The TIGER Model: Application of detailed passenger and freight transport in a regional CGE setting

The present paper describes the construction and first empirical application of the TIGER model (TIGER is an abbreviation of “Transport and Infrastructure General Equilibrium model for Regionsâ€). The TIGER model belongs to the group of regional CGE models, applying a mix of conventional modelling techniques used in standard computable general equilibrium models and New Economic Geography elements. The TIGER model can be used to evaluate transport policies on economic and environmental effects. Innovative features of the TIGER model are the detailed modelling of the transport sector and modelling of commuting and migration decisions. The approach of the TIGER model is to model cross-border related transport policies on a disaggregate level, with freight and passenger transport flows, allowing for different transport modes (road, water, rail), distinguishing between public and private transport, and for different transport motives. Commuting trips will be modelled in detail, by a location-attraction function, jointly determining area of residence and place of work. The TIGER model is constructed as a regional model on the NUTS-3 level for Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg and a part of Germany, where regions are linked by interregional trade flows, transport trips and migration. In a similar way the model can be extended to all NUTS-3 regions in Europe. This paper will relate on the construction of the database for the model and the addition of innovative elements in the model, necessary to model transnational passenger and freight flows. The construction of the model is based on the available data in the TRANSTOOLS database. The detail offered by the TIGER model allows for a quantitative evaluation of effects of several transport policies with a transnational dimension in the Benelux and Germany. We will present results of the TIGER model based on a current project in the Benelux.

Time to Switch to Second-line Antiretroviral Therapy in Children With Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Europe and Thailand.

Background: Data on durability of first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are limited. We assessed time to switch to second-line therapy in 16 European countries and Thailand. Methods: Children aged <18 years initiating combination ART (≥2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors [NRTIs] plus nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor [NNRTI] or boosted protease inhibitor [PI]) were included. Switch to second-line was defined as (i) change across drug class (PI to NNRTI or vice versa) or within PI class plus change of ≥1 NRTI; (ii) change from single to dual PI; or (iii) addition of a new drug class. Cumulative incidence of switch was calculated with death and loss to follow-up as competing risks. Results: Of 3668 children included, median age at ART initiation was 6.1 (interquartile range (IQR), 1.7-10.5) years. Initial regimens were 32% PI based, 34% nevirapine (NVP) based, and 33% efavirenz based. Median duration of follow-up was 5.4 (IQR, 2.9-8.3) years. Cumulative incidence of switch at 5 years was 21% (95% confidence interval, 20%-23%), with significant regional variations. Median time to switch was 30 (IQR, 16-58) months; two-thirds of switches were related to treatment failure. In multivariable analysis, older age, severe immunosuppression and higher viral load (VL) at ART start, and NVP-based initial regimens were associated with increased risk of switch. Conclusions: One in 5 children switched to a second-line regimen by 5 years of ART, with two-thirds failure related. Advanced HIV, older age, and NVP-based regimens were associated with increased risk of switch

Ondergrondse oplossingen voor toenemende verstedelijking

Eerder gepubliceerd in Land &amp; Water, nr. 12, 2017 Verstedelijking is een wereldwijde trend. De VN voorspellen dat in 2050 bijna tweederde van de wereldbevolking in steden woont. Ook in Nederland neemt de verstedelijking toe, met onder meer een toenemende druk op de Randstad. Ondergrondse oplossingen voor bovengrondse problemen zijn noodzakelijk. Om bevolkingsgroei in steden te faciliteren, zijn ondergrondse oplossingen nodig Naar verwachting leeft in 2050 twee derde van de wereldbevoling in steden Gedacht kan worden aan ondergrondse tramtunnels en parkeerplaatsen. Ondergronds moet worden ingebed in stedelijke gebiedsontwikkelingsprocessen

Anticipeer systematisch op waarden en ondergronds bouwen

Eeder gepubliceerd in Land+Water, nr. 1/2, 2018 Om meer inzicht te krijgen in de rol van ondergrondse oplossingen in besluitvormingsprocessen is het Centrum voor Ondergronds Bouwen (COB) onderzoek gestart naar de waarde van ondergronds bouwen. Met dit onderzoek ontwikkelt het COB handvatten om de potentie van ondergronds bouwen een betere plek te geven in stedelijke besluitvormingsprocessen. De uitkomsten moeten helpen in stelijke besluitvormingsprocessen. De maatschappelijke kosten-batenanalysemethodiek (MKBA) is cruciaal. Investeringen in ondergrondse alternatieven leveren maatschappelijke baten op

Nucleation and Growth of PbBrF Crystals at the Liquid Mercury–Electrolyte Interface Studied by Operando X-ray Scattering

Detailed in operando studies of electrochemically induced PbBrF deposition at the liquid mercury/liquid electrolyte interface are presented. The nucleation and growth were monitored using time-resolved X-ray diffraction and reflectivity combined with electrochemical measurements, revealing a complex potential-dependent behavior. PbBrF deposition commences at potentials above −0.7 V with the rapid formation of an ultrathin adlayer of one unit cell thickness, on top of which (001)-oriented three-dimensional crystallites are formed. Two potential regimes are identified. At low overpotentials, slow growth of a low surface density film of large crystals is observed. At high overpotentials, crossover to a potential-independent morphology occurs, consisting of a compact PbBrF deposit with a saturation thickness of 25 nm, which forms within a few minutes. This potential behavior can be rationalized by the increasing supersaturation near the interface, caused by the potential-dependent Pb$^{2+}$ deamalgamation, which changes from a slow reaction-controlled process to a fast transport-controlled process in this range of overpotentials. In addition, growth on the liquid substrate is found to involve complex micromechanical effects, such as crystal reorientation and film breakup during dissolution

X-ray reflectivity from curved liquid interfaces

X-ray reflectivity studies of the structure of liquid–vapour and liquid–liquid interfaces at modern sources, such as free-electron lasers, are currently impeded by the lack of dedicated liquid surface diffractometers. It is shown that this obstacle can be overcome by an alternative experimental approach that uses the natural curvature of a liquid drop for variation of the angle of incidence. Two modes of operation are shown: (i) sequential reflectivity measurements by a nanometre beam and (ii) parallel acquisition of large ranges of a reflectivity curve by micrometre beams. The feasibility of the two methods is demonstrated by studies of the Hg/vapour, H$_2$O/vapour and Hg/0.1 M NaF interface. The obtained reflectivity curves match the data obtained by conventional techniques up to 5α$_c$ in micro-beam mode and up to 35α$_c$ in nano-beam mode, allowing observation of the Hg layering peak

Temperature- and potential-dependent structure of the mercury-electrolyte interface

The atomic-scale structure of the mercury-electrolyte (0.01 M NaF) interface was studied as a function oftemperature and potential by x-ray reflectivity and x-ray diffuse scattering measurements. The capillary wavecontribution is determined and removed from the data, giving access to the intrinsic surface-normal electrondensity profile at the interface, especially to the surface layering in the Hg phase. A temperature dependentroughness anomaly known from the Hg-air interface is found to persist also at the Hg-electrolyte interface.Additionally, a temperature dependence of the layering period was discovered. The increase in the layer spacingwith increasing temperature is approximately four times lager than the increase expected from thermal expansion.Finally, the interface is found to broaden towards the electrolyte side as the potential becomes more negative, inagreement with the Schmickler-Henderson theory. Our results favor a model for the interface structure, which isdifferent to the model formerly used in comparable studies

Local magnetization and strain in single magnetoelectric microrod composites

Magneto-optic Kerr effect microscopy and nanofocus X-ray diffraction are combined to investigate the local mapping of the magnetoelectric microcomposite properties of ZnO microrods coated with an amorphous (Fe90Co10)78Si12B10 layer. We follow the magnetic domain behavior and lattice deformation upon applying an external magnetic field. In addition to the expected field induced strain, we observe a local magnetic induced strain in the 10−5 range in the ZnO localized near the (Fe90Co10)78Si12B10 /ZnO interface