Benefits and barriers in the design of harmonized access agreements for international data sharing

In the past decade, there has been a surge in the number of sensitive human genomic and health datasets available to researchers via Data Access Agreements (DAAs) and managed by Data Access Committees (DACs). As this form of sharing increases, so do the challenges of achieving a reasonable level of data protection, particularly in the context of international data sharing. Here, we consider how excessive variation across DAAs can hinder these goals, and suggest a core set of clauses that could prove useful in future attempts to harmonize data governance

L’éducation relative à l’environnement dans la Réserve de biosphère du mont Saint-Hilaire : observations et tensions

Le Programme sur l’Homme et la Biosphère (Programme MAB) de l’UNESCO vise à établir une base scientifique pour améliorer les relations entre l’humanité et la nature à l’échelle mondiale. Après presque 50 ans d’existence, l’expression la plus tangible du Programme MAB est un réseau de réserves de biosphère dont l’un des principaux objectifs est l’éducation. Puisque l’éducation relative à l’environnement a pour visée l’harmonisation du réseau de relations personne-société-environnement, nous avons effectué une analyse critique des actions suggérées à cet effet par le Programme MAB. Cet exercice a été réalisé dans le cadre du 3e examen périodique de la Réserve de biosphère du mont Saint-Hilaire (RBMSH), prévu par le cadre statutaire des réserves de biosphère dans une perspective d’amélioration des pratiques éducatives. Au bilan, nous formulons cinq observations relatives aux visées de l’ERE, au cadre non formel, à l’axiologie des pratiques, à la pertinence d’élaborer un modèle-cadre et à celle d’adopter des approches d’évaluation formative des pratiques pour favoriser la prise en compte de la diversité des relations entre les humains et la biosphère au sein de la RBMSH et dans le Réseau mondial des réserves de biosphère.UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program aims to establish a scientific basis for improving human-nature relations on a global scale. After almost 50 years of existence, the most tangible expression of MAB is a network of biosphere reserves, one of whose main objectives is education. Since environmental education (EE) sets out to harmonize the relations between person-society-environment, we have carried out a critical analysis of the actions suggested for this purpose by the MAB. This exercise was carried out as part of the 3rd periodic review of the Mont Saint-Hilaire Biosphere Reserve (RBMSH), in compliance with the Statutory Framework of Biosphere Reserves and with the intention of providing insights into EE practices. In summary, we present five observations concerning the aims of EE, the non-formal framework in which EE is conducted, the axiology of practices, the relevance of developing an EE framework model, and the adoption of formative evaluation approaches during periodic reviews to take into account the diversity of human-biosphere relations within the RBMSH and the World Network of Biosphere Reserves

Defusing the legal and ethical minefield of epigenetic applications in the military, defense, and security context

Epigenetic research has brought several important technological achievements, including identifying epigenetic clocks and signatures, and developing epigenetic editing. The potential military applications of such technologies we discuss are stratifying soldiers’ health, exposure to trauma using epigenetic testing, information about biological clocks, confirming child soldiers’ minor status using epigenetic clocks, and inducing epigenetic modifications in soldiers. These uses could become a reality. This article presents a comprehensive literature review, and analysis by interdisciplinary experts of the scientific, legal, ethical, and societal issues surrounding epigenetics and the military. Notwithstanding the potential benefit from these applications, our findings indicate that the current lack of scientific validation for epigenetic technologies suggests a careful scientific review and the establishment of a robust governance framework before consideration for use in the military. In this article, we highlight general concerns about the application of epigenetic technologies in the military context, especially discrimination and data privacy issues if soldiers are used as research subjects. We also highlight the potential of epigenetic clocks to support child soldiers’ rights and ethical questions about using epigenetic engineering for soldiers’ enhancement and conclude with considerations for an ethical framework for epigenetic applications in the military, defense, and security contexts.</p

The Economic Value of the Greater Montreal Blue Network (Quebec, Canada): A Contingent Choice Study Using Real Projects to Estimate Non-Market Aquatic Ecosystem Services Benefits.

This study used a contingent choice method to determine the economic value of improving various ecosystem services (ESs) of the Blue Network of Greater Montreal (Quebec, Canada). Three real projects were used and the evaluation focused on six ESs that are related to freshwater aquatic ecosystems: biodiversity, water quality, carbon sequestration, recreational activities, landscape aesthetics and education services. We also estimated the value associated with the superficies of restored sites. We calculated the monetary value that a household would be willing to pay for each additional qualitative or quantitative unit of different ESs, and these marginal values range from $0.11 to$15.39 per household per unit. Thus, under certain assumptions, we determined the monetary values that all Quebec households would allocate to improve each ES in Greater Montreal by one unit. The most valued ES was water quality ($13.5 million), followed by education services ($10.7 million), recreational activities ($8.9 million), landscape aesthetics ($4.1 million), biodiversity ($1.2 million), and carbon sequestration ($0.1 million). Our results ascribe monetary values to improved (or degraded) aquatic ecosystems in the Blue Network of Greater Montreal, but can also enhance economic analyses of various aquatic ecosystem restoration and management projects

From white to green gold: Digging into public expectations and preferences for ecological restoration of asbestos mines in southeastern Quebec, Canada

The asbestos mining industry in Canada shut down in 2012, leading to several decommissioned and some abandoned sites. In southeastern Quebec, asbestos mining residues cover an area of 2308 hectares. About 800 million tonnes of tailings are vestiges of this mining industry, along with socio-economic and environmental impacts resulting from mine closure. Ecological restoration of asbestos tailings and waste rock involves many considerations, including afforestation challenges, high costs and health risks related to asbestos dust exposure during the process. This study documented social demands for asbestos mine restoration in southeastern Quebec (Canada) by local community members. Choice-based conjoint analysis assessed public expectations and preferences for various key attributes related to ecological restoration (i.e., types of vegetation cover, desired uses, total area to be restored, and payment conditions) of former asbestos mining sites. Results highlight public interest regarding ecological restoration projects in these areas, show various landscape preferences and a positive willingness to financially support land reclamation scenarios. In addition to heterogeneity in the choice of attributes and levels associated to the proposed scenarios, the results of this study reveal that the surveyed community members possess a strong sense of belonging to their mining heritage, but low risk perceptions regarding exposure to asbestos fibres. By adopting a cross-disciplinary perspective of social and natural sciences, this study suggests possible avenues for integrating social dimensions that shape these communities toward a post-mining future fostering consensus and cohesion

Autoresonant second harmonic generation in a nonuniform LBO crystal

Varying the temperature of a LBO crystal longitudinally has been suggested as a mechanism to improve the SHG conversion efficiency starting from a broadband pulse