Koppelung agrarökonomischer und hydrologischer Modelle

The objective of the paper is to show the potential of interdisciplinary model networks consisting of agricultural economic and natural science models performing integrated impact assessments of agri-environmental policies. The potentials are exemplified using a coupling of the agricultural sector model RAUMIS with the hydrological models GROWA98 and WEKU in the scope of diffuse agricultural nitrogen immission into waterbodies. A brief classification of applied indicators is given. A key element for policy impact analyses are the relationships between the environmental indicator categories Driving Force, State and Response. The major relationships within this environmental scope as well as the modeling are explained. The presented model network represents a first area wide, regionally differentiated, consistent link-up between the Driving Force indicator “nitrogen balance surplusâ€, the State indicator “nitrogen(nitrate)concentration†and the response indicators. The results show that due to the local characteristics quite different shares of the agricultural nitrogen surplus finally enters the ground and surface waters. Hence, assessing the trade-offs of agri-environmental water protection measures requires an inclusion of natural local characteristics. The integrated consideration of the complex relationships and a comprehensive implementation of local characteristics allows to develop more efficient water pollution control measures.model-based policy consulting, interdisciplinary model networks, agricultural sector model, diffuse agricultural nitrogen immissions, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Prognosis of future groundwater recharge in the Federal State of Lower Saxony (Germany) under changed climate conditions

KEY WORDS groundwater recharge, climate changeABSTRACTAccording to current climate projections, the Federal State of Lower Saxony, Germany is at risk for changes in the hydrological budget. These changes are expected to have direct impacts on the long-term water availability for e.g. agricultural productivity and drinking water supply. In the southeastern part for instance agricultural production is only possible by means of field irrigation using groundwater, especially during dry summers. It can be foreseen that the future management of water resources has to consider appropriate adaptation measures in order to feed the water demand of the different sectors. The main target of a research project carried out jointly with LBEG is the prognosis of the possible impact of climate change on groundwater availability and irrigation needs in Lower Saxony. For this purpose, the water balance model GROWA has been enhanced to the mGROWA-model (Herrmann et al., 2013) which is able to simulate runoff components (e.g. groundwater recharge) in daily time-steps and with high spatial resolution (100 m grid). The mGROWA-model will be briefly introduced and its application to Lower Saxony will be presented. The first simulation performed based on climate data from the past (1971-2000). Special attention will be paid to the simulated temporal variable water content in the root zone and thus to percolation water fluxes and irrigation needs. Finally, the future groundwater recharge (until 2100) is forecasted using climate data of the RCM WETTREG (2010). References:Herrmann, F., Chen, S., Heidt, S., Elbracht, J., Engel, N., Kunkel, R., Müller, U., Röhm, H., Wendland, F. (2013): Zeitlich und räumlich hochaufgelöste flächendifferenzierte Simulation des Landschaftswasserhaushalts in Niedersachsen mit dem Model mGROWA. Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung (submitted for publication)

Aerosols in the tropical and subtropical UT/LS: in-situ measurements of submicron particle abundance and volatility

Processes occurring in the tropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UT/LS) are of importance for the global climate, for the stratospheric dynamics and air chemistry, and they influence the global distribution of water vapour, trace gases and aerosols. The mechanisms underlying cloud formation and variability in the UT/LS are of scientific concern as these still are not adequately described and quantified by numerical models. Part of the reasons for this is the scarcity of detailed in-situ measurements in particular from the Tropical Transition Layer (TTL) within the UT/LS. In this contribution we provide measurements of particle number densities and the amounts of non-volatile particles in the submicron size range present in the UT/LS over Southern Brazil, West Africa, and Northern Australia. The data were collected in-situ on board of the Russian high altitude research aircraft M-55 "Geophysica" using the specialised COPAS (COndensation PArticle counting System) instrument during the TROCCINOX (Araçatuba, Brazil, February 2005), the SCOUT-O3 (Darwin, Australia, December 2005), and SCOUT-AMMA (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, August 2006) campaigns. The vertical profiles obtained are compared to those from previous measurements from the NASA DC-8 and NASA WB-57F over Costa Rica and other tropical locations between 1999 and 2007. The number density of the submicron particles as function of altitude was found to be remarkably constant (even back to 1987) over the tropical UT/LS altitude band such that a parameterisation suitable for models can be extracted from the measurements. At altitudes corresponding to potential temperatures above 430 K a slight increase of the number densities from 2005/2006 results from the data in comparison to the 1987 to 2007 measurements. The origins of this increase are unknown. By contrast the data from Northern hemispheric mid latitudes do not exhibit such an increase between 1999 and 2006. Vertical profiles of the non-volatile fraction of the submicron particles were also measured by a COPAS channel and are presented here. The resulting profiles of the non-volatile number density fraction show a pronounced maximum of 50% in the tropical TTL over Australia and West Africa. Below and above this fraction is much lower attaining values of 10% and smaller. In the lower stratosphere the fine particles mostly consist of sulphuric acid which is reflected in the low numbers of non-volatile residues measured by COPAS. Without detailed chemical composition measurements the reason for the increase of non-volatile particle fractions cannot yet be given. The long distance transfer flights to Brazil, Australia and West-Africa were executed during a time window of 17 months within a period of relative volcanic quiescence. Thus the data measured during these transfers represent a "snapshot picture" documenting the status of a significant part of the global UT/LS aerosol (with sizes below 1 μm) at low concentration levels 15 years after the last major (i.e., the 1991 Mount Pinatubo) eruption. The corresponding latitudinal distributions of the measured particle number densities are also presented in this paper in order to provide input on the UT/LS background aerosol for modelling purposes

Aerosols in the tropical and subtropical UT/LS: in-situ measurements of submicron particle abundance and volatility

Processes occurring in the tropical upper troposphere (UT), the Tropical Transition Layer (TTL), and the lower stratosphere (LS) are of importance for the global climate, for stratospheric dynamics and air chemistry, and for their influence on the global distribution of water vapour, trace gases and aerosols. In this contribution we present aerosol and trace gas (in-situ) measurements from the tropical UT/LS over Southern Brazil, Northern Australia, and West Africa. The instruments were operated on board of the Russian high altitude research aircraft M-55 "Geophysica" and the DLR Falcon-20 during the campaigns TROCCINOX (Araçatuba, Brazil, February 2005), SCOUT-O3 (Darwin, Australia, December 2005), and SCOUT-AMMA (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, August 2006). The data cover submicron particle number densities and volatility from the COndensation PArticle counting System (COPAS), as well as relevant trace gases like N2O, ozone, and CO. We use these trace gas measurements to place the aerosol data into a broader atmospheric context. Also a juxtaposition of the submicron particle data with previous measurements over Costa Rica and other tropical locations between 1999 and 2007 (NASA DC-8 and NASA WB-57F) is provided. The submicron particle number densities, as a function of altitude, were found to be remarkably constant in the tropical UT/LS altitude band for the two decades after 1987. Thus, a parameterisation suitable for models can be extracted from these measurements. Compared to the average levels in the period between 1987 and 2007 a slight increase of particle abundances was found for 2005/2006 at altitudes with potential temperatures, theta, above 430 K. The origins of this increase are unknown except for increases measured during SCOUT-AMMA. Here the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano in the Caribbean caused elevated particle mixing ratios. The vertical profiles from Northern hemispheric mid-latitudes between 1999 and 2006 also are compact enough to derive a parameterisation. The tropical profiles all show a broad maximum of particle mixing ratios (between theta ~ 340 K and 390 K) which extends from below the TTL to above the thermal tropopause. Thus these particles are a "reservoir" for vertical transport into the stratosphere. The ratio of non-volatile particle number density to total particle number density was also measured by COPAS. The vertical profiles of this ratio have a maximum of 50% above 370 K over Australia and West Africa and a pronounced minimum directly below. Without detailed chemical composition measurements a reason for the increase of non-volatile particle fractions cannot yet be given. However, half of the particles from the tropical "reservoir" contain compounds other than sulphuric acid and water. Correlations of the measured aerosol mixing ratios with N2O and ozone exhibit compact relationships for the tropical data from SCOUT-AMMA, TROCCINOX, and SCOUT-O3. Correlations with CO are more scattered probably because of the connection to different pollution source regions. We provide additional data from the long distance transfer flights to the campaign sites in Brazil, Australia, and West-Africa. These were executed during a time window of 17 months within a period of relative volcanic quiescence. Thus the data represent a "snapshot picture" documenting the status of a significant part of the global UT/LS fine aerosol at low concentration levels 15 years after the last major (i.e., the 1991 Mount Pinatubo) eruption. The corresponding latitudinal distributions of the measured particle number densities are presented in this paper to provide data of the UT/LS background aerosol for modelling purposes

Aetiology of community-acquired, acute gastroenteritis in hospitalised adults: a prospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aetiology of severe gastroenteritis leading to hospitalisation in adults frequently remains unclear. Our objective was to study the causes and characteristics of community-acquired, acute gastroenteritis in adult hospitalized patients to support the clinical management of these patients.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>From August 2005 to August 2007, we conducted a prospective cohort study among patients ≥18 y hospitalized with community-acquired gastroenteritis in a university hospital in Berlin, Germany. Stool specimens were examined for 26 gastrointestinal pathogens, supplemented by serologic tests for antibodies to <it>Campylobacter spp.</it>, <it>Yersinia spp.</it>, and <it>Entamoeba histolytica</it>. Patient data on demographics and clinical presentation were recorded and analyzed. Coexisting medical conditions were assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index score.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of 132 patients presenting with acute community-acquired gastroenteritis, 104 were included in the study. A non-infectious aetiology was diagnosed in 8 patients (8%). In 79 (82%) of the remaining 96 patients at least one microorganism was identified. <it>Campylobacter spp. </it>(35%) was detected most frequently, followed by norovirus (23%), <it>Salmonella spp. </it>(20%), and rotavirus (15%). In 46% of the patients with <it>Campylobacter spp. </it>infection, the diagnosis was made solely by serology. More than one pathogen was found in seventeen (22%) patients. Simultaneous infection was significantly more likely in patients with rotavirus and salmonella infections (RR 3.6; 95% CI: 1.8–7.4; RR 2.5; 95%CI: 1.2–5.5). Length of hospital stay (median: 5.5 days) was independent of the pathogen, but was associated with coexisting medical conditions (OR 4,8; 95%CI:2,0–11,6).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Known enteric pathogens were detected in 82% of adult patients who were hospitalized with acute gastroenteritis. We found that currently used culture-based methods may miss a substantial proportion of <it>Campylobacter </it>infections, and additional serological testing for <it>Campylobacter </it>should be considered. Viral infections emerged as an important cause of severe gastroenteritis in adults, and viral-bacterial co-infections in adults are probably underrecognized so far. The presence of coexisting medical conditions – but not the etiological agent – was a predictor for the duration of the hospital stay.</p

TERENO: German network of terrestrial environmental observatories

Central elements of the TERENO network are “terrestrial observatories” at the catchment scale which were selected in climate sensitive regions of Germany for the regional analyses of climate change impacts. Within these observatories small scale research facilities and test areas are placed in order to accomplish energy, water, carbon and nutrient process studies across the different compartments of the terrestrial environment. Following a hierarchical scaling approach (point-plot-field) these detailed information and the gained knowledge will be transferred to the regional scale using integrated modelling approaches. Furthermore, existing research stations are enhanced and embedded within the observatories. In addition, mobile measurement platforms enable monitoring of dynamic processes at the local scale up to the determination of spatial pattern at the regional scale are applied within TERENO

In situ measurements of tropical cloud properties in the West African Monsoon: upper tropospheric ice clouds, Mesoscale Convective System outflow, and subvisual cirrus

In situ measurements of ice crystal size distributions in tropical upper troposphere/lower stratosphere (UT/LS) clouds were performed during the SCOUT-AMMA campaign over West Africa in August 2006. The cloud properties were measured with a Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe (FSSP-100) and a Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP) operated aboard the Russian high altitude research aircraft M-55 Geophysica with the mission base in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. A total of 117 ice particle size distributions were obtained from the measurements in the vicinity of Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS). Two to four modal lognormal size distributions were fitted to the average size distributions for different potential temperature bins. The measurements showed proportionately more large ice particles compared to former measurements above maritime regions. With the help of trace gas measurements of NO, NOy, CO2, CO, and O3 and satellite images, clouds in young and aged MCS outflow were identified. These events were observed at altitudes of 11.0 km to 14.2 km corresponding to potential temperature levels of 346 K to 356 K. In a young outflow from a developing MCS ice crystal number concentrations of up to (8.3 ± 1.6) cm−3 and rimed ice particles with maximum dimensions exceeding 1.5 mm were found. A maximum ice water content of 0.05 g m−3 was observed and an effective radius of about 90 μm. In contrast the aged outflow events were more diluted and showed a maximum number concentration of 0.03 cm−3, an ice water content of 2.3 × 10−4 g m−3, an effective radius of about 18 μm, while the largest particles had a maximum dimension of 61 μm. Close to the tropopause subvisual cirrus were encountered four times at altitudes of 15 km to 16.4 km. The mean ice particle number concentration of these encounters was 0.01 cm−3 with maximum particle sizes of 130 μm, and the mean ice water content was about 1.4 × 10−4 g m−3. All known in situ measurements of subvisual tropopause cirrus are compared and an exponential fit on the size distributions is established for modelling purposes. A comparison of aerosol to ice crystal number concentrations, in order to obtain an estimate on how many ice particles may result from activation of the present aerosol, yielded low ratios for the subvisual cirrus cases of roughly one cloud particle per 30 000 aerosol particles, while for the MCS outflow cases this resulted in a high ratio of one cloud particle per 300 aerosol particles

Structural basis for m7G-cap hypermethylation of small nuclear, small nucleolar and telomerase RNA by the dimethyltransferase TGS1

The 5′-cap of spliceosomal small nuclear RNAs, some small nucleolar RNAs and of telomerase RNA was found to be hypermethylated in vivo. The Trimethylguanosine Synthase 1 (TGS1) mediates this conversion of the 7-methylguanosine-cap to the 2,2,7-trimethylguanosine (m3G)-cap during maturation of the RNPs. For mammalian UsnRNAs the generated m2,2,7G-cap is one part of a bipartite import signal mediating the transport of the UsnRNP-core complex into the nucleus. In order to understand the structural organization of human TGS1 as well as substrate binding and recognition we solved the crystal structure of the active TGS1 methyltransferase domain containing both, the minimal substrate m7GTP and the reaction product S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (AdoHcy). The methyltransferase of human TGS1 harbors the canonical class 1 methyltransferase fold as well as an unique N-terminal, α-helical domain of 40 amino acids, which is essential for m7G-cap binding and catalysis. The crystal structure of the substrate bound methyltransferase domain as well as mutagenesis studies provide insight into the catalytic mechanism of TGS1

Integrating Data Science and Earth Science

This open access book presents the results of three years collaboration between earth scientists and data scientists, in developing and applying data science methods for scientific discovery. The book will be highly beneficial for other researchers at senior and graduate level, interested in applying visual data exploration, computational approaches and scientifc workflows