31325 research outputs found
Sort by
OpenIRIS Handbuch für User
No full textDas Handbuch wurde im Rahmen des BUA Projektes "Lab-Know-How as a shared resource" entwickelt und bietet einen Einstieg in die Arbeit mit der Management- und Buchungssoftware OpenIRIS. Es beschreibt u.a. wie Sie sich als User in dem Portal zurecht finden können, wie Sie Provider und Ressourcen anfragen und Ressourcen und Services buchen können. Das Handbuch wurde ursprünglich für den internen Gebrauch entwickelt und stützt sich auf Erfahrungen, die wir mit der Nutzung der Software im iLab gesammelt haben.The manual was developed as part of the BUA project "Lab-Know-How as a shared resource" and provides an introduction to working with the OpenIRIS management and booking software. It describes, among other things, how you as a user can find your way around the portal, how you can request providers and resources and how you can book resources and services. The manual was originally developed for internal use and is based on the experience we have gained from using the software in our lab
Administration of Hindu Temples: Analysing the Genealogies and Post-Colonial Trajectories of State-Religion Interactions in the Former Princely States of Kullu and Travancore
No full textDerrida, Serres, and the Red Queen
No full textScholars in the humanities interested in how the fertile concept of the parasite can shed light on works of literature and other cultural products, have several theoretical resources they can draw upon. This article compares three of the most important ones, in order to discuss their similarities and differences, and also to bring out their respective strengths and weaknesses: the deconstructive philosophy of Jacques Derrida, Michel Serres’ work, and advances in biological thought following from Leigh Van Valen’s so-called »Red Queen hypothesis«. Even if Serres offers a more comprehensive understanding of the parasite than does Derrida, the latter’s insights are still needed. As I argue in the article, the reason is that they can help counter an unfortunate tendency in Serres’ writings that has led to his book The Parasite being read in two opposed, but equally problematical ways. My central claim is that the most productive starting point for a better theory of the parasite is to be found in the triangulation of insights from Serres, Derrida, and the Red Queen.Das Konzept des Parasiten bietet für die Untersuchung literarischer Texte und anderer Kulturerzeugnisse ein ergiebiges Feld. Geisteswissenschaftler_innen stehen dabei verschiedene theoretische Ansätze zur Verfügung. In dem vorliegenden Artikel werden drei der bedeutendsten Ansätze auf ihre Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede hin verglichen und ihre jeweiligen Stärken und Schwächen herausgearbeitet: Jacques Derridas dekonstruktivistische Philosophie, Michel Serresʼ Arbeiten zum Parasiten und die »Red Queen Hypothesis« des Biologen Leigh Van Valen. Auch wenn Serresʼ Verständnis des Parasiten umfassender ist als dasjenige Derridas, argumentiere ich, dass Derridas Einsichten helfen können, eine zu einseitige Lektüre von Serresʼ Der Parasit zu vermeiden, die sich aus einer unglücklichen Tendenz ergeben hat, seine Argumentation auf zwei entgegengesetzte, aber gleichermaßen problematische Weisen zu verstehen. Der Artikel dient als Plädoyer dafür, dass der produktivste Ausgangspunkt für eine adäquatere Theorie des Parasiten in der Triangulation der Erkenntnisse von Serres, Derrida und der »Red Queen Hypothesis« zu finden ist
Development of Efficient Logistics and Transport System for African Indigenous Vegetables in Sub-Saharan Africa - A Case Study of Vihiga and Kakamega, Kenya
No full textAfrikanisches indigenes Gemüse (African Indigenous Vegetables, AIV) hat in Subsahara-Afrika aufgrund seiner sozioökonomischen Vorteile an Popularität gewonnen. In Kenia verursachen Ineffizienzen in lokalen AIV-Lieferketten schwere Nachernteverluste. Durch die Berücksichtigung von Transport und Logistik, können wachsende Märkte angemessen beliefert werden, somit verringern sich die Produktverluste. In vorherigen Studien sind die Faktoren, die AIV-Lieferketten (Logistik und Transporteffizienz) beeinflussen, kaum bekannt. Diese Studie schließt die Lücke, indem sie die Logistik- und Transportsysteme für die lokale AIV-Lieferkette in Vihiga und Kakamega, Kenia, untersucht. Die Daten wurden durch Fokusgruppendiskussionen und Interviews erhoben und mit der Software MAXQDA thematisch analysiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es der AIV-Logistik- und Transportstruktur an organisatorischer Kohärenz mangelt und traditionelle Praktiken die AIV-Verpackungs-, Lager- und Transportlogistik dominieren. Die wichtigsten Kriterien sind Verfügbarkeit, Erschwinglichkeit, Positionierung des AIV-Pakets, Entfernung zum Markt, Menge, Navigation auf dem Land und die Anforderungen der Käufer. Die Studie hebt vor, dass verschiedene AIV-Akteure logistische Aufgaben zufällig übernehmen und ihre Beziehungen auf Vertrauen und informellen Verträgen beruhen. Die IKT-Nutzung (Mobiltelefon) basiert auf Kommunikationsdiensten, der Verbindung von Akteuren und dem Zugang zu Zahlungsdiensten, neue koordinierende Anwendungen werden kaum genutzt. Die Studie empfiehlt die Einbeziehung bewährter Verfahren zur Verbesserung von Logistik und Transport, einschließlich des Ausbaus von Vermarktungseinrichtungen und Infrastruktur, der Verbesserung von Verpackung und Lagerung sowie der Nutzung von IKT zur Rationalisierung der Abläufe. Künftige Forschungsarbeiten sollten lokale Lieferketten analysieren, indem sie Rahmenwerke einbeziehen, die sowohl lokale als auch regionale Dimensionen umfassenIn sub–Saharan Africa, African Indigenous Vegetables (AIV) have gained popularity in Sub-Saharan Africa due to their socio-economic benefits. Yet in Kenya, AIV encounter substantial post-harvest losses, largely due to inefficiencies in local supply chains. The transport and logistics have been considered sufficiently for appropriate delivery to increasing markets and effective reduction of product losses. While studies have investigated AIV supply chains, the factors affecting AIV logistics and transport efficiency remain poorly understood. The study addresses this gap by assessing logistics and transport systems for AIV local supply chain in Vihiga and Kakamega Counties, Kenya. Qualitative research design was used, data were collected through focus group discussions and interviews, thematically analyzed by MAXQDA software. The findings reveal that AIV logistics and transport structure lack organizational coherence, traditional practices dominate AIV packaging, storage, and transport logistics. Multiple criteria underpin choices and decisions making, most important ones are availability, affordability, AIV package positioning, distance to market, quantity, rural navigation, and buyers' requirements. The study emphasis that, diverse AIV actors are taking over logistical tasks more incidentally, but their relationships are built on trust and informal contracting. ICT use (mobile phone) is mainly based on communication services, linking actors, and facilitating payment services, with limited use of new coordinating applications. The study recommends incorporating best practices to improve logistics and transport, including strengthening marketing facilities and infrastructure, enhancing packaging, and storage, and leveraging ICT to streamline operations. Future research should analyze local supply chains by integrating frameworks that encompass both local and regional dimension
How adaptive social robots influence cognitive, emotional, and self-regulated learning
No full textAs educational environments become more diverse, adaptive technologies like social robots hold promise for providing individual support to learners. This study investigated the role of adaptive teaching of a robot on students’ learning outcomes, emotions, and self-regulated learning (SRL). A total of 120 participants (aged 18–60 years, Mage = 30.25, SDage = 10.06, 64.3% female) engaged in an interactive vocabulary learning task with varying guidance levels by the robot. Control conditions included fixed guidance, offering either simple guidance with no hints (condition 1) or enhanced guidance, constantly adding hints (condition 2). In the adaptive conditions, the robot adjusted the number of hints based on learners’ recent performance and enjoyment (condition 3) or additionally personalized hints to specific mistakes (condition 4). The results showed no direct or indirect effects of adaptive guidance on task performance or cognitive learning compared to fixed guidance. Instead, adaptive guidance significantly reduced on-task enjoyment compared to enhanced guidance, suggesting that unexpected variability in robot behavior may negatively affect emotional learning experience. However, personalized adaptive guidance increased certain SRL behaviors, indirectly benefiting learning outcomes. These findings highlight the need for further refinement of adaptive social robots to better meet individual learner needs and optimize outcomes.Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.Universität Potsdam (1031)Peer Reviewe
Register and the Development of Periphrasis in English Comparatives and Superlatives
No full textWährend im Altenglischen Komparativ- und Superlativadjektive mit einem synthetischen Suffix gebildet wurden, gibt es im Modernen Englisch drei verschiedene Möglichkeiten: synthetisch mit den Suffixen -er/-est, analytisch mit den Partikeln more/most oder die viel seltener anzutreffende Doppelform more ADJ-er/most ADJ-est, die die ersten beiden Möglichkeiten kombiniert. Die analytische und die doppelte Form gewannen zu Beginn der mittelenglischen Periode an Bedeutung und setzten sich am Ende dieser Periode schnell als Alternativen zur synthetischen Form durch. Es ist seit langem bekannt, dass der Wechsel zwischen den verschiedenen Formen von mehreren Faktoren abhängt, vor allem von der Wortherkunft und der Anzahl der Silben. Ein Faktor, der bei diesem Wechsel eine Rolle spielt, ist das Register, das sich auf die sprecherinterne Variation in verschiedenen situativ-funktionalen Kontexten konzentriert. Anhand historischer englischer Korpora wurde untersucht, welche Rolle das Register bei der Entwicklung dieses Wechsels in der mittelalterlichen, frühneuzeitlichen und modernen englischen Periode gespielt hat. Es wurde gezeigt, dass der Komparativ die treibende Kraft hinter dem Aufkommen der analytischen und doppelten Formen im frühen Mittelenglisch war, wobei der Superlativ Jahrhunderte später die gleichen Veränderungen durchlief. Für das frühneuzeitliche Englisch wurde festgestellt, dass Superlative insgesamt analytischer sind als Komparative, wobei Gattungen wie Rechtstexte und Privat-/Nicht-Briefe entgegengesetzte Tendenzen aufweisen, indem sie bei Komparativen stark synthetisch, bei Superlativen aber stark analytisch sind, was signifikante Registerunterschiede nicht nur zwischen den Gattungen, sondern auch innerhalb dieser hervorhebt.Whereas Old English comparative and superlative adjectives were formed using a synthetic suffix, Modern English offers three different ways; synthetically with the suffixes -er/-est, analytically with the particles more/most or the much less commonly found double form more ADJ-er/most ADJ-est, which combines the first two options. The analytic and double forms gained prominence at the beginning of the Middle English period, and were quickly established as alternatives to the synthetic by the end of this period. Alternation between the different forms has long been recognised to be determined by several factors, most notably word origin and number of syllables. One factor involved in this alternation is register, which focusses on the intra-speaker variation found across different situational-functional contexts. Through the use of historical English corpora, the role that register has played in the development of this alternation during the Middle, Early Modern, and Modern English periods was investigated. It was shown that comparatives were the driving force behind the rise of the analytic and double forms in Early Middle English, with the superlative undergoing the same changes centuries later. By Early Modern English, superlatives were found to be overall more analytic than comparatives, with genres such as legal texts and private/non-letters showing opposite tendencies, being strongly synthetic in comparatives but strongly analytic in superlatives, highlighting significant register differences not only across genres, but within them too
A Holistic Catchment‐Scale Framework to Guide Flood and Drought Mitigation Towards Improved Biodiversity Conservation and Human Wellbeing
No full textAs climatic extremity intensifies, a fundamental rethink is needed to promote the sustainable use of freshwater resources. Both floods and droughts, including water scarcity, are exacerbating declines in river biodiversity and ecosystem services, with consequences for both people and nature. Although this is a global challenge, densely populated regions such as Europe, East Asia and North‐America, as well as the regions most affected by climate change, are particularly vulnerable. To date mitigation measures have mainly focused on individual, local‐scale targets, often neglecting hydrological connectivity within catchments and interactions among hydrology, biodiversity, climate change and human wellbeing. A comprehensive approach is needed to improve water infiltration, retention and groundwater recharge, thereby mitigating the impacts of heavy rainfall and floods as well as droughts and water scarcity. We propose a holistic catchment‐scale framework that combines mitigation measures including conventional civil engineering methods, nature‐based solutions and biodiversity conservation actions. This framework integrates legislation, substantial funding and a governance structure that transcends administrative and discipline boundaries, enabling coordinated actions across multiple spatial and temporal scales. It necessitates the collaboration of local and regional stakeholders including citizens, scientists and practitioners. A holistic vision for the sustainable management of freshwater resources could have synergistic effects that support biodiversity and mitigate climate change within functional ecosystems that deliver benefits to people.Peer Reviewe
Constraints on the Role of Marine Authigenic Clay Formation in Determining Seawater Lithium Isotope Composition
No full textSilicate weathering reactions generate alkalinity that drives carbonate burial in the ocean, ultimately considered to balance solid‐earth CO2 degassing. Because silicate weathering occurs at a climate dependent rate, it provides a negative feedback on long‐term climate evolution that regulates Earth's temperature within a habitable window. Quantifying the effect of silicate weathering on CO2 sequestration is challenging, because an unknown fraction of the alkalinity is consumed by the formation of marine authigenic clays. This process – termed reverse weathering – counteracts the degassing‐weathering feedback loop and retains carbon in the ocean‐atmosphere system. Quantifying reverse weathering is challenging due to the difficulties in detecting and quantifying marine authigenic aluminosilicate clays (MAAC) in marine sediments and distinguishing them from byproducts of alkalinity generating marine (forward) silicate weathering reactions. Here, a comparison of the lithium contents and isotope3 ratios of the clay‐sized fraction of marine and fluvial sediments along Chile suggests that higher lithium contents and 7Li/6Li ratios of marine detrital sediments compared to their fluvial counterparts are diagnostic of the presence of MAACs. The increases in Li content and isotope ratios were used to derive a lithium isotope fractionation of ca. −30‰ associated with the formation of MAACs in sediments derived from continents. Using this new constraint on authigenic clay formation, we reevaluate the global lithium budget and derive a flux of lithium associated with MAAC formation in marine detrital sediments.Plain Language Summary: The role of the silicate weathering feedback as a thermostat for Earth's climate by removing CO2 from the atmosphere is widely accepted. Nevertheless, there is some uncertainty about the form of the relationship between climate and CO2 sequestration via weathering – and hence the drivers of long‐term climate evolution – since other processes within the long‐term carbon cycle remain stubbornly difficult to quantify. One such process is reverse weathering, where clays form on the ocean floor and release CO2 otherwise sequestered by weathering. This process remains poorly constrained due to the difficulties in detecting and quantifying spatially heterogenous marine authigenic aluminosilicate clays as well as distinguishing their reverse weathering or marine (forward) weathering origins. Here, we demonstrate the potential of the lithium system to detect and quantify marine authigenic clay formation in marine sediments derived from the continents. Using the lithium content and the isotope ratios of marine sediments compared to fluvial sediments along Chile, we derive a new constraint on the lithium isotope fractionation associated with marine authigenic clay formation in detrital sediments. With this new fractionation, we reevaluate the ocean lithium isotope budget and quantify at a global scale the flux of lithium associated with authigenic clay formation.Key Points: Detection of marine authigenic clay formation using the lithium composition of clay‐sized marine sediments derived from continents. Field‐based estimate of lithium isotope fractionation associated with marine authigenic clay formation in dominantly detrital sediments. Quantification of the Li sink associated with marine authigenic clay formation using an inversion of the ocean Li isotope budget.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659Peer Reviewe
Investigation of cytokine signaling and niche formation with spatial modeling
No full textEffektive Immunantworten basieren auf kollektiven Entscheidungen, die durch diffundierende Zytokine gesteuert werden. Diese Arbeit entwickelt ein 3D-Modellierungsframework mit Finite-Elemente-Simulationen, um die Entstehung und Auswirkungen räumlich inhomogener Zytokinverteilungen in Lymphknoten zu untersuchen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass räumliche Zytokin-Inhomogenitäten entscheidend für die parakrine Signalübertragung sind. Diese entstehen nicht nur durch Diffusion und zelluläre Aufnahme, sondern auch durch zellspezifische Eigenschaften wie die Alles-oder-nichts-Sekretion und Unterschiede in der Rezeptorexpression. Außerdem wird analysiert, wie regulatorische Rückkopplungen der Zytokinrezeptoren die Signaldynamik beeinflussen: IL-2-abhängige positive Rückkopplung verstärkt die Signallokalisierung, während IL-7-abhängige negative Rückkopplung die Signalübertragung de-lokalisiert. Zur Quantifizierung dieser Effekte wurden statistische Metriken entwickelt, die die zeitliche und räumliche Signalumgebung in verschiedenen Gewebearchitekturen charakterisieren. Die Simulationen verdeutlichen, dass Zytokin-Signalübertragung eine präzise regulatorische Steuerung ermöglicht – insbesondere durch die Kombination räumlicher Inhomogenitäten mit Rückkopplungsmechanismen und Gewebearchitekturen. Dies unterstreicht die zentrale Rolle räumlicher Faktoren in der zytokinvermittelten Signalübertragung.Effective immune-cell responses depend on collective decision-making mediated by diffusible signaling proteins called cytokines. Here, a three-dimensional spatiotemporal modeling framework and a precise finite-element simulation setup to systematically investigate the origin and consequences of spatially inhomogeneous cytokine distributions in lymph nodes was designed. When compared to a well-mixed scenario where spatial considerations are neglected, the findings indicate that spatial cytokine inhomogeneities are critical for effective paracrine signaling. These inhomogeneities do not arise from diffusion and cellular uptake alone but are driven by specific cellular properties, including the all-or-none secretion behavior of cytokine-producing cells and variations in receptor expression levels. Furthermore, it is assessed how regulatory feedback mechanisms on cytokine receptors shape spatial signaling dynamics in the case of positive feedback in IL-2 signaling and negative feedback in IL-7 signaling. These cellular feedback mechanisms, which are properties under control of the cell population, allow for a fine-tuning of paracrine signaling efficacy and cytokine distribution. The effects of feedback on paracrine signaling efficacy and cytokine distribution are quantified by deriving statistical metrics to characterize the spatiotemporal signaling landscape in the context of specific tissue architectures. The IL-2 specific positive feedback is found to enhance signal localization around cytokine secreting cells while the IL-7 specific negative feedback de-localizes signaling. Overall, the simulations highlight the potential of cytokine signaling in biological systems to achieve precise regulatory control, especially when spatial inhomogeneities are coupled with feedback mechanisms on receptor expression and specialised tissue architecture. The insights gained in this work underscore the importance of spatial considerations in cytokine-mediated signaling
Assessing the usability and performance of digital healthcare systems in Nigerian teaching hospitals: Challenges and future directions
No full textSeveral developing countries, including Nigeria, are still in the nascent stages of adopting digital healthcare support solutions to enhance clinical service delivery. Consequently, there currently exists a scarcity of research and gaps in the literature regarding the efficacy, effectiveness, overall performance, and possibly success factors associated with these systems, or conversely, identify the design and implementation deficiencies, as well as the use-based challenges present in them. This is the gap this research seeks to address. The findings from these evaluations are anticipated to inform improvements to the existing systems and guide future implementations. Method: The research was conducted at three referral and university teaching hospitals in southern Nigeria. It involved an extensive period of on-site observations and clinician engagements. A validated 5-point Likert scale questionnaire was designed to capture the peculiarities of the prevailing contexts across these hospitals. The survey targeted 150 clinicians, and responses were analyzed using SPSS, while visual representations were created in MS Excel. Result: Findings showed that 79.4% of clinicians identified feature gaps and expressed the need for additional functionalities. However, 71.9% acknowledged that their systems had interfaces facilitating electronic requests to service units like radiology and pharmacy. Despite this, some clinicians faced challenges due to missing features, which prevented them from fully achieving their clinical goals. Furthermore, 80.2% reported experiencing instances where the electronic health record (EHR) systems were slow, unresponsive, or caused prolonged interruptions that hindered workflow efficiency. Conclusion: The findings, particularly the 79.4% of clinicians desiring additional features and the 80.2% experiencing system slowdowns, highlight the urgent need for digital healthcare policies in developing nations to prioritize user-centered design protocols during systems implementation in order to better align EHR systems with clinical workflows and reduce clinician burnout. It would as a result be pertinent to engage the clinicians in any future design or redesign process and also provide targeted trainings which will ensure EHR systems better support healthcare providers in delivering quality patient care.Peer Reviewe