“… eine Erweiterung des Wortes in Ausdruck und Wirkung auf emotionaler, sinnlicher und sogar intellektueller Ebene“ Der Komponist Hans Schanderl im Interview mit Vera Viehöver

in Viehöver, Vera; Nörtemann, Regina (Eds.) Kolmar übersetzen. Studien zum Problem der Lyrikübertragung (2013)

Decorating a Domus during the Second Triumvirate. Iconographical Program of the Dwarfs’ Oecus at Ostia Antica.

in Context and Meaning. Actes du XII Colloque international de l'AIPMA (Athènes, 16-20 septembre 2013) (2013, September)

Performance assessment of the FAO AquaCrop model for irrigated cabbage on farmer plots in a semi-arid environment

in Agricultural Water Management (2013), 127

Small-scale irrigation initiatives are expanding rapidly in Burkina Faso. However, in many cases optimal yields are not being obtained despite the available water and the required nutrient applications ... [more ▼]

Small-scale irrigation initiatives are expanding rapidly in Burkina Faso. However, in many cases optimal yields are not being obtained despite the available water and the required nutrient applications. Local stakeholders need an easy-to-use decision-support tool to assess irrigation water use and its impact on yield. In this study, a water-driven crop model, AquaCrop, developed by FAO, was adapted for cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) using a limited dataset and leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV). The experiment was conducted in south-western Burkina Faso on small irrigated farmer plots, where optimal managerial conditions could not always be guaranteed. Statistical indicators – normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) and index of agreement (d) – suggested that the model is very reliable for simulating cabbage biomass yield and soil water content (low nRMSE and d-index near 1). The relationship between observed and simulated yield produced a d-index of 0.99 and an nRMSE of 1.39% (or 0.59 ton/ha). The comparison between observed and modeled soil water content gave a d-index of 0.90 and an nRMSE of 4.38% (or 9.13 mm). Also of interest was the indirect link between plant density and yield via maximum canopy cover, which can considerably simplify yield estimation. It was concluded that AquaCrop was a very useful tool for enabling local end-users to evaluate and optimize cabbage yield and irrigation water use. [less ▲]

Von Holunderblüten zum Holunderbusch. Über Wege und Umwege in Wilhelm Raabes "Holunderblüte" und Theodor Storms "Ein Bekenntnis"

Conference (2013, September)

The Oligopoly Problem in EU Competition Law

in GERADIN, D.; LIANNOS, I. (Eds.) Research Handbook in European Competition Law (2013)

This paper offers a complete overview of the oligopoly problem in competition law and economics, with a specific focus on European Union (EU) law. A related purpose of the paper is to challenge the ... [more ▼]

This paper offers a complete overview of the oligopoly problem in competition law and economics, with a specific focus on European Union (EU) law. A related purpose of the paper is to challenge the dominant view that merger control is the ultimate preventive remedy against tacit collusion. On close analysis, the merger-only enforcement paradigm against tacit collusion generates a systemic risk of type II errors. Part of this enforcement gap may, however, be alleviated through a more muscular enforcement of the rules on coordinated conduct (i.e. Article 101 TFEU) and on unilateral conduct (i.e. Article 102 TFEU). In this later respect, the paper formulates a possible theory of harm that would entitle agencies and courts to apply Article 102 TFEU to specific types of conduct by oligopolists. The concept of abuse of collective dominance may in particular be applied to the artificial tactics which oligopolists adopt to protect an observed collusive equilibrium from the natural, disruptive effect caused by an external shock (entry, natural disaster, change in tax rate, etc.). In this sense, the paper is different from other scholarly proposals that recommend applying rules on unilateral conduct to excessive oligopoly prices and/or facilitating practices. [less ▲]

A small overview of available computer software to support computerized adaptive testing

Conference (2013, August 27)

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) is becoming a central tool for testing and assessment. It offers many advantages over fixed (“paper-and-pencil”) methods, such as individualized assessment, reduction ... [more ▼]

Computerized adaptive testing (CAT) is becoming a central tool for testing and assessment. It offers many advantages over fixed (“paper-and-pencil”) methods, such as individualized assessment, reduction of fraud, and straightforward estimation of proficiency levels. CAT has been studied for decades and remains an up-to-date research field in psychometrics and educational science. Practical CAT administration, however, is less frequently considered in such studies. Assigning CAT to respondents requires both the sufficient availability of computer machines, and the use of a powerful and easy-to-use CAT software. With the fast increase of computer resources at moderate cost, the availability of computer machines is becoming a less central, yet important, issue in the practical assessment of CAT tests. The choice of an accurate CAT software, on the other hand, should be guided by its flexibility, its underlying statistical modeling, and its user-friendly potential. According to the type of research or data analysis, some CAT software might be preferred to another. It is therefore important for the researcher or the clinician to know about the current availability of such software, in line with current research and practice in the CAT framework. Moreover, these software should allow enough flexibility to incorporate updates and new theoretical developments, such as e.g., new rules for next item selection. This talk proposes a simple and user-oriented presentation of several CAT software that are currently available. The software to be presented are: the Firestar software (Choi, 2009), the R package catR (Magis & Raîche, 2012), the R package catIrt (Nydick, 2012) and the CAT web-platform Concerto (Kosinski & Rust, 2011). The first three are non-commercial software, while Concerto is a web interface between end users (willing to develop computerized assessment tests) and catR (as underlying routine software). Both R packages are written to be most useful for researchers, without end-user interface, and are therefore less appealing for applied researchers who are not familiar with R. Yet, they offer flexible solutions by means of many options to optimize the design of the test and generate many response patterns for further analyses. Also, they can be easily integrated as sub-routines for more sophisticated CAT software. Firestar provides a user interface and makes all necessary computations with underlying R code. This talk aims at focusing on freely available CAT software. For this reason, only the four aforementioned programs will be presented, although it exists other, commercial CAT software such as e.g., the CATSim software (Assessment Systems Corporation, 2012). The different CAT software are briefly presented and their advantages and drawbacks, flexibility and usefulness are compared, mostly from the point of view of the applied researcher and clinician. The following criteria were retained for objective comparison: (a) their main goal of application; (b) the type of data and IRT modeling they can deal with; (c) the type of users they are focusing on; (d) their operating options; (e) their availability and flexibility for further improvements. A small demonstration of the R package catR will be proposed optionally, depending on time limitation. References Assessment Systems Corporation (2012). CATSim: Comprehensive simulation of computerized adaptive testing. St. Paul, MN. URL: http://www.assess.com/. Choi , S. W. (2009). Firestar: Computerized adaptive testing simulation program for polytomous item response theory models. Applied Psychological Measurement, 33, 644-645. Kosinski, M., & Rust, J. (2011). The development of Concerto: An open source online adaptive testing platform. Paper presented at the International Association for Computerized and Adaptive Testing (IACAT), Pacific Grove, CA. Magis, D., & Raîche, G. (2012). Random generation of response patterns under computerized adaptive testing with the R package catR. Journal of Statistical Software, 48, 1-31. Nydick, S. W. (2012). catIrt: An R package for simulating IRT-based computerized adaptive tests. R package version 0.3-0. [less ▲]

Modeling the influence of oxygen in delayed bone fracture healing.

Conference (2013, August 25)

Flexibilité au travail et sécurité d’emploi : quelles sont les attentes des travailleurs ?

Conference (2013, August)

Effects of eccentrically and concentrically biased training on mouse muscle phenotype

in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2013)

Introduction: The molecular adaptations specifically induced by different muscle contraction types have only been partially elucidated. We previously demonstrated that eccentric contractions in human ... [more ▼]

Introduction: The molecular adaptations specifically induced by different muscle contraction types have only been partially elucidated. We previously demonstrated that eccentric contractions in human quadriceps elicited proteome modifications that suggest a muscle fiber typology adaptation. We address this question in a more systematic way by examining here the effects of different running modes on the mouse muscle proteome and the muscle fiber typology. Methods: Male adult mice (C57BL6) were randomly divided into downhill running (DHR, quadricipital eccentrically biased contractions), uphill running (UHR, quadricipital concentrically biased contractions) and untrained control (CONT) groups. Running groups performed five training sessions on an inclined treadmill for 75 to 135 min/day and the quadriceps muscles were dissected 96hours after the last session. Muscle protein extracts of DHR and UHR groups (n=4/group) were subjected to a 2D-DIGE analysis coupled with mass spectrometry. The assessment of fiber type, size and number was performed on the rectus femoris of the three groups (n=6/group) using myosin heavy chain (MHC) immunohistochemistry. Results: In the proteomic analysis, eight spots identified as the fast MHC isoforms exhibited a lower abundance in DHR compared to UHR (p<0.05, t-test). In contrast, ATP synthase subunit α and tubulin β were more expressed in DHR (p<0.05). A significant higher proportion of type I and IIa fibers was found for DHR compared to UHR or CONT groups (p<0.05, one-way ANOVA). Conclusions: Our data suggest that the eccentrically biased contractions in mice induced specific adaptations in protein expression and muscle fiber composition which may reflect a more oxidative muscle phenotype. The differences in stress placed on the muscle between both trainings may be responsible for some unique adaptations resulting from the eccentrically biased training. [less ▲]

A novel strategy towards cyclic aliphatic (co)polyesters

in eXPRESS Polymer Letters (2013), 7(8), 690-702

This feature article focuses on a novel strategy towards macrocyclic (co)polyesters that combines controlled ring-opening polymerization of lactones initiated by a cyclic tin(IV) dialkoxide and ... [more ▼]

This feature article focuses on a novel strategy towards macrocyclic (co)polyesters that combines controlled ring-opening polymerization of lactones initiated by a cyclic tin(IV) dialkoxide and intramolecular cyclization by photocross- linking of pendant unsaturations next to the propagating sites. No linear species is ever involved in the polymerization and permanent cyclization steps, which allows higher molecular weight macrocycles to be prepared with high efficiency and no need for further purification. Moreover, this synthetic route is very flexible to the point where macrocyclic polyesters with more complex although well-defined architectures, such as tadpole-shaped and sun-shaped copolyesters, can be tailored. Synthesis of well-defined eight-shaped polyesters and twin tadpole-shaped copolymers has also been explored by using a spirocyclic tin(IV) alkoxides as an initiator. When functional lactones were introduced, the ‘click’ copper-mediated cycloaddition [3+2] reaction was utilized to make the eight-shaped and twin tadpole-shaped copolyesters amphiphilic. [less ▲]