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Abstract: Over the past 15 years scientific research and application-oriented research were carried out in Austria to resolve the radon problem. In this paper, the strategy and progression of radon research in Austria and experience gained by practical implementation of the main findings are shown and discussed comprehensively. The overview includes the results of the national radon survey, radon mitigation and precaution studies, indoor-air studies at kindergartens and schools, soil–gas radon research, and the establishment of national radon precaution and mitigation standards. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The recent wave of populism sweeping Europe and the Americas generated considerable interest among political scientists, economists, sociologists and to some extent, geographers. The vast majority of these studies focuses on individual voter decisions or national comparisons over time but neglects the within-country spatial variation of the populist vote. This paper addresses this shortcoming and applies spatial econometric techniques to explore possible explanations for spatial variation in the increase of the populist right vote between the 2013 and 2017 national elections in Austria for 2118 municipalities. Spatial variation in voting shares can result from (1) compositional effects, regional differences in the composition of voters with different characteristics, (2) broad spatial, historically evolved institutional differences, such as membership to one of the nine states, (3) unequal integration of different types of regions into the global economy, such as peripheral regions, central urban regions, old industrial regions or tourist areas, (4) spatial vote spillovers due to localized social networks, and (5) unobserved spatial processes. We find that the populist right vote gains in Austrian municipalities are affected by all processes, but that the type of regions becomes insignificant once we correct for unobservable spatial structures in the regression framework. The increase in the share of foreigners, the share of foreigners, income and inequality levels, educational differences, selected state membership, as well as spatial spillovers of populist right voting are all important to explain spatial variation in the rise of the populist right vote. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, essential oils and their lead molecules have been extensively recognised for their anti-infective properties. In this context, certain volatile phenolics (VPs) have emerged as important antimicrobial compounds with excellent inhibitory activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi, which further extends to drug-resistant and biofilm-forming micro-organisms. In this review, we aim to collate and discuss a number of published papers on the anti-infective activities of naturally occurring VPs with special emphasis on eugenol, isoeugenol, thymol and carvacrol, using Scopus Web of Science and PubMed databases. The biosynthesis and extraction of these VPs are discussed, while particular attention is given to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and the mechanisms of action. We highlight combinational studies of the VPs with other phytocompounds and with commercially available drugs, which may be a promising and a rewarding future approach to combat antimicrobial resistance. These VPs alone, or concomitantly with other compounds or drugs, have the potential to be incorporated into different formulations for biomedical applications. An in-depth assessment of 2310 articles retrieved from the Scopus database spanning a 35-year period indicated 23.1% increase in global publication growth in VPs anti-infective research, with authors from Italy, Portugal and Austria dominating the research landscape. The dominant areas of investigations are identified as antimicrobial activity, antibacterial mechanism of action, antifungal mechanism of action, extraction methods and phytochemistry, use in the food industry, and for oral and dental anti-infective activity. Specific research areas, which require future attention include; antituberculosis research, nanoparticle formulation of antimicrobial active VP molecules, preclinical and clinical trials. The antimicrobial testing of isoeugenol was found to be the least studied of the VPs and this requires further attention. [Display omitted] • A bibliometric analysis of four volatile phenolics over 35-year period is presented. • Thymol, carvacrol, eugenol and isoeugenol reviewed, isoeugenol requires future attention. • Antimicrobial mechanistic actions and combination studies are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global biomass trade has risen sharply in recent decades. This development was accompanied by increasing concerns about adverse environmental impacts in exporting countries. In Austria, strong preference for food and bioenergy from domestic sources is prevalent, while especially biomass imports for energy are met with scepticism. We here investigate where biomass consumed in Austria originates from, and compare the source-region composition of biomass used for food, energy and material. High product-level detail is achieved by combining a physical consumption-based accounting approach with national statistics and process chain modelling. We find that 55% of the total biomass consumed in Austria originates from domestic forestry or agriculture and 30% from neighbouring countries. In all three use categories, the products with the largest biomass footprints (beef, pork, milk, cereal products, paper, wood fuels) are almost entirely sourced from Central Europe. Biomass originating from non-EU countries accounts for 7.6% of the primary biomass footprint and is most relevant for food (13%), primarily due to livestock feed imports. Although oil crop-based biofuels have relatively large primary biomass footprints overseas, bioenergy in Austria qualifies as more regional than food and material products. [Display omitted] • Analysis of Austria's total biomass consumption in raw material equivalents. • Focus on source regions of primary biomass for energy, food and material. • Overall biomass footprint is primarily located in Austria (55%). • Footprint abroad primarily in neighbouring countries (DE: 15%, CZ: 5%, HU: 4%). • Biomass for energy is more regional than food and biomass for material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a distributed model that is in operational use for forecasting flash floods in northern Austria. The main challenge in developing the model was parameter identification which was addressed by a modelling strategy that involved a model structure defined at the model element scale and multi-source model identification. The model represents runoff generation on a grid basis and lumped routing in the river reaches. Ensemble Kalman Filtering is used to update the model states (grid soil moisture) based on observed runoff. The forecast errors as a function of forecast lead time are evaluated for a number of major events in the 622km2 Kamp catchment and range from 10% to 30% for 4–24h lead times, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: During the 1840s, physicians from the Habsburg Empire played a decisive role in the reform of medical structures in the Ottoman Empire. This paper discusses different aspects of this scientific and cultural encounter. It emphasizes the importance of Austrian health care structures as a model for the work of these physicians in the Ottoman Empire and studies the role of the medical school ran by the Austrians as a means of representing, on the one hand, the reformatory efforts of the Ottoman Empire and, on the other hand, the motivations of the Habsburg monarchy for an involvement in Ottoman health care affairs, strongly bound up with its own quarantine politics towards the Ottoman Empire. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In general, indoor radon concentration is subject to seasonal variability. The reasons are to be found (1) in meteorological influence on the transport properties of soil, e.g. through temperature, frozen soil layers and soil water saturation; and (2) in living habits, e.g. the tendency to open windows in summer and keep them closed in winter, which in general leads to higher accumulation of geogenic Rn in closed rooms in winter. If one wants to standardize indoor Rn measurements originally performed at different times of the year, e.g. in order to make them comparable, some correction transform as a function of measurement time which accounts for these effects must be estimated. In this paper, the seasonality of indoor Rn concentration measured in Austria is investigated as a function of other factors that influence indoor Rn. Indoor radon concentration is clearly shown to have seasonal variability, with higher Rn levels in winter. However, it is complicated to quantify the effect because, as a consequence of the history of an Rn survey, the measurement season maybe correlated to geological regions, which may introduce a bias in the estimate of the seasonality amplitude. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The treatment of cooling appliances in Austria is primarily influenced by two factors. On the one hand is their changing composition and on the other hand the ordinance on Waste Prevention, Collection and Treatment of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE ordinance), which stipulates a minimum recycling rate of 75% for cooling appliances. This paper investigates whether this recycling rate leads to optimal treatment practices for cooling appliances with respect to resource conservation and environmental protection. Two different treatment technologies which achieve recycling rates between 50–60% and 80–90%, respectively, are compared both for cooling appliances containing Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and for appliances containing Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). Materials and energy balances are developed for each model. To evaluate resource consumption, expenditures as well as savings of energy and materials are incorporated via the Cumulative Energy Demand (CED). In order to analyse the environmental impact of the different practices, balances for CFC, CO2>, HF, HCl and solid residues are established. The results show that the treatment type aiming for a maximum of materials recycling contributes more to resource conservation than the other treatment type. But for CFC appliances the former is associated with substantial CFC emissions, which turn out to be most relevant when treating these appliances. Generally, it is found that the optimum recycling rate is a function of the composition of the appliance and the technologies applied, both in recycling and in primary production. A high recycling rate per se does not automatically result in an optimal solution with regard to resource conservation and environmental protection. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Both global and Chernobyl fallout have resulted in environmental contamination with radionuclides such as 137Cs, 90Sr and 239+240Pu. In environmental samples, 137Cs and 239+240Pu can be divided into the contributions of either source, if also the isotopes 134Cs and 238Pu are measurable, based on the known isotopic ratios in global and Chernobyl fallout. No analogous method is available for 90Sr. The activity ratios of Sr to Cs and Pu, respectively, are known for the actual fallout mainly from air filter measurements; but due to the high mobility of Sr in the environment, compared to Cs and Pu, these ratios generally do not hold for the inventory many years after deposition.In this paper we suggest a method to identify the mean contributions of global and Chernobyl fallout to total Sr in soil, sediment and cryoconite samples from Alpine and pre-Alpine regions of Austria, based on a statistical evaluation of Sr/Cs/Pu radionuclide activity ratios. Results are given for Sr:Cs, Sr:Pu and Cs:Pu ratios. Comparison with fallout data shows a strong depletion of Sr against Cs and Pu. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The authors have developed the approach of the “Zero emission retrofitting method for existing galvanizing plants” (ZERMEG). The goal of this approach is to take existing galvanizing plants as far as possible towards zero emissions. The development was supported by the Austrian ministry for science and technology within the programme “Factory of the Future”. The method consists first of an analytical step to describe the existing performance of the plant in terms of production, water input and input of chemicals, a second step is designed to characterize the theoretically possible minimum consumption using the present equipment and the third step is the comparison of the present to the ideal situation to identify optimisation options (improved draining, dosage of chemicals, control of rinsing water, mixing in the tanks, etc.). To facilitate the calculations, a Microsoft-Excel-programme was developed (Zero Emission Program Analysis, ZEPRA), which allows to calculate the ideal water consumption of different configurations of rin ses, drag out for different shapes and surface conditions of parts, and changes in concentrations of active baths. A technology data bank was developed that includes information on different technologies to enlarge the useful time of galvanizing baths or to recycle spent solutions and rinsing water. This paper describes case studies in five galvanizing plants. The measures which were implemented include changing the rinsing cascades in three plants at the wire producer Pengg (reduction of the water consumption in the batch pickling plant by 50%), the use of spent caustics to preneutralise spent process baths and the implementation of an electrolysis plant to recover copper at the printed circuit board manufacturer AT&S (recovery of 20kg/day of copper), optimising the pickling baths of the hot dip galvanizer Mosdorfer (50% reduction of consumption of acids) and the optimisation of the spray rinses in the automatic copper plating plants of the producer of printing cyclinders Rotoform (reduction of water consumption by 50%, reduction of acid consumption by 40%). The work showed, that in three of the five plants it was possible to fully avoid the discharge of spent process baths. One plant now operates at zero emissions. In one plant it would be technically feasible to do so, however, it is not economically feasible, at this time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper discusses the relationship between firms’ access to credit market and business fluctuations in a sequential Neo-Austrian economy. Existence of cycles reflects a fundamental distortion in the intertemporal structure of production, that is a lack of coordination between utilization of productive capacity and construction of new machines. The role of credit market institutions is to sustain viability of the economy along an out-of-equilibrium transition. Allowing for a high degree of price flexibility turns out not to be a general response to boosts in capital accumulation and employment. When we focus on an irreversible, off-equilibrium dynamics the coordination of policy interventions becomes a relevant tool to govern fluctuations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Depression, often accompanied by suicidal behavior or recurring thoughts about suicide, is one of the most common psychic impairments in old age. Statistics in Austria tell us clearly: Suicidal candidates among the elderly are likely to succeed. Especially in men, suicide has become a significant cause of death. In an age where traditional family structures are beginning to fall apart, and where the elderly increasingly feel to be a “burden” to society, unable to find their place, we tend to look at suicide more and more as a voluntary and autonomous decision, thus rationalizing it as in: “This life I would not want to live either”. But is it permissible for physicians to consider a patient, who has acted suicidal, to be “not ill,” or to have acted “with good reason”? The present paper shall critically revisit the concept of “rational suicide.” What I hope to illuminate is the tension between medical care for, and autonomy of the patient that physicians have to negotiate in their work. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Gas mantles for camping gas lanterns sometimes contain thorium compounds. During the last years, the use of thorium-free gas mantles has become more and more popular due to the avoidance of a radioactive heavy metal. We investigated a gas mantle type that is declared to be “non-radioactive” and that can be bought in Austria at the moment. Methods used were Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA), γ-spectroscopy, and Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC). We found massive thorium contents of up to 259 mg per gas mantle. Leaching experiments showed that only 0. 4% of the Th but approximately 90% of the decay products of 232Th can be leached under conditions simulating sucking and chewing with human saliva. In this paper, the investigation of these gas mantles including the consideration of the environmental hazard caused by disposed mantles and the health hazard for unsuspecting consumers is presented and legal consequences are discussed for this fraud. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Carnian flora from Lunz (Lower Austria) ranks among the richest and most diverse fossil floras from the Upper Triassic. It is one of the first modern Triassic floras with bennettitaleans. Although this flora is often referred to in the literature, modern taxonomic studies are mostly absent; only some of the reproductive structures have been studied in detail. Many of the plant remains yield excellently preserved cuticles. During a systematic study of the Pterophyllum leaves from Lunz, it appeared that several species previously accommodated in that taxon have to be transferred to other genera. This paper deals with four species that are transferred to Nilssonia (cycadalean foliage); the macromorphology and epidermal anatomy are described and discussed. The following new combination is introduced: Nilssonia riegeri nov. comb. Two new species are described (i.e. Nilssonia lunzensis and Nilssonia neuberi) based on material originally mentioned in a species list as Ctenis lunzensis Stur nom. nud. and Pterophyllum neuberi Stur nom. nud. The diagnosis for a fourth species, Nilssonia sturii Krasser, is emended. The Nilssonia species from Lunz range among the earliest representatives of the genus Nilssonia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: For the application demonstration of cellulose triacetate (CTA) polymer film based transparent insulation (TI) structures a technically and ecologically optimized TI facade system was developed and used to equip a south-oriented wall of a solar house meeting passive house standard in Graz, Austria. The demonstration building was equipped with an appropriate data recording system for solar irradiation, temperature, heat flux and humidity. The practical experiences within the heating periods 2002/03 and 2003/04 are reported in this paper. For the optimized TI facade system a solar energy efficiency of about 43% and a U-value of 0.76W/(m2 K) were obtained. Although CTA absorbs a high amount of water no adverse condensation phenomena were observable visually. The reasoning for these findings is explained and related to construction details. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines how a transport pricing policy aimed to reduce car use may affect individuals’ Quality of Life (QoL), to what extent this policy is acceptable to the public and if people intend to change car use when the policy is implemented. Also, comparisons were made amongst five countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden). An internet survey among 490 respondents showed that a stringent measure, i.e., doubling costs of car use, hardly affects people’s general QoL. Respondents are unsure whether they would accept the policy and whether they intend to change their car use if the policy is implemented. Respondents from The Netherlands and Sweden are more pessimistic about the QoL consequences of the policy, think the policy is less acceptable and are less inclined to reduce car use than respondents from the Czech Republic, Italy and, to a lesser degree, Austria. Implications and recommendations for developing, adjusting or supplementing QoL measurement instruments and policies are discussed to ensure effective and efficient policy making. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper proposes that the current growth-oriented exposition of the knowledge economy in literature is not only monistic but also partial. The mainstream''s persistent emphasis on knowledge and economic growth and its neglect of knowledge and other critical issues (such as promoting wealth equalities and environmental conservation) lead to a paucity in terms of the variety of knowledge in the global knowledge commons, which will not fulfill the goal of sustainable development. To maintain a sustainable society with an efficient use of resources, it is necessary to achieve a more equitable distribution of wealth. This type of question, however, continues to be ignored and remains unanswered in both the Austrian analysis of the knowledge problem and the mainstream exposition of the knowledge economy. In this regard, John Stuart Mill''s concept of the stationary state is in line with contemporary analysis of a sustainable society and is worth further review. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive and flexible new geomorphological combination legend that expands the possibilities of current geomorphological mapping concepts. The new legend is presented here at scale of 1:10,000 and it combines symbols for hydrography, morphometry/morphography, lithology and structure with colour variations for process/genesis and geologic age. The piece-by-piece legend forms a “geomorphological alphabet” that offers a high diversity of geomorphological information and a possibility for numerous combinations of information. This results in a scientific map that is rich in data and which is more informative than most previous maps but is based on a simple legend. The system is developed to also be used as a basis for applications in GIS. The symbol-based information in the geomorphological maps can be digitally stored as a powerful database with thematic layers and attribute tables. By combining and further developing aspects of different classical mapping systems and techniques into expanded data combinations, new possibilities of presentation and storage are developed and thus a strong scientific tool is provided for landscape configuration and the reconstruction of its development; in turn the combination paves the way for specific thematic applications. The new system is illustrated for two contrasting landscape types: the first is located on the border of Vorarlberg, western Austria, and Liechtenstein in a glacially influenced, high altitude alpine setting that is strongly modified by various degradation processes; the second area represents a formerly glaciated region in Dalarna, central Sweden near Mora, an area that is characterized by a variety of aeolian, fluvial, glaciofluvial and lacustrine depositional and erosional landforms and also reflects isostatic uplift. The new method functions well for both areas and results in detailed scientific outlines of both landscape types. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: At the moment, the PLD technique is accounted as a well-established laboratory coating technology. However, the missing of PLD coating systems, which fulfill the requirements for industrial applications–mainly, high rate and large-area deposition–is considered as one of the main obstacles for the industrial breakthrough. This paper addresses the techniques of industrial scale-up and the potential applications of the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) shown by the example of tribological coatings deposited by the industrially-scaled PLD coater at Laser Center Leoben of JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH in Austria. Future prospects and potentialities of the industrially-used PLD technique are given based on the HybridPLD technique combining PLD, magnetron sputtering and ion-assisted surface activation/film deposition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Dachstein Limestone of the Northern Calcareous Alps contains massive limestone beds, capped by dolomitic horizons. Groups of beds form bundles or stratification cycles and spectral analysis gives evidence of at least 3 orders of cycle frequencies. The regularity in the repetition of the limestones and dolomites was first pointed out by Sander (1936) [Sander, B., 1936. Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Anlagerungsgefuege. Mineral. Petrogr. Mitt. 48, 27–139] and the repetition of definite groups by Schwarzacher (1948, 1954) [Schwarzacher, W., 1948. Ueber die sedimentaere Rhytmik des Dachstein Kalkes von Lofer. Verh. Geol. Bundesanst. 1947 (Heft 10–12), 176–188; Schwarzacher, W., 1954. Ueber die Grossrhytmik des Dachstein Kalkes von Lofer. Tschermaks Mineral. Petrogr. Mitt. 4, 44–54]. The facies associated with the change from limestone to dolomite was interpreted by Fischer (1964) [Fischer, A.G., 1964. The Lofer cyclothems of the alpine Triassic. In: Merriam, D.F. (Ed), Symposium on Cyclic Sedimentation. Kansas Geological Survey Bull. 169, 107–146] as an environmental change from lagoonal to peritidal and consequently as evidence of rising and falling sea level. The present paper is based on the study of over 500 aerial photographs from the Loferer and Leoganger Steinberge and also on a detailed section, measured by Paul Enos and E. Samankassou in the Steinernes Meer. It was found that the Dachstein Limestone from Lofer and Leogang comprised about 35 stratification cycles of approximately 20 m thickness. This may correspond to a similar number of cycles in the Steinernes Meer where the spectral analysis gave a cycle thickness of 27 m and 13.6 m. The interpretation of the bundle as being caused by the 100 ka eccentricity cycle is considered tenable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A number of prehistoric landslides and rock avalanches occurred in the folded and faulted section of the Molasse Zone in Vorarlberg, Austria. Some developed into a Sturzstrom, defined as a ‘rapidly moving fluidised mass movement of large volumes of rock, derived from the disintegration of a falling rock mass, that spread under the influence of gravity’. Their impact on the landscape usually is related to obstruction of rivers and valleys. In this paper, we analyse the geomorphology and the failure mechanism of a relative small ‘Sturzstrom’. The failure mechanism can be described as a ‘buckling failure’. The morphological situation indicates that failure took place after local deglaciation by the end of the Upper Würm. The period of failure coincides with glacial and ice-marginal remnants, which developed between 15.000 and 14.600 BP. The lithological sequence and rock structure, as well as the impact of the processes related to the former glacial environment, were major causal conditions. The rock sequence consists of conglomerates, sandstone layers, and marls. Next to glacial scouring, which increased the inclination of the valley slopes, the effect of late-glacial unloading and postglacial processes, such as weathering and fluvial erosion, subsequently weakened the mass rock fabric until failure occurred. Discontinuity orientation measurements, geostructural and geomechanical conditions, and the former hydrological and geomorphological conditions support bucklings failure. In fact, three-hinge buckling may have occurred. The frontal section of the Sturzstrom consists mainly of large conglomerate blocks, averaging 1.5 m3 in volume, although megablocks, reaching of up to 4000 m3, are present as well. The volume of the entire Sturzstrom equals approximately 10×107 m3. Present activity is only restricted to minor rock falls derived from the conglomerates and mudflows originating from the marl layers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we present novel data on the location and kinematics of seismically active fault segments of the Vienna Basin Transfer Fault System in the southern Vienna Basin. Spatial mapping of active faults and kinematical analyses are based on commercial 3-D reflection seismic data, geomorphological features such as tilted Quaternary river terraces and fault scarps, the geometry of subsided Quaternary basins, and published geodetic data. Accordingly, active faulting in the southern Vienna Basin occurs partly by reactivation of the Miocene fault system related to the formation of the Vienna pull-apart basin between c. 17 and 8Ma. Two domains of Quaternary and active faults can be distinguished with, (1) predominantly strike-slip and (2) mainly normal faulting. (1) A seismically active NE-striking sinistral strike-slip fault zone with large negative flower structures is mapped at the south-eastern margin of the basin. Subsidence within the reflection seismically imaged flower structure is documented by up to 1000m of throw since Pannonian times and the accumulation of up to 150m thick Quaternary gravels. At the surface the fault zone is characterized by en-echelon faults with some prominent scarps. (2) Major E-dipping normal faults branch off from the transfer strike-slip fault system. The normal faults extend into the central and western part of the basin as well as into the urban area of Vienna. Close to Vienna, the normal offset along such a normal fault is at minimum 300m since Pannonian times. Surface expressions of active normal faulting are tilted Quaternary terraces of the Danube river and tilted ancient land surfaces in the hanging wall of the normal faults. The mapped active normal faults are kinematically linked by a common detachment horizon, which is in contact with the seismically active strike-slip zone along the south-eastern border of the basin. Northeast of the Vienna Basin the seismically active zone continues as a straight line indicating a rather linear transfer fault zone than a pull-apart step over geometry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the last decade, the World Wide Web has developed into a widely used information and communication system. This development has also affected academic institutions. Not only has the number of homepages presenting academic institutions increased; more and more scientists are also producing their own individual homepages. This paper presents the results of two studies in which the contents of psychologists'' homepages were investigated. In study 1, a total of 350 homepages maintained by academic psychologists from four European countries (Germany, Austria, Great Britain, and Sweden) were evaluated. In study 2, psychologists from the same four European countries were asked by questionnaire about the contents of their own homepage. In sum, 86 scientists answered the questionnaire. The results of both studies show that information about research activities dominates the contents of psychologists'' homepages. The results show too that differences between the four European countries exist. These differences are reported and discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, the integral groundwater investigation method is used for the quantification of PCE and TCE mass flow rates at an industrialized urban area in Linz, Austria. In this approach, pumping wells positioned along control planes perpendicular to the groundwater flow direction are operated for a time period on the order of days and sampled for contaminants. The concentration time series of the contaminants measured during operation of the pumping wells are then used to determine contaminant mass flow rates, mean concentrations and the plume shapes and positions at the control planes. The three control planes used in Linz were positioned downstream of a number of potential source zones, which are distributed over the field site. By use of the integral investigation method, it was possible to identify active contaminant sources, quantify the individual source strength in terms of mass flow rates at the control planes and estimate the contaminant plume position relative to the control planes. The source zones emitting the highest PCE and TCE mass flow rates could be determined, representing the areas where additional investigation and remediation activities will be needed. Additionally, large parts of the area investigated could be excluded from further investigation and remediation activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The lowlands of Lower Austria–Moravia–South Poland form an important natural corridor in Central Europe, allowing migrations of both animals and humans between the Danube valley and the North European Plain. The paper examines the relationship between mammoth bone deposits and Gravettian settlements along this corridor, basing on contextual archaeological evidence in general, and on zooarchaeological analyses of the individual sites: Dolní Věstonice I–II, Milovice G, and Kraków Spadzista Street (B).Mammoth bone accumulations from these areas can be interpreted as butchery places on the death locations (as in Milovice G) and as butchery places on death/hunting site (as in Kraków Spadzista Street (B)). At these sites, Gravettian people may have seasonally gathered, taking advantage of landscape geomorphology and marshy conditions to organize collective mammoth hunts. The long-term occupations, as recorded at the Moravian sites with their exceptional archaeological evidence, support this idea. The mammoth-dominated sites probably result from specialized mammoth hunts as well as from other means of exploitation of these animals during peculiar environmental stresses, both seasonal (e.g., the palaeoecological changes during the end spring thawing period), and long-term in nature (the declining features of the mammoth population, as shown in Kraków Spadzista Street (B)). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Despite the fact that all successful, documented cases of industrial symbiosis to this day have been self-organizing, some authors and development officials have suggested that increased public planning might deliver better results in this respect than spontaneously evolved market coordination. This paper takes an historical approach to suggest that comprehensive planning is unlikely to live up to the expectations of its proponents.The essay is structured as follows. The first section provides short case studies of industrial symbiosis in highly different economic and institutional settings, the essentially free-market regime of Victorian England and communist Hungary (1948–1989). The available evidence suggests that market coordination proved much more favorable to the emergence of industrial symbiosis, despite the elaboration of a comprehensive policy to that effect in Hungary. Insights derived from the so-called “Austrian” critique of central planning are then used to explain this paradox. The analysis presented suggests that the Hungarian planners’ failure was not so much the result of the bad implementation of sound policies, but the logical outcome of a top-down approach’s shortcomings. Policy implications for the public planning of industrial symbiosis in a mixed economy are then derived and the case for self-organization is found more compelling. The creation of more innovative institutions that will force firms to “internalize their externalities” while leaving them the necessary freedom to innovate is viewed as an urgently needed and promising path towards increased, sustainable reuse of industrial by-products. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The monitoring data for the PM mass fractions of PM1, PM2.5, PM10 and TSP as well as the particle number concentrations at four sites in Austria (3 urban and 1 rural) and over a 1 year period are presented within this paper. The mass concentrations discussed are mostly based on TEOM measurements, but beta absorption and HiVol gravimetric sampling has been used in parallel. The data are compared with other European and world wide information available so far—for PM1 the data base still is very poor. Generally the data fit into the Central European context as far as the long-term averages and the daily and seasonal pattern and the ratios between the various fractions are concerned. Annual means of mass concentrations for PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 are in the order of 16, 20 and 28 μg m−3 at the urban sites and a little bit lower at the rural site. In average PM1 counted for about 50–60% and PM2.5 for about 70% of PM10.The number concentrations at the urban sites are in the upper European level and show a distinct seasonal cycle. At the rural site no seasonal influence can be seen. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Using data on Austrian manufacturing firms, this paper analyzes the impact of the propensity to export and the existence of foreign affiliates on the growth performance of firms at their domestic location. Dynamic panel regressions do not suggest that foreign affiliate activity exerts negative effects on the expansion of domestic activities. In contrast, successful firms in the possession of intangible firm specific assets are able to compete successfully and grow both at home and abroad. Foreign affiliate activity seems to preserve and even reinforce a firm’s growth potential at its domestic location. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper assesses the area demand of Austria in the 75 years from 1926 to 2000. In order to estimate the area of arable land, pastures and forests needed to sustain Austria''s socio-economic metabolism I used country-specific yields, contrary to the conventional Ecological Footprint approach that expresses its results in global average hectares. This study explicitly assesses the countries of origin of all imported biomass products. Forest areas were evaluated using two methods. In the ‘production’ approach country-specific felling rates were used, in the ‘sustainable yield approach’ wood increment per country was taken as a proxy for maximum sustainable yield. Austria''s overall area demand is considerably larger than the biologically productive area of its own territory during the entire time period, mainly due to fossil fuel consumption. If only biomass use and built-up land are taken into account, both the production and the sustainable yield approach show an almost constant area demand from 1926 to 2000. In the production approach Austria''s area demand is slightly larger than Austria''s bioproductive area, in the sustainable yield approach it is slightly smaller. The area needed to support Austria''s imports is mainly located in neighbouring countries. In earlier years eastern European countries (e.g., Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Serbia) play a major role, whereas in the recent decades the EU-15 countries are the main providers of Austrian area imports. In 2000, the area required to maintain imports is of a similar size as domestically used land, except for grasslands, demonstrating the dependence of Austria''s socio-economic metabolism on regional or even global markets. This study shows that area demand depends on two factors: consumption level and yields per hectare. In the case of Austria, considerable increases in consumption were counterbalanced by yield surges. Indicators of area demand should therefore be complemented by indicators that evaluate the environmental effects of land use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents the ‘MEFA toolbox’, which is designed to measure society–nature interaction. MEFA stands for ‘material and energy flow accounting’ and refers to a set of quantitative methods to trace the materials and energy throughput of societies in a way that can be readily linked to established socio-economic data sets on a national and sub-national level. Within the MEFA framework, accounts of socio-economic material and energy stocks and flows can be linked to land use and its impact on material and energy stocks and flows in terrestrial ecosystems. Using Austria 1950–2000 as an empirical example, we demonstrate how MEFA tools can be used to assess the correlation of physical and monetary growth, and we discuss how changes in socio-economic metabolism and land use are related. We also outline some possible future research directions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present paper describes air pollution status and evaluation of risks related to effects of phytotoxic pollutants in the Austrian mountain forests. The results are based on Austrian networks (Forest Inventory, Forest Damage Monitoring System, Austrian Bioindicator Grid), the Austrian sample plots of the European networks of the UN-ECE (ICP Forests, Level I and Level II) and interdisciplinary research approaches. Based on the monitoring data and on modelling and mapping of Critical Thresholds, the evaluation of risk factors was possible. Cause–effect relationships between air pollution and tree responses were shown by tree-physiological measurements. Sulfur impact, proton and lead input, concentrations of nitrogen oxides, nitrogen input and ozone were evaluated. The risk was demonstrated at a regional and large-scale national level. Especially the increasing O3 level and the accumulation of Pb with altitude present most serious risk for mountain forests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many recent studies applied magnetic susceptibility mapping as a tool for preliminary pollution monitoring using the Bartington MS2 Meter. In a previous paper, we introduced a standard procedure for which the compatibility of different instrument set-ups and subjective (human) influences were tested (Stud. Geophys. Geod. 46 2002 43). In this study, we test the long-term reproducibility of this procedure. For this purpose, magnetic susceptibility was measured in two field campaigns on 129 sites located in North and West Austria on a regular grid of 10×10 km. The differences between the results from the two measurement series were normally distributed; their magnitudes lie within the instrument biases in 94% of all cases. Susceptibility was found to be temporally very constant for sites located far away from the pollution source. The following factors have been found to affect repeatability: inhomogeneities within the place measured, positional precision of navigation, different equipment sets used, plant cover and anthropogenic activity. Magnetic susceptibilities of soil reference materials, which have been taken at the in situ measured sites, correlated significantly with readings obtained in the field. The proposed method has both high sensitivity and repeatability and can be applied for large data set acquisition for delineating polluted areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper discusses the results of extensive measurements of drivers’ stopping behaviour during signal programmes with and without flashing green before amber. Ten locations in Switzerland, Austria, and Germany were recorded with a video camera and analysed using an image-processing system. About 5000 cycles were documented.The analysis shows that the flashing green increases the number of early stops, as drivers tend to underestimate the duration of the time to the end of amber. Discrete choice models of the stopping behaviour are estimated for inclusion in suitable microsimulation models of traffic flow. The model results show that speed and distance to stop line, and their interaction (potential time to the stop line with unchanged speed) explain the stopping process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Since 1976, I have had the opportunity to meet Dr. Davenport frequently for courses, the code committee (ISO TC 98), international conferences, and private meetings. In 1979, I spent 3 weeks as an academic visitor at Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory of The University of Western Ontario. It was the starting point for a lot of exchanges. I had the chance to organize a course in 1983, in which he taught together with Barry Vickery. In the framework of the ISO TC 98 norm committee, Dr. Davenport wrote, in a few hours in Vienna, a new and very simple type of code of practice for the wind loads on buildings. This was the basis for the Swiss Code and now for the simplified method of the Eurocode. Much of our experimental work is the extension of Davenport''s ideas, which he developed in his works and through private discussions. I plan to report on all these developments in this paper.Three years ago, Dr. Davenport acted as an expert for the C. Alexandrou Thesis. Whenever in Switzerland, Alan never forgets to contact us.This paper is also written in the context of the elaboration of the Eurocode. It gives us the opportunity to recall some useful basic concepts well known among the wind engineering specialists. Finally, two original and recent works of the author''s wind engineering group are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present paper deals with data interpretation of monitoring of various atmospheric events (cloud water, aerosol and rainwater) at three different elevation levels at Achenkirch profile in an Alpine valley, Tyrol, Austria (Christlumkopf-1758 m, Christlumalm-1280 m and Talboden-930 m a.s.l.) by the use of principal components analysis. From October 1995 to September 1996 sampling sessions for all sites from the profile and for all events were performed for the major ions NH4+, Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, NO3−, SO42−-44 cases with eight variables for rainwater; 117 cases with eight variables for cloud water samples and 50 cases with seven variables for aerosol (the major ions as in rain- and cloud water but without magnesium) at any of the elevations. The aim of the multivariate statistical treatment was to extract information about latent factors determining the data structure in all of the cases in order to compare and interpret similarities and dissimilarities with respect to the elevation or the type of the atmospheric event. Four latent factors seem to explain over 85% of the total variance for almost all sites and events but the factors have different identification for the different events or sites (e.g. ‘anthropogenic’, ‘crustal’, ‘neutralization’, ‘salt’). Thus, a comparison between sites and between events becomes possible. It was found that cloud water and aerosol events are much more similar with respect to data structure (relevant to emission sources or processes of formation) than the same events and rainwater. Further, the upper sites of the profile (Christlumkopf and Christlumalm) also reveal data structure similarity differing from that of the lowest site Talboden. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Clinical trials for the treatment of schizophrenia now often include cognitive assessments in addition to clinical ratings of symptoms. Recently, these trials have included cross-national assessments. It is not clear if translated psychological tests produce consistent results across different languages. This paper presents the results of a study of the comparability of the results of cognitive assessments in different English-speaking countries and a number of countries where tests were translated into other languages. Performance on tests of executive functioning, verbal and visuo-spatial learning and memory, language skills, psychomotor speed, and vigilance was compared across the first episode patients with schizophrenia (n=301) assessed in six different languages (English, French, Finnish, German, Hebrew, and Afrikaans), including two different countries where patients were assessed in English and other languages: Canada (French) and South Africa (Afrikaans). The variance in performance across the sites tested in English was as large as the variance between English and non-English speakers when all tests were considered. Performance differences across English and other languages were found only for executive functions, vigilance, and psychomotor speed, with executive functioning differences nonsignificant when education was considered. No differences were found between English and non-English speakers in Canada. These results suggest that the translation of tests of memory and verbal skills can lead to consistent results across translated versions of the tests. Differences between countries were greater than differences between languages, suggesting the need to consider representativeness of patient samples in terms of local educational attainment. In general, these data support the validity of cross-national neuropsychological assessments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this paper, we evaluate the relations between land-use and socio-economic metabolism and particularly, socio-economic biomass flows, by constructing four scenarios for Austria in 2020. The scenarios were established using a biomass-flow model for Austria which was developed for this analysis. The model distinguishes between 15 different kinds of land use and relates demand for biomass in Austria to biomass production in Austria, considering imports and exports as well as biomass conversions in industrial processing and in livestock. We discuss four scenarios: (1) a trend scenario, based upon an extrapolation of current trends; (2) a scenario assuming the far-reaching liberalization of agricultural markets; (3) a scenario in which biomass utilization for energy and industry is maximized; and (4) a scenario based upon the approach of “cascade utilization” of biomass. We find that increasing the use of biomass as an energy source might have considerable unwanted ecological effects including, among others, a reduction in the functioning of forests as a terrestrial carbon sink. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Bank filtration employs a natural filtration process of surface water on its flow path from the river to the well. The development of a stable filter layer is of major importance to the quality of the delivered water. Flooding is expected to destabilise the riverbed, to reduce the filter efficiency of the bank and therefore to endanger the operation of water supply facilities near the riverbank. This paper provides an example of how bank storage in an unconfined alluvial aquifer causes a significant decrease of the seepage rate after a high-water event. Extensive monitoring equipment has been installed in the river bank of the oligotrophic alpine River Enns focusing on the first metre of the flow path. Head losses measured by multilevel probes throughout a year characterise the development of the hydraulic conductivity of different riverbed layers. Concentration profiles of nitrate, total ions and a NaCl tracer have been used to study infiltration rates of river water and its dilution with groundwater. Dynamic modelling was applied in order to investigate the propagation of flood induced head elevation and transport of pollutants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In Austria, a new performance-oriented reimbursement system for inpatients was introduced in 1997. The system is aimed at implementing a more effective and efficient health care payment strategy that will contain costs. It reverses reimbursement on a per inpatient per day basis resulting in a cost explosion that has exceeded the limits of the overall health care budget. This paper presents a strategic system-dynamics model that analyzes the impact of the new payment system on hospitals’ reimbursement maximization behavior. Empirical findings support the results of our model''s ability to determine future adaptations of the system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the present paper, the climate cooling potential of technical snow making on ski slopes is investigated with regard to radiative forcing. It is well-known, that snow shows a higher degree of reflection compared to other ground surfaces. During snow-poor winters, guaranteeing snow covered ski slopes by using snow making may therefore lead to an increase in the albedo of a mountainous region. Since increasing albedo engenders a negative radiative forcing, the cooling potential of snow production on ski slopes is of particular relevance in the context of the current climate debate. Investigations were however generally performed for flat surfaces. Several studies nevertheless demonstrated that the topography leads to a substantial decrease in the mean albedo of a given region. This is attributable to shading effects and to slope inclinations. The present study was therefore dedicated to the accurate simulation of the impact of the albedo increase of ski slopes on the mean albedo and on the resulting change in shortwave radiative budget of a chosen mountainous region. We used therefore a state of the art 3-dimensional radiative transfer model. The investigations were carried out for the skiing area Saalbach-Hinterglemm in Austria. Broadband snow albedo values between 0.61 and 0.62 in cloudless conditions and 0.64 and 0.65 in cloudy conditions for solar zenith angle (sza) between 30 and 80 degrees were used for the simulations. An uncertainty of ±0.17 was taken into account. First a sensitivity study was performed, that showed a substantial decrease in the mean albedo of the ski slopes as a function of slope inclination. A strong impact of topography and of surrounding trees on the mean albedo of the ski slopes of up to 40% and 14% respectively was found at high sza under clear sky conditions. Compared to snow free conditions an increase in albedo between 0.18 and 0.36 was observed, the higher values for smaller sza and assuming no trees in the surroundings. Only related to the ski slopes a radiative forcing between −7 and −35 W/m2 was obtained. If the long-term snow cover conditions were taken into account, snow making lead to a change in albedo, only, in March and April. The increase in albedo was just below 0.10 in April and 0.02 in March, resulting in a radiative forcing around −12 W/m2 and around −1.5 W/m2 respectively. Though, in order to analyze an eventual cooling effect on climate the whole carbon footprint related to the production of technical snow making shall be determined. • Radiative forcing calculations in mountainous region need complex 3-D modelling • Influence of snow making on albedo and radiative forcing is strongly reduced by topography and trees. • Albedo and radiative forcing strongly depend on incident solar radiation and solar zenith angle. • Radiative forcing is much higher in April compared to the winter months Decemberc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Coppicing is an old form of forest use and with a share of 16% still present in Europe. • For centuries it sustainably provided commons with energy and nutrition. • The variety of local needs favored forests with a variety of tree species. • Changing markets caused the conversion from coppice to coniferous forests. • Today coppices gain a new meaning in context to nature protection and climate change. Due to historical descriptions dating back to the Roman Empire, we know that coppice is the oldest form of systematic forest utilisation. For centuries, it provided a broad array of products, energy and services to rural communities, and often in sustainable ways. The type of use was based on available forest resources and the demands of the residents. In compliance with ecological conditions, it proved to be stable and resilient for centuries. Using the example of jointly owned coppices in Lower Austria, the paper investigates the applied social and management systems that ensured its sustainable use and the role played by traditional knowledge. The study also analyses the decline of coppice forestry due to advanced agricultural and industrial techniques that began in the second half of the 19th century. However, the future looks promising when taking into account the changing societal demands. Over the past few decades, coppicing has taken on new meaning for their owners. This concerns the rediscovery of wood as a renewable resource and the appreciation of forests for their role in protecting against soil erosion and global warming. Thus, new actions relying on traditional expertise are set by local farmers, particularly in the open landscape. Not only does this include care measures in the ancient coppice forests, but also the planting of new biotopes as its reduction of wind speed improves the microclimate. Thereby, the cultural heritage and valuable flora and fauna are preserved. On account of the responsible authorities' support for coppice forest management and with financial aid, local people benefit from the resilience of coppice forests within the context of climate change by making use of this valuable, natural and sustainable bio-resource for current and future applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a theoretical framework to analyze the relationship between social class and fertility. The framework borrows elements from social class analysis, institutional perspectives on the labor market and fertility, and welfare and gender regime theories. I hypothesize that individuals' social class positions impinge on their economic security, employment–parenthood role compatibility, and gender relations, which are key variables in the explanation of fertility in contemporary postindustrial societies. Different combinations of these variables for each social class and country lead to class-specific fertility patterns. I use Austrian, French, Norwegian, and British samples from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions, for the years 2004–2015, and discrete-time event–history analysis techniques to analyze second birth probabilities. A simultaneous equations approach is adopted to account for unobserved heterogeneity. The results document substantial differentials between social classes and distinct social class patterns for each country, consistently with the theoretical expectations. In Norway and France, overall high levels of second birth probabilities are found that follow a positive social ordering. In the United Kingdom and Austria, a U-shaped relationship between class and second birth probabilities prevails. Once unobserved heterogeneity is accounted for in the analyses, social class shows a positive effect on fertility in the four countries. The results show that social class is not only key to understanding intracountry differentials in fertility but is also useful for understanding the functioning of the welfare regime and its relationship to overall levels of fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Modeling cascade used to simulate natural water retention measures (NWRM). • Impact of NWRMs on fine bed material deposits predicted at different spatial scales. • Identification of controls for fine bed material deposits drives NWRM choice. • Effectiveness of NWRMs diagnosed at different spatial scale is diverse. • Both catchment and reach scale effects should be considered for measures planning. Natural water retention measures (NWRMs) belong to the broad range of nature-based solutions and are receiving increased attention for targeting environmental problems of river catchments as they effectively support the restoration of natural processes and cycles. Challenges involved in NWRMs planning include the development of tools able to project and diagnose the effects at different spatial scales (e.g., catchment or the reach). This paper focuses on NWRMs addressing fine bed material deposits (FBMDs), with the aim of a) assessing factors and scales that control FBMDs; b) simulating the cascading impact of NWRMs on catchment hydrology, sediment loads, reach hydraulics, and FBMD; and c) assessing the effectiveness of NWRMs in targeting FBMDs at different spatial scales (catchment and reach). A modeling cascade was used to propagate the effects. This included a hydrological model (SWAT), a hydraulic model (HEC-RAS), and a spatially distributed Random Forest ensemble to model FBMDs risk for the Aist catchment (650 km2) Austria. Our results show that upstream sediment loads are an important predictor controlling the likelihood of sites to be classified as low risk. The effectiveness of NWRMs in reducing FBMDs is variable and depends on the target risk class. Vegetated filter strips that can trap sediments before they enter into the stream are more effective in increasing the extent of the river network towards natural conditions (5% increase compared to baseline). Sediment retention ponds are effective in reducing the extent of reaches where instream habitats are completely clogged by FBMDs (−8%). Hydromorphological improvements are effective in targeting sites where FBMDs are transported even during mean flow (−10%). A combination of NWRMs could benefit both high-risk as well as low-risk sites. The effectiveness of NWRMs can greatly differ when both reach and catchment diagnostics are analyzed. Thus, multi-scale assessment of the effectiveness can support NWRMs planning by unraveling all the potential benefits and highlighting tradeoffs hidden by analyses limited to a single spatial scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electoral systems in which voters can cast preference votes for individual candidates within a party list are increasingly popular. To the best of our knowledge, there is no research on whether and how the scale used to evaluate candidates can affect electoral behavior and results. In this paper, we analyze data from an original voting experiment leveraging real-life political preferences and embedded in a nationally representative online survey in Austria. We show that the scale used by voters to evaluate candidates makes differences. For example, the possibility to give up to two points advantages male candidates because male voters are more likely to give 'zero points' to female candidates. Yet this pattern does not exist in the system in which voters can give positive and negative points because male voters seem reluctant to actively withdraw points from female candidates. We thus encourage constitution makers to think carefully about the design of preference voting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competitive international markets imply adjustments towards competitive spatial equilibrium in which excess from one market is transferred to another and prices are equilibrated except for remaining differences that can be assigned to transfer costs. The European market for wood pellets used in small-scale heating systems has been expanding significantly over the past decade. Small scale pellet heating is arguably a mature technology, but whether the market is mature is another question. In this paper we analyse recent data on trade flows and price developments between Italy, Austria, Germany and France to understand the developments of wood pellet market efficiency and to draw conclusions about market function. The objective of this study is to establish a framework to test the European residential wood pellet market for competitive spatial equilibrium using modern trade theory. We find mainly inefficiently integrated markets with remaining positive marginal profits and detectable arbitrageurs' activity. Based on a thorough discussion of these findings and the underlying data we outline possible methodology advancements and list policy recommendations to secure access and affordability of this renewable heating commodity in the long run. • EU pellet for residential heating markets are found to be inefficiently integrated. • Accessibility and quality of trade & price data since 2012 enable a joint analysis. • Competitive equilibrium theory is transferred from agricultural to energy economics. • Price differences do not significantly alter predictive power of trade models. • Stronger efforts in the provision of market data is needed to increase transparency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the principles of sustainable mobility, public transport (PT) is becoming a new paradigm to measure the accessibility of a region. This paper analyses PT accessibility for commuters that travel in cross-border areas of Central Europe, a region that has registered a significant growth of transnational movements in the last 20 years. A specific geographic area (i.e. the boundary between Hungary and Austria) is then deepened, according to its territorial and socio-economic peculiarities. Here, the indicators usually adopted in a gravity model (i.e. distance between origins and destinations and their number of inhabitants) do not completely match with the registered movements; rather, the average income and the work opportunities available in the destinations explain the cross-border flows better. Then, a Cross-Border Commuting PT Accessibility based on the Relative Network Efficiency Indicator is made for the main connections and compared with the Domestic Commuting PT Accessibility. This analysis highlights that 1) cross-border accessibility by PT is limited for several rural destinations that have few inhabitants but a non-negligible number of cross-border commuters; 2) the differences in PT attractiveness between domestic and transnational journeys are still very high and are mainly due to long travel times, complex multimodal chains, and unappealing fares. These results suggest the importance of an integrated approach among operators from different territories, which are called upon to bridge the existing technical, coordination and cooperation gaps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Discursively, public-private responsibility sharing is increasingly debated. • Institutionally, policy instruments hardly promote the use of private measures. • Stabilising factors hinder institutional shift towards more responsibility sharing. • Yet, factors of change are slowly emerging (e.g. expertise). The frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events are expected to increase due to the effects of climate change and socio-economic development. Potentially higher flood risk, hence, triggered debate about a shift in flood risk management from mainly public to increasingly private involvement. So far, public flood mitigation schemes were standard modes to deal with flood hazards in many countries, including Austria. With high implementation and maintenance costs as well as substantial losses remaining, alternative management approaches have increasingly been discussed. This paper analyses the debate on shifting responsibilities in flood risk management from public to private actors and whether or not the current governance arrangement would accommodate this shift in the public-private divide. Based on qualitative research, we explicitly analyse this potential shift from an institutional perspective and not from the perspective of individual homeowners, taking the case study of Dornbirn (Austria) as an example. The results show that, firstly, the current governance arrangement hardly encourages property-level flood risk adaptation measures. Secondly, several factors stabilise the current governance arrangement and prevent a shift in the public-private divide. Although the need for an increased sense of responsibility among private actors seems to be evident among interviewees, strong historical narratives and adaptive expectations lead to a society seeing public authorities to be responsible for flood risk management and trust their expertise as well as the technical flood infrastructure. However, such areas of expertise and law are fragmented and therefore impede a redistribution or enforcement of responsibilities. Furthermore, fixed costs delay a shift in the public-private divide as the traditional engineering approach (i.e. structural measures) is predominant with high investments in the current system but limited investment in risk communication to raise awareness. Yet, a shift towards sharing responsibility might contribute to flood risk management for risks to remain manageable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

District heating and cooling (DHC) systems are considered cornerstones of a future heat and cold supply due to their ability to integrate renewable and waste heat sources as well as long and short-term storage technologies and their flexibility for integration of other infrastructures. Therefore, DHC systems may represent the central hub of an interlinked overall energy system. These options nevertheless lead to a more complex system if implemented as the number of technical components and potential interactions increase and as the energy demands on the network grow. The transportation of the heat supplied to the consumers through water flow involves both time and temperature-dependent changes based on the mass flow rates and the heat losses to the surrounding from the pipes. The dynamic properties of the consumers and the distribution pipes strongly influence the operation of the district heating systems. Dynamic modeling tools are required to cope with the increasing complexities and to optimize the operation of the DHC systems by using the knowledge of time delay in the heat transport, temperature distribution and flow characteristics. Nevertheless, it is computationally challenging to simulate large-scale DHC networks dynamically. One proposed method for improvement in this context is aggregation, which simplifies the topological complexities of the original network by reducing the number of pipe junctions (branches) and pipes. This paper focuses on the analysis and evaluation of the application of two aggregation methods, the Danish and the German method, in a dynamic modelling environment and comparing the aggregation to the monitoring data of a virtual district heating network with 146 consumers and an existing district heating network with 66 consumers. These evaluations are based on comparison of the simulation results of the aggregated network with fewer consumers than the original network in terms of accuracy, information loss and computational time. The results show that the CPU time in the simulation of this network can speed up approximately more than 95% by aggregating the network down to 3 consumers without significant information loss. We will highlight the current potentials and limitations of both aggregation methods in terms of integrating them in the planning, modelling and operation of DHC systems, including the 4th generation district heating systems. Image 1 • Workflow of translation of the district heating network from CAD to simulation software. • Evaluating the aggregation methods on an existing district heating network in Austria. • Performing dynamic simulation of the original and aggregated network in Modelica. • 95% computational time reduction in fully dynamic simulation by aggregation methods. • Discussion on the potentials and limitations of aggregation methods on 4th generation district heating networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental leave policies across the globe have become much more generous than they used to be. This is also true for prenatal maternal leave. While this may be costly in the short run, little is known about the effect of maternal employment during pregnancy on newborn health. In this paper, I exploit three sharp policy changes on the duration of paid parental leave in Austria that strongly affected the share of mothers who work up to the 32nd week of pregnancy. I use administrative data from Austria on the working history of women linked to the full Austrian birth register and coupled with a regression discontinuity framework to identify the effect of prenatal employment on their offspring. Maternal employment during pregnancy with the second child reacts strongly to these policy changes. The share of employed mothers sharply declined in 1990 by 19.1 percentage points, increased in 1996 by 6.9 percentage points and declined again by 6.4 percentage points in 2000. None of these changes in prenatal employment translated into effects on newborn health measured via birth weight, gestational length, and Apgar scores. This result holds true for mothers of different socioeconomic backgrounds and across industries. The effect is precisely estimated, which suggests that prenatal employment prior to the 32nd week of pregnancy does not causally affect the fetus for measures visible at birth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]