Science diplomacy and trans-boundary water management. The Orontes River case

The Mediterranean Basin in general, and more specifically its southeastern part, is encountering rapid changes leading to huge water stress and the tiniest percentage of available drinking water per inhabitant in the world. Changes leading to water scarcity include growing population, with rates annually exceeding 2.8%, and excessive water demand for irrigation. Climate change exacerbates water droughts and risks. Overall national sovereignty, political, social and economic factors seem to be equally important to the scarcity of water resources, which may influence conflicts and violent clashes (\u201cwater riots\u201d).This is the reason why water and hydro-diplomacy occupy a central space on the diplomatic agenda of the governments in the region, including Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt and Turkey. To guarantee the equitable use of water resources for the population of the countries involved, a major task of hydro-diplomacy is to overcome a number of challenges and critical thresholds by exploring all possible options for consensus building and by using reliable scientific evidence.Hydro-diplomacy, as applied in the case of the Orontes, builds partly on traditional bilateral approaches, taking account of power relations, partly on observing International Law and partly on pursuing new methods and tendencies based on the analyses of the actual water needs at national and local level, considering in particular the most vulnerable communities and enhancing prospects for social and economic development.The present publication is based, on one hand, on the results of the ICT project funded by the Italian Development Cooperation (Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation) through the University of Insubria, and on the other hand, on the data and accumulated experience of hydro-diplomacy efforts. It thus brings together two approaches: first a crisp analysis of the evolution in addressing the water challenges applying technological tools on basin management, and secondly, a pragmatic one, based on a case study dealing with water resources in the Middle East

Studying soil moisture at a national level through statistical analysis of NASA NLDAS data

The purpose of this research is to enable better understanding of current environmental conditions through the relations of environmental variables to the historical record. Our approach is to organize and visualize land surface model (LSM) outputs and statistics in a web application, using the latest technologies in geographic information systems (GISs), web services, and cloud computing. The North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS-2) (http://ldas.gsfc.nasa.gov/nldas/; Documentation: ftp://hydro1.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/s4pa/NLDAS/README.NLDAS2.pdf) drives four LSM (e.g., Noah) (http://ldas.gsfc.nasa.gov/nldas/NLDAS2model.php) that simulate a suite of states and fluxes for central North America. The NLDAS-2 model output is accessible via multiple methods, designed to handle the outputs as time-step arrays. To facilitate data access as time series, selected NLDAS-Noah variables have been replicated byNASA as point-location files. These time series filesor 'data rods' are accessible through web services. In this research, 35-year historical daily cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) are constructed using the data rods for the top-meter soil moisture variable. The statistical data are stored in and served from the cloud. The latest values in the Noah model are compared with the CDFs and displayed in a web application. Two case studies illustrate the utility of this approach: the 2011 Texas drought, and the 31 October 2013 flash flood in Austin, Texas

Development of a composite drought indicator for operational drought monitoring in the MENA region

This paper presents the composite drought indicator (CDI) that Jordanian, Lebanese, Moroccan, and Tunisian government agencies now produce monthly to support operational drought management decision making, and it describes their iterative co-development processes. The CDI is primarily intended to monitor agricultural and ecological drought on a seasonal time scale. It uses remote sensing and modelled data inputs, and it reflects anomalies in precipitation, vegetation, soil moisture, and evapotranspiration. Following quantitative and qualitative validation assessments, engagements with policymakers, and consideration of agencies’ technical and institutional capabilities and constraints, we made changes to CDI input data, modelling procedures, and integration to tailor the system for each national context. We summarize validation results, drought modelling challenges and how we overcame them through CDI improvements, and we describe the monthly CDI production process and outputs. Finally, we synthesize procedural and technical aspects of CDI development and reflect on the constraints we faced as well as trade-offs made to optimize the CDI for operational monitoring to support policy decision-making—including aspects of salience, credibility, and legitimacy—within each national context

Sub-Second Dopamine Detection in Human Striatum

Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry at carbon fiber microelectrodes allows rapid (sub-second) measurements of dopamine release in behaving animals. Herein, we report the modification of existing technology and demonstrate the feasibility of making sub-second measurements of dopamine release in the caudate nucleus of a human subject during brain surgery. First, we describe the modification of our electrodes that allow for measurements to be made in a human brain. Next, we demonstrate in vitro and in vivo, that our modified electrodes can measure stimulated dopamine release in a rat brain equivalently to previously determined rodent electrodes. Finally, we demonstrate acute measurements of dopamine release in the caudate of a human patient during DBS electrode implantation surgery. The data generated are highly amenable for future work investigating the relationship between dopamine levels and important decision variables in human decision-making tasks

Prognostic significance of O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation and isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH-1) mutation in glioblastoma multiforme patients: A single-center experience in the Middle East region

Objectives: To determine the prevalence and prognostic value of MGMT promoter methylation and IDH1 mutation in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) patients from the Middle East. Patients and methods: Records of patients diagnosed between 2003 and 2015 were reviewed. MGMT promoter methylation was measured using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction and IDH-1 mutation was reported. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). Results: A total of 110 patients were included. The median age was 51 years and 71 patients (64.5%) were males. The median diameter of GBM was 4.6 cm and 29 patients (26.4%) had multifocal disease. Gross total resection was achieved in 38 patients (24.9%). All patients received adjuvant radiation therapy, and 96 patients (91.4%) received concomitant temozolomide. At a median follow up of 13.6 months, the median OS was 17.2 months, and the OS at 1 and 2 years were 71.6% and 34.8%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, age at diagnosis (HR 1.019; P = 0.044) and multifocality (HR 2.373; P = 0.001) were the only independent prognostic variables. MGMT promoter methylation was found in 28.2% of patients but did not significantly correlate with survival (HR 1.160; P = 0.635). IDH-1 mutation was found in 10% of patients was associated with a non-significant trend for survival improvement (HR 0.502; P = 0.151). Conclusion: Patients with GBM from the Middle East have adequate survival outcomes when given the optimal treatment. In our patient population, MGMT promoter methylation did not seem to correlate with outcomes, but patients with IDH1 mutation had numerically higher survival outcomes. © 2019 Elsevier B.V

Mediation : a conceptual framework for rethinking International Relations

Cette thèse porte sur la théorie et la pratique de la médiation dans les relations internationales. Malgré un développement important de la recherche dans le domaine de la résolution de conflit, il existe peu de travaux comparatifs et empiriques suffisamment approfondis permettant une compréhension précise du phénomène de médiation et de son évolution. Pour combler cette lacune, cette thèse propose une étude comparative évaluant l'efficacité des processus de médiation dans le domaine des guerres civiles et de la diplomatie scientifique, en particulier les conflits de l'eau. Elle comporte six études de cas issues de la région du Moyen-Orient, dont les guerres civiles en Libye, en Syrie et au Liban, ainsi que les conflits sur l'eau autour du Nil, du Jourdain, et de l'Indus. Par une approche interdisciplinaire, la thèse aborde la question de la définition de la médiation dans le champ international marqué par une diversification des processus et des pratiques diplomatiques. Dans une perspective de clarification et d'amélioration des pratiques, des distinctions sont introduites entre différents types d'interventions diplomatiques. La thèse évalue en outre les liens entre les problématiques d'environnement, de paix et de sécurité. Elle soutient qu'à mesure que les conflits évoluent, il est possible de prévoir de futurs espaces de coopération et de partenariat pour la résolution des conflits. Ces nouveaux espaces nécessiteront des approches innovantes en matière de coordination, une refonte des stratégies actuelles de résolution de conflit et une meilleure intégration entre les composantes politiques, scientifiques et institutionnelles. Afin de repenser les approches actuelles de coopération et de partenariat pour la paix, une réflexion critique des théories des relations internationales et de leurs épistémologies est proposée, dont les approches centrées sur l'interdisciplinarité et les perspectives féministes.The research focuses on the theory and practice of mediation in contemporary international relations. It specifically examines the effectiveness of current peacebuilding schemes and third-party interventions in cases of civil wars and water diplomacy. Through a comparative and qualitative methodology that draws on a set of selected case-studies, the dissertation tackles current challenges in conflict-resolution and the question of defining mediation in the international field. The aim is to generate insights as to maximize the chances of successful interventions. The case studies chosen include the Libyan, Syrian and Lebanese civil wars as well as recent conflicts over the Nile, Jordan, and Indus river basins. Building on the case-study analysis, it suggests a definition that introduces distinctions between different roles of third-party diplomatic engagement. It also presents a typology that describes the specific challenges and limitations third parties face across specific cases' characteristics, geopolitical contexts, and conflicts-types. The comparative study further assesses the interlinkages between environment, peace, and security from a conflict resolution perspective. It argues that as conflicts evolve, it is possible to foresee future spaces for cooperation and partnerships for conflict resolution. These new venues of relations will require innovative approaches to cooperation and a rethinking of the current conflict resolution strategies and better integration between the political and technical tracks. The study also develops a critical account of international relations theory and its epistemology, recommending innovative approaches centered on interdisciplinarity and feminist perspectives. It concludes with policy recommendations and suggestions for further research in conflict resolution and international relations