Jenseits des Naturzustandes. Eine postkoloniale Lektüre von Hobbes und Rousseau

The state of nature is a fundamental concept of modern political philosophy. As such, it is particularly associated with Thomas Hobbes' and Jean-Jacques Rousseau's work. As the following article shows, the state of nature is not simply an auxiliary construction [Hilfskonstruktion] for a theory that aims to clarify the relation between the political order and its origins and normative principles. It is also a figure of thought that introduces colonial images into political philosophy. The following reading of Hobbes and Rousseau, which also draws on image analysis, traces how their conceptions of the state of nature are constitutively linked to imaginations of the savage that emanate from contemporary colonial discourses. Moreover, by comparing the writings of Hobbes and Rousseau it becomes apparent that the colonial difference increasingly takes on a systematic relevance. This development further contains significant similarities with the changing use of gender differences in political philosoph

Taxonomía y biogeografía de Leptotyphlops Subcrotillus (serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae) en Ecuador

The present study provides taxonomic and distributional data on Leptotyphlops subcrotillus from Ecuador. A snake of the family Leptotyphlopidae, L . subcrotillus is distributed widely across Ecuador: to the north from the Province of Esmeraldas across the Ecuadorian coastland south to the Province of El Oro. The body size does not surpass 400 mm of total longitude and the average size, from the rostral scale to the caudal spine, is 128mm. The width at the midbody is 1.9mm, and the width of the tail is 1.4mm in average. This snake has 14 scale rows at the midbody, averaging 239 scales on the medium dorsal row.El presente trabajo aporta datos taxonómicos y de distribución de Leptotyphlops subcrotillus en el Ecuador. Perteneciente a la familia Leptotyphlopidae, L. subcrotillus se encuentra distribuida ampliamente en el Ecuador: al norte desde la Provincia de Esmeraldas por toda la costa Ecuatoriana hasta la provincia de El Oro al sur. El tamaño del cuerpo nunca sobrepasa los 400 mm de longitud y su largo total promedio, medido desde la escama rostral hasta la espina de la cola es de 128mm. Con un ancho al medio cuerpo de 1.9mm El ancho de la cola registró un promedio de 1.4mm. Esta culebra presenta 14 hileras al medio cuerpo, con un promedio de 239 escamas en la hilera media dorsal

Reviewing 39Ar and 37Ar underground production in shallow depths with implications for groundwater dating.

Argon-37 (37Ar) and Argon-39 (39Ar) are used for groundwater dating on timescales from weeks to centuries. For both isotopes, the quantification of underground sources is essential to accurately infer water residence times from sampled dissolved activities. Subsurface production resulting from interactions with neutrons from the natural radioactivity in rocks and with primary cosmogenic neutrons has been known for a long time. More recently, the capture of slow negative muons and reactions with muon-induced neutrons were documented for 39Ar subsurface production in the context of underground particle detectors (e.g. for Dark Matter research). However, the contribution from these particles was never considered for groundwater dating applications. Here, we reevaluate the importance of all potential depth-related production channels at depth ranges relevant for 39Ar groundwater dating [0-200 m below the surface (m.b.s)]. The production of radioargon by muon-induced processes is considered in this depth range for the first time. The uncertainty on the total depth-dependent production rate is estimated with Monte Carlo simulations assuming a uniform distribution of the parameter uncertainties. This work aims to provide a comprehensive framework for interpreting 39Ar activities in terms of groundwater residence times and for exposure age dating of rocks. The production of 37Ar is also addressed since this isotope is relevant as a proxy for 39Ar production, for the timing of river-groundwater exchanges, and in the context of on-site inspections (OSI) within the verification framework of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). In this perspective, we provide an interactive web-based application for the calculation of 37Ar and 39Ar production rates in rocks

Switzerland and ‘Colonialism without Colonies.’ Reflections on the Status of Colonial Outsiders.

In this essay the theoretical focus of postcolonial theory has been shifted from the cultures and societies of former formal colonies to those countries that have an explicit self-understanding as an outsider within the European colonial power constellation. Using the example of Switzerland, it analyses the presence and perseverance of colonial structures and power relations in a country that has never been regarded as or understood itself as an official colonial power. In a first step, we compare present debates on colonialism in Switzerland with those in neighbouring countries, i.e. France, Germany, Italy and Austria. In a second step, we trace previous research that postulates a link between Switzerland and colonialism, and apply the concept of ‘colonialism without colonies’, which, in contrast, engages with methods and themes that have emerged from postcolonial studies. Finally, we present a specific case study on ‘Swiss commodity racism’ in order to elucidate the concept ‘colonialism without colonies’

Formaldehyde biodegradation in the presence of methanol under denitrifying conditions

Simultaneous formaldehyde and methanol biodegradation and also denitrification were studied in batch assays and in a continuous laboratory-scale reactor. In batch assays, high formaldehyde concentrations (up to 1360 mg dm−3) were removed under anoxic conditions in the presence of methanol. It was found that formaldehyde biodegradation produced methanol and formic acid as products. The denitrification process was affected by the initial formaldehyde concentration. In the continuous reactor, the biodegradation of different concentrations of formaldehyde (1500–275 mg dm−3) and methanol (153–871 mg dm−3) took place, maintaining the organic loading rate at 0.84 g COD dm−3 d−1 (COD/N 4). However, each increase in the methanol concentration in the influent caused a decrease in the denitrification level. An adaptation period to methanol was necessary before the denitrification percentage could be recovered. In contrast with batch assays, in the continuous reactor methanol and formic acid were not detected in the effluent. Moreover, in the continuous reactor the denitrification percentages were higher and the nitrite accumulation was lower.Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia; REN2000-0218-P4-02Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnologia; PPQ2002-02882Xunta de Galicia; PGIDIT03PXIC10304PNXunta de Galicia; PGIDIT03AM13

Ambient vertical flow in long-screen wells: a case study in the Fontainebleau Sands Aquifer (France)

A tritium (3H) profile was constructed in a long-screened well (LSW) of the Fontainebleau Sands Aquifer (France), and the data were combined with temperature logs to gain insight into the potential effects of the ambient vertical flow (AVF) of water through the well on the natural aquifer stratification. AVF is commonly taken into account in wells located in fracture aquifers or intercepting two different aquifers with distinct hydraulic heads. However, due to the vertical hydraulic gradient of the flow lines intercepted by wells, AVF of groundwater is a common process within any type of aquifer. The detection of 3H in the deeper parts of the studied well (approximate depth 50m), where 3H-free groundwater is expected, indicates that shallow young water is being transported downwards through the well itself. The temperature logs show a nearly zero gradient with depth, far below the mean geothermal gradient in sedimentary basins. The results show that the age distribution of groundwater samples might be biased in relation to the age distribution in the surroundings of the well. The use of environmental tracers to investigate aquifer properties, particularly in LSWs, is then limited by the effects of the AVF of water that naturally occurs through the wel

Prolog: Mehr als ein Schlagwort: Dekolonisieren (in) der postkolonialen Schweiz

The text takes as its starting point a statement recently made by the philosopher Sushila Mesquita, who expressed her concerns that "decolonial" might become another buzzword, quickly losing its radical force. This raises the question of what makes decolonizing possible as a practice that cuts across academic, activist, political and cultural elds, and that aims at transforming rather than rearranging current regimes of power. The article takes this question up with reference to novel research findings. It argues that while race constitutes a crucial category of social organization in Switzerland, its significance tends to be strongly denied. It further maintains that groundbreaking attempts to decolonize cultural and educational institutions have emerged in the past few years. However, these approaches are still marginal as well as marginalized, and need more recognition if they are to have an impact