A simple biodiversity assessment scheme supporting nature-friendly farm management

Farmers are important actors for regional development and biodiversity protection. Agri-environment-climate measures (AECM) are therefore a central tool of the European Union to support its biodiversity conservation policy. AECM generally reward farmers for fulfilling predefined management actions or avoiding specific practices. In contrast, result oriented AECM are intended to reward farmers for the outcome of nature friendly management practices. This approach gives more flexibility in management and hence promotes farmers engagement and autonomy. Besides educational activities and agricultural advisory services farmers need user friendly tools to assess biodiversity in order to meet result oriented AECM. Thus, we present a biodiversity assessment scheme for farmland using a set of indicators, which covers different aspects of biodiversity (flower colour index, butterfly abundance, landscape structuring degree, patch diversity index, aggregated biodiversity index) and can be applied at different spatial scales. The assessment scheme is applied on 44 farms in five countries (France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Austria). To evaluate its appropriateness the relationship between the indicators and land-use intensity and plant species richness is investigated. Grasslands with low land-use intensity are more colourful grasslands, have significantly more butterflies and a higher aggregated biodiversity index than moderately and intensively used grasslands. The influence of management intensity on the landscape structuring degree is not significant. All indicators correlate with plant species richness at all spatial scales. The proposed assessment scheme serves as a tool for the detection of differences in biodiversity resulting from land-use practices, and can assist the monitoring of ROMs

Ergebnisorientierte Massnahmen zur Förderung der Biodiversität in der Berglandwirtschaft - Ein Handbuch für die Politik

Das Handbuch enthält: - Eine Einführung in ergebnisorientierte Massnahmen Projekt MERIT - Einen Überblick über die Vor- und Nachteile ergebnisorientierte Massnahmen - Wissenschaftlich fundierte Empfehlungen für die Gestaltung, Umsetzung und Governance ergebnisorientierter Biodiversitätsfördermassnahmen in der Berglandwirtschaft - Beispiel von ergebnisorientierten Massnahmen in Europ

Result-oriented Measures for Biodiversity in Mountain Farming - A Policy Handbook

The handbook includes: - An introduction to result-oriented measures - An overview of the advantages and disadvantages of result-oriented measures - Specific recommendations for the design, implementation and governance of resultoriented measures for biodiversity in mountain farming - Examples of result-oriented measures that have been implemente

Austria under the auspices of global agritourism values: a narrative literature review

The concept of agritourism has been studied in various transnational, national, and regional or local contexts. Its growing popularity raises questions about common definitions and their variations. With this in mind, the Global Agritourism Network Committee's Definitions and Standards elaborated a series of core global values. This review examines the situation in Austria based on these values, such as synergistic potential, agricultural diversity, the integration within agriculture and its derivatives, resource showcasing, and authentic experiences. The objective is to investigate the prevalence of these global core values within the Austrian situation. Consequently, this review aims to contribute to a broader understanding by identifying similarities and potential gaps between these global core values and local practices. Additionally, the review considers how enhancing global transparency could improve national agritourism practices. The review draws on a number of Austrian reference sources, namely accommodation statistics, the farm structure survey, and guidelines from the “Holidays on the Farm” association, as well as relevant literature from 2006 to 2024. Databases like Scopus and Web of Science were searched using keywords such as “agritourism,” “farm holiday,” and “Austria.” A total of 27 “publications” in English and German were analyzed with MAXQDA. The findings indicate that Austria is a unique case study, able to contribute to global discussions but also needing to preserve local identity. The review confirms that the Austrian situation adheres to the global core values but is also shaped by national guidelines, particularly by those set by the “Holidays on the Farm” association. These guidelines, serving as a role model, emphasize quality, marketing, and cross-sector collaboration. The review also highlights the importance of juxtaposing the global perspective with the local realities. Given the theoretical overlay of the global core values, further research should explore their application in other countries and regions. Mixed-methods approaches could offer deeper insights on their suitability globally. Developing robust assessment tools would help evaluate these values across different national contexts, providing useful guidance for policymakers and practitioners

Sentinel lymph node mapping and intraoperative assessment in a prospective, international, multicentre, observational trial of patients with cervical cancer: The SENTIX trial

Background: SENTIX (ENGOT-CX2/CEEGOG-CX1) is an international, multi centre, prospective observational trial evaluating sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy without pelvic lymph node dissection in patients with early-stage cervical cancer. We report the final preplanned analysis of the secondary end-points: SLN mapping and outcomes of intraoperative SLN pathology. Methods: Forty-seven sites (18 countries) with experience of SLN biopsy participated in SENTIX. We preregistered patients with stage IA1/lymphovascular space invasion-positive to IB2 (4 cm or smaller or 2 cm or smaller for fertility-sparing treatment) cervical cancer without suspicious lymph nodes on imaging before surgery. SLN frozen section assessment and pathological ultrastaging were mandatory. Patients were registered postoperatively if SLN were bilaterally detected in the pelvis, and frozen sections were negative. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02494063). Results: We analysed data for 395 preregistered patients. Bilateral detection was achieved in 91% (355/395), and it was unaffected by tumour size, tumour stage or body mass index, but it was lower in older patients, in patients who underwent open surgery, and in sites with fewer cases. No SLN were found outside the seven anatomical pelvic regions. Most SLN and positive SLN were localised below the common iliac artery bifurcation. Single positive SLN above the iliac bifurcation were found in 2% of cases. Frozen sections failed to detect 54% of positive lymph nodes (pN1), including 28% of cases with macrometastases and 90% with micrometastases. Interpretation: SLN biopsy can achieve high bilateral SLN detection in patients with tumours of 4 cm or smaller. At experienced centres, all SLN were found in the pelvis, and most were located below the iliac vessel bifurcation. SLN frozen section assessment is an unreliable tool for intraoperative triage because it only detects about half of N1 cases. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd

Central Pathology Review in SENTIX, a Prospective Observational International Study on Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Patients with Early-Stage Cervical Cancer (ENGOT-CX2)

The quality of pathological assessment is crucial for the safety of patients with cervical cancer if pelvic lymph node dissection is to be replaced by sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy. Central pathology review of SLN pathological ultrastaging was conducted in the prospective SENTIX/European Network of Gynaecological Oncological Trial (ENGOT)-CX2 study. All specimens from at least two patients per site were submitted for the central review. For cases with major or critical deviations, the sites were requested to submit all samples from all additional patients for second-round assessment. From the group of 300 patients, samples from 83 cases from 37 sites were reviewed in the first round. Minor, major, critical, and no deviations were identified in 28%, 19%, 14%, and 39% of cases, respectively. Samples from 26 patients were submitted for the second-round review, with only two major deviations found. In conclusion, a high rate of major or critical deviations was identified in the first round of the central pathology review (28% of samples). This reflects a substantial heterogeneity in current practice, despite trial protocol requirements. The importance of the central review conducted prospectively at the early phase of the trial is demonstrated by a substantial improvement of SLN ultrastaging quality in the second-round review

An artists' refuge in the Alps

Abweichender Titel nach Übersetzung der Verfasserin/des VerfassersDie vorliegende Arbeit behandelt den Entwurf eines Kunstrefugiums im Alpenraum. Ein temporärer Wohn-Produktions-Ausstellungsort, gelegen im Südtiroler Eisacktal, nahe den Dörfern Aicha und Schabs.Dem Entwurf geht eine umfassende Analyse in Form von mehreren Forschungsreisen voraus. Die episodische Betrachtung von intuitiv ausgewählten Projekten, die das Thema Architektur und Landschaft — Kunst und Landschaft behandeln, bedeutet das Sammeln eines Dossiers an Gedanken und in der Folge eine Annäherung an das Thema. Durch eine phänomenologische Betrachtungsweise konnten Rückschlüsse für Orte der Kontemplation und die kreativ-subjektive Einbettung in ihren Kontext gezogen werden, um daraus im weiteren Verlauf des Entwurfsprozesses Motive für den Entwurf abzuleiten.Zudem bezieht sich der Entwurf auf den soziologischen Aspekt des gleichzeitig individuellen und gemeinschaftlichen Wohnens und Arbeitens als Atelier-Kollektiv.Ziel ist es einen temporären Wohn-Produktions-Ausstellungsort im Spannungsfeld einer historisch überformten Landschaft, die lange Zeit als Verteidigungsstandort diente, zu schaffen und als ein eigenständiges Glied in den kulturellen, wie auch historisch bedeutsamen Kontext einzubetten.Im wechselseitigen Verhältnis der Kunst und der Landschaft sollte zum einen die reziproke Beziehung zwischen urbaner Kultur und ländlicher Region gestärkt werden und zum anderen das rurale Umfeld der Kontemplation dienen.Es wird der Versuch unternommen ein Wohn- und Arbeitsmodell zu konzipieren, das das Atelier einerseits als Rückzugsort, andererseits als Gemeinschaftsatelier und öffentlichen Ausstellungsort gleichzeitig darstellt und unter dem Gesichtspunkt der ökologischen Nachhaltigkeit in einen konkreten, architektonischen Prototyp interpretiert.The present work deals with the design of an art refuge in the Alpine region. A temporary residential-production-exhibition site, located in the South Tyrolean Eisack valley, near the villages of Aicha and Schabs.The design is preceded by a comprehensive analysis in the form of several research trips. The episodic observation of intuitively selected projects dealing with the theme Architecture and Landscape - Art and Landscape is reflected in the collection of a dossier of thoughts and subsequently an approach to the theme. Through a phenomenological approach, conclusions for places of contemplation and the creative-subjective embedding in their context could be drawn in order to derive motives for the design in the further course of the design process.In addition, the design refers to the sociological aspect of simultaneously individual and communal living and working as a studio collective.The aim is to create a temporary residential-production-exhibition space in the force field of a historically shaped landscape, which for a long time served as a defensive location, and to embed it as an independent link in the cultural as well as historically significant context.In correlation with art and landscape, the reciprocal relationship between urban culture and rural region was to be strengthened on the one hand, and the rural environment was to serve as a place of contemplation on the other.The attempt is made to conceive a living and working model that simultaneously presents the studio as a place of retreat, and secondly as a community studio and public exhibition space, and finally interpreting it into a tangible, architectural prototype from the point of view of ecological sustainability.21

Lesernähe und regionale Tageszeitungen

Dieser Beitrag basiert auf meiner medienwissenschaftlichen Doktorarbeit über die Entwicklung regionaler Tageszeitungen. Die Entwicklung wird unter dem Aspekt der Lesernähe untersucht. „Lesernähe“ wird als eigenständiges integratives Modell bestimmt, das auf örtlicher Nähe, Alltagsnähe und Interaktion beruht und das mit Hilfe eines mehrmethodigen Analysekonzepts zum praktikablen Instrument umgewandelt und eingesetzt wird. Die durchgeführten Untersuchungen sind quantitative und qualitative Inhaltsanalysen, Klassifizierungen, vertiefende Fallbeispiele. Untersucht wurden die Tiroler Tageszeitung, die Vorarlberger Nachrichten und die Dolomiten (sowie die Presse als überregionale Bezugszeitung) in der Zeit von 1990 bis 2010. Die Ergebnisse zeigen für jede Zeitung Annäherungen ans und Distanzierung vom Publikum des jeweils beanspruchten Verbreitungsgebietes