City Of Graz Research Articles

Are residents of high-walkable areas satisfied with their neighbourhood?

AimWhile the association between walkability and walking for transport has been well established, less is known about the association between walkability and neighbourhood satisfaction. This study aims to examine the direction and strength of the association between objective measures of residential walkability and neighbourhood satisfaction, as well as the differences by sex.Subjects and methodsUsing a cross-sectional study design, outcome data were derived from the representative cross-sectional survey (n = 843) ‘Bicycle-friendly City’ of adults in the city of Graz (Austria). Walkability was measured as gross population density, household unit density, entropy index, proportion of mixed land use, three-way intersection density, four-way intersection density and walkability indices. The outcomes were measured as general neighbourhood satisfaction and neighbourhood satisfaction with the general socio-environmental quality, social cohesion and local infrastructure. Logistic regression analyses were conducted, including age, socio-economic status and place of residence.ResultsWalkability was negatively associated with general neighbourhood satisfaction, neighbourhood satisfaction with general socio-environmental quality and social cohesion. It was positively associated with neighbourhood satisfaction with local infrastructure. Connectivity and the entropy index showed the weakest or no association with the outcomes. The strongest association was between walkability and neighbourhood satisfaction with socio-environmental quality. There were no differences by sex.ConclusionThese results contribute to the current limited understanding of the association between walkability and neighbourhood satisfaction, especially in a European context. More comparable, longitudinal research would be helpful to determine what impact walkability has on neighbourhood satisfaction and to identify the important mediating factors.

Genetic evaluation of the self-sustaining status of a population of the endangered Danube salmon, Hucho hucho

A new multiplex microsatellite protocol was developed for population screening of the endangered Danube salmon (or huchen) Hucho hucho. Allelic variation was screened at five newly cloned and four previously published loci in 246 samples to help evaluate the self-sustaining status of an urban population of huchen in the framework of a controversial environmental assessment in the Mur River, Austria. The loci revealed 78 alleles (mean = 8.6), and in the Mur River an average expected heterozygosity of 0.668. We inferred that the huchen population in and around the city of Graz is self-sustaining based on the following evidence, which includes both genetic and non-genetic sources of information: (1) there is little to no current stocking; (2) presence of juvenile huchen in multiple year classes; (3) sighting of spawning events; (4) documentation of 14 spawning redds; (5) no deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium; and (6) limited number of recaptures or parental matches with presumed parent fish of stocking operations. We discuss the potential application of such an analysis in evaluating threatened huchen populations throughout their native distribution.

Application Domains for a Location-based Mobile Application Creator

In recent years, the use of mobile applications and computer-based games as pedagogical tools has become more and more popular. Additionally, many mobile devices enhance the user experience by providing different sensors, e.g. to deliver location-based educative information. In this article we introduce an online tool for easily creating location-based mobile applications that combine teaching and gaming activities to make users aware of their current environment or situation. First, we briefly present the Location-based Mobile Application Creator (LMAC), an online framework for creating such mobile solutions and discuss potential application scenarios. Then, we introduce a first mobile application for educational purposes created with LMAC in more detail: a game-based scavenger hunt for children enabling them to learn facts about the city of Graz, Austria. Similar to a traditional scavenger hunt, users are able to gather geo-referenced information with mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) and learn about the environment in a playful way. With LMAC, teachers can easily create individual scavenger hunts adapted to the current subject matter. This paper is an extended version of our work published in 2014 at the IMCL-conference.

Development of a Bikeability Index to Assess the Bicycle-Friendliness of Urban Environments

Background: Cycling as a means of transport contributes to public health in terms of increasing the physical activity behaviour and reducing air pollution. In comparison to walking, cycling-spe cific environmental characteristics have been less investigated. The aim of this study was to develop, based on geographic information systems (GIS) data, a bikeability index for a mid-sized European city, to examine the predictive validity of the index and to visualize the bicycle-friendliness of the city by creating a bikeability map. Methods: Using GIS data, we assessed the environmental characteristics of 278 bicycle trips in the city of Graz, Austria. Characteristics which differed significantly between the actually taken and shortest possible routes were used to form an additive bikeability index and the bikeability map for 100 m × 100 m cells. The relationship between the cycling behaviour and the bikeability index around the home environment was examined to assess the predictive validity of the index. Results: Three environmental components (cycling infrastructure, bicycle pathways and green areas) were positively related, and two components (main roads, and topography) were negatively related to the actually used route. These components formed the bikeability index, which was positively correlated with cycling behaviour (OR: 1.08, 95% CI 1.01 - 1.17). The final outcome is a high-resolution coloured map indicating the degree of bicycle-friendliness in the city of Graz. Conclusion: Mapping based on the bikeability index helps to visualize the bicycle-friendliness of an urban area. Therefore, it should be a useful tool for the planning as well as for the evaluation of the transport environments in cities.

Graz, UNESCO City of Design and Historical Heritage

Graz is the second largest town in Austria and the capital of Styria, with a population of about 300,000 inhabitants. This middle-sized European city is an influential industrial, cultural and university center. Its specific geopolitical location within Europe and its mixed ethnic population have influenced the formation of Graz as a city of rich cultural exchange. Its historical center, located at the foot of the Schlossberg castle, became a UNESCO world cultural heritage site in 1999 and is one of the best preserved historical downtowns worldwide. The cultural revival in the second half of the 20th century brought innovative architecture and urban modernization to Graz, and it later gained a wider international reputation as the European Cultural Capital in 2003. For this occasion two important modern city landmarks were built: the new contemporary museum, Kunsthaus, built along the river Mur bank and a multi-purpose object, the Murinsel, located directly in the Mur River. The City of Graz has also been a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities network as a City of Design since 2011. Modern development and the preservation of tradition are both equally present here. This city profile emphasizes the creative industry as one of the economic strategies for the Graz city government.

Isolation and characterization of multidrug-resistant bacteria from minced meat in Austria

IntroductionResistant bacteria are a well-known public health problem. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producing enterobacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) in mixed minced meat from pork and beef. MethodsOne hundred samples of mixed minced meat were collected from supermarkets (n = 70) and local butcher shops (n = 30) in the city of Graz (Austria). After enrichment and inoculation on selective media, bacteria were identified with MALDI-TOF MS or Vitek2 systems, tested for antibiotic resistance and further characterized with PCR and sequencing. ResultsIn 20 of the 100 meat samples 24 ESBL positive Escherichia coli isolates were found. The most common ESBL among the isolates was CTX-M-1. Other detected bla genes contained CTX-M-14, CTX-M-32, SHV-12 and TEM-52 types. Nine samples were tested positive for MRSA and spa-typed. Detected spa-types were hospital-acquired t3928, as well as livestock-associated t011, t034 and t2241. No VRE were found. ConclusionA contamination of meat with ESBL-producing E. coli and MRSA was confirmed in this study. The large diversity of ESBL producing E. coli could indicate a growing dissemination of ESBL genes in E. coli found in meat products from porcine and bovine origin.

Route choices of transport bicyclists: a comparison of actually used and shortest routes

BackgroundDespite evidence that environmental features are related to physical activity, the association between the built environment and bicycling for transportation remains a poorly investigated subject. The aim of the study was to improve our understanding of the environmental determinants of bicycling as a means of transportation in urban European settings by comparing the spatial differences between the routes actually used by bicyclists and the shortest possible routes.MethodsIn the present study we examined differences in the currently used and the shortest possible bicycling routes, with respect to distance, type of street, and environmental characteristics, in the city of Graz, Austria. The objective measurement methods of a Global Positioning System (GPS) and a Geographic Information System (GIS) were used.ResultsBicycling routes actually used were significantly longer than the shortest possible routes. Furthermore, the following attributes were also significantly different between the used route compared to the shortest possible route: Bicyclists often used bicycle lanes and pathways, flat and green areas, and they rarely used main roads and crossings.ConclusionThe results of the study support our hypothesis that bicyclists prefer bicycle pathways and lanes instead of the shortest possible routes. This underlines the importance of a well-developed bicycling infrastructure in urban communities.

Reducing Barriers: Migrations, Minor Ailments and Medicines

Objectives: (1) Investigate similarities and differences in healthbehaviour regarding the treatmentofminorailments among four different ethnicities (Austrian, Croatian, Bosnian and Turkish) living in the city of Graz, Austria. (2) Gain a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding the influence of culture/ethnicity on the processes of decision making about how to cope with minor health problems while focusingonpeoples’ choices of treatment. (3) Provide the groundwork for adapting Austrian health services to achieve a greater commitment to the needs of a continuously growing multicultural society.

Killing and chilling in Graz

‘7th International Meeting on Yeast Apoptosis’ in Graz, Austria, 9–13 September 2009From 9 to 13 September 2009, more than 100 scientistsfrom 22 different countries came together in the lovely city ofGraz in Styria/Austria to share information and experiences,as well as to discuss their data on ‘killing’ yeast at the7th International Meeting on Yeast Apoptosis. This year’smeeting was organised by Frank Madeo and colleagues, whodid not miss the chance to create a chilling atmosphereaccompanied by wine tasting, folk music and traditional foodin the typical Austrian countryside, as well as on a viewpointin the old city centre of Graz, to make their stay as glamorousas possible and share their two passions, science anddissoluteness.This year, the participating groups reported great deliver-ables from their recently published and ongoing work on celldeath,stressdefenceandageinginyeast.Severalresearcherspresented their work with humanised yeast models toinvestigate cell-death pathways and possible drug therapiesfor treating neurodegenerative diseases and cancer.The opening lecture was given by the most cited cell-deathresearcher Guido Kroemer (Paris, France) who presented anoverviewintotheprogressofcell-deathresearchinthelast20years, including the turnabout from a rather ‘nucleocentricsystem’ to the ‘mitochondriocentric system’ of programmedcell death (PCD) in multiple organisms. In his lecture, hefocused on the evolutionary development of PCD and on theemerging concept that any kind of protein that has previouslybeen specifically implicated in cell-death pathways has aphylogenetically conserved apoptosis-unrelated function.Consequently, he hinted at the increasing importance of theyeast system to clarify pathways and discover factors, whichwould support current views and generate new views onageing, cell death and diseases.Cell-Death Pathways and Key PlayersAsapoptoticmarkersweredescribedinyeastforthefirsttime,a dozen years ago,

선진국형 청정생산 프로그램, '에코프라핏'의 성공적 도입을 위한 고찰

ECOPROFIT is advanced cleaner production network programme by city of Graz, Austria in 1991. Sustainable participation on on this program is created by co-operation between local authorities and private companies. Economic and ecological success through practical performance is the main principles of this project. The city of Graz in Austria, developing this project, was awarded "European Sustainable City Award" in 1996 and has had a reputation for a city of the sustainable development. We had a pilot project in order to review that ECOPROFIT program can be introduced in Korea successfully. As a result of applying the P company, we are convinced that this program have a good effect in economic and environmental aspects in the field of energy, water and waste treatment.

Calibration of tipping bucket rain gauges in the Graz urban research area

The Institute of Urban Water Management and Landscape Water Engineering of the Graz University of Technology (Austria) operates a hydrological research area in the City of Graz. In this urban research area precipitation and runoff data are collected by order of the municipality of Graz. At present precipitation data are measured by seven tipping bucket rain gauges. Comparative measurements have shown a deviation between the recorded and the actual precipitation intensity. This made the institute calibrate the rain gauges periodically. In the middle of the 1990s, the development of a field calibration kit was started. Based on the experiences with the first field calibration kit, a microprocessor controlled device was developed. With this calibration device, the tipping bucket rain gauges are calibrated at regular intervals. In this paper the calibration process and the current results for seven rain gauges are discussed. The calibration process is dynamic calibration and uses a peristaltic pump. Not all of the tipping buckets investigated underestimate the rain intensity in the whole measuring range. Several rain gauges have a positive relative deviation, not exceeding 22%, in the low intensity range up to 0.5 mm/min. Positive deviation can be explained by retention of water in the buckets between tips. The reason for the negative deviation is the loss of water during the tips. It leads to the underestimate of the actual intensity. The largest relative deviation in the range of underestimate exceeds 30%. In the range of extreme intensities, the larger buckets (5 cm 3) show a lower relative deviation than the smaller (2 cm 3) buckets. The gauge characteristic can change in favourable or unfavourable directions after several years. Therefore, the calibration of tipping buckets is recommended at least every 2 to 3 years.

Calibration of tipping bucket hyetographs

The Institute for Hydraulics and Hydrology of the Technical University Graz, Austria operates two hydrological observation nets - one in the area of Eastern Styria and the other one in the city of Graz. Precipitation, meteorological and runoff data are collected.Comparative measurements of the tipping bucket hyetographs have shown the deviation between the recorded and the real precipitation intensity. Aim of the presented project was to get calibration curves for all tested precipitation gauges.The following steps were necessary:a) Development of a micro processor controlled calibration system. The calibration instrument is able to record a series of measurements for determining calibration factors.b) Development of a control software for the calibration device, that is able to take over the menu control with a laptop and store the determined values in an MS Excel worksheet. These values are used for calculating correction values and to display them in an adequate graphical way.c) Development of a practicable application software for correction of the measured precipitation data.The determined correction factors permit to consider the source of failure (e.g. location, ageing and wear of the material) and make available improved hydrological data.

Analysing the nocturnal wind field in the city of Graz

The city of Graz is located in a basin southeast of the main ridge of the Alps. In wintertime during the night a weak southerly wind up to 100 m above ground level (a.g.l.) above which a relatively strong northwesterly low-level jet develops. Different authors have reported on this phenomenon but a sound physical explanation has still not been found. During the dispersion of atmospheric trace elements – Graz project (DATE) this wind shear has also been observed by the use of hourly tethered balloon soundings. Here a case study is presented performed with the Graz mesoscale model (GRAMM), where the main features of the observed complex flow field were simulated. We hypothesised that the observed wind shear has its origin in a flow separation, where a part of the nocturnal, northwesterly out-valley wind flows over the hill range located west of the city of Graz, and the rest flows around it. This hypothesis was tested with the help of the numerical simulations. Furthermore, sensitivity studies were made, which revealed that the choice of the initial “background” wind direction and the internal Froude number in the model exerted a strong influence on the flow field in the city area.

Simulation of the air quality during a field study for the city of Graz

The research project DATE Graz (Dispersion of Atmospheric Trace Elements taking the city of Graz as an example) aimed at the investigation of mesoscale γ pollution dispersion of a city in complex terrain. The winter episode investigated here was characterised by an anticyclonic fair weather situation. Local wind systems developed together with strong temperature inversions. During such an episode air quality is dominated by emissions from within the city. The city of Graz is situated in the southeast of the Alps in the transition area of mountainous to flat land. The city itself is located in the valley of the river Mur, which forms a basin surrounded by small mountains. In order to understand the emitter–receptor relationship a mesoscale dispersion model was applied for the simulation of air quality during the winter episode. Input for the simulation was the emission inventory and extensive meteorological measurement data. Results of the simulation reflect the distinct patterns of daily variations of air quality level measured. The influence of meteorology, emission patterns and chemical reactions are evident and can be qualitatively and partly quantitatively simulated by the model. A validation attempt was made using air quality data from the monitoring network. The introduction shows the importance of anticyclonic fair weather conditions on pollution dispersion in mountainous regions. Section 2 describes the meteorological situation and the instrumentation during the winter measurement campaign. Section 3 deals with the simulation model, initial and boundary conditions and the emission inventory for the city. In Section 4 the simulation results are compared to measurements. Finally conclusions are drawn.

ANALYSIS OF THE DAILY VARIATIONS OF WINTERTIME AIR POLLUTION CONCENTRATIONS IN THE CITY OF GRAZ, AUSTRIA

Measured air pollution concentrations in a city reflect the influence of different kinds of sources as well as varying meteorological conditions. In the city of Graz in southern Austria, frequent stagnant meteorological conditions can cause elevated levels of air pollution although emission levels are not exceptionally high. With the aid of a detailed emission inventory and an array of sodars and tethersondes as well as lidar systems supplementing the routine meteorological and air chemistry network during a field experiment in January 1998, the daily variations of air pollution concentrations of selected components within the complex topography of the city of Graz are explained. Main results show the almost linear dependence of the morning maximum concentrations on the predicted emission rates. Throughout the day the rising of the well mixed layer reduces concentrations considerably. Concerning NOX the fast reaction from NO to NO2 is important due to the down-mixing of O3 from the residual layer. The maximum in the afternoon is influenced by emission rates and pollution transport due to the mountain wind.

Modifications of a Valley Wind System by an Urban Area - Experimental Results

The Austrian city of Graz at the south-eastern edge of the Alps frequently experiences wintertime stagnations during anticyclonic flow conditions, leading to high local concentrations of primary pollutants. This paper investigates the dominant three-dimensional local flow structures in the Graz region during a representative January stagnation period in 1998 using data obtained from a field experiment that supplemented the routine meteorological network with an array of sodars and tethersondes and a meteorological tower. Important modifications to the temperature and wind fields over Graz and its surroundings are attributed to both topographical and urban effects. The main modifications to the along-valley wind system in the Mur valley that runs through Graz from north to south are caused by near-surface temperature field differences between a warmer north and a cooler south part of the city and the regular development of a nighttime down-valley low-level jet and its upward lifting when crossing the city centre.

Parameters correlating to injury severity score in playground-related fall accidents

Abstract PROBLEM DEFINITION The lack of published information on parameters influencing injury severity in playground-related fall accidents hinders the preparation of revised European playground standards. OBJECTIVE The objective of this investigation was to examine the impact of the ‘head injury criterio’(HIC), peakg(gn), height of fall, type of ground and age of the child on the injury severity score(ISS) in playground equipment-related fall accidents. PATIENTS AND METHODS We examined 20 playground accidents which occurred on public playgrounds in the city of Graz within the last 2 years. In a questionnaire, all parents of children injured in these accidents provided detailed information on the nature, circumstances, site and height of fall. We reconstructed the accidents on a day with sunny weather and measured HIC and peak g(gn) 3 times at every site using the height of fall measured according to the description given by the parents in the questionnaire. Three playgrounds had to be excluded due to ch...

Multivariate statistical analysis of stream-sediment geochemistry in the Grazer Pal�ozoikum, Austria

The Austrian reconnaissance study of stream-sediment composition — more than 30000 clay-fraction samples collected over an area of 40000 km2 — is summarized in an atlas of regional maps that show the distributions of 35 elements. These maps, rich in information, reveal complicated patterns of element abundance that are difficult to compare on more than a small number of maps at one time. In such a study, multivariate procedures such as simultaneous R-Q mode components analysis may be helpful. They can compress a large number of variables into a much smaller number of independent linear combinations. These composite variables may be mapped and relationships sought between them and geological properties. As an example, R-Q mode components analysis is applied here to the Grazer Palaozoikum, a tectonic unit northeast of the city of Graz, which is composed of diverse lithologies and contains many mineral deposits.

Und ihr habt doch gesiegt, 1988

Every fall since 1968, a cultural festival known as the Styrian Autumn has been held in Graz, the capital of the Austrian province of Styria. The festival presents concerts, theater, and opera productions, film showings, symposia by writers, and art exhibitions. Although constituted as an independent organization, its director is chosen by a board on which representatives of the provincial and the city government play an important role. In 1988, the board was chaired by Professor Kurt Jungwirth, the deputy governor of Styria and a prominent member of the conservative party (OVP). Graz was represented by its social democratic mayor, Alfred Stingl (SPO), and its commissioner of culture Helmut Strobl (OVP). The festival is funded by the province, the city of Graz, and the Austrian government. Dr. Peter Vujica, the director of the Styrian Autumn in 1988, chose for the twentieth anniversary of the festival the motto Guilt and Innocence of Art and suggested that reference be made to Hitler's annexation of Austria in 1938. The Anschluss was the theme of a number of public events in Austria in the year of its fiftieth anniversary. Inevitably, the enthusiastic welcome Hitler received when his troops marched into Austria became the subject of agitated public debate. That debate was further fuelled by the controversy surrounding the role the recently elected Austrian president, Kurt Waldheim, had played as a Wehrmacht officer in the Balkans during World War II. Dr. Vujica commissioned Dr. Werner Fenz, the curator of the city's Neue Galerie, to organize the visual arts section for 1988. Dr. Fenz invited artists from various countries to produce works for temporary installation in selected public places in Graz. He chose as Points of Reference 381/88 locations that had played a significant role during the Nazi regime, such as the police/Gestapo headquarters, city hall, squares where Nazi rallies had been held, the Hitler Youth headquarters, the bishop's palace, and so forth. One of the city's older monuments, the Marienstiule (Column of the Virgin Mary), rises in a square at the south end of Herrengasse, the most prominent street of Graz. A fluted column on a massive base, crowned by a gilded statue of the Virgin on a crescent moon, it was erected late in the seventeenth century to