A typology for analysing mitigation and adaptation win-win strategies

A sustainability transition in line with achieving global climate goals requires the implementation of win-win strategies (WWS), i.e. socioeconomic activities that enable economic gains while simultaneously contributing to climate change mitigation or adaptation measures. Such strategies are discussed in a variety of scientific communities, such as sustainability science, industrial ecology and symbiosis and circular economy. However, existing analyses of win-win strategies tend to take a systems perspective, while paying less attention to the specific actors and activities, or their interconnections, which are implicated in win-win strategies. Moreover, they hardly address adaptation WWS. To address these gaps and support the identification and enhancement of WWS for entrepreneurs and policy-makers, we propose a typology of WWS based on the concept of a value-consumption chain, which typically connects several producers with at least one consumer of a good or service. A consideration of these connections allows an evaluation of economic effects in a meso-economic perspective. We distinguish 34 different types of WWS of companies, households and the state, for which 23 real-world examples are identified. Further, contrary to prevailing views on the lack of a business case for adaptation, we do identify real-world adaptation WWS, though they remain underrepresented compared with mitigation WWS. Our typology can be used as an entry point for transdisciplinary research integrating assessment of individual transformative socioeconomic activities and highly aggregated approaches assessing, e.g. the macro-economic effects of WWS.Horizon 2020 Framework Programme ()Peer Reviewe

Strengthening participation through decentralisation: findings on local economic development in Kyrgyzstan

"Decentralisation and local government reform are important elements of many developing countries' efforts to improve state governance. Nonetheless, local governments often appear to be very limited in their ability to meet the high expectations associated with decentralisation and the introduction of local self-government. Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia is a typical example of a country where decentralisation efforts have been on the political agenda for more than a decade but actual results are less than satisfactory. While there is widespread agreement among experts about the diagnosis as such, so far little research has been done on the exact reasons for this situation and their effects on the Kyrgyz Republic's development potential. To address this question, this study analyses one particular aspect of decentralisation in the Kyrgyz Republic, namely its impact on popular participation in the design and implementation of local economic development policies. Proceeding from this analysis, the study derives conclusions and recommendations for the Kyrgyz government and other official bodies, local NGOs and international donors." (author's abstract

Multicentre performance evaluation of the E170 Module for MODULAR ANALYTICS

The E170 module was evaluated at 13 sites in an international multicentre study. The objective of the study was to assess the analytical performance of 49 analytes, and to collect feedback on the system's reliability and practicability. The typical, within-run coefficients of variation (CVs) for most of the quantitative assays ranged between 1 and 2% while a range of 2-4% was achieved with the infectious disease methods. Total precision CVs were found to be within the manufacturer's expected performance ranges, demonstrating good concordance of the system's measuring channels and a high reproducibility during the 2-4-week trial period. The functional sensitivity of 11 selected assays met the clinical requirements (e.g., thyreotroponin (TSH) 0.008 mU/l, troponin T 0.02 µg/l, total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) 0.03 µg/l). The E170 showed no drift during an 8-hour period and no relevant reagent carryover. Accuracy was confirmed by ring trial experiments and method comparisons vs. Elecsys® 2010. The reliability and practicability of the system's hardware and software met with, or even exceeded, the evaluator's requirements. Workflow studies showed that E170 can cover the combined workload of various routine analysers in a variety of laboratory environment. Throughput and sample processing time requirements were achieved while personnel ‘hands-on-time' could be reduce

A Top Quark Soliton and its Anomalous Chromomagnetic Moment

We show that under the assumption of dynamical symmetry breaking of electro weak interactions by a top quark condensate, motivated by the Top Mode Standard Model, the top quark in this effective theory can be considered then as chiral color soliton (qualiton). This is realized in an effective four-fermion interaction with chiral $SU(3)_c$ as well as $SU(2)_L\otimes U_Y(1)$ symmetry. In the pure top sector the qualiton consists of a top valence quark and a Dirac sea of top and anti-top quark coupled to a color octet of Goldstone pions. The mass spectra, isoscalar quadratic radii and the anomalous chromomagnetic moment due to a non-trivial color form factor are calculated with zero and finite current top masses and effects at the Hadron Colliders are discussed. The anomalous chromomagnetic moment turns out to have a value consistent with the top production rates of the D0- and CDF-measurements.Comment: LaTeX, using RevTeX.sty and aps.sty, without figures, 16 pages, to be published in Physical Review D. Full postscript version and figures available on request or via ftp://hadron.tp2.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/preprint.tp2/1995/08-95.tar.g

Immune Checkpoint Blockade for Metastatic Uveal Melanoma: Re-Induction following Resistance or Toxicity

Re-induction with immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) needs to be considered in many patients with uveal melanoma (UM) due to limited systemic treatment options. Here, we provide hitherto the first analysis of ICB re-induction in UM. A total of 177 patients with metastatic UM treated with ICB were included from German skin cancer centers and the German national skin cancer registry (ADOReg). To investigate the impact of ICB re-induction, two cohorts were compared: patients who received at least one ICB re-induction (cohort A, n = 52) versus those who received only one treatment line of ICB (cohort B, n = 125). In cohort A, a transient benefit of overall survival (OS) was observed at 6 and 12 months after the treatment start of ICB. There was no significant difference in OS between both groups (p = 0.1) with a median OS of 16.2 months (cohort A, 95% CI: 11.1–23.8) versus 9.4 months (cohort B, 95% CI: 6.1–14.9). Patients receiving re-induction of ICB (cohort A) had similar response rates compared to those receiving ICB once. Re-induction of ICB may yield a clinical benefit for a small subgroup of patients even after resistance or development of toxicities

Optimizing immune checkpoint blockade in metastatic uveal melanoma: exploring the association of overall survival and the occurrence of adverse events

IntroductionDespite recent advancements in the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma (UM), the availability of further treatment options remains limited and the prognosis continues to be poor in many cases. In addition to tebentafusp, immune checkpoint blockade (ICB, PD-1 (+/-) CTLA-4 antibodies) is commonly used for metastatic UM, in particular in HLA-A 02:01-negative patients. However, ICB comes at the cost of potentially severe immune-related adverse events (irAE). Thus, the selection of patient groups that are more likely to benefit from ICB is desirable.MethodsIn this analysis, 194 patients with metastatic UM undergoing ICB were included. Patients were recruited from German skin cancer sites and the ADOReg registry. To investigate the association of irAE occurrence with treatment response, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) two cohorts were compared: patients without irAE or grade 1/2 irAE (n=137) and patients with grade 3/4 irAE (n=57).ResultsIn the entire population, the median OS was 16.4 months, and the median PFS was 2.8 months. Patients with grade 3/4 irAE showed more favorable survival than patients without or grade 1/2 irAE (p=0.0071). IrAE occurred in 44.7% (87/194), and severe irAE in 29.4% (57/194) of patients. Interestingly, irColitis and irHepatitis were significantly associated with longer OS (p=0.0031 and p=0.011, respectively).ConclusionsThis data may indicate an association between irAE and favorable survival outcomes in patients with metastatic UM undergoing ICB treatment and suggests that a reduced tolerance to tumor antigens could be linked to reduced tolerance to self-antigens