The aspect of space in the concept of sustainable development: Overview and consequences for research

The discussion on sustainable development reflects in various regard an important spatial aspect. In its context, spatial and regional sciences integrate important impulses and provide important contributions to the further development and operationalization of the concept of sustainable development. Many already known aspects are newly weighted and organized under the long-term horizon of the ecological, economic and social dimensions of development. Some new aspects emerge. The distinction of four different spatial perspectives for the systematical analysis of the very broad and heterogeneous discussion has proven as evident. (1) From the perspective of biophysical goals and concepts, several interesting aspects emerged due to the goal of sustainability. The paper discusses the spatial scale, on which sustainable development should be achieved. It shows consequences for the industrial countries from the approach of convergence between industrial and developing countries on a global sustainable scale, e.g. the necessary change in the importance of the existing concepts of spatial structures. Different aspects are stressed in the discussion about urban and regional development. (2) In the literature about sustainable development, the policy of implementing the necessary changes in a market economy still plays a subordinate role. Therefore the discussion about policy instruments, as it exists in the field of environmental economics, must become stronger in spatial/regional science. In order to make policy more efficient, for instance, environmental taxes and fees must gain in importance, and they must be differentiated spatially. In addition, the traffic should be charged for its external costs. (3) In regard to democracy and public administration, it needs to be remarked, that the local and regional level were undervalued up to now in their potential. But the other administration levels must not be neglected. With the stronger emphasis on the cities and regions themselves it is not guaranteed that their policy of development becomes more sustainable. Therefore new politics and planning ideals are proposed, which focus in particular participative and cooperative elements. (4) From the perspective of society, which includes the market and the democracy/administration, the concept of sustainability emphasizes the spatial proximity in cities and regions as well as the meaning of small and medium sized groups. In this aspect, social control plays an important role. This frame and the participation of all groups of society would help to change the basic values towards more justice and environmental protection. Summing up it can be concluded that the concept of sustainable development calls for an intensification of research in the spatially oriented sciences. On one hand the demonstrated four fields of analysis and action need more specific investigation. On the other hand their interrelations are to be studied more intensively.

Ground truth parameters for Padre Island, Texas

Flight tests of infrared spectrometer for ground truth parameters for Padre Island, Texa

Compile two photomaps of the state of Nevada

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Environmentally focused cooperation projects as a stimulus for the development of old industrialised regions. Case studies in eastern German regions in which small and medium-sized towns predominate

Large parts of eastern Germany are displaying symptoms typical of old industrialised regions. Regions finding it particularly hard to adapt are those in which small and medium-sized towns predominate and which therefore only have limited administrative and financial assets as a rule. Alongside more traditional forms of regional development such as, for instance, the setting-up of industrial estates by local authorities and the enhancement of transport infrastructure, a number of interesting and more novel approaches have been adopted here. The development strategies examined in the present article have three distinguishing features. Firstly, they are explicitly environmentally focused. Secondly, they are co-operative in nature and can involve a multitude of actors. Thirdly, the relevant projects call for mutual exertion over a limited period of time in order to fulfil a strategic objective that is distinctly out of the ordinary, hence justifying the "major project" tag. To determine whether such projects can actually provide a stimulus for the development of the regions under review as well as what sort of factors their success may depend on, three specimen cases are being investigated that differ from one another in terms of both project type and regional characteristics. The first case study concerns what became the Saxony-Anhalt correspondence region for the EXPO 2000 event in Hanover, which ran under the slogan "Mankind - Nature - Technology". This project in a region defined by the medium-sized towns of Dessau, Bitterfeld, Wolfen and Wittenberg has strong organisational affinities with the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition (IBA), which was held in the Ruhr Area conurbation and is still having a big impact on the debate concerning strategies of regional development. The second example involves a predominantly small-town region in the eastern Ore Mountains in which the Model-Urban-Ecology Planning Game was played. The aim of the planning game was to identify the level of urban ecology that can be put to effect with any success from an intermunicipal perspective. The third case study is the Green Ring around Leipzig. The key emphasis here is on co-operation to the good of landscape development between the region around Leipzig, an area in which small towns still predominate, and the city itself. Viewed in their entirety, all three environmentally focused co-operation projects are having a considerable impact on regional development. In different ways, it has proved possible not only to improve the situation regarding the environment and the environmental awareness of the actors involved but also to mobilise and educate them in matters of regional co-operation to a degree that exceeds the scope of the actual project. One factor with a crucial bearing on the outcome is the crystallisation of a certain "state of emergency" in a region by dint of the special nature of the undertaking, the limited term of the project, financial backing from outside parties and greater awareness from further afield. Keywords: Co-operation of actors, environmental policy, project oriented planning, regional development

Cylindrical Symmetry Discrimination of Magnetoelectric Optical Systematic Effects in a Pump-probe Atomic Parity Violation Experiment

A pump-probe atomic parity violation (APV) experiment performed in a longitudinal electric field, provides a signal breaking mirror symmetry while preserving the cylindrical symmetry of the set-up. The excited vapor acts on the probe beam as a linear dichroic amplifier, imprinting a very specific signature on the detected signal. Our differential polarimeter is oriented to yield a null result unless the excited atoms are endowed with a chirality of some kind. Ideally, only the APV (E-odd) and the calibration (E-even) signals contribute to a chiral atomic response, a situation highly favourable to the detection of a tiny effect. In the present work we give a thorough analysis of possible unwanted defects like stray transverse fields or misalignments which would spoil the ideal set-up and lead to chiral systematics. A possible way to suppress such effects is to perform global rotations of the experiment by incremental steps of 45 degrees, leaving both stray fields and misalignments unaltered. The conspiration of at least two defects is necessary to affect the E-odd polarimeter signal. The transverse nature of the defects manifests itself by an azimuthal cosine square modulation. The harmful systematics are those which survive the averaging over four successive configurations. They require the presence of a stray transverse electric field, which can be determined and eventually minimized by auxiliary measurements of the systematic effects, amplified by applying a known external magnetic field. Transverse stray magnetic fields must be compensated by a similar procedure. We also propose statistical correlation tests as diagnoses of the aforementioned systematic effects.Comment: Articl

Advanced propulsion system for hybrid vehicles

A number of hybrid propulsion systems were evaluated for application in several different vehicle sizes. A conceptual design was prepared for the most promising configuration. Various system configurations were parametrically evaluated and compared, design tradeoffs performed, and a conceptual design produced. Fifteen vehicle/propulsion systems concepts were parametrically evaluated to select two systems and one vehicle for detailed design tradeoff studies. A single hybrid propulsion system concept and vehicle (five passenger family sedan)were selected for optimization based on the results of the tradeoff studies. The final propulsion system consists of a 65 kW spark-ignition heat engine, a mechanical continuously variable traction transmission, a 20 kW permanent magnet axial-gap traction motor, a variable frequency inverter, a 386 kg lead-acid improved state-of-the-art battery, and a transaxle. The system was configured with a parallel power path between the heat engine and battery. It has two automatic operational modes: electric mode and heat engine mode. Power is always shared between the heat engine and battery during acceleration periods. In both modes, regenerative braking energy is absorbed by the battery

Recipes for Building Relationships

This thesis explores the history of women\u27s access to education and the issues of gender disparity in education. I focus on single-gendered schools as I write from personal experience to describe the benefits for individuals in single-gender educational systems. I cite conflicting research on how men and women learn regarding biological, cognitive, and developmental differences. I illuminate some of the benefits of single-gendered education through research, experience, and personal communications. I write about the controversies and disparities regarding education and single-gender schools. I document research on the issues women face in education and the politics of women’s bodies and minds in educational spaces. In these spaces, I explore the importance of educating individuals and provide evidence for the importance of inclusion and accessibility

An Exploration of Staff Training Practices Specific to the Prevention of Staff-To-Student Sexual Misconduct in General and Special Education

A United States Department of Education commissioned study found that 10% of kindergarten–12 grade students are victims of staff-to-student sexual misconduct (Shakeshaft, 2004; U.S. Department of Education, n.da). A primary recommendation from that study was that districts provide staff training specific to the prevention of staff-to-student sexual misconduct. However, despite strong and repeated recommendations that all schools include annual staff training that specifically addresses the issue of staff-to-student sexual misconduct (Caldas & Bensy, 2014; Krohn, 2014; Mainella, 2015; Shakeshaft, 2004; U.S. Department of Education, 2008), a majority of districts nationwide have been slow to include this topic in their district staff training; further, districts are inconsistent in their handling of concerns and/or allegations (Caldas & Bensy, 2014; Mainella, 2015; Shakeshaft, 2013). Research indicates that children with disabilities are victimized at three to four times the rate of their non-disabled peers (Caldas & Bensy, 2014; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016a; Krohn, 2014), and preliminary research suggests their rate of victimization is also higher within the school setting (Caldas & Bensy, 2014). This study explored current training practices in relation to this important recommendation by surveying Title IX coordinators and special education directors (N = 177) in a selected western state to (a) determine the percentage of school districts in a western Unites States state that include a staff training program specific to reducing incidents of staff-to-student sexual misconduct, and to whom staff training is being provided, (b) identify perceived barriers to providing staff training specific to this topic, and (c) explore what, if any, qualities of a staff training program pertaining to prevention of staff-to-student sexual misconduct may be uniquely beneficial to staff serving students in special education. Findings indicate that many districts are not offering training specific to the topic of preventing staff-to-student sexual misconduct; time constraints, lack of knowledge of where to find resources, and financial constraints are perceived barriers to providing training on this topic; but that 50% of participants are interested in staff training with components that are specific to supporting staff who work with students with special needs. A primary implication from this study for future research and practice is to explore the inclusion of staff-to-student sexual misconduct prevention training at the level of professional preparation programs, particularly for those who will be working with students with special needs