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Instrumental data show that the groundwater and lake levels in Northeast Germany have decreased over the past decades, and this process has accelerated over the past few years. In addition to global warming, the direct influence of humans on the local water balance is suspected to be the cause. Since the instrumental data usually go back only a few decades, little is known about the multidecadal to centennial-scale trend, which also takes long-term climate variation and the long-term influence by humans on the water balance into account. This study aims to quantitatively reconstruct the surface water areas in the Lower Havel Inner Delta and of adjacent Lake Gulpe in Brandenburg. The analysis includes the calculation of surface water areas from historical and modern maps from 1797 to 2020. The major finding is that surface water areas have decreased by approximately 30% since the pre-industrial period, with the decline being continuous. Our data show that the comprehensive measures in Lower Havel hydro-engineering correspond with groundwater lowering that started before recent global warming. Further, large-scale melioration measures with increasing water demands in the upstream wetlands beginning from the 1960s to the 1980s may have amplified the decline in downstream surface water areas.
Economic crises as critical junctures for policy and structural changes towards decarbonization
(2024)
Crises may act as tipping points for decarbonization pathways by triggering structural economic change or offering windows of opportunity for policy change. We investigate both types of effects of the global financial and COVID-19 crises on decarbonization in Spain and Germany through a quantitative Kaya-decomposition analysis of CO2 emissions and through a qualitative review of climate and energy policy changes. We show that the global financial crisis resulted in a critical juncture for Spanish CO2 emissions due to the combined effects of the deep economic recession and crisis-induced structural change, resulting in reductions in carbon and energy intensities and shifts in the economic structure. However, the crisis also resulted in a rollback of renewable energy policy, halting progress in the transition to green electricity. The impacts were less pronounced in Germany, where pre-existing decarbonization and policy trends continued after the crisis. Recovery packages had modest effects, primarily due to their temporary nature and the limited share of climate-related spending. The direct short-term impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on CO2 emissions were more substantial in Spain than in Germany. The policy responses in both countries sought to align short-term economic recovery with the long-term climate change goals of decarbonization, but it is too soon to observe their lasting effects. Our findings show that crises can affect structural change and support decarbonization but suggest that such effects depend on pre-existing trends, the severity of the crisis and political manoeuvring during the crisis.
Insights into the geographical origin and phylogeographical patterns of Paradisaea birds-of-paradise
(2022)
Birds-of-paradise represent a textbook example for geographical speciation and sexual selection. Perhaps the most iconic genus is Paradisaea, which is restricted to New Guinea and a few surrounding islands. Although several species concepts have been applied in the past to disentangle the different entities within this genus, no attempt has been made so far to uncover phylogeographical patterns based on a genetic dataset that includes multiple individuals per species. Here, we applied amplicon sequencing for the mitochondrial fragment Cytb for a total of 69 museum specimens representing all seven Paradisaea species described and inferred both phylogenetic relationships and colonization pathways across the island. Our analyses show that the most recent common ancestor of the diverging lineages within Paradisaea probably originated in the Late Miocene in the eastern part of the Central Range and suggest that tectonic processes played a key role in shaping the diversification and distribution of species. All species were recovered as monophyletic, except for those within the apoda-minor-raggiana clade, which comprises the allopatric and parapatric species P. apoda, P. minor and P. raggiana. The comparatively young divergence times, together with possible instances of mitochondrial introgression and incomplete lineage sorting, suggest recent speciation in this clade.
A dataset of 2184 field measurements reported in the literature was used to evaluate the predictive capability of eight conventional flow resistance equations to predict the mean flow velocity in gravel-bed rivers. The results reveal considerable disagreement with the observed flow velocities for relative submergence less than 4 and for the non-uniformity of the bed material greater than 7.5 for all the equations. However, the predictions made using the Smart and Jaggi (1983), Ferguson (2007), and Rickenmann and Recking (2011) equations were closer to the observed values. Furthermore, bedload sediment transport also reduces the predictive capability of the equations considered in this study except for the Recking et al. (2008) equation, which was developed consid- ering active bedload transport. The performance of flow resistance equations improves when corrected by considering the geometric standard deviation of the bed material. Here we present an empirical approach using the whole dataset and its subsets for accounting for the additional energy losses occurring due to the wake vortices, spill losses, and free surface instabilities occurring due to the protrusions from the bed. The results obtained using the validation dataset shows the importance and usefulness of this approach to account for the additional energy losses, especially for the Strickler (1923) and Keulegan (1938) equations.
Statistical distributions of flood peak discharge often show heavy tail behavior, that is, extreme floods are more likely to occur than would be predicted by commonly used distributions that have exponential asymptotic behavior.
This heavy tail behavior may surprise flood managers and citizens, as human intuition tends to expect light tail behavior, and the heaviness of the tails is very difficult to predict, which may lead to unnecessarily high flood damage.
Despite its high importance, the literature on the heavy tail behavior of flood distributions is rather fragmented.
In this review, we provide a coherent overview of the processes causing heavy flood tails and the implications for science and practice.
Specifically, we propose nine hypotheses on the mechanisms causing heavy tails in flood peak distributions related to processes in the atmosphere, the catchment, and the river system.
We then discuss to which extent the current knowledge supports or contradicts these hypotheses.
We also discuss the statistical conditions for the emergence of heavy tail behavior based on derived distribution theory and relate them to the hypotheses and flood generation mechanisms.
We review the degree to which the heaviness of the tails can be predicted from process knowledge and data. Finally, we recommend further research toward testing the hypotheses and improving the prediction of heavy tails.
Continuous pollen and chironomid records from Lake Emanda (65 degrees 17'N, 135 degrees 45'E) provide new insights into the Late Quaternary environmental history of the Yana Highlands (Yakutia). Larch forest with shrubs (alders, pines, birches) dominated during the deposition of the lowermost sediments suggesting its Early Weichselian [Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5] age. Pollen- and chironomid-based climate reconstructions suggest July temperatures (T-July) slightly lower than modern. Gradually increasing amounts of herb pollen and cold stenotherm chironomid head capsules reflect cooler and drier environments, probably during the termination of MIS 5. T-July dropped to 8 degrees C. Mostly treeless vegetation is reconstructed during MIS 3. Tundra and steppe communities dominated during MIS 2. Shrubs became common after similar to 14.5 ka BP but herb-dominated habitats remained until the onset of the Holocene. Larch forests with shrub alder and dwarf birch dominated after the Holocene onset, ca. 11.7 ka BP. Decreasing amounts of shrub pollen during the Lateglacial are assigned to the Older Dryas and Younger Dryas with T-July similar to 7.5 degrees C. T-July increased up to 13 degrees C. Shrub stone pine was present after similar to 7.5 ka BP. The vegetation has been similar to modern since ca. 5.8 ka BP. Chironomid diversity and concentration in the sediments increased towards the present day, indicating the development of richer hydrobiological communities in response to the Holocene thermal maximum.
1. Der Staat ist nach dem Krankenhausfinanzierungsgesetz und dem Grundgesetz zur funktionsgerechten Finanzierung der in den Krankenhausplan eines Landes aufgenommenen (Plan-)Krankenhäuser verpflichtet. Um die Versorgung der Bevölkerung mit Krankenhausbehandlung sicherzustellen, müssen die Länder sämtliche bei wirtschaftlicher Betriebsführung notwendigen Investitionskosten der Plankrankenhäuser decken (§ 1 Abs. 1, § 4 Nr. 1, § 9 Abs. 5 KHG, Art. 12 Abs. 1 GG). Es gilt das Kostendeckungsprinzip. Die Sozialleistungsträger müssen Krankenhäuser durch leistungsgerechte Erlöse aus den Pflegesätzen wirtschaftlich sichern (§ 1 Abs. 1, § 4 Nr. 2 KHG, Art. 12 Abs. 1 GG).
2. Die Vergütung der Krankenhäuser durch die Sozialleistungsträger ist unzureichend. Die Fallpauschalen des DRG-Systems bleiben hinter dem zur Betriebskostenfinanzierung erforderlichen Maß zurück, weil die anhaltenden Preissteigerungen in den Landesbasisfallwerten nicht ausreichend berücksichtigt sind.
3. Die Länder kommen ihrer gesetzlichen und verfassungsrechtlichen Verpflichtung zur Übernahme der notwendigen Investitionskosten der Plankrankenhäuser seit vielen Jahren ungenügend nach.
4. Vor allem Kommunen, aber auch Länder gewähren staatlichen Krankenhäusern Ausgleichsleistungen wie Jahresfehlbetragsdeckungen, Investitions- und Betriebskostenzuschüsse, Eigenkapitalerhöhungen, zinsvergünstigte Darlehen, kostenfreie Bürgschaften und Liquiditätshilfen (sog. Defizitausgleich). Eine weitere Form des selektiven Defizitausgleichs ist die Übernahme der Kosten von Entlastungstarifverträgen staatlicher Kliniken durch Länder. Freigemeinnützige und private Krankenhäuser erhalten bislang keinen solchen Defizitausgleich.
5. Der selektive Defizitausgleich eines Landes nur für staatliche Krankenhäuser verstößt gegen das gesetzliche (§ 1 Abs. 2 S. 1 und 2 KHG) und verfassungsrechtliche (Art. 12 Abs. 1 i.V.m. Art. 3 Abs. 1 GG) Gebot der Gleichbehandlung der Plankrankenhäuser (Prinzip der Trägervielfalt). Er ist des halb rechts- und verfassungswidrig.
6. Ein selektiver Defizitausgleich von Kommunen nur für eigene (kommunale) Krankenhäuser verstößt gegen das landesgesetzliche Prinzip der Trägervielfalt und das Gleichbehandlungsgebot des Art. 3 Abs. 1 GG und ist somit unzulässig.
7. Auf eigene Krankenhäuser beschränkte Ausgleichsleistungen von Kommunen oder Ländern sind eine unzulässige Beihilfe i.S.d. Art. 107 Abs. 1 AEUV und deshalb unvereinbar mit dem EU-Beihilferecht. Das gilt sowohl, wenn staatliche Krankenhäuser Ausgleichsleistungen für die Versorgung der Bevölkerung mit Krankenhausbehandlung (s. § 109 Abs. 1 S. 1 und 2, Abs. 4 S. 2 SGB V) erhalten, als auch, wenn der Ausgleich „Gegenleistung“ für eine hoheitlich auferlegte Betriebspflicht ist. Eine wirksame Durchsetzung des EU-Beihilferechts und effektiver Rechtsschutz für nicht begünstigte freigemeinnützige und private Krankenhäuser erfordern Transparenz und eine entsprechende Veröffentlichung der Betrauungsakte der Länder und Kommunen.
8. Ein Defizitausgleich für alle in den Krankenhausplan eines Landes aufgenommenen (Plan-)Krankenhäuser ist beihilferechtlich zulässig. Da sämtliche Plankrankenhäuser Dienstleistungen von allgemeinem wirtschaftlichen Interesse (DAWI) erbringen (gesetzliche Pflicht zur Versorgung der Bevölkerung mit Krankenhausbehandlung), müssen sie nach dem EU-Beihilferecht bei staatlichen Ausgleichsleistungen für die Erfüllung der Versorgungspflicht gleichbehandelt werden. Art. 107 Abs. 1 AEUV ist entsprochen, wenn entweder ein selektiver Defizitausgleich für staatliche Plankrankenhäuser unterbleibt bzw. aufgehoben und rückabgewickelt wird oder alle – staatlichen, freigemeinnützigen und privaten Plankrankenhäuser – gleichgefördert werden.
9. Diese nach dem EU-Beihilferecht bestehende Wahlmöglichkeit kann den Ländern nach nationalem Recht verschlossen sein. Ein Ausgleich der Länder für Investitionskosten ist prinzipiell erforderlich, um der gesetzlichen Verpflichtung aus § 1 Abs. 1, § 4 Nr. 1, § 9 Abs. 5 KHG nachzukommen und die notwendigen Investitionskosten der Plankrankenhäuser unter Beachtung betriebswirtschaftlicher Grundsätze zu decken. Freigemeinnützige und private Krankenhäuser haben Anspruch auf Ausgleichsleistungen zur Investitionskostendeckung bereits wegen des gesetzlichen Gebots funktionsgerechter Finanzierung (§ 8 Abs. 1 S. 1 KHG) und aus ihrem Grundrecht der Berufsfreiheit (Art. 12 Abs. 1 GG). Ihnen kann dieser Anspruch aber auch wegen des gesetzlichen und verfassungsrechtlichen Gebots der Gleichbehandlung zustehen. Gewähren die Länder staatlichen Plankrankenhäusern bei wirtschaftlicher Betriebsführung Ausgleichsleistungen, um ihrer Verpflichtung zur Übernahme notwendiger Investitionskosten nachzukommen, müssen sie freigemeinnützigen und privaten Plankrankenhäusern nach dem Gleichbehandlungsgebot einen entsprechenden Ausgleich zahlen (§ 8 Abs. 1 S. 1 i.V.m. § 1 Abs. 2 S. 1 und 2 KHG, Art. 12 Abs. 1 i.V.m. Art. 3 Abs. 1 GG). Einer nach nationalem Recht gebotenen, gleichen Förderung aller Plankrankenhäuser steht das EU-Beihilferecht nicht entgegen.
10. Die Kommunen sind dagegen nach nationalem Recht (über die Krankenhausumlage hinaus) nicht zur Krankenhausfinanzierung verpflichtet. Sie entscheiden gem. Art. 28 Abs. 2 S. 1 GG (Gemeinden) bzw. gem. Art. 28 Abs. 2 S. 2 GG i.V.m. Landeskrankenhausrecht (Gemeindeverbände) eigenverantwortlich, ob und in welchem Umfang sie Plankrankenhäuser unter Beachtung des Wirtschaftlichkeitsgebots finanziell unterstützen (Investitions- und Betriebskosten). Dementsprechend engt das nationale Recht die nach EU-Beihilferecht bestehende Wahlmöglichkeit für Kommunen nicht ein, selektive Ausgleichsleistungen für kommunale Krankenhäuser zu unterlassen bzw. aufzuheben und rückabzuwickeln oder sie so umzugestalten, dass freigemeinnützige und private Plankrankenhäuser die gleiche Förderung erhalten. Scheidet allerdings eine Rückzahlung der von Kommunen an ihre Krankenhäuser gezahlten Finanzmittel wegen tatsächlicher Unmöglichkeit aus, wird dem EU-Beihilferecht nur entsprochen, wenn die Kommunen freigemeinnützige und private Plankrankenhäuser gleichermaßen fördern.
11. Ohne eine Nachzahlung der in den letzten Jahren unterbliebenen Förderung durch die Sozialleistungsträger und die Länder ist die anstehende Krankenhausreform für die Krankenhäuser nicht zu bewältigen. Um die geplante Umstellung auf neue Versorgungslevel und Leistungsgruppen vornehmen und die hiermit verbundenen kostenintensiven Umstrukturierungsprozesse leisten zu können, muss die infolge unzureichender Krankenhausfinanzierung entstandene Unterfinanzierung der Krankenhäuser vor der Reform behoben werden. Die Forderungen nach „Vorschaltgesetzen“ sind daher berechtigt.
Effect of temperature on the densification of silicate melts to lower earth's mantle conditions
(2022)
Physical properties of silicate melts play a key role for global planetary dynamics, controlling for example volcanic eruption styles, mantle convection and elemental cycling in the deep Earth. They are significantly modified by structural changes at the atomic scale due to external parameters such as pressure and temperature or due to chemistry. Structural rearrangements such as 4- to 6-fold coordination change of Si with increasing depth may profoundly influence melt properties, but have so far mostly been studied at ambient temperature due to experimental difficulties. In order to investigate the structural properties of silicate melts and their densification mechanisms at conditions relevant to the deep Earth's interior, we studied haplo basaltic glasses and melts (albite-diopside composition) at high pressure and temperature conditions in resistively and laser-heated diamond anvil cells using X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy. Samples were doped with 10 wt% of Ge, which is accessible with this experimental technique and which commonly serves as a structural analogue for the network forming cation Si. We acquired spectra on the Ge K edge up to 48 GPa and 5000 K and derived the average Ge-O coordination number NGe-O, and bond distance RGe-O as functions of pressure. Our results demonstrate a continuous transformation from tetrahedral to octahedral coordination between ca. 5 and 30 GPa at ambient temperature. Above 1600 K the data reveal a reduction of the pressure needed to complete conversion to octahedral coordination by ca. 30 %. The results allow us to determine the influence of temperature on the Si coordination number changes in natural melts in the Earth's interior. We propose that the complete transition to octahedral coordination in basaltic melts is reached at about 40 GPa, corresponding to a depth of ca. 1200 km in the uppermost lower mantle. At the core-mantle boundary (2900 km, 130 GPa, 3000 K) the existence of non-buoyant melts has been proposed to explain observed low seismic wave velocity features. Our results highlight that the melt composition can affect the melt density at such extreme conditions and may strongly influence the structural response.
The H alpha spectral line is a well-studied absorption line revealing properties of the highly structured and dynamic solar chromosphere. Typical features with distinct spectral signatures in H alpha include filaments and prominences, bright active-region plages, superpenumbrae around sunspots, surges, flares, Ellerman bombs, filigree, and mottles and rosettes, among others. This study is based on high-spectral resolution H alpha spectra obtained with the Echelle spectrograph of the Vacuum Tower Telescope (VTT) located at Observatorio del Teide, Tenerife, Spain. The t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) is a machine-learning algorithm, which is used for nonlinear dimensionality reduction. In this application, it projects H alpha spectra onto a two-dimensional map, where it becomes possible to classify the spectra according to results of cloud model (CM) inversions. The CM parameters optical depth, Doppler width, line-of-sight velocity, and source function describe properties of the cloud material. Initial results of t-SNE indicate its strong discriminatory power to separate quiet-Sun and plage profiles from those that are suitable for CM inversions. In addition, a detailed study of various t-SNE parameters is conducted, the impact of seeing conditions on the classification is assessed, results for various types of input data are compared, and the identified clusters are linked to chromospheric features. Although t-SNE proves to be efficient in clustering high-dimensional data, human inference is required at each step to interpret the results. This exploratory study provides a framework and ideas on how to tailor a classification scheme toward specific spectral data and science questions.
Die Mehrheit aktueller Studien schätzt das Transformationspotenzial digitaler Technologien für Organisationen hoch ein. In Auseinandersetzung mit dieser Einschätzung entwickelt der Artikel eine konzeptionelle organisationssoziologische Perspektive auf das Verhältnis von Organisation und digitalen Technologien. Wir nutzen diese Perspektive, um den Fall des Predictive Policing in Deutschland zu betrachten und die Entscheidung zur Adaption der Technologie, ihre organisationale Situierung sowie die Rolle des Organisationstyps zu diskutieren. Unsere Perspektive führt zu einem zurückhaltenden Urteil über das Transformationspotenzial dieser digitalen Technologie, die wir daher als Reform unter anderen Reformen begreifen. Insgesamt argumentieren wir dafür, Digitalisierung stärker als bisher als heterogenen Prozess zu verstehen.
Climate change projections predict that Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) are becoming hotter and drier and that fires will become more frequent and severe.
While most plant species in these important biodiversity hotspots are adapted to hot, dry summers and recurrent fire, the Interval Squeeze framework suggests that reduced seed production (demographic shift), reduced seedling establishment after fire (post fire recruitment shift), and reduction in the time between successive fires (fire interval shift) will threaten fire killed species under climate change.
One additional potential driver of accelerated species decline, however, has not been considered so far: the decrease in pollination success observed in many ecosystems worldwide has the potential to further reduce seed accumulation and thus population persistence also in these already threatened systems.
Using the well-studied fire-killed and serotinous shrub species Banksia hookeriana as an example, we apply a new spatially implicit population simulation model to explore population dynamics under past (1988-2002) and current (2003-2017) climate conditions, deterministic and stochastic fire regimes, and alternative scenarios of pollination decline.
Overall, model results suggest that while B. hookeriana populations were stable under past climate conditions, they will not continue to persist under current (and prospective future) climate.
Negative effects of climatic changes and more frequent fires are reinforced by the measured decline in seed set leading to further reduction in the mean persistence time by 12-17%.
These findings clearly indicate that declining pollination rates can be a critical factor that increases further the pressure on the persistence of fire-killed plants.
Future research needs to investigate whether other fire-killed species are similarly threatened, and if local population extinction may be compensated by recolonization events, facilitating persistence in spatially structured meta-communities.
The radiation-sensitive field-effect transistors (RADFETs) with an oxide thickness of 400 nm are irradiated with gate voltages of 2, 4 and 6 V, and without gate voltage.
A detailed analysis of the mechanisms responsible for the creation of traps during irradiation is performed.
The creation of the traps in the oxide, near and at the silicon/silicon-dioxide (Si/SiO2) interface during irradiation is modelled very well. This modelling can also be used for other MOS transistors containing SiO2.
The behaviour of radiation traps during postirradiation annealing is analysed, and the corresponding functions for their modelling are obtained. The switching traps (STs) do not have significant influence on threshold voltage shift, and two radiation-induced trap types fit the fixed traps (FTs) very well. The fading does not depend on the positive gate voltage applied during irradiation, but it is twice lower in case there is no gate voltage.
A new dosimetric parameter, called the Golden Ratio (GR), is proposed, which represents the ratio between the threshold voltage shift after irradiation and fading after spontaneous annealing. This parameter can be useful for comparing MOS dosimeters.
The formation of large polarons has been proposed as reason for the high defect tolerance, low mobility, low charge carrier trapping, and low nonradiative recombination rates of lead halide perovskites. Recently, direct evidence for large-polaron formation has been reported from a 50% effective mass enhancement in angle-resolved photoemission of CsPbBr3 over theory for the orthorhombic structure. We present in-depth band dispersion measurements of CsPbBr3 and GW calculations, which lead to similar effective masses at the valence band maximum of 0.203 1 0.016 m0 in experiment and 0.226 m0 in orthorhombic theory. We argue that the effective mass can be explained solely on the basis of electron-electron correlation and largepolaron formation cannot be concluded from photoemission data.
Care work 4.0
(2022)
Care-Berufe verändern sich durch demographische, technologische und wirtschaftliche Entwicklungen. Zuletzt erhöhen auch gesundheitspolitische Herausforderungen und die COVID-19 Maßnahmenpolitik den Druck auf das Sozial- und Gesundheitssystem. Dadurch befindet sich die bezahlte Care-Arbeit im berufsstrukturellen Wandel, d. h. es entstehen neue Bedingungen für und Anforderungen an diese Tätigkeiten, die in Österreich mehrheitlich von Frauen ausgeübt werden.
Das Buch analysiert die sicherheitsbehördlichen Ermittlungen zu der rechten Terrorgruppe „Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund“ aus einer Routine- und Lernperspektive. Im Fokus stehen die Ermittlungen der thüringischen Sicherheitsbehörden ab 1998 sowie die bundesweiten polizeilichen Ermittlungen ab 2000. Die Analyse zeigt, dass es jeweils organisationale Faktoren waren, die den Misserfolg der Ermittlungen begünstigten: die sicherheitsbehördlichen Ermittlungsroutinen wurden durch Aufmerksamkeitsverschiebungen unsystematisch, durch mikropolitische Konflikte beeinträchtigt und durch vergangene Erfahrungen limitiert, die zu enge Prämissen für gegenwärtige Ermittlungen setzten. Insgesamt verdeutlicht die Studie, dass eine organisationssoziologische Perspektive auf die Ermittlungen einen entscheidenden Beitrag zum Verständnis des NSU-Komplexes bietet.
- der Ermittlungsfall NSU erstmal organisationssoziologisch analysisiert
- Untersuchung von Führungsfragen und Polizeikultur
- theoretischer innovativer Ansatz in der Polizeiforschung
Monitoring agricultural systems becomes increasingly important in the context of global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, population growth, and the rising demand for agricultural products. High-resolution, national-scale maps of agricultural land are needed to develop strategies for future sustainable agriculture.
However, the characterization of agricultural land cover over large areas and for multiple years remains challenging due to the locally diverse and temporally variable characteristics of cultivated land.
We here propose a workflow for generating national agricultural land cover maps on a yearly basis that accounts for varying environmental conditions. We tested the approach by mapping 24 agricultural land cover classes in Germany for the three years 2017, 2018, and 2019, in which the meteorological conditions strongly differed.
We used a random forest classifier and dense time series data from Sentinel-2 and Landsat 8 in combination with monthly Sentinel-1 composites and environmental data and evaluated the relative importance of optical, radar, and environmental data.
Our results show high overall accuracy and plausible class accuracies for the most dominant crop types across different years despite the strong inter-annual meteorological variability and the presence of drought and nondrought years. The maps show high spatial consistency and good delineation of field parcels.
Combining optical, SAR, and environmental data increased overall accuracies by 6% to 10% compared to single sensor approaches, in which optical data outperformed SAR. Overall accuracy ranged between 78% and 80%, and the mapped areas aligned well with agricultural statistics at the regional and national level.
Based on the multi-year dataset we mapped major crop sequences of cereals and leaf crops. Most crop sequences were dominated by winter cereals followed by summer cereals.
Monocultures of summer cereals were mainly revealed in the Northwest of Germany. We showcased that high spatial and thematic detail in combination with annual mapping will stimulate research on crop cycles and studies to assess the impact of environmental policies on management decisions.
Our results demonstrate the capabilities of integrated optical time series and SAR data in combination with variables describing local and seasonal environmental conditions for annual large-area crop type mapping.
The past three decades of policy process studies have seen the emergence of a clear intellectual lineage with regard to complexity. Implicitly or explicitly, scholars have employed complexity theory to examine the intricate dynamics of collective action in political contexts. However, the methodological counterparts to complexity theory, such as computational methods, are rarely used and, even if they are, they are often detached from established policy process theory. Building on a critical review of the application of complexity theory to policy process studies, we present and implement a baseline model of policy processes using the logic of coevolving networks. Our model suggests that an actor's influence depends on their environment and on exogenous events facilitating dialogue and consensus-building. Our results validate previous opinion dynamics models and generate novel patterns. Our discussion provides ground for further research and outlines the path for the field to achieve a computational turn.
Social theory has long predicted that social mobility, in particular downward social mobility, is detrimental to the well-being of individuals. Dissociative and “falling from grace” theories suggest that mobility is stressful due to the weakening of social ties, feelings of alienation, and loss of status. In light of these theories, it is a puzzle that the majority of quantitative studies in this area have shown null results. Our approach to resolve the puzzle is two-fold. First, we argue for a broader conception of the mobility process than is often used and thus focus on intragenerational occupational class mobility rather than restricting ourselves to the more commonly studied intergenerational mobility. Second, we argue that self-reported measures may be biased by habituation (or “entrenched deprivation”). Using nurse-collected health and biomarker data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (2010–2012, N = 4,123), we derive a measure of allostatic load as an objective gauge of physiological “wear and tear” and compare patterns of mobility effects with self-reports of health using diagonal reference models. Our findings indicate a strong class gradient in both allostatic load and self-rated health, and that both first and current job matter for current well-being outcomes. However, in terms of the effects of mobility itself, we find that intragenerational social mobility is consequential for allostatic load, but not for self-rated health. Downward mobility is detrimental and upward mobility beneficial for well-being as assessed by allostatic load. Thus, these findings do not support the idea of generalized stress from dissociation, but they do support the “falling from grace” hypothesis of negative downward mobility effects. Our findings have a further implication, namely that the differences in mobility effects between the objective and subjective outcome infer the presence of entrenched deprivation. Null results in studies of self-rated outcomes may therefore be a methodological artifact, rather than an outright rejection of decades-old social theory.
Despite advanced seismological techniques, automatic source characterization for microseismic earthquakes remains difficult and challenging since current inversion and modelling of high-frequency signals are complex and time consuming. For real-time applications such as induced seismicity monitoring, the application of standard methods is often not fast enough for true complete real-time information on seismic sources. In this paper, we present an alternative approach based on recent advances in deep learning for rapid source-parameter estimation of microseismic earthquakes. The seismic inversion is represented in compact form by two convolutional neural networks, with individual feature extraction, and a fully connected neural network, for feature aggregation, to simultaneously obtain full moment tensor and spatial location of microseismic sources. Specifically, a multibranch neural network algorithm is trained to encapsulate the information about the relationship between seismic waveforms and underlying point-source mechanisms and locations. The learning-based model allows rapid inversion (within a fraction of second) once input data are available. A key advantage of the algorithm is that it can be trained using synthetic seismic data only, so it is directly applicable to scenarios where there are insufficient real data for training. Moreover, we find that the method is robust with respect to perturbations such as observational noise and data incompleteness (missing stations). We apply the new approach on synthesized and example recorded small magnitude (M <= 1.6) earthquakes at the Hellisheioi geothermal field in the Hengill area, Iceland. For the examined events, the model achieves excellent performance and shows very good agreement with the inverted solutions determined through standard methodology. In this study, we seek to demonstrate that this approach is viable for microseismicity real-time estimation of source parameters and can be integrated into advanced decision-support tools for controlling induced seismicity.
Reconstructing thermal histories in thrust belts is commonly used to infer the age and rates of thrusting and hence the driving mechanisms of orogenesis.
In areas where ancient basins have been incorporated into the orogenic wedge, a quantitative reconstruction of the thermal history helps distinguish among potential mechanisms responsible for heating events.
We present such a reconstruction for the Ischigualasto-Villa Union basin in the western Pampean Ranges of Argentina, where Triassic rifting and late Cretaceous-Cenozoic retroarc foreland basin development has been widely documented, including Miocene flat-slab subduction.
We report results of organic and inorganic thermal indicators acquired along three stratigraphic sections, including vitrinite reflectance and X-ray diffractometry in claystones and new thermochronological [(apatite fission-track and apatite and zircon [U-Th]/He)] analyses.
Despite up to 5 km-thick Cenozoic overburden and unlike previously thought, the thermal peak in the basin is not due to Cenozoic burial but occurred in the Triassic, associated with a high heat flow of up to 90 mWm(-2) and <2 km of burial, which heated the base of the Triassic strata to similar to 160 degrees C. Following exhumation, attested by the development of an unconformity between the Triassic and Late-Cretaceous-Cenozoic sequences, Cenozoic re-burial increased the temperature to similar to 110 degrees C at the base of the Triassic section and only similar to 50 degrees C 7 km upsection, suggesting a dramatic decrease in the thermal gradient.
The onset of Cenozoic cooling occurred at similar to 10(-8) Ma, concomitant with sediment accumulation and thus preceding the latest Miocene onset of thrusting that has been independently documented by stratigraphic-cross-cutting relationships.
We argue that the onset of cooling is associated with lithospheric refrigeration following establishment of flat-slab subduction, leading to the eastward displacement of the asthenospheric wedge beneath the South American plate.
Our study places time and temperature constraints on flat-slab cooling that calls for a careful interpretation of exhumation signals in thrustbelts inferred from thermochronology only.
Living alone in the city
(2023)
Over the past decades, the number of single households is constantly rising in metropolitan regions. In addition, they became increasingly heterogeneous. In the media, individuals who live alone are sometimes still presented as deficient. Recent research, however, indicates a way more complex picture. Using the example of Vienna, this paper investigates the quality of life of different groups of single households in the city. Based on five waves of the Viennese Quality of Life Survey covering almost a quarter of a century (1995–2018), we analyse six domains of subjective well-being (satisfaction with the financial situation, the housing situation, the main activity, the family life, social contacts, and leisure time activities). Our analyses reveal that, in most domains, average satisfaction of single households has hardly changed over time. However, among those living alone satisfaction of senior people (60+) increased while satisfaction of younger people (below age 30) decreased. Increasing differences in satisfaction with main activity, housing, or financial situation reflect general societal developments on the Viennese labour and housing markets. The old clichéd images of the “young, reckless, happy single” and the “lonely, poor, dissatisfied senior single” reverse reality.
Only a fast and global transformation towards decarbonization and sustainability can keep the Earth in a civilization-friendly state. As hotspots for (green) innovation and experimentation, cities could play an important role in this transition. They are also known to profit from each other's ideas, with policy and technology innovations spreading to other cities. In this way, cities can be conceptualized as nodes in a globe-spanning learning network. The dynamics of this process are important for society's response to climate change and other challenges, but remain poorly understood on a macroscopic level. In this contribution, we develop an approach to identify whether network-based complex contagion effects are a feature of sustainability policy adoption by cities, based on dose-response contagion and surrogate data models. We apply this methodology to an exemplary data set, comprising empirical data on the spreading of a public transport innovation (Bus Rapid Transit Systems) and a global inter-city connection network based on scheduled flight routes. Although our approach is not able to identify detailed mechanisms, our results point towards a contagious spreading process, and cannot be explained by either the network structure or the increase in global adoption rate alone. Further research on the role of a city's abstract "global neighborhood" regarding its policy and innovation decisions is thus both needed and promising, and may connect with research on social tipping processes. The methodology is generic, and can be used to compare the predictive power for innovation spreading of different kinds of inter-city network connections, e.g. via transport links, trade, or co-membership in political networks.
For many years scholars and politicians discuss the economic importance of the middle income class. Our article contributes to broaden the present state of research by not only examining the structure of the middle class whilst focusing on individual attributes, but by especially taking the role of gender-specific occupational characteristics and country-specific conditions into account. Based on the EU-SILC data 2020 for 17 countries, we analyze which factors affect the structure of the middle income class on the individual, on the occupational and country level. Our findings show that occupational attributes (e.g. part-time rate) prove to be highly relevant in this realm. Moreover, significant gender differences can be observed: women who work in an occupation which is mainly performed by women bear a higher risk of belonging to the lower income class as compared to men.
In this study, we reassessed the taxonomic position of Typhlomys (Rodentia: Platacanthomyidae) from Huangshan, Anhui, China, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Results suggested that Typhlomys is comprised of up to six species, including four currently recognized species ( Typhlomys cinereus, T. chapensis, T. daloushanensis, and T. nanus), one unconfirmed candidate species, and one new species ( Typhlomys huangshanensis sp. nov.). Morphological analyses further supported the designation of the Huangshan specimens found at mid-elevations in the southern Huangshan Mountains (600 m to 1 200 m a.s.l.) as a new species.
The determination of residual stresses becomes more complicated with increasing complexity of the structures investigated. Additive manufacturing techniques generally allow the production of 'lattice structures' without any additional manufacturing step. These lattice structures consist of thin struts and are thus susceptible to internal stress-induced distortion and even cracks. In most cases, internal stresses remain locked in the structures as residual stress. The determination of the residual stress in lattice structures through nondestructive neutron diffraction is described in this work. It is shown how two difficulties can be overcome: (a) the correct alignment of the lattice structures within the neutron beam and (b) the correct determination of the residual stress field in a representative part of the structure. The magnitude and the direction of residual stress are discussed. The residual stress in the strut was found to be uniaxial and to follow the orientation of the strut, while the residual stress in the knots was more hydrostatic. Additionally, it is shown that strain measurements in at least seven independent directions are necessary for the estimation of the principal stress directions. The measurement directions should be chosen according to the sample geometry and an informed choice on the possible strain field. If the most prominent direction is not measured, the error in the calculated stress magnitude increases considerably.
We investigate the effects of Markovian resetting events on continuous time random walks where the waiting times and the jump lengths are random variables distributed according to power-law probability density functions.
We prove the existence of a nonequilibrium stationary state and finite mean first arrival time.
However, the existence of an optimum reset rate is conditioned to a specific relationship between the exponents of both power-law tails.
We also investigate the search efficiency by finding the optimal random walk which minimizes the mean first arrival time in terms of the reset rate, the distance of the initial position to the target, and the characteristic transport exponents.
Many adults older than 60 yr experience mobility limitations. Although physical exercise improves older adults' mobility, differences in baseline mobility produce large variations in individual responses to interventions, and these responses could further vary by the type and dose of exercise. Here, we propose an exercise prescription model for older adults based on their current mobility status.
Structure, mechanical properties and degradation behavior of electrospun PEEU fiber meshes and films
(2021)
The capability of a degradable implant to provide mechanical support depends on its degradation behavior. Hydrolytic degradation was studied for a polyesteretherurethane (PEEU70), which consists of poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) and poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) segments with a weight ratio of 70:30 linked by diurethane junction units. PEEU70 samples prepared in the form of meshes with average fiber diameters of 1.5 mu m (mesh1.5) and 1.2 mu m (mesh1.2), and films were sterilized and incubated in PBS at 37 degrees C with 5 vol% CO2 supply for 1 to 6 weeks. Degradation features, such as cracks or wrinkles, became apparent from week 4 for all samples. Mass loss was found to be 11 wt%, 6 wt%, and 4 wt% for mesh1.2, mesh1.5, and films at week 6. The elongation at break decreased to under 20% in two weeks for mesh1.2. In case of the other two samples, this level of degradation was achieved after 4 weeks. The weight average molecular weight of both PEEU70 mesh and film samples decreased to below 30 kg/mol when elongation at break dropped below 20%. The time period of sustained mechanical stability of PEEU70-based meshes depends on the fiber diameter and molecular weight.
Leptonic nonthermal emission from supernova remnants evolving in the circumstellar magnetic field
(2022)
The very-high-energy (VHE; E > 100 GeV) gamma-ray emission observed from a number of supernova remnants (SNRs) indicates particle acceleration to high energies at the shock of the remnants and a potentially significant contribution to Galactic cosmic rays. It is extremely difficult to determine whether protons (through hadronic interactions and subsequent pion decay) or electrons (through inverse Compton scattering on ambient photon fields) are responsible for this emission. For a successful diagnostic, a good understanding of the spatial and energy distribution of the underlying particle population is crucial. Most SNRs are created in core-collapse explosions and expand into the wind bubble of their progenitor stars. This circumstellar medium features a complex spatial distribution of gas and magnetic field which naturally strongly affects the resulting particle population. In this work, we conduct a detailed study of the spectro-spatial evolution of the electrons accelerated at the forward shock of core-collapse SNRs and their nonthermal radiation, using the RATPaC code that is designed for the time- and spatially dependent treatment of particle acceleration at SNR shocks. We focus on the impact of the spatially inhomogeneous magnetic field through the efficiency of diffusion and synchrotron cooling. It is demonstrated that the structure of the circumstellar magnetic field can leave strong signatures in the spectrum and morphology of the resulting nonthermal emission.
Context
For a given body mass index (BMI), both impaired metabolic health (MH) and reduced cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) associate with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Objective
It remains unknown whether both risk phenotypes relate to CVD independently of each other, and whether these relationships differ in normal weight, overweight, and obese subjects.
Methods
Data from 421 participants from the Tubingen Diabetes Family Study, who had measurements of anthropometrics, metabolic parameters, CRF (maximal aerobic capacity [VO2max]) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), an early marker of atherosclerosis, were analyzed. Subjects were divided by BMI and MH status into 6 phenotypes.
Results
In univariate analyses, older age, increased BMI, and a metabolic risk profile correlated positively, while insulin sensitivity and VO2max negatively with cIMT. In multivariable analyses in obese subjects, older age, male sex, lower VO2max (std. ss -0.21, P = 0.002) and impaired MH (std. ss 0.13, P = 0.02) were independent determinants of increased cIMT. After adjustment for age and sex, subjects with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) had higher cIMT than subjects with metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW; 0.59 +/- 0.009 vs 0.52 +/- 0.01 mm; P < 0.05). When VO2max was additionally included in this model, the difference in cIMT between MHO and MHNW groups became statistically nonsignificant (0.58 +/- 0.009 vs 0.56 +/- 0.02 mm; P > 0.05).
Conclusion
These data suggest that impaired MH and low CRF independently determine increased cIMT in obese subjects and that low CRF may explain part of the increased CVD risk observed in MHO compared with MHNW.
Ultrafast X-ray diffraction is used to quantify the transport of energy in laser-excited nanoscale gold-nickel (Au-Ni) bilayers.
Electron transport and efficient electron-phonon coupling in Ni convert the laser-deposited energy in the conduction electrons within a few picoseconds into a strong non-equilibrium between hot Ni and cold Au phonons at the bilayer interface.
Modeling of the subsequent equilibration dynamics within various two-temperature models confirms that for ultrathin Au films, the thermal transport is dominated by phonons instead of conduction electrons because of the weak electron-phonon coupling in Au.
A novel approach for estimating precipitation patterns is developed here and applied to generate a new hydrologically corrected daily precipitation dataset, called RAIN4PE (Rain for Peru and Ecuador), at 0.1 degrees spatial resolution for the period 1981-2015 covering Peru and Ecuador. It is based on the application of 1) the random forest method to merge multisource precipitation estimates (gauge, satellite, and reanalysis) with terrain elevation, and 2) observed and modeled streamflow data to first detect biases and second further adjust gridded precipitation by inversely applying the simulated results of the ecohydrological model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool). Hydrological results using RAIN4PE as input for the Peruvian and Ecuadorian catchments were compared against the ones when feeding other uncorrected (CHIRP and ERA5) and gauge-corrected (CHIRPS, MSWEP, and PISCO) precipitation datasets into the model. For that, SWAT was calibrated and validated at 72 river sections for each dataset using a range of performance metrics, including hydrograph goodness of fit and flow duration curve signatures. Results showed that gauge-corrected precipitation datasets outperformed uncorrected ones for streamflow simulation. However, CHIRPS, MSWEP, and PISCO showed limitations for streamflow simulation in several catchments draining into the Pacific Ocean and the Amazon River. RAIN4PE provided the best overall performance for streamflow simulation, including flow variability (low, high, and peak flows) and water budget closure. The overall good performance of RAIN4PE as input for hydrological modeling provides a valuable criterion of its applicability for robust countrywide hydrometeorological applications, including hydroclimatic extremes such as droughts and floods. Significance StatementWe developed a novel precipitation dataset RAIN4PE for Peru and Ecuador by merging multisource precipitation data (satellite, reanalysis, and ground-based precipitation) with terrain elevation using the random forest method. Furthermore, RAIN4PE was hydrologically corrected using streamflow data in watersheds with precipitation underestimation through reverse hydrology. The results of a comprehensive hydrological evaluation showed that RAIN4PE outperformed state-of-the-art precipitation datasets such as CHIRP, ERA5, CHIRPS, MSWEP, and PISCO in terms of daily and monthly streamflow simulations, including extremely low and high flows in almost all Peruvian and Ecuadorian catchments. This underlines the suitability of RAIN4PE for hydrometeorological applications in this region. Furthermore, our approach for the generation of RAIN4PE can be used in other data-scarce regions.
Data driven high resolution modeling and spatial analyses of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany
(2021)
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread around the world with over 100 million infections to date, and currently many countries are fighting the second wave of infections. With neither sufficient vaccination capacity nor effective medication, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) remain the measure of choice.
However, NPIs place a great burden on society, the mental health of individuals, and economics. Therefore the cost/benefit ratio must be carefully balanced and a target-oriented small-scale implementation of these NPIs could help achieve this balance.
To this end, we introduce a modified SEIRD-class compartment model and parametrize it locally for all 412 districts of Germany. The NPIs are modeled at district level by time varying contact rates. This high spatial resolution makes it possible to apply geostatistical methods to analyse the spatial patterns of the pandemic in Germany and to compare the results of different spatial resolutions.
We find that the modified SEIRD model can successfully be fitted to the COVID-19 cases in German districts, states, and also nationwide. We propose the correlation length as a further measure, besides the weekly incidence rates, to describe the current situation of the epidemic.
Magnetic reconnection is a multi-faceted process of energy conversion in astrophysical, space and laboratory plasmas that operates at microscopic scales but has macroscopic drivers and consequences.
Solar flares present a key laboratory for its study, leaving imprints of the microscopic physics in radiation spectra and allowing the macroscopic evolution to be imaged, yet a full observational characterization remains elusive.
Here we combine high resolution imaging and spectral observations of a confined solar flare at multiple wavelengths with data-constrained magnetohydrodynamic modeling to study the dynamics of the flare plasma from the current sheet to the plasmoid scale. The analysis suggests that the flare resulted from the interaction of a twisted magnetic flux rope surrounding a filament with nearby magnetic loops whose feet are anchored in chromospheric fibrils. Bright cusp-shaped structures represent the region around a reconnecting separator or quasi-separator (hyperbolic flux tube).
The fast reconnection, which is relevant for other astrophysical environments, revealed plasmoids in the current sheet and separatrices and associated unresolved turbulent motions.
Solar flares provide wide range of observational details about fundamental processes involved. Here, the authors show evidence for magnetic reconnection in a strong confined solar flare displaying all four reconnection flows with plasmoids in the current sheet and the separatrices.
With the advent of Nanotechnology, the use of nanomaterials in consumer products is increasing on a daily basis, due to which a deep understanding and proper investigation regarding their safety and risk assessment should be a major priority. To date, there is no investigation regarding the microrheological properties of nanomaterials (NMs) in biological media.
In our study, we utilized in silico models to select the suitable NMs based on their physicochemical properties such as solubility and lipophilicity. Then, we established a new method based on dynamic light scattering (DLS) microrheology to get the mean square displacement (MSD) and viscoelastic property of two model NMs that are dendrimers and cerium dioxide nanoparticles in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) complete media at three different concentrations for both NMs. Subsequently, we established the cytotoxicological profiling using water-soluble tetrazolium salt-1 (WST-1) and a reactive oxygen species (ROS) assay.
To take one step forward, we further looked into the tight junction properties of the cells using immunostaining with Zonula occluden-1 (ZO-1) antibodies and found that the tight junction function or transepithelial resistance (TEER) was affected in response to the microrheology and cytotoxicity. The quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) results in the gene expression of ZO-1 after the 24 h treatment with NPs further validates the findings of immunostaining results.
This new method that we established will be a reference point for other NM studies which are used in our day-to-day consumer products.
Obesity has been linked to lower concentrations of fat-soluble micronutrients and higher concentrations of oxidative stress markers as well as an altered metabolism of branched chain amino acids and phospholipids. In the context of morbid obesity, the aim of this study was to investigate whether and to which extent plasma status of micronutrients, amino acids, phospholipids and oxidative stress differs between morbidly obese (n = 23) and non-obese patients (n = 13). In addition to plasma, malondialdehyde, retinol, cholesterol and triglycerides were assessed in visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue in both groups. Plasma gamma-tocopherol was significantly lower (p < 0.011) in the obese group while other fat-soluble micronutrients showed no statistically significant differences between both groups. Branched-chain amino acids (all p < 0.008) and lysine (p < 0.006) were significantly higher in morbidly obese patients compared to the control group. Malondialdehyde concentrations in both visceral (p < 0.016) and subcutaneous (p < 0.002) adipose tissue were significantly higher in the morbidly obese group while plasma markers of oxidative stress showed no significant differences between both groups. Significantly lower plasma concentrations of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, lyso-phosphatidylethanolamine (all p < 0.05) and their corresponding ether-linked analogs were observed, which were all reduced in obese participants compared to the control group. Pre-operative assessment of micronutrients in patients undergoing bariatric surgery is recommended for early identification of patients who might be at higher risk to develop a severe micronutrient deficiency post-surgery. Assessment of plasma BCAAs and phospholipids in obese patients might help to differentiate between metabolic healthy patients and those with metabolic disorders.
Taxed fairly?
(2023)
Empirically, the poor are more likely to support increases in the level of tax progressivity than the rich. Such income-stratified tax preferences can result from differences in preferences of what should be taxed as argued by previous literature. However, it may also result from income-stratified perceptions of what is taxed. This paper argues that the rich perceive higher levels of tax progressivity than the poor and that tax perceptions affect individuals’ support for progressive taxation. Using data from an Austrian survey experiment, we test this argument in three steps: First, in line with past research, we show that individuals’ income positions are connected to individuals’ tax preferences as a self-interest rationale would predict. However, second, we show that this variation is mainly driven by income-stratified tax perceptions. Third, randomly informing a subset of the sample about actual tax rates, we find that changing tax perceptions causally affects support for redistributive taxation among those who initially overestimated the level of tax progressivity. Our results indicate that tax perceptions are relevant for forming tax preferences and suggest that individuals are more polarized in their perceptions of who pays how much taxes than in their support for who should pay how much tax.
Woody plants are expanding into the Arctic in response to the warming climate. The impact on arctic plant communities is not well understood due to the limited knowledge about plant assembly rules.
Records of past plant diversity over long time series are rare. Here, we applied sedimentary ancient DNA metabarcoding targeting the P6 loop of the chloroplast trnL gene to a sediment record from Lake Ilirney (central Chukotka, Far Eastern Russia) covering the last 28 thousand years.
Our results show that forb-rich steppe-tundra and dwarf-shrub tundra dominated during the cold climate before 14 ka, while deciduous erect-shrub tundra was abundant during the warm period since 14 ka. Larix invasion during the late Holocene substantially lagged behind the likely warmest period between 10 and 6 ka, where the vegetation biomass could be highest.
We reveal highest richness during 28-23 ka and a second richness peak during 13-9 ka, with both periods being accompanied by low relative abundance of shrubs. During the cold period before 14 ka, rich plant assemblages were phylogenetically clustered, suggesting low genetic divergence in the assemblages despite the great number of species. This probably originates from environmental filtering along with niche differentiation due to limited resources under harsh environmental conditions. In contrast, during the warmer period after 14 ka, rich plant assemblages were phylogenetically overdispersed.
This results from a high number of species which were found to harbor high genetic divergence, likely originating from an erratic recruitment process in the course of warming. Some of our evidence may be of relevance for inferring future arctic plant assembly rules and diversity changes. By analogy to the past, we expect a lagged response of tree invasion. Plant richness might overshoot in the short term; in the long-term, however, the ongoing expansion of deciduous shrubs will eventually result in a phylogenetically more diverse community.
The simultaneous detection of gravitational waves and light from the binary neutron star merger GW170817 led to independent measurements of distance and redshift, providing a direct estimate of the Hubble constant H-0 that does not rely on a cosmic distance ladder, nor assumes a specific cosmological model.
By using gravitational waves as "standard sirens", this approach holds promise to arbitrate the existing tension between the H-0 value inferred from the cosmic microwave background and those obtained from local measurements.
However, the known degeneracy in the gravitational-wave analysis between distance and inclination of the source led to a H-0 value from GW170817 that was not precise enough to resolve the existing tension.
In this review, we summarize recent works exploiting the viewing-angle dependence of the electromagnetic signal, namely the associated short gamma-ray burst and kilonova, to constrain the system inclination and improve on H-0.
We outline the key ingredients of the different methods, summarize the results obtained in the aftermath of GW170817 and discuss the possible systematics introduced by each of these methods.
Instruments for measuring the absorbed dose and dose rate under radiation exposure, known as radiation dosimeters, are indispensable in space missions. They are composed of radiation sensors that generate current or voltage response when exposed to ionizing radiation, and processing electronics for computing the absorbed dose and dose rate. Among a wide range of existing radiation sensors, the Radiation Sensitive Field Effect Transistors (RADFETs) have unique advantages for absorbed dose measurement, and a proven record of successful exploitation in space missions. It has been shown that the RADFETs may be also used for the dose rate monitoring. In that regard, we propose a unique design concept that supports the simultaneous operation of a single RADFET as absorbed dose and dose rate monitor. This enables to reduce the cost of implementation, since the need for other types of radiation sensors can be minimized or eliminated. For processing the RADFET's response we propose a readout system composed of analog signal conditioner (ASC) and a self-adaptive multiprocessing system-on-chip (MPSoC). The soft error rate of MPSoC is monitored in real time with embedded sensors, allowing the autonomous switching between three operating modes (high-performance, de-stress and fault-tolerant), according to the application requirements and radiation conditions.
Context
Thermonuclear supernovae (SNe), a subset of which are the highly important SNe Type Ia, remain one of the more poorly understood phenomena known to modern astrophysics.
In recent years, the single degenerate helium (He) donor channel, where a white dwarf star accretes He-rich matter from a hydrogen-depleted companion, has emerged as a promising candidate progenitor scenario for these events.
An unresolved question in this scenario is the fate of the companion star, which would be evident as a runaway hot subdwarf O/B stars (He sdO/B) in the aftermath of the SN event.
Aims
Previous studies have shown that the kinematic properties of an ejected companion provide an opportunity to closer examine the properties of an SN progenitor system. However, with the number of observed objects not matching predictions by theory, the viability of this mechanism is called into question.
In this study, we first synthesize a population of companion stars ejected by the aforementioned mechanism, taking into account predicted ejection velocities, the inferred population density in the Galactic mass distribution, and subsequent kinematics in the Galactic potential. We then discuss the astrometric properties of this population.
Methods
We present 10(6) individual ejection trajectories, which were numerically computed with a newly developed, lightweight simulation framework. Initial conditions were randomly generated, but weighted according to the Galactic mass density and ejection velocity data. We then discuss the bulk properties (Galactic distribution and observational parameters) of our sample.
Results
Our synthetic population reflects the Galactic mass distribution.
A peak in the density distribution for close objects is expected in the direction of the Galactic centre. Higher mass runaways should outnumber lower mass ones. If the entire considered mass range is realised, the radial velocity distribution should show a peak at 500 km s(-1).
If only close US 708 analogues are considered, there should be a peak at (similar to 750-850) km s(-1). In either case, US 708 should be a member of the high-velocity tail of the distribution.
Conclusions
We show that the puzzling lack of confirmed surviving companion stars of thermonuclear SNe, though possibly an observation-related selection effect, may indicate a selection against high mass donors in the SD He donor channel.
In the last years, electron density profile functions characterized by a linear dependence on the scale height showed good results when approximating the topside ionosphere. The performance above 800 km, however, is not yet well investigated.
This study investigates the capability of the semi-Epstein functions to represent electron density profiles from the peak height up to 20,000 km. Electron density observations recorded by the Van Allen Probes were used to resolve the scale height dependence in the plasmasphere.
It was found that the linear dependence of the scale height in the topside ionosphere cannot be directly used to extrapolate profiles above 800 km.
We find that the dependence of scale heights on altitude is quadratic in the plasmasphere. A statistical model of the scale heights is therefore proposed. After combining the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere by a unified model, we have obtained good estimations not only in the profile shapes, but also in the Total Electron Content magnitude and distributions when compared to actual measurements from 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Our investigation shows that Van Allen Probes can be merged to radio-occultation data to properly represent the upper ionosphere and plasmasphere by means of a semi-Epstein function.
Groundwater is critical in supporting current and future reliable water supply throughout Africa. Although continental maps of groundwater storage and recharge have been developed, we currently lack a clear understanding on how the controls on groundwater recharge vary across the entire continent. Reviewing the existing literature, we synthesize information on reported groundwater recharge controls in Africa. We find that 15 out of 22 of these controls can be characterised using global datasets. We develop 11 descriptors of climatic, topographic, vegetation, soil and geologic properties using global datasets, to characterise groundwater recharge controls in Africa. These descriptors cluster Africa into 15 Recharge Landscape Units for which we expect recharge controls to be similar. Over 80% of the continents land area is organized by just nine of these units. We also find that aggregating the Units by similarity into four broader Recharge Landscapes (Desert, Dryland, Wet tropical and Wet tropical forest) provides a suitable level of landscape organisation to explain differences in ground-based long-term mean annual recharge and recharge ratio (annual recharge / annual precipitation) estimates. Furthermore, wetter Recharge Landscapes are more efficient in converting rainfall to recharge than drier Recharge Landscapes as well as having higher annual recharge rates. In Dryland Recharge Landscapes, we found that annual recharge rates largely varied according to mean annual precipitation, whereas recharge ratio estimates increase with increasing monthly variability in P-PET. However, we were unable to explain why ground based estimates of recharge signatures vary across other Recharge Landscapes, in which there are fewer ground based recharge estimates, using global datasets alone. Even in dryland regions, there is still considerable unexplained variability in the estimates of annual recharge and recharge ratio, stressing the limitations of global datasets for investigating ground-based information.
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are a promising cell source to generate the patient-specific lung organoid given their superior differentiation potential. However, the current 3D cell culture approach is tedious and time-consuming with a low success rate and high batch-to-batch variability.
Here, we explored the establishment of lung bud organoids by systematically adjusting the initial confluence levels and homogeneity of cell distribution.
The efficiency of single cell seeding and clump seeding was compared. Instead of the traditional 3D culture, we established a 2.5D organoid culture to enable the direct monitoring of the internal structure via microscopy.
It was found that the cell confluence and distribution prior to induction were two key parameters, which strongly affected hiPSC differentiation trajectories. Lung bud organoids with positive expression of NKX 2.1, in a single-cell seeding group with homogeneously distributed hiPSCs at 70% confluence (SC 70% hom) or a clump seeding group with heterogeneously distributed cells at 90% confluence (CL 90% het), can be observed as early as 9 days post induction.
These results suggest that a successful lung bud organoid formation with single-cell seeding of hiPSCs requires a moderate confluence and homogeneous distribution of cells, while high confluence would be a prominent factor to promote the lung organoid formation when seeding hiPSCs as clumps. 2.5D organoids generated with defined culture conditions could become a simple, efficient, and valuable tool facilitating drug screening, disease modeling and personalized medicine.
Microbiome science is revolutionizing many concepts of plant biology, ecology, and evolution.
Understanding plant microbiomes is key to developing solutions that protect crop health without impacting the environment.
In this perspective article, we highlight the importance of both the structure and functions of plant-associated microbial communities in protecting their host from pathogens.
These new findings have a high potential to aid biocontrol programs and to replace traditional chemical products, guiding the transition towards a sustainable production.
Semi-distributed hydrological and water quality models are increasingly used as innovative and scientific-based management tools.
However, their application is usually restricted to the gauging stations where they are originally calibrated, limiting their spatial capability.
In this study, the semi-distributed hydrological water quality model HYPE (HYdrological Predictions for the Environment) was tested spatially to represent nitrate-N (NO3- N) and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations and loads of the nested and heterogeneous Selke catchment (463 km(2)) in central Germany.
First, an automatic calibration procedure and uncertainty analysis were conducted using the DiffeRential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) tool to simulate discharge, NO3--N and TP concentrations. A multi-site and multi-objective calibration approach was applied using three main gauging stations, covering the most important hydro-meteorological and physiographical characteristics of the whole catchment. Second, the model's capability was tested to represent further internal stations, which were not initially considered for calibration. Results showed that discharge was well represented by the model at all three main stations during both calibration (1994-1998) and validation (1999-2014) periods with lowest Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.71 and maximum Percentage BIAS (PBIAS) of 18.0%.
The model was able to reproduce the seasonal dynamics of NO3--N and TP concentrations with low predictive uncertainty at the three main stations, reflected by PBIAS values in the ranges from 16.1% to 6.4% and from 20.0% to 11.5% for NO3--N and TP load simulations, respectively.
At internal stations, the model could represent reasonably well the seasonal variation of nutrient concentrations with PBIAS values in the ranges from 9.0% to 14.2% for NO3--N and from 25.3% to 34.3% for TP concentration simulations.
Overall, results suggested that the spatial validation of a nutrient transport model can be better ensured when a multi-site and multi-objective calibration approach using archetypical gauging stations is implemented.
Further, results revealed that the delineation of sub-catchments should put more focus on hydro-meteorological conditions than on land-use features.
Political trust—in terms of trust in political institutions—is an important precondition for the functioning and stability of democracy. One widely studied determinant of political trust is income inequality. While the empirical finding that societies with lower levels of income inequality have higher levels of trust is well established, the exact ways in which income inequality affects political trust remain unclear. Past research has shown that individuals oftentimes have biased perceptions of inequality. Considering potentially biased inequality perceptions, I argue that individuals compare their perceptions of inequality to their preference for inequality. If they identify a gap between what they perceive and what they prefer (= fairness gap), they consider their attitudes towards inequality unrepresented. This, in turn, reduces trust in political institutions. Using three waves of the ESS and the ISSP in a cross-country perspective, I find that (1) perceiving a larger fairness gap is associated with lower levels of political trust; (2) the fairness gap mediates the link between actual inequality and political trust; and (3) disaggregating the fairness gap measure, political trust is more strongly linked to variation in inequality perceptions than to variation in inequality preferences. This indicates that inequality perceptions are an important factor shaping trust into political institutions.
Previous research has found that comprehenders sometimes predict information that is grammatically unlicensed by sentence constraints. An open question is why such grammatically unlicensed predictions occur. We examined the possibility that unlicensed predictions arise in situations of information conflict, for instance when comprehenders try to predict upcoming words while simultaneously building dependencies with previously encountered elements in memory.
German possessive pronouns are a good testing ground for this hypothesis because they encode two grammatically distinct agreement dependencies: a retrospective one between the possessive and its previously mentioned referent, and a prospective one between the possessive and its following nominal head. In two visual world eye-tracking experiments, we estimated the onset of predictive effects in participants' fixations.
The results showed that the retrospective dependency affected resolution of the prospective dependency by shifting the onset of predictive effects.
We attribute this effect to an interaction between predictive and memory retrieval processes.
Plasmon-driven dehalogenation of brominated purines has been recently explored as a model system to understand fundamental aspects of plasmon-assisted chemical reactions. Here, it is shown that divalent Ca2+ ions strongly bridge the adsorption of bromoadenine (Br-Ade) to Ag surfaces.
Such ion-mediated binding increases the molecule's adsorption energy leading to an overlap of the metal energy states and the molecular states, enabling the chemical interface damping (CID) of the plasmon modes of the Ag nanostructures (i.e., direct electron transfer from the metal to Br-Ade).
Consequently, the conversion of Br-Ade to adenine almost doubles following the addition of Ca2+.
These experimental results, supported by theoretical calculations of the local density of states of the Ag/Br-Ade complex, indicate a change of the charge transfer pathway driving the dehalogenation reaction, from Landau damping (in the lack of Ca2+ ions) to CID (after the addition of Ca2+).
The results show that the surface dynamics of chemical species (including water molecules) play an essential role in charge transfer at plasmonic interfaces and cannot be ignored. It is envisioned that these results will help in designing more efficient nanoreactors, harnessing the full potential of plasmon-assisted chemistry.