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This paper considers Habermas' model of a post‐secular political order in the light of the debate on male circumcision that arose in Germany after a court ruled that male circumcision was an unjustifiable act of bodily harm. Central to this model is the idea that religious reasons can only become effective in central legal institutions when they are translated into secular reasons. My paper demonstrates that there are two distinguishable readings of this proviso. On the one hand, there is a broad reading according to which it is only necessary to reach a conclusion that is in line with the democratic principle stating that all citizens can be regarded as co‐legislators even if non‐generalizable value orientations might then shape the interpretation of fundamental rights (in the case of circumcision, the right to bodily integrity). On the other hand, a truly secular (narrow) reading would avoid the inclusion of non‐generalizable value orientations. The debate on circumcision demonstrates that these two interpretations lead to different and conflicting modes of justification. The broad reading allows for a justification of male circumcision, whereas the narrow reading makes such a justification unlikely. In addition, the filtering function of the proviso is weakened in a broad reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tackling societal challenges relating to sustainability requires both an understanding of the underlying complex socio-ecological systems and participation of scientists as well as relevant stakeholders, such as practice experts, decision makers, and citizens. This paper introduces the Decision Theatre Triangle, a method which combines empirical information, mathematical modelling and simulation, and a format for dialogue between scientists and stakeholders. While it builds on previous Decision Theatre work, the new structuring into these three elements emphasizes what is needed for setting up a Decision Theatre for a given challenge. Based on experience with a specific example – sustainable mobility in Germany – it is argued that agent-based models are particularly suitable for Decision Theatres and that the method is useful not only for decision support but also for science communication and co-creation of a deeper knowledge of the system under discussion. As a step towards facilitating a broader use of the Decision Theatre Triangle method, the paper then sketches research needs for each of its three elements, with a focus on mathematical modelling and simulation. [Display omitted] • The Decision Theatre Triangle combines data, models, and stakeholder dialogues. • It enables decision support, science communication and co-production of research. • Agent-based modelling shows benefits in the Decision Theatre Triangle method. • Setting up Decision Theatre Triangles for societal challenges needs model structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the planning phase of district energy systems, optimization models based on mathematical programming are a widely used approach. Most optimization models determine the optimal energy system design based on a single representative year. However, this approach is unable to consider changing economic and technological boundary conditions over the system's lifetime. As a result, these one-period models fall short for districts with 5th generation district heating and cooling (5GDHC) networks, which are typically developed over long time periods and are built in multiple construction phases. In this paper, we present two multi-period optimization approaches for designing 5GDHC districts: The first approach is a forward-looking model which determines the optimal investment pathway by using a perfect foresight of future parameter developments. In the second approach, a one-period model is solved repeatedly for every investment period without knowledge of future parameter developments. Both approaches are compared to a one-period model for a real-world 5GDHC district in Germany. In comparison with a one-period design approach, the forward-looking method leads to total cost savings of up to 17 % and the sequential method of up to 11 %. By using a forward-looking model, gas-fired technologies are sized smaller while the capacity of electricity-driven technologies in the energy hub as well as photovoltaic modules and thermal energy storages in buildings increases compared to a one-period model. The case study shows that a multi-period modeling approach is an important addition to design optimization models for 5GDHC networks and can have a significant impact on the optimal design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Part I of this two-part paper a new method of predicting the total lightning flash rate in thunderstorms was introduced. In this paper, the implementation of this method into the convection-permitting Consortium for Small Scale Modeling (COSMO) model is presented. The new approach is based on a simple theoretical model that consists of a dipole charge structure, which is maintained by a generator current and discharged by lightning and, to a small extent, by a leakage current. This approach yields a set of four predictor variables, which are not amenable to direct observations and consequently need to be parameterized (Part I). Using an algorithm that identifies thunderstorm cells and their properties, this approach is applied to determine the flash frequency of every thunderstorm cell in the model domain. With this information, the number of flashes that are accumulated by each cell and during the interval between the activation of the lightning scheme can be calculated. These flashes are then randomly distributed in time and beneath each cell. The output contains the longitude, the latitude, and the time of occurrence of each simulated discharge. Simulations of real-world scenarios are presented, which are compared to measurements with the lightning detection network, LINET. These comparisons are done on the cloud scale as well as in a mesoscale region composing southern Germany (two cases each). The flash rates of individual cumulonimbus clouds at the extreme ends of the intensity spectrum are realistically simulated. The simulated overall lightning activity over southern Germany is dominated by spatiotemporal displacements of the modeled convective clouds, although the scheme generally reproduces realistic patterns such as coherent lightning swaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a participatory process, in the course of which stakeholders identified an implementable strategy for promoting renewable electricity generation in a county in Germany. In the process, a new combination of participatory methods was applied, including two participatory modeling approaches that are based on causal networks and the participatory development of qualitative normative scenarios. After the participatory process the combination of methods was evaluated regarding the ability to 1) map out the diversity of stakeholders' perspectives, 2) to grasp the complexity of the problem, 3) to make uncertainty of complex problems transparent and 4) to support the identification of implementable strategies. Evaluation results showed that the applied methods were able to fulfill criteria 1) to 3). Specifically, application of actor modeling lead to fulfillment of criteria 1) and 2), while normative scenario generation addressed criterion 3). Criterion 4) was only partly fulfilled due to lack of credibility of the Bayesian Network modeling results. This was caused by the high uncertainty of the conditional probabilities elicited from experts, as there is little empirical system knowledge in particular about the potential effects of management options. On the other hand, stakeholders were not sufficiently involved in the construction and application of Bayesian Network models during the participatory process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activation of demand response (DR) potentials offered by electricity consumer flexibility is one promising option for providing balancing power and energy in supply systems with high share of variable renewable energy (VRE) power generation. In this paper, a model-based assessment of the economic DR potential in Germany is presented. It relies on the extension of the REMix energy system model by flexible electric loads. In a case study considering a future German power supply system with a VRE share of 70%, possible cost reductions achieved by investment in DR are quantified. The sensitivity of the results to changes in the assumed DR costs and characteristics are analyzed in additional simulations. The results show that the major benefit of employing DR is its ability to substitute peak power generation capacity, whereas the impact on the integration of VRE power generation is lower. This implies that the focus of DR is on the provision of power, not energy. Even at rather pessimistic cost DR assumptions, more than 5 GW of power plant capacity can be substituted. Consumer flexibility furthermore triggers an increase in the operation of back-up power plants, whereas it decreases the utilization of pumped storage hydro stations. In the model results, the reductions in annual power supply costs achieved by DR add up to several hundreds of millions of Euros. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extracting 3D tree models based on terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) point clouds is a challenging task as trees are complex objects. Current TLS devices acquire high-density data that allow a detailed reconstruction of the tree topology. However, in dense forests a fully automatic reconstruction of trees is often limited by occlusion, wind influences and co-registration issues. In this paper, a semi-automatic method for extracting branching and stem structure based on equirectangular projections (range and intensity maps) is presented. The digitization of branches and stems is based on 2D maps, which enables simple navigation and raster processing. The modeling is performed for each viewpoint individually instead of using a registered point cloud. Previously reconstructed 2D-skeletons are transformed between the maps. Therefore, wind influences, orientation imperfections of scans and data gaps can be overcome. The method is applied to a TLS dataset acquired in a forest in Germany. In total 34 scans were carried out within a managed forest to measure approximately 90 spruce trees with minimal occlusions. The results demonstrate the feasibility of the presented approach to extract tree models with a high completeness and correctness and provide an excellent input for further modeling applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the data from the German Socio-Economic Panel, the paper focuses on the analysis of life satisfaction and income satisfaction among immigrants in Germany. The results suggest that it cannot be argued that Germany's immigrants are, ceteris paribus, more satisfied or less satisfied than natives, since some immigrant groups appear to be more satisfied, while others show lower satisfaction levels relative to natives. Separate estimations for natives and immigrants show that, even though the patterns of satisfaction for the two groups are largely similar, several notable differences emerge. The final goal was to take a closer look at the negative relationship between satisfaction and duration of stay in Germany. After constructing reference groups by the timing of arrival, the negative relationship between income satisfaction and years since migration is reduced substantially. On the other hand, the negative association between duration of stay and life satisfaction is persistent, regardless of the way the reference groups are defined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper uses the introduction of tuition fees in seven of the sixteen German states in 2007 as a natural experiment to identify the effects of tuition prices on enrollment probabilities. Based on information on enrollment decisions of the entire population of high-school graduates between 2002 and 2008, I find a negative effect of tuition fees on enrollment behavior. The effect is larger than in existing studies for European countries, but of a similar magnitude as effects identified with U.S. data. A potential spill-over effect of the policy intervention to the comparison group is accounted for by using the estimation results to calibrate a structural model of the enrollment decision. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Both modelers and social scientists attempt to find better explanations of complex urban systems. They include development paths, underlying driving forces and their expected impacts. So far, land-use research has predominantly focused on urban growth. However, new challenges have arisen since urban shrinkage entered the research agenda of the social and land-use sciences. Therefore, the focus of this paper is a twofold one: Using the example of urban shrinkage, we first discuss the capacity of existing land-use modeling approaches to integrate new social science knowledge in terms of land-use, demography and governance because social science models are indispensable for accurately explaining the processes behind shrinkage. Second, we discuss the combination of system dynamics (SD), cellular automata (CA) and agent-based model (ABM) approaches to cover the main characteristics, processes and patterns of urban shrinkage. Using Leipzig, Germany, as a case study, we provide the initial results of a joint SD-CA model and an ABM that both operationalize social science knowledge regarding urban shrinkage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the domestic heating sector a number of different mathematical models are used to evaluate the economic viability of thermal retrofit measures. Currently, however, none of these models incorporate the effect of fuel price elasticity of demand. This paper offers a method for incorporating a factor for fuel price elasticity into models for assessing the net present value and payback time of thermal retrofits of existing homes. A set of working equations is developed, and empirically tested in a case study, a housing estate retrofit project in Ludwigshafen, Germany. The value used in these equations for year-on-year price elasticity, −0.476, is derived from further empirical studies. The inclusion of price elasticity is found to lower the net present value by 14–24% and lengthen the payback time by 5 years in some cases, and hundreds of years in others. It also shows CO2 saved over the technical lifetime of the retrofit measures to be 15–24% lower than anticipated. These findings have implications for government policy and investment decisions of businesses, private households and housing providers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The location of first generation processing plants for biogas using bulky inputs is a prominent example of locational decisions of plants that face high per unit transport costs of feedstock and simultaneously depend to a large extent on feedstock availability. Modelling the resulting regional feedstock markets then requires a spatially explicit representation of demand. With production capacities of plants small in comparison to market size, large numbers of possible type-location combinations need to be considered, requiring considerable computation time under existing integer programming-based approaches. Therefore, in this paper we aim to present an alternative, faster and more flexible iterative solution approach to simulate location decisions for processing plants. And with greater flexibility, this approach is able to take into account spatially heterogeneous transport costs depending on total demand. The approach is implemented in a modelling framework for biogas production from green maize in Germany, which currently accounts for ca. five per cent of Germany’s agricultural area. By modifying green maize prices, demand functions are derived and intersected with regional supply functions from an agricultural model to simulate market clearing prices and quantities. The application illustrates that our approach efficiently simulates markets characterised by small-scale demand units and high, spatially heterogeneous transport costs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new VDI guideline is under development in Germany to calculate the separation distance S (m) required between livestock and residential areas to avoid odour annoyance by an empirical model. On the basis of model calculations for 23 sites by a Lagrangian dispersion model (AUSTAL2000) a regression model was developed, using a power function S = aEb . The power function is defined by three input parameters which were restricted for an improved fit of the regression model. The basis of the power function is the odour emission flow rate E (ouE s−1) in the range between 500 ouE s−1 ≤ E ≤ 50,000 ouE s−1. The two other predictors are the relative frequency of the wind direction F (‰) of a 10° sector (10‰ ≤ F ≤ 60‰) and the odour exceedance probability P (%) (7% ≤ P ≤ 40%) of the odour impact criterion, which define the exponent b and the multiplicative factor a of the power function. One of the requirements for this empirical model was a conservative assessment, which results in only a 12% underestimation of the separation distance compared to the dispersion model. The model can be used in a “paper and pencil” mode, which enabling a simple and straightforward first evaluation of a planned livestock building. For a more detailed assessment, a dispersion model can be applied with the entire meteorological information available (e.g. stability of the atmosphere, wind velocity), the geometry of the emission source, a time dependant odour emission rate, as well as the orography of the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the application of a generalized effective stress soil model, MIT-S1, within a commercial finite-element program, for simulating the performance of the support system for the 20-m-deep excavation of the M1 pit adjacent to the primary station 'Hauptbahnhof' in Berlin. The M1 pit was excavated underwater and supported by a perimeter diaphragm wall with a single row of prestressed anchors. Parameters for the soil model were derived from an extensive program of laboratory tests on the local Berlin sands. This calibration process highlights the practical difficulties both in the measurements of critical state soil properties and in the selection of model parameters. The predictions for excavation performance are strongly affected by the vertical profiles of two key state parameters: the initial earth pressure ratio, K0; and the in situ void ratio, e0. These parameters were estimated from field dynamic penetration test data and geological history. The results showed good agreement between computed and measured wall deflections and tieback forces for three instrumented sections. Much larger wall deflections were measured at a fourth section and may be attributable to the spatial variability in sand properties that was not considered in the current analyses. The results of this study highlight the importance of basic state parameter information for the successful application of advanced soil models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wind energy has become the major renewable energy source in Germany with an installed capacity of more than 20GW and an annual output of about 40TWh in 2007. In this paper we analyze the extent to which wind energy can replace fossil capacities based on wind injection and demand data for 2006 through June 2008. The results indicate that the wind potential in Germany will not allow a significant reduction of fossil capacities. We also assess the potential savings due to wind energy. The German market is modeled with and without wind input to estimate the net savings of fossil fuels in the observation period. We find that the cost-saving potential for electricity production is quite significant and exceeds the subsidies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

It is important to treat waste properly in physical input–output analysis and a series of publications discussed this topic in this journal recently. In this paper, we propose a new approach to deal with physical input–output table (PIOT) measured in a single mass unit, by which the structure of PIOT need not be changed. The new approach yields consistent and reasonable results. It not only is simpler than the existing approaches but also can reflect the physical reality of economic systems. We first discuss and clarify the concept of different kinds of inputs and outputs of economic systems. We then present the details of the new approach. During the process we define a new multiplier, which builds a bridge between the total input and the final demand in PIOT, just like the traditional Leontief inverse in MIOT. We select the three-sector PIOT for Germany 1990 as a case study to show the validity of the new approach. Finally, we prove the equivalence between the new approach, Suh's approach and Dietzenbacher's approach and the equivalence of non-waste part and waste part multiplier of the new approach and Dietzenbacher's approach. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes the application of two simple models for runoff simulation of the Kielstau, a small wetland catchment in Northern Germany. The first one is SIMPEL, a one-dimensional spreadsheet model for soil water balance and runoff for small catchments; the second one is KIDS, Kielstau discharge simulation model, which is written in the PCRaster dynamic modelling language. KIDS uses the algorithms of SIMPEL, but applies them to a spatial database. The basic version of both models fails to reproduce the measured hydrograph for a flat region in Northern Germany with ca. 30% wetlands. Additionally, the water balance of the region cannot be closed, the relative discharge is lower than in the neighbouring catchments which means that ET must be higher. After the creation of an additional wetland compartment module where ETa equals ETp, the hydrographs could be matched. In a second step, we used inverse modelling with the SIMPEL model to evaluate the range of input parameters and possible sources of the low outflow of the catchment. We found that the low discharge can only be modelled if the evaporation is increased substantially. A wetland fraction of 0.3 produced the best results in inverse modelling runs, this value was also estimated based on the available maps. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Stenting is a widely used treatment procedure for coronary artery disease around the world. Stents have a complex geometry, which makes the characterization of their corrosion difficult due to the absence of a mathematical model to calculate the entire stent surface area (ESSA). Therefore, corrosion experiments with stents are mostly based on qualitative analysis. Additionally, the quantitative analysis of corrosion is conducted with simpler samples made of stent material instead of stents, in most cases. At present, several methods are available to calculate the stent outer surface area (SOSA), whereas no model exists for the calculation of the ESSA. This paper presents a novel mathematical model for the calculation of the ESSA using the SOSA as one of the main parameters. The ESSA of seven magnesium alloy stents (MeKo Laser Material Processing GmbH, Sarstedt, Germany) were calculated using the developed model. The calculated SOSA and ESSA for all stents are 33.34%(±0.26%) and 111.86 mm (±0.85 mm), respectively. The model is validated by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), with a difference of 12.34% (±0.46%). The value of corrosion rates calculated using the ESSA computed with the developed model will be 12.34% (±0.46%) less than that of using ESSA obtained by micro-CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The 1st International Conference on Impact Assessment of Land Use Changes (IALUC) was held from the 6th to 9th of April 2008 at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. At the meeting, 160 oral presentations (including five plenary speeches) and 69 posters by representatives from 39 countries were presented. Papers and posters in four general sessions (Tools and Models, Policies and Scenarios, Scale and Indicators, and Participation and Socio-Economy) considered various aspects of the impact assessment of land use and landscape changes. This special section of the journal Ecological Indicators consists of nine selected presentations from different sub-sessions of the IALUC conference considering the use of indicators in landscape assessment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]