Search results

A numerical model for simulating beach-dune evolution at decadal to centennial time scales is developed. The work builds on an existing semi-empirical cross-shore model, the CS-model, to which the effect of sea level rise is added and the routines for aeolian transport and morphological dune evolution are improved. The model development is based on established conceptual models from the literature

Mercury (Hg) is regarded as a major environmental concern in many regions, traditionally because of high concentrations in freshwater fish, and now also because of potential toxic effects on soil microflora. The predominant source of Hg in most watersheds is atmospheric deposition, which has increased 2- to >20-fold over the past centuries. A promising approach for supporting current European effo

Introduction: The fact that the majority of older people wish to remain and live independently in their current homes calls for a more comprehensive understanding of which aspects of the home support healthy ageing. Perceived aspects of home influence life satisfaction, perceived health, independence in daily activities and well-being among people aged 80 years and older. However, health and perce

Characterizing system performance under disruption is a growing area of research, particularly for describing a system's resilience to disruptive events. Within the framework of system resilience, this study approaches the minimization of a multiple-commodity system's vulnerability to multiple disruptions. The vulnerability of a system is defined by the degree to which commodities can no longer fl

The new European Commission took office on 1 November 2014, with a number of structural changes including the creation of a First Vice-President, a responsibility given to the former Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans. The First Vice-President will ensure that every Commission proposal respects the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. If the Commission pays more attention to the pr

The detrimental effect of a lengthy summer vacation on important scholastic abilities such as reading, writing and mathematical skills is relatively well documented, but how language skills are affected by summer vacation is less investigated. The purpose of our study is to investigate how lexical organization and retrieval assessed by a semantic verbal fluency (SVF) task and oral narrative abilit

The latest edition of the Swiss standard SIA181(2006) Protection against noise in Buildings [1], introduces a new methodology regarding the tests to be performed in new constructions for noise induced by human using service equipment in bathroom and kitchen. In this method, a specific pendling hammer has been developed especially for evaluating the decoupling efficiency of service equipment. The g

Recent research in entrepreneurship has examined factors that could reduce the challenges facing new businesses (the so-called ‘liabilities of newness’). Seeking to contribute to this research, this study examines the potential role of a financial bootstrapping approach (finding ways of securing resources on favourable terms). Even though financial bootstrapping has received increased attention in

While priority setting for research, development and innovation (RDI) traditionally focuses on which thematic areas should be supported, less is known about how such goals are implemented on the agency level. Key challenges are how to translate broad priorities into programs and projects, how to govern the knowledge base, and how to handle organizational tensions during implementation. Many of the

Type 2 diabetes is a complex trait with both environmental and hereditary factors contributing to the overall pathogenesis. One link between genes, environment, and disease is epigenetics influencing gene transcription and, consequently, organ function. Genome-wide studies have shown altered DNA methylation in tissues important for glucose homeostasis including pancreas, liver, skeletal muscle, an

The idea of personal carbon allowances (PCAs) was presented by the UK Environment Secretary, David Miliband, in 2006. Although no nation state is seriously developing proposals for them, they have been discussed within academia, NGOs and policy-making circles. PCAs can be seen as a logical extension of emissions trading schemes, which has so far only applied at the firm level, to individuals. The