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A unique data set derived from remote sensing, airborne, and ground-based in situ measurements is presented. This measurement report highlights the known complexity of comparing multiple aerosol optical parameters examined with different approaches considering different states of humidification and atmospheric aerosol concentrations. Mie-theory-based modeled aerosol optical properties are compared with the respective results of airborne and ground-based in situ measurements and remote sensing (lidar and photometer) performed at the rural central European observatory at Melpitz, Germany. Calculated extinction-to-backscatter ratios (lidar ratios) were in the range of previously reported values. However, the lidar ratio is a function of the aerosol type and the relative humidity. The particle lidar ratio (LR) dependence on relative humidity was quantified and followed the trend found in previous studies. We present a fit function for the lidar wavelengths of 355, 532, and 1064 nm with an underlying equation of fLR(RH, γ(λ))=fLR(RH=0,λ)×(1-RH)-γ(λ), with the derived estimates of γ(355 nm) = 0.29 (±0.01), γ(532 nm) = 0.48 (±0.01), and γ(1064 nm) = 0.31 (±0.01) for central European aerosol. This parameterization might be used in the data analysis of elastic-backscatter lidar observations or lidar-ratio-based aerosol typing efforts. Our study shows that the used aerosol model could reproduce the in situ measurements of the aerosol particle light extinction coefficients (measured at dry conditions) within 13 %. Although the model reproduced the in situ measured aerosol particle light absorption coefficients within a reasonable range, we identified many sources for significant uncertainties in the simulations, such as the unknown aerosol mixing state, brown carbon (organic material) fraction, and the unknown aerosol mixing state wavelength-dependent refractive index. The modeled ambient-state aerosol particle light extinction and backscatter coefficients were smaller than the measured ones. However, depending on the prevailing aerosol conditions, an overlap of the uncertainty ranges of both approaches was achieved.

Social purposes and the interests of stakeholders are traditionally taken into account by German corporate law, in particular since codetermination for worker participants in supervisory councils has been introduced. Thus, this chapter describes how interests of stakeholders are considered leitmotiv in the business judgement rule in Germany. Moreover, the charter may contain clauses of nonprofit goals, making German corporate legal forms flexible to respect stakeholders’ interests. Finally, the new proposals for limited liability company in steward ownership are discussed briefly.

An upgraded monitor for aerosols and gases in ambient air (MARGA) was applied for one year at the Central European TROPOS research site Melpitz investigating the gas- and particle-phase partitionin...

DeutschBlockchain-Technologien gelten als eine der grosten Chancen der Digitalisierung, erlauben sie doch falschungssichere Transaktionen ohne Intermediare. Dementsprechend sieht auch die Digitalisierungsstrategie der Bundesregierung vor, die Moglichkeiten des Einsatzes der Blockchain-Technologie im Gesellschaftsrecht auszuloten. Hierzu gehoren aber datenschutzrechtliche Anforderungen, die zum Teil mit der Blockchain-Technologie im Konflikt stehen. Der Beitrag untersucht die datenschutzrechtlichen Herausforderungen und pladiert fur den Einsatz einer privaten zulassungsbedingten Blockchain anstelle der Nutzung einer offentlich dezentralen Permissionless Blockchain. Schlieslich werden auch noch im Hinblick auf den Einsatz der Blockchain-Technologie Fragen der Haftung und des Regresses innerhalb der Blockchain, des Schutzes vor nachtraglichen Anderungen sowie kollisionsrechtliche Probleme erortert. EnglishBlockchain Technologies are considered to be one of the most promising chances in digitalization as they provide secure transactions without intermediaries. Hence, the digitalisation strategy of the German Government provides for expertises to check the opportunities for blockchain technology in corporate law as well. However, data protection provisions as enshrined in the General Date Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the EU may interfere with blockchain technology. The article analyzes these data protection challenges and argues that a private permissoned blockchain would be preferable for the use of blockchain technology in corporate law. Finally, issues of liability and regress within the blockchain as well as conflict of law problems are discussed.

Zusammenfassung Kronzeugen stellen eines der wichtigsten Beweismittel in Kartellverfahren dar und genießen daher besonderen Schutz. Allerdings setzen sich Kronzeugen mit der Preisgabe von Informationen, die oftmals vertraulich sind oder personenbezogene Daten enthalten, dem Risiko einer Haftung gegenüber den vom Geheimnisschutz oder Datenschutz geschützten Personen aus. Dies gilt erst recht, wenn der Kronzeugenantrag scheitert. Der Beitrag untersucht diese Konfliktlage vor dem Hintergrund des neuen Geheimnisschutzgesetzes sowie der noch in deutsches Recht umzusetzenden Whistleblowing-Richtlinie der EU und zeigt auf, dass mit diesen neuen Regelungen der Kronzeuge in aller Regel sich keiner Haftung mehr gegenüber sieht.

Mit dem ARUG II hat der deutsche Gesetzgeber die Vorgaben der neuen EU-Aktionarsrechte-RL umgesetzt, hier insbesondere das bis zuletzt umstrittene Vergutungssystem fur Vorstand und Aufsichtsrat einschlieslich des Votums der Hauptversammlung. Der Beitrag stellt die Neuerungen einschlieslich der noch im Parlament getroffenen Anderungen vor.

Daily concentrations of inorganic and organic compounds associated with PM10, i.e., atmospheric particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter of less than 10 µm, was determined at the south Mediterranean coastal area located in Bou Ismail, 40 km west of the Algiers city area in Algeria. From September 2011 to January 2012, chemical characterization of aerosol particles comprising water-soluble ions (WSI), trace metals, carbonaceous aerosols, the anhydrosugars levoglucosan and arabitol, dicarboxylic acids, and semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC), i.e., alkanes, PAHs, and hopanes, was carried out by using a variety of analytical techniques. Overall, the concentrations of selected ionic species were similar to those reported at other Mediterranean sites, ranging from 3.62 µg m–3 to 5.20 µg m–3 for the monthly total WSI. Sulfate was the most abundant ion. The total concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOC) recorded in Bou Ismail ranged from 7.06 to 58.8 ng m–3 for n-alkanes, from 2.44 to 35.3 ng m–3 for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), from 0.14 to 1 ng m–3 for hopanes, and from 0.67 to 13.2 ng m–3 for n-alkan-2-one. In order to reconcile species concentrations and their emission sources, sampling days were grouped into two categories according to air mass origin. In the first group, the aerosol particles were mainly of a marine origin, while those of the second group originated in the dust sector. A source analysis of total contents organic compounds (PAHs, alkanes, hopanes, and alkanones) and individual inorganic compounds by spearman rank correlation illustrated that the principal sources consisted of sea salt, secondary aerosol, and biomass burning. Additionally, PM10 constituent diagnostic ratios and the carbon preference index (CPI) for n-alkanes indicated the importance of anthropogenic emissions.

Summary This article analyses the core issues of the new digital content directive: the conformity criteria, liability of the trader and the remedies of the consumer for lack of conformity. The authors assess the directive as a welcome step in raising consumer protection on the Digital Single Market, especially as the initial primacy of subjective conformity criteria has been given up and mandatory objective criteria of the digital content/services have been introduced. This gives European consumers a mandatory protection regime shielding them from the widely used liability restriction clauses. The provisions on remedies have been improved and fine-tuned, starting from the flexible hierarchy of the remedies and ending with deletion of the much-criticized maximum harmonising damages provision. The new directive puts liability for the digital content to the retail sector: it is the traders, the contractual partners of the consumer who are liable for the supply and defects of the digital content even if the digital content is provided by third parties (usually the copyright holders). Whereas the directive is maximum harmonising in principle, several important questions such as the liability periods, obligations of the consumer as well as the remedies of the trader are still left to national law. Finally, as the directive is not based on standard contract typology, the transposition could turn out to be challenging for Member States with civil codes where rules on contractual remedies depend upon contract type.