Desertification

IPCC SPECIAL REPORT ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND LAND (SRCCL) Chapter 3: Climate Change and Land: An IPCC special report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystem

Isolation and identification of promising strains of bacillus subtilis

The article presents data on the isolation and study of the physiological and biochemical properties of Bacillus subtilis cultures. Samples of Chernozem soils of wheat fields were used as materials for selecting crops. 10 isolates with antimicrobial properties of B. subtilis were isolated from the samples. Microscopic observation of these isolates showed that they are gram-positive, rodshaped, endospore-forming bacteria. According to the cultural-morphological and physiological-biochemical characteristics, the isolated isolates were identified as Bacillus subtilis. Work was carried out to study the antagonistic activity of isolated Bacillus subtilis strains to 2 test strains: Alternaria alternata and Fusarium avenaceum. Based on the data obtained, it was noted that Bacillus subtilis strains EU7, EU14, EU22, EU31 and EU34 have antagonistic activity against Alternaria alternata and Fusarium avenaceum. Thus, promising strains for biocontrol of alternarious and Fusarium diseases were obtained

Prevention of residual pain after discectomy

The aim of our study was: to evaluate the results of surgical treatment of patients with herniated intervertebral discs, who were made prevention of radiculopathy and spondylarthrosis interoperatively. We analyzed the results of 52 patients, reoperated on hernias of intervertebral discs and recurrent pain syndromes divided into two groups: in group I patients underwent discectomy, meningoradiculolisis, blockade of facet joints (FJ) and applique of nerve roots with medicinal mixture, in group II was made a standard discectomy and meningoradiculolisis. Preventive inside joint blocade with hormone and local anestetic, and also the local appliques of nerve roots influence favourably upon results of the treatment of patients with intervertebral disc hernia.Проанализированы результаты обследования, хирургического лечения и наблюдений 132 пациента с опухолями головного мозга супратенториальной локализации. Анализ данных ДТ-трактографии позволил выбрать оптимальный хирургический подход к опухоли, определить доступные для удаления участки и выполнить резекцию в адекватном объёме с сохранением проводящих путей белого вещества головного мозга, что позволило минимизировать хирургическую травму, снижение риска возникновения и усугубления неврологического дефицита, что предопределяет эффективность операции и хорошее качество жизни больных

Severe climate change risks to food security and nutrition

This paper discusses severe risks to food security and nutrition that are linked to ongoing and projected climate change, particularly climate and weather extremes in global warming, drought, flooding, and precipitation. We specifically consider the impacts on populations vulnerable to food insecurity and malnutrition due to lower income, lower access to nutritious food, or social discrimination. The paper defines climate-related “severe risk” in the context of food security and nutrition, using a combination of criteria, including the magnitude and likelihood of adverse consequences, the timing of the risk and the ability to reduce the risk. Severe climate change risks to food security and nutrition are those which result, with high likelihood, in pervasive and persistent food insecurity and malnutrition for millions of people, have the potential for cascading effects beyond the food systems, and against which we have limited ability to prevent or fully respond. The paper uses internationally agreed definitions of risks to food security and nutrition to describe the magnitude of adverse consequences. Moreover, the paper assesses the conditions under which climate change-induced risks to food security and nutrition could become severe based on findings in the literature using different climate change scenarios and shared socioeconomic pathways. Finally, the paper proposes adaptation options, including institutional management and governance actions, that could be taken now to prevent or reduce the severe climate risks to future human food security and nutrition

Efficiency neuroimaging tumor surgery of the cerebral hemispheres

The results of a survey of surgical treatment and observation of 132 patients with brain tumors of supratentorial localization. Data analysis DT- tractography allowed to choosean optimal surgical approach to tumors, to identify areas available for disposal and perform resection in an adequate amount of conservation white matter pathways of the brain, thus minimizing surgical trauma, reduced risk, and worsening of neurological deficit that determines the efficiency of operations and quality of life of patients.Проанализированы результаты обследования, хирургического лечения и наблюдений 132 пациента с опухолями головного мозга супратенториальной локализации. Анализ данных ДТ-трактографии позволил выбрать оптимальный хирургический подход к опухоли, определить доступные для удаления участки и выполнить резекцию в адекватном объёме с сохранением проводящих путей белого вещества головного мозга, что позволило минимизировать хирургическую травму, снижение риска возникновения и усугубления неврологического дефицита, что предопределяет эффективность операции и хорошее качество жизни больных

Multiscale approaches for the assessment and monitoring of social and ecological resilience to drought

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION (1-12).-- 1.1 Objective and structure of the report (1-1).-- 1.2 Evidence of drought impacts on ecosystems and human populations (2-7).-- 1.3 Assessing resilience to drought (8-9).-- 1.4 Methodology (10-12).-- CHAPTER 2: INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS OF EXISTING INDICATORS AND METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES (13-28).-- 2.1 A typology of drought resilience indicators (13-28).-- CHAPTER 3: TECHNICAL GUIDANCE (29-42).-- 3.1 A step-by-step approach to using drought resilience indicators (29-32).-- 3.2 Guiding principles (33-33).-- 3.3 An overview of resilience assessment frameworks (34-38).-- 3.4 Presenting results of a drought resilience assessment (39-42).-- CHAPTER 4: FURTHER ACTIONS NEEDED (43-46)Drought is a complex phenomenon: its causes are varied, and it has both direct and indirect impacts on food security, human well-being and ecosystem health. Episodes of drought that occur where land has become degraded can spur human migration and even civil unrest. The need to increase water security is vitally important, something achievable by addressing the links and interactions among water scarcity, climate change and land degradation. Research suggests that water scarcity can be mediated, at least in part, with better land- and water-use decisions and by restoring degraded land. The report was prepared under the supervision of the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface working group dedicated to Objective 2.Supported by the UNCCD, this publication was produced with the financial support of the Changwon Initiative, the People's Republic of China and the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the UNCCD and do not necessarily reflect the views of the donors.Peer reviewe

Adapting agricultural water use to climate change in a post-Soviet context: challenges and opportunities in southeast Kazakhstan

The convergence of climate change and post-Soviet socio-economic and institutional transformations has been underexplored so far, as have the consequences of such convergence on crop agriculture in Central Asia. This paper provides a place-based analysis of constraints and opportunities for adaptation to climate change, with a specific focus on water use, in two districts in southeast Kazakhstan. Data were collected by 2 multi-stakeholder participatory workshops, 21 semi-structured in-depth interviews, and secondary statistical data. The present-day agricultural system is characterised by enduring Soviet-era management structures, but without state inputs that previously sustained agricultural productivity. Low margins of profitability on many privatised farms mean that attempts to implement integrated water management have produced water users associations unable to maintain and upgrade a deteriorating irrigation infrastructure. Although actors engage in tactical adaptation measures, necessary structural adaptation of the irrigation system remains difficult without significant public or private investments. Market-based water management models have been translated ambiguously to this region, which fails to encourage efficient water use and hinders adaptation to water stress. In addition, a mutual interdependence of informal networks and formal institutions characterises both state governance and everyday life in Kazakhstan. Such interdependence simultaneously facilitates operational and tactical adaptation, but hinders structural adaptation, as informal networks exist as a parallel system that achieves substantive outcomes while perpetuating the inertia and incapacity of the state bureaucracy. This article has relevance for critical understanding of integrated water management in practice and adaptation to climate change in post-Soviet institutional settings more broadly

Economics of Land Degradation Initiative: Methods and Approach for Global and National Assessments

Healthy land ecosystems are essential to sustainable development, including food security and improved livelihoods. Yet, their key services have usually been taken for granted and their true value underrated, leading to land degradation becoming a critical global problem. This pattern of undervaluation of lands is about to change in view of the rapidly rising land prices, which is the result of increasing shortage of land and high output prices. Despite the urgent need for preventing and reversing land degradation, the problem has yet to be appropriately addressed. Policy actions for sustainable land management are lacking, and a policy framework for action is missing. Such a framework for policy action needs to be supported by evidence-based and action-oriented research. The Economics of Land Degradation (ELD) initiative seeks to develop such a science basis for policy actions to address land degradation. The purpose of this methodological paper is to provide with sound and feasible standards for ELD assessment at global and national levels. Only if some basic standards are identified and adhered to, comparative assessments can be conducted between countries and useful aggregation of findings, based on these case studies, can be achieved. Therefore, using the Total Economic Value (TEV) framework, the paper identifies minimum core standards that need to be adhered to in all country case studies to generate comparable material for international assessment and ELD policy guidance. It also identifies additional and desirable areas of information and analyses that would add value to the country case study material. The proposed framework is also intended as a forward-looking agenda which can guide future research

An Optimization Model for Technology Adoption of Marginalized Smallholders: Theoretical Support for Matching Technological and Institutional Innovations

The rural poor are often marginalized and restricted from access to markets, public services and information, mainly due to poor connections to transport and communication infrastructure. Despite these unfavorable conditions, agricultural technology investments are believed to unleash unused human and natural capital potentials and alleviate poverty by productivity growth in agriculture. Based on the concept of marginality we develop a theoretical model which shows that these expectations for productivity growth are conditional on human and natural capital stocks and transaction costs. Our model categorizes the rural farm households below the poverty line into four segments according to labor and land endowments. Policy recommendations for segment and location specific investments are provided. Theoretical findings indicate that adjusting rural infrastructure and institutions to reduce transaction costs is a more preferable investment strategy than adjusting agricultural technologies to marginalized production conditions

Methodological Review and Revision of the Global Hunger Index

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a multidimensional measure of hunger that considers three dimensions: (1) inadequate dietary energy supply, (2) child undernutrition, and (3) child mortality. The initial version of the index included the following three, equally weighted, non-standardized (i.e. unscaled) indicators that are expressed in percent: the proportion of the population that is calorie deficient (FAO's prevalence of undernourishment); the prevalence of underweight in children under five; and the under-five mortality rate. Several decisions regarding the original formulation of the GHI are reconsidered in light of recent discussions in the nutrition community and suggestions by other researchers, namely the choice of the prevalence of child underweight for the child undernutrition dimension, the use of the under-five mortality rate from all causes for the child mortality dimension, and the decision not to standardize the component indicators prior to aggregation. Based on an exploration of the literature, data availability and comparability across countries, and correlation analyses with indicators of micronutrient deficiencies, the index is revised as follows: (1) The child underweight indicator is replaced with child stunting and child wasting; (2) The weight of one third for the child undernutrition dimension is shared equally between the two new indicators; and (3) The component indicators of the index are standardized prior to aggregation, using fixed thresholds set above the maximum values observed in the data set. The under-five mortality rate from all causes is retained, because estimating under-five mortality attributable to nutritional deficiencies would be very costly and make the production of the GHI dependent on statistics about cause-specific mortality rates by country and year that are published irregularly, while the expected benefits are limited