Obwohl die öffentlichen Investitionen gemeinhin eine besondere Wertschätzung erfahren, bleibt weitgehend offen, welche konstitutiven Elemente sie determinieren bzw. von anderen Ausgaben abgrenzen. Sie scheinen Praktiker wie Theoretiker derart zu faszinieren, dass ihnen für eine wirtschaftspolitische Wertung vielfach schon die Semantik genügt. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden die öffentlichen Investitionen im Kontext der Staatsausgaben untersucht, und die theoretischen Ausführungen mit einer kritischen Analyse des empirischen Befundes konfrontiert.
Obwohl die öffentlichen Investitionen gemeinhin eine besondere Wertschätzung erfahren, bleibt weitgehend offen, welche konstitutiven Elemente sie determinieren bzw. von anderen Ausgaben abgrenzen. Sie scheinen Praktiker wie Theoretiker derart zu faszinieren, dass ihnen für eine wirtschaftspolitische Wertung vielfach schon die Semantik genügt. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden die öffentlichen Investitionen im Kontext der Staatsausgaben untersucht, und die theoretischen Ausführungen mit einer kritischen Analyse des empirischen Befundes konfrontiert.
The non-scientific questioning of scientific research during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unwillingness of a president of the United States of America to accept the result of a democratically held election: just in recent times, there have been quite a few striking examples of long-held certainties appearing as nothing more than just illusions. This essay reflects on the severe consequences of the loss of such certainties in the spheres of democratic politics on the one hand and of science, especially for highly differentiated societies, on the other hand as well as on their interdependencies. Furthermore, the author tries to make the case that this disillusionment could prove to be a salutary shock – reminding us that we need to take a stand for the things we hold as certainties, oftentimes even as calming ones, if we want them to stay how we always thought they were.
The thesis explores what it deems are some of the most perceptible humanistic features in Cuban history, politics, and culture, less specified, or highlighted, or generally not presented in a cohesive body of knowledge in the western scholarly world. In the context of its subject, the thesis embraces rational-critical thinking and supports the custom of non-violent dispute. Insofar as the Cuban Constitution incorporates a range of goals structured on socialist principles, the thesis sets out to scrutinise manifestations in Cuban thinking emblematic of the Marxist-humanist and/or anti-Stalinist philosophical traditions of revolutionary praxis. The thesis' main body investigates, illustrates, and analyses the presence of such features, focussing predominantly on the period 1959 to the late 1960s. Where the thesis does delve into timeframes beyond this era, it endeavours to show the continuity of relevant facets previously identified. Preceding the main examination, the thesis looks into what is widely perceived as the main roots of the country's humanist tradition, the moral ideas and standpoints of Jose Marti, the country's national hero. A further objective of this thesis lies in the belief that aspects of Cuba's national cultural policy in large measure addresses historical issues post-Apartheid South Africa confronts today.
This paper extends the model by Smulders and de Nooij (Resour Energy Econ 25:59–79, 2003), where technical change can be biased towards labour or energy, by assuming a monopolistic union and a government which pays unemployment benefits, collects wage taxes and sells emission permits. The extended model is applied to the analysis of environmental tax reforms. A reduction in the level of energy use yields a double dividend by lowering pollution and unemployment, while temporarily inducing energy-saving technical change. It moves the economy to a new balanced growth path where unemployment is permanently lower, but long-run growth is not aff ected. A reduction in the growth rate of energy use induces a persistent bias in technical change towards labour and reduces long-run growth. ; info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
Die energetische Sanierung von Wohngebäuden verspricht ein hohes Potenzial für den Klimaschutz. Zu den wesentlichen Initiativen der Bundesregierung zählt das CO2-Gebäudesanierungs programm der KfW, mit dem die energetische Sanierung von Gebäuden finanziell gefördert werden soll. Für eine Bewertung des Programms sind über die Aspekte einzelwirtschaftlicher Rentabilität von Energieeinsparung und CO2-Reduktion hinaus gesamtwirtschaftliche Fragen von Bedeutung: In welchem Ausmaß werden externe Umwelteffekte internalisiert? Zeigt das Programm konjunkturelle Wirkungen? Wie hoch ist der kurzfristige Budgeteffekt in den staatlichen Haushalten?
The incidence of plagiarism is increasing, exacerbated by the availability of many information sources via the internet. Traditional approaches for tackling plagiarism reflect two distinct philosophies: either educate the students or catch and punish inappropriate behaviour. Both philosophies assume that the responsibility for avoiding plagiarism is the student's so that whenever a problem is encountered, the blame rests with the student. The Australian Universities Teaching Committee (AUTC), established by the Australian Government in 2000, recommended a strategy reflecting a philosophy of sharing the responsibility for countering plagiarism across the student, staff and the institution. A key component of this approach relates to assessment design, which is the key focus of this paper. Practices regarding assessment and other strategies aimed at reducing the incidence of plagiarism at the University of Tasmania are documented and staff attitudes regarding the effectiveness of these strategies are identified. Impediments to implementing assessment strategies are also considered. By identifying both the strategies that staff see as effective, as well as the barriers to their implementation, universities can be forewarned about attitudes, obstacles, and associated resourcing implications that might be pertinent if the plagiarism response is to become a holistic one, in which all involved bear some responsibility.
Die Publikation beschreibt den Aufbau und die Arbeitsweise eines Wettergenerators, der in der Lage ist, für einen Großteil von Witterungsbedingungen plausible und über alle Klimaelemente konsistente Stundendaten zu erzeugen. Er kann auf beliebige Klimastationen (bzw. Rasterzellen) angewendet werden. Damit wird dem Problem der für lange Zeiträume geringen flächenhaften Informationsdichte für meteorologische Daten in Stundenauflösung begegnet. Meteorologische Daten in stündlicher Auflösung werden für Anwendungen, wie z. B. die Hochwasser- oder Erosionsmodellierung, benötigt. Der Wettergenerator und das Nutzerhandbuch sind über das Regionale Klimainformationssystem ReKIS frei zugänglich. Redaktionsschluss: 05.04.2019
The triumphs and continuity of the Cuban revolution in large measure can be attributed to the close bond that exists between political and cultural practice on the island. Emblematic of Cuban politics, key aspects of Ernesto Che Guevara?s revolutionary thought find expression in Cuban cultural theory and practices in the national, popular, and expressive arts domains. This process strikingly sustains the revolution?s goals to bring about an equal and unified national community, a radical anti-imperialist, internationalist political ethos, and a deeply rooted universal arts tradition. In this sense, revolutionary Cuba embraces the dialectical concept of the ?category of totality,? whereby the spiritual and the material sides of life are linked intrinsically to each other, thus pursuing, in the words of Luk?cs, ?a spontaneous, inseparable integrity?.
In the light of anthropogenic climate change, a polarized discussion about the right measures to keep economic activity within the planet's ecological boundaries has emerged: Advocates of de-growth argue that continuous GDP growth is impossible because of natural limits to growth. They call for measures to change individual consumption patterns, to constrain affluence in wealthy countries, and to reform the economic system in such a way that it can fulfil its functions even without continuously growing GDP. Advocates of green growth argue that GDP growth and ecological impacts are conceptionally independent and call for promoting entrepreneurial activity which facilitates the transition towards a carbon-neutral, circular economy without curtailing economic growth. At first sight, the two views appear in unresolvable conflict. After sketching the two approaches, we point towards their common ground and argue that the conflict may concern ideologies rather than evidence-based policy proposals. Taken seriously, both call e.g. for urgent action; for fundamental reforms to correct faulty price signals; for promoting a circular economy powered by regenerative energy sources; for political measures which enable sufficient life styles; and for evidence-based rather than ideological economic analysis. Focusing on this common ground may accelerate the vital transition to a sustainable economy. ; 2207
BACKGROUND: Two challenging concerns prompted this research. The first was post 1994 South African society's historically entrenched dehumanized/ing condition. And the second was the ill-positionedness and ill-preparedness of occupational science accompanied occupational therapy to do something about it. Appropriate concepts to imagine and generate potentially humanizing and healing responses to violent-divided-wounded human relations were found to be lacking in both professional and public discourses. This study therefore conceived of and applied an original conceptual depiction of being human as 'enacting humanity affirmations'. Two questions were asked: how are affirmations of our humanity enacted in everyday post 1994 apartheid South Africa? And, how is human occupation and health implicated in enacted humanity affirmations? Consistent with the values and power rationality nature of the first research question, this study was philosophically grounded in critical contemporary interpretations of Aristotle's intellectual virtue phronesis, and the African relational ethic Ubuntu. METHODOLOGY: Case study was heuristically employed as both a method and the object of study, along with narrative enquiry to generate storied exemplars. Maximum variation sampling aimed for heterogeneity of participants. The stories which made up the instrumental collective case were selected on the criterion of encountering likely resonance within South Africa. Situated within a dehumanized/ing context, incidents-embedded instances of enacted humanity affirmations were handled as bounded systems. Information was gathered through and from multiple methods and sources, including narrative interviews, participants' reflective journals, multiple documents review, and researcher's notes. Data analysis proceeded from co-constructions of nine case narratives, an across-case thematic analysis, to thesis building. Together, these informed what this study's case is about, what it is a case of, and for. Critical reflexivity was exercised by on-going attention to power issues in research interactions, and attempts to enact reciprocal gestures and shared decision-making. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: This study is a case about everyday enacted humanity affirmations which present as remarkable, disrupting seemingly normalized systemic oppressive power dynamics. Three main themes emerged: 'spectra of relational agency possibilities'; 'embodied-embedded radical sens-abilities'; and, 'never forget how made to feel'. Interpretations and discussion of these findings make this study a case of revealing and disrupting the violent deceptive western(ized) ontological and epistemological premise that being human is a given for all. Redressing historically inflicted harm done to our humanity necessitates that the geo- and body-political epistemic positions, from where to generate applicable understandings of human occupation and health, are delinked from 'whiteness'. CONCLUSION: This study builds a case for advancing an understanding of being human as occupation and health. Being human was found to be radically relational, and not a given but a political potentiality which manifests on a continuum of enacted harmful negations and salutogenic affirmations of our humanity. Also, cultivation of our being human as shared identity-integrity can advance humanity-health. These insights allow for potentially humanizing and healing societal responses to violent-divided-wounded human relations. This has implications for how occupational therapy and occupational science can position and prepare for being a humanizing and healing resource through research, practice, and education.
High-risk sexual behavior consists of activities and habits that put a person at increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or unplanned pregnancy. Poland is currently experiencing a problem with increased STI rates, largely due to poor sexual education. Our exploratory study aims to evaluate the sexual behavior of students attending universities across Poland. The study covered 7678 students from 50 different faculties and universities across the country. The authors created an original questionnaire which consists of 31 questions which, among others, included demographic factors, sexual initiation, high-risk sexual behavior, STI's and religious beliefs. 78% of students have participated in sexual activity, among them 19% of students had 'casual sex' consisting of intercourse without the use of a condom, 27% had participated in sexual intercourse after the consumption of alcohol. Our study found that students who are influenced by religious belief tend to engage in sexual activity into their later years. The groups most exposed to the consequences of risky sexual behavior are mostly homosexual men, bisexual women, art students, and military students. Alcohol consumption is a strong factor contributing to risky sexual behavior. Sexual education in Poland should be improved.
Funding: European Research Council under the European Union's Horizon 2020 Framework Programme (ERC StG ABLASE, 640012); BBSRC (BB/P027148/1); EPSRC Programme Grant (EP/P030017/1); EPSRC Doctoral Training Partnership (EP/N509759/1, EP/L505079/1). ; Mechanobiology plays a prominent role in cancer invasion and metastasis. The ability of a cancer to degrade extracellular matrix (ECM) is likely connected to its invasiveness. Many cancer cells form invadopodia—micrometer-sized cellular protrusions that promote invasion through matrix degradation (proteolysis). Although it has been hypothesized that invadopodia exert mechanical force that is implicated in cancer invasion, direct measurements remain elusive. Here, we use a recently developed interferometric force imaging technique that provides piconewton resolution to quantify invadopodial forces in cells of head and neck squamous carcinoma and to monitor their temporal dynamics. We compare the force exerted by individual protrusions to their ability to degrade ECM and investigate the mechanical effects of inhibiting invadopodia through overexpression of microRNA-375. By connecting the biophysical and biochemical characteristics of invadopodia, our study provides a new perspective on cancer invasion that, in the future, may help to identify biomechanical targets for cancer therapy. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed
We thank A. Clemens (TU Dresden, Germany) for technical support with protein preparation and C. Murawski (U St Andrews, UK) for support with TDAF deposition. We acknowledge support from the ERC Starting Grant ABLASE (640012), the Scottish Funding Council (via SUPA), the European Union Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (PCIG12-GA-2012-334407), studentship funding through the EPSRC CM-DTC (EP/L015110/1) and the EPSRC Hybrid Polaritonics program grant (EP/M025330/1). S.H. gratefully acknowledges support by the Royal Society and the Wolfson Foundation and M.S. gratefully acknowledges support from a MSCA IF (659213). ; Under adequate conditions, cavity-polaritons form a macroscopic coherent quantum state, known as polariton condensate (PC). Compared to Wannier-Mott polaritons in inorganic semiconductors, the localized Frenkel polaritons in organic emitter materials show weaker interaction with each other but stronger coupling to light, which recently enabled the first realization of a PC at room temperature. However, this required ultrafast optical pumping which limits the applications of organic PCs. Here, we demonstrate room-temperature PCs of cavity-polaritons in simple laminated microcavities filled with the biologically produced enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). The unique molecular structure of eGFP prevents exciton annihilation even at high excitation densities, thus facilitating PCs under conventional nanosecond pumping. Condensation is clearly evidenced by a distinct threshold, an interaction-induced blueshift of the condensate, long-range coherence and the presence of a second threshold at higher excitation density which is associated with the onset of photon lasing. ; Publisher PDF ; Peer reviewed
Oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), which differentiate into myelinating oligodendrocytes during central nervous system (CNS) development, are the main proliferative cells in the adult brain. OPCs are conventionally considered a homogeneous population, particularly with respect to their electrophysiological properties, but this has been debated. We show, by using single-cell electrophysiological recordings, that OPCs start out as a homogeneous population, but become functionally heterogeneous, varying both within and between brain regions and with age. These electrophysiological changes in OPCs correlate with the differentiation potential of OPCs; thus, they may underlie the differentiational differences in OPCs between regions and likewise differentiation failure with age. ; We acknowledge the support of the Wellcome - MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute core facility managers, in particular for this work Dr Maike Paramor and Miss Victoria Murray with RNA sequencing, and all staff members of the University Biomedical Services (UBS). This project has received funding from: the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 771411; R.T.K, K.A.E); the Wellcome Trust, a Research Career Development Fellowship (R.T.K. and K.A.E. 091543/Z/10/Z) and a Studentship (102160/Z/13/Z; Y.K); The Paul G Allen Frontiers Group, Allen Distinguished Investigator Award (12076, R.T.K., D.K.V.); The Medical Research Council, a studentship (S.O.S.); The Gates Foundation, a Gates Scholarship (S.S.), The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, a studentship (S.A.); Homerton College Cambridge, a Junior Research Fellowship (D.K.V); The UK MS Society, a Cambridge Myelin Repair Centre grant (50; R.T.K, O.D.F.); The Fonds de recherche du Québec-Santé, a scholarship (Y.K.); The Cambridge Commonwealth European & International Trust, a scholarship (Y.K.); and the Lister Institute, a Research Prize (R.T.K., K.A.E, SOS).
