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Normative Virtues? Unravelling Augustine's Frame work of Worldly Rule and Its Echoes in Early and Late Carolingian Political Advice
No full textThis article examines Augustine's lesser-considered framework of worldly rule in the De civitate Dei, shifting focus from virtues to commonly shared goals as the basis for political communities. It explores how this framework was received and reinterpreted by early and late Carolingian advisers. Alcuin of York presents Charlemagne's reign as a collective Christian enterprise grounded in co-operation. Hincmar of Reims, by contrast, centres justice (iustitia) in the figure of the ruler, who enacts divine justice (vera iustitia) under clerical oversight. These divergent appropriations reflect changing political realities and offer distinct types of Christian leadership grounded in justice. Informed by current research and highlighting the absence of felix/felicitas as lemmata in the Augustinus-Lexikon, the article opens avenues for addressing the coherence of divine and worldly law through political advice in Carolingian governance.Dieser Artikel untersucht den bislang wenig beachteten Denkrahmen weltlicher Herrschaft bei Augustinus in De civitate Dei und verlagert den Fokus von Tugenden auf gemeinsam ver
folgte Ziele als Grundlage politischer Gemeinschaften. Er analysiert, wie dieser Denkrahmen von karolingischen Beratern aufgenommen und unterschiedlich interpretiert wurde. Alkuin von York beschreibt die Herrschaft Karls des Großen als gemeinsames christliches Projekt, das auf Kooperation basiert. Hinkmar von Reims hingegen verankert die Gerechtigkeit (iustitia) in der Figur des Herrschers, der unter klerikaler Aufsicht göttliche Gerechtig keit (vera iustitia) verwirklicht. Diese unterschiedlichen Aneignungen spiegeln wandelnde politische Realitäten wider und führen zu verschiedenen Typen christlicher Herrschaft, die auf Gerechtigkeit gründen. Gestützt auf aktuelle Forschung und unter Hervorhebung des Fehlens von felix/felicitas als Lemmata im Augustinus-Lexikon eröffnet der Artikel Möglichkeiten, die Kohärenz göttlichen und weltlichen Rechts durch politische Beratung in der karolingischen Regierung zu untersuchen
Pathogenic gene variants in CCDC39, CCDC40, RSPH1, RSPH9, HYDIN, and SPEF2 cause defects of sperm flagella composition and male infertility
No full textPrimary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disorder affecting the function of motile cilia in several organ systems. In PCD, male infertility is caused by defective sperm flagella composition or deficient motile cilia function in the efferent ducts of the male reproductive system. Different PCD-associated genes encoding axonemal components involved in the regulation of ciliary and flagellar beating are also reported to cause infertility due to multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella (MMAF). Here, we performed genetic testing by next generation sequencing techniques, PCD diagnostics including immunofluorescence-, transmission electron-, and high-speed video microscopy on sperm flagella and andrological work up including semen analyses. We identified ten infertile male individuals with pathogenic variants in 'CCDC39' (one) and 'CCDC40' (two) encoding ruler proteins, 'RSPH1' (two) and 'RSPH9' (one) encoding radial spoke head proteins, and 'HYDIN' (two) and 'SPEF2' (two) encoding CP-associated proteins, respectively. We demonstrate for the first time that pathogenic variants in 'RSPH1' and 'RSPH9' cause male infertility due to sperm cell dysmotility and abnormal flagellar RSPH1 and RSPH9 composition. We also provide novel evidence for MMAF in 'HYDIN-' and 'RSPH1-mutant' individuals. We show absence or severe reduction of CCDC39 and SPEF2 in sperm flagella of 'CCDC39-' and 'CCDC40-mutant' individuals and 'HYDIN-' and 'SPEF2-mutant' individuals, respectively. Thereby, we reveal interactions between CCDC39 and CCDC40 as well as HYDIN and SPEF2 in sperm flagella. Our findings demonstrate that immunofluorescence microscopy in sperm cells is a valuable tool to identify flagellar defects related to the axonemal ruler, radial spoke head and the central pair apparatus, thus aiding the diagnosis of male infertility. This is of particular importance to classify the pathogenicity of genetic defects, especially in cases of missense variants of unknown significance, or to interpret 'HYDIN' variants that are confounded by the presence of the almost identical pseudogene 'HYDIN2'
The power of a touch: Regular touchscreen training but not its termination affects hormones and behavior in mice
No full textTouchscreen-based procedures are increasingly used in experimental animal research. They not only represent a promising approach for translational research, but have also been highlighted as a powerful tool to reduce potential experimenter effects in animal studies. However, to prepare the animals for a touchscreen-based test, an often time-consuming training phase is required that has itself been shown to cause increased adrenocortical activity and anxiety-like behavior in mice. While these findings point at a potentially negative effect of touchscreen training at first glance, results have also been discussed in light of an enriching effect of touchscreen training. The aim of the present study was therefore to shed more light on recently reported touchscreen training effects, with a particular focus on the termination of the training routine. Specifically, we investigated whether the termination of regular touchscreen training could constitute a loss of enrichment for mice. Thus, we assessed fecal corticosterone metabolites (FCMs), exploratory-, anxiety-like and home cage behavior in touchscreen-trained mice in comparison to food restricted and ad libitum fed mice, as a restricted diet is an integral part of the training process. Furthermore, we compared these parameters between mice that were continuously trained and mice whose training was terminated 2 weeks earlier. Our results confirm previous findings showing that a mild food restriction increases the animals' exploratory behavior and shifts their activity rhythm. Moreover, touchscreen training was found to increase FCM levels and anxiety-like behavior of the mice. However, no effect of the termination of touchscreen training could be detected, a finding which contradicts the enrichment loss hypothesis. Therefore, we discuss two alternative explanations for the findings. Yet, the current state of knowledge is not sufficient to draw final conclusions at this stage. In compliance with the refinement endeavors for laboratory animals, further research should assess the severity of touchscreen procedures to ensure a responsible and well-founded use of animals for experimental purposes
Emotion regulation profiles in Syrian refugees and migrants in Germany: self-efficacy, resilience and well-being comparisons
No full textBackground: Emotion regulation (ER) plays a central role in psychopathology. Understanding person-centred patterns of ER strategies is crucial for prevention and intervention strategies. However, there is a paucity of research on ER profiles and their psychological correlates in forcibly displaced people (FDP).
Objective: This study aimed to identify habitual ER profiles and to examine the predictive role of different psychological variables on these profiles in Syrian FDP in Germany. Method: In a sample of 991 individuals, we conducted a latent profile analysis (LPA) to assess habitual reappraisal and suppression of emotion as ER strategies, as well as self-efficacy, resilience, well-being comparisons, trauma exposure and International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as potential predictors of ER profile membership. Results: LPA identified four distinct ER profiles: high regulators (12.8%), low regulators (20.6%), reappraisal regulators (25.1%) and suppressive regulators (41.5%). In multinomial regression analysis, self-efficacy, resilience, appetitive well-being comparisons and trauma exposure were significantly associated with profile membership, while PTSD and aversive well-being comparisons showed no significant association. High regulators exhibited the highest levels of self-efficacy, resilience and appetitive well-being comparisons, followed by reappraisal, suppressive and low regulators. Additionally, high regulators reported the highest number of traumatic events, followed by suppressive and low regulators. Conclusions: Our results indicate a higher adaptiveness in high regulation ER profiles as opposed to low regulation ER profiles. Clinical implications: Given that most FDP in our sample relied predominantly on one ER strategy, developing interventions that focus on cultivating a broad repertoire of ER strategies may be beneficial
Energy functionals and symmetry:A cohomogeneity one approach to (poly)harmonic maps
No full textDiese Dissertation untersucht höhere Energie-Funktionale von Abbildungen zwischen Kohomogenität-1 Mannigfaltigkeiten.
Wir beginnen mit der Analyse äquivarianter harmonischer Abbildungen zwischen komplex-projektiven Räumen und finden kontinuierlich parametrisierte Familien von Lösungen. Wir untersuchen die Stabilität dieser Lösungen und deren Grenzkonfiguration.
Anschließend betrachten wir Untermannigfaltigkeiten, die als kritische Punkte höherer Energie-Funktionale auftreten, und konzentrieren uns auf polyharmonische isoparametrische Hopf-Hyperflächen in komplexen Raumformen. In diesem Zusammenhang konstruieren wir eine große Familie von -harmonischen Hyperflächen im positiv gekrümmten Fall und beweisen ein Nichtexistenzresultat für den negativ gekrümmten Fall.
Abschließend entwickeln wir einen systematischen Ansatz zur Konstruktion polyharmonischer Orbits in Kohomogenität-1 Mannigfaltigkeiten. Wir verwenden diesen Ansatz, um Metriken zu finden, welche biharmonische Orbits mit speziellen geometrische Eigenschaften zulassen.This thesis explores higher-order energy functionals within the setting of cohomogeneity-one manifolds, with a focus on understanding the structure and stability of solutions arising from these functionals.
We begin by examining equivariant harmonic maps between complex projective spaces, finding infinite families with uncountably many solutions. We delve into the stability properties of these solutions and examine their limiting configuration.
Following this, we examine submanifolds that emerge as critical points of higher energy functionals. We characterize polyharmonic isoparametric Hopf hypersurfaces in complex space forms. In this context, we identify a large family of -harmonic hypersurfaces in the positively curved case and establish a non-existence result for the negatively curved case.
In the final section, we present a systematic approach for constructing polyharmonic orbits, which allows us to identify metrics that support biharmonic orbits with distinctive geometric properties
Der Teufel und die beste aller möglichen Welten: Calderón und Goethe
No full textDas Dokument vergleicht die Darstellung des Teufels in den Werken von Calderón und Goethe, insbesondere in El mágico prodigioso und Faust I. Es wird untersucht, wie beide Autoren die Theodizee-Problematik – die Frage nach der Existenz des Bösen in einer von einem vollkommenen Gott geschaffenen Welt – behandeln. Calderóns Teufel ist ein Werkzeug Gottes, das letztlich der Bekehrung des Menschen dient, während Goethes Mephisto als verneinende Kraft dargestellt wird, die das Gute am Ende jedoch nicht überwinden kann. Beide Werke zeigen die Begrenztheit des Bösen und die Überlegenheit des Guten
Association of Complement Factors With Disability Progression in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis
No full textBackground and Objectives: The complement system is known to play a role in multiple sclerosis (MS) pathogenesis. However, its contribution to disease progression remains elusive. The study investigated the role of the complement system in disability progression of patients with primary progressive MS (PPMS). Methods: Sixty-eight patients with PPMS from 12 European MS centers were included in the study. Serum and CSF levels of a panel of complement components (CCs) were measured by multiplex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at a baseline time point (i.e., sampling). Mean (SD) follow-up time from baseline was 9.6 (4.8) years. Only one patient (1.5%) was treated during follow-up. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions adjusted for age, sex, and albumin quotient were performed to assess the association between baseline CC levels and disability progression in short term (2 years), medium term (6 years), and long term (at the time of the last follow-up). Results: In short term, CC played little or no role in disability progression. In medium term, an elevated serum C3a/C3 ratio was associated with a higher risk of disability progression (adjusted OR 2.30; 95% CI 1.17–6.03; p = 0.040). By contrast, increased CSF C1q levels were associated with a trend toward reduced risk of disability progression (adjusted OR 0.43; 95% CI 0.17–0.98; p = 0.054). Similarly, in long term, an elevated serum C3a/C3 ratio was associated with higher risk of disability progression (adjusted OR 1.81; 95% CI 1.09–3.40; p = 0.037), and increased CSF C1q levels predicted lower disability progression (adjusted OR 0.41; 95% CI 0.17–0.86; p = 0.025). Discussion: Proteins involved in the activation of early complement cascades play a role in disability progression as risk (elevated serum C3a/C3 ratio) or protective (elevated CSF C1q) factors after 6 or more years of follow-up in patients with PPMS. The protective effects associated with C1q levels in CSF may be related to its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties
Association of polysialic acid serum levels with schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorder-related structural brain changes and hospitalization
No full textExpression of polysialic acid (polySia) in the adult brain is enriched in areas of continuous neurogenesis and plasticity such as the hippocampus. Genome-wide association studies identified variants of glycosylation enzyme-encoding genes, required for the generation of polySia, to be associated with the development of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Here, we report that serum levels of polySia are increased in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder compared to patients with major depressive disorders or demographically matched healthy controls. Furthermore, elevated polySia serum levels are associated with structural hippocampal gray matter decline in schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorder. In patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder, polySia serum levels correlate with the number, duration of disease-related hospitalizations, early retirement and medical leave as estimators of detrimental long-term disease trajectories. Our data show that polySia serum levels are linked to structural hippocampal brain changes in schizophrenia spectrum and bipolar disorders, and suggest a contribution of polySia to the pathophysiology of these diseases
Eleventh Annual Report of the Institute for Organisational Economics
No full textDas Institut für Organisationsökonomik (IO) an der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster wurde am 1. Oktober 2010 gegründet. Dieser 11. Jahresbericht informiert über das elfte Jahr, d. h. über das Wintersemester 2020/21 und das Sommersemester 2021. Wie in den Vorjahren werden zuerst das Institut und seine Angehörigen vorgestellt, danach wird über die Forschung und Lehre berichtet.The Institute for Organisational Economics at the University of Münster was founded on October 1st, 2010. This eleventh annual report informs about the eleventh year, the winter semester 2020/21 and the summer semester 2021. As in the previous years, the institute and its members are presented, followed by reports on research and teaching
Tenth Annual Report of the Institute for Organisational Economics
No full textDas Institut für Organisationsökonomik (IO) an der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster wurde am 1. Oktober 2020 zehn Jahre alt. Dieser 10. Jahresbericht informiert über das zehnte Jahr, d. h. über das Wintersemester 2019/20 und das Sommersemester 2020. Wie in den Vorjahren werden das Institut und seine Angehörigen vorgestellt. Danach wird über die Forschung und Lehre sowie weitere Aktivitäten des Instituts berichtet.The Institute for Organisational Economics at the University of Münster became ten years old on October 1st, 2020. This tenth annual report informs about the tenth year, the winter semester 2019/20 and the summer semester 2020. As in the previous years, the institute and its members are presented, followed by reports on research, teaching and further activities of the institute