358 research outputs found
A Core Curriculum for European Studies in South Eastern Europe. ZEI European Studies and South Eastern Europe Papers, SEE 1, 2002
No full text[From the Introduction]. The Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, launched in 1999, aims at transforming the region, which was for so long characterized by ethnic nationalism, war, and animosity, into an integral part of a united Europe. This European perspective for the region is to be pursued by different means, including the improvement of the regional infrastructure, promoting investment, building a democratic and civil society as well as securing a peaceful interethnic co-existence. In designing the common European future for the region, one element, namely education, is of crucial importance. Stability through education will certainly prove to be a key factor for achieving lasting peace and prosperity in the region. Bringing the younger generation closer to common European values and institutions helps not only to overcome the centuries old tradition of interethnic rivalry, but also to raise new European minded elites able to successfully pursue the region’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic institutions
Ultra-violet imaging of the night-time earth by EUSO-Balloon towards space-based ultra-high energy cosmic ray observations
No full textPlanetary stewardship in an urbanizing world: beyond city limits
No full textCities are rapidly increasing in importance as a major factor shaping the Earth system, and as such must take corresponding responsibility. With currently over half of the world population, cities are supported by resources originating from primarily rural regions that are often located around the world far distant from the urban loci of use. The multiple and complex environmental and social challenges the world faces require interconnected solutions and a coordinated governance approach to planetary stewardship. There is a new opportunity to conceptualize a key component of planetary stewardship as a global system of cities that develop sustainable processes and policies in concert with its non-urban areas. The potential for cities to cooperate as a system and with rural connectivity could not only increase their capacity to effect change and foster stewardship at the planetary scale but also increase their resource security
Peltigera (Lecanoromycetes) on Mt Kilimanjaro, East Africa
No full textTropical mountain forests are hotspots of biodiversity that are widely threatened by human population pressure and climate change. However, the cryptogamic species richness of many tropical mountain regions is insufficiently known, the poorly understood biodiversity of tropical African lichens being a prime example. To study the diversity of the genus Peltigera (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes) in East Africa, we studied lichens in a wide range of habitats on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Ranging from savannah to alpine heath vegetation and from natural forests to agricultural environments, 13 habitat types were sampled for lichens, which were then identified based on the nuITS genetic marker and morphology. We found eight Peltigera species on the slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, including P. alkalicola sp. nov., P. dolichorhiza, P. polydactyloides, P. praetextata, P. rufescentiformis, P. seneca, P. sorediifera and P. ulcerata. Peltigera is most common and species-rich in the subalpine Erica forest zone, and four of the eight detected species were present only in the subalpine and alpine vegetation zones. Peltigera alkalicola was identified as a previously undescribed species, growing on trachybasaltic lava in the subalpine and alpine zones of Mt Kilimanjaro. The species resembles P. lepidophora but differs by possessing smaller thalli and peltate isidia that are distinctly dark on the lighter, tomentose lamina. Based on data from the NCBI GenBank, P. alkalicola probably also occurs in Alaska (USA) and Ningxia (China). This suggests that even though the species might generally be rare, it may have a global distribution in extreme mountain environments. For the first time, we report P. sorediifera from Tanzania and P. seneca from Africa.Peer reviewe
Probing the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with neutrinos in the EeV energy range using the Pierre Auger Observatory
No full textThe Debunking Project. Developing a Framework for the Scope and Requirements of Successful Evolutionary Debunking Arguments
No full textBiermann P. The Debunking Project. Developing a Framework for the Scope and Requirements of Successful Evolutionary Debunking Arguments. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld; 2025.This dissertation explores the theoretical and empirical foundations of Evolutionary Debunking Arguments (EDAs), a critical philosophical type of argument used to challenge realist positions across various domains, notably morality. The dissertation systematically analyzes how EDAs function, what they require as minimal empirical input, what their scope and limits are, and how they can be successfully applied to domains beyond morality.
By investigating the empirical credibility of evolutionary psychology and the epistemological consequences of belief formation through natural selection, the dissertation provides a rigorous framework for assessing the scope and limits of EDAs. The work investigates key problems such as the "empirical input problem"—which questions the degree of evolutionary evidence required for a successful debunking argument—and the "target problem", which is concerned with how EDAs can be generalised to expand and clearly define the target area for debunking.
The dissertation applies its framework to specific case studies, including moral realism, color realism, and aesthetic realism, demonstrating where EDAs are most compelling and where their applicability is limited. Ultimately, the dissertation argues that while EDAs can effectively challenge certain realist positions, they must be applied with methodological precision to avoid overgeneralization. The findings have broader implications for metaethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind, offering new insights into the evolutionary constraints on human cognition and the justification of our beliefs
Acute hindlimb paresis caused by extension of a peripheral nerve sheath tumour into the spinal canal of a horse
No full textSummary A 10‐year‐old Quarter Horse gelding presented for a large, slowly growing mass in the right thoracic region caudal to the withers (approximately at the level of thoracic vertebrae 10 to 16). The mass was surgically removed, the horse returned to normal riding activity, and no external regrowth was observed. Two years after surgery, the horse developed progressive signs of hindlimb weakness, ataxia and adopting a dog‐sitting stance. Post‐mortem examination confirmed spinal canal infiltration and spinal cord compression (at the level of the 12th thoracic vertebra) by a similar soft tissue sarcoma as diagnosed previously. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the tumour as a peripheral nerve sheath tumour (PNST) likely originating from the twelfth thoracic spinal nerve. This report demonstrates that with incomplete tumour resection, local recurrence and extension of a PNST into the central nervous system can occur even years after initial tumour removal. Immunohistochemistry to differentiate the type of soft tissue sarcoma in cases with close association to the nervous system may prove beneficial to anticipate this uncommon complication. Early surgical resection with adjunctive therapies should be considered in these cases
Prospective, randomised clinical trial of four different pre-surgical hand antiseptic techniques in equine surgery
No full textBackground: Currently, the World Health Organization recommends the use of alcohol-based hand rubs (ABR) for surgical hand preparation in human surgery. When disinfecting soaps are used, a rubbing technique causes less skin irritation than brush scrubbing. Based on a recent survey, most equine surgeons still use disinfecting soap. The efficacy of scrubbing vs. rubbing and the use of sole ABR compared with chlorhexidine (CHx)- based products has not been evaluated in the equine surgical setting.
Objectives: To compare four surgical hand antisepsis techniques in equine surgery for reduction of aerobic bacterial counts from pre- to post-preparation (immediate efficacy) and at the end of surgery (sustained efficacy).
Study design: Randomised, prospective clinical trial.
Methods: A 4% CHx-based product applied with either a scrub or rub technique, one sole ABR (ET; 80% ethanol) and one CHx/alcohol-combination (CHx/ET; 1% CHx and 61% ethanol) product both applied with a rub technique were evaluated. Samples were collected by glove juice technique and cultured on 3M™ Petrifilm plates and counted using a 3M™ Petrifilm plate reader.
Results: Immediate mean bacterial log10 colony forming unit (CFU) reduction was 2.4 for CHx-scrub, 2.8 for CHx-rub, 3.1 for CHx/ET and 2.1 for ET. CHx/ET resulted in significantly lower bacterial counts than CHx-scrub (P<0.005) and ET (P<0.001) while CHx-rub resulted in significantly lower counts than ET (P<0.001). At the end of surgery bacterial counts were the lowest for CHx-rub, significantly lower than CHx/ET (P<0.001) and ET (P<0.001). There was no difference between CHx-rub and -scrub techniques (P = 0.7).
Main limitations: Bacterial counts were used as the outcome measure rather than prevalence of surgical site infection, and the effect of hand preparation on skin health was not assessed.
Conclusions: ABR did not decrease bacterial log10 CFU counts more effectively than CHx products. When using CHx soaps in the equine setting, hand-rub is as effective as a hand-scrub-technique
Climate Policy and Border Tax Adjustments: Some New Wine Mixed with Old Wine in New Green Bottles?
No full textCurrent policy discussions are making a very clear connection between domestic climate policies and international trade. In this article, the economic, legal and implementation issues relating to border tax adjustments for climate policies are discussed. The overall conclusion drawn is that the connection between trade and the environment is not new, having been discussed in considerable detail since the early 1990s, and reflected in an extensive economics literature. In addition, the legal aspects of border tax adjustments are not particularly new, although only a WTO ruling on their use in the presence of domestic climate policies will resolve any legal uncertainty about their use. However, there are some new issues concerning the determination and implementation of border tax adjustments for domestic climate polices that do present additional layers of complexity.climate policy, competitiveness, border tax adjustment, Environmental Economics and Policy, Financial Economics, Political Economy,
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