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In chapter 13, Florian Schulz investigates a particular form of HRM intervention, namely individual-centered management coaching which is organized and paid for by the hiring organization of a coachee. By investigating the dynamics and potential effects of coaching practices, the author seeks to expand the critical-reflexive understanding of how employees are managed through these practices. Empirically, the chapter is based on the in-depth analysis of three first-session coaching conversations which took place between one particular coach and three of her coachees, all working in different managerial positions in the financial services sector. The conversations were framed as ‘Emotional Intelligence Coaching’ which aims at increasing people’s self-awareness, self-regulation and relationship management skills. Based on a discursive psychology framework, the analysis was conducted in two steps. First, three interpretive repertoires were identified through which agents discursively constructed the problem that was to be addressed in the coaching session, thereby defining the aim of the intervention. Second, the relational process was analyzed through which the coach and the managers negotiated the use of the three repertoires – ‘unconscious psychic dynamics’, ‘organizational politics’ and ‘personal entanglements’ – for either situating the problem as an internal, external or inter-relational matter. Interestingly, while the managers showed variations in their interpretations of problems, the coach persistently promoted the psychic dynamics repertoire, thereby enacting a classical psychotherapeutic framework. This observation suggests that the coach partly ignored the variety of concerns initially presented, and instead, conducted the conversation in a routinized form in which problems were internalized and emotionalized while contextual variables were rather neglected. Schulz problematizes this single focus on one interpretive repertoire, as it limits interpretations and attributes the problem/ responsibility for change exclusively to the individual. While management coaching has mostly been framed as a space for reflection, this study highlights how HRM interventions such as coaching may also be understood as new forms of management which help to shape and control people’s emotions and thereby produce more intense regimes of the self.

We studied the aggregation of AuNP induced by small aromatic molecules under different conditions. In water, the aggregation was found to be difficult to control. Phase transfer of the particles into toluene by using oleylamine as a ligand allows for a more controlled and reliable synthesis. Using nonane-1,9-dithiol as a control, our experiments demonstrate that the molecular structure of the linker has a decisive influence on the aggregation. Aromatic dithiols yielded spherical aggregates in the range of 100 nm, whereas the aliphatic linker produced large aggregates in the µm range. The length of the aromatic linker (2 vs. 3 phenylene units) strongly affected aggregation kinetics and the structure of the produced aggregates. With UV/Vis and DLS based experiments it was possible to distinguish the process of ligand layer formation and aggregation. Our results will help to develop syntheses of defined spherical aggregates and possibly more complex structures.

I present novel empirical evidence on the term structure of the equity risk premium. In contrast to previous research that documented high discount rates for the short-term component of the market portfolio, I show evidence for an unconditionally flat term structure of equity risk premia. The tension with previous literature arises largely as a result of differential treatments of heterogeneous investment taxes, manifested in micro evidence on abnormal equity returns on ex-dividend days, and liquidity. The results not only help resolve an important recent “puzzle” but provide further important insights on the role of investment taxes in asset pricing. (JEL G11, G12, G35)

We report a high pressure small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) study on concentrated aqueous suspensions of gold nanoparticles coated with a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based ligand shell. Analyzing the experimental SAXS data with a liquid-state theory approach, we find a pressure-induced transition of the interparticle interactions from repulsive to attractive in the pressure range from 1 to 4000 bar that also depends on the particle concentration. This transition is related to structural changes of the ligand shell which is compressed with increasing pressure. Our study highlights the important, yet unexplored role of pressure for the interaction of nanoparticle systems.

The combustion of gasoline in modern homogeneously operated DISI engines can result in soot particles and unburned hydrocarbons. One major source for these pollutants is the delayed evaporation of fuel wall films resulting from the impingement of the fuel spray onto cylinder walls or the piston, especially during warm-up when the walls have not yet reached operating temperatures and for early injection timings when the piston is still close to the injector. To reduce exhaust emissions and fuel consumption the behaviour of fuel films must be understood. This paper provides new findings of the influence of different boundary conditions on the wall film mass. In order to provide constant and defined boundary conditions, measurements were performed inside a pressure vessel. To reflect the wide range of operating conditions during the injection within an homogeneously charged engine, the vessel pressure, vessel temperature, rail pressure and distance between nozzle and wall were varied. The wall film patterns and masses were measured using the non-invasive method of laser-induced fluorescence. The spray was generated by a standard high-pressure, six-hole nozzle. Iso-octane was used as non-fluorescing surrogate fuel with 3-pentanone added as a well-characterised fluorescence tracer. It was found that with increasing surrounding temperature and increasing distance between nozzle and wall, the wall film mass decreases. Contrary to general assumptions, higher cylinder pressure, e.g. due to turbocharging, was found to increase fuel deposits. Higher rail pressures do not have a positive effect at low cylinder pressures but under turbocharged conditions the wall film mass can be reduced by increasing the rail pressure.

Standard procedures to coat gold nanorods (AuNR) with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based ligands are not reliable and high PEG-grafting densities are not achieved. In this work, the ligand exchange of AuNR with PEGMUA, a tailored PEG-ligand bearing a C10 alkylene spacer, is studied. PEGMUA provides AuNR with very high stability against oxidative etching with cyanide. This etching reaction is utilized to study the ligand exchange in detail. Ligand exchange is faster, less ligand consuming and more reproducible with assisting chloroform extraction. Compared to PEG ligands commonly used, PEGMUA provides much higher colloidal and chemical stability. Further analyses based on NMR-, IR- and UV/Vis-spectroscopy reveal that significantly higher PEG-grafting densities, up to ∼3 nm(-2), are obtained with PEGMUA. This demonstrates how the molecular structure of the PEG ligand can be used to dramatically improve the ligand exchange and to synthesize PEGylated AuNR with high chemical and colloidal stability and high PEG grafting densities. Such AuNR are especially interesting for applications in nanomedicine.

Advanced materials interfaces 7(19), 1-9 (2020). doi:10.1002/admi.202000919, Supercrystals composed of plasmonic nanoparticles constitute a promising material platform for tailored light‐matter interactions. The optimization of their optical properties requires precise syntheses and a detailed structural characterization that addresses not only the basic geometrical parameters but also the degree of order. Herein, plasmonic supercrystals with a well‐defined layered structure are studied by a combined transmission electron microscopy, small‐angle X‐ray scattering and X‐ray cross‐correlation analysis (TEM‐SAXS‐XCCA) approach. It is demonstrated that scanning small‐angle x‐ray scattering (SAXS) data can unambiguously be assigned to the number of crystalline layers by comparison with complementary transmission electron microscopy (TEM) experiments on the same regions of interest. A small but significant increase of the lattice constant with increasing number of layers and a high degree of orientational order irrespective of the number of layers is found. This points to specifics of the supercrystal formation mechanism that could be utilized to improve the control of self‐assembly for supercrystal geometries with subnanometer precision., Published by Wiley-VCH, Weinheim

Modern navies increasingly demand to incorporate submerged assets in naval networked operations. Especially the requirement for providing information to submarines operating at speed and depth is pushing digital underwater acoustic communications from research level to commercial products. In order to address these needs, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH has developed a concept that fully integrates the UW Comms capability in the company’s submarine sonar systems.

Scientific reports 8(1), 16561 (2018). doi:10.1038/s41598-018-34925-3, Accurate in vivo localisation of minimal amounts of functionalised gold-nanoparticles, enabling e.g. early-tumour diagnostics and pharmacokinetic tracking studies, requires a precision imaging system offering very high sensitivity, temporal and spatial resolution, large depth penetration, and arbitrarily long serial measurements. X-ray fluorescence imaging could offer such capabilities; however, its utilisation for human-sized scales is hampered by a high intrinsic background level. Here we measure and model this anisotropic background and present a spatial filtering scheme for background reduction enabling the localisation of nanoparticle-amounts as reported from small-animal tumour models. As a basic application study towards precision pharmacokinetics, we demonstrate specific localisation to sites of disease by adapting gold-nanoparticles with small targeting ligands in murine spinal cord injury models, at record sensitivity levels using sub-mm resolution. Both studies contribute to the future use of molecularly-targeted gold-nanoparticles as next-generation clinical diagnostic and pharmacokinetic tools., Published by Springer Nature, [London]

JFR - Journal of Family Research, Vol 30 No 1 (2018): Zeitverwendung in der Familie

We demonstrate the excitation of dark plasmon modes with linearly polarized light at normal incidence in self-assembled layers of gold nanoparticles. Because of field retardation, the incident light field induces plasmonic dipoles that are parallel within each layer but antiparallel between the layers, resulting in a vanishing net dipole moment. Using microabsorbance spectroscopy we measured a pronounced absorbance peak and reflectance dip at 1.5 eV for bi- and trilayers of gold nanoparticles with a diameter of 46 nm and 2 nm interparticle gap size. The excitations were identified as dark interlayer plasmons by finite-difference time-domain simulations. The dark plasmon modes are predicted to evolve into standing waves when further increasing the layer number, which leads to 90% transmittance of the incident light through the nanoparticle film. Our approach is easy to implement and paves the way for large-area coatings with tunable plasmon resonance.

The journal of physical chemistry letters 2018(9), 4720 − 4724 (2018). doi:10.1021/acs.jpclett.8b02145, Nanoparticles can self-organize into “supercrystals” with many potential applications. Different paths can lead to nanoparticle self-organization into such periodic arrangements. An essential step is the transition from an amorphous state to the crystalline one. We investigate how pressure can induce a phase transition of a nanoparticle model system in water from the disordered liquid state to highly ordered supercrystals. We observe reversible pressure-induced supercrystal formation in concentrated solutions of gold nanoparticles by means of small-angle X-ray scattering. The supercrystal formation occurs only at high salt concentrations in the aqueous solution. The pressure dependence of the structural parameters of the resulting crystal lattices is determined. The observed transition can be reasoned with the combined effect of salt and pressure on the solubility of the organic PEG shell that passivates the nanoparticles., Published by ACS, Washington, DC

Particle & particle systems characterization 35(2), 1700319 (2018). doi:10.1002/ppsc.201700319, Ligand-layer structure and stability of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) coated with α-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)-ω-(11-mercaptoundecanoate) (PEGMUA) layers and mixed layers of PEGMUA and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) at high AuNP concentrations are studied in situ by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). The thickness of the ligand layer is modified by the molecular weight of the PEG-ligands (2 and 5 kDa), and the PEG-grafting density is decreased by coadsorption of MUA. The response of the conjugates to a pressure of up to 4 kbar is probed. The results indicate strongly hydrated PEG layers at high grafting densities. The stability of the mixed ligand-layer conjugates is lower. This is most probably due to enhanced interparticle PEG–PEG interactions at lower grafting densities. The presented study demonstrates that a detailed structural characterization of polymer ligand layers in situ and in response to external stimuli is possible with SAXS., Published by Wiley-VCH, Weinheim

This paper aims to identify characteristics of occupations and occupational mechanisms, and to test them empirically applied to the example of occupational mobility on the German labor market. Using data of the Sample of Integrated Labour Market Biographies (SIAB) of the Institute for Employment Research, it is shown that occupations with standardized vocational training programs tend to trigger longer durations, i.e. a lower propensity of occupational mobility in the first jobs on the labor market. Occupational closure and occupation-specific human capital also reduce the propensity of mobility between different jobs. The analyses support the view that occupations still have a quite strong impact on allocation processes on the German labor market. Zusammenfassung Das Ziel des Beitrages ist, berufliche Eigenschaften und Mechanismen zu identifizieren und deren Einfluss auf die berufliche Mobilitat auf dem deutschen Arbeitsmarkt empirisch zu uberprufen. Auf Basis der Stichprobe der Integrierten Arb...

Ancient woodlands, with their long ecological continuity, frequently harbor a high number of typical, rare and threatened species, and are therefore of particular importance for nature conservation. To pinpoint these habitats, a common application is the use of plants as “ancient woodland indicators”. The occurrence of these particular species allows for evaluating the continuity of woodland cover in time. While lists of ancient woodland vascular plants have been derived for many regions, the identification and use of bryophytes as ancient woodland indicators has been widely neglected. This is a bit surprising because certain woodland bryophytes are very sensitive to varying environmental conditions or changes in land management. It therefore appeared promising to compile an ecologically grounded list of ancient woodland indicator bryophytes for practical use. In this study, we present a set of ancient woodland indicator bryophytes based on the analysis of datasets from the North German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. To compile this list, we systematically evaluated the bryophyte distribution data from floristic surveys in relation to ancient woodland cover data from state-wide inventories. In this way, we were able to determine ancient woodland bryophytes using consistent and repeatable statistical methods. The presented list of 31 ancient woodland indicator bryophytes is ecologically sound and corresponds well with data from the sparse literature. We could distinguish two groups of ancient woodland indicator bryophytes. The first group is linked to base-rich, semi-natural deciduous woodlands with high soil and air humidity. The second group comprises acidophilic bryophytes that occur not only in acidic beech and oak woods, but also in acidic mixed or coniferous forests on ancient woodland sites. Apart from the ancient woodland indicator bryophytes, we could identify one group of recent woodland bryophytes and four groups of bryophytes that are more or less indifferent with respect to woodland continuity. Finally, we provide recommendations for the application of ancient woodland indicator bryophytes in nature conservation practice. Management suggestions for the conservation of the typical bryophyte diversity of ancient semi-natural woodlands are also given.

We present a route for the functionalization of gold nanoparticles (AuNP) based on phase transfer functionalization in order to optimize the stability and the potential for self-assembly. Depending on the desired size, different ligand exchanges have to be employed: The maximum AuNP size that can be stabilized without concentration loss is 46 nm for polystyrene-based ligands with 5 and 10 kDa. Small particles

Unobtrusive vital sign estimation with sensors integrated into objects of everyday living can substantially advance the field of remote monitoring. At the same time, motion artifacts cause severe problems and have to be dealt with. Here, the fusion of multimodal sensor data is a promising approach. In this paper, we present an armchair equipped with capacitively coupled electrocardiogram, two types of ballistocardiographic sensors, photoplethysmographic and two high-frequency impedance sensors. In addition, a video-based sensor for motion analysis is integrated. Using a defined motion protocol, the feasibility of the system is demonstrated in a self-experimentation. Moreover, the influence of different movements on different modalities is analyzed. Finally, robust beat-to-beat interval estimation demonstrates the benefits of multimodal sensor fusion for vital sign estimation in the presence of motion artifacts.

We investigate how changes in legislative boundaries affect firms in the U.S. Every decade, states redraw their congressional districts to account for changing population dynamics within the state and across the country. We find that redistricting imposes considerable costs on firms that operate in districts whose boundaries change. At the state level, we document that firm-level uncertainty significantly increases when new district lines are drawn. Additionally, firms affected by these new boundaries experience negative abnormal equity returns. Within a state, we examine firms who experience a change in representation due to redistricting relative to those firms whose representation is unaffected. We find that redistricted firms decrease capital expenditures and investment in R&D, and there is a higher likelihood of subsequently relocating. These effects are stronger for standalone firms. Taken together, this paper provides evidence about the link between political boundaries and the boundaries of firms.

Aquatic environments are heavily impacted by human activities including climate warming and the introduction of xenobiotics. Due to the application of silver nanoparticles as bactericidal agent the introduction of silver into the environment strongly has increased during the past years. Silver ions affect the primary metabolism of algae, in particular photosynthesis. Mixotrophic algae are an interesting test case as they do not exclusively rely on photosynthesis which may attenuate the harmful effect of silver. In order to study the effect of silver ions on mixotrophs, cultures of the chrysophyte Poterioochromonas malhamensis were treated in a replicate design in light and darkness with silver nitrate at a sub-lethal concentration. At five time points samples were taken for the identification and quantitation of proteins by mass spectrometry. In our analysis, relative quantitative protein mass spectrometry has shown to be a useful tool for functional analyses in conjunction with transcriptome reference sequences. A total of 3,952 proteins in 63 samples were identified and quantified, mapping to 4,829 transcripts of the sequenced and assembled transcriptome. Among them, 720 and 104 proteins performing various cellular functions were differentially expressed after eight days in light versus darkness and after three days of silver treatment, respectively. Specifically pathways of the energy and primary carbon metabolism were differentially affected by light and the utilization of expensive reactions hints to an energy surplus of P. malhamensis under light conditions. The excess energy is not invested in growth, but in the synthesis of storage metabolites. The effects of silver were less explicit, observable especially in the dark treatments where the light effect could not mask coinciding but weaker effects of silver. Photosynthesis, particularly the light harvesting complexes, and several sulphur containing enzymes were affected presumably due to a direct interference with the silver ions, mainly affecting energy supply. OA gold

Clostridium sordellii causes disease in livestock and life-threatening illnesses in humans. Pathogenic C. sordellii strains produce up to seven virulence factors, including lethal toxin (TcsL), hemorrhagic toxin, a hemolysin, a DNAse, a collagenase, and a lysolecithinase cell. TcsL exhibits an A-B toxin-like structure and enters its target cells by receptor-mediated endocytosis. Inside the, TcsL mono-glucosylates low molecular weight GTP-binding proteins of the Ras and Rho families. This article reviews recent progress for (i) re-enforcing (H/K/N)Ras glucosylation and subsequent inhibition of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) / Akt survival signalling pathway as the cause of TcsL-induced apoptotic cell death, and (ii) showing the critical nature of Rac1 glucosylation in the loss of epithelial and endothelial barrier function. Finally, the detection of TcsL-induced glucosylation of Rac1 and (H/K/N)Ras using glucosylation- sensitive antibodies is presented as a new method to track TcsL activity.

Despite considerable progress in (I) our understanding of the aetiopathology of head and neck cancer and (II) the precise delivery of radiotherapy, long-term survival rates for many patients with head and neck cancer remain disappointingly low. Over the past years, gold nanoparticles (NP) have emerged as promising radiation dose enhancers. In a recent study published in Nanoscale, Popovtzer et al. have used gold NP coated with an antibody against the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in an attempt to enhance radiation-induced tumour cell killing in a head and neck cancer xenograft model. They report a significant impact of the combined treatment with radiation and gold NP on tumour growth and suggest an involvement of apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis and diminished tissue repair. In this perspective, we illustrate the underlying radiobiophysical concepts and discuss some of the challenges associated with this and related nanoparticle-radiotherapy studies from a physics, chemistry, biology and therapy angle. We conclude that strong interdisciplinary collaborations spanning all these areas are crucially important to proceed towards effective cancer treatment with gold NP "from bench to bedside".

Ausgehend von einer Problematisierung aktueller Entwürfe von Coaching innerhalb der interdisziplinären Organisationsforschung wird im vorliegenden Beitrag die Notwendigkeit betont den Kontext von Coaching stärker zu differenzieren, das Augenmerk auf die konstituierenden Prozesse zu richten sowie vermehrt kritische Fragen zu den Effekten der Intervention zu stellen. Ein prozessorientiertes Diskurskonzept wird vorgestellt, welches erlaubt diese Forderungen zu erfüllen sowie Coaching auf drei Prozessebenen zu betrachten: Coaching als Gespräch, als organisationale Intervention sowie als sozio-historisches Phänomen. Die konkreten Implikationen für die Forschung werden anhand von Beispielen aus einem empirischen Projekt illustriert. Damit leistet der Artikel insgesamt einen Beitrag zur Entwicklung eines alternativen theoretischen Verständnisses von Coaching, stellt methodische Möglichkeiten zur Erforschung der Prozesse dar und unterstreicht die organisationstheoretische Perspektive bei der empirischen Erforschung., An Organizational Theory Framework to Exploring Discursive Processes in Management Coaching Based on a critical examination of current approaches to coaching within the interdisciplinary organizational studies, this contribution stresses the necessity to differentiate more strongly the context in coaching, to focus on the constitutive processes of coaching and to ask more critical questions concerning the efficacy of the interventions. A process-oriented discursive concept is presented which meets these three exigencies and allows to examine coaching along the following three processual levels: coaching as conversation, coaching as organizational intervention and coaching as socio-historical phenomenon. Concrete implications for coaching research are illustrated with the help of examples from an empirical project. As such, the article contributes to developing an alternative theoretical understanding of coaching, offers methods to investigate coaching processes and underlines the organization-theoretical perspective of the empirical approach.

The use of mixed ligand layers including poly(ethylene glycol)-based ligands for the functionalization of nanoparticles is a very popular strategy in the context of nanomedicine. However, it is challenging to control the composition of the ligand layer and maintain high colloidal and chemical stability of the conjugates. A high level of control and stability are crucial for reproducibility, upscaling, and safe application. In this study, gold nanoparticles with well-defined mixed ligand layers of α-methoxypoly(ethylene glycol)-ω-(11-mercaptoundecanoate) (PEGMUA) and 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA) were synthesized and characterized by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and gel electrophoresis. The colloidal and chemical stability of the conjugates was tested by dynamic light scattering (DLS), small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and UV/vis spectroscopy based experiments, and their interactions with cells were analyzed by elemental analysis. We demonstrate that the alkylene spacer in PEGMUA is the key feature for the controlled synthesis of mixed layer conjugates with very high colloidal and chemical stability and that a controlled synthesis is not possible using regular PEG ligands without the alkylene spacer. With the results of our stability tests, the molecular structure of the ligands can be clearly linked to the colloidal and chemical stabilization. We expect that the underlying design principle can be generalized to improve the level of control in nanoparticle surface chemistry.

Performance and quality of joined assemblies depend on the joining technology and its characteristics. To predict these characteristics in advance simulation tools are used. This paper deals on the one hand with determining the results quality of 2D rotational simulations to predict characteristics of mechanical joining technologies and on the other hand with the results quality of simplified models to predict car body quality (shape, gap, flush). Compliance of 2D simulations and experimental results is shown by performing investigations with different setups looking at joints’ quality and caused distortion. Finally, the results of joining simulations for car body assemblies are compared to measurements.

In this contribution a facile, one-step synthesis of tridentate thiol-functionalized PEO ligands and their ability to stabilize CdSe/CdS/ZnS core-shell-shell nanoparticles In aqueous media are described. The PEO-coated quantum dots show colloidal stability as well as preserved fluorescence even at very low concentrations of a few nM. For improved ligand attachment and enhanced fluorescence properties a method for ligand exchange was developed, which includes formation of a ligand zinc complex before the actual exchange reaction. The stability and fluorescence properties in various aqueous buffers and cell media and at pH values down to pH 3 were investigated. The firm binding of the tridentate ligands to the particle surface makes this ligand particle system a promising tool for biological applications. In addition, activation of the ligands' terminal hydroxyl group for covalent biofunctionalization by esterification with succinic acid is reported.

Toxin A (TcdA) and toxin B (TcdB) from Clostridium difficile are the causative agents of the C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) and its severe form, the pseudomembranous colitis. TcdA and TcdB both glucosylate and thereby inactivate low molecular weight GTP-binding proteins of the Rho, Rac, and Cdc42 subfamilies. In cultured cell lines, TcdB induces actin re-organization and bi-nucleation ("cytopathic effects") and cell death ("cytotoxic effects"). In this study, the role of cell cycle progression in the cytopathic and the cytotoxic effects of TcdB is evaluated by a differential analysis of these effects in proliferating and non-proliferating cells. Density-synchronized murine fibroblasts and confluent HT29 colonocytes are exploited as cell culture models for non-proliferating cells. Cell death is analyzed in terms of a loss of cell viability, phosphatidylserine exposure, and DNA fragmentation. In proliferating cells, TcdB blocks cell proliferation and induces apoptotic cell death. In contrast, TcdB induces non-apoptotic cell death in non-proliferating cells. TcdB-induced cell rounding turns out to be independent of cell cycle progression. Cell cycle progression is an important determinant in the biological effects of TcdB. With respect to the pathology of CDAD, this study leads to the new hypothesis that necrotic cell death of terminally differentiated colonocytes and inhibition of epithelial renewal of the colon contribute to the pathogenesis of CDAD.

We compare the data obtained through time diaries and survey questions on time use. Based on German data, we assess the exchangeability of time diary and survey estimates for several statistics. We find that both measures yield rather consistent findings. We interpret this rather good congruence of our time budgets as a result of our decomposed survey questions.

Science Created by You (SCY) is a project on learning in science and technology domains. SCY uses a pedagogical approach that centres around products, called 'emerging learning objects' (ELOs) that are created by students. Students work individually and collaboratively in SCY-Lab (the general SCY learning environment) on 'missions' that are guided by socio-scientific questions (for example 'How can we design a CO2-friendly house?'). Fulfilling SCY missions requires a combination of knowledge from different content areas (eg, physics, mathematics, biology, as well as social sciences). While on a SCY mission, students perform several types of learning activities that can be characterised as productive processes (experiment, game, share, explain, design, etc), they encounter multiple resources, collaborate with varying coalitions of peers and use changing constellations of tools and scaffolds. The configuration of SCY-Lab is adaptive to the actual learning situation and may provide advice to students on appropriate learning activities, resources, tools and scaffolds, or peer students who can support the learning process. The SCY project aims at students between 12 and 18 years old. In the course of the project, a total of four SCY missions will be developed, of which one is currently available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Die vorliegende Studie setzt unsere Analysen der Kontaktierungsprozesse im Online-Dating (KZfSS 2/2009) fort. Da Paarbeziehungen auf einer konsensuellen Entscheidung fur eine gemeinsame Beziehung beruhen, widmet sich der vorliegende Beitrag der Frage, wie Manner und Frauen auf Erstkontaktversuche reagieren. Die Datenstruktur von Online-Dating-Borsen bietet eine einzigartige Chance, soziologisch im Detail zu rekonstruieren, wie Paarbeziehungen als konsensuelle Wahlhandlung nach und nach entstehen. Der Beitrag liefert vier wichtige Befunde: Erstens dokumentiert er, dass nur 20 % aller Erstkontaktereignisse tatsachlich beantwortet werden. Das ist ein uberraschend kleiner Anteil. Zweitens bestatigt er die austauschtheoretische Homophiliehypothese. Diese besagt, dass ahnliches Bildungsniveau, tendenzielle Altersgleichheit und eine vergleichbare physische Attraktivitat den Aufbau reziproker Beziehungen deutlich begunstigen. Drittens zeigt sich, dass Frauen noch immer grose Probleme haben, sich auf Angebote von Mannern einzulassen, die ein niedrigeres Bildungsniveau haben als sie selbst. Manner hingegen haben weniger Probleme auf die Angebote hohere qualifizierter Frauen zu antworten. Die relative Seltenheit der Paare in Deutschland, bei denen die Frauen hohere Bildungsressourcen haben als ihre Partner, ist deshalb scheinbar vor allem auf die Praferenzen der Frauen und nicht die der Manner zuruckzufuhren. Viertens findet die vorliegende Studie keine Hinweise fur die Gultigkeit der Tradeoff-These. Das heist, es findet kein Austausch von physischer Attraktivitat gegen Bildungsressourcen bei der Partnerwahl statt.

Data from an online dating platform are used to study the importance of education for initiating and replying to online contacts. We analyse how these patterns are influenced by educational homophily and opportunity structures. Social exchange theory and mate search theory are used to explain online mate selection behaviour. Our results show that educational homophily is the dominant mechanism in online mate choice. Similarity in education significantly increases the rate of both sending and replying to initial contacts. After controlling for the opportunity structure on the platform, the preference for similar educated others is the most important factor, particularly among women. Our results also support the exchange theoretical idea that homophily increases with educational level. If dissimilarity contacting patterns are found, women are highly reluctant to contact partners with lower educational qualifications. Men, in contrast, do not have any problems to contact lower-qualified women. Studies of educational homogamy generally show that couples where women have a higher level of education are rare. Our study demonstrates that this is mainly the result of women's reluctance to contact lower qualified men.

In der vorliegenden Studie untersuchen wir die Bedeutung der Bildung im Prozess der Partnerwahl auf „digitalen Heiratsmarkten“. Hierzu werten wir einen einzigartigen Datensatz einer Online-Kontaktborse aus, der es ermoglicht, fruhe Phasen des Partnerwahlprozesses von Mannern und Frauen bei der Online-Partnersuche anhand des wechselseitigen elektronischen Nachrichtenverkehrs anonymisiert zu rekonstruieren. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen zunachst eine klare Tendenz zu bildungshomophilem Kontaktverhalten, also einer Partnerwahl „auf Augenhohe“. Unsere Resultate stutzen zudem die austauschtheoretische Hypothese, dass die Bildungshomophilie mit dem Niveau der eigenen Bildung stark zunimmt; dies zeigt sich gerade bei Frauen recht stark. In bildungsheterophilen Konstellationen zeigen Frauen eine deutliche Abneigung, sich bildungsmasig „abwarts“ zu orientieren; zudem kontaktieren sie auch absolut haufiger Partner mit hoheren Bildungsabschlussen. Bei den Mannern ist dies umgekehrt. Sie kontaktieren haufig Partnerinnen mit niedrigerem Bildungsniveau. Unsere Ergebnisse sprechen insgesamt fur eine weitgehende Ubertragung traditioneller geschlechtsspezifischer Suchstrategien in die neuen digitalen Heiratsmarkte und dampfen die in der Literatur verbreitete Annahme, das Internet wirke eher sozial offnend als schliesend.

We conducted a genome-wide association study in 939 individuals with atopic dermatitis and 975 controls as well as 270 complete nuclear families with two affected siblings. SNPs consistently associated with atopic dermatitis in both discovery sets were then investigated in two additional independent replication sets totalling 2,637 cases and 3,957 controls. Highly significant association was found with allele A of rs7927894 on chromosome 11q13.5, located 38 kb downstream of C11orf30 (P(combined) = 7.6 x 10(-10)). Approximately 13% of individuals of European origin are homozygous for rs7927894[A], and their risk of developing atopic dermatitis is 1.47 times that of noncarriers.

Mit diesem Beitrag antworten wir auf die konstruktive Kritik von Johannes Kopp. Dabei verdeutlichen wir, dass unsere in der KZfSS 58 (1), 2006 veroffentlichte Analyse der theoriegeleitete Ausgangspunkt weiterer Untersuchungen zur Dynamik der Arbeitsteilung im Eheverlauf ist, und wir genau die von Kopp geforderten Analysen bereits in einer zweiten Studie durchgefuhrt haben.

Clostridium sordellii lethal toxin (TcsL) belongs to the family of clostridial glucosylating toxins. TcsL exhibits glucosyltransferase activity to inactivate Rho and Ras proteins. On cultured cells, TcsL causes actin reorganization ("cytopathic effect") and apoptotic cell death ("cytotoxic effect"). This study is based on the concept that the cytotoxic effects of TcsL depend on the glucosylation of critical substrate proteins rather than on the glucosyltransferase activity per se. The cytotoxic effects of TcsL depend on the glucosyltransferase activity of TcsL, as neither chemically inactivated TcsL nor a glucosyltransferase-deficient mutant version of TcsL caused it. The TcsL homologous toxin B from Clostridium difficile serotype F strain 1470 (TcdBF) also failed to cause cytotoxic effects. Correlation of the toxins' respective protein substrate specificities highlighted (H/K/N)Ras as critical substrate proteins for the cytotoxic effects. (H/K/N)Ras are critical upstream regulators of phosphatidylinositide 3'-OH kinase (PI3K)/Akt survival signaling. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) classified to activate PI3K/Akt signaling downstream of apoptosis-inducing stimuli prevented the cytotoxic effects of TcsL. In conclusion, (H/K/N)Ras glucosylation and subsequent inhibition of PI3K/Akt signaling are critical for the cytotoxic effects of TcsL.

Background IL-31 is a novel cytokine that, when overexpressed in transgenic mice, induces severe itching dermatitis resembling human eczema. Objective We aimed to evaluate the importance of polymorphisms in the human IL-31 gene ( IL31 ) in the genetic susceptibility to eczema. Methods We sequenced the entire IL-31 gene, including the promoter region, and determined the haplotype structure. Single nucleotide polymorphisms tagging the main haplotypes were genotyped in 3 independent European populations comprising 690 affected families. An association analysis of IL31 gene variants with atopic and nonatopic eczema was performed. Results We found significant association of a common IL31 haplotype with the nonatopic type of eczema in all 3 study populations (combined P = 4.5 × 10 −5 ). Analysis of PBMCs in healthy individuals revealed a strong induction IL31 mRNA expression on stimulation with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 that was 3.8-fold higher in individuals homozygous for the risk haplotype (AA) in contrast to non-A haplotype carriers, suggesting that altered regulation of IL-31 gene expression is the disease-causing factor. Conclusion Our results lend strong support to an important role of IL-31 in the pathogenesis of nonatopic eczema. Clinical implications This study presents the first genetic risk factor for the nonatopic type of eczema and indicates a primary role of IL-31–induced pruritus in the initiation of this disease, thus proposing a new target for the prevention and therapy of eczema.

Zusammenfassung Der Beitrag analysiert die Dynamik von Traditionalisierungsprozessen der häuslichen Arbeitsteilung im Eheverlauf westdeutscher Paare. Die Studie weist nach, dass vor allem Traditionalisierungsprozesse die Entwicklungsrichtung der häuslichen Arbeitsteilung dominieren. Im Zentrum steht die Frage, ob und inwieweit normenorientierte soziologische und ressourcenorientierte ökonomische Theorien geeignet sind, zu erklären, weshalb Männer in der Regel ihren relativen Beitrag an den weiblich konnotierten Haushaltstätigkeiten im Zeitverlauf verringern. Auf Basis einer Analyse von Längsschnittdaten des Bamberger Ehepaar-Panels zeigt sich, dass ökonomische Handlungstheorien vor allem wegen ihrer geschlechtssymmetrischen Vorhersagen die Dynamik arbeitsteiliger Traditionalisierungsprozesse nicht erklären können. Mit der These zur Veränderung normativer Bezugsrahmen für geschlechteregalitäre und -divergente Fairnessnormen werden Überlegungen angestellt, wie man die Veränderung der Arbeitsteilung im Haushaltskontext besser verstehen kann.

Bandwidth efficient underwater acoustic communication is achieved by employing phase coherent receivers that require an equalization step to counter signal distortions caused by multipath spreading. The equalizer can be adapted by utilizing so-called blind methods that do not rely on any cooperation of a transmitter, but evaluate properties of a signal itself. Although such algorithms allow for a data-rate efficient use of the channel, they can suffer from slow convergence which is influenced by the initial choice of the equalizer solution. In this paper a new initialization approach is proposed that improves the convergence behavior of a blind multichannel feedforward equalizers by exploiting relative delays between the signals that are received by different sensors. The improvement is shown by simulation-based analysis and is experimentally verified by processing data from the ROBLINKS sea trial.

This paper focusses on fundamental investigations of fuel wall films, which are formed when the spray impinges on the piston or cylinder walls. To reproduce the wide range of operating conditions within homogeneously charged gasoline direct-injection engines, it is necessary to use a film thickness measurement method, which can be applied inside a high-pressure, high-temperature vessel. Hence, we developed a method based on laser-induced fluorescence that reaches: a precision better than 1 µm, a geometric resolution of 31 µm and a practical applicability for wall film thicknesses smaller 80 µm. To obtain accurate film thickness results, we provide a detailed description of the selection of the surrogate fuel isooctane with 3-pentanone as fluorescence tracer and the resulting assembly of the excitation source, beam expander, filters, camera and the essential image processing. Furthermore, advantages and disadvantages of other possible solutions are discussed. Earlier publications provide only little information about the accuracy of their calibration and measurement procedures. Therefore, we tested and compared three basic calibration methods to each other and provide an analysis of possible errors, such as the influence of the preferential evaporation of 3-pentanone. Finally, images of resulting wall films are presented, and practical considerations for the execution of the measurements like recording timings are discussed.

Failure of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) to regenerate effectively after injury leads to mostly irreversible functional impairment. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are promising candidates for drug delivery in combination with tissue-compatible reagents, such as polyethylene glycol (PEG). PEG administration in CNS injury models has received interest for potential therapy, but toxicity and low bioavailability prevents clinical application. Here we show that intraspinal delivery of PEG-functionalized 40-nm-AuNPs at early stages after mouse spinal cord injury is beneficial for recovery. Positive outcome of hind limb motor function was accompanied by attenuated inflammatory response, enhanced motor neuron survival, and increased myelination of spared or regrown/sprouted axons. No adverse effects, such as body weight loss, ill health, or increased mortality were observed. We propose that PEG-AuNPs represent a favorable drug-delivery platform with therapeutic potential that could be further enhanced if PEG-AuNPs are used as carriers of regeneration-promoting molecules.

Moderne Benzinmotoren nutzen das Prinzip der Direkteinspritzung. Um eine homogene Gemischbildung zu begunstigen wird der Kraftstoff wahrend des Ansaugtaktes eingespritzt. Dabei kann das Kraftstoffspray die Kolben- und Zylinderoberflache erreichen und sich ablagern. Dieser Effekt tritt zum einen auf, wenn die Temperatur der Brennraumwande unterhalb der Betriebstemperatur liegt. Dann fehlt die notwendige thermische Energie, um den Kraftstoff vor der Zundung vollstandig zu verdampfen. Kritische Zustande sind vor allem das Warmlaufen des Motors und die Wieder-Start Phasen bei Hybridfahrzeugen. Zum anderen fuhren nach fruh verschobene Einspritzzeitpunkte zu erhohten Ablagerungen, da sich der Kolben zu Beginn seiner Abwartsbewegung nah am Injektor befindet. In diesem Zustand ist der Abstand zwischen Injektor und Kolbenoberflache, oft bei hohen Drehzahlen und hohen Lasten, kleiner als die theoretische Eindringtiefe des Sprays. Dadurch fehlt den Kraftstofftropfen ein ausreichend langer Weg zur vollstandigen Verdunstung. Die resultierenden Kraftstoff- Wandfilme als fette Zonen im Brennraum sind eine wesentliche Quelle von Ruspartikeln und unverbrannten Kohlenwasserstoffen [1]. Aus diesem Grunde ist es notwendig, die Entstehung und die Eigenschaften von Wandfilmen zu untersuchen.

Background Childhood eczema often precedes the development of asthma and allergic rhinitis in the so-called atopic march . Recently, 2 loss-of-function mutations in the gene encoding the epidermal barrier protein filaggrin were reported to be predisposing factors for eczema and concomitant asthma, suggesting a possible role in disease transition. Objective We aimed to assess the importance of filaggrin loss-of-function mutations in the susceptibility to eczema and associated clinical phenotypes. Methods The filaggrin mutations were genotyped and tested for association with allergic disorders in 2 large European populations including 1092 children with eczema. Results Highly significant association of the filaggrin null mutations with eczema and concomitant asthma was replicated. Moreover, we found that these mutations predispose to asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic sensitization only in the presence of eczema. We show that the presence of 2 filaggrin null alleles is an independent risk factor for asthma in children with eczema, and that the 2 investigated mutations account for about 11% of eczema cases in the German population. Conclusion These results lend strong support to the role of filaggrin in the pathogenesis of eczema and in the subsequent progression along the atopic march. The fact that previous expression of eczema is a prerequisite for the manifestation of allergic airways disease and specific sensitization highlights the importance of the epidermal barrier in the pathogenesis of these disorders. Clinical implications Our results suggest that the maintenance and repair of the epidermal barrier in infants with eczema may prevent the subsequent development of allergic airways disease.

Der vorliegende Aufsatz analysiert die Dynamik ehelicher Arbeitsteilung im Eheverlauf in Westdeutschland. Es werden insbesondere okonomische und soziologische Theorien zur Erklarung innerfamilialer Arbeitsteilung im Langsschnitt untersucht. Mit Hilfe der fur West-deutschland reprasentativen Langsschnittdaten des Bamberger Ehepaar Panels wird gezeigt, dass die okonomischen Handlungstheorien mit ihren geschlechtssymmetrischen Vorhersagen die arbeitsteiligen Strukturen in der Ehe und ihren Wandel nicht erklaren konnen. Vielmehr sind es die asymmetrischen Geschlechtsrollentheorien mit ihrer Ruckbindung an Normen, Rollen, Identitaten und Tragheiten, mit denen man die Dynamik der ehelichen Arbeitsteilung im Eheverlauf am besten verstehen kann. Im Einzelnen zeigt sich, dass die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer groseren Beteiligung des Mannes an den Routinetatigkeiten im Haushalt im Verlauf der Ehe systematisch abnimmt. Dieser Prozess vollzieht sich dabei unabhangig von den okonomischen Ressourcen der Ehepartner sowie von Ressourcenkonstellationen auf der Paarebene und wird durch den Ubergang zur Elternschaft auserordentlich beschleunigt. Eine Umkehr dieser Tendenz wird mit zunehmender Ehedauer aufgrund von Routinisierungseffekten immer unwahrscheinlicher.

This paper examines the changes in the division of housework over the course of relationships, first providing a detailed and comprehensive overview of the current status of longitudinal research on the subject matter. The findings available to date, revealing a largely gendered division of labor among German couples, were then confirmed using pairfam data and fixed-effects panel regression models: routine household tasks, such as cooking, cleaning, and doing laundry, remain predominantly “women’s work”. This division of housework is reinforced considerably with the transition to parenthood. Furthermore, effects of the couples’ levels of education and the women’s labor market participation could be illustrated in accordance with well-established theories. In conclusion, we suggest that this current state of knowledge can highly benefit from qualitative longitudinal studies, allowing for a detailed representation of new contextual dimensions such as attitudes towards gender roles, socialization experiences or negotiation processes among couples. Zusammenfassung Der Beitrag untersucht die Veränderung der Hausarbeitsteilung im Partnerschaftsverlauf und gibt hierfür zunächst einen ausführlichen und umfassenden Überblick über den aktuellen Stand der Längsschnittforschung. Eigene Panelregressionsmodelle mit fixen Effekten auf Basis der pairfam-Daten bestätigen die bisher bekannten Befunde, dass in Deutschland eine weitgehend geschlechtsspezifische Arbeitsteilung in Paaren vorliegt: Haushaltsroutinen wie Kochen, Putzen und Wäsche machen liegen überwiegend im Zuständigkeitsbereich der Frauen. Der Übergang zur Elternschaft verstärkt diese Hausarbeitsteilung deutlich. Darüber hinaus konnten Effekte des Bildungsniveaus im Paar und der Erwerbstätigkeit der Frau gezeigt werden, die im Einklang mit den gängigen Theorien stehen. Wir schließen mit der These, dass dieser Erkenntnisstand vor allem durch qualitative Längsschnittstudien erweitert werden kann, weil dadurch neue inhaltliche Dimensionen wie beispielsweise Einstellungen zu den Geschlechterrollen, Sozialisationserfahrungen oder Aushandlungsprozesse in Paaren detailliert abgebildet werden können., JFR - Journal of Family Research, Vol 26 No 2 (2014)