Territory, Temporality and Clustered Europeanization. IHS Political Science Series: 2006, No. 109

Non-convergence amongst the EU member states, despite a wide range of integration effects, has come to be accepted as conventional wisdom in the Europeanization debate. This paper takes issue with the stress on non-convergence and makes a case for ‘clustered Europeanization’. Clustering is promoted by two variables that have so far received little attention in Europeanization research: territory and temporality. Territory influences Europeanization through (a) ‘families of nations’ and (b) center-periphery structures in an expanding European political space. Temporality matters, in particular, through the ‘relative time of accession’, i.e. when countries joined (c) in relation to their domestic political and economic development and (d) in relation to the phase of European integration. While (a) and (c) promote intra-regional commonalities in Europeanization-related domestic variables, (b) and (d) highlight inter-regional differences in the integration experience. This regional distinctness of both domestic and integration variables, in turn, promotes clustered Europeanization

A relative Hilbert-Mumford criterion

We generalize the classical Hilbert-Mumford criteria for GIT (semi-)stability in terms of one parameter subgroups of a linearly reductive group G over a field k, to the relative situation of an equivariant, projective morphism X -> Spec A to a noetherian k-algebra A. We also extend the classical projectivity result for GIT quotients: the induced morphism X^ss/G -> Spec A^G is projective. As an example of applications to moduli problems, we consider degenerations of Hilbert schemes of points.Comment: v4: minor correction

Worldline algorithms for Casimir configurations

We present improved worldline numerical algorithms for high-precision calculations of Casimir interaction energies induced by scalar-field fluctuations with Dirichlet boundary conditions for various Casimir geometries. Significant reduction of numerical cost is gained by exploiting the symmetries of the worldline ensemble in combination with those of the configurations. This facilitates high-precision calculations on standard PCs or small clusters. We illustrate our strategies using the experimentally most relevant sphere-plate and cylinder-plate configuration. We compute Casimir curvature effects for a wide parameter range, revealing the tight validity bounds of the commonly used proximity force approximation (PFA). We conclude that data analysis of future experiments aiming at a precision of 0.1% must no longer be based on the PFA. Revisiting the parallel-plate configuration, we find a mapping between the D-dimensional Casimir energy and properties of a random-chain polymer ensemble.Comment: 23 pages, 9 figure

Sympathetic Wigner function tomography of a dark trapped ion

A protocol is provided to reconstruct the Wigner function for the motional state of a trapped ion via fluorescence detection on another ion in the same trap. This "sympathetic tomography" of a dark ion without optical transitions suitable for state measurements is based on the mapping of its motional state onto one of the collective modes of the ion pair. The quantum state of this vibrational eigenmode is subsequently measured through sideband excitation of the bright ion. Physical processes to implement the desired state transfer and read-out are derived, and the accomplishment of the scheme for different mass ratios is evaluated.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Reallocation of an infinetely divisible good

We consider the problem of reallocating the total initial endowments of an infinitely divisible commodity among agents with single-peaked preferences. With the uniform reallocation rule we propose a solution which satisfies many appealing properties, describing the effect of population and endowment variations on the outcome. The central properties which are studied in this context are population monotonicity, bilateral consistency, (endowment) monotonicity and (endowment) strategy-proofness. Furthermore, the uniform reallocation rule is Pareto optimal and satisfies several equity conditions, e.g., equal-treatment and envy-freeness. We study the trade-off between properties concerning variation and properties concerning equity. Furthermore, we provide several characterizations of the uniform reallocation rule based on these properties.mathematical economics and econometrics ;

Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy for Pulmonary Metastasized Germ Cell Tumors of the Testis - Be Aware of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Background: Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy is regarded as standard of care for patients with advanced germ cell tumors. In patients with lung metastases and a high tumor load, an association between induction chemotherapy and the development of a `tumor-associated' acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been hypothesized. Case Report: We report the clinical course of a 19-year-old patient who rapidly developed fatal ARDS during the first cycle of chemotherapy using the PEI regimen (cisplatin, etoposide and ifosfamide) for a metastasized (lung, liver, lymph nodes) germ cell tumor of the testis. Conclusion: Further clinical research in order to better define risk factors for developing ARDS in this patient population as well as novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of ARDS in those patients are necessary