It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, October 06, 2023
UK
Secondary education needs to empower students to respond to climate emergency – new research
The UK government needs to do more to equip schools with the materials and resources to teach young people about climate change and their role in responding to it by refocusing the school curriculum, according to the authors of new research.
The new report - a policy brief from the University of Bath’s Institute for Policy Research (IPR) - explores how secondary school curricula across the UK’s four nations could be better aligned to support the UK government’s binding commitment to reach net zero by 2050.
According to the Climate Change Committee and recent House of Lords Net zero and Behaviour Change report, around 60% of future emission reductions will involve lifestyle and behaviour changes, re-considering what we buy, what we eat, as well as how and why we travel.
Previous research from the University of Bath highlights how young people are increasingly aware of climate change, and are eager to play their part, yet often lack the skills and knowledge to know where to start. This lack of agency may in part fuel rising levels of eco-anxiety observed in young people.
According to the latest DfE guidance, teachers are currently advised to be ‘impartial’ when teaching about responding to climate change – a term the researchers suggest is highly ambiguous and unhelpful. Young people – who will be disproportionately affected – need a clear understanding of what the transition to net zero means for them, they say.
Through new analysis of national curricula for schools in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the IPR policy brief finds that ‘climate change’ as a topic in schools is typically limited to Geography and Science lessons. The researchers say it could play a far bigger role across other subject areas.
For example, instead of presenting climate change as principally a scientific challenge – requiring technological solutions - it could also be incorporated into other subject areas, such as English, DT and Art. This could offer young people different ways to engage in the subject, including by thinking about the different kinds of social changes required.
Acknowledging that schools are currently limited in their ability to stray beyond curricula, the IPR brief calls on education policy makers to rethink how responding to climate change can be better addressed at school. Examples of good practice are already emerging internationally, including through the International Baccalaureate, which could be expanded.
In the UK, they point to the work of the ‘Ministry of Eco Education’ - an organisation spearheaded by Dale Vince, that collates resources to help schools and teachers embed sustainability across the curricula - as well as an initiative from the Royal Meteorological Society that incorporates content about climate change across the English curricula.
Lead researcher, Dr Katharine Lee of the University’s Department of Psychology said: “In the face of rising global temperatures and the ever-increasing risks posed by climate change, we know young people want more information about this topic, and they want to play their part as active citizens.
“This can help channel their frustrations and passions, and enable them to become powerful agents of change. Currently our approach is too often siloed, and the wider actions and roles young people as citizens can play are ignored. By giving young people the tools to respond, we will help equip them with the skills they will need in the future.
“We need to remember that today’s 13-year-olds will be 40 in 2050 – by which point the UK needs to have achieved net zero. The impact of climate change will be ever-present in their lives, and our transition to net zero will play a significant part in shaping their lives and future careers.”
AN ACOEL (TOP) WITH TWO TYPES OF SYMBIONTS COLLECTED IN KOCHI, JAPAN (BOTTOM LEFT). THE GREEN-COLORED SPOTS IN THE ACOEL ARE GREEN ALGAL (TETRASELMIS)SYMBIONTS (MIDDLE RIGHT) AND THE BROWN-COLORED SPOTS ARE DINOFLAGELLATE SYMBIONTS (BOTTOM RIGHT). (PHOTOS: KEVIN WAKEMAN AND SIRATEE RIEWLUANG)
Acoels have been found to host a wide diversity of symbiotic, photosynthetic microalgae.
Animals and plants need energy. Some animals get energy by eating other animals, and many plants harvest the energy in sunlight through photosynthesis. However, in the ocean, there exists a remarkable group of small, worm-like animals called acoels that do both—some acoels form relationships (symbiosis) with single-celled, photosynthetic microalgae.
A study by Assistant Professor Kevin Wakeman and his undergraduate student, Siratee Riewluang, at Hokkaido University, Japan, has shed some light on the biodiversity underpinning symbiotic relationships between acoels and microalgae. Their findings were published in the journal PeerJ.
Acoels are superficially simple. However, this simplicity is misleading. Due to their regenerative ability and position as one of the first animal groups on the planet, acoels interest biologists in the fields of evolutionary biology, regenerative biology, and neurobiology. Some acoels also form symbiotic relationships with microalgae. This includes green algae and other types of microalgae that also associate with coral reefs called dinoflagellates.
“These acoels engulf microalgae seemingly as ‘food’, but they do not digest them. Instead, they store them below their outer surface. They create energy using sunlight—much like adding solar panels to your house,” explained Siratee.
“Photosynthetic acoels are mostly found in warmer waters. Therefore, we focused our sampling in Southern Japan. We also found acoels near Kochi, a region of Japan that receives warm water from the Kuroshio Current. Photosynthetic acoels can be difficult to spot—they are microscopic. But, under a microscope they are easily recognizable, by their brightly colored algae,” Siratee continued.
Throughout 2022, Wakeman and Siratee collected algae and sediment samples. The host acoel and their symbionts were identified by DNA sequencing. Symbiotic microalgae were removed from acoel hosts and put into culture. This study found that acoels contained various green algae (Tetraselmis); previously, only one species was known. Several dinoflagellate lineages were also found. Most belonged to the Symbiodiniaceae, a group famously associated with coral (and other invertebrates). Some of these Tetraselmis and dinoflagellates might be new to science.
Unexpectedly, Wakeman and Siratee came across what might turn out to be a whole new group of acoels harboring symbionts (only one group is currently known).
“We found that there was more diversity of acoels and their symbionts than we really expected,” said Wakeman. “Even in this present dataset, which focuses on Japan, it’s clear that there are fascinating interactions between acoels and microalgae. These results will lay the groundwork for future studies that can tease apart what are probably some interesting ecological mechanisms. I really am excited to see where this ends up.”
Wakeman and Siratee will continue work on photosynthetic acoels for Siratee’s Master’s. “It would be cool to figure out if they really are a new group of acoels with symbionts, but we need more genetic data and unambiguous morphological data to confidently assign a new name,” said Siratee. “Eventually, I would like to use advanced imaging and genetics to explore these acoels at a molecular level.”
New group acoel with dinoflagellate symbionts
An acoel with dinoflagellate symbionts (brown color). The acoel was collected from Okinawa, Japan, and was about 1 mm in length. This particular acoel is of interest because it may be a new group of acoels containing symbiotic microalgae. (Photos: Kevin Wakeman and Siratee Riewluang)
Kevin Wakeman (left) and Siratee Riewluang (right) collecting samples in Okinawa, Japan. (Photos: Kevin Wakeman and Siratee Riewluang)
MUNTJAC DEER HAVE A BIG IMPACT DAMAGING TREES AND SHRUBS, WITH KNOCK-ON EFFECTS ON FLORA AND FAUNA THAT RELY ON THESE HABITATS. MUNTJAC BREED RAPIDLY AND THE EXPERTS WARN THAT SHOULD THE SPECIES BECOME ESTABLISHED IN SCOTLAND, IT WOULD POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO EXISTING VEGETATION AND PLANS FOR WOODLAND EXPANSION. PHOTO: GBNNSS
Raccoons, muntjac deer, plants that cause flooding, and mussels that clog up water pipes are among the new problem species that are likely to arrive in Scotland over the next decade and pose a serious threat to nature or people.
More than 1,000 invasive non-native plants, animals and other organisms are already established in Scotland including the grey squirrel, rhododendron, Japanese knotweed, mink and New Zealand flatworm.
Now, in an independent study for the Scottish Government, a team of experts, led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and NatureScot, has predicted other non-native species that could arrive, establish and have negative impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems, economies or human health over the next 10 years. They have also highlighted how these species are likely to arrive.
Out of the 171 possible new arrivals, the experts have drawn up a top 10 priority list (see notes and photos) including Asian clam, quagga mussel and zebra mussel, floating pennywort and parrot’s feather, which are freshwater species that outcompete native wildlife for food and space.
Freshwater biodiversity, which is culturally and economically important in Scotland, is considered to be particularly vulnerable because river and lake ecosystems already face other pressures such as climate change, overexploitation, sewage, nutrient pollution and recreation activities which can exacerbate the impacts of invasive non-native species.
For example, after the introduction of the non-native ruffe in Scottish waters as live bait by anglers in the early 1980s, its population expanded and, by feeding on the eggs of the powan, it caused declines in this rare native species at Loch Lomond.
The recent promotion of tourism in northern Scotland has led to exceptional increases in the number of visitors to this region, while national legislation has opened up access to watersports. The experts say there are therefore increased pathways for invasive non-native species to be transported into and throughout Scotland via vehicles, boats, equipment and clothing.
Other species on the priority list include muntjac deer, which could expand their range from other parts of Britain, as well as raccoons, which are kept within zoos and private collections and may escape or be released into the wild. Muntjac damage trees and shrubs and, the experts say, threaten Scotland’s plans for woodland expansion, while raccoons prey on native species, affect farm production and spread potentially fatal diseases including rabies.
The most common pathways for arrival of non-native species in a new region is through the import of produce and ornamental plants which are either invasive and then expand into the wild or which contain hidden species.
UKCEH ecologist Professor Helen Roy, an expert on invasive non-native species, led the ‘horizon scanning’ study, which is a systematic examination of information to identify potential threats and risks.
Professor Roy, who was also co-chair of a major global report on invasive non-native species for IPBES, explains: “Prevention is the best way to manage biological invasions , so we would urge people to follow simple biosecurity measures outlined in campaigns such as “Check, clean and dry” and “Be Plant Wise”. Everyone can make a difference in preventing the introduction and spread of invasive non-native species.”
The report, Provision of horizon scanning and analysis of pathways of spread of invasive species into Scotland, will inform national and local strategies and action to reduce the threat of biological invasions, which are increasing year on year.
NatureScot’s invasive, non-native species specialist, Stan Whitaker, says:“Invasive non-native species are a serious threat to Scotland’s nature, damaging our environment, the economy and our health, and costing Scotland at least £499 million a year.
“The threat is increasing with the growth in international trade and travel. But we can all do something to help prevent these species from spreading by being plant wise and composting invasive pond plants, like floating pennywort and parrot's feather in our gardens, with care – or by reporting sightings of mammals like muntjac deer."
In their study, the experts identified 171 new invasive non-native species that are considered likely to arrive in Scotland in the next 10 years, all of which negatively affect biodiversity. Some 27 of these species have impacts on human health and 47 on economies.
The experts highlighted 30 of these invasive non-native species that have a high risk of arriving, establishing and impacting biodiversity and ecosystems. From this, UKCEH and NatureScot then drew up a top 10 priority list (see photos in dropbox) which are:
Floating pennywort.
Parrot’s feather. These two invasive plants form dense strands that outcompete native flora for nutrients, sunlight and oxygen, and affect water quality and river flow, exacerbating flood risk. The species are widely distributed in England and Wales but have only been recorded on one site each in northern Scotland, and were removed.
The Reeve’s muntjac, which have already colonised parts of England and Wales. These small deer have a big impact damaging trees and shrubs, with knock-on effects on flora and fauna that rely on these habitats. Muntjac breed rapidly and the experts warn that should the species become established in Scotland, it would pose a significant threat to existing vegetation and plans for woodland expansion.
Raccoons. These highly adaptive omnivores were brought to Europe from America for fur farming and as prey for hunters, and are often kept as pets. They can spread diseases that are potentially fatal for humans and animals including rabies and a roundworm parasite, and have significant impacts on farm production by feeding on fruit crops and killing poultry.
Zebra mussel and quagga mussel. These two species outcompete native mussels and other organisms for space, nutrients and food, and also filter large amounts of water which has a negative impact on plankton, and therefore the aquatic food web. They feed on algae that compete with cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, which allows these toxic algal blooms to flourish, This can have impacts on biodiversity, economic interests and health.
Zebra and quagga mussels can also clog up pipes of water treatment plants and ships.
Asian clam. These molluscs inhabit rivers and seas, and release phosphorus and nitrogen into the water through burrowing, feeding from the sediment and their excreta. Higher concentrations of these nutrients can increase growth of harmful algal blooms and reduce oxygen levels in water.
Flatworms. A group of invasive non-native species prey on earthworms, with knock-on effects on the birds and mammals that feed on them as well as on plant and crop growth. Once established there is currently no known method of removal or control. The experts say the Australian, Southampton and Brown Kontikia and Obama flatworms could follow the New Zealand flatworm in becoming established in Scotland.
Pheasant's-tail grass. This plant species grows quickly into dense clumps, so is a potential fire risk in vulnerable habitats. It is widespread and hardy, and can also prevent germination of seeds of other species.
Highbush blueberry. This tall and dense deciduous can have significant impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem impacts, through outcompeting lower-growing plants and possibly reducing water content of boggy soils.
Slipper limpet. This marine mollusc reduces populations of native shellfish, which can have significant impacts on the fishing industry. The limpets outcompete native species such as scallops for food, smother oyster beds and attach themselves to other molluscs, reducing their survival, growth and reproductivity. There are additional costs associated with cleaning shells and water.
The number of non-native species being introduced to new regions around the world is increasing year on year. Up to 14% of these species in the UK are considered invasive.
IPBES, the leading intergovernmental body that assesses the state of the planet's biodiversity and its benefits for people, has highlighted invasive non-native species as one of five major threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, alongside climate change and land- or sea-use change direct exploitation of organisms and pollution. Combinations of these threats exacerbate changes in biodiversity.
How much are you willing to pay for a product or service? It depends on your other options and the given context
Researchers from Concordia University and Northwestern University published a new Journal of Marketing study that presents the Comparative Method of Valuation as a more accurate way to measure customers’ willingness to pay for a product or service.
At the grocery store, a customer may be willing to pay $18 for a bottle of Riesling when comparing it to a $15 bottle of Chardonnay. However, if that customer learns that the Chardonnay is on sale for $12, they may not be willing to pay $18 for the Riesling. Another customer may only be willing to pay $14 for the Riesling after comparing it to the alternative of not buying anything (i.e., keeping their money).
Whether selling consumer packaged goods, durable goods, or services, marketers have always confronted a critical question: What will a customer pay for the market offering? As He explains, “If a marketer charges too little relative to what customers are willing to pay, they risk missing out on profits that could otherwise have been earned. And if a marketer charges too much, an otherwise excellent product or service may fail to generate sufficient demand in the market.” Because understanding how much customers are willing to pay for a product or service carries immense practical implications, marketers have sought measurement and analytical tools to capture customers’ willingness to pay (WTP)—a metric that helps them understand the maximum price they can charge for a product or service.
This new study reveals limitations in existing methods of measuring WTP and cautions that these methods can provide vague and/or inaccurate results. For example, the open-ended question often asked in surveys or focus groups (“How much are you willing to pay for X?”) makes no mention, nor offers the respondent any guidance, as to the relevant comparisons or the relevant context. Another popular method, choice-based conjoint analysis, does present possible comparisons but does not capture what the most relevant comparison is for a respondent.
The new methodology—Comparative Method of Valuation (CMV)— integrates comparison and/or context and produces greater accuracy and insight. “Context can affect WTP by changing how a customer values a product relative to a comparison or by changing what the relevant comparison is altogether,” says Anderson. For example, WTP for a new car model may vary depending on whether the customer is upgrading to this model (comparison: old model), switching from a different model (comparison: other model), or buying a car for the first time (comparison: no car). This means that a valid WTP methodology must be able to not only capture a comparison, but also different potential comparisons. However, existing methods often taken an agnostic stance on this matter.
While most researchers would likely agree that WTP can vary with the situation, the study reveals how situational factors can affect WTP via two distinct comparative mechanisms.
The situation can directly influence a customer’s valuation relative to a given comparative option. For example, consider a beachside vendor selling two brands of beer – Corona and Miller Lite – and some non-alcoholic beverages. The customer wants an alcoholic drink and their preferred option among the alternatives is Miller Lite (priced at $5). However, if the customer has an enjoyment goal, they may value Corona more than Miller Lite, and their WTP for Corona would be more than $5. But if they have a diet goal, they may value Corona less than Miller Lite and their WTP for Corona would be less than $5.
The situation can indirectly impact WTP through a change in the comparative option. Taking the previous example, if the customer moves from the beach to the hotel bar, Miller Lite is priced at $8 a bottle but their preferred option may now be a $20 cocktail. In this case, the customer’s WTP for Corona would be determined in comparison to the cocktail instead of Miller Lite. Thus, the situation affects WTP via the indirect pathway; that is, through a change in the comparative option.
Without capturing the specific comparison relevant in a given situation, existing methods inherently contain substantial ambiguity as to what is being measured. Moreover, existing methods cannot delineate the two distinct pathways through which a situational factor may affect WTP. Rucker says that “CMV offers more precise measurement of WTP and is able to capture the direct and indirect mechanisms through which situational factors affect WTP.”
CMV allows marketers to move from attempting to measure WTP without comparisons and context to measuring WTP in a manner that integrates these critical factors. The researchers offer guidance as to how marketers can improve their measurement of WTP and obtain more insight about customers’ WTP. Moreover, their studies demonstrate how to apply CMV to solve common managerial problems. They show how CMV can be applied to price a premium version of a product relative to a basic version and how to use CMV to evaluate whether more or less of an attribute (e.g., warranty) should be offered.
The Journal of Marketing develops and disseminates knowledge about real-world marketing questions useful to scholars, educators, managers, policy makers, consumers, and other societal stakeholders around the world. Published by the American Marketing Association since its founding in 1936, JM has played a significant role in shaping the content and boundaries of the marketing discipline. Shrihari (Hari) Sridhar (Joe Foster ’56 Chair in Business Leadership, Professor of Marketing at Mays Business School, Texas A&M University) serves as the current Editor in Chief. https://www.ama.org/jm
About the American Marketing Association (AMA)
As the largest chapter-based marketing association in the world, the AMA is trusted by marketing and sales professionals to help them discover what is coming next in the industry. The AMA has a community of local chapters in more than 70 cities and 350 college campuses throughout North America. The AMA is home to award-winning content, PCM® professional certification, premiere academic journals, and industry-leading training events and conferences. https://www.ama.org
HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM BERLIN FÜR MATERIALIEN UND ENERGIE
IMAGE:
ILLUSTRATION OF THE SOLAR-POWERED COUPLED PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL AND HYDROGENATION UNIT. THE COUPLED DEVICE USES SUNLIGHT TO GENERATE HYDROGEN AND CONSUMES SOME OF THE GENERATED HYDROGEN IN SITU TO HYDROGENATE BIOMASS-DERIVED FEEDSTOCK USING A HOMOGENEOUS CATALYST. THE REMAINING HYDROGEN CAN THEN BE USED FOR ENERGY STORAGE, TRANSPORT, BUILDING AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS. THE HYDROGENATED PRODUCTS ARE VALUABLE CHEMICALS IN HIGH DEMAND BY THE CHEMICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIES. THE FRACTION OF THE HYDROGEN USED FOR THE HYDROGENATION REACTION CAN BE ADAPTED TO DEMAND BY REGULATING THE SUPPLY OF BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK AND THE CATALYST CONCENTRATIONS ACCORDINGLY. BY SWITCHING BETWEEN "FEEDSTOCK A + CATALYST A" AND "FEEDSTOCK B + CATALYST B", DIFFERENT HYDROGENATION PRODUCTS CAN BE PRODUCED IN THE SAME PEC PLANT.
CREDIT: HASSAN TAHINI, SCIENCEBRUSH DESIGN / PUBLISHED IN HTTPS://DOI.ORG/10.1038/S41467-023-41742-4
It already works: there are several approaches to using solar energy to split water and produce hydrogen. Unfortunately, this "green" hydrogen has so far been more expensive than "grey" hydrogen from natural gas. A study by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Technical University of Berlin now shows how green hydrogen from sunlight can become profitable: part of the hydrogen is used to upgrade raw biomass-derived chemicals into high-value chemicals for industry. This co-production concept is very flexible; the same plant can be used to produce different by-products as required.
We need to move away from fossil fuels as soon as possible in order to limit global warming. In the energy system of the future, green hydrogen will therefore play an important role in energy storage and as a renewable feedstock for the production of chemicals and materials for a wide range of applications. At present, hydrogen is mainly produced from fossil natural gas (“grey” hydrogen). "Green” hydrogen, on the other hand, is produced via electrolysis of water using renewable energy. One promising approach is to use photoelectrochemical (PEC) devices to produce hydrogen using solar energy. However, hydrogen from PEC plants is much more expensive than hydrogen from (fossil) methane.
Full control over reactions
A team led by Fatwa Abdi (at HZB until mid-2023, now at City University in Hong Kong) and Reinhard Schomäcker (UniSysCat, TU Berlin) has now investigated how the balance changes when some of the hydrogen produced in a PEC device reacts with itaconic acid (IA) to form methylsuccinic acid (MSA), all within the same device. The starting material, itaconic acid, comes from biomass and is fed in. Methylsuccinic acid is a high priced compound and needed by the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. In the study, the team describes how to control the chemical reactions in the PEC device by varying the process parameters and the concentration of the homogenous rhodium-based catalyst, which is water-soluble and already active at room temperature. In this way, different proportions of hydrogen could be used for the hydrogenation of itaconic acid, selectively increasing or decreasing the production of methylsuccinic acid.
Plant becomes profitable from 11 percent hydrogen for MSA
With a realistic overall PEC plant efficiency of 10 percent and taking into account primary costs as well as operation, maintenance and decommissioning, pure hydrogen production remains too expensive compared to production from fossil gas. This is true even if the lifetime of the PEC plant is assumed to be 40 years.
This balance changes if the PEC reaction is coupled with the hydrogenation process. Even if only 11 percent of the hydrogen produced is converted to MSA, the cost of hydrogen drops to 1.5 € per kilogram, which is already at the same level as for hydrogen from methane steam reforming. And this is true even for a PEC plant lifetime of only 5 years! As the market price of MSA is significantly higher than that of hydrogen, more MSA increases the profitability. In the experiment, between 11 and up to 60 percent of the hydrogen could be selectively used to produce MSA.
In addition, a previous study has shown that co-production of MSA also reduces the so-called energy payback time, i.e. the time it takes for the plant to recover the energy that its production has consumed.
Co-production can be switched
The PEC plant can also be used to produce other co-products by simply changing the feedstock and the (soluble) catalyst: for example, acetone could be hydrogenated to isopropanol. "This is another major advantage of our concept of co-production. We have found a promising way to make solar hydrogen production economically viable," says Fatwa Abdi.
The study was carried out as part of the Berlin Cluster of Excellence “UniSysCat” (Unifying Systems in Catalysis) and supported by the Excellence Network initiative of the Helmholtz Association.
Bewick’s swans fly less far during their autumn migration when the weather is warm. Climate change has therefore led to a shift in their common wintering areas. Now, for the first time, bird researchers from the University of Amsterdam (UvA) and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) have been able to use long-term GPS data to pinpoint the specific choices that individual swans make. The results of their research were published today in the scientific journal Global Change Biology.
Bewick’s swans, a migratory water bird that breeds south of the Barents Sea in European Russia, is now seen much less often in the Netherlands than in previous years. ‘For several decades, their wintering area has been moving hundreds of kilometers to the northeast,’ says PhD candidate Hans Linssen of the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) at the UvA. ‘The core area used to be in southern England, now it is northern Germany. The birds now simply stop migrating earlier in the autumn.’
Until now, little was known about the mechanisms that lead to such a range shift. Linssen: ‘Is it always the younger generations that choose a different location than their predecessors, or do individual birds move up a bit every year during their lives?’
Bart Nolet, senior researcher at NIOO-KNAW and professor by special appointment at the UvA, started tracking Bewick’s swans with GPS transmitters 25 years ago. ‘Initially we were happy if we could completely map the autumn migration of the birds, but for this research it was necessary to be able to follow each bird for at least two years in a row.’
Individual flexibility
Analysis of the GPS data shows that cygnets fly further to the southwest during autumn migration on colder days. Later in the autumn, this sensitivity decreases and the animals only move deeper into their winter areas when the temperature drops below freezing. ‘When it is warm, they stay in place,’ says Linssen. ‘We now see that Bewick’s swan hibernate on average 120 km closer to their breeding areas when the winter temperatures are on average one degree Celsius warmer. When it is two degrees warmer, the average distance is 240 km, and so on.’
This shows that the birds are individually very flexible from year to year. ‘In combination with the increasingly mild winters due to climate change, this individual flexibility explains a large part of the shift in winter range, and thus the largely disappearance of the species from the Netherlands.’
Additional effects of wind and food
The GPS information also allowed the researchers to look at the effect of wind on the migratory behavior of the swans. ‘The birds flew longer distances when they had the wind at their backs, but that influence disappeared during the autumn. This shows that they only use the wind as a tool to reach their winter destination, while the temperature can determine where that destination is,’ says Linssen.
Furthermore, the question remains what influence changing food supplies has on the winter migration of the animals. Linssen: ‘It seems that Bewick’s swans in eastern Netherlands and northern Germany have started to eat more and more corn residues. In addition to the warming winters, this may also have made it possible for the birds to hibernate further in the northeast.’ Linssen will soon be researching this.
No difference in breeding area
The now published study focuses specifically on wintering areas. ‘The collective breeding area of the swans is also shifting slightly to the northeast on average, but at an individual level we see no annual differences. Once an animal has found a suitable breeding area, it returns there every year. For summer dispersal, the response to climate change appears to jump from generation to generation.’
GPS instead of ring data
Migratory birds are traditionally monitored in their winter areas based on ring data. A small number of the animals receive a ring around their legs. Every year, volunteers and researchers read the code of as many ringed birds as possible. However, this provides only a snapshot. Nowadays, GPS data is available for various bird species: they provide a much more detailed insight into the movements of birds throughout the year.
One treatment each of two psychedelic drugs lowered depression and anxiety and improved cognitive functioning in a sample of U.S. special operations forces veterans who sought care at a clinic in Mexico, according to a new analysis of the participants’ charts.
The treatment included a combination of ibogaine hydrochloride, derived from the West African shrub iboga, and 5-MeO-DMT, a psychedelic substance secreted by the Colorado River toad. Both are designated as Schedule I drugs under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.
In addition to relieving symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the combined treatment also alleviated cognitive impairment linked to traumatic brain injury – which stood out to researchers from The Ohio State University who led the chart-review analysis. Many special operations forces veterans seeking treatment for complex psychiatric symptoms do not respond to more traditional therapies.
“What sets this group apart from some other veterans and civilians is that often, they are exposed to repeated traumatic events as a routine part of their jobs. This build-up of exposure to these difficulties seems to produce a cluster of challenges that include traumatic brain injury, which we know in and of itself predisposes people to mental health problems,” said lead author Alan Davis, associate professor and director of the Center for Psychedelic Drug Research and Education (CPDRE) in Ohio State’s College of Social Work.
“So the fact that we saw that there were improvements in cognitive functioning linked to brain injury were probably the most striking results, because that’s something we didn’t predict and it’s very new and novel in terms of how psychedelics might help in so many different domains.”
Most of the veterans attending the clinic retreat program had been on active duty after 9/11 and reported seeking care for memory problems, brain injury, depression, anxiety, PTSD, sleep problems, anger and fatigue. Head injuries were reported by 86% of attendees, most of whom attributed memory problems, irritability, disordered sleep and ringing in the ears to those long-ago head traumas.
Eighty-six veterans completed pre-treatment questionnaires assessing a range of mental health symptoms as well as satisfaction with life, anger levels and suicidality. Each attendee received a single oral ibogaine hydrochloride dose and, on a separate day, at least three incremental inhalation doses adding up to 50 milligrams of 5-MeO-DMT, also commonly called Five or Bufo. Preparation and reflection sessions preceded and followed each treatment.
Overall, participants reported large improvements in self-reported PTSD symptoms, depression, anxiety, insomnia severity and anger, as well as a significant increase in satisfaction with life, from pre-treatment to the one-month follow-up, and sustained benefits at the three- and six-month follow-ups. Additional reported improvements that continued for six months included reductions in disability and post-concussive symptoms, and very large increases in psychological flexibility and cognitive functioning.
Davis said the improved cognitive functioning warrants more research into whether better thinking results from lowered mental health symptoms or biological changes to signaling in the brain, or a mixture of both types of effects. And they noted that changes to psychological flexibility – one’s capacity to act in ways that are consistent with their values regardless of whatever internal or external experience they might have – have been found in previous research to be connected to insightful and mystical psychedelic experiences.
“I think we’re seeing a similar picture emerging here where the more one is psychologically flexible, the more likely it is that one’s mental health symptoms will be reduced or ameliorated,” Davis said.
Most attendees also reported moderate to strong desirable changes across a range of attitudes, behaviors and relationships. One month after treatment, almost half reported the psychedelic experience was the most spiritually significant (48.6%) or psychologically insightful (42.9%) of their lives, and 17.1% called it the most difficult or challenging experience in their life.
Davis and colleagues took a conservative approach to analyzing outcome data, building in an assumption that attendees who didn’t complete all of the follow-up surveys may not have gotten the relief they had hoped for from the treatment. But they said finding that a population of veterans with complicated trauma histories can benefit from psychedelic therapy supports the importance of continuing to test psychedelic-assisted therapies in U.S. clinical trials.
Psilocybin-assisted therapy is currently being studied at Ohio State for the treatment of PTSD among military veterans.
Co-authors of the study include Yitong Xin and Nathan Sepeda of Ohio State and Lynnette Averill of Baylor College of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Open-label study of consecutive ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT assisted-therapy for trauma-exposed male Special Operations Forces Veterans: prospective data from a clinical program in Mexico
