Direct measurement of thermophoretic forces

We study the thermophoretic motion of a micron sized single colloidal particle in front of a flat wall by evanescent light scattering. To quantify thermophoretic effects we analyse the nonequilibrium steady state (NESS) of the particle in a constant temperature gradient perpendicular to the confining walls. We propose to determine thermophoretic forces from a 'generalized potential' associated with the probability distribution of the particle position in the NESS. Experimentally we demonstrate, how this spatial probability distribution is measured and how thermophoretic forces can be extracted with 10 fN resolution. By varying temperature gradient and ambient temperature, the temperature dependence of Soret coefficient $S_T(T)$ is determined for $r = 2.5 \mu m$ polystyrene and $r = 1.35 \mu m$ melamine particles. The functional form of $S_T(T)$ is in good agreement with findings for smaller colloids. In addition, we measure and discuss hydrodynamic effects in the confined geometry. The theoretical and experimental technique proposed here extends thermophoresis measurements to so far inaccessible particle sizes and particle solvent combinations

Quantifying N2O and CO2 emissions from subtropical pasture

Greenhouse gas emissions from a well established, unfertilized tropical grass-legume pasture were monitored over two consecutive years using high resolution automatic sampling. Nitrous oxide emissions were highest during the summer months and were highly episodic, related more to the size and distribution of rain events than WFPS alone. Mean annual emissions were significantly higher during 2008 (5.7 ± 1.0 g N2O-N/ha/day) than 2007 (3.9 ± 0.4 and g N2O-N/ha/day) despite receiving nearly 500 mm less rain. Mean CO2 (28.2 ± 1.5 kg CO2 C/ha/day) was not significantly different (P 70% indicated a threshold for soil conditions favouring denitrification. The use of automatic chambers for high resolution greenhouse gas sampling can greatly reduce emission estimation errors associated with temperature and WFPS changes

04511 Abstracts Collection -- Architecting Systems with Trustworthy Components

From 12.12.04 to 17.12.04, the Dagstuhl Seminar 04511 ``Architecting Systems with Trustworthy Components\u27\u27 was held in the International Conference and Research Center (IBFI), Schloss Dagstuhl. During the seminar, several participants presented their current research, and ongoing work and open problems were discussed. Abstracts of the presentations given during the seminar as well as abstracts of seminar results and ideas are put together in this paper. The first section describes the seminar topics and goals in general. Links to extended abstracts or full papers are provided, if available

Hat das Ausbildungsniveau einen Einfluss auf das individuelle Rentenzugangsverhalten?

Der vorliegende Beitrag untersucht, inwieweit das Ausbildungsniveau der Versicherten das Rentenzugangsgeschehen beeinflusst. Informationen darüber sind aktuell insofern von Interesse, als die im Mai 2007 in Kraft getretene Initiative 50plus des Bundesministeriums für Arbeit und Soziales die Beschäftigungsfähigkeit und die Beschäftigungschancen älterer Menschen in Deutschland erhöhen möchte (vgl. BMAS 2006). Ausgehend von der Annahme, dass insbesondere gering Qualifizierte oft früh aus dem Arbeitsleben ausscheiden, soll u. a. über eine deutliche Erhöhung der Teilnahme an beruflicher Weiterbildung die „produktive Lebensphase“ verlängert werden. Hohe Bildung in Kombination mit beruflicher Weiterbildung soll laut BMAS steigenden Qualifikationsanforderungen auf Zukunftsarbeitsmärkten gerecht werden. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht der vorliegende Aufsatz auf Basis des Scientific Use File (SUF) Versichertenrentenzugang 2006 des Forschungsdatenzentrums der Rentenversicherung (FDZ-RV), ob im Jahr 2006 Hochqualifizierte später als niedriger Qualifizierte in Rente gegangen sind. Die Befunde verweisen darauf, dass mit zunehmender Qualifikation das Rentenzugangsalter tendenziell ansteigt. Allerdings zeigt eine differenzierte Betrachtung einzelner Zugangsjahre die große Bedeutung eines vor der Regelaltersgrenze von 65 Jahren liegenden Übergangs in den Ruhestand, insbesondere bei besser gestellten Hochqualifizierten.

Public electronic petitions and civil participation. Summary

In the course of its long history, the petition system has been repeatedly adapted and modernised to changing conditions, including the internet as a new medium for transmitting and publishing petitions as well as for communicating about petitions. Accordingly, the German Bundestag started a two-year pilot project "Public Petitions" in 2005, in which petitions could be made public and discussed via the internet and supporters could be recruited. On the initiative of the Petitions Committee, the Office of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (TAB) was commissioned to carry out an evaluation of this pilot project. This was to be embedded in a more comprehensive examination of the question of what new possibilities, but also what problems, the use of the internet in petitioning could lead to. KEY FINDINGS > Even in modern democratic states governed by the rule of law, petitioning has not lost its appeal; in fact, its importance has increased in many places. E-petition systems make a particular contribution to this. > Although e-petition systems are not yet widely used, they are currently one of the central activities in the field of e-democracy and e-participation, especially in the parliamentary sphere. It is to be expected that in the next few years government agencies will increasingly introduce electronic petition systems. > The pilot project "Public Petitions" of the German Bundestag can be considered a success, despite some serious shortcomings in its implementation. With it, petitions are made publicly accessible via the internet, the petition process becomes more transparent and citizens can actively contribute with supporting signatures or contributions to discussions. > With the pilot project, the first steps towards more transparency, accessibility and participation have been taken. However, not even 2% of all petitions are currently published on the internet. It remains open whether the German Bundestag wants to continue along this path towards more transparency and publicity. > Electronic petition systems have so far not led to a general increase in the number of petitions and only to a very limited extent to a greater representativeness of those involved: Women, population groups with lower levels of education and younger age groups continue to be significantly underrepresented among petitioners. > The problem that the desired and realised greater discursiveness, as expressed in the discussion forums on petitions on the internet, is not adequately received and processed by the actual petition addressees remains largely unresolved. > Although the political effects of electronic petition systems are difficult to assess, it can be said with all due caution that the introduction of electronic petition systems has strengthened the respective petition bodies in terms of publicity and that - due to the greater publicity of petitions - it can be assumed that the political system reacts more sensitively and attentively to citizens\u27 concerns

Reply to Comment on "Circular Motion of Asymmetric Self-Propelling Particles"

In a Comment [Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 029801 (2014)] on our Letter on self-propelled asymmetric particles [Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 198302 (2013); arXiv:1302.5787], Felderhof claims that our theory based on Langevin equations would be conceptually wrong. In this Reply we show that our theory is appropriate, consistent, and physically justified.Comment: 2 page

International competitiveness of the european economy with regard to the EU state aid policy: the case of nanoelectronics. Summary

The domestic growth of high-tech industries is seen as central to future economic development in many countries. In this context, companies are often granted high levels of state support (e.g. through subsidies or tax breaks) to promote growth and employment in these promising sectors or fields of technology. In Europe, however, state support opportunities are regulated by EU state aid control. The aim is to reduce state aid from member states in order to promote European integration and free competition within Europe. State aid is only granted by EU member states under certain conditions Subject and objective of the project The impact of EU state aid control on national policy-making in the field of nanoelectronics is being discussed particularly intensively. Nanoelectronics is regarded as an important cross-sectional technology or industry whose components are in demand and used in numerous user industries. In particular, the construction of new production facilities is massively supported by some states, and at the same time production sites are increasingly being established outside Europe. The effects of EU state aid control on the competitiveness of Europe and its member states such as Germany are generally complex and above all indirect. They depend centrally on the development of other factors in the innovation system (e.g. demand, domestic establishment of user industries), the interaction of these factors, the use of complementary policy instruments and the extent of public support in non-European countries. The Innovation Report therefore examines the following research questions: Which factors influence the attractiveness of individual countries as locations for nanoelectronics? How should the current competitiveness in Germany and Europe be assessed? What consequences would a loss of production capacities have for the entire "nanoelectronics innovation system"? To what extent is there a situation in the field of nanoelectronics that justifies state aid? How can a sustainable funding policy be implemented, especially under the given conditions of limited state aid possibilities? To what extent can the example of nanoelectronics be transferred to other technologies and sectors