The European Union’s Border Management. A study about the coordination in its horizontal and vertical dimension

One of the greatest achievements of the European Union (EU) is the abolition of internal borders and the establishment of the right to free movement. Consequently, the EU has made an effort managing its common external borders by establishing several internal mechanisms, instruments and bodies as well as various forms of cooperation with the associated Schengen countries and external third actors. Considering the various means of the EU’s border policy, the question arises how these different efforts are coordinated. As for the EU’s border management to be effective it has to take place at different levels. Hence, this study’s analysis is guided by an altered version of the four-tier access control model developed in the EU Schengen Catalogue. Thereby, the focus lies on the different efforts undertaken by the EU as well as on the coordination in the horizontal and the vertical dimension of border management. As result, this thesis suggests that the mode of coordination depends on the respective stakeholders involved and the EU’s relationship towards these actors and therefore varies across the different levels of border management

Higgs, di-Higgs and tri-Higgs production via SUSY processes at the LHC with 14 TeV

We have systematically investigated the production of a Higgs boson with a mass of about $125$ GeV in the decays of supersymmetric particles within the phenomenological MSSM (pMSSM). We find regions of parameter space that are consistent with all world data and that predict a sizeable rate of anomalous Higgs, di-Higgs and even tri-Higgs events at the 14 TeV LHC. All relevant SUSY production processes are investigated. We find that Higgs bosons can be produced in a large variety of SUSY processes, resulting in a large range of different detector signatures containing missing transverse momentum. Such Higgs events are outstanding signatures for new physics already for the early 14 TeV LHC data. SUSY processes are also important to interprete deviations found in upcoming Standard Model Higgs and di-Higgs production measurements.Comment: Version submitted to JHE

Gravitational Collapse of Gravitational Waves in 3D Numerical Relativity

We demonstrate that evolutions of three-dimensional, strongly non-linear gravitational waves can be followed in numerical relativity, hence allowing many interesting studies of both fundamental and observational consequences. We study the evolution of time-symmetric, axisymmetric {\it and} non-axisymmetric Brill waves, including waves so strong that they collapse to form black holes under their own self-gravity. The critical amplitude for black hole formation is determined. The gravitational waves emitted in the black hole formation process are compared to those emitted in the head-on collision of two Misner black holes.Comment: 4 page

Cerebral networks linked to the event-related potential P300

Abstract.: P300 is an event-related potential that is elicited by an oddball paradigm. In several neuropsychiatric diseases, differences in latencies and amplitude compared to healthy subjects have been reported. Because of its clinical significance, several investigations have tried to elucidate the intracranial origins of the P300 component. In the present study we could demonstrate a network of P300 generators. Investigated were 15 healthy subjects with an acoustical oddball paradigm within a fMRI block design, which enabled us to exclude attention or acoustical processing effects. The inferior and middle frontal, superior temporal, lower parietal cortex, the insula and the anterior cingulum were significantly activated symmetrical in both hemisphere

Assisting age related capabilities by ambient technology to prevent functional decline

The elderly is characterized by age related capabilities and handicaps. Whereas age related capabilities like plasticity and adaptability on changing living conditions can lead to subjective well-being and support the recovery of limiting conditions like disease and disability, age related handicaps can enforce these conditions. Multimorbidity can lead to acute and chronic functional decline, especially when limiting conditions are enforced by age related handicaps. In a "circulus vitiosus" disease and disability threaten the independence of the elderly that leads to immobility, social isolation, depression and other health conditions with amplification and generation of new diseases. Ambient Technology has the potential to interrupt this "circulus vitiosus" by limiting age related handicaps, assist age related capabilities, prevent acute or chronic diseases and as a consequence can improve the quality of life of elderly and their care giving relatives. In this overview we demonstrate a brief summary of past experience with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as part of Ambient Technology (AT) in the "TeleReha" project and ongoing approaches in the "Vitanet" project and the "FOG-1" project followed by a future considerations conducting ICT-Project in elderly

Aplicação do rejeito do beneficiamento do carvão de Moatize (Moçambique) como sólido sorvente na remoção de cromo (VI)

Uma das principais consequências dos processos de mineração e beneficiamento do carvão é a elevada produção de rejeitos. Esses materiais retornam às cavas de mineração ocasionando efeitos negativos ao meio ambiente, como a drenagem ácida de mina. Uma alternativa em potencial para esses rejeitos é aplica-los no tratamento de efluentes líquidos como sólidos sorventes. Dentre os principais poluentes aquosos destacam-se os metais pesados e, entre eles, o cromo hexavalente, devido aos seus efeitos carcinogênicos e mutagênicos, sendo altamente prejudicial aos organismos vivos. Neste contexto, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo utilizar o rejeito do beneficiamento do carvão de Moatize (Moçambique) como sólido sorvente para a remoção de cromo hexavalente de águas contaminadas. O sólido foi utilizado em duas granulometrias diferentes: no intervalo entre 0,7 e 1,5 mm (R1) e menor que 0,074 mm (R2). As amostras foram caracterizadas segundo sua massa específica, densidade aparente, área superficial (BET), volume de poros e diâmetro de poros (BJH), ponto de carga zero, composição química (FRX) e mineralógica (DRX). Ensaios experimentais foram realizados a fim de determinar as melhores condições de sorção, onde foram avaliados o efeito do pH, do tempo de residência e da concentração de sorvente As melhores condições encontradas para o sólido R1 foram: pH 2, 10 h de ensaio e concentração de sorvente de 8 g L-1, onde foi obtido 98,6% de remoção de Cr(VI). A maior remoção para o sólido R2 foi de 98,8%, obtida utilizando-se: pH 2, 50 min de ensaio e concentração de sorvente de 10 g L-1. Comparando com o limite previsto pela legislação brasileira CONAMA 430 para despejos industriais as concentrações finais de cromo hexavalente em solução ficaram abaixo do valor máximo estabelecido (0,1 mg L-1). A partir destas condições encontradas, foram construídas isotermas de equilíbrio e os modelos de Langmuir, Freundlich e Sips foram ajustados aos dados experimentais. Para o sólido R1, os modelos de Langmuir e Sips demostraram um bom ajuste, apresentando valores de R2 de 0,897 e 0,907 respectivamente. Já para o sólido R2, o modelo de Sips foi o que melhor representou os dados experimentais, com um R2 de 0,954. Os resultados encontrados indicam que o rejeito de carvão de Moatize pode ser utilizado para o tratamento de águas contaminadas com cromo hexavalente.One of the main consequences of coal mining and beneficiation process is the large production of waste and by-products. These materials return to the mines generating significant negative impacts to the environment. One of the possible applications for the coal wastes is in the wastewater treatments, where it can be used as a sorbent. Amongst the main water pollutants, heavy metals stand out, especially hexavalent chromium, due to its carcinogenic and mutagenic effects, being highly prejudicial to the living organisms. In this context, the objective of this study is to use coal beneficiation waste from Moatize (Mozambique) as a sorbent to remove hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution. Coal waste was utilized in two different particle sizes: between 0.7 and 1.5 mm and smaller than 0.074 mm. These solids were characterized for their specific weight, bulk density, superficial area (BET), pore volume and diameter (BJH), point of zero charge, chemical composition (XRF) and mineral composition (XRD). Experiments were conducted to determinate the best sorption conditions, were the operating parameters investigated were: solution pH, contact time and sorbent concentration The best conditions for Cr(VI) sorption onto R1 were: pH 2, 10 h and 8 g L-1 of sorbent concentration, were 98.6% removal was obtained. Cr(VI) maximum removal onto R2 of 98.8% was achieved at pH 2, 50 min and 10 g L-1 of sorbent concentration. Comparing with the limit permitted by Brazilian legislation, CONAMA 430, for industrial wastewaters, the final Cr(VI) concentration in water were below the maximum established by law (0.1 mg L-1). From these results, equilibrium isotherms were build and the mathematical models of Langmuir, Freundlich and Sips were fitted to the experimental data. For the R1 sorbent, Langmuir and Sips models fitted better the experiments, with R2 values of 0.897 and 0.907, respectively. Sips model described better the experimental data when the R2 sorbent was used, with a R2 of 0.954. Results showed that Moatize’s coal waste can be utilized for hexavalent chromium wastewater treatment

Oxidoreduktasen aus Agaricomyceten für Lebensmittel- und Waschmittelanwendungen

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Root Locus Design for the Synchronization of Multi-Agent Systems in General Directed Networks

This paper considers the synchronization problem of multi-agent SISO systems with general unidirectional communication structures. A distributed control strategy is presented which relies on relative output differences of neighboring agents and, thus, does not need relative state information. We propose a root locus design method to determine the synchronization gain. Since in directed networks the characteristic equation for synchronization might be complex valued, we use tools from the complex root locus technique to solve the synchronization task