Difference as a Potential for European Constitution-Making

In the following contribution I propose an analytical approach in which dealing with differences in decision-making is the central factor in explaining the output of European governance. It is the hypothesis that differences can, under certain conditions, be a positive potential for effective governance and problem-solving in the European Union. The prerequisite conditions include actors that take differences seriously, structures of decision-making that are suitable for recognising and organising differences and processes of decision-making in which actors deal with differences in a democratic and communicative way. The analytical approach is applied to European constitution making and the European Convention. First, it is analysed how representative the membership of the Convention has been. It can be assumed that Members of the Convention in order to recognise differences and have an interest in the positive potential of difference must represent differences themselves. Second, it is examined how difference in institutional concepts with regard to a greater involvement of national parliaments in European politics was dealt with. Did arguing influence the protocol on national parliaments in the Convention's draft or have status and power been more important for the solution that was finally agreed upon? Third, it is investigated how difference in interests between big and small states with regard to the position of the President of the European Council influenced the final decision. Although difference was dealt with less democratically and communicatively than in the case of national parliaments the arguments of Members of the Convention against a permanent President were not without consequences for the final article in the Convention's draft. Having shown in the empirical part that differences can be a positive potential for European constitution making, I conclude with the normative proposition that the democratic organisation of difference is the task of a European Constitutional Treaty.constitution building; European Convention; governance; integration theory

Ein Plädoyer für rasche und weitreichende Reformen der Europäischen Union

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Bildungsreform: Was wird aus den deutschen Hochschulen?

Der internationale Wettbewerb in der Wissenschaft wird sich in Zukunft weiter verschärfen. Zur Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in Deutschland plädiert Prof. Dr. Klaus Landfried, Präsident der Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, für eine ausgewogene Mischung zwischen Marktorientierung und Selbststeuerung der Hochschulen. Für Prof. Dr. Manfred J.M. Neumann, Universität Bonn, kann es eine grundlegende Erneuerung nur geben, »wenn das noch immer dominierende Leitbild einer zentralisierten Steuerung der Universität von oben zugunsten des alternativen Leitbilds einer dezentralen Steuerung durch marktgeleiteten Wettbewerb verabschiedet wird ... «. Unterstützt wird diese Argumentation von Prof. Dr. Robert von Weizsäcker und Dr. Alexander Kemnitz, Universität Mannheim, die eine finanzielle Selbstbeteiligung der Studierenden einfordern. Dr. Björn Frank, Universität Hohenheim, kommt in der Frage des Qualifikationsnachweises für Hochschullehrer zu dem Schluss, »dass die Habilitation doch nicht so ersatzlos, wie vom BMBF vorgesehen, entfallen sollte«

Digoxin-induced retinal degeneration depends on rhodopsin

Na,K-ATPases are energy consuming ion pumps that are required for maintaining ion homeostasis in most cells. In the retina, Na,K-ATPases are especially important to sustain the dark current in photoreceptor cells needed for rapid hyperpolarization of rods and cones in light. Cardiac glycosides like digoxin inhibit the activity of Na,K-ATPases by targeting their catalytic alpha subunits. This leads to a disturbed ion balance, which can affect cellular function and survival. Here we show that the treatment of wild-type mice with digoxin leads to severe retinal degeneration and loss of vision. Digoxin induced cell death specifically in photoreceptor cells with no or only minor effects in other retinal cell types. Photoreceptor-specific cytotoxicity depended on the presence of bleachable rhodopsin. Photoreceptors of Rpe65 knockouts, which have no measurable rhodopsin and photoreceptors of Rpe65(R91W) mice that have <10% of the rhodopsin found in retinas of wild-type mice were not sensitive to digoxin treatment. Similarly, cones in the all-cone retina of Nrl knockout mice were also not affected. Digoxin induced expression of several genes involved in stress signaling and inflammation. It also activated proteins such as ERK1/2, AKT, STAT1, STAT3 and CASP1 during a period of up to 10 days after treatment. Activation of signaling genes and proteins, as well as the dependency on bleachable rhodopsin resembles mechanisms of light-induced photoreceptor degeneration. Digoxin-mediated photoreceptor cell death may thus be used as an inducible model system to study molecular mechanisms of retinal degeneration

Bildungsreform: Was wird aus den deutschen Hochschulen?

Der internationale Wettbewerb in der Wissenschaft wird sich in Zukunft weiter verschärfen. Zur Förderung des wissenschaftlichen Nachwuchses in Deutschland plädiert Prof. Dr. Klaus Landfried, Präsident der Hochschulrektorenkonferenz, für eine ausgewogene Mischung zwischen Marktorientierung und Selbststeuerung der Hochschulen. Für Prof. Dr. Manfred J.M. Neumann, Universität Bonn, kann es eine grundlegende Erneuerung nur geben, »wenn das noch immer dominierende Leitbild einer zentralisierten Steuerung der Universität von oben zugunsten des alternativen Leitbilds einer dezentralen Steuerung durch marktgeleiteten Wettbewerb verabschiedet wird ... «. Unterstützt wird diese Argumentation von Prof. Dr. Robert von Weizsäcker und Dr. Alexander Kemnitz, Universität Mannheim, die eine finanzielle Selbstbeteiligung der Studierenden einfordern. Dr. Björn Frank, Universität Hohenheim, kommt in der Frage des Qualifikationsnachweises für Hochschullehrer zu dem Schluss, »dass die Habilitation doch nicht so ersatzlos, wie vom BMBF vorgesehen, entfallen sollte«.Deutschland, Hochschule, Globalisierung, Hochschulreform, Internationaler Wettbewerb

Designing a Course as a New Instructor During a Pandemic

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Characterization of the Behavior of Confined Laminar Round Jets

Laminar jets have been very important in the understanding of fluid dynamics in practical applications. Several examples include expansions in pipes and flow of gas into a large plenum. While much previous research has given consideration to heat transfer behavior and pressure gradients within the confinement, little attention has been paid to quantify the velocity profiles and transitions between various flow regimes. Using a finite volume CFD code, OpenFOAM ®, the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations were solved for a varying expansion ratio and varying Reynolds numbers. In the present analysis, three separate Reynolds numbers are tested (32.2, 48.3, 64.4, based on the inlet jet diameter and velocity), while the expansion ratio is varied from 40-100. Results suggest that initially, the flow characteristics are identical to a free jet. At some downstream location, the presence of the enclosure is felt by the jet and deviations begin to be seen from free jet behavior. This transition region continues until at a sufficiently large downstream location, the flow becomes fully developed, internal Poiseuille flow. In this thesis, analysis is conducted for these transition regions and explanations are offered with practical correlations to successfully predict the important flow physics that occur between free jet behavior and Poiseuille flow. Of primary focus are predictive correlations for the jet centerline velocity and the jet half width, as a function of jet Reynolds number and expansion ratio. Similar functional dependence is also determined for the “linear” decay region of the jet and the reattachment location on the enclosure wall. Key dimensionless parameters are identified, the magnitude of which can be used to classify the flow conditions