Europa-Institut

Abstract No Abstract

Abstract. Interactions between wind and trees control energy exchanges between the atmosphere and forest canopies. This energy exchange can lead to the widespread damage of trees, and wind is a key disturbance agent in many of the world's forests. However, most research on this topic has focused on conifer plantations, where risk management is economically important, rather than broadleaf forests, which dominate the forest carbon cycle. This study brings together tree motion time-series data to systematically evaluate the factors influencing tree responses to wind loading, including data from both broadleaf and coniferous trees in forests and open environments. We found that the two most descriptive features of tree motion were (a) the fundamental frequency, which is a measure of the speed at which a tree sways and is strongly related to tree height, and (b) the slope of the power spectrum, which is related to the efficiency of energy transfer from wind to trees. Intriguingly, the slope of the power spectrum was found to remain constant from medium to high wind speeds for all trees in this study. This suggests that, contrary to some predictions, damping or amplification mechanisms do not change dramatically at high wind speeds, and therefore wind damage risk is related, relatively simply, to wind speed. Conifers from forests were distinct from broadleaves in terms of their response to wind loading. Specifically, the fundamental frequency of forest conifers was related to their size according to the cantilever beam model (i.e. vertically distributed mass), whereas broadleaves were better approximated by the simple pendulum model (i.e. dominated by the crown). Forest conifers also had a steeper slope of the power spectrum. We interpret these finding as being strongly related to tree architecture; i.e. conifers generally have a simple shape due to their apical dominance, whereas broadleaves exhibit a much wider range of architectures with more dominant crowns.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the prevalence of components of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) among representative samples of children and adolescents from Brazil, Iran and Germany (BIG study). METHODS: We report the data of a total number of 4 473 children (mean age 7.7 years; 2 218 boys,) and 6 800 adolescents (mean age 12.6 years; 3 409 boys) who participated in three large national studies. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure (BP) and lipid profile were assessed, fasting plasma glucose was determined in German and Iranian participants. RESULTS: With few exceptions, the mean of the components of the metabolic syndrome was higher in boys than in girls. The main ethnic differences were the high prevalence of low HDL-C levels in Iranian and Brazilian youths compared with German youths (34% vs.7%, respectively, p<0.05) and of increased triglycerides (10% vs. 1%, respectively, p<0.05). Furthermore the prevalence of high BP was lowest (<1%) in Iranian than in Brazilian and German children (6%). Both in children and adolescents, the prevalence of the MetS was significantly higher in Iranian than in German children (1% vs.0.1%, respectively, p<0.05) and adolescents (2% vs.0.5%, respectively, p<0.05). TG to HDL-C ratio had significant correlations with waist circumference and body mass index in Iranian and German children of both genders; these correlations were significant among both genders of adolescents in the three ethnic groups. CONCLUSION: While the prevalence of abdominal adiposity was nearly similar, Iranian and Brazilian youths had considerably higher prevalence of dyslipidemia than German youths. Future longitudinal studies should seek the clinical importance of these ethnic differences.

The European Economic Community A Member of a Specialized Agency of the United Nations Rachel Frid Rachel Frid *Associate researcher, Europa Institute, University of Amsterdam. I would like to thank Professor R. H. Lauwaars and Professor P. J. Knyper for their constructive comments on earlier drafts of this article Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar European Journal of International Law, Volume 4, Issue 2, 1993, Pages 239–255, https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.ejil.a035828 Published: 01 January 1993

BACKGROUND: Globalization of the western lifestyle may contribute to worldwide increases of adiposity and type 2 diabetes. In combination with genetic influences, this results in different prevalence rates among different ethnicities, particularly at younger ages. Since 2007, the unified pediatric definition of the metabolic syndrome by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has allowed a global comparison of the prevalence. Therefore, we compared the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and its components in two large representative samples of adolescents in Germany and Iran. METHODS: We used data from 3,647 German adolescents aged 10-15 years old participating in the German PEP Family Heart Study and 2,728 Iranians in the same age range participating in the CASPIAN Study. RESULTS: The metabolic syndrome was four times more prevalent in Iranian (2.1%) than in German (0.5%) adolescents. The prevalence of three components of the metabolic syndrome was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher in Iranian than in German adolescents-the prerequisite abdominal obesity (11.1% vs. 11.4% vs 1.9%), low-serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (41.9% vs. 7.2%) and hypertriglyceridemia (7.2% vs. 11.4%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome according to pediatric IDF criteria and its three main components differed considerably in two large ethnicities. The clinical impacts of these findings should be confirmed in future longitudinal studies.

Since the end of the 1980s a massive emigration of Jews from the former Soviet Union (FSU) can be observed. Israel and the United States were the most important receiving countries, followed by Germany, a comparatively new immigration destination for Jews from the successor states of the USSR. One of the reasons the German Government allowed the admission of Jews from post‐Soviet states was the Jewish community’s claim that this immigration might rejuvenate the German Jewish population in the longer run. Using an index of demographic aging (Billeter’s J), the following article examines if this has actually happened. Findings suggest that immigration actually initiated a process of rejuvenation in the Jewish population in Germany. However, it was reversed during the end of the 1990s because of an unaffected low fertility.

The present paper sheds further light on a well-known (alleged) violation of the expectations hypothesis of the term structure (EHT): the frequent finding of unit roots in interest rate spreads. We show that the EHT implies (i) that the nonstationarity stems from the holding premium, which is hence (ii) cointegrated with the spread. In a stochastic discount factor framework, we model the premium as being driven by the integrated variance of excess returns. Introducing the concept of mean-variance cointegration, we actually find cointegration relations between the conditional first and second moment of US bond data.

The open access textbook provides an overview of gender issues in all disciplines of law, including sociological, historical and methodological issues.

Microbiology diagnostics are frequently performed in patients with chronic wounds. However, there is currently a lack of uniformity with respect to indications as well as the practical implementation of such workup. The fact that diagnostic results may be significantly affected by the sampling technique used as well as the preceding (wound) preparation underscores the need for uniform standards, which have been missing so far. In Germany, bacteriologic wound swabs are routinely performed, particularly with the intent to screen for multiresistant pathogens. For this indication, prior wound cleansing should be avoided, and sampling using the Essen Rotary technique provides a quick and easy-to-use option. If there is clinical suspicion of an infection, wound cleansing with sterile saline solution (0.9 %) and/or sterile cotton gauze should be carried out prior to obtaining bacteriologic swabs. While routine diagnostic biopsies are generally not required in chronic wound patients, they may be useful in case of clinically suspected wound infections, particularly in patients with deep ulcerations, diabetic foot syndrome, severe soft tissue infection, or fistula tissue. Moreover, biopsies are indispensable in the microbiology workup of specific pathogens such as mycobacteria, Leishmania, actinomycetes, Nocardia ssp. or molds.

This study discusses, from various angles, the principle of mutual trust between Member States in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (AFSJ). As a starting point it refers to three emblematic cases decided by the European Court of Justice: “Aguirre Zarraga”, a child abduction case, “Jawo”, a case involving a transfer of an asylum applicant under the Dublin III regulation, and “LM”, a case concerning a European Arrest Warrant from Poland, called into question by courts in Ireland in the light of problems of judicial independence in Poland. The first section deals with the foundations and legal effects of the principle of mutual trust. Based on a fundamental distinction to be made between the AFSJ and more traditional EU law settings, it argues that the principle of mutual trust is not a freestanding legal requirement but rather a functional construction principle for the AFSJ. The second section explores several possible corollaries of mutual trust - independent authorities, common EU standards on criminal procedure and on penitentiary systems, and EU membership as such - and finds that all these are not quite as straightforward corollaries as they may appear at first sight. The decisive meta-corollary seems is respect for the rule of law. The third section looks at how EU law defines the limits to mutual trust and at the respective roles of the case law and the EU legislator in this context. It finds growing convergence between the two European Court in defining limits and proposes a heuristic distinction between retrospective and prospective settings as a guide for further interpretation. High emphasis is placed on the responsibility of the EU legislator in defining appropriate, tailor-made limits to mutual trust. Looking at the legislative reality so far, marked by various inconsistencies, there is ample room for improvement, but this will remain an arduous task as long as the notorious rule of law problems persist in some Member States. The last section is devoted to the perspective of the EU’s accession to the ECHR, in the aftermath of Opinion 2/13 in which the Court had relied inter alia on the principle of mutual trust to find the draft accession agreement as incompatible with EU primary law. The article dismisses ideas of a “disconnection clause” or of codifying the “Bosphorus presumption” to overcome the mutual trust objection of Opinion 2/13, and instead recommends a combination of a substantive clause on mutual trust and of procedural means to deal appropriately with cases on mutual trust arising in the Strasbourg Court. The final proposition is that the EU’s accession to the ECHR may be seen as a catalyst for mutual trust between EU Member States, promoting the smooth operation of legislative schemes based upon that principle, rather than as an obstacle to it.

OBJECTIVES: Increased central adiposity is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in youths. Since simple and inex-pensive but accurate diagnostic tools are required for general use in clinical practice, we examined body mass index (BMI), waist circumfe-rence (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and skin-fold thickness (SFT) for their utility in predicting CVD risk factors in children. METHODS: A representative sample of 3850 children (1981 males) aged, 3-11years, participated in this cross-sectional study. The association of CVD risk factors with BMI > 85(th), WC > 90(th), WHtR > 90(th) and SFT > 90(th) percentile was examined by multivariate logistic regression models. SPSS(17)was used for statistical analyses; P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: In studied children the prevalence of increased general adi-posity (BMI 4.1%) was considerably lower than the prevalence of high central adiposity (WC 11.8%, WHtR 9.5% and SFT sum 9.8%). Girls had more adverse lipid profiles and CVD risk factors than boys. Age-and gender- adjusted hypertension was significantly associated with adiposity (OR: 2.8) and increased skin-fold thickness (OR: 1.7). Among the four fat patterning variables WHtR > 90(th) percentile had the strongest association with increased LDL-C (OR: 2.0), Non HDL-C (OR: 2.1), LDL-C/HDL-C ratio (OR: 3.3), TG/HDL-C ratio (OR: 2.0) and risk factor clustering (OR: 1.7). CONCLUSIONS: Among the children studied, increased (WtHR) was the strongest predictor of traditional CDV risk factors, followed by in-creased skin-fold thickness and BMI.

This paper presents research findings based on a factorial survey study of attitudes toward the justice of income distribution in Ukraine. The factorial survey design was used for the first time in a representative large-scale survey in Ukraine and provided an opportunity to investigate the effect of multiple factors concerning individual, family and enterprise characteristics in complex subjective evaluations of just earnings. The focus within this study lays on three fundamental principles, according to which the just income is assessed: equality, desert and need principles. Empirical results of the study show that Ukrainian respondents pay attention to almost all characteristics used in the vignettes, a fact which empirically supported the basic idea of the multiprinciple justice theory. Some generational differences in justice perception were uncovered and discussed. The analyses also revealed an overall domination of the need principle in the judgments on income justice. However, the need criterion loses its relative significance at the expense of the desert principle, as soon as rather large income amounts are treated. This finding leads to the reflection that the need considerations appear to be popular in the post-Soviet countries to the extent to which they find support among low-income population and not because of the Soviet ideological heritage.

Abstract Authoritarian neoliberal governance of industrial relations is on the rise around the world, displaying remarkable similarities across countries with similar democratic political structures. However, despite a certain degree of resemblance, countries have been following divergent paths rendering each case unique in terms of its experience. This article explains the specific path through which authoritarian neoliberalism was materialised in the governance of Turkey's industrial relations under AKP rule. It is purported that AKP's pursuit of authoritarian neoliberalism in its governance of industrial relations shares certain similarities with the emerging market economies, which have a less democratic political system. However, it is contended that the governance of Turkey's industrial relations under AKP leadership embodies spatially and temporally distinct characteristics integrating long‐established authoritarian institutional structures and practices with neoliberal ideology, powerful political alliances, Islamic values, repressive practices and mounting resistance, thus rendering it a unique form of authoritarian neoliberalism.

ZEuS Zeitschrift für Europarechtliche Studien , Seite 335 - 359

When the EEA Agreement was concluded in the early 1990s, it reflected, in the fields covered, the state of the then Community law, also with respect to the free movement of persons. Since then, both EEA and EU law have developed further, though with certain marked differences. Notably, the EU Treaty revision of Maastricht led to the introduction of Union citizenship. The fact that there is no corresponding concept in the EEA Agreement had led to certain challenges within the EEA with respect to the free movement of persons, due notably to the double nature of Directive 2004/38 as a further development of the free movement law of the Communities and a Union citizenship instrument. Today, the EEA and the EU rules are identical with respect to the market access rights of economic agents. In contrast, it is debated whether and to what extent the incorporation of Directive 2004/38 into the EEA legal system is indeed limited for those purposes. This relates in particular to case law of the EFTA Court on persons who are not economically active, where the Court, in the EEA context, gives Directive 2004/38 a broader interpretation than the CJEU does in the EU context. The EFTA Court's aim, despite the lack of Union citizenship in EEA law, is to arrive at the same level of protection. Commentators speak about a particular understanding of homogeneity and of the Polydor principle. This approach raises questions also with respect to the external relations of the EU with other non-Member States, including notably the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland following its withdrawal from EU membership ("Brexit").

This book critically engages with a series of provocative questions that ask: Why are contemporary societies so dependent on constructive and destructive effects of individualization? Is this phenomenon only related to the 'second' or 'late' modernity? Can the concept of individualization be productively used for developing a sociological diagnosis of our time? The innovative answers suggested in this book are focused on two types of challenges accompanying the rise of individualization. First, that it is caused by controversial changes in social structures and action patterns. Second, that the effects of individualization question varieties of the common good. Both challenges have a long history but reached critical intensity in advanced contemporary societies in the context of current globalization

Abstract Frontex has become one of the major players in European external border management. As its powers and resources have increased, so have the challenges surrounding its compliance with fundamental rights. A major concern continues to be how to ensure legal accountability for fundamental rights violations that occur in the context of its activities. While Member States can be held accountable before their own national courts and before international courts, neither of these options are available in relation to Frontex. But it can be brought before the Court of Justice of the European Union to account for the conformity of its conduct with EU law. This Article explores the potential of the EU action for damages to offer a remedy for fundamental rights violations committed by Frontex. It identifies where public liability law falls short of providing a remedy for fundamental rights violations committed by EU bodies, explores the possibilities to close that gap, and assesses the implications this has for Frontex’s liability. The Article argues that the action for damages may be the means to close the accountability gap in the specific case of Frontex, but also more generally in circumstances where EU administration is delivered in the form of informal or factual conduct. If it is to fulfill that role, the CJEU would have to lower the threshold for EU liability where fundamental rights are concerned.

Yugoslavia's socialism was always a special case when compared with other states in the eastern part of Europe, and so was its religious policy. In the 1960s, Yugoslavia adopted a rather liberal stance towards its religious communities. The state interfered less in the internal affairs of the churches than it did in most states in the Warsaw Pact. Even Croat Cardinal Franjo Kuharić, who was otherwise very critical towards Tito's Yugoslavia, had to admit in 1987, The Pope freely appoints bishops, without the intervention of the government. The church is free in its inner administration: there is no numerus clausus, neither for priests nor for the order's candidates. The bishops appoint and transfer priests without hindrance, without government interference. Bishops, priests and believers are free to gather in church rooms and don't have to apply for special permits. The orders can exist and function, although within the frames of law. The freedom of motion in- and outside the country is not hampered, though it may happen that-in our conviction, without justification-priests' passports are taken away. The freedom of the religious press is also one of the positive facts.

The fact that there exists proportionality as a free-standing heading of judicial review in EU law (free-standing proportionality) makes it difficult to identify what interest it serves. Yet that identification is crucial in trying to understand what role proportionality plays in EU law overall, especially knowing that the principle applies to any type of EU action, including that of the EU executive. This contribution seeks to bring some clarity on this matter. Taking as a starting point the idea that proportionality is concerned with balancing two conflicting interests – a legitimate objective that an action pursues and some other interest deserving of legal protection under EU law – it focuses on this latter protected interest, ‘too much’ interference with which would render any Union action unlawful. This contribution provides a taxonomy based on that criterion. The taxonomy shows that there are three essential forms of proportionality applicable to any type of Union action: rights proportionality, subsidiarity-proportionality, and burdens proportionality. Any of these forms of proportionality can be employed, however, in the form of free-standing proportionality, without it being always obvious which of the three substantive categories is at stake in judicial reasoning or invoked by the parties. This is already causing confusion. That confusion is exacerbated by the fact that free-standing proportionality’s ambiguity on the protected interest leaves room for, intentionally or not, misapplying it. This is exemplified by the Gauweiler case.

Abstract Higher education policy has long had important domestic, intergovernmental and values‐based features. However, through the Bologna Process, the European Union (EU) has influenced these traditional features and helped to develop an external dimension to higher education policy in and beyond Europe. Despite these significant changes, scholarship on the EU has not yet interrogated directly the external dimensions of Bologna and the influence the EU wields through this process. This article employs Market Power Europe (MPE) as a conceptual framework to examine the Bologna Process and the EU's role in these important changes. Focusing on the notion of externalization, the article reveals the importance of market factors, multiple means (externalization tools) and actors (beyond intergovernmental) through which the EU influences other actors in higher education policy. The findings contribute to the MPE conceptual framework and encourage further research into the causal mechanisms at play in the under‐studied external dimensions of this policy area.