Cities and Cultural Diversity: Facts – Positions – Strategies. BertelsmannStiftung Studies

This study presents the current state of research and debates on migration-driven diversity and how it is addressed in German cities. It also articulates the various positions taken in these approaches. The analysis is supplemented with an overview of municipal strategies for managing migration-driven diversity. Selected practical approaches are presented to supplement the addressed topic areas. The study focuses on the various dimensions involved with addressing migration-driven diversity in cities through the following four topic areas: • Segregation and integration: the concentration of different national, ethnic and cultural groups in cities and what this means for integration into urban society • Participation and inclusion: forms of participation in cities, the challenges and opportunities associated with strengthening inclusion for everyone • Identity and religious diversity: conflicts between different cultural and religious identities or ways of life and the problems associated with these conflicts in cities • Diversity-facilitative locations: places or facilities within a city in which new approaches to migration-driven cultural diversity can flourish Germany features a broad range of city types – from large cities with long-term experience in navigating migration-driven diversity to those cities with limited experience in this regard. Among migrants who have settled in Germany, we observe a broad range of mobility patterns among those who have moved to cities. This ranges from the voluntary migration of primarily highly skilled and educated people to the temporary stays among tourists and conference attendees to refugee migration, that is, people who have been forced to leave their country of origin due to war and persecution. Labor migrants represent a category somewhere in between. This mixture of a city’s stock population with or without a migration background and its incoming flow population in specific social and economic contexts determines the composition of diversity in a city. In Germany, we see different types in the west and the east. The study highlights six city types: Magnete (economically dynamic cities known for their highly diverse populations), Solide (cities featuring “guest worker” populations and a stable economy), Ambivalente (traditionally industrial cities transitioning to service industry that feature “guest worker” populations), Nachholer (cities with a relatively small immigrant population that is growing in an increasingly service-based economy), Gestalter (smaller cities featuring culturally diverse population and specialized economic sectors) and Unerfahrene (smaller, economically weak cities that have little experience with diverse populations and high unemployment). To date, many cities in Germany have found it difficult to pursue policies and measures designed to address the challenges associated with migration-driven cultural diversity. Current trends toward socio-spatial polarization in cities pose a challenge to social cohesion. Social segregation is more prevalent than ethnic segregation, though we frequently find that they overlap in certain urban districts. The question of an ideal social mix therefore remains important, as a systematic collation of research findings shows. In many cases, there is simply not enough processing and analysis of the available data on marginalization (i.e., indicators on unemployment and transfer benefits) by country of origin at the municipal level. If we look at the extent to which migrant participation and migration-driven diversity is embedded in city development planning, we see a persistent under-representation of people with an immigrant background in the administrative institutions of German cities. At the same time, efforts addressing this issue are on the rise in local contexts. Migrant efforts to self-organize and neighborhood-based formats are undergoing a renaissance and attracting more and more attention. In some cases, tasks traditionally slated as the responsibility of the welfare state are being transferred to voluntary activity and associations. This is viewed with criticism when municipalities use these mechanisms to shift responsibility for such tasks to the shoulders of civil society in order to resolve their budgetary constraints. However, this trend also involves empowering groups that have otherwise been marginalized. As an aspect of cultural diversity, visible religious diversity is becoming increasingly relevant in cities. Places of worship have made this development particularly noticeable in cityscapes. Because migration-related questions of religion are subjects of vehement and to some extent culturalized debate within (urban) society, cities are faced with divisive conflicts. Measures applied in interfaith dialogue efforts offer good examples of how to resolve these tensions. These approaches are increasingly implemented as part of municipal mediation strategies. Each German city examined features locations that stand out for their unique approach to diversity: These locations are characterized as diversity-facilitative locations in navigating migration-driven cultural diversity. They can refer to libraries, museums, specific neighborhoods or festive events. They are locations where new approaches to and forms of inclusion as well as participation are developed. And they serve as appealing venues which can, in the long term, contribute to a city’s revitalization. In the different cities examined, we see a variety of approaches to migration-driven cultural diversity. Large cities such as Frankfurt am Main and Stuttgart that were quick to implement pro-active policies and have successfully navigated the transition to a service- based economy, are now beginning to reap the benefits of their diverse populations. Smaller cities, particularly those marked by a declining population and structural weaknesses, tend to bristle when faced with “external” influence. For these cities, viewing migration-driven diversity as an opportunity to target municipal revitalization often comes less easily. Living well together in cultural diversity is more easily achieved in those areas with experience in this regard, that is, in areas where conflicts have been worked through. An important next step in the academic research on this subject involves analyzing in quantitative and especially qualitative terms the combined impact of stock and flow dynamics on various types of cities. In the short-term, municipal policymakers can draw on the findings of the study presented here

Restraining actively-bent structures by membranes

Membranes can be used to restrain actively-bent structures. The paper explains the structural behaviour behind using membranes to couple actively-bent elements and analyses the influence of different parameters

Membrane restrained columns

This paper describes the structural beha viour of m embrane restrained colum ns. Initial experiments on tensile restrained columns are presented and discussed. FE-analysis has been carried out and the structur al behaviour of the hybrid systems is analysed. The influence of several design parameters is research

Metallchalkogenide in Vesikeln

Die experimentelle Verifizierung wichtiger Annahmen der Eisen-Schwefel-Welt-Hypothese (ESWH), die einen Oberflächen-Metabolismus an einer FeS-Oberfläche als Vorläufer ersten Lebens auf der Erde postuliert, steht im Mittelpunkt der Arbeit. Zum einen konnte ein Modell für eine Protozelle mit dem kompartimentierten, potenziell energieliefernden System FeS/H2S hergestellt werden, wie sie in der ESWH postuliert wird. Dabei kamen aus dem Copolymer Polybutadien-block-polyethylenoxid aufgebaute Vesikel zum Einsatz. In derartigen Polymervesikeln erfolgte zunächst der Einschluss einer FeCl2-Lösung und dann nach der Aufreinigung in einem weiteren Schritt durch Inkubation mit H2S die Generierung intravesikulärer FeS-Nanopartikel (FeS-NP). FeS-haltige Polymervesikel wurden mittels dynamischer Lichtstreuung, UV/Vis-Spektroskopie und Rasterelektronenmikroskopie charakterisiert und dabei die intravesikuläre Bildung von FeS-NP nachgewiesen. Somit konnte ein Zugang zur Kompartimentierung des FeS/H2S-System etabliert werden. Zusätzlich konnten in analoger Weise NiS- und CdS-Nanopartikel (CdS-NP) mit Größen von 1,5 - 9 nm im Inneren von Polymervesikeln erzeugt und mittels Cryo-Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie nachgewiesen werden. Der Prozess der intravesikulären Bildung und des Wachstums von CdS-NP, die sich für photokatalytische Anwendungen eignen, konnte unter Ausnutzung der besonderen optischen Eigenschaften von CdS-NP mittels UV/Vis-Spektroskopie verfolgt werden. Weiterhin wurde die Reduktionskraft des FeS/H2S-Systems, dessen reduzierende Wirkung eine zentrale Annahme der ESWH ist, an der Modellsubstanz Dimethylsulfoxid (DMSO) untersucht, um das Verständnis der Reaktivität des FeS/H2S-Systems zu erweitern. Das FeS/H2S-System ist in der Lage, DMSO unter geologisch milden Bedingungen (95°C, 1 bar) selektiv zu Dimethylsulfid (DMS) zu reduzieren. In Abwesenheit von FeS wird DMSO durch H2S mit vergleichsweise geringeren Ausbeuten zu DMS reduziert

Stabilisierung durch digitale Technik: Wie CAD-Programme zur räumlichen Ordnung in der Planung beitragen

Planning is generally recognised as the practice of spatial organisation. Planning instruments, such as land-use plans and zoning plans, are used to structure development, to reduce building densities and to densify. While planning instruments themselves and their interpretation, practical use and implementation have been widely studied, in contrast technical implementation and its active role in planning processes have remained mostly unexplored. This paper addresses this research gap by considering the ways in which common techniques – primarily graphical CAD programmes – operate in planning processes. The basic assumption here is that CAD programmes not only make planning possible, but also play a significant role in shaping it, since digital technology is used to inscribe and stabilise spatial organisation in plans. Prominent concepts from Science and Technology Studies are used to demonstrate how CAD programmes give urban complexity a new material form – that of the plan. They contribute significantly to a core area of planning and thus to the specific ordering of our built environment

Homeostatic regulation of long-term potentiation

Homeostasis is a key concept in biology. It enables ecosystems, organisms, organs and cells to adjust their operating range to values that ensure optimal performance. Homeostatic regulation of synaptic activity has been shown to play an important role during development. Here I investigated whether also mature neurons possess mechanisms to prevent the strengthening of input synapses once the limit of their ‘operating range’ has been reached. Using electrophysiological recordings in hippocampal slices, I showed that such a mechanism indeed exists but only comes into play after a considerable number of synapses has been potentiated. Thus, adult neurons can sustain a substantial amount of synaptic strengthening but, once a certain threshold of potentiation is exceeded, homeostatic regulation ensures that no further strengthening occurs

Correlation of cytomorphology and histopathology in the diagnostic process of myeloid malignancies

Bone marrow cytomorphology and histopathology are the cornerstones for the initial diagnosis of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and other related myeloid disorders. They provide a rapid first insight into diagnostic categories and thus help in clinical decision making. However, difficulties in the morphologic assessment of MDS exist due to inter- and intra-observer variability. In this study, we directly compared the results of cytomorphology and histopathology obtained in a real-world diagnostic scenario in 90 patients with myeloid malignancies aiming to evaluate their validity for diagnosing and classifying various myeloid malignancies. While both techniques placed 80% of our bone marrow samples into the same diagnostic category and thus showed a good correlation, our study also demonstrates the limitations in correlating marrow cytomorphology and histopathology, even following stringent and repetitive diagnostic assessments. This was particularly true for CMML, where not only additional diagnostic tools such as molecular genetics or clinical evaluation but also the analysis of the peripheral blood smears aided in finding the correct diagnosis. Overall, our data emphasize the need for a comprehensive diagnostic review in a patient-for-patient setting when a myeloid malignancy is suspected or confirmed. We propose that the combination of cytomorphologic and histopathologic assessment with clinical, laboratory, and genetic parameters is essential in achieving high diagnostic accuracy in an interdisciplinary setting

Predictive prey pursuit in a whiskered robot

Highly active small mammals need to capture prey rapidly and with a high success rate if they are to survive. We consider the case of the Etruscan shrew, which hunts prey including crickets almost as large as itself, and relies on its whiskers (vibrissae) to complete a kill. We model this hunting behaviour using a whiskered robot. Shrews strike rapidly and accurately after gathering very limited sensory information; we attempt to match this performance by using model-based simultaneous discrimination and localisation of a ‘prey’ robot (i.e. by using strong priors). We report performance that is comparable, given the spatial and temporal scale differences, to shrew performance in most respects

Living in a cloud: intraspecific facilitation by allelochemical mediated grazing protection 1 2

Abstract 23 Dinoflagellates are a major cause of harmful algal blooms, with consequences for coastal marine 24 ecosystem functioning and services. Alexandrium tamarense is one of the most abundant and 25 widespread toxigenic species in the temperate northern and southern hemisphere, and produces 26 paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins as well as lytic allelochemical substances. These bioactive 27 compounds may support the success of A. tamarense and its ability to form blooms. Here we 28 investigate grazing of highly (Alex2) and moderately (Alex4) allelochemical active A. tamarense 29 strains and a non-allelochemical active conspecific (Alex5) by the heterotrophic dinoflagellate 30 Polykrikos kofoidii in monoclonal and mixed experimental set-ups. While Alex4 and particularly 31 Alex5 were strongly grazed by P. kofoidii in monoclonal set-ups, both strains did grow well in 32 the mixed assemblages (Alex4+Alex5 and Alex2+Alex5). Hence, the allelochemical active 33 strains facilitate the non-active strain by protecting the population against grazing. This 34 allelochemical mediated facilitation resembles associational resistance observed in various 35 macroalgal and plant communities. Occurring intraspecifically it may partly explain the high 36 genotypic and phenotypic diversity of Alexandrium populations. It is furthermore conceivable 37 that these diverse populations comprise multiple cooperative traits that may support mutual 38 intraspecific facilitation, which in turn will promote the success of this notorious harmful algal 39 bloom species. 40 4