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In this paper, we perform a literature review on the current state of knowledge about homeowners in the context of the adoption of renewable heating systems. Despite a considerable number of studies about homeowners, homeowner–installer interactions, and ways to improve the effectiveness of renewable heating programs, based on homeowner knowledge, have not yet been studied in much detail. To address these knowledge gaps, we conduct a qualitative study on single-family house owners who installed heat pumps and took part in a renewable heating program in Geneva, Switzerland. We cover homeowner practices in choosing installers and heating system types, homeowners' feedback about heat pump installation and use, as well as their experience in participation in the renewable heating program. Based on the literature review and the findings from the interviews, we provide the following recommendations on how to increase the effectiveness of renewable heating programs: (a) support for homeowners should not be limited to financial incentives; (b) partnership programs with installers could help to increase the quality of installation services and enable homeowners to choose qualified installers; and (c) assisting homeowners in pre-qualification and ex-post analysis, in learning how to operate their renewable heating systems and in solving problems during the post-installation period, can contribute to improved technology reputation, which can, in turn, increase technology uptake by other homeowners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the paper on the development of the first private and public gardens in Geneva, Switzerland. The city was not considered a centre of research on botany in the 18th century, except in plant physiology. However, by mid-18th century, botany, and natural sciences were discovered in the city, which experts called the Age of Enlightenment. An overview on the rise of private and public gardens in Geneva is offered, along with the important persons behind the history of its botany.

For the ALICE experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN/Geneva, a high level trigger system (HLT) for online event selection and data compression has been developed and a computing cluster of several hundred dual-processor nodes is being installed. A major system integration test was carried out during the commissioning of the time projection chamber (TPC), where the HLT also provides a monitoring system. All major parts like a small computing cluster, hardware input devices, the online data transportation framework, and the HLT analysis could be tested successfully. A common interface for HLT processing components has been designed to run the components from either the online or offline analysis framework without changes. The interface adapts the component to the needs of the online processing and allows the developer to use the offline framework for easy development, debugging, and benchmarking. Following this approach, results can be compared directly. For the upcoming commissioning of the whole detector, the HLT is currently prepared to run online data analysis for the main detectors, e.g., the inner tracking system (ITS), the TPC, and the transition radiation detector (TRD). The HLT processing capability is indispensable for the photon spectrometer (PHOS), where the online pulse shape analysis reduces the data volume by a factor 20. A common monitoring framework is in place and detector calibration algorithms have been ported to the HLT. The paper describes briefly the architecture of the HLT system. It focuses on typical applications and component development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the follow-up work arising from the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), this paper attempts to answer the questions: Why should librarians and information workers be involved in international advocacy? And what are the international issues with which librarians should concern themselves? Special attention is paid to the role of IFLA, as the main international body representing the interests of librarians, and to the eleven WSIS "action lines" set out in the 2003 Geneva Plan of action, along which much of the current follow-up work is aligned. The concept of the Knowledge Society, and more specifically four criteria for a Knowledge Society - ICT infrastructure, information content, human intellectual capacity, and physical delivery infrastructure - are used as a framework for the answers we give to these questions. A brief discussion of these areas and some comments on the WSIS process precede a broad outline of the international issues facing library and information professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The LHC accelerator, at present under construction at CERN, Geneva, will make use of 1232 superconducting dipole magnets. The coils are wound with Rutherford type cable based on copper stabilized NbTi superconductors. The LHC machine will be operated at 1.9 K in superfluid helium. The unprecedented mass production of the superconducting dipole magnets, which involves three main contractors in Europe, is running steadily according to plan. This paper reports the outstanding technical issues encountered throughout the execution of the main manufacturing steps, which are the coil winding, curing and clamping in the collar structure, the 15-m long computer-controlled welding, the high-precision positioning operations for the cold mass finishing and the helium leak testing. The achieved production rates are discussed as well as the CERN plan for the completion of these important contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses an ongoing debate as to which standard will predominate the next generation networks (NGN). On the one hand sits the Geneva-based International Telecommunications Union (ITU), while on the other is the Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). At the heart of the debate is how the information relating to telecom traffic's relative position and speed is passed from one network node to another. In the meantime, both wireline and wireless carriers are expected to wait as alternative solutions vie for acceptance and adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a partnership begun in 2002 in the field of archival description between the Geneva City Archives (AVG) and the Manuscripts Department of the Public and University Library of Geneva (BPU). This cooperation has allowed the creation of two computer applications, which share technical and conceptual foundations. Both IDEA (at the AVG) and Odyssée (at the BPU) are built with respect to international descriptive standards, notably ISAD(G), as well as the combination of XML and EAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the implementation of a large-scale systems analytic method in a model permitting the assessment of air quality policies in urban regions. This method is based on the use of a convex optimization technique called the analytic center cutting plane method. One realizes the coupling of a photochemical model (TAPOM-Lite), used to simulate ozone creation and dispersion in the region under study, and of a technoeconomic model (MARKAL-Lite) that represents the technology and energy uses by different economic sectors in the same region. Although the models correspond to different time and space scales, one realizes the coupling through a series of approximating convex reduced order optimization problems with constraints that are implicitly defined by the photochemical and the technoeconomic model, respectively. The implementation of the method in a case study corresponding to the region of Geneva, Switzerland is described. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project is the largest plant based on superconductivity and cryogenics: 27 km of tunnel filled with superconducting magnets and other equipment that will be kept at 1.9K. The dipole magnets have to generate a minimum magnetic field of 8.3T to allow collisions of proton beams at an energy of 14 TeV in the centre of mass. The construction of LHC started in 1997 at CERN in Geneva and required 10 years of research and development on fine-filament NbTi superconducting wires and cables, on magnet technology and on He-II refrigerators. In particular the project needs the production of about 1000 tons of high-homogeneity NbTi with current densities of more than 2000 A mm[sup -2] at 9T and 1.9K, with tight control also of all other cable properties such as magnetization, interstrand resistance and copper resistivity. The paper describes the main dipole magnets and reviews the most significant steps in the research and development, focusing on the issues related to the conductor, to the magnet stability and protection and to the development of 13 kA current leads based on high-temperature superconductor materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency programmes (EEPs) are schemes operated by utilities or other bodies in order to incentivize energy efficiency improvement, in particular by adoption of energy-efficient products and typically by means of an economic reward. Ample experience has been gained, especially in the U.S., where EEPs have been in use for decades, with the rationale of avoiding additional energy supply by improving energy efficiency. More recently, EEPs have been implemented in Europe and in Switzerland. This review paper presents insights from the U.S., the EU and especially from Switzerland, with a focus on levelised programme cost of saved energy (LPC) as a key performance indicator. These LPC values, which take the perspective of the programme operator, are typically low to very low compared to the cost of electricity supply, thereby representing an important argument in favour of their use. The country examples show that EEPs are being effectively and successfully put into practice, for example, in Switzerland both as (i) a national tender-based scheme (called ProKilowatt) and in the form of a (ii) utility-operated obligation-based scheme (in Geneva). EEPs not only call for diligent implementation but also for suitable legal settings, e.g., in the form of mandatory energy efficiency savings targets (as realised for energy efficiency obligations, EEOs) in combination with programme cost recovery. The main criticism of EEPs is the free-rider effect, which needs to be minimised. On the other hand, EEPs are accompanied by significant co-benefits (environmental, health-related and social) and spillover effects. In their currently prevalent form, EEPs allow one to effectively save energy at a (very) low cost ("low-hanging fruit"). They can hence play an important role in fostering the energy transition; however, they should be implemented as part of a policy portfolio, in combination with other policy instruments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses some data on the eating habits and weight variations in the student population of the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Of the 11,800 questionnaires sent out, 4200 were returned within 2 months. Among those students who responded, 52.1% of the women and 37.4% of the men desire a weight change. For 80.9% of the respondents, a weight loss is desirable. At least one method of weight control is used by 9.8% of the men and by 22.9% of the women. Previous use of methods of weight control were indicated by 16.7% of the men and 49.2% of the women. The prevalence of bulimia can be estimated at 4% among women and 0.7% among men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary. The aim of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the characteristics related to the environment of single-family houses in the greater Geneva area. An Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology is applied to the data collected by means of a questionnaire which was sent to 850 owners of houses in Geneva. The pairwise comparisons are done with eight criteria. For the 28 comparisons, the standard levels of preferences are used, but with a multiplicative scale rather than the standard linear scale. The results show that distance to a green area and quietness of the area are the two most important factors. Another finding is that the proximity of shopping centres and schools is not as important as in other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an analysis is made of what would be the rent difference for the tenants of subsidised units if these units were rented as unsubsidised units. Furthermore, the existence of any pecuniary disadvantage for the owner of a subsidised unit is investigated by considering his rental revenue (i.e. the amount paid by the tenant and the subsidy). It is found that there exists a premium between an unsubsidised and a subsidised unit when using the amount paid by the tenant (i.e. the rent) as the dependent variable. Also, the subsidy system in Geneva has an influence on the pricing of each characteristic of a unit. Furthermore, it is found that when using rental revenue as the dependent variable, both sub-samples can be used in a single hedonic equation. Thus, owners of subsidised units are not at a disadvantage due to the granting of a subsidy. As a result, Geneva's subsidy system matches the goals of agents on both the demand and supply sides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents abstracts of papers submitted at the Joint International Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research and the Society for Investigative Dermatology Inc. held in Geneva, Switzerland on June 22-26, 1986. Ultra violet-B radiation impairs several immune functions. Negative effects on antigen presentation function, lymphokine production and HLA-DR/antigen expression on the surface of immunocompetent cells in epidermis and spleen have been reported. The deposition of IgM on keratin intermediate filament containing structures such as apoptotic keratin bodies, localized cutaneous amyloid or corneocytes is a frequent finding in normal and diseased skin. This IgM deposition has often been regarded to be a consequence of non-specific trapping of IgM rather than specific binding of antibodies to autoantigens.

• A novel method based on clustering, building energy models and Bayesian techniques is presented. • The approach enables the calibration of model parameters for large groups of buildings at an urban scale. • Various data-driven techniques have been tested acting as proxy of the simulation engine. • Three different surrogate structures have been investigated with comparison of the results. • The calibrated models provide realistic results compared to current literature studies. Prediction of building energy use, when performed at urban scale, is influenced by the choice of modelling approach, as well as the quality of available data. In the case of data scarcity, one of the main limitations of current urban scale building energy simulation models, is the use of deterministic approaches to specify modelling inputs for entire classes of buildings. This modelling approach is characterised by three major shortcomings: first, data uncertainties are not comprehensively considered; second, a rigorous method of identification of groups of buildings to be populated by similar modelling parameters is not specified; and third, strategies to calibrate the developed energy models are missing. Considering these challenges, the current paper presents a non-deterministic calibration method for groups of buildings. The methodology utilises four techniques: (i) the use of clustering to identify building groups and associated representative buildings within the urban context; (ii) the application of an automatic building energy modelling approach to simulate buildings within these groups; (iii) the application of data-driven models, used as emulators of the dynamic simulation engine, in a computationally efficient manner; and (iv) the exploitation of a non-deterministic Bayesian calibration framework to identify sets of representative parameters for the building clusters. Datasets, based on 2646 buildings from the city of Geneva, Switzerland, are used as a case study. Validation with measured data, shows that energy consumption and energy intensity predictions when considered at an aggregated scale, are within +/– 5%. On an individual building basis, the validation error is within +/– 20% for approximately 70% of the buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy storage is a key solution to supply renewable electricity on demand and in particular batteries are becoming attractive for consumers who install PV panels. In order to minimize their electricity bill and keep the grid stable, batteries can combine applications. The daily match between PV supply and the electricity load profile is often considered as a determinant for the attractiveness of residential PV-coupled battery systems, however, the previous literature has so far mainly focused on the annual energy balance. In this paper, we analyze the techno-economic impact of adding a battery system to a new PV system that would otherwise be installed on its own, for different residential electricity load profiles in Geneva (Switzerland) and Austin (U.S.) using lithium-ion batteries performing various consumer applications, namely PV self-consumption, demand load-shifting, avoidance of PV curtailment, and demand peak shaving, individually and jointly. We employ clustering of the household's load profile (with 15-minute resolution) for households with low, medium, and high annual electricity consumption in the two locations using a 1:1:1 sizing ratio. Our results show that with this simple sizing rule-of-thumb, the shape of the load profile has a small impact on the net present value of batteries. Overall, our analysis suggests that the effect of the load profile is small and differs across locations, whereas the combination of applications significantly increases profitability while marginally decreasing the share of self-consumption. Moreover, without the combination of applications, batteries are far from being economically viable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present paper Geant4 Monte Carlo simulations of the CERN-EU high-energy Reference Field (CERF) facility in Geneva, Switzerland, are presented. At this facility a neutron field with a broad energy distribution from thermal energies up to GeV is available. To validate the simulated neutron fluences, the CERF neutron energy distribution was also measured with an extended range Bonner Sphere Spectrometer. Both measurements and simulations are compared against the official CERF reference distributions that were calculated with the Monte Carlo code FLUKA. It turned out that the differences between the total neutron fluences simulated with Geant4 and those measured were less than 41%, depending on the measurement position. While the total fluences simulated with the Geant4 Binary INC model (QGSP_BIC_HP) and the corresponding FLUKA reference values were up to 41% lower than those measured, the total fluences simulated with the Geant4 Bertini INC model (QGSP_BERT_HP) overestimated (up to 27%) the experimental results. As compared to the measured ambient dose equivalent H*(10), similar differences were observed with H*(10) values higher by about 29% for the Geant4 Bertini INC simulations and lower by about 48% for the Geant4 Binary INC and FLUKA simulations. • Monte Carlo simulation of the CERF facility. • Geant4 Simulation using two different high energy models. • Neutron spectrometry with an Extended Range Bonner Sphere Spectrometer. • Comparison with FLUKA Monte Carlo calculations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brain health is an evolving concept that has become increasingly popular within clinical and academic centers, journalism and the general public. It can be defined as the state of brain functioning across cognitive, sensory, social-emotional, behavioural and motor domains, allowing a person to realize their full potential over the life course. Multiple, interconnected determinants play a role in shaping brain health from pre-conception through the end of life. Brain health can be optimized by addressing the following determinants: physical health, healthy environments, safety and security, learning and social connection, and access to quality services. Optimizing brain health improves brain structure and functioning across all domains and benefits health by lowering rates of neurological disorders, mental health conditions, and substance use; improving quality of life for people with lived experience of these conditions; and improving physical health (particularly through improved endocrine and immunological functioning and lower rates of stress-related physical health conditions). Additionally, optimizing brain health can lead to social and economic benefits including increased school retention and academic achievement, lower rates of teenage pregnancies, lower rates of incarceration, lower health care costs and rates of disability, higher productivity, and greater wealth. Optimizing brain health for all is paramount to ensuring human health and well-being globally. It is central to achieving global commitments outlined in the Intersectoral global action plan on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022–2031, WHO's Triple Billion targets, the UN SDGs and the 2021 Geneva Charter for Well-being. Efforts to optimize brain health require multi-stakeholder collaborations and must be integrated across all sectors of society: health and social care; education; legislature and governance; finance and economy; employment; infrastructure, urban planning and housing; and ecology, nature and climate. In return, robust investments in actions that optimize brain health across the life course promise to improve multiple health outcomes and lift development and well-being globally. Multisectoral engagement and collaboration are urgently needed in order to move the brain health agenda forward for all people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This year Nuclear Fusion celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. This has been marked by the January special edition, containing papers presented at the plenary and celebratory evening session of the 22nd Fusion Energy Conference at Geneva. These papers underline the enormous progress that has been made in the last 50 years both in experiment and theory. Whilst the technical challenges that we face are still formidable, they are largely concerned with engineering a fusion reactor rather than fundamental plasma physics. In my editorial of a year ago, I remarked on the price of oil and the incentive that it gives to develop nuclear fusion into a viable energy source. This last year, attention has shifted somewhat from the markets to the environment and the Copenhagen climate summit in particular. The timescale for action on the environment is much shorter than we can possibly match and so we can only play our part towards developing long term solutions. Our responsibility is to present a programme that has the clear goal in developing a sustainable source of energy and, as the next step, make an unambiguous success of ITER. The Nuclear Fusion journal has continued to make an important contribution to the research programme and has maintained its position as the leading journal in the field. The journal depends entirely on its authors and referees and so I would like to thank them all for their work in 2009 and look forward to a continuing, successful collaboration in 2010. Refereeing The Nuclear Fusion Editorial Office understands how much effort is required of our referees. The Editorial Board decided that an expression of thanks to our most loyal referees is appropriate and so, since January 2005, we have been offering the top ten most active referees over the past year a personal subscription to Nuclear Fusion with electronic access for one year, free of charge. This year, seven of the top referees have reviewed four or more manuscripts in the period November 2008 to November 2009 and provided particularly detailed advice to the authors. The other three have been very helpful in ''minority fields''. We have excluded our Board members, Guest Editors of special editions and those referees who were already listed in the last four years. Guest Editors'' work on papers submitted to their Special Issues is also excluded from consideration. The following people have been selected: Tomonori Takizuka, JAEA-Naka Fusion Institute, Japan Rudolf Neu, Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik, Germany Sibylle Guenter, Max-Planck-Institut fur Plasmaphysik, Germany Taik-Soo Hahm, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, United States David R. Mikkelsen, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, United States Peter C. de Vries, EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, United Kingdom Yasuhiro Suzuki, National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan Jerzy Wolowski, Institute of Plasma Physics and Laser Microfusion, Poland Tetsuo Tanabe, Kyushu University, Japan Yasuyuki Yagi, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan Congratulations and many, many thanks! The Guest Editors of special editions deserve a special mention for the excellent help that they have given us. They are: Taik-Soo Hahm, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, United States, Special Issue on H-Mode Physics and Transport Barriers Yaroslav Kolesnichenko, Institute for Nuclear Research, Ukraine, Special Issue on Energetic Particles in Magnetic Confinement Systems Kimitaka Itoh, National Institute for Fusion Science, Japan and Howard R. Wilson, University of York, UK, Special Issue on Plasma Instabilities Bernhard Unterberg, Forschungszentrum Juelich, Germany, Special Issue on Stochastic Fusion Plasma In addition, there is a group of several hundred referees who have helped us in the past year to maintain the high scientific standard of Nuclear Fusion. At the end of this issue we give the full list of all referees for 2009. Our thanks to them! Authors The winner of the 2009 Nuclear Fusion award was Steven A. Sabbagh et al for the paper entitled ''Resistive wall stabilized operation in rotating high beta NSTX plasmas'' (Nucl. Fusion 46 635-644). Reviews Last year I announced a revival of Nuclear Fusion Reviews, following a decision by the Board of Editors. ''A review of zonal flow experiments'', by Akihide Fujisawa was the first fruit of this. In 2010, we are expecting to publish further review articles, the first of which is entitled ''Gyrokinetic simulations of turbulent transport'' by Xavier Garbet, Yasuhiro Idomura, Laurent Villard and Tomo-Hiko Watanabe. Letters At the 2009 Board of Editors Meeting in Atlanta, the current letters procedure was summarized and it was noted that the peer review time for Letters is quite variable. Some are accepted within a month of submission, others take longer. Since the purpose of Letters is to provide a route for rapid communication, this is quite an important matter. It was agreed that the Board of Editors would play a more active role in the Letter approval process. If a reviewer asks for a second revision the Editor or a Board of Editors member will be queried as to whether the submission should still be treated as a Letter rather than a regular Paper. The Board of Editors The following Board of Editors members reached the end of their term in 2009: Amanda Hubbard, Yaroslav Kolesnichenko, Kunioki Mima, Boris Sharkov and Michael Ulrickson. On behalf of the Nuclear Fusion Office and the Chairman of the Board of Editors, Mitsuru Kikuchi, I would like to thank them for their efforts in support of the journal. At the same time, we welcomed: Hiroshi Azechi, Xuru Duan, Richard Hawryluk, Sergey Konovalov, Bruce Lipschultz, Peter Norreys, Francesco Romanelli, Tony Taylor and Hartmut Zohm. I am sure that such an illustrious group does not need any introduction to the readers of Nuclear Fusion and I am confident that the new members can only further the success of the journal. It is with great sadness that I have to note the passing away of the following former members of the Board of Editors: Ravindra Sudan (1975 to 1984), Joe Di Marco (1984 to 1991) and Roy Bickerton (1975 to 1986). The Nuclear Fusion Office and IOP Publishing Just as the journal depends on the authors and referees, so its success is also due to the tireless and largely unsung efforts of the Nuclear Fusion Office in Vienna and IOP Publishing in Bristol. I would like to express my personal thanks to Maria Bergamini-Roedler, Katja Haslinger, Sophy Le Masurier, Yasmin McGlashan, Caroline Wilkinson, Sarah Ryder, Rachael Kriefman and Katie Gerrard for the support that they have given to me, the authors and the referees. Season''s Greetings The January special edition delayed this editorial for a month. Nevertheless, I would like belatedly to wish our readers, authors, referees and Board of Editors the season''s greetings and thank them for their contributions to Nuclear Fusion in 2009. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the effort of particle physicists, led by CERN laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland, to raise $6 million a year to begin buying open access to all published papers in their field. According to Peter Suber, a philosophy professor at Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, across a discipline is new. The task force proposed that a consortium of laboratories and funding agencies pay publication costs for particle physics papers, to accomplish this goal. It would cost $6 million or more a year to include all the journals willing to offer an open-access option, the group estimated.

Information on the papers discussed at conferences related to patient safety are presented. It states that the Patients for Patient Safety (PFPS) Strategic meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland on January 25-27, 2010 discussed the members' challenges, regional priorities, and future strategies. The World Health Organization (WHO) curriculum training program held at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China on December 6-9, 2010 addressed patient safety in surgery, medication, and the curriculum.

Highlights the conference Telecom99 + Interactive99 organized by the International Telecommunications Union in Geneva, Switzerland. Exhibitions; Forum sessions; Presentation of papers.

Reports on the dispute between Carlo Rubbia, the director of the European Laboratory for Participle Physics (CERN) and researchers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States over competing claims regarding a technique in producing nuclear energy. Claim of the group from Los Alamos that they described Rubbia's concept in detail in a paper published 1992.

This paper presents the journal Social Compass, a bimonthly review devoted to sociology, sociography, social psychology and statistics issued by appointment of the International Catholic Institute for Social-Ecclesiastical Research in Geneva, Switzerland.