How does globalization affect ecological pressures? A robust empirical analysis using the Ecological Footprint

While the relationship between environmental pressures and globalization is often claimed to be unambiguously positive, there is a substantial gap in the literature regarding systematic evidence. We fill this gap by empirically disentangling the nexus between globalization and environmental degradation while at the same time taking the multidimensionality of the concepts serious. The Ecological Footprint (EF) provides a holistic approach to environmental degradation. We generate a data set covering 146 countries over the 1981-2009 period and use an Extreme Bounds Analysis (EBA) to identify a robust set of controls testing different claims of the literature. Subsequently, we test our hypothesis regarding globalization controlling for this vector of controls. Our findings suggest that the simple positive correlation has to be interpreted with care, since the multivariate analysis reveals a more detailed picture of the complex relationship

CHALLENGES OF GLOBALIZATION FOR INTERNATIONAL MOBILITY, SOCIAL SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Globalization is the tighter integration of the world’s economies and societies through trade, capital and migration flows, and diffusion of ideas. Advances in these areas pose a multitude of challenges on individuals, the nation states, as well as the international community. The motivation to address challenges of globalization for international mobility, social welfare and environmental sustainability from an economic perspective arises from the wish to structure and understand these complex, yet poorly studied phenomena. For that reason each chapter establishes clear hypotheses which are based on economic models explaining the incentive structure of agents or the political economy of institutions. Each empirical analysis uses existing macroeconomic observational evidence to test the predictions and establish meaningful implications for the relevant actors. Taking the multitude of challenges posed by globalization into account, this dissertation contributes to the understanding of three challenges contemporary global politics is facing

International Human Trafficking: Measuring Clandestinity by the Structural Equation Approach

Worldwide human trafficking is the third most often registered international criminal activity, ranked only after drug and weapon trafficking. This article focusses on three questions: 1) How can human trafficking be measured? 2) What are the causes and indicators of this criminal activity which exploits individuals? 3) Which countries observe a high (or low) level of human trafficking inflow? We apply the Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes structural equation model to measure human trafficking inflows in a way which includes all potential causes and indicators in one estimation model. The human trafficking measurement focusses on international human trafficking. We use freely available existing data and thus generate an objective measure of the extent of trafficking. Countries are ranked according to their potential to be a destination country based on various characteristics of the trafficking process

At risk of being risky: The relationship between "brain age" under emotional states and risk preference.

Developmental differences regarding decision making are often reported in the absence of emotional stimuli and without context, failing to explain why some individuals are more likely to have a greater inclination toward risk. The current study (N=212; 10-25y) examined the influence of emotional context on underlying functional brain connectivity over development and its impact on risk preference. Using functional imaging data in a neutral brain-state we first identify the "brain age" of a given individual then validate it with an independent measure of cortical thickness. We then show, on average, that "brain age" across the group during the teen years has the propensity to look younger in emotional contexts. Further, we show this phenotype (i.e. a younger brain age in emotional contexts) relates to a group mean difference in risk perception - a pattern exemplified greatest in young-adults (ages 18-21). The results are suggestive of a specified functional brain phenotype that relates to being at "risk to be risky.

"Turbokapitalismus versus Soziale Marktwirtschaft" - Findet ein Ausverkauf deutscher Unternehmen durch ausländische Fonds statt?

Verhindern kurzfristige Gewinninteressen von Hedge- und Private-Equity-Fonds eine solide Unternehmensstrategie und gefährden die Existenz von Traditionsunternehmen? Zu diesen Fragen fand vom 20. bis 22. Oktober 2006 unter der Leitung von Dr. Wolfgang Quaisser in der Akademie für Politische Bildung Tutzing die Tagung "Dem Raubtier auf die Zähne gefühlt: Turbokapitalismus versus Soziale Marktwirtschaft" statt. Friedrich L. Sell, Universität der Bundeswehr München, äußerte sich dort zu den Möglichkeiten des IWF, zur Stabilisierung internationaler Finanzmärkte beizutragen. Martin Hüfner, ehemals HypoVereinsbank, München, analysierte die Situation der deutschen Banken im internationalen Wettbewerb. Rüdiger von Rosen, Deutsches Aktieninstitut, Frankfurt, unterstrich, dass funktionierende Kapitalmärkte für das Wachstum und die Beschäftigungsaussichten von Volkswirtschaften eine entscheidende Voraussetzung bilden, und fragte nach der Kapitalmarktakzeptanz und insbesondere der "Akzeptanz der Aktie" in Deutschland auf Seiten der Anleger, der Unternehmen und der Politik. Für Bernd Rudolph, Universität München, übernehmen Private-Equity-Gesellschaften ebenso wie Hedgefonds "wichtige Funktionen in einem Finanzsystem, die von anderen Finanzintermediären nicht in dieser Form und nicht mit dieser Effizienz erfüllt werden können. … Wenn man von einigen zum Teil beklagenswerten Einzelfällen absieht, dann lässt sich in der Umwälzung des Finanzsystems klar ausmachen, dass mit diesen neuen Investmentvehikeln der Kapitalmarkt vervollkommnet und vervollständigt werden kann." Peter Aiello und Dieter Wermuth, Wermuth Asset Management GmbH, gaben einen Überblick über die Funtionsweise von Hedgefonds und bewerteten deren Vor- und Nachteile. Alexandra Krieger, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, Düsseldorf, setzte sich kritisch mit dem Geschäftsmodell der Private-Equity-Fonds auseinander. Und Christoph Lütge, Universität München, stellte einige grundsätzliche Überlegungen "zur Ethik in der Marktwirtschaft"Soziale Marktwirtschaft, Kapitalismus, Übernahme, Unternehmen, Fonds, Devisenmarkt, Internationaler Finanzmarkt, Internationaler Wettbewerb, Wirtschaftsethik, Deutschland

A study on the desulfurization of sulfidic mine tailings for the production of a sulfur-poor residue

The mining industry generates large amounts of tailings every year. The most common destination for the tailings is deposition in tailings storage facilities (TSFs), which can have enormous dimensions. The management and storage of such large volumes of material pose many challenges in terms of dam stability and immobilization of hazardous contaminants that represent human-health and environmental risks, particularly for sulfide-containing materials. In addition, considerable amounts of precious and base metals can be lost in the tailings. Due to the economic value and growing industrial demand for precious and base metals, tailings may therefore be potential sources of secondary raw materials. This contribution investigates the flotation of pyrite-rich tailings, containing residual chalcopyrite, galena, and sphalerite, and high amounts of ultrafine particles. Flotation was used to recover the sulfide minerals and generate tailings with low sulfur content. The Cu-Pb-Zn-rich product could go to further treatment (e.g. (bio)hydrometallurgy) to recover the metals, while the low sulfur fraction could be used in the civil construction industry. Automated mineralogy (MLA) was used to provide quantitative mineralogical and textural data. Bench-scale experiments were performed by combining classic flotation and floc flotation (flotation of flocs of targeted minerals). Flotation of the material as received, as well as after classification into two fractions was performed. The samples as received and the coarser fraction (+37 µm) underwent classic flotation, while the finer fraction (−37 µm) was processed either by using the classic or the floc flotation approach. The flotation of the coarser particles provided higher sulfide recoveries, higher combined Cu-Pb-Zn grades in the concentrate (3.66 %), cleaner residues (1.6 % S), faster flotation rates, and reduced reagent consumption. Likewise, the results from the fine particle flotation allowed lower S content in the residues (3.4 % S) as compared to the flotation of the original material. The results of the use of floc flotation for the finer fraction show an increase in the mass pull with a slight increase in the recovery of sulfides. Overall, the development of a route to process the tailings proved to be promising and the use of a two-route approach indicates advantages as compared to a single route

Distribution pattern following systemic mesenchymal stem cell injection depends on the age of the recipient and neuronal health

BACKGROUND: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show therapeutic efficacy in many different age-related degenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Very little is currently known about whether or not aging impacts the transplantation efficiency of MSCs. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the distribution of intravenously transplanted syngeneic MSCs derived from young and aged mice into young, aged, and transgenic APP/PS1 Alzheimer's disease mice. MSCs from male donors were transplanted into female mice and their distribution pattern was monitored by PCR using Y-chromosome specific probes. Biodistribution of transplanted MSCs in the brains of APP/PS1 mice was additionally confirmed by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. RESULTS: Four weeks after transplantation into young mice, young MSCs were found in the lung, axillary lymph nodes, blood, kidney, bone marrow, spleen, liver, heart, and brain cortex. In contrast, young MSCs that were transplanted into aged mice were only found in the brain cortex. In both young and aged mouse recipients, transplantation of aged MSCs showed biodistribution only in the blood and spleen. Although young transplanted MSCs only showed neuronal distribution in the brain cortex in young mice, they exhibited a wide neuronal distribution pattern in the brains of APP/PS1 mice and were found in the cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, and brainstem. The immunofluorescent signal of both transplanted MSCs and resident microglia was robust in the brains of APP/PS1 mice. Monocyte chemoattractant-1 levels were lowest in the brain cortex of young mice and were significantly increased in APP/PS1 mice. Within the hippocampus, monocyte chemoattractant-1 levels were significantly higher in aged mice compared with younger and APP/PS1 mice. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate in vivo that MSC biodistribution post transplantation is detrimentally affected by aging and neuronal health. Aging of both the recipient and the donor MSCs used attenuates transplantation efficiency. Clinically, our data would suggest that aged MSCs should not be used for transplantation and that transplantation of MSCs into aged patients will be less efficacious

Bewertung der SGB II-Umsetzung aus gleichstellungspolitischer Sicht: Jahresbericht 2007 des Gender-Projekts; Kurzfassung - 5. Oktober 2007; Projektnr. 03/06

Im Zentrum der vorliegenden Kurzfassung des ersten Jahresberichtes stehen die Ergebnisse einer Online-Befragung der Personen, die bei den SGB II-Trägereinheiten für Chancengleichheit, Gleichstellung oder Gender Mainstreaming zuständig sind. Die Befragung diente in erster Linie dem Ziel, ein Bild vom Ausmaß der konzeptionellen, organisatorischen und personellen Verankerung des Gleichstellungszieles zu erhalten. Darüber hinaus enthält der Bericht eine erste geschlechterdifferenzierende Bestandsaufnahme des Leistungsbezugs im SGB II auf Basis von öffentlich zugänglichen Statistiken und Befragungsergebnissen. Neben dem Umfang und der Zusammensetzung der Bezieher/innen von Grundsicherungsleistungen nach SGB II wird analysiert, inwieweit geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede in Bezug auf die Arbeitslosigkeit, die Abgangsdynamik, die Erwerbstätigkeit und die Maßnahmeteilnahme festzustellen sind

Bewertung der Umsetzung des SGB II aus gleichstellungspolitischer Sicht: Abschlussbericht

Die Untersuchung zeigt, dass Ansätze zur Gleichstellung der Geschlechter am Arbeitsmarkt in der bisherigen Umsetzungspraxis des SGB II eine geringe Rolle spielten. Trotz anhaltender geschlechtsspezifischer Ungleichheiten auf dem Arbeitsmarkt existierte nur eine insgesamt schwach ausgeprägte gleichstellungspolitische Steuerung, der zudem Rahmenbedingungen (u. a. knappe personelle Ressourcen und Priorisierung von Effektivitäts- und Effizienzzielen) gegenüber standen, die dem Nachteilsausgleich auf operativer Ebene enge Grenzen setzten. Positive Beispiele beruhten oft auf dem Engagement einzelner Fach- und Führungskräfte oder externen Anstößen. Durch ein insgesamt stärkeres Fördern und Fordern von Männern wurden damit tendenziell eher tradierte Rollenmuster und geschlechtsspezifische Integrationswege stabilisiert, statt diesen aktiv entgegen zu wirken