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In Switzerland, regulatory requirements mandated that spraying drones undergo a testing procedure, which included assessing their transversal spray distribution using a patternator. Various stakeholders have repeatedly expressed uncertainty as to whether these static measurements correctly reflect the real dynamic spray distribution or whether this type of measurement falsifies the spray pattern. Taking these uncertainties into account, the present study compared the static patternator method with dynamic field measurements using water-sensitive and filter paper. The three methods showed good agreement in the results. In contrast to the other two methods, the measurements on the patternator showed the lowest variability, which shows that hovering at the same point probably causes some compensation in the distribution. Different nozzles (flat fan, hollow cone, air induction nozzles) produce quite similar distribution patterns in all three measurement methods, whereby the injector nozzle with the largest droplets produced the best transverse distribution with a coefficient of variation of less than 10 %. • Spray drones can achieve regular transversal distribution with coefficients of variation less than 10 %. • Patternator is well suited to measure the transversal volume distribution of the spray liquid. • Collectors (water sensitive and filter paper) show the variability of the distribution during the flight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper estimates the impact of the introduction of a tax on unsorted waste increasing the 35-l bag price from 0.24 to 1.95 CHF in 2013 in the canton of Vaud. Using panel data for 22 districts over the period 2010–2017, we identify the effects over time of the waste tax on unsorted waste and recycling. The neighbouring cantons of Geneva and Valais form our control group. The waste tax decreases the amount of yearly unsorted household-waste by about 47 kg, corresponding to a reduction of about one fourth per inhabitant. The effect is strongest the year after the introduction of the tax and is persistent over time. We further find a robust increase in organic waste recycling. For recycling of paper and glass, the effect is not clear-cut. Interestingly, in terms of weight, the reduction in unsorted waste is not fully compensated by increased recycling. Given that there are no signs for illegal waste disposal, this means that consumers probably reduced their total packaging bought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The adoption and use of health information technology (IT) continues to grow around the globe. In Switzerland, the government nor professional associations have to this day provided incentives for health IT adoption.Objective: We aim to assess the proportion of physicians who are routinely working with electronic health data and describe to what extent physicians exchange electronic health data with peers and other health care providers. Additionally, we aim to estimate the effect of physicians' attitude towards health IT on the adoption of electronic workflows.Methods: Between May and July 2013, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1200 practice based physicians in Switzerland. Respondents were asked to report on their technical means and where applicable their paper-based workarounds to process laboratory data, examination results, referral letters and physician's letters. Physicians' view of barriers and facilitators towards health IT use was determined by a composite score.Results: A response rate of 57.1% (n=685) was reached. The sample was considered to be representative for physicians in Swiss ambulatory care. 35.2% of the respondents documented patients' health status with the help of a longitudinal semi-structured electronic text record generated by one or more encounters in the practice. Depending on the task within a workflow, around 11-46% of the respondents stated to rely on electronic workflow practices to process laboratory and examination data and dispatch referral notes and physician's letters. The permanent use of electronic workflow processes was infrequent. Instead, respondents reported paper-based workarounds affecting specific tasks within a workflow. Physicians' attitude towards health IT was significantly associated with the adoption of electronic workflows (OR 1.04-1.31, p<0.05), but the effect sizes of factors related to the working environment (e.g., regional factors, medical specialty, type of practice) were larger.Conclusion: At present, only a few physicians in Swiss ambulatory care routinely work with electronic health data. Until more of their peers participate in electronic exchange of structured clinical information, most physicians will continue to stay in paper-based systems and workarounds. The survey found that physicians with a positive attitude towards health IT were more likely to adopt electronic workflows, but the impact is minor. It will likely be necessary to introduce financial incentives and develop national standards in order to promote the adoption by a critical mass of practicing clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a clustering and scheduling problem on a production line modeled as a single machine. A set of jobs (some of them being urgent) must be partitioned into clusters, and a robust (with respect to a min–max criterion) cyclic sequencing of the clusters must be determined (i.e., the product-wheel paradigm is employed). Each cluster has to satisfy two constraints: the setup constraint (i.e., only jobs with small setup times between them are allowed in the cluster) and the capacity constraint (i.e., the setup and processing times in the cluster cannot exceed a given shift duration). Three objective functions are minimized in a lexicographic fashion: (1) the number of urgent clusters (i.e., containing at least one urgent job); (2) the total number of clusters; (3) a worst-case scenario with respect to the setup among clusters. In other words, makespan and setup penalties are considered. Graph-coloring models and methods are designed for (1) and (2), whereas traveling-salesman approaches are introduced for (3). The considered problem was proposed by a micro-machining company located in Switzerland, named DIXI polytool. In order to cover their industrial needs, the company imposed very strict computing-time limitations (a few minutes only), and was able to provide realistic instances with different characteristics. Three methods are compared in our experiments: an integer linear model (with CPLEX), a constructive heuristic that represents a current-practice rule, and a metaheuristic relying on various tabu-search procedures. Results show the efficiency (with respect to quality and speed) of our metaheuristic, and managerial insights are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A R744 (CO 2) refrigeration system has been designed to cool down the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) silicon detectors ATLAS and CMS, located at CERN, Switzerland. The silicon detectors are subjected to high radiation levels. The system is composed of a pri- mary CO 2 trans-critical booster vapor compression loop operated with piston compressors, and an oil-free liquid pumped loop on the evaporation side, to preserve the detectors. To ensure the system's reliability, the cooling facility is designed to operate under a parallel operation mode of several modular 70 kW plant units providing evaporation temperature as low as -53 °C. This layout, is also useful in case of components failure and maintenance. A numerical model is developed using a dynamic simulation software Dymola that is based on the open source Modelica modelling language. The simulation results are proven on a first demonstration plant (System A) experimentally to explore the systems control logic and to validate the reliability of the system before it is built on the detectors side. In this paper the models development is explained and the results of the experimental validation of the numerical model are shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debates on the neoliberalization and privatization of education have recently contributed fresh impulses to the critical engagement of geographies of education, which is known for its longstanding interest in the reproduction of social inequalities. This paper furthers this engagement in two ways. First, it draws on an empirical study of a private, nonprofit preparatory programme that trains aspirational students from disadvantaged backgrounds for a highly selective entrance examination for state-funded secondary schools in Zurich, Switzerland. In doing so, the paper moves beyond the Anglophone pivot in the field, which has been a source of self-critique. Second, we take this empirical site a point from which to think through the study programme as an 'object multiple' that is engrained in Actor-Network Theory. Drawing on the four ontological metaphors of region, network, fluid, and fire, we assert that educational transitions serve as magnifying glasses which lay bare complex social effects of supplementary education on students, increasing social inequalities and subtle forms of conforming to and resisting of the neoliberalization of education and uncomfortable, yet thought-provoking aspects of discrimination. We conclude that the replication of white supremacy requires more reflection not only within a programme that was installed with the intent of supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds but also in our engagement as critical geographers within educational schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the history of the first ethical gold certification programme: Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold, launched in February 2011, and its two successors. By presenting an overview of the key events that occurred in the UK and Switzerland relating to these three leading certification schemes, it outlines the trajectory and relevance of ethical gold in both countries up to the present day. This material is then used to explain why ethical gold certification has survived but remained peripheral to gold jewellery manufacturing in the UK throughout the past decade, whilst growing in relevance and institutional support in Switzerland over the same period. The paper also considers the overall impact of ethical gold certification programmes on global gold supply chains since their inception and concludes by reflecting on the extent to which these schemes have benefitted artisanal and small-scale gold mining communities around the globe. • The first ethical gold certification programme, Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold, was launched in 2011. • Despite claims Fairtrade and Fairmined Gold would take a significant market share, ethical gold has remained a niche product. • The viability of using ethical gold in branded luxury goods was proved by the launch of the L.U.C Tourbillon Fairmined watch. • The support of the Swiss Better Gold Association has pushed cumulative exports of Fairmined Gold into tonnages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cancer research is among the most active biomedical research domains for the European Union (EU). However, little quantitative empirical evidence is available to guide the decisions on the choice of disease site to study, specific research domain focus or allocation of research resources. To inform national/supranational cancer research policy, high-resolution intelligence is needed. Methods We performed a bibliometric analysis of European cancer research papers in the Web of Science from 2002 to 2013 to quantify research activity in each of the 28 EU Member States, along with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland (EUR31), which cancer sites/research domains they addressed, and their sources of financial support (2009–2013). Findings Cancer research papers from EUR31 correlated well with national Gross Domestic Products (r 2 = 0.94). However, certain cancer sites (lung, oesophagus and pancreas) were under-researched relative to their disease burden, whereas central nervous system and blood cancers were more generously supported than their burden would warrant. An analysis of research domains indicated a paucity of research on radiotherapy (5%), palliative care (1.2%) and quality of life (0.5%). European cancer research funding in 2012–2013 amounted to ∼€7.6 billion and came from diverse sources, especially in western Europe/Scandinavia, where in nine countries the charitable sector outspent the government but not in Eastern Europe where charitable research funding barely exists. Interpretation Several countries need to increase their cancer research outputs substantially, and/or alter their research portfolios to better match their growing (and changing) cancer burden. More co-ordination among funding agencies is required, so that resources can be attuned to align activities to research gaps and perceived clinical needs. In Eastern Europe, the charitable funding sector needs to be developed, so that both public and patient advocacy can have an active role in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper about social media platforms of Swiss hospitals refers to the period between 10 February 2020 and 6 July 2020. The study included in-depth insights into the use of platforms, content analyses of posts and resonance of the posts. The study's objective was to get insights into social media post creation by and corresponding resonance in pandemic crisis. This study included collection and analyses of posts created by a selection of Swiss hospitals during the period of study. All university hospitals and a variety of private and regional hospitals in all regions of Switzerland are represented. The data collection started before the official shutdown in Switzerland. This study used mixed method approach and content analysis to evaluate 2,326 posts during the study period related to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the first phase of the pandemic, hospitals used social media platforms more frequently than normal. Especially in the first month, the number of posts rose disproportionally. The numbers dropped back to the initial situation after only 4 months into the COVID-19 pandemic. Most hospitals used Facebook and Twitter, whereas Instagram and YouTube's use were marginal. University hospitals used social media platforms differently than regional hospitals. Most posts generated only a very low response with a median of 2. Hospitals were therefore not able to create engagement of their followers. However, hospitals that publish actively were able to build a more active community. Only a small number of posts led to heated discussions in the comments. These viral posts shared information on the illness, the vaccination, children and COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Signals used for Earth observation, when travelling through the atmosphere, are sensitive to refractivity; especially high spatio-temporal variations of water vapor are difficult to model and correct. Remaining unmodeled tropospheric delays deteriorate the positioning solution and therefore limit the accuracy of sensing and navigation applications. These delays are usually computed with empirical models based on ground meteorological parameters (pressure, temperature and water vapor partial pressure). However, existing models are not accurate enough for high-precision applications such as GNSS, where in consequence the so-called zenith total delay (ZTD) has to be estimated together with other unknown parameters (coordinates etc.). For decades, the Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry at ETH Zurich has been studying collocation methods for the modeling of tropospheric delays using meteorological parameters, successfully interpolating pointwise or integral atmospheric observations. Meanwhile, machine learning has become a widely used and valuable alternative, when big datasets are available for the training process. Indeed, we have already successfully predicted ZTDs based on meteorological parameters with an accuracy of 1–2 cm for locations (GNSS stations) already used in the training phase. However, difficulties arise to predict delays at new locations. In this work, we take a step forward in investigating the combination of machine learning algorithms and physical models used in a collocation approach to derive atmospheric delay fields at a very high resolution. Thus, without processing any GNSS data we can predict tropospheric delay fields everywhere in the area of investigation. In this paper, we firstly describe the designed architecture of the neural network, secondly, the combination of least-squares collocation and artificial neural networks for high-resolution prediction of tropospheric delays. We benefit from the complementary characteristics of these algorithms. While machine learning is capable of successfully predicting the variation of time series for given points, empirical models based on collocation are well suited for describing spatial variations within the area of investigation. Finally, we report the achieved performance for the entire territory of Switzerland (1–2 cm in terms of RMS), showing that the synergic combination of these algorithms can overcome the individual drawbacks of each method and provide more accurate delay estimates than either method individually. Datasets of 11 years, covering the territory of Switzerland, consisting of GNSS ZTDs from 72 permanent AGNES/COGEAR (swisstopo, ETHZ) stations and meteorological data from MeteoSwiss were used for this research. • Machine learning to predict time series of GNSS tropospheric delays. • The prediction of tropospheric delays at new locations is difficult. • Least-squares collocation can successfully interpolate in space tropospheric delays. • Combination of machine learning and collocation (physical models) methods. • High-resolutions spatio-temporal tropospheric fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to their ability to simulate the travel behavior at the individual scale, agent-based models have gained popularity over the last years. These models are data-intensive, with regards to transport supply and demand. In particular, a detailed description of the population and its travel behavior is required. Bayesian Networks (BNs) are directed acyclic graphs representing joint probability distributions. They have recently been employed for population synthesis and daily activity patterns generation in studies showing that BNs effectively capture the causality links existing between variables and are easily interpretable. Moreover, given their flexible structure, BNs can be adapted for situations in which data from various sources is combined. In this paper, our goal is to estimate a BN for both population and activity pattern synthesis in Switzerland. We evaluate the performance of this approach compared to the statistical matching algorithm using aggregated and disaggregated metrics. In particular, we show that understanding the dependency structure linking the population characteristics and its mobility behavior is key to generate representative synthetic agents and daily activity patterns. This study is a contribution towards the development of interpretable, flexible and behaviorally rich travel demand generation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CORTEX is a EU H2020 project (2017-2021) devoted to the analysis of 'reactor neutron noise' in nuclear reactors, i.e. the small fluctuations occurring around the stationary state due to external or internal disturbances in the core. One important aspect of CORTEX is the development of neutron noise simulation codes capable of modeling the spatial variations of the noise distribution in a reactor. In this paper we illustrate the validation activities concerning the comparison of the simulation results obtained by several noise simulation codes with respect to experimental data produced at the zero-power reactors AKR-2 (operated at TUD, Germany) and CROCUS (operated at EPFL, Switzerland). Both research reactors are modeled in the time and frequency domains, using transport or diffusion theory. Overall, the noise simulators managed to capture the main features of the neutron noise behavior observed in the experimental campaigns carried out in CROCUS and AKR-2, even though computational biases exist close to the region where the noise-inducing mechanical vibration was located (the so-called "noise source"). In some of the experiments, it was possible to observe the spatial variation of the relative neutron noise, even relatively far from the noise source. This was achieved through reduced uncertainties using long measurements, the installation of numerous, robust and efficient detectors at a variety of positions in the near vicinity or inside the core, as well as new post-processing methods. For the numerical simulation tools, modeling the spatial variations of the neutron noise behavior in zero-power research reactors is an extremely challenging problem, because of the small magnitude of the noise field; and because deviations from a point-kinetics behavior are most visible in portions of the core that are especially difficult to be precisely represented by simulation codes, such as experimental channels. Nonetheless the limitations of the simulation tools reported in the paper were not an issue for the CORTEX project, as most of the computational biases are found close to the noise source. • Validation activities with dedicated experimental data from zero-power reactors. • Modeling in the time and frequency domain using transport or diffusion theory. • The noise simulators capture the main features of the neutron noise behavior. • Computational biases exist close to the noise source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate knowledge of the admittance matrix of distribution grids is essential for grid operation and control as more renewable energy sources and electric vehicles are integrated into distribution grids. Due to limited observability, measurement noise, topology assumptions, and partial data availability, the exact calculation of the admittance matrix of distribution grids is challenging. In this paper, we present a method for estimating the admittance matrix of radial distribution grids. The proposed method uses low-cost measurement devices that record ten-minute-based measurements of voltage magnitudes, active power, and reactive power at a single end of the lines or transformers instead of second-based phasor measurements. The impedance of lines or transformers is then estimated using a statistical optimization subject to the distribution flow (DistFlow) model. The effectiveness of proposed method is demonstrated by simulation, laboratory testing, and field measurements taken from a distribution grid in Switzerland. • A novel method for estimating grid admittance has been introduced. • Low-cost measurements at ten-minute intervals have been utilized. • A statistical optimization technique using DistFlow model has been employed. • Validation through simulation and field experiments has been conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

European agro-environmental policy aims to reduce agricultural emissions of nutrients and pesticides into water, yet these goals remain unmet. Voluntary direct payments schemes aim to steer farmers towards emission-reducing practices. We assessed the environmental impacts of stricter direct payment regulations: Farmers who want to receive direct payments a) have to produce pesticide-free and b) have to reduce their livestock numbers to their own farm's feed production capacity. We compared the environmental impacts of the Swiss agricultural sector in three direct payment scenarios with the status quo. We addressed the trade-offs between domestic production and imports, and between target and other environmental impacts. While freshwater ecotoxicity within Switzerland would decrease considerably due to reduced pesticide use, aquatic eutrophication caused by domestic agriculture would remain similar to the status quo. However, increased import amounts would more than offset the domestic environmental improvements. Eutrophication, particularly caused by imported meat, would increase strongly, as would deforestation and water scarcity. Our paper shows that the improvement of water quality in Switzerland has to be bought with partly considerable trade-offs in the countries of origin of imported products, showing the need for complementary measures such as reducing food waste or changing consumption patterns. • Policy measures to reduce agricultural water pollution were evaluated using LCA. • A ban on pesticides and reducing livestock decrease pollution within Switzerland. • Water quality in Switzerland has to be bought with considerable trade-offs in the countries of origin of imported products. • There are considerable trade-offs with non-target impacts, e.g. water scarcity and deforestation. • Extensification measures in agriculture must be accompanied by other levers such as changing consumption patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open access (OA) publishing upends the traditional business model in scientific publishing by requiring authors instead of readers to pay for the publishing-related costs. In this paper, we aim to elicit the willingness to pay (WTP) of authors for open access publishing. We conduct two separate field studies with different methodological approaches in different scientific disciplines (economics and medicine). First, a choice-based conjoint (CBC) analysis measures stated preferences of 243 economists in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland regarding their valuations of open access publishing in the "Top 5" economics journals. Second, a field experiment at four different open access medical journals elicits authors' self-determined ("Pay-What-You-Want") payments for open access publications. The results provide a plausible range of authors' valuations, given that the first study rather provides an upper bound and the second study a lower bound of authors' willingness to pay for open access publishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose priority-based infrastructure and control aware user heterogeneity, i.e. value-of-time. • Develop a joint optimization framework for traffic signal control and priority-based pricing. • Utilize connected vehicles to inform traffic flow and value-of-time information. • Test the proposed joint framework in real-city settings that resemble Zurich network. • Demonstrate traffic performance can be significantly improved while equitable savings achieved. Real-time control of large-scale urban networks has been attracting significant research attention. This paper, using the information provided by connected vehicles, proposes a novel control approach based on the concept of perimeter control to maximize the social welfare of all vehicles. The contributions of this paper are threefold. First, we consider vehicle heterogeneity (i.e. corresponding to different transportation modes, or with different occupancies, values of time, priority levels, etc.) and integrate a priority scheme into perimeter control to improve both the traffic performance and the social welfare. This is achieved by installing priority lanes at some of the perimeter intersections. Unlike the existing research works that provide priority to certain traffic modes, we dynamically identify the groups of vehicles that we should prioritize, in order to maximize the social welfare. Second, we develop a model predictive control approach to simultaneously optimize the toll for using the priority lanes and the traffic signal timings at the perimeter intersections. This approach can explicitly handle the constraint of the storage capacity of each intersection link. Third, we propose a recursive estimation algorithm to update our knowledge on the distribution of the value of times (VOTs), using the lane choice information of connected vehicles. The proposed approach is tested in a simulated network which resembles the main features of the city center of Zurich, Switzerland. By using the proposed strategy, the traffic accumulation inside the network is still stabilized, and the monetary costs due to delay are significantly reduced at the entire network (up to 25.8%) compared to the strategy without priority. The distribution of the combined cost (including cost due to delay and tolls) is more uniform across VOT groups than that resulting from the strategy without priority. It is also shown that the proposed recursive estimation algorithm quickly converges and further improves the social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A temperature-driven damage detection method is presented, abbreviated as Td-MPCA. • The Td-MPCA method is to separate thermal effect for anomaly detection. • Blind source separation is introduced for thermal identification. • The outperformance of proposed Td-MPCA can be demonstrated in this study. An important issue in structural health monitoring (SHM) is to develop appropriate algorithms that can explicitly extract meaningful changes in measurements due to structural anomalies, especially damage. However, the effects due to environmental factors, especially temperature variations may produce significant misinterpretations. Consequently, developing solutions to identify the structural anomaly, accounting for temperature influence, from measurements, is crucial and highly anticipated. This paper presents a Temperature-driven Moving Principal Component Analysis method, designated as Td-MPCA, for anomaly detection. The Td-MPCA introduces the idea of blind source separation (BSS) for thermal identification with intent to enhance the performance of Moving Principal Component Analysis (MPCA) for anomaly detection. To achieve this target, temperature-induced strain variations are first investigated and revealed by employing Independent Component Analysis based on maximization non-Gaussianity, also known as Fast ICA. Afterwards, the MPCA is adopted for anomaly detection on the separated temperature-related response. Three case studies are provided in this paper to evaluate the proposed method. The first one is a numerical truss bridge with a simulated 5% stiffness reduction. The results confirm that Td-MPCA is more sensitive than MPCA in detecting anomalies, where the simulated stiffness loss fails to be detected by MPCA. The second case study is on an experimental truss bridge where two damage scenarios are introduced and interpreted. The detection results show that Td-MPCA outperforms MPCA since the damage is identified at the expected time by Td-MPCA but not by MPCA. The third case study is an in-situ curved viaduct in Switzerland. Data acquired during both construction period and normal service period has been used for interpretation. Results demonstrate that Td-MPCA is able to identify the date of change in construction process without any delay when compared with the application of MPCA only. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Six analytical categories for local public incumbents in transitioning infrastructure network industries. • Link of analytical categories to the triple embeddedness framework (Geels, 2014). • Iterative theory building – linking public corporate governance and network industries theory with empirical study results. • Empirical evidence from six urban utility companies in Germany and Switzerland. The understanding of incumbents' behaviour in sustainability transitions in the energy sector is gaining increasing scholarly attention. However, two key structural characteristics of many incumbents in the energy sector are hardly taken into account: they are mostly public companies and they are operating in infrastructure network industries. Furthermore, studies on incumbents in the energy sector do not consider the multi-scalar situation of federal energy governance systems, as in Germany and Switzerland. This paper presents six analytical categories, which reveal the specifics of public energy companies and provide categories for a more precise analysis. They are developed through an iterative theory building process, combining empirical evidence from urban utility companies in Germany and Switzerland and theoretical insights from public corporate governance and network industries literature. Finally, the paper discusses, how these categories can be linked to the triple embeddedness framework (Geels, 2014) and transferred to other infrastructure sectors (e.g. the telecommunication or the railway sector) to enrich the understanding of public incumbents in sustainability transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Outlier measurements cause masking effect which leads to false alerts. • An approach is proposed to identify outlier measurements for damage detection. • The approach highlights the extreme outlier measurements. • The approach allows the determination of the model to adopt for damage detection. • Damage can be identified at an earlier stage using the proposed approach. Abstract Damage detection of civil engineering structures relies heavily on the use of outlier analysis/novelty detection analysis. Generally, data captured from a structure in its normal environmental condition are used to create a model and compute control limits to represent the normal range of variations of damage sensitive features of the structure. However, the training database used usually includes outlier measurements, which may introduce masking effect. These outlier measurements can affect the mean and standard deviation/covariance matrix of the training database, and hence, affect the model and the control limits. As a result, small damage may not be detected. Therefore, this paper proposes an approach of selecting a 'clean' training database for the construction of the baseline of the undamaged structure so as to detect damage at an earlier stage. The approach makes use of Principal Component Analysis and Median Absolute Deviation to identify outlier measurements. This approach can be applied before the application of damage detection methods to allow damage to be detected at an earlier stage. The proposed approach is applied to a numerical beam model and the Z24 Bridge, in Switzerland. The results obtained demonstrate that damage can be detected at an earlier stage using the approach proposed in this paper. The proposed method also allows the determination of the model (e.g. linear or nonlinear) to be used for damage detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper examines the economic integration for the universe of refugees in Switzerland over a 20 years period. • It exploits the government dispersal policy, which consists of the quasi-random allocation of refugees across cantons, to identify the effects of the local initial conditions. • Findings show that higher rates of initial unemployment lead to a slower labor-market integration. On the other hand, a shift towards more restrictive attitudes within a canton leads to a faster integration of subsequent cohorts of refugees. • The estimated effects persist over the refugees' life-cycle. • These findings highlight the importance of taking a long-run perspective in order to examine the patterns of labor-market integration of refugees and the effectiveness of policies. The paper examines the patterns of economic integration of refugees in Switzerland, a country with a long tradition of hosting refugees, a top-receiving host in Europe, and a prominent example of a multicultural society. It relies on a unique longitudinal dataset consisting of administrative records and social security data for the universe of refugees in Switzerland over 1998–2018. This data is used to reconstruct the individual-level trajectories of refugees and to follow them since arrival over the life-cycle. The empirical analysis exploits the government dispersal policy in place since 1998, which consists of the exogenous allocation of refugees across cantons, to identify the effects of the local initial conditions. The study finds that higher unemployment rates at arrival slow down the integration process, whereas the existence of a co-ethnic network does not consistently lead to a faster integration. It is shown that a change toward more restrictive attitudes over time in a canton (relative to attitudes in other cantons) leads to higher employment rates of the successive refugee cohorts. These effects persist over the refugees' life-cycle. Together these results, highlight the importance of taking a longer run perspective when examining the effectiveness of policies, as the effects may vary over time and different complementary interventions may be needed in the short vs. long-run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the building stock model CESAR (Combined Energy Simulation And Retrofitting), which is based on bottom-up modelling methodology for the development of sustainable energy transformation strategies for the buildings in Swiss districts. CESAR is composed of two sub-models: a Demand Model (DM) and a Retrofitting Model (RM). The DM is tasked with identifying the current energy demand of buildings in districts. It builds on geo-referenced information and available census data, and its flexibility allows it to be applicable to any kind of residential neighbourhood within Switzerland. The DM is based on an automated bottom-up modelling technique, which employs the dynamic building energy simulation software tool EnergyPlus as its simulation core to generate hourly energy demand profiles of individual buildings taking the interactions with neighbouring buildings (e.g. shading and solar inter-reflections) into account. Once current energy demands are calculated by the DM, the RM further offers the possibility to apply a set of energy transformation scenarios, based on the Swiss Energy Strategy 2050, to generate future demand and emission projections of districts including key economic indicators. Besides that, the building energy performance under climate change projections can be evaluated. In this paper, the tool is applied on three case study districts, an urban, suburban and rural area, within Switzerland and different transformation scenarios according to the Energy Strategy are investigated. Results revealed significant differences between the two implemented transformation scenarios, the Business as Usual (WWB) and the New Energy Policy (NEP). While in the WWB scenario, only a small number of buildings reaches the intended targets for primary energy and GHG emissions until 2050, the NEP scenario induces a much higher transformation of the districts. Besides that, the significance of the impact of global warming on future cooling demand is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The "containmentFoam" package is extended to simulate particle-laden flows. • The URANS-CRW approach is applied to natural convection turbulent flows. • Systematic validation is performed against the DIANA experimental and LES data. • Particle deposition, airborne concentration and the distribution are assessed. The Continuous Random Walk (CRW) model based on the normalized Langevin equation is often used to model the turbulent dispersion of particles wherein the flow field is computed using the RANS models. It has shown good accuracy in predicting overall particle deposition and the particle velocity statistics in forced convection turbulent flows. In the present paper, the CRW model is extended to predict particle transport in a natural convection flow (Ra 10 9 ). The validation is performed against the DIANA experiments performed at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland. The mean flow field is obtained systematically using the URANS approach (k- ω SST). The fluid near-wall turbulent statistics are obtained using correlations derived from the DNS data of Sebilleau et al. (2018). The results show that the CRW model is capable of predicting the particle deposition and distribution with reasonable accuracy for both 2.5 and 1 μ m particle sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main danger to which backcountry skiers are exposed are dry slab avalanches triggered by skiers themselves. In this paper we present a new probabilistic method to assess the avalanche risk when planning a ski tour: SLABS (S creening the L ikelihood of A valanches on B ackcountry S ki tours). The SLABS method is the first fully statistically derived probabilistic method for backcountry skiing. We used a data set with GPS (Global Positioning System) tracks of backcountry ski tours (57.8 thousand km) and a data set of 1250 accidents recorded in Switzerland during the last 20 winter seasons. A GAM (Generalised Additive Model) with binomial link discriminating between accidents and non-accidents was fitted to these data. As predictors the model uses a non-linear relation with the slope angle, and a linear relation with the danger level, the elevation and the aspect. Conditions with elevated and high risk were defined such that the accident prevention rate is 80% and 60%, respectively. A comparison of the SLABS method with the Graphical Reduction Method (GRM), the Professional Reduction Method (PRM) and the Quantitative Reduction Method (QRM) shows that it offers more freedom of movement for a given accident prevention rate. It is the first time that probabilistic methods are compared in terms of their trade-off between accident prevention and freedom of movement. Because the SLABS method is not suited for mental arithmetic it is implemented in the website www.skitourenguru.ch. This website evaluates on a daily basis the avalanche risk along thousands of backcountry tours throughout the Alps to help skiers plan their next tour. For a single slope the risk assessment of SLABS provides a starting point that has to be supplemented with local observations. [Display omitted] • A Generalised Additive Model was fitted to both backcountry accident and travel data. • A new probabilistic method for avalanche risk during backcountry skiing was developed. • Maximum slope angle, danger level, elevation and aspect are combined in a risk score. • The trade-off between prevention and freedom is better than for existing methods. • Implemented in www.skitourenguru.ch the new method helps skiers plan their tours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Migrant entrepreneurs in Switzerland often use resources in multiple countries. • This is related to their complex biographies transcending the classic home-host-country-trajectory. • This paper uses a time-geographic and biographic approach. • It depicts the complex evolution of cross-border resources throughout the history of migration. • It also captures the constraints experienced by different groups of migrants over time. The activities of migrant entrepreneurs increasingly extend beyond national borders as they travel and move goods between countries. Yet, research still portrays a static and homogeneous picture of the phenomenon which disregards complex biographies, evolving along multiple places over time, and cross-border activities beyond the origin and destination country. In response, this article uses a time-geographic and biographic approach which allows for a more dynamic investigation of the different localities involved in migrants' entrepreneurial projects and the evolution of cross-border resources throughout their history of migration. The presented study is based on ethnographic observations and biographic interviews, including trajectories traced on geographic maps, of 34 migrants with diverse backgrounds in Zurich, Switzerland. Because most research participants have multiple migration experiences and are female, it provides insights into understudied groups within the field. The article introduces a typology of three different kinds of cross-border migrant entrepreneurship. In contrast to the classic literature, it highlights that the cross-border engagement of migrants often transcends the origin–destination binary. Knowledge of economic and institutional environments, professional and intimate contacts, as well as other competences that interviewees have developed within different localities and episodes of their mobile biographies, become important resources in this regard. Moreover, the study offers a nuanced view on the constraints experienced and strategies employed by different groups of migrants according to their position in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Well-being impacts of certification schemes need to be compared with alternative private governance strategies. • Inclusive business and solidarity economy constitute two contrasting private governance strategies. • Paper presents an exploratory comparative analysis of four cases from the cacao sectors of Peru and Switzerland. • Value chain actors combine elements of certification, solidarity economy, and inclusive business into portfolios of instruments. • These instruments may address some barriers of certification, but come with own risks and limitations. Certification of sustainability standards is an important governance strategy aimed at enhancing the human well-being outcomes of agri-food value chains. While the impacts of certification on well-being are positive for some farmers under certain conditions, they are insignificant or adverse for others. Many barriers can impede positive impacts of certification on well-being. Alternative or complementary strategies such as inclusive business and solidarity economy may challenge these barriers. However, since certification, inclusive business and solidarity economy strategies are studied in isolation, their precise similarities and differences, their interplay and their relative efficacy and limitations remain elusive. Therefore, this paper explores to what extent and how inclusive business and solidarity economy strategies may overcome the persistent governance and economic barriers that limit well-being impacts of certification. We explore four purposively selected cases of inclusive business and solidarity economy strategies from the cacao value chains connecting Peru and Switzerland. Results show that value chain actors combine different specific elements of the three strategies (certification, inclusiveness and solidarity) into portfolios of instruments, which reflect their value chain role and organizational missions. These instrument portfolios may address some of the barriers of certification schemes, but they come with their own challenges and limitations. We conclude that promising future research may use comparative research designs to disentangle specific instruments of inclusiveness, solidarity, and certification; to build typologies of instrument portfolios; to understand their interaction with systemic change in markets and land-use systems; and to specify the conditions under which value chain actors can use specific instruments to improve well-being outcomes of agri-food value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an overview of biogas compositions originating from agriculture and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. An intensive data compilation was performed from literature, plant data from an EU project (Waste2Watts) and from sampling campaigns at 5 different anaerobic digesters in Switzerland. Besides reporting the major components of biogas i.e. methane and carbon dioxide, the concentration of minor components such as nitrogen and oxygen, as well as trace amounts of sulfur compounds (H 2 S, mercaptans, sulfides, etc.), silicon compounds (siloxanes, silanes), ammonia, halogenated compounds, and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are reported. These trace compounds can present a significant challenge to the energetic use of biogas, specifically in the use of novel, high-efficient processes such as high temperature fuel cells or catalytic fuel upgrading units. H 2 S and other sulfur compounds are the major concern, as they are abundantly found in agriculture biogas; unlike silicon compounds, which are generally exist in low or undetectable levels. • The biogas compositions originating from agriculture and OFMSW were reported. • Trends in trace sulfur content do not necessarily follow the trends in H 2 S content. • The sum of all trace non-H 2 S sulfur content was often higher than 0.5 ppmv. • Silicon compounds are often found in low or non-detectable concentrations in agricultural biogas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of electoral incentives vs. selection is ideally analyzed in a setting where individual legislators are selected to decide on policies under different electoral rules and where voter preferences on policies can be precisely measured. This is the first paper to look at such a situation. The institutional setting of Switzerland allows us to observe the behavior of legislators who change from a proportionally-elected chamber to a majority-elected chamber of parliament with their electorate being the same in both chambers. Voter preferences are revealed in referenda. We identify behavioral changes of legislators who are chamber-changers in comparison to other legislators due to the respective electoral rules along three dimensions, all measured at the level of individual legislators: representation of revealed voter preferences for policies, party loyalty, and interest group affiliations. The evidence suggests that electoral incentives explain the behavioral response of chamber-changers towards voter preferences to such an extent that there remains no relevant role for selection. After having changed from a proportionally-elected chamber to a majority-elected chamber, chamber-changers cater more intensely for the preferences of the voter majority (including the median voter), become less loyal towards their party and adapt their lobby group affiliations towards more district-oriented interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries around the world, family farms are expected to use e-government services to handle data exchange electronically via the internet with the government to fulfill their information obligations. This paper aims to explore the factors influencing the extent to which farmers perceive the use of such services as burdensome, and to develop a framework to categorize these factors for the farming sector. To do this, we extracted a conceptual framework designed for commercial businesses and adapted it to the farming sector. We employed a qualitative case study in Switzerland and conducted face-to-face interviews with six farmers using contrast sampling. The interviews were examined by applying thematic analysis. We found influencing factors from four different fields: (1) farm and farmer characteristics (e.g., farm structure, farmer's attitude toward ICT, farmer's ICT competence, use of external support, work organization, and infrastructure), (2) usage characteristics of e-government services (e.g. quantity and frequency of data entry, and period in use), (3) perceived characteristics of e-government (e.g., network, documentation, software design, complexity, farm compatibility, and duplication), and (4) perceived farm impact (data-security). We further found that the use of e-government services has no organizational benefits for family farms. Our findings provide a conceptual framework for understanding why e-government services for farmers might contribute to either a decrease or increase in their perceived administrative burden. It further provides policy-relevant information about the factors that play a role in digital direct payment administration to reduce farmers' administrative burdens. • A framework for analysing farmers' successful adoption of e-government services includes factors from: (1) farm and farmer characteristics, (2) usage characteristics of e-government services, (3) perceived characteristics of e-government, and (4) perceived impact on farm. • Farmer's attitude towards ICT, farmer's ICT competence, use of external support, work organization and ICT infrastructure influence farmers' successful adoption of e-government services. • The use of e-government services has no organizational benefits for family farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of digital technologies in agriculture offers various benefits, such as site-specific application, better monitoring, and physical relief. The handling of these technologies requires a specific skill set. Therefore, the question arises of when and how farm managers learn about digital technologies. Aiming to analyse the current situation, the present research investigated the role that digital technologies play in vocational training for future farm managers. Taking the example of farm management information systems (FMIS), the present study also analysed various predictors of adoption, including the effect of training. To investigate these research questions, an online survey among teachers and students of the farm management vocational programme across Switzerland was conducted in the spring of 2021. In total, 150 individuals participated, 41 of whom were teachers. Participants answered questions about the learning content in the farm management programme and their perception of digital technologies in general. Students further reported whether they already had a farm they would be managing in the future and how they perceived FMIS. The results indicate that both teachers and students are convinced that digital technologies play an important role in agriculture and will gain more importance in the future. A substantial part of 43% of the students who participated indicated that they had learned neither about digital technologies during their basic agricultural training nor the subsequent farm management programme. In terms of FMIS, 51% of the student sample indicated that they had never heard about FMIS during their agricultural training. While having learned about FMIS was not a significant predictor for adoption, gender, perceived ease of use, and intention to use more digital technologies in the future significantly predicted the adoption of FMIS. The paper concludes that, to support the adoption of digital technologies and FMIS specifically, training for future farm managers should focus on how to operate an FMIS to increase the perceived ease of use of this technology. [Display omitted] • 57% of the students learned about digital technologies during vocational school. • 49% of the students learned about FMIS during vocational school. • Intention to use digital technologies is an important predictor for the TTMA. • Perceived ease of use of FMIS is an important predictor for the TTMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Assessing self-driving vehicle acceptance during a self-driving shuttle trial. • Three-wave panel survey with a representative sample of 1408 Swiss residents. • High and stable support levels but no familiarity effects over time. • Significant effect of news about first fatal accident, but only short-term. • Stable acceptance, but latent scepticism unfolding with fatal accident. Expected benefits of disruptive technologies such as self-driving vehicles may only materialize if they are publicly accepted. Acceptance increases when implementation is experienced as initial concerns become unfounded and individuals become familiar with the new technology. Fatal accidents, however, negatively affect acceptance. This paper examines citizens' acceptance of self-driving vehicles by contrasting pre- and post-implementation of a self-driving shuttle in Switzerland and before and after the first fatal accident involving a self-driving vehicle in Arizona (USA) in 2018 gaining high media attention. To gauge acceptance, a panel survey using a random sample of 1408 Swiss residents was used. The results indicate that news about the fatal accident abroad exerts a stronger effect on acceptance than experiencing a self-driving bus trial. Latent scepticism causes acceptance to decrease in the event of an accident but only lasts short term. However, acceptance levels are stable and at high levels, which also explains the comparably low familiarity effects. As public acceptance is necessary for technology transitions, this article provides policymakers practical insights on how citizens form preferences towards traffic automation and related policy regulations. More specifically, results show how attitudes change over time while residents experience a trial and the first fatal accident with the technology at hand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damage detection of civil engineering structures is usually carried out by analysing the changes in vibration properties of the structures due to the effects of damage. However, these vibration properties are also affected by the environmental and operational conditions the structures face, which can create false alerts. To tackle these effects, it is proposed to consider damage detection as an outlier analysis case study in this paper. The observations obtained from the damaged condition of the structures have abnormal values of measurements (e.g. abnormal values of natural frequencies) and do not follow the pattern of the undamaged measurements obtained under different environmental and operational conditions. These damaged observations are similar to the outlier measurements. Both types of measurements do not follow the pattern of the normal observations. The COVRATIO statistic, which is usually used to identify outlier measurements, is proposed to be used in this paper to detect damage. The identified outlier measurements are then the damaged observations in this paper. A beam structure and the Z24 Bridge in Switzerland are analysed using the proposed method. The traditional regression damage detection method is also applied to both structures, and it is found that better results are obtained using the method proposed in this paper. 10% and 87% more damaged cases are detected in the beam structure and the Z24 Bridge using the proposed method, respectively. • Damage detection is affected by the environmental and operational conditions. • Damage detection is considered as an outlier analysis case study. • A method using the COVRATIO statistic is proposed for damage detection. • The proposed method successfully classified between undamaged and damaged cases. • The proposed method has better performance than the traditional regression method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swiss agri-environmental data network (SAEDN) encompasses farm management data, which are collected and processed annually to calculate indicators such as greenhouse gas emissions, potential biodiversity impact, or erosion risk. These indicators are yearly published in the framework of an agri-environmental monitoring programme and serve as decision support for policy makers and other stakeholders. Furthermore, the collected data are frequently used for research projects. This paper compares the SAEDN farms with the whole of Switzerland. It addresses the question of how appropriate the data collected are for monitoring purposes as well as research projects. The data collection procedure of the SAEDN is described in detail, including automated tests that improve the data quality. Furthermore, key figures of the SAEDN farms are analysed and compared with the whole of Switzerland in order to assess the significance of the farm network. The time-consuming data collection has resulted in a relatively small, non-random sample of Swiss farms (approx. 300 farms per year). The farms participating in the SAEDN represent the dominant agroecosystems of Switzerland reasonably well, while certain crop specialisations (viticulture and field vegetable production) and small ruminant husbandry are only marginally represented. The latter can partially be explained by an underrepresentation of farms located in southern Switzerland and in the mountains. Another problem is the continuously changing composition of the farm network. Thus, robust time series cannot be produced for all desired farm classifications (e.g. special crops). The collected data offer valuable insights into Swiss land use and farm management practices. To our knowledge, the presented dataset is the most comprehensive source of agronomic data in Switzerland covering many aspects such as complete crop rotations, field-specific fertilisation, and plant protection product use. The data thus provide an important basis for research projects, decisions in the political and legal context, and the development of a future monitoring system. [Display omitted] • The Swiss agri-environmental data network (SAEDN) is presented in this paper. • The suitability of the sampled data for agri-environmental monitoring and research projects is assessed. • The farms participating in the SAEDN represent only the dominant agroecosystems of Switzerland reasonably well. • The usefulness of the data for monitoring purposes is limited due to a rather small and time-varying sample. • The data offers valuable insights into Swiss land use and farm management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primarily on the basis of epidemiological studies, recent research in psychiatry has established a robust link between urban living and psychosis. This paper argues first, that an experienced-based approach, moving beyond epidemiology, is needed in order to enable more fine-grained understandings of the city/psychosis nexus. The second part of the paper presents preliminary fieldwork results based on video-elicitation sessions with first-episode patients with psychotic disorders. These results lead to the generation of a series of hypotheses for further research on the role of density, sensory overload and social interaction as factors in the onset of non-affective psychoses. The conclusion discusses the insights gained from viewing the city as an experiential milieu rather than as a set of substances. We argue that such insights enable, on the one hand, observation of the role of specific places and situations - and thus to unpack 'the city'; and, on the other, to envisage the urban milieu as a nexus of possible sites of recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Migrants can lower their expectations of working life after settlement. • State-imposed temporal regulations conflict with migrants' desire to progress. • Experiences of waiting permeate multiple post-arrival episodes. • Acceptance of precarious work is linked to temporal conflicts after migration. This paper uses a temporal perspective to explore the relationship between immigration regulations and the production of precarious workers. More specifically, I draw on the concept of possible selves to analyse biographical interviews with regard to the changing imaginations of possible labour market outcomes among refugees in Switzerland. Building on a growing body of literature exploring the times and temporalities of migration and border control, I shed light on how these imaginaries are co-constituted by multiple temporal regulations that are mobilised by different arms of the immigration system and often conflict with refugees' visions of progress. In this context, I show how individuals tend to downgrade their expectations of working life and accept precarious working conditions in order to minimise these conflicts. By focusing on refugees' experiences of waiting for, obtaining, and changing status, I further illuminate how these conflicts are not automatically resolved by moving forward within the periodised immigration system. Consequently, I argue that the identified practices of downsizing, postponing, and redirecting possible selves not only serve as strategies to resolve the gap between desired self and immediate reality but also need to be understood as expressions of extended waiting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate how meeting international recommendations for screen time (<2 h/day), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA; at least 60 min/day) and sleep (8–10 h/night), as well as media multitasking (MMI) as a form of screen time, impact academic achievement in early adolescence. A prospective design was used, where self-report measures were collected during the spring semester and academic achievement at the end of the school year. A total of 1208 grade 3 middle school students (M age = 13.55 years, SD age = 0.60) in 37 Swiss schools filled out a paper-and-pencil questionnaire including measures of screen time (covering watching television, playing video games, Internet use, smartphone use and social media use), MMI, sleep time and time for MVPA. To evaluate academic achievement, end-term grades were provided by the collaborating education administration for Italian, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Music and Visual arts. After adjustment for covariates, such as gender, socio-economic status, body mass index and stressful life events, multivariate linear mixed-effect models, nesting participants in schools, showed that meeting recommendations for screen time (B = 0.12, β = 0.105, P < 0.001) and MVPA (B = 0.09, β = 0.09, P = 0.001), but not sleep (B = 0.05, P = 0.087), were associated with higher academic achievement. Considering the number of recommendations met, meeting all three recommendations improved academic achievement the most (B = 0.24, β = 0.21, P < 0.001), followed by meeting the guidelines for screen time + MVPA (B = 0.20, β = 0.15, P < 0.001) and for screen time + sleep (B = 0.21, β = 0.13, P < 0.001). In the fully adjusted model, multitasking with two or more media was related to a worse academic achievement. Screen time (including MMI), sleep and MVPA impact academic achievement in adolescence; hence, governmental organisations and schools should raise awareness about the positive and negative effects of following or not recommendations for MVPA, sleep and screen time among adolescents and their parents. In addition, support should be provided to promote sufficient sleep and MVPA while limiting overall screen time and parallel device use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economists would assume that farmers with a net benefit will adopt programs incentivizing the delivery of public goods. Farmers who reject participation in such programs for principled reasons challenge this wisdom. This paper borrows from Will Wright's description of the North American cowboy to illustrate the motives and beliefs of this group. A survey in Switzerland about possible incentivizing programs in the realm of animal health is used to identify and characterize Swiss 'cowboys.' 22 % of the sample rejects any participation in incentivizing schemes. Their income and education levels are relatively low, and their ages tend to be high. They emphasize individualism and autonomy, rejecting interventions of the state in their ways of farming. The more 'cowboys' manage farms, the less successful incentivizing programs become. • In their desire of independence and self-organized justice, some Swiss farmers bear similarity to the concept of "cowboys". • Swiss "cowboys" are older, less educated and have a lower income than the average Swiss farmer. • An in-depth analysis of comments in a questionnaire shows their aversion against additional incentivizing programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certification and standards are key instruments to implement accountability in the contemporary governance of food systems. They are based on the idea that, thanks to the creation and circulation of information, promises to consumers are kept in increasingly complex value chains. However, critical examinations also describe it as a symptom of an ongoing globalisation and neoliberalisation, shifting power from the state to market actors, in particular retailers and supermarkets. This paper offers a new perspective on accountability within the tripartite standards regime, inspired by an assemblage approach and focusing on power relations and knowledge creation, as fundamental dimensions. The example of IP-Suisse, a Swiss farmer organisation and a food label, allows us to identify multiple contradictory power and knowledge processes that are simultaneously unfolding within the agri-environmental governance assemblage. Beyond the expected dominance of powerful actors (particularly retailers) and the relentless bureaucratisation of governance, more positive processes also emerge, including a collective empowerment of farmers and the realization of cumulative and progressive learning through new collaborations and experiments. The assemblage approach suggests that the point is not so much to invent a new blueprint for better accountability practices, but rather to understand the specific processes taking place within a given AEG assemblage and then to encourage the creation of new alliances to strengthen those processes that are most likely to foster experimentation and knowledge. It thereby obliges us to take the multiplicity of transformational processes seriously, as a starting point for developing innovative accountability practices. • Accountability practices are better understood when considered through their relations to a broader governance assemblage. • Power and knowledge are central dimensions that define accountability practices and are also defined by them. • Information in accountability can result in farmers' empowerment but can also strengthen existing relation of domination. • The centrality of administrative knowledge overshadows the emergence of new ways of knowing food and agriculture. • Accountability can help experimentation, alliances, and learning processes for more sustainable food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effect of local political decision-making institutions (i.e., citizens assembly vs. representative democracy) on citizens' preferences toward public spending. Exogenous variation in institutions comes from a regression discontinuity design, which exploits a discrete change in the probability that a municipality has representative democracy based on a legally stipulated population threshold in the Swiss canton (state) of Vaud. Policies preferences by municipality are measured by vote shares on Swiss national referendums and initiatives that, if approved, would have increased public spending. Relative to direct democracy, representative democracy reduces vote shares in favor of spending by around 5 percentage points. The effect is unlikely due to sorting on other observables or to feedback from changes in local policies. These findings demonstrate the importance of preferences as a channel through which political decision-making institutions can affect public policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road networks in the past are imperative for understanding evolution of transportation infrastructure, urban sprawl, and route planning, etc. Various approaches have been developed for road extraction from historical maps, among which deep learning techniques stand out as the most effective ones. However, little attention has been paid to investigating road vectorization and classification from historical maps. Moreover, road classification via machine learning methods usually requires large amounts of dedicated training data. To address these issues, this paper proposes a novel and comprehensive framework for road vectorization and classification on the basis of road segmentation from historical maps. First, deep learning is used to get pixel-wise raster road segmentation results, which are further skeletonized using morphological operations. Then, considering that each road class is represented with a certain symbol, a painting function is defined for each class able to paint the corresponding symbol. These painting functions are then used to draw road segments along the skeletons. Since the start and end points in each painting function are used to vectorise the segment, this method achieves vectorization and classification at the same time. Our method is validated on four Siegfried map sheets in Switzerland, and evaluated via both visual and quantitative assessments. The results indicate that the method is capable of classifying roads accurately. In particular, two evaluation metrics completeness and correctness achieve 90.69% and 72.71% respectively for road class 2 which accounts for the highest portion in the map. Moreover, the results of this method avoid the saw-toothed issue of vectorised road lines. This research is beneficial for creating complete vector road network datasets with class information to support decision-making in urban planning and transportation. • A novel framework is proposed to vectorise and classify roads from historical maps. • Deep CNNs are utilized to systematically and accurately extract roads. • Road classification and vectorization are achieved simultaneously by symbol painting. • Visual and quantitative assessments validate the effectiveness and robustness of the framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is recognized as an important tool for addressing residual emissions and achieving net-zero emission targets. While some have cautioned that a focus on CDR in policy processes may lead to delayed efforts to mitigate emissions, others have argued that such concerns are unwarranted. Nevertheless, the circumstances under which CDR could help or delay emissions mitigation in given contexts remain unclear. This paper explores the emerging discourse on CDR in Switzerland. We examined how the CDR community legitimizes CDR and limits its scope, and what the implications are for emissions mitigation. Switzerland is home to growing businesses in CDR and has pioneered the implementation of international offsetting projects under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. We found that numerous promises help legitimize and attract interest in CDR. Actors use discursive strategies and rules to limit CDR and avoid disappointment in its contribution to climate mitigation. The idea that emission reduction should prevail over removal is promoted accordingly, which ironically helps legitimize the CDR idea yet dodges the question of how much removal is possible and for balancing which emissions. Superficial engagement with the issue is reinforced by the normalization of inflated promises and the sentiment that the mitigation deterrence rhetoric erodes trust in CDR. We argue that this can contribute to mitigation delays by evading the debate on what it is possible to remove and taking resources from alternative measures. We recommend a thorough discussion to examine the risks and the implementation of rules that minimize them. • Mitigation deterrence discourse leads to efforts to avoid substitution dynamics. • "Reductions first" legitimizes CDR without coordinating emission residuals. • Inflated promises of CDR may reduce resources for more realistic measures. • Attention to CDR dynamics is required to help achieve comprehensive decarbonization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is considered one of the key pillars of an effective decarbonization strategy of the energy sector; however, the potential of hydrogen as an electricity storage medium is debated. This paper investigates the role of hydrogen as an electricity storage medium in an electricity system with large hydropower resources, focusing on the Swiss electricity sector. Several techno-economic and climate scenarios are considered. Findings suggest that hydrogen storage plays no major role under most conditions, because of the large hydropower resources. More specifically, no hydrogen storage is installed in Switzerland if today's values of net-transfer capacities and low load-shedding costs are assumed. This applies even to hydrogen-favorable climate scenarios (dry years with low precipitation and dam inflows) and economic assumptions (high learning rates for hydrogen technologies). In contrast, hydrogen storage is installed when net-transfer capacities between countries are reduced below 30% of current values and load-shedding costs are above 1,000 EUR/MWh. When installed, hydrogen is deployed in a few large-scale installations near the national borders. [Display omitted] • High-fidelity models of Swiss electricity sector and hydrogen storage technologies. • No significant hydrogen storage is required in Switzerland under most scenarios. • Large hydropower resources reduce the need for hydrogen storage significantly. • Hydrogen storage becomes relevant with reduced electricity net transfer capacities. • Hydrogen storage is used for high self-sufficiency ratios to avoid load-shedding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partnership is a key idea in current debates about global health and development assistance, yet little is known about what partnership means to those who are responsible for operationalising it or how it is experienced in practice. This is particularly the case in the context of African health systems. This paper explores how health professionals working in global health hubs and the health systems of South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia understand and experience partnership. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 101 professionals based in each country, Washington DC and Geneva between October 2012 and June 2013, the paper makes four key arguments. First, partnership has a legitimating function in global health policy processes for international development institutions, government agencies and civil society organisations alike. Second, the practice of partnership generates idiosyncratic and complicated relationships that health professionals have to manage and navigate, often informally. Third, partnership is shaped by historical legacies, critical events, and independent consultants. Fourth, despite being an accepted part of global health policy, there is little shared understanding of what good partnership is meant to include or resemble in practice. Knowing more about the specific socio-cultural and political dynamics of partnership in different health system contexts is critical to equip health professionals with the skills to build the informal relations that are essential to effective partnership engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The science of hail suppression by silver iodide (AgI) cloud seeding was developed during the second half of the 20th century in laboratory and tested in several research or operational projects using three delivery methods for the ice forming particles: ground generators, aircraft, and rockets. The randomization process for the seeding was often considered as the imperative method for a better evaluation but failed to give firm results, mostly because the projects did not last long enough considering the hazardous occurrence of severe hailfalls, and also probably due to the use of improper hail parameters. At the same time and until now, a continuous long-term research and operational field project (1952–2015) using ground generator networks has been conducted in France under the leadership of the Association Nationale d'Etude et de Lutte contre les Fléaux Atmosphériques (ANELFA), with a control initially based on annual insurance loss-to-risk ratios, then on hailpad data. More recently (2000–2009), a companion ground seeding project was developed in the north of Spain, with control mostly based on microphysical and hailpad data. The present paper, which focuses on hail suppression by ground seeding, reviews the production of the AgI nuclei, their dispersion and measurement in the atmosphere, as well as their observed or simulated effects in clouds. The paper summarizes the results of the main historical projects in Switzerland, Argentina, and North America, and finally concentrates on the current French and Spanish projects, with a review of already published results, complemented by new ones recently collected in Spain. The conclusion, at least for France and Spain, is that if ground seeding is performed starting 3 hours before the hail falls at the ground with a 10-km mesh AgI generator network located in the developing hailstorm areas, each generator burning about 9 g of AgI per hour, the hailfall energy of the most severe hail days is decreased by about 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the eqasim framework with the aim to provide a consistent pipeline from raw data to a final transport simulation. It therefore lays the foundation to achieve fully reproducible agent-based transport simulations. While the pathway from raw data to a generic synthetic travel demand was covered previously for specific use cases, here the general methodology is summarized. Furthermore, the tools and methods for combining MATSim simulations with flexibly definable discrete choice models is described, which is the core of the existing simulation implementations of eqasim for île-de-France, Switzerland, Sao Paulo and California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the last 20 years, genetic tests have allowed unaffected women to determine whether they are predisposed to developing breast/ovarian cancer due to BRCA1/2 gene mutations. In the event of adverse results, women receive a specific label associated with a set of medical recommendations: the genetically at-risk status. This qualitative study adopted a life-course perspective to understand the impact of this status on women's agency. Following a grounded theory design, retrospective biographical interviews were conducted in Switzerland between 2011 and 2013 with 32 unaffected women at risk of developing genetic breast/ovarian cancer and aware of their predisposition for at least three years. The results show that the genetically at-risk status conveys an invitation to transform health into a project, i.e., into a set of planned activities realized in collaboration with the medical system in order to reduce the risk of developing cancer. This health project shapes women's agency in three ways: it enhances, constrains and questions it, thus creating a sense of disorientation about what is considered rational and appropriate in terms of genetic risk management. Based on these findings, the paper concludes by stressing the paradoxes of the genetically at-risk status and the limits of the medical system in managing women designated with it. The paper also suggests that because of the disorientation intrinsic to their situation, genetically at-risk women have to reflexively construct their own health project from a range of available options in ways that are coherent and viable for themselves and their significant others. This process of reflexive construction may be called legitimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A bidirectional causal relationship between municipal solid waste generation and GDP emerges. • Waste recovery (recycling and composting) is a key driver in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. • The D2C algorithm shows that more waste coincides with higher consumption and more significant economic growth. Municipal solid waste generation is becoming a prominent issue in the environmental arena. The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship among municipal waste generation, greenhouse gas emissions, and GDP in Switzerland over the period 1990–2017. We apply both time series procedures (stationarity and causality tests) and a Machine Learning approach. Empirical findings underline a bidirectional causal relationship between municipal solid waste generation and GDP, indicating that the Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis holds for Switzerland. Moreover, we found that waste recovery (recycling and composting) is a key driver in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, in the Tree Model, the probability that a change in the waste recovery variable could lead to a reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions registered a value of 87%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Carolingian wall paintings on the upper floor in the Chapel of the Holy Cross were conserved from 2008 till 2016. In support of these measures and the investigations on the construction history, the interior decoration, renders, whitewashes and painting materials were analysed. Towards the end of the conservation work and in view of the future public display of the wall paintings to a larger public, the question was risen whether it would be possible to make the depictions more clearly visible by special photographic techniques, and if these photographic techniques could also help to transfer the laboratory results of a few individual samples to the surface area. This led to the investigation of selected areas of the wall paintings using multispectral imaging (MSI). In this paper, we report on the results of the laboratory analysis and of the scientific photography. It shows how the two methods have supplemented and supported each other during the investigation of the Chapel of the Holy Cross, how these results complemented the observations relevant to restoration and conservation, and how these observations enabled the interpretation of the scientific photography and laboratory results. Hence, we give an example that describes the potential of result-oriented interdisciplinary exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, ridesharing business is steadily growing and has started to receive attention also by public transport operators. With future fleets of Autonomous Vehicles, new business models connecting schedule-based public transport and feeder fleets might become a feasible transport mode. However, such fleets require a good management to warrant a high level of service. One of the key aspects of this is proactive vehicle rebalancing based on the expected demand for trips. In this paper we model vehicle rebalancing as the Dynamic Transportation Problem. Results suggest that waiting times can be cut by around 30 % without increasing the overall vehicle miles travelled for a feeder fleet in rural Switzerland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of using the XP-endo Finisher (XPF; FKG Dentaire, La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland) in teeth that have a traditional access cavity (TEC) and a contracted access cavity (CEC) design on the amount of decrease in the number of Enterococcus faecalis bacteria within the root canal system. Eighty mandibular first molar teeth were selected and randomly divided into 2 groups: TEC and CEC (n = 40/group). After access cavity preparation in the 2 groups, 80 mesiobuccal root canals were contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis for 4 weeks. After the first sampling (S1), in order to perform root canal instrumentation, the TEC and CEC groups were further divided into 4 subgroups (10 teeth/group): Reciproc (VDW GmbH, Munich, Germany) and ProTaper Next (Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) with or without XPF. Bacterial sampling from the root canals was performed with sterile paper points before (S1) and after (S2) instrumentation to determine the bacterial load. The bacterial reduction was counted as colony-forming units/mL and analyzed statistically by 3-factor repeated measures analysis of variance. Multiple comparisons of the main factor effect were performed using the Bonferroni correction (α <.05), all at 5% significance. The number of E. faecalis bacteria in all the samples with different cavity designs were significantly reduced after instrumentation. The lowest value of bacterial decrease percentage was observed in the CEC-Reciproc-XPF (82.8%) group. The bacterial reduction counts of E. faecalis were a similar level in the TEC and CEC cavities, and the use of XPF did not show significant differences between groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DNI determined with the SPN1 should be corrected with quadratic function. • After recalibration the RMSE of the analyzed SPN1 DNI is reduced from 11% to 7%. • One-month recalibration against pyrheliometer is recommended. Accurate determination of direct normal irradiance (DNI) is essential for evaluating and monitoring of concentrating solar power (CSP) and solar process heat (SPH) plants. Currently, a bi-axially tracked Pyrheliometer (PHM) is the most accurate measuring device, but requires high maintenance effort and is cost-intensive. As an alternative, the cost-effective pyranometer SPN1 was investigated by comparing highly resolved minute mean DNI measurements of two SPN1 devices to a reference PHM at the Institute for Solar Technology SPF in Rapperswil (Switzerland). To reduce systematic errors, a linear and a quadratic correction function have been applied to four years of measurements. They reduced the root mean square error RMSE from 48.8 W/m2 (11.5% of mean PHM DNI = 426 W/m2) to 37.9 W/m2 (8.9%) and 29.6 W/m2 (6.9%), respectively. It is also shown that even recalibrations based on only one month of data already reduced the RMSE to maximum 33.4 W/m2 (7.8%), if conducted between April and September. Considering the impact of solar elevation and DNI range on the SPN1 accuracy by bifurcating the correction functions only resulted in a negligibly small improvement of the RMSE. Finally, the influence of SPN1's DNI measurement accuracy on the performance analysis of a real SPH plant in Switzerland was evaluated. After recalibration and correction of DNI values, the evaluation of monitoring data yielded annual efficiencies that were 15% and 12% higher in 2014 and 2015, respectively. It is recommended to recalibrate SPN1 devices over a minimum of one month against a PHM according to the methods presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]