4,845 research outputs found

    Perceptions, Actors, Innovations

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    With Agenda 2030, the UN adopted wide-ranging Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that integrate development and environmental agendas. This book has a unique focus on the political tensions between environmental and socio-economic objectives and advocates for a cooperative shift towards environmentally sound sustainability

    Climate Change and Critical Agrarian Studies

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    Climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to humanity today and plays out as a cruel engine of myriad forms of injustice, violence and destruction. The effects of climate change from human-made emissions of greenhouse gases are devastating and accelerating; yet are uncertain and uneven both in terms of geography and socio-economic impacts. Emerging from the dynamics of capitalism since the industrial revolution — as well as industrialisation under state-led socialism — the consequences of climate change are especially profound for the countryside and its inhabitants. The book interrogates the narratives and strategies that frame climate change and examines the institutionalised responses in agrarian settings, highlighting what exclusions and inclusions result. It explores how different people — in relation to class and other co-constituted axes of social difference such as gender, race, ethnicity, age and occupation — are affected by climate change, as well as the climate adaptation and mitigation responses being implemented in rural areas. The book in turn explores how climate change – and the responses to it - affect processes of social differentiation, trajectories of accumulation and in turn agrarian politics. Finally, the book examines what strategies are required to confront climate change, and the underlying political-economic dynamics that cause it, reflecting on what this means for agrarian struggles across the world. The 26 chapters in this volume explore how the relationship between capitalism and climate change plays out in the rural world and, in particular, the way agrarian struggles connect with the huge challenge of climate change. Through a huge variety of case studies alongside more conceptual chapters, the book makes the often-missing connection between climate change and critical agrarian studies. The book argues that making the connection between climate and agrarian justice is crucial

    Development of a SQUID magnetometry system for cryogenic neutron electric dipole moment experiment

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    A measurement of the neutron electric dipole moment (nEDM) could hold the key to understanding why the visible universe is the way it is: why matter should predominate over antimatter. As a charge-parity violating (CPV) quantity, an nEDM could provide an insight into new mechanisms that address this baryon asymmetry. The motivation for an improved sensitivity to an nEDM is to find it to be non-zero at a level consistent with certain beyond the Standard Model theories that predict new sources of CPV, or to establish a new limit that constrains them. CryoEDM is an experiment that sought to better the current limit of ∣dn∣<2.9×10−26 e |d_n| < 2.9 \times 10^{-26}\,e\,cm by an order of magnitude. It is designed to measure the nEDM via the Ramsey Method of Separated Oscillatory Fields, in which it is critical that the magnetic field remains stable throughout. A way of accurately tracking the magnetic fields, moreover at a temperature ∼0.5 \sim 0.5\,K, is crucial for CryoEDM, and for future cryogenic projects. This thesis presents work focussing on the development of a 12-SQUID magnetometry system for CryoEDM, that enables the magnetic field to be monitored to a precision of 0.1 0.1\,pT. A major component of its infrastructure is the superconducting capillary shields, which screen the input lines of the SQUIDs from the pick up of spurious magnetic fields that will perturb a SQUID's measurement. These are shown to have a transverse shielding factor of >1×107> 1 \times 10^{7}, which is a few orders of magnitude greater than the calculated requirement. Efforts to characterise the shielding of the SQUID chips themselves are also discussed. The use of Cryoperm for shields reveals a tension between improved SQUID noise and worse neutron statistics. Investigations show that without it, SQUIDs have an elevated noise when cooled in a substantial magnetic field; with it, magnetostatic simulations suggest that it is detrimental to the polarisation of neutrons in transport. The findings suggest that with proper consideration, it is possible to reach a compromise between the two behaviours. Computational work to develop a simulation of SQUID data is detailed, which is based on the Laplace equation for the magnetic scalar potential. These data are ultimately used in the development of a linear regression technique to determine the volume-averaged magnetic field in the neutron cells. This proves highly effective in determining the fields within the 0.1 0.1\,pT requirement under certain conditions

    Scotland's freshwater landscape and its resilience to change: an assessment to support future policy

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    Future changes in climate, land use, and population are likely to lead to significant impacts on freshwater quality and quantity. To increase the resilience of freshwaters to the impact of future change, tools are required to investigate and communicate the complexity and uncertainty associated with future-focussed decision-making. To address this need, a robust collaborative decision-making framework was developed to inform the identification of resilient water management options. As a first stage in the collaborative framework, 27 stakeholders across Scotland were interviewed to understand their knowledge needs. The need for a greater understanding of the cumulative impacts of climatic and socio-economic change on freshwaters was an overarching ‘knowledge need’ identified. To address the overarching ‘knowledge need’, a Bayesian Network (BN) model was developed as a tool for understanding the resilience of the freshwaters to the impacts of future change. Co-development of the tool was applied using the case study of the River Eden catchment, in eastern Scotland to address water quality issues - particularly reactive phosphorus concentrations from both diffuse and point sources - identified by stakeholders. Representatives from multiple sectors participated in a series of meetings, focus groups and workshops aimed at building the BN model and identifying management options for improving water conditions in the catchment both now and in the future. Plausible diverse future change scenarios to 2050 were developed to investigate their impacts on water quality issues in the catchment. Measuring the impacts of uncertain future change pathway scenarios on the catchment system informed the identification of five different management scenarios. Management scenario testing, using the BN model, supported stakeholders in understanding that standard siloed approaches to water management would not increase catchment system resilience to the impacts of future change. Instead, collaborative and innovative action was required to improve freshwater conditions in the catchment, both now and in the future. The thesis addressed gaps in the need for improved methods for involving stakeholders in problem identification stages and methods for measuring and communicating the uncertainty associated with future-focused water management. Policy, management and research recommendations are identified, addressing the need to review collaborative processes to improve future applications. The recommendations include the need for an implementation stage within the decision-making framework. Future BN applications should incorporate wider measures of success aligned with sector goals, such as detailed carbon accounting and financial considerations to support implementation. The development of a network of catchment partnerships to provide appropriate governance structures that ensure sectors are accountable for the implementation of management actions identified was recommended. Reflecting on the collaborative decision-making framework highlighted the need for higher resolution water quality monitoring and a central data hub to improve the representation of uncertainty in future modelling efforts

    Systems Analysis for Sustainable Wellbeing. 50 years of IIASA research, 40 years after the Brundtland Commission, contributing to the post-2030 Global Agenda

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    This report chronicles the half-century-long history of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), established in 1972 in Laxenburg, Austria, to address common social, economic, and environmental challenges at a time when the world was politically dominated by the Cold War. The report shows IIASA’s transition from its original raison d’être as a cooperative scientific venture between East and West to its position today as a global institute engaged in exploring solutions to some of the world’s most intractable problems—the interconnected problems of population, climate change, biodiversity loss, land, energy, and water use, among others. It provides a concise overview of IIASA’s key contributions to science over the last 50 years and of the advances it has made not only in analyzing existing and emerging trends but also in developing enhanced scientific tools to address them. The report also shows how IIASA is currently working with distinguished partners worldwide to establish the scientific basis for a successful transition to sustainable development. The global mandate, to achieve the 2030 Agenda, its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and 169 specific targets, features prominently in the institute’s work and in the report at hand: the pathways needed to achieve the SDGs have been the basis of many scientific studies by IIASA and its partners. The predominantly “bottom-up” nature of tackling the SDGs has required optimal responses to the very diverse and overlapping issues they involve, including judicious tradeoffs among the solutions that can be applied. Now, at the mid-term review point of the 2030 Agenda, this report focuses on the big picture and clarifies why, after years of scientific endeavor, the ultimate goal of this difficult global mandate should be sustainable wellbeing for all. The report is in six parts that summarize past and current IIASA research highlights and point toward future challenges and solutions: i) Systems analysis for a challenged world; ii) Population and human capital; iii) Food security, ecosystems, and biodiversity; iv) Energy, technology, and climate change; v) Global systems analysis for understanding the drivers of sustainable wellbeing; and vi) Moving into the future: Three critical policy messages. The three critical policy messages, necessary to trigger discussions about a post-2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are: (1) Suboptimization is suboptimal: Mainstream a systems-analysis approach into policymaking at all levels. (2) Enhance individual agency: Prioritize women’s empowerment through universal female education; and (3) Strengthen collective action and governance: Global cooperation and representation for the global common

    Development and characterization of anti-icing and anti-fouling coatings for overhead lines

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    La ricerca si è focalizzata sullo sviluppo di coating anti-ghiaccio per superfici di zinco e alluminio, usati per conduttori e funi di guardia nelle reti elettriche, e anti-sporco per superfici di vetro, usato per gli isolatori. Una macchina per la caratterizzazione dell’adesione del ghiaccio è stata ideata, progettata, costruita e usata. Coating super-idrofobici e anti-ghiaccio per superfici di Zn a base di ZnO nanorods sono stati prodotti e sono risultati in una pubblicazione. Questi materiali sono stati testati in termini di idrofobicità, proprietà anti-ghiaccio e durabilità. Una fune di guardia di 15m esposta al laboratorio WILD con questo trattamento ha dato buoni risultati contro le precipitazioni nevose. Le proprietà anti-ghiaccio degli elastomeri sono state studiate. Gli effetti delle modificazioni chimiche e fisiche sul PDMS sono stati studiati. Sono stati ottenuti buoni risultati di riduzione dell’adesione del ghiaccio sia dai test di laboratorio che dai test condotti in campo. Sono stati studiati dei coating a base di nanoparticelle di titania con proprietà fotocatalitiche. Sono stati condotti test in particolare sulla loro durabilità. Coating a base sol-gel sono stati sintetizzati e testati, sia come anti-ghiaccio che come anti-sporco. Sono necessari caratterizzazione ulteriore e miglioramento della durabilità. Sono stati formulati coating per tutti i materiali di interesse.Research has been conducted on formulating anti-icing and anti-snow coatings for aluminum and zinc, materials used for wires on power lines. Anti-fouling solutions have been proposed to avoid dirt accumulation on glass insulators. An ice adhesion testing machine has been built and used. Superhydrophobic anti-icing ZnO Nanorods coatings have been produced and also resulted in publication. Tests on hydrophobicity, anti-icing and durability have been conducted. A 15m zinc plated steel guard wire has been exposed in WILD station to assess its effect against real snow, reporting a reduction in both load and accumulation. Research on elastomers brought understanding of many properties underlying the anti-icing behaviour of PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane). Tests on anti-icing of chemically and physically modified PDMS have been conducted in laboratory. Open field testing have been conducted as well as snow laboratory testing, reporting satisfactory results. Photocataylitic TiO2 coatings for glass insulators has been studied, in particular adhesion and durability conditions, aside photocatalytic efficacy. Sol-gel based coatings, using TEOS or derivatives, have been synthesized, also. Improvements in durability and more characterization are needed. Coatings for all materials of interest have been purposed

    Water Governance and Management Practices in the Republic of Ireland: Past, Present and the Future

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    Robust water governance and management practices are critical in safeguarding water resources against threats such as drought, water pollution, infrastructure deficits, population growth, and policy implementation challenges. Despite being susceptible to these challenges, the Republic of Ireland (RoI) has implemented reforms aimed at facilitating a more integrated national approach to water resource protection. Following a descriptive, concurrent mixed method approach and research lens, this study examines three key research questions, providing the first comprehensive evaluation of changes in water governance and practices in the water-rich RoI. The research highlights significant events and measures taken to prepare for future challenges

    Nitrogenutnyttelse i dype jordlag og N₂O-dannelse fra kløvergras i norsk grovfôrproduksjon

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    Value creation in Norwegian agriculture is primarily based on milk and meat production, which depend in part on perennial grassland-based forage production. Roughly 60% of the fully cultivated land in Norway is used for grass production because the climate and growing conditions limit agronomic options for growing food-quality cereals and vegetables in many parts of the country. In addition, Norway has large areas of land which can be exploited as managed pasture or seasonal rangeland. Globally, there is much focus on improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) of crop production to mitigate the perturbation of the global nitrogen (N) cycle accompanying increased food production, with nitrate runoff leading to eutrophication of waterways, and emission of the climate-forcing gas nitrous oxide (N2O). Perennial grasslands located in cold and northern climates are especially vulnerable to large N losses due to poor winter survival, long dormant periods, and decomposition of frost-killed biomass. Much of Norway’s cultivable land lies in the hemiboreal climate zone, to which many perennial grassland species are adapted. Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), which is grown for its good yield potential but is less winter-hardy, can increase the risk of N losses if it survives poorly. Clovers, which are N-rich and more frostsensitive than grasses, also contribute to N losses, especially to winter-associated N2O production. On the other hand, clovers can increase the NUE of forage swards by partially replacing the need for fertilizer, and via diversity effects with grasses which increase sward yields and protein concentration. Opportunities for improving NUE lie belowground. The dense mat of roots in the topsoil of grasslands cycles and stores massive amounts of N (and carbon and other nutrients) and is the locus for microbiological N transformations which also form N2O. Some grassland species are capable of sending roots far below the densest root zone and recapturing N which has leached downwards. Diversity effects, not only between clovers and grasses, but also between grass species, greatly influence how a grassland sward utilizes the N throughout the soil profile and throughout the growing season. Using a stable isotope method with a novel slow-release 15NH4+ label, we studied deep root N uptake in well-established perennial forage swards. We studied five grass and two clover species in pure stands, over two growing seasons and a variety of weather events (Paper I), as well as the diversity effects, or results arising from species interactions, on yields and deep N utilization by two grass-clover mixtures in the second growing season (Paper II). Tall-growing grass species proved effective at acquiring N from below the densest root zone in the mid- to late growing season, after apparently needing time to reestablish deep root activity in spring (Paper I). The affinity for NH4+, the winter hardiness, and the growth vigor of these species proved to be more important functional traits for deep N acquisition than purported root depth (Paper I). When in mixture, the importance of growth vigor “competitiveness” became even more important, stimulating changes in deep N uptake behavior between species (Paper II). Clovers contributed to higher forage yields wherein grasses had higher N content, and mixtures utilized deep N as well as grass pure stands, thus diversity effects led to the best combination of yields and NUE (Paper II). In an adjacent field, we monitored N2O formation in grass, clover, and grass-clover swards throughout winter, including prolonged reducing soil conditions under snowpack, and during spring thaw (Paper III). We explored how liming, hypothesized to reduce N2O formation by denitrification, affected N2O emissions under these conditions in situ. Use of a fast-chamber robot allowed us to measure N2O fluxes during thaw events at a high frequency, while we used pre-installed soil air probes and gas chromatography to monitor gas levels in subnivean soil air as indicators for microbiological N-cycling. Off-season N2O emissions were lowest in grasses, highest in red clover, and moderate in grass-clover mixtures, which emitted less than expected (Paper III). Although liming reduced subsoil N2O accumulation under snowpack in grass-only swards, we think that in clover-containing swards higher pH stimulated nitrification of N released by frost-killed clover biomass to NO3-, in turn stimulating N2O production by nitrification or by providing substrate for denitrification. The apparent diversity effect wherein grass-clover mixtures emitted less N2O than expected was observed in both limed and non-limed plots in autumn. However, this effect was weaker in limed mixtures in the spring, suggesting increased N cycling in the higher-pH soils became more important than decomposition of clover biomass to N2O production as the next growing season began. This thesis demonstrates synergistic diversity effects of combining clover with grasses, which results in reduced N losses combined with increased protein yields, and possibly reducing the severity of N2O formation due to clovers over winter. NUE and N2O emission in Norwegian forage production can be managed by careful choice of forage species, particularly considering the proportions of clover and appropriate pH management.Verdiskaping i det Norske landbruket baserer seg hovedsakelig på produksjon av melk og kjøtt, og er delvis avhengig av fôrproduksjon basert på flerårig eng. Cirka 60% av fulldyrket areal i Norge brukes til flerårig grasvekst som er velegnet også i deler av landet hvor klima og vekstforhold begrenser korn- og grønnsaksproduksjon. I tillegg har Norge store områder med areal som kan utnyttes som gjødslet innmarksbeite eller utmarksbeite. Globalt er det stor fokus på å forbedre nitrogeneffektiviteten (nitrogen use efficiency; NUE) i planteproduksjon for å motvirke forstyrrelsen av den globale nitrogensyklusen som følger med økt matproduksjon. Nitratavrenning fører til eutrofiering av vann og vassdrag, og N bruk i matproduksjon øker utslipp av klimagassen lystgass (N2O). Flerårig eng som finnes i kalde og nordlige områder er spesielt sårbare for nitrogen-tap på grunn av dårlig overvintring, lange perioder uten vekst, og nedbrytning av frostdrept biomasse. Mye av Norges fulldyrkede areal ligger i klimasonen «hemiboreal», hvor mange flerårige grasarter er tilpasset et kaldt vinterklima gjennom vinterherding. Flerårig raigras (Lolium perenne L.), som dyrkes på grunn av sitt gode avlingspotensial men som er mindre vinterhardt, kan øke sjansen for N tap hvis det overlever dårlig. Kløver, som er N-rik og som tåler frost dårligere enn gras, bidrar særlig til N-tap, spesielt om vinteren i form av lystgass, men på den andres siden kan kløver øke NUE i fôrproduksjonen ved å delvis erstatte tilført gjødselmengden. Sammen med gras bidrar kløver til diversitetseffekter som øker fôravlingene og proteinmengde. Muligheter for å øke NUE ligger under bakken. Den tette matten av røtter til grasvekster i øvre matjordlaget lagrer og sirkulerer store mengder N (samt karbon og andre næringsstoffer). I dette området omsetter mikroorganismer C og N og danner N2O underveis. Noen arter kan ha røttene langt ned i jorden og fanger opp N som har blitt vasket ned i jordprofilen. Diversitetseffekter, ikke bare mellom kløver og gras, men også mellom ulike grasarter, påvirker i stor grad N-utnyttelsen i hele jordprofilen, og gjennom sesongen. Vi kombinerte en stabil isotopmetode med en unik langvarig 15NH4+ merking for å undersøke N-opptak av dypgående røtter i veletablerte flerårige eng. Vi undersøkte fem gras- og to kløverarter i monokultur, i to vekstsesonger og gjennom flere ulike værhendelser (Artikkel I). Vi undersøkte diversitetseffekter, eller resultater som oppstår fra interaksjoner mellom plantearter, på avlinger og dyp N-utnyttelse i to blandinger av gras og kløver (kløvergras) i den andre vekstsesongen (Artikkel II). De høyvoksende grasartene utnyttet N fra dyp jord effektivt fra midten til slutten av vekstsesongen, men trengte tid til å gjenopprette dyp rot aktivitet om våren (Artikkel I). Affinitet for NH4+ opptak, grad av vinterherding og vekststyrke av disse artene viste seg å være viktigere funksjonelle egenskaper for dyp N-utnyttelse enn tidligere antatt rotdybde (Artikkel I). I kløvergras blandinger ble vekststyrke eller konkurranseevne enda viktigere, og stimulerte artene til å endre dyp N-utnyttelse på ulike måter (Artikkel II). Kløveren bidro til økt fôravling og høyere N-innhold i gras. Kløvergras blandinger utnyttet også dyp N like godt som grasmonokultur. Derfor førte diversitetseffekter til den beste kombinasjonen av avling, kvalitet og NUE (Artikkel II). I et tilgrensede felt undersøkte vi N2O produksjon i gras-, kløver-, og kløvergraseng gjennom en vinter, som inkluderte en periode med langvarig reduserende jordforhold under snødekke, og i løpet av tiningsperioden om våren (Artikkel III). Vi undersøkte hvordan kalking, som er antatt å redusere N2O-dannelse fra denitrifikasjon, påvirket N2O-utslipp under slike forhold in situ. Vi målte N2O-fluks med høy frekvens under fryse-tinehendelser ved bruk av en robot utstyrt med hurtigkamre («fast-box» chambers). Vi brukte forhåndsinstallerte jordluftsonder og gasskromatografi for å undersøke gassnivåer i jordluftet gjennom vinteren, som brukes som indikatorer for mikrobiologisk N-prosesser. Utslipp av N2O om vinteren var minst i gras, størst i rødkløver, og moderat i kløvergras, hvor utslippet var lavere enn forventet (Artikkel III). Mens kalking reduserte N2O i jordluften under snødekke i rene grasruter, resultatene indikerer at den høyere pH kan ha stimulert nitrifikasjon etter nedbrytning av N-rik biomasse fra frostskadet kløver, og at dette førte til økt N2O-produksjon ved nitrifikasjon eller ved å gi substrat for økt denitrifikasjon. Den tydelige diversitetseffekter der kløvergras ga mindre N2O utslipp enn forventet ble observert både i kalket og ikkekalket vekster om høsten, men effekten var svakere i kalket jord om våren. Det kan betyr at økt N-sirkulering ved høyere pH ble en viktigere kilde for N2O enn nedbrytningen av kløverbiomasse ved start av vekstsesongen. Denne avhandlingen dokumenterer noen synergiske diversitetseffekter av å blande kløver med gras i grovfôrproduksjon, som resulterer i redusert N-tap kombinert med økt proteinavling, og muligens med en redusert grad av N2O-utslipp utenom vekstsesongen. NUE og N2O-utslipp i norske fôrproduksjon kan påvirkes ved nøye sammensetning av fôrarter, spesielt med tanke på andel kløver i vekst, og hensiktsmessig pH-behandling

    An exPADItion for citrullination in the developing hair follicle

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    During epidermal development, to assure proper tissue structure, highly complex transcriptional networks interact within the stem cell compartments of the epidermis and hair follicles (HFs) to balance the choice between self-renewal or differentiation. The full characterisation of the protein profiles resulting from those transcriptional networks, within the compartments of the HF, remains, however, incomplete. Moreover, the proteins themselves can be regulated via posttranslational modification (PTMs). One such PTM is citrullination, carried out by the peptidylarginine deiminase (PADI) family of enzymes. Although, PADIs have been described in other stem and progenitor cells, their role in hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) and progenitor lineages have remained elusive. The main objectives of this thesis are to address the functional consequences of PADI expression in HFSCs during development. Paper I identifies Padi4 expression in the developing HF, where it is found to participate in restricting proliferation and lineage commitment of HF progenitors, as well as playing a role in the central mechanism for translational control, and by doing so altering the distinct sequential events that mark HF differentiation progression. As a result, we identify citrullination as a means to assert regulation of protein function in HFSCs and progenitors. Paper II identifies alternative isoforms of PADI2 and PADI3, in oligodendrocytes and HF differentiated cells, respectively, and show that the alternative isoforms have an incumbering effect on the enzymatic activity and stability of their conventional counterparts. Paper III is a review paper in which meta-analysis of published human citrullinomes in health and inflammatory disease reveals that citrullination is a commonplace yet highly dynamic molecular regulator of protein function. A strong case is made for the involvement of PADIs and citrullination in hair follicle stem cell biology and inflammatory alopecia. Paper IV addresses the involvement of transcription factor ID1 in self-renewal and differentiation of epidermal progenitor cells during development. This study describes how ID1 facilitates synchronisation of progenitor proliferation and differentiation via TCF3- binding, and establishes a novel axis of coordination for how BMP-induction of Id1 expression via pSMAD1/5 is supressed by CEBPa. The combined efforts within this thesis demonstrate the clear and overarching importance of PADIs and citrullination in skin developmental physiology
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