@article{GosensGilmanovaLilliestam2021, author = {Gosens, Jorrit and Gilmanova, Alina and Lilliestam, Johan}, title = {Windows of opportunity for catching up in formative clean-tech sectors and the rise of China in concentrated solar power}, series = {Environmental innovation and societal transitions}, volume = {39}, journal = {Environmental innovation and societal transitions}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {2210-4224}, doi = {10.1016/j.eist.2021.03.005}, pages = {86 -- 106}, year = {2021}, abstract = {We analyse the potential for industry entry and catching up by latecomer countries or firms in formative sectors, by deriving a framework that builds on the concept of windows of opportunity for catching up. This framework highlights differences in technological, market, and institutional characteristics between formative and mature sectors, and elaborates how this may affect opportunities for catching up. We apply this framework to the global Concentrated Solar Power sector, in which China has rapidly narrowed the gap to the global forefront in terms of technological capabilities and market competitiveness. We find that the formative nature of the sector resulted in turbulent development of the technological, market, and institutional dimensions, making it more difficult for early leaders to retain leadership, and therefore easier for latecomer firms or countries to catch up. This signals an increased role in early-stage technology development in the next phase of the energy transition.}, language = {en} } @article{CarlaUhinkFreitag2022, author = {Carl{\`a}-Uhink, Filippo and Freitag, Florian}, title = {Theme Park Imitations}, series = {Cultural History}, volume = {11}, journal = {Cultural History}, number = {2}, publisher = {Edinburgh University Press}, address = {Edinburgh}, issn = {2045-290X}, doi = {10.3366/cult.2022.0267}, pages = {181 -- 198}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Theme parks frequently draw not only on historical themes, from antiquity to the roaring twenties, but also on their own history - that is, the history of the medium of the theme park itself. This article uses the example of the Happy World ride at Happy Valley Beijing (China) to discuss theme park imitations, that is, the fact that theme parks frequently borrow individual elements (themes, technologies, visuals, layouts, names) and/or entire units (rides, restaurants, themed areas) from each other. Opened in 2014 in the Greek-themed Aegean Harbour section of Happy Valley Beijing, Happy World may upon first sight look like an almost exact copy of Disney's 'it's a small world' (opened at Disneyland in California in 1966) but turns out to be, upon closer examination, a complex refunctionalization of central elements of 'it's a small world' that establishes meaningful connections between (ancient) Greece and the city of Beijing via the theme of the Olympic Games: drawing on the origins of 'it's a small world' in the 1964-5 New York World's Fair and the latter's motto of 'Peace through Understanding', Happy World takes visitors on a journey from the ancient Olympiad to contemporary Beijing (the site of the 2008 Summer and the 2022 Winter Olympic Games) to offer a theme park rendition of the 2008 Olympic torch relay as an homage to 'the spirit [of peace, respect, and friendship] in the people's [sic] of the world'.}, language = {en} } @article{TardifFluteauDonnadieuetal.2020, author = {Tardif, Delphine and Fluteau, Fr{\´e}d{\´e}ric and Donnadieu, Yannick and Le Hir, Guillaume and Ladant, Jean-Baptiste and Sepulchre, Pierre and Licht, Alexis and Poblete, Fernando and Dupont-Nivet, Guillaume}, title = {The origin of Asian monsoons}, series = {Climate of the Past}, volume = {16}, journal = {Climate of the Past}, number = {3}, publisher = {Copernicus Publications}, address = {G{\"o}ttingen}, issn = {1814-9332}, doi = {10.5194/cp-16-847-2020}, pages = {847 -- 865}, year = {2020}, abstract = {The Cenozoic inception and development of the Asian monsoons remain unclear and have generated much debate, as several hypotheses regarding circulation patterns at work in Asia during the Eocene have been proposed in the few last decades. These include (a) the existence of modern-like monsoons since the early Eocene; (b) that of a weak South Asian monsoon (SAM) and little to no East Asian monsoon (EAM); or (c) a prevalence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) migrations, also referred to as Indonesian-Australian monsoon (I-AM). As SAM and EAM are supposed to have been triggered or enhanced primarily by Asian palaeogeographic changes, their possible inception in the very dynamic Eocene palaeogeographic context remains an open question, both in the modelling and field-based communities. We investigate here Eocene Asian climate conditions using the IPSL-CM5A2 (Sepulchre et al., 2019) earth system model and revised palaeogeographies. Our Eocene climate simulation yields atmospheric circulation patterns in Asia substantially different from modern conditions. A large high-pressure area is simulated over the Tethys ocean, which generates intense low tropospheric winds blowing southward along the western flank of the proto-Himalayan-Tibetan plateau (HTP) system. This low-level wind system blocks, to latitudes lower than 10 degrees N, the migration of humid and warm air masses coming from the Indian Ocean. This strongly contrasts with the modern SAM, during which equatorial air masses reach a latitude of 20-25 degrees N over India and southeastern China. Another specific feature of our Eocene simulation is the widespread subsidence taking place over northern India in the midtroposphere (around 5000 m), preventing deep convective updraught that would transport water vapour up to the condensation level. Both processes lead to the onset of a broad arid region located over northern India and over the HTP. More humid regions of high seasonality in precipitation encircle this arid area, due to the prevalence of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) migrations (or Indonesian-Australian monsoon, I-AM) rather than monsoons. Although the existence of this central arid region may partly result from the specifics of our simulation (model dependence and palaeogeographic uncertainties) and has yet to be confirmed by proxy records, most of the observational evidence for Eocene monsoons are located in the highly seasonal transition zone between the arid area and the more humid surroundings. We thus suggest that a zonal arid climate prevailed over Asia before the initiation of monsoons that most likely occurred following Eocene palaeogeographic changes. Our results also show that precipitation seasonality should be used with caution to infer the presence of a monsoonal circulation and that the collection of new data in this arid area is of paramount importance to allow the debate to move forward.}, language = {en} } @article{CaoHerzschuhNietal.2015, author = {Cao, Xianyong and Herzschuh, Ulrike and Ni, Jian and Zhao, Yan and B{\"o}hmer, Thomas}, title = {Spatial and temporal distributions of major tree taxa in eastern continental Asia during the last 22,000 years}, series = {The Holocene : an interdisciplinary journal focusing on recent environmental change}, volume = {25}, journal = {The Holocene : an interdisciplinary journal focusing on recent environmental change}, number = {1}, publisher = {Sage Publ.}, address = {London}, issn = {0959-6836}, doi = {10.1177/0959683614556385}, pages = {79 -- 91}, year = {2015}, abstract = {This study investigates the spatial and temporal distributions of 14 key arboreal taxa and their driving forces during the last 22,000 calendar years before ad 1950 (kyr BP) using a taxonomically harmonized and temporally standardized fossil pollen dataset with a 500-year resolution from the eastern part of continental Asia. Logistic regression was used to estimate pollen abundance thresholds for vegetation occurrence (presence or dominance), based on modern pollen data and present ranges of 14 taxa in China. Our investigation reveals marked changes in spatial and temporal distributions of the major arboreal taxa. The thermophilous (Castanea, Castanopsis, Cyclobalanopsis, Fagus, Pterocarya) and eurythermal (Juglans, Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus) broadleaved tree taxa were restricted to the current tropical or subtropical areas of China during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and spread northward since c. 14.5kyr BP. Betula and conifer taxa (Abies, Picea, Pinus), in contrast, retained a wider distribution during the LGM and showed no distinct expansion direction during the Late Glacial. Since the late mid-Holocene, the abundance but not the spatial extent of most trees decreased. The changes in spatial and temporal distributions for the 14 taxa are a reflection of climate changes, in particular monsoonal moisture, and, in the late Holocene, human impact. The post-LGM expansion patterns in eastern continental China seem to be different from those reported for Europe and North America, for example, the westward spread for eurythermal broadleaved taxa.}, language = {en} } @incollection{Rieck2023, author = {Rieck, Christian E.}, title = {Region ohne Richtung}, series = {Zwischen Moskau, Peking und Washington: Lateinamerika in der Großmachtkonkurrenz}, booktitle = {Zwischen Moskau, Peking und Washington: Lateinamerika in der Großmachtkonkurrenz}, publisher = {Nomos}, address = {Baden-Baden}, isbn = {978-3-7560-0033-3}, doi = {10.5771/9783748936121}, pages = {121 -- 130}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Welche Auswirkungen wird die aufziehende Großm{\"a}chtekonkurrenz also auf die regionale Sicherheitsordnung haben? Der Beitrag n{\"a}hert sich dieser Frage {\"u}ber die regionalen Bedingungsfaktoren, die den Rahmen f{\"u}r jegliche Ingerenz extraregionaler M{\"a}chte bilden: Die regionalen Sicherheitskomplexe in Lateinamerika und der Karibik, einschließlich der Regionalorganisationen und Regionalm{\"a}chte, sowie der Einflusssph{\"a}ren und Anreizsysteme der Großm{\"a}chte. Am Ende wagt der Beitrag einen Ausblick auf die Entwicklung der lateinamerikanischen Sicherheitspolitik im Angesicht der Geopolitik der Großm{\"a}chte. Die hier vorgestellte Kernthese wagt ein strukturelles und deshalb wenig alarmistisches Argument: Die Großm{\"a}chtekonkurrenz wird die bestehende Fragmentierung der regionalen Sicherheitsordnung weiter vertiefen, doch wird die Region gleichzeitig nicht substanziell an Agency gegen{\"u}ber den Großm{\"a}chten verlieren. Der Schl{\"u}ssel hierzu ist die außenpolitische Maxime der „gebundenen {\"A}quidistanz", die Dependenzen diversifiziert und damit nicht als Widerspruch, sondern als Positivsummenspiel versteht.}, language = {de} } @article{ZhangGuoChen2020, author = {Zhang, Yan-qiu and Guo, Zeng-hui and Chen, Dai-zhao}, title = {Porosity distribution in cyclic dolomites of the Lower Qiulitag Group (Upper Cambrian) in northwestern Tarim Basin, China}, series = {China geology}, volume = {3}, journal = {China geology}, number = {3}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {2096-5192}, pages = {425 -- 444}, year = {2020}, abstract = {Increasing interests in hydrocarbon resources at depths have drawn greater attentions to the deeply-buried carbonate reservoirs in the Tarim Basin in China. In this study, the cyclic dolomite rocks of Upper Cambrian Lower Qiulitag Group from four outcrop sections in northwestern Tarim Basin were selected to investigate and evaluate the petrophysical properties in relation to depositional facies and cyclicity. The Lower Qiulitag Group includes ten lithofacies, which were deposited in intermediate to shallow subtidal, restricted shallow subtidal, intertidal, and supratidal environments on a carbonate ramp system. These lithofacies are vertically stacked into repeated shallowing-upward, meter-scale cycles which are further grouped into six third-order depositional sequences (Sq1 to Sq6). There are variable types of pore spaces in the Lower Qiulitag Group dolomite rocks, including interparticle, intraparticle, and fenestral pores of primary origin, inter crystal, and vuggy pores of late diagenetic modification. The porosity in the dolomites is generally facies-selective as that the microbially-originated thrombolites and stromatolites generally yield a relatively high porosity. In contrast, the high-energy ooidal grainstones generally have very low porosity. In this case, the microbialite-based peritidal cycles and peritidal cycle-dominated highstand (or regressive) successions have relatively high volumes of pore spaces, although highly fluctuating (or vertical inhomogeneous). Accordingly, the grainstone-based subtidal cycles and subtidal cycle-dominated transgressive successions generally yield extremely low porosity. This scenario indicates that porosity development and preservation in the thick dolomite successions are primarily controlled by depositional facies which were influenced by sea-level fluctuations of different orders and later diagenetic overprinting.}, language = {en} } @article{TianCaoDallmeyeretal.2017, author = {Tian, Fang and Cao, Xianyong and Dallmeyer, Anne and Zhao, Yan and Ni, Jian and Herzschuh, Ulrike}, title = {Pollen-climate relationships in time (9 ka, 6 ka, 0 ka) and space (upland vs. lowland) in eastern continental Asia}, series = {Quaternary science reviews : the international multidisciplinary research and review journal}, volume = {156}, journal = {Quaternary science reviews : the international multidisciplinary research and review journal}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0277-3791}, doi = {10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.11.027}, pages = {1 -- 11}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Temporal and spatial stability of the vegetation climate relationship is a basic ecological assumption for pollen-based quantitative inferences of past climate change and for predicting future vegetation. We explore this assumption for the Holocene in eastern continental Asia (China, Mongolia). Boosted regression trees (BRT) between fossil pollen taxa percentages (Abies, Artemisia, Betula, Chenopodiaceae, Cyperaceae, Ephedra, Picea, Pinus, Poaceae and Quercus) and climate model outputs of mean annual precipitation (P-ann) and mean temperature of the warmest month (Mt(wa)) for 9 and 6 ka (ka = thousand years before present) were set up and results compared to those obtained from relating modern pollen to modern climate. Overall, our results reveal only slight temporal differences in the pollen climate relationships. Our analyses suggest that the importance of P-ann compared with Mt(wa) for taxa distribution is higher today than it was at 6 ka and 9 ka. In particular, the relevance of P-ann for Picea and Pinus increases and has become the main determinant. This change in the climate tree pollen relationship parallels a widespread tree pollen decrease in north-central China and the eastern Tibetan Plateau. We assume that this is at least partly related to vegetation climate disequilibrium originating from human impact. Increased atmospheric CO2 concentration may have permitted the expansion of moisture-loving herb taxa (Cyperaceae and Poaceae) during the late Holocene into arid/semi-arid areas. We furthermore find that the pollen climate relationship between north-central China and the eastern Tibetan Plateau is generally similar, but that regional differences are larger than temporal differences. In summary, vegetation climate relationships in China are generally stable in space and time, and pollen-based climate reconstructions can be applied to the Holocene. Regional differences imply the calibration-set should be restricted spatially.}, language = {en} } @incollection{Kuhlmann2016, author = {Kuhlmann, Sabine}, title = {Local Government in Germany}, series = {Comparative Studies on Vertical Administration Reforms in China and Germany (Speyerer Forschungsberichte ; 285)}, booktitle = {Comparative Studies on Vertical Administration Reforms in China and Germany (Speyerer Forschungsberichte ; 285)}, editor = {Wang, Yukai and F{\"a}rber, Gisela}, publisher = {Deutsches Forschungsinstitut f{\"u}r {\"o}ffentliche Verwaltung}, address = {Speyer}, organization = {Deutsches Forschungsinstitut f{\"u}r {\"o}ffentliche Verwaltung Speyer}, isbn = {978-3-941738-23-2}, publisher = {Universit{\"a}t Potsdam}, pages = {51 -- 67}, year = {2016}, language = {en} } @article{OpitzWuennemannAichneretal.2012, author = {Opitz, Stephan and W{\"u}nnemann, Bernd and Aichner, Bernhard and Dietze, Elisabeth and Hartmann, Kai and Herzschuh, Ulrike and IJmker, Janneke and Lehmkuhl, Frank and Li, Shijie and Mischke, Steffen and Plotzki, Anna and Stauch, Georg and Diekmann, Bernhard}, title = {Late Glacial and Holocene development of Lake Donggi Cona, north-eastern Tibetan Plateau, inferred from sedimentological analysis}, series = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences}, volume = {337}, journal = {Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences}, number = {23}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0031-0182}, doi = {10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.04.013}, pages = {159 -- 176}, year = {2012}, abstract = {Sediments of Lake Donggi Cona on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau were studied to infer changes in the lacustrine depositional environment, related to climatic and non-climatic changes during the last 19 kyr. The lake today fills a 30x8 km big and 95 m deep tectonic basin, associated with the Kunlun Fault. The study was conducted on a sediment-core transect through the lake basin, in order to gain a complete picture of spatio-temporal environmental change. The recovered sediments are partly finely laminated and are composed of calcareous muds with variable amounts of carbonate micrite, organic matter, detrital silt and clay. On the basis of sedimentological, geochemical, and mineralogical data up to five lithological units (LU) can be distinguished that document distinct stages in the development of the lake system. The onset of the lowermost LU with lacustrine muds above basal sands indicates that lake level was at least 39 m below the present level and started to rise after 19 ka, possibly in response to regional deglaciation. At this time, the lacustrine environment was characterized by detrital sediment influx and the deposition of siliciclastic sediment. In two sediment cores, upward grain-size coarsening documents a lake-level fall after 13 cal ka BP, possibly associated with the late-glacial Younger Dryas stadial. From 11.5 to 4.3 cal ka BP, grain-size fining in sediment cores from the profundal coring sites and the onset of lacustrine deposition at a litoral core site (2 m water depth) in a recent marginal bay of Donggi Cona document lake-level rise during the early to mid-Holocene to at least modern level. In addition, high biological productivity and pronounced precipitation of carbonate micrites are consistent with warm and moist climate conditions related to an enhanced influence of summer monsoon. At 4.3 cal ka BP the lake system shifted from an aragonite- to a calcite-dominated system, indicating a change towards a fully open hydrological lake system. The younger clay-rich sediments are moreover non-laminated and lack any diagenetic sulphides, pointing to fully ventilated conditions, and the prevailing absence of lake stratification. This turning point in lake history could imply either a threshold response to insolation-forced climate cooling or a response to a non-climatic trigger, such as an erosional event or a tectonic pulse that induced a strong earthquake, which is difficult to decide from our data base.}, language = {en} } @article{JagtianiWellek2022, author = {Jagtiani, Sharinee L. and Wellek, Sophia}, title = {In the Shadow of Ukraine}, series = {Survival}, volume = {64}, journal = {Survival}, number = {3}, publisher = {Routledge, Taylor \& Francis Group}, address = {Abingdon}, issn = {126962024X}, doi = {10.1080/00396338.2022.2078045}, pages = {29 -- 48}, year = {2022}, abstract = {In 2022, India captured global attention over its response to the war in Ukraine. While calling for both parties' return to diplomacy, India abstained from several United Nations resolutions condemning Russian aggression. For a country that ostensibly subscribes to the values of democracy and territorial integrity, its response appeared frustrating and contradictory, but it is broadly consistent with its long-standing policy of non-alignment. Although India's relationship with China is increasingly contentious, New Delhi is not yet fully convinced that it is in India's interest to swing westwards. The country's relations with Russia and China are deep, complex and substantive. In addition to the military and economic benefits it derives from its connection with Russia, New Delhi and Moscow share an avowed preference for a more equal, multipolar world. India will eventually have to reflect on the extent to which it can sustain its balancing act.}, language = {en} }