Lower Austria Research Articles

Water bodies created by peatland restoration are potential habitats for amphibians and reptiles

In Lower Austria’s Waldviertel region, artificial drainage ditches were constructed in the last century in order to use peatlands for forestry, agriculture, and peat extraction. By now, many of these peatlands are part of the Natura 2000 network and therefore gradually undergo restoration measures, which aim to rewet the peatlands. For this, the ditches are blocked with wooden dams, leading to a water runback, which in turn fills the ditches and peat pools. Such artificial water bodies generally depict secondary habitats for many species. Here, we investigated the amphibian fauna in four restored peatlands in the Waldviertel region and measured abiotic factors of the aquatic habitats to answer the question whether blocked ditches and peat pools are valuable secondary habitats for amphibians. We characterized the microhabitats of amphibians based on various structures and vegetation. Additionally, this study provides a basic assessment of reptile species in the investigated peatlands. During our assessment, we observed 1520 individuals of eight amphibian species, 64 individuals of four reptile species, and characterized 12 different microhabitats. Despite the low pH values of 3.2–4.2, four amphibian species and amphibian spawn were detected in Schwarzes Moos. Our results indicate that peat pools, drainage ditches, and open moorlands are potential habitats for amphibians and reptiles, making their conservation and management an important factor in the protection of amphibian and reptile species.

Impact of COVID-19 measures on psychosocial outcomes in Austria – a qualitative vignette study

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, Austria implemented frequent and restrictive containment measures. We aimed to explore the perspectives of individuals affected by political and epidemiological decisions in Austria, particularly in Vienna and Lower Austria. A qualitative vignette-based study conducted from July to Oct 2023 utilized two hypothetical future pandemic scenarios to prompt in-depth discussions in semi-structured interviews with Austrian residents about their perspectives, either private or from the fields of healthcare, education, citizen representation, business, research, public health and politics. Interview data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach. To ensure results’ rigor and accuracy, we followed the COREQ guideline and included two citizen research partners. This project is funded by WWTF (Grant ID: LS22071). Preliminary thematic analysis from 28 interviewees (53.6% female) aged 19-77 (mean 53.0 years) shows that the negative effects of school closures was a major concern among participants. Despite diverging points of view on other topics, there was a broad consensus that school closures would have negative consequences, such as unstable educational modalities impairing young people’s individual development, decreasing psychosocial support in their peer groups, leading to long-term educational losses, not only for individuals but also for society as a whole, and having a negative impact on economic growth, social justice and innovation. The participants also described a lack of evidence for the necessity of the frequent school closures during the pandemic as had happened in Austria and suggested a different approach in a future pandemic. Further topics were the deterioration of mental health, incentives instead of mandatory measures, more transparent communication by authorities, agreement between experts and researchers, reducing uncertainties regarding pandemic management, compliance by the general public and democratic social cohesion. Key messages • Addressing the multi-faceted impact of a pandemic requires a comprehensive approach that considers mental health, social justice, communication and social cohesion alongside containment measures. • This work represents a learning from the COVID-19 pandemic. From the conclusions of this study, recommendations can be derived to be better equipped in future pandemics.

Engaging practitioners in developing a guide for citizen participation in community health promotion

Abstract Background Community health promotion aims to improve the living conditions in municipalities, cities, or regions to support health maintenance or promotion. Participation is a fundamental element in health promotion, as it enables community members to engage in decision-making, program development, and tailored health initiatives. This project focused on crafting a practical guide for citizen participation in community health promotion, involving experts and future users. Methods We conducted a literature review to identify existing guidelines and materials pertinent to community health promotion, with a focus on practical guidance for municipal practitioners. To delve deeper into the topic, we conducted interviews with 6 experts in the field of participation and community health promotion as well as with 6 practitioners working in “healthy municipalities” in Lower Austria. The guide was developed collaboratively, with two workshops being held to gather input on the draft concept of the guide and to prioritize topics. Moreover, experts and practitioners were involved to provide feedback on the drafted guidance document. Results Discrepancies emerged between theoretical concepts and real-life implementation of community participation. While the literature delineates up to 12 participation levels, practitioners identified three: contributing ideas, advising and co-deciding, and actively participating in planning and implementation. Informing the target group was conceptualized as a preliminary stage and basic requirement for citizen participation. Above all, practitioners sought low-key suggestions and short descriptions of methods that they could use directly in their everyday context. Conclusions Involving practitioners and potential users enhanced the accessibility and utility of the guide. Their input ensured that the guide remained practical, relevant and informative without excessive academic or theoretical abstraction. Key messages • Involving health promotion practitioners helped shaping the practical guide in a way to be most useful for the intended audience. • Experts and practitioners have different views regarding the theoretical distinctions of levels of participation in community health promotion.

The role of scientists in regional innovation system transformation: shaping the direction to a biomass-bioeconomy

ABSTRACT Following evolutionary approaches, regional innovation systems (RISs) scholarship has begun investigating RIS transformation processes. Recently, the focus has shifted towards understanding more sophisticated changes needed to tackle grand societal challenges. So far, the changing roles of RIS actors within these processes have remained underexplored. This paper analyses the role of scientists in supporting transformative changes in RISs, drawing on existing literature on agency and asset modification. Taking the case of the bioeconomy in Lower Austria, the paper shows that scientists, expanding beyond their traditional roles as knowledge generators and disseminators, are crucial in modifying and mobilising regional assets to support the biomass-bioeconomy. The findings indicate that scientists’ activities in asset modification have influenced the development of the biomass bioeconomy path in the region.

Inferring local social cost from renewable zoning decisions. Evidence from Lower Austria’s wind power zoning

Large infrastructures, such as wind turbines, may adversely affect their environment, so their deployment is often regulated. These regulations are frequently based on a dichotomy between areas considered feasible or infeasible areas for infrastructure deployment. To overcome the inability of such a binary distinction to adequately represent the involved economic trade-offs between, but also within feasible and infeasible areas, we establish a discrete choice framework to elicit social preferences implicit in Lower Austria’s wind power zoning and generate comprehensive estimates of local social costs in high spatial resolution. Our findings suggest that wind turbines were attributed significant local social costs in the political zoning process. These local social cost estimates can inform siting decisions, improve power system modelling and open a novel perspective on the assessment of potentials for renewable energies.

Brunhes to burials – loess region of Krems, Lower Austria

Abstract. This excursion is dedicated to loess–paleosol sequences (LPSs) and the Quaternary research history in the region around Krems an der Donau (Krems a.d. Donau), Austria. The landscape at the eastern exit of the picturesque Wachau valley, carved by the Danube into crystalline basement rocks, is covered by thick loess and has a more than 100-year-long research history. Local Upper Paleolithic findings (e.g., Venus of Willendorf, Fanny of Stratzing, Wachtberg infant burials) are world famous. The outcrops of Paudorf, Göttweig-Furth, and Krems-Schießstätte were type localities of the Quaternary period until the 1970s. Recently, these complex LPSs with discontinuities and polygenetic units were reinvestigated, with a focus on the Middle to Late Pleistocene (Brunhes) record.

A Whole Range of Cattle-An Isotopic Perspective on Roman Animal Husbandry in Lower Austria and Burgenland (Austria).

In this study, we try to combine traditional archaeozoological biometry, based on outer bone measurements, with stable isotope analyses of bone collagen. Right from the start of archaeozoological research in Central and Western Europe, the important size variability in Roman domestic cattle has puzzled scholars. According to an established view, these differences in bone size are attributed either to the simultaneous presence of different types or even breeds or to the result of crossbreeding of smaller, native, and larger Roman cattle. Likewise, the episodic import of large-sized animals has been considered. First, we selected thirty proximal phalanges of cattle from three sites including five archaeological contexts from eastern Austria (Roman provinces of Noricum and Pannonia). The bone sample comprised the whole hitherto observed metric variability in Roman provincial cattle, and we tried to include minimal and maximal specimens. The results from stable isotope analyses (δ15N, δ13C, δ18O, δ2H) carried out on thirty proximal phalanges indicated that isotope signals were rather site-specific and, generally, not related to bone size. Therefore, we conclude that at least in the area investigated, small and large cattle types were raised and herded in the same areas and not spatially separated. There are, however, uncertain indicators of intra-site differences in isotope signals related to bone size, which should be checked on much larger sample sets.

Assessment of the occurrence of apical periodontitis and endodontically treated/non-treated teeth in a Lower Austrian patient population treated for osteoporosis: a cohort study.

Osteoporosis (OP) is a bone disease linked to low bone mass and heightened fracture risk. Apical periodontitis (AP) is an inflammation of the apical periodontium, visible on radiographs, often associated with infection or necrosis of the root canal system. Both conditions, AP and OP, share inflammation and ageing as common factors, warranting exploration of their potential interactions. This study examined the association between AP and endodontically treated/non-treated teeth in patients with OP in Lower Austria. The authors included 425 patients (7924 examined teeth) aged over 60 years (average age 68±10years) with 208 patients (3537 examined teeth) [179 women (3027 teeth) and 29 men (510 teeth)] initially diagnosed and treated for OP and a corresponding control group with 217 patients (4387 examined teeth) [187 women (3781 teeth) and 30 men (606 teeth)] without an OP diagnosis. For the diagnosis of AP, the panoramic radiographs and medical history taken at the initial presentation were analysed. In patients treated for OP, AP was diagnosed as follows: in 134 (26%) treated and 234 (9%) non-treated teeth among women (511 treated/2516 non-treated teeth) and in 23 (27%) treated and 50 (11%) non-treated teeth among men (83 treated/427 non-treated teeth). The control group without OP consisted of: women (569 treated/ 3212 non-treated teeth) in 147 (25%) treated and 403 (12%) non-treated teeth; men (77 treated/ 529 non-treated teeth) 17 (22%) treated and 29 (6%) non-treated teeth.When comparing AP in endodontically treated teeth according to sex, no statistically significant differences were observed between patients with and without OP (P>0.05). The same result was observed in endodontically non-treated teeth (P>0.05). The authors' results indicate that there is no association between the occurrence of AP and endodontically or non-endodontically treated teeth in female and male patients treated for OP.

Modeling of solar radiation and sub-canopy light regime on forest inventory plots of mixed conifer and deciduous temperate forests using point clouds from personal laser scanning

Solar radiation is a major driver of forest ecosystems and affects the hydrological cycle and energy balance. The vitality of trees strongly depends on the amount of light input to individual trees, and successful forest regeneration demands a certain level of solar radiation. Therefore, characterization of the light regime inside a plant canopy (i.e., quantification and timing of light penetration) is of particular importance. Because these parameters greatly depend on the 3D structure of the forest canopy, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems provide suitable technology for solving this task. In this study, an algorithm was developed to estimate the amount of potential solar radiation reaching the forest floor from a point cloud collected in a temperate mixed forest located in Lanzenkirchen (Lower Austria) using terrestrial LiDAR. The path length through the canopy was calculated for 40 forest inventory plots as the distance between the first and last canopy hit along a sun ray, that is, for each day during the vegetation period at an hourly resolution. This distance was easily derived from the z-coordinates of the point cloud after transforming the latter into a coordinate system in which the z-axis ran parallel to the sun rays. Applying Beer’s law, the amount of solar radiation on the forest floor was expressed as a function of the solar radiation above the canopy and the path length through the canopy. To validate the results, we used two sets of reference data: (1) hemispherical photographs taken at the same plots, using a camera on a self-levelling mount, which were processed with the HemiView software, and (2) data from a Solariscope survey. Both the Solariscope and HemiView software calculate below-canopy radiation as a percentage of above-canopy radiation, joining direct and diffuse radiation (Total Site Factor, TSF). The TSF values obtained from our modeling procedure were consistent with the Solariscope (R²=0.61) and HemiView (R²=0.71) results for the entire growing season. Because modern LiDAR-based forest inventories provide all the necessary data for our light modeling approach (the point cloud, the geographical position, and a record of the occurring tree species) without additional requirements, together with the easy applicability of the algorithm, this tool is a promising asset for ecological and silvicultural activities.

Home Treatment in der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie in Niederösterreich

ZusammenfassungAngesichts des globalen Anstiegs psychiatrischer Erkrankungen gewinnen Behandlungen im häuslichen Umfeld von Patient:innen (Home Treatments, HTs) in der psychiatrischen Versorgung zunehmend an Bedeutung. Die vorliegende Studie folgt einem thematischen Analyseansatz, um Daten aus Interviews mit acht Expert:innen zu analysieren, die im Rahmen von HTs der Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie des Universitätsklinikums Tulln, Niederösterreich, tätig sind. Ziel war es, ihre Erfahrungen und Ansichten zu HTs zu erfassen, mit einem speziellen Fokus auf die Evaluierung von HTs. Es wurde eine iterative Framework-Analyse angewendet, um Haupt- und Unterthemen zu identifizieren.Im Rahmen der Analyse der durchgeführten Interviews wurden insgesamt 88 Kodierungen ermittelt, die vier Hauptthemen umfassen: wichtige Aspekte, Anforderungen, Evaluation und mögliche Verbesserungen. HTs bieten eine niedrigschwellige und individuell zugeschnittene Behandlungs- bzw. Versorgungsmöglichkeit für junge Patient:innen mit starker Einbindung des sozialen Umfelds, welche ein tieferes Verständnis und eine engere Beziehung zu Gesundheitsfachkräften fördert. Anforderungen umfassen vorrangig den Wunsch nach Veränderung, realistische Zielsetzungen und Compliance der Patient:innen. Im Rahmen der Evaluation können diverse Ergebnisvariablen miteingeschlossen werden. Dabei sollen Einschätzungen verschiedener Evaluator:innen berücksichtigt und das Patient:innenumfeld miteinbezogen werden. Zukünftige Forschungen sollten sich auf die Evaluierung von HTs konzentrieren, um deren Einsatz und Angebote weiter zu fördern und auszubauen.

Gosposki razbojnik Franc Jožef Vodnik (1691–1716) iz Krškega ter njegove domače in mednarodne kriminalne zveze

In 1716, Franc Jožef Vodnik, a burgher son from Krško and a travelling student, who was tried for banditry before the blood court at Šrajbarski Turn Castle near Krško together with his servant, gave descriptions of forty-three other, mostly young criminals with whom he had come into contact mainly in Vienna but also in Lower and Upper Austria. A quarter of them were students (eleven), including three who returned to the right path and became priests. A good quarter of the young men (twelve), including half of the travelling students (six), came from Slovenian territory (one from Styria and the rest from Carniola). Vodnik died of gangrene as a result of an attempted escape by jumping, and three of his accomplices from Carniola were sentenced to death the following year and executed in a group of ten criminals in the Lower Austrian town of Krems an der Donau.

Metasomatic Interaction of Ultramafic Mantle Xenoliths with their Felsic HP–UHT Granulite Host (Moldanubian Domain, Bohemian Massif in Lower Austria)

Abstract The St. Leonhard granulite massif in Lower Austria, dominantly formed by kyanite-bearing felsic granulite, encloses countless up to 5 cm sized mantle xenoliths of garnet clinopyroxenite and peridotite. The mineralogical, textural and chemical consequences of a mutual metasomatic interaction at the contact between these xenoliths and the host orthopyroxene-bearing felsic granulite are described. Movement of Mg, Al and, especially, Ca from the garnet clinopyroxenite to the granulite and migration of K and Na in the opposite direction, caused the breakdown of clinopyroxene and formation of orthopyroxene–plagioclase symplectite coronae at the expense of the garnet clinopyroxenite xenoliths. Around the peridotite xenoliths, monomineralic orthopyroxene coronae have developed due to the supply of Si from the host granulite. The P–T conditions of this interaction were established to 900°C to 1000°C and 1.0 to 1.2 GPa by thermodynamic modelling. The duration of coronae growth was constrained to 13 to 532 ka based on modelling of Fe–Mg interdiffusion underlying secondary compositional zoning of garnet from the garnet clinopyroxenite xenolith extending to the coronae. The most significant change in the host granulite was caused by the supply of Ca from the garnet clinopyroxenite xenolith, which led to the breakdown of the Al2SiO5 phase—probably kyanite—and stabilization of orthopyroxene. K-feldspar-poor haloes surrounding mantle xenoliths formed due to the depletion of K in the granulite adjacent to the garnet clinopyroxenite. The observed origin of felsic–intermediate orthopyroxene-bearing granulite by transformation of felsic kyanite-bearing granulite through the metasomatic interaction with mantle xenoliths implies that the deep crustal chemical exchange between mantle- and crust-derived lithologies may have an important consequences on composition, thermal structure and geodynamic evolution of orogenic lower crust especially in hot collisional orogens, such as the European Variscides.

Site matters: site-specific factors control phosphorus retention in buffer strip soils under concentrated field runoff

Soil erosion from agricultural fields is a persistent ecological problem, potentially leading to eutrophication of aquatic habitats in the catchment area. Often used and recommended mitigation measures are vegetated filter strips (VFS) as buffer zones between arable land and water bodies. However, if they are designed and managed poorly, nutrients — especially phosphorus (P) — may accumulate in the soil. Ultimately, VFS can switch from being a nutrient sink to a source. This problem is further aggravated if the field runoff does not occur as uniform sheet flow, but rather in concentrated form, as is usually the case. To assess the impact of concentrated flow on VFS performance, we have taken soil core samples from field-VFS transition zones at six sites in Lower Austria. We determined a multitude of physical and chemical soil parameters, focusing on P fractions and indices. Our results revealed that concentrated flow can lead to an accumulation of P in the VFS. P levels in the VFS inside the area of concentrated runoff can be equal to or higher than in the field, even though they receive no direct fertilization. However, the concentration and distribution of nutrients in the fields and VFSs were also site-specific and affected by local factors such as the age of the VFS, cropping, and fertilization. Accordingly, there is a need for more sophisticated, bespoke VFS designs that can cope with site-specific runoff volumes and movements of nutrients that occur.

A review of the Cochylimorpha perfusana (Guenée, 1845) species group (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) in Europe, with the description of a new species from the Southern Carpathians (Romania)

European species of the Cochylimorpha perfusana (Guenée, 1845) species group are revised. Four species are recognized, all closely related to C. perfusana (Guenée, 1845) with which they have previously been confused. Based on morphological differences and DNA barcode data, C. callosana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1856), sp. rev. and C. dorsimaculana (Preissecker, 1908), sp. rev., are re-instated to their original species rank. Inconsistencies in their taxonomy leading to their synonymy are shown and corrected. Cochylimorpha bucegiana Z. Kovács, S. Kovács & P. Buchner, sp. nov. is described from the subalpine meadows of the Bucegi and Făgăraș Mountains (Southern Carpathians, Romania), and the other three species are redescribed. Adults and genitalia of both sexes of all four, and the habitat of three taxa are figured. The geographic distribution of each species is re-evaluated based on the examined material and a critical analysis of the literature. Literature data for which no material could be found for examination are treated as doubtful and in need of confirmation. Cochylimorpha perfusana is widely distributed in mountain areas of Europe (Alps, Carpathians and Pirin Mountains), C. callosana is widespread only in the north-western Balkan Peninsula and north-eastern Italy, and local in eastern France, Corsica and Hungary, the other two seem to be endemics, C. dorsimaculana to Wachau and Retz in Lower Austria and C. bucegianasp. nov. to the Southern Carpathians in Romania. Cochylimorpha perfusana is recorded for the first time from Bulgaria; the first confirmed records of C. callosana from Slovenia and Hungary are given; and in the north-eastern Italian fauna C. callosana replaces C. perfusana. Records of C. perfusana from Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and north-western Italy require confirmation.

309P Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in patients treated across lower Austria: A multicenter retrospective study

309P Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in patients treated across lower Austria: A multicenter retrospective study

Morphology, taxonomy and trophic interactions of rostrum-less coleoids from the Late Triassic Polzberg Konservat-Lagerstätte (Lower Austria)

AbstractColeoid cephalopods are widespread from the Mesozoic till today. The extinct group of the Phragmoteuthida is thought to represent either stem-neocoleoids, stem-decabrachians, or stem-octobrachians. The well-known, almost complete specimens of Phragmoteuthis bisinuata from the Carnian Polzberg Konservat-Lagerstätte near Lunz am See (Lower Austria, Northern Calcareous Alps) and Cave del Predil (Northern Italy, Julian Alps) come from historical collections. These specimens do not reflect the entire coleoid assemblage within this environment. In order to obtain a more complete picture of the Carnian coleoid fauna, 430 coleoid specimens from the Polzberg locality and 60 specimens from contemporaneous localities around Cave del Predil were studied in detail. All available elements (phragmocones, proostraca, cartilages, hooks, beaks, ink sacs) attributed to the coleoid fauna were recorded, measured and evaluated taxonomically and taphonomically. Reviews of historical collection material permitted comparisons with recently collected material. The notation of co-occurrences of other faunal elements yielded insights into the palaeoecological context of this Upper Triassic environment within the Polzberg Basin. The new material from Polzberg does not support the previous assumption of a monospecific composition of the Polzberg coleoid fauna. Instead, we report the occurrence of the new phragmoteuthid Phragmoteuthis polzbergensis nov. sp. and a newly excavated specimen of Phragmoteuthis indicates the presence of ten arms within the group of the Phragmoteuthida for the first time. Phragmocones with small opening angles combined with cylindrical (roundly closed) body chambers, and arm hook types which are unusual for phragmoteuthids indicate the presence of the basal coleoid group comprising the rostrum-less genus Mojsisovicsteuthis.ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7EE7425C-6B0C-4800-925A-52D9108C13C7.

Multi-proxy record of the Austrian Upper Triassic Polzberg Konservat-Lagerstätte in light of the Carnian Pluvial Episode

We present a multi-proxy investigation of a lower Carnian basinal succession from Polzberg in the Northern Calcareous Alps (Lower Austria). A section comprising a unique Konservat-Lagerstätte was studied based on bio- and chemostratigraphy along with geophysical methods, yielding a detailed and robust stratigraphic calibration of the Polzberg succession. The Polzberg section revealed the paleoceanographic history and helped to identify a global climatic reversal, the Carnian Pluvial Episode. The age of the Upper Triassic Reingraben formation in the Northern Calcareous Alps is refined as the Austrotrachyceras austriacum Zone within the lower Carnian (Julian 2). Ammonoids and conodonts provide a detailed biostratigraphic subdivision that serves as a basis for analyses of the faunal distribution and the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Upper Triassic Reifling Basin. The succession includes lithological and facies changes similar to those of coeval units in the Tethys. The Carnian was characterized by a weak (~ 1‰) positive δ13C trend, punctuated by a negative shift during the lower Carnian corresponding to the initiation of the Carnian Pluvial Episode, a period representing the onset of early/late Carnian transitional global greenhouse conditions. Organic maturity parameters and the conodont alteration index (CAI) show that the thermal overprint of the Polzberg section is low. Biomarker proxies suggest that the organic matter of the uppermost Göstling formation is a mixture of marine and terrestrial material deposited in a dysoxic environment. Within the overlaying Reingraben formation, the amount of marine biomass decreased gradually upwards. Oxygen-depleted conditions, probably due to water-column stratification, continued during deposition of the Reingraben formation. Bacterial sulfate reduction played a major role in organic matter degradation.

CXCL13 as a biomarker in the diagnostics of European lyme Neuroborreliosis - A prospective multicentre study in Austria.

'Definite Neuroborreliosis (NB)' is diagnosed with the presence of NB-specific symptoms, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis and an elevated Borrelia Burgdorferi antibody index. However, some diagnostic uncertainties exist. The B-cell chemokine CXCL13 represents an emerging biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of NB because its intrathecal concentration rises prior to the Borrelia antibody index and drops rapidly after antibiotic therapy. Nevertheless, due to lacking prospective data, a definite CXCL13 cut-off for the diagnosis of NB is still pending. Definition of a CSF CXCL13 cut-off for the diagnosis of acute and untreated NB in a prospective study setting. This multicentre prospective study involved 6 neurological departments treating patients in the Lower Austria district (1.7 million inhabitants). The controls were patients scheduled for a spinal tap but not clinically diagnosed with NB. Demographic data, clinical characteristics and blood counts, as well as inflammatory CSF values and CSF CXCL13-concentration were analysed. We recruited 440 adult patients, of whom 42 have been diagnosed as having an acute and untreated 'definite NB'. Three hundred ninety-eight patients were assigned to the control group. The median intrathecal CXCL13 concentration was 2384 pg/ml for patients with NB and 0 pg/ml for controls. The difference was highly statistically significant (P ≤ .001). A CSF CXCL13 cut-off of 271 pg/ml resulted in a sensitivity of 95.2% and a specificity of 97.2% for the confirmation or exclusion of NB. Based on our results, we propose a CSF CXCL13 cut-off of 271 pg/ml with Euroimmun-Elisa for the diagnosis of acute and untreated NB. Due to its high sensitivity and specificity, CXCL13 is a strong candidate biomarker for routine NB assessment, especially in clinically unclear cases.

Building a decision-support tool to inform sustainability approaches under complexity: Case study on managing wild ruminants

In wildlife management, differing perspectives among stakeholders generate conflicts about how to achieve disparate sustainability goals that include ecological, economic, and sociocultural dimensions. To mitigate such conflicts, decisions regarding wildlife management must be taken thoughtfully. To our knowledge, there exists no integrative modeling framework to inform these decisions, considering all dimensions of sustainability. We constructed a decision-support tool based on stakeholder workshops and a Bayesian decision network to inform management of wild ruminants in the federal state of Lower Austria. We use collaborative decision analysis to compare resource allocations while accounting for trade-offs among dimensions of sustainability. The tool is designed for application by non-technical users across diverse decision-making contexts with particular sets of wildlife management actions, objectives, and uncertainties. Our tool represents an important step toward developing and evaluating a transparent and replicable approach for mitigating wildlife-based conflicts in Europe and beyond.

Long-term effects of tillage systems on soil health of a silt loam in Lower Austria

Tillage is an essential practice for soil preparation in agriculture that influences a broad variety of soil parameters. However, the long-term implications of tillage on soil health are complex, context specific, and need to be better understood. The aim of our study is to evaluate soil physical, chemical, and biological effects of three different tillage practices: conventional tillage (CT), mulch tillage (MT), and no-till (NT). A long-term experiment in Mistelbach, Lower Austria, was launched in 1994 and comprehensively sampled in 2002 and 2021. To evaluate tillage-impacts over the two decadal monitoring we assessed soil health indicators in the 0–20 cm soil depth (conventional ploughing layer) and below 20 cm. A "Soil Management Assessment Framework" (SMAF) procedure was applied to assess and compare soil quality using the Soil Quality Index (SQI). Considering multiple indicators, we found overall quality improvements in all three tillage-experiments over time. However, particularly the conservation practices (MT and NT) enhanced soil quality, predominately soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil physical indicators (e.g. water holding capacity, coarse pores). The study confirms that SOC in the 0–20 cm layer significantly increased under no-till (46 Mg C ha−1) compared to conventional tillage (26 Mg C ha−1). At the same time aggregate stability and water holding capacity increased under conservation agriculture (MT and NT). The proven positive impacts on soil health will further help to promote agricultural practices that sustain productivity while pushing forward climate change mitigation actions in temperate climate.