28 research outputs found
Ein Rat für Armutsfragen in der Schweiz schafft Legitimität für die Perspektive der Betroffenen
No full textDie Nationale Plattform gegen Armut (NAPA) lanciert zum Abschluss ihres Arbeitsprogramms einen Rat für Armutsfragen für die Schweiz. In diesem Gremium erhalten Armutsbetroffenen eine kollektive Stimme, sodass sie Initiativen und Anliegen in politischen Prozesse zielgerichtet einfliessen lassen können. Gleichzeitig können politische Entscheidungsträger:innen Beratung und Rückmeldungen zu Vorlagen in der Armutspolitik vom Rat einholen.
In einem gemeinsam mit Forschenden lancierten Projekt wurden die Eckpunkte dieser Beteiligungsstruktur erarbeitet. Der Bundesrat entscheidet nun, ob er sich am Rat für Armutsfragen in der Schweiz beteiligt.
Wie kam es dazu? Was hat der Prozess der Erarbeitung gebracht? Welche Hoffnungen werden in den Armutsrat gesetzt? Ein Gespräch mit vier Beteiligten
Swiss ethnoveterinary knowledge on medicinal plants - a within-country comparison of Italian speaking regions with north-western German speaking regions
No full textBackground: Ethnoveterinary knowledge in Europe may play an important role as a basis for sustainable treatment options for livestock. Aims of our study were (a) to compare the ethnoveterinary practices of two culturally and sociodemographically different regions of Switzerland, (b) to compare results with earlier ethnoveterinary studies conducted in Switzerland and in adjacent Italian regions and, (c) to evaluate possible reasons for regional differences in European ethnoveterinary medicine. Methods: 25 interviews were conducted in 2014 in all Italian speaking regions (ItR) of Switzerland, and 31 interviews were held in five north-western German speaking Cantons (GeC). Semi-structured questionnaires were used to collect detailed information regarding plant species, mode of preparation, dosage, route of administration, category of use, origin of knowledge, frequency of use, and satisfaction with outcomes of the treatments. Results: A total of 162 homemade remedies in ItR and 219 in GeC were reported, out of which 125 and 145, respectively, were reported to contain only one plant species (homemade single species herbal remedy report, HSHR). 44 ItR and 43 GeC plant species were reported to treat livestock, of which only a half were used in both regions. For each HSHR, we classified the treatment intention of all use reports (UR), leading to a total of 205 and 219 UR in ItR and GeC respectively. While cattle were the most often treated livestock species in both study regions, in ItR 40% of UR were administered to small ruminants. Main indications in both regions were gastrointestinal diseases and skin afflictions, but in ItR a high number of URs were reported as antiparasitics. URs were mainly handed down from the past generation, but in GeC the source of knowledge for 20% of URs were from courses. Regarding the used plant species, ItR showed a higher concordance with Swiss than Italian studies, but with some differences to all regions. A total of 22 (14 ItR; 8 GeC) plant species in this study have not been reported before in ethnoveterinary studies of Swiss and Italian alpine regions. Conclusions: ItR and GeC, show differences and similarities with respect to their own ethnoveterinary practices and earlier Swiss and Italian ethnoveterinary studies. Linguistic, geographical, as well as social and farm-structural conditions influence the regional ethnoveterinary knowledge. However, political borders seem to be more important than language or geographical barriers
Approaches to increase resource efficiency with peer-to-peer extension in Swiss agriculture
No full textEin effizienter Umgang mit Ressourcen ist infolge des Klimawandels, steigender Bevölkerungszahlen und sich verändernden Ernährungsgewohnheiten eine Herausforderung für die Landwirtschaft und erfordert neue Denkansätze und Lösungen. Das schweizerische Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft hat deshalb das Pilotprojekt „Ressourceneffizienz im Dienste der Ernährungssicherheit“ (REDES) in Auftrag gegeben. Während der vierjährigen Projektdauer trafen sich elf innovative Landwirte (ausschließlich Männer) regelmäßig zur Peer-to-Peer Beratungen in Form eines Arbeitskreises, mit dem Zweck, die Betriebe nach den Prinzipien der Nachhaltigkeit und Ressourceneffizienz weiterzuentwickeln. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht den Einfluss der Methode des Arbeitskreises auf den Lerntransfer, die intrinsische Motivation und die Einstellung der Teilnehmenden zur Nachhaltigkeit. Obschon die Beteiligten sehr innovativ sind, erschwerte die Kombination von top-down verordneten Projektzielen und dem bottom-up Ansatz des Peer-to-Peer Austausches die Entwicklung von gemeinsamen Zielen und Themen.Climate change, population growth and changed dietary habits challenge the efficient use of resources in agriculture and call for novel approaches and solutions. The Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture has therefore launched the project ‘Resource Efficiency for Food Security’ (REDES). A peer-to-peer exchange among eleven innovative farmers in the form of working groups aims during a period of four years at a development of their operations in accordance with the principles of sustainability and resource efficiency. The study examines what effects of the method of the working group upon knowledge transfer, intrinsic motivation and participants’ attitudes to sustainability can be observed. Even the farmers being very innovative, the combination of top-down prescribed project goals with bottom-up peer-to-peer exchange proved problematic and hampered the setting of joint goals and agendas
BEEYOND - Foundation of the Company & Market Entry
No full textThis bachelor thesis depicts the author's journey over the last months, from the discovery of a business idea inspired by an innovative blockchain application over the creation of a solid concept in the form of a business plan to the development & implementation on a strategic as well as functional level. By applying his theoretical knowledge acquired in the Major "International Entrepreneurship", the author gained the necessary skillset to establish the company, develop the market entry strategy and begin with its practical implementation
Characterization of Enhancing MS Lesions by Dynamic Texture Parameter Analysis of Dynamic Susceptibility Perfusion Imaging
No full textPurpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate statistical differences with MR perfusion imaging features that reflect the dynamics of Gadolinium-uptake in MS lesions using dynamic texture parameter analysis (DTPA). Methods. We investigated 51 MS lesions (25 enhancing, 26 nonenhancing lesions) of 12 patients. Enhancing lesions () were prestratified into enhancing lesions with increased permeability (EL+; ) and enhancing lesions with subtle permeability (EL−; ). Histogram-based feature maps were computed from the raw DSC-image time series and the corresponding texture parameters were analyzed during the inflow, outflow, and reperfusion time intervals. Results. Significant differences () were found between EL+ and EL− and between EL+ and nonenhancing inactive lesions (NEL). Main effects between EL+ versus EL− and EL+ versus NEL were observed during reperfusion (mainly in mean and standard deviation (SD): EL+ versus EL− and EL+ versus NEL), while EL− and NEL differed only in their SD during outflow. Conclusion. DTPA allows grading enhancing MS lesions according to their perfusion characteristics. Texture parameters of EL− were similar to NEL, while EL+ differed significantly from EL− and NEL. Dynamic texture analysis may thus be further investigated as noninvasive endogenous marker of lesion formation and restoration
Quick scan alternatieve veiligheidsmaatregelen
No full textDijken en duinen beschermen Nederland tegen overstroming vanuit de rivieren en de zee. Zeespiegelstijging en meer en extremere stormen als gevolg van de klimaatverandering noodzaken tot het treffen van aanvullende maatregelen. Nog meer bepalend is de achterstand in het beschermingsniveau tegen overstromingen door de toenemende omvang en waardegroei van het te beschermen goed en toegenomen bevolking. De huidige normen lijken niet meer adequaat te zijn. Om te komen tot een nieuwe veiligheidsbenadering moet verder worden gekeken dan de reguliere veiligheidsmaatregelen. Vandaar dat verschillende alternatieve veiligheidsmaatregelen in deze voorliggende quick scan nader worden bekeken. Onder alternatieve maatregelen worden verstaan alle maatregelen anders dan de traditionele versterking en verhoging van de (hoofd)waterkeringen. Alternatieve maatregelen kunnen zowel nieuwe als reeds bestaande - maar nog niet regulier toegepaste - maatregelen zijn. Deze quick scan brengt in kaart welke informatie er beschikbaar is over de alternatieve veiligheidsmaatregelen, waar de informatie gevonden kan worden en welke personen en organisaties kennis hebben over of betrokken zijn bij de maatregelen. De quick scan maakt tevens inzichtelijk waar informatie ontbreekt. Dit is vastgelegd in een factsheet per maatregel. Van alle maatregelen is een inschatting gemaakt van de kansrijkheid, gebaseerd op een (globale) beoordeling van de effectiviteit en haalbaarheid van de betreffende maatregel. Bij de beoordeling van de kansrijkheid zijn relevante kanttekeningen (aannames, orde groottes, onzekerheden) geplaatst. Geconcludeerd kan worden dat alle maatregelen die genoemd worden in deze quick scan waardevol zijn om serieus in overweging te nemen bij verdere verkenning van de nieuwe waterveiligheidsstrategie. In aanvulling daarop kan worden opgemerkt dat, gegeven de opzet van deze quick scan en de gehanteerde uitgangspunten, de beoordeling van de kansrijkheid met name gericht is op de korte termijn. Maatregelen die pas na een lange procedure of vanwege hun omvang pas op lange termijn kunnen worden toegepast, scoren op basis van deze uitgangspunten minder goed. Het is denkbaar dat dergelijke maatregelen (als ze bijvoorbeeld kosteneffectief blijken te zijn) wel goed binnen een lange termijn-strategie passen. Ten slotte dient opgemerkt te worden dat in deze quick scan niet gekeken is naar het combineren van afzonderlijke maatregelen. Aanbevolen wordt om de wisselwerking met andere maatregelen te betrekken bij toekomstige afweging voor het toepassen van één of meer maatregelen
Practical Relativistic Bit Commitment
No full textBit commitment is a fundamental cryptographic primitive in which Alice wishes to commit a secret bit to Bob. Perfectly secure bit commitment between two mistrustful parties is impossible through an asynchronous exchange of quantum information. Perfect security is, however, possible when Alice and Bob each split into several agents exchanging classical information at times and locations suitably chosen to satisfy specific relativistic constraints. In this Letter we first revisit a previously proposed scheme [C. Crépeau et al., Lect. Notes Comput. Sci. 7073, 407 (2011)] that realizes bit commitment using only classical communication. We prove that the protocol is secure against quantum adversaries for a duration limited by the light-speed communication time between the locations of the agents. We then propose a novel multiround scheme based on finite-field arithmetic that extends the commitment time beyond this limit, and we prove its security against classical attacks. Finally, we present an implementation of these protocols using dedicated hardware and we demonstrate a 2 ms-long bit commitment over a distance of 131 km. By positioning the agents on antipodal points on the surface of Earth, the commitment time could possibly be extended to 212 ms.</p
Colonisation of newly-opened habitat by a pioneer species, Alvinella pompejana (Polychaeta: Alvinellidae), at East Pacific Rise vent sites
No full textAuthor Posting. © Inter-Research, 2005. This article is posted here by permission of Inter-Research for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Marine Ecology Progress Series 302 (2005): 147-157, doi:10.3354/meps302147.Animal communities on the walls of deep-sea hydrothermal chimneys are distributed in mosaics of patches that may evolve as local environmental conditions change and biological interactions develop. Alvinella pompejana Desbruyères et Laubier, 1980 is one of the first metazoan colonisers of new surfaces created by mineral precipitation, and therefore may be particularly important in community establishment in active parts of smokers. Here our goal was to investigate the colonisation mechanisms of A. pompejana in new patches and determine whether these mechanisms may influence population structure and reproductive patterns in this species. We deployed a series of TRAC (Titanium Ring for Alvinellid Colonisation) devices at East Pacific Rise (EPR) vent sites to compare the size and stage (i.e. reproductive maturity) distribution of A. pompejana individuals between recently colonised patches (TRACs) and established patches (grabbed by submersible). TRACs deployed for short time periods (11 d to 1 mo) were generally colonised by smaller individuals than those found in background populations or in TRACs deployed for longer time periods (>1 mo). Colonists into new patches were a mix of juveniles and individuals that were sexually mature but non-reproductive (i.e. not producing gametes), whereas background population and older patches harboured a mixture of individuals at different stages including reproductive females. Although some individuals may have recruited on TRACs as larvae, the major colonisation process involved was probably immigration of post-larval stages. In long-term TRAC, reproductive females were not reproductively synchronised. In this dynamic environment, reproduction would be triggered by the disturbance/migration processes, explaining the heterogeneity observed in reproductive patterns.The research
was funded by INSU, CNRS, IFREMER, Dorsales and NSF
grant OCE-9712233 to L.S.M
