Abstract: Although the analysis of thermal water by spark-source mass spectrometry (SSMS) is rather timeconsuming, it allows the detection of about 20 elements of geochemical interest down to the ppb-level. A physical preconcentration is proposed in order to collect elements having quite different chemical properties, e.g. alkalis, transition elements, and elements occurring in anionic form. The relative sensitivity factors appear to be rather independent of the salt content of the graphite electrodes. Contrary to neutron activation analysis, SSMS has a quite uniform elemental sensitivity, and allows to determine elements for which neutron activation is not suitable, e.g. Sn and Pb. The precision of SSMS is however by a factor of about 2 worse than that obtained for neutron activation.

Abstract: Sensitive multi‐element analytical techniques were applied to determine 24 dissolved trace components in 25 different water samples from a 10 km2 zone in Brittany, France. Correspondence factor and multiple regression analyses showed that the elements considered are influenced mainly by the presence of: Fe‐Mn oxide accumulations, a local poly‐metallic sulfide mineralization, and non‐mineralized host rocks, agricultural activity and abundant organic material in local swamps. Via these numerical techniques the location of the poly‐metallic ore body can be derived from the data set.

Abstract: Generalized Möbius-Listing surfaces and bodies generalize Möbius bands, and this research was motivated originally by solutions of boundary value problems. Analogous to cutting of the original Möbius band, for this class of surfaces and bodies, results have been obtained when cutting such bodies or surfaces. The results can be applied in a wide range of fields in the natural science, and here we propose how they can serve as a model for the heart and the circulatory system.

Abstract: Incorporating natural spaces within urban areas has been shown to have multiple benefits. However, despite greening and adaptation strategies at different levels of government, progress remains slow with a lack of easy to use and comprehensive tools identified as key to overcoming this. This paper presents a co-designed tool with academic and local authority partners to demonstrate the ecosystem service benefits of small-scale urban green infrastructure projects. Through the tool, users can readily assess the impact of green infrastructure investments on the delivery of a selection of ecosystem services in the early stages of a project. Furthermore, the tool provides a standardised assessment of cultural ecosystem services' contributions, as well as offering a method to score spatial designs on the impact on habitat for biodiversity. Use of the tool is demonstrated using a pilot study in Kapelle, the Netherlands. The results set out an overview of the impacts of the spatial design on estimated ecosystem service delivery. They also show the tool's potential to add value in early project stages and as a planning and design tool, helping to maximise the benefits that can be achieved through green infrastructure design. Complementing these arguments with ball-park estimations on green infrastructure costs, the Nature Smart Cities Business Model aims to offer public sector officers the means to create a business case for green infrastructure measures, facilitating the translation from strategies to actual plans, thus benefitting green infrastructure implementation in the public realm.

Abstract: Being confronted with increasing and expanding urbanisation and the loss of natural green spaces, our living environment is threatened more and more by the effects of global climate change. Green infrastructure is often thought of as the solution to increase climate resilience and reinforce the quality of the lived environment simultaneously. While the benefits, or ecosystem services, that are generated through green infrastructure have been studied intensively, forces that influence green infrastructure decision-making have been far less subjected to thorough research. In this study a discrete choice experiment was conducted with local decision makers in Flemish municipalities to reveal crucial factors in the decision process applied to green infrastructure projects. Flanders is one of the most densely built regions in Europe, stressing the urgency to understand local spatial decision factors to guarantee green space. 568 decision makers active in the local administration of 235 Flemish municipalities participated in the experiment, set in a hypothetical neighbourhood park. Every choice alternative exists of five attributes: investment cost, maintenance cost, deferred investment, recreational value, and climate impact. We find that barriers hampering Flemish munipalities' GI implementation, differ over size of the municipality: smallers municipalities are more affected by knowledge gaps, while larger municipalities are experiencing prioritization issues. Results from hierarchical Bayes choice models indicate that municipal decisions on green infrastructure are highly – almost solely -cost-driven, rarely consider the full range of benefits, and centre around short-term and immediate arguments. Moreover, interaction models reveal that a municipalities' financial result is a key determinant of its willingness to invest in public greening and consider long term benefits, suggesting that GI is a luxury good. The results expose some of the heuristics in GI decision making and can be used to inform higher authorities on ways to overcome barriers towards informed decision-making and to facilitate GI investment.

Abstract: Synthetic glucocorticoids (GC) are the mainstay therapy for treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory disorders. Due to the high adverse effects associated with long-term use, GC pharmacology has focused since the nineties on more selective GC ligand-binding strategies, classified as selective glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonists (SEGRAs) or selective glucocorticoid receptor modulators (SEGRMs). In the current study, GSK866 analogs with electrophilic covalent-binding warheads were developed with potential SEGRA properties to improve their clinical safety profile for long-lasting topical skin disease applications. Since the off-rate of a covalently binding drug is negligible compared to that of a non-covalent drug, its therapeutic effects can be prolonged and typically, smaller doses of the drug are necessary to reach the same level of therapeutic efficacy, thereby potentially reducing systemic side effects. Different analogs of SEGRA GSK866 coupled to cysteine reactive warheads were characterized for GR potency and selectivity in various biochemical and cellular assays. GR- and NFκB-dependent reporter gene studies show favorable anti-inflammatory properties with reduced GR transactivation of two non-steroidal GSK866 analogs UAMC-1217 and UAMC-1218, whereas UAMC-1158 and UAMC-1159 compounds failed to modulate cellular GR activity. These results were further supported by GR immuno-localization and S211 phospho-GR western analysis, illustrating significant GR phosphoactivation and nuclear translocation upon treatment of GSK866, UAMC-1217, or UAMC-1218, but not in case of UAMC-1158 or UAMC-1159. Furthermore, mass spectrometry analysis of tryptic peptides of recombinant GR ligand-binding domain (LBD) bound to UAMC-1217 or UAMC-1218 confirmed covalent cysteine-dependent GR binding. Finally, molecular dynamics simulations, as well as glucocorticoid receptor ligand-binding domain (GR-LBD) coregulator interaction profiling of the GR-LBD bound to GSK866 or its covalently binding analogs UAMC-1217 or UAMC-1218 revealed subtle conformational differences that might underlie their SEGRA properties. Altogether, GSK866 analogs UAMC-1217 and UAMC-1218 hold promise as a novel class of covalent-binding SEGRA ligands for the treatment of topical inflammatory skin disorders.

Abstract: Climate change is an ever-increasing threat to our planet, with the urbanisation of previously open spaces exacerbating the issue. The loss of open space leads to a decrease in ecosystem services, which negatively impacts the liveability in urbanised environments, and beyond. The incorporation of green infrastructure (GI) into the built environment is acknowledged as an effective and multi-functional measure to make our living environment resilient and future-proof. Notwithstanding that the local level is essential for effective GI implementation, research into local decision making is very limited. This thesis therefore aims to address two significant gaps in the implementation of GI. The first objective is to bridge the science-policy gap by integrating scientific knowledge on ES and GI into local decision-making processes. In this context, the policy dimension within this thesis involves the process of translating overarching policy objectives into practical actions within local decision-making practices, abstracting from the intricacies of higher-level policymaking itself. The second objective focuses on the people-policy gap, which involves understanding stakeholders' perspectives and priorities regarding GI and its associated ecosystem services. Through stated preference valuation techniques (discrete choice experiments and a best-worst scaling experiment), multi-stakeholder GI perceptions are gathered. Finally, a novel tool to GI valuation is developed, acknowledging the different stakeholder views and building on the insights of collaborative tool development and design. By gaining insights into the demand, prioritisation, and provision of GI from the two most important stakeholder groups at the local level (residents and local decision-makers), this research aims to foster effective communication and alignment between public preferences and policy implementation. Ultimately, addressing these gaps will contribute to more informed planning and decision-making practices related to green infrastructure. The overall goal of this thesis is to enhance the uptake of GI knowledge in the local decision-making context, proposing pathways to facilitate and optimise investments in public GI.

Abstract: This dataset comprises a large collection of atom probe tomography datasets collected from DIN 1.4970 alloy that was irradiated with Fe ions at different conditions. The DIN 1.4970 alloy is an austenitic stainless steel with 15 wt% Cr, 15 wt% Ni, a small addition of Ti. The full composition and characterization of our material can be found published elsewhere [1,2]. Some of our material was subjected to ageing heat treatments at different temperatures for different times. Small samples of our original material and aged material was irradiated at the Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory in 2017 with 4.5 MeV Fe ions up to 40 dpa at an average dose rate of 2×10−4 dpa/s. This was done at three different temperatures: 300, 450, and 600 ºC. Atom probe samples were made of the irradiated layers (approximately 1.5 micron deep) with focused ion beam and mounted on Microtip coupons. APT measurements took place on three CAMECA LEAP-HR systems located at CAES in Idaho Falls, USA (files beginning with R33), at Montanuniversität Leoben in Leoben, Austria (R21) and at Friedrich–Alexander University in Erlangen, Germany (R56).

Abstract: We placed crystals of different compounds to explore the possibility of fingerprinting them through EELS. Here are representative datasets of 7 different compounds: b-cyclodextrin hexacarboxy cyclohexane tannin TH-15 peptide TH-27 peptide two different forms of piroxicam The datasets were collected at EMAT, using a monochromated FEI Titan3 TEM, within the scope of an EUSMI request. More information as well as analysis methodologies adopted for the data are detailed in the paper: Das et al. “Reliable Characterization of Organic & Pharmaceutical Compounds with High Resolution Monochromated EEL Spectroscopy”, Polymers 2020, 12(7), 1434.