12 research outputs found
Europa vor Gericht: die EU-AuĂźenpolitik und der Internationale Strafgerichtshof
'Dass die EU nicht unbedingt ein fragmentierter und zahnloser Papiertiger sein muss, zeigten die europäischen Außenminister gerade in ihrer geschlossenen Haltung zur Auslieferung Ratko Mladics an das UNO-Kriegsverbrechertribunal in Den Haag. Auch eine andere Haager Institution, der Internationale Strafgerichtshof (IStGH) und die proaktive Rolle der EU in dessen Entstehungsprozess, gilt vielen Beobachtern als positiver Beleg für die politischen Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten, die sich der Friedensmacht Europa trotz oftmals stockender Vergemeinschaftung, fehlender Ressourcen und Zwangsmittel eröffnen. Im vorliegenden Report zeichnen die Autorinnen die Geschichte des IStGH nach und beschäftigen sich mit der Frage, wieso die EU ausgerechnet in diesem transatlantischen Konfliktfall gegen erhebliche Widerstände der USA große Geschlossenheit demonstrierte und das Statut von Rom - politische Grundlage des Strafgerichtshofes - auch zügig entwickelt und umgesetzt hat. Dabei zeigen die Autorinnen auf, dass die Gemeinsame Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik (GASP) der EU mehr als ein institutionelles Forum zur Abstimmung der Interessen der Mitglieder ist. Geteilte Prinzipien der Demokratie, Menschen- und Grundrechte, sowie prozedurale Normen, wie regelmäßige gegenseitige Konsultationen, verhalfen den zu Anfang der Verhandlungen durchaus von verschiedenen Interessen geleiteten Mitgliedern zu einem für alle tragfähigen Kompromiss. Diese Einigkeit innerhalb der EU kann nun auch Drittländer ermutigen, sich der Drohkulisse der USA zu widersetzen. Hier mahnen die Autorinnen an, die EU müsse noch konkretere Hilfe in Aussicht stellen, um diesen Ländern bei Ausfällen von Militär- oder Entwicklungshilfe zur Seite stehen zu können.' (Autorenreferat
Effects of Climate Change on Phenology of Blackbirds and Orioles (Icterids) in Eastern South Dakota
Birds are among the first responders to climate change, often having clearly observable phenological responses to less perceptible levels of climate shift. Declines in populations of a number of bird species have been witnessed both in the United States and abroad, with up to a 48% decline in grassland birds of the Central U.S. Understanding changes in bird abundance and distribution is essential because birds supply a wide variety of critical ecosystem services, including pollination and pest control. While the effects of climate change on many bird species’ phenology have been studied intensely, research on the family Icteridae is limited. This study was conducted using spring bird presence and absence data and weather data from Oak Lake Field Station from 1995 to 2012. Linear regression analysis was applied against warmth sum days for the 30 days prior to each spring bird survey. Our analysis demonstrated significant increases in accumulated warmth sum days between 1999 and 2012 (P = 0.01). Icterid species richness also increased with increasing warmth sum days during the month leading up to surveys (P = 0.02). Trends in both habitat (open woodland, marsh, and grassland) and feeding guild (insectivores and omnivores) species richness were also observed with increasing warmth sum days. These findings suggest a shift towards earlier spring arrival of members of the family Icteridae in eastern South Dakota
Coordinating vector field equations and diagrams with a serious game in introductory physics
Mathematical reasoning with algebraic and graphical representations is
essential for success in physics courses. Many problems require students to
fluently move between algebraic and graphical representations. We developed a
freely available serious game to challenge the representational fluency of
introductory students regarding vector fields. Within the game, interactive
puzzles are solved using different types of vector fields that must be
configured with the correct mathematical parameters. A reward system
implemented in the game prevents from using trial-and-error approaches and
instead encourages the player to establish a mental connection between the
graphical representation of the vector field and the (algebraic) equation
before taking any action. For correct solutions, the player receives points and
can unlock further levels. We report about the aim of the game from an
educational perspective, describe potential learning scenarios and reflect
about a first attempt to use the game in the classroom
From self-organization in relativistic electron bunches to coherent synchrotron light: observation using a photonic time-stretch digitizer
In recent and future synchrotron radiation facilities, relativistic electron
bunches with increasingly high charge density are needed for producing
brilliant light at various wavelengths, from X-rays to terahertz. In such
conditions, interaction of electrons bunches with their own emitted
electromagnetic fields leads to instabilities and spontaneous formation of
complex spatial structures. Understanding these instabilities is therefore key
in most electron accelerators. However, investigations suffer from the lack of
non-destructive recording tools for electron bunch shapes. In storage rings,
most studies thus focus on the resulting emitted radiation. Here, we present
measurements of the electric field in the immediate vicinity of the electron
bunch in a storage ring, over many turns. For recording the ultrafast electric
field, we designed a photonic time-stretch analog-to-digital converter with
terasamples/second acquisition rate. We could thus observe the predicted link
between spontaneous pattern formation and giant bursts of coherent synchrotron
radiation in a storage ring.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure
European Flexible Heat Shields: Advanced TPS Design and Tests for Future in-Orbit Demonstration
The European Union H2020 EFESTO project is coordinated
by DEIMOS Space with the end goals of improving the
TRL of Inflatable Heat Shields for re-entry vehicles (from 3
to 4/5) and paving the way towards further improvements
(TRL 6 with a future In-Orbit Demonstrator).
This paper presents the project objectives and provides
with a general overview of the activities ongoing and
planned for the next three years, promoting its position in
the frame of a European re-entry technology roadmap
Accessory heterozygous mutations in cone photoreceptor CNGA3 exacerbate CNG channel–associated retinopathy
Mutations in CNGA3 and CNGB3, the genes encoding the subunits of the tetrameric cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide–gated ion channel, cause achromatopsia, a congenital retinal disorder characterized by loss of cone function. However, a small number of patients carrying the CNGB3/c.1208G>A;p.R403Q mutation present with a variable retinal phenotype ranging from complete and incomplete achromatopsia to moderate cone dysfunction or progressive cone dystrophy. By exploring a large patient cohort and published cases, we identified 16 unrelated individuals who were homozygous or (compound-)heterozygous for the CNGB3/c.1208G>A;p.R403Q mutation. In-depth genetic and clinical analysis revealed a co-occurrence of a mutant CNGA3 allele in a high proportion of these patients (10 of 16), likely contributing to the disease phenotype. To verify these findings, we generated a Cngb3 mouse model, which was crossbred with Cnga3-deficient (Cnga3) mice to obtain triallelic Cnga3 Cngb3 mutants. As in human subjects, there was a striking genotype-phenotype correlation, since the presence of 1 Cnga3-null allele exacerbated the cone dystrophy phenotype in Cngb3 mice. These findings strongly suggest a digenic and triallelic inheritance pattern in a subset of patients with achromatopsia/severe cone dystrophy linked to the CNGB3/p.R403Q mutation, with important implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and genetic counseling
Accessory heterozygous mutations in cone photoreceptor CNGA3 exacerbate CNG channel\textendashassociated retinopathy
International audienceMutations in CNGA3 and CNGB3, the genes encoding the subunits of the tetrameric cone photoreceptor cyclic nucleotide–gated ion channel, cause achromatopsia, a congenital retinal disorder characterized by loss of cone function. However, a small number of patients carrying the CNGB3/c.1208G>A;p.R403Q mutation present with a variable retinal phenotype ranging from complete and incomplete achromatopsia to moderate cone dysfunction or progressive cone dystrophy. By exploring a large patient cohort and published cases, we identified 16 unrelated individuals who were homozygous or (compound-)heterozygous for the CNGB3/c.1208G>A;p.R403Q mutation. In-depth genetic and clinical analysis revealed a co-occurrence of a mutant CNGA3 allele in a high proportion of these patients (10 of 16), likely contributing to the disease phenotype. To verify these findings, we generated a Cngb3R403Q/R403Q mouse model, which was crossbred with Cnga3-deficient (Cnga3–/–) mice to obtain triallelic Cnga3+/– Cngb3R403Q/R403Q mutants. As in human subjects, there was a striking genotype-phenotype correlation, since the presence of 1 Cnga3-null allele exacerbated the cone dystrophy phenotype in Cngb3R403Q/R403Q mice. These findings strongly suggest a digenic and triallelic inheritance pattern in a subset of patients with achromatopsia/severe cone dystrophy linked to the CNGB3/p.R403Q mutation, with important implications for diagnosis, prognosis, and genetic counseling