The 2030 Agenda and the Goal of Gender Equality : European Approaches in Comparison

The member states of the United Nations are responsible for implementing the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, short SDGs. All member states are confronted with the task of formulating national measures to translate the SDGs into concrete action. SDG 5 addresses gender equality. The Observatory compares in its work the developments and national approaches for the implementation of this SDGs in Germany, Estonia and Sweden.This is a publication of the “Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe”. The German Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth provides funding for the project “Observatory for Sociopolitical Developments in Europe”

Leave and financial support for family caregivers in EU member states

This report shows which forms of long-term leave exist in several EU member states for family caregivers who care for a dependent relative at home. It also shows, whether there is some form of financial benefit available for the caregiver during the leave. The support arrangements of 14 member states of the European Union (EU) are presented in brief descriptions and overview tables

Die Agenda 2030 und das Ziel der Geschlechtergleichstellung : Europäische Ansätze im Vergleich

Die Verantwortung für die Umsetzung der Agenda 2030 für nachhaltige Entwicklung und ihrer 17 Nachhaltigkeitsziele liegt auf der nationalen Ebene. Die Staaten stehen daher vor der Aufgabe, die Ziele in konkrete Maßnahmen umzuwandeln. Ziel 5 der Agenda 2030 adressiert die Geschlechtergleichstellung. In ihrer Arbeit vergleicht die Beobachtungsstelle die Ansätze zur Umsetzung dieses Ziels in Deutschland, Estland und Schweden.Diese Publikation ist eine Veröffentlichung der „Beobachtungsstelle für gesellschaftspolitische Entwicklungen in Europa“. Die Beobachtungsstelle ist ein Projekt, das aus Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ) gefördert wird

Die Agenda 2030 und das Ziel der Geschlechtergleichstellung. Europäische Ansätze im Vergleich

Die Verantwortung für die Umsetzung der Agenda 2030 für nachhaltige Entwicklung und ihrer 17 Nachhaltigkeitsziele liegt auf der nationalen Ebene. Die Staaten stehen daher vor der Aufgabe, die Ziele in konkrete Maßnahmen umzuwandeln. Ziel 5 der Agenda 2030 adressiert die Geschlechtergleichstellung. In ihrer Arbeit vergleicht die Beobachtungsstelle die Ansätze zur Umsetzung dieses Ziels in Deutschland, Estland und Schweden.Diese Publikation ist eine Veröffentlichung der „Beobachtungsstelle für gesellschaftspolitische Entwicklungen in Europa“. Die Beobachtungsstelle ist ein Projekt, das aus Mitteln des Bundesministeriums für Familie, Senioren, Frauen und Jugend (BMFSFJ) gefördert wird

Freistellungen und finanzielle Leistungen zur häuslichen Pflege in europäischen Mitgliedstaaten

Die vorliegende Übersicht stellt dar, welche Formen einer längerfristigen Freistellung für die häusliche Pflege von Angehörigen in ausgewählten EU-Mitgliedstaaten bestehen und ob es für die Phase der Pflege eine finanzielle Leistung für die pflegende Person gibt. Es werden die gesetzlichen Regelungen aus 14 EU-Mitgliedstaaten in Form von Kurzbeschreibungen und Übersichtstabellen vorgestellt

Nanomechanical absorption spectroscopy of 2D materials with femtowatt sensitivity

Nanomechanical spectroscopy (NMS) is a recently developed approach to determine optical absorption spectra of nanoscale materials via mechanical measurements. It is based on measuring changes in the resonance frequency of a membrane resonator vs. the photon energy of incoming light. This method is a direct measurement of absorption, which has practical advantages compared to common optical spectroscopy approaches. In the case of two-dimensional (2D) materials, NMS overcomes limitations inherent to conventional optical methods, such as the complications associated with measurements at high magnetic fields and low temperatures. In this work, we develop a protocol for NMS of 2D materials that yields two orders of magnitude improved sensitivity compared to previous approaches, while being simpler to use. To this end, we use mechanical sample actuation, which simplifies the experiment and provides a reliable calibration for greater accuracy. Additionally, the use of low-stress silicon nitride membranes as our substrate reduces the noise-equivalent power to fW , comparable to commercial semiconductor photodetectors. We use our approach to spectroscopically characterize a 2D transition metal dichalcogenide (WS2), a layered magnetic semiconductor (CrPS4), and a plasmonic super-crystal consisting of gold nanoparticles

Increased Post-Hypoxic Oxidative Stress and Activation of the PERK Branch of the UPR in Trap1-Deficient Drosophila melanogaster Is Abrogated by Metformin

Hypoxia is known to impair mitochondrial and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis. Post-hypoxic perturbations of the ER proteostasis result in the accumulation of misfolded/unfolded proteins leading to the activation of the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR). Mitochondrial chaperone TNF receptor-associated protein 1 (TRAP1) is reported to preserve mitochondrial membrane potential and to impede reactive oxygen species (ROS) production thereby protecting cells from ER stress as well as oxidative stress. The first-line antidiabetic drug Metformin has been attributed a neuroprotective role after hypoxia. Interestingly, Metformin has been reported to rescue mitochondrial deficits in fibroblasts derived from a patient carrying a homozygous TRAP1 loss-of-function mutation. We sought to investigate a putative link between Metformin, TRAP1, and the UPR after hypoxia. We assessed post-hypoxic/reperfusion longevity, mortality, negative geotaxis, ROS production, metabolic activity, gene expression of antioxidant proteins, and activation of the UPR in Trap1-deficient flies. Following hypoxia, Trap1 deficiency caused higher mortality and greater impairments in negative geotaxis compared to controls. Similarly, post-hypoxic production of ROS and UPR activation was significantly higher in Trap1-deficient compared to control flies. Metformin counteracted the deleterious effects of hypoxia in Trap1-deficient flies but had no protective effect in wild-type flies. We provide evidence that TRAP1 is crucially involved in the post-hypoxic regulation of mitochondrial/ER stress and the activation of the UPR. Metformin appears to rescue Trap1-deficiency after hypoxia mitigating ROS production and downregulating the pro-apoptotic PERK (protein kinase R-like ER kinase) arm of the UPR

The unconscious Indianization of ‘Western’ conservatism – is Indian conservatism a universal model?

Goldstein B. The unconscious Indianization of ‘Western’ conservatism – is Indian conservatism a universal model? Global Discourse. 2015;5(1):44-65.According to Max Horkheimer, the core dilemma of capitalist ideology is that it promotes egoism and contempt for egoism at the same time. This basic contradiction translates into belief in an organically structured society consisting of needs satisfying individuals and groups. This can be made out as a principle that prevails across all conservative schools and psychological differences. Conservative parties in the ‘West’ have started to adopt an unprecedented openness to the diversity of contemporary pluralistic societies. In doing so, they do what conservatives always did – they conform to actual social conditions. Conservatism is far from being anti-diversity, as long as the core belief remains untouched. The transformation of ‘Western’ conservatism we witness today is moulding conservatism into a form that has since long been established in India, where plurality and multiculturality have never been absent. This new development brings to the fore the key elements of a universal conservatism independent of cultural contexts