A Network Analysis

In the run-up to Paris, individual countries and multilateral banks made new promises to provide millions of dollars for adaptation (and mitigation) action in developing countries, with a view to reaching the usd 100 billion target announced in Copenhagen and confirmed in Paris. But where are all these funds going to? To what extent do they reach the poorest and most vulnerable, those most in need of support? The focus of this paper is on bilateral aid for adaptation to climate change. Using oecd data on adaptation aid, we examine how donors allocate this aid|and to what extent they indeed prioritise those `particularly' vulnerable to climate change. To understand donor behaviour, we build on the large literature on aid allocation in general, and on adaptation aid in particular. Yet, as opposed to traditional dyadic analyses, we conceptualise aid allocation as a network, in which the provision of adaptation aid is a network tie. This network approach, we argue, is better able to capture interactions between donors, for the allocation decisions of others likely in uence a donor's allocation decision. Donors on the one hand coordinate their allocation, but on the other hand also compete for political and economic influence through the provision of aid, including aid for adaptation. In order to capture these coordination dynamics in addition to the dyadic relationships between donors and recipients we employ Temporal Exponential Random Graph Models. Our analysis indicates that donors consider recipient need and recipient merit when deciding on how to allocate adaptation aid: more vulnerable and more democratic countries are more likely to receive adapation aid. More importantly, however, donors consider their own economic and political interests: trading partners and former colonies are much more likely to receive adaptation aid. Finally, we also found evidence for donor coordination: countries that already receive adaptation aid from other countries are less likely to form additional ties, that is, they are less likely to also receive adaptation aid from additional donors

Development and Climate Aid to Africa: Comparing Aid Allocation Models for Different Aid Flows

This article examines the role different aid allocation models play not only for conventional development aid but also for two new financial flows, adaptation and mitigation aid. We first test the three models proposed in the literature - recipient need, recipient merit, and donor interests - using the latest available aid data and compare our results with findings of older studies on Africa, and with studies on aid allocation on a global scale. We find that the recipient merit model in more recent years no longer plays a role for development aid allocation in Africa, in line with findings reported globally. In contrast to such global studies, the logic of the donor interest model does not seem to dominate over the recipient need model in the African context, as both are of equal importance for aid allocation decisions. Finally, additionality seems to play a lesser role in Africa than globally.Diese Arbeit untersucht die Rolle verschiedener Allokationsmodelle bei der Vergabe von finanziellen Mitteln für die Entwicklungszusammenarbeit sowie im Bereich der Klimahilfe (Mitigation und Adaptation). In einem ersten Schritt werden die drei in der Literatur vorgeschlagenen Modelle - Bedürftigkeit, Verdienst und Eigeninteresse - mithilfe der neuesten verfügbaren Daten getestet. Diese Ergebnisse werden dann mit den Resultaten älterer Studien mit einem Fokus auf Afrika verglichen, aber auch mit Allokationsstudien mit einer globalen Perspektive. Für die letzten in der Studie inkludierten Jahre spielt das Modell des Verdiensts der Empfänger für Afrika keine Rolle mehr, was die neuesten Erkenntnisse anderer Studien mit globaler Dimension widerspiegelt. Abweichend von den Ergebnissen solcher globalen Studien zeigt sich für Afrika jedoch, dass die Eigeninteressen der Geberländer bei der Vergabe der Gelder nicht im Vordergrund stehen, sondern die Bedürftigkeit der Nehmerländer dominiert. Spezifisch für die Klimahilfe zeigt sich schließlich noch, dass Additionalität in Afrika eine geringere Rolle spielt als auf globaler Ebene

Interest group networks in the European Union

Interest group networks are crucial for understanding European Union (EU) integration, policymaking and interest representation. Yet, comparative analysis of interest organisation networks across EU policy areas is limited. This study provides the first large-scale investigation of interest group information networks across all EU policy domains. We argue that interest groups prioritise access to trustworthy and high-quality information coming from partners with shared policy goals. Thus, interest organisations form network ties with other organisations if the latter are from the same country, represent the same type of interest, or are policy insiders. The effect of these three factors varies across policy domains depending on the extent to which the institutional setting assures equal and broad organisational access to decision-making. Our empirical analysis operationalises information ties as Twitter-follower relationships among 7,388 interest organisations. In the first step of the analysis, we use Exponential Random Graph Models to examine tie formation in the full network and across 40 policy domains. We find strong but variable effects of country and interest type homophily and policy insiderness on the creation of network ties. In the second step, we examine how the effect of these three variables on tie formation varies with policy domain characteristics. We find that shared interest type and policy insiderness are less relevant for tie formation in (re-)distributive and especially regulatory policy domains characterised by more supranational decision-making. Sharing an interest type and being a policy insider matters more for tie formation in foreign and interior policies where decision-making is more intergovernmental. The effect of country homophily is less clearly related to policy type and decision-making mode. Our findings emphasise the importance of institutional and policy context in shaping interest group networks in the EU.publishedVersio

The iron-sulfur cluster assembly (ISC) protein Iba57 executes a tetrahydrofolate-independent function in mitochondrial [4Fe-4S] protein maturation

Mitochondria harbor the bacteria-inherited iron-sulfur cluster assembly (ISC) machinery to generate [2Fe-2S] and [4Fe-4S] proteins. In yeast, assembly of [4Fe-4S] proteins specifically involves the ISC proteins Isa1, Isa2, Iba57, Bol3, and Nfu1. Functional defects in their human equivalents cause the multiple mitochondrial dysfunction syndromes (MMDS), severe disorders with a broad clinical spectrum. The bacterial Iba57 ancestor YgfZ was described to require tetrahydrofolate (THF) for its function in the maturation of selected [4Fe-4S] proteins. Both YgfZ and Iba57 are structurally related to an enzyme family catalyzing THF-dependent one-carbon transfer reactions including GcvT of the glycine cleavage system. On this basis, a universally conserved folate requirement in ISC-dependent [4Fe-4S] protein biogenesis was proposed. To test this idea for mitochondrial Iba57, we performed genetic and biochemical studies in S. cerevisiae, and we solved the crystal structure of Iba57 from the thermophilic fungus Chaetomium thermophilum. We provide three lines of evidence for the THF independence of the Iba57-catalyzed [4Fe-4S] protein assembly pathway. First, yeast mutants lacking folate show no defect in mitochondrial [4Fe-4S] protein maturation. Second, the 3D structure of Iba57 lacks many of the side chain contacts to THF as defined in GcvT, and the THF binding pocket is constricted. Third, mutations in conserved Iba57 residues that are essential for THF-dependent catalysis in GcvT do not impair Iba57 function in vivo, in contrast to an exchange of the invariant, surface-exposed cysteine residue. We conclude that mitochondrial Iba57, despite structural similarities to both YgfZ and THF-binding proteins, does not utilize folate for its function

Tagungsband zum 4. BIH-Treffen 2019: Interdisziplinäre Forschung - Chancen und Herausforderungen: Fachtagung für wissenschaftlich Beschäftigte und Nachwuchskräfte an Bauingenieur-Institutionen deutscher Hochschulen

Forschung und Wissenschaft sind wichtige Standbeine einer modernen Hochschule. Sie stellen eine Grundlage für die primäre Aufgabe der Hochschulen dar, die praxisnahe und berufsbefähigende Lehre auf dem aktuellen Stand der Technik und Wissenschaft. Mittlerweile widmen sich auch die Hochschulen der Ausbildung von wissenschaftlichem Nachwuchs. Prosperierende Forschungsarbeit ist dafür ein unverzichtbarer Bestandteil. Der Leitgedanke „Interdisziplinäre Forschung – Chancen und Herausforderungen“ des BIH-Treffens 2019 soll zum fachübergreifenden Austausch von Know-how in Forschungs- und Lehrmethoden anregen. Eine große Bandbreite an Fachbeiträgen bietet spannende Einblicke in die Arbeit der Kolleginnen und Kollegen in den unterschiedlichen Fachbereichen des Bauwesens der zahlreichen deutschen Hochschulen. Dazu gehören Beiträge zu modernen Messmethoden in der Geotechnik und dem Bahnbau ebenso wie Forschungsergebnisse aus dem konstruktiven Ingenieurbau, der Baukonstruktion, der Haustechnik und der Verkehrsplanung und nicht zuletzt Erfahrungen zu interdisziplinären Lehrmethoden.:Einfluss der Nachverdichtung granularer Böden auf die Phasengeschwindigkeiten von Rayleighwellen Sommerliche Überhitzung in Wohngebäuden – Baukonstruktive und haustechnische Anpassungsmaßnahmen Die „Hochschulweite Interdisziplinäre Projektwoche (HIP)“ an der TH Köln – andere Welten kennenlernen! Forschungsprojekt „Duale Radlösung“ – Wahlfreie Führung als Mittel der Radverkehrslösung Zwang in Hochbaudecken aus Stahlbeton (Kooperative Promotion) Robustheit und Vulnerabilität der Wasserstraßeninfrastruktur Vergleichbarkeit der Messsysteme an Zug- und Biegeproben aus den Werkstoffen Stahl und Holz Entwicklung einer Messmethodik zur Bestimmung der Schienenbewegung unter dem rollenden RadResearch and science are important mainstay of a modern university. They provide a basis for the primary task of the universities, the practical and occupational teaching on the current state of technology and science. In the meantime, the universities are also dedicating themselves to the training of junior scientists. Prospering research is an indispensable part of this. The guiding idea 'Interdisciplinary Research - Opportunities and Challenges' of the BIH meeting 2019 is intended to stimulate the interdisciplinary exchange of expertise in research and teaching methods. A wide range of specialist contributions provides exciting insights into the work of colleagues in the various specialized fields of civil engineering at numerous German universities. This includes papers to modern measuring methods in geotechnical engineering and railway construction, as well as research results from structural engineering, building construction, building technology and traffic planning, and last but not least, experience in interdisciplinary teaching methods.:Einfluss der Nachverdichtung granularer Böden auf die Phasengeschwindigkeiten von Rayleighwellen Sommerliche Überhitzung in Wohngebäuden – Baukonstruktive und haustechnische Anpassungsmaßnahmen Die „Hochschulweite Interdisziplinäre Projektwoche (HIP)“ an der TH Köln – andere Welten kennenlernen! Forschungsprojekt „Duale Radlösung“ – Wahlfreie Führung als Mittel der Radverkehrslösung Zwang in Hochbaudecken aus Stahlbeton (Kooperative Promotion) Robustheit und Vulnerabilität der Wasserstraßeninfrastruktur Vergleichbarkeit der Messsysteme an Zug- und Biegeproben aus den Werkstoffen Stahl und Holz Entwicklung einer Messmethodik zur Bestimmung der Schienenbewegung unter dem rollenden Ra

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Search for the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in pp collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV

A search for a Higgs boson decaying into two photons is described. The analysis is performed using a dataset recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC from pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV, which corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 4.8 inverse femtobarns. Limits are set on the cross section of the standard model Higgs boson decaying to two photons. The expected exclusion limit at 95% confidence level is between 1.4 and 2.4 times the standard model cross section in the mass range between 110 and 150 GeV. The analysis of the data excludes, at 95% confidence level, the standard model Higgs boson decaying into two photons in the mass range 128 to 132 GeV. The largest excess of events above the expected standard model background is observed for a Higgs boson mass hypothesis of 124 GeV with a local significance of 3.1 sigma. The global significance of observing an excess with a local significance greater than 3.1 sigma anywhere in the search range 110-150 GeV is estimated to be 1.8 sigma. More data are required to ascertain the origin of this excess.Comment: Submitted to Physics Letters

Large-scale mapping of mutations affecting zebrafish development

BACKGROUND: Large-scale mutagenesis screens in the zebrafish employing the mutagen ENU have isolated several hundred mutant loci that represent putative developmental control genes. In order to realize the potential of such screens, systematic genetic mapping of the mutations is necessary. Here we report on a large-scale effort to map the mutations generated in mutagenesis screening at the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology by genome scanning with microsatellite markers. RESULTS: We have selected a set of microsatellite markers and developed methods and scoring criteria suitable for efficient, high-throughput genome scanning. We have used these methods to successfully obtain a rough map position for 319 mutant loci from the Tübingen I mutagenesis screen and subsequent screening of the mutant collection. For 277 of these the corresponding gene is not yet identified. Mapping was successful for 80 % of the tested loci. By comparing 21 mutation and gene positions of cloned mutations we have validated the correctness of our linkage group assignments and estimated the standard error of our map positions to be approximately 6 cM. CONCLUSION: By obtaining rough map positions for over 300 zebrafish loci with developmental phenotypes, we have generated a dataset that will be useful not only for cloning of the affected genes, but also to suggest allelism of mutations with similar phenotypes that will be identified in future screens. Furthermore this work validates the usefulness of our methodology for rapid, systematic and inexpensive microsatellite mapping of zebrafish mutations