Managing a World Heritage Site – Potentials and Limitations of Transdisciplinary Approaches

Management of the World Heritage Site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch is challenged by the interplay of conservation and economic development. This is a situation where a knowledge-based solution is sought for a complex societal problem. This sets the frame for transdisciplinary research where the problem is defined and solved cooperatively by actors from science and the life-world. In this paper we re-examine studies carried out in the region of the WHS Jungfrau-Aletsch and reveal the issue of integration into participation, the issue of perceptions and positions as well as the issue of negotiability and implementation as key issues prevalent in transdisciplinary settings. The transdisciplinary setting in the case of the WHS Jungfrau-Aletsch constructs a situation of mutual learning among stakeholders from different levels and backgrounds. However, the positive effects of mutual learning are continuously challenged by the power play inherent in participatory approaches.

Potentials and limitations of coordinated spatial and non-spatial information

Information management and geoinformation systems (GIS) have become indispensable in a large majority of protected areas all over the world. These tools are used for management purposes as well as for research and in recent years have become even more important for visitor information, education and communication. This study is divided into two parts: the first part provides a general overview of GIS and information management in a selected number of national park organizations. The second part lists and evaluates the needs of evolving large protected areas in Switzerland. The results show a wide use of GIS and information management tools in well established protected areas. The more isolated use of singular GIS tools has increasingly been replaced by an integrated geoinformation management. However, interview partners pointed out that human resources for GIS in most parks are limited. The interviews also highlight uneven access to national geodata. The view of integrated geoinformation management is not yet fully developed in the park projects in Switzerland. Short-term needs, such as software and data availability, motivate a large number of responses collected within an exhaustive questionnaire. Nevertheless, the need for coordinated action has been identified and should be followed up. The park organizations in North America show how an effective coordination and cooperation might be organized.

Modulation of nociceptive withdrawal reflexes evoked by single and repeated nociceptive stimuli in conscious dogs by low-dose acepromazine

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the modulation of the nociceptive withdrawal reflex (NWR) and temporal summation (TS) by low-dose acepromazine (ACP) in conscious dogs. To assess the short- and long-term stability of the reflex thresholds. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, blinded, placebo-controlled cross-over experimental study. ANIMALS: Eight adult male Beagles. METHODS: The NWR was elicited using single transcutaneous electrical stimulation of the ulnar nerve. Repeated stimuli (10 pulses, 5 Hz) were applied to evoke TS. The responses of the deltoideus muscle were recorded and quantified by surface electromyography and the behavioural reactions were scored. Each dog received 0.01 mg kg(-1) ACP or an equal volume saline intravenously (IV) at 1 week intervals. Measurements were performed before (baseline) and 20, 60 and 100 minutes after drug administration. Sedation was scored before drug administration and then at 10 minutes intervals. Data were analyzed with Friedman repeated measures analysis of variance on ranks and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. RESULTS: Acepromazine resulted in a mild tranquilization becoming obvious at 20 minutes and peaking 30 minutes after injection. Single (I(t)) and repeated stimuli (TS(t)) threshold intensities, NWR and TS characteristics and behavioural responses were not affected by the ACP at any time point. Both I(t) and TS(t) were stable over time. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In dogs, 0.01 mg kg(-1) ACP IV had no modulatory action on the NWR evoked by single or repeated stimuli, suggesting no antinociceptive activity on phasic nociceptive stimuli. The evidence of the stability of the NWR thresholds supports the use of the model as an objective tool to investigate nociception in conscious dogs. A low dose of ACP administered as the sole drug, can be used to facilitate the recordings in anxious subjects without altering the validity of this model.

Potentials and constraints of modeling for transdisciplinary co-producing strategies for sustainable water governance

Both climate change and socio-economic development will significantly modify the supply and consumption of water in future. Consequently, regional development has to face aggravation of existing or emergence of new conflicts of interest. In this context, transdisciplinary co-production of knowledge is considered as an important means for coping with these challenges. Accordingly, the MontanAqua project aims at developing strategies for more sustainable water management in the study area Crans-Montana-Sierre (Switzerland) in a transdisciplinary way. It strives for co-producing system, target and transformation knowledge among researchers, policy makers, public administration and civil society organizations. The research process basically consisted of the following steps: First, the current water situation in the study region was investigated. How much water is available? How much water is being used? How are decisions on water distribution and use taken? Second, participatory scenario workshops were conducted in order to identify the stakeholders’ visions of regional development. Third, the water situation in 2050 was simulated by modeling the evolution of water resources and water use and by reflecting on the institutional aspects. These steps laid ground for jointly assessing the consequences of the stakeholders’ visions of development in view of scientific data regarding governance, availability and use of water in the region as well as developing necessary transformation knowledge. During all of these steps researchers have collaborated with stakeholders in the support group RegiEau. The RegiEau group consists of key representatives of owners, managers, users, and pressure groups related to water and landscape: representatives of the communes (mostly the presidents), the canton (administration and parliament), water management associations, agriculture, viticulture, hydropower, tourism, and landscape protection. The aim of the talk is to explore potentials and constraints of scientific modeling of water availability and use within the process of transdisciplinary co-producing strategies for more sustainable water governance.

Sensory regulation of network components underlying ciliary locomotion in Hermissenda.

Ciliary locomotion in the nudibranch mollusk Hermissenda is modulated by the visual and graviceptive systems. Components of the neural network mediating ciliary locomotion have been identified including aggregates of polysensory interneurons that receive monosynaptic input from identified photoreceptors and efferent neurons that activate cilia. Illumination produces an inhibition of type I(i) (off-cell) spike activity, excitation of type I(e) (on-cell) spike activity, decreased spike activity in type III(i) inhibitory interneurons, and increased spike activity of ciliary efferent neurons. Here we show that pairs of type I(i) interneurons and pairs of type I(e) interneurons are electrically coupled. Neither electrical coupling or synaptic connections were observed between I(e) and I(i) interneurons. Coupling is effective in synchronizing dark-adapted spontaneous firing between pairs of I(e) and pairs of I(i) interneurons. Out-of-phase burst activity, occasionally observed in dark-adapted and light-adapted pairs of I(e) and I(i) interneurons, suggests that they receive synaptic input from a common presynaptic source or sources. Rhythmic activity is typically not a characteristic of dark-adapted, light-adapted, or light-evoked firing of type I interneurons. However, burst activity in I(e) and I(i) interneurons may be elicited by electrical stimulation of pedal nerves or generated at the offset of light. Our results indicate that type I interneurons can support the generation of both rhythmic activity and changes in tonic firing depending on sensory input. This suggests that the neural network supporting ciliary locomotion may be multifunctional. However, consistent with the nonmuscular and nonrhythmic characteristics of visually modulated ciliary locomotion, type I interneurons exhibit changes in tonic activity evoked by illumination.

Optical imaging of postsynaptic odor representation in the glomerular layer of the mouse olfactory bulb.

Olfactory glomeruli are the loci where the first odor-representation map emerges. The glomerular layer comprises exquisite local synaptic circuits for the processing of olfactory coding patterns immediately after their emergence. To understand how an odor map is transferred from afferent terminals to postsynaptic dendrites, it is essential to directly monitor the odor-evoked glomerular postsynaptic activity patterns. Here we report the use of a transgenic mouse expressing a Ca(2+)-sensitive green fluorescence protein (GCaMP2) under a Kv3.1 potassium-channel promoter. Immunostaining revealed that GCaMP2 was specifically expressed in mitral and tufted cells and a subpopulation of juxtaglomerular cells but not in olfactory nerve terminals. Both in vitro and in vivo imaging combined with glutamate receptor pharmacology confirmed that odor maps reported by GCaMP2 were of a postsynaptic origin. These mice thus provided an unprecedented opportunity to analyze the spatial activity pattern reflecting purely postsynaptic olfactory codes. The odor-evoked GCaMP2 signal had both focal and diffuse spatial components. The focalized hot spots corresponded to individually activated glomeruli. In GCaMP2-reported postsynaptic odor maps, different odorants activated distinct but overlapping sets of glomeruli. Increasing odor concentration increased both individual glomerular response amplitude and the total number of activated glomeruli. Furthermore, the GCaMP2 response displayed a fast time course that enabled us to analyze the temporal dynamics of odor maps over consecutive sniff cycles. In summary, with cell-specific targeting of a genetically encoded Ca(2+) indicator, we have successfully isolated and characterized an intermediate level of odor representation between olfactory nerve input and principal mitral/tufted cell output.

5-HT and GABA modulate intrinsic excitability of type I interneurons in Hermissenda.

The sensory neurons (photoreceptors) in the visual system of Hermissenda are one site of plasticity produced by Pavlovian conditioning. A second site of plasticity produced by conditioning is the type I interneurons in the cerebropleural ganglia. Both photoreceptors and statocyst hair cells of the graviceptive system form monosynaptic connections with identified type I interneurons. Two proposed neurotransmitters in the graviceptive system, serotonin (5-HT) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), have been shown to modify synaptic strength and intrinsic neuronal excitability in identified photoreceptors. However, the potential role of 5-HT and GABA in plasticity of type I interneurons has not been investigated. Here we show that 5-HT increased the peak amplitude of light-evoked complex excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs), enhanced intrinsic excitability, and increased spike activity of identified type I(e(A)) interneurons. In contrast, 5-HT decreased spike activity and intrinsic excitability of type I(e(B)) interneurons. The classification of two categories of type I(e) interneurons was also supported by the observation that 5-HT produced opposite effects on whole cell steady-state outward currents in type I(e) interneurons. Serotonin produced a reduction in the amplitude of light-evoked complex inhibitory PSPs (IPSPs), increased spontaneous spike activity, decreased intrinsic excitability, and depolarized the resting membrane potential of identified type I(i) interneurons. In contrast to the effects of 5-HT, GABA produced inhibition in both types of I(e) interneurons and type I(i) interneurons. These results show that 5-HT and GABA can modulate the intrinsic excitability of type I interneurons independent of the presynaptic effects of the same transmitters on excitability and synaptic efficacy of photoreceptors.

Potentials and pitfalls of clinical peptidomics and metabolomics

Clinical peptidomics and metabolomics are two emerging "-omics" technologies with the potential not only to detect disease-specific markers, but also to give insight into the disease dependency of degradation processes and metabolic pathway alterations. However, despite their rapid evolution and major investments, a clinical breakthrough, such as the approval of a major cancer biomarker, is still out of sight. What are the reasons for this failure? In this review we focus on three important factors: sensitivity, specificity and the avoidance of bias. The way to clinical implementation of peptidomics and metabolomics is still hampered by many of the problems that had to be solved for genomics and proteomics in the past, as well as new ones that require the creation of new analytic, computational and interpretative techniques. The greatest challenge, however, will be the integration of information from different "-omics" subdisciplines into straightforward answers to clinical questions, for example, in the form of new, superior "meta-markers".

From episodic to habitual prospective memory: ERP-evidence for a linear transition

Performing a prospective memory task repeatedly changes the nature of the task from episodic to habitual. The goal of the present study was to investigate the neural basis of this transition. In two experiments, we contrasted event-related potentials (ERPs) evoked by correct responses to prospective memory targets in the first, more episodic part of the experiment with those of the second, more habitual part of the experiment. Specifically, we tested whether the early, middle, or late ERP-components, which are thought to reflect cue detection, retrieval of the intention, and post-retrieval processes, respectively, would be changed by routinely performing the prospective memory task. The results showed a differential ERP effect in the middle time window (450 - 650 ms post-stimulus). Source localization using low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis (LORETA) suggests that the transition was accompanied by an increase of activation in the posterior parietal and occipital cortex. These findings indicate that habitual prospective memory involves retrieval processes guided more strongly by parietal brain structures. In brief, the study demonstrates that episodic and habitual prospective memory tasks recruit different brain areas.

From emotion perception to emotion experience: Emotions evoked by pictures and classical music.

Most previous neurophysiological studies evoked emotions by presenting visual stimuli. Models of the emotion circuits in the brain have for the most part ignored emotions arising from musical stimuli. To our knowledge, this is the first emotion brain study which examined the influence of visual and musical stimuli on brain processing. Highly arousing pictures of the International Affective Picture System and classical musical excerpts were chosen to evoke the three basic emotions of happiness, sadness and fear. The emotional stimuli modalities were presented for 70 s either alone or combined (congruent) in a counterbalanced and random order. Electroencephalogram (EEG) Alpha-Power-Density, which is inversely related to neural electrical activity, in 30 scalp electrodes from 24 right-handed healthy female subjects, was recorded. In addition, heart rate (HR), skin conductance responses (SCR), respiration, temperature and psychometrical ratings were collected. Results showed that the experienced quality of the presented emotions was most accurate in the combined conditions, intermediate in the picture conditions and lowest in the sound conditions. Furthermore, both the psychometrical ratings and the physiological involvement measurements (SCR, HR, Respiration) were significantly increased in the combined and sound conditions compared to the picture conditions. Finally, repeated measures ANOVA revealed the largest Alpha-Power-Density for the sound conditions, intermediate for the picture conditions, and lowest for the combined conditions, indicating the strongest activation in the combined conditions in a distributed emotion and arousal network comprising frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital neural structures. Summing up, these findings demonstrate that music can markedly enhance the emotional experience evoked by affective pictures.

Word encoding during sleep is suggested by correlations between word-evoked up-states and post-sleep semantic priming

To test whether humans can encode words during sleep we played everyday words to men while they were napping and assessed priming from sleep played words following waking. Words were presented during non rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Priming was assessed using a semantic and a perceptual priming test. These tests measured differences in the proces sing of words that had been or had not been played during sleep. Synonyms to sleep played words were the targets in the semantic priming test that tapped the meaning of sleep played words. All men responded to sleep played words by producing up states in their electroencephalogram. Up states are NREM sleep specific phases of briefly increased neuronal excitability. The word evoked up states might have promoted word processing during sleep. Yet, the mean performance in the priming tests administered following sleep was at chance level, which suggests that participants as a group failed to show priming following sleep. However, performance in the two priming tests was positively correlated to each other and to the magnitude of the word evoked up states. Hence, the larger a participant’s word evoked up states, the larger his perceptual and semantic priming. Those participants who scored high on all variables must have encoded words during sleep. We conclude that some humans are able to encode words during sleep, but more research is needed to pin down the factors that modulate this ability.

Altered Electrophysiology of Semantic Word Processing in Alzheimer's Disease and Semantic Dementia

With the progressing course of Alzheimer's disease (AD), deficits in declarative memory increasingly restrict the patients' daily activities. Besides the more apparent episodic (biographical) memory impairments, the semantic (factual) memory is also affected by this neurodegenerative disorder. The episodic pathology is well explored; instead the underlying neurophysiological mechanisms of the semantic deficits remain unclear. For a profound understanding of semantic memory processes in general and in AD patients, the present study compares AD patients with healthy controls and Semantic Dementia (SD) patients, a dementia subgroup that shows isolated semantic memory impairments. We investigate the semantic memory retrieval during the recording of an electroencephalogram, while subjects perform a semantic priming task. Precisely, the task demands lexical (word/nonword) decisions on sequentially presented word pairs, consisting of semantically related or unrelated prime-target combinations. Our analysis focuses on group-dependent differences in the amplitude and topography of the event related potentials (ERP) evoked by related vs. unrelated target words. AD patients are expected to differ from healthy controls in semantic retrieval functions. The semantic storage system itself, however, is thought to remain preserved in AD, while SD patients presumably suffer from the actual loss of semantic representations.