Biomarkers of oxidative stress in the mountains

The data presented in the work indicate probable membrane indicators of functional disorders, closely related to oxidative processes (LPO) under the influence of unfavorable factors of the mountain environment. Key words: membranes, adaptation to the physical factors of mountains, lysophospholipids.

“It’s Beyond You, But You’re A Part of It”: Mountaineering in the Southern Alps of Aotearoa New Zealand

<p>This thesis provides a phenomenological exploration of the lived experience of mountaineering in New Zealand. Based on fieldwork completed in the Southern Alps and Mount Ruapehu, it offers an analysis into how mountaineers construct the mountain environment through their climbing, while also being shaped in turn by the vital mountain. At the heart of this thesis is the movement of mountaineering. I argue that the experience of mountaineering cannot be divorced from our embodied sensory perception. Through climbing, mountaineers build a depth of embodied, living knowledge, making sense of technical information and strengthening their judgement to help them climb and manage the risks. That knowledge transforms the mountains for experienced mountaineers. Furthermore, I argue that the vibrant and potentially deadly fluxes of the mountains form their agency and thus the vitality that my participants sense. To climb in the mountains is therefore to enter into a reciprocal relationship with the vital mountain environment. The mountaineers ultimately become a reflection of the mountains in which they climb. This thesis comprises of a written thesis and immersive podcast recording, which has been attached.</p>

“It’s Beyond You, But You’re A Part of It”: Mountaineering in the Southern Alps of Aotearoa New Zealand

<p>This thesis provides a phenomenological exploration of the lived experience of mountaineering in New Zealand. Based on fieldwork completed in the Southern Alps and Mount Ruapehu, it offers an analysis into how mountaineers construct the mountain environment through their climbing, while also being shaped in turn by the vital mountain. At the heart of this thesis is the movement of mountaineering. I argue that the experience of mountaineering cannot be divorced from our embodied sensory perception. Through climbing, mountaineers build a depth of embodied, living knowledge, making sense of technical information and strengthening their judgement to help them climb and manage the risks. That knowledge transforms the mountains for experienced mountaineers. Furthermore, I argue that the vibrant and potentially deadly fluxes of the mountains form their agency and thus the vitality that my participants sense. To climb in the mountains is therefore to enter into a reciprocal relationship with the vital mountain environment. The mountaineers ultimately become a reflection of the mountains in which they climb. This thesis comprises of a written thesis and immersive podcast recording, which has been attached.</p>

The Ancient Varieties of Mountain Maize: The Inheritance of the Pointed Character and Its Effect on the Natural Drying Process

The introduction of mechanized agricultural practices after the Second World War and the use of productive hybrids led to a gradual disappearance of local maize varieties. However, 13 landraces are still cultivated in North-Western Italy, in the Lombardy region; those that are cultivated in mountainous areas (roughly up to 1200 m in altitude) are often characterized by the pointed shape of their seeds (i.e., “Nero Spinoso”, “Rostrato Rosso di Rovetta”, “Spinato di Gandino” and “Scagliolo di Carenno”) and the presence of pigments (i.e., “Nero Spinoso”, “Rostrato Rosso di Rovetta”). The pointed shape of the seeds is an ancient characteristic of maize-ancestors, which negatively affects the yield by not allowing optimal “filling” of the ear. This study reports work on four different Italian varieties of pointed maize in order to assess the genetic bases of the “pointed character” and to try to explain the reasons for this adaptation to the mountain environment. The data obtained by genetic analysis, seed air-drying modeling and thermographic camera observations demonstrated that the “pointed trait” is controlled by the same genes across the different varieties studied and suggested that this peculiar shape has been selected in mountainous areas because it promotes faster drying of the seed, with the presence of pigments implementing this effect.

The Cult of Health Philosophy in Traditional Culture of the Inhabitants of the Ukrainian Carpathians’ Mountainous Regions

The article highlights the theoretical and applied aspects of health philosophy phenomenon in the traditional culture of the mountainous regions of the Ukrainian Carpathians. Based on the elaboration of philosophical, psychologico-pedagogical literature, study of archival materials, ethnographic research, students’ questionnaire, the authors reveal the phenomenon of cultivating healthy lifestyles through the prism of ethno-cultural traditions, types of activities and ways of the population’s life support in the mountainous regions. It is indicated that the phenomenology of human health philosophy in ethno-cultural traditions of the inhabitants of this region is extremely multifaceted, since it contributes to overcoming the boundaries between bodily and spiritual, biological and social, individual and global, and includes the integrity of the human personality, the harmony of psychophysical strength, the way of a person’s life, the main parameters of which are work, everyday life, educational and cultural activities, a variety of customs, traditions, human behavior. The methodological bases of the research comprise the results of achievements of modern psychologico-pedagogical schools in studying the uniqueness of the process of interaction of a person with a mountain environment and authentic culture. The research aims at determining the optimal psychological and pedagogical conditions for the effective use of the achievements of ethnocultural traditions of different peoples and ethnic groups living in remote mountainous areas.

Assessing and Projecting Surface Air Temperature Conditions Required To Sustain Permafrost in Japan

Permafrost covers a wide area of the Northern Hemisphere, including high-altitude mountainous areas even at mid-low latitudes. There is concern that the thawing of mountain permafrost can cause slope instability and substantially impact alpine ecosystems. However, permafrost in mountainous areas is difficult to observe, and detailed analyses have not been performed on its current distribution and future changes. Here, we show that the surface air temperature required to sustain Japan's mountain permafrost is estimated to decrease rapidly at present; most mountain permafrost in Japan is projected to disappear by the second half of the 21st century, and disappear very quickly in some places from approximately 2020–2030, regardless of climate scenarios. Our projections indicate that climate change has a considerable impact on mountain environments and that even if climate stabilization is achieved, Japan's mountain permafrost may almost disappear. It is important to consider measures to adapt to the changing mountain environment.