GRACE gravity solutions validated by in-situ ocean bottom pressure in different regions of the global ocean

The GRACE satellite mission provides gravity field estimates of the Earth with unprecedented accuracy. Nevertheless,the realistic detection of oceanic mass redistribution remains challenging due to comparatively small signalamplitude, aliasing by tides and other short-term variability, and smoothing of small spatial scales. To verify thecapability of GRACE to measure oceanic mass variability, a validation with in-situ timeseries of Ocean BottomPressure (OBP) timeseries is essential.Here, different GRACE gravity fields provided by the GRACE Science Data System (CSR, GFZ, JPL), GRGS,ITG and others are compared with more than 140 timeseries of OBP sensors deployed throughout all oceans.The performance of the different GRACE products to capture oceanic mass variability is assessed by a weighedcorrelation analysis, taking into account the length and data quality of the in-situ time series. Both Gaussianfiltering and an ocean-model derived spatial pattern filtering method are used for the GRACE data, whereas forthe in-situ timeseries, different de-tiding and de-trending methods are applied to reduce aliasing and sensor drift.The analysis aims (a) to quantify the skill of different GRACE products and to quantify the advances made byrecent GRACE gravity field releases with improved data processing, and (b) to identify regions where GRACEperforms exceptionally well (e.g. high latitudes), and in which parts of the oceans GRACE fails to detect real OBPvariability. Spatial patterns related to the performance of GRACE may help to predict the quality of spacebornegravity measurements also for those oceanic regions where no in-situ data are available. This is critical for thefuture use of GRACE to remotely determine water mass redistribution in all oceans

Gender and climate change adaptation

Climate change tends to exacerbate existing gender inequalities so that women tend to face greater negative impacts than men. Policies and practices should be careful not to consolidate or extend these inequalities. This brief provides information with regards to climate change impacts linked to gender. These are areas where women take primary responsibility and experience severe negative impacts, such as decreasing availability of clean water; decreasing agricultural production; decreasing access to crop residues and biomass for energy; and increasing risk of famine

One man one megawatt : one woman one candle : women, gender and energy in South Africa, with a focus on research.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.No abstract available

The use of liquefied petroleum gas by South African low-income urban households: A case study

At the end of 2005 and in 2006, the Western Cape suffered extended blackouts. The cuts came as a shock and customers were loud in their criticism of Eskom and the City of Cape Town’s failure to provide a reliable electricity supply. The utility Eskom’s responses included the introduction of an aggressive Demand Side Management (DSM) programme with the goal of saving electricity and reducing the need to shed customers. In Khayelitsha, Cape Town, the DSM programme entailed an exchange and subsidy programme: households were encouraged to swop their two-plate electric stoves for Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) stoves. This intervention is the subject of this paper. The results of the study were analysed in terms of the socio-economic characteristics of the sample interviewed, multiple fuel use and transition trends in households in urban areas, changes in behaviour in electricity and LPG use, changing perceptions of LPG and the impact of the intervention. Previous studies in household energy use showed that people perceived LPG to be dangerous saying that it posed a greater danger to the household than paraffin since it might explode. Surprisingly, during the electricity power cuts in 2006, people in low-income communities, readily accepted LPG stoves in great numbers and a year later, up to 89% of the households surveyed, reported still using LPG for cooking

Community based climate change adaptation (CBA)

Community based adaptation is an approach that puts people in the centre of their own development, by facilitating a learning process that increases resilience and anticipatory capacity. Adaptation is place-based and requires specific strategies. In order to create an enabling environment for adaptation it is important to firstly create the determination to adapt, and secondly create cooperation and networks to foster adaptation processes. The Adaptation and beyond newsletter for participatory research is published by Indigo Development & Change as a contribution towards effective and participatory adaptation to climate change, providing a forum for case studies and community and researcher feedback

The Effect of Ghrelin upon the Early Immune Response in Lean and Obese Mice during Sepsis

Introduction It is well established that obesity-related hormones can have modulatory effects associated with the immune response. Ghrelin, a hormone mainly derived from endocrine cells of the gastric mucosa, regulates appetite, energy expenditure and body weight counteracting leptin, a hormone mainly derived from adipocytes. Additionally, receptors of both have been detected on immune cells and demonstrated an immune regulatory function during sepsis. Methods In the present study, the effect of peripheral ghrelin administration on early immune response and survival was investigated with lean mice and mice with diet-induced obesity using cecal ligation and puncture to induce sepsis. Results In the obese group, we found that ghrelin treatment improved survival, ameliorated hypothermia, and increased hyperleptinemia as compared to the lean controls. We also observed that ghrelin treatment divergently regulated serum IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha concentrations in both lean and obese septic mice. Ghrelin treatment initially decreased but later resulted in increased bacteriaemia in lean mice while having no impact upon obese mice. Similarly, ghrelin treatment increased early neutrophil oxidative burst while causing a decrease 48 hours after sepsis inducement. Conclusion In conclusion, as the immune response to sepsis temporally changes, ghrelin treatment differentially mediates this response. Specifically, we observed that ghrelin conferred protective effects during the early phase of sepsis, but during the later phase deteriorated immune response and outcome. These adverse effects were more pronounced upon lean mice as compared to obese mice

Toxicity Analysis in the ADEBAR Trial: Sequential Anthracycline-Taxane Therapy Compared with FEC120 for the Adjuvant Treatment of High-Risk Breast Cancer

Background: Data from meta-analyses have shown taxane-containing therapies to be superior to anthracycline-based treatments for high-risk breast cancer. Patients and Methods: The ADEBAR trial was a multicenter phase Ill trial in which patients with lymph node-positive breast cancer were prospectively randomized for either sequential anthracycline-taxane or FEC120 therapy. Patients received 4x epirubicin (90 mg/m(2)) and cyclophosphamide (600 mg/m(2)) every 3 weeks (q3w), followed by 4x docetaxel (100 mg/m(2)) q3w (EC-Doc arm), or 6x epirubicin (60 mg/m(2)) and 5-fluorouracil (500 mg/m(2)) on days 1 and 8 and cyclophosphamide (75 mg/m(2)) on days 1-14, q4w (FEC arm). We compared both arms with respect to toxicity and feasibility. Results: Hematological toxicity was found significantly more often in the FEC arm. Febrile neutropenia was seen in 11.3% of patients in the FEC arm and in 8.4% of patients in the EC-Doc arm (p = 0.027). Non-hematological side effects of grade 3/4 were rarely seen in either arm. Therapy was terminated due to toxicity in 3.7% of the patients in the EC-Doc arm and in 8.0% of the patients in the FEC arm (p = 0.0009). Conclusion: The sequential anthracycline-taxane regimen is a well-tolerated and feasible alternative to FEC120 therapy

Platelet mitochondrial membrane depolarization reflects disease severity in patients with sepsis and correlates with clinical outcome

Introduction: Sepsis is still a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, even in modern times, and thrombocytopenia has been closely associated with unfavorable disease outcome. Decreases in mitochondrial membrane potential (depolarization) were found in different tissues during sepsis. Previous work suggests that mitochondrial dysfunction of platelets correlates with clinical disease activity in sepsis. However, platelet mitochondrial membrane potential (Mmp) has not been investigated in a clinical follow-up design and not with regard to disease outcome. Methods: In this study, platelet mitochondrial membrane depolarization was assessed by means of a fluorescent Mmp-Index with flow cytometry in 26 patients with sepsis compared with control patients. Platelet Mmp-Index on admission was correlated with the clinical disease scores Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation Score II (APACHE II), Sequential Organ Failure Score (SOFA), and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II). Finally, platelet Mmp-Index on admission and follow-up were compared in the group of sepsis survivors and nonsurvivors. Expression of the prosurvival protein Bcl-xL in platelets was quantified by immunoblotting. Results: Platelet mitochondrial membrane depolarization correlated significantly with the simultaneously assessed clinical disease severity by APACHE II (r = -0.867; P < 0.0001), SOFA (r = -0.857; P < 0.0001), and SAPS II score (r = -0.839; P < 0.0001). Patients with severe sepsis showed a significant reduction in platelet Mmp-Index compared with sepsis without organ failure (0.18 (0.12 to 0.25) versus 0.79 (0.49 to 0.85), P < 0.0006) or with the control group (0.18 (0.12 to 0.25) versus 0.89 (0.68 to 1.00), P < 0.0001). Platelet Mmp-Index remained persistently low in sepsis nonsurvivors (0.269 (0.230 to 0.305)), whereas we observed recovery of platelet Mmp-Index in the survivor group (0.9 (0.713 to 1.017)). Furthermore, the level of prosurvival protein Bcl-xL decreased in platelets during severe sepsis. Conclusion: In this study, we demonstrated that mitochondrial membrane depolarization in platelets correlates with clinical disease severity in patients with sepsis during the disease course and may be a valuable adjunct parameter to aid in the assessment of disease severity, risk stratification, and clinical outcome