Assessment of future agricultural conditions in southwestern Africa using fuzzy logic and high-resolution climate model scenarios

Climate change is expected to have a major impact on the arid savanna regions of southwestern Africa, such as the Okavango Basin. Precipitation is a major constraint for agriculture in countries like Namibia and Botswana and assessments of future crop growth conditions are in high demand. This GIS-based approach uses reanalysis data and climate model output for two scenarios and compares them to the precipitation requirements of the five most important crops grown in the region: maize, pearl millet, sorghum, cassava and cow pea. It also takes into account the dominant soil types, as plant growth is also limited by nutrient-poor soils with unfavorable physical and chemical properties. The two factors are then combined using a fuzzy logic algorithm. The assessment visualizes the expected shifts in suitable zones and identifies areas where farming without irrigation may experience a decline in yields or may even no longer be possible at the end of the 21st century. The results show that pearl millet is the most suitable crop in all scenarios while especially the cultivation of maize, sorghum and cow pea may be affected by a possible reduction of precipitation under the high-emission scenario

Future agricultural conditions in the Nepal Himalaya - A fuzzy logic approach using high resolution climate scenarios

Until the end of the 21st century, ongoing climate change is expected to trigger major changes in site conditions and vertical species distributions in high mountain regions such as the Himalaya. Altitudinal ranges of species used as staple crops in Himalayan agriculture and currently suitable cultivation areas will be affected as well. Changing climatic variables such as temperature and precipitation will modify agricultural land-use options, and assessments of future crop growth conditions are in high demand. This GIS-based approach utilizes high resolution climate data of the present and two future scenarios and relates them to bioclimatic requirements of the five most important crops grown in Nepal: rice, maize, wheat, finger millet and potato. It takes into account soil pH as a basic constraint for the individual crop. The three factors  temperature, precipitation,and soil pH are then combined using a fuzzy logic algorithm. The assessment visualizes the expected shifts in suitable cultivation zones for the individual crops. The results show that wheat is likely to experience the most severe loss of crop suitability until the end of the 21st century, while the cultivation of rice is likely to benefit

One year of the COVID-19 pandemic in the global south : Uneven vulnerabilities in Brazilian cities

The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil provided one of the most severe examples of its impacts on health and society. The country had death rates above the global average and acute impacts in increased unemployment, poverty, and threats to food security marked along ethnic and social lines. This study asks how different degrees of vulnerability between Brazilian cities lead to varying survival probabilities of their population in the phases of the pandemic in the country. To answer this question, this research presents a descriptive and analytic exploration of the relationship between vulnerability and COVID-19 from February 2020 to February 2021. We describe this period in seven distinct phases, characterised by geographic units, vectors of virus transmission, and infected cases and fatality numbers. In this context, we implement an exploratory survival analysis of COVID-19 fatalities using the Kaplan-Meier estimator (KME) in a set of cities with different social vulnerability degrees. The KME is a common analytic tool in medicine, and we implement it in a geographic investigation to focus on the temporal dimension of the crisis and examine socio-territorial vulnerability. Our results present a clear association between vulnerability and COVID-19 deaths. Highly vulnerable cities show low survival probabilities, and there are statistically significant differences in survival probability between low- and high-vulnerability cities. Further research should advance by investigating spatio-temporal dynamics, providing fine-resolution empirical information, and addressing behavioural components related to COVID-19 cases and deaths in the Global South.Das erste Jahr der COVID-19-Pandemie hatte gravierende gesundheitliche und gesellschaftliche Auswirkungen auf Brasilien. Die Sterblichkeitsrate in dem Land lag über dem weltweiten Durchschnitt und erhöhte Arbeitslosigkeit, Armut und die Bedrohung der Ernährungssicherheit zeigten sich entlang ethnischer und sozialer Grenzen. Dieser Artikel untersucht, inwieweit die Vulnerabilität brasilianischer Städte die Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeiten ihrer Bevölkerung in den verschiedenen Phasen der Pandemie beeinflusst. Um diese Frage zu beantworten, wird eine deskriptive und analytische Untersuchung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Vulnerabilität und COVID-19 von Februar 2020 bis Februar 2021 durchgeführt. Wir unterteilen diesen Zeitraum in sieben verschiedene Phasen, die durch geografische Einheiten, Vektoren der Virusübertragung sowie Fall- und Todesfallzahlen charakterisiert werden. Vor diesem Hintergrund führen wir eine explorative survival analysis basierend auf den COVID-19- Todesfällen mit dem Kaplan-Meier-Schätzverfahren (KME aus “Kaplan-Meier Estimator”) in einer Reihe von Städten mit unterschiedlichem Grad an sozialer Vulnerabilität durch. KME ist ein gängiges Analyseinstrument aus der Medizin und wir setzen es in einer geografischen Untersuchung ein, um uns auf die zeitliche Dimension der Krise zu fokussieren und die sozio-territoriale Vulnerabilität zu untersuchen. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen einen klaren Zusammenhang zwischen Vulnerabilität und COVID-19-Todesfällen. Hochgradig vulnerable Städte weisen eine niedrige Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit auf, und es gibt statistisch bedeutende Unterschiede zwischen Städten mit geringer und hoher Vulnerabilität. Wir empfehlen für die weitere Forschung, die raum-zeitliche Dynamik zu untersuchen, fein aufgelöste empirische Informationen bereitzustellen sowie Verhaltenskomponenten im Zusammenhang mit COVID- 19-Fällen und -Todesfällen im globalen Süden miteinzubeziehen

Prognostic value of indoleamine 2,3 dioxygenase in patients with higher‐risk myelodysplastic syndromes treated with azacytidine

Hypomethylating agents (HMAs) are widely used in patients with higher‐risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) not eligible for stem cell transplantation; however, the response rate is <50%. Reliable predictors of response are still missing, and it is a major challenge to develop new treatment strategies. One current approach is the combination of azacytidine (AZA) with checkpoint inhibitors; however, the potential benefit of targeting the immunomodulator indoleamine‐2,3‐dioxygenase (IDO‐1) has not yet been evaluated. We observed moderate to strong IDO‐1 expression in 37% of patients with high‐risk MDS. IDO‐1 positivity was predictive of treatment failure and shorter overall survival. Moreover, IDO‐1 positivity correlated inversely with the number of infiltrating CD8+ T cells, and IDO‐1+ patients failed to show an increase in CD8+ T cells under AZA treatment. In vitro experiments confirmed tryptophan catabolism and depletion of CD8+ T cells in IDO‐1+ MDS, suggesting that IDO‐1 expression induces an immunosuppressive microenvironment in MDS, thereby leading to treatment failure under AZA treatment. In conclusion, IDO‐1 is expressed in more than one‐third of patients with higher‐risk MDS, and is predictive of treatment failure and shorter overall survival. Therefore, IDO‐1 is emerging as a promising predictor and therapeutic target, especially for combination therapies with HMAs or checkpoint inhibitors

Land fragmentation index for drip-irrigated field systems in the Mediterranean: A case study from Ricote (Murcia, SE Spain)

Land fragmentation is widespread in traditional field systems of the Mediterranean region. A typical case for high fragmented properties is the Valley of Ricote. It is dominated by smallholder agriculture. To promote smart sustainable development in rural areas it is important to address the specific needs of these small agricultural producers; especially considering that agriculture is the most important consumer of water worldwide and that the great majority of farms are small production units extending over <2 ha. Indeed, high land fragmentation, resulting from traditional land inheritance and transmission systems, may cause loss of water and productive land, entropic governance and superfluous emissions. In particular, drip-irrigated systems suffer from higher costs for irrigation due to high land fragmentation. In this study, we develop a Fragmentation Index for Drip Irrigation and Distance Assessment (FIDIDA) using Geographic Information Systems. FIDIDA quantifies farms considering their transaction costs. Based on these costs, FIDIDA brings together mean plot size, degree of separation and degree of dispersion of land parcels on farm level. The index can be used to compare the individual fragmentation of farms or the land fragmentation between different study areas. The definition of FIDIDA aims at supporting the management of reasonable land fragmentation thresholds in the context of communities made of traditional small farms, while suggesting possible pathways for a gradual inversion of high land fragmentation trends through agreed plot fusion where necessary.This work was supported with funding from the Humboldt Foundation, through an Experienced Researcher Fellowship awarded to AB (Project: Adaptive Resilience in Drylands - ARiD) and from the Cluster of Excellence “Integrated Climate System Analysis and Prediction” (CliSAP - EXC177), through the German Science Foundation (DFG). Further funding was provided by the Centre for a Sustainable University (KNU) of the University of Hamburg (Project: Sustainable rural development for water-scarce regions. Traditional knowledge for smart solutions in the Mediterranean, (funding channel 1, round 3, project 1))

Digital participation in traumatic brain injury: scoping review about assessment tools for computer-mediated communication

BackgroundIndividuals with chronic traumatic brain injury (TBI) are often affected by communication disorders which might have an impact on their social participation. Due to possible cognitive and communicative disabilities, as well as impairments of social cognitive skills, individuals with TBI have been observed to exhibit difficulties in maintaining and establishing social relationships, resulting in a greater risk of social isolation. This applies to both in-person as well as computer-mediated communication (CMC), which is considered an integral part of everyday life. Research on digital participation in the TBI population has focused on the possible challenges and barriers, but also on the benefits of CMC for social interactions. Guidelines from professional societies recommend questionnaires and checklists for assessing restrictions of communicative participation (e.g., ASHA, INCOG). However, there is no overview of whether the available instruments can capture digital aspects of participation or social media use in TBI.AimIn this scoping review, following the PRISMA criteria, we aimed to provide an overview over currently available instruments that help assess CMC use as a measure of digital participation in the TBI population.MethodThe databases Web of Science Core Collection, Ovid, PsycInfo and Psyndex were screened for publications between the years 2013 and 2023 with relevant search terms referring to social participation, assessment tools, CMC and the target group, in order to find suitable tools to assess digital participation in individuals with TBI. In a multistage selection process following the PRISMA criteria, the instruments found were examined in terms of items that assess digital participation. The outcome of the review is an overview of the status quo of potentially available instruments that capture aspects of CMC.ResultsFollowing a screening on title/abstract and full-text level, a total of 10 studies could be identified that present assessment tools that evaluate CMC use as a measure of digital participation in the TBI population. Said studies were analyzed and compared in terms of content according to the selected parameters.ConclusionDigital participation is an important aspect of everyday lives for individuals with TBI. Therefore, CMC should be an integral part of rehabilitation. The existing appropriate questionnaires uncovered in the current study should therefore be applied routinely to detect impairments in CMC and digital participation. Overall, however, there is still a great need for research in the field of CMC, both regarding methods for measuring digital participation disorders as well as resources.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.germanistik.uni-muenchen.de/forschung/proj_gl/review_participation_tbi.pdf

The IMiD target CRBN determines HSP90 activity toward transmembrane proteins essential in multiple myeloma

The complex architecture of transmembrane proteins requires quality control (QC) of folding, membrane positioning, and trafficking as prerequisites for cellular homeostasis and intercellular communication. However, it has remained unclear whether transmembrane protein-specific QC hubs exist. Here we identify cereblon (CRBN), the target of immunomodulatory drugs (IMiDs), as a co-chaperone that specifically determines chaperone activity of HSP90 toward transmembrane proteins by means of counteracting AHA1. This function is abrogated by IMiDs, which disrupt the interaction of CRBN with HSP90. Among the multiple transmembrane protein clients of CRBN-AHA1-HSP90 revealed by cell surface proteomics, we identify the amino acid transporter LAT1/CD98hc as a determinant of IMiD activity in multiple myeloma (MM) and present an Anticalin-based CD98hc radiopharmaceutical for MM radio-theranostics. These data establish the CRBN-AHA1-HSP90 axis in the biogenesis of transmembrane proteins, link IMiD activity to tumor metabolism, and nominate CD98hc and LAT1 as attractive diagnostic and therapeutic targets in MM

About the authors

Research on security-related aspects of climate change is an important element of climate change impact assessments. Hamburg has become a globally recognized center of pertinent analysis of the climate-conflict-nexus. The essays in this collection present a sample of the research conducted from 2009 to 2018 within an interdisciplinary cooperation of experts from Universität Hamburg and other institutions in Hamburg related to the research group “Climate Change and Security” (CLISEC). This collection of critical assessments covers a broad understanding of security, ranging from the question of climate change as a cause of violent conflict to conditions of human security in the Anthropocene. The in-depth analyses utilize a wide array of methodological approaches, from agent-based modeling to discourse analysis

Vom Kunstgewerbe zum Industriedesign: die Kunsthochschule Burg Giebichenstein in Halle/Saale von 1945 bis 1958

Unter welchen Einflüssen und Bedingungen sich die heutige hallesche Kunsthochschule Burg Giebichenstein von der einstigen Kunstgewerbeschule zur Hochschule für industrielle Formgestaltung wandelte, untersucht diese kunsthistorische Arbeit. In einem ersten historischen Teil wird analysiert, inwiefern die staatliche Kunst- und Bildungspolitik in der sowjetischen Besatzungszone 1945-1949 und der frühen DDR 1949-1958 diesen Wandel innerhalb der Amtszeiten von drei Direktoren herbeiführte. In einem zweiten kunsthistorischen Teil wird alsdann geprüft, ob und wie sich der Wandel der Schule aber auch der politischen und strukturellen Verhältnisse im Land auf die Kunst auswirkten. Eingebettet in den biographischen Kontext der drei Professoren für Malerei Charles Crodel, Erwin Hahs und Kurt Bunge zeigt die Arbeit, wie die Künstler politische und private Ereignisse ästhetisch reflektierten. Inwiefern die Ereigniss