Communication Processes in Agro-environmental Policy Development and Decision-Making: Case Study Sachsen-Anhalt

The development of a decision support approach with regard to agro-environmental programmes is part of a larger research project on agricultural transformation and structural change processes. Research objective are improved communication processes and an enhanced quality of political decision-making. The investigation is based on the assumption that the success of agro-environmental programmes depends largely on their acceptance by all major stakeholders. This implies an early integration of varying interests in the decision-making process. Introducing participatory approaches into a bureaucratic setting poses particular problems. In order to achieve greater efficiency and effectiveness, the introduction of interactive modelling approaches has to be coupled with communication processes which increase transparency and allow for consensual decision-making.communication processes, agro-environmental programmes, decision-making support, conflict resolution, participation and acceptance, rural areas, agricultural extension, sustainable agriculture, structural change, transformation processes, Environmental Economics and Policy,

On the necessity and a generalized conceptual model for the consideration of large strains in rock mechanics

This contribution presents a generalized conceptual model for the finite element solution of quasi-static isothermal hydro-mechanical processes in (fractured) porous media at large strains. A frequently used averaging procedure, known as Theory of Porous Media, serves as background for the complex multifield approach presented here. Within this context, a consistent representation of the weak formulation of the governing equations (i.e., overall balance equations for mass and momentum) in the reference configuration of the solid skeleton is preferred. The time discretization and the linearization are performed for the individual variables and nonlinear functions representing the integrands of the weak formulation instead of applying these conceptual steps to the overall nonlinear system of weighted residuals. Constitutive equations for the solid phase deformation are based on the multiplicative split of the deformation gradient allowing the adaptation of existing approaches for technical materials and biological tissues to rock materials in order to describe various inelastic effects, growth and remodeling in a thermodynamically consistent manner. The presented models will be a feature of the next version of the scientific open-source finite element code OpenGeoSys developed by an international developer and user group, and coordinated by the authors

On the term and concepts of numerical model validation in geoscientific applications

Modeling and numerical simulation of the coupled physical and chemical processes observed in the subsurface are the only options for long-term analyses of complex geological systems. This contribution discusses some more general aspects of the (dynamic) process modeling for geoscientific applications including reflections about the slightly different understanding of the terms model and model validation in different scientific communities, and about the term and methods of model calibration in the geoscientifc context. Starting from the analysis of observations of a certain part of the perceived reality, the process of model development comprises the establishment of the physical model characterizing relevant processes in a problem-oriented manner, and subsequently the mathematical and numerical models. Considering the steps of idealization and approximation in the course of model development, Oreskes et al. [1] state that process and numerical models can neither be verified nor validated in general. Rather the adequacy of models with specific assumptions and parameterizations made during model set-up can be confirmed. If the adequacy of process models with observations can be confirmed using lab as well as field tests and process monitoring, the adequacy of numerical models can be confirmed using numerical benchmarking and code comparison. Model parameters are intrinsic elements of process and numerical models, in particular constitutive parameters. As they are often not directly measurable, they have to be established by solving inverse problems based on an optimal numerical adaptation of observation results. In addition, numerical uncertainty analyses should be an obligatory part of numerical studies for critical real world applications

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Effectiveness and safety of opicapone in Parkinson’s disease patients with motor fluctuations: the OPTIPARK open-label study

Background The efficacy and safety of opicapone, a once-daily catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor, have been established in two large randomized, placebo-controlled, multinational pivotal trials. Still, clinical evidence from routine practice is needed to complement the data from the pivotal trials. Methods OPTIPARK (NCT02847442) was a prospective, open-label, single-arm trial conducted in Germany and the UK under clinical practice conditions. Patients with Parkinson’s disease and motor fluctuations were treated with opicapone 50 mg for 3 (Germany) or 6 (UK) months in addition to their current levodopa and other antiparkinsonian treatments. The primary endpoint was the Clinician’s Global Impression of Change (CGI-C) after 3 months. Secondary assessments included Patient Global Impressions of Change (PGI-C), the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-8), and the Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS). Safety assessments included evaluation of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs). Results Of the 506 patients enrolled, 495 (97.8%) took at least one dose of opicapone. Of these, 393 (79.4%) patients completed 3 months of treatment. Overall, 71.3 and 76.9% of patients experienced any improvement on CGI-C and PGI-C after 3 months, respectively (full analysis set). At 6 months, for UK subgroup only (n = 95), 85.3% of patients were judged by investigators as improved since commencing treatment. UPDRS scores at 3 months showed statistically significant improvements in activities of daily living during OFF (mean ± SD change from baseline: − 3.0 ± 4.6, p < 0.0001) and motor scores during ON (− 4.6 ± 8.1, p < 0.0001). The mean ± SD improvements of − 3.4 ± 12.8 points for PDQ-8 and -6.8 ± 19.7 points for NMSS were statistically significant versus baseline (both p < 0.0001). Most of TEAEs (94.8% of events) were of mild or moderate intensity. TEAEs considered to be at least possibly related to opicapone were reported for 45.1% of patients, with dyskinesia (11.5%) and dry mouth (6.5%) being the most frequently reported. Serious TEAEs considered at least possibly related to opicapone were reported for 1.4% of patients. Conclusions Opicapone 50 mg was effective and generally well-tolerated in PD patients with motor fluctuations treated in clinical practice. Trial registration Registered in July 2016 at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02847442)