Vorwort zum Publikationsprojekt "Soziale Arbeit in der multiethnischen Gesellschaft"

Nachdem wir auch in Deutschland begriffen haben, dass wir ein Einwanderungsland sind und noch dazu eine europäische Nummer Eins in den Hoffnungen vieler potentieller Emigranten, müssen wir uns mit der Frage auseinandersetzen, wie sehr wir uns in unserem sozialarbeiterischen und sozialpädagogischen Denken, Fühlen und Tun auf unsere eigene Geschichte als ‚Sozialstaat‘ beziehen und wie wir uns auch auf andere soziale, ethnische, religiöse und gesellschaftspolitische Traditionen von Menschen einlassen müssen

A parametric approach to electoral systems

[ES] Se considera un encuadre algorítmico de los sistemas electorales. A partir de ello, se parametriza la especificación de los sistemas electorales principales. [EN] An algorithmic framework of electoral systems is considered. As a result, the specification of the main electoral systems is parametrized

Abgeordnete, Parteien und Koalitionspolitik: individuelle Präferenzen und politisches Handeln im Nationalrat

'Geschlossenes Verhalten von parlamentarischen Fraktionen kann daraus resultieren, dass die ihnen angehörenden Abgeordneten in ihren Präferenzen übereinstimmen oder daraus, dass sie von ihren jeweiligen Parteien zu einem einheitlichen Verhalten bewegt werden ('Fraktionszwang'). Parteien sind nur dann wirklich stark, wenn das Verhalten der Abgeordneten der Parteilinie entspricht, ihren individuellen Präferenzen aber widerspricht. Auf der Basis einer empirischen Erhebung der Präferenzen der Abgeordneten zum Nationalrat in der XX. Gesetzgebungsperiode (1996-1999) zeigen wir, dass es innerhalb der einzelnen Fraktionen erhebliche Divergenzen der Präferenzen gibt. In zwei policy-Dimensionen würde es im Parlament andere Mehrheitspositionen nach dem Median-Wähler-Theorem geben, wenn die Abgeordneten entsprechend ihrer individuellen Präferenzen und nicht entlang von Parteilinien abstimmen würden. In der sozio-ökonomischen policy-Dimension verschiebt die zweistufige Aggregation der Präferenzen - zuerst in den Parteien, dann im Parlament - den Median von der linken in die rechte Hälfte des policy-Spektrums. Die österreichischen Parteien sind also stark.' (Autorenreferat)'Cohesive parliamentary party behaviour can be caused either by the representatives' preference identity or by the influence the parties exercise on them. Parties can be considered strong only if their respective MPs follow the party line when it conflicts with their individual preferences. Based on a survey among MPs in the 1995-1999 parliament we show that there are considerable preference divergences within the individual parliamentary parties. In two policy dimensions the median voter position would shift considerably if MPs would vote according to their individual preferences rather than according to the median voter preferences of their own parliamentary party. In the economic policy dimension the two-step aggregation of preferences (first within the parties and then in parliament) shifts the median position from the left to the right. The policy positions of the parties, that is the aggregates of the preferences of their respective MPs, produce three different potential majority coalitions (minimal policy range) in five policy dimensions. The change from the SPÖ-ÖVP coalition of the 1996-1999 parliament to a ÖVP-FPÖ coalition in the post-1999 parliament cannot be explained by the policy distances between the parties. In a red-green coalition (which lacks a parliamentary majority), policy differences would be smaller than in the ÖVP-FPÖ coalition.' (author's abstract

An algorithmic approach to one-round electoral systems

A family of algorithms provides a formalization of how the basic one-round electoral systems – highest average and largest remainders, single transferable vote and single non-transferable vote systems – proceed in transforming votes into seats. In this way, the basic one-round electoral systems are parametrized with the four parameters n (size of the constituency), m (size of the nomination lists), ck (a factor providing the electoral formula) and l (signed election threshold). The parametrization reveals that the most important electoral systems have a common basic structure

An algorithmic approach to one-round electoral systems

A family of algorithms provides a formalization of how the basic one-round electoral systems – highest average and largest remainders, single transferable vote and single non-transferable vote systems – proceed in transforming votes into seats. In this way, the basic one-round electoral systems are parametrized with the four parameters n (size of the constituency), m (size of the nomination lists), ck (a factor providing the electoral formula) and l (signed election threshold). The parametrization reveals that the most important electoral systems have a common basic structure

Improved Thermoelectric Cooling Based on the Thomson Effect

Traditional thermoelectric Peltier coolers exhibit a cooling limit which is primarily determined by the figure of merit, zT. Rather than a fundamental thermodynamic limit, this bound can be traced to the difficulty of maintaining thermoelectric compatibility. Self-compatibility locally maximizes the cooler's coefficient of performance for a given zT and can be achieved by adjusting the relative ratio of the thermoelectric transport properties that make up zT. In this study, we investigate the theoretical performance of thermoelectric coolers that maintain self-compatibility across the device. We find such a device behaves very differently from a Peltier cooler, and term self-compatible coolers "Thomson coolers" when the Fourier heat divergence is dominated by the Thomson, as opposed to the Joule, term. A Thomson cooler requires an exponentially rising Seebeck coefficient with increasing temperature, while traditional Peltier coolers, such as those used commercially, have comparatively minimal change in Seebeck coefficient with temperature. When reasonable material property bounds are placed on the thermoelectric leg, the Thomson cooler is predicted to achieve approximately twice the maximum temperature drop of a traditional Peltier cooler with equivalent figure of merit (zT). We anticipate the development of Thomson coolers will ultimately lead to solid state cooling to cryogenic temperatures.Comment: The Manuscript has been revised for publication in PR

c-MYB is a transcriptional regulator of ESPL1/Separase in BCR-ABL-positive chronic myeloid leukemia

Background: Genomic instability and clonal evolution are hallmarks of progressing chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Recently, we have shown that clonal evolution and blast crisis correlate with altered expression and activity of Separase, a cysteine endopeptidase that is a mitotic key player in chromosomal segregation and centriole duplication. Hyperactivation of Separase in human hematopoietic cells has been linked to a feedback mechanism that posttranslationally stimulates Separase proteolytic activity after imatinib therapy-induced reduction of Separase protein levels. Methods and Results: In search for potential therapy-responsive transcriptional mechanisms we have investigated the role of the transcription factor c-MYB for Separase expression in CML cell lines (LAMA-84, K562, BV-173) and in clinical samples. Quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot immunostaining experiments revealed that c-MYB expression levels are decreased in an imatinib-dependent manner and positively correlate with Separase expression levels in cell lines and in clinical CML samples. RNA silencing of c-MYB expression in CML cell lines resulted in reduced Separase protein levels. Gelshift and ChIP assays confirmed that c-MYB binds to a putative c-MYB binding sequence located within the ESPL1 promoter. Conclusions: Our data suggest that ESPL1/Separase is a regulatory target of c-MYB. Therefore, c-MYB, known to be required for BCR-ABL-dependent transformation of hematopoietic progenitors and leukemogenesis, may also control the Separase-dependent fidelity of mitotic chromosomal segregation and centriole duplication essential for maintenance of genomic stability

Matrix theory of gravitation

A new classical theory of gravitation within the framework of general relativity is presented. It is based on a matrix formulation of four-dimensional Riemann-spaces and uses no artificial fields or adjustable parameters. The geometrical stress-energy tensor is derived from a matrix-trace Lagrangian, which is not equivalent to the curvature scalar R. To enable a direct comparison with the Einstein-theory a tetrad formalism is utilized, which shows similarities to teleparallel gravitation theories, but uses complex tetrads. Matrix theory might solve a 27-year-old, fundamental problem of those theories (sec. 4.1). For the standard test cases (PPN scheme, Schwarzschild-solution) no differences to the Einstein-theory are found. However, the matrix theory exhibits novel, interesting vacuum solutions.Comment: 24 page