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Verschwörungstheoretische Kommunikation: Eine kommunikationswissenschaftliche Perspektive auf das Phänomen Verschwörungstheorien
No full textVerschwörungstheorien sind ein interdisziplinär erforschtes Phänomen mit einer langen Geschichte und weitreichenden gesellschaftlichen Implikationen. Trotz ihrer essentiellen kommunikativen Komponente, fehlte bisher eine originär kommunikationswissenschaftliche Perspektive auf das Phänomen. Nach einer strukturierten Literaturanalyse entwickelt diese Arbeit das Modell der verschwörungstheoretischen Kommunikation (VTK) und operationalisiert es für die quantitative Inhaltsanalyse und validiert es empirisch. Die VTK ist eine heterodoxe Form der sozialen Kommunikation, die sich auf eine risikoreiche Epistemologie stützt, kontextabhängig und prozesshaft ist und weder doxastisch noch normativ in ihren Annahmen ist. Durch die Konzeption und Messbarmachung dieses Prozesses des „collective sensemaking“ lässt eine Demarkation von legitimen und illegitimen Verschwörungstheorien zu und ermöglicht so die Erforschung von den diskursiven Kipppunkten zwischen Legitimität und Illegitimität
The Musashi RNA-binding proteins in female cancers: insights on molecular mechanisms and therapeutic relevance
No full textRNA-binding proteins have increasingly been identified as important regulators of gene expression given their ability to bind distinct RNA sequences and regulate their fate. Mounting evidence suggests that RNA-binding proteins are involved in the onset and progression of multiple malignancies, prompting increasing interest in their potential for therapeutic intervention. The Musashi RNA binding proteins Musashi-1 and Musashi-2 were initially identified as developmental factors of the nervous system but have more recently been found to be ubiquitously expressed in physiological tissues and may be involved in pathological cell behavior. Both proteins are increasingly investigated in cancers given dysregulation in multiple tumor entities, including in female malignancies. Recent data suggest that the Musashi proteins serve as cancer stem cell markers as they contribute to cancer cell proliferation and therapy resistance, prompting efforts to identify mechanisms to target them. However, as the picture remains incomplete, continuous efforts to elucidate their role in different signaling pathways remain ongoing. In this review, we focus on the roles of Musashi proteins in tumors of the female – breast, endometrial, ovarian and cervical cancer – as we aim to summarize current knowledge and discuss future perspectives
Arbeitskreis Argumentieren, Begründen und Beweisen:Beiträge der Herbsttagung 2023
No full textDer vorliegende Sammelband ist die erste Veröffentlichung aus der Reihe „Argumentieren, Begründen und Beweisen in der Mathematikdidaktik“. Die einzelnen Beiträge fokussieren sowohl die Genese und Entwicklung der Beweisdidaktik als auch gezielt das Lehren und Lernen des Beweisens in der Schulmathematik. Es werden Studien präsentiert, die das Lehren und Lernen des Beweisens in den Sekundarstufen sowohl aus stoffdidaktischer als auch aus empirischer Perspektive fokussieren. Darüber hinaus wird auch die systematische Förderung des Argumentierens in der Grundschule thematisiert, wodurch die Lehramtsausbildung an der Universität in den Blick gerät. Eine andere Studie nimmt wiederum die Interaktionsprozesse im Unterricht in den Blick und arbeitet zugehörige Aktivitäten von Lehrperson heraus. In einem weiteren Beitrag stehen die von ChatGPT generierten Argumente auf dem Prüfstand. Die Breite von analoger Förderung bis zur Reflexion digitaler Unterstützung, von der Förderung von Lernenden bis zur Rekonstruktion von Lehrkräftehandlungen verdeutlicht wiederum die vielfältigen Forschungs- und Entwicklungsperspektiven, die sich aktuell im Themenfeld des Argumentierens, Begründens und Beweisens befinden
A tale of two scandals: scale shift and the inefficacy of crisis communication management in Olympic scandals
No full textIntroduction: Mega sporting events, such as the Olympic Games, provide niche sports with unique opportunities to attract public attention. However, scandals during these events can pose serious threats to these sports. In particular, if a sport scandal enables hostile stakeholders to achieve a scale shift, it becomes almost impossible for a niche sport organization to manage the scandal. Methods: The article employs a comparative research design that examines the trajectory of two scandals related to the German Olympic team that differ with regard to the occurrence of a scale shift. The first scandal involved a racist slur made by a German official during a cycling event; the second scandal was a case of animal cruelty during the modern pentathlon's equestrian event. Research relies on a mix of qualitative document analyses and quantitative analyses of the German Twitter discourse on both scandals. The analyses focus on the vulnerability to scandals, the potential for contentious politics, the scandal triggering events, the crisis communication, the reception, and the outcomes of both scandals.
Results and discussion: Our results show the detrimental impact of a scale shift on niche sports. The animal cruelty scandal put the future of the modern pentathlon at the Olympics at risk and triggered far-reaching reforms. The case supports the idea that a scale shift becomes more likely if there exists an effective collective action frame. In contrast, the German sports organizations effectively ended the racist slur scandal by imposing a limited sanction on the offender
Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome/Complement-Mediated Thrombotic Microangiopathy Triggered by SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Case Report
No full textIntroduction: Atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS), commonly considered the prototypical form of complement-mediated thrombotic microangiopathy, is caused by dysregulated complement activation, often triggered by genetic mutations and external factors. We present a case of aHUS occurring 1 month after SARS-CoV-2 infection in a patient with a mutation in the complement factor H (CFH), a primary regulator of the alternative complement pathway. Case Presentation: A 41-year-old woman with no prior conditions developed acute kidney injury, hemolytic anemia, and thrombocytopenia 1 month after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Genetic testing identified a pathogenic CFH variant (c.3572C>T), and kidney biopsy confirmed thrombotic microangiopathy. Treatment with plasma exchange, corticosteroids, and C5 inhibitors led to remission of proteinuria and improved renal function within 2 months, avoiding dialysis. Even a second SARS-CoV-2 infection 6 months after the onset of aHUS and under continuous complement C5 inhibition did not result in further kidney damage. Conclusions: Our case report is consistent with observations made by several groups that SARS-CoV-2 infection may trigger aHUS in genetically predisposed individuals. Early diagnosis and complement-targeted therapy are crucial to prevent severe outcomes
Case Report: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with recurrent episodes of ventricular fibrillation and concurrent sinus arrest
No full textBackground: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a serious hereditary cardiomyopathy. It is characterized morphologically by an increased left ventricular wall thickness and mass and functionally by enhanced global chamber function and myocellular contractility, diastolic dysfunction, and myocardial fibrosis development. Typically, patients with HCM experience atrial fibrillation (AF), syncope, and ventricular fibrillation (VF), causing severe symptoms and cardiac arrest. In contrast, sinoatrial node (SAN) arrest in the setting of HCM is uncommon. In particular, during VF, it has not been described so far. Case summary: In this study, we report an 18-year-old woman patient with sudden cardiac arrest due to VF and successful cardiopulmonary resuscitation as the first clinical manifestation of non-obstructive HCM. Subsequently, a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) was implanted for secondary VF prophylaxis. However, additional episodes of VF occurred. During these, device interrogation revealed a combined occurrence of VF, bradycardia, and SAN arrest, requiring a device exchange into a dual-chamber ICD. A heterozygous, pathogenic variant of the MYH7 gene (c.2155C>T; p.Arg719Trp) was identified as causative for HCM. Discussion: First published in 1994, the particular MYH7 variant (p.Arg719Trp) was described in HCM patients with a high incidence of premature cardiac death and a reduced life expectancy. Electrophysiological studies on HCM patients are mainly performed to treat AF and ventricular tachycardia. Further extraordinary arrhythmic phenotypes were reported only in a few HCM patients. Taken together, the present case with documented co-existing VF and SAN arrest is rare and also emphasizes addressing the presence of SAN arrest (in particular, during VF episodes) in HCM patients when a distinct ICD device is considered for implantation
Der Einfluss von Führungskräften auf eine christliche Unternehmenskultur:Theoretische Sondierungen und Erträge einer Interviewstudie
No full textFührungskräfte nehmen in Unternehmen nicht nur Schlüsselpositionen bei Entscheidungsprozessen ein, sondern fungieren auch als Träger*innen und Vermittler*innen von Werten und Überzeugungen – insbesondere in christlichen (Sozial-)Unternehmen. Dieses Arbeitspapier untersucht, inwiefern das spezifisch christliche Profil eines christlichen (Sozial-)Unternehmens durch seine Führungskräfte geprägt wird. Methodisch wird eine theoretische Fundierung anhand einer Literaturstudie mit einer explorativen Interviewstudie kombiniert. Die Analyse zeigt, dass Führungskräften eine zentrale und nicht ersetzbare Rolle zukommt: Einerseits verfügen sie über die Möglichkeit, Strukturen und Prozesse zu beeinflussen, andererseits wirken sie als Vorbilder und Impulsgeber*innen für das gesamte Unternehmen. Zugleich ist jedoch das alltägliche Handeln der Mitarbeitenden ebenso bedeutsam für die Verwirklichung christlicher Werte und damit für das christliche Profil wie das Wirken der Führungskräfte
Experimental evolution of a pathogen confronted with innate immune memory increases variation in virulence
No full textUnderstanding the drivers and mechanisms of virulence evolution is still a major goal of evolutionary biologists and epidemiologists. Theory predicts that the way virulence evolves depends on the balance between the benefits and costs it provides to pathogen fitness. Additionally, host responses to infections, such as resistance or tolerance, play a critical role in shaping virulence evolution. But, while the evolution of pathogens has been traditionally studied under the selection pressure of host adaptive immunity, less is known about their evolution when confronted to simpler and less effective forms of immunity such as immune priming. In this study, we used a well-established insect model for immune priming – red flour beetles and their bacterial pathogen Bacillus thuringiensis tenebrionis – to test how this form of innate immune memory drives the pathogen evolution. Through controlled experimental evolution of the pathogen in primed versus non-primed hosts, we found no change in average virulence after eight selection cycles in primed host. Nonetheless, we observed a notable rise in the variability of virulence, defined as the ability to kill hosts, among independent pathogen lines that evolved in primed hosts, and the bacteria were unable to develop resistance to host priming. Whole genome sequencing revealed increased activity in the bacterial mobilome (prophages and plasmids). Expression of the Cry toxin – a well-known virulence factor – was linked to evolved differences in copy number variation of the cry-carrying plasmid, though this did not correlate directly with virulence. These findings highlight that innate immune memory can drive variability in pathogen traits, which may favor adaptation to variable environments. This underscores the need to consider pathogen evolution in response to innate immune memory when applying these mechanisms in medicine, aquaculture, pest control, and insect mass production