Animal burrows create discontinuities on the body of earthen levees that under certain circumstances can threaten their structural integrity through hydraulic alteration and surface erosion. Although it is a virtually established fact that discontinuities can undermine the structural integrity of levees, …

In the Netherlands municipalities are searching for guidelines for a heat resilient design of the urban space. One of the guidelines which has recently been picked up is that each house should be within a 300 meter of an attractive cool spot outside. The reason is that houses might get too hot during …

With a lack of a clear definition, though a normalized use, the discursive weight of the concept of integration is felt throughout policy and civic integration programmes. In wider societal discourse the term integration is used in a taken-for-granted way, with an assumed understanding of its meaning …

The geopolitical situation has changed dramatically over the past six months. After the Russian Federation brutally invaded its neighbor Ukraine, the EU has, for the first time in its history, announced drastic sanctions in several steps. The Atlantic cooperation within NATO has improved significantly, …

In this paper we propose a novel approach for validating a simulation model for a passengers' airport terminal. The validation approach is based on a "historical data" and "model-to-model" validation approach, and the novelty is represented by the fact that the model used as comparison uses historical …

In recent decades, the level of scale in urban regions has become increasingly important for economic development. The characteristics of the specific economy in an area must be identified first in order to develop policy for regional economic growth. All kinds of measuring instruments have been developed …

Key to reinforcement learning in multi-agent systems is the ability to exploit the fact that agents only directly influence only a small subset of the other agents. Such loose couplings are often modelled using a graphical model: a coordination graph. Finding an (approximately) optimal joint action for …

BackgroundNurses need to exhibit stronger leadership by taking more responsibility and accountability to improve healthcare quality and patient safety.AimsThe aim of this study was to determine the association between quality of care and leadership styles and practices, and whether the characteristics …

Groningen has beautiful landscapes, a rich diversity in green and blue areas and lovely villages. However, some recent changes such as demographic changes (e.g. outmigration of youngsters for different reasons) may become threats to the quality of life in these areas. Quality of public spaces, their …

Many delta cities worldwide are dealing with the same kind of problems: rising of the sea level, land subsidence, scarcity of land and illegal housing. Multiple land use is one of these solutions that will help to reduce flooding and scarcity of land. An example of multiple land use is a floating community. …