The German Young Geoscientists Group – promoting exchange and information among the next generation of geoscientists

The group „Young geoscientists” of the Senate Commission for Joint Geoscientific Research (Geokommisson, www.geokommission.de) of the German Research Foundation (DFG), is dedicated towards the development of the working environment, workforce and scientific outcome of the next generation of geoscientists in Germany.Geoscientific research – basic as, well as applied – provides crucial contributions for mastering the economic, environmental and societal challenges of the near and medium-term future. Politics and society call for immediate answers, while geoscientific phenomena are complex and act on a large range of temporal and spatial scales.These demands, together with increases mobility requirements, lead to increasing pressure especially on young geoscientists. In this situation the main goals of the group “Young geoscientists” are:Promotion of networking among young geoscientistsInformation about science policy developments, funding opportunities and other relevant mattersRepresenting the interests of young scientists towards (science)-policy makersThe dynamic development of geoscientific research, particularly collaborations across traditional disciplines, as well as in increasing demands from public and policy, calls for a continuous integration of young scientists. We promote this process by organizing round-table discussions, e.g. on “Guaranteeing good scientific praxis” or on “Hot topics and research funding”, by communicating information via the internet and by identifying structural deficiencies that might hinder the advancement of the geosciences and reporting them to decision makers. In this context, we are looking for:European or international collaboratorsYoung geoscientists wishing to participate in / contribute to our activitiesSuggestions on how to improve working conditions of the young and advancing geoscientists</ul

Renaissance of the ~1 TeV Fixed-Target Program

This document describes the physics potential of a new fixed-target program based on a ~1 TeV proton source. Two proton sources are potentially available in the future: the existing Tevatron at Fermilab, which can provide 800 GeV protons for fixed-target physics, and a possible upgrade to the SPS at CERN, called SPS+, which would produce 1 TeV protons on target. In this paper we use an example Tevatron fixed-target program to illustrate the high discovery potential possible in the charm and neutrino sectors. We highlight examples which are either unique to the program or difficult to accomplish at other venues.Comment: 31 pages, 11 figure

Intervention effects and long-term changes in physical activity and cardiometabolic outcomes among children at risk of noncommunicable diseases in South Africa: a cluster-randomized controlled trial and follow-up analysis

INTRODUCTION: Risk factors for noncommunicable diseases such as insufficient physical activity (PA), overweight or hypertension are becoming increasingly predominant among children globally. While school-based interventions are promising preventive strategies, evidence of their long-term effectiveness, especially among vulnerable populations, is scarce. We aim to assess the short-term effects of the physical and health KaziKidz intervention on cardiometabolic risk factors and the long-term, pre-and post-COVID-19 pandemic changes thereof in high-risk children from marginalized communities. METHODS: The intervention was tested in a cluster-randomized controlled trial between January and October 2019 in eight primary schools near Gqeberha, South Africa. Children with overweight, elevated blood pressure, pre-diabetes, and/or borderline dyslipidemia were identified and re-assessed 2 years post-intervention. Study outcomes included accelerometry-measured PA (MVPA), body mass index (BMI), mean arterial pressure (MAP), glucose (HbA1c), and lipid levels (TC to HDL ratio). We conducted mixed regression analyses to assess intervention effects by cardiometabolic risk profile, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to evaluate longitudinal changes in the high-risk subpopulation. RESULTS: We found a significant intervention effect on MVPA during school hours for physically inactive children, and among active as well as inactive girls. In contrast, the intervention lowered HbA1c and TC to HDL ratio only in children with glucose or lipid values within the norm, respectively. At follow-up, the intervention effects were not maintained in at-risk children, who showed a decline in MVPA, and an increase in BMI-for-age, MAP, HbA1c and TC to HDL ratio. CONCLUSION: We conclude that schools are key settings in which to promote PA and improve health; however, structural changes are necessary to ensure that effective interventions reach marginalized school populations and achieve sustainable impact