Multicriteria analysis under uncertainty with IANUS - method and empirical results

IANUS is a method for aiding public decision-making that supports efforts towards sustainable development and has a wide range of application. IANUS stands for Integrated Assessment of Decisions uNder Uncertainty for Sustainable Development. This paper introduces the main features of IANUS and illustrates the method using the results of a case study in the Torgau region (eastern Germany). IANUS structures the decision process into four steps: scenario derivation, criteria selection, modeling, evaluation. Its overall aim is to extract the information needed for a sound, responsible decision in a clear, transparent manner. The method is designed for use in conflict situations where environmental and socioeconomic effects need to be considered and so an interdisciplinary approach is required. Special emphasis is placed on a broad perception and consideration of uncertainty. Three types of uncertainty are explicitly taken into account by IANUS: development uncertainty (uncertainty about the social, economic and other developments that affect the consequences of decision), model uncertainty (uncertainty associated with the prediction of the effects of decisions), and weight uncertainty (uncertainty about the appropriate weighting of the criteria). The backbone of IANUS is a multicriteria method with the ability to process uncertain information. In the case study the multicriteria method PROMETHEE is used. Since PROMETHEE in its basic versions is not able to process uncertain information an extension of this method is developed here and described in detail. --

Unreliable is Better: Theoretical and Practical Impulses for Performance Management

This review aims to stimulate discussion about a comprehensive understanding of performance evaluation—namely, the taken-forgranted benefit of maximal reliable performance evaluation, where employee performance is evaluated with high levels of reliability (i.e., large samples of performance observations). So far, the management discipline has ignored the evidence-based view that one’s performance is better under unreliable performance evaluation compared to reliable performance evaluation. Drawing on tournament theory, behavioral research, and real-world sports data, we argue that while reliable performance evaluation boosts only superior employees, unreliable performance evaluation boosts all employees. The mechanisms that drive inferior and superior employees to perform better when evaluated unreliably substantiate that psychological insight is essential for efficient performance management. Overall, we complement the predominant thinking of performance management by offering innovative insights and implications that are significant for academics, employees, and employers

The Precipitation of Calcium Tungstate from Sodium Tungstate Solution

In view of the great need for tungsten in the present industrial world it is necessary that all known tungsten sourves be utilized to the greatest possible extent. Scheelite ores promise to be an increasingly important source of tungsten, inasmuch as the discovery of vast new deposits has been made and known deposits of high grade ores have practically been depleted

Controllers’ use of informational tactics

Controllers typically have a ‘dual accountability’ towards the finance function and operational management, respectively. This dual accountability at times confronts them with conflicting expectations. In this paper, we suggest that ‘informational tactics’ constitute an important resource which controllers rely on so as to handle these expectations and to successfully present themselves vis-à-vis their different internal stakeholders. Drawing upon interview data, we demonstrate that informational tactics relate to different dimensions of information control (i.e. ‘when’, ‘how’ and ‘what’ information is to be exchanged) and that they depend on the respective room for manoeuvre a controller has in a given situation. Overall, our analysis adds a more nuanced picture to the literature on controllers’ handling of information and demonstrates the fundamental role of informational tactics for their everyday work.</p

Occurrence of different Cacopsylla species in apple orchards in South Tyrol (Italy) and detection of apple proliferation phytoplasma in Cacopsylla melanoneura and Cacopsylla picta: (Hemiptera: Psylloidea)

Preventing the diffusion of phytoplasma associated diseases until now is based mainly on indirect control measurements against the transmitting insect vectors. Apple proliferation, one of the economically most important pests in European apple cultivation is caused by the apple proliferation (AP) phytoplasma (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’), which is spread by the psyllids Cacopsylla (C.) picta (Foerster, 1848) and C. melanoneura (Foerster, 1848). Current control measures primarily comprise treatments against these AP phytoplasma transmitting vectors. The surveillance of C. picta and C. melanoneura population dynamics, as well as the determination of their infection rate in the field are crucial prerequisites to develop suitable and appropriate strategies to limit further spread of AP phytoplasma. Furthermore, the analysis of the species composition of the genus Cacopsylla present in apple orchards provides important information about the presence of other insect vectors potentially involved in spreading AP or other diseases. During an intensive monitoring program realized in the valleys of Val Venosta and Burggraviato (South Tyrol, Italy), the hotspots of apple proliferation epidemics, over 13,000 Cacopsylla individuals were captured and the occurrence of 16 species of the genus Cacopsylla was confirmed. The presence of C.&nbsp;picta was recorded in more than 50% of the investigated apple orchards and the natural infection rate of this vector was about 21% in a three-year average. Conversely, C. melanoneura was confirmed in more than 90% of the investigated sites but its low infection rate of about 1 % further supports that it plays a rather secondary role in spreading AP phytoplasma in South Tyrol

Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) in mulch layer slightly contaminates forage grass

Der Befall von Herbstzeitlosen (Colchicum autumnale L.) ist in extensiv genutzten Grünlandflächen ein großes Problem. Zahlreiche Landwirte befürchten die totale Wertlosigkeit ihrer Aufwüchse, wodurch nicht nur die landwirtschaftliche Verwendung, sondern in der Folge auch die aus Naturschutzgründen notwendige Offenhaltung der Landschaft wesentlich eingeschränkt werden könnte. Die momentane Empfehlung zur Reduktion der Herbstzeitlosen ist ein frühes Mulchen bzw. ein früher Schnitt mit Abfuhr Anfang-Mitte Mai, wenn die Herbstzeitlose (HZL) bereits ihre Kapsel geschoben hat und mehr als zwei Pflanzen pro m² im Pflanzenbestand vorzufinden sind. Es stellt sich die Frage, ob das Colchizin einer sich zersetzenden, Herbstzeitlosen-haltigen Mulchschicht an die darunter wachsenden Pflanzen weitergegeben wird und so das Futter im Folgeaufwuchs kontaminiert. Daher wurde in einem Freilandversuch Pflanzenmaterial des Folgeaufwuchses auf Colchizingehalt getestet, das 8 Wochen vorher durch eine Mulchschicht, die entweder keine, 2 oder 10 Herbstzeitlose-Pflanzen/m² enthielt, bedeckt gewesen war. Zusätzlich wurden zwei verschiedene Mulchzeitpunkte zur Variation des Pflanzenwuchsstadiums simuliert (Ende April – nur HZL-Blätter, Ende Mai – HZL-Blätter und junge Kapsel). Die Ergebnisse der Analyse zeigen eine sehr leichte Kontamination des Folgeaufwuchses durch eine vorherige Bedeckung und Zersetzung einer Herbstzeitlosen-haltigen Mulchschicht in Abhängigkeit des Wuchsstadium sowie der Dichte an Herbstzeitlosen. Der höchste Colchizingehalt wurden im Folgeaufwuchs der Variante 10 Pflanzen /m² und Mulchzeitpunkt Ende Mai detektiert. Dieser lag mit 0,06 mg/kg TM jedoch dicht an der Bestimmungsgrenze von 0,01 mg/kg. Eine Verfütterung des Materials (frisch oder Heu) scheint daher unbedenklich. Tiere (z.&nbsp;B. Rinder oder Pferde mit 500 kg Körpergewicht) müssten schon unrealistisch hohe Mengen (10 t TM/d) fressen, um die tödliche Dosis von Colchizin zu erreichen. Schlussfolgernd kann die Regulation der Herbstzeitlosen auch weiterhin mittels Mulchen durchgeführt werden.Colchicum autumnale L. (Autumn crocus) is a plant with high toxicity because of its alkaloid colchicine content. In South Germany particularly, C. autumnale is widely distributed in extensively managed grassland. Farmers fear the loss of their grassland forage because hay from meadows containing C. autumnale cannot be fed to livestock. Control of C. autumnale is suggested when two plants per m² occur in the sward. Common control practice is mulching of the meadow at the beginning of May when C. autumnale plants have developed their capsules. However, it is not known if there is a contamination of the grassland plants which grow under the mulch layer due to the decaying plant material of C. autumnale. A field experiment took place where forage plants were tested for colchicine content after being exposed to a mulch layer 8 weeks before which contained different amounts of C. autumnale (0, 2, 10 plants/m²). Additionally, two dates for mulching were tested simulating different growth stages of C. autumnale (end of April -– only leaves, end of May – leaves and young capsules). Results of colchicine content show a slight contamination of the forage grass after being exposed to a mulch layer containing C. autumnale. Highest colchicine content was detected in the treatment with 10 plants/m² where mulching had taken place end of May at the growth stage ”leaves and young capsules”. However, highest colchicine content was 0.06 mg/kg DM close to the limit of quantification for colchicine (0.01&nbsp;mg/kg). Therefore, using this plant material as forage seems to be non-hazardous. Animals (cattle or horses with e.g. 500 kg) would need to feed unrealistic high amounts (10 t DM/d) of this forage to reach the deadly dose of colchicine. In conclusion, the common practice to control C. autumnale by mulching can be retained

Dietary Silicon Deficiency Does Not Exacerbate Diet-Induced Fatty Lesions in Female ApoE Knockout Mice.

BACKGROUND: Dietary silicon has been positively linked with vascular health and protection against atherosclerotic plaque formation, but the mechanism of action is unclear. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the effect of dietary silicon on 1) serum and aorta silicon concentrations, 2) the development of aortic lesions and serum lipid concentrations, and 3) the structural and biomechanic properties of the aorta. METHODS: Two studies, of the same design, were conducted to address the above objectives. Female mice, lacking the apolipoprotein E (apoE) gene, and therefore susceptible to atherosclerosis, were separated into 3 groups of 10-15 mice, each exposed to a high-fat diet (21% wt milk fat and 1.5% wt cholesterol) but with differing concentrations of dietary silicon, namely: silicon-deprived (-Si; <3-μg silicon/g feed), silicon-replete in feed (+Si-feed; 100-μg silicon/g feed), and silicon-replete in drinking water (+Si-water; 115-μg silicon/mL) for 15-19 wk. Silicon supplementation was in the form of sodium metasilicate (feed) or monomethylsilanetriol (drinking water). RESULTS: The serum silicon concentration in the -Si group was significantly lower than in the +Si-feed (by up to 78%; P < 0.003) and the +Si-water (by up to 84%; P < 0.006) groups. The aorta silicon concentration was also lower in the -Si group than in the +Si-feed group (by 65%; P = 0.025), but not compared with the +Si-water group. There were no differences in serum and aorta silicon concentrations between the silicon-replete groups. Body weights, tissue wet weights at necropsy, and structural, biomechanic, and morphologic properties of the aorta were not affected by dietary silicon; nor were the development of fatty lesions and serum lipid concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that dietary silicon has no effect on atherosclerosis development and vascular health in the apoE mouse model of diet-induced atherosclerosis, contrary to the reported findings in the cholesterol-fed rabbit model

Lipid layers on polyelectrolyte multilayer supports

The mechanism of formation of supported lipid layers from phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine vesicles in solution on polyelectrolyte multilayers was studied by a variety of experimental techniques. The interaction of zwitterionic and acidic lipid vesicles, as well as their mixtures, with polyelectrolyte supports was followed in real time by micro-gravimetry. The fabricated lipid–polyelectrolyte composite structures on top of multilayer coated colloidal particles were characterized by flow cytometry and imaging techniques. Lipid diffusion over the macroscopic scale was quantified by fluorescence recovery after photobleaching, and the diffusion was related to layer connectivity. The phospholipid–polyelectrolyte binding mechanism was investigated by infrared spectroscopy. A strong interaction of polyelectrolyte primary amino groups with phosphate and carboxyl groups of the phospholipids, leading to dehydration, was observed. Long-range electrostatic attraction was proven to be essential for vesicle spreading and rupture. Fusion of lipid patches into a homogeneous bilayer required lateral mobility of the lipids on the polyelectrolyte support. The binding of amino groups to the phosphate group of the zwitterionic lipids was too weak to induce vesicle spreading, but sufficient for strong adsorption. Only the mixture of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine resulted in the spontaneous formation of bilayers on polyelectrolyte multilayers. The adsorption of phospholipids onto multilayers displaying quarternary ammonium polymers produced a novel 3D lipid polyelectrolyte structure on colloidal particles.<br/