In order to understand the interlinked problems in the Nexus (Latin = connection, linkage, interrelation) of water, energy and food security, close cooperation between scientists and practitioners from different fields is necessary. The present and future challenge of a reliable supply with water, energy and food is an example, where isolated considerations do not lead to viable solutions. Sustainable action and meaningful research in these highly interconnected fields require a holistic and comprehensive perspective and a new approach. In this sense, a collaborative research structure with a holistic view on the Nexus of Water, Energy and Food security was established in 2013 at the Cologne University of Applied Sciences. The project bundles some of the research efforts of 11 professors from different faculties and institutes. The researchers jointly work on initiating new cooperation projects with partners from industry, academia and civil society. Together they aim at exploring new technologies and applying new approaches to solve major issues of efficiency and sustainability in resource use.
The final goal of the EUROWET project is to integrate the substantial multidisciplinary European research in wetlands to help attain the sustainable management of the water cycle. This will be achieved by the translation of state-of-the art science developed at both national and European levels, into practical guidance for end-users. This will be achieved by a comprehensive review, expert assessment and a focussed dissemination strategy. There is considerable scientific knowledge and technical experience gained in diverse aspects of wetland science and management including hydrology, biogeochemistry, ecology restoration, socio-economic and policy analysis. However the results of research and management experience are still too fragmentary and not sufficiently orientated to problem-solving or simply inadequately framed to be effectively transferred to, or used by, stakeholders and policy-makers. Simultaneously the general outcome of the scientific research has been increased awareness of the significance of wetlands in delivering goods and services important for human welfare including quality of life, biodiversity conservation and maintenance or enhancement of environment quality. Despite this wetlands continue to be degraded and lost throughout Europe without adequate consideration of the wider benefits to be achieved from this management. The new Water Framework Directive (WFD) promotes a unique opportunity to redress this problem by means of the holistic, integrated approach to water management. There is currently in preparation horizontal guidance on Wetlands as part of the Common Implementation Strategy (CIS) process. There is however work still to be done on providing more specific scientific and technical guidance on the effective implementation of the Directive with respect to wetlands. This is particularly the case in relation to Integrated River Management, the CIS cluster within which wetlands are being considered in the WFD.
Evidence is compelling for a positive correlation between urbanisation and increment of allergic sensitisation and diseases. The reason for this association is not clear to date. Some data point to a pro-allergic effect of anthropogenic factors on susceptible individuals. Data analysing the impact of environmental - natural and anthropogenic - factors on the allergenicity of allergen carriers such as pollen grains are scarce, and if applicable only taken from in vitro experimental designs. This study will analyse one of the most common allergy inducers in northern Europe - the birch pollen. Under natural exposure conditions, birch pollen will be analysed with respect to their allergenicity. Within an interdisciplinary research team this study will evaluate the effect of natural (e.g. soil, climate, genetic background) and anthropogenic (e.g. traffic pollutants) factors on birch pollen in a holistic approach including analysis of allergen bioavailability, release of pollen associated lipid mediators from birch pollen grains, in vitro immunostimulatory activity and in vivo allergenic potential. These data collected in the time course of three years will significantly add to our understanding how urbanisation and climate change influence the allergenicity of birch pollen and will help us in the future to set up primary prevention studies.
Pilze sind eine der am diversesten, jedoch am wenigsten untersuchten mikrobiellen Gruppen in marinen Gewässern. Eine Untergruppe der Pilze, kurz als Chytridien bekannt, umfasst häufig auftretende Parasiten auf Phytoplankton, welche eine starke Belastung für das Phytoplanktonwachstum, die Entwicklung von Algenblüten und deren Populationsdynamiken darstellen. Parasitäre Chytridien befallen alle Hauptgruppen von Phytoplankton und treten bevorzugt in Küstenregionen mit hoher Phytoplanktonbiomasse und Produktivität auf. Die Auswirkungen von parasitären Pilzen auf Stoffkreisläufe und die Funktion von Ökosystemen sind jedoch kaum bekannt bzw. quantifiziert. Die Emmy Noether-Nachwuchsgruppe wird die funktionelle und quantitative Rolle parasitärer Pilze für die Phytoplanktonproduktivität und den Stoffkreislauf in Brack- und Meerwasser untersuchen. Unsere Ziele sind (1) Betrachtung der Wechselwirkungen zwischen Phytoplankton und Chytridien auf Einzelzell-Ebene, (2) Untersuchungen der integrativen Rolle von Chytridien in aquatischen Nahrungsnetzen und (3) Aufklärung der Auswirkungen von parasitären Pilzen auf Remineralisierungs- und Sedimentationsprozesse. Unser umfassender Ansatz beinhaltet experimentelle Studien mit Phytoplanktonâ€ÌPilz Co-Kulturen sowie mit natürlichen Planktongemeinschaften, mittels Analysen auf Zell- und Mikoskalen-Ebene bis hin zu mesoskaligen Stoffflüssen entlang der Wassersäule. Im Wesentlichen werden wir den Transfer von Kohlenstoff und Stickstoff vom Phytoplankton durch das pelagische Nahrungsnetz innerhalb der photischen Zone bis hin zum Absinken als Detritus in die Tiefe verfolgen. Das Projektergebnis soll ein ganzheitliches Verständnis der Rolle von Chytridien an der Basis aquatischer Nahrungsnetze und Produktivität fördern, einschließlich der zugrunde liegenden Mechanismen und Größenordnungen. Angesichts der potenziellen Signifikanz parasitärer Pilze für die Abschwächung von Produktivität, Sinkstoffflüssen aber auch von toxischen Algenblüten in Küstengebieten, sollen die gewonnenen Daten mit lokalen und globalen Stoffkreisläufen verknüpft und in zukünftige Entscheidungen zum Küstenmanagement implementiert werden.
The major aim of CARCINOGENOMICS is to develop in vitro methods for assessing the carcinogenic potential of compounds, as an alternative to current rodent bioassays for genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. The major goal is to develop a battery of mechanism-based in vitro tests accounting for various modes of carcinogenic action. These tests will be designed to cover major target organs for carcinogenic action e.g. the liver, the lung, and the kidney. The novel assays will be based on the application of 'omics' technologies (i.e. genome-wide transcriptomics as well as metabonomics) to robust in vitro systems (rat/human), thereby also exploring stem cell technology, to generate 'omic' responses from a well-defined set of model compounds causing genotoxicity and carcinogenicity. Phenotypic markers for genotoxic and carcinogenic events will be assessed for the purpose of anchoring gene expression modulations, metabolic profiles and mechanism pathways. Through extensive biostatistics, literature mining, and analysis of molecular-expression datasets, differential genetic pathways will be identified capable of predicting mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis in vivo. Furthermore, generated transcriptomic and metabonomic data will be integrated into a holistic understanding of systems biology, and applied to build an iterative in silico model of chemical carcinogenesis. Subsequently, predictive gene expression profiles, typically consisting of some 150-250 genes, will be loaded onto high throughput dedicated DNA-chips, thus accelerating the analysis of transcriptomic responses by a factor of 100. It is expected that the outcome of this project will generate a platform enabling the investigation of large numbers of compounds for their genotoxic and carcinogenic potential, as envisaged under the REACH initiative. This will contribute to speeding the identification of potential harmful substances to man, while lowering costs and reducing animal tests. Prime Contractor: Maastricht, University, Health Risk Analysis and Toxicology (Grat); Maastricht, Nederland.
In the South-Indian city of Chennai (formerly called Madras), disastrous tropical monsoon linked with excessive precipitation frequently lead to wide-flat floods in the coastal plains. Caused by rapid urbanisation, the population in urban and periurban areas is more and more affected by these events. Besides the marginalised population living in disfavoured areas, increasingly also the more wealthy population that settles in flood prone areas is affected. Interdisciplinary assessments are needed to explain the complex causes of floods. The project analysed environmental aspects of risk exposure as well as socioeconomic aspects of risk perceptions and response strategies. By combining natural-scientific with socio-scientific approaches, a holistic perspective of the complex reasons and impacts of flooding could be covered. The project consisted of the following steps: 1. Analysis of flood risk exposure: Physio-geographic, hydrological and meteorological realities in risk areas were assessed using remote sensing (RS) data and geographical information systems (GIS). 2. Analysis of risk perception and management: Affected marginalised poor segments of the population, affected middle class groups as well as local planning authorities were interviewed to analyse local perceptions of floods and dominant management strategies. 3. Development of a flood risk map: The results of the risk assessment were integrated in an interactive flood risk map. The map - using several different layers - functions as a flood risk management tool including often neglected socioeconomic and socio-cultural parameters which reflect local vulnerability. 4. Holding of two workshops: A policy workshop with different stakeholders involved in flood management and affected by floods was held in Chennai in August 2007. This workshop was to foster communication and dialogue between different stakeholders and to create awareness on the current situation and problems in the area. A roundtable with the partners from India and organisations dealing with flood management and flood relief measures took place in October 2007 in Freiburg in order to present and discuss the findings and to strengthen future co-operation, communication and networks.
This research project examines and links two innovative conservation approaches that attempt to reconcile conservation and livelihood interests in protected areas: the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area in Nepal and the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch, Switzerland. Actors notions of nature and nature protection will be analysed through methods of discourse and image analysis. The aim is to make explicit if and how the so-called model regions deal with modernitys characteristic dichotomies, in particular the separation of nature and culture. Thereby, obstacles to achieving a holistic sustainable development shall be identified and overcome.
In pedology, soilscapes are characterised by a typical spatial and taxonomic relation between the soils, as well as by the relation between the soils and other landform and landscape characteristics. These landscape characteristics as driving forces for soil formation show local, regional and supra-regional components. It is therefore important to gather and incorporate information about the soil forming factors not only from a specific sampling point, but also from its larger spatial surroundings for reasonable descriptions of the complex soil-landscape relations. Therefore, multi- or hyper-scale approaches are required, which however, are rarely reported in literature. Moreover, most studies are lacking any interpretations and concepts for the description of soil formation, although these are most crucial for describing and understanding the complex environmental processes and interactions of landscapes and soils.The aim of this project is to develop a new hyper-scale mapping approach as well as a new theoretical concept for its pedologic interpretation. Under the overarching goal of a new spatially contextualized soil formation theory the objective of the project is to achieve more holistic descriptions of soil and environmental formation but also the optimization of spatial prediction models for estimating soil properties functions and threats. This is urgently needed in order to meet the increasing global demand for accurate and high-resolution soil information to estimate and handle the impacts of global climate change, population growth, food security, and bio energy.The framework, which will be developed, applied, tested and validated for several landscapes around the world in this project, focuses on determining the influence of local, regional and supra-regional landscape surface shape on soil formation in terms of hyper-scale digital terrain analysis and tries to reveal the interactions of relief with other environmental covariates on different spatial scales. The objectives are (i) to develop a new hyper-scale terrain analysis method, (ii) to apply, develop and/or adapt specific data analysis and data mining approaches to derive the information required for pedological interpretations and as an integrative part (iii) to develop a new theoretical framework for soil formation analysis. This will provide a) information on the specific influence of local to supra-regional parts of environmental covariates on soil formation, b) approaches to visualize the geomorphic systems interacting with other covariates and jointly influence soil formation, c) approaches to derive information on the interactions between different geomorphic features and scales, as well as d) information on the complex interactions between geomorphic and other environmental covariates at different scales to derive better knowledge about the spatial distribution as well as the genesis of one of our most important environmental resources - soil.
The aim of the LORRY project is to reduce trucks carbon footprint by developing an innovative low rolling Resistance tyre concept combined with a comprehensive tool box for fleet fuel saving management. This proposed concept will go beyond current state of art and stakeholder or market expectations regarding tyre rolling resistance, mileage, driving safety, driving performance and material and manufacturing sustainability. Steer and trailer tyres developed in the framework of the project will demonstrate a minimum 20Prozent gain in truck tyre rolling resistance. Truck tyre wear and wet safety performance levels will be improved additionally. To reach this objective, a multidisciplinary consortium (7 public / 4 private partners) has been created covering the fields of tyre technology, rubber and filler technology, nanotechnologies, composite physics, sensory, transport and road infrastructure. A complete set of complementary scientific evaluation methods will enable the understanding of interactions between new tread pattern design and new material composites as well as the tyre performance dependency on tyre-vehicle Operation and road conditions. LORRY consists in a holistic approach for an intelligent surface transport system. New tyre and truck fleet operating concepts resulting from the programmed will go beyond European Green Car Initiative roadmap expectations for 2015 and smoothly bridge and feed next coming tailored trucks and sustainable trucks initiatives, forecasted respectively for 2020 and 2025.
| Organisation | Count |
|---|---|
| Bund | 28 |
| Europa | 15 |
| Land | 1 |
| Wissenschaft | 11 |
| Type | Count |
|---|---|
| Förderprogramm | 28 |
| License | Count |
|---|---|
| Offen | 28 |
| Language | Count |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | 4 |
| Englisch | 28 |
| Resource type | Count |
|---|---|
| Keine | 22 |
| Webseite | 6 |
| Topic | Count |
|---|---|
| Boden | 24 |
| Lebewesen und Lebensräume | 28 |
| Luft | 18 |
| Mensch und Umwelt | 28 |
| Wasser | 18 |
| Weitere | 28 |