The urban heat island under extreme heat conditions: a case study of Hannover, Germany

Global warming has resulted in higher frequencies of climate extremes, such as drought periods or heat waves. Heat waves are intensified in urban areas due to the urban heat island effect. Studies are inconclusive as to whether the urban heat island effect is intensified during heat waves. Using the city of Hannover, Germany, as a case study, we analysed the intensity of the urban heat island under unprecedented summer heat conditions in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, which were among the hottest in Germany since weather records began. We compared the intensity of the urban heat island across these years with the non-heat year of 2017. Differences were analysed for various inner-city urban locations and an urban park, while accounting for their distinct land use and land cover characteristics. We identified the urban heat island effect across all years investigated in the study and also found a significant intensified urban heat island effect during the years of unprecedented heat, when night-time temperature minima are considered. The urban heat island was identified on a lower level, however, with maximum daily temperatures when compared to the non-heat year. The lowest intensity of the urban heat island was found for the urban park site, highlighting the need for more city-wide greening strategies, including tree-covered and open green spaces, to provide all residents with the cooling services of green spaces

PV Charging System for Remote Area Operations

The objective of this project is to provide the public with a study of new as well existing technology to recharge batteries used in the field. A new product(s) will also be built based upon the information ascertained. American Electric Vehicles, Inc. (AEV) developed systems and methods suitable for charging state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries in remote locations under both ideal and cloudy weather conditions. Conceptual designs are described for existing and next generation technology, particularly as regards solar cells, peak power trackers and batteries. Prototype system tests are reported

Towards World of Warcraft as an Experiment Platform for Teams

We are interested in how virtual, synchronous teams organize to cope with tasks of different complexity. We follow an explorative approach to validate World of Warcraft as experiment platform for virtual teams. We explore which parts of the game are suitable for experiments, which phenomena can be studied in teams fighting in World of Warcraft and how data can be collected. We prototypically evaluate data from games to demonstrate the validity of our approach

A fossil species of the enigmatic early polypod fern genus Cystodium (Cystodiaceae) in Cretaceous amber from Myanmar

The monospecific fern genus Cystodium (Cystodiaceae;Polypodiales) occurs exclusively in the tropical forests of the Malay Archipelago, the Admiralty Islands, the Louisiade Archipelago, and the Solomon Islands. Divergence time estimates suggest that the genus originated in the Mesozoic;however, fossil evidence to validate this suggestion has been lacking. Amber from Myanmar (Burmese amber) is an important source of new information on the diversity of vascular cryptogams in the Cretaceous. This paper describes the fossil taxon Cystodium sorbifolioides nov. sp. based on a fragment of a fertile leaf preserved in Burmese amber that represents the first fossil evidence of the family Cystodiaceae. Cystodium sorbifolioides is used to obtain a minimum age estimate for the Cystodiaceae and the closely related, monogeneric Lonchitidaceae and Lindsaeaceae. The fossil strengthens the hypothesis that the forest ecosystems of Malesia and Melanesia represent refugia for many tropical plant lineages that originated in the Cretaceous

Evaluation of Bio-Corrosion on Carbon Steel by Bacillus Megaterium in Biodiesel and Diesel Oil Mixture

Biodiesel can act as carbon source for bacterial metabolisms, leading to corrosion of carbon steel. In this study, the corrosion of carbon steel by biodiesel blends (B15, B20, B30) was observed in the presence of Bacillus megaterium. The effect of biodiesel concentration on microorganism-induced corrosion was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscope (EIS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and digital microscope. The results showed that under various biodiesel concentrations, Bacillus megaterium can grow and form biofilm on carbon steel. Based on the impedance analysis, their presence can increase the corrosion rate and cause pitting corrosion because the biofilm can change the electrochemical reactions in the metal or the interface solution and the kinetics of the anodic cathodic reactions. Also, Bacillus megaterium produces acid metabolites and can oxidize iron. Besides being influenced by Bacillus megaterium activities, the pitting formed on carbon steel depends on the biodiesel concentration. The results showed a great deal of shallow pit formation in B30, exacerbating the severity of metal roughness

"Quality" as a frame for school development. Philosophy and procedure of high-class development of schools in Bremen

"Bildungspolitik und Schulaufsicht sollen die Schulen darin unterstützen, sich in der Folge gesellschaftlich veränderter Ansprüche zu wandeln, sie sollen klare Orientierung geben, Fehlentwicklungen Einhalt gebieten, sich aber nicht in alles einmischen, sondern Freiräume schaffen. Das Land Bremen hat ein differenziertes System klar definierter und aufeinander bezogener Vorgaben und Verfahren der Qualitätsentwicklung und der Qualitätssicherung entwickelt", auf welches im ersten Kapitel eingegangen wird. Schwerpunkt des zweiten Kapitels ist die Externe Evaluation: Es wird besonders auf das Verfahren, die Philosophie und die Akzeptanz eingegangen. (DIPF/Orig./AS)Quality assurance and high-class development should relate the educational work in schools to criteria of a "good school" and indicate possible improvements. In the federal state of Bremen a "look from outside" was strictly followed. The findings are related to further elements of the high-class conception. (DIPF/Orig.

Marlowe and Overreaching: A Misuse of Stylometry

In ‘Christopher Marlowe: Hype and Hoax’(2018), Hartmut Ilsemann implies that his application of the Rolling Delta feature of R Stylo is sufficiently robust that a century and a half of traditional scholarship should be overturned, and Marlowe stripped of the majority of his canon, including Doctor Faustus and Edward II. The article concludes that ‘Marlowe is totally overrated in his influence on modern English drama’ (26), the natural consequence of stripping away 5/7ths of his canon. In this response, I demonstrate that the assumptions underlying this application of the Delta method, and the application itself, are fundamentally flawed, leading to predictably erroneous conclusions. Problems with the study include a poorly designed test environment; incorrect preparation of texts; assuming that ‘Marlowe’s style’ can be determined by a single early play; selecting and constructing Shakespeare’s comparison texts in a manner likely to prejudice results; ignoring the effect upon style of a play’s date and genre; failing to consider the effect of different-length comparison texts; dismissing external evidence of authorship that conflicts with the test outcomes. I argue that in the light of these issues, the results and conclusions must be dismissed. Further, the question is raised as to whether the current methods of computational stylistics, even when more rigorously applied, are equipped to challenge the attribution of the accepted Marlowe canon

Digitization in Catalysis Research: Towards a Holistic Description of a Ni/Al2O3 Reference Catalyst for CO2 Methanation

There is considerable motivation in the catalysis community and chemical industry to envision a future where rational catalyst design and targeted chemical process optimization become standard. Achieving this goal for heterogeneous catalysis requires a cultural shift centered around effective research data management. The core elements of modern catalysis research are synthesis, characterization, and testing, while all can be elevated by effective collection, correlation, interoperation, and exploitation of data between disciplines and stakeholders. Here, first steps are made towards a holistic picture of an industrial Ni/Al$_2$O$_3$ reference catalyst for CO$_2$ methanation. A range of conventional and advanced characterization tools are applied to probe metal particle size and pore characteristics of the support, selected as crucial parameters for catalyst performance. Challenges are shown with respect to current reporting of characterization data and metadata, which ultimately influences the development and reliability of digital twins in catalysis research. Furthermore, the cooperation and combined expertise of diverse research groups from different fields is recognized as essential to deliver meaningful progress towards the digital future of catalysis research