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Artificial Intelligence in Biological and Chemical Warfare
Get PDFArtificial Intelligence (AI) is commonly understood as the ability of machines to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence and is a key area of advanced computing. Overall, the use of AI in life sciences is still in an early stage, but AI tools with relevance for biological and chemical warfare could already be established. This affects the creation of new substances, the identification of potential targets by prediction of protein structures, the detection and identification of suspicious particles and DNA sequences and the defense against malicious actors. This includes the creation of new compounds related to VX gas by a modified MegaSyn algorithm, and advances in protein structure prediction by AI tools like AlphaFold 2. On the other hand, AI facilitates the detection of suspicious particles (HoloZcan) and DNA sequences (Fun GCAT) and concepts for a holistic biothreat defense (Biothreat Artificial Intelligence Network BAIN) are underway which will be supported by the ongoing development of 6G networks. An updated overview of biological and chemical weapons will be given. After a brief introduction into the concepts of AI, the relevant AI tools and cyber-biosecurity threats will be presented. The final section will discuss the need for a systematic and coherent oversight regimen
Die Expansion der Shanghaier Organisation für Zusammenarbeit SOZ
Get PDFDie Shanghaier Organisation für Zusammenarbeit SOZ (engl. Shanghai Cooperation Organization SCO) mit Sitz in Peking wurde 2001 als Nachfolger der Shanghai Five-Gruppe aus dem Jahr 1996 gegründet. Die SOZ wurde schrittweise um neue Mitgliedsstaaten erweitert und 2022/23 erhielten Saudi-Arabien, Katar und Ägypten den Status von Dialogpartnern; die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate, Bahrain und Kuwait könnten bald folgen. Die SOZ ist eine zwischenstaatliche Organisation, die auf dem als „Shanghai Spirit“ formulierten Prinzip der Nichteinmischung in die inneren Angelegenheiten souveräner Staaten basiert. Die SOZ verfügt über eine institutionelle Struktur mit einem Sekretariat, einer regionalen Anti-Terror-Struktur (RATS, Taschkent), regelmäßigen Treffen, multinationalen Militärübungen (Peace Mission) und unterstützt die wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit zwischen den Mitgliedstaaten. Die SOZ ist ein alternatives Weltordnungs- (Global-Governance)-Modell zum Bündnismodell des Westens (NATO, EU, Quad) und umfasst mittlerweile den größten Teil der eurasischen Landmasse und etwa 40% der Weltbevölkerung, ist aber kein Militärbündnis und strebt nicht danach, die Mitgliedstaaten in einen supranationalen Rahmen einzubinden. Der anfängliche Fokus auf Sicherheit verlagerte sich später auf wirtschaftliche Fragen und nun auch auf die Energiepolitik. Da verschiedene Mitgliedstaaten ihre eigene geopolitische Agenda haben (z.B. China, Russland, Indien, Iran usw.), bezweifeln westliche Analysten manchmal die Relevanz der SOZ, aber sie ermöglicht ihren Mitgliedstaaten eine Diversifizierung und einen Ausgleich ihrer sicherheitspolitischen, wirtschaftlichen und diplomatischen Aktivitäten und erhalten dadurch mehr politische Handlungsfreiheit. Die SOZ-Aktivitäten sind gut auf Chinas „Freundeskreis“- und Partnerschaftskonzept der Außenpolitik abgestimmt, und viele SOZ-Staaten haben eine bilaterale Partnerschaft mit China, z.B. Saudi-Arabien und Iran. Vor diesem Hintergrund ist das Zusammentreffen der SOZ-Erweiterung und des trilateralen Abkommens von 2023 zwischen China, Saudi-Arabien und dem Iran zur Wiederherstellung der Saudi-iranischen Beziehungen nicht überraschend. Auch die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate haben gute Beziehungen zu China und stellen nun auch ihre Beziehungen zum Iran wieder her. Zusammenfassend ist die aktuelle SOZ-Erweiterung ein weiterer Schritt hin zu einer multipolaren Weltordnung und fordert die Sicherheitsarchitektur der Vereinigten Staaten für den Nahen Osten und Nordafrika heraus
Philosophy of Nostalgia: Affectivity, Media and Politics
Get PDFIn this thesis I investigate nostalgia, focusing on the relationship between this phenomenon and the environment, in particular media and politics. I adopt the theories of situated affectivity to understand this complex affective phenomenon that has determined some of the most recent social and political changes. This thesis is divided in five chapters.
In chapter 1 I analyse two different tendencies present in the current debate of nostalgia. According to some, nostalgia must be interpreted as a phenomenon primarily about time, so much so that nostalgia can be neatly distinguished from homesickness, which is the longing for a beloved faraway place. The other school of thought does not distinguish so neatly between nostalgia and homesickness and presents nostalgia as a longing for a time inseparable from space and vice versa. To better frame this problem, I present a digression on the history of the concept of nostalgia. This digression also allows me to discuss the role that the very invention and “evolution” of the word “nostalgia” has had in our conception of it. In chapter 2, I analyse nostalgia as an emotion. More specifically I investigate the role that memory and imagination play in personal, non-displaced nostalgia. First of all, I differentiate actual nostalgia from similar phenomena, such as involuntary memory, then I analyse the processes of selection, revaluation and renarration of the past that take place in nostalgia. In chapter 3, I analyse nostalgia as a form of “desire for the whole”. In order to discuss this expression, I present Plato’s myth of the Androgynous and I discuss the notion of existential feeling, which will also require an analysis of nostalgia as an embodied feeling. I then use the results of this first part of the chapter to explain the relation between identity and nostalgia, to account for displaced nostalgia and to discuss nostalgia as “philosophical feeling”. In chapter 4, I explore how material culture and mass media can be used as scaffolds (e.g. supports) for nostalgia and how these supports can be manipulated externally by discussing Slaby’s concept of mind invasion. In chapter 5 I analyse in what sense and to what extent nostalgia can be collective and I show how collective nostalgic narratives can play a major role in our social and political lives
Intensity of grassland management and landscape heterogeneity determine species richness of insects in fragmented hay meadows
Get PDFTraditionally managed grasslands rank among the most species-rich ecosystems. However, in agricultural landscapes of Western and Central Europe, their extent has severely decreased. The remaining patches are mostly fragmented and suffer from habitat deterioration. Here, we studied the effects of environmental conditions on species richness of butterflies and grasshoppers in highly fragmented hay meadows. Our study revealed that environmental parameters at the habitat and landscape level influenced species richness of butterflies and grasshoppers in low-intensity hay meadows. In the univariable models, two groups of parameters consistently affected the number of all and threatened species: at the habitat level, species richness was fostered by structural richness, which was indicative of the overall management intensity of the grassland patches. At the landscape level, a higher number of mowing events in the landscape surrounding the hay meadows had a negative effect and higher elevations exhibiting a cooler and wetter climate had a positive effect on species richness. The former reflected the overall intensity of grassland management in the landscape and the later, together with further predictors (cover of forest, habitat connectivity, slope), the landscape heterogeneity. Consequently, the intensity of grassland management at the habitat and landscape level as well as the landscape heterogeneity, which was also related to land-use intensity, determined species richness of butterflies and grasshoppers. Based on these findings, there is an urgent need to enlarge the proportion of grasslands with low land-use intensity in the wider countryside. Additionally, conservation measures should aim at increasing landscape heterogeneity and habitat connectivity
Extensive dune grasslands largely lacking human disturbance are an important refuge for a vole-dependent raptor
Get PDFAgricultural intensification and abandonment have led to a dramatic decrease of semi-natural
grasslands such as low-intensity pastures and hay meadows. The Short-eared owl (Asio flammeus)
is a ground-nesting raptor of open grasslands that has severely suffered from these changes.
We studied the habitat preferences of this umbrella species of open grasslands in its last permanent
breeding area in Germany (East Frisian Islands, southern North Sea). We analysed the
breeding-territory preferences based on 576 territories on six of the islands. Moreover, we
assessed nest-site preferences of 13 breeding pairs on the German abundance hot spot, the island
of Spiekeroog. Our investigation revealed that the Short-eared owl strongly preferred open dunes
for breeding, especially dune grasslands. By contrast, built-up areas and small stands of trees were
avoided. For nest-building, microhabitats with a high cover of the herb layer and litter resulting
in tall vegetation were favoured. By contrast, the vegetation in the wider surrounding of the nest
was characterised by more bare ground and shorter vegetation but still a high cover of the herb
layer and litter. In conclusion, our study highlights the prime importance of extensive open
grasslands with a pronounced litter layer and largely lacking human disturbance as breeding
habitats for the Short-eared owl. At the nesting site, we suggest that tall and dense vegetation
with a high cover of litter (i) might enhance concealment and (ii) causes a favourable microclimate
by protecting fledglings against adverse weather conditions. In the wider surrounding of the
nest, shorter vegetation with a pronounced litter layer (i) improves fledgling mobility, (ii) fosters
vole abundance and (iii) increases prey accessibility
Sustainability Engagement of Young Muslim:ers: Motives, Opportunities, Obstacles
No full textDie Handreichung präsentiert die komprimierten Erkenntnisse aus dem zweijährigen Forschungsprojekt »Förderung und Entwicklung der Nachhaltigkeitsbildung bei muslimischen Jugendlichen in Niedersachsen« (FEMNI). In Teil eins werden das Forschungsprojekt, dessen zugrundeliegende Forschungsinteresse sowie das methodische Vorgehen beschrieben. Teil zwei präsentiert die die für Schule und Lehrkräfte, muslimische Gemeinden und Sozialarbeit sowie Zivilgesellschaft relevanten Projektergebnisse. Daraus werden in Teil drei Handlungsempfehlungen für die Praxis abgeleitet. Die Handreichung schließt mit der Praxisreflektion des Forschungsprojektes
Phylogeny and Flow Cytometry of the Genus Kalidium Moq. (Amaranthaceae s.l.) in Kazakhstan
Get PDFThe article presents data on phylogeny, genome size, and ploidy of species of the genus Kalidium Moq. in the flora of Kazakhstan. Genus Kalidium belongs to the tribe Salicornieae of the subfamily Salicornioideae of the family Chenopodiaceae and unites eight species, the main range of which covers the Iranian-Turanian and Central Asian deserts. There are four species in the flora of Kazakhstan: K. foliatum, K. caspicum, K. schrenkianum, and the recently described K. juniperinum. Populations of species of the genus Kalidium in the saline deserts of Kazakhstan occupy large areas, often forming monodominant communities. Sometimes there is a joint growth of two and very rarely three species of the genus. During the period of fieldwork (2021–2022), populations were identified in which these species grew together with a predominance, in most cases, of K. caspicum. Samples of representatives from 15 populations were collected for research. Selected plant samples were studied by flow cytometry to determine plant ploidy. Sequencing of nrITS and two chloroplast fragments were used to build a phylogenetic tree, including sequences from the NCBI database., A phylogenetic tree of species of the genus Kalidium was compiled, which takes previously published data into consideration. In the valley of the middle reaches of the Syrdarya River, tetraploid populations of K. caspicum were found. A hybrid between K. foliatum and K. caspicum was found in the Ili River valley (Almaty region, Uigur district). To identify phylogenetic processes at the intraspecific level, the SCoT (Start codon targeted) fingerprinting method was used
Analyzing Gradual Vegetation Changes in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region Using Landsat Data
Get PDFOil sand mining in northern Alberta/Canada in the Athabasca region is a major intrusion into the otherwise pristine natural environment. The various types of oil sands mining, transport, and processing are causing large-scale discharge of pollutants. Accordingly, this study examined the gradual changes in the physically undisturbed vegetation, that occurred from 1984 to 2021 in the Athabasca oil sands monitoring region. First, the abrupt changes were masked out with the help of auxiliary and Landsat data. Subsequently, a normalized burn ratio Landsat time-series was applied to the LandTrendr algorithm on the Google Earth Engine. In order to interpret gradual changes, measurement criteria were used to describe vegetation development, vulnerability, and variability. In addition, the spatial and temporal relationship of these to oil sand opencast mines, processing facilities, and steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) mines was examined. The results showed that a major part of the vegetation in the Athabasca oil sand monitoring region underwent a positive development (65.9%). However, around the opencast mines a negative vegetation development and stability within a radius of 10 km could be observed. In the surroundings of processing facilities, the development and stability of vegetation was disturbed within a radius of 2 km. Thereby the analysis of land cover classes showed that deciduous, coniferous, and mixed forest are disproportionately affected. Conversely, no negative influences on neighboring vegetation could be detected around SAGD mines. The temporal analysis showed that vegetation disturbance was most pronounced between 1990 and 2000, but recovered in recent years
Fostering collective action through participation in natural resource and environmental management: An integrative and interpretative narrative review using the IAD, NAS and SES frameworks
No full textSolving humanity's social-environmental challenges calls for collective action by relevant actors. Hence, involving these actors in the policy process has been deemed both necessary and promising. But how and to what extent can participatory policy interventions (PIs) foster collective action for sustainable environmental and natural resource management? Lab and lab-in-the-field experiments on co-operation in the context of collective action challenges (i.e. social dilemmas) and case study research on participatory processes both offer insights into this question but have hitherto mainly remained unconnected. This article reviews insights from these two streams of literature in tandem, synthesising and analysing them using the institutional analysis and development (IAD) framework in combination with the network of action situations (NAS) framework and the social-ecological systems (SES) framework. We thus perform an integrative and interpretative narrative review to draw a richer and more nuanced picture of PIs: their potential impacts, their (institutional and behavioural) mechanisms and challenges, and caveats and recommendations for their design and implementation. Our review shows that PIs can indeed foster collective action by (a) helping the relevant actors craft suitable and legitimate institutional arrangements and (b) addressing and/or influencing actors' attributes of relevance to collective action, namely their individual and shared understandings, beliefs and preferences. To fulfil this potential, the organisers and sponsors of PIs must address and link to the broader context through soundly designed and implemented processes. Complementary follow-up, enforcement and conflict resolution mechanisms are necessary to nurture, reassure and sustain understandings, beliefs and preferences that undergird trust-building and collective action. The conceptual framework developed for the review can help researchers and practitioners further assess these insights, disentangle PIs' mechanisms and impacts, and integrate the research and practice of participatory governance and collective action
Real-life relevant face perception is not captured by the N170 but reflected in later potentials: A comparison of 2D and virtual reality stimuli
No full textThe perception of faces is one of the most specialized visual processes in the human brain and has been investigated by means of the early event-related potential component N170. However, face perception has mostly been studied in the conventional laboratory, i.e., monitor setups, offering rather distal presentation of faces as planar 2D-images. Increasing spatial proximity through Virtual Reality (VR) allows to present 3D, real-life-sized persons at personal distance to participants, thus creating a feeling of social involvement and adding a self-relevant value to the presented faces. The present study compared the perception of persons under conventional laboratory conditions (PC) with realistic conditions in VR. Paralleling standard designs, pictures of unknown persons and standard control images were presented in a PC- and a VR-modality. To investigate how the mechanisms of face perception differ under realistic conditions from those under conventional laboratory conditions, the typical face-specific N170 and subsequent components were analyzed in both modalities. Consistent with previous laboratory research, the N170 lost discriminatory power when translated to realistic conditions, as it only discriminated faces and controls under laboratory conditions. Most interestingly, analysis of the later component [230–420 ms] revealed more differentiated face-specific processing in VR, as indicated by distinctive, stimulus-specific topographies. Complemented by source analysis, the results on later latencies show that face-specific neural mechanisms are applied only under realistic conditions (A video abstract is available in the Supplementary material and via YouTube: https://youtu.be/TF8wiPUrpSY)