The potential of a GIS-based scoping system: An Israeli proposal and case study

In the environmental impact assessment (EIA) lifecycle, scoping is regarded as the most important stage for the quality of the entire process. Even though many EIA methods exist, only a few of them are specifically suited for scoping. Despite the well-acknowledged potential of geographical information systems (CIS) for EIA and their seemingly widespread use, the applicability of GIS for scoping has not been analyzed sufficiently. This article advances a GIS-based scoping method and discusses the conditions necessary for its utilization. Two specific issues are addressed: the ability of a GIS-based system to identify the pertinent environmental effects on the basis of readily available information under stringent time and budget constraints, and the institutional infrastructure needed for such a system to operate effectively. These issues are analyzed in a case study conducted in Israel. In this case study, the proposed GIS-based scoping system identified all the main effects found independently in a comprehensive environmental impact statement (EIS), as well as issues not analyzed in the EIS. A centralized institutional scoping structure, whereby EIS guidelines are issued by a single entity, is found to be important for the operation of such a system, because it can enjoy the economies of scale and scope involved in setting up and operating a GIS system for scoping purposes

Sampling bias does not exaggerate climate–conflict claims

This correspondence is a response to Courtland Adams, Tobias Ide, Jon Barnett & Adrien Detges (2018), "Sampling bias in climate–conflict research" Nature Climate Change 8 (200–203) doi:10.1038/s41558-018-0068-2. Adams et al argue that claims regarding climate-conflict links are overstated because of sampling bias. However, this conclusion rests on logical fallacies and conceptual misunderstanding. There is some sampling bias, but it does not have the claimed effect

The Resource Usage Aware Backfilling

Abstract. Job scheduling policies for HPC centers have been extensively stud-ied in the last few years, especially backfilling based policies. Almost all of these studies have been done using simulation tools. All the existent simulators use the runtime (either estimated or real) provided in the workload as a basis of their sim-ulations. In our previous work we analyzed the impact on system performance of considering the resource sharing (memory bandwidth) of running jobs including a new resource model in the Alvio simulator. Based on this studies we proposed the LessConsume and LessConsume Threshold resource selection policies. Both are oriented to reduce the saturation of the shared resources thus increasing the performance of the system. The results showed how both resource allocation poli-cies shown how the performance of the system can be improved by considering where the jobs are finally allocated. Using the LessConsume Threshold Resource Selection Policy, we propose a new backfilling strategy: the Resource Usage Aware Backfilling job scheduling policy. This is a backfilling based scheduling policy where the algorithms which decide which job has to be executed and how jobs have to be backfilled are based on a different Threshold configurations. This backfilling variant that considers how the shared resources are used by the scheduled jobs. Rather than backfilling the first job that can moved to the run queue based on the job arrival time or job size, it looks ahead to the next queued jobs, and tries to allocate jobs that would experience lower penalized runtime caused by the resource sharing saturation. In the paper we demostrate how the exchange of scheduling information between the local resource manager and the scheduler can improve substantially the per-formance of the system when the resource sharing is considered. We show how it can achieve a close response time performance that the shorest job first Back-filling with First Fit (oriented to improve the start time for the allocated jobs) providing a qualitative improvement in the number of killed jobs and in the per-centage of penalized runtime.

Transport and Environment

This article compares the impact of road and railway transport on the environment. A great amount of resources of the European Unionâs funds are assigned for transport and environment. It is necessary to overcome some obstacles for attaining the money, i.e. administrative demands, to have own sufficient funds, to overcome the activities of NGOs and there is also not a satisfactory process of transition to the postindustrial, knowledge-based society of services with a completely changing structure of economics. The influence of the NGO was proved within two studies; the main findings are that NGOs are closely bound with administration and cause problems with information service and secondly that the delay in completion causes economical and environmental losses. The railways have to find the limits of efficiency in passenger transport and freight transport and transform its technical equipment and service to be efficient by all means. We also pointed out that the potential capacity of roads is in general higher than that of the railways with the typical weight of goods trains and liners. Document type: Articl

Температурный дрейф собственных частот микромеханического гироскопа

Целью работы является определение характеристик влияниятемпературного воздействия на собственные частоты микромеханического гироскопа, чувствительный элемент которого расположен на кремниевой пластине с кристаллографической ориентацией (111), имеющей изотропию механических и температурных свойств во всех направлениях. Необходимость контроля метрологических характеристик, зависящих от собственных частот во всем температурном диапазоне, подтверждает актуальность данной темы исследования. В ходе исследования в среде ANSYS проведен температурно-модальный анализ модели, имитирующей первичные колебания микромеханического гироскопа. Модель микрорезонатора, выбранная в качестве имитатора первичных колебаний микромеханического гироскопа, адекватно отражает характер колебаний массы по оси первичных колебаний. В результате получены температурные зависимости собственных частот и определены наиболее температурно-независимые моды колебаний для осциллятора, выполненного на кремниевой пластине с кристаллографической ориентацией (111)

Analyzing the EGEE production grid workload: application to jobs submission optimization

International audienceGrids reliability remains an order of magnitude below clusters on production infrastructures. This work is aims at improving grid application performances by improving the job submission system. A stochastic model, capturing the behavior of a complex grid workload management system is proposed. To instantiate the model, detailed statistics are extracted from dense grid activity traces. The model is exploited in a simple job resubmission strategy. It provides quantitative inputs to improve job submission performance and it enables quantifying the impact of faults and outliers on grid operations

A systems view on national well-being and implications of COVID-19 on it

Recently, there has been a growing interest in national well-being (NW) as a comprehensive measure of nations' prosperity. Many countries have incorporated this concept into their policies. However, the links between various NW dimensions, which can be used to maximize synergies and reduce losses from trade-offs, have been less carefully studied. Various non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) introduced by governments to curb the COVID-19 pandemic constitute a prominent example of such trade-offs. While helping to save lives, NPIs have a widespread impact on various NW facets – from social isolation to the increasing onset of depressive symptoms. Although separate effects of NPIs have been extensively studied, there is little evidence on their integral impact on NW overall. Systems thinking and its practical implementation – causal loop diagrams (CLDs) can help address this challenge. CLDs can explain indirect and cumulative effects of policies on NW variables of interest and identify critical feedback loops and leverage points. Using the OECD National Well-being Framework, Complexity Science Hub Vienna COVID-19 Control Strategies List (CCCSL), and 85 literature sources, we developed a CLD visualizing the links between COVID-19 mitigation policies and NW indicators. Its formal analysis identified the prevalence of indirect effects and feedback loops. It suggests that lockdowns have the most detrimental effect on virtually all NW aspects, while life satisfaction, perceived health, and prevalence of depressive symptoms are the most commonly affected NW aspects by all NPIs. The developed framework, especially if supported by empirical data, can be useful to minimize the adverse effects of NPIs on NW and promote its resilient recovery from any similar pandemic

The Impact of COVID-19 on Well-Being: A Systems Approach

In addition to its health and economic implications, COVID-19 has a widespread effect on social relations, stress, livelihood, and on the environment. However, analyses of the effects of COVID-19 tend to focus on the health and economic implications of the pandemic. In recent years well-being is increasingly promoted as a measure to assess the state of countries and citizens, taking into account a broad set of factors such as social relations, the environment, health, and livelihood. Previous work at IIASA has produced a national well-being map, in which the variables that affect both current and future well-being were spelled out, as well as the relations between them. In the current study, we utilize the IIASA national well-being map as a basis for analyzing the effects of COVID-19 on social well-being, focusing on Israel as a case study. Thus, while the indicators used are based on the OECD well-being indicators, they are contextualized to account for both the setting and for the focus on social well-being of current generations (those that are most likely to be affected by COVID-19). However, the approach we suggest can be useful for other cases, and the results may shed light on the COVID-19 effects elsewhere. To this end, we first identify the direct effects of COVID-19 and the measures undertaken to mitigate the immediate health effects on the variables included in the social well-being map, a modified version of the original national well-being map. These served to identify both the primary and secondary effects of COVID-19. By relating these primary and secondary effects on the variables that affect social well-being, we can identify how COVID-19 affects current social well-being, differentiating these effects by timing. Then we show that there are synergic effects that will lead to long-term implications, also after the pandemic is brought under control. COVID-19 does not affect all population groups equally. We find that the effects of COVID-19 on employment serve as the stratifying variable that differentiates the effects. Hence, we analyzed the well-being effects of COVID-19 on different groups based on the effects the pandemic has had on employment. This analysis shows that while the well-being of all groups is affected, they are particularly wide and strenuous for those who lose their jobs or businesses. Therefore, job retention and mitigation of the job insecurity effects of COVID-19 are found to be of critical importance, more than income maintenance. These variables are also essential for the maintenance of trust in government, as such trust is crucial when the next wave of the pandemic erupts. However, additional measures that may mitigate the effects on other well-being indicators are also called for. Thus, it is advisable to formulate policy packages that will address the multi-dimensional effects on well-being