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Handwriting is a complex task that includes planning the content and the execution of handwriting movements on paper or on a tool (e.g., a tablet). This execution depends on the involvement of specific muscles in the hand (distal) and arm (proximal). The present study combines the parallel recording of the writing process on tablets and the related muscle activity with electromyography to investigate the differences in handwriting movements in two groups. A total of 37 intermediate writers (third and fourth graders, mean age 9.6 years, SD 0.5) and 18 skilled adults (mean age 28.6 years, SD 5.5) participated in three handwriting tasks. The tablet data results replicate previous findings in handwriting research for the writing process. The muscle activity data reflected a differential relationship between distinct muscle activity and handwriting performance depending on the handwriting skill (intermediate or advanced writers). Furthermore, the combination of both methods revealed that skilled writers tend to involve rather distal muscles to control the pressure of the writing pen on the surface, whereas developing writers mainly use their proximal muscles to control the velocity of their handwriting movements. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of the underlying processes of handwriting and the development of efficient handwriting execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of stationary underwater cameras is a modern and well-adapted approach to provide a continuous and cost-effective long-term solution to monitor underwater habitats of particular interest. A common goal of such monitoring systems is to gain better insight into the dynamics and condition of populations of various marine organisms, such as migratory or commercially relevant fish taxa. This paper describes a complete processing pipeline to automatically determine the abundance, type and estimate the size of biological taxa from stereoscopic video data captured by the stereo camera of a stationary Underwater Fish Observatory (UFO). A calibration of the recording system was carried out in situ and, afterward, validated using the synchronously recorded sonar data. The video data were recorded continuously for nearly one year in the Kiel Fjord, an inlet of the Baltic Sea in northern Germany. It shows underwater organisms in their natural behavior, as passive low-light cameras were used instead of active lighting to dampen attraction effects and allow for the least invasive recording possible. The recorded raw data are pre-filtered by an adaptive background estimation to extract sequences with activity, which are then processed by a deep detection network, i.e., Yolov5. This provides the location and type of organisms detected in each video frame of both cameras, which are used to calculate stereo correspondences following a basic matching scheme. In a subsequent step, the size and distance of the depicted organisms are approximated using the corner coordinates of the matched bounding boxes. The Yolov5 model employed in this study was trained on a novel dataset comprising 73,144 images and 92,899 bounding box annotations for 10 categories of marine animals. The model achieved a mean detection accuracy of 92.4%, a mean average precision (mAP) of 94.8% and an F1 score of 93%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electric vehicles are becoming dominant in the global automobile market due to their better environmental friendliness compared to internal combustion vehicles. An adequate network of public charging stations is required to fulfil the fast charging demands of EV users. Knowing the shape and amplitude of their power curves is essential for power purchase planning and grid capacity sizing. Based on a large-scale empirical and representative dataset, this paper creates standard load profiles for various power levels, station sizes, and operating environments. It is found that the average power per charge point increases with rated station power, particularly for a rated power above 100 kW, and decreases with the number of charge points per station for AC chargers. For AC chargers, it is revealed how the shape of the power curve largely depends on the environment of a station, with urban settings experiencing the highest average power of 0.71 kW on average leading to an annual energy sale of 6.2 MWh. These findings show that the rated grid capacity can be well below the sum of the rated power of each charge point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ridge and furrow fields are land-use-related surface structures that are widespread in Europe and represent a geomorphological key signature of the Anthropocene. Previous research has identified various reasons for the intentional and unintentional formation of these structures, such as the use of a mouldboard plough, soil improvement and drainage. We used GIS-based quantitative erosion modelling according to the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) to calculate the erosion susceptibility of a selected study area in Southern Germany. We compared the calculated erosion susceptibility for two scenarios: (1) the present topography with ridges and furrows and (2) the smoothed topography without ridges and furrows. The ridges and furrows for the studied site reduce the erosion susceptibility by more than 50% compared to the smoothed surface. Thus, for the first time, we were able to identify lower soil erosion susceptibility as one of the possible causes for the formation of ridge and furrow fields. Finally, our communication paper points to future perspectives of quantitative analyses of historical soil erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper reports on the perceptions of inclusion in students with formally diagnosed behavioral, emotional and social difficulties (BESD) by taking into account social and didactic characteristics of the class teachers' behavior as possible predicting variables. N = 119 students with BESD attending either special or inclusive secondary schools in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany were questioned about their self-perceived emotional inclusion, social inclusion and academic self-concept, as well as about their perception of the class teacher's behavior in the dimensions 'care' and 'pressure for achievement'. In this context, the present study pursued two key objectives: Firstly, to identify possible differences in perceptions of inclusion and perceived class teacher behavior between students with BESD in inclusive and special schools. Secondly, to examine whether perceived aspects of the class teacher behavior function as significant predictors for perceptions of inclusion. To examine these research issues, one-way analyses of variance (ANOVA) and structural equation modelling (SEM) were applied. The findings suggest that academic self-concept and perception of class teacher behavior are significantly more positive in special schools than in inclusive schools. Furthermore, a substantial link between perceived class teacher behavior and self-perceived inclusion was identified with 'care' predicting emotional and social inclusion as well as 'pressure for achievement' predicting academic self-concept. Concerning this structural pattern, a significant moderating effect through 'school setting' was detected. Further comparative and longitudinal studies should evaluate the subjective perceptions of students with diagnosed BESD in school with special regard to a broader range of potentially influencing (subjective and objective) class teacher variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the mostly young refugees who arrived in Germany around 2015/2016, completing vocational education and training (VET) represents the most promising opportunity for professional and social integration. However, access opportunities to VET are characterized by spatial inequalities: German districts vary considerably according to labour market structure, economic productivity and demographic development, which constitute the supply and demand for training places in the dual VET sector, to which refugees predominantly have access. This paper examines if the transition chances of young refugees aged 18–30 to VET depend on their place of residence. For this, we analysed the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees (n = 5216) using multi-level discrete-time event history analysis. On the supply side, higher economic productivity (measured by GDP), a low unemployment rate and a greater number of small versus large businesses in the district are positively associated with refugees' transition chances. On the demand side, an increasing number of school leavers with no school-leaving certificate and of refugees in the district are negatively associated with the respective chances. Our results suggest that spatial characteristics essentially matter for young refugees' training opportunities and thus support recommendations to reform current distribution policies, in which central spatial contextual factors remain largely disregarded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An expected increase in the use of air conditioning by 2050 will significantly increase electricity demand and come at a cost to the environment. Implementing passive cooling strategies and focusing on personal environmental control systems (PECSs) could help to address this issue. While numerous studies have investigated the positive impact of PECSs on thermal comfort and energy savings, their overall economic benefit has been poorly addressed. We present an economic evaluation of personal fans for an office building in Germany. Building performance simulation was used to compare passive and active cooling concepts, and sensitivity analysis was performed for different climate scenarios. A cost-benefit analysis was carried out, including an assessment of investment and operating costs and the monetary value of relative performance. The transferability of comfort and productivity into costs is the novelty of this paper. The results showed that by supplementing night ventilation with personal fans, discomfort hours could be reduced by up to 50%. However, the initial investment of the fan is not compensated by savings in productivity losses compared to night ventilation alone. A reduction in the cost of the technology could help to economically offset the investment. The results contribute to the literature on the economic evaluation of a PECS by proposing a framework to motivate its implementation in buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conducting quantitative research involving adolescents demands a thoughtful approach to the question of supervision, given that each option comes with its distinct set of implications. This study reviews these implications and empirically tests whether differences in data quality can be found among three modes of standardized survey research with medium-sized groups of adolescents (12–17 years). The data basis is a quasi-experimental survey study testing different forms of digital, hybrid, or in-person supervision that took place in 2021 in secondary schools in Germany (N = 923). The aim of this study is to test how aspects of data quality—item nonresponse, interview duration, drop-out rate, and response patterns—differ between these forms of supervision. Results could help researchers surveying young people to decide (1) whether they allow confidants or other adults to be present during interviews, (2) if they can rely on teachers alone when surveying classrooms, and (3) if it is cost-efficient to send out external supervisors for classroom sessions. While drop-out rates do not differ, item non-response, interview duration, and response patterns differ significantly; students supervised at home by external interviewers answered more questions, took more time to answer, and were less likely to give potentially meaningless answers in grid questions. The implications drawn from the findings question the common approach of solely relying on teachers for survey administration without the support of external supervisors or adequate training. Recruiting respondents via schools and surveying them online in their homes during school hours has been shown to be a robust method with regard to the analyzed indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The implantation of a collagen gel micro-stent (XEN45®) as a minimally invasive form of glaucoma surgery (MIGS) after a failed trabeculectomy (TE) may be an effective option with few risks. This study investigated the clinical outcome of XEN45® implantation after a failed TE, with follow-up data of up to 30 months. Materials and Methods: In this paper, we present a retrospective review of patients undergoing XEN45® implantation after a failed TE at the University Eye Hospital Bonn, Germany, from 2012 to 2020. Results: In total, 14 eyes from 14 patients were included. The mean follow-up time was 20.4 months. The mean time duration between the failed TE and XEN45® implantation was 110 months. The mean intraocular pressure (IOP) decreased from 17.93 mmHg to 12.08 mmHg after one year. This value increased again to 17.63 mmHg at 24 months and 16.00 mmHg at 30 months. The number of glaucoma medications decreased from 3.2 to 0.71, 2.0, and 2.71 at 12, 24, and 30 months, respectively. Conclusions: XEN45® stent implantation after a failed TE did not lead to an effective long-term decrease in IOP and glaucoma medications in many patients in our cohort. Nevertheless, there were cases without the development of a failure event and complications, and others in whom further, more invasive surgery was delayed. XEN45® implantation in some failed trabeculectomy cases may, therefore, be a good option, especially in older patients with multiple comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The topic of Industry 4.0 is more actual for various companies worldwide. Its impact is anywhere in company and government areas. Due to the individual parts of Industry 4.0, such as digitalization and robotization, we express changes impact on human resource management, where the most changes are defined. This contribution is focused on human resource management in the context of the application of Industry 4.0 in engineering companies operating in the Czech Republic and Germany. The main objective of the paper is to define potential connections between Industry 4.0 and its areas with the forfeiture of professions and preparedness for potential job changes. We employed a primary research approach with in-depth interviews and a questionnaire survey to reach a defined goal. The interviews were aimed at top managers and a questionnaire survey of ordinary employees and students/temporary workers. According to the gained results, there exist relevant statistical dependencies between Industry 4.0 knowledge (including its parts) and up-to-date situations in the companies in the Czech Republic and Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using representative data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), this paper finds a statistically significant union wage premium in Germany of almost three percent, which is not simply a collective bargaining premium. Given that the union membership fee is typically about one percent of workers' gross wages, this finding suggests that it pays off to be a union member. Our results show that the wage premium differs substantially between various occupations and educational groups, but not between men and women. We do not find that union wage premia are higher for those occupations and workers which constitute the core of union membership. Rather, unions seem to care about disadvantaged workers and pursue a wider social agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in economic and development growth, particularly in developing countries. Their success depends on the expansion of their markets across borders, based on the strategies adopted, in which differentiation strategies and positional advantages play an important role. As an emerging country, Mozambican SMEs face a lack of resources and business environmental challenges in deploying their unique advantages when competing abroad. As such, the objective of this paper is to study the impact of differentiation strategies on the export performance of Mozambican SMEs, and the mediating effect of positional advantage on the relationship between the differentiation strategy and export performance of SMEs. To achieve this objective, an empirical study was conducted, based on a sample of 250 Mozambican firms, to test a theoretical model that applied Structural Equation Modeling using the Partial Least Squares (PLS-SEM) algorithm, based on SmartPLS software version 3.3.6 (SmartPLS GmbH, Oststeinbek, Germany). The results show that differentiation strategies positively impact the export performance of SMEs and that positional advantage mildly mediates the relationship between the differentiation strategy and export performance. This suggests that Mozambican SMEs may not be properly taking advantage of the positional advantage of the differentiation strategies, as the added value generated by the positional advantage is relatively modest. As such, Mozambican SMEs still need to support their positional advantages to overcome fierce international competition. This study contributes to the knowledge about the consequences of adopting differentiation strategies and positional advantages on the export performance of SMEs, particularly in the context of emerging countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pushout bond strength of root fillings at radicular dentin was investigated employing NaOCl, CHX, and homoeopathic mother tincture (Arnica montana) as an irrigant. Sixty human permanent single-rooted extracted teeth were decoronated. The root canals were instrumented using Pro taper universal rotary system (Dentsply Tulsa Dental; Tulsa, Oklahoma) and were prepared up to F3 apical size. The roots were then randomly divided into three groups according to irrigation solution (n = 20) according to the final irrigation regimen: Group I: 3 mL 5.25% NaOCl followed by 3 mL Saline (control); Group II: 3 mL Arnica montana (10%, w/v) followed by 3 mL Saline; Group III: 3 mL CHX followed by 3 mL Saline. The canals were dried using paper points. The canals were coated with AH Plus sealer (Dentsply DeTey, Konstaz, Germany) with the aid of a Lentulo spiral (Dentsply DeTey, Konstaz, Germany) and obturated with #F3 gutta-percha. Each root was then horizontally sliced into three slices, labelled coronal, middle, and apical, each measuring 2 mm thick. Furthermore, at a crosshead speed of 2 mm/min, the test was carried out using the universal testing apparatus. The 5.25% NaOCl significantly decreased the bond strength of AH Plus to dentin. Both CHX and Arnica montana were capable of reversing the compromised pushout of AH Plus to NaOCl-treated dentin. After using NaOCl as an irrigant, the danger of diminished binding capacity of AH Plus to root canal walls arises. Final irrigation with Arnica montana and CHX reduces this risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triggered by the spread of the Coronavirus and the lockdown of universities in spring 2020, universities were required to provide infrastructure for digital teaching within a very short time. Further, all university members needed to develop knowledge and skills for teaching online. This paper presents data from the cross-cultural CRTS-Study (Coronavirus-Related Teaching Situation Study), which compares the experiences, attitudes and needs of university teachers in Germany and Argentina during the first lockdown in the context of the Coronavirus pandemic. The study has been carried out in spring 2020 as a cross-sectional online survey study with university teachers in Germany and Argentina (N = 728). The overall picture reveals a mostly successful implementation of online teaching for university teachers in both countries, with Argentinian university teachers reporting a slightly more positive perspective and slightly higher self-efficacy beliefs in online teaching when compared with the German colleagues. The results of regression analysis hint at the relevance of prior personal experience and institutional support for self-efficacy beliefs in online teaching for both samples. In conclusion, individual experience and training as well as supportive institutional conditions seem to be relevant for the development of digital teaching at universities in both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focused on a behavioral model as a significant tangible enabler for smart city plans and initiatives across Asian and EU regions as per transportation projects. This study aimed to create a behavioral model to serve as a planning tool for policymakers, planners, and implementers of transportation initiatives in smart cities. The paper discusses the validity of the proposed model framework for fostering the diffusion of a successful smart city project transformation in a general smart city ecosystem and particularly within the transportation industry. The framework was verified using three different methods: literature review to give a speculative understanding of current smart city approaches; case studies from Germany and South Korea smart city ecosystems that were selected and applied against the behavioral model; and finally, desktop research (behavioral model) performed for smart city project development. As a result, the authors recognized key variables for deriving a possible successful behavioral model as a suggested efficient framework for further smart city strategic projects. Researchers developed and tested, with two validated examples, the suggested behavioral model for smart city projects with a focus on the transportation industry. Results of this survey could help stakeholders in different countries analyze factors influencing decision-making processes and adopt smart city projects to local business environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past, chemical thinning dominated in fruit orchards. This paper for the special issue outlines alternatives to chemical thinning for crop load management (CLM) and its effect on fruit size, firmness, sugar, starch, and weight, indicating ripeness and fruit quality, yield, and alternate bearing. A total of 450 apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh., cv. 'Roter Boskoop'; six years old) on M9 rootstock were used at the Klein-Altendorf experimental station (50° N) of the University of Bonn, Germany. As the first alternatives, trees were mechanically blossom-thinned at the balloon stage (BBCH 59) with a rotor speed of 320 rpm or 380 rpm at 5 km/h tractor speed or were chemically thinned at the full bloom stage (BBCH 65) with ammonium thiosulfate (ATS), ethephon (ETH), and/or 6-benzyladenine (BA) at 10–12 mm fruit size (BBCH 71) after applying ATS/ETH. Flower clusters and/or cluster leaves (source) were manually removed to determine the optimum sink-source ratio to achieve different ratios of fruitlets (sink) relative to the leaves (source) at fruit set (BBCH 67–69). Un-thinned, adjacent trees served as the control. The majority of CLM methods improved fruit size and weight. Removing cluster leaves at fruit set increased fruit size and weight of the remaining fruit, which has not been observed before. The most effective treatment for fruit size and weight and return bloom was the 75% flower cluster and complete cluster leaf removal. Removal of more than 50% of flower clusters successfully improved return bloom, indicative of alternate bearing. The mechanical blossom thinning had a positive effect on fruit size and weight with a return bloom similar to that of removal of 50% flower clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Populism has been at the center of recent debates in political science and international relations scholarship. Recognized as a contested concept and framed as a new global phenomenon, populism emerged in the context of liberal democracies, where political actors inflate social antagonisms by putting the people against the elite. Facing a global health crisis where a sense of threat, uncertainty, and emergency has pushed normal politics into the realm of politics of crisis, populists have actively engaged in creating a spectacularization of failure—of science, institutions, experts, governments—vis-à-vis the new Coronavirus, and in creating doubts about and devaluing scientists, experts and governments. Issues such as mask mandates, lockdown measures, compulsory vaccination, medicine effectiveness, and vaccine certificates became politicized. That is, they have been taken from normal politics and made contingent and controversial in order to deepen already existing political divisions and polarization. Exploring the case of Germany and Brazil, we will show how populists tried to use the pandemic to forge divisions between the people and the elite (represented by scientists, health experts, and the press). This conceptual-empirical paper wishes to make a contribution to the debate on how populists brought scientific public health issues into their black-and-white, antagonistic vision of society and hence instrumentalized COVID-19 for their own political gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the access to healthcare for children and adolescents with three common chronic diseases (type-1 diabetes (T1D), obesity, or juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)) within the 4th (Delta), 5th (Omicron), and beginning of the 6th (Omicron) wave (June 2021 until July 2022) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany in a cross-sectional study using three national patient registries. A paper-and-pencil questionnaire was given to parents of pediatric patients (<21 years) during the routine check-ups. The questionnaire contains self-constructed items assessing the frequency of healthcare appointments and cancellations, remote healthcare, and satisfaction with healthcare. In total, 905 parents participated in the T1D-sample, 175 in the obesity-sample, and 786 in the JIA-sample. In general, satisfaction with healthcare (scale: 0–10; 10 reflecting the highest satisfaction) was quite high (median values: T1D 10, JIA 10, obesity 8.5). The proportion of children and adolescents with canceled appointments was relatively small (T1D 14.1%, JIA 11.1%, obesity 20%), with a median of 1 missed appointment, respectively. Only a few parents (T1D 8.6%; obesity 13.1%; JIA 5%) reported obstacles regarding health services during the pandemic. To conclude, it seems that access to healthcare was largely preserved for children and adolescents with chronic health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term "Agriculture 4.0" emerged from the term "Industry 4.0" like amany other "4.0" terms. However, are Industry 4.0 technologies and concepts really applicable to agriculture? Are the benefits that Industry 4.0 brings to industrial use cases transferable to livestock farming? This paper tries to answer this question for the three dominant sectors of livestock farming in Central Europe and Germany: Poultry, pig fattening, and dairy farming. These sectors are analyzed along with the eight most relevant Industry 4.0 benefits. The results show that only part of the Industry 4.0 benefits are relevant for livestock farming in a similar manner as in industrial production. Due to basic differences between industrial and livestock farming use cases, some of the benefits must be adapted. The presence of individual living animals and the strong environmental impact of livestock farming affect the role of digital individualization and demand orientation. The position of livestock farming within the value chain minimizes the need for flexibilization. The introduction and adoption of Industry 4.0 concepts and technologies may contribute significantly to transforming agriculture into something that may be called Agriculture 4.0. Technologies are indispensable for this development step, but vocational education and open-mindedness of farmers towards Industry 4.0 is essential as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of renewable energies, and of geothermal energy in particular, is increasingly being applied in Germany and Europe for the development of new residential districts. The use of geothermal borehole heat exchangers (BHE), in combination with ground-source heat pumps (GSHP), represents an important part of shallow geothermal systems, which are used, among other systems, in urban areas due to their small space requirements. Over the course of planning BHE systems, performance must be determined via the parameters of thermal conductivity, thermal capacity, undisturbed ground temperature, and borehole thermal resistance. These can be identified by the experimental approach known as thermal response testing (TRT). The thermal parameters change due to the influences of the seasonal temperature fluctuations that take place in the ground. In this paper, a pilot double-U BHE heat exchanger field with a depth of 120 m was investigated from this perspective. TRT was carried out using monthly measurements taken over the period of one year using an electrically powered mobile TRT device. The evaluation of the individual tests was carried out using the line-source, moving-line-source, and cylinder-source theories. Our results show that the season in which TRT was implemented had an influence on the determined thermal parameters, with better thermal conditions being obtained in winter months. This is especially visible for thermal conductivity, with monthly deviations of 0.1 W/(m∙K), independent of the evaluation approaches used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration to Germany has been a fact of life for the average German since the 1960s. Immigrants started arriving from countries like Turkey, Spain, Greece, or Italy as a post-war labor force was invited to Germany to address workforce shortages. Many of these immigrants ultimately brought their families to live in Germany. One group of these newcomers was Aramean families of Syriac Orthodox faith, forced to flee the Tur Abdin region in southeast Turkey via Syria, Lebanon, and Northern Iraq. This paper will discuss the background and impetus for moving to the West for this immigrant group in detail. It will review the impacts on the life of devout Syriac Orthodox families while living in Germany, a secular country. It will also take an initial look at whether evangelical communities in Germany can come alongside this group, still suffering from a different kind of persecution: the "otherness" of living in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our paper examines the impact of training outputs and employment factors on several facets of employee performance while supporting managerial decision-making in the banking sector. First, we introduce four performance measures in individual productivity assessment. Second, three identified groups of covariates are associated with these measures, namely, the training method success, delivery of knowledge, and labor market performance feedback. Based on our empirical results from Germany, we suggest that response-related decisions are accompanying bank employees' profiles and appraisal. In particular, we form decision-making functions and finally show that the banking industry successfully balances between internal and external factors in optimizing employees' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A timely and spatially high-resolution detection of drought-affected forest stands is important to assess and deal with the increasing risk of forest fires. In this paper, we present how multitemporal Sentinel-1 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data can be used to detect drought-affected and fire-endangered forest stands in a spatially and temporally high resolution. Existing approaches for Sentinel-1 based drought detection currently do not allow to deal simultaneously with all disturbing influences of signal noise, topography and visibility geometry on the radar signal or do not produce pixel-based high-resolution drought detection maps of forest stands. Using a novel Sentinel-1 Radar Drought Index (RDI) based on temporal and spatial averaging strategies for speckle noise reduction, we present an efficient methodology to create a spatially explicit detection map of drought-affected forest stands for the year 2020 at the Donnersberg study area in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, keeping the Sentinel-1 maximum spatial resolution of 10 m × 10 m. The RDI showed significant (p < 0.05) drought influence for south, south-west and west-oriented slopes. Comparable spatial patterns of drought-affected forest stands are shown for the years 2018, 2019 and with a weaker intensity for 2021. In addition, the assessment for summer 2020 could also be reproduced with weekly repetition, but spatially coarser resolution and some limitations in the quality of the resulting maps. Nevertheless, the mean RDI values of temporally high-resolution drought detection maps are highly correlated (R2 = 0.9678) with the increasing monthly mean temperatures in 2020. In summary, this study demonstrates that Sentinel-1 data can play an important role for the timely detection of drought-affected and fire-prone forest areas, since availability of observations does not depend on cloud cover or time of day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-carbon energy requires more land than the non-renewable resources. This paper balances holistic assessments of the land demands for biomass heating and their ecosystem services. It is predicted that biomass will continue to play an important role in the heating sector in Germany by 2050, as it is one way to increase the use of renewable energy and reduce CO2 emissions. To balance this out, it is important to ensure that the substitution of fossil fuels with fuelwood does not result in losses in biodiversity, natural forest, and agricultural land. Based on the observed types of fuel demand, the need for space in terms of the growing area is characterized as the corresponding land under the consideration of a given land-use type. Formulas have been applied at the federal level in Germany. The area required to supply an average German household is 0.64 ha if all the wood harvested is used for energy purposes, but this is in competition with all other types of timber use. Fuelwood from thinning alone cannot meet the domestic demand. However, a sustainable supply of woody biomass is possible if residues mainly from forestry and the wood processing industry are used, causing a land demand of 2.69 ha per house, possibly in combination with smaller shares of the above-mentioned types of use. Thus, the shares of pellets and wood chips for heating purposes should be expanded, which would also bring ecological advantages. The qualitative consideration of forest ecosystem services shows that changing the forest composition or management may increase the fuelwood supply but does not necessarily decrease forest ecological services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the European Union, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines became available in December 2020. The vaccination campaign in Germany was initially implemented through mass vaccination centers and later joined by general practitioners (GPs) in spring 2021. This study compared population characteristics, perceived access barriers, and satisfaction with the vaccination procedure between vaccination centers and GP practices. A paper-based survey was distributed (07/2021–10/2021) among newly vaccinated individuals in ten GP practices (n = 364) and two vaccine centers (n = 474). Participants in vaccine centers were younger compared to participants in GP practices. GP preference was higher in older participants and those with pre-existing illnesses. Wait time at vaccination site was longer in GP practices, whereas travel distance to site was longer for participants in vaccine centers. However, satisfaction with patient education and recommendation of site were more likely with increasing comprehensibility of the vaccination procedure and physicians' information as well as perceived sufficiency of patient education duration, factors that can be easily modified by all vaccination sites. Our results demonstrate that both types of vaccination sites complement each other in terms of accessibility and target population and that satisfaction with the vaccination procedure can be promoted at all sites by an easy-to-understand process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a conversation is initiated about the relationship between religious education (RE) and comparative theology (CT). It is the first time that these are both addressed explicitly in an international academic discourse. The authors are colleagues in a university setting of RE teacher education and are both involved in local RE research programs. Our approach is theological, and our shared interest is the existential lifeworld of children and young people. Firstly, we wish to bring RE and CT into conversation with each other, based on five common characteristics. Secondly, we describe how this conversation can possibly stimulate discussion on new pathways of intercultural encounters in the RE classroom, and this not only from a German (mainly confessional) perspective but also in light of other forms of non-confessional RE. After a (1) contextualization of RE in Germany, the authors describe (2) five central features of contemporary RE, followed by (3) five CT observations, connecting to these features. In (4), the relationship between the two is discussed as common ground for intercultural encounters and as a promising praxis and research field awaiting further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture, soil organic carbon, and nitrogen content prediction are considered significant fields of study as they are directly related to plant health and food production. Direct estimation of these soil properties with traditional methods, for example, the oven-drying technique and chemical analysis, is a time and resource-consuming approach and can predict only smaller areas. With the significant development of remote sensing and hyperspectral (HS) imaging technologies, soil moisture, carbon, and nitrogen can be estimated over vast areas. This paper presents a generalized approach to predicting three different essential soil contents using a comprehensive study of various machine learning (ML) models by considering the dimensional reduction in feature spaces. In this study, we have used three popular benchmark HS datasets captured in Germany and Sweden. The efficacy of different ML algorithms is evaluated to predict soil content, and significant improvement is obtained when a specific range of bands is selected. The performance of ML models is further improved by applying principal component analysis (PCA), a dimensional reduction method that works with an unsupervised learning method. The effect of soil temperature on soil moisture prediction is evaluated in this study, and the results show that when the soil temperature is considered with the HS band, the soil moisture prediction accuracy does not improve. However, the combined effect of band selection and feature transformation using PCA significantly enhances the prediction accuracy for soil moisture, carbon, and nitrogen content. This study represents a comprehensive analysis of a wide range of established ML regression models using data preprocessing, effective band selection, and data dimension reduction and attempt to understand which feature combinations provide the best accuracy. The outcomes of several ML models are verified with validation techniques and the best- and worst-case scenarios in terms of soil content are noted. The proposed approach outperforms existing estimation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asse II salt mine, in Germany, contains low and intermediate-level radioactive waste that must be retrieved in the upcoming years. Potentially contaminated salts and brines will require treatment, with 137Cs being the main contaminant. Cs+ is problematic to selectively recover due to its chemical similarity with Na+ and K+ which are present in high quantities in a salt mine. This paper offers a novel solution for Cs+ separation from concentrated chloride salt media by solvent extraction with calixarene-crown-ether extractants in an alcoholic diluent. The proposed solvent extracts Cs+ at elevated chloride concentrations (3–4 M) while back-extraction is achieved by contacting the solvent with dilute (0.01 M) hydrochloric acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we design a silica-cladded Germania-doped ring-core fiber (RCF) that supports orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes. By optimizing the fiber structure parameters, the RCF possesses a near-zero flat dispersion with a total variation of <±30 ps/nm/km over 1770 nm bandwidth from 1040 to 2810 nm for the OAM1,1 mode. A beyond-two-octave supercontinuum spectrum of the OAM1,1 mode is generated numerically by launching a 40 fs 120 kW pulse train centered at 1400 nm into a 12 cm long designed 50 mol% Ge-doped fiber, which covers 2130 nm bandwidth from 630 nm to 2760 nm at −40 dB of power level. This design can serve as an efficient way to extend the spectral coverage of beams carrying OAM modes for various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we describe in detail three seismic measurement campaigns based on refraction methods that we conducted at different sites in Bavaria, Germany. The measured data is published as an open data set. The particularity of this data set lies in its available ground truth information about each measurement site. Acquiring seismic data from sites with ground truth information is important for validation of seismic inversion algorithms. Since near-surface seismic field data with ground truth information is rather limited, we anticipate this data set to be a valuable contribution to the research community. For the measurements, three sites have been selected: (1) a gravel pit with a ground water layer, (2) a site above a highway tunnel and (3) a surface over underground tubes. The measurements have been conducted using line arrays of geophones, the Geode Seismograph from Geometrics Inc. and hammer strikes as seismic source. To obtain inversion results a travel time tomography based on first-arrivals within the software SeisImager is used. The inversion results show that we are able to image the ground water layer in the gravel pit, the highway tunnel and partly features of underground tubes. Furthermore, the results coincide with available ground truth information about the measurement sites. This paper summarizes the measurement campaigns and the respective data sets obtained through these campaigns. The data have been published by the authors as an open data set under the license CC BY 4.0 on figshare to make it available to the research community for validation of seismic data processing and inversion techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper scrutinizes the phenomenon of issue fatigue and its consequences. Issue fatigue results from overexposure to a news topic that has been on the media's agenda for an extended period of time. Fatigued recipients become annoyed, and no longer wish to be exposed to the topic. Based on the findings of an explorative qualitative study, a quantitative online survey was conducted in Germany, Mexico, and Pakistan (N = 481). Using cluster analysis, we identified an emotional and a cognitive type of issue fatigue, and investigated how these types react. Both types of fatigued recipients avoided further news about the respective issue in traditional news media (= information avoidance). Differences were observed concerning the strategies to handle fatigue (= coping strategies): recipients of the emotional type posted about their fatigue in social media; recipients of the cognitive type turned to information in sources other than the mainstream news. Taking into account country-specific differences, we concluded that, generally, issue fatigue—via information avoidance—results in an uninformed citizenry. This can be a hurdle for the functioning of an established democracy or for the success of democratic transitions. Posting about issue fatigue, which was more frequent in Mexico and Pakistan, might 'infect' others, and intensify problems resulting from issue fatigue. Turning to alternative sources can be either beneficial or problematic for the development of a well-informed citizenry, depending on whether alternative sources provide reliable and truthful information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic farming systems have become widespread in recent decades due to their popularity with consumers and their beneficial effects on the environment and biodiversity. Through the increasing number of available studies from farm surveys and comparable results from long-term field trials, the various real existing forms and intensities of agricultural management were subjected to a closer examination in this review. In this paper, the mean characteristics and the range of variation in crop productivity, crop quality and soil fertility as well as the importance and the extent of environmental impacts are comparatively analyzed. From widespread cultivation systems and forms of nutrient management from Central Europe with a focus on Germany, the following fields of influence were investigated and conclusions for the future optimal design of organic cultivation methods were listed: site, soil conditions, climate, phases of conversion and consolidation, crop rotations and farm structures, application of organic and mineral fertilizer types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing share of fluctuating renewable electricity production within the German energy system causes the increasing necessity for flexible consumers, producers, and storage technologies to balance supply and demand. District heating networks with combined heat and power units, Power-to-Heat applications, and thermal energy storage capacities can serve as one of these flexible options. In this context, a simulation model of the district heating network of the rural community Dollnstein, Germany, was built. With the residual load of different regional areas (Germany, Bavaria, Eichstätt, Dollnstein) it is investigated, how the heat generators can operate in an electricity market beneficial way. Two different control algorithms were evaluated: Due to a correlation between the residual loads and the CO2 emissions of the electricity mix, the CO2 savings achieved by this control algorithm are determined. Another way to operate electricity market beneficial is to consider the current CO2 emissions of each region. The main outcomes of this paper are, that there is a high potential for sector coupling by shifting the operation times of a CHP and a heat pump according to the residual load. The electricity demand of the heat pump can be met in terms of low CO2 emissions of the electricity mix, while the CHP can replace electricity with high CO2 emissions. These results can be improved, by considering not the residual load but the current CO2 emissions in the control algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German version of the Parenting stress Index from Abidin, the Eltern-Belastungs-Inventar (EBI) merely provides reference samples of 538 mothers of children in toddlers and preschool age. Although meant to measure parenting stress, there are no father specific reference samples provided. The aim was to investigate differences in parenting stress between fathers and the provided reference samples of German mothers. Furthermore, the aim was to examine potential differences in the perceived stress between fathers who did and those who did not take parental leave. A total of 497 fathers living in Germany, of which more than half took parental leave, filled out the questionnaire via an online survey or the paper-pencil-version. All fathers completed the EBI and provided socio-economic data. The collected data were analyzed in terms of test quality, such as mean and standard deviation, corrected item–total correlation and reliability. Moreover, differences between the provided norm data and our sample were calculated. Analyses showed that fathers reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress than mothers. Furthermore, fathers taking parental leave did not differ significantly from those who did not, regarding their level of education or their perceived parenting stress. In conclusion, as it stands right now, the EBI does not adequately measure parenting stress in fathers, and father specific norms are needed to properly assess their levels of parenting stress. The results concerning parenting stress and parental leave were thus inconclusive. Furthermore, since reducing parenting stress in fathers is beneficial for the child's development and the welfare of the parents, further studies focusing on fathers' parenting stress are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Besides the integration of renewable energies, electric vehicles pose an additional challenge to modern power grids. However, electric vehicles can also be a flexibility source and contribute to the power system stability. Today, the power system still heavily relies on conventional technologies to stay stable. In order to operate a future power system based on renewable energies only, we need to understand the flexibility potential of assets such as electric vehicles and become able to use their flexibility. In this paper, we analyzed how vast amounts of coordinated charging processes can be used to provide frequency containment reserve power, one of the most important ancillary services for system stability. Therefore, we used an extensive simulation model of a virtual power plant of millions of electric vehicles. The model considers not only technical components but also the stochastic behavior of electric vehicle drivers based on real data. Our results show that, in 2030, electric vehicles have the potential to serve the whole frequency containment reserve power market in Germany. We differentiate between using unidirectional and bidirectional chargers. Bidirectional chargers have a larger potential but also result in unwanted battery degradation. Unidirectional chargers are more constrained in terms of flexibility, but do not lead to additional battery degradation. We conclude that using a mix of both can combine the advantages of both worlds. Thereby, average private cars can provide the service without any notable additional battery degradation and achieve yearly earnings between EUR 200 and EUR 500, depending on the volatile market prices. Commercial vehicles have an even higher potential, as the results increase with vehicle utilization and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, intended for researchers, introduces a stochastic method for calculating the optimal tax schedule based on taxpayer utility, population skill distribution, and wages. It implements and extends the classic approach to optimal income tax calculation introduced by J.A. Mirrlees. A genetic algorithm is applied instead of the numerical or analytical method of solving the problem. In the experimental part of the article, we took basic statistics for Germany in 2017 to infer about the distribution skills and wages of the working population. Their aim was to verify whether our approach would give similar results to those known from the literature on the subject. Thus, we have calculated the impact of the taxpayer attitude to work and budget external flows on the income tax schedule. Then, we measured the convergence of the search process across multiple runs of the algorithm. Analysis of obtained results brought us to the conclusion that they are similar to one known from the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of novel energy vehicles, power generation, photovoltaics, and other industries, power electronic devices have gained considerable attention. Insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) have been widely used in those fields. With the emergence of intelligent manufacturing concepts such as Germany's "Industry 4.0" and China's "Made in China 2025", conventional manufacturing which needs to be upgraded with higher efficiency and yield is rapidly pivoting toward digitalization and intelligence. The digital twin methodology has been extensively used in various industries for constructing virtual models of physical entities, facilitating real-time data interconnection to reduce costs and improve efficiency. This study proposes a modular intelligent IGBT production line based on the digital twin. Real-time data are transmitted from a physical line to a digital line for storage and analysis. The digital line is visualized, and an intelligent management platform containing multiple functions is developed. Additionally, a process simulation database is established to obtain the optimal process parameters. Numerous quality issues that can arise during each process of IGBT packaging are addressed using a problem-solving approach based on the digital twin methodology. Consequently, this digital-twin-based IGBT intelligent production line effectively enhances yield rates and efficiency. IGBT modules with various packaging forms such as ACF, ACE, and ACD are manufactured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport sector has to be widely decarbonized by 2050 to reach the targets of the Paris Agreement. This can be performed with different drive trains and energy carriers. This paper explored four pathways to a carbon-free transport sector in Germany in 2050 with foci on electricity, hydrogen, synthetic methane, or liquid synthetic fuels. We used a transport demand model for future vehicle use and a simulation model for the determination of alternative fuel vehicle market shares. We found a large share of electric vehicles in all scenarios, even in the scenarios with a focus on other fuels. In all scenarios, the final energy consumption decreased significantly, most strongly when the focus was on electricity and almost one-third lower in primary energy demand compared with the other scenarios. A further decrease of energy demand is possible with an even faster adoption of electric vehicles, yet fuel cost then has to be even higher or electricity prices lower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nationwide and consistent information on agricultural land use forms an important basis for sustainable land management maintaining food security, (agro)biodiversity, and soil fertility, especially as German agriculture has shown high vulnerability to climate change. Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite data of the Copernicus program offer time series with temporal, spatial, radiometric, and spectral characteristics that have great potential for mapping and monitoring agricultural crops. This paper presents an approach which synergistically uses these multispectral and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) time series for the classification of 17 crop classes at 10 m spatial resolution for Germany in the year 2018. Input data for the Random Forest (RF) classification are monthly statistics of Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 time series. This approach reduces the amount of input data and pre-processing steps while retaining phenological information, which is crucial for crop type discrimination. For training and validation, Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) data were available covering 15 of the 16 German Federal States. An overall map accuracy of 75.5% was achieved, with class-specific F1-scores above 80% for winter wheat, maize, sugar beet, and rapeseed. By combining optical and SAR data, overall accuracies could be increased by 6% and 9%, respectively, compared to single sensor approaches. While no increase in overall accuracy could be achieved by stratifying the classification in natural landscape regions, the class-wise accuracies for all but the cereal classes could be improved, on average, by 7%. In comparison to census data, the crop areas could be approximated well with, on average, only 1% of deviation in class-specific acreages. Using this streamlined approach, similar accuracies for the most widespread crop types as well as for smaller permanent crop classes were reached as in other Germany-wide crop type studies, indicating its potential for repeated nationwide crop type mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In contrast to river floods, the enormous erosion potential in catchments contributes significantly to the extent of damage to infrastructure in valleys. This paper investigates the impact of the heavy precipitation event of 14–15 July 2021 on the railroad in the Ahr valley in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. In a first step, a detailed overview of the climatological and hydrological drivers using spatially high-resolved precipitation distribution and peak discharge modeling is provided, and the event is placed in a broader context by comparing it to past flash flood events from 1910 and 2016. In a second step, a detailed mapping of damages along the railroad line is performed using aerial photographs. The mapping revealed that bridges are the weakest point during a flood event and that they contribute to an increase and modification of the flood wave through backwater effects. Since flood events are expected to increase in the future, there is an urgent need to increase the resilience of transportation to this hazard and to answer the question of what magnitudes and return periods of events should be used in future sizing of rail infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the extensive structural changes of the Rhenish coal-mining area in Germany. Coal mining was and still is a relevant economic activity throughout Europe and is the focus of many political and societal debates, as well as research activities in the Rhenish coal-mining area. The project DAZWISCHEN followed the concept of evidence-based planning and therefore identified, by means of a GIS-based analysis, the structural changes within the Rhenish coal-mining area for the conflicting thematic clusters for settlement development and open space. Moreover, we investigated the complex multi-level governance that the region is characterized by. The results suggest an increased pressure on blue and green infrastructure by new urban development, especially in the northern part of the Rhenish coal-mining area. On the other hand, the southern part of the Rhenish coal-mining area will be more likely to undergo a process towards an increase in green infrastructure. Thus, the future development of the whole area is segregated in two different development trends in the north and south parts. The complex governance structure in the Rhenish coal-mining area requires an in-depth view of the ongoing working processes in the development of ideas and visions for regional mission statements of different planning areas, levels, and network partners in a real-life laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legislative efforts for renewables-based energy decarbonisation hinge upon the support and commitment from different stakeholders holding often conflicting positions regarding disruptive processes of socio-technical transformation. However, the evolving acceptance of market actors on the policy-driven promotion of renewables over time remains under-scrutinised. Simultaneously, despite growing attention to power and politics in sustainability transitions, limited efforts remain invested for elucidating the political-economic nature of the market-based selection environments they are operationalised through, highlighting the need for a more systematic comprehension of the "politics of selection". To address these shortcomings, this paper provides a more refined understanding of the role of policy-driven markets and its participating agents in facilitating/hindering innovation diffusion and broader (system-wide) sustainability transitions. To do so, it showcases a longitudinal case study of the politics underlying Germany's evolving feed-in policy support framework for orchestrating a market-mediated diffusion of renewables (1980s–2020). Based on policy analysis and semi-structured interviews, the study traces the changing acceptance and ensuing strategic (re)actions of market actors to the emergence and evolution of Germany's market for electricity from renewable energy sources. Results show how different market participants effectively shape the selection environments they operate in by proactively contesting/deluding the design features of the support policies organising their economised relations (e.g., market entry conditions, exchange rules, remuneration levels, pricing schemes, etc.). Such efforts are undertaken through legal means and market framing strategies targeting the affordability of policy support costs, coupled with the strategic use of policy instrumentation as a vehicle to further expand/retain their market shares to the detriment of competing actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes the application of a multivariate diffusion model, based on ordinary differential equations, to investigate the energy transition in Germany. Specifically, the model is able to analyze the dynamic interdependencies between coal, gas and renewables in the energy market. A system dynamics representation of the model is also performed, allowing a deeper understanding of the system and the set-up of suitable strategic interventions through a simulation exercise. Such simulation provides a useful indication of how renewable energy consumption may be stimulated as a result of well-specified policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current increase of electric vehicles in Germany requires an adequately developed charging infrastructure. Large numbers of public and semi-public charging stations are necessary to ensure sufficient coverage. To make the installation worthwhile for the mostly private operators as well as public ones, a sufficient utilization is decisive. An essential factor for the degree of utilization is the placement of a charging station. Therefore, the initial site selection plays a critical role in the planning process. This paper proposes a charging station placement procedure based on real-world data on charging station utilization and places of common interest. In the first step, we correlate utilization rates of existing charging infrastructure with places of common interest such as restaurants, shops, bars and sports facilities. This allows us to estimate the untapped potential of unexploited areas across Germany in a second step. In the last step, we employ the resulting geographical extrapolation to derive two optimized expansion strategies based on the attractiveness of locations for electric vehicle charging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bike-sharing systems (BSS) are offered in many cities and urban municipalities and urban areas without such systems are thinking about their introduction. In addition, many studies on BSS are available; however, neither mode nor route choice parameters are available for station-based BSS, which are required for the implementation of BSS in local and regional transport demand models. As a result, this makes it impossible to simulate demand model-based effects of these systems on other transport modes and e.g., calculate scenario-guided modal shifts. The paper presents results obtained from a survey study, which aims to estimate BSS-related choice parameters. The study combined computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI) for a collection of revealed preferences (RP) on the use of BSS with a follow-up paper-and-pencil survey on stated preferences (SP) of 220 BSS users and non-users from the Rhine-Neckar area in mid-west Germany. Considering the three transport modes BSS, public transport (PT), and private motorized transport (PMT), results from this choice experiment and, according to behavioural parameters, allow integration of BSS in transport demand models and a simulation of modal shifts. Survey design, mode-choice experiment, and choice models are presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the results of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model of solar radiation for moderate climatic zones. This analysis covered the area of northeastern Germany. Due to very unfavorable solar energy conditions in this region for at least 1/3 of the year, we decided to select the dates with the most representative conditions: passing warm fronts, cold fronts, and occluded fronts (two cases each). As the reference, two cloudless conditions during high-pressure situations were chosen. Two different shortwave radiation schemes—Rapid Radiative Transfer Model for general circulation model (RRTMG) and Dudhia—were tested. The obtained results were compared with in situ data measured at Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) stations and then with European Medium-Range Weather Forecast reanalysis (ERA5) data. The results showed that for high-pressure situations, the mean correlations with measured data were above 90%. The Dudhia scheme, in addition to the expected good results for the high-pressure situation, showed better results than RRTMG for the warm and cold fronts as well. The forecast using the RRTMG scheme gave the best results for the occluded front, which were also better than those of the ERA5 model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This concept study extends the power-to-gas approach to small combined heat and power devices in buildings that alternately operate fuel cells and electrolysis. While the heat is used to replace existing fossil heaters on-site, the power is either fed into the grid or consumed via heat-coupled electrolysis to balance the grid power at the nearest grid node. In detail, the power demand of Germany is simulated as a snapshot for 2030 with 100% renewable sourcing. The standard load profile is supplemented with additional loads from 100% electric heat pumps, 100% electric cars, and a fully electrified industry. The renewable power is then scaled up to match this demand with historic hourly yield data from 2018/2019. An optimal mix of photovoltaics, wind, biomass and hydropower is calculated in respect to estimated costs in 2030. Hydrogen has recently entered a large number of national energy roadmaps worldwide. However, most of them address the demands of heavy industry and heavy transport, which are more difficult to electrify. Hydrogen is understood to be a substitute for fossil fuels, which would be continuously imported from non-industrialized countries. This paper focuses on hydrogen as a storage technology in an all-electric system. The target is to model the most cost-effective end-to-end use of local renewable energies, including excess hydrogen for the industry. The on-site heat coupling will be the principal argument for decentralisation. Essentially, it flattens the future peak from massive usage of electric heat pumps during cold periods. However, transition speed will either push the industry or the prosumer approach in front. Batteries are tried out as supplementary components for short-term storage, due to their higher round trip efficiencies. Switching the gas net to hydrogen is considered as an alternative to overcome the slow power grid expansions. Further decentral measures are examined in respect to system costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy system integration enables raising operational synergies by coupling the energy infrastructures for electricity, methane, and hydrogen. However, this coupling reinforces the infrastructure interdependencies, increasing the need for integrated modeling of these infrastructures. To analyze the cost-efficient, sustainable, and secure dispatch of applied, large-scale energy infrastructures, an extensive and non-linear optimization problem needs to be solved. This paper introduces a nested decomposition approach with three stages. The method enables an integrated and full-year consideration of large-scale multi-energy systems in hourly resolution, taking into account physical laws of power flows in electricity and gas transmission systems as boundary conditions. For this purpose, a zooming technique successively reduces the temporal scope while first increasing the spatial and last the technical resolution. A use case proves the applicability of the presented approach to large-scale energy systems. To this end, the model is applied to an integrated European energy system model with a detailed focus on Germany in a challenging transport situation. The use case demonstrates the temporal, regional, and cross-sectoral interdependencies in the dispatch of integrated energy infrastructures and thus the benefits of the introduced approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leptosphaeria maculans is one of the major pathogens of oilseed rape (B. napus). It causes blackleg disease, which accounts for significant yield losses worldwide. Using cultivars that harbor major resistance (R) genes is one of the most effective control methods. However, the efficacy of major R genes is related to the frequency of the corresponding avirulence (Avr) genes in a L. maculans population. In this paper, we report the Avr profiles of L. maculans populations and the ratio of its mating types in Northern and Central regions of Germany. Eleven Avr genes in five-hundred and seventy-four isolates were characterized either by applying cotyledon tests on a B. napus differential set or by amplifying avirulence gene-specific PCR markers. Fifty-two races were determined, among which the most dominant race was Avrlm6, -7, -11, AvrlepR1, -R2. Results showed that the resistance gene Rlm2 is 100% ineffective, some other major R genes such as Rlm1, Rlm3, Rlm4 and LepR3 are partially effective (with corresponding Avr frequencies ≤ 42%), while LepR1, LepR2, Rlm6, Rlm11 and Rlm7 can still provide relatively effective resistance in the German fields investigated (with corresponding Avr frequencies of 63–100%). Sexual reproduction is a factor that enhances the potential of L. maculans to evolve under selection pressure. Mating types of the L. maculans populations did not deviate from the ratio of 1:1 in the examined regions, indicating that sexual reproduction and ascospores play central roles in the L. maculans lifecycle. Overall, this study provides an important dataset for the establishment of a strategic plan to preserve the efficacies of major R genes in Germany by applying cultivar rotations of oilseed rape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, the number of small wood-burning combustion plants was around 11 million in 2020. The PM2.5 immissions caused by the operation of these combustion plants are already about as high as those from traffic exhaust gases. Thus, particulate matter immissions occur not only on busy roads but also in residential areas. Since there are few official measuring stations for PM2.5 in residential areas and suburbs, this study determined PM2.5 concentrations from November 2020 to June 2021 at three stations (urban, suburban, and residential) in the Karlsruhe area. Simultaneous measurements of PM2.5 at the three locations have been implemented to determine short-term (peaks), medium-term, and long-term particulate matter levels and to assign them to sources by observation, considering wind direction. Illustratively, PM2.5 immission levels in January and May 2021 were compared in this paper. The comparison of the particulate matter immissions measured in the urban and residential area in January revealed that PM2.5 concentration peaks of up to 60 µg/m3 occurred for short periods in the residential area, especially on Fridays and in the evenings, which could be assigned to wood stove operation. In the urban and suburban areas, the number of the immission peaks was lower by 70–80%, and the peak concentrations were also lower by an average of 13–18%. However, the high short-term peaks have no significant impact when calculating the PM2.5 annual average according to the current limit value regulation (39. BImSchV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]