Spin vectors of asteroids 21 Lutetia, 196 Philomela, 250 Bettina, 337 Devosa, and 804 Hispania

Such parameters as shape, orientation of spin axis, prograde or retrograde rotation are important for understanding the collisional evolution of asteroids since the primordial epochs of solar system history. These parameters remain unknown for most asteroids and poorly constrained for all but a few. This work presents results for five asteroids: 21, 196, 250, 337, and 804

A Short Proof of Increased Parabolic Regularity

We present a new, short proof of the increased regularity obtained by solutions to uniformly parabolic partial differential equations. Though this setting is fairly introductory, our new method of proof, which uses a priori estimates, can be extended to prove analogous results for problems with time-dependent coefficients, transport equations, and nonlinear equations even when other tools, such as semigroup methods or the use of explicit fundamental solutions, are unavailable.Comment: 8 page

Drei Monate im Herzen der Europapolitik : Praktikum beim Europäischen Parlament in einem Abgeordnetenbüro

Der Autor berichtet über sein mehrmonatiges Praktikum beim Europaabgeordneten Norbert Glante (SPD) aus Brandenburg. Er skizziert den Parlamentsbetrieb in Brüssel, legt die Licht- und Schattenseiten der Arbeitsbedingungen für Praktikanten und Mitarbeiter dar und erläutert die Aufgaben in einem Abgeordnetenbüro. Als ein Beispiel werden die Verhandlungen um das Rahmenprogramm für Forschung und Innovation „Horizont 2020“ diskutiert. Der Beitrag setzt sich kritisch mit der Stellung des Parlaments im Brüsseler Machtgefüge sowie mit dem Medienecho der EU-Institutionen auseinander

Doing Business with a Bad Actor: How to Draw the Line Between Legitimate Commercial Activities and Those that Trigger Corporate Complicity Liability

One of the most complex and highly debated problems in the context of corporate liability for complicity in human ri ghts violations is how to distinguish lawful commercial activities from those that give rise to corporate complicity liability. In many cases in which corporations are accused of aiding and abetting human rights violations, the act of assistance consists of what would usually be regarded as an ordinary and perfectly acceptable business activity, such as providing financing to a government or supplying it with goods or infrastructure. Merely doing business with a bad actor is not sufficient to impose liability on corporations for that actor?s human rights violations, but no clear criteria on what transforms legitimate business transactions into reprehensible acts of complicity exist. This Article approaches the question of determining the relevant liability standards by providing an in-depth analysis of jurisprudence stemming from three different contexts: Alien Tort Statute (ATS) cases on corporate complicity; ad hoc international criminal tribunals on the closely related question of dual-purpose act liability (where the assistance provided could be used for both lawful and unlawful activities); and U.S. criminal cases where the act of assistance consisted of a commercial activity. Jurisprudence stemming from these three different contexts has in common that many courts feel that the generally applicable standards for determining complicity liability need to be adapted and restricted where assistance consists of a commercially motivated or a dual-purpose act. This is largely achieved by requiring either that the assistance reach a certain significance threshold (limitations at the actus reus level of liability), or that the mental state with which it was carried out made the assistance particularly reprehensible (limitations at the mens rea level of liability). In the particular context of corporate complicity liability in human rights violations, academic debate of liability standards largely focuses on whether the relevant mens rea standard should be one of purpose or one of knowledge. While clearly important, this Article goes beyond this question and argues that the mens rea standard cannot be understood and determined in isolation. Without taking a holistic look at all elements of liability and their interaction, it is not possible to sufficiently understand the concerns that triggered adoption of a purpose standard of mens rea, the legitimacy of these concerns, and alternative ways of addressing them. The purpose of this Article is not to present detailed liability criteria that will work equally in all contexts. Rather, it serves the more modest aim of analyzing and drawing conclusions from the implications of different approaches to determining the necessary actus reus and mens rea elements of corporate complicity liability, while recognizing that the details need to be developed with reference to the specific contexts in which the question of corporate complicity liability arises

Citizenship tests in five Countries: An expression of political liberalism?

Engaging discussions on civic integration for immigrants, this comparison systematically analysis citizenship tests in the US, Austria, the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands. A central question discussed is whether these tests can be interpreted as assimilation, repressive liberalism or as a neutral instrument that changes its function according to the surrounding citizenship regime as some authors argue. The analysis has the surprising result that none of the hypotheses from the existing literature on civic integration can explain the content of all five citizenship tests. In particular I find that the characteristics of the surrounding citizenship regime are not a good predictor for the content of the respective citizenship tests: countries with rather restrictive citizenship regimes such as Austria or Germany have opted for a citizenship test with a liberal content that is comparable not only to the British but also to the US-American test. On the other hand the content of the Dutch citizenship test does not fully correspond to a Rawlsian definition of political liberalism although the Dutch citizenship regime is relatively open. Therefore I conclude that the formal character of a citizenship regime is only loosely connected with the national definition of citizenship as it is conveyed by the content of citizenship tests. It is not because civic integration requirements are obligatory and restrict the free will of future citizens that citizenship itself is defined in illiberal terms.Als Beitrag zu der Debatte über Integrationsanforderungen für Zuwanderer vergleicht diese Studie systematisch den Inhalt von Einbürgerungstests der USA, Österreichs, des Vereinigten Königreichs, Deutschlands und der Niederlande. Eine zentrale Frage ist, ob die Tests als Assimilation, repressiver Liberalismus oder neutrales Instrument, dessen Funktion erst durch den Charakter des jeweiligen Staatsangehörigkeitsregimes bestimmt wird, verstanden werden können. Überraschenderweise zeigt die Studie, dass keine der in der Literatur vertretenen Hypothesen den Inhalt aller fünf Einbürgerungstests erklären kann. Insbesondere wird deutlich, dass Länder mit einem eher restriktiven Staatsangehörigkeitsrecht wie Österreich und Deutschland Einbürgerungstests mit einem liberalen Inhalt eingeführt haben, der nicht nur dem britischen, sondern auch dem amerikanischen Test ähnelt. Andererseits entspricht der Inhalt des niederländischen Tests nicht vollständig einer Rawlsischen Definition des politischen Liberalismus, obwohl das niederländische Staatsangehörigkeitsrecht relativ offen ist. Deshalb komme ich zu der Schlussfolgerung, dass der formale Charakter eines Staatsangehörigkeitsregimes nur lose mit dem jeweiligen nationalen Verständnis von Bürgerschaft verbunden ist, wie es durch den Inhalt der Einbürgerungstests zum Ausdruck gebracht wird. Der obligatorische Charakter von Integrationsanforderungen, der den freien Willen zukünftiger Bürger einschränkt, besagt nicht, dass Bürgerschaft in illiberalen Termini definiert wird

Psychological Stability of Solutions in the Multiple Criteria Decision Problems

In interactive programming, a choice behavior of the decision maker may differ depending on a proximity of current solution to satisfactory values of the objectives. An interactive approach proposed in this paper allows the decision maker to use different search principles depending on his/her perception of the achieved values of the objectives and trade-offs. While an analysis of values of the objectives may guide the initial search for a final solution, it can be replaced by trade-off evaluations at some later stages of interactive decision making. Such an approach allows the decision maker to change search principles, and to identify a psychologically stable solution of the multiple criteria decision problem

The Promulgation of the Name of the Third Year of Rim-Anum of Uruk

Presentation and discussion of a new source for the year name of a ruler of southern Babylonia in the Old Babylonian periodhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/92473/1/OLA220_Michalowski_Beckman.pd

Establishing Regret Attitude of a Decision Maker within the MCDM Modeling Framework

The paper describes the MCDM modeling framework can be extended to account for the notion of regret. The Non-regrettable decisions are generated in accordance with a DM's regret attitude which is established through an analysis of the trade-offs. Decisional validity of a proposed modeling framework is illustrated with a simple example