A modelling approach for allocating land-use in space to maximise social welfare - exemplified on the problem of wind power generation

Land-use conflicts arise if land is scarce, land-use types are mutually exclusive, and vary in their effects with regard to more than one incongruent policy objective. If these effects depend on the spatial location of the land-use measures the conflict can be mediated through an appropriate spatial allocation of land use. An example of this conflict is the welfare-optimal allocation of wind turbines (WT) in a region in order to achieve a given energy target at least social costs. The energy target is motivated by the fact that wind power production is associated with relatively low CO2 emissions and is currently the most efficient source of renewable energy supply. However, it is associated with social costs which comprise energy production costs as well as external costs caused by harmful impacts on humans and biodiversity. We present a modelling approach that combines spatially explicit ecological-economic modelling and choice experiments to determine the welfare-optimal spatial allocation of WT in Western Saxony, Germany. We show that external costs are significant. The welfare-optimal sites are therefore not those with the highest energy output (i.e., lowest production costs). However, they show lower external costs than the most productive sites. A sensitivity analysis reveals that the external costs represent about seven percent of the total costs (production costs plus external costs). Increasing the energy production target increases both production and external costs. The absolute (percentage) increase of production costs is higher (lower) than that of external costs. --choice experiment,ecological-economic modelling,externality,spatial allocation,welfare-optimal,wind power

KoKoN – Ein Expertenwalkthrough zu digitalen Lehr-Kooperationen im Kontext der Nationalen Bildungsplattform

... Für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung digitalgestützter Lehre nehmen sowohl hochschulinterne als auch -übergreifende Kooperationen einen immer höheren ... Stellenwert ein. Die damit einhergehende Vernetzung und das Zusammenwirken verschiedener Bildungsanbieter bilden die Grundlage des lebenslangen Lernens sowie der bildungsbereichübergreifenden Gestaltung von individuellen Bildungsbiografien (vgl. Schleifenbaum, & Walther, 2015). Die Anbahnung und Durchführung von insbesondere digitalen Lehr-Kooperationen erfordern über reine IT-Kenntnisse hinausgehende Kompetenzen seitens der Lehrenden. Für gelingende Kooperationsprozesse zwischen Lehrenden sind daher weitere Facetten digitaler Kompetenz erforderlich, wie bspw. bzgl. der Durchführung von Kommunikationsund Kooperationsprozessen im digitalen Raum, des Aufbaus einer eigenen digitalen Lehr- und Forscher:innen-Identität sowie der Reflexion des eigenen digitalen Lehr-Handelns (Eichhorn, Müller, & Tillmann, 2017; Eichhorn, 2020). [Aus: Herausforderungen für die digitalgestützte Hochschullehre

Structural characteristics and contractual terms of specialist palliative homecare in Germany

Background Multi-professional specialist palliative homecare (SPHC) teams care for palliative patients with complex symptoms. In Germany, the SPHC directive regulates care provision, but model contracts for each federal state are heterogeneous regarding staff requirements, cooperation with other healthcare providers, and financial reimbursement. The structural characteristics of SPHC teams also vary. Aim We provide a structured overview of the existing model contracts, as well as a nationwide assessment of SPHC teams and their structural characteristics. Furthermore, we explore whether these characteristics serve to find specifc patterns of SPHC team models, based on empirical data. Methods This study is part of the multi-methods research project “SAVOIR”, funded by the German Innovations Fund. Most model contracts are publicly available. Structural characteristics (e.g. number, professions, and affiliations of team members, and external cooperation) were assessed via an online database (“Wegweiser Hospiz- und Palliativversorgung”) based on voluntary information obtained from SPHC teams. All the data were updated by phone during the assessment process. Data were descriptively analysed regarding staff, cooperation requirements, and reimbursement schemes, while latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify structural team models. Results Model contracts have heterogeneous contract partners and terms related to staff requirements (number and qualifications) and cooperation with other services. Fourteen reimbursement schemes were available, all combining different payment models. Of the 283 SPHC teams, 196 provided structural characteristics. Teams reported between one and 298 members (mean: 30.3, median: 18), mainly nurses and physicians, while 37.8% had a psychosocial professional as a team member. Most teams were composed of nurses and physicians employed in different settings; for example, staff was employed by the team, in private practices/nursing services, or in hospitals. Latent class analysis identified four structural team models, based on the team size, team members’ affiliation, and care organisation. Conclusion Both the contractual terms and teams’ structural characteristics vary substantially, and this must be considered when analysing patient data from SPHC. The identified patterns of team models can form a starting point from which to analyse different forms of care provision and their impact on care quality

Broadband Multi-wavelength Properties of M87 during the 2017 Event Horizon Telescope Campaign

Abstract: In 2017, the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) Collaboration succeeded in capturing the first direct image of the center of the M87 galaxy. The asymmetric ring morphology and size are consistent with theoretical expectations for a weakly accreting supermassive black hole of mass ∼6.5 × 109 M ⊙. The EHTC also partnered with several international facilities in space and on the ground, to arrange an extensive, quasi-simultaneous multi-wavelength campaign. This Letter presents the results and analysis of this campaign, as well as the multi-wavelength data as a legacy data repository. We captured M87 in a historically low state, and the core flux dominates over HST-1 at high energies, making it possible to combine core flux constraints with the more spatially precise very long baseline interferometry data. We present the most complete simultaneous multi-wavelength spectrum of the active nucleus to date, and discuss the complexity and caveats of combining data from different spatial scales into one broadband spectrum. We apply two heuristic, isotropic leptonic single-zone models to provide insight into the basic source properties, but conclude that a structured jet is necessary to explain M87’s spectrum. We can exclude that the simultaneous γ-ray emission is produced via inverse Compton emission in the same region producing the EHT mm-band emission, and further conclude that the γ-rays can only be produced in the inner jets (inward of HST-1) if there are strongly particle-dominated regions. Direct synchrotron emission from accelerated protons and secondaries cannot yet be excluded

Combining spatial modeling and choice experiments for the optimal spatial allocation of wind turbines

Although wind power is currently the most efficient source of renewable energy, the installation of wind turbines (WT) in landscapes often leads to conflicts in the affected communities. We propose that such conflicts can be mitigated by a welfare-optimal spatial allocation of WT in the landscape so that a given energy target is reached at minimum social costs. The energy target is motivated by the fact that wind power production is associated with relatively low CO2 emissions. Social costs comprise energy production costs as well as external costs caused by harmful impacts on humans and biodiversity. We present a modeling approach that combines spatially explicit ecological-economic modeling and choice experiments to determine the welfare-optimal spatial allocation of WT in West Saxony, Germany. The welfare-optimal sites balance production and external costs. Results indicate that in the welfare-optimal allocation the external costs represent about 14% of the total costs (production costs plus external costs). Optimizing wind power production without consideration of the external costs would lead to a very different allocation of WT that would marginally reduce the production costs but strongly increase the external costs and thus lead to substantial welfare losses.Choice experiment Optimal spatial allocation Wind power

The fluorochrome-to-protein ratio is crucial for the flow cytometric detection of tissue factor on extracellular vesicles

Abstract Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have crucial roles in hemostasis and coagulation. They sustain coagulation by exposing phosphatidylserine and initiate clotting by surface expression of tissue factor (TF) under inflammatory conditions. As their relevance as biomarkers of coagulopathy is increasingly recognized, there is a need for the sensitive and reliable detection of TF+ EVs, but their flow cytometric analysis is challenging and has yielded controversial findings for TF expression on EVs in the vascular system. We investigated the effect of different fluorochrome-to-protein (F/P) ratios of anti-TF-fluorochrome conjugates on the flow cytometric detection of TF+ EVs from activated monocytes, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), and in COVID-19 plasma. Using a FITC-labeled anti-TF antibody (clone VD8), we show that the percentage of TF+ EVs declined with decreasing F/P ratios. TF was detected on 7.6%, 5.4%, and 1.1% of all EVs derived from activated monocytes at F/P ratios of 7.7:1, 6.6:1, and 5.2:1. A similar decline was observed for EVs from MSCs and for EVs in plasma, whereas the detection of TF on cells remained unaffected by different F/P ratios. We provide clear evidence that next to the antibody clone, the F/P ratio affects the flow cytometric detection of TF+ EVs and should be carefully controlled

KoKoN – Ein Expertenwalkthrough zu digitalen Lehr-Kooperationen im Kontext der Nationalen Bildungsplattform

... Für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung digitalgestützter Lehre nehmen sowohl hochschulinterne als auch -übergreifende Kooperationen einen immer höheren ... Stellenwert ein. Die damit einhergehende Vernetzung und das Zusammenwirken verschiedener Bildungsanbieter bilden die Grundlage des lebenslangen Lernens sowie der bildungsbereichübergreifenden Gestaltung von individuellen Bildungsbiografien (vgl. Schleifenbaum, & Walther, 2015). Die Anbahnung und Durchführung von insbesondere digitalen Lehr-Kooperationen erfordern über reine IT-Kenntnisse hinausgehende Kompetenzen seitens der Lehrenden. Für gelingende Kooperationsprozesse zwischen Lehrenden sind daher weitere Facetten digitaler Kompetenz erforderlich, wie bspw. bzgl. der Durchführung von Kommunikationsund Kooperationsprozessen im digitalen Raum, des Aufbaus einer eigenen digitalen Lehr- und Forscher:innen-Identität sowie der Reflexion des eigenen digitalen Lehr-Handelns (Eichhorn, Müller, & Tillmann, 2017; Eichhorn, 2020). [Aus: Herausforderungen für die digitalgestützte Hochschullehre

KoKoN – Ein Expertenwalkthrough zu digitalen Lehr-Kooperationen im Kontext der Nationalen Bildungsplattform

... Für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung digitalgestützter Lehre nehmen sowohl hochschulinterne als auch -übergreifende Kooperationen einen immer höheren ... Stellenwert ein. Die damit einhergehende Vernetzung und das Zusammenwirken verschiedener Bildungsanbieter bilden die Grundlage des lebenslangen Lernens sowie der bildungsbereichübergreifenden Gestaltung von individuellen Bildungsbiografien (vgl. Schleifenbaum, & Walther, 2015). Die Anbahnung und Durchführung von insbesondere digitalen Lehr-Kooperationen erfordern über reine IT-Kenntnisse hinausgehende Kompetenzen seitens der Lehrenden. Für gelingende Kooperationsprozesse zwischen Lehrenden sind daher weitere Facetten digitaler Kompetenz erforderlich, wie bspw. bzgl. der Durchführung von Kommunikationsund Kooperationsprozessen im digitalen Raum, des Aufbaus einer eigenen digitalen Lehr- und Forscher:innen-Identität sowie der Reflexion des eigenen digitalen Lehr-Handelns (Eichhorn, Müller, & Tillmann, 2017; Eichhorn, 2020). [Aus: Herausforderungen für die digitalgestützte Hochschullehre