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Research on dialectal varieties was for a long time concentrated on phonetic aspects of language. While there was a lot of work done on segmental aspects, suprasegmentals remained unexploited until the last few years, despite the fact that prosody was remarked as a salient aspect of dialectal variants by linguists and by naive speakers. Actual research on dialectal prosody in the German speaking area often deals with discourse analytic methods, correlating intonations curves with communicative functions (P. Auer et al. 2000, P. Gilles & R. Schrambke 2000, R. Kehrein & S. Rabanus 2001). The project I present here has another focus. It looks at general prosodic aspects, abstracted from actual situations. These global structures are modelled and integrated in a speech synthesis system. Today, mostly intonation is being investigated. However, rhythm, the temporal organisation of speech, is not a core of actual research on prosody. But there is evidence that temporal organisation is one of the main structuring elements of speech (B. Zellner 1998, B. Zellner Keller 2002). Following this approach developed for speech synthesis, I will present the modelling of the timing of two Swiss German dialects (Bernese and Zurich dialect) that are considered quite different on the prosodic level. These models are part of the project on the "development of basic knowledge for research on Swiss German prosody by means of speech synthesis modelling" founded by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
We present a solution for the representation of Japanese honorifical information in the HPSG framework. Basically, there are three dimensions of honorification. We show that a treatment is necessary that involves both the syntactic and the contextual level of information. The japanese grammar is part of a machine translation system.
Preferences and defaults for definiteness and number in japanese to german machine translation
(1996)
A significant problem when translating Japanese dialogues into German is the missing information on number and definiteness in the Japanese analysis output. The integration of the search for such information into the transfer process provides an efficient solution. General transfer includes conditions to make it possible to consider external knowledge. Thereby, grammatical and lexical knowledge of the source language, knowledge of lexical restrictions on the target language, domain knowledge and discourse knowledge are accessible.
Particles fullfill several distinct central roles in the Japanese language. They can mark arguments as well as adjuncts, can be functional or have semantic functions. There is, however, no straightforward matching from particles to functions, as, e.g., 'ga' can mark the subject, the object or the adjunct of a sentence. Particles can cooccur. Verbal arguments that could be identified by particles can be eliminated in the Japanese sentence. And finally, in spoken language particles are often omitted. A proper treatment of particles is thus necessary to make an analysis of Japanese sentences possible. Our treatment is based on an empirical investigation of 800 dialogues. We set up a type hierarchy of particles motivated by their subcategorizational and modificational behaviour. This type hierarchy is part of the Japanese syntax in VERBMOBIL.
Japanese is often taken to be strictly head-final in its syntax. In our work on a broad-coverage, precision implemented HPSG for Japanese, we have found that while this is generally true, there are nonetheless a few minor exceptions to the broad trend. In this paper, we describe the grammar engineering project, present the exceptions we have found, and conclude that this kind of phenomenon motivates on the one hand the HPSG type hierarchical approach which allows for the statement of both broad generalizations and exceptions to those generalizations and on the other hand the usefulness of grammar engineering as a means of testing linguistic hypotheses.
We present a broad coverage Japanese grammar written in the HPSG formalism with MRS semantics. The grammar is created for use in real world applications, such that robustness and performance issues play an important role. It is connected to a POS tagging and word segmentation tool. This grammar is being developed in a multilingual context, requiring MRS structures that are easily comparable across languages.
In this paper we show an approach to the customization of GermaNet to the German HPSG grammar lexicon developed in the Verbmobil project. GermaNet has a broad coverage of the German base vocabulary and fine-grained semantic classification; while the HPSG grammar lexicon is comparatively small und has a coarse-grained semantic classification. In our approach, we have developed a mapping algorithm to relate the synsets in GermaNet with the semantic sorts in HPSG. The evaluation result shows that this approach is useful for the lexical extension of our deep grammar development to cope with real-world text understanding.
The improvement of accident prevention technology in many fields of social life has spurred new challenges to the doctrinal tools of fault and strict based civil liability in the law of torts. Amid these challenges lies the identification of the proper scope of the respective criteria of liability in a changing factual environment, their suitability as doctrinal tools, as well as their actual application to concrete cases given the amount of information which would be needed to render adequate judgments. Precedents and old laws should be assessed with caution, taking into account the tacit cost-benefit analysis embedded in them, for they may or may not serve the interests of welfare maximization in an environment with constantly renewed accident prevention technology.
A number of pressures on academic libraries imperil the long-term survivability of printed knowledge and heritage materials. Ever-growing volumes of materials, costs of preserving and delivering paper-based research resources, and researchers’ growing demand for source materials in electronic formats all produce strain on our institutions. ...
In this paper I demonstrate the utility of a Values in Design (VID) perspective for the assessment, the design and development of e-democracy tools. In the first part, I give some background information on Values in Design and Value-Sensitive Design and their relevance in the context of e-democracy. In part 2, I analyze three different e-democracy tools from a VID-perspective. The paper ends with some conclusions concerning the merits of VID for e-democracy as well as some considerations concerning the dual tasks of philosophers in assessing and promoting value-sensitive technology design.
Some advances in legal practical reason: for a progressive dialogue with contemporary hermeneutics
(2012)
This paper intends to critically discuss some points of the contemporary thesis concerning constitutional hermeneutics and methodology of law. Once identified some authors and the lines of argumentation affiliated grosso modo to the linguistic turn and rhetoric, as well as the core of the transcendental powers of communication (v.g. N. MacCormick, R. Alexy, K. Günther), the objective is to identify some dialogue with economics and political science, enlightened by recent researches about Hegel-Marx interpretations of social life. Of course the discussion inevitably passes through methodological questions, opposing analytics vs. dialectics, idealistic vs. realists standpoints. In a effort to foment the inclusive dialogue between points of view concerning the concept of law that may create (not necessarily) radical opponents, the lines of conclusion intents to revisit some foundations of Hegelian "method" (so to speak) and intends to give a modest contribution to a more profound analysis of the relations between sein and sollen categories, in order to enrich the discussions about technology and social life, specially the life of the law nowadays.
The objective of this paper is to test the hypothesis that in particular financially constrained firms lease a higher share of their assets to mitigate problems of asymmetric information. The assumptions are tested under a GMM framework which simultaneously controls for endogeneity problems and firms' fixed effects. We find that the share of total annual lease expenses attributable to either finance or operating leases is considerably higher for smaller firms with higher average interest rates and high-growth firms - those likely to face higher agency-cost premiums on marginal financing. Furthermore, our results confirm the substitution of leasing and debt financing for lessee firms. However, we find no evidence that firms use leasing as an instrument to reduce their tax burdens. Keywords: Leasing, financial constraints, asymmetric information, GMM JEL Classifications: D23, D92, C23
We analyze the universal critical behavior at the chiral critical point in QCD with three degenerate quark masses. We confirm that this critical point lies in the universality class of the three dimensional Ising model. The symmetry of the Ising model, which is Z(2), is not directly realized in the QCD Hamiltonian. After making an ansatz for the magnetization- and energy-like operators as linear admixtures of the chiral condensate and the gluonic action, we determine several non-universal mixing and normalization constants. These parameters determine an unambiguous mapping of the critical behavior in QCD to that of the 3d-Ising model. We verify its validity by showing that the thus obtained orderparameter scales in accordance with the magnetic equation of state of the 3d-Ising model.
Poster presentation at 1st International Workshop on Odor Spaces.
Mice are exceptional in their ability to capture their chemical environment, mapping the olfactory world into a basic sensory representation with over one thousand different types of chemical sensors, that is, olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). OSNs of each type converge in the olfactory bulb onto exclusive distinct physiological areas called glomeruli. The glomeruli constitute the first relay station of olfactory stimulus representation in the mouse brain. Thus, the stimulus induced glomerular input pattern spatially embodies an important part of the sensory representation in the olfactory bulb. Still, topographic organization principles (chemotopy, tunotopy) are under debate. One reason might be that investigation are, due to experimental limitations, only performed on stimuli sets in the size of one hundred odors. But this represents only a tiny snapshot of the vast amount of molecules in the olfactory world and topographic relationships might be disguised in the incomplete representation of molecular receptive ranges (MRR). Therefore we investigated the problem with the MOR18-2 glomerulus as point of reference: First we determined it's MRR. Then, based on a measurement set covering this MRR, we elucidated the topographic embedding. It shows that MOR18-2 is embedded in a hierarchy of patchy tunotopic domains.
XIII Nuclei in the Cosmos, 7-11 July, 2014 Debrecen, Hungary.
As an alternative production scenario to the so-called g process, the most abundant p nucleus 92Mo may be produced by a chain of proton-capture reactions in supernovae type Ia. The reactions 90Zr(p,g) and 91Nb(p,g) are the most important reactions in this chain. We have measured the first reaction using high-resolution in-beam g-spectroscopy at HORUS, Cologne, Germany, to contribute to the existing experimental data base. So far, we only investigated the high-energy part of the Gamow window and the analysis is still in progress. We plan to study the second reaction in standard kinematics at the FRANZ facility, Frankfurt, Germany. Current developments at FRANZ will be explained in detail.
n order to reach the desired intensities of heavy ion beams for the experiments at FAIR, SIS18 and SIS100 have to be operated with intermediate charge states. Operation with intermediate charge state heavy ions at the intensity level of about 1011 ions per cycle has never been demonstrated elsewhere and requires a dedicated upgrade program for SIS18 and a dedicated machine design for SIS100. The specific problems coming along with the intermediate charge state operation in terms of charge exchange processes at collisions with residual gas atoms, pressure bumps by ion induced desorption and corresponding beam loss appears far below the typical space charge limits. Thus, new design concepts and new technical equipment addressing these issues are developed and realized with highest priority. The upgrade program of SIS18 addressing the goal of minimum ionization beam loss and stable residual gas pressure conditions has been defined in 2005. A major part of this upgrade program has been successfully realized, with the result of a world record in accelerated number of intermediate charge state heavy ions.
The QCD phase diagram at finite temperature and density has attracted considerable interest over many decades now, not least because of its relevance for a better understanding of heavy-ion collision experiments. Models provide some insight into the QCD phase structure but usually rely on various parameters. Based on renormalization group arguments, we discuss how the parameters of QCD low-energy models can be determined from the fundamental theory of the strong interaction. We particularly focus on a determination of the temperature dependence of these parameters in this work and comment on the effect of a finite quark chemical potential. We present first results and argue that our findings can be used to improve the predictive power of future model calculations.
We discuss the effects of the final hadronic state, in ultra-relativistic nuclear collisions, on hadronic resonance properties and measurable production rates. In particular we will compare our results with recent ALICE data on resonance production. We show that the hadronic phase of the system evolution has a considerable impact on the measured resonance ratios and pT spectra. We also discuss some of the remaining uncertainties in the model and how they may be addressed in future studies.
Spinodal crumbling
(2013)
Extending a previously developed two-phase equation of state, we simulate head-on relativistic lead-lead collisions with fluid dynamics, augmented with a finite-range term, and study the effects of the phase structure on the evolution of the baryon density. For collision energies that bring the bulk of the system into the mechanically unstable spinodal region of the phase diagram, the density irregularities are being amplified significantly. We also present results for the associated clump size distribution.
In this talk we discuss the effects of the hadronic rescattering on final state observables in high energy nuclear collisions. We do so by employing the UrQMD transport model for a realistic description of the hadronic decoupling process. The rescattering of hadrons modifies every hadronic bulk observable. For example apparent multiplicity of resonances is suppressed as compared to a chemical equilibrium freeze-out model. Stable and unstable particles change their momentum distribution by more than 30% through rescattering. The hadronic rescattering also leads to a substantial decorrelation of the conserved charge distributions. These findings show that it is all but trivial to conclude from the final state observables on the properties of the system at an earlier time where it may have been in or close to local equilibrium.
We analyze hadrochemical freeze-out in central Pb+Pb collisions at CERN SPS and LHC energies. Employing the UrQMD hybrid transport model we study the effects of the final hadron/resonance expansion phase on the hadron multiplicities established at hadronization. The bulk meson yields freeze out directly at hadronization whereas the baryon-antibaryon sector is subject to significant alterations, due to annihilation and regeneration processes. We quantify the latter changes by survival factors for each species which are applied to modify the statistical model predictions for the data. The modified SM analysis recovers the hadronization points, which coincide with the recent lattice QCD predictions of the parton-hadron transition line at finite baryochemical potential.
The recognition of pharmacological substances, compounds and proteins is an essential preliminary work for the recognition of relations between chemicals and other biomedically relevant units. In this paper, we describe an approach to Task 1 of the PharmaCoNER Challenge, which involves the recognition of mentions of chemicals and drugs in Spanish medical texts. We train a state-of-the-art BiLSTM-CRF sequence tagger with stacked Pooled Contextualized Embeddings, word and sub-word embeddings using the open-source framework FLAIR. We present a new corpus composed of articles and papers from Spanish health science journals, termed the Spanish Health Corpus, and use it to train domain-specific embeddings which we incorporate in our model training. We achieve a result of 89.76% F1-score using pre-trained embeddings and are able to improve these results to 90.52% F1-score using specialized embeddings.
Despite the great importance of the Latin language in the past, there are relatively few resources available today to develop modern NLP tools for this language. Therefore, the EvaLatin Shared Task for Lemmatization and Part-of-Speech (POS) tagging was published in the LT4HALA workshop. In our work, we dealt with the second EvaLatin task, that is, POS tagging. Since most of the available Latin word embeddings were trained on either few or inaccurate data, we trained several embeddings on better data in the first step. Based on these embeddings, we trained several state-of-the-art taggers and used them as input for an ensemble classifier called LSTMVoter. We were able to achieve the best results for both the cross-genre and the cross-time task (90.64% and 87.00%) without using additional annotated data (closed modality). In the meantime, we further improved the system and achieved even better results (96.91% on classical, 90.87% on cross-genre and 87.35% on cross-time).
Syntactic coindexing restrictions are by now known to be of central importance to practical anaphor resolution approaches. Since, in particular due to structural ambiguity, the assumption of the availability of a unique syntactic reading proves to be unrealistic, robust anaphor resolution relies on techniques to overcome this deficiency. In this paper, two approaches are presented which generalize the verification of coindexing constraints to de cient descriptions. At first, a partly heuristic method is described, which has been implemented. Secondly, a provable complete method is specified. It provides the means to exploit the results of anaphor resolution for a further structural disambiguation. By rendering possible a parallel processing model, this method exhibits, in a general sense, a higher degree of robustness. As a practically optimal solution, a combination of the two approaches is suggested.
An anaphor resolution algorithm is presented which relies on a combination of strategies for narrowing down and selecting from antecedent sets for re exive pronouns, nonre exive pronouns, and common nouns. The work focuses on syntactic restrictions which are derived from Chomsky's Binding Theory. It is discussed how these constraints can be incorporated adequately in an anaphor resolution algorithm. Moreover, by showing that pragmatic inferences may be necessary, the limits of syntactic restrictions are elucidated.
Coreference-Based Summarization and Question Answering: a Case for High Precision Anaphor Resolution
(2003)
Approaches to Text Summarization and Question Answering are known to benefit from the availability of coreference information. Based on an analysis of its contributions, a more detailed look at coreference processing for these applications will be proposed: it should be considered as a task of anaphor resolution rather than coreference resolution. It will be further argued that high precision approaches to anaphor resolution optimally match the specific requirements. Three such approaches will be described and empirically evaluated, and the implications for Text Summarization and Question Answering will be discussed.
In the last years, much effort went into the design of robust anaphor resolution algorithms. Many algorithms are based on antecedent filtering and preference strategies that are manually designed. Along a different line of research, corpus-based approaches have been investigated that employ machine-learning techniques for deriving strategies automatically. Since the knowledge-engineering effort for designing and optimizing the strategies is reduced, the latter approaches are considered particularly attractive. Since, however, the hand-coding of robust antecedent filtering strategies such as syntactic disjoint reference and agreement in person, number, and gender constitutes a once-for-all effort, the question arises whether at all they should be derived automatically. In this paper, it is investigated what might be gained by combining the best of two worlds: designing the universally valid antecedent filtering strategies manually, in a once-for-all fashion, and deriving the (potentially genre-specific) antecedent selection strategies automatically by applying machine-learning techniques. An anaphor resolution system ROSANA-ML, which follows this paradigm, is designed and implemented. Through a series of formal evaluations, it is shown that, while exhibiting additional advantages, ROSANAML reaches a performance level that compares with the performance of its manually designed ancestor ROSANA.
In the last decade, much effort went into the design of robust third-person pronominal anaphor resolution algorithms. Typical approaches are reported to achieve an accuracy of 60-85%. Recent research addresses the question of how to deal with the remaining difficult-toresolve anaphors. Lappin (2004) proposes a sequenced model of anaphor resolution according to which a cascade of processing modules employing knowledge and inferencing techniques of increasing complexity should be applied. The individual modules should only deal with and, hence, recognize the subset of anaphors for which they are competent. It will be shown that the problem of focusing on the competence cases is equivalent to the problem of giving precision precedence over recall. Three systems for high precision robust knowledge-poor anaphor resolution will be designed and compared: a ruleset-based approach, a salience threshold approach, and a machine-learning-based approach. According to corpus-based evaluation, there is no unique best approach. Which approach scores highest depends upon type of pronominal anaphor as well as upon text genre.
We discuss the present collective flow signals for the phase transition to quark-gluon plasma (QGP) and the collective flow as a barometer for the equation of state (EoS). A study of Mach shocks induced by fast partonic jets propagating through the QGP is given. We predict a significant deformation of Mach shocks in central Au+Au collisions at RHIC and LHC energies as compared to the case of jet propagation in a static medium. Results of a hydrodynamical study of jet energy loss are presented.
The Gribov mode in hot QCD
(2017)
We perform a detailed study of the adjoint static potential in the pseudoparticle approach, which is a model for SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. We find agreement with the Casimir scaling hypothesis and there is clear evidence for string breaking. At the same time the potential in the fundamental representation is linear for large separations. Our results are in qualitative agreement with results from lattice computations.
Is the digital future a blessing for philologists, especially those working the vast area of Germanic Languages & Literatures? Or does it rather come with problems that jeopardize philology, in the Germanic and the broader scope? This paper sets out to explore the status quo (1.) of digital source material in Germanic philology, ranging from medieval manuscripts to 21st century e-books and their, at times, highly restricted availability to the scientific community. Do we really face a quantum leap in terms of open access, or is this leap rather confined to those only who pay the exorbitant fees specialist libraries charge for the use of their rare manuscript and book collections? How about Google Books (2.)? Are we in danger of neglecting everything that is (still) missing there? And what is in it for the German scholar? Can we believe that in some years’ time we will be able to get our hands on every source text we desire within seconds since it is only a click away? This paper critically assesses the process and progress of the digitization of mankind’s written records (3.), focusing on problems to be overcome by e.g. medievalists wishing to consult certain source material. This is illustrated by means of the example of how it is not yet possible consult certain materials related to the Franciscan preacher Berthold von Regensburg († 1272). A short concluding summary (4.) highlights perspectives for further thinking and discussion.
The KADoNiS (Karlsruhe Astrophysical Database of Nucleosynthesis in Stars) project is an online
database (www.kadonis.org) for cross sections relevant to the s-process and the p-process.
The first version was an updated sequel to the previous Bao et al. [1] compilations from 1987
and 2000 for (n; g) cross sections relevant to Big Bang and s-process nucleosynthesis. The first
update, KADoNiS v0.2, was published in 2006 [2]. It contained mainly Maxwellian averaged
(n; g) cross sections relevant to the s-process, and some experimental charged particle induced
reaction relevant to the p-process. After that a second update was presented in 2009 [3].
Recently, we started to collect and review all existing experimental data relevant for p-process
nucleosynthesis and to provide a user-friendly database based on the KADoNiS framework. The
p-process part of the KADoNiS database is currently being extended and will include all available
experimental data from (p; g), (p;n), (p;a), (a,g), (a;n) and (a; p) reactions in or close to the
respective Gamow window.
The correspondence between the terminology used for querying and the one used in content objects to be retrieved, is a crucial prerequisite for effective retrieval technology. However, as terminology is evolving over time, a growing gap opens up between older documents in (long-term) archives and the active language used for querying such archives. Thus, technologies for detecting and systematically handling terminology evolution are required to ensure "semantic" accessibility of (Web) archive content on the long run. As a starting point for dealing with terminology evolution this paper formalizes the problem and discusses issues, first ideas and relevant technologies.
Free riders play fair
(2012)
After the demise of the social contract theory, the argument from fair play, which employs the principle of fair play, has been widely acknowledged as one of the most promising ways of justifying political obligation. First, I articulate the most promising version of the principle of fair play. Then, I show that free riders play fair, that is, that their moral fault lies not in unfairness but in the violation of a rule by appealing to the example of three-in-a-boat. Finally, I conclude that even the most promising version is false because those who have accepted benefits from a social cooperative scheme do not owe an obligation of fair play.
In the current globalization debate the law appears to be entangled in economic and political developments which move into a new dimension of depoliticization, de-centralization and de-individualization. For all the correct observations in detail, though, this debate is bringing about a drastic (polit)economic reduction of the role of law in the globalization process that I wish to challenge in this paper. Here one has to take on Wallerstein’s misconception of “worldwide economies” according to which the formation of the global society is seen as a basically economic process. Autonomous globalization processes in other social spheres running parallel to economic globalization need to be taken seriously. In protest against such (polit)economic reductionism several strands of the debate, among them the neo-institutionalist theory of “global culture”, post-modern concepts of global legal pluralism, systems theory studies of differentiated global society and various versions of “global civil society” have shaped a concept of a polycentric globalization. From these angles the remarkable multiplicity of the world society, in which tendencies to re-politicization, re-regionalization and re-individualization are becoming visible at the same time, becomes evident. I shall contrast two current theses on the globalization of law with two less current counter-theses: First thesis: globalization is relevant for law because the emergence of global markets undermines the control potential of national policy, and therefore also the chances of legal regulation. First counter-thesis: globalization produces a set of problems intrinsic to law itself, consisting in a change to the dominant lawmaking processes. Second thesis: globalization means that the law institutionalizes the worldwide shift in power from governmental actors to economic actors. Second counter-thesis: globalization means that the law has a chance of contributing to a dual constitution of autonomous sectors of world society.
Oral e-Poster Presentations - Booth 2: Spine 1 (Trauma&Misc), September 25, 2023, 10:00 AM - 10:40 AM
Background: Spondylodiscitis is a prevalent type of spinal infection, with pyogenic spondylodiscitis being the most common subtype. While antibiotic therapy is the standard treatment, some argue that early surgery can aid in infection clearance, improve survival rates, and prevent long-term complications such as deformities. However, others view early surgery as excessively risky. Due to the high mortality rate of up to 20%, it is crucial to determine the most effective treatment.
Methods: The primary objective of this study was to compare the mortality rate, relapse rate, and length of hospital stay for conservative and early surgical treatments of pyogenic spondylodiscitis, including determinants of outcomes. The study was registered on PROSPERO with the registration number CRD42022312573. The databases MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, PubMed, and JSTOR were searched for original studies comparing conservative and early surgical treatments of pyogenic spondylodiscitis. The included studies were assessed using the ROBINS-1 tool, and eligible studies were evaluated using meta-analyses, influence, and regression analyses.
Results: The systematic review included 31 studies. The meta-analysis, which had a pooled sample size of 10,954 patients from 21 studies, found that the pooled mortality rate among patients treated with early surgery was 8%, while the rate was 13% for patients treated conservatively. The mean proportion of relapse/failure was 15% for patients treated with early surgery and 21% for those treated conservatively. Furthermore, the analysis concluded that early surgical treatment is associated with a 40% and 39% risk reduction in relapse/failure and mortality rates, respectively, when compared to conservative management. Additionally, early surgical treatment resulted in a 7.75-day reduction in length of hospital stay per patient (p<0.01). The most highly significant predictors of treatment outcome were found to be intravenous drug use, diabetes, the presence of an epidural abscess, positive cultures, location of infection, and age (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Overall, early surgical management was found to be consistently significantly more effective than conservative management in terms of relapse/failure and mortality rates when treating pyogenic spondylodiscitis, particularly for non-spinal epidural abscess spondylodiscitis.
The archaeological data dealt with in our database solution Antike Fundmünzen in Europa (AFE), which records finds of ancient coins, is entered by humans. Based on the Linked Open Data (LOD) approach, we link our data to Nomisma.org concepts, as well as to other resources like Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE). Since information such as denomination, material, etc. is recorded for each single coin, this information should be identical for coins of the same type. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, mostly due to human errors. Based on rules that we implemented, we were able to make use of this redundant information in order to detect possible errors within AFE, and were even able to correct errors in Nomimsa.org. However, the approach had the weakness that it was necessary to transform the data into an internal data model. In a second step, we therefore developed our rules within the Linked Open Data world. The rules can now be applied to datasets following the Nomisma. org modelling approach, as we demonstrated with data held by Corpus Nummorum Thracorum (CNT). We believe that the use of methods like this to increase the data quality of individual databases, as well as across different data sources and up to the higher levels of OCRE and Nomisma.org, is mandatory in order to increase trust in them.
We study the implications on compact star properties of a soft nuclear equation of state determined from kaon production at subthreshold energies in heavy-ion collisions. On one hand, we apply these results to study radii and moments of inertia of light neutron stars. Heavy-ion data provides constraints on nuclear matter at densities relevant for those stars and, in particular, to the density dependence of the symmetry energy of nuclear matter. On the other hand, we derive a limit for the highest allowed neutron star mass of three solar masses. For that purpouse, we use the information on the nucleon potential obtained from the analysis of the heavy-ion data combined with causality on the nuclear equation of state.
We describe two independent frameworks which provide unambiguous determinations of the deconfinement and the decoupling conditions of a relativistic gas at finite temperature. First, we use the Polyakov-Nambu-Jona–Lasinio model to compute meson and baryon masses at finite temperature and determine their melting temperature as a function of their strangeness content. Second, we analyze a simple expanding gas within a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker metric, which admits a well-defined decoupling mechanism. We examine the decoupling time as a function of the particle mass and cross section. We find evidences of an inherent dependence of the hadronization and freeze-out conditions on flavor, and on mass and cross section, respectively.
Background: Undergoing systemic inflammation, the innate immune system releases excessive proinflammatory mediators, which finally can lead to organ failure. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and NOD-like receptors (NLRs), form the interface between bacterial and viral toxins and innate immunity. During sepsis, patients with diagnosed adrenal gland insufficiency are at high risk of developing a multiorgan dysfunction syndrome, which dramatically increases the risk of mortality. To date, little is known about the mechanisms leading to adrenal dysfunction under septic conditions. Here, we investigated the sepsis-related activation of the PRRs, cell inflammation, and apoptosis within adrenal glands.
Methods: Two sepsis models were performed: the polymicrobial sepsis model (caecal ligation and puncture (CLP)) and the LTA-induced intoxication model. All experiments received institutional approval by the Regierungspräsidium Darmstadt. CLP was performed as previously described [1], wherein one-third of the caecum was ligated and punctured with a 20-gauge needle. For LTA-induced systemic inflammation, TLR2 knockout (TLR2-/-) and WT mice were injected intraperitoneally with pure LTA (pLTA; 1 mg/kg) or PBS for 2 hours. To detect potential direct adrenal dysfunction, mice were additionally injected with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH; 100 μg/kg) 1 hour after pLTA or PBS. Adrenals and plasma samples were taken. Gene expressions in the adrenals (rt-PCR), cytokine release (multiplex assay), and the apoptosis rate (TUNEL assay) within the adrenals were determined.
Results: In both models, adrenals showed increased mRNA expression of TLR2 and TLR4, various NLRs, cytokines as well as inflammasome components, NADPH oxidase subunits, and nitric oxide synthases (data not shown). In WT mice, ACTH alone had no effect on inflammation, while pLTA or pLTA/ACTH administration showed increased levels of the cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, and TNFα. TLR2-/- mice indicated no response as expected (Figure 1, left). Interestingly, surviving CLP mice showed no inflammatory adrenal response, whereas nonsurvivors had elevated cytokine levels (Figure 1, right). Additionally, we identified a marked increase in apoptosis of both chromaffin and steroid-producing cells in adrenal glands obtained from mice with sepsis as compared with their controls (Figure 2).
...
Conclusion: Taken together, sepsis-induced activation of the PRRs may contribute to adrenal impairment by enhancing tissue inflammation, oxidative stress and culminate in cellular apoptosis, while mortality seems to be associated with adrenal inflammation.
Privacy and its protection is an important part of the culture in the USA and Europe. Literature in this field lacks empirical data from Japan. Thus, it is difficult– especially for foreign researchers – to understand the situation in Japan. To get a deeper understanding we examined the perception of a topic that is closely related to privacy: the perceived benefits of sharing data and the willingness to share in respect to the benefits for oneself, others and companies. We found a significant impact of the gender to each of the six analysed constructs.
Two generic mechanisms for emergence of direction selectivity coexist in recurrent neural networks
(2013)
Poster presentation: Twenty Second Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: CNS*2013. Paris, France. 13-18 July 2013.
In the mammalian visual cortex, the time-averaged response of many neurons is maximal for stimuli moving in a particular direction. Such a direction selective response is not found in LGN, upstream of the visual processing pathway, suggesting that cortical networks play a strong role in the generation of direction selectivity. Here we investigate the mechanisms for the emergence of direction selectivity in the recurrent networks of nonlinear firing rate neurons in layer 4 of V1 receiving the input from LGN. In the model the LGN inputs are characterized by different receptive field positions, and their relative temporal phase shifts are reversed for the stimuli moving in the opposite direction. We propose that two distinct mechanisms result in the neuronal direction selective response in these recurrent networks. The first one is a result of nonlinear feed-forward summation of several time-shifted inputs. The second mechanism is based on the competition between neurons for firing in a winner-take-all regime. Both mechanisms rely on inhibitory interactions in the connectivity matrix of lateral connections, but the second one involves inhibitory loops. Typically, the first mechanism results in lower selectivity values than the second, but the time-course of acquiring direction selective response is faster for the first mechanism. Importantly, the two mechanisms have different input frequency tuning. The first mechanism, based on the nonlinear summation, result in a relatively narrow tuning curve around the preferred frequency of the stimulus in the case of the moving grating. In contrast, the direction selectivity arising from the second mechanism depends only weakly on the input frequency, i.e. has a broader tuning curve. These differences allow us to provide the recipe for identifying in experiment which of the two mechanisms is used by a given direction selective neuron. We then analyze how the statistics of the connections in the random recurrent networks affect the relative contributions from these two mechanisms and determine the distributions of the direction selectivity values. We identify the motifs in the connectivity matrix, which are required for each mechanism and show that the minimal conditions for both mechanisms are met in a very broad set of random recurrent networks with sufficiently strong inhibitory connections. Thus, we propose that these mechanisms coexist in generic recurrent networks with inhibition. Our results may account for the recent experimental observations that direction selectivity is present in dark-reared mice and ferrets [1,2]. It can also explain the emergence of direction selectivity in species lacking a spatially organized direction selectivity map.
Poster presentation at The Twenty Third Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting: CNS*2014 Québec City, Canada. 26-31 July 2014: We study random strongly heterogeneous recurrent networks of firing rate neurons, introducing the notion of cohorts: groups of co-active neurons, who compete for firing with one another and whose presence depends sensitively on the structure of the input. The identities of neurons recruited to and dropped from an active cohort changes smoothly with varying input features. We search for network parameter regimes in which the activation of cohorts is robust yet easily switchable by the external input and which exhibit large repertoires of different cohorts. We apply these networks to model the emergence of orientation and direction selectivity in visual cortex. We feed these random networks with a set of harmonic inputs that vary across neurons only in their temporal phase, mimicking the feedforward drive due to a moving grating stimulus. The relationship between the phases that carries the information about the orientation of the stimulus determines which cohort of neurons is activated. As a result the individual neurons acquire non-monotonic orientation tuning curves which are characterized by high orientation and direction selectivity. This mechanism of emergence for direction selectivity differs from the classical motion detector scheme, which is based on the nonlinear summation of the time-shifted inputs. In our model these two mechanisms coexist in the same network, but can be distinguished by their different frequency and contrast dependences. In general, the mechanism we are studying here converts temporal phase sequence into population activity and could therefore be used to extract and represent also various other relevant stimulus features.
Previous study showed that kaffir lime leaf contains alkaloid, flavonoid, terpenoid, tannin and saponin. The objective of this study was to examine the cytotoxic effect of kaffir lime leaf extract on cervical cancer and neuroblastoma cell lines. The method used for this research to determine cell viability was an 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Results showed that an ethyl acetate extract had an IC50 for HeLa cells, UKF-NB3, IMR-5 and SK-N-AS parental cells of 40.7 μg · mL–1, 28.4 μg · mL–1, 14.1 μg · mL–1, and 25.2 μg · mL–1 respectively. Furthermore, the IC50 of chloroform extracts for HeLa cells, UKF-NB3, IMR-5 and SK-N-AS parental were 17.6 μg · mL–1, 18.9 μg · mL–1, 6.4 μg · mL–1, and 9.4 μg · mL–1 respectively. These data showed that kaffir lime extract reduces the viability of cervical and neuroblastoma cell lines and may have potential as anti-cancer compounds.
The bare life and (the) modern law : a journey to some key concepts or conceptions of Agamben
(2012)
This text is imitating a journey which tries to explore what is completely unknown. It starts Homo Sacer and traces some key concepts namely der Muselmann, bare life, state of exception, sovereignty and nihilism in law. Doing so, it hopes to reach a general picture of biopolitics or biopower according to Agamben. So, first part of this text generally tries to clarify some fundamental concepts or conceptions in order to use them for its aim. The second part suggests an alternative reading of Agamben, centered around his concept of der Muselmann which is the ultimate figure defined by Primo Levi and Agamben chooses the term because of its resemblance to or representation of Homo Sacer. Der Muselmann was a derogatory term in its origin and very meaning has still been unclear today. So, the second part tries to clarify the meaning of der Muselmann (and unbaptized babies) from a different outlook, not from outside but inside of the referred concept. It tries to show a Muslim’s image of a non Muslim world in order to reveal what are the very meanings of sovereignty, law and biopolitics. So at the end of the journey, this text hopes to reach a different picture of modern life and a modern law.
We discuss the implementation and results of a recently developed microscopic method for calculating ion-ion interaction potentials and fusion cross-sections. The method uses the TDHF evolution to obtain the instantaneous many-body collective state using a density constraint. The ion-ion potential as well as the coordinate dependent mass are calculated from these states. The method fully accounts for the dynamical processes present in the TDHF time-evolution and provides a parameter-free way of calculating fusion cross-sections.
We present and compare new types of algorithms for lattice QCD with staggered fermions in the limit of infinite gauge coupling. These algorithms are formulated on a discrete spatial lattice but with continuous Euclidean time. They make use of the exact Hamiltonian, with the inverse temperature beta as the only input parameter. This formulation turns out to be analogous to that of a quantum spin system. The sign problem is completely absent, at zero and non-zero baryon density. We compare the performance of a continuous-time worm algorithm and of a Stochastic Series Expansion algorithm (SSE), which operates on equivalence classes of time-ordered interactions. Finally, we apply the SSE algorithm to a first exploratory study of two-flavor strong coupling lattice QCD, which is manageable in the Hamiltonian formulation because the sign problem can be controlled.
University 2.0
(2007)
The major challenge facing universities in the next decade is to reinvent themselves as information organizations. Universities are, at their core, organizations that cultivate knowledge, seeking both to create new knowledge and to preserve and convey existing knowledge, but they are remarkably inefficient and therefore ineffective in the way that they leverage their own information resources to advance that core activity. This talk will explore ways that the university could learn from what is now widely called "Web 2.0" -- a term that is meant to identify a shift in emphasis from the computer as platform to the network as platform, from hardware to data, from the wisdom of the expert to the wisdom of crowds, and from fixity to remixability.
In this article, I examine how open borders can serve the idea of global distributive justice by asking how or how not the existing practices of immigration to rich countries may contribute to global economic redistribution. There are two observations. First, migration is not the redistributive option that anyone has an equal access. In order to make use of migration as a means of global redistribution, rich countries need to provide a chance to migrate to those who cannot afford movement by themselves. Second, as long as brain-drain problems happen, what the perspective of global distributive justice requires is the compensation for some educational cost of raising professionals or some control of their movement. Immigration admissions largely focusing on getting highly skilled professionals may not serve the idea of global redistribution.
Hybrid robust deep and shallow semantic processing for creativity support in document production
(2004)
The research performed in the DeepThought project (http://www.project-deepthought.net) aims at demonstrating the potential of deep linguistic processing if added to existing shallow methods that ensure robustness. Classical information retrieval is extended by high precision concept indexing and relation detection. We use this approach to demonstrate the feasibility of three ambitious applications, one of which is a tool for creativity support in document production and collective brainstorming. This application is described in detail in this paper. Common to all three applications, and the basis for their development is a platform for integrated linguistic processing. This platform is based on a generic software architecture that combines multiple NLP components and on robust minimal recursive semantics (RMRS) as a uniform representation language.
Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS) are promising tools for the efficient transmutation of nuclear waste products in dedicated industrial installations, called transmuters. The Myrrha project at Mol, Belgium, placed itself on the path towards these applications with a multipurpose and versatile system based on a liquid PbBi (LBE) cooled fast reactor (80 MWth) which may be operated in both critical and subcritical modes. In the latter case the core is fed by spallation neutrons obtained from a 600 MeV proton beam hitting the LBE coolant/target. The accelerator providing this beam is a high intensity CW superconducting linac which is laid out for the highest achievable reliability. The combination of a parallel redundant and of a fault tolerant scheme should allow obtaining an MTBF value in excess of 250 hours that is required for optimal integrity and successful operation of the ADS. Myrrha is expected to be operational in 2023. The forthcoming 4-year period is fully dedicated to R&D activities, and in the field of the accelerator they are strongly focused on the reliability aspects and on the proper shaping of the beam trip spectrum.
In reconsideration of the composition and operation of European law, it is the description of its underlying mentality that may cast best light on the query whether European law is the extension of domestic laws or a sui generis product. As to its action, European law is destructive upon the survival of traditions of legal positivism, for it recalls post modern clichés rather. Like a solar system with planets, it is two-centred from the beginning, commissioning both implementation and judicial check to member states. As part of global post modernism, a) European law stems from artificial reality construction freed from particular historical experience and, indeed, anything given hic et nunc. By its operation, b) it dynamises large structures and sets in motion that what is chaos itself. It is owing to reconstructive human intent solely that any outcome can at all be seen as fitting to some ideal of order, albeit neither operation nor daily management strives for implementing any systemicity. This is the way in which the European law becomes adequate reflection of the underlying (macro) economic basis, which it is to serve as superstructure. Accordingly, c) the entire construct is operated (as integrated into one well-working unit) within the framework of an artificially animated dynamism. With its “order out of chaos” philosophy it assures member states’ standing involvement and competition, achieving a flexibly self-adapting (and unprecedentedly high degree of) conformity.
As is well known, the 2nd Spanish Republic (1931-1936) was toppled by a military uprising which, after a cruel Civil War, set up an autocratic regime led by General Franco which lasted until his natural death in 1975. According to the contemporary theory of the legal system, a legal order exists on the sole condition that it is efficient in general terms and this was the case for both the Republic and the Dictatorship. In turn, the validity of the legal norms of all legal orders is based on its respective rules of recognition. Thus, neither the existence of the legal order nor the validity of its respective legal norms depends on moral considerations. In this paper, we call this affirmation into question on the base of the fact that the compensatory methods adopted from the Transition to Democracy show an evident concern to repair the damage of taking away a person’s basic rights (life, health, freedom, expression, association etc) although the Spanish Constitution, with its catalogue of fundamental rights was not in force at that time. But these measures would not have much sense if, as Raz says, there was no shared content which is common to all legal systems. Like Nino, we claim that one must discriminate between a democratic legal order and an autocratic one to establish the level of validity of its respective legal norms. Thus it can be assigned a presumption of justice to democratic norms. Finally, we state that the criteria to weigh up the justice or injustice of legal norms, as that of legal orders, takes root in the level of respect they show towards human rights.
The mission of the Harvard Judaica Collection is to comprehensively document Jewish history and civilization in all places and periods. To accomplish its mission, the Judaica Collection collects materials in all languages and in all formats—books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, sound recordings, and videos, posters, broadsides, and photographs. A particular focus is the Library’s Documenting Israel program, which covers all aspects of Israeli life and culture in great depth; Harvard has the largest collection of Israeli publications and Israel-related materials outside the State of Israel. The Harvard Judaica Collection also attempts to have comprehensive coverage of the publications of Jewish communities throughout the globe, including a significant collection of publications from countries across Europe. Collecting these materials requires cooperation with a wide array of institutions and individuals around the world.
Asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are responsible for the production of the main component of the solar s-process distribution. Despite enormous progress in the theoretical modeling of these objects over the last few decades, many uncertainties remain. The still-unknown mechanism leading to the production of 13C neutron source is one example. The nucleosynthetic signature of AGB stars can be examined in a number of stellar sources, from spectroscopic observations of intrinsic and extrinsic stars to the heavy-element isotopic composition of presolar grains found in meteorites. The wealth of available observational data allows for constraining the processes occurring in AGB interiors. In this view, we discuss recent results from new AGB models including the effects of mixing triggered by magnetic fields, and show comparisons of the related s-process nucleosynthesis with available observations.
Present nuclear reaction network computations for astrophysical simulations involve many different types of rates, including neutron-capture reactions of interest for the modeling of heavy-element nucleosynthesis. While for many of them we still have to rely on theoretical calculations, an increasing number of experimentally-determined cross sections have now become available. In this contribution, we present “ASTrophysical Rate and rAw data Library” (ASTRAL), a new online database for neutron-capture cross sections based on experimental results, mainly obtained through activation and timeof-flight measurements. For the evaluation process, cross sections were re-calculated starting from raw data and by considering recent changes in physical properties of the involved isotopes (e.g., half-life and γ-ray intensities). We show the current status of the database, the techniques adopted to derive the recommended Maxwellian-averaged cross sections, and future developments.
The HITRAP linear decelerator currently being set up at GSI will provide slow, few keV/u highly charged ions for atomic physics experiments. The expected beam intensity is up to 105 ions per shot. To optimize phase and amplitude of the RF systems intensity, bunch length and kinetic energy of the particles need to be monitored. The bunch length that we need to fit is about 2 ns, which is typically measured by capacitive pickups. However, they do not work for the low beam intensities that we face. We investigated the bunch length with a fast CVD diamond detector working in single particle counting mode. Averaging over 8 shots yields a clear, regular picture of the bunched beam. Energy measurements by capacitive pickups are limited by the presence of intense primary and partially decelerated beam and hence make tuning of the IH-structure impossible. The energy of the decelerated fraction of the beam behind the first deceleration cavity was determined to about 10 % accuracy with a permanent dipole magnet combined with a MCP. Better detector calibration should help reaching the required 1%. Design of the detectors as well as the results of the measurements will be presented.
Dworkin`s political theory is characterized by the interpretative integrity of morality, law, and politics, the so-called “hedgehog’s approach”. The interpretative integrity approach functions on multiple levels. Firstly, philosophical foundations of his theory of justice are linked to his conception of just liberal society and state. Secondly, from the perspective of political morality, interpretative concepts of law and morality are internally connected, in addition to interpretative concepts of equality, liberty, and democracy. Thirdly, from the perspective of philosophical foundations, individual ethics, personal morality and political morality are mutually connected. The aforementioned ethical and moral foundations are also related – in a wider sense of philosophical foundations - with his gnoseological conception regarding value concepts in law, politics and morality, and with his episthemological conception regarding an objective truth in the field of values, in a sense that the value concepts are interpretative and can be objectively true when articulated in accordance with methodological rules and standards of a »reflexive equilibrium« and an interpretative integrity, and in accordance with the so-called internal scepticism in the context of value pluralism.
The term “ethics” in a “narrower” sense refers to individual ethics, the study of how to live well, while the “ethics” in a “broader” sense refers to personal morality, the study of how we must treat other people. The term “morality” however, is used primarily to denote a political morality, the issue of how a sovereign power should treat its citizens.
Philosophical foundations of Dworkin`s political theory of justice, his conception of two cardinal values of humanity, his concievement of individual ethics, personal morality and political morality will be in the focus of consideration.
D2.1. provides further elaboration of the original research design and informs about ideas for the final Volume II of bEUcitizen. It is closely connected to task 1 of work package 2: specifying various concrete tasks for the different work packages and formulating overarching questions suitable to provide substantive cohesion and integration of the overall project. The elaboration of 10 crosscutting topics (to become chapters in the “horizontal” book, D2.3.) is a first step towards this goal. Discussing these cross-cutting topics is supposed to feed, infuse and inspire the work done in the different work packages and to build cross-cutting connections between them. Themes 1-10 merge into a valuable overview of the multi-faceted research on (EU) citizenship. They access the main issues of EU-citizenship and citizenship in general from different angles and different disciplines. Taken together these contributions help to identify barriers towards EU citizenship and ways to overcome them. Each Theme formulates questions how it might feed and be fed by further information and findings in the other work packages.
D2.1. is mainly meant for internal use. Its functions are firstly to inform about preliminary ideas, eventual contributions to planned final results and secondly to make out some more of less specific guiding questions that connect the work done by the single researchers in every different work package to the project as a whole. This task implies a normative yardstick, a clear picture of what would be a "good" EU citizenship practice. Elaborating on such a normative yardstick is a meta-topic that cuts across the range of cross-cutting topics presented in this working paper.
A test stand for optical beam tomography was developed. As a new non-destructive beam-diagnostic system for high current ion beams, the test stand will be installed in the low energy beam transport section (LEBT) of the Frankfurt Neutron Source (FRANZ) behind the chopper system. The test stand consists of a rotatable vacuum chamber with a mounted CCD camera. The maximum rotation angle amounts to 270°. In a first phase the optical beam profile measurement and 3D density reconstruction is tested with a time independent 10 keV He beam. The measurements and performance of data processing algorithms are compared with the beam transport simulations. In a later phase the performance with time dependent beams (120 keV, 200 mA) at a repetition rate of 250 kHz and a duty cycle of 2.5% has to be evaluated. An overview of the first phase results is shown.
The pseudoparticle approach is a numericalmethod to compute path integrals without discretizing spacetime. The basic idea is to consider only those field configurations, which can be represented as a linear superposition of a small number of localized building blocks (pseudoparticles), and to replace the functional integration by an integration over the pseudoparticle degrees of freedom. In previous papers we have successfully applied the pseudoparticle approach to SU(2) Yang-Mills theory. In this work we discuss the inclusion of fermionic fields in the pseudoparticle approach. To test our method, we compute the phase diagram of the 1+1-dimensional Gross-Neveu model in the large-N limit as well as the chiral condensate in the crystal phase.
The isospin, spin and parity dependent potential of a pair of static-light mesons is computed using Wilson twisted mass lattice QCD with two flavors of degenerate dynamical quarks. From the results a simple rule can be deduced stating, which isospin, spin and parity combinations correspond to attractive and which to repulsive forces.
We study the light scalar mesons a_0(980) and kappa using N_f = 2+1+1 flavor lattice QCD. In order to probe the internal structure of these scalar mesons, and in particular to identify, whether a sizeable tetraquark component is present, we use a large set of operators, including diquark-antidiquark, mesonic molecule and two-meson operators. The inclusion of disconnected diagrams, which are technically rather challenging, but which would allow us to extend our work to e.g. the f_0(980) meson, is introduced and discussed.
We present first results of a recently started lattice QCD investigation of antiheavy-antiheavy-light-light tetraquark systems including scattering interpolating operators in correlation functions both at the source and at the sink. In particular, we discuss the importance of such scattering interpolating operators for a precise computation of the low-lying energy levels. We focus on the b¯b¯ud four-quark system with quantum numbers I(JP)=0(1+), which has a ground state below the lowest meson-meson threshold. We carry out a scattering analysis using Lüscher's method to extrapolate the binding energy of the corresponding QCD-stable tetraquark to infinite spatial volume. Our calculation uses clover u, d valence quarks and NRQCD b valence quarks on gauge-link ensembles with HISQ sea quarks that were generated by the MILC collaboration.
We present a numerical technique for calculating path integrals in non-compact U(1) and SU(2) gauge theories. The gauge fields are represented by a superposition of pseudoparticles of various types with their amplitudes and color orientations as degrees of freedom. Applied to Maxwell theory this technique results in a potential which is in excellent agreement with the Coulomb potential. For SU(2) Yang-Mills theory the same technique yields clear evidence of confinement. Varying the coupling constant exhibits the same scaling behavior for the string tension, the topological susceptibility and the critical temperature while their dimensionless ratios are similar to those obtained in lattice calculations.
We compute the static-light baryon spectrum with Nf = 2 flavors of sea quarks using Wilson twisted mass lattice QCD. As light valence quarks we consider quarks, which have the same mass as the sea quarks with corresponding pion masses in the range 340MeV<∼ mPS<∼ 525MeV, as well as partially quenched quarks, which have the mass of the physical s quark. We extract masses of states with isospin I = 0,1/2,1, with strangeness S = 0,−1,−2, with angular momentum of the light degrees of freedom j = 0,1 and with parity P = +,−. We present a preliminary extrapolation in the light u/d and an interpolation in the heavy b quark mass to the physical point and compare with available experimental results.
Vortrag im Rahmen des Symposiums der Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt am Main in Kooperation mit der Frankfurter Buchmesse 2011 "Economy and Acceptance of Open Access Strategies", am 14.10.2011.
Sulfur in the slab: a sulfur-isotopes and thermodynamic-modeling perspective from exhumed terranes
(2022)
Sulfur is a key element in the subduction zone-volcanic arc system; however, the mechanism(s) that recycle sulfur from the slab into the overlying volcanic arc are debated. Here we summarize recent advances in quantifying this component of the deep sulfur cycle. First, primary metamorphic or inherited sulfides in oceanic-type eclogites are only rarely observed as inclusions and are typically absent from the rock matrix. Additionally, sulfides are relatively common in rocks metasomatized at the slab-mantle interface by slab-derived fluids during exhumation. Combined, these two observations suggest that sulfur loss from subducted mafic crust is relatively efficient. Thermodynamic modeling in Perple_X using the Holland and Powell (2011) database combined with the Deep Earth Water model suggests that the efficiency and speciation of sulfur loss varies depending on the degree of seafloor alteration prior to subduction and the geothermal gradient of the slab. In relatively cold subduction zones, such as Honshu, slab-fluids derived from subducted mafic crust are predicted to exhibit elevated concentrations of HSO4-, SO42-, HSO3-, and CaSO4(aq), whereas hot subduction zones, such as Cascadia, are predicted to produce slab fluids enriched in HS- and H2S at lower pressures. The oxidation of sulfur expelled from subducted pyrite is balanced by the reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+, consistent with the low Fe3+/SFe of exhumed eclogites relative to blueschists and altered oceanic crust. Where oxidized S-bearing fluids are produced, they are anticipated to interact with more reduced rocks at the slab-mantle interface and within the mantle wedge, resulting in sulfide precipitation and significant isotopic fractionation. The δ34S values of slab fluids are estimated to fall between -11 and +8 ‰. Rayleigh fractionation during progressive fluid-rock interaction results in fractionations of tens of per mil as oxidized species are depleted and sulfides are precipitated, resulting in δ34S values of sulfides that easily span the -21.7 to +13.9 ‰ range observed in metasomatic sulfides in exhumed high-pressure rocks. However, in subduction zones where reduced species prevail, the S isotopic signature of slab fluids is expected to reflect their source and will exhibit a narrower range in δ34S values. As a result, the δ34S values measured in arc magmas may not always be a reliable indicator of the contribution of different components of the slab, such as sediments vs. AOC. Additionally, the impact of S recycling on the oxygen fugacity of arc magmas is expected to vary both spatially and temporally throughout Earth history.
The oxidation state of sulfur in slab fluids is controversial, with both dominantly oxidized and reduced species proposed. Here we use in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy analysis of sulfur-in-apatite to monitor changes in the oxidation state of sulfur during high-P metasomatism by slab fluids in the subduction channel. Our samples include a 73 cm continuous transect of reaction zones between a metagabbroic eclogite block and serpentinite matrix from a mélange zone on the island of Syros, Greece. The block core consists of garnet, omphacite, phengite, paragonite, epidote-clinozoisite, and rutile. In this region, apatite is only observed as elongate inclusions in omphacite cores. From the core outwards micas are increasingly replaced by epidote-clinozoisite, garnets are smaller and more frequent, pyrite + bornite is observed as inclusions in recrystallized omphacite, and apatite is increasingly abundant in the matrix and inclusions in garnet. A major transition at 48 cm separates an assemblage of Ca-Na amphibole, omphacite, chlorite, pyrite, and apatite from the inner garnet-bearing eclogite assemblages. Omphacite disappears from the assemblage at ~56 cm and amphibole compositions sharply transition to tremolite at 59 cm. Finally, the assemblage tremolite + talc + pyrite is observed after ~70 cm.Apatites in the eclogite assemblages exclusively display S6+ peaks in their absorption spectra. This includes apatite inclusions in omphacite in the least altered lithology, as well as matrix apatite and isolated apatite inclusions in garnet in the outermost metasomatized eclogite zone. In the intermediate pyrite-rich (~1-5 vol %) amphibole + omphacite + chlorite zone, apatite displays a strong S1- absorption peak in most grains, with rare analyses showing mixed S1- and S6+. Finally, apatite in the outermost tremolite-bearing assemblages only displays a S6+ peak. The pyrite-rich zone at 48 cm occurs at the initial interface between the serpentinite matrix and eclogite block, characterized by a dramatic decrease in Na content and Mg#. Our data suggest that reduction of S6+ in infiltrating fluids to S1- in pyrite became focused as Fe diffused across the steep Mg# gradient, resulting in pyrite precipitation. In contrast, S reduction in the Mg-rich tremolite-dominant portions of the transect was limited by a lack of Fe, resulting in low modes of pyrite and fluid buffered S6+ in apatite. Finally, S6+-bearing apatite is also observed in reaction zone lithologies from elsewhere on Syros, suggesting our observations are not isolated.Two important conclusions are drawn from these data and observations: (1) In the case of Syros, slab fluids at eclogite-facies conditions carried oxidized S6+, and (2) The interaction of these fluids with eclogites composed of ferrous-Fe silicates resulted in extensive sulfide precipitation.
We have studied one-proton-removal reactions of about 500MeV/u 17Ne beams on a carbon target at the R3B/LAND setup at GSI by detecting beam-like 15O-p and determining their relative-energy distribution. We exclusively selected the removal of a 17Ne halo proton, and the Glauber-model analysis of the 16F momentum distribution resulted in an s2 contribution in the 17Ne ground state of about 40%.
This work is focused on the anomalous skin effect in copper and how it affects the efficiency of copper-cavities in the temperature range 40-50 K. The quality factor Q of three coaxial cavities was measured over the temperature range from 10 K to room temperature in the experiment. The three coaxial cavities have the same structure, but different lengths, which correspond to resonant frequencies: around 100 MHz, 220 MHz and 340 MHz. Furthermore, the effects of copper-plating and additional baking in the vacuum oven on the quality factor Q are studied in the experiment. The motivation is to check the feasibility of an efficient, pulsed, ion linac, operated at cryogenic temperatures.
The very idea of the European Convention on Human Rights is to bring the laws of contracting states into line with fundamental human rights principles. Where the Convention is not explicit, the Court should never rule restrictively so as to reduce the scope of a general right. In the case of homeschooling, the Convention sets forth the general principle that “the state shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions.” It must not, therefore, allow a contracting state to eliminate a means of achieving this desired by parents—unless the state can show that the means in question is ineffective.
A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is a systematic risk assessment tool, enabling organizations to maintain compliance with data protection regulations, to manage privacy risks and to provide public benefits through the success of privacy-by-design efforts. An actual practical implementation of a PIA framework has been realized in the context of RFID applications encompassing detailed steps for the PIA process; a first successful review has been completed. The PIA also allows to introduce a pro-active mitigation of privacy risks through technical and organizational controls. The better the precautionary measures realize the relevant privacy objectives, the less likely will occur with the PIA process afterwards. The recent proposal for a far-reaching revision of the EU Data Protection Directive envisages to state a specific requirement to implement a PIA process. Indeed, since risks for privacy and non-disclosure of personal data are different in not identical circumstances, the protection measures should also be different, i.e. technology should assist in trying to achieve the (at least) second-best solution for the implementation of the data protection regime by a PIA. Insofar, privacy rules can be individualized and matched with the concrete needs in the given environment.
Einleitung: Es wurden die Leistungen beim Verstehen im Störgeräusch von CI-Patienten mit unterschiedlichen Implantattypen verglichen. Der TEMPO+ Sprachprozessor (MED-EL, Implantat C40+) verwendet ein Mikrophon mit Kugelcharakteristik, während der ESPrit 3G Prozessor (COCHLEAR, Implantat CI24R(CA)) mit einem frontal ausgelegten Richtmikrophon ausgestattet ist.
Methode: Von den zwei untersuchten Patientengruppen (n=20) war eine mit einem C40+ Implantat (MED-EL, Innsbruck), die andere mit dem CI24RCA Implantat (Cochlear, Melbourne) versorgt. Es wurde die S0N180 Lautsprecheranordnung im Freifeld für den HSM-Test (Hochmair, Schulz und Moser, 1997) und die S0N0 Anordnung für den Oldenburger Satztest (Wagener, Kühnel und Kollmeier, 1999) verwendet. Der OLSA wurde mit festem Sprachpegel (65 dB SPL) und adaptivem Störgeräusch durchgeführt. Der HSM-Satztest wurde bei Signal-/ Rauschverhältnissen von 15 dB, 10 dB, 5 dB, 0dB sowie ohne Störgeräusch durchgeführt.
Ergebnisse: Im HSM-Satztest (S0N180) wurden signifikant bessere Leistungen beim Verstehen im Störgeräusch für die Gruppe mit dem Richtmikrophon nachgewiesen. Im Oldenburger Satztest zeigten sich keine signifikanten Unterschiede.
Schlussfolgerungen: Im Vergleich zu einem Mikrophon mit Kugelcharakteristik verbessert ein Richtmikrophon das Sprachverstehen in Situationen, in denen die Sprache frontal und der Störschall von hinten dargeboten werden.
With the ongoing loss of global biodiversity, long-term recordings of species distribution patterns are increasingly becoming important to investigate the causes and consequences for their change. Therefore, the digitization of scientific literature, both modern and historical, has been attracting growing attention in recent years. To meet this growing demand the Specialised Information Service for Biodiversity Research (BIOfid) was launched in 2017 with the aim of increasing the availability and accessibility of biodiversity information. Closely tied to the research community the interdisciplinary BIOfid team is digitizing data sources of biodiversity related research and provides a modern and professional infrastructure for hosting and sharing them. As a pilot project, German publications on the distribution and ecology of vascular plants, birds, moths and butterflies covering the past 250 years are prioritized. Large parts of the text corpus defined in accordance with the needs of the relevant German research community have already been transferred to a machine-readable format and will be publicly accessible soon. Software tools for text mining, semantic annotation and analysis with respect to the current trends in machine learning are developed to maximize bioscientific data output through user-specific queries that can be created via the BIOfid web portal (https://www.biofid.de/). To boost knowledge discovery, specific ontologies focusing on morphological traits and taxonomy are being prepared and will continuously be extended to keep up with an ever-expanding volume of literature sources.
Objective: Establishment of an immunocompetent mouse model representing the typical progressive stages observed in malignant human gliomas for the in vivo evaluation of novel target-specific regimens.
Methods: Isolated clones from tumours that arose spontaneously in GFAP-v-src transgenic mice were used to develop a transplantable brain tumour model in syngeneic B6C3F1 mice. STAT3 protein was knocked down by infection of tumour cells with replication-defective lentivirus encoding STAT3-siRNA. Apoptosis is designed to be induced by soluble recombinant TRAIL + chemical Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitors.
Results: Striatal implantation of 105 mouse tumour cells resulted in the robust development of microscopically (2 – 3 mm) infiltrating malignant gliomas. Immunohistochemically, the gliomas displayed the astroglial marker GFAP and the oncogenic form of STAT3 (Tyr-705-phosphorylated) which is found in many malignancies including gliomas. Phosphorylated STAT3 was particularly prominent in the nucleus but was also found at the plasma membrane of peripherally infiltrating glioma cells. To evaluate the role of STAT3 in tumour progression, we stably expressed siRNA against STAT3 in several murine glioma cell lines. The effect of STAT3 depletion on proliferation, invasion and survival will be first assessed in vitro and subsequently after transplantation in vivo. Upstream and downstream components of the STAT3 signalling pathway as well as possible non-specific side effects of STAT3-siRNA expression after lentiviral infection will be examined, too.
Conclusions: Its high rate of engraftment, its similarity to the malignant glioma of origin, and its rapid locally invasive growth should make this murine model useful in testing novel therapies for malignant gliomas.
The physics of EPOS
(2013)
TRENTOOL : an open source toolbox to estimate neural directed interactions with transfer entropy
(2011)
To investigate directed interactions in neural networks we often use Norbert Wiener's famous definition of observational causality. Wiener’s definition states that an improvement of the prediction of the future of a time series X from its own past by the incorporation of information from the past of a second time series Y is seen as an indication of a causal interaction from Y to X. Early implementations of Wiener's principle – such as Granger causality – modelled interacting systems by linear autoregressive processes and the interactions themselves were also assumed to be linear. However, in complex systems – such as the brain – nonlinear behaviour of its parts and nonlinear interactions between them have to be expected. In fact nonlinear power-to-power or phase-to-power interactions between frequencies are reported frequently. To cover all types of non-linear interactions in the brain, and thereby to fully chart the neural networks of interest, it is useful to implement Wiener's principle in a way that is free of a model of the interaction [1]. Indeed, it is possible to reformulate Wiener's principle based on information theoretic quantities to obtain the desired model-freeness. The resulting measure was originally formulated by Schreiber [2] and termed transfer entropy (TE). Shortly after its publication transfer entropy found applications to neurophysiological data. With the introduction of new, data efficient estimators (e.g. [3]) TE has experienced a rapid surge of interest (e.g. [4]). Applications of TE in neuroscience range from recordings in cultured neuronal populations to functional magnetic resonanace imaging (fMRI) signals. Despite widespread interest in TE, no publicly available toolbox exists that guides the user through the difficulties of this powerful technique. TRENTOOL (the TRansfer ENtropy TOOLbox) fills this gap for the neurosciences by bundling data efficient estimation algorithms with the necessary parameter estimation routines and nonparametric statistical testing procedures for comparison to surrogate data or between experimental conditions. TRENTOOL is an open source MATLAB toolbox based on the Fieldtrip data format. ...
Health-care personnel (HCP) are exposed to infectious diseases throughout the course of their work. The concerns of pregnant HCP are considerable because certain otherwise mild infections may affect fetal development. We studied 424 pregnant HCP at the University Hospital Frankfurt / Germany between March 2007 and July 2011. Serological tests were carried out for varicella zoster virus (VZV), measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), cytomegalovirus (CMV) and parvovirus B19. Our overall seroprevalence data with regard to VZV, MMR, CMV and parvovirus B 19 corresponded to the general population. It was striking that, only 57.1% of the study population was immune against the four vaccine-preventable diseases (MMR, VZV). Our study suggests that a comprehensive approach to improving the vaccination status of said HCP before pregnancy is paramount.
Nosocomial infectious diseases (e.g. influenza, pertussis) are a threat particularly for immunocompromised and vulnerable patients. Although vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) constitutes the most convenient and effective means to prevent nosocomial transmissions, vaccine uptake among HCWs remains unacceptably low. Worldwide, numerous studies have demonstrated that nurses have lower vaccination rates than physicians and that there is a relationship between receipt of vaccination by HCWs and knowledge. Measures to improve vaccination rates need to be profession-sensitive as well as specific in their approach in order to achieve sustained success.
With respect to nosocomial influenza infections, the welfare of patients is best served by high rates of staff immunity against influenza. However, data from the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) in the USA and the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) in Germany indicate that most of health care workers (HCWs) choose not to be vaccinated. Under voluntary influenza immunization standards, institutional influenza outbreaks occur every flu season. The question about the legality of implementation mandatory flu vaccination for HCWs is an ongoing debate, which covers several different positions.
To characterize the attitudes of German HCWs toward mandatory influenza immunization, an anonymous questionnaire was offered to HCWs of the University Hospital in Frankfurt/Main / Germany. Our study showed that almost 70% of the respondents would accept mandatory influenza vaccination.
In our opinion an annual influenza vaccination should be required for HCWs who care for immunocompromised patients and residents in long-term care if there will be a failure of voluntary vaccination programs. An informed declination should be obtained from employees who decline vaccination and these HCWs ought to work in uncritical areas of patient care.
Recently, pertussis has become a problem also in the adult population, with incidences even higher than in children. Pediatric health care workers (HCWs) are an important source of transmission, exposing very young and immunocompromised patients to an increased risk of potentially severe pertussis infections. Encouraging HCWs to get vaccinated can play a vital role in stopping the transmission of pertussis, thereby reducing institutional outbreaks.
In Germany, HCWs come up with all sorts of reasons for not getting pertussis vaccination. This study was meant to provide information in order to better understand the backgrounds of these attitudes.
A survey was conducted at the children's university hospital in Frankfurt, using an anonymous questionnaire. Survey results were used to design an intervention to increase the immunization rate of staff. Disappointingly, our efforts to increase the acceptance of the immunization program by providing information in advance were not yet satisfying.
Misconception about pertussis vaccination was prevalent especially among nursing staff. The main reasons for non-compliance included: unawareness of an own risk of infection, the belief that pertussis is not a serious illness, fear of side effects, the belief that the pertussis vaccine might trigger the pertussis disease itself, and skepticism about the efficacy of the pertussis vaccination.
ecently, pertussis has become a problem also in the adult population, with incidences even higher than in children. Pediatric health care workers (HCWs) are an important source of transmission, exposing very young and immunocompromised patients to an increased risk of potentially severe pertussis infections. Encouraging HCWs to get vaccinated can play a vital role in stopping the transmission of pertussis, thereby reducing institutional outbreaks.
In Germany, HCWs come up with all sorts of reasons for not getting pertussis vaccination. This study was meant to provide information in order to better understand the backgrounds of these attitudes.
A survey was conducted at the children's university hospital in Frankfurt, using an anonymous questionnaire. Survey results were used to design an intervention to increase the immunization rate of staff. Disappointingly, our efforts to increase the acceptance of the immunization program by providing information in advance were not yet satisfying.
Misconception about pertussis vaccination was prevalent especially among nursing staff. The main reasons for non-compliance included: unawareness of an own risk of infection, the belief that pertussis is not a serious illness, fear of side effects, the belief that the pertussis vaccine might trigger the pertussis disease itself, and skepticism about the efficacy of the pertussis vaccination.
What role does language play in the development of numerical cognition? In the present paper I argue that the evolution of symbolic thinking (as a basis for language) laid the grounds for the emergence of a systematic concept of number. This concept is grounded in the notion of an infinite sequence and encompasses number assignments that can focus on cardinal aspects ("three pencils"), ordinal aspects ("the third runner"), and even nominal aspects ("bus #3"). I show that these number assignments are based on a specific association of relational structures, and that it is the human language faculty that provides a cognitive paradigm for such an association, suggesting that language played a pivotal role in the evolution of systematic numerical cognition.
I discuss the status of WH-words for interrogative interpretations, and show that the derivation of constituent questions evolves from a specific interplay of syntactic and semantic representations with pragmatics. I argue that WH-pronouns are not ‘interrogative’. Rather, they are underspecified elements; due to this underspecification, WH-words can form a constitutive part not only of interrogative, but also of exclamative and declarative clauses. WH-words introduce a variable of a particular conceptual domain into the semantic representation. Accordingly, they have to be specified for interpretation. Different WH-contexts give rise to different interpretations. In a cross-linguistic overview, I discuss the characteristic elements contributing to the derivation of interrogatives. I argue that specific particles or their phonologically empty counterparts in the head of CP contribute the interrogative aspect. The speech act of ‘asking’ is then carried out via an intonational contour that identifies a question. By default, this intonational contour operates on interrogative sentences; however, other sentence formats – in particular, those of declarative sentences – are possible as well. The distinction of (a) grammatical (syntactic, semantic and phonological) sentence formats for interrogative and declarative sentences, and (b) intonational contours serving the discrimination of speech acts like questions and assertions, can be related to psychological and neurological evidence.