TRANSFORMERS - Configurable and Adaptable Trucks and Trailers for Optimal Transport

Proceedings of 7th Transport Research Arena TRA 2018, VIENNE, AUTRICHE, 16-/04/2018 - 19/04/2019; This contribution is based on the European collaborative project TRANSFORMERS (Configurable and adaptable trucks and trailers for optimal transport), which received co-funding from the European Commission. The project has the goal of reducing energy use per tonne.kilometre of goods transported by up to 25%. This is achieved by innovations including: i) Configurable whole vehicle aerodynamics, ii) Improved loading efficiency measures, iii) A distributed, trailer mounted electric driveline known as 'hybrid-on-demand' for truck-semitrailer combinations. The combination of innovations gives the possibility of a semi-trailer combination which can be adapted or re-configured to suit individual transport missions. The paper focuses on providing background to the project, an overview of the innovations developed within the project, and the main conclusions that were drawn from the wide range of work undertaken within the project. It covers both the 'Energy Efficiency' and the 'Load Optimisation' trailers which were developed and tested within the project. Document type: Conference objec

Wo finde ich das Paradies? : Konzeption und Implementierung einer Bildarchiv-Datenbank sowie Entwicklung von Metadaten- und Indexierungskonventionen für touristische Medien (Verlag FVW Mediengruppe)

Die Arbeit beschreibt Durchführung und Ergebnisse der Konzeption und Implementierung einer Bildarchiv-Datenbank, für den Verlags FVW Mediengruppe, auf der Basis von Cumulus7.1, sowie die Entwicklung von Metadaten- und Indexierungskonventionen. Nach Klärung der Nutzer-Anforderungen und der zur Verfügung stehenden Funktionen von Cumulus7.1, wurde die Bilddatenbank stufenweise entwickelt und ihre Funktionalität anhand einer Testdatenbank überprüft. Das Bildarchiv wurde erfolgreich vom Verlag FVW Mediengruppe in Betrieb genommen, Standards zur Indexierung und Arbeitsweise werden von den Nutzern angewandt und eine Erweiterung des Medienarchivs ist in Planung. Die Wichtigkeit einer frühzeitigen, grundlegende Strukturierung der Datenarchivierung im Bereich Presse wird festgestellt und die Cumulus-Software, im Falle guter Implementierung und Pflege sowie ausreichen finanzieller Mittel, als nützliches Werkzeug bei der Medienarchivierung empfohlen

COVID-19 impact on the Swiss hospitality performance: A time series analysis on 4-star hotel arrivals using seasonal ARIMA with intervention analysis

In the hospitality and tourism sector, hotel arrivals can be a good indicator of hotel performance. However, researchers usually study flight arrivals to measure tourism demand and only a limited number of studies have investigated hotel arrivals as an indicator of tourism demand and performance. Using hotel arrivals as a key performance indicator (KPI) is beneficial as the data is available daily and essential in predicting future outcomes. It also assists hotel managers and owners in deciding whether they are operating efficiently while comparing performance to the hotel’s competition. In 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak severely affected the global economy and particularly the tourism and hospitality sector, as intensifying factors to control the pandemic and reduce COVID-19 spread were directly linked to stalling tourism and travel through border closures, cancellation of flights, and changes in consumer behavior. Switzerland, one of the wealthiest countries worldwide and most sought-after tourism destination in the world, was particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic because of Switzerland's significant population mobility, extensive street and public transportation networks, compact settlement patterns, and frequent border crossings with its five surrounding nations. (i.e., France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Lichtenstein). Due to the pandemic, in 2020, total tourist demand decreased by 26.7%. The Swiss hospitality industry faced a 38.7% decrease in accommodation services and a 22.8% decrease in food and beverage serving services. Switzerland’s tourist receipts plunged by 53% due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as only CHF 9.01 billion ($9.99 billion) of the CHF 19.18 billion ($21.26 billion) (2019) remained. This study used time series analysis, a mathematical approach popularized by Box and Jenkins, to develop a Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average model (SARIMA) with intervention analysis to investigate the magnitude of COVID-19 effects on Swiss 4-star hotels. This study contributes to the hotel and tourism industry and its scholarship in several ways. This study extends the hotel and tourism literature by applying the 3-steps Box-Jenkins approach to perform a time series analysis on Swiss 4-star hotel arrival. This study investigates the magnitude of COVID-19 effects and offers empirical proof and an assessment of the COVID-19 impact on 4-star hotel arrivals. It also examines the four Swiss tourism zones (Alpine, Big Cities, Small Cities, and Rural) and reveals a significant difference in magnitude and recuperation timeline. The results show that the SARIMA model with intervention analysis may be used to model and estimate the future demand for Swiss 4-star hotel arrivals at the national and tourism zones level. Tourism stakeholders can assess future hotel arrivals and better plan for potential future crises like this one by understanding the recovery process in this unprecedented event. These findings will offer hotel managers, decision-makers, and tourism organizations trustworthy guidance for making critical decisions in the current context. The findings illustrate that the magnitude of the impact was very high during the first months of COVID-19 reaching levels of 300,000+ arrivals and 450,000+ arrivals at its peak. The findings identify the duration of COVID-19's effect on 4-star hotel arrivals and applied the SARIMA model to forecast demand at the Swiss and Swiss tourism zones levels. As a result, it was revealed that COVID-19 was a temporary change outlier and that the pandemic not only affected the number of arrivals but also shifted the start of the high season for Swiss hotels in this region

Diel activity patterns of Garden Dormice (Eliomys quercinus) assessed by camera trap data

Garden Dormouse populations have been decreasing in range and declining in number throughout Europe. Understanding, and therefore preventing, this decline is urgently needed. To devise effective conservation strategies, it is essential to gain knowledge on activity patterns of the target species. Diel activity patterns of Garden Dormice (Eliomys quercinus) were investigated at 25 different sites in Germany. Through an intensive camera-trap survey from March to October 2020 a total of 192,136 pictures were recorded in over 3,682 camera-trap days. The association between activity and environmental parameters, such as habitat (urban vs. natural), the lunar phase and sunrise and sunset, was investigated. Garden Dormice were found to be predominantly nocturnal, but were occasionally active during the day in the summer months. The peak of activity at all sites was shortly before midnight. Garden Dormice in this study did not arrange their activity according to the lunar phase. Daytime activities could be related to the presence of young or the food supply. Weather conditions and cloud cover could explain the small influence of the lunar phase on the animals’ activity. This study revealed the effectiveness of camera trapping to gather information on activity of an elusive small rodent with minimum disturbance to the animals. The data was useful for analyzing and understanding diel activities in different habitats