In Fragebogen-Untersuchungen zur Lärmwirkung wurden bisher sehr unterschiedliche Operationalisierungen von Wirkungsvariablen (wie z.B. Belästigung, Störung von Aktivitäten) und außer-akustischen Faktoren (sog. Moderatoren wie z.B. Lärmempfindlichkeit, misfeasance) verwendet. Deshalb hat sich die Arbeitsgruppe community response der International Commission on the Biological Effects of Noise (ICBEN, Team No. 6) als langfristiges Ziel die Entwicklung von Fragebogen-Guidelines und die Formulierung eines Muster-Fragebogens für die Lärmwirkungsforschung gesetzt. D.h. es soll ein Vorschlag erarbeitet werden, in welcher Form globale und spezifische Lärmwirkungen in Befragungen erhoben werden sollten. Um dieses Vorhaben zu unterstützen, hat der Arbeitskreis Ökologische Lärmforschung die Erstellung einer systematischen Übersicht über vorhandene Fragebögen aus Lärmwirkungsstudien auf internationaler Ebene in Angriff genommen. Diese Übersicht soll es u.a. ermöglichen, die Struktur von verschiedenen Fragebögen sowie die in ihnen verwendeten Operationalisierungen für Lärmwirkungs- und Moderatorvariablen (hinsichtlich Art der Frageformulierung sowie der Antwortformate) zu vergleichen. Für den/die einzelne/n Lärmforscher/in bietet diese Übersicht die Möglichkeit, sich auf sehr effiziente Art und Weise darüber zu informieren, wie bestimmte Konstrukte in bisherigen Untersuchungen operationalisiert worden sind bzw. welche Alternativen zu den bereits selbst angewandten Operationalisierungen bestehen. Nach einer systematischen Ermittlung von Namen und Adressen einschlägiger Lärmforscher/innen, wurden diese um die Zusendung von Fragebögen sowie ergänzender Materialien aus eigenen Lärmwirkungsstudien gebeten. Die zugesandten Fragebögen werden gegebenenfalls übersetzt und mit der Methode der qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse ausgewertet. Hierbei werden die Fragebögen im Hinblick auf formelle Aspekte (z.B. Jahr der Erhebung, Sprache, Art der Befragungsmethode) wie auch im Hinblick auf strukturelle Aspekte (z.B. Umfang des Fragebogens, abgefragte Variablengruppen, Antwortformate) ausgewertet. Hauptgegenstand der Auswertung ist aber insbesondere die Auswertung der Lärmwirkungsvariablen (z.B. die Abfrage der globalen Lärmbelästigung, Aktivitätenstörungen, Kommunikationsstörungen) sowie der Moderatorvariablen (z.B. Lärmempfindlichkeit, Lärmbewältigungsvermögen, misfeasance). Parallel dazu wurde eine Datenbank entwickelt, in der die Ergebnisse der Analysen dargestellt und verwaltet werden. Diese Datenbank wird ab November 2001 im Internet unter http://www.eco.psy.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/nqd für jede/n interessierte/n Forscher/in zugänglich und nutzbar sein. Langfristig ist darüber hinaus geplant, ein Archiv mit den Original-Fragebögen aufzubauen, in dem einzelne Fragebögen auf Wunsch eingesehen werden können.
SP0 is conceived for coordination of the ICON research, for internal and external scientific exchange as well as for investigating development pathways of land use on the Philippines. The SP0 team will supervise the project activities as a whole, including reporting and final synthesis. It will design the ICON homepage, establish and maintain a web-based database and present the project and its results in scientific forums and public media. It will organize collaboration and scientific exchange with international networks dealing with atmospheric processes, global carbon, nitrogen, water and energy cycles, and long-term ecological research. Specifically, SP0 is devoted to ensuring a sound integration of the ICON project within the scientific communities of Germany and SE Asia. Supported by the ICON local research coordinator based at and employed by IRRI, it will coordinate with the IRRI farm management to assist other ICON subprojects with field setup, routine data collection and technical backstopping.
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Selenium is a natural trace element that is of fundamental importance to human health. However, it is also an element with a small range between dietary deficiency (less than 40 micrograms per day) and toxic dosages (over 400 micrograms per day). The extreme geographical variation in environmental selenium concentrations has resulted in significant health problems. For example, in China, widespread serious diseases such as Kashin-Beck and Keshan disease have been related to the very low selenium contents of locally produced food. To deal with health problems related to deficient or excess levels of selenium in the environment, it is essential to get a better understanding of the processes that control the global distribution of selenium. This research project is aimed at investigating potentially important sources, pathways and sinks of natural selenium species. Two interdisciplinary work programs are planned that combine different scientific methodologies in the field of environmental biogeochemistry. One work program will focus on the production of volatile selenium species by marine phytoplankton, which could be an important source of selenium to the continent. Research methods involve microcosm studies with marine phytoplankton and subsequent trapping and characterization of produced volatile selenium species. Expected results will greatly contribute to an improved understanding of the role of marine phytoplankton in the global selenium cycle. Also, field experiments are planned to quantify fluxes of volatile selenium compounds from continental environments. The deposition of atmospherically transported selenium on the continent will be the main focus of the other work program. A key field site for this work program is the Chinese Loess Plateau, which has the potential to serve as environmental archive of atmospherically deposited selenium over the last 2.6 million years. The presence and mobility of trace elements will be studied in the loess sediments using different geochemical analytical techniques. Expected results will advance understanding of atmospheric selenium deposition and give insight in the role that climate plays on the continental abundance of selenium. These studies will pave the way for future predictions of selenium distribution patterns based on climate data. Knowledge on biogenic selenium production in the ocean and continental deposition of selenium is needed to understand the environmental fate of both natural and anthropogenic selenium emissions. This understanding is essential to prevent future selenium health hazards in a world that is increasingly affected by human activities.
The research, development and demonstration activities planned for the ERG project focus on the solar energy supply chain, starting form solar cells and proceeding along with innovative energy extraction (harvesting) techniques, high efficiency power conversion and finally managing the energy distribution inside a smart grid, with the target of different classes of applications, from house to small area, as well as application specific 'local grid' (healthcare, automotive, etc). By considering the full solar energy supply chain, we expect to produce relevant improvements of the industrial state-of-the-art in the efficiency of solar cells, in the optimization of energy generated by photovoltaic systems, in the loss reduction of power converters and, finally, in energy management strategy. At the initial chain-link of the energy value chain, the project aims to design and develop a set of innovative solar cells. In particular we primarily target the development of ultra-thin (20 micron) Si wafer PV cells, Si hetero-junction cells (tandem/multi-junction and hetero-junction contacts), novel architectures (e.g., back-contact), novel materials (for Si hetero-junctions, ARC, and passivation dielectrics), novel approaches for screen printing and laser processing, with focus to the case of back-contact cells. As a promising low-cost alternative to Si, ERG will pursue the goal of totally printable dye-sensitized-solar-cells (DSSC). This will include (a) printable electrolyte (to replace liquid electrolyte), (b) advanced TiO2 electrode, and (c) counter electrode (to meet high performance DSSC applications). The overall objective is to demonstrate DSSC products for commercial applications. The next downward chain-link addressed by the project deals with optimization of the energy generated by photovoltaic systems by focusing on power management electronics for silicon cell panels and on micro electromechanical systems for Concentrated Photovoltaic cells (CPV). The complete supply chains will be considered for optimum energy exploitation by Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) and power conversion on module / segment levels for PV and also CPV solar generators. The architecture study will elaborate different profiles of end-users, including direct grid connection, energy storage option and E-mobility support. As the final chain-link is concerned, the project will develop behavioural models for the individual components of the 'Smart Grid'. This allows the development of optimal energy dispatching and battery charging algorithms. These algorithms will obtain their input from sensors distributed over the network, with typically, but not exclusive, a wireless communication infrastructure. A full set of demonstrators, including innovative PV cells, novel conversion systems for PV and CPV inverters, and network demonstrators based on a household application and an industrial application will complete the project deliverables.
The proposal suggests the organisation of the 7th EC Conference on Cultural Heritage Research in Prague, in 2006. The scope of the project stems from the SSP priorities, and the conference aims at the consolidation and impact assessment of results achieved in EU research projects related to movable and immovable cultural heritage, with a special focus on exploitation and spin-off of cultural heritage research results and testing of the acceptability of new sustainability approaches and new technologies by the user community, SMEs, owners, managers and restorers or conservationists of the cultural heritage. The Prague conference has been designed to further define the role of Europes cultural heritage research within the international context and as part of international cooperation, to explore the possibilities for SMEs in contributing to competitiveness and job creation, to define the support of cultural heritage research to policy needs and to contribute to the 7th Framework Programme establishment through support of the European Construction Technology Platform concept and research infrastructure development. The wider public will be addressed by means of special accompanying events, too, in order to ensure feedback and response from non-professional stakeholders. The Conference will consist of sessions dealing with political exploitation and public dissemination of cultural heritage research, the international role of European cultural heritage research, poster displays and verbal presentations of policy impact assessment, research infrastructure achievements, innovative applications and new ideas, as well as coordination of national education and research into cultural heritage issues. Public and professional awareness shall be increased by special demonstration and post-conference activities, including publication of the Conference Proceedings. The results and continuing activities will be supported by IT tools and follow-up working groups, after the event.
Phase I: September 2009 - August 2012. Phase II: September 2012 - August 2015. BIOACID - Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, deals with the questions of 1. What are the effects of ocean acidification on marine organisms and their habitat, 2. What are the underlying mechanisms of responses and possible adaptations on the level of populations and communities, how are they modulated by other environmental stressors, and 3. What are the consequences for marine ecosystems, ocean biogeochemical cycles, and possible feedbacks to the climate system? Our group will further develop the ecological-economic viability-method towards a general approach for integrated assessment of human actions influencing ocean acidification and the consequences for human well-being that takes uncertainties about future development into account.
To ward off an attack by herbivorous insects, plants produce a variety of toxic or repulsive compounds. However, specialized insects have developed counter-strategies to deal with these defence compounds, which explains why many of these insects have become agricultural pests. It is becoming increasingly clear that these plant-insect interactions can only be understood by investigating the function of plant toxins from the perspective of the plant and the insect simultaneously. In a preliminary study carried out in the FARCE laboratory at the University of Neuchâtel, we have demonstrated that benzoxazinoids (BXDs), a specific class of nitrogen-containing secondary metabolites produced by grasses, strongly affect the metabolism, the behaviour and the fitness of an important, highly specialized pest of maize: caterpillars of the moth Spodoptera frugiperda. We have found that maize changes its BXD production after detecting caterpillar feeding, and that Spodoptera frugiperda has evolved mechanisms to circumvent their negative effects. The BXD-mediated interaction between maize and Spodoptera caterpillars complex an ideal model to study the role of plant secondary metabolites at the interface between plants and insects. The current project brings together knowledge from molecular biology, plant and insect biochemistry, phytochemistry, ecology and behaviour, as well as agricultural sciences to track the fate of BXDs from their production in the plant to their conversion inside the target insect. By using such a highly interdisciplinary, cross-species approach we will be able to elucidate the precise role of BXDs in plant-insect interactions. As BXDs consume a significant fraction of the nitrogen available to a plant, but at the same time serve as a potentially important barrier against pests, our study goes beyond purely fundamental research and opens up interesting possibilities for application in agriculture. The project is headed by UniNE, represented by the FARCE laboratory and the Analytical Chemistry Service of the Swiss Plant Science Web, and involves partners from the Federal Research Station Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil, the University of Geneva and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena (Germany).