289 research outputs found
spotlight europe #2013/04, May 2013: The Changing Face of North Africa. An Opportunity for and with Europe.
North Africa is changing fast, and its youthful societies look back with pride at their recent uprisings. However, they are also getting frustrated by the fact that the economic outlook is not improving. Europe’s role in the strategically important southern Mediterranean area needs to be realigned in order to promote the development of democracy, employment opportunities, and security. There is a great deal of potential for cooperation with Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt
Flashlight Europe N°2–February 2015. “Europe must now get involved in a very big way”
More than three years after al-Gaddafi was overthrown, Libya has still not returned to some semblance of normality. In many places, the Libyan state exists only on paper. No less than two governments and dozens of rival tribes, all with their own militias and armed to the teeth, are trying to come to power. In the midst of this chaos “IS,” the terrorist organization, has now entered the fray. Evidence of this is provided by the brutal murder of 21 Egyptian Copts, which could trigger off a civil war that will pose a threat to the entire region and to Europe. Mirco Keilberth, an expert on Libya, explains what is going on
spotlight europe #2015/02—July 2015: A Gulf CSC Could Bring Peace and Greater Security to the Middle East
Wars continue to ravage in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Refugees are wandering around
aimlessly in the Middle East with many fleeing to Europe. Saudi Arabia and Iran
are adding fuel to the flames. They are vying for supremacy while remaining
highly suspicious of each other. A Conference for Security and Cooperation could
help to ease existing tensions. Many years ago the CSCE was a resounding success.
It could thus serve as a blueprint with the nuclear agreement with Iran as a starting
point of such a venture
Measurement of nuclide cross-sections of spallation residues in 1 A GeV 238U + proton collisions
The production of heavy nuclides from the spallation-evaporation reaction of
238U induced by 1 GeV protons was studied in inverse kinematics. The
evaporation residues from tungsten to uranium were identified in-flight in mass
and atomic number. Their production cross-sections and their momentum
distributions were determined. The data are compared with empirical
systematics. A comparison with previous results from the spallation of 208Pb
and 197Au reveals the strong influence of fission in the spallation of 238U.Comment: 20 pages, 10 figures, background information at
http://www-wnt.gsi.de/kschmidt
Evaporation residues produced in spallation of 208Pb by protons at 500A MeV
The production cross sections of fragmentation-evaporation residues in the
reaction Pb+p at 500A MeV have been measured using the inverse-kinematics
method and the FRS spectrometer (GSI). Fragments were identified in nuclear
charge using ionisation chambers. The mass identification was performed
event-by-event using the B-rho - TOF - Delta-E technique. Although
partially-unresolved ionic charge states induced an ambiguity on the mass of
some heavy fragments, production rates could be obtained with a high accuracy
by systematically accounting for the polluting ionic charge states. The
contribution of multiple reactions in the target was subtracted using a new,
partly self-consistent code. The isobaric distributions are found to have a
shape very close to the one observed in experiments at higher energy. Kinematic
properties of the fragments were also measured. The total and the isotopic
cross sections, including charge-pickup cross sections, are in good agreement
with previous measurements. The data are discussed in the light of previous
spallation measurements, especially on lead at 1 GeV
Changes in microphytobenthos fluorescence over a tidal cycle: implications for sampling designs
Intertidal microphytobenthos (MPB) are important primary producers and provide food for herbivores in soft sediments and on rocky shores. Methods of measuring MPB biomass that do not depend on the time of collection relative to the time of day or tidal conditions are important in any studies that need to compare temporal or spatial variation, effects of abiotic factors or activity of grazers. Pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) fluorometry is often used to estimate biomass of MPB because it is a rapid, non-destructive method, but it is not known how measures of fluorescence are altered by changing conditions during a period of low tide. We investigated this experimentally using in situ changes in minimal fluorescence (F) on a rocky shore and on an estuarine mudflat around Sydney (Australia), during low tides. On rocky shores, the time when samples are taken during low tide had little direct influence on measures of fluorescence as long as the substratum is dry. Wetness from wave-splash, seepage from rock pools, run-off, rainfall, etc., had large consequences for any comparisons. On soft sediments, fluorescence was decreased if the sediment dried out, as happens during low-spring tides on particularly hot and dry days. Surface water affected the response of PAM and therefore measurements used to estimate MPB, emphasising the need for care to ensure that representative sampling is done during low tide
Chief digital officers:An analysis of the presence of a centralized digital transformation role
By appointing a chief digital officer (CDO), firms decide for a central role responsible for their digital transformation. While CDOs have recently appeared in the C-suites of firms across the globe, the current literature lacks insights into the specific antecedents of CDO presence. Grounded in the peculiarities of the digital age, we provide theoretical arguments explaining how the decision to centralize digital transformation responsibilities might be related to transformation urgency and coordination needs. Empirical analyses based on a panel data set of 913 U.S. and European firms support that transformation urgency and coordination needs predict CDO presence. An additional analysis of moderating temporal effects reveals that, over time, the effect of transformation urgency is weakened and the effect of coordination needs on CDO presence is strengthened. We discuss implications for research and practice regarding the antecedents of CDO presence, TMT research more generally, and centralization in the digital age
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