Sr Surface Enrichment in Solid Oxide Cells – Approaching the Limits of EDX Analysis by Multivariate Statistical Analysis and Simulations

In solid oxide cells, Sr segregation has been correlated with degradation. Yet, the atomistic mechanism remains unknown. Here we begin to localize the origin of Sr surface nucleation by combining force field based simulations, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and multi-variate statistical analysis. We find increased ion mobility in the complexion between yttria-stabilized zirconia and strontium-doped lanthanum manganite. Furthermore, we developed a robust and automated routine to detect localized nucleation seeds of Sr at the complexion surface. This hints at a mechanism originating at the complexion and requires in-depth studies at the atomistic level, where the developed routine can be beneficial for analyzing large hyperspectral EDX datasets

Der Umzug der Menschheit: Die transformative Kraft der Städte

Die Wucht der derzeitigen Urbanisierungsdynamik und ihre Auswirkungen sind so groß, dass sich weltweit Städte, Stadtgesellschaften, Regierungen und Internationale Organisationen diesem Trend stellen müssen. Ein „Weiter so wie bisher“, würde ohne gestaltende Urbanisierungspolitik zu einer nicht-nachhaltigen Welt-Städte-Gesellschaft führen. Nur wenn Städte und Stadtgesellschaften ausreichend handlungsfähig werden, können sie ihre Kraft für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung entfalten: In den Städten wird sich entscheiden, ob die Große Transformation zur Nachhaltigkeit gelingt. In diesem Buch werden die Erfolgsbedingungen dafür diskutiert

Humanity on the move: Unlocking the transformative power of cities

The momentum of urbanization and its impacts are so massive that we must face up to this trend. In view of the existing cognitive, technical, economic and institutional path dependencies, a policy of business as usual – i.e. an unstructured, quasi-automatic urbanization – would lead to a non-sustainable ‘world cities society’. Only if cities and urban societies are sufficiently empowered can they make use of the opportunities for sustainability and successfully follow the urban transformation pathways. The success or failure of the Great Transformation will be decided in the cities. The WBGU discusses the relevant conditions for the success of this transformation in this report

Novel materials for solid oxide fuel cells cathodes and oxygen separation membranes: Fundamentals of oxygen transport and performance

In the field of modern hydrogen energy, obtaining pure hydrogen and syngas and then being able to use them for green energy production are significant problems. Developing solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and catalytic membranes for oxygen separation as well as materials for these devices is one of the most likely ways to solve these problems. In this work, the authors’ recent studies in this field are reviewed; the fundamentals of developing materials for SOFC cathodes and oxygen separation membranes’ permselective layers based on research of their oxygen mobility and surface reactivity are presented. Ruddlesden – Popper phases Ln2–xCaxNiO4+δ (LnCNO) and perovskite-fluorite nanocomposites PrNi0.5Co0.5O3–δ–Ce0.9Y0.1O2–δ (PNC–YDC) were studied by isotope exchange of oxygen with C18O2 and 18O2 in flow and closed reactors. For LnCNO a high oxygen mobility was shown (D* ~ 10–7 cm2/s at 700 °C), being provided by the cooperative mechanism of oxygen migration involving both regular and highly-mobile interstitial oxygen. For PNC–YDC dominated a wide fast diffusion channel via fluorite phase and interphases due to features of the redistribution of cations resulting in superior oxygen mobility (D* ~ 10–8 cm2/s at 700 °C). After optimization of composition and nanodomain structure of these materials, as cathodes of SOFC they provided a high power density, while for asymmetric supported oxygen separation membranes – a high oxygen permeability. © 2020Support of different parts of the work by the Russian Science Foundation (Project 16-13-00112) and the budget project №AAAA-A17-117041110045-9 for Boreskov Institute of Catalysis is gratefully acknowledged. The authors from the Ural Federal University are grateful to the Government of the Russian Federation (Agreement 02.A03.21.0006, Act 211). Ce 0.9 Y 0.1 O 2–δ |Ce 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 2–δ |Ni/Zr 0.84 Y 0.16 O 2–δ anodic half-cells and Ni/Al foam substrates were kindly provided by H.C. Starck, Germany and Powder Metallurgy Institute NAN Belarus, respectively. Authors would like to appreciate International Conference on Advances in Energy Systems and Environmental Engineering (ASEE19, Wroclaw, Poland, June 9-12, 2019) Organization Committee

Evidence for Shared Cognitive Processing of Pitch in Music and Language

Language and music epitomize the complex representational and computational capacities of the human mind. Strikingly similar in their structural and expressive features, a longstanding question is whether the perceptual and cognitive mechanisms underlying these abilities are shared or distinct – either from each other or from other mental processes. One prominent feature shared between language and music is signal encoding using pitch, conveying pragmatics and semantics in language and melody in music. We investigated how pitch processing is shared between language and music by measuring consistency in individual differences in pitch perception across language, music, and three control conditions intended to assess basic sensory and domain-general cognitive processes. Individuals’ pitch perception abilities in language and music were most strongly related, even after accounting for performance in all control conditions. These results provide behavioral evidence, based on patterns of individual differences, that is consistent with the hypothesis that cognitive mechanisms for pitch processing may be shared between language and music.National Science Foundation (U.S.). Graduate Research Fellowship ProgramEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (U.S.) (Grant 5K99HD057522

Development and justice through transformation: The Four Big ‘I’s. Special Report

2015 saw a historic double success for sustainability and climate policy. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Paris Agreement on climate ­protection establish a system of ambitious policy goals for the world. The group of twenty major ­industrialized and emerging economies (G20) now needs to resolutely advance implementation of both agreements, seizing the opportunity of this ‘Great Transformation’ to sustainability as a unique ­modernization project that could offer substantial economic development opportunities. Complete ­decarbonization of the world economy, which is necessary to avoid the gravest climate risks, can only be achieved by profoundly ­transforming energy systems and other high-emissions infrastructures. This transformation could inspire ­Innovation and channel Investment into sustainability and climate protection, and into the kinds of ­sustainable Infrastructures that need to be ­established and expanded. At the same time, the transformation could combat inequality and promote ­Inclusion within societies and globally, thus becoming an equity project

Benefits of a ball and chain: simple environmental enrichments improve welfare and reproductive success in farmed American mink (Neovison vison)

Can simple enrichments enhance caged mink welfare? Pilot data from 756 sub-adults spanning three colour-types (strains) identified potentially practical enrichments, and suggested beneficial effects on temperament and fur-chewing. Our main experiment started with 2032 Black mink on three farms: from each of 508 families, one juvenile male-female pair was enriched (E) with two balls and a hanging plastic chain or length of hose, while a second pair was left as a non-enriched (NE) control. At 8 months, more than half the subjects were killed for pelts, and 302 new females were recruited (half enriched: ‘late E’). Several signs of improved welfare or productivity emerged. Access to enrichment increased play in juveniles. E mink were calmer (less aggressive in temperament tests; quieter when handled; less fearful, if male), and less likely to fur-chew, although other stereotypic behaviours were not reduced. On one farm, E females had lower cortisol (inferred from faecal metabolites). E males tended to copulate for longer. E females also weaned more offspring: about 10% more juveniles per E female, primarily caused by reduced rates of barrenness (‘late E’ females also giving birth to bigger litters on one farm), effects that our data cautiously suggest were partly mediated by reduced inactivity and changes in temperament. Pelt quality seemed unaffected, but E animals had cleaner cages. In a subsidiary side-study using 368 mink of a second colour-type (‘Demis’), similar temperament effects emerged, and while E did not reduce fur-chewing or improve reproductive success in this colour-type, E animals were judged to have better pelts. Overall, simple enrichments were thus beneficial. These findings should encourage welfare improvements on fur farms (which house 60-70 million mink p.a.) and in breeding centres where endangered mustelids (e.g. black-footed ferrets) often reproduce poorly. They should also stimulate future research into more effective practical enrichments

Climatic risks and impacts in South Asia: extremes of water scarcity and excess

This paper reviews the current knowledge of climatic risks and impacts in South Asia associated with anthropogenic warming levels of 1.5°C to 4°C above pre-industrial values in the 21st century. It is based on the World Bank Report “Turn Down the Heat, Climate Extremes, Regional Impacts and the Case for Resilience” (2013). Many of the climate change impacts in the region, which appear quite severe even with relatively modest warming of 1.5–2°C, pose significant hazards to development. For example, increased monsoon variability and loss or glacial meltwater will likely confront populations with ongoing and multiple challenges. The result is a significant risk to stable and reliable water resources for the region, with increases in peak flows potentially causing floods and dry season flow reductions threatening agriculture. Irrespective of the anticipated economic development and growth, climate projections indicate that large parts of South Asia’s growing population and especially the poor are likely to remain highly vulnerable to climate change

Exploration of Shared Genetic Architecture Between Subcortical Brain Volumes and Anorexia Nervosa

In MRI scans of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), reductions in brain volume are often apparent. However, it is unknown whether such brain abnormalities are influenced by genetic determinants that partially overlap with those underlying AN. Here, we used a battery of methods (LD score regression, genetic risk scores, sign test, SNP effect concordance analysis, and Mendelian randomization) to investigate the genetic covariation between subcortical brain volumes and risk for AN based on summary measures retrieved from genome-wide association studies of regional brain volumes (ENIGMA consortium, n = 13,170) and genetic risk for AN (PGC-ED consortium, n = 14,477). Genetic correlations ranged from − 0.10 to 0.23 (all p > 0.05). There were some signs of an inverse concordance between greater thalamus volume and risk for AN (permuted p = 0.009, 95% CI: [0.005, 0.017]). A genetic variant in the vicinity of ZW10, a gene involved in cell division, and neurotransmitter and immune system relevant genes, in particular DRD2, was significantly associated with AN only after conditioning on its association with caudate volume (pFDR = 0.025). Another genetic variant linked to LRRC4C, important in axonal and synaptic development, reached significance after conditioning on hippocampal volume (pFDR = 0.021). In this comprehensive set of analyses and based on the largest available sample sizes to date, there was weak evidence for associations between risk for AN and risk for abnormal subcortical brain volumes at a global level (that is, common variant genetic architecture), but suggestive evidence for effects of single genetic markers. Highly powered multimodal brain- and disorder-related genome-wide studies are needed to further dissect the shared genetic influences on brain structure and risk for AN

Genetic architecture of subcortical brain structures in 38,851 individuals

Subcortical brain structures are integral to motion, consciousness, emotions and learning. We identified common genetic variation related to the volumes of the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, brainstem, caudate nucleus, globus pallidus, putamen and thalamus, using genome-wide association analyses in almost 40,000 individuals from CHARGE, ENIGMA and UK Biobank. We show that variability in subcortical volumes is heritable, and identify 48 significantly associated loci (40 novel at the time of analysis). Annotation of these loci by utilizing gene expression, methylation and neuropathological data identified 199 genes putatively implicated in neurodevelopment, synaptic signaling, axonal transport, apoptosis, inflammation/infection and susceptibility to neurological disorders. This set of genes is significantly enriched for Drosophila orthologs associated with neurodevelopmental phenotypes, suggesting evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. Our findings uncover novel biology and potential drug targets underlying brain development and disease