University of Konstanz
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Opening the black box of teacher leader development : An investigation of teachers’ motivation to lead
No full textThis article introduces the concept of teachers’ motivation to lead. Using a sample of N = 652 German teachers and structural equation modeling, we examine whether teachers' affective motivation to lead affects their leadership intentions. Leader self-efficacy, leadership experience, and personal characteristics are relevant predictors of teachers' motivation and intentions. Male teachers show a higher affective motivation to lead than female teachers, which is reflected in stronger leadership intentions. The findings underscore the significance of integrating leadership experience into the initial stages of teacher education. In order to bring more women into leadership positions, interventions that address motivational aspects seem appropriate.publishe
Daten über Daten über Daten : Das wissenschaftssoziologische Projekt „Analyse unmittelbarer Kommunikation und Interaktion als Zugang zum Problem der Entstehung sozialwissenschaftlicher Daten“ an der Universität Konstanz (1978-1982)
No full textpublishe
B4M : Breaking Low-Rank Adapter for Making Content-Style Customization
No full textPersonalized generation paradigms empower designers to customize visual intellectual properties with the help of textual descriptions by adapting pre-trained text-to-image models on a few images. Recent studies focus on simultaneously customizing content and detailed visual style in images but often struggle with entangling the two. In this study, we reconsider the customization of content and style concepts from the perspective of parameter space construction. Unlike existing methods that utilize a shared parameter space for content and style learning, we propose a novel framework that separates the parameter space to facilitate individual learning of content and style by introducing “partly learnable projection” (PLP) matrices to separate the original adapters into divided sub-parameter spaces. A “break-for-make” customization learning pipeline based on PLP is proposed: we first break the original adapters into “up projection” and “down projection” for content and style concept under orthogonal prior and then make the entity parameter space by reconstructing the content and style PLPs matrices by using Riemannian precondition to adaptively balance content and style learning. Experiments on various styles, including textures, materials, and artistic style, show that our method outperforms state-of-the-art single/multiple concept learning pipelines regarding content-style-prompt alignment. Code is available at: https://github.com/ICTMCG/Break-for-make.publishe
Biomimetic Growth of Calcium Oxalate Hydrates : Shape Development and Structures in Agar Gel Matrices
No full textCrystal growth of calcium oxalate hydrates (COM: calcium oxalate monohydrate; COD: ‐dihydrate; COT: ‐trihydrate) is a specific example of biomineralization due to their harmful role as kidney/urinary stones. In this work, the biomimetic growth of calcium oxalate hydrates has been achieved using double diffusion technique in agar gel matrix. In‐vitro experimental models for the growth of calcium oxalates can give valuable information on the formation of kidney/urinary stones. Diverse morphological forms of COM are grown in agar gel matrices ranging from platy crystallites to dumbbells and spherulites. The morphology of COM grown in agar gel resembles biogenic COM stones remarkably. Furthermore, it has been discovered that a higher pH of the agar gel promotes COD development while suppressing COM growth.publishe
Long-term Outcomes of Helical Tomotherapy in Lymph Node-positive Breast Cancer Following Breast-conserving Surgery
No full textBackground/Aim: Adjuvant radiotherapy is an integral component of the interdisciplinary curative treatment of lymph node-positive breast cancer. We investigated long-term clinical outcomes of helical tomotherapy following breast-conserving surgery.
Patients and Methods: This single-center analysis included 80 female patients with breast cancer stages T1-T4 and lymph node metastasis (N1-N3) who underwent breast-conserving surgery, sentinel node biopsy, and/or axillary lymph node dissection. Patients received adjuvant fractionated radiation therapy to the whole breast and regional lymph node areas using helical tomotherapy. Boost irradiation was delivered sequentially or through the simultaneous integrated boost technique. Local control (LC), metastasis, survival, toxicity, and secondary malignancy rates were retrospectively analyzed.
Results: The mean follow-up duration was 75 months. The 5- and 8-year overall survival rates were 89.4% and 87.0%, respectively. LC rates at 5- and 8-year were 98.7%, and metastasis-free survival rates were 91.2% and 85.2%, respectively. Acute erythema occurred in 70% (Grades 1-2) and 26% (Grade 3) of patients. Ipsilateral arm lymphedema of Grade 1 and Grade 2 developed in 10% and 1.3% of the treated patients, respectively. Acute or late toxicities exceeding Grade 3 were not observed.
Conclusion: Helical tomotherapy showed excellent long-term results and low toxicity rates as adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with lymph node-positive breast cancer. The incidence of secondary malignancies was relatively low and corresponded to the preexisting records on radiation therapy. Broader clinical implementation of helical tomotherapy could benefit patients.publishe
Circadian regulation of key physiological processes by the RITMO1 clock protein in the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum
No full textPhasing biological and physiological processes to periodic light–dark cycles is crucial for the life of most organisms. Marine diatoms, as many phytoplanktonic species, exhibit biological rhythms, yet their molecular timekeepers remain largely uncharacterized. Recently, the bHLH-PAS protein RITMO1 has been proposed to act as a regulator of diatom circadian rhythms.
In this study, we first determined the physiological conditions to monitor circadian clock activity and its perturbation in the diatom model species Phaeodactylum tricornutum by using cell fluorescence as a circadian output. Employing ectopic overexpression, targeted gene mutagenesis, and functional complementation, we then investigated the role of RITMO1 in various circadian processes.
Our data reveal that RITMO1 significantly influences the P. tricornutum circadian rhythms not only of cellular fluorescence, but also of photosynthesis and of the expression of clock-controlled genes, including transcription factors and putative clock input/output components. RITMO1 effects on rhythmicity are unambiguously detectable under free-running conditions.
By uncovering the complex regulation of biological rhythms in P. tricornutum, these findings advance our understanding of the endogenous factors controlling diatom physiological responses to environmental changes. They also offer initial insights into the mechanistic principles of oscillator functions in a major group of phytoplankton, which remain largely unexplored in chronobiology.publishe
Efficacy of an internet-based, therapist-guided cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for adolescents and young adults with body dysmorphic disorder : a randomized controlled trial
No full textBackground
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is particularly prevalent yet highly understudied and undertreated in adolescence. This study evaluates the efficacy of an internet-based, therapist-guided cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for adolescents and young adults with BDD compared to supportive online therapy as an active control condition.
Methods
In a single-blind, randomized controlled trial, N = 45 adolescents (aged 15–21 years) of all genders from German-speaking countries were assigned to 12 sessions of internet-based CBT (iCBT) or 12 weeks of supportive online therapy. The primary outcome was change in expert-rated BDD symptom severity from pre- to post-intervention (Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale Modified for Body Dysmorphic Disorder, BDD-YBOCS). Secondary outcomes included the remission and responder rate, changes in delusionality of appearance beliefs (BABS), self-rated BDD symptom severity (FKS), BDD cognitions (FKDK), quality of life (KINDL-R), and depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) from pre to post and to a 4-week follow-up.
Results
iCBT was more efficient than supportive online therapy on the BDD-YBOCS (p =.002), with a large between-group effect size at post-intervention (Hedges’ g (SE) = 0.93 (0.42)), and on all secondary measures (p <.05), except for depressive symptoms (p =.068). All secondary outcome measures also showed significant improvements from pre to post iCBT, with moderate to large effect sizes, and gains were stable until the 4-week follow-up period. iCBT participants showed higher remission (61.5%) and responder rates (66.7%), compared to controls (0% and 26.7%), but only the difference in remission reached significance.
Conclusion
The results indicate the efficacy of internet-based CBT in comparison to an active control condition, thus contributing to the limited intervention research in adolescent BDD and adding a much-needed treatment option. Trial registration: The trial was pre-registered on 2020/06/08 at the German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00022055.publishe
Individual and collective responses during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic posed tremendous challenges to individuals and societies worldwide. Addressing such a global crisis requires both individual and
collective protection measures to mitigate risks and reduce impacts. Engagement in protective behaviors and support for collective protection measures often hinge on
perceptions of risks and their potential impacts. Therefore, the present thesis aims to contribute to our understanding of how individuals respond to risks and crises. It
provides insights into the factors that shape risk perceptions, protective behaviors, and support for broader measures.
First, the present thesis examines whether individual risk perceptions and support for collective protection measures increased in response to an increasing
infectious disease threat. Specifically, it compares worry about personal proximity and support for governmental measures concerning Chinese and Asian-looking people and other potential sources of pathogen transmission. The findings indicate that Individual and collective responses increased with rising infectious disease threat. However,
there was no evidence of increased stigmatization or support for exclusionary measures specifically targeting Chinese and Asian-looking people. These results
suggest adaptive responses to an increased infectious disease threat.
The thesis then integrates individual and collective protection pathways. Specifically, it investigates connections between individual and collective levels by analyzing whether individual risk perception and the perceived effectiveness of collective measures jointly affected individual protective behavior and support for collective protection measures. Providing further evidence of adaptive responses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-established individual pathway from risk perception to protective behavior is replicated and complemented by a collective pathway involving the perceived effectiveness of and support for collective protection measures. Moreover, the analysis highlights the interconnections between the individual and collective levels. This underlines the need to consider and address both levels together in order to effectively manage crises in the context of infectious diseases.
In a further step, the previous findings are extended beyond the health domain to address perceptions related to the controversy surrounding potential trade-offs
between the economy and health. Specifically, the perceived economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic at both individual and collective levels (i.e.,
national and global) are investigated. Although the COVID-19 pandemic was primarily a health crisis, its economic impacts were perceived as more serious, particularly at
the national and global levels. While most individuals were optimistic about the pandemic’s impact on themselves, they considered their own country to be at least as
affected as the global average, especially in economic terms. Considering that three wealthy countries (i.e., US, UK, and Germany) were studied, this suggests that the
global imbalance in mitigation resources may have been underestimated, potentially influencing the perceived need to support other countries.
The findings of the present thesis contribute to a deeper understanding of perceptions and responses to infectious diseases at both the individual and collective
levels. Moreover, they highlight the importance of comprehensive research that extends beyond investigations of health at the individual level. This point is further
emphasized through a general framework, outlining individual and collective responses (ICR) to risks and crises. Integrating different individual and collective levels (e.g.,
national, global) and domains (e.g., economy, health) provides new insights for pandemic preparedness efforts.publishe
WOOP as a Brief Alcohol Intervention Led by Lay Coaches in College Settings
No full textHeavy drinking is a major public health concern, particularly among young adults who often experience fear of being stigmatized when seeking help for alcohol-related problems. To address drinking concerns outside clinical settings, we tested the feasibility of a novel imagery-based behavior change strategy led by student lay interventionists in a college setting. Participants were adults recruited on a college campus and were randomized to either learn the four steps of WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan) or to learn a format-matched Sham WOOP (Wish, Outcome, “Outcome,” and Plan). Both WOOP and Sham WOOP interventions were taught by student lay interventionist. We found that the WOOP intervention group reported fewer heavy drinking days (≥ 5 drinks for men or ≥ 4 drinks for women, measured using the Alcohol Timeline Follow-Back Method) compared to the Sham group at the 1-month and 2-month follow-ups. WOOP, when taught by student lay interventionists in a single session, demonstrated the feasibility of reducing heavy drinking. WOOP shows promise as a low-cost and scalable intervention for reducing heavy drinking in nonclinical settings.publishe