Monitoring and Assessment of Desertification and Land Degradation: Knowledge Management, Institutions and Economics: White Paper of the DSD Working Group 3

The White Paper is a review of leading scientific knowledge on the role of knowledge management, institutions and economics in monitoring and assessment of land degradation and desertification. It provides key recommendations for more effective policies and actions for combating desertification both withn the UNCCD and beyond. This White Paper is the result of an international collaboration and consultation led jointly by the Association of DesertNet International and the United Nations University - Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), of the Dryland Science for Development Consortium (DSD). The findings were presented at the First UNCCD Scientific Conference held during the COP-9 in Buenos Aires, 2009.

Knowledge Management and Decision Support for Sustainable Land Management

Much research has focused on desertification and land degradation assessments without putting sufficient emphasis on prevention and mitigation, although the concept of sustainable land management (SLM) is increasingly being acknowledged. A variety of SLM measures have already been applied at the local level, but they are rarely adequately recognised, evaluated, shared or used for decision support. WOCAT (World Overview of Technologies and Approaches) has developed an internationally recognised, standardised methodology to document and evaluate SLM technologies and approaches, including spatial distribution, allowing the sharing of SLM knowledge worldwide. The recent methodological integration into a participatory process allows now analysing and using this knowledge for decision support at the local and national level. The use of the WOCAT tools stimulates evaluation (self-evaluation as well as learning from comparing experiences) within SLM initiatives where all too often there is not only insufficient monitoring but also a lack of critical analysis. The comprehensive questionnaires and database system facilitate to document, evaluate and disseminate local experiences of SLM technologies and their implementation approaches. This evaluation process - in a team of experts and together with land users - greatly enhances understanding of the reasons behind successful (or failed) local practices. It has now been integrated into a new methodology for appraising and selecting SLM options. The methodology combines a local collective learning and decision approach with the use of the evaluated global best practices from WOCAT in a concise three step process: i) identifying land degradation and locally applied solutions in a stakeholder learning workshop; ii) assessing local solutions with the standardised WOCAT tool; iii) jointly selecting promising strategies for implementation with the help of a decision support tool. The methodology has been implemented in various countries and study sites around the world mainly within the FAO LADA (Land Degradation Assessment Project) and the EU-funded DESIRE project. Investments in SLM must be carefully assessed and planned on the basis of properly documented experiences and evaluated impacts and benefits: concerted efforts are needed and sufficient resources must be mobilised to tap the wealth of knowledge and learn from SLM successes.

Experiences in Monitoring and Assessment of Sustainable Land Management

Although sustainable land management (SLM) is widely promoted to prevent and mitigate land degradation and desertification, its monitoring and assessment (M&A) has received much less attention. This paper compiles methodological approaches which to date have been little reported in the literature. It draws lessons from these experiences and identifies common elements and future pathways as a basis for a global approach. The paper starts with local level methods where the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) framework catalogues SLM case studies. This tool has been included in the local level assessment of Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands (LADA) and in the EU-DESIRE project. Complementary site-based approaches can enhance an ecological process-based understanding of SLM variation. At national and sub-national levels, a joint WOCAT/LADA/DESIRE spatial assessment based on land use systems identifies the status and trends of degradation and SLM, including causes, drivers and impacts on ecosystem services. Expert consultation is combined with scientific evidence and enhanced where necessary with secondary data and indicator databases. At the global level, the Global Environment Facility (GEF) knowledge from the land (KM:Land) initiative uses indicators to demonstrate impacts of SLM investments. Key lessons learnt include the need for a multi-scale approach, making use of common indicators and a variety of information sources, including scientific data and local knowledge through participatory methods. Methodological consistencies allow cross-scale analyses, and findings are analysed and documented for use by decision-makers at various levels. Effective M&A of SLM [e.g. for United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)] requires a comprehensive methodological framework agreed by the major players.

Impact of additional cytogenetic aberrations at diagnosis on prognosis of CML: long-term observation of 1151 patients from the randomized CML Study IV

The prognostic relevance of additional cytogenetic findings at diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is unclear. The impact of additional cytogenetic findings at diagnosis on time to complete cytogenetic (CCR) and major molecular remission (MMR) and progression-free (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed using data from 1151 Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph(+)) CML patients randomized to the German CML Study IV. At diagnosis, 1003 of 1151 patients (87%) had standard t(9;22)(q34;q11) only, 69 patients (6.0%) had variant t(v;22), and 79 (6.9%) additional cytogenetic aberrations (ACAs). Of these, 38 patients (3.3%) lacked the Y chromosome (-Y) and 41 patients (3.6%) had ACAs except -Y; 16 of these (1.4%) were major route (second Philadelphia [Ph] chromosome, trisomy 8, isochromosome 17q, or trisomy 19) and 25 minor route (all other) ACAs. After a median observation time of 5.3 years for patients with t(9;22), t(v;22), -Y, minor- and major-route ACAs, the 5-year PFS was 90%, 81%, 88%, 96%, and 50%, and the 5-year OS was 92%, 87%, 91%, 96%, and 53%, respectively. In patients with major-route ACAs, the times to CCR and MMR were longer and PFS and OS were shorter (P < .001) than in patients with standard t(9;22). We conclude that major-route ACAs at diagnosis are associated with a negative impact on survival and signify progression to the accelerated phase and blast crisis.

European birth cohorts for environmental health research

Many pregnancy and birth cohort studies investigate the health effects of early-life environmental contaminant exposure. An overview of existing studies and their data is needed to improve collaboration, harmonization, and future project planning.

Konsensusstatement „Praktische Fertigkeiten im Medizinstudium“ - ein Positionspapier des GMA-Ausschusses für praktische Fertigkeiten

Einleitung: Angestoßen durch die Änderung der Approbationsordnung haben die berufspraktischen Kompetenzen in Deutschland eine höhere Priorität erhalten und werden in den medizinischen Fakultäten deswegen vermehrt vermittelt. Dadurch entstand die Notwendigkeit, den Prozess mehr und mehr zu standardisieren. Auf Initiative der deutschsprachigen Skills Labs wurde der GMA-Ausschuss für praktische Fertigkeiten gegründet, der einen kompetenzbasierten Lernzielkatalog entwickelte, dessen Entstehung und Struktur hier beschrieben wird. Ziel des Kataloges ist es, die praktischen Fertigkeiten im Medizinstudium zu definieren und damit den Fakultäten eine rationale Planungsgrundlage für die zur Vermittlung praktischer Fertigkeiten notwendigen Ressourcen zu geben. Methodik: Aufbauend auf schon vorhandenen deutschsprachigen Lernzielkatalogen wurde mittels einem mehrfach iterativem Kondensationsprozesses, der der Erarbeitung von S1-Leitlinien entspricht, vorgegangen, um eine breite fachliche und politische Abstützung zu erhalten. Ergebnisse: Es wurden 289 verschiedene praktische Lernziele identifiziert, die zwölf verschiedenen Organsystemen, drei Grenzbereichen zu anderen Kompetenzbereichen und einem Bereich mit organsystemübergreifenden Fertigkeiten zugeordnet. Sie wurden drei verschiedenen zeitlichen und drei verschiedenen Tiefendimensionen zugeordnet und mit dem Schweizer und dem Österreichischem Pendant abgeglichen. Diskussion: Das vorliegende Konsensusstatement kann den deutschen Fakultäten eine Grundlage zur Planung der Vermittlung praktischer Fertigkeiten bieten und bildet einen wichtigen Schritt zu einem nationalen Standard medizinischer Lernziele. Blick in die Zukunft: Das Konsensusstatement soll einen formativen Effekt auf die medizinischen Fakultäten haben, ihre praktischen Unterrichtsinhalte entsprechend zu vermitteln und die Ressourcen danach zu planen. Schlüsselwörter: Fertigkeiten, Praktische Fertigkeiten, Klinische Fertigkeiten, medizinische Ausbildung, Konsensus Methode, Delphie-Befragung, Lernziele, Outcomes, Kompetenzen

A novel isolation method of Brucella species and molecular tracking of Brucella suis biovar 2 in domestic and wild animals

Brucella suis biovar 2 is the most common aetiological agent of porcine brucellosis in Europe. B. suis biovar 2 is considered to have low zoonotic potential, but is a causative agent of reproductive losses in pigs, and it is thus economically important. The multilocus variable-number of tandem repeats genotyping analysis of 16 loci (MLVA-16) has proven to be highly discriminatory and is the most suitable assay for simultaneously identifying B. suis and tracking infections. The aim of this study was to investigate the relatedness between isolates of B. suis biovar 2 obtained during a brucellosis outbreak in domestic pigs and isolates from wild boars and hares collected from proximal or remote geographical areas by MLVA-16. A cluster analysis of the MLVA-16 data revealed that most of the isolates obtained from Switzerland clustered together, with the exception of one isolate. The outbreak isolates constituted a unique subcluster (with a genetic similarity >93.8%) distinct from that of the isolates obtained from wild animals, suggesting that direct transmission of the bacterium from wild boars to domestic pigs did not occur in this outbreak. To obtain a representative number of isolates for MLVA-16, alternative methods of Brucella spp. isolation from tissue samples were compared with conventional direct cultivation on a Brucella-selective agar. We observed an enhanced sensitivity when mechanical homogenisation was followed by host cell lysis prior to cultivation on the Brucella-selective agar. This work demonstrates that MLVA-16 is an excellent tool for both monitoring brucellosis and investigating outbreaks. Additionally, we present efficient alternatives for the isolation of Brucella spp.

Seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. in clinically healthy horses in Switzerland

A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the leptospiral seroprevalence in clinically healthy horses in Switzerland. A representative sample of 615 horse sera was examined by microscopic agglutination test for the presence of antibodies against 15 Leptospira spp. serovars. In total, 58.5 % (n = 360) of the horses were positive for one or more of the antigens analysed, with 20.3 % of them showing titres >= 400. The most prevalent serovar was Pyrogenes (22.6 %), followed by serovars Canicola (22.1 %) and Australis (19.2 %). Older horses, mares, ponies and animals spending increased time on pasture exhibited significantly higher prevalence rates (p < 0.05). Moreover, the prevalence was higher in summer and autumn (p = 0.003). The high seroprevalence in healthy horses indicates that they are often exposed to or infected with Leptospira spp. without developing signs of disease. Therefore, other laboratory and clinical data should always be taken into consideration when interpreting serological test results for Leptospira spp.

The increase of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the presence of an unusual sequence type ST49 in slaughter pigs in Switzerland

Background: In years past, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has been frequently detected in pigs in Europe, North America and Asia. Recent, yet sporadic studies have revealed a low occurrence of MRSA in Switzerland. In 2009, a monitoring survey of the prevalence and genetic diversity of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in slaughter pigs in Switzerland was conducted using methods recommended by the EU guidelines, and using a sampling strategy evenly distributed throughout the year and representative of the Swiss slaughter pig population. Monitoring should determine if the overall prevalence of MRSA in the entire country is increasing over the years and if specific multi-resistant MRSA clones are spreading over the country.;Results: In 2009, the nasal cavities of eight out of 405 randomly selected pigs were positive for MRSA, representing a prevalence of 2.0% (95% CI 0.9-3.9). The following year, 23 out of 392 pigs were positive for MRSA [5.9% prevalence (95% CI 3.8-8.7)]. Three multilocus sequence types (ST), four spa types and two types of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) elements were detected. The most frequent genotypes were ST398 (MLST)-(spa)t034-V (SCCmec) (n = 18) and ST49-t208-V (n = 7), followed by ST398-t011-V (n = 4), ST398-t1451-V (n = 1), and ST1-t2279-IVc (n = 1). The isolates displayed resistance to beta-lactams [mecA, (31/31); blaZ, (19/31)]; tetracycline [tet(M), (31/31); tet(K), (30/31)] (n = 31); macrolides and lincosamides [erm(C) (4/31) or erm(A) (18/31)] (n = 22); tiamulin [vga(A)v (9/31) or unknown mechanism (18/31)] (n = 27); trimethoprim [dfr(G) (18/31); spectinomycin [ant(9)-Ia (19/31) or unknown mechanism (3/31)] (n = 22); streptomycin [str(19/31)]; sulphamethoxazole (7/31) and ciprofloxacin (n = 1) (mechanisms not determined).;Conclusions: This study is the first to describe the presence of MRSA ST49 in slaughter pigs, and to demonstrate a significant and nearly three-fold increase of MRSA prevalence in pigs within two years. The presence of a specific clonal lineage of MRSA from Switzerland suggests that it has been selected in Swiss pig husbandry. Effective hygiene measures should be enhanced within the entire pig production chain to suppress the spread of these pathogens into the community.

Laser Doppler vibrometric assessment of middle ear motion in Thiel-embalmed heads

Thiel-embalmed human whole head specimens represent an alternative model in middle ear research.