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Abstract Minimal residual disease (MRD) assessment is a known surrogate marker for survival in multiple myeloma (MM). Here, we present a single institution’s experience assessing MRD by NGS of Ig genes and the long-term impact of depth of response as well as clonal diversity on the clinical outcome of a large population of MM patients; 482 MM patients at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) diagnosed from 2008 to 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. MRD assessment was performed by NGS. PFS curves were plotted by the Kaplan–Meier method. In the newly diagnosed group, 119 of 304, achieved MRD negativity at the level of 10−6 at least once. These patients had a prolonged PFS versus patients who were persistently MRD positive at different levels (p > 0.0001). In the relapsed disease group, 64 of 178 achieved MRD negativity at 10−6, and PFS was prolonged versus patients who remained MRD positive (p = 0.03). Three categories of MRD dynamics were defined by artificial intelligence: (A) patients with ≥3 consistently MRD negative samples, (B) patients with continuously declining but detectable clones, and (C) patients with either increasing or a stable number of clones. Groups A and B had a more prolonged PFS than group C (p

Abstract Xenon dual-phase time projections chambers (TPCs) have proven to be a successful technology in studying physical phenomena that require low-background conditions. With $$40\,\textrm{t}$$ 40 t of liquid xenon (LXe) in the TPC baseline design, DARWIN will have a high sensitivity for the detection of particle dark matter, neutrinoless double beta decay ( $$0\upnu \upbeta \upbeta $$ 0 ν β β ), and axion-like particles (ALPs). Although cosmic muons are a source of background that cannot be entirely eliminated, they may be greatly diminished by placing the detector deep underground. In this study, we used Monte Carlo simulations to model the cosmogenic background expected for the DARWIN observatory at four underground laboratories: Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS), Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF), Laboratoire Souterrain de Modane (LSM) and SNOLAB. We present here the results of simulations performed to determine the production rate of $${}^{137}$$ 137 Xe, the most crucial isotope in the search for $$0\upnu \upbeta \upbeta $$ 0 ν β β of $${}^{136}$$ 136 Xe. Additionally, we explore the contribution that other muon-induced spallation products, such as other unstable xenon isotopes and tritium, may have on the cosmogenic background.

In Precision Agriculture applications, the knowledge of the N-uptake of crops in a spatial context is a precondition for precise N-fertilization. Therefore, non-destructive methods to determine N concentration or N-uptake of crops are of key interest. In this contribution, we will present an approach based on UAV-based crop height analysis to estimate N-uptake. The hypothesis is that biomass can be very well estimated using UAV-derived crop height. It is also known that biomass is highly correlated with N-uptake. Hence, we propose to use UAV-derived crop height as a direct estimator for N-uptake. We will present results from a winter wheat field trial comprising six varieties, three different N amounts, and five repetitions. Multitemporal models have been created from data of the growing season 2020 with a promising performance for biomass (R2 = 0.91) and N-uptake (R2 = 0.72). The two linear regression models have been applied to a similar independent data set from the following year, 2021. The results are promising for biomass (R2 = 0.82) and N-uptake (R2 = 0.75). Based on our findings, we conclude that UAV-derived crop height - as a structural crop trait - can robustly serve as an estimator for biomass and N-uptake in winter wheat.

Abstract We correct an overestimation of the production rate of $$^{137}$$ 137 Xe in the DARWIN detector operated at LNGS. This formerly dominant intrinsic background source is now at a level similar to the irreducible background from solar $$^8$$ 8 B neutrinos, thus unproblematic at the LNGS depth. The projected half-life sensitivity for the neutrinoless double beta decay ( $$0\nu \beta \beta $$ 0 ν β β ) of $$^{136}$$ 136 Xe improves by $$22\%$$ 22 % compared to the previously reported number and is now $$T^{0\nu }_{1/2}= {3.0\times 10^{27}} \hbox { yr}$$ T 1 / 2 0 ν = 3.0 × 10 27 yr (90% C.L.) after 10 years of DARWIN operation.

Abstract In this work we present a keV-scale sterile-neutrino search with a low-tritium-activity data set of the KATRIN experiment, acquired in a commissioning run in 2018. KATRIN performs a spectroscopic measurement of the tritium $$\upbeta $$ β -decay spectrum with the main goal of directly determining the effective electron anti-neutrino mass. During this commissioning phase a lower tritium activity facilitated the measurement of a wider part of the tritium spectrum and thus the search for sterile neutrinos with a mass of up to $$1.6\, \textrm{keV}$$ 1.6 keV . We do not find a signal and set an exclusion limit on the sterile-to-active mixing amplitude of $$\sin ^2\theta < 5\times 10^{-4}$$ sin 2 θ < 5 × 10 - 4 ( $$95\%$$ 95 % C.L.) at a mass of 0.3 keV. This result improves current laboratory-based bounds in the sterile-neutrino mass range between 0.1 and 1.0 keV.

In about 30 to 40% of the global ocean, including most of the Southern Hemisphere, mean and extreme wave heights have increased in magnitude between 1980 and 2014, according to a multiproduct ensemble of historical global wave climate assessments.

Measurement(s) Significant wave height • Mean wave period • Mean wave direction Technology Type(s) Global wave reanalysis and hindcasts Sample Characteristic - Environment Wind-waves Sample Characteristic - Location Global

Megacities and other major population centres (MPCs) worldwide are major sources of air pollution, both locally as well as downwind. The overall assessment and prediction of the impact of MPC pollution on tropospheric chemistry are challenging. The present work provides an overview of the highlights of a major new contribution to the understanding of this issue based on the data and analysis of the EMeRGe (Effect of Megacities on the transport and transformation of pollutants on the Regional to Global scales) international project. EMeRGe focuses on atmospheric chemistry, dynamics, and transport of local and regional pollution originating in MPCs. Airborne measurements, taking advantage of the long range capabilities of the High Altitude and LOng Range Research Aircraft (HALO, https://www.halo-spp.de, last access: 22 March 2022), are a central part of the project. The synergistic use and consistent interpretation of observational data sets of different spatial and temporal resolution (e.g. from ground-based networks, airborne campaigns, and satellite measurements) supported by modelling within EMeRGe provide unique insight to test the current understanding of MPC pollution outflows. In order to obtain an adequate set of measurements at different spatial scales, two field experiments were positioned in time and space to contrast situations when the photochemical transformation of plumes emerging from MPCs is large. These experiments were conducted in summer 2017 over Europe and in the inter-monsoon period over Asia in spring 2018. The intensive observational periods (IOPs) involved HALO airborne measurements of ozone and its precursors, volatile organic compounds, aerosol particles, and related species as well as coordinated ground-based ancillary observations at different sites. Perfluorocarbon (PFC) tracer releases and model forecasts supported the flight planning, the identification of pollution plumes, and the analysis of chemical transformations during transport. This paper describes the experimental deployment and scientific questions of the IOP in Europe. The MPC targets – London (United Kingdom; UK), the Benelux/Ruhr area (Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Germany), Paris (France), Rome and the Po Valley (Italy), and Madrid and Barcelona (Spain) – were investigated during seven HALO research flights with an aircraft base in Germany for a total of 53 flight hours. An in-flight comparison of HALO with the collaborating UK-airborne platform Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM) took place to assure accuracy and comparability of the instrumentation on board. Overall, EMeRGe unites measurements of near- and far-field emissions and hence deals with complex air masses of local and distant sources. Regional transport of several European MPC outflows was successfully identified and measured. Chemical processing of the MPC emissions was inferred from airborne observations of primary and secondary pollutants and the ratios between species having different chemical lifetimes. Photochemical processing of aerosol and secondary formation or organic acids was evident during the transport of MPC plumes. Urban plumes mix efficiently with natural sources as mineral dust and with biomass burning emissions from vegetation and forest fires. This confirms the importance of wildland fire emissions in Europe and indicates an important but discontinuous contribution to the European emission budget that might be of relevance in the design of efficient mitigation strategies. The present work provides an overview of the most salient results in the European context, with these being addressed in more detail within additional dedicated EMeRGe studies. The deployment and results obtained in Asia will be the subject of separate publications.

The development of increasingly powerful Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is progressing continuously, so that these systems equipped with high-resolution sensors can be used for a variety of different applications. With the Matrice 300 RTK, Da-Jiang Innovations Science and Technology Co. Ltd (DJI) has launched a system that can use the high-resolution camera Zenmuse P1 or the laser scanner Zenmuse L1 as a recording sensor, among other sensors. In order to investigate the geometric quality of these two sensors, HafenCity University Hamburg, in cooperation with LGV Hamburg, NLWKN in Norden and the German Archaeological Institute in Bonn, flew over the 3D test field in the Inselpark in Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg on 5 August 2021 with the P1 camera and the L1 laser scanner. Using the Matrice 300 RTK as carrier platform, the test field was recorded in various configurations at altitudes between 50 m and 90 m above ground. Prior to the UAV flight campaign, 44 marked ground control points (GCP) were signalised in the test field, which had already been surveyed by LGV in 2020 using geodetic measurement methods to achieve a coordinate accuracy of ±5 mm for each GCP. The results of aerial triangulations as well as 3D point clouds generated from image data and laser scanning are compared with reference data in order to demonstrate the accuracy potential of these measurement systems in this paper.

A thorough characterization of base materials is the prerequisite for further research. In this paper, the characterization data of the reference materials (CEM I 42.5 R, limestone powder, calcined clay and a mixture of these three components) used in the second funding phase of the priority program 2005 of the German Research Foundation (DFG SPP 2005) are presented under the aspects of chemical and mineralogical composition as well as physical and chemical properties. The data were collected based on tests performed by up to eleven research groups involved in this cooperative program.

Abstract The KATRIN experiment is designed for a direct and model-independent determination of the effective electron anti-neutrino mass via a high-precision measurement of the tritium $$\upbeta $$ β -decay endpoint region with a sensitivity on $$m_\nu $$ m ν of 0.2 $$\hbox {eV}/\hbox {c}^2$$ eV / c 2 (90% CL). For this purpose, the $$\upbeta $$ β -electrons from a high-luminosity windowless gaseous tritium source traversing an electrostatic retarding spectrometer are counted to obtain an integral spectrum around the endpoint energy of 18.6 keV. A dominant systematic effect of the response of the experimental setup is the energy loss of $$\upbeta $$ β -electrons from elastic and inelastic scattering off tritium molecules within the source. We determined the energy-loss function in-situ with a pulsed angular-selective and monoenergetic photoelectron source at various tritium-source densities. The data was recorded in integral and differential modes; the latter was achieved by using a novel time-of-flight technique. We developed a semi-empirical parametrization for the energy-loss function for the scattering of 18.6-keV electrons from hydrogen isotopologs. This model was fit to measurement data with a 95% $$\hbox {T}_2$$ T 2 gas mixture at 30 K, as used in the first KATRIN neutrino-mass analyses, as well as a $$\hbox {D}_2$$ D 2 gas mixture of 96% purity used in KATRIN commissioning runs. The achieved precision on the energy-loss function has abated the corresponding uncertainty of $$\sigma (m_\nu ^2)< {{10}^{-2}}{\hbox {eV}^{2}}$$ σ ( m ν 2 ) < 10 - 2 eV 2 [1] in the KATRIN neutrino-mass measurement to a subdominant level.

Abstract We detail the sensitivity of the proposed liquid xenon DARWIN observatory to solar neutrinos via elastic electron scattering. We find that DARWIN will have the potential to measure the fluxes of five solar neutrino components: pp, $$^7$$ 7 Be, $$^{13}$$ 13 N, $$^{15}$$ 15 O and pep. The precision of the $$^{13}$$ 13 N, $$^{15}$$ 15 O and pep components is hindered by the double-beta decay of $$^{136}$$ 136 Xe and, thus, would benefit from a depleted target. A high-statistics observation of pp neutrinos would allow us to infer the values of the electroweak mixing angle, $$\sin ^2\theta _w$$ sin 2 θ w , and the electron-type neutrino survival probability, $$P_{ee}$$ P ee , in the electron recoil energy region from a few keV up to 200 keV for the first time, with relative precision of 5% and 4%, respectively, with 10 live years of data and a 30 tonne fiducial volume. An observation of pp and $$^7$$ 7 Be neutrinos would constrain the neutrino-inferred solar luminosity down to 0.2%. A combination of all flux measurements would distinguish between the high- (GS98) and low-metallicity (AGS09) solar models with 2.1–2.5 $$\sigma $$ σ significance, independent of external measurements from other experiments or a measurement of $$^8$$ 8 B neutrinos through coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering in DARWIN. Finally, we demonstrate that with a depleted target DARWIN may be sensitive to the neutrino capture process of $$^{131}$$ 131 Xe.

Scientific evidence is critical to underpin the decisions associated with shoreline management, to build climate-resilient communities and infrastructure. We explore the role of waves, storm surges and sea level rise for the Caribbean region with a focus on coastal impacts in the eastern Caribbean islands. We simulate past extreme events and a worst-case scenario, modelling the storm surges and waves, suggesting a storm surge might reach 1.5 m, depending on the underwater topography. Coastal wave heights of up to 12 m offshore and up to 5 m near the coast of St Vincent are simulated with a regional wave model. We deliver probabilistic sea level projections for 2100, with a low-probability–high-impact estimate of possible sea level rise up to 2.2 m, exceeding the 1.8 m global estimate for the same scenario. We introduce a combined vulnerability index, which allows for a quantitative assessment of relative risk across the region, showing that sea level rise is the most important risk factor everywhere but wave impacts are important on windward coasts, increasing to the north, towards the main hurricane track. Our work provides quantitative evidence for policy-makers, scientists and local communities to actively prepare for and protect against climate change.

Abstract The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino experiment (KATRIN) aims to determine the effective electron (anti)-neutrino mass with a sensitivity of 0.2eV/c $$^2$$ 2 by precisely measuring the endpoint region of the tritium $$\beta $$ β -decay spectrum. It uses a tandem of electrostatic spectrometers working as magnetic adiabatic collimation combined with an electrostatic (MAC-E) filters. In the space between the pre-spectrometer and the main spectrometer, creating a Penning trap is unavoidable when the superconducting magnet between the two spectrometers, biased at their respective nominal potentials, is energized. The electrons accumulated in this trap can lead to discharges, which create additional background electrons and endanger the spectrometer and detector section downstream. To counteract this problem, “electron catchers” were installed in the beamline inside the magnet bore between the two spectrometers. These catchers can be moved across the magnetic-flux tube and intercept on a sub-ms time scale the stored electrons along their magnetron motion paths. In this paper, we report on the design and the successful commissioning of the electron catchers and present results on their efficiency in reducing the experimental background.

Abstract The DARWIN observatory is a proposed next-generation experiment to search for particle dark matter and for the neutrinoless double beta decay of $$^{136}$$ 136 Xe. Out of its 50 t total natural xenon inventory, 40 t will be the active target of a time projection chamber which thus contains about 3.6 t of $$^{136}$$ 136 Xe. Here, we show that its projected half-life sensitivity is $$2.4\times {10}^{27}\,{\hbox {year}}$$ 2.4×1027year , using a fiducial volume of 5 t of natural xenon and 10 year of operation with a background rate of less than 0.2 events/(t $$\cdot $$ · year) in the energy region of interest. This sensitivity is based on a detailed Monte Carlo simulation study of the background and event topologies in the large, homogeneous target. DARWIN will be comparable in its science reach to dedicated double beta decay experiments using xenon enriched in $$^{136}$$ 136 Xe.

Abstract The KATRIN experiment aims to measure the effective electron antineutrino mass $$m_{\overline{\nu }_e}$$ mν¯e with a sensitivity of $${0.2}\,{\hbox {eV}/\hbox {c}^2}$$ 0.2eV/c2 using a gaseous tritium source combined with the MAC-E filter technique. A low background rate is crucial to achieving the proposed sensitivity, and dedicated measurements have been performed to study possible sources of background electrons. In this work, we test the hypothesis that gamma radiation from external radioactive sources significantly increases the rate of background events created in the main spectrometer (MS) and observed in the focal-plane detector. Using detailed simulations of the gamma flux in the experimental hall, combined with a series of experimental tests that artificially increased or decreased the local gamma flux to the MS, we set an upper limit of $${0.006}\,{\hbox {count}/\hbox {s}}$$ 0.006count/s (90% C.L.) from this mechanism. Our results indicate the effectiveness of the electrostatic and magnetic shielding used to block secondary electrons emitted from the inner surface of the MS.

In this work, we present an approach that uses an established image recognition convolutional neural network for the semantic classification of two-dimensional objects found in mobile mapping 3D point cloud scans of road environments, namely manhole covers and road markings. We show that the approach is capable of classifying these objects and that it can efficiently be applied on large datasets. Top-down view images from the point cloud are rendered and classified by a U-Net implementation. The results are integrated into the point cloud by setting an additional semantic attribute. Shape files can be computed from the classified points.

Abstract The KATRIN experiment aims to determine the effective electron neutrino mass with a sensitivity of $${0.2}{\hbox { eV/c}^{2}}$$ 0.2eV/c2 (%90 CL) by precision measurement of the shape of the tritium $$\upbeta $$ β -spectrum in the endpoint region. The energy analysis of the decay electrons is achieved by a MAC-E filter spectrometer. A common background source in this setup is the decay of short-lived isotopes, such as $${}^{\text {219}}\text {Rn}$$ 219Rn and $${}^{\text {220}}\text {Rn}$$ 220Rn , in the spectrometer volume. Active and passive countermeasures have been implemented and tested at the KATRIN main spectrometer. One of these is the magnetic pulse method, which employs the existing air coil system to reduce the magnetic guiding field in the spectrometer on a short timescale in order to remove low- and high-energy stored electrons. Here we describe the working principle of this method and present results from commissioning measurements at the main spectrometer. Simulations with the particle-tracking software Kassiopeia were carried out to gain a detailed understanding of the electron storage conditions and removal processes.

Ground-penetrating 2D radar scans are captured in road environments for examination of pavement condition and below-ground variations such as lowerings and developing pot-holes. 3D point clouds captured above ground provide a precise digital representation of the road’s surface and the surrounding environment. If both data sources are captured for the same area, a combined visualization is a valuable tool for infrastructure maintenance tasks. This paper presents visualization techniques developed for the combined visual exploration of the data captured in road environments. Main challenges are the positioning of the ground radar data within the 3D environment and the reduction of occlusion for individual data sets. By projecting the measured ground radar data onto the precise trajectory of the scan, it can be displayed within the context of the 3D point cloud representation of the road environment. We show that customizable overlay, filtering, and cropping techniques enable insightful data exploration. A 3D renderer combines both data sources. To enable an inspection of areas of interest, ground radar data can be elevated above ground level for better visibility. An interactive lens approach enables to visualize data sources that are currently occluded by others. The visualization techniques prove to be a valuable tool for ground layer anomaly inspection and were evaluated in a real-world data set. The combination of 2D ground radar scans with 3D point cloud data improves data interpretation by giving context information (e.g., about manholes in the street) that can be directly accessed during evaluation.

Abstract The neutrino mass experiment KATRIN requires a stability of 3 ppm for the retarding potential at − 18.6 kV of the main spectrometer. To monitor the stability, two custom-made ultra-precise high-voltage dividers were developed and built in cooperation with the German national metrology institute Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB). Until now, regular absolute calibration of the voltage dividers required bringing the equipment to the specialised metrology laboratory. Here we present a new method based on measuring the energy difference of two $$^{83{\mathrm{m}}}$$ 83m Kr conversion electron lines with the KATRIN setup, which was demonstrated during KATRIN’s commissioning measurements in July 2017. The measured scale factor $$M=1972.449(10)$$ M=1972.449(10) of the high-voltage divider K35 is in agreement with the last PTB calibration 4 years ago. This result demonstrates the utility of the calibration method, as well as the long-term stability of the voltage divider.

Since Plato and Aristotle, political theorists have discussed the important role of education in forming democratic citizens. They disagree, however, over whether public or private schools are more effective at nurturing citizenship. We conduct a statistical meta-analysis to identify the average association between private schooling and measures of four central civic outcomes: political tolerance, political participation, civic knowledge and skills, and voluntarism and social capital. Our search identifies 13,301 initial target studies, ultimately yielding 531 effects from 57 qualified studies drawing from 40 different databases. Using Robust Variance Estimation, we determine that, on average, private schooling boosts any civic outcome by 0.055 standard deviations over public schooling. Religious private schooling, particularly, is strongly associated with positive civic outcomes. The evidence is especially strong that private schooling is correlated with higher levels of political tolerance and political knowledge and skills. We discuss heterogeneities, robustness checks, and implications.

No abstract available.

Consistent validation of satellite CO2 estimates is a prerequisite for using multiple satellite CO2 measurements for joint flux inversion, and for establishing an accurate long-term atmospheric CO2 data record. Harmonizing satellite CO2 measurements is particularly important since the differences in instruments, observing geometries, sampling strategies, etc. imbue different measurement characteristics in the various satellite CO2 data products. We focus on validating model and satellite observation attributes that impact flux estimates and CO2 assimilation, including accurate error estimates, correlated and random errors, overall biases, biases by season and latitude, the impact of coincidence criteria, validation of seasonal cycle phase and amplitude, yearly growth, and daily variability. We evaluate dry-air mole fraction (XCO2) for Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) (Atmospheric CO2 Observations from Space, ACOS b3.5) and SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CHartographY (SCIAMACHY) (Bremen Optimal Estimation DOAS, BESD v2.00.08) as well as the CarbonTracker (CT2013b) simulated CO2 mole fraction fields and the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) CO2 inversion system (v13.1) and compare these to Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) observations (GGG2012/2014). We find standard deviations of 0.9, 0.9, 1.7, and 2.1 ppm vs. TCCON for CT2013b, MACC, GOSAT, and SCIAMACHY, respectively, with the single observation errors 1.9 and 0.9 times the predicted errors for GOSAT and SCIAMACHY, respectively. We quantify how satellite error drops with data averaging by interpreting according to error2 = a2 + b2/n (with n being the number of observations averaged, a the systematic (correlated) errors, and b the random (uncorrelated) errors). a and b are estimated by satellites, coincidence criteria, and hemisphere. Biases at individual stations have year-to-year variability of ∼ 0.3 ppm, with biases larger than the TCCON-predicted bias uncertainty of 0.4 ppm at many stations. We find that GOSAT and CT2013b underpredict the seasonal cycle amplitude in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) between 46 and 53° N, MACC overpredicts between 26 and 37° N, and CT2013b underpredicts the seasonal cycle amplitude in the Southern Hemisphere (SH). The seasonal cycle phase indicates whether a data set or model lags another data set in time. We find that the GOSAT measurements improve the seasonal cycle phase substantially over the prior while SCIAMACHY measurements improve the phase significantly for just two of seven sites. The models reproduce the measured seasonal cycle phase well except for at Lauder_125HR (CT2013b) and Darwin (MACC). We compare the variability within 1 day between TCCON and models in JJA; there is correlation between 0.2 and 0.8 in the NH, with models showing 10–50 % the variability of TCCON at different stations and CT2013b showing more variability than MACC. This paper highlights findings that provide inputs to estimate flux errors in model assimilations, and places where models and satellites need further investigation, e.g., the SH for models and 45–67° N for GOSAT and CT2013b.

School choice is spreading across the U.S. at the same time that scores on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) are stagnant. We examine the association between education freedom and 8th grade student NAEP score levels and gains in states in 2019. We construct the 2019 Education Freedom Index as a composite measure of the accessibility of private school choice, public charter schools, homeschooling, and public school choice in each state. Using statistical regression, we find that more education freedom is significantly associated with increased NAEP scores and gains, supporting the claim that choice and competition improves system-wide achievement.

Genetic parameters for total number of piglets born per litter, number of piglets weaned per litter, lean meat content, and average daily gain from birth till the end of the field test were estimated for Czech Large White (445 589 records) and Czech Landrace (149 057 records) pigs using a four-trait animal model. The following heritabilities were estimated (first number: Large White, second number: Landrace): 0.10 ± 0.004 and 0.09 ± 0.007 for total number born; 0.09 ± 0.005 and 0.07 ± 0.008 for number weaned; 0.39 ± 0.004 and 0.36 ± 0.009 for lean meat content; 0.21 ± 0.004 and 0.18 ± 0.006 for daily gain. The highest genetic correlation (approximately 0.85 in both breeds) was estimated between both litter size traits. In Czech Landrace, all remaining genetic correlations were < 0.20 in their absolute value. Negative correlations of approximately ‑0.25 were estimated in Czech Large White between daily gain and both reproduction traits. All remaining correlations in Czech Large White were also < 0.20 in their absolute value. The estimated non-zero correlations between production and reproduction traits are, besides of other arguments, one reason to recommend a joint genetic evaluation of production and reproduction traits. If more than one litter trait is included in the genetic evaluation, repeatability models should be used instead of separate treating the first and the second and subsequent litters; this is because of the high correlations among litter size traits which are expected to cause numerical problems if multi-parity models are used.

The objective of the present review was (i) to survey different approaches for choosing the complex of traits for which economic values (EVs) are calculated, (ii) to call attention to the proper definition of traits and (iii) to discuss the manner and extent to which relationships among traits have been considered in the calculation of EVs. For this purpose, papers dealing with the estimation of EVs of traits in livestock were reviewed. The most important reasons for incompatibility of EVs for similar traits estimated in different countries and by different authors were found to be inconsistencies in trait definitions and in assumptions being made about relationships among traits. An important problem identified was how to choose the most appropriate criterion to characterise production or functional ability for a particular class of animals. Accordingly, the review covered the following three topics: (i) which trait(s) would best characterise the growth ability of an animal; (ii) how to define traits expressed repeatedly in subsequent reproductive cycles of breeding females and (iii) how to deal with traits that differ in average value between sexes or among animal groups. Various approaches that have been used to solve these problems were discussed. Furthermore, the manner in which diverse authors chose one or more traits from a group of alternatives for describing a specific biological potential were reviewed and commented on. The consequences of including or excluding relationships among economically important traits when estimating the EV for a specific trait were also examined. An important conclusion of the review is that, for a better comparability and interpretability of estimated EVs in the literature, it is desirable that clear and unique definitions of the traits, complete information on assumptions used in analytical models and details on inter-relationships between traits are documented. Furthermore, the method and the model used for the genetic evaluation of specific traits in a certain breeding organisation are important for the exact definition of traits, for which the economic values will be calculated, and for the inclusion or exclusion of relationships among traits in the calculation of the EVs in livestock breeding.

Genetic parameters including the proportion of variance for the service sire effect were estimated for number of piglets stillborn (including piglets died until 24 h after birth) and number of piglets died from 24 h after birth until weaning in Czech Large White (89 231 litters) and Czech Landrace (28 320 litters) pigs. Both traits were considered to be traits of the sow. Two two-trait animal models were evaluated for each breed including or excluding the service sire effect. Estimates of genetic parameters were very similar for the two models. The heritability for number of stillborn piglets was 0.06 in both breeds and both models and the heritability for number of piglets died until weaning was 0.07 in Czech Large White and 0.05 to 0.06 in Czech Landrace. The proportion of variance due to service sire was very low (between 0.8 and 1.6%). Therefore, there is no need to include the service sire effect in models for genetic evaluation. A selection against farrowing losses is recommended though only a slow improvement of the trait can be expected. Selecting against piglets died until weaning seems to be cumbersome. Probably a selection on number of piglets weaned could be helpful in minimizing piglet losses until weaning.

The proportion of variance for service sire effect was estimated for three litter size traits (numbers of piglets born, born alive, and weaned) in Czech Large White (89 231 litters) and Czech Landrace (28 320 litters) pigs. Each trait in the first parity was considered as one trait and that trait in the second and subsequent parities was treated as a repeated trait. Consequently, three two-trait animal models were evaluated for each litter size trait: (i) the service sire effect was included and the complete relationship matrix for all the animals (service sires and sows) was taken into account; (ii) the service sire effect was included as a random effect without inclusion of the relationship matrix; (iii) the service sire effect was omitted from the model. Using the residual variance as a criterion, both models including the service sire effect were slightly better than the model without this effect. Estimates of genetic parameters were very similar for the two models including the service sire effect. The proportion of variance for service sire was in the range from 2 to 3% (standard error approx. 0.2%) in Czech Large White and 2% (standard error approx. 0.3%) in Czech Landrace for all three litter size traits and all models. Models without service sire effect or models including service sire as a simple random effect and without inclusion of the genetic relationship matrix are recommended for genetic evaluation of litter size traits.

A multiple-lactation random regression model was applied to test-day somatic cell score (SCS) records from the first three lactations of Czech Holstein and Fleckvieh cows. For Holstein, the data included 26 314 cows, with 244 953, 76 188 and 26 153 test-day records in the first, second and third lactation, respectively. For Fleckvieh, the data included 24 061 cows, with 223 421, 93 358 and 31 305 test-day records in the first, second and third lactation, respectively. The linear model for SCS included the following factors (for the given parity): fixed herd-test date effect, fixed regressions on days in milk within the age-season class, random regressions for the animal genetic and random regressions for the permanent environmental effect of the cow. Third-degree Legendre polynomials were used for all regressions. Gibbs sampling was used to generate samples from the marginal posterior distributions of the model parameters. The resulting daily heritability ranged from 0.08 to 0.11 in the middle part of lactation and it increased only slightly with parity. Extremely high values (0.25, 0.21) observed especially at the beginning and end of the third lactation for Holstein might be caused by the "end-of-range" problem. The average daily heritabilities computed for the part of lactation between 45 and 255 days in milk (DIM) were in the range from 0.10 to 0.14. Daily permanent environmental variances were higher than the genetic variances and daily residual variances decreased with DIM. The residual variances in early lactation increased with lactation number. For both breeds, the highest genetic correlations computed for the part of lactation between DIM 45 and DIM 255 were obtained between the second and third lactation (0.95). The lowest daily genetic correlations of SCS in the same DIM between different lactations occurred at the beginning of lactation, especially between the first and third lactation. The permanent environmental correlations for selected DIM were lower than the respective genetic correlations.

Data on 75 567 ejaculates from 1 417 boars of the breeds Czech Large White and Czech Landrace collected in 23 AI centres between 2000 and 2007 were analyzed. Fixed effects were estimated from a four-trait animal model for semen volume, sperm concentration, motility and percentage of abnormal spermatozoa and from single-trait animal models for the total number of spermatozoa and the number of functional spermatozoa. Both the total number of spermatozoa and the number of functional spermatozoa were highest in winter and lowest in summer. Boar's age had a strong influence on semen volume, the total number and the functional number of spermatozoa; these traits increased especially in the first phase. The percentage of abnormal spermatozoa also increased with age. An interval between successive collections of 7 to 10 days yielded the best values for all semen traits. As semen traits are of direct economic importance for AI centres, it can be expected that the estimation of breeding value for semen traits will become important and that AI centres will choose among top boars for production and female reproduction traits the boars with better semen production.

Genetic correlations between production traits (average daily gain from birth till the end of the field test and ultrasonically predicted lean meat content at the end of the field test) and semen traits (semen volume, sperm concentration, motility, percentage of abnormal spermatozoa, total number of spermatozoa and number of functional spermatozoa) were estimated from a large dataset (44 500 observations for production traits and more than 150 000 ejaculates from 2077 boars). The boars belonged to the breeds Duroc, Piétrain and Large White or were crossbreds between them. All estimated genetic correlations were low (maximal absolute value 0.13). Therefore, selection on production traits is expected to have only low effects on semen traits.

The physical causes of coastal flooding due to marine storms are discussed. We examine the costs and impacts of storm surges and waves with reference to the UK. The mechanisms of interaction between waves and the mean circulation due to tides and wind are reviewed. A case study to illustrate the magnitude of surges, waves and their interactions is presented for Liverpool Bay in the eastern Irish Sea. Applications of surge and wave models to the Mediterranean, especially the Adriatic Sea, are considered.

Fat thickness including skin and muscle depth measured on the left carcass side between the second and third from the last rib 70 mm off the dorsal midline were measured in a total of 168 pig hybrid carcasses. The lean meat content was then determined on the basis of simplified dissections of the carcasses. Multiple regressions of the measurements of the fat and muscle thickness on the lean meat content obtained by dissections were used to construct the following basic regression formulae for the ultrasound and probe apparatuses: γIS-D-05 = 60.69798 - 0.89211SIS-D-05 + 0.10560MIS-D-05 and γ IS-D-15 = 60.92452 - 0.77248SIS-D-15 + 0.11329MIS-D-15, respectively. To increase the accuracy of the prediction formulae, additional measures were included in the calculation which reduced se by 0.48 to 0.54 percent points. The relationships between the lean meat content and other indicators of carcass value were also assessed. The highest correlation coefficient was determined in the ratio of the fat cover area above the musculus longissimus lumborum et thoracis (MLLT) to the MLLT area (r = -0.87). On the contrary, the lean meat content demonstrated the lowest correlation with the cold carcass weight (r = -0.25). Major carcass cuts (ham, loin, shoulder, belly with bones) from the carcasses classified in different SEUROP classes were evaluated. Significant differences between the classes were found in the proportions of cuts without fat cover, fat thickness measured at point "P2", and fat thickness measured on the midline plane separating the left and right sides of the carcass.

A proportional hazard model was used to analyze the impact of the most important factors on the length of productive life in 44 796 Slovak Pinzgau cows. The calculations were carried out with Survival Kit 3.12. The milk production level within a herd was the most important factor. The relation between the milk production level and the culling risk was strongly non-linear. Cows with extremely low milk production (less than 1.5 standard deviations below average) had a 4.8 times higher culling risk than average cows. The culling risk for the highest yielding cows was about one half of the risk of average cows. In the first lactation the culling risk was highest at the beginning and decreased in the course of lactation whereas in subsequent lactations the culling risk was highest at the end of lactation. The risk decreased with parity. The effect of age at first calving did not have a large influence on the length of productive life, although a linear increase in culling risk was observed as the age at first calving increased. Cows from expanding herds were at lower risk to be culled compared to cows in herds of stable and decreasing size.

Hydrological models are the decisive tools to evaluate the effect of global change upon the water cycle. But the applied hydrological models have to be a trade-off between their degree of complexity and manageable structures and data requirements. This paper compares the advantages and disadvantages of integrating a spatially-distributed process-based groundwater flow model in the context of the calibration of a catchment runoff concentration model. The multi-objective optimisation and the GLUE method are used to analyse the performance and the parameter identifiability of both model structures.

The covariance structure was estimated by REML for a joint genetic evaluation of production and reproduction traits for Czech Landrace (58 258 records) and Czech Large White (167 161 records) pigs using four-trait animal models. The following traits were analysed: lean mean percentage at the end of the performance test in the field, estimated from ultrasonic measurements unadjusted for live weight (LM), average daily gain in field test (in g/day) calculated as weight at the end of the test divided by age at the end of the test (ADG), number of piglets born alive in parity 1 (NBA1) and number of piglets born alive in parity 2 and subsequent parities (NBA2+). The heritabilities were in the range from 0.30 to 0.37 for LM, from 0.13 to 0.18 for ADG, from 0.09 to 0.13 for NBA1 and from 0.10 to 0.14 for NBA2+, depending on the breed and on the model (herd-year-season random or fixed). Genetic correlations between production and reproduction traits were estimated to be non-zero. Correlations between traits caused by the herd-year-season effect were mostly positive. As a general conclusion, the joint genetic evaluation of production and reproduction traits is recommended. The herd-year-season effect should be preferably considered as random.

Based on the results of dissections of 126 pig carcasses, the proportions of pork belly and its parts, i.e. belly with bones, belly without bones and tip of belly, were determined. In addition, proportions of lean meat, bones, intermuscular and subcutaneous fat were determined in belly with bones as percentages of the weight before the dissection. Lean meat content of carcass was the most important factor for determining the pork belly composition. The correlation between lean meat content of carcass and lean meat percentage of belly with bones was 0.92 ± 0.035. Sex and slaughter weight had a greater impact on the composition of pork belly than the crossbred combination. The lean meat percentage of belly with bones in gilts was higher by 4.4% than in barrows. For slaughter weights higher than 100 to 110 kg, lean meat content in pig belly decreased with increasing slaughter weight.

The investigation was based on roughly 3.9, 2.7 and 1.7 million test-day records from first, second and third lactation, respectively, sampled from 596 200 Czech Holstein cows between the years 1991 and 2002. Breeding values were estimated from multi-lactation random-regression test-day models which contained the fixed effect of herd-test day, fixed regression on days in milk and random regressions on the animal level and the permanent environmental effect. Third degree Legendre polynomials (with four coefficients) were used for both the fixed and random regressions. The models differed in fixed regression. In Analysis I, 96 subclasses were defined according to age at calving, season and year of calving within lactation. In Analysis II, days open were additionally included as a grouping factor resulting in 480 subclasses. Rank correlations over 0.98 between both analyses were observed for breeding values for sires. Grouping according to Analysis I was recommended.

Within the research project GLOWA Danube, a groundwater flow model was developed for the Upper Danube basin. This paper reports on a preliminary study to include the alpine part of the catchment in the model. A conceptual model structure was implemented and tested using multi-objective optimisation analysis. The performance of the model and the identifiability of the parameters were studied. A possible over-parameterisation of the model was also tested using principal component analysis.

The effect of PvuII polymorphism of the oestrogen receptor gene on litter size and production traits in a Czech Large White population (882 sows, 2 455 litters) was evaluated. Data were analysed by four four-trait animal models. The traits analysed were lifetime average daily gain in the field test, lean meat percentage, number of piglets born alive in parity 1 and number of piglets born alive in parity 2 and subsequent parities. The animal models differed in considering the herd-year-season effect as random or fixed and in including or not including the dominance effect. For each model two variants were calculated: the ESR effects were calculated either across herds or within herds. On the genetic level, no significant overall effects of the ESR gene were detected. The effects of the ESR gene within herds were mostly insignificant as well. There was a certain tendency for allele A to increase litter size in parity 1. Nevertheless, on the basis of the present knowledge, the use of the ESR gene for selection for litter size in the Czech Large White breed seems to be of questionable benefit and cannot be recommended.

The economic efficiency of several beef production systems on pasture was investigated under different marketing strategies. All calculations were carried out with the computer program ECOWEIGHT. None of the considered production systems was profitable without government subsidies for the assumed economic input values. The subsidies granted when satisfying a set of conditions served for balancing the economic loss in systems selling all surplus weaned calves outside. A profitability of 10 to 25% was reached for this marketing strategy in dependence on the production system. When integrating feedlot, only the purebred system with mating female replacement at an early age (about 15 months) and selling breeding bulls showed profitability, but at a low level (5%). All other systems produced at a loss even when government subsidies were included. A detailed analysis showed a high variability of the profit and profitability of cow-calf production systems in dependence on breeding and marketing strategies and on the level of the biological and economic input parameters. When considering biological performance, reproduction of females was shown to be the main source of economic efficiency in herds producing calves for sale. When applying feedlot, the daily gain in fattening was even more important. Beef prices seem to be the most important economic factor influencing the profitability of all systems (prices for slaughtered animals in the variant with integrated feedlot, prices for calves in the variant with selling of weaned surplus progeny).