Papers by Christian Albert
Nature-based solutions: criteria
Communication in Nature 543: 315, full text
Nature-based solutions: criteria
The lack of a precis... more Communication in Nature 543: 315, full text
Nature-based solutions: criteria
The lack of a precise definition for the term ‘nature-based solutions’ risks making it seem arbitrary and impractical (see Nature 541, 133–134; 2017). We therefore propose three criteria for applying these solutions that will strengthen the concept’s role in improving policy on well-defined societal challenges.
First, nature-based solutions need to provide simultaneous benefits for society, the economy and nature. Second, the term should be understood
to represent a transdisciplinary umbrella that encompasses experience from existing concepts such as ‘blue–green infrastructure’ in engineering, ‘natural capital’ and ‘ecosystem services’ in economics, and
‘landscape functions’ in environmental planning. Third, a nature-based solution needs to be introduced gradually, to allow time for careful assessment of its application in real-life settings and further refinement.
Examples of nature-based solutions that respect these three criteria include coastal management to mitigate the effects of climate change, and restoration of floodplains to reduce the risk of downstream flooding. Such initiatives can stimulate cooperation between actors from science, policy and practice.
Christian Albert, Leibniz University of Hanover, Germany.
Joachim H. Spangenberg, Helmholtz Centre for Environment Research UFZ, Halle, Germany.
Barbara Schröter, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany.
Implications of Applying the Green Infrastructure Concept in Landscape Planning for Ecosystem Services in Peri-Urban Areas: An Expert Survey and Case Study
Planning Practice & Research, 2014
Christian Albert: Utilizing the Ecosystem Services Concept in Urban Planning Practice–Opportunities and Challenges for Enhancing the Knowledge to Action Transfer
1.4 Ökosystemleistungen in Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung in Deutschland
Herausforderungen und Möglichkeiten für ein Nationales Ökosystem Assess-ment in Deutschland–Zwischenergebnisse einer Sondierungsstudie
An effective tool to support Sustainability Transitions
Scenario-based Landscape Planning: Influencing Decision-making Through Substantive Outputs and Social Learning
11 Participatory scenarios in developing and implementing long-term policies
On the influence of scenario-based landscapeplanning–a comparison of two alternative futures projects
Testing GeoDesign in Landscape Planning–First Results
Potenzialanalyse für Landschaftspflege und Naturschutzprodukte: Ermittlung des Flächen-und Finanzierungsbedarfs sowie des Erzeugungspotenzials anhand der Landschaftsrahmenplanung
Scenarios for Sustainable Landscape DevelopmentA Comparative Analysis of Six Case Studies
Proceedings of the IHDP Open Meeting, The 7th …, 2009
Page 1. Scenarios for Sustainable Landscape Development A Comparative Analysis of Six Case Stud... more Page 1. Scenarios for Sustainable Landscape Development A Comparative Analysis of Six Case Studies A Paper for the IHDP Open Meeting 2009, the 7th International Science Conference on the Human Dimensions of Global ...
Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 2010
Objective. Taurox™ has been reported to reduce fatigue in patients with HCV, cancer, Post-Lyme/Ch... more Objective. Taurox™ has been reported to reduce fatigue in patients with HCV, cancer, Post-Lyme/Chronic Lyme Disease, CFS and Fibromyalgia. Clinical trials demonstrated improvement in QOL measures in addition to a reduction in fatigue. However, clinical trials often report better results than post-marketing studies. We studied QOL benefit in home use, in a generally healthier population not subject to clinical trial selection and the attendant healing environment.
Alternative drugs against leishmaniasis are desperately needed. Antimonials, the main chemotherap... more Alternative drugs against leishmaniasis are desperately needed. Antimonials, the main chemotherapeutic tool, cause serious side effects and promote chemoresistance. We previously demonstrated that representatives of N,C-linked arylisoquinolines are promising leishmanicidal drug candidates. We now performed structure-activity relationship studies varying the aryl portion of our lead substrate. The new series of compounds show an enhanced selectivity against Leishmania major in comparison to their major host cell, the macrophage. Our results suggest that the arylisoquinolinium salts decrease the macrophage infection rate acting directly on the intracellular parasites. However, the activity of the 4′-i-propyl derivative might also involve the modulation of cytokine and nitric oxide production by host macrophages. Additionally, this isoquinoline acts synergistically with amphotericin B and does not interact with drug-metabolizing cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of antileishmanial drugs. The results demonstrate that the newly synthesized structurally simplified N,C-coupled arylisoquinolinium salts are promising candidates to be considered as leishmanicidal pharmacophores. a Reagents and conditions: (a) HOAc, room temperature.
High cut-off and high-flux membrane haemodialysis in a patient with rhabdomyolysis-associated acute kidney injury
Critical care and resuscitation : journal of the Australasian Academy of Critical Care Medicine, 2012
In a patient with rhabdomyolysis-associated anuric acute kidney injury, an 8-hour haemodialysis s... more In a patient with rhabdomyolysis-associated anuric acute kidney injury, an 8-hour haemodialysis session was performed with a large-pore, high cut-off (HCO) membrane (in-vivo cutoff, 60 kDa). Subsequently, during another 8-hour dialysis session, a standard high-flux (HF) membrane (in-vivo cut-off, 15kDa) was used. Serum myoglobin levels were measured throughout both sessions. HCO haemodialysis reduced myoglobin serum levels by 50% within 4 hours (from 44946μg/L to 22315μg/L). In contrast, myoglobin serum levels increased from 21430μg/L to 34336μg/L during HF haemodialysis. Thus, HCO haemodialysis achieved a reduction in serum myoglobin level that is superior to any other renal replacement technique so far.
The identification of three novel biomarkers of major adverse kidney events
Biomarkers in medicine, 2014
To describe the prognostic value of three novel biomarkers for acute adverse kidney events compar... more To describe the prognostic value of three novel biomarkers for acute adverse kidney events compared with routine biological markers. We used high-end MS to quantify biomarkers predictive of acute kidney injury (AKI) and major adverse kidney events (MAKE) in 100 adult patients after open heart surgery (n = 100). Early postoperatively measured LG3 (a C-terminal fragment of perlecan), LTBP2 (latent transforming growth factor binding protein-2), Cathepsin L as well as two other renal biomarkers (NGAL, Cystatin C) had greater predictive value for AKI (n = 23) and MAKE (n = 24) compared with creatinine, urea and urine output. LG3, LTBP2 and Cathepsin L deserve further exploration as biomarkers for the early identification of patients at risk of MAKE.
Einfluss des Preis-und Lohnniveaus auf die notwendige Förderhöhe für die Beweidung von Naturschutzflächen
Anti-trypanosomal activities and structural chemical properties of selected compound classes
Parasitology Research, 2014
Potent compounds do not necessarily make the best drugs in the market. Consequently, with the aim... more Potent compounds do not necessarily make the best drugs in the market. Consequently, with the aim to describe tools that may be fundamental for refining the screening of candidates for animal and preclinical studies and further development, molecules of different structural classes synthesized within the frame of a broad screening platform were evaluated for their trypanocidal activities, cytotoxicities against murine macrophages J774.1 and selectivity indices, as well as for their ligand efficiencies and structural chemical properties. To advance into their modes of action, we also describe the morphological and ultrastructural changes exerted by selected members of each compound class on the parasite Trypanosoma brucei. Our data suggest that the potential organelles targeted are either the flagellar pocket (compound 77, N-Arylpyridinium salt; 15, amino acid derivative with piperazine moieties), the endoplasmic reticulum membrane systems (37, bisquaternary bisnaphthalimide; 77, N-Arylpyridinium salt; 68, piperidine derivative), or mitochondria and kinetoplasts (88, N-Arylpyridinium salt; 68, piperidine derivative). Amino acid derivatives with fumaric acid and piperazine moieties (4, 15) weakly inhibiting cysteine proteases seem to preferentially target acidic compartments. Our results suggest that ligand efficiency indices may be helpful to learn about the relationship between potency and chemical characteristics of the compounds. Interestingly, the correlations found between the physico-chemical parameters of the selected compounds and those of commercial molecules that target specific organelles indicate that our rationale might be helpful to drive compound design toward high activities and acceptable pharmacokinetic properties for all compound families.
Pilot study of association of catechol-O-methyl transferase rs4680 genotypes with acute kidney injury and tubular stress after open heart surgery
Biomarkers in medicine, 2014
To assess the association of genetic variants of catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotyp... more To assess the association of genetic variants of catecholamine-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotypes with acute kidney injury (AKI) and tubular stress after open heart surgery. We genotyped 195 patients for the COMT-Val158Met polymorphism and measured creatinine, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and midkine. We analyzed the association between such polymorphisms and these kidney-related variables. Nonsignificantly more COMT LL patients developed RIFLE-AKI compared with non-LL patients (p = 0.11). Compared with HL and HH patients, LL patients who developed AKI had lower increases in serum creatinine. COMT LL patients had less pronounced release of tubular stress biomarkers (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin: p = 0.045, midkine: p = 0.072). COMT genotype may associate with different patterns of renal functional changes and tubular stress biomarker release response after open heart surgery.
In arterial occlusive disease autoantibodies against ETAR and AT1R correlate with each other but are not associated with classical cardiovascular risk factors
Vasa, 2014
Autoantibodies (Abs) against angiotensin-II type 1 (AT(1)R) and endothelin-1 type A receptors (ET... more Autoantibodies (Abs) against angiotensin-II type 1 (AT(1)R) and endothelin-1 type A receptors (ETAR) are investigated in the present study as B-cell originated humoral factors that may activate the respective receptors on endothelial cells. The prevalence of the Abs was determined in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD). In a prospective observational study 200 patients undergoing angiography and proven advanced PAD were enrolled. Serum samples, clinical data and laboratory values for classical cardiovascular risk factors were collected. Autoantibody titers for AT(1)R and ETAR were determined by solid-phase ELISA and correlative analyses with laboratory parameters and clinical data for common cardiovascular risk factors were performed. Anti-ETAR antibody titers were detected in 57 % of the patients, elevated anti-AT(1)R titers in 61.5 %. About 50 % were positive for both Abs. A strong intercorrelation between ETAR and AT(1)R titers was present (r2 0.79). In patients with positive titers for both Abs females presented significantly higher titers for ETAR (p = 0.045) and AT(1)R (p = 0.02). Autoantibody titers directed against surface receptors ETA and AT(1) are highly correlated in PAD. Titers were independent from classical risk factors in any patient subgroup. This study opens a new perspective on the involvement of the immune system, hereby represented by functional autoantibodies, in the atherosclerotic pathophysiology, leaving behind the common background of classical risk factors.
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Papers by Christian Albert
Nature-based solutions: criteria
The lack of a precise definition for the term ‘nature-based solutions’ risks making it seem arbitrary and impractical (see Nature 541, 133–134; 2017). We therefore propose three criteria for applying these solutions that will strengthen the concept’s role in improving policy on well-defined societal challenges.
First, nature-based solutions need to provide simultaneous benefits for society, the economy and nature. Second, the term should be understood
to represent a transdisciplinary umbrella that encompasses experience from existing concepts such as ‘blue–green infrastructure’ in engineering, ‘natural capital’ and ‘ecosystem services’ in economics, and
‘landscape functions’ in environmental planning. Third, a nature-based solution needs to be introduced gradually, to allow time for careful assessment of its application in real-life settings and further refinement.
Examples of nature-based solutions that respect these three criteria include coastal management to mitigate the effects of climate change, and restoration of floodplains to reduce the risk of downstream flooding. Such initiatives can stimulate cooperation between actors from science, policy and practice.
Christian Albert, Leibniz University of Hanover, Germany.
Joachim H. Spangenberg, Helmholtz Centre for Environment Research UFZ, Halle, Germany.
Barbara Schröter, Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), Müncheberg, Germany.