Smallholder vanilla agroforestry in Madagascar: biodiversity, ecosystem services and yields in a land-use context

Änderungen der Landnutzung bedrohen weltweit die Artenvielfalt und Ökosystemdienstleistungen. Tropische Regionen sind heute davon besonders betroffen: natürliche Ökosysteme werden zu großflächigen Monokulturen oder zu kleinräumigen Mosaiklandschaften, letztere geprägt von kleinbäuerlicher Landwirtschaft. In beiden Fällen lassen sich durch die Umwandlung natürlicher Ökosysteme in landwirtschaftlich genutzte Flächen die Erträge zumindest kurzfristig stark vergrößern. In Nordost-Madagaskar findet zurzeit ein rapider Landnutzungswandel statt, getrieben durch Anbau von Reis durch Brandrodung sowie die Umwandlung von Wäldern und Brachflächen in Vanille-Agroforste. Das Resultat dieser Prozesse ist eine kleinräumige, von Kleinbauern bewirtschaftete, sehr heterogene Kulturlandschaft. Diese Dissertation zeigt, was dieser Landnutzungswandel für die Biodiversität und Ökosystemdienstleistungen bedeutet, wie Ernteerträge und Profitabilität Landnutzungsentscheidungen beeinflussen, und wo sich in Nordost-Madagaskar Chancen für den Naturschutz bieten. Damit ist die Arbeit ein Beitrag zum noch jungen Forschungsfeld der Landnutzungsforschung in Madagaskar. Dass dieses Thema noch wenig untersucht wurde, zeigt sich auch darin, dass bis anhin fast nichts über Artenvielfalt und Ökosystemdienstleistungen in Vanille-Agroforsten bekannt ist. Um die verschiedenen Formen der Landnutzung vergleichen zu können, haben wir 80 Flächen in zehn Dörfern und im Marojejy Nationalpark ausgewählt. Auf diesen Flächen haben wir den Großteil der Daten zu Biodiversität und Ökosystemdienstleistungen gesammelt, die als Grundlage für diese Arbeit dienen. Im Fokus standen sieben Landnutzungstypen: Primärwald, Waldfragment, Vanille-Agroforst mit Waldursprung, Vanille-Agroforst mit Brachlandursprung, krautige Brache, holzige Brache, und Naßreis. Um genauere Daten über Baumdynamik und Ernten in Vanille-Agroforsten zu sammeln, habe wir zusätzlich eine Chronosequenz mit 209 Vanille-Agroforsten erforscht. Ferner enthält diese Dissertation ei-nen Review zur Landnutzungsgeschichte in Agroforstsystemen (Kapitel 2). Die Resultate zeigen unter anderem, dass sich Artengemeinschaften von Vögeln (Kapitel 3 & 4), Reptilien, und Amphibien (Kapitel 5) stark zwischen verschiedenen Landnutzungstypen unterscheiden und dass Primärwald unersetzlich für viele Arten ist, insbesondere die endemischen. Vanille-Agroforstsysteme bieten Chancen für den Naturschutz, insbesondere wenn diese auf Brachland und nicht im Wald etabliert werden (Kapitel 3 - 9). Zudem sind Vanilleernten in Agroforstsystemen unabhängig vom Beschattungsgrad. Der Anbau von Vanille in baumreichen Agroforsten ist demnach ohne Ernteverlust realisierbar (Kapitel 7 & 8) und hat Vorteile für Biodiversität und Ökosystemdienstleistungen. Die vorliegende Dissertation führt zu einer wesentlichen Verbesserung unseres Verständnisses bezüglich des Wandels der Artenvielfalt und der Ökosystemleistungen in der kleinbäuerlich geprägten Agrarlandschaft des nordöstlichen Madagaskars. Sie gibt auch erste Einblicke in den Einfluss von Landnutzungsgeschichte, Schattenbäumen und Bewirtschaftungspraktiken auf Vanilleernten. Das Herausheben der Bedeutung der Landnutzungsgeschichte für Biodiversität und Ökosystemleistungen in tropischen Agroforstsystemen stellt zudem eine konzeptionelle Weiterentwicklung des Forschungsfeldes dar.Land-use change threatens biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide. Tropical areas are currently particularly affected: natural ecosystems are being transformed into large-scale monocultures or small-scale mosaic landscapes characterized by smallholder agriculture. In both cases, the conversion of natural ecosystems into agriculturally used areas can greatly increase yield, at least in the short term. A rapid change in land use is currently taking place in north-eastern Madagascar, driven by two main factors: the cultivation of rice through shifting cultivation and the conversion of forests and fallow land into vanilla agroforestry. The result of these processes is a small-scale and very heterogeneous agricultural landscape. This dissertation shows what this land-use change means for biodiversity and ecosystem services, how realized harvests and profitability influence land use decisions, and where there are opportunities for nature con-servation through targeted policy interventions in north-eastern Madagascar. Importantly, this is a greatly under-researched topic, given that research on the conservation value of converted lands in Madagascar is still in its infancy. Indeed, nearly nothing has been pub-lished on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and yields in vanilla agroforests. To compare different forms of land use, we selected 80 plots in 10 villages and in Marojejy National Park where we collected a large part of the biodiversity and ecosystem service data that underpins this dissertation. The seven land-use types were old-growth forest, forest fragment, forest-derived vanilla agroforestry, fallow-derived vanilla agroforestry, herba-ceous fallow, woody fallow, and rice paddy. To obtain more precise data on tree dynamics and harvests in vanilla agroforests, we additionally researched a chronosequence with 209 vanilla agroforests. Furthermore, this thesis also contains a review on the importance of considering land-use history for biodiversity and ecosystem services in agroforestry sys-tems (Chapter 2). There are three principal findings: firstly, species communities of birds (Chapters 3 & 4), reptiles and amphibians (Chapter 5) differ greatly between land-use types and that old-growth forest is irreplaceable for many species, especially the endemic ones. Secondly, vanilla agroforestry systems offer conservation opportunities, especially if established on fal-low land instead of inside forest (Chapters 3 - 9). Thirdly, vanilla harvests in agroforestry systems are independent of canopy cover, making vanilla cultivation in tree-rich agroforests feasible, thereby reaping the associated benefits for biodiversity and ecosystem ser-vices without yield costs (Chapters 7 & 8). This dissertation thus provides a major advancement of our understanding of biodiversity change and ecosystem services in the agricultural smallholder landscape of north-eastern Madagascar. It also sheds some first light on the complex interplay between land-use history, shade trees, and management practices in determining vanilla yields in vanilla agroforests. Lastly, this thesis also provides a conceptual advancement of the field, by identifying the importance of land-use history in determining biodiversity and ecosystem services in tropical agroforests.2021-08-1

Twelve-month observational study of children with cancer in 41 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction Childhood cancer is a leading cause of death. It is unclear whether the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted childhood cancer mortality. In this study, we aimed to establish all-cause mortality rates for childhood cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine the factors associated with mortality. Methods Prospective cohort study in 109 institutions in 41 countries. Inclusion criteria: children <18 years who were newly diagnosed with or undergoing active treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma, retinoblastoma, Wilms tumour, glioma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, medulloblastoma and neuroblastoma. Of 2327 cases, 2118 patients were included in the study. The primary outcome measure was all-cause mortality at 30 days, 90 days and 12 months. Results All-cause mortality was 3.4% (n=71/2084) at 30-day follow-up, 5.7% (n=113/1969) at 90-day follow-up and 13.0% (n=206/1581) at 12-month follow-up. The median time from diagnosis to multidisciplinary team (MDT) plan was longest in low-income countries (7 days, IQR 3-11). Multivariable analysis revealed several factors associated with 12-month mortality, including low-income (OR 6.99 (95% CI 2.49 to 19.68); p<0.001), lower middle income (OR 3.32 (95% CI 1.96 to 5.61); p<0.001) and upper middle income (OR 3.49 (95% CI 2.02 to 6.03); p<0.001) country status and chemotherapy (OR 0.55 (95% CI 0.36 to 0.86); p=0.008) and immunotherapy (OR 0.27 (95% CI 0.08 to 0.91); p=0.035) within 30 days from MDT plan. Multivariable analysis revealed laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection (OR 5.33 (95% CI 1.19 to 23.84); p=0.029) was associated with 30-day mortality. Conclusions Children with cancer are more likely to die within 30 days if infected with SARS-CoV-2. However, timely treatment reduced odds of death. This report provides crucial information to balance the benefits of providing anticancer therapy against the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children with cancer

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Definition of the bacterial N-glycosylation site consensus sequence

The Campylobacter jejuni pgl locus encodes an N-linked protein glycosylation machinery that can be functionally transferred into Escherichia coli. In this system, we analyzed the elements in the C. jejuni N-glycoprotein AcrA required for accepting an N-glycan. We found that the eukaryotic primary consensus sequence for N-glycosylation is N terminally extended to D/E-Y-N-X-S/T (Y, X≠P) for recognition by the bacterial oligosaccharyltransferase (OST) PglB. However, not all consensus sequences were N-glycosylated when they were either artificially introduced or when they were present in non-C. jejuni proteins. We were able to produce recombinant glycoproteins with engineered N-glycosylation sites and confirmed the requirement for a negatively charged side chain at position −2 in C. jejuni N-glycoproteins. N-glycosylation of AcrA by the eukaryotic OST in Saccharomyces cerevisiae occurred independent of the acidic residue at the −2 position. Thus, bacterial N-glycosylation site selection is more specific than the eukaryotic equivalent with respect to the polypeptide acceptor sequence

Measurement of the 92,93,94,100Mo(γ,n) reactions by Coulomb Dissociation

The Coulomb Dissociation (CD) cross sections of the stable isotopes 92,94,100Mo and of the unstable isotope 93Mo were measured at the LAND/R3B setup at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung in Darmstadt, Germany. Experimental data on these isotopes may help to explain the problem of the underproduction of 92,94Mo and 96,98Ru in the models of p-process nucleosynthesis. The CD cross sections obtained for the stable Mo isotopes are in good agreement with experiments performed with real photons, thus validating the method of Coulomb Dissociation. The result for the reaction 93Mo(γ,n) is especially important since the corresponding cross section has not been measured before. A preliminary integral Coulomb Dissociation cross section of the 94Mo(γ,n) reaction is presented. Further analysis will complete the experimental database for the (γ,n) production chain of the p-isotopes of molybdenum