The EU engagement in protracted crises : towards a comprehensive approach?

O Empenhamento da União Europeia em Crises Estruturais: no Caminho de uma Abordagem Abrangente? Situações de crise estrutural prolongam-se por décadas e resultam de uma combinação de fatores como conflitos violentos, desastres naturais, pobreza, escassez de recursos naturais, fragilidade institucional e limitadas oportunidades económicas. Estas crises concatenam necessidades urgentes com vulnerabilidades estruturais, requerendo uma abordagem abrangente que reúna diferentes atores e comunidades políticas sob uma única liderança, centrada num objetivo comum promotor da estabilidade, resiliência e desenvolvimento. Este artigo questiona se a União Europeia (UE) se encontra bem posicionada para responder de uma forma holística a crises estruturais, examinando de uma forma detalhada os instrumentos financeiros da UE e considerando o papel específico dos Estados-membros. Nele se observa a presença de um vasto conjunto de instrumentos e mecanismos disponíveis, que permitem à União Europeia gerir uma variedade de desafios associados às crises estruturais e prosseguir uma diversidade de objetivos, em horizontes temporais de curta e longa duração. Contudo, a sua abrangência encontra-se limitada pela fragmentação dos processos de decisão da União, pela sua incoerência estratégica e pela sobreposição de mandatos. As instituições europeias têm desenvolvido sérios esforços para ultrapassar estas limitações, incluindo a harmonização de conceitos e estratégias, de mecanismos de coordenação e a troca de informação ao nível político e operacional, permitindo o desenvolvimento de respostas colaborativas. Porém as soluções técnicas apenas geram resultados limitados, em particular na ausência de uma clara liderança política capaz de orientar a ação externa da União como um todo.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bildung eines dreiphasigen Inselnetzes durch unabhängige Wechselrichter im Parallelbetrieb

In this dissertation a control for a three phase inverter, acting as a voltage source, is presented. The inverter is able to work in parallel with a constant-voltage constant-frequency system, as well as with other inverters or also in standalone. Load sharing is achieved with different power sources even under unbalanced conditions. By using droops for the control of real and reactive power the inverter can contribute to the frequency and voltage stability of the mains

Altersabhängigkeit der schnellen zeitlichen Verarbeitung im menschlichen Gehirn

Die Verarbeitung und Repräsentation der Tonhöhe im auditorischen Kortex wurde anhand von monauralem Kammfilterrauschen („Iterated Rippled Noise“) und binauralen phasenverschobenen Signalen („Huggins-Pitch“) untersucht. Hierbei wurden Altersabhängigkeiten in der zeitlichen Verarbeitung mittels psychoakustischer Tests und magnetoenzephalographischer (MEG) Aufnahmen gefunden. Beide Methoden zeigten eine Beeinträchtigung der Prozesse, die bei der schnellen zeitlichen Verarbeitung mit steigendem Alter eine Rolle spielen. Bei der Perzeption des Huggins-Pitch kam es zu einer Verkleinerung des Frequenzbereiches in dem er wahrgenommen wurde. Die Quellenwellenanalyse der MEG-Messungen ergab gernerell eine altersbedingte Zunahme der Latenzen transienter Antworten. Zusätzlich zeigte sich bei binauralen Stimuli eine Abnahme der Amplituden der akustisch evozierten neuromagnetischen Antworten mit zunehmendem Alter. Dieses Ergebnis weist darauf hin, dass die Stärke der Antworten ein entscheidender Parameter für die Wahrnehmung binauraler Töne darstellt. Im Gegensatz zu nicht tonalen Stimuli erzeugten das Kammfilterrauschen und der Huggins-Pitch Aktivität im lateralen Bereich des Heschl’schen Gyrus in beiden Hemisphären. Die Quellenwellenanalyse mit einem Vier-Dipol Modell ergab hierbei ein klare Trennung der Quellen für den tonalen Teil der Stimuli (anterior) und deren Rauschanteil (posterior). Dieses Ergebnis belegt die Existenz eines Zentrums zur Tonhöhenverarbeitung im menschlichen Gehirn, unabhängig von der physikalischen Struktur der perzipierten Töne

Highspeed Graph Processing Exploiting Main-Memory Column Stores

A popular belief in the graph database community is that relational database management systems are generally ill-suited for efficient graph processing. This might apply for analytic graph queries performing iterative computations on the graph, but does not necessarily hold true for short-running, OLTP-style graph queries. In this paper we argue that, instead of extending a graph database management system with traditional relational operators—predicate evaluation, sorting, grouping, and aggregations among others—one should consider adding a graph abstraction and graph-specific operations, such as graph traversals and pattern matching, to relational database management systems. We use an exemplary query from the interactive query workload of the LDBC social network benchmark and run it against our enhanced in-memory, columnar relational database system to support our claims. Our performance measurements indicate that a columnar RDBMS—extended by graph-specific operators and data structures—can serve as a foundation for high-speed graph processing on big memory machines with non-uniform memory access and a large number of available cores

Molecular classification of the placebo effect in nausea

In this proof-of-concept study, we tested whether placebo effects can be monitored and predicted by plasma proteins. In a randomized controlled design, 90 participants were exposed to a nauseating stimulus on two separate days and were randomly allocated to placebo treatment or no treatment on the second day. Significant placebo effects on nausea, motion sickness, and (in females) gastric activity could be verified. Using label-free tandem mass spectrometry, 74 differentially regulated proteins were identified as correlates of the placebo effect. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses identified acute-phase proteins and microinflammatory proteins to be involved, and the identified GO signatures predicted day-adjusted scores of nausea indices in the placebo group. We also performed GO enrichment analyses of specific plasma proteins predictable by the experimental factors or their interactions and identified 'grooming behavior' as a prominent hit. Finally, Receiver Operator Characteristics (ROC) allowed to identify plasma proteins differentiating placebo responders from non-responders, comprising immunoglobulins and proteins involved in oxidation reduction processes and complement activation. Plasma proteomics is a promising tool to identify molecular correlates and predictors of the placebo effect in humans

Integrating ecosystem services and disservices: insights from plant invasions

There is growing interest in ecosystem disservices, i.e. the negative effects of ecosystems on humans. The focus on disservices has been controversial because of the lack of clarity on how to disentangle ecosystem services and disservices related to human wellbeing. A perspective that considers both services and disservices is needed to inform objective decision-making. We propose a comprehensive typology of ecosystem disservices, and present a framework for integrating ecosystem services and disservices for human wellbeing linked to ecosystem functioning. Our treatment is underpinned by three key assumptions: (1) ecosystem attributes and functions are value-free; (2) the perception of benefits or nuisances are however dependent on societal context, and preferences and actions by societal actors may trigger, enhance or alleviate benefits or nuisances derived from ecosystems; and (3) the notion of disservices must account for the role of human management in assessments of ecosystem values, i.e. the social and technological measures that identify, protect, promote or restore desirable levels of services, and concurrently minimise, mitigate or adapt to disservices. We illustrate our ideas with examples from plant invasions as a complex social-ecological phenomenon

Human TRMT2A methylates tRNA and contributes to translation fidelity

5-Methyluridine (m5U) is one of the most abundant RNA modifications found in cytosolic tRNA. tRNA methyltransferase 2 homolog A (hTRMT2A) is the dedicated mammalian enzyme for m5U formation at tRNA position 54. However, its RNA binding specificity and functional role in the cell are not well understood. Here we dissected structural and sequence requirements for binding and methylation of its RNA targets. Specificity of tRNA modification by hTRMT2A is achieved by a combination of modest binding preference and presence of a uridine in position 54 of tRNAs. Mutational analysis together with cross-linking experiments identified a large hTRMT2A–tRNA binding surface. Furthermore, complementing hTRMT2A interactome studies revealed that hTRMT2A interacts with proteins involved in RNA biogenesis. Finally, we addressed the question of the importance of hTRMT2A function by showing that its knockdown reduces translation fidelity. These findings extend the role of hTRMT2A beyond tRNA modification towards a role in translation

Towards a national ecosystem assessment in Germany

We present options for a National Ecosystem Assessment in Germany (NEA-DE) that could inform decision-makers on the state and trends of ecosystems and ecosystem services. Characterizing a NEA-DE, we argue that its cross-sectoral, integrative approach would have the advantages of increased scientific understanding, addressing specific policy questions and creating science-policy dialogues. Challenges include objections against a utilitarian perspective, reservations concerning power relations, and responsibilities concerning the funding