scholarly journals Building a Global Open Extensible Biodiversity Commons Network

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Paul ◽  
Joe Miller ◽  
Michael Webster
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Biodiversity Knowledge ◽  
Standards Of Practice ◽  
Specimen Collection ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Common Goals ◽  
Global Events ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Data Commons ◽  
Research Author

Recent global events reinforce the need for local to global coalitions to address a variety of socio-environmental challenges such as the current COVID-19 pandemic (Cook et al. 2020) and biodiversity loss in general. Scientists reviewing data and fitness for current and future use note urgent necessary changes needed in data collection, specimen collection and preservation, infrastructure, human capacity, and standards-of-practice (Raven and Miller 2020, Morrison et al. 2017, Cook et al. 2020). Multi-faceted research questions often require cross-disciplinary collaboration. A recent paper analyzed conservation and disease mitigation research author networks and discovered that certain disciplines do not work together unless the research has outcomes that serve all groups involved (Kading and Kingston 2020). This research reinforces the finding that common goals offer a powerful way to build effective cross-disciplinary networks, speed up collaboration, and more effectively take on complex research. To move toward a Digital Extended Specimen (DES), the alliance for biodiversity knowledge is engaging in community building. The above summary when coupled with conversations from our alliance-led online consultations reinforces known threads and reveals some emerging themes about partnerships and collaborations. Our group continues to work on defining what a Digital Specimen is (or is not) and then communicating that succinctly to the worldwide community. At the same time we recognize the need for an extensible digital specimen object, we note the need for an extensible network. We note that groups need to and are motivated to solve local issues (as in for their town, or their country or continent). So, looking for and selecting common threads across these regional scales will be key to realizing and motivating effective partnerships and networks. Foremost, this includes expanding participation beyond Europe and North America. We recognize the need to form new partnerships to expand our network and learn from our new partners. For example, the Digital Humanities community would like to talk about the intersection of the humanities, social sciences, biology, and collections that can help each other to do better research. With this talk, and through participation in TDWG2021, we seek to share information and insights gathered so far about next steps and about building and sustaining the network we need to realize a biodiversity data commons and get input from those who participate in our session.

Mass Extinctions and the Structure and Function of Ecosystems

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 115-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pincelli M. Hull ◽  
Simon A. F. Darroch
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Structure And Function ◽  
Ecosystem Change ◽  
Mass Extinctions ◽  
General Introduction ◽  
Biodiversity Crisis ◽  
Ecosystem Effects ◽  
History Of ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
And Function

Mass extinctions shape the history of life and can be used to inform understanding of the current biodiversity crisis. In this paper, a general introduction is provided to the methods used to investigate the ecosystem effects of mass extinctions (Part I) and to explore major patterns and outstanding research questions in the field (Part II). The five largest mass extinctions of the Phanerozoic had profoundly different effects on the structure and function of ecosystems, although the causes of these differences are currently unclear. Outstanding questions and knowledge gaps are identified that need to be addressed if the fossil record is to be used as a means of informing the dynamics of future biodiversity loss and ecosystem change.

scholarly journals Problemy użycia języka religijnego we współczesnych mediach

2021 ◽  
Vol 12(48) (2) ◽  
pp. 67-83
Author(s):  
Milena Kindziuk
Keyword(s):  
Research Problem ◽  
Religious Language ◽  
Media Messages ◽  
Cultural Codes ◽  
Traditional Language ◽  
Polish Language ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
The Media ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Contemporary Media

In discussions about religious discourse in the media, the tension or discrepancy between the communicative secular and secularized language of contemporary media and the more hermetic and traditional language describing situations related to religious experience, i.e. the sacred is emphasized. This article is an attempt to answer the question of what the religious language of the media should be. The research problem is: is it to be adapted to the contemporary Polish language, taking into account the commonplace, or more archaic, theological, referring to biblical and cultural codes? When discussing the ways of transmitting religious content in the media, two elements should be taken into account: 1) religious language has always been and is the language of communication (proclamation), focused on lively contact with the recipient and caring for communication; to some extent always adapted to the recipient; contemporary media, which are rapidly developing themselves, speed up this adaptation process, but this process is part of the nature of the language; 2) the creators or the first teachers of great religions (excluding small esoteric religions) used spoken language, close to colloquial language, understandable, adapted to the audience (their teaching or revelation was written later); they, too, are a model of inculturation that religious language continues to undergo, without giving up their specificity and sacredness. It should be mentioned that the research questions posed in this article concern only the religious language of media messages, not the language of official religious communication. This article uses the research method based on a critical analysis of the scientific discourse on religious language in the media studies literature from 1998-2020, combined with the presentation of own proposals in this area.

scholarly journals How to Bridge Research Results to Everyday Clinical Care?

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
VV Gordan
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Care ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
The Public ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
Practice Based Research ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Research Questions

SUMMARY Laboratory and clinical studies are essential to the advancement of sciences. However, a significant gap exists between the research findings and clinical practice. Therefore, research findings can be of little importance if their outcome cannot be directly or indirectly applied to everyday clinical care or readily translated. This paper focuses on how we can shorten the gap between the generation of new knowledge and their implementation into everyday clinical care. A new model is discussed where clinicians are the ones generating the research idea are paired with researchers. They collaborate on studies whose results are readily applicable to everyday practice. Partnering with health providers on studies that address everyday clinical research questions is a potential solution to speed up the translation of the research findings. Generating clinically applicable results can better improve the health of the public. Quoting Dr. Lawrence W. Green: “If we want more evidence-based practice, we need more practice-based evidence.” This paper presents the practice-based research model as a solution to address this knowledge gap.

scholarly journals Aichi Target 18 beyond 2020: mainstreaming Traditional Biodiversity Knowledge in the conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal ecosystems

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e9616
Author(s):  
Paola Fajardo ◽  
David Beauchesne ◽  
Alberto Carbajal-López ◽  
Rémi M. Daigle ◽  
L. Denisse Fierro-Arcos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biodiversity Conservation ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Coastal Ecosystems ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Biodiversity Knowledge ◽  
Global Biodiversity

Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) have inhabited coastal areas, the seas, and remote islands for millennia, and developed place-based traditional ancestral knowledge and diversified livelihoods associated with the biocultural use of marine and coastal ecosystems. Through their cultural traditions, customary wise practices, and holistic approaches to observe, monitor, understand, and appreciate the Natural World, IPLCs have been preserving, managing, and sustainably using seascapes and coastal landscapes, which has been essential for biodiversity conservation. The international community has more than ever recognized the central role of IPLCs in the conservation of biodiversity-rich ecosystems, in particular, for the achievement of the Global Biodiversity Targets determined by the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to tackle biodiversity loss. However, much remains to be done to fully recognize and protect at national levels IPLCs’ Traditional Biodiversity Knowledge (TBK), ways of life, and their internationally recognized rights to inhabit, own, manage and govern traditional lands, territories, and waters, which are increasingly threatened. At the 2018 4th World Conference on Marine Biodiversity held in Montréal, Canada, eight themed working groups critically discussed progress to date and barriers that have prevented the achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets agreed for the period 2011–2020, and priority actions for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Discussions in the “Application of Biodiversity Knowledge” working group focused on Targets 11 and 18 and the equal valuation of diverse Biodiversity Knowledge Systems (BKS). This Perspective Paper summarizes the 10 Priority Actions identified for a holistic biodiversity conservation, gender equality and human rights-based approach that strengthens the role of IPLCs as biodiversity conservation decision-makers and managers at national and international levels. Furthermore, the Perspective proposes a measurable Target 18 post-2020 and discusses actions to advance the recognition of community-based alternative conservation schemes and TBK to ensure the long-lasting conservation, customary biocultural use, and sustainable multi-functional management of nature around the globe.

scholarly journals Does social trust slow down or speed up the transmission of COVID-19?

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. e0244273
Author(s):  
Jungwon Min
Keyword(s):  
Social Trust ◽  
World Value Survey ◽  
Time Duration ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
Common Goals ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The One ◽  
High Level ◽  
Transmission Speed ◽  
Cross National

Social trust has been an important mechanism in overcoming crises throughout history. Several societies are now emphasizing its role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to investigate how variations in social trust across 68 countries are related to the transmission speed of COVID-19. Specifically, using cross-national index data from the World Value Survey, the study tests how variations in social trust across countries generate different time durations at which each country reaches the peak in terms of increases in new infections of COVID-19. Using data drawn between December 31, 2019 and July 31, 2020, this study found that in countries with a high level of social trust, particularly trust among ingroup members, or with a narrower or wider range than the intermediate range of trustees, the number of new infections tended to reach the first peak within a shorter time duration than in other countries. These results imply that in such societies, on the one hand, high cooperation among people to achieve common goals and strong compliance to social norms may allow them to begin neutralizing COVID-19 faster. On the other hand, however, the low risk perception and prevalence of cohesive relationships among people may lead to speedier transmission of COVID-19 before neutralization takes place.

scholarly journals Twenty years for Zootaxa and ten years for Afromoths (Lepidoptera): a taxonomic interaction between the journal and an online relational database

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4979 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-165
Author(s):  
JURATE DE PRINS
Keyword(s):  
Relational Database ◽  
Digital Technology ◽  
Museum Collections ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
Biodiversity Knowledge ◽  
The World ◽  
Speed Up ◽  
The Right

After twenty years of publishing the taxonomic journal Zootaxa, it is now the right time to synthesize its achievements and its contribution to the taxonomic knowledge of the Afrotropical Lepidoptera taxa. These contributions were made thanks to the exploration of natural habitats, museum collections, historic libraries, private holdings and phylogenetic investigations by many professional and amateur lepidopterists throughout the world. Zootaxa was introduced as a novel publication model with its innovative, community-based, and democratic approach to speed up the process of taxonomic publications. The fast-developing technology and especially the accessibility of digital taxonomic tools prepared the basis for novel links and inter-relationships. The global digital revolution and especially the overwhelming embrace of digital technology in Africa made an essential switch in the way we work: it became possible to present taxonomic information in a way that is searchable, consultable, illustrative, updatable, correctable and, most importantly—open and accessible to everyone. In this article, the trends of an increase in Afrotropical moth biodiversity knowledge published in Zootaxa and other journals are shortly discussed. Data are retrieved from the online taxonomic relational database Afromoths (www.afromoths.net). 

APPLICATION OF RELEVANT CONSTRUCTION REGULATIONS FOR AN ERGONOMICAL AND SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (05) ◽  
pp. 341-348
Author(s):  
Ahmed Abdallah
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Industrial Construction ◽  
Codes Of Practice ◽  
Standards Of Practice ◽  
Industrial Buildings ◽  
Safe Work ◽  
Working People ◽  
Common Goals

This paper reflects on the ergonomical criteria for a humane working atmosphere in industrial buildings while respecting and paying close attention to the physical, mental, and stressful demands of the work environment. It describes effective construction codes and standards of practice and their importance in ensuring a safe environment for working people. Also addressed are the objectives for a productive work environment and its organization. The paper considers the significance of a proper working environment, sufficient training in regards to weather exposure, the use of dangerous working materials, the use of proper ventilation, climate, and lighting to ensure that the productivity of the enterprise is met with common goals shared between employer and employee. The connection between the legal foundation and the design of industrial construction is the focus of this paper. It shows that the planning and executive persons are obliged to observe the relevant construction laws and regulations including standards and codes of practice focusing on the health and safety of the worker. Additionally discussed are the possible solutions and consequences for development in the production, constructional and ergonomical fields of design.

The Role of Destination Management Organizations in Exploiting Global Opportunities of Tourism Destinations

2015 ◽  
pp. 54-78
Author(s):  
Francesco Maria Barbini ◽  
Manuela Presutti
Keyword(s):  
Tourism Destination ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
Effective Strategies ◽  
New Destination ◽  
Common Goals ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Tourism Destinations ◽  
Destination Management Organizations

The aim of this chapter is to study the cooperation between Destination Management Organizations and hospitality stakeholders. The following research questions are addressed in this research: 1. What is the stakeholders' attitude toward cooperation with DMOs in a new destination and in a mass-tourism destination? 2. In DMOs' perspective, what are the most effective strategies to foster cooperation within the destination? 3. What is the level of commitment of hospitality stakeholders with respect to cooperation with DMOs? In order to discuss these points we provide an analysis of two Italian destinations. Specifically we examine an established mass-tourism destination and a new destination. By investigating this relationship we also analyze how cooperation has developed during the years within two destinations, and if actually hospitality stakeholders are interested in cooperating with DMOs, in achieving the destinations' common goals.

Specimen Collection Effect in Scanning Electron Microscopy Images

1972 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 448-449
Author(s):  
J. Temple Black ◽  
Jose Guerrero
Keyword(s):  
Surface Morphology ◽  
Secondary Electron Emission ◽  
Secondary Electrons ◽  
Charge Effects ◽  
Material Density ◽  
Specimen Collection ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Curved Paths ◽  
Subject Material ◽  
Microscopy Images

In the SEM, contrast in the image is the result of variations in the volume secondary electron emission and backscatter emission which reaches the detector and serves to intensity modulate the signal for the CRT's. This emission is a function of the accelerating potential, material density, chemistry, crystallography, local charge effects, surface morphology and especially the angle of the incident electron beam with the particular surface site. Aside from the influence of object inclination, the surface morphology is the most important feature In producing contrast. “Specimen collection“ is the name given the shielding of the collector by adjacent parts of the specimen, producing much image contrast. This type of contrast can occur for both secondary and backscatter electrons even though the secondary electrons take curved paths to the detector-collector.Figure 1 demonstrates, in a unique and striking fashion, the specimen collection effect. The subject material here is Armco Iron, 99.85% purity, which was spark machined.

Scanning x-ray fluorescence microscopy and principal component analysis

1992 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 1752-1753
Author(s):  
Brian Cross
Keyword(s):  
Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Fluorescence Microscopy ◽  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Image Acquisition ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Fluorescence Microscope ◽  
Acquisition Rate ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Speed Up

A relatively new entry, in the field of microscopy, is the Scanning X-Ray Fluorescence Microscope (SXRFM). Using this type of instrument (e.g. Kevex Omicron X-ray Microprobe), one can obtain multiple elemental x-ray images, from the analysis of materials which show heterogeneity. The SXRFM obtains images by collimating an x-ray beam (e.g. 100 μm diameter), and then scanning the sample with a high-speed x-y stage. To speed up the image acquisition, data is acquired "on-the-fly" by slew-scanning the stage along the x-axis, like a TV or SEM scan. To reduce the overhead from "fly-back," the images can be acquired by bi-directional scanning of the x-axis. This results in very little overhead with the re-positioning of the sample stage. The image acquisition rate is dominated by the x-ray acquisition rate. Therefore, the total x-ray image acquisition rate, using the SXRFM, is very comparable to an SEM. Although the x-ray spatial resolution of the SXRFM is worse than an SEM (say 100 vs. 2 μm), there are several other advantages.

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