Die deutsche Sprache im Hochschulraum Bulgariens heute und morgen

Im folgenden Artikel geht es um die gegenwärtige Situation des Erwerbs der deutschen Sprache im bulgarischen Tertiärbereich, nachdem die Richtlinien gemäß des Bologna-Prozesses Anwendung gefunden haben. Eingegangen wird auf die Struktur der philologischen und die nach der deutschen Sprache ausgerichtete Bildung, den Unterschieden in den Curricula und den Studienprogrammen, als auch auf die Zukunft der deutschen Sprache im Hochschulbereich. Das Profil der Studenten und der Lehrkörper, Forschungsbereich und akademische Weiterentwicklung werden analysiert. Schließlich wird der Versuch unternommen, Probleme zu eruieren und Vorschläge zu machen, um die sogenannten „best practices“ im Hochschulbereich Bulgariens entsprechend zu implementieren.

Mechanisms behind Smc5/6 transcriptional regulation and cohesin-mediated chromosome organisation

The eukaryotic family of Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) complexes are multi-subunit, ring-like protein complexes and include condensin, cohesin and the Smc5/6 complex (Smc5/6). Considered as an entity, this family is essential for most chromosome-based processes, and protects against diverse human syndromes and diseases. Condensin’s main role is to compact mitotic chromosomes, while cohesin creates sister chromatid cohesion, i.e., holds sister chromatids together from their formation during S-phase until their separation in anaphase. In contrast, the main role of Smc5/6 is currently unknown. The Smc5/6 complex is involved in DNA repair, chromosome replication, segregation and telomere maintenance but the mechanism behind these activities remains poorly understood. Previous studies using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae show that Smc5/6 colocalises with cohesin between convergently transcribed genes on replicated chromosomes and that this association depends on cohesin and sister chromatid cohesion. However, while cohesin is evenly distributed along chromosomes, Smc5/6 binding positively correlates with increasing chromosome length, and augments after inhibition of the Top2 topoisomerase, suggesting a connection to DNA supercoiling and/or chromatid entanglements. Recently, Smc5/6 was also shown to specifically inhibit transcription of small circular viral genomes and plasmids, demonstrating that Smc5/6 suppresses transcription. How Smc5/6 recognises the viral genome and plasmids and inhibits transcription is currently not established. Knowing that highly expressed convergent genes generate high levels of supercoiling, we used a previously created system that allows induction of transcriptional superhelical stress. Using this system, we have shown that induction of high transcription from a convergently oriented gene pair induces Smc5/6 association to the intervening intergenic region. The association of Smc5/6 to this site is cohesin- and DNA-damage independent, and is most likely driven by accumulation of transcription-induced DNA supercoiling alone. To gain insight into Smc5/6 transcriptional function, we depleted Smc5/6 by auxin-dependent protein degradation, and found that this leads to an increase of newly-induced transcription. Smc5/6 removal, however, has no effect on constitutively active genes, thereby recapitulating the reported effects on gene expression from newly-deposited viruses. The increased transcription detected after Smc5/6-depletion is strongly reduced by Top2 inhibition, suggesting that Smc5/6 negatively regulates Top2 function. Together, our data indicate that Smc5/6-mediated repression of viral transcription depends on the accumulation of the complex on positively supercoiled DNA. There, Smc5/6 represses de novo transcription, by preventing supercoil release by Top2. Altogether, the findings presented in project I provide new information on Smc5/6 transcriptional function, and show that our system can be used to examine how Smc5/6 antagonises viral infections. Apart from its role in sister chromatid cohesion, recent in vitro studies showed that the cohesin complex is also able to gradually enlarge DNA loops, that is, to perform loop extrusion. This process is essential for mitotic chromosomes compaction, and folds the interphase genome into regions that preferentially interact, called topologically associated domains (TADs). Functionally, TADs are suggested to regulate transcription by facilitating or inhibiting interactions between enhancers and promoters. TADs formation likely occurs by extruding DNA through the ring-like structure of cohesin and TAD boundaries are often defined by cohesin chromosomal binding sites. Previous reports suggest that transcription is able to push cohesin along chromosomes, and that cohesin associates with replication forks. However, if transcription and replication regulate loop-extruding cohesin and if they have any active role in chromosome folding, remains unclear. This was examined in project II, where the transcription inhibitor thiolutin was used to evaluate the effect on cohesin loop extrusion. This established that transcription removal increases the length of DNA loops and diminishes the boundaries of TAD-like structures in yeast. Moreover, highly induced stress genes also create new cohesin-mediated loop boundaries. In addition, treatment with hydroxyurea, which leads to stalled replication forks, known to be bound by cohesin, also creates boundaries for loop-extruding cohesin. Together, our results show that both transcription and replication can act as barriers of loop-extruding cohesin and restrict the size of the cohesin-mediated loops. Together, this sheds additional light in the relationship between the regulation of loop extrusion, chromosome folding, transcription and replication, improving our knowledge of the three-dimensional organisation of chromosomes in the nucleus. In project III, the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae was used to examine and provide insight into the bacterial toxin ExoS from the human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.202

Subcultures as a Specific Construct and their Role in Corporate Governance

An important aspect of the broad range of issues concerning the role of the cultural context in corporate governance is explored. The paper’s focus is placed on identifying typical subcultural constructs in economics and more specifically in corporate governance and analysing their role in effective management. The purpose of the author is to reveal the genesis and to evaluate the rationality and irrationality in the manifestation of subcultural constructs in corporate governance. The basic idea is that deepening the study of the cultural context favours the development of current conceptual models for the management of human capital, as well as the introduction of proper and adequate practices for effective corporate governance. The main thesis is that the specificity of the subculture problem fits in the context of corporate governance and plays a role in its adequacy and effectiveness. By accepting this view, it could be implied that these elements are identified and analysed. After all, the options for overcoming the negatives caused by the subcultural elements could be viewed as realistic or not realistic in the current Bulgarian business environment, given the socioanthropological dominant

Definite Reference Mutability

Reference immutability type systems such as Javari and ReIm ensure that a given reference cannot be used to mutate the referenced object. These systems are conservative in the sense that a mutable reference may be mutable due to approximation. In this paper, we present ReM (for definite Re[ference] M[utability]). It separates mutable references into (1) definitely mutable, and (2) maybe mutable, i.e., references whose mutability is due to inherent approximation. In addition, we propose a CFL-reachability system for reference immutability, and prove that it is equivalent to ReIm/ReM, thus building a novel framework for reasoning about correctness of reference immutability type systems. We have implemented ReM and applied it on a large benchmark suite. Our results show that approximately 86.5% of all mutable references are definitely mutable

The territory-identity nexus in the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh: implications for OSCE peace efforts

Der Konflikt um Nagorno Karabakh erweist sich als hartnäckigste Auseinandersetzung im Süd-Kaukasus, da er eine Kombination von Separatismus und Irredentismus präsentiert und die Beziehung zwischen den beiden Nachbarstaaten Armenien und Aserbaidschan verschärft hat. Die geopolitische Orientierung beider Länder, Gegenstand grenzübergreifender regionaler und externaler Interessen und Einflüsse, ist in der Schwebe. Nagorno Karabakh ist der erste schwerwiegende Konflikt, bei dem in erster Linie die Organisation für Sicherheit und Zusammenarbeit in Europa (OSZE) mit ihrem konkreten Konzept der Friedenserhaltung als Vermittler involviert ist. Die Ausführungen orientieren sich an der Annahme, dass der normative Kontext der OSZE einen der Faktoren bildet, die die Konfliktlösung zu einer entmutigenden Aufgabe machen. Dem gemäß gilt die Aufmerksamkeit dem allgemeinen Effekt internationaler Normen und Prinzipien auf die Konfliktdynamiken und die Bemühungen um Konfliktlösungen. Zudem werden die Hauptbeschränkungen bei der Aussöhnung der gegensätzlichen Positionen der Konfliktparteien untersucht. Dem gemäß gliedern sich die Ausführungen in die folgenden Abschnitte: (1) Manifestationen der Gebiets-Identitäts-Verbindung, (2) Unvereinbarkeit des Prinzips der territorialen Einheit und dem Recht auf Selbstbestimmung sowie (3) Auswirkungen der Rivalität auf den OSZE-Friedensprozess. In einer Schlussfolgerung merkt die Autorin an, dass (1) sich die legitimierte Macht internationaler Normen und Prinzipien in einem uneindeutigen Zustand befindet und (2) die Haltung der Konfliktparteien häufig auf ihre eigenen Auslegungen der Normen und Prinzipien ausgerichtet ist. Somit bedarf es der Ausarbeitung eines angemessenen Rahmens, in dem nach kooperativen Lösungen auf der Basis gemeinsamer Bedürfnisse und Interessen der Konfliktparteien gesucht wird. (ICG2)'The conflict over Nagorno Karabakh stands out as the most intractable on the territory of the South Caucasus as it represents a combination of separatism and irredentism and has exacerbated the relations between two neighbouring countries - Armenia and Azerbaijan - whose geo-political orientation, subject to cross-cutting regional and external interests and influences, is still in the balance. Nagorno Karabakh is the first full-blown conflict where the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has been primarily involved as a mediator and the first conflict related to the OSCE's concrete talks to operationalize its concept of peacekeeping. This article argues that the OSCE normative context is one of the factors that has made the conflict resolution a daunting task. Focus is placed on the effect international norms and principles have on the conflict dynamics and on conflict resolution efforts in general. The article further examines the main constraints on reconciling the adversarial positions of the conflicting parties and concludes that there is a need for creating a framework to search for cooperative solutions based on common needs and interests.' (author's abstract

Definite Reference Mutability (Artifact)

Related paper "Definite Reference Mutability" presents ReM (Re[ference] M[utability]), a type system that separates mutable references into (1) definitely mutable, and (2) maybe mutable, i.e., references whose mutability is due to inherent approximation. We have implemented ReM and applied it on a large benchmark suite. Results show that ~ 86% of mutable references are definitely mutable. This article describes the tool artifact from the related paper. The purpose of the article and artifact is to allow researchers to reproduce our results, as well as build new type systems upon our code

Application of nanotechnology in detection of mycotoxins and in agricultural sector

A brief review of nanotechnology application in detection of mycotoxins and in agriculture sector was presented. Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by fungi. Their toxicity is the reason for implementation of various screening methods to detect them. During the last years, the highlight was put on nanoscale materials included in biosensors, which were some of the smart devices used for determination of mycotoxins, and in agriculture sector.Over the next decade, the progress of nanotechnology will demonstrated a way to improve detection of contaminated feed and food. To achieve this purpose the innovations of nanomaterials reported every year would be applied. In the paper, some of the applications developed by nanotechnology that would contribute to the implementation of new tools for analysis of mycotoxins and agricultural products were discussed