A systematic approach to assess climate information products applied to agriculture and food security in Guatemala and Colombia

[EN] Increased interannual climate variability affects agricultural livelihoods throughout the world. In many regions, climate services support decision-makers in their adaptation efforts. The range of these services and the number of associated information products have increased dramatically in recent years. However, the relationships between these products and their use and usability for targeted decision-making have rarely been systematically evaluated. Here, we report on the development of a systematic and user-centered approach to assess climate information products and networks of products; and apply it to products covering the nexus of climate, agri- culture, and food security in Guatemala and Colombia. Across both countries, we assessed 28 products used for agricultural decision making, outreach, planning research, and design of emergency responses. While climate- only information products play a central role in each network, information products intended to support agri- culture and food security need to integrate information from different themes or disciplines and sources at different scales. We find that major improvements in the credibility, legitimacy, scale, cognition, procedures, recommendations, and content of most existing products are required. Brevity and clarity of language are highlighted as desirable in both countries, as well as use of trusted and publicly-available data, and non-paper- based delivery formats. The approach and methodology are valuable for facilitating the prioritization of actions for improvement and/or the development of new products, thereby helping climate services for agriculture and food security to realize their true potential.We acknowledge support from the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), under the project P42 Agroclimas 1 - Tailored agroclimatic and food security information for decision making in Latin America and P1604 Agroclimas 2 - Digitally integrated approaches for managing climate risks and increasing food security (http://bit.ly/2i3V0Nh).CCAFS is carried out with support from CGIAR Trust Fund Donors and through bilateral funding agreements. For details please visit https://ccafs.cgiar.org/donors.The views expressed in this paper cannot be taken to reflect the official opinions of these organizations. We also acknowledge support from the Colombian Ministry of Agriculture (MADR), who enable the co-production of climate services in Colombia through the AClimateColombia program (http://www.aclimatecolombia.org).JR-V and DG were partly supported by the project Climate Services for Resilient Development (CSRD)-United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Award#: AID-BFS-G-11-00002-10 towards the CGIAR Fund (MTO 069018). CSRD (http://www.cs4rd.org/) brings together public and private organizations and agencies committed to realizing the potential to enhance climate resilience and climate-smart policies and practices throughout the world, particularly in developing countries.Bouroncle-Seoane, C.; Müller, A.; Giraldo, D.; Rios, D.; Imbach, P.; Girón, E.; Portillo, F.... (2019). A systematic approach to assess climate information products applied to agriculture and food security in Guatemala and Colombia. Climate Services. 16:1-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cliser.2019.100137S1171

Integrated modelling to assess N pollution swapping in slurry amended soils

In the present work, it was hypothesized that through modelling it is possible to overcome the constraints that arise in the quantification of N pollution swapping associated to slurry application practiceswhen using individual experimental data. For this, environmental N losses were assessed under two methods of dairy slurry application to a double cropping system (rainfed oats (Avena strigosa)/irrigated maize (Zea mays)) in two different soils. An integrated experimentation and modelling approach was applied using the RZWQM2 model. The modelwas first tested using four years of experimental data concerningN fluxes to/fromdifferent environmental compartments (soilmineralization, N gas emissions, and N leaching). Themodel estimated emissionswith overall efficiencies of ~70% and r2 ~ 0.75. Total N losses were higher for surface band application (95.4 and 40.2 kg ha−1 for the sandy and sandy loam soils, respectively). However, when slurry was injected, nitrate leaching considerably increased (by 107 and 64% for the sandy and sandy loam soils, respectively), even though gas emissions were minimized. This N swapping among path losses requires targeting of the N mitigation measures to the environmental compartment showing the highest vulnerability. Generally, the estimated emission factors (EFs) were lower than or equal to (slurry injection in the sandy loam soil) the IPCC default. The values showed high variability, reinforcing the need to use agricultural system specific EFs. The methodologies used in this study, focused on scenario analysis, can support policy as they can be used to set up integral strategies to decrease N emissions fromlivestock farming systems, taking into account possible synergies and antagonisms produced by the measures among NH3 and N2O emissions and NO3 − leachinginfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Effects of water re-allocation in the Ebro river basin: A multiregional input-output and geographical analysis

The quality and availability of water are affected by numerous variables, through which the evaluation of water uses from different perspectives, and policy proposals to save water have now become essential. This paper aims to study water use and the water footprint from a river basin perspective, taking into account regions, sectors, and municipalities, while considering the physical frontier along with the administrative sectors. To this end, we have constructed a multi-regional input-output table for the Ebro river basin, disaggregating the primary sector into 18 different crops and 6 livestock groups. We pay special attention to crop production because it is the most water-consuming industry. The construction of the multi-regional input-output model represents an important contribution to the literature, in itself, since, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first to be built for this large basin. We extend this multi-regional input-output model to assess the water footprint by sectors and regions within the basin. We use these data to propose two scenarios: reallocating final demand to reduce the blue water footprint (scenario 1), and increasing value added (scenario 2). These scenarios outline the opportunity costs of saving water in socioeconomic terms in the basin. In another application, we downscale the multi-regional input-output model results at the municipal level and depict them using a geographical information system, identifying the hotspots and the areas that would pay for the socioeconomic opportunity costs of saving water. Our results suggest that saving 1 hm 3 of blue water could cost around €41, 500 of value added if we consider the entire basin. However, this water re-allocation implies losses and gains at the municipal level: some municipalities would reduce value added by more than €30, 000, while others would gain more than €85, 000 of value added. These tools and results can be useful for policy makers when considering re-allocating water. The contribution and the novelty of this paper is the construction of the multiregional input-output model for the Ebro river basin, and its link with geographical systems analysis at the municipal level

Patterns and universals of mate poaching across 53 nations : the effects of sex, culture, and personality on romantically attracting another person’s partner

As part of the International Sexuality Description Project, 16,954 participants from 53 nations were administered an anonymous survey about experiences with romantic attraction. Mate poaching--romantically attracting someone who is already in a relationship--was most common in Southern Europe, South America, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and was relatively infrequent in Africa, South/Southeast Asia, and East Asia. Evolutionary and social-role hypotheses received empirical support. Men were more likely than women to report having made and succumbed to short-term poaching across all regions, but differences between men and women were often smaller in more gender-egalitarian regions. People who try to steal another's mate possess similar personality traits across all regions, as do those who frequently receive and succumb to the poaching attempts by others. The authors conclude that human mate-poaching experiences are universally linked to sex, culture, and the robust influence of personal dispositions.peer-reviewe

Are men universally more dismissing than women? Gender differences in romantic attachment across 62 cultural regions

The authors thank Susan Sprecher (USA), Del Paulhus (Canada), Glenn D. Wilson (England), Qazi Rahman (England), Alois Angleitner (Germany), Angelika Hofhansl (Austria), Tamio Imagawa (Japan), Minoru Wada (Japan), Junichi Taniguchi (Japan), and Yuji Kanemasa (Japan) for helping with data collection and contributing significantly to the samples used in this study.Gender differences in the dismissing form of adult romantic attachment were investigated as part of the International Sexuality Description Project—a survey study of 17,804 people from 62 cultural regions. Contrary to research findings previously reported in Western cultures, we found that men were not significantly more dismissing than women across all cultural regions. Gender differences in dismissing romantic attachment were evident in most cultures, but were typically only small to moderate in magnitude. Looking across cultures, the degree of gender differentiation in dismissing romantic attachment was predictably associated with sociocultural indicators. Generally, these associations supported evolutionary theories of romantic attachment, with smaller gender differences evident in cultures with high–stress and high–fertility reproductive environments. Social role theories of human sexuality received less support in that more progressive sex–role ideologies and national gender equity indexes were not cross–culturally linked as expected to smaller gender differences in dismissing romantic attachment.peer-reviewe

Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Assisted Green Electrochemical Preparation of Silicon from Solid Silica in Calcium Chloride Melt

A novel integrated cell with O2-|YSZ|Pt|O2(air) reference and counter electrodes was constructed using a short yttria-stabilized zirconia solid electrolyte (YSZ) tube. Combining with cyclic voltammetry and potentiostatic electrolysis methods, green electrochemical preparation of Si from solid SiO2 in CaCl2 melt at 1173 K was studied via an experimental apparatus containing the novel integrated cell under completely carbon-free conditions; the effect of electrolysis time on the morphology of the Si product was also investigated by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS). The results show that the morphology of the product obtained from potentiostatic electrolysis at a low overpotential (− 1.6 V) undergoes an evolution from SiO2 raw powder with different sizes to aggregates of spherical particles and small particles with partial reduction, and then to Si nuclei, and finally to Si wires or flakes. The morphology of electrolytic products has little relation with that of SiO2 raw powder and may be controlled by applying different potentials. Furthermore, the longer the electrolysis time, the more the Si wires grow, and the higher the Si purity overall. It is feasible that the experimental apparatus without the sealed stainless steel reactor and any carbonaceous materials can be used to prepare Si from solid SiO2 in CaCl2 melt and release O2 gas at the same time

Alcohol consumption, endogenous estrogen and mammographic density among premenopausal women

Introduction: Alcohol consumption may promote aromatization of androgens to estrogens, which may partly explain the observations linking alcohol consumption to higher breast cancer risk. Whether alcohol consumption is associated with endogenous estrogen levels, and mammographic density phenotypes in premenopausal women remains unclear. Methods: Alcohol consumption was collected by self-report and interview, using semi quantitative food frequency questionnaires, and a food diary during seven days of a menstrual cycle among 202 premenopausal women, participating in the Energy Balance and Breast Cancer Aspects (EBBA) study I. Estrogen was assessed in serum and daily in saliva across an entire menstrual cycle. Computer-assisted mammographic density (Madena) was obtained from digitized mammograms taken between days 7–12 of the menstrual cycle. Multivariable regression models were used to investigate the associations between alcohol consumption, endogenous estrogen and mammographic density phenotypes. Results: Current alcohol consumption was positively associated with endogenous estrogen, and absolute mammographic density. We observed 18 % higher mean salivary 17β-estradiol levels throughout the menstrual cycle, among women who consumed more than 10 g of alcohol per day compared to women who consumed less than 10 g of alcohol per day (p = 0.034). Long-term and past-year alcohol consumption was positively associated with mammographic density. We observed a positive association between alcohol consumption (past year) and absolute mammographic density; high alcohol consumers (≥7 drinks/week) had a mean absolute mammographic density of 46.17 cm2 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 39.39, 52.95), while low alcohol consumers (32.4 cm2), compared to low (<1 drink/week) alcohol consumers. Conclusion: Alcohol consumption was positively associated with daily endogenous estrogen levels and mammographic density in premenopausal women. These associations could point to an important area of breast cancer prevention. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13058-015-0620-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

BACH2 immunodeficiency illustrates an association between super-enhancers and haploinsufficiency.

The transcriptional programs that guide lymphocyte differentiation depend on the precise expression and timing of transcription factors (TFs). The TF BACH2 is essential for T and B lymphocytes and is associated with an archetypal super-enhancer (SE). Single-nucleotide variants in the BACH2 locus are associated with several autoimmune diseases, but BACH2 mutations that cause Mendelian monogenic primary immunodeficiency have not previously been identified. Here we describe a syndrome of BACH2-related immunodeficiency and autoimmunity (BRIDA) that results from BACH2 haploinsufficiency. Affected subjects had lymphocyte-maturation defects that caused immunoglobulin deficiency and intestinal inflammation. The mutations disrupted protein stability by interfering with homodimerization or by causing aggregation. We observed analogous lymphocyte defects in Bach2-heterozygous mice. More generally, we observed that genes that cause monogenic haploinsufficient diseases were substantially enriched for TFs and SE architecture. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized feature of SE architecture in Mendelian diseases of immunity: heterozygous mutations in SE-regulated genes identified by whole-exome/genome sequencing may have greater significance than previously recognized