Necessary Trade-Offs or Two-Faced Hypocrisy: Normative Conflicts in EU Policies

The European Union (EU) often tries to present itself as a normative leader in both human rights protection and climate change prevention. However, since emission reductions sometimes require investments in solar panels that are produced using forced labor, these two norms can conflict with each other. Based on two case studies of EU policies on Israel-Palestine and North Africa, this article shows how conflicts between different norms are nothing new to the EU. In its policies on Israel-Palestine, the EU has had to balance its historical responsibility to Israel with its commitment to international law. In its policies on North Africa, the EU has had to balance its push for good governance with respect for other countries’ sovereignty. Drawing on the academic literature, EU policies, and statements by EU officials, this article therefore argues that normative conflicts are an essential part of what makes the EU a normative actor

Software and Critical Technology Protection Against Side Channel Analysis Through Dynamic Hardware Obfuscation

Side Channel Analysis (SCA) is a method by which an adversary can gather information about a processor by examining the activity being done on a microchip though the environment surrounding the chip. Side Channel Analysis attacks use SCA to attack a microcontroller when it is processing cryptographic code, and can allow an attacker to gain secret information, like a crypto-algorithm\u27s key. The purpose of this thesis is to test proposed dynamic hardware methods to increase the hardware security of a microprocessor such that the software code being run on the microprocessor can be made more secure without having to change the code. This thesis uses the Java Optimized Processor (JOP) to identify and _x SCA vulnerabilities to give a processor running RSA or AES code more protection against SCA attacks

Extensions of bialgebras and their cohomological description

This paper develops the theory of crossed product Hopf algebras of pairs of arbitrary Hopf algebras. The theory generalizes the crossed products of (Maj90), the Abelian crossed products of (Hof94) and the crossed product algebras of (BCM86). First, conditions are given on the structures involved that are shown to be equivalent to the existence of the crossed product. Next, a bisimplicial object is found that gives a cohomological description of the conditions. Cleft extensions of pairs of arbitrary Hopf algebras are then defined. These generalize the cleft extension algebras of (Swe68) and the Abelian cleft extensions of (By93); they are equivalent to the extensions of (Hof94), while giving an internal definition of extensions. Finally, the equivalence of crossed products and extensions is proved. Throughout this paper extensive use is made of the relatively new technique of tensor diagrams, without which many of the calculations would be intractable

Structural stability of Polylactide rope drums with a hybrid Gyroid-spokes infill structure, manufactured through fused filament fabrication

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers greater design freedom than conventional manufacturing processes. AM allows for components with complex infill structures of e. g. triply periodic-minimal surfaces (TPMS) that lead to significant weight reduction. Nevertheless, AM is mainly used in specialised engineering branches such as aerospace and medical engineering. This is due to high system cost and the high energy costs of the machines used, which utilise selective laser sintering (SLS), laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), or stereolithography (SLA). Fused filament fabrication (FFF) can offer cheaper and more energy-efficient machines. A series of tensile tests with FFF rope drum bodies made from polylactide (PLA) aims to investigate the stability of FFF machine elements. The test specimens possess a novel, hybrid infill structure comprised of straight spokes and a TPMS-gyroid surface. Compared to previous investigations, the specific breaking force – relative to the test specimens’ weight – increased by up to 159%. Whereas the infill density affects tensile strength as well as deformation, the infill distribution between the TPMS and spokes part of said hybrid structure affects especially the deformation behaviour. The results show that FFF machine elements such as the tested drum bodies have a realistic perspective for use in future products with regard to static strength

An Econometric Analysis of Efficiency and Loan Loss Provisioning Behaviour in German Banking

This study examines the loan loss provisioning behaviour of the German banking industry by using a sample of 52 commercial banks over the period of 2007-2014. It investigates the relationship between loan loss provisions and the business cycle as well as the income smoothing and capital management hypotheses. In addition, the relationship between the bank’s loan loss provisioning behaviour and their efficiency is examined. This study conducts a two stage analysis: First, the efficiency levels of the banks are estimated from a translog cost function. Then, the estimated efficiency scores are incorporated into the regression of loan loss provisions using Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) estimators. It is found that German banks efficiency levels are relatively stable over the years and have an average of 91%. Moreover, the empirical findings from the GMM estimators provide evidence for the existence of procyclical provisioning behaviour and they support the capital management hypothesis, whereas the results do not indicate that German banks use loan loss provisions to smooth their income. Furthermore, this study finds a significant positive relationship between loan loss provisions and the banks efficiency levels

The synergistic interaction of thermal stress coupled with overstocking strongly modulates the transcriptomic activity and immune capacity of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The objective of the present study is to identify and evaluate informative indicators for the welfare of rainbow trout exposed to (A) a water temperature of 27 °C and (B) a stocking density of 100 kg/m3 combined with a temperature of 27 °C. The spleen-somatic and condition index, haematocrit and the concentrations of haemoglobin, plasma cortisol and glucose revealed non-significant differences between the two stress groups and the reference group 8 days after the onset of the experiments. The transcript abundance of almost 1,500 genes was modulated at least twofold in in the spleen of rainbow trout exposed to a critical temperature alone or a critical temperature combined with crowding as compared to the reference fish. The number of differentially expressed genes was four times higher in trout that were simultaneously challenged with high temperature and crowding, compared to trout challenged with high temperature alone. Based on these sets of differentially expressed genes, we identified unique and common tissue- and stress type-specific pathways. Furthermore, our subsequent immunologic analyses revealed reduced bactericidal and inflammatory activity and a significantly altered blood-cell composition in challenged versus non-challenged rainbow trout. Altogether, our data demonstrate that heat and overstocking exert synergistic effects on the rainbow trout’s physiology, especially on the immune system.publishedVersio

Maternal characteristics associated with the dietary intake of nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines in women of child-bearing age: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Multiple <it>N</it>-nitroso compounds have been observed in animal studies to be both mutagenic and teratogenic. Human exposure to <it>N</it>-nitroso compounds and their precursors, nitrates and nitrites, can occur through exogenous sources, such as diet, drinking water, occupation, or environmental exposures, and through endogenous exposures resulting from the formation of <it>N</it>-nitroso compounds in the body. Very little information is available on intake of nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines and factors related to increased consumption of these compounds.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using survey and dietary intake information from control women (with deliveries of live births without major congenital malformations during 1997-2004) who participated in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS), we examined the relation between various maternal characteristics and intake of nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines from dietary sources. Estimated intake of these compounds was obtained from the Willet Food Frequency Questionnaire as adapted for the NBDPS. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the consumption of these compounds by self-reported race/ethnicity and other maternal characteristics.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Median intake per day for nitrates, nitrites, total nitrites (nitrites + 5% nitrates), and nitrosamines was estimated at 40.48 mg, 1.53 mg, 3.69 mg, and 0.472 μg respectively. With the lowest quartile of intake as the referent category and controlling for daily caloric intake, factors predicting intake of these compounds included maternal race/ethnicity, education, body mass index, household income, area of residence, folate intake, and percent of daily calories from dietary fat. Non-Hispanic White participants were less likely to consume nitrates, nitrites, and total nitrites per day, but more likely to consume dietary nitrosamines than other participants that participated in the NBDPS. Primary food sources of these compounds also varied by maternal race/ethnicity.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results of this study indicate that intake of nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines vary considerably by race/ethnicity, education, body mass index, and other characteristics. Further research is needed regarding how consumption of foods high in nitrosamines and <it>N</it>-nitroso precursors might relate to risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and chronic diseases.</p

Polychaete invader enhances resource utilization in a species-poor system

Ecosystem consequences of biodiversity change are often studied from a species loss perspective, while the effects of invasive species on ecosystem functions are rarely quantified. In this experimental study, we used isotope tracers to measure the incorporation and burial of carbon and nitrogen from a simulated spring phytoplankton bloom by communities of one to four species of deposit-feeding macrofauna found in the species-poor Baltic Sea. The recently invading polychaete Marenzelleriaarctia, which has spread throughout the Baltic Sea, grows more rapidly than the native species Monoporeia affinis, Pontoporeia femorata (both amphipods) and Macoma balthica (a bivalve), resulting in higher biomass increase (biomass production) in treatments including the polychaete. Marenzelleria incorporated and buried bloom material at rates similar to the native species. Multi-species treatments generally had higher isotope incorporation, indicative of utilization of bloom material, than expected from monoculture yields of the respective species. The mechanism behind this observed over-yielding was mainly niche complementarity in utilization of the bloom input, and was more evident in communities including the invader. In contrast, multi-species treatments had generally lower biomass increase than expected. This contrasting pattern suggests that there is little overlap in resource use of freshly deposited bloom material between Marenzelleria and the native species but it is likely that interference competition acts to dampen resulting community biomass. In conclusion, an invasive species can enhance incorporation and burial of organic matter from settled phytoplankton blooms, two processes fundamental for marine productivity

Kompetenzreflexion – Impulse hochschulischer Praxis zur Förderung kompetenzorientierter und partizipativer Lehr – Lernsettings in der Studieneingangsphase berufsbegleitender Studiengänge

Aktuelle Arbeitsmarktentwicklungen verdeutlichen, dass sich die Verfügbarkeit akademisch qualifizierter Fachkräfte zukünftig durch die demographische Entwicklung verringern wird. Bereits heute sind die Auswirkungen des prognostizierten Fachkräftemangels besonders in den neuen Bundesländern spürbar (Pasternack et al. 2009). Die zunehmende Notwendigkeit einer raschen und gezielten Integration neuer Technologien, Kompetenzen und Wissensinhalte in die berufliche Praxis unterstreicht die Bedeutung berufsbegleitender Studiengangskonzepte und die Dringlichkeit der Erschließung des Potenzials beruflich Qualifizierter ohne schulische Hochschulzugangsberechtigung. In der Fachdebatte wird diese Zielgruppe – der im Hochschulsprech als nicht-traditionell Studierende Bezeichneten – als ältere, berufserfahrene und wohl auch lebenserfahrene Menschen dargestellt, denen ein hoher Grad an Fachwissen, aber auch eine gewisse Ferne zu theoretischem, akademischem Wissen zugeschrieben wird (u.a. Fellner 2008; Nullmeier 2009). Hochschulen sind angesichts der Arbeitsmarktentwicklungen angehalten, sich zu öffnen und strukturelle sowie hochschuldidaktische Brücken zu bauen, um diese Studierendengruppe erfolgreich in die akademische Welt zu integrieren und hierüber Employability nachhaltig zu fördern. Die Öffnung der Hochschule für die Zielgruppe der nicht-traditionell Studierenden bedeutet so vor allem eine systematische Auseinandersetzung mit deren spezifischen Bedarfen und Potenzialen und daran anknüpfend eine passgenaue curriculare Gestaltung. (DIPF/Orig.