Relevance differently affects the truth, acceptability, and probability evaluations of “and”, “but”, “therefore”, and “if–then”

In this study we investigate the influence of reason-relation readings of indicative conditionals and ‘and’/‘but’/‘therefore’ sentences on various cognitive assessments. According to the Frege-Grice tradition, a dissociation is expected. Specifically, differences in the reason-relation reading of these sentences should affect participants’ evaluations of their acceptability but not of their truth value. In two experiments we tested this assumption by introducing a relevance manipulation into the truth-table task as well as in other tasks assessing the participants’ acceptability and probability evaluations. Across the two experiments a strong dissociation was found. The reason-relation reading of all four sentences strongly affected their probability and acceptability evaluations, but hardly affected their respective truth evaluations. Implications of this result for recent work on indicative conditionals are discussed

East of Suez : China’s Role in the Middle East (2003-2013)

The focus of this study is to understand the process of regional role formation and if and how China’s regional economic presence and its global ‘rise’ are transmitted into a regional political role. Today, China is becoming more economically involved in nearly all regions of the world and this often leads observers to conclude that China is becoming a ‘global power’ or a ‘superpower’. What this assumption often overlooks, is how this is new presence of China is perceived by regional states, and if and how this regional perception feeds back into China’s thinking about its own role. If the economic capabilities are not the only decisive factor in attributing or choosing foreign policy roles, then the puzzle should be why certain states chose certain roles, or are attributed certain roles, even if their capabilities would allow them alternative ones. Two theoretical concepts will be used in this study to help us understand how China is evolving as an international actor. First, the concept of ‘role’ as described in constructivist role theory, as a pattern of behaviour that limits and enables the behaviour of international actors, and second, the ‘region’, in a constructivist sense as a Regional Security Complex (RSC), as the constitutive arena in which roles of actors are formed in a discursive process. China’s role in the Middle East therefore is less a function of its growing capabilities, and more a result of socialization between China and Middle Eastern countries. Distinguishing four different levels of discourses has been a useful analytical framework as it enables us to understand the different perspectives of China, the regional debate, the Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian domestic discourses and those of the other international actors. While it remains difficult to clearly delimit the different levels, especially the regional and the domestic level, it still allows us to identify the three main findings: The ‘knowledge gap’ between China and the Arab states; substantial differences in the framing of political identity and roles; and most importantly the differing role conceptions and expectations between China and the Arab states, which in turn are a result of both knowledge gap and cultural differences. The historical roles ascribed to external powers in the Middle Eastern RSC differ fundamentally from the Chinese historical experience. While ‘anti-imperialist’ rhetoric is used in the Middle East as frequently as in China, outside intervention has been a permanent characteristic of the Middle Eastern RSC. In the Chinese debate before the Arab Spring, the Middle East also had the role of an ideological ally as the only region in the world where there is no functioning democracy, and a good argument for the concept of political order being based on culture. With the Arab Spring, the Chinese perception changed and the Middle East was now seen even more as a source of instability and danger to the Chinese domestic order. China tried to counter this threat in its debate by focusing on the causes of the Arab Spring as typically Arab and emphasizing that the Chinese political system has been more effective in meting its people’s needs. Accordingly, from 2013 onwards China actively tried to address its role conflict in the Middle East and Xi Jinping substantiated China’s willingness for a role change in October 2013 by publicising the ‘One Belt –One Road’ framework, now named ‚Belt and Road Initiative‘ not only as a revival of the old silk road, but more importatnly as an attempt to negotiate China‘s new roles – globally and in the Middle East

Towards future land-use technologies: Life-long learning experiences on excursions

The integration of current agricultural research results including the use of the latest technologies into professional practice and university teaching requires direct exchange between employed people, students, and researchers. One possibility is the visit of research stations to observe, interpret and discuss the effects of different land-use treatments. This article explains the advantages, challenges and efforts of universities as organizers of excursions. Therefore, a pilot excursion to a well-known research station with a visit to an orchard in Central Germany with students and employees took place. Besides the numerous experiments, the challenges of agriculture in a dry climate (average yearly precipitation from 1896 to 2004 is 484mm) on the very nutrient-rich chernozem were an important topic. Our experiences from this excursion show high potential and the special value of this event to combine the practical challenges of land use with the new possibilities of research. Preparing the content of the excursion to support practical understanding and discussion with the scientists proved to be an advantage. Also useful is a follow-up session for sustainable use of the information gathered during the field trip. Of great importance is an administrative structure at the university that supports this type of teaching

Computational comparison between the Taylor--Hood and the conforming Crouzeix--Raviart element

This paper is concerned with the computational performance of the P₂ P₁ Taylor-Hood element and the conforming P₂+ P-1 Crouzeix-Raviart element in the finite element discretization of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. To this end various kinds of discretization errors are computed as well as the behavior of two different preconditioners to solve the arising systems are studied

Numerical investigation of the non-isothermal contact angle

The influence of thermocapillary stress on the shape of the gas-liquid phase boundary is investigated numerically. We consider the case of a cold liquid meniscus at a heated solid wall in the absence of gravity. An "apparent contact angle" is defined geometrically and the deviation of this apparent contact angle from the prescribed static contact angle due to thermocapillary convection is studied

ADIÇÃO DE Epidendrum tridens (ORCHIDACEAE, LAELIINAE) PARA A FLORA BRASILEIRA

Through this work the geographical distribution of Epidendrum tridens is enlarged, after its discovery in Brazil. Hitherto the species was recorded only in Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. A brief description of the taxon is provided, together with photographies, notes on distribution, habitat and phenology. Finally, similarities and differences with the closest relatives present in the Amazon Basin are discussed.Keywords: Amazon Basin; Amazonas; new record; Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke; taxonomy.Este estudo amplia a distribuição geográfica de Epidendrum tridens após sua descoberta no Brasil. Até então possuía registro apenas para a Bolívia, Equador e Peru e Venezuela. É fornecida uma breve descrição da espécie, além de serem apresentadas fotografias e comentários relacionados à distribuição, habitat, fenologia e comparação com as espécies congêneres ocorrentes na Bacia Amazonica.Palavras-chave: Amazonas, Bacia Amazonica, novo registro, Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, taxonomia

Incommensurate antiferromagnetic fluctuations in the two-dimensional Hubbard model

Commensurate and incommensurate antiferromagnetic fluctuations in the two-dimensional repulsive t-t'-Hubbard model are investigated using functional renormalization group equations. For a sufficient deviation from half filling we establish the existence of local incommensurate order below a pseudocritical temperature T_{pc}. Fluctuations not accounted for in the mean field approximation are important--they lower T_{pc} by a factor \approx2.5.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figures, some changes due to referees' comments, equivalent to published versio

Cherry growing in Germany, science and education - a field trip summary

Sustainable land use needs basic and applied research as well as new teaching methods. In order to connect the different demands collaboration with leading research institutes was combined with a field trip to practical land users. The cherry orchard “Obsthof Schwitzky” in Germany was visited including cherry testing in order to inform students about the most advanced production opportunities and research gaps as a case study of the SUMCULA project (Sustainable Management of Cultural Landscapes). The article reports collected information by the student participants about local production specifics and development opportunities. A literature search of two databases completes the summary of practical cherry cultivation with current relevant research questions. The area cultivated with cherries decreased from 1992 to less than 8,000ha in Germany. Still, researchers conduct experiments on cherry growing in Germany, but the United States publish most studies. The amount of articles concerning cherries increases since 2004/2005 and can be subdivided into the main topics growth, yield and rootstock. The field trip revealed a high interest of students on local fruit production, their innovative cultivation methods, weed and pest control as well as its opportunities to support wild fauna and flora