16 research outputs found
Using Peltier elements in low temperature district heating networks
No full textBy placing multiple Peltier elements in a linear arrangement while two water flows run past the elements, a temperature increase can be realised in one flow while the other flow is cooled down. In this study the heating of domestic hot water with Peltier elements as solid state heat pumps, and a heating network was investigated. A numerical model that solves the thermal energy balance within the Peltier elements was derived to describe the internal temperature distribution of the Peltier element, and its interaction with the domestic hot water and the heating network. The model was used to simulate the performance of 40 Peltier elements in a custom designed Peltier Heat Exchanger. Experiments were run to validate the numerical model. The numerical simulation of the temperature distribution within a Peltier Heat Exchanger and the temperature distributions observed in the experiments were not in agreement. The model input parameters Seebeck coefficient, resistance, thermal conductivity and a relation for the Nusselt number were re-evaluated using the experimental results. After the adjustment of the model input parameters, the new simulation results were able to accurately describe the temperature distribution with the Peltier Heat Exchanger. The Peltier Heat Exchanger was able to deliver domestic hot water with a COP between 1.2 and 1.8 depending on the flow speed of the domestic hot water and the heating network. The COP can potentially be increased by using Peltier elements with a higher Seebeck coefficient.Mechanical Engineering | Energy, Flow and Process Technolog
Transdifferente Positionalitäten als Manifestationen biografischer Grenzerfahrungen
No full text'Im Rahmen des Beitrages wird das Konzept der transdifferenten Positionalität vorgestellt und in den Diskussionszusammenhang 'Identitäten im Zwischenraum' gestellt. Transdifferente Positionalitäten nehmen biographische Grenzgänger ein, welche die Erfahrung kultureller Mehrfachzugehörigkeit machen. Sie sind eine ambivalente Erfahrung, insofern sie einerseits erlitten werden, andererseits aber neue Möglichkeiten eröffnen. Im Unterschied zu Breinig und Lösch wird das Konzept der transdifferenten Positionalität jedoch nicht auf kulturelle Grenzgänger beschränkt, sondern lässt sich auch auf Transsexuelle, transplantierte Menschen, Menschen mit Nahtoderfahrungen sowie allgemein Erfahrungen an der Grenze von Vernunft und Unvernunft anwenden, wie literarische Beispiele belegen. Als größte Errungenschaft des Konzeptes wird dabei angesehen, dass es eine präzisere Fassung von Identitäten im Zwischenraum erlaubt.' (Autorenreferat)'In this article the author presents the concept of transdifferent positioning and integrate it in the discussion of 'in-between-identities'. Especially biographical border crossers with experiences of multiple cultural belongings develop a transdifferent positioning. Transdifferent experiences are ambivalent in nature, because on the one hand they make people suffer, but on the other hand they open up new possibilities of living. In contrast to the founders of the term transdifference, Breinig and Lösch, the author does not limit the concept to experiences of multiple cultural belonging, but extend it to experiences of transsexuality, transplantation, near-death experiences and experiences at the edge of rationality. All these experiences are illustrated by literary examples. As a result, it can be stated that the concept of transdifference contributes to an improved understanding of 'in-between-identities'.' (author's abstract)
Suspension of boundaries: transdifferentiation in Vilma Vukelić’s memoirs. A contribution to the retention of Austrian literature and culture in post-1918 Croatia
No full textThe memoirs of the Croatian-Austrian author Vilma Vukelić capture the identity of the city of Osijek at the turn of the 19th and the 20th centuries, as well as the personal identity of the author, who is first portrayed as a child and then as a young girl, Vilma. Earlier analyses of the text were based on multicultural perspectives which provide only a superficial insight into the complex processes of identity formation as it is described in Tragovi prošlosti (the original title: Spuren der Vergangenheit). The article thus presents the culturalist concept of transdifference developed by Breinig and Lösch. The core of the concept is a process of identity formation which flows through differences while suspending the imposed binary structure, without revoking them. The method has proved to be effective and brought a new perspective on belonging and alterity in the multicultural imperial setting
Internationale und europäische Bedingungen politischer Bildung - zur Kritik der European Citizenship Education
No full textIm Zuge der Internationalisierung und Europäisierung von politischen und ökonomischen Prozessen verändern sich die Bedingungen für politische Bildung, die bislang inhaltlich wie institutionell nationalstaatlich ausgerichtet war. Die Einschätzungen gehen dahingehend auseinander, inwieweit diese (Transformations-)Prozesse neue Möglichkeiten für die politische Bildungsarbeit eröffnen oder gegenteilig die etablierte Praxis eher weiter beschneiden. Der Beitrag skizziert insofern einige europäische Initiativen, die sich auf die institutionelle und inhaltliche Ausrichtung politischer Bildung auswirken. Das Demokratieverständnis der European Citizenship Education wird diskutiert und eine erweiterte Perspektive einer Global Citizenship Education eröffnet. Eine kritische politische Bildung, wie sie konzeptionell dem Beitrag zu Grunde liegt, verfolgt eine Weltperspektive, die eine europazentrierte Sichtweise übersteigt, alte Ausschlussmechanismen des Nationalstaates zu überwinden sucht sowie bei einem differenzierten Subjekt- und Demokratiebegriff ansetzt. (DIPF/Orig.)In the course of the internationalization and Europeanization of political and economic processes the conditions of political education are changing, - conditions which have so far been oriented by the nation-state on both the institutional and the content-related level. Estimations of the situation vary in so far as the (transformation-) processes are regarded as either opening up new possibilities for political education or as, on the contrary, further limiting the established practice. The author sketches a few European initiatives which do have an effect on the institutional and content-related orientation of political education. The understanding of democracy inherent in European Citizenship Education is discussed and a broadened perspective of a Global Citizenship Education is opened up. A critical political education, such as forms the conceptual basis of this study, pursues a world perspective transcending a Europe-centered point of view, trying to overcome old mechanisms of exclusion typical of the nation-state, and starting from a differentiated concept of the subject and of democracy. (DIPF/Orig.
Nahtoderfahrung und Transdifferenz
No full text'Nahtoderfahrungen sind durch bestimmte Merkmale (Außerkörpererfahrung, Tunnel-Licht-Erlebnis, euphorische Glücksempfindungen usw.) gekennzeichnete Grenzerlebnisse, nicht notwendigerweise in Todesnähe, die meist sehr tief in das Leben der Betroffenen eingreifen und diese zu einer soziologisch schwer fassbaren Gruppe werden lassen. Die Methode der Transdifferenz (wie etwa von Lösch beschrieben) erscheint geeignet, zur Erforschung dieser Gruppe beizutragen. Der Verfasser beschränkt sich im Wesentlichen darauf, Nahtoderfahrungen zu beschreiben und an Beispielen zu konkretisieren.' (Autorenreferat)'Near-death experience is a border experience characterized by distinctive marks like the experience of being out of the body, the tunnel-light-experience, euphoric feelings etc., which necessarily is not restricted to a near-death experience. Rather it is an experience of human narrowness that deeply intervenes in the lives of people and so alienates them. As sociological group they are hardly to grasp, but transdifference seems to be a suitable method to contribute to its understanding. In the article the author restrains himself on descriptions of near-death experiences.' (author's abstract)
“O projeto utópico do Conde de la Perronnays (Guiana Francesa, 1835)”
No full textInternational audienceThis research presents the project, of a utopian type, developed in 1835 for the French colony of Guyana. Its author, a French diplomat, stationed in Brazil in the 1820s, proposes an ambitious plan to colonize the entire Guyanese territory, from the coast to the little-known inland mountains of Tumuc-Humac, where a new capital is to be created. It also seems valuable to analyze this utopian project based on a new highly developed territorial mesh, recalling before the time other theoretical models of distribution of central places (Christaller, Lösch, Von Thünen, etc.). In our opinion, it represents the caricatural archetype of the colonial-type project, of which we still find late examples in the last quarter of the 20th century: a development plan ignoring local characteristics, both socio-economic and naturalistic (the environment being denied), with a territory to be developed apprehended as an 'empty' space, moldable at will.Nuestra investigación presenta un proyecto, de carácter utopico, elaborado en 1835 para la colonia francesa de Guayana. Un diplomático francés, destacado en Brasil durante los años 1820, propone un plan ambicioso destinado a colonizar la totalidad del territorio guayanés, desde la costa hasta las mal conocidas montañas interiores de Tumuc-Humac, donde una nueva capital debía ser creada. Por tanto, nos parece muy interesante analizar este proyecto utópico, apoyado sobre una nueva malla territorial muy desarrollada, que recuerda anticipándolos otros modelos teóricos de distribución de los lugares centrales (como los de Christaller, Lösch, Von Thünen, por ejemplo). A nuestro juicio, representa el arquetipo «caricaturesco» del proyecto de tipo colonial, del que aún se encuentran ejemplos tardíos en el último cuarto del siglo XX: un plan de desarrollo que niega las características locales, tanto socio-económicas como naturales, con un territorio a ordenar considerado como un espacio «vacío», que se modela a capricho...Cettte recherche présente le projet, de type utopique, élaboré en 1835 pour la colonie française de Guyane. Son auteur, un diplomate français,en poste au Brésil dans les années 1820, propose un plan ambitieux visant à coloniser l’ensemble du territoire guyanais, de la côte jusqu’aux méconnues montagnes intérieures Tumuc-Humac, où une nouvelle capitale doit être créée. Aussi nous semble-t-il précieux d’analyser ce projet utopique reposant sur un nouveau maillage territorial très développé, rappelant avant l’heure d’autres modèles théoriques de répartition des lieux centraux (Christaller, Lösch, Von Thünen, etc.). À notre sens, il représente l’archétype caricatural du projet de type colonial,dont on retrouve encore des exemples tardifs dans le dernier quart du XXe siècle : un plan de développement faisant fi des caractéristiques locales, tant socio-économiques que naturalistes (le milieu étant nié), avec un territoire à aménager appréhendé comme un espace “vide”, modelable à souhait.Esta pesquisa apresenta o projeto, de tipo utópico, elaborado em 1835 para a colônia francesa da Guiana. Seu autor, um diplomata francês, em serviço no Brasil na década de 1820, propõe um plano ambicioso para colonizar todo o território da Guiana, desde a costa até as desconhecidas montanhas interiores Tumuc-Humac, onde uma nova capital deve ser criada. Por isso, parece-nos valioso analisar este projeto utópico baseado numa nova malha territorial muito desenvolvida, recordando antes da hora outros modelos teóricos de distribuição dos lugares centrais (Christaller, Lösch, Von Thünen, etc.). Em nossa opinião, representa o arquétipo caricatural do projeto de tipo colonial, dos quais ainda se encontram exemplos tardios no último quarto do século XX: um plano de desenvolvimento que ignora as características locais, tanto sócio-econômicas como naturalistas (o meio sendo negado), com um território a ser aproveitado como um espaço "vazio", modelável à vontade
Estimating aquatic invertebrate diversity in the southern Alps using data from Biodiversity Days
No full textHigh biodiversity is a prerequisite for the integrity, stability, and functioning of global aquatic ecosystems, but it is currently subject to anthropogenic threats. Small freshwater bodies with high habitat diversity are essential to sustain regional biodiversity, but species inventory and biodiversity are largely overlooked, especially in mountainous regions. In the Italian Alps, obligate assessments of freshwater biota (e.g., for the European water framework directive, WFD) are usually done in larger rivers or lakes only, which is why many taxa from small freshwater habitats might have been overlooked so far. Here we summarize and discuss the efforts to record aquatic invertebrates within the framework of so-called "Biodiversity Days", organized since 2001 at 13 different sites located across the North Italian province of South Tyrol. These events with voluntary participation of scientists and naturalists from universities and environmental agencies led to the detection of 334 benthic invertebrate taxa in streams and lakes (mostly species or genus level), whereby higher taxa richness was found in streams. The overall hierarchy of species numbers within invertebrate orders or families corresponded to that of other Alpine regions (groups richest in taxa were Chironomidae and Trichoptera) and these Biodiversity Days contributed to biodiversity research of that region in detecting 167 additional taxa. Besides analyzing yearly gains in the regional taxa inventory, we predict that future surveys will lead to new discoveries of aquatic taxa for that province (i.e., current modeling estimates a regional inventory of more than 600 taxa). However, specific surveys in hitherto unconsidered habitats, such as morphologically modified or urban waters, might reveal even more taxa than currently estimated. Besides characterizing the invertebrate fauna of this region and providing a first reference list for future monitoring projects in the same region, this work demonstrates that such Biodiversity Days can contribute to biodiversity research
“Brasília em Tumuc-Humac”: o projeto moderno conhecido como projeto Perronnays (1835)
No full textInternational audienceThis research presents a utopian project developed in 1835 for the French colony of Guiana by an author who remains unidentified, and whom we previously and mistakenly attributed to the Count de la Perronnays. A French diplomat stationed in Brazil in the 1820s proposed an ambitious plan to colonize the entire territory of Guiana, from the coast to the little-known interior mountains of Tumuc-Humac, where a new capital was to be established. Therefore, we believe it is valuable to analyze this utopian project, based on a new and highly developed territorial network, which foreshadows other theoretical models for the distribution of central places (Christaller, Lösch, Von Thünen, etc.). In our view, it represents the caricatured archetype of the colonial type project, of which we can still find late examples in the last quarter of the 20th century: a development plan that disregards local characteristics, both socio-economic and natural (the environment being denied), with a territory to be developed apprehended as an “empty” space, moldable at will.Nuestra investigación presenta un proyecto, de carácter utopico, elaborado en 1835 para la colonia francesa de Guayana por un autor desconocido que habíamos nombrado por error en una búsqueda anterior, el Conde de la Perronnay. Un diplomático francés, destacado en Brasil durante los años 1820, propone un plan ambicioso destinado a colonizar la totalidad del territorio guayanés, desde la costa hasta las mal conocidas montañas interiores de Tumuc-Humac, donde una nueva capital debía ser creada. Por tanto, nos parece muy interesante analizar este proyecto utópico, apoyado sobre una nueva malla territorial muy desarrollada, que recuerda anticipándolos otros modelos teóricos de distribución de los lugares centrales (como los de Christaller, Lösch, Von Thünen, por ejemplo). A nuestro juicio, representa el arquetipo «caricaturesco» del proyecto de tipo colonial, del que aún se encuentran ejemplos tardíos en el último cuarto del siglo XX: un plan de desarrollo que niega las características locales, tanto socio-económicas como naturales, con un territorio a ordenar considerado como un espacio «vacío», que se modela a capricho...Cettte recherche présente le projet, de type utopique, élaboré en 1835 pour la colonie française de Guyane par un auteur à ce jour encore non identifié, et que nous avions attribué jadis par erreur au comte de la Perronnays. Un diplomate français, en poste au Brésil dans les années 1820, propose un plan ambitieux visant à coloniser l’ensemble du territoire guyanais, de la côte jusqu’aux méconnues montagnes intérieures Tumuc-Humac, où une nouvelle capitale doit être créée. Aussi nous semble-t-il précieux d’analyser ce projet utopique reposant sur un nouveau maillage territorial très développé, rappelant avant l’heure d’autres modèles théoriques de répartition des lieux centraux (Christaller, Lösch, Von Thünen, etc.). À notre sens, il représente l’archétype caricatural du projet de type colonial,dont on retrouve encore des exemples tardifs dans le dernier quart du XXe siècle : un plan de développement faisant fi des caractéristiques locales, tant socio-économiques que naturalistes (le milieu étant nié), avec un territoire à aménager appréhendé comme un espace “vide”, modelable à souhait.Esta pesquisa apresenta um projeto utópico desenvolvido em 1835 para a colônia francesa da Guiana por um autor que permanece não identificado, e a quem anteriormente e erroneamente atribuímos ao Conde de la Perronnays. Um diplomata francês destacado no Brasil na década de 1820 propôs um ambicioso plano para colonizar todo o território da Guiana, do litoral às pouco conhecidas montanhas do interior de Tumuc-Humac, onde seria estabelecida uma nova capital. Portanto, acreditamos ser valioso analisar esse projeto utópico, baseado em uma nova e altamente desenvolvida rede territorial, que antecipa outros modelos teóricos para a distribuição de lugares centrais (Christaller, Lösch, Von Thünen, etc.). Em nossa opinião, representa o arquétipo caricatural do projeto colonial, do qual ainda podemos encontrar exemplos tardios no último quartel do século XX: um plano de desenvolvimento que desconsidera as características locais, tanto socioeconômicas quanto naturais (o meio ambiente é negado), com um território a ser desenvolvido apreendido como um espaço “vazio”, moldável à vontade
Phylogeography of the second plague pandemic revealed through analysis of historical Yersinia pestis genomes
No full textThe second plague pandemic, caused by Yersinia pestis, devastated Europe and the nearby regions between the 14th and 18th centuries AD. Here we analyse human remains from ten European archaeological sites spanning this period and reconstruct 34 ancient Y. pestis genomes. Our data support an initial entry of the bacterium through eastern Europe, the absence of genetic diversity during the Black Death, and low within-outbreak diversity thereafter. Analysis of post-Black Death genomes shows the diversification of a Y. pestis lineage into multiple genetically distinct clades that may have given rise to more than one disease reservoir in, or close to, Europe. In addition, we show the loss of a genomic region that includes virulence-related genes in strains associated with late stages of the pandemic. The deletion was also identified in genomes connected with the first plague pandemic (541–750 AD), suggesting a comparable evolutionary trajectory of Y. pestis during both events. © 2019, The Author(s)
Ordoliberalism and the evolution of norms
No full textThe first part of the following paper deals with varying points of criticism forwarded against Ordoliberalism. Here, it is not the aim to directly falsify each argument on its own; rather, the author tries to give a precise overview of the spectrum of critique. The second section picks out one argument of critical review – namely that the ordoliberal concept of the state is somewhat elitist and grounded on intellectual experts. Based on the previous sections, the final part differentiates two kinds of genesis of norms: an evolutionary and an elitist one – both (latently) present within Ordoliberalism. In combination with the two-level differentiation between individual and regulatory ethics, the essay allows for a distinction between individual-ethical norms based on an evolutionary genesis of norms and regulatory-ethical norms based on an elitist understanding of norms. A by-product of the author’s argument is a (further) demarcation within neoliberalism
