Open Source in accessibility analyses - Modeling of street petrol station accessibility in Germany

The paper relates two closely intertwined story lines. A socioeconomic one concentrating on street petrol station accessibility in Germany’s rural areas and a geospatial one concentrating on the usability of the Open Street Map within rural studies. This is attributed to the fact that the paper builds on findings from applied research within rural studies and is intended to serve as a “practical experiences report” assessing the usability of open source GIS/- data in rural studies. Here we analysed the accessibility of street petrol stations as one core service of general interest important for the overall individual mobility of the population, especially in rural areas, based on an exemplary raster-based GIS accessibility analysis. This analysis builds upon an open source approach using PostgreSQL/PostGIS as well as the Dijkstra shortest path algorithm implemented in the Perl-module Graph-0.94“. Besides acquiring objective data on street petrol stations accessibility for policy advice, we were also interested in reviewing the usability of OpenStreetMap (OSM) data compared to commercial routing networks (ESM). Altogether the findings suggest that in Germany, street petrol stations are for the majority of the population (ESM: 99.5%/ OSM: 99.4%) quite accessible. On average the distance to the next street petrol station amounts 5.4 km (ESM)/ 5.5 km (OSM). Regions with disadvantageous accessibility are predominantly sparsely populated. The comparison of the accessibility values calculated based on ESM and OSM showed that great differences exist in a per cell comparison as well as on the community level, whereas aggregated average accessibility values for greater aggregates like counties proved to be comparable to each other. Against the background of OSM’s lower level of completeness in rural areas an interesting but unexpected result is the fact that the accessibility values differ within urban as well as rural areas within the same range. Nevertheless, considering the identified shortcomings of the OSM, the data set still seems to show a lower performance than commercial data sets

Elektronische Wechselwirkungen zwischen Goldcluster-Monolagen durch dünne Siliziumoxid-Schichten

Monolagen bestehend aus Quantenpunkten sind in Bezug auf die zweidimensionalen, elektronischen Wechselwirkungen zwischen den Quantenpunkten von generellem Interesse. Während einzelne Quantenpunkte bereits eingehend untersucht werden konnten, ist das elektronische Verhalten der Nanopartikel untereinander noch recht unerforscht. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es Monolagen aus Quantenpunkten, hier Au55(PPh3)12Cl6 herzustellen und mit 5 nm dicken Siliziumoxid-Schichten zu einem Multischichtsystem zu kombinieren. Die Siliziumoxid-Schichten sollen die Goldcluster-Monolagen räumlich voneinander zu separieren und elektronisch voneinander zu isolieren. In horizontalen, elektrischen Messungen soll die Leitfähigkeit innerhalb der Monolage untersucht werden. Im Besonderen jedoch sollen vertikale, elektrische Messungen Erkenntnisse über die maximale Tunnelfähigkeit durch isolierende Zwischenschichten liefern. Die Goldcluster(Au55(PPh3)12Cl6)-Monolagen wurden erfolgreich durch 5 nm dicke Siliziumoxid-Schichten voneinander getrennt und in Multischichtsystemen angeordnet. Die Goldcluster-Monolagen wurden mittels der Langmuir-Blodgett-Technique und dem Spincoating-Verfahren, die Siliziumoxid-Schichten mit einem anodischen Lichtbogenverfahren reproduzierbar hergestellt. Es wurden Multischichtsysteme bestehend aus einer bis zu acht Cluster/SiOx-Kombinationen auf einem Goldsubstrat aufgebaut und untersucht. Alle Proben zeigten in dem Spannungsbereich von -5 bis +5 mV eine lineare Strom/Spannungs-Kennlinie, Vergleichsmessungen an Schichtsystemen, die keine Goldcluster-Monolagen enthielten, jedoch mit deutlich höheren Widerständen. Des Weiteren fiel die Stromstärke bei Multischichtsystemen mit Goldcluster-Monolagen exponentiell mit steigender Schichtanzahl ab. Dieses Strom-/Spannungsverhalten ist einem Tunnelprozess hervorgerufen durch die Goldcluster-Monolagen durch die Siliziumoxid-Schichten zuzuordnen. Auf diese Weise konnten erstmalig Tunnelprozesse über eine Distanz von 5,7 nm zwischen zwei benachbarten Clustern nachgewiesen werden

Building a Typology of European Rural Areas for the Spatial Impact Assessment of Policies (TERA-SIAP)

Within the TERA-SIAP project, we developed a set of regional typologies (at NUTS3 level) which provide a suitable basis for Spatial Impact Assessments of a range of current and possible kinds of intervention (Generic Policy Issues) for rural areas. From a range of socio-economic models, we selected Regional Input-Output Models for the Spatial Impact Assessment of two Axis 3 measures (diversification of rural economy, and renovation and development of villages). One of the seven typologies developed, which focused on economic diversification, was used to identify a set of representative case study regions. The modelling results for the 16 case regions illustrated the fact that different types of rural economies are clearly associated with different patterns of policy impacts and that typologies can assist in the choice of appropriate representative regions. The combination of typologies and models are shown to have the potential to enhance the capacity for quantitative Spatial Impact Assessment of rural policy.JRC.DDG.J.5-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

State of the art of windthermal turbines: A systematic scoping review of direct wind-to-heat conversion technologies

Windthermal turbines convert wind directly into thermal energy. Albeit it is an uncharted field of research, the overall system efficiency and costs of fully developed windthermal turbines are promising; since they can contribute to a sustainable energy transition. We identify the current state of the art of windthermal conversion principles, technology maturity, applications, substitutes, advantages and disadvantages. To scope relevant literature, we follow the Joanna Briggs Institutes selection and screening process resulting in 61 relevant publications from which we identified three main conversion types, namely compression-, friction-, and induction-based windthermal devices. These devices can directly supply thermal energy for space heating or industrial processes, work as a component of wind-powered thermal energy systems, short WTES, or can substitute any conventional or renewable heat device. Although heat is the lowest form of energy, windthermal applications could provide cheap renewable energy that can be stored easily enhancing security of supply. However, these technologies are currently on laboratory-scale, and we suggest scaling up the existing prototypes to engineering-scale. Finally, due to a missing general terminology, we propose to establish one of the terms windthermal energy, ventothermal energy or anemothermal energy to distinguish these specific wind energy conversion technologies

Ländliche Räume im Fokus: der Landatlas als neue Informationsplattform

Seit Ende 2016 ermöglicht der digitale Landatlas des Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Instituts (www.landatlas.de) allen Interessierten, sich aktuell, kleinräumig und flächendeckend über ländliche Räume in Deutschland zu informieren. Mit seinen interaktiven Karten gibt der Landatlas einen breiten Überblick über die soziale, demographische, ökonomische und Versorgungssituation in unterschiedlichen Gebietseinheiten und dies auch im Vergleich zu nicht-ländlichen Räumen. In neun Themenbereichen werden gegenwärtig 55 Indikatoren der Lebensqualität auf Kreis- und, wenn verfügbar, auf Gemeindeverbandsebene dargestellt. Dabei erfolgt zum einen eine Sekundäraufbereitung von Daten der amtlichen Statistik, zum anderen werden Ergebnisse des Thünen-Erreichbarkeitsmodells dargestellt. Dem Landatlas liegt eine Neuabgrenzung ländlicher Räume zugrunde. Dabei wird von einem relationalen Verständnis von Ländlichkeit ausgegangen, wonach dünn besiedelte Räume und städtische Ballungszentren die Pole der Siedlungsstruktur und Landnutzung darstellen. Dieser Abgrenzung zufolge leben ca. 57 Prozent der Bevölkerung auf 91 Prozent der Fläche Deutschlands in ländlichen Räumen. Außerdem werden diese Räume nach ihrer sozioökonomischen Lage differenziert. Der Landatlas ist als Informationsinstrument für die breite Öffentlichkeit konzipiert und soll künftig als kontinuierliches Monitoring weiterentwickelt werden

Monazite-Type SmPO4_{4} as Potential Nuclear Waste Form: Insights into Radiation Effects from Ion-Beam Irradiation and Atomistic Simulations

Single-phase monazite-type ceramics are considered as potential host matrices for the conditioning of separated plutonium and minor actinides. Sm-orthophosphates were synthesised and their behaviour under irradiation was investigated with respect to their long-term performance in the repository environment. Sintered SmPO$_{4}$ pellets and thin lamellae were irradiated with 1, 3.5, and 7 MeV Au ions, up to fluences of 5.1 × 10$^{14}$ ions cm$^{-2}$ to simulate ballistic effects of recoiling nuclei resulting from α-decay of incorporated actinides. Threshold displacement energies for monazite-type SmPO$_{4}$ subsequently used in SRIM/TRIM simulations were derived from atomistic simulations. Raman spectra obtained from irradiated lamellae revealed vast amorphisation at the highest fluence used, although local annealing effects were observed. The broadened, but still discernible, band of the symmetrical stretching vibration in SmPO4 and the negligible increase in P–O bond lengths suggest that amorphisation of monazite is mainly due to a breaking of Ln–O bonds. PO$_{4}$ groups show structural disorder in the local environment but seem to behave as tight units. Annealing effects observed during the irradiation experiment and the distinctively lower dose rates incurred in actinide bearing waste forms and potential α-radiation-induced annealing effects indicate that SmPO$_{4}$-based waste forms have a high potential for withstanding amorphisation

Treatment effect variability in brain stimulation across psychiatric disorders: A meta-analysis of variance

Noninvasive brain stimulation methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are promising add-on treatments for a number of psychiatric conditions. Yet, some of the initial excitement is wearing off. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) have found inconsistent results. This inconsistency is suspected to be the consequence of variation in treatment effects and solvable by identifying responders in RCTs and individualizing treatment. However, is there enough evidence from RCTs that patients respond differently to treatment? This question can be addressed by comparing the variability in the active stimulation group with the variability in the sham group. We searched MEDLINE/PubMed and included all double-blinded, sham-controlled RCTs and crossover trials that used TMS or tDCS in adults with a unipolar or bipolar depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder, or obsessive compulsive disorder. In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines to ensure data quality and validity, we extracted a measure of variability of the primary outcome. A total of 130 studies with 5748 patients were considered in the analysis. We calculated variance-weighted variability ratios for each comparison of active stimulation vs sham and entered them into a random-effects model. We hypothesized that treatment effect variability in TMS or tDCS would be reflected by increased variability after active compared with sham stimulation, or in other words, a variability ratio greater than one. Across diagnoses, we found only a minimal increase in variability after active stimulation compared with sham that did not reach statistical significance (variability ratio = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.97, 1.08, P = 0.358). In conclusion, this study found little evidence for treatment effect variability in brain stimulation, suggesting that the need for personalized or stratified medicine is still an open question