Management Regimes Research Articles

P-283. Epidemiology, clinical, phenotypic, and genotypic characteristics of multidrug, extensive and pan-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumannii from Qatar

Abstract Background Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii-calcoaceticus complex is associated with significant morbidity and mortality with limited treatment options. The outlined study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology , clinical , phenotypic and genotypic characteristics of multidrug resistant (MDR) Acinetobacter species from Qatar between 2017-2020 . Methods A prospective study was conducted between 2017-2020 for all clinical isolates of Acinetobacter species. Microbial identifications and antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using automated MALDI-TOF MS and BD PhoenixTM system according to the manufacturer’s recommendations while additional ASTs were performed with E test . Genomic tests were performed using whole genome sequence Results Out of 536 isolates, 62 (11.5%) resistant isolates were identified showing decremental trend over the study period with dominance of sequence types: ST2 (71 %), ST 25 % (8%) and ST 164 (8%). Main age of acquisition was 64 year (38-70). Isolate sites were urinary (42 %), respiratory (29%), bloodstream (16%), skin and soft tissues (13%) mainly acquired at hospitals (97 %). Existing multiple comorbidities and previous antimicrobial exposure were present in most cases. Multiple antimicrobial regimes for management were dominated by colistin, meropenem, amikacin, cotrimoxazole and tigecycline with 30-day mortality of 16 %. Microbiological evaluation demonstrated extensive resistance ranging between 85-100 % for active agents including meropenem and ampicillin-sulbactam at 97.4 % as well as for novel agents: ceftazidime-avibactam (100%), ceftolozane-tazobactam, meropenem-vaborbactam and imipenem- relebactam at 97.4 %. All ST2 isolates carried class D blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-51 family, that confer resistance to carbapenems, as well 7 isolates carried class B MBL blaNDM-1. Conclusion Acquisition of resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is infrequent with decremental trend dominated by ST 2, mainly isolated from the elderly with multiple comorbidities and risk factors. Predominant isolation sites are urinary, respiratory, bloodstream, skin and soft tissues. Extensive resistance profiles limit treatment options for conventional and novel agents pointing towards urgent needs for alternative therapy. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Effects of close-to-nature forest management on carbon stocks in Pinus tabulaeformis plantations in northern China

Scientifically understanding how to increase the carbon stocks of plantations under the great demand for forest carbon sinks to meet the 2.0 or 1.5°C target of the Paris Agreement is attracting mounting attention. As one of the most promising plantation management regimes, it is pertinent to ask whether close-to-nature management could improve the carbon stocks of Pinus tabuliformis plantations in trees, shrubs, grasses, litter, and soil. This study investigated and analyzed the effects of close-to-nature management, in comparison with no human intervention, on the carbon stocks of P. tabuliformis plantations in three age-classes (10-, 47-, and 56-year-old stands) over 6 years in the Wangyedian Experimental Forest Farm of Chifeng, China. The results showed under close-to-nature management and no human intervention, the amounts of carbon stocks of P. tabulaeformis plantations were similarly ranked (soil > trees > litter > grasses > shrubs), and the trees, vegetation, and ecosystem carbon stocks of P. tabuliformis plantations increased significantly with stand age (p < 0.05). Close-to-nature management increased the annual increment of the tree carbon stock in 47- and 56-year-old stands, as well as that of the soil carbon stock and ecosystem carbon stock in 56-year-old stands, and also that of litter carbon stock in all stands, whereas it decreased both soil and ecosystem carbon stocks’ annual increment in 10- and 47-year-old stands. The annual increment of the ecosystem carbon stock was greater in 56-year-old (7.49 Mg∙hm−2∙a−1) than 47-year-old stands (5.82 Mg∙hm−2∙a−1) under close-to-nature management, but vice versa under no human intervention (56-year-old: 3.98 Mg∙hm−2∙a−1 vs. 47-year-old: 6.78 Mg∙hm−2∙a−1). This inverted response indicates that reasonable management measures could increase the ecosystem carbon stock of mature forest as defined by current Chinese age classification standards. Additionally, since the tree carbon stock of ca. 60-year-old P. tabuliformis stands is still growing, this suggests the plantation maturity of this pine specie can and should be extended to produce timber with larger diameters that sequester more carbon.

Physico–Chemical Characterization of Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Milk as Influenced by Parities and Seasons under Pastoral Production System in Katsina State, Nigeria

The study was conducted in order to come-up with the various physico–chemical characterization of camel (Camelus dromedarius) milk under pastoral production system in Katsina State, Nigeria. It was conducted using twelve (12) lactating camel cows under three different parity levels (1, 3 and 5). The feeding and watering regimes of the camels were the same and all the animals were managed under pastoral production system. The animals for the study were carefully examined before the selection especially for calving and health status. Milk samples collected were studied under the guide of various prescribed methods using local kits available. Results obtained indicated higher values of acidity (0.35%) and specific gravity (1.008%) both under parity five in hot dry season followed by titerable acidity with higher values (0.015g) in parity three under cold dry season. Vitamin C was higher (4.71 mg/100ml) in parity five under wet season respectively. In conclusion, the study also confirmed that camel milk is full of evenly balanced nutritional constituents that plays a variety of roles despite the level of management, feeding and watering regimes.

Különböző hasznosítási módú gyep eltérő fényigényű növényeinek borítási érték nyomon követése

Changes in the cover value of grassland species over a four-year period were investigated in terms of light requirements for grassland species under different management regimes (mowing, mulching, meadow management, overgrazing). The highest cover values of light-demanding grassland plants (Trifolium sp., Achillea sp., Plantago sp.), which are ecologically and economically valuable and typical for extensive grassland with a soil condition of Solonyec, managed by the MATE Research Institute Karcag, were measured under mowing and meadow utilization. The lowest cover values of light-demanding butterfly-flowering species were found in treatments covered with leafy phytomass and overgrazed with sheep. In the overgrazing treatment, we observed invasive emergence of the light-hungry Hordeum murinum, a potential threat to sheep welfare.

Half a century of change in floristics and structure in an urban grassy woodland: implications for conservation management

Context Vegetation remnants enveloped by built up areas tend to drift away in their character from vegetation on similar sites in more extensive patches of native vegetation, but may stabilise in synthetic (novel) form with time in harmony with disturbance regimes and environmental change. Managers may be able to induce a synthetic state that maintains the nature conservation values of such remnants. Aims We examine the degree to which the nature conservation values of the the vegetation of a 19th century urban reserve in nipaluna (Hobart), lutruwita (Tasmania) changed between 1974 and 2022/23 in a period of climate change and changes in vegetation management, with the aim of discerning appropriate conservation management regimes. Methods Sixty-nine 1 × 15 m quadrats were randomly located in the non-cultivated part of the Domain in 1974 and roughly relocated for sampling in 1984, 1994, 2001 and 2022. Tree diameters were recorded using the point-centred quarter method in 1974, 1984, 1994, 2001 and 2023. The responses of native and exotic species richness, and the frequency of the more common species, to time and other predictor variables related to time since last fire, evidence of mowing at the time of the survey, and topography were determined using linear modelling, correlation, analysis of variance and chi-squared. Key results The native tree Allocasuarina verticillata was the only significantly varying consistent increaser of 67 taxa. The native perennial herbs Acaena echinata and Leptorhynchos squamatus and the non-native shrubby weed Chrysanthemoides monilifera were the only significantly varying consistent decreasers. However, several rare and threatened species too infrequent for statistical analysis also declined between 2022/23 and 2000. Twenty-four of the 67 taxa with sufficient data for analysis did not significantly vary among years. The percentage of native species in quadrats did not change through time. It was negatively related to mowing and the time since fire. Native tree stems 10–30 cm in diameter and those over 30 cm increased through time, whereas those less than 10 cm in diameter increased dramatically until 2000, then strongly decreased by 2023. Total stem density increased through time. Conclusions Mowing and fire regimes strongly influenced the distributions of a large proportion of native taxa independent of time and underlying environment, largely by controlling the density of the small tree layer, which can potentially form closed-forest without eucalypts. Implications It is possible to use fire, mowing and slashing to maintain nature conservation values in synthetic urban grassy woodland, although the maintenance of the rarest native species requires more specific and varied interventions.

Effects of organic mulching and regulated deficit irrigation on crop water status, soil and yield features in an orange orchard under Mediterranean climate

The adoption of soil and water conservation measures (SWCM) is essential for improving the use of natural resources and making the agro-systems more resilient to climate change. In this context, a three-years trial was carried-out in an orange orchard characterized by different soil management (SM, i.e., bare and organic mulched soils) and water regimes (WR, i.e., full irrigation, FI, and regulated deficit irrigation, RDI). In response to the applied SWCM, crop water status (CWS), soil and yield main features were explored using multiple soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) monitoring approaches.Overall average water saving of 24 % was achieved under RDI in comparison to FI. The stem water potential revealed a year-dependent behaviour in accordance to the patterns of the main ancillary physiological indicators. The adoption of additional plant-based measurements provided continuous information on the CWS, both in terms of trunk water potential (TWP) and sap flow fluxes, resulting in higher absolute values of TWP (−0.93 ± 0.01 MPa versus −0.83 ± 0.00 MPa) and lower transpiration rates (0.64 ± 0.00 mm d−1 versus 0.88 ± 0.01 mm d−1) in mulched compared to bare soils. The soil water content showed higher rates under mulched soils than in bare soil condition, both in FI (up to 15 %) and RDI (up to 27 %) at 0.75 m from the tree trunk to the inter-row. Soil temperature was lower in mulched soils under RDI. However, a great time-variability was observed for most of the soil physical-chemical variables under study. Nevertheless, the application of SWCM improved the yield over the years, resulting in higher fruit weights under mulched FI conditions.Finally, the study suggests that the adoption of SWCM can serve as an efficient strategy to enhance soil and yield features, highlighting the critical role of using SPAC methodological tools for monitoring the CWS at the field level.

Local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity in two forest understorey herbs in response to forest management intensity.

Local adaptation is a common phenomenon that helps plant populations to adjust to broad-scale environmental heterogeneity. Given the strong effect of forest management on the understorey microenvironment and often long-term effects of forest management actions, it seems likely that understorey herbs may have locally adapted to the practiced management regime and induced environmental variation. We investigated the response of Anemone nemorosa and Milium effusum to forest management using a transplant experiment along a silvicultural management intensity gradient. Genets were sampled from sites with contrasting management intensities and transplanted sympatrically, near allopatrically and far allopatrically along the management intensity gradient to test for local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, as well as to sites where the species were absent to test for recruitment versus dispersal limitations. We then measured survival and fitness traits over two growing seasons. We found only little evidence of local adaptation in A. nemorosa and M. effusum, whereas various traits in both species showed linear plastic changes in response to transplantation along the forest management intensity gradient. Furthermore, A. nemorosa performed worse when transplanted to unoccupied sites, suggesting recruitment limitation, whereas M. effusum performed better in unoccupied sites, suggesting dispersal limitation. Altogether, our results underpin the importance of forest management to indirectly drive phenotypic variation among populations of forest plants.

MultiOptForest: An interactive multi-objective optimization tool for forest planning and scenario analysis

MultiOptForest is an open-source software designed to simplify building and solving multi-objective optimization problems for forest planning. It aims to find the optimal portfolio of management regimes that balance the objectives regarding multiple forest ecosystem services and biodiversity. The software flexibly imports data, allowing for the use of a variety of forest simulator outputs. The user provides preference information through a user-friendly graphical interface, where the range of possible values for each objective is provided. MultiOptForest solves the optimization problem producing a set of Pareto optimal solutions, i.e., solutions where none of the objectives can be improved without compromising others. MultiOptForest is versatile enough to design a Pareto optimal forest plan for a small holding to assess management and the trade-off between multiple policy objectives impacting the future development of forests across regions and countries.

Disturbance effects on timberland returns

Probability theory is applied to the effect of severe disturbances on the return rate on capital within multiannual stands growing crops. Two management regimes are discussed, rotations of even-aged plants on the one hand, and uneven-aged semi-stationary state on the other. The effect of any disturbance appears two-fold, contributing to both earnings and capitalization. Results are illustrated using data from a recently published study, regarding spruce (Picea abies) forests in Austria. The economic results differ from those of the paper where the data is presented, here indicating continuous-cover forestry is financially inferior to rotation forestry. Any severe disturbance may induce a regime shift from continuous-cover to even-aged forestry. If such a regime shift is not accepted, the disturbance losses reduce profits but do not affect capitalization, making continuous-cover forestry financially more sensitive to disturbances. Revenue from carbon rent favors the management regime with higher carbon stock. The methods introduced in this paper can be applied to any dataset, regardless of location and crop species.

Caprine management at Archaic and Classical period Argilos in northern Greece: the isotopic evidence from sequentially sampled tooth enamel

This paper contributes new data on animal management practices from the Greek Archaic and Classical periods. Management strategies and season of birth of caprines from the city of Argilos (ca. 655 − 357 BC) are established through the analysis of stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of sequentially sampled tooth enamel. The results reveal a variety of management regimes being practiced by farmers at ancient Argilos, with no observable differences in diet and herding strategies between the Archaic and Classical periods. The samples that provide season of birth data, however, suggest a possible distinction between the two periods. Births are centred around autumn/early winter in the Archaic period and late winter/spring during the Classical period and could be the result of the prioritisation of different commodities by farmers.

Mammographic parameters as predictors of molecular subtype of breast cancer: a prospective analysis

BackgroundThe prevalence of breast cancer is increasing globally and its early detection is the need of hour for giving the patient a long disease-free meaningful life. The latest management regimes depend upon the biological behavior of the breast cancer that itself relies upon expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her 2) neu status for its molecular subtyping.AimTo determine the predictive value of mammographic parameters in identifying the estrogen and progesterone hormone receptor status, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her 2) neu expression and molecular subtypes of breast cancer.MethodsA prospective observational study was conducted from January 2021 to September 2022 in a tertiary care institute. The study enrolled 51 females with histopathologically proven invasive breast carcinoma. The patients underwent digital mammography followed by tissue biopsy. Mammographic parameters were based on Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) imaging features. The molecular subtypes of breast cancer were grouped into four subtypes based on St. Gallen International Expert Consensus Panel 2013. The mammographic features were then statistically correlated with molecular subtypes of breast cancer.ResultsLuminal type A was the most common molecular subtype in our study [ 17 (33.33%)] followed by triple negative type [10(19.61%)]. Tumors with non-circumscribed margins were predicted to be Luminal A or Luminal B subtype (p value < 0.02). Tumor with microcalcification was strongly predicted to be Her 2 subtype with a statistically significant association (p value < 0.001). Circumscribed tumors with absence of microcalcification were predicted to be triple-negative type of breast cancer.ConclusionsKey features in mammography were significantly associated with breast cancer molecular subtypes. Knowledge of such correlations could help clinicians stratify breast cancer patients according to their likely molecular subtypes, potentially enabling earlier, more effective treatment or aiding in therapeutic decisions in countries where immunohistochemical (IHC) hormone receptor and Her 2 testing is not readily available.

Diversity and Abundance of Mangrove Gastropods in Setiu Wetlands and Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve, Peninsular Malaysia

Mangrove gastropods, a highly diverse group of mollusks, play a critical yet often overlooked role in mangrove ecosystems. This study investigates the distribution and abundance of mangrove gastropods in two study sites with distinct management regimes: Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve (MMFR) and Setiu Wetlands (SW) in Peninsular Malaysia. Gastropod sampling was conducted over two days in April 2023, with one-hour visual encounter surveys performed at each study site per day. A total of 3,717 individuals, representing 26 species, were collected across both study sites. The family Ellobiidae was predominant in MMFR, while the family Littorinidae dominated in SW. Despite the higher biodiversity of both mud-dwelling and tree-dwelling species observed in MMFR, the overall low abundance of gastropods indicates negative impacts from greenwood exploitation and the widespread monoculture of Rhizophora spp. In contrast, the reduced diversity of mud-dwelling species in SW may be attributed to suboptimal sediment conditions caused by a shifted Setiu River mouth, low freshwater discharge, and increased sedimentation. This study provides precise assessments of species distribution across various microhabitats, offering essential baseline data for future ecological monitoring. Improved management practices, including habitat restoration, protection of biodiversity hotspots, and community engagement, are critical for sustaining gastropod populations and ensuring the long-term health and resilience of these vital coastal ecosystems. The findings highlight the sensitivity of gastropods to environmental changes and emphasize the need for adaptive conservation strategies to mitigate human impacts on mangrove ecosystems. This study serves as a foundation for developing effective conservation strategies to protect mangrove ecosystems, crucial for maintaining gastropod populations and the overall health of coastal ecosystems.

A Synthesis of Threats Impacting Australian Threatened Ecological Communities

ABSTRACTAimEffective strategies to mitigate threats are crucial to ensure the persistence of biodiversity. In contrast to the decades of research on threatened species in Australia, threatened ecological communities (TECs) have historically received less attention. In particular, there is no synthesis of the threats impacting ecological communities, limiting our ability to coordinate and prioritise management towards recovery. In this study, we aimed to: (1) compile and summarise the threats to Australian TECs to identify the most prevalent causes of decline and (2) identify common management strategies for TEC recovery.LocationAustralia.MethodsWe conducted a content analysis to extract and categorise data on threats for 103 TECs to develop the first national threats database along with a standardised classification scheme. We summarised the broad and specific threats impacting TECs and translated recovery needs of TECs into threat abatement strategies.ResultsMost Australian TECs are threatened by multiple and diverse threats (an average of 14.4 threats per TEC). These spanned 49 threats (e.g., nutrient loads), categorised into eight broad‐level threats (e.g., pollution). The most prevalent broad‐level threats are ‘Invasive species and disease’ and ‘Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation’, each impacting at least 98% of TECs. Almost all TECs would benefit from threat mitigation strategies such as habitat restoration, invasive weed management and ecological fire regime management.Main ConclusionsOverall, the threats database we developed can be used to inform conservation planning and effective threat abatement strategies tailored to the recovery of TECs at local, regional and national scales. It will also facilitate integrated analyses of threats and conservation actions between TECs and threatened species to increase management efficiencies.

Economic effects of wild boar damage to crops in protected areas of Nepal

Human wild-boar conflict is one of the prominent issues in Nepal, especially in areas adjacent to protected areas. Wild boars cause substantial damage to the agricultural crops and affect the lives of rural farmers through economic loss. However, the extent of this loss varies across protected areas. Thus, this study aims to compare the economic loss due to crop damage by wild boar between two protected areas with different management regimes; Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP) and Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR). We used a questionnaire survey and descriptive statistics to characterize and compare the pattern of human wild boar conflicts between ShNP and DHR. Altogether, the two protected areas experienced a crop damage of 87,035.78kg with an estimated economic loss of 26,389 USD in our study. The most damaged crop in the ShNP was paddy whereas that in DHR was potato. We recorded a higher crop damage and economic loss in ShNP than in DHR. However, the severity of conflict is higher in DHR with around 8% of the total production damaged by wild boar. Although the government declared wild boar an agricultural menace in 2023 and permitted killing on private lands, local communities should also apply other mitigation measures to prevent wild boars from entering crop fields. Additionally, the potential introduction of trophy hunting in ShNP (already permitted in DHR), following comprehensive studies, could help reduce economic losses associated with human-wild boar conflicts. Such combined efforts could create a more sustainable approach to managing wild boar populations while safeguarding local agriculture and livelihoods.

Changes in selenium bioavailability in selenium-enriched paddy soils induced by different water management and organic amendments

Combined effects of water management and agricultural organic waste return on selenium (Se) bioavailability and mechanisms in Se-enriched paddy soils remain unclear. We investigated the effects of continuous flooding (CF) and alternating wet and dry (AWD), two types (cotton straw biochar [BC] and sheep manure [SM]) and concentrations (10 and 50 g·kg−1) of organic amendments on soil Se bioavailability, bacterial community structure in naturally Se-enriched soils (1.69 mg·kg−1). Results showed that 10 g·kg−1 SM treatment was the most effective in increasing Se bioavailability, especially under AWD treatment, whereas BC treatment reduced it. Compared with CF treatment, AWD treatment increased the Se content of root surface iron plaque and rhizosphere affinity for Se, and promoted the conversion of soil weakly organic matter bound Se to soluble-Se and exchangeable-Se. BC and SM addition significantly altered soil solution Fe(II), dissolved organic carbon, and soil bacterial community structure and function, including sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (Thiobacillus) and Se-reducing bacteria (Pseudarthrobacter), under different water management regimes. Notably, these bacteria showed a significant correlation with bioavailable Se. The present study provides theoretical guidance for agronomic practices in Se-enriched paddy soils.

Silvicultural Systems and Their Practices in Terai Forests of Nepal: A Review

It is more than eight decades that Nepalese foresters initiated appropriate silvicultural systems to obtain goods and services from forest, in perpetuity. Several forest management plans were prepared in the past. Unfortunately, these forest management plans were not implemented until 2012 AD. Government of Nepal had introduced a silviculture-based forest management procedure, known as Scientific Forest Management (SciFM) in 2014. One of the objectives of this procedure was to provide management guidelines for Community Forests (CFs) and government managed forests. It has been more than a decade that SciFM was implemented in Terai forests (CF and government managed forests) but how far the procedure supported in achieving its goal is not well documented. This paper examined the forest management system that was implemented in Terai districts of Nepal, irrespective of its management regime. For the study, field visits were carried out in five Terai districts (Morang, Kapilvastu, Dang, Kailali and Kanchanpur) during March and October 2021 to examine the procedure followed in managing the forests and observe the outcomes aimed by the procedure. Both published and unpublished literature on silviculture, silvicultural systems, and forest management, especially devoted to Nepalese context were reviewed. Operational Forest Management Plans (OFMPs) developed by government entities and Community Forests User Groups implemented “irregular shelter-wood system” of forest management in their respective forests, retaining some mother trees for shelter and obtaining quality seeds, based on 80 years of rotation period for Sal (Shorea robusta) although the basis of fixing the rotation is not very clear. The review indicates that, in most sites of Terai parts of Nepal, it may not be necessary to retain mother trees, for ensuring Sal regeneration. There is some possibility of estimating Sal rotation due to appearance of hollowness in the trees, which may help decide the harvestable age of Sal trees in future.

Biodiverse Management of Perennial Flower Margins in Farmland: Meandering Mowing by 'Three-Strip Management' to Boost Pollinators and Beneficial Insects.

Agricultural intensification has led to significant declines in beneficial insect populations, such as pollinators and natural enemies, along with their ecosystem services. The installation of perennial flower margins in farmland is a popular agri-environmental scheme to mitigate these losses, promoting biodiversity, pollination, and pest control. However, outcomes can vary widely, and recent insights into flower margins in an agricultural context suggest that management could be an important contributor to this variation. This study evaluated two mowing management regimes: the new "three-strip management" method with uneven, curved mowing lines and regular phased mowing as a control method. During the third year of application, we evaluated the effects on the alpha diversity indices of pollinators and natural enemies, as well as plant-pollinator visitation networks. Curved three-strip management significantly increased the abundance of all pollinator groups (+44%) and natural enemies (+50%), and the taxonomic richness and diversity of pollinators, especially for rarer solitary bees. Floral diversity was also higher, with more unique plants blooming in early spring and late summer, generating more unique plant-pollinator interactions (+54%) and a positive impact on multiple network-level properties. Our findings provide new evidence that nature-based management methods can be a win-win solution, creating high-quality habitats that enhance the insect diversity of various groups, support associated ecosystem services, and help restore overall farmland biodiversity.

SOC: clay ratio: A mechanistically-sound, universal soil health indicator across ecological zones and land use categories?

The European Union has recently launched a proposal for a soil monitoring and resilience directive (“soil monitoring law”, SML), defining the SOC: clay ratio as descriptor of the soil organic carbon (SOC) status, with a ratio of 1/13 separating “healthy” from “unhealthy” soils. Using data of the Lower Austrian soil database, this article explores the mechanistic foundation and applicability of the SOC: clay ratio in the ecologically diverse study region. We observe considerable variation of the SOC: clay ratio among agroecological regions because clay content and SOC are driven by different ecological variables, with clay content related to the texture of parent materials. After stratification by land use (cropland versus grassland), we built multiple regression models starting with an initial set of predictor variables including mean annual precipitation (MAP) and temperature (MAT), clay content, CaCO3 equivalent, amorphous oxyhydroxides of Al (Alo) and Fe (Feo), and pH to identify the main drivers of SOC and their relative importance. The final models explain between 23 and 77 % of the overall SOC variation, and reveal that SOC is primarily controlled by Alo and the CaCO3 equivalent across the entire study region and within most agroecological and soil units, with smaller contributions of clay content and MAP. The set of relevant SOC drivers and their relative importance vary with spatial scale (entire study region versus agroecological and soil units), the aridity index (defined as MAT: MAP) and the state of soil development, as reflected by soil pH. With some notable exceptions, Alo is most important in more humid regions and acidic soils, whereas the relevance of CaCO3 equivalent and clay content increases with pH and aridity.The limited importance of clay content indicates that the SOC: clay ratio is a poor descriptor of soil health in the study region. Moreover, we could not confirm a meaningful functional relation between the SOC: clay ratio and the quality of soil structure derived from visual assessment. These findings challenge the universal use of the SOC: clay ratio as descriptor of soil health, and its threshold of 1/13 to distinguish the soil health status across different ecological zones. If SOC is not primarily driven by clay content, also the use of correction factors to the SOC: clay threshold as suggested by the SML is not appropriate.To derive meaningful regional benchmarks of SOC, we suggest to employ multiple regression analysis with the main SOC drivers as input variables. The regression equation can be used to predict the SOC levels expected for the average management regime of the region at any given values of the relevant main soil and climate drivers. This approach can be further refined by scaling down to the soil unit level, and by developing relations for different, clearly defined categories of soil management, and their calibration to soil functional properties (e.g., air capacity, structure quality scores) in order to link the benchmarks to soil management, soil health and related ecosystem services.

Sonographic localisation of lymph nodes suspicious of metastatic breast cancer to surgical axillary levels

AbstractThe axillary lymph node (LN) burden of breast cancer patients guides multidisciplinary management and treatment regimes. Sonographic imaging is used to identify the presence, number and location of axillary LNs suspicious of malignancy and used to guide nodal fine needle aspirations and biopsies. Axillary LNs suspicious of harbouring breast cancer metastasis can be localised to three surgical axillary levels, numbered according to their location relative to the pectoralis minor muscle and lymph flow. To sonographically identify and localise suspicious axillary LNs, an understanding of the axillary anatomy, muscular sonographic landmarks, surgical axillary levels, and the sonographic technique to image and distinguish between benign and suspicious LNs is required.

Ten years of PEGIDA: a reflection on “deutsche Zustände”

ABSTRACT Ten years after the beginning of the PEGIDA protests in Dresden, the German far right is making one breakthrough after another in the electoral arena. The starting point for this reflection is the notion of deutsche Zustände (“German conditions”), which took on renewed relevance amid the emergence of PEGIDA: both in reference to Heitmayer’s studies on far-right attitudes in German society (Deutsche Zustände) and Marx’s famous notion that Germany lagged behind the flow of history with its lack of a bourgeois revolution (“Krieg den deutschen Zuständen!”). Indeed, in the context of the post-2010/11 global protest wave that saw the “movements of the squares” emerge around anti-austerity and/or democratizing demands, Germany presented a striking anomaly with large protest rallies of ordinary “concerned citizens” on public squares around a far-right, anti-egalitarian agenda. In reading the emergence of PEGIDA within this protest conjuncture, I argue that this seeming paradox of the “German condition” was born not least out of the failure of a square movement of the left in the form of the Blockupy protests in Frankfurt starting in 2012 and their reliance on the methods of the late 1990s alter-globalization protests in challenging the German-led Eurozone crisis management regime from within.