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The International Geodynamics and Earth Tide Service (IGETS) was established in 2015 by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). IGETS continues the activities of the Global Geodynamics Project (GGP, 1997-2015) to provide support to geodetic and geophysical research activities using superconducting gravimeter (SG) data within the context of an international network. The Membach station is located near the river Vesdre. It consists of a 130 m long gallery excavated in the side of the valley that rises to the Hautes Fagnes plateau. At the end of the gallery, there are two rooms, located at ~45 m below the ground surface. Room 1 is dedicated to absolute gravity and seismic measurements; room 2 houses the superconducting gravimeter. The structure of the gallery and the rooms is in reinforced concrete. It was built in the early 1970s to monitor the seismic activity in the vicinity of the Gileppe and Eupen water reservoirs. Works were performed contemporeanously with the raising of the Gileppe dam. The gallery has been excavated in low-porosity argillaceous sandstone with quartzitic beds. As a function of rainfall and seasonal effects, gravity variations up to 40 nms-2 have been observed, and are mostly due to groundwater changes in the vadose zone above the underground laboratory (Van Camp et al., 2006). Strong rainfall induces rapid gravity decreases (Meurers et al 2007; Delobbe et al., 2019). At the surface, a beech forest. Absolute gravity measurements have been performed on average every month since 1996, using the FG5#202 gravimeter and the station is also the reference point for the Belgian gravity network. The SG GWR#C021 has been operating continuously since 1995 August so that, since 2017 September 18, it holds both records for the longest continuous time spent measuring gravity variations in the same place and for the longest superconducting levitation of an artefact (Van Camp et al., 2017). For high precision works like Earth tides analysis on long time series, data should not be used before 1998 June 12, when the original "TIDE" card in the SG electronics was replaced by the "GGP" one. Filters are different, and so are the transfer functions. Moreover, in this early period, the SG suffered from numerous technical issues, causing several changes in the amplitude and phase calibrations and making it difficult to ensure that the data are as reliable as after 1998 June.

The International Geodynamics and Earth Tide Service (IGETS) was established in 2015 by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). IGETS continues the activities of the Global Geodynamics Project (GGP, 1997-2015) to provide support to geodetic and geophysical research activities using superconducting gravimeter (SG) data within the context of an international network. In 2014 December the Royal Observatory of Belgium installed the iGrav #019 at the surface site of the Rochefort "Lorette" cave laboratory. The Lorette cave is one of several cavities that belong to the Wamme–Lomme karst system, a 10 km long karst area. At the surface of the site, a small and solid building, located at the border of a large sinkhole, hosts the gravity laboratory, which is thermally stabilized at ~25°C by a heater, excepted during a few days each summer when the temperature may increase above that level. The iGrav #019 is installed directly on the bedrock (limestone) in a 1 m deep shaft. Two meters away from the iGrav there is a pillar of cement (60% sand, 40% cement, no iron nor stones) founded 1 meter deep on the bedrock and on which absolute gravity measurements are performed 10 times or more per year with the FG5#202 absolute gravimeter. See description in Fig A7 in Van Camp et al., 2017. As this instrument was installed among others to investigate flash floods in the caves, it regularly monitors sudden changes in gravity reaching 50-100 nm/s², especially during the winter (Watlet et al., 2020). This should be considered when performing e.g. tidal analyses.

The Case Study Research method is an-in depth inquiry into a topic or phenomenon within its real-life setting. It can be applied to several research fields. It can also serve in several areas, as it can be applied for exploratory and descriptive purposes. The method has gained in popularity in the recent period, but it is also been criticised for lack of scientific rigour and reliability and that it does not address the issues of generalizability. Literature review shows that the quality of Case Study Research reports leaves to be desired. In this thesis, an area where this might be improved is researched. With a literature study following a rapid prototyping approach, a support tool is modelled that could support research teams in their Case Study Research project conduct and capturing their results in a structured way. The aim is also to support in factoring in the research deliverables and results into the report. With a prototyping approach, the requirements for such a tool are evaluated. It would also add insights into the main components and functions that the tool would have. Finally, the model reveals and supports possibilities for further evaluation and research in this area.

The regional key comparison of absolute gravimeters, EURAMET.M.G-K3 and the simultaneously organized additional comparison, was held in Germany at the Geodetic Observatory Wettzell of the German Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy in the spring of 2018. Here we present the list of the participants who actually performed measurements during the comparison, the data submitted by the operators as well as the results of the determination of the gravity as a function of height at the comparison sites. The measurement strategy is briefly discussed and the results of the data harmonization is documented. Finally, the results of the constrained least squares adjustment are presented including the degrees of equivalence of each gravimeter and the key comparison reference values. Main text To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).

We report the first measurement of differential and total cross sections for the \ud γ\ud d\ud →\ud K\ud 0\ud Λ\ud (\ud p\ud )\ud reaction, using data from the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Data collected during two separate experimental runs were studied with photon-energy coverage 0.8–3.6 GeV and 0.5– 2.6 GeV, respectively. The two measurements are consistent giving confidence in the method and determination of systematic uncertainties. The cross sections are compared with predictions from the KAON-MAID theoretical model (without kaon exchange), which deviate from the data at higher \ud W\ud and at forward kaon angles. These data, along with previously published cross sections for \ud K\ud +\ud Λ\ud photoproduction, provide essential constraints on the nucleon resonance spectrum. A first partial wave analysis was performed that describes the data without the introduction of new resonances.

This chapter studies the role played by small entrepreneurial firms and large companies in the international biotechnology industry. The biotechnology industry is one of the main examples of current industries that are characterized by “hypercompetition”, with a high degree of uncertainty about the combined effects of both new technologies and new market structures. It is an example of an industry with Schumpeterian competition where revolutionary changes in technology and innovative new products and processes have the potential to threaten the position of existing market leaders and their product-market positions. It is also a sector where we find a large number of R&D alliances, in particular between large and small companies.

International audience; We estimate the signature of the climate-induced mass transfers in repeated absolute gravity measurements based on satellite gravimetric measurements from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. We show results at the globe scale and compare them with repeated absolute gravity (AG) time behavior in three zones where AG surveys have been published: Northwestern Europe, Canada, and Tibet. For 10 yearly campaigns, the uncertainties affecting the determination of a linear gravity rate of change range 3–4 nm/s2/a in most cases, in the absence of instrumental artifacts. The results are consistent with what is observed for long-term repeated campaigns. We also discuss the possible artifact that can result from using short AG survey to determine the tectonic effects in a zone of high hydrological variability. We call into question the tectonic interpretation of several gravity changes reported from stations in Tibet, in particular the variation observed prior to the 2015 Gorkha earthquake.

OpenSoNaR is an online system that allows for analyzing and searching the large scale Dutch reference corpus SoNaR. Due to the size of the corpus, accessing the information contained in the dataset has proven to be difficult for less technically inclined researchers. The OpenSoNaR project aims to facilitate the use of the SoNaR corpus by providing a user-friendl online interface. To make sure that the resulting system is practically useful, several user groups have been identified, who drive the interface development process by providing practical use cases. The current system is already used in educational and research settings.

A description of the occurrence of the salt water intrusion from seawater close to the coastline of Dar es Salaam Region is presented. The present status of intrusion in two pilot areas located between Mlalakuwa and Msimbazi Rivers (locality I) and Msimbazi and Kizinga Rivers (locality II) is evaluated. The causes, effects, remedial measures and future possibility of intrusion are discussed. An investigation on the hydrodynamics of the phenomenon and analysis of the formations as well as the interfacial transition zone is currently being performed. Water samples from Mikocheni, Oysterbay, Msasani, Masaki and City Centre areas show elevated chloride, sulphate and sodium concentrations. Using Stuyfzand (1986) water classification method, about 60 percent of the samples are classified as fresh-brackish to salt and 30 percent as extremely hard. Groundwater was classified into several categories by subtype, i.e., Sodium-Chloride, Sodium-Bicarbonate, Calcium-Bicarbonate, Magnesium-Bicarbonate, Sodium-Mix and Calcium-Mix. The growing human population in and around the investigated areas has had an adverse impact on the water in the shallow aquifer through, among other factors, indiscriminate abstraction of water without knowledge of the aquifer's capacity.

In continental plate interiors, ground surface movements are at the limit of the noise level and close to or below the accuracy of current geodetic techniques. Absolute gravity measurements are valuable to quantify slow vertical movements, as this instrument is drift free and, unlike GPS, independent of the terrestrial reference frame. Repeated absolute gravity (AG) measurements have been performed in Oostende (Belgian coastline) and at eight stations along a southwest‐northeast profile across the Belgian Ardennes and the Roer Valley Graben (Germany), in order to estimate the tectonic deformation in the area. The AG measurements, repeated once or twice a year, can resolve elusive gravity changes with a precision better than 3.7 nm/s2/yr (95% confidence interval) after 11 years, even in difficult conditions. After 8–15 years (depending on the station), we find that the gravity rates of change lie in the [−3.1, 8.1] nm/s2/yr interval and result from a combination of anthropogenic, climatic, tectonic, and glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) effects. After correcting for the GIA, the inferred gravity rates and consequently, the vertical land movements, reduce to zero within the uncertainty level at all stations except Jülich (because of man‐induced subsidence) and Sohier (possibly, an artifact because of the shortness of the time series at that station).

Integrated monitoring was conducted to evaluate the result of nature development actions to increase the biodiversity. During the first year, the natural fluctuation of the piezometric level has been determined based on existing data and newly gathered data. From these data, the groundwater table classes following a classification, developed in The Netherlands, have been deduced. However, the result does not correspond with the observed vegetation. To predict the natural habitats and ecosystems in the coastal dunes of Belgium, a new classification adapted to natural conditions in the area is required. Advantages of existing approaches are integrated in the classification, combined with new elements, to represent the relationship between groundwater regimes and ecosystems. This new classification, consisting of 4 codes, provides information about the mean high water table depth, the mean low water table depth, mean spring water table depth and whether inundation can take place or not. It also gives an indication of the variability of the seasonal fluctuations of the water table and the importance of the fluctuation of the water table between years. With this new classification, a fine breakdown by ecotypes is possible. The new classification has been applied to the existing data in the study area.

Background: CT scan measures of emphysema and airway disease have been correlated with lung function in cohorts of subjects with a range of COPD severity. The contribution of CT scan-assessed airway disease to objective measures of lung function and respiratory symptoms such as dyspnea in severe emphysema is less clear. Methods: Using data from 338 subjects in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial (NETT) Genetics Ancillary Study, densitometric measures of emphysema using a threshold of -950 Hounsfield units (%LAA-950) and airway wall phenotypes of the wall thickness (WT) and the square root of wall area (SRWA) of a 10-mm luminal perimeter airway were calculated for each subject. Linear regression analysis was performed for outcome variables FEV1and percent predicted value of FEV1with CT scan measures of emphysema and airway disease. Results: In univariate analysis, there were significant negative correlations between %LAA-950 and both the WT (r = -0.28, p = 0.0001) and SRWA (r = -0.19, p = 0.0008). Airway wall thickness was weakly but significantly correlated with postbronchodilator FEV1% predicted (R = -0.12, p = 0.02). Multivariate analysis showed significant associations between either WT or SRWA (β = -5.2, p = 0.009; β = -2.6, p = 0.008, respectively) and %LAA-950 (β = -10.6, p = 0.03) with the postbronchodilator FEV1% predicted. Male subjects exhibited significantly thicker airway wall phenotypes (p = 0.007 for WT and p = 0.0006 for SRWA). Conclusions: Airway disease and emphysema detected by CT scanning are inversely related in patients with severe COPD. Airway wall phenotypes were influenced by gender and associated with lung function in subjects with severe emphysema. © 2009 American College of Chest Physicians.

RFID Systeme werden seit Anfang der neunziger Jahre mit stetig zunehmender Verbreitung im Bereich der automatischen Produktidentifikation, der Diebstahlsicherung (EAS, Electronic Article Surveillance) und für automatische Zutrittskontrollsysteme eingesetzt. Objekte werden hierzu mit einem Transponder ausgestattet, der aus einer Antenne und einem Chip auf einem Trägermaterial besteht. Von großem Interesse ist die Entwicklung und Optimierung von passiven Transpondern für den Einsatz in UHF RFID Systemen. Diese Transponder beziehen die Energie zum Betrieb des Chips aus dem elektromagnetischen Feld einer Schreib-Leseeinheit. Hierfür ist neben der Anpassung der Eingangsimpedanz der Antenne an die Chipimpedanz auch eine möglichst hohe Bandbreite der Antennen wünschenswert, um die Funktion des Transponders bei Schwankungen der Chipimpedanz und variablen Umgebungsparametern zu gewährleisten. Der aus Platzgründen notwendige Einsatz elektrisch kleiner Antennen bedingt eine möglichst optimale Ausnutzung der zur Verfügung stehenden Fläche auf dem Trägermaterial zur Aufnahme der Antenne. Die vorliegende Arbeit beschreibt ein Verfahren zur Analyse und Synthese neuartiger Antennendesigns auf der Basis parametrisierter meandrierter, spiralförmiger und logarithmisch periodischer Dipole.

The municipal public water-supply company of Knokke-Heist is producing drinking-water from the dunes aquifer. However, the available resources are limited and overexploitation of the ecologically valuable dune aquifer system should be avoided. Therefore, the company has developed a new strategy for the future. An important component of this new strategy consists in the treatment of surface water by means of reverse osmosis, and remineralisation of the produced filtrate by means of groundwater taken from a new catchment around the “De Cloedt” pit, a former sand quarry, which is now inundated and recharged by surface water. The “De Cloedt” pit is situated in the polder area, just to the south of the dune border. In the polder area, saline groundwater occurs in depth, which may limit the groundwater exploitation potential. This paper deals with the hydrogeological investigations that have been performed of the area. This includes geophysical measurements, piezometric and surface water discharge measurements, groundwater sampling and analysis and modeling.

Groundwater quality in coastal aquifers is largely influenced by the interaction between the sea and the bordering aquifer systems. This interaction can result in freshening of saline aquifers or salinization of fresh water bodies. In complex cases even both situations can be found in the same aquifer system. While the main mechanism for salinization or freshening is hydrodynamically driven (groundwater flow), also physical and chemical processes within the aquifer will alter groundwater composition. Cation exchange is in many cases an important process to consider; it results in a hydrochemical spectrum of groundwater types reflecting both the hydrodynamical and hydrochemical characteristics of the aquifer.In order to understand the natural groundwater quality and the controlling processes in a coastal aquifer, it is crucial to known both the hydrodynamical and hydrochemical behaviour and the way these are linked together, because usually only the interaction between them can explain the observed quality istributions.Where mixing of fresh and salt water occurs, density-driven flow may become important and change quality distribution, while the groundwater composition itself influences hydrodynamics. An integrated approach of both aspects is indispensable.Modelling is an important tool in understanding how aquifer systems work. Until recently, hydrodynamical and hydrochemical aspects were tackled separately, with different models. Hydrodynamical aspects have been studied with flow models (such as MODFLOW) or a combination of a flow and a solute transport model (such as MT3D) for simulating salt transport, coupled together for incorporating density-driven flow (such as in SEAWAT). On the other hand, hydrochemical aspects have been investigated with hydrogeochemical models based on speciation and a reaction scheme. In hydrogeochemical models, groundwater flow was either not taken into account, or, at best, it was considered in a very simplified approach (along a path-line). Recently, codes have been developed combining three-dimensional flow models fully with the flexibility of an extensible hydrochemical model based on thermodynamic databases, such as PHAST, which combines the well-known PHREEQC model with the HST3D model for flow and transport. Simulations with the PHAST model have shown that it is capable of simulating the whole hydrochemical spectrum of groundwater types in coastal aquifers under freshening and salinizing conditions incorporating cation exchange processes and mineral equilibria such as calcite dissolution. The capabilities of this new generation of models will also allow for including redox components (iron content of the water) or processes such as surface complexation (e.g. sorption onto hydroxides). The future for such models looks bright, because for the first time they will provide the complete groundwater composition as their output.However, models need to be based on good and sufficient field data! Without them the reliability of the models is unknown and their value for predictive purposes is hypothetical. Therefore the advances in modelling should go together with new techniques of sampling, measuring and monitoring and with improved analytical methods. Advances have been made also in these fields. Yet, the most important advance in understanding natural groundwater quality is not related to a specific technical innovation but rests in the minds of hydrogeologists. Indeed, only a profound insight in the combined hydrodynamical and hydrochemical aspects by a refined system analysis can provide the key to really understand what controls groundwater quality, also in coastal aquifers.

The Neogene Aquifer is situated in the Campine basin in the northeast of Belgium. The groundwater body consists mainly of sands with some clayey intercalations. The Boom Clay forms the lower impermeable boundary of the aquifer. Groundwater flow has been modelled by means of the MODFLOW code. Calculated piezometric levels show good agreement with the observed piezometric heads. The main processes that influence groundwater quality on his way through the aquifer have been studied. The aquifer is well flushed resulting in low amounts of total dissolved solids. In the recharge areas, infiltrating meteoric water mainly influences the chemical composition of groundwater. Pyrite oxidation raises sulphate and iron contents in the top layers. Groundwater mineralisation increases along a flow line, primarily as a result of silicate and calcite dissolution and cation exchange. Large parts of the aquifer are decalcified. Calcareous deposits are present in the deep parts and to the north. The former marine depositional environment has still influence on the present-day groundwater quality. Cation exchange is the most important witness for this marine depositional environment.