Partença primaveral de migració nocturna d'aucells des de Mallorca: recomptes mitjançant infraroig comparats amb dades de captura

Es va estudiar la partença de la migració nocturna d'aucells amb un dispositiu passiu d'infraroigs ubicat a la costa nord-est de Mallorca, durant l'abril de 1995. A la vesprada la direcció mitjana de vol oscil·lava a l'entorn del nord (354° a 35°), cosa que indicava que molts de migrants arribarien a la costa peninsular al nord de Barcelona, després d'una travessada marítima d'uns 250 Km. Unes 6 hores després de la posta de sol, aucells que havien partit la vesprada anterior des de la costa nord-africana, passaven pel lloc d'observació amb direccions més tendents al nord-est (0° a 60°), cosa que els forçaria a volar altres 400 Km per atènyer la costa mediterrània francesa. L'altura mitjana de vol dels migrants era de 1.000 a 1.500 ni sobre el nivell del terreny, mentre que els aucells que volaven en paral·lel a la línia de costa ho feien a nivells més baixos. La taxa de trànsit migratori (TTM) més intensa obse rvada va ser de 1.500 aucells Kmh.Spring departure of nocturnal bird migrado)] from Mallorca: infrared counts compared with capturing clata. The departure of nocturnal bird migration was studied with a passive infrared device at the north-eastem coast of Mallorca, during April 1995. In the evening mean flight directions varied around North (354° to 35°), indicating that many migrants would reach the Spanish coast after a seacrossing of about 250 Km, north of Barcelona. About 6 hours after sunset birds, started in the evening from the North-African coast, passed the observation site with more north-easterly directions (0° to 60°), which would force them to fly another 400 Km to reach the Frena Mediterranean coast. Mean flight altitude of the migrants was between 1.000 and 1.500 m aboye ground level, whereas birds flying parallel to the coastline flew at lower levels. Maximunn migratory traffic rate observed was 1.500 birds/Kmh

Examining the multiplicity of burial practices within Neolithic stone cist graves in the Western Alpine Region

The first cemeteries of the western alpine region are detec- table around 4800 BC. These consist of cist graves made of stone (or in some cases wood) slabs and become relative- ly widespread during the following millennium. Over this greater geographical area and long time period (until ca. 3800 BC) these graves remain relatively uniform. However, a wide range of burial practices and funerary rituals can be observed in the context of Neolithic stone cist graves; sing- le- and collective graves with multiple usage phases occur simultaneously and side by side, as do primary and secondary inhumations with cremations and manipulations of human remains. I will present different examples from selected sites in Switzerland, France and Italy analyzed in the context of my PhD project. The aim is to highlight the evolution and multiplicity of burial practices within stone cist graves using anthropological- and new radiocarbon data

Over-ground walking or robot-assisted gait training in people with multiple sclerosis ::does the effect depend on baseline walking speed and disease related disabilities? A systematic review and meta-regression

Background : It was suggested that robot-assisted gait training (RAGT) should not be routinely provided to disabled patients in place of conventional over-ground walking training (CGT). There exist several randomised controlled trials reporting on RAGT for people with multiple sclerosis. However, the effectiveness of RAGT varies between studies with the effectiveness pointing in different directions. It might be possible that the effectiveness of RAGT and CGT depends on the disease related disabilities of the people included in the clinical studies. We aimed to systematically search RCTs and to perform a meta-regression to compare the effects of robot-assisted gait training in people with less and higher disease related disabilities. The Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores were used to classify level of disability. Methods : A systematic search was developed to search four electronic databases (MEDLINE, CENTRAL, EMBASE and CINAHL) for eligible articles. A random effects model was applied to meta-analyse the effects of the interventions. Meta-regression was performed with an uni-variable random effects model using baseline walking speed and EDSS to predict the between group effect. Results : The search on databases resulted in 596 records and finally nine studies were included into the review. The pooled estimates of the effects for performance over short and long distance tests were small and non-significant: -0.08 SMD (95% CI: -0.51 to 0.35) and − 0.24 SMD (95% CI: -0.67 to 0.19). Neither baseline walking speed or disease related disability were related to the mean effect size. Discussion : Future studies are needed to help clinicians to decide, which intervention should be allocated to the individual patient

Das neolithische Steinkistengrab von Niederried am Brienzersee

Neolithische Kistengräber des sogenannten Typs «Chamblandes» wurden bisher haupt- sächlich in der Westschweiz um den Genfersee sowie im Walliser Rhônetal und im angrenzen- den Aostatal (IT) entdeckt. In Publikationen zu diesem Grabtyp bestehen Unstimmigkeiten in Bezug auf das Grab von Ursisbalm bei Niederried am Brienzersee im Berner Oberland. Die ältere Literatur stützt sich oft auf die Publikation von Alain Gallay von 1977, der das Grab von Niederried zum Typ Chamblandes rechnet; in neueren Publikationen ist jedoch das Steinkistengrab von Niederried nicht aufgeführt oder die Fundstelle wird mit dem etwa 90 km nord-westlich gelegenen Niederried bei Kallnach im Berner Seeland verwechselt. Das Steinkistengrab von Niederried befindet sich im Vergleich zu den übrigen bekannten Gräbern dieses Typs geografisch isoliert am Brienzersee. Aus diesem Grund ist dieses bisher wenig bekannte Grab von Niederried für die Forschung von grosser Bedeutung, zumal bis heute keine weiteren neolithischen Steinkistengräber in den nördlichen Voralpen entdeckt worden sind und die geografisch nächsten vergleichbaren Fundstellen fast 100 km entfernt liegen. Über 100 Jahre nach seiner Entdeckung wird hier das Steinkistengrab von Niederried, Ursisbalm neu behandelt. Die Recherche dazu erfolgte im Rahmen eines vom Schweizerischen Nationalfonds (SNF) geförderten Dissertationsprojektes am Institut für Archäologische Wissenschaften der Universität Bern. Erstmals wurden Radiokarbondatierungen durchgeführt, mit deren Hilfe die bestatteten Individuen absolut datiert werden konnten. Anhand aller verfügbaren Informationen soll geklärt werden, ob das Grab den Definitionskriterien der neolithischen Kistengräber des Typs Chamblandes entspricht

Effectiveness of conservative interventions including exercise, manual therapy and medical management in adults with shoulder impingement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs.

Objective To investigate the effectiveness of conservative interventions for pain, function and range of motion in adults with shoulder impingement. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. Data sources Medline, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Embase and PEDro were searched from inception to January 2017. Study selection criteria Randomised controlled trials including participants with shoulder impingement and evaluating at least one conservative intervention against sham or other treatments. Results For pain, exercise was superior to non-exercise control interventions (standardised mean difference (SMD) −0.94, 95% CI −1.69 to −0.19). Specific exercises were superior to generic exercises (SMD −0.65, 95% CI −0.99 to −0.32). Corticosteroid injections were superior to no treatment (SMD −0.65, 95% CI −1.04 to −0.26), and ultrasound guided injections were superior to non-guided injections (SMD −0.51, 95% CI −0.89 to −0.13). Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) had a small to moderate SMD of −0.29 (95% CI −0.53 to −0.05) compared with placebo. Manual therapy was superior to placebo (SMD −0.35, 95% CI −0.69 to −0.01). When combined with exercise, manual therapy was superior to exercise alone, but only at the shortest follow-up (SMD −0.32, 95% CI −0.62 to −0.01). Laser was superior to sham laser (SMD −0.88, 95% CI −1.48 to −0.27). Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ECSWT) was superior to sham (−0.39, 95% CI −0.78 to –0.01) and tape was superior to sham (−0.64, 95% CI −1.16 to −0.12), with small to moderate SMDs. Conclusion Although there was only very low quality evidence, exercise should be considered for patients with shoulder impingement symptoms and tape, ECSWT, laser or manual therapy might be added. NSAIDS and corticosteroids are superior to placebo, but it is unclear how these treatments compare to exercise. This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0

Virtual Reality applications for visualization of 6000-year-old Neolithic graves from Lenzburg (Switzerland)

The last decade has seen a steady increase in the application of virtual 3D approaches in cultural heritage research. Although a large literature exists about the advantages of 3D methods in this field, here we go one step further and elucidate a) how image-based 3D reconstructions can be displayed in virtual reality (VR) space using freeware game engine software and low-cost VR hardware and b) highlight the relative benefits and advantages with a focus on interactive museum displays of relatively large archaeological objects. Specifically, we present three 3D models of different stone grave structures from the Neolithic necropolis of Lenzburg (Northern Switzerland, 4450-3500 BCE). The site has been excavated in 1959/60 and certain graves were subsequently preserved for museum display. By means of VR applications, it is now possible to experience these approximately 6000-year-old tombs with an innovative approach circumventing various barriers or constraints and offering interactive display options

Project Briefing #4 Defining the scenario approach

The aim of this Project Briefing is a clear definition of the various dimensions of our scenario approach in Net-Zero-2050. Starting from the overarching framework, we then describe, how scenarios are applied in the various projects. We define the scope and focus of the energy scenarios and the scenarios for Carbon Dioxide Removal measures, as well as the interface between both approaches

Project Briefing #2 Defining the German Carbon Budget

Net-Zero-2050 aims for a national roadmap for net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, including integrated scenario analyses and negative emission technology assessment. The aim of this project briefing is to clarify the overall carbon budget available for Germany to comply with the global long-term temperature limit of well below 2°C of the Paris Agreement

Co-Creation of a Prototypical Climate Service Product to Support Climate Change Adaptation in the City Forest of Karlsruhe

Climate change presents severe challenges to forests, impacting ecosystems, biodiversity, and overall forest health. To address these challenges, the German forestry sector is exploring various adaptation strategies, including promoting the cultivation of more climate-resilient tree species, implementing sustainable forest management practices, and developing early warning systems for pest outbreaks and extreme weather events. Additionally, efforts are underway to enhance public awareness and engagement, fostering a collaborative approach to both mitigate climate change as well as to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Our research adopts an integrative approach, based on transdisciplinary processes and co-creation, to understand the needs of forest practitioners and develop a user specific climate service product. Focusing on climate extremes such as drought, heat, and heavy rain, we investigate diverse perceptions among authorities, scientists, and forest users. Drawing insights from the research project ClimXtreme, we engaged in a collaborative case study with foresters from the City Forest Karlsruhe. The transdisciplinary research aims to address specific climate information needs, inform society about climate change impacts and adaptation strategies, and facilitate communication with various forest users. The resulting climate service product – an easy understandable and scientifically sound brochure of twelve pages – covers a range of topics from climate change scenarios to specialized climate indices for forestry as well as practical adaptation measures initiated by the City Forestry office of Karlsruhe. To support the usability and to enhance the societal and scientific impacts based on our case-study, a multi-level approach has been chosen. Thus, in addition to the published brochure, all data and methods used are comprehensively explained and additional indices, analyses, methods, data, and literature have been made freely accessible online. The outcome of our efforts emphasizes the important role of co-creation to enhance inter- and transdisciplinary capacities for climate change adaptation in a city forest. By fostering dialogues with key practice partners and co-creating climate information, particularly tailored for a city forestry office in south-western Germany, our efforts inform society about climate change impacts and adaptation strategies and facilitate communication with diverse forest users and visitors (e.g. cyclists, joggers, walkers, riders). This integrated approach ensures a meaningful contribution to climate resilience in the German forestry sector and beyond