Mobilizing European law

The literature on European legal mobilization asks why individuals, groups and companies go to court and explores the impact of litigation on policy, institutions and the balance of power among actors. Surveying the literature we find that legal mobilization efforts vary across policy areas and jurisdictions. This article introduces a three-level theoretical framework that organizes research on the causes of these variations: macro-level systemic factors that originate in Europe; meso-level factors that vary nationally; and micro-level factors that characterize the actors engaged in (or disengaged from) litigation. We argue that until we understand more about how and why different parties mobilize law, it is difficult to respond to normative questions about whether European legal mobilization is a positive or negative development for democracy and rights.This work was supported by the University College London Global Engagement Strategy Leadership Fund; the UK Economic and Social Research Council [grant number ES/K008153/1]

Selfdual strings and loop space Nahm equations

We give two independent arguments why the classical membrane fields should be loops. The first argument comes from how we may construct selfdual strings in the M5 brane from a loop space version of the Nahm equations. The second argument is that there appears to be no infinite set of finite-dimensional Lie algebras (such as $su(N)$ for any $N$) that satisfies the algebraic structure of the membrane theory.Comment: 28 pages, various additional comment

Multi-Fuel Burner Systems for Industrial Applications

Multi-fuel firing systems are used in several industrial processes such as in power stations, drying mills and metallurgical plants as well as in rotary kiln systems, industrial boilers, cogeneration plants and various thermal process factories. Such systems should being not only able to utilize different fuel types, but also to respond flexible due to changing in fuel compositions and qualities. In particular the ignition, stability and pollutant problems must be taken into account. That means that these systems should fulfill the operational parameters and ecological target according to German Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control TA Luft 2002. The Operation of these so called multi fuels systems is determined on the one hand by the conditions of the start-up procedure (e. g. drying of the refractory material, creation of the necessary operating environment) and on the other hand by the process-related requirements, fluctuating commodity prices, unstable fuel supplies and the use of internally resulting production scrap. In this paper two multi-fuel burner systems are selected from the extensive Brinkman’s production program to be shown in details. These are combined combustion systems for «pulverized coal-gas» and «pulverized coal-oil», respectively.Многотопливные горелочные системы используются в различных промышленных процессах, на ТЭС и в металлургии, включая сухое измельчение сырых материалов, во вращающихся печах, промышленных котлах, установках когенерации и специальных термических технологиях. Соответствующие системы должны быть пригодны для использования различных видов топлива и гибко реагировать на изменения его состава и качества, в частности, необходимо учитывать устойчивость воспламенения топливной смеси и сопутствующее загрязнение окружающей среды. Такие системы должны обеспечивать эксплуатационные параметры и экологические нормативы в соответствии с германскими техническими стандартами качества воздуха (TA Luft 2002 г.). Качество работы этих многотопливных систем определяется, с одной стороны, пусковыми условиями (например, сушка огнеупоров, создание требуемой рабочей среды), с другой стороны, эксплуатационными требованиями, колебаниями цен на сырьевые продукты и готовые товары, а также условиями, учитывающими специфику технологии, нестабильное снабжение топливом. Принимается во внимание также внутренняя утилизация отходов в пределах производства. В статье рассмотрены две многотопливные горелочные системы, выбранные из обширной производственной номенклатуры ООО «Бринкман». Соответственно представлены системы комбинированного сжигания пылеугольного и газового топлива, а также пылеугольного топлива с жидким топливом.Багатопаливні пальникові системи використовуються у різних промислових процесах, на ТЕС та у металургії включно з сухим подрібненням вологих матеріалів у обертових пічах, промислових котлах, установках когенерації та спеціальних термічних технологіях. Відповідні системи мають бути придатними для використання різних видів палива та гнучко реагувати на зміни його складу та якості, зокрема необхідно враховувати стійкість займання паливної суміші та супутнє забруднення довкілля. Такі системи мають забезпечувати експлуатаційні параметри та екологічні нормативи у відповідності до германських технічних стандартів щодо якості повітря (TA Luft 2002 р.). Якість роботи цих багатопаливних систем визначається пусковими умовами (наприклад, сушіння вогнетрив ів, створення потрібного робочого середовища) та, експлуатаційними вимогами, коливаннями цін на сировинні продукти та готові товари, а також умовами, що враховують специфіку технології, нестабільне постачання палива. Приймається до уваги також внутрішня утилізація відходів у межах виробництва. Розглянуто дві багатопаливні пальникові системи, вибрані з великої виробничої номенклатури ТОВ «Брінкман». Представлено системи комбінованого спалювання пиловугільного та газового палива, а також пиловугільного палива з рідким паливом

Early tracking or finally leaving? Determinants of early study success in first-year university students

Two theoretical approaches underlie this investigation of the determinants of early study success among first-year university students. Specifically, to extend Walberg’s educational productivity model, this study draws on the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation in a contemporary university context. The survey data came from 407 first-year students, and the measure of early study success reflects the weighted grade point average at two moments during their first semester. A path model reveals that the proposed extended educational productivity framework explains early study success well. The operationalised educational productivity factors (age, prior achievement, psychosocial environment, programme satisfaction, study skills) and achievement motivation (expectancy) all relate to early study success, directly or indirectly through expectancy and self-study. The two theoretical approaches jointly provide a thorough understanding of early study success. These results have notable implications for tracking students and for further research

Exogenous BMP7 in aortae of rats with chronic uremia ameliorates expression of profibrotic genes, but does not reverse established vascular calcification

<div><p>Hyperphosphatemia and vascular calcification are frequent complications of chronic renal failure and bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7) has been shown to protect against development of vascular calcification in uremia. The present investigation examined the potential reversibility of established uremic vascular calcification by treatment of uremic rats with BMP7. A control model of isogenic transplantation of a calcified aorta from uremic rats into healthy littermates examined whether normalization of the uremic environment reversed vascular calcification. Uremia and vascular calcification were induced in rats by 5/6 nephrectomy, high phosphate diet and alfacalcidol treatment. After 14 weeks severe vascular calcification was present and rats were allocated to BMP7, vehicle or aorta transplantation. BMP7 treatment caused a significant decrease of plasma phosphate to 1.56 ± 0.17 mmol/L vs 2.06 ± 0.34 mmol/L in the vehicle group even in the setting of uremia and high phosphate diet. Uremia and alfacalcidol resulted in an increase in aortic expression of genes related to fibrosis, osteogenic transformation and extracellular matrix calcification, and the BMP7 treatment resulted in a decrease in the expression of profibrotic genes. The total Ca-content of the aorta was however unchanged both in the abdominal aorta: 1.9 ± 0.6 μg/mg tissue in the vehicle group vs 2.2 ± 0.6 μg/mg tissue in the BMP7 group and in the thoracic aorta: 71 ± 27 μg/mg tissue in the vehicle group vs 54 ± 18 μg/mg tissue in the BMP7 group. Likewise, normalization of the uremic environment by aorta transplantation had no effect on the Ca-content of the calcified aorta: 16.3 ± 0.6 μg/mg tissue pre-transplantation vs 15.9 ± 2.3 μg/mg tissue post-transplantation. Aortic expression of genes directly linked to extracellular matrix calcification was not affected by BMP7 treatment, which hypothetically might explain persistent high Ca-content in established vascular calcification. The present results highlight the importance of preventing the development of vascular calcification in chronic kidney disease. Once established, vascular calcification persists even in the setting when hyperphosphatemia or the uremic milieu is abolished.</p></div

A holographic perspective on non-relativistic conformal defects

We study defects in non-relativistic conformal field theories. As in the well-studied case of relativistic conformal defects, we find that a useful tool to organize correlation functions is the defect operator expansion (dOPE). We analyze how the dOPE is implemented in theories with a holographic dual, highlighting some interesting aspects of the operator/state mapping in non-relativistic holography.Comment: 20 page

Evaluating the impacts of a large-scale voluntary REDD+ project in Sierra Leone

Carbon offsets from the REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation) framework to protect forests are expected to see a 100-fold increase in market value by 2050. However, independent causal impact evaluations are scarce and only a few studies assess benefits to communities themselves, a core objective of REDD+. Following a pre-analysis plan, we use a before-after-control-intervention (BACI) framework to evaluate the impact of a large-scale voluntary REDD+ project in Sierra Leone—the Gola project. We use a panel of both satellite images and household surveys to provide causal evidence of the impact of the project on local deforestation rates and socioeconomic indicators over the first 5 yr of its implementation. We find that REDD+ slowed deforestation by 30% relative to control communities while not changing economic wellbeing and conservation attitudes. We find suggestive evidence that the programme increased the value of alternative income sources, by shifting labour away from forest-dependent farming activities. A cost-to-carbon calculation shows that REDD+ led to 340,000 tCO2 in avoided emissions per year, with an estimated cost of US$1.12 per averted tCO2. Our study contributes to developing an evidence base for voluntary REDD+ projects and offers a robust approach to carry out BACI assessments