREA LOMBARDO-PADANA NELLA SECONDA MET\uc0 DEL '600 Como - Villa Gallia 3 - 5 settembre 1987

La pubblicazione di questi Atti, che avviene in prossimit\ue0 della realizza\uaczione del terzo incontro musicologico previsto nell'ambito di un progetto organico, pensato ed elaborato alcuni anni or sono, esprime un chiaro segno di continuit\ue0 e di coerenza con le scelte di campo iniziali. Inoltre ripropone in tutta la loro legittimit\ue0 quelle istanze metodologiche e culturali che un certo orientamento estetico, tuttora radicato, ha spesso eluso, in quanto portato a privilegiare le espressioni pi\uf9 note ed acquisite della storia della musica, anche a rischio di perdere il significato pi\uf9 autentico dell'evento musicale. Sulla scorta di tali convinzioni, che in questi anni non sono state prive di autorevoli conferme, questo secondo contributo individua un tema che si colloca in una prospettiva i cui tratti distintivi implicano in modo sostanzia\uacle il quadro di riferimento esperito nel primo convegno. I termini di questa interrelazione tra prima e seconda edizione rimandano sia alla tematica prescelta, sia all'ambito individuato. Alla luce di quanto emerso nel precedente convegno del 1985, dedicato a La musica sacra in Lombardia nella prima met\ue0 del Seicento, ove il campo era rimasto particolarmente circoscritto e polarizzato, l'angolazio\uacne proposta in questa occasione, ancorch\ue9 orientata a ottemperare ai criteri che hanno informato la predisposizione del ciclo complessivo, si apre a pi\uf9 ampi orizzonti iscrivendo il portato della tradizione lombarda in un contesto pi\uf9 articolato. In effetti, la complessit\ue0 dell'esperienza musicale relativa alla seconda met\ue0 del XVII secolo rende ancor maggiormente necessaria una fusione ed esplicazione di orizzonti diversi, ma contestuali, in ragione di un interscam\uacbio tanto vario nel suo porsi fattuale quanto riconducibile a quei presupposti comuni che rivelano ed esprimono una vera e propria koin\ue8 culturale. Un ulteriore segno di continuit\ue0 con la precedente edizione \ue8 indicato dalla configurazione definita dal convegno, che si sviluppa attorno a due polarit\ue0 precise, suggerendo alcuni versanti significativi della fenomenolo\uacgia musicale, quali la definizione di nuove forme e di soluzioni stilistiche originali, la dinamica delle iniziative promosse nei vari centri settentrionali, il configurarsi di un ruolo di importanza decisiva nell'ambito editoriale ed i termini di un interazione prefigurata ma ancora da cogliere pienamente nel suo articolato sistema di appartenenza, con riferimento alla segmentazione spazio-temporale. Il tema prescelto ci sembra riassumere emblematicamente questa impo\uacstazione. Tradizione e stile rappresentano infatti due versanti consequenzia\uacli e imprescindibili: se l'uno riassume la globalit\ue0 di un contesto, l'altro ne costituisce l'elemento determinante sul piano gerarchico e la ragione ultima

Participatory Action Research for Conservation and Development: Experiences from the Amazon

Research that features participation and action orientation, such as participatory action research (PAR), is especially valuable in contexts where there is rapid change, high social inequality, and great uncertainty about the future, which drives stakeholder demands for information to support their goals. The Amazon offers such a context, for it is a region where diverse stakeholders engage in contestation over environmental governance to address issues such as climate change to achieve conservation and sustainable development. Stakeholder mobilization has changed the terms by which research is conducted, from the definition of priority topics to the application of findings. Due to stakeholder mobilization, more and more research in the Amazon is now necessarily participatory, for stakeholders routinely issue demands about how the research will be conducted and for what purpose. In this paper, we provide an overview of several experiences of implementing methods such as PAR by different teams or networks, focusing on the complementary contributions of outside researchers and local stakeholders. The heart of the paper reports on three broad types of experiences focusing on conservation and development in the Amazon: (1) participatory data collection for co-production of knowledge for environmental governance, (2) inclusive environmental monitoring systems, and (3) innovative models of knowledge exchange to facilitate collective action. Within each type, we report multiple experiences with distinct approaches to participation and action in research. These experiences constitute models that can be replicated in other places for broader impact to support conservation and development