Recent developments in Germany concerning cooperative collection development

Intervention au 34e congrès LIBER qui s\u27est tenu à Groningue aux Pays-Pas du 6 au 9 juillet 2005

Wider die Privatisierung von Sparkassen - Ein Plädoyer für Wettbewerb und sozialen Zusammenhalt

Im ifo Schnelldienst Nr. 14/23005 und Nr. 23/2005 wurden einige Beiträge zum "Drei-Säulen-Modell" im deutschen Bankensektor veröffentlicht. Gernot Mittler, der ehemalige Finanzminister von Rheinland-Pfalz, stellt hier seine Ansicht zur Reform im deutschen Bankensystem dar. Seiner Meinung nach sollte dem Streben nach Privatisierung der Sparkassen nicht nachgegeben werden, denn die Privatisierungsdebatte wird im Wesentlichen von der Absicht getragen, den stärksten Wettbewerber auszuschalten, was bisher im Markt nicht gelungen ist. Für Gernot Mittler ist die Sparkassenorganisation nicht nur die erfolgreichste Säule im dreigegliederten System der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und gar weltweit die größte Finanzgruppe, sondern gewährleistet auch "eine optimale Versorgung sowohl der Unternehmen wie auch der privaten Haushalte, in den Ballungszentren ebenso wie in den ländlichen Regionen". Ein zusätzlicher Aspekt spricht, laut Mittler, für das gegenwärtige System: "Die Filialen (der Sparkassen) sind nicht nur, was das Sparkapital angeht, wichtige Saugnäpfe in den Regionen, sondern zugleich bedeutende Kommunikationsstätten, bei deren Verlust ein wichtiger Informationsweg bezüglich des wirtschaftlichen Geschehens in den Dörfern verloren ginge, und nicht zuletzt: Gerade dort, in den ländlichen Räumen, findet Kontakt statt, den wir mit "Face-to-Face-Beziehung" bezeichnen, die ein wichtiges Element von Lebensqualität ist."Bankenreform, Privatisierung, Bank, Wettbewerb, Bankensystem, Deutschland

Business French and Translation in the Era of Google Translate: Variations on the Action-based Approach in Language Courses

In this article we outline our practices for the inclusion of electronic translation devices in specialized French language courses and reflect upon the changing landscape of language teaching. We describe how the use of Google Translate can increase students' awareness of linguistic, stylistic, and cultural differences in our culturally and linguistically diverse clasrooms. Although we characterize our didactic approach as action based, we differenciate our use of this approach from its common use in general language courses and point out the usefulness of intellectualizing it based on our use of Google Translate in work-place-oriented courses. Furthermore, we use our experience with action based approaches and translation devices to answer the following questions: why are students still learning languages; what are the language skills that they are interested in; and what is the role of a teacher in this new world of quasi-magic linguistic tools.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Mittler, S.; Sonina, S. (2018). Business French and Translation in the Era of Google Translate: Variations on the Action-based Approach in Language Courses. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.8009OC

Influence of Electrostatic Forces on the Particle Propulsion in the Evanescent Field of Silver Ion-Exchanged Waveguides

The effect of electrostatic interaction between carboxylate- and amino-functionalized polystyrene particles and a charged waveguide surface on the propulsion speed in an optical tweezers is considered as a function of pH and ionic strength. It was shown that with the variation of the pH of the aqueous solution, the particles were immersed in, a systematic change of propulsion speed with a maximum speed could be achieved. The appearance of a maximum speed was ascribed to changes in the particle-waveguide separation as a result of the combination of two forces: Coulomb repulsion/attraction and induced dipole forces. The highest maximum speed at low ionic strength was around 12 µm/sec. Changes in the ionic strength of the solution influenced the gradient of the dielectric constant near the involved surfaces and also lead to a slightly reduced hydrodynamic radius of the particles. The combination of these effects subsequently increased the maximum speed to about 23 µm/sec

Patterns of total suspended solids concentration and the influence of antecedent conditions on hydrograph response to precipitation events on Beaver Creek, Ontario

This study explored relationships between suspended solids concentration and discharge, the influence of antecedent conditions on event hydrograhs and the state of dynamic equilibrium in a second-order stream (Beaver Creek), draining an agricultural basin in southern Ontario, near the City of Waterloo. Beaver creek was monitored for nineteen weeks from July to November of 2005. Thirteen precipitation events of various magnitude and duration were examined within the study period. Discharge and total suspended soils were sampled throughout the events. Cross sectional profiles of six transects were measured prior to and after each event. Base flow, antecedent conditions and event response were quantified. A strong (R2=0.79) positive relationship was found between antecedent conditions and basin response to precipitation events, whereby, wetter conditions in the basin prior to a storm resulted in greater changes in discharge compared to changes in discharge seen with dryer antecedent conditions. Suspended solids/discharge patterns during storm flow were best described using a hysteretic clockwise loop indicating a change in supply source throughout a given event. Rapid changes in suspended soils concentrations were related to decreased detachment by rainfall splash rather than source exhaustion or dilution. Average suspended solids flux showed only a 34% difference between input and output from the study area. Also, cross sectional bed profiles showed that over the duration of this study the creek was in a state of low morphological activity. For design of monitoring programs as well as planning development within a basin, knowledge of storm sediment patterns, the influence of antecedent conditions on basin response to a precipitation event and resulting sediment flux in agricultural creeks is significant. These patterns should be taken as benchmarks for continued assessment of the impacts of human activities around water ways

The effect of artificial diet on the production of alarm pheromone by Myzus persicae

The cornicle secretion of Myzus persicae reared on artificial diet only elicits an alarm response in plant-reared conspecifics after the young aphids have been transferred to plants for 7days. Acetate in the form of 0.32% sodium acetate has been added to the diet as an early step in synthesis of the alarm pheromone, (E)-β-farnesene (EBF). The cornicle secretion of diet-reared aphids then elicits an alarm response. However, there is no difference in internal EBF concentration between plant- and diet-reared aphids. Puncturing aphids, either plant- or diet-reared, with a pin shows that both can elicit an alarm response, whereas it is reduced by half with diet-reared individuals. Although there is no significant difference in the concentration of EBF produced, the total amount in diet-reared aphids is increased by acetate in the diet to a level similar to that in plant-reared individuals: the size of aphids reared on an acetate-supplemented diet is increased and comparable with the size of those that are plant-reared. Bioassays with a range of EBF concentrations show a high threshold for the alarm response. It is concluded that the different size of aphids reared on plants and standard diet results in them secreting, respectively, above and below the response threshold