bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From Royal Canal to Neglected Canal? Changing Use and Management of a Traditional Canal Irrigation System in Peri-Urban Kathmandu Valley
Authors: Shrestha Anushiya , Roth Dik , Yakami Saroj
Published: December 2021

In this chapter we discuss the changing uses and management of a traditional canal irrigation system against the background of processes of urbanization in Kathmandu Valley in Nepal. Until urbanization of Kathmandu Valley took off in the 1980s, the management of stream-fed canal irrigation systems had been a priority of both state agencies and the population that depended on agriculture-based livelihoods. The name rajkulo (royal canal) given to these systems expresses the historical interests of (royal) state actors in canal maintenance and management. Fed by a stream called Mahadev Khola in Dadhikot, a peri-urban village in Kathmandu Valley, Mahadev Khola Rajkulo is such a traditional canal irrigation system. Using an in-depth case study of this system, we analyse the interlinkages of demographic, socio-environmental, economic and local political dynamics with the changing canal uses and management. More specifically, we discuss how and why various actors became associated with, or dissociated from, canal use and management in recent times, and what these processes mean for water access, rights and security. We reflect on the implications of these changes for canal management and canal-related conflicts, against the background of national urban policies that formally aim to conserve agricultural land in Kathmandu Valley, but stimulate urban expansion in practice.
Public Lives, Private Water: Female Ready-Made Garment Factory Workers in Peri-Urban Bangladesh
Authors: Joshi Deepa , Haque Sadika , Nahar Kamrun , Tania Shahinur , Singh Jasber , Wallace Tina
Published: December 2021

In Dhaka city and its fringe peri-urban sprawls water for domestic use is an increasingly contested commodity. The location of our research, Gazipur district, bordering the growing city of Dhaka, is the heartland of Bangladesh’s Ready Made Garments (RMG) industry, which has spread unplanned in former wetlands and agrarian belts. However, unlike Dhaka, the almost fully industrialized peri-urban areas bordering the city, like many other such areas globally, function in an institutional vacuum. There are no formal institutional arrangements for water supply or sanitation. In the absence of regulations for mining groundwater for industrial use and weakly enforced norms for effluent discharge, the expansion of the RMG industry and other industries has had a disproportionate environmental impact. In this complex and challenging context, we apply a political economy lens to draw attention to the paradoxical situation of the increasingly “public” lives of poor Bangladeshi women working in large numbers in the RMG industry in situations of increasingly “private” and appropriated water sources in this institutionally liminal peri-urban space. Our findings show that poorly paid work for women in Bangladesh’s RMG industry does not translate to women’s empowerment because, among others, a persisting masculinity and the lack of reliable, appropriate and affordable WASH services make women’s domestic water work responsibilities obligatory and onerous.
Principles and State of the Art of Agent-Based Migration Modelling
Authors: Hinsch Martin , Bijak Jakub
Published: December 2021

Migration as an individual behaviour as well as a macro-level phenomenon happens as part of hugely complex social systems. Understanding migration and its consequences therefore necessitates adopting a careful analytical approach using appropriate tools, such as agent-based models. Still, any model can only be specific to the question it attempts to answer. This chapter provides a general discussion of the key tenets related to modelling complex systems, followed by a review of the current state of the art in the simulation modelling of migration. The subsequent focus of the discussion on the key principles for modelling migration processes, and the context in which they occur, allows for identifying the main knowledge gaps in the existing approaches and for providing practical advice for modellers. In this chapter, we also introduce a model of migration route formation, which is subsequently used as a running example throughout this book.
Building a Knowledge Base for the Model
Authors: Nurse Sarah , Bijak Jakub
Published: December 2021

In this chapter, after summarising the key conceptual challenges related to the measurement of asylum migration, we briefly outline the history of recent migration flows from Syria to Europe. This case study is intended to guide the development of a model of migration route formation, used throughout this book as an illustration of the proposed model-based research process. Subsequently, for the case study, we offer an overview of the available data types, making a distinction between the sources related to the migration processes, as well as to the context within which migration occurs. We then propose a framework for assessing different aspects of data, based on a review of similar approaches suggested in the literature, and this framework is subsequently applied to a selection of available data sources. The chapter concludes with specific recommendations for using the different forms of data in formal modelling, including in the uncertainty assessment.
Introduction to Bayesian Statistical Inference
Authors: Karagiannis Georgios P.
Published: December 2021

We present basic concepts of Bayesian statistical inference. We briefly introduce the Bayesian paradigm. We present the conjugate priors; a computational convenient way to quantify prior information for tractable Bayesian statistical analysis. We present tools for parametric and predictive inference, and particularly the design of point estimators, credible sets, and hypothesis tests. These concepts are presented in running examples. Supplementary material is available from GitHub.
Introduction to the Theory of Imprecise Probability
Authors: Quaeghebeur Erik
Published: December 2021

The theory of imprecise probability is a generalization of classical ‘precise’ probability theory that allows modeling imprecision and indecision. This is a practical advantage in situations where a unique precise uncertainty model cannot be justified. This arises, for example, when there is a relatively small amount of data available to learn the uncertainty model or when the model’s structure cannot be defined uniquely. The tools the theory provides make it possible to draw conclusions and make decisions that correctly reflect the limited information or knowledge available for the uncertainty modeling task. This extra expressivity however often implies a higher computational burden. The goal of this chapter is to primarily give you the necessary knowledge to be able to read literature that makes use of the theory of imprecise probability. A secondary goal is to provide the insight needed to use imprecise probabilities in your own research. To achieve the goals, we present the essential concepts and techniques from the theory, as well as give a less in-depth overview of the various specific uncertainty models used. Throughout, examples are used to make things concrete. We build on the assumed basic knowledge of classical probability theory.
Simulation Methods for the Analysis of Complex Systems
Authors: George-Williams Hindolo , Santhosh T. V. , Patelli Edoardo
Published: December 2021

Everyday systems like communication, transportation, energy and industrial systems are an indispensable part of our daily lives. Several methods have been developed for their reliability assessment—while analytical methods are computationally more efficient and often yield exact solutions, they are unable to account for the structural and functional complexities of these systems. These complexities often require the analyst to make unrealistic assumptions, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Simulation-based methods, on the other hand, can account for these realistic operational attributes but are computationally intensive and usually system-specific. This chapter introduces two novel simulation methods: load flow simulation and survival signature simulation which together address the limitations of the existing analytical and simulation methods for the reliability analysis of large systems.
Overview of Stochastic Model Updating in Aerospace Application Under Uncertainty Treatment
Authors: Bi Sifeng , Beer Michael
Published: December 2021

This chapter presents the technique route of model updating in the presence of imprecise probabilities. The emphasis is put on the inevitable uncertainties, in both numerical simulations and experimental measurements, leading the updating methodology to be significantly extended from deterministic sense to stochastic sense. This extension requires that the model parameters are not regarded as unknown-but-fixed values, but random variables with uncertain distributions, i.e. the imprecise probabilities. The final objective of stochastic model updating is no longer a single model prediction with maximal fidelity to a single experiment, but rather the calibrated distribution coefficients allowing the model predictions to fit with the experimental measurements in a probabilistic point of view. The involvement of uncertainty within a Bayesian updating framework is achieved by developing a novel uncertainty quantification metric, i.e. the Bhattacharyya distance, instead of the typical Euclidian distance. The overall approach is demonstrated by solving the model updating sub-problem of the NASA uncertainty quantification challenge. The demonstration provides a clear comparison between performances of the Euclidian distance and the Bhattacharyya distance, and thus promotes a better understanding of the principle of stochastic model updating, as no longer to determine the unknown-but-fixed parameters, but rather to reduce the uncertainty bounds of the model prediction and meanwhile to guarantee the existing experimental data to be still enveloped within the updated uncertainty space.
Direct detection of mirror matter in Twin Higgs models
Authors: Chacko Zackaria , Curtin David , Geller Michael , Tsai Yuhsin
Published: December 2021

Abstract

We explore the possibility of discovering the mirror baryons and electrons of the Mirror Twin Higgs model in direct detection experiments, in a scenario in which these particles constitute a subcomponent of the observed DM. We consider a framework in which the mirror fermions are sub-nano-charged, as a consequence of kinetic mixing between the photon and its mirror counterpart. We consider both nuclear recoil and electron recoil experiments. The event rates depend on the fraction of mirror DM that is ionized, and also on its distribution in the galaxy. Since mirror DM is dissipative, at the location of the Earth it may be in the form of a halo or may have collapsed into a disk, depending on the cooling rate. For a given mirror DM abundance we determine the expected event rates in direct detection experiments for the limiting cases of an ionized halo, an ionized disk, an atomic halo and an atomic disk. We find that by taking advantage of the complementarity of the different experiments, it may be possible to establish not just the multi-component nature of mirror dark matter, but also its distribution in the galaxy. In addition, a study of the recoil energies may be able to determine the masses and charges of the constituents of the mirror sector. By showing that the mass and charge of mirror helium are integer multiples of those of mirror hydrogen, these experiments have the potential to distinguish the mirror nature of the theory. We also carefully consider mirror plasma screening effects, showing that the capture of mirror dark matter particles in the Earth has at most a modest effect on direct detection signals.
Force decay of polyethylene terephthalate glycol aligner materials during simulation of typical clinical loading/unloading scenarios
Authors: Elkholy Fayez , Schmidt Silva , Schmidt Falko , Amirkhani Masoud , Lapatki Bernd G.
Published: December 2021

Background

This in vitro study investigated the effect of three distinct daily loading/unloading cycles on force delivery during orthodontic aligner therapy. The cycles were applied for 7 days and were designed to reflect typical clinical aligner application scenarios.

Materials and methods

Flat polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PET-G) specimens (Duran®, Scheu Dental, Iserlohn, Germany) with thicknesses ranging between 0.4 and 0.75 mm were tested in a three-point-bending testing machine. Measurements comprised loading/unloading intervals of 12 h/12 h, 18 h/6 h, and 23 h/1 h, and specimens were exposed to bidistilled water during loading to simulate intraoral conditions.

Results

A very large decay in force for the PET‑G specimens could already be observed after the first loading period, with significantly different residual force values of 24, 20, and 21% recorded for the 12 h/12 h, 18 h/6 h, and 23 h/1 h loading/unloading modes, respectively (Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.01). In addition, further decays in force from the first to the last loading period at day 7 of 13.5% (12 h/12 h), 9.7% (18 h/6 h), and 8.4% (23 h/1 h) differed significantly among the three distinct loading modes (Mann–Whitney U test, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Although the initial material stiffness of PET‑G is relatively high, the transmission of excessive forces is attenuated by the high material-related force decay already within a few hours after intraoral insertion.
Umfrage zur Weiterbildung Orthopädie/Unfallchirurgie
Authors: Ludwig Johanna , Seifert Julia , Schorlemmer Julia
Published: December 2021

Hintergrund und Fragestellung

Eine hochwertige Weiterbildung ist ein Schlüsselfaktor für gute und sichere Patienten- und Patientinnenversorgung. In Deutschland werden derzeit Weiterbildungsordnungen und Logbücher mit dem Ziel überarbeitet, die Weiterbildung in eine kompetenzbasierte Weiterbildung zu überführen.

Ziel der Studie ist die Analyse der täglichen Realität der orthopädisch-chirurgischen Weiterbildung in Deutschland anhand der Elemente der Weiterbildung.

Methoden

Im März 2020 wurde eine Onlinebefragung von Weiterzubildenden mit 44 Fragen zu den Themen Weiterbildungsordnung, Logbuch, Bildungsressourcen, Evaluation, Weiterbildungsbefugte und Arbeitszeitverteilung durchgeführt.

Ergebnisse

Insgesamt 237 Personen beantworteten die Umfrage, 208 erfüllten die Einschlusskriterien. Die Weiterzubildenden empfinden einen Mangel an klaren Standards in der Weiterbildungsordnung. 25 % der Weiterzubildenden erhalten keine strukturierten Lernressourcen wie beispielsweise Simulationen oder Kurse. Weiterbildungsgespräche werden in 58 % der Fälle durchgeführt. Die meisten Weiterzubildenden schätzen die Expertise ihrer Weiterbildenden in der Orthopädie/Unfallchirurgie, während sie deren Kompetenz in Supervision und Feedbackgeben als unterdurchschnittlich bewerten. Administratives Arbeiten umfasst 220 min der täglichen Arbeitszeit, im Schnitt verbleiben 60 min pro Tag und Weiterzubildenden, um operative Tätigkeiten zu erlernen.

Diskussion

Die Studie deckt Inkonsistenzen mit der aktuellen Weiterbildungsordnung und ein Defizit an Supervision und Evaluation auf. Die Überführung in kompetenzbasierte Weiterbildung sollte daher nicht ausschließlich auf einer Anpassung der Weiterbildungsordnung beruhen, sondern auf allen Ebenen der Weiterbildung anvisiert werden (Lernressourcen Ausbildung der Weiterbildenden, Evaluation).
A machine learning approach for predictive warehouse design
Authors: Tufano Alessandro , Accorsi Riccardo , Manzini Riccardo
Published: December 2021

Warehouse management systems (WMS) track warehousing and picking operations, generating a huge volumes of data quantified in millions to billions of records. Logistic operators incur significant costs to maintain these IT systems, without actively mining the collected data to monitor their business processes, smooth the warehousing flows, and support the strategic decisions. This study explores the impact of tracing data beyond the simple traceability purpose. We aim at supporting the strategic design of a warehousing system by training classifiers that can predict the storage technology (ST), the material handling system (MHS), the storage allocation strategy (SAS), and the picking policy (PP) of a storage system. We introduce the definition of a learning table, whose attributes are benchmarking metrics applicable to any storage system. Then, we investigate how the availability of data in the warehouse management system (i.e. varying the number of attributes of the learning table) affects the accuracy of the predictions. To validate the approach, we illustrate a generalisable case study which collects data from sixteen different real companies belonging to different industrial sectors (automotive, manufacturing, food and beverage, cosmetics and publishing) and different players (distribution centres and third-party logistic providers). The benchmarking metrics are applied and used to generate learning tables with varying number of attributes. A bunch of classifiers is used to identify the crucial input data attributes in the prediction of ST, MHS, SAS, and PP. The managerial relevance of the data-driven methodology for warehouse design is showcased for 3PL providers experiencing a fast rotation of the SKUs stored in their storage systems.
Do methane emissions converge? Evidence from global panel data on production- and consumption-based emissions
Authors: Fernández-Amador Octavio , Oberdabernig Doris A. , Tomberger Patrick
Published: December 2021

Methane emissions are the second most important contributor to global warming. Knowledge about the dynamics of methane emissions facilitates the formulation of climate policies and the understanding of their consequences. We investigate whether methane emissions released from production and embodied in consumption converge within and across regions. Our estimates rely on global panel data on methane per capita and methane intensities over 1997–2014. We find that emissions converge within countries. The short half-lives show that the emissions of countries are close to their steady states. There is no evidence for international convergence of aggregate emissions. Yet, convergence of emissions across regions occurs in a number of economic sectors. Our results highlight the difficulties to achieve methane abatement in the medium run. The formulation of climate policies should take into account the sectoral specificity of the dynamics of methane emissions.
Bifokale Perspektive in der Arbeit mit Familien mit psychisch erkrankten Eltern
Authors: Taubner Svenja , Kasper Lea , Hauschild Sophie , Wiegand-Grefe Silke , Georg Anna
Published: December 2021

Hintergrund

Psychisch erkrankte Eltern stellen einen Risikofaktor für die transgenerationale Weitergabe psychischer Störungen dar. In der Psychiatrie mit ihrem Fokus auf das Individuum werden Patient*innen nicht immer als Eltern erkannt.

Ziel der Arbeit

Entwicklung und Evaluation eines Trainings für medizinische Fachkräfte zur Unterstützung einer Familienorientierung in der Psychiatrie unter der Maßgabe einer bifokalen Perspektive, die den Indexpatienten und die Familie mit Schwerpunkt auf die Kinder im Blick behält, werden vorgestellt.

Methoden

Zur Etablierung der bifokalen Perspektive in Einstellungen, Wissen und Fertigkeiten wurde ein halbtägiges Training, bestehend aus einer Vorlesung und einem Seminar, entwickelt. Dieses wurde im Rahmen des Konsortiums Children of Mentally Ill Parents – Research-Network (CHIMPS-NET) an 7 Standorten in Deutschland in den dortigen Erwachsenen- sowie Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrien durchgeführt. Der Bedarf wurde vor dem Training per Online-Fragebogen erfasst. Die Implementation wurde durch die qualitative Auswertung von Gedächtnisprotokollen der Trainerinnen begleitet.

Ergebnisse und Diskussion

Das Training konnte erfolgreich mit 120 Teilnehmenden durchgeführt werden, wobei das Ziel einer berufsgruppenübergreifenden Schulung des gesamten Personals, auch pandemiebedingt, nicht realisiert und die übenden Elemente des Trainings nicht gut genutzt werden konnten. Die Auswertung der Fragebogen, die ca. 50 % der Teilnehmenden ausfüllten, ergab bei der Gruppe der teilnehmenden Psychologinnen und Ärztinnen bereits eine deutliche Familienorientierung. Die qualitative Protokollauswertung aller Standorte zeigte den hohen Bedarf nach institutionsübergreifender Vernetzung und klaren Standardprozeduren, z. B. im Umgang mit Kindeswohlgefährdung.
A partition-based branch-and-bound algorithm for the project duration problem with partially renewable resources and general temporal constraints
Authors: Watermeyer Kai , Zimmermann Jürgen
Published: December 2021

The concept of partially renewable resources provides a general modeling framework that can be used for a wide range of different real-life applications. In this paper, we consider a resource-constrained project duration problem with partially renewable resources, where the temporal constraints between the activities are given by minimum and maximum time lags. We present a new branch-and-bound algorithm for this problem, which is based on a stepwise decomposition of the possible resource consumptions by the activities of the project. It is shown that the new approach results in a polynomially bounded depth of the enumeration tree, which is obtained by kind of a binary search. In a comprehensive experimental performance analysis, we compare our exact solution procedure with all branch-and-bound algorithms and state-of-the-art heuristics from the literature on different benchmark sets. The results of the performance study reveal that our branch-and-bound algorithm clearly outperforms all exact solution procedures. Furthermore, it is shown that our new approach dominates the state-of-the-art heuristics on well known benchmark instances.
Is it left or is it right? A classification approach for investigating hemispheric differences in low and high dimensionality
Authors: Friedrich Patrick , Patil Kaustubh R. , Mochalski Lisa N. , Li Xuan , Camilleri Julia A. , Kröll Jean-Philippe , Wiersch Lisa , Eickhoff Simon B. , Weis Susanne
Published: December 2021

Hemispheric asymmetries, i.e., differences between the two halves of the brain, have extensively been studied with respect to both structure and function. Commonly employed pairwise comparisons between left and right are suitable for finding differences between the hemispheres, but they come with several caveats when assessing multiple asymmetries. What is more, they are not designed for identifying the characterizing features of each hemisphere. Here, we present a novel data-driven framework—based on machine learning-based classification—for identifying the characterizing features that underlie hemispheric differences. Using voxel-based morphometry data from two different samples (n = 226, n = 216), we separated the hemispheres along the midline and used two different pipelines: First, for investigating global differences, we embedded the hemispheres into a two-dimensional space and applied a classifier to assess if the hemispheres are distinguishable in their low-dimensional representation. Second, to investigate which voxels show systematic hemispheric differences, we employed two classification approaches promoting feature selection in high dimensions. The two hemispheres were accurately classifiable in both their low-dimensional (accuracies: dataset 1 = 0.838; dataset 2 = 0.850) and high-dimensional (accuracies: dataset 1 = 0.966; dataset 2 = 0.959) representations. In low dimensions, classification of the right hemisphere showed higher precision (dataset 1 = 0.862; dataset 2 = 0.894) compared to the left hemisphere (dataset 1 = 0.818; dataset 2 = 0.816). A feature selection algorithm in the high-dimensional analysis identified voxels that most contribute to accurate classification. In addition, the map of contributing voxels showed a better overlap with moderate to highly lateralized voxels, whereas conventional t test with threshold-free cluster enhancement best resembled the LQ map at lower thresholds. Both the low- and high-dimensional classifiers were capable of identifying the hemispheres in subsamples of the datasets, such as males, females, right-handed, or non-right-handed participants. Our study indicates that hemisphere classification is capable of identifying the hemisphere in their low- and high-dimensional representation as well as delineating brain asymmetries. The concept of hemisphere classifiability thus allows a change in perspective, from asking what differs between the hemispheres towards focusing on the features needed to identify the left and right hemispheres. Taking this perspective on hemispheric differences may contribute to our understanding of what makes each hemisphere special.
The Karoubi envelope and weak idempotent completion of an extriangulated category
Authors: Msapato Dixy
Published: December 2021

We show that the idempotent completion and weak idempotent completion of an extriangulated category are also extriangulated.
4M method – new application of Mössbauer spectroscopy to classification of meteorites. How it works?
Authors: Gałązka-Friedman Jolanta , Jakubowska Martyna , Woźniak Marek , Bogusz Patrycja , Karwowski Łukasz , Duda Przemysław
Published: December 2021

4M method is a new application of Mössbauer spectroscopy to quantitative classification of ordinary chondrites. 4M derives from four words: meteorites, Mössbauer spectroscopy, multidimensional discriminant analysis, Mahalanobis distance. This method was published by us in 2019. In this paper we present application of 4M method to classification of four meteorites. Link to script with calculation needed for classification of ordinary chondrites was given.
Mobility-on-demand pricing versus private vehicle TCO: how cost structures hinder the dethroning of the car
Authors: Kuhnimhof Tobias , Eisenmann Christine
Published: December 2021

This study uses a unique dataset on the cost of motoring in Germany to analyse cost competitiveness of emerging mobility-on-demand (MOD) services. Previous studies have focused on comparing current and projected MOD prices with the average cost of private motoring. This study quantifies which proportion of private car travel would actually turn out to be costlier than MOD given that MOD costs drop below certain levels relative to the cost of private motoring. In this context, not the average but the distribution of the costs of motoring are the key issue. These costs are strongly skewed across the cars in private households when including new and old vehicles: a large proportion of private car kilometres are driven at relatively low cost. The study uses simplified scenario settings with MOD price levels ranging from 0.1 €/km to 1.5 €/km to make predictions of hypothetical modal shifts under the assumption that car user switch to the most economic mode of travel. These modal shifts serve as an indicator of MOD cost competitiveness. The results indicate that MOD prices would have to drop to 0.5 €/km or lower to have a notable impact on use of the private car if cost was the key mode choice criterion. Only if MOD prices drop down to a level of about 0.3 €/km—quite possibly a lower boundary for automated MOD—MOD-enabled mobility packages would be the less costly alternative to the private car for a substantial proportion of mileage. However, even at that MOD price level, the private car would still be the most economic option for the majority of today’s car user kilometres. Our findings illustrate that the skewed distribution of the cost of owning and running private cars—where many of those who drive much drive inexpensively—substantially dampens the disruptive potential of MOD. While we use data from Germany to illustrate this, many of our findings are more widely applicable.
Road to Better Work-Life Balance? Lean Redesigns and Daily Work Time among Primary Care Physicians
Authors: Hung Dorothy Y. , Mujal Gabriela , Jin Anqi , Liang Su-Ying
Published: December 2021

Purpose

To assess the impact of Lean primary care redesigns on the amount of time that physicians spent working each day.

Methods

This observational study was based on 92 million time-stamped Epic® EHR access logs captured among 317 primary care physicians in a large ambulatory care delivery system. Seventeen clinic facilities housing 46 primary care departments were included for study. We conducted interrupted time series analysis to monitor changes in physician work patterns over 6 years. Key measures included total daily work time; time spent on “desktop medicine” outside the exam room; time spent with patients during office visits; time still working after clinic, i.e., after seeing the last patient each day; and remote work time.

Results

The amount of time that physicians spent on desktop EHR activities throughout the day, including after clinic hours, decreased by 10.9% (95% CI: −22.2, −2.03) and 8.3% (95% CI: −13.8, −2.12), respectively, during the first year of Lean implementation. Total daily work hours among physicians, which included both desktop activity and time in office visits, decreased by 20% (95% CI: −29.2, −9.60) by the third year of Lean implementation.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that Lean redesign may be associated with time savings for primary care physicians. However, since this was an observational analysis, further study is warranted (e.g., randomized trial) —to determine the impact of Lean interventions on physician work experiences.
Die Erforschung der Dynamik der Corona-Pandemie in Deutschland: Survey-Konzepte und eine exemplarische Umsetzung mit dem Sozio-oekonomischen Panel (SOEP)
Authors: Rendtel Ulrich , Liebig Stefan , Meister Reinhard , Wagner Gert G. , Zinn Sabine
Published: December 2021

Die Weltgesundheitsorganisation (WHO) hat im Frühjahr 2020 Richtlinien für Bevölkerungsstichproben veröffentlicht, die Basisdaten für gesundheitspolitische Entscheidungen im Pandemiefall liefern können. Diese Richtlinien umzusetzen ist keineswegs trivial. In diesem Beitrag schildern wir die Herausforderungen einer entsprechenden statistischen Erfassung der Corona Pandemie. Hierbei gehen wir im ersten Teil auf die Erfassung der Dunkelziffer bei der Meldung von Corona Infektionen, die Messung von Krankheitsverläufen im außerklinischen Bereich, die Messung von Risikomerkmalen sowie die Erfassung von zeitlichen und regionalen Veränderungen der Pandemie-Intensität ein. Wir diskutieren verschiedene Möglichkeiten, aber auch praktische Grenzen der Survey-Statistik, den vielfältigen Herausforderungen durch eine geeignete Anlage der Stichprobe und des Survey-Designs zu begegnen. Ein zentraler Punkt ist die schwierige Koppelung medizinischer Tests mit bevölkerungsrepräsentativen Umfragen, wobei bei einer personalisierten Rückmeldung der Testergebnisse das Statistik-Geheimnis eine besondere Herausforderung darstellt.

Im zweiten Teil berichten wir wie eine der großen Wiederholungsbefragungen in Deutschland, das Sozio-oekonomische Panel (SOEP), für eine WHO-konforme Covid-19-Erhebung genutzt wird, die im Rahmen einer Kooperation des Robert-Koch-Instituts (RKI) mit dem SOEP als „RKI-SOEP Stichprobe“ im September 2020 gestartet wurde. Erste Ergebnisse zum Rücklauf dieser Studie, die ab Oktober 2021 mit einer zweiten Erhebungswelle bei denselben Personen fortgesetzt werden wird, werden vorgestellt. Es zeigt sich, dass knapp fünf Prozent der bereits in der Vergangenheit erfolgreich Befragten aufgrund der Anfrage zwei Tests zu machen die weitere Teilnahme an der SOEP-Studie verweigern. Berücksichtigt man alle in der Studie erhobenen Informationen (IgG-Antikörper-Tests, PCR-Tests und Fragebögen) ergibt eine erste Schätzung, dass sich bis November 2020 nur etwa zwei Prozent der in Privathaushalten lebenden Erwachsenen in Deutschland mit SARS-CoV‑2 infiziert hatten. Damit war die Zahl der Infektionen etwa doppelt so hoch wie die offiziell gemeldeten Infektionszahlen.
Purification of Chitin from Pupal Exuviae of the Black Soldier Fly
Authors: Hahn Thomas , Tafi Elena , von Seggern Nils , Falabella Patrizia , Salvia Rosanna , Thomä Jannik , Febel Eva , Fijalkowska Malgorzata , Schmitt Eric , Stegbauer Linus , Zibek Susanne
Published: December 2021

Purpose

Chitin purification from remains (pupal exuviae after metamorphosis to adult flies) of Hermetia illucens farming was optimized performing demineralization, deproteinization and bleaching under different conditions. The optimal parameters to obtain high-purity chitin were determined.

Methods

Dried and ground pupal exuviae, whose composition was initially determined, were demineralized using six different acids. Proteins were removed with a NaOH treatment in which temperature, molarity and duration were varied in a randomized experiment. Bleaching was carried out testing ten different chemicals, including NaOCl, H2O2, solvent mixtures and enzymes. The efficiency of each step was determined to assess the optimal conditions for each of them. The resulting chitin was subjected to spectroscopic characterization.

Results

The highest demineralization efficiency (90%) was achieved using 0.5 M formic acid for 2 h at 40 °C, confirming the validity of organic acids as a more sustainable alternative to inorganic acids. The treatment with 1.25 M NaOH at 90 °C for 4 h showed the highest deproteinization efficiency, removing 96% of the proteins. Temperature and NaOH concentration were the significant parameters for deproteinization efficiency. The most efficient bleaching treatment was with 6% NaOCl at 60 °C for 1 h (67% efficiency). H2O2 could also be a valid alternative to avoid environmental risk related to chlorine-containing compounds. At the end of the purification process 17% of the original biomass was retained with a chitin content of 85%, corresponding to a chitin yield of 14% related to the initial biomass. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance showed that the purified chitin had a degree of acetylation of 96% and X-ray powder diffraction gave a crystallinity index of 74%.

Conclusion

This investigation shows an optimized method for extraction of high-purity chitin from H. illucens pupal exuviae, supporting the validity of insect-farming remains as source of this versatile biopolymer.

Graphical Abstract
Multi-scale hydro-morphodynamic modelling using mesh movement methods
Authors: Clare Mariana C. A. , Wallwork Joseph G. , Kramer Stephan C. , Weller Hilary , Cotter Colin J. , Piggott Matthew D.
Published: December 2021

Hydro-morphodynamic modelling is an important tool that can be used in the protection of coastal zones. The models can be required to resolve spatial scales ranging from sub-metre to hundreds of kilometres and are computationally expensive. In this work, we apply mesh movement methods to a depth-averaged hydro-morphodynamic model for the first time, in order to tackle both these issues. Mesh movement methods are particularly well-suited to coastal problems as they allow the mesh to move in response to evolving flow and morphology structures. This new capability is demonstrated using test cases that exhibit complex evolving bathymetries and have moving wet-dry interfaces. In order to be able to simulate sediment transport in wet-dry domains, a new conservative discretisation approach has been developed as part of this work, as well as a sediment slide mechanism. For all test cases, we demonstrate how mesh movement methods can be used to reduce discretisation error and computational cost. We also show that the optimum parameter choices in the mesh movement monitor functions are fairly predictable based upon the physical characteristics of the test case, facilitating the use of mesh movement methods on further problems.
Photoprotection and high-light acclimation in semi-arid grassland lichens – a cooperation between algal and fungal partners
Authors: Veres Katalin , Csintalan Zsolt , Laufer Zsanett , Engel Rita , Szabó Krisztina , Farkas Edit
Published: December 2021

In lichens, each symbiotic partner cooperates for the survival of the symbiotic association. The protection of the susceptible photosynthetic apparatus is essential for both participants. The mycobiont and photobiont contribute to the protection against the damaging effect of excess light by various mechanisms. The present study investigated the effect of seasonality and microhabitat exposure on photoprotection and photoacclimation in the photo- and the mycobiont of six lichen species with different thallus morphology in inland dune system in the Kiskunság region (Hungary) with shaded, more humid and exposed, drier dune sides. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, spectrophotometry, chlorophyll a fluorescence kinetic technique were used, and micrometeorological data were collected. The four years data series revealed that the north-east-facing side was characterized by higher relative humidity and lower light intensities compared to the south-west-facing drier and more exposed sides. The south-west facing side was exposed to direct illumination 3–4 hours longer in winter and 1–2 hours shorter in summer than the north-east facing side of the dune, influencing the metabolism of sun and shade populations of various species. Because rapid desiccation caused short active periods of lichens during bright and drier seasons and on exposed microhabitats, the rapid, non-regulated non-photochemical quenching mechanisms in the photobiont had a significant role in protecting the photosynthetic system in the hydrated state. In dehydrated conditions, thalli were mainly defended by the solar screening metabolites produced by the mycobiont and curling during desiccation (also caused by the mycobiont). Furthermore, the efficacy of light use (higher chlorophyll and carotenoid concentration) increased because of short hydrated periods. Still, a lower level of received irradiation was appropriate for photosynthesis in dry seasons and on sun exposed habitats. In humid seasons and microhabitats, more extended active periods lead to increased photosynthesis and production of solar radiation protectant fungal metabolites, allowing a lower level of photoprotection in the form of regulated non-photochemical quenching by the photobiont. Interspecific differences were more pronounced than the intraspecific ones among seasons and microhabitat types.
Hydrocarbon source rocks in Kazhdumi and Pabdeh formations—a quick outlook in Gachsaran oilfield, SW Iran
Authors: Safaei-Farouji Majid , Kamali Mohammadreza , Hakimi Mohammad Hail
Published: December 2021

Geochemical study of Kazhdumi and Pabdeh Formations as potential source rocks in Gachsaran Oilfield demonstrates that the Kazhdumi Formation has a fair to good capability of hydrocarbon generation and predominately contains type II-III kerogen. On the other hand, the Pabdeh Formation has a poor to good petroleum potential and contains different kerogen types, including type II, type II-III, type III and even for one sample, type IV, indicating different depositional conditions for this formation. The geochemical log of the Kazhdumi Formation shows that there is a close correlation between different geological parameters as noticed prominently in well number 55, which suggests the more extensive the anoxic condition, the higher the petroleum potential is for Kazhdumi Formation. By contrast, a poor correlation between TOC and other Rock–Eval-derived parameters for the Pabdeh Formation at a depth of more than 2100 m may demonstrate the inert organic matter and mineral matrix effects at this depth interval. However, biomarkers show differences in lithology and depositional environment for the Kazhdumi Formation in well numbers 55 and 83. On the other hand, the Pabdeh Formation has a mixed lithology (carbonate-shale) deposited in a marine setting under suboxic–anoxic condition. Moreover, thermal maturity indicators suggest that Pabdeh and Kazhdumi Formations are immature and early mature, respectively.
Thickness and microstructure effect on hydrogen diffusion in creep-resistant 9% Cr P92 steel and P91 weld metal
Authors: Rhode Michael , Richter Tim , Mente Tobias , Mayr Peter , Nitsche Alexander
Published: December 2021

Martensitic 9% Cr steels like P91 and P92 show susceptibility to delayed hydrogen assisted cracking depending on their microstructure. In that connection, effective hydrogen diffusion coefficients are used to assess the possible time-delay. Limited data on room temperature diffusion coefficients reported in literature vary widely by several orders of magnitude (mostly attributed to variation in microstructure). Especially P91 weld metal diffusion coefficients are rare so far. For that reason, electrochemical permeation experiments had been conducted using P92 base metal and P91 weld metal (in as-welded and heat-treated condition) with different thicknesses. From the results obtained, diffusion coefficients were calculated using to different methods, time-lag, and inflection point. Results show that, despite microstructural effects, the sample thickness must be considered as it influences the calculated diffusion coefficients. Finally, the comparison of calculated and measured hydrogen concentrations (determined by carrier gas hot extraction) enables the identification of realistic diffusion coefficients.
Cognitive compatibility in modern manual mixed-model assembly systems
Authors: Bläsing Dominic , Bornewasser Manfred , Hinrichsen Sven
Published: December 2021

The compatibility concept is widely used in psychology and ergonomics. It describes the fit between elements of a sociotechnical system which is a prerequisite to successfully cooperate towards a common goal. For at least three decades, cognitive compatibility is of increasing importance. It describes the fit of externally presented information, information processing, and the required motor action. However, with increasing system complexity, probability for incompatibility increases, too, leading to time losses, errors and overall degraded performance. The elimination of cognitive incompatibilities through ergonomic measures at the workplace requires a lot of creativity and effort. Using practical examples from mixed-model assembly, improved information management and the use of informational assistance systems are discussed as promising ergonomic approaches. The ultimate goal is to avoid cognitive overload, for example in part picking or assembly tools choosing. To find a fit between externally mediated work instructions via displays and the subjectively used internal models and competencies is a challenging task. Only if this fit is given the system is perceived as beneficial. To achieve this, the assistance system should be configurable to fit individual needs as far as possible. Successful system design requires early participation and comprehensive integration of the assistance systems into the existing IT infrastructure.

Practical relevance: Varied manual assembly requires a high degree of cognitive work. A rise in complexity of the assembly task increases the risk that cognitive incompatibility and thus cognitive overload will occur more frequently. It is shown that such unhealthy conditions can be countered by better information presentation and by the use of individually adaptable informational assistance systems.
Decadent Ecology in British Literature and Art, 1860–1910
Authors: Denisoff Dennis
Published: December 2021

Casting fresh light on late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century British art, literature, ecological science and paganism, Decadent Ecology reveals the pervasive influence of decadence and paganism on modern understandings of nature and the environment, queer and feminist politics, national identities, and changing social hierarchies. Combining scholarship in the environmental humanities with aesthetic and literary theory, this interdisciplinary study digs into works by Simeon Solomon, Algernon Swinburne, Walter Pater, Robert Louis Stevenson, Vernon Lee, Michael Field, Arthur Machen and others to address trans-temporal, trans-species intimacy; the vagabondage of place; the erotics of decomposition; occult ecology; decadent feminism; and neo-paganism. Decadent Ecology reveals the mutually influential relationship of art and science during the formulation of modern ecological, environmental, evolutionary and trans-national discourses, while also highlighting the dissident dynamism of new and recuperative pagan spiritualities - primarily Celtic, Nordic-Germanic, Greco-Roman and Egyptian - in the framing of personal, social and national identities.
Carnot metrics, dynamics and local rigidity
Authors: CONNELL CHRIS , NGUYEN THANG , SPATZIER RALF
Published: December 2021

This paper develops new techniques for studying smooth dynamical systems in the presence of a Carnot–Carathéodory metric. Principally, we employ the theory of Margulis and Mostow, Métivier, Mitchell, and Pansu on tangent cones to establish resonances between Lyapunov exponents. We apply these results in three different settings. First, we explore rigidity properties of smooth dominated splittings for Anosov diffeomorphisms and flows via associated smooth Carnot–Carathéodory metrics. Second, we obtain local rigidity properties of higher hyperbolic rank metrics in a neighborhood of a locally symmetric one. For the latter application we also prove structural stability of the Brin–Pesin asymptotic holonomy group for frame flows. Finally, we obtain local rigidity properties for uniform lattice actions on the ideal boundary of quaternionic and octonionic symmetric spaces.
Danish satisfaction and Austrian discontent with their governments’ measures during the Covid-19 crisis: Explanations from a citizenship perspective
Authors: Jensen Per H. , Leibetseder Bettina
Published: December 2021

The various interventions that governments took in the first wave of the Covid-19 outbreak impacted people severely. Given the low satisfaction with the government performance in Austria compared to Denmark, though both governments set out with a suppression strategy early on and were able to lower infection rates, we analyse the changes in civil, political and social citizenship and the governmental communicative practices during the first Covid response phase from March to August 2020. Employing a case-oriented qualitative comparison, we find that a combination of factors explains the different degree of satisfaction. In Austria, there was a combination of politics of fear, extensive and authoritarian regulations of civil citizenship, political citizenship was challenged and social citizenship undermined. In Denmark, an engaging and caring communicative strategy was employed, political citizenship was maintained and civil citizenship was curtailed less obstructively and was less policed. Social citizenship also was upheld for larger groups.
The effect of tidal force and topography on horizontal convection
Authors: Ding Guang-Yu , He Yu-Hao , Xia Ke-Qing
Published: December 2021

We present a numerical study on how tidal force and topography influence flow dynamics, transport and mixing in horizontal convection. Our results show that local energy dissipation near topography will be enhanced when the tide is sufficiently strong. Such enhancement is related to the height of the topography and increases as the tidal frequency$\omega$decreases. The global dissipation is found to be less sensitive to the changes in$\omega$when the latter becomes small and asymptotically approaches a constant value. We interpret the behaviour of the dissipation as a result of the competition among the dominant forces in the system. According to which mechanism prevails, the flow state of the system can be divided into three regimes, which are the buoyancy-, tide- and drag-control regimes. We show that the mixing efficiency$\eta$for different tidal energy and topography height can be well described by a universal function$\eta \approx \eta _{HC}/(1+\mathcal {R})$, where$\eta _{HC}$is the mixing efficiency in the absence of tide and$\mathcal {R}$is the ratio between tidal and available potential energy inputs. With this, one can also determine the dominant mechanism at a certain ocean region. We further derive a power law relationship connecting the mixing coefficient and the tidal Reynolds number.