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Technical Expertise Report, ref. exp-140, 10/2/2016 - Applicant: Dr. Dirk Huyge, Royal Museums of Art and History, 10, Parc du Cinquantenaire, 1000 Brussels, 26/11/2015
No full textL Afrique centrale face aux Géorisques, Origine naturelle
No full textUNESCO and its Regional Office in Yaoundé are pleased to present their new booklet « L Afrique centrale face aux Géorisques ». In Africa, and particularly in Central Africa (Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, São Tomé and Príncipe and Chad), many regions are exposed to natural hazards of geological origin. These phenomena have recurring consequences for the population, infrastructure, and the environment. It is in such context that the UNESCO Regional Office in Yaoundé has produced this booklet, in collaboration with experts from the Royal Museum for Central Africa and the Commission for the Geological Map of the World. The dual aim of this reference tool is to improve knowledge regarding natural hazards of geological origin and the associated risks, and to increase the preparedness of communities facing them. The booklet is structured so as first to define key concepts such as hazards, disasters and risks. It then describes four major hazard types (landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and karst collapses) observed in the region, presenting a definition of the phenomenon, its main characteristics and practical recommendations to help communities prepare for them. It concludes with a presentation of contextualized awareness-raising tools, aimed at both the population and political decision-makers, to move towards effective risk preparedness
The key to bringing DNA collections to the next level
Get PDFDNA collections are a valuable type of Natural Science collection, enabling the validation of past research, serving as a source for new genomic studies and supporting ex situ conservation. The DiSSCo Flanders DNA collection working group, aiming to advance and "unlock" their DNA collections, identified the need for: 1) actively sharing best practices regarding the management of DNA collections; and 2) providing guidance on how to bring theory into practice. By combining best practice examples from within the working group with available literature and brainstorming ideas, the working group co-created two outputs, referred to as: the "Challenges" and the "Key". The Challenges are a list of obstacles to DNA collection management, which shape the structure of the linked Key and can also be used to spark discussion amongst stakeholders. The Key is a tool that guides users through the maturation process of their DNA collection in a standardised way. It stimulates holistic growth, breaks down the needed work into manageable steps and helps to decide priorities during the process. Furthermore, the Key facilitates communication with both internal stakeholders and external DNA collection managers. The Key distinguishes itself from other self-assessment tools in several ways: it includes (re)investigation of the collection s purpose and context; it is specialised for DNA collections; it delivers concrete goals linked to relevant information and shared experience; and it is inclusive, targeting all Natural Science DNA collections, regardless of their context or size
Distribution of reptiles and amphibians in the nature park lastovo archipelago: possible underlying biotic and abiotic causes
No full textIn this paper we examine the distribution of amphibians and reptiles over the islands of the newly founded Lastovo Archipelago Nature Park (Lastovsko oto~je), Croatia. On several field trips between 1996 and 2008, we encountered five species of lizards (Podarcis sicula, P. melisellensis, Dal- matolacerta oxycephala, Hemidactylus turcicus and Pseudopus apodus), one species of snake (Dolichophis caspius), one species of sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and one species of toad (Bufo viridis). We confirm literature data on the presence of some of these species on different islands of the archipelago, and add distributional records for several other islands and islets. Logistic regression analyses show that the variables predicting presence/absence from different islands vary among species. Within species, populations from different islands noticeably vary in body size and shape, scalation, dorsal and ventral coloration, behaviour and density. This observation adds to the value of the study area as a »natural laboratory« for future research into the ecology and evolution of island populations. Although most species seem to be doing well presently, we list a number of possible hazards and concerns
Des fragments de vitraux, témoins de la présence de Charles Quint au Palais du Coudenberg
No full textReconstitution et étude de deux médaillons aux armes de Charles Quint et provenant du Palais du Coudenber
Challenges and Opportunities Offered by Geostationary Space Observations for Air Quality Research and Emission Monitoring
Get PDFSpace-borne remote sensing of atmospheric chemical constituents is crucial for monitoring and better understanding global and regional air quality. Since the 1990s, the continuous development of instruments onboard low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites has led to major advances in air quality research by providing daily global measurements of atmospheric chemical species. The next generation of atmospheric composition satellites measures from the geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) with hourly temporal resolution, allowing the observation of diurnal variations of air pollutants. The first two instruments of the GEO constellation coordinated by the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), the Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer (GEMS) for Asia and the Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) for North America, were successfully launched in 2020 and 2023, respectively. The European component, Sentinel-4, is planned for launch in 2025. This work provides an overview of satellite missions for atmospheric composition monitoring and the state of the science in air quality research. We cover recent advances in retrieval algorithms, the modeling of emissions and atmospheric chemistry, data assimilation, and the application of machine learning based on satellite data. We discuss the challenges and opportunities in air quality research in the era of GEO satellites and provide recommendations on research priorities for the near future
Technical Expertise Report ref. exp-165, 17/06/2016 - Applicant: Anne-Emmanuelle Ceulemans, Musée des Instruments de Musique, 03/06/2016
No full textTemperature Effects on Snapping Performance in the Common Snapper Chelydra serpentina (Reptilia, Testudines)
No full textStudies on the effect of temperature on whole-animal performance traits other than locomotion are rare. Here we investigate the effects of temperature on the performance of the turtle feeding apparatus in a defensive context. We measured bite force and the kinematics of snapping in the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) over a wide range of body temperatures. Bite force performance was thermally insensitive over the broad range of temperatures typically experienced by these turtles in nature. In contrast, neck extension (velocity, acceleration, and deceleration) and jaw movements (velocity, acceleration, and deceleration) showed clear temperature dependence with peak acceleration and deceleration capacity increasing with increasing temperatures. Our results regarding the temperature dependence of defensive behavior are reflected by the ecology and overall behavior of this species. These data illustrate the necessity for carefully controlling Tb when carrying out behavioral and functional studies on turtles as temperature affects the velocity, acceleration, and deceleration of jaw and neck extension movements. More generally, these data add to the limited but increasing number of studies showing that temperature may have important effects on feeding and defensive performance in ectotherms. J. Exp. Zool. 315:41 47, 2011. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc