Land Use Conflicts and Synergies on Agricultural Land in Brandenburg, Germany

The growing and multiple interests in land as a resource has led to an increase in locally or regionally clashing land use interests on agricultural land which may result in conflicts or open up possibilities for synergies. Urbanization, food production, renewable energy production, environmental protection, and climate protection are known as key land use interests in many regions. The objective of our study is to identify and map land use conflicts, land use synergies, and areas with land use synergy potentials in the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany. We have combined different methods: an analysis of statistical data, an online survey with farmers, a primary document analysis (articles, court documents, policy documents, position papers), and a GIS-based spatial analysis. In our Brandenburg case study, we have identified the use of agricultural land for renewable energy production and environmental protection as the most relevant land use interests leading to conflict situations. We show that land use synergies can make a significant contribution to achieving environmental and climate protection goals, as well as sustainable development. Through the site-adapted and targeted establishment of agroforestry systems, agricultural areas with agri-photovoltaic systems and agricultural parcels with integrated nonproductive areas may lead to land use synergies. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the occurrence of land use conflicts and land use synergies. We highlight the potential for targeted and sustainable environmental and climate protection through the promotion of land use synergies as a result of establishing agroforestry systems and agricultural parcels with agri-photovoltaic systems and integrated nonproductive areas. Our results provide a basis for agricultural policy to promote land use systems that contribute to environmental and climate protection.Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftPeer Reviewe

A Dense Gas Trigger for OH Megamasers

HCN and CO line diagnostics provide new insight into the OH megamaser (OHM) phenomenon, suggesting a dense gas trigger for OHMs. We identify three physical properties that differentiate OHM hosts from other starburst galaxies: (1) OHMs have the highest mean molecular gas densities among starburst galaxies; nearly all OHM hosts have = 10^3-10^4 cm^-3 (OH line-emitting clouds likely have n(H2) > 10^4 cm^-3). (2) OHM hosts are a distinct population in the nonlinear part of the IR-CO relation. (3) OHM hosts have exceptionally high dense molecular gas fractions, L(HCN)/L(CO)>0.07, and comprise roughly half of this unusual population. OH absorbers and kilomasers generally follow the linear IR-CO relation and are uniformly distributed in dense gas fraction and L(HCN), demonstrating that OHMs are independent of OH abundance. The fraction of non-OHMs with high mean densities and high dense gas fractions constrains beaming to be a minor effect: OHM emission solid angle must exceed 2 pi steradians. Contrary to conventional wisdom, IR luminosity does not dictate OHM formation; both star formation and OHM activity are consequences of tidal density enhancements accompanying galaxy interactions. The OHM fraction in starbursts is likely due to the fraction of mergers experiencing a temporal spike in tidally driven density enhancement. OHMs are thus signposts marking the most intense, compact, and unusual modes of star formation in the local universe. Future high redshift OHM surveys can now be interpreted in a star formation and galaxy evolution context, indicating both the merging rate of galaxies and the burst contribution to star formation.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, accepted by ApJ Letter

Different aspects in the quantification of the Sky View Factor in complex environments.

This paper examines potential applications of the sky view factor (SVF) regarding two- or threedimensional sites. First, the concepts of the radiation budget, Lambert's cosine law and hemispherical description of radiating of en vironments are introduced and connected to the sky view factor. Based on a comparison between different models and methods which calculate the SVF, the paper then focuses on two different kinds of SVFcalculation depending on the type of analyzed site. It is assumed that in case the point of interest represents a flat, two-dimensional area, it makes sense to include the cosine law whereas in case the point of interest represents a solid three-dimensional object the application of Lambert's law could have to be applied in another way. It is shown that the inclusion or exclusion of the cosine law results in different SVF values. It is concluded that depending on the type of surveyed area, the application of a 2D- or 3D-sky view factor should be considered in order to get a better approximation of the radiation fluxes

Higher education institutions and knowledge triangle: improving the interaction between education, research and innovation

A critical review of the feasibility of the concept of the knowledge triangle (KT) as a basis for policy is presented. The research shows a gap between policy discourses and academic research. KT appears as a policy driven concept with superficial plausibility, however, has not been much analysed and evaluated. As a concept for policy making the KT seems complex and poorly understood. Few concrete approaches of the KT were observable (the European Institute of Innovation & Technology EIT and the more conceptual European Association of Institutions in Higher Education EURASHE concept). The analysis provides an analytical framework and proceeds by looking at the three two- way-relationships included, and then tries to draw extrapolations towards the three-way relationship indicated by the KT. A focus is the ‘Third Mission’ of universities, that has various, and partly contradictory meanings. A basic challenge is that the concept requires a turn from the ongoing differentiation process in higher education towards (re)-integration.Eine kritische Analyse der Literatur zur Tragfähigkeit des Konzepts des Knowledge Triangle (KT) als Basis für Politik wird präsentiert. Es zeigt sich eine Spaltung zwischen den politischen Diskursen und der Forschung. KT erscheint als oberflächliches politisches Konzept, zu dem es (noch) (fast) keine Forschungsergebnisse gibt, es wurden auch nur wenige Ansätze einer Realisierung gefunden. Auf Basis eines analytischen Rahmens werden die drei involvierten zweifach-Interaktionen im Dreieck untersucht, und es werden Extrapolationen auf die Dreifach-Interaktion vorgenommen. Einen Schwerpunkt bildet die ‚Third Mission‘ der Universitäten. Eine wesentliche Herausforderung für eine KT Politik besteht darin, dass diese die vorherrschende Tendenz der Differenzierung im Hochschulwesen zugunsten einer (Re)- Integration der Funktionen ‚umdrehen‘ muss

Intra-individual stability and assessment of the affective state in a virtual laboratory environment: a feasibility study

While virtual reality (VR) emerges in a variety of research contexts, the effects on behavior and performance caused by VR-based embodiment still lack sufficient evidence of changes in affective state. With this feasibility study, we compared the affective states in both younger and older adults, measured after conventional computer-based tests in real life (RL) and after tests in VR. These assessment tests are spread over five time points, two in RL and three in VR, and the differences between the VR and the RL environment are investigated against the backdrop of two theoretical models of cognitive psychology. Results showed no change in affective state in either age group, switching from a RL to a VR environment. In addition, the elderly did not assess their affective state significantly different than that of the younger control group. In conclusion, lifelike VR environments for cognitive testing and other assessment or training purposes do not seem to lead to any systematic influ ence of affective state compared to RL computer-based assessments, making VR an alternative to conventional methods, for instance for cognitive treatments or preventions. Although the results can only be partially generalized due to a small sample size, they show technical stability and suitability for future use of similar applications

Rapid vascularization of starchâ poly(caprolactone) in vivo by outgrowth endothelial cells in co-culture with primary osteoblasts

The successful integration of in vitro-generated tissues is dependent on adequate vascularization in vivo. Human outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs) isolated from the mononuclear cell fraction of peripheral blood represent a potent population of circulating endothelial progenitors that could provide a cell source for rapid anastomosis and scaffold vascularization. Our previous work with these cells in co-culture with primary human osteoblasts has demonstrated their potential to form perfused vascular structures within a starch–poly(caprolactone) biomaterial in vivo. In the present study, we demonstrate the ability of OECs to form perfused vascular structures as early as 48 h following subcutaneous implantation of the biomaterial in vivo. The number of OECderived vessels increased throughout the study, an effect that was independent of the OEC donor. This finding of rapid and thorough OEC-mediated scaffold vascularization demonstrates the great potential for OEC-based strategies to promote vascularization in tissue engineering. OECs have the potential to contribute to host-derived scaffold vascularization, and formed vascular structures at a similar density as those arising from the host. Additionally, immunohistochemical evidence demonstrated the close interaction between OECs and the co-cultured osteoblasts. In addition to the known paracrine activity osteoblasts have in modulating angiogenesis of co-cultured OECs, we demonstrate the potential of osteoblasts to provide additional structural support for OEC-derived vessels, perhaps acting in a pericyte-like role.The authors would like to thank Mrs B Pavic and Mrs U. Hilbig for their excellent technical assistance. This work was financially supported by grants from the European Commission (EXPERTISSUES Contract No. 500283-2) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF (German-Chinese Cooperation in Regenerative Medicine; Contract No. 0315033)

Intra-articular osteoma in the stifle joint of a cat

Case summary A 13-year-old male castrated cat was referred to our clinic for a 2-month history of right hindlimb lameness. Radiographs and CT showed a solid bony mass within the stifle joint. The mass was resected by arthrotomy and osteotomy of the tibial tuberosity. Histopathological examination revealed the diagnosis of osteoma. Recovery from surgery was uneventful. At the 8-week follow-up examination, the cat was free of clinical signs. Relevance and novel information Feline osteomas are rare; only few cases have been reported. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of an intra-articular osteoma in the stifle joint of a cat and description of its surgical resection