A perspective on the role of uncertainty in sustainability science and engineering.

The Trans-Atlantic Research and Development Interchange on Sustainability Workshop (TARDIS) is a meeting on scientific topics related to sustainability. The 2019 workshop theme was "On the Role of Uncertainty in Managing the Earth for Global Sustainability." This paper presents the perspectives on this topic derived from talks and discussions at the 2019 TARDIS workshop. There are four kinds of uncertainties encountered in sustainability ranging from clear enough futures to true surprises. The current state-of-the-art in assessing and mitigating these uncertainties is discussed.

Subsequent malignant neoplasms in pediatric cancer patients treated with and without hematopoietic SCT.

Pediatric cancer patients are at increased risk of subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs). However, little is known about the contribution of hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) to the development of SMNs. The objective of this study was to compare the incidence of SMNs in a population cohort of childhood cancer survivors treated with and without HSCT. A cohort of 7986 children (age 0-14 years) diagnosed with cancer in the province of Ontario, Canada between 1985 and 2009 was identified in POGONIS (Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario Networked Information System), a population-based active cancer registry, and linked to a clinical HSCT database. Among this cohort, 796 patients had an HSCT as part of their primary treatment. Of the 375 allogeneic HSCT patients, 14 (3.7%) developed a SMN at a median follow-up of 12.3 years (range: 2.0-22.9 years). Of the 421 autologous HSCT patients, 8 (1.9%) developed a SMN at a median of 4.5 years (range: 1.3-14.3 years). Of the 7190 patients who did not receive an HSCT, 160 (2.2%) developed a SMN at a median follow-up of 6.8 years (range: 0.0-24.9 years). The 15-year cumulative incidence of SMN was 3.1% among the allogeneic HSCT group, 2.5% among the autologous group and 2.3% in the non-HSCT group. The cumulative incidence curves for the allogeneic HSCT and non-transplant groups only diverged after ~15 years from primary diagnosis. Our findings further corroborate the observation that children who undergo allogeneic HSCT are at a significantly increased risk of developing SMN compared with pediatric cancer survivors treated without HSCT.

Influence of agricultural land-use and pesticides on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in an agricultural river basin in southeast Brazil.

Land-use alterations and pesticide run-offs are among the main causes for impairment in agricultural areas. We evaluated the influence of different land-uses (forest, pasture and intensive agriculture) on the water quality and on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages on three occasions: in the dry season, wet season and at the end of the wet season. Macroinvertebrates responded to this gradient of impairment: agricultural sites had significantly lower richness numbers than forested and pasture sites, and all major invertebrate groups were significantly affected. Most taxa found in forested sites were found in pasture sites, but often with lower densities. In this case, the loss of habitats due to sedimentation and the lower complexity of substrates seem to be the disruptive force for the macroinvertebrate fauna.

Influence of agricultural land-use and pesticides on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in an agricultural river basin in southeast Brazil / Influência de pesticidas e uso da terra sobre as assembléias de macroinvertebrados bentônicos em uma bacia hidrográfica no Sudeste do Brasil

Land-use alterations and pesticide run-offs are among the main causes for impairment in agricultural areas. We evaluated the influence of different land-uses (forest, pasture and intensive agriculture) on the water quality and on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages on three occasions: in the dry season, wet season and at the end of the wet season. Macroinvertebrates responded to this gradient of impairment: agricultural sites had significantly lower richness numbers than forested and pasture sites, and all major invertebrate groups were significantly affected. Most taxa found in forested sites were found in pasture sites, but often with lower densities. In this case, the loss of habitats due to sedimentation and the lower complexity of substrates seem to be the disruptive force for the macroinvertebrate fauna.

O desmatamento e o uso de pesticidas representam impactos importantes que ameaçam a integridade ambiental das áreas agrícolas. Neste estudo, foi avaliada a influência de diferentes usos do solo associados com atividades agrícolas (floresta, pastagem e agricultura intensiva) na qualidade da água e em comunidades de macroinvertebrados bentônicos em três ocasiões: estação seca, estação chuvosa e fim da estação chuvosa. A comunidade de macroinvertebrados bentônicos respondeu a esse gradiente de impacto: as áreas intensamente ocupadas por cultivos apresentaram uma riqueza significativamente menor do que as áreas florestadas e ocupadas por pastagens, com todos os grupos de macroinvertebrados sendo significativamente afetados. A maior parte dos táxons encontrados nas áreas de floresta foi registrada nas áreas de pastagem, mas sempre em menores densidades. Nesse caso, a redução de habitat em função da sedimentação e da menor heterogeneidade de substratos parece ser o principal impacto que ameaça a comunidade.

Application of biological measures for stream integrity assessment in south-east Brazil.

The sensitivity of eleven metrics using macroinvertebrate assemblages were evaluated in an environmental gradient in a tropical river in south-east Brazil. Eight sites were sampled in an altitudinal range of 160-650 m.a.s.l. during 1999 (April and August) and 2000 (February). Four substrates were sampled at each site: riffle litter, pool litter, stony substrates and sediment. Correspondence Analysis indicated that assemblages were primarily more influenced by physical changes (like deforestation and erosion processes) than the water chemistry. The sensitivity of each metric was evaluated through the application of box-and-whisker plot method by its power to assess impairment (metrics should be able to discriminate reference sites from impaired sites) and natural variability (metrics should not discriminate two reference sites). Metrics that failed in at least one of the above premises were not considered as sensitive. In this study, the most sensitive metrics were Shannon index, BMWP-ASPT, %_EPT, and relative abundance of EPT to Chironomidae.